Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Saturday
NASA Postpones Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery; Fallen Soldier Laid to Rest in Oregon; Marine Featured in "Fahrenheit 9/11" Killed in Iraq; Legislation to Get Rid of Pennies; D.C. Test For AIDS
Aired July 01, 2006 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN ANCHOR: -- Jeanne Moos has the story.
NASA engineers are keeping their fingers crossed for better weather at Kennedy Space Center tomorrow. NASA canceled today's launch of the shuttle Discovery because of the threat of lightning in the area. We'll have live coverage from Florida in just a moment.
More violence in Iraq. A car bomb in Baghdad killed at least 62 people at a crowded marketplace. About 114 people were wounded. It is the bloodiest attack in Iraq since the death last month of Abu Musab Al Zarqawi.
Just hours ago, a new audiotape message surfaced, apparently made by Osama bin Laden himself. It offers congratulations to the new leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq. He urges Al Zarqawi's successor to fight anyone who supports the war in Iraq.
The U.S. is offering a $5 million reward for the capture of this new leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq. The State Department urges anyone who has information on Ayub Al-Masri to contact any U.S. embassy or military commander.
Family and friends gathered today to say goodbye to Private 1st Class Thomas Tucker. Tucker was one of the two soldiers kidnapped and killed in Iraq last month. It's a public memorial service in Redmond, Oregon. And we'll have live coverage in a moment.
Vice President Cheney has a clean bill of health. 65 years old, he got the all clear after his annual routine physical at George Washington Hospital. He will, however, have a full cardiac evaluation in the fall.
If you're an Apple user, you felt safe. Now some Mac users may feel the bite of a security breach. Just two days ago Apple computers released a patch to fix a flaw in its OSX operating system. But now Symantec says there's a new piece of software that may be able to bypass that patch.
More carnage in the streets of Iraq. A massive car bomb in a Shiite marketplace and a Sunni lawmaker has been kidnapped. Revenge is believed to be the motive behind both of these attacks, payback for previous killings there. Osama bin Laden now in an audiotape posted on an Islamic website, believed to be the Al Qaeda leader on this tape calling on Sunnis in Iraq to rise up and fight Shiites. That message is a turning point for Bin Laden so joining us now from Washington is CNN terror analyst Peter Bergen. Peter what is the significance of this new audiotape?
PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Well you used the word turning point, I think that's a reasonable phrase. Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al Zawahiri, his number two have been very careful not to criticize Shias, not to call for attacks on Shias, not to attack the government of Iran until now. And on this tape Bin Laden is calling for Sunnis to kill Shia in Iraq. I think that's likely to create more violence.
You may remember about a year ago that Al Qaeda's number two in Iraq -- Al Qaeda's number two wrote a letter to Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, the head of at that time, before he was killed, the head of Al Qaeda in Iraq, and basically said, stop killing Shia, this is not a good policy. And so obviously Al Qaeda's central leadership have now changed their mind and have been really given blanket approval to do this to their followers.
ROESGEN: Well Peter, what does Al Qaeda gain from a civil war in Iraq?
BERGEN: Well, I mean, I think that's a good question. I -- you know, a civil war in Iraq where the Sunnis were seem to be losing would draw in other countries I think like Saudi Arabia, potentially to help the insurgents. I think Bin Laden is also -- he has a sort of philosophy of destruction and it's a rather (INAUDIBLE) view of the world. Appealing for more violence is something that he's done before but not against the Shia. So it's hard for me sometimes to exactly gauge what he's thinking. But whether he's just getting on the bandwagon that's already left the station in a sense, clearly Al Qaeda in Iraq has done pretty well at killing Shia already. Bin Laden just wants to remain relevant or is this part of a broader strategy they're trying to create some kind of Sunni-Shia civil war around the region. I'm not sure.
ROESGEN: We certainly shudder whenever we see another audiotape from Bin Laden. Thank you Peter I know we'll be getting more analysis from you in the days ahead. Peter Bergen for us.
Privates Kristian Menchaca and Thomas Lowell Tucker, those were the two American soldiers who were killed by Iraqi insurgents. Private Menchaca was buried earlier this week. Today Private Tucker is being remembered at a memorial service in his home state of Oregon. Reporting from Redmond, Oregon is CNN's Kareen Wynter. Kareen?
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Susan and that service wrapped up a short time ago inside this area behind me. There is now a funeral procession under way to the grave site. As one woman was leaving today she was wearing a t-shirt with an American flag, she had tears in her eyes and she said Oregon's heart is swelling with pride today. It was indeed quite emotional in here. We heard from family members. We heard from several speakers just talking about the short life of this young man. It was very, very emotional indeed, honoring this soldier who was kidnapped and killed in Iraq just weeks ago. We also heard from the governor of Oregon, who said America mourns this great American patriot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. TED KULONGOSKI, OREGON: PFC Thomas Tucker went to Iraq for a particular purpose. Let me speak to you in his own words. I'm going to defend my country. These are not my words. These are not the words of any political leader or military commander or TV commentator. These are a soldier's words.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
WYNTER: And it's always very, very difficult to hear from family members, Susan, during this very, very tough time. But we did. Tucker's older sister, Tava Tucker spoke. She spoke about the courage that her little brother instilled in her just before he left for Iraq, knowing there was a strong possibility, Susan that he wouldn't return.
ROESGEN: Kareen, we have seen some protests at military funerals lately and military memorials. Did you see any of that today?
WYNTER: Not from our vantage point. In fact, there were reports that a group out of Kansas would be protesting here, a group affiliated with a Baptist church, that they would be very, very vocal in expressing their opinions for this war. We did not see them here but we inquired about that before the ceremony began and we were told that officials had some heads-up on that and that they would do everything as possible to shield the family, to shield the public, everyone who attended today's ceremony So, again, from our direct view here on the fairgrounds -- we're talking about a very, very large area inside this arena behind me where it all took place, there were no protesters that we could see.
ROESGEN: That's certainly good for the family. Thank you. Kareen Wynter reporting for us in Redmond, Oregon.
Now in less than 24 hours, NASA will try again. Bad weather forced NASA to scrub today's planned launch of the shuttle "Discovery." So tomorrow afternoon, they get another chance to put their seven member crew into orbit. Miles O'Brien has been at the Kennedy Space Center all day. A day that was disappointing at the end Miles. Miles how much internal pressure do you think there is at NASA when you've already got the astronauts on board, the external tank is fueled. How much internal pressure is there to get this thing up?
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yeah they call it launch fever don't they Susan. I know you know about that. And yes, there is pressure to do everything you can to get a space shuttle into orbit if it's at all possible. But the weather rules are the weather rules. And Mother Nature has a vote. And when they go through those polls, if it's no-go for weather, they don't bend those rules. And that's what happened today. Take a look at live pictures, launch pad 39b, space shuttle "Discovery" still on the launch pad, the crew long gone, on their way to the crew quarters for some rest, a little relaxation, decompressing.
Quite frankly, a bit of a letdown as they get ready for another attempt tomorrow, 3:26 p.m. eastern time is the desired window, that narrow window of opportunity when they have a chance to catch up with the space station, which is their ultimate goal, to dock with it, as it passes overhead. There were a few special guests on hand today, including the vice president of the United States, Dick Cheney, who had a checkup in the morning and got a good, clean bill of health. And then spent his afternoon looking at the countdown, at least, and, also having an opportunity to spend some time beneath the belly of the space shuttle "Atlantis" which is pretty far down the road in its processing. Because if something bad happened to "Discovery," Atlantis would be the rescue vehicle to go get that crew, which would take safe haven on the international space station.
Vice president and his wife, Lynn Cheney, getting an opportunity to see some of the 25,000 heat protecting tiles in the belly of the orbiter in the orbital processing facility, which is a fancy name for a hangar. And then getting a view from a new building that has been built here which offers a spectacular view of the launch pad, it's about 3 1/2 miles away. Unfortunately didn't get to see what he hoped to see because right around nine minutes before launch time, we heard this from the NASA launch director Mike Leinbach.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE LEINBACH, NASA LAUNCH DIRECTOR: It's a dynamic day and I think we're just playing it too close here. We've got anvils within 20 miles and over the launch trajectory. Not a good day to launch.
Copy and concur. "Discovery" launch director.
Go ahead.
LEINBACH: Well, Steve, sorry to break your strings, but we're not going to make it today. So we appreciate your support, both from the crew and the whole launch team and the team worldwide trying to get this vehicle off the ground today. But it's not a good day to launch the shuttle. So we're going to try again tomorrow.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Mike Leinbach talking to Steve Lindsey, the commander of that string of non-postponed, non-delayed launches. Not today. There you see them as they came out, made their way one by one, those orange pressure suits not needed after all. They're by now well past wearing those suits and getting ready for some rest time and go through the whole process once again tomorrow. The outlook for the weather not so good though. 60 percent chance that the weather will get in the way of a launch. This morning, it was a 40 percent chance. There's a big system over the Bahamas right now, which could wreak havoc with the weather over the next few days. They'll try again tomorrow. If they don't have much success, they'll consider possibly standing down for a couple of days, replenishing the fuel tanks on board the space shuttle and then maybe trying on July 4th. How's that for a fireworks display Susan? ROESGEN: Yeah, it sounds patriotic. Miles, you sure kept us on the edge of our seats today so we will join you again tomorrow for sure. Miles O'Brien out there live.
O'BRIEN: Alright, we'll be here.
ROESGEN: Okay. And keep it here on CNN as we do count down to another launch attempt tomorrow. Join us for our special live coverage of the space shuttle "Discovery" with Miles O'Brien Sunday at 3:00 p.m. eastern, noon on the west coast.
A lot of buzz around the holiday weekend but, seriously, would you do this to celebrate the Fourth of July?
Thousands of people will be watching this sometime this summer. It's the craze of dirt track racing. And how it put one NASCAR driver in a different seat.
And the gunfire in Gaza is causing serious trouble inside that area. Fuel can't get in, so life is seriously disrupted there. You're watching CNN SATURDAY, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROESGEN: The world's biggest cycling event is under way but a new scandal puts the brakes on the top contenders in the Tour de France. That's coming up on CNN SATURDAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROESGEN: Here's a quick look at some of the most popular stories on CNN.com. Former "Baywatch" star David Hasselhoff had emergency surgery after an accident in the bathroom of a London gym. According to his publicist, he was shaving when he hit his head on a glass chandelier. The chandelier shattered, severing a tendon in his arm.
Tennessee authorities say Mary Carol Winkler, the minister's wife, apologized to her dying husband after she shot him. She was in court yesterday asking the judge for bail. She is facing one count of premeditated murder.
A Los Angeles Zoo investigation says the zoo keepers didn't begin emergency procedures quickly enough to save a dying elephant. Animal rights activists have long complained about the conditions at that zoo. Now they're calling for a federal investigation into the death of this 8,000 pound elephant.
The election of a Hamas-led government has led to a deterioration in the relationship between Israel and the Palestinians. And Palestinians say a growing lack of essential services is fueling a growing fury against Israel. CNN's Paula Hancocks reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This baby is just hours old, born two months premature he cannot breathe on his own. Dr. Abdulrahman Issa sees hundreds of babies like him, treating many of them with this older equipment.
DR. ABDULRAHMAN ISSA, PALESTINIAN DOCTOR: We have to put him on the (INAUDIBLE) because he cannot breathe on his on.
HANCOCKS: But without electricity, this machine is useless.
ISSA: If I stop this machine now, within five minutes he will die.
HANCOCKS: The hospital's generator kicks in when the main supply is out. But hospital officials say it's old and needs daily maintenance.
ISSA: If every day we have cut for even ten hours a day from the 24 hours, this generator, because it is an old generator, it will be broken and it will stop working.
HANCOCKS: Air conditioning is only on where it's really need. Most wards are uncomfortably hot. And continuing air strikes scare some children. Others turn it into a game.
ISSA: It's very bad. Very, very, very bad. You know, the thing which makes more bad, we don't know when it will stop, all this crisis, and how it will be solved. So that we can plan our services for two days, ten days, one month. We don't know.
HANCOCKS: There are fewer cars on the streets of Gaza City, not only out of fear of air strikes. Petro stations across the territory are running dry. Traders find other ways to transport their goods.
TRANSLATION OF AHMED ALI, PALESTINIAN PETROLEUM: The petroleum that we have does not last us for a long time. In the past four days, nothing has entered the Gaza strip.
HANCOCKS: The Israeli defense forces say they are constantly monitoring the situation and that Israel has increased the amount of electricity it supplies to Gaza. The idea also estimates that gas stations have 1.3 million liters of fuel left. But that's little consolation for Dr. Issa, who started working here in 1976, taking a break for 20 years to work overseas. He laughs when I ask him if he'd consider moving away again?
ISSA: As a human being, sometimes. But, actually, no. I cannot leave my country in this situation, no, impossible. I am thinking of my children and what they need. But my country has the priority.
HANCOCKS: Paula Hancocks, CNN, Gaza City.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN: And wrapping up some other news in the world tonight, a new political era in Kuwait. Today the Kuwaiti cabinet resigned. It was expected after Thursday's parliamentary elections in which many reformers won but the vote was also historic because it was the first time women were allowed to take part. The Iraqi government has released more detainees. 470 prisoners walked out of various Iraqi jails. It's part of Iraq's new national reconciliation program. About 3,000 prisoners have been released over the past several weeks. The Iraqi government says none of them had been part of any attacks on coalition troops or Iraqi forces or civilians.
The pentagon is investigating whether friendly fire killed an American soldier. 19-year-old private first class Justin Davis died Tuesday on patrol in Afghanistan.
A key ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court is not getting rave reviews from the U.S. attorney general. In an interview you'll see only on CNN, Alberto Gonzales says the Supreme Court is hurting the government's ability to fight terrorism with its ruling on Guantanamo Bay prisoners. The ruling limits the Bush administration's power to conduct military tribunals for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo. Here's what Alberto Gonzales had to say about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL: The court did not say that we could not continue to hold enemy combatants indefinitely for the duration of the hostilities, which was something the Supreme Court said that we could do, even for an American citizen, in connection with the Hamdi decision back in 2004. And so that path is still available to us. The president of the United States can continue to hold enemy combatants at Guantanamo. But we're looking at ways to provide as many tools as possible to the president of the United States in dealing with terrorists.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: Meanwhile, the annual Tour de France is underway with a much smaller field. 13 cyclists booted yesterday, implicated in a doping probe.
The Chinese president calls it a miracle. The first train to travel on the world's highest railway arrived in Tibet earlier today, one day after leaving Beijing. Celebrations for this new train coincide with the 85th anniversary of China's communist party.
It's a mission to save the lives of possibly tens of thousands of people. A new health campaign in Washington coming up later this hour.
But first, a soldier featured in a movie he didn't think he was in. Now it's just one of the things left to keep his memory alive. Stay with CNN SATURDAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROESGEN: From the front lines this weekend, a marine showcased in a movie died this week in Iraq. Staff Sergeant Raymond Plouhar was featured in "Fahrenheit 9/11." You saw him trying to recruit marines in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Well the staff sergeant was killed Monday by a roadside bomb in Iraq. CNN's Chris Lawrence filed this report from "THE SITUATION ROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The family of Staff Sergeant Raymond Plouhar is grieving. He was killed in Iraq Monday by an IED.
RAYMOND PLOUHAR, FATHER: He did his job and what more could a father asked.
LAWRENCE: Raymond Plouhar, Senior says there is one thing, that his son be remembered for more than his part in Michael Moore's documentary about the war in Iraq, "Fahrenheit 9/11."
Meet Marine Staff Sergeant Dale Corton and Sergeant Raymond Plouhar.
LAWRENCE: When this was filmed, Plouhar was recovering from donating a kidney and temporarily assigned as a recruiter.
What you have going on later this afternoon?
LAWRENCE: On the phone, Plouhar's father told us that his son believed in what he was doing in Iraq and didn't like being associated with the film seen as critical of the war. Had your son seen the film? What did he think about how he was portrayed in the film?
PLOUHAR: Wrongly.
LAWRENCE: Plouhar told us his son was proud of being a marine recruiter. He says Michael Moore added audio commentary that made it somewhat critical of the marine's recruiting tactics.
PLOUHAR: No he hated it. He hated the thought of it and he hated the way that it was presented to him.
LAWRENCE: Plouhar says his son thought he was participating in a documentary about the Marine corps, not "Fahrenheit 9/11."
PLOUHAR: He called me said dad, I'm going to be on the "Discovery Channel."
LAWRENCE: The father did not agree with the premise of "Fahrenheit 9/11" but the film is now one of the lasting memories he has of his son. We've been trying to give Michael Moore a chance to respond. We couldn't reach him through his production company so we wrote a letter to his agent who has been trying to track him down. We can tell you that in the past, Moore has publicly defended his film against its critics. Chris Lawrence, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN: And you can watch more Chris Lawrence reports weekday afternoons on "THE SITUATION ROOM" and in prime time at 7:00 eastern. And be sure to join John Roberts at the top of the hour for "Iraq, A Week at War." CNN's correspondents report from around the globe on the events in Iraq this week and what's ahead. Still too come in our next half hour of CNN SATURDAY, heavy rains, flash floods crippling the nation's capital. Now people are asking what would a terrorist attack do? We'll look at whether Washington is ready in our security watch next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
I've always been more interested in dirt racing than pavement.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: He's known for NASCAR but he gets his thrill getting down and dirty. Tony Stewart's success on a different track.
And it's worth one cent but it costs more than that to make it. Find a penny, pick it up. The not so common sense behind penny production. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROESGEN: "Now In The News," a new message purported to be from Osama bin Laden on the internet. Bin Laden threatens retaliation against Shiites in Iraq if attacks against Sunni Muslims continue, advocating a civil war there. We have White House reaction that came in just moments ago. The statement says, if authentic, the tape demonstrates yet again that bin Laden and al Qaeda continue to use the media to justify their dark vision and war against humanity. That is the White House reaction to what is apparently a new audiotape from Osama bin Laden.
Meanwhile, in Iraq, another deadly message from the insurgents, 62 people killed, another 114 hurt in this explosion at a Baghdad marketplace.
U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is criticizing a recent Supreme Court ruling. The ruling limits the power of the Bush administration to conduct military tribunals. Gonzales says the ruling hampers the administration's ability to fight terrorism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL: If we bring them to court- martials, it means if bin Laden were captured he would receive the same kinds of procedures and protections that we afford the members of our military. I don't know if that's the right approach, quite frankly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: What's being called the Living Hope Bus rolled into Washington, D.C., today. A small group of activists is driving across the country in a converted school bus to raise awareness about AIDS in Africa.
Comedian Bill Cosby spoke at graduation ceremonies today at Dillard University in New Orleans, it's a historically a black college that reclaimed its campus after being devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
In other news, an Ohio bee keeper tried to break the world record for bee beards today. Who would do this, we don't know. But the current record is 350,000 bees, which weighs about 85 pounds. We don't know yet whether he broke the record or whether he's still alive. Just kidding.
The crew of the space shuttle discovery will have to wait another day to get into orbit. The clouds and the threat of lightning around Cape Canaveral forced NASA to scrub the launch and try tomorrow. Miles O'Brien will be there, too. He's been there all day. Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: A big disappointment for NASA and the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery as a practically flawless countdown leads to a delay of a little less than 24 hours on account of bad weather. A lot of attention paid in advance to this over the problems of potentially falling foam. But in the run-up to the countdown, most of the focus, most of the attention on the weather. And as the afternoon progressed, temperature heated up, so did the clouds. They built up all around the Kennedy Space Center. And by the time the launch window opened up, that narrow window of time when the space shuttle could rendezvous with the International Space Station as it passes overhead, it was quite clear the weather was not good enough. Listen to the NASA launch director, Mike Lonbalk (ph).
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a dynamic day and I think we're just playing it too close here. We have got anvils within 20 miles and over the launch trajectory. Not a good day to launch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Copy and concur. Discovery launch director.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, Steve, sorry to break your string, but we're not going to make it today. So appreciate your support both from the crew and the whole launch team. And the team worldwide trying to get this vehicle offer the ground today. But it's not a good day to launch the shuttle, so we're going to try again tomorrow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: With that the crew of seven, led by Commander Steve Lindsey began undoing what they spent many hours doing, flipping switches, getting ready to go into space. They made their way out of the Space Shuttle Discovery to the astro van and off to the operations and checkout building where the crew quarters are, where they'll have some dinner, relax, get some rest and try again tomorrow. Once again that slated launch time is 3:26 p.m. and the weather, we're told, is not too encouraging, 60 percent chance that it will not be good enough for a launch. Miles O'Brien, CNN, at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
ROESGEN: All right, Miles. Yes, summertime in Florida not a good time for weather. Bad for NASA.
But will you have good weather for the fourth of July weekend coming up? Meteorologist Bonnie Schneider in the CNN weather center.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROESGEN: You know, mud, mud and more mud. That's what people are finding now that the floodwaters are starting to go down on the east coast. Many people in Trenton, New Jersey, evacuated. And they're still waiting to go home and find out what kind of damage they've got. Others began the clean-up today.
And in Washington, water damage will keep the national archives closed to tourists this weekend. The archives' historic documents are all safe in a vault but some other documents are at risk of mildew damage and work crews are using giant dehumidifiers to try to protect them.
Heavy rain did a lot of damage to Washington, D.C. this weekend, that whole area. And it got people talking. If this is how the city handles a natural disaster, could it handle a man made one? CNN's Brian Todd investigated for "THE SITUATION ROOM."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: nearly a foot of rain in some places. Flash floods, motorists stranded, traffic lights out. At least five U.S. government facilities closed. What if this weather barrage had been a terrorist attack?
RICHARD FALKENRATH, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: If this had been a life threatening incident for a lots of people, I think we would have had pandemonium on the streets.
TODD: CNN Analyst Richard Falkenrath is an expert on homeland security, who's about to join New York's Police force as its director of counter-terrorism. Falkenrath and other experts say Washington has a poor record handling population flow during natural disasters. Command and control they say a huge problem. Too many jurisdictions in the metropolitan D.C. area with no one agency or official making key decisions. Officials at the D.C. Emergency Management Agency say they can't help it if roads flood and lights malfunction in bad weather. But if terrorists strike?
BARBARA CHILDS-PAIR, WASHINGTON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY: We have traffic management plans rerouting efforts and then we're not looking at everybody coming in and going out at the same time. So we have plans in place to kind of maneuver folks to get out of town.
TODD: But Falkenrath worries about another factor all major cities would face during a terrorist attack.
FALKENRATH: If the people stuck in those traffic jams felt that they were at risk themselves or their families were at risk somewhere else, I think you'd have a lot of very problematic behavior by individual commuters. TODD: As for the federal government, agencies still closed like the Justice Department have kicked in their so-called continuity of operations plans to function from other locations. Experts say those plans, for the most part, have worked well. But the experts we spoke to, along with the Department of Homeland Security in a recent report, point out that D.C. is hardly alone here, that most major cities have poor contingency plans for evacuation and other emergency procedures. And experts point out, it's almost impossible to evacuate any major city efficiently under almost any circumstances. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN: And stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
There's another threat in the nation's capital. It concerns your health. Coming up, a new plan to test for a dangerous and deadly disease.
Then later, Jeanne Moos wants a penny for your thoughts, as only she can. CNN SATURDAY returns after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROESGEN: An ambitious plan to protect people in the nation's capital. It's a new program that would test tens of thousands of people in Washington for the virus that causes AIDS. Gary Nurenberg tells us about this test in the city with the highest rate of new AIDS cases.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RON MORGAN, DIAGNOSED HIV POSITIVE: Hi, how are you doing?
GARY NURENBURG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ron Morgan spent much of Saturday urging strangers in Washington, D.C. to get tested for HIV.
MORGAN: The city is facing a crisis right now with new cases of HIV. Some people may not know that they are.
NURENBURG: He was diagnosed as HIV positive 22 years ago.
MORGAN: I'm living proof you can live with this thing but we have to think straight and be smart.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come together, D.C., get screened for HIV.
NURENBURG: The city launched a campaign this week to test for HIV all residents between the ages of 14 and 84, believed to be the first in the country to do so.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure it doesn't hurt, does it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it doesn't hurt. Painless, no blood or anything. OK, you ready?
MORGAN: The city is distributing to doctors, clinics and schools 80,000 of these $10 quick test kits and oral swabs that give results in 20 minutes. The health department wants HIV screening to be as common a part of physical exams as blood pressure and cholesterol checks.
KEN PETTIGREW, AIDS ACTIVISTS: What we're doing is saying everyone should get tested and sort of normalize it.
NURENBURG (on camera): Why are city officials so adamant about this new testing program? They cite statistics saying one in 50 D.C. residents have aids, 2 percent, but the city has the highest rate of new AIDS cases in the country.
DR. GREGG PANE, DIRECTOR, D.C. DEPT. OF HEALTH: About 25,000 people in the District that have HIV and perhaps a quarter of those don't know they have it.
NURENBURG (voice-over): And knowing it is key.
LINDA CROPP, D.C. CITY COUNCIL CHAIRWOMAN: Research shows that those who know their HIV status are connected to care and that they live longer and they modify their behavior to reduce the risk of HIV transmission to others.
NURENBURG: So the city is sending vans into neighborhoods.
BRANDON ARMANI, UNITY HEALTH CARE: We can actually do three people at one time during the 20 minute process that it will take us.
NURENBURG: Activists say a rush of new positives will put a strain on city services, but the health department says it is already lining up programs and money.
ARMANI: We will be there once those dollars are there to get these people into care.
NURENBURG: Getting people into care is what Ron Morgan is trying to do.
MORGAN: And I'm here and living proof to say there is life after diagnosis, 22 years later.
NURENBURG: Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN: Now, Dr. Greg Pane, the director of the Washington Health Department is live with us now in Washington. Dr. Payne, why does D.C. have the highest AIDS case in the country?
DR. GREGG PANE, DIRECTOR, D.C. DEPT. OF HEALTH: Well, a number of reasons. I think we have our share of urban health problems like everyone else. We have TB, sexually transmitted disease, a large gay population, large African-American population, and this disease disproportionately affects them. So given our statistics and given that routine testing is available now, the CDC is recommending it, we have a quick test. We decided to launch this, what I think is a bold and aggressive campaign to stem the tied of HIV/AIDS in Washington, D.C.
ROESGEN: When you send these 80,000 test kits out, how many new cases of HIV do you think you'll diagnose.
PANE: Well, our goal is ambitious. We hope to screen as many people as we can. We're targeting everyone in D.C. age 14 to 84 for screening. Why is screening important? Nationally, about a million people have HIV/AIDS and up to 25 percent do not even know they're infected. Quick screening is important. You get a result in 20 minutes. We're working with doctors and hospitals to do these tests. If you find out you're positive, we're going to link you to primary care and the counseling you need so you can get the treatment you need and not spread the disease to others. This is the way to stem the epidemic.
ROESGEN: You want everyone in D.C. to get tested. Does that include part-time residents like members of Congress, Supreme Court judges, even President Bush?
PANE: We're doing and going beyond what the Centers for Disease Control is recommending, that this testing be routine, similar to getting a pap smear, a prostate test or a mammogram. HIV testing should be routine. We're getting these kits out to our docs and hospitals and clinics and partnering with them to screen everyone. So, yes, that could include members of Congress. I've been tested. I think everyone on our mayoral task force, which is chaired by Mayor Williams raised their hand that they had been screened.
ROESGEN: Well our reporter there in our last report touched on something, if a diagnosis is positive, what happens then? If someone is sitting in a doctor's office, gets this life changing news in 20 minutes, is the city prepared to counsel and treat what may be thousands of new patients?
PANE: That's part of the campaign. In 20 minutes you get a result. It's an oral swab. Very accurate, about 99 percent accurate and important to link this to pre and post counseling to the testing. We're doing that as part of the campaign. Equally important to the counseling is linking people to primary care afterwards. That's what we're prepared to do as well, using all the resources in the Department of Health. We're prepared I think to go forward boldly with this initiative because this is public health issue number one for us.
ROESGEN: Okay, Dr. Greg Pane, the director of the Washington, D.C. Health Department. Thank you very much for joining us.
Doctors in Washington gave Vice President Cheney good news today. A clean bill of health at his annual physical. The doctors were looking at the repairs made to enlarged blood vessels on the backs of Mr. Cheney's knees and they also checked his pacemaker. But it wasn't such a great day for the vice president at the Kennedy Space Center. He was down there to watch NASA's launch of the shuttle mission. And as you know, that mission was scrubbed.
Cheney may have better luck now at the Pepsi 400 NASCAR race at Daytona. That's where he is now. And supposed to be a super race out there. CNN presents, in fact, is going to be talking about a certain kind of race, a different down and dirty kind of race. The dirt track warriors, the story of great characters, great speed and great slice of American culture. Here's a preview from Miles O'Brien.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MILES O'BRIEN: The now NASCAR driver Tony Stewart tips his hat to the skill of dirt drivers. After all, he got his start on dirt, and now owns one of the most celebrated dirt tracks in the country. El Dora speedway in Ohio.
TONY STEWART, NASCAR DRIVER: I make my living driving on pavement every week, but I've always been more interested in dirt racing than pavement. To be on a dirt track a lot of times is like being on a gravel road. If you go just a little bit too fast, the car is going to slide. If you hit the gas too hard, it spins the tires and kicks the rocks up. If you try to stop too fast, you skid, you lock up the brakes. That's what makes driving on dirt more technical.
O'BRIEN: Technical indeed. Steward wiped out the night we saw him race at El Dora.
SCOTT BLOOMQUIST, DIRT TRACK DRIVER: Me personally, most of the NASCAR races, you know, I'll turn them on and I'll be asleep after the first 20 and I hope somebody wakes me up for the last 10.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN: And we have some news just in now to the CNN center in Atlanta. Palestinian sources are confirming that Israeli war planes hit the office of the Palestinian prime minister in Gaza city today. No immediate reports of any injuries. The Israeli army is not commenting but, once again, Palestinian sources do confirm that Israeli war planes have hit the office of Palestinian prime minister in Gaza city. No reports of any casualties. We'll have more on that story of course tonight on our news at 10:00. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROESGEN: We now have the official forecast for the scheduled shuttle launch tomorrow, so let's go right to meteorologist Bonnie Schneider.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROESGEN: The astronauts and Miles O'Brien will both be disappointed.
Pennies from heaven or a pain in the pocket? Sorry, President Lincoln, the single cent may be on the way out. Jeanne Moos first had this story for "PAULA ZAHN NOW."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A penny for your thoughts about pennies? Keep the change.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pain in the neck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They clog up the vacuum cleaner.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I say off with its head.
MOOS: And with its tail there's a new move to get rid of the penny.
REP. JIM KOLBE (R), ARIZONA: It's easy to consider abolishing it. It doesn't have any value.
MOOS: Republican Congressman Jim Kolbe of Arizona is pushing legislation that would kill the penny. Sure, they have tried to kill it before, but now the price of zinc is so high that the penny costs more to make than it is actually worth. It costs around 1.3 cents to make a penny. They weigh down our wallets. They collect in bottles. This guy has a habit of ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Throwing them in the trash.
MOOS: Literally throwing them out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MOOS: If you abolish the penny, bills paid by check or credit card would still be paid by the cents but stores would have to round to the nearest nickel.
(on camera): If something is $1.06 or $1.07 you round down to $1.05. If it is $1.08 or $1.09 you round up to $1.10.
(voice-over): But the Committee for Common Cents says no way.
MATTHEW EGGERS, AMERICANS FOR COMMON CENTS: Americans overwhelmingly support the penny by about two thirds.
MOOS: That's what polls say.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm for the penny.
MOOS: Do you bother to stoop down and pick up a penny?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely. Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Age showing here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What will we do with our penny loafers?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What would you call them? Dime loafers. MOOS: Just try using 25 pennies to buy a newspaper. This guy reluctantly agreed. This guy said take a paper for free, but keep the pennies.
KEVIN FEDERLINE, PERFORMER: Bringing power back to the penny.
MOOS: That's Britney Spears' husband, Kevin Federline, in a promotion for Virgin Mobile's one cent text messaging. Virgin is glomming on to the save the penny movement with a penny-encrusted truck gathering charitable contributions. Charities love pennies. As for Congressman Kolbe's penny killing legislation ...
KOLBE: It may be doomed to defeat this year, but I tell you, it's going to happen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After they take the penny, then it will be the nickel and the dime.
MOOS: But when we approached this fruit seller, the penny provoked sour grapes.
(on camera): But when we approached this fruit seller, the penny provoked sour grapes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have a nice day, bye-bye.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN: You can see more of Jeanne's stories on "PAULA ZAHN NOW" week nights at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific.
You're news headlines coming up and then at 8:00, a CNN premier, 30,000 fans gather to watch dirt track racing and a SPECIAL REPORT from John Roberts. We'll see you later.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
