Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

World AIDS Day; Suspects in Custody for Murder of Philadelphia Teen Dad; Remembering Rosa Parks

Aired December 01, 2005 - 10:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Expected to go to court today. Eighteen-year-old Terrell Pough was profiled in a "People" magazine story for his devotion to his two-year-old daughter. Pough was gunned down outside his home two weeks ago.
An eyewitness tells CNN an Iraqi government building came under attack in Ramadi today. The eyewitness says that mortars and machine guns were used but a U.S. military spokesman says there was no significant insurgent activity in Ramadi today. Hundreds have been killed in fighting between coalition troops and insurgents in Ramadi over the last two years.

Police in Iraq have recorded a milestone. Investigators believe that the country has seen its first suicide bombing by a western woman. The Belgium-born woman was a convert to Islam. She was the only fatality in a November 9th attack on a U.S. military patrol.

Well, techies out there, if you rely on a Blackberry for your text paging service, you're going to want to take note of this story. The Blackberry e-mail service in the U.S. could be blocked. A federal judge has refused to give final approval to a preliminary settlement over alleged patent violations. Blackberry's maker says it's working on technology that would prevent a service disruption for the gadget's 3.6 million users here in the U.S.

Good morning on this Thursday morning. I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN Center in Atlanta.

Presidential talk at the White House and political action around the world. President Bush's speech is going remind us today that this is World AIDS Day, a time to remember that while the deadly disease now lurks in the media shadow of bird flu, its sweeping devastation does continue. CNN's Kathleen Koch is at the White House with a closer look at what we might expect to hear from the president in a few minutes.

Kathleen, good morning.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

And some of what we'll be hearing from President Bush this morning will be him touting the billions and billions of dollars that the United States has pledged worldwide to help fight AIDS. The president will talk about the fact that the U.S. is the world's largest contributor to the global fund to fight AIDS, providing 30 percent of its funding. Also, the U.S. has made a specific pledge to spend $15 billion over the next five years to fight AIDS in 15 at-risk countries.

But still, those who work in the AIDS community globally say that the situation is not getting better. It's getting worse. They point to numbers. There will be a record 5 million new infections this year alone.

You can see that the president is now heading over to make his speech very shortly.

And also other problems, they're saying. There will be more than 3.1 million deaths from AIDS this year alone and that's another record, Daryn. So those involved in fighting AIDS globally say that what's working needs to be adjusted.

And they point to the money that the United States is spending again, that 15 billion in 15 countries and they say, when it comes to prevention, the money is to targeted, to focused on abstinence. Some 56 percent of it, according to the Center for Health and Gender Equity, is dedicated only to abstinence, not to condom use and not to needle exchanges. And they say that perhaps if you changed that and spread the money more evenly, you can help stop the spread of AIDS.

The White House, though, says that they really support a multi- faceted program. They call it ABC, abstain, be faithful and then c, correct and consistent use of condoms. They believe that that's very (INAUDIBLE), that that is the program that the United States should continue to follow.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Kathleen Koch, live at the White House. Thank you.

And you said, we saw that live picture of president and Mrs. Bush. We hear that she will be introducing her husband. And when he begins to speak in just a few minutes, we'll go to that live.

Meanwhile I have with me Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Not that long ago back from a trip yourself to Africa. Some of what you saw on the front line on the battle against AIDS there.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, you talk about Africa because it is the hardest hit place in the world by AIDS. You talk about 80 percent of the 40 million cases around the world are in Subsaharan Africa. So, you know, a very large number there.

What you see there is an area that's been incredibly hard hit. But what I was most struck by, I think you see a lot of images of just how bad it's going to get. Kathleen Koch talking about the fact that 2005 may go down as the worst year so far in history in terms of AIDS deaths.

But we saw a lot of stories of optimism as well. I mean the stuff the drugs that we talk about, these cocktail medications, work really well. We don't hear, Daryn, anymore the word cure and AIDS together in the same sentence that much anymore, but we do hear about a long life span and sometimes even a normal in terms of length life span for people with AIDS as well and that's starting to reach into countries like Africa I'm sorry, places like Africa, countries like Rwanda, and in particular where we were as well.

Now another thing we learned as well is that, you know, you talk about the $15 billion. That buys a lot of medications for sure, but it doesn't mean a lot if you don't also add food to these programs. You've got to be able to make sure people are getting nourishment in addition to the medications or it's for not. You've also got to make sure, ultimately, that they are able to build communities again in places that have been devastated by AIDS. So there's multi it's a really complicated sort of system to try and make sure that these people are actually getting the drugs, getting jobs, getting food all together at the same time.

KAGAN: We're within two minutes of when the president will begin to speak. We're going to hear big numbers. What does that money buy? You're saying it's important to have stuff besides the drugs, but what actually are American tax dollars purchasing with that money?

GUPTA: Well, a lot of what's happening is they're actually funding global fund. The global fund against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. These are big diseases. Tuberculosis and malaria, people are acquainted with, there are good medications for that. But also buying medications, obviously, for AIDS as well. So a lot of that money actually going towards AIDS drugs specifically.

Some criticism has been that it's going towards mainly non- generic medications, brand name-type drugs at full price where you get a lot more for your money, for your buck, buying generic drugs. A lot of people are saying the money should go towards that. It's complicated, Daryn, because the government says, look, we're not going to buy any drugs that are not approved by the FDA, regardless if they're in Rwanda or they're in a country here in the United States. We know that it costs more, but we're willing to pay the extra dollar to make sure that the generics aren't bought until they are approved by the FDA. People on the outskirts are saying, well, wait a second, you could save so many more people's lives if you buying those generics. Why not just do it? And you can see where it gets a little tough.

KAGAN: What's the time frame on that? On the generics being approved?

GUPTA: Well, you know, they say they're going to fast track it and some of the generics have been approved now. You know, not all of them. Not all of the different components of the cocktail medications have been approved but some have been. And so fast tracking these different things to different people for sure in terms of time (INAUDIBLE).

KAGAN: When we think AIDS, as you mentioned, we think Africa. But a lot of other countries that we don't necessarily associate with AIDS. India among those as well that are just starting to really confront publicly the kind of health problem they might have. GUPTA: The stigma in India has been a real problem. We did some work we did some of the reporting in India as well. You know, it's interesting, Daryn, because there have been good models out there. And this is what I was really struck by, people's focus on the negative. But there are a lot of good stories of optimism. In Brazil, they turned back the tide of what could have been a real scourge of AIDS, HIV/AIDS in Brazil. Could they do the same thing in India? I mean, could they reverse the stigma?

KAGAN: Could they?

GUPTA: I think they could. I mean, I think that the stigma you know, you're starting to see hospitals that are actually there for the infectious disease purposes, treating patients with AIDS. They used to throw those patients literally out of the hospitals. There used to be orphans walking through the streets basically because they could not be treated for HIV/AIDS, even though the medications existed. Now you're seeing companies in Delhi, for example, that are saying, we're going to make the generic drugs, we're going to get them to the people around India and around places around the world. You know, this might be some of what he's talking about today.

KAGAN: Stay here with me. Here's Mrs. Bush, introducing President Bush.

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Good morning, everyone. Good morning. Good morning and thank you all very, very much for joining us on this important day, World AIDS Day.

World AIDS Day highlights the work that is going on around the world to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. The people of the United States are making an important contribution to this effort through medical expertise, funding, research and the compassion of our people. Through President Bush's emergency plan for AIDS relief, America is keeping its promise to help hundreds of thousands of people prevent, treat and live with HIV/AIDS.

In July, I visited three countries in Africa and there I met people whose lives are better thanks to the president's emergency relief plan. In South Africa, women at the Mothers To Mothers To Be Clinic are working to prevent the transmission of HIV from mothers to their unborn children. Mothers who have been through the program help HIV-positive mothers who are new pregnant and need guidance and strength from someone who's walked in their shoes.

The president's emergency plan supports this work and all Americans can be very proud of that. The women and staff at Mothers To Mothers To Be, including Robin Smally (ph), who is here with us today, were wonderful hosts to me.

Where is Robin?

Oh, good. Right on the very front row. Hey, Robin.

I'm also really pleased to announce that I'll host them, welcome them to the White House, this spring. On World AIDS Day, we make the commitment to one day see a generation free from HIV/AIDS.

It's now my pleasure to introduce the leader in the global effort to prevent HIV/AIDS, my husband, President George Bush.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you all. Thanks for coming. Thank you all. Thanks.

How about my line of work where you get introduced by your wife? And I'm glad I got introduced by Laura because she deeply cares about the issue of HIV/AIDS. She's a great first lady with a compassionate heart. In her travels she's carried a message of hope for the suffering and a message that the empowerment of women is essential to the prevention of AIDS. And I thank you for your introduction. More importantly, I thank you for your love.

I want to thank you all for coming and for joining the government and, more importantly, the armies of compassion in the challenge of fighting AIDS. I want to thank Secretary Rice for being here, secretary of state. The secretary of defense is with us, Secretary Rumsfeld. Carlos Gutierrez, secretary of commerce, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao. Mike Leavitt, who's the secretary of health and human services, USAID Director Andrew Natsios is with us. Ambassador Randy Tobias, who is the U.S. global AIDS coordinator and has done a heck of a job. Thank you for being here.

CDC director Dr. Julie Gerberding. Tony Fauci is with us as well. Elias Zerhouni of the NIH. Thank you all for being here. Thanks for being making sure the scientific community stays on the leading edge of research to help save lives. I appreciate the Peace Corps director, Gaddi Vasquez, for joining us. I'm proud that two United States senators have taken time out of their busy schedule to join us. Senator Dick Lugar and Senator Mike Enzi. Thank you all for being here. It means a lot.

Finally, I want to thank the Diplomatic Corps for joining us. You're going to hear a strong message of support and I know you will relay this message back to your governments, along with the message that in order to deal with HIV/AIDS we must confront it honestly. And we're glad you're here, your excellencies. Thank you for joining us.

Today, with people around the world, not just here in America, but all around the world, we turn our thoughts to the more than 40 million, men, women and children who are living with HIV. That's what World AIDS Day is all about. And on World AIDS Day we renew our commitment to turn the tide against this disease. HIV/AIDS is a global health crisis. It is also a daily burden for many of our families and neighbors and friends.

Across Africa, this pandemic threatens the stability and the future of whole societies. In Asia, HIV/AIDS is a challenge that grows daily and must be confronted directly. Here in the United States, over a million of our citizens face this chronic condition. At the start of this century, AIDS causes suffering from remote villages of Africa to the heart of America's big cities. This danger is multiplied by indifference and complacency. This danger will be overcome by compassion, honesty and decisive action.

I believe America has a unique ability and a special calling to fight this disease. We are blessed with great scientific knowledge. We're a generous country that has always reached out to feed the hungry and rescue captives and care for the sick. We are guided by the conviction of our founding that the author of life has endowed every life with masolis (ph) value.

Here in America, some of our fellow citizens have now lived 15 years or more with HIV/AIDS. The federal government provides more than $17 billion a year to help people in America living with HIV/AIDS. Including funding that brings life-saving drugs and treatment to hundreds of thousands of low income Americans.

With the help of medicine and their own daily courage, many people are managing a condition that was once uniformly fatal and proving that HIV/AIDS is a long-term illness like heart disease and diabetes. Yet America still sees an estimated 40,000 new infections each year. This is not inevitable and it's not acceptable. HIV/AIDS remains a special concern in the gay community, which has effectively fought this disease for decades through education and prevention.

And the demographics of this disease continue to change. AIDS is increasingly found among women and minorities. Nearly half of the new infections are found in the African-American community. We're determined to make voluntary HIV testing a routine part of healthcare in America so people can know the truth about their status, tell others and get the treatment they need.

We're determined to end mother to child transmission of HIV in America. Because medicine makes it possible and conscience demands it. We're determined to improve care for minorities and citizens in the greatest need and so I urge the Congress to re-authorize the Ryan White Care Act.

Our concern about HIV/AIDS does not stop at our borders. Other nations face greater challenges, yet they're moving forward with courage and determination that inspires our respect and deserves our support. Nations like Uganda and Kenya have demonstrated that leadership and honesty can overcome stigma and reduce rates of infection. Nations like Botswana and Namibia have shown that anti- retro viral treatments can be widely delivered and highly successful. These countries and many others are fighting for the lives of their citizens and America is now their strongest partner in that fight. And we're proud to be so.

We're supporting our partners through the Global Fund which is helping nations purchase medicines and treat tuberculosis, the deadly infection that often accompanies AIDS. We're also supporting our partners through the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the largest initiative in history to combat a specific disease. This effort is designed to support and strengthen the AIDS fighting strategies of many nations, including 15 heavily-afflicted nations in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.

In May, 2003, we committed $15 billion over five years to met specific goals. To support treatment for 2 million people, support prevention for 7 million people, support care for 10 million people. We're working with our partners to provide treatment because the lives of people already infected should never be written off. Because the best way to help a child in need is to help their parents live. And because people who know they can be treated are more likely to seek testing.

We're working with our partners to expand prevention efforts than emphasize abstinence, being faithful in marriage and using condoms correctly. This strategy pioneered by Africans has proven its effectiveness and America stands behind the ABC approach to prevention. And we're working with our partners to expand compassionate care, especially for the millions of children made orphans by this cruel disease.

The United States Congress and the American people have been generous in this effort and Americans can know that their generosity is making a significant difference. Before the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, only 50,000 people of the more than 4 million people in Subsaharan Africa needing immediate AIDS treatment were getting medicine. Think about that, only 50,000 people. After two years of sustained effort, approximately 400,000 Subsaharan Africans are receiving the treatment they need.

Today I'm proud to welcome Tanda Delay Darby (ph) and her two children, Louis and Emily. Louis, by the way, is age four, Emily, age five. And their doctor, Dr. Helga Holst (ph). They're from South Africa. We welcome them to the America.

The effects of a long speech.

Two years ago she took Emily to the hospital for what she thought was the mumps. Later they found that Emily and the rest of the family were HIV positive. Tanda's late husband's relatives tried to support her treatment for as long as they could, but the cost was too high. Thanks to the Emergency Plan funds, the Darby's began to get the treatment they desperately need. Soon these children will start school and now their mom dreams that some day they will attend college.

Here's what Tanda Delay says, "the medicine used to be very expensive. I used to have to decide between taking our medicine and putting food in their bellies. It was difficult because we needed to have food in our bellies so we could take the pills. Now I can afford to buy food for our family and we can keep taking our medicine to stay healthy."

I want to thank you for joining us today and I want to thank you for your strong example of courage.

KAGAN: We've been listening to President Bush as he talks about AIDS on this World AIDS Day. Fighting AIDS around the world is something that President Bush has promised the United States will put many, many tax dollars toward. He said the United States has a special calling to fight the disease.

And as we look at World AIDS Day and the fight against AIDS around the world, I want to welcome back Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

You said something before we went to the president that I want to pick up on. You said the discussion of using the word cure and AIDS has kind of been not necessarily put aside, but that's not really what the focus is now.

GUPTA: Yes.

KAGAN: How far are we from a cure for AIDS?

GUPTA: Well, it's really hard to tell. And I've asked that same question to the scientists who are actually conducting these trials. There are 10 vaccine trials going on around the world today and that's usually what we mean when we talk about a cure is a vaccine, something that's going to prevent AIDS from actually entering somebody's body in the first place.

You know, all these vaccine trials, it's interesting because they're all sort of working the same way. And if one of them fails, it's a good chance that all of them will fail. And there have been vaccine trials going on for the last 10, 20 years.

I talked to Dr. Fauci, who the president mentioned, and they're just skeptical. This is a tricky virus. It hides in places in the body that you just can't detect it sometimes.

KAGAN: What do you mean, if one fails, they would all fail?

GUPTA: Well, they're all sort of based on the very similar model and it's called cell-based immunity. It's using your body's own natural defense systems to sort of fight off the AIDS virus. They're not innovative in terms of different styles of a model to fight the AIDS virus. So if one doesn't work, they probably all won't work that well.

KAGAN: All right. We'll be watching it. Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

GUPTA: All right, thanks.

KAGAN: Thank you, Sanjay.

GUPTA: Yes, thank you.

KAGAN: Well tonight, CNN's Anderson Cooper will discuss AIDS with former President Bill Clinton. That exclusive CNN interview tonight on "Anderson Cooper 360" beginning at 10 Eastern, 7 Pacific.

And why don't you stay with us. Just about an hour from now we're going to hear from a Los Angeles pastor who founded an organization to help African children who have been orphaned by the AIDS epidemic on the continent.

This hour, two men are in custody for the murder of a teenage father who had turned his life around. We'll go live to Philadelphia for an update.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Video actually live pictures we're just seeing from Van Nuys, California, from the San Fernando Valley. This is a Metro Orange line bus and a pickup truck. They have collided. Some injured passengers are being loaded onto paramedic gurneys and taken to hospitals.

Let's tell you about this new bus line. It's called the Metro Orange bus line. It's brand new. It's meant to take commuters from the San Fernando Valley down to Orange County. Sounds like a great idea. In fact, about 10,000 to 12,000 people per day are riding on these buses. But the problem is, in the first 10 day alone, after the bus service began, there have been three collisions between vehicles and buses and they all involve drivers who ran red lights. Not sure if that's a situation this time, but we will keep an eye on that as it develops in Southern California.

Meanwhile, 27 minutes past the hour. New developments in a murder case that we've been following here on CNN LIVE TODAY. A young man who was praised for the caring of his daughter shot dead two weeks ago. Now two murder suspects are in custody and may face a judge today.

CNN's Chris Huntington is following the story and joins us from Philadelphia.

Chris, hello.

CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

It's a heart-wrenching story of a gentleman who was getting his life in order, caring for his little daughter, brutally shot down. The two suspects now have just been arraigned and denied bail and will be detained in a correction facility here in downtown Philadelphia.

We're right outside the police headquarters. This is an awful situation that has absolutely torn apart a closely-knit African- American community that was looking to this one gentleman in particular, Terrell Pough, as a shining star of what can go right with a life that maybe starts on the wrong side of the tracks. The fact that there is progress in the criminal case is of little comfort, particularly to a two-year-old who will never see her father again.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTINGTON (voice-over): Philadelphia police last night arrested 20-year-old Antwon Riggins and 18-year-old Saul Rosario. They are suspected of shooting and killing Terrell Pough, gunning him down outside his home in Philadelphia two weeks ago.

CHIEF INSPECTOR JOHN FOX, PHILADELPHIA POLICE: Riggins and the decedent, Pough, knew and/or knew each other from a school which they attended tougher.

HUNTINGTON: Police say Riggins and Rosario conspired to kill Pough, waiting for him to arrive home from work, then shooting him in the head. The police got a break last weekend when they recovered Pough's Honda Civic, which had been missing since the night he was killed.

FOX: The car helped lead the arrest, as well as other sources, specifically other law enforcement sources.

HUNTINGTON: Terrell Pough was an extraordinary man. Only 18 years old, a single parent, and full-time student who worked nights to support his 2-year-old daughter, Diamond.

Pough's devotion to Diamond drew national attention this past summer, when he was profiled by "People" magazine as an outstanding single father. That acclaim led to an outpouring of donations to Terrell and Diamond, including money for rent and his car.

RICHARD NESBITT, TERRELL'S UNCLE: It has just been overwhelming. There's a major void right now, a major, major void, you know. It's part of it is missing. And that's the tragedy.

HUNTINGTON: Earlier this week, several hundred people attended a public memorial service for Terrell at Temple University, where family and friends celebrated the young father's life, cut tragically short.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He inspired me, like, because I have a child on the way, and now I know that I should be a father like he was.

CHARLES ROWELL, TERRELL'S CLASSMATE: I wish I would have gave him more hugs instead of handshakes, and told him I loved him, you know, more, than saying, all right, I'll see you later.

HUNTINGTON: Now the family of Terrell Pough hopes that justice will be served. The arrest may be a step toward solving the crime, but not in explaining a senseless murder.

NESBITT: You just don't find too many children with the initiative and responsibility. He was a diamond in the rough.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: All right. A little problem there hearing from Chris Huntington, but once again, two suspects in custody in the murder of Terrell Pough. More on that ahead.

Meanwhile, we have financial news ahead. If you're thinking about taking out a loan -- we're talking about any kind of loan, mortgage, other types -- Gerri Willis is here with tips you're going to want to know about. Hi, Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hi, Daryn. Good to see you. Interest rates are up, delinquencies are rising. What you need to know now about getting a loan. Five tips is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The month of December apparently agreeing with the markets. The markets have been opened just over an hour. And you can see the Dow coming out strong. It's up 73 points. The Nasdaq also in positive territory. It is up 23 points.

We just heard from President Bush a few minutes ago, talking about World AIDS Day. We'll hear from the president yet again at a ceremony commemorating Rosa Parks, who died at the end of October. Today -- there is the president -- today marks the 50th anniversary of Rosa Parks on the Montgomery bus. Let's go ahead and listen to President Bush.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Fifty years ago, an African-American woman named Rosa Parks helped set in motion a national movement for equality and freedom when she refused a bus driver's order to give her seat to a white man.

The bill I'm about to sign calls for a statue of Rosa Parks to be placed in the Capitol's National Statuary Hall.

(APPLAUSE)

By placing her statue in the heart of the nation's Capitol, we commemorate her work for a more perfect union, and we commit ourselves to continue the struggle for justice for every American.

I'm honored the secretary of state has joined us, as well as Secretary Alphonso Jackson.

I want to thank the bill sponsors, Jesse Jackson, Jr. -- I see you brought some of your family with you.

(LAUGHTER)

Senator John Kerry, Senator Thad Cochran, Senator Dick Lugar have joined us as well.

I'm proud that Bruce Gordon is here. He's the president and CEO of the NAACP.

Thanks for joining us, Bruce.

I want to thank all the civil rights leaders who have joined us as well.

I particularly want to say thanks to Elaine Steele, representative of the Rosa Parks Institute.

Thank you. Welcome.

(APPLAUSE)

We've got a seat for you.

It's great to see Dr. Dorothy Height, as well.

Welcome, Dr. Height.

(APPLAUSE)

I want to thank all of Rosa Parks' family who's joined us as well. You're kind to come.

Rosa Parks was the daughter of the South who worked as a seamstress at a department store in Montgomery, Alabama.

On December 1, 1955, she boarded a city bus. Under local and state law, African-Americans had to give up their seats if any white people were standing. But after a lifetime of discrimination, and a hard day's work, Rosa refused.

As she would say later, quote, "I wasn't tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in."

By refusing to give in, Rosa Parks showed that one candle can light the darkness.

Like so many institutionalized evils, segregation ultimately depended on public accommodation. Like so many institutionalized evils, once the ugliness of these laws was held up to the light they could not stand. Like so many institutionalized evils, these laws proved no match for the power of an awakened conscience. And as a result, the cruelty and humiliation of the Jim Crow laws are now a thing of the past.

By refusing to give in, Rosa Parks helped inspire a nationwide effort for equal justice under the law. When she refused to yield her seat, Mrs. Parks was arrested, convicted of violating the segregation laws, and fined $10, plus $4 in court fees.

Her arrest sparked a boycott of the Montgomery bus lines by its black passengers and the formation of a local association of African- Americans, led by a young preacher named Martin Luther King, Jr. The boycott ended more than a year later after the Supreme Court struck down segregation on buses.

What had begun as a simple act of civil disobedience ended up galvanizing the modern movement for civil rights.

BUSH: By refusing to give in, Rosa Parks called America back to its founding promise of equality and justice for everyone.

When the police officer boarded the bus and told the seamstress that he had to arrest here, he explained that the law was the law. Rosa and the black ministers who defended her invoked more than the law, they invoked the Constitution and pointed to a higher law. Our Declaration of Independence makes clear that the human right to dignity and equality is not a grant of government, it is the gift of the author of life.

(APPLAUSE)

And by holding our nation true to the words of its founding document, Rosa Parks helped her fellow African-Americans claim their god-given freedoms and made America a better place.

Eventually the civil rights movement would succeed in persuading Congress to pass more sweeping legislation that dealt with voting rights and discrimination in public places and school segregation -- and the United States Congress should renew the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

(APPLAUSE)

Dr. King liked to say that a civil rights act was written in the streets by the citizens who marched for justice and equality, and on this day we remember the great inspiration this movement drew from the quiet courage shown by an Alabama woman riding home on a Cleveland Avenue bus.

It is fitting that this American hero will now be honored with a monument inside the most visible symbol of American democracy. We hope that generations of Americans will remember what this brave woman did and be inspired to add their own contributions to the unfolding story of American freedom for all.

And now it's my honor to sign the bill that will make Rosa Parks the first African-American woman to be honored with a statue in our nation's Capitol.

(APPLAUSE)

KAGAN: And with that, President Bush signs a bill that will honor Rosa Parks. Fifty years ago today it was, that Rosa Parks, 42 years old at that time, did her own personal protest when she refused to give up her seat to a white man on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama.

A wide variety of people there for the signing there. The children of Jesse Jackson Jr., and the grandchildren of Jesse Jackson. You'll see Senator John Kerry and Congressman Jackson there, Secretary Rice.

And then with me here I have a former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, former mayor of Atlanta, former Congressman, and also a longtime associate of Rosa Parks. You were with us on the day that we watched her funeral in Detroit, in October, and at that time you shared with us some personal remarks about Rosa Parks, about what a quite, unassuming woman that she was. What do you think she would think about being the first African-American to have a statue in her honor in the Capitol Rotunda?

ANDREW YOUNG, FMR. AMB. TO U.N.: I think she'd be pleased, but Rosa was never impressed with anything. She was so humble, and so simply beautiful that she would be flattered, but would take it all in stride.

I think, too, though, I was encouraged that the president encouraged the extension of the Voting Rights Act, and I think that that points out, too, that Rosa Parks starting a change 50 years ago that with Martin Luther King said that the world could salvage problems without killing anybody. And so in putting Rosa Parks' statue in the Rotunda, I think, I hope we're saying we're going try to commit ourselves to nonviolent solutions to the world's problems.

KAGAN: What do you tell your children -- your children are grown, your grandchildren about that time? They grew up in such a different time, and how do you hope they carry the mantle and carry on? What's the next step in the civil rights?

YOUNG: Well, I think what we're trying to say to our grandchildren and our children still is that the struggle continues, that...

KAGAN: It's different, though.

YOUNG: It's different, but we talked about racism, war and poverty. We still have wars in the world, we still have poverty in the world, and they will always be injustices that we should struggle against, but we should struggle against them looking for the positives and trying to resolve those tensions in such a way that everybody is a winner. That's what happened. Everybody won in Montgomery. Not a window was broken, nobody was hurt, and Montgomery has changed. The South has changed. Alabama, that I knew as a pastor 50 years ago is just not the same, but the moving in of industry, the expansion of football.

KAGAN: That's a long time religion in Alabama.

YOUNG: Sports and industry can really change the South.

KAGAN: That is not going to change there. I also remember you telling us a few weeks ago that the lesson of Rosa Parks' life that applies to all of us is about patience, and being patient to know and ready when your time comes.

YOUNG: There's been many other people who have tie tried to sit down in the front of the bus. They, too, had been thrown in jail, but nobody paid any attention to it. They called them troublemakers. It was because Rosa Parks throughout her life had lived a simple, humble, beautiful life that people said, no, this has got to change, and Martin Luther King said, yes, but we've got to change it the way Rosa Parks changed it, not by getting angry, not by getting bitter, but simply by standing up for what we believe in, and being willing to suffer the consequences until, as we used to say, we loved the hell out of our enemies.

KAGAN: Very interesting. Mr. Ambassador, thank you for your time.

YOUNG: Thank you.

KAGAN: Both on the day of the funeral and today as well. Andrew Young.

And we're going to take a break. A lot more news happening on this Thursday morning, the first day of December. We're back after this. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: Well, perhaps you are looking at your own bottom line and you might be thinking about a financial adviser. "Money" magazine takes "The Long View," with tips on how to find the right one.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER UPDEGRAVE, SENIOR EDITOR, "MONEY": When you're looking for financial help and you're going to go out and talk to advisers, it's really a good idea to have ready a few questions that you can pose to them just to make sure that you're getting hooked up with the right person. One question that you certainly want to is what kind of plans do you offer?

Some may only give investing advice. Others specialize more in broader advice. For the money that I'll be spending, what kind of advice and what kind services will I get? How much time will I be spending with the adviser? How will I know that I'm meeting the goals that we talked about? Will I be getting quarterly updates?

When it comes to fees and what you're paying, you should be getting all of this in writing. It should all be very detailed and all disclosed up front.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And next week on "The Long View," it's never to early to start saving for the college education for your kids. We're going to show you how to maximize those savings tax-free.

We're back with a quick check of your morning's forecast. That's after CNN LIVE TODAY is back after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: They are expecting a nasty snowstorm in Oregon today in the Hood River area. Let's get more on that now from our affiliate KPTV. Here is reporter Mark Glyzweski.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK GLYZEWSKI, KPTV REPORTER: The snow is coming down in Hood River, Oregon and it has been this way for at least about West Coast time, 6:00 in the morning. And it's a picture-perfect snowfall, but it is adding up to some slick conditions out on the roadways. We see people definitely taking their time driving around town.

And basically when we got here this morning, there was no snow at all on the pavement and now when we've been here for a couple of hours, you can see it's starting to pile up. And doing our little cryptic snow measurement here, we can tell you that we're getting right at the two-inch mark here just this morning alone. So the snow is really coming down. I had a chance to talk with some of the newspaper delivery men and they say that this all really went down when the temperature dropped. We can see right now we're dealing with about 32 degrees, right at the freezing point here and that's what added to the conditions when they deteriorated so quickly here.

But fortunately, no major accidents to report in this part of the area around the Columbia River Gorge, but definitely some slick conditions, also strong wind gusts for truck drivers who are out and about on I-84, the major thoroughfare through the Columbia River Gorge on the way into Portland, Oregon.

But the snowfall is coming down, and fortunately, things are in check and it's just adding up to a beautiful backdrop this morning. The very latest here from Hood River, Oregon.

Mark Glyzweski, reporting for CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Looking at world news. AIDS has left more than 17 million children in Africa without parents. On this World AIDS Day, we're going to meet one man who's working to help all those affected by the disease.

And later, is your hometown hurting your body? We're going to run through the U.S.'s healthiest and least healthy places for women to live.

The second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

(NEWSBREAK)

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