Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Snowstorm Slams Northeast, More to Come; 85 Professional Baseball Players Linked to Drug Use; Clinton Adviser Resigns

Aired December 14, 2007 - 11:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everyone. You're with CNN. You're informed.
I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, everybody.

I'm Heidi Collins.

Developments keep coming into the CNN NEWSROOM Friday morning, 14th of December.

Here's what's on the rundown.

A big snowstorm blowing through the Northeast. Now you've got to get ready for a weekend Nor'easter.

HARRIS: Baseball's steroids investigation. Minutes ago, President Bush speaks out. This hour the journalist who wrote the book on baseball and juicing.

COLLINS: A Hillary Clinton staffer fired over a potshot at Barack Obama's drug past. Mrs. Clinton talks about it this morning -- in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Potshot. OK.

HARRIS: Let's talk about it, the winter weather smack-down. Are you dealing with it now where you are? If you're in the Northeast, the answer is yes. Boy, folks there waking up to this cold, harsh reality.

A brutal winter storm closing schools and businesses and stranding travelers. Airlines trying to get back on schedule at Boston's Logan Airport and other airports in the region. Hundreds of flights had to be canceled. Delays already reported today.

A nightmare on the roads, including this gridlock on I-95 in Massachusetts. I-Reporter John Sullivan snapped this shot, then hit the back roads. He says it took him more than an hour to drive five measly miles.

Traffic jams didn't just keep commuters from getting home on time. Many kids were stuck on buses or at schools for hours.

Round two is set to hit this weekend. A classic Nor'easter with snow, ice, gale-force winds. Man, right in the middle of all of it, getting hammered in Hartford, Connecticut, CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf.

And Reynolds, did you get rid of that cracked out thermometer you were using an hour ago?

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know what? I have to tell you, Tony, I retired that thing because it didn't drop. I think it just didn't want to. It was refusing to drop.

So -- but I can guarantee you the Reynolds thermometer tells me it is very cold out here. We've got temperatures out here that are well into the 40s. Starting to get above freezing, so it's not quite so bad.

I will tell you, last night -- and this was an entirely different situation. Right behind me you can see the state capitol, the beautiful golden dome. I know it's easy to see, but last night the snow was coming down to beat the band, and we had anywhere from 6 to 8 inches of snowfall right here in Hartford.

The streets were really difficult to get around, but I'll tell you, they did a great job here. We had all kinds of snowplows out, all kinds of salt trucks. And they really did a bang-up job cleaning up the streets.

The city buses are operational. Everybody is out making their way around the city with really no issues.

Here in Bushnell Park, there still is plenty of snow. A lot of it will begin to melt as the temperatures continue to climb into the 40s. In fact, 46 degrees the expected high.

But we do have that second blast, that second installment of winter-like weather that we're expecting towards the end of the weekend. We're going to have that Nor'easter develop right off the Jersey coast, and if that stays off the coast, this could be another area that it will be pounded by snow.

If it stays inland, however, that Nor'easter, it could become more of a rain event. And we're going to get a much better handle on what we can anticipate with that Nor'easter definitely over the next couple of hours, and certainly within the next 12 hours.

But right now, again, it's a beautiful day in Hartford. We're getting ready for the next storm, and right now I'm sitting in this park bench kind of like a snowbound Forrest Gump.

We'll send it back to you.

HARRIS: There you go. And here's the thing about those Nor'easters -- they move quickly, right? They just blast through, but they can leave a mess in their wake.

WOLF: There's no question about that. I mean, and it's going to affect millions of people. HARRIS: Right. Right.

WOLF: And it doesn't matter if it happens to be just a snow event. It can be a rain event, with all the wind -- you still have the threat of coastal flooding.

HARRIS: Right.

WOLF: It's going to be a tremendous storm, there's no question.

HARRIS: Wow. Reynolds Wolf for us.

You look good out there. All framed up. It looks like the holidays. Good to see you, Reynolds.

WOLF: See you, man.

COLLINS: And better because he didn't have the thermometer. I mean, let's be honest, that was not good.

HARRIS: Oh man.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Well, he was the first to turn on NFL star Michael Vick and last to be sentenced in the dogfighting case. Tony Taylor sentenced to two months in prison.

He admitted shooting one dog and electrocuting another for not performing well in the test fights. Two months. But the prosecutor in the case says Taylor was the most significant source of information against the other three defendants. They got much harsher sentences, including suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who, as you know, has started a 23-month prison sentence.

COLLINS: George Mitchell speaks, and Congress answers. The former senator's report on performance-enhancing drug use in baseball triggering two hearings on Capitol Hill. The first will happen next week.

Here is CNN's Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Anticipated for months, names dropped in advance, the report is still jarring -- a who's who of superstars.

The naming of Roger Clemens, one of baseball's most dominant pitchers for more than 20 years, and his New York Yankee teammate, pitcher Andy Pettitte, led one observer to call this a tough day in the Bronx. Former MVPs Barry Bonds and Miguel Tejada and nine-time All Star Gary Sheffield also make George Mitchell's list of dozens of Major League Baseball players linked to the alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs. GEORGE MITCHELL, MLB STEROID INVESTIGATOR, FORMER SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: The use of steroids in Major League Baseball was widespread. The response by baseball was slow to develop and was initially ineffective.

TODD: Mitchell also levels blame on the players union for first opposing random testing and for a lack of cooperation with his inquiry.

MITCHELL: Each of the players was invited to meet with me so I could provide him with information about the allegations and give him an opportunity to respond. Almost without exception, all current players declined my invitation.

TODD: Mitchell recommends year-round unannounced testing, the results open to the public, and says baseball should outsource the testing program to an independent person with real authority. But he says baseball's commissioner should not punish players for past violations unless they're so serious that the integrity of the game is on the line. The commissioner indicates he may be inclined to punish some.

BUD SELIG, MLB COMMISSIONER: I will deal with the active players identified by Senator Mitchell as users of performance-enhancing substances. I will also review the comments made by Senator Mitchell about club personnel and will take appropriate action.

TODD: The head of the players union says any decision by players not to cooperate was up to the players themselves and says this about repercussions...

DONALD FEHR, BASEBALL PLAYERS UNION: Many players are named. Their reputations have been adversely affected, probably forever, even if it turns out down the road that they should not have been.

TODD (on camera): An attorney for Roger Clemens says he expects his client to come out swinging and adamantly deny the accusations against him. Our calls to representatives for Andy Pettitte, Miguel Tejada, Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield were not returned.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COLLINS: President Bush weighs in on the steroids investigation in Major League Baseball. The president is a self-described baseball fan, and he's a former owner, of course, of the Texas Rangers. Here's what he had to say just a few minutes ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A couple reactions to the Mitchell Report. As you know, I'm a baseball fan. I love the sport. I love the game.

Like many fans, I've been troubled by the steroid allegations. I think it's best that all of us not jump to any conclusions on an individual player's name, but we can jump to this conclusion: that steroids have sullied the game. And players and the owners must take the Mitchell Report seriously. I'm confident they will.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Steroids and Major League Baseball. We're going to be hearing from a man who helped drive the investigation. He's going to be joining us right here in the NEWSROOM, coming up within just a few minutes.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Steroids investigation in Major League Baseball. Our next guest was a major force in driving the -- well, driving the story, really.

Mark Fainaru-Wada is the co-author of the book "Game of Shadows."

And if I'm correct here, Mark, I believe it's about to be turned into a movie? Is that correct?

MARK FAINARU-WADA, AUTHOR, "GAME OF SHADOWS": Yes, that's what they're saying. So we'll -- you know, we'll wait and see. I'll believe it when I see it.

HARRIS: All right, Mark. Great to see you. Thanks for your time.

So, the president, last hour, says we shouldn't jump to any conclusions -- I'm reading it here -- "We shouldn't jump to any conclusions about the players named in the report." And I'm thinking, huh? If the president doesn't view the Mitchell Report as conclusive, what are we to think here?

FAINARU-WADA: Well, I certainly wouldn't pretend to try and get inside the president's head and what he knows and what he's thinking.

HARRIS: Is that a curious thing for him to have said?

FAINARU-WADA: Well, I really -- I really don't know. I mean, the thing to think about as you look at the report is, it's really based not so much on Mitchell's investigation, as it is on federal investigations. It's driven by three federal investigations, really, in which many people are forced to testify under threat of perjury, threat of being prosecuted, threat of obstruction of justice. And it's based in large part on documents and checks backing up what witnesses said.

HARRIS: Yes. So are you -- I don't know if you finished the report or if you're still working your way through it. Any real surprises in there for you based on all of the work you've done on this? FAINARU-WADA: Well, I think there were a couple of surprises. I mean, obviously Roger Clemens' name was the biggest name to come out of...

HARRIS: Had you heard any rumors about Roger Clemens?

FAINARU-WADA: Well, I mean, I think, you know, anybody in baseball has talked about some of the biggest names in the sport as well -- were they using? And Clemens' name always came up, but no one ever had evidence of that or was able to write a story about it.

HARRIS: Yes.

FAINARU-WADA: You know, here you have Senator Mitchell laying out the evidence that they have based on Clemens' trainer describing his injecting Clemens. So the other striking thing is actually there's a section in the report that gets lost because of the Clemens story...

HARRIS: Yes.

FAINARU-WADA: ... but here in San Francisco it's interesting. It essentially tells us that the Giants knew about Bonds' trainer, Greg Anderson, distributing steroids about a year before the BALCO case broke, and ultimately decided to do nothing about it.

HARRIS: Which brings us to the point. I mean, there clearly is enough blame to go around, but my goodness, if I'm a CEO of a company and I've got this going on in my business, come on. Why didn't he offer his resignation? I'm talking about Bud Selig, of course. Why didn't he offer his resignation yesterday?

FAINARU-WADA: Well, I think the commissioner would suggest, as he has many times, that, A, the game is thriving under his leadership, $6 billion in revenue, record attendance, and he would also suggest he's done everything in his power under the confines of the collective bargaining agreement to address this issue. Look, there's plenty of people who would disagree with that concept, but I think the owners are fairly help with Bud Selig, and that's who pays him.

HARRIS: The game is thriving, fans of the game have been living in this steroid era for the last 10 years. It's about 10 years now. And the game continues to thrive.

You know what, Mark? We really don't care about steroids. Here is what we've done. We have continued to patronize the game in big, big numbers because we really don't care.

FAINARU-WADA: Well, I think I have sort of mixed feelings about that. I think there's certainly an element of folks who don't care. We get e-mails from those people all the time. But as many e-mails as I get from those people, I get e-mails from diehard fans who are disappointed in the era, who are desperately troubled by it and are bothered by the fact that some of the greatest players in the game have cheated. So I don't think it's as simple to say that. But I do think there's certainly a disconnect, and you have fans willing to continue to go pay large sums of money to cheer and root when somebody hits the ball 500 feet...

HARRIS: Yes.

FAINARU-WADA: ... because it's an entertaining prospect. But I do think it's not right to lump everybody together and say nobody cares about it.

HARRIS: Mark, it's wrestling -- OK. I know I'm about to tick you off here. It's wrestling. We have figured that out.

We love the spectacle of the gladiators hitting the ball, as you mentioned, 500 feet. Be careful, baseball, as you move forward in cleaning up your game, because if you start ending up with 1-0 games again and looking like soccer, we won't be there in the stands.

FAINARU-WADA: Well, I mean, I think that remains to be determined. I don't -- you're not ticking me off because I don't necessarily disagree with you.

HARRIS: OK.

FAINARU-WADA: I mean, the game has evolved this way and that's where it is, but I don't necessarily buy the notion that this is -- we've sort of turned the corner on our WWE yet.

HARRIS: Yes.

FAINARU-WADA: But I think we're headed in that direction, I guess. And, you know, the question is, what do you want your sports to be and what's the message you want to be sending?

HARRIS: I think you're absolutely right. Are there any implications in this report for the Barry Bonds case?

FAINARU-WADA: I don't really think so. There's nothing new in the report about Bonds, and there's a reason for that. Again, the report is driven by these federal investigations.

HARRIS: Yes.

FAINARU-WADA: There's this ongoing perjury case against Bonds now and obstruction of justice. That he is no way you're going to see new evidence against Bonds, because the government is holding that close to its vest or it's releasing it to the defense under seal.

So, you know, we weren't surprised about that. I think that, as I stated earlier, the interesting revelation about Bonds was more about the Giants than about Bonds himself.

HARRIS: Yes, I think you're right about that. Mark, great to see you. Thanks for your time.

FAINARU-WADA: My pleasure. Thank you.

HARRIS: We appreciate it.

COLLINS: Remarks about a presidential candidate's past drug use. Now a resignation. Campaigns clash as the race gets tighter.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A former Clinton adviser's potshot at Obama -- the adviser resigns. Clinton apologizes. She was asked about the remark at a news conference just a short time ago.

Jessica Yellin is joining us now live from Johnston, Iowa, site of the Iowa debates.

So, Jessica, what is Hillary Clinton saying now about the flap today?

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Senator Clinton distanced herself from the remarks of her campaign co-chair. He had said that Barack Obama's admission of past drug use hurts his electability. Senator Clinton repeated today to reporters that he has left the campaign, that his comments were never endorsed by the campaign, and she's not supportive broadly of his making the statement to the press.

Let's listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: As soon as I found out that one of my supporters and co-chairs in New Hampshire made a statement, asked a series of questions, I made it clear it was not authorized. It was in no way condoned. I didn't know about it, and he stepped down.

You know, I want to keep this campaign focused on the issues that Leonard and I are talking about. Who would be the best president? And who is the best Democrat to nominate to get elected?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: Now, Clinton was asked whether she specifically renounces the comment he made, whether she agrees that past drug use even matters in the campaign, and she didn't answer that question. But she did at another point today say that what really does matter is electability, and said if she's the nominee, there will "be no surprises."

Now, she insists that she wasn't at the referring to the other candidates. She was only talking about herself.

Clinton has today tried to project a sense of confidence and even an excitement that this race is tightening. As you know, there's been just a spate of bad news about her campaign. She denies that they're in disarray and says there's no real surprise that this race is tight. She expected that all along.

Today she even brought someone out to endorse her, a representative, Leonard Boswell, here in Iowa. And she says she's excited for a tight less than three weeks as we get down to the wire here in Iowa -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, Jessica, it was kind of interesting, because when she was asked that question specifically regarding these comments that were made about Obama and whether the drug use should be, you know, a factor in the run for the president, she said, well, you know, it certainly isn't going to be an issue with my candidacy. This was a top adviser who stepped down now. Is this going to hurt the campaign? Will there be any impact?

YELLIN: Well, the question is how will this whole issue affect both campaigns? I mean, now everybody is talking about Barack Obama and the issue of drug use. So it's arguable that it could hurt both Clinton and Obama. Clinton for going negative, Obama for being sucked into this drama. And the one who could benefit is John Edwards for being out of the whole skirmish -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Very interesting.

All right. Jessica Yellin reporting live from Johnston, Iowa.

Thank you, Jessica.

Want the most up-to-the-minute political news anywhere available? CNNPolitics.com is your one-stop shop. It's the Internet's premier destination for political news -- CNNPolitics.com.

Southern surge. A Republican candidate rockets to the top in South Carolina. Our Bill Schneider and the new polls coming your way next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Two women set on fire. Police say the suspect did not stop there. A crime scene shocker.

Bottom of the hour. Welcome back, everyone. Good Friday to you. You're back in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: Hi there, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.

Suspicious deaths outside a mall. The bodies of a woman and an eight-year-old girl were found in an SUV in a south Florida mall parking lot, the vehicle still running. Authorities believe they were victims of a robbery.

HARRIS: Doused with gas, set on fire, then a man trying to help the two victims shot in the face. Chris Martinez of affiliate WFTS reports police now have a suspect.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have anything to say to the families?

CHRIS MARTINEZ, WFTS REPORTER (voice-over): On this night before his 30th birthday, Leon Davis is no longer a free man. In the midst of a massive manhunt, the suspect turned himself in.

Davis was a well-known customer of this insurance office. The two women working here today told police he came in demanding money and clutching a can of gasoline. Seconds later, cops say he doused the place and the victims, then set them on fire. They got out badly burned to find the suspect waiting with a gun and a good samaritan rushing to their rescue.

CAPT. TROY SCHULZE, LAKE WALES POLICE DEPT.: And he saw the smoke, heard the yelling. He tried to intervene and help and he took a gunshot wound to the face from the suspect.

MARTINEZ: Witnesses say that's when Davis made his retreat, leaving the three bloodied victims in the parking lot to die. Both women, one of them six months pregnant, managed to walk next door to Alex Franco's restaurant for help.

ALEX FRANCO, WITNESS: I mean, they were gushing blood out. I mean, they had no skin, to be honest with you. They -- when the paramedics got there, they told them it was between 80 and 90 percent of the body was burned.

MARTINEZ: Both women were air lifted to a burn center in Orlando. The shooting victim was treated at a hospital in Lakes Wales. Now tonight with the suspect in custody, no one can make sense of such a violent outburst, especially those who know the accused.

JOY DAVIS, KNOWS SUSPECT: He was always funny and playful and Paula (ph), he just don't seem like that type of person that would do someone.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Well, the shooting victim is expected to be OK. He is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery today. No word on the condition of the two women who were burned.

COLLINS: Outlawing the death penalty. New Jersey lawmakers approved a bill to do just that. Governor Corzine says he'll sign it soon. New Jersey would be the first state to abolish the death penalty in 40 years. A special state commission found the death penalty cost more than life in prison. It hasn't deterred murders though, and the commission says there's always a risk of executing an innocent person.

HARRIS: Baseball, the national past time. Today, the spotlight turns blistering in one of the biggest scandals ever to rock the game. Dozens of big leaguers are linked to performance-enhancing drugs. The names, a veritable who's who of this generation. Homerun king Barry Bonds, slugger Jason Giambi and earning the most attention, legendary pitcher Roger Clemens, in all 31 All-Stars.

Some critics say the report lacks concrete evidence. It's author scoffs at that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE MITCHELL, MLB STEROIDS INVESTIGATOR: There's direct eyewitness statements by participants. There are checks. There are money orders. There are telephone calls, and there are many admissions, at least 11 players admitted to us that they did, in fact, purchase steroids from one of the witnesses, as he said they had. So, I think it's quite wrong to say there's no concrete evidence. There's several hundred pages of evidence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Baseball commissioner Bud Selig says he will take action. He's not saying what that really means.

COLLINS: A lineup of baseball stars. Are they the latest inductees to the hall of shame? The steroid scandal and the fallout on this morning after. CNN's Alina Cho now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The New York Metros Little League team had a winning season this year, and they did it simply by playing hard and fair. But can the same be said of many of their Major League heroes? Grown men it turns out, who may not be the best role models.

NATHANIEL CRAMER-GIBBS, LITTLE LEAGUE PITCHER: They're cheaters. They're just ruining the sport for kids and even people on their team.

CHO: The lineup of seven MVPs and 31 All-Stars in the report was disappointing. But to see hometown hero Roger Clemens, one of the greatest pitchers of the last 20 years, tainted by allegations of steroid use even though he vehemently denies them, was almost too much to handle.

RYAN THIER, LITTLE LEAGUE 3RD BASEMAN: When I was younger, I would look up to them and stuff and try to like -- I was wanting to be like them and stuff, and now like they cheated, and I don't really want to be like them.

CHO: Jimmy Haber has coached Little League baseball for seven years. He says the Major Leagues are setting a bad example.

JIMMY HABER, LITTLE LEAGUE COACH: We sending out a message to them that if they cheat at work or they cheat at school, they're going to make more money, and that's the way they're going to get ahead in life, and that's not the right message.

THIER: Whenever I see someone hit a homerun, I'm always like wondering do they take steroids and if they really -- like are naturally hitting it or if its like the drugs hitting it.

CHO: And what does this 12-year-old say he'll do when he sees his former hero Andy Pettitte head to the mound at Yankee Stadium next year?

THIER: I'll boo him -- loud.

CHO: Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Mike Huckabee's southern surge. He rockets to the top, but a new poll out of South Carolina. Senior political analyst Bill Schneider live from Columbia, South Carolina, with the numbers, and, Bill, it looks like Mike Huckabee has captured some interest among his fellow southerners there.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: That's right. Mike Huckabee is a southerner and so is Fred Thompson, and they're No. 1 and two in the polls here in the first southern Republican primary in January in South Carolina. Huckabee has really climbed from just three percent and also ran back in July, to 24 percent now, and that puts him at the top of the field with Fred Thompson second along with Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and then John McCain, and finally Ron Paul, who has also seen his support grow a bit.

Mike Huckabee has a base of Evangelical support, which is, of course, very strong here in South Carolina. But also, he's spreading beyond that to get a lot of support from conservatives. South Carolina is a conservative-based state. That's why it's so important in the Republican primary, a real test to see how candidates are doing in the parties' conservative base.

HARRIS: Hey Bill, how is the race shaping up for Democrats in South Carolina?

SCHNEIDER: Well, Hillary Clinton, she's still ahead here in South Carolina. Her support hasn't changed much since July, but notice that Barack Obama is creeping up there. She -- her lead has been cut in half. She was 16 points ahead of Obama in July. Now, she's eight points ahead.

Here, too, the Democrats have their base vote. In this case, African-American voters, who are half the voters in the state's Democratic primary, and how are they voting? Half for Hillary Clinton, half for Barack Obama. It's going to be a real knock down, drag out fight here in South Carolina for that African-American vote.

HARRIS: What a race. Senior political analyst, Bill Schneider for us from Columbia, South Carolina this morning. Bill, great to see you. Thank you, sir.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

COLLINS: Now, here's a police chase you won't believe. Altamonte Springs, Florida, just outside Orlando, police arrive to investigate a crash at a shopping center, and a van takes off. Yes, it takes off. The van goes airborne, but the chase isn't over yet. The driver takes off again. Slams into a fire hydrant. And now, cue the music. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Bad boys, bad boys, what you gonna do. Bad boys, bad boys, what you gonna do ...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Yes, the suspect's tune fittingly the theme song to "Cops." Not everybody laughing, though. Police say they actually found a handgun on the passenger seat loaded, cocked and ready to fire. Police now want to know if the suspect is linked to any robberies.

HARRIS: So, you got your coffee, you walk out of the store there and what are you greeted by: a city full of monkeys, thousands roaming the streets. Who are you going to call?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS Huge primate problem. Thousands roaming the streets in India. How to restore order? Call on the monkey police, of course.

CNN's Cal Perry explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAL PERRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At first glance monkeys living in a city with 13 million humans, crawling around the court district, sliding down poles with style, is aesthetically pleasing in some way. You do every once in a while catch a captivating glance in the middle of India's capital.

RAMAL LALA, MONKEY WRANGLER (through translator): The (INAUDIBLE) snatch food from inside the houses. They raid the houses in large numbers. Sometimes the brave ones will even bite.

PERRY: OK. So with the captivation apparently comes a very serious annoyance, and one the Indian government has been struggling to fix, for decades.

Their current push, men like Ramal and his partner Mungul (ph) literally walk the monkey beat on early morning in downtown Delhi.

LALA: We feed him well. He is like a member of a family. He is also my source of livelihood.

PERRY: The plan is pretty simple. Get the bigger monkeys to corral the smaller ones. Then move them to a reserve just outside Delhi. Some 600 have been moved in just over six months, according to the government. Or simply chase them off, with apparently the help of a large stick and a slingshot.

Ramal says it's just to scare them off. The monkey is revered in India, Hanaman (ph) a god. Some estimates put the monkey population in Delhi up to 10,000. But the government's current solution, for many, is questionable, to say the least. DR. IQBAL MALIK, PRIMATOLOGIST: It's stupid. It is stupid plan. It is a ridiculous plan, and it's making the country look ridiculous in the eyes of the scientists of the world.

PERRY: And that from the leading primatologist in India. She's been involved in the problem for two decades, and she's also concerned about the humanity involved. This was my reaction to my telling her about Ramal and his slingshot, not to mention the reserve itself, called the Bakti (ph) Mines on the outskirts of Delhi. Dr. Malik believes that, too, is a disaster.

MALIK: I give list of over 100 trees and plants were which supposed to be planted there before monkeys were to be released, and also converted into a monkey-proof area.

PERRY (on camera): You can see the green fence line of the Bakti reserve about an hour outside central Delhi, a place that's supposed to be the end of the line for the monkeys that wreak havoc across the metropolis. But as you can see, a simple green fence is no great feat for a monkey to overcome.

Cal Perry, CNN, Delhi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

COLLINS: I want to take to you New York now. Just getting these pictures from our affiliate there, New York one. We are looking at some type of scaffolding collapse, a construction accident here. New York Police Department has apparently already rescued someone who was trapped there momentarily. Tampa Bay Bridge rescue apparently is what we're looking at.

Now let me tell you what happened. Apparently a load of construction material fell from that crane you just saw moments ago at the Goldman Sachs construction site. This is lower Manhattan we're talking about. Material then fell onto a trailer that was on-site, and now one person has been taken out of that trailer. Not sure the nature of the injuries, but has been take ton a nearby hospital.

So once again, there is the latest story. The new video coming into us from our affiliate there in New York, New York One. Very scary moment, I'm sure.

HARRIS: It really is. Look at that scene.

"YOUR WORLD TODAY" is coming up in just a couple of minutes at the top of the hour right here on CNN. There she is, Hala Gorani standing by with a preview.

Hala, good morning.

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi and Tony.

You know if you're at the Bali Climate Change Conference, you need a gimmick. Apparently a group of activists was handing out the "fossil of the day" awards. As you can see there, Canada won today. According to these activists, some countries are more guilty an others of blocking negotiations. The winner gets a lump of coal.

Also for the first time made public, love letters written by Princess Diana to her lover at the time she died, Dodi Al Fayed. We will be bringing you that story from London, and excerpts from those private letters.

And just in time for Christmas -- glow in the dark cats, genetically modified cloned cats. It's not creepy enough to have cloned cats, no, you have to have them glow in the dark apparently. Anyway we'll bring you that story. Why are they experimenting with these poor creatures, is the question. And you'll get the answer at the top of the hour.

HARRIS: Love it.

COLLINS: Love that story.

HARRIS: Yes, that's Heidi's story of the day. That's it, right there. All right, Hala, great to see you. Thanks.

Actually I'll take this story over the glowing cats, guys. Daddy missed their birthdays because of the war. But he sent the girls a big present. Surprise!

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider with a look at your cold and flu report for Friday. If you look at the map, you will find some local outbreaks of the flu in and around Texas and Florida. But most of the country is reporting sporadic outbreaks at this time, from all the way in northern Maine, across the country to California and in Alaska and Hawaii. So so far, we're not doing too badly. We do have no activity reported in some Southeastern states and areas to the West.

That's a look at your cold and flu report for Friday. I'm meteorologist Bonnie Schneider.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Daddy felt bad. He missed his daughters' birthdays while he was on duty in Iraq. So, he sent a big present for them to open at their Kentucky school. Tear off the wrapping paper, and surprise! Matthew Wilder reporting for a hug. One of the girls said all she wanted for Christmas was her daddy in a box. When Wilder's wife found out he was going to come home, she made her daughters' dream come true.

When the kids cry, it absolutely kills me.

HARRIS: Are you going to be OK?

COLLINS: Yes. In fact there's more. They're home for the holidays from half a world away. A welcome home ceremony this morning for troops at Ft.Carson, Colorado. More kids, more hugging. Love it. Back from duty in Iraq. Solders from the Second Brigade Combat Team, Second Infantry Division and the 984th Military Police Company. Families' holiday celebration, as you imagine, begin right now.

College not an option back in her day, but now meet great grandma, the graduate. Seventy-seven years old and living her dream. Lin Sue Cooney, of affiliate KPNX has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LIN SUE COONEY, AFFILIATE KPNX (voice over): Five thousand graduates received their degrees today at Arizona State. One of them is making history.

LOUISE ALFLEN, ARIZONA STATE UNIV. GRADUATE: Looks like it, and I really don't know why.

COONEY: Louise Alflen 77-year-old History major from Mesa is the oldest known student to graduate from ASU.

ALFLEN: I love to learn. I've always loved to go to school. I love going to classes. Every class is a new adventure.

COONEY: This is the second degree for this humble mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She earned an Associates degree from Mesa Community College back in 1985. After a few years and a little encouragement from her family, she enrolled at ASU.

ALFLEN: My family said, you know, you have to do something with your time. You know, go back. You've got all those lovely credits, use them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These students are exemplars and I am pleased to recognize them today. First is Louise Alflen.

COONEY: Louise was honored by her classmates.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope that I'm still as passionate about learning when I'm her age.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's definitely inspiring.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, congratulations.

ALFLEN: It's a very exciting day for me, it's kind of unbelievable.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Alflen says when she graduated from high school her father told her to get married because she was a girl. That was 60 years ago. She's live this afternoon in the newsroom. Is that a good booking for us or what?

COLLINS: Well yes. HARRIS: I love it.

COLLINS: She's going to set everybody straight. That's for sure.

HARRIS: 3:00 p.m. Eastern time.

COLLINS: Piling on. Winter is still a week away, right? Well, maybe not so much. Big snowstorm paralyzes parts of the Northeast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And this just in to CNN, beefed up security at Louisiana State University. Two students were found dead in their campus apartment last night. Both were international grad students from India. Police say they were shot and killed in an apparent home invasion. The search continues for three suspects seen leaving the area. The campus was not put on lockdown. The university says police believe the attack was isolated. A news conference is scheduled next hour. We will update the story as developments warrant.

COLLINS: Boy, we sure hate to end the newscast like that, unfortunately. But we will stay on top of it here at CNN. Meanwhile though, CNN NEWSROOM does continues just one hour from now.

HARRIS: YOUR WORLD TODAY is next with news happening across the globe and here at home.

I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: I'm Heidi Collins. Have a good weekend everybody.

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