Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Arnold Schwarzenegger Endorses John McCain; Clinton and Obama Prepare For Democratic Presidential Debate; Senior al Qaeda Member Reported Dead

Aired January 31, 2008 - 15:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we may not know his name, but you know his work. Abu Laith al-Libi, a very senior al Qaeda plotter and trainer, won't be plotting and training anymore.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Another big name backs John McCain, and I do mean big. Arnold Schwarzenegger, California governor, says McCain is his man in the '08 race for president.

LEMON: Ah.

WHITFIELD: That's right.

Hello, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at the CNN Center in Atlanta, in for Kyra Phillips.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon.

You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

It is the top of the hour. And this is our developing news here in the CNN NEWSROOM. We're still scrambling to get all of the details about this, but it appears a senior al Qaeda leader has been killed in Pakistan.

CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is standing by with the very latest for us -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, rumors about all of this starting floating around almost three days ago, actually, that a top al Qaeda operative had been killed in Pakistan. U.S. officials would not confirm the details, would not confirm the identity of the man, though it was becoming clear that some members of the U.S. intelligence community knew that the strike had taken place and they were awaiting identification.

It was earlier today when an Arab news media outlet began broadcasting the name of Abu Laith al-Libi and it was then confirmed by some Bush administration officials. He is said to have been a top al Qaeda operative, ranking right behind Osama bin Laden, Ayman al- Zawahri and Mullah Omar. There was money on his head, someone the U.S. wanted to get very badly.

Still, very close-held details about what did take place. But, by all accounts, the best information is that he was killed in Pakistan. And that would mean it was not U.S. ground troops, because they do not operate inside the Pakistani border, even along that mountainous region area. Most likely, this was an attack by a drone flying overhead, flying a missile, the kind of drones that are operated by the CIA and agencies of the U.S. government, not something the Pakistanis are going to publicly acknowledge, not something the U.S. is going to publicly acknowledge. It may be some time before we learn all of the details -- Don.

LEMON: Barbara Starr, thank you.

And Barbara pointed out just a little bit -- she touched on this -- but just how significant is the death of Abu Laith al-Libi. Well, we will ask CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen in just a minute.

WHITFIELD: And CNN equals politics. And it's a politics-heavy day. For John McCain, the Arizona senator and Republican presidential candidate, it comes with another big endorsement, this time from Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The California governor says it was an easy choice after the departure of Rudy Giuliani. On the Democratic side, Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are preparing for a big debate tonight in Los Angeles right there at the Kodak Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. It is the last debate before the biggest day in the primary season, contests in two dozen states next Tuesday. And you can watch that debate live right here on CNN at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. We will replay it tomorrow at noon Eastern.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a McCain man. The California governor made it official today, in Los Angeles, saying McCain, "reaches across the aisle to get things done."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: He's a crusader, has a great vision in protecting the environment, and also protecting simultaneously the economy. He has incredible credentials in national security. And, of course, he's a fantastic, outstanding public servant. He's a great American hero and an extraordinary leader. This is why I am endorsing him to be our next president of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And, of course, you saw Rudy Giuliani in that clip as well. Giuliani also endorsed McCain after ending his own campaign yesterday.

Well, the Democratic field has come down to two major candidates, both senators, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. They will be debating tonight in Los Angeles.

CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider is there right now, right in between supporters of Senators Obama and Clinton.

And, so, Bill, will we see anything different tonight now that there are only two. WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, there won't be John Edwards in this debate. It will be one person against another. And that could mean some fireworks because, you know, when there are three candidates, then they're a little nervous about attacking each other, because, if one attacks two, the votes often go to three. But there is no number three this time. So, you know, we could see some real fireworks with just two candidates on this platform.

WHITFIELD: I wonder if it also means watching the body language, if they're going to be as cognizant of what the spoken word says, just like the body language may speak volumes, too.

SCHNEIDER: Of course, because we have the first woman candidate for president, you know, likely to be a candidate -- that is, a front- running candidate, and we have the first African-American front- running candidate for that nomination.

So it's going to be very touchy. We have already seen race become an issue in the campaign, when certain things were said that were taken as having racial overtones. There's a lot of sensitivity about that, and, of course, anything that has gender overtones. The candidates have to be very careful what they say about each other in a race like this.

WHITFIELD: Yes, so I wonder if this means it's going to be a lot more issue-driven, as opposed to the personal attacks that we really have witnessed in the past couple of debates involving them.

SCHNEIDER: Well, it out to be more issue-driven. But there's one problem with that. They're not very different on the issues.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

SCHNEIDER: They're both pretty progressive senators. Their voting records are fairly similar. So, they're trying to draws distinctions on issues like Iraq and health care. But really these distinctions are not enormous, especially when you compare the vast distinctions between all the Republican candidates and the Democratic candidates. Those differences are really big.

WHITFIELD: Wow. So between these two it really may be an issue of personality?

SCHNEIDER: It is style, personality. They have very different approaches to politics. Hillary Clinton is the more partisan Democrat. She comes across as the fighter. Barack Obama comes across as the conciliator, as the guy who wants to reach across the aisle and build a broader coalition. So, a lot of it depends on what style of politics you prefer as a Democrat.

WHITFIELD: All right. Sure to be fascinating stuff tonight. Bill Schneider, thanks so much.

SCHNEIDER: Sure. WHITFIELD: And stay with CNN for complete coverage as Senators Clinton and Obama face off tonight in their first debate without John Edwards. And then there were two. The face-off is at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, hosted by Wolf Blitzer, only on CNN, your home for politics.

LEMON: That is going to be very interesting to watch, absolutely.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: And you know what? And it's not just here in the U.S. Chad has been talking about this. And it's just what China doesn't need. They don't need more snow.

The country hasn't seen anything like this in 50 years. At least 63 people have died of the bitter cold. Highways and many rail lines are frozen solid, stranding millions of people hoping to get home for the lunar new year.

Now, for many migrant workers, it's the only time they see their families all year. Now they are being urged to stay put until the weather clears up. For days, it's been standing room only for tens of thousands of determined travelers. I-Reporter John Courtney sent us these images from the train station. It is in Guangzhou. He says most everyone was calm and resigned to the fact they weren't going anywhere. They were stuck.

WHITFIELD: That is remarkable.

Well, a top al Qaeda commander is dead. What does it mean for the war on terror? We will hear from CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen.

LEMON: And affordable health care. How would the plans from the presidential candidates affect your wallet and your well-being? Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta puts the Republican candidates' ideas under the microscope.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Man, look at that. That was a house. And that is in Lithonia, Georgia, which is a suburb of Atlanta, really DeKalb County here.

A house fire there, you can see it's pretty much burned to the ground, not much left of this home. And it looked to be a pretty sizable home. These pictures coming to us courtesy of our affiliate WGCL. Again, it's Lithonia, Georgia, not far from Atlanta. In fact, you consider that Atlanta, because folks commute there.

But, again, this house fire going really, really -- burning really well here. And it looks like it's going to be a total loss for that. At least from those pictures that we looked at, didn't look like it spread to the homes surrounding it. But we are going to working on more info from our affiliate WGCL, and also our southeast desk here working on getting you some more information about what exactly happened in this house fire here in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.

WHITFIELD: Pretty extraordinary.

LEMON: Yes.

WHITFIELD: You know, there's great concern because you can see the wind there, and...

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: ... the proximity to the houses right nearby.

LEMON: The drought. And you have got that drought, yes.

WHITFIELD: The concern to keep those flames from jumping over to a neighbor's home.

LEMON: Yes. And, as you said, it's been a little dry here, a lot dry.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

LEMON: So, that's probably helped to accelerate that fire.

WHITFIELD: All right, meantime, looking ahead, it's now 14 minutes after the hour. And here are three of the stories we're working on here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

A source confirms for CNN that a senior al Qaeda commander has been killed in Pakistan. Abu Laith al-Libi was active in planning and training along the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. He's said to have ranked not far below Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri.

And a guilty plea today from a man accused of killing a hiker in the North Georgia mountains. Gary Michael Hilton pleaded guilty to the murder of Meredith Emerson. He's also a suspect in several other killings. We're working on bringing you some emotional sound from Meredith Emerson's family straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

And prosecutors investigating the disappearance of an American teenager say they are looking into new evidence now. Natalee Holloway vanished in Aruba in 2005. Prosecutors say they are investigating evidence from a Dutch reporter.

LEMON: Health care, it is a big issue in the presidential race, so what would a new president mean to you? What would a new president mean to you?

CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta -- he joins us live from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, scene of tonight's Democratic debate.

Sanjay, have we heard any concrete plan on health care from the Republicans?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, I think all the Republicans have talked about health care and specifically talked about how they might reform it. One thing you're not going to hear typically from the Republicans is mandating universal health care. And that's probably the biggest distinction really between the Republicans and the Democrats.

If you had to sort of paint broader brushstrokes -- and, obviously, it's a complicated issue -- broader brushstrokes would suggest that there be more reliance on the free-market economy, encouraging competition among insurance companies to try and bring down costs overall of health care insurance, but also this idea of tax incentives and health savings accounts, so, incentives if you get insured, health savings accounts so you can put tax-free dollars in accounts, then use those tax-free dollars up as you need it for health care costs.

Two other issues really have to do with portability and catastrophic health insurance. Portability means, if you change jobs, if you move from one location to another, you take your health insurance with you. There haven't been concrete plans with regard.

And, as far as catastrophic health insurance, there hasn't been concrete plans, as far as we can tell, from the Republicans on that as well. But, again, as I mentioned, Don, they're talking about health care and health care reform I think in a way that really hasn't been done in a very long time.

LEMON: OK. And so tax breaks and free markets are the hallmarks of the Republican plans. But what about Mitt Romney? And the reason I ask that, Sanjay, because, as governor of Massachusetts, he put in place the most comprehensive coverage plan in the country. What are his plans if he becomes president?

GUPTA: Yes, it's very interesting, the Massachusetts model.

And I should point out, being here in Los Angeles just this week, here in California, they tried to do something similar to what was done in Massachusetts, and it failed. It failed in the Senate Health Committee. Part of the reason people will cite is because they looked at Massachusetts, and they said, how is it working over there?

And the answer came back, well, more people are insured, but they have about half-a-billion almost in cost overruns. So, it got voted down here in California. But what Mitt Romney is saying, look, you know, he's backing off the word mandate, but he's saying it's important for the states to develop plans like the one in Massachusetts, where everyone does get insurance.

If you can afford to buy it, you buy it. If you don't buy it, and you could have afforded to do so, you get penalized. If you're someone who can't afford it, then the government comes in and helps out in the form of a subsidy. That is again in broad brushstrokes the gist of his plan.

But he's not suggesting as a presidential candidate -- and I think he's been asked this a few times and we have really drilled down on this issue with him. He is not saying that that should not be a federal mandate. He is still saying it should be left in the -- in control of the states.

LEMON: Sanjay, I have another question for you before I let you go, because we have been hearing more bad news about the economy than good news. What about other coverage issues like catastrophic care or staying insured, God forbid, you lose your job or even if you just switch your job?

GUPTA: Yes.

You know, with the Democrats again, Hillary -- Senators Clinton and Obama have both addressed the catastrophic issue, as well as portability. But, you know, we have looked specifically for any kind of incentives or any kind of protections when it comes to portability or catastrophic health insurance with Republicans.

What we do hear is things like what Senator McCain said, which is that he would provide tax incentives in the case of a preexisting illness. That's important, Don, because, if you get sick and then you have to move or your lose your job or something, it can be very hard to get insurance again. So, Senator McCain is saying, let's provide incentives to try and provide some protection there.

But it is still a little bit nebulous with regards to the two issues you brought up, portability and catastrophic health insurance.

LEMON: All right, Dr. Gupta there at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, appreciate that reporting, sir. Thank you very much.

And make sure you catch Dr. Gupta's "Broken Government" health care special tonight at 11:00 Eastern, right after the Democrats' debate. "Broken Government" will air again Sunday night also at 11:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

And we want to hear from patients and caregivers like you. What are your questions about health care in the U.S.? What are your questions about health care in the U.S.? Send us your questions. The e-mail address is CNNnewsroom@cnn.com.

Tomorrow, at 3:30 p.m. Eastern, we will speak with a patient advocate to answer your e-mails.

WHITFIELD: And we want to show you these remarkable pictures coming out of DeKalb County, Georgia, which is a suburb of Atlanta. This is a house on fire, fully engulfed, all the apparatus on the ground there trying to attack it as best they can.

But it certainly does look like a total loss, even though it's a brick structure there. We don't know exactly what sparked this fire. We just know this is in Lithonia. These pictures courtesy of our affiliate WGCL, but you also see the proximity to the neighbors' homes, so the furious fight under way and battling those winds to make sure that the other structures nearby do not also catch fire.

But, remarkably, no injuries have been reported. That's the good news. So, hopefully, nobody was home at the time, or at least, if folks were there, they escaped without injury.

LEMON: Ah, can you imagine? The worst thing, the worst thing, you want to see happen.

OK, well, he was on the U.S. military's most-wanted list, but just how significant is the death of Abu Laith al-Libi? We will ask CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen -- coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS REPORT)

LEMON: All right, want to get you now to live pictures happening here in the Atlanta area. Look at this, a house fire. Boy, is it going. The very latest on this, and are neighbors' homes in danger here? We will answer that right after the break.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CHIEF TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There was a time when talking cars that navigated themselves simply drove us crazy, the stuff of cheesy TV. But "My Mother the Car" now has a descendent. And I'm not talking about KITT. This car with a brain is the real thing.

Meet the Boss, an SUV that doesn't need you or me.

CHRIS URMSON, CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY: A lot of people really enjoy driving, but there are times that you don't want this.

O'BRIEN: Chris Urmson is from the amazing robot shop at Carnegie Mellon University. They and GM built Boss for a competition staged by the Pentagon in California a few months ago. The object? Drive autonomously -- that means no human drive, no remote control -- to a mock city filled with traffic, obeying the law, 60 miles in less than six hours.

Boss proved true to its moniker, beating out 10 other robo-cars. And that got their wheels turning at GM.

LARRY BURNS, GENERAL MOTORS: Let's say you're stuck in traffic and, if your car could drive itself when you're in congestion, you could disengage from driving.

O'BRIEN: Boss works its magic using GPS, radar, lasers and a trunk full of computing power. Of course, a lot of this technology is already in our cars. The vehicle visionaries say, in a decade, this mash-up will change the way we drive, or don't. And maybe that will finally put an end to all the bickering over whether to ask for directions.

O'BRIEN: Miles O'Brien, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: All right, take a look now at these new images that we're getting in from this fire just outside of an Atlanta suburb in Lithonia, Georgia it's a house fire. We understand that no one was injured. That's good news. But the fire is still burning, even though this is new videotaped images that you're seeing. There was some concern about the neighboring home.

But in some of the recent pictures we were able to see -- the live pictures within the last 15 minutes or so showed that the fire was pretty close to under control. But it is, indeed, a raging fire and this home is a complete loss. We'll continue to update you as we get information.

LEMON: We're also updating you on this information that we have. We're continuing to learn more about the death of a senior al Qaeda commander. CNN sources are confirming an announcement that appeared on an Islamist Web site. They say Abu Laith al-Libi has been killed in Pakistan.

CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen joins us now live.

That last sentence I said, Peter, killed in Pakistan -- what's the significance of Pakistan?

PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, according to the U.S. intelligence community's National Intelligence Estimate, the collective judgment of all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies in July of last year, was that al Qaeda is regrouping particularly on the Afghan/Pakistan border, particularly in Pakistan. So the fact that the guy was killed in Pakistan is not really surprising, since that's where al Qaeda is basically headquartered, including, you know, more than likely, Osama bin Laden and al-Zawahiri, the number two in al Qaeda.

LEMON: OK. So when we're talking about this someone who is a high-ranking member of al Qaeda, what does this mean for the organization and for the area? Can we expect -- is this a chink in the armor or might there be more violence?

BERGEN: I mean -- all -- you know, one of the most dangerous jobs in the world is to be al Qaeda's number three, which is what this guy is sometimes described as. There have been lots of al Qaeda number three that have been killed -- their military commanders, their operational commanders. There's always somebody willing to step up to the plate. So taking somebody out, you know, it's not to be discounted, but it's not really that big a deal. It's not going to end the violence in Pakistan. It's not going to end the violence in Afghanistan.

As you know, Don, Pakistan has seen some of the worst violence in its history in the last year. There were 60 suicide attacks in Pakistan, mostly directed by al Qaeda and the Taliban. That is not going to change, I don't think, by taking out just one commander.

LEMON: Yes. And that's the reason I asked you what the significance of -- in Pakistan was -- that he was somehow being harbored in -- it was a safe area for him. So that's why I asked you about the significance. But let's move on now and talk about -- because I was talking to you before. You said that there is a Libyan component here that is very significant to report.

BERGEN: Well, al-Libi, as his name suggests, was Libyan. And the Libyan fighting group of which he was part of recently announced its merger with Al Qaeda in November of last year. That has had practical consequences. The U.S. military discovered a cache of documents in Sinjar, Iraq, which is on the Syrian/Iraqi border.

And according to translations of the documents provided by West Point's Combating Terrorism Center that anybody interested in this can access on the Web, 20 percent of those foreign fighters coming into Iraq are actually Libyan. And these are people being recruited by al Qaeda in Iraq. And these are people -- of course, the foreign fighters are the people that are doing most of the suicide attacks in Iraq. They're killing disproportionately large numbers of people.

So the fact that the Libyan fighting group has merged with Al Qaeda has practical consequences not only in places like Afghanistan, but also in places like Iraq, Don.

LEMON: OK. And we're -- also, we have -- we were talking about February of 2007's bombing of Bagram Air Force Base -- Air Base, I should say -- when Vice President Dick Cheney was there. This is the man who is suspected to have been behind that.

BERGEN: According to the U.S. military, yes. And that attack wasn't particularly effective. It did kill 23 people, but it had, you know, it was intended to harm Vice President Cheney. Bagram Air Force Base is, you know, one of the most secure facilities in the world. It's a giant base. I've been there many times. It's impossible to attack. You can't -- you can't -- just by blowing up a suicide bomb outside, you're not going to kill anybody inside.

Most of the people that died in the attack were people who -- Afghans who were waiting to get into the base, who were working there. So while this attack had some propaganda advantage for al Qaeda and the Taliban -- it, from a tactical and strategic point of view, it had zero effect.

So al-Libi seems to be somebody who was doing attacks in Afghanistan, who was self-described as a leader of al Qaeda in Afghanistan. But he doesn't seem to be somebody who was planning attacks against the United States itself or even against European targets, as other members of al Qaeda have done in the recent years.

LEMON: CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen. We thank you for joining us today in the NEWSROOM.

BERGEN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: President Bush today signed a 15-day extension of a controversial anti-terror law. But he called on Congress to make the law permanent and soon. It allows the government to eavesdrop on communications between people in the U.S. and suspected terrorists. Critics object to an update that would give legal immunity to phone and computer companies that help the government eavesdrop without court warrants. The president signed the extension in Las Vegas, where he also talked about the war in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Success in Iraq will mean that we'll have an ally in this struggle against extremists in the heart of the Middle East. Success in Iraq will send an interesting message to its neighbor, Iran. Failure in Iraq would cause people to doubt the sincerity of the United States when it comes to keeping commitments. Failure in Iraq would embolden the extremists.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The president says pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq too fast would jeopardize gains there. Meantime, American troop withdrawals from Iraq will pause this summer. That word today from a senior U.S. military official in Baghdad. He says the top U.S. commander in Iraq wants to see where things stand before he lets the force drop any further. Under the current drawdown, about 22,000 troops are coming home.

And in Baghdad today, a car bomb exploded in a mostly Shiite neighborhood, leaving five civilians dead and eight wounded. While the U.S. troop surge has put a big dent in Baghdad's violence, sporadic bombing still plagues the Iraqi capital.

And more U.S. soldiers are trying to commit suicide and more are succeeding. Army figures show as many as 121 soldiers killed themselves last year -- a 20 percent increase from 2006. 2007 also saw more than 2,000 self-inflicted injuries. Frequently to blame -- failed personal relationships, legal and financial problems and long deployments. The Army encourages soldiers to watch one another for telltale signs and to act when appropriate under a program called ACE.

ACE stands for Ask -- as in Ask Your Buddy whether he's thinking of killing himself. The C stands for Care -- Care for your buddy by removing any means for self-injury. The E stands for Escort -- Escort your buddy to a chaplain or health professional.

LEMON: A day trip north of the border -- after shopping trip to the south. American and Canadian travelers will find their border crossings a bit more involved starting today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, after pleading guilty to killing a Georgia hiker, Gary Michael Hilton today was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole of 30 years. He had pleaded guilty to bludgeoning to death Meredith Emerson earlier this month. Shortly after the hearing, where Hilton wore an orange jumpsuit, as well as a bullet-proof vest, we heard from the father of Meredith Emerson David Emerson, in this emotional plea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DAVID EMERSON, VICTIM'S FATHER: Our days are filled with tears, blank stares and we constantly struggle through each day. Meredith was the shining light in our lives and now we are left with a hole in our hearts that will not heal. In life, Meredith was an inspiration who stood for all things good. She treated all people with respect and dignity. The outpouring of love and support from friends and loved ones and countless numbers of strangers is...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Well, that was the father of Meredith Emerson, who was the young Georgia hiker that was killed earlier this month. And now with the sentencing of her murderer, Gary Michael Hilton, he is still being suspected of some involvement in other murder cases.

LEMON: Crossing the border between the United States and Canada just got tougher. New I.D. rules are being phased in, but Customs says there's no cause for panic and no major backups are likely. Still, along the border, travelers and businesses are concerned.

CNN homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With snow like this, it looks to be a banner year for Jay Peak, a ski area in northern Vermont. But that could change.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About half of our skiers come from Canada.

MESERVE: Jay Peak cultivates its Canadian clientele, accepting Canadian currency...

(VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: ... advertising heavily north of the border. But there is worry that Canadians will stop coming if new document requirements cause backups at border crossings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many times do you go through that and say, well, you know, I'm not going back?

MESERVE (on camera): And they have options?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have lots of options.

MESERVE (voice-over): There are plenty of ski slopes north of the border. One Canadian family predicts the new rules will hurt north-south travel by Canadians and by Americans.

CHRIS BIBER, CANADIAN TOURIST: I think there's a degree of confusion. And it's not just that they don't have documents, people just don't know which documents are required...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To bring and...

BIBER: ... and so some people just say, oh, I couldn't care less, right, I'll just stay home and don't travel.

MESERVE: With seven million U.S. jobs in tourism and industry dependent on the U.S.-Canadian trade, the new rules are setting up alarms from Maine to Washington State.

REP. PETER WELCH (D), VERMONT: It's a terrible idea. It's a job killer, plain and simple.

MESERVE: In the name of security, Canadians and Americans not carrying passports will need to show proof of citizenship -- like a birth certificate and a government-issued photo I.D. Such as a license. It begins Thursday, despite pleas from border state congressmen for a delay.

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: When you delay things indefinitely and keep putting them off, the real message to the public is that you're not serious about ever making a change.

MESERVE: Some Canadians, like Leo and Grace Mairinger, say the changes make sense.

LEO MAIRINGER, CANADIAN TOURIST: It's fair. You're crossing an international border.

GRACE MAIRINGER, CANADIAN TOURIST: They don't know who's coming in their country. Of course they're going to want proper papers.

MESERVE (on camera): There are thousands of different kinds of birth certificates. They could be counterfeited. They could be stolen, leading some to question whether these changes will improve security. That is, after all, the point.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, on the U.S.-Canadian border.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Horror stories about security checkpoints at American airports. We've all heard about them. Well, now if you've got a gripe, you can log on and sound off. The Transportation Security Administration's new blog is called Evolution of Security. The agency promises your complaints and suggestions won't vanish into thin air. But critics say the blog will do little to improve the process.

LEMON: At least you can get it out.

WHITFIELD: You can vent.

LEMON: Yes, you can vent.

Britney Spears' latest post-midnight run -- well, this was to the hospital and she has a huge police escort.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Britney Spears is back in the hospital. A vast police escort kept paparazzi at bay while Spears was taken to UCLA Medical Center early this morning. Law enforcement sources tell the 26-year- old pop star is there to get help. The "L.A. Times" and a number of celebrity news outlets report Spears is being held for a mental health evaluation. It is her second hospitalization this month.

LEMON: Oh, boy. OK, well, by anyone's assessment he had it all. And then this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he took too many of the pills. Please. Now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Police responding to reports of a suicide attempt by one of the best and most famous players in the NFL. What happened at Terrell Owens' home that caused such a media frenzy one year ago?

Well, in an exclusive interview with the all pro-wide receiver at his home in Florida, he talks openly with me about how that episode in particular changed his life and, he said, forced him to grow up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TERRELL OWENS, DALLAS COWBOYS RECEIVER: It was just a reaction, you know, to the medicine or the Vicodin that I was taking. And that's all I can really base it off of is a reaction. And, obviously, you know, I thought one minute it was labeled as reaction and then the next -- you know, five to 10 minutes later, it was reported as an -- as an overdose. So, other than that, it wasn't a big deal.

LEMON: What was it -- a reaction to medication? What had you taken? What had you done? Explain to people what happened.

OWENS: The reaction, I really can't explain it to you. All I know is I had come home and I was getting some treatment. And I think I dozed off. I kind of got up. I had taken some more medicine. And I think in conjunction with what I was taking, which were the supplements that -- you know, they were legal supplements, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to play.

LEMON: Right. So you didn't try to take your own life?

OWENS: No.

LEMON: Not at all?

OWENS: Not at all. I mean anybody that know me -- I love myself, so why would I want to take myself away from the world?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: There you go -- very candid and open in this interview. Owens also takes on his critics and why he feels he's singled out and misrepresented by the media. And not to bury the lead here, but he offers an explanation about that crying incident just a few weeks back, after his team was bumped from the play-offs. Get the full story that he hasn't told anyone else tomorrow right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

WHITFIELD: Is he willing to reveal why now, why is he deciding to talk now...

LEMON: Oh, well, you...

WHITFIELD: Or do we have to save it up for tomorrow?

LEMON: You've got to watch.

WHITFIELD: OK. OK.

LEMON: You come in. You've got to watch.

WHITFIELD: I'll be patient.

LEMON: I mean it's an incredible story. It's an incredible story.

WHITFIELD: It is. All right, well, here's what's hot on CNN.com.

Striking beauties on strike -- art school models in Rome want full-time status for a job that's not as easy as it looks.

And Bill Clinton takes on another heckler. Strong words from the former president campaigning in California for his wife. You can check it out yourself.

And how about this? Where else can you see the world's smallest giraffe? Oh, boy. Born two weeks premature, she's growing up fast at the zoo in England.

Those stories and more at CNN.com.

LEMON: She's -- right?

WHITFIELD: It's so beautiful.

LEMON: Oh my gosh, yes.

WHITFIELD: Giraffes are gorgeous.

LEMON: Anytime you put animal story on, you may as well just run it because people don't (INAUDIBLE)...

WHITFIELD: Yes, that's right...

LEMON: ... anymore.

WHITFIELD: We love animals. Love it.

LEMON: But they pay attention to this next guy, Mr. Wolf Blitzer, right? WHITFIELD: Um-hmm.

LEMON: He's standing by to tell us what's coming up at the top of the hour in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

Hey, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, guys. Thanks very much.

We're only four hours away to go until what could be the most pivotal debate of this campaign. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. At stake -- the Democratic presidential nomination. We're counting down to Super Tuesday.

California -- clearly a key state for both parties. I'll talk to the mayor of Los Angeles. He'll join me live right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

And thousands of U.S. troops may not be coming home as early as they had hoped. Why top commanders say troop withdrawals may -- repeat may -- be put on pause.

All that and a lot more coming up. We're at the Kodak Theater here in Los Angeles.

"THE SITUATION ROOM" -- Kyra and Don, only a few minutes away.

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, a nice good crowd back there, too.

LEMON: Yes.

And it's Fredricka, by the way, Wolf. We know it's loud and you can't hear.

WHITFIELD: That's OK. We're interchangeable.

LEMON: Yes. We're...

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: No. Not at all. All right, Wolf. We'll see you at the top of the hour.

The closing bell and the end of all of the action on Wall Street straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Oh, the oddball things that make the news. I'm not talking about us sitting here.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Take a look at this -- one of the most famous chickens in all of Mexico. Why? Well, check out her eggs. Every day she lays a green egg. I am Sam. Sam I am. Yes, a perfect little green egg. The color confused hen...

WHITFIELD: Wow!

LEMON: ... is named Rabinita and people are coming from miles away to see her in action. What makes her eggs green?

WHITFIELD: Yes, that's what I want to know.

LEMON: Who knows? Some genetic thing probably. But our favorite theory involves some hanky panky with the Easter Bunny. Or maybe it was I am Sam, Sam I am, Dr. Seuss.

WHITFIELD: Right. Dr. Seuss.

LEMON: Man, that's something (INAUDIBLE).

WHITFIELD: Yes, I love Dr. Seuss.

LEMON: What do you think?

WHITFIELD: All right, very fun.

LEMON: I wonder if the green is being made on Wall Street today?

WHITFIELD: Green eggs and ham.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are seeing green arrows, guys...

LEMON: Oh, yes.

LISOVICZ: And that is a rare sight, because on this final trading day of the month, it has been a very cold month. We're not talking about temperatures.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

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