Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Central Texas Flooding; Race & Education; Pregnancy & Depression

Aired June 28, 2007 - 09:00   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 are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Tony Harris.

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

Watch events come into the NEWSROOM live on Thursday. It is June 28th, and here is what's on the rundown.

Nature shows its muscle. Texas cleans up after powerful flash floods. High water could hit again today.

HARRIS: The Supreme Court key decisions. Rulings expected this morning on affirmative action in schools and the death penalty for the mentally ill.

COLLINS: Socialite, celebrity -- most recently, jailbird. Paris Hilton, Larry King, only on CNN and in the NEWSROOM.

Unfolding this hour, soaked and getting socked again. New reports this morning of rescues and evacuations from flooding in central Texas. Look at that water.

Live now to meteorologist Reynolds Wolf in Marble Falls, Texas.

Any relief in sight from where you can see, Reynolds?

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: There has been quite a bit of relief in sight. Just -- in fact, over the last couple of hours, we have really seen the water drop.

In fact, take a look if you can right down by the water line, Heidi. You can actually see how the water has just been receding, say, really in the last 45 minutes or so. But if you look further up this boat ramp you see different lines of debris which really indicates the water line where -- how high the water was just from yesterday afternoon to yesterday evening, and then, again, just around 24 hours ago, the absolute height of the flood itself, right at the -- higher on the bank.

One thing that has been good is that we haven't had much in terms of rainfall. However, that's beginning to change. In fact, you might be able to see at home some of the raindrops beginning to move from the top to the bottom of your television screen. The rain is beginning to pick up. Farther back out to the West, we do see some rain clouds beginning to billow. Some scattered showers have been around. But this is really the first significant rainfall, and again, it's light in nature that we have experienced since we have been -- this particular crew has been in Marble Falls.

Now, there are many people obviously concerned. A lot of people without power -- or rather without water at this time, which is very frustrating for people in Marble Falls. Think of it. You have 18 inches of rain that fall in roughly nine hours, yet you don't have any water to use. So that is causing a lot of frustration for many people, even the mayor, who we spoke to earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR RAYMOND WHITMAN, MARBLE FALLS, TEXAS: Well, as long as we don't get five or six inches an hour, we should be OK. Right now, the creeks and the river are down. They're down fairly dramatically. So right now we have somewhere for it to go, as long as we don't get 18 or 19 inches in four or five hours.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF: And that's the big concern, is getting a heavy amount of rainfall. There is the potential they could see anywhere from maybe two to three, maybe as much as four or five inches of rainfall. But if it's spread out throughout the day, Heidi, I think the river is going to be able t handle it.

Very quickly, the reason why the river has dropped so dramatically is due to the excellent work by the Lower Colorado River Authority. In fact, farther down river, at Mansfield Dam, they have four floodgates that are wide open, and that is helping to lower this river, which will make a world of difference should heavier rains come calling.

Back to you.

COLLINS: Absolutely. And it's pretty amazing. I think I see sunshine on your face actually right now, Reynolds.

WOLF: Just a little bit.

COLLINS: We will check -- just a little. I be they're happy to see that.

All right. We'll check back with you a little later on. Thanks, Reynolds.

HARRIS: And moving out west now, gaining ground. Firefighters say that massive fire near Lake Tahoe is now 55 percent contained. But blustery winds could blow in later today.

As many as 200 homes are in ruins. More than 3,000 people were forced to flee. Most of them still out of their homes. Investigators say human activity likely caused the fire, and it will be days before it is under control.

In Iraq, 20 bodies decapitated, found just outside Baghdad today. The Iraqi and coalition forces are investigating.

Meanwhile, carnage inside the capital. At least 22 people killed in a car bombing at a bus station. Plus, a car bombing at a filling station and mortar attacks at a marketplace. Another six people dead.

HARRIS: It is one of the most volatile political issues out there. Next hour, an immigration bill faces a critical vote in the Senate. The supporters, Democrats and the president. The opponents, many of Mr. Bush's own Republicans.

If they can shelve the measure, it likely won't resurface until 2009. By then, a new president and Congress will be in power.

Right now public support for the overhaul is weak. A CNN-Opinion Research Corporation poll finds 30 percent of Americans favor the bill. Almost half oppose it, and 19 percent say they don't know enough about it to have an opinion.

COLLINS: Paris Hilton, scared straight or the master of a media makeover? You be the judge as you listen to the newly-freed socialite. She spoke to CNN's Larry King last night. Her first interview since spending three weeks in jail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": When you look back on the whole thing, what do you think? Do you think you did wrong?

PARIS HILTON, RECENTLY RELEASED FROM JAIL: Well, this all started off with the DUI, which was a .08. And I will never drink and drive again. Granted, it was, you know, one drink. But no one should...

KING: That's all it was?

HILTON: Yes.

KING: With your weight, right?

HILTON: Yes. I was on my way, actually, a couple of blocks to In-N-Out. I should never have even driven.

KING: Call a limo.

HILTON: Yes, definitely.

KING: A cab?

HILTON: I'll never make that mistake again. I take full responsibility, and I hope by me serving the sentence -- I know it has helped, because I received a lot of letters from different people that they have made the mistake of drinking and driving, and because I went through this, like, wow, it could happen to me, too. KING: Do you think you got a raw deal? Do you?

HILTON: Yes, I do. But I don't know. Even though I hated it, I'm glad it happened in a way, because it's really changed my life forever, and I feel stronger than ever. And I don't know. I just feel like...

KING: So bad turned to good?

HILTON: Yes. Yes. I feel like this is a blessing in disguise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Hilton's party girl image helped make her a paparazzi favorite. She now says she enjoyed the Hollywood nightlife, but now -- and this is a quote -- "It's not going to be the mainstay of my life anymore."

If you missed even a second of Paris Hilton's interview, you can see it again tomorrow night as part of a "LARRY KING LIVE" special event. That will come your way 7:00 Eastern.

Catch Paul, Ringo, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison with Larry for the year anniversary of the Beatles' LOVE. Then at 8:00, it's a second date with Paris Hilton. Then at 9:00 Eastern, Michael Moore will take your calls and e-mails live.

It's a "LARRY KING LIVE" special event tomorrow night, starting at 7:00 Eastern, only on CNN.

HARRIS: And let's get a check of weather now.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Welcome back.

Reading, writing and race. A major ruling on affirmative action in schools expected from the Supreme Court next hour.

CNN Senior Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin is outside the high court.

Jeffrey, the issue here, an issue for the court, what role affirmative action should play in assigning students to competitive spots in elementary and secondary schools. That is the question before the court, isn't it?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: It's really actually a very straightforward issue, Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. TOOBIN: Basically, the Louisville schools, as well as Seattle schools, are trying to have racially-balanced schools, and they use a variety of techniques. They use school choice. But at the end of the day, they have said, look, we must have at least 15 percent black and not more than 50 percent black students in each of our schools.

HARRIS: Yes.

TOOBIN: So race is a factor. And some parents in the these school systems have said, look, we think race should be a factor. It should be solely on the basis of neighborhoods and other factors. And the court is really going to address that, and it's a huge issue because a lot of school districts either use techniques like this or are considering using them.

HARRIS: What do you think here? Is that idea of racial balance likely to be -- we are reading tea leaves here -- a compelling state interest for the Roberts' court?

TOOBIN: You know, I think your question puts your finger on the key fact. This is a very different court than it was a year ago.

This is the first full term with Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito. The Bush justices have made this a more conservative court.

Based on the oral argument which I saw, based on the trends in this court, I think the court is going to say, no, you can't consider race. Race is out. And it's going to be a big change if that's the case and how the court rules.

HARRIS: And it's interesting because you have -- and particularly in the case of Louisville -- you have black parents and white parents who are upset over this ruling. They're on the same side saying, look, we want our kids do go to the school in the neighborhood and we don't want our back kid or our white kid to lose a spot in a good neighborhood school because you're trying to achieve racial balance and move a kid from a troubled area into our district.

TOOBIN: Also, black families and white families in favor of this proposal.

HARRIS: Yes. Yes.

TOOBIN: You know, these were schools in Louisville that were segregated by law until 1954...

HARRIS: Right.

TOOBIN: ... in Brown v. Board of Education. So, segregation was deeply ingrained in the Louisville system. And, in fact, Louisville fought desegregation for many years.

Later on in the '80s they adopted a plan, voluntarily -- they were not forced by the courts -- voluntarily. They said, look, we think diversity is very important. We think diversity is enough so that some people will be deprived of their first choice schools.

HARRIS: Yes.

TOOBIN: And the community has been basically happy with that. But the Bush administration doesn't like those kind of plans. Conservatives basically don't like that kind of plans. Colorblind has been the biword of conservatives on these issues, and we'll see whether that position gets five votes in about 40 minutes.

HARRIS: Yes.

And Jeffrey, what are your thoughts on this death penalty case before the court right now? At issue, the constitutionality of executing a death row inmate who has a delusion about why he is being executed.

What are your thoughts on this case?

TOOBIN: Well, three years ago, the Supreme Court held that you could not execute a mentally retarded person. The question here is, can you execute someone who has severe mental illness?

Again, given the more conservative shift, my guess would be that the court says you can execute someone with mental illness, because mental illness is a sufficiently vague term that everybody's going to claim it, whereas mental retardation is more of a specific diagnosis, more severe. But again, we'll know -- we'll know shortly what the answer is.

HARRIS: About 45 minutes? Is that your guess?

TOOBIN: The court opens at 10:00, and usually all the decisions are out by 10:30.

HARRIS: Yes. OK.

TOOBIN: Eastern Time.

HARRIS: Jeffrey Toobin.

Jeffrey, great to see you. Thanks for your time.

TOOBIN: See you, Tony.

HARRIS: OK.

COLLINS: Still ahead, pregnant and depressed. Should expectant mothers continue to take antidepressants? Two new studies are out. We want to talk about them with our Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

HARRIS: And a Texas teenager sentenced to death. Courtroom outburst ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Taking care of your unborn baby and yourself. Two new studies may calm some fears of pregnant women on antidepressants.

Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, here now with the story.

So what do these studies say, first off?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the new studies are actually pretty optimistic. And I think some good news for women who worry about this, which is a lot of women, as it turns out.

You may remember a couple of years ago there was a study coming out saying if you take antidepressants when you're pregnant, it increases the chances of heart defects in your baby. Obviously a huge concern which was posted on several Web sites, including the Health Ministry Web site in Canada.

People got concerned about that. So there were some new studies now actually looking at specific SSRIs, which are a type of antidepressant, and trying to figure out just how likely a birth defect is.

With regards to Paxil and Zoloft, two specific antidepressants, the risks appear very small of three kinds of birth defects: skull defects, brain defects and gastrointestinal defects. They happen, but a very, very small percentage.

In general, SSRIs, those class of antidepressants, appear to be pretty safe. And what they -- one thing they did agree on is that not taking them, not taking the medications if you are depressed, could be a greater risk than taking them in the first place.

COLLINS: Yes. I mean, when you here those drug names, though, you think, wow, I mean, that seems like a really serious drug to be on as while you are pregnant. But as you mentioned, what happens when a pregnant woman just leaves the depression unchecked or possibly unmedicated?

GUPTA: You know, I was most interested in that, as well. You know, I have two young children, as you know. You have a young child.

One of the things that sort of comes up as one of the hallmarks of depression in a pregnant person -- there are lots of different hallmarks. You stop taking care of yourself, as well. But also, this idea of neglect. You neglect yourself.

COLLINS: Sure.

GUPTA: So you may not go to the prenatal visits, you may not take your prenatal vitamins. But also possibly neglecting the baby after the baby is born. Postpartum depression, a real phenomenon. If you stop taking the antidepressants, it could be exacerbated during that period, as well.

COLLINS: OK. So the point is for a lot of women, like we said, even the idea of taking aspirin sometimes or cold medications is scary, but for this particular study, it's saying, don't just go off the antidepressants. That can be dangerous.

GUPTA: Yes. Certainly don't stop them abruptly. That can be a problem.

But you know, Heidi, I think you make an important point. I do think there is a tendency to over-prescribe some of these medications in this country. So this idea that if you truly have clinically diagnosed depression, medications might be a good thing for you. But if you're someone who might benefit from, for example, talk therapy, which can be a very good therapy for depression, that might be a better option.

COLLINS: That's what the husband is for, right?

GUPTA: Wait a second. You met my wife.

No. I hope she is not watching. But yes, some other options possibly for women instead of antidepressants.

COLLINS: Right.

GUPTA: But, you know, if you have to take it, the risks are very small. And I think that should give women some solace in all of this.

COLLINS: And harmful to the baby if you come off of them entirely. I mean, I would imagine -- and you obviously know way more about this than me -- but the baby gets used to something coming into the body, as well. Just like food or liquids.

GUPTA: Sure. You know, the good news is a lot of these medications don't cross that placenta barrier, which is what makes them so effective even during pregnancy, or so safe even during pregnancy. But this neglect issue I think is a real issue.

COLLINS: OK.

GUPTA: So, you're someone who doesn't pay as much attention to your baby, you don't care of yourself, in not taking your prenatal vitamins or whatever it might be. That can all have an adverse affect on the baby.

COLLINS: All right. Very interesting study.

GUPTA: Yes.

COLLINS: Thank you so much, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

GUPTA: Thank you. All right. Thanks.

HARRIS: And we have just learned here at CNN that the White House, as expected, has invoked executive privilege, blocking Congress access to White House documents as Congress investigates the firing of eight federal prosecutors. So the stage is really set for a court showdown on this.

The documents being sought by Congress, papers from former presidential counsel Harriet Miers, and former political director, Sarah Taylor. So, again, the White House, as expected, has invoked executive privilege, blocking Congress access to White House documents as Congress attempts to continue to investigate the firings of eight federal prosecutors.

And the stage, in all likelihood, set for a court showdown over this issue. More to come on this story in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Coming up on the bottom of the hour. Welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM.

I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: And good morning to you.

I'm Heidi Collins.

Among our top stories, more rain this morning in central Texas, as if they needed that. People in one town, Marble Falls, add up the damage from flash floods.

CNN's Gary Tuchman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The power of the water. In the Texas hill country, parks ended up with pavement from nearby streets and cars from nearby houses.

(on camera): Your house is two houses behind that and your car came all the way here while you were sleeping?

SCOTT KAMASUKI, MARBLE FALLS RESIDENT: Yes, sir.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Scott Kamasuki is a survivor. His car floated over from the flash flood in his town of Marble Falls, Texas, while he was trapped inside the home he just bought two months ago.

KAMASUKI: You can see my pillow, my little makeshift bed right here. This is where I stayed, you know.

TUCHMAN (on camera): You stayed here because it was so high?

(voice over): Scott's home actually started floating. He couldn't open the doors as the water rose. He was frightened.

KAMASUKI: That's my little girl. I'm glad she wasn't here during this.

TUCHMAN: His neighbors rescued him.

More than a foot-and-a-half of rain fell overnight in Marble Falls. The streets in the small town became raging rivers. Many residents woke up to what seemed unreal. At least 32 people were rescued. All the town's residents appeared to have survived. But some pets did not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I lost my two cats.

TUCHMAN (on camera): So they -- they came and jumped through this window to rescue them?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

TUCHMAN: Wow!.

(voice-over): This man's relatives were rescued in this home -- one of many homes and businesses with extensive damage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's obviously put me out of business. But I'm not alone. There's others here.

TUCHMAN: The turbulent waters literally destroyed the tracks and derailed five multi-ton cars of a train. The damage is now easy to see because most of the water has receded. But the ground in this part of Texas is saturated and there is more rain in the forecast.

JOE BEAL, LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY: This is going to be an ongoing flood event. It's not going to be over today.

TUCHMAN: Scott Kamasuki has never owned a home before. His life has now gotten quite complicated.

(on camera): What are you going to do next?

SCOTT KAMASUKI, MARBLE FALLS RESIDENT: I don't know. I'm not sure.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): His sentiments are shared by many in this part of Texas. Gary Tuchman, CNN, Marble Falls, Texas.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS: And Chad Myers, my goodness, an ongoing flood event. More rain in the forecast in a spot of the country that, look, just doesn't need it.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, you know, I mean, there will be rain upstream and the water will come up and down a little bit. But I think what he was referring to in the lower Colorado is that you've got this bubble of water that has to go all the way to the Gulf of Mexico before it's gone. And there is going to be a bubble flooding communities all the way down until it does get there. And so this is going to be an ongoing -- all the way from Austin right on down even into probably Port Aransas, as the Colorado down there by Corpus Christi -- between Corpus Christi and Galveston -- as it dumps into the Gulf of Mexico, you're going to get little communities to get flooding the entire time.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: We are also closely watching the developments out West, in California. Firefighters say that massive fire near Lake Tahoe now 55 percent contained. But as you heard Chad say, blustery winds could blow in later this afternoon.

Our Dan Simon is joining us now from Meyers, California -- Dan, do you think they have the upper hand on this thing yet?

It's more than halfway contained by that number, 55.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're doing very well. And today, the winds remain relatively calm. But there still is a red flag warning that's in effect until Saturday. So there's a concern that the winds could pick up and once again fuel this fire again.

Let me show you where we are. We are in South Lake Tahoe. And you can see some of the -- some of these burned out areas here. The fire is burning just beyond these trees in a densely wooded area about a quarter of a mile from where we are.

Again, if the winds pick up, there is a concern that it could spread embers past Highway 89, which is just in front of me, and going to a subdivision called Emerald Bay. There are as many as 750 homes there in Emerald Bay.

Be that as it may, there is a growing is sense that crews are getting the upper hand on this fire. Heidi, as you said, this fire is now 55 percent contained. Yesterday not a single structure was lost.

Meanwhile, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger toured the area for the first time yesterday. He was in Europe when this fire broke out. He went into some of the devastated areas sort of picking around. At one point, you saw the ex-bodybuilder pick up a dumbbell. He seemed rather surprised that it -- that it withstood the fire. Any time you see a wildfire, it's always sort of fascinating to see what survives and what doesn't.

But, again, crews seem to be getting the upper hand on the fire. The X factor remains the wind. If the winds continue to be calm like they are right now, crews are optimistic that this fire will be fully contained some time early next week -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Boy, I'm sure the residents there would be very, very happy to hear that news.

Thanks so much.

Dan Simon coming live from Meyers, California.

HARRIS: In Iraq, capturing a position is one challenge. Keeping control of it can be even tougher.

CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

FREDERICK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. troops fire mortar rounds at a suspected insurgent position. Their mission -- clear and secure this area south of Baghdad so Iraqi forces can take control of a checkpoint. After almost three days of fighting, they hand over the outpost. Now, it's up to the Iraqi National Police to hold the position.

"This is a big sector and we need a lot of troops. And coalition forces will hopefully help us stand here," the Iraqi colonel says.

The insurgents came sooner than expected. A mosque right next to the checkpoint -- and this is that same mosque only about two hours after U.S. troops left the area. As this video, shot from an aerial drone shows, the insurgents at the mosque launched an attack on the outpost, destroying a guard tower and killing several Iraqi officers. With the Iraqis struggling, a British aircraft is called in to aid them. The fighter drops a massive 2,000 pound bomb on a house used by the attackers -- a rare opportunity for coalition forces to effectively use air power against insurgents.

COL. WAYNE GRIGSBY, U.S. ARMY: When the enemy does mass this way, we focus right there on the secure line of operation and we take everything that we have to kill or capture the enemy.

PLEITGEN: But while military officials call the air strike a success, they acknowledge it highlights a major problem for U.S. forces in Iraq. American troops fight and die to win terrain from insurgents, but Iraqi security forces are often unable to hold the ground on their own.

MAJ. GEN. RICK LYNCH, U.S. ARMY: The key is someone has to stay. There has to be a persistent security presence and that has to be Iraqi security forces. So we continue to cork with the government of Iraq and the leaders of the Iraq security forces to get that persistent presence.

PLEITGEN: A crucial point, military leaders say, even with the major increase of U.S. soldiers in Iraq, they will not be able to hold all the ground they are now fighting for. That is something the Iraqis must do on their own.

Frederik Pleitgen, CNN, Salmanpah (ph), Iraq.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COLLINS: Coming up, he's come back down to Earth and he's heading to THE NEWSROOM. Our live interview with young pilot Barrington Irving. Find out about his round the world adventure.

HARRIS: Also, Larry King gets answers. Parris Hilton comes clean about drugs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "LARRY KING LIVE")

LARRY KING, HOST: Have you ever been addicted to drugs?

PARIS HILTON, RECENTLY RELEASED FROM JAIL: No.

KING: Taken drugs. HILTON: No.

KING: You've never taken drugs?

HILTON: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Paris Hilton, life after jail -- the Larry King exclusive.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

HARRIS: Hey, look, we're pod casting later in the day and we want you -- again, just a friendly reminder to download the CNN pod cast. It is available to you 24/7 right there on your iPod. Now, as you go about your daily plans taking the kids to the beach, right?

To the beach, to camps, tennis camp, golf camp, all the camps and you need a quick update on the news, there you go.

COLLINS: Were you ever a salesman?

HARRIS: Well, yes. Well, yes.

COLLINS: OK.

HARRIS: That's -- that's kind of what we do, isn't it?

The CNN daily pod cast, 24/7 right on your iPod.

COLLINS: The American bald eagle coming off the endangered species list today.

CNN's Miles O'Brien visits a wildlife expert who helped New York restore its eagle population.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

PETE NYE, NEW YORK STATE FISH & WILDLIFE: We don't know where this nest is, but it's somewhere right around this ridge here, not very far.

MILES O'BRIEN, SPACE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's another day out of the office for Pete Nye.

NYE: There should be an adult eagle or two.

O'BRIEN: The eagle guy, a man who should be celebrating, but instead is very nervous. The other day, I tagged along as he made his rounds on the Hudson River, 60 miles north of New York City.

NYE: Usually, it's a pretty -- a pretty good-sized tree, a pretty commanding tree structure and height, good visibility and access in and out for the eagles.

O'BRIEN: These eagles weren't home. But Pete still had work to do.

NYE: Well, let's see if we can bushwhack our way up to the tree.

O'BRIEN: Pete is planning to retire in just a few years and yet he gave me a run for my money in the woods. The main mission here -- raccoon-proofing the tree.

NYE: They go after eggs or young.

O'BRIEN (on camera): Right.

NYE: They have been known to kill eaglets in the nest. They're about the only real predator that bald eagles have, you know, that they have to worry about.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Of course, we were the problem 40 years ago when we were trying to kill bugs with DDT insecticides. The chemical made eagle eggs too thin and fragile, and the population collapsed. Banning DDT was a big part of the fix, along with putting the eagle on the endangered species list.

But Pete was among those who believed the eagles needed a jump start. So he went to Alaska and he asked for some help. In the '70s and '80s, he imported 198 Alaskan eaglets.

The goal?

To get 40 nesting pairs in New York.

(on camera): We're in 2007 and you have how many?

NYE: About 125 pairs this year. So that's...

O'BRIEN: Three times what you predicted?

NYE: Pretty much, yes. Very rewarding that they're actually coming into a lot of these habitats. There's obviously a still a lot of good space and a lot of good food.

O'BRIEN: For now. More on that in a moment.

Pete took me farther up the river, to another nest. And this time...

NYE: Got it, Steve?

We've got it coming into view.

O'BRIEN (on camera): On, in the pine -- the pine tree?

Yes, I see it.

NYE: The pine.

O'BRIEN: I see it.

(voice-over): I got a glimpse.

Sorry about these shots. I had a hard time steadying up in the canoe. But there's no mistaking what I captured on tape.

(on camera): It's a beautiful sight to see them, isn't it?

NYE: Oh, yes. It's just...

O'BRIEN: Do you ever get blase about it?

NYE: Not yet, I haven't.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): That's saying a lot, given all the eagles he's banded and tracked, all the tall trees he's climbed. And that's when I realized Pete Nye is a man on a mission. And now, after all that work, he can declare victory. But he isn't celebrating.

(on camera): So you're worried?

NYE: Of course we're worried.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Because the eagles may be thriving, but their habitat is steadily vanishing.

(on camera): So what's really endangered now are the habitats?

NYE: Absolutely. That's absolutely right. The chemical contamination issue is no longer with us. There are certainly some concerns in that regard. But by and large, it's the place to live, the undisturbed place to live that we need to maintain for eagles and other species.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): The good news is the eagles are no longer considered endangered species. Hopefully, that's not the bad news, as well.

And while Pete is nervous about his birds, he sure can retire on a high note, can't he?

Miles O'Brien, CNN, Ulster County, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS: And coming up, bus station bombed in Baghdad. And a gruesome discovery on the banks of the Tigris.

You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "LARRY KING LIVE")

KING: What kind of jolt was it when they hauled you back into court and sent you back to jail?

HILTON: It was a shock, everything. You know, going from being, you know, so happy to be at home with my family and then I'm told that I'm not supposed to be going to court the next day. The sheriff said stay at home. Then, all of a sudden, 10 minutes before the police arrive, I'm yanked out of bed. They're telling me that they're going to handcuff me and then bring me back to the -- to the courthouse. I had no idea what was going on. It was -- I was in complete shock. It was unbelievable. I was -- I was terrified.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Paris Hilton talking with Larry King last night about her very public return to jail. But the infamous hotel heiress is turning hard times into cold, hard cash.

CNN's Randi Kaye tallies it all up.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Did Paris Hilton really expect to get paid $1 million for her first post-big house interview?

The family denies shopping her around.

But if they did, why?

(on camera): Does she need the money?

MATTHEW MILLER, "FORBES" MAGAZINE: A million dollars is a million dollars. You can buy a big house with a million dollars.

KAYE: She's already got a big house.

MILLER: You know, she's -- I mean she's already got a big house and she's already got plenty of cars and stuff like that. But you have to remember that, you know, the rich don't think about just, you know, oh, I'm rich, I don't need to stop working. You know, an extra million dollars is an extra million dollars.

KAYE (voice-over): Matthew Miller edits the "Forbes" 400 List. Paris is not on it, but her grandfather, Barron Hilton, is -- number 374, with an estimated worth of $1.4 billion. As family patriarch, he's the wealthiest of the Hiltons.

Paris' father, Rick, has a successful high end real estate company in Los Angeles and is reportedly worth hundreds of millions.

(on camera): It's Paris' great father Conrad who they can all thank for the lifestyle, though. He began building the hotel empire back in 1919. When Conrad died in 1979, he left most of his fortune to the Catholic Church. But his son Barron went to

court to fight the will and regain control of the empire. And he won.

(voice-over): When he dies, his wealth will be divided among his six children and eight grandchildren. So how much will the poor little rich girl get?

Some estimate $100 million, plus or minus.

(on camera): Does she make enough to live on or is she really living off the family money?

MILLER: She certainly makes enough money to live on. There's no doubt about it. She makes millions of dollars a year.

KAYE (voice-over): In fact, Paris, who's famous for being famous, earned at least $7 million last year, about $1 million of that, Miller says, from the TV show, "The Simple Life." Add to that her perfume line, cell phone video games, purses and appearances.

MILLER: She can command a fee anywhere between $50,000 and a couple hundreds thousand dollars just to show up at a nightclub.

KAYE: Hundreds of thousands just to show up?

MILLER: The difference between Conrad and Barron and Paris is that, you know, they were running billion dollar hotel empires. But what she's doing is not huge pieces of entrepreneurship that's going to shake American capitalism.

KAYE: Miller gives Paris credit for being a savvy entrepreneur but admits she was born into the right family, which, long before Paris hit the tabloids, was making headlines. Great Grandpa Conrad married actress Zsa Zsa Gabor. Great Uncle Nikki married Elizabeth Taylor. Nikki, by the way, at 26, was arrested for public drunkenness.

Think anyone offered him a million to talk?

The more we talk about Paris, Miller says, the richer she'll get.

MILLER: You and I are making Paris Hilton's brand more valuable right now because...

KAYE (on camera): We're making her richer as we speak?

MILLER: Right here. Because some nightclub in Las Vegas or New York who would usually be paying her $50,000 to show up is now going to pay her $75,000 to show up this weekend.

KAYE (voice-over): Proof it pays to be a Hilton.

Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COLLINS: OK. So if you missed even a second of Paris Hilton's interview, you can see it again tomorrow night as part of a LARRY KING LIVE special event.

First at 7:00 Eastern, catch Paul, Ringo, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison with Larry for the year anniversary of The Beatles "Love." Than at 8:00, it's a second date with Paris Hilton.

HARRIS: Oh. OK. Great. Great.

COLLINS: Then at 9:00 Eastern, Michael Moore will take your calls and e-mails live.

It is a LARRY KING LIVE special event tomorrow night, starting at 7:00 Eastern, only on CNN.

HARRIS: Race and education, capital punishment and mental illness. Two major decisions expected from the Supreme Court next hour.

We are standing by live to bring those to you right here in THE NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: A Texas teenager sentenced to death.

(VIDEO OF COURTROOM OUTBURST)

COLLINS: Courtroom outburst in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Flying into the record books -- I'll talk live to a 23- year-old who just may be the youngest person to fly solo around the globe, and, also, the first person of African descent to do it.

HARRIS: So you look in the mirror one day and a few unwelcome friends have joined you on that road to aging -- wrinkles and dry skin stealing your youth.

In today's 30, 40, 50 segment, CNN's Elizabeth Cohen offers tips on how to keep the lines away.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wondering how you can look younger?

Flip through any magazine and you'll see just how many options there are, and it's getting easier to figure out just what you need.

DR. RUTLEDGE FORNEY, DERMATOLOGIST: They may want to consider doing a mildly exfoliating face wash just to help skin turn over so it looks brighter and fresher, since they're getting a little bit away from their 20s. They may also want to consider doing a retinol type moisturizer at night, which, again, helps lead toward decreased brown spots.

COHEN: While acne might be something we associate with high school, it doesn't always go away by graduation. It may linger through your 30s and then the double whammy -- that's also when you'll start seeing the beginnings of wrinkles. FORNEY: By the time one of my patients is 40 years old, I want them to be using Retin A or one of its cousins every night. If you start using Retin A in your early 40s, by the time you're in your 60s, you will continue to glow.

COHEN: In your 40s, your skin will start to thin a bit, becoming more fragile and blotchy. Some dermatologists recommend a heavier moisturizer or a chemical peel.

Then in your 50s, doctors have different ways of attacking drier, thinner skin and wrinkles. Here's what one dermatologist does.

FORNEY: My skin has had some help. I've been using retinoids since I was in my 20s. I use anti-oxidants every day. I use a sunscreen every day. And you will not find me on the beach between 11:00 and 2:00.

COHEN: No matter what your age, sunscreen is a must for beauty and for health. That plus a good diet and not smoking can be even more valuable than the most expensive creams.

Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A Texas murder defendant learns his fate and it triggers an emotional outburst.

Lee McGuire of affiliate KHOU was there as the drama unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

LEE MCGUIRE, KHOU CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Whoever it was that cried out in court, it sent Dexter Johnson over the edge.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, baby! No, baby! Sit down, baby.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep him back. Keep him back.

MCGUIRE: You can't see it, but witnesses say Johnson knocked over a chair and acted threatening. Someone yells, "Clear the room!"

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay right there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep everybody back!

MCGUIRE: Then Johnson's distraught family crawled from the courtroom. One woman clutched a young girl and cried. His uncle collapsed on the floor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want an ambulance?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. I need an ambulance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Call 911.

MCGUIRE: Watching the video again, there was no sign anything like this would happen until the judge announced Johnson's punishment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In accord dance with the laws of the State of Texas, this court hereby says as your punishment, death.

MCGUIRE: Johnson will be executed for killing 23-year-old Maria Aparece after a carjacking and crime spree in June of 2005.

But Johnson refused to rise as the jury exited the courtroom, instead turning to look at his family in the audience.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) for god. For god.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Be seated, ladies and gentlemen.

MCGUIRE: That's when the crying begins and Johnson knocks over the chair. In slow motion, you can see deputies tackled Johnson in white. Then they turned toward his family, to keep them from surging forward.

RENEE JOHNSON, DEFENDANT'S MOTHER: My son is no murderer. I didn't bring up no murderer. He don't have it in his blood. I don't feel no vibe that he's a murderer.

MCGUIRE: But after Johnson's family left, after the stretchers and the sobbing, the victim's aunt said now it seems the convicted murderer's family knows what it's like to lose a child.

MARIA APARECE, MURDER VICTIM'S AUNT: I am very sorry. We have been grieving the past year. And so now I -- I think they are feeling what we've been going through the past year.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COLLINS: Three other people face capital murder charges in the case.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com