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CNN Live Sunday

Oil Depot Explosion in England Leads to Major Fire; Remembering Richard Pryor; Actor Involved in Murder of New York Police Officer; Appealing for the Life of Stanley "Tookie" Williams; Is the U.S. Ready for the Bird Flu?

Aired December 11, 2005 - 16:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard a massive bang, like an explosion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dozens of people are injured as a massive oil depot goes up in flames. We'll have a live report from England.

On the frontlines, CNN's Nic Robertson is embedded with U.S. troops in one of Iraq's most dangerous cities. We'll talk with him about what's being done to secure the country, just days before a historic election.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE FOXX, ACTOR: Everybody here knows that that's a huge loss. But at the same time, he inspired all of us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SYLVESTER: And, remembering a legend. Find out what famous fans of Richard Pryor are saying about his legacy.

(on camera): Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. I'm Lisa Sylvester, in for Fredricka Whitfield. All that and more after this check of the headlines.

No injuries or damage are reported from a powerful earthquake that struck off the coast of Papua New Guinea. The 6.5-magnitude quake prompted a warning of local tsunamis.

Execution or life in prison? The fate of condemned murderer Stanley "Tookie" Williams remains up in the air, less than 48 hours before he's scheduled to die. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is still mulling a decision on whether to grant Williams' clemency. We'll have much more on this ahead.

And Paramount Pictures is about to get even bigger. The company announced today it's buying DreamWorks SKG, the independent film studio started by Hollywood moguls Stephen Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen. The $1.6 billion deal does not include the most profitable part of the company, DreamWorks Animation, which went public last year.

And American beef could be what's for dinner soon in Japan. Japan is poised to lift its two-year ban on U.S. beef imports, as early as Monday. The government banned U.S. beef over mad cow fears. Japan had been the top overseas market for U.S. ranchers.

All indications are, this was an accident. That's what British officials are saying hours after a powerful explosion jolted an oil depot north of London. The fire is still burning and the timing is chilling. The blasts come just days after al Qaeda called for such a disaster. CNN's Becky Anderson is on the scene in Hertfordshire. Becky?

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: That's right. And Lisa, the flames that you see behind me are from a roaring inferno at one of Britain's largest fuel storage sites. You can see those flames. It is absolutely incredible when you consider that the explosions that ripped through this site were some 12 hours ago now.

And what the police are telling us is that this fire may have to burn itself out. They've got it under control, but they say there's nothing they can do at this point to put it out. We are told that there are some 72 million liters of diesel and unleaded fuel in the area of this fuel storage site that is on flames at the moment.

Now six in the morning, this Sunday morning, three explosions ripped through this site, shattering windows and doors on houses in the local area. Some couple of thousand people were evacuated. Many people had very slight injuries. Some 43 were injured. Some two are still being held in hospital with respiratory problems. The plume of smoke has been across, not only this area, but right across London.

We're 40 kilometers from London here in Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire. And people in London heard this explosion at about six minutes past six this morning. I heard it, and I was about 50 kilometers away to the west. So, three large explosions, huge plume of smoke, lots of problems locally with respiration. We don't know at this point whether these fumes are particularly toxic or not. We will find out. The investigation is ongoing. Lisa?

SYLVESTER: Becky, those pictures are indeed quite incredible. What do we know? What is the latest as far as the investigation is concerned? Have they completely ruled out the possibility that this might be the work of terrorists?

ANDERSON: Lisa, they're not ruling out -- anything out at the moment. They are saying that they think this is an accident, but ultimately, they've got the anti-terror branch involved, as well. They are not ruling anything out at this stage, but the 100 firefighters who are down there fighting this blaze, and as I say, it may have to burn itself out.

This blaze may be there for, with this sort of smoke, for some two-to-three days, maybe up to a week, is what they're saying. They think this is an accident. That's what they're saying at this point. But as I said, the anti-terror branch is involved. We'll find out more as this investigation continues. Lisa?

SYLVESTER: So they've evacuated the area. Any idea how soon it will be before families will be able to get back into their homes?

ANDERSON: Yes, that's an interesting point. Because we've just been talking to some of the kids here, who are still up. And it's past 9:00 in the evening, on a Sunday evening. It's extremely cold and foggy here. Kids are still up, and they're telling us that's because the schools aren't open tomorrow. They have closed everything down in this area.

There's a big cordon around this area. This is as close as we can get to this site. The police and the emergency service have got the whole area cordoned off. The evacuees, some 2,000 of them, are beginning to either go back to the homes that they can go back to, if indeed they've got windows, window frames and doors, otherwise they're going on to relatives in the area.

There are still some in a couple of the centers, some in the tens, rather than in the hundreds. So, evacuees are still out. They're hoping to get the whole area back under control. Motor ways, interstate roads in the area, also closed down. So it is a real mess.

But it's such a big storage site. There's five percent of the U.K.'s fuel is stored at this site. Somebody was telling me earlier on, let me tell you, that they saw fuel tankers coming out of this site earlier on, with scorching on their backs. That was just after 6:00 in the morning here.

So some of those tanker drivers have just missed this explosion. Their vans have been scorched. They are trying to get the area, as I say, back into some sort of working order. But with that sort of fire raging, that you can see over my shoulder, it's going to be some time. This fire may rage for some days.

SYLVESTER: Becky Anderson, thanks for keeping us posted. Very nice work out there. I'm sure it's been a very long day for you. And the days ahead will probably be just as long. All right, thank you very much, Becky.

Well the family of another American service member in Iraq is getting the worst possible news. The U.S. military says a U.S. soldier was killed today by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. Seven American troops have now lost their lives in and around the capital since Thursday.

Meanwhile, there's still no word on the fate of four Western hostages in Iraq. Their captors had threatened to kill them yesterday unless all Iraqi prisoners were set free. Iraqi and British officials say their governments have not received word whether the men are dead or alive. The American, Briton and two Canadians were kidnapped two weeks ago.

The Iraqi government is taking some tough measures as it prepares for a big week. It's the country's borders and imposing a curfew along those areas, as Thursday's parliamentary elections approach. The country's interior minister says: the security measures will be in place until the beginning of January. Travel across provincial boundaries will be banned till next Saturday.

For a closer look at the problems and problems in Iraq, be sure to watch "CNN PRESENTS: 1,000 DAYS IN IRAQ." It's on tonight at 8:00 Eastern. This begins a week of special coverage, as Iraqis elect a permanent government and the U.S. military reaches its 1,000th day in the war.

Well, calling him a trailblazer, audacious, and a comedic icon, friends and fans from all walks of life are remembering the late Richard Pryor today. They're sharing their tributes with our Sibila Vargas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice over): From actor...

JAMIE FOXX, ACTOR: Everybody here knows that that's a huge loss. But at the same time, he inspired all of us.

VARGAS: ... to director...

ROB REINER, DIRECTOR: Richard Pryor was, bar none, one of the great comedians of all time.

VARGAS: ...to friend...

PAUL MOONEY, COMEDIAN: He was really one of the only comics who I knew who would take his personal life to the stage.

VARGAS: ... all of Hollywood is remembering comedian Richard Pryor.

RANDY JACKSON, PRODUCER: Talk about something edgy, talk about somebody pushing the right to free speech on stage and saying, yo, I'm going to do it the way I need to do it.

VARGAS: Even this weekend "Saturday Night Live" remembered Pryor with a clip that showcased his edgy, controversial style.

TINA FEY, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": Almost 30 years ago to the day he came to this studio and changed our show forever. Here's a clip where he and Chevy played some word association.

CHEVY CHASE, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": Spear chucker.

RICHARD PRYOR, COMEDIAN, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": White trash!

CHASE: Jungle bunny!

PRYOR: Honky!

CHASE: Spade!

PRYOR: Honky! Honky!

CHASE: Nigger.

PRYOR: Dead honky.

VARGAS: At West Hollywood's famous Comedy Store, Pryor was lauded as a maverick.

ARON KADER, COMEDY STORE: He was the first black comedian that really crossed over, I guess you could say, and broke that wall down for every other group to kind of follow.

VARGAS: Fans outside his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame echoed that sentiment.

JAY TURNER, FAN: There will never ever be another Richard Pryor. It doesn't matter how many comedians they have out today, tomorrow. There will never be another Richard Pryor.

VARGAS: His wife, Jennifer Lee Pryor, who was with the comedian when he passed away, told CNN he was extraordinary.

JENNIFER LEE PRYOR, WIDOW OF RICHARD PRYOR (voice-over): He enjoyed life right up until the end. He did not suffer. He went quickly. And at the end there was a smile on his face.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: That was our Sibila Vargas reporting. Pryor died yesterday of a heart attack. He was 65-years-old.

Well, tributes were also pouring in today for the late Eugene McCarthy. The former Minnesota senator died yesterday. He was 89. McCarthy made a lasting impression during his 1968 presidential campaign against Lyndon Johnson.

His speeches against the Vietnam War inspired legions of young volunteers. Many say it was his strong showing in the New Hampshire primary that convinces Johnson not to seek re-election. Senator Edward Kennedy said he admired McCarthy for his courage in challenging the unpopular war. McCarthy's funeral is scheduled for Wednesday in Woodville, Virginia.

Well, he played a misfit mobster on "The Sopranos." But now Lillo Brancato Jr. stands accused in the shooting death of a New York City police officer. The latest on this tragic story is just ahead.

Stanley "Tookie" Williams co-founded the Crips and was convicted of killing four people. He's scheduled to die Tuesday. Is he a good candidate for clemency? We'll explore that issue ahead.

And watching "Sex and the City" for college credit? Ahead this hour, the story of one very credible university that's teaching with pop culture.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SYLVESTER: The New York Police Department is mourning one of its own. A police officer was shot and killed while trying to stop an apparent burglary. One of the two men charged in the shooting had a role in the mobster series, "The Sopranos." Reporter Ellyn Marks from CNN affiliate WPIX has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELLYN MARKS, REPORTER, WPIX (voice-over): Black and purple bunting again drapes a New York City police precinct. Twenty-eight- year-old Daniel Enchautegui thought he was safe at his Bronx home, until he tried to stop a burglary at his neighbor's house.

CHARLIE AUSPERGER, NEIGHBOR: I feel bad. I mean, he's a young man.

MARKS: One of the suspected burglars, 29-year-old Lillo Brancato Jr., who played a mob wannabe in the hit TV drama, "The Sopranos." Police Commissioner Kelly says the off-duty officer heard glass breaking just after 5:00 this morning in the house next door.

RAY KELLY, COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK POLICE: He called 911 and gave a careful and detailed report to the operator. His landlord heard the officer yell twice, "please don't move," and then a series of gunshots.

MARKS (on camera): The officer was hit once in the chest right below the heart and though mortally wounded, managed to empty his pistol, hitting both suspects several times.

(voice-over): Police don't think Brancato, seen here shooting up a rival mobster on "The Sopranos" was the gunman who shot the cop dead. Another man, 48-year-old Steven Armento was caught running from the scene with the alleged murder weapon. Brancato, who was arrested in June for heroin possession, was found bleeding by this Dodge Durango. He and Armento were taken to Jacobi Medical Center, the same hospital where the officer died.

KELLY: This is a devastating example of the bravery and dedication of this police officer, who had just finished his shift a few hours earlier.

ROBERT DENIRO, ACTOR: Come on, take a ride with me, I've got one trip left.

MARKS: Lillo Brancato got his first break in a 1993 film directed by Robert DeNiro. "A Bronx Tale" tells the story of a bus driver's son attracted to a mafia life.

LILLO BRANCATO JR., ACTOR: Is it better to be loved or feared?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a good question.

MARKS: Brancato then appeared in more than a dozen films, including "Crimson Tide." His adopted father, a contractor, owns this home in Yonkers. This neighbors remembers Brancato a little while growing up.

FRANK SARDO, BRANCATO'S NEIGHBOR: He told me, when he became an actor, he says, if I make it big, he says, I'm going to replace everything I broke.

MARKS: Just four days ago, the city buried another New York City officer, Dillon Stewart, who also found the determination to go after the suspect who fatally shot him. And even though Daniel Enchautegui was not wearing his uniform, the mayor says his death will be classified in the line of duty.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SYLVESTER: Prosecutors are charging both suspects with murder. Armento is facing first and second-degree murder charges. Brancato is charged with second-degree murder.

Stories across America: New Jersey's six-day bear hunt is over, to the delight of protesters. Animal rights activists have been out all week chanting and waving signs at the hunters. State officials say the hunt was needed to thin out the bear population. Hunters bagged about 280 bears.

A threatened strike looms at auto parts manufacturer Delphi. At least 1,000 union workers rallied in central Indiana yesterday against deep wage cuts, proposed by the bankrupt company. Workers say the proposed cuts are unfair, with Delphi giving bonuses to managers and other executives.

And more than six months after his onstage proposal, country singer Garth Brooks has married his girlfriend, Trisha Yearwood. The singers tie the knot at their Oklahoma home yesterday. Their publicist says the nuptials were attended only by family members. How's that for an invitation there?

Well, will temperatures warm up for the start of the work week? Let's check in with our meteorologist Monica McNeal, she's live in the Weather Center. Hi there, Monica.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SYLVESTER: So, it looks like bundle up in Chicago then. All right, thank you very much.

Well, let's check some of the most popular stories on CNN.com.

Give one up to North College Hill. The prep school's basketball team beat its rival Wellston by a whopping 104 points in the Border Battle Basketball Classic -- say that five times -- yesterday. O.J. Mayo, one of the top prep players in the country, scored 33 points.

And on a sadder note, in Kentucky, police say a 7-year-old boy was at the wheel during a hit-and-run crash. Police say the boy was sitting on his father's lap. The father now faces numerous charges. Well, if you want to know what everyone else is reading today, point and click your way to CNN.com/mostpopular. The top 10 stories on our Web page are right there waiting for you.

Up ahead, honoring Richard Pryor. We'll be joined by civil rights activist and comedian Dick Gregory.

And later, convicted killer Stanley "Tookie" Williams is scheduled to be executed Tuesday. Ahead this hour, we look at why he's on death row and whether he'll be granted clemency.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SYLVESTER: As we told you earlier, comedy legend Richard Pryor passed away this weekend at the age of 65. And joining me now by phone to talk about Pryor's impact on American pop culture is civil rights activist and comedian Dick Gregory from New Haven, Connecticut. Let me just start off by saying what a thrill it is to have you. Thanks for joining us, we certainly appreciate it.

DICK GREGORY, COMEDIAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST (on phone): Thank you. And God bless you and just, peace and happiness to his family. But there's never been anyone before and there probably will never be anyone after, with his genius, with his wit, with his compassion, with his understanding of the American culture.

SYLVESTER: His wife, Jennifer, she's quoted as saying that, "his comedy is unparalleled." And they say you are not a comic unless you imitate Richard. That he could turn his pain into comedy. Do you agree with that statement?

GREGORY: Oh, you can't imitate -- trying to imitate Richard is like trying to take an old raggedy 1940 Chevy and try to imitate a brand new Rolls Royce. It's impossible.

SYLVESTER: He certainly was a class act. I think we have a picture of the two of you, it was when Richard Pryor was being honored with the -- there it is -- with the Mark Twain prize. What will you miss the most about your friend?

GREGORY: His kindness. I would always be embarrassed when I was around him, because he's so bashful and shy. When those lights came on, he was like Malcolm X. When the lights came on, Malcolm was Malcolm. When they were over, he was meek and humble. He said yes, sir, no, sir.

And if you look at the pictures, that you all are showing, look at that look on his face when he's just talking. You see that shyness and that timidness. When there those lights came on, he was there. And no one can imitate him. You can -- he's one of the few people that I've ever met that you didn't want to be like him because you knew you couldn't.

SYLVESTER: People didn't even try.

GREGORY: At all. SYLVESTER: Well, you know, he really seemed to take his audience along with his journey, his drug and alcohol addictions and later on, his health problems. What lessons can we all take away looking back at his life?

GREGORY: You really can't. Listen, he didn't have to have the drugs or the alcohol. He could have carried you the same way had he had a baby being born, while he was on stage. That was his genius. It came out of his body. Look at his movies. When he wasn't doing anything, talking about drugs, alcohol, look at his movies and look at the body motion. He would take a script, read it, put it in his body and it would come out his blood. That was his genius.

SYLVESTER: What, I'm kind of curious -- what's your favorite Richard Pryor movie?

GREGORY: Oh, anything that Richard Pryor would do, I would go, not just to look and listen, but to see the motions. This was the -- as a comic, I'm a master comic. And to sit and look at someone do that, you walk out and say, "Whew, sure am glad I made it ahead of him. I never would have made it."

SYLVESTER: I remember watching "Silver Streak," "Blazing Saddles," a lot of us grew up with him. What do you think his legacy will be when people look back at his life? What do you think his legacy -- if you could sum it up?

GREGORY: Let me tell you what his legacy will be. Thank God he wasn't born 100 years ago, before there was a CNN, before there was TV, before there was tape. Everything important that Richard ever put out there is on film. So a billion years from now, with the new technology how we can preserve stuff, you won't tell somebody about this legend. You'll be able to show it to them.

SYLVESTER: Quite remarkable. Thank you very much. Comedian Dick Gregory talking about his friend, Mr. Richard Pryor. Thank you very much.

GREGORY: Thank you much, God Bless.

SYLVESTER: Well, he's on death row, but his life may be spared. That's up to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ahead, we look at how Stanley "Tookie" Williams ended up behind bars and why some argue he should be granted clemency.

Plus, it may seem like it's happening far, far away, but the threat of bird flu is very real. Ahead, our Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells us why the United States must prepare to fight this disease before it hits the U.S.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SYLVESTER: Now for a check of the headlines, explosions at a British oil depot north of London sparked a massive fire. Forty-three people were hurt but most of the injuries are considered minor. The fire is so large, officials say it may have to burn itself out, and that could take up to 24 hours.

Iraq it taking extra security precautions ahead of this week's parliamentary elections. All it's international borders are now shut down and an overnight curfew is being imposed in the demilitarized along those borders for the rest of the month. Iraqis head to the polls on Thursday.

New details are emerging about what caused a Southwest Airlines jet to skid off an icy runway in Chicago this week. Investigators say the preliminary findings indicate the jet's thrust reversers did not deploy immediately when it touched down. Those reversers slow a plane down after landing.

OPEC leaders are gathering for a meeting in Kuwait tomorrow. Don't look for that to translate into price breaks. OPEC's president says there are no plans for increasing production. At least not for the next few months.

Convicted murderer Stanley "Tookie" Williams is scheduled to die Tuesday, but not if his lawyers and supporters have their way. They're appealing to everyone from the California Supreme Court to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to keep Williams alive. Many other people are demanding his execution. CNN's Tony Harris reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: When it comes to the decision that's coming up very soon, the "Tookie" Williams thing, just have to have an open mind and case by case and look at that and make up your mind. That's really what you do. A very heavy responsibility.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): Lawyers for "Bookie" Williams and prosecutors met with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for about an hour Thursday. His lawyers requesting clemency, prosecutors maintaining Williams should be executed for killing four people in 1979. Neither has discussed how the meeting went with Schwarzenegger.

Williams, who's been on death row for 24 years, receives much notoriety for writing nine anti-gang books for kids while his has been incarcerated. The books are an attempt he says to deromantise (ph) gangs, crime and prison. The convicted murders work brings him worldwide accolades from the anti-death penalty crowd and celebrities including rapper Snoop Dog, Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx who played Williams in a movie released in 2004.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Stanley "Tookie" --

HARRIS: William's supporters are calling on the California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to commute the convicted killers sentence to life in prison without parole.

FOXX: After we did the movie, 40,000 letters and e-mails from kids saying we don't want to join gangs. If you count 40,000 letters on just that one -- for that television movie, imagine how many people there's been from all the books he's written that went all over the world.

HARRIS: Williams has been nominated for five Nobel Peace Prizes and four Nobel Prizes for literature. Little consolation for those against clemency, including family members of the four people Williams murdered. A crime he vastly denies he committed. The most outspoken perhaps is the stepmother of Albert Owens, a Convenience Store clerk killed in 1979.

LORA OWENS, MURDER VICTIMS STEPMOTHER: I believe Albert deserves justice. And for that justice, "Tookie" Williams was convicted in a court of law and he was given the sentence of death. I believe Albert deserves the justice of that sentence being carried out.

HARRIS: A feeling echoed by Francis Lester who lost her son Koffi to gang violence 15 years ago.

FRANCIS LESTER, JUSTICE FOR MURDER VICTIMS: He started a very, very violent gang. And so gang related offenses are just wiping out our young folks. And I don't know when it's going to end. And I think we need to make sure that the youth understand they can't continue.

HARRIS: Williams is scheduled to die by lethal injection December 13th.

OWENS: I will be standing there in the name of Albert and his father watching that execution.

HARRIS: Tony Harris, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SYLVESTER: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision on Williams' fate is expected soon, but his office is not saying when he'll announce it. Meanwhile, there is concern about possible unrest in Los Angeles if Williams is executed. City council members and local leaders are urging calm in the next few days.

A reprieve for thousands of hurricane evacuees still living in hotels. The "New York Times" reports FEMA is extending the deadline that requires many of them to move out of their hotels and into longer term housing by December 15th. Officials say FEMA will continue to pay their hotel bills on a case by case basis for at least three more weeks. State officials have complained that moving thousands of people by Thursday would not be possible.

Some displaced New Orleans residents insist they're not getting the help they need. So they returned home for a march on city hall. Many say they need more disaster assistance. Others want more say in the city's rebuilding efforts. The march was also attended by more than 50 grass-roots groups from the Gulf Coast.

When students at New Orleans Tulane University return for classes January 19th, they will not be returning to the same school they left because of costs related to the Hurricane Katrina, the university is cutting five undergraduate programs, eight sports programs, and more than half of its doctoral programs and laying off almost 10 percent of its faculty.

Well, a high-flying high tech tool is helping engineers study the damage along the hurricane-racked Gulf region. In this edition of "Technofiles," CNN'S Daniel Sieberg shows us what it is and why it's become valuable in times of disaster.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Hurricane Katrina left unusual challenges for the people trying to put things back together.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm ready to go. Go out over the motel roof so we can get the scene. All right. Good. Hold there.

SIEBERG: Scientists are using this robotic helicopter to see things they've never seen before like what happened in Biloxi when the storm tossed a casino barge more than half a mile before slamming it into a hotel.

ROBIN MURPHY, UNIVERSITY IF SOUTH FLORIDA: What we're able to give them is zoom in very high resolution photographs that can't be gotten from somebody on the ground and can't be done from a manned helicopter.

SYLVESTER: Professor Robin Murphy used robots on the ground to search in New York after the 9/11 attacks. They may help engineers discover why some buildings collapse and others hold up after any type of disaster.

MURPHY: So they'll be looking at two things, one is what did they learn in terms of the structure, how did it hold up, did it fail in unpredictable ways.

HARRIS: Chandler Griffin built and piloted the aircraft on this Gulf Coast mission.

CHANDLER GRIFFIN, CEO LIKE 90: We are carrying a still camera that has a video downlink as well so we can actually see through our eye pieces what the still camera is seeing, so we can frame the shots. And then we have remote control to trigger the camera.

HARRIS: This technology allowed engineers Scott Nacheman a former firefighter to view the Biloxi images from 900 miles away.

SCOTT NACHEMAN, STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: In terms of feasibility, I don't see any reason why this equipment couldn't be used for initial life safety evaluations as well, looking at locations where people may be trapped.

HARRIS: The National Science Foundation is funding the work of this flying camera and there's hope some may be in the field by next hurricane season.

Daniel Sieberg, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SYLVESTER: Is the U.S. ready to contain bird flu? Ahead, a look what you need to know about the deadly disease. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta has that story.

And later, getting college credit for watching "Sex and the City." you just might want to go back to school. What the show teaches about life love, friendship and sex. That story is still ahead on CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

And you're looking at live pictures of Lady Liberty in New York New York this Sunday evening.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SYLVESTER: Tennessee Senator Bill Frist is asking Congress to take the threat of a possible bird flu pandemic seriously. He is calling for passage to the president's $7 billion emergency funding request before the end of the year. CNN's senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at whether the U.S. is ready to deal with such a crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): We all remember the horrifying images from the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. But some health experts say if Americans don't prepare immediately, the human suffering could be even more painful during a worst-case flu pandemic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president of the United States.

GUPTA: Under the president's national strategy for pandemic influenza, the federal government will stockpile vaccine and drugs to protect Americans.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE U.S: And I'm asking that the Congress fund $1.2 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services to purchase enough doses of this vaccine from manufacturers to vaccinate 20 million people.

GUPTA: But the vaccine is still in clinical trials, it isn't approved by the FDA and you can't go to your doctor's office and get it. The amount of vaccine the president is talking about would be enough to vaccinate only 1 in 14 Americans and only if the virus doesn't change significantly. If a vaccine isn't available to stop a pandemic, what else might? Like many countries, the United States government is attempting to stockpile two anti-viral drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza that might be helpful. Some European countries are stockpiling enough for 25 percent of their populations but the U.S. only has enough to treat about 2 percent.

It could take two years before the goal of 25 percent can be met. Even if we did have enough Tamiflu or Relenza are scientists sure they would even work? None of these drugs have actually been tested against bird flu. And what about the things most people haven't even thought about?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can assure things like food, basic health care, the kinds of things for security are all there. We've got to do that now.

GUPTA: In fact, Ulser Holmes says in disasters of Katrina, we find lessons for the flu.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Imagine in the hospital setting that we saw in New Orleans seven to ten days what was absolutely a horrific situation brought these people to the very edge of their capability. Now imagine having to do that for 12 months.

GUPTA: Ulser Holmes says many of the problems we saw after Katrina would be magnified in pandemic flu. Grocery store shelves would be empty. Mail could stop. There would likely be a gasoline shortage.

What are you doing to prepare?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I bought some masks. And I stock pied some food. I think the very least I also have a plan to communicate with my family. I know where we're going to go.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SYLVESTER: Many Asian countries already have some kind of plan in place to deal with a possible bird flu pandemic. What is the rest of the world doing to prepare? Earlier today, I spoke with the U.N. envoy on avian flu, Dr. David Nabarro.

DR. DAVID NABARRO, U.N. AVIAN INFLUENZA ENVOY: The virus is coursing this bird flu, it is particularly unpleasant one. What we want to do is reduce the chance that it will mutate and become the virus that causes the next human influenza pandemic. We have to make sure that held systems are better able to identify early cases of human-to-human transmission of a new virus and ready to reduce the size of the pandemic.

I've been working with all governments that I come into contact with. And with all the different parts of the United Nations to make sure that we're as ready as possible to keep the pandemic when it does come so that it's as small as we can possibly make it.

SYLVESTER: Can you give us specific examples of what would need to be done? For instance would a country need to designate several hospitals that will be in charge of treating any possible victims? What sort of concrete things need to be done?

NABARRO: First thing is we have to be clear that as soon as unusual cases of human illness clusters of influenza-type disease are noticed by health authorities, even noticed by the general public and reported to health authorities, that information has got to reach the national capitol and the World Health Organization very fast indeed.

Once we find those clusters of cases, we've got only a small number of days within which to contain the infection and reduce the chance that it becomes a pandemic. Secondly, we have to make sure that emergency services are prepared for dealing with this kind of issue. Firstly, the hospitals are all set up with plans for a major crisis. And secondly, that basic service like water, food, and power fuel can be sustained in communities affected by the pandemic.

Then the third thing is to ensure that all the different countries of the world have a contingency plan so when the pandemic does start, we know what actions they're going to take. The United States just yesterday gave exercised its own contingency plans and in the White House and we're looking forward to hearing the results of those exercises to see what lessons have come from the U.S. experience.

SYLVESTER: China has reported more than 30 outbreaks of the bird flu, five human cases. Yet, some experts believe China is still holding back and underreporting. Can you weigh in on that?

NABARRO: Certainly, I've discussed with the Chinese government the absolute need for openness, transparency, and reporting both of avian influenza outbreaks that's in the birds and also human cases. I've had (INAUDIBLE) insurances from several ministries in China that's Health Agricultural, Foreign Affairs, that that is exactly what they're going to do. China is a world power. The government of China realizes that as a world power, it like every other government has a responsibility to be reporting what's happening. We've seen a lot of evidence that they are encouraging the organizations of the United Nations, that's the World Health Organization, the Food and Agricultural Organization to work with government officials to investigate reports. I've got no evidence that they're holding back at the moment.

SYLVESTER: Dr. David Nabarro, thank you very much for joining us we appreciate your time.

NABARRO: Thank you very much.

SYLVESTER: And tonight, Dr. Sanjay Gupta examines the bird flu threat in depth. His special "Killer Flu A Breath Way" begins at 10:00 Eastern.

Well imagine being told you must watch "Sex and the City," for homework. Ahead what can be learned from the love lives of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's your CNN "Cold & Flu Report." You Expect to see just basically hit or miss activity across the country. Sporadic activity in Texas and Florida across much of the west and northern Plains as well as the upper Midwest and sections of the Northeast. Rest of the country is either no activity or hit or miss activity of the flu. Nothing yet local, widespread or regional. That's good news. That will change as the next few weeks' progress.

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SYLVESTER: Your sex Ed class was probably never like this. The racy TV series "Sex and the City" is on the curriculum at one of the country's most prestigious universities. CNN'S Randi Kaye goes back to school to find out what students are learning from Carrie and her girlfriends.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology one of America's most reputable schools for science and engineering, really teaching this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love making love with you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The feeling is mutual.

KAYE: Yes, sure is. "Sex and the City," New York City's sexiest saga is the basis for the class "Sex and the Institute.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sorry I'm late. I had to pick up my nude contact sheets. Look.

LAURA STUART, HEALTH EDUCATOR: The show has so many potentially controversial things that are just thrown in there and they're almost begging to be discussed.

KAYE: Sexuality educator Laura Stewart teaches sex and the institute at M.I.T. Every week Stewart and the two M.I.T. seniors who designed the course stir up debate about body image, dating, sexual orientation and so many other topics we're not even allowed to mention on basic cable.

JULIA KIRNIK, STUDENT TEACHER: We look for controversial things. We want to push people to their balance and make them question themselves, the world around them. What makes them comfortable or uncomfortable and why.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello, I represent the queer vote. If you can carry Chelsea, you've got the city locked up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not worried about Chelsea. Have you seen my ass?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got my vote.

KAYE: What is the reaction around here and on campus when you tell friends that I'm taking this sex and the institute class? Jason.

JASON ATKINS, STUDENT: My male friends give me a lot of crap for it. Because I'm watching "Sex and the City." I tell them the show is well written and everything and we talk about gender roles it's like, but you're watching "Sex and the City."

KAYE: And talking about stuff like this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am going to have sex with a sailor tonight. KAYE: Is hooking up the new dating? Is female intelligence intimidating? Using sexuality to get ahead and the impact of sexism on society.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mingle. Is that the smallest man you've ever seen?

KAYE: After this episode where Samantha struggles with dating a shorter man?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've brought me here to dump me?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not exactly. I just thought you could meet someone your own size.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give me an hour in the sack and you'll swear I'm the jolly green giant.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wouldn't date a girl who is taller than me. It's uncomfortable. I have and it's weird. I think it's more that I just feel out of proportion.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fine. Let's go.

KAYE: The episode was used to raise awareness about gender stereotypes and body image.

JENNIFER HERNANDEZ, STUDENT: Being seen as dating this short guy probably also to a lot of people may be like associates with what they are like in the bedroom and so she probably doesn't want people thinking that about her.

KAYE: Each week the students get more comfortable and more open. College credit never seemed cooler.

Randi Kaye, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SYLVESTER: How times certainly have been changing. I don't remember classes like that when I was going to college.

How long will it burn? Up next, we'll have a live report from England on today's massive oil depot fire.

I'm Lisa Sylvester. You're watching CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SYLVESTER: Huge explosions at a fuel depot north of London injured dozens of people. We'll have a live report from the scene.

And a gun battle on the streets of New York ends with an actor facing charges in a police officer's death.

Also ahead, the school's not real and the diplomas are fake. Experts say terrorists could use bogus degrees to make their way into U.S. jobs and communities. An investigative report coming up.

Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. I'm Lisa Sylvester in for Fredricka Whitfield. All that and more after this check of the headlines.

Here's what's happening. A possible cause emerges for the passenger plane mishap at Chicago's Midway Airport. A preliminary probe has found the airplane's thrust reversers did not kick in on time. Authorities have not determined whether heavy snow was a factor in the 737's failure to stop before it skidded through a barrier and on to a street.

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