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Interview with Ludacris; Midwest Hit with Snow; World AIDS Day

Aired December 01, 2007 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Raising their voices on World AIDS Day. Nelson Mandela's concert is raising money and HIV awareness this hour.
Plus this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're immensely relieved that this has ended peacefully.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Hillary Clinton resumes campaigning after a hostage standoff at one of her field offices. Today new information about the suspect's dark past.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT PARKER, MIAMI-DADE POLICE: We have more than one confession. I'll put it at that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Four young men accused and behind bars right now. They're suspects in the death of a Washington Redskins' player.

And a winter storm warning is in effect in parts of the Midwest. We'll take you there, live.

Hello, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, you're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's get started with a little bit of everything: snow, ice, sleet, wind, rain and fog, all of the above. The season's first big winter storm is tearing across the country today and one town in the bull's-eye seems to be Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our Susan Roesgen is there.

This time, well, I saw you in a hood in a moment ago and you took it off, burr, it must be cold.

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fredricka, do you ski?

WHITFIELD: I do.

ROESGEN: Well, this is what people are doing. And I couldn't wait to get a jump on it. This is the first day that they have had real snow. WHITFIELD: Oh, impressive, I'm jealous.

ROESGEN: Cross country skis, nothing too hard for me. You know, they have had such dry Decembers before, such dry winters out here, Fredricka, that they're actually welcoming the snow today. They had just four inches of snow last December. And so to get what they think will be between six and 10 inches today even, today through tomorrow, is just fantastic for them.

You can get a look at the highway now. This is 494, one of the major routes. You can see the traffic is still flowing along, no problems. We checked with the highway patrol, still no problems out there. Minnesota drivers are used to this, usually. But actually the highway patrol says, you know what, just as you need to like remember how to ski, you have to sort of remember how to drive for the first storm of the season.

So they're calling this, Fredericka, an educational storm for Minnesota drivers and skiers.

WHITFIELD: Oh, I like that. An educational storm. So kind of the precursor to the big ones that are on the way later.

ROESGEN: Right. Right.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, I think you're doing quite charming there on those cross country skis. I'm impressed. First time, too?

ROESGEN: Well, thanks -- what's that, Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: First time, too?

ROESGEN: No, no, no, I skied cross country in college, so...

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Oh, well there you go. OK. I thought you looked awfully relaxed on those skis.

ROESGEN: Oh, no, I want to let you know, too, for any viewers that are watching us, Fredricka, in the airports around the country today, we did check with the Minneapolis Airport just about 10 minutes ago, two of the four runways are open. They're keeping those runways open with 100 pieces of snow plowing-type equipment. They say that right now, if you can believe it, Fredricka, there are no cancellations and only about 15-minute delays.

So again, Minneapolis-St. Paul, they know how to handle this. And right now the airport is still open. So someone has got a flight out there to come skiing in the great state of Minnesota, you well be about to get here, we think, for a while. But I'll give you an update later today if that changes.

WHITFIELD: OK. Folks want to come join you for the sidewalk slopes there. Susan Roesgen, thanks so much, from Minneapolis.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well, charges and a motive today in the shooting death of pro football star Sean Taylor. Four men are in custody and three of them appeared in court today in connection with what police are calling a burglary that then turned into murder.

CNN's John Zarrella reports from 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 Miranda-ized before he gave that confession. Unclear at this time.

Two of the other men also charged, Venjah Hunte and Charles Wardlow, also before a judge, their appearances were 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.

WILBUR SMITH, SUSPECT'S ATTORNEY: It's a tragic story you see over and over with young black men killing young black men. Although Sean Taylor was different, he certainly had no culpability. It still is just a tragedy that maybe this being a nationally -- national attention drawn to it, you know, maybe someone will wake and say maybe we ought to address that problem, why it's occurring. I've dealt with it for the 35 years I've practiced. And it's really sickening.

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: After quite a scare yesterday in New Hampshire, he apparently took five people hostage at a Clinton campaign office in Rochester. Well, Leeland Eisenberg is now behind bars facing kidnapping charges. No one was hurt but we now know a lot more about the suspect. CNN has learned that Eisenberg once filed suit against the Boston Archdiocese, claiming abuse.

And according to the lawsuit, he was 21 and homeless and he turned to the church for help. It also says that Eisenberg tried to commit suicide. Court records show that he suffered from severe alcohol and drug addiction.

More now from CNN's Jim Acosta.

(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 hours, 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.

CLINTON: 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, somebody is not happy. A South American president threatens to cut the oil spigot to the U.S. You'll find out why.

Also, the video says one thing, but the man has a message on this World AIDS Day. I talked to Ludacris, coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A warning from Venezuela's President Hugo Chaves, butt out, or, he says, we'll turn off the oil. Chavez is campaigning ahead of a national referendum tomorrow. Venezuelans will decide whether to change the constitution and allow Chavez to seek office indefinitely. Chavez claims the U.S. might sabotage the vote by stirring up protesters and he says a no-vote is a vote for George Bush.

The constitutional changes would cement Venezuela's status at a socialist state, they would nationalize the gas and coal industries and the central bank's independence and reduce property rights.

Well, so much going on this World AIDS Day. And so much more to come. This hour, we'll take you live to South Africa where Nelson Mandela is hosting a huge concert. Also, across the U.S., pieces of the AIDS Memorial Quilt are on display. The quilt is a powerful visual reminder of the AIDS pandemic.

And in honor of this day a giant red ribbon, the international symbol for AIDS awareness, is hanging from the North Portico of the White House.

And in South Africa, the 46664 World AIDS Day Concert is under way. The concert is sponsored by Nelson Mandela, 46664 was his number while in prison for so many years. Well, one of the artists performing at the concert is hip-hop star Ludacris.

I talked with him a short time ago and asked him is music becoming the most powerful tool to help spread the message of AIDS awareness?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LUDACRIS, RAPPER: I think that music is definitely becoming one of the most powerful tools to spread awareness to HIV/AIDS. I'm glad that I'm part of this today. It's a historic event. I know about all the previous concerts in the previous years, but I was caught on by the Nelson Mandela Foundation. And as soon as I heard that, I was here. So it feels great to be among such powerful and entertaining artists.

WHITFIELD: And does your appearance there in South Africa have double meaning given that you produced a video there in South Africa not long ago and so you have made a return visit to this country? LUDACRIS: Yes, we shot the first video in South Africa. We made history by doing that in a city called Durban, which is about two hours' plane ride away from Johannesburg. So making history being an artist from the States, the first hip-hop artist to shoot a video in South Africa was -- I mean, it was beautiful all within itself.

And it's just like, I think everybody here really appreciated that I came here to shoot a video and now I am amazed at how much love that I received from the people here in South Africa. I consider it like my second home and I love it.

I just want it make note that I've been blessed -- I've been blessed to meet Nelson Mandela on two different occasions. This was my second time. Every time I meet him it's an overwhelming experience. He always just reminds me of courage, of course, of strength, of wisdom, all of these beautiful things. He's the leader of all leaders, he motivates me to become a better person every single time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Ludacris right there at the World AIDS Day Concert there in Johannesburg, South Africa. And later on this hour, my conversation with Magic and Cookie Johnson, talking about living with AIDS and how they -- 16 years after he announced that he is HIV positive, how they're turning their campaign into lots of different directions to reach the elderly, the very young, as well as reaching the fastest growing segment of AIDS and HIV patients, which are black women and Hispanic women. That conversation coming up.

And another full week of pretty intriguing legal cases. Among them, the wife of a former Chicago area police officer still missing. Did she run off with another man, as her husband suggested, or was there foul play? We'll ask our legal experts right there to weigh in. We know you guys have all kinds of intriguing ideas about these legal cases, all coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A chilling allegation against former police officer Drew Peterson, whose wife is still missing. In a moment our legal guys weigh in on that case and others.

But, first, here's CNN's Randi Kaye looking that latest developments in that case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If Drew Peterson killed his wife, did he have help getting rid of the body? Bizarre new allegations indicate his stepbrother, Thomas Morphey, may have unwittingly helped him.

Investigators have been quoted saying Morphey believes Stacy Peterson may have been inside the large blue plastic container he helped Drew remove from the home the day she vanished. The container was "warm to the touch."

Peterson had few answers for a local TV reporter.

DREW PETERSON, WIFE MISSING: I have no idea of what anybody is talking about like that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Warm to the touch?

PETERSON: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He says he believes that he helped you dispose of your wife's body. Can you at least respond to that?

PETERSON: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not at all?

PETERSON: No response. Talk to my lawyer. I have got nothing to say about it

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No truth to it whatsoever?

PETERSON: None. Nobody helped me with anything in such a manner.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On October 28th -- where were you on October 28th? This gentleman says he helped you carry a container out of your home.

PETERSON: You're going to have to talk to my attorney.

KAYE (on camera): Police tell us the stepbrother, so distraught by what he thought he did, attempted suicide the next day. He swallowed sleeping pills. Drew's lawyer, Joel Brodsky, calls the stepbrother hardly credible and says the two were not close.

JOEL BRODSKY, ATTORNEY FOR DREW PETERSON: There is no blue barrel. There was never was a blue barrel and -- or nor a blue container.

KAYE (voice-over): We tried to call Morphey, but couldn't reach him. A close friend of Stacy Peterson's family says searchers had been told weeks ago to look for a blue container. State police won't talk about the investigation.

PAMELA BOSCO, FAMILY SPOKESWOMAN: We did suspect that probably somebody did help with this container. We heard that three weeks ago. We always suspected that might have been the case. We do have questions, like what happened after -- or with that container? Who helped him with it after that?

KAYE: The search for Stacy continues. The FBI has volunteers focused on specific waterways. Investigators reportedly think her body may have been dumped in the water, based on cell phone calls placed from that area. Meanwhile, Drew Peterson remains free. Police say he's a suspect, but he's denied doing anything wrong and hasn't been charged. He has resigned from his job with the Bolingbrook P.D. and, in his free time, continues his strange behavior, just yesterday turning the tables on reporters with a home video camera, joking about camping out at their houses.

KERRY SIMMONS, STEPSISTER OF STACY PETERSON: Let him show his face whenever he wants, because, the more he opens his mouth, he's -- the more he's going to sink himself.

KAYE: Depending on which way this thing goes, Drew Peterson could be documenting his last taste of freedom.

Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Wow, this is a case that just gets stranger by the minute. Avery Friedman is a civil rights attorney, joining us from Cleveland.

Good to see you.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Hi, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Richard Herman, a criminal defense attorney out of New York, and also a law professor. But this time in Las Vegas, very interesting.

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Researching O.J.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I'm sure you are. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. All right. Guys, this case cannot get more weird, I guess. Avery, where are we going with this? He is a suspect, not a suspect. He's videotaping the journalists and kind of jovial about all of this, but it's a serious matter. His wife has been missing more than a month.

FRIEDMAN: Yes, this is way too strange, Fredricka. Every day, though, more and more information starts surfacing and slowly, but surely, sooner or later somebody is going to find that body, Fred. Sooner or later someone is going to be able to put this case together. It's clear that there's not enough evidence right now, but, you know, historically, this is a guy in his previous marriage, and, remember, wife number three is also dead. They determined that that may have been a homicide.

There were 18 domestic relations or violence calls and, you know what, nobody did anything. The wife before that, Fredricka, indicated -- has said, look at, my husband, Drew Peterson, said that he knows how to kill me and make it look like an accident. Slowly but surely they're going to get this guy.

WHITFIELD: OK. But, Richard, at the same time, all of this doesn't necessarily mean that this man did anything because he is awfully confident, right? A former police officer, I mean, wouldn't he be stupid to carry out such a crime?

HERMAN: It's -- all of those prior incidents are meaningless, Fred. And this incident with this blue container, you know. His stepbrother, maybe it's true, but the man tried to kill himself, so I don't know what kind of credibility we can lay on this guy as far as any blue container which felt warm when it was plastic.

I don't know, plastic doesn't feel warm. So you know, there are so many things, it doesn't make sense. Without a body in this case, there is no way they can prosecute him and I don't agree with Avery. If they find her body, it's because she's walking around somewhere and she's alive.

WHITFIELD: And that really is part of the problem, right? Without body, it's difficult to prosecute, but, Avery, at the same time, we've seen cases that have gone forward, murder mysteries without a body that somehow there was enough evidence to pursue a suspect. Do we have that here?

FRIEDMAN: Well, there is increasing amount of evidence, and you're absolutely correct, Fredricka. You don't need the body. I mean, the truth is, if the body were there, it makes things profoundly easier for the prosecution. But right now we have got a long way to go to get this guy.

WHITFIELD: All right.

HERMAN: With no body in this case, there is no way he's going to be prosecuted.

WHITFIELD: OK. Fair enough. And I...

FRIEDMAN: I may not disagree with that.

WHITFIELD: OK. And I know, Richard, you're in Vegas, you want to talk O.J., as you said, but we're not going to, because there are other cases. We will one day revisit the whole O.J. thing. But let's talk, instead, about this MySpace case of this poor young girl who was about to turn 15, who committed suicide, being tormented after learning that perhaps this guy she was talking to on MySpace, who admired her, then kind of turned the tables and then come to find out there was no guy anyway.

So, you know, Richard, can you prosecute someone for helping to, I guess, send someone over the edge? In this case, it was a mother who was a neighbor.

HERMAN: No, Fred, in this case, you can't do that. And the legislature in that town and that city is going to have to enact laws if they want to try to prosecute cases like this. But this poor girl was severely depressed, she suffered from bipolar disorder and you know, it just -- there is no prosecution here for this. But perhaps down the road, legislatures all over the country will enact laws to prevent this type of behavior.

WHITFIELD: All right. And, Avery, I'm going to switch topics on you because we're talking about the Aruba case now. Two brothers who were rearrested in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. They're getting out of jail this afternoon. What is going on with this case?

FRIEDMAN: Well, you know, my colleague suggested this is all about tourism, if you'll remember. You know what, I hate to think that he might be right on this one, but you know, when the Kalpoe boys are out and you have got Joran stuck there in the hoosegow there, I don't know where this thing is going.

I think that they were, again, trying to play against each other. I don't think it is going to work.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

HERMAN: But the chief prosecutor got on television and said, we have great new evidence, it's overwhelming, we've got a great prosecution. And now the judge says, no, you don't. He lets them out. It's ridiculous, preposterous.

FRIEDMAN: Yes, it's horrible.

HERMAN: They are bumbling fools in Aruba.

WHITFIELD: And you have to feel for all of the families involved. The Kalpoe family, of course, and of course the Natalee Holloway family and even the van der Sloot, even though we don't know where that is going, where he is going to remain.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Avery, Richard, thank you so much. You guys are so great for rolling with it, because I know we had a lot of topics to cover in a short amount of time. Have a great weekend.

HERMAN: You too.

FRIEDMAN: We'll see you soon, take care.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, another legal case, but this one abroad. But everyone is watching it worldwide. This schoolteacher, she let her students name a teddy bear Muhammad. Big no-no in Sudan. Now facing 15 daze in jail, but here come her government leaders to the rescue. We'll explore the case later on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: This legal case is getting a lot of attention abroad. Two British lawmakers spoke with a jailed schoolteacher in Sudan today. Gillian Gibbons is serving a 15-day sentence for allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammad. Well, some Sudanese Muslims think that the sentence should be much harsher than that.

CNN's Paula Hancocks reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gillian gibbons is spending her seventh day as a prisoner in Sudan after she was found guilty of insulting religion. She's being held in a secret location for her own safety. Two British lawmakers travel to Khartoum Saturday to see her and they spoke to CNN.

BARONESS SAYEEDA WARSI, BRITISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Considering the difficult circumstances that she's now been in for a while, she's remarkably upbeat and we spent about an hour with Gillian and discussed a number of matters and tried to give her as much hope as we could.

HANCOCKS: The two Muslim lawmakers are not representing the British government, but they are hoping to secure Gibbons' early release.

LORD NAZIR AHMED, BRITISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER: There has been a lot of pressure on the government of Sudan and obviously, we are very concerned about Gillian and the president has the powers for pardon and that may be discussed, if we get the chance to meet with him.

HANCOCKS: Gibbons' crime: to allow her 7-year-old students to name the class teddy bear Muhammed. Her family and friends say it was an innocent mistake with no insult intended. Hundreds of Sudanese men took to the streets on Friday calling for a stiffer sentence for Gibbons, some even demanding the death penalty.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I not accepting of (ph) everybody. If they can do it in Europe, they cannot do it here in Sudan.

HANCOCKS: Gibbons is said to be holding up well. Talking to her 25-year-old son by telephone, she said she did not want any resentment towards Muslims because of her sentence.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Weather wreaking havoc in the Midwest. You're looking at live pictures of Des Moines, Iowa, where actually, traffic is moving pretty good. But maybe because they're used to weather like this. The first big winter snowfall, I guess, that's a way of putting it.

Jacqui Jeras is in the severe weather center and this is the first big snowfall, right?

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it is the first big snow for up north and then like central Iowa, Des Moines we were talking about, this has been a real ice storm for them ...

WHITFIELD: Yes.

JERAS: ...and now, it's changed over some rain. So, that's why it's looking pretty good.

WHITFIELD: Roads are slick, though, nonetheless.

JERAS: Yes, so, things are looking a little better.

Here are all the warnings and advisories in place. So you can see, it really covers a large area of the Midwest. Where you see the red, primarily snow. Pink is ice and blue is an advisory, which means it's not going to be as bad in terms of accumulation, but you probably could see a little bit of hodgepodge of everything.

And we really start getting worried when we start seeing ice accumulations between a quarter of an inch to a half an inch. And of course, you know, the higher those accumulations get, the more likely there's going to be power outages, very slick roads and, really, not recommending any travel across central Iowa throughout much of the morning and the afternoon hours. Tow trucks not even allowed to get out. So, if you're stranded, you're kind of on your own and there you can see that transition beginning to take place in Des Moines.

Down here in Indianola, by the way, they were reporting nearly an inch of ice accumulating, so that causes trouble. Minneapolis, this is an all-snow event for you. You've had snow already this season, but not a whole heck of a lot. And today, we're looking at maybe six to 10 inches overall. Milwaukee, you're just just getting started. We have got a live picture to show you of that snow starting to come down. Look at that beautiful sight. Do you love snow, I love the snow!

Three inches expected in Milwaukee. We're going to see this likely change over to some freezing rain, then rain over night and tomorrow morning, and then change back to the snow once we get on the back side of this system. Chicago looking at snow, you'll likely see those changes again later on for tonight. We've got some big-time delays at Chicago O'Hare.

And we also have a southwestern part of this storm, Fredricka, with some heavy rain into parts of Arizona there with some flash flooding possible, blizzard conditions in the Colorado Rockies ...

WHITFIELD: Whoah!

JERAS: ...and the San Juan Mountains and, tomorrow, those of you in the northeast will start to get in on some of the action. The white means a watch, so conditions are going to be coming in, say by mid-dayish tomorrow and it could be the first snowfall in New York City.

WHITFIELD: Oh, nice. Well, people will look forward to that, sort of.

JERAS: Yes ...

WHITFIELD: ...you know, sort of, not all New Yorkers really welcome the whole snow thing.

JERAS: It's going to get icy, though, it's not going to be all snow. WHITFIELD: Yes, I know, it gets ugly and muddy and it's beautiful at the first snowfall, but then once the traffic gets going, yuck. Watch those pretty shoes.

JERAS: Messy.

WHITFIELD: Yes, all right, Jacqui, thanks so much.

Well, it's a snowy picture in Iowa, as well, which is why there's no real clear view of the winner in the race to be the next president. And that has a lot of the candidates zeroing in on the Hawkeye State because they know how important it is to try to win in Iowa.

CNN's Jessica Yellin joins us now from Des Moines where you're inside, thank goodness, because I know it's a snowy picture out.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thank goodness. It is cold out there and events are just getting underway here at a Democratic candidates' forum in Des Moines. I'll tell you, Fredricka, in this state, the races are about as tight as they can get on both sides of the aisle.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

YELLIN (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: John Edwards will be the first candidate to take the stage here. Barack Obama will also attend and Hillary Clinton will join by phone, we're told, from New Hampshire.

And I can tell you Republicans will be crisscrossing the state just like Democrats between now and January 3rd -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Oh yes, it's going to be a very busy path there. Jessica Yellin, thank you so much.

YELLIN: Sure.

WHITFIELD: Well, the people, the voters are talking and asking questions. Perhaps you missed some of the zaps and the zings. Well, see what everybody is talking about. The CNN/YouTube Republican debate, an encore presentation, that's tonight 8:00 Eastern, only on CNN.

Well, here in the U.S., it's the African-American community that has the fastest-growing number of AIDS cases.

(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: Advice from former NBA star Magic Johnson, along with his wife, Cookie, with some pretty remarkable messages about living and fighting AIDS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: On this World AIDS Day, a reminder one of the most prominent celebrities associated with spreading the word about AIDS and HIV and disspelling misconceptions is Magic Johnson. It has been 16 years since the NBA legend announced that he has HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The disclosure was a huge bombshell. Coming up, the height of his pro-basketball career.

Well, back in 1991, many thought it was a sure fire death sentence for Johnson. Well, recently I talked with 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: And more coverage of World AIDS Day straight ahead, including some remarkable photos that you don't want to miss.

Plus, it's one of President Bush's favorite weapons in the fight against AIDS. Is abstinence having an impact at all? Next, in the NEWSROOM.

JERAS: And I'm Jacqui Jeras in the CNN weather center with today's cold and flu report.

You know, the latest update this week has changed a little bit from last week in kind of the unexpected. We had purple colors here, which means localized activity in Louisiana and Florida last week. Louisiana, you've seen improvement. It's just sporadic here now. I actually thought it would start to fill in across the southeastern quarter.

Where you see yellow on the map, predominantly across the northern tier here, across the Great Lakes, into the southwest, over to Alaska, no activity, at least not yet. So, the worst of the conditions now in Hawaii and in Florida.

Of course, we'll have an update for this on you next week. Try and stay healthy becauase we've got a winter storm out there. We'll have more on that coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Abstinence and fidelity. Twin weapons in President Bush's fight against AIDS, but is the president's battle plan working? Our Josh Levs is here keeping them honest, investigating.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

WHITFIELD: So, is it?

LEVS: Well, it is the most controversial part of his plan. You know, overall, there's no question that the U.S. is making a difference. But there's this part of the plan that requires countries to use abstinence funds in a certain way, now government reports are saying that could actually hurt the effort.

(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.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 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.

But the U.S. State Department says the 33 percent guideline is a 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 argues that the increased emphasis on abstinence has helped create a more balanced strategy in combatting AIDS.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Wow, I'm glad that this weekend -- and it shouldn't just be for a weekend, but this ...

LEVS: Right.

WHITFIELD: ...weekend, people are paying attention.

LEVS: Yes.

WHITFIELD: So many people, including presidential candidates who are now saying or are they ...

LEVS: Yes.

WHITFIELD: ...you know, that this needs to be an issue in the forefront of health care.

LEVS: They are. Just the other night, Hillary Clinton talked about this. And actually, this is interesting. What's been happening is that the Democrats have slammed this rule. The leading Democrats, Edwards and Obama and Clinton have all slammed it.

But so far, Clinton is the one who has came out and said that if elected, she will get rid of this rule altogether, there will be no 33 percent rule, it won't exist anymore and that gets her a lot of support because, as you know, there a lot of people who have a problem with it.

WHITFIELD: Right.

LEVS: Yes.

WHITFIELD: And everyone needs help, you know, particularly those who are HIV positive and AIDS patients who need some help along the way.

LEVS: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: Enough isn't being done.

LEVS: Right, there's always more to do.

WHITFIELD: All right, Josh, thank you.

LEVS: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: Well, proof positive, how? Anti-viral drug -- anti- retroviral drug is what they're called. It's actually changing the lives of AIDS victims in Africa.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So, we continue our coverage of World AIDS Day with a unique look at what can happen when victims too poor to get medicine finally get what are called anti-retroviral drugs. The images come from an award-winning photographer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, look up, look up, look up, that's good.

WHITFIELD (voice-over): In 40 years of photography, Antonin Kratochvil has traveled paths like this in the African bush before. Unpredictable, dusty and sometimes frighteningly sad.

But an assignment to Zambia for a "Vanity Fair" spread on AIDS was eye-opening, even for someone who's witnessed calamity and chaos.

ANTONIN KRATOCHVIL, PHOTOGRAPHER: In the past when I photographed AIDS in Africa, it was always death, it meant death to these people.

WHITFIELD: The idea during his first 10 day journey: find AIDS victims in tiny villages, who for too long have gone without any advanced medicine, take their pictures ...

KRATOCHVIL: Can you ask him to look at me? So I can see (ph) with his face?

WHITFIELD: ...then come back 40 days later, with camera in hand, after these poor people, like Sylvia, Nigel, and Banda (ph) received anti-retroviral drugs supplied by the Global Fund, along with corporate donations to fight AIDS.

KRATOCHVIL: I wasn't sure that this is going to work and I was, you know, bracing myself for the worst.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So, what did he find 40 days later? Join us in the NEWSROOM 4:00 p.m. Eastern when he goes back to the villages of Zambia.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield back live in 30 minutes. "SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT" starts right now.

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