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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Arrests Made at Wal-Mart Stores; Deadly Day for American Troops in Iraq

Aired October 23, 2003 - 19:00   ET

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

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


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST (voice-over): Our special series, "Conjoined Twins." Tonight, sacrificing one so another may live.

At risk for a heart attack? A revolutionary new test could save your life.

The president back from Asia. Was any progress made in the war on terror?

Cleaning up at Wal-Mart. Why have federal agents arrested hundreds of workers?

Arizona murder mystery: a couple celebrating their anniversary shot dead in the desert.

And Caroline Kennedy: a new book on the last child of Camelot.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: Hey, good evening to you. Thanks for joining us on 360.

We begin tonight with a question: how much did Wal-Mart really know about the people cleaning its stores? That's the question being raised today after federal agents announced the arrest of hundreds of suspected illegal immigrants working on cleaning crews at dozens of Wal-Mart stores.

Jason Carroll reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Immigration officials raided this Wal-Mart store in Shelton, Connecticut early this morning, making four arrests. In all, they targeted 61 stores from 21 states, arresting more than 250 allegedly undocumented workers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone in this country gets due process. So if someone is placed in immigration proceedings, they have a right to higher an immigration attorney and go through due process.

CARROLL: All of the undocumented workers were members of cleaning crews Wal-Mart had hired through a contractor.

TOM WILLIAMS, WAL-MART: We understand that at a number of our stores this morning, early morning hours, third-party cleaning crews that Wal-Mart has in place to clean stores after hours, a number of people were arrested as illegal aliens. When we hired these crews it's understood that everybody is a legal worker.

CARROLL: Federal law enforcement sources tell CNN some Wal-Mart managers allegedly had direct knowledge of immigration violations. A company spokeswoman could not confirm that. Federal sources also tell CNN some information in the government's investigation was gathered through the recording of conversations between store managers and contractor executives. Immigration lawyer Allan Wernick says the government's investigation will come down to who at Wal-Mart knew what and when.

ALLAN WERNICK, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY: I think Wal-Mart is probably going to have a brush, but they are probably not going to be touched by the paint. I think that they have a right to contract out unless they had actual knowledge that the company they were contracting with was hiring undocumented workers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: And what do Wal-Mart's customers have to say about all this? Well, the ones that we talked to say, despite all that's happened, they would come back to Wal-Mart and shop again -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Jason Carroll, thanks very much tonight.

A fast fact for you now about illegal immigration. American Immigration Law Foundation says there are 7.8 million undocumented workers in the U.S. An estimated 4.5 million of them are from Mexico. The remaining 3.3 million come from other countries.

We go on to Iraq now, where it has been another deadly day for American troops and Iraqi civilians. But the bloodshed could have been even worse. CNN's Ben Wedeman is live in Baghdad with the details -- Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Anderson, the first incident, a fatal incident, in fact, took place in Bacuba (ph), which is about 40 miles to the northeast of Baghdad. There, a soldier with the 4th Infantry Division was killed and two wounded when their convoy drove by a roadside bomb around midday Thursday.

The other incident is interesting. Apparently the military south of Baghdad received a tip-off about a car that contained bombs that was driving around in that area. Now military police were able to identify that car. They stopped it. They arrested two men.

One, a third passenger, apparently got away. They subsequently blew up that car. These two men, however, led them to an area that -- well, actually, they first took them to two other bombs they had planted in the area. Then they led them to a third area which apparently was where they were hiding more bombs, more of these roadside bombs, according to the military.

They were in various stages of assembly. They were also able to uncover what appears to be a miniature arsenal of artillery of artillery shells, mortar rounds, small arms and anti-tank missiles. Now, we have recently been hearing from coalition officials that they are increasingly benefiting from the willingness of local people to give them this sort of tip-off that has allowed them to prevent even more attacks on coalition forces -- Anderson.

COOPER: Well, that is certainly some good news right there. Ben Wedeman, thank you very much.

In Madrid, Spain, a lot of pledges and lots of questions at a reconstruction aid conference on Iraq. Secretary of State Colin Powell is leading the U.S. delegation. There he is. But other countries which opposed the war, such as France and Russia, did not send high-level officials. Powell and Iraqi officials urged countries to open their wallets and think of it as an investment.

Billions have been raised, but a lot more are still needed. About $56 billion, as a matter of fact. And questions still remain about how much the wealthy gulf states are going to give. We'll be following that one.

President Bush in Hawaii this evening. A 12-hour stopover as he heads back to Washington after completing his six-nation Pacific Rim tour. Our senior White House correspondent, John King, reports discussions about North Korea, Iraq and the war on terror dominated the trip.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Heading home hoping, convinced the new initiative will advance the North Korean nuclear standoff, and confronted with fresh reminders his world view is controversial, to say the least.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president has the floor. Senator Nettle (ph) is warned. The sergeant will remove Senator Nettle (ph).

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I love free speech.

KING: The heckling came at the final stop in Australia, where Mr. Bush praised a prime minister he calls both ally and friend.

BUSH: Prime Minister John Howard is a leader of exceptional courage.

KING: If there was one constant on the trip, it was how Mr. Bush rewarded those who stand with him with new military and economic support. Like the Philippines' president, Gloria Arroyo, who back the war in Iraq.

Tiny Singapore is sending troops for the postwar effort, as is Thailand. The Bali stop brought Mr. Bush to the front lines of the terror war in Southeast Asia and face to face with Muslim clerisies who perceive the war on terrorism as a war on Islam. Not so says Mr. Bush.

BUSH: Terrorists who claim Islam as their inspiration defile one of the world's great faiths.

KING: The trip's main purpose was to attend the annual Asia- Pacific Economic Summit, where a few leaders complained that Mr. Bush wanted to spend so much time focusing on terrorism and other security issues. Early in his term, Mr. Bush was known to consider such summits largely a waste of time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: But here in Hawaii today, the president said he considered his trip to be a spectacular experience. The White House views the major accomplishment as, in its view, advancing the North Korean nuclear standoff diplomacy. But it was also clear the president faced a major challenge at nearly every stop confronting the perception that he is too willing, too eager perhaps, even, to go to war -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. John King, thanks very much. On your way to a big old luau, it looks like. Thanks very much, John.

All right. Onto an impromptu appearance today in the Pentagon briefing room by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. It came a day after a personal memo from Rumsfeld to his most trusted advisers was leaked to the press. And as the defense secretary actually seemed to revel in the memo's unauthorized release.

In his appearance, he both defended and downplayed the memo. More from CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just what did the secretary mean when he wrote in his now public private memo that Iraq and Afghanistan will be a "long, hard slog?" During a surprise appearance at a Pentagon briefing, Rumsfeld read a definition he liked from the Oxford English Dictionary.

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: "Slog: to hit or strike hard, to drive with blows, to assail violently." And that's precisely what the U.S. has been doing and intends to continue to do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is that what you thought it meant when you wrote it?

RUMSFELD: It's close enough for government work.

MCINTYRE (on camera): (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the American Heritage Dictionary...

RUMSFELD: I've heard a lot of different definitions. I know that. MCINTYRE (on camera): Well this says its preferred definition: to walk or progress with a slow, heavy pace, plod, as in slog across the swamp.

RUMSFELD: Right. I've seen thereat one. I read the one I liked.

MCINTYRE (voice-over): Rumsfeld said the memo, while private, was not classified and he insists its release, however unintended, provides a good framework for discussion.

RUMSFELD: I reread the memo in the paper and thought, not bad.

MCINTYRE: The Pentagon won't investigate the leak, but acknowledged it chagrined a memo to Rumsfeld's four most trusted advisers so quickly ended up on the front page of "USA Today." Rumsfeld's theory, his advisors forwarded the memo to their lower level staff.

RUMSFELD: One of the people it was circulated to obviously thought I'd issued it as a press release. Which I might add, was not the case.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, Jamie McIntyre joins us now. Jamie, why is this memo even a story still? I mean, besides the perhaps surprising tone in is, is there really any actual evidence that what he writes in the memo is at odds with his many public statements?

MCINTYRE: Well, I guess it's news because it's an unvarnished look at how Rumsfeld really views the situation. And while, yes, it's technically true that nothing in the memo contradicts what he said publicly, it is undeniable that the memo is more candid in its tone and its assessment of simply how hard this job is going to be and how much more is to be done.

I mean, they've said consistently it's going to be a long and hard job. But I think critics of Rumsfeld will still find things in here that they can nit-pick about.

COOPER: Well, they always do. All right. Jamie McIntyre, thanks very much.

We are following a number of stories this evening. Let's take a quick look "Cross Country".

Washington, D.C.: more money. The U.S. Senate votes to raise salaries. Not yours, theirs. The House of Representatives did it last month.

How much? A little more than a 2 percent raise. Get this: Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska says, "Don't call it a raise. It's only a cost of living increase."

St. Catherines, Canada: fall guy. Remember him? This guy, the guy that went over Niagara Falls with no protection, save for the clothes on his back and lived?

Kurt Jones (ph), that's his name. He was arrested on charges of illegally performing a stunt. Today, a Canadian judge let him out on bail and said, stay out of Canada, except for court appearances.

Next story "Dateline": the sun. A big solar storm erupted on the sun Wednesday and its effects will reach earth tomorrow. Listen to this. A powerful mass of magnetic material from the sun should hit Earth about 3:00 p.m. Eastern Friday and last 12 to 18 hours.

Not really anything to be alarmed about, but satellites, pagers, cell phones and electrical grids could be affected. So you better call your mom right now.

And that's a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight.

The new test that some day could save your life. Dr. Sanjay Gupta on a medical breakthrough for your heart. You'll want to hear this.

Also tonight, a young couple brutally killed during a weekend getaway. We'll take a closer look at the Arizona camping murders.

And last child of Camelot. Inside the life of Caroline Kennedy.

First, let's take a look "Inside the Box" at the top stories on tonight's network newscasts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: There's news today of what could be a revolutionary development for anyone who might be at risk of a heart attack. A description that fits millions of people annually. A blood test, one that looks for a specific protein, can tell doctors if the patient is in immediate danger.

With us in Atlanta is CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta -- Sanjay.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Anderson. Lots of excitement about this test. You know about a million people or so have a heart attack every year. About half of them, 47 percent to be precise, will die of that.

The scenario is a difficult one oftentimes for doctors in the emergency room. A patient shows up to the emergency room having chest pain. A, are they having a heart attack, B, are they more likely to have a heart attack in the future? These are questions that doctors have struggled with for some time.

Now, there are tests out there. Take a look at some of the numbers. The existing test will give you about a 50 percent accuracy in determining risk of heart attack down the line. With those tests, combined with this new test called MPO, that accuracy actually jumps to about 95 percent.

This is significant, Anderson, because if you can identify those patients early on who are more likely to have a heart attack, you can go ahead and start treatment early and possibly prevent a problem later on down the line. This could be a really important step forward for determining people who might have heart attacks and getting them treated early.

COOPER: Yes. From 50 percent to 95 percent, amazing. How does it work?

GUPTA: Well, it's interesting. And really quick, if you think about the reason people have heart attacks, for a long time the conventional wisdom was that basically you develop these plaques in the blood vessels. And when the plaques become thick enough, they essentially block the flow and choke of the blood supply to your heart.

Well, it's not that easy. Sometimes, even with small plaques, the plaques might actually rupture due to inflammation. And if that rupture occurs, that can cause a blockage of the blood vessel.

So the key is, can you measure this inflammation somehow? And that's where these tests are to come into effect here. This MPO -- the name is not that important, but basically what it does is measures this inflammation and gives you a sense of how likely these plaques are to rupture down the line.

COOPER: All right. Sanjay Gupta, thanks very much.

GUPTA: Thank you, Anderson.

COOPER: Well, if I was a cheesy anchor, I might say call this next story "Terminator Meets Terminated." But I'm not, so I won't.

California Governor-Elect Arnold Schwarzenegger had a face-to- face meeting today with ousted Governor Gray Davis. And from all appearances, it was a surprisingly friendly get-together. National correspondent Frank Buckley has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They ripped each other during the campaign, but Arnold Schwarzenegger said there are no hard feelings between him and Gray Davis now that the campaign is over.

GOVERNOR-ELECT ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: Absolutely not. I have to say that the governor has been very gracious and has been absolutely fantastic not only with his phone call the day of the election. He offered right away his -- to work together with us and to make it a smooth transition.

BUCKLEY: But Davis, who became only the second governor to be recalled in the U.S. in 80 years, sounded wistful about his final days in office.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: Life is like a relay race. And we each run our part of the race as well as we can and then we pass the baton to the next person.

BUCKLEY: The political combatants were so gracious and cordial in their first transition meeting, that later a microphone even picked up Schwarzenegger suggesting a future meeting at a Hollywood hotspot.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Beginning of next week, we'll sit down maybe in Spago's or something like that.

BUCKLEY: Mr. Schwarzenegger goes to Sacramento. It had a movie premiere quality to it. Schwarzenegger followed by cameras and reporters and fans every step of the way. Schwarzenegger also met with legislative leaders during his relationship-building visit, trying to find common ground, no matter how far away it was from Sacramento.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Oh, yes. And then he goes to Austria periodically and has the good wiener schnitzel. And also there are things that we can build on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: All right. Frank Buckley joins us now. Frank, besides the fact that they may end up at Spago's together, I got to tell you, those pictures of Davis and Schwarzenegger looked -- I mean, it looked a little bit uncomfortable. Did it seem as tense in real life?

BUCKLEY: Yes. I was one of the pool reporters in that meeting. I felt that it was an awkward sort of situation.

First of all, the staging of it was so formal it was like a state visit. We all waited. There was a two-minute warning and the whole thing.

On top of that, you had two people who said unkind things about each other throughout the campaign. This was the first time they were meeting face to face. And add to that, like I said, there were reporters like me in the room who might ask an indelicate question.

It all made for sort of just an awkward stiffness that we all felt in that room. But, as you saw after the meeting, it appeared as if they were old chum. And, as you heard, Arnold Schwarzenegger seemed to be inviting Gray Davis out to Spago's next week. So we'll have to wait and see for that.

COOPER: Well, I'm sure once the wiener schnitzel hits the table at Spago's, everything will be hunky-dory. All right. Frank, thanks very much tonight.

We've got a lot of stories around the globe to cover. Let's check the "UpLink."

Madrid, Spain: free on bail. Al-Jazeera's star journalist was released from jail because of health problems. He's the guy on the right. Tasir Aluni's (ph) wife says he suffered a heart attack while covering the war in Iraq. He's accused of belonging to an al Qaeda cell. He's best known for this interview right here with Osama bin Laden shortly after the September 11th attacks.

Iraq: banned U.S. blood. American soldiers coming home will be able to do a lot of things, but giving blood is not one of them, at least for a year. Military and U.S. health officials say they want to prevent the spread of a rare skin parasite found in some soldiers. There are no known cases in the U.S., and they want to keep it that way.

Manilla: the Philippines unveiling a beauty. There she is, Miss Afghanistan. That's right. You heard me right.

For the first time in 30 years, the country will send a contestant to the worldwide Miss Earth beauty competition next month. Miss Earth? The swimsuit, well, there -- you can judge for yourself.

That is tonight's "UpLink."

Well, in tonight's "Terror Watch," a look back at a devastating terrorist attack. Today marks the 20th anniversary of the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, Lebanon. It was a quiet and somber memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.

On this day in 1983, a man driving a truck loaded with explosives rammed into the barracks in Beirut killing 241 American Marines and U.S. service members.

An almost simultaneous blast on the French compound nearby killed 58 French soldiers just seven minutes earlier. Both American and French peacekeepers withdrew from Lebanon a few months later.

U.S. Officials are still hunting for the alleged mastermind of those attacks. And they believe that the man is Imad Mugniyah (ph), a Lebanese Hezbollah operative with backing from Iran. The FBI considers him to be one of the most wanted terrorists still out there.

Well, life and death choices, part of our weeklong series on conjoined twins. Meet one family who suffered the ultimate loss by separating their kids.

Also tonight: millionaire murder trial. He dressed like a woman, lived bike a pauper. This gets weirder and weirder. Now Robert Durst is taking the stand in his own defense.

And a little later, Britney Spears. We hope she's not making out with Madonna again. It is this week's overkill story.

First, today's buzz. What story do you think has been overkill, the Niagara Falls jumper, Britney Spears and Madonna, or Liza Minnelli and David Gest? Vote now: cnn.com/360. Overkill results at the end of the show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COOPER: Well, the media focuses a lot on conjoined twins and separation surgery, but often overlook the difficult decisions those surgeries may require. You are about to meet some parents who had to face an absolutely heartbreaking decision, whether to save one twin, knowing if they did, the other twin would die.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): It was a case that captivated England. A collision of science, law and religious belief.

In 2000, Gracie and Rosie Attard were born attached at the pelvis and abdomen. Gracie's heart and lungs were normal. Rosie was much weaker. The two shared a blood supply, but Gracie's heart pumped for both children. The dilemma was clear.

If they weren't separated, both twins would die. If they were separated, Rosie would die. The Attards, staunch Catholics, said the twins were in god's hands. Their decision, no separation.

But doctors referred the matter to British courts and the law decided Gracie had a right to live. The operation took 20 hours. Rosie died. Gracie survived.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is a bit healthier. Her condition, it's good, and we anticipate that she'll be able to lead a full and normal life.

COOPER: Gracie is now three, but the Attards say the joy of raising her doesn't erase the pain or the memory of a daughter lost so that one might live.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: An impossible choice. Few parents anywhere really can understand the dilemma that the Attards faced.

Earlier, I spoke with a couple who can, though, Shawn (ph) and Mary Nolan of Brisbane Australia, who made the decision to separate their conjoined twins, Alyssa and Bethany, joined at the head. They knew it would mean that Bethany had to die for Alyssa to survive. And that is exactly what happened.

I began by asking Mary how difficult it was to make the decision to separate the twins.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY NOLAN, MOTHER: It had gotten to the point where the medical team had said to us that Beth was very, very ill and they didn't think that she would survive another 24 hours. And that if she passed away, then we'd lose Alyssa as well. And so the decision was then whether to try and operate with very high risks and have a chance of having both the girls survive the surgery or to sit back and watch them die. And I think, as with any parent, you always take the option that gives them a chance. COOPER: Shawn (ph), how much time did you have to make the decision to give the go-ahead?

SHAWN NOLAN, FATHER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And in the end it came down to one Friday night, I guess.

COOPER: Mary, if you can, take us back to that Friday night. What went through your mind? What went through your heart?

M. NOLAN: You always hope, even though we knew that there wasn't a lot of hope. But, yes, it was pretty heartbreaking. That night, once we made the decision to go ahead with the surgery, I sat by the girls' beds all night. I didn't sleep. I didn't move.

I just -- I guess, sat with them and looked at them, and there's always the hope that tomorrow will bring something good. But a lot of fear, a lot of nervousness, sadness. And more than anything, I think a lot of prayer and just hoping that tomorrow would give us some kind of good result. But it's the hardest thing I think any parent can do spending that one night knowing the next morning it was more than impossible that I would have no daughters left at all.

COOPER: Mary, what are you going to tell Alyssa when she's older?

M. NOLAN: Everything, I guess. I will -- obviously, Beth is still a major part of our lives and will be of Alyssa's life for as long as she survives. So we will tell her about the conditions of her birth and that she had a very, very special twin who -- I hate to use the word sacrifice -- who, you know, was a very integral part of Alyssa's survival, I guess.

COOPER: And Shawn (ph), now how is Alyssa doing?

S. NOLAN: She's doing extremely well. We're very happy with her. We're pretty biased, of course, but she's a good little girl. She's a very tough, strong-minded little girl.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And a beautiful little girl at that. Our series on conjoined twins is going to continue tomorrow. The conclusion with a focus on doctors, how separation surgery has gone too far.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Arizona: murder mystery. Police search for a killer in the desert.

And heiress to a legacy of power, wealth and tragedy. An inside look at the life of Caroline Kennedy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COOPER: "The Reset" a look at tonight's top stories. Here it is. Across the U.S., Wal-Mart arrests. Federal officials say they have arrested about 250 illegal immigrants working on cleaning crews at Wal-Mart stores in 21 states. Wal-Mart, which says the crews are employed by independent contractors, denies knowing about any illegal workers.

Washington, D.C. -- Cuba. The U.S. Senate went on record today against the 40-year-old ban on travel to Cuba. Following the lead of the House, the Senate approved a bill barring the use of government money to enforce the ban. President Bush supports the Cuba travel ban and has vowed to veto any legislation that weakens it.

Washington, D.C. environmental suit. Twelves states, including California and New York, went to court today in a bid to force the federal government to regulate emissions of greenhouse gases. The states are hoping to reverse a decision by the EPA, which recently declared it doesn't have the authority.

Paris, France, photogs on trial. Three photographers are to go on trial in Paris tomorrow for taking pictures after the car wreck that killed Britain's Princess Diana and her companion, Dodi al-Fayed. The photographers are accused of invasion of privacy.

New York City: end of an era. The last Concorde flight from London to New York landed at Kennedy Airport late this afternoon. Once touted as the future of commercial aviation, the supersonic jet is being retired. Tomorrow the final flight back to London will carry only invited guests. And we imagine very rich ones at that. That's "The Reset."

Now a story about two young lovers marking a milestone in their relationship in a special way, or so they thought. Then someone did them a terrible harm. Gary Tuchman reports on a crime in Arizona that has devastated two families.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lisa Gurrieri and Brandon Rumbaugh were celebrating the first anniversary as a couple. They returned to the spot of their first date, a parking area near a campground in Yavapai County, Arizona, north of Phoenix. They went to sleep in the back of Lisa's mother's pickup truck and then something terrible happened.

LT. ATENE FRANCIS, YAVAPAI COUNTY SHERRIF'S OFFICE: We believe that it was a random act. There was a crazy person running around, not necessarily can we rule it out? Not necessarily.

TUCHMAN: 19-year-old Lisa and 20-year-old Brandon were each shot several times in the head while in sleeping bags. Police have some leads in the double homicide, but nothing solid. No tire tracks or shell casings were found.

FRANCIS: My hope is the witnesses that may not know they were witnesses would step forward, because those are the folks we need to talk to. And that's ultimately how the case will be solved.

TUCHMAN: Brandon Rumbaugh worked as an instructor at a fitness club. His co-workers were concerned when he didn't come to work the morning after he went out with his girlfriend.

CHRIS GREENEY, FITNESS CENTER COLLEAGUE: The emotional ties with his cust -- with his clients are extremely high and they are definitely broken up and having a hard time dealing with the fact that they worked with him just a week ago and now he's gone.

TUCHMAN: But, of course, nobody is having a harder time than the two mourning families.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's always tough with any case like this, but especially when you look at somebody, 19, 20 years old, just literally starting their lives. It's very difficult.

TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, this case brings us to Galveston, Texas and the continuing trial of Robert Durst the eccentric, to say the lease, New York millionaire and real estate heir on trial for killing and dismembering his neighbor. Today he told his side of the story. Ed Lavandera has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORREPSONDENT: This is the defense account. Robert Durst walks into his apartment and sees his angry neighbor sitting in the living room. Durst had recently told Morris Black he was no longer welcome in his apartment. Durst becomes worried so he tries to find a gun hidden in the kitchen stove. But Black had already found it. Both men struggle for the gun as they fall to the ground. Morris Black is shot in the face.

That's the defense story, an accidental shooting in self-defense. Durst's lawyers created this animation to convince the jury of their case, but the jury won't get to see it. The judge said this animation is not admissible evidence. So Durst and his attorney re- create in the courtroom the struggle that led to the 71-year-old's death.

But prosecutors say that doesn't explain why Durst cut up Black's body and dumped the pieces in Galveston Bay. Durst says the reason was, he didn't think anyone would believe his story, that he'd come to Galveston disguised as a woman to get away from prosecutors who think he might be responsible for the disappearance of his first wife.

He thought the only way to handle the situation was to make Morris Black disappear. Durst says he wasn't strong enough to carry the body, Durst says he cut it into pieces.

(on camera): Durst has spent a day and a half answering questions from his own attorney. It's now the prosecution's turn, but we'll have to wait until next Monday to see how he handles those questions. Ed Lavandera, CNN, Galveston, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: For more on this high-profile case and what to make of Robert Durst's testimony, we are join by Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom. Lisa, good to see you.

You know, he is basically painting a picture of self-defense. What keeps hitting my mind is he cut the guy up. How do you get over that?

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Yes, a little detail he's got to get around. Well, the story is a plausible story as far as it goes. And that animation really re-creates and explains his side of the story.

COOPER: The animation is a little downright creepy.

BLOOM: It's a little bit like "The Sims," the computer game, "The Sims." But we see these defense animations more and more frequently in court. We saw it in the Michael Peterson case recently where it was let in. This judge said, no, it wouldn't come in, because it wasn't consistent with Durst's own testimony in court. Durst couldn't remember parts of the fight and the judge said it was unfair for the defense to bring it in.

COOPER: Did he explain, though, on the stand today about the cutting up part. Or was it all just about the shooting part?

BLOOM: Well, funny you should ask. Now, these are only friendly questions from his lawyer on direct. And he did talk about the cutting up part, as you put it so eloquently. On cross-examination, I'm sure, we'll hear at least an hour about it.

But what he said was, he cut Morris Black in half. His attorney then essentially asked him a leading question and said, you cut him up, yes, yes, and they moved on. And that was the entire discussion.

COOPER: I wasn't probing for gory details of how the cuts were made. I was more interested in -- did he describe why did he cut this -- if it was self-defense, why cut up this person?

BLOOM: Exactly, and no, he didn't except that he had panicked. Now, Durst's back story is that he was already running from the law. That the Westchester County D.A. was looking for him in connection with his wife's murder many years ago. His female best friend had also been murdered recently and there are allegations about him being connected with that.

That's why he donned the wig and women's clothes in the first place. Now he's got three alleged murders, possibly, in his background. He's on the run. He says essentially he panicked and that's why he dismembered the victim.

COOPER: It's a fascinating case. We're going to keep following it. Lisa Bloom, thanks very much.

BLOOM: Thanks, Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Oops, they are doing it again. Oh, no, no, please not this story. Britney Spears. We're not going to show the kiss, but it's this week's overkill. You'll see why.

And a little bit later on, the last child of Camelot, Caroline Kennedy, from a tragic loss to a story of survival. A new book is out. We'll take a closer look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Always good to get your e-mails.

All right. I've been accused of talking a little too fast, ripping through the headlines. You're about to meet the fastest- talking kid around. He really does have a motormouth. He joins me live. I'll put him to the test in just a moment.

But firs, a couple of things to cover.

Overkill. Our weekly look at the story we think the media, including us, have gluttonously gorged on, leaving us all a little queasy.

Tonight, overkill? Thy name is Britney.

When you've started a comeback, you don't want people yelling go back. But that's what happening to Britney Spears. Astute scholars of overkill can pinpoint the precise moment, right here. We're so sick of it, we're not going to show you the moment. But the MTV kiss was supposed to kickstart a new shocking era of Britney badness. It had all the spontaneity of a sea sponge.

Since then, she's been promoting her new single by not kissing. Did you see her on last week's "Saturday Night Live"? Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HALLE BERRY, ACTRESS: It's not that we mind kissing, right?

BRITNEY SPEARS, ENTERTAINER: No. No. Not at all.

BERRY: But, you know, if we do, you know what the cover of "Us Weekly" would look like, don't you?

SPEARS: Yes. You know, and, you know, let's not do that. Not yet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Close your eyes.

And then this week a new video with mama Madonna. It was going to be shocking, they warned, and it was anything but.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) (MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: All right. That's enough of it. It's too much blonde ambition.

The bad news Britney Spears' new album isn't out for a couple more weeks. So there is probably plenty more B.S. -- that's Britney Spears overkill still to come.

And that brings us to tonight's "Buss" question. Which story do you think has been overkill? The Niagara Falls jumper, Britney and Madonna kissing, or Liza Minnelli and David Gest? You can vote now at cnn.com/360.

All right. I'm getting -- I'm starting to talk a little bit fast here.

A moment of true candor. And folks, that's not something you get everyday from an anchor.

I've been told by viewers, co-workers, cab drivers, even my mom that I speak a little too quickly. So, in an effort to put my fast- talking ways into some perspective for all of you, we're joined now by 12-year-old Brett Otis. He's the grand prize winner of Hasbro's fast- talking contest.

You can him the grand champ of American Motormouth.

Brett, thanks for being with us.

BRET OTIS, MOTORMOUTH CHAMPION: Hi.

COOPER: So you won this contest by speaking really fast.

OTIS: Yes, I did.

COOPER: Do you always -- have you always speak -- spoken fast?

OTIS: Well, sometimes when I'm excited I speak fast and my mom tells me to slow down and who would have ever thought I would win a contest with speaking fast?

COOPER: Well, yes, and you won some money. And I think you're going to put it toward some college education.

OTIS: Yes. Yes, I am.

COOPER: We're going to have you read some of the Gettysburg Address.

OTIS: OK.

COOPER: See how fast you can read.

OTIS: OK.

COOPER: Go to it.

OTIS: Fourscore and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated a proposition that all men are created equal. We are engaged in a great Civil War testing which nation or any nation conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in a great battlefield of war, that we have come to dedicate a portion of that final resting place for those who gave their lives and a nation might live.

It is altogether fitting (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, cannot consecrate -- we cannot hallow this ground into the brave men (ph). The living and dead, whose struggle here consecrated above our (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to add and detract.

COOPER: Whoo! That was excellent. That was great. Congratulations.

OTIS: Thank you. Thank you very much.

COOPER: You won the contest. You won like $5,000, right?

OTIS: Yes, I did. Yes.

COOPER: What are you going to do with it?

OTIS: Save it for college.

COOPER: Save it for college?

OTIS: Take a little out of it.

COOPER: A little bit?

OTIS: Yes.

COOPER: What your going to buy with that?

OTIS: I don't know yet.

COOPER: Well, I bet you can buy a lot with it.

OTIS: Yes.

COOPER: Congratulations.

OTIS: Thank you very much.

COOPER: All right. Good luck to you. And see, you can talk fast. You can become an anchor like me someday.

OTIS: Yes. Maybe.

COOPER: Yes. Maybe. It's not really something to aspire to. Thanks a lot, Brett.

All right. Time to dip into -- dip our toes, if you will, into the pop culture "Current."

Clay Aiken sticks it to the music industry snobs who says he's hopelessly square. Square? Hah! Do squares have a No. 1 album? Yes, apparently. His CD, "Measure of a Man," has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Do you like -- do you like the Clay Aiken there, Brett?

OTIS: Not really.

COOPER: Yes, not really. All right.

We'll there be an American Idol rematch? We'll see. Ruben Studdard's CD is due out next month.

Makeover madness has now affected paper towels. The Brawny guy has been, well, softened. Look at the difference. Old Brawny guy -- rugged outdoorsy dude with that mustache. New Brawny guy -- well, he's still got the plaid shirt. But he's darn near metrosexual. I think he's -- I think he's got product in his hair. Is no one safe from those Queer Eye guys?

Speaking of comparisons, is it just us or the guy who went over Niagara Falls a dead ringer for puzzling porn star Ron Jeremy? Yes, this is the second night in a row we've mentioned Ron Jeremy. But come on. The resemblance is striking. And considering what Jeremy will do for attention, we wouldn't put it passed him.

Don't worry, Brett. In a couple of years, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

Finally, a story from our gangsta file, except the gangsta here is Freddie, a cocker spaniel thrown in the doggie clink for aggravated barking. He did hard time in cell B-3 of a Florida shelter -- oh -- for nearly a week -- ohhhh -- after allegedly stalking and harassing a seeing eye dog. He was bailed out by an animal rescue group, now is rumored to be shopping a rap album produced by Dr. Dre. I don't think that's true, but he is out and safe and sound.

And that is "The Current" for tonight.

Still to come this evening, different revelations. New images from one of America's most provocative photographers, including someone who might look a bit familiar. I'll explain that.

And also, a revealing look at the last child of Camelot. The author of a new book on Caroline Kennedy will be here.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, John F. Kennedy Jr. said this at the wedding of his sister in the 1980's. Quote -- "All of our lives it's just been the three of us -- my mother, Caroline and me."

Well, now it is Caroline alone who's left with the legacy of an era that burned bright and ended in tragedy.

Caroline Kennedy is the focus of a new book called "Sweet Caroline: Last Child Of Camelot" by Christopher Anderson, a revealing and unauthorized biography of a very private woman. And he joins us now.

Christopher, thanks for being with us.

CHRISTOPHER ANDERSEN, AUTHOR, "SWEET CAROLINE": Great to be here.

COOPER: You've written a lot about the Kennedys. Why focus on Caroline. I mean, she has lived such a private life, in many ways.

ANDERSEN: Well, what's amazing is here we're approaching the 40th anniversary of the assassination of her father and millions of words have been written about the other Kennedys -- her grandparents, her great-grandparents, her parents, her uncles, her cousins. And nobody's written a comprehensive book about Caroline. And, in my opinion, after having written so much about the family, hers is really the most heartbreaking and, at the same time, inspiring story.

COOPER: Her relationship with John is a big focus of the book.

ANDERSEN: Yes.

COOPER: And they were extraordinarily close.

ANDERSEN: The only two people who could know what it was like to be in their shoes, you know? And I think a lot of people felt -- when John perished in that plane crash that, you know, she would retreat. I mean, I thought so, because she was essentially a private person.

But she took the opposite tact (ph). You know, she said, relatively recently, I've come to believe more strongly that people really do live on through those who love them. So she's become the keeper of the flame, and taken on her mother's causes, her brother's causes and now even, you know, the New York City school system, raising money for them.

COOPER: It is an unauthorized biography.

ANDERSEN: Yes.

COOPER: And in some of the quotes -- I mean, you write that Caroline had an almost psychic feeling that her brother was dead after news of the plane crash saying -- quote -- that you said -- you quote her as saying, "I should feel him, but I don't."

I mean, you didn't interview her. How do you know these things?

ANDERSEN: She said that to a number of people. Her long-time housekeeper and close family friend and other people. She knew early on, even though the search was going on, that he was gone. Initially she, I mean, a number of people told me that she blamed the more risky machismo risk taking Kennedy's.

COOPER: She worried about him a lot.

ANDERSEN: She didn't like that he was being pushed into taking the chances he took. But she really took a page from her mother's life and decided to behave with a tremendous dignity. I mean, you never saw her lose her composure during John's funeral.

COOPER: Her relationship with her father, very close.

ANDERSEN: Very close. No one thought he'd be a terrific parent. Jackie had already suffered two miscarriages and a stillbirth. He didn't seem that interested in being a father. All of a sudden he became a tremendous father. He called Caroline "Buttons." That was his nick name for her. And they were very, very close. And when he died...

COOPER: That's sort of forgotten in the history. Because everyone remembers the image of John saluting at the funeral.

ANDERSEN: Funny thing is I remember distinctly the focus at the time, prior to that salute, was really on Caroline. I mean, she was the star. She was the biggest thing since Shirley Temple in this country. I mean, there were Caroline dolls and stories and books. And she had her pony macaroni that she rode around on the White House grounds and that's why it makes this particularly touching.

COOPER: What did you learn the most?

What did you learn about her in writing about this that you didn't know.

ANDERSEN: So much. For example the many brushes with death she's had and the many times she has come close to losing her life. I mean, there was one incident which was only 10-years-old where this would-be suicide bomber was outside the Palm Beach mansion of the Kennedy's. Her father was president-elect at the time and this fellow put on -- had dynamite in the car and was about to put his foot on the accelerator and saw Caroline and just to undone by it. So he decided not to go through with the plan. And today is the 28th anniversary of the day that she was almost killed by an IRA bomb that went off outside the...

COOPER: She was spending time in England.

The book is "Sweet Caroline: Last Child of Camelot." Christopher Anderson, thank you very much.

ANDERSEN: Thank you very much.

COOPER: All right. Normal Mailer (ph) once said giving a camera to Diane Arbus is like giving a hand grenade to a baby. Explosive, provocative, controversial, all the words certainly apply. This Saturday, almost 30 years since the last major exhibition of her work, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art opens a full-scale retrospective and a new book, "Revelations" has been published with her well-known images and and some never before published shots which you are about to see. Look closely.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): The images are startling. Child with a toy hand grenade. The Jewish giant. A very young baby. Diane Arbus said her favorite thing was to go where she'd never been. She didn't travel far away. She traveled deep within. Capturing moments, intimate, curious, controversial. Her fascination with the bizarre made her the target of critics. Some called her work exploit exploitative, grotesque, to Arbus, it was anything but. Freaks, she wrote, "Are born with their trauma. They've already passed it. They are aristocrats." Arbus was born in New York City in 1923, the daughter of a wealthy department store owner. She married Allan Arbus who gave her a camera.

But it wasn't until 1957 when their marriage dissolved that her career took off. The work elated her, but she was plagued with periods of deep depression. Look closely at her photos, and you may catch a glimpse of the artist herself. The highs and lows, somewhere here in the subtle expressions of identical twins. Diane Arbus committed suicide one summer evening in 1971. She was 48-years-old. She ended her life, but in that life, she never once averted her eyes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: You might have noticed a shot of a baby in that piece, someone who perhaps looks a little familiar. That's a shot of the baby and here's a revelation about me. I am actually the baby in that photograph. I look a little differently now. But Diane Arbus stayed at our house a little bit and photographed me. That's me at a very young age. All right.

Coming up next, forgiveness to the "Nth Degree." A son who lost his dad and what he said to the woman responsible.

Plus, tomorrow, a series on conjoined twins continues with the explosive question, who has the right to decide whether twins should or should not be separated.

And today's "Buzz", which story do you think has been overkilled? The Niagara Falls, Britney Spears or Liza Minnella and David Gest. A burning question. Vote now at cnn.com/360. The results in a couple of seconds, still some time. Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: All right, time for the "Buzz." We asked you, which story do you think has been overkilled? 12 percent of you said the Niagara Falls story, 69 percent Britney and Madonna, and Liza and David Gest pulled in 20 percent of the vote. Certainly not scientific. Just viewer "Buzz."

No more Britney. Finally tonight, forgiveness to the "Nth Degree." It was a notorious crime two years ago. One of those terrible stories people talked about. The windshield murder case. A woman in Texas hit a man and left him to die in her garage while he was impaled in her windshield. She went to prison for murder.

Could you forgive someone who did that to someone you loved?

Brandon Biggs did. It was his father who died. Here's what he said after the women's conviction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRANDON BIGGS: We'd like to offer our forgiveness and sympathies to Chante Mallard and our sympathies to Mallard Family. Thank you guys.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: His words caught the attention of Catholic group called compassion that works with death row inmates. The group and the inmates raised money for $10,000 scholarship and gave it to the 20- year-old seminary student yesterday. We should also add that compassion opposes the death penalty, though they didn't ask Biggs where he stood on the issue, and he didn't say. But no matter how you feel about the death penalty, it's hard to marvel at someone who could go through so much could find it in himself to forgive. Biggs, put it this way, if love is what makes the world go round, compassion makes it sincere. And that ends our program for tonight. Thanks for joining us.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Troops in Iraq>


Aired October 23, 2003 - 19:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST (voice-over): Our special series, "Conjoined Twins." Tonight, sacrificing one so another may live.

At risk for a heart attack? A revolutionary new test could save your life.

The president back from Asia. Was any progress made in the war on terror?

Cleaning up at Wal-Mart. Why have federal agents arrested hundreds of workers?

Arizona murder mystery: a couple celebrating their anniversary shot dead in the desert.

And Caroline Kennedy: a new book on the last child of Camelot.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COOPER: Hey, good evening to you. Thanks for joining us on 360.

We begin tonight with a question: how much did Wal-Mart really know about the people cleaning its stores? That's the question being raised today after federal agents announced the arrest of hundreds of suspected illegal immigrants working on cleaning crews at dozens of Wal-Mart stores.

Jason Carroll reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Immigration officials raided this Wal-Mart store in Shelton, Connecticut early this morning, making four arrests. In all, they targeted 61 stores from 21 states, arresting more than 250 allegedly undocumented workers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone in this country gets due process. So if someone is placed in immigration proceedings, they have a right to higher an immigration attorney and go through due process.

CARROLL: All of the undocumented workers were members of cleaning crews Wal-Mart had hired through a contractor.

TOM WILLIAMS, WAL-MART: We understand that at a number of our stores this morning, early morning hours, third-party cleaning crews that Wal-Mart has in place to clean stores after hours, a number of people were arrested as illegal aliens. When we hired these crews it's understood that everybody is a legal worker.

CARROLL: Federal law enforcement sources tell CNN some Wal-Mart managers allegedly had direct knowledge of immigration violations. A company spokeswoman could not confirm that. Federal sources also tell CNN some information in the government's investigation was gathered through the recording of conversations between store managers and contractor executives. Immigration lawyer Allan Wernick says the government's investigation will come down to who at Wal-Mart knew what and when.

ALLAN WERNICK, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY: I think Wal-Mart is probably going to have a brush, but they are probably not going to be touched by the paint. I think that they have a right to contract out unless they had actual knowledge that the company they were contracting with was hiring undocumented workers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: And what do Wal-Mart's customers have to say about all this? Well, the ones that we talked to say, despite all that's happened, they would come back to Wal-Mart and shop again -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Jason Carroll, thanks very much tonight.

A fast fact for you now about illegal immigration. American Immigration Law Foundation says there are 7.8 million undocumented workers in the U.S. An estimated 4.5 million of them are from Mexico. The remaining 3.3 million come from other countries.

We go on to Iraq now, where it has been another deadly day for American troops and Iraqi civilians. But the bloodshed could have been even worse. CNN's Ben Wedeman is live in Baghdad with the details -- Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Anderson, the first incident, a fatal incident, in fact, took place in Bacuba (ph), which is about 40 miles to the northeast of Baghdad. There, a soldier with the 4th Infantry Division was killed and two wounded when their convoy drove by a roadside bomb around midday Thursday.

The other incident is interesting. Apparently the military south of Baghdad received a tip-off about a car that contained bombs that was driving around in that area. Now military police were able to identify that car. They stopped it. They arrested two men.

One, a third passenger, apparently got away. They subsequently blew up that car. These two men, however, led them to an area that -- well, actually, they first took them to two other bombs they had planted in the area. Then they led them to a third area which apparently was where they were hiding more bombs, more of these roadside bombs, according to the military.

They were in various stages of assembly. They were also able to uncover what appears to be a miniature arsenal of artillery of artillery shells, mortar rounds, small arms and anti-tank missiles. Now, we have recently been hearing from coalition officials that they are increasingly benefiting from the willingness of local people to give them this sort of tip-off that has allowed them to prevent even more attacks on coalition forces -- Anderson.

COOPER: Well, that is certainly some good news right there. Ben Wedeman, thank you very much.

In Madrid, Spain, a lot of pledges and lots of questions at a reconstruction aid conference on Iraq. Secretary of State Colin Powell is leading the U.S. delegation. There he is. But other countries which opposed the war, such as France and Russia, did not send high-level officials. Powell and Iraqi officials urged countries to open their wallets and think of it as an investment.

Billions have been raised, but a lot more are still needed. About $56 billion, as a matter of fact. And questions still remain about how much the wealthy gulf states are going to give. We'll be following that one.

President Bush in Hawaii this evening. A 12-hour stopover as he heads back to Washington after completing his six-nation Pacific Rim tour. Our senior White House correspondent, John King, reports discussions about North Korea, Iraq and the war on terror dominated the trip.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Heading home hoping, convinced the new initiative will advance the North Korean nuclear standoff, and confronted with fresh reminders his world view is controversial, to say the least.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president has the floor. Senator Nettle (ph) is warned. The sergeant will remove Senator Nettle (ph).

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I love free speech.

KING: The heckling came at the final stop in Australia, where Mr. Bush praised a prime minister he calls both ally and friend.

BUSH: Prime Minister John Howard is a leader of exceptional courage.

KING: If there was one constant on the trip, it was how Mr. Bush rewarded those who stand with him with new military and economic support. Like the Philippines' president, Gloria Arroyo, who back the war in Iraq.

Tiny Singapore is sending troops for the postwar effort, as is Thailand. The Bali stop brought Mr. Bush to the front lines of the terror war in Southeast Asia and face to face with Muslim clerisies who perceive the war on terrorism as a war on Islam. Not so says Mr. Bush.

BUSH: Terrorists who claim Islam as their inspiration defile one of the world's great faiths.

KING: The trip's main purpose was to attend the annual Asia- Pacific Economic Summit, where a few leaders complained that Mr. Bush wanted to spend so much time focusing on terrorism and other security issues. Early in his term, Mr. Bush was known to consider such summits largely a waste of time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: But here in Hawaii today, the president said he considered his trip to be a spectacular experience. The White House views the major accomplishment as, in its view, advancing the North Korean nuclear standoff diplomacy. But it was also clear the president faced a major challenge at nearly every stop confronting the perception that he is too willing, too eager perhaps, even, to go to war -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right. John King, thanks very much. On your way to a big old luau, it looks like. Thanks very much, John.

All right. Onto an impromptu appearance today in the Pentagon briefing room by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. It came a day after a personal memo from Rumsfeld to his most trusted advisers was leaked to the press. And as the defense secretary actually seemed to revel in the memo's unauthorized release.

In his appearance, he both defended and downplayed the memo. More from CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just what did the secretary mean when he wrote in his now public private memo that Iraq and Afghanistan will be a "long, hard slog?" During a surprise appearance at a Pentagon briefing, Rumsfeld read a definition he liked from the Oxford English Dictionary.

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: "Slog: to hit or strike hard, to drive with blows, to assail violently." And that's precisely what the U.S. has been doing and intends to continue to do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is that what you thought it meant when you wrote it?

RUMSFELD: It's close enough for government work.

MCINTYRE (on camera): (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the American Heritage Dictionary...

RUMSFELD: I've heard a lot of different definitions. I know that. MCINTYRE (on camera): Well this says its preferred definition: to walk or progress with a slow, heavy pace, plod, as in slog across the swamp.

RUMSFELD: Right. I've seen thereat one. I read the one I liked.

MCINTYRE (voice-over): Rumsfeld said the memo, while private, was not classified and he insists its release, however unintended, provides a good framework for discussion.

RUMSFELD: I reread the memo in the paper and thought, not bad.

MCINTYRE: The Pentagon won't investigate the leak, but acknowledged it chagrined a memo to Rumsfeld's four most trusted advisers so quickly ended up on the front page of "USA Today." Rumsfeld's theory, his advisors forwarded the memo to their lower level staff.

RUMSFELD: One of the people it was circulated to obviously thought I'd issued it as a press release. Which I might add, was not the case.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, Jamie McIntyre joins us now. Jamie, why is this memo even a story still? I mean, besides the perhaps surprising tone in is, is there really any actual evidence that what he writes in the memo is at odds with his many public statements?

MCINTYRE: Well, I guess it's news because it's an unvarnished look at how Rumsfeld really views the situation. And while, yes, it's technically true that nothing in the memo contradicts what he said publicly, it is undeniable that the memo is more candid in its tone and its assessment of simply how hard this job is going to be and how much more is to be done.

I mean, they've said consistently it's going to be a long and hard job. But I think critics of Rumsfeld will still find things in here that they can nit-pick about.

COOPER: Well, they always do. All right. Jamie McIntyre, thanks very much.

We are following a number of stories this evening. Let's take a quick look "Cross Country".

Washington, D.C.: more money. The U.S. Senate votes to raise salaries. Not yours, theirs. The House of Representatives did it last month.

How much? A little more than a 2 percent raise. Get this: Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska says, "Don't call it a raise. It's only a cost of living increase."

St. Catherines, Canada: fall guy. Remember him? This guy, the guy that went over Niagara Falls with no protection, save for the clothes on his back and lived?

Kurt Jones (ph), that's his name. He was arrested on charges of illegally performing a stunt. Today, a Canadian judge let him out on bail and said, stay out of Canada, except for court appearances.

Next story "Dateline": the sun. A big solar storm erupted on the sun Wednesday and its effects will reach earth tomorrow. Listen to this. A powerful mass of magnetic material from the sun should hit Earth about 3:00 p.m. Eastern Friday and last 12 to 18 hours.

Not really anything to be alarmed about, but satellites, pagers, cell phones and electrical grids could be affected. So you better call your mom right now.

And that's a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight.

The new test that some day could save your life. Dr. Sanjay Gupta on a medical breakthrough for your heart. You'll want to hear this.

Also tonight, a young couple brutally killed during a weekend getaway. We'll take a closer look at the Arizona camping murders.

And last child of Camelot. Inside the life of Caroline Kennedy.

First, let's take a look "Inside the Box" at the top stories on tonight's network newscasts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: There's news today of what could be a revolutionary development for anyone who might be at risk of a heart attack. A description that fits millions of people annually. A blood test, one that looks for a specific protein, can tell doctors if the patient is in immediate danger.

With us in Atlanta is CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta -- Sanjay.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Anderson. Lots of excitement about this test. You know about a million people or so have a heart attack every year. About half of them, 47 percent to be precise, will die of that.

The scenario is a difficult one oftentimes for doctors in the emergency room. A patient shows up to the emergency room having chest pain. A, are they having a heart attack, B, are they more likely to have a heart attack in the future? These are questions that doctors have struggled with for some time.

Now, there are tests out there. Take a look at some of the numbers. The existing test will give you about a 50 percent accuracy in determining risk of heart attack down the line. With those tests, combined with this new test called MPO, that accuracy actually jumps to about 95 percent.

This is significant, Anderson, because if you can identify those patients early on who are more likely to have a heart attack, you can go ahead and start treatment early and possibly prevent a problem later on down the line. This could be a really important step forward for determining people who might have heart attacks and getting them treated early.

COOPER: Yes. From 50 percent to 95 percent, amazing. How does it work?

GUPTA: Well, it's interesting. And really quick, if you think about the reason people have heart attacks, for a long time the conventional wisdom was that basically you develop these plaques in the blood vessels. And when the plaques become thick enough, they essentially block the flow and choke of the blood supply to your heart.

Well, it's not that easy. Sometimes, even with small plaques, the plaques might actually rupture due to inflammation. And if that rupture occurs, that can cause a blockage of the blood vessel.

So the key is, can you measure this inflammation somehow? And that's where these tests are to come into effect here. This MPO -- the name is not that important, but basically what it does is measures this inflammation and gives you a sense of how likely these plaques are to rupture down the line.

COOPER: All right. Sanjay Gupta, thanks very much.

GUPTA: Thank you, Anderson.

COOPER: Well, if I was a cheesy anchor, I might say call this next story "Terminator Meets Terminated." But I'm not, so I won't.

California Governor-Elect Arnold Schwarzenegger had a face-to- face meeting today with ousted Governor Gray Davis. And from all appearances, it was a surprisingly friendly get-together. National correspondent Frank Buckley has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They ripped each other during the campaign, but Arnold Schwarzenegger said there are no hard feelings between him and Gray Davis now that the campaign is over.

GOVERNOR-ELECT ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: Absolutely not. I have to say that the governor has been very gracious and has been absolutely fantastic not only with his phone call the day of the election. He offered right away his -- to work together with us and to make it a smooth transition.

BUCKLEY: But Davis, who became only the second governor to be recalled in the U.S. in 80 years, sounded wistful about his final days in office.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: Life is like a relay race. And we each run our part of the race as well as we can and then we pass the baton to the next person.

BUCKLEY: The political combatants were so gracious and cordial in their first transition meeting, that later a microphone even picked up Schwarzenegger suggesting a future meeting at a Hollywood hotspot.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Beginning of next week, we'll sit down maybe in Spago's or something like that.

BUCKLEY: Mr. Schwarzenegger goes to Sacramento. It had a movie premiere quality to it. Schwarzenegger followed by cameras and reporters and fans every step of the way. Schwarzenegger also met with legislative leaders during his relationship-building visit, trying to find common ground, no matter how far away it was from Sacramento.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Oh, yes. And then he goes to Austria periodically and has the good wiener schnitzel. And also there are things that we can build on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: All right. Frank Buckley joins us now. Frank, besides the fact that they may end up at Spago's together, I got to tell you, those pictures of Davis and Schwarzenegger looked -- I mean, it looked a little bit uncomfortable. Did it seem as tense in real life?

BUCKLEY: Yes. I was one of the pool reporters in that meeting. I felt that it was an awkward sort of situation.

First of all, the staging of it was so formal it was like a state visit. We all waited. There was a two-minute warning and the whole thing.

On top of that, you had two people who said unkind things about each other throughout the campaign. This was the first time they were meeting face to face. And add to that, like I said, there were reporters like me in the room who might ask an indelicate question.

It all made for sort of just an awkward stiffness that we all felt in that room. But, as you saw after the meeting, it appeared as if they were old chum. And, as you heard, Arnold Schwarzenegger seemed to be inviting Gray Davis out to Spago's next week. So we'll have to wait and see for that.

COOPER: Well, I'm sure once the wiener schnitzel hits the table at Spago's, everything will be hunky-dory. All right. Frank, thanks very much tonight.

We've got a lot of stories around the globe to cover. Let's check the "UpLink."

Madrid, Spain: free on bail. Al-Jazeera's star journalist was released from jail because of health problems. He's the guy on the right. Tasir Aluni's (ph) wife says he suffered a heart attack while covering the war in Iraq. He's accused of belonging to an al Qaeda cell. He's best known for this interview right here with Osama bin Laden shortly after the September 11th attacks.

Iraq: banned U.S. blood. American soldiers coming home will be able to do a lot of things, but giving blood is not one of them, at least for a year. Military and U.S. health officials say they want to prevent the spread of a rare skin parasite found in some soldiers. There are no known cases in the U.S., and they want to keep it that way.

Manilla: the Philippines unveiling a beauty. There she is, Miss Afghanistan. That's right. You heard me right.

For the first time in 30 years, the country will send a contestant to the worldwide Miss Earth beauty competition next month. Miss Earth? The swimsuit, well, there -- you can judge for yourself.

That is tonight's "UpLink."

Well, in tonight's "Terror Watch," a look back at a devastating terrorist attack. Today marks the 20th anniversary of the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, Lebanon. It was a quiet and somber memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.

On this day in 1983, a man driving a truck loaded with explosives rammed into the barracks in Beirut killing 241 American Marines and U.S. service members.

An almost simultaneous blast on the French compound nearby killed 58 French soldiers just seven minutes earlier. Both American and French peacekeepers withdrew from Lebanon a few months later.

U.S. Officials are still hunting for the alleged mastermind of those attacks. And they believe that the man is Imad Mugniyah (ph), a Lebanese Hezbollah operative with backing from Iran. The FBI considers him to be one of the most wanted terrorists still out there.

Well, life and death choices, part of our weeklong series on conjoined twins. Meet one family who suffered the ultimate loss by separating their kids.

Also tonight: millionaire murder trial. He dressed like a woman, lived bike a pauper. This gets weirder and weirder. Now Robert Durst is taking the stand in his own defense.

And a little later, Britney Spears. We hope she's not making out with Madonna again. It is this week's overkill story.

First, today's buzz. What story do you think has been overkill, the Niagara Falls jumper, Britney Spears and Madonna, or Liza Minnelli and David Gest? Vote now: cnn.com/360. Overkill results at the end of the show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COOPER: Well, the media focuses a lot on conjoined twins and separation surgery, but often overlook the difficult decisions those surgeries may require. You are about to meet some parents who had to face an absolutely heartbreaking decision, whether to save one twin, knowing if they did, the other twin would die.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): It was a case that captivated England. A collision of science, law and religious belief.

In 2000, Gracie and Rosie Attard were born attached at the pelvis and abdomen. Gracie's heart and lungs were normal. Rosie was much weaker. The two shared a blood supply, but Gracie's heart pumped for both children. The dilemma was clear.

If they weren't separated, both twins would die. If they were separated, Rosie would die. The Attards, staunch Catholics, said the twins were in god's hands. Their decision, no separation.

But doctors referred the matter to British courts and the law decided Gracie had a right to live. The operation took 20 hours. Rosie died. Gracie survived.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is a bit healthier. Her condition, it's good, and we anticipate that she'll be able to lead a full and normal life.

COOPER: Gracie is now three, but the Attards say the joy of raising her doesn't erase the pain or the memory of a daughter lost so that one might live.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: An impossible choice. Few parents anywhere really can understand the dilemma that the Attards faced.

Earlier, I spoke with a couple who can, though, Shawn (ph) and Mary Nolan of Brisbane Australia, who made the decision to separate their conjoined twins, Alyssa and Bethany, joined at the head. They knew it would mean that Bethany had to die for Alyssa to survive. And that is exactly what happened.

I began by asking Mary how difficult it was to make the decision to separate the twins.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY NOLAN, MOTHER: It had gotten to the point where the medical team had said to us that Beth was very, very ill and they didn't think that she would survive another 24 hours. And that if she passed away, then we'd lose Alyssa as well. And so the decision was then whether to try and operate with very high risks and have a chance of having both the girls survive the surgery or to sit back and watch them die. And I think, as with any parent, you always take the option that gives them a chance. COOPER: Shawn (ph), how much time did you have to make the decision to give the go-ahead?

SHAWN NOLAN, FATHER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And in the end it came down to one Friday night, I guess.

COOPER: Mary, if you can, take us back to that Friday night. What went through your mind? What went through your heart?

M. NOLAN: You always hope, even though we knew that there wasn't a lot of hope. But, yes, it was pretty heartbreaking. That night, once we made the decision to go ahead with the surgery, I sat by the girls' beds all night. I didn't sleep. I didn't move.

I just -- I guess, sat with them and looked at them, and there's always the hope that tomorrow will bring something good. But a lot of fear, a lot of nervousness, sadness. And more than anything, I think a lot of prayer and just hoping that tomorrow would give us some kind of good result. But it's the hardest thing I think any parent can do spending that one night knowing the next morning it was more than impossible that I would have no daughters left at all.

COOPER: Mary, what are you going to tell Alyssa when she's older?

M. NOLAN: Everything, I guess. I will -- obviously, Beth is still a major part of our lives and will be of Alyssa's life for as long as she survives. So we will tell her about the conditions of her birth and that she had a very, very special twin who -- I hate to use the word sacrifice -- who, you know, was a very integral part of Alyssa's survival, I guess.

COOPER: And Shawn (ph), now how is Alyssa doing?

S. NOLAN: She's doing extremely well. We're very happy with her. We're pretty biased, of course, but she's a good little girl. She's a very tough, strong-minded little girl.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And a beautiful little girl at that. Our series on conjoined twins is going to continue tomorrow. The conclusion with a focus on doctors, how separation surgery has gone too far.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): Arizona: murder mystery. Police search for a killer in the desert.

And heiress to a legacy of power, wealth and tragedy. An inside look at the life of Caroline Kennedy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COOPER: "The Reset" a look at tonight's top stories. Here it is. Across the U.S., Wal-Mart arrests. Federal officials say they have arrested about 250 illegal immigrants working on cleaning crews at Wal-Mart stores in 21 states. Wal-Mart, which says the crews are employed by independent contractors, denies knowing about any illegal workers.

Washington, D.C. -- Cuba. The U.S. Senate went on record today against the 40-year-old ban on travel to Cuba. Following the lead of the House, the Senate approved a bill barring the use of government money to enforce the ban. President Bush supports the Cuba travel ban and has vowed to veto any legislation that weakens it.

Washington, D.C. environmental suit. Twelves states, including California and New York, went to court today in a bid to force the federal government to regulate emissions of greenhouse gases. The states are hoping to reverse a decision by the EPA, which recently declared it doesn't have the authority.

Paris, France, photogs on trial. Three photographers are to go on trial in Paris tomorrow for taking pictures after the car wreck that killed Britain's Princess Diana and her companion, Dodi al-Fayed. The photographers are accused of invasion of privacy.

New York City: end of an era. The last Concorde flight from London to New York landed at Kennedy Airport late this afternoon. Once touted as the future of commercial aviation, the supersonic jet is being retired. Tomorrow the final flight back to London will carry only invited guests. And we imagine very rich ones at that. That's "The Reset."

Now a story about two young lovers marking a milestone in their relationship in a special way, or so they thought. Then someone did them a terrible harm. Gary Tuchman reports on a crime in Arizona that has devastated two families.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lisa Gurrieri and Brandon Rumbaugh were celebrating the first anniversary as a couple. They returned to the spot of their first date, a parking area near a campground in Yavapai County, Arizona, north of Phoenix. They went to sleep in the back of Lisa's mother's pickup truck and then something terrible happened.

LT. ATENE FRANCIS, YAVAPAI COUNTY SHERRIF'S OFFICE: We believe that it was a random act. There was a crazy person running around, not necessarily can we rule it out? Not necessarily.

TUCHMAN: 19-year-old Lisa and 20-year-old Brandon were each shot several times in the head while in sleeping bags. Police have some leads in the double homicide, but nothing solid. No tire tracks or shell casings were found.

FRANCIS: My hope is the witnesses that may not know they were witnesses would step forward, because those are the folks we need to talk to. And that's ultimately how the case will be solved.

TUCHMAN: Brandon Rumbaugh worked as an instructor at a fitness club. His co-workers were concerned when he didn't come to work the morning after he went out with his girlfriend.

CHRIS GREENEY, FITNESS CENTER COLLEAGUE: The emotional ties with his cust -- with his clients are extremely high and they are definitely broken up and having a hard time dealing with the fact that they worked with him just a week ago and now he's gone.

TUCHMAN: But, of course, nobody is having a harder time than the two mourning families.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's always tough with any case like this, but especially when you look at somebody, 19, 20 years old, just literally starting their lives. It's very difficult.

TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, this case brings us to Galveston, Texas and the continuing trial of Robert Durst the eccentric, to say the lease, New York millionaire and real estate heir on trial for killing and dismembering his neighbor. Today he told his side of the story. Ed Lavandera has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORREPSONDENT: This is the defense account. Robert Durst walks into his apartment and sees his angry neighbor sitting in the living room. Durst had recently told Morris Black he was no longer welcome in his apartment. Durst becomes worried so he tries to find a gun hidden in the kitchen stove. But Black had already found it. Both men struggle for the gun as they fall to the ground. Morris Black is shot in the face.

That's the defense story, an accidental shooting in self-defense. Durst's lawyers created this animation to convince the jury of their case, but the jury won't get to see it. The judge said this animation is not admissible evidence. So Durst and his attorney re- create in the courtroom the struggle that led to the 71-year-old's death.

But prosecutors say that doesn't explain why Durst cut up Black's body and dumped the pieces in Galveston Bay. Durst says the reason was, he didn't think anyone would believe his story, that he'd come to Galveston disguised as a woman to get away from prosecutors who think he might be responsible for the disappearance of his first wife.

He thought the only way to handle the situation was to make Morris Black disappear. Durst says he wasn't strong enough to carry the body, Durst says he cut it into pieces.

(on camera): Durst has spent a day and a half answering questions from his own attorney. It's now the prosecution's turn, but we'll have to wait until next Monday to see how he handles those questions. Ed Lavandera, CNN, Galveston, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: For more on this high-profile case and what to make of Robert Durst's testimony, we are join by Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom. Lisa, good to see you.

You know, he is basically painting a picture of self-defense. What keeps hitting my mind is he cut the guy up. How do you get over that?

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Yes, a little detail he's got to get around. Well, the story is a plausible story as far as it goes. And that animation really re-creates and explains his side of the story.

COOPER: The animation is a little downright creepy.

BLOOM: It's a little bit like "The Sims," the computer game, "The Sims." But we see these defense animations more and more frequently in court. We saw it in the Michael Peterson case recently where it was let in. This judge said, no, it wouldn't come in, because it wasn't consistent with Durst's own testimony in court. Durst couldn't remember parts of the fight and the judge said it was unfair for the defense to bring it in.

COOPER: Did he explain, though, on the stand today about the cutting up part. Or was it all just about the shooting part?

BLOOM: Well, funny you should ask. Now, these are only friendly questions from his lawyer on direct. And he did talk about the cutting up part, as you put it so eloquently. On cross-examination, I'm sure, we'll hear at least an hour about it.

But what he said was, he cut Morris Black in half. His attorney then essentially asked him a leading question and said, you cut him up, yes, yes, and they moved on. And that was the entire discussion.

COOPER: I wasn't probing for gory details of how the cuts were made. I was more interested in -- did he describe why did he cut this -- if it was self-defense, why cut up this person?

BLOOM: Exactly, and no, he didn't except that he had panicked. Now, Durst's back story is that he was already running from the law. That the Westchester County D.A. was looking for him in connection with his wife's murder many years ago. His female best friend had also been murdered recently and there are allegations about him being connected with that.

That's why he donned the wig and women's clothes in the first place. Now he's got three alleged murders, possibly, in his background. He's on the run. He says essentially he panicked and that's why he dismembered the victim.

COOPER: It's a fascinating case. We're going to keep following it. Lisa Bloom, thanks very much.

BLOOM: Thanks, Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Oops, they are doing it again. Oh, no, no, please not this story. Britney Spears. We're not going to show the kiss, but it's this week's overkill. You'll see why.

And a little bit later on, the last child of Camelot, Caroline Kennedy, from a tragic loss to a story of survival. A new book is out. We'll take a closer look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Always good to get your e-mails.

All right. I've been accused of talking a little too fast, ripping through the headlines. You're about to meet the fastest- talking kid around. He really does have a motormouth. He joins me live. I'll put him to the test in just a moment.

But firs, a couple of things to cover.

Overkill. Our weekly look at the story we think the media, including us, have gluttonously gorged on, leaving us all a little queasy.

Tonight, overkill? Thy name is Britney.

When you've started a comeback, you don't want people yelling go back. But that's what happening to Britney Spears. Astute scholars of overkill can pinpoint the precise moment, right here. We're so sick of it, we're not going to show you the moment. But the MTV kiss was supposed to kickstart a new shocking era of Britney badness. It had all the spontaneity of a sea sponge.

Since then, she's been promoting her new single by not kissing. Did you see her on last week's "Saturday Night Live"? Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HALLE BERRY, ACTRESS: It's not that we mind kissing, right?

BRITNEY SPEARS, ENTERTAINER: No. No. Not at all.

BERRY: But, you know, if we do, you know what the cover of "Us Weekly" would look like, don't you?

SPEARS: Yes. You know, and, you know, let's not do that. Not yet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Close your eyes.

And then this week a new video with mama Madonna. It was going to be shocking, they warned, and it was anything but.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) (MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: All right. That's enough of it. It's too much blonde ambition.

The bad news Britney Spears' new album isn't out for a couple more weeks. So there is probably plenty more B.S. -- that's Britney Spears overkill still to come.

And that brings us to tonight's "Buss" question. Which story do you think has been overkill? The Niagara Falls jumper, Britney and Madonna kissing, or Liza Minnelli and David Gest? You can vote now at cnn.com/360.

All right. I'm getting -- I'm starting to talk a little bit fast here.

A moment of true candor. And folks, that's not something you get everyday from an anchor.

I've been told by viewers, co-workers, cab drivers, even my mom that I speak a little too quickly. So, in an effort to put my fast- talking ways into some perspective for all of you, we're joined now by 12-year-old Brett Otis. He's the grand prize winner of Hasbro's fast- talking contest.

You can him the grand champ of American Motormouth.

Brett, thanks for being with us.

BRET OTIS, MOTORMOUTH CHAMPION: Hi.

COOPER: So you won this contest by speaking really fast.

OTIS: Yes, I did.

COOPER: Do you always -- have you always speak -- spoken fast?

OTIS: Well, sometimes when I'm excited I speak fast and my mom tells me to slow down and who would have ever thought I would win a contest with speaking fast?

COOPER: Well, yes, and you won some money. And I think you're going to put it toward some college education.

OTIS: Yes. Yes, I am.

COOPER: We're going to have you read some of the Gettysburg Address.

OTIS: OK.

COOPER: See how fast you can read.

OTIS: OK.

COOPER: Go to it.

OTIS: Fourscore and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated a proposition that all men are created equal. We are engaged in a great Civil War testing which nation or any nation conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in a great battlefield of war, that we have come to dedicate a portion of that final resting place for those who gave their lives and a nation might live.

It is altogether fitting (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, cannot consecrate -- we cannot hallow this ground into the brave men (ph). The living and dead, whose struggle here consecrated above our (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to add and detract.

COOPER: Whoo! That was excellent. That was great. Congratulations.

OTIS: Thank you. Thank you very much.

COOPER: You won the contest. You won like $5,000, right?

OTIS: Yes, I did. Yes.

COOPER: What are you going to do with it?

OTIS: Save it for college.

COOPER: Save it for college?

OTIS: Take a little out of it.

COOPER: A little bit?

OTIS: Yes.

COOPER: What your going to buy with that?

OTIS: I don't know yet.

COOPER: Well, I bet you can buy a lot with it.

OTIS: Yes.

COOPER: Congratulations.

OTIS: Thank you very much.

COOPER: All right. Good luck to you. And see, you can talk fast. You can become an anchor like me someday.

OTIS: Yes. Maybe.

COOPER: Yes. Maybe. It's not really something to aspire to. Thanks a lot, Brett.

All right. Time to dip into -- dip our toes, if you will, into the pop culture "Current."

Clay Aiken sticks it to the music industry snobs who says he's hopelessly square. Square? Hah! Do squares have a No. 1 album? Yes, apparently. His CD, "Measure of a Man," has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Do you like -- do you like the Clay Aiken there, Brett?

OTIS: Not really.

COOPER: Yes, not really. All right.

We'll there be an American Idol rematch? We'll see. Ruben Studdard's CD is due out next month.

Makeover madness has now affected paper towels. The Brawny guy has been, well, softened. Look at the difference. Old Brawny guy -- rugged outdoorsy dude with that mustache. New Brawny guy -- well, he's still got the plaid shirt. But he's darn near metrosexual. I think he's -- I think he's got product in his hair. Is no one safe from those Queer Eye guys?

Speaking of comparisons, is it just us or the guy who went over Niagara Falls a dead ringer for puzzling porn star Ron Jeremy? Yes, this is the second night in a row we've mentioned Ron Jeremy. But come on. The resemblance is striking. And considering what Jeremy will do for attention, we wouldn't put it passed him.

Don't worry, Brett. In a couple of years, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

Finally, a story from our gangsta file, except the gangsta here is Freddie, a cocker spaniel thrown in the doggie clink for aggravated barking. He did hard time in cell B-3 of a Florida shelter -- oh -- for nearly a week -- ohhhh -- after allegedly stalking and harassing a seeing eye dog. He was bailed out by an animal rescue group, now is rumored to be shopping a rap album produced by Dr. Dre. I don't think that's true, but he is out and safe and sound.

And that is "The Current" for tonight.

Still to come this evening, different revelations. New images from one of America's most provocative photographers, including someone who might look a bit familiar. I'll explain that.

And also, a revealing look at the last child of Camelot. The author of a new book on Caroline Kennedy will be here.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, John F. Kennedy Jr. said this at the wedding of his sister in the 1980's. Quote -- "All of our lives it's just been the three of us -- my mother, Caroline and me."

Well, now it is Caroline alone who's left with the legacy of an era that burned bright and ended in tragedy.

Caroline Kennedy is the focus of a new book called "Sweet Caroline: Last Child Of Camelot" by Christopher Anderson, a revealing and unauthorized biography of a very private woman. And he joins us now.

Christopher, thanks for being with us.

CHRISTOPHER ANDERSEN, AUTHOR, "SWEET CAROLINE": Great to be here.

COOPER: You've written a lot about the Kennedys. Why focus on Caroline. I mean, she has lived such a private life, in many ways.

ANDERSEN: Well, what's amazing is here we're approaching the 40th anniversary of the assassination of her father and millions of words have been written about the other Kennedys -- her grandparents, her great-grandparents, her parents, her uncles, her cousins. And nobody's written a comprehensive book about Caroline. And, in my opinion, after having written so much about the family, hers is really the most heartbreaking and, at the same time, inspiring story.

COOPER: Her relationship with John is a big focus of the book.

ANDERSEN: Yes.

COOPER: And they were extraordinarily close.

ANDERSEN: The only two people who could know what it was like to be in their shoes, you know? And I think a lot of people felt -- when John perished in that plane crash that, you know, she would retreat. I mean, I thought so, because she was essentially a private person.

But she took the opposite tact (ph). You know, she said, relatively recently, I've come to believe more strongly that people really do live on through those who love them. So she's become the keeper of the flame, and taken on her mother's causes, her brother's causes and now even, you know, the New York City school system, raising money for them.

COOPER: It is an unauthorized biography.

ANDERSEN: Yes.

COOPER: And in some of the quotes -- I mean, you write that Caroline had an almost psychic feeling that her brother was dead after news of the plane crash saying -- quote -- that you said -- you quote her as saying, "I should feel him, but I don't."

I mean, you didn't interview her. How do you know these things?

ANDERSEN: She said that to a number of people. Her long-time housekeeper and close family friend and other people. She knew early on, even though the search was going on, that he was gone. Initially she, I mean, a number of people told me that she blamed the more risky machismo risk taking Kennedy's.

COOPER: She worried about him a lot.

ANDERSEN: She didn't like that he was being pushed into taking the chances he took. But she really took a page from her mother's life and decided to behave with a tremendous dignity. I mean, you never saw her lose her composure during John's funeral.

COOPER: Her relationship with her father, very close.

ANDERSEN: Very close. No one thought he'd be a terrific parent. Jackie had already suffered two miscarriages and a stillbirth. He didn't seem that interested in being a father. All of a sudden he became a tremendous father. He called Caroline "Buttons." That was his nick name for her. And they were very, very close. And when he died...

COOPER: That's sort of forgotten in the history. Because everyone remembers the image of John saluting at the funeral.

ANDERSEN: Funny thing is I remember distinctly the focus at the time, prior to that salute, was really on Caroline. I mean, she was the star. She was the biggest thing since Shirley Temple in this country. I mean, there were Caroline dolls and stories and books. And she had her pony macaroni that she rode around on the White House grounds and that's why it makes this particularly touching.

COOPER: What did you learn the most?

What did you learn about her in writing about this that you didn't know.

ANDERSEN: So much. For example the many brushes with death she's had and the many times she has come close to losing her life. I mean, there was one incident which was only 10-years-old where this would-be suicide bomber was outside the Palm Beach mansion of the Kennedy's. Her father was president-elect at the time and this fellow put on -- had dynamite in the car and was about to put his foot on the accelerator and saw Caroline and just to undone by it. So he decided not to go through with the plan. And today is the 28th anniversary of the day that she was almost killed by an IRA bomb that went off outside the...

COOPER: She was spending time in England.

The book is "Sweet Caroline: Last Child of Camelot." Christopher Anderson, thank you very much.

ANDERSEN: Thank you very much.

COOPER: All right. Normal Mailer (ph) once said giving a camera to Diane Arbus is like giving a hand grenade to a baby. Explosive, provocative, controversial, all the words certainly apply. This Saturday, almost 30 years since the last major exhibition of her work, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art opens a full-scale retrospective and a new book, "Revelations" has been published with her well-known images and and some never before published shots which you are about to see. Look closely.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): The images are startling. Child with a toy hand grenade. The Jewish giant. A very young baby. Diane Arbus said her favorite thing was to go where she'd never been. She didn't travel far away. She traveled deep within. Capturing moments, intimate, curious, controversial. Her fascination with the bizarre made her the target of critics. Some called her work exploit exploitative, grotesque, to Arbus, it was anything but. Freaks, she wrote, "Are born with their trauma. They've already passed it. They are aristocrats." Arbus was born in New York City in 1923, the daughter of a wealthy department store owner. She married Allan Arbus who gave her a camera.

But it wasn't until 1957 when their marriage dissolved that her career took off. The work elated her, but she was plagued with periods of deep depression. Look closely at her photos, and you may catch a glimpse of the artist herself. The highs and lows, somewhere here in the subtle expressions of identical twins. Diane Arbus committed suicide one summer evening in 1971. She was 48-years-old. She ended her life, but in that life, she never once averted her eyes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: You might have noticed a shot of a baby in that piece, someone who perhaps looks a little familiar. That's a shot of the baby and here's a revelation about me. I am actually the baby in that photograph. I look a little differently now. But Diane Arbus stayed at our house a little bit and photographed me. That's me at a very young age. All right.

Coming up next, forgiveness to the "Nth Degree." A son who lost his dad and what he said to the woman responsible.

Plus, tomorrow, a series on conjoined twins continues with the explosive question, who has the right to decide whether twins should or should not be separated.

And today's "Buzz", which story do you think has been overkilled? The Niagara Falls, Britney Spears or Liza Minnella and David Gest. A burning question. Vote now at cnn.com/360. The results in a couple of seconds, still some time. Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: All right, time for the "Buzz." We asked you, which story do you think has been overkilled? 12 percent of you said the Niagara Falls story, 69 percent Britney and Madonna, and Liza and David Gest pulled in 20 percent of the vote. Certainly not scientific. Just viewer "Buzz."

No more Britney. Finally tonight, forgiveness to the "Nth Degree." It was a notorious crime two years ago. One of those terrible stories people talked about. The windshield murder case. A woman in Texas hit a man and left him to die in her garage while he was impaled in her windshield. She went to prison for murder.

Could you forgive someone who did that to someone you loved?

Brandon Biggs did. It was his father who died. Here's what he said after the women's conviction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRANDON BIGGS: We'd like to offer our forgiveness and sympathies to Chante Mallard and our sympathies to Mallard Family. Thank you guys.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: His words caught the attention of Catholic group called compassion that works with death row inmates. The group and the inmates raised money for $10,000 scholarship and gave it to the 20- year-old seminary student yesterday. We should also add that compassion opposes the death penalty, though they didn't ask Biggs where he stood on the issue, and he didn't say. But no matter how you feel about the death penalty, it's hard to marvel at someone who could go through so much could find it in himself to forgive. Biggs, put it this way, if love is what makes the world go round, compassion makes it sincere. And that ends our program for tonight. Thanks for joining us.

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