Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Senate Subcommittee Hears From TB Patient; Thousands of Protesters Converge at G8 Summit; Struggle for Electricity in Iraq
Aired June 06, 2007 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Rob Marciano at the CNN Center in Atlanta.
Don Lemon is on assignment in India.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kyra Phillips.
Have germ, will travel. What's a government to do?
NGUYEN: And blood pressures rise on Capitol Hill over a TB patient's comings and goings and all the red flags that fell flat.
You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
PHILLIPS: Has a new front opened up in Iraq with new fighters? CNN has learned that Turkish troops have crossed into northern Iraq hoping to root out Kurdish militants blamed for attacks in Turkey, like this one just this week. Kurdish rebels allegedly fired grenades at a Turkish military outpost. It's not clear how many troops entered Iraq, but U.S. military sources say they don't think it's a major offensive, at least at this point.
Our CNN Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, at a Pentagon briefing this hour. She's keeping tabs on it. She'll bring us any developments as they happen.
MARCIANO: We're told there are some ominous clouds looming over the state of Florida, just recently into their rainy reason, but it looks like maybe too much of a good thing.
(WEATHER REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Well, who knew what, when? That's the focus of two congressional hearings this hour as the case of a globetrotting TB patient has health officials under the microscope. A Senate subcommittee has been hearing from Andrew Speaker as he testifies by phone from his Denver hospital room. A lot of time and attention are being spent establishing a timeline and clarifying rules. Speaker says May 10th was pivotal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW SPEAKER, TB PATIENT: When I had the much-discussed meeting on May 10th, that the point, on May 10th, CDC was aware of my travel plans. While it may not have been communicated up the chain of command, that's not something I'm really privy to. But I do that know not just my father-in-law, but numerous people at CDC knew of the travel plans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, federal and local health experts say that Speaker took an international flight two days earlier than planned. And that's not the only discrepancy.
CNN's Brianna Keilar has been following the testimony and joins us now live from Washington.
Hi, Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kyra.
A lot of finger-pointing and some mea culpas on the Hill today. Andrew Speaker told Congress that even though his county health officials said they preferred he didn't travel, he wasn't aware there was any danger in doing so because he didn't think he posed a danger to other people. He said he was going to court, working as a lawyer, hanging out with his daughter and his fiancee, and no one told him that he posed a risk before his trip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPEAKER: As far as I knew from my medical advice -- and I don't think anyone's going to get up in front of you today and tell you otherwise -- I was clearly told I was not contagious.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Dr. Julie Gerberding, head of the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told this Senate subcommittee that the agency should have acted sooner and they failed to take aggressive legal action. But Gerberding also said that health officials' hands are tied and that a patient must ignore medical advice and fail to cooperate with authorities before legal action can be taken.
And Kyra, we also heard a mea culpa from the U.S. Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection in allowing speaker to come into the U.S. from Canada. They told Congress that they'll be re-evaluating how they do things.
PHILLIPS: All right.
Brianna Keilar live from Washington.
Thank you.
MARCIANO: Well, the official -- by the way, tonight Andrew Speaker and his wife will be joining "LARRY KING LIVE". That's at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time tonight, right here on CNN.
Well, the official agenda includes climate change and aid to Africa, but new tensions between old rivals are threatening to overshadow the start of the G8 summit in Germany. Russian president Vladimir Putin says he might aim Russia's nuclear weapons at European cities if the U.S. goes ahead with a missile defense system on Russia's doorstep.
Asked whether that could spark military action by the U.S., President Bush said today, "There needs to be no military response because we're not at war with Russia. Russia is not a threat."
Moscow, too, is now trying to downplay the rift. A Kremlin spokesperson tells CNN that he doesn't see the slightest danger of another Cold War.
Well, two groups always show up at events like the G8 summit, world leaders and protesters.
Our Frederik Pleitgen is in Rethwisch, Germany, not far from the summit site.
Frederick, what have you seen behind you? What kind of protesters are there now?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rob, what you can see behind me right here is you can see some of these protesters have actually blocked off a road. Now, this is one of the roads that actually leads to the G8 summit venue, and this is really the strategy that these protesters have. They say they want to effectively shut down the whole infrastructure surrounding these summits. And they say they've been very successful at doing so.
Basically, what they do is they come out here, they try to block as many roads as possible, and what that actually does is it doesn't prevent the heads of state of coming here, but it does delay their delegations by a great deal. And we have seen some of the delegations have had to detour, had to take boats all the way to that summit site just because everything has been blocked.
And here's how those protesters went out there and did that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN (voice over): This is the moment the police strategy failed. Thousands of protesters charged packed police lines and plowed through farmers' fields, straight towards the G8 venue.
(on camera): The first protesters have just broken through police lines. They're now running towards Heiligendamm, where the G8 summit is being held, and they're going to try and block the roads leading up to that summit.
(voice over): They were able to block some roads, but not all. And while G8 leaders were airlifted over the protests, some summit delegations and staffers were delayed or forced to find alternative routes.
More than 16,000 police officers are on duty, using water cannons to control the crowds, flying in reinforcements with helicopters. Still, some protesters managed to reach the seven-mile-long security fence around the G8 venue, something police had hoped to prevent. "Still, we are quite happy," this police spokesperson says. "Most of the protesters are peaceful, and only when they become violent do we have to step in."
Protest organizers put the crowd at more than 10,000. People like Thomas Van Thuys. He traveled 500 miles to make his voice heard, he says.
THOMAS VAN THUYS, ANTI-G8 PROTESTER: Of course they are lying to us. They want to keep up the debts of the third world, because then they still have to produce cheap clothes for us.
PLEITGEN: Though there were minor scuffles, both sides say the protests remained peaceful. Demonstrators' desires to disrupt the G8 summit only partially realized. The police goal of keeping protesters far away only partially met.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN: Now, Rob, what the organizers here are telling us, is they're saying they want to make absolutely clear to the world leaders who are at this G8 summit right now that they can effectively shut down the infrastructure surrounding the summit, they can reach that security fence that is surrounding the summit. And they say that they can do it in a very peaceful way.
Now, having said that, most of these protesters today of course were peaceful, although we have heard that some scuffling has been going on not far away from here, where some people have been throwing rocks at policemen. But certainly, the largest part of these protests are peaceful -- Rob.
MARCIANO: Frederik, the gentleman in your peace said something in regards human rights. What other issue -- what's the biggest issue that these protesters are protesting about?
PLEITGEN: Well, a lot of these protesters are basically saying that they are protesting against inequality in the world, and they're saying that -- putting that in a very broad agenda. A lot of them are saying that the sort of policies of the Western world toward Africa are a big issue here. Development aid is a very, very big issue here.
And one of the things that's also obviously a huge issue, not only at the summit, but also to all of these protesters, is the issue of climate change, where they do feel that world leaders are not doing enough. But basically, the message that they say that they are trying to send is that they think that the summit of world leaders, this G8 summit, is not legitimate. They say the G8 leaders do not represent the whole world, and they are fighting, they say, for more equality in the world which they think the G8 summit cannot provide -- Rob.
MARCIANO: Frederik Pleitgen, live for us in Rethwisch, Germany.
Thanks, Frederik.
PHILLIPS: The struggle for power and a city at war. The heat is on in Baghdad, and the dark is no picnic either.
CNN's Hala Gorani is in the sweltering Iraqi capital.
Where I think at this point, Hala, it never cools down, does it?
HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, it doesn't. And we are close to 100 degrees. Sometimes, of course, higher, as you know, midday in Baghdad and across the country.
Well, life, as you know as well, Kyra, having been here not too long ago, life here is already hard enough with the daily violence for residents of the Iraqi capital, but aside from the death and destruction, Baghdadis often have to put up without the basics of everyday life.
Take electricity. There are still massive shortages, and that's forcing many people to take matters into their own hards.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI (voice over): This may look like a random tangle of multicolored wires, but to dozens of families in the northern Baghdad neighborhood of Tachi (ph), it is their only connection to basic electrical power.
Follow one of these cables, and you will end up in the home of the Obadi (ph) family. In the baking summer heat, there is only one hour of power a day from the national grid. Six with the generator they share with other neighboring homes. In this cramped living room, there is sweat, there is no air- conditioning, and there is frustration.
"We share with a private generator and pay $80 for six hours of electricity only," says Isma Younis. "But we can't even turn on the refrigerate or freezer or other electrical machines."
In a country where power cuts sometimes affect even the parliament, legislators fan themselves in the sweltering heat. Everyone is affected.
Take this medical testing laboratory. Attia Mohammed Homod says that without electricity his work comes to a standstill. "It all depends on electricity," he says. "When the electricity is cut, then we have to delay all test results."
It may be less vital, but power shortages are putting added pressure on businesses that would go broke in a few days without generators. An ice cream shop in Sadr City, a nearby carpenter and his power tools. He needs two machines, and the cost of fuel to operate them is rising.
(on camera): There are estimates that a third of power supply in Iraq comes from those private generators. And some say the proportion in Baghdad is much higher. Continued insurgent attacks and failed policies to restore electricity means supply in Iraq is still much lower than before the war. (voice over): And that means big generator owners, like Mohammed Jassem, are more in demand than ever. "We operate nine hours a day, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.," he says. "And from 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m."
Back at the Obadi (ph) home, it's time for bed. The heat so intense indoors, that they've relocated bedrooms on the rooftop. Mortar attacks and other violence make this dangerous. But in a city where death, destruction and despair are the norm, many here say they will take any short-lived comfort they can find.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: And Kyra, I was mentioning there that the price of fuel in Iraq is going up. That means that people who own generators, people who have enough money to actually buy a generator, don't have enough money to operate it all the time.
Back to you.
PHILLIPS: And these aren't -- this isn't just the only basic utility shortage, right?
GORANI: No, absolutely not. There are shortages of clean drinking water, and this is leading to diseases, and those who are most vulnerable among the Iraqis, children and the elderly as well, and major shortages of gas.
This morning we were on assignment in a Baghdad neighborhood, and I saw a line of cars that looked like a mile long. I thought these were parked cars. They were actually all waiting to fuel up at the local gas station -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Hala Gorani with a taste of what it's like to live there in Baghdad.
Thank you.
MARCIANO: Well, millions of diabetics take Avandia, but is it safe? Congress is demanding answers from the drug's producer and the FDA.
PHILLIPS: Plus, they talked New Hampshire -- or they talked, rather, and New Hampshire listened, and so did a lot of other people. Bill Schneider joining us with his view of last night's GOP presidential debate.
You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: 2:17 Eastern Time. Here are three of the stories that we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.
"I was not a threat to anyone." Andrew Speaker says that's what health officials told him days before he flew overseas with a dangerous form of tuberculosis. He spoke to a Senate panel by phone just hours ago from his Denver hospital room, where he's isolated. Health officials tell the panel they advised Speaker not to travel.
A mentally ill German man is in a mental institution in Rome after getting a bit too close to the pope. This dramatic video shows the man getting tackled by security after trying to jump into the back of the popemobile.
The man was unarmed. Pope Benedict appeared not to notice.
Right now a powerful cyclone appears to be weakening as it pounds the Arabian Peninsula, but it's still causing plenty trouble. The storm's disrupting oil exports to the Gulf of Oman and forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.
MARCIANO: A highly-charged debate, well, you better believe it. The 10 Republican presidential hopefuls went at it last night at a CNN-sponsored event in New Hampshire, home of the nation's first primary. Iraq, immigration, they topped the agenda, but when it came to abortion, and one of the candidate's support for abortion rights, the sparks really flew.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY GIULIANI (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, a Catholic bishop, any religion...
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: That's the lightning that's having an effect on our system.
(LAUGHTER)
GIULIANI: They're going to leave me alone, John. Well, I guess I'm here by myself.
Look, for someone who went to parochial schools all his life, this is a very frightening thing that's happening right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: Our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, joins us from Manchester.
So, Bill, Giuliani was able to inject a little bit of humor on a serious issue. Is his abortion stand going to hurt him with primary voters there in New Hampshire?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, in a way, he was saved by a lightning bolt, because it could have been a very uncomfortable moment when he was confronted with some criticism from a bishop in Rhode Island, who compared him to Pontius Pilate because of his position on abortion, where he says he's personally opposed to abortion but that he's pro-choice and doesn't think government should mandate that a woman cannot choose abortion.
It was an uncomfortable moment which was relaxed a little bit by the lightning bolt from the heavens. I thought the voters in the end understood that he was being honest and forthright in explaining his position. But the levity of the moment helped.
MARCIANO: Another somewhat uncomfortable moment, the issue of the Iraq war was front and center certainly. Let's listen to what John McCain's reaction was to a voter whose brother died in the Iraq war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ma'am, I want to tell you thank you for your brother's service and sacrifice to our country. We are proud of you and your endurance, and we're proud of his sacrifice.
This war -- I'm going to give you a little straight talk. This war was very badly mismanaged for a long time. And Americans have made great sacrifices, some of which were unnecessary because of this mismanagement of this conflict.
I believe we have a fine general. I believe we have a strategy which can succeed so that the sacrifice of your brother would not be in vain.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: A very sincere answer there, Bill, but is McCain's stance on the war resonating with primary voters?
SCHNEIDER: Well, of course among Republicans, they continue, most of them, to support President Bush's policy. That was a very difficult moment for everyone when McCain stood up, directly talked to the woman, and seemed to connect with her emotionally, and gave a difficult answer to a difficult question.
He said he understood her pain, the tragedy she had endured. He talked about the sacrifice of her brother and the mismanagement of the war. He said a lot of the lives that were lost were lost needlessly because the war was mismanaged.
A very important thing for a lot of voters to understand. But that in the end, the cause was just, he said, and the sacrifice would be understood.
It was a very telling moment. He called it "straight talk". And my reading from talking to voters here is that they saw the McCain that they voted for when he beat George Bush in the New Hampshire primary in 2000. The straight talker was back.
MARCIANO: There was also a very personal moment from Mitt Romney when he was asked about his relationship.
Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it's a fair question for people to ask, "What do you believe?" And I think if you want to understand what I believe, you can recognize that the values that I have are the same values you'll find in faiths across this country.
I believe in God, believe the bible, believe Jesus Christ is my savior. I believe that God created man in his image. I believe that the freedoms of man derive from inalienable rights that were given us to by God. And I also believe that there are some pundits out there that are hoping that I'll distance myself from my church so that that'll help me politically, and that's not going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: Bill, we've taken polls on how voters feel about Romney's faith. What do you think about what he said last night? Is that going to help him with Republicans?
SCHNEIDER: I think it will, because he turned it into a question of values rather than religion or faith or doctrines. He talked about his values being very similar to those of Christians and other Americans, that there was no distance between him and his personal values and his political values and that of other Americans.
You know, a lot of people say to the pollsters that they don't think they could vote for a Mormon for president, they're not entirely sure what the Mormon Church represents and what its doctrines are. Some Evangelical Christians consider Mormons a heretical faith.
So, it may be difficult. But when they see the this particular man talk about his values, the things that he represents, they say, well, he doesn't seem so weird. He seems fine. And he was trying to get that point across in his answer.
MARCIANO: And as you know, Bill, geography means a lot in New Hampshire. There's been a whole slew of Massachusetts politicians that have done well there.
Is him being from Massachusetts going to help him come six, eight months from now?
SCHNEIDER: Well, being from Massachusetts, of course, gives him a boost. He's well-known here. But it also creates a problem.
A lot of voters here know a Mitt Romney when he was governor who seemed to have different political principles. He was more moderate on a lot of social issues.
He acknowledges that he has changed his views on some issues like abortion and gay rights, but the voters of New Hampshire are very, very well aware of that. So, it gives him an advantage, but it also means that he has to do well here. He has to win. He has to do extremely well because he's expected to as the governor of a neighboring state.
MARCIANO: It's going to get interesting, that's for sure.
Bill Schneider, our CNN political analyst, live from Manchester, New Hampshire.
Thanks, Bill.
PHILLIPS: Well, the search far missing 18-year-old. Police in Kansas released video of her apparent abduction.
The latest straight ahead from the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: A new study shows many homebuyers are in the dark when it comes to real estate. And as Susan Liscovicz is about to tell us, what you don't know could cost you big bucks.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Hello everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
MARCIANO: And I'm Rob Marciano in for Don Lemon, he's on assignment in India.
Well, a controversial drug under fire on Capital Hill and so does the Food and Drug Administration.
PHILLIPS: Some studies show increased risk of heart attacks for diabetics who use Avandia. Now a House committee is trying to sort it all out. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
MARCIANO: First off, the fight for Iraq might have gotten even more complicated and violent. U.S. military sources tell CNN that Turkish soldiers have crossed into northern Iraq. They're trying to hunt down Kurdish militants blamed for a string of recent attacks in Turkey. CNN's Barbara Starr has just come from a Pentagon briefing. She joins us live. Barbara, what do you know?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rob, it is a bit of a confusing picture at the moment. Of course, the last thing anybody needs is another hotspot. That seems to be what's developing along Turkey's southeastern border with Iraq.
Earlier today, U.S. officials had indicated that they had some information that a limited number of Turkish troops, they'd been building up along that border, had actually crossed on some sort of limited military mission inside northern Iraq against Kurdsish guerrillas that had been launching attacks back into Turkey. But officially the word is that, no, that's not exactly what's happening. As you say, there was just a Pentagon briefing, and here's what a top military spokesman had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIG. GEN, PERRY WIGGINS, U.S. ARMY: We have no indications or no reports that the Turks have conducted a cross border operation into Iraq. I know you're all aware that they're partnered with us on the global war on terrorism and that they continue to fight the Kurdish terrorists that have targeted a number of their citizens in their country. They are conducting aggressive operations in southeast Turkey, counterinsurgency operations, and they continue to do so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: It's that last statement, Rob, from General Wiggins that everyone is really watching. Turkey does continue to build up its military forces along its border with northern Iraq. Thousands of troops there. Now they are conducting counterinsurgency operations. The question of whether they've actually stepped foot across the border may well be a distinction without a difference.
There have been a number of confirmed clashes across that border in recent days. This is the time of year when routinely the Turkish military moves to that area to try and deal with these Kurdish guerrillas. It is something, without question, that concerns U.S. officials a great deal because, again, this is northern Iraq, the Kurdish areas of northern Iraq that we're talking about, and the last thing anybody really wants there is any more instability popping up. Rob?
MARCIANO: Barbara, how concerned? I mean, this, obviously, whether they went or didn't go today with the forces building, this could blow up into something bigger. What's the word from the Pentagon as to what they feel may happen down the road?
STARR: Right. Well, you know, that's I think, what people probably will want to understand. This is something without question that is of great concern to the United States military and to the Bush administration.
There have been a number of conversations with the Turkish military and Turkish government in recent days. As that Turkish military buildup along Iraq's northern border has continued, trying to convince the Turks to tone it down, not to cross the border, not to launch an incursion into northern Iraq because the feeling is that it would greatly destabilize the region.
So I have to tell you, behind the scenes, when word started emerging a few hours ago that the Turks might have crossed the border in significant numbers, that made the phone lines around the Pentagon start humming. There was no question, but that commanders were very concerned and top U.S. Bush administration officials were very concerned. It's quite interesting that they came out and said it didn't happen, but make no mistake, this is something everyone is watching very closely, Rob.
MARCIANO: Great insight there. Barbara Starr, live for us from the Pentagon. Thanks, Barbara.
STARR: Sure.
PHILLIPS: Police think they may have a new lead in the apparent kidnapping of this 18-year-old from Overlandpark, Kansas. Kelsey Smith was last seen Saturday night walking to her car in a Target parking lot. Detectives have been trying to enhance this grainy security footage which shows Smith struggling with a man.
After viewing more surveillance video, police think he may drive a 1970s model dark Chevy pickup. Police are also focusing on pings from Kelsey's cell phone signal, and family and friends say that is encouraging news.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVIE HOCKER-SMITH, KELSAY'S SISTER: My heart's racing. I'm ready to go get people out there immediately to, you know, help make sure everyone out there in the area knows her, him, anything. You know? It's a great development.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. This is huge because so far all,we've been doing was talking about the five-mile radius and it expanding, but the as far as you go out, that's a huge area.
HOCKER-SMITH: Now we have an idea where to go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a specific area we can target.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And if you know anything that might help, you're asked to call this number -- 816-474-TIPS. A web site has also been established, it's findkelsey.com.
MARCIANO: Well, millions of diabetics take it, but could they be risking their lives? Today Congress is weighing the FDA's oversight over Avandia and the drug's potential dangers. We'll bring you that, live, in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Avandia is a fact of life, actually, for millions of people with diabetes, and now comes fears that the drug could cause heart attacks. A hearing today in Congress is only adding to that controversy over Avandia's potential risk. Medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, joins us now. She has been following this. What exactly happened at the hearings?
ELIZABETH COHEN, MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: What happened at the hearings was that the FDA took a little bit of a beating, and the reason why is that Congressman Waxman, who held these hearings, he said, you know, there's been these studies on Avandia that question the safety of Avandia, but the FDA didn't do these studies. The FDA is charged with the safety of the American people when it comes to drugs, and the FDA did not do the studies.
It was private investigators from the Cleveland Clinic who did them. The FDA responded by saying, we are doing our own studies and will be having a hearing next month.
PHILLIPS: So, what do you do if you're taking the drug?
COHEN: Well, the bottom line is that you have to talk to your doctor. Something interested happened, and the reason behind these hearing is that Glaxosmithkline, which makes this drug, they reported their own data. They said, OK, the Cleveland Clinic says our drug is more dangerous than other drugs, you know, more chance you'll get a heart attack or die from cardiovascular reasons. But we did our own study and we say that it's not more dangerous than the drugs we compared it to.
So, you have one study that says it's safe, one study that says maybe it's not so safe. The editorial writers questioned the safety of this drug, which is important to know, and David Mason, who is a diabetes expert at Harvard Medical School, he said, you know, given all this, given these questions, it's reasonable to ask why would you take a diabetes drug where there's questions about the safety, when there are other drugs out there that can help you control your diabetes? Why would you take a possibly dangerous option when there are other drugs that don't have the same problem.
PHILLIPS: Interesting. We'll continue to follow up. Thanks, Elizabeth.
COHEN: Thanks.
PHILLIPS: Well, thousands of people -- sorry about that.
MARCIANO: Stealing my weather now, again.
PHILLIPS: I so wanted to do your gig.
MARCIANO: This is cool but dangerous at the same time. A tropical cyclone batters the Arabian peninsula. We'll talk about it -- the latest coming out of that region in the country, weather wise, in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Powerful winds, flooding rains, tens of thousands of people out of their homes for a second day, in the Mid East country of Oman, being lashed by Cyclone Gonu. At one point, the category for the storm was actually the equivalent of a category five hurricane, but it's now considerably weaker and churning through the strait of Hormuz. But the seas are still rough and only a few oil tankers have even tried to sail through it. Jacqui Jeras, along with the CNN severe weather team, has been tracking this cyclone's's path. Where is this thing going now, Jacqui?
(WEATHER REPORT)
Phillips: Fender benders, to all-out wrecks. When you hit the streets in India, you're taking your life into your hands. Don Lemon has more on the trouble with traffic, straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I'm Brooke Anderson in New York. It's the end of an era. Fans have been lining up for days to see Bob Barker tape his last edition of The Price is Right. We will have that full story and much, much more coming up next in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Earlier in Hollywood today, The Price is Right may never be the same. "Showbiz Tonight's," Brooke Anderson here to give us all the entertainment news. Brooke, why today such a big day for daytime TV?
ANDERSON: It certainly is, it is a momentous day and you know why, Bob Barker, we're hearing the music, Barker fans to come one down for the very last time in Los Angeles this morning.
Today is the day that Barker will tape his final episode of The Price is Right. Now, for fans of the show, the end of Barker's 35- year long tenure is an emotional moment. Take a look at this.
Hundreds of fans have been lining up for days, camping out, even, to make sure they get to say good-bye. They came from all over, Florida to Canada, and they had to arrive early because the CBS studio where the show is filmed, holds 325 people, but the network gives out more than those 325 tickets. So, admission at every show is first come, first served. The first fan arrived Saturday afternoon, and the group has been steadily growing ever since, and they all said they came because they love Bob.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been watching him since, I think maybe I was about 6 years old, and I just absolutely love the show. And, you know, he's been on for so long, and he's just a great game show host. And, you know, we just we absolutely love watching the show. He's brought us so many years of pleasure, you know?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Barker's final show, which is taping today, is scheduled to air on June 15th. His replacement has not yet been announced. And Kyra, another fan actually said he would take a couch from Bob Barker over a million dollars from Howie Mandel.
PHILLIPS: It's a cult following is exactly what it is.
ANDERSON: He's a TV legend.
PHILLIPS: Yes, he is. What's the story about Cuba Gooding Jr being a hero for Memorial Day?
ANDERSON: That's right. The "New York Daily News" broke this story today, it's a great story. Cuba Gooding Jr., Oscar winner now good samaritan. He's being credited with saving a gunshot victim on Memorial Day.
Gooding was out picking up dinner for his family at Roscos's Chicken and Waffles in Hollywood when he heard four gunshots. He was sitting in his car outside the restaurant, when he saw a man collapse on the street, bleeding from his neck. Gooding tried to stop the bleeding with some towels from the restaurant, and then he flagged down a police car. Gooding stayed at the scene, assisting, until the ambulance arrived.
And we spoke with Gooding's spokeswoman a short time ago, and she tells us that the original prognosis for the 20-year-old victim was pretty bleak, but that he has made a miraculous recovery and is doing much better. So a great story.
PHILLIPS: Did he ever get his chicken and waffles from Roscoe's?
ANDERSON: I don't know if he did. Probably wasn't a priority.
PHILLIPS: Yes, exactly, I've been there. It's pretty darn good. Oscar winner and hero, it's nice to have a Hollywood story that doesn't involve bad behavior and divorce, right?
ANDERSON: Yes. It's really refreshing, Kyra.
But I'm sorry. I've now got to bring us down to earth for a minute. It's another Hollywood divorce. Although this one appears to be unusual because the couple says the split is amicable.
Larry David and his wife, Laurie David, had decided to call it quits after 14 years of marriage and two children. The "Curb Your Enthusiasm" star and his producer and activist wife say that they will raise their two daughters together, as friends.
And, Kyra, this is for you. Coming up tonight on "Showbiz Tonight," are the bad girls of Hollywood actually a good influence on young girls everywhere? Why the behavior of the likes of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan might be a good thing. It's a controversial theory, and we've got it. TV's most provocative entertainment news show, "Showbiz Tonight," 11:00 p.m. eastern and pacific, headline prime. I know that's your favorite story, Paris Hilton.
PHILLIPS: Oh, don't you know, that's right. Such a great role model for our children. Thank you, Brooke.
I'd rather have you as the role model for our children.
ANDERSON: I appreciate that, flattering.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Brooke.
MARCIANO: Yes. Definitely not a bad girl.
The Republican debate. Which issue and which candidate drew the biggest response from the audience. That story's ahead in the NEWSROOM.
NICOLE LAPIN, CNN DOT COM DESK: Last night, ten Republican presidential hopefuls debated the issues. If you want a full rundown, just log on to our election center at CNN.com. First, we have the facts on the candidates from their political biographies, to their positions on issues like abortion or the war in Iraq. And you can see how they match up with our side-by-side comparisons. And then check out slide shows and videos from each of the debates along with a political rundown by our own analysts.
And you can vote for which candidate you think won the debate with our debate scorecard. So, we know the candidates and the issues and where they stand.
But how will they stand up each other in a friendly game of ping- pong? Well, we have no clue, but maybe you can choose your favorites and pit them against each other in our own interactive presidential pong game. For this and complete recaps of both of the debates, just log on to our CNN election headquarters at CNN.com/election. For the dot com desk I am Nicole Lapin.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Well, rush hour can get a little bit nutty here in Atlanta, and chances are traffic can get crazy where you live, too. But it might seem tame compared to the crowded streets of India. Our own Don Lemon is on assignment there, and here's what he saw.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): By wheel, foot, or even hoof, many of the most dangerous and deadly roads in the world are in India. Look, an accident as we were shooting this story.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He hit the truck, then hit me also.
LEMON (on camera): You hit the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I hit the ground.
LEMON: Are you okay?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I am okay.
LEMON (voice over): Both drivers scooted away. No ticket, no police officers, no serious harm done.
But this woman recovering in a Delhi hospital, a pedestrian, really doesn't know what hit her. It happened so fast, according to family members, and it happens all the time. They want drivers to be more cautious.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Concentrate in driving and obeying traffic rules.
LEMON: A leading Indian newspaper reports, every six seconds someone is maimed or killed here, 100,000 deaths each year. And this in a country where the majority of people don't even own a car. So, police in big cities, like Delhi, are finally cracking down.
Tighter monitoring and new fines so high the average driver can hardly afford them.
LEMON (on camera): How much is your fine?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know, I think maybe ...
UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER: Nine hundred.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nine hundred rupees. Too high.
LEMON (voice over): Nine hundred rupees? About $20 U.S. dollars, too steep because the minimum wage here is about a $1 a day.
The stiff fines, the police say it's to drive the point home. And they know its a big job in a place where many view traffice rules as only a suggestioin and you never know what you might encounter on the road.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is an all out and multi-pronged approach to bring in -- traffic education, traffic awareness and better traffic management in Delhi.
LEMON: Still drivers and those who ride with them are skeptical saying police here can be bought.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They pay the money to the police and they get scott free.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's OK that they collect the fine but if half of it goes in their pockets, it's no use.
LEMON: Police admit, they are working on that, too. Crooked cops and bad drivers are now being monitored by 36 newly installed traffic cameras in Delhi alone.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com
