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Interview With Actor Kevin Bacon; Frozen in Oklahoma; Time to Disconnect?
Aired January 21, 2007 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Not guilty. A suspected kidnapper's first public words until now. It's a revealing jailhouse interview with Michael Devlin, where he talks strangely enough about romance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got four children that are missing, range in ages between eight and 16-months old.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: More stolen children. Police say these kids are in "extreme danger." But it's no stranger who took them.
You like Superbowl ads. Who doesn't? We've got some to show you. And these may have been done by your neighbor. All this from the CNN NEWSROOM.
Hello again, everybody. I'm Rick Sanchez.
Tonight, the first real words of a man who's got a lot of answering to do. First, the case. Talk about a crazy emotional rollercoaster ride of a week. The families of these two young men, families who didn't even know each other until their story stopped the nation in its tracks. We've learned more Ben Ownby, Shawn Hornbeck, and the man whose locked up or allegedly tried to kidnap him.
But so many questions still remain, like why an able bodied boy like Shawn didn't try to escape over four long years. We're not the only ones who are wondering, by the way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRAIG AKERS, SHAWN HORNBECK'S STEPFATHER: It's obvious that there was something, some way he was manipulated to where he thought that that wasn't an option. And he was 11-years old when he was taken. He was very young, very impressionable. Obviously something had to have happened for him to feel like that it was not possible for him to just walk away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Of course, those are Shawn's parents. And of course, we're talking about this astonishing lost and found case in the St. Louis suburbs. That's where 41-year old Michael Devlin lived, worked, and allegedly held the boy captive for more than four years. This weekend, the very first words from the suspect emerged from behind bars. More on that in a minute.
But check out this. The impression that Devlin made on some of his neighbors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROB BUSHELLE, DEVLIN'S NEIGHBOR: My first instinct is that I'm about to get in a fight with this guy.
HARRY REICHARD, DEVLIN'S NEIGHBOR: I want to stay away from that guy. I don't like that man. He basically, you know, is somebody that I don't want to deal with.
TOM GARDNER, DEVLIN'S NEIGHBOR: Abusive discipline is what it sounded like. Just couldn't tell you if there was anything physical, but Mr. Devlin would seem to be a fairly loud and abusive as far as in a speaking manner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Speaking about her may be a good choice of words. Michael Devlin has been in a jail now for more than a week. We've heard from his boss, his neighbors, his acquaintances, his accusers but nothing from Devlin himself, until now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The accused kidnapper talked to "The New York Post" in two 15-minute interviews given from the Franklin County Jail. Michael Devlin admitted to "The Post" that he hasn't talked to his parents yet saying, "it's much easier talking to a stranger about these things than your own parents."
Devlin, who comes from a large family, told the paper the only visitors he's had in jail were his attorneys. He also told the reporter that he became lonely and withdrawn in 2002 when he was diagnosed with diabetes.
When talking about the past four years, the amount of time that Shawn Hornbeck was missing, Devlin told "The Post and we quote, "I guess I was relatively happy."
The newspaper reports when asked if he was attracted to women, Devlin answered, "I can't talk about that because it has to do with the case."
Last week, Shawn Hornbeck's parents told Oprah they thought their son was sexually abused during his captivity. Devlin has pleaded not guilty to one charge of felony kidnapping in regards to Ben Ownby. And he's expected to be arraigned on kidnapping charges in the case of Shawn Hornbeck as well.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Michael Devlin, as you may have seen, not very forthcoming in his comments to "The Post", but certainly forthcoming enough to upset if not anger his attorneys. His attorneys are saying they just wish he'd keep quiet at this point. They spoke to CNN affiliate KSDK. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ETHAN CORLIJA, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Any time you have unauthorized, unrestricted access in a jailing facility, you've got problems, especially with a case like this. So it's something that we're going to work to rectify first thing tomorrow morning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Now this is what we like to see, something good rising from the ashes of really something horrible. These parents, these kids in the same Missouri county where the two abducted boys were amazingly found. They're taking the cue from the headlines and taking steps to prevent a similar family tragedy. They're putting on record their kids' DNA samples, their dental impressions, their photographs, and their fingerprints. Simple precautions, but an unfortunate sign of the times.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I grew up in a time where you could ride your bike around and not have to worry about some stranger coming and taking you. It's just - it's very scary nowadays.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You always think it can't happen to you, it can't happen to your kids. But at this point, it can happen to anybody.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's what you have to do today in order to be safe. It's really scary that I have to come out here and register like this, because it's really - it's just as scary, but I know it's necessary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Now there's news tonight of another child abduction. This one's in one in Indiana and this one's still unresolved. And for lots of reasons, this one is very urgent.
Four youngsters, the oldest, 9-years old and their mother were abducted. Police believe they're all with Jerry D. White. That's the children's father, but where? That's the question still. And consider this. Police say White shot a man in the course of taking the children. That man is in critical condition. And there's even more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL WARGO, DETECTIVE SGT., ELKHART, INDIANA POLICE DEPT.: The eldest of the children is about eight-years old, like I said. And he's a severe asthmatic. It's been told to us that he requires to be placed on a ventilator every several hours for his asthma problem. The ventilator is still here at the house in Elkhart. So we don't know his condition is at this time. We're not sure if he's received any medical treatment or not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Let's get more now on the search for Jerry D. White. On the line now from Chicago, CNN's Keith Oppenheim, who's been looking into this for the last 24 hours or so.
This is an amazing story, Keith. So what we have is a man who's shot someone, according to police, driving around possibly with four children and their mother, correct?
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And important to emphasize here, Rick, that the man, according to police, is also the father of the children. He never married Kimberly Walker. She is his ex-girlfriend, but he has taken her and his four children, according to police. And they are nowhere to be found at this point.
There were a couple of cars that police thought might have been the get-away car in this abduction, but both of them were found in Elkhart. Though at this point, investigators are baffled as to where he may be.
SANCHEZ: I haven't seen a lot of cases that I've covered, I'm sure you haven't either, where police come out and the very first thing out of their mouth is these people are in extreme danger. And that's the words they're using. But I imagine the fact that he has shot someone, according to them, makes this extremely urgent for them.
OPPENHEIM: True. And there was also some build-up to this case, Rick, because the person who was shot is the boyfriend of the ex- girlfriend's sister, Kimberly Walker's sister's boyfriend.
SANCHEZ: But we don't know what the motive is on that, do we?
OPPENHEIM: Well, they were coming over to the house, the boyfriend and the sister, according to the police, because she wanted some protection because she was getting increased harassment from him. So it sounds like it was a series of domestic abuse that police were responding to. And then eventually it came to the point where they were held at gunpoint.
SANCHEZ: But the obvious question here is what do these four innocent kids have to do with any of this?
OPPENHEIM: Well, you know, what his motive is, I cannot answer.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
OPPENHEIM: But in cases like this, sometimes what you have is that someone wants the power, they want possession. And he's taken at this point, as far as we can tell, possession of his ex-girlfriend, the mother of his four children.
SANCHEZ: Unbelievable story. Keith Oppenheim from Chicago. Thanks so much for bringing us up to date on it. Certainly a story that we're going to stay on top of that here on CNN. Boy, there has been a lot happening. So let's try and bring you up to date now on some of the other big stories that we've been following tonight.
First in Ohio, a 75-year-old man is dead after being struck by a police car that was rushing to go an emergency. The man was just crossing the street. A crowd then gathered. They started throwing rocks and bottles upset at the police. The officers called for help. The crowd was finally disbursed. Up to now we understand, no arrests have been made.
It's supposed to be used for medical procedures, instead it set the building on fire. A laser device left on an examination table sparked this blaze in a L.A. dermatologist's office. The fire did about $200,000 worth of damage.
Scary and slippery moments in Milwaukee. Northwest flight 1726 skidded off the runway this morning, but no major injuries were reported. The pilot aborted takeoff as the jet sped down the runway. Apparently, he spotted an engine that was having some problems. There were 99 people on board this plane.
Bill Jenklo gets off probation tomorrow. He's the former South Dakota congressman and governor who sped through a stop sign three years ago and killed a motorcyclist. Jenklo served 100 days in jail, paid a fine. He resigned from Congress shortly after his conviction.
And you probably already noticed gas prices dropped almost 14 cents over the past couple of weeks. According to the Lundberg Survey, which we often check on, self-serve regular is going for about $2.18 a gallon nationwide. You can thank the mild winter and OPEC's failure to follow through on its planned production cuts for that.
Now let's say you that left your cell phone or your Blackberry in another room for a while. How long do you think it would take to check it out for missed calls or e-mails? If you said five minutes or less, yes, you may be addicted. Some people say they have had enough of the Blackberries and the e-mails and the cell phones. And they're getting unplugged.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People want to be accessible. And they want to be interrupted and needed all the time. And I'm just -- I'm the opposite. I like to get away from people and unhooked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: You might call them tech-nos. We'll hear more from them in about 40 minutes.
And now we'd like to know what you want to say. Tonight's last call is this, can you get unplugged? Give us a call at 1-800-807- 2620. We're going to air some of your responses later this hour.
Well, it's a storybook season that marches to a bit of an abrupt halt. The New Orleans Saints won't be going to the Superbowl. That spot now reserved for the Chicago Bears, but for Saints fans, tonight's NFL championship was more than just a game. It was a symbolic struggle of somehow trying to beat the odds and doing quite well at it.
In the end, two teams, two champions in their own right. You can't choose who ends up in the Superbowl, but you had your say in this matter.
Crash the Superbowl? Thousands of armchair quarterbacks don the role of Cecil D. Demille and created their own 30-second spot for Doritos. For days, people logged on and voted on the five finalists. The winner's been chosen, we understand, but we won't know who won until game night. We're going to show you a few of the finalists, by the way. Some of these commercials that you'll see in the Superbowl throughout the hour.
Is it better to give than that receive? This hour, we've got two takes on that question. Dr. Kevin Bacon says give. At 23 after, he's turning six degrees of Kevin Bacon into a cool model for charity. And he's going to be with us live.
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REGGIE AQUI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We sort of thought the story was over. We were ready to pack our bags until we went to breakfast.
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SANCHEZ: Yes, that's Reggie Aqui telling us the story. Oklahoma, forget the weather. It's the financial forecast that's got the waitress worried there. At 35 past, the ice is gone but so is the money.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I was going to say a person that I'd like to be like, personality and everything, I'd say him.
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SANCHEZ: In six minutes, that guy who he wants to be like, well, his neighbors say he's a model citizen, but could this model citizen also commit multiple rapes and murders over more than two decades and now be called a monster? Police are saying absolutely.
By the way, now it's your turn to choose the news. Is there a particular story that you want to hear more about that maybe we've missed? E-mail us at weekends@CNN.com. Or just send us your video or your webcam suggestions at cnn.com/exchange. And we'll get you the answer, promise to, right here within the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: This is what you have been checking out on CNN.com tonight. Some blunt words. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has a message for the United States. Go to hell, gringos, go home. That's his response. Those are his words today to what he calls unacceptable meddling in Venezuelan affairs.
Also in South America, this Brazilian super model says don't blame the fashion industry for anorexia. Blame the lack of family support. She says a great relationship with mom and dad was key to her avoiding any eating disorders.
Also, a big check for a great cause. A Hummer used by CNN to cover the war in Iraq was auctioned off Saturday for more than a million dollars. Proceeds go to the Fisher House. It offers temporary homes to families of U.S. wounded troops. By the way, I spoke with the winner.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a fabulous opportunity to give back to our country. The kids over there have done such a fabulous job. And for us to be able to participate in some way, there's just no words.
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SANCHEZ: Good guy. He founded Re/max, by the way. Visit CNN.com for any of the details on all these stories and a whole lot more. The NEWSROOM returns in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: And welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rick Sanchez.
It's a DNA match that's supposedly rock solid according to police. But just about anybody who knows Al Sanchez says they simply cannot believe it.
Tonight, this husband, father, and seemingly model ideal citizen is accused of being Buffalo's bike path killer and rapist, a sexual predator who's preyed on women in Cheetowaga, New York, a suburb of Buffalo, for 25 years, say police. Could it be a model citizen and husband had barbecues in his backyard, invited neighbors over?
Well, here's CNN's Fredricka Whitfield with the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The so-called Buffalo bike path rapist has eluded police in Buffalo, New York for more than 25 years. But has his luck run out? Erie County officials are confident it has.
SHERIFF TIMOTHY HOWARD, ERIE COUNTY, NY: The monster that has been known as the bike path rapist has been taken into custody.
WHITFIELD: Police announced this week the man responsible for multiple murders and rapes for over two decades is alleged to be this man, 49-year-old husband and father of two, Altimeo (ph) Sanchez. A grand jury has voted to indict him Sanchez for the 1990 murder of Linda Yellim (ph) and the 1992 murder of Mayjay Mazer (ph). Sanchez entered a plea of not guilty to those charges at his first court appearance.
FRANK CLARK, ERIE COUNTY DISTRICT D.A.: We're alleging that during the course of that 25 years, while he wasn't being the model husband, father, employee, he was stalking and raping and killing women.
WHITFIELD: The arrest of Sanchez comes as a complete shock to his family, friends, and especially co-workers who have worked with him for close to 20 years.
DAVE HEFFERSON, CO-WORKER: If I was going to say a person I would like to be like, personality and everything, I would say him.
WHITFIELD: According to local residents, Sanchez has been the model citizen, residing here in this suburban Buffalo neighborhood, he's hosted backyard parties, was coach to his son's basketball team, and was an active fund-raiser at his local church.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I cannot believe that it was Al because he's the best neighbor you can ask for.
WHITFIELD: Andrew Lotempio, attorney for Sanchez met several times with his client and agrees.
ANDREW LOTEMPIO, ATTORNEY FOR ALTEMIO SANCHEZ: This guy seems to be everybody's uncle. And I don't even see any flash of conning or phoniness anymore.
WHITFIELD: It was a tip from a 1981 rape case that led police to focus their efforts on Sanchez. The prosecution plans to rely heavily on DNA secretly obtained from utensils he used as a local restaurant where Sanchez and his wife had dined. Authorities claim that the DNA collected matches that of the DNA evidence at both the murder scenes and several of the rape victims.
SHERIFF TIMOTHY HOWARD, ERIE COUNTY, NY: The probability of there being another individual that would match that DNA is actually in the quadrillions.
WHITFIELD: Rebecca Klauk is a manager at Sole Restaurant and was there the night detectives came in seeking Sanchez's DNA.
REBECCA KLAUK, MANAGER, SOLE RESTAURANT: He showed me his badge and said he was here on a criminal investigation and asked us please not to clear any of the glasses or utensils from the table.
WHITFIELD: Lotempio says he plans to challenge the validity of the DNA evidence.
LOTEMPIO: These things happened 16 to 25 years ago. That means evidence has been sitting on a shelf somewhere unprotected or maybe in a plastic bag but moved two or three times and touched 20 times.
WHITFIELD: He plans to seek a change of venue, noting how the media and prosecution have, in his words, already convicted his client.
LOTEMPIO: We have got the district attorney, the law enforcement officials going on the television and saying we have got 100 percent DNA match.
WHITFIELD: Sanchez is being held without bail. And if convicted of both murders, could serve up to 50 years behind bars.
Fredricka Whitfield, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: We call this glowing global. So we've gone over to the international area. This is our international desk as we call it. As you know, CNN has bureaus all over the world. And this is where we monitor some of the folks in those bureaus to find out what's going on.
We've got a couple of interesting stories that we want to share with you, all of these overseas. We're going to begin with one which starts in Iran. And there once again, we're following some of the intense negotiations that have been going on. Under scrutiny, as you know, over its nuclear program, now Iran is planning three days of missile war games. The military maneuvers are the first since the United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions on the country just last month.
Also this. A confession in a case that's really a bit shocking to all of Turkey. A prosecutor says this teenager admits that he shot dead a prominent journalist in broad daylight, and has no regrets about it. The suspect reportedly told police that he was angry at the reporter because he insulted Turks. The journalist was a vocal critic of Turkey's treatment of religious minorities.
And take a look at this. It's a damaged container ship that's listing at a severe angle off the English coast and really shedding some cargo at this point. Gale force winds are frustrating efforts to secure it. And the mission is urgent as it's being described by officials there. Among the stuff on board, 1700 tons of dangerous items including battery acid and some explosive material. The ship was deliberately run aground to stop it from sinking.
Well, you've heard of the phrase 'six degrees of separation.' Well, after this break, you're going to meet the actor who wants to connect every single one of us.
And listen to this, if you can stand it. The noises in our life, right? You want to throw away your Blackberry sometimes, put it down a trash chute, or your cell phone or all your e-mails, put your cell phone on some mute permanently?
You're not alone. It's 2007, but people are tuning out and not looking back. So we're asking you, could you do this? Could you get rid of all the things that keep you constantly connected? Give us a call. We want to know. 1-800-807-2620. That's 1-800-807-2620. Your response in 30 minutes. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico. You may remember him. He had a couple different jobs in the Clinton administration. Well now, he is the very latest Democrat to enter the 2008 race for the White House. And he made his announcement today in a video posted on his website.
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GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: I know I'm not a favorite in this race. As an underdog and governor of a small western state, I will not have the money that other candidates will have. However, I believe these serious times demand serious people who have real world experience in solving the challenges we face. I humbly believe I'm the best candidate to meet these challenges.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Another one on the Internet. The first presidential primary, by the way, is still a year away, full year for all those White House wannabes to meet and greet voters all over New Hampshire. Our Bob Franken is in Manchester. He says most people there are ready to get started.
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BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Most states have a state bird, a state song, but in New Hampshire.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Politics is our state sport. And I'm delighted that you're here to play this game with all of us.
FRANKEN: They've been playing the first primary game here since 1920. While Hillary Rodham Clinton's announcement causes palpitations everywhere else, here it's join the crowd.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really feel that we have a chance for the citizens of New Hampshire to really meet all the candidates. And so until I have an opportunity to meet all of the candidates, I won't -- will make a decision after that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We really haven't seen Hillary. And we haven't seen Barack Obama except once over in Manchester. And it'll take a while to figure out who they are.
FRANKEN: Actually, Hillary Clinton goes back to 1992 in New Hampshire, when as the wife of candidate Bill Clinton she was traipsing through all the snow and scandal.
HILLARY CLINTON: And anything about our marriage is important to the people of New Hampshire as to whether or not they will have a chance to keep their own families together and to...
FRANKEN: Now Hillary Clinton herself is seeking the embrace of New Hampshire's voters, along with many, many others, including lots of Republicans, Mccain, Brownback, Romney, Giuliani. Among the Democrats, Obama, Edwards, Biden, Richardson.
Vilsack was here on Friday. Dodd on Saturday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I apologize being a few minutes late. I'm not Bill Clinton. I'm not an hour late.
FRANKEN: Did he say Clinton? Actually, Hillary Clinton has not been here for a while.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All the candidates have to come to New Hampshire if they want to win. It's not - it's just the way that it is.
FRANKEN (on camera): The primary is slated exactly one year from now unless New Hampshire moves it back because it feels like its first of the nation status is being jeopardized by other states.
The first in the nation presidential debates will be held this April, debates co-sponsored by CNN.
Bob Franken, CNN, Manchester, New Hampshire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Bob Franken, part of the best political team on television. Start your week off by joining Soledad O'Brien and Miles O'Brien on "American Morning". That's at 6:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
This programming note, by the way. On Tuesday, you can see CNN's pipeline free all day long. And that includes political coverage and the presidential State of the Union address. All you got to do is log on to cnn.com/pipeline and you'll be able to check out how to do it.
While some people want to connect, others plan to do just the opposite and disconnect.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's great when you come home and your answering machine says zero.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: That's right, they're unplugging from the world. And for them tech-no is the way to go. More on that in 23 minutes.
Armchair quarterbacks give Madison Avenue a run for its money. Crash the Superbowl. A commercial contest putting one winner in a championship ad. And we've got some of the finalists to show you.
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SANCHEZ: All right. The Sundance Film Festival might be just the perfect best place to play the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. You know the drill -- or at least some of you do. You connect any famous person to the actor within six steps. But Bacon is hoping to turn the game into something much more meaningful. He's joining us now from Park City, Utah, the home of Sundance.
You've actually turned this into a way of making money for charity, right?
KEVIN BACON, ACTOR: Yes. I started this site sixdegrees.org. And, you know, I acquired the domain a couple years ago and I didn't really know exactly what I wanted to do with it, but I knew that the game Six Degrees was not getting me rich. So I figured maybe I would turn it around and try to do something good with it.
And we came up with this idea of a place where you could go and look for any kind of charities, any kind of concerns that you had about the world, and we'll direct you to a way to give or volunteer or do whatever you want.
SANCHEZ: By the way, I'm looking at you out there and it looks like you're freezing. How cold is it out there? Are you wearing enough clothes?
BACON: It's cold. Why couldn't we have a fireside chat?
SANCHEZ: I'm feeling your pain.
BACON: I got up to your -- I got up to your studio here and I saw the camera out on the balcony, and I said, "You've got to be kidding me."
SANCHEZ: We're going to have to have a talk with these guys. All right. Just a couple of questions and then we'll be able to let you go.
By the way, do people -- do the stars go on there and find out what their Six degrees of Separation from Kevin Bacon is? And are they all playing along?
BACON: Well, frankly, I don't think the stars really care, but I've gotten a lot of people who have come on and have charities and causes that are really close to their hearts. And one of the things...
SANCHEZ: Like who?
BACON: ... that's cool about -- oh, I mean, I've got a really, really long list at this point, and the list is getting longer since we've been at Sundance. But I don't know, you know, everyone from Kanye West, to Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell. I mean, there's a whole bunch of people on there -- Kyra Sedgwick.
And you can come on and see what they -- what they care about and the things that are important to them. And you can donate -- donate right at our site. We make it very, very easy to help out.
SANCHEZ: So this thing is really taking off. How much money are we talking about at this point?
BACON: You know, I don't really know. We have a ticker and I haven't -- I haven't checked it. But it's only been up for about three days. So, you know, whatever we're doing is pretty good.
SANCHEZ: By the way, Six Degrees From Kevin Bacon. Or crack staff here decided to figure out one for me. So I think we can put it up now and share it with our viewers if we can.
BACON: OK.
SANCHEZ: This is the six degrees of separation from me. I'll read it to you as it appears here in just a moment.
And it goes something like this -- Rick Sanchez interviewed Fidel Castro, who met Muhammad Ali, was in "When We Were Kings" with Spike Lee, was in "Famous" with Sandra Bullock, was in "Loverboy" with Kevin Bacon.
So there you go.
BACON: That's great, man.
SANCHEZ: So there's my connection to you.
BACON: That's fantastic. I mean, we're all connected, let's face it.
SANCHEZ: Well, people really have been doing -- way before you caught on, by the way, people were using your name to do this. Why did they choose you? Have you ever gotten a sense of that?
BACON: No, I have no idea. I mean, I don't think it's any kind of -- I don't think there's anything special about me.
You know, actually, a lot of the scientists and mathematicians have gotten together and figured out that there's a lot more people that are a lot more connected. But, you know, it's just -- it's just this weird thing.
And I kind of thought it would go away a long time ago, and it seems to have hung around. And, you know, with sixdegrees.org, I figured maybe I'll just try to do something kind of cool with it and something that, you know, gives a little back. And that's really the idea behind the site.
SANCHEZ: All right. Good luck...
BACON: Plus, I mean, I -- you know, I sort of feel like if you take me out of the equation, the idea that we're all connected on this planet is kind of a beautiful one. So that's what -- that's what we're here for.
SANCHEZ: Couldn't agree with you more. Amen. Appreciate that.
Kevin Bacon. You want movie stars? We've got movie stars. There he is.
Hey, listen, go get some hot chocolate or something.
BACON: Cold, cold movie stars.
(LAUGHTER)
BACON: Yes, thanks.
SANCHEZ: Thanks for being with us.
By the way, here's Kevin's Web site. It's sixdegrees.org. He paid money to get that so that he could be able to put the Web site together.
To explore it on your own, there you have it, sixdegrees.org.
Our very own meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is tracking some of the storms that may cause your Monday travel delays. No doubt she has some kind of connection to Kevin Bacon. And she's going to join us.
I see you smiling. She'll be up in just eight minutes.
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JOAN BRADY, "TECH-NO": People want to be accessible and they want to be interrupted and needed all the time. And I'm just -- I'm the opposite. I like to get away from people and unhook.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Then unplugged, detached, relax. Some people who are just saying no to modern technology.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, you've got to keep the roommate off my Doritos.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Do you consider this spot worthy to be shown in a Super Bowl? Well, plug in, and you'll be able, if you stay with us, to check them out.
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SANCHEZ: Bracing for another chilly night in south-central Oklahoma. The only power for this family courtesy of this generator. Twenty-five thousand households are still in the dark after a brutal, ice-cold clobbering by Mother Nature.
You saw that shot of the deer we gave you just a little while ago. Well, this is not far from where that happened. We thought just yesterday that things were improving. We were even ready to pack up our correspondents because, really, we thought the bad part was over.
But then we got a call from Reggie Aqui, telling us, wait, guys, we think there's a story here. There's a lot of people effected by this. So he filed this report.
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REGGIE AQUI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): When the lights finally came back on today in southeast Oklahoma...
WENDY SINGLETON, MCALESTER RESIDENT: You want any more creamer?
AQUI: ... Wendy Singleton couldn't get back to work soon enough. For 10 day this waitress waited.
SINGLETON: No power, no water. No work.
AQUI: Like most of McAlester, the Denny's restaurant where she works didn't have dependable power because of last week's huge ice storm. Today the ice is gone. And in many cases, so is the money.
SINGLETON: It means we're really broke and the car payment and everything is way behind.
AQUI: She laughs, but there's nothing funny about what this mother of three now faces at home. Her savings, depleted.
SINGLETON: Right now, what I've made today, which is about $30.
AQUI (on camera): That's it?
SINGLETON: That's it.
AQUI (voice over): As Wendy Singleton works for her kids, David Robinson works for an extended family. The business owner bought 15 generators for people still without power. Today he delivers gasoline to keep those houses warm.
DAVID ROBINSON, MCALESTER BUSINESS OWNER: It is a time of need, I'll say that, because we have really been devastated. I think you can drive around this entire town and see there's not a treetop left.
SINGLETON: Nora (ph), do you want me to take this out?
AQUI: Back at the restaurant, Wendy Singleton welcomes the breakfast crowd.
SINGLETON: I'm happy today because I'm at work, but, you know, still a little sad because, you know, we need things that we can't buy. And it's going to take a while to make enough money to catch it back up.
AQUI: Now that the cold snap is over, she's working to unfreeze her assets.
(on camera): These power company workers, many of them from out of state, have been putting in 14-hour days to try and get the lights back on. Their work is winding up. As you can see, for the average person here in the hard-hit portion of the state, the work may just be beginning.
Reggie Aqui, CNN, McAlester, Oklahoma.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Want to show you some video now of some of the happiest people in the country. But before we do that, let's take a little fly-over. Before we fly there, let's fly here.
That is Jacqui Jeras. She's going to be telling us about what's going on as far as the weather is concerned.
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SANCHEZ: All right. We know who you were cheering for, but we're going to show now two of the happiest cities in the entire country.
Blustery day in the Windy City. The Chicago Bears were able to use it to blow away the New Orleans Saints. It helped to have a little bit of snow on the ground there. They're used to playing in that.
And then take a look at Indianapolis. Fans there in the streets are going to be celebrating as well. These two teams are going to be in the Super Bowl in two weeks.
By the way, the Super Bowl is not going to be the only game in town come February 4th. Another game has already begun -- Crash the Super Bowl. Doritos solicited 30 different spots and solicited your vote online as well.
So what we're going to do is share with you what some of these Super Bowl commercials look like. And everybody loves Super Bowl commercials, sometimes more than the game itself.
Also, do you wear your cell phone, your Blackberry and your iPod like a tool belt? Well, then this story is most certainly for you. Technology is stressing a whole lot of people out, and they've decided to just say no, be more contemplative, more introspective.
Hear the tech-nos side of the story. That's coming your way in less than three minutes.
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SANCHEZ: You think you hear your cell phone all the time, even when it's not ringing? Wake up covered in sweat because you left your Blackberry at work? Then it may be time for you to disconnect. That's right, some Americans refuse to be caught up in this technology rat race.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BRADY, "TECH-NO": People have been foisting computer equipment off on me for over 20 years. And I just don't spend any time with it. I get to the point where I want to throw it out the window.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: You might call them tech-nos. So joining me now is Paul Saffo. He's a technology futurist, somebody who predicts where all our gadgets and gizmos are going to take us down the line. He says it may be more hip soon to actually unplug than to plug in.
Now, talk about buckin' the trend.
So, what's going on here, Paul? What are these tech-nos trying to say? And why are they tuning out?
PAUL SAFFO, TECHNOLOGY FUTURIST: Well, most people are plugging in. That's why the tech-nos are news. But, you know, they are really saying what a lot of people say, all of us have a little techno in us. Every time you turn off your cell phone, you're saying, that's all for me right now. They're just taking it a step further.
SANCHEZ: You know, we talked to this lady named Joan Brady. We asked her why she was doing it. Here's her explanation.
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BRADY: They could learn something from me. They could let go and, you know, perhaps lead a more contemplative life and turn off the TV and do some kind of hands-on things every now and then, like calligraphy and origami, play a couple of board games, read a book.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: I don't know about origami and calligraphy, but there may be some truth in what she's saying, isn't she?
SAFFO: Oh, absolutely. Every generation does this. A hundred years ago parents were trying to get their kids to stop reading books and go back outside. So each age has its own horrors. But she has very good advice there.
SANCHEZ: You know, I do have something that's kind of interesting. Every once in a while I actually feel a buzz in my belt, and I check to see if it's my Blackberry going off, and it's not. It's almost like I'm just so used to checking it, like every 15 minutes, sometimes, I just automatically do it.
Does this really start affecting our psyche as far as you can tell? And are people complaining to you about it?
SAFFO: Absolutely. And that's why it's hard to be a tech-no. Just try and turn off your phone. You'll get driven crazy wondering what fire is burning that you don't know about because your phone can't reach you.
SANCHEZ: Are people really addicted?
SAFFO: We're not addicted. This stuff, however, is insinuating it is an essential part of our lives.
SANCHEZ: So if you -- so if you tune out, you gain what? Forget origami and calligraphy, but she said contemplative. Is it something we should be striving for?
SAFFO: It would not be a bad thing. I know I travel a lot. I'm not looking forward to when we can use cell phones on airplanes because it's the only quiet reading time I get.
SANCHEZ: You worry about some of the things. So tell us about the future. In the future you think there will be a whole bunch of people who will decide to really maybe not completely disconnect, but find a different way of living so they're not so connected?
SAFFO: Well, two things happen. When everybody is connected, status becomes being disconnected.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
SAFFO: In fact, when only a few people had cell phones, that was a big deal. If everyone has them, it's a big deal to not have one. So it's style.
SANCHEZ: I guess it's the definition of cool, right?
SAFFO: It is cool.
SANCHEZ: Do what they're not doing.
Hey, that's great, Paul. We appreciate talking to you. Thanks so much for sharing the future with us.
SAFFO: My pleasure.
SANCHEZ: Now your responses to our "Last Call" question: Can you unplug? Here's what so many of you called us and had to say.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My name's Delia Jones (ph). I'm calling from Kentucky, and I cannot stay unplugged. It's like everything on. It keeps less things out of my purse.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sherry (ph) in California. And no, I couldn't unplug.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Teresa (ph), Davis, California. Yes, I can unplug. And I do unplug. My cell phone is for emergencies only.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My name is Judy (ph). I'm calling from (INAUDIBLE). And I can't get unplugged anymore because my Blackberry has my entire life inside of it. And if I lose my Blackberry, I'll lose my entire life. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gainesville, Florida. I can absolutely unplug. I cannot stand cell phones and everything they stand for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Did you hear what she says? "If I lose my Blackberry, I lose my entire life." Wow.
Now time for you to choose the news. We asked, you answered.
L.G. Matheson wants to hear more about what the Venezuelan president said today. He made some really strong anti-U.S. comments.
L.G., here you go. Hugo Chavez, and his words.
As you know too well, he tends to use these provocative words when he speaks in public. Today, no exception.
In a long speech in Caracas, President Chavez called Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "My little girl" and said the United States can "go to hell" for criticizing his plan to consolidate power in his country.
Those are strong words, he's used them before. No official response from Washington. Remember when he called President Bush the devil?
We'll be right back.
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SANCHEZ: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Rick Sanchez.
Before we go tonight, we wanted to tell you about a loss we felt this week here at CNN. It's kind of personal.
Johnny Feliciano worked here in our cafeteria. He's a guy -- perhaps you know somebody like him -- who does something like this maybe where you work.
Whenever he saw me, he would always shout out my name, "Rick Sanchez!" and then he'd smile from ear to ear. He kind of made me feel special, until I realized it wasn't about me. He was the kind of guy who liked to make everybody else feel special. He did that with a lot of people.
Johnny died this week. He was shot and killed senselessly by somebody who obviously just didn't know how much he was hurting us, and most of all, Johnny's wife and three children that are left behind.
Last night we buried Johnny. Tonight we honor his life.
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