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CNN Saturday Night
Record Powerball Jackpot; Homegrown Terrorists?
Aired February 18, 2006 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN SATURDAY NIGHT. You might have the winning Powerball ticket. Tonight, the frenzy over the biggest pot ever. And you'll get to tell us how you'd spend the money.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We believe that these are the same kinds of people as you find with the Timothy McVeigh's and those other kinds of people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Under arrest, two brothers with weapons and a couple hundred pounds of explosives. Are they our very own home grown terrorists?
And he grew up running fast to get away from the gang. Tonight, he's making history in the race for Olympic gold. Meet Shani Davis.
These stories and a lot more next on CNN SATURDAY NIGHT.
Saturday night and baby, it's cold outside. Images of the day from the Rockies across the Midwest to New England. In most of America, hats, and gloves, scarves are the uniform of the day. Record lows out West. Thousands without power in storm clobbered upstate New York. Treacherous driving everywhere. We've got your national forecast coming up.
Good evening, I'm Carol Lin at the CNN Center in Atlanta. So how does $365 million sound to you? Well, it sounds to us like a record Powerball lottery and a pile of big money, big enough money to send people in 28 states to snapping up last minute lottery tickets.
And tonight may be the night for those lucky numbers. CNN's Adaora Udoji with her very own ticket in Greenwich, Connecticut tonight.
Adaora, the crowd still there?
ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Carol. You know what? As they say in Hollywood, it's a wrap. They've stopped selling tickets. The machine, the Powerball machines have stopped spitting out those tickets for the record jackpot lottery drawing that's really just about an hour away.
And one of the very last people to get one of those tickets, of course he's hoping the winning ticket, is Jason here.
And Jason, did you pick your own numbers or did you let the machine pick the number for you?
JASON PULCINO, POWERBALL PLAYER: No, I let the machine pick the numbers for me. It's $5 Quick Pick, the last ticket was drawn before the machine stopped.
UDOJI: So you've been day dreaming? I mean, what are you going to do with the money if you win?
PULCINO: Well, pay off all the debts like everybody else dreams about doing, and also travel around the world, take my kids with me, hopefully get a private tutor so they can get their education. I'd make dreams come true for everybody else, my family, and friends.
UDOJI: So fun to think about it, isn't it?
PULCINO: Yes, dreams will come true. I keep thinking and hoping this is the lucky ticket.
UDOJI: And what do you think your odds are? Have you heard what the odds are?
PULCINO: I watch it on the ticket down and all the -- I watch all the basketball games, 140...
UDOJI: Should have been saying when you're watching CNN you learned this very important information about your odds.
PULCINO: Well, you're right about that. I do watch CNN. You're right.
UDOJI: As one out of 146 million...
PULCINO: Hopefully, this is the one. I'm hoping.
UDOJI: Hoping, well you were one of the very last people.
PULCINO: Could be a good thing.
UDOJI: Could be a good find?
PULCINO: Yes, I hope so.
UDOJI: Well, listen, we wish you all the best of luck.
PULCINO: Thank you very much.
UDOJI: OK, that's Jason, along with all of the other thousands of people across the country. That's 28 states, including or I should say and also the District of Columbia, as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands. So there are thousands and thousands and thousands of people, including us that would be me, the reporter, and Danny, our photographer, and Brian, our producer, and Miguel, our sound man, who also bought tickets. So we're all feeling very hopeful tonight, Carol. How about you?
LIN: You got the fever. Well, tell Danny and Miguel that they are more likely to marry a supermodel than to win Powerball. Just a little factoid there for the crew.
All right, thanks Adaora.
UDOJI: All, my -- we'll pass that on.
LIN: We're going to be giving out those Powerball numbers, too. So everybody, stay tuned at 10:59 tonight.
All right, that leads us to our last call question. What would you do if you won $365 million? Give us a call at (800) 807-2620. And be sure to leave your first name and where you're calling from.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're watching CNN, your severe weather headquarters.
LIN: All right, you guys know it's February and it's cold outside, but it is so cold it is making news. Chicago, no snow, but single digit temperatures and a stiff wind right off the lake. I-35 in central Oklahoma, a tour bus loses control and overturns. A woman and a child are killed.
Police say the road was iced over. And in central Minnesota overnight, 21 degrees below zero. The wind-chill is 60 below in some places. Not cold enough to keep diehard snow lovers away from their skis, though, near Minneapolis.
Now southern and central Indiana are being hit with hurricane force winds, even a tornado. Yet, just a couple of days ago, it looked like spring. So let's go to the scene in South Bend.
Cindy Clawson is a local meteorologist with WNDU. Cindy, what's the temperature right now?
CINDY CLAWSON, WNDU NEWS METEOROLOGIST: At the top of the last hour, it was 5 degrees out there. And it had been as low as 3 degrees this evening. So it is awfully cold out there. Wind chills are in the negative teens. So I guess we could -- should call ourselves fortunate. It's not as cold here as some of those numbers you were saying up in Minnesota, obviously.
But it is awfully cold here for February. We're a good 20 degrees below normal, where last month, a lot of our days were a good 20 degrees above normal.
LIN: Wow. And what about -- are people able to get around, because I see traffic behind you?
CLAWSON: Yes, people are able to get around. Now we did have some snow earlier in the day, some lake effect snows off and on. It didn't accumulate much, but of course, it's just enough to make the roads slippery. And we did have a number of accidents, especially out on the Indiana toll road earlier on in the day. So we had to deal with some treacherous weather, even though the snow -- we only had 1.2 inches at the South Bend Regional Airport. So not a lot of snow, but again, it's enough to make the roads on the slippery side.
LIN: Yes.
CLAWSON: I think a lot more people are concerned about how cold it is outside. I know a lot of the shelters are opening for a lot of folks that need to be getting inside with the wind chills forecasted tonight between negative 8 and negative 18 degrees.
LIN: Right.
CLAWSON: It's incredibly cold.
LIN: Well, Cindy, you must be a local, because there you are, 5 degrees and without a hat. Cindy Clawson.
CLAWSON: Without a hat.
LIN: Yes.
CLAWSON: Actually, my fingers are the only thing that are cold. We've got a pretty warm gear here.
LIN: All right, thanks very much, Cindy. Now we're got our own meteorologist Monica McNeal. She's tracking the storm systems.
Monica, where does it look like this thing is moving? And when's it going to warm up?
MONICA MCNEAL, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'll tell you what, it's not going to warm up at least for the next 48 hours, Carol. And Cindy, you do need a hat. That's where all the heat escapes from your head first.
All right, taking a look at the satellite, there's a train of moisture across the south. And that's why the south saw some snow in parts of Arkansas and back into parts of Tennessee.
But the temperatures is the big story. It's 2 degrees right now in Chicago. It's 18 in Memphis, Tennessee. It's 18 degrees in New York, where the wind chill advisory continues until tomorrow. So we're looking for record low temperatures. We could certainly see single digit temperatures across much of the nation.
Let's take a look at some of the wind chills across the deep South. 21 in Atlanta. Feels like 19 in Birmingham. And it feels like 24 degrees in Jackson, Mississippi. That's just an indication of just how cold this air has sinked southward.
Taking a look at the radar, you can certainly see some mixed precipitation drifting just to the north of metro Atlanta. And we did some light drizzle into metro Atlanta. And that spells big trouble, especially into the overnight hours. And we'll certainly see temperatures at about 30 degrees. So any overpasses or bridges that got any of that drizzle will freeze. So you may have travel troubles tomorrow.
A high temperature warming up to about 46 degrees. And then Monday, we finally start to warm up back to normal.
But highs on Sunday across the rest of the nation still bitterly cold. High in Dallas of only 30 degrees. And you can certainly see some mixed precip in your forecast tomorrow.
28 in St. Louis, 26 in Chicago. In New York, you wind up with a high of 28 degrees -- Carol?
LIN: Wow. All right, thanks very much, Monica. 57 degrees in L.A. looks pretty good right now.
MCNEAL: Sunshine, love it.
LIN: All right, remember that CNN and CNN.com are always on top of the latest winter weather conditions. We are your severe weather headquarters.
Overseas, devastation in the Philippines, days after a massive mudslide. Almost 2,000 people are missing. Rescuers can't get through. And just 92 survivors have been found.
CNN's Hugh Riminton reports from the scene of the disaster.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): When a village is annihilated, take pity on the survivors. Asesa Mandara (ph) was out of town when the landslide hit. She's just found her sister, dead. Her parents, four nieces and nephews and her own six-year-old daughter are lost in the mud.
ASESA MANDARA, (through translator): I'm confused. I'm lost. I don't know what to do. I lost my family.
RIMINTON: Through a long and bitter day, rescue efforts continue, despite pauses for more downpours and ominous rumblings from the earth. But today, no one came out alive.
So few of those who were in the village at the time of the landslide have yet been found. With every new body that is fallen (ph) here to this permeative opening (ph) and morgue, family members crowd in in the hope that their worst fears will not be real. But sometimes they are. Juan Garcia (ph) was away from home working. He has just identified his wife and three-year-old daughter. His three other children are missing.
JUAN GARCIA (through translator): My wife is gone. My children are gone. Now I'm alone.
RIMINTON: Despite it all, reports that signs of life have been detected at the village school where 240 children were buried.
MARIUS CORPUS, UNDERSECRETARY FOR INTERNAL AFFAIRS: Just this afternoon I got some reports that there were some knocking noises from beneath the rubble. And I wish we had the equipment right now.
RIMINTON: Mountain rescue experts confirm the possibility.
GOV. ROSETTE LERIAS, SOUTHERN LEYTE PROVINCE: It's possible that the heavy -- the rocks just passed by the building. And it's possible that what is on top of the building are just -- is just soil.
RIMINTON: As the search resumes with new purpose, officials have appealed for more specialist equipment and helicopters to bias roads now almost impassible. The fear of more mud avalanches saw the people of a dozen other villages crowding into the nearest main town. The evacuees finding comfort in the numbers.
Hugh Riminton, CNN, Southern Leyte, The Philippines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well, all 12 crew members are accounted for after two Marine helicopters crashed off the coast of East Africa. Two Marines were rescued and they are in stable condition, but the Pentagon is not releasing information about the other 10.
Search and rescue operations have ended. No word on the cause of the crash, but the military says there were no signs of hostile fire.
Now for more on the Marine helicopter crashes or any other story at any time, be sure to click onto CNN.com.
But this. After 15 years on the run, up next, authorities nab two American terror suspects. They say they remind them a lot of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols.
Also, a Florida Wal-Mart delivers much more than just low prices. Straight ahead, the woman who walked out of the discount giant with a little more than just a bargain.
And from "Brokeback Mountain" to "Capote," the Hollywood spotlight is shining bright on gay themed films. Could it be a trend? You're going to find out. You're watching CNN SATURDAY NIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Two men described by authorities as potential domestic terrorists are behind bars tonight. They were arrested yesterday in New Mexico, when police also found 200 pounds of explosives.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this some kind of big deal or something?
LIN (voice-over): The arrest of 62-year old Jeffrey Rose and his 50-year old brother Gregory is a very big deal, according to federal officials. U.S. marshals say they were found with 200 pounds of explosives, enough to bring down a building. And they suspect the pair may have been plotting some sort of attack.
GORDEN EDEN, U.S. MARSHAL: They had these weapons, the military gear, the body armor, the ballistic helmets, as well as the explosives. We believe that these are the same kinds of people as you would find with the Timothy McVeighs and those other kinds of people that would like to cause harm to the United States.
LIN: The brothers eluded authorities for 15 years on a string of felony, drug, and weapons charges. They were finally nabbed Friday in a remote part of New Mexico. As they were being taken into the county jail in Albuquerque, Geoffrey Rose only spoke of concerns for his pets.
GEOFFREY ROSE, ARRESTED: If there are any animals out there, they'll help take care of all our cats and our diabetic cat that's going to die without his insulin.
LIN: Agents are working to remove the explosives from the Rose property and secure the area.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: The brothers are from Kansas. Police don't know how long they've been in New Mexico.
Now Gordon Eden is the U.S. marshal for the state of New Mexico. He joins me by telephone for an update.
Mr. Eden, how much damage can 200 pounds of explosives do?
GORDEN EDEN, U.S. MARSHALL: Well, 200 pounds of explosives can cause a large amount of damage. And again, it just depends on what the intent of the person is that's using those explosives.
LIN: What do you think their intent was? Do you think they were planning -- about to execute an Oklahoma City style bombing?
EDEN: No, we do not believe that at all. As a matter of fact, I would categorize these people as survivalists. They had the same mentality of those people who would like to cause harm to the government. They had made several statements not only to people within the community, but in their prior arrests, how much hate they had for the United States government, employees of the United States government, and a genuine dislike for the government of the United States.
LIN: So what do you think they were going to do with these explosives, weapons, and body armor?
EDEN: We don't have any idea at this time. We do know this for a fact. Based on interviews that were done prior to their arrest is that they categorize themselves as survivalists. And they hated the government. There's no indication that there is any type of plot, nor do we believe that they were planning something. As a matter of fact, we firmly believe that they spent 15 years on the lam. And they were doing their absolute best to try and remain in a stealth environment by moving to such remote community.
It's not unusual to see survivalists with this type of stockpile of -- weather it's food, clothing, ammunition, whatever. I think what was so unusual was the amount of materials that they had...
LIN: Right.
EDEN: ...that could cause potential harm.
LIN: So does that tell you, Mr. Eden, that there are going to be more arrests, that more people were involved?
EDEN: No. We have no indication that there was anybody else involved with these two. According to the people that we've interviewed that live in the community, they really did stick to themselves.
As a matter of fact, I think they actually had many of the people in the community feared them. And did their absolute best to stay away from them.
LIN: All right, Gorden Eden, homegrown terrorism right there in New Mexico. Thanks for getting the bad guys.
EDEN: Thank you.
LIN: Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Now in other news across the nation, police in Phoenix, Arizona spot a stolen SUV with canisters containing an unknown substance. They tried using a robot, but eventually sent in the bomb squad to find no explosives inside.
In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, fire destroys a warehouse where Christian themed clothing was made. Now authorities don't know whether it's connected to the string of church fires across the state. The fire Friday night took place hours after a fire at a Methodist ministry at the University of Alabama.
And in Homestead, Florida, Justine Desallis (ph) walked into a Wal-Mart to pick up some last minute baby items. And while she was there, she went into labor and gave birth to a baby girl in the layaway department. We're not joking with you. Members of the management team pitched in to help with the delivery. Hats off to them.
All right, a Winter Olympic first. Up next, the story of the kid from the south side of Chicago who made history tonight in Torino.
Traffic stops that are killing cops. Now there's a change in policy for law enforcement agencies. And don't forget our last call question. What would you do if you won $365 million? Give us a call at 1-800-807-2620. And please, tell us your first name and where you're calling from.
You're watching CNN SATURDAY NIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: American speed skater Shani Davis raced into history today in Torino, Italy. Davis won the men's 1,000 finishing in one minute and 8.89 seconds, making him the first black person to win an individual event in the Winter Olympics.
Joey Cheek made it a one-two American finish, coming in second to win the silver medal.
Now Shani Davis' trip to the medal platform in Torino began on the south side of Chicago. He grew up trying to avoid the trouble he knew was lurking in the streets. That's how he go so fast.
Well, very early on, it was obvious to some that Davis was a one of a kind. Larry Smith of CNN Sports explains why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shani Davis has always had reasons to go fast, some weren't as good as others.
SHANI DAVIS: The only reason why I really wanted to roller skate was because I had lots of video games there. So I would escape fast as I could to go play the video games.
SMITH: When Davis switched to skating on ice, his approach didn't change, but his reasons for going fast got better. His speed had him winning races at the rink and staying out of trouble away from it.
CHERIE DAVIS, SHANI'S MOTHER: I didn't know you used to run to school. And he says, yes, I used to run home, too. And I say why? He said because of the gangs, but he never really told me.
S. DAVIS: I've seen all kind of gangs. And I've seen all kinds of like real bad gang fights and things like that, but I mean, it was nothing that really interested me.
SMITH: Davis grew up on the south side of Chicago, when Michael Jordan was making basketball the sport of choice for most kids.
That made the neighborhood speed skater even more of an oddity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chicago, Illinois, Shani Davis.
C. DAVIS: Shani didn't even go like trick or treating. You know, he didn't go to prom. So it's always skating. Skating was life. S. DAVIS: A lot of kids spited me for it. A taunting number really like persuaded me not to want to skate. It just made me stronger, you know. It made me, you know, like the sport even more because it was something that I could, you know, show my friends.
SMITH: He is the world record holder in the 1,000 meters and barely missed becoming the first athlete to ever qualify for both long track and short track, too.
S. DAVIS: I gave it my best shot. And I didn't like -- I wasn't a coward about it. And you know, took my tail between my legs and, you know, said I couldn't do it before I even tried. I went out there, and I gave it a good honest fight. And that's all I could do.
SMITH: Davis will settle for the distinction of being the first African-American to ever make the long track team and the honor that some kid might run home to watch his performance and decide he wants to go fast some day, too.
S. DAVIS: To me, that's a gold medal within itself, you know. That's a -- that's winning a gold medal in life.
SMITH: Larry Smith, CNN, Torino.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Behind the scenes with Saddam still in power, newly released audio tapes are giving the world a glimpse.
SHANON COOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And the search for mudslide survivors pushes on in the Philippines. I'll talk to a U.S. Navy commander on his way to help.
LIN: And air marshals put on planes to protect passengers. But what happens when the good turn bad? You're watching CNN SATURDAY NIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Here's a look at the headlines tonight and tomorrow. At the top of the hour, ticket holders will find out if they've won the Powerball lottery. The 11:00 p.m. drawing is for $365 million, the biggest jackpot in U.S. lottery history.
Frigid temperatures are gripping the northeastern United States. The cold followed powerful winds that knocked out power to thousands. The storms are blamed for at least four deaths.
All crew members of two U.S. Marine helicopters are accounted for after the choppers crashed off the coast of Africa. Two Marines were in stable condition after being rescued Friday. The U.S. military has not said whether the other 10 survived.
A dead wild duck found in France did have bird flu. It was one of seven ducks found dead near the Swiss border. The French minister of Agriculture says the deadly strain of bird flu has not spread to the country's poultry.
Today, Hamas took control of the Palestinian parliament. Tomorrow, Israel plans to consider sanctions against the Palestinians. Israel might bar Palestinian workers and seal off Gaza.
Saddam Hussein and weapons of mass destruction, that connection is the object of intense scrutiny as translators pour over newly released audio tapes of Saddam and his top advisors.
CNN national security correspondent David Ensor has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Saddam Hussein.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): All day Arabic translators in both Washington and Atlanta went through 12 hours of tape for CNN listening to Saddam Hussein and his ministers. The tapes were made public by a private group which said they came from U.S. sources. CIA officials confirmed the tapes are indeed genuine.
CHARLES DUELFER, ANALYST: He had a practice of recording many of his meetings.
ENSOR: In one ominous exchange, Saddam Hussein predicts weapons of mass destruction will one day be used against the United States.
SADDAM HUSSEIN, (through translator): Terrorism is coming. I told Americans a long time before August 2nd and told the British as well, I think. I think Hamid was there keeping the meeting minutes with one of them. That in the future there will be terrorism with weapons of mass destruction. What would prevent this technology from developing and people from smuggling it? And all of this before the stories of smuggling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, (through translator): Sir, you mean germ warfare?
HUSSEIN: Before that, in 1989, I told them, in the future, what would prevent a booby-trapped car causing a nuclear explosion in Washington, or a germ or a chemical one?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, the germ, any biologist can make a bottle at home.
HUSSEIN: This is coming. This story is coming. But not from Iraq.
DUELFER: A lot of people pointed to the coming risk of weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands of terrorists. What is perhaps unique about Saddam's perspective on this, is that he understands that if something like that were to happen, he would be blamed for if.
ENSOR: On many of the tapes, his aids make clear to Saddam Hussein, even if their weapons are destroyed, the know how will remain. UNIDENTIFIED MALE, (through translator): No matter what equipment they take away from us, we will still have our brains and our spirits. They are only depriving us of time. That's it.
ENSOR: For his part, Saddam Hussein repeatedly makes clear he plans to try to wait out the U.N. weapons inspectors and the sanctions and then to rebuild his weapons of mass destruction.
HUSSEIN: They will get tired and soon will reach that phase.
ENSOR: U.S. intelligence officials say the 12 hours of recordings are just the tip of the iceberg. That hundreds of hours of recordings of Saddam Hussein and his aides are in U.S. hands and thousands of pages of documents, many of them yet to be translated.
But the man who looked for WMD in Iraq for the CIA says he expects nothing to emerge to change the view that despite what the Bush administration believed before the war, by the time coalition forces invaded Iraq, there were no usable weapons of mass destruction in the country and no programs to produce them.
DUELFER: There are no surprises in those tapes that bear on weapons of mass destruction.
ENSOR: Still, by recording many of his meetings, Saddam Hussein gave historians a gold mine that is just beginning to be exploited.
David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Time now to check the stories making news around the world. For that, we're joined by Shanon Cook.
Shanon?
COOK: Hey, Carol, thank you. As we mentioned earlier, heavy rain and deep mud are hampering rescue efforts in the Philippines. Mudslides wiped out an entire village there Friday.
Now two U.S. Navy ships located with -- sorry, loaded with relief supplies have been dispatched to Leyte Island, where the disaster occurred. One of those is the U.S.S. Harpers Ferry. And Commander Craig Anthony is captain of that ship. And he joins us on the phone.
Hey there, Commander Anthony.
CMDR. CRAIG ANTHONY, U.S.S. HARPERS FERRY: Hey, Shanon. It's great to talk with you.
COOK: Thanks for taking your time to talk to us. Now tell us, where are you in relation to the affected area right now?
ANTHONY: We've just arrived in the area of Leyte. We had been up in Subic Bay, about a quarter mile from Leyte. We'd begun an off load for an annual Filipino-U.S. bilateral military exercise that we call Balakatan (ph).
And we received word from the U.S. embassy in Manila informing us that the Philippine government had requested that humanitarian aid and disaster relief assistance from the United States.
Of course, we're in supporting role here in this matter, supporting the Philippine government as it leads disaster relief efforts in the region. So as soon as we got that word, we immediately transitioned back -- got everything back on board and got ourselves underway, making best speed for Leyte.
And we just arrived this morning.
COOK: And what kinds of relief and support can you actually provide? Commander Anthony?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We lost him.
COOK: It appears we lost Commander Craig Anthony there on the U.S.S. Harpers Ferry. Hopefully, we'll try to reestablish a connection at some point.
But for now, let's move on to other international news. Thousands of women marched in a peaceful rally in Karachi, Pakistan to protest cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed. Violent protests in the past week in Pakistan killed five people.
Now to prevent a repeat of that, the government arrested leaders of Pakistan's main Islamic Alliance, who had planned a protest for some day in Islamabad. Now the capitol city will be sealed off to buses and vans.
All right, we want to bring you some live music now. Why not, come on, it's Saturday night. The Rolling Stones are performing free, a free concert in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. And AOL Music is providing them a live feed of this. We're going to dip in. AOL, I should point out, like CNN, is owned by Time Warner.
Let's listen to the Rolling Stones in action for a bit.
(MUSIC)
COOK: There we go, Carol. Can't complain. The Rolling Stones on the show. Very nice. And you know, some two million people were expected to turn out to this free concert...
LIN: Yes.
COOK: ...on Copacabana Beach. Big turnout, I'm sure.
LIN: Amazing. And the turnout on the Internet now.
COOK: Yes, you got it.
LIN: Thanks, Shanon. That was pretty cool.
COOK: Thank you.
LIN: All right, the talk tonight. After 9/11, there was a big rush to put air marshals on planes to protect us. Well, now prosecutors say two of these air marshals were more interested in using their positions to smuggle drugs past security.
Rafi Ron is a transportation security consultant. How could this have happened? This is something so many people are asking, Rafi. I mean, these two guys, they actually agreed to smuggle cocaine onto a plane, bypassing normal security. Unfortunately, they did it -- unfortunately for us, they did it to an undercover informant.
RAFI RON, CEO, NEW AGE SECURITY SOLUTIONS: Yes, this is a very unusual event. And I think that the -- if we look at the overall achievement of the air marshaling force, which is probably the unprecedented anywhere else in the world, recruiting thousands of people, training them, and putting them on airplanes, I think that the fact that this has occurred now for the first time, the...
LIN: But how do we know? You know, that's the point. How do we know? Because all these guys have to do is flash their badge in order to get onto an airplane. Don't you think after an incident like this, that air marshals should be as accountable as the general public? They have to go through regular security in order to board those planes?
RON: Well, first of all, you know, this brings us back to the -- almost philosophical questions of who guards the guards? And I think that at some point, we need to make sure that the people that we put on airplanes with guns are people that we can trust.
There's no question that in this case, it seems that we have failed the -- in the selecting of these two individuals.
But what I'd like to say is putting it in the right proportion is that there are thousands of air marshals flying on daily basis. The -- and as you said, there might be cases that we don't know about, but this is certainly the first case that this has emerged as a fact. And I think that yes, we have to draw a lesson from that.
LIN: What is the lesson? I mean, what do you think needs to change in the air marshal program to prevent this from happening again?
RON: Well, I don't know if the -- I can say that there's a need for a change. The -- because I'm not familiar enough with all the details of the background checks that they are performed to the individuals that are recruited into the force.
But from what I know, these are very, very deep background checks. This is the solution to the problem, because I think that once a person is already inside an organization, it's extremely difficult to prevent him from abusing his position.
LIN: Right.
RON: And we have seen that in many other organizations, like the FBI, CIA, and others.
LIN: But when it comes to airport security, I mean, if this guy could smuggle cocaine onto an airplane, who knows what he could get onto an airplane, right? I mean, if somebody paid him the right amount of money.
And how many other people, other than air marshals, can actually just flash a badge and get on a flight? I mean, give us some perspective there.
RON: Well, yes. Well, first of all, I agree with you that there is room for concern, because there air marshals are not the only people that have access they -- to what we call the sterile area.
LIN: So who else? Right. Who else?
RON: First of all, the -- there are a -- many law enforcement people, the -- specifically at federal level, that have access. But I believe that most of these people, if not all of them, can be well trusted, as they are being properly scrutinized and monitored.
But we do have access of a lot of people to the airport restricted zones that sometimes do not go under the same level of background checks.
And I refer mainly to various types of employees that are not necessarily going through the same level of checks.
LIN: All right. So give us the bottom line.
RON: Well, the...
LIN: When you talk about, you know, we've had reports of drunken pilots. Now we've got air -- you know, a couple of air marshals smuggling drugs. You know, how safe are we to fly?
RON: Well, I think that we are safe. And the -- I don't think that they -- what we see here projects a real threat on a wide basis. I think this is an exotic case, just as well as the pilots that report with the -- over the level alcohol were an exotic case.
But I think we should make it an example that the -- for others to understand the seriousness of the situation, and would prevent...
LIN: All right.
RON: ...similar situations in the future.
LIN: Rafi Ron, I really appreciate it. You have the experience. I mean, you covered security at Ben-Gurion Airport in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. And you know what you're talking about. So appreciate it. Thanks very much.
RON: Thank you.
LIN: Well, "Brokeback Mountain" breaking records across the country. Is it the beginning of the new trend to hit the silver screen? That's coming up.
And this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Cops hit by cars. It happens more often than you think. What is being done to keep them safe? You're watching CNN SATURDAY NIGHT.
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LIN: Police work is risky and dangerous, but not for the reasons you might expect. A nationwide effort is underway to give police officers a fighting chance along the nation's highways.
Here's CNN's Jason Carroll.
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JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dashboard cameras in police cruisers dramatically capture the growing danger for officers on patrol.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Holy crap.
CARROLL: This officer didn't see the car coming. Neither does this officer, who is about to give a ticket when...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God. Ma'am, are you OK? Are you OK, ma'am?
CARROLL: Safety groups say accidents like this happen more often and are more deadly than most people realize. Police statistics show the number one killer of officers isn't gunfire. It's car accidents. The number two killer is officers being struck outside their cars during routine traffic stops.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ah, man. You OK?
CARROLL: The statistics are not surprising to Cincinnati policeman Jerry Enneking. He says that in his 16 years on the force, he made more traffic stops than he can remember, but some he will never forget.
JERRY ENNEKING, CINCINNATI POLICE DEPARTMENT: As I put the car in park, I was struck from behind.
CARROLL: Enneking says the driver who hit his cruiser wasn't paying attention. Fortunately, Enneking wasn't badly hurt during the initial crash. So he got out of his patrol car to check the scene.
That's when he says another driver, also not paying attention, came out of nowhere.
ENNEKING: And as I got to the front of the -- of my cruiser to get away, I was struck from behind. So a white blur. And next thing I know, I was on the ground. Kind of sat there stunned for a minute, kind of check, make sure everything was still attached.
CARROLL: Enneking spent a year and a half on light duty because of his injuries. His knee cap was knocked off during the accident.
Then two years later, on November 15th, 2005, Enneking was hit again during a traffic stop. He suffered two lacerated disks in his neck in that accident.
ENNEKING: I did everything that I could as far as turning on the emergency lights to warn people behind me.
CARROLL (on camera): The problem has become a major concern for the International Association of Police Chiefs. So much so, the organization put together its own training video, to show officers how to be safer on roadways like this one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your patrol vehicle is most likely to be struck while parked at the scene of a traffic stop.
CARROLL (voice-over): The DVD reminds officers to avoid pulling people over in obscure locations. If possible, to try and wear reflective gear when it's dark, and to keep an eye out for oncoming traffic.
MARY ANNE VIVERETTE, INTL. ASSN. OF CHIEFS OF POLICE: There's no routine traffic stop. At any time, someone can pull a weapon on us. But then, as this video shows, that it's not just the offender that we're pulling over in traffic that can be a hazard to us.
We also have to be very aware of what's going on behind us.
CARROLL: The training video shows even when officers take precautions, it sometimes isn't enough. Listen to this patrol man, who advises a woman he pulled over to step away from the roadway.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get up here and anybody hits the back of my patrol car. It's a good chance you're going to get caught somewhere between that car and your car. Just like that, see? Just like that.
LAURA FEINBERG, FAMILIES FOR ROADSIDE SAFETY: Pay attention. Slow down.
CARROLL: Laura Feinberg is working to make drivers more accountable. Her husband is a North Carolina state trooper. After two of his partners were killed in separate accidents by passing cars while writing citations, she helped draft the move over law.
It requires drivers to slow down and move away from officers stopped on roadways. 38 states have adopted it.
FEINBERG: Reducing your speed could be a matter of life and death of them, whether they get hit at 80 miles an hour versus 40 miles an hour, the 40 miles an hour might get them a chance to still make it home at the end of the day.
CARROLL: Officers like Jerry Enneking say drivers need to remember a few simple rules.
ENNEKING: Slow down and just to pay attention. I mean, that's the main thing is to pay attention and to use common sense.
CARROLL: That he says is the best way to avoid more scenes like this.
Jason Carroll, CNN. New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Well, you may have noticed gay themed entertainment has broken out of the closet. "Brokeback Mountain" and "Transamerica" are two movies that have found success before mainstream audiences.
So to find out why, we're going to turn to Tom O'Neil in Los Angeles. He's editor of "Intouch Weekly," billed as America's fastest growing celebrity news magazine.
Wow, that was a big billing, Tom.
TOM O'NEIL, SR. EDITOR, INTOUCH WEEKLY: Yes, nice, thanks.
LIN: All right, so what's the -- you know, what's the thing? You've got "The L Word." You've got "Transamerica." You've got "Brokeback Mountain." I mean, remember the days, you know, back in the day when "Melrose Place," you know, the kiss between...
O'NEIL: Oh, yes, what a shockeroo that was, right.
LIN: ...all the talk? So what's going on?
O'NEIL: Well, in a way, each of these movies that leads the Oscar race now -- and you left off "Capote," with Phil Seymour Hoffman -- I think we could have the all gay Oscars. "Brokeback" for best picture, "Capote" for best actor. "Transamerica" for best actress.
In a way, you know, Hollywood wants its films and its TV to be important. And we have to remember that this is...
LIN: But why are gay themes important?
O'NEIL: Because right now, in most states of the union, in the vast majority of states of the union, it is legal for you to be fired or to lose your residence if you're gay. This is quite serious. And the statistics show that, in fact, quite a few people are.
And they feel that this is something that still needs to be dramatized on film.
LIN: So do you -- then what you're really saying is this is the backlash, right? This is a backlash to a conservative administration in Washington.
O'NEIL: Oh, absolutely is. There's no doubt about it. And I think the -- in the same way that we saw a lot of anti-war movies, like "Platoon" and "The Deer Hunter" sweep the Oscars during the period right after the Vietnam War, and when we saw in the '60s movies like "In the Heat of the Night" win best picture, they were important themed movies that addressed issues of injustice and well, you know, problems like war at the time.
LIN: So is there going to be a backlash then against Hollywood, do you think?
O'NEIL: I -- don't you think that that's really the big story right now, Carol, is that where is the backlash against "Brokeback Mountain?" You've got a theater maybe in Utah, in the state of Washington, refusing to show it.
But I think the big surprise is that we don't see this huge demonstration against the movie.
LIN: So what does that tell you about audiences today?
O'NEIL: It tells us that we're a lot more grown-up and mature and accepting than we were just a few years ago before say "Will and Grace" was on the air.
LIN: Right, Will wasn't allowed to have a boyfriend. And...
O'NEIL: Right, right. Or allowed to kiss. And now gradually, that's allowed.
And I think "Brokeback" still is a -- because it's forcing people to cheer for a gay romance on film, if you want to appreciate that movie, you have to do that.
But I don't think people would embrace this movie if those actors were really gay, if they really meant what was going on on that screen.
LIN: There you go. And one of them just had a baby.
O'NEIL: Yes.
LIN: Pretty quickly.
O'NEIL: Yes, yes, yes. To serve his manhood maybe.
LIN: Tom, so any predictions for the Oscars, then in terms of gay themed?
O'NEIL: Yes, I think we're going to see at least two of those three lead categories... LIN: Really?
O'NEIL: ...gay themed. Well, Philip Seymour Hoffman can't lose as Capote. "Brokeback Mountain's" really way out front for best picture. And I think the one surprise could happen in best actress race, where most people think Reese Witherspoon is ahead for "Walk the Line." I think that we're going to see Felicity Huffman win for "Transamerica."
LIN: Really?
O'NEIL: Yes.
LIN: Tom, wouldn't that be interesting. Thanks so much, Tom.
O'NEIL: Yes.
LIN: It's a different day in Hollywood.
O'NEIL: Thank god.
LIN: Up next, a check of the headlines. And then "CNN PRESENTS: Saving my Town." We're going to leave you tonight with your responses to our last call question. What would you do if you won $365 million? Here's what you had to say. Have a great night.
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CALLER: Sports franchise would be good. At least one team if not two, a couple. And buy myself a new house or buy my parents a new house.
CALLER: I would buy 10 representatives and 5 senators, just like all rich people do.
CALLER: Hi, I'm Lauren. I'm from Nashville. Of course I'd love to pay off all my student loan debt and maybe even pay my parents back for all the money they've spent on my college endeavors. Wouldn't that be nice?
CALLER: Probably I have to like private state's corporation because I've always wanted to be an -- I want to be an astronaut. That and me get a nice tropical house in the Virgin Islands or something like that.
CALLER: This is Linda from New Orleans, Louisiana. If I won, I would help the people here to rebuild, because obviously, you know, all that money.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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