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Winter Storm: December Hits the Midwest; Clinton Office Drama: Suspect Has Complicated Past; Sean Taylor Murder; World AIDS Day

Aired December 01, 2007 - 16:59   ET

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

ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I am Rob Marciano. And it is now December, and it feels like it.

It came in with a bang in the upper Midwest. The first big storm of the season is blasting Iowa and plastering points eastward with ice and heavy snow.

Jacqui Jeras in the weather center will tell us where that storm is headed.

First, though, we take a look -- a live look now at snowy Minneapolis, where Susan Roesgen is reporting for us live.

Still snowing there, Susan. How are you doing?

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey. It's -- I've been fine. It's really beautiful coming down, but it can be a mess on the roads and for airports across the Midwest. You see the traffic going smoothly behind me, but in some places, it's iffy and at some airports it is impossible to travel.

Now, here in the Minneapolis area, at the local Minneapolis airport, the airport management is keeping two of the four runways cleared. They're keeping those two runways cleared. They say that as far as they know, the airlines are only about 15 minutes delayed, but they also say that the airlines don't have to contact the airport to mention cancellations. So if you plan to be flying through Minneapolis tonight or tomorrow, you probably want to check with the airline and make sure the plane is going to be there.

In Des Moines, Iowa, it was a much more difficult situation when a United Express jet actually slid off the runway. Forty-four passengers had to take a bus ride back to the terminal. Nobody was hurt, but the airport has just reopened in the last hour. The entire airport was shut down because of the snow.

Now, most of that weather has gone on, Rob, but the truth is, tonight, if we get more ice here in Minneapolis on the roads or if we get ice at the airports in the seven states now with this winter storm warning, a lot of people could be slowed down. So, you know, take your snowshoes or your skis, but leave the car keys and the flying to somebody else someplace else -- Rob.

MARCIANO: That's for sure. You know, a lot of times the first snowfall of the season it doesn't actually pile up on the roads because the ground is still warm, but I'm looking behind you, and those roads look fairly slick.

ROESGEN: They are fairly slick. Want to give you a look at how much snow has fallen here now.

You can see -- I'd say it's about three or four inches. We understand that it's going to stop soon, but the real question, again, is ice. If we get any more tonight, will it turn icy? And then maybe those cars won't be moving quite so fast out there.

MARCIANO: All right, Susan. I know somebody who can answer those questions.

Thank you very much.

Susan Roesgen in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: The suspect behind that hostage drama at a Clinton for president office could face federal prosecution at some point. Leeland Eisenberg is in jail in New Hampshire. He faces state charges of reckless conduct and kidnapping. Details about Eisenberg's past suggests he had some serious issues.

CNN's Allan Chernoff is in Rochester right now in front of where this all happened.

Allan, are things at all back to normal today?

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: No, not at all. In fact, Rob, the office behind me has been closed the entire day, and only three minutes ago a police officer pulled up, stepped inside, the first time anybody has entered that office all day long.

He went inside, took out a laptop, took out a few cell phones, some wires. I asked him, "Was that evidence for the case?" No, not at all. It's actually the property of some of the staffers, some of the former hostages. So they're just retrieving some of that.

The hostages -- the former hostages, they have stayed far away. We've tried to reach them all day long. They have not returned calls. You can understand that. Certainly a very trying day yesterday for them.

So it really has been a quiet day over here. On Monday, the arraignment for Mr. Eisenberg is scheduled just down the block over here. And he is facing state criminal charges, including four counts of kidnapping -- Rob.

MARCIANO: Let's talk more about the suspect himself. What have you learned today about Leeland Eisenberg's past?

CHERNOFF: Yes, well he really does have a very troubled past. Neighbors say that he has been drinking heavily. They say he is an alcoholic. But even more serious, he also apparently way back has had major psychological problems.

And we've also learned today that in 2002, he filed a lawsuit charging that he was raped by a priest back in the '80s, a very long time ago. But he also apparently is facing a divorce filing from his wife, also facing a charge of actually abuse.

So very, very troubled background for Mr. Eisenberg. And he did say to CNN during all this when he called CNN, he said, "I've tried to get help. I need help." So clearly, a man with a troubled background who was screaming out, crying out for help here.

MARCIANO: Allan Chernoff live for us in Rochester, New Hampshire.

Thanks for that report, Allan.

Well, joining us live now from Charlottesville, Virginia, is Larry Sabato of the University Center for Politics to talk a little bit more about what this means for Senator Clinton's campaign going forward.

You are on the phone, sir. Can you hear me?

LARRY SABATO, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Yes, I can hear you.

MARCIANO: All right. She handled this crisis. Some people are saying, you know, she did pretty well.

What's your take?

Sure, she did well. Her staff did well. They new to shut down the schedule, they went into crisis mode. I suppose the Clinton campaign staff that served in the Clinton administration understood that this is what you do.

You have the candidate or the president close by to the phone to do the negotiating, if the negotiators want you to do that. And that's what she did.

She went to see the people affected in New Hampshire, the victims, to console them. So it was all done very, very well. But, of course, it was a brief event because it ended well. It's not a major story, and it will probably fade quickly.

MARCIANO: What kind of effect does something like this have on someone who's running for president?

SABATO: The campaign staff always hopes that it makes a candidate look presidential, and I think it did. I think she looked presidential in the way that she handled it.

You would also want an event like this to be much closer to Election Day. It's 34 days to the Iowa caucuses. A thousand things will happen between now and then, not to mention the holidays.

MARCIANO: Well, as you mentioned, you know, it all ended well. So some would say, you know, it's not that big of a deal. Let's talk about her past. She's been in the public eye during other crises, somewhat personal with the impeachment hearings of her husband. How did she do this go-around versus back in the '90s?

SABATO: Well, she's much more isolated today than she was back in the '90s. I think the staff makes sure of that. They don't want to make any news that they don't want to make, and they've done a very good job of that. It's extremely frustrating to the press, obviously.

MARCIANO: One more quick question. I mean, if I'm Barack Obama, if I'm one of the other presidential candidates am I thinking, wow, you know, she kind of got lucky here? I mean, are they jealous at this point that it all ended well and she got a little bit of publicity out of this?

SABATO: Well, I'm sure they're happy the hostages are safe, but beyond that, look, there's jealousy in campaigns about absolutely everything. So I'm sure there's a little bit of that, too. But there's also relief that it's so far in advance of the caucuses.

MARCIANO: Well, we have that to look forward to, among other primaries, going forward the next several months. We'll see how it all pans out.

Larry Sabato from the University of Virginia with that insight on President Hillary Clinton (sic).

Thanks, Larry.

All right. Well, justice has been taken -- has taken the next step in the shooting death of pro-football star Sean Taylor. Four men are in custody. Police believe at least one of them had been in Taylor's home before at a birthday party for Taylor's sister.

Our John Zarrella on the case in Fort Myers, Florida -- John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Rob.

Three of the four suspects in Sean Taylor's killing made their first appearance here in the Lee County courthouse. Now, police say that they, in fact, have confessions from more than one of these suspects, but they will not elaborate on who those confessions came from or what are contained in those confessions.

One thing is becoming increasingly clear. These four young men did not go to Sean Taylor's house with the intent to kill him. But now all four are facing murder charges.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA (voice over): Seventeen-year-old Eric Rivera stood expressionless before the judge in a Fort Myers, Florida, courtroom. The teenager, his attorney says, faced drug charges in the past, but nothing like this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He just went along for the ride, so to speak. And obviously, he was way over his head.

ZARRELLA: Rivera is one of four young men all with prior records now facing charges of killing Washington Redskins football star Sean Taylor, charges that could send them to prison for life.

According to court documents, Rivera admitted to traveling to Miami to participate in armed burglary. Soon all four will be turned over to authorities in Miami.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would normally provide for security (INAUDIBLE), which I will, and just provide that he may be released to Dade County.

ZARRELLA: Venjah Hunte and Charles Wardlow appeared on a video link from the jail. Jason Mitchell will appear Sunday. Along with the murder charges, all four men face burglary and home invasion with a firearm charge. Wardlow's attorney says his client did not pull the trigger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of those facts are going to show that my client may have been inside the house but was not, in fact, the trigger man.

ZARRELLA: Police have still not revealed how the alleged attackers new Taylor. The gun used has not been found.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I don't believe that it will be recovered.

ZARRELLA (on camera): Why do you say that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From things that I've heard from law enforcement and people involved in the case.

ZARRELLA (voice over): Wilber Smith, who represents Eric Rivera, says these kinds of crimes are a sickening reality he's been dealing with his entire career.

WILBER SMITH, RIVERA'S ATTORNEY: It's a tragic story you see over and over with young black men killing young black men.

ZARRELLA: In the neighborhood where Rivera lived folks are having a tough time digesting that he was involved.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see him more trying to do something with his life, going somewhere and do positive things. And then you hear something like that and it's, like, wow. How could he be involved in something like that?

ZARRELLA: It's possible some or all of the defendants could be in Miami and go before a judge there on Monday, the same day and in the same city that thousands of mourners are expected at Sean Taylor's memorial service.

(END VIDEOTAPE) ZARRELLA: Now, while police have these four in custody -- and, again, they will be transported to Miami shortly -- they are not ruling out the possibility that there may be other people involved. But at this point, Rob, it is just these four who, again, are facing the possibility of life in prison -- Rob.

MARCIANO: John, you know, considering the previous break-in just days before, where a knife was left on the bed, I'm just astounded to think that they're not even considering any sort of connection.

Why are they saying that this was random?

ZARRELLA: Well, I don't think they're saying it's random now to the extent that these people knew of Sean Taylor. They knew that this was Sean Taylor's house.

It was random to the extent that they went there not knowing that Taylor was there, not thinking that Taylor was there. And that's the random part. But it's clear they knew Sean Taylor and knew where he lived -- Rob.

MARCIANO: John Zarrella live for us in Fort Myers, Florida.

Thanks, John.

Well, today is -- today is World AIDS Day, and as President Bush and other lawmakers renew their pledge to fight the disease around the world, they have one of America's worst AIDS battles on their very own door step.

CNN Radio's Lisa Desjardins reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When do we want?

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: Prevention!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When do we want it?

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: Now!

LISA DESJARDINS, REPORTER, CNN RADIO (voice over): This is America's AIDS hotspot, the country's center of power, where AIDS Day advocates and the disease itself rage inches from the White House lawn.

GENO DUNNINGTON, D.C. FIGHTS BACK: It's a disgrace. We're losing in this war.

DESJARDINS: Geno Dunnington is angry, loud and HIV positive. Now he believes he also has more, numbers, showing the problem in Washington is real.

This is the city's first comprehensive report on HIV and AIDS. Out this week, it shows D.C.'s AIDS rate leads the nation with 128 cases per 100,000 residents. That's many times the national average of 14. The study also conveys a complex battleground saying HIV/AIDS is transmitted almost evenly by gay sex, heterosexual sex, and drug use with needles.

DR. SHANNON HADER, D.C. HIV/AIDS ADMINISTRATION: So we have a complexity that means to change things, we have to do it all.

DESJARDINS: Shannon Hader has just taken over D.C.'s fight against AIDS, a fight that's intertwined with the city's high poverty rate and low healthcare numbers, and the disease is especially striking African-Americans, women and men. Blacks make up some 55 percent of the city, but...

HADER: We have 80 percent of people living with HIV and AIDS in the district are African-American.

DESJARDINS: D.C.'s problem rivals some parts of Africa. Estimates show as many as one in 20 Washington residents is HIV positive. According to the U.N., the average in sub-Saharan Africa is one in 16.

This all leads to passionate outcry in the U.S. capital -- a call for more funds, more help, and less federal red tape, as the city takes this very hard look at the scope of its problem.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need the government to understand we have the highest incidence rates of HIV and AIDS in this nation.

DESJARDINS (on camera): Of course, there's a key difference between Washington and Africa. The death rate from AIDS is exponentially higher in Africa, where life-saving drugs are out of reach. That help is available in Washington, but, still, hundreds develop AIDS because they wait too long to get tested for HIV.

Lisa Desjardins, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: First of the nation and second to none, that's the motto of Iowa's presidential caucus. How they field of Democratic hopefuls are tailoring their campaigns by state priority and necessity.

That story coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

MARCIANO: Now to the campaign trail, where the big winter storm has iced some campaign appearances today in Iowa. Candidates losing some precious time in the state with the nation's first caucus.

But first, this item. Michigan is being punished for scheduling an early primary. Democratic Party leaders have stripped Michigan of all of its delegates for the national convention next year. You may be wonder why Michigan and other states are trying to steal some of the Hawkeye State's thunder. Well, CNN Congressional Correspondent Jessica Yellin has more on why Iowa matters so much.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

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

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

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

REP. 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, and Clinton is countering with her popular partner. They 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.

Jessica Yellin, CNN, Des Moines, Iowa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: And if you missed any of the zaps and zings, see what everybody is talking about. The CNN/YouTube Republican debate, an encore presentation. That's tonight, 8:00 Eastern, only on CNN.

And he's the last brother left, and today he tells his story about growing up with HIV. World AIDS Day coverage continues on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Voices around the world in unison on this World AIDS Day. It's half past the hour. Here's what's happening right now.

Some of the numbers may be going down, but AIDS activist Nelson Mandela reminds us more than 33 million people are still struggling with the disease. The former South African president hosting a star- studded concert in Johannesburg, raising money to fight HIV and AIDS.

Bond denied for three men arrested in connection with the murder of NFL star Sean Taylor. A hearing took place today in Florida. The fourth suspect will be in court tomorrow. Police say they have more than one confession from the men. Taylor's funeral is set for Monday.

And the inevitable first winter storm blasting the Midwest. Snow, ice and freezing cold making travel tough, especially if you're going by air.

By the way, Minnesota is bracing for six to 16 inches of snow. That forecast out of the CNN weather center, where Jacqui Jeras is standing by with the latest.

(WEATHER REPORT)

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We've had as much as three feet of snow reported in the San Juan Mountains. In Salt Lake City, you've seen plenty of snow here. This is the big snowfall of the valley for you.

Our I-reporter caught this snow. Giovanni Sanchez from Murray, Utah, very near Salt Lake City, took these pictures this morning. He said he's seen a little more than a foot already. Been shoveling all day long. He said he's happy to see the snow, as are a lot of skiers -- Rob?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: One to three feet in Colorado, 10 to 12 inches -- I'm writing this down because I hate it when CNN anchors...

JERAS: 10 to 12 north of Minneapolis.

ROB: Thanks, Jacqui.

We'll be back.

Back in the day, the mere mention of AIDS could spark paranoia and hysteria. Three Florida brothers bore the brunt of that prejudice and were barred from school because they were HIV positive. Now only one brother is left. But rather than live life with fear and regret, he's hopeful and is talking to our David Mattingly.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It should have been an age of innocence, but for three young brothers who were HIV positive, life's hard lessons came early.

(on camera): Do you feel like part of your childhood was taken away? RANDY RAY, LIVING WITH AIDS: Yes, I would say a big part.

MATTINGLY: Was this by the disease or the prejudice?

RAY: I would say both.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Randy Ray is the only surviving brother of the siblings that were once the faces of AIDS in America and a symbol for the fear and intolerance that followed.

In 1986, all three were infected with HIV through contaminated treatments for hemophilia. Instead of finding compassion, Ricky, Robert and Randy were kicked out of school. In 1987, someone burned down their house.

(on camera): Twenty years later, Randy Ray agreed to speak to us in a rare interview from his home in central Florida. And we find that the legacy of the ray brothers continues to influence how others might think about AIDS. It's a legacy that began all those years ago after that one unforgettable act of violence.

(on camera): You were just 8 years old at the time. Did it make you angry?

RAY: Yeah, I mean...

MATTINGLY: Were you afraid?

RAY: Yeah, I just didn't know if they were going to try to do something to us next.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Out of the ashes of their destroyed home, randy says the world found an activist. Older brother, Ricky, made it his mission to educate people about AIDS. In his last days, he was in front of the cameras, asking everyone to watch and listen.

RICKY RAY, INFECTED WITH AIDS: This is what it does to you.

MATTINGLY (on camera): What was he trying to accomplish?

RAY: I guess to solve the prejudice of it. You know what I mean? He was hurt throughout the years, as well as all of us. And his way of fixing that there was to educate people.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Ricky Ray died at age 15. Robert died eight years later.

Now, 28, we find Randy is out of the public eye and on a mission of his own. In 1986 AIDS was considered a death sentence. His way of coping was to take life one day at a time.

RAY: I live every day just like it was the last one, just trying to do the best I can do. You know, I may not die of AIDS. I may die in a car wreck or get hit by a car. You never know how you're going to die. MATTINGLY: Randy is determined to succeed at having the kind of life his brothers were denied. He's been married eight years. He has a step daughter, and he and his wife will soon adopt a baby girl.

Thanks to improved treatments, Randy's only reminder of AIDS are the pills he takes every morning and evening. Thanks to improved public attitudes, his life is no longer defined by a disease.

(on camera): Do you think about the future?

RAY: Yeah, I do now. I hope to see, you know, my grandkids. That's what my future is now. I've been a dad, so now I want to be a grandpa. No time soon, but...

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Where his oldest brother tried to show the world what it's like to die with AIDS, randy says he wants to show how to live and live well.

David Mattingly, CNN, Orlando.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: Broadcasting his anger over the airwaves, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, again, threatening to sue CNN. Details just ahead in the "NEWSROOM."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED CHILDREN: Two, three, four, five, six.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is boot camp for kids. It gets the heart pumping, gets kids moving and gives them a place to go.

CYNTHIA GREGORY, YWCA OF METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON: We offer it to schools. They come and they sign up for this program. And the schools from all over the region come here for their P.E.

GUPTA: It's called the PHD Program -- physical, healthy, driven. The YMCA of Metropolitan Washington sponsors and designs it for city children ages 6 to 13, whose schools may have cut Phys. Ed. to save money.

These after school programs fill a very important need for exercise and fun.

AARON HARRIS, YMCA OF METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON: There's a lot of different games. Even if you're not the most athletic, you can still get a lot of program.

GUPTA: There's another example in Boston at Brandy Cruthird's gym. She's a former professional basketball player who realized urban kids had nowhere to work out. So she founded Body by Brandy Fit Kidz.

BRANDY CRUTHIRD, Kids lose weight. BMIs go down. GUPTA: These children are referred by community hospitals and get a prescription to visit the gym for free. Cruthird hopes getting them off the couch is the first step forgetting them a healthier life.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Going global now, British negotiators are trying to get Gillian Gibbons on a plane and out of Sudan as soon as they can. The school teacher was jailed for letting her students name a teddy bear Muhammad. Some protesters are calling for her execution.

Surprise developments from Aruba in the Natalie Holloway case. Two brothers re-arrested in the disappearance of the Alabama teen are now out of jail again. A judge says there's not enough evidence to hold the Kalpoe brothers. It's the third time they've been jailed and released. A third suspect is still in custody.

And you aren't exactly seeing Mexican lawmakers at their finest here. Look out. Things got hot in the Mexican state legislature in Tabasco. Members of the party started slugging it out in a chamber of congress when one lawmaker grabbed a microphone from another. There were no serious injuries.

Tomorrow, Venezuela President Hugo Chavez will find out what kind of power he truly has. Voters will decide whether it should change the country's constitution. If they do, Chavez could seek re-election for decades to come. Strong emotions on both sides of this issue for sure. Chavez isn't holding back.

Our own Harris Whitbeck is live in Venezuela's capital, Caracas.

Hello, Harris.

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Rob. Everything is ready for tomorrow's referendum. As you say, it's considered to be crucial for the future of Venezuela. Voters will decide on 69 proposed constitutional amendments that Hugo Chavez say are necessary for him to be able to steer Venezuela towards full socialism.

The division over what course this country should take is such there have been protests on the streets. There was a huge rally yesterday, staged by the Chavez government. Tens of thousands were out there in force listening to their leader as he explained why he felt the reforms were necessary.

During that speech, he was very, very critical of the United States on several occasions. He accused the United States of trying to meddle in Venezuela and repeatedly threatened to cut off Venezuelan oil exports to the United States.

Now, earlier in the week, students from several public and private universities also took to the streets, in some instances facing national guardsmen with tear gas and water cannons as they protested Chavez's efforts to steer Venezuela towards socialism. They say this referendum has come too soon and the population has not had enough time to adequately study the proposed changes to the referendum. Those changes include the possibility of no term limits would be set for Chavez and he would be able to govern the country for life. In effect, he would have full control over the country's economic policies.

Today Chavez met with foreign correspondents. It was a nearly four-hour-long press conference. During that press conference, he was very critical of CNN's coverage of the situation here in Venezuela. He said that CNN was owned by -- could have been owned by Hitler. He said we were pawns of imperialist goals in Washington, and he also referred to -- he said that many of the viewer opinions aired by CNN are consistently against him.

Let's listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUGO CHAVEZ, PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA (through translation): All the questions were against us, all the messages. There wasn't one single question. Show me. They were all against Venezuela. This can not be coincidence because, as this young newspaper woman has said -- Mariana, excuse me, Mariana -- not everybody in this world hates us. And it's funny that CNN cannot come up with just one, one in our favor or a neutral opinion as to us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITBECK: Chavez also threatened to expel the CNN team in Venezuela from the country if the government decides we are being unfair in our coverage or in anyway, according to them, meddling in the referendum that will take place tomorrow -- Rob?

MARCIANO: Interesting time to be a reporter.

Harris Whitbeck live for us in Venezuela. Thanks, Harris.

Well, what are you doing to help protect the environment?

(on camera): What do you recycle?

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Newspaper, cans, glass, plastic.

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: All sorts of things.

MARCIANO: We've got a few new options. You can dream of a white Christmas, but you can make a green one happen for real. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: Five, four, three, two, one.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MARCIANO: Well, there's a new twist on the Christmas tree lighting up Rockefeller tree. It's using energy-efficient lights. The environmentally friendly LEDs, or light emitting diodes, take half power than traditional bulbs.

New Yorkers aren't the only ones going green this holiday season.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIM STALEY (ph), ECO-FRIENDLY SHOPPER: I think that one will fit just fine.

SCOTT STALEY (ph), ECO-FRIENDLY SHOPPER: Good-smelling tree. It's green.

MARCIANO: Scott and Kim Staley (ph) have zeroed in on a Christmas tree, and the kids are excited.

STALEY (ph) BOY: I love decorating the tree and getting all the presents from Santa.

STALEY (ph) GIRL: Family coming over, eating honey-baked ham.

MARCIANO: As they breathe in the fresh pine scent, this family is thinking about the environment.

(on camera): Turn it off when you go to bed?

STALEY (ph) GIRL: Yep.

MARCIANO: Do you think that helps save electricity?

STALEY (ph) BOY: Yeah, a lot.

MARCIANO: Saving electricity a good thing?

STALEY (ph) BOY: Yes, very good thing. My dad is crazy about saving electricity.

MARCIANO (voice-over): The holidays are notorious for energy waste. And the Staley's (ph) are trying to do their part to conserve.

(on camera): Your kids seem to be pretty conscious of when to turn the lights on and off.

S. STALEY (ph): Yeah, we've got a pretty rigid program at the house for that.

MARCIANO: Who is more strict, dad or mom?

(LAUGHING)

MARCIANO (voice-over): The EPA says Americans throw out a million tons of garbage a week from Thanksgiving to Christmas. The good news is buying a fresh-cut Christmas tree should not make you feel guilty. Environmental groups say as long as you take it to be recycled for mulch, it goes right back to the earth.

Plus, most tree lots buy from tree farms.

JIMBO LIVIDITIS, BIG JOHN'S CHRISTMAS TREES: For every tree they cut, there's usually two or three seedlings or transplants to go back in the ground.

MARCIANO (on camera): No matter where you get it or what kind it actually is, what you put on your Christmas tree will have an even greater impact on the environment.

JULIA BOVEY, NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL: This is one of the first holiday seasons that we've really had great choices to get holiday lights that use just a fraction of the energy that you and I probably grew up using.

MARCIANO: Some of the stuff on the shelves, I don't understand what it means, but -- LED, what is that?

BOVEY: This is the thing to look for, light-emitting diode. These are actually brighter than the ones we're used to using. They use 10 percent to 20 percent of the electricity of standard lights.

MARCIANO: Wow, that's amazing. And they really, really pop. They're using less than a fifth of what the typical light would use.

BOVEY: Think about where this energy comes from. These are big power plants, a lot of them burning coal, putting pollution in the environment that warms the climate. By using a little less, it can really make a difference, especially if everyone uses a little less.

MARCIANO (voice-over): The Department of Energy says if everyone replaced their conventional holiday light strings with LEDs, the savings would be enough to power 200,000 homes for an entire year.

Now, the Staley's (ph) didn't know about the LEDs, but it will become part of their green plan.

S. STALEY (ph): I think our country has got to do the right things to make sure we remove ourselves from energy dependence and that we just conserve.

MARCIANO (on camera): Merry Christmas to you.

FAMILY: Merry Christmas.

S. STALEY (ph): Bye.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: Well, Glenn Wallace knows how to make your holiday tree environmentally friendly. He's a design expert with the Savannah College of Art Design and he's joining us live, brought us a whole slew of stuff.

Glenn, first, let's talk about the LEDs. They really pop and can save up to 90 percent?

GLENN WALLACE, DESIGN EXPERT, SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART DESIGN: They do. And they last at least three times as long as a typical Christmas light that we've used over the years.

MARCIANO: What I found that was troubling is this packaging that you see. It doesn't jump out and say this will save you money long term. People see it's more expensive, they go for the cheaper one automatically.

WALLACE: But over the course of the lifetime, this is far, far less expensive. And you're looking at 90 percent savings in power. In the course of the season, you pay for it.

MARCIANO: So we want to look for LED. Trees, people think you buy artificial every year, you're being environmentally friendly.

WALLACE: Right. But it's not a recyclable plastic. So it's not one that will ever degrade. It will be here forever.

MARCIANO: If you do get an artificial tree, don't throw it out or try not to.

WALLACE: Try not to.

MARCIANO: You brought an interesting tree. Explain what kind of tree this is the tradition that goes with it.

WALLACE: This is an iron tree, so it is very green. It will last forever. And this is like they did in Victorian times, walnuts that have a wish, a walnut wish. It may have a special holiday wish inside that you may put in your front foyer table as your tree. And as your guests leave your holiday party, they take it home and you have a wish for them.

MARCIANO: That's a great idea. Walnuts are something you can use around the house. What else did you bring here?

WALLACE: Well, it's endless. It's all over the house. My daughter's tutu that she takes to ballet, it makes a great tree skirt. Tiaras that my wife collects. These are corsages made from recycled prom dresses that are excellent to use on the tree. They're made by an artist. Every grandmother had tea cups that she collected. Put them on the tree.

MARCIANO: Popcorns, cranberries?

WALLACE: Popcorn, bamboo is a fantastic green product, pinecones.

MARCIANO: These are all great ideas.

Glenn Wallace, thanks much for your insight. Having fun with the kids this holiday season. We appreciate you coming up.

WALLACE: Thank you. MARCIANO: Have fun with grandma. You thinking about picking up a video game for your kid? What about grandma? Some surprising information coming up next. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Well, imagine driving a car with the technology to look out for pedestrians and actually help you avoid them. Well, it's not that far off.

CNN's Kyung Lah reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the packed maze of Manhattan to the sleepy suburbs of Rhode Island, to the tangled streets of Tokyo, when it's car versus pedestrian, the pedestrian almost always loses.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here we go.

LAH: What you're seeing us drive is the car engineers hope will give pedestrians a fighting chance.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So hit a speed of 60 miles per hour and don't brake.

LAH: As we pick up speed on the Toyota test course, this sensor detects I'm about to blow through the red light, picking up the signal emitted from the light.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And it brakes on its own.

LAH: It's not just red lights. Engineers are conceptualizing cars that that can even detect a pedestrian that is about to run out in front of you or another car that's about to side-swipe you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The idea is to create a car where it's nearly impossible to have any sort of pedestrian accident.

LAH: Honda already is marketing cars in Japan with night vision and hoods that reduce the extent of head injury if there is an accident. Toyota hopes to have its concepts for sale within three years.

The goal, says Toyota's Hiroyuki Kanemitsu, is to warn drivers before they get into an accident, but not to become dependent on the safety devices.

That's where a New York pedestrian group believes this technology could actually cause more accidents.

PAUL WHITE, TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES: These kinds of devices send drivers the message, "OK, drive however you wish. This technology will make you, your family and people on the streets safe." That's just not true. LAH: No engineer could say for sure how much technology can save lives. But they say there is one certainty, as long as drivers and pedestrians share the streets, accidents are inevitable.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Japan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: Well, video gamers, we generally picture them as kids at play, right? Well, these days the young at heart are embracing digital diversion too. Good for them, right? And in more ways than one.

Our resident senior citizen-in-training Josh Levs has been investigating this topic.

JOSH LEVS, CNN SENIOR TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: What?

MARCIANO: Come on, what are seniors playing with now?

LEVS: At least you didn't ad lib that. One of our producers spotted this video from Oklahoma in which older Americans were playing videogames on a Nintendo Wii. We started wondering, is this a major sector of business out there? It is. We got the figure today. 24 percent of video gamers in America, one in four, are over 50. Some are saying, "I'm in my 50s. That's not elderly." One in four are over 50.

So then they looked at why would they want to do this? Top reasons right there -- stress relief, mental exercise, memory strengthening, distraction from chronic pain, fatigue.

MARCIANO: It's physical in some ways so it's kind of an exercise.

LEVS: It is. We're looking at what the top games are too. We want to know what they're really excited about. This is a little bit more predictable. There you go -- puzzle games, word games and card games. It's not that guitar games that everyone is crazy about.

MARCIANO: Everyone loves that game.

LEVS: Yes. They are playing these games but they're also playing action games. About one in 10 love the action games, the soccer games and the sports games.

You know what? Here's the financial figures. We'll end the show with this. When you put that together, people over 50, $2 billion in video games each year.

MARCIANO: Wow.

LEVS: $2 billion.

MARCIANO: All right. Now we know what to buy grandpa and grandma for Christmas. LEVS: And me, apparently. I'm in training.

MARCIANO: Stick around and help me with my (inaudible).

All right. From the CNN Center, I'm Rob Marciano. There's still much more about all this coming up. "Lou Dobbs this Week" starts right now.

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