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Troops Clash With Gunmen in Iraq; Hurricane Katrina Settlement; Kicked off the Flight

Aired January 24, 2007 - 11:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. You're with CNN. You're informed.
I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins.

Developments keep coming in to the NEWSROOM on this Wednesday, January 24th.

Here's what's on the rundown.

President Bush pushing in DuPont country this morning, pushing his State of the Union energy plan.

HARRIS: There he is behind his president. Today, VP Cheney up front, selling the boss's strategy. Our Wolf Blitzer's exclusive interview.

COLLINS: He brought rape charges in the Duke lacrosse case. Today, a district attorney on the receiving end of legal citations.

HARRIS: A road well traveled by every parent. A girl's tantrum gets her family booted off their flight. Sugar and spice and everything nice? Questions linger in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: At the top this hour in Baghdad, sweeping the city to get rid of rebels. U.S. and Iraqi troops move into a notorious neighborhood, the insurgents fight back.

CNN's Michael Holmes filed this report just a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Apache helicopters, heavy machine gun fire, explosions -- a virtual replay of Baghdad's Haifa Street earlier this month. Four hundred U.S. and 500 Iraqi troops poured into the area before dawn Wednesday in what the U.S. called a joint effort to set the conditions for clearing operations to follow.

This area of Haifa Street is Sunni, and the targets were Sunni insurgents, former Ba'athists, and elements of al Qaeda. At times, ferocious exchanges of fire continued for hours. Airplanes patrolled the skies. On the ground, thick black smoke rose from the battlefield. Shortly after noon, a massive explosion, munitions targeting what military sources said was a building housing numerous gunmen.

(on camera): Meanwhile, as the battle raged in Haifa Street, literally just across the river there was another gunfight going on in Fadal (ph). This is the same area where a U.S. security contractor's helicopter crashed on Tuesday, killing all five people on board.

By early today, three separate insurgent groups had claimed responsibility for shooting down the helicopter, although there has been no official cause given for crash.

(voice over): Both operations continued throughout the day. Families seen fleeing the area during lulls in the fighting. When they'll be able to return, uncertain.

Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Targeting al Qaeda. Word just coming in today of a U.S. air strike in Somalia. This is the second there this month.

This attack launched by an Air Force AC-130 gun ship during overnight hours Monday and Tuesday. The U.S. military says it was aimed at a midlevel al Qaeda operative in southern Somalia. An American official says the target survived but was taken into custody. The official says a small group of U.S. personnel went into Somalia to check the air strike site.

HARRIS: Well, the prosecutor in the Duke lacrosse team case is facing more legal problems of his own. North Carolina's state bar has added ethics charges to the complaint already filed against Durham County district attorney Mike Nifong. The new charges accuse Nifong of withholding DNA evidence and making misleading statements to the court. Those charges could lead to him being disbarred.

Nifong brought rape charges against three Duke lacrosse players, later dropped those charges, but refused to drop sexual assault and kidnapping charges. The state attorney general is reviewing what's left of this case.

COLLINS: The state of the union, the call for a unified front. With hearty handshakes and a humbled approach, President Bush issues the call for cooperation on Capitol Hill. He asked the Democrat- controlled Congress for patience both in Iraq and in tackling domestic challenges.

This hour, we will take a look at the initiatives he unveiled. They include healthcare, energy, and the environment. Look at the response he received from both the public and the politicians. Democrats spoke out even before the applause faded.

HARRIS: The reaction from some Americans to the State of the Union speech mostly positive. That's according to a CNN-Opinion Research Poll of 370 adults who watched the president's address last night. Forty-one percent of those polled say they had a very positive reaction, 37 percent said their response was somewhat positive.

Just 20 percent came away with negative feelings, 67 percent of speech watchers say they think the president's policies will lead the country in the right direction. Twenty-seven percent say his plan will lead the nation in the wrong direction.

COLLINS: In Mississippi, victory for thousands of homeowners who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina.

CNN's Susan Roesgen looks at a big insurance settlement.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This was the beachfront home of Claire and John Tuepker in Long Beach, Mississippi until a 29-foot wall of water from hurricane Katrina swept the home away. But even worse for the Tuepker's, State Farm refused to pay the $350,000 policy.

JOHN TUEPKER, HOMEOWNER: We've been paying premiums for 17 years and to just say, no, we're not going to pay anything. Look at the house. It's gone.

ROESGEN: The Tuepkers argued that State Farm hadn't required them to carry flood insurance and they argued that wind, which was covered by their policy, is what pushed the water that destroyed their home. Thousands of other property owners said the same thing and now facing a class action lawsuit, State Farm has agreed to settle.

JEFF JACKSON, STATE FARM ATTORNEY: This gives us an opportunity to resolve pending litigation and to insure that we can resolve other issues in the state and move forward.

ROESGEN: State Farm has agreed to pay at least $50 million to 35,000 policy holders and the settlement could climb to hundreds of millions of dollars, depending on the amount of the claims. In return, the policy holders agree not to sue State Farm individually. Representing them is prominent trial lawyer Dickie Scruggs, who also lost his house to Katrina.

DICKIE SCRUGGS, POLICYHOLDER ATTORNEY: So many people were looking to us and our legal team to set it right and to give them a fighting chance and I'm so gratified because when you can have a chance to be a hometown hero, it means a lot more to you than almost anything.

ROESGEN: If a Federal judge approves it, policyholders could start getting some of the money in 60 days and the settlement gives hope to thousands of other property owners on the Gulf coast who've lost the fight with their insurance companies but might now have a second chance at getting something back.

Susan Roesgen, CNN, Gulfport, Mississippi.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS: Dick Cheney, behind the president last night, in front of our Wolf Blitzer this morning. The exclusive interview in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: An advisor to four presidents weighs in on President Bush's State of the Union Address. David Gergen ahead in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: A gun-free police department? This you've got to see. Shooting slingshots at the bad guys -- in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: The Sundance Film Festival. Live to Park City for some movies and, of course, the beautiful people.

HARRIS: Hey now.

COLLINS: We're on it coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: The cute toddler, what's her name, Heidi? Is it little Kelly (ph)? That's her name there, isn't it? Little Kelly (ph).

She's adorable. Her behavior on a plane, well, it led to some pretty drastic consequences for her and her parents. The story of the day.

Byron Barnett of affiliate WHDH reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BYRON BARNETT, REPORTER, WHDH: Ellie (ph), did you like flying on the airplane?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BARNETT: Three-year-old Ellie Kulesza (ph) of Worcester may say she liked flying, but wasn't the case last week when she and her parents boarded an AirTran flight to return from a Florida vacation.

JULIE KULESZA, MOTHER: But when I went to pick up Ellie (ph) to put her in her seat, that's when she started to cry.

GERALD KULESZA, FATHER: It was a strong, solid "Wah!" She wasn't -- she wasn't happy. No, not happy at all.

BARNETT (on camera): So she was really letting loose?

J. KULESZA: She was. Yes.

G. KULESZA: Yes. Yes.

BARNETT: But Ellie's (ph) parents were stunned by what the airline employees told them next.

J. KULESZA: They were talking to my husband. They said, "You need to get off the plane now." And I kind of looked up and I was, "Are you serious?"

BARNETT: Serious they were. Off the plane the Kuleszas went, their luggage and car seat heading to Boston without them.

(on camera): And to make matters worse, the Kuleszas were told because they were thrown off the plane, they couldn't get on another plane for 24 hours.

(voice over): AirTran says it regrets the situation but that, "We have an obligation for the 112 other passengers on board the flight. We had to make an operational decision to ask the Kulesza party to deplane so the flight could depart."

G. KULESZA: I was outraged and embarrassed. I'm a full-time EMT in Boston. If I treated anybody the way they treated me, I would be out of a job.

J. KULESZA: We just wanted to make the public aware of what happened, and that this, too, could happen to them if their child is crying too much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: I can't believe we're doing this story after that one.

Birth control -- the government is considering changes that could affect millions of women. The FDA is looking at possibly setting higher standards for birth control pills.

The agency says newer drugs appear less effective at preventing pregnancy than those approved decades ago. The earlier contraceptives had higher doses of hormones.

A panel of experts is meeting to discuss the issue. The group will then pass along its recommendations to the FDA.

And remember, to get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on diet and fitness. That address, cnn.com/health.

Did you do the lineup here?

HARRIS: No, no, no. No, no, no. No, no, no. I return to decorum now.

Chad Myers there in the weather...

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Speaking of birth control, here's Chad.

COLLINS: That's what I said.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: Wouldn't do it to you, buddy. Wouldn't do it. (WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Still to come, President Bush, on message and on the road. Hours after his State of the Union speech, he is taking one domestic initiative to the people.

Details in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: An advisor to four presidents weighs in on President Bush's State of the Union Address. David Gergen, ahead in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: The Sundance Film Festival -- live to Park City for the movies and the -- ah, well, lovely people there in Park City.

That's coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: President Bush pledging cooperation, appealing for patience just hours after his State of the Union speech. The president is on the road today. He is heading to Delaware to promote his plan to increase alternative fuels like ethanol.

Cutting America's gas consumption was one of the major themes of the president's address. He also called for tax breaks aimed at expanding health insurance coverage.

On the war in Iraq, the president urged Congress to give his new strategy a chance. He conceded the war being waged now "... is not the fight we entered." But he again warned of dire consequence if the U.S. fails in Iraq.

COLLINS: How did President Bush's sixth State of the Union Address compare to his previous ones and to those of previous occupants of the Oval Office?

Well, David Gergen, former advisor to four presidents, he's seen this before a few times. He is with us now while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

David, thanks for being here from so far away. Sure do appreciate it.

Let's start with an easy one. How did President Bush do last night?

DAVID GERGEN, FMR. PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR: OK. I would say it was a solid speech. But, you know, the president has been to the well so many times now on Iraq that the water's run dry.

So it's very hard for him to excite the country. And he's got a Democrat sitting there, pretty much sitting on their hands on Iraq.

I thought the domestic part of his speech was more interesting simply because some of it was new, unexpected, especially on energy. But even there the proposals are reasonably modest, as welcomed as some of them might be. And, in fact, I think we got some progress on some, especially on energy.

But he's a wounded president, you know, in the twilight of his presidency. And inevitably, we've seen presidents before in the sixth year, seventh year, two terms, they're weakened. And this president is particularly wounded.

COLLINS: Let's talk for a moment about the way he addressed Iraq, one of the interesting things that he said. Let's go ahead and listen to it and I'll get your comments on the back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Whatever you voted for, you did not vote for failure. Our country is pursuing a new strategy in Iraq, and I ask you to give it a chance to work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: David, what do you make of the tone of that? There has been much said already about the tone of this speech in particular. He seemed humbled and sincere, some analysts have said, asking once again to give the Iraq plan a chance.

GERGEN: Well, I think the president is in fact going to have that chance, because he is commander in chief, he's already started moving the troops there. But as significant as the speech was yesterday, came the word that Senator John Warner, the Republican that's one of the most respected figures on Capitol Hill on foreign policy, has now joined forces with those who want to draft a resolution opposing this surge, this increase in troops.

And even today, within 24 hours of the president speaking, Senator Warner and Senator Biden, a Democrat, and other senators are gathering to see if they can come up with common language. And once you -- once you lose John Warner on your policy as a Republican president, that's a -- that's a devastating loss, because he has so much stature coming from Virginia, a man of significant military experience himself.

COLLINS: Usually after a State of the Union Address, the question is asked, did it change anything? It sounds like from what you're saying, yes, it changed some things, but not particularly in the way that the White House may have wanted?

GERGEN: I think that's right. And listen, let's be honest about this. The real State of the Union was a speech he gave 10 days ago or so, when he announced from the West Wing of the White House, or the White House proper, that he was going to have this troop increase. That was his significant speech.

In some ways, this speech last night lost some of its punch because it came so close to other one. Had they made the decision earlier about the troop surge and let more time elapse, then the president last night could have had something fresh to say about Iraq. You know, what kind of progress had been seen since he made the speech.

As it was, there wasn't -- he didn't have much fresh to say. I think that -- you know, so his last two speeches -- I must tell you, the last two speeches, as a general proposition, have -- have not worked very well for the president. He is capable of giving very good speeches, and earlier in his presidency he gave some very, very good speeches, especially just after 9/11. But these recent speeches, because of the lateness in his presidency, he's in the twilight of his presidency, and because the country has turned against the war, and because they just -- they've lacked emotional inspiration.

COLLINS: Is the president working on his legacy, David?

GERGEN: You know, he's smack in the middle of his legacy because of Iraq. And we'll have to see.

I mean, there is some chance he could turn it around in Iraq. He certainly sent a terrific general. We've been hearing -- you know, you've had on your news shows General Petraeus. You couldn't send a better general to Iraq to command the forces. But, you know, one general can't turn this around, and I'm not -- from my perspective, General Petraeus needs more troops.

If you're going to send in more troops, really send them in. Don't just send a small number and expect to turn it around.

I think -- I think it's a classic problem of potentially too little, too late. And that is -- that is going to be the legacy. Iraq will now be the legacy of this presidency unless something dramatic happens.

We can have a calamity of some other kind that could redefine him. But right now Iraq is front and center of what -- how he'll be remembered.

COLLINS: David Gergen, former presidential advisor, coming to us from Davos, Switzerland, today.

Thank you, David.

HARRIS: Tanks in the streets, smoke in the air, American and Iraqi troops cracking down today on insurgents. Baghdad battles ahead in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Protecting and serving. The latest police gear may have the bad guys laughing. See why in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: The president suffering from a political power drain and hoping for a jolt from his domestic initiatives, including a new energy plan. Today he's on the road to promote his plan to reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil. A key element, alternative fuels.

CNN National Correspondent Bob Franken now in Wilmington, Delaware. Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

And he would come to Wilmington, Delaware, home of DuPont, because DuPont has been -- since the early 20th century -- been leading the research into alternative fuels, various forms of ethanol made out of a variety of biodegradable products. So he did come here because that, of course, is a key element of the president's energy plan, a plan that he says is a national imperative.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: If you're dependent on oil overseas, it means that -- and a hostile regime, a regime hostile to the United States produces that oil, you've become vulnerable to the activity of a hostile regime. In other words, somebody doesn't like us, so they produce the oil, they decide to do something about it, they can affect us. That's when I talk about the national security risks, that's what I mean.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: So, what the president is talking about, about national security, is energy. Most of the talk right now these days in Washington and in the contentious discussions with Congress is national security evolving and revolving around Iraq -- Tony.

HARRIS: Bob Franken for us in Wilmington, Delaware, with the president.

Bob, thank you.

COLLINS: Want to go ahead and show you these new pictures now. You are looking at Haifa Street, as we talk about the battle in Baghdad today, new video coming in. This is where Iraqi and U.S. troops are battling militants along Haifa street. And you remember that to be a very, very volatile area. They have now detained seven suspected insurgents, and also uncovered a fairly large weapons cache, operation being called Operation Tomahawk, strike 11. It's a series of targeted raids to disrupt these illegal militias and their activities there and help restore Iraqi security forces, the control that they are trying to get in the area.

CNN's Arwa Damon is standing by now live to give us a little bit more information about what we're seeing.

Arwa, what can you tell us?

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, we just returned from that battle, the pictures that you are seeing there, taken at about the seventh hour of the firefight. That was around the time we first arrived at the scene. At that point in time, the battle still fairly intense. In fact, moments after we arrived, there was what had been identified as a machine gunner stronghold. These machine guns that the insurgents were using to fire at U.S. and Iraqi troops were sandbagged into a building. They tried to call in air support, Apache helicopters, to be able to pinpoint and fire on the target. At one point, they were unable to do so and finally launched a precision- guided missile to destroy that building.

A lot of the fighting that we saw there today pretty much a replay of the fighting that we saw two weeks ago, the same intensity, very similar tactics used by the insurgents. But the Americans and the Iraqis are telling us this that this time there were a few differences, mainly in the way that they were operating. The Iraqi forces that are operating down there were able to take a lot of lessons learned from the first battle for Haifa Street that took place two weeks ago and reapply them to today. And again, in terms of today's fight, this was more of an organized operation, a joint operation set in place. The main aim, we are being told, is to disrupt the insurgency so that eventually other troops can come in as part of this new Baghdad plan to clear, hold and rebuild. What we also saw was a number of detainees, 19 of them that had been detained. Two other detainees came in wounded, according to one of the Iraqi troops on the ground. One of them had been holding a grenade. He tried to throw it on Iraqi forces from a rooftop. The other wounded detainee had been firing at them with a machine gun.

Both of them wounded in the battle, taken care of by medics on the ground, and then taken away in an Iraqi army ambulance. This time, as opposed to last time -- last time the firefight lasted for about 10 hours. This time for about eight hours. Pretty much the same intensity, though, Heidi, a clear indication of the many challenges that lie ahead in terms of securing Haifa Street.

And as we talk about securing Haifa Street, what you mentioned as far as trying to disrupt this illegal militia activity, in order to do that, you've got to take away the weapons. What more can you tell us about this weapons cache that was uncovered, Arwa?

DAMON: Well, they found a number of weapons caches, but perhaps one of the more significant ones was one that was found in a high school. In fact, six of the detainees that we saw there were those that were detained at that high school, and what they found alongside them was various IEDs, those deadly bomb-making materials, they found a number of explosive rocket-propelled grenades and a variety of mortars, really all sorts of artillery that the insurgency does tend to use. Also, operating down there, they found a number of smaller weapons caches, and as they're searching through these homes, though, Heidi, sometime they find things that are really unexpected. One soldier telling us he found a lump of dirt that looked like it had just been dug up in one of the lawns. He went to dig it up, thinking it might be a weapons cache and found two civilian bodies that looked like they had had freshly buried in that area.

BLITZER: Boy. All right, CNN's Arwa Damon coming to us live from Baghdad.

Arwa, thank you.

HARRIS: Dick Cheney behind the president last night, in front of our Wolf Blitzer this morning. The exclusive interview coming up in the NEWSROOM. COLLINS: It may be a match made in Hollywood heaven. An actor called the king of cool teams with the director of "Hustle and Flow." We'll talk with them about their new movie, ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The prosecutor in the Duke lacrosse team case is facing more legal problems of his own. North Carolina's state bar has added ethics charges to the complaints already filed against Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong. The new charges accuse Nifong of withholding DNA evidence and making misleading statements to the court. Those charges could lead to him being disbarred. Nifong brought rape charges against three Duke lacrosse players, later dropped them, but refused to drop sexual assault and kidnapping charges. The state attorney general is now reviewing what's left of the case.

In Missouri, new revelations in the case of two kidnapped boys who were rescued earlier this month. Affiliate KMOV is reporting that 15-year-old Shawn Hornbeck was forced to participate in the kidnapping of 13-year-old Ben Ownby. Details now from KMOV's Matt Sesnick (ph).

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT SESNICK (ph), KMOV REPORTER (voice-over): News 4 has learned from sources in law enforcement that along this rural road, as Ben Ownby was walking home, he was grabbed and pushed into a truck by Shawn Hornbeck. Police say Ownby was held at gunpoint as the alleged kidnapper, Michael Devlin, was at the wheel. It is a startling revelation that may also shed some light on the degree to which Hornbeck may have been brainwashed and convinced to do anything, even help in taking another child. Police speculating that Devlin may have made a deal with Hornbeck to find another, younger victim.

DR. ROBIN PARK, PEDIATRIC PSYCHIATRIST: Four years, you can convince someone of a lot of things. It's like being a prisoner of war.

SESNICK: As experts try to make sense of it, the Hornbeck family attorney says this is new information to him. The family, he says, is dealing with what he calls many mini-shocks over the details of Shawn's experience.

SCOTT SHERMAN, SHAWN HORNBECK'S ATTY.: The family is going to cooperate with law enforcement and anything that comes out regarding facts of the case, we refer back to the prosecution teams and to their law enforcement counterparts for any comment. The family's goal here is to have a fair trial and to see that justice is done.

SESNICK: Scott Sherman says Hornbeck will not be prosecuted for any involvement, but will instead be ready to testify in court and aid prosecutors in any trial.

SHERMAN: He'll be the best prepared possible working with those great teams of prosecutors, and he's ready to do that. And we're preparing for this to be the long haul. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And once again that report from KMOV's Matt Sesnick. And

Important to note here, CNN has not been able to independently confirm the reporting in that story.

COLLINS: Jim Clancy here with us now to tell us what is coming up on "YOUR WORLD TODAY." It's going to happening in about 20 minutes.

Hi there, Jim.

JIM CLANCY, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Heidi. Hi, Tony.

Well, of course, we're going to have the latest reaction from around the world of President Bush's State of the Union Address, but also we're going to be talking about the mess that is facing the Chinese. They're really wondering whether or not they all need to get driver's licenses. A thousand people a day get on the highways of China, and they don't have any requirements for driver's license. A lot of casualties and collisions.

Also, if you thought President Bush was facing problems, well consider the mess facing his counterpart in Israel, President Moshe Katsav of Israel going to lawmakers today saying, whatever you do, please, suspend me from office. He's facing rape charges that are coming from some of his former staff members.

Plus, we'll take you to Davos, Switzerland, live, where we'll talk about the interactive Internet, the Internet that is thought to be more interactive, running better. That's what the rich, the famous and the activists in Davos are all thinking about this year. We'll talk more about that. All of it coming up at the top of the hour. Tune i.

HARRIS: Yes, absolutely.

All right, Jim. Thank you.

COLLINS: A sneak peek at Sundance, "Black Snake Moan," the title alone generating a buzz before its release next month.

Our Brooke Anderson joins us now from the festival in Park City, Utah.

Hey there, Brooke.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Heidi. Hi there, Tony.

Yes, it's only a chilly 22 degrees here, but it's really been hot here at the film festival in terms of film acquisitions. Before I get to "Black Snake Moan," I want to mention a few movies that are going to be making their way to a theater near you very soon. First, "Waitress" starring Terry Russell and Cheryl Hines, from the late Adrian Shelley (ph), bought for $4 million from Fox Searchlight. Also "La Lisma Luna (ph)." It's a story that addresses illegal immigration and talks about the bond that a mother and child have despite physical separation. Bought for between $5 million and $6 million.

But black to "Black Snake Moan," it is one of the films here that was already backed by a distributor, star Samuel L. Jackson, was directed by Craig Brewer from "Hustle and Flow" fame. Samuel plays a man who is determined to save a lost soul. I spoke to them earlier about the film. Listen to what they told me.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Congratulations on this trip to Sundance. Good to see you both.

SAMUEL L. JACKSON, ACTOR: Thank you.

CRAIG BREWER, DIRECTOR: Thank you.

ANDERSON: Now "Black Snake Moan," story of redemption, right, Sam?

JACKSON: That's what I hear.

ANDERSON: You would know.

JACKSON: Well, yes, it is a story of redemption for two people, for a young woman and for an older guy who's kind of given up on life.

ANDERSON: And you pick up the guitar for this one. I didn't know you were a blues man.

JACKSON: I wasn't, you know. It's a very bizarre story and a strange and winding road that kind of got me there. But one day we'll have to tell you the story, because it's long.

ANDERSON: Do you love the music now?

JACKSON: I love the music. I always loved the blues. I just was never able to play it or perform it, but they put me in contact with some really cool people, and Craig and I went on a little road trip right before we started shooting. So we went down to the back roads of Mississippi and hung out at juke joints, went by, you know, Big Jack Johnson's house.

ANDERSON: Very nice. A lot of experience there.

BREWER: Oh, yes.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: It seems like it's important to you to inject the music into your film. So you were here in 2005 with "Hustle and Flow," a huge success, won the audience award here. Terrance Howard went on to get an Oscar nomination, won the Oscar for best original song. Sundance is pretty important for you, right? This is only your fourth film, "Black Snake Moan."

BREWER: It's pretty incredible. And what's really great is I really feel, especially with "Hustle," that it was really the audience that championed me, like they really embraced "Hustle and Flow," and now I'll be in restaurants and it's really funny people stop me and just go, we were there for "Hustle," and we're going to be there, you know, Wednesday night to support you. So it's a real special and magical place.

ANDERSON: Fantastic. You both have a lot of supporters. Congratulations on "Black Snake Moan," out in February, right?

BREWER: Yes.

ANDERSON: Good to see you both, Craig Brewer, Samuel L. Jackson. Thanks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JACKSON: Heidi, you may have noticed Samuel L. Jackson was wearing the color purple practically from head to toe, purple cashmere. He loves to wear it in films as well. He told that his middle name is Leroy, and that that means "the king," and that purple is a very regal color. So he enjoys wearing purple, and he even played a purple guitar because of that in this film, "Black Snake Moan."

COLLINS: You know, I could have sworn, Brooke, that he was just a huge Minnesota Vikings fan.

ANDERSON: What's that?

HARRIS: No, no. I wonder if prince feels the same way.

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: Just wondering. Absolutely.

COLLINS: Thank you, Brooke, very much, from the Sundance Film Festival today, Brooke Anderson.

A central player in the Watergate scandal is dead. Howard Hunt, one of the infamous White House plumbers, died in Miami after battling pneumonia. Hunt served 33 months in prison. He was instrumental in planning the 1972 break-in at the Democratic Party headquarters, but wasn't one of the, quote, burglars. Hunt also was an architect of the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion in Cuba one decade earlier. Howard Hunt was 88.

HARRIS: Dick Cheney, behind the president last night, in front of our Wolf Blitzer this morning. The exclusive interview in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: A gun-free police department? This you got to see. Shooting slingshots, yes, slingshots, at the bad guys, in the NEWSROOM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: His former chief after staff on trial, the administration's Iraq policy under fire, Vice President Dick Cheney goes one on one with our Wolf Blitzer to talk about those issues and more.

Wolf joins us live from Washington with a preview of his "SITUATION ROOM" exclusive.

Wolf, obviously, many things to talk about with the vice president. Obviously, a wide-ranging interview.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: It was, but we spent a lot of time speaking about the current situation that seems to be overshadowing so much else that the White House is worried about. Obviously, that would be Iraq. And on that front, despite all the criticism, despite all the public opinion polls, the criticism coming from Democrats, as well as an increasing number of Republicans, the vice president was not backing down one iota. He was firm in insisting this administration was going to go forward with the additional deployment of more troops to Iraq, irrespective of what the Congress plans on doing, any resolutions that might be coming forward. And at one point in defending the administration's stance on Iraq, and as he went through all of the progress he said the administration has achieved in Iraq over the past 3 1/2 years, I pointed out to him that so many people believe the situation in Iraq is terrible right now. And listen to his response, Tony.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRES. OF THE UNITED STATES: There's not. There's problems, ongoing problems, but we have, in fact, accomplished our objectives of getting rid of the old regime and there is a new regime in place that's been there for less than a year, far too soon for you guys to write him off. They have got a Democratically written constitution, first ever in that part of the world. They've had three national elections. So there's been a lot of success.

BLITZER: How worried are you...

CHENEY: ... we still have more work to do to get a handle on the security situation...

BLITZER: How worried...

CHENEY: ... but the president's put a plan in place to do that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: He said he had confidence in Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, that he would do the right thing in getting tough with the Shiite death squads, especially Muqtada al Sadr, the anti-American radical Shiite cleric who runs this Mehdi Army, if you will. But he basically reiterated what the president last night: they need more time to win in Iraq. HARRIS: And he was feisty, too, Wolf.

BLITZER: It was a feisty exchange that we had, a good give-and- take. I asked him all the pointed questions that so many people would like the vice president to be asked. I think our viewers will enjoy the interview.

HARRIS: Well, let me ask you on another point. Did you talk about Osama bin Laden and this country's efforts to track him down, bring him to justice?

BLITZER: Yes. In fact, I opened up the interview by referring to what the president said last night. The president mentioned Osama bin Laden in his State of the Union Address. And I asked the vice president why more than five years later it's been so hard to find this guy who was responsible for killing 3,000 Americans on 9/11. And the vice president went back and forth with me on that and explained that the guy's hiding out. He's not been seen. I pointed out that his number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri, is on television. I said, this guy's on television almost as much as I am. And he joked and he said, nobody's on television as much as you are, Wolf. But he was clearly frustrated that the U.S. has not been able to find Osama bin Laden or Ayman al-Zawahiri.

And we went into this whole issue of the critics pointing out that the whole hunt for Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda has been diverted because of the war in Iraq and he disputed that, as is his wont, aggressively.

You'll be interested to know we got into some politics. I asked him about Hillary Clinton and John McCain. There's a lot of good stuff there.

HARRIS: I can't wait. OK.

Wolf, thanks for your time this morning. I know you have to get ready for big show this afternoon.

More of Wolf's exclusive interview with the vice president in the "SITUATION ROOM" exclusively 7:00 p.m. Easter, right here on CNN.

Wolf, thank you.

COLLINS: Looking forward to that very much.

Meanwhile, President Bush taking his energy plan on the road.

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

Hello there, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi.

Well, as our Bob Franken has been reporting, President Bush is talking up his energy plan in Wilmington, Delaware. One of his stops: an experimental greenhouse operated by chemical maker DuPont. That company has been ramping up its production of fuels such as ethanol, that are made from grains, plant fibers or other renewable sources. Alternative fuel, one of the cornerstones of Bush's new plan first outlined in his State of the Union Address last night.

One of the president's goals: cutting projected gasoline usage by 20 percent over the next ten years. As part of this, energy companies would have to produce five time more ethanol and other alternative fuels than currently required.

The president's plan also calls for boosting fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks by up to four percent annually. That would end up being about one mile per gallon -- Heidi.

COLLINS: So, yes, there are some obstacles.

LISOVICZ: Yes. For one, critics point out that the president's goal of cutting gasoline usage over the next decade refers to projected usage, which means petroleum consumption would still see a meaningful rise. In addition, meeting President Bush's goal for producing more ethanol would require big advances in technology in order to produce the fuel at a competitive price, as well as putting the infrastructure in place, putting all of them up so that we could get ethanol for our cars, for instance.

(MARKET REPORT)

HARRIS: Marbles and slingshots: kid kids' toys, right? Well, today they are actually weapons used by Tijuana police. And here's why. Investigators took the officers' guns to see if whether any were used in drug-related murders. While they were trying to ferret out the dirty cops, Tijuana police were packing slingshots and ball bearings. No word on when they'll get to pack heat again.

COLLINS: It's all ball bearings these days.

It's not a horror movie, though. Look at this. It's real.

HARRIS: Yes, it is.

COLLINS: It's ugly. It's a mystery from the deep. We're going to show it off even though it might not be with us anymore in the NEWSROOM, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Kyra Phillips joining us now because NEWSROOM P.M. is coming up.

You guys are going to talking more about the State of the Union or the effects of it.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Of course. That's right. Will there be any effects? That's the question. Are you worried about the high cost of healthcare? Well, the president says he's got you covered. Mr. Bush says that his plan will help all Americans find affordable healthcare. Can it meet a critical need? Or is a prescription for disaster for people who already have health insurance? We're going to do a check-up on all the facts.

Plus, accidentally or intentionally killed? Five American civilians are dead after their helicopter crashes in a Baghdad neighborhood. But bullet wounds suggest it may not have been the crash that killed the members of the elite Blackwater security team.

Retired Army General David Grange joins for an inside look at Blackwater, USA and a lucrative but potentially deadly profession. That's all -- all that, top stories, CNN NEWSROOM, 1:00 Eastern time.

COLLINS: We'll be watching.

Thank you, Kyra.

All right. So, here's one for you. It's a pretty rare sighting and not that it's very pretty, either. A frilled shark caught on tape in Japan. Looks more like an eel with needle-sharp teeth. This species of shark is rarely seen alive because its natural habitat is 2,000 feet or more under the sea.

HARRIS: Look at that.

COLLINS: This one is a five-foot female. Marine experts in Tokyo say she may have come close to the surface, though, because she was sick or she became ill in shallow water. They're not sure. But in any case, I should tell you that the shark died just hours after being caught.

Always love to end the show that way.

HARRIS: Well...

COLLINS: CNN NEWSROOM does continue one hour from now.

HARRIS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is next with news happening across the globe and here at home.

I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins. Have a great day, everybody.

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