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Airport Workers Charged With Drug Smuggling; Drought Woes; Putin in Tehran
Aired October 16, 2007 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen, in today for Kyra Phillips.
You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: We start this hour in the CNN NEWSROOM with some breaking news. Our T.J. Holmes handling it for us in the newsroom.
What do you have for us, T.J.?
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we are talking about more than just passengers and luggage arriving at JFK International Airport. How about a little heroin and cocaine?
That is the situation. Some 18 workers have been busted, have been arrested in a drug-smuggling operation.
What authorities say has been happening is that employees down at the Dominican Republic, at an airport there, would take the drugs and hide them in the luggage of people who are boarding those planes. The planes would then head to JFK, where there are other coconspirators waiting to unload that luggage and take it to a safe area before Customs got a hold of it, and that was the smuggling operation.
Authorities say this has been going on for at least the past couple of years and maybe a lot longer, because the investigation has been going on for at least the past two years. But 18 people have been charged in this plot, seven of them employees at Delta Airlines. At least one person at American Airlines. And in all, 10 people at least of these employees were working out of JFK International Airport in New York.
We are expecting a lot more information on this, hopefully within the next hour. We are expecting a press conference that could start any minute by ICE officials, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, to give us possibly more answers and more details about this operation which certainly did seem quite complicated, and has been going or for quite some time, Don. So we're hoping to get more answers here shortly.
LEMON: Quite extensive. OK, T.J. Thank you very much for that.
HOLMES: All right.
LEMON: Ever seen a drought? Well, you're looking at one right here.
Sorry. Was that supposed to be you?
NGUYEN: Do I look like a drought?
LEMON: I'm a drought.
NGUYEN: That looks like a drought.
LEMON: I have dry skin, that's what they are trying to say.
NGUYEN: Yes, so do I.
LEMON: You're looking at one right here. If I didn't tell you, what you might not realize, this is a boat dock. Check that out.
NGUYEN: Really?
LEMON: It's on Lake Allatoona, just north of Atlanta.
Have you ever been there?
NGUYEN: I haven't been there, but, my goodness, you wouldn't believe there used to be water there looking at that.
LEMON: Yes. It goes without saying. There should be water here, as you said, just as there should be water covering the dusty red banks of Lake Lanier, the main source of drinking water for one- third, Betty, of Georgia's population.
NGUYEN: But it's not just Georgia's drought. The Carolinas, Alabama, Tennessee and part of Kentucky are suffering, too, and weather is only part of the reason.
Rain would be only part of the answer, right? Well, listen to this. North of Atlanta, shrinking lakes and dwindling water supplies are putting livelihoods at stake, as well as the future of the region.
Reporter Jerry Carnes of our affiliate WXIA takes a closer look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JERRY CARNES, REPORTER, WXIA (voice over): When you run a lakeside business, it always helps if the lake stays by your side.
J.P. RIDLEY, RESTAURANT OWNER: We have no lake traffic whatsoever, the docks are in the mud.
CARNES: Allatoona Lake keeps sneaking further and further away from the Little River Bar and Grill, costing the owner nearly a quarter of his customers. As a result, he was forced to lay off four employees, and that may not be the end. RIDLEY: And we're trying to hold on to everybody we can, but you can only pay payroll for so long and continue to operate. So, yes, there will be more layoffs down the road.
CARNES: Metro Atlanta's Chamber of Commerce claims the drought is the number one threat to Georgia businesses and is calling for major changes in the way authorities manage our water supply.
SAM WILLIAMS, ATLANTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: If we don't implement these extremely aggressive improvements, this is going to be an everyday event in 12 years.
CARNES: Chamber president Sam Williams is calling for state lawmakers to support and fund a statewide water plan. He insists part of that plan should include funding for new reservoirs so that metro Atlanta is not so dependent on Allatoona and Lake Lanier for drinking water. The chamber also insists that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is taking excessive amounts of water from Lake Lanier, taking it from drought-stricken Georgia to send downstream to Alabama and Florida.
The chamber claims the corps is taking out five times the amount of water going into the lake and has asked the court to cut back. A spokesperson says the corps is considering a similar request from Georgia's governor.
WILLIAMS: We don't -- we don't want another Katrina situation here from New Orleans. We need the corps to be responsible.
CARNES: At the Little River Bar and Grill, the owner doesn't expect all of his customers to come back until Allatoona Lake does.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Georgia's U.S. senators want their colleagues to take action. Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss have introduced an amendment to the Endangered Species Act. It would suspend enforcement of that act until the drought ends, in effect preventing the Army Corps of Engineers from taking so much water out of north Georgia to support endangered species downstream.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHNNY ISAKSON (R), GEORGIA: It's a simple request. We are at a place in our time and our country today and in a region, my home region, the state I represent, where the health, safety and welfare of my people are threatened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Georgia's governor, Sonny Perdue, has demanded the Corps of Engineers reduce its outflow and has given the corps until the end of the day tomorrow to comply -- Don.
LEMON: Betty, CNN's Chad Myers, who is the expert on all of this, joins us now. This isn't just Georgia, this is really a quarter of the Southeast. And we've got -- I mean, this shows you right here, that's a big spot of land that should be water there.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. And you're only seeing it horizontally. The vertical distance here between, Don, where the full pool is down to where the water line is about 16 feet.
LEMON: Wow.
MYERS: And you say, well, you know, Lake Lanier is 100 feet deep, what's the big deal? The problem is you start to lose square footage and you lose what's called acre feet of water.
LEMON: Right, because it gets narrower.
MYERS: Because you have a lot of land here. And when the water is full pool, that's 100, maybe 300, yards across.
LEMON: Right.
MYERS: But when it starts to go down and down and down, now you have a valley like this. And there's less water in the bottom of this lake than there was in the top of the lake. And we've already used more than half of the water that's in this lake.
LEMON: That's just representative -- I mean, this lake is representative of a lot of lakes here. This one happens to be the biggest water sources, but it's a lot of lakes.
And you're a boater and you have friends who are out on these lakes. So you've seen this sort of thing up close and personal. And we saw that other picture of this, dry docks there.
MYERS: Yes. Well, that was right here, yes. I believe this is probably Little River Marina, and that's where Little River Grill was, where the restaurant owner was talking about.
LEMON: Boats should be here.
MYERS: These are slips, absolutely.
LEMON: Yes.
MYERS: And the water is way out here. And this is a shallow part of Lake Allatoona anyway.
LEMON: Right.
MYERS: I mean, Little River goes back. And even on a good day, if you're going too fast you're getting mud behind you. But the problem is that this is part of Atlanta's drinking water. Four million people are trying to drink that, and that's now dust.
LEMON: Yes. An emergency, I would say.
MYERS: It really truly is. And so let's walk over here real quick, and I'll show you.
I know we focus on Atlanta, because that's where CNN is, but let me focus also on Kentucky, on Tennessee, parts of West Virginia and Maryland, most of North Carolina, upstate South Carolina, and all of Alabama. It is just not pretty.
This is an exceptional drought here, and some of the numbers are so exceptional. Huntsville, Alabama, should have 44 inches of rain this summer. They have had 20. Atlanta, 40 inches, 41. They have had 24. So the numbers in very big cities, in very big metropolitan areas are staggering at this point.
It will get wetter through the upper Midwest. It will still remain dry down across the South. And will remain dry down across the Southeast.
Now, there is a little bit of help coming to the numbers you see here, and that help is actually going to be from the tropics. Sometimes that's what it takes. Sometimes you need a tropical storm to get rid of a drought.
Well, I don't know if we're ever going to get that much spin to get tropical-storm-force winds, but this building cloud mass over the Gulf of Mexico will drift up over Birmingham and Atlanta and all the way up through Columbia and Charlotte from the next two days on. Now, they're not going to get much today. The rain is going to stay south of Atlanta.
The rain needs to be here, and it's going to be across Florida. Florida has been pretty good. They've had quite a bit of rainfall, and so has Savannah and Valdosta.
If you remember those big fires we talked about a couple of months ago, they were down here in southeastern Georgia. They've had a lot of rain down there. Those fires are out.
But then with this rain, it's west of here for now, but it does get over Atlanta, Don. I guarantee it, I guarantee it after midnight, Wednesday night, it will rain here in Atlanta. Now, it's going to take a lot of rain to fill up 14 or 16 feet of reservoir, but at least it's a start.
LEMON: It's a little bit.
MYERS: Yes.
LEMON: Every little bit helps.
All right, Chad. We appreciate that. Nice job.
MYERS: You're welcome. Thanks.
NGUYEN: Well, the longer the drought lasts, the more it affects businesses. So let's check in now with Susan Lisovicz, who has been delving into that for us.
Does this mean prices are going to start going higher?
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: There's going to be all sorts of impacts, and if you haven't felt it, you probably will. If you haven't felt it already, that is, Betty.
One of the reasons this drought is so bad is because of the explosive population growth in the Southeast, which has increased demand and, of course, cut supplies. These are conditions that affect business and lifestyle.
Coca-Cola, the biggest soda company in the world which is based in Atlanta, tells CNN that there is no disruption in its operation so far despite the massive amounts of water it needs on a daily basis. Coke tells us that it has a variety of sources for its water.
But you talk to landscapers in the greater Atlanta area, it's a completely different story. They are getting creamed.
Folks aren't buying plants because they are just going to die with these kinds of conditions. And there are lots of anecdotes in the Southeast. As Chad was pointing out, this is not just unique to Atlanta.
In Siler City, North Carolina, the mayor declared a water shortage emergency and ordered each household, business and industry to reduce water usage by 50 percent. Penalties for noncompliance range from stiff finds to the termination of water service. One cafeteria there has swapped its dishes for paper plates and foam cups. It's also charging now for water. A glass of water no longer free.
And in Georgia, officials there expected to send Governor Sonny Perdue recommendations on tightening water restrictions which may include mandatory cutbacks on commercial and industrial users. In general, manufacturing operations use a tremendous amount of water, and if they are forced to cut back it could have an impact on jobs and on production.
So it could be a whole wave of impact, not just parched front lawns and back yards.
NGUYEN: Yes, the domino effect. And it's starting to get very serious.
Susan, we do appreciate it.
LISOVICZ: You're welcome.
NGUYEN: Don.
LEMON: Well, four years after the videotaped rape of a 3-year- old, the law catches up with the alleged rapist, Chester Arthur Stiles. The manhunt didn't end with any car crashes or shootouts. It was just a routine traffic stop over a missing tag that ended Stiles' days as a fugitive. When cops in Nevada didn't buy his bogus driver's license, he gave up the truth and went calmly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OFFICER MIKE DYE, HENDERSON, NEVADA, POLICE: I asked the driver what his Social Security number was, at which time he said he couldn't remember. And from my training experience, that sounded a little suspicious, too, so I -- upon further questioning, the gentleman said that he was Mr. Stiles, the person wanted on "America's Most Wanted," and so he came out with his name.
We didn't believe his story or who he was. He finally told us, "Hey, I'm Chester Stiles. I'm the guy you're looking for." And at that time he said, "I'm sick of running."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, Stiles is set to be arraigned tomorrow morning. Las Vegas police say they have issued 21 warrants on felony charges.
NGUYEN: Right now we want to get you back to T.J. Holmes with new video just in on that developing story out of JFK airport.
Hey, T.J.
HOLMES: Yes. Let's go right to this video.
We're certainly, Betty, familiar with -- you know, in the business when there's a crime and they do a perp walk. This is more like a perp parade here, if you will, some 18 folks that have been arrested in this drug-smuggling bust at JFK International Airport.
And what was happening here is that, allegedly, these folks you're seeing here, airline workers, employees of some of the airlines, Delta and American Airlines, were having some of the employees in the Dominican Republic hide the drugs heroin and cocaine on the planes, on the luggage. The planes would take off and land in JFK in New York, and then someone on that end, some of the airline workers, would then commandeer that luggage and hide those drugs before they ever went through Customs.
And this is some of the latest video we're getting. Again, 18 people. At least 10 of them worked at JFK International. Seven of them for Delta Airlines, another one of them at American Airlines.
And officials here are saying, yes, this was a drug-smuggling operation, but it goes a little deeper and a little further in that this is something that could compromise border security and could actually create vulnerabilities that terrorists could eventually exploit with something like this, finding ways to get things on to planes and getting them from the Dominican Republic or wherever they may be outside the country, and then bringing stuff into the country. It happened to be drugs this time, but who knows what it could be at a later date.
But here they are, the -- some of the 18, at least, that have been arrested and charged in this plot. Still expecting a press conference to come up sometime this hour, and we're certainly going to get some more information. As we get some information and find it pertinent, we will pass it along to you -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Yes, 18 people, both male and female. And looking forward to hear more about the details in this.
Thank you, T.J.
HOLMES: All right, Betty.
NGUYEN: An alleged pedophile's world is about to become unraveled. First authorities unmasked his face, then they got a name. Can an arrest be far behind?
That story straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: Plus, Bill Gates talks with CNN about what your workday will be like in the future.
LEMON: Plus, we try to answer a very blunt question. It's about sex; namely, can it kill you after a heart attack?
You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, a news conference is under way right now into what you're seeing right here. Federal prosecutors say airline workers have been charged with helping drug traffickers smuggle heroin and cocaine through JFK Airport. Again, we're getting information from that news conference. As soon as we get more details on this story, of course, we'll bring it straight to you right here on CNN.
It is 16 after the hour. Here are three of the other stories that we're working on here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Behind bars today, court appearance form. The nationwide manhunt has ended for Chester Stiles, the Las Vegas man accused of raping a toddler on videotape.
A cop pulled him over last night in nearby Henderson, Nevada. He says Stiles told him, "I'm sick of running."
Well, prepare a plan B. Yes, a new order from U.S. military to forces overseas amid a threat from Turkey that cut off access to a key air base. The Turks are angry over a proposed congressional resolution. It would label the World War I era killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks "genocide".
And a spiritual leader stirring political tensions. The Dalai Lama is meeting with President Bush this afternoon and will receive the Congressional Gold Medal tomorrow. His visit is angering China, which considers the Dalai Lama a separatist pushing for Tibet's independence.
LEMON: Turkey's Incirlik Air Base, it's vital to the U.S. war effort in Iraq and it could wind up off limits to U.S. forces. The Pentagon is sending out a warning -- a warning order, I should say, telling forces overseas to be ready to line up alternatives if Turkey cuts off access to Incirlik.
Now, the threat was prompted by a non-binding congressional resolution. It would condemn as genocide the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in World War I. Even more than 90 years later, Turkey is outraged.
The measure cleared a House committee over fierce protests from the Turks and the Bush administration. The full House hasn't voted yet on that.
Russian president Vladimir Putin is in Iran today talking about nukes, war and the United States. It's an historic meeting that definitely has Washington's attention.
State Department Correspondent Zain Verjee joins us now with all the details on that.
Hi, Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Don.
Well, Russia is really defying the U.S. here today. President Vladimir Putin, as you said, in Iran, and he's warning the world there should be no attack on the region. He said don't even think of military action in the region. Now, he didn't actually name the U.S., but that's kind of where he was going.
The U.S., for its part, has not ruled out military action, but, you know, talking to people in this building, they say that the U.S. is determined to pursue diplomacy. Just a short while ago, the State Department spokesman, Tom Casey, had this to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM CASEY, STATE DEPT. SPOKESMAN: U.S. policy has been consistent that we're pursuing a diplomatic path with respect to Iran. We're working with our Security Council members in New York and elsewhere to try and come up with a text of a new resolution that will ratchet up sanctions on Iran. We've, of course, engaged in our own bilateral measures to deal with the threat posed there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE: Now, the U.S. has accused Iran of using its nuclear program basically as a cover to build a nuclear bomb. And today, the Russian president addressed this, and he kind of poured a little bit of cold water on that, saying he hasn't seen any evidence that Iran intends to build nuclear weapons. He said this: "When it comes to the nuclear issue, Iranians are cooperating with Russian nuclear agencies to reach a peaceful objective."
Now, analysts we spoke to said that the really important thing here to note is that while the U.S. is really trying to isolate Iran, what Vladimir Putin has done by going over to Iran is to break the isolation. The State Department says it doesn't mind if there are direct talks between the president of Russia and the president of Iran. They support direct dialogue, but they want Iran to change its behavior -- Don.
LEMON: State Department Correspondent Zain Verjee.
Thank you, Zain.
NGUYEN: One on one with Bill Gates, that is ahead in the NEWSROOM.
Ali, you and Mr. Gates look pretty tight there.
ALI VELSHI, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, he didn't offer to adopt me, which is what I was going for. He did give me a glimpse into the life of the worker of the future. And when we come back, if you stay tuned in to the NEWSROOM, I'm going to share that future with you.
So don't go anywhere. We're coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Hey, have you ever wondered what your workday will look like in the future? Well, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates shared some ideas with CNN's Ali Velshi. Will share them with us now.
And Ali, I wonder, does it mean we're going to be working harder and longer? Tell me that's not so.
VELSHI: Well, it's kind of funny. You know, Microsoft spends a lot of time on this.
NGUYEN: Yes.
VELSHI: And half a billion people use Microsoft Office, which is, you know, the office software we all use, Outlook and Word and all that kind of stuff.
NGUYEN: True.
VELSHI: So they really are working on making the worker of the future more efficient, but more efficient actually could mean that you work harder. So I asked Bill Gates, tell me what a day in the life of the worker of the future looks like. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
They will have a device (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL GATES, CHAIRMAN, MICROSOFT: They'll have a tablet (ph) device that they'll take with them in the meetings. It will be (INAUDIBLE) reading off of it, taking notes on it. It will be very simple.
As they get back to their desk, they'll have a much bigger display surface than they have today. You can look and glance at more information. The information that they care about will be represented in rich, new ways, and they can navigate in and see more details. VELSHI: What do you honestly believe the saving to people's time and effectiveness is going to be by having this unified communication, by always being able to reach someone or knowing when to reach them?
GATES: Well, what happens is the economy becomes more effective, and so the products get better, you know? Will we discover breakthrough new drugs? Yes, by using these approaches, we will.
We will be able to make safer products, safer cars by using these designs and these tools. And so the benefits all go to the people who are buying the products, because companies are working more effectively. The employees are sharing information, catching the trends, responding to demands in a much better way.
VELSHI: Is this going keep Microsoft in the forefront? Because some folks think that you have got to run harder than you used to have to because of everything that's out there. Is that a good thing that you actually do have to run harder to keep your lead?
VELSHI: Well, we've always had to run extremely hard. It's one of the most competitive businesses there is. We're making breakthroughs all the time. That's why it's so much fun, because, you know, we're not resting our laurels, but rather we're pursuing the vision for software that we had from the beginning. And we're not even near to the distance we can take software.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BILL GATES, CHAIRMAN, MICROSOFT: They'll have a tablet (ph) device that they'll take with them into meetings. It will be thin, so reading off of it, taking notes on it. It will be very simple.
As they get back to their desk, they'll have a much bigger display surface than they have today. You can look and glance at more information. The information that they care about will be represented in rich, new ways, and they can navigate in and see more details.
VELSHI: What do you honestly believe the saving to people's time and effectiveness is going to be by having this unified communication, by always being able to reach someone or knowing when to reach them?
GATES: Well, what happens is the economy becomes more effective, and so the products get better, you know? Will we discover breakthrough new drugs? Yes, by using these approaches, we will.
We will be able to make safer products, safer cars by using these designs and these tools. And so the benefits all go to the people who are buying the products, because companies are working more effectively. The employees are sharing information, catching the trends, responding to demands in a much better way.
VELSHI: Is this going keep Microsoft in the forefront? Because some folks think that you have got to run harder than you used to have to because of everything that's out there. Is that a good thing that you actually do have to run harder to keep your lead? VELSHI: Well, we've always had to run extremely hard. It's one of the most competitive businesses there is. We're making breakthroughs all the time. That's why it's so much fun, because, you know, we're not resting our laurels, but rather we're pursuing the vision for software that we had from the beginning. And we're not even near to the distance we can take software.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VELSHI: Hey, Betty, Microsoft is still very committed to the idea that software is going to make your life easier. One of the examples Bill Gates gave me is that when you think about designing a car, all the people who need to be involved in that design aren't necessarily in the same place, but with the idea that you'll communicate readily with each other in terms of visuals and the ability to exchange software and documents easily across continents and across lines, it's going to result in better products and better designs for people.
It was a very compelling argument.
NGUYEN: Well, hey, maybe that means we won't have to work harder, because since I can communicate with you, Ali, you do the rest. How about that?
VELSHI: Well, the thing is that this new system that he was showing me the prototypes for, we'll be able to find you whenever you're not busy. If your schedule doesn't say you've got an appointment and if you're not on the phone, you'll show as available. And we'll be able to find you. So that's going to be tough.
NGUYEN: Ali, can you stop him right now? Just tell him we don't want it.
VELSHI: That's it. Nowhere to hide.
NGUYEN: All right. Thank you. We'll find you. Thanks, Ali.
VELSHI: See you, Betty.
LEMON: A teenager who has autism is lost in a rugged part of West Virginia. A full-scale search is under way after he wandered away from his parents two days ago.
We'll get the latest from search crews straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Hello, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen in for Kyra Phillips here at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Last part of our show we told you about a press conference, big drug bust at JFK, and T.J. Holmes has been monitoring it for us. What did you learn?
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: We're learning more about the situation here, but for folks just tuning in here, you're seeing pictures here of some 18 individuals who were busted in this plot to smuggle drugs into the country, into JFK International Airport, heroin and cocaine, specifically.
Some airport workers in the Dominican Republic allegedly were putting drugs onto a plane there, hiding it in a luggage. Then, at the other end, at JFK other airport workers were then taking that luggage and getting and putting it in a safe area before it went through customs.
We heard from an ICE official, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, were answering some questions, giving a statement a short time ago by officials. Let's take a quick listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARC LORENTI, ICE ASST. SPECIAL AGENT-IN-CHARGE: Today 18 individuals were arrested in New York as a result of an ICE-led ongoing investigation involving a large-scale criminal organization that utilized airport employees, who facilitated the importation of narcotics into the New York metropolitan area.
Ten of the subjects were employed at JFK Airport and eight were part of a narcotics distribution organization that was operating out of Washington Heights.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And just a few details there he's given. He also went on to say that, sure, this involves smuggling drugs but this had broader implications, including this could compromise border security. If these methods, people see, that work, maybe terrorists could use this, and could create other vulnerabilities and exploit those.
It had broader implications even though drugs were involved here. It had the potential to do harm in other areas. So, a big bust.
Again, it's been going on, this investigation, according to some officials, two years. It's still not clear how long they believe all of this drug smuggling might have been going on. At least two years because that's how long the investigation has been going; but 18 individuals in custody now. Cocaine and heroin being brought into JFK -- Don.
LEMON: We will be following that one, T.J. You know that.
HOLMES: All right.
LEMON: Thank you so much for that.
NGUYEN: Interpol agents say a suspected pedophile is on the run in Southeast Asia. Now last week we showed you pictures unscrambled, those digital pictures that put his face in the news. Now he's been named as Christopher Paul Neil, that's the guy right there.
I talked with Interpol's Kristin Kvigne, for more on the suspect and that search.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTIN KVIGNE, INTERPOL: We know that he is a Canadian national and that he's 32 years of age. That he worked up until recently as a teacher in a school in South Korea.
NGUYEN: When we're looking at, I guess, cases of accused pedophiles, they go into an area, they work as a teacher, they gain the trust, and then they gain access to these children.
KVIGNE: Yes, that's not uncommon when it comes to pedophiles. And also in this case for people who have travel aboard who abuse children. They will try to get into contact with children in any way they can, whether it be through tourist destinations, or working as he did in the school.
Of course, I cannot say anything about, you know, children at his school being at particular risk, but this is not an uncommon way for pedophiles to act.
NGUYEN: Now that you know who he is and where he worked, do you know where he is now? And what's being done to find him?
KVIGNE: Well, what we do know is that he traveled from South Korea, that he traveled to Thailand, and he did that on last Thursday. And we know that he entered Thailand then and the picture that we showed is from when he entered Thailand.
As to his whereabouts, as of now, we have no idea where he is. Whether he's still in Thailand or whether he's moved to one of the other countries in the region.
NGUYEN: And what he's accused of doing has really been on the web for several years; these pictures of young boys being abused. Talk to us about what he is accused of doing.
KVIGNE: Well, we haven't accused him of doing anything, so to speak. That will be up to the authorities --
NGUYEN: But what do the pictures show?
KVIGNE: But the images that we have found on the Internet is of explicit abuse of children, grave sexual abuse of children, yes.
NGUYEN: And as for those children, I know you're looking for this man Neil, what about the children? Is anything being done to find those children?
KVIGNE: The police in the region are currently trying to identify the children.
NGUYEN: And so as far as this goes, would you say it's been a success in putting this picture out, and because of this do you think we'll see Interpol providing more pictures to the public and asking for their help?
KVIGNE: Well, I think -- I think this has definitely been a success. Interpol put these images out on Monday. We did have his identity on Thursday, and we're now able to name him as the person in the pictures. So this has been a great success.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Toronto police say they are ready and waiting to extradite Neil to Canada once he is arrested.
LEMON: We've been telling you about this, a desperate search for a missing hiker goes on this hour in a rugged section of West Virginia; 18-year-old Jacob Allen has autism and authorities say he had no food, water, or heavy clothing with him when he wandered away from his parents on Sunday. The area is steep and it's covered with brush.
With us on the phone is Chris Stadelman, he's a spokesman for the search operation.
Tell us what's going on so far. Any closer to finding this young man?
CHRIS STADELMAN, SPOKESMAN, SEARCH OPERATIONS: Still, yeah, a couple hundred folks out there, and working hard and still very optimistic but no new signs this afternoon.
LEMON: No new signs of him. There was some encouragement because of a hat found close to where he was last seen on Sunday. Update us on that.
STADELMAN: They did find a blue baseball cap that he was wearing, yeah, when he was last seen, fairly close to the Borsetts (ph) trail, where he had been with his parents. Dogs were able to pick up a scent for a little while yesterday, but it didn't lead them all the way to Jacob.
LEMON: Jacob, he did not have any clothing with him, and we know that he is autistic, but his -- I'm reading here that his family took these trips and similar trips several times a year. Was he with them? Does he have experience in these types of trips that might help him out while he's lost?
STADELMAN: He certainly enjoys hiking and it was not an uncommon occurrence. They did some hiking around their home in Morgantown, and would come to Dolly Sods or Cannon (ph) Valley area periodically. So obviously, you know, an experience very few of us would ever have been through. So no one knows how anybody would handle it. But he certainly was, yeah, was used to being in the outdoors.
LEMON: All right, so he was last seen wearing a T-shirt, wind jacket, and pants and some hiking boots, but no food or water. And as we know temperatures this time of year starting to drop. Your big concerns here? What are you working against besides time?
STADELMAN: Well, obviously, that's a big concern. We're going on about 48 hours at this point, but the weather has dipped into the -- into the high 30s, around 40 at night, but it hasn't been brutally cold. It's been dry. We've had sunny days. It's gotten back up into the 70s, so certainly that's cause for optimism. It's been good weather to get out and search.
LEMON: You're looking at what, 10 square miles of territory, very rugged terrain?
STADELMAN: It's very terrain -- some of it is maintenance road, and cut trails that folks would use. Yes, certainly a large part of it is dense underbrush, heavy laurel and rhododendron cover, steep rocky terrain in places.
LEMON: Mr. Stadelman, have you spoken with the family at all? The parents?
STADELMAN: I talked to them earlier this afternoon and they are still very, you know, hopeful and optimistic as well. And wanted folks to know how appreciative they are for the outpouring of support they have received from the local community here as well as regionally and nationally. And we really appreciate the prayers and want people to continue that.
LEMON: Obviously, a very tough time for them. And also for rescue workers as well. Chris Stadelman, who is a public information officer for the search operation, we appreciate you joining us today.
STADELMAN: No problem.
NGUYEN: From CNN's Political Ticker, a check for 9/11 is just a little too much for the Rudy Giuliani presidential campaign, be it 9 bucks, and 11 cents, or $911. "The Wall Street Journal" reports the former New York mayor's staff is returning donations made out for both amounts. The campaign has taken heat over a $9.11 fund-raiser for Rudy in California, but critics said they were capitalizing on the 9/11 tragedy.
A check for $9.11 million wouldn't be enough for Giuliani to catch Hillary Clinton in the money race. The New York senator reports $35 million in the bank for the primaries alone. Barack Obama has about $32 million, and John Edwards about $12 million.
Giuliani tops among Republicans, though, with more than $11.5 million.
John Edwards might have a skimpier bank account than Clinton and Obama, but he is flush with fresh support. Yesterday 10 state chapters of the Service Employees International Union, including one in Iowa, endorsed Edwards for president. The national SEIU, which represents 1.3 million workers has decided not to unite behind one candidate.
LEMON: And, Betty, Senator Hillary Clinton has entered new territory in the polls. A new "USA Today"/Gallup Poll shows Clinton with 50 percent support among Democrats for the first time. Barack Obama a distant second with 21 percent and John Edwards has 13 percent.
Here's what's happening on the Republican side. Rudy Giuliani also widened his lead. He's now favored by 32 percent of GOP voters and Fred Thompson who trailed by only 8 points last month slipped to 18 percent, followed by John McCain and Mitt Romney.
And we've got a poll of our own with Opinion Research Corporation that shows a major shift in the race. We'll have that for you at 4:00 p.m., Eastern, of course in "The Situation Room".
You can you see all the day's political news anytime of day or night at cnn.com/ticker. We're are constantly updating it for you with the latest from the candidates on the campaign trail.
MARVIN GAYE (SINGING): It's getting stronger and stronger, and when I get that feeling, I want sexual healing --
NGUYEN: Oh, yeah.
LEMON: Glad you're reading this.
NGUYEN: Getting back in the game after a heart attack. Medical news that could have your pulse racing because we're having a frank discussions about sex. I know I have your attention. It's all coming up in the NEWSROOM.
GAYE (SINGING): I want sexual healing, baby. It's good for me. Sexual healing.
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GAYE (SINGING): When I get that feeling, I want sexual healing.
NGUYEN: All right. It is a big fear for heart attack survivors. Will having sex kill me? It turns out it's not as dangerous as you might think. That's good news.
Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here with some news that could have pulses racing once again.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hopefully not racing too fast, right?
NGUYEN: Yeah.
COHEN: Not too fast. Whoo, it's warm in here.
This is a big fear of folks who have chronic heart failure. They wonder, can I have sex? Is my heart ready for the task? And the answer, according to this study, is that many men and women can have sex if they have chronic heart failure. This is a surprise to many people because in our culture a lot of times you think, boy, if you have a bad heart you should avoid sex. But, in fact, this study says, simply put, sex isn't as strenuous as you might think it is. In fact, they equate it with some pretty common things we all do around the house.
How much energy does sex take? According to the experts we talked to, sexual intercourse takes about as much energy as climbing stairs slowly or vacuuming the house. Hopefully you're not going to do all three things at the same time. That would be a problem.
NGUYEN: That would be strenuous.
COHEN: That would be strenuous, not to mention complicated. You'd have to learn yoga or something.
(CROSS TALK)
The bottom for this is you definitely talk to your doctor, but more people probably can have sex than think that they can because of their hearts.
NGUYEN: That's good news. But it's not all people. So, who are in that category where it's probably not recommended?
COHEN: Right. You do want to talk to your doctor, especially if you have a condition called pulmonary hypertension, with some people with heart disease, heart problems have. That is something you definitely want to talk to your doctor.
And, in general, there might be some folks who do have heart issues where sex maybe isn't the greatest idea. This is something you have to review with your physician.
NGUYEN: And for men, maybe using Viagra, or some of those other drugs, can that pose a problem as well?
COHEN: It poses an issue that men really need to pay attention to. And this is the issue: If you're taking Viagra, or a similar drug, you really cannot also be taking nitrates at the same time. It is a big no-no. So if you're taking nitrates, which is a drug that many men with heart disease take, you don't want to be taking the kinds of drugs we're showing you now so that is a big issue to pay attention to.
NGUYEN: Brings new meaning to safe sex.
COHEN: There you go, exactly.
NGUYEN: Thank you, Elizabeth.
LEMON: See how they kept me out of this?
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: They are like, he will get in trouble.
NGUYEN: We won't even go there.
LEMON: I wasn't going to say anything, but I was taking strict notes. NGUYEN: I bet you were.
LEMON: Let's see if Mr. A.J. Hammer can top that. He's got some celebrity news, but is there any sex in entertainment today?
A.J. HAMMER, CNN ANCHOR, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: There's no sex and nobody walking up the stairs slowly, as far as I know.
LEMON: Or vacuuming?
HAMMER: But there are celebs in trouble, particularly those in the music industry. I don't know what the heck is going on. I'll have those stories straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
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LEMON: All right. Time now for all things Britney. Another late-night run for the pop star Britney Spears, well, it's making headlines today, of course. This time it wasn't a trip to In-and-Out Burger, or a tattoo parlor, or a barber shop that kept the paparazzi busy, she went to jail, sadly.
"Showbiz Tonight's" A.J. Hammer joins me now.
Give me the 411 on that. Hey, A.J.
HAMMER: Yeah, Britney is sort of redefining being out on the town, out there in L.A. The 25-year-old pop star did turn herself into a Los Angeles police station last night, around 9:00 p.m.; that, to face charges of hit-and-run and driving without a valid California license.
Spears was fingerprinted, photographed and released about 45 minutes later, according to police. Spears had been previously ordered to report for booking prior to her October 25th court date for this particular case. Now the charges in this case stem from an August 6th wreck during which paparazzi filmed Spears steering her car into another vehicle, as she tried to park.
The video then showed the singer walking away from the scene after, of course, checking for damage to her own car. The owner of the other vehicle later filed a police report.
In addition to her October 25th court appearance, Spears is going to be back in front of a judge the following day when her ongoing custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline resumes.
And, Don, I should point out, I don't think we saw it in that video there. She showed up to the police station wearing a pink wig.
LEMON: Yeah, a pink wig, I heard that. It's kind of weird, it's just like oh, I'm going to jail tonight, got my dog, and my pink wig.
HAMMER: Yeah, she had her dog in her lap -- in the video that I saw -- was in her lap in between her, and the steering wheel, kind of reminiscent of something we've seen from Britney before. LEMON: So, kids, if you're watching, going to jail is not a good thing. You don't smile and go OK.
But she's not the only celebrity turning herself in these days. That's why I said that. What is up with this rumor we're hearing about P. Diddy, possibly, doing some time or doing the same thing?
HAMMER: This was a rumor floating around today and last night that the hip hop star was going to be turning himself in to New York City police on assault charges. This, after he allegedly punched a man during a dispute at a Manhattan nightclub over the weekend.
But we did get a statement earlier today from Combs attorney, Benjamin Brafman. He told CNN the reports are false. This is what he said, quote, "What is being reported in the media is inaccurate. Mr. Combs is not going to be arrested today. We are hopeful that this matter will be resolved without the filing of any criminal charges, as this was a disagreement among acquaintances, not a criminal assault."
Well, according to the alleged victim 31-year-old Steven Acavedo (ph), Combs, who is seen here with his ex-girlfriend, Kim Porter, punched him in the face twice, busting his lip and giving him a bloody nose, during a fight which allegedly stemmed around a blond woman both men had previously dated.
Well, the woman in question wasn't at the club during the incident. A rep for Diddy is saying the altercation was not over a girl. And that Diddy and this accuser have known each other for over 13 years. And now on top of that TMZ is reporting that those two men have already made up.
Not the end of his troubles, though, because all of this is coming as hip hop promoter James Walden filed a $5 million lawsuit against the rap mogul, claiming that Combs had unleashed three violent bodyguards on him during a June altercation in a Manhattan nightclub.
So, yeah, Don, a lot of people not happy with Diddy these days.
LEMON: OK, and you know what, there's another rapper, I'm surprised by this, and gun charges. You never hear about that, do you?
HAMMER: I'm going to tell you the story now, and not make any generalizations, that's what I'm going to do.
LEMON: No, it's true. I hate to say it, but it's true.
HAMMER: Sadly we do hear of this sort of thing a lot. And for T.I. who we have been following this story for the last couple of days, things not looking very good right now.
The rapper's real name is Clifford Harris, and he was denied bail yesterday when he appeared in court after being arrested over the weekend on federal gun charges. The 27-year-old is going to stay in jail until at least Friday when his attorneys will once again argue for his release. During a search of T.I.'s house agents found six guns, including three that were alleged by bought by the rapper's bodyguard last month. Now, Harris is not legally allowed to have another person get firearms on his behalf, that's because he's a convicted felon.
We will have the very latest on all of these celebs who are in trouble with the law, tonight on "Showbiz Tonight". It's "Celebrity Justice Gone Wild". With Britney Spears getting booked, P. Diddy facing troubles of his own, and others from Kiefer Sutherland and O.J. Simpson are also having the heat turned up on them.
We have their alleged crimes and their possible punishment tonight in a special report on TV's most provocative entertainment news show. We'll see you tonight at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on Headline Prime, for "Showbiz Tonight" -- Don.
LEMON: We will see you, and I know -- someone is going to say something about the rap thing. But you know -- what. All right, A.J., I'll be watching. Thank you, sir.
HAMMER: You got it.
LEMON: Always a pleasure.
Let's talk now about Harry Potter. The author J.K. Rowling is working her magic on U.S. audiences, in a rare American book tour. Check it out. She signed copies of her popular wizarding novels for happy muggles in Los Angeles, that was yesterday.
Rowling also read to some 1,600 students at the Kodak Theater. Rowling is expected to make stops in New Orleans and also New York and she will do that later this week.
NGUYEN: Well, Idaho Senator Larry Craig told the world he was leaving the Senate, so why is he still there? We'll hear directly from him. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.
Nevada cops stop a car without a license plate and behind the wheel a wanted man, who says he is sick of running. An intense manhunt comes to an end. We'll explain in the NEWSROOM.
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