Return to Transcripts main page

Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Battle of Samarra; Highway Shootings: Ohio Drivers on Alert

Aired December 01, 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, HOST (voice-over): Ambush in Iraq: American soldiers repel simultaneous attacks. Is resistance heating up?

Caught on tape: a fierce struggle with police ends in death.

Who's behind 11 shootings along a five-mile stretch of Ohio highway?

Does race play a role in the allegations against Michael Jackson?

Don't know what to give this season? We've got some new and outrageous gift ideas.

And you won't believe what one guy is doing with his trash.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: Good evening. Thanks for joining us on this Monday on 360.

Have you seen the tape? A video shot by police has provoked outrage among some in Cincinnati, Ohio. Question is, did white police officers use excessive force in trying to subdue a black man? In a few moments we're going to show you the whole tape and you can judge for yourself.

But we start with our top story. A somber start to December for U.S. forces in Iraq. A U.S. soldier killed in an attack west of Baghdad, while in northern Iraq scars of battle in Samarra. Today, cleanup and explanations after what was the bloodiest fighting since the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime.

U.S. convoys delivering new Iraqi currency to banks came under attack yesterday. Coalition forces fought back and fought back hard, saying dozens of insurgents were killed. But exactly what happened and why is at this moment still being investigated.

Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is in Samarra tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is where a .762 millimeter AK round went through the door.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shot up, banged up Humvees hint at the ferocity of the battle. Soldiers provide testimony.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There I am in the middle of a huge firefight with bullets and mortars and RPGs falling all around me.

ROBERTSON: Repairs now under way from what coalition officials describe as the largest engagement since the end of major combat.

(on camera): Forty-six Iraqis killed, 18 wounded and 11 taken prisoner, according to officers here. Intelligence officials say among those may have been members of Saddam Hussein's Fedayeen. They also acknowledge that in the ferocity of such a firefight there may have been civilian casualties.

(voice-over): In Samarra, Tariq Hazar (ph) angrily points to his shot-up living room. "Look at what U.S. troops have done," he says. Asked about the gun clip on his floor, he shows it's empty. "No one was firing from here," he insists.

His friend adding, "The resistance had been told to stand down." But in apparent contradiction, another man in the crowded room adds, "My invalid brother was killed in the crossfire."

This Iraqi police major has been examining the lists of wounded and dead. Fifty injured.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Of all the injured brought to the hospital, we haven't seen any in black uniforms belonging to the Saddam Fedayeen.

ROBERTSON: He also contradicts the coalition again, saying only eight people died. Among them, an elderly Iranian man.

Away from our camera and crowds, an Iraqi told us what he described as resistance fighters had been preparing for an attack. One man being taken away for treatment showing he had some fight left in him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON: Well, some of those Iraqis taken prisoner, Anderson, are being held at this base just outside of Samarra. And intelligence officers say they are beginning to get details from them about exactly what happened. They say at least one cell of Iraqi insurgents was responsible for three of those separate ambushes there -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Nic Robertson live. Thanks very much, Nic.

As we begin this new month, a quick news note on the last month in Iraq. It was the deadliest month for U.S.-backed coalition in Iraq. One hundred of its troops were killed. More than any other month since the start of the conflict. Now, 81 of those troops were American.

No U.S. forces were killed in the Samarra attack, but if what happened on Sunday is a result of new tactics by insurgents, well, those tactics may not be ones they are anxious to repeat. Here's CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While Sunday's attacks on two armored convoys were larger and more coordinated than any since the end of major combat, from a strictly military standpoint they were spectacularly unimpressive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any enemy that is looking at eight tanks, four Bradley fighting vehicles and 93 coalition soldiers and still decides to fight is making a dreadful mistake. So I wouldn't consider that sophisticated at all.

MCINTYRE: Pentagon officials say the attackers clearly knew the U.S. was coming to provide new Iraqi dinars to local banks. Insurgents set up roadblocks and attacked two separate convoys simultaneously from multiple angles, using small arms, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. In response, the U.S. claims it killed at leaflet 46 enemy fighters and wounded more than 18, while suffering only five wounded. If the attacks represent a new enemy tactic, it's one the U.S. is well equipped to handle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They attacked and they were killed. So I think it will be instructed to them for future analysis when they are thinking about what they are going to do next.

MCINTYRE: Finding the U.S. using conventional battlefield tactics is a prescription for failure and could be a sign of desperation, say experts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In fact, the U.S. Army wants this kind of engagement at this kind of level because they know they'll defeat them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: U.S. commanders aren't sure what to make of the insurgents' decision to challenge the U.S. military head to head on its terms. Few people here think they were actually after the money, the Iraqi dinars that were being delivered to the bank. The operating theory is that they were trying to make a bold statement and simply miscalculated how well protected the U.S. convoy was -- Anderson.

COOPER: Quite a miscalculation. Jamie McIntyre, thanks, at the Pentagon.

We go on to Columbus, Ohio now, where a few hours ago a reward was offered to anyone who might have any information on a rash of shootings on a stretch of Interstate 270, which is the loop around the city. Now, at this hour, there are many questions, few answers, and a lot of people traveling in fear.

Kris Osborn has more on the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRIS OSBORN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Franklin County officials don't want to use the word "sniper," but they say they have talked to D.C. area authorities who have experience investigating last year's sniper shootings there, as they try to find out who has been taking shots at drivers on Ohio's Interstate 270.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not putting out a profile because we don't want to limit what we're looking for.

OSBORN: It began as a few random, seemingly disconnected shootings along this busy highway. Incidents where drivers described being shot at while minding their own business. Then, during a 10-day stretch in mid October, three different vehicles were hit in the same general area.

On October 11, Christopher Barry's (ph) Nissan Sentra was hit, shattering the rear window. On the same road the night of October 19, Bill Brigs' (ph) van window was blown out by gunfire. But it wasn't until late November, when this Ohio native, Gail Knisely, was shot to death while riding to her doctor that authorities discovered at least two of the shootings were connected.

The bullet that killed Knisely matched at least one other bullet recovered at another Interstate 270 shooting. In total, there have been 11 shootings along or near the highway, 10 of them in the last two months.

(on camera): One man, whose van window was shut out by gunfire, said he drove right by the same area shortly being hit. Others, though, are a bit skittish about parts of I-270. Investigators now say there's a $10,000 reward available for any information leading to the arrest of those responsible.

Kris Osborn, CNN, Columbus, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAFFERTY: Well, Pat Brown, a criminal profiler, will join us a little bit later on in the program to talk about what kind of person or persons would take part in these Ohio shootings.

Now to Cincinnati, Ohio, where a police videotape has a lot of people talking. You see it here. It shows police repeatedly hitting a 350-pound man with nightsticks after he lunged at them.

The man died after this fight. The coroner says the man had an enlarged heart and traces of illegal drugs in his system. In particular, cocaine and PCP. Now, some activists say the death is another example of white police using too much force on an African- American in custody.

CNN's Brian Cabell joins us live from Cincinnati with more. Good evening, Brian.

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Anderson. There's concern here in Cincinnati that what happened yesterday morning may escalate into something bigger.

Cincinnati does have a history of racial strife. Just two and a half years ago there were disturbances that lasted for three days. But by all accounts, things have eased considerably, at least until yesterday.

It was Sunday morning, just before 6:00 a.m. that a fast-food employee called in and said there was a man acting strange out in the parking lot. Two police responded to the scene and they encountered 5'9", 350-pound Nathaniel Jones. He was belligerent and he refused to be handcuffed, and a fight ensued.

Finally, they managed to subdue him with nightsticks and a chemical spray. Four other police officers were called in as well. They managed to get him on the ground. They got him on the stomach, but when they turned him over, they discovered they had a medical problem on their hands.

He was rushed to the hospital, but then he died shortly thereafterwards. Police and mayor say the cops did absolutely nothing wrong in this encounter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR CHARLIE LUKEN, CINCINNATI, OHIO: They controlled the situation. And even after they start trying to get the man down and telling him what to do, you can see him continue to wail and struggle and grab the nightstick. And the police officers had a legitimate interest in making absolutely certain that they protected their own lives and their own safety.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABELL: We talked to the coroner's office a little while ago. They have not yet determined the cause of death of Jones, but they did say he had an excessively large heart, that he had cardiac problems. There was at least traces of PCP and cocaine in the system. Still there are some in this community who are questioning whether excessive force was used in his death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. CALVERT SMITH, NAACP CINCINNATI CHAPTER PRESIDENT: We are not trying to say that this gentlemen was innocent. I don't know what the circumstances were. But I have seen the film, and the kind of beating that I observed would raise questions in anyone's mind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABELL: The officers involved in this particular encounter have all been placed on administrative leave. But we are told that is normal in a situation like this until everything is sorted out -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Brian Cabell, thanks very much for that tonight. We're going to talk more about this a little later on in the program.

Right now, we're following a number of other stores "Cross Country." Let's take a look.

First up, Wall Street, New York: good news. Stocks hit 18-month highs, while the Dow and the S&P 500 end their day at their highest levels since the end of May 2002. A report showed U.S. factories barreled ahead in November at their fastest pace in two decades. I believe that's (UNINTELLIGIBLE) banging away there.

Next stop, Flandreau, South Dakota: congressmen's trial begins. Jury selection begins in the trial of Bill Janklow. He's accused of manslaughter in a traffic accident that killed a man on a motorcycle. Now, the congressman is also charged with speeding, running a stop sign and reckless driving.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida: death by falling glass. A tragic story. A 17-year-old boy bled to death when a shard of glass from a broken restaurant window cut his throat.

Now, the boy was walking past the restaurant yesterday. Whether he hit or leaned against the glass, not quite clear yet. It broke. No doubt about that. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

And Washington, D.C.: the first lady to Afghanistan? First Lady Laura Bush said she was thinking about it. She said she hopes to have the chance in the spring to go. She also admitted being anxious during her husband's visit last week to Baghdad. Understandable.

That's a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight.

Marital fallout from 9/11. Find out why a handful of firefighters left their wives for the widows they were supposed to be counseling.

Plus, virtual colonoscopy. A new method that may help reduce discomfort and diagnose cancer more effectively. Dr. Sanjay Gupta will join us live for that.

Plus, police brutality or justifiable force? You've seen the tape. We're going to take a closer look at that a little bit later on.

First, let's take a look "Inside the Box" at the top stories on tonight's network newscasts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Christmas lights are out here in New York.

Interesting story tonight about 9/11, New York's bravest and a trail of broken families. It's been confirmed to CNN that more than a half-dozen New York City firemen have left their wives to be with the widows of some of their fallen brothers.

Jason Carroll joins us now from Staten Island, New York -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Anderson, the fire department says that it is routine for firefighters to help the widows of their fallen comrades. In fact, they have a program within the fire department to do just that. But a source tells CNN that since 9/11, at least eight firefighters have left their families for one of these 9/11 widows. At least that's according to the fire department.

Susan Sazuka (ph) says she's one of those that fell victim to this. She says after 20 years of marriage, her husband came to her one day and said he was leaving.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had a job to do with helping after 9/11, and it's like he abused it. He just hides behind lies and blame and, you know, I don't know who he is anymore.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Very sad story here. This is the Sazuka (ph) home. She also alleges that her husband has not lived up to his financial obligations.

We at CNN had an opportunity to speak with her husband. He tells CNN that these allegations being made against him are false. He says he has left his family, but he says he was not counseling that widow, that 9/11 widow. He says he simply met her through other friends.

He says he is living up to his financial obligations, but, of course, his family denies that. At this point, the fire department is trying to sort it all out -- Anderson.

COOPER: It's a sad story no matter how you look at it. Jason Carroll, thanks very much tonight.

We go now to Chesapeake, Virginia, and the trial of sniper suspect Lee Malvo. Today, the defense brought in the ex-wife of convicted sniper John Muhammad, trying to show that Muhammad controlled the younger Malvo. That idea, of course, the idea of brainwashing, is the cornerstone of the Malvo defense. The question is, is it working?

Here's Jeanne Meserve.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the midst of the sniper spree, Mildred Muhammad testified she called 9/11 to report an old blue Caprice or Impala with New Jersey plates near her home in Maryland. The passenger put up a newspaper to obscure his face. The implication it was her ex-husband, John Muhammad.

But Judge Jane Marum Roush did not allow Mildred Muhammad to testify about threats John Muhammad made against her after prosecutor Robert Horan vigorously objected to the defense theory that she was the ultimate target of the sniper attacks. That, he said, was a pipe dream, a convenient pipe dream, maintaining that the real motive was extortion.

John Muhammad was controlling, Mildred Muhammad testified, but she said he was like a magnet to children who needed a father figure. Lee Malvo was one of those children, according to his defense team. With a roster of witnesses from Antigua, they tried to show how as Muhammad exerted influence Malvo changed, converting to Islam and speaking more like an American.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like putting one brick on top of another. Each brick may in and of itself not appear to be a structure. But when they finish putting them all together, I think the picture will be very clear.

MESERVE: Malvo's lawyers have subpoenaed Muhammad to appear in court.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We would certainly like to have John Muhammad there so that the jury can get the full flavor of John Muhammad, the size difference, what the measure of the man is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: The judge is cool to the idea of transporting Muhammad simply for the purposes of a size comparison. Muhammad's lawyers have made it very clear he will not testify -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Jeanne Meserve, thanks very much, live from Virginia.

A couple of international stories on our radar right now. Let's check the "UpLink."

New York: World AIDS Day. The U.N. launches a global plan to get cheaper, life-saving drugs to three million AIDS sufferers by 2005. U.S. Health Secretary Tommy Thompson spent the day in the African nation of Zambia, one of the worst hit. He said the war against AIDS has claimed more victims than any other war.

Geneva, Switzerland: Mideast hope. Hundreds of Palestinians and Israelis gathered to launch an unofficial peace accord. It was negotiated over the past three years by former officials on both sides. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat calls it brave and courageous, but he isn't endorsing the accord. Neither are Israeli leaders or Palestinian militants who have condemned it.

The event was host by actor Richard Dreyfus.

Wellington, New Zealand: casting its spell. About 100,000 "Lord of the Rings" fans gathered for a parade celebrating the world premiere of the last installment of the trilogy. "Return of the King" hits U.S. theaters December 17. It looks like a lot of people had a lot of fun there. London, England: call him "Sir Mick" in a few days. Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger will receive a knighthood from the queen on December 10. The royal honor was announced 18 months ago, but, hey, Jagger has been jamming on his world tour. I guess he now finally has the time.

And that is tonight's "UpLink."

President Bush visited Dearborn, Michigan today, talking up the economy. Now, he is just, of course, the latest high-profile politician to visit the city. And it is quite a stunning development for a community that has felt under siege after 9/11. This because Dearborn is one of the biggest Arab-American populations in the U.S. Now it's also become something of a political Mecca.

Here's Dan Lothian.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dearborn, Michigan on the surface looks like a typical slice of suburbia: quiet streets, green lawns and American flags. But there is also a mosque, blocks of shops with Arabic signs, and a high school where every football player but one is Arab-American. It's what political experts call a desirable voting block.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're having so many visitors that you would just think that we were the center of the world.

LOTHIAN: In October, most of the Democratic candidates showed up for an Arab-American leadership conference. President Bush sent his energy secretary. So what's happening?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's been a 20-year process of building and growing and developing. First, recognition, as a community, that we exist and that our numbers count.

LOTHIAN: In the birthplace of Henry Ford, Arab-Americans are now looking to get into the driver's seat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: According to a recent study, they vote in higher numbers than the average American.

LOTHIAN: Osama Sublani (ph) publishes a weekly Arab American newspaper. Circulation 25,000. Politically active for the past 20 years, he sees a community that leans toward the Democratic Party but remains up for grabs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't want to be labeled Democrat or Republican. We want to see what is our interest and follow (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

LOTHIAN: Many of those interests or issues have been formed by 9/11. A community angered by stereotypes and some new laws fighting terrorism. (on camera): Some worry politicians are pandering for votes. But one Arab-American leader tells CNN he doesn't mind that, because after being excluded from the political process, pandering is a whole lot better.

Dan Lothian, CNN, Dearborn, Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: The highway shootings in Ohio: copycat sniper killer or out-of-control pranksters? We're going to take a closer look with criminal profiler Pat Brown.

Also tonight, is race a factor in the Michael Jackson case? Some of our viewers think it is. We're going to look at how it may play out in court.

And a little bit later, AIDS babies all grown up. Meet a teen who is surviving an epidemic and beating the odds.

First, here's today's "Buzz." Have you ever been tasted for HIV? Vote now: cnn.com/360. The results at the end of the program.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: More now on the frightening story we brought you earlier, a string of highway shootings in Ohio. Bullet fragments link at least two of the shootings along the five-mile stretch of Interstate 270, including one that left a passenger dead last week.

Joining us now with perhaps some insight, criminal profiler Pat Brown, author of "Killing for Sport: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers." She joins us from Washington.

Pat, thanks for being with us. A lot we don't know at this point, so I don't want to put you on the spot. But what is the thrill for someone, a person or persons doing this? I mean, it's not killing somebody up close, where you see what you are doing.

PAT BROWN, CRIMINAL PROFILER: Right. Well, all of these crimes are for power and control. And people have different ways of getting the thrill of power and control.

Some people like being right up close and seeing the fear in somebody's eyes. Some people like to see them drop. And when you back look at the snipers, Muhammad and Malvo, it wasn't so much seeing them drop I think that was the important point. It was getting control of the media, getting control of the police, being the biggest and baddest guys out there, making D.C. a shooting gallery for them. That was more of the excitement.

So everybody has their own little kick out of it.

COOPER: And yet these crimes have been perpetrated over the course of several months.

BROWN: Right.

COOPER: I mean, it began back in May. There have been spaces where nothing has happened. So it doesn't seem like sort of a very -- if it was one person, it doesn't seem very driven.

BROWN: Right. Well, it isn't driven in the sense that we have the D.C. snipers or even the West Virginia guy, who obviously went in there, patterned himself after the D.C. snipers, and went and got a bunch of people by gas stations. This guy does seem to be taking more time in between. Perhaps he gets his moments where he just thinks, I'll go out and shoot at some cars again, this is fun.

One interesting thing is the downtime. He did something in May, if that's the same guy, and then started in the fall again. The police might be looking, is this a college student who was away for the summer and has come back?

COOPER: And is the goal you think shooting people or the cars? Or do you know?

BROWN: Well, he hasn't -- you know it seems like he's at a distance and he's just aiming at the vehicles. He's hit a woman now, and so the question is, are we going to see this escalate because now he's finally hitting his target? Or are we going to see him going, oh, my god, I didn't mean to kill somebody, I was just trying to shoot at a car, and how can I have done this? It might deescalate.

COOPER: All right.

BROWN: So I think we're going to see one way or the other after this.

COOPER: So many questions still unanswered.

BROWN: Absolutely.

COOPER: Pat Brown, thanks very much.

BROWN: My pleasure.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Does race play a role in the allegations against Michael Jackson?

And what does your garbage say about you?

We'll be right back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: All right, time for our "Reset." Top stories right now. Samarra, Iraq, dispute over casualties. U.S. military intelligence officials say at least 46 Iraqi insurgents were killed by U.S. forces that foiled ambushes yesterday. But Iraq police say they only have eight bodies, and residents say some of the victims were innocent and were simply caught in the crossfire.

Lubbock, Texas -- researcher convicted. A federal jury convicts a Texas Tech researcher on most of the charges related to a bioterrorism scare. You might recall last January, Dr. Thomas Butler reported that samples of plague bacteria had been stolen from the school. He later admitted he'd accidentally destroyed the vials.

Los Angeles, California -- getting better. Roy Horn, half of the famed Las Vegas duo Siegfried & Roy, may be released from an LA hospital by the end of the month. Horn's publicist says he remains in serious but stable condition, but he's recovering from injuries after being attacked by that tiger in October.

Cincinnati, Ohio -- death during an arrest, or shortly after. A coroner says a 350-pound man who died after a fight with police yesterday had an enlarged heart and traces of drugs in his system, PCP and cocaine. The struggle was caught on a police cruiser's video. You see it here. Some activists say police used too much force and want the police chief to step down.

That's tonight's "Reset."

Talking about that videotape -- did the Cincinnati police use excessive force? That's the question. Here's what the police department in Cincinnati says about the officers' actions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. COL. RICHARD JANKE, CINCINNATI ASST. POLICE CHIEF: Taking into consideration everything that we see on this tape here, it appears to be consistent with our training. These officers responded very well to an assaultive person, a very large person who clearly attacks them very violently.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, they said it was consistent with police training. Was it? We wanted to get an idea of how a police officer might look at an incident like this through this videotape. For that perspective, we turn to Mark Seiden. He's a former Miami, Florida, police officer. He's now a lawyer representing police officers who might find themselves facing these kinds of accusations. He joins us from Miami.

Mark, thanks for being with us. I want to go right to this tape...

MARK SEIDEN, FORMER MIAMI-DADE POLICE OFFICER: My pleasure.

COOPER: ... and sort of dissect it frame by frame, as much as possible. First, I want to take a close look at the tape. We see a shot of the man basically lunging at police. Tell me what you see here. SEIDEN: Well, here we have a very large individual who attacks the police officers. If you'll note, they have no weapons drawn. They're not doing anything but trying to talk to him. And all of a sudden, boom, they get hit by him.

COOPER: And this guy is 350 pounds.

SEIDEN: Twice my size. And it isn't until after they're hit that they draw their baton. That was in response to his attack, nothing that precipitated the attack.

COOPER: Well, let's talk...

SEIDEN: The attack was without...

COOPER: Let's talk about what happens next with those batons. Appears the police beat the man basically over a dozen times with the batons. You say that's proper police procedure.

SEIDEN: Yes. Those batons are meant to be used in that -- in that way, and that's how they're trained to use them. What they're trying to do, if you'll note, is hit him on the upper arms and the back area to force him to comply. They're not hitting him in the head. What they're trying to do is to get him to cease resisting. Unfortunately, the individual, according to the coroner's office, was on drugs and probably wasn't feeling the pain. But that's what they're supposed to do in that situation. And remember, they're wearing guns, and they have to protect those guns.

COOPER: But I mean, aren't there...

SEIDEN: ... and prevent a tragic situation.

COOPER: ... other methods they could have used? Some might say, you know, taser guns or the like?

SEIDEN: Yes. If they had a taser gun, they could have used one, but they didn't have one. And there's an old saying in the military that in combat, a good plan executed now is better than an excellent plan executed in 10 minutes. They had to react with what they had at the time. They had no idea when they pulled up on this call they were going to be attacked. They thought they were going to probably find somebody who was ill or passed out.

COOPER: Also, a little bit later on in the tape, we see the officers trying to handcuff him. It's a difficult thing for them to do. I mean, as a police officer, you've been there, you've walked the beat. What is that like? How do you -- trying to handcuff a guy of this size has got to be tough.

SEIDEN: It's very difficult. And if you'll notice that during the handcuffing process, the individual tries to grab the officer's baton and take the baton away from him. This is an individual who was struggling and fighting, perhaps under the influence of drugs. And I'll be very frank with you. According to the coroner's -- the initial coroner's report, there was no damage to this individual's internal organs. I believe that when the reports are all finalized, they're going to find out that this man died as a result of either a heart attack -- because he did have an enlarged heart and hypertension -- or drug use or a combination of both...

COOPER: Well, the investigation is still...

SEIDEN: ... not from police use of force.

COOPER: All right. The investigation is still ongoing. Mark Seiden, appreciate you coming in with your perspective on this. Thanks very much, Mark.

SEIDEN: My pleasure.

COOPER: Time for justice served now. We wanted to share some e- mail that we've gotten surrounding the issue of race and Michael Jackson -- a lot of e-mails, actually.

James in Erie, Pennsylvania, wrote in to us, "I believe the media and our criminal justice system treat all blacks unfairly. We still are slaves in white America." Willett in Maryland said this, quote, "I really think that it's tragic the white American has so much hatred against the Michael Jacksons and Kobe Bryants of the world to go so much as to smear these individuals."

So the question is, will race play a factor as the case goes forward? 360 legal analyst Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom joins us from San Francisco to talk about that.

Kimberly, thanks very much for being with us this evening. You know, it's not just these e-mails we've been receiving, we also heard some of this from Jermaine Jackson. I want to play you some of what he said and then talk about how this might end up in court. Let's play that tape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JERMAINE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON'S BROTHER: I am sick and (DELETED) tired of everybody saying these things about my family! And we will fight, and we will stand up. And everybody that knows this family around the world will support us because at the end of the day, this is nothing but a modern-day lynching!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Modern-day lynching. It's a tough term. Do you think this is going to wind up in court, if this thing does go to trial?

KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE NEWSOM, 360 LEGAL ANALYST: Well, I know that if it was up to Michael Jackson or his family, it would definitely play a part in the trial because they very much think that this is racially motivated or has racial bias undertones to it. The reality is, we're going to have to see how this case develops and the facts. So far, there hasn't been any indicator that this is, in fact, was racially motivated. In fact, I think fame and Michael Jackson's notoriety and celebrity status has had more to do with it. We saw the DA apologizing for his statements that he made. And I think he got carried away himself.

But the fact of the matter is, race does come into the courtroom. It affects jurors. It affects people's perception. You definitely see a large segment of the African-American population have problems with the police department. We saw it with the riots. We saw it with Rodney King. We saw it on that videotape in the previous segment.

This is definitely something that comes into the courtroom. Defense attorneys have to factor it in, and so do prosecutors.

COOPER: But you know, Kimberly...

NEWSOM: We see it Kobe Bryant and Jackson. Jurors, African- American jurors, are going to be much more sympathetic and likely to believe that these two individuals are not guilty.

COOPER: Kimberly, you know, a lot of people, like, hearing this, even the very question, you know, will race play a role, just say, Oh, come on. This -- you know -- you know, the guy, you know, is not being treated any differently because of his race. How would a defense attorney, though, in this case try to get race in? I mean, if they choose to go that route, how do they go about it?

NEWSOM: Well, we saw it with O.J. Simpson, with Mark Fuhrman, alleging some kind of racial bias and motive against O.J. In this case, we don't know that there's going to be any individual singled out because there were approximately 70 police officers that executed the warrant at Neverland. The defense is going to have a hard time saying that all 70 of those individuals are racially biased and motivated against Michael Jackson. If they can find one that mishandled perhaps some incriminating evidence, then maybe they'll have something to talk about at that time.

But they are going to look for jurors that are sympathetic to Michael Jackson and believe that he is being made a scapegoat in this and this is unfair, these charges against him. So that's going to come into play in jury selection. Again, choosing African-American jurors, I think, to serve will definitely benefit the defense.

COOPER: All right, Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom, thanks very much for that tonight. Appreciate it.

NEWSOM: Thank you.

COOPER: Still to come tonight: It is potentially a lifesaver, but no one likes having to go through it. But a new method may help take the nightmare out of the colonoscopy. We'll talk about that. Dr. Sanjay Gupta will join us live in a few moments.

Also tonight, World AIDS Day, a survivor's story, the happy teenager who was born with what seemed at the time like a death sentence.

And a little bit later on, Jeanne Moos on how one man's trash -- yes, I said trash -- became his own artistic treasure. Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, there are certain medical procedures that have that instant cringe factor as soon as you bring them up. But before you turn the channel, I say the word colonoscopy -- it certainly fits into this category. Before you change the channel, though, there's a new method that not only reduces the cringe factor but is better at spotting cancer and other growths.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us now with more on the virtual colonoscopy. Hey, Sanjay.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Anderson. It sort of has the cool factor, actually, with this particular study. It's sort of like a movie of your colon. And this is a -- but it's a movie that's highly accurate, less invasive than colonoscopy, and can potentially give you a heads-up about colon cancer.

A small catheter is actually still placed, and then a CT scan is used to get some of the images you're seeing here. Sort of gives you a fly-through through the colon, as you can see outlined in green here. The target, as you're going through the colon there, is to try and find possible cancer-causing polyps. That's the target of these things. And if you find one of these polyps using this pretty nifty animation here, you actually need a real colonoscopy then to actually have the polyp removed.

This is the future, Anderson. This is virtual colonoscopy, sort of movies of your colon, possibly giving people a heads-up about cancer. Lots of benefits to a potential colonoscopy like this. Take a look at the benefits here. This would not require any sedation. You have less risk of actually injuring the colon. It takes about 15 minutes, versus an hour.

Anderson, the reason we're talking about this, a large study's just been done actually putting virtual colonoscopy, which you just saw, head to head with real colonoscopy. They're finding out the virtual colonoscopy is pretty accurate at possibly finding some of these cancers. Although the study authors that we talked to said it's not quite ready to replace colonoscopy because if you do find an abnormality on that CAT scan, you're still going to need a colonoscopy to get rid of the polyp -- Anderson.

COOPER: You know, every time I hear the word "virtual," I think money. How much does this procedure cost? And will insurance cover it?

GUPTA: Not yet. Insurance companies won't cover this yet. It costs about $1,000. That's compared to about $2,000 for a real colonoscopy. So it's going to be cheaper, in the long run. Right now, insurance companies not quite ready to foot the bill. There's only about 50 centers around the country that are actually doing this. But Anderson, everyone we talked to says this may be here to stay. You're probably going to see this pop up at hospitals all around the country pretty soon -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Good news. Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Thanks very much, Sanjay.

As we mentioned earlier today, it's World AIDS Day, and it's natural most of the stories are grim ones. The disease, of course, still kills more than 8,000 people every day. But there are some uplifting stories, as well. And tonight we have one of them, about a baby once thought to be doomed by the disease who's now a thriving teenager. And he's not only -- he's not the only survivor. Rusty Dornin has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shooting hoops, normal for your average, healthy 16-year-old. But Sam Fox was born with AIDS. His birth mother was infected through intravenous drug use. In 1987, the words "AIDS baby" seemed like a death sentence, especially to his foster mother.

(on camera): When you first held him in your arms, I mean, did you think he was going to live?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I mean, he looked so little and so frail.

DORNIN (voice-over): For the first few years, Sam was sick a lot. Then, in the mid-'90s, with the new AIDS drugs, he improved. Every day, he takes 20 pills.

SAM FOX, TEENAGER WITH AIDS: I've got it good right now. I'm just happy to be here. If it wasn't for, like, me taking all these medicines, then I wouldn't be here right now.

DORNIN: Dr. Ann Petru has treated Sam since he was born.

(on camera): Will Sam have to take drugs all his life?

DR. ANN PETRU, SAM'S DOCTOR SINE BIRTH: I think so. I think Sam will.

DORNIN: Does he have a life expectancy like you or I?

PETRU: Well, that's one of the most difficult questions to answer. But I can tell you that since our death rate has dropped so dramatically, virtually all our kids who are here today will be here next year.

DORNIN (voice-over): Out of 86 children, only 2 have died in the last five years here at Children's Hospital in Oakland. His buddy, Tony Lomas (ph), says few people have known about Sam.

TONY LOMAS: Some people are mature enough to take it. Other people will just be scared of him.

FOX: They just say, Oh, he has AIDS, or something, stupid stuff like that.

DORNIN: This teen has a few words for those people.

FOX: First of all, it's not God's punishment. And second, don't be afraid of, like, asking, like, me questions.

DORNIN (on camera): Do you feel like you're one of the lucky ones?

FOX: Not really lucky, but blessed. I think I'm blessed.

DORNIN (voice-over): A survivor in more ways than one. Rusty Dornin, CNN, Newark, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, that was the inspiring story of this World AIDS Day. But here's a fast fact about HIV-AIDS and who is getting it in America right now. Of all the new HIV cases last year, 50 percent of them were African-Americans. Whites made up 29 percent of the new cases and Latinos 19 percent.

That brings us to today's "Buzz." Have you ever been tested for HIV? Log on now, cnn.com/360. Let us know. We'll have the results at the end of the program.

And from the serious stories to some just -- well, some ridiculous ones in the pop news, here's tonight's "Current." Talkingpresidents.com says its top-selling doll is the Ann Coulter doll. The doll is made of plastic and comes with a series of pre-set stock phrases. One difference from the real thing, however, is that you can actually make this doll stop talking. Caveat emptor.

"Variety" reports that the Vatican wants to screen a copy of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ," his controversial upcoming movie about Jesus. Gibson belongs to an ultra-conservative Catholic movement that does not acknowledge the authority of either the pope or Jack Valenti. Serious (ph).

Warner Brothers has signed a writer for its movie remake of "Dukes of Hazard." Viewers who remember the CBS show about a car and the Southern stereotypes who drove it and chased it may be surprised to learn that the original show also had writers. I did not know that.

Michael Jackson's new video did not premier on the British show "Top of the Pops" this weekend, as planned. "The New York Post" reports it's not finished yet. By some estimates, the video may not be done for another, oh, 5 to 10 years.

And have you seen your mailbox lately? Then part of tonight's "Fresh Print" may look familiar. But we'll also flip through a Christmas catalogue you'll never see. That is in "Fresh Print" tonight.

Plus: Would you want people to see every single thing you threw out for two years? Would it qualify as art? Well, Jeanne Moos goes digging through one guy's trash.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, this week in "Fresh Print," we offer samplings from the latest holiday gift catalogues, as well as some gifts that we'd frankly just like to see.

The Sharper Image has its usual gadgets. The talking English/Spanish translator is perfect for anyone on the go or anyone running for president. Omaha Steaks reminds us that nothing says Christmas like the gift of slabs of meat -- even better, meat festively wrapped in bacon. Mmm, bacon.

Red Envelope offers a combination car-window breaker and seat- belt cutter so you can let someone you love know you're thinking about them drowning in their car.

Of course, Neiman Marcus outdoes everyone with a Learjet, $12.7 million. Of course, you could also donate that money to feed a hungry family every day for the next 49,000 years, but that's not in the catalog. Harder to wrap, I suppose.

Frankly, we were disappointed with the real offerings this year, so we decided to invent our own, the AC360 holiday catalog. It's our gift to you. For $350 we recommend the Michael Jackson detachable nose. It's so authentic because it doesn't look anything like a real nose. Economists in our audience will love the easily inflatable budget deficit, now in extra, extra large. For the linguist in your life, how about 360s Jessica Simpson (ph) dictionary, packed with obscure words like "tuna," "buffalo" and "the." Can't decide what to get the Sam Waksal in your life? How about the CEO travel kit, complete with soap, toothbrush and shiv. If you want to be famous but don't have any real skill, just pick up our complete Paris Hilton celebrity makeover kit. It may seem pricey at $400, but it does include a state-of-the-art videocamera with nightscope and digital editing system.

Man, it'll be a happy Christmas.

COOPER: Now something you won't find in any holiday catalog. It's artwork you've likely never seen before. Imagine saving every container from everything you've consumed in the past two years. CNN's Jeanne Moos shows us the art of consumption.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN (voice-over): It looks just like a grocery store until you realize everything's empty.

DAVID SHAPIRO: These were tomatoes.

MOOS: This is, like, deli stuff.

SHAPIRO: You know, cheese, ham, deli. This is aisle two, beverages -- beer, liquor... MOOS (voice-over): Normally, stuff like this ends up in the trash. But artist David Shapiro saved the packaging from everything he's consumed over the past two years.

SHAPIRO: This is all from a vending machine. I like the white tuna in the can because the other one reminds me too much of cat food.

MOOS: Check out the dog food aisle, stocked with everything his pooch, Alice (ph), consumed. Shapiro even kept take-out containers.

SHAPIRO: And then when you lay it out end to end, side to side, you realize, God, I'm a pig.

MOOS: And proud to display it at a Brooklyn art gallery called Jack the Pelican Presents, in conjunction with Eyewash. Gallery-goers got a taste of his innermost appetite.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of humus and a lot of whiskey.

MOOS: Shapiro stored it all in his basement. Women had a bone to pick with this cleaning products.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These are the only sponges he's used for two years?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a paucity of laundry detergent.

MOOS: As for the 179 toilet paper rolls...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very few, actually.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, so he doesn't (DELETED) very much.

MOOS (on camera): David may not have many toilet paper rolls, but he's got plenty of toothbrushes.

(voice-over): He admits to an oral fixation.

SHAPIRO: No cavities.

MOOS: And no girlfriend after this project.

SHAPIRO: She just couldn't stand it anymore.

MOOS: It's like throwing open your fridge and your medicine cabinet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now I really see why the girlfriend got a little upset. Pregnancy test, huh?

MOOS: Artwork for sale for a mere 100,000 bucks. Fish sticks not included. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Where do you put it? I don't know. Anyway, when they said it couldn't be done, one woman decided to accept their challenge, and she took it to the Nth degree. We'll talk about her coming up.

Plus, tomorrow: First they accused him of espionage. So how did the case of Captain Yee turn into an adultery charge? That's tomorrow.

First, today's "Buzz." Have you ever been tested for HIV? On this World AIDS Day, we wanted to know. Vote now, cnn.com/360. Results in just a moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Time for the "Buzz." We asked you, Have you ever been tested for HIV? Here are the numbers: 53 percent of you said yes, 47 percent of you said no. This is not a scientific poll, just your buzz.

Finally tonight, a life lived to the Nth degree. Gertrude Ederle's long life came to a peaceful end at a nursing home in New Jersey yesterday. Ho-hum, you might think. A woman lives to be 98. She can't have been much of a risk taker. Yes, well, think again. Gertrude Ederle was one of the great daredevils of the 20th century, the first woman to swim the English Channel. It was 1926. The weather was so bad, Ederle had to zigzag through 35 miles of cold, rough water. It should have been a 25-mile trip. But she did it covered in grease in 14 hours and 30 minutes, 2 hours faster than the fastest of the five men who had done it before her.

Gertrude Ederle had been losing her hearing for years, but the Channel settled the matter. Back in New York, she could see the wild ticker-tape parade the city threw her in America's name, but she couldn't hear the screaming crowds at all.

With all the extreme sports these days, all the high-tech equipment, it seems to us there may be some confusion about what a hero actually looks like. We're dwelling on these images of Gertrude Ederle to clear up the confusion. This is what a hero looks like.

That wraps up our program tonight. Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

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





Alert>


Aired December 1, 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, HOST (voice-over): Ambush in Iraq: American soldiers repel simultaneous attacks. Is resistance heating up?

Caught on tape: a fierce struggle with police ends in death.

Who's behind 11 shootings along a five-mile stretch of Ohio highway?

Does race play a role in the allegations against Michael Jackson?

Don't know what to give this season? We've got some new and outrageous gift ideas.

And you won't believe what one guy is doing with his trash.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: Good evening. Thanks for joining us on this Monday on 360.

Have you seen the tape? A video shot by police has provoked outrage among some in Cincinnati, Ohio. Question is, did white police officers use excessive force in trying to subdue a black man? In a few moments we're going to show you the whole tape and you can judge for yourself.

But we start with our top story. A somber start to December for U.S. forces in Iraq. A U.S. soldier killed in an attack west of Baghdad, while in northern Iraq scars of battle in Samarra. Today, cleanup and explanations after what was the bloodiest fighting since the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime.

U.S. convoys delivering new Iraqi currency to banks came under attack yesterday. Coalition forces fought back and fought back hard, saying dozens of insurgents were killed. But exactly what happened and why is at this moment still being investigated.

Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is in Samarra tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is where a .762 millimeter AK round went through the door.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shot up, banged up Humvees hint at the ferocity of the battle. Soldiers provide testimony.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There I am in the middle of a huge firefight with bullets and mortars and RPGs falling all around me.

ROBERTSON: Repairs now under way from what coalition officials describe as the largest engagement since the end of major combat.

(on camera): Forty-six Iraqis killed, 18 wounded and 11 taken prisoner, according to officers here. Intelligence officials say among those may have been members of Saddam Hussein's Fedayeen. They also acknowledge that in the ferocity of such a firefight there may have been civilian casualties.

(voice-over): In Samarra, Tariq Hazar (ph) angrily points to his shot-up living room. "Look at what U.S. troops have done," he says. Asked about the gun clip on his floor, he shows it's empty. "No one was firing from here," he insists.

His friend adding, "The resistance had been told to stand down." But in apparent contradiction, another man in the crowded room adds, "My invalid brother was killed in the crossfire."

This Iraqi police major has been examining the lists of wounded and dead. Fifty injured.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Of all the injured brought to the hospital, we haven't seen any in black uniforms belonging to the Saddam Fedayeen.

ROBERTSON: He also contradicts the coalition again, saying only eight people died. Among them, an elderly Iranian man.

Away from our camera and crowds, an Iraqi told us what he described as resistance fighters had been preparing for an attack. One man being taken away for treatment showing he had some fight left in him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON: Well, some of those Iraqis taken prisoner, Anderson, are being held at this base just outside of Samarra. And intelligence officers say they are beginning to get details from them about exactly what happened. They say at least one cell of Iraqi insurgents was responsible for three of those separate ambushes there -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Nic Robertson live. Thanks very much, Nic.

As we begin this new month, a quick news note on the last month in Iraq. It was the deadliest month for U.S.-backed coalition in Iraq. One hundred of its troops were killed. More than any other month since the start of the conflict. Now, 81 of those troops were American.

No U.S. forces were killed in the Samarra attack, but if what happened on Sunday is a result of new tactics by insurgents, well, those tactics may not be ones they are anxious to repeat. Here's CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While Sunday's attacks on two armored convoys were larger and more coordinated than any since the end of major combat, from a strictly military standpoint they were spectacularly unimpressive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any enemy that is looking at eight tanks, four Bradley fighting vehicles and 93 coalition soldiers and still decides to fight is making a dreadful mistake. So I wouldn't consider that sophisticated at all.

MCINTYRE: Pentagon officials say the attackers clearly knew the U.S. was coming to provide new Iraqi dinars to local banks. Insurgents set up roadblocks and attacked two separate convoys simultaneously from multiple angles, using small arms, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. In response, the U.S. claims it killed at leaflet 46 enemy fighters and wounded more than 18, while suffering only five wounded. If the attacks represent a new enemy tactic, it's one the U.S. is well equipped to handle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They attacked and they were killed. So I think it will be instructed to them for future analysis when they are thinking about what they are going to do next.

MCINTYRE: Finding the U.S. using conventional battlefield tactics is a prescription for failure and could be a sign of desperation, say experts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In fact, the U.S. Army wants this kind of engagement at this kind of level because they know they'll defeat them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: U.S. commanders aren't sure what to make of the insurgents' decision to challenge the U.S. military head to head on its terms. Few people here think they were actually after the money, the Iraqi dinars that were being delivered to the bank. The operating theory is that they were trying to make a bold statement and simply miscalculated how well protected the U.S. convoy was -- Anderson.

COOPER: Quite a miscalculation. Jamie McIntyre, thanks, at the Pentagon.

We go on to Columbus, Ohio now, where a few hours ago a reward was offered to anyone who might have any information on a rash of shootings on a stretch of Interstate 270, which is the loop around the city. Now, at this hour, there are many questions, few answers, and a lot of people traveling in fear.

Kris Osborn has more on the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRIS OSBORN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Franklin County officials don't want to use the word "sniper," but they say they have talked to D.C. area authorities who have experience investigating last year's sniper shootings there, as they try to find out who has been taking shots at drivers on Ohio's Interstate 270.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not putting out a profile because we don't want to limit what we're looking for.

OSBORN: It began as a few random, seemingly disconnected shootings along this busy highway. Incidents where drivers described being shot at while minding their own business. Then, during a 10-day stretch in mid October, three different vehicles were hit in the same general area.

On October 11, Christopher Barry's (ph) Nissan Sentra was hit, shattering the rear window. On the same road the night of October 19, Bill Brigs' (ph) van window was blown out by gunfire. But it wasn't until late November, when this Ohio native, Gail Knisely, was shot to death while riding to her doctor that authorities discovered at least two of the shootings were connected.

The bullet that killed Knisely matched at least one other bullet recovered at another Interstate 270 shooting. In total, there have been 11 shootings along or near the highway, 10 of them in the last two months.

(on camera): One man, whose van window was shut out by gunfire, said he drove right by the same area shortly being hit. Others, though, are a bit skittish about parts of I-270. Investigators now say there's a $10,000 reward available for any information leading to the arrest of those responsible.

Kris Osborn, CNN, Columbus, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAFFERTY: Well, Pat Brown, a criminal profiler, will join us a little bit later on in the program to talk about what kind of person or persons would take part in these Ohio shootings.

Now to Cincinnati, Ohio, where a police videotape has a lot of people talking. You see it here. It shows police repeatedly hitting a 350-pound man with nightsticks after he lunged at them.

The man died after this fight. The coroner says the man had an enlarged heart and traces of illegal drugs in his system. In particular, cocaine and PCP. Now, some activists say the death is another example of white police using too much force on an African- American in custody.

CNN's Brian Cabell joins us live from Cincinnati with more. Good evening, Brian.

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Anderson. There's concern here in Cincinnati that what happened yesterday morning may escalate into something bigger.

Cincinnati does have a history of racial strife. Just two and a half years ago there were disturbances that lasted for three days. But by all accounts, things have eased considerably, at least until yesterday.

It was Sunday morning, just before 6:00 a.m. that a fast-food employee called in and said there was a man acting strange out in the parking lot. Two police responded to the scene and they encountered 5'9", 350-pound Nathaniel Jones. He was belligerent and he refused to be handcuffed, and a fight ensued.

Finally, they managed to subdue him with nightsticks and a chemical spray. Four other police officers were called in as well. They managed to get him on the ground. They got him on the stomach, but when they turned him over, they discovered they had a medical problem on their hands.

He was rushed to the hospital, but then he died shortly thereafterwards. Police and mayor say the cops did absolutely nothing wrong in this encounter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR CHARLIE LUKEN, CINCINNATI, OHIO: They controlled the situation. And even after they start trying to get the man down and telling him what to do, you can see him continue to wail and struggle and grab the nightstick. And the police officers had a legitimate interest in making absolutely certain that they protected their own lives and their own safety.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABELL: We talked to the coroner's office a little while ago. They have not yet determined the cause of death of Jones, but they did say he had an excessively large heart, that he had cardiac problems. There was at least traces of PCP and cocaine in the system. Still there are some in this community who are questioning whether excessive force was used in his death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. CALVERT SMITH, NAACP CINCINNATI CHAPTER PRESIDENT: We are not trying to say that this gentlemen was innocent. I don't know what the circumstances were. But I have seen the film, and the kind of beating that I observed would raise questions in anyone's mind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABELL: The officers involved in this particular encounter have all been placed on administrative leave. But we are told that is normal in a situation like this until everything is sorted out -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Brian Cabell, thanks very much for that tonight. We're going to talk more about this a little later on in the program.

Right now, we're following a number of other stores "Cross Country." Let's take a look.

First up, Wall Street, New York: good news. Stocks hit 18-month highs, while the Dow and the S&P 500 end their day at their highest levels since the end of May 2002. A report showed U.S. factories barreled ahead in November at their fastest pace in two decades. I believe that's (UNINTELLIGIBLE) banging away there.

Next stop, Flandreau, South Dakota: congressmen's trial begins. Jury selection begins in the trial of Bill Janklow. He's accused of manslaughter in a traffic accident that killed a man on a motorcycle. Now, the congressman is also charged with speeding, running a stop sign and reckless driving.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida: death by falling glass. A tragic story. A 17-year-old boy bled to death when a shard of glass from a broken restaurant window cut his throat.

Now, the boy was walking past the restaurant yesterday. Whether he hit or leaned against the glass, not quite clear yet. It broke. No doubt about that. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

And Washington, D.C.: the first lady to Afghanistan? First Lady Laura Bush said she was thinking about it. She said she hopes to have the chance in the spring to go. She also admitted being anxious during her husband's visit last week to Baghdad. Understandable.

That's a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight.

Marital fallout from 9/11. Find out why a handful of firefighters left their wives for the widows they were supposed to be counseling.

Plus, virtual colonoscopy. A new method that may help reduce discomfort and diagnose cancer more effectively. Dr. Sanjay Gupta will join us live for that.

Plus, police brutality or justifiable force? You've seen the tape. We're going to take a closer look at that a little bit later on.

First, let's take a look "Inside the Box" at the top stories on tonight's network newscasts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Christmas lights are out here in New York.

Interesting story tonight about 9/11, New York's bravest and a trail of broken families. It's been confirmed to CNN that more than a half-dozen New York City firemen have left their wives to be with the widows of some of their fallen brothers.

Jason Carroll joins us now from Staten Island, New York -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Anderson, the fire department says that it is routine for firefighters to help the widows of their fallen comrades. In fact, they have a program within the fire department to do just that. But a source tells CNN that since 9/11, at least eight firefighters have left their families for one of these 9/11 widows. At least that's according to the fire department.

Susan Sazuka (ph) says she's one of those that fell victim to this. She says after 20 years of marriage, her husband came to her one day and said he was leaving.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had a job to do with helping after 9/11, and it's like he abused it. He just hides behind lies and blame and, you know, I don't know who he is anymore.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Very sad story here. This is the Sazuka (ph) home. She also alleges that her husband has not lived up to his financial obligations.

We at CNN had an opportunity to speak with her husband. He tells CNN that these allegations being made against him are false. He says he has left his family, but he says he was not counseling that widow, that 9/11 widow. He says he simply met her through other friends.

He says he is living up to his financial obligations, but, of course, his family denies that. At this point, the fire department is trying to sort it all out -- Anderson.

COOPER: It's a sad story no matter how you look at it. Jason Carroll, thanks very much tonight.

We go now to Chesapeake, Virginia, and the trial of sniper suspect Lee Malvo. Today, the defense brought in the ex-wife of convicted sniper John Muhammad, trying to show that Muhammad controlled the younger Malvo. That idea, of course, the idea of brainwashing, is the cornerstone of the Malvo defense. The question is, is it working?

Here's Jeanne Meserve.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In the midst of the sniper spree, Mildred Muhammad testified she called 9/11 to report an old blue Caprice or Impala with New Jersey plates near her home in Maryland. The passenger put up a newspaper to obscure his face. The implication it was her ex-husband, John Muhammad.

But Judge Jane Marum Roush did not allow Mildred Muhammad to testify about threats John Muhammad made against her after prosecutor Robert Horan vigorously objected to the defense theory that she was the ultimate target of the sniper attacks. That, he said, was a pipe dream, a convenient pipe dream, maintaining that the real motive was extortion.

John Muhammad was controlling, Mildred Muhammad testified, but she said he was like a magnet to children who needed a father figure. Lee Malvo was one of those children, according to his defense team. With a roster of witnesses from Antigua, they tried to show how as Muhammad exerted influence Malvo changed, converting to Islam and speaking more like an American.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like putting one brick on top of another. Each brick may in and of itself not appear to be a structure. But when they finish putting them all together, I think the picture will be very clear.

MESERVE: Malvo's lawyers have subpoenaed Muhammad to appear in court.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We would certainly like to have John Muhammad there so that the jury can get the full flavor of John Muhammad, the size difference, what the measure of the man is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: The judge is cool to the idea of transporting Muhammad simply for the purposes of a size comparison. Muhammad's lawyers have made it very clear he will not testify -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Jeanne Meserve, thanks very much, live from Virginia.

A couple of international stories on our radar right now. Let's check the "UpLink."

New York: World AIDS Day. The U.N. launches a global plan to get cheaper, life-saving drugs to three million AIDS sufferers by 2005. U.S. Health Secretary Tommy Thompson spent the day in the African nation of Zambia, one of the worst hit. He said the war against AIDS has claimed more victims than any other war.

Geneva, Switzerland: Mideast hope. Hundreds of Palestinians and Israelis gathered to launch an unofficial peace accord. It was negotiated over the past three years by former officials on both sides. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat calls it brave and courageous, but he isn't endorsing the accord. Neither are Israeli leaders or Palestinian militants who have condemned it.

The event was host by actor Richard Dreyfus.

Wellington, New Zealand: casting its spell. About 100,000 "Lord of the Rings" fans gathered for a parade celebrating the world premiere of the last installment of the trilogy. "Return of the King" hits U.S. theaters December 17. It looks like a lot of people had a lot of fun there. London, England: call him "Sir Mick" in a few days. Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger will receive a knighthood from the queen on December 10. The royal honor was announced 18 months ago, but, hey, Jagger has been jamming on his world tour. I guess he now finally has the time.

And that is tonight's "UpLink."

President Bush visited Dearborn, Michigan today, talking up the economy. Now, he is just, of course, the latest high-profile politician to visit the city. And it is quite a stunning development for a community that has felt under siege after 9/11. This because Dearborn is one of the biggest Arab-American populations in the U.S. Now it's also become something of a political Mecca.

Here's Dan Lothian.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dearborn, Michigan on the surface looks like a typical slice of suburbia: quiet streets, green lawns and American flags. But there is also a mosque, blocks of shops with Arabic signs, and a high school where every football player but one is Arab-American. It's what political experts call a desirable voting block.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're having so many visitors that you would just think that we were the center of the world.

LOTHIAN: In October, most of the Democratic candidates showed up for an Arab-American leadership conference. President Bush sent his energy secretary. So what's happening?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's been a 20-year process of building and growing and developing. First, recognition, as a community, that we exist and that our numbers count.

LOTHIAN: In the birthplace of Henry Ford, Arab-Americans are now looking to get into the driver's seat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: According to a recent study, they vote in higher numbers than the average American.

LOTHIAN: Osama Sublani (ph) publishes a weekly Arab American newspaper. Circulation 25,000. Politically active for the past 20 years, he sees a community that leans toward the Democratic Party but remains up for grabs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't want to be labeled Democrat or Republican. We want to see what is our interest and follow (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

LOTHIAN: Many of those interests or issues have been formed by 9/11. A community angered by stereotypes and some new laws fighting terrorism. (on camera): Some worry politicians are pandering for votes. But one Arab-American leader tells CNN he doesn't mind that, because after being excluded from the political process, pandering is a whole lot better.

Dan Lothian, CNN, Dearborn, Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: The highway shootings in Ohio: copycat sniper killer or out-of-control pranksters? We're going to take a closer look with criminal profiler Pat Brown.

Also tonight, is race a factor in the Michael Jackson case? Some of our viewers think it is. We're going to look at how it may play out in court.

And a little bit later, AIDS babies all grown up. Meet a teen who is surviving an epidemic and beating the odds.

First, here's today's "Buzz." Have you ever been tasted for HIV? Vote now: cnn.com/360. The results at the end of the program.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: More now on the frightening story we brought you earlier, a string of highway shootings in Ohio. Bullet fragments link at least two of the shootings along the five-mile stretch of Interstate 270, including one that left a passenger dead last week.

Joining us now with perhaps some insight, criminal profiler Pat Brown, author of "Killing for Sport: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers." She joins us from Washington.

Pat, thanks for being with us. A lot we don't know at this point, so I don't want to put you on the spot. But what is the thrill for someone, a person or persons doing this? I mean, it's not killing somebody up close, where you see what you are doing.

PAT BROWN, CRIMINAL PROFILER: Right. Well, all of these crimes are for power and control. And people have different ways of getting the thrill of power and control.

Some people like being right up close and seeing the fear in somebody's eyes. Some people like to see them drop. And when you back look at the snipers, Muhammad and Malvo, it wasn't so much seeing them drop I think that was the important point. It was getting control of the media, getting control of the police, being the biggest and baddest guys out there, making D.C. a shooting gallery for them. That was more of the excitement.

So everybody has their own little kick out of it.

COOPER: And yet these crimes have been perpetrated over the course of several months.

BROWN: Right.

COOPER: I mean, it began back in May. There have been spaces where nothing has happened. So it doesn't seem like sort of a very -- if it was one person, it doesn't seem very driven.

BROWN: Right. Well, it isn't driven in the sense that we have the D.C. snipers or even the West Virginia guy, who obviously went in there, patterned himself after the D.C. snipers, and went and got a bunch of people by gas stations. This guy does seem to be taking more time in between. Perhaps he gets his moments where he just thinks, I'll go out and shoot at some cars again, this is fun.

One interesting thing is the downtime. He did something in May, if that's the same guy, and then started in the fall again. The police might be looking, is this a college student who was away for the summer and has come back?

COOPER: And is the goal you think shooting people or the cars? Or do you know?

BROWN: Well, he hasn't -- you know it seems like he's at a distance and he's just aiming at the vehicles. He's hit a woman now, and so the question is, are we going to see this escalate because now he's finally hitting his target? Or are we going to see him going, oh, my god, I didn't mean to kill somebody, I was just trying to shoot at a car, and how can I have done this? It might deescalate.

COOPER: All right.

BROWN: So I think we're going to see one way or the other after this.

COOPER: So many questions still unanswered.

BROWN: Absolutely.

COOPER: Pat Brown, thanks very much.

BROWN: My pleasure.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Does race play a role in the allegations against Michael Jackson?

And what does your garbage say about you?

We'll be right back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: All right, time for our "Reset." Top stories right now. Samarra, Iraq, dispute over casualties. U.S. military intelligence officials say at least 46 Iraqi insurgents were killed by U.S. forces that foiled ambushes yesterday. But Iraq police say they only have eight bodies, and residents say some of the victims were innocent and were simply caught in the crossfire.

Lubbock, Texas -- researcher convicted. A federal jury convicts a Texas Tech researcher on most of the charges related to a bioterrorism scare. You might recall last January, Dr. Thomas Butler reported that samples of plague bacteria had been stolen from the school. He later admitted he'd accidentally destroyed the vials.

Los Angeles, California -- getting better. Roy Horn, half of the famed Las Vegas duo Siegfried & Roy, may be released from an LA hospital by the end of the month. Horn's publicist says he remains in serious but stable condition, but he's recovering from injuries after being attacked by that tiger in October.

Cincinnati, Ohio -- death during an arrest, or shortly after. A coroner says a 350-pound man who died after a fight with police yesterday had an enlarged heart and traces of drugs in his system, PCP and cocaine. The struggle was caught on a police cruiser's video. You see it here. Some activists say police used too much force and want the police chief to step down.

That's tonight's "Reset."

Talking about that videotape -- did the Cincinnati police use excessive force? That's the question. Here's what the police department in Cincinnati says about the officers' actions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. COL. RICHARD JANKE, CINCINNATI ASST. POLICE CHIEF: Taking into consideration everything that we see on this tape here, it appears to be consistent with our training. These officers responded very well to an assaultive person, a very large person who clearly attacks them very violently.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, they said it was consistent with police training. Was it? We wanted to get an idea of how a police officer might look at an incident like this through this videotape. For that perspective, we turn to Mark Seiden. He's a former Miami, Florida, police officer. He's now a lawyer representing police officers who might find themselves facing these kinds of accusations. He joins us from Miami.

Mark, thanks for being with us. I want to go right to this tape...

MARK SEIDEN, FORMER MIAMI-DADE POLICE OFFICER: My pleasure.

COOPER: ... and sort of dissect it frame by frame, as much as possible. First, I want to take a close look at the tape. We see a shot of the man basically lunging at police. Tell me what you see here. SEIDEN: Well, here we have a very large individual who attacks the police officers. If you'll note, they have no weapons drawn. They're not doing anything but trying to talk to him. And all of a sudden, boom, they get hit by him.

COOPER: And this guy is 350 pounds.

SEIDEN: Twice my size. And it isn't until after they're hit that they draw their baton. That was in response to his attack, nothing that precipitated the attack.

COOPER: Well, let's talk...

SEIDEN: The attack was without...

COOPER: Let's talk about what happens next with those batons. Appears the police beat the man basically over a dozen times with the batons. You say that's proper police procedure.

SEIDEN: Yes. Those batons are meant to be used in that -- in that way, and that's how they're trained to use them. What they're trying to do, if you'll note, is hit him on the upper arms and the back area to force him to comply. They're not hitting him in the head. What they're trying to do is to get him to cease resisting. Unfortunately, the individual, according to the coroner's office, was on drugs and probably wasn't feeling the pain. But that's what they're supposed to do in that situation. And remember, they're wearing guns, and they have to protect those guns.

COOPER: But I mean, aren't there...

SEIDEN: ... and prevent a tragic situation.

COOPER: ... other methods they could have used? Some might say, you know, taser guns or the like?

SEIDEN: Yes. If they had a taser gun, they could have used one, but they didn't have one. And there's an old saying in the military that in combat, a good plan executed now is better than an excellent plan executed in 10 minutes. They had to react with what they had at the time. They had no idea when they pulled up on this call they were going to be attacked. They thought they were going to probably find somebody who was ill or passed out.

COOPER: Also, a little bit later on in the tape, we see the officers trying to handcuff him. It's a difficult thing for them to do. I mean, as a police officer, you've been there, you've walked the beat. What is that like? How do you -- trying to handcuff a guy of this size has got to be tough.

SEIDEN: It's very difficult. And if you'll notice that during the handcuffing process, the individual tries to grab the officer's baton and take the baton away from him. This is an individual who was struggling and fighting, perhaps under the influence of drugs. And I'll be very frank with you. According to the coroner's -- the initial coroner's report, there was no damage to this individual's internal organs. I believe that when the reports are all finalized, they're going to find out that this man died as a result of either a heart attack -- because he did have an enlarged heart and hypertension -- or drug use or a combination of both...

COOPER: Well, the investigation is still...

SEIDEN: ... not from police use of force.

COOPER: All right. The investigation is still ongoing. Mark Seiden, appreciate you coming in with your perspective on this. Thanks very much, Mark.

SEIDEN: My pleasure.

COOPER: Time for justice served now. We wanted to share some e- mail that we've gotten surrounding the issue of race and Michael Jackson -- a lot of e-mails, actually.

James in Erie, Pennsylvania, wrote in to us, "I believe the media and our criminal justice system treat all blacks unfairly. We still are slaves in white America." Willett in Maryland said this, quote, "I really think that it's tragic the white American has so much hatred against the Michael Jacksons and Kobe Bryants of the world to go so much as to smear these individuals."

So the question is, will race play a factor as the case goes forward? 360 legal analyst Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom joins us from San Francisco to talk about that.

Kimberly, thanks very much for being with us this evening. You know, it's not just these e-mails we've been receiving, we also heard some of this from Jermaine Jackson. I want to play you some of what he said and then talk about how this might end up in court. Let's play that tape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JERMAINE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON'S BROTHER: I am sick and (DELETED) tired of everybody saying these things about my family! And we will fight, and we will stand up. And everybody that knows this family around the world will support us because at the end of the day, this is nothing but a modern-day lynching!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Modern-day lynching. It's a tough term. Do you think this is going to wind up in court, if this thing does go to trial?

KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE NEWSOM, 360 LEGAL ANALYST: Well, I know that if it was up to Michael Jackson or his family, it would definitely play a part in the trial because they very much think that this is racially motivated or has racial bias undertones to it. The reality is, we're going to have to see how this case develops and the facts. So far, there hasn't been any indicator that this is, in fact, was racially motivated. In fact, I think fame and Michael Jackson's notoriety and celebrity status has had more to do with it. We saw the DA apologizing for his statements that he made. And I think he got carried away himself.

But the fact of the matter is, race does come into the courtroom. It affects jurors. It affects people's perception. You definitely see a large segment of the African-American population have problems with the police department. We saw it with the riots. We saw it with Rodney King. We saw it on that videotape in the previous segment.

This is definitely something that comes into the courtroom. Defense attorneys have to factor it in, and so do prosecutors.

COOPER: But you know, Kimberly...

NEWSOM: We see it Kobe Bryant and Jackson. Jurors, African- American jurors, are going to be much more sympathetic and likely to believe that these two individuals are not guilty.

COOPER: Kimberly, you know, a lot of people, like, hearing this, even the very question, you know, will race play a role, just say, Oh, come on. This -- you know -- you know, the guy, you know, is not being treated any differently because of his race. How would a defense attorney, though, in this case try to get race in? I mean, if they choose to go that route, how do they go about it?

NEWSOM: Well, we saw it with O.J. Simpson, with Mark Fuhrman, alleging some kind of racial bias and motive against O.J. In this case, we don't know that there's going to be any individual singled out because there were approximately 70 police officers that executed the warrant at Neverland. The defense is going to have a hard time saying that all 70 of those individuals are racially biased and motivated against Michael Jackson. If they can find one that mishandled perhaps some incriminating evidence, then maybe they'll have something to talk about at that time.

But they are going to look for jurors that are sympathetic to Michael Jackson and believe that he is being made a scapegoat in this and this is unfair, these charges against him. So that's going to come into play in jury selection. Again, choosing African-American jurors, I think, to serve will definitely benefit the defense.

COOPER: All right, Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom, thanks very much for that tonight. Appreciate it.

NEWSOM: Thank you.

COOPER: Still to come tonight: It is potentially a lifesaver, but no one likes having to go through it. But a new method may help take the nightmare out of the colonoscopy. We'll talk about that. Dr. Sanjay Gupta will join us live in a few moments.

Also tonight, World AIDS Day, a survivor's story, the happy teenager who was born with what seemed at the time like a death sentence.

And a little bit later on, Jeanne Moos on how one man's trash -- yes, I said trash -- became his own artistic treasure. Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, there are certain medical procedures that have that instant cringe factor as soon as you bring them up. But before you turn the channel, I say the word colonoscopy -- it certainly fits into this category. Before you change the channel, though, there's a new method that not only reduces the cringe factor but is better at spotting cancer and other growths.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us now with more on the virtual colonoscopy. Hey, Sanjay.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Anderson. It sort of has the cool factor, actually, with this particular study. It's sort of like a movie of your colon. And this is a -- but it's a movie that's highly accurate, less invasive than colonoscopy, and can potentially give you a heads-up about colon cancer.

A small catheter is actually still placed, and then a CT scan is used to get some of the images you're seeing here. Sort of gives you a fly-through through the colon, as you can see outlined in green here. The target, as you're going through the colon there, is to try and find possible cancer-causing polyps. That's the target of these things. And if you find one of these polyps using this pretty nifty animation here, you actually need a real colonoscopy then to actually have the polyp removed.

This is the future, Anderson. This is virtual colonoscopy, sort of movies of your colon, possibly giving people a heads-up about cancer. Lots of benefits to a potential colonoscopy like this. Take a look at the benefits here. This would not require any sedation. You have less risk of actually injuring the colon. It takes about 15 minutes, versus an hour.

Anderson, the reason we're talking about this, a large study's just been done actually putting virtual colonoscopy, which you just saw, head to head with real colonoscopy. They're finding out the virtual colonoscopy is pretty accurate at possibly finding some of these cancers. Although the study authors that we talked to said it's not quite ready to replace colonoscopy because if you do find an abnormality on that CAT scan, you're still going to need a colonoscopy to get rid of the polyp -- Anderson.

COOPER: You know, every time I hear the word "virtual," I think money. How much does this procedure cost? And will insurance cover it?

GUPTA: Not yet. Insurance companies won't cover this yet. It costs about $1,000. That's compared to about $2,000 for a real colonoscopy. So it's going to be cheaper, in the long run. Right now, insurance companies not quite ready to foot the bill. There's only about 50 centers around the country that are actually doing this. But Anderson, everyone we talked to says this may be here to stay. You're probably going to see this pop up at hospitals all around the country pretty soon -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Good news. Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Thanks very much, Sanjay.

As we mentioned earlier today, it's World AIDS Day, and it's natural most of the stories are grim ones. The disease, of course, still kills more than 8,000 people every day. But there are some uplifting stories, as well. And tonight we have one of them, about a baby once thought to be doomed by the disease who's now a thriving teenager. And he's not only -- he's not the only survivor. Rusty Dornin has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shooting hoops, normal for your average, healthy 16-year-old. But Sam Fox was born with AIDS. His birth mother was infected through intravenous drug use. In 1987, the words "AIDS baby" seemed like a death sentence, especially to his foster mother.

(on camera): When you first held him in your arms, I mean, did you think he was going to live?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I mean, he looked so little and so frail.

DORNIN (voice-over): For the first few years, Sam was sick a lot. Then, in the mid-'90s, with the new AIDS drugs, he improved. Every day, he takes 20 pills.

SAM FOX, TEENAGER WITH AIDS: I've got it good right now. I'm just happy to be here. If it wasn't for, like, me taking all these medicines, then I wouldn't be here right now.

DORNIN: Dr. Ann Petru has treated Sam since he was born.

(on camera): Will Sam have to take drugs all his life?

DR. ANN PETRU, SAM'S DOCTOR SINE BIRTH: I think so. I think Sam will.

DORNIN: Does he have a life expectancy like you or I?

PETRU: Well, that's one of the most difficult questions to answer. But I can tell you that since our death rate has dropped so dramatically, virtually all our kids who are here today will be here next year.

DORNIN (voice-over): Out of 86 children, only 2 have died in the last five years here at Children's Hospital in Oakland. His buddy, Tony Lomas (ph), says few people have known about Sam.

TONY LOMAS: Some people are mature enough to take it. Other people will just be scared of him.

FOX: They just say, Oh, he has AIDS, or something, stupid stuff like that.

DORNIN: This teen has a few words for those people.

FOX: First of all, it's not God's punishment. And second, don't be afraid of, like, asking, like, me questions.

DORNIN (on camera): Do you feel like you're one of the lucky ones?

FOX: Not really lucky, but blessed. I think I'm blessed.

DORNIN (voice-over): A survivor in more ways than one. Rusty Dornin, CNN, Newark, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, that was the inspiring story of this World AIDS Day. But here's a fast fact about HIV-AIDS and who is getting it in America right now. Of all the new HIV cases last year, 50 percent of them were African-Americans. Whites made up 29 percent of the new cases and Latinos 19 percent.

That brings us to today's "Buzz." Have you ever been tested for HIV? Log on now, cnn.com/360. Let us know. We'll have the results at the end of the program.

And from the serious stories to some just -- well, some ridiculous ones in the pop news, here's tonight's "Current." Talkingpresidents.com says its top-selling doll is the Ann Coulter doll. The doll is made of plastic and comes with a series of pre-set stock phrases. One difference from the real thing, however, is that you can actually make this doll stop talking. Caveat emptor.

"Variety" reports that the Vatican wants to screen a copy of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ," his controversial upcoming movie about Jesus. Gibson belongs to an ultra-conservative Catholic movement that does not acknowledge the authority of either the pope or Jack Valenti. Serious (ph).

Warner Brothers has signed a writer for its movie remake of "Dukes of Hazard." Viewers who remember the CBS show about a car and the Southern stereotypes who drove it and chased it may be surprised to learn that the original show also had writers. I did not know that.

Michael Jackson's new video did not premier on the British show "Top of the Pops" this weekend, as planned. "The New York Post" reports it's not finished yet. By some estimates, the video may not be done for another, oh, 5 to 10 years.

And have you seen your mailbox lately? Then part of tonight's "Fresh Print" may look familiar. But we'll also flip through a Christmas catalogue you'll never see. That is in "Fresh Print" tonight.

Plus: Would you want people to see every single thing you threw out for two years? Would it qualify as art? Well, Jeanne Moos goes digging through one guy's trash.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, this week in "Fresh Print," we offer samplings from the latest holiday gift catalogues, as well as some gifts that we'd frankly just like to see.

The Sharper Image has its usual gadgets. The talking English/Spanish translator is perfect for anyone on the go or anyone running for president. Omaha Steaks reminds us that nothing says Christmas like the gift of slabs of meat -- even better, meat festively wrapped in bacon. Mmm, bacon.

Red Envelope offers a combination car-window breaker and seat- belt cutter so you can let someone you love know you're thinking about them drowning in their car.

Of course, Neiman Marcus outdoes everyone with a Learjet, $12.7 million. Of course, you could also donate that money to feed a hungry family every day for the next 49,000 years, but that's not in the catalog. Harder to wrap, I suppose.

Frankly, we were disappointed with the real offerings this year, so we decided to invent our own, the AC360 holiday catalog. It's our gift to you. For $350 we recommend the Michael Jackson detachable nose. It's so authentic because it doesn't look anything like a real nose. Economists in our audience will love the easily inflatable budget deficit, now in extra, extra large. For the linguist in your life, how about 360s Jessica Simpson (ph) dictionary, packed with obscure words like "tuna," "buffalo" and "the." Can't decide what to get the Sam Waksal in your life? How about the CEO travel kit, complete with soap, toothbrush and shiv. If you want to be famous but don't have any real skill, just pick up our complete Paris Hilton celebrity makeover kit. It may seem pricey at $400, but it does include a state-of-the-art videocamera with nightscope and digital editing system.

Man, it'll be a happy Christmas.

COOPER: Now something you won't find in any holiday catalog. It's artwork you've likely never seen before. Imagine saving every container from everything you've consumed in the past two years. CNN's Jeanne Moos shows us the art of consumption.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN (voice-over): It looks just like a grocery store until you realize everything's empty.

DAVID SHAPIRO: These were tomatoes.

MOOS: This is, like, deli stuff.

SHAPIRO: You know, cheese, ham, deli. This is aisle two, beverages -- beer, liquor... MOOS (voice-over): Normally, stuff like this ends up in the trash. But artist David Shapiro saved the packaging from everything he's consumed over the past two years.

SHAPIRO: This is all from a vending machine. I like the white tuna in the can because the other one reminds me too much of cat food.

MOOS: Check out the dog food aisle, stocked with everything his pooch, Alice (ph), consumed. Shapiro even kept take-out containers.

SHAPIRO: And then when you lay it out end to end, side to side, you realize, God, I'm a pig.

MOOS: And proud to display it at a Brooklyn art gallery called Jack the Pelican Presents, in conjunction with Eyewash. Gallery-goers got a taste of his innermost appetite.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of humus and a lot of whiskey.

MOOS: Shapiro stored it all in his basement. Women had a bone to pick with this cleaning products.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These are the only sponges he's used for two years?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a paucity of laundry detergent.

MOOS: As for the 179 toilet paper rolls...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very few, actually.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, so he doesn't (DELETED) very much.

MOOS (on camera): David may not have many toilet paper rolls, but he's got plenty of toothbrushes.

(voice-over): He admits to an oral fixation.

SHAPIRO: No cavities.

MOOS: And no girlfriend after this project.

SHAPIRO: She just couldn't stand it anymore.

MOOS: It's like throwing open your fridge and your medicine cabinet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now I really see why the girlfriend got a little upset. Pregnancy test, huh?

MOOS: Artwork for sale for a mere 100,000 bucks. Fish sticks not included. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Where do you put it? I don't know. Anyway, when they said it couldn't be done, one woman decided to accept their challenge, and she took it to the Nth degree. We'll talk about her coming up.

Plus, tomorrow: First they accused him of espionage. So how did the case of Captain Yee turn into an adultery charge? That's tomorrow.

First, today's "Buzz." Have you ever been tested for HIV? On this World AIDS Day, we wanted to know. Vote now, cnn.com/360. Results in just a moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Time for the "Buzz." We asked you, Have you ever been tested for HIV? Here are the numbers: 53 percent of you said yes, 47 percent of you said no. This is not a scientific poll, just your buzz.

Finally tonight, a life lived to the Nth degree. Gertrude Ederle's long life came to a peaceful end at a nursing home in New Jersey yesterday. Ho-hum, you might think. A woman lives to be 98. She can't have been much of a risk taker. Yes, well, think again. Gertrude Ederle was one of the great daredevils of the 20th century, the first woman to swim the English Channel. It was 1926. The weather was so bad, Ederle had to zigzag through 35 miles of cold, rough water. It should have been a 25-mile trip. But she did it covered in grease in 14 hours and 30 minutes, 2 hours faster than the fastest of the five men who had done it before her.

Gertrude Ederle had been losing her hearing for years, but the Channel settled the matter. Back in New York, she could see the wild ticker-tape parade the city threw her in America's name, but she couldn't hear the screaming crowds at all.

With all the extreme sports these days, all the high-tech equipment, it seems to us there may be some confusion about what a hero actually looks like. We're dwelling on these images of Gertrude Ederle to clear up the confusion. This is what a hero looks like.

That wraps up our program tonight. Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

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





Alert>