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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Fear and Vigilance in the Skies; Probing Princess Diana's Death
Aired January 06, 2004 - 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): Some countries won't follow tough terror rules. What will the U.S. do about it?
A murderer is medicated to stay sane just so he can be put to death.
Shocking new details emerge about who Diana thought was out to kill her.
Nancy and Tonya, 10 years to the day their Olympic competition turned violent.
A cult leader on trial for preying on children.
Stunning imagines from another world: new colored pictures today from the Red Planet.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.
COOPER: Good evening. Welcome to 360.
High drama on the high seas captured on tape. Look at this. Smugglers frantically dumping drugs off a boat in the Persian Gulf as the U.S. Navy closes in. Three ships packed with drugs have been seized in the Gulf recently. The question tonight: is al Qaeda in the smuggling business? We'll have details on all of that in a moment.
Our top story right now, fear and vigilance in the skies. Some scary moments aboard a flight from Paris to Cincinnati today. Earlier, it started in Europe. A woman with wires hidden in her jacket was taken off Delta Flight 43.
The flight took off. The woman was found not to be a threat. But concerned security officials ordered a fighter jet escort for at least part of the plane's flight path.
Gary Tuchman joins live with the latest -- Gary.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, relatively minor situations become much more serious when the country is under orange alert. Case and point, as you said, Delta Flight 43 arriving here in Cincinnati about three hours ago. Passengers disembarking on the tarmac, going through security again after a woman tried to board the plane in Paris, a 22-year-old woman from Saudi Arabia with a Jordanian passport, who was an electrical engineer, who had wires hanging from her coat.
She was checked thoroughly. It was determined the wires were to keep the coat warm. It was a heated jacket.
So officials in Paris said she wasn't suspicious, put her on another plane to the United States. Nevertheless, this plane, as it left Paris heading to Cincinnati about an hour 20 minutes into the flight, we talked to a couple on the plane who were told by the pilot that they had to remain in their seats. If they needed to go to the bathroom, they would have to go with an escort.
This woman told us that she assumed because it was a security situation, according to the pilot, there would be a military escort. Indeed, sources are telling us there was a military plane escort.
She said she saw nothing out the window as she looked. She said people remained calm on the plane. And then when the plane arrived here in Cincinnati, this woman who was on the plane tells us 11 people were taken off the plane before the rest of the passengers.
The FBI as of now is not commenting why 11 people were taken off the plane before everybody else. But the very important point to tell everybody, all is well here in Cincinnati.
Anderson, back you to.
COOPER: All right. A sign of the times. Gary Tuchman, thanks very much.
Now to London. A traffic accident or murder? Today, a formal inquest began into the death of Princess Diana in a Paris car crash. And a London tabloid printed a note said to be from the princess warning that her husband, Prince Charles, was trying to kill her.
Senior international correspondent, Sheila MacVicar, has all the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): More than six years after they walked out the back door of the Ritz Hotel in Paris and climbed into that car, the British inquests into the deaths of Diana, Princess of whales, and her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, is opened. Michael Burgess is the coroner. His job is to determine how they died.
The French investigation, which runs to 6,000 pages, included the accident was caused by their drunk driver. But since their deaths, conspiracy theories have multiplied. Dodi's father refuses to believe their deaths were an accident.
MOHAMMED AL FAYED, DODI FAYED'S FATHER: It is absolute black and White horrendous murder.
MACVICAR: And other conspiracists got a bonanza, as this British tabloid published the name of the man Diana had written 10 months before her death wanted to kill her in a car accident: her then ex- husband, Prince Charles, a suggestion which has been dismissed as preposterous. The coroner will spend the next 12 months or so sifting through the French investigative report and deciding which witnesses he will call.
SALLY CARTWRIGHT, "ROYAL WATCHER": The coroner will be looking at questions like whether there is a possibility that the car was tampered with, whether Henri Paul, the chauffeur, was, in fact, drunk. So all these theories will be given an airing.
MACVICAR: And at the end, the expectation, indeed the hope, is that the coroner will be able to draw a line under these deaths and to say with certainty what happened that night in that tunnel in Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACVICAR: Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell, who was the recipient of that letter that Diana wrote, has said that he is very distressed that the name of Prince Charles has come into the public, that he never intended it to become public, and that he is talking to both his lawyer and his agent -- Anderson.
COOPER: Although he did mention the note in his book, although he didn't name the name. Has there been any official response right now from Buckingham Palace?
MACVICAR: Buckingham Palace is saying absolutely nothing. But friends of Prince Charles and those who are former employees of the prince have said that they believe that this story is beyond belief, it is preposterous, as indeed has the editor of the "Daily Mirror," Piers Morgan, who published the story. He has said he too believes it's preposterous and that it speaks more to the princess's state of mind at that time, 10 months before she died, shortly after her very difficult divorce from Prince Charles.
COOPER: All right. We're going to look at the story more a little bit later on. Sheila MacVicar, thanks very much, live from London.
And we want to hear from you tonight. The "Buzz" question is this: Do you believe Princess Diana's death was an accident? Vote now, cnn.com/360. We will have results at the end of the program. And like I said, we'll discuss this a little bit more in about 20 minutes or so.
Today, NASA released the sharpest photo ever taken on the surface of the Red Planet. It is a full color, panoramic image, the likes of which, well, it's just never been seen before. Miles O'Brien has the picture and the story behind it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mars in color. The question for scientists, is it living? There is no denying the first color postcards from Spirit are spectacular in all their sepia, gray, and grim glory.
JIM BELL, MARS MISSION SCIENTIST: I think my reaction has been one of shock and awe.
O'BRIEN: But there is also some shock that they show no signs that this is was once a dry lake bed, as scientists expected when they chose this crater as a landing site.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now there is not a lot in that scene that's very compelling to tell us that water was there.
O'BRIEN: But that doesn't mean there is a shortage of intriguing places for Spirit to go and check out rocks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's possible that water was involved here. It's just there's no smoking gun that we've seen so far.
O'BRIEN: The pictures do show plenty of evidence this is a very windy place. There are trails of debris behind rocks that appear sandblasted, clean, round and smooth.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're estimating winds right now on the surface may be as high as 30 to 50 miles an hour.
O'BRIEN: And there is this mysterious clump of material right near Spirit's wheels. It was scraped as the rover retracted its air bags. No one is sure what it might be. Each image, each mystery is spurring the Spirit team on.
JULIE TOWNSEND, MARS MISSION ENGINEER: Still a lot of applause every time we get a new image down, every time we accomplish a new objective in our egress routine. Everybody is just on cloud nine because everything is going so well.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: NASA also released one other image today captured by the Spirit's navigation cameras. It shows the backside of the high gain (ph) antenna which has been feeding back those wonderful pictures. On it is a plaque which is a memorial to the seven-member crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia who perished February 1, 2003 -- Anderson.
COOPER: Just unbelievable images today. Miles O'Brien, thanks for that.
We go to Arkansas now, where in just two hours a double execution is set to begin. One of the inmates is mentally ill, rational only when medicated. His lawyer is trying to stop the execution. The inmate, however, says he is tired of the voices in his head.
CNN's Brian Cabell is there. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Charles Singleton says he's ready for his execution.
CHARLES SINGLETON, DEATH ROW INMATE: Death is an illusion. They lie to us about life. They'll lie to us about death.
CABELL: Psychiatrists have diagnosed him as paranoid schizophrenic, someone who is rational only when he takes his medication. Otherwise, authorities concede, he's legally insane.
SINGLETON: I've been tormented, persecuted and manipulate and terrorized. That's what I've been now (ph).
CABELL: Singleton was convicted of killing a woman 24 years ago during a robbery of a small grocery store. He's been on death row ever since. Doctors say his mind has deteriorated over the last several years, and the question was raised, can the state execute a man who's sane only when he's medicated?
A federal appeals court has ruled yes. And the U.S. Supreme Court has refused to intervene.
So Charles Singleton faces execution this evening. He's eaten his last meal, all vegetarian. He's met with his family for the last time.
DINA TYLER, ARKANSAS DEPT. OF CORRECTION: His mood has really not changed since he got here. It has not gone up or down. It has appeared to be just another day.
CABELL (on camera): He's ready to die?
TYLER: He has said that repeatedly. He said it from the time of his clemency hearing on. And he has not wavered. I haven't heard him say anything differently other than it's time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CABELL: And late this afternoon the governor of Arkansas refused a request for clemency by Singleton's lawyer. That was made without Singleton's consent. The only possible chance for reconsideration now would be if Singleton himself asks for clemency. That seems highly unlikely.
Right now, he's in a quiet room adjacent to the execution room. And barring any last-minute surprises, Anderson, in less than two hours he will die by lethal injection.
COOPER: All right. Brian Cabell, live in Arkansas. We'll follow this story throughout the next two hours. Brian, thanks very much.
In the Persian Gulf, a dramatic drug bust is raising new concerns about al Qaeda's possible involvement in drug smuggling. As you are about to learn, dozens of alleged smugglers have been detained, and millions of dollars worth of drugs seized, some of it caught on tape.
Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Navy boarding team came up one side of the boat just as the crew frantically dumped 200 bags over the other side believed to contain heroin valued at $86,000 per pound. Just one of three ships seized in the Persian Gulf in recent days carrying a total of more than $20 million in hashish, heroin and other illegal drugs, and crewmembers with ties to terrorists.
After the first seizure on December 15, the U.S. Navy said an initial investigation uncovered clear ties between the smuggling operation and al Qaeda. Thirty-three crewmembers are in custody. Ten are now at Bahram Air Base in Afghanistan undergoing interrogation.
On Sunday, the Navy destroyed one of the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) which contained 2,800 pounds of hashish with a street value of $11 million. For those tracking al Qaeda, it is a sign of their need for new sources of cash beyond their diamond, gold and illegal banking endeavors.
PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: These new shipments demonstrate, if they really are linked back to al Qaeda, something new. What it means exactly remains to be seen. Is it a sign of desperation or is it a sign of opportunism? You know, it's still too early to tell.
STARR (on camera): The ships (UNINTELLIGIBLE) drug smuggling route through the Persian Gulf that the Navy says it will continue to watch, hoping to dry up a potential emerging source of cash for al Qaeda financiers.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: I want to give you a quick news note on terror and drugs. Before the war in Afghanistan, the Taliban reaped more than $40 million a year from poppy production. They are gone but the poppies remain. And, in fact, production is on the rise.
Despite a ban imposed by the interim administration in Kabul, the U.N. says Afghan farmers' total revenue from opium last year was more than a billion dollars. Some terrorists groups have long been involved with drugs. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia -- these guys seen here -- they're also known as FARC -- they fund terrorist activities by exporting cocaine. Exporting cocaine brings cartels an estimated $500 million to a billion dollars each year.
Let's quickly get you up to speed on some other important stories we're following right now "Cross Country."
New York: police shooting case settled. New York City is going to pay $3 million to the family of this man, an unarmed African immigrant shot to death by undercover police in 1999. The city today settled the wrongful death suit brought by the parents of Amadou Diallo.
Washington: clergy sex abuse. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops says an audit shows the Roman Catholic Church is making solid progress in dealing with sex abuse by priests. But victims' groups are skeptical about the report's positive claims.
Kalamazoo, Michigan: Righteous Brothers' death. An autopsy report shows cocaine triggered the November death of Righteous Brothers singer Bobby Hatfield. Singing partner Bill Medley says he's shocked and never knew that 63-year-old Hatfield even used the drug.
New York: Yahoo! dumping Google. Several published reports that Yahoo! will drop Google, the number one Web search engine, in a few months. Yahoo! has invested more than $2 billion to develop its own search technologies. So they're getting rid of Google, apparently.
And that's a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight.
Lottery madness in Ohio. First, a woman claims she lost the winning ticket. Now another woman steps forward to take the jackpot. Find out who's really going to go home with the Mega Millions. And a lot of money at stake.
Plus, the case against Martha Stewart. The hunt begins for a jury of her peers. We'll take a closer look at that.
And slaughtering thousands of cats. Will China's plan to stop the spread of SARS actually backfire? We're going to take a closer look at that.
First tonight, let's look "Inside the Box" at the top stories on tonight's network newscasts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: In Ohio tonight, a prize plot twist. A woman comes forward with the winning ticket from last week's Mega Millions multi- state lottery drawing, but another woman says the loot actually belongs to her. The whole thing has got the attention of the police.
CNN's David Mattingly has more on the lottery madness.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a hard luck story of lottery anguish that had everyone talking. An Ohio woman claims she lost a winning ticket worth $162 million after she dropped her purse in a convenience store parking lot.
ELECIA BATTLE, CLAIMS SHE LOST WINNING LOTTERY TICKET: And the ticket, I lost it. It's mine. It's my property. And no one can cash it in. MATTINGLY: Elecia Battle reported her misfortune to police Monday, who said they had no reason to think she was lying. Hearing the news, more than two dozen people swarmed the store parking lot in a snowy Cleveland suburb looking for the lost ticket with flashlights.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm trying to become a millionaire.
MATTINGLY: But in the morning, it turns out the ticket wasn't lost at all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow!
MATTINGLY: Wow, indeed. Ohio lottery officials say hospital employee Rebecca Jemison is the true mega millionaire, producing both the winning ticket and the receipt from the store at the time she bought it. Angered, she says, by the other woman's claims, Jemison checked with an accountant and a lawyer before coming forward.
REBECCA JEMISON, MEGA MILLIONS WINNER: I knew that what I possessed. I knew the proof I had. So it didn't bother me at all.
MATTINGLY: Beating the odds exceeding 135 million to one, Jemison opted to take a single cash payout worth $67 million after taxes. Police are looking into Elecia Battle's story and the possibility she filed a false police report, something that carries a penalty of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
David Mattingly, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Interesting. Who do you believe?
Anyway, Senator Hillary Clinton is on the defensive tonight. She's apologizing for joking about former Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi at a fund-raiser over the weekend in St. Louis, Missouri. Clinton was about to introduce a Senate candidate when she admits she made this -- what she called a, "lame attempt at humor." Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: As I introduce her, I want to end with her favorite quote, because I love this quote. It's from Mahatma Gandhi. He ran a gas station down in St. Louis for a couple of years. Mr. Gandhi, do you still go to the gas station? A lot of wisdom comes out of the gas station.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: When asked to clarify what she said, Clinton released a statement saying she admired Gandhi and never meant to fuel the stereotype that certain ethnic groups run gas stations.
Well, in Des Moines, Iowa, the clock is ticking and the gloves are off. Today, in a two-hour Democratic presidential debate, candidates tried to knock down the undisputed frontrunner, Howard Dean. Dean's campaign shows no sign of slowing down. Today, in fact, he picked up another key endorsement.
CNN senior political correspondent, Candy Crowley, has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Looking to keep the mojo going and make his frontrunner status a reality, Howard Dean sprinted from New Hampshire to Iowa, a new campaign buddy in tow.
BILL BRADLEY, FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The Dean campaign is one of the best things to happen to American democracy in decades.
CROWLEY: From a love fest at headquarters down the street to a less friendly neighborhood, a National Public Radio debate, where Dean and Richard Gephardt were hit on their plans to reveal all of the president's tax cuts, emphasis on Dean.
SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D-CT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That would cost middle class families in New Hampshire, an average family, $2,000 a year that they worked so hard for. He would take it back.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And so he's going to increase the burden on middle class America.
HOWARD DEAN (D), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think respectfully what John just said is hogwash.
CROWLEY: A two-hour radio debate is a rare opportunity to sit, because mostly now they race from house party to church gathering to meeting hall.
KERRY: Thank you for coming on a cold day that might even make you saddle up to Dick Cheney for warmth.
CROWLEY: The assumption is that Iowa is between Gephardt and Dean, that the others are running for third, that the caucuses are hard to poll, harder to predict.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D), NORTH CAROLINA: Oh, I expect to do very well here in the state of Iowa. We've got huge momentum.
CROWLEY: No one is really sure what's happening out there. And for some of the '04s, there is comfort in that.
Candy Crowley, CNN, Des Moines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: We are following a number of international stories for you right now. Let's check the "UpLink."
Southern Afghanistan: bicycle bomb. At least 10 people are killed, eight of them children playing on the side of the street. Twenty-three people injured. A soldier says authorities arrested a man who was spotted running away from the scene before the explosion.
Basra, Iraq: protests turn violent. Take a look at this. Iraq police open fire on about 6,000 former Iraqi soldiers as they try to enter a bank.
Now, that's after they stage a protest demanding their salaries. They say they haven't been paid since September. Some rocks were thrown, as you see there. Witnesses say at least two people were injured.
North of Baghdad: graduation day. The 2nd battalion of the new U.S.-formed Iraqi army. The 2nd brigade comprises 700 recruits who just completed their nine-week training program. The U.S. plans to train 40,000 soldiers as part of the new Iraqi army.
Buenos Aires, Argentina: rare tigers. Visitors are getting their first look at six pretty cute white tiger cubs born in November, three males, three females. Eventually, each of these sextuplets will be seven feet long and weigh anywhere from 350 to 550 pounds. They will be more than dangerous than cute.
That is a look at the "UpLink" tonight.
So do you ever wonder why some people seem to have no trouble losing weight? We're going to find out what their secret is. Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains in our special series, "Slim Chance." That's coming up in a moment.
Also tonight, jury selection begins in the Martha Stewart case. We're going to find out how high the stakes really are.
And a little later, controversy and conspiracy theories. There are a lot of them. The rumors swirling around the death of Princess Diana. An official inquiry began today. We're going to go to London to sort out fact from fiction.
And that gets us to today's "Buzz." Do you believe Princess Diana's death was an accident? Vote now, cnn.com/360. Results at the end of the program.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Well, today we continue our series "Slim Chance." Yesterday, we told you about four personality types when it comes to diet and exercise. As found by a study commissioned by "Cooking Light" magazine, balancers -- that's what they call them -- they were the most successful eaters. Today we look at exactly how they do it.
Medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has more on the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Research shows that popular programs like the Atkins Diet or the South Beach Diet do help you take off a few pounds. But barely half the balancers have ever tried a formal diet. Their strategy, change just a little at a time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. You start with small steps or small bites. And after repeated behaviors, these things become habit. And sooner or later, you've eaten a whole elephant.
GUPTA: A sense of humor doesn't hurt. And the balancers have other secret that may surprise you. Healthy living does take dedication.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think you have to be really committed to doing it. You have to make sure that you're going to do it no matter what and it's in your book and you have a designated time to do it. Because if it's not scheduled, you're going to find something else that's going to distract you and you're not going to do it.
GUPTA: But it's not a life of sacrifice. There is a reason this group is called the balancers. Eighty-two percent say they designate time to relax, and 59 percent take time to nurture their spiritual side, nearly double the unhealthy group.
The balancers eat mostly healthy food, but...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The balancers really don't feel guilty if they have a slice of cheesecake or any other indulgent food. They really understand the message of variety, moderation and balance. And they simply eat healthier the rest of the day or the rest of the week, and they exercise more to make up for it.
GUPTA: In other words, those new year's resolutions don't really have to hurt after all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Sanjay joins us now.
Sanjay, you know, there are chronic dieters out there. And we all have heard their stories. They go from one diet to another and nothing seems to work. What's the best solution for them?
GUPTA: Well, you know, it's interesting. And I think most people know what the answer is. They know how to eat right and things like that, but everybody wants a shortcut. About 23 percent of men, 40 percent of women -- I looked this up -- are chronic dieters, as you actually define them.
Here's the thing. You know, what happens when you diet is that your body starts to go into what's called starvation mode, thinking that every meal it eats is its last meal. So your body gets really efficient. Whatever you eat, it sort of hangs on to, making it increasingly difficult for you to lose any weight, despite the fact that you are always on a diet.
So the balancers, the people who aren't going to lose 10 pounds within a month, but they're going to slowly keep it steady, are probably going to be your best bet. If you want to eaten an elephant, you have do it one bite at a time, slow but sure.
COOPER: All right. I know how to get big muscles, but it's just a question of actually doing it. Making that next step.
GUPTA: You're always at a desk here, Anderson.
COOPER: Oh, yes, that's my excuse.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: All right. Sanjay, thanks very much for that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): The cult leader on trial for child molestation.
Jury selection has begun in the case against Martha Stewart. Who is the perfect juror?
And Nancy and Tonya, 10 years to the day their Olympic competition turned violent.
We'll be right back.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Time for the "Reset" of tonight's top stories.
Washington D.C.: the White House says President Bush will propose major immigration policy changes in his speech tomorrow. He reportedly wants to let immigrants with jobs enter the U.S. and offer illegal workers already here a track toward legal status.
Also in Washington, CNN has learned there is no longer a Muslim chaplain for the 600-plus terrorism suspects detained at Gitmo. No clerics of any faith have worked there since Army Captain James Yee, a Muslim chaplain, was arrested September 10.
Also from the nation's capital, the USDA says the Holstein with cow disease in Washington State almost certainly came from a dairy farm in Alberta, Canada. Scientists compared the cow's DNA with that of her sire from the Alberta farm.
New York: a jury has selected a World Trade Center memorial design that would turn the footprints of the fallen twin towers into reflective pools. An Israeli-born architect, his design calls for water to cascade over the 9/11 victim names.
That is a look at the "Reset" tonight.
More now on one of our top stories. The first official inquest into the death of Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed. It began today in London more than six years after her death in Paris. And it came hours after a tabloid report, there it is there, in which the "Daily Mirror" newspaper claimed Diana feared Prince Charles wanted to kill her. CNN could not confirm the allegations because the purported words my husband are blacked out in the article.
I spoke with Tania Branigan with "The Guardian" newspaper in London. I asked her exactly how this whole story is playing out across the Atlantic and if the British people actually believe it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TANIA BRANIGAN, "THE GUARDIAN": I'm not sure British people believe it. They've been intrigued by it and startled. Obviously, we knew that Diana claimed somebody was trying to kill her in a car crash. We don't know who was responsible. That's been the shock today. But you have to bear in mind that even the editor of the paper which printed the letter says he thinks it's probably preposterous. But that gives you some idea of how it's gone down here.
COOPER: Preposterous. Yet, if true, it's not saying whether the allegation is true, it does say something about the state of mind she was in?
BRANIGAN: Absolutely. She was, obviously, feeling very vulnerable at the time. I believe the letter goes on to stay she's feeling very low. She just wishes there was somebody there to put their arms around her. I think it reflects the fact she was at a low ebb in her life when she read that letter. I think you have to ask -- sorry. I was going to say you have to bear in mind, if she really thought somebody was trying to kill her in a car crash, how come she wasn't wearing a seat belt when she got into the car from the Ritz that night. That gives you an indication of...
COOPER: How seriously she took it. A formal inquiry has begun today into this. It adjourned quickly. Some surprising news that the coroner has asked the metropolitan police to get involved. I'm a little confused on the details of it.
Do you know why she asked them to get involved and how unusual is this?
BRANIGAN: It's very, very unusual. It was rather startling. We knew the inquest was going to be adjourned straight away. What we didn't know was that the coroner was going to ask the metropolitan police to step in. Basicly, he's asked the country's top policeman to look at all the sorts of allegations, rumors, conspiracy theories floating around Diana's death. Once the police have done that, he will then decide how much should be included in his investigation when the inquest proper opens. There's obviously masses of ground to cover. And that explains why the inquest won't happen for another 12 to 15 months.
COOPER: Because there are hundreds of pages of French documents that have to be translated, because there was a French inquiry already. And that inquiry, which was extensive, found that the cause of death was an accident. It was a car accident.
Do most people in Britain -- do polls show people buy that explanation?
BRANIGAN: Generally, yes, I think people think it was an accident. However, the very fact that the coroner has asked the police to look at it, the fact he's made a statement saying, I know there's a lot of speculation about the idea this might be more than just a traffic accident shows that there is a substantial body of opinion which maybe thinks there might be something more sinister, is intrigued by the conspiracy theories, whether or not they believe them deep down.
COOPER: It is remarkable so long after her death this stories continues to grow and grew today exponentially.
Tania Branigan, we appreciate you joining us from "The Guardian." Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Today's "Buzz question is this. Do you believe princess Diana's death was an accident? Vote now, cnn.com/360. A lot of people voting on this. We will have the results at the end of the program.
Moving on now to justice served. Hundreds of potential jurors in the Martha Stewart case headed to court today. They pulled out something to write have to answered a lot questions. Their answers will decide if they sit in the jury box.
More from CNN Financial correspondent, Allan Chernoff.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New Yorkers summoned for jury duty Tuesday. From this random group may come the dozen who will sit in judgment over Martha Stewart. They filled out questionnaires to determine any biases for or against Ms. Stewart, possible grounds for disqualification. Lawyers say it won't be easy picking a jury for such a public figure.
SETH TAUBE, FORMER SEC PROSECUTOR: Everyone can say I read something about it, I know something about Martha. The issue is can you put that aside.
CHERNOFF: The Stewart team has hired jury consultant Julie Blackman who will help lawyers try to pick jurors most likely to sympathize with the defendant.
MARC MOGIL, JURY SELECTION CONSULTING: She would want someone who is Upper East Side, affluent, a professional career person, someone who dabbles in the stock market every day, perhaps someone who's been audited.
CHERNOFF: In other words, someone who might feel the government is beating up on Martha Stewart. Prosecutors charge Stewart tried to obstruct justice by lying to investigators about her sale of ImClone System stock two years ago. She sold the day before the Food and Drug Administration refused to review ImClone's application for its cancer drug. Stewart maintains she had no inside information and did nothing wrong.
MARTHA STEWART: This is a very, very, very, very shocking thing.
CHERNOFF: But prosecutors intend to bring evidence that Stewart and her stockbroker Peter Bucanovich invented a story to mislead the government.
(on camera): Lawyers for both sides will now review the questionnaires. They will determine who will invited back to be interviewed to actually sit on the jury. A process that will begin on January 20.
Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: So what exactly are lawyers looking for on both sides. We want to talk over tactics with Court TV's Lisa Bloom.
Lisa, good to see you again.
LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Hi, Anderson.
COOPER: The ideal juror for the defense.
BLOOM: I was developing a theory today that women either love or hate, men are more neutral. That turned about to be completely wrong. But learned something interesting doing a highly unscientific poll with everybody around Court TV. Everybody who works in the media business has a personal horror story about Martha Stewart or know somebody who does. And I think the prosecution will be well advised, seriously, anybody in the media business, anyone in the publishing, anyone in the home improvement business, that's who they are going want on their jury.
COOPER: What about economic strata, do you think matters in terms of who they are looking for?
BLOOM: Clearly for the defense. People who are like Martha Stewart are more likely bond with her. Affluent, successful, business people. Also, people who are had bad interaction with the government. Not just the SEC but maybe a bad experience with the IRS.
COOPER: And the ideal juror for the prosecution would be what?
BLOOM: Would be somebody in the media business. There is such a strong negative attitude about her prevalent in this business. So many people have had bad experiences as employees, staff, makeup artist, you name it.
COOPER: I actually, object to the notion that anybody could not judge fairly anyone on a jury. I object to the jury poll notion that you have to -- that these high-priced consultant carefully screen out people because people aren't capable of... BLOOM: There is something to that, because jurors do tend to rise to the occasion. And we hear of studies that they get in the jury room and decide the case based on the evidence. This is a case where the evidence can be interpreted one way or the other. So those attitudes coming in can make a difference.
COOPER: She's expected to be in the jury room for part of this jury selection.
Do you think that's wise?
BLOOM: I think that's a bad idea for both sides. People are less likely to say bad things about someone when they're sitting there in a small room with them. I think people are less likely to express the truth about her if she is sitting right there.
COOPER: But you do think she should testify?
BLOOM: Yes. I think she should testify. I think she was good in the "LARRY KING INTERVIEW." I think she's poised. I think she can speak for herself. I think she should.
COOPER: All right, Lisa Bloom, Court TV, thanks very much.
BLOOM: Thanks.
COOPER: If you don't remember the first trial of Dwight "Malachi" York, did I get his name right? Yes. Dwight "Malachi" York. Well, that's why we call this segment "How Quickly We Forget." Clearly, I forgot. He's the leader of the self-styled Nuwaubian Nation of Moors, a semi-religious pseudo ridiculous group of at items several hundred followers. Today, York's retrial began.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He has called himself a god in flesh. He has called himself a reincarnated Indian chief. "Malachi" York, has even declared he's from somewhere other than earth. This from one follower.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It makes sense he is incarnated from a planet known as Risk.
TUCHMAN: But it's a jail on Earth that's been his home since allegations of child molestation and held without bail. 9500 miles from Egypt, pyramids and other Egyptian artifacts provide a surreal landscape on a central Georgia farm that is the headquarters of "Malichi" York's united Nuwaubian nation of Moors. Ask the sheriff of Putnam County Georgia what the Nuwaubian's are and you'll hear this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I call it a cult.
TUCHMAN: Before arrested "Malichi" York stated.
DWIGHT "MALACHI" YORK, NUWAUBIAN LEADER: Cult in the sense of Jim Jones, that's not fair. Because we've been here five years in Georgia and we have not been involved with anything illegal.
TUCHMAN: However, authorities allege York has molested 13 children who lived at the Georgia farm. He faces federal and state counts. York agreed to a plea bargain on the charges but the federal deal fell apart. So, this week he has begun his trial in Georgia amidst tight security. He could spend the rest of his life in prison. But his attorney Adrian Patrick is viment.
ADRIAN PATRICK, ATTORNEY: He is innocent.
TUCHMAN: And says the world will find out after this three week trial is over.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Amazing case.
China slaughtering cats. They say it's going help fight SARS. Will it some believe it might make better the matters worse. Take a look at that.
It's been 10 years since Nancy Kerrigan asked the question, why me. A look where she and Tonya Harding are today on this strange anniversary of theirs.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Getting a lot of e-mails. Send us an e-mail anytime. Cnn.com/360. We love to hear from you. Try to respond to as many as I can personally.
Well, faced with a fear of return of SARS, China is fighting back. It's began to gather thousands of civet cats and has plans to slaughter them. Why? Well, some experts believe SARS has spread from civet cats to humans, who eat them. But the World Health Organization is casting doubt on the notion. With more on the controversy, joining us now live from Hong Kong, "Wall Street Journal" reporter Matt Pottinger. We appreciate you joining us, Matt.
What about this? WHO is concerned, I guess, about this slaughter of civet cats, because basically they say it might not work. Why might it not work?
MATT POTTINGER, WALL STREET JOURNAL: Well, you're right. The slaughter of civets carries risks of its own. The risks are really two-fold.
For starters, when you sweep into markets and wild animal restaurants to start destroying these animals, you need to wear protective gear, masks, gloves, goggles, protective suits. And some of the officials are doing that. But we're finding that a lot of officials aren't. Some are just going right in with their bare hands. And the WHO is concerned that that could actually expose some of these officials to the SARS virus, if civets are carrying it. I mean, the slaughter is a really gruesome process. People come in and grab the animals and drown them in disinfecting solution, then they take -- ship them away to be incinerated. So there is a risk that this virus could rub off from the fur or be inhaled by people who are handling them.
COOPER: And the other problem that you're discovering -- the other problem that you're discovering is that this may actually drive the whole civet selling process underground?
POTTINGER: Exactly. So what you're seeing is -- as these officials are sweeping across Guangdong (ph) province to get these animals, some of them are finding that these entrepreneurs who own the animals have hidden them. It's not a big surprise. Restaurants that two days ago had civet cat on the menu today are claiming, you know -- we haven't got any civet cats. So this raises the risk that it could -- this whole animal trade could be pushed underground, where it would be out of the reach of officials and regulators.
COOPER: There recently was a new case of SARS in Guangdong (ph) province. What do we know about it? And I guess it's kind of mysterious. A lot isn't really known about it. How much have you been able to find out about it? And how concerned are scientists that you've talked to that this may be a new outbreak?
POTTINGER: Well, well, the good news, first, is that there is -- there is one case. That's bad news, but the good news is there's only one. It was a fairly mild case. The guy has actually recovered and he is going to leave the hospital this week.
And there are no signs that he transmitted the disease to anyone else. So right now we're dealing with one case.
The bad news is, it is still a mystery how this guy got it. He hasn't -- he says that he hasn't been near wild animal markets, he doesn't eat civet cat. So people are really baffled, still, about how this guy got it. So there is a concern that there are going to be more outbreaks, possibly in the coming days and weeks.
COOPER: And that is scary, indeed. Matt Pottinger -- excuse me, we appreciate you joining us. Thanks very much, Matt.
POTTINGER: Sure.
COOPER: Back here in the United States, what's "Playboy's" Hugh Hefner's saying about the nanosecond bride, you know that woman we're talking about, Britney something or other? Find out just ahead, on "The Current."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Time to check out some pop news in tonight's "Current."
Let's take a look. "Variety" reports that Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane have struck a deal to turn "The Producers" into a movie. If the movie is a hit, it could later be adapted as a Broadway show. Hugh Hefner tells "Us Weekly" he has got his eye on a pretty young thing who just recently reentered the dating game. That's right, Hefner says Britney Spears would make a great girlfriend. Good to see Hef's open-minded about dating women closer to his own age these days.
ABC says Star Jones made use of a nude beach during a recent trip to Jamaica, giving new meaning to the name of her show, "The View."
NBC's "Average Joe" is the number one show among households with an income above $75,000, according to "USA Today." No explanation for why well-off people would enjoy watching average guys get the shaft. And that's a look at "The Current" tonight.
Now an infamous day in sports. The cry of pain heard around the world. Hard to believe but it is actually today the tenth anniversary, that attack that blew the lid off the rivalry between Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding. Ten years ago, today. CNN's Josie Burke remembers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NANCY KERRIGAN, FIGURE SKATER: And he just, like, whacked me with this long black stick.
TONYA HARDING, FIGURE SKATER: It's disappointing that you guys would even ask me that question because I mean, gosh, if anybody wanted to beat her, it was me. If anybody wanted to compete with her it was me.
JOSIE BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nancy Kerrigan was the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) with the toothy smile. Tonya Harding was the scrapper from the wrong side of the tracks and ten years after the bizarre moment that linked their names forever, they remain worlds apart.
Kerrigan will enter the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame on Friday night. Harding is in training for a pay-per-view boxing match in Idaho.
The "whack around the world" brought a touch of soap opera to skating. And while Kerrigan has largely fled the spotlight, for Harding, the show has yet to end.
She pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to hinder prosecution and was banned from amateur competition for life. Things didn't get much better from there.
Harding found herself starring in a wedding night sex video with her then husband Jeff Gillooly, the brains behind the Kerrigan assault. In 2000, Harding spent a week performing community service after she assaulted another ex-husband with a hubcap.
Then Harding found her true calling.
HARDING: It is my goal to be a future undisputed bantam weight champion.
BURKE: Harding has a 3-2 record in the ring. She lost her last match in the parking lot of a Dallas strip club.
Kerrigan's last decade has been serene by comparison. She make some public appearances but she does not box.
Josie Burke, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Well, earlier this morning, I was supposed to go to the studio of legendary photographer Francesco Scavullo. I was going to interview him about his work. It would be great, we thought, to watch the man who'd been watching us keenly, coolly, elegantly, for so long.
I didn't interview him this morning because we were told he had collapsed. A few hours ago we heard the news. Francesco Scavullo, master of fashion, master of the portrait, master of the magazine cover had died.
He was 81 years old.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): Whether you knew his name or not you knew his work. It was everywhere, on glossy covers at the newsstand, on gallery and museum walls, on bookstore shelves.
If our age had a look, he provided it. He photographed the famous, of course, just about every celebrity you can name but the truth is that in a Scavullo photograph you looked famous whether you were or not. That may have been his secret. He didn't simply photograph fame, he somehow created it.
FRANCESCO SCAVULLO, PHOTOGRAPHER: OK. Good girl. Come to the light.
COOPER: For 50 years, Francesco Scavullo captured an entire time. Beautifully dressed, beautifully undressed, beautifully unforgettable.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Well, the pictures from Mars are amazing. In a moment, we're going to salute the former nerds who took science to the Nth degree and became a lot cooler than us in the process.
Plus, tomorrow, she's heading for court, accused of drowning three children. Her own three children. The crime is unthinkable. What could have made her do it. Join us tomorrow for that.
First, today's "Buzz." You still have some time to get in on it. "Do you believe Princess Diana's death was an accident?" Let us know. CNN.com/360. Results when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: We have some new information just in to CNN. Investigators are still searching right now for a man who failed to show up for an Air France flight on December 24. Government sources tell CNN he could be a trained pilot with possible ties to al Qaeda.
Officials want to know if the missing passenger is the same person whose name is on a U.S. terrorism watch list. We had known before that a person with alleged pilot training had been on the flight. They are now actively searching for this man. He did not show up when the flight was canceled. More information on this as it becomes available to us here at CNN.
Now, let's look at our "Buzz" question tonight. We asked you, "do you believe Princess Diana's death was an accident?" Here's what you said. 39 percent said yes. 61 percent said no. Interesting. Not a scientific poll. It is your viewer "Buzz."
Tonight, the men and women who take science to the Nth degree. These are some of the people working on the current Mars mission out of NASA's jet propulsion laboratory.
And these are some of the new historic pictures they've made possible. For months and years they have devoted most of their waking life, the numbers and the sciences, physics, astrophysics, engineering, geology, evolutionary biology and more required to make this mission succeed.
In other words, they spent their lives studying the stuff that so many of us not only actively dislike, math and science, we actually make fun of people smart enough not just to get it, but to understand why it is fascinating and why it matters.
In high school, they were the nerds. Then, a hundred million miles away a robot on the surface of Mars, 100 degrees below zero, looked up, found the earth in the Martian sky and said hello.
In that moment, as they celebrated a victory greater than most of us can comprehend, we realize that now in the 21st century, yesterday's nerds are today's superstars.
Sure, you won't see them on the cover of "US Weekly" or interviewed on "Entertainment Tonight." They are not Botox beauties and they don't get paid millions just to play ball.
But these men and women and their predecessors, they conquered another planet. We benefit not only from their talent and dedication, but from the greatest gift they have given us, the future. That wraps up our program tonight.
Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Death>
Aired January 6, 2004 - 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): Some countries won't follow tough terror rules. What will the U.S. do about it?
A murderer is medicated to stay sane just so he can be put to death.
Shocking new details emerge about who Diana thought was out to kill her.
Nancy and Tonya, 10 years to the day their Olympic competition turned violent.
A cult leader on trial for preying on children.
Stunning imagines from another world: new colored pictures today from the Red Planet.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.
COOPER: Good evening. Welcome to 360.
High drama on the high seas captured on tape. Look at this. Smugglers frantically dumping drugs off a boat in the Persian Gulf as the U.S. Navy closes in. Three ships packed with drugs have been seized in the Gulf recently. The question tonight: is al Qaeda in the smuggling business? We'll have details on all of that in a moment.
Our top story right now, fear and vigilance in the skies. Some scary moments aboard a flight from Paris to Cincinnati today. Earlier, it started in Europe. A woman with wires hidden in her jacket was taken off Delta Flight 43.
The flight took off. The woman was found not to be a threat. But concerned security officials ordered a fighter jet escort for at least part of the plane's flight path.
Gary Tuchman joins live with the latest -- Gary.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, relatively minor situations become much more serious when the country is under orange alert. Case and point, as you said, Delta Flight 43 arriving here in Cincinnati about three hours ago. Passengers disembarking on the tarmac, going through security again after a woman tried to board the plane in Paris, a 22-year-old woman from Saudi Arabia with a Jordanian passport, who was an electrical engineer, who had wires hanging from her coat.
She was checked thoroughly. It was determined the wires were to keep the coat warm. It was a heated jacket.
So officials in Paris said she wasn't suspicious, put her on another plane to the United States. Nevertheless, this plane, as it left Paris heading to Cincinnati about an hour 20 minutes into the flight, we talked to a couple on the plane who were told by the pilot that they had to remain in their seats. If they needed to go to the bathroom, they would have to go with an escort.
This woman told us that she assumed because it was a security situation, according to the pilot, there would be a military escort. Indeed, sources are telling us there was a military plane escort.
She said she saw nothing out the window as she looked. She said people remained calm on the plane. And then when the plane arrived here in Cincinnati, this woman who was on the plane tells us 11 people were taken off the plane before the rest of the passengers.
The FBI as of now is not commenting why 11 people were taken off the plane before everybody else. But the very important point to tell everybody, all is well here in Cincinnati.
Anderson, back you to.
COOPER: All right. A sign of the times. Gary Tuchman, thanks very much.
Now to London. A traffic accident or murder? Today, a formal inquest began into the death of Princess Diana in a Paris car crash. And a London tabloid printed a note said to be from the princess warning that her husband, Prince Charles, was trying to kill her.
Senior international correspondent, Sheila MacVicar, has all the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): More than six years after they walked out the back door of the Ritz Hotel in Paris and climbed into that car, the British inquests into the deaths of Diana, Princess of whales, and her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, is opened. Michael Burgess is the coroner. His job is to determine how they died.
The French investigation, which runs to 6,000 pages, included the accident was caused by their drunk driver. But since their deaths, conspiracy theories have multiplied. Dodi's father refuses to believe their deaths were an accident.
MOHAMMED AL FAYED, DODI FAYED'S FATHER: It is absolute black and White horrendous murder.
MACVICAR: And other conspiracists got a bonanza, as this British tabloid published the name of the man Diana had written 10 months before her death wanted to kill her in a car accident: her then ex- husband, Prince Charles, a suggestion which has been dismissed as preposterous. The coroner will spend the next 12 months or so sifting through the French investigative report and deciding which witnesses he will call.
SALLY CARTWRIGHT, "ROYAL WATCHER": The coroner will be looking at questions like whether there is a possibility that the car was tampered with, whether Henri Paul, the chauffeur, was, in fact, drunk. So all these theories will be given an airing.
MACVICAR: And at the end, the expectation, indeed the hope, is that the coroner will be able to draw a line under these deaths and to say with certainty what happened that night in that tunnel in Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACVICAR: Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell, who was the recipient of that letter that Diana wrote, has said that he is very distressed that the name of Prince Charles has come into the public, that he never intended it to become public, and that he is talking to both his lawyer and his agent -- Anderson.
COOPER: Although he did mention the note in his book, although he didn't name the name. Has there been any official response right now from Buckingham Palace?
MACVICAR: Buckingham Palace is saying absolutely nothing. But friends of Prince Charles and those who are former employees of the prince have said that they believe that this story is beyond belief, it is preposterous, as indeed has the editor of the "Daily Mirror," Piers Morgan, who published the story. He has said he too believes it's preposterous and that it speaks more to the princess's state of mind at that time, 10 months before she died, shortly after her very difficult divorce from Prince Charles.
COOPER: All right. We're going to look at the story more a little bit later on. Sheila MacVicar, thanks very much, live from London.
And we want to hear from you tonight. The "Buzz" question is this: Do you believe Princess Diana's death was an accident? Vote now, cnn.com/360. We will have results at the end of the program. And like I said, we'll discuss this a little bit more in about 20 minutes or so.
Today, NASA released the sharpest photo ever taken on the surface of the Red Planet. It is a full color, panoramic image, the likes of which, well, it's just never been seen before. Miles O'Brien has the picture and the story behind it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mars in color. The question for scientists, is it living? There is no denying the first color postcards from Spirit are spectacular in all their sepia, gray, and grim glory.
JIM BELL, MARS MISSION SCIENTIST: I think my reaction has been one of shock and awe.
O'BRIEN: But there is also some shock that they show no signs that this is was once a dry lake bed, as scientists expected when they chose this crater as a landing site.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now there is not a lot in that scene that's very compelling to tell us that water was there.
O'BRIEN: But that doesn't mean there is a shortage of intriguing places for Spirit to go and check out rocks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's possible that water was involved here. It's just there's no smoking gun that we've seen so far.
O'BRIEN: The pictures do show plenty of evidence this is a very windy place. There are trails of debris behind rocks that appear sandblasted, clean, round and smooth.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're estimating winds right now on the surface may be as high as 30 to 50 miles an hour.
O'BRIEN: And there is this mysterious clump of material right near Spirit's wheels. It was scraped as the rover retracted its air bags. No one is sure what it might be. Each image, each mystery is spurring the Spirit team on.
JULIE TOWNSEND, MARS MISSION ENGINEER: Still a lot of applause every time we get a new image down, every time we accomplish a new objective in our egress routine. Everybody is just on cloud nine because everything is going so well.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: NASA also released one other image today captured by the Spirit's navigation cameras. It shows the backside of the high gain (ph) antenna which has been feeding back those wonderful pictures. On it is a plaque which is a memorial to the seven-member crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia who perished February 1, 2003 -- Anderson.
COOPER: Just unbelievable images today. Miles O'Brien, thanks for that.
We go to Arkansas now, where in just two hours a double execution is set to begin. One of the inmates is mentally ill, rational only when medicated. His lawyer is trying to stop the execution. The inmate, however, says he is tired of the voices in his head.
CNN's Brian Cabell is there. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Charles Singleton says he's ready for his execution.
CHARLES SINGLETON, DEATH ROW INMATE: Death is an illusion. They lie to us about life. They'll lie to us about death.
CABELL: Psychiatrists have diagnosed him as paranoid schizophrenic, someone who is rational only when he takes his medication. Otherwise, authorities concede, he's legally insane.
SINGLETON: I've been tormented, persecuted and manipulate and terrorized. That's what I've been now (ph).
CABELL: Singleton was convicted of killing a woman 24 years ago during a robbery of a small grocery store. He's been on death row ever since. Doctors say his mind has deteriorated over the last several years, and the question was raised, can the state execute a man who's sane only when he's medicated?
A federal appeals court has ruled yes. And the U.S. Supreme Court has refused to intervene.
So Charles Singleton faces execution this evening. He's eaten his last meal, all vegetarian. He's met with his family for the last time.
DINA TYLER, ARKANSAS DEPT. OF CORRECTION: His mood has really not changed since he got here. It has not gone up or down. It has appeared to be just another day.
CABELL (on camera): He's ready to die?
TYLER: He has said that repeatedly. He said it from the time of his clemency hearing on. And he has not wavered. I haven't heard him say anything differently other than it's time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CABELL: And late this afternoon the governor of Arkansas refused a request for clemency by Singleton's lawyer. That was made without Singleton's consent. The only possible chance for reconsideration now would be if Singleton himself asks for clemency. That seems highly unlikely.
Right now, he's in a quiet room adjacent to the execution room. And barring any last-minute surprises, Anderson, in less than two hours he will die by lethal injection.
COOPER: All right. Brian Cabell, live in Arkansas. We'll follow this story throughout the next two hours. Brian, thanks very much.
In the Persian Gulf, a dramatic drug bust is raising new concerns about al Qaeda's possible involvement in drug smuggling. As you are about to learn, dozens of alleged smugglers have been detained, and millions of dollars worth of drugs seized, some of it caught on tape.
Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Navy boarding team came up one side of the boat just as the crew frantically dumped 200 bags over the other side believed to contain heroin valued at $86,000 per pound. Just one of three ships seized in the Persian Gulf in recent days carrying a total of more than $20 million in hashish, heroin and other illegal drugs, and crewmembers with ties to terrorists.
After the first seizure on December 15, the U.S. Navy said an initial investigation uncovered clear ties between the smuggling operation and al Qaeda. Thirty-three crewmembers are in custody. Ten are now at Bahram Air Base in Afghanistan undergoing interrogation.
On Sunday, the Navy destroyed one of the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) which contained 2,800 pounds of hashish with a street value of $11 million. For those tracking al Qaeda, it is a sign of their need for new sources of cash beyond their diamond, gold and illegal banking endeavors.
PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: These new shipments demonstrate, if they really are linked back to al Qaeda, something new. What it means exactly remains to be seen. Is it a sign of desperation or is it a sign of opportunism? You know, it's still too early to tell.
STARR (on camera): The ships (UNINTELLIGIBLE) drug smuggling route through the Persian Gulf that the Navy says it will continue to watch, hoping to dry up a potential emerging source of cash for al Qaeda financiers.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: I want to give you a quick news note on terror and drugs. Before the war in Afghanistan, the Taliban reaped more than $40 million a year from poppy production. They are gone but the poppies remain. And, in fact, production is on the rise.
Despite a ban imposed by the interim administration in Kabul, the U.N. says Afghan farmers' total revenue from opium last year was more than a billion dollars. Some terrorists groups have long been involved with drugs. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia -- these guys seen here -- they're also known as FARC -- they fund terrorist activities by exporting cocaine. Exporting cocaine brings cartels an estimated $500 million to a billion dollars each year.
Let's quickly get you up to speed on some other important stories we're following right now "Cross Country."
New York: police shooting case settled. New York City is going to pay $3 million to the family of this man, an unarmed African immigrant shot to death by undercover police in 1999. The city today settled the wrongful death suit brought by the parents of Amadou Diallo.
Washington: clergy sex abuse. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops says an audit shows the Roman Catholic Church is making solid progress in dealing with sex abuse by priests. But victims' groups are skeptical about the report's positive claims.
Kalamazoo, Michigan: Righteous Brothers' death. An autopsy report shows cocaine triggered the November death of Righteous Brothers singer Bobby Hatfield. Singing partner Bill Medley says he's shocked and never knew that 63-year-old Hatfield even used the drug.
New York: Yahoo! dumping Google. Several published reports that Yahoo! will drop Google, the number one Web search engine, in a few months. Yahoo! has invested more than $2 billion to develop its own search technologies. So they're getting rid of Google, apparently.
And that's a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight.
Lottery madness in Ohio. First, a woman claims she lost the winning ticket. Now another woman steps forward to take the jackpot. Find out who's really going to go home with the Mega Millions. And a lot of money at stake.
Plus, the case against Martha Stewart. The hunt begins for a jury of her peers. We'll take a closer look at that.
And slaughtering thousands of cats. Will China's plan to stop the spread of SARS actually backfire? We're going to take a closer look at that.
First tonight, let's look "Inside the Box" at the top stories on tonight's network newscasts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: In Ohio tonight, a prize plot twist. A woman comes forward with the winning ticket from last week's Mega Millions multi- state lottery drawing, but another woman says the loot actually belongs to her. The whole thing has got the attention of the police.
CNN's David Mattingly has more on the lottery madness.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a hard luck story of lottery anguish that had everyone talking. An Ohio woman claims she lost a winning ticket worth $162 million after she dropped her purse in a convenience store parking lot.
ELECIA BATTLE, CLAIMS SHE LOST WINNING LOTTERY TICKET: And the ticket, I lost it. It's mine. It's my property. And no one can cash it in. MATTINGLY: Elecia Battle reported her misfortune to police Monday, who said they had no reason to think she was lying. Hearing the news, more than two dozen people swarmed the store parking lot in a snowy Cleveland suburb looking for the lost ticket with flashlights.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm trying to become a millionaire.
MATTINGLY: But in the morning, it turns out the ticket wasn't lost at all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow!
MATTINGLY: Wow, indeed. Ohio lottery officials say hospital employee Rebecca Jemison is the true mega millionaire, producing both the winning ticket and the receipt from the store at the time she bought it. Angered, she says, by the other woman's claims, Jemison checked with an accountant and a lawyer before coming forward.
REBECCA JEMISON, MEGA MILLIONS WINNER: I knew that what I possessed. I knew the proof I had. So it didn't bother me at all.
MATTINGLY: Beating the odds exceeding 135 million to one, Jemison opted to take a single cash payout worth $67 million after taxes. Police are looking into Elecia Battle's story and the possibility she filed a false police report, something that carries a penalty of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
David Mattingly, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Interesting. Who do you believe?
Anyway, Senator Hillary Clinton is on the defensive tonight. She's apologizing for joking about former Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi at a fund-raiser over the weekend in St. Louis, Missouri. Clinton was about to introduce a Senate candidate when she admits she made this -- what she called a, "lame attempt at humor." Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: As I introduce her, I want to end with her favorite quote, because I love this quote. It's from Mahatma Gandhi. He ran a gas station down in St. Louis for a couple of years. Mr. Gandhi, do you still go to the gas station? A lot of wisdom comes out of the gas station.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: When asked to clarify what she said, Clinton released a statement saying she admired Gandhi and never meant to fuel the stereotype that certain ethnic groups run gas stations.
Well, in Des Moines, Iowa, the clock is ticking and the gloves are off. Today, in a two-hour Democratic presidential debate, candidates tried to knock down the undisputed frontrunner, Howard Dean. Dean's campaign shows no sign of slowing down. Today, in fact, he picked up another key endorsement.
CNN senior political correspondent, Candy Crowley, has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Looking to keep the mojo going and make his frontrunner status a reality, Howard Dean sprinted from New Hampshire to Iowa, a new campaign buddy in tow.
BILL BRADLEY, FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The Dean campaign is one of the best things to happen to American democracy in decades.
CROWLEY: From a love fest at headquarters down the street to a less friendly neighborhood, a National Public Radio debate, where Dean and Richard Gephardt were hit on their plans to reveal all of the president's tax cuts, emphasis on Dean.
SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D-CT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That would cost middle class families in New Hampshire, an average family, $2,000 a year that they worked so hard for. He would take it back.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And so he's going to increase the burden on middle class America.
HOWARD DEAN (D), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think respectfully what John just said is hogwash.
CROWLEY: A two-hour radio debate is a rare opportunity to sit, because mostly now they race from house party to church gathering to meeting hall.
KERRY: Thank you for coming on a cold day that might even make you saddle up to Dick Cheney for warmth.
CROWLEY: The assumption is that Iowa is between Gephardt and Dean, that the others are running for third, that the caucuses are hard to poll, harder to predict.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D), NORTH CAROLINA: Oh, I expect to do very well here in the state of Iowa. We've got huge momentum.
CROWLEY: No one is really sure what's happening out there. And for some of the '04s, there is comfort in that.
Candy Crowley, CNN, Des Moines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: We are following a number of international stories for you right now. Let's check the "UpLink."
Southern Afghanistan: bicycle bomb. At least 10 people are killed, eight of them children playing on the side of the street. Twenty-three people injured. A soldier says authorities arrested a man who was spotted running away from the scene before the explosion.
Basra, Iraq: protests turn violent. Take a look at this. Iraq police open fire on about 6,000 former Iraqi soldiers as they try to enter a bank.
Now, that's after they stage a protest demanding their salaries. They say they haven't been paid since September. Some rocks were thrown, as you see there. Witnesses say at least two people were injured.
North of Baghdad: graduation day. The 2nd battalion of the new U.S.-formed Iraqi army. The 2nd brigade comprises 700 recruits who just completed their nine-week training program. The U.S. plans to train 40,000 soldiers as part of the new Iraqi army.
Buenos Aires, Argentina: rare tigers. Visitors are getting their first look at six pretty cute white tiger cubs born in November, three males, three females. Eventually, each of these sextuplets will be seven feet long and weigh anywhere from 350 to 550 pounds. They will be more than dangerous than cute.
That is a look at the "UpLink" tonight.
So do you ever wonder why some people seem to have no trouble losing weight? We're going to find out what their secret is. Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains in our special series, "Slim Chance." That's coming up in a moment.
Also tonight, jury selection begins in the Martha Stewart case. We're going to find out how high the stakes really are.
And a little later, controversy and conspiracy theories. There are a lot of them. The rumors swirling around the death of Princess Diana. An official inquiry began today. We're going to go to London to sort out fact from fiction.
And that gets us to today's "Buzz." Do you believe Princess Diana's death was an accident? Vote now, cnn.com/360. Results at the end of the program.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Well, today we continue our series "Slim Chance." Yesterday, we told you about four personality types when it comes to diet and exercise. As found by a study commissioned by "Cooking Light" magazine, balancers -- that's what they call them -- they were the most successful eaters. Today we look at exactly how they do it.
Medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has more on the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Research shows that popular programs like the Atkins Diet or the South Beach Diet do help you take off a few pounds. But barely half the balancers have ever tried a formal diet. Their strategy, change just a little at a time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. You start with small steps or small bites. And after repeated behaviors, these things become habit. And sooner or later, you've eaten a whole elephant.
GUPTA: A sense of humor doesn't hurt. And the balancers have other secret that may surprise you. Healthy living does take dedication.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think you have to be really committed to doing it. You have to make sure that you're going to do it no matter what and it's in your book and you have a designated time to do it. Because if it's not scheduled, you're going to find something else that's going to distract you and you're not going to do it.
GUPTA: But it's not a life of sacrifice. There is a reason this group is called the balancers. Eighty-two percent say they designate time to relax, and 59 percent take time to nurture their spiritual side, nearly double the unhealthy group.
The balancers eat mostly healthy food, but...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The balancers really don't feel guilty if they have a slice of cheesecake or any other indulgent food. They really understand the message of variety, moderation and balance. And they simply eat healthier the rest of the day or the rest of the week, and they exercise more to make up for it.
GUPTA: In other words, those new year's resolutions don't really have to hurt after all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Sanjay joins us now.
Sanjay, you know, there are chronic dieters out there. And we all have heard their stories. They go from one diet to another and nothing seems to work. What's the best solution for them?
GUPTA: Well, you know, it's interesting. And I think most people know what the answer is. They know how to eat right and things like that, but everybody wants a shortcut. About 23 percent of men, 40 percent of women -- I looked this up -- are chronic dieters, as you actually define them.
Here's the thing. You know, what happens when you diet is that your body starts to go into what's called starvation mode, thinking that every meal it eats is its last meal. So your body gets really efficient. Whatever you eat, it sort of hangs on to, making it increasingly difficult for you to lose any weight, despite the fact that you are always on a diet.
So the balancers, the people who aren't going to lose 10 pounds within a month, but they're going to slowly keep it steady, are probably going to be your best bet. If you want to eaten an elephant, you have do it one bite at a time, slow but sure.
COOPER: All right. I know how to get big muscles, but it's just a question of actually doing it. Making that next step.
GUPTA: You're always at a desk here, Anderson.
COOPER: Oh, yes, that's my excuse.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: All right. Sanjay, thanks very much for that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): The cult leader on trial for child molestation.
Jury selection has begun in the case against Martha Stewart. Who is the perfect juror?
And Nancy and Tonya, 10 years to the day their Olympic competition turned violent.
We'll be right back.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Time for the "Reset" of tonight's top stories.
Washington D.C.: the White House says President Bush will propose major immigration policy changes in his speech tomorrow. He reportedly wants to let immigrants with jobs enter the U.S. and offer illegal workers already here a track toward legal status.
Also in Washington, CNN has learned there is no longer a Muslim chaplain for the 600-plus terrorism suspects detained at Gitmo. No clerics of any faith have worked there since Army Captain James Yee, a Muslim chaplain, was arrested September 10.
Also from the nation's capital, the USDA says the Holstein with cow disease in Washington State almost certainly came from a dairy farm in Alberta, Canada. Scientists compared the cow's DNA with that of her sire from the Alberta farm.
New York: a jury has selected a World Trade Center memorial design that would turn the footprints of the fallen twin towers into reflective pools. An Israeli-born architect, his design calls for water to cascade over the 9/11 victim names.
That is a look at the "Reset" tonight.
More now on one of our top stories. The first official inquest into the death of Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed. It began today in London more than six years after her death in Paris. And it came hours after a tabloid report, there it is there, in which the "Daily Mirror" newspaper claimed Diana feared Prince Charles wanted to kill her. CNN could not confirm the allegations because the purported words my husband are blacked out in the article.
I spoke with Tania Branigan with "The Guardian" newspaper in London. I asked her exactly how this whole story is playing out across the Atlantic and if the British people actually believe it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TANIA BRANIGAN, "THE GUARDIAN": I'm not sure British people believe it. They've been intrigued by it and startled. Obviously, we knew that Diana claimed somebody was trying to kill her in a car crash. We don't know who was responsible. That's been the shock today. But you have to bear in mind that even the editor of the paper which printed the letter says he thinks it's probably preposterous. But that gives you some idea of how it's gone down here.
COOPER: Preposterous. Yet, if true, it's not saying whether the allegation is true, it does say something about the state of mind she was in?
BRANIGAN: Absolutely. She was, obviously, feeling very vulnerable at the time. I believe the letter goes on to stay she's feeling very low. She just wishes there was somebody there to put their arms around her. I think it reflects the fact she was at a low ebb in her life when she read that letter. I think you have to ask -- sorry. I was going to say you have to bear in mind, if she really thought somebody was trying to kill her in a car crash, how come she wasn't wearing a seat belt when she got into the car from the Ritz that night. That gives you an indication of...
COOPER: How seriously she took it. A formal inquiry has begun today into this. It adjourned quickly. Some surprising news that the coroner has asked the metropolitan police to get involved. I'm a little confused on the details of it.
Do you know why she asked them to get involved and how unusual is this?
BRANIGAN: It's very, very unusual. It was rather startling. We knew the inquest was going to be adjourned straight away. What we didn't know was that the coroner was going to ask the metropolitan police to step in. Basicly, he's asked the country's top policeman to look at all the sorts of allegations, rumors, conspiracy theories floating around Diana's death. Once the police have done that, he will then decide how much should be included in his investigation when the inquest proper opens. There's obviously masses of ground to cover. And that explains why the inquest won't happen for another 12 to 15 months.
COOPER: Because there are hundreds of pages of French documents that have to be translated, because there was a French inquiry already. And that inquiry, which was extensive, found that the cause of death was an accident. It was a car accident.
Do most people in Britain -- do polls show people buy that explanation?
BRANIGAN: Generally, yes, I think people think it was an accident. However, the very fact that the coroner has asked the police to look at it, the fact he's made a statement saying, I know there's a lot of speculation about the idea this might be more than just a traffic accident shows that there is a substantial body of opinion which maybe thinks there might be something more sinister, is intrigued by the conspiracy theories, whether or not they believe them deep down.
COOPER: It is remarkable so long after her death this stories continues to grow and grew today exponentially.
Tania Branigan, we appreciate you joining us from "The Guardian." Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Today's "Buzz question is this. Do you believe princess Diana's death was an accident? Vote now, cnn.com/360. A lot of people voting on this. We will have the results at the end of the program.
Moving on now to justice served. Hundreds of potential jurors in the Martha Stewart case headed to court today. They pulled out something to write have to answered a lot questions. Their answers will decide if they sit in the jury box.
More from CNN Financial correspondent, Allan Chernoff.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New Yorkers summoned for jury duty Tuesday. From this random group may come the dozen who will sit in judgment over Martha Stewart. They filled out questionnaires to determine any biases for or against Ms. Stewart, possible grounds for disqualification. Lawyers say it won't be easy picking a jury for such a public figure.
SETH TAUBE, FORMER SEC PROSECUTOR: Everyone can say I read something about it, I know something about Martha. The issue is can you put that aside.
CHERNOFF: The Stewart team has hired jury consultant Julie Blackman who will help lawyers try to pick jurors most likely to sympathize with the defendant.
MARC MOGIL, JURY SELECTION CONSULTING: She would want someone who is Upper East Side, affluent, a professional career person, someone who dabbles in the stock market every day, perhaps someone who's been audited.
CHERNOFF: In other words, someone who might feel the government is beating up on Martha Stewart. Prosecutors charge Stewart tried to obstruct justice by lying to investigators about her sale of ImClone System stock two years ago. She sold the day before the Food and Drug Administration refused to review ImClone's application for its cancer drug. Stewart maintains she had no inside information and did nothing wrong.
MARTHA STEWART: This is a very, very, very, very shocking thing.
CHERNOFF: But prosecutors intend to bring evidence that Stewart and her stockbroker Peter Bucanovich invented a story to mislead the government.
(on camera): Lawyers for both sides will now review the questionnaires. They will determine who will invited back to be interviewed to actually sit on the jury. A process that will begin on January 20.
Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: So what exactly are lawyers looking for on both sides. We want to talk over tactics with Court TV's Lisa Bloom.
Lisa, good to see you again.
LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Hi, Anderson.
COOPER: The ideal juror for the defense.
BLOOM: I was developing a theory today that women either love or hate, men are more neutral. That turned about to be completely wrong. But learned something interesting doing a highly unscientific poll with everybody around Court TV. Everybody who works in the media business has a personal horror story about Martha Stewart or know somebody who does. And I think the prosecution will be well advised, seriously, anybody in the media business, anyone in the publishing, anyone in the home improvement business, that's who they are going want on their jury.
COOPER: What about economic strata, do you think matters in terms of who they are looking for?
BLOOM: Clearly for the defense. People who are like Martha Stewart are more likely bond with her. Affluent, successful, business people. Also, people who are had bad interaction with the government. Not just the SEC but maybe a bad experience with the IRS.
COOPER: And the ideal juror for the prosecution would be what?
BLOOM: Would be somebody in the media business. There is such a strong negative attitude about her prevalent in this business. So many people have had bad experiences as employees, staff, makeup artist, you name it.
COOPER: I actually, object to the notion that anybody could not judge fairly anyone on a jury. I object to the jury poll notion that you have to -- that these high-priced consultant carefully screen out people because people aren't capable of... BLOOM: There is something to that, because jurors do tend to rise to the occasion. And we hear of studies that they get in the jury room and decide the case based on the evidence. This is a case where the evidence can be interpreted one way or the other. So those attitudes coming in can make a difference.
COOPER: She's expected to be in the jury room for part of this jury selection.
Do you think that's wise?
BLOOM: I think that's a bad idea for both sides. People are less likely to say bad things about someone when they're sitting there in a small room with them. I think people are less likely to express the truth about her if she is sitting right there.
COOPER: But you do think she should testify?
BLOOM: Yes. I think she should testify. I think she was good in the "LARRY KING INTERVIEW." I think she's poised. I think she can speak for herself. I think she should.
COOPER: All right, Lisa Bloom, Court TV, thanks very much.
BLOOM: Thanks.
COOPER: If you don't remember the first trial of Dwight "Malachi" York, did I get his name right? Yes. Dwight "Malachi" York. Well, that's why we call this segment "How Quickly We Forget." Clearly, I forgot. He's the leader of the self-styled Nuwaubian Nation of Moors, a semi-religious pseudo ridiculous group of at items several hundred followers. Today, York's retrial began.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He has called himself a god in flesh. He has called himself a reincarnated Indian chief. "Malachi" York, has even declared he's from somewhere other than earth. This from one follower.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It makes sense he is incarnated from a planet known as Risk.
TUCHMAN: But it's a jail on Earth that's been his home since allegations of child molestation and held without bail. 9500 miles from Egypt, pyramids and other Egyptian artifacts provide a surreal landscape on a central Georgia farm that is the headquarters of "Malichi" York's united Nuwaubian nation of Moors. Ask the sheriff of Putnam County Georgia what the Nuwaubian's are and you'll hear this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I call it a cult.
TUCHMAN: Before arrested "Malichi" York stated.
DWIGHT "MALACHI" YORK, NUWAUBIAN LEADER: Cult in the sense of Jim Jones, that's not fair. Because we've been here five years in Georgia and we have not been involved with anything illegal.
TUCHMAN: However, authorities allege York has molested 13 children who lived at the Georgia farm. He faces federal and state counts. York agreed to a plea bargain on the charges but the federal deal fell apart. So, this week he has begun his trial in Georgia amidst tight security. He could spend the rest of his life in prison. But his attorney Adrian Patrick is viment.
ADRIAN PATRICK, ATTORNEY: He is innocent.
TUCHMAN: And says the world will find out after this three week trial is over.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Amazing case.
China slaughtering cats. They say it's going help fight SARS. Will it some believe it might make better the matters worse. Take a look at that.
It's been 10 years since Nancy Kerrigan asked the question, why me. A look where she and Tonya Harding are today on this strange anniversary of theirs.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Getting a lot of e-mails. Send us an e-mail anytime. Cnn.com/360. We love to hear from you. Try to respond to as many as I can personally.
Well, faced with a fear of return of SARS, China is fighting back. It's began to gather thousands of civet cats and has plans to slaughter them. Why? Well, some experts believe SARS has spread from civet cats to humans, who eat them. But the World Health Organization is casting doubt on the notion. With more on the controversy, joining us now live from Hong Kong, "Wall Street Journal" reporter Matt Pottinger. We appreciate you joining us, Matt.
What about this? WHO is concerned, I guess, about this slaughter of civet cats, because basically they say it might not work. Why might it not work?
MATT POTTINGER, WALL STREET JOURNAL: Well, you're right. The slaughter of civets carries risks of its own. The risks are really two-fold.
For starters, when you sweep into markets and wild animal restaurants to start destroying these animals, you need to wear protective gear, masks, gloves, goggles, protective suits. And some of the officials are doing that. But we're finding that a lot of officials aren't. Some are just going right in with their bare hands. And the WHO is concerned that that could actually expose some of these officials to the SARS virus, if civets are carrying it. I mean, the slaughter is a really gruesome process. People come in and grab the animals and drown them in disinfecting solution, then they take -- ship them away to be incinerated. So there is a risk that this virus could rub off from the fur or be inhaled by people who are handling them.
COOPER: And the other problem that you're discovering -- the other problem that you're discovering is that this may actually drive the whole civet selling process underground?
POTTINGER: Exactly. So what you're seeing is -- as these officials are sweeping across Guangdong (ph) province to get these animals, some of them are finding that these entrepreneurs who own the animals have hidden them. It's not a big surprise. Restaurants that two days ago had civet cat on the menu today are claiming, you know -- we haven't got any civet cats. So this raises the risk that it could -- this whole animal trade could be pushed underground, where it would be out of the reach of officials and regulators.
COOPER: There recently was a new case of SARS in Guangdong (ph) province. What do we know about it? And I guess it's kind of mysterious. A lot isn't really known about it. How much have you been able to find out about it? And how concerned are scientists that you've talked to that this may be a new outbreak?
POTTINGER: Well, well, the good news, first, is that there is -- there is one case. That's bad news, but the good news is there's only one. It was a fairly mild case. The guy has actually recovered and he is going to leave the hospital this week.
And there are no signs that he transmitted the disease to anyone else. So right now we're dealing with one case.
The bad news is, it is still a mystery how this guy got it. He hasn't -- he says that he hasn't been near wild animal markets, he doesn't eat civet cat. So people are really baffled, still, about how this guy got it. So there is a concern that there are going to be more outbreaks, possibly in the coming days and weeks.
COOPER: And that is scary, indeed. Matt Pottinger -- excuse me, we appreciate you joining us. Thanks very much, Matt.
POTTINGER: Sure.
COOPER: Back here in the United States, what's "Playboy's" Hugh Hefner's saying about the nanosecond bride, you know that woman we're talking about, Britney something or other? Find out just ahead, on "The Current."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Time to check out some pop news in tonight's "Current."
Let's take a look. "Variety" reports that Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane have struck a deal to turn "The Producers" into a movie. If the movie is a hit, it could later be adapted as a Broadway show. Hugh Hefner tells "Us Weekly" he has got his eye on a pretty young thing who just recently reentered the dating game. That's right, Hefner says Britney Spears would make a great girlfriend. Good to see Hef's open-minded about dating women closer to his own age these days.
ABC says Star Jones made use of a nude beach during a recent trip to Jamaica, giving new meaning to the name of her show, "The View."
NBC's "Average Joe" is the number one show among households with an income above $75,000, according to "USA Today." No explanation for why well-off people would enjoy watching average guys get the shaft. And that's a look at "The Current" tonight.
Now an infamous day in sports. The cry of pain heard around the world. Hard to believe but it is actually today the tenth anniversary, that attack that blew the lid off the rivalry between Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding. Ten years ago, today. CNN's Josie Burke remembers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NANCY KERRIGAN, FIGURE SKATER: And he just, like, whacked me with this long black stick.
TONYA HARDING, FIGURE SKATER: It's disappointing that you guys would even ask me that question because I mean, gosh, if anybody wanted to beat her, it was me. If anybody wanted to compete with her it was me.
JOSIE BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nancy Kerrigan was the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) with the toothy smile. Tonya Harding was the scrapper from the wrong side of the tracks and ten years after the bizarre moment that linked their names forever, they remain worlds apart.
Kerrigan will enter the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame on Friday night. Harding is in training for a pay-per-view boxing match in Idaho.
The "whack around the world" brought a touch of soap opera to skating. And while Kerrigan has largely fled the spotlight, for Harding, the show has yet to end.
She pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to hinder prosecution and was banned from amateur competition for life. Things didn't get much better from there.
Harding found herself starring in a wedding night sex video with her then husband Jeff Gillooly, the brains behind the Kerrigan assault. In 2000, Harding spent a week performing community service after she assaulted another ex-husband with a hubcap.
Then Harding found her true calling.
HARDING: It is my goal to be a future undisputed bantam weight champion.
BURKE: Harding has a 3-2 record in the ring. She lost her last match in the parking lot of a Dallas strip club.
Kerrigan's last decade has been serene by comparison. She make some public appearances but she does not box.
Josie Burke, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Well, earlier this morning, I was supposed to go to the studio of legendary photographer Francesco Scavullo. I was going to interview him about his work. It would be great, we thought, to watch the man who'd been watching us keenly, coolly, elegantly, for so long.
I didn't interview him this morning because we were told he had collapsed. A few hours ago we heard the news. Francesco Scavullo, master of fashion, master of the portrait, master of the magazine cover had died.
He was 81 years old.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): Whether you knew his name or not you knew his work. It was everywhere, on glossy covers at the newsstand, on gallery and museum walls, on bookstore shelves.
If our age had a look, he provided it. He photographed the famous, of course, just about every celebrity you can name but the truth is that in a Scavullo photograph you looked famous whether you were or not. That may have been his secret. He didn't simply photograph fame, he somehow created it.
FRANCESCO SCAVULLO, PHOTOGRAPHER: OK. Good girl. Come to the light.
COOPER: For 50 years, Francesco Scavullo captured an entire time. Beautifully dressed, beautifully undressed, beautifully unforgettable.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Well, the pictures from Mars are amazing. In a moment, we're going to salute the former nerds who took science to the Nth degree and became a lot cooler than us in the process.
Plus, tomorrow, she's heading for court, accused of drowning three children. Her own three children. The crime is unthinkable. What could have made her do it. Join us tomorrow for that.
First, today's "Buzz." You still have some time to get in on it. "Do you believe Princess Diana's death was an accident?" Let us know. CNN.com/360. Results when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: We have some new information just in to CNN. Investigators are still searching right now for a man who failed to show up for an Air France flight on December 24. Government sources tell CNN he could be a trained pilot with possible ties to al Qaeda.
Officials want to know if the missing passenger is the same person whose name is on a U.S. terrorism watch list. We had known before that a person with alleged pilot training had been on the flight. They are now actively searching for this man. He did not show up when the flight was canceled. More information on this as it becomes available to us here at CNN.
Now, let's look at our "Buzz" question tonight. We asked you, "do you believe Princess Diana's death was an accident?" Here's what you said. 39 percent said yes. 61 percent said no. Interesting. Not a scientific poll. It is your viewer "Buzz."
Tonight, the men and women who take science to the Nth degree. These are some of the people working on the current Mars mission out of NASA's jet propulsion laboratory.
And these are some of the new historic pictures they've made possible. For months and years they have devoted most of their waking life, the numbers and the sciences, physics, astrophysics, engineering, geology, evolutionary biology and more required to make this mission succeed.
In other words, they spent their lives studying the stuff that so many of us not only actively dislike, math and science, we actually make fun of people smart enough not just to get it, but to understand why it is fascinating and why it matters.
In high school, they were the nerds. Then, a hundred million miles away a robot on the surface of Mars, 100 degrees below zero, looked up, found the earth in the Martian sky and said hello.
In that moment, as they celebrated a victory greater than most of us can comprehend, we realize that now in the 21st century, yesterday's nerds are today's superstars.
Sure, you won't see them on the cover of "US Weekly" or interviewed on "Entertainment Tonight." They are not Botox beauties and they don't get paid millions just to play ball.
But these men and women and their predecessors, they conquered another planet. We benefit not only from their talent and dedication, but from the greatest gift they have given us, the future. That wraps up our program tonight.
Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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