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Thousands Without Power after Midwest Storm; Secret Ceremony, Fights as New Mexican President Sworn In; Poisoned Spy's Friend Tests Positive for Radiation

Aired December 01, 2006 - 13:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: Hello, everyone, I'm Kyra Phillips at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
DON LEMON, CO-HOST: I'm Don Lemon.

A ferocious snowstorm blasts the Midwest. Snow, ice, freezing rain. Hundreds of flights delayed, even canceled. Millions people are without power.

PHILLIPS: A secret swearing in. Angry protests, fist fights in Congress. Chaos and controversy on inauguration day for Mexico's new president.

LEMON: And magic moment. His announcement shocked the nation, forever changing the face of AIDS. Basketball legend Magic Johnson shares his story and his struggles, live on World AIDS Day, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: You've had your Indian summer. Now welcome to December. Three weeks before the official start of winter, the snowstorm that howled through the northwest is now attacking the Midwest, snarling traffic, grounding airplanes and leaving homes simply in the dark.

We have live reports coming up from Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City and from meteorologist Reynolds Wolf in the CNN Weather Center. We're also going to bring you winter weather updates on the side of your screen.

LEMON: And if you're watching us in St. Louis, congratulations. You either dodged a widespread power outage or you've got a good generator. CNN's Sean Callebs is there to explain all that -- Sean.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's pretty good. That's pretty good. I'm sure a lot of people in this area are appreciating that right now.

There are about 450,000 people without power this morning. And, Don, I'll show you the big reason why.

If you look up here, you can see this ice that is clinging to branches up here. First, the St. Louis area was hit with freezing rain, sleet. Overnight, temperatures dipped down dramatically. It froze, so you can see how it's weighing limbs down. Well, a lot of limbs came down on power lines. And lot of power lines came down, simply because they were overburdened by this overabundance of ice. That's the bad news.

The good news is the situation is getting a lot better. We do know that firefighters and EMS personnel are going through low-income neighborhoods in the St. Louis area. They're checking on homes where power's out, to make sure that people are, if they don't have heat, that they can take them to a rec center and make sure they do stay warm. Nobody wants any kind of disaster to happen on a day like this.

The streets in and around the St. Louis area have gotten a lot better. I-70 was closed near the capital of Missouri throughout the morning. It only recently opened.

Also, St. Louis' Lambert Airport. We know that flights have been coming in for the last couple of hours. Now they're starting to take off, as well. That's good news, because about 1,000 people were stranded at that airport overnight.

We were there yesterday when they simply shut the airport down. They were with trying to de-ice aircraft as quickly as they could. We ran into a number of troops, actually, who'd been on a training mission for a number of days. They were eager to get home. Didn't happen. They had to spend the night at the USO. So hopefully they and everybody else at the airport are going to be able to make it out today or perhaps tomorrow.

That's the situation here. It's getting a lot better. The sun is coming out. Temperatures hovering right around freezing. The brunt of the storm, passed this area now. It's punishing the Chicago, northern Illinois area -- Don.

LEMON: All right. Sean Callebs, thank you very much.

PHILLIPS: Chicago's morning rush hour was anything but and the afternoon, slush hour if they're lucky. Let's get the latest now from Ed Lavandera -- Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

We're standing on Michigan Avenue here in the heart of downtown Chicago. You can see what commuters have been dealing with here throughout the morning. Where in many places in the outskirts of Chicago, anywhere from 10 to 12 inches of snow have fallen.

But traffic moving relatively well on the roadways. Essentially, in many places, the roadways have turned to kind of a slushy mess in many places. But the commute -- and here from about 4 in the morning to about 10 a.m. in the morning is a very difficult time, especially on the roadways.

But Chicago officials say they had salt trucks, almost 1,700 in the state of Illinois, spanned out across the roadways, dumping tons and tons of salt along the roadways to help the situation out here. But the brunt of the storm seems to have already gone through Chicago. Some light flurries falling here. But this is a far cry from what we saw earlier this morning when the commute was quite a mess.

At Chicago O'Hare Airport, hundreds of flights were canceled. The airport officials say they hope that in the next few hours, planes will start taking off again and start relieving some of the burden that many travelers will be feeling over the next couple of days, especially as they try to scramble on missed flights and get on new ones and make their way back home. Hundreds of people stranded here in Chicago.

In fact, the terminal at Chicago O'Hare, which is one of the busiest airports in the world, early quiet this morning, as many people were told to simply stay away, stay in your hotel rooms and wait for us to call you to tell you to come back so that you can catch your flight -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Ed, one of the most beautiful things on Michigan Avenue during the holidays, all the lights and all the decorations. Have they even attempted that yet?

LAVANDERA: Actually yes, last night. Obviously, you can't tell right here, but just looking straight up Michigan Avenue here, and the lights were beautifully adorning the roadway last night as the snow flurries were starting to fall. So that's a quick way for -- to get into the holiday spirit.

PHILLIPS: There you go. Ed Lavandera, thanks.

LEMON: It may be snowing there in Chicago, but the worst appears to be over in Kansas City. And CNN's Jonathan Freed, I bet you're not complaining, are you?

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm not complaining at all, Don. Good afternoon.

You know, it is a beautiful, wintry day. That's the key, isn't it? It's not a winter day; it's still a fall day. But you wouldn't know it. Either way, it is gorgeous here right now. Feels like it's above freezing.

That slush we were showing you earlier. Well, take a look down as proof, it's gone. The sun has been beating down here for several hours. And here's really only stuff left on the side of the roads right now.

Here in this major shopping district in downtown Kansas City, they were wonder whether people were going to come out today, and it wasn't even clear whether or not all the stores were going to open.

But the stores are open. People are here. And everybody breathing a sigh of relief. They look up and what they see is a beautiful, sunny sky -- Don.

LEMON: And you need that sun. That sun is a good thing to get rid of all that snow. Jonathan Freed in Kansas City, thank you, sir.

PHILLIPS: All right, let's get the big picture now from Reynolds Wolf in the CNN Weather Center.

What do you think, Reynolds?

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: How about i-reports. You looking for pictures?

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know what? Yes. Yes, we are looking for pictures. Anyone out there who has some great ideas and you have a chance to snap one of them with your picture, just send it to us at CNN.com.

I have heard through the grapevine that there's the possibility we may have an i-report later today that could involve a pig, a banana, playing in the snow. Not the banana playing in the snow, but the pig playing in the snow with a banana.

PHILLIPS: Thanks for the visual.

LEMON: Sounds like a riddle, right? What does a pig and a banana...

PHILLIPS: And they walk into the bar.

WOLF: It's not a fabricated event. It's a sign that the apocalypse is close at hand if we have all those things coming together; there's no question.

LEMON: Yes.

WOLF: Pigs and bananas.

LEMON: All right, Reynolds, thank you very much.

Secret oaths at midnight, sit-ins and fistfights in Congress, an election rival that just won't quit. Not to be outdone by America's electoral standoff of 2000, Mexico has sworn in its new leader with even more chaos and even more controversy.

CNN's Juan Carlos Lopez joins us live now -- Juan Carlos.

JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, and the day started, as it did three days ago, with fights between Mexican congressmen. It was those who backed Felipe Calderon, the new president, and those who support Manuel Lopez Obrador, who lost on July 2 but refused to concede defeat because he wanted a total recount of votes. He did not get it. And he says that Calderon is not a legitimate president.

He declared himself the president on November 2. He named a cabinet. Then Calderon did something today. What we're seeing now is that Lopez Calderon's (sic) followers in Congress were trying to take over the stage in Congress to prevent Calderon from coming and swearing in. They weren't successful, because Calderon's supporters made sure that he was able to go to the ceremony.

Now, we're going to see when he comes in -- it was ahead of time. And most of the heads of state, including former President Bush, who were there just had enough time to go into this building before Calderon came on to the stage with former President Fox. But he had done something before, something very controversial.

Now in Mexico what they do is -- that he swears in, he gets -- he receives a sash and then he becomes president. But at midnight, when Fox's term had expired, he swore in at the presidential palace, Los Pinos, and that's causing a lot of controversy in Mexico.

Lopez Obrador is now saying that he is the legitimate president of Mexico. He's not recognizing President Calderon, and it's going to be an interesting time now in Mexico, Don, because even though he followed what is -- what normal procedure -- what people expected, he had sworn in before, something that hadn't been done before in Mexico. So there's going to be a lot of discussion on his legitimacy and how he is going to be able to perform as a president.

LEMON: And let's talk about the impact here in the U.S., if any. What will the impact be here?

LOPEZ: Well, the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico goes -- goes farther than the border. And there's -- the interests for the U.S. -- the U.S. economy and Mexico is great; it's one of the largest trading partners, not only in the hemisphere but in the world.

And there is a lot of discussion about immigration. And President Calderon, when he came to meet with President Bush, when his victory was confirmed, said that that was one of his priorities, to work with this government to obtain a comprehensive immigration reform. And there's a lot of controversy in Mexico and on the U.S. side on what happens on the border.

So whatever happens in Mexico, and political instability in Mexico will have an effect in the U.S., and that's why it's being very -- it's being followed very closely.

LEMON: Juan Carlos, how much power will President Calderon have if -- because the country is so divided.

LOPEZ: The country's very divided. But some polls were showing yesterday that most Mexicans, at least those who were polled, didn't agree with what Lopez Obrador supporters were doing.

But the country is divided. He did win by a slim margin, although it was 220,000 votes, less than 1 percent. So he starts off as -- with a weak presidency. And now he's going to have to deal with Lopez Obrador, who protested today and who has a shadow cabinet and says that he will try -- he is the legitimate president. And he's going to have to deal with all these issues.

At the moment, where there are many important issues for Mexico, a country that just finished its first term with a new party. The Mexico had been under control with the PRI, the previous political party, for over 80 years. So it's an important political transition, and Calderon is going to have a tough job ahead.

LEMON: Juan Carlos Lopez, thank you so much, sir.

LOPEZ: My pleasure.

PHILLIPS: For many Americans, these words brought to light a disease they tried to ignore.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAGIC JOHNSON, FORMER PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYER: Because of the HIV virus that I have attained, I will have to retire from the Lakers today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Fifteen years later, Magic Johnson, living with HIV and still pushing AIDS awareness. He'll join us live in the CNN NEWSROOM for World AIDS Day.

LEMON: Potentially dire news for a dining companion of a former Russian spy. He, too, has apparently tested positive for the same deadly poison. We'll take you to London next. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

ANNOUNCER: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: The Midwest is just getting blasted today with wintry weather. And we're -- we've got it all covered for you.

Take a look there. Central Park, you're looking at, left of your screen. That is -- the top right, Lansing, Michigan. You're looking at a city shot. And then also St. Charles, Missouri. Very icy fence there. You can see the ice conditions happening in St. Louis. Then of course, one of the busy expressways in a very snowy Chicago.

We've got it all covered for you. And Reynolds Wolf standing by in the CNN Weather Center with the outlook, coming up soon.

PHILLIPS: It's been more than a week since former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko died in London. Today, while pathologists conducted an autopsy, word came that a man who met with Litvinenko the night he was apparently was poisoned has also tested positive for polonium 210.

CNN's Matthew Chance is in London with more -- Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks very much, Kyra.

That's right, we're actually standing outside the hospital in the east of London where that autopsy on Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian agent, has been carried out throughout the course of the day. We won't know the results of that autopsy, the exact reasons for the death, the official reasons, until such time perhaps until the inquest into his death is reconvened, when the investigation by the police is over.

But as you say, a dramatic development today in this ongoing investigation with the -- with the disclosure by the British Health Protection Agency that another individual has been identified as being contaminated with the same radioactive poison that killed Alexander Litvinenko.

It's -- the British media have been reporting that it's Mario Scaramella. Now, he was the person who is said to have been at the lunch with Alexander Litvinenko back on November the 1st when it's believed that he was actually poisoned, certainly from when he first fell sick.

I've been in contact with friends of the Scaramella family. They say they've spoken to -- to Mr. Scaramella, who has currently been taken to a hospital in London. After confirmation, apparently, that -- through urine tests that he does indeed have this -- this contamination. Obviously, a very dramatic turn in this ongoing investigation, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Is this scaring a lot of those living in London, Matthew? Are they worried that somehow they might be -- also be attached to this?

CHANCE: I think there is a sort of growing amount of concern, given that so many thousands of people, obviously, came into contact -- not just in these 12 locations across London that have been identified as having been contaminated with some kind of radiation, but also, remember, the aircraft that are still being grounded at London's Heathrow Airport, and also in an airport in Moscow, on suspicion of contamination, as well. Tens of thousands of people may have been put at risk at exposure from this -- this radiation.

The British Health Protection Agency, though, which is the body that's overseeing this emergency essentially, is being careful, though, to say that the risk to the public is very, very low indeed because of nature of this particular kind of radioactive material. It's very difficult to actually be contaminated by it. It has to be ingested, eaten, or inhaled.

PHILLIPS: Tell us about this hotline.

CHANCE: Well, there's a hotline that's been set up, of course. It's a hotline which is straight to the British Health Service. Thousands of people have taken advantage of that. Some of them -- a couple of hundred of them -- have been referred to a specialist clinic to undergo further radiological tests.

But, again, the government, the agency overseeing this, is stressing that these are merely precautionary measures for the most part. Obviously, the people who came into close, intimate contact with Alexander Litvinenko, like Mario Scaramella, are clearly very much at risk. Mario Scaramella, if indeed it is confirmed to be him, would be the second person now confirmed as contaminated with this radiation.

PHILLIPS: Matthew Chance, live from London.

LEMON: A White House reality check. President Bush again pledges to stay in Iraq until the job is done. How does this play with critics of the war, including some in his own party? That story straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: How about some live TV in the back of your car? You can watch Kyra and me. One company is getting serious about the idea.

Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with all the details for us.

Hi, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Don.

How things have changed, right? When we used to take family road trips, I'd just look at different license plates. Now it's a whole new world.

Sirius satellite radio plans to offer live TV service. The company CEO says Sirius hopes to offer mobile video in some '08 vehicle -- vehicle models, which come out next year and would show up at dealer lots by the end of the year.

The service would be geared towards younger viewers sitting in the back seats, not for drivers.

Chief Mel Karmazin also says they are close to finalizing content deals with several providers. Those could come as soon as January.

No word on the cost of the service. But Sirius says subscribers would have to pay an additional charge -- of course -- on top of the current $13 a month fee for radio -- Don.

LEMON: License plates, eight track cassettes, remember those? And the old AM radio. That's when I was a kid.

LISOVICZ: Somewhat envious, yes.

LEMON: Sirius, though, still hasn't turned a profit, though. I mean, can a move into television help them with that?

LISOVICZ: Yes, because Sirius wants to boost revenue per user. So the way to do that is not unlike what phone companies do: they offer more services and they hike up your average bill amount.

Sirius' larger rival, by the way, XM satellite radio, has also talked about offering live TV for cars, but it had said it will hold off until it sees signs of a significant market.

(STOCK REPORT)

LEMON: All right, thank you very much, Susan Lisovicz.

For many Americans, these words brought to light a disease they'd tried to ignore.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNSON: Because of the HIV virus that I have attained, I will have to retire from the Lakers today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Can you believe that was 15 years ago? Fifteen years later, Magic Johnson is living with HIV and still pushing AIDS awareness, and also hope. He'll join us live in the CNN NEWSROOM for World AIDS Day.

PHILLIPS: And more on the severe weather. Live picture now of the Empire State Building. Reynolds Wolf has your travel delays.

The news keeps coming. We'll keep bringing it to you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A big part of the country today getting hit by a wintry blast. Reynolds Wolf in the CNN Weather Center, watching it all for us -- Reynolds.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: Of course when weather becomes the news, you can become a CNN correspondent. You see severe weather happening -- send us an I- report. Go to CNN.com and click on I-report or type in Ireport@cnn.com right on your cellphone and share your photos or even your video.

PHILLIPS: Now, the fight for Iraq and how it might change. New reports say bipartisan Iraq Study Group will recommend phasing out America's combat presence in its report to President Bush next week.

"The Washington Post" reports the panel will call for intensified training of Iraq's armed forces, allowing an end to the U.S. combat role by early 2008. Remaining American trainers, support personnel, and rapid response units would total at least 70,000, about half the current troop presence. The group's report is due on Wednesday. President Bush of course isn't bound by these findings.

Well, a positive outlook from the U.S. commander in northern Iraq. Major General Benjamin Mixon says he expects Iraqi forces to assume full control of the ethnically mixed region by the middle of next year. The north is relatively less chaotic than the Baghdad region and the volatile Sunni triangle. Mixon spoke today to Pentagon reporters via satellite. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. BENJAMIN MIXON, CMDR. TASK FORCE LIGHTNING: I can certainly see great opportunity to reduce the amount of combat forces on the ground in multinational division north and turn more responsibility over to Iraqi security forces.

I think we have to keep this in perspective. We spent about 10 years in Bosnia-Herzegovina setting the stage for those elements to be successful. We need to allow the Iraqis the same time to get their security forces on the ground, get the government working, and then have a gradual withdraw of American security forces, but continue to partner with them over the long term.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Mixon also said he's seeing daily improvements in the Iraqi forces and police.

LEMON: Remember rosy scenario -- pundits dubbed her the unofficial mascot of the Reagan administration, referring to that president's determination to look on the bright side. Well, every president prefers to stress the positive. Some now wonder whether rosy is running the show on Iraq.

CNN's John Roberts reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You could see it in the president's face as he came off the flight from Amman. The weight of responsibility, the future of an entire region and the security of the United States hinging on his ability to find a solution in Iraq.

TOM DONNELLY, CTR FOR STRATEGIC & INTL. STUDIES: Iraq is not like Vietnam in the sense that it's something that is a loss that can be easily sustained and recovered from. It's far more central to the balance of power in the region to the strategic interests of the United States in the region.

ROBERTS: At this point, the problems in Iraq appear intractable, a solution impossible. And some critics wonder if the president even realizes the complexity of what he faces. Listen to what the president said at this pre-election press conference when asked if the U.S. is winning in Iraq.

BUSH: We're winning and we will win. Unless we leave before the job is done.

ROBERTS: To the incoming Senate Armed Services Chairman, it is a stunning disconnect from reality.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), CHAIRMAN ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: It ignores the realities on the ground to say that absolutely we are winning in Iraq, everybody's losing in Iraq at the moment and until there's a political settlement, they're going to continue to lose in Iraq.

ROBERTS: The president's optimistic pronouncement may have been tinged with a liberal amount of campaign spin. For the most part, his assessments of Iraq recently have been far more sober. At his press conference with Nuri Al Maliki, the word progress never even passed the president's lips.

BUSH: Because I understand how tough it is inside of Iraq. The prime minister's dealing with sectarian violence, the prime minister's having to deal with al Qaeda. The prime minister having to deal with criminal elements. And we want to help him.

ROBERTS: Far from being out of touch, foreign affairs expert Tom Donnelly believes President Bush gets it completely.

DONNELLY: I think that he gets it in the sense that he understands what victory is and he's probably alone in having a conversation about what it would take to win. The rest of the American debate seems to be what it will take to withdraw.

ROBERTS: Yet President Bush still resists the notion that Iraq is in a civil war. Admitting that would plant the big stamp of failure on his policy. He blames most of the chaos on al Qaeda. And even downplays the extent of violence between religions.

BUSH: The killers taking innocent life is in some cases sectarian. I happen to view it as criminal as well as sectarian. I think any time you murder somebody, you're a criminal.

ROBERTS: The big test of how in touch President Bush is, his critics say, will come when the Pentagon and Iraq Study Groups release their recommendations on the way forward. If the president resists the call for big changes, he'll likely find himself in the middle of a new battle for control of Iraq. This one with Democrats on Capitol Hill.

John Roberts, CNN, New York.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Pope Benedict's historic mission to Turkey is history. He left Istanbul earlier today after four days of meetings, services and sightseeing aimed at making peace with Muslims and with Orthodox Christians. Many Muslims, as you know, were outraged by a Papal lecture in September, that appeared to link Islam with violence.

In Turkey, the pope praised Islam as a peaceful religion and endorsed Turkey's entry into the European Union. He also made clear he expects Islamic nations to respect the rights of Christian minorities.

LEMON: Well, our coverage of World Aids Day continues in a moment. Basketball great Magic Johnson joins us to discuss living with HIV and AIDS. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Live pictures from Emory University right here in Atlanta, Georgia. This is just part of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. You remember 10 years ago when it was spread across the Mall in Washington, 45,000 panels. It weighs 54 tons.

Well, this is just a portion of it, 650 panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Of course, each panel memorializing the life of an individual who lost his or her life to AIDS. Largest display in the country, this AIDS Memorial Quilt.

Well, it's December 1st, and that means people around the globe are pausing to take stock of AIDS. The World Health Organization founded World AIDS Day in 1988. This year's theme is accountability. Since 1981 when recordkeeping began on a new and terrifying disease, more than 65 million people have been infected.

LEMON: It was a moment that stunned America and changed the face of the AIDS crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EARVIN "MAGIC" JOHNSON, FORMER NBA PLAYER: Because of the HIV virus that I have attained, I will have to retire from the Lakers today. I just want to make clear, first of all, that I do not have the AIDS disease because I know a lot of you are -- want to know that, but the HIV virus.

My wife is fine. She's negative. So there's no problem with her. I plan on going on, living for a long time, bugging you guys like I always have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, that was November 6th, 1991. Many thought Magic Johnson's announcement that he was HIV positive meant death would soon follow. At the time, the drugs that kept HIV at bay in infected people had not yet been developed. At the time, most people didn't know the difference between being HIV positive and having AIDS. At the time, Americans thought of AIDS as a gay disease, as a white disease.

But Earvin "Magic" Johnson helped change that and became an activist in the fight against HIV and AIDS. He joins us now from Los Angeles here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Thanks for joining us. Looking at that, every time you hear that -- and I'm sure you've heard it a couple of times you've been on these trips, and you've been on shows like this, what goes through your head when you see and hear that?

JOHNSON: Well, I think what really goes through my mind is the fact that I want to thank God for me being here 15 years later and just, really, the medicine that has come down the pipeline, but also the fact that how this disease has really changed because it used to be a gay disease. Now it's actually a black and brown disease. And now we have to really go into the African-American and Latino community and do a better job of raising awareness level, also educating people about HIV and AIDS, and caring for those who have HIV and AIDS. So what a dramatic change from 15 years ago, and now over 50 percent of all the new cases are through African-Americans.

LEMON: Yes, we're going to talk about what you're doing, but let's talk about that. There are people who say, you know what, this should have been done a long time ago. There were people in the AIDS community, people in the gay community, people saying, hey, AIDS in the black community is just running rampant and no one's really talking about it.

Do you think that we should have done something earlier? It's great that we're doing something now, but do you think more people should have paid attention to this earlier and maybe these numbers might not be so staggering?

JOHNSON: Oh, no question about it. We should have paid attention to it earlier. It's unfortunate that we have to now, since we're behind the eight ball in a sense, really try to get out here and also get out here in a big way and to the African-American community.

But it is what it is, so we can't look backwards now. We have to move forward, and what are we going to do about the problem? And I think all of us have got to work together -- the faith-based community, the government, the public officials, the great HIV and the AIDS organizations across America -- and all band together and come with a gameplan that's going to bring those numbers down.

And I think that I stand -- with MAGIC Campaign, that's what we're doing with a great company like Abbott. I partner with them through the Magic Johnson Foundation. And we have all this information on www.istandwithmagic. If you log onto that, you're going to get a lot of good information about HIV and AIDS, because that's what's been missing as well, the fact that we haven't had the right information about HIV and AIDS.

And then we can't have the same attitude and or the mindset when it comes to HIV and AIDS as well.

LEMON: Yes, and I'm glad you mentioned the faith-based community and also leaders. Anticipating World AIDS Day coming up, I spoke with several black leaders -- Maxine Waters recently, Reverend Joseph Lowery, also Harry Belafonte and then recently Jesse Jackson who said on Saturday he's going to be asking all ministers in the country to take public HIV tests and encourage men to take those tests as well, which will lead to women taking them, but basically he believes that men are the basic carriers.

Let's talk about testing, mandatory testing, because you were tested for something else. You weren't getting an HIV test. You were getting tested for health insurance.

JOHNSON: Right, the insurance company tested me for HIV and AIDS. And thank God that they did, because I'm glad we caught it early where I could then get on some medicine and get on a treatment that has worked for me for 15 years. So I think that...

LEMON: So what about the importance of being tested, of getting tested?

JOHNSON: Oh, it's very important. Oh, getting tested is the most important thing. That's why we have three days of testing right now. While I'm talking to you, there's people being tested. We've already tested about 300 people early this morning and we're going to be here through this evening, as well as Saturday and Sunday.

So testing is very, very important because people need to know their status. There's a lot of people walking around who have HIV and don't even know it. And so we must urge young people and all people to get out and get tested.

LEMON: Yes, in your announcement, you mentioned your wife in your announcement. And let's just -- let's be real about this. Probably the people who are most at risk in the highest numbers now, African-American women. And many of them getting it from their partners, from their male partners, maybe on the down low or contracted it some other way. What is your advice when it comes to that?

JOHNSON: Well, when it comes to that, first of all, I would expect all men to be open to their partners about if they are living that double life, much what you just talked about. And then I urge all women because it's the -- especially African-American women, when you think of that it is the number one killer for those women ages 25 to 35. And those are young women.

So women are going to have to really take charge of making sure that their partners are wearing protection and that they also make sure that they educate themselves about HIV and AIDS. But it's up to the women to really take charge now, and also men get out and get tested as well, but women really got to take charge.

LEMON: Well, let's hope that people listen to your advice and follow your lead. And, I mean, I do have to commend you. I think this is something great that you're doing. Let's put up your Web site so people will know. It's called istandwithmagic.com.

If you want information on what Magic Johnson is doing, and I would imagine, what other people are doing in the community to stop or at least try to halt in some way the spread of the HIV and AIDS in the African-American community, you can go to this Web site, istandwithmagic.com.

How are you doing today? How is your health?

JOHNSON: My health is wonderful. I work out five days a week. Like I said, the medicine is working. I'm doing my part. God has blessed me to do his part. And all I want to do is bring those numbers down, much what you -- we've about talking about and also encourage others to get into the HIV and AIDS fight with us, because that's more important as well.

So the more people we can get, the more public officials that we can get, the more corporations that we can get, corporations like Abbott, who is doing a wonderful job working with my foundation, that -- it's going to bring those numbers down.

LEMON: That's what I want to talk to you about, just real quickly, because we're running out of time. But I want to talk to you about that. The drugs, antiretrovirals and AIDS drugs are not cheap. And getting them -- I mean, some people get sick because they can't afford to have those treatments. I think it's like $1,500 a month and upwards for people who may be HIV positive to get drugs.

JOHNSON: Yes. Well, I think that you're right. But I think that -- that's why we have to increase the ADAP program, make sure that the Ryan White Act, as well as the funding there increases. So the next person that we put into public office, especially in our president's office, we have to make sure that we hold them accountable for making sure that they increase the budget.

As well as everybody who needs drugs should still go to HIV and AIDS clinics or organizations because a lot of times they may get money from the county or the city to provide those who don't have the money to buy their drugs -- they can provide them for them.

So sometimes we think that they can't afford them or get them, where if they go to those clinics, they'll be amazed at some of those organizations will take care of them.

LEMON: Magic Johnson and, again, it's istandwithmagic.com. Go there for more information. We thank you for joining us on World AIDS day and we continue to hope that you keep making a difference and that your health is fine. Thank you, sir.

JOHNSON: I appreciate that.

LEMON: Let's talk about AIDS cases in Africa. AIDS cases in Africa, the numbers are staggering. But focus on the faces and the reality where it hits home. It's World AIDS Day and the CNN NEWSROOM continues our special coverage with a visit to the country and to the continent bearing the brunt of an epidemic.

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PHILLIPS: Well, it wasn't the first time a celeb's sobriety or lack there off stole the show and it probably won't be the last. But Danny DeVito's visit with the gals on "The View" is now part of tipsy TV history. And he's in good company. CNN's Jeanne Moos reports.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Danny DeVito was able to walk. It was when he started to talk on "The View" that he earned his new tabloid nickname, Danny DeVino. Though vino wasn't what he admitted drinking.

DANNY DEVITO, ACTOR: I knew it was the last seven lemon cellos (ph) that would get me.

MOOS: Got him after a night of hanging out with George Clooney. There DeVito was midmorning, apparently still smashed, ranting about President Bush, likening him to "The Three Stooges."

DEVITO: The guy who went "geg, geg, geg, geg, geg" (ph), "woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo (ph)."

MOOS: DeVito came to plug his new movie, "Deck the Halls," instead he decked the president. Describing how he visited the White House when Bill Clinton was there.

DEVITO: The place was -- had that kind of Clinton feeling. You know, I didn't go after, you know (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

MOOS: ABC bleeped what DeVito called President Bush. It's a colorful phrase. A blend of num and nuts, a phrase that basically means numb skull.

DEVITO: Trying to like figure out, you know, what to do with our country and our women and men in the military -- "cafik go ga foo" (ph).

MOOS: DeVito is far from the first celeb to show up on TV in an altered state. There was Joe Namath, threatening to kiss an ESPN reporter.

JOE NAMATH, FRM. NFL QUARTERBACK: I want to kiss you. I couldn't care less about the team struggling.

MOOS: There was Courtney Love barging in on an MTV interview with Madonna.

COURTNEY LOVE, MUSICIAN/ACTRESS: Am I fully interrupting?

MOOS: Barging on to David Letterman's desk, poor David has had his share of out of it celebs.

For years, it's been debated whether actor Crispin Glover has been on acid, which he denied, or doing a comedy act.

CRISPIN GLOVER, ACTOR: I can check.

DAVID LETTERMAN, LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN: I'm going to check on the top 10.

MOOS: And then there was Farrah Fawcett.

LETTERMAN: How are you doing? Are you doing all right?

FARRAH FAWCETT, ACTRESS: Sort of like they -- wow. They perceive it in -- I really -- I really thought I was looking out the window.

MOOS: Sort of makes Danny DeVito seem lucid. Talking about spending a frisky night in the Lincolm Bedroom at the White House with his wife.

DEVITO: Really wrecked the joint. I mean, every place. In that bedroom was...

ROSIE O'DONNELL, COMEDIAN: Utilized.

DEVITO: Utilized.

MOOS: DeVito ended his appearance on Rosie O'Donnell's lap. When the next guest came on, Rosie greeted him with nice to see you sober.

And the morning after, Danny DeBlotto's appearance, they were still talking about it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was a fun drunk.

O'DONNELL: He was a fun drunk.

MOOS: Tell that to President Bush. Not that he didn't used to party hearty.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

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LEMON: Is it a plan yet? A bipartisan report on the U.S. mission in Iraq is due next week. But we're getting early word in the CNN NEWSROOM. Stay right here for details.

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