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Arkansas Hit by Tornadoes; Guam Results Matter for Momentum

Aired May 03, 2008 - 16:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOYCE STEVENSON, TORNADO VICTIM: You don't want to go through it because it's not fun. Inside the storm cellar little oxygen and outside so dark you couldn't see.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Next in the NEWSROOM, powerful storms and tornadoes ravage a community. At least seven people dead in Arkansas alone. Survivors assess the damage under the blue skies.

Plus four delegates, thousands of miles away, but maybe more relevant now than ever before. Results coming in from Guam. Which democrat will take the territory.

Also, the search for that elusive fountain of youth. Some say it is in the blue zone. Well, where is that? Find out next.

First to the severe weather we have been experiencing across the country. Meteorologist say as many as 25 tornados may have touched down yesterday in four states. Hardest hit by far was Arkansas. In all, seven people were killed. The small town of Damascus took the worst blows. Across Arkansas, 350 homes were damaged or destroyed. Governor Mike Beebe has declared seven Arkansas counties disaster areas. Our Sean Callebs is in Damascus. He shows us the damage and hears of any amazing story of survival.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Central Arkansas hit hard by the violent weather. Witnesses tell us that there were two, two tornadoes that came rolling in over the horizon, simply devastating homes in this splintering trees, changing the landscape dramatically, now just strewn with debris and wreckage. And from where we're standing less than a quarter mile, a direct hit on a home claimed three lives. I want to introduce you to Doyce Stevenson. Doyce is one of the people who has an amazing story of survival during yesterday's tornadoes. Doyce, thanks very much for joining us. Now, This is your storm cellar. You just built it. You lived here 20 years but you just built it one year ago. What was it like yesterday?

DOYCE STEVENSON, TORNADO VICTIM: You don't want to go through it because it's not fun. Inside the storm cellar little oxygen and outside so dark you couldn't see.

CALLEBS: Can you open it up and give us a look? What happened? The storm was copping through?

STEVENSON: I ran in here and then I stood and held this door so it wouldn't go back out.

CALLEBS: So you grabbed this.

STEVENSON: I was holding that behind that wall.

CALLEBS: About how long?

STEVENSON: Oh, ten minutes at least.

CALLEBS: And what was it like. Describe what the weather was like beforehand and once you were in there? What did it sound it? What did it feel?

STEVENSON: It sound like a dozen trains coming through. I believe it was real. I'm lucky.

CALLEBS: You holding up okay, sir. I know it's got to be tough. You lost some friends yesterday. Your daughter over there. They lost their home. You got a lot of friends here helping you today?

STEVENSON: Oh, yes.

CALLEBS: Tell me a bit what the conditions were like. You say it was so dark just before the tornadoes came over the horizon. Will you ever forget seeing those two tornadoes?

STEVENSON: No. I'll never forget it. I hope this holds up as well as it did this time.

CALLEBS: 69 years old. I imagine you never had ten more terrifying minutes in your life.

STEVENSON: No. Never have. Hope they don't happen again.

CALLEBS: Well, take care of yourself. You take care of the family. I know you have a lot of rebuilding but there are a lot of strong people in this area.

STEVENSON: I'm going to.

CALLEBS: Thanks very much.

Now, today, we have seen so many volunteers come in from about throughout the area doing what they can to remove debris and try to get people back on their feet again. Today, what a dramatic change in conditions. Blue sky, fluffy clouds, just perhaps a sign that this is an area that is going be able to bounce back. Sean Callebs, CNN, Damascus, Arkansas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. We check in now with Jacqui Jeras from the severe weather center. A couple of hours ago, Jackie, you said maybe we are on the rear end of the system and maybe there is, you know, some bright skies on the horizon. Is that the case?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, definitely. And Arkansas looking much better today than it did yesterday. They are in the clear now. As is most of the country, for the most part, we're just going to see some of those nuisance showers and thunderstorms. We can see some isolated strong or severe storms yet into the panhandle of Florida. Let's go ahead and take a look back at yesterday. And what a touching story there by Sean Callebs and so many people being impacted by these tornadoes. These are all the reports yesterday by the storm prediction center. It doesn't necessarily mean that there were 54 individual tornadoes but 54 tornadoes were being reported. And look at the concentration of them there into the state of Arkansas.

Our i-reporters were out. And right in this location of Lepanto, Arkansas yesterday, i-reporter Allen Smith from Lake City, Arkansas, got some incredible photos of the actual tornado. Look at that. There you can see the funnel clouds. Allen was telling us that he's a truck driver and he was out making a delivery when this tornado crossed the road right in front of him while he was driving. He said it took off the windshield wiper. He actually had to stop his vehicle and back up to get out of the way of this storm. But very incredible looking wedge tornado there. You can see some of that debris flying. So that's how you know that that is touching the ground. Thanks to Allen Smith and all of our i-reporters sending these pictures. Make sure you stay safe and send those to us at cnn.com/ireporters.

WHITFIELD: Jacqui, those pictures are both beautiful and scary all at the same time. All right. Thank you so much.

Well, updating you now on a breaking story out of Philadelphia. A police officer has been shot and killed in a shootout with two suspects after a bank robbery. Authorities say one of the suspects has been caught. Police are searching a wooded area in Northeast Philadelphia for the other suspect and a female accomplice. We will continue to monitor this story for you.

All right. Results coming in now from today's democratic caucuses in the U.S. territory of Guam. With 79 percent of the votes in, as you see, Barack Obama is leading Hillary Clinton 53 percent to 47 percent. Four delegates are up for grabs. Voter turnout has been heavy even though neither candidate actually visited Guam. Both did, however, run ads on the Pacific Island.

And in just three days a much more critical showdown, primaries in North Carolina and Indiana. A total of 187 delegates are at stake in those two states. Both Senators Obama and Clinton are stumping hard for every one of those delegates. Let's go live to CNN's Jim Acosta. He is in Mooresville, North Carolina where Senator Clinton had a planned stop. Jim.

ACOSTA: Hi, Fredricka. It is hard to hear you right now. They are revving up this crowd here with Mooresville, North Carolina, where Hillary Clinton will be speaking to a big rally of supporters in just about an hour from now. Both of these candidates are fighting hard in these remaining days before the Indiana, North Carolina primaries for every vote they can get. And the big issue that has emerged on the campaign trail over the past week has been this issue of the gas tax holiday, a proposal from Hillary Clinton originally from John McCain in this campaign, but Hillary Clinton has also adopted it. It has come under some criticism from the Obama campaign, Barack Obama has come out against it. But nevertheless we are hearing both these candidates this weekend, going back and forth on the issue of a gas tax holiday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want the oil companies to pay the federal gas tax this summer. Now some people say that wouldn't save the average consumer all that much money. Well, we figure it would save about $70 for the average consumer. It would save a whole lot more for truck drivers, for farmers, for people who commute long distances to work, who rely upon transporting the goods they sell for their business and it would probably save truckers $2 billion in fuel costs just for the summer. And that's $2 billion that wouldn't go into the cost of the food that you go to the grocery store that you buy.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There isn't an expert out there who believes that this is going to work. There isn't an editorial out there that has said this is actually the answer to high gas prices. In fact, my understanding is today Senator Clinton had to send out a surrogate to speak on behalf of this plan and all she could find was, get this, a lobbyist for Shell Oil to explain how this was going to be good for consumers. It's a Shell game. Literally.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And right now Senator Obama is campaigning in Indiana. He is speaking at an event which is described by his campaign as a family picnic event in Noblesville, Indiana. And the significance of this event is that piece of property where they are having this event is property that was once owned by his mother's side of the family. So, this is part of Barack Obama's strategy this weekend heading into the Indiana primary to reintroduce himself to voters, Fredricka, not only having a picnic dinner at the land once owned by his mom who was from Kansas but also we are seeing Barack Obama this weekend campaigning with his two daughters, something we haven't seen since the Iowa caucuses. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Right. And hopefully he is comfortable on those roller skates getting in a roller rink with all of the nation watching. Because that would be embarrassing if it doesn't work out as planned.

ACOSTA: They'll be rolling here and rolling there at the NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum where I'm at.

WHITFIELD: OK. That sounds good. Jim Acosta, thanks so much in Mooresville, North Carolina. And of course, in Indiana, where you saw that Barack Obama is already. Well, that race between Senators Clinton and Obama is very tight.

CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider is with the "Election Express" in Indianapolis. Bill, good to see you again. So, where do the candidates stand in terms of the polls there in Indiana?

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Here in Indiana, 47, 47. You can't get any closer than that. There has been a slight shift. It was 45, 45. So, people are making up their minds. We are in about equal numbers for Clinton and Obama. This race is really down to the wire. It is the closest race coming up on Tuesday. Both candidates are desperate to win it. Hillary Clinton will be here tonight, a little ways away here in Indianapolis. Barack Obama has a big rally right here where I'm standing here in Indianapolis on Monday night. So, they are going after every vote here in Indiana.

WHITFIELD: And as it pertains to Guam, it matters so much because, not because of the what four delegates that really are very meaningful, but it really boils down to momentum. Whoever can claim winning Guam can feel pretty good or maybe even a little pumped up going into Tuesday, right?

SCHNEIDER: That's right. Hillary Clinton wants to show that her momentum is continuing. She won Pennsylvania. And now she wants to show she is carrying that momentum on to other states. Guam is not a state, but if she wins there it would be a show of continuing momentum for her. Barack Obama needs a comeback. He lost Ohio. He lost Pennsylvania. He is desperate for a comeback in North Carolina and here in Indiana. And Guam could be a signal that maybe he is on the comeback trail.

WHITFIELD: How interesting. Now, what about John Edwards? His name keeps popping up on both sides. Why?

SCHNEIDER: Why because he has a populous message. He did when he was running for president. He spoke eloquently about the economy. That was his top issue. And he didn't make it. Well, the economy has gotten worse since he left the race at the end of January. And his endorsement could mean something if he expresses confidence in either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton as able to deliver on the economy. A lot of democrats are going listen to him in a way that they really weren't ready back in January. So his blessing could mean this candidate is more credible on the economic issues.

WHITFIELD: How interesting. And Bill, as you and I were talking, we have at the bottom of our screen here, the results as they are coming in of Guam with 86 percent of the precincts reporting, Obama with 53 percent, and Clinton with 47 percent. We know this is not the make- or-break caucus. But might Indiana and North Carolina be make-or- break for Senator Clinton?

SCHNEIDER: They certainly could. She said it could be a game changer. If she were to win North Carolina and Indiana, I think the whole ace would suddenly go up in the air and people will say my god, she has really re-gained momentum. It's another big comeback for her. And there could be a crisis in the party. Because he'd be ahead in pledged delegates. She might begin piling up superdelegates. We don't know where it would go after that. If he were to win both of those contests, I think the superdelegates would start to move in larger numbers towards him and really try to shut the contest down. The third possibility, she would win Indiana, he would win North Carolina, in which case, well, we would be right about where we were -

WHITFIELD: Here we go again.

SCHNEIDER: ... for the last few weeks. It's up in the air.

WHITFIELD: All right. Denver is going to be oh, so interesting, isn't?. All right.

SCHNEIDER: Sure, absolutely.

WHITFIELD: Bill. Thank you very much from Indianapolis.

SCHNEIDER: OK.

WHITFIELD: As CNN brings you all the results from the Indiana and North Carolina primaries as they happen. The live election center special with the best political team on television. That kicks off Tuesday night 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

Pumping can certainly be an exercise in stress these days. Watching the gallon display on the pump crawl while the price displays fly. Well, there are some ways to ease that stress. The story straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Gas prices dropping again. Not by much, but, hey, everybody little bit counts, I guess. AAA reports the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded is $3.61, that's a half cent now lower than Friday's average. And it's the second consecutive drop after 17 days of record highs. But the numbers are not low enough for cash-strapped consumers. CNN's Kathleen Koch is feeling their pain at the a gas station in the nation's capital. Are folks really complaining, they have reason to, you know.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are. As a matter of fact, here price is ten cents more than the national average, $3.71. So, they're not happy about that but we have found out that there are some things that drivers can do to lessen the pain at the pump, to really stretch the gas. Let's take a look at the top ones. First of all, under the hood. The air filter, a clean air filter that can boost your gas mileage by some 10 percent. That will save you 35 cents a gallon. Keeping your car well tuned. A properly tuned engine can boost the mileage 4 percent. That will save you 14 cents a gallon. Tires. Moving to the tires. If you keep your tires properly aligned they say that that can save you some 35 cents a gallon. Now, those same experts at the Department of Energy say that tire inflation is critical.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID RODGERS, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY: Don't forget to check the pressure on your tires. Driving around on tires that are under inflated is going to cost you an extra seven cents a gallon at the pump. To find the right pressure, be sure and check your vehicle manufacturer's recommendation which can be found in your owner's manual or on the inside of the driver's door. Because pressures do vary by vehicle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Other vehicle tips, empty out your trunk. Experts say that every 100 pounds you remove from your vehicle will save you four cents a gallon. Also, how you drive is very important. They say don't drive aggressively. By smoothly accelerating and decelerating, you can save yourself some 33 cents, or you can boost your mileage 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent on the city. Also don't speed. By reducing your speed just five miles an hour you can reduce the gas you consume by 7 percent. So, in other words, so you are used to driving on the highway at 70 miles an hour, you drop it to just 65 miles an hour, you'll save 25 cents a gallon.

Also, very important, keep your windows closed when you're driving at highway speeds. Cars are aerodynamic. And so by just doing that, that makes a huge difference. That can cut your mileage or boost your mileage by some 10 percent. And then also, one thing when you are fueling out at the pump, check the gas cap. Nearly 1/5 of drivers are driving with broken or missing gas caps and gas evaporates. So, by taking care of that, by replacing your gas cap you can save some 3 cents a gallon, Fredericka. Again, a little bit here, a little bit there but it all helps when you're dealing with these record prices.

WHITFIELD: We can take all the tips that we can get. Kathleen, thank you.

KOCH: Hope it helps.

WHITFIEDL: Well, an Indiana politician tried to pump up his campaign by actually giving away gasoline. Republican House candidate Luke Puckett treated 25 voters to five gallons of gas yesterday. Of course, it could be argued that they didn't get away scat free. While filling up, they had to - that's not very nice, that they had to listen to Puckett's political pitch.

All right. Well, fueling this sky high gas prices, the soaring cost of oil, the price hit a record of almost $120 a barrel this week before it fell back ever so slightly. Where does the U.S. get its oil anyway. Josh Levs is here with a reality check. Everywhere but here.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, a lot of people assume that the majority comes from the Middle East. That is the image when you talk about it -- the dependency on foreign oil, the relationship with the Middle East. It actually doesn't.

Let's start off with the broad figure, right here. If you want to look overall, it's about 40 percent. Let me show you this graphic here. You hear a lot about dependency on foreign oil. And we are dependent, that is true but you can see there, about 40 percent of the oil is domestic supply. The rest about 60 percent is imported. Now, the top provider of oil to the U.S., that 60 percent, there you go, is Canada followed by Mexico. Then Saudi Arabia, which is the world's largest oil producer and a founder of OPEC. Then you also got Venezuela and Nigeria. They are also members of OPEC. So, that's when you get into OPEC and it's power. Also, this is important, the U.S. is the biggest customer that there is in the world.

We are the world's largest oil consumer. We produce about 10 percent of the oil plot. But we consume, Fred, about a quarter, 24 percent of the oil in the world. So, close to a quarter of the oil. We are by far the biggest consumer.

WHITFIELD: So, is it fair to even think that the U.S. could expect more imports?

LEVS: Well, what the government is saying is that they are hoping to keep it steady. What they're saying right now is that the amount that is being imported each year, they want to keep that steady, OK. But they think oil consumption is America is actually going up. So, if you keep the amount we are importing is steady, the overall consumption goes up than the percent that is imported goes down. But even so, it's minute. I mean what they're saying here, the Energy Information Administration. I'm looking at this right now. They're saying right now it's at 60 percent foreign oil. They hope that by 2030, we will be down to 56 or 54 percent foreign oil. So, it's still going to be majority even by 2030. By the government's own predictions, it's just slightly down.

WHITFIELD: So under this administration where have we been, up or down?

LEVS: You know what, it has shaken around a little bit. President Bush actually criticized President Clinton, back when he was running for office. He said that at that rate, it could be 2/3 foreign oil. In twenty years, we got to the 2/3 oil during the Bush administration, it didn't even take 20 years. It's just has been up here to 63 percent, now it is down to around 60 percent. So, there hasn't been a massive change but overall from that mark is up from when he took office.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Thanks so much. Very comprehensive.

LEVS: Thank you. There you go what I can do in two minutes.

WHITFIELD: I know. You are so smart. Thanks, Josh.

LEVS: No, the sheet story. Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, note to mothers if you don't care for yourself it is hard for you to take care of others. Health for her is next.

Plus, a powerful storm rips through Arkansas. Now, a devastated community tries to press ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Let's take another look at the damaged left in the wake of severe storms in several states. In Arkansas, at least 350 homes were damaged or destroyed. Arkansas Governor declares states of emergency in seven counties. Seven people were, in fact, killed in yesterday's storm. And storms also swept through Tennessee last night blowing a mobile home across the street. Other homes were also damaged in Montgomery county. And a tornado hit an open-air market in Canton, Texas. It ripped through tents and brought down power lines. Let's check in again with Jacqui Jeras where I hope you have only good news.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, it's not terrible. The system is still going. It's still out there. And for the most part, the severe weather threat is really gone. You can see an isolated severe storm maybe here in the panhandle Florida, watch in the southwestern parts of Georgia but that's about it. Look at this right here into the Gulf of Mexico, not a great day to be a mariner down here, some very heavy thunderstorms. These were actually in the New Orleans area real early this morning. A little bit of wind damage associated with those storms. So, the worst of it offshore. Not bothering anybody on land. So, that's the best news that I can tell you.

Be aware though along the i-10 corridor, we still have some pretty nasty stuff moving towards Tallahassee right now. And then you could see those thunderstorms developing, pushing up towards the Albany area and then over to South Carolina, we think later on this afternoon and this evening. For the most part it is just going to be kind of annoying rain, the kind that kind of bother you on a Friday night where you might need, or a Saturday night rather, where you might need the umbrella.

We are also watching this line just south of the i-80 corridor here moving towards Altuna, into the state college area. You could get some heavy downpours with this. A little bit of lightning and maybe some wind gusts on the order of 30 to 40 miles per hour. The big problem even if you haven't seen much rain in the northeast yet is that the clouds are very low so it is causing problems at the airports. Everybody under an hour at this time. We also got a little rain in Chicago. Tomorrow's forecast though, Fredericka, look at this, isn't it gorgeous?

WHITFIELD: Yes.

JERAS: Yes. The only thunderstorm on the map right down here into Florida. These are going to be hit-and-miss. So, really the eastern seaboard being impacted by the leftovers of this storm. The rest of the country really looks pretty darn good.

WHITFIELD: Beautiful. All right. Thanks so much Jacqui.

All right. All that jazz, rainy weather. Well, it is failing to put a huge damper on the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The fest is in the middle of its second weekend and drawing enthusiastic crowds despite the rain that Jacqui is showing us on that map. CNN's Sean Callebs reports from New Orleans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For a city still suffering from the glacially slow-paced of rebuilding, the unbridled enthusiasm from some of the hundreds of thousands of people pouring into New Orleans for jazz fest is a well-needed emotional and financial shot in the arm. A sign that, yes, in many ways New Orleans is rebounding.

AMY DALY, TOURIST: I definitely see more people, you know, here. But I mean it's just the vibe, I think is, everybody, when you arrive, it's awesome.

CALLEBS: Curiosity brought Aemon Boylin and his family from Dublin to New Orleans. He said he had no idea the city was so vibrant.

AEMON BOYLIN, TOURIST: I wasn't sure what to expect. The reports we get in Europe is that the city wasn't well treated.

CALLEBS: The city is very special for the front man of the Jam band widespread panic, John Bell not just the fact that the band has been performing here off and on for more than 20 years, Bell met his wife in New Orleans and this is where they honeymooned.

JOHN BELL, WIDESPREAD PANIC: It has such a personality that folks really want to make sure that it does come back and thrive.

CALLEBS: Many New Orlenians believe that government at every level failed them after the levies were breached. And adding insult to injury they say city, state and federal leaders are still doing little to spark rebirth. But the volunteer spirit has buoyed the city. Widespread Panic is among those working to rebuild the lower Ninth Ward.

BELL: We are really happy to get tied in with the make it right, the Ninth Ward thing.

CALLEBS: The band is donating money to Brad Pitt's organization to fund construction of homes in the area hit hardest by Katrina. Economic rebirth is moving forward. Jazzfest has been good to the Pelican Club Restaurant. In fact, there are 100 more restaurants in New Orleans now than there were before Katrina. Sales are great at this gift shop in the heart of the French Quarter, a cruel irony for Alice Barbe.

ALICE BARBE, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: The city seems to be doing pretty well, but the surrounding areas, like St. Bernard Parrish where I'm from, it's only 10 miles away from here, is a totally different story.

CALLEBS: A broken heart has kept her from returning to her home here, where the community was inundated with a dozen feet of water. But even Barbe has found a silver lining.

BARBE: The tourists are great. They will even ask, what can we do to help? Just come in and go out to eat and spend time in the city.

CALLEBS: And that simple investment of time yields great rewards for a city that has suffered so much. Sean Callebs, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And this news out of Texas. A man at the center of the Texas polygamy probe appears closer to being cleared. Without explanation, state law enforcement officials have dropped an arrest warrant for Arizona resident Dale Barlow. Barlow was named as the husband of a pregnant teen in a call to a crisis hotline. That call led to the seizure of 463 children from the polygamist sect compound in Texas. Barlow says he hasn't been to Texas in more than 30 years.

A DNA test has reportedly linked the late James Brown to the son of his former backup singer, Tomi Rae Hynie. After Brown's death trustees for the Brown estate questioned Hynie's claim that she and the singer were married. They have also suggested the boy is not Brown's son. Well neither was mentioned in Brown's will.

Shuttle Discovery has been rolled to launch pad at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the last day of the month for a journey to the International Space Station. Time now for the latest in a series of special CNN reports, "Health for You." As they say, happy mother, happy child. And as Judy Fortin reports, moms who sacrifice joy aren't helping their kids.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JUDY FORTIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For some mothers taking care of themselves is the last thing on their to-do list. Experts caution those moms might want to move themselves up to the top of the list for a number of reasons.

NADINA KASLOW, EMORY UNIVERSITY: First of all, it is really hard to take care of other people if you are not taking care of yourself. If you think about a car metaphor, if there is not enough fuel in the car, the car can't drive. The second reason is when people aren't taking care of themselves, they tend to get resentful of the other people that they're taking care of in their lives and so they may become short or irritable with them. The third reason is that life is more meaningful and gratifying if we take care of ourselves. We tend not to feel depressed or we feel less anxious and moms who are not depressed and not anxious are more able to be effective mothers.

FORTIN: There are some telltale signs that you are overdue for some self time.

KASLOW: I would say if you think, gosh, I wish I had time to read a book. I never get to exercise. I don't get any time with my partner. I never see my friends. And you spend time just thinking about what you're wish you would be doing and you're not doing it. That would be a warning sign to me.

FORTIN: Putting personal time into a schedule or just making it part of your routine can help busy mothers make sure they get some personal time. But the first step might also be the hardest.

KASLOW: I think we need to make ourselves more of a priority.

FORTIN: Often a hard choice for a mother whose children usually come first, but an important one in the long, often bumpy road of parenting. Judy Fortin, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: Well, it's one of the most outrageous stories we've ever heard. Take a look at this man. He's accused of locking his daughter in a hidden tunnel with more than two decades. No light, no contact with the outside world. Now, we have new and still more shocking details that you'll hear only on CNN, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: This shocking allegation against an Austrian man will be the subject tonight of a CNN special. We have new and still more shocking details about 73-year-old Josef Fritzl, who is accused of locking her daughter away for decades, raping her repeatedly and fathering children by her. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is our lead reporter on the story, joins us live from Berlin tonight. Fred?

FREDRIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Fredricka. You know, this story has been going on for about a week and it just seems like every day, there is new horrifying details, new facts that come to life. But one thing that people always keep asking me is what kind of person would do something like that? What kind of a person, what kind of a mind set does Josef Fritzl have? And that's something that we've been trying to explore.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN (voice-over): This is the Josef Fritzl people in Amstetten knew, a confident, 73-year-old man who liked to vacation in Thailand. But all along, Fritzl was leading a second, sinister life.

FRANZ POLZER, CHIEF INVESTIGATOR (through translator): He has confessed to detectives that he locked up his then 18-year-old daughter in the cellar. He admitted that in there, he forced himself physically on her, beat her, locked her up against her will and he also admitted having repeatedly performed sexual acts. Assaults on this young woman, his own daughter.

PLEITGEN: The Austrian police official said this shortly after cops discovered the dungeon under Fritzl's house. For 24 years, he fooled authorities and even his own wife Rosemarie who police say probably knew nothing.

Gertrude Baumgarten is Rosemarie's friend. She also worked in the same company as Fritzl for two years. She says the man was a tyrant.

"I never wanted to have anything to do with him. I never liked him. His posture was always so arrogant," she said.

PLEITGEN: Authorities describe the 73-year-old Fritzl as a man with an extreme lack of empathy for his victim, his own children. They also say he has extreme sexual energy and police believe that was his motive.

Authorities think he carefully designed and built the dungeon where he sexually enslaved his daughter for more than two decades. But Fritzl's lawyer says the man is not the monster people think.

RUDOLF MAYER, JOSEF FRITZL'S LAWYER: My impression is he regrets what he has done and he wants that this would never be done from him.

PLEITGEN: Many in Amstetten feel nothing by rage. "I only have a small pension," says Gertrude Baumgarten, "but I would spend my money to get a rope and hang that dog."

For decades, people in Amstetten believed Josef Fritzl was just another resident. Now the man who kept his daughter locked up as a slave is himself locked up and may never leave this jail again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: And you know Fredricka, there is a full confession by Fritzl out there. He has been talking to police. Apparently he has stopped doing so now. Nevertheless, the investigators believe that the investigation into this crime will go on weeks if not months, Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: What would be next in this investigation since they had a little cooperation from him at the start, but not now?

PLEITGEN: You're absolutely right. He is not cooperating now as we speak.

Now one thing that's very interesting, one thing that investigators have told us is that there are still forensic experts working down there, in that dungeon, in that cellar. Their team leader told us that the conditions down there are so bad that his very experienced forensic experts can only work there for a certain period of time and they have to come back up there to the surface.

He says the air is very stuffy and those very experienced people find it very, very creepy down there, actually. What is going to happen next in the investigation is they are going to try to talk to Fritzl again next week with a set of interrogations that are planned and they do hope that he'll be speaking then. And then at some point, what they're going to try to do, is talk to those children and to their mother who were locked up in the cellar. Of course, that could take a while before they want to start talking to those people because obviously they are still very traumatized by what's been going on.

WHITFIELD: It's an incredible story. Frederik Pleitgen, thanks so much.

And fascinating too, just seeing that graphic of exactly what this apartment was like down in the basement. It wasn't just a little cubby hole. It is very elaborate. It is incredible architecture there. We are going to see much more of that in this special tonight, 10:00 p.m., the shocking secrets of a quiet village in Austria. Rick Sanchez helps brings you this story called "Monster Dad: House of Horrors." It's tonight, 10 Eastern, 7 Pacific.

One year since her disappearance, Madeleine McCann was remembered today in her native England and in the Portuguese resort where she vanished. Her uncle John McCann attended events today in the Portuguese village while the missing girl's parents went to a service in England. Parents Kate and Gerry McCann are considered suspects in Portugal but they haven't been charged. Portuguese police are still investigating. In the weeks after Madeleine disappeared, the McCanns launched a global campaign to try to find her.

Well there really are places where people actually live longer. They call them the blue zones. We'll show you the road to the fountain of youth.

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WHITFIELD: The Olympic torch is now in mainland China, after touring the Chinese territory of Macau today. Thousands of police lined the relay route there to put down potential protests by the probe of that demonstration. There weren't any, by the way. Tomorrow's relay in southern China will have a little star power. Actor Jackie Chan is expected to be one of the runners.

Living longer. Who doesn't want to do that? How do we do it? A new book , "The Blue Zone" zeros in on three things you need to do to lengthen your life. The author, Dan Buettner spent seven years traveling the world searching for areas where people live into their 90s, even hundreds. Well he joins us today from Minneapolis to share their secrets. Good to see you.

DAN BUETTNER, AUTHOR: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right Dan, so that must have been quite the boondoggle to travel the world and look for all these cool places. And just right off the top, I'll reveal those four places. We're talking about Sardinia, Italy, Okinawa, Loma Linda, California, Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica. So what are the common denominators? Why is it that these people live so well and so long?

BUETTNER: Well first of all, they eat a plant-based diet. You can boil it down to the more meat you eat, the shorter you are going to live for the vast majority of people. You see beans are part of every diet. And we think that nuts, people who eat nuts four times a week, about two ounces a time live two to three years longer than people who don't eat nuts.

WHITFIELD: Wow, really? And so diet is very, very important. But are there other lifestyle choices that matter? Or even their family settings or relationships with people?

BUETTNER: When it comes to physical activity, we learn that for most of human history, 99.9 percent of human history, our species only lived to about age 30. So this idea of running marathons or triathlons or pumping iron isn't in the strategy for the long run.

WHITFIELD: Is? Is in the strategy, you said?

BUETTNER: It isn't, actually. Yes, our joints -- we are now living 70, 80, 90 years. Our joints aren't built for that many years of pounding. The longest living people in the world do regular, low intensity physical activity, like gardening or they walk. The big takeaway is do something you enjoy because that means you'll do it for the long run as opposed to something that's a chore. WHITFIELD: Gentle stuff. So while you were traversing these areas, did you make some kind of self-discoveries where you started thinking, oh wait a minute, I'm doing it all wrong? I'm eating the wrong things or I'm not living the right way compared to these folks?

BUETTNER: Well, I think the big takeaway from this expedition, from this research journey, was hanging out with the right people. It turned out that if your three best friends are obese there is a 50 percent better chance that you will be obese. And you see that all these really long-lived 100-year-olds, they either proactively chose to be in the right community or they built a community around themselves that ate right, had a spiritual component to their life, cared about each other and then you don't have to think about if you are hanging out with the right people.

WHITFIELD: Wow, so when we talk about these three things, we're talking about diet, what kind of physical activity you are or not involved in and the people in your life.

BUETTNER: You hang out with is very important. Also we find out that of the 270 or so people we interviewed, all but three believed in God. And we know that people who go to church or mosque or temple four times a month live three to four years longer than people who don't go to church. So you can't get longevity out of a bottle. You can't get it from a pill. It is going back I think to the values, traditional values and then layering on that modern medicine. And it's good for about 10 years for the average American.

WHITFIELD: Were you even surprised or perhaps refreshed there was a United States location that was I guess doing it right? Loma Linda, California.

BUETTNER: This is bizarre. It is 70 miles straight east of Los Angeles. You get off highway 10. Loma Linda, California. And what you have here are the highest concentration of seven day Adventists. And the Adventists get their diet right out of the Bible, Genesis chapter one.

WHITFIELD: Vegetarian.

BUETTNER: Women live nine years longer. They are vegetarian. And they have a beautiful practice called the sanctuary in time. From 24 hours each week from Friday night to Saturday night no matter how busy or how stressed out they are, they focus on their god, their families and on each other and then they take nature walks.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

BUETTNER: We know that stress is one of the things that most certainly speeds up the aging process. So whatever little strategies you can come up with down shift will help keep you looking better, feeling better and add years.

WHITFIELD: I like it. Dan Buettner, thanks so much, I took copious notes because these are all very doable thing.

BUETTNER: A lot more in "The Blue Zone."

WHITFIELD: That's right, "The Blue Zone," it's a must read. And there it is right there. Thanks so much for your team.

BUETTNER: It was a delight.

WHITFIELD: Thanks for the cliff notes version too on the air that is.

When their time in uniform is over, they jump right into a different kind of war.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can see the children and you realize they are not that much different than us. They are not different than the kids we have back home.

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WHITFIELD: U.S. military veterans in the battle to stop hunger next in the NEWSROOM.

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WHITFIELD: Finally this hour, R&R in Central America. Rest and relaxation means different things to different people. Here is what it meant to some U.S. troops in Honduras who had just finished a tour of duty in Iraq. Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has this story.

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BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Air Force Chaplain Jeremy Bastion leads U.S. troops into the hills of Honduras. After crossing a river, we hiked deep into the countryside. These troops have donated $900 of their own money to buy food for the people here. They are backpacking to remote villages to distribute more than 200 bags of food to people who desperately need it. Before the morning is over, many of these troops fresh from Iraq say this journey to help others helps them heal from months of combat.

LT. COL. GREGORY JICHA, U.S. ARMY: We have a lot of guys who come straight from the war zone here and it takes them a while to adjust.

STARR: Lieutenant Colonel Gregory Jicha, an Iraq veteran himself, says it is great to see the children smile.

JICHA: You can see the children and you realize they are not that much different than us. They are not different than the kids we have back home.

STARR: The need for help is enormous. Crops have failed in this area just as the price of rice, flour and beans has skyrocketed. While shopping a day earlier, the chaplain had to make a grim decision. Beans were too expensive. CAPT. JEREMY BASTION, U.S. AIR FORCE: We had to pass up buying beans. We have to buy something that is smaller so we can distribute to more of the people.

STARR: This is a pure volunteer effort, not part of the official U.S. military mission in Central America. This is enthusiasm the Pentagon just can't order up. The children get stickers, toys and candy. This Honduran mother says food prices make it hard for her to feed her four children. For Major Mike Angell, another war veteran, this is part of his journey back from the front lines.

MAJOR MIKE ANGELL, U.S. ARMY: It's kind of a walk for everybody to see what can be as far as relations go between the countries. After 12 months, 15 months, 18 months in Iraq, you really start feeling like no matter where you go somebody is trying to do something to you personally.

STARR: Here, the American troops get to do something personal for these people in these hills. Barbara Starr, CNN, Honduras.

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WHITFIELD: And for more on how the global food crisis is impacting the world check on our impact your world page at CNN.com/Impact. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. We'll see you tomorrow here in the NEWSROOM.

Coming up next in the BALLOT BOWL, it's issue number one. The presidential candidates want you to know how they plan to turn the economy around. Plus, Barack Obama live in Indiana coming up in the BALLOT BOWL.