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Possible Spring Troop Pullout; News Helicopters Collision; Terrorist False Alarms; Vice President Gets New Defibrillator; Drunken Astronauts; Green Homes

Aired July 28, 2007 - 12:00   ET

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


NGUYEN: That is so hilarious.
HOLMES: Why is people falling so funny?

NGUYEN: Well, I thought the best one is when the reporter was talking and all of a sudden boom!

HOLMES: Yeah, it was amazing. It was funny. OK.

NGUYEN: They're all OK, though.

HOLMES: They didn't use Miss USA, thought. I hate to bring it up. Sorry.

NGUYEN: Great, yeah, she is loving you right about now.

HOLMES: Well, Fredricka, you stay on your feet, all right?

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: OK. Well, funny is seeing you guys laugh about it all.

NGUYEN: I know. We're awful.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. You are. All right.

HOLMES: Sorry.

WHITFIELD: Have a great day.

HOLMES: See you.

WHITFIELD: T.J. and Betty.

All right. Well this hour in the NEWSROOM, two news helicopters collide covering a police chase. No survivors. Could the man fleeing police be held responsible for the deaths?

Remember all that talk about terrorist dry runs at airports here in the U.S.? Well, it was one big false alarm.

And a young man dies in jail from natural causes, at least that's what law enforcement officials say.

The news is unfolding live this Saturday July 28, 2007. I'm Fredricka Whitfield and you're in the NEWSROOM.

Well first, to Baghdad, where Arwa Damon has some exclusive investigation -- Arwa.

ARWA DAMON, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, we just returned from a trip with the No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq, Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, who told us that he believed that it could be possible to begin drawing down U.S. troops in the early spring.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIEUTENANT GENERAL RAY ODIERNO, DPTY. CMDR., U.S. FORCES, IRAQ: I think it's based on the trends. We're seeing some clear trends. What I have to understand, are those trends going to continue? We're seeing trends of IEDs going down, we're seeing trends of less violence, we're seeing trends of casualties going down, we're seeing trends of Iraqi security forces being able to do more operations. If those trends continue, I feel confident that we'll be able to do something in the spring.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAMON: Now the general did caution, however, that if such a drawdown were to take place, it would have to be done very deliberately and cautiously.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ODIERNO: Well, it depends on how -- depends on how fast we drawdown. I think if we do in it a deliberate way, I think we'll be able to maintain what we've gained and turn it over to the Iraqi security forces in a very meaningful way. If we have to do in it a big hurry, I think there's some potential pitfalls with that and has to do with al Qaeda trying to come back in. Some sectarian violence, because we don't have the right forces there, so that's why I think it's important to do it deliberately. And I think it's our role to tell everyone how we think we should do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAMON: Now, much of that determination to do a drawdown deliberately comes from trends that have become evident here in the past. What we have seen is that in the past when the U.S. military has gone in and cleared certain locations, the minute that they have drawn out of those locations, Iraqi security forces have not been able to sustain the same levels of security.

So whilst he say that a potential drawdown would be dependent on if the current trends continued, there also remains much to be seen should that drawdown take place -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And so, Arwa, Odierno said among those trends, less violence, which I imagine a number of Iraqis want to argue, but if there is, indeed, less violence as Odierno says, what is that being attributed to or who's getting the credit for that? DAMON: Well, the general attributes it to two factors. One being the surge that is taking place, these intense offensive operations that we're seeing pretty much throughout the entire country, much of them focused on al Qaeda in Iraq.

But more significantly than that, it is the new relationship that has developed between the U.S. military and the tribal sheikhs. Now, the U.S. military calls them tribal sheikhs, members within the Iraqi government call them Sunni militias, but tribal sheikhs, Sunnis, nationalists in the past that were siding with al Qaeda, if you will, are now siding with the United States trying to fight al Qaeda and that is a large reason why we're seeing the decrease in IEDs. Basically much of the Sunni insurgency has stopped fighting the U.S. military, but the great concern that we're hearing from members within the Iraqi government and from members within the U.S. military is that by arming these Sunni groups, this is potentially the building block for what they're calling an inevitable civil war between the Sunnis on one side and the Shias largely being armed by Iran on the other -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Arwa Damon, thanks so much from Baghdad.

Well, investigate ago deadly collision between two news helicopters, here in this country. Federal experts trying to determine what caused the choppers to slam into each other in Phoenix. All four people on board, one pilot and one photographer on each chopper, died in the fiery crash. Witnesses report hearing an explosion and seeing pieces fall and flames until the middle of a park. The news crews were covering a high speed police chase on live television when the accident happened.

Well, police caught their suspect who had allegedly stolen a city vehicle. Authorities say 23-year-old Christopher Jones could be held responsible for the deaths in this tragedy. Meanwhile, both Phoenix news stations are allowing viewers to leave their condolences for the victims' families. KTVK.com has a special look at their crew, Jim Cox and Scott Bowerbank. And KNXV.com as a similar tribute set up for reporter pilot Craig Smith and photographer Rick Krolak.

Another collision to tell you about, this one at an air show in Wisconsin. An NTSB spokesman says one pilot killed and another injured when their planes clipped wings while landing in Oshkosh, yesterday. The single engine war planes had just finished a performance at an experimental aircraft show.

And remember those dire reports a few days ago suggesting that terrorists may be testing U.S. airport security with items that mimic bomb parts? Well, the reports were based on four incidents, but as CNN's Brian Todd reports, all four may have been false alarms.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): July 5, San Diego. Transportation Security Administration screeners find a bag with two ice backs covered in tape with clay inside them rather than blue gel. It's included in a TSA bulletin mentioning three other similar incidents warning of dry runs for terrorist attacks. This is the woman who carried those ice packs.

SARA WEISS, AIRPORT PASSENGER: I'm not a terrorist. I'm a 66- year-old woman with a bad back. I was on vacation going to visit my son in San Diego.

TODD: Sarah Weiss says the ice packs she carried, like these, had clay inside them because they were old and that's the way they were made. Weiss was held for three hours, questioned by San Diego harbor police and two men who she said were in plain clothes and didn't identify themselves. She says one question, from a San Diego harbor policeman, shocked her.

WEISS: Do you know Osama bin Laden? And my response was, first of all, I thought it was a very ridiculous and strange question because if I did know -- if I really did know Osama bin Laden and if I were a real terrorist, do you think I'd answer that question?

TODD: Contacted by CNN, the San Diego Harbor police chief said the officers are not briefed to ask that question. Weiss says she also raised suspicion because she carried a report on survey about Muslim Americans.

WEISS: I work for a faith-based organization; part of their responsibility is to provide interfaith cooperation and understanding.

TODD: Is she angry about the experience?

WEISS: No. I'm not bitter. I understand that they had to do their job. I think they totally overreacted...

TODD: In fact, a U.S. government official, familiar with the investigation, now says there were valid explanations for all four incidents in that bulletin and no charges will be brought in any of these cases.

(on camera): TSA officials first told us the incident with Sarah Weiss got put on that bulletin with a systems error and they also say they were right to put all four of these incidents on that alert because whenever they find suspicious objects they have to run them to ground and tell law enforcement officials to look out for items like that.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, Vice President Dick Cheney is in the hospital today getting a check-up and a new defibrillator. We'll have more on his condition coming up.

Also, a healthy young man dies in a Mississippi jail. What happened? We'll take you along as a family searches for answers.

And from astronauts to athletes, where have all the heroes gone? Later I'll ask Dr. Judy where our children should be looking for role models. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Vice President Dick Cheney checks into the hospital and now it looks like he may be checking out. Our Ed Henry is there.

Ed, how did the procedure go with receiving of a new defibrillator?

ED HENRY, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: The motorcade is literally moving right now, Fred. We've been waiting over four hours. The vice president got here just after 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The defibrillator, as you pointed out, is outdated now. He had it implanted in 2001, six years old. Instead of getting new batteries, he got a whole new device.

You will be seeing, just in a moment now, the vice president's limo. In fact, we saw him getting into that limo a moment ago. Now, if you look at it live, we can actually see the motorcade is starting, the vice president is going to come by, just in a couple of seconds, right here, and in fact, you can see him right there, with his wife Lynn and if we come back here, we will be getting a readout very shortly from the vice president's staff. We've been promised at least a written statement from the White House about how all after this went.

Obviously, the vice president -- I saw a quick glimpse of him in the limosene, he certainly looked like his normal self, but this lasted a bit longer, perhaps, than we expected. We have been told beforehand from cardiologists, the procedure itself usually takes an hour, but it could go longer depending on the circumstances, depending upon the patient. Let's not forget the vice president is 66 years old, he has a history of heart trouble but also, after the actual surgery, there is some downtime to make sure he comes out of the sedation all right.

There's heavy sedation at the end of the procedure, we're told because they actually have to induce cardiac arrest when they implant this new device that regulates the heartbeat of vice president. They actually induce a cardiac arrest to make sure that the new device will kick in and work. They want to know that down the road, god forbid, anything happens, they can do that.

So while everyone, you know, cardiologists were telling us, this is relatively routine nowadays with modern medicine, as you know, very serious to actually induce cardiac arrest to see if this device is working. That's what the vice president endured. He just left after being here at George Washington University Hospital, for over four hours -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Well, interesting stuff, Ed. But correct me if I'm wrong, wasn't the original intent just to get a new battery? How was the determination made that let's go ahead and replace the whole thing?

HENRY: No, the original intent in June, when he had a routine exam, was that he needed new batteries. You're absolutely correct. But then the doctors coming out of that exam decided that it made more sense to actually replace the entire device instead of just the batteries, that basically in the course of six years, obviously, a lot of technological advancements in medicine clearly, so rather than just replacing the batteries it into an old device made a lot more sense since this is serious in that you're opening up the chest to put -- it made more sense to put in an entire new device. So, we'll be getting more details shortly, Fred, and we'll come back and let you know anything we hear about the actual surgery. The vice president now heading back to his residence -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, very good. Ed Henry, thanks so much. We're glad the vice president is doing well. In fact, he's feeling so good that he is committed himself to be a guest on CNN's LARRY KING LIVE this Tuesday, coming up. Hear what he has to say about his procedure and of course the Iraq war, the war on terror, and much more. You can catch that at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, Tuesday. You don't want to miss it.

Allegations of abuse, torture and murder inside a Mississippi jail. Our Kathleen Koch joins us live with an exclusive look into this mysterious death of a 21-year-old inmate -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, I learned about this story several months ago when a family whose home was destroyed in hurricane Katrina, I reported on them then. They reached out to me and they told me that their only grandson had died in the local jail. And they reached out to CNN and asked for our help because they had some suspicions that there may have been foul play.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Lee Demond Smith's family was suspicious, suspicious that the 21-year-old sudden death in the Harrison County Jail may have been foul play, that the blood clot described as the cause of death by the county autopsy was a lie. Friends helped raise $9,000 for an independent autopsy. It was conducted by forensic pathologist Dr. Matthius Okoye.

DR MATTHIUS OKOYE, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST: He was strangled and he was restrained while being strangled.

KOCH: Dr. Okoye's finding is scathing. Asphyxia due to neck compression and physical restraint while in police custody. Dr. Okoye discovered hemorrhaging two inches deep on the right side of Smith's neck, and showed us pictures of the wound. He also found multiple injuries on Smith's head, trunk, arms and legs.

OKOYE: That means that there must have been a struggle, there must have been an altercation because these are minor blunt force traumatic injuries scattered all over the body.

KOCH (on camera): So you found he was restrained, he was strangled, so you're saying he was murdered?

OKOYE: Yes, that's homicide. KOCH (voice-over): But what about the county's official explanation that Smith died of a blood clot in the lungs? Dr. Okoye says the only way to prove a death because of a blood clot is to dissect the lungs. He says that never happened.

OKOYE: I was shocked, actually. Even my assistants were shocked.

KOCH (on camera): Dr. Paul McGary (ph), the forensic pathologist, who performed that first autopsy for the county, would not return CNN's calls. Gary Hargrove, the Harrison County coroner, as well as two detectives from the Mississippi bureau of investigation were present during the first autopsy conducted in this building. Hargrove says the lungs were dissected.

So what did you see when he opened up the lungs?

GARY HARGROVE, HARRISON COUNTY CORONER: Oh, massive blood clots in the lungs and in the veins and stuff.

KOCH (voice-over): When CNN asked Hargrove for the photos of his autopsy, he refused. And when he offered Hargrove a copy of the second independent autopsy, and photos, he wouldn't look at them or comment on the findings unless the family provided them, fearing the county could somehow use the details to cover wrongdoing, the Smith family's lawyer advised against that.

(on camera): How do you reconcile this with what you found?

HARGROVE: All I can rely on at this point in time is the autopsy that we performed, the information that we have about the events surrounding Mr. Smith's death. What the investigation showed.

KOCH: So, you saw no marks on his neck? No hemorrhaging?

HARGROVE: No. No.

KOCH (voice-over): Because the autopsy findings were so dramatically different, CNN took them to a third forensic pathologist for yet another opinion. Dr. Howard Adelman examined both written reports, as well as more than 200 photos from the second independent autopsy.

HOWARD ADELMAN, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST: The photographs are very convincing along with the description and so, I would go along with the cause of death being strangulation.

KOCH (on camera): Are you and the Dr. McGary involved in any kind of cover-up to hide a murder, the murder of Lee Smith in the Harrison County Jail, if indeed he was murdered there?

HARGROVE: No, we're not. I have never covered up a death and will not do it today or any other time because when it comes to that, it's time to get out of the business.

KOCH (voice-over): In fact, the sheriff's statement says the county coroner's autopsy did not reveal any foul play. But critics wonder about the sheriff's own record supervising the jail.

MICHAEL CROSBY, ATTY FOR JESSIE WILLIAMS' FAMILY: How could a sheriff be in charge of a jail for this many years and not know what's going on in his own jail?

KOCH (on camera): And it sounds like these aren't isolated acts anymore, it sounds like there is a clear pattern.

CROSBY: We have been able to put together the evidence that it was in fact a pattern of abuse that took place over a long period of time.

KOCH: Lee Demond Smith is buried not far from his Biloxi home. His family says they won't rest until they confront those who killed him.

SHYRI SMITH, LEE SMITH'S AUNT: We want the world to know, the nation to know, what's going on in Mississippi. So, therefore, this may save someone else son.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So disturbing all the way around, Kathleen. So, we talk about the pattern of abuse or at least one of the folks in your piece talks about pattern of abuse at the jail. So, what is the record of the jail and all under the watch of that same sheriff?

KOCH: Quite so, Fredricka. Basically this particular jail does have a troubled history, at least four inmates have died there of unnatural circumstances since 2002. And one of them was actually beaten to death by jailhouse guards in front of the cameras in the booking room. Four guards go on trial for that murder next month.

Since then, another four guards have pled guilty to beating other inmates. One guard has pleaded guilty to falsifying records and what we basically saw there was a shorted version of a longer report we did for ANDERSON COOPER 360 that premiered actually on Tuesday night. We interviewed one of the guards who's plead guilty to abusing other inmates, his name is Preston Wills, and said they were taught from the start that that was how you maintain order in this very large jail. He said the supervisors, captains condoned it, they participated in the beatings and he said they were even taught again to falsify reports to cover up the beatings.

And, Fredricka, it's important to remember, this isn't a prison, this is just a county jail. The young man we talked about, Lee Smith, he was just being held. He'd been in jail for 13 days, involved they thought, perhaps, in a shooting in the neighborhood, but he hadn't been tried, he hadn't been convicted and many of these people that we reported on in our full series, are prisoners who were in there for public drunkenness. They told us horrible stories of being tortured and, again, they said for really no reason at all. And so, this jail has got a lot of problems.

WHITFIELD: So what can the Smith family do? What are some of their options right now? KOCH: Well, the Smith family, a few weeks after we began probing what happened in his death, the local district attorney asked the Justice Department to come and take over the case, take over the investigation, so that it would be fair. The Smith family, right now, is hoping to get justice. They haven't yet decided whether or not they might eventually file a lawsuit against the county. But there are many people we've interviewed who are saying this jail needs a house cleaning top to bottom. This former jailer told us a lot of other guards are still working there who are responsible for abuse.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kathleen Koch, thanks so much for this investigative piece.

KOCH: You bet.

WHITFIELD: All right. Coming up, it's been a very bad week for NASA. We'll take a look at why America's space program has lost a little bit of its shine.

And later, Barry Bonds moves a step closer to baseball history. When will the record fall?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Astronauts flying under the influence, leaving NASA pretty troubled by a new report suggesting that some space jockeys might have been tipsy during takeoff. More now from CNN's John Zarrella.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If astronauts flew intoxicated, NASA officials say the agency didn't know then, but intends to get to the bottom of it now.

SHANA DALE, NASA DPTY. ADMIN.: We will act immediately on the more troubling aspects of this report with respect to alcohol use and the anecdotal references of resistance by agency leadership to accepting advice or criticisms about the fitness and readiness of individuals for space flight.

ZARRELLA: The allegations surfaced in a report the Space Agency commissioned in the aftermath of the Lisa Nowak love triangle incident. NASA wanted an evaluation of its mental and psychological screening processes for astronauts. The most damaging assertions in the study involved alcohol. The report found alcohol was freely used in crew quarters. In two incidents, astronauts were so intoxicated they were deemed a risk to flight safety, but cleared to fly, anyway.

Senior flight surgeons felt their medical advice was being disregarded. But at this point, the U.S. Space Agency does not know the extent of the problem.

COL. RICHARD BRACHMANN, JR., U.S. AIR FORCE: We don't have enough data to call it alcohol abuse. We have no way of knowing if these are the only two incidents that have ever occurred in the history of the Astronaut Corps or if they are the tip of a very large iceberg.

ZARRELLA: The panel's report did not provide specific details of the two incidents because in order to get candid information, the panel had to guarantee anonymity. But, it was revealed that one of the incidents took place in Russia before the launch of a Soyuz rocket. The other involved a shuttle mission. The astronaut did not leave earth drunk because the mission was scrubbed and he flew back to Houston on a T-38 NASA jet that the astronauts use to fly back and forth between Houston and the Kennedy Space Center.

John Zarrella, CNN, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

And more on the astronaut scandal coming up later today in the CNN NEWSROOM. Rick Sanchez will ask the question, does America still need NASA? Tune in for that debate today at 5:00 Eastern in the NEWSROOM.

Drunk astronauts, jailed celebrities, movie star mug shots, athletes under the microscope. What do you tell the kids about their role models? That, coming up.

And last week's "Modern Living" was all about how going green at home can save you money. Well this week, Bonnie Schneider looks at how going green might not only impact the environment, but also your health.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Making your house green is becoming mainstream and more cost effective.

DAVID ELLIS, GREATER ATLANTA HOMEBUILDERS: I recently just did some work on my house and we got -- because we upgraded our heating and air system to a higher Sears system we actually got $800 back through a state program.

SCHNEIDER: Many states across the country offer tax incentives for green home improvements.

(voice-over): When you're renovating your home to make it more energy efficient, the people in the family who may feel the difference first are those who suffer from asthma, allergies, or tend to catch the common cold.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The air smells cleaner and I don't wake up in the morning with sinus problems, watering eyes, runny nose, a morning problem for me almost consistently. I mean, and the kids don't seem to have as much runny noses either.

SCHNEIDER: Contractors that study building techniques say the green home will be the standard and not the upgrade.

ELLIS: I believe in the next five to 10 years are just going to be how we do it, because people are going to want that, they're going to need that to make their home an energy efficient and also very special place to live.

SCHNEIDER: With this week's "Modern Living," I'm Bonnie Schneider.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Vice President Dick Cheney released from the hospital less than 30 minutes ago.

Our Ed Henry is outside the G.W. Hospital. What's the latest, Ed?

ED HENRY, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Fred, we've just, in the last few seconds, gotten a statement from the vice president's office. His spokeswoman, Megan McGinn (ph) confirming what we saw with our own cameras, that the vice president has left but the key is that she adds a little more detail saying, "The device was successfully replaced without complication."

Of course, that device would essentially be the pacemaker. It's officially known as an ICD, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. That obviously regulates the vice president's heart beat.

Again, it was successfully replaced without complication, according to the vice president's office, and finally they say he has returned to his home at the Naval Observatory here in Washington just a couple of miles away from George Washington University Hospital and has resumed his normal schedule.

So, after four hours of being here at the hospital, vice president now back on his feet recovering and resuming his normal schedule -- Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right, good news. Thanks so much, Ed Henry.

HENRY: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, on to a little sports news, celebrity news, all the above. Michael Vick, dogfighting, Barry Bonds, steroids, and NBA ref gambling? All those associations not good.

CNN's Keith Oppenheim looks at sports scandals and kids.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fourteen-year- old Emily Roberts is working her bank shot at the University of Chicago summer sports camp. The athlete in her family, Emily loves soccer, swimming and basketball. But her emotions changed when she talks about professional athletes and scandal.

(on camera): Do you feel like when you hear all these stories about Michael Vick, Barry Bonds, or a ref in the NBA ...

EMILY ROBERTS, SPORTS CAMPER: Yes?

OPPENHEIM: ...that it hurts your trust?

ROBERTS: I think definitely that I think, you know, sports is supposed to be a love of the game, not having to worry about who's taking steroids, who's betting on stuff. It shouldn't really be about that.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Emily's father also worries that sports idols that behave badly are bad role models.

JOHN ROBERTS, PARENT: It may encourage them to try some of these things, to try to excel.

OPPENHEIM (on camera): To cheat?

J. ROBERTS: Yes, because they see it and they don't see people getting punished. I think that's the serious part of it at this point.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Outside, 12-year-old Colin Minor scores a touchdown on the football field. He's been unhappy about accusations he's heard about the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback Michael Vick.

COLIN MINOR, SPORTS CAMPER: If someone's your hero, you don't think they can do anything wrong, but when -- with the dogfighting, a lot of kids whose hero was Michael Vick have essentially had their world put upside down.

OPPENHEIM: Some coaches here worry that type of disappointment might turn kids away from sports.

MARTY PERRY, UNIV. OF CHICAGO TENNIS COACH: They're not going to have as many heroes or look up to professional athletes the way I did when I was a kid.

OPPENHEIM: Another coach, Tom Mitchell, says parents should be aware kids get dejected when they hear their idols are not infallible.

TOM MITCHELL, UNIV. OF CHICAGO ASST. FOOTBALL COACH: They're definitely taking it in and that's where I think the parents need to step in and talk to their kids about it and a conversation to have around the dinner table.

OPPENHEIM (on camera): But as a parent, what can you tell your kids? Some of the coaches we spoke to emphasize: tell your kids that high profile athletes are humans who sometimes make bad choices. Try to tell them that these are people, not super stars to be mimicked.

Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So, it's not just athletes but astronauts and celebrities are people a lot of kids do look up to. So how influential are they when behaving badly? Is the image of an all- American hero or idol changing?

Joining me from New York, clinical psychologist and talk show host Dr. Judy Caenski (ph). Good to see you, Dr. Judy.

JUDY KURIANSKY, PSYCHOLOGIST: Nice to be here, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Well, that father in that one piece made a pretty remarkable point, saying that he's concerned that this kind of bad behavior really might rub off on a lot of kids.

KURIANSKY: I know.

WHITFIELD: Is that a legitimate concern?

KURIANSKY: Yes, but the good news is, and what I would reassure Emily's father who spoke there, is that sometimes it can be a useful point that they are engaging these role models, so-called super stars in so many ways, as bad behavior because it gives you an example and watch what Emily said. That she knows that what you should do is behave well when you're in sports.

And so, sometimes from a psychological point of view, it's not so bad that you have an example of bad behavior. Kids, the worst behavior it is can make a distinction. If it's little shady behavior, then you've got a problem. The more vague it is, the more difficult it is to show kids that this is not what they should copy. The more extreme it is, you can say, look. This is something that shouldn't be copied and now let's look at some good role models.

WHITFIELD: So then -- can I ask you to get into the psychological, I guess, analysis of what's going on with some of these high profile folks? Is it as simple as too much too soon, because we are talking about a lot of the folks from Lindsay Lohan to Nicole Richie, even Michael Vick, all of these young people, recently -- they are all young. They're in their early 20s or mid-20s. Is it too much too soon? Can they just not handle the pressure?

KURIANSKY: It's definitely too much too soon and it's definitely the fact that they really alienated themselves from those people who really can help them. As we well know that Britney just got rid of all her people, all her family. And, the good part about that is that Lindsay's parents have perked up and said, you know what? We have been presenting a bad example to our daughter because we're in the midst of a divorce and behaving badly.

WHITFIELD: So then, wait a minute. If your child is not a celebrity, or not in that category, an ordinary Jane or Joe, what do they take away from this? Are they to then hear you and hear others or these celebrities say, well wait a minute. Then, my bad behavior is my parents' fault? Someone didn't guide me or someone didn't tell me how to make choices. You know, how does a young person now try to calculate: what's the best thing that I should do, how do I discern right and wrong when everybody else is doing it?

KURIANSKY: Well, right. I think what kids need to do is to find another person who is a good role model. At summer camp where they are, they can talk to their camp counselor as a good big brother, big sister. They can go to a friend to ask about who they have as an aunt, they can look to their own family members.

Sometimes, we consider the lack of family without looking to the fact that there are other people in the extended family. There can be neighbors who can become good role models. And when kids talk to other kids about this, when they see this bad behavior, they can talk to each other about saying, now, who can we look to who's good?

WHITFIELD: OK.

KURIANSKY: You have celebrities like Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck who've settled down into a happy home relationship. So, those are the type of people to look to.

WHITFIELD: Right.

KURIANSKY: Even Alicia Silverstone. There are plenty out there ...

WHITFIELD: OK.

KURIANSKY: ...who need attention.

WHITFIELD: Lots of good examples and lots of bad ones, too. But boy, bottom line, it's kind of hard growing up these days, these kids.

KURIANSKY: Yes, it certainly is but it's not such a bad thing when you see, as I said, these negatives.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

KURIANSKY: You can make distinctions more easily than when they're vague.

WHITFIELD: All right.

KURIANSKY: Remember that and be reassured.

WHITFIELD: We'll remember that. Dr. Judy, thanks so much, appreciate it. And hopefully, young people, you'll remember it, too.

All right, our Reynolds Wolf is in the weather center. Always a good guy, always setting a prime example.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Trying to be a good role model, that's what it's all about.

WHITFIELD: Love that. Well, that's very good.

WOLF: That's right.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Isolated for his illness, you remember this situation. Well, there's another one, too. Will a TB patient be forced out of the hospital and back into jail?

And no men allowed in these cabs. How come? Why both sexes are actually on board with this idea.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS MCGINNIS, EXPEDIA.COM: Now this summer, we're seeing record hotel rates. Airline fares have gone up a little bit, so people in order to escape the crowds and the high prices, are kind of, you know, taking a road less travelled and trying to find deals away from the largest destinations.

Las Vegas is perennially the most popular destination for Expedia travelers. If you're looking for an alternative to that, you may just want head up north the road a piece to Reno. Lots of gambling and casinos if that's what you want to do, but what's really good about Reno is that Lake Tahoe is only an hour or two west.

Well, if you want to escape the heat of central Florida and maybe Disney World and Orlando isn't a great idea, consider a place like the Wisconsin Dells (ph). It has the highest concentration of water parks in the world.

Summer is peak season in Hawaii and it can get very expensive, but what you may want to consider on the other side of the U.S. is the Dominican Republic. You've got the same beautiful tropical beaches and costs are about half as what you pay in Hawaii.

Cancun is the fifth most popular destination. So, if you want to avoid the crowd, head south about an hour or two to an area called Talum (ph) where you'll find beautiful seaside Mayan ruins, very interesting and off the beaten path place to go.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A TB patient out of a hospital jail ward now, but still facing challenges to his health and to his freedom.

CNN's Thelma Gutierrez reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When we first met Robert Daniels, he was locked in the jail ward of a Phoenix hospital for nearly a year. Behind closed sealed doors, under constant surveillance, the only windows were frosted. He had no fresh air, not even a mirror.

ROBERT DANIELS, TUBERCULOSIS PATIENT: I'm really mentally being killed in here.

GUTIERREZ: All this not because he committed a crime but because he has a highly drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis. Daniels went out in public repeatedly without a mask, so a court ordered him into forced isolation. Officials said the only place that was appropriate was this jail ward of a county hospital.

DANIELS: Conditions are worse than a regular inmate.

GUTIERREZ: The American Civil Liberties Union sued Maricopa County officials, seeking better conditions and treatment for Daniels, but before the case even went to court, the county transferred him to National Jewish Hospital in Denver for treatment.

DANIELS: This is the best thing that ever, I think, happened to me.

GUTIERREZ: For the first time in almost a year, Robert Daniels can see the world and feel the sun on his skin.

DANIELS: It's like raised from hell to heaven.

GUTIERREZ: We asked a hospital employee to shoot this exclusive look of Daniels' new living quarters because Daniels is contagious, in isolation and visitors are not allowed. Even so, he says here, he feels like a patient, not a prisoner.

DANIELS: It's a mirror, I can see myself. It's a ceramic bathroom. It's not metal bathroom. As you can see, I'm in a shower, in a whole shower all to myself.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): For almost a year, Robert Daniels wasn't even allowed to go outside, but here at National Jewish Hospital in Denver, he has a balcony and because he's still contagious, we have to interview him from his balcony, which is about 25 feet away.

Hey, Robert, how you doing?

DANIELS: Hi.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): A strange way to interview him but the only way county health officials here would allow us to in person. Daniels is still under the custody of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department. Even outside, he must wear a mask and a guard is posted outside his door.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): The last time we saw you, in order to talk to you, we had to go through a jail ward.

DANIELS: It made a big, big scar for the rest of my life being there. I am afraid as hell going back to Phoenix.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): On top of his legal problems, Daniels faces major surgery.

DR. GWEN HUITT, NATL. JEWISH MED. & RESEARCH CTR.: The surgery that is planned for him is to surgically remove the entire left lung.

GUTIERREZ: Daniels says here, he's found support and encouragement, not only from the staff, but arguably, from the most famous TB patient right next door.

DANIELS: I received a couple of presents from our friend Andrew Speaker. He's my neighbor.

GUTIERREZ: Andrew Speaker, who sparked national hysteria after traveling internationally when he had been diagnosed with TB, says he can't fathom being locked up, on top of being sick.

ANDREW SPEAKER, TUBERCULOSIS PATIENT: I told him, you know, I've been through a splinter of what he's been through, and you can't go into an operation where you think someone's going to take out your lung and be so scared about tomorrow and being sent back into the confinement.

GUTIERREZ: But that's the fate that could await Daniels if he's returned to Arizona after his surgery.

SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO, MARICOPA CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT.: I am investigating him. He may be back here in my jail, charged this time.

GUTIERREZ: It's that fear that gnaws at Robert Daniels.

DANIELS: I'm sick, I'm not a murderer.

GUTIERREZ: Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Denver, Colorado.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Anticipation in Iraq, and hopes that one game might bring a country together.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF: I'm Reynolds Wolf with a look at today's allergy report.

At any spot on the map where you happen to see orange or yellow would indicate a great deal of pollen, dust, ragweed, oak. Spots would include parts of the central Rockies, Central Plains, the Pacific northwest.

However, on the other side of the coin, where you see blues and greens, that would indicate clearer air in northern California, Northern Plains and for much of the Eastern seaboard.

Enjoy your weekend.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In Iraq, a diversion from the daily violence in this form. The country has a serious case of soccer fever. It's national team has advanced to the Asian Cup Final, facing off tomorrow against Saudi Arabia. The match takes place in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Iraqi team, a source of unity for this very divided nation. It is made up of Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish players. Wishing them all the best.

Separation of sexes. A company in Iran is rolling out taxi cabs for women only. We'll explain why when we come back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Sorry, men need not apply, or even ride. It's women only at a new taxi company.

CNN's Aneesh Raman explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a sight rarely seen in Iran, not just two women trying to fix a car, but two drivers for a new cab company. Their motto is simple: only women cabbies, only women passengers.

ELAHEH GHOLI, FEMALE TAXI DRIVER (through translator): There are still men who will not allow their wives to go outside unless it's with another woman, so they trust us.

RAMAN: The company is six months old, and there are still lessons to be learned. Our driver unsuccessfully tried to help. But the real help came back at headquarters where prospective drivers face a series of classes, from mechanics, to working a GPS navigation system. These women are the first taxi drivers in the country to use the device.

(on camera): Right now, there are about 250 taxis on the road, but things are going so well, they're set to expand and hit 2,000 in the next six months.

(voice-over): At central dispatch, the calls keep coming in. Here, almost every employee is a woman, except for the boss.

"We'll succeed not just in Iran," he says, "but eventually in Dubai, Turkey, and Syria."

Successes come in part because of the service, but also because of the job opportunity. With so many women eager to make money, these classes are packed, the students all ages. Tajma Hadi (ph) is 63.

TAJMA HADI (through translator): My children have been to university, but they don't have jobs. I need to make money.

RAMAN: Tajma and the others make about $30 a day, but often, those like Masume, try to work overtime.

MASUME (through translator): This has always been a job I wanted to do. I've always loved driving, not just small cars, but big trucks, too.

RAMAN: Masume's dad used to drive big trucks and at 17, gave her a chance to try. She was hooked.

MASUME (through translator): There is nothing bad about this job. You have variety and you see different people every day.

RAMAN: And the one thing the drivers here over and over again, from regulars like Roya (ph), is how important this service is.

ROYA (through translator): At times like when I'm out at night, I would much rather have a woman driver. I feel more comfortable, more at ease.

RAMAN: Which is good news for women cabbies, as more and more are hitting the road.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: A look at the top stories in a moment. "YOUR MONEY" is next. Here now is a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks.

Coming up on "YOUR MONEY," after a rollercoaster week on Wall Street, we're watching your stocks, your 401K and the value of our house.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Then, you want a pen and paper for this one. Six steps to disaster-proof your portfolio.

VELSHI: And why what you wear to the office could determine how much money you make.

ROMANS: All that and so much more, right after a quick check of the headlines.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And here are the top stories. Hello, again, I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

In Washington, Vice President Dick Cheney undergoes surgery to replace a defibrillator. The implanted device monitor's Cheney's heartbeat. Just last week, Cheney served briefly as acting president while President Bush went under a colon exam.

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