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Study Finds Pharmaceuticals in Tap Water; Barack Obama: I'm Not Running for Vice President

Aired March 10, 2008 - 13:00   ET

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

OBAMA: We are going to roll back the Bush tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans and put those tax breaks in the pockets of hard- working Americans who deserve them. If you make $75,000 a year or less, we're going to cut your taxes, middle-class tax cut, so that you have to pay $1,000 less per family on taxes.
And if you're a senior citizen whose income is less than $50,000, then you won't have to pay income tax on your Social Security, because you are already paying enough.

We're going to make sure our trade agreements are fair and not undercutting U.S. workers and holding other countries accountable, being sure they have labor standards and environmental standards and safety standards so our toys don't have lead paint on them when they're shipped from overseas.

We are going to invest in infrastructure in this country. If we're spending $12 billion a month in Iraq, we can spend some of that money right here in the United States of America, rebuilding roads and bridges and hospitals and schools and putting people back to work all across Mississippi, rebuilding the Gulf Coast, rebuilding after the storm.

That work is not yet done. Rebuilding affordable housing in communities that still are having a tough time. There are still folks in this state in FEMA trailers, that we now are poisoning the people who live in them. That is not the government that we deserve or need. We need a clean house in Washington.

I won't just talk about raising the minimum wage every ten years. We are going to raise the minimum wage to keep pace with inflation every year, because if you work in this country, you should not be poor. And that is the goal I will set when I'm president of the United States of America.

If you're ready for change, then we can make sure that every child in America has best education this country has to offer, from the moment that child is born until that day that child graduates from college. You know the problem is not that we don't know what to do, the problem is that we have not put our heart and soul in the making equal opportunity a reality in this country. We look at poor children in the delta and we say, "Well, you know, those children, they can't learn." We look at poor...

DON LEMON, CO-HOST: It might sound like a personal question, but hear me out. Take any sex hormones lately? How about anti- convulsants or mood stabilizers? Before you answer, check your tap water. You may be betting more than just plain old H2O.

BETTY NGUYEN, CO-HOST: That's right.

Plus, Iraqi oil was supposed to be paying for Iraqi reconstruction. But is it? The oil is flowing, but where's all that money going? Our Kyra Phillips asks the senior U.S. general in country.

Hello, everybody on this Monday. I'm Betty Nguyen at the CNN world headquarters here in Atlanta.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

NGUYEN: Back to Don's question. Antibiotics, mood stabilizers, sex hormones, painkillers, we are not talking about your drugstore. We're talking about your tap water.

A five-month Associated Press investigation finds trace amounts of drugs in the tap water of 41 million Americans in two dozen major metropolitan areas. We emphasize the word "trace," though. But just how serious is this problem in the long term? Well, let's bring in our medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen.

When we hear trace, I guess it kind of, you know, puts that shock level at ease, but still that's a lot of drugs in the water.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. The concern is long term, what does it mean? Obviously, we're not all dropping dead because of this, but long term what does it mean you're getting trace amounts of someone else's high blood pressure drug? It's really unknown. This is really the beginning of the story.

This AP report is the first really big, big report to say, "Hey, look at these levels." You see so many of them. And you'll notice that map we just used. There were some states where it looked like they didn't have pharmaceuticals in the water. Chances are it's just because they don't test their water for pharmaceuticals.

So let's go through some of the cities that this report looked at to see what they found.

For example, here in Atlanta, they found traces of antibiotics in tape water and traces of a blood pressure drug. In Cincinnati, traces of a cholesterol drug and traces of estrogen, which is used pharmaceutically. And in New York City, traces of a seizure drug and of an anti-anxiety drug.

Now just sort of to zoom out for a minute, get kind of a wider picture, in Philadelphia they found traces of 56 different drugs.

NGUYEN: Goodness.

COHEN: In New York City -- yes, goodness is right -- New York City that number is 16. And in Northern New Jersey, that number is 13. Now, you may be wondering, what in the world are drugs doing in our tap water? How did that happen? Well, it's not a pretty explanation but one, of course, that we have to give.

All of us take drugs. When we take them, our body absorbs most of the drugs but not everything. Some of it comes out of our bodies and is flushed down the toilet, ends up in waste water, which is then treated and that treated waste water can end up being a part of tap water.

So -- and we're taking more drugs than ever before.

NGUYEN: Yes.

COHEN: So those numbers just keep going up and up.

NGUYEN: That's true. All right. So the EPA, it regulates the water. What do they have to say about this?

COHEN: You know, I was sort of surprised, because I thought that they would just say we have the safest drinking water in the world and that's it and sort of leave it at that. But they did -- they really did voice concern about this.

This is what an EPA spokesman had to say. They said, "We're taking this very seriously. We recognize there's a growing concern about the presence of pharmaceuticals in our water. And we're evaluating the potential health effects of contaminants at low levels, when they occur and how best to remove them."

And I think it's really important to emphasize this at low levels part of it. These are in parts per trillion, teeny, teeny, tiny amounts. What does mean that we're taking in these teeny amounts? Really not known.

NGUYEN: Yes, we still don't know yet. So in the meantime, I mean, should be just drink bottled water? Is that the answer to this?

COHEN: It would be so easy if the answer were yes, but, unfortunately, it's not, Betty, and I'll tell you why.

First of all, a lot of bottled water is just repackaged tap water. So that's not going to help you. But also there's no really good way that's cheap and efficient that doesn't cause other problems to filter these pharmaceuticals out. They filter out lead and they filter out e. coli and all that kind of stuff, which is great, but no one's really figured out a great way to filter out drugs.

So there's a good chance that the bottled water you drink would still have those drugs in it.

NGUYEN: Really?

COHEN: And if you called the bottled water company and asked them, they might say, "Oh, no, we haven't found any in our testing." Well, again, it might then just never tested for it. NGUYEN: For it, exactly. And like you said, it's just repackaged tap water a lot of the time.

COHEN: Some of it is. Yes, absolutely.

NGUYEN: Yes. All right. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you for that.

COHEN: Thanks.

NGUYEN: So do you live in one of those affected areas? Take a look at this map. Logon to CNN.com/health to see a complete map. Simply roll your curser over any of the affected states to get a list of cities involved and the drugs detected. Again, that's CNN.com/health.

LEMON: Time now for politics. The Democratic presidential candidates set their sights on Mississippi. Barack Obama has a town hall meeting and a rally there today on the eve of the Mississippi primary.

Hillary Clinton made two stops last week in Mississippi. She's also looking ahead to Pennsylvania's primary next month, with a rally today in Scranton.

For Republican John McCain, it's all about the money. After taking in a Phoenix Suns game yesterday, he's on a weeklong fundraising blitz.

Leading our political ticker today, ideas for solving the Democratic Party's Michigan and Florida problem. The latest buzz is a possible mail-in revote. Clinton and Obama surrogates aren't ruling it out. The main concern, how to pay for it. Both states are stripped of their Democratic delegates for moving up their primaries.

The young girl seen in Hillary Clinton's red-phone ad is passionate about the race for the White House. But she is not backing Clinton. Casey Knowles was 8 years old when the stock footage now being aired was shot. She's now getting ready to vote in her first election, and she's backing Barack Obama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CASEY KNOWLES, APPEARED IN CLINTON AD: Like I said, it makes me feel a little disloyal. And it kind of -- it hurts that footage of me would contribute to a candidate that I'm not necessarily supporting. Hopefully, Mr. Obama would forgive me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, Knowles tells CNN it would be wonderful if she and Obama could get together for a counter-ad.

John McCain won enough delegates last week to clinch the Republican nomination, but rival Ron Paul tells CNN his first -- his fight, I should say, hasn't ended.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RON PAUL (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No. No, it not over. It's certainly winding down. There are a lot less primaries left. Super Tuesday has passed. And McCain has the nominal number.

But you know, if you're in a campaign for only gaining power, that is one thing. If you're in a campaign to influence ideas and the future of the country, you know, the campaign is never over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, the Texas congressman says he is not likely to support McCain because the two disagree on a number of issues, including Iraq.

The latest now on the all-important Democratic battle for delegates. The latest CNN estimate shows Barack Obama with 1,527 total delegates. Hillary Clinton has 1,428. It takes 2,025 delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination.

All of the latest campaign news is available at your fingertips. Just go to CNNpolitics.com. Plus analysis from the best political team on television and more at CNNpolitics.com.

NGUYEN: At the exact time Auburn University plans to have a memorial this afternoon for Lauren Burk, her alleged killer is due in court just a few miles away.

The freshman from Georgia, a pre-graphic design major, was shot Tuesday night near Auburn's campus. She was rushed to a hospital but could not be saved.

And three days later, an arrest. Twenty-three-year-old Courtney Lockhart faces murder, kidnapping, robbery and attempted rape charges. We learned more about Lockhart this weekend from his mother, who said he seeped different after serving 16 months in Iraq. She also -- she also issued an emotional apology to Lauren Burk's family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CATHERINE WILLIAMS, MURDER SUSPECT'S MOTHER: I'm sorry for that family. I'm sorry. I'm just sorry. I don't have nothing else to say. I'm just sorry for the loss of that family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Williams says her son has not confessed anything to her. Police say Courtney Lockhart is also suspected in a string of robberies in Alabama and West Georgia.

Well, police in North Carolina may now have two persons of interest in the murder of UNC's student body president. After close examination they believe someone's riding in the backseat. Take a look at this picture, of the man seen in these ATM security photos. They're working to enhance the pictures. Eve Carson's body was found early Wednesday on a Chapel Hill street. She'd been shot several times. Hundreds of people attended her funeral yesterday in her hometown of Athens, Georgia.

LEMON: A fight over Iraqi oil. Two U.S. Senators are demanding an accounting from Iraqi leaders. Our Kyra Phillips in Baghdad explores a secret world of oil smuggling.

NGUYEN: And the battle over delegates. We're going to talk with the Reverend Al Sharpton, who has been talking to Florida voters who did not vote in the primary, thinking it wouldn't count.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: We're going to get back to Barack Obama in Columbus, Mississippi. Let's listen in.

OBAMA: That's what they said. They kept on saying, "Well, you know, he would be a fine vice president. That would be a formidable team, with Clinton at the top and Obama in, in second place."

Now, now first of all, with all due respect, with all due respect, I have won twice as many states as Senator Clinton. I've won more of the popular vote than Senator Clinton. I have more delegates than Senator Clinton. So I don't know how somebody who's in second place is offering the vice presidency to the person who's in first place. I mean, I'm just wondering. I'm just wondering, because if I was in second place I could understand it. But I'm in first place right now. So that's point No. 1.

But there's another -- there's a second point. This is an interesting point. I want you guys to follow me on this. You know, Senator -- President Bill Clinton, back in 1992, when he was being asked about his selection for vice president, he said, "The only criteria, the most important criteria for vice president is that that person is ready, if I fell out in the first week, that he or she would be ready to be the commander in chief." That was his criteria.

Now, they have been spending the last two, three weeks, you remember, with that -- that advertisement with the phone call, telling -- getting all of the generals to say, "Well, we're not sure he's ready. I'm ready on day one. He may not be ready yet." But I don't understand. If I'm not ready, how is it that you think I should be such a great vice president? Do you understand that?

See, I was trying to explain to somebody a while back the okey- doke. You all know the okey-doke? It's when someone's trying to bamboozle you, when they're trying to hoodwink you. They are trying to hoodwink you. You can't say that he's not ready on day one, unless he's willing to be your vice president and then he'd be willing to -- then he's ready on day one.

So look, I just want everybody to be absolutely clear, OK? I want everybody to be absolutely clear. We are in a tough battle. And I don't presume that I have won this election. Senator Clinton is fighting hard. She is tenacious. I respect her for that. She is working hard to win the nomination. But I want everybody to be absolutely clear. I'm not running for vice president; I'm running for president of the United States of America.

I'm running for president of the United States of America. I'm running to be commander-in-chief. And the reason I'm running to be commander-in-chief is because I believe that the most important thing when you answer that phone call at 3 in the morning is: what kind of judgment do you have? Not how long you've been in Washington, but what kind of judgment do you have when you're answering that phone.

And I believe that I have shown better judgment than Senator Clinton. I believe I offer a clean break from the policies of George Bush because Senator Clinton went along with George Bush on the war in Iraq. Senator Clinton went along with George Bush on her willingness to try to saber-rattle when it came to Iran. She's gone along with many of the conventional ways of thinking about foreign policy.

LEMON: Senator Barack Obama in Columbus, Mississippi, and using -- going back old school, saying that the Clinton campaign was trying to give him the okey-doke, trying to hoodwink him.

I think the important thing here is that he's responding to what the Democrats have been calling the so-called dream ticket, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on one ticket. Hillary Clinton's campaign has said they would be open to it. Barack Obama this weekend in Casper, Wyoming, saying, he is not open. He is not running for vice president and now making it clear -- he said it twice, I'm not running for vice president. I'm running for president of the United States. I'm running for president of the United States. I'm running for commander in chief, he says.

And Candy Crowley, who also joins us from Mississippi, he said he's running to be commander in chief because he thinks he has better judgment went that phone actually does ring at 3 a.m. in the morning.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And that's been his central argument all along since that red-phone ad came out.

I want to just note, this is very strong pushback from Barack Obama, from the candidate himself. And that always means that this level of discussion has really reached a point where the campaign feels it needs to undo it.

Why? Because the Obama camp knows that, when the Clinton camp stirs this up and says, "Well, we could have a dream team," the former president talking about what a powerful ticket it would be, the Obama camp understands that this is a way for the Clinton campaign to play some politics here.

If you suggest to voters, who might have some question about Barack Obama's experience, but they like his message of hope and change, if you suggest to them that they could have both and that maybe he could get eight years of seasoning. That's a suggestion here. The Obama camp obviously feels that this undercuts what he's trying to do, which as you heard him say, was become commander in chief. So what's their argument? Their argument is, first of all, "I'm running for president." Second of all, "I'm ahead." And third of all, "How can she, like, try to say to me that I don't have the credentials to be commander in chief with the red-phone ad? She pounds it home on the campaign. And yet says, well, gee, I might be ready to be vice president." That is the person who, of course, is a heartbeat away.

So very strong pushback here, because they understand the political implications of it, Don.

LEMON: It is interesting that they are saying to him, you know, the so-called -- they're calling it -- we're not calling it that -- this dream ticket that, you know, they would consider that.

But it is interesting. He has more delegates. He has won the popular vote, as he said. And you know, as of last week, when he lost those two primaries, he had the momentum. Why would they think that he would want to run for vice president when he is, in fact, ahead?

CROWLEY: Well, let me also say that history is sort of full of people who have said they don't want to be vice president who then become vice president.

But it is more trying to capture what Barack Obama has brought to this campaign. And it is true, we should, note that Hillary Clinton has brought new people, in particular, working-class women, into the voting sphere.

But Barack Obama has really galvanized young people. He's really brought in a lot of disaffected voters into his campaign. It would be very good, as former president said, to have someone who has brought in these new voters, to have someone who can appeal to those in the city, someone you know, Hillary Clinton does well in rural areas. I mean, obviously, they do complement each other, and that's why we have a close race, is because they draw from different sides of the Democratic Party.

So, you know, they're doing it one because they understand his popularity, two, because it does send that sort of subliminal message which, as I say, the Obama camp doesn't want out there.

LEMON: Candy Crowley, Jackson, Mississippi, we appreciate that. Thank you very much, Candy.

CROWLEY: Sure.

LEMON: All of the latest campaign news is available at your fingertips. Go to CNNpolitics.com. Plus, analysis from the best political team on television. That and more at CNNpolitics.com.

NGUYEN: Well, Iraq's oil exports are setting records. So where is all that money going? We are going to take a look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Well, the blue chips are still struggling to climb back above the 12,000 point level after tumbling below it Friday. Susan Lisovicz is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with the latest. She joins us now.

Tell us you have some good news, Susan?

(STOCK REPORT)

SUSAN LISOVICZ: We'll continue to talk about jobs in the next hour. A banner year if you're a new college grad. We'll have numbers and the perks in the next hour of newsroom.

NGUYEN: Too bad I've already graduated. But thanks, Susan.

LISOVICZ: Likewise.

NGUYEN: See you soon.

LEMON: Iraq's oil exports are setting records. Where's all that money going? We'll take a look.

NGUYEN: Also, civil rights leader Al Sharpton is in Florida, talking about a huge problem from the Democratic Party: what should be done about the voters whose voices might not be heard at the party's national convention?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: People said it would be all over by now. It would be all over by last week. So now we have this big question, what do you do about Florida and Michigan? That's still a huge problem facing the Democrats. Right now both states' delegate don't count because Michigan and Florida went against party rules and moved up their primaries. Al Sharpton is in Florida where he's meeting with voters. Today, he says, just got off a plane, and he joins us by telephone in Orlando.

You're having voters are sign affidavits. What are you doing?

AL SHARPTON, ACTIVIST: I'm meeting with leaders in Orlando later tonight, and Daytona Beach tomorrow, and Port St. Lucia and Miami, leaders that are bringing to us voters that have said that they would have voted had they not been told by the Democratic National Committee that their votes didn't count, the delegates wouldn't be seated.

Now if they go back on that word, if the DNC does in any arrangement seat the delegates in Friday in Michigan they are, in effect, robbing people that listened to them, feeling the votes didn't count of their right to vote. You cannot violate people's rights by misleading them, saying, your vote won't count, the delegates won't be seated, and then come a few months later, when the race is tight, say, oh, I'm kidding, we're going to seat these delegates and you lost your right to your vote or your opinion.

LEMON: OK, so, reverend, are people there open to you, to all of this? What are they saying?

SHARPTON: People are the ones that contacted our chapters of National Action Network here. That's why I've come down, because many of the ministers and leaders that work with us said, we've got congregants, we've got people that said they didn't vote because the delegates wouldn't be seated.

LEMON: So they're with you. They're with you.

SHARPTON: Absolutely.

LEMON: What about -- what's the DNC saying? Are they saying anything to you?

SHARPTON: When I talked to Chairman Dean a week ago he said that he was not going to change the rules. Now we keep hearing back and forth different options. We want to make it clear that if in fact they try to pressure the DNC into changing rules that we intend on a voters right suit to go into court to protect these voters that in fact did what the DNC said.

LEMON: You're serious. You are -- this is serious then.

SHARPTON: This is dead serious. How do you explain -- people said, well, a couple of million people voted in Florida. There might have been 10 million that voted if they felt that it was counted. What are you going to do about Michigan where they only have two candidates' names on the Democratic ballot? You can't disenfranchise people.

LEMON: Reverend, I've been reading some people -- reading stuff in the newspapers, on the blogs that say, you know what, they're only doing this because this is going to benefit Barack Obama. That's why you're doing it.

SHARPTON: We're doing because it's going to benefit people who listened to what the DNC said and that had a right to vote and had a right to select the delegates, and they didn't because they were misled, if in fact these delegates are seated by the DNC. I don't believe the DNC should do that. I hope they won't. The chairman has said he won't. We want to make sure these people are protected to see that he remains consistent with that commitment.

LEMON: Now, reverend, I know you're in the middle of your radio show, so we're going to let you go. But I want to ask you, what's next?

SHARPTON: What's next is we want to see what the DNC does. They're talking about mail voting, they're talking about redoing -- we want to make sure whatever process happens, that it does not seat the delegates that were selected by only those that voted in primaries the DNC said would not count.

LEMON: Reverend Al Sharpton, in Orlando, Florida. Reverend, please keep us updated on your progress. let me know what's go on, OK. SHARPTON: Thank you, Don.

LEMON: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Well, two powerful U.S. senators want to know what is happening to billions of dollars in Iraq oil money. Carl Levin and John Warner are asking for a full accounting of money coming in, as well as Iraqi government spending on reconstruction. And the Iraqi government's overseas bank accounts. The senators cite a prewar Bush administration official who said postwar Iraq would pay its own way.

Well, joining us now from Baghdad on a day where oil is $107 a barrel is our own Kyra Phillips who has looked into the matter of smuggling. So, Kyra, what have you found?

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's sort of ironic. I didn't even know these hearings were going to be taking place, Betty. We've been working on this story for a couple of weeks now, so we'll definitely have it for you tomorrow.

Five-billion dollars a month, that's the oil revenue that comes into this country. And then you see the conditions here and you wonder, where that that money going? Well, Smuggling is a huge industry. So tomorrow, we're going to take you one on one with a smuggler.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: "I have 12 people to feed in my family, and I can make up to $300 a day. I'll work from 4:00 a.m. to midnight. It's worth every bit of money. "

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: And we're protecting his face because he could get killed for coming on camera and telling us how he does this because it's such a huge industry. But he's trusting us to protect his identity, and that's what we're doing. He's OK with us using a different name. We've chosen "Bassam Ali (ph)," and what he's going it take us on a ship, show us where he hides the oil, how he siphons it out, and he's going to tell us about his No. 1 customer, and that is Iran.

Now, I linked up with General Petreaus, the commander of this war, yesterday, talked about a number of issues with him. But I wanted to tell him about this interview I had with this in smuggler and get his opinion on the smuggling industry, and this is what he told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, U.S. IRAQ COMMANDER: And even though they have, again, broken all of their export records, legal export records in recent months, there clearly is serious problem of corruption and all kinds of schemes and scams, and Iraq has to deal with those over time. PHILLIPS: I've had Iraqis tell me that's part of our culture; it's going to have to be accepted one way or another.

PETRAEUS: There are aspects of that, obviously. I mean, this is where the word "basheesh (ph)" comes from and so forth.

An clearly, what our focus now is trying to cut off funding for al Qaeda and associated insurgent groups. And then to try to help the Iraqis deal with the rest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: And you hard the general use the word, Betty, "basheesh," that's Arabic for bribery, and that's exactly how things work around here. They give a little money here, give a little money there, and that's how everybody makes their deals. It happens in government, it happens in police, it happens everywhere. Money talks in this country.

So you've got smugglers, you've got terrorists, you've got bombmakers, they don't even believe in the cause, but they're going to do it because they get the cash.

NGUYEN: And that's the way it works in a lot of countries around the world, Kyra.

Let me ask you think, I know that you're working on something for us a little bit later today. What do you have?

PHILLIPS: You're going hear for from General David Petraeus as we walk through the streets of Baji (ph), a very complex area, it was an area immersed by al Qaeda. We go through there, and he tell me about the threats, how things have gotten better. But of course it's a long way to go. You'll hear about security, and also what he thinks about Iran and how he decided not go face to face with the president when he was here a couple of week ago.

NGUYEN: Important information. Kyra Phillips joining us live from Baghdad. As always, we do thank you, Kyra.

U.S. troops in Iraq face danger all the time. But in their own laundry rooms and showers? An internal Pentagon report says dozens of U.S. troops in Iraq may have gotten sick because of potentially unsafe water. The Associated Press first obtained that report from an exclusive story. Now problems were found between 2000 and 2006 at three bases run by American contractor KBR and at two military bases.

Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan, who's led inquiries into alleged contracting abuses requested this Pentagon probe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BYRON DORGAN (D), NORTH DAKOTA: Now we're spending billions, tens and tens of billions of dollars on these kinds of contracts, and the question is, who's doing the oversight? Who's looking over the shoulders to find out, a, the taxpayer's being properly served and, b, someone's protecting the American soldiers? In this instance, the answer is no one. No one seemed to give a damn. And I don't understand it. I just -- I would think the Pentagon would fiercely fight to make sure that contractors are doing what they're required to do in the contract to protect American troops.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: All right, so here what happens we know -- the water was for bathing and laundry, not for drinking, and investigators can't link it to all of the illnesses. They say KBR has taken steps to improve water quality, but the military still isn't doing all the required tests.

LEMON: What are you allergic to? Well find out -- can finding what's in the water, can you think about that? Could be harder than what you think.

NGUYEN: Yes, finding out what's in there -- could be harder than what you think. Finding out what's in there could be harder than you think, yes

LEMON: You've got tips for getting it right in our "Empowered Patient" segment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Ever been misdiagnosed or feel you're not getting the medical care you deserve? We can tell you how to be an empowered patient.

Today, we are focusing on allergies. Millions of us have them but the tests aren't always accurate. Not always accurate. What can you do? Our medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, is here to tell us.

Elizabeth, there's been problems with doctors misdiagnosing allergies.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. There are some new guidelines out about how doctors can best diagnose allergies. And the expert who we talked to said, look, these tests are not perfect.

And sometimes we tell people they have an allergy that they don't really have and sometimes we miss an allergy that's there. And he said that patients really can play a very crucial role in helping the doctor get it right.

So let's look at three things that you can do to so that your doctor has a better chance of diagnosing your allergy correctly. First of all, ask you doctor -- make sure that you're getting IGE and not an IGG test. For some reason, doctors are still, after many years, doing the second test when really they ought to be doing the IGE test.

Also, question some test results. If you're allergy test says you're allergic to shellfish, but you eat it all the time and you're fine, there's a good chance that you're right and that the test is wrong. Also, if you go to your family doctor and you try sort of a first line medication and it doesn't work, it's probably time to think about going to a board certified allergist. They're the ones who really know how to do this testing right.

LEMON: OK. So an IGE, not an IGC.

COHEN: You got it. E -- IGE.

LEMON: OK.

COHEN: IGE, not IGC.

LEMON: Not an IGG. Not an IGG. Get your handwriting. Better penmanship, Don.

OK, are allergy tests better -- than for other people or -- better for some and not others?

COHEN: They are better. When you and I were growing up they would do these -- they would test you for 60 things in order to try and narrow it down. Now they can test for a much narrower spectrum; it's much easier.

The results, it's much easier for the doctor to interpret. So if you're thinking about getting allergy testing and you have it in your head the kind of old fashioned tests that were difficult, they've gotten much better. There are still going to be problems but they're much better than they used to be.

LEMON: The ones where they stuck all -- remember the ones where they stick all of the pins on your back, or whatever, and they would label them.

COHEN: Yes. And grids. Right.

LEMON: Yes.

COHEN: And now they've -- narrowed down those numbers. So you're not quite the pin cushion you used to be.

LEMON: Very good. Thank you, Elizabeth.

COHEN: Thanks.

LEMON: And when should I get a checkup? What should I eat? How often should I exercise? You have the questions, we have the answers. That's CNN.com/health. Become an empowered patient and a healthier person, too. Again, just log on to CNN.com/health.

NGUYEN: And what are you paying for gas these days? Well, we are going to show you where a fill up, get this, only costs 70 cents. All you need is a passport and a whole lot of courage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Pakistan's embattled president has no plans to quit, that's according to a senior ally of Pervez Musharraf. He says Musharraf will stay in office, despite his political opponent's decision to restore judges the president had removed last year. Many of those judges dispute the legality of President Musharraf's rule.

Newly elected opposition leaders agreed yesterday to form a coalition government which is likely to be hostile to the U.S. ally, Musharraf. Now, they have called on him to convenient Parliament soon. Musharraf says he will, within two weeks.

LEMON: Vice President Dick Cheney is heading to the Middle East this weekend. President Bush says Cheney will press the Israelis and Palestinians to, "uphold their obligations in fragile peace negotiations."

Cheney heads out Sunday to Oman, then to Saudi Arabia where he's expected to push for greater oil production to help ease skyrocketing gas prices. He's also scheduled to stop in Israel, the West Bank and Turkey.

NGUYEN: Well, talk of war in South America died down last week, nearly as quickly as it flared up. But, the sudden spike in tensions exposed several countries' borders as havens for lawlessness. Just wait until you see the traffic and cut rate gas between oil- rich Venezuela and its neighbor, Colombia.

Here's CNN's Karl Penhaul.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's the perfect antidote to soaring prices at the pumps. Dirt cheap Venezuelan gasoline smuggled over the boarder into Colombia and sold at cut price.

"Well, technically, it is illegal to buy the Venezuelan gas, but if you can't find good quality Colombian gasoline, than I'd say it's more like a legal vacuum. It's a bad thing, but everybody does it," this driver says.

Colombian Victor Valencia says he was studying to be a Catholic priest, but switched to selling contraband gas to help feed his mother and brothers.

"It's illegal but everything here is illegal unless you've got a permit. I'm just trying to support my family and it's a risky job," he says.

Sold legally at the pumps in Columbia, a gallon of gas costs between $3 and $3.50. If you buy it from the smugglers, served up at roadside out of a plastic can, it's half the price, just over $1.50.

"Those Venezuelans have got a lot of gas and it's good quality," this smuggler says.

It's an antarctic and porous frontier. Gas smuggling is so rampant, the Colombian customs officials at a check point just yards away seem to turn a blind eye. They decline to comment on camera.

Watching over it all, the money changes. Trading wads of currency at black market rates which means it's cheaper than ever for Colombians to shop in Venezuela.

The gas smuggling chain starts a few hundred yard away, across the border.

(on-camera): An official exchange rates a gallon of gasoline in Venezuela will cost you 14 cents. If you change your cash on the black market, that same gallon will cost you just seven cents. That means you can fill up an average family sized car for the price of this bottle of Coca-Cola.

(voice-over): With a tank full of gas for just 70 cents, Venezuelans drive into Colombia where Valencia and other gas bootleggers siphon it out. In Colombia, they get ten times what they paid in Venezuela, but if they are caught, the drivers said they face heavy fines and confiscation of their vehicles. Regardless of the risk, with world oil prices hitting record highs, gas smuggling may be too profitable to stop.

"This is a frontier of wherever there's a frontier, there's smuggling. They'll never wipe that out," this driver says.

So for now, the dream of cheap gas seems set to last; a dream that comes in a dirty plastic can.

Karl Penhaul, CNN, on the Colombian/Venezuelan boarder.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: What would you do if you found a fortune in cash? One woman discovered $30,000. Find out what she did with it and how her actions are paying dividends.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right. It was a tempting find in a box of cast off clothing, but not tempting enough. A thrift store worker is being praised for her honesty after returning $30,000.

Jennifer Sabih with CNN affiliate, KCAL, has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER SABIH, KCAL CORRESPONDENT: The Veteran's Thrift Store is built on the premise that one man's trash is another man's treasure. But one employee, Barbarita Nunez (ph), found Tuesday while sorting through donations was treasure disguised as trash.

SUSAN GAMEZ, THRIFT STORE MANAGER (through translator): She opened the box and then it was small boxes. She opened them and it had an envelope. It was in an yellow envelope. When she slipped the envelope there were several envelopes inside, like small, white envelopse. SABIH: Nunez nearly threw them all away. After all, what passes through here from the yellow sneakers to the gold coin belt are items owners no longer want. But something told her to open the envelopes, and in them was --

GAMEZ (through translator): A few 50s but mostly $100 bills that totaled $30,000 when we stacked them and bundled them -- $5,000 each.

SABIH: Nunez quickly showed her supervisors and they tracked down the envelope's owner. Turns out the box with $30,000 was donated by the family of an 80-year-old woman who'd recently died. Her relatives had no idea she'd stashed so much cash away.

IRMA ROMERO, THRIFT STORE MANAGER: I believe the lady just did, like, baby-sitting jobs, cleaning houses. She saved it. She saved, I guess, all her life.

SABIH: Nunez returned the money, received a reward and the admiration of her co-workers.

ROMERO: It's good to know that there's still people like her around and, of course, it feels special even that she works for us.

SABIH: At the Veterans Thrift Store you can find striped shirt -- $2.98, yellow sneakers -- $9.98, employee Barbarita Nunez, priceless.

In Pomona, Jennifer Sabih, KCAL 9-News

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: It's the truth. Well, Nunez plans to send some of reward money home to Mexico to pay for her mother's eye operation and she says she'll buy a digital camera with what's left over. See, good things happen to good people.

Next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

So you want me to do what? Barack Obama has a wake-up call for anybody who calls Clinton/Obama a dream ticket.

LEMON: And how's this for a nightmare -- attacked out of nowhere in a Wal-Mart parking lot. This woman survived, would you? A 16- year-old self defense expert shows us how.

Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live at the CNN World Headquarters here in Atlanta.

NGUYEN: Hi there, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen, in today for Kyra Phillips.

You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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