Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Google Agrees to China Censorship; Durham, N.C.: Diet Capital of the World?

Aired January 25, 2006 - 11:30   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The polls close in about 30 minutes from now across the Palestinian territories. Voters are casting ballots in their first parliamentary elections in a decade. Both the ruling Fatah Party and its challenger, the militant group Hamas, say they are confident of victory. We should begin getting early exit poll results in the next hour.
This video just into CNN. At least three boathouses at the Columbia River Yacht Club in Oregon were engulfed in a major fire this morning. Flames jumped from one boathouse to another. Authorities say the smoke, materials and fuel made it really hard for about 60 firefighters trying to battle the blaze. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

U.S. immigration officials trying to decide what to do with the daughter of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. Authorities say Lucia Pinochet was detained today after arriving at Dulles Airport. She had apparently left Chile just hours before she was due in court to face charges of failing to declare bank accounts overseas and using false passports.

A teenage New Jersey boy has won the right to wear a skirt to his high school to protest the school's no shorts policy. Seventeen-year- old Michael Coviello called the dress code discriminatory. The American Civil Liberties Union reached an agreement with school officials who had threaten to ban the boy from school. Heard it all.

All right, When we come back, Americans are going gaga for Google, but will the Web search giant be as popular in China? It's not the Google you're using here in the U.S. We're going to see how the search engine has been able to adapt to make the Chinese government happy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The theme of this story -- when in China, you do as the Chinese do. That is certainly the case with Google. The Internet search giant launched its Chinese language search engine today, and yes, Google has agreed to be censored.

CNN senior Asia correspondent Mike Chinoy has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE CHINOY, CNN SR. ASIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Internet is booming in China. Over 100 million users, a huge market for the world's Internet giants. But China's communist rulers are determined to control what's on the Internet, and now Google is bowing to Chinese censorship regulations. It's launching a China-based search engine that will block information not approved by the Chinese authorities.

In a statement, Google said, "In order to operate from China, we have removed some content from the search results available in google.cn in response to local law."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Google will have to comply, you know, with the restrictions here and -- to be in this market. There is a specific element with the Chinese government that the commercial interests of what will become the largest Internet market in the world over the next, say, five, ten years, it's already the second largest Internet population base. Companies cannot ignore the commercial instincts.

CHINOY: Even before Google's move, Beijing had constructed what's been dubbed the great firewall of China to keep sensitive information out.

(on camera): So this is how it works. On this computer, I brought up google.com, and I'm going to put in the name of one of the organizations the Chinese government hates the most, the Falun Gong spiritual group. There are 4,390,000 entries. The first one is Falun Gong's own homepage. There's another that's about Falun Gong's leader. Further down, others that are supportive of Falun Gong, one from religioustolerance.org.

Now, I'm going to put in the same name in at the new google.cn. Web site that's designed just for China and see what we get. This time there are 11,000 entries, but of a very, very different character. The first one, Falun Gong practitioners jailed for libeling the government. Another outlawing the Falun Gong cult. Another, Falun Gong's anti-humanity, anti-science, anti-society nature. All parroting the Chinese government's line, a dramatic example of how an American company is helping the Chinese authorities control the message that goes out to their people.

(voice-over): And it's hardly the only example. Last December, Microsoft shut down the Web site of a dissident Chinese blogger. A few months earlier, Yahoo! gave Beijing the name of a dissident Chinese journalist. He got ten years in jail for his Web postings.

Ironically, Google's Chinese kowtow comes as the company is resisting efforts by the U.S. government for access to its records. If they took the same attitude in Beijing, they'd probably be out of the China market as fast as the click of a mouse.

Mike Chinoy, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Let's take a look at other stories making news overseas this morning. Pope Benedict XVI says the church must practice charity and fight for justice, but it doesn't replace the state. This is one of the messages of the pope's first encyclical. And that's the highest form of papal writing. Its release today coincides with a new copyright rule by the Vatican. For now on, authors must pay to reproduce the pope's words.

An autopsy shows the whale that turned up in London's Thames River last week died of dehydration. Officials say the northern bottle-nosed whale also had muscle damage and reduced kidney functions, which contributed to its death. The whale died Saturday after rescue teams failed in an effort to return to it the open sea. Experts say they may never know why the whale became lost in the first place.

Hundreds of thousands of chickens are being destroyed in northern Japan. It's all being done as a precaution after more than 70 people showed signs of a mild form of bird flu. 770,000 chickens are being called in the latest rounds. About 2.5 million chickens were slaughtered in the same region last year.

Still to come, if you could go to one place to lose weight, would it be a gym, a dance class? How about Durham, as in Durham, North Carolina? Find out why so many people are visiting Carolina country in their quest to lose weight.

But first, a look at what you're saying online about wild weather around the world. Let's check in with Melissa Long at the CNN.com desk.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA LONG, CNN.COM CORRESPONDENT: A mild winter in some parts of the United States and a frigid snowy winter in Russia and Europe. CNN.com asked users to share their winter experiences.

Horace Jerbek (ph) of Slovenia (ph) sent these two pictures that portray the weather in his part of the world. Mark Myers (ph) in Lexington, Virginia, captured the cat cozying up to Frosty.

Also learn how you can end your winter weather pictures. Perhaps you don't have a memory to share, but a question to ask. CNN's meteorologist Chad Myers has the answers.

Robert Smith of New Hartford, New York, asked why there's no thunder and lightning during the snowstorms. The answer: it does happen, but rarely. Since snow is such a good insulator, it's hard to hear the thunder during a snowstorm.

Also, how much snow has fallen this year? Check out this online map detailing the annual snowfall where you live and read about the snowiest days on record.

That's all online at CNN.com/winter.

For the dot-com desk, I'm Melissa Long. (END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: In our Daily Dose of health news, Sacramento is going pink. It's all on behalf of breast cancer awareness. This is the state Capitol, one of several local landmarks that will go pink over the next five months. The goal to remind people to support breast cancer research and protect their own health. Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, the second biggest cancer killer as well.

And from the pink capital to the so-called diet capital. If your resolution to lose weight is waning, you know we're at the end of January, try making a road trip to Durham, North Carolina. That is where thousands of dieters shed pounds and gained healthy habits.

Our national correspondent Gary Tuchman has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is what Teresa Khirallah used to look like. This is Teresa now. The 31-year- old Texan gives some of the credit to a place called...

TERESA KHIRALLAH, DURHAM DIETER: Durham, North Carolina.

TUCHMAN: You've heard of Durham. It's the home of Duke University, and the home of the famous Durham Bowls (ph) minor league baseball team. But there's something you may not know about this town.

KHIRALLAH: Durham is certainly the -- yes, I would venture to say it is the diet capital of the world.

TUCHMAN: Durham is an international destination for people looking to lose a lot of weight. The city of 200,000 has three world- renowned residential diet clinics, the Rice Program, the Duke Diet and Fitness Center and the Structure House. Its founders is Dr. Gerard Musante.

GERARD MUSANTE, FOUNDER, STRUCTURE HOUSE: This is a very unique town. This is truly a mecca. I look at it as a one-stop place. You have a problem with obesity, you are going to invariably find a solution to it here in Durham.

TUCHMAN: Teresa came to the Structure House for what turned out to be a life-changing four weeks of dieting, exercise, and behavior modification.

(on camera): At your peak, how much did you weigh?

KHIRALLAH: Three-hundred and ninety two pounds is the most I've weighed.

TUCHMAN: And what have you gotten down to? KHIRALLAH: About 195.

TUCHMAN: So you have lost about 200 pounds, which is more than half of you?

KHIRALLAH: Yes, yes.

TUCHMAN: And how does that make you feel?

KHIRALLAH: Oh, I wake up every day knowing that I'm the luckiest person in the world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.

KHIRALLAH: How are you guys?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good, how are you?

KHIRALLAH: Good, good, good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You look great.

KHIRALLAH: Thank you.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): And now Teresa is back at Structure House. She's here to recharge herself, living in the on-campus apartments for a two week stay.

KHIRALLAH: At lot of people make pilgrimage to the holy land, and I guess Structure House has become a holy land for me.

MUSANTE: What is the easiest change you can make at home? That's what we want to focus on.

TUCHMAN: It's very pricey. Structure House is more than $9,000 for a four-week session. The key here is learning to keep a structured lifestyle. Regular, low-calorie meals are important, so is avoiding snacks.

MUSANTE: The basic philosophy is we have developed a relationship with food. All of us develop a relationship to some extent, and sometimes some of the relationships can be dysfunctional.

TUCHMAN (on camera): And how has the experience been so far for all of you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Great.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been wonderful.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): This breakfast table is full of people at Structure House for the first time. They regard Teresa, who is now training for a marathon, as a conquering hero.

KHIRALLAH: Durham is a place that I learned to enjoy movies without popcorn. Durham is the place that I went to see theater shows and concentrate on the actual show instead of dinner afterwards. And so, yes, Durham is a huge place for me.

TUCHMAN: It's an emotional second visit for Teresa, who meets up with an instructor who helped her a great deal.

KHIRALLAH: When you see that one person that, you know, made -- I'm going to start crying. And I'm not going to do it, because you're not supposed to.

I mean, it saved my life. This place saved my life. And I'm not naive in thinking I didn't have a big part in it too this past year. But it certainly -- yes, I do -- I feel like, and I'm going to make this pilgrimage for the rest of my life back here.

TUCHMAN: And she won't be the only one.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Durham, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Well, good for you, Teresa, and good luck with the marathon.

Find out more about Durham and other weight-loss alternatives on house call. That's 8:30 Saturday morning right here on CNN.

Other health news, if you or your child use nonprescription inhalers to treat asthma, you might want to start looking for an alternative. That's because an FDA advisory panel is recommending what would amount to a federal ban on Primatene Mist and similar nonprescription products. Officials say those inhalers contain aerosol propellants that harm the ozone layer. The FDA usually follows advice of its outside advisory panel, but a final decision could take many months.

CNN, ABC, NBC, NBS, ESPN, who can keep up with all the letters and what they stand for? Our Jeanne Moos can, as hits the streets to talk about the nation's newest broadcast network.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We are keeping an ear to the White House press briefing. And White House spokesman Scott McClellan just a few minutes ago answering a question about the White House defense of the NSA's domestic wiretapping program. Let's listen into a little bit of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN: Do you expect our commanders in a time of war to go to a court while they're trying to survey -- surveil the enemy? I don't think so. This is a time of war. This is about wartime surveillance of the enemy. That's what this is about.

And we don't ask our commanders to go to the court and ask for approval while they're trying to gain intelligence on the enemy. So I think that's a real practical terms to look at it in when you're talking about this issue. Because that's what this is about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And if you're interested in listening in on more of the White House daily press briefing, it's going on right now. And all you need to go is to CNN.com and check in on pipeline and you can listen in from your computer.

(MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: Well, you know how the saying goes. What's in a word or in this case an abbreviation? They are the lifeblood of network television, and there's going to be fewer of them come next fall.

Jeanne Moos -- and who else but Jeanne Moos could do this? -- took a survey to see how well we know our ABCs or our CNNs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Our TV diet consists of alphabet soup. CBS, MSNBC, ESPN. We don't just span the alphabet we C-Span it. Now, just what we need, a new network.

LES MOONVES, PRES., CBS TELEVISION: It will be called the CW network.

MOOS: C for CBS combined with W for Warner Brothers.

MOONVES: We couldn't call it the WC for obvious reasons.

MOOS: You can bet water closet wouldn't hold water with the marketing department. The new network means the demise of two old ones, the WB and UPN. Not that anyone knows what UPN means.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Urban Programming Network?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It used to be UPS.

MOOS: Well, actually it's United Paramount Network, or was. But even the simplest initials.

(on camera): How about CBS?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, dear.

(voice-over): Are meaningless to many.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Central Broadcasting System.

MOOS: If they don't know the Columbia Broadcasting System, how could they know MSNBC?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have no idea.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Multiservice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Micro...

MOOS: The name that everyone did know was BET. Even white people knew it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Black entertainment.

MOOS: Black Entertainment Television. But the meaning of ESPN was a mystery.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know what the hell that means.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I watch it because my husband has clickitis. You can translate for me.

MOOS (on camera): That would be Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.

(voice-over): Who remembers that CNBC once meant Consumer News Business Channel or VH-1 is Video Hits One? And now there aren't just initials for networks, there are initials for shows. "CSI" on CBS.

MOOS (on camera): "CSI," crime --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Crime station...

MOOS: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... inventions.

(voice-over): From "CSI" to QVC.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Queer vacationing in Cancun.

MOOS: Forgive him. He has no TV.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, I know that, that one's a shopping station. OK, who is Q?

MOOS (on camera): Quality. Value. Convenience. Also quickly vanishing cash.

(voice-over): But how could anyone get this wrong?

(on camera): I work for this one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, the Clinton news network.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Central news? I don't know.

MOOS: In the early days of CNN, people always thought I was from the Christian news network.

(voice-over): Or even chicken noodle news. At least Cable News Network is easier than ESPN.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Extra special pornography network. MOOS: With all the initial confusion, no wonder MSNBC is said to be thinking of letting the MS get swallowed up.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Thank you, J.M. Appreciate it.

I'm Daryn Kagan. International news is up next. Stay tuned for "YOUR WORLD TODAY." And I'll be back with the latest headlines from here in the U.S. in about 20 minutes.

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