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CNN Live Saturday
Space Shuttle Atlantis Succesfully Launches for International Space Station; Air Force Major is found in Kyrgyzstan; Chicago Tribune Reporter Released From Sudanese Jail; British Prime Minister Tony Blair Visits Israel to Push New Middle East Peace Ideas
Aired September 09, 2006 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three main engines up and burning. Two, one, and liftoff of space shuttle "Atlantis."
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well the launch sure looked flawless, but is there cause for concern? NASA is scheduled to hold a briefing, just moments from now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're not going to shoot one of our people and get away with it. We will track you down, we will hunt you down for as long as it takes.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And they did. The manhunt for suspected murderer Ralph Phillips is over.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm meteorologist Jacqui Jeras in CNN's hurricane headquarters. Tropical storm Florence nearly a hurricane. Find out the latest advisory as it comes in and what kind of impacts are expected for the U.S.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much Jacqui. Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. All that and more after this check of the headlines.
The "Chicago Tribune" reports that its correspondent Paul Salopek has been released from a Sudanese jail. He was detained August 6th on spying charges. The Mexico Governor Bill Richardson helped win Salopek's release.
A U.S. air force major who went missing Tuesday in Kyrgyzstan has been found alive. Jill Metzger is reportedly in stable condition. Air Force officials say they're bringing her back to the U.S. immediately.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair is in the Middle East on a push to bolster stability in the region. Today Mr. Blair is visiting his Israeli counterpart, Ehud Olmert. Tomorrow he'll talk with Palestinian and Lebanese officials.
And who says you can't go home again? Pope Benedict XVI is paying a visit to his home state of Bovaria in Germany. He grew up and studied there and was Archbishop of the state capital Munich.
No cause for alarm. That's what NASA is saying about some chunks of foam that appeared to hit shuttle "Atlantis" today, it happened several minutes after the shuttle launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle crew will resume construction of the space station. The first work on the ISS since the "Columbia" disaster three and a half years ago. Our Daniel Sieberg is live at the Kennedy Space Center with more on the mission. And so Daniel, earlier we reported about the debris, but apparently NASA is not concerned. Why?
DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're considering it a non-issue, essentially. And we'll get to that in just a minute Fred. We've got some video to show people to sort of explain why they're not that concerned about it. First though, the mission did get off to what has been called a flawless or a majestic launch, just about five hours or so ago here at Kennedy Space Center. In case you missed it, we want to replay what it was like.
All right, so you're seeing shuttle "Atlantis" go off via the launch pad there at 39B here at Kennedy Space Center, everything cooperated after a couple of weeks of delays. The weather worked out in its favor. We did see the solid rocket boosters separate as planned, along with the massive external fuel tank which contains the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Everything basically worked out as they had expected Fred, and of course you did point out that problem with the foam or the concern with the foam.
We want to show you the video that we're talking about here. We need to really put this in context for people. Ever since "Columbia" in 2003 when some foam pierced the heat shield and caused "Columbia" to burn up upon re-entry, they've been looking very closely for any pieces of foam. The pieces that you're seeing coming off now came off about four minutes or later into the flight than they're worried about. The critical time period is about the first two minutes and 15 seconds. That's when they're really worried about it because of the thrust of the shuttle going up, also the gravitational forces that are at work. And once that time period goes by, they're not as concerned about it.
At a press briefing a few hours ago we did hear from one of the NASA managers about what they are assessing so far with this video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEROY CAIN, NASA MANAGER: The earliest indication we have of any event in the way of shedding debris going uphill was after four minutes mission elapsed time. I believe it was four minutes seven seconds. And there were no events of note before that. Now I would caution you only that it's extremely preliminary, but so far we didn't see anything in the region of highest concern, if you will. And the things that folks did see in the very, very preliminary look was well into the ascent phase where we really don't have debris concerns, per se.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP) SIEBERG: So that was the preliminary discussion about this a short time after the launch happened. We are expecting another press briefing from NASA within about a half hour or so where they will talk more about that image possibly some more. They will look very closely at this, not only now and throughout the next several days.
They will use cameras on board the shuttle as well as cameras that are used by the crew, but basically to put this in context, that video that we saw there, it's extremely possible that that means absolutely nothing in terms of the safety or the risk to any of the crew on board. So we really have to be careful with this. But NASA cannot be too careful with what they do in terms of looking at this type of thing. Fred?
WHITFIELD: Daniel, that press briefing that you mentioned or post launch briefing that's scheduled at the bottom of the hour, we're going to monitor those comments to see if there's anything more to the explanations they're giving us. Meantime, let's talk about all these delays. After two weeks this was the fifth attempt. A number of reasons why it took so much to get this shuttle in the air.
SIEBERG: Yeah, they're trying to get up to the International Space Station, restart the assembly up there, it's an 11 day mission, but they ran into some snags, including a massive lightning strike here at Kennedy Space Center. They believe the strongest ever. They also considered moving the shuttle out of the path of tropical storm Ernesto, at one point moving it off the launch pad. They ended up reversing that decision. They also had a concern with one of the fuel cells, you can see it being lifted out there.
That's some file video that we had but they did have some concern with that. Also with one of the -- basically a fuel gauge sensor at the bottom of the liquid hydrogen tank. It's kind of like the gauge in your car when it's telling you that the fuel is running low. In any case, they didn't have any problem at all today with those technical glitches or with the weather. Everything cooperated. They were at the end of their launch window.
If it hadn't been today, they would have had to pick it up in several weeks to avoid a traffic jam up at the International Space Station with the Russian spacecraft. So, you know, you have to say, it certainly worked out in their favor at the last minute. Fred?
WHITFIELD: All right, Daniel Sieberg, thanks so much. Again, that NASA briefing taking place about 25 minutes from now and we'll continue to monitor those remarks.
On the brink of hurricane status and on track for Bermuda? Within the hour we're expecting an update from the National Hurricane Center on the status of now tropical storm Florence.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: Well other news, in the northeast Ralph Phillips is now behind bars again. The 44-year-old escaped convict was caught last night after five months on the run. In that time, he's accused of shooting three New York State troopers, killing one of them. Let's go now to CNN's Allan Chernoff in Buffalo, New York, for more on the capture and the court appearance. None of which took place as some of the investigators thought it might unfold.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. There certainly were a few surprises here, Fredricka. First of all, let's mention that at this hour, Ralph "Buck" Phillips is in Elmira, New York and he's being arraigned on the charge of attempted murder for shooting and wounding a police officer back in June. All of that is happening today because of what happened earlier today here at the U.S. federal courthouse in Buffalo. As you mentioned, Ralph Phillips was on the run for more than five months. Police finally captured him yesterday, just over the state line in Pennsylvania.
So he was brought here this morning to face the charge of fleeing prosecution. Of course, he did escape from the Erie County Jail, not far from here, back in April. He was brought here to face the charge. And what happened? The federal prosecutors dropped the charge. But it was a legal maneuver in order that Phillips could face the much more serious state charge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERRY FLYNN, N.Y. STATE ATTORNEY: There is a pending state warrant of a more significant penalty that you allow it to proceed in that manner. So you dismiss that charge, allows you to proceed in the more significant proceeding currently in state. It does not in any manner jeopardize our right under federal law to proceed with other more significant federal charges at a later time.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
CHERNOFF: Among those potential charges would be possession of stolen guns. Mr. Phillips allegedly stole 41 guns and rifles while he was on his run. Also, Mr. Phillips, police say, was behind the shooting of two other police officers, one of whom died last week. So you can expect charges will be forthcoming for those two shootings. But we understand from the source close to this investigation that will take at least several weeks, if not months. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: All right Allan Chernoff, thanks so much. Joining us from Buffalo, New York.
The president and first lady visit Ground Zero tomorrow ahead of Monday's 9/11 anniversary. Up next on CNN LIVE SATURDAY, we go live to the White House to preview the administration's tribute to victims of those attacks.
Plus, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in hot water over some hot comments.
And can you legislate fashion? A politician who wants to bag the baggies, straight ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Two days before the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, President Bush is again talking about his war on terror. His weekly radio address today marked the fourth time this week Mr. Bush used the specter of 9/11 to push his anti-terror agenda. CNN's Elaine Quijano is at the White House with more. Elaine?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And Fredricka, once again today President Bush urged Congress to move quickly on his proposed legislation to try detainees in military court. Now the administration was forced to craft the measure after the Supreme Court ruled that an earlier plan was in violation of the law. And that was just days ago that we heard the president acknowledge for the very first time the existence of CIA prisons overseas for terror suspects. The president said at that time that 14 detainees had been transferred from CIA custody to Guantanamo. In his radio address today, Mr. Bush said Congress should not delay legislation on how to try those detainees. And he staunchly defended the once secret program.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
BUSH: Were it not for this program, our intelligence community believes that al Qaeda and its allies would have succeeded in launching another attack against the American homeland. We have largely completed our questioning of these men, and now it is time that they are tried for their crimes. As soon as Congress acts to authorize these military commissions, we will prosecute these men and send a clear message to those who kill Americans, no matter how long it takes, we will find you and bring you to justice.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now meantime this election year, Democrats are continuing to try to make the case that President Bush and Republicans who support him have mismanaged the war on terrorism. They have pointed to the Iraq war as an example, they say, of that. Well, today former President Bill Clinton speaking in Missouri at a Democratic senatorial fund raiser, took a swipe at Republicans. He suggested that they squandered the bipartisan goodwill as well as worldwide support for the United States in those days immediately after the September 11th attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I regret more than I can say that later we all lost it partly because of the divisions that we honestly had over policy in Iraq and partly because of the relentlessly political use of the terrible tragedy and the aftermath by the other party in the 2002 election. So I just want to say this, and they're doing it all over again.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, the White House is being very careful to say that the president's prime time address on Monday will not be a political speech. Instead, Press Secretary Tony Snow says it will be reflective, but also looking ahead at ways that people can move forward. Now, the president is going to stop at all three of the 9/11 sites starting tomorrow. He'll be laying a wreath at Ground Zero in a ceremony there. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: And Elaine, earlier you mentioned the secret prisons and Guantanamo making a lot of news earlier in the week. And now you've got two leading senators who are heading down to Gitmo. What's their point?
QUIJANO: Right, it's the two top Republican Senators Bill Frist and Mitch McConnell, they're going to be heading down to Guantanamo. They announced today they'll be going tomorrow. They say they want to get a firsthand look at the detainee situation. But you have to keep in mind this is also coming at a time when they're trying to push through President Bush's legislation on detainees very quickly.
It's run into some opposition from some moderate Republicans, people like Senators John Warner, John McCain, Lindsey Graham. They're concerned about a provision that would ban detainees from seeing classified evidence against them. The White House says talks are ongoing, so we'll likely hear more about this in the days ahead. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: All right, Elaine Quijano, thanks so much, from the White House.
Coming up in about 20 minutes, we'll hear from the mother of one of the heroes of flight 93 which crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. As a former flight attendant, Alice Hoagland has a unique perspective on the industry. Does she think it's any safer? Her answers just might surprise you.
And Monday at 8:00 p.m. eastern, Paula Zahn is live from Ground Zero. Then at 9:00, Wolf Blitzer leads our coverage of the president's prime time address. Immediately following that speech, "LARRY KING LIVE" will air a special show from Ground Zero. And at 10:00 p.m. eastern, Anderson Cooper is live on the ground in Afghanistan with a look at what's really happening there in the war on terror since 9/11.
So what happens when one person's fashion statement becomes another person's politics?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED LAVANDERA: Where are they right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's all the way right here.
LAVANDERA: That's your thighs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
LAVANDERA: Where is your waist?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Waist is up here.
LAVANDERA: How do you walk?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do just like this.
LAVANDERA: Slowly?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Well next on CNN LIVE SATURDAY, a city considers banning those baggies.
And then take a look at this. One of the most popular pieces of video on CNN.com this week, ouch. A reporter under attack. What's the explanation here? That story straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Checking other news across America now. The FDA is fining the American Red Cross $4.2 million. It cited the agency for violating blood safety laws. Among the infractions, not rejecting donors who travel to high risk areas and distributing blood products without proper testing. More on this in the next hour at 5:30 eastern.
In California, an assistant football coach is pleading not guilty to child abuse charges. Corey Petero, is accused of attacking a 13- year-old player from the opposing team after the kid made a late hit on his son. A brawl erupted after the incident there.
Don't keep a lawyer from a free cup of Joe. New York Attorney Peter Sullivan is suing Starbucks for canceling a freebie coupon. The offer was e-mailed to employees last month with instructions to forward. Apparently it got out of control. Sullivan accuses Starbucks of fraud and is seeking a class action lawsuit.
And in Texas, First Lady Laura Bush welcomed a new member into the naval family today. She helped christen the "USS Texas". The fast attack nuclear submarine that is, is the fourth navy ship to carry the lone star state's name.
If a Dallas school board official has his way, city cops will become the fashion police. He's asking the city council to go after people who wear baggy pants, and then expose their underwear to boot. CNN's Ed Lavandera has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been wearing my pants right here.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's hard out here for a guy wearing baggy pants. Some people just don't get the fashion statement.
Where are they right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These pants are all the way right here.
LAVANDERA: That's your thighs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
LAVANDERA: Where is your waist?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My waist is up here.
LAVANDERA: How do you walk?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just like this.
LAVANDERA: Slowly?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
LAVANDERA: Out here wearing them low is called saggin'. To Keith T., it represents where he came from.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's in my blood. My daddy do it. Grandpas. All of them do it.
LAVANDERA: Is it comfortable?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, that's why we do it, it's comfortable. We don't want no tight clothes all up here.
LAVANDERA: But this man says pull them up or pay up. Dallas school board member Ron Price wants people who wear their pants so low that you can see their underwear, to get a ticket for public lewdness.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man you got a belt on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It don't work.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right man.
LAVANDERA: He's asking the Dallas City Council to make it happen. To him, it's about respect.
RON PRICE, DALLAS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER: It's not a cultural thing to walk around with your underwear displayed. It's not even a social problem. It's a mental problem.
LAVANDERA (on camera): For now the Dallas City Council is only looking into the idea. Almost half the council members have said the ban is worth considering, but not all are thrilled by it. Some even said the last thing they want to see is a bunch of street cops turned into the fashion police.
(voice-over): Most legal experts agree legislating taste in fashion has been constitutionally dissed. That's why some people can dress like this at work. So Keith T. says good luck giving him a ticket. You're going to get a ticket for showing off your underwear? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man, we shouldn't get no ticket man, if they give me a ticket man, really, I'm just going to rip it up. To tell you the truth, I'm just going to rip it up and throw it away.
LAVANDERA: But if Dallas does ban baggy pants, the question then becomes how high is too high? Remember Steve Urkel?
Not cool. Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, on a much more serious note, five years after planes slammed into the World Trade Center disturbing questions about airline safety remain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was riveting and horrifying. And it's a day that we're never going to get over, none of us. None of us in the United States and we shouldn't because we still have a lot of work to do to prevent that from happening again.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Next on CNN LIVE SATURDAY, a passionate plea from a former flight attendant who also lost her son on 9/11.
Plus this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, (R) CALIFORNIA: I apologize to her. If she got attended, she and her we joke about all this many, many times.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: In hot water. His comments have been called offensive. Find out what the governor said. And Jacqui?
JERAS: And tropical storm Florence is getting stronger as we speak. Will it become a hurricane? We'll let you know coming up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Henrik Jensen plays big roles in a handful of A list movies, but it's unlikely you have ever seen his face.
HENRIK WANN JENSEN, ASSOC. PROF., UC SAN DIEGO: (INAUDIBLE) for example with "Jurassic Park," we have dinosaurs, something that humans haven't really seen before. So when you see the computer graphics techniques, it's OK if they sort of don't look exactly right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The new technique focuses on a much more difficult task. Animating things we see every day, such as human faces or even glasses of milk. But Jensen's work isn't limited to fantasy work.
JENSEN: The medical industry is the next big frontier, to try to help them with computer science technology and faster methods for precise simulation of the light and how it interacts with skin in order to treat various diseases. That's an area with a lot of potential.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Now in the news, British Prime Minister Tony Blair is in Israel. Sources tell CNN he has new ideas for peace in the region. Details straight ahead.
New details are emerging about a U.S. Air Force Major missing in Kyrgyzstan for three days. The Associated Press is quoting a family member as saying Major Jill Metzger was kidnapped and beaten before being found yesterday. It's unclear if she escaped or was released. U.S. military officials say Metzger is in stable condition. An investigation is currently under way.
The Chicago Tribune reports that its correspondent Paul Salopek has been released from a Sudanese jail. He was detained August 6th on spying charges. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson helped win Salopek's release.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five, three main engines up and burning. Two, one, and liftoff of Space Shuttle Atlantis.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The Space Shuttle Atlantis is soaring in space right now. Today's launch wasn't completely glitch-free, however. Some debris did come off the shuttle several minutes after liftoff. There was also some trouble with a coolant system. But NASA insists neither issue poses a threat to the spacecraft.
Well it's back to business for fishing and cargo ships in Lebanon. Maritime traffic resumed there after Israel lifted its naval blockade yesterday. Israel agreed to end the two-month blockade after international forces began patrolling Lebanon's coast.
And keeping that peace deal on track is on the mind of British Prime Minister Tony Blair as he visits the Middle East. He arrived in Israel today for talks with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Blair is also expected to hold meetings in the Palestinian territories and in Lebanon. Sources tell CNN he'll present a new set of ideas on how to resolve the Arab/Israeli conflict. Blair says it's an issue that affects all nations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The stability of this region also now affects the stability of my country, that we live in a world in which how you fare here, how Israel does, it used to do with Lebanon and Palestine, are issues that also concern how my country fares and that is the same right across the world today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: President Bush reacted to Blair's trip by saying, quote, I understand the prime minister will also be exploring ways to advance the dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians and the two state solution. A democratic Israel and democratic Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. I wish him well in his efforts to promote peace and stability in the region. Those comments from President Bush.
And right now we want to take you straight to NASA for another post launch briefing. Let's listen in.
WAYNE HALE, SHUTTLE PROGRAM MANAGER: ... which is about 2 minutes and 15 seconds after launch. During that time period there's enough energy generated, because you're moving in the lower dense atmosphere, that anything that comes off can be thrown against, potentially against the orbiter, with sufficient kinetic energy to damage the thermal protection system. Things that come off very early in the ascent phase probably don't have that much kinetic energy. We are sometimes worried about things that get blasted off the launch pad, if you add loose material. And so we pay a lot of attention to bolts or nuts or anything that might be loose on the launch pad. We're very careful walk down to make sure there is nothing there that can potentially be thrown up during a launch phase and hit the orbiter or the external tank or any of the other parts of the vehicle. And then after about 2 minutes and 13 seconds, or shortly after solid rocket motor separation, 2 minutes, 15 seconds, we have determined that there just isn't enough air left at those altitudes, you get up above 200,000 feet, there just isn't enough air up there to transport anything that comes off with any velocity that could lead to enough energy to damage the thermal protection system. We do know that some of the foam releases are caused by the little gas bubbles that are trapped underneath the foam in what we call voids or defects. And as that heats up, it pops the foam off with some pop off velocity, a highly technical term. Those pop off velocities can be, you know, five, ten, fifteen feet per second. But those velocities are very low, as opposed to the several hundred feet per second that you get early on for debris that might come loose and get caught in the air stream. So the kinetic energy is the square of the velocity. And that's what causes the damage. What we saw today, what we've seen to date today has been very good. We saw nothing of any consequence or anything that's made the reports before 4 minutes and 7 seconds into the flight. Now, 4 minutes and 7 seconds, they're almost in orbit in terms of altitude. You're approaching or right at about 300,000 feet in altitude. You think about a normal jet airliner flying at 30,000 feet, which is what you get flying from city to city, that's ten times higher. There just isn't any air up there. So anything that comes off that late is of no consequence from the debris standpoint or damage to the thermal protection system standpoint. One of the things that we're learning with these cameras is, among other things, the time of debris release. We have based a lot of our engineering analysis on ET umbilical well photos that show the condition of the tank at separation. I was hopeful to show you those photos on this mission, but unfortunately they haven't come down yet. I'm sure we'll have them by the morning and you'll have them in the morning, but they have not been downlinked by the crew at this time. The crew is getting ready to go to bed or maybe already has gone to bed at this point. So we probably won't have those photos in the next little bit. But all of our analysis about debris losses from the foam come from those E.T. separation photos. That tells you that you had something come off. You don't know when it came off during a launch phase and you don't know if it all came off in one piece.
WHITFIELD: You're listening to NASA's Wayne Hale, saying that despite a few pieces of foam or debris falling off the fuel tank of Atlantis, just minutes, about four minutes after launch, it is unlikely that there was any damage that was incurred. We're going to take a short break. More of CNN LIVE SATURDAY after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Well the National Hurricane Center has come out with a new update on tropical storm Florence. Jacqui Jeras is in the weather center. What is it?
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: Well hard to believe Autumn is in the air right now and many are dreading it. They suffer from seasonal allergies that kick in during the fall months. Our medical expert Dr. Bill Lloyd joins us with information to help you get through another sneezing season. So is Fall season just as potent as the springtime season for those who have allergies?
BILL LLOYD, UNIV. OF CALIF.-DAVIS MED. CTR.: It is, Fredricka. A lot of people think about Springtime and allergies but neglect what happens in the Fall. As the seasons change, we go from a hot dry season to a little more moderate and a little more moist and that means the Ragweed pollen is going to be out there and a lot of mold. That's very different than Springtime, when we think about grasses and flowers as well. There's a lot of mature plants that are beginning to decay as the Fall season approaches. And there's an increase in humidity. All of this combine to make many people miserable in the Fall. They need to think about preparing themselves for a season of sniffles.
WHITFIELD: Wow, so geographically are there certain areas that might be a little bit more potent for allergy sufferers?
LLOYD: They have and they've calculated, Fredricka. A group of allergists has found that Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is the number one Fall allergy territory in this country.
WHITFIELD: Wow, that seems strange, doesn't it?
LLOYD: They added up the amount of pollen and they also included things like the number of Antihistamine prescriptions and the number of allergists in that area. They have a list of the top fifty. Interesting, cities like Atlanta are way down the list at number 29. But even if you live in an urban area, you may be susceptible to Ragweed pollen because it can travel 400 miles from its source to the tip of your nose.
WHITFIELD: Interesting. So are the treatments about the same Fall versus Springtime?
LLOYD: Yes, you need to thing ahead and you need to think about keeping yourself away from that pollen. So stay indoors as much as possible to reduce your exposure to pollen. A neat way to do that is take a shower before bedtime. No soaps or shampoos, just get yourself rinsed off and into bed. Think about your pets. You know those pets are pollen magnets coming inside and outside the house all the time. And Fredricka, you should know about cross-reactivity, people who are sensitive to Ragweed pollens are also sensitive to different kinds of foods, like Melon, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, watermelon and that herbal, that aromatic herbal called Chamomile. If you're sensitive to Ragweed, watch out for these other items as well.
WHITFIELD: Wow, that's really strange that some of these foods might trigger those who have allergies particular to pollens.
LLOYD: We know this about cross-reactivity. For example, people who are allergic to poison ivy, they shouldn't be anywhere near mangoes because the skin of a mango has the same chemical that's in the Poison Ivy. So we know this about Melons and Ragweed as well
WHITFIELD: Wow, good information. Dr. Bill Lloyd, thanks so much.
LLOYD: We'll talk again soon.
WHITFIELD: Nothing to sneeze at.
Well California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is apologizing for a candid conversation caught on tape. Some say it's racially insensitive. On an audio tape he describes a California assembly woman, and close political ally, as having a fiery temperament because of her ethnic background.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: She's either Puerto Rican or, the same thing as Cuban to me. They all are very hot. They have part of the Black blood in them and the part of the Latino blood in them. That together makes it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Schwarzenegger says his remarks were not meant to be offensive but admits he cringed when he read them in the newspaper.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHWARZENEGGER: Anyone out there that feels offended by those comments, I just want to say I'm sorry, I apologize, because that was not the intention. And the fact is that if I would hear those kind of comments in my house by my kids, I would be upset.
BONNIE GARCIA (R), CALIF. STATE ASSEMBLY: Governor, there really is no reason to apologize. I was not offended. I am not mad that he allows me to tell him exactly what I think and what's on the minds of people in my community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Well Garcia tells the "Los Angeles Times," which obtained the audio tape, that she sometimes herself refers to herself as a hot blooded Latina.
Melissa Long is here to give us a preview of what's straight ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY?
MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up in the 5:00 p.m. hour, we're going to talk about that new docu-drama on the ABC network that's causing a lot of drama. The name of it is "The Path to 9/11." We're going to talk about more about why it is causing a lot controversy ahead of the five year anniversary of 9/11.
Also coming up, we're going to talk about the safety of the U.S. blood supply. The Food and Drug Administration has slapped a massive lawsuit on the Red Cross. We're going to talk a little bit more about the reasoning behind that fine.
WHITFIELD: All right, we'll look forward to all that. Thanks a lot Melissa.
Well, it's a kind of story the public seems to love. Reporters getting attacked, but to that extent? For a while this week, this was the most popular video on CNN.com. The story behind the action packed pictures next on CNN's LIVE SATURDAY, sound effects and all.
First, in tonight's Life After Work series, a man turning his focus from politic to possibilities for a very special group of children. Here's Valerie Morris.
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VALERIE MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wilson Goode Senior served two terms as mayor of Philadelphia. In retirement the 68-year-old is now serving children of incarcerated parents and hoping to change the direction of their lives.
WILSON GOODE SR., DIRECTOR, AMACHI: When I learned 70 percent of those children will end up in jail themselves, I knew that I had to do something.
MORRIS: In 2000 Goode earned his doctorate of ministry and became director of Amachi, a faith based organization that has paired 30,000 children with mentors.
GOODE: Christian, Muslim, Jewish, whatever the case may be.
MORRIS: The cause is close to Goode's heart. At age 14 his father went to jail and a local church came to his rescue.
GOODE: My pastor and his wife became, in essence, my big brother and my big sisters, and when my high school counselor said you're not college material, they said you can be whatever you want to be.
MORRIS: Goode is on the job about six days a week, meeting with inmates, congregations and public officials. One of his goals is to secure state funding in all 50 states.
GOODE: I'm at the highest point of my life. I wake up, I look forward to what the day will bring to me.
MORRIS: Valerie Morris, CNN.
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WHITFIELD: By now you may have seen some of the week's most striking video. A reporter viciously attacked in San Diego. But it's not the first time a reporter has gone from covering the story to becoming it. Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the kind of story --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop that (EXPLETIVE DELETED) camera right (EXPLETIVE DELETED) now.
MOOS: -- you can't throw cold water on. First came the morning show teases.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you seen these pictures yet?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stunning attack.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Take a look at this video.
MOOS: Then came the warnings.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of what you are about to see is --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- very graphic.
MOOS: A San Diego investigative reporter doing a follow-up on an alleged real estate scam found himself getting whacked with a plastic water bottle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's not appropriate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't give a (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
MOOS: Whacked by the wife then attacked by her husband.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Call the police.
MOOS: The couple were furious about the reporter's expose on their alleged real estate scheme for which they have not been charged. Another guy joining the fray was there being interviewed about how he'd been allegedly threatened by the husband Sam Suleiman. After about six minutes police arrive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get on the ground. Get on the ground.
MOOS: The husband was on the ground and the banged up reporter ended up on the air, everywhere, describing the attack.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ripping, gouging, scratching and biting me.
MOOS: Reporter John Maddis (ph) of XETV's Fox Six News even got a Tetanus shot while his video shot to the top of CNN.com, more popular than even Paris Hilton's DUI arrest.
(on camera): If you go to a website like YouTube and type in reporter attack, you'll get about a dozen hits. People seem to enjoy seeing us attacked.
(voice-over): Here is the reporter who gets clobbered with a handbag.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Put that on the news.
MOOS: Here is singer Bjork going after a reporter. There's Jon Stewart playing a clip of a then New York City councilman throwing a metal object at a reporter.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A total of six on duty New York police officers called here.
JON STEWART, THE DAILY SHOW: That may be my favorite thing ever.
MOOS: The San Diego incident had some wondering why the cameraman kept shooting rather than jumping in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, Jeanne, if somebody was attacking you, what would you expect me to do?
MOOS (on camera): I would want you to roll until you see the first drop of blood, and then come rescue me.
(voice-over): In other words, roll with the punches.
Jeanne Moos --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop it!
MOOS: CNN --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, bye bye.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Son of a (EXPLETIVE DELETED). MOOS: New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, well members of the former Clinton administration up in arms over an ABC movie about 9/11.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I just want people to tell the truth and not to pretend that it's something it's not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Next, on CNN LIVE SATURDAY, can pressure from the ex- president get ABC to change the script? Melissa Long has that and much more. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, stay with CNN.
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