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Midwest Winter Storm; Clinton Hostage Crisis; World AIDS Day Concert; NFL Star Death Arrests; Interview with Magic and Cookie Johnson; Bobby Shriver Talks (RED)

Aired December 01, 2007 - 12:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Of course, the quilt itself founded back in 1987, right around that time. So the thought was that, you know what, AIDS would be around a little while. We would show people the epidemic, they'd get this knocked down and we would be able to get this sewn in back in 1988 or a few years later, but here we are in 2007, this panel still hangs, and they hope this will be the last one they are able to sew, and maybe in our lifetimes, we will see a day when AIDS is eradicated, a cure is found and no one else has to die of AIDS and this will be the last panel that is added to the AIDS Memorial Quilt.
A lot of people here, Betty, they held onto this for a number of years and hold onto it now, hoping one day, in fact, they will be able to sew this into the quilt and make this the last one ever sewn into that quilt -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Yeah, it is a fight that is taking place around the world to this very day on World AIDS Day, and hopefully, like you say, we will live to see the day when that is sewn into the quilt. T.J., thank you.

CNN NEWSROOM continues with Fredricka Whitfield and she joins us now to take it away.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Yeah, good to see you, Betty, have a great day. Of we're going to continue the theme with World AIDS Day. We have a lot of guests coming up throughout the day, including Magic and Cookie Johnson, we'll be talking to Bobby Shriver, as well in this hour, so a lot going on in addition to World AIDS Day.

Also, this is a big weather day, it's turning out to be.

NGUYEN: No doubt, blizzard-like conditions?

WHITFIELD: We talked about the huge winter storm. Well, let's about that right off the top, right now. You have a great day, Betty.

Reynolds Wolf is in the Severe Weather Center.

And so, Reynolds, folks in Iowa, particularly, and a lot of those presidential campaigners, they're there, but they're going to have to get creative with their campaigning, maybe even wear a few snow shoes or maybe some cross country skis.

REYNOLDS WOLF, METEOROLOGIST: Well, you know, I mean, you can always argue that campaigning has a little bit to do with snuggling up, and that may be the case there in Iowa.

WHITFIELD: Oh, it's snuggling up now, with those candidates?

WOLF: Oh yeah, no question. Cold day there, already, at the airport. The airport in Iowa already, the one we have been referring is Des Moines, completely closed for the time being. We had an airliner that actually slide off the runway due to the ice.

Fredricka, they could see up to a half inch of ice, and that can make a world of difference for a lot of people. In fact, this storm not only affecting this spot, but also Newark where they've got delays of 45 minutes, expected to increase, and that's going to be pretty much the story we're going to see in many places around the country.

Right now, though, it is the Midwest that is under the gun. They've got that winter storm warning that's in effect for portions of Michigan, back over into Milwaukee, Chicago's in on that action, back to Cedar Rapids we go, and the snow continues to fly. But not only that, we're having some winds that are topping up to 45 miles-per- hour, some a little bit weaker, but we're having the issue of blowing snow. And of course, the icy conditions on the roadways as well as some of the runways.

We may have some power outages. In fact, I don't think it may happen, I think it will happen. We're going to have a nice coating of ice on many of the power lines. Of course, this is going to weigh things down, and when that happens, of course we're going to have power outages. That's the latest for you.

Let's wrap it up very quickly, back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, Reynolds we'll check back with you. Meantime, let's go to one of those places that is kind of under the gun of all the snowfall right now, Minneapolis, Minnesota, among the being hard-hit right now by this winter snowstorm. And in the middle of it all, our own Susan Roesgen.

And now you've got your parka, your mittens, all that, after leaving the comfy confines of New Orleans. Well, welcome to the Midwest.

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, welcome to the Midwest. Isn't it beautiful, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: It is.

ROESGEN: It is so beautiful to folks here in Minneapolis, because they say they are snow-starved. Last December, Fredricka, here in the Twin Cities area, they had just four inches of snow in the entire month of December. So, they're hoping for between six and 10 inches, hoping, if you're a skier, of course.

They also, out on the highway, this is one of the major highways here, 494 -- you can see that traffic is moving really slowly, but -- sorry, smoothly, but they have 200-plus snow plows ready in case they need them. I just got off the phone with the highway folks. They say no problems so far here today.

So, this is an area that welcomes snow, welcomes December 1st, welcomes some of the Christmassy weather. Really fun out here, so far. I'll let you know, Fredricka, as the day goes on, whether that fun turns into something a little more serious. But, right now this is something that really Minnesota welcomes. They really have had a very dry November. They've had four very dry winters over the past four years. So you know, six to 10 inches would be kind of nice right now -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Right. It's old hat for the folks there in Minneapolis, they're use to this, and they welcome it indeed. Susan Roesgen, thank you so much. Get a hat on, though, you look cold.

All right, well, Senator Hillary Clinton says she is now relieved that no one was injured during a hostage crisis at one of her campaign offices in New Hampshire yesterday. Clinton is back on the campaign trail this hour. And we're learning new details now about the man who crashed her office and held five people captive. Lee Eisenberg is in jail in Rochester, New Hampshire. He faces possible charges of kidnapping and reckless conduct.

In court papers, Eisenberg's wife said her husband suffered from severe alcohol and drug abuse. Police say he wanted help with his mental problems. More details now from CNN's Jim Acosta, who's in Rochester, New Hampshire.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wearing a fake bomb that was nothing more than road flares duct-taped to his chest, Leeland Eisenberg surrendered to police, ending a tense hostage crisis that brought the race for the White House to a standstill.

For more than five years, Eisenberg, a 46-year-old with a history of mental illness, was holed up inside this Hillary Clinton campaign office in Rochester, New Hampshire, threatening to blow up a handful of staffers, a child, and himself.

At one point during the crisis, Eisenberg called CNN, complaining that he had been unable to seek treatment for his mental illness and added that he had gone to that campaign office to speak with the candidate directly. But, police say involving the presidential hopeful was not an option.

CHIEF DAVID DUBOIS, ROCHESTER POLICE: We decided not to introduce anyone from the campaign or the senator's office into the negotiation process.

ACOSTA: Eventually, the hostages were released; the fake bomb was destroyed by police. And late in the evening, Senator Clinton flew to New Hampshire for a brief visit with the then-released hostages and their families.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're immensely relieved that this has ended peacefully. To see the people who were directly held hostage and their families and to thank the New Hampshire professionals who made this day turn out as well as it did.

ACOSTA: Over at Eisenberg's mobile home community, a few miles away, neighbors say they saw early warning signs of trouble, ranging from alcohol abuse to loud arguments at the suspect's home.

GEORGE ISAACSON, NEIGHBOR: He would walk over to the filling station right up the street every day and always get either a 12-pack or something like that. This is every day.

ERIC CARLSON, NEIGHBOR: They hauled him away for domestic violence, yes. I don't know what happened. I was coming in from work and they were hauling him in the cruiser.

ACOSTA: On Eisenberg's front door, a note from his family, saying they have no comment for now.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Rochester, New Hampshire.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, this indeed is a special day. It's World AIDS Day, and there are events taking place all across the world and across this country. But coming up, imagine spending this day with a real unique set of entertainers in Johannesburg. Live concert happening right now, and they've got a powerful message as well, straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, this is World AIDS Day, and events are taking place around the world. We'll take you live to South Africa, where a concert is under way right now. The band that's performing right now called "Live." They are joined by a number of other big, big stars in the entertainment industry. Also, across the U.S., pieces of the AIDS memorial quilt are on display. And in honor of this day, a giant, red ribbon, right there at the White House, the international symbol for AIDS awareness.

And as I just mentioned, in South Africa, in Johannesburg, in fact, another six hours of a remarkable concert underway. And helping to organize this entire AIDS awareness day concert, Nelson Mandela, who took the stage just a moment ago. Our Robyn Curnow, is there in the middle of this huge concert where thousands have turned out.

So, Robyn, what was the message that Nelson Mandela gave, and what was the reception like when he came out on the stage?

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know what, Fredricka, I actually can't hear your question because, as you said, live is booming behind me. We've got a great spot here backstage, but it really does not do very good use hearing your questions. So, I'm going to shoot ahead if you don't mind.

Basically, we've got another six hours left of this concert. Goo Goo Dolls, Annie Lennox, still to come, but the headline, Nelson Mandela, undoubtedly. He's finished speaking to the crowd just moments ago and it was electric. The applause was amazing, people behind me all standing up -- 40,000, 50,000 people here all listening to what he had to say, and his message is clear -- he says it's in our hands.

The only way the HIV/AIDS issue is going to be dealt with is if individual people take responsibility for their individual actions, and he's trying to get that message across, but the interesting thing is he's joked before, is that he's an old man and a politician, you know, the two things the youth really don't want to listen to.

So, he says that the best way to get that message across, to take personal responsibility, is to get the musicians, to get the celebrities to talk directly to the young people here in South Africa and in Africa. This concert is being beamed live across the continent. So, Nelson Mandela really taking a personal, personal interest in getting the HIV/AIDS awareness campaign more towards the youth.

He said before that he felt he hadn't done enough when he was the president of this country. He felt he hadn't paid enough attention to HIV/AIDS. Since leaving office, he has poured money and time and effort into preaching awareness and intervention. So, this is his personal message, and boy, it's still a good party.

WHITFIELD: It is indeed and the message loud and clear. Robyn Curnow, thanks so much, in Johannesburg. So, so many people have been touched by HIV and AIDS, and it has meant that so many people are talking out about it, not just today on World AIDS Day, but really throughout the calendar year.

Among them, basketball legend, Magic Johnson and his wife Cookie. I joined them, later on in this hour we'll be talking about what they've been doing in the past 16 years since he announced to the world that he is HIV-positive.

The two of them have taken their path of AIDS awareness to really touch so many communities, the elderly, the very young, and black women and Hispanic women who are becoming the fastest growing segment of the AIDS and HIV-positive community. Much more of their conversation, coming up in the NEWSROOM.

Also, you hear his name and you think daring, adventurous and perhaps even fool-hearted. He was also pretty exciting to watch. A fond farewell to Evel Knievel. Remember that name? A man born to be wild, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Arrest, confessions, and a motive in the killing of NFL star Sean Taylor. Four young men are under arrest. Earlier this morning three of them were charged with murder. Our John Zarrella is on the case in Fort Myers, Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Three of the four young men charged in connection with the murder of NFL football star, Sean Taylor, appeared before a Lee County judge this morning. Now, the first to appear was 17-year-old Eric Rivera. Rivera is charged with first-degree felony murder. And that could bring him 25 years to life in prison, if convicted. There are also charges of robbery and burglary using a firearm.

Now, according to police, he did confess to driving from Miami -- from Fort Myers to Miami to burglarize the home of Sean Taylor, but his attorney says perhaps that confession was not obtained legally. In other words, he was not miranized (ph) before he gave that confession. Unclear at this time.

Two other men also charged, Venjah Hunte and Charles Wardlow, also before a judge, their appearances via video hook-up with the courtroom, they face the exact same charges.

Now, the juvenile's attorney, that is Rivera's attorney said that these kinds of cases he sees all the time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's nothing new, though. No, no, this has been going on for a long time. And it's primarily a product of where they live, and their drug dealing is rampant in every predominantly black community. I mean, it's open and notorious, so to speak, and these kids get wrapped up in it, and I don't know that that's what happened here, but sort of addressing the general category of cases like this.

ZARRELLA: The fourth defendant in the case, Jason Mitchell, did not appear before the judge this morning. He was processed very late yesterday. They did not have time to get him over today, his processing, his appearance before the judge will likely take place tomorrow. At some point in the coming days, all four individuals will be transported to Miami where they will again go before a judge and face these murder charges.

John Zarrella reporting from Fort Myers, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And overseas, that British teacher jailed in Sudan for allegedly insulting Islam is hoping for a pardon. Right now two members of the British parliament are in Khartoum trying to work out a deal. For a while, Gillian Gibbons faced a brutal lashing for allowing her students to name a teddy bear Mohammed, which is an ultimate sin to use the name of a prophet to name an animal.

Well protesters demanded her exaction as a result and Gibbons lawyer says he expects Sudan's president will actually drop the charges.

In Aruba now, two brothers rearrested in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway will get out of jail this afternoon. A judge says there is not enough evidence to hold them. A third suspect remains behind bars. The Alabama teen vanished two years ago while on a graduation trip. And volunteers are heading back out today searching for a missing Illinois mom -- 23-year-old Stacy Peterson has been missing for more than a month, now. Police say her disappearance could be a possible homicide. Her husband, a former police sergeant. He has been named a suspect in her disappearance.

And new information today on that Amtrak train accident in Chicago, yesterday. The "Chicago Tribune" reports that a dispatcher told the Amtrak train to slow down, prepare to switch tracks, and proceed with caution as it approached Union Station. The crew reportedly did as it was told, but still slammed into a freight train about a mile later. Dozens of people were injured, five seriously.

And the Smithsonian calls him America's legendary daredevil, '70s pop icon Evel Knievel, who once seemed pretty invincible, is now dead at the age of 69. Our Randi Kaye takes a look at his high-flying career.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Trucks, sharks, even Idaho's Snake River Pass. If it could be jumped, Evel Knievel wanted to try it.

EVEL KNIEVEL, PROFESSIONAL DAREDEVIL: My name is Evel Knievel. I'm a professional daredevil.

KAYE: Clad in red, white and blue, Knievel thrilled audiences for decades. Still, with so much success, he may be best known for his greatest failures: the 1974 attempt to jump idea Idaho's Snake River Canyon on a rocket-powered cycle, and an unforgettable crash in Las Vegas while trying to jump the fountains at Caesar's Palace.

Knievel always walked away, but more often than he liked, with a pretty good limp. Before he retired in 1980, he'd suffered 40 broken bones.

KNIEVEL: Teddy Roosevelt said one time that it's better to try and win glorious triumphs and victories, even though you're checkered by failure and fate, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy victory or defeat, because they've lived in such a great twilight that they've never tried either one.

KAYE: Knievel was born Robert Craig Knievel in Butte, Montana, and raised by his grandparents. He traced his career back to the first daredevil show he ever saw, when he was just eight. He was a ski jumper and ice hockey player in high school, then went on to work in Montana's copper mines.

He served in the Army, even sold insurance, but he was happiest in the seat of his bike.

KNIEVEL: I was the luckiest guy in the world and I (INAUDIBLE).

KAYE: In 1999, Knievel married his long-time girlfriend in Vegas. They later divorced. It was his granddaughter who confirmed his death. His health had been deteriorating for years. He suffered from diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis.

The "Associated Press" quotes longtime friend and promoter Billy Rundel, who said Knievel had trouble breathing at his Florida home and died before an ambulance could get him to the hospital.

Rundel told the "A.P.," "You just don't expect it. Superman just doesn't die, right?"

Knievel's death comes just two days after he settled a federal lawsuit with rapper Kanye West over the use of his trademark image in a popular music video.

Evel Knievel was 69.

Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, check your calendar just in case you didn't notice, it's December 1st, and yes, it's cold, that we get, especially if you are in the Midwest.

Reynolds? How do you explain that?

WOLF: That's right. Well, it's this crazy, weird thing we refer to as winter.

WHITFIELD: Right!

WOLF: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: December, snowfall, we get it.

WOLF: Yeah, you got it. And it certainly has made an appearance today across portions of the Midwest. Here the a shot that we have, this is along I-235, compliments of the Iowa Department of Transportation. In Des Moines we've already had reports of an airport closure in Des Moines. A plane actually slid off the runway due to the ice and more is on the way. Your complete forecast is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR (voice-over): Get your gamers off the couch on this week's "Modern Living."

Kids that play active video games can burn up to three times the calories than those playing traditional video games, according to the Mayo Clinic. The trend called "exergaming" combines video games with exercise. Two game systems out on the market are Dance, Dance Revolution and Nintendo Wii. From tennis to bowling to boxing, Nintendo Wii helps gamers break a sweat and have fun. A wireless controller reacts to body motion as they virtually play the sport. Even seniors are getting in on the action.

If kids like tapping their feet to the beat, Dance, Dance Revolution helps burn up to 300 calories an hour from moving to music on a map.

With this week's "Modern Living," I'm Gerri Willis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: A quick look at what's happening right now at this hour. Three men are charged with murder in the shooting death of NFL star, Sean Taylor. A fourth suspect is under arrest in Fort Myers, Florida. Police say they have more than one confession. The motive, they say, robbery.

Mental health problems and a history of drug and alcohol abuse, that's how police reports describe a man who took five people hostage at a Clinton campaign office in New Hampshire. Senator Clinton says she's relieved that no one was hurt.

And Nelson Mandela making a rare appearance at the World AIDS Day benefit concert in South Africa. The United Nations estimates that 68 percent of people with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa.

And in addition to recognizing World AIDS Day, across this country, look at this. We're also seeing a lot of snow across this country, particularly really in the Midwest. Three different images, right here. While it may appear like it's all the same city, guess what, this is how widespread it is -- Des Moines, Iowa, in one of those pictures, Vail, Colorado, and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Reynolds Wolf is going to be a very busy man this weekend with this severe weather now on the way, but all those three places that I mentioned, they're used to snowfall. So, this is, you know, quite the norm.

WOLF: Yeah. This is pretty much par for the course, but that, you know, it doesn't mean that you want to deal with it. I mean, you know, it's still...

WHITFIELD: Well, you do if you're in Vail and can't wait to hit the slopes. There you do want to deal with it.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well, indeed, here at the CNN Center and everywhere else across the world, marking today as World AIDS Day, raising AIDS awareness. Today's concert in South Africa calling attention to the fact that 68 percent of HIV cases are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Now, just think how many African parents are dying of AIDS and how many orphans are left to fend for themselves.

Our Robyn Curnow reports from rural South Africa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CURNOW (voice-over): These three little boys eating a packet of chips we gave them are the loneliest children we've ever seen, left to fend for themselves, almost forgotten after their mother and aunts died of AIDS earlier this year and their elder brother was killed in a train accident last month. None of them know what's happened to their fathers.

Fourteen-year-old Lindani tells us we just sit, sometimes we work. His youngest brother, four-year-old Zamo (ph), is HIV positive. He cries a lot. So, too, does Lindani, who seems traumatized, shell- shocked. Of the three brothers, six-year-old Inclosiapas (ph) seems the most carefree. He sometimes does more than just sit or work. He loves to draw in the sand outside their home.

(on camera): It's in areas like this that the true horror of the epidemic reveals itself. People living in this valley say that no one has been spared and that nearly every single household has been affected by HIV/AIDS.

(voice-over): Mavis Mtembu is a community health worker hired by an international organization who walks these hills going door-to-door and sees the full scale of the epidemic.

MAVIS MTEMBU, HEALTH WORKER: I think out of hundreds of patients, 70 percent is HIV here.

CURNOW: With estimates as high as that, it's often the grandmothers, like Christina Mkeeyza (ph), who are left to shoulder the burden, relying on this small vegetable patch to feed the 11 grandchildren and foster children in her care. All orphaned by AIDS, like 13-year-old Nomfundo (ph).

Mrs. Mkeeyza tells me, "all those who suffer come to me. I've accepted that, but it makes me sick and stresses me out. I can't sleep at night."

She's 77, and her eyesight is going, so she gets the children to read to her from the Bible. Small comfort for a family made up of those left behind.

The young and very old are trying to hold together this community, says Mavis.

MTEMBU: It's our future, the way I see it, no future because people are dying. People are sick, and people are still going to die in this village.

CURNOW: Death, it seems, is these children's only companion, the fresh graves of their family members reminding them that HIV/AIDS has already stolen their childhood and perhaps also their future.

Robyn Curnow, CNN, Enkanini, Pozoolunotell (ph), South Africa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And to commemorate or acknowledge our awareness of AIDS, do you have anything red, perhaps a red Gap T-shirt, a red iPod, a red Razr cell phone? Buying (RED) and companies donating a part of the profits to fight AIDS and HIV has been a huge campaign. And happy to lead that campaign and really a co-founder of (RED), Bobby Shriver, who is joining us from Los Angeles.

Good to see you, Bobby.

BOBBY SHRIVER, CO-FOUNDER, (RED) CAMPAIGN: Thank you for having me on today.

WHITFIELD: Well, let's talk about (RED) and what it really means. It is not a separate charity organization, but instead, it really is a cooperative effort, right? Corporations who say, I sign up to being part of (RED). It means our proceeds will go toward helping in the fight of AIDS. Do I have that right?

SHRIVER: You do, indeed. Not only do the portion of the proceeds go to buy the little pill, which is what that young man who you just did the story on needs to take in order to survive HIV, but in some cases, like this shirt that I'm wearing ...

WHITFIELD: Yes.

SHRIVER: ...is manufactured in LeSutu (ph), where those children are from. So, we try to do both things. We try to buy the medicine with the profits from this via the Global Fund, and we try to sometimes do manufacturing.

WHITFIELD: Were you surprised that initially, when the campaign of (RED) was made public that there was some skepticism, even from people in Africa, who were saying wait a minute, you know, this is self-serving. This might make a corporation feel better, a consumer feel better, but me, an African, I'm not so sure that I'm actually going to benefit from this campaign. There was a lot of that talk in the early stages.

SHRIVER: Well, I guess I'd quivel (ph) a little bit and say probably there wasn't a lot. There was some, you're right, and I think the model was new. I think people were a little uncomfortable with it not being a full charity model. But the truth is that the Global Fund, which is the biggest financier in the world, other than the United States government, of the purchase of this medicine which keeps people alive, they'd raise $3 million in five years from the private sector, they'd raise $10 billion from governments.

So, the truth was that at that moment, the private sector had not given money to this fight. What we tried to do in our work, not only in our lobbying work, which we do through data and one.org, we tried to figure out a way that the companies could become involved in a way that made sense to them, that was sustainable and profitable. And the fact that in one year, we have been able to secure $50 million for the purchase of this medicine ...

WHITFIELD: Wow.

SHRIVER: ...to me that is an amazing thing. I mean, I met Bono, my partner ...

WHITFIELD: Yes.

SHRIVER: ...doing these Christmas records. I don't know, can you see that?

WHITFIELD: I can.

SHRIVER: We started doing these in 1987. I worked almost 12 years of my life on these records, and in that time ...

WHITFIELD: Wow.

SHRIVER: ...for the Special Olympics, we made $100 million, which is ...

WHITFIELD: Wow.

SHRIVER: ...a lot of money ...

WHITFIELD: Yes.

SHRIVER: ...but we made -- in (RED), we've made $50 million in one year.

WHITFIELD: That's extraordinary.

SHRIVER: So, I think people see now that when they get into the business with companies with these large companies, real money, not, you know, small money, real money can start to flow.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and real money to helping to buy some of those ARVs, the anti-retroviral drugs that you were talking about. And we've seen some images that are being featured in "Vanity Fair," have been featured in "Vanity Fair" that really ...

SHRIVER: Yes, amazing.

WHITFIELD: ...kind of show the -- yes, amazing -- before and after of what a month or two of medicine will do. So, for those who are at least intrigued by the results here, what should they be looking for, what products to buy (RED) this holiday season, and know that AIDS victims are getting a helping hand?

SHRIVER: Well, I think that we have a lot of them. If your kids like music, you can go to their Apple stores and buy these gift cards. Gap has done these amazing little things for kids, onesies. They've got this thing that's kind of like a -- I don't know whether it's a -- what is it, but it fits the whole body of the infant, it fits into this.

WHITFIELD: I'd say that's a onesie, too.

SHRIVER: Hallmark, Hallmark, our newest partner, has a lot of great cards, obviously. They've got song cards, one of my personal favorites. WHITFIELD: Oh, neat.

SHRIVER: Look at this. You open the card.

WHITFIELD: Oh, cute!

SHRIVER: And it plays music.

WHITFIELD: Very, very nice.

SHRIVER: And then they have this great wrapping paper, which are in all the Hallmark stores. We've got Armani shades. How about that?

WHITFIELD: Nice.

SHRIVER: What do you think?

WHITFIELD: I like -- that's very cool, very cool.

SHRIVER: Should I conduct -- we've got little shuffles ...

WHITFIELD: Especially -- I was going to say, that little shuffle there, that lapel, that's pretty fancy stuff.

SHRIVER: How about this -- this feels like you to me, right?

WHITFIELD: OK.

SHRIVER: You wear the converse (ph) shoe ...

WHITFIELD: I like that.

SHRIVER: ...and underneath ...

WHITFIELD: And I'm all about red, you know. Yes, I like it.

SHRIVER: Underneath, fear. Now, look at these -- these are the converse shoes that are actually -- sorry, I got to take those glasses off. I know my mother will call me up ...

WHITFIELD: They're pretty cool, I like them.

SHRIVER: ...and say are you out of your mind? These shoes are made from cloth in Mali. These are ...

WHITFIELD: Wow.

SHRIVER: ...dyed in mud by women in West Africa.

WHITFIELD: I love it.

SHRIVER: And of course, you've got to have a (RED) cell phone. Where would we all be without a (RED) Razr?

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh, you've given us an incredible shopping list, and I like it. And Bobby, you mentioned your mom. How is your mom, Eunice doing, because we know that she's had some pretty close calls health-wise this week?

SHRIVER: She's doing fine, thank you. I expect her call on this phone in about one second after I get off here to say to me you should have said this about the kids, you should have talked about the orphanages ...

WHITFIELD: Oh, OK, well, when ...

SHRIVER: ...you should have said this.

WHITFIELD: ...you talk to her, tell her ...

SHRIVER: Why didn't you do that, why don't you talk about the orphans more?

WHITFIELD: Yes -- oh my gosh. Well, that's just like moms. But when you do talk to her, tell her I said hello and hello to your dad, too, Sergeant Shriver, who gave me excellent, brilliant advice when I was in high school. So, it's been a while.

SHRIVER: What was the advice he gave you?

WHITFIELD: He gave me advice on how to get into the business, to persevere all the way. He used his daughter, of course, Maria Shriver, as an example, as I sat down in his office.

SHRIVER: That's great.

WHITFIELD: He had great family pictures. He was wonderful. Tell him hello.

SHRIVER: Wow, you had the family pictures in daddy's office.

WHITFIELD: I know! I got to be in his office. It was a nice little one-on-one meeting.

SHRIVER: Well, my God, now you've got to go out and buy an iPod.

WHITFIELD: I'm there. I like it.

SHRIVER: OK, terrific.

WHITFIELD: Thank you, Bobby.

SHRIVER: Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Appreciate it.

SHRIVER: Thank you for having me on. Thank you ...

WHITFIELD: All right.

SHRIVER: ...for doing all this great reporting, it's fantastic.

WHITFIELD: Well, thank you so much, it's been a pleasure. We hope that everyone can make a difference in this fighting of AIDS worldwide.

SHRIVER: Yes, buy (RED)!

WHITFIELD: All right, I love it.

SHRIVER: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: Thank you, Bobby.

SHRIVER: Bye.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, in the U.S., it is the African- American community in particular that has the fastest growing number of AIDS cases. Why?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAGIC JOHNSON, AIDS ACTIVIST: We must change the mindset, we must change the attitude when it comes to HIV and AIDS.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Up next, my interview with former NBA superstar Magic Johnson and his wife Cookie, talking about living with AIDS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Again, it is World AIDS Day, and one of the most prominent celebrities associated with spreading the word about HIV and AIDS and dispelling any misconceptions, Magic Johnson. It has been 16 years since the NBA legend announced that he was HIV-positive. The disclosure was a huge bombshell, coming at the height of his pro basketball career. And back in 1991, few thought that Johnson would be able to live long after that.

Well, today he not only looks the picture of health, he is thriving. And recently, I talked to him and his wife, Cookie.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Magic, well, what is your secret to remaining so healthy, being so vivacious, and at the same time, being really a model for those who are HIV-positive and those who have AIDS, to be hopeful about being healthy?

M. JOHNSON: Well, I think the main thing is taking my meds, making sure I do that, making sure that I work out, and then Cookie makes sure that I'm eating right, and then have a positive attitude about it. And so, I think because I have a positive attitude as well, and that I accepted that, hey, I'm going to be dealing with this disease for the rest of my life, I think everything has gone well.

Now, we have to remember, a lot of people have died since I announced, and a lot of people will die. So, this disease is still out here in a big way, but I'm just trying to make sure that people know about HIV and AIDS, they can now join with myself, with the I stand with Magic Campaign, that both myself, the Magic Johnson Foundation that Avon (ph) have created, and I think that if they need to know information that they don't know, they can logon to www.istandwithmagiccampaign.

WHITFIELD: And so, Magic, for you, has the main ingredient to your remaining so healthy, has it been because about access to drugs? Because there are so many HIV-positive/AIDS patients who will say because they either lack the insurance or perhaps they lack the funds, they can't afford all that's available.

M. JOHNSON: Well, I think that having access has definitely been a key. But when we think about those people who may not have the money, they should look at a lot of different HIV and AIDS organizations where they live, because a lot of those organizations help those who can't afford to pay for their drugs, buy them for them. Then, there's some churches in those same cities that will help them as well.

So, no question that I'm doing well because I have the access to the 26 drugs that are available to everybody. But also to make sure those people who are living with HIV that can't afford their drugs, make sure you contact a lot of the HIV and AIDS organizations in your city or in your state, and they'll probably be able to help you.

WHITFIELD: And Cookie, as you campaign, as you've helped spread awareness, what's your greatest concern about what we're seeing? Is a certain level of complacency, especially among the younger generation now, who almost feel like AIDS is something that they don't even need to worry about.

COOKIE JOHNSON, AIDS ACTIVIST: Yes, that's part of my message. I'm really worried about that because there are so many young people out there that think that it can't happen to us. They've gone back to that it can't happen to me, and that's part of my message. I want to get out there and let everybody know that you need to educate yourself. You need to get out and get tested if you are sexually active. And you need to take -- make sure you take the precautions for protective sex.

WHITFIELD: What's the message this World AIDS Day weekend that you, Cookie, want to convey to people about, whether it's changing their lifestyles or whether it's about research? What's the main point that you would like to hit home this weekend?

C. JOHNSON: The main point is go out and get tested.

M. JOHNSON: Yes.

C. JOHNSON: If you're sexually active, you have to go get tested, because early detection will save your life. With this disease, it's manageable if it's detected early and if you get on the medication early. So, that's the main thing.

WHITFIELD: And Magic, for you this weekend, what's the message you really want people to take away? M. JOHNSON: Well, I think the main thing is just like Cookie just said, just get out and get tested. When you think about it now, more and more young people are coming and being diagnosed with HIV. Then, you've got -- there was just a report just a couple days ago that now our moms and dads and our grandparents are coming and being diagnosed with HIV and AIDS, because they're more sexually active.

So, I think that get out and get tested, go back and get your results, but also educate the whole family about HIV and AIDS, because it's here, it's not going anywhere, and we must do a better job educating the whole family about this deadly disease.

WHITFIELD: And Magic, quickly, before I let you guys go, what is the difference between now and -- was it 1991, when you made your condition public?

M. JOHNSON: Well, I think the difference now is that we have -- when I announced, we had one drug. So, now we have 26 drugs. The difference now is that before, in '91, it was considered a gay white man's disease. Now, it's a black disease. And so, there's a lot of things that have changed. But the numbers keep rising in the black community, and they're not going down.

And that's why it's great that Cookie has joined me to get out on the road to go talk about it, because she's going to be able to hopefully help black women, because when you think about New York City, it's the No. 1 killer of black women. And also, just around the country it's the No. 1 killer of black women. So, she's going to talk to women across the country.

So, we must change the mindset, we must change the attitude when it comes to HIV and AIDS in the black and brown community.

WHITFIELD: Magic and Cookie Johnson, thank you so much. Nice talking to you guys.

M. JOHNSON: Thank you.

C. JOHNSON: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, it is indeed a contentious issue in the fight against AIDS: President Bush's insistence that abstinence is an effective weapon in the prevention of the disease. That is coming up in the 2:00 p.m. hour of the NEWSROOM.

The earliest and often crucial political test of the presidential campaign only five weeks away now. So, no wonder the state of Iowa is crowded with candidates today, even though it is so snowy. Live to the battlefield, next in the NEWSROOM.

But first, we have all been there. You're standing in line at the airport watching helplessly as a TSA agent confiscates one of your carry-on items. Well, this week's On the Go sheds light on a new system that may help you hang onto your belongings. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK ORWOLL, SR. CONSULTING EDITOR, TRAVEL + LEISURE: Travelers passing through airport security screening in the United States are forced to surrender more than six million banned items each year to TSA agents. Most liquids and gels over three ounces have to be left behind. Scissors with blades over four inches long, tools over seven inches long. It doesn't matter if it's an expensive cologne or a priceless antique pocket knife, these and other such items are apt to wind up with the thousands of others confiscated every day.

If you have a large banned item, like ski poles or a baseball bat, you can return to the front counter and check it in. For smaller items, there's another alternative, mail-back kiosks. More than three dozen major U.S. airports now have self-service mail facilities that, for a fee of less than $10, allow you to send home those possessions you might otherwise have had to forfeit.

CheckPoint Mailers and ReturnKey Systems are two of the major companies that operate mail back kiosks. Some airports have similar services operated by local, independent companies. As an alternative, many airport gift shops sell mailer kits, complete with padded envelopes and stamps.

Better yet, avoid the aggravation in the first place. Check the TSA Web site for a list of prohibited carry-on items.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Oh, yes, and then there are politics, presidential politics. With just five weeks to go until the Iowa caucuses, Democratic presidential contenders are back in the Hawkeye State today and they know the race in Iowa can often make or break a candidate.

More now from Jessica Yellin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Whether they're firing up donors in New York City ...

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: People ask me sometimes why run now. Well, why wait?

YELLIN: ...or speaking to party activists in suburban Virginia ...

SEN. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ...working men and women.

YELLIN: ...these days, the presidential candidates are always also talking to Iowa's caucus-goers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exercising is hard. Caucusing is easy. YELLIN: With the caucuses just over a month away, the campaigns are in overdrive, working to get as many Iowans out as possible. This will be the first state in the nation to choose nominees, and to the winner goes not just delegates, but also momentum. That can lead to more campaign contributions because donors like to back a winner, and that could drive victories in the next early states.

The latest polls show Obama, Clinton, and Edwards in a dead heat here, and Republicans Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee are running neck and neck. Time is running short before voters are distracted with more seasonal pursuits, so the campaigns are pulling out all the stops.

The Obama campaign is sending in Oprah. Clinton is countering with her popular partner. They've beefed up staff here, even training Iowans on how to caucus, looking for anything that will give them an edge and make them the first winner on January 3rd.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YELLIN: A Democratic presidential forum is slated to start here in Des Moines, Iowa shortly, and there's another one tonight.

Fredricka, you can be sure that candidates on both sides of the aisle will be criss-crossing the state non-stop between now and January 3rd -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Right, Jessica, and I teased earlier that because of the snow today, they're all probably wearing snow shoes or at least cross-country skis, as well, while they do it. Getting real creative.

YELLIN: It's grim outside.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot. Well, stay inside if you can, Jessica.

Well, for anyone who missed this week's CNN/YouTube debate, you can catch it tonight, 8:00 Eastern only on CNN.

Well, three words you do not want to hear: ice storm warning. Just how bad will it get in the midwest, next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It's snowy, and that would be quite suitable to a lot of folks in December. Reynolds, hi.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Another look at the top stories. Three men are charged with murder in the shooting death of NFL star Sean Taylor. A fourth suspect is under arrest in Ft. Myers, Florida.

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