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CNN Live Sunday

Interview with Libby Gill; Crawford, Texas Man Speaks Out

Aired August 14, 2005 - 18:00   ET

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

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The deadline for Israel to begin withdrawing from Gaza has just passed. But some Jewish settlers are vowing to stay. Palestinian and Israeli troops deployed to the areas around the Jewish settlements are bracing for possible violence.
And a deadline is looming in Iraq. Iraqi politicians are supposed to agree on a draft constitution by tomorrow. The Iraqi parliament meets Monday night to resolve differences and finish the document.

And it turns out to be a fake bomb that was planted at Washington's Mayflower Hotel today. The FBI and Secret Service investigated and say someone deliberately fashioned a device to make it look as real as possible.

And now to our top story. It is an air traveler's worst nightmare, one pilot apparently unconscious, the other missing, and the plane speeding towards a mountain. Greek officials say that was the scene on board a Helios Airways Boeing 737 en route from Cyprus to Prague before it crashed near Athens. Everyone on board was killed.

CNN's Chris Burns is in the Greek capital with details on the crash probe. And he joins us on the telephone. Chris, what have you learned? This is so bizarre.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, yes, Carol, absolutely bizarre. The officials say as of late today they found at least one of the two black boxes, those are the voice recorders within the cockpit that could offer some clues as to what happened. The other major clue was from two F-16s that were scrambled when the air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane.

And those F-16 pilots saw a chilling sight. They saw no pilot in the cockpit. They saw the co-pilot slumped over, and the oxygen mask hanging down. And later, just before the plane crashed, we hear from the government spokesman saying that the F-16s also saw two people trying to take control of the plane. It appeared they were crew members. And that is all they know at this point. They hope to find out more from the black boxes -- Lin.

LIN: Chris, I heard also that people on the plane had enough time to text message people at home, talking about the circumstances on the plane. What do you know about those messages and what people said?

BURNS; This is what we're hearing is, at least one text message to a relative from a cousin said that the pilot is turning blue. We're all freezing. Farewell, my cousin, we're all freezing. That is a chilling text message that does indicate further to authorities who believe that there was a catastrophic loss of cabin pressure that caused this plane to go down, Carol.

LIN: So, it sounds like, Chris, they ruled out terrorism.

BURNS: Well at this point yes, authorities have now at this point ruled out terrorism. They do believe that there was some kind of a technical problem that if it lost that cabin pressure at 30,000 feet, as the F-16 saw that plane in that condition, that is like standing on the top of Mt. Everest without any oxygen tanks. You're not going to last more than a few minutes.

LIN: So, Chris, they've also found the black boxes. How long is it going to take for them to get an idea of what happened technically on that airplane?

BURNS: Well, that usually takes a few days. That will offer indications of what the conversation was inside the cockpit. What they also need to do though, however, is to go through that painstaking task of going through all that wreckage and trying to find clues as to what exactly mechanically went wrong on board that plane, what caused -- if there was that loss of cabin pressure -- what exactly caused that.

LIN: All right. Thanks very much, Chris Burns on the telephone. The flight data recorder, the other black box, would have some of that technical information, and another box would also have the conversations of the pilots with air traffic control.

Now to Iraq, where the clock is ticking. The country's draft constitution is due tomorrow, but Iraqis still cannot agree on how power is actually going to be shared. CNN's Aneesh Raman reports that the negotiations are intense.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With hours to go until Iraq's constitutional deadline, talk under way at virtually every level of Iraq's political leadership as they try to hammer out a compromise what have emerged as the two main stumbling blocks. First is the issue of federalism. How powerful will regional governments in the north where the Kurds have a majority of population and in the south where the Shia have the same being.

Both those areas of course also where the majority of Iraq's oil is. The Sunnis have been very resilient against any decentralized government. Also what the oil revenues in those areas would mean for their populations.

Also at issue is of that Islam. Will it be a source or the source Iraqi law, women's groups for the past few weeks have been very vocal to make sure that their rights are not infringed upon. Iraq's Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari his spokesman Laith Kubba told CNN earlier that was not going to be the case. LAITH KUBBA, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER'S ADVISER: I think all indications; the women's organization input is very high. They form a very strong movement herein Iraq and the diversity of Iraq will ensure that women's rights will not be marginalized.

RAMAN: Now what we expect to happen is a draft of some sort to be put forward to the national assembly Monday. Virtually everyone is saying that will be the case. We don't know with what specificity the draft will deal with the outstanding controversial issues. The national assembly will take a few days to digest the document and could vote on it as early as this week or perhaps next. So another big milestone for the new Iraq, one laced with the desperate hope of Iraqi people that this will add to the stability in this country, and perhaps incur the sustained violence.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Now as of an hour ago, it became illegal for Jewish settlers to live in Gaza. Palestinian security forces are deployed across Gaza to make sure the pullout goes as smoothly as possible. And many have already left, but others say they will not go without a fight.

Right now you're looking at a live picture of the Kissufim Crossing there. And so far, as about an hour past the deadline has past, things appear to be calm. The settlers technically have until Wednesday to completely clear out of Gaza and parts of the West Bank.

But clearly Gaza has been home for these settlers for decades. And the signs of sadness and despair are clear. CNN's Guy Raz is in Neveh Dekalim settlement in Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A funeral pyre for a dying community, burning the things they can not carry away. It's Tisha BeAv, the peak of the Jewish mourning period, marking the destruction of the two ancient Jewish temples and destruction is on the minds of many.

The teary-eyed rabbi of this community, Josef el-Nekeveh (ph), declares himself heart-sick, comparing the demise of the Gaza settlements to the ancient tragedies that befell the Jews.

Inside the settlement synagogue, the men rock back and forth, weary and hungry, fasting to cleanse their souls. Ritual demands they suffer the emotional pain of their ancient ancestors.

Others in this settlement are less gloomy, though. Moti Ohayon is moving out before the Army arrives on Monday.

MOTI OHAYON, DEPARTING SETTLER (through translator): We must begin a new life. It's sad to leave here, but it's possible the new place will be better -- a better life, a happier life. It's all possible.

RAZ: In the settlement cemetery, neighbors gather, final memorial service for those buried here. These graves will soon be reinterred inside Israel where the majority of the country backs the end of the settlement enterprise in Gaza. But the ideological lines between secular and religious Israel are now sharper.

MOSHE HAGER-LAU, SETTLER SUPPORTER: I hope that the Israeli society will think again about this step which we began to do.

RAZ: On a street in Neveh Dekalim, a family pulls out for one last time, the national flag waves from the truck for a moment, right before it falls as well. The end of Israel's presence in the Gaza Strip.

(on camera): And an end as well, Israeli analysts predict, to the stranglehold the settlement movement holds over the country. Guy Raz, CNN, Neveh Dekalim Settlement, Gaza.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And from the Palestinian point of view, one town is welcoming the Israeli withdrawal. For several years, people found themselves the unintended victims of Israeli and Palestinian rage. CNN's Ben Wedeman explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The children of Um Nasr have long played in the shadow of Jewish settlements of Gaza. It's a town of bedoins. They see themselves as different from Palestinians whom they call Arabs.

The people of Uhm Nasr, possibly more than most, have good reasons to welcome the Israeli pullout.

(on camera): This is a town truly caught in the middle. It's surrounded by three Jewish settlements, and on the other side are Palestinian militants firing rockets at some of the settlements. And some of those missiles have fallen short of their targets.

(voice-over): Residents told us, around 20 missiles had hit in and around their town. When the militants fired, the Israelis fired back.

Um Mohsin's legs were hit by shrapnel during an exchange last winter. Two of her sons, including 6-year-old Mohammed, were also wounded. Um Mohsin (ph) hopes once the settlers and the soldiers go, peace will take their place.

May God ease their way, she says. We don't want to see them ever again.

Jumal Afra (ph) made a good living in Israel as a construction worker, earning almost $100 a day. But since the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising, he hasn't been able to go back. Now, he says, he's lucky to earn $10 a day in Gaza. The fighting, he says, must end.

If the Israelis leave, what's the point of the resistance, he asks?

Says his wife, Nadia, our hearts will be filled with happiness. For five years of this uprising we've been afraid, caught between the Jews and the Arabs.

Their neighbor Um Wasfi (ph) couldn't agree more. I hope God solves the problems between them and us, she says, so we can all live in comfort.

The kids here don't quite understand what the pullout all means, just that they'll soon be able to play in what is now forbidden territory.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Uhm Nasr, Gaza.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And we're going to explore your safety right here in the U.S. in the "Mock Disaster Zone," training for a bioterrorist attack. Is the U.S. prepared to defend its homeland against chemical weapons?

First in but last to tell their stories, a retired firefighter relives the horror of 9/11 at this hour.

And also ahead...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY MATTLAGE, CRAWFORD RESIDENT: I'm telling you the truth here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Fed up and speaking out. President Bush's Crawford neighbor sounds off about the anti-war protesters surrounding his ranch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: In our CNN "Security Watch" today, preparing for disaster. One state trains for a bioterrorist attack, and lawmakers are worried about the big picture. So just how ready is this country for the unthinkable? CNN's Sumi Daas finds out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A simulated bioterrorist attack turns Maryland's Camp Fretterd into a mock disaster zone, complete with decontamination tents, mobile hospitals and casualties. The Maryland National Guard is testing its response capabilities, diagnosing and tending to wounded victims. (on camera): Training is only one part of preparing for a bioterrorist attack, treating casualties for such an attack requires vaccines, medicines, an area where the U.S. is sorely lacking.

(voice-over): Project Bioshield passed last July allotted $5.6 billion to develop and stockpile the drugs needed to respond to a biological attack. But some pharmaceutical companies remain reluctant to begin research.

ROBERT KRAMER, PRES. AND CEO, BIOPORT: Companies such as Bioport look at the significant timeline and the significant cost and the risks associated with product development and bringing a product through from development through commercialization to licensure, and it is it a significant road that's filled with risk.

DAS: Plans for a follow-up bill, Bioshield 2, are under way. One possible item under discussion could minimize risk for drug companies by offering patent extensions and protection from liability.

REP. CURT WELDON, (R) PENNSYLVANIA: Corporations that are involved in developing drugs and these kind of solutions for us have to make a profit. They have to answer to their investors.

DAS: In a statement, Democratic senator Charles Schumer says the bill does little to help shield Americans against potentially deadly chemical and biological attacks, but it does a lot to line the pockets of huge drug companies. For Health and Human Services secretary Michael Leavitt, bioterrorism isn't the only concern.

MICHAEL LEAVITT, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: That our preparation for bioterrorism also helps us in case of natural pandemics, which is nature's terrorist. When I wake up in the morning I worry first of all have we seen any more avian flu in various parts of the world because that could be a devastating impact.

DAS: As lawmakers debate if Bioshield 2 is on hold during the summer recess, Secretary Leavitt says although the nation is safer than it has ever been, it is not perfectly safe.

Sumi Das, CNN, Reisterstown, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news for your security.

Well, the first responders of 9/11, firefighters who is rushed to the scene while thousands were trying to run away. One retired captain shares his experiences what have that day was like for the people on the front lines.

And later, preschool scholars: Parents taking extreme measures to make sure their child starts at the head of the class. Are the kids being pushed too hard?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LIN: Every week we like to bring you the more personal stories from the front lines. And today, they are not in Iraq or Afghanistan, but much closer to home.

Al Fuentes was a firefighter on duty in New York on the morning of September 11, 2001. And now his voice is adding to what we know about the horrors of that day. CNN's Jason Carroll reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go head, urgent.

AL FUENTES, NEW YORK CITY FIREFIGHT: I'm trapped here from the previous collapse. I need to make it out.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was just one of thousands of desperate calls that came in that day.

FUENTES: Someone help us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Unit one urgent.

FUENTES: Yes, listen, uh, we got these firefighters see evacuated from the tunnel, but we still got firefighters trapped. We need a hand out here on the west side highway.

CARROLL: The call for help came from New York City Fire Department Captain Al Fuentes. His voice heard publicly for the first time after the fire department released 15 hours of emergency transmissions from 9/11.

(on camera): Where were you in relation to where we are now?

FUENTES: Well actually, I was right on West Street, between West (ph) and Liberty.

CARROLL: Fuentes only remembers part of that day. The South Tower had just collapsed. He was trying to rescue people who were trapped, when the North Tower fell.

FUENTES: The North Tower came down, and there was no time to run. It was just bend down and get ready for the hit, and I said the Hail Mary.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rescue, go ahead.

FUENTES: Yes. I'm going to need a couple of guys here to lift this this beam up here, so we can get out of here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have help on the way. Let me repeat that. There is help on the way.

FUENTES: 10-4.

CARROLL (voice-over): Fuentes was trapped under a beam. We had a lacerated skull, a collapsed lung and several broken ribs. Firefighters frantically searched, but Fuentes eventually lost the strength to answer their calls.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Calling Captain Fuentes. Captain Fuentes, come in if you read me.

CARROLL (on camera): In listening to your voice, do you remember any of it? What you heard on the tapes?

FUENTES: You know, I know the whole thing, I must have listened to it hundreds of times. My scalp was off. I was dripping in and out of consciousness. I do not remember the tape.

CARROLL (voice-over): It took firefighters an hour-and-a-half to find him. Fuentes says emergency crews were working on an antiquated communication system, too many people trying to communicate on the same frequency. Many did not hear the call that the collapse of the second tower was imminent.

FUENTES: I never heard of one. I never an evacuation warning. But I can tell you from my 26 years, I know individuals that wouldn't leave.

CARROLL: A fire department spokeswoman says improvements to radios and dispatch have been made since that day.

FUENTES: We were so far behind, that whatever improvements they make, it's not good enough for me.

CARROLL: Fuentes still feels guilty that he survived and so many others did not.

He's retired now, but uses his time consulting first responders on how to improve emergency response.

FUENTES: I've been given a gift. And so I have to make the best I could out of that gift. And I think I'm working at it.

At the end of the day, I got to look in the mirror and I have to answer to that, you know, and I hope I like what I see.

CARROLL: Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And sounding off in Crawford.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTLAGE: If you had your brother-in-law in the house for five days wouldn't it start stinking after awhile? You're ready for him to go home, won't you? Five weeks of this is too much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: That is President Bush's neighbor, and he's talking about the anti-war protesters camped outside his ranch. We are going to take you there live. And an unlikely advocate, a music mogul takes on the biggest banks in the country. Our Carlos Watson has a "Fresh Take" on what's happening out there.

And the battle at Baltusrol. Sizzling heat, and a tough course and even tougher competition. We are live from the PGA championship.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Welcome back. I'm Carol Lin. Here's a look at what's happening now in the news. An Cypriot airliner with 121 people on board has crashed in Greece with no survivors. The plane may have experienced a complete loss of cabin pressure. A fighter pilot saw the co-pilot slumped over in the cockpit and did not see the pilot.

And Tropical Storm Irene poses no threat to land, at least not yet, but it could trigger large ocean swells and riptides along the U.S. East Coast. The storm is in the Atlantic, more than 300 miles from North Carolina. It's moving toward the north-northwest.

And for the first time, the head chef at the White House is a woman. Chris Comerford who has been an assistant chef at the White House for ten years. Comerford has been trained in French classical techniques and specializes in ethnic and American cuisine. Bon appetite.

And speaking of the president, one of the president's neighbors in Crawford, Texas, cooked up some trouble of his own today. CNN's White House correspondent Dana Bash, is in Crawford where the president is vacationing.

Dana, we've seen clips of this guy, but what happened out there?

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Carol, Cindy Sheehan's vigil has brought the anti-war movement to the president's back yard. And, as you said, one of the president's neighbors is not happy about it, not so much because of her message, but because of the disruption to his town. Today he showed it Texas style.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where did he go?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he walked up to his house. I called the police at 10 after 10:00.

BASH (voice-over): The Secret Service raced to the scene. Two gunshots heard near the vigil outside the president's ranch.

MATTLAGE: I ain't threatening nobody, I ain't pointing a gun at nobody. This is Texas.

BASH: On his own land, across the road, Larry Mattlage had shot his gun in the air.

MATTLAGE: I'm just ready for dove season. And y'all going to still be here, I'm practicing.

QUESTION: There wasn't another message in the gunshots?

MATTLAGE: Figure it out for yourself.

BASH: The doves that are bothering him, anti-war protesters parking at the edge of his property, growing throngs of supporters for Cindy Sheehan whose son died in Iraq and wants to tell Mr. Bush troops should come home.

MATTLAGE: When they first came out here, I was sympathetic to their cause, all right? They as American citizens, have a right to march, to protest, but it's like if you had your brother-in-law in your house for five days, wouldn't it start stinking after awhile?

BASH: Mattlege may be expressing the frustration of some locals. In the nearly five years Mr. Bush has been coming here, this is the first extended demonstration, an unprecedented number of people and cars descending on tiny Crawford now both for and against Cindy Sheehan's cause.

(on camera): In fact, this is something we've never seen. Police put up a sign, warning about heavy traffic in Crawford, a town with 705 people and one blinking light.

MATTLAGE: They put one port-a-potty in here, now we've got two port-a-pottys, and now we got three. And if this keeps up, they'll be all the way down the road.

BASH (voice-over): Mattlege has benefited from living near the president. One TV network pays to use his property to get footage of the Bush ranch. The local sheriff says no laws were broken, both sides are within their rights. Cindy Sheehan has a solution.

CINDY SHEEHAN, WAR PROTESTER: He should talk to his other neighbor, George Bush and ask George Bush to come out and meet with me and we'll leave.

BASH: Mattlage doesn't know his president shall neighbor but he is skeptical that would make the protesters leave.

MATTLAGE: That's all I got to say about that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: And Mattlage said that he and others here in Crawford try to mind their own business. But he said he understands that Cindy Sheehan says she will stay here for the president's entire time here, that's about five weeks. And clearly that is testing his patience -- Carol.

LIN: You bet, a man of few words, but a lot to say today. Thanks very much, Dana.

Well, sometimes to get what you want, it takes more than a good wit and a way with words. Money makes the world go round in many ways. It pays the bills, keeps the roof over your head. But the formula for who gets the money and who does not is as old as the Jim Crow laws that segregated the south.

Every week our political analyst Carlos Watson gives us his "Fresh Take" on what's happening out there. Carlos, this week you're saying show me the money. And I think you are going to show me the money. There you go.

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Carol Lin, I've got $20 up here in front of me. You're probably wondering why am I showing you the money.

LIN: Yes?

WATSON: Well, because unfortunately, for lots of Americans, almost 30 million Americans every year, for every $100 they earn, about that much money is taken out of their pockets before they even get a chance to pay a light bill or pay for their kids' college education. It's called predatory lending, and it takes lots of different forms, everything from the home mortgage you get, which is not the normal 5 percent, 6 percent, 7 percent, 8 percent, 9 percent, 10 percent rate. Or maybe it's -- or what's called a payday loan, so if you're in between checks that's part of the problem or rent to own, very serious problem that may cost us $50 billion a year.

LIN: Well, who is targeting these people?

WATSON: Well, interestingly enough, when you think about who is targeted, elderly people are targeted. They're three times more likely to get these kind of high interest loans that often rob them of equity in their homes, immigrants often are targets and maybe one of the saddest stories was a piece that came out in the "Chicago Sun- Times" earlier this year not only African-Americans and Latinos disproportionately targeted for these kind of high interest loans, sometimes five times as likely as whites do, get steered towards these loans. But in fact, white Americans who were earning less than $30,000 were more likely, Carol, that's more likely, to get a decent kind of loan than African-Americans who were making more than $90,000.

LIN: Really? Well -- go ahead. I mean, what lending institutions are doing this? And who is doing something about it?

WATSON: Well, you tend to think these as small institutions, small firms, firms that pop up in different places, often in lower income neighborhoods. But the reality is, as New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer and others have noted, they're going after some of the big banks, some of the ones you and I know, everyone from Wells Fargo to Bank of America, Citigroup has been assessed tens of millions of dollars in penalties for charging too high interest, particularly towards minorities. And so there are a number of ongoing investigations by dozens of state attorney generals.

LIN: So, what are your sources telling you is the solution?

WATSON: Well, interestingly enough, this feels the time for a Jimmy Stewart. Carol, I'm going to have them show a little clip. Do you remember this movie, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington?"

LIN: You bet.

WATSON: 1939, Jefferson Smith, the senator stands up, angry filibuster, stands up for principle. We need something like that maybe here, given how broadly it's affecting people. And given that, frankly, there's not a strong national law.

But this, it may turn out that Jefferson Smith in this case may not be a 6'2, 6'3 Hollywood-produced character, but maybe a 5'10 hip- hop mogul. How do you like that?

LIN: Whoa, is that Russell Simmons?

WATSON: That's Russell Simmons, who obviously came to fame guiding Def Jam Records and also came to fame with a clothing line and number of other things.

But what he's done, which is very interesting, I think we may be able to show a little bit of this, he's come one something called the "Rush Card," which is essentially a debit card, which is co-branded by Visa. And for lots of people who don't have bank accounts and consequently show up at these check cashing stores and on a $500 paycheck may lose $90 to these people just in order to get the cash, Russell Simmons and others are now saying hey, have your paycheck directly deposited into this "Rush Card." You may take..

LIN: Looks like a credit card.

WATSON: Looks like a credit card. You may pay $10 or $20, but you'll save a bunch of money, and consequently be able to pay the light bill, be able to pay the heating bill, go to the grocery store and other places.

And so while there still is hope that maybe there will be some government action, maybe this is one case in which the private sector, maybe an entrepreneur like Russell Simmons may end up donning, if you will, his Jimmy Stewart cape.

LIN: Hey, we only have about 40 seconds left, Carol, but I want to do a "Fresh Take" follow-up with you. A couple of months ago, you talked about a stealth health care revolution, where because of a lack of a national health care plan, CEOs and state governments were cutting back on health insurance. And the governor of Tennessee just announced that he's cutting Medicaid, which is going to leave close to 200,000 people, low income people, without any health insurance.

WATSON: And it's significant because at one time, Carol, Tennessee expanded their Medicaid program called Tenn-care and it was seen as maybe the leading such program. The fact that they are cutting back because of high costs, high medical costs, says a lot. And whereas we all bemoan the fact that maybe 45 million Americans now go without health care at any point during the year, believe it or not, we may be approaching the point, this may be the tipping point year where we see 60 million plus Americans without health care. And consequently by the time we get to 2008, we may once again see health care become a dominant issue. And it's worth recalling that maybe now is the time, you know, by 2008 it will have been 15 years since that bill Hillary Clinton health care issue became a debacle and ultimately went nowhere.

LIN: All right. Well, at least it's been 15 years, maybe it's something to be reconsidered in Washington. Nevertheless, you warned us a couple of months ago, so we're ahead of the curve. Thanks very much, Carlos.

WATSON: Carol Lin, great to see you.

LIN: You too. Every Sunday night.

All right. Gas prices are going through the roof. A national survey released today says prices soared 20 cents over the past three weeks, hitting $2.50 a gallon of regular self-serve. Experts blame the high crude oil prices, but they say the surge at the pump will likely stop demand for when gas drops, usually after the summer months.

We can only hope so, but we're going to do a special report at 10:00 tonight. So please join us then.

Now, we are always trying to provide perspective for our viewers. And when it comes to gas prices, well, it would be wise to keep things in proportion. So here's a look at some facts you may want to consider before you decide to sell your car.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Adjusted for inflation: today's average national average prices still haven't broken any records. In today's dollars, the average price per gallon of gas in 1975 would be $2.05, not so bad. Prices peaked in 1981, when one day in March, the national average reached as high as $3.12 a gallon in today's terms. That is a record for now.

That trend eventually reversed, though. In 1998, you may recall gas prices dipped in today's dollars costing only about $1.22 per gallon.

Another fun comparison, U.S. prices against those overseas. If you are in the Netherlands, you'd be paying $6.48 per gallon. In Ireland, the price is $4.78. In Russia, it's actually a little cheaper at $2.10 a gallon.

But Venezuela is apparently the place to be, for gas at least. And this is not a typo, gas is 12 cents per gallon. Our final facts to put gas prices in perspective. The cost of what other popular consumer items would be per gallon.

Evian Water would be about $5.60 a gallon based on the price of a bottle. Starbucks coffee $32 per gallon. Real maple syrup more than $57. If gas prices have you thinking of hitting the bottle, well check out the price that Jack Daniel's would cost per gallon, more than $100. And finally, one you'd probably never think of, nasal spray, $2,615 per gallon. We've got a way to go before gas costs that much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: A good perspective.

In the meantime, showdown in Springfield, the final round is under way and the heat is on in more ways than one. We are live from the PGA championship.

And in today's "Fountain of Youth," we're going to talk about inner beauty, learning to let go of your past and pave the way to a brighter future. Tips on how to jumpstart your life from a famous life coach, Libby Gill.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: In news across America, change in the weather could complicate fire fighting efforts in Washington state. Rain and cooler temperatures helped firefighters gain ground on a huge wildfire this weekend, but warm, dry weather expected there in the next few days could make hot spots more difficult to extinguish. The fire has burned 49,000 acres and destroyed more than 100 homes.

An eight-story building in Miami was deliberately destroyed today. Look at that! The former Howard Johnson's hotel was imploded to make way for a newer, larger structure. A 67-story building that will house a luxury hotel and condominiums.

And in Southern California, a five-foot alligator is still on the loose. The gator was discovered this week in a park lake. Animal wranglers are trying to catch it. In the meantime, park rangers are warning nearby residents to say away from the lake. Officials suspect the gator is an abandoned pet, named Fido. Just kidding. Hope they find it.

Anyway, going for the PGA championship title is a little more than a battle of skills today. It's a battle of endurance. The heat and the pressure are taking a toll and so is the weather.

Our Larry Smith is keeping up with the action in Springfield, New Jersey. Larry, it's so dark behind you, it looks like it's midnight.

LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really does. And right now it is midnight for the tournament, because play has been suspended for a second time today due to weather. You can see behind me, hundreds of fans, probably in other parts thousands of fans leaving the course as play is still ongoing. I mean, we still have to finish this and determine a champion. But some thunderclouds off in the distance here, so their play has once again been suspended.

Let us get to, first off, our leaders going into today. Phil Mickelson and Davis Love III. They came into the day tied at 6 under par. Each trying to win his second career major. And right now Phil Mickelson is trying to hang on to the lead now. He is in the lead at 4 under par. So he is 2 over par for the day. He has a one-shot lead.

Davis Love III has really struggling right now. He is at 2 under par. They each have six holes yet to play.

Now, one of the surprise names near the top of the leaderboard has been Steve Elkington, the Australian who won his only major at the PGA Championship a decade ago. He right now is at 3 under par. He just bogeyed his 15th hole just before play was suspended. And so he is at 3 under par, just one shot behind Phil Mickelson.

Also Thomas Bjorn is 3 under par, still on the course as well.

How about Tiger Woods? We talked about him needing to post a good score today. Well, a 2 under par 68. He fought for 70 holes in this tournament, couldn't get under par until he hit birdies on his final two holes. He's at 2 under par. And right now, just two shots off the pace. And he says he's not going anywhere just yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIGER WOODS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: I'll be waiting, because you know, you don't know what can happen out there. And as you see, the guys are having a hard time out there, because the golf course is getting faster and drier. And the pins are brutally difficult to try and get the ball close.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Once again, play has been suspended here in New Jersey at Baltusrol now. If we can't finish and there is a tie, here is how it works. Those players who are tied will go to a three-hole playoff. The aggregate score would win. If there was still a tie, they'll go to sudden death. Maybe there will be enough light to finish tonight, maybe they could finish tomorrow. We'll have to wait and see if the weather holds off. Let's go back to you.

LIN: There's the suspense. Thanks, Larry.

In the meantime, letting go of the past to achieve a more positive and successful future. Tips on how to shift your personal perspective from limiting to liberating. Next.

Plus, Pressure on preschoolers: Parents paying a high price to improve their kids' academics. But are the children being pushed too hard? We are going to take a closer look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Some parents go to extremes to give their kids a leg up on the competion. It's given rise to a new trend, tutoring for pre- schoolers. No finger paints or crayons allowed, this is about increasing reading skills. But some critics argue parents are pushing their kids out of the sand box too soon. Dan Simon has that story. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go get her. Go get Cynthia.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 5-year-old Sophia is just like most girls her age, she can show her pesky little brother who is boss, And entertain herself with just about anything.

UNIDNETIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Sophia.

SIMON: But this summer, she's in a class all by herself, literally.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is upper case or lower case?

SOPHIA: Upper case.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Upper case, very good.

SOPHIA: Sophia is getting one on one tutoring a couple days a week to learn how to read and write, it's in addition to preschool.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you print five upper case capital Bs for me? Very good.

SOPHIA: This is the Sylvan Learning Center in North Ridge, California. The company, like several others, recently added a prekindergarten course. Being kindergarten ready means more than it used to.

DR. RICHARD BAVARIA, SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER: The academic subjects that kids are learning in kindergarten now were traditionally taught in first grade.

SIMON: Dr. Richard Bavaria who overseas Sylvan's curriculum says the company only began offering the sessions after parents themselves started requesting them.

BAVARIA: Well, we had parents tell us that they were eager for their young children, their 4-and-a-half-year-old children to be able to get a leg up, to be able to have a little bit more confidence when they got ready for kindergarten.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had to decide whether it was the reading or say the ballet for this summer break.

SIMON: Sophia's mother tells us reading won out after hearing that other moms were doing the same thing with their kids. She didn't want her daughter to be left behind.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was aiming for thor know some things, so when she's called on in class to have that confidence to put her hand up, because she knows.

SIMON (on camera): When you think of 4 and 5-year-olds, you might picture them in a setting like this. But now, more and more parents are putting their kids in a classroom environment earlier to give them a leg up in school. The question, though, are these children being pushed too hard?

GISELE RAGUSA, USC SCHOOL OF EDUCATION: I think so. I think it's relatively significant.

SIMON (voice-over): Dr. Gisele Ragusa is an educational psychologist. She's concerned that kids these days aren't being aloud to be, well, kids.

RAGUSA: If their world is so structured by tutoring sessions, by structured play, by structured anything, they sometimes resist. And if they don't resist, they miss a piece of their social life that is critical.

BAVARIA: I say baloney! I say if the child is ready to learn, if the child is motivated to learn, why would you not do that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you think of something that standards with bah? What might that be?

SOPHIA: Bus.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

SIMON: At $40 to $45 an hour, not everyone can afford the tutoring. But companies that offer it, clearly hope more parents will look at it as something they can't afford not to do.

Dan Simon for CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: In our "Fountain of Youth" segment today, a how-to manual for life change. In the book, "Traveling Hopefully: How to Lose Your Family Baggage and Jumpstart Your Life," author Libby Gill outlines steps to help people unload past negative messages and get on with their lives. Libby Gill is joining me from Los Angeles.

Libby, it's interesting that you wrote this book, because here you are, the successful career coach, life coach, I mean, you help other people have the confidence to make change, and you had a revelation at your father's deathbed. What happened?

LIBBY GILL, AUTHOR: Well, I got to this point in my life where I realized, Carol, that everything looked really good from the outside. I had a good job and a nice house and all of the trappings, but there was something missing on a very deep level. And as I sat there with my father, having this one-sided conversation, because he was at the end of his life, and I felt like I was starting life anew, I realized I had this sort of system of self-beliefs that were limiting me. Based on the time it started probably when I was 10 years old and my oldest brother died on Christmas, and then my father, who, as you said, was at his deathbed, had left my mother shortly after, so here was my mom, I was one of six kids, she was raising five little kids, and my father moved to another country. So this left me with this real sense of always a need to prove myself, and to be very guarded and very silent. It was difficult to trust. All of those things. And on the good side, it made me have this deep need to help other people.

LIN: Uh-huh.

GILL: But it also made me feel very much like, you know, put the walls up.

LIN: So here you are, you know, at 40, young, but with the rest of your life together. And you've got five basic principles. I know the book is deeper than that, and very personal to you, but let's talk very quickly about the five.

GILL: Yep.

LIN: Beginning with -- you say dissect your past, so you can direct your future. Just as you did, what do you say to other people?

GILL: Well, I tell people to dissect your past. Meaning look backwards, look at where you've come from so you can understand where you're going. Don't dwell in the past, because you know, it can be a nice place to visit but you don't want to live there.

LIN: And then it's like a crutch. And then you say learn to link internal clarity with external action, which sounds like, you know, do something. Make change.

GILL: Exactly. But do something based on a real sense of purpose, a real sense of passion. Because so many of us, myself included, get caught up in that sense of, I'm going to do what other people are expecting me to do, but don't do that. Do what's right for you and then externalize that.

LIN: Yeah. And I like the next two, because it's very proactive and it brings your friends and family into it. Recruit a support squad and make a personal roadmap.

GILL: Right. Well, what I found for me, I was going through all of these changes -- and by the way all of the changes started when I was 40, but now I'm 50. So this was a long process of change. And I really knew I couldn't do it myself.

So even though it seemed obvious you need help, I didn't really know what that language of support was. So I went out, and learned it. And I talk about that in "Traveling Hopefully."

LIN: And keep moving toward what you want. Stay away from what longer serves you. So, it's a little like housecleaning.

GILL: It's housecleaning. It's also this real sense of momentum. Once you get in this flow of making things happen, and taking these little baby steps of progress, so that you can make -- I tell people to think small. You know, it sounds great to have a big plan and a vision, and that's good, but think small. Narrow it down into baby steps. And once you begin to do that and you experience success, it takes over, and it just takes you along with it.

LIN: It's manageable. It's manageable. You can jumpstart, make major changes, get rid of all of that baggage in the past. And get excited about your life again. Thanks very much, Libby. Great advice.

GILL: Thank you.

LIN: Well, that's all the time we have for this hour.

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