Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Elizabeth Edwards Battling Cancer Once Again; Senate Investigates Subprime Lendersl; Will a South Carolina Mother Lose Custody of Her Obese Son?; Exiled Zimbabweans
Aired March 22, 2007 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Eating healthy is something many of us try to do. But understanding portions and calories can be very confusing.
CNN.com has a few pointers to help you stay on the right track. The Centers for Disease Control says that the average American does not eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables per day.
You can find out just how much you should be eating by checking out this gallery highlighting the recommended daily intake of all the food groups. And do you even know how to create a well-balanced meal? Well, this interactive plate can help guide you in making the best food choices for each meal in the day.
For example, choosing a ham and cheese sandwich and an apple for lunch is 500 calories, while a burger and fries is double that amount. Also, test your food knowledge and see how portion sizes for many of our favorite foods have changed over the years.
You can find it all online at CNN.com/healthybodies.
For the Dot-Com Desk, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Brianna Keilar, in for Kyra Phillips.
Living with cancer -- more and more Americans are doing it. And now that's Elizabeth Edwards' path yet again. We're going to talk about the medical realities. But we will also get the personal side from cancer survivor and CNN correspondent Jill Dougherty.
You are in the NEWSROOM.
Family comes first, but the campaign will continue. Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, today shared some difficult and personal news. Mrs. Edwards' cancer, which first appeared in 2004, has returned. A tumor was found this week on a rib on her right side. It's described as treatable, but not curable. And the couple says that they are determined to move forward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH EDWARDS, WIFE OF JOHN EDWARDS: This is what happens to every cancer survivor, not that you ultimately get a bad diagnosis, but, every time you get something suspicious, you go into alarm mode.
And that's all -- every cancer survivor that you know personally has exactly that experience of knowing that the pain they feel in their side, the ache they feel someplace could be the sign of something worse. This turned out to be.
JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The campaign goes on. The campaign goes on strongly.
Elizabeth and I have talked at length about this already; talked with our children about it. Basically, as I mentioned earlier, we have been confronted with -- with these kind of traumas and struggles already in our lives. And we know from our previous experience that, when this happens, you have a choice: You can go cower in the corner and hide, or you can be tough and go out there and stand up for what you believe in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: CNN's Mary Snow was standing by there as they made this announcement. Let's go to her live now. She's in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Hi, Mary.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Brianna.
And the Edwards said they are optimistic. And one of the reasons they are optimistic, they say, is because the cancer is confined to Elizabeth Edwards' bones. Also, Elizabeth Edwards said that she is ready to hit the campaign trail, saying that's one of the reasons why she had a press conference, rather than release the news in a press release, because she wanted people to see that she's not showing any symptoms, that she doesn't look sickly; she doesn't feel sickly.
And, in terms of going ahead with the campaign, she said she is ready. Former Senator John Edwards was asked about staying focused and how he deals with this mentally as he goes forward. This is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J. EDWARDS: Anyone who wants to be president of the United States needs to understand and recognize that there will be very difficult, intense, high-pressure times when judgments have to be made. And, if you're not able to, in a focused, thoughtful way, to deal with this kind of pressure, you're not ready to be president. (END VIDEO CLIP)
M. SNOW: And the Democratic presidential hopeful said he wanted to be clear that, any time or any place his wife needed him, that he would be there -- no discussion of that.
And, after they did speak with the press, the Edwards left, and they said they are pressing ahead with their campaign schedule. John Edwards is heading to New York for a fund-raiser. Elizabeth Edwards, an aide says, is going to be meeting with her oldest daughter. And the two are expected to go to California tomorrow and resume their campaign schedule -- Brianna.
KEILAR: You know, Mary, I thought that she looked even maybe healthier than she did in 2004. I mean, from your vantage point there, not far from her at all, she looked very well, didn't she?
M. SNOW: She did. And that is what she is also crediting. Because she's feeling so well, saying that she doesn't have symptoms, she says that she is very lucky. And the doctor who is treating her here also said that that is a good sign, that she is not showing these symptoms.
But, if you didn't know what was behind the story, you wouldn't have been able to tell that anything was wrong just by looking at her.
KEILAR: All right, Mary Snow live for us from Chapel Hill -- thanks, Mary.
And coming up, we're going to hear from a breast cancer survivor right here in the CNN family, our very own Jill Dougherty. And she's going to share her struggle and that of her mother, who has faced cancer twice, just like Elizabeth Edwards.
LEMON: We want to update you now on that terror plot, the arrest in the terror plot, London 2005, July. Many called it 7/7.
Let's go to CNN's Paula Newton, who is in London to give us the very latest on that.
Paula, what do you have for us?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Don.
Well, three suspects were picked up, two on -- at an airport. They were getting ready to board a flight to Pakistan. They were arrested -- another man arrested in Leeds. That is north of London. They have now been transferred here to a London police station, where they will be questioned.
In the meantime, authorities searched properties in Leeds, and two, we're told here, in East London, looking for more evidence. This really has come as a major shock to people in this city, most specifically, the victims and their families. While they always suspected that there was more to 7/7 that they knew about, authorities said it was an open question. Were other people involved that day in blowing up the three trains and the one bus? In terms of the actual cell itself, the cell that these men had created, police were fairly satisfied that they were able to determine exactly along the timeline that they were the only four intended suicide bombers.
But, on everything else, it's been really so obscure. And they have been able to tell authorities here -- I mean, I can tell you, we are outside 10 Downing Street, and security sources have told us that, every time Tony Blair has been briefed on this topic, he's asked again, can we be sure that this was an intact cell, that there aren't others out there?
Authorities have consistently come back to tell him, we just don't know.
We're told this was a very extensive and sophisticated surveillance operation. And, from what I know of these operations, they try and have them go on as long as possible to try and gather as much evidence as possible. I suppose, with these two suspects going to the airport, ready to board a flight to Pakistan, they felt they just couldn't wait any longer.
Again, under laws here in Britain, they are only under arrest, so far, not charged. Authorities here have about 28 days to hold them, and then they can either release them or charge them -- Don.
LEMON: All right, Paula Newton, thank you so much for that report.
KEILAR: Somewhat lost in the shuffle, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as head of the Justice Department -- Gonzales, of course, is under attack over the prosecutor firings and other recent controversies. But, today, in Saint Louis, he signaled again that he's not backing down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL: I'm not going to resign. I'm going to stay focused on protecting our kids.
There's a lot of work that needs to be done around the country. The department is responsible for protecting our kids, from -- making our neighborhoods safe, for protecting our country against attacks of terrorism, to going after gangs, going after drug dealers. I'm staying focused on that.
At the end of the day, we have a situation where the president of the United States has the authority to hire and to fire United States attorneys. I am going to be going up to the Congress and providing further clarification about what happened here. We are working with Congress voluntarily.
No United States attorney was fired for improper reasons. And that's the message that I'm going to deliver to the United States Congress.
Thank you very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: The Justice Department says Gonzales is reaching out to U.S. attorneys, after receiving a vote of confidence from President Bush.
LEMON: Well, the White House proposes an unsworn conversation behind closed doors with the aides in question and no official record.
Spokesman Tony Snow defended the offer today, suggesting Democrats favor a circus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "AMERICAN MORNING")
TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: What you don't want is a situation where you create this "Perry Mason" or "Law & Order" atmosphere, where people are grilling aides. Soledad, people would...
(CROSSTALK)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: How does a transcript do that? Isn't a transcript just a record of the conversation, that the American people can say, wow, that was what was actually said?
T. SNOW: We're making available all the facts. What we are not going to do is create a show -- look, I got the "Financial Times" here. There's a big old picture of Karl Rove. One of the sub texts here is all these people are talking, get Karl Rove.
Well, you know what? Wait a minute. What the White House does is we're going to make available every fact and every individual. And you probably know -- a lot of people don't, though -- is, if they go up and talk to Congress, they're going to have to tell the truth. And, if they don't, they go to jail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: We will have more later on the White House position from CNN's Ed Henry.
KEILAR: Welcome to Iraq.
Three months into the job, the U.N. secretary-general is in Baghdad, his first trip as the secretary-general. And it didn't take long for a reality check.
The too-close-for-comfort explosion happened a few yards from Ban Ki-moon's news conference. It was a mortar rocket -- or rocket, rather, landing inside the Green Zone, which is actually a near-daily occurrence in Baghdad. Nobody was hurt, thankfully. And Ban's host, the Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, barely raised an eyebrow.
The suspected leaders of one of the boldest and most elaborate attacks on American troops in Iraq are now in custody. Think back to January in Karbala, south of Baghdad. English-speaking gunmen in American-style uniforms ambush a U.S. compound, and they kill five U.S. troops. American forces this week arrested two brothers, one of whom is a former spokesman for the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
The military isn't saying much else, other than that their evidence against the brothers is significant.
LEMON: And, as we have been reporting here in the CNN NEWSROOM, Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John Edwards, is once again battling cancer.
And, for many people, such a struggle is very personal and also very private. But, like Ms. Edwards, our next guest went public with it.
At the time, Jill Dougherty was CNN's high-profile Moscow bureau chief.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN INTERNATIONAL U.S. AFFAIRS EDITOR: One thing that kept me going throughout my struggle with breast cancer was running in the Race for the Cure, sponsored by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
I didn't care if it took me all day to get to the finish line -- thousands of women, along with their families and friends, celebrating the day when we will cross the finish line against breast cancer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And, Jill, I can see you in the preview monitor here. You are smiling when you look at that. And you survived. Is that what that smile is about?
DOUGHERTY: Well, you know, I was kind of laughing, because I'm still running.
(LAUGHTER)
DOUGHERTY: And, yes, I guess it's -- that's good. That's good.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: How did you find out you had breast cancer?
DOUGHERTY: You know, it was connected with running, Don. I came back from a run, took a shower, and I noticed what I can only describe as like a dent in my breast.
And I always thought that breast cancer was kind of, you know, a swelling of some type. But, in this case, it was a dent. And I remember the cancer booklets that said an indentation or something like that. So, I went to my doctor, and then, eventually, you know, found out that it was cancer. LEMON: Yes.
And, you know, you have said that you made a mistake by listening to your first doctor's advice about your lump. Was it difficult figuring out the best course of action to take once you have been diagnosed?
DOUGHERTY: You know, the first doctor said, let's watch it. And I don't think that that was a good idea. I think you ought to get on it. I certainly wanted to get on it as quickly as possible.
But it's confusing. It's very confusing for people. There's a lot of information on the Internet. There are a lot of books. But, in your individual case, you sometimes have to wonder, where do you begin? And it turned into a full-time occupation just doing the research.
LEMON: Yes. So, you are saying, cancer is aggressive, so you have to be aggressive as well, right?
DOUGHERTY: Absolutely.
LEMON: Yes.
So, you have been in remission for several years. You are doing fine now, right?
DOUGHERTY: Well, yes. I mean, remission -- this is coming up with Mrs. Edwards. I don't think of it as remission. I don't put a word on it.
LEMON: Yes.
DOUGHERTY: Statistically, according to the type of cancer I had, the type of treatment that I had, they can say you have X percentage chance of having it come back.
LEMON: Right.
DOUGHERTY: But I never considered cured. I don't think of cure, because things can come back. My mother had it come back. She had it twice.
LEMON: Yes.
So, let's listen to Elizabeth Edwards, what she said during her press briefing a little bit ago, and I want to get your response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
E. EDWARDS: This is what happens to every cancer survivor. Not that you ultimately get a bad diagnosis, but every time you get something suspicious, you go into alarm mode.
And that's all -- every cancer survivor that you know personally has exactly that experience of knowing that the pain they feel in their side, the ache they feel someplace could be the sign of something worse. This turned out to be.
This turned out to be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: You second that, Jill?
DOUGHERTY: Yes, I do.
Unfortunately, you do kind of flash back to what happened. And the immediate response is, could it be? But I think the only answer is to do exactly what Mrs. Edwards did, which is go to the doctor and find out, you know, what it is.
LEMON: Jill Dougherty, from our Washington bureau, thank you so much. Keep running.
DOUGHERTY: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
DOUGHERTY: I will.
LEMON: All right.
KEILAR: A South Carolina mother could lose custody of her obese son. The state says he's got to lose weight. That's ahead still in the NEWSROOM.
LEMON: Plenty of borrowers are taking it on the chin. They have been taking it right on the chin. Should predatory lenders be held to account as well? Ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM: The Senate Banking Committee wants information on subprime mortgages.
KEILAR: And straight ahead: entertainment news with Brooke Anderson.
Hey, Brooke. What's going on?
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Brianna.
Well, "The Late Show" says a final farewell to a favorite. Actress Vivica A. Fox makes an unexpected appearance at a police station. And we have got a little Paul McCartney with your java in the morning.
That's all ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: It's almost 20 past the hour, and we have some new information right here into the CNN NEWSROOM.
It is good news. The 12-year-old Boy Scout Michael Auberry who went missing for a while in the woods, and then was found later, he has been released from the hospital. He's being -- he was being treated for dehydration and what his mother called frost nip. That's a quote, but he's out of the hospital at this hour.
So, we're working on a lot of stories for you right here in the CNN, including this one. Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, announced last hour that her cancer has returned -- actually, two hours ago. But her husband's campaign for the White House will roll on.
The Senate Judiciary Committee, investigating, the possible political firings of U.S. attorneys, approves the use of subpoenas for White House aides unwilling to testify voluntarily.
And attorneys for former astronaut Lisa Nowak enter pleas of not guilty to charges that she planned the assault and kidnapping of a romantic rival. Nowak's trial is scheduled begin July 30.
KEILAR: David Letterman says goodbye to an unlikely late-night favorite.
And CNN's entertainment correspondent Brooke Anderson joins us live from Los Angeles to tell us all about it.
Hi, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Hi, Brianna.
Calvert DeForest, known to millions of "Late Night With David Letterman" fans as Larry "Bud" Melman, died Monday at age 85 in New York. DeForest first appeared on the first "Late Show With David Letterman" on NBC in 1982. He made dozens of goofy appearances on the New York-based show through its run on NBC until 1993.
His last appearance was in 2002, on his 81st birthday. In a statement released yesterday, David Letterman said: "Everyone always wondered if Calvert was an actor playing a character. But, in reality, he was just himself, a genuine, modest and nice man" -- Brianna.
KEILAR: And, Brooke, I hear a famous actress got some sobering news?
ANDERSON: In more ways than one, Brianna.
Actress Vivica A. Fox was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence Tuesday night. A patrol car noticed the 42-year-old's Cadillac SUV traveling erratically on a Los Angeles freeway at about 80 miles per hour in a 65-mile-per-hour zone.
Public information officer Leland Tang told CNN, Fox was then taken to the police station, and her vehicle was impounded. She was arrested, but wasn't booked, because the officers were called to an unrelated accident. Tang told us booking takes about 45 minutes, so, basically, they just didn't have time to do it. Well, that was very lucky for the actress. She was released and picked up by a friend. And, because she wasn't booked, that means there's no mug shot. She's not off the hook, though. She still was given notice to appear in court at a later date. And you were just watching video of her. She appeared in "Dancing With the Stars," and she also was in the films "Kill Bill Vol. 1" and "Soul Food."
KEILAR: We always want that mug shot. That's just...
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: It doesn't exist this time.
KEILAR: We always want to see it.
(LAUGHTER)
KEILAR: You know, does she compare to Nick Nolte? That's what we always want to know, right?
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: Oh, boy. Doubtful.
(LAUGHTER)
KEILAR: All right.
And, with a Starbucks on nearly every corner, it could very soon turn into a music store on every corner.
ANDERSON: It certainly could, Brianna.
You know, you could order up your grande vanilla with whipped latte or whatever your favorite concoction, and maybe a little Sir Paul McCartney at the very same time. The former Beatle is the first artist to be signed to Starbucks new Hear Music label. McCartney said he decided to go with this record label because of the coffee shop's commitment and passion for music.
Now, this is not Starbucks' first venture with selling music. As most of us know, they have also sold books and movies, but in partnership with other companies. And, by the way, Sir Paul is also being honored with the inaugural Gretchen Wyler Award from the Humane Society. And that is for bringing awareness to the annual seal hunt in Canada.
OK, moving now to "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, coming up tonight, inside the rehab centers of the rich and famous, from Britney Spears to Lindsay Lohan. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" uncovers what really goes on when big stars check into rehab.
That revealing story on TV's most provocative entertainment news show -- that is "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on Headline Prime. A.J. Hammer and I hope you will join us then.
KEILAR: All right, thanks, Brooke Anderson, so much for that report.
LEMON: Plenty of borrowers are taking it on the chin. Should predatory lenders be held to account as well? Ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM: The Senate Banking Committee wants answers on subprime mortgages.
KEILAR: And a South Carolina mother could lose custody of her obese son. The state says he's got to lose weight.
That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, much has been made lately about high-risk mortgages. More than two million homeowners could lose their homes because their payments have shot through the roof. And Congress wants to know who is to blame.
CNN's Gerri Willis is in Washington, where lenders are being grilled by lawmakers.
Gerri, what are you hearing?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Well, after months of the meltdown in the subprime mortgage sector, finally, Capitol Hill is taking notice.
Senator Chris Dodd, who chairs the Senate's Banking Committee, held a hearing today, grilling regulators about high-interest loans that are forcing many homeowners into foreclosure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD (D-CT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It seems common sense that you would want to determine whether or not the borrower was in a position to financially pay at the fully indexed rate. This is not terribly complicated.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right.
DODD: Why didn't you do that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIS: And, so, industry executives, well, they were on the firing line as well. And it's no wonder.
As you said, current estimates from industry experts are that 2.2 million homeowners are in danger of defaulting on their subprime mortgage loan.
Now, for their part, regulators said they have been on the case, asking for tougher lending standards. And, while Dodd said he intends to bring legislation, Congress' track record on this issue isn't too good. Dodds' is the second hearing held on the topic of subprime loans and predatory lending since the Democrats took office. Of course, we will be keeping an eye on this, and we will be talking about it this weekend on "Open House," 9:30 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN. We will be addressing the issue in detail and also talking about how to cut your taxes.
LEMON: Yes. I love watching that show, actually, Gerri. It's great.
WILLIS: Oh, you're so nice.
LEMON: But you know what? We said more than two million people. So, what if you are one of those homeowners who are stuck in a bad loan? What do you do now?
WILLIS: Well, I think, for those folks who are in one of those mortgages where the interest rate is going up and up and up and up, you have got to think about refinancing.
Now is the time to get a new loan. It is not cheap. You will pay a ton of dough to do it. But, at the end of the day, it's better to have a more expensive loan than it is to have one that you can't handle at all. And that's what a lot of these people are facing. They are being forced out on the street, because their mortgage is just too darn expensive.
LEMON: Yes, it's just way too bad.
All right, Gerri Willis, thank you so much for joining us here today in the CNN NEWSROOM.
WILLIS: You're welcome.
LEMON: And you can catch a special edition of "Open House" Saturday morning, 9:30 Eastern, right here on CNN.
KEILAR: Coming up: A South Carolina mother could lose custody of her obese son. The state says he's got to lose weight. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Hello. I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
KEILAR: And I'm Brianna Keilar in for Kyra Phillips. Muhammad Ali could float like a butterfly at 200-plus pounds, but Ali was 33. Justin Painter, seen here, he's only 7. He weighs more than 250 pounds. Should the state step in and take him away from his mother? You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
John and Elizabeth Edwards say her cancer is back and it can't be cured. But they say it can be treated and they vow to continue with their lives, including his run for the White House.
Earlier today, the couple revealed that a cancerous tumor had been found on Mrs. Edwards' rib bone. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 and underwent radiation and chemotherapy. The couple says they are prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: But the bottom line is her cancer is back. We are very optimistic about this because having been through some struggles together in the past, we know that the key is to keep your head up and keep moving and be strong. We intend to do exactly that.
ELIZABETH EDWARDS, JOHN EDWARDS WIFE: This is what happens to every cancer survivor, not that you ultimately get a bad diagnosis. But every time you get something suspicious, you go into alarm mode. And that's -- every cancer survivor that you know personally has exactly that experience of knowing that that pain they feel in their side, the ache they feel some place, could be the sign of something worse. This turned out to be.
There were times yesterday that we thought it might be a lot worse than it is, and we wouldn't be having the same conference we're having right now with the same hopeful tone. We're actually encouraged as we got more and more test results. And right now we feel incredibly optimistic. I expect to do next week all of the things I did last week. And the week after that and next year at the same time, all the same things I did last week.
I do not expect -- except that I'll be seeing Dr. Kerry (ph) a lot more often. I don't expect my life to be significantly different.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Elizabeth Edwards' doctor says her cancer appears to be largely confined to bone and the next phase of treatment has not been determined. But we did hear from our guest, Dr. Otis Brawley (ph), earlier that it probably will include chemotherapy.
LEMON: Well, Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John Edwards, announced today her cancer has returned. And we asked you what you thought about his decision to go on with his campaign. A lot of you wrote in wishing them both well.
KEILAR: Leota from Pittsburgh, Kansas, wrote: "It is a brave and logical decision to continue with the campaign. This shows their compassion, toughness and dedication to the American people. John Edwards could make an outstanding president. And Elizabeth will be a great first lady."
LEMON: And here's what Margo had to say from Culver City, California: "I believe Mrs. Edwards is very brave. However, since it appears her time on Earth may be limited, her husband should put her life and health ahead of his bid for the presidency."
KEILAR: This one is from Steve. He said: "Even though I'm a supporter of Senator Obama, I'm glad to hear that the Edwards campaign is continuing on. This shows incredible strength and courage. John and Elizabeth Edwards are an inspiration to America." LEMON: And Tracey writes: "I certainly don't think what we can -- that we can fairly judge Mr. Edwards' decision to stay in the presidential race until we have walked in his shoes. My prayers are with the Edwards family." Thanks to all of you who sent your e-mails to us.
KEILAR: And a new story coming in here to the CNN NEWSROOM. We now know that Michael Auberry has been released from the hospital. He, of course, is the 12-year-old Boy Scout who spent three days over the weekend and into the early part of this week in the North Carolina woods after he became separated from his Boy Scout troop when he wandered off. His father had said he suffered a little frost nip but we understand he has left the hospital in good condition. Good to hear.
LEMON: Also new developments coming into the CNN NEWSROOM. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates held a press conference just a short while ago. Jamie McIntyre has some news on the secretary of defense.
What do you have for us, Jamie?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, as the U.S. Congress began debating the supplemental funding bill, which includes crucial money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Secretary Gates opened his press conference with a plea for quick passage of that measure, warning that the Defense Department, the Army in particular, would have to take some drastic steps, including curtailing training and slowing the deployment of units to Iraq if that bill isn't passed quickly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GATES, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: This kind of disruption to key programs will have a genuinely adverse effect on the readiness of the Army and the quality of life for soldiers and their families. I urge the Congress to pass the supplemental as quickly as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: Gates he met with the House Army Caucus this morning, a bipartisan group of congressmen who are concerned about the Army's readiness. And he said the Army has outlined a series of steps it will have to take. One, if the budget -- the additional money is not passed by April 15th and even more draconian measures that would have to go into effect if the money is not available by May 15th.
Gates noted that the Army went through this last year and he hoped they wouldn't have to do it again in the middle of a war.
And of course, Don, it is a tried and true technique to put pressure on Congress to announce the most drastic steps that would have to be taken. One of the reporters questioning Gates noted that last year a lot of those drastic measures were threatened but were never implemented -- Don..
LEMON: All right. Senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre, thank you so much for that.
KEILAR: In Zimbabwe, the quarter century rein of President Robert Mugabe may be winding down. For years Zimbabwe has suffered under Mugabe's strong-arm rule. But now a wrecked economy has prompted new opposition and flooded neighboring countries with Zimbabwean refugees.
Let's get the story now from CNN's Jeff Koinange in Johannesburg, South Africa.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet 30- year-old Nkuleleko. His name means freedom in Ndebele, one of Zimbabwe's dominant ethnic groups. Freedom, though, is probably the last thing on his mind.
NKULELEKO, ZIMBABWEAN EXILE: No freedom. No freedom. There is no freedom.
KOINANGE: These days, life is a lesson in survival for Zimbabwe exiles like Nkuleleko. Illegal immigrants forced to flee their country due to what they call the repressive regime of this man, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. Now they are now forced to earn a living in neighboring South Africa.
MOELETSI MBEKI, POLITICAL ANALYST: What South Africa does is we suck in a lot of illegal immigrants in Zimbabwe. They work in South African by whatever means. They send South African currency to Zimbabwe to support their relatives, and South African companies send goods to Zimbabwe for these relatives to buy. So that is what is keeping Zimbabwe alive.
KOINANGE: Today is shopping day. He picks up sugar, cooking oil, flour, baked beans, washing soap, items no longer available in Zimbabwe. And when they do become available, cost four times what he's paying in South Africa.
NKULELEKO: Well, they are suffering. They are suffering too much. That's why you see, it's like maybe half of Zimbabweans, they are here now.
KOINANGE: Nkuleleko is but one of thousands of exiled Zimbabweans sending boxes and bags of food daily to their starving families. And those not sending food send just about everything else: computers, wheelbarrows, bathtubs, everything, including the kitchen sink. Zimbabweans say this is what Robert Mugabe has forced them to become, from what the once the bread basket of southern Africa to what experts call an African basket case.
ESINATH NDLOVU, ZIMBABWEAN EXILE: I don't know what to do except doing this, buying things and sending it home every now and then. Besides that, they're not eating anything. What can we do?
KOINANGE: Jeff Koinange, CNN, Johannesburg.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: In South Carolina, a mother could lose custody of her obese son. The state says he has got to lose some weight. That's straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: This just in to the CNN NEWSROOM. Presidential candidates now beginning to speak out about Elizabeth Edwards and her cancer condition. One of those candidates, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, holding a press conference today on an unrelated topic. And here's what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Elizabeth Edwards is a wonderful and strong woman, and I think all of our thoughts and prayers go out to her and to John and their children and their entire family. I admire her optimism and I am encouraged by her resolve that she's going to continue with her life. And I look forward to seeing her back out on the campaign trail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: New York Senator and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton talking about Elizabeth Edwards and her newly diagnosed recurrence of cancer.
Justin Painter plays T-ball and soccer and does his homework just like any 7-year-old. But he weighs as much as five 7-year-olds, more than most heavyweight boxers. And his mother is just beside herself.
Reporter Craig Beatty with affiliate WSPA has more on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CRAIG BEATTY, WSPA REPORTER (voice-over): Justin Painter is a lot bigger than most boys his age. At just seven years old, Justin weighs more than the average adult, 254 pounds.
JOYCE PAINTER, JUSTIN'S MOTHER: I just noticed he started putting on weight.
BEATTY: His mother, Joyce, says she first realized Justin's weight problem when he was three, and for the past four years has visited doctor after doctor looking for a cause and a solution. But most every time, Joyce says, she was told to watch his diet.
PAINTER: I've got him on three meals, you know, meat and two vegetables, you know, and give him a plate and that's it.
BEATTY (on camera): No snacking?
PAINTER: No snacking. We don't have chips. I've removed all of the chips, all of the cookies, all of that stuff. I quit buying it. BEATTY (voice-over): Despite a strict diet and physical activity, Joyce says her son continues to grow. Now she says the Department of Social Services has visited her after getting a complaint about Justin's size. Joyce says she was shocked at what DSS told her.
PAINTER: We have a report that all you're doing is just feeding your child all the time. That's why he's gaining weight.
BEATTY: Joyce says that's not the case. Polk County DSS wouldn't comment on the situation, citing confidentiality laws, but Joyce says the agency gave her two months. If Justin doesn't show signs of losing weight, they'll remove him from her home.
PAINTER: I do the best I can to cook him healthy meals and everything. And if I'm doing something wrong, somebody come show me. Show me what I'm doing. Come into my home and look what I've got in my cabinet. If there's something in there that I don't need to have, show me so I can throw it out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Well, Craig Beatty adds Justin is now in a weight management program run by a doctor. Next week he'll start a specialized program at Duke University.
And we also want to update you again about Elizabeth Edwards. We told you just a short time ago that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was speaking out. Played that sound bite for you. Now Senator Barack Obama has released a statement and it is on his Web site. I'll turn to read it here. It says: "Today Michelle and I" -- Michelle is his wife, "Michelle and I joined every American in sending our thoughts and prayers to Elizabeth and John and the entire Edwards family. We all admire Elizabeth's strength and determination and the deep love they so obviously share." That is from Senator Barack Obama on barackobama.com. Much more on Elizabeth Edwards coming up all day and all evening here on CNN.
KEILAR: Behind the scenes of a medical trauma center's golden hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Trauma is not something you want to make up as you go along.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give Jess (ph) a marking pen.
GUPTA: Jess has already got the head positioned. Lou (ph) shaves the head. Jess makes the marks. Jess is scrubbing his hands already while Lou is pushing out and Lou scrubs his hands. It's all just -- it's an orchestrated dance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Our very own Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going to take us inside "Grady's Anatomy" straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: A trauma center's golden hour. Much more than a plot device on "Grey's Anatomy," it's the best chance doctors have to save the lives of victims of terrible injuries. And that's something CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta knows a whole lot about. When he's not in the NEWSROOM, he's often in the operating room at Grady Memorial Hospital right here in Atlanta as an attending physician training residents.
This weekend, he takes us behind the scenes of "Grady's Anatomy." Here's a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guy got hit by a car.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He needs to go to the O.R. within the hour or he's going to die.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He has got a big bleed on his brain.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Currently I'm down here in the red zone and there's a guy who needs to go to the O.R. now. He has an epidural hematoma.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw that scan and then my entire day just completely shifted.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jess, open up that other door.
I'm looking at the patient's head and I visualize that blood clot getting bigger.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you going to do, Jess?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clean the epidural, (INAUDIBLE) the subdural. He's going to need an EBD (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: EBD is going to be fun.
Did you talk to the mom?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I just talked to the mom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know what's going to happen to this guy. And so we are kind of pushing people out of the way, maybe being a little bit rude.
Hey, guys, we're coming through.
If it was a blood clot on my brain and a guy was making a big deal about rushing, I'd appreciate that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is what they call the golden hour of trauma.
GUPTA: Trauma is not something you want to make up as you go along.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give Jess (ph) a marking pen.
GUPTA: Jess has already got the head positioned. Lou (ph) shaves the head. Jess makes the marks. Jess is scrubbing his hands already while Lou is pushing out and Lou scrubs his hands. It's all just -- it's an orchestrated dance.
Jess was here all day yesterday and we are going to basically let him do a little bit of operating here, which is a case that he typically will do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kelly (ph), clamp.
GUPTA: He has got a chief resident showing him things.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me show you a trick.
GUPTA: I'll show him things as well.
Really get down low and really scrape that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jess, memorize the look of this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lou is very intense. He's also someone who openly praises you when you do good things. He's a natural leader.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pick-ups. We're closing.
GUPTA: And how he's going to do, we'll know over the next few days. But the pressure is off his brain. And that's key.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a traumatic brain injury. And so we've given him the best shot that he has to recover.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: "Grady's Anatomy," a CNN Special Investigations Unit special premieres Saturday night at 8:00 Eastern only on CNN.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KEILAR: Time now to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
LEMON: He's standing by in "THE SITUATION ROOM" to tell us what's coming up at the top of the hour.
Hi, Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, guys. Thanks very much. They used to call him "The hammer." And now the former house majority leader, Tom DeLay, is hammering away at some fellow Republicans in his new book. We're going to find out what he has to say about Newt Gingrich, Dick Armey, Bill Clinton, among others. Tom DeLay will join us live.
Also is Zain Verjee with a CNN exclusive. Takes us inside the most secretive country in the world. That would be North Korea. She talks to a former intelligence officer who says the U.S. right now taking the wrong approach.
Also, he's a critical U.S. ally in the war on terror. But can the Pakistani president, Pervez Musharraf, survive politically? We're going to show you why some say he's losing his grip on power.
And duck and cover caught on tape. CNN's Jeanne Moos has a "Moost Unusual" look at some famous flinches. All of that, guys, coming up, right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM."
LEMON: And, Wolf, we're not going to let you get away. What is today?
KEILAR: Yes, a special day in "THE SITUATION ROOM."
LEMON: I thought you were going to say Thursday, right, is that what you were going to say?
BLITZER: Today is Thursday.
LEMON: It's your birthday, Wolf.
BLITZER: It's a big day, yes.
KEILAR: Happy birthday, Wolf.
BLITZER: Thank you, thank you very much. Nice of you guys to remember. We had cake, we sang the traditional birthday song. We had a lot of fun.
LEMON: Twenty-five again, right? That's what I always say.
BLITZER: Again.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: All right, Wolf. Thanks, happy birthday to you.
BLITZER: Thank you.
KEILAR: Happy birthday.
LEMON: We'll be watching at the top of the hour.
KEILAR: And the closing bell and a wrap of the action on Wall Street straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com
