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Dream Flight: Students Build Plane for Aviator; Al Qaeda Cell in Jerusalem?; Risks & Rewards: Obama's Overseas Trip; Chicago Crime Out of Control?; Study Links Violence and Genes; U.S. Troops in Iraq: 'Time Horizon, Under Discussion
Aired July 18, 2008 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: A young man gives back. Aviator Barrington Irving made history last year, and now he's doing something even more meaningful for some high school kids.
Here's CNN's John Zarrella.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): You can usually find high school student Julio Belazir (ph) working under the fuselage at Miami Executive Aviation. A few months ago, Julio wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life. Now he's thinking about a degree in avionics.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) made miracles happen and just opened big doors for me.
ZARRELLA: Julio (ph) is one of 60 students. Many had never been around an airplane before. Now they are building one. Today, the wings are going on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you sure it's on properly? Are you sure?
ZARRELLA: It better be. When the plane is finished, Barrington Irving is going to fly it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So this landing gear is being held by a bungee cord.
ZARRELLA: Last year, Irving made history as the first black pilot and the youngest person, at 23, to fly solo around the world in his plane, Inspiration. It took three months.
Irving says he came up with what he named the Build and Soar Program during those hours flying. By bringing up and keeping up their grades, students from Miami-Dade schools were chosen to build Barrington's plane.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Challenges like this, it's something that a lot of people don't believe we can do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We keep pushing them and pushing them and pushing them so that they can see what they have within side of them.
ZARRELLA: Instructors, skeptical at first, say the teens proved them wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All you have to do is just guide them, show them, and they're ready to start.
ZARRELLA: The plane should be ready to fly October 1st. Irving has named it Inspiration II.
(on camera): In only its first year, the program has been so successful, that Barrington Irving needs more space for next year to accommodate more students, because right now he's turning kids away.
John Zarrella, CNN, Opa-locka, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning again, everyone. You're informed with CNN.
I'm Tony Harris.
KEILAR: And I'm Brianna Keilar, in for Heidi Collins.
Developments keep coming into the CNN NEWSROOM on this Friday, July 18th. Here's what's on the rundown.
Breaking news out of the Middle East. Six arrested on terror charges, one man allegedly considered targeting President Bush.
HARRIS: Street runs like a river. Tropical storm surge makes for incredible pictures. And we've got more for you.
KEILAR: And calling in the National Guard as big-city peacekeepers? Illinois's governor says Chicago crime is out of control -- in the NEWSROOM.
And this just in to CNN -- Israeli authorities have arrested six Arabs suspected of trying to build an al Qaeda cell. One of them allegedly considering an attack on President Bush.
Let's get right to Jerusalem and CNN's Ben Wedeman.
Ben, what can you tell us about this?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony, earlier today we received this statement in Hebrew from Shin Bet, which is the Israeli internal security services, alleging that there was possibly a plot to attack a helicopter in which George W. Bush, the U.S. president, was flying.
Now, the Shin Bet and the Israeli police arrested six individuals, two of them Israeli-Arabs, the other four are Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem. Apparently, they were in contact over the Internet with individuals alleged to have links to al Qaeda. One of these individuals who was a student at Hebrew University apparently raised the possibility of targeting the helicopter in which the U.S. president was flying. Now, this news has been under a gag order that was lifted today. In fact, this is the second time this month that the Israeli authorities have arrested individuals allegedly tied to al Qaeda. Earlier this month, two Israeli citizens of Bedouin origin were arrested for apparently passing information about Israeli military bases, the international airport in Tel Aviv, to members of al Qaeda -- Tony.
HARRIS: I know you're working your sources on this.
Ben Wedeman for us in Jerusalem.
Ben, thank you.
KEILAR: Back in the bull's eye. For years, Afghanistan was considered the forgotten war. Well, now the Pentagon is preparing to build up forces there.
Our Reza Sayah is in Kabul.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Get us more troops, and get us more troops soon. That's what U.S. commanders on the ground in Afghanistan are saying because recent developments indicate that the security situation is deteriorating.
And that's perhaps why both U.S. presidential candidates, Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain, are shifting their focus from Iraq to Afghanistan. Consider the recent developments.
In May and June, more U.S. troops died in Afghanistan than in Iraq, even though Iraq has five times as many U.S. troops. This week in Afghanistan, the single most deadly attack on U.S. troops. Nine troops died when an estimated 200 Taliban fighters attacked an outpost in eastern Afghanistan. And earlier this month, the deadly suicide bombing in Kabul, considered by many the safest city in Afghanistan, but a suicide bomber killed more than 40 people in the heart of the city.
That is why U.S. commanders are asking for more troops. The Pentagon is in agreement, but they say don't look for that to happen until fall.
Reza Sayah, CNN, Kabul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And a positive vibe from Iran. The country's foreign minister says he expects progress in tomorrow's nuclear talks, with U.S. participation. Under Secretary of State William Burns will sit in on a meeting in Geneva with a European Union delegation and Iran's achieve nuclear negotiator. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice just wrapped up comments on what appears to be Washington's new approach to Tehran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: But we have been very clear that any country can change course. The United States doesn't have any permanent enemies, and we hope that the signal that we're sending, that we fully support the track that Iran could take for a better relationship with the international community, is one that the United States stands fully behind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Now, in the past, the Bush administration has insisted it would not negotiate with Iran until it suspend its uranium enrichment program.
KEILAR: The death toll from a tropical storm in Taiwan reportedly doubles. Taiwanese media reports say at least 14 people have died there since the storm hit yesterday.
Raging floodwaters and landslides swamping towns. Some areas got 44 inches of rain in just 24 hours. This man, one of the lucky survivors, he was plucked from the water by a rescue crew. And 44 inches in 24 hours.
HARRIS: Yes, that is -- that is amazing.
KEILAR: It's inconceivable.
HARRIS: Yes. It really is.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KEILAR: Want to tell you about something just into the CNN NEWSROOM. President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki spoke last night by closed-circuit television. This is according to the Iraqi government, telling news outlets today. And they discussed bilateral security negotiations, future U.S. troop withdrawals, the transferring of security responsibilities to Iraqis.
All of these details that they've been trying to work out for some time. And of course, these talks come amid a dramatic drop in violence in Iraq.
There's also a statement just out from the White House, from, I believe -- let's see, I believe White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, saying that the president and the prime minister agreed that improving conditions should allow for the agreements now under negotiation to include what she called a general time horizon for meeting aspirational goals such as the resumption of Iraqi security control in their cities and provinces, and also the further reduction of U.S. combat forces from Iraq.
So that's really the headline. They're talking about moving certain responsibilities over to Iraqi security forces, talking about the further reduction of U.S. combat forces from Iraq.
We'll be wading through this and recapping it for you here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: Time horizon.
KEILAR: Exactly. Aspirational goals.
HARRIS: A new term of art on this.
KEILAR: Yes.
HARRIS: OK. All right.
More than photo-ops, Barack Obama taking a detour from U.S. campaigning to go to the Middle East and Europe.
CNN's Candy Crowley looks at what he could gain or lose.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Barack Obama's European trip is the campaign trail via satellite, pictures for the rhetoric back home.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We will restore our moral standing in the world.
CROWLEY: From Jordan to Israel, to Germany, France and England, it is a postcard journey, images for the hesitant to show that this 46-year-old politician, a virtual unknown overseas, is up to a lead role on the international stage.
The question, is he tough enough to stand up to America but graceful enough to improve her image?
SEN. EVAN BAYH (D), INDIANA: Well, the message to voters back home is that he is focused on being a strong, effective commander in chief. He's going to rehabilitate our image across the world.
CROWLEY: Or, as the McCain camp calls it, a political photo-op.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To be at political rallies, then it's a political (INAUDIBLE).
CROWLEY: But McCain, with his credentials at the core of his campaign, has saved his sharpest salvos for Obama's expected trip through Afghanistan and Iraq. He pounds Obama as a neophyte, criticizing him for suggesting that Iraq has distracted the U.S. from Afghanistan.
MCCAIN: To somehow disconnect it from Afghanistan shows again incredible naivete.
CROWLEY: And now, an eight-minute video full of what the campaign sees as flip-flops from Obama, his current call to withdraw from Iraq in 16 months, up against this from 2004...
OBAMA: We've got to make sure that we secure and execute the rebuilding and reconstruction process effectively and properly. And I don't think we should have an artificial deadline when to do that.
CROWLEY: Domestic politics aside, there are other reasons Obama takes this journey. Unlike McCain, well-known and well-traveled overseas, Obama is a question mark, still a curiosity. His trip is not just about impressions he sends home, but the ones he leaves behind.
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL EDITOR: I mean, people have been saying to me, look, this guy has only been in national politics for three years, let alone international politics. And we don't really know quite exactly he's going to do.
CROWLEY: It is not a trip without political risk. It comes amidst mortgage melt downs and gas price explosions at home. He could look out of touch. And the Europe card has to be played carefully for a domestic audience. He could look too cozy, and he could fuel, rather than douse, the commander in chief questions. He could make a mistake.
But they bank on picture perfect. His campaign would be over the moon if Obama returns with this kind of buzz...
OAKLEY: I was talking to a former British foreign secretary this week and he said it's like JFK and Camelot. He said it may not be justified, it may not be sensible, but that feeling is there.
CROWLEY: And that may be the biggest risk of this trip, all those great expectations.
Candy Crowley, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: John McCain campaigning for votes in Michigan this morning. McCain held a town hall meeting at a General Motors technical center in Warren, outside of Detroit, and he used the setting to talk about the energy crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCAIN: We have to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil as a national security, an economic, and an environmental issue. My friends, America can do this. America can do this. And anybody that says that we can't does not understand the history of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: The GM center is where the automaker is designing its first plug-in electric car called The Volt.
HARRIS: The nation's economy: peaks, valleys and more volatility. Let's take a look now, a live look. There you go.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
KEILAR: Knowledge is power, and it is also peace of mind. So we'll have Gerri Willis here to answer your questions on bank failures and how to protect yourself.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: It is Friday, and that means that Gerri Willis is answering your e-mails about some of the more baffling issues in personal finances. And today's topic, all about last week's bank failure and how you can protect yourself -- savings accounts, trust accounts, and mortgages.
And here with the answers, Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis.
Hi, Gerri.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Brianna. Good to see you.
KEILAR: Good to see you, too.
So, Gerri, Judy in New Mexico says, "I have $80,000 in a money market account and an IRA, with $25,000 in an investment company which is protected by SIPC. Is SIPC as solid as FDIC, and should I transfer my money where it is protected by FDIC instead?"
WILLIS: That is a great question, Judy. You know, SIPC is what they call it. It stands for the Security Investor Protection Corp.
It's not the FDIC, it will not insure you against investment losses, but it is solid. SIPC is protection for your money in case the brokerage firm fails.
Now, if that does happen, the brokerage firm will be liquidated and the assets of the firm will be distributed to folks like you. If you're not made whole after that, SIPC will step in and give you up to $500,000 towards the rest of your losses.
Now, SIPC is not an entity of the government. Rather, it's a membership of SEC-registered brokerages. According to SIPC, there were no brokerage failures last year, although about four or five firms generally fail each year.
For more info, go to their Web site, SIPC.org.
KEILAR: And Joseph has an interesting question. He says, "I have a trust account with four beneficiaries. Am I insured for $100,000 or $500,000? The bank told us that I am capable of $500,000 insurance. Please let me know the correct information."
WILLIS: Well, Joseph, we'll give it a shot. You know, if you're insured, then your four beneficiaries should be insured up to $100,000, as long as your beneficiaries include either your spouse, child, grandchild or sibling.
There are folks who aren't covered. That's grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends.
Now, talk to your bank manager if you have questions, or check out FDIC.gov, and use what they call the electronic deposit insurance estimator. It's called EDIE, and it helps you figure out what you're covered for. It's an easy-to-use tool. I promise.
KEILAR: There are such amazing tools, status checkers and all of these things that you're telling us about.
Now, Willie in California, Gerri, has a mortgage with IndyMac Bank. He says, "My payments are automatically drafted from my checking account each month. Will my check be sent to the correct lender account?"
WILLIS: Well, Willie, good news here. Everything should be fine.
The IndyMac failure shouldn't affect you very much. If you held an account at IndyMac Bank, you now have an account at IndyMac Federal Bank. So your direct deposits should continue as normal.
If you need to change anything in the future, you should contact IndyMac Federal Bank to make those arrangements.
Now, for more info on your account, go to the FDIC.gov web site and look. They have a guide there for IndyMac customers.
KEILAR: And poor Paul, because I think a lot of people go to the bank, maybe they're upset, and they end up kind of shooting the messenger. He says, "What advice would you give someone who works at a bank and has many customers coming in upset and confused? I want to help and give advice to my customers the best and not mislead them in any way."
WILLIS: Well, I think that's a great question. It's hard for the employees, too.
First of all, you need to be the voice of reason here for a lot of folks who are panicking. Make sure you're aware of your bank's policies. You may also want to brush up on the FDIC insurance limits. And you can do that at FDIC.gov. Otherwise, make sure you reassure your customers that their money is safe and be there to answer any questions that they have.
And of course, we answer your questions. Send them to us at toptips@CNN.com. We love hearing from you.
KEILAR: Of course. And also, we're going to be hearing from you coming up at the top of the hour, "ISSUE #1."
WILLIS: That's right.
KEILAR: What's going on today?
WILLIS: Well, we're going to take you to a community that is completely powered by wind.
Plus, we've seen quite a run-up in the market. You've probably noticed that. Is the worse behind us, or is there another shoe about to fall?
Brianna, join us at noon. We're going to be talking about all of these issues and more on "ISSUE #1."
KEILAR: Yes, that's right. You can join Gerri today at noon and you can join her on Monday when she's on "The View."
WILLIS: You guys are so nice.
HARRIS: This is going to be great.
KEILAR: We're looking forward to this, Gerri.
HARRIS: We're going to grab the tape and have all kinds of fun.
WILLIS: You guys are going to jinx me. They're going to, like, cancel me now.
KEILAR: No.
HARRIS: No way. No way.
KEILAR: No, they can't now.
OK. Gerri, thanks so much.
WILLIS: Thank you.
HARRIS: Tasty tomatoes back on the menu. The FDA says they're safe, but be careful with the hot peppers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Tony Harris.
KEILAR: And I'm Brianna Keilar, in for Heidi Collins.
Violent crime out of control. Chicago's police superintendent says not in his city, but Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich hints that Chicago might need state help.
More from Randi Belisomo with affiliate station CLTV.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUPT. JODY WEIS, CHICAGO POLICE: The governor is very concerned. I'm sure he would love to do something to help the city of Chicago. And I'm not going to speculate on what his intentions were.
RANDI BELISOMO, REPORTER, CLTV (voice over): Whatever it was intended to do, Governor Blagojevich's bombshell isn't shaking Superintendent Jody Weis. As featured here in a scathing story in "The Sun-Times," Blagojevich bemoaned a crime rate he's calling out of control. To get a handle on the city's violence spike this summer, the governor suggested deploying the National Guard or offering up the Illinois State Police. And the latter idea is one Weis is embracing.
WEIS: I would welcome a partnership with the Illinois State Police. They are a professional, top-notch law enforcement agency. And if they're willing to send some more folks down here and work with us, I would say please come on down.
BELISOMO: Weis says the issue now becomes how best to use them and suggests perhaps on the highways and on investigation teams. Though Weis says he has not spoken with the governor since his announcement Wednesday, Blagojevich has issued the following statement: "We are happy Superintendent Jody Weis recognized our offer of assistance and we look forward to looking cooperatively with the Chicago Police Department."
But residents we spoke with in Brownsville (ph) have mixed reactions.
HEMMON THOMPSON, CHICAGO RESIDENT: We've got to do what needs to be done. If that's what needs to be done, that's what it's going to take. So, you know, do what you've got to do.
DONNA ROSE, CHICAGO RESIDENT: I think that's a sad alternative to communities being strengthened and empowered. I mean, because we can look at Iran, Iraq, and they've got all kind of military, and the violence isn't controlled that way.
BOB FIORETTI, CHICAGO ALDERMAN: We all thank you for the job you do.
BELISOMO: Second Ward Alderman and police and fire committee member Bob Fioretti attended a 21st District roll call today and says that the governor is willing to fight crime instead of tending to the state's embattled budget. The CPD should take him up on his offer.
I think these red herrings, when they're being tossed out here, you know, sometimes people say things and now they've got to live up to what they're saying.
BELISOMO: The governor's proposal comes amidst his efforts to break the alliance between his nemesis in Springfield, House Speaker Mike Madigan (ph), and Mayor Daly.
As for Weis, he says he's staying out of it and staying on the city's streets.
WEIS: I go out of my way not to get caught in any type of political battle. I don't know. I mean, that's kind of between the governor and the mayor. We just try and do our job every day. We try and make a difference.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Crime statistics show Chicago's murder rate is up nearly 13 percent this year. Two hundred twenty-nine people were killed in the first six months.
HARRIS: Here's a pretty provocative question. Is violence rooted in your DNA? A new study suggests a genetic link.
Here's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: When we typically think of genes, we think of them controlling things like your height, your eye color, maybe even your likelihood of developing heart disease or diabetes. But this idea that genes might also predict your psychological behaviors is a fertile and fascinating area of research and one that's growing a lot of traction.
This idea that there's violence or bad behavior genes out there is something that's really starting to emerge. There was a study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They followed 20,000 young men between the grades of 7 and 12. They followed them for some period of time, they interviewed them. They took their blood, trying to figure out, could they identify these violence genes?
And in fact, they did, identifying three what they called bad behavior genes. They have complicated names, but I'll tell you this, that there are certain triggers that actually cause the expression of these genes, things like stress, family problems, low popularity, and failing in school.
What was even more remarkable to me as we sort of dissected the study is they predict that about one percent of the population actually has these violence genes. One percent of the people out there, if they have them, they're likelihood to be violent or delinquent is just off the charts.
Now, as you might imagine, simply identifying the gene is only part of the issue. The real goal here is to develop some sort of intervention, some sort of medication, even, to try and counteract the effects of those genes so you get less violence, less delinquency.
Now, we also know that there's simple behavioral things that can actually counteract genes now. When you think of genes, you think of the likelihood of developing something, the potential. It is gene expression that is the behavior itself.
How do you intervene in between? Well, they found something, for example, with one of the genes. Simply having regular family meals actually took the risk of expressing that gene to near zero. So there is a way to sort of dilute this.
Again, a fascinating, fertile area of research. We're going to keep tabs on it. When we got more information, we'll bring it to you.
Back to you for now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Winds of change seem to be blowing in the nation's number one oil state. Texas may be on the verge of making the nation's largest investment in wind energy.
Utility officials there have given preliminary approval to the building of billions of dollars worth of transmission lines. They would carry wind-generated electricity from gusty west Texas to urban areas like Dallas. Electric customers in Texas would foot the bill, about three or four bucks a month. Supporters say that cost will be offset by lower energy prices.
KEILAR: The debate over domestic oil drilling. In a "Wall Street Journal" editorial today, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell calls on Democrats to lift the ban on offshore drilling. McConnell says, "Americans are demanding that Congress do something about record-high gas prices. The only thing now standing in the way of more domestic supply is the Democratic refusal to allow it."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is against efforts to lift the offshore drilling ban.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: There are 33 million acres offshore that all of these companies had the opportunity. These are for lease, and many of them with the environmental approvals to go forward.
That's why in the House on Thursday, today, we have the drill bill, drill responsibly in leased lands. This does not mean go into protected -- environmentally-protected areas and drill.
The impression that the White House would give you is that if you could drill in these protected areas, the price of gasoline will come down. Even the president in his press conference the other day acknowledged that that was not the case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Two bipartisan groups are trying to find a compromise to expand domestic oil and gas drilling.
And you can check out our Political Ticker for all the latest political news. Just log on to CNNPolitics.com. It is your source for all things political.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Betty Nguyen. Coming up, find out what we face reporting from a country where foreign journalists are not allowed. We take you inside Myanmar.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KEILAR: New developments this morning in the future withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. We have learned that this was one of the topics in a closed-circuit talk between President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
And CNN's Kathleen Koch, traveling with the president, she's joining us now from Tucson, Arizona.
What more can you tell us about this conversation, Kathleen?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, first of all, I want to make it clear this is -- was one of the regularly scheduled secure video conferences that the president has with the Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki. They put out a statement afterwards, both the Iraqis and the White House. And what is really very interesting about the statement, it's just a very slight change in verbiage, where both men say that what they've agreed upon is a "general time horizon" for pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq.
The statement says that the exact timing will be determined as part of this continuing discussion they're having, setting up sort of an agreement, a broader security agreement between Iraq and the United States, to allow for the continuing presence of U.S. troops there. It's called the Strategic Framework Agreement, and it's been under negotiation for many, many months.
But what this statement says is that these reductions will be based upon continuing improvements in conditions on the ground. So it doesn't stray far from what President Bush has always insisted, that he is listening to his commanders on the ground, that he will not agree on any "arbitrary withdrawal date" for pulling U.S. troops out, that it will only be based on improvements.
The statement, though, I want to point out, it does go on to say that this transition, is what they're calling it, subsequent reduction in U.S. forces, is a testament to the improving capacity of Iraqi security forces. And of course, Brianna, that is indeed the hope, that Iraqi security forces will be able to increasingly step in and do the job that U.S. forces is doing now in Iraq.
KEILAR: OK. So making it clear that it would be conditional. But this catch phrase that we're hearing, "time horizon," is that new?
KOCH: It is new and it's a step forward. Granted, a small step that the White House and the Iraqis hadn't taken in the past, but certainly offering, I think, a lot of service members and a lot of families in the U.S. some hope that perhaps their loved ones will be coming home sooner rather versus later.
KEILAR: All right, Kathleen. Thanks for that.
She's traveling with the president in Tucson, Arizona, today.
HARRIS: Well, the second round is under way at the British Open. Greg Norman is standing atop the leader board, but most people aren't talking about the scores. Instead, it's the weather. CNN's Justin Armsden has more from Southport, England.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUSTIN ARMSDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Most of the competitors at the 137th open championship spoke after their first round about the brutal conditions they were forced to play through. While the players have no option but to trudge through the 7,000-yard course, the spectators do.
And despite the horrid conditions, more fans attended the first round on Thursday than did 10 years ago at the same course. And at over $100 a ticket, open fans are certainly a dedicated bunch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the good weather is probably in the likes of Spain and Portugal, which is two hours away on a plane, but, yes, we're used to it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As long as you get geared up for it. You know, I've got my Wellington boots and my sailing jacket on. And so, you know, we're pretty well prepared for it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you pay 55 pounds to come, you don't have an option. You stay and watch.
ARMSDEN: And the dedication of the fans will be tested even further on Saturday with gale-force winds and torrential rain in the forecast. Everyone is braced for the toughest of conditions, both on and off the course.
Justin Armsden, CNN, Southport, England.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: On a short run of good fortune, can investors stretch it out? We are watching the numbers on Wall Street.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: A rare glimpse inside Myanmar, showing you what life is like now two months after the deadly cyclone devastated the delta. All week, our Betty Nguyen has been bringing us some startling stories, including her own, on the dangerous journey from Thailand into the secretive country of Myanmar.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: This was probably one of the most difficult assignments I've ever taken. After hearing stories of rotting bodies and a lack of aid, we wanted to see if any progress have been made two months after the cyclone. The problem is, the Myanmar government won't allow foreign journalists in the country.
But the story needed to be told. And here's a look at how we did it. But I'll warn you, some of the images may be disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN (voice-over): Just getting into the country was half the battle. Little did I know the rest would be near impossible.
We had to devise a plan to bypass multiple military check points and get down to the cyclone devastation. The only way out of Yang Gong is through this check point? That's a problem, because if we're caught, our team faced deportation, even prison time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a difficult- it's one of the harder places to shoot a story. Because you live in fear of yourself being kicked out but really more fear of the people that work for you being arrested and put away for 20 years.
NGUYEN: That was my photographer. I can't show you his face because he still works in the region. So after days of poring over maps and scouting out routes, we were finally on the move. To get down to the Irrawaddy Delta we have to leave under the cover of darkness. The last thing we need right now is to be stopped.
We hopped from different modes of transportation, all the while feeling like fugitives on the run. It's really the only way to get down there and bypass the check point. It's going to be a long ride. And a rough one.
We slept in stifling conditions and lived off of little more than bottled water and power bars. Once daylight broke through it was clear this journey was far from over. We're waiting right now for a second boat. A smaller one that we're told will be able to make it through the canals a lot easier.
After 21 hours we finally made it. Though it normally takes only four hours to get here. And judging from the devastation, it doesn't look like much has changed in the two months since the cyclone struck.
Debris still littered villages. We had to work quickly, capturing what we could, never knowing when we'd get caught. Trekking through muddy fields, over makeshift bridges and right into rice paddies. We came across an eerie discovery -- bodies still rotting in the delta.
I knew we would find them. I just didn't know how haunting it would be. Yet just a few feet away, the living press on.
It's a place where slivers of hope can be found in the eyes of the young. So happy and full of life. And for a brief moment, you almost forget, they've seen more pain than most people can imagine.
(on camera): Cyclone Nargis killed 85,000 people, and some 50,000 are still missing. It's also estimated that over a million remain in need.
Now, some aid is getting through, but it's not nearly enough. In fact, the U.N. has requested some $300 million in additional donations just to continue its relief operations.
Betty Nguyen, CNN, Bangkok.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BUSINESS REPORT)
KEILAR: A state of limbo in the state of Kentucky. An old law there has stalled a new age electric car. This is the Zap Car. It rides on three wheels, and under Kentucky law, that officially makes it a motorcycle. But state law also says motorcycles can't be enclosed.
Well, that makes outlaws of these pint-sized vehicles, which top out at a mere 45 miles an hour. A bipartisan committee has asked the governor to grant an exception, but he says he must first be convinced that the Zap is safe.
HARRIS: Former South African president Nelson Mandela turning 90, and he is celebrating his special day in a big way.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Happy birthday, Nelson Mandela. The former South American leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and international icon turns 90.
Our Robyn Curnow takes us to some of the celebrations.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Even at 90, it seems that cake and children and birthday wishes make for a good party.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy 90th birthday.
(APPLAUSE)
CURNOW: There have been several events over the past few weeks to celebrate Nelson Mandela's birthday. Here, children use their bodies to make an image of the former South African president's face to send a message of support for an aid agency campaigning against hunger.
SALAMINAH MOTSOAGAE, ACTION AID: Oh, you know, we love Nelson Mandela. I would like to wish him a very happy birthday and many, many more years to come. More than a 100 years.
CURNOW: In 2004, when he was 86, Mandela famously said he had retired from retirement. But his birthday celebrations this year have been relentless for a retiree who is feeling the physical effects of his age. He traveled to London, hosting a concert to raise money for his AIDS charity. And even at 90, his message is clear, unequivocal and resolute.
NELSON MANDELA, FMR. SOUTH AFRICAN LEADER: Even as we celebrate, let us remind that our work is far from complete. Where there is poverty and sickness, including AIDS, where human beings are being oppressed, there is more work to be done.
CURNOW: And despite the physical challenges of showing up for his many birthday events, Mandela's legendary sense of humor was always on show.
MANDELA: We have for years remarked about people coming to such events, primarily to see what an old man looks like. To see a 90- year-old in real life.
CURNOW: He also jokes at the launch of a birthday coin.
MANDELA: I'm a bit richer this morning.
(LAUGHTER)
MANDELA: And I'm not going to associate with poor people.
CURNOW: Lighter moments for a man revered as a human rights icon.
MANDELA: For our country, our continent can dwell. Thank you for all the good wishes.
CURNOW: And again, that smile, the face of a man who has seen 90 birthdays and who knows, perhaps, that after all of this time, he can celebrate a life well lived.
Robyn Curnow, CNN, Johannesburg, South Africa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Great story.
HARRIS: Yes.
KEILAR: CNN NEWSROOM continues one hour from now.
HARRIS: "ISSUE #1" with Gerri Willis and Ali Velshi starts right now.
