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CNN Live Today

New Tool to be Formally Unveiled at one of the Busiest Ports in the Country; Interview With Keith Carradine

Aired March 22, 2004 - 10:30   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's the top stories we're working on at this hour. Thousands of Palestinians poured into the streets of Gaza today, many vowing to avenge the killing of Sheikh Yassin. Israel praised the assassination saying Yassin was the first of Palestinian murderers. International reaction has included concern and criticism of the Israeli offensive.
A court appearance is scheduled for Charles McCoy Jr. He is the Ohio man accused of two dozen shootings on highways in and around Columbus. McCoy waived extradition in Las Vegas where he was captured last week and was returned to Ohio over the weekend. He is charged with felonious assault and one shooting, but more charges are expected, possibly including murder.

Also in court today in New Paltz, New York, two ministers accused of illegally marrying thirteen gay couples without a license, Kay Greenleaf and Dawn Sangrey. The two face misdemeanor charges and their attorney says they'll plead not guilty in their arraignment.

Reward money could be paid out as early as today for the two men credited with the arrest of the Washington area snipers. Whitney Donahue, that's who you see here, will receive $150,000 for spotting the suspects' car at a Maryland rest stop. $350,000 will go to Robert Holmes, the friend of John Allen Muhammad who first shared his suspicions with police. Muhammad has been sentenced to death. His teenaged accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo is serving life.

Keeping it on the topic of terrorism. A new tool actually is about to be formally unveiled at one of the busiest ports in the country. It's going to guard against one of the most ominous weapons that a terrorist might use. Deborah Feyerick is at the port of Newark. That's where a news conference is scheduled for the top of the hour. Deb, good morning.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Morning, Daryn. These are radiation detectors. One of them you can see behind me. And when you think about it it's a massive undertaking. Some 90 percent of global commerce, that is everything that comes into the country, is shipped via container. Not just here in New York and New Jersey but ports in Los Angeles and also Washington.

The way it works is the radiation detectors are like metal detectors. The truck would go through the portal if there's a positive reading what happens is a specially trained teams come in, they can check the container either by opening it or by putting it through a gamma x-ray machine.

Homeland Security says the radiation detectors could discourage terrorists from trying to smuggle in dangerous material or prevent material from leaving the ports before it ever gets anywhere else. Critics say this is simply unacceptable that more should be done to keep the material from entering the country in the first place. They say these are portals that should be set up in other places throughout the world.

The detectors, about 250 of them have been deployed. They will be checking containers that come in via ship but also by rail. That would be on the Canadian border things like that. Government has been working out the bugs. They think they've got it. Today they're unveiling this one -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Just to follow up with some criticism, the idea that this is radio active material made it as far as a U.S. port isn't it already too late?

FEYERICK: It would be too late. That is one of the harshest criticisms about this. One security analyst I spoke to said it only takes a pound of radio active material that could shut down this port for weeks and weeks. That would be a devastating blow to the U.S. economy.

KAGAN: Deborah Feyerick in Newark, more on this after the news conference.

Much lighter topic. March Madness in full swing. Plenty of surprises over the weekend. Find out which tournament underdog, and we mean underdog, sent the top teams packing. And the house comes down. Find out which city traded in a stadium for a parking lot.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Wanted: single, working female with a big heart, brains and, oh yeah, baby-sitting skills. Of course, this is not your typical classified ad but it is on Co-Abode.com, a match making service that helps single moms find reliable roommates. The new service is pairing up a lot of moms with what they think is the perfect partner.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lily Feldman (ph) and Cynthia Moldro have discovered that friendship can blossom from many seeds.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just know you. i know you're going to smell it and you're going to want it.

UDOJI: Both single parents, their lives and that of their daughters Sophia (ph) and Zora (ph) have been connected out of mutual need. Moldro a lawyer needed financial help to keep up her three- story, New York City, brownstone. Feldman. a therapist, was looking for more space. They became housemates sharing the headaches and joys of single parenthood.

CYNTHIA MULDRO, SINGLE MOM: Sometimes you just get tired. And having a friend nearby and having support has, you know, made it easier.

UDOJI: They probably would have never met if not for Co- Abode.com a modern day, online roommate matching service designed for mothers like them.

In fact it was created by single mom Carmel Sullivan who stumbled across the idea after she put out an ad for a like-minded housemate in Los Angeles. She was stunned when 18 mothers responded. She picked one, but that left 17 others.

CARMEL SULLIVAN, FOUNDER, CO-ABODE.COM: I had this list. I thought, I have already interviewed them. One of them had a 7-year- old; another had an 8-year-old. I thought they live in the same neighborhood. Why not introduce them?

UDOJI (on camera): Since then Sullivan has gone far beyond her neighborhood opening up the idea to the country's 10 million single mothers.

(voice-over): Women like Yvette Cavverra (ph) and Michelle Herrera (ph), who share a home, bills and baby-sitting in Brooklyn.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yvette, she was a God send. I mean, I just couldn't figure out how I was going to do it alone.

UDOJI: Now they're looking for a third housemate and were thrilled to come across Co-Abode.com.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I called up Michelle and said do you believe there's a Web site that can match somebody with us? Isn't it great? So, I put in -- I signed up and so we're looking.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are the colors on the Irish flag.

UDOJI: They, like Muldrow and Feldman, acknowledge it's not always easy. But the women say being housemates is well worth the effort as they navigate the world as single parents.

Adora Udoji, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Now some news from across America. March Madness is at fevered pitch and top seated Kentucky the latest jilted at the big dance. Ninth seated University of Alabama Birmingham stunned the heavily favored wildcats 76-75 at the NCAA tournament. Did you see this game? It was crazy. Sweet 16 has seen big stars fade two top seeds and a pair of number two teams have been sent packing including my Stanford Cardinal. They are going for the gold while facing a test of their metal. The artificial athletes are entries in the robot Olympics. Engineers come from 11 countries including Japan, Germany and Australia. No word if the competitors will coach or cargo.

In Major League Baseball the Phillies have some big hopes rising from this cloud of dust. It's the demise of the 33-year-old Veterans Stadium; an outdated behemoth has come to represent the team's many disappointments.

The team did win the World Series at the Vet in 1980. They open their season in the new Citizens' Bank Park. That takes place in about three weeks.

Who needs a New Jersey mob family when you can have "Deadwood?" HBO is counting on it to become the next big hit. Well give a talk with the man playing Wild Bill Hickock that is coming up when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We are following reaction to the killing of the Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. We are getting word now from the Israeli Lebanon border that the guerrilla group Hezbollah is firing on Israeli troops and Israeli army positions along that border. This is in response to the killing of Yassin earlier today.

Suzanne Malveaux is at the White House on what kind of reaction we're getting from the White House on the killing.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Just got outside a gaggle with Scott McClellan who gave us reaction to this, Very interestingly saying that the U.S. position remains consistent, the same. They are against these targeted assassinations in Israel but at the same time saying that Hamas is a terrorist organization.

Also saying as well that the U.S. is not a traffic cop, meaning it doesn't give the green light or red light when it comes to who Israel is going after. They stress that both sides, all sides have to remain calm and responsible. But again, we are not hearing from this White House an outright condemnation of this attack -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Suzanne. More news coming out of the White House. And we'll get back with you in just a moment.

First we want to go to Jerusalem. Paula Hancocks' standing by on what's taking place along the Israel/Lebanon Border -- Paula.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The latest that we do know is that the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah has tried army outpost positions on the border between Lebanon and Israel. This is coming just hours after the assassination of the Hamas founder and spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.

We are hearing from our sources that there are no casualties as yet, and no collateral damage. Anti-tank missiles have been fired from Hezbollah to a number of Israeli military outposts on the northern border between Lebanon and Israel. That's the latest we know. Back to you.

KAGAN: Paula, we'll check back with you from Jerusalem.

We're going to lighten things up, look at the entertainment world. Bar brawls, Southern drawls and plenty of outlaws. Catch it on "Deadwood," a new Western drama mixing fiction and family on the frontier West. We'll talk with one of the stars after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Farnum, how do you do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Johnny Etta (ph), you got some mighty clammy hands there, partner.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sweaty palms run in my family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: You're looking at a scene from a new series premiering on HBO last night. It's called "Deadwood." In it actor Keith Carradine plays wild Bill Hickock. Joins us live this morning we found him in Seattle this morning. Good morning.

KEITH CARRADINE, ACTOR: Good morning.

KAGAN: The creator of the show, David Milch, from "NYPD Blue", says don't call this a Western, yet I got to think, I'm thinking Western.

CARRADINE: Well, in maybe the strict sense of the word because the setting is wild town in the Old West. But I think what David's really trying to look at here, albeit in a period setting is kind of the underbelly of the American psyche. That's really what he's after in this show.

KAGAN: And also he's created a show there's a combination of true historical characters like yours Wild Bill Hickock well as fictional characters

CARRADINE: He's blended historical characters with fictional characters. He's created characters just to enhance the telling of the story. It worked really well. There's a lot of history that was available to be learned about Deadwood and that time and place there are records of the people who were there.

And Mr. Milch blended into that some fascinating characters that he's created to help move this story along.

KAGAN: And so you get pitched this project this is going back some time, and this character. What was it about him that said, yep, got to play this? CARRADINE: My friend Walter Hill directed the pilot episode, called me up and said, I want you to play Wild Bill Hickock. I had done a cameo as Buffalo Bill in Walter's film "Wild Bill" where Jeff Bridges played Wild Bill.

The combination of Walter's enthusiasm and my own knowledge of Hickock, of all the legendary gun fighters everything that I learned about him is that he was the real deal. People made up stuff about him but they didn't have to. His actual exploits and the way he lived his life were fascinating. It was irresistible especially the combination of that character with the opportunity to work with somebody like David Milch.

KAGAN: What about the challenge of the bar being so high with HBO's shows and the success of what you're following? Not just "Sopranos" but "Sex and the City," "Curb Your Enthusiasm." You go on HBO, people expect the very best.

CARRADINE: I think they're going to get it with this show. It's an incredible group of actors. The writing is extraordinary. And I just think as a way to look at who we are, we Americans as a people, we've concentrated so much on our modern life and that's dominating most of television.

But to look at the underpinnings of who we are, I think it's fascinating. And who better to do that than David? We have accomplished great things in this country based on our rugged individualism. I think David is looking at how rugged individualism can lead to nasty results sometimes.

KAGAN: One thing this country is looking at is what goes over our airwaves in terms of indecency, violence. Lot of bad words of swearing in this, which David Milch stands by and also just because the nature of what it is violent. A violent show.

CARRADINE: It was a violent place. It was an outlaw town. It was an illegal encampment. People were there to get rich. So there was no rule of law. And there were some heavy appetites to be sated. These people who lived in that place. I like to refer to it as sex, drugs and rocks. Rocks because it was a mining camp.

KAGAN: Got that.

Finally one bit of trivia so the fans at home know. That's the real mustache on you. No glue, no hair piece there.

CARRADINE: The hair was not mine. That was a really good wig but the mustache I grew, yes.

KAGAN: Good job. Baby faced for us today. Cool mustache in "Deadwood." People can see it Sunday nights 10:00 p.m. HBO. Very good. Keith Carradine, thank you so much for your time.

CARRADINE: Thank you.

KAGAN: The show is called "Deadwood." "Dawn of the Dead" ruled the box office this past weekend. Check cnn.com/entertainment for the latest movies. That's where you'll also find film reviews and the latest in books and television shows.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: They're not our ordinary cell phones. In the hour ahead you'll see some of the hot new wireless phones including some that make a fashion statement. Our Daniel Sieberg is checking that out.

And a possible escape route for militants fighting Pakistani troops in the mountains well hear about that as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

And as you know we start the hour by looking at the latest developments. Mayhem in the Middle East. Palestinian militant groups vowing revenge against Israel for assassinating the leader of Hamas. The wheelchair-bound Sheikh Yassin was killed by an Israeli missile strike earlier today. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon defended Israel's actions. He called Yassin the first and foremost of Palestinian murders.

A possible escape route. Pakistani forces have found a series of tunnels near the Afghani border. Officials say al Qaeda forces may have used the tunnels to elude Pakistani troops. Pakistan has been waging a fierce battle against the holdout.

More suspects arrested in Madrid today, five arrested last week go before a judge today and Spanish state radio reports four more arrests in connection with the March 11 train bombings in the Spanish capital. The attacks killed more than 200 people and wounded more than 1,800.

Detecting dirty bombs and nuclear material. Customs officials unveil new radiation monitors to be installed at the nation's seaports designed to prevent terrorists from smuggles radiological material into the U.S. The commissioner of Customs and Border Protection holds a news conference this hour in New Jersey.

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





Ports in the Country; Interview With Keith Carradine>


Aired March 22, 2004 - 10:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's the top stories we're working on at this hour. Thousands of Palestinians poured into the streets of Gaza today, many vowing to avenge the killing of Sheikh Yassin. Israel praised the assassination saying Yassin was the first of Palestinian murderers. International reaction has included concern and criticism of the Israeli offensive.
A court appearance is scheduled for Charles McCoy Jr. He is the Ohio man accused of two dozen shootings on highways in and around Columbus. McCoy waived extradition in Las Vegas where he was captured last week and was returned to Ohio over the weekend. He is charged with felonious assault and one shooting, but more charges are expected, possibly including murder.

Also in court today in New Paltz, New York, two ministers accused of illegally marrying thirteen gay couples without a license, Kay Greenleaf and Dawn Sangrey. The two face misdemeanor charges and their attorney says they'll plead not guilty in their arraignment.

Reward money could be paid out as early as today for the two men credited with the arrest of the Washington area snipers. Whitney Donahue, that's who you see here, will receive $150,000 for spotting the suspects' car at a Maryland rest stop. $350,000 will go to Robert Holmes, the friend of John Allen Muhammad who first shared his suspicions with police. Muhammad has been sentenced to death. His teenaged accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo is serving life.

Keeping it on the topic of terrorism. A new tool actually is about to be formally unveiled at one of the busiest ports in the country. It's going to guard against one of the most ominous weapons that a terrorist might use. Deborah Feyerick is at the port of Newark. That's where a news conference is scheduled for the top of the hour. Deb, good morning.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Morning, Daryn. These are radiation detectors. One of them you can see behind me. And when you think about it it's a massive undertaking. Some 90 percent of global commerce, that is everything that comes into the country, is shipped via container. Not just here in New York and New Jersey but ports in Los Angeles and also Washington.

The way it works is the radiation detectors are like metal detectors. The truck would go through the portal if there's a positive reading what happens is a specially trained teams come in, they can check the container either by opening it or by putting it through a gamma x-ray machine.

Homeland Security says the radiation detectors could discourage terrorists from trying to smuggle in dangerous material or prevent material from leaving the ports before it ever gets anywhere else. Critics say this is simply unacceptable that more should be done to keep the material from entering the country in the first place. They say these are portals that should be set up in other places throughout the world.

The detectors, about 250 of them have been deployed. They will be checking containers that come in via ship but also by rail. That would be on the Canadian border things like that. Government has been working out the bugs. They think they've got it. Today they're unveiling this one -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Just to follow up with some criticism, the idea that this is radio active material made it as far as a U.S. port isn't it already too late?

FEYERICK: It would be too late. That is one of the harshest criticisms about this. One security analyst I spoke to said it only takes a pound of radio active material that could shut down this port for weeks and weeks. That would be a devastating blow to the U.S. economy.

KAGAN: Deborah Feyerick in Newark, more on this after the news conference.

Much lighter topic. March Madness in full swing. Plenty of surprises over the weekend. Find out which tournament underdog, and we mean underdog, sent the top teams packing. And the house comes down. Find out which city traded in a stadium for a parking lot.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Wanted: single, working female with a big heart, brains and, oh yeah, baby-sitting skills. Of course, this is not your typical classified ad but it is on Co-Abode.com, a match making service that helps single moms find reliable roommates. The new service is pairing up a lot of moms with what they think is the perfect partner.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lily Feldman (ph) and Cynthia Moldro have discovered that friendship can blossom from many seeds.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just know you. i know you're going to smell it and you're going to want it.

UDOJI: Both single parents, their lives and that of their daughters Sophia (ph) and Zora (ph) have been connected out of mutual need. Moldro a lawyer needed financial help to keep up her three- story, New York City, brownstone. Feldman. a therapist, was looking for more space. They became housemates sharing the headaches and joys of single parenthood.

CYNTHIA MULDRO, SINGLE MOM: Sometimes you just get tired. And having a friend nearby and having support has, you know, made it easier.

UDOJI: They probably would have never met if not for Co- Abode.com a modern day, online roommate matching service designed for mothers like them.

In fact it was created by single mom Carmel Sullivan who stumbled across the idea after she put out an ad for a like-minded housemate in Los Angeles. She was stunned when 18 mothers responded. She picked one, but that left 17 others.

CARMEL SULLIVAN, FOUNDER, CO-ABODE.COM: I had this list. I thought, I have already interviewed them. One of them had a 7-year- old; another had an 8-year-old. I thought they live in the same neighborhood. Why not introduce them?

UDOJI (on camera): Since then Sullivan has gone far beyond her neighborhood opening up the idea to the country's 10 million single mothers.

(voice-over): Women like Yvette Cavverra (ph) and Michelle Herrera (ph), who share a home, bills and baby-sitting in Brooklyn.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yvette, she was a God send. I mean, I just couldn't figure out how I was going to do it alone.

UDOJI: Now they're looking for a third housemate and were thrilled to come across Co-Abode.com.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I called up Michelle and said do you believe there's a Web site that can match somebody with us? Isn't it great? So, I put in -- I signed up and so we're looking.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are the colors on the Irish flag.

UDOJI: They, like Muldrow and Feldman, acknowledge it's not always easy. But the women say being housemates is well worth the effort as they navigate the world as single parents.

Adora Udoji, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Now some news from across America. March Madness is at fevered pitch and top seated Kentucky the latest jilted at the big dance. Ninth seated University of Alabama Birmingham stunned the heavily favored wildcats 76-75 at the NCAA tournament. Did you see this game? It was crazy. Sweet 16 has seen big stars fade two top seeds and a pair of number two teams have been sent packing including my Stanford Cardinal. They are going for the gold while facing a test of their metal. The artificial athletes are entries in the robot Olympics. Engineers come from 11 countries including Japan, Germany and Australia. No word if the competitors will coach or cargo.

In Major League Baseball the Phillies have some big hopes rising from this cloud of dust. It's the demise of the 33-year-old Veterans Stadium; an outdated behemoth has come to represent the team's many disappointments.

The team did win the World Series at the Vet in 1980. They open their season in the new Citizens' Bank Park. That takes place in about three weeks.

Who needs a New Jersey mob family when you can have "Deadwood?" HBO is counting on it to become the next big hit. Well give a talk with the man playing Wild Bill Hickock that is coming up when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We are following reaction to the killing of the Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. We are getting word now from the Israeli Lebanon border that the guerrilla group Hezbollah is firing on Israeli troops and Israeli army positions along that border. This is in response to the killing of Yassin earlier today.

Suzanne Malveaux is at the White House on what kind of reaction we're getting from the White House on the killing.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Just got outside a gaggle with Scott McClellan who gave us reaction to this, Very interestingly saying that the U.S. position remains consistent, the same. They are against these targeted assassinations in Israel but at the same time saying that Hamas is a terrorist organization.

Also saying as well that the U.S. is not a traffic cop, meaning it doesn't give the green light or red light when it comes to who Israel is going after. They stress that both sides, all sides have to remain calm and responsible. But again, we are not hearing from this White House an outright condemnation of this attack -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Suzanne. More news coming out of the White House. And we'll get back with you in just a moment.

First we want to go to Jerusalem. Paula Hancocks' standing by on what's taking place along the Israel/Lebanon Border -- Paula.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The latest that we do know is that the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah has tried army outpost positions on the border between Lebanon and Israel. This is coming just hours after the assassination of the Hamas founder and spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.

We are hearing from our sources that there are no casualties as yet, and no collateral damage. Anti-tank missiles have been fired from Hezbollah to a number of Israeli military outposts on the northern border between Lebanon and Israel. That's the latest we know. Back to you.

KAGAN: Paula, we'll check back with you from Jerusalem.

We're going to lighten things up, look at the entertainment world. Bar brawls, Southern drawls and plenty of outlaws. Catch it on "Deadwood," a new Western drama mixing fiction and family on the frontier West. We'll talk with one of the stars after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Farnum, how do you do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Johnny Etta (ph), you got some mighty clammy hands there, partner.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sweaty palms run in my family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: You're looking at a scene from a new series premiering on HBO last night. It's called "Deadwood." In it actor Keith Carradine plays wild Bill Hickock. Joins us live this morning we found him in Seattle this morning. Good morning.

KEITH CARRADINE, ACTOR: Good morning.

KAGAN: The creator of the show, David Milch, from "NYPD Blue", says don't call this a Western, yet I got to think, I'm thinking Western.

CARRADINE: Well, in maybe the strict sense of the word because the setting is wild town in the Old West. But I think what David's really trying to look at here, albeit in a period setting is kind of the underbelly of the American psyche. That's really what he's after in this show.

KAGAN: And also he's created a show there's a combination of true historical characters like yours Wild Bill Hickock well as fictional characters

CARRADINE: He's blended historical characters with fictional characters. He's created characters just to enhance the telling of the story. It worked really well. There's a lot of history that was available to be learned about Deadwood and that time and place there are records of the people who were there.

And Mr. Milch blended into that some fascinating characters that he's created to help move this story along.

KAGAN: And so you get pitched this project this is going back some time, and this character. What was it about him that said, yep, got to play this? CARRADINE: My friend Walter Hill directed the pilot episode, called me up and said, I want you to play Wild Bill Hickock. I had done a cameo as Buffalo Bill in Walter's film "Wild Bill" where Jeff Bridges played Wild Bill.

The combination of Walter's enthusiasm and my own knowledge of Hickock, of all the legendary gun fighters everything that I learned about him is that he was the real deal. People made up stuff about him but they didn't have to. His actual exploits and the way he lived his life were fascinating. It was irresistible especially the combination of that character with the opportunity to work with somebody like David Milch.

KAGAN: What about the challenge of the bar being so high with HBO's shows and the success of what you're following? Not just "Sopranos" but "Sex and the City," "Curb Your Enthusiasm." You go on HBO, people expect the very best.

CARRADINE: I think they're going to get it with this show. It's an incredible group of actors. The writing is extraordinary. And I just think as a way to look at who we are, we Americans as a people, we've concentrated so much on our modern life and that's dominating most of television.

But to look at the underpinnings of who we are, I think it's fascinating. And who better to do that than David? We have accomplished great things in this country based on our rugged individualism. I think David is looking at how rugged individualism can lead to nasty results sometimes.

KAGAN: One thing this country is looking at is what goes over our airwaves in terms of indecency, violence. Lot of bad words of swearing in this, which David Milch stands by and also just because the nature of what it is violent. A violent show.

CARRADINE: It was a violent place. It was an outlaw town. It was an illegal encampment. People were there to get rich. So there was no rule of law. And there were some heavy appetites to be sated. These people who lived in that place. I like to refer to it as sex, drugs and rocks. Rocks because it was a mining camp.

KAGAN: Got that.

Finally one bit of trivia so the fans at home know. That's the real mustache on you. No glue, no hair piece there.

CARRADINE: The hair was not mine. That was a really good wig but the mustache I grew, yes.

KAGAN: Good job. Baby faced for us today. Cool mustache in "Deadwood." People can see it Sunday nights 10:00 p.m. HBO. Very good. Keith Carradine, thank you so much for your time.

CARRADINE: Thank you.

KAGAN: The show is called "Deadwood." "Dawn of the Dead" ruled the box office this past weekend. Check cnn.com/entertainment for the latest movies. That's where you'll also find film reviews and the latest in books and television shows.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: They're not our ordinary cell phones. In the hour ahead you'll see some of the hot new wireless phones including some that make a fashion statement. Our Daniel Sieberg is checking that out.

And a possible escape route for militants fighting Pakistani troops in the mountains well hear about that as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

And as you know we start the hour by looking at the latest developments. Mayhem in the Middle East. Palestinian militant groups vowing revenge against Israel for assassinating the leader of Hamas. The wheelchair-bound Sheikh Yassin was killed by an Israeli missile strike earlier today. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon defended Israel's actions. He called Yassin the first and foremost of Palestinian murders.

A possible escape route. Pakistani forces have found a series of tunnels near the Afghani border. Officials say al Qaeda forces may have used the tunnels to elude Pakistani troops. Pakistan has been waging a fierce battle against the holdout.

More suspects arrested in Madrid today, five arrested last week go before a judge today and Spanish state radio reports four more arrests in connection with the March 11 train bombings in the Spanish capital. The attacks killed more than 200 people and wounded more than 1,800.

Detecting dirty bombs and nuclear material. Customs officials unveil new radiation monitors to be installed at the nation's seaports designed to prevent terrorists from smuggles radiological material into the U.S. The commissioner of Customs and Border Protection holds a news conference this hour in New Jersey.

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





Ports in the Country; Interview With Keith Carradine>