Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Major Winter Storm; Arrests in Taylor Murder; World AIDS Day

Aired December 01, 2007 - 11:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening right now, four men face a judge in the slaying of NFL star Sean Taylor. Police say they have a confession in the case. We are live with the latest.
Also -- break out your snow shovel. A major winter storm hits the heartland. We are tracking the extreme weather from the CNN Center here in Atlanta. Good morning everybody, on this busy, very cold Saturday. I'm Betty Nguyen. My partner T.J. Holmes out at a very important site today on this World AIDS Day. Good morning T.J.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you Betty. It's a very important site and even some might say a gravesite if you will, for all of those who have died of AIDS. The AIDS memorial quilt now in its 20th year, has very much over the past 20 years become part of the fabric of this country as it has memorialized so many who have died of AIDS, some 47,000 panels made in memoriam to those who have died of AIDS over the past several years.

I'm at a warehouse not too far outside of downtown Atlanta where, as you see there, rows and rows of those panels of this quilt. Of course, hard to give people a good understanding of just how large this quilt is. But 47,000 of those panels. It's so large that if you put it all together you couldn't even find a place in the United States to lay it out. But the quilt itself, many of those panels are sent out across the country on display at schools, at campuses and other areas for people to really pay tribute to those who have died of AIDS, to continue to raise awareness and to educate those.

We're at this warehouse here where it is maintained. We've been talking about it this morning and of course on this World AIDS Day. We'll be getting into it Betty a little more, including why, with 47,000 panels here, each one of them dedicated to someone who has died of HIV/AIDS, only a few hundred of them are dedicated to someone who is black. We'll get into that subject here this morning as well. A lot more to come from here, but for now, Betty I'll hand it back over to you.

NGUYEN: That's important because the numbers show that it is growing within the black community. Also many other minority communities and especially among those younger than 25. A lot to talk about today T.J. We'll be checking in with you shortly.

In the meantime, four young men in custody and facing a judge this morning, they're accused in the shooting death of NFL star Sean Taylor. Let's take you live now to our John Zarrella in Ft. Myers, Florida. John, you heard that court hearing a little bit earlier. How did it shake out? JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Betty, it was about two hours ago now, the court hearing took place. A very, very brief appearance. First to appear was Eric Rivera, that's the 17-year-old, the juvenile here. You know, it's so, so tragic what has happened to the Taylor family and to these young men. The charges they face now, felony first-degree murder, the big charge that they will all face. That carries a penalty of perhaps 25 years to life. They also face robbery with the use of a firearm. Now, what we have been told in the court was that Rivera confessed and confessed to driving from Ft. Myers over to Miami to participate in an armed burglary. Beyond that, we do not know what else might have been said in the confession. Although his attorney says that he's a little unclear as to whether that confession violated his client's constitutional rights. In other words, it perhaps did not happen according to his attorney before he was mirandized. Now, the other two defendants who were in court today, the fourth, Jason Mitchell, was not in court today. He will probably have his first appearance here tomorrow. But Venja Hunte and Charles Wardlow, they face the same charges. All of them will, in the next couple of days or so, be transported to Miami where they will again go before a judge there and hear these charges read to them because, of course, they are charges based on a Miami crime. John Evans is an attorney here and he represents Charles Wardlow. You had an opportunity to talk to your client, briefly, but you had that opportunity. What has he told you?

JOHN EVANS III, WARDLOW DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, the Lee County Sheriffs have been very helpful in allowing me to have the opportunity to speak to my client. He is concerned and exhausted. He spent most of the day yesterday being interrogated. The probable cause affidavit that you just talked about seems to indicate that my client waived his Miranda rights. That's an issue that I'm going to have to look into with my partner Matthew Cleary.

ZARRELLA: Which means if he did confess, that it would be perfectly legal?

EVANS: Well, it would have been perfectly legal if he did a knowing waiver of his rights under Miranda versus Arizona.

ZARRELLA: Let me ask you then, is he saying to you -- what are you hearing about a possible confession?

EVANS: My client has told me a lot of things, and one of the most important things about being a criminal defense attorney and an attorney in general is the attorney-client privilege. I'm not in a position, because he hasn't allowed me to, to tell you anything that he's told me.

ZARRELLA: But you do know, from talking to the authorities, that they haven't found the gun?

EVANS: A gun has not been located. The information I have comes directly from the probable cause affidavit. And in brief conversations with the authorities. A gun has not been located at this point.

ZARRELLA: What is your understanding? Do you think they will find this gun?

EVANS: The authorities in Florida are very good at what they do. If there is evidence to be found, history has shown that they've found it.

ZARRELLA: Very quickly, your client may have some history of mental illness?

EVANS: My client has a seizure disorder and may have some mild schizophrenia issues. These are issues that my team of mental health experts that I'm appointed by the court are going to look into in assisting the defense.

ZARRELLA: John, thank you very much for taking your time today. Again, he's only been representing Mr. Wardlow for about three or four hours now. Lots of work for John to do. But I think the big news out of this that we're learning is, of course, they have not found the gun at this point in time. Betty?

NGUYEN: That's a key piece of evidence. All right, John Zarrella joining us live. Thank you, John.

Senator Hillary Clinton is back on the presidential campaign trail one day after a hostage drama at one of her New Hampshire campaign offices. 46-year-old Leland Eisenberg surrendered to police last night after a five hour standoff. Clinton says it as was a tense and difficult day for her staff. CNN's Jim Acosta is in Rochester, New Hampshire, he's been following this story for us. What do you know about the guy who walked into the office and started holding people hostage yesterday, Jim?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, what we know right now is he is in custody after surrendering peacefully. You mentioned Hillary Clinton, she's actually campaigning in Iowa today. Her campaign officials say they are keeping her away from this office today because they don't want to have the appearance out there that she is politicizing what happened here yesterday. She is in Iowa today. The office behind me, the lights are off. We only have seen maybe one campaign staffer coming in and out of that storefront office here for Hillary Clinton throughout the day today. But as we were talking about, after a five and a half hour tense standoff with police, including S.W.A.T. team members, Leland Eisenberg, that 46- year-old man with a history of mental illness and drug and alcohol problems, he has surrendered peacefully yesterday after having what was essentially road flares duct taped around his chest to make it look like he had a bomb attached to him. That was not the case. It turned out to be a harmless device. Shortly after that all ended, Senator Hillary Clinton was in the state. She flew from Virginia where she was campaigning yesterday here to New Hampshire to meet with those former hostage members and their families to check in on how they were doing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're immensely relieved that this has ended peacefully, but it is with a great sense of gratitude that I came here tonight both 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.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: As for those New Hampshire professionals, she's referring to the law enforcement community which handled this incident almost flawlessly from all accounts. They detonated, if you want to call it that, they destroyed that harmless device during the moments after this standoff ended. In addition to that, we can say that all the hostages are doing fine. Those former hostages are just said to be resting in private recovering from this ordeal. But as for Leland Eisenberg, a disturbing portrait is emerging of this suspect. He is described by his neighbors in a nearby town here, Somersworth, as having some serious problems with alcohol abuse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Eisenberg will be back in court on Monday for an arraignment here in Rochester. The case will proceed from there. Betty?

NGUYEN: All right, Jim Acosta joining us live from Rochester, Jim thank you for that.

Investigators do say 46-year-old Leland Eisenberg was deeply troubled. CNN's Jason Carroll joins us now by phone with some new exclusive information about Eisenberg. Jason, what have you learned?

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on the phone): Betty, a legal source involved with the case that was filed, a civil suit back in 2002 has confirmed that Leland Eisenberg, did in fact, back in 2002 file a civil suit against the Boston Archdiocese naming them Cardinal Bernard Law alleging that he had been sexually abused by a priest when he was 21 years old. Now, according to the civil suit, we have a copy of this suit, Betty, when Leland Eisenberg was 21 years old, he described himself as being homeless and addicted to alcohol. What he did was he turned to St. Katherine's Parrish in Westford, Massachusetts for help. He was looking for housing, he was looking for support. He alleges he was hired there as a handyman and one of the priests there allegedly sexually abused him while he was there. Many years later he filed the civil suit. Also according to this civil suit, Eisenberg tried to commit suicide one week after he was sexually abused by trying to jump off of a bridge. Once again, this source confirming that this Leland Eisenberg who filed this civil suit back in 2002 is in fact the same Leland Eisenberg that was involved with what happened yesterday at Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign offices. So this, once again, is painting a portrait of a very emotionally troubled man. Betty?

NGUYEN: No doubt. Do you know what became of that civil suit against the archdiocese?

CARROLL: Still trying to sort out exactly what happened to the civil suit, whether it was settled, whether it was dismissed. Those are some of the details that we're still working on at this hour, Betty. But I think what's important to point out, once again, is that this really sort of paints a picture of the history of what this man was dealing with as early as when he was 21 years old.

NGUYEN: You talked to neighbors. They also confirmed that this was a deeply troubled man. Jason Carroll joining us live by phone with the latest on the information regarding Leland Eisenberg. Thank you, Jason.

First, they were re-arrested. Now they are being re-released. You understand that? Here's how it played out. A judge in Aruba has ordered the release of two brothers, Deepak and Satish Kalpoe. They're suspected of covering up evidence linked to the 2005 disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway. The judge said that accusation is not serious enough to warrant pre-trial detention. Now, a third suspect in the case, Joran van der Sloot, remains in jail. His next court appearance is set for next Friday.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: T.J. Holmes is live for World AIDS Day. He joins us now with a look ahead. Hey there T.J.

HOLMES: Hey there, Betty. This quilt, of course, massive, 20- year anniversary of it now, some 47,000 panels submitted to honor those who have died of HIV and AIDS. But of all those 47,000, why are only a few hundred of them dedicated to African-Americans? We'll get into that a little later this morning. That's coming up. Betty?

NGUYEN: Also, the death of a dare devil. Fans of Evel Knievel saying good-bye today. You're watching CNN, the most trusted named in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: World AIDS Day is both a day of sadness and a day of hope. We remember with sadness all those lost to aids. We mourn their lives cut short, their dreams of future denied. We ask for God's blessings on the loved ones they have left behind. We also mark this day with hope for the improving prospects of those living with the virus.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP) HOLMES: The president there talking about all of those we remember on this World AIDS Day who have died of HIV/AIDS, many of them being memorialized on the world stage and many right here locally in Atlanta with this quilt, the AIDS memorial quilt. I'm here at the location just outside of downtown Atlanta where the quilt is kept. You're seeing here there are so many letters on the wall, pictures, just in memoriam of so many people who have died of AIDS. This is a location where people can actually come and make a panel that goes on the quilt. There are so many areas where you can actually make your own quilt right here. Sewing machines that have been used over the years to sew and to stitch so many of these panels together and to make this quilt. 47,000 panels memorializing some 91,000 people who have died of HIV/AIDS over the past 20 years. Well, the quilt itself used certainly to raise awareness, also used as an educational tool around the country. This weekend it's traveling to several places on display, sections of it. And certainly many sections are going to college campuses as well, where many say it is certainly needed to raise awareness.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES (voice-over): Universally known as a symbol of both national and personal grief, the 54 ton quilt over the past 20 years has become part of the fabric that makes up America.

JULIE RHOAD, AIDS MEMORIAL QUILT: Being designated as an American treasure puts us in the league with very significant material culture collections and buildings and artifacts. And will stand as testimony to our value in telling America's history.

DR. JULIE GERBERDING, CDC DIRECTOR: How much love has gone into each one of these panels and what it really means in terms of the human beings who have suffered from this disease and left behind so many families and loved ones.

HOLMES: That history began with the quilt's first panel for an AIDS victim from San Francisco in 1987. The AIDS memorial quilt now has about 47,000 memorial panels and represents the lives of more than 90,000 people who have died from the disease that afflicts millions worldwide.

Kay Haring, Brian Peak.

HOLMES: 400 large sections of the quilt will be on display from coast to coast this month at churches, museums and even the CNN Center, where more than a hundred displays are traveling to college campuses where AIDS activists say greater awareness is needed.

NINA MARTINEZ, EMORY UNIVERSITY STUDENT: I'm here at Emory because you guys all have such great researchers in HIV and I'm actually HIV positive.

DANIEL SPERLING, EMORY UNIVERSITY STUDENT: Right now we're not growing up seeing our friends die of HIV like they did in the 80s and the 90s. So really people don't feel like they're been affected by it, even though if you look at the statistics, we are. HOLMES: Those statistics, according to the Names Project, show that half of all new HIV cases in the United States involve people under the age of 25. Atlanta's Emory University is hosting the largest display of a section of the quilt on a college campus hoping it will serve as a powerful and important educational tool for students.

MARTINEZ: It's part of being a young person and believing nothing will ever happen to you. But I think when you walk around in that kind of state of denial that's when it's most likely able to happen to you. I don't think we talk about denial as a risk factor for HIV.

HOLMES: But many college students have gotten the message and even make the HIV question a part of dating life.

TAHIRAH MUHAMMED, CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY STUDENT: I will ask someone if first they've ever, you know, even had sex, how many partners they had, if they have ever been tested. Things like that.

HOLMES: The quilt on the quad campaign hopes to make AIDS a part of college education.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: The question that has been around for so many years now -- how many names will it take? That sign you're seeing there was from 1996, the last time the entire AIDS quilt was laid out in one piece on the national mall in Washington, D.C. It took up the entire national mall. Well, here we are some years later since 1996, and, of course, the quilt has grown. To this point, we don't know if it will ever be put together in one place at the same time again because it is just so large. You're seeing just a few of those panels made to individuals. To help you understand how the math works out here, 47,000 panels like that you're seeing, but some people submit panels with two names on it, three names, even a hundred names if you want to put on one panel to memorialize several people. Certainly most are made for just one individual, but that's kind of how the math works out there with 47,000 panels and 91,000 individuals. Coming up here in a little while, we're going to talk to Dorinda Henry who's with the National Center for Human Rights Education. We're going to talk to her about what's happening now in black churches around the Atlanta area where the quilt is on display in some of those areas, and where the church can really play a role in getting the message out and to educate black Americans who right now are being affected in disproportionate ways by this AIDS epidemic. To give you another tidbit here Betty, it's amazing to think that here we are with these 47,000 panels, 91,000 people memorialized, but only a few hundred of these panels dedicated to blacks in this country who have died of AIDS. We're going to get into why that is and what's being done now to kind of help out and educate black Americans. Who of course, Betty, with these numbers we talked about being affected in disproportionate ways.

NGUYEN: Oh absolutely, and you know that sign that you showed a while ago it was just so chilling -- how many names will it take? I think that's the big question people trying to hopefully reduce the names that will be on there in the future and stop this at some point. Because worldwide there are 33 million people who are infected with HIV so it is a worldwide epidemic. T.J. Holmes, thank you for that. We'll be checking in with you shortly.

In the meantime, confirmation at last. Police now have evidence to prove who Baby Grace really was.

And what caused this crash? Investigators are back on the scene of a train collision.

Plus -- World AIDS Day in the NEWSROOM. We're covering it all.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Federal crash investigators are still trying to figure this one out. Why was an Amtrak train and a freight train on the same track at the same time? They collided yesterday in Chicago. The Amtrak train was on its daily run from Grand Rapids to Chicago. It rear-ended the freight train, which was at a standstill on the track. That accident injured five people seriously. Dozens of others, they're calling them walking wounded, went to the hospital. Close to 200 people were on the Amtrak train.

Galveston police say DNA confirms that Baby Grace is, indeed, 2- year-old Riley Ann Sawyers. Her body came ashore on Galveston Bay in late October. It was sealed inside a plastic storage bin. Mourners held a prayer vigil for Riley last night in the Cleveland area, that's where the child and her mother lived until May. The mother and the girl's stepfather, well they're charged in her death. Police say the toddler was brutally beaten to death over several hours all because she didn't say "please" and "yes, sir."

He lived a fast life. He flew high. And he crashed hard. Fans are remembering Evel Knievel today, the motorcycle daredevil had a spectacular career in the '60s and '70s. Look at this. He jumped everything, at least tried to jump everything from buses to shark tanks to mountain canyons. A big funeral is expected to draw 20,000 fans to Butte, Montana. Knievel had been in failing health for years. He claimed he had broken every single bone in his body over his career and spent his last years hooked to a painkiller drip line. Evel Knievel was 69 years old.

Presidential candidates in Iowa they are campaigning. That campaign is heating up. We are going to take you there live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, today is World AIDS Day, and people are gathering in towns and cities around the globe. One of the main areas of concern in this country is the African-American community where AIDS is spreading fast and community leaders are calling for awareness and action. Our T.J. Holmes is live in Atlanta with human rights and AIDS activist Dorinda Henry. And he joins us live with the latest on that.

Good morning, T.J.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning there again to you, Betty. We're here at the AIDS Warehouse here. The AIDS Quilt Memorial Warehouse where the AIDS Quilt is kept. Of course, this is a huge, huge memorial quilt that has been a part really of the fabric of this country the past 20 years that we've been dealing with the AIDS epidemic here in the country. And as you said, Dorinda Henry is here with me, who has been helping in this project this weekend.

Hello to you, good morning. So glad you could be here.

DORINDA HENRY, HUMAN RIGHTS & AIDS ACTIVIST: Good morning, thank you so much.

HOLMES: I know a big part of what's happening involves the black churches.

HENRY: Absolutely.

HOLMES: Now we know that the numbers are staggering when it comes to African-Americans and AIDS. Where has the black church been? There has been a lot of criticism for the black church not getting involved.

HENRY: A lot of criticism for the black church not getting involved?

HOLMES: Black churches sometimes not getting involved enough in helping with the AIDS epidemic that is in the black community.

HENRY: Well, the African-American traditional churches have been around for years. They haven't gone anywhere. We don't need to ask where the black church has been. The black church has been here on this issue. Granted, it has been silent for many years. And I cannot say that that is due to any particular stereotype of it being afraid of dealing with the disease.

It's a lack of awareness. It's a lack of understanding. And when people don't have a clear understanding of a particular issue, fear comes in. And when fear comes in, the human condition does one or two things, it fights or it flights. And unfortunately, one of the positions that the traditional black churches may have done is they took flight.

HOLMES: OK. So you say the churches have always been there, but you say it's been silent. So I guess when I say some of that criticism, as I talked about at the beginning there, that the criticism is not necessarily -- you said the churches have always been there. So they've just been quiet, dealing with it in their own way in the African-American community?

HENRY: Well, I think the broader society has been quiet and silent in its own way. If organizations such as ACT UP would not have brought the attention of the AIDS epidemic on and put it in the forefront of the American people and put a human condition and a human body on the impact of this disease, I really don't think that we would be where we are today.

And, granted, the African-American community in particular needs maybe to take some of the strategies of ACT UP and get a little more intentional about its strategies and bringing about awareness and education and understanding about this disease.

HOLMES: Now what role are you hoping to get now with the black churches? I know there are some initiatives happening this weekend certainly with the quilt. So what role are you hoping now to see happening with the churches and the community and AIDS?

HENRY: You know, I am hoping and I will say -- it's not really a hope. I intend to continue to do this with African-American churches in the metropolitan area and hopefully this will take off all across the country. The African-American churches is our ground zero when it comes to dealing with issues of injustice and discrimination and redresses. And the leadership historically has come from the pulpit of traditional African-American churches.

And so it was a no-brainer for me that when it was time to bring about a significant awareness and understanding and education about this disease for African-American people particularly, the pastors of the black church were my first and primary goal, to get them involved.

HOLMES: And have you found them to certainly now be welcoming? I know we talked about that awareness and that education.

HENRY: Absolutely.

HOLMES: They absolutely -- it just takes maybe someone like you to start that conversation and to get those churches involved. But you're certainly not seeing any resistance? You're seeing everyone welcoming?

HENRY: Absolutely. I'm not finding any resistance. As a matter of fact, I am getting so -- it's very exciting. Gerald Durley at Providence Missionary Baptist Church, he is excited. He's almost infectious with his excitement of getting involved with this. He has been involved with this issue for many, many years, as far back as 1980.

Many of the other churches, for instance, at First Afrikan Presbyterian, Dr. Mark Lomax, has been speaking from his pulpit on a regular basis. This is not anything new and different. But I will say that with the AIDS Quilt and the display of the AIDS Quilt does is that it allows us an opportunity to glance upon an icon and to look upon a piece of fabric that reflects back to us the impact of this disease.

And this disease has absolutely ravaged our community and our country. And when the numbers are hitting African-American women in particular, and young children, and even babies, it is absolutely imperative that the voice, that the trumpet is sounded from the black church.

HOLMES: Well, we know you are absolutely passionate about it.

HENRY: I am very passionate about it.

HOLMES: You are very passionate about it, and...

HENRY: We've lost too many people.

HOLMES: You're absolutely right. And we're standing in a -- as has been described to me, a gravesite here almost, just something to be standing around all of these names and all of these panels. But thank you...

HENRY: Absolutely. Absolutely.

HOLMES: ... for being here. And we certainly hope to work with you more in the future on what you're doing here.

HENRY: Well, I thank you so much for having me.

HOLMES: Dorinda Henry with, again, I want to make sure we have got it right, the executive director -- interim executive director...

HENRY: Interim executive director of the National Center for Human Rights Education.

HOLMES: Human Rights Education. Well, ma'am, thank you so much for being here.

HENRY: Thank you.

HOLMES: (INAUDIBLE) you're hearing here, folks like this who are starting -- who are getting more involvement, getting into the communities, as you say, the black churches are certainly a place that are going to be key and historically have been so key in social change. And when things need to happen, you go to those churches and it spreads out into the black community. And hopefully this can happen with the AIDS epidemic as well.

NGUYEN: Going to take it straight there to the community and make a difference. Thanks so much, T.J. We do appreciate it. We'll be checking in with you.

Well, President Bush has made abstinence and fidelity the focus of the government's battle against AIDS around the world. But is it an effective strategy? CNN's Josh Levs is here with "Keeping Them Honest."

You know, it sounds good, it's great if everyone would do it. But is it working?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It has been a major focus. And that is one of the questions right now, is, is it really working? Because what we've had is a couple of congressionally mandated reports that now show that abstinence programs, and the U.S. push for those to be in place, could sometimes actually hurt the effort against AIDS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEVS (voice-over): The United States has committed billions of dollars to fighting the spread of AIDS worldwide, some of it through teaching what President Bush calls prevention messages.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... which is abstinence, be faithful, and use condoms.

LEVS: Of the $350 million the U.S. is spending this year to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV, the majority, $200 million, is for programs encouraging abstinence and marital fidelity and discouraging casual sex. Health officials have long cautioned those activities don't work well everywhere.

DR. JIM YONG KIM, WHO: In some societies, women cannot choose to be abstinent, so it's difficult to ask them to be abstinent. In some societies, the highest risk for becoming infected with HIV is being married.

LEVS: The United States requires each country to spend at least 33 percent of prevention funds on abstinence programs. Two congressionally-mandated reports say that rule can damage efforts to fight AIDS.

The National Institute of Medicine found no evidence that abstinence programs work alone, and the institute said the funding requirement can make it harder to tailor activities to a country's individual needs.

And while U.S. officials allow countries to apply for exemptions from the 33 percent rule, the Government Accountability Office says some non-exempted countries had to cut funding for other prevention programs.

Still, support for abstinence programs is just a slice of overall U.S. aid, which also goes to treatment facilities and medicine. There is no doubt U.S. efforts are making a big difference.

BUSH: The money that you have spent is being spent wisely in saving lives.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEVS: And now the U.S. State Department is saying that the 33 percent guideline we're talking about there is actually a very helpful part of the U.S. push for countries to provide evidence about their programs and their needs. The department says when the evidence is there, the rule is waived.

And the department also says that the increased emphasis on abstinence has actually helped create overall, Betty, a more balanced system for trying to tackle AIDS. So that is their stance on it.

NGUYEN: Very interesting. All right. Josh, thanks for that.

Well, candidates in Iowa on an important stop along this campaign trail. CNN's Jessica Yellin is on the scene. She joins us live.

Hi, Jessica. JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Betty, coming up next, I'm at the Presidential Community Action Forum. And I'll tell you just how tight the race is getting here in Iowa -- Betty.

NGUYEN: And stars take center stage at an AIDS benefit concert. Look at that crowd. It's going on right now. You want to stick around for a trip to Johannesburg in the NEWSROOM.

But first, products you use for everyday cleaning may be harmful to your health. There are some alternatives. CNN's Gerri Willis takes a look at today's "Green House" report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Commercial household cleaners may leave your bathtub and countertops sparkling, but watch out for indoor air pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency found the levels of a dozen common pollutants to be up to five times higher inside homes than outside.

Eco-conscious Americans are turning to organic cleaning products to breath easier in their homes. These products are usually found in specialty stores or online and can be more expensive than commercial cleaners.

By opting for home-mixed cleaners, you can create a nontoxic biodegradable cleaner and save money. Vinegar and baking soda can be used to pretty much clean anything. Simply add warm water to either of these and you have got yourself a great, non-toxic all-purpose cleaner.

That's this week's "Green House."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: OK. Assuming the weather cooperates, many of the presidential candidates will be stumping in Iowa this weekend. The Iowa Caucuses are just one week away. CNN's Jessica Yellin is in Des Moines.

Jessica, many states are holding early primaries this year, so why is Iowa still important?

YELLIN: Betty, Iowa is the first in the nation and the race here is about as close as it can get on both sides of the aisle.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

YELLIN (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-OH), 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.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YELLIN: Now I'm in Des Moines where the weather here is sleeting and nasty. But a Community Action Forum is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., and it is going to go on as planned. And it is mainly -- this one is for Democrats, but I can tell you candidates on both sides of aisle are going to be crisscrossing the state between now and January 3rd -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Yes, they're going to try today, if they can get there. I know that the Des Moines International Airport is shut down due to weather there. And it's not expected to open until later today according to an official. So we'll be watching. Jessica, thank you for that.

Do want to give you one other political note. If you missed that hard-hitting Republican YouTube debate earlier this week, you can see it again. Everyone is talking about it. We'll replay it tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

Look at this, a star-studded concert is rocking out right now in Africa. This is Johnny Clegg performing live. All of this is to benefit AIDS research and treatment. We're going to give you a live report from Johannesburg. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, he's almost 90 years old, but Nelson Mandela is still leading the charge against AIDS and HIV. Want to take a look at the concert that he is throwing today, Mandela's World AIDS Day Concert raises awareness and money to battle HIV. Let's take you live now to Johannesburg, South Africa, and CNN's Robyn Curnow.

We can hear the music behind you, and, boy, the crowds have really filled in. Hi there, Robyn.

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there. I think you just said it. There is quite a lot of noise behind me. There is about six hours left of music to go. Still the Goo Goo Dolls and Live and Annie Lennox to come. But the real headline tonight, as you mentioned, is Nelson Mandela. This is his own personal campaign named after his prison number, 46664.

He has joked that the youth don't -- or won't listen to old people or politicians. And because he's both of those, he says that the only way to get the AIDS awareness message across these days is to use musicians, to use celebrities to target the youth, to try and say to them, take responsibility for your own actions. And that's the theme tonight, "it's in our hands."

And Nelson Mandela's own hand has been used as the symbol here, saying to everybody, HIV/AIDS is only going to be fought properly if everybody takes personal responsibility.

Now to give you some sense of just how tragic the issue of HIV/AIDS is in South Africa, the U.N. aides (ph) have said that South Africa is the worst-hit country in the world, 6 million people here are living with the disease and 1,000 people die each day.

Just to put those numbers into perspective here, there are about 35,000, 40,000 people at this concert. In the next six weeks, the same number of people will die in South Africa from AIDS-related illnesses. So it's devastating. Every single community in this country is touched by it.

I mean, one statistic, one survey that we've come across is that South Africans spend more time going to funerals than they do going to anything else, barbecues, hairdressers. But I think from what I can hear behind me, the man himself is on the stage, Nelson Mandela is 89 years old, he still hosts a damn good party. And let's see what he has to say. He's going to start talking very, very soon. The crowd is going wild here.

(CHEERING & APPLAUSE)

NGUYEN: And there you see 89-year-old Nelson Mandela. We were giving him a little bit of time to speak, but boy, the crowd is just so excited to see him on this World AIDS Day. He has spearheaded this movement and this concert there in Africa. And as we heard from Robyn Curnow, 6 million people in Africa dealing with the disease, 1,000 die each and every day.

It's a very important epidemic, and worldwide, there are some 33 million people are living with HIV. And on this World AIDS Day, we are taking note of the numbers and providing you with information on how each and every one of us can make a difference. There is much more to come right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. You'll want to stay tuned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, back now live to T.J. Holmes, who is at the site where they house the AIDS Quilt, and this is really an enormous quilt that represents so many people who have lost their lives.

HOLMES: It is. Those 47,000 panels we talked about earlier representing some 91,000 people who have died, but this panel right here is the one they hope to put in last. This panel you're seeing here, it says "the last one," was made by someone and submitted back in 1988, in hopes that this would be the last panel that would be sewn into the quilt.

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.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com