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Dems Focus on South Carolina; Honoring a Civil Rights Icon; New Sketches in Madeleine McCann Case

Aired January 21, 2008 - 11:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: A new week, and new worlds to conquer for the presidential candidates. For Democrats, all roads lead to South Carolina. Their next big test is there on Saturday.
Hillary Clinton arrives fresh off this weekend's win in the Nevada caucuses. This morning, Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards celebrate Martin Luther King Day at the South Carolina state house. And tonight, they square off in a debate right here on CNN.

Republicans turn their attention to Florida. That primary is one week from now. John McCain will try to build on his weekend win in South Carolina. Mitt Romney, the winner in Nevada.

Both parties are knotted at the top with no clear front-runner emerging on either side.

We have CNN correspondents trailing the candidates, of course. We want to begin with the Democrats this time in South Carolina, and Jessica Yellin, who is in Columbia.

So, Jessica, tell us what the candidates are up to.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.

All three top Democrat presidential candidates are here at the Columbia, South Carolina, state house behind me. Some of them participated in a march here, but they are all joining together on this stage to commemorate Martin Luther King Day.

There were some interesting moments. If you like to read body language between Barack Obama and Senator John Edwards, the two walked in together, but they've also subsequently taken seats on the stage and are sitting at the stage next to each other with their body language decidedly turned away from one another.

Not exactly a warm, friendly vibe between the two of them. Who knows if that's just because it's very, very cold here.

Senator Clinton was late to arrive. We understand her plane was delayed. But all three are here really because they want to honor Martin Luther King, and it's also the kickoff to a larger effort in this state to reach African-American voters.

They are expected to make up anywhere from half to 60 percent of the electorate this Saturday. A key voting constituency for all three. And African-Americans have not had as much of an influence in any of the primaries to date as they have -- as they will this week.

All three of the candidates have special challenges here. John Edwards is from South Carolina, so he really wants to pull out a strong showing here to demonstrate he's still a viable candidate after a very weak showing in Nevada. Of course, senators Obama and Clinton came out of Nevada with different kinds of victories there, and they want to triumph here to show that they are the front-runner.

It's expected that Obama is favored here, but he has a challenge, which is to appeal to the African-American constituency without losing that message that he has, that he's transcending race. His campaign is about unifying all Americans of all colors, races, religions, et cetera.

And Senator Clinton, of course, well, she has a challenge. The white vote is likely to be split for her because John Edwards is expected to get some of that. She also wants to reach African- Americans. And there was some tensions over that in the last few weeks when she made comments that were considered controversial about Martin Luther King's legacy versus Lyndon Johnson's, and we all know how that resolved itself, with a truce between the two candidates.

All these three issues likely to come up at tonight's debate, which will be here on CNN. And all three candidates trying to continue to hit home on their larger messages while fighting to win this crucial state, the last big primary for the Democrats before Super Tuesday -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Jessica Yellin for us in Columbia, South Carolina.

Thanks so much, Jessica.

In fact, tonight is South Carolina. The Democrats take part in the Congressional Black Caucus debate. You can see it live only on CNN, 8:00 Eastern.

CNN, your home for politics.

Honoring a civil rights icon, Martin Luther King Jr., people all across the country are paying tribute to the slain civil rights leader on this King holiday. One service under way right now in Atlanta at King's former church.

CNN's T.J. Holmes is there.

So, T.J., tell us what's going on.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the commemorative service that's being called really the spiritual hallmark of the MLK observance weekend under way right now in the sanctuary behind me. This is the Horizon sanctuary, a part of Ebenezer Baptist Church, the historic church, of course, where Dr. Martin Luther King used to preach from that pulpit. But we're starting to see more people gather outside. The service has been going on for about an hour. A lot of dignitaries in there, including former president Bill Clinton. He laid a wreath a little earlier at Martin Luther King's tomb. He's also inside the sanctuary right now.

Also here on invitation of a member of the King family, Republican governor Mike Huckabee, who's also a presidential candidate. He's here as well. And quite a picture to see Governor Huckabee, former Arkansas governor, and also President Clinton, a former Arkansas governor.

Both of these men from the same hometown in Arkansas. Both former governors of Arkansas, but, of course, one a Republican, one a Democrat. But both sitting on the same pew in there as a part of this commemorative service.

Now, President Clinton, of course, has been a part of that whole controversy we've seen in the past week or so, in which it kind of got into a bit of a racial debate between the Clinton camp and the Obama camp. But all that right now put aside. This is a day to really recognize the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.

And I mention again, Governor Mike Huckabee. Got to speak with him as he was going into the sanctuary and asked him really why, simply, is he here today?

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I think America owes a lot to Dr. King. The fact is, when politicians were brought basically dragging and kicking to the whole civil rights movement, it was Dr. King that really led this country to recognize the worth and value of every human being. And had it not been for his courage and his moral clarity on this issue, you know, I shutter to think where this country would be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, it's long been said that being a part of MLK Day for a politician is good politics. We have seen John Edwards been in town over this holiday weekend. We saw Barack Obama, who of course was here yesterday and spoke during church services at Ebenezer, talking about unity and some of those things of Dr. Martin Luther King.

And here we are here today. We see Governor Huckabee, also former President Clinton.

Now, we just heard from Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin a short time ago. She got up and spoke as a part of this ceremony. And she is, of course, a very fiery speaker, always known to give a good speech and get a crowd going. But she made a point here today about the legacy of Dr. King. And she was making the point, and the crowd could feel kind of what she was getting at, but she was talking about we are seeing improbable times, impossible times, and far-fetched times in this presidential election. And, of course, many people are starting to think she was about to make a mention of Barack Obama, but she said, we're seeing right now where a woman could be president, a Mormon could possible be president, the son of a mill worker could be president, and also, a black man could be president.

So, she tied all of that up into the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King and how it's just not about the black man. He just didn't pave the way for Barack Obama to possibly be the next president, but he paved the way for a woman, a Mormon, yes, the son of a mill worker. So his legacy goes far wider than just race. It goes to equality, it goes to justice, and it goes to really making the impossible possible in this country -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Great point. Boy, that's great. All right. Appreciate that so much.

Thank you, T.J. Holmes, standing by right there in Atlanta for us.

HOLMES: All right.

COLLINS: Investigators trying to pin down the cause of a spectacular fire outside Boston this morning. Fourteen buildings burned after flames broke out overnight in a vacant nightclub. It spread fast, too.

The fire chief called the fire suspicious. One of the buildings destroyed, a home for special needs residents. Everyone did get out safely from that building though.

Firefighters had a tough time struggling with frozen fire hydrants and temperatures in the teens. About 200 people who live in the area were evacuated. A shelter has been set up at an elementary school.

(WEATHER REPORT)

The Madeleine McCann case -- will new sketches turn out to be a new lead? Owen Thomas is on the case in London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OWEN THOMAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): More than eight months after her mysterious disappearance, Madeleine McCann's parents released two new images of a man they say may have abducted their daughter in Portugal in May last year. The sketches, the second and third released by the family, are based on a description given to police by a British tourist. She says she spotted the suspect several times during her stay just a couple of weeks before Madeleine's disappearance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On Friday, April the 20th last year, she saw this man walking by himself in the heavy rain on the otherwise deserted beach. Two days later, Gail Cooper (ph) recognized the same man who had approached her at the villa and, of course, who she had seen on the beach two days earlier as well in the rain. He was alone and standing on the periphery near the edge of the group of children.

THOMAS: The family spokesman says the new sketch has similarities to an earlier drawing of a man seen carrying a child on the night Madeleine disappeared. The family wants him traced as soon as possible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to know who he is and we want to know where he is, and we want to know that as soon as we can. And we're asking for people's help today. If he isn't connected with Madeleine's abduction, at the very least, he now needs to come forward himself so that he can be eliminated from both the police and the private investigations that are under way into Madeleine's disappearance.

THOMAS: Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were named as official suspects in the case by Portuguese authorities in September, but no charges have ever been brought against them. They strenuously deny having any involvement in their daughter's disappearance.

Owen Thomas, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Seeking salvation in church. Political salvation, that is. Candidates reaching out to black churchgoers. Will prayers be answered?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Some go to church looking for a higher power. Others, searching for a higher office. Presidential candidates and the power of the faithful.

CNN's Jason Carroll explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The church has always been a place where pastors preach to the converted, but here at the Bible Way Church in Columbia, South Carolina, there's a push to convert the undecided.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You need to go out and vote. Amen.

CARROLL: The leading Democratic candidates know half of all primary voters in the state are African-American.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's give Mrs. Obama a Bible Way welcome.

CARROLL: That's why Senator Barack Obama's wife Michelle sat on one side of the church... UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ms. Clinton, will you stand?

Ms. Chelsea Clinton.

CARROLL: ... while Chelsea Clinton and close family friend Vernon Jordan sat on the other.

VERNON JORDAN, CLINTON SUPPORTER: Black people have never been in a voting situation before where the choice was between good and good.

CARROLL: The church's pastor, state senator Darrell Jackson, is a paid consultant for the Clinton campaign. Longtime parishioner Anton Gunn works for the Obama campaign.

ANTON GUNN, OBAMA STAFFER: To have a campaign and a candidate that has the ability to be able to unify and bring people together from so many different walks of life matters so much. And that's what church is about as well.

DARRELL JACKSON, CLINTON STAFFER: You have that tug of war going on, even within our own church. But when it really boils down to it, it was, to me, who do I think is ready to lead right now?

CARROLL: And while both candidates claim support from prominent African-American ministers, it's their parishioners they must reach.

SCOTT HUFFMON, WINTHROP UNIVERSITY: In the civil rights era, going to the church was the first place you went to organize for African-Americans in the South to fight for the rights. And that has continued into modern politics today.

CARROLL: This church, like many across the country, is clearly divided. At the end of Sunday's sermon, half the congregation greets Chelsea Clinton, the other half, Michelle Obama. The atmosphere, cordial.

CHELSEA CLINTON, HILLARY CLINTON'S DAUGHTER: Good luck to you. OK.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: The Republicans in Florida, the state that decided the presidential race eight years ago.

CNN's Mary Snow is in the conservative stronghold of Jacksonville.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Several of the Republican presidential hopefuls are making their way to the Jacksonville area today. Mitt Romney started his day here. One of his events was stopping here at a parade honoring Dr. Martin Luther King. I caught up with him and asked him what he would do if elected president to break down racial barriers still existing in the United States. MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I think that's the great civil rights issue of our time, is making sure the inner city schools are up to the task. And I think they failed way too many of our kids.

The other is to make sure that we help teach kids that they should get married before they have babies and encourage the formation of families. It's an enormous advantage to kids to have the blessing of a two-parent home. And I think, you know, Bill Cosby has been speaking about that with some courage.

SNOW: One of the big themes here for all of the candidates is the economy. Over the weekend, Republican Rudy Giuliani has been trying to make the case that he's the most fiscally conservative of all his competitors. He has the most at stake here in Florida since he's really been basing his candidacy on winning here and then moving on to Super Tuesday.

John McCain is hoping to build on the momentum from his victory in South Carolina over the weekend. And Mike Huckabee is also going to be campaigning here, hoping that he can make a strong showing.

Mary Snow, CNN, Jacksonville, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: For more on the presidential candidates and their next stops, go to cnnpolitics.com. It's your one-stop shop for all things political.

Planes collide in the skies east of Los Angeles. Debris crashes to the ground. One witness says bodies were falling from the sky.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Crews in southern California plan to peel open a crashed plan plane today. They're checking to check to see if other victims might have been on board. The small plane collided with another one in the sky southeast of Los Angeles. At least five people were killed. A witness tells a local TV station he saw bodies falling from the sky.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF HARDIN, CRASH WITNESS: The smaller aircraft, this one here, just disintegrated into pieces, or maybe 50 pieces coming down. The other aircraft pretty much stayed intact and started spiraling down and came down right behind the Nissan dealer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: One of the victims was killed. One of the victims was killed when plane wreckage pierced the roof of that car dealership.

Well, you've heard of DUI, but what about DWT, driving while texting? CNN's Kate Bolduan tells us what some states are doing about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Mangled metal, shattered glass.

LAUREN WISDOM, ACCIDENT SURVIVOR: My car started to drift off the road, and I over-corrected. And then that's what caused the accident. I rolled my car three times and was thrown 100 feet from the car.

BOLDUAN: The wreckage left of 18-year-old Lauren Wisdom's car after the September crash near her hometown in Missouri. She admits this was the cause, text messaging behind the wheel.

WISDOM: There's a time and a place to text. And while you're on the road, it's not that time.

BOLDUAN: Wisdom says she's learned her lesson, but unfortunately her story is not unique. Some state lawmakers are trying to curb this troubling trend.

Five States and Washington, D.C., already prohibit handheld cell phone use while driving. Now Washington state and New Jersey ban what's been dubbed "DWT," driving while texting. Lawmakers in several other states, including Virginia, are considering similar measures.

JAMES SCOTT (D), VIRGINIA STATE DELEGATE: We've killed too many people on the roads in Virginia. And we've made some strives, including the graduated licenses and the cell phone ban for teens last year, but this is obviously, from my perspective, another important step to take in order to help to make people drive more safely.

BOLDUAN: AAA says 80 percent of all collisions are a result of some distraction.

(on camera): While this distraction is hard to track, AAA says as texting becomes more and more popular, it's also becoming more of a problem on the roads. The quick fix, text later or pull over.

TROY GREEN, AAA: It's nearly impossible to try to text message and safely operate a motor vehicle. It's just like oil and water. Text messaging and driving your vehicle does not mix.

BOLDUAN (voice over): Lauren Wisdom is trying to send out the same message, get drivers to wise up using herself as a lucky example.

WISDOM: So I don't think people realize how big it is until they know someone who has been through my situation.

BOLDUAN: Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Lots of you across the country dealing with some seriously cold weather. And in some places, we're talking way below normal temperatures.

Our Reynolds Wolf braving the brutal cold for us in Wisconsin. That's where the cheese heads are sort of hanging their heads after the Packers lost to the Giants.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm coming to you from Green Bay, Wisconsin, where we still have the frigid conditions. Temperatures in the single digits. Some places we've got subzero conditions here.

Right here at this spot we have out by the Fox River in downtown Green Bay, we have currently one degree. Warmer than it was yesterday, where we had temperatures that were actually well below that all around the city, especially by game time.

And speaking of game time, the game, of course, is over. We had roughly 70,000 people inside the stadium. Actually, a few more even outside the stadium before and after the game.

The tailgaters had a wonderful time despite the cold conditions. You can see them here in this video. All smiling, having a wonderful time, enjoying hot chocolate. Some with coffee, some maybe with some herbal tea, and some with some other beverages that, well, I'm just going to let you guess what those might have been.

But it is still a chilly day. The fans are gone, but the cold air is going to remain. In fact, in the forecast for today, we can expect temperatures to stay mainly in the single digits. Maybe a little bit warmer tomorrow.

And with that, a return of snowfall into the late day hours. Could see anywhere from one to four inches of snow here in Green Bay.

Reporting from Green Bay, Reynolds Wolf, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: You don't know him but you do know his father.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT: Do you think that your father is a terrorist?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I don't think my father is a terrorist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Talking with the son of Osama bin Laden.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: She was waiting for her French fries. And then...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was under arrest because I was in the wrong parking space. I said, "Well, they told me to park here."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was under arrest because I was in the wrong parking space. I says, well, they told me to park here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Busted in the drive-thru. Find out why, ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Good morning once again, everybody, 11:30 Eastern Time. I'm Heidi Collins.

Courting the African-American vote. Support for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama appears divided along generation lines.

CNN's Ed Lavandera takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Andrew Young fought the Civil Rights battle. A friend of Martin Luther King, he organized black voters and Civil Rights demonstration. Some might have expected him to support Barack Obama in this year's race for the White House, he decided to get on the Hillary Clinton bandwagon instead.

ANDREW YOUNG, CIVIL RIGHTS VETERAN: Politics is a dirty game. And I just think you -- you don't want to risk the future of the world on somebody that hasn't played this game before and doesn't know the rules.

LAVANDERA: Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin is a protege of the black political establishment. Mentored by politicians like Andrew Young, she's backing Obama.

SHIRLEY FRANKLIN, ATLANTA MAYOR: And I think that Barack Obama is the best candidate for bringing America together, for building a coalition.

LAVANDERA: Barack Obama's popularity has exploded almost entirely without help from such high-profiled Civil Rights activists Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Though Jackson has said he will support his candidacy. History professor Jelani Cobb sees the generational divide, the old guard of the Civil Rights Movement tied closely to the Clinton political machine and younger generations open to a candidate like Obama.

JELANI COBB, HISTORY PROFESSOR: What were seeing now is a revolt from below in essence that there's an array of people who were saying irrespective of what the leadership is saying about Barack Obama. I really think he's an interesting candidate. LAVANDERA: But with many long-time black leaders are saying that the Clintons understand black America better. Andrew Young even suggested they're literally just like black Americans.

YOUNG: Bill is every bit as black as Barack.

LAVANDERA: How is Bill Clinton blacker than Barack Obama?

YOUNG: Bill Clinton grew up in Arkansas as a teenager and was surrounded by black people.

LAVANDERA: Shirley Franklin is drawn to Obama's multicultural roots and the ability to connect with a new generation of voters.

FRANKLIN: What he's been able to do in a short period of time as a candidate and as a young man is stunning to me.

LAVANDERA: The political divide is a battle over who can best carry the torch for black America.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Tonight, South Carolina, the Democrats take part in the Congressional Black Caucus debate. See it live only on CNN, 8:00 Eastern. CNN, your home for politics.

And for more on the presidential candidates and their next stops, go to CNNpolitics.com. It is your one-stop shop for all things political.

Osama bin Laden's son has a message for his father, give up violence. Our Aneesh Raman interviewed the terrorist's leaders's son in Cairo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At first glance, 26-year-old Omar seemed the image of a modern Middle East. He drives a jeep, has dread locks and his wife is a British national. You'd never guess this is Osama Bin Laden's son.

RAMAN: At what age did you start training with Al Qaeda?

OMAR BIN LADEN, BIN LADEN'S SON: I was starting maybe at 14.

RAMAN: As child, Omar was a soldier in his father's army training in Afghanistan like so many others, but by 2000, Omar felt Al Qaeda was heading for a fight he didn't want any part of.

BIN LADEN: After a few years, it was start of the war, the fight, became bigger and bigger, and I see a lot of things getting bigger and bigger and my eyes opened on a lot of things, and I think better if I go outside and see how the life outside. RAMAN: It was a decision, Omar says, his father accepted. So father and son went their separate ways. But for Omar, there was no running from the Bin Laden name, not after September 11th, 2001.

Did you immediately think your father was behind it, when you saw the news?

BIN LADEN: Yes, maybe.

RAMAN: And what went through your mind?

BIN LADEN: That - I didn't know how I have to feel.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was only 18, 19.

BIN LADEN: Sure, I say something can - I feel sad.

RAMAN: Seven years later, his father is now the world's most wanted man. Are you in touch with your father at all right now?

BIN LADEN: Sure not.

RAMAN: Do you have any idea where he is?

BIN LADEN: No.

RAMAN: Do you think he will ever get caught?

BIN LADEN: I don't think, no.

RAMAN: As for Omar, he's caught between love of a father. Do you think your father is a terrorist?

BIN LADEN: No, I don't think my father is a terrorist.

RAMAN: And a hatred of tactics that kill innocent civilians.

BIN LADEN: I like to say to my father, try to find another way to help or to find your goal. And this is bomb or this is with it (ph).

ZAINA AL SABAH-BIN LADEN, OMAR OSAMA BIN LADEN'S WIFE: Weapons.

BIN LADEN: Weapons. It's not good to use it for anybody.

RAMAN: To make the point, Omar and his wife Zana are organizing a horse race later this year, hoping to cross North Africa with a message of peace. But finding sponsors is difficult when your last name is bin Laden.

SABAH-BIN LADEN: It would have probably been easier to do a race without having Omar's name, but then the race would be just a race; it wouldn't be a race for peace.

RAMAN: It is a big unknown -- can this son rebrand a name his father has made synonymous with terror.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Cairo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: A warning for pregnant women. You've heard it before, drinking too much caffeine can lead to miscarriage. Find out what a new study says.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Green acres on the deep blue sea. Sailing into the future using energy from the sun, in 60 seconds.

If you're pregnant, or thinking about getting pregnant, it might be a good idea to stay away from caffeine. A new Kaiser Permanente study suggests pregnant women who drank the equivalent of two or more cups of coffee a day doubled their risk of miscarriage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. JENNIFER WU, OB-GYN: The majority of miscarriages are genetically based. And caffeine would have nothing to do with that. But we do know that caffeine is linked to later miscarriage in the first trimester and that, typically, is not genetically based. I tell patients, you want to be as healthy as possible when you're starting your pregnancy. That often starts before you're even pregnant. So if you want to cut down on caffeine, and all the side effects that you get from cutting down on caffeine, you probably want to do it before you're even pregnant.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Researchers say it doesn't matter whether the caffeine comes from coffee, tea, hot chocolate or soft drinks. To get your daily dose of health news online, log on to our Web site. You will find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. That address is cnn.com/health.

An entrepreneur in Australia is sailing into the future and going green to get there. Here's CNN's Hugh Riminton.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is probably the most beautiful commute on Earth. Everyday, thousands of people take a ferry to work across Sydney Harbor. But it is not as green an option as the ferry's paint job suggests. Boats are big polluters. By 2020, more of the acid rain polluter, sulfur dioxide, will be generated by vessels at sea than all the vehicles on land. Enter "Solar Sailor."

ROBERT DANE, CEO SOLAR SAILOR: It seemed like an obvious idea. And somebody had to do it.

RIMINTON: Robert Dane was a small town doctor and a weekend sailor when he took a look at a solar boat competition in the 1990s. Most of them took down their flimsy solar panels when the wind strengthened. He had a brain wave. He built a solar prototype where the panels were not limited simply to catching the sun. It was the beginning.

(on-camera): Passenger ferries around the world currently use close to 300 million tons of fuel oil every year. The beauty of this system is that it doesn't just use the solar panels for solar power. It also uses them as sails.

DANE: The moment that I knew you it would work was the moment that I read that insects evolve winds initially as solar collectors and then use them to fly. And at that moment I knew, well, boats can evolve wings.

RIMINTON: He sold his medical practice and went into business. And almost everyone told him he was mad.

DANE: When we started in 1999, no one had ever heard of a hybrid car. Oil was $10 a barrel, and people weren't educated about global warming. So this is a great idea using the sun and the wind and the water, but what's the relevance of this?

RIMINTON: The wings can be operated manually or by computer to maximize their efficiency as sails, even as they gather solar energy which is stored in bathrooms. There is also, on this prototype, back- up power from natural gas.

(on-camera): See one of the old Sydney ferries going nearby. At the moment, are people willing to pay a premium at this stage just to be green.

DANE: Right now I think we're on the cusp of where it is actually economical to use the more expensive capital costs of the hybrid electric systems. Now, we're looking at three to five years return on investment.

RIMINTON (voicer-over): And now, everyone wants to know. Contracts are signed or pending for ferries in San Francisco, in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Europe with unmanned military applications also under discussion. There remains, though, one key problem. Solar energy input ends when the sun goes down. The next great advance will be in batteries or some new generation energy storage system to keep the vessels running hard and clean through the longest winter night.

Hugh Riminton, CNN, Sydney.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: CNN's "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is coming up in just about 15 minutes or so. Rosemary Church is standing by to tell us more about the program.

Hi there, Rosemary.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Heidi.

And we have a lot coming up. Of course, the U.S. economy is sending shock waves right across the globe with markets from Asia to South America and beyond, in Europe, too, plummeting to low levels. Now, we know that those fears are all recession fears. And we have reporters in Hong Kong and London and we will find out just how bad that is.

Now, cold temperatures and no power. We're talking about Gaza. There's a blockade there stretching into the fourth day. Israel is trying to stop those rockets being fired from Gaza. And the European Union and leaders in the Arab world are angry and are talking about a humanitarian crisis. We will have a live report and a guest from Gaza.

And a big wake-up call for moms to be. Too much caffeine could cause miscarriages. That's according to a new study. But how is this different to past studies? We're going to take a closer look at that.

And sectarian strife has fuelled much of the violence in Iraq. But one Iraqi teenager encourages others to put a message in a bottle. Our Arwa Damon has that report. So those stories and much, much more coming up in "YOUR WORLD TODAY," at the top of the hour, here on CNN.

Heidi and everyone else, join us for that.

COLLINS: Absolutely. Rosemary, we will be watching. Thank you.

YouTube breaking new ground. The multi-platinum band making a splash at Sundance with a big screen first. We'll take you there, live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: President Bush and Congress are working on a stimulus package to help the economy. But so far, it's done little to stem losses on Wall Street. Susan Lisovicz is in New York to tell us why.

Susan, I have to say I'm almost glad that the markets closed today. Because I'm tired of looking at it and kind of being very afraid.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You and me both. We are licking our wounds, Heidi. And there are major questions right now about what effect, if any, this stimulus package will have on the overall economy. The package slated to be worth $150 billion, or about one percent of the GDP. It will likely come in the form of rebate checks. Here's the problem though. What do people do with those checks? If they use the money to pay down their debts, that's good for their personal finances, but it won't do much to spark the economy, which is of course the intent of the plan --Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, sure. Do we know how big those checks will be yet and who will be getting them? I've heard a lot of numbers thrown around.

LISOVICZ: That's right. Well, the devil is in the details. President Bush and Congressional Democrats are debating the specifics. Democrats reportedly want to deny rebates to those who make more than $85,000 a year. Democrats also want to give some relief to the 40 percent of Americans who owed no federal income tax last year; mainly the poor and those who rely on Social Security. President Bush has not yet released details of his plan. By the way, exactly a year from today a new president is slated to take the oath of office. Think about that. Wow.

COLLINS: Yes, today's the day, huh?

LISOVICZ: Yes.

COLLINS: If this plan doesn't help though, and I'm not sure how much time they will give it before they see some real reaction in the marketplace, what happens next?

LISOVICZ: Well, I think you hit on the key word, time. Many experts say it will simply take time. Time for financial companies to dig out from all that red ink which would in turn loosen the credit markets. And, of course, the glut of unsold homes needs to shrink. When that picture starts time prove, one can expect stocks to improve as well.

The markets sell-off, of course is rooted in the fear of recession. Many factors are pointing to one. We have job growth close to a stand still. Incomes are flat, but when you consider falling share and home prices, folks have less coming in. They feel poor.

Sales are only growing modestly. We'll need to wait until January 30th to get the first read on fourth quarter GDP. That is the same day the federal reserve makes its decision on interest rates. That's going to be some day, Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, it is definitely going to be some day. We will all be busy. All right, CNN's Susan Lisovicz. Thanks so much, Susan.

LISOVICZ: You're welcome.

COLLINS: The Sundance Film Festival in full swing right now. New films and new concepts on display for the first time. And we are there. CNN Entertainment Correspondent Brooke Anderson is in beautiful Park City, Utah, this morning. Hi there, Brooke.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Heidi. Good morning. Yes, U2 is arguably the biggest rock band of today. More than 120 million albums sold worldwide. I caught up with the group here at Sundance. They are bringing their music and their live shows into movie theaters in 3D. Check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: A dizzying excitement permeates performance by the rock band U2.

BONO, U2: It's a rock and roll show, but there's lots of other feelings in it. ANDERSON: Feelings, the Irish rockers are now expressing in an unprecedented way with the first live action 3D concert documentary.

Why bring U2 in concert to 3D?

THE EDGE, U2: We've always been in 3D and we thought it was time that everyone saw us in 3D.

BONO: I've been -- this -- you've been wondering why I've been wearing the goggles all the year, The Edge.

ANDERSON: Because you've been in 3D the entire time.

BONO: I've been looking at things in 3D.

ANDERSON: The band is premiering U23D at the Sundance Film Festival where celebrity friends, including Woody Haralson and Randy Quaid turned out to support them.

CATHERINE OWENS, CO-DIRECTOR, "U23D": We tried to take a seriously high technology and give it an intimate feel and bring a lot of emotion to it.

ANDERSON: The film's co-director, Catherine Owens has a long history with U2 having worked with them since the early '90s. The film offers moviegoers with 3D glasses a front row seat to their 2006 monster stadium shows in South America with crowds from up to 100,000 people.

BONO: These people are incredible people. And they took our band to their hearts -- for a long time. And Buenos Aires, Rio, Mexico City, Latin people. Irish people are essentially Latin people who don't know how to dance.

ANDERSON: U2's trademark anti-violence messages are prominent in the film, with the spotlight on the United Nations declaration of human rights. The rockers see their mission as more than music.

BONO: People feel that our band is part of something bigger than just our band, and they're right. We're humbled to be part of what's happening in the world.

ANDERSON: The message and the music are a powerful combination, especially in 3D.

BONO: This is the closest thing to being in the front row. It's not like a normal concert film. It's sort of totally immersive experience.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: U23D opens on Wednesday in wide release on IMAX screens and in digital theaters. And, Heidi former Vice President Al Gore has actually been here hanging out with U2. I saw him having dinner with the band this weekend and he did attend the premier, though he didn't walk the carpet to do any interviews. COLLINS: Okay. Well, hey, listen, I know there's a few more days left to the festival. What are we going to see?

ANDERSON: We're going to see more independent films making their debut. Although I will say that acquisitions have been slow so far, even though a lot of people including organizers thought that studio executives and buyers would be ready to pounce on these films, make quick deals due to the writer's strike and halt in the Hollywood production.

The documentary division of HBO has been busy picked up a documentary about Roman Polanski, also a documentary from former movie critic at the New York Times Elvis Mitchell called The Black List. But six more days, Heidi left in festival, so plenty of time for films to attract the attention of buyers.

COLLINS: All right. Well, nice to see you from there. Brooke Anderson reporting from Park City, Utah. Thank you, Brooke.

She went for coffee and fries and wound up wearing cuffs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was under arrest because I was in the wrong parking space. I says, well, they told me to park here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: That doesn't seem right. A trip through the drive-thru lands grandmother in jail.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Well, would you like handcuffs with that? Trouble a McDonald's in Clearwater, Florida. Jean Merola a grandmother of eight had order coffee and fires, and was told to pull forward while her fires were being cooked. Behind her a policeman. He motioned her to move ahead, away from the yellow line.

She refused, the officer got out, knocked on her window and asked for an ID. Well, since she said no, you can't have my ID it wasn't what the officer wanted to hear he arrested her for disorderly conduct and took her away in handcuffs. CNN NEWSROOM continues one hour from now. We'll see you back here tomorrow, everybody.

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