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Alleged Missouri Kidnapper Pleads Not Guilty; Iraqi Prime Minister Requests More American Weapons; Art Buchwald Dies At 81; Atlanta Falcons' Michael Vick May Be In Trouble; Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Buy House In New Orleans

Aired January 18, 2007 - 15:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in for Kyra Phillips.

Reunited with his family after four long years with alleged kidnapper Michael Devlin -- what did Shawn Hornbeck tell Oprah Winfrey about his ordeal?

LEMON: And did a history of hard tackles lead to suicide for former NFL player Andre Waters? Another former player joins us to talk about his mission to find out.

WHITFIELD: And a buckle-up brouhaha -- "Consumer Reports" issues a recall on its review of infant car seats. So, what is safe for your baby? We're checking it out in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: He told a judge he's not guilty, but Michael Devlin supposedly told police something very different.

Devlin, wearing jailhouse orange, appeared this morning by video hookup at his arraignment on one count of first-degree kidnapping in Missouri. That would be the case of 13-year-old Ben Ownby, missing four days.

Devlin is also charged with kidnapping 15-year-old Shawn Hornbeck, who was missing four years. That will be tried in another county. Outside today's proceedings, a Franklin County prosecutor said Devlin confessed to kidnapping Ownby. Defense attorneys have no comment on that.

Well, he never gave up, and he kept his faith. Shawn Hornbeck told Oprah Winfrey, that's how he made it through 51 months with accused kidnapper Michael Devlin. It was an interview during which Shawn showed his affection for his parents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW")

OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": Can you tell me how you got through these past four years?

SHAWN HORNBECK, FORMER KIDNAP VICTIM: Hope and praying.

WINFREY: Hope and praying. You said you would pray and cross yourself every night?

HORNBECK: Yes.

WINFREY: And what would the prayer be?

HORNBECK: That, one day, my parents would find me, and I would be reunited with them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, Shawn Hornbeck's alleged kidnapper, Michael Devlin, pleaded not guilty this morning to a single count of first-degree kidnapping.

WHITFIELD: Well, no slack for President Bush from Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

In a series of interviews, the Iraqi leader says Washington failed to provide enough equipment for Iraqi security forces. He says the failure has cost American lives. As quoted by "The Washington Post," al-Maliki says, if the U.S. provides more and better weapons for his forces, then, in three to six months, Iraq's need for American troops would dramatically drop.

Also today, the Iraqi leader is quoted as slamming Mr. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for criticizing the manner of Saddam Hussein's execution. Al-Maliki says, the criticism boosts the morale of the terrorists.

President Bush is pushing more troops, but Iraq's prime minister's says what he really needs is more weapons, as I just explained. Nouri al-Maliki says, if Iraqi security forces get the equipment they need, U.S. troops could start withdrawing in three to six months.

So, let's elaborate further on that with our Jamie McIntyre, who is at the Pentagon -- Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, as you might expect, there is considerable downplaying of Nouri al-Maliki's comments.

First of all, U.S. officials say they're not entirely sure exactly what he said and the context in which he made those remarks, some of them in interviews with European newspapers. But they say the bottom line is that Nouri al-Maliki and the U.S. government and U.S. military commanders are on the same page, in terms of what needs to happen over the next couple of months to make significant progress.

And U.S. military commanders have pointedly said that this new strategy that's being employed was actually proposed by the Iraqis, and being supported by the United States. Now, that said, nobody disputes that the Iraqi forces do need more and better equipment, and it has been a source of frustration to both U.S. and Iraqi commanders, that it's taken so long to get some of those troops adequately equipped. But they don't -- U.S. officials, including some of the White House comments today, say that they point out that they believe that Nouri al-Maliki's comments are consistent with the strategy going forward. The idea that, if there are sufficient Iraqi forces sufficiently equipped, that they can make significant progress over the next couple of months, enabling a drawdown of U.S. troops, is something that both governments are united in.

So, they're portraying these comments as something that you would expect from the Iraqi president, and they're saying there's not that much daylight between his position and the U.S. position -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And, so, how seriously might the Department of Defense take al-Maliki's suggestion of: Just give us the equipment, focus more on that?

Hasn't the complaint already been, from some of the U.S. generals on the ground, that training has been slow? So, why give new equipment to a group of people who don't have the training to be able to handle the equipment?

MCINTYRE: Well, you know, I think what your question gets at is that this is a much more complicated situation than just giving them more guns, and taking off.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

MCINTYRE: And, in fact, I think that what you hear from a lot of officials is that they believe that that characterization of Nouri al- Maliki remarks is probably an oversimplification of what he said -- again, general agreement that there needs to be better equipping and more effective forces.

One of the ways they're doing that is to bring in to Baghdad some of the forces that are the most reliable and most effective, including some of the Kurd -- Iraqi Kurd battalions from the north that have proved to be more reliable. So, they're doing a lot of things on a lot of different levels to try to make this strategy work again. And one of them does involve more equipment.

I think what you're hearing from the Iraqi president is a level of frustration about things that have happened in the past. And, of course, there's a lot of finger-pointing about what could have been done better over the last couple of years, so that the U.S. and Iraqi government were not at the position they're in right now.

WHITFIELD: Yes, lots of frustration being expressed all the way around.

Jamie McIntyre, thanks so much, from the Pentagon.

LEMON: Almost four years into a war, some two million Iraqis have up and left their country. Who among them should get refuge in America? That's a question being asked more and more these days.

And joining us live from the State Department to talk about that, CNN's Zain Verjee.

Hi, Zain.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hi there.

Thousands of Iraqis are seeking refugee in the United States, many of them fleeing religious persecution and sectarian violence in Iraq. But they're encountering major obstacles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE (voice-over): New identities for new lives -- two Iraqi refugees now living in the United States won't show their faces, but want to tell their stories to U.S. lawmakers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name was listed on the doors of several mosques.

VERJEE: A truck driver who brought water to American troops says he was jumped by insurgents, beaten, and threatened with death.

And an interpreter for the U.S. military says, he narrowly escaped a car bomb attack.

Thousands of Iraqis who serve as contractors, guides, or translators for Americans are now targets of assassination, and fleeing their country. Experts say, Iraq is the fastest-growing refugee crisis in the world. About two million Iraqis have fled their country. One hundred thousand people flee Iraq a month. Nearly two million Iraqis have abandoned their homes and are refugees in their own country.

Yet, since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, only 466 Iraqis have been allowed to come to the United States as refugees, partly because of limited quotas, and partly because of how difficult it is to determine who meets refugee status criteria.

ELLEN SAUERBREY, U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: Because of an enhanced security review that has been required, that has made it very difficult for these Iraqi refugees to pass through the screening mechanism.

VERJEE: Some lawmakers say, Iraqis deserve the help of the U.S. government, and want to speed up the process of getting refugees safely to America.

SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: We do have a special obligation to keep faith for the Iraqis who have bravely worked for us, and often paid a terrible price for it, by providing them with safe refuge in the United States.

VERJEE: Aid agencies say, a big concern is a complex law passed in 2005 that bans aid to terrorist organizations.

SEAN GARCIA, REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL: Many Iraqis have been kidnapped or paid ransom to terrorist groups inside Iraq to get loved ones back. And, unfortunately, the Bush administration does consider those types of payments as material support. That would bar them from entry to the U.S.

VERJEE: These Iraqi families are among hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees now in neighboring Jordan and Syria without work or easy access to health care and education.

GARCIA: They all were victims of kidnappings, tortures, rapes, murders in their families, their homes being bombed in the middle of the night. The level of violence has gotten very extreme.

VERJEE: Advocates say more money is needed to process and resettle refugees in the United States and give them homes and training, so they can be self-sufficient.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE: The State Department has acknowledged that this refugee situation is a major problem. What they want to do is work with the U.S. Congress to try and provide some sort of special status to certain Iraqi refugees, like those religious minorities or Iraqis that have helped the U.S. government.

LEMON: So, Zain, what is the process? How do Iraqis apply to the U.S. for refuge?

VERJEE: We spoke to some experts. And, essentially, they said that the Iraqis don't have a direct application process to the U.S. They can't apply to embassies for refugee status in the -- in the United States.

The United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees essentially controls the screening process. And they have been very hesitant to refer Iraqi refugees to the United States, simply because they're aware that there are not that many spots, that there is a limited quota. And they have also had major budget problems. So, it's been hard to expedite the process.

LEMON: Yes. And, Zain, of course, money always an issue, when it comes to this, for people who may not be able to afford it.. How much money is the U.N. looking for?

VERJEE: The U.N. is looking for about $60 million. Now, the United States normally funds about 25 percent of that number, but they're being asked, just because of the situation, because Iraqis are helping them in their own country, and are being prosecuted, also, because of it, the U.N. is asking that the United States pay 50 percent of that number of $60 million.

And that, they hope, will expedite the processing of refugees on the ground, as well as when -- when refugees come to the United States. They're going to need money to -- for -- for housing programs, for training programs, like languages, and just to make Iraqis self-sufficient in this country.

LEMON: Zain Verjee, reporting from the State Department, thank you so much.

WHITFIELD: So, one question being asked: What took so long? That's the question from critics of the Bush administration's domestic surveillance program, which will now be subject to review by a secret court.

That decision announced just 24 hours before Attorney General Alberto Gonzales appeared today before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R), PENNSYLVANIA: We lost a close election. And I wouldn't want to get involved in what was cause-and-effect, but the heavy criticism which the president took on the program I think was very harmful in the political process and for the reputation of the country. So, I will be inquiring further as to why it took so and what could have been done further.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, even as they welcomed the about-face, senators said they still have questions about the court's jurisdiction over eavesdropping inside the U.S.

LEMON: And this is likely to happen this time of year. You're driving on snow and ice, and your wheels start to do scary things.

WHITFIELD: Mm-hmm.

LEMON: What do you do?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you make yourself look somewhere else, almost instinctively, your hands and your feet will figure it out, and will -- and it will help get to where you want to go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look away from the bad stuff?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look away from the bad stuff.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Ah, I don't know about that. That's hard to do. But driving tips that could save your life, that's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

WHITFIELD: He loved the game, but did football play a role in Andre Waters' suicide? Up next in the NEWSROOM, we will look at the potential dangers of sports-related head injuries.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: It's a very interesting story.

Andre Waters seemed to have it all. His thriving career in the NFL spanned 12 sevens. He played safety for the Philadelphia Eagles and was a well-known heavy-hitter. But he also was a heavy-hit recipient. He once told a reporter he stopped counting his concussions after the 15th. And, later, severe depression set in and led to suicide.

Heartbroken and confused, family and friends are still looking for answers. Now a researcher may have found some.

Joining us are Wendy Wright, a neurologist with Emory University Hospital, and Chris Nowinski, author of a book called "Head Games."

Thank you both for joining us today.

DR. WENDY WRIGHT, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF NEUROLOGY AND NEUROSURGERY, EMORY UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: Thank you.

CHRIS NOWINSKI, AUTHOR, "HEAD GAMES": Thank you.

LEMON: I'm going to start with you, Doctor.

According to this report and one of the doctors who worked on Mr. Waters, he said, no matter how you look at it, no matter how you try to distort it, bend did, it's the significant forensic factor, given the global scenario, that these hits to the head and concussions led to the depression, and then to the suicide.

WRIGHT: Well, we certainly do know that concussion can cause brain damage, and the damage that Mr. Waters seems to have suffered is absolutely consistent with those concussions.

And, of course, we know that people with concussions are more prone to depression. And there is growing evidence that they are more prone to suicide. Now, it's difficult to link each individual case of concussion to suicide, because suicide happens in the population. Concussion happens in the population. And you don't always know if this is something that Mr. Waters might have suffered from without the concussions.

But you can't ignore the fact that he's had significant damage to his brain that is -- that is obvious on the studies that were reported...

LEMON: So...

WRIGHT: ... and that, certainly, concussion was a contributing factor.

LEMON: Factors, you're saying, but not conclusive?

WRIGHT: Very suggestive, but it's hard to be conclusive in each individual case.

LEMON: OK.

I want to talk to Chris Nowinski.

A very interesting story about how you -- what happened after the death. You actually called the family and sort of pushed the family into letting you examine the brain of Mr. Waters, because, in your career, you had suffered concussions. And, through your findings, you thought that they may lead to depression or some sort of dire symptoms later in life.

Tell us about why you did it, and about that -- that phone conversation with his family.

NOWINSKI: Sure.

Well, concussions ended my career. I played football at Harvard, then wrestled for WWE. And that is what got me so interested in the topic, published the book. Terry Long was a similar case. He committed suicide last year at the age of 45, a former Pittsburgh Steelers lineman.

So, I read about Andre. I immediately thought of Terry, because Terry was the second known case of CTE. So, immediately, I thought, well, maybe this is a similar case for Andre. When I did the research on Andre's concussion history, he had one of the worst concussion histories I have ever come across.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: But, Chris, how do you call a family and say, "Hey, I would like to examine your -- your loved one's brain"?

NOWINSKI: Sure.

LEMON: "I would like to have it examined"?

NOWINSKI: It was a very tough call. I knew how much was riding on this. I mean, this -- this research is so important to make the case to play football and take care of concussions more -- more safely.

So, I called, and I really kind of just explained who I was and what I have been doing, and the connections. I shared with them a lot of the research.

LEMON: And their reaction?

NOWINSKI: And their reaction was, they were -- they embraced it. They really did right off the bat. They said, if -- if this can help other football players, and this can help give us answers as to why Andre took his life, we would love to do it.

LEMON: So, they were receptive to it.

Why the push for you? Do you -- it is your opinion that the NFL, and maybe other major league sports, they're not taking concussions and brain injuries seriously. You would like to see them take them more seriously, and look into them further.

NOWINSKI: Absolutely, I mean, specifically the NFL. I mean, the NFL has actually published some really flawed research, saying that concussions aren't very -- aren't bad for you. And they -- publishers are saying that CTE doesn't exist in football players.

Now we have a third case saying it does. So -- and they're -- meanwhile, they're putting players who are getting knocked out back into the game, when international guidelines say, that's crazy.

LEMON: Yes.

And we -- you know, the -- we contacted the NFL, and they declined to comment. But they did say that they were beginning -- at least they told a publish -- a publication that they were beginning to study retired players to later to see -- to see if, in later years, that -- if concussions were indeed a subsequent cause for depression. And...

NOWINSKI: Based on the research they have published -- you know, the other experts, the independent experts saying that they don't trust any of the NFL's research.

LEMON: OK.

NOWINSKI: So, for them to say that is pointless at this point. And they're setting a terrible example for kids, because kids learn about how to take care of concussions by watching the NFL.

LEMON: We are going to talk about kids.

But, Doctor, what I want to know, what more can be done about this? Do you think that major league sports should take a more serious role in this?

WRIGHT: Certainly, mostly because they want to protect their own players, but also to -- as Mr. Nowinski so eloquently pointed out, to protect the children that are going to use these players as role models.

And it can't be stated enough that concussions are very serious. They cause ongoing brain damage, which, as a neurologist, is an important concern for me. And the -- there's no treatment for concussion. So, the only thing to do is to try to prevent them.

LEMON: Yes.

WRIGHT: If someone is going to have one, even one fairly mild to moderate concussion, you don't know what the long-term effects are going to be until very serious, well-done studies are published.

And, you know, if it was my child, I would not want to take that kind of chance with my child's brain. So, parents need to be very aware of the problem. And the professional athletes could really take a serious role in providing the good role models that they should be.

LEMON: And just to give you an idea of what we're talking about, the -- an NFL study, an NFL concussion study, 182 concussions of significant head impacts between 1996 and 2001.

Now, Chris, when you contacted the family, the family also -- the niece of Mr. Waters said that parents should be worried. That was her conclusion in that, that young kids need to understand that parents need -- and parents need to be taught about serious concussions when they're playing sports, as well. And we're not talking about major league sports here.

NOWINSKI: No.

I mean, you know, she's read my book. I mean, she understands it's not really an NFL problem. Ninety-five percent of people playing football are under 18. And they don't have access, you know, to doctors, to trainers, to anyone with any knowledge of concussions.

So, when they get a ding, they're just -- they're not telling anybody. They're not telling an adult. They're not telling a parent. And they're going out and playing. And we also know that concussions are far worse for kids than they are for adults.

So, while we sit here and talk about this, it's a really big problem at the NFL level, we're ignoring the fact that, for all these children, they have nothing. They don't know what the injury is, and they don't know how to treat it. And the only people that can help them are perhaps their parents. So, it's scary, when you look at that level.

LEMON: And, Doctor, when you look at it, I mean, Mr. Waters said he had 15 concussions, and so many that he didn't -- he stopped counting.

One would wonder how does this person who is vivacious and gregarious, you know, a safety, a very solid professional career, spiraled downwards into depression and then ultimately suicide. It appears that -- it appears that you're saying it's not conclusive, but there's some pretty hard evidence there.

WRIGHT: It's extremely suggestive. Don't get me wrong on that point.

And for the very distinguished neuropathologist who had a chance to examine his brain, which I have not, to say that he had the brain of an 80-year-old...

LEMON: Right.

WRIGHT: ... at 44 is very significant. There's no doubt that he had significant brain damage caused by these concussions.

And, so, the question could be, was this a gentleman who was prone to depression and the head injuries made it worse...

LEMON: Right.

WRIGHT: ... or did the head injury actually cause the depression... LEMON: Thank you...

WRIGHT: ... in the first place?

LEMON: ... very much.

Dr. Wendy Wright and Chris Nowinski, we thank you both for joining us.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Pretty interesting stuff.

You're watching the CNN NEWSROOM. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Are cigarette-makers deliberately boosting nicotine levels, so that you get hooked? There's new evidence that the answer is yes.

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

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi...

WHITFIELD: Susan.

LISOVICZ: ... Fredricka.

Yes, it's kind of jarring, when you consider all these PSAs out there sponsored by tobacco companies helping you to stop smoking or not start smoking in the first place. A new study suggests tobacco companies are doing everything they can to keep smokers addicted.

The study by Harvard University finds that tobacco companies have been boosting levels of nicotine, a substance that makes smoking both more addictive and pleasurable. It found an 11 percent increase per cigarette in the addictive chemical between 1997 and 2005.

The study's authors say the increases were -- quote -- "systematic and pervasive" and involved all the manufacturers. The study concludes that the increase was also done by design. It's estimated that 900,000 people become addicted to cigarettes each year -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And, so, Susan, I'm kind of having deja vu, because wasn't this the crux of the William (sic) Morris case years ago? And, so, what are cigarette-makers saying about this latest accusation?

LISOVICZ: It's just non-ending, right, because, Fred, you think of all the litigation, all the warnings.

Well, this is the latest here. Philip Morris, which is the world's leading maker of cigarettes, issued a statement in response. It provided data on one of its brands only. It says nicotine levels in Marlboro cigarettes were the same in 2006 as they were in 1997. However, the last year the study looked at was 2005. Anti- smoking activists say the study offers compelling evidence that the federal government should regulate tobacco, similar to how the drug industry has to answer to the FDA.

We will be watching that story for sure.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

LISOVICZ: Let's follow another story that we're watching. And that is the markets -- stocks extending earlier losses.

Federal Reserve Chief Ben Bernanke told Congress earlier today the nation could face a fiscal crisis. And that's casting a shadow over the markets -- another big drop in crude prices not helping. Sometimes, it can boost stocks, but it's really been sliding dramatically this year. Oil actually fell below $50 at one point. And that has pressured major energy companies, public energy companies.

(MARKET REPORT)

LEMON: All right.

WHITFIELD: All right. Very good.

LEMON: Thank you very much.

I hope I do this right.

WHITFIELD: Oh.

LEMON (singing): Come and listen to a story about a man named Brad. He and Angie buy a house, and it's really quite a pad. They said they were sick...

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON (singing): ... of that Hollywood scene, so they loaded up the kids and they moved to New Orleans, Crescent City...

WHITFIELD: ... City, that is.

LEMON: Big Easy.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Y'all come back now, you hear?

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: Oh, you can carry a tune.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Hello everyone. I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield in for Kyra Phillips.

What's safe and what's not. "Consumer Reports" scraps recent ratings on infant car seats and said it needs to redo some of the tests. You are in the NEWSROOM.

But, first, this just in. An American woman who was killed along with three others in Baghdad yesterday has now been identified. 28- year-old Andrea, or Andy as they called her, Perhomvich (ph).

She was with three others when their convoy was ambushed in Baghdad. She had been working with a group promoting Democracy in Iraq. She last lived in New York before moving to Baghdad.

Perhomvich, her specific job, was to help Iraqi political party leaders and parliamentarians develop strategies to reach out to voters and constituents.

Her convoy was attacked and the other three people included a Hungarian, a Croatian, and an Iraqi. They worked as her security detail. She was 28.

LEMON: In other developing news here today, a surprise announce today from a respected consumer magazine. "Consumer Reports" is backing off a widely publicized report on infant car seats.

Just two weeks ago, the magazine claimed most of those seats failed crash tests at speeds as low as 35 miles an hour. Now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is questioning the accuracy of that claim and "Consumer Reports" has agreed to back off until it can conduct new tests.

The NHTSA official says the "Consumer Reports" tests were actually conducted under conditions that would represent being struck in excess of 70 miles an hour, twice as fast as "Consumer Reports" claimed.

The NHTSA says it tested the same child seats in conditions representing the conditions claimed by "Consumer Reports" and the seats stayed in the bases as they should, instead of failing dramatically.

WHITFIELD: Not a state has been spared in a week of winter storms. North Georgia and the Carolinas getting a taste of winter today with a coating of snow and ice. It was enough to close some schools there as well.

In the meantime, on the West Coast, a surprise snowfall has people in, of all places, Malibu, grabbing their cameras and throwing snowballs. It hasn't showed there in almost 20 years.

And Interstate 5, you remember the pictures from yesterday, north of Los Angeles, covered with ice and snow and all that. Well, it's reopened now. And then there is this. McAllister, Oklahoma iced over for a week now. Most of the homes are still without power. It is freezing cold and another storm is on the way.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well, we sadly have to report this. He has been called the patron saint of political satire. Pulitzer prize winning author and columnist Art Buchwald liked to say, quote, "if you attack the establishment long enough and hard enough, they make you a member of it."

Well Buchwald died last night at the age of 81 after a long battle with failing kidneys. A much longer battle than anyone expected.

Our Kyra Phillips has known Buchwald for years and she reports that even as he prepared to die, he had the time of his life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome back.

ART BUCHWALD, HUMORIST: Thank you. Are there any messages?

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: It was one of the last times I saw him, back in October.

So, Art, I've known you for 20 years. Where do we start?

BUCHWALD: Where do you start? We start in a heck of a place. It's a hospice.

PHILLIPS: He was in a hospice and laughing about it.

BUCHWALD: I remember the first months. All my buddies showed up. All of them. It was like Radio City Music Hall. They used to say at the beginning, have you seen the Lincoln Memorial and Art Buchwald? Bowled over.

PHILLIPS: It's true. When Art decided he'd had it with dialysis, his doctors told him he had less than three weeks to live. So he checked into hospice. Everyone came to say goodbye: Mike Wallace, Ethel Kennedy, Tom Brokaw, Ben Bradley, Walter Cronkite, the queen of Swaziland and, yes, me.

No, I'm not one of Art's famous friends. I mean, look at his life. Betty Bacall and Humphrey Bogart persuaded Art's wife Ann to marry him, Lucille Ball brought her kids over to visit. Hanging out with Paul Newman, Duke Ellington and Eddie Fisher was just another day in the life of Artie.

But I was one very lucky college student, given a pretty challenging assignment -- interview Art Buchwald and live to tell about it. The year? 1989. My headline? "Columnist Buchwald: The Laughs Started Here." BUCHWALD: Very nice article, I hope you got an A on it.

PHILLIPS: I may not have received an A on that article, but I did earn something far more valuable: a friendship, a pen pal, a mentor, and a man that continues to teach me life lessons.

BUCHWALD: I want USC to win a game once in awhile. Thank you.

PHILLIPS (on camera): Give me a fight on, Artie.

BUCHWALD: Fight on for USC.

PHILLIPS (voice-over): And there was he was in a hospice, a place where people go to die.

BUCHWALD: I find it funny about all of the things that have happened to me since I've been there. It's an unbelievable experience because after two and a half months, I've had a chance to say good-bye to everybody in my life, everybody in every walk from orphan asylum days to the Marine Corps, to USC, to Paris, to today. And I've gotten between 3,000 or 4,000 letters now from people.

PHILLIPS: At 81, Art told me he was having the time of his life, which always included giving everyone he loved a hard time, even his nurses.

(on camera): What do you love the most about him?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His sense of humor.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His sense of humor.

PHILLIPS: Art, what do you love about your favorite nurse?

BUCHWALD: She beats me up.

PHILLIPS: You beat him up?

BUCHWALD: Yes. She doesn't give me breakfast and she beats me up.

PHILLIPS: Is that true?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you call giving him a good bath beating him up, yes.

Doesn't he look good?

PHILLIPS (voice-over): Growing up an orphan, Art used humor to cope. He never imagined it would define his career. He joined the Marines to become a man. He went to USC to become a writer. Then Art bought his one-way ticket to Paris to become famous. It worked.

In the next half century, there would be more than 8,000 newspaper columns, more than 30 books and a Pulitzer Prize. Art checked out of hospice in June, kept writing his column and wrote one more book, "Art Buchwald: Too Soon to Say Good-Bye".

It's still too soon for me. But, now it's time.

Good-bye, Artie.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: The Atlanta Falcons' Michael Vick, may be -- and we repeat -- may be in trouble. Police say Vick was reluctant to give up a water bottle while going through screening yesterday at the Miami- Dade Airport. The screener checked the bottle and noticed the label had a seam.

A hidden compartment revealed a small residue that police say was -- and we're quoting here -- closely associated with marijuana. No charges have been filed, but police say the residue will be analyzed. No comment from the Falcons or the NFL.

WHITFIELD: Authorities say water and soda bottles with hidden compartments are a serious problem, in fact.

Reporter Brian Andrews of CNN affiliate WSVN looks at a novelty product that is no joke to police.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These look like regular water bottles. They even feel like them. You couldn't tell the difference between that and a regular Pepsi bottle.

BRAIN ANDREWS, WSVN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): It feels like a Pepsi.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These bottles have a little secret that's a concern to law enforcement.

ANDREWS: Oh, my gosh! The secret compartment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is holding -- it just happens to be my pager. But, I mean, in the wrong hands, I mean, this could be holding a firearm. It could be holding evidence. It could be holding drugs.

ANDREWS (voice-over): Police say these bottles with secret compartments are gaining in popularity. Even the police admit it's a rather clever idea. It sure looks like the real thing: a bottle of water, a bottle of soda.

But there's definitely a lot more to it.

(on camera): If it's a soda bottle, based on the feel, I mean, you probably would never know. And I'm looking here, and you can't see anything. How about the water bottle?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even the water bottle. I have my pager in it, which is a dark color and looking right through, you see it's light.

ANDREWS: You see nothing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing at all.

ANDREWS (voice-over): Police departments all over the state of Florida, put on notice about these bottles with secret compartments after police in Tallahassee found narcotics in a water bottle during a traffic stop in January.

We took the bottles to a local shopping center to see what people think.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you serious? People are putting drugs in these things for real?

ANDREWS (on camera): That's what the police are telling us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow. I would have never figured this out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whoa.

ANDREWS: They're actually selling these things in a flea market in Miami.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No way!

ANDREWS: Yes. Pull hard.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is scary!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is very scary.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aquafina Water and Pepsi Corporation probably have no idea this is even being done. These are being sold at area flea markets for about $20 apiece.

ANDREWS: Police say these bottles are absolutely legal and they have found them for sale here at the Liberty Flea Market on 79th Street and 27th Avenue. A bottle goes for 20 bucks a pop, and there's a deal going around: you can get two bottles with secret compartments for 35 bucks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Pretty remarkable and shocking, eh?

Well, again, as it relates to Michael Vick, no charges have been filed and there's been no comment from either the Atlanta Falcons or the NFL at this stage, either.

LEMON: Well, take a look at this. We know that's the French Quarter. Beautiful, huh? Well, we're going to look at Brad and Angie's new digs right in the French Quarter coming up.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So those are the digs. Hollywood's hottest couple is making their home in New Orleans. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have just bought a house in the French Quarter.

And as we hear from Taslin Alfonso of CNN affiliate WDSU, it looks like they plan on staying awhile.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TASLIN ALFONSO, WDSU CORRESPONDENT: The nearly 7500 square foot house sits on a prestigious street in the French Quarter. It has eight bedrooms, five full baths, two half baths and is more than 150 years old. Matt Dunn knows his new neighbors and has seen Angelina Jolie, at a local bar, The Abbey.

MATT DUNN, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: She came in there, hung out a couple of hours. I mean, they're moving across the street for me. It's cool. If I see them, I'll invite them up for a drink.

ALFONSO: Neighbor Donna Derrick says they'll fit right into the neighborhood.

DONNA DERRICK, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: Well, it's kind of a live and let live neighborhood, so I think they'll be -- it'll be a lot like New York for them, maybe, in that sense -- people will kind of leave them alone and let them sort of hang out and go to the restaurants they want to go to without being bothered.

ALFONSO: They closed on this three-story home on January 3rd for $3.575 million. It was listed as an exquisite early 1830s mansion.

(on camera): Just five miles away from their mansion is where Brangelina plans to send their three kids -- Maddox, Zahara and Shiloh. The school is called Ecole Bilingue.

(voice-over): It's a French immersion school that takes children from 18 months old to 5th grade. School officials would neither confirm nor deny that the couple is enrolling their children here. But the New Orleans archdiocese told us the couple did ask for a list of schools which included this one.

"US Weekly" magazine sites unnamed sources saying Jolie plans on keeping a low profile and befriending normal moms so she can do things with her kids.

A couple of moms we talked to say they would be all for that idea.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That would be great. Is Brad coming?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's a mother. Like we are. And, you know, always looking for good playmates for my child.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Bon Temps Roulet, let the good times roll.

LEMON: Let the good times roll.

WHITFIELD: OK, kids. It is beautiful. They're going to have a good time.

LEMON: I have got advice for them, I grew up near there. Water and rats, careful Angelina and Brad.

WHITFIELD: Well, the folks in the French Quarter are used to all of that. They don't care. They're just enjoying it.

LEMON: All right. Why don't we check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer to tell us what's coming up in "THE SITUATION ROOM." Hey, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, guys. Thanks very much. Satellite killer, China testing a new weapon to blow technology out of space. Find out why U.S. officials are very concerned right now.

Also, Iran peace office -- did the vice president Dick Cheney shoot down a plan to try to ease tensions?

Plus, a CNN exclusive -- is this a dry run for a terrorist attack? Video you're going to see only here on CNN and video that has law enforcement taking a closer look at L.A. subways.

And presidential race factor -- death threats in a real fear of assassination. Find out what African-American candidates face on the road, at least potentially, to the White House.

All that coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM." Thanks guys.

LEMON: Thank you.

Closing bell and a wrap of all the action on Wall Street straight ahead.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: We had to show this again. Stuck on a frozen lake, unable to stand, out of reach of would-be rescuers, what's a deer to do? Well, human by-standers were wondering what they could do without falling through the ice when chopper pilot Mason Dunn of KWTV in Oklahoma City, well he had a brainstorm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MASON DUNN, KWTV: So I thought, well, if I can get close enough, maybe I can just blow the deer over to the shore.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got it, Mason. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that, he did.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got it, Bubba.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: I love that Bubba part!

LEMON: All is well that ends well. And as you can see, after only a minute or so, the deer was back its feet and scampering back into the woods.

WHITFIELD: And it was so gentle and so smart.

LEMON: Yeah. Very smart chopper guy. Blew him right in there.

WHITFIELD: Thinking on his feet -- or in the sky.

All right. The closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street.

LEMON: Susan Lisovicz standing by with a final look at the trading day. Hey, Susan.

(MARKET REPORT)

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