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Las Vegas Debate; Bhutto's Next Move

Aired November 10, 2007 - 20:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was allowed to leave her home today. Troops barricaded it Friday and CNN's Dan Rivers reports that CNN and the BBC have been allowed to return to the airwaves.
Political arrests do continue, though. And scuffling broke out in Peshawar between Pakistan troops and groups of Islamic radicals, with the state of emergency supposedly aimed at Islamic fundamentalist militants the more moderate opposition is walking a very fine line. They're trying to keep the heat on the military without totally burning bridges with General Musharraf.

From Islamabad here's CNN's Zain Verjee.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAEP)

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT': We spoke to Benazir Bhutto today and we asked her what's her next move. She says she's planning a protest, a march on November 13 from Lahore to the capital city Islamabad. What she wants to do is essentially have a sit-in at parliament until the demands made to General Musharraf are met. Today she was out and about. She was at her party headquarters. Meeting with leaders of civil society in Pakistan. She met with journalists.

She also tried to go and meet the ousted chief justice Ifaka Chowdry (ph). But when she tried to do that, she was turned away. In our interview, she said that she does want to see the chief justice reinstated, which is significant, because she has not made such an explicit comment. We also asked her if she's had any direct contact with General Musharraf. Here's how she responded.

BENAZIR BHUTTO, PAKISTAN PEOPLE'S PARTY: I have not spoken to him since we decided to part ways for this public protests, but before we parted ways, I did speak to him. I did say the election schedule should be ...

VERJEE: When did you speak? Directly on the phone?

BHUTTO: It was several days ago, not recently. Not recently. Not since we've decided as a party not to have any more contact because the public mode (ph) is against any contact with General Musharraf.

VERJEE: I asked her whether she was playing a double game on the one hand calling for mass protests and demonstrations out on the street and on the other hand leaving the door open for negotiations to share power with General Musharraf. She responded to that by saying that what she's doing is only playing a middle game. She says she has a different responsibility, and that was to bring democracy to Pakistan, and that she wasn't going to take an extreme position. Zain Verjee, CNN, Islamabad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Ever so gently the Bush administration is prodding its crucial ally in the war on terror. President Bush today was quick to praise General Musharraf for talking about returning to democracy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, U.S. PRESIDENT: He has declared that he'll take off his uniform. And he has declared there will be elections, which are positive steps. We also believe that suspension of the emergency decree will make it easier for the democracy to flourish.

HARRIS: Mr. Bush is spending time at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, where he is hosting German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Three British journalists are being kicked out of Pakistan for their coverage of the crisis. All three work for the "Daily Telegraph" newspaper. According to Pakistan's deputy information minister, the trio has 72 hours to clear out of the country. The reason, an editorial in the conservative U.K. paper used an expletive and other language considered derogatory when referencing President Musharraf.

And just north of the Pakistani border in Afghanistan, a grim milestone for the U.S. troops there. Six more American soldiers died in a fire fight with insurgents in eastern Afghanistan Friday, bringing this year's in-country death toll to 100. That makes 2007 the deadliest year for American troops since the fighting began back in 2001.

A quick note from South America where Venezuelan strong man Hugo Chavez continues to be a thorn in the side of the United States. Opposition parties in the oil-rich country are gearing up again to mount a challenge to Chavez.

Students led a protest today urging defeat that could further expand presidential powers. Previous threats to Chavez have fizzled. But this one coincides with those being mounted by a former Venezuelan military chief.

And back here in the United States it's not your usual Broadway show-stopper, but it has halted production, nonetheless. The stage hands union went on strike and for now, a lot of shows can't go on. CNN's Jim Acosta is there with the very latest. So the neon lights aren't shining so bright on Broadway tonight, Jim.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. The stagehands went on strike just before a morning matinee of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," and now there are strong opinions as to who the Grinch really is. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just wanted to come here and see the show.

ACOSTA: Theater goers who arrived at the box office with tickets to "How the Grinch stole Christmas" found out sometimes the show does not go on. Union stage hands had formed a picket line outside the theater shutting down one of some 28 now canceled Broadway shows around Times Square. To some, the strike was a production of how the stage hands stole Broadway.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a shame that they start with a kids' play. That's disappointing with the children. We're all adults. Hopefully they'd figure out adult solutions and not take it out on the kids, but here we are.

DEVON SNYDER, CAME TO SEE "THE GRINCH": Well, I'm kind of angry that they did that because I like the Grinch, and I wanted to see this.

ACOSTA: The strike had loomed for months, ever since the theater owners floated a proposal that would limit the number of stage hands working behind the scenes.

RICHARD FRANKEL, PRODUCER: Imagine if you were building a house and the contractor said to you, I only need 30 guys, but the union makes me hire 50. That's the first thing we have to do.

ACOSTA: It could be a costly show-stopper. This billion-dollar industry is just weeks away from its busy holiday season when it draws hoards of theatergoers from around the world. It's all enough to make Patrick Page, star of "The Grinch," grumpy.

PATRICK PAGE, ACTOR: The Grinch usually says "I hate Christmas", but today he'd say "I hate the strike."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (on camera): And as for the stagehands who you see picketing right now, they're not talking, but the theater owners are offering refunds or exchanges for shows that are cancelled. Not every production is being affected is being affected by this strike. There are eight shows that will go on tonight. Tony?

HARRIS: OK. Jim Acosta for us in New York.

And you know what? Those aren't the only shows that can't go on. The movie and television writers strike is now six days old with no end in sight. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and other celebrities like Sally Field are out on the picket line supporting the strikers. The work stoppage is beginning to have a residual effect across the industry.

With support staff such as caterers and makeup people finding work hard to come by, word out of NBC that non-striking writers may face layoffs, but talk show host Ellen Degeneres hopes to keep her show on air despite the strike. Here's what she told the "L.A. Daily News," quote, "It's really hard to have to deal with where they are and where I am because I'm kind of caught in the middle. I'm a host and have 135 staff members, depending on me for a paycheck each week," end quote.

Still to come, his third wife reportedly died in a bathtub accident. His fourth wife has been missing for two weeks now. Next in the NEWSROOM, the husband of Stacy Peterson is now officially a suspect in her disappearance.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM. Nearly two weeks missing, more than 100 volunteers are scouring the Chicago suburbs looking for 23-year-old Stacy Peterson. Authorities confirm her police officer husband Drew Peterson is now a suspect in the case. The 53-year-old is also suspected of having a run-in of sorts with a neighbor who local police relocated to a hotel under an assumed name out of her fear of retaliation.

Now, earlier a spokeswoman for Stacy's family told CNN how they're all holding up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAM BOSCO, STACY PETERSON FAMILY FRIEND: Has been mixed emotions. The family has been going through a lot this past week. Like I said, the news out today gives us new hope that we will find Stacy. And we hope that this case will progress a little bit faster now.

HARRIS: You know, there is an important resource for families like Stacy Peterson's called the National Center for Missing Adults, but the days may be numbered as federal funding for it has all but dried up. CNN's Vince Gonzales reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VINCE GONZALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, one of the groups brought in by the government to help families looking for relatives was the National Center for Missing Adults.

KIM PASQUALINI, NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING ADULTS: We had 13,502 calls just for Hurricane Katrina alone.

GONZALES: Now it's Kim Pasqualini's center that could soon be among the missing. A financial crisis could close its doors for good on Monday. The center received $50,000 to help Katrina families, but the job was so big, it cost five times that. When Kim asked the government, she was told no more funding was available.

PASQUALINI: I was told to go back home and to fire my staff. I had 13 staff. I now have two who have not been paid.

GONZALES: She hasn't taken a salary since 2006. And a bill in Congress reauthorizing her regular funding is stalled. Congresswoman Sue Myrick is one of its sponsors.

REP. SUE MYRICK, (R) NC: We're trying to push it out of subcommittee.

GONZALES (on camera): The headquarters was here at this large office park, but then they lost their lease and the for rent signs up and the center has been forced to move to much more modest accommodation.

GONZALES (voice-over): hey provided resources to thousands of families and was a key ally of law enforcement in nearly every state where the staff and website helped with missing persons cases and unsolved homicides.

DET. ROGER GEISLER, GLENDALE, ARIZONA POLICE: Losing this resource is going to hurt law enforcement everywhere.

GONZALES: Detective Roger Geisler of the Glendale, Arizona Police Department says the center has been invaluable in investigations across the country.

Are there people who might still be missing if they hadn't been there to help?

GONZALES: Absolutely, absolutely.

PHIL RANDOLPH, PARENT: It's just like a nightmare. I can't believe what we're living.

LINDA RANDOLPH, PARENT: And it never stops. It's 24/7.

P. RANDOLPH: Yeah.

L. RANDOLPH: A year later, it's 24/7.

GONZALES: Phil and Linda Rudolph's daughter Marcy disappeared in a small plane flying to Sedona, Arizona. They say the center supported them and should get the same funding and attention as the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children.

P. RANDOLPH: The most vulnerable and easily victimized. And so you should have that focus. But, like we say, sometimes a missing adult is somebody's child too.

L. RANDOLPH: Always someone's child.

GONZALES: On Monday, the center's phone will be replaced with a recording telling families of missing adults, there's no one available to help them. Vince Gonzales for CNN, Phoenix, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras. Is it true there are times when a storm system can be really good news?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Of course it can. There are times it could be bad news as well as well. We'll tell you about a system that's actually both, coming up.

HARRIS: And still to come, the death of Norman Mailer. A look back at his colorful, controversial life.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: This weekend is Veterans Day, and CNN is joining with the nation to celebrate the men and women of our armed forces. From those serving now to those who have fought for us in the past. We will tell you the story of Ty and Zach Ziegel, one brother seriously wounded in Iraq, the other shipping out. We will bring them together for an emotional reunion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TY ZIEGEL, U.S. ARMY: Part of him really wants to be here with us. You've got to honor that. For everything he's been through, still wants to be with his boys over in iraq, you know. And that's a pretty honorable thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And we will take a look at returning veterans and their efforts to transition back to civilian life. And shine a spotlight on one man who is urging companies to hire a hero.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can never have enough employers or job opportunities in enough places to place all the young people that are coming out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: The Veterans of Foreign Wars sent in the call and asked for you to send in videos, and you responded. They'll announce the winner of their honor a vet contest live on CNN. That and more coming up when CNN pays tribute to the men and women of our military, all part of our special Veterans Day coverage.

And part of the coverage includes a live interview with Lieutenant General Russell Honore. A veteran who led the charge during Hurricane Katrina.

You might recall he's referred to by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin as "one John Wayne dude." He will be right here on the set in our Atlanta studio at 8:00 a.m. Eastern tomorrow morning on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

Let's check in again with Jacqui Jeras. And Jacqui I was listening to you have a conversation with Fred last hour. You were talking about this series of storms ling up there in the Pacific training, ready to take on the Pacific Northwest. That's happening now or happening soon?

(WEATHER REPORT) HARRIS: An American literary giant has now passed into the ages. Norman mailer, whose personal life often matched those of the racy characters who inhabited his many novels, died of kidney failure in New York. CNN's Fredricka Whitfield takes a look back at an American original.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In his latter years, Norman Mailer liked to give readings of his novels in small bookstores around the nation. And as he liked to remind his listeners, they were listening to a legend.

NORMAN MAILER, DECEASED AUTHOR: So he's at home with everything that proves a little cleaner or a little filthier than it was supposed to be.

WHITFIELD: Norman Mailer's first book "The Naked and the Dead" was an instant best seller. He was a celebrity when he was 25. He spent a year in Hollywood but returned to New York City where he spent the rest of his tumultuous life.

In the mind 1950s he helped found the nation's most well known alternative newspaper "The Village Voice." His fascination with drinking and drugs turned to 1960 when he was accused of stabbing his wife Adele with a pen knife after an all night party. She made a full recovery and declined to press charges.

As he grew older, critics liked his books less and less. But he became famous for being famous. Appearing often on LARRY KING LIVE, for instance.

NORMAN MAILER, AUTHOR: In the CIA they played tennis. In the KGB, they played chess.

WHITFIELD: He wrote superb articles on boxing and loved to promote all that he did.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have nothing tremendous to say.

WHITFIELD: Including this George Bernard Shaw play, "Don Juan in Hell." He became fascinated with journalism as well. His book, on the Utah execution of Gary Gilmore, "The Executioner's Song" was well received in the late 1970s. In many ways, Norman Mailer became larger than life, a description he never avoided.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Mailer's biographer says arrangements for a private service and burial will be announced next week and a memorial service will be held in New York in the coming months. Norman Mailer, dead, at the age of 84.

The CNN Election Express is on the road heading for Las Vegas. We'll get aboard next. Plus, this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I wasn't at my best the other night. We've had a bunch of debates. I wouldn't rank that up in my very top list.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: A front-runner stumbles on the campaign trail, but does it really matter?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Enthusiastic supporters of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is seeing plenty of them today during a campaign stop in Philadelphia. While Paul still trails in the polls, those backing him are putting their money where their mouth is, sending him millions in campaign cash. Much of it online. A reported 4.2 million on line in one day alone. Today Paul took on his Republican rivals who criticized him for not supporting the Iraq War.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RON PAUL, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Isn't it strange that they try to accuse us of saying if you don't support this perpetual policy that is getting nowhere, that you don't support the troops? Why is it then, why is it then that our campaign gets the most money from the troops?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Well, Paul promised, if elected president, he will never take the country to war without declaration of war by Congress.

Straight talk may be fine on John McCain's campaign bus, the Straight Talk Express but he obviously prefers his own mother to take, well, let's just say a more diplomatic approach on the campaign trail during a televised interview. McCain's 95-year-old mom took a swipe at one of his Republican rivals. Roberta McCain criticized Mitt Romney's Mormon faith, and linked Romney to the scandal surrounding the Salt Lake City Olympics. Words that made her son visibly uncomfortable. Take a look for yourself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTA MCCAIN, JOHN MCCAIN'S MOTHER: As far as the Salt Lake City thing, he's a Mormon, and the Mormons of Salt Lake City that caused that scandal, and to clean that up, it's not even, again, it's not a subject.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The views of my mother are not necessarily views of mine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: McCain later told the Associated Press his mother misspoke. He says Romney's religion should not play a role in people's decisions.

All the top candidates are spending some quality time on CNN's Election Express. Our bus, that's logging major miles on the campaign trail, catch the interviews every Saturday at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Stopping by the bus this week leading presidential Democratic hopeful, Hillary Clinton. CNN's senior political correspondent Candy Crowley asked Clinton about expressing support for states giving illegal immigrants driver's licenses.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, what I've said is that I support what governors are trying to do. Governors are on the front lines because of the failures to comprehensive immigration reform. There are already eight states that issue driver's licenses without any verification of citizenship. That's a decision that the governors and legislatures and the people of those states have made. I understand ...

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: But people think you're not answering the question.

CLINTON: Well, I think if you go back and look at the complexity of this issue, I don't think a lot of these hard questions lend themselves to raising your hand. And I know that that's easier in a 30-second context to try to do. I think the fact that governors are being forced into this position is really unfortunate. They should not be making immigration policy. The federal government should be making immigration policy.

And that's what I'm going to try to do as president again. And I do not believe that in the context of federal immigration reform that that would be an issue that governors would have to contend with.

CROWLEY: So it's -- I know it's not a yes or no question to you but you've had some time here and the problem is that people can't get a hold of for a governor at this time do you think it's a good idea for them to offer driver's licenses to illegal driver's licenses?

CLINTON: It depends upon what state they're in. It depends upon what they think the risks are. You know. A governor of New York that has a lot of immigrants, many of whom we know are not their legally, has to worry about security. A governor of another state where that's not a problem doesn't.

CROWLEY: Post-debate, you've gotten pretty hard hit. If you boiled down the criticism on the various subjects, it's this. She lacks candor. When the questions get tough, she dodges. What's your reaction to that?

CLINTON: Well, I understand the necessity for criticism. We're getting toward the end of a very long presidential primary process, and I wasn't at my best the other night. We've had a bunch of debates, and I wouldn't rank that up in my very top list. But I've answered probably, oh, I don't know, more than 5,000 questions in the last ten months. And I've been very clear about where I stand and what I want to do for the country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TONY HARRIS, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Also on the "Election Express" is CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider, now in Colorado heading for Denver. Bill's ultimate destination, Las Vegas, where CNN is hosting a major presidential debate. He joins us now live from the road.

Bill, we love the hat. It's cold. It makes all the sense in the world. It matches so wonderfully. You're so coordinated with your ensemble. Tell us exactly where you are now, Bill.

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: We're two miles up in the air at Vail Pass in Colorado. You see the CNN "Election Express," and we're ready for the promise land. In our case, that would be Las Vegas.

HARRIS: Bill, explain to everyone why the western states have become more and more important as we get into this next election cycle.

SCHNEIDER: Because the election states have become more and more purple. They're moving from red to blue. They've elected a lot more Democrats here in Colorado. For the first time in 40 years they have a Democratic legislature and Democratic governor. The Democrats are mining for electoral gold here. They're meeting in Denver next August, and they see this as a very promising part of the country where Democrats may make gains.

HARRIS: And you are crossing the path of at least one Republican candidate. I understand Rudy Giuliani is in Colorado.

SCHNEIDER: That's right. He was in Loveland, Colorado today. And if you want a little taste of what could be the campaign to come if the front-runners get the nominations, that is Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton. Giuliani criticized Clinton and says she shifts position, she waffles on Iraq and illegal immigration. He contrasted that with what he called his own steadfastness and leadership after 9/11.

He was faced with protesters of his own and he acknowledged that his leadership wasn't perfect, but he described it as good. So they could be a little taste of the campaign to come.

HARRIS: So those are the candidates who want to be president. Have you taken a look at the most recent polls regarding President Bush right now? Just some bad numbers here.

SCHNEIDER: Yeah, he has some very bad numbers. Only 34 percent job approval and almost a quarter of the voters say he's the worst president in the history of the United States. Wow! I mean, that includes Richard Nixon and lots of other presidents who didn't do very, very well in the end. We've not asked that question before, so I can't compare him. About a quarter of the country are ready to say the worst president ever. HARRIS: And the top priority of Americans right now, as reflected in our poll?

SCHNEIDER: The economy. I don't want to say stupid. I don't want to insult you. It elected Bill Clinton and, Hillary Clinton, if she's the nominee, may hope it will elect another Clinton. The economy, since the stock market has tumbled, since housing prices are bad, since gas prices are high, the economy has become number one issue.

HARRIS: And there he is, Bill Schneider, the CNN "Election Express" on the road, heading to Las Vegas. There he is.

Bill, good to see you. Appreciate it. Thanks for your time.

All bets are off when Bill Schneider hits the Vegas strip. He will be joined by Wolf Blitzer and the best political team on television. You can watch the debate on CNN Thursday night at 8:00 eastern time.

And the man who tried to assassinate Alabama Governor George Wallace is speaking out about his future outside of prison. Arthur Bremer was released from a Maryland prison yesterday after serving 35 years of his 53-year sentence. He left at dawn, avoiding the media. He said, quote, "I am just a man in prison. I don't want to be a public figure." Bremer opened fire on Wallace in Maryland during the governor's presidential run in 1972. The attack was caught on tape. Here's a look at a WTN News report covering that day's dramatic events.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWS ANCHOR: ... the welfare issues, as the key notes of his campaign, Alabama's George Wallace hits the trails. Making his pitch mostly to white blue collar workers, he scores impressively in the primaries, notching a major victory in Michigan.

GEORGE WALLACE, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ... works each day for a living and pays the taxes has been ignored except on Election Day.

NEWS ANCHOR: But lurking in his path is a 21-year-old bus boy named Arthur Bremer. Beaming approval from behind dark glasses, Bremer applauds enthusiastically in Silver Spring, Maryland. Then, as the governor of Alabama moves out to press flesh, a hand pokes a gun through the crowd.

Wallace survives the assassination attempt, but his wounds leave him paralyzed, forcing the end of his active campaign.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Man! Three other people were also hit and injured. Bremer's diary found after his conviction indicates he shot Wallace to get attention. We are paying about, oh, 50 cents a gallon more for gasoline than we did this time last year. Money pumped right out of your pocket. So where in the world is all that extra cash going?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pop all the balloons.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Balloon races, broom races and guessing games. Sounds more like summer camp than a meeting at ING Direct. The reason, happier, more productive employees.

JOY ZABEN, ING DIRECT: Think about our employees as more than just in their work environment. Their stress level, their health. I mean, this got them up and moving around.

GUPTA: Many corporations want employees to step away from their cubicles. One way is to make them laugh.

David Raymond organizes seminars on workforce fun. He says it creates camaraderie and keeps workers active.

DAVID RAYMOND, THE FUN DEPARTMENT: We want it to be appropriate and easy, but we want some of the things to be physically challenging.

GUPTA: And employees feel more energetic.

LORRINE LASTER, ING DIRECT EMPLOYEE: Having fun activities allows you to have a better frame of mind when working.

GUPTA: And there could be real health benefits. Research shows laughing can help prevent blood flow, preventing diseases such as hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure and strokes.

DR. MICHAEL MILLER, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL CENTER: When we have a good laugh, or we feel very relaxed, it, in a way, helps us to rejuvenate.

GUPTA: It also reduces stress, shown to be a primary factor when it comes to weight gain and heart problems. Other ways to encourage happy workers, volleyball and scooters on the job at Google. Other companies allow pets in the office, all aimed at keeping employees relaxed and more productive.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Well, what are we talking about here? Well, pretty intense pain at the pump much the national average for a gallon of regular gas has jumped to $3.09? That's up from $2.76 just a month ago. Last year it was $2.22, 87 cents lower, drop by drop, they are taking it out of all of us. Just where does the money that we spend at the pump, where does it go? Time for a reality check.

JOSH LEVS, CNN NEWS BUSINESS ANALYST: If the figures didn't make you happy, this won't either. Not only are you spending all this money, but it's going somewhere. The rule of money, it never stops. It goes somewhere. You're not putting it in a trash can. It goes somewhere. What we wanted to do for you right now is show you where your dollar is going.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEVS (voice-over): The prices are being steadily driven up. Meanwhile, where is your money going? Here's the breakdown. Federal and state taxes take 15 to 20 cents of every dollar you spend at the pump. Distribution and marketing takes about 5 to 15 cents. That's money for the gas station. Next, refining. Where the big oil companies make a lot of their profits. Refining takes as much as a quarter of every dollar. These amounts vary, but what generally stays the same is the biggest percentage of all, crude oil, which takes more than 50 cents of every dollar. The price of crude oil is affected by supply and demand, and set largely by OPEC, which supplies about 40 percent of the world's oil and puts a production limit on its members to keep prices at a target level. The most prominent member is Saudi Arabia, the word's leading oil producer. Oil has long been at the core of U.S.-Saudi relations.

Among the 12 countries that make up OPEC, Iran and Venezuela, whose leaders are political enemies of President Bush. OPEC has condemned terrorism. Still, some worry about what happens with the money.

REP. ED MARKEY, (D), MASSACHUSETTS: But the money, which is then spent, is used by many of these countries to finance the terrorism.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEVS: That is a concern a lot of people have. Now, I'll tell you, when you look at those figures, something helpful to keep in mind is that the gas station itself isn't necessarily making a lot of money. In fact, some gas stations actually take a loss on the money. They want to get you there. While you there, you may buy a Slurpee or a lottery ticket.

HARRIS: They want to get you in the store. Independent store owners are making pennies on a gallon of gas. You're right, to buy everything else.

LEVS: They want to draw you there as a customer.

HARRIS: I want to tell you something. We've got a special that we're going to air tomorrow. It's called "The Trouble with Oil". Frank Sesno, a correspondent for CNN who has done incredible work through the years on gas and oil and pricing and other things in this industry. A bunch of guests to talk about what is going on with oil right now?

LEVS: We're all paying it and it makes a lot of sense to tune in and figure out what's going on.

HARRIS: Tomorrow at 10:30 p.m. eastern time.

LEVS: OK.

HARRIS: Josh, I think you recalled this story. We were reporting it a lot yesterday or the day before. Minnesota Vikings' wide receiver Troy Williamson, you may recall, was docked a game check. He missed last Sunday's game with the team because he went home to attend his grandmother's funeral. And what did the team do? They docked him a game check of about $25,000. Look, Troy Williamson's grandmother raised him. So all kinds of negative P.R. for the Vikings organization.

We just received word that Vikings' head coach Brad Childress, we have a big about-face from the team and that they will pay this young man this money.

LEVS: Nobody wants to deal with that. They don't want that.

HARRIS: And the players union was about to get involved with it as well. So a reverse, change of course and direction for the Minnesota Vikings. They are going to give this young man his game check of $25,000 and hopefully put that one to bed.

Thanks, josh.

LEVS: You got it.

HARRIS: Still to come in the "NEWSROOM," evidence from some of the world's most notorious criminal cases ends up here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL YATES, FORENSIC SCIENCE MANAGER: We're equally there to exonerate the innocent as we are to convict or assist in the conviction of the guilty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: We're going to give you a rare look inside Britain's Forensic Science Service, a place where crimes go to die.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: You know, the smallest, the smallest, tiniest piece of evidence, that's all top forensic scientists need to crack some of the biggest criminal cases around. CNN's Emily Chang goes behind the scenes at a top forensic science facility in Britain.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EMILY CHANG, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Madeleine McCann, the London bombings, Litvinenko, evidence from some of the most notorious international cases ends up here.

This is not "CSI," it's Britain's Forensic Science Service.

(on camera): Hello, hi.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.

CHANG (voice-over): We had to give samples of our own DNA just to gain access.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So we'll rub the inside of your cheek with a swab.

CHANG: The work here is so sensitive and top secret we could only film live labs from the outside.

(on camera): So what happens here?

CHANG (voice-over): This man is trying to collect evidence invisible to the naked eye, perhaps fiber, glass, traces of paint, even DNA.

Here, scientists have used DNA evidence to investigate the serial murders of prostitutes in Ipswich, the death of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Wolmer (ph) in Jamaica, even terrorist attacks.

YATES: Very quickly find out where the bombs have been made, whether we can then use it to try to identify others that were involved in the process.

CHANG: The Forensic Science Service also developed the world's national DNA database with up to 4.5 million entries and conducts breakthrough research for police services around the world.

(on camera): What makes this lab so special?

YATES: It's the effort we put into increasing what we call the sensitivity of the DNA technology.

CHANG (voice-over): Here, scientists can develop a comprehensive DNA profile from a single cell.

ANGHARAD DURKIN, DNA EXPERT: If it's a full profile, that would be a one in a Billion, so that's one person in a Billion would have that profile.

CHANG: This past summer, Portuguese police asked for help in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. DNA evidence could be the only hope in solving this mystery.

YATES: We're equally there to exonerate the innocent as we are to convict or assist in the conviction of the guilty.

CHANG: Above all, scientists say in this and every case they just want to find the truth.

Emily Chang, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: OK, here's something for you to mull over, a little news quiz as we head to break. We told you earlier about the death of writer Norman Mailer. Can you name the two books that earned him Pulitzer Prizes? The answer in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK, before the break we asked if you could name the two books that earned Norman Mailer Pulitzer Prizes. Mailer got the Pulitzer for "Armies of the Night" in 1968 and in 1979 he was honored for "Executioner's Song".

Hey, have you heard about this? House arrest not stopping the rapper T.I. from getting down to work. "Entertainment Weekly" reports he has completed six tracks for a new CD in his home studio near Atlanta. He's awaiting trial for allegedly showing up to purchase machine guns and silencers last month just an hour before a performance at the BET Awards.

Now, this is what you call performance art. A young Spanish violinist has confined herself in a glass cube so you can see how an artist lives, sleeps and works. The bathroom, thankfully, isn't transparent. Her weeklong gig will end Tuesday after an online jam with musicians she's met on the Internet.

Emily Buck got struck by a deer. The young cross-country runner was competing at a race in Kentucky when the thing ran out and laid her out flat. You'd think she might wear it as a badge of honor. If so, you'd be wrong. Emily says she's getting pestered about it, not happy. And besides, she says, it wasn't even cool.

In China, the collective eyes of the nation were transfixed on TVs showing last night's NBA game between Houston and Milwaukee about 200 million eyes, in fact.

CNN Beijing's bureau chief, Jaime Florcruz explains why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAIME FLORCRUZ, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: The NBA season has just kicked off, but for these Chinese fans, the big game is now. Young and old, they gathered to watch the match up between NBA teams featuring china's two basketball stars playing in Houston, Texas thousands of miles away.

On the one end of the court is Yao Ming playing center for Houston Rockets. On the other, Yi, the NBA rookie playing forward for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The big game aired on 19 TV stations and two web casts, drawing more than 200 million viewers in china. Some watched the game in their living rooms while others gathered in sports bars.

(on camera): This is just like a gathering of fans watching the super bowl in the west or watching the arsenal playing Manchester united in Europe. Fans are divided and the atmosphere is electric.

(voice-over): These factory workers cheered for the 27-year-old Yao. Yao Ming is China's pride, Won (ph) says, I cheer for him because he's the best. 20-year-old Yi has his share of fans. As he gets more experience, this teenager gushes, he will be one of the best in the NBA.

Yao and Yi are already towering icons in China, endorsing goods and services for Chinese and multi-national companies.

Their success in the NBA, experts say, will help China reach one of its Olympic dreams.

XU JICHENG, SPORTS COMMENTATOR: Yao Ming playing in the NBA against the basketball player in the world. So then that's the dream of china. Their aim is the top things or even a medal.

FLORCRUZ: Chinese fans hope their two idols will score slam dunks.

Jaime Florcruz, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: As for the game, the rockets won the game. Yeah, the Rockets and Yao won 104-88.

The loss of thousands of middle class jobs, one of the topics on "Lou Dobbs this Week." That's coming up next. That is followed by "This Week at War" and its look at Pakistan under siege. Tom Foreman asks the question is the U.S. backing the wrong side. That's at 7:00 eastern. And then, bulking up and dying young, CNN investigates the dark side of professional wresting. "CNN SIU: Death Grip" at 8:00 eastern.

I'm Tony Harris. "Lou Dobbs this Week" starts right now.

LOU DOBBS, HOST: Tonight, startling new

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