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CNN Live Today

Sheehan Expected to Protest Outside of President Bush's Ranch; Stem Cell Researcher Resigns over Ethics; FEMA and Fannie Mae Settle Katrina Housing Feud; Organization Helps to Rebuild New Orleans

Aired November 24, 2005 - 11:30   ET

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

WHITFIELD: Live pictures from New York now. Americans are celebrating Thanksgiving with this 79th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Gusty winds had threatened to ground the balloons earlier today. Among the new editions, however, this year, Dora the Explorer, and a healthy Mr. Potatohead.
Details about a Pennsylvania double murder taking place early this month are now emerging in court documents. According to the paperwork, 18-year-old David Ludwig shot his girlfriend's parents because they opposed his relationship with their daughter. He and 14- year-old Kara Borden had been out all night just prior to the murders. And according to the statements given to police, the girl's parents confronted her when she returned. Prosecutors say Ludwig shot the Bordens after a heated argument.

A top U.N. official says emergency aid has finally reached the most remote areas hit by last month's massive earthquake in South Asia. The high commissioner for refugees on a visit to the region says he has been informed by Pakistani officials that 95 percent of the survivors are now being helped. He said the hope is to get aid to the rest within the next coming days.

And al-Jazeera employees are staging protest today against the Bush administration. The demonstrations follow a London tabloid report, The Daily Mirror reported that British Prime Minister Tony Blair talked President Bush out of launching an air strike on the Arab language network's headquarters last year. A White House official calls that report "outlandish."

The Bush family is gathered at the Texas ranch for Thanksgiving. But just before the president's traditional holiday fare, anti-war protesters nearby are planning what they call a simple Iraqi meal. CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us now with the latest from Crawford -- Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Fredricka. And that meal will take place a few hours from now. Later tonight also we are expecting the return of anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan.

Now Sheehan, of course, is the woman whose son Casey was killed in Iraq and who led the demonstrations back in August here in Crawford, demonstrations that drew people from across the country. Now Sheehan has been demanding answers from President Bush about why her son died. And it was yesterday that Sheehan's sister was among the 12 demonstrators who were arrested near President Bush's ranch. These demonstrators were attempting yesterday to camp out with tents. But their arrests came in light of a new local county ordinance restricting camping and parking along the road in certain areas. But protesters are continuing to maintain a small presence in an area where they are allowed to be, a place t they've dubbed Camp Casey II. That's the private property where they've put up a large tent and several smaller ones.

Unclear exactly how many people will be seen in the coming days' turnout. Now no comment from the White House on these latest protests. But it's not uncommon of course for there to be demonstrators wherever President Bush goes. The difference now, obviously, this is a slower news time and these protesters, as they did back in August, are hoping to grab the headlines once again. But the Bush administration maintaining that any talk of a withdrawal immediately of U.S. forces from Iraq would be a mistake -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And, Elaine, the Bush family intent on not allowing the protesters to interfere with their dinner. What's on tap? We know at least a free range turkey will be on the table. What else?

QUIJANO: That's right. On the menu some Thanksgiving favorites, albeit a little more elaborate versions probably than the traditional dishes. The turkey you mentioned will be herb-stuffed roasted free range turkey. Also on the menu for the first family, the chipotle maple whipped sweet potatoes. So a twist on the potatoes. And then they'll have two desserts, Texas pecan pie and pumpkin pie. And we should also mention that the president will be celebrating Thanksgiving not just with the first lady but their twin daughters Jenna and Barbara as well as the president's parents and, then Mrs. Bush's mother, Jenna Welsh, as well -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Very good. Elaine Quijano, thanks so much. And happy Thanksgiving to you as well.

Our "Daily Dose" of medical news now. A German researcher says chronic noise can increase your risk of a heart attack. If you are exposed to a loud environment regularly, say you work near airplanes or traffic or construction equipment, the constant noise suddenly boosts stress levels.

Experts say that kicks up chemicals that over time increases your chance of a heart attack 50 percent in men, the risk is even higher for women. A scientist at the forefront of cloning and stem cell research is apologizing for ethical lapses.

CNN correspondent Sohn Jie-Ae reports from Seoul now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOHN JIE-AE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Only months ago South Korea and stem cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk unveiled yet another breakthrough from his laboratory at Seoul National University, the world's first cloned dog, Snuppy. Hwang won global fame and his creation Snuppy landed on the cover of TIME magazine as one of the most promising inventions of 2005. But now Hwang finds himself in the dog house. The distraught professor sat down with CNN at 2:00 in the morning to shed light on ethical violations in his laboratory.

HWANG WOO-SUK, STEM CELL RESEARCHER (through translator): It's true that two of my researchers donated their eggs of their free will. I was able to confirm this after May 2004.

JIE-AE: Under international guidelines, scientists are discouraged from using employees as donors as a precaution against exploitation. Hwang said he had denied the egg donations because one of the researchers had asked for her privacy to be maintained.

HWANG (through translator): But now, looking back, I realize that this will probably be considered the most blatant example of my making the wrong decision.

JIE-AE: Human eggs are needed to produce cloned human embryos which in turn provide human stem cell lines, possibly providing the cure for such diseases as diabetes or Parkinson's disease. Hwang's laboratory is renowned for creating the human stem cells more efficiently than any other, and even making them patient-specific which increases the chance that the newly grown organs will not be rejected.

Even before his announcement, reports of the ethical breach at Hwang's lab had international consequences. A leading U.S. stem cell scientist, Gerald Schatten has severed ties with Hwang.

(on camera): To prevent further repercussions and to take responsibility for the incident, Hwang has resigned as president of the World Stem Cell Hub, an organization he founded to further global cooperation in stem cell research. And while he will remain a researcher at Seoul National, Hwang will take some time off.

HWANG (through translator): My current physical and mental condition doesn't allow me to return to research right away. I need time to look back on my past and redesign my future.

JIE-AE: South Koreans who treat Hwang as a national hero don't seem to have given up on him. In the past few days, an Internet blog, "I Love Hwang" has seen over 100 offers from women wishing to donate their eggs to his research. But Hwang's troubles may be a wake-up call for ambitious researchers.

ART CAPLAN, BIOETHICIST, UNIV. OF PENN.: When this kind of event takes place, I think the scientific community is reminded it isn't just the science and it isn't just the skills of the scientist. You have to lay in an ethics infrastructure that has to permeate the lab, it has to permeate the scientists that you are partnering with.

JIE-AE: And there is anxiety in South Korea that the ethical questions surrounding Hwang's work will damage not only the international reputation of his lab, but the country's growing reputation in cloning research.

Sohn Jie-Ae, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And your "Daily Dose" of health news is always just a click away. Log on to cnn.com/health for medical news. You will also find special reports and a health library.

Helping Hurricane Katrina evacuees. What one group is doing to give some New Orleans' evacuees a home for the holidays, when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.

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WHITFIELD: FEMA and Fannie Mae have settled a bureaucratic feud over housing for Katrina's homeless, free housing. Fannie Mae, one of the nation's largest mortgage lenders, offered 1,500 homes to Katrina victims. That was two months ago, FEMA initially rejected the offer, that's because Fannie Mae wanted to keep showing the homes to potential buyers. But with the dispute now worked out, FEMA says it's contacting families to move in.

Thanksgiving is no day off for some in New Orleans. The organization Homeaid is rebuilding the New Orleans Rescue Mission. And yes, they are working right through the holiday. The structure in the shadow of the Superdome was severely damaged by Katrina. Homeaid hopes to reopen the mission's doors to evacuees on Christmas Day. Mike Lennon is the president of Homemade, a Southern California non- profit organization.

Hello to you.

And Geneva Thirsty lost her home to Katrina. She hopes to move in to the mission as soon as possible.

Good morning to both of you all. And happy Thanksgiving.

MIKE LENNON, PRESIDENT, HOMEAID: Good morning.

GENEVA THIRSTY, HURRICANE EVACUEE: How are you doing, good morning.

WHITFIELD: Well, Mike, let me begin with you. How is the building project coming along?

LENNON: Well, it's going great. And we are excited to be here even on Thanksgiving Day. I mean, what a better place to be than to be doing something that people can be thankful for. Homeaid is the largest non-profit developer of transitional housing in the country.

And because we were established by the building industry, we have more ready access to contacts and materials that we need, resources to begin the rebuilding effort. And we are reaching out throughout the Gulf Coast and other areas that are taking in evacuees. But we are starting right here with our first project to help Geneva and her family and many others by Christmas.

WHITFIELD: And, Mike, describe why this project is so unique, because we are talking about a multi-unit, multifamily-type dwelling as opposed to a lot of other building projects where they focus on individual homes. And something else that makes this unique is it's not just housing for many families, but you are going to also offer a lot of other support assistance as well. Like what?

LENNON: That's right. And that's the key. And I'll tell you, it started because we got a call right after the Katrina disaster from a company with a huge vision. Ameriquest Mortgage Company called us and said, look, we would like to build housing for thousands of people that have been displaced by Katrina, would you be our partner?

And so we said, sure, this is what we do. And with an initial investment on their part of $3 million, we began looking where we could start. And to get to your point, it really is important that it's not just transitional housing and a roof over your head, but something that will accommodate as many people as possible for anywhere from nine to 24 months, and a place that has the support services that people need to get their jobs back, to get their families back together.

And the Rescue Mission here, the mission -- the New Orleans mission is going to provide that. So it's really a terrific partnership because it does provide those much-needed services to help families get back on their feet.

WHITFIELD: And among those family, Geneva, you and your son and daughter will be among the first to move in. Tell me how anxious are you to get back on your feet and be a part of this program in terms of being a resident.

THIRSTY: Well, it's very -- I'm very anxious. I'm very excited because, you know, because, you know, I'm a New Orleans -- and I wanted to come back down here because I'm staying in Houston at this moment. But I can't wait to be able to get back because I can't wait to come back. Me and my children, they miss being here in New Orleans.

So I just want to thank Homeaid and the New Orleans Mission because they are rebuilding this here for everybody, you know, so we could have a place to stay.

WHITFIELD: And you and your son and daughter have really been through so much after having to wade through water, you finally, as you said, made your way to Houston. So many folks are not so sure about making their way back to New Orleans. But you made it very clear you can't wait to get back. Why? Knowing it's going to be a tough road ahead?

THIRSTY: Yes, in the beginning, I didn't want to come back to New Orleans. I was angry, but I was born and raised here. And this is all I know, you know? And when you leave and you leave from your home, and you are somewhere else far away from your home, you are just like a lost puppy. You know, and I've been very depressed about it. So even though I've just come back to New Orleans, I'm perky, it's Thanksgiving Day, and I'm just excited.

WHITFIELD: Well, that's fantastic. Well, congratulations, Geneva, and best of luck and wishes to you and your daughter as well as your son. And Mike Lennon, Geneva Thirsty, thanks so much. The project is Homeaid...

LENNON: Can I add a quick?

WHITFIELD: OK. Make it real quick because we have got some breaking news we've got to get to.

All right, well...

LENNON: What I wanted to ask -- what I wanted to add is that there's a way for people to be involved. One of our partners -- many other partners that we have are involved, Georgia-Pacific Corporation donated all of the building materials for this facility that we are doing here. We do one. We are doing nine others in the country. But people go to homeaid.org, H-O-M-E-A-I-D.org if they'd like to help in this Gulf Coast rebuilding effort. We appreciate the opportunity to be here today.

WHITFIELD: Well, it's been a great team effort. Thanks so much for underscoring that. Best wishes to both of you and happy holidays. Thanks so much.

THIRSTY: Same to you, thank you.

LENNON: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Well, this just in, a balloon in the Macy's Day Parade has hit a lamp post. When it fell, some spectators were injured. The Associated Press is reporting two were injured. This happened on the 42nd Street intersection there at Times Square. It's all we have right now, but earlier we had been reporting that wind was indeed a concern. And this is one of the occasions in which there is great concern because of the balloons in particular. We don't know exactly why this balloon did come crashing down. But this news is just now breaking.

And of course when we get more information, we'll be able to bring it to you to see whether or not wind was indeed factor. But for now, the Associated Press is reporting that two were injured. We are going to take a short break for now. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: More on this reported accident taking place during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. You are looking at live pictures right now, following a collision with one of the balloons, one of the parade balloons, there are something like 30 throughout this entire parade, crashing into a lamp post. And reportedly at least two people have been injured. Jacqui Jeras is in our weather center. And, Jacqui, we want to bring you in because earlier it had been reported that there were some concerns about the wind and what kind of influences the weather conditions just might have on the safety of the parade. We still don't know, however, why this balloon came crashing down or into the lamp post. But give me an idea of what the weather conditions had been like in the past 30 minutes or so.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, the winds all morning really had been pretty steady in terms of sustained winds, between about 10 and 15 miles per hour. But we've been seeing some gusts occasionally stronger than that. Right now at LaGuardia the gusts are about 25 miles per hour. The winds are a little bit calmer than that in New York Central Park where we get some of our observations from.

But you can see from that live camera some of that shaking going on right there. And that could be due to some of these winds as they push through. And the forecast models had this right on target saying right around the noon hour we are going to start to watch those southerly winds increase.

Now the worst of the winds though, Fred, will be coming in later on this afternoon when the cold front passes on through. Winds are from the south right now. There you can see it's up to 30 miles per hour in Philadelphia. But, westerly winds will be blowing in behind the front. And the winds will really kick up this afternoon, after 3:00 or 4:00, we'll expect to see some wind gusts on occasion that will be approaching maybe 30, 40, even as much as 45 or 50 mile per hour into New York City.

So wind is a little bit of a concern. Not sure if that was enough. We heard from officials earlier this morning. They say the gusts had to be more like 34 miles per hour in order to have trouble with the parade. There you can see winds close to that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: All right, Jacqui Jeras in the weather center. Thanks so much

And just when we thought it would look like the Thanksgiving parade was taking place without incident, but of course we will keep you abreast of that accident involving the balloon when we get the information.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield, international news up next. Stayed tuned for "YOUR WORLD TODAY" with Michael Holmes and Zain Verjee after a quick break.

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