Return to Transcripts main page

Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

East Coast Cleans Up After Isabel; Kobe Bryant Case Gets Stranger

Aired September 19, 2003 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Isabel, the day after, picking up the pieces.

Gun for hire? A bizarre twist in the Kobe Bryant case.

Who fired the fatal shot in Phil Specter's Hollywood mansion?

Would you be welcome at a high school Caucasian club?

And Michael Stipe live, tonight the world premier of REM's new video.

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is "ANDERSON COOPER 360."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And good evening.

Welcome to 360.

Thanks for joining us.

A lot going on we are following tonight.

The California recall race, will it be a sprint or a marathon? An appeals court decides to reconsider the bombshell decision earlier this week to delay the election for months. More on that in a moment.

Also, a high school homecoming story gone very wrong. The accusations of hazing among students at a Long Island school where no one will be enjoying a fall football game this season.

And a dramatic outburst in court from the accused killer of a priest, saying pedophiles have to be held accountable.

All that's ahead.

We begin, however, with Hurricane Isabel, not a hurricane anymore, but its legacy as a category two storm can be seen up and down the East Coast, measured in flooded streets, damaged homes and ruined lives. At least 17 people were killed in the storm, half of them in Virginia. Power was knocked out for nearly five million homes across six eastern states.

It is hard at this point to assess all the damage, but I'm telling you, the pictures are not pretty. One resident in the hard hit Outer Banks of North Carolina said this, "It looks like they misplaced the bomb for Saddam and dropped it here."

Now, the danger isn't over. Floodwaters continue to surge across cities and towns in Isabel's path. Officials are warning people to keep up their guard. Parts of Baltimore are literally swamped. Look at these pictures. Hundreds lined up for emergency aid and the mayor said the flood had done more damage to the city power systems than Floyd did back in 1999. Hard to believe.

That was the overview of the damage. Now we want to get a literal overview.

Jeanne Meserve took to the skies today to survey some of the destruction.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I guess that's part of my property right there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The roof fell.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A roof in the water off Hatteras, North Carolina, a community chewed up by the hurricane. Buildings were pulverized, flooding was widespread. Isabel isolated the town, submerging in two places the one road that snakes down the Outer Banks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can see the roadway. It's all covered up with sand.

MESERVE: All along the North Carolina and Virginia coasts, damage to homes and businesses and piers was visible. In Hampton Roads, the occasional stranded barge, flooding, all evident from the air. But the overall assessment was positive.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was delighted to see that the extent of the damage was not worse than it was.

MESERVE: Other Coast Guard helicopters and C-130s examined other segments of Isabel's wake. At Coast Guard air station Elizabeth City, the big picture was being pieced together.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep a lookout in north. We're hearing people say that this area, Elizabeth City and the swathe that came through here, looks as bad as any place they've seen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: But the view from the ground can be very different. There's a community called Sandbridge here in Virginia Beach. Because I had visited it the other day, I especially looked for it from the air. I couldn't see any damage. But a crew who went there today said there was damage. There was extensive flooding, a lot of sand had drifted into the streets and homes. Property was damaged.

But I will say this, almost everyone we've talked to everywhere in this state has said things could have been much, much worse -- Anderson.

COOPER: Yes, we've been hearing that a lot today.

Jeanne Meserve, thanks very much.

Like an unwanted guest will often do, Isabel left some of her baggage behind in the form of flooding along the storm's path.

Bill Prasad has the story now from Baltimore.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL PRASAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Emergency workers float door to door helping people who are stranded in their homes. Water as deep as seven feet in some places buries cars and floods businesses. The combination of high winds and Friday's high tide turned streets into rivers and at one point more than 600,000 people in Baltimore and its surrounding counties were without power.

GOVERNOR. MARK WARNER (D), VIRGINIA: Well, it's certainly deeper than any of the pictures that we saw from years past. So lucky me, I get the world's biggest snowfall and the worlds, and Baltimore's biggest flood. Next will come the plague of locusts.

PRASAD: In Virginia, Isabel turned off the juice to seven out of every 10 residents. Utility officials call the damage to the system catastrophic in some places, saying many residents will be without power for an extended period.

WARNER: I think government has done all it can to prepare. The utilities had made sure that they had briefed us with their contingency plans. They said they were ready. Now they've got to, the utility companies have got to carry out those plans and get this power restored.

PRASAD: In Alexandria, Virginia, the Potomac River overflowed its banks, creeping into the downtown, flooding businesses and depositing debris in the streets. In Washington, the federal government shut down for the second day. The city of trees becomes the city of fallen trees, as branches and bark litter many streets. D.C.'s mayor urges many residents to start the cleanup. MAYOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS, WASHINGTON: I want to urge all of our residents, yes, to stay put if at all possible. But if you don't have any public safety issues in your neighborhood, get out and about. Begin to cleanup there.

(END VIDEOTAPE) PRASAD: President Bush has now declared Maryland a disaster area. Many of the folks that I've talked to here in this water sopped Baltimore community say this is the worst storm they've seen in decades.

Now, when we first got here, the water was about two feet deep. It has now finally receded and it's given these folks an opportunity to begin that cleanup. But this will be a lengthy process and unfortunately very soon some of that cleanup will be done by candlelight.

We are live in Baltimore, Maryland tonight.

I'm Bill Prasad -- Anderson, back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: All right, Bill, thanks.

It's going to be a tough weekend for a lot of folks.

Now, getting around the U.S. might get back to normal by later this weekend if federal authorities can make it happen. Airports were closed in advance of Isabel's arrival. About 5,700 flights were canceled, that affecting the 20 airports. Many of the airports in the eastern U.S. were up and running by midday. Amtrak is trying to get trees off tracks and fix power lines and switches to restore train service.

A couple more storm related stories. The force of the storm approaching Washington, D.C. led to an unprecedented order. The soldiers who stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery were given permission to leave their posts and seek shelter. It was an order the soldiers on duty did not obey. They continued at their posts through the night and through the storm.

Let's put Hurricane Isabel in perspective. While still a strong category two storm, it did not reach the level of damage that Hurricane Floyd did back in 1999. Early estimates suggest that Isabel has caused at least $1 billion in damages so far, and we stress those are very early estimates. Hurricane Floyd caused about $6 billion in damages. Hurricane Isabel has been blamed for 17 deaths so far. Fifty- seven deaths were attributed to Floyd. A little perspective.

We turn now to the Kobe Bryant case and a twist worth of "The Sopranos." It involves an alleged offer to make the woman who says Bryant raped her disappear. Unsolicited, it was, and the central character is a Swiss bodybuilder and con artist who claims he's in bed with the Russian mob. A hoax or murder for hire?

CNN's Charles Feldman tries to sort it out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While Kobe Bryant awaits trial on charges of raping a 19-year-old employee of a Colorado hotel, Patrick Graber sits in an L.A. County jail cell, accused of offering to kill the young woman in exchange for $3 million. The L.A. County Sheriff's Department says Graber sent a letter to Bryant offering to solve Bryant's problem by making his accuser disappear. He claimed, say police, to have ties to the Russian mob.

Officials doubt that, but say Graber does have a record in his native country.

SHERIFF LEE BACA, LOS ANGELES: We have found out that in Switzerland he has been arrested for fraud. So we're dealing with a person who apparently is a proven con artist.

FELDMAN: Bryant's security people contacted law enforcement and a sting operation was set up. When Graber showed up at this supermarket parking lot Thursday to allegedly pick up his money, he found some 35 law enforcement officers waiting for him.

(on camera): Police say Graber, who worked as a bodybuilder, is in the U.S. illegally because his visa has expired. He will be arraigned Monday. And, while police think Graber probably acted alone, they continue to look for other possible suspects in this alleged plot.

Charles Feldman, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: We're going to talk more about this strange twist in about 10 minutes with our legal analyst Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom.

Staying in California, though, where the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said it will reconsider this week's decision by three of its judges to put off the recall election until next spring. Now, that's going to happen on Monday afternoon. No one knows, of course, what they're going to decide.

So in the meantime, the candidates are still treating this race like it is happening in days, not months. And today Governor Gray Davis got some help from another Democrat who knows election turmoil all too well.

Frank Buckley joins us now from Los Angeles with that -- Frank.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, former Vice President Al Gore came to California today to campaign for Governor Gray Davis and against the recall effort. Mr. Gore brought in specifically to energize African-American voters and union members, as they attempt to register voters on the last weekend that voters can register before the October 7 election.

Al Gore said the recall election was part of a larger struggle over the future of self-government.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: The people who want to see this recall take place are disrespecting the majority of Californians who voted in the election last year. Disrespecting the right of the majority to engage in self-governance.

BUCKLEY: Mr. Gore's visit came on a day when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals announced it would hold a hearing on Monday to reconsider the decision by a three judge panel to postpone the election. Gray Davis said for the first time that he now wants the election to go forward on October 7.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: My attitude is let's just get it over with. Let's just have this election on October 7, put this recall behind us so we can get on with governing in the State of California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY: So as it stands now, on Monday the Ninth Circuit will hear arguments. There's no set timetable for a decision, but everyone expects a fairly quick decision because election day is just around the corner. Meanwhile, the voting has already begun. The secretary of state saying nearly a half million voters have already cast their absentee ballots -- Anderson, if the election is postponed, it isn't clear exactly what will happen to those votes.

COOPER: One more thing to try to figure out.

Frank Buckley, thanks very much for that report.

One more image from the day in California, and a quick warning. What you're about to see includes graphic images of fifty something politicians trying to get jiggy with it. Sensitive viewers may just want to avert their eyes for a few seconds. Take a look.

(VIDEO CLIP OF POLITICIANS DANCING WITH JAMES BROWN)

COOPER: We promise we will not show that again.

All right, let's check the uplink.

New York, the U.N. tells Israel knock it off. A hundred and thirty-three general assembly members approve a resolution calling on Israel to back down from its threat to remove Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. A similar vote in the U.N. Security Council was vetoed by the U.S. Israel calls it meaningless.

Jenin, West Bank, fighting continues. Palestinians clash with Israeli troops, who are carrying out a second day of raids. Three Israeli soldiers, four Palestinians, including two children, were injured. Israel also destroyed homes of two suicide bombers.

Pristina, Kosovo, Clinton mania. It looked like a campaign rally. Thousands of Albanians turned out to greet Bill Clinton. That's him arriving. The former president in Kosovo to receive an honorary doctorate. He urged students at the University of Pristina to make Kosovo a positive model for other places struggling with ethnic and religious problems.

And Glasgow, Scotland, shortly after routine landing, a wing of the private jet carrying the Dixie Chicks clipped the side of a building as it rolled to the gate. No one was hurt and the Dixie Chicks went on to perform as scheduled. No word if it was the left wing or the right.

And that's tonight's uplink.

We still have a lot ahead tonight. Live from the DMZ, we're going to take a front row seat as we take you on tour of what they call Propaganda Village.

Also tonight, the 15-year-old who wants to start a Caucasian Club at her high school. It's to break down racial barriers, she says. Others aren't so sure. You're going to hear from her coming up.

And a little bit later on, Michael Stipe in a television premier, REM's latest video, an interesting take on the news premiering here first.

But here's a quick look inside the box, the top stories on tonight's network news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: And welcome back.

We are live in New York.

We're about to take you live to the DMZ.

But first, a quick look at headlines across country.

Worcester, Massachusetts, drama in the court. Joseph Druce, charged with killing pedophile priest John Geoghan, screamed this at his arraignment today. "Let's keep the kids safe!" He also screamed, "Hold pedophiles accountable for their actions!" Druce pled innocent to murder.

Groomlake, Nevada, known to Scully, Mulder and real life paranoiacs as Area 51, President Bush is allowing the Air Force to remain quiet about its top secret operations at Area 51. He said the secrecy was vital to national security. Hey, the truth is out there, folks.

And Midwest City, Oklahoma, hogs on the hoof. Take a look at this. Tractor-trailer overturned, allowing the hogs to break free from tyrannical human society. Their dream, though, of a world run by hogs for hogs was cruelly dashed when they were quickly rounded up. That'll do, pig. That'll do.

And that'll do for our look at stories cross country.

All this week, CNN's Martin Savidge has been taking us where few people dare or, for that matter, are permitted to go, inside the Korean demilitarized zone, a thin and dangerous line holding war at bay for 50 years now.

Today, we check out a North Korean hamlet which the Americans call Propaganda Village.

Here's Martin Savidge live at the DMZ from Checkpoint 3 -- Marty, why do they call this Propaganda Village?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's a very good reason behind that, Anderson.

We're joining you right now from Checkpoint 3. This is a South Korean observation post looking out on the DMZ, the first time anybody has ever been live from this particular spot. But we didn't bring you here to show you the outpost. We brought you here to show you the view. It is a spectacular view of the DMZ at this particular place.

In the background there is the North Korean village of Guijong- Dong. Guijong-Dong is noted because it has the world's tallest flag. Fifty-two stories it rises in the air. The flag itself weighs 600 pounds bone dry. And it is called Propaganda Village by the South Koreans because of the fact that it was built to look purposely prosperous and alluring back in the '50s.

For a time in the '60s and '70s, it actually lured South Koreans into the North. That was when South Korea's economy was just getting started and the North's economy was doing fairly well. Of course, now things are not doing well at all in North Korea.

This is also a great place to listen to the battle of the propaganda broadcasts. Both sides do it, blasting over huge loudspeakers into the DMZ. North Koreans tend to use classical operatic music with fiery rhetoric. The South Koreans tend to use more up tempo elevator music. Putting politics aside, I tend to like the North Korean music a little bit better.

But it's here you see the beauty of this unspoiled land that for 50 years has basically been left untouched by human hands. Here you would say it is the most peaceful place on earth. And what an irony that is, forgetting, of course, there's two massive armies on either side of the DMZ ready to go to war when the order might be given.

So, the fascinating thing about the DMZ here, Anderson, is that it is a place of deep, deep contrasts. We've learned that all this week -- Anderson.

COOPER: Yes, it certainly comes across.

Martin Savidge, thanks very much for the amazing reports.

You're going to have more in Paula Zahn's hour in the 8:00 hour.

Let's take a look right now at tonight's terror watch. Bagram, Afghanistan, an explosion near the U.S. military headquarters at the air base there. At least three killed, several wounded, according to Reuters. Witnesses say it was not an accident. It was an accident, excuse me. Witnesses say it was an accident, not an attack. An investigation, however, is under way.

Baghdad, Iraq, two explosions shook the city center today. One of them went off in a trash bin. No serious injuries reported. The military is investigating. Hours earlier, Iraq's former defense minister turned himself in to U.S. forces. His name, Sultan Hashim Ahmad. He is number 27 on the U.S. most wanted list. He's not wanted anymore.

And San Diego, California, three homes under construction destroyed by fire. Police blame a radical environmental group, the Earth Liberation Front. They are investigating.

And that wraps up the terror watch tonight.

Still to come this evening, a bizarre twist in the Kobe Bryant case. Was his alleged victim the target of a death plot? Is this celebrity crime story spinning out of control? We're going to talk to Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom. She'll join us in Justice Served. That's in just a moment.

Also tonight, banned from the USA, a gay couple married in Canada denied entry to the U.S. Find out why our northern neighbors are up in arms.

And a little bit later, fallout from the brutal football hazing case. Hear why parents are now crying foul.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, Justice Served now.

When we first heard about some Swiss bodybuilder making news out in California, we thought oh, no, not another recall candidate. But this bodybuilder isn't running for anything. As we told you a few minutes ago, he's in big trouble for allegedly offering his services unsolicited to make Kobe Bryant's accuser disappear.

Scary stuff for the accuser, no doubt, and not the first threat to come her way.

More on this now with "360" legal analyst Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom in San Francisco.

Kimberly, thanks for being with us again tonight.

I guess this is the second threat or alleged threat that we know of against this accuser. Who knows how many other threats there have been?

I guess the concern is that she might back down in the face of these kind of threats.

KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE NEWSOM, "360" LEGAL ANALYST: That's the first thing that came to mind when I heard about this. Again, such a great point. This is the most serious threat we've seen come to date. However, this is the second one. Who knows what else is out there? How is she expected to stay the course? She's being brutalized in the press every day, trying to get her medical records, and then now this. I mean real concern for her safety and for that of her family.

COOPER: I suppose the district attorney, the prosecutors could offer some sort of security to her. I don't know if that is something being considered, but I guess that would be one option. She's apparently already attending school.

NEWSOM: They definitely would have to do that.

COOPER: Yes. Any sense of, I mean any feeling that this may affect somehow Kobe Bryant's image? Because from all accounts, he and his security personnel, at least his security personnel, immediately responded to this, alerting authorities.

NEWSOM: Well, it makes him look sort of like a hero, really. And, in fact, his team has done a good job of getting out there on the air waves and putting it forward that they are the ones that were cooperative, that the safety of the victim was their paramount concern here. Again, a very good move for Kobe Bryant's team.

I think it makes him much more sympathetic, especially when we've seen other things about him vacationing and taking off on shopping sprees. This makes him a much more sympathetic defendant.

COOPER: This person, Patrick Graber, I mean does this -- this won't even make it anywhere close to this trial, if it ever even does get to this?

NEWSOM: The charges against Patrick Graber?

COOPER: Yes, I mean the whole incident, really. I mean there's no way it's going to end up in court, other than obviously Patrick Graber will be facing some sort of trial. But...

NEWSOM: Right. It won't make it into the case that Kobe Bryant is charged with, but there will be -- I mean he's looking at life in prison for solicitation to commit murder. These are very serious charges. The FBI is also looking at this and the state's attorney general's office -- the U.S. attorney's office, actually, because they also may proceed and press charges against him.

COOPER: Did it surprise you that the police actually used, apparently, from these early reports, Kobe Bryant's security personnel to help snare this guy?

NEWSOM: No, that's customary in cases like this where they are trying to use the people that are originally involved in it. These are the individuals he's made contact with. But don't be surprised if Patrick Graber's defense team says this is a case of entrapment. They met with him on three successive times. He's not an individual that has a violent criminal history or record, one that shows that he's a con man, but that's a far cry from murder. And he also said that he wouldn't be the one that would be committing this, he would try to get her to cooperate, to back off the charges. If that didn't work, he was looking at trying to set up some kind of drug overdose and then as a last resort the murder for hire that he, in fact, was charged with.

COOPER: And he also alleged that he had some sort of ties to Russian organized crime. So it's just a bizarre development in an already bizarre case.

Kimberly, thanks for being with us again.

Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom.

NEWSOM: Thank you.

COOPER: Have a great weekend.

Still to come this evening, a Caucasian Club at a California high school. Is it about time or out of line? We'll talk to the student who started the controversy.

Also tonight, a football team under fire for a brutal hazing. Find out why parents are outraged over the fallout.

And later, a U.S. television premier right here on 360. REM takes on TV news. That's in one of their old videos. You're going to see their latest video plus I will talk to Michael Stipe live.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: All right, time for a look at the reset. Looking at the top stories tonight. Isabel losing steam and heading up north. Now a tropical storm after pounding six states along the east coast. At least 17 deaths are blamed on Isabel. The storm that also pulled the power plug on about five million homes.

In California, deja vu all over again. A federal appeals court says it will review a three-judge panel's decision to postpone the recall election. The court will hear the case again on Monday.

In Iraq, the former defense minister surrenders. Number 27 on the U.S. most wanted list turns himself in with his family by his side. Officials said they received him with utmost respect hoping others will come forward as well.

JetBlue airways is catching heat for violating its own privacy policy. It is apologizing to passengers for sharing millions of itineraries with a contractor. That's a look at the reset.

They're finding allegations of sexual assault at a summer football camp have led to action by a Long Island school board. Now you'll remember, some members of the junior varsity team said that varsity players brutally attacked them. The board's action brought strong reaction from the community. Here is Jason Carroll.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There will be no kickoff by the Nepim (ph) High School football team this season.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All those in favor. All opposed? Let the record indicate that it is unanimous.

CARROLL: The school board canceled the season after at least three players were accused of sodomizing three younger players at a Pennsylvania training camp with a broomstick.

CHARLES KULLAR, PARENT: There was wide spread hazing up there. Okay? Not just three kids that were involved in this. Okay? My son, for one, had the hair torn off his legs with duct tape.

CARROLL: The three who have been accused have been suspended.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hate to say you have to make an example of somebody but how do you not make an example of somebody when something like this happens?

CARROLL: Some students rallied at the football field protesting the season's cancellation. One team member says all players shouldn't be punished for the actions of a few.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is our dream since we were freshman, you know, playing on a football field.

CARROLL: But the school says most team members violated policy by failing to report the alleged attacks. One parent explains why students didn't come forward.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These kids are terrified.

CARROLL: The district attorney in Pennsylvania has not filed criminal charges, but he plans a press conference Monday. Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: All right, update now on Phil Spector. Los Angeles police detectives have decided the legendary record producer was responsible for shooting actress Lana Clarkson to death. He denies it. No word yet on when criminal charges might be filed. The shooting happened at Specter's castle-like home in February. Clarkson was known for her roll as the Barbarian queen in a 1980's Roger Corman. Her small cult following called her the original Zena. More on that later.

A new, very different story now. Not about crime but about who is and is not a family in the eyes of U.S. customs. A gay couple married legally in Toronto say they were refused entry into the U.S. because an airport official wouldn't accept their customs form declaring themselves a family. They could have gotten in as single men, but one of them says quote, "we feel we had an affront to our dignity so we decided to go back home."

At a California high school, there is another kind of controversy. Lisa McClelland is a teenager who says she wants to start a club at Freedom High in Oakley, California. A club she says will celebrate her heritage while still accepting others.

You'll understand why the proposed club is raising eyebrows when you hear the proposed name. The Caucasian club. We'll hear from Lisa in a moment. First, here is what a few of her classmates had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they should really get rid of all of the clubs. I don't think we really need too many of them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You think they should get rid of them?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just separating people that don't need to be separating.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What about the Black Student Union Club?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get rid of it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're all Americans. We don't need different unions for different people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I think that the Caucasian Club, that they should have one because Latinos, we have one. They have a Hawaiian group and all these other different ethnic groups so I think they should have a Caucasian club.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Lisa McClelland joins us now. Thanks for being with us now from Oakley, California. Lisa, thanks for being with us tonight. Why do you want a Caucasian club?

LISA MCCLELLAND, STUDENT: I just think is would be good for other students at Freedom High School. Even though we're considered a majority, not a minority.

COOPER: There are a lot of people, I guess, opposed to this in the community at large. One of the local NAACP leaders made a statement to a local reporter. We'll put it on the screen. He said, "it will not allow us to heal that divide we've tried to overcome in the past couple years. If her motivation is to bring harmony as she alleges, this is not the way to go." Do you understand why people are offended by this, why some people are, offended by this. Why some people are, this man in particular?

MCCLELLAND: Yes, kind of. Not really though.

COOPER: I guess there was a -- there was some sort of an incident at your school back in 2000, I guess again in 2001. I know you weren't at the school at the time. I guess a noose was found hanging on school grounds. What does a Caucasian club accomplish?

MCCLELLAND: Well, it's about -- it's where we -- because you ask the kids, what are you? They'll say white but white, that's not a race. And the breakdown, the kids who think they're Caucasian, white, to break down their heritages and teach them their cultures more so than school does.

COOPER: I know you're going to be making a pitch to the principal, I believe on Monday. They have yet to rule on it. They're going to hear what you have to say and then make a decision. If the principal says your club can't exist, that it's not needed, what are you going to do?

MCCLELLAND: I don't know. We might take legal action.

COOPER: How long you been thinking about doing this?

MCCLELLAND: Since we first started signing up for clubs. Which is about two weeks into school.

COOPER: And the reaction -- we saw some reaction from other students we talked to. What kind of reaction are you getting? Have people been accepting of it? Hostile to it? What are you hearing?

MCCLELLAND: I'm hearing a lot of all of it.

COOPER: All right.

MCCLELLAND: Mostly only the ones that think it's negative. They're the only ones that will come up to you.

COOPER: Right. Lisa, we appreciate you joining us. Lisa McClelland, I guess there will be a ruling on this on Monday. We'll be watching. Thanks very much, Lisa.

MCCLELLAND: When we return, the new fall season. We'll talk about sitcoms, the good, bad, lucrative. With the creator, one of the best of them.

Also, REM is back and 360's got them. The band's "Bad Day" debuts right here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Busta Rhymes drew a crowd at his latest appearance in a Massachusetts courtroom. The rapper, real name Trevor A. Smith Jr. is charged with shoving a 21 year old woman's head in a table during a performance earlier this year. Of course, it's always tricky mounting a defense for assault after you change your name to Busta.

Berlin's Academy of the Arts has put on a concert using Harley Davidson motorcycles. Some observers believe the concert marks the first time the distinguished revving noise has been used for reasons other than masking phallic insecurity.

A British museum exhibition on the "Lord of the Rings" is breaking box office records there. The museum is featuring genuine movie artifacts, some of which date back to the year 2001.

And David Blaine has once more shown his knack for generating publicity. Paul McCartney came by to check out Blaine's latest stunt, hanging in a clear box over the Thames. And McCartney allegedly tried to stop a photographer from taking his picture. However, we have obtained a photo of Mr. McCartney and he looks like this. So ends the currents.

All right. The last two programs we've been looking at the new shows debuting on TV this season. Tonight, it's time for sitcoms.

Who better to talk about sitcoms than Andy Borowitz of "The New Yorker," the co-creator of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air." He is here to talk about all the new sitcoms about to launch.

Thanks very much for being with us.

ANDY BOROWITZ, "THE NEW YORKER": It's great to be here.

COOPER: A lot of people probably didn't know you created "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air."

BOROWITZ: Now everybody knows it. My secret's out. I can't bury it any longer.

COOPER: What is -- what is the key to a good sitcom? I mean, obviously funny helps.

BOROWITZ: Funny. I think casting is really important. Who the guy is. You know, I've always said, when I was out there doing comedy, I said people watch TV to see people. I really think that's the key.

COOPER: People do need people.

BOROWITZ: I guess that wasn't too original.

COOPER: Whoopi Goldberg -- I guess her new show, just called "Whoopi," premiered last week. We're going to show a little clip and then we'll talk about it. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHOOPI GOLDBERG, COMEDIAN: Who care?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I care. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I'm positive. It's so obvious. You can tell the difference?

GOLDBERG: Hell, no, I can't tell the difference. All you people look alike to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: You know, she's sort of called her show the Archie Bunker 2003.

BOROWITZ: Well, it's weird. You know, the first job I had was writing for "Archie Bunker's Place." I actually worked for Archie Bunker 1981, I guess that was.

And -- I don't know. You know, it was different. Carol O'Connor played Archie Bunker, we a character actor we'd never seen before. And he seemed to be that guy. Whoopi Goldberg is a woman who we know is Whoopi Goldberg and this seems to me somewhat forced, I got to say.

COOPER: Yes, I guess she's playing sort of an aggressive woman who runs a hotel so...

BOROWITZ: Right. Well...

COOPER: See if that works. Got sort of mixed reviews.

Another big show, a lot of people talking about, "Arrested Development." We have a clip of that I have not seen. We're going to show it and then talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, I'm studying photography now, the mapping of uncharted territories.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sure. Hasn't everything already sort of discovered now by, like, Magellan and Cortez? All those folks?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those guys did a pretty good job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: That looks kind of interesting. It's apparently incredibly quirky.

BOROWITZ: Yes. This show looks like a lot of fun to me. I haven't seen the whole thing.

But, you know, the networks are always saying we're looking for that different thing. Give us new and different. And the problem is, sometimes when you give them that, they then cancel it. And then it winds up on Trio (ph). And it's brilliant but canceled. So that's sort of your consolation prize.

COOPER: Well, apparently, even the executive producer of this said he'd be surprised if the show works, so...

BOROWITZ: Well, that's a vote of confidence right there. If he doesn't believe in it...

COOPER: Cash those checks quickly.

"Coupling" is this show -- I guess it's based on a British program called "Coupling," and it's sort of supposed to be the new "Friends."

BOROWITZ: Right.

COOPER: That's their hope.

BOROWITZ: They're billing this as sort of the sexy version of "Friends." You know, I don't think that "Friends" needs a sexy version. I'd like to see a sexy version of "60 minutes," actually.

COOPER: Oh really?

BOROWITZ: I think that would actually be something worth seeing.

But -- no, they have a lot of hopes for this.

COOPER: And "Hope and Faith" is the new show with Kelly Ripa.

BOROWITZ: Yes.

COOPER: Which is sort of a confusing show.

BOROWITZ: Well, I thought the title was confusing because the casting of that -- they've got this woman, Faith Ford, from "Murphy Brown." And you would think she'd be playing the character Faith in the show. She's actually playing Hope. I think that they're just unnecessarily confusing here. I don't understand why they're doing that.

COOPER: The squirting of food on the negligee always works to do laughs.

BOROWITZ: I smell Peabody Award.

COOPER: All right. Well, we'll see what works and what doesn't and, you know, we'll pick up the pieces.

Andy Borowitz, thanks.

BOROWITZ: Great to be here.

COOPER: All right.

Well, tonight "The Weekender" looks at a handful of new movies, two of which are scary. Actually, three if you get the willies from Haley Joel Osment. And we got a look at what's new in books and DVDs.

But let's start with vampires in leather, shall we?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whether you like it or not, you're in the middle of a war that's been raging for the better part of 1,000 years, a blood feud between vampires and lichen.

COOPER (voice-over): That's right. "Underworld" is "West Side Story" minus the music and lighting budget.

Star Kate Beckinsale sports guns, leather and a British accent, which is OK for her, because, unlike Madonna, Beckinsale is actually British and sometimes goes away.

The other big scary movie gives series director Mike Figgis a chance to work with some big-name stars.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mom, what do you think?

SHARON STONE, ACTRESS: We'll see.

COOPER: "Cold Creek Manor" is an upscale take on the family in peril genre. Any questions?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do have a question for you. Do you know what you're getting yourself into?

COOPER: Maybe not. But Haley Joel Osment is getting into the same thing he always does -- our hearts. But his challenge in "Second Hand Lions" is to win the hearts of Michael Caine and Robert Duval.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rumor has it you two have millions stashed away. I can put that money to work for you with the high yield, only investing in gold and silver can bring.

COOPER: If you're still paying Haley Joel Osment back for "Pay It Forward, " there's always "The Fighting Temptations," with Cuba Gooding Jr., Beyonce Knowles and other people who rolic.

In DVDs, if you prefer a completely different take on Christian themes, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" gets the uber DVD treatment.

And in books, if you prefer another completely different take on Christian themes, Tammy Faye Messner, formerly Tammy Faye Bakker, and formerly unrecognizable, has written her story in "I Will Survive," setting millions of worried minds at ease.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And we are going to ask Tammy Faye Messner ourselves how she survives when she joins us on Monday 360. That's going to be quite interesting.

We got a lot coming up in the broadcast coming up. We're going to talk live to Michael Stipe of REM and we're also going to premiere -- it's going to be the world premiere of their new video. There he is live. We'll be right back and talk to him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: We're going to play the entire video in just a bit. Some might say the new REM song, "Bad Day," takes shots at CNN and other cable news. So we thought this program was the perfect postmodern place to premiere the "Bad Day" video. We're - as I said, we're going to show it to you in just a bit.

Let's bring in REM lead singer, Michael Stipe right now. The group is on tour. He joins us from Grand Prairie, Texas. Michael, thank you very much for being with us.

MICHAEL STIPE, REM LEAD SINGER: You're welcome. How you doing, Anderson?

COOPER: I'm doing all right. Do you watch a lot of news?

STIPE: I do, yes.

COOPER: What -- I mean, there are those who say this video sort of does, you know, poke -- poke fun at or maybe criticize directly mainstream media. What's your take on the media? I mean, you watch it a lot. Do you like it?

STIPE: I like it, and it's where I get my information, like most Americans about what's going on in the world and what's going on in our country.

I do think 24-hour -- American 24-hour news media is a medium that is ripe for satire and parody. And that's exactly what we've done with this video.

COOPER: Did you -- in order to prepare for the video, I mean, did you -- were there certain -- did you watch anchors? I mean, because you -- in it -- it's interesting, you and the other...

STIPE: I watched you.

COOPER: Oh, no, you didn't. But I mean, you get all the sort of mannerisms. You know, the checking the earpiece, all that sort of thing.

STIPE: Right. Right. Yes. I watched some. But I watch -- you know, I watch the news all the time, so I kind of have an idea, I think, what it's like to be in front of a camera going out live at an anchorman. My job was...

COOPER: Sorry, go ahead.

STIPE: Go ahead, I'm sorry.

COOPER: No, no. You go ahead.

STIPE: Well, my job -- my job was to be the anchorman. Mike Mills, our base player -- his job was to be the jaunty weatherman. And Peter Buck's job was to be the kind of bookish expert who has bad fashion sense and ugly glasses.

COOPER: There have been some who are critical of the media for their coverage, say, of the war in Iraq or for their coverage of the Bush administration. How do you rate the media? I mean, do you think they're doing a good job?

STIPE: I think we're living in a time right now when people -- Americans are kind of concerned about how much trust they can place in the government and in our leaders. If you don't have them to turn to, then you have the media. If you start to lose trust in the media in terms of whether they're delivering the whole story, then who do we have to turn to?

COOPER: In the past...

STIPE: So, tin a way, this...

COOPER: Go ahead.

STIPE: I was going to say, in a way this song, it's indicting the current administration. But it's also kind of holding the hand of the media over the flame a little bit. And it's all in good fun.

COOPER: Is there any danger -- I mean, do you feel pressure to be less politicized, to be more politicized? I mean, there has been such talk in the last year about artists who have come forward with strong political positions and been criticized or supported, depending on who you talk to. But do you feel pressure in any way? I mean, the '80s, you were very vocal in a lot of political stances. In the '90s perhaps not as much so, at least by my reading of it. Where are you now on it?

STIPE: Well, I'm seeking on behalf of the band -- we're all very political people. But you have to keep in mind, I'm a singer in a band. I'm not -- I'm not so good at being a talking head.

That being said, when I go to write songs, I don't -- I don't set out to write a song that has a political message or nature to it. I don't think it's possible right now to be an American -- to be an American and not breathe politics every single minute. It's just the world we're living in right now. It's changed a great deal.

COOPER: It certainly is. Michael Stipe, it's been a pleasure talking to you. We're going to go a short break. When we come back from the break we'll premiere this video. Thank you very much.

We'll be right back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, tonight, REM takes cable news itself to "The Nth Degree." That's right. We've got the television premiere of their video for "Bad Day," a new song from their upcoming album, "In Time: The best of REM 1988-2003." This is REM with "Bad Day."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: That's it for the 360 team. Have a great weekend.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Stranger>


Aired September 19, 2003 - 19:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Isabel, the day after, picking up the pieces.

Gun for hire? A bizarre twist in the Kobe Bryant case.

Who fired the fatal shot in Phil Specter's Hollywood mansion?

Would you be welcome at a high school Caucasian club?

And Michael Stipe live, tonight the world premier of REM's new video.

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is "ANDERSON COOPER 360."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And good evening.

Welcome to 360.

Thanks for joining us.

A lot going on we are following tonight.

The California recall race, will it be a sprint or a marathon? An appeals court decides to reconsider the bombshell decision earlier this week to delay the election for months. More on that in a moment.

Also, a high school homecoming story gone very wrong. The accusations of hazing among students at a Long Island school where no one will be enjoying a fall football game this season.

And a dramatic outburst in court from the accused killer of a priest, saying pedophiles have to be held accountable.

All that's ahead.

We begin, however, with Hurricane Isabel, not a hurricane anymore, but its legacy as a category two storm can be seen up and down the East Coast, measured in flooded streets, damaged homes and ruined lives. At least 17 people were killed in the storm, half of them in Virginia. Power was knocked out for nearly five million homes across six eastern states.

It is hard at this point to assess all the damage, but I'm telling you, the pictures are not pretty. One resident in the hard hit Outer Banks of North Carolina said this, "It looks like they misplaced the bomb for Saddam and dropped it here."

Now, the danger isn't over. Floodwaters continue to surge across cities and towns in Isabel's path. Officials are warning people to keep up their guard. Parts of Baltimore are literally swamped. Look at these pictures. Hundreds lined up for emergency aid and the mayor said the flood had done more damage to the city power systems than Floyd did back in 1999. Hard to believe.

That was the overview of the damage. Now we want to get a literal overview.

Jeanne Meserve took to the skies today to survey some of the destruction.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I guess that's part of my property right there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The roof fell.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A roof in the water off Hatteras, North Carolina, a community chewed up by the hurricane. Buildings were pulverized, flooding was widespread. Isabel isolated the town, submerging in two places the one road that snakes down the Outer Banks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can see the roadway. It's all covered up with sand.

MESERVE: All along the North Carolina and Virginia coasts, damage to homes and businesses and piers was visible. In Hampton Roads, the occasional stranded barge, flooding, all evident from the air. But the overall assessment was positive.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was delighted to see that the extent of the damage was not worse than it was.

MESERVE: Other Coast Guard helicopters and C-130s examined other segments of Isabel's wake. At Coast Guard air station Elizabeth City, the big picture was being pieced together.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep a lookout in north. We're hearing people say that this area, Elizabeth City and the swathe that came through here, looks as bad as any place they've seen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: But the view from the ground can be very different. There's a community called Sandbridge here in Virginia Beach. Because I had visited it the other day, I especially looked for it from the air. I couldn't see any damage. But a crew who went there today said there was damage. There was extensive flooding, a lot of sand had drifted into the streets and homes. Property was damaged.

But I will say this, almost everyone we've talked to everywhere in this state has said things could have been much, much worse -- Anderson.

COOPER: Yes, we've been hearing that a lot today.

Jeanne Meserve, thanks very much.

Like an unwanted guest will often do, Isabel left some of her baggage behind in the form of flooding along the storm's path.

Bill Prasad has the story now from Baltimore.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL PRASAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Emergency workers float door to door helping people who are stranded in their homes. Water as deep as seven feet in some places buries cars and floods businesses. The combination of high winds and Friday's high tide turned streets into rivers and at one point more than 600,000 people in Baltimore and its surrounding counties were without power.

GOVERNOR. MARK WARNER (D), VIRGINIA: Well, it's certainly deeper than any of the pictures that we saw from years past. So lucky me, I get the world's biggest snowfall and the worlds, and Baltimore's biggest flood. Next will come the plague of locusts.

PRASAD: In Virginia, Isabel turned off the juice to seven out of every 10 residents. Utility officials call the damage to the system catastrophic in some places, saying many residents will be without power for an extended period.

WARNER: I think government has done all it can to prepare. The utilities had made sure that they had briefed us with their contingency plans. They said they were ready. Now they've got to, the utility companies have got to carry out those plans and get this power restored.

PRASAD: In Alexandria, Virginia, the Potomac River overflowed its banks, creeping into the downtown, flooding businesses and depositing debris in the streets. In Washington, the federal government shut down for the second day. The city of trees becomes the city of fallen trees, as branches and bark litter many streets. D.C.'s mayor urges many residents to start the cleanup. MAYOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS, WASHINGTON: I want to urge all of our residents, yes, to stay put if at all possible. But if you don't have any public safety issues in your neighborhood, get out and about. Begin to cleanup there.

(END VIDEOTAPE) PRASAD: President Bush has now declared Maryland a disaster area. Many of the folks that I've talked to here in this water sopped Baltimore community say this is the worst storm they've seen in decades.

Now, when we first got here, the water was about two feet deep. It has now finally receded and it's given these folks an opportunity to begin that cleanup. But this will be a lengthy process and unfortunately very soon some of that cleanup will be done by candlelight.

We are live in Baltimore, Maryland tonight.

I'm Bill Prasad -- Anderson, back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: All right, Bill, thanks.

It's going to be a tough weekend for a lot of folks.

Now, getting around the U.S. might get back to normal by later this weekend if federal authorities can make it happen. Airports were closed in advance of Isabel's arrival. About 5,700 flights were canceled, that affecting the 20 airports. Many of the airports in the eastern U.S. were up and running by midday. Amtrak is trying to get trees off tracks and fix power lines and switches to restore train service.

A couple more storm related stories. The force of the storm approaching Washington, D.C. led to an unprecedented order. The soldiers who stand guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery were given permission to leave their posts and seek shelter. It was an order the soldiers on duty did not obey. They continued at their posts through the night and through the storm.

Let's put Hurricane Isabel in perspective. While still a strong category two storm, it did not reach the level of damage that Hurricane Floyd did back in 1999. Early estimates suggest that Isabel has caused at least $1 billion in damages so far, and we stress those are very early estimates. Hurricane Floyd caused about $6 billion in damages. Hurricane Isabel has been blamed for 17 deaths so far. Fifty- seven deaths were attributed to Floyd. A little perspective.

We turn now to the Kobe Bryant case and a twist worth of "The Sopranos." It involves an alleged offer to make the woman who says Bryant raped her disappear. Unsolicited, it was, and the central character is a Swiss bodybuilder and con artist who claims he's in bed with the Russian mob. A hoax or murder for hire?

CNN's Charles Feldman tries to sort it out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While Kobe Bryant awaits trial on charges of raping a 19-year-old employee of a Colorado hotel, Patrick Graber sits in an L.A. County jail cell, accused of offering to kill the young woman in exchange for $3 million. The L.A. County Sheriff's Department says Graber sent a letter to Bryant offering to solve Bryant's problem by making his accuser disappear. He claimed, say police, to have ties to the Russian mob.

Officials doubt that, but say Graber does have a record in his native country.

SHERIFF LEE BACA, LOS ANGELES: We have found out that in Switzerland he has been arrested for fraud. So we're dealing with a person who apparently is a proven con artist.

FELDMAN: Bryant's security people contacted law enforcement and a sting operation was set up. When Graber showed up at this supermarket parking lot Thursday to allegedly pick up his money, he found some 35 law enforcement officers waiting for him.

(on camera): Police say Graber, who worked as a bodybuilder, is in the U.S. illegally because his visa has expired. He will be arraigned Monday. And, while police think Graber probably acted alone, they continue to look for other possible suspects in this alleged plot.

Charles Feldman, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: We're going to talk more about this strange twist in about 10 minutes with our legal analyst Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom.

Staying in California, though, where the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said it will reconsider this week's decision by three of its judges to put off the recall election until next spring. Now, that's going to happen on Monday afternoon. No one knows, of course, what they're going to decide.

So in the meantime, the candidates are still treating this race like it is happening in days, not months. And today Governor Gray Davis got some help from another Democrat who knows election turmoil all too well.

Frank Buckley joins us now from Los Angeles with that -- Frank.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, former Vice President Al Gore came to California today to campaign for Governor Gray Davis and against the recall effort. Mr. Gore brought in specifically to energize African-American voters and union members, as they attempt to register voters on the last weekend that voters can register before the October 7 election.

Al Gore said the recall election was part of a larger struggle over the future of self-government.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: The people who want to see this recall take place are disrespecting the majority of Californians who voted in the election last year. Disrespecting the right of the majority to engage in self-governance.

BUCKLEY: Mr. Gore's visit came on a day when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals announced it would hold a hearing on Monday to reconsider the decision by a three judge panel to postpone the election. Gray Davis said for the first time that he now wants the election to go forward on October 7.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: My attitude is let's just get it over with. Let's just have this election on October 7, put this recall behind us so we can get on with governing in the State of California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BUCKLEY: So as it stands now, on Monday the Ninth Circuit will hear arguments. There's no set timetable for a decision, but everyone expects a fairly quick decision because election day is just around the corner. Meanwhile, the voting has already begun. The secretary of state saying nearly a half million voters have already cast their absentee ballots -- Anderson, if the election is postponed, it isn't clear exactly what will happen to those votes.

COOPER: One more thing to try to figure out.

Frank Buckley, thanks very much for that report.

One more image from the day in California, and a quick warning. What you're about to see includes graphic images of fifty something politicians trying to get jiggy with it. Sensitive viewers may just want to avert their eyes for a few seconds. Take a look.

(VIDEO CLIP OF POLITICIANS DANCING WITH JAMES BROWN)

COOPER: We promise we will not show that again.

All right, let's check the uplink.

New York, the U.N. tells Israel knock it off. A hundred and thirty-three general assembly members approve a resolution calling on Israel to back down from its threat to remove Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. A similar vote in the U.N. Security Council was vetoed by the U.S. Israel calls it meaningless.

Jenin, West Bank, fighting continues. Palestinians clash with Israeli troops, who are carrying out a second day of raids. Three Israeli soldiers, four Palestinians, including two children, were injured. Israel also destroyed homes of two suicide bombers.

Pristina, Kosovo, Clinton mania. It looked like a campaign rally. Thousands of Albanians turned out to greet Bill Clinton. That's him arriving. The former president in Kosovo to receive an honorary doctorate. He urged students at the University of Pristina to make Kosovo a positive model for other places struggling with ethnic and religious problems.

And Glasgow, Scotland, shortly after routine landing, a wing of the private jet carrying the Dixie Chicks clipped the side of a building as it rolled to the gate. No one was hurt and the Dixie Chicks went on to perform as scheduled. No word if it was the left wing or the right.

And that's tonight's uplink.

We still have a lot ahead tonight. Live from the DMZ, we're going to take a front row seat as we take you on tour of what they call Propaganda Village.

Also tonight, the 15-year-old who wants to start a Caucasian Club at her high school. It's to break down racial barriers, she says. Others aren't so sure. You're going to hear from her coming up.

And a little bit later on, Michael Stipe in a television premier, REM's latest video, an interesting take on the news premiering here first.

But here's a quick look inside the box, the top stories on tonight's network news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: And welcome back.

We are live in New York.

We're about to take you live to the DMZ.

But first, a quick look at headlines across country.

Worcester, Massachusetts, drama in the court. Joseph Druce, charged with killing pedophile priest John Geoghan, screamed this at his arraignment today. "Let's keep the kids safe!" He also screamed, "Hold pedophiles accountable for their actions!" Druce pled innocent to murder.

Groomlake, Nevada, known to Scully, Mulder and real life paranoiacs as Area 51, President Bush is allowing the Air Force to remain quiet about its top secret operations at Area 51. He said the secrecy was vital to national security. Hey, the truth is out there, folks.

And Midwest City, Oklahoma, hogs on the hoof. Take a look at this. Tractor-trailer overturned, allowing the hogs to break free from tyrannical human society. Their dream, though, of a world run by hogs for hogs was cruelly dashed when they were quickly rounded up. That'll do, pig. That'll do.

And that'll do for our look at stories cross country.

All this week, CNN's Martin Savidge has been taking us where few people dare or, for that matter, are permitted to go, inside the Korean demilitarized zone, a thin and dangerous line holding war at bay for 50 years now.

Today, we check out a North Korean hamlet which the Americans call Propaganda Village.

Here's Martin Savidge live at the DMZ from Checkpoint 3 -- Marty, why do they call this Propaganda Village?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's a very good reason behind that, Anderson.

We're joining you right now from Checkpoint 3. This is a South Korean observation post looking out on the DMZ, the first time anybody has ever been live from this particular spot. But we didn't bring you here to show you the outpost. We brought you here to show you the view. It is a spectacular view of the DMZ at this particular place.

In the background there is the North Korean village of Guijong- Dong. Guijong-Dong is noted because it has the world's tallest flag. Fifty-two stories it rises in the air. The flag itself weighs 600 pounds bone dry. And it is called Propaganda Village by the South Koreans because of the fact that it was built to look purposely prosperous and alluring back in the '50s.

For a time in the '60s and '70s, it actually lured South Koreans into the North. That was when South Korea's economy was just getting started and the North's economy was doing fairly well. Of course, now things are not doing well at all in North Korea.

This is also a great place to listen to the battle of the propaganda broadcasts. Both sides do it, blasting over huge loudspeakers into the DMZ. North Koreans tend to use classical operatic music with fiery rhetoric. The South Koreans tend to use more up tempo elevator music. Putting politics aside, I tend to like the North Korean music a little bit better.

But it's here you see the beauty of this unspoiled land that for 50 years has basically been left untouched by human hands. Here you would say it is the most peaceful place on earth. And what an irony that is, forgetting, of course, there's two massive armies on either side of the DMZ ready to go to war when the order might be given.

So, the fascinating thing about the DMZ here, Anderson, is that it is a place of deep, deep contrasts. We've learned that all this week -- Anderson.

COOPER: Yes, it certainly comes across.

Martin Savidge, thanks very much for the amazing reports.

You're going to have more in Paula Zahn's hour in the 8:00 hour.

Let's take a look right now at tonight's terror watch. Bagram, Afghanistan, an explosion near the U.S. military headquarters at the air base there. At least three killed, several wounded, according to Reuters. Witnesses say it was not an accident. It was an accident, excuse me. Witnesses say it was an accident, not an attack. An investigation, however, is under way.

Baghdad, Iraq, two explosions shook the city center today. One of them went off in a trash bin. No serious injuries reported. The military is investigating. Hours earlier, Iraq's former defense minister turned himself in to U.S. forces. His name, Sultan Hashim Ahmad. He is number 27 on the U.S. most wanted list. He's not wanted anymore.

And San Diego, California, three homes under construction destroyed by fire. Police blame a radical environmental group, the Earth Liberation Front. They are investigating.

And that wraps up the terror watch tonight.

Still to come this evening, a bizarre twist in the Kobe Bryant case. Was his alleged victim the target of a death plot? Is this celebrity crime story spinning out of control? We're going to talk to Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom. She'll join us in Justice Served. That's in just a moment.

Also tonight, banned from the USA, a gay couple married in Canada denied entry to the U.S. Find out why our northern neighbors are up in arms.

And a little bit later, fallout from the brutal football hazing case. Hear why parents are now crying foul.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, Justice Served now.

When we first heard about some Swiss bodybuilder making news out in California, we thought oh, no, not another recall candidate. But this bodybuilder isn't running for anything. As we told you a few minutes ago, he's in big trouble for allegedly offering his services unsolicited to make Kobe Bryant's accuser disappear.

Scary stuff for the accuser, no doubt, and not the first threat to come her way.

More on this now with "360" legal analyst Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom in San Francisco.

Kimberly, thanks for being with us again tonight.

I guess this is the second threat or alleged threat that we know of against this accuser. Who knows how many other threats there have been?

I guess the concern is that she might back down in the face of these kind of threats.

KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE NEWSOM, "360" LEGAL ANALYST: That's the first thing that came to mind when I heard about this. Again, such a great point. This is the most serious threat we've seen come to date. However, this is the second one. Who knows what else is out there? How is she expected to stay the course? She's being brutalized in the press every day, trying to get her medical records, and then now this. I mean real concern for her safety and for that of her family.

COOPER: I suppose the district attorney, the prosecutors could offer some sort of security to her. I don't know if that is something being considered, but I guess that would be one option. She's apparently already attending school.

NEWSOM: They definitely would have to do that.

COOPER: Yes. Any sense of, I mean any feeling that this may affect somehow Kobe Bryant's image? Because from all accounts, he and his security personnel, at least his security personnel, immediately responded to this, alerting authorities.

NEWSOM: Well, it makes him look sort of like a hero, really. And, in fact, his team has done a good job of getting out there on the air waves and putting it forward that they are the ones that were cooperative, that the safety of the victim was their paramount concern here. Again, a very good move for Kobe Bryant's team.

I think it makes him much more sympathetic, especially when we've seen other things about him vacationing and taking off on shopping sprees. This makes him a much more sympathetic defendant.

COOPER: This person, Patrick Graber, I mean does this -- this won't even make it anywhere close to this trial, if it ever even does get to this?

NEWSOM: The charges against Patrick Graber?

COOPER: Yes, I mean the whole incident, really. I mean there's no way it's going to end up in court, other than obviously Patrick Graber will be facing some sort of trial. But...

NEWSOM: Right. It won't make it into the case that Kobe Bryant is charged with, but there will be -- I mean he's looking at life in prison for solicitation to commit murder. These are very serious charges. The FBI is also looking at this and the state's attorney general's office -- the U.S. attorney's office, actually, because they also may proceed and press charges against him.

COOPER: Did it surprise you that the police actually used, apparently, from these early reports, Kobe Bryant's security personnel to help snare this guy?

NEWSOM: No, that's customary in cases like this where they are trying to use the people that are originally involved in it. These are the individuals he's made contact with. But don't be surprised if Patrick Graber's defense team says this is a case of entrapment. They met with him on three successive times. He's not an individual that has a violent criminal history or record, one that shows that he's a con man, but that's a far cry from murder. And he also said that he wouldn't be the one that would be committing this, he would try to get her to cooperate, to back off the charges. If that didn't work, he was looking at trying to set up some kind of drug overdose and then as a last resort the murder for hire that he, in fact, was charged with.

COOPER: And he also alleged that he had some sort of ties to Russian organized crime. So it's just a bizarre development in an already bizarre case.

Kimberly, thanks for being with us again.

Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom.

NEWSOM: Thank you.

COOPER: Have a great weekend.

Still to come this evening, a Caucasian Club at a California high school. Is it about time or out of line? We'll talk to the student who started the controversy.

Also tonight, a football team under fire for a brutal hazing. Find out why parents are outraged over the fallout.

And later, a U.S. television premier right here on 360. REM takes on TV news. That's in one of their old videos. You're going to see their latest video plus I will talk to Michael Stipe live.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: All right, time for a look at the reset. Looking at the top stories tonight. Isabel losing steam and heading up north. Now a tropical storm after pounding six states along the east coast. At least 17 deaths are blamed on Isabel. The storm that also pulled the power plug on about five million homes.

In California, deja vu all over again. A federal appeals court says it will review a three-judge panel's decision to postpone the recall election. The court will hear the case again on Monday.

In Iraq, the former defense minister surrenders. Number 27 on the U.S. most wanted list turns himself in with his family by his side. Officials said they received him with utmost respect hoping others will come forward as well.

JetBlue airways is catching heat for violating its own privacy policy. It is apologizing to passengers for sharing millions of itineraries with a contractor. That's a look at the reset.

They're finding allegations of sexual assault at a summer football camp have led to action by a Long Island school board. Now you'll remember, some members of the junior varsity team said that varsity players brutally attacked them. The board's action brought strong reaction from the community. Here is Jason Carroll.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There will be no kickoff by the Nepim (ph) High School football team this season.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All those in favor. All opposed? Let the record indicate that it is unanimous.

CARROLL: The school board canceled the season after at least three players were accused of sodomizing three younger players at a Pennsylvania training camp with a broomstick.

CHARLES KULLAR, PARENT: There was wide spread hazing up there. Okay? Not just three kids that were involved in this. Okay? My son, for one, had the hair torn off his legs with duct tape.

CARROLL: The three who have been accused have been suspended.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hate to say you have to make an example of somebody but how do you not make an example of somebody when something like this happens?

CARROLL: Some students rallied at the football field protesting the season's cancellation. One team member says all players shouldn't be punished for the actions of a few.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is our dream since we were freshman, you know, playing on a football field.

CARROLL: But the school says most team members violated policy by failing to report the alleged attacks. One parent explains why students didn't come forward.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These kids are terrified.

CARROLL: The district attorney in Pennsylvania has not filed criminal charges, but he plans a press conference Monday. Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: All right, update now on Phil Spector. Los Angeles police detectives have decided the legendary record producer was responsible for shooting actress Lana Clarkson to death. He denies it. No word yet on when criminal charges might be filed. The shooting happened at Specter's castle-like home in February. Clarkson was known for her roll as the Barbarian queen in a 1980's Roger Corman. Her small cult following called her the original Zena. More on that later.

A new, very different story now. Not about crime but about who is and is not a family in the eyes of U.S. customs. A gay couple married legally in Toronto say they were refused entry into the U.S. because an airport official wouldn't accept their customs form declaring themselves a family. They could have gotten in as single men, but one of them says quote, "we feel we had an affront to our dignity so we decided to go back home."

At a California high school, there is another kind of controversy. Lisa McClelland is a teenager who says she wants to start a club at Freedom High in Oakley, California. A club she says will celebrate her heritage while still accepting others.

You'll understand why the proposed club is raising eyebrows when you hear the proposed name. The Caucasian club. We'll hear from Lisa in a moment. First, here is what a few of her classmates had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they should really get rid of all of the clubs. I don't think we really need too many of them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You think they should get rid of them?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just separating people that don't need to be separating.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What about the Black Student Union Club?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get rid of it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're all Americans. We don't need different unions for different people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I think that the Caucasian Club, that they should have one because Latinos, we have one. They have a Hawaiian group and all these other different ethnic groups so I think they should have a Caucasian club.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Lisa McClelland joins us now. Thanks for being with us now from Oakley, California. Lisa, thanks for being with us tonight. Why do you want a Caucasian club?

LISA MCCLELLAND, STUDENT: I just think is would be good for other students at Freedom High School. Even though we're considered a majority, not a minority.

COOPER: There are a lot of people, I guess, opposed to this in the community at large. One of the local NAACP leaders made a statement to a local reporter. We'll put it on the screen. He said, "it will not allow us to heal that divide we've tried to overcome in the past couple years. If her motivation is to bring harmony as she alleges, this is not the way to go." Do you understand why people are offended by this, why some people are, offended by this. Why some people are, this man in particular?

MCCLELLAND: Yes, kind of. Not really though.

COOPER: I guess there was a -- there was some sort of an incident at your school back in 2000, I guess again in 2001. I know you weren't at the school at the time. I guess a noose was found hanging on school grounds. What does a Caucasian club accomplish?

MCCLELLAND: Well, it's about -- it's where we -- because you ask the kids, what are you? They'll say white but white, that's not a race. And the breakdown, the kids who think they're Caucasian, white, to break down their heritages and teach them their cultures more so than school does.

COOPER: I know you're going to be making a pitch to the principal, I believe on Monday. They have yet to rule on it. They're going to hear what you have to say and then make a decision. If the principal says your club can't exist, that it's not needed, what are you going to do?

MCCLELLAND: I don't know. We might take legal action.

COOPER: How long you been thinking about doing this?

MCCLELLAND: Since we first started signing up for clubs. Which is about two weeks into school.

COOPER: And the reaction -- we saw some reaction from other students we talked to. What kind of reaction are you getting? Have people been accepting of it? Hostile to it? What are you hearing?

MCCLELLAND: I'm hearing a lot of all of it.

COOPER: All right.

MCCLELLAND: Mostly only the ones that think it's negative. They're the only ones that will come up to you.

COOPER: Right. Lisa, we appreciate you joining us. Lisa McClelland, I guess there will be a ruling on this on Monday. We'll be watching. Thanks very much, Lisa.

MCCLELLAND: When we return, the new fall season. We'll talk about sitcoms, the good, bad, lucrative. With the creator, one of the best of them.

Also, REM is back and 360's got them. The band's "Bad Day" debuts right here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Busta Rhymes drew a crowd at his latest appearance in a Massachusetts courtroom. The rapper, real name Trevor A. Smith Jr. is charged with shoving a 21 year old woman's head in a table during a performance earlier this year. Of course, it's always tricky mounting a defense for assault after you change your name to Busta.

Berlin's Academy of the Arts has put on a concert using Harley Davidson motorcycles. Some observers believe the concert marks the first time the distinguished revving noise has been used for reasons other than masking phallic insecurity.

A British museum exhibition on the "Lord of the Rings" is breaking box office records there. The museum is featuring genuine movie artifacts, some of which date back to the year 2001.

And David Blaine has once more shown his knack for generating publicity. Paul McCartney came by to check out Blaine's latest stunt, hanging in a clear box over the Thames. And McCartney allegedly tried to stop a photographer from taking his picture. However, we have obtained a photo of Mr. McCartney and he looks like this. So ends the currents.

All right. The last two programs we've been looking at the new shows debuting on TV this season. Tonight, it's time for sitcoms.

Who better to talk about sitcoms than Andy Borowitz of "The New Yorker," the co-creator of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air." He is here to talk about all the new sitcoms about to launch.

Thanks very much for being with us.

ANDY BOROWITZ, "THE NEW YORKER": It's great to be here.

COOPER: A lot of people probably didn't know you created "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air."

BOROWITZ: Now everybody knows it. My secret's out. I can't bury it any longer.

COOPER: What is -- what is the key to a good sitcom? I mean, obviously funny helps.

BOROWITZ: Funny. I think casting is really important. Who the guy is. You know, I've always said, when I was out there doing comedy, I said people watch TV to see people. I really think that's the key.

COOPER: People do need people.

BOROWITZ: I guess that wasn't too original.

COOPER: Whoopi Goldberg -- I guess her new show, just called "Whoopi," premiered last week. We're going to show a little clip and then we'll talk about it. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHOOPI GOLDBERG, COMEDIAN: Who care?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I care. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I'm positive. It's so obvious. You can tell the difference?

GOLDBERG: Hell, no, I can't tell the difference. All you people look alike to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: You know, she's sort of called her show the Archie Bunker 2003.

BOROWITZ: Well, it's weird. You know, the first job I had was writing for "Archie Bunker's Place." I actually worked for Archie Bunker 1981, I guess that was.

And -- I don't know. You know, it was different. Carol O'Connor played Archie Bunker, we a character actor we'd never seen before. And he seemed to be that guy. Whoopi Goldberg is a woman who we know is Whoopi Goldberg and this seems to me somewhat forced, I got to say.

COOPER: Yes, I guess she's playing sort of an aggressive woman who runs a hotel so...

BOROWITZ: Right. Well...

COOPER: See if that works. Got sort of mixed reviews.

Another big show, a lot of people talking about, "Arrested Development." We have a clip of that I have not seen. We're going to show it and then talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, I'm studying photography now, the mapping of uncharted territories.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sure. Hasn't everything already sort of discovered now by, like, Magellan and Cortez? All those folks?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those guys did a pretty good job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: That looks kind of interesting. It's apparently incredibly quirky.

BOROWITZ: Yes. This show looks like a lot of fun to me. I haven't seen the whole thing.

But, you know, the networks are always saying we're looking for that different thing. Give us new and different. And the problem is, sometimes when you give them that, they then cancel it. And then it winds up on Trio (ph). And it's brilliant but canceled. So that's sort of your consolation prize.

COOPER: Well, apparently, even the executive producer of this said he'd be surprised if the show works, so...

BOROWITZ: Well, that's a vote of confidence right there. If he doesn't believe in it...

COOPER: Cash those checks quickly.

"Coupling" is this show -- I guess it's based on a British program called "Coupling," and it's sort of supposed to be the new "Friends."

BOROWITZ: Right.

COOPER: That's their hope.

BOROWITZ: They're billing this as sort of the sexy version of "Friends." You know, I don't think that "Friends" needs a sexy version. I'd like to see a sexy version of "60 minutes," actually.

COOPER: Oh really?

BOROWITZ: I think that would actually be something worth seeing.

But -- no, they have a lot of hopes for this.

COOPER: And "Hope and Faith" is the new show with Kelly Ripa.

BOROWITZ: Yes.

COOPER: Which is sort of a confusing show.

BOROWITZ: Well, I thought the title was confusing because the casting of that -- they've got this woman, Faith Ford, from "Murphy Brown." And you would think she'd be playing the character Faith in the show. She's actually playing Hope. I think that they're just unnecessarily confusing here. I don't understand why they're doing that.

COOPER: The squirting of food on the negligee always works to do laughs.

BOROWITZ: I smell Peabody Award.

COOPER: All right. Well, we'll see what works and what doesn't and, you know, we'll pick up the pieces.

Andy Borowitz, thanks.

BOROWITZ: Great to be here.

COOPER: All right.

Well, tonight "The Weekender" looks at a handful of new movies, two of which are scary. Actually, three if you get the willies from Haley Joel Osment. And we got a look at what's new in books and DVDs.

But let's start with vampires in leather, shall we?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whether you like it or not, you're in the middle of a war that's been raging for the better part of 1,000 years, a blood feud between vampires and lichen.

COOPER (voice-over): That's right. "Underworld" is "West Side Story" minus the music and lighting budget.

Star Kate Beckinsale sports guns, leather and a British accent, which is OK for her, because, unlike Madonna, Beckinsale is actually British and sometimes goes away.

The other big scary movie gives series director Mike Figgis a chance to work with some big-name stars.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mom, what do you think?

SHARON STONE, ACTRESS: We'll see.

COOPER: "Cold Creek Manor" is an upscale take on the family in peril genre. Any questions?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do have a question for you. Do you know what you're getting yourself into?

COOPER: Maybe not. But Haley Joel Osment is getting into the same thing he always does -- our hearts. But his challenge in "Second Hand Lions" is to win the hearts of Michael Caine and Robert Duval.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rumor has it you two have millions stashed away. I can put that money to work for you with the high yield, only investing in gold and silver can bring.

COOPER: If you're still paying Haley Joel Osment back for "Pay It Forward, " there's always "The Fighting Temptations," with Cuba Gooding Jr., Beyonce Knowles and other people who rolic.

In DVDs, if you prefer a completely different take on Christian themes, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" gets the uber DVD treatment.

And in books, if you prefer another completely different take on Christian themes, Tammy Faye Messner, formerly Tammy Faye Bakker, and formerly unrecognizable, has written her story in "I Will Survive," setting millions of worried minds at ease.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And we are going to ask Tammy Faye Messner ourselves how she survives when she joins us on Monday 360. That's going to be quite interesting.

We got a lot coming up in the broadcast coming up. We're going to talk live to Michael Stipe of REM and we're also going to premiere -- it's going to be the world premiere of their new video. There he is live. We'll be right back and talk to him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: We're going to play the entire video in just a bit. Some might say the new REM song, "Bad Day," takes shots at CNN and other cable news. So we thought this program was the perfect postmodern place to premiere the "Bad Day" video. We're - as I said, we're going to show it to you in just a bit.

Let's bring in REM lead singer, Michael Stipe right now. The group is on tour. He joins us from Grand Prairie, Texas. Michael, thank you very much for being with us.

MICHAEL STIPE, REM LEAD SINGER: You're welcome. How you doing, Anderson?

COOPER: I'm doing all right. Do you watch a lot of news?

STIPE: I do, yes.

COOPER: What -- I mean, there are those who say this video sort of does, you know, poke -- poke fun at or maybe criticize directly mainstream media. What's your take on the media? I mean, you watch it a lot. Do you like it?

STIPE: I like it, and it's where I get my information, like most Americans about what's going on in the world and what's going on in our country.

I do think 24-hour -- American 24-hour news media is a medium that is ripe for satire and parody. And that's exactly what we've done with this video.

COOPER: Did you -- in order to prepare for the video, I mean, did you -- were there certain -- did you watch anchors? I mean, because you -- in it -- it's interesting, you and the other...

STIPE: I watched you.

COOPER: Oh, no, you didn't. But I mean, you get all the sort of mannerisms. You know, the checking the earpiece, all that sort of thing.

STIPE: Right. Right. Yes. I watched some. But I watch -- you know, I watch the news all the time, so I kind of have an idea, I think, what it's like to be in front of a camera going out live at an anchorman. My job was...

COOPER: Sorry, go ahead.

STIPE: Go ahead, I'm sorry.

COOPER: No, no. You go ahead.

STIPE: Well, my job -- my job was to be the anchorman. Mike Mills, our base player -- his job was to be the jaunty weatherman. And Peter Buck's job was to be the kind of bookish expert who has bad fashion sense and ugly glasses.

COOPER: There have been some who are critical of the media for their coverage, say, of the war in Iraq or for their coverage of the Bush administration. How do you rate the media? I mean, do you think they're doing a good job?

STIPE: I think we're living in a time right now when people -- Americans are kind of concerned about how much trust they can place in the government and in our leaders. If you don't have them to turn to, then you have the media. If you start to lose trust in the media in terms of whether they're delivering the whole story, then who do we have to turn to?

COOPER: In the past...

STIPE: So, tin a way, this...

COOPER: Go ahead.

STIPE: I was going to say, in a way this song, it's indicting the current administration. But it's also kind of holding the hand of the media over the flame a little bit. And it's all in good fun.

COOPER: Is there any danger -- I mean, do you feel pressure to be less politicized, to be more politicized? I mean, there has been such talk in the last year about artists who have come forward with strong political positions and been criticized or supported, depending on who you talk to. But do you feel pressure in any way? I mean, the '80s, you were very vocal in a lot of political stances. In the '90s perhaps not as much so, at least by my reading of it. Where are you now on it?

STIPE: Well, I'm seeking on behalf of the band -- we're all very political people. But you have to keep in mind, I'm a singer in a band. I'm not -- I'm not so good at being a talking head.

That being said, when I go to write songs, I don't -- I don't set out to write a song that has a political message or nature to it. I don't think it's possible right now to be an American -- to be an American and not breathe politics every single minute. It's just the world we're living in right now. It's changed a great deal.

COOPER: It certainly is. Michael Stipe, it's been a pleasure talking to you. We're going to go a short break. When we come back from the break we'll premiere this video. Thank you very much.

We'll be right back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, tonight, REM takes cable news itself to "The Nth Degree." That's right. We've got the television premiere of their video for "Bad Day," a new song from their upcoming album, "In Time: The best of REM 1988-2003." This is REM with "Bad Day."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: That's it for the 360 team. Have a great weekend.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Stranger>