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CNN Live Saturday

Bush Authorized Eavesdropping Order; Domestic Spying; South Korean Demonstrate at World Trade Talk in Hong Kong; Psychological Damage to Hurricane Katrina Victims; New Orleans Katrina Victims still in Tent while Trailers are Empty; Ice Storm in the Carolinas

Aired December 17, 2005 - 12:00   ET

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

GERRI WILLIS, CNN ANCHOR: Unfolding this hour, President Bush admits he OKed spying on people in the U.S. and he's not happy the secret program isn't secret anymore. Things heat up in Hong Kong as riot police crack down on protesters desperate to be heard at the World Trade Organization talks. And how are Katrina survivors dealing emotionally after one of the most devastating storms in American history? We're going to find out.
Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. I'm Gerri Willis. We've got a busy hour ahead, but first, top headlines now in the news.

Sunnis are celebrating the Iraqi elections. The group had mostly boycotted previous elections, but now a politician who heads a Sunni- Arab block expects to hold power in Iraq's next parliament. Today, he reaffirmed his party's commitment to making alliances with any group, regardless of religion or ethnicity

And a fugitive suspected of posing as a New York City firefighter and sexually assaulting a woman for 12 hours has been captured in Tennessee. Police say fashion writer Peter Braunstein stabbed himself in the neck as authorities approached him on the University of Memphis campus.

In New York City, negotiators are still hoping to avert a strike that could be a holiday nightmare for hundreds of thousands of commuters. The Trans-Union says if an agreement is not reached, the first phase of a strike is scheduled to begin after midnight Monday.

But up first this hour, an acknowledgement from President Bush in the war on terror, he now says he authorized the controversial eavesdropping order. The latest now from CNN's Kathleen Koch at the White House -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Gerri, President Bush was clearly under pressure here from many people in Congress, also members of the public who are very troubled by the fact that Americans could be spied on within their own borders, without any kind of a legal permission, without some kind of judge's order. So the president came out this morning and did say yes, indeed, he personally had, in the months after 9/11, given the National Security Agency responsibility for intercepting international communications from Americans.

But he said his targets were people who had clear and fast links to Al Qaeda, to related terrorist organizations. And that this program closed an intelligence gap, pointed out by the 9/11 Commission, that before the attacks, terrorists inside and outside the U.S. were tall talking, but no U.S. intelligence agency knew.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The authorization I gave the National Security Agency after September the 11th helped address that problem in a way that is fully consistent with my constitutional responsibility and authorities.

The activities I have authorized make it more likely that killers like these 9/11 hijackers will be identified and located in time. And the activities conducted under this authorization have helped detect and prevent possible terrorist attacks in the United States and abroad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: President Bush said that members of Congress in the intelligent -- on the intelligence committees had been briefed about this program. That top legal officials both in the Justice Department and NSA had reviewed its activities and found them to be legal.

The president said he reauthorized the program more than 30 times and he will continue to do so. But there are many critics, many of them democrats like Senator Russ Feingold who are very upset about this revelation. Feingold, one of the many senators who wouldn't vote for the Patriot Act renewal yesterday. He criticized President Bush for acting unilaterally.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD (D), WISCONSIN: He apparently feels, even if he doesn't have authority from the Congress, that he can go ahead and do all this stuff anyway under some inherent power. So, what that really mean if you take his argument all the way is he doesn't even need the USA Patriot Act because he thinks he has some kind of inherent authority to make up the law himself. And I'll tell you something, this president, and no other president, is above the law. And that's exactly what he was just telling us he was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: So despite the president's explanation about the program, why he started it, why he felt it was important, and why he plans to continue it, many members of Congress clearly not buying those arguments -- Gerri.

WILLIS: Kathleen Koch, thank you for that report.

President Bush is facing fresh criticism from members of Congress after reports he authorized the National Security Agency to spy on people inside this country. Federal report -- federal law, that is requires court approval for any secret wiretaps and surveillance on Americans. From Washington, CNN's Brian Todd looks at how the government might conduct domestic spying. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Experts say anytime the National Security Agency decides to eavesdrop, the operation is highly sophisticated.

GEORGE BAUREIS, FRM. FBI COUNTER-TERROR AGENT: And it truly is the cream of the crop of technology in terms of the capability to listen to anything, anywhere, at anytime.

TODD: Former FBI counter-terror agent George Baureis has worked extensively with the NSA for years. Baureis and other experts say there are essentially two ways to monitor a suspect's communications. One is the more traditional method of planting listening devices.

BAUREIS: Then the other type of eavesdropping would be basically intercepts that are coming from open airspace that are going through satellite communications, or actually targeting of databases.

TODD: In this age, cell phones and other telephone signals can be monitored by satellites. And a former NSA employee says the networks that operate cell phones and computers have built capabilities into them that allow intelligence agencies to monitor calls and e-mails.

The NSA can use one of its sophisticated satellites to pick up a call, then send the signal down to one of the various NSA listening posts around the world. But James Bamford, author of two definitive books on the NSA, says communications can also be monitored using microwave frequencies or by tapping undersea cables. Then an NSA analyst takes over.

JAMES BAMFORD, AUTHOR: An NSA analyst would eavesdrop or listen to communications, write up a report, and then send it to whoever asks for the information, whether it was the CIA, or the FBI, the White House, the Pentagon, whoever.

TODD: The analysts who can be linguists or code breakers, run the signals through computers. But often, as one NSA linguist showed our David Ensor a few years ago, getting the right information depends on human intuition.

EVERETTE JORDAN, NSA LINGUIST: You have to listen for -- for irony. You have to listen for sarcasm. You have to listen for tension. You have to listen for rhetorical statements being made, you also have to listen for humor.

TODD (on camera): We asked one expert how important it is for the NSA and its methods to be kept so secret. He cited one breach as an example, the damage done when it was made public that intelligence agencies were monitoring Osama bin Laden's cell phone calls.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WILLIS: It's a busy weekend for lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Usually, they're gone for the holidays by now. But the House and Senate are scheduled to convene later this afternoon. Among the items on the agenda, a massive $453 billion defense spending bill and the $600 billion domestic appropriations bill for the departments of labor, education, and health and human services.

Vice president Dick Cheney is departing this weekend to visit several countries in Asia and the Middle East. One of his first stops will be Afghanistan. He'll attend the first session of the country's new democrat democratically elected parliament Monday. Then later in the week the vice president plans to visit Pakistan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, all U.S. allies.

Violent protests erupted today between demonstrators and police outside World Trade Organization talks in Hong Kong. Police used tear gas, fire hoses, and pepper spray to repel South Korean demonstrators, who tried to get closer to the building where the talks are taking place. Dozens of people were injured. At this hour, a tense standoff is underway between demonstrators and police. CNN's Mike Chinoy joins us by phone from Hong Kong with the latest -- Mike.

MIKE CHINOY, CNN CHIEF ASIA CORRESPONDENT: Hi Gerri, you're right, at the moment, several hundred South Korean farmers who are angry at the WTO, are sitting down in one of Hong Kong's normally busiest streets. They're surrounded on all sides by riot police, this scene, taking place a few hundred yards from the entrance to the Hong Kong convention center.

Earlier in the day there were pitched battles between the same South Koreans and the police. The South Koreans trying to break through police barricades and get inside the convention center, demanding that their voice be heard, as trade ministers try and reach a deal to free up global trade. Hong Kong is normally a very orderly city, but the police were forced to use pepper spray and fire hoses and eventually to fire tear gas, something that hasn't happened here in years.

The police chasing bands of these protesters through the busy streets of an area that, on a Saturday night, would normally be full of shoppers, people going to restaurants, and nightclubs, that area largely sealed off now and the police just waiting and we're all waiting to see whether the authorities will move in to try and break up this protest or whether it will continue through the night. Now, it's just after 1:00 in the morning here.

WILLIS: Mike, any indication that they're going to be heard that these people will get through and actually have their voices heard?

CHINOY: Well, there's no chance, I think, that they'll actually physically get inside the place where the WTO meeting is happening. But certainly the anti-globalization forces who've been massed here all week, who've been protesting every day -- although today has been the only day that's been really violent -- their voices are recognized by all of those trade ministers inside, as part of the dynamic, as they're trying to thrash out a free trade deal to protect interests of the poorer countries.

East Koreans, for example, are bitterly opposed to foreign rice imports coming to South Korea. They say it will destroy their livelihood. So, those are the kind of issues that negotiators are wrestling with. But out on the streets, what you hear -- the chant you hear is just "down, down, WTO," for them, the WTO a symbol of everything that is wrong with globalization today -- Gerri.

WILLIS: Mike Chinoy, thank you for that report.

Coming up, while FEMA trailers sit idle and hurricane evacuees shiver in tent cities. So why is this happening months after Katrina hit and after the traumatic the devastation of Hurricane Katrina? How survivors coping on the inside? A closer look at both issues ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: The start of winter is just days away, but some residents of New Orleans are still living in tents. A count by the "Dallas Morning News" shows FEMA has set up just 16 percent of the trailers the city requested. Along with red tape and "not in my backyard" frame of mind may be to blame. CNN's chief national correspondent John King looks at housing crisis peppered with politics and race.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A crackling fire to warm a December night. The crowd huddles around, yet another reminder, nearly four months after the devastating summer storm, basic help for those in dire need remains a glaring problem.

This is tent city at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans east, home to as many as 100 people some nights, including young children and the elderly. A few space heaters and the blanket, their only shield from nighttime temperatures, now dipping close to freezing.

TRAN NHAT, KATRINA EVACUEE: We have to stay here and sleep in here at night. And daytime, we come back to repair our house.

KING: The scene is sad enough, but add in this -- FEMA approved the church's request for 200 trailers two months ago, but the mayor hasn't signed the necessary paperwork.

FATHER VIEN NGUYEN, MARY QUEEN OF VIETNAM CHURCH: We are not asking for any handoffs from the city, just a signature.

KING: Father Vien Nguyen initially gave grace to the overwhelmed city government. Now he worries there's more at play.

NGUYEN: I normally don't want to mess around with the racial card, but at this point I'm wondering, why in this Vietnamese community, that hasn't been -- our needs haven't been responded to by the city government. KING: Asked by CNN to explain the two-month delay, Mayor Ray Nagin blamed paperwork and would still not commit to a firm timetable.

MAYOR RAY NAGIN, NEW ORLEANS; That's a good site and we probably will approve it, if we haven't already done that.

KING (on camera): I'll ask these guys who's in charge.

KING (voice-over): Whatever the reasons for that delay, race is also an undercurrent in the debate about this and other unoccupied trailer parks just across the river from New Orleans in Jefferson Parish.

LARRY CORVILLE, FEMA CONTRACTOR: Realistically, you could put six people in here.

KING: One hundred empty trailers here. And FEMA says it has 31,000 more, waiting to be delivered, hostage to the political debate.

R. DAVID PAULISON, FEMA DIRECTOR: So, we have a lot of people that want to come home. They want to go back to Louisiana.

KING: Thirty-two parishes or counties in Louisiana have said no to FEMA trailer parks, eight yes, and 25 others, including hardest-hit Orleans parish, yes, but only under certain conditions. FEMA chief, David Paulison, says Houston and other Texas cities have been more compassionate to Katrina evacuees than many communities in their own home state.

PAULISON: Some of the conditions are, yes we'll let you put up a trailer park in parish if only our parish people stay in those trailer parks. You know, I think that's unreasonable.

KING: Jefferson parish 70 percent white. Byron Lee is the only African-American on the parish council and acknowledges race is an issue as the colleagues and constituents consider where to put trailer parks.

BYRON LEE, JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL: The difference between me and my council colleagues is that I've approved larger sites. I don't have the fear that perhaps others may have.

KING: But Lee himself was criticized when he pushed FEMA to cut, by half, the number of trailers at this still unopened site. He said it was too crowded. The "New Orleans Times Picayune" suggested Lee was trying to satisfy residents who complained the more trailers, the more people from across the river.

KING (on camera): "maybe he'd rather curry favor with racists then stick up for those who look like him." when you read that, what does it do to you?

LEE: Well, I -- it angered me.

KING: Stop by a city council meeting and there are examples of a crisis that is a frustrating stew of emotions, bureaucracy, finger- pointing, and increasingly many people say, race and class wars. Councilwoman Renee Gill Pratt says she does not object to trailers in her district, just to the mayor's plan to place them in city playgrounds.

RENEE HILL PRATT, NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL: Some people who don't want certain people to live in their neighborhoods and you can't do that.

KING: Some housing activists are skeptical even of African American officials like Gill Pratt, noting her effort to get trailers out of Annunciation Square, in the 89 percent white garden district she represent.

With Gill Pratt, Councilwoman Jacquelyn Clarkson led a successful effort to override a mayoral veto and let council members pick trailer sites in their districts. She also wants to give police and firefighters priority. But insists says that's not a backdoor way of keep poorer Americans out of the 60 percent white Algiers neighborhood she represents.

JACQUELYN CLARKSON, NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL: The majority of our first responders are minorities, so I -- we certainly haven't been discriminating against minorities. We've been discriminating for first responders.

KING: The one certainty is trailer sit empty while the politicians bicker or in the case of Mary Queen of Vietnam church, no trailers at all, as Christmas approaches. The same city bureaucracy, slow to act four months ago, now leaving people out in the cold.

John King, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: So it's easy enough to see the physical destruction left in New Orleans, but the psychological damage, the sadness, the stress, even thoughts of suicide, are often overlooked after the catastrophe. Sharon Kirkpatrick is a social worker with Catholic Charities in New Orleans. Now, this organization is helping storm victims shoulder the rough holiday season. Welcome.

SHARON KIRKPATRICK, CATHOLIC CHARITIES NEW ORLEANS: Hi, thank you.

WILLIS: So, Sharon, you know, people who aren't even in the situation of these survivors of the hurricanes find themselves sad at the time of the holidays, often. People often get depressed. The situation must be much more extreme there. Tell us what you're seeing on the street.

KIRKPATRICK: It really is. I mean, aside from the basic issues like housing and health care, we're seeing a lot of anger, a lot of irritability, depression, anxiety. We've run across folks who are, frankly, potentially suicidal.

WILLIS: And how are you helping them? Is it just sitting down and talking? Are you going up to people on street, in their homes? How do you approach them?

KIRKPATRICK: We're sending outreach workers into the neighborhoods. Some are going door to door. Some are working at the disaster recovery centers. And basically they're talk to people. Basically, trying to get a pulse on the mental health situation in the city and surrounding areas.

WILLIS: And how would you describe it? How would you rate it at this point?

KIRKPATRICK: It's a rough time for a lot of people. I think having someone to talk to is helping. So I'm happy for the work we're doing with Catholic Charities. It's going to be a rough time. The mental health implications, like I said, are enormous.

WILLIS: And now you're in seven parishes and I'm curious about how many people you have actually on the street and how you're financing this thing. How long can you keep doing your good work?

KIRKPATRICK: Well, we're financing it through the office of mental health. They had received a grant from Homeland Security. And right now we've a little over 100 people out on the street. We're still in the process of staffing up.

WILLIS: Sharon, what...

KIRKPATRICK: But this is...

WILLIS: What are you telling people to do? I mean what can you offer them in terms of comfort and reassurance? Are there any strategies you can give them to help them feel better at this time?

KIRKPATRICK: One of the most important things people need to do is to not isolate. That is the enemy, isolation. Don't withdraw. Be around people. During the holidays, give yourself a break. If there are things you normally do during the holidays that you tonight really enjoy doing, give yourself a pass this year and let it go.

WILLIS: That's probably...

KIRKPATRICK: Try to establish a normal routines.

WILLIS: Establish normal routines, that's also good advice. It's hard to keep this in mind for people in other parts of the country. But it might work for them as well. Right? For people in other parts of the country who might be feeling a little down as a result of all the negative news that we've had this year.

KIRKPATRICK: Right. And that's another thing is to limit your exposure to the news if it's affecting you. I mean, take a break from it and find some normal activities.

WILLIS: Sharon, thank you so much for your help today. We appreciate it.

KIRKPATRICK: Thank you. WILLIS: Coming up, parts of the Carolinas shiver after an ice storm knocks out electricity. How long might customers be in the cold? The answer straight ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: It's lights out in parts of the Carolinas. An ice storm has knocked out electricity to about 180,000 customers in central North Carolina and about 300,000 customers in upstate South Carolina. That's according to Duke Power. The company says the storm inflicted major structural damage to overhead lines.

The utility also estimates some areas might not see electricity restored until Tuesday night. It's urging telling customers facing extended periods without lights or heat to move to alternate locations. Brad Huffines is here to talk to us about that.

Hey Brad, where exactly is this? I've got family in North Carolina. I'm wondering if they're affected.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WILLIS: I like that. Brad, thanks for that. And we'll try to avoid that three-quarters of an inch of ice in North Carolina.

BRAD HUFFINES, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Goodness gracious. That's amazing.

WILLIS: What's life really like in Iraq these days, especially for children? With war around them, can they salvage any part of their childhood? We're going to take a look.

And a bit later, working it out. A flock of pudgy penguins -- I love this story -- at a zoo in Japan go for a walk -- I should say a waddle, to get their figures in good shape. That story is coming up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GREG DITRINCO, EXEC. EDITOR, SKI MAGAZINE: Every winter, "Ski" readers rank the top resorts in North America. This year, Deer Valley, Utah, is No. 1. It's the ultimate service resort. You pull into Deer Valley and you know you have arrived. They help you take your skis off the car rack. The grooming there is the standard of the industry. The groomers work around the clock, laying out a perfect white carpet for you to ski on.

Number two is Vail, Colorado. Vail has set the standard for the great American ski vacation for two generations. Vail is always coming up with something new that makes you want to come back. They're always working hard on satisfying the customers.

Number three is Whistler, British Columbia. Whistler is the largest resort in North America. In fact, Whistler was just awarded the 2010 winter Olympic Games.

(END VIDEOTAPE) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: After suffering a major blow over the Patriot Act, President Bush goes on the offensive. He's calling on the Senate to pass provisions in the act that are set to expire at the end of this month. The measure is now stalled. In a live address a few hours ago, Mr. Bush called the Senate's decision "irresponsible" and he says it's endangering the lives of Americans.

And in Hong Kong, protesters clash with police as the World Trade Organization meets in the Chinese city. Thousands of protesters, including South Korean farmers and activists from Asia, Europe, and the United States took to streets this morning. Among other things, they oppose the WTO's efforts to open global markets.

President Bush addresses the nation tomorrow night about Iraq. He'll congratulate the millions of Iraqis who participated in this week's successful election. They're Iraqis like the families you're about to meet. Our chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour paid a visit to show us their life in Iraq, between the bombs and the ballots.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Iraq through the eyes of a child. Driving his car through a virtual reality, 13-year-old Anmar Rashid avoids what's actually out there.

"When I wake up every day, maybe I play computer games or play football in the street outside my house. That's how I spend my time," he says.

Because Baghdad is so dangerous, fun and games, hanging out, a kid's life, happens mostly inside. Just going to the elections with his family was a rare day out.

"We went and voted and I put my finger in the ink," he laughs.

The day after the election is a holiday, and Anmar's mother, Raghad, has cooked a special lunch.

"For me as a mother, of course, it is very difficult," she tells us. "I always try to keep them inside the house. I always make sure the door is locked. And I don't let them talk to strangers."

The family moved here four months ago because there was just too much violence in their old neighborhood. Anmar's 17-year-old brother, Karrar, was chased twice and nearly kidnapped by bandits.

"I'm not only still scared," he says, "but every time I tell the story, I feel terrified."

He now passes his time either at high school or on the computer chatting with friends and relatives outside Iraq. So does their 18- year-old sister, Ula, grounded not just by the danger, but by tradition, too.

"For me, as a girl, I can't go outside alone," she says. "So, I spend my time in the house, helping my mother or chatting on the Internet."

(on camera): Do you have a boyfriend?

ULA RASHID, 18-YEAR-OLD IRAQI: No.

(LAUGHTER)

U. RASHID: In Iraq, no.

(LAUGHTER)

AMANPOUR (voice-over): On calm days, like this, with traffic banned and streets empty for the election period, children have a chance to be outside and feel safe. They can, at last, be children, playing soccer and riding bicycles.

But these days are rare, and the little ones tell us they're afraid of the explosions and the killing. Anmar, though, is feisty. Perhaps, it is his way of surviving this madness.

"When I go outside and play," he says, "it is like I defy the terrorists and I help get rid of them."

His parents can afford to take their children out of Iraq for holidays, and then they feel safer and saner. Their father, Ihsan, says he never expected things to be this bad in Iraq after Saddam.

IHSAN RASHID, FATHER: It's too much wars. Everything is dangerous here in Iraq. So, I hope and try and fighting to be their life is better life than my life.

AMANPOUR: He hopes the latest elections will be the beginning of a better life for his family and for his country.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: And Iraq will be the topic tomorrow night when President Bush addresses the nation from the Oval Office. CNN's prime-time coverage begins at 7:00 Eastern with the "'TIME' Person Of The Year." Then, at 8:00 Eastern, join Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM" for a preview of the president's speech. And at 9:00 eastern, watch the presidential address in a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE." That's tomorrow night, right here on CNN.

All right. Let's check other headlines around the world. Sydney braced for more unrest this weekend. Shanon Cook has been monitoring the situation there at the international desk. Hey, there, Shanon, what's the latest?

SHANON COOK, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Gerri, good afternoon to you. Well, Sydney's beaches have, so far, been really peaceful this weekend, no signs of some of that racial violence that's dogged the Australian city this past week.

Still though, police maintained a strong presence, setting up road blocks leading to beachside communities and they also searched cars in an effort to avert new racial violence. Last weekend, dozens of people were injured and arrested after white mobs tried to claim beaches of groups from groups of Australians of Middle Eastern descent.

Now, let's move to China where snow has inundated the eastern city of Yuan Kai (ph). More than three feet of snow has accumulated, blocking roads and causing some houses to actually collapse under the weight. Local officials have put the city under an emergency plan while residents brace for even more snow.

And heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali is in Berlin, Germany, today. He's receiving a prestigious prize, called the Otto Hahn Peace Medal. Ali is being honored for his lifelong engagement in the U.S. civil rights movement, also for work as a U.N. goodwill ambassador. He's the first sports figure to win the German award.

All right, now, Gerri, this is something that kind of has to be seen to believed. A Japan zoo has come up with a way to prevent penguins from getting pudgy. They're exercising them. Look at them go. Zookeepers take their 15 king penguins on two strolls a day, to keep their weight down.

The penguins waddle around for about 30 minutes. In each session, this strict workout regime happens through winter when the penguins tend to get a little tubby in the middle.

WILLIS: I think we can all relate to that, Shanon.

COOK: That's true, a lot of holiday eating going on in the penguin community. Penguins in zoos, by the way, are prone to gaining more winter weight than those in the wild, hence, why they're exercising them so rigorously. Look at them go.

WILLIS: Shouldn't they have some of that weight though? I don't get that. It seems to me like, you know, it's winter, it's cold outside, you need that -- this is what I tell myself, OK? I need that extra little ...

COOK: Justifying the holiday eating there, I can see that. No, well in the wild, they gain weight during the winter as well. And they tend to in winter just huddle around in groups. Yet in captivity in zoos, they huddle around even more so there's a lot less movement and therefore more weight gain.

WILLIS: Shanon, thank you for that report.

COOK: Thank you, Gerri.

Coming up, authorities in Tennessee say they've captured a man wanted for a bizarre sexual attack in New York. Find out what the suspect did when confronted and the ruse police say he used to bluff his way into the victim's apartments.

And is it bad drivers, cell phones or piles of junk mail? A humorous look at what's bugging many Americans these days.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: That's a pretty shot from the CNN Center in Atlanta.

Stories making news across America this weekend. A fugitive on the run from New York is in a Memphis hospital today. Police say Peter Braunstein posed as a firefighter to get into a New York victim's home, then allegedly molested her over a 12-hour timeframe. A witness says Braunstein stabbed himself in the neck when stopped by an officer in Memphis.

And in California, authorities evacuated a Southwest Airlines jet on a runway in Burbank after a passenger made a reference about a bomb. Now, police searched the plane for two hours. An airline spokeswoman says there was no bomb, just a group of young people joking around. The Associated Press reports one man was arrested.

And in Northern California, a wave of surfboard thefts. Police say nearly three dozen boards have been ripped off in the last two weeks. The sudden closure of a major West Coast surfboard maker may be the reason for the thefts.

And funeral arrangements are being made for "West Wing" actor John Spencer. He died Friday of a heart attack, just days before his 59th birthday. Spencer won an Emmy in 2002 for his portrayal of the White House chief of staff, Leo McGarry.

Coming up, so you really can't live with the fruitcake your mother just sent you, or maybe you don't really need another tie. Are you thinking about regifting? And how do you regift with class? Is there a proper way to regift? Some answers to these important questions, straight ahead, on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: OK, we've got some important stories here. Rudolph the Red- Nosed Reindeer and secrets of regifting, two stories that people are watching on cnn.com this morning. Our own Veronica De La Cruz joins us now from the dot-com desk. What is this about?

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What is this about? Well, I should be asking you what this is about. Because the secrets of regifting -- you did that story. And it's climbing the list at cnn.com. Everybody wants to click on it.

WILLIS: I got to tell you, everybody asks me, should you regift, is it a great idea to regift? And, you know, look at your own heating bill this winter. Regifting is not a bad thing to do.

DE LA CRUZ: OK. WILLIS: I suggest regift those things that are sort of ubiquitous out there. You know, the wine, the things that you would get anywhere that aren't personalized. But leave home the monogrammed duffel bag. That's a bad idea, Veronica.

DE LA CRUZ: Yes, bad idea. We're going to get to that one in just a second. I'm going to ask you a couple of stories. Let me tell you what else is making that list.

This story, Gerri. We've always wondered about Mona Lisa's legendary gaze, right? We've always wondered, is she laughing, is she smiling, is she secretly make fun of us behind our backs? Does she know something that we don't know? Well, researchers, Gerri, have plugged her mug into some emotion recognition software.

And here's what they found. They found that Mona Lisa is 83 percent happy, she's nine percent disgusted, six percent fearful and two percent angry. And I'm wondering why she would be angry. I'm thinking maybe Da Vinci was really slow at painting.

WILLIS: She sounds like an emotional basket case. I've got to tell you.

DE LA CRUZ: That she does. All right. Let's move on now to Florida, subdivision called Hunter's Creek. Neighbors are outraged over this holiday light display. The display features Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer hanging upside down from a tree, gutted, with a trail of red lights that end up in a puddle representing a pool of blood. Now, this man apparently is a deer hunter. The neighbors don't think it's good for the kids to see and they want the display taken down.

Now, Tony Harris was laughing at this story all morning long, which I don't know -- I don't really think it's funny and I always knew there was something wrong with him anyway but ...

WILLIS: I don't know, I think it's kind of funny.

DE LA CRUZ: Why?

WILLIS: They're lights, it's not a real reindeer, Veronica.

DE LA CRUZ: I know, but still, think about the kids. Think about the kids, Gerri.

All right, Gerri, look who else is making that most watched list on cnn.com. It is our very own Gerri Willis. Yay. People have been watching Gerri's top five tips on regifting. And, Gerri, since we have you right here, I'm going to ask you a few questions, because I have a few of those fruitcakes that I think I need to part ways with. Is it OK to regift?

WILLIS: Absolutely. It's absolutely OK to regift.

DE LA CRUZ: The fruitcake is OK?

WILLIS: I sort of jumped the gun on it. So yes.

DE LA CRUZ: Yes, you're stealing my thunder.

WILLIS: People this year, they don't have a lot of money. You know, their heating bills are going through the roof. I say regift away. But don't do it to friends and family.

DE LA CRUZ: Really, OK. So don't do it to friends or family. It's something to remember, and if you want to check out her top five tips, cnn.com is the place.

WILLIS: Veronica, thank you for that.

DE LA CRUZ: All right, good to see you.

WILLIS: What's getting on your last nerve? Bad drivers, cell phones or piles of junk mail? We've got ways for you to fight back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIS: Welcome back. Now, a report on the weather from Brad Huffines. What's going on out there?

(WEATHER REPORT)

WILLIS: Brad, thank you for that.

From drivers who cut you off, to loud cell phone conversations, life is full of little annoyances. The good news, now, there is a book out there that outlines strategies you can use to combat everything from cramped airline seats to people who misuse those grocery store express lines. You know them. More from CNN's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Name your pet peeve. Is it cell phones? Junk mail? Crazy drivers? Well, thanks to "Life's Little Annoyances," we've got strategies to fight back.

Take those subscription cards that cascade out of magazines. Some folks mail them back blank just to make the publisher foot the bill for the prepaid postage. And there's one guy who fills junk mail reply envelopes with actual junk to make them heavier and cost the sender more.

"New York Times" reporter Ian Urbina collected such anecdotes for his book -- annoyances like Starbucks' lingo. They want you to call a small a tall. Resist.

(on camera): I've got a small skim latte.

IAN URBINA, AUTHOR, "LIFE'S LITTLE ANNOYANCES": The same thing is kicking the Coke machine when it keeps your coins. It's not going to get your soda, but it feels pretty good doing it. MOOS (voice-over): What annoys David Terry is the adult video store near his Hamilton, New Jersey home. He calls it a dump. So whenever he sees someone going into the porn store, he does the honk and wave to mortify patrons.

DAVID TERRY, ANNOYED BY ADULT VIDEO STORE: And they are thinking like, who was that? Was that my brother-in-law? Was that my boss?

MOOS: Maybe bad parking drives you nuts. When Jason Brunet (ph) sees someone taking up two spaces, he leaves a leaflet offering a free parking tutorial at this Web site.

(on camera): Wrong. Wrong. Correct.

(voice-over): But bad driving rather than bad parking spawned Roadragecards.com.

(on camera): Can you read?

(voice-over): There's a card for every occasion, like this really mean one to flash when you see a driver putting on makeup. With signs like, "I hope your cell phone gives you cancer," no wonder the cards carry the disclaimer: "may result in injury or even death." Though some folks can take a joke.

Each phrase comes in reverse so you can insult drivers through their mirror.

Who would think of this as a weapon against tailgaters?

Allan Doeksen modified his rear wiper squirter.

ALLAN DOEKSEN, ANNOYED BY SHOPPING CARTS: To spray directly on their vehicle when they're behind me.

MOOS: Allan also gets mad at shoppers who leave their grocery carts blocking the aisles.

DOEKSEN: I'll either put like expensive items in their cart or possibly some embarrassing items like condoms, perhaps, in their cart, as well, when they're not looking. So when they go to the checkout line, they're slightly embarrassed.

MOOS: What annoys Chris Baker (ph) is when the person in front of him in the express checkout has too many items.

(on-camera): So what this guy does is count the culprit's items out loud as the cashier scans each one -- five, six, seven.

(voice-over): But almost nothing annoys folks more than loud cell phone conversations. So a Chicago graphic designer has created cards you hand out to offenders.

(on camera): "We are aware that your ongoing conversation about your husband's vasectomy is very important to you, but we thought you'd like you to know that it doesn't interest us in the least." (voice-over): If you're very tall, maybe you're annoyed by airline seats.

IRA GOLDMAN, INVENTOR, KNEE DEFENDER: I was tired of being bopped in the knees by reclining seats.

MOOS: So Ira Goldman invented and now sells the Knee Defender.

GOLDMAN: The table comes down, take the Knee Defenders, the seat won't recline.

MOOS: Whatever you do, don't use this on us. "TV B Gone" was dreamed up by a guy who was sick of seeing televisions everywhere. This universal remote turns off any TV. We caused confusion in the newsroom.

ROB FREHSE, CNN ASSIGNMENT MANAGER: Did you see our TVS? They're all going black, in and out?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, but, right, see, the thing is...

MOOS (on camera): Now, what could cause that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... anybody could ...

MOOS (voice-over): Sometimes all these tactics do is give you a chuckle. But when facing life's annoyances, laughter is music to your ears.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIS: That was Jeanne Moos. There's more ahead on CNN Saturday. "IN THE MONEY" with Jack Cafferty is next.

And at 2:00 Eastern, a startling admission from President Bush. He acknowledges giving the National Security Agency permission to eavesdrop on American citizens without court approval. Our legal eagles will weigh in on the issue.

Then at 3:00 Eastern, watch "CNN PRESENTS: 1,000 DAYS IN IRAQ." It's an in-depth look at the war, the bloodshed, and the politics in Iraq.

But first, here's Jack Cafferty with a preview of "IN THE MONEY."

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks. Coming up on "IN THE MONEY," we'll look at how buying power is changing the Christian right's influence on corporate America.

Plus, with Washington deep in the red, find out if this is the right now to be enacting more massive tax cuts.

And see what's behind the surge in layoffs during the holiday season. Find out why the end of the year brings out the grinch in the corner office. All that and more coming up after a quick check of the headlines.

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