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Lonely Planet Not So Alone After 30 Years

Aired June 02, 2004 - 11:30   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: Let's check the headlines "At This Hour." Saudi officials announce this hour that they're dissolving all charities that do business overseas. They'll be put under a government-sponsored entity, one entity, in a step to crack down on the flow of money to terror groups.
Saudi Arabia says that its security forces killed two suspected militants following an day-long standoff near the holy city of Mecca. Saudi officials say the suspects are related to the attack on oil workers in Khobar over the weekend.

Crews are working to restore electricity this morning to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Strong thunderstorms left a half million customers without power. The overnight storms had 80 mile an hour winds and hail the size of tennis balls.

And Aussie Jennifer Hawkins has been crowned Miss Universe 2004. She's a model and former professional cheerleader who enjoys surfing. Hawkins gets a $20,000 tiara, a $10,000 shopping spree and college scholarships.

National security and the war on terror are common themes today for President Bush and his Democratic challenger John Kerry. Judy Woodruff standing by in Washington with all the morning's political headlines. Judy, good morning.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Hit there, Daryn.

As you know, the president is delivering the commencement address today at the Air Force Academy. He's expected to focus his remarks on terrorism and the war in Iraq.

This morning, I spoke with the president's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice. And she told me she hopes the international community will support the new interim Iraqi government.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The Iraqis don't like occupation any more than we would like occupation. And it is time for that occupation to end.

This new Iraqi government will have full sovereignty on June 30. We want the international community to support the new Iraqi government, which is why we're seeking a U.N. Security Council resolution. And the leaders of the government said yesterday they're going to need the help of multinational forces for some time until they can secure themselves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: I'll bring you my complete interview with Condoleezza Rice later today on "INSIDE POLITICS" beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.

Homeland security is Senator John Kerry's focus today. In about 90 minutes, he is to meet with health officials in Tampa, Florida to talk about way to reduce the threat of biological attack. And he will receive the endorsement of the International Association of Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics.

During a stop in West Palm Beach yesterday, Kerry passed some time on the airport tarmac, riding a police motorcycle. Later he told other officers that the policeman who loaned him the motorcycle cautioned him, "Whatever you do, don't fall."

The Democrats have picked up another seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Thirty-three-year-old lawyer Stephanie Herseth has won South Dakota's special election to fill the seat vacated by Republican Bill Janklow. Janklow resigned in January after manslaughter conviction involving the death of a motorcyclist. Herseth must still run for a full term this fall.

With less than a month until the handover of power in Iraq, we'll take a look this afternoon at what a new, democratic Iraq would look like.

Plus, time is ticking down for Kerry to choose a running mate. How have past candidates made their ticket choice? Our Bruce Morton takes a look.

I go "INSIDE POLITICS" at 3:30 p.m. Eastern, 12:30 Pacific. But for right no, back to Daryn in Atlanta.

WOODRUFF: Judy thank you for that.

This one bubbled up on the Internet last winter. Now the intern vaguely accused of carrying on -- of carrying on -- of having an affair with Democratic challenger John Kerry, she is out, and she's out to set the record straight. Our senior analyst Jeff Greenfield has her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. ANALYST (voice-over): In mid-February, Senator John Kerry, the odds-on favorite to win the Democratic presidential nomination, came under incoming fire from a familiar source.

On February 12, the Drudge Report, the online site that had first unveiled the Clinton-Lewinsky story, screamed out a world-exclusive bulletin: A raft of news organizations were trying to find out whether Kerry had an intern problem. In plain English, had the married Kerry been involved with another woman?

The next day, "The Sun," a British tabloid, screamed out a headline that the woman's father had called Kerry a sleazeball. And the inevitable follow-up, reporters besieging the home of the woman's parents, offers of cash, lots of it, for pictures of woman. Within 48 hours, Kerry was uncomfortably denying the story on Don Imus' radio show.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, there is nothing to report. So there is nothing to talk about. And I'm not worried about it, no. The answer is no.

GREENFIELD: Well, in fact, there was nothing to it. And now the woman, Alexandra Polier, has told the story in "New York" magazine.

(on camera): But she's done more. She's gone back to the sources to find out how this story started in the first place. And in so doing, she's provided an invaluable lesson to the press and to the public in how and why such stories spread in this age of instant media.

(voice-over): For one thing, some of the breathless accounts were simply flatly false. Had Ms. Polier fled the country? No, she writes. She had gone to Nairobi to be with her fiancee. Had her father called Kerry a sleazeball? Not in the context of any misbehavior. He's a Republican who was talking about Kerry's politics. In fact, her father later issued a statement saying he supported Kerry for president.

But the gold in this Polier story is what the folks who spread the story now say. David Frum wrote on the Web site of the conservative magazine "National Review," he told Mrs. Polier that he was spreading gossip the way he would at dinner and now regrets what he wrote. Mrs. Polier writes that political operative Chris Lehane, who quit the Kerry campaign to work for Wes Clark, was widely said to be spreading the rumor.

Lehane flatly denied that and also vigorously disputes her suggestion that he was ducking her inquiries. And, write Mrs. Polier, the close friend of hers that Drudge mentioned who works for a Republican lobbyist acknowledged she had talked about her now ex- friend in Kerry, but denied spreading stories about any affair.

The article also says that the reporter for "The Sun" boasted of his fantastic source, then complained of being ambushed when he found out the target of the story wanted to challenge him on his inaccurate reporting.

(on camera): So what produced this baseless story, careless or malicious gossip, sloppy or dishonest journalism, political intrigue? Well, maybe all of the above, but maybe most of all the almost universally held belief that where there is smoke, there is fire. But this story shows that, sometimes, that's just wrong. Sometimes, there is just somebody trying to blow smoke up your nose.

Even the most prestigious of newspapers and networks could learn from this tale. But don't bet on it.

Jeff Greenfield, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Birth control pills almost always prevent pregnancy, you should always take allergy medicine in the morning. You've heard these statements. Time to hear the truth. We're debunking some medical myths, coming up next.

And later, a bitter custody battle takes a new turn in New York City. We'll tell you the latest on this one. We're coming right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Human cloning and stem cell research tops the agenda of a landmark meeting of scientists and U.N. delegates today. Members of the Genetics Policy Institute are discussing ethical and medical issues surrounding therapeutic cloning, as the United Nations considers a blanket ban on all form of cloning research. The U.N. is expected to take up the issue in October.

In our "Daily Dose" of health news, true or false? Medical correspondent Holly Firfer separates fact from fiction as we examine some common health care mistakes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOLLY FIRFER, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Food in styrofoam containers can be microwaved and with plastic wrap. Well some doctors say no, don't do it.

DR. ERICA BROWNFIELD, EMORY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Plastic wrap, plastic containers that can be potentially harmful. If they are heated, they can release chemicals. However, the FDA tests these chemicals and there has never been any evidence to show that it's harmful to humans. So as long as you aren't putting the plastic directly on food. Styrofoam, you don't want to put into the microwave because it can actually catch on fire and melt.

FIRFER: If you are taking birth control pills, you are always safe from pregnancy, right? Well, not quite.

BROWNFIELD: There are certain antibiotics, particularly penicillins, tetracyclines, some of the syphilis sporrans and you're also on the birth control pill, that hormone pill becomes less effective and so you want to have a backup method so you don't get pregnant.

FIRFER: It's OK if you floss really hard and your gums bleed because it will clean out the bacteria. Wrong says Dr. Brownfield.

BROWNFIELD: Problem is you can cut actually into the gum and you can expose the root of the tooth. And by doing that, you can have problems with the nerve, again, damage to your tooth, pain, bleeding. But flossing is important, so you should do it to remove plaque and bacteria.

FIRFER: Take your allergy medicine first thing in the morning, not always.

BROWNFIELD: Because everybody has different allergy symptoms and allergens can be at all times during the day. So the common sense thing to do is figure out when your allergy symptoms are worse and make sure and take your medication a few hours before then.

FIRFER: Can't hear, clean your ears out with a cotton swab. Dr. Brownfield says no.

BROWNFIELD: You can actually move the wax further into the ear causing problems with wax impaction and decreased hearing. And the other thing is if you push too hard with a Q-tip or any kind of object you can actually put a hole in your eardrum which can be harmful.

FIRFER: Too tired to take your contacts out, oops.

BROWNFIELD: Because you don't want to wear it for more than eight hours. In particular, you don't want to wear them when your eyes are closed because it sets up a risk of infection and possibly blindness.

FIRFER: And that's just for starters.

Holly Firfer, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Your "Daily Dose" of health news is just a click away. Log on to cnn.com/health for the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness.

Tears and anguish are the latest chapter in a startling custody battle. The fight over two young girls, and the story is something you have to see to believe. It's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's take a look at our docket today in our own look at legal briefs. Lawyers for Scott Peterson will deliver their opening statement in California. There were gasps heard in the courtroom yesterday as autopsy photos of Peterson's wife and -- wife Laci and unborn were shown. The prosecution pointed to apparent inconsistencies in Peterson's behavior shortly after wife went missing. They said he told a neighbor that he had been golfing but told investigators he had been fishing.

NO use of the word "victim" in the Kobe Bryant trial. A judge has sided with the defense, saying the woman who accuses Bryant of rape will be referred to by her name. The judge says that calling her a victim implies that Bryant is guilty.

The penalty phase of the Terry Nichols trial picks up. The big question, should he be put to death for his role in the Oklahoma City federal building bombing? Yesterday, more than two dozen witnesses gave emotional testimony about loved ones who died in the bombing. Nichols is already serving life in prison on federal charges.

Custody battles are usually fought behind closed doors, but one spilled on to the streets of the Upper East Side in Manhattan on Tuesday, and into the pages of the tabloids. Here is CNN's Jason Carroll.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a personal moment that became a public one.

BRIDGET MARKS, MOTHER WHO LOST CUSTODAY OF TWINS: Move back everybody.

CARROLL: Bridget Marks hugged her twin girls she had raised alone since birth before turning them over to their father John Aylsworth, a married casino executive who she had had an affair with.

Marks lost custody of the 4-year-olds during a bitter and, some psychologists say, unusual battle with Aylsworth.

MOLLY BENNETT AITKENS, GRANDMOTHER: This is not what a father does, for any reason. Children, if they do have to be taken away, it should be done in a gentle way.

CARROLL: A state court judge found Marks to be a fit mother, but granted custody to Aylsworth and his wife because the judge ruled she had tried to alienate the twins from their father by making up allegations he touched them in an inappropriate way.

New York family court judge Arlene Goldberg wrote, "The mother due to her anger over the father's failure to divorce his wife and marry her, coached the children to make the allegations that they did."

Marks stands by the allegations. Neither Aylsworth nor his attorney would comment on the allegations or the case. The Marks family says a caring mother is now being punished, telling what she believes is the truth.

AITKENS: What's happened is just a travesty.

CARROLL: Psychologists say in the end it's obvious who suffers the most in cases like this.

BENJAMIN SCHULTZ, PSYCHOLOGIST: The child is then caught in a struggle between -- you know -- two parents that are triangulating and tugging on the loyalties of that child in both directions.

CARROLL: A federal court judge refused to grant Marks a restraining orders that would have allowed her to keep her children. But the federal judge did agree to a new hearing to review the case on Monday.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: The judge ordered the father to move to New York from California to take custody of the twins. He has yet to do so.

(MARKET UPDATE)

KAGAN: It is a big world. Isn't it time that you got out there and saw a little bit of it? Up next we're going to introduce you to man who wants to be your worldwide guide. We are heading out on the Lonely Planet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: It started as the backpackers bible and it grew into one of the world's largest travel publishers. Lonely Planet celebrating its 30th anniversary with a tour that wraps up this week in Chicago.

Recently, I had a chance to talk with Don George. He is the global travel editor for Lonely Planet publications.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: So, Don, my first question to you, are Americans still interested in traveling abroad, when you look at everything that's happened in the world?

DON GEORGE, GLOBAL TRAVEL EDITOR, LONELY PLANET PUBLICATIONS: Well, it can be pretty daunting and depressing, I think, if you look at the world.

But on the other hand, when people really think about it, I think they realize that traveling abroad is more important now than ever. We really need to learn more about the world and we need for people in the world to learn about us from us and not from the media.

KAGAN: And if you think about it, this -- Lonely Planet was really kind of ahead of its time, trying to make the planet a smaller place.

GEORGE: It really was. We started 30 years ago with the whole notion that the way to travel was to get under the surface of a place, to get under the skin, and meet the people, get behind the scenes.

And so for 30 years, Lonely Planet's been trying to get people inside cultures and inside countries to make those people to people connections. That's what travel is really all about, I think. And that's what we do.

KAGAN: As the world has changed, have you had to change Lonely Planet, even like the section where you talk about how do you go and how do you go safely?

GEORGE: Yes, absolutely. Lonely Planet's changed in a number of ways. It began as a backpacker's bible, and now we appeal to people across all sorts of budgets. We include information about five-star hotels as well as youth hostels. So we've grown up in that way.

Security-wise, absolutely. The world has changed in 30 years. And so we have to address different issues. We talk about how to travel in a way that meets the local culture's expectations, that allows you to really understand what a culture is all about, what are the taboos, understand the history, understand the background of a place.

That way, you'll be a good, responsible, respectful traveler. We think that's really important. And that goes to the heat of security as a traveler, I think, is really being knowledgeable about the local culture and respectful of the local culture.

KAGAN: And something that might go great in the United States wouldn't go over so well in the country that you're going.

GEORGE: Precisely.

KAGAN: Looking at your own story, I see that you have traveled to over 60 countries. If you could just go one place, or if you could just send me to one place where would that be? And you can include California where you live know. Been there, grew up there.

GEORGE: That's a country right. That's a good country.

I really find it hard to answer that question because I love almost every single country I've ever been to. When I come back from a trip, people will ask me what my favorite country is. And I'll say, the one I was just in because they're all so wonderful.

I've lived in Japan and Greece and France. And so they occupy a special place in my heart. But every single trip that I go on, I find something amazing. I have some kind of amazing encounter with someone.

And so I grow exponentially each time I hit the road. So I think -- you know every country is my favorite country in that sense because they all offer so much.

If you just suspend your own preconceptions about a place and allow the place to work its magic on you and really get inside it, you have so much to learn every place you go.

KAGAN: OK, then I'll leave it with what's the place you haven't been to that you still want to go to?

GEORGE: I actually really want to go to Peru. And I want to go to Machu Picchu especially, but I also just want to get an appreciation of the whole Incan culture, which seems so rich and amazing.

KAGAN: And something tells me there's a Lonely Planet guide waiting to help you plan that trip.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: Don George, from Lonely Planet, thanks for stopping by.

GEORGE: Thank you, Daryn.

KAGAN: Appreciate it.

GEORGE: Great pleasure to talk with you. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And as we wrap things up, let's show you this place on the planet, Colorado Springs. President Bush just arriving there. That's the door open to Air Force One. He'll be giving the commencement address later today at the Air Force Academy, taking place 1:05 p.m. Eastern, just over an hour from right now. You're going to see that live right here on CNN.

That's going to do it for me today. I'm Daryn Kagan. Wolf Blitzer takes over from Washington, D.C.

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


Aired June 2, 2004 - 11:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's check the headlines "At This Hour." Saudi officials announce this hour that they're dissolving all charities that do business overseas. They'll be put under a government-sponsored entity, one entity, in a step to crack down on the flow of money to terror groups.
Saudi Arabia says that its security forces killed two suspected militants following an day-long standoff near the holy city of Mecca. Saudi officials say the suspects are related to the attack on oil workers in Khobar over the weekend.

Crews are working to restore electricity this morning to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Strong thunderstorms left a half million customers without power. The overnight storms had 80 mile an hour winds and hail the size of tennis balls.

And Aussie Jennifer Hawkins has been crowned Miss Universe 2004. She's a model and former professional cheerleader who enjoys surfing. Hawkins gets a $20,000 tiara, a $10,000 shopping spree and college scholarships.

National security and the war on terror are common themes today for President Bush and his Democratic challenger John Kerry. Judy Woodruff standing by in Washington with all the morning's political headlines. Judy, good morning.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Hit there, Daryn.

As you know, the president is delivering the commencement address today at the Air Force Academy. He's expected to focus his remarks on terrorism and the war in Iraq.

This morning, I spoke with the president's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice. And she told me she hopes the international community will support the new interim Iraqi government.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The Iraqis don't like occupation any more than we would like occupation. And it is time for that occupation to end.

This new Iraqi government will have full sovereignty on June 30. We want the international community to support the new Iraqi government, which is why we're seeking a U.N. Security Council resolution. And the leaders of the government said yesterday they're going to need the help of multinational forces for some time until they can secure themselves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: I'll bring you my complete interview with Condoleezza Rice later today on "INSIDE POLITICS" beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.

Homeland security is Senator John Kerry's focus today. In about 90 minutes, he is to meet with health officials in Tampa, Florida to talk about way to reduce the threat of biological attack. And he will receive the endorsement of the International Association of Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics.

During a stop in West Palm Beach yesterday, Kerry passed some time on the airport tarmac, riding a police motorcycle. Later he told other officers that the policeman who loaned him the motorcycle cautioned him, "Whatever you do, don't fall."

The Democrats have picked up another seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Thirty-three-year-old lawyer Stephanie Herseth has won South Dakota's special election to fill the seat vacated by Republican Bill Janklow. Janklow resigned in January after manslaughter conviction involving the death of a motorcyclist. Herseth must still run for a full term this fall.

With less than a month until the handover of power in Iraq, we'll take a look this afternoon at what a new, democratic Iraq would look like.

Plus, time is ticking down for Kerry to choose a running mate. How have past candidates made their ticket choice? Our Bruce Morton takes a look.

I go "INSIDE POLITICS" at 3:30 p.m. Eastern, 12:30 Pacific. But for right no, back to Daryn in Atlanta.

WOODRUFF: Judy thank you for that.

This one bubbled up on the Internet last winter. Now the intern vaguely accused of carrying on -- of carrying on -- of having an affair with Democratic challenger John Kerry, she is out, and she's out to set the record straight. Our senior analyst Jeff Greenfield has her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. ANALYST (voice-over): In mid-February, Senator John Kerry, the odds-on favorite to win the Democratic presidential nomination, came under incoming fire from a familiar source.

On February 12, the Drudge Report, the online site that had first unveiled the Clinton-Lewinsky story, screamed out a world-exclusive bulletin: A raft of news organizations were trying to find out whether Kerry had an intern problem. In plain English, had the married Kerry been involved with another woman?

The next day, "The Sun," a British tabloid, screamed out a headline that the woman's father had called Kerry a sleazeball. And the inevitable follow-up, reporters besieging the home of the woman's parents, offers of cash, lots of it, for pictures of woman. Within 48 hours, Kerry was uncomfortably denying the story on Don Imus' radio show.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, there is nothing to report. So there is nothing to talk about. And I'm not worried about it, no. The answer is no.

GREENFIELD: Well, in fact, there was nothing to it. And now the woman, Alexandra Polier, has told the story in "New York" magazine.

(on camera): But she's done more. She's gone back to the sources to find out how this story started in the first place. And in so doing, she's provided an invaluable lesson to the press and to the public in how and why such stories spread in this age of instant media.

(voice-over): For one thing, some of the breathless accounts were simply flatly false. Had Ms. Polier fled the country? No, she writes. She had gone to Nairobi to be with her fiancee. Had her father called Kerry a sleazeball? Not in the context of any misbehavior. He's a Republican who was talking about Kerry's politics. In fact, her father later issued a statement saying he supported Kerry for president.

But the gold in this Polier story is what the folks who spread the story now say. David Frum wrote on the Web site of the conservative magazine "National Review," he told Mrs. Polier that he was spreading gossip the way he would at dinner and now regrets what he wrote. Mrs. Polier writes that political operative Chris Lehane, who quit the Kerry campaign to work for Wes Clark, was widely said to be spreading the rumor.

Lehane flatly denied that and also vigorously disputes her suggestion that he was ducking her inquiries. And, write Mrs. Polier, the close friend of hers that Drudge mentioned who works for a Republican lobbyist acknowledged she had talked about her now ex- friend in Kerry, but denied spreading stories about any affair.

The article also says that the reporter for "The Sun" boasted of his fantastic source, then complained of being ambushed when he found out the target of the story wanted to challenge him on his inaccurate reporting.

(on camera): So what produced this baseless story, careless or malicious gossip, sloppy or dishonest journalism, political intrigue? Well, maybe all of the above, but maybe most of all the almost universally held belief that where there is smoke, there is fire. But this story shows that, sometimes, that's just wrong. Sometimes, there is just somebody trying to blow smoke up your nose.

Even the most prestigious of newspapers and networks could learn from this tale. But don't bet on it.

Jeff Greenfield, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Birth control pills almost always prevent pregnancy, you should always take allergy medicine in the morning. You've heard these statements. Time to hear the truth. We're debunking some medical myths, coming up next.

And later, a bitter custody battle takes a new turn in New York City. We'll tell you the latest on this one. We're coming right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Human cloning and stem cell research tops the agenda of a landmark meeting of scientists and U.N. delegates today. Members of the Genetics Policy Institute are discussing ethical and medical issues surrounding therapeutic cloning, as the United Nations considers a blanket ban on all form of cloning research. The U.N. is expected to take up the issue in October.

In our "Daily Dose" of health news, true or false? Medical correspondent Holly Firfer separates fact from fiction as we examine some common health care mistakes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOLLY FIRFER, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Food in styrofoam containers can be microwaved and with plastic wrap. Well some doctors say no, don't do it.

DR. ERICA BROWNFIELD, EMORY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Plastic wrap, plastic containers that can be potentially harmful. If they are heated, they can release chemicals. However, the FDA tests these chemicals and there has never been any evidence to show that it's harmful to humans. So as long as you aren't putting the plastic directly on food. Styrofoam, you don't want to put into the microwave because it can actually catch on fire and melt.

FIRFER: If you are taking birth control pills, you are always safe from pregnancy, right? Well, not quite.

BROWNFIELD: There are certain antibiotics, particularly penicillins, tetracyclines, some of the syphilis sporrans and you're also on the birth control pill, that hormone pill becomes less effective and so you want to have a backup method so you don't get pregnant.

FIRFER: It's OK if you floss really hard and your gums bleed because it will clean out the bacteria. Wrong says Dr. Brownfield.

BROWNFIELD: Problem is you can cut actually into the gum and you can expose the root of the tooth. And by doing that, you can have problems with the nerve, again, damage to your tooth, pain, bleeding. But flossing is important, so you should do it to remove plaque and bacteria.

FIRFER: Take your allergy medicine first thing in the morning, not always.

BROWNFIELD: Because everybody has different allergy symptoms and allergens can be at all times during the day. So the common sense thing to do is figure out when your allergy symptoms are worse and make sure and take your medication a few hours before then.

FIRFER: Can't hear, clean your ears out with a cotton swab. Dr. Brownfield says no.

BROWNFIELD: You can actually move the wax further into the ear causing problems with wax impaction and decreased hearing. And the other thing is if you push too hard with a Q-tip or any kind of object you can actually put a hole in your eardrum which can be harmful.

FIRFER: Too tired to take your contacts out, oops.

BROWNFIELD: Because you don't want to wear it for more than eight hours. In particular, you don't want to wear them when your eyes are closed because it sets up a risk of infection and possibly blindness.

FIRFER: And that's just for starters.

Holly Firfer, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Your "Daily Dose" of health news is just a click away. Log on to cnn.com/health for the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness.

Tears and anguish are the latest chapter in a startling custody battle. The fight over two young girls, and the story is something you have to see to believe. It's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Let's take a look at our docket today in our own look at legal briefs. Lawyers for Scott Peterson will deliver their opening statement in California. There were gasps heard in the courtroom yesterday as autopsy photos of Peterson's wife and -- wife Laci and unborn were shown. The prosecution pointed to apparent inconsistencies in Peterson's behavior shortly after wife went missing. They said he told a neighbor that he had been golfing but told investigators he had been fishing.

NO use of the word "victim" in the Kobe Bryant trial. A judge has sided with the defense, saying the woman who accuses Bryant of rape will be referred to by her name. The judge says that calling her a victim implies that Bryant is guilty.

The penalty phase of the Terry Nichols trial picks up. The big question, should he be put to death for his role in the Oklahoma City federal building bombing? Yesterday, more than two dozen witnesses gave emotional testimony about loved ones who died in the bombing. Nichols is already serving life in prison on federal charges.

Custody battles are usually fought behind closed doors, but one spilled on to the streets of the Upper East Side in Manhattan on Tuesday, and into the pages of the tabloids. Here is CNN's Jason Carroll.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a personal moment that became a public one.

BRIDGET MARKS, MOTHER WHO LOST CUSTODAY OF TWINS: Move back everybody.

CARROLL: Bridget Marks hugged her twin girls she had raised alone since birth before turning them over to their father John Aylsworth, a married casino executive who she had had an affair with.

Marks lost custody of the 4-year-olds during a bitter and, some psychologists say, unusual battle with Aylsworth.

MOLLY BENNETT AITKENS, GRANDMOTHER: This is not what a father does, for any reason. Children, if they do have to be taken away, it should be done in a gentle way.

CARROLL: A state court judge found Marks to be a fit mother, but granted custody to Aylsworth and his wife because the judge ruled she had tried to alienate the twins from their father by making up allegations he touched them in an inappropriate way.

New York family court judge Arlene Goldberg wrote, "The mother due to her anger over the father's failure to divorce his wife and marry her, coached the children to make the allegations that they did."

Marks stands by the allegations. Neither Aylsworth nor his attorney would comment on the allegations or the case. The Marks family says a caring mother is now being punished, telling what she believes is the truth.

AITKENS: What's happened is just a travesty.

CARROLL: Psychologists say in the end it's obvious who suffers the most in cases like this.

BENJAMIN SCHULTZ, PSYCHOLOGIST: The child is then caught in a struggle between -- you know -- two parents that are triangulating and tugging on the loyalties of that child in both directions.

CARROLL: A federal court judge refused to grant Marks a restraining orders that would have allowed her to keep her children. But the federal judge did agree to a new hearing to review the case on Monday.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: The judge ordered the father to move to New York from California to take custody of the twins. He has yet to do so.

(MARKET UPDATE)

KAGAN: It is a big world. Isn't it time that you got out there and saw a little bit of it? Up next we're going to introduce you to man who wants to be your worldwide guide. We are heading out on the Lonely Planet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: It started as the backpackers bible and it grew into one of the world's largest travel publishers. Lonely Planet celebrating its 30th anniversary with a tour that wraps up this week in Chicago.

Recently, I had a chance to talk with Don George. He is the global travel editor for Lonely Planet publications.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: So, Don, my first question to you, are Americans still interested in traveling abroad, when you look at everything that's happened in the world?

DON GEORGE, GLOBAL TRAVEL EDITOR, LONELY PLANET PUBLICATIONS: Well, it can be pretty daunting and depressing, I think, if you look at the world.

But on the other hand, when people really think about it, I think they realize that traveling abroad is more important now than ever. We really need to learn more about the world and we need for people in the world to learn about us from us and not from the media.

KAGAN: And if you think about it, this -- Lonely Planet was really kind of ahead of its time, trying to make the planet a smaller place.

GEORGE: It really was. We started 30 years ago with the whole notion that the way to travel was to get under the surface of a place, to get under the skin, and meet the people, get behind the scenes.

And so for 30 years, Lonely Planet's been trying to get people inside cultures and inside countries to make those people to people connections. That's what travel is really all about, I think. And that's what we do.

KAGAN: As the world has changed, have you had to change Lonely Planet, even like the section where you talk about how do you go and how do you go safely?

GEORGE: Yes, absolutely. Lonely Planet's changed in a number of ways. It began as a backpacker's bible, and now we appeal to people across all sorts of budgets. We include information about five-star hotels as well as youth hostels. So we've grown up in that way.

Security-wise, absolutely. The world has changed in 30 years. And so we have to address different issues. We talk about how to travel in a way that meets the local culture's expectations, that allows you to really understand what a culture is all about, what are the taboos, understand the history, understand the background of a place.

That way, you'll be a good, responsible, respectful traveler. We think that's really important. And that goes to the heat of security as a traveler, I think, is really being knowledgeable about the local culture and respectful of the local culture.

KAGAN: And something that might go great in the United States wouldn't go over so well in the country that you're going.

GEORGE: Precisely.

KAGAN: Looking at your own story, I see that you have traveled to over 60 countries. If you could just go one place, or if you could just send me to one place where would that be? And you can include California where you live know. Been there, grew up there.

GEORGE: That's a country right. That's a good country.

I really find it hard to answer that question because I love almost every single country I've ever been to. When I come back from a trip, people will ask me what my favorite country is. And I'll say, the one I was just in because they're all so wonderful.

I've lived in Japan and Greece and France. And so they occupy a special place in my heart. But every single trip that I go on, I find something amazing. I have some kind of amazing encounter with someone.

And so I grow exponentially each time I hit the road. So I think -- you know every country is my favorite country in that sense because they all offer so much.

If you just suspend your own preconceptions about a place and allow the place to work its magic on you and really get inside it, you have so much to learn every place you go.

KAGAN: OK, then I'll leave it with what's the place you haven't been to that you still want to go to?

GEORGE: I actually really want to go to Peru. And I want to go to Machu Picchu especially, but I also just want to get an appreciation of the whole Incan culture, which seems so rich and amazing.

KAGAN: And something tells me there's a Lonely Planet guide waiting to help you plan that trip.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: Don George, from Lonely Planet, thanks for stopping by.

GEORGE: Thank you, Daryn.

KAGAN: Appreciate it.

GEORGE: Great pleasure to talk with you. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And as we wrap things up, let's show you this place on the planet, Colorado Springs. President Bush just arriving there. That's the door open to Air Force One. He'll be giving the commencement address later today at the Air Force Academy, taking place 1:05 p.m. Eastern, just over an hour from right now. You're going to see that live right here on CNN.

That's going to do it for me today. I'm Daryn Kagan. Wolf Blitzer takes over from Washington, D.C.

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