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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Shaky Truce Holds in Fallujah; No Word on Fate of Nine American Hostages; Bush to Hold Press Conference Tomorrow Night

Aired April 12, 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, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): A shaky truce holds in Fallujah. Now the Pentagon says 10,000 American troops won't come home as promised.

Hostages released but no Americans and no word on the fate of two U.S. soldiers and seven U.S. contractors. Might even more Americans be missing?

The president announces a prime-time press conference to address the nation. What will he say and why say it now?

First, Howard Stern, could Oprah be next? How far will the government's indecent crackdown go?

And, the man who sold all his possessions and bet the bank on a single spin of the roulette wheel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

COOPER: And a good evening tonight.

We begin with new kidnappings in Iraq, another U.S. ally targeted. Now, 11 Russian workers for an electric company are being held hostage.

Covering the story in Baghdad our Jim Clancy and, in Washington, Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

We begin in Baghdad. Jim, what's the latest on the missing Americans?

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the latest here is that the search goes on for those missing Americans, 11 more Russians taken even as seven Chinese are freed and the question being asked by the military and everyone else who is behind it all?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY (voice-over): This is the face of Iraq's new insurgency, as fuel tankers burn ferociously behind him, a masked gunman vows to fight the Americans. Later, he will tell CNN he seized hostages from the convoy to help in that fight. The Friday ambush west of Baghdad is where insurgents are believed to have kidnapped nine people, including two U.S. soldiers.

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY: It is not business as usual. We must acknowledge that. There are people out there who are taking hostages. There are people out there who are kidnapping people.

CLANCY: A deadline has come and gone with no word on the fate of American truck driver Thomas Hamill. Two Japanese aid workers and an 18-year-old journalist are still in captivity. In all, some 30 people are believed now held hostage. Foreigners jammed a Baghdad travel office trying to book air transport out of Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Unintelligible) in our group is going to leave tomorrow.

CLANCY: His South Korean passport stacked along with others, this man said he was held for three days by Shia Muslim militiamen near Nasiriyah. Whatever officials are saying about the situation improving, he and a lot of others are leaving Iraq.

Iraqis themselves continue to stream out of Fallujah. Efforts to broker a full cease-fire are reported making slow progress while Monday night firefights broke out after five Marines were wounded.

Insurgents attacked more military supply convoys Monday south of the Iraqi capital burning a shipment of armored personnel carriers. In west Baghdad on a troubled airport road another of the lightly guarded convoys was hit. Looters quickly moved in to raid cargo from a crippled truck.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Jim, is there anything the U.S. military can do, would do to try to free those hostages?

CLANCY: There certainly is and they are working on that right as we speak, 24 hours a day, looking at all the options, also working to prevent more kidnappings by trying to clean up the area near Fallujah. It is believed a mix of criminal elements, insurgents, and former regime supporters are involved in these kidnappings. Some of them may end up being for profit -- back to you, Anderson.

COOPER: And, of course, the U.S. military always maintaining their position not to negotiate with hostage takers. Jim Clancy thanks very much.

There was some good news out of Iraq tonight, freedom for these seven Chinese men released by their captors just hours ago. China's official news agency says the men were kidnapped last night while traveling from Jordan to Baghdad.

Meanwhile, Japan's new agency reports the group holding these three Japanese citizens has agreed not to kill them. It quotes a self-proclaimed mediator. The group holding the trio had threatened to kill the hostages unless Japanese troops withdraw from Iraq.

Tonight in Iraq, U.S. forces taking steps to stiffen the resolve of the Iraqi forces they trained after some failed to report for battle in Fallujah, more from CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When the new Iraqi Army's 2nd Battalion finished its training in January, it was hailed by U.S. commanders as having proud and dedicated soldiers but last week that same Iraqi unit, having just taken casualties after an attack from fellow Iraqis, balked at being sent to join Marines fighting in Fallujah. Frustrated U.S. commanders blame it on a failure of Iraqi command.

LT. GEN. RICARDO SANCHEZ, U.S. GROUND FORCES COMMANDER: Clearly what we faced here in the last week to ten days is a challenge that we've got to confront directly.

MCINTYRE: The breakdown follows another failure of Iraqi police to resist when militia loyal to the anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr seized control of police stations in the Sadr City section of Baghdad.

GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, U.S. CENTRAL COMMANDER: A number of units, both in the police and also in the ICDC, did not stand up to the intimidators of the forces of Sadr's militia and that was a great disappointment to us.

MCINTYRE: Military officials say the reluctance of some Iraqi soldiers to fight fellow Iraqis is partly based on plain old fear. The U.S. intends to stiffen their determination by adding more American Special Forces to their ranks and replacing weak Iraqi commanders.

But the wavering resolve could also be a reflection of what appears to be growing sympathy for the insurgents by ordinary Iraqis, which the U.S. military blames on Arab TV coverage by Al-Jazeera and Al Aribiya, which it argues overemphasizes civilian suffering.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: The poor performance of the Iraqi Army is one reason the U.S. is not able to draw down its troop levels as planned. Today the top commander, General John Abizaid says he needs two more combat brigades, roughly 10,000 troops, and Pentagon sources say at least for three months that gap will be filled by soldiers from the 1st Armored Division who had been planning to start leaving for home -- Anderson.

COOPER: Bad news for them. All right, Jamie McIntyre thanks.

A "Fast Fact" now on U.S. casualties in Iraq, April is already the deadliest month for U.S. forces since they stormed into Iraq more than a year ago. Just two weeks into this month, 73 U.S. troops have been killed by hostile fire. That tops the previous monthly high, 69 last November at the height of the insurgency. With no end in sight to the tense and bloody situation in Iraq, President Bush will hold a prime-time news conference tomorrow night. Is this a defensive tactic in an election year?

For a preview we go live to the White House and CNN's Elaine Quijano -- Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, President Bush made that announcement about the formal news conference today at Crawford, Texas at his ranch there after a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak the president telling reporters at the end of that appearance, see you in the East Room.

Administration officials say the president plans to open the news conference tomorrow with a statement on Iraq, a spokesman saying the president decided to hold the question and answer session because the U.S.-led coalition is at a critical period in that country and the president wants to update the American people on where things are now and where they are headed.

Now the news conference comes at a time of increased violence by insurgents in Iraq, as well as increased U.S. casualties. At the same time, White House officials say the president will also be addressing a second issue, namely the questions that are still looming about the August 6, 2001 PDB or presidential daily brief.

Now, critics continue to question whether the administration took seriously enough the information contained in that memo titled "Bin Laden Determined to Attack in the U.S."

The administration contends that that memo was historical, that there was no new information that was warning of an imminent threat, the president's national security adviser, in fact, last week on Thursday telling the September 11 Commission that it was a historical memo.

President Bush has maintained had there been information specifically about where and when an attack would happen that the administration would have certainly acted on that but this just the 12th formal news conference by President Bush since he took office -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Elaine Quijano at the White House thanks.

You can, of course, watch the president's press conference tomorrow on CNN at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time. We're going to cover all the (unintelligible) angles on 360. Be sure to tune in for that.

Senator John Kerry is hoping to use the politics of misery to unseat President Bush. Kerry's campaign has released what it calls a middle class misery index, which spotlights factors, such as job losses and the rising cost of gasoline and health care.

The tactic dates back decades and has been used by previous presidential candidates Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan. The Bush campaign dismisses Kerry's index as a political ploy. A Bush spokesman said the economy is now growing "at its fastest rate in 20 years." We'll talk more about this with Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala a little bit later on tonight.

Back in Washington, the 9/11 Commission resumes hearings tomorrow with the head of the FBI and Attorney General John Ashcroft the star witness.

For the kinds of questions they'll face, we turn now to National Security Correspondent David Ensor. I'm not hearing this is there...

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): (AUDIO GAP) face a lot of questions, especially for the FBI, about what it didn't do in the summer of 2001.

TIMOTHY ROEMER (D), 9/11 COMMISSION: It is a crescendo type activity that is causing the CIA director to have, so to speak, his hair on fire. Why aren't we seeing a commensurate reaction out of FBI and Justice to try to meet this threat?

ENSOR: Commissioners want to know more about the 70 FBI al Qaeda related investigations in the summer of 2001 referred to last week by National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and contained in the now famous August 5 presidential daily brief from the CIA.

Also, why didn't law enforcement connect the dots between Zacarias Moussaoui and the flight training mentioned in the FBI's Phoenix memo? Why didn't the CIA share its information about two al Qaeda suspects in the United States?

According to commission sources, Attorney General John Ashcroft will face criticism from then acting FBI Director Thomas Pickard. He has said Ashcroft had little interest in counterterrorism before 9/11, a charge the attorney general's aides reject.

The Bush and Clinton law enforcement teams may also be asked whether the U.S. should set up a British style MI5 domestic spy agency and take that job away from the FBI.

JOHN LEHMAN (R), 9/11 COMMISSION MEMBER: Their whole internal systems and culture was not to share anything.

ENSOR (on camera): One commissioner told CNN everyone shares some blame for failing to stop 9/11 and he believes the final report due in July should name names.

David Ensor, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Thanks very much, David.

Right now we're following these stories "Cross Country." Let's take a look. In Washington, another gas price record. The government said today the national average price at the pump rose to nearly $1.79 last week. That's the third record high in as many weeks. It could go higher.

Also in Washington, passenger privacy, the Department of Homeland Security is investigating the third case of an airline releasing passenger information at the request of the government.

American Airlines has disclosed they gave the Transportation Security Administration more than a million passenger records in June, 2002, without those travelers' knowledge or permission. Recent similar cases involve JetBlue and Northwest.

In Los Angeles, airport tower blackout, the FAA blames a power surge for an outage that briefly knocked L.A. International Airport's control tower out of commission this morning. The blackout lasted less than a minute. The airport says flight disruptions were minimal.

In Newark, New Jersey, Ephedra ban upheld, the FDA ban on the weight loss and body building supplement Ephedra is now in effect. A federal judge today upheld the ban. Researchers have linked the herbal stimulant to 155 deaths.

Washington, trying to sue Clinton, former Congressman Bob Barr is trying to revive a $30 million defamation suit against Bill Clinton, Presidential Adviser James Carville and pornographer Larry Flynt.

The Georgia Republican accuses them or conspiring to publish details of his private life in a porn magazine because he aggressively pushed for President Clinton's impeachment. The case was thrown out last year because Barr had missed the filing deadline. His lawyers today were back in court to appeal that decision.

San Francisco, home run milestone, giant slugger Barry Bonds hit his 660th home run today at Pacific Bell Park. There it was. That ties him with his godfather Willie Mays for third place on baseball's home run career list. Congratulations. That's a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight.

Ladies lingerie stripped off TV, the Victoria's Secret Show canceled, the latest casualty of the FCC's crackdown on indecency. All this week we're going to be looking how far the government is going to police the airwaves, a special series "Indecent Crackdown." That's all this week on 360.

Plus, tonight rocket wars, no we're not looking at a rock just a good old-fashioned Easter celebration.

And you're going to meet the man who gambled everything he had on a single bet, why he did it and plans to do it again. We'll talk to him.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Rainy night here in New York.

With the FCC in hot pursuit of what it deems indecent, Victoria's Secret has decided to pull the plug on its annual steamy televised lingerie show.

CNN's Jen Rogers reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEN ROGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Janet Jackson can laugh about her wardrobe malfunction now but it's still being taken seriously by broadcasters and advertisers gun shy after the Super Bowl surprise.

The latest victim a teenage boy's Tivo dream the Victoria's Secret fashion show yes take one long last look. The annual eye- popping parade will be on hiatus this fall thanks in part to the indecency crackdown set off by Jackson's breast.

CBS, which aired the special the past two years, confirmed there would be no show this time around but a no comment on the reasons behind the decision. The network, of course, is already in hot water with federal regulators for broadcasting Jackson's Super Bowl performance.

MELISSA GREGG, "TELEVISION WEEK": They can't afford another scandalous moment or they don't want another scandalous moment but they can afford to let go of this thing. This is not like letting go of the Super Bowl.

ROGERS: For its part, Victoria's Secret says it plans an exciting new holiday campaign. It's a strategy shift that may be motivated by money as well as morals. The fashion show came with a hefty $10 million price tag and may have generated more media hype than ratings or sales.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROGERS: Now, while there's no special airing this fall, take heart. There's always the catalog and those new ads featuring Bob Dylan, plus this catwalk extravaganza may have nine lives after all. Victoria's Secret says it reserves the right to bring back the show sometime, somewhere in the future -- Anderson.

COOPER: Yes, when all the heat blows over no doubt. All right, Jen Rogers thanks. Jen mentioned the program's poor ratings but the show's online popularity is a completely different story.

Here's a "Fast Fact" for you. The Victoria's Secret fashion show was first broadcast online in 1999 and 1.5 million users tried to watch it. The site couldn't handle all the users and crashed within 20 minutes.

So, has the government gone too far in policing the airwaves? "Indecent Crackdown," our special series, begins tonight. Coming up, we're going to look at who's been fined so far and who may be next on the list, Oprah? Fear Factor? We'll see.

You'll also hear from a man who's been leading the charge against Howard Stern, all that is ahead.

We're tracking a number of developing stories right now around the globe. Let's check the "Up Link."

Jerusalem, prime minister's new plan, Ariel Sharon is on his way to Washington, armed with what could be a major concession to the Palestinians. He's suggesting Israel abandon 21 settlements in Gaza but Sharon also said Israel will keep six large blocks of settlements in the West Bank.

Mexico City, cleaning house, the governor of a central Mexican state fires all 552 state police officers. The move comes only days after several top commanders were arrested on charges of providing protection for drug traffickers.

Islamabad, Pakistan, Islamic soda? A new brand of soda drink is being pitched to the Muslim masses, Qibla Cola it's called. It got its name from the direction Muslims pray each day. Its CEO says the company's business practices are founded in Islamic principles and ten percent of profits go to local charities.

London, England, bulging premiums for the obese, the overweight already pay more for life insurance. Now some insurance underwriters in England say people predisposed to obesity may face hikes as well. About one out of every three Americans is overweight.

Chios, Greece, a holy war that is all in good fun, two Orthodox churches keep up an unusual Easter tradition. They fired rockets at each other's bell towers hoping to strike their rival sanctuary even while mass is in progress but it is all in good fun, and that is tonight's "Up Link."

A week of violence and hostage-taking in Iraq, tomorrow President Bush is speaking out. Tonight, Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson on what the president might say and how best to say it.

Also ahead, calls for dismissal, did the prosecution botch the case against Jayson Williams? We'll look at in justice served.

And, a little later, "Indecent Crackdown," first, Howard Stern, now Victoria's Secret, how far will the government go to police what you see and hear?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, President Bush will be speaking in a live prime- time news conference tomorrow night. He's going to address reporters' questions and no doubt chief among them the situation in Iraq and the 9/11 Commission.

I spoke with "CROSSFIRE" co-hosts Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson earlier and began by asking them how they think President Bush has handled the 9/11 commission so far.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TUCKER CARLSON, CO-HOST "CROSSFIRE": We'll find out after the press conference. I mean fundamentally, no. I mean I'd like to find out whose idea it was to allow these hearings to take place seven months before a presidential election. That does not strike me as a wise judgment at all (unintelligible) the president.

COOPER: Did they have an option though?

CARLSON: I don't know if they did but I mean he is -- you know he does control the Executive Branch and a lot of, of course, the information that was forming the substance of the hearings came from the White House.

So, yes, I mean you'd think they'd have some sway over it. I mean you'd think someone in the White House would stand up, think this through, a lot of smart people over there, and say, you know, that's just an unacceptable time table because it's bound to become partisan and political just given the timing.

COOPER: Paul, has it become partisan and political in your opinion?

PAUL BEGALA, CO-HOST "CROSSFIRE": In part but, you know, we're a country in an election year. There are Democrats. There are Republicans. In the main, I think the commission members have done a terrific job. I think the White House has done a terrible job. They should just relax.

Look, the truth is no sensible person blames President Bush for 9/11 but no sensible person believes him when he says that there was no threat warning, that that presidential daily briefing was historical and not a threat. Nobody believes that.

COOPER: Let's talk about John Kerry. Has he handled this correctly?

TUCKER: Well, he hasn't said a lot. I mean I don't think he wants to align himself with his lunatic fringe, which is getting larger every day. I mean Cynthia McKinney again running for Congress, simply a metaphor for a larger trend, Moveon.org, et cetera, of people who actually I think do blame Bush for 9/11. That doesn't hurt Kerry. I don't think he ought to weigh in.

Actually, in the end I think these last couple of weeks may have been good for Bush given all the alternatives. I mean here you -- think it through. If 9/11 weren't the focus of news coverage this week what would be and it would, of course, be the Americans now being held hostage in Iraq. That's a big deal story. That's something that George Bush is in some sense directly responsible for, our invasion of Iraq in contrast to 9/11.

No one in the end is going to hold Bush responsible for that. I think they will hold him responsible for Iraq but no one is talking about it because of these hearings and all these ridiculous allegations and implications.

COOPER: Is that the strategy then of Kerry not really saying much about the 9/11 Commission, Paul?

BEGALA: It's very smart for him. First off he doesn't have the facts that the president has. He doesn't have the facts that the commission has and anything he says will and should be viewed as partisan. After all he is running to replace President Bush.

The biggest thing I think he could do if he wants to and there's ample time for this is to point out the falsehoods that we've been given about how the president handled it.

Again, Dr. Rice's testimony I think is riddled with spin, if you want to be gracious about it, and the president even yesterday says no indications of an attack here in America. That's just factually false and I think so credibility rather than blaming him for 9/11 is a better political attack for Kerry (unintelligible).

CARLSON: Really. I'm not really in a position to really give a lot of advice to John Kerry. I think that's a stupid strategy. I mean I think people know, you know, that everybody knew Osama bin Laden was planning to attack the United States. He said so on television. He said so on our network. He said so on ABC. I mean that's news from nowhere.

This election is about Iraq. That's the only issue that matters. That's the only issue people will remember 50 years from now. John Kerry, I think, owes us, has an obligation to address it in a sensible way.

He finds it difficult because he voted for it. That doesn't mean he can't though. He needs to come up with some idea, some sort of counter plan against the president and he hasn't. He'll have to to win though.

COOPER: Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala, thanks.

BEGALA: Thanks, Anderson.

CARLSON: Thanks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): First, Howard Stern, could Oprah be next? How far will the government's indecent crackdown go?

And he bet it all on red and now is in the black. He's a gambler who sold everything and won it all back, 360 continues.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COOPER: In the next half hour on 360 our special series "Indecent Crackdown," Victoria's Secret pulls the plug on its fashion show. Who's next?

First, let's check our top stories in "The Reset."

Baghdad, hostage update, seven Chinese men kidnapped in Iraq are now free but 11 Russians working for a power company have now reportedly been kidnapped. At least six other people are hostages, three Japanese, two Arabs, and one American, at least. A Muslim cleric's committee has issued a religious decree against kidnappings.

Los Angeles. Clarke's movie deal. Former White House counterterrorism expert Richard Clarke is going Hollywood. Columbia Pictures has bought the movie rights to Clarke's best-selling memoir "Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror." The book challenges the Bush administration's record on terrorism.

Maui beach, Hawaii. Governor Schwarzenegger to the rescue. While on vacation last week he played the real-life role of super hero apparently saving a drowning man. He dragged the man ashore using a boogie board.

Las Vegas now. Bellagio blackout. One of the biggest hotel casinos on the Las Vegas strip won't reopen until tomorrow morning at the earliest. The partial blackout kicked in early Sunday morning at the 3,000-room Bellagio resort. The owners say a power line coming into the building failed.

San Francisco. Bonds ties Mays. Giants hitter Barry Bonds is now tied with his godfather Willie Mays for third in baseball's home run career list. Bonds hit his 660th home run today at Pacific Bell Park. Very happy indeed.

Well, last Wednesday Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia spoke to a Mississippi high school. We can't show you the speech because Scalia won't let the broadcast media cover such events. Only the print media. But when two print reporters tried to record his speech, something happened that we think was, well, just wrong.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): It happened 35 minutes into Justice Antonin Scalia's speech to the Presbyterian Christian School in Hattiesburg. A deputy U.S. marshal seized one of the print reporter's recorders and ordered the recordings be erased. The speech ironically was about the importance of the U.S. constitution. Justice Scalia told his teenage audience, the constitution of the United States is extraordinary and amazing. We couldn't agree more. But by confiscating reporters' recording equipment the deputy marshal clearly violated the 1980 Federal Privacy Protection Act which makes it unlawful to search for or seize any work product materials possessed by a person reasonably believed to have a purpose to disseminate to the public a newspaper, book, broadcast, or other similar form of public communication.

Justice Scalia doesn't like to appear on TV or the radio. That's his prerogative. But when his bodyguards take that to mean it's OK to confiscate reporters' equipment, that is just wrong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, development late today, in a letter released today, Justice Scalia apologized for the incident in Hattiesburg. He said he, too, was upset by it and he would change his policy to allow the print media to record his speeches.

Tonight we begin a special series. Indecent Crackdown. How far is the government going in its crackdown on what it calls indecency? We're going to look at the facts. This weekend's announcement by Victoria's Secret that they're canceling their televised fashion show is just the latest example of the impact this crackdown is having. Why is the government getting tough now and how far will this indecent crackdown go?

We begin tonight with a look at what's happened so far.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): In their search for smut the FCC has focused most notably on the radio, proposing $1.6 million in fines so far this year. That's more than they fined in the previous ten years combined, according to the Center for Public Integrity. The biggest fine, a double whammy for radio giant Clear Channel. $755,000 for Tampa's Bubba the Love Sponge for graphic talk about sex and drugs.

HOWARD STERN, RADIO SHOW HOST: I would love to see you with your top off.

COOPER: And $495,000 for airing bad boy Howard Stern who made comments about sex and flatulence. Clear Channel dropped the Sponge and Stern. Now, the FCC says it's investigating daytime soaps. And has had complaints about Oprah. Congress is trying to get in on the crackdown, as well. They're considering the Clean Airwaves Act, which will punish television and radio broadcasters for airing eight words and phrases deemed indecent. Scared, the giant media companies are very publicly trying to show they're policing themselves.

"Good Morning America," "The View," the Academy Awards and the Grammys are just some of the shows now seen on five to seven-second delays. The $10 billion a year porn industry is also in the government's sights. In the last 3 1/2 years, the Justice Department has filed and won 25 anti-obscenity cases. Some 50 other investigations are pending right now. Some targets include producers of porn where rapes and murders are simulated.

But many in the mainstream porn industry are fearful the crackdown will soon expand to them. Who knew when Janet Jackson bared her bosom the nipple ripple would go this far.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: In 1989, Florida attorney Jack Thompson secured the first decency fines ever levied by the FCC. Indecency fines. Now over a decade later he is still in hot pursuit. His focus, Howard Stern. After hearing a Stern show recently he filed a formal complaint with the FCC. Shortly thereafter the Stern storm was unleashed. I asked Thompson where the line is drawn between what is considered indecent legally and what is not.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACK THOMPSON, DECENCY ADVOCATE: Anderson, it stops at the line drawn by the law. 47 states have sexual material harmful to minor statutes where you can't display inappropriate material to children. And indeed the standard that is not my standard but is the law of the land is you cannot engage in through-the-air broadcasts either on the radio or on network TV that children should not hear.

COOPER: Do you think Oprah Winfrey should be taken off the air?

THOMPSON: First of all, Howard Stern doesn't have to be taken off the air. He has to abide by the law. Oprah Winfrey, and I've been on her show as a matter of fact, clearly, and I agree with Howard on this, has violated repeatedly the decency standard enunciated by the Pacifica (ph) case and upheld by the Supreme Court, and yes, indeed, Oprah Winfrey, as well as Jerry Springer, and others have aired material that's totally inappropriate for children.

COOPER: What about "Fear Factor?" On "Fear Factor" they're eating raw pig's rectums. Why is it okay to eat a raw pig rectum on TV when kids are watching but talk about part of the human body is inappropriate.

THOMPSON: I don't know that it is. But, you know, this line of questioning is sort of like Howard -- something a cop, someone would say to a cop if they were pulled over for going 95 on an interstate and say, you know, other people were speeding. Don't give me a ticket. Howard Stern has been the poster child for indecency in broadcasting for nearly 20 years. And everybody knows it.

COOPER: The question is, where does the line stop? I mean, it does -- I ask you about "Fear Factor" and some of the things they do on that show, know, are clearly disgusting. Why is it OK to do that, but talking about sex or joking about sex is not OK?

THOMPSON: I didn't say it was OK. And, indeed, there is stuff on in prime-time TV that is clearly over the line, and indeed, polls by Gallup and others of the American people have repeatedly shown that the American people have had enough. But the straw that broke the camel's back as Stern himself has indicated, it was the halftime show at the Super Bowl. It's not that the halftime show in and of itself has generated this swing of the pendulum in favor of parents, it is that we have had 20 years of this nonsense...

COOPER: Do you worry at all that the pendulum might swing too far? I assume you don't think it has already. Do you worry it might?

THOMPSON: Yes, of course. I'm a conservative. I think that the great infringer of freedom in the history of man has been the state. But, it was Carl Sandburg who said that freedom is best defined as moving easy in harness. By that he meant we must have ordered liberty for liberty to survive. And therefore inferentially, people like Howard Stern need to be ostracized by their own industry when they start doing the things he has done otherwise we will get to the point where government may overreact.

COOPER: Jack, you defend your position really well. Jack Thompson, thanks for being on the program.

THOMPSON: Thank you, Anderson.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: What do you think? Our buzz question of the day is this. What's fueling the government's crackdown on indecency? Morality or politics? Vote now, CNN.com/360. We'll have results at the end of the program. And tomorrow when our series "Indecent Crackdown" continues we're going to look at how the Justice Department is cracking down on porn, and how the multibillion dollar industry is responding.

We're also going to talk with "Playboy's" Hugh Hefner who has seen crackdowns like this before. Find out tomorrow what he has to say. Jayson Williams on trial coming up next. A delay while the defense asks for the charges to be dismissed. That is ahead in justice served.

Plus betting it all in Vegas. I'll talk to the Brit who came out the big winner in Vegas this weekend. Why did he do it and what's he going to do now? We'll talk to him.

And reality rewind. All the ridiculous stuff that's been happening on reality TV. Can't make it up. Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, tonight on "Justice Served," justice on hold. A major ruling still to come in the Jayson Williams trial. The judge right now considering dismissing the case over 100 pages of withheld evidence.

Adaora Udoji reports.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why did you change the report

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Judge, I disagree.

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the jury still on hold the prosecution and defense clashed repeatedly as lawyers for Jayson Williams fought to have aggravated manslaughter charges against the former NBA star dropped. Defense lawyers vigorously questioned a prosecution weapons expert whose notes about the shotgun involved in the death of Gus Christofi were not turned over until two weeks ago by lead prosecutor Steve Lember. The defense honed in on changes the expert made to his draft report months ago after talking to the prosecutor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, didn't you tell us that you thought that was a substantive change?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I don't think so.

UDOJI: All of this relates to what made the gunfire. Prosecutors accuse Williams of recklessly shooting at a limousine driver two years ago. The defense says the gun accidentally misfired. They accuse prosecutors of intentionally withholding the evidence to deny Williams a fair trial.

BILLY MARTIN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: This discovery violation, your honor, we believe is part and parcel of a continuing pattern of conduct.

UDOJI: Prosecutors vehemently argued the late turnover was unintentional. That the defense has an ulterior motive.

KATHERINE ERRIKSON, PROSECUTOR: The defense wants the death of Gus Christofi to go unjudged because they don't like how Steve Lember handled this case.

UDOJI: At the end of nearly six hours the judge requested more time to review the record before making a decision. Which he said would come on Tuesday. Adaora Udoji, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Covering the case for us, Court TV's Lisa Bloom. Highly unlikely that they're actually going to -- the judge is going to approve this motion.

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV ANCHOR: Unlikely the judge is going to throw out the whole case and say it can't be retried. That's what the defense wants. They also would like a mistrial. That's probably not going to happen either. Judges hate mistrials. Judges want to take the thing through conclusion to a verdict when that's possible.

COOPER: But they're not gist trying to dismiss the case. They're also trying to get it so that Jayson Williams can never be tried for this again.

BLOOM: Exactly. That's a dismissal with prejudice. That's not likely.

COOPER: Why was the evidence -- what happened to this 100 pages of evidence?

BLOOM: There's a couple of things that happen. First of all the prosecutor did make a mistake in failing to turn over some photographs and drawings attached to the expert's report. That's a prosecution gun expert. And what happened with this gun, did it malfunction? That's a central issue in the case. So the prosecution not turning over all the evidence to the defense, that is a big deal. The defendant has a constitutional right to have all of that evidence.

COOPER: Before the trial is put on hold, both the defense and the prosecution had rested their cases. BLOOM: Yes.

COOPER: How did they do?

Who made the strongest case?

BLOOM: I think the prosecution has a very solid case. I mean it's very clear from a number of eyewitnesses that Jayson Williams in the middle of the night after drinking a lot of alcohol took a loaded gun and either pointed it and pulled the trigger or accidentally was playing with it, jerking it, opening and closing and the gun just went off and killed Gus Christofi. Either way we've got a guy who looks like he's being pretty reckless with a loaded gun. I don't think the jury is going to like that.

COOPER: And the testimony of his friends was very damaging.

BLOOM: His friends were the eyewitnesses. The Harlem Globe Trotters, some really colorful characters, seven feet tall, coming into the courtroom talking about Jayson Williams cursing at this man. Humiliating this stranger, the limo driver, saying things that I can't repeat here on CNN, but really degrading the man, and then shooting him dead right there in this bedroom.

COOPER: And then afterwards, there was testimony about them trying to cover it up.

BLOOM: And there was a cover-up. Take the gun, put it in Gus Christofi's hand, put his finger on the trigger to try to make it look like a suicide with a long barreled shotgun. That was highly unlikely which clued the police immediately it was not suicide.

COOPER: Were you surprised Jayson Williams didn't testify?

BLOOM: I was. Especially because his attorney promised the jury in opening statement that he would testify. He said you will hear from Jayson Williams. We've replayed that over and over again on Court TV.

COOPER: Not a good idea to promise something in an opening statement and not deliver.

BLOOM: Exactly and then he didn't deliver. Why didn't he deliver, we may never know.

COOPER: Lisa Bloom, Court TV. Thanks very much.

A man trades in all he's got for spin of the roulette wheel. Coming up, meet the guy who's either brave or nuts. A guy who sold everything he owned for a big chance to hit it big.

Also tonight get your score card out. It's time to check up on the latest news from all those cookey reality shows. And a little later the reigning king of reality, Donald Trump, is about to shift his hype machine into overdrive. Find out why in tonight's "Current."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)

COOPER: Oh, Frank. What a fitting song for this next story. A British man sold everything he owned, even his clothes, to try his luck on the spin of a roulette wheel in Las Vegas yesterday. Ashley Revell, that was his name, put $135,000 on red, and with friends and family watching the ball hit the mark giving Revell $270,000. Now of course, it's all captured on some reality TV. Earlier I asked Revell to tell us what was going through his mind when that big old wheel was spinning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ASHLEY REVELL, WON $270,000: It was just utter, just pleading that I'd pick it and that it would come in red. Before I actually walked up to the wheel, I was thinking about putting it on black, and then suddenly the guy was spinning the ball around and all the Sky viewers said I should vote for -- they voted that I should put it on red. So suddenly I just put it all on red. But it was just -- I was just pleading that it would come in and I'd get lucky this time. What I was really worried about was that I'd lose and my parents would be upset and my family would, you know, all my friends would be upset. So -- and I was obviously just so happy when it came in.

COOPER: So you were going to put it on black, but people back in England were voting and they said, no, you should put it on red? You decided to do that?

REVELL: Yeah, that's right. I mean, with all those people sort of hoping that it would be red, I thought I've got to go red, so that's what I did.

COOPER: Your father was opposed to this whole concept all along. This is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I told him he was a naughty boy, he was a bad boy, he shouldn't do it. He should work like all other kids do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: How does he feel now? I mean, has he changed his mind?

REVELL: Yeah, I think so. I mean, I obviously went and shook his hand before I did it, and after he was just hugging me and jumping up and down. So, you know, I think most all dads are just concerned, and he's seeing all my friends being married off and having kids and stuff, and he's like any father, he just wants me to settle down and make sure I'm secure.

COOPER: Now, why did you do this? I mean, apparently, is this true, you sold all your possessions, even underwear, everything you had, and then put all the money on this? Why? Was it all just to be on TV? REVELL: It was -- looking back on it now, I mean, at no point before I did the bet did I think about losing. I just felt positive and thought about just going ahead and winning. But now I've actually won, I can think about what would have happened if I'd lost. And to be honest, I was crazy to do this bet. It was the maddest thing. I mean, this is really about all I've got left, the tuxedo, which I'm not allowed to keep.

So it was just a mad thing to do. And I'm thinking back now about what would have happened if I lost. I'd have nothing to go back to, nothing to wear. But I'd still have my friends, my family, and they'd always be there for me. So they gave me the security to be able to do this.

But you know, never again. I mean, that's -- it was mad.

COOPER: But was it -- I mean, what was the initial idea? Did TV producers come to you and say, look, we'll do a documentary about you, we'll do a reality show about you if you do this, or was this something you thought of?

REVELL: Yeah, it was my idea. I just thought about doing it, and originally my friend was just going to -- just going to film it just for posterity, and suddenly there's a lot of cameras following me. I mean, the basics haven't changed, and that's I sell everything and put it on red or black.

COOPER: I hope you at least put some of it in the bank. Ashley Revell, congratulations, thanks for being on the program.

REVELL: Thanks very much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, time to check in on some pop news in tonight's "Current." Let's take a look. In Thailand, an unusual beauty contest over the weekend. Sakna Rin Naliapun (ph) was chosen Miss Transvestite of the year. It was quite an honor for the 19-year-old who was awarded a tiara, a sash and we hope a year's supply of aftershave.

There's talk of turning "The X-Files" into another movie. Actor David Duchovny is reportedly interested in starring in it, but says he doesn't know what the plot is about. We're going to go out on a limb and guess, aliens, something to do with aliens.

Get ready for the hype machine to take over for "The Apprentice." In advance of the show's finale this Thursday, NBC is interviewing everyone connected to the show. For example, Donald Trump is being interviewed on "Dateline." His hair will be guest host of the "Today Show." Probably not.

There's so many reality shows on TV these days, we find it basically impossible to keep up, and really who wants to try. But we know you want to be able to figure out what everyone's talking about around the water cooler, so we've created a quick guide to what's already gone on. We call it "Reality Rewind."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): On reality shows, love is breaking out all over. Average Adam finally picked up his average Jane. Actually, her name is Samantha. And a new "Bachelor" showed he's got brawn, but not necessarily brains.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I accidentally called out the wrong name.

COOPER: He said Katie when he meant to say Karen. Don't you hate it when that happens?

"The Osbournes" return, dealing with the aftermath of Ozzy's ATV accident. Other than that, it was hard to tell what they were talking about.

OZZY OSBOURNE: I've got (UNINTELLIGIBLE) post traumatic syndrome.

COOPER: On "The Real World," things got real serious.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is real, Frankie is a cutter, and yes, she does do this to herself.

COOPER: Dr. Drew Pinsky even showed up to teach everyone about cutting.

DR. DREW PINSKY, ADDICTION SPECIALIST: If you or someone you know is cutting, please get them help.

COOPER: There were, as always, plenty of fights. And, of course, plenty of tears.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I should have listened to you. No friends in this case.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I look beautiful.

COOPER: Camile (ph) sang good-bye, Lex (ph) was voted off, and Nick and Amy...

DONALD TRUMP, HOST, "THE APPRENTICE": You're fired.

COOPER: And of course what would reality TV be without the J word? Journey.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm glad I came on and did this journey.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Journey, journey, journey, journey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: They always use that word journey. It really annoys me.

Punctuation overload on TV, just ahead on "The Nth Degree." Time to do away with all those question marks, we think. And tomorrow, our special series continues, "Indecent Crackdown." Special series on what the government is doing to police the airwaves. Have they gone too far? We're also going to talk to that man, Hugh Hefner, who's seen indecent crackdowns before.

And our buzz question, e-mails pouring in. What's fueling the government crackdown on indecency? Morality or politics? What do you think? Vote now. Cnn.com/360. Results when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: The government's crackdown on what it calls indecency has created a lot of buzz among our viewers. Earlier we asked you, what's fueling the government crackdown on indecency? Morality or politics? Fourteen percent of you think morality; 86 percent say politics. Not a scientific poll, just your buzz. We appreciate you voting.

Tonight, taking banners to "The Nth Degree." We've been noticing more and more punctuation on TV. Mostly on those banners, the catchy headlines cable news just seems to love. See what I mean? These days, though, the punctuation is nearly always a question mark. Yeah, have you noticed? See, with a question mark you can say anything in a banner? Is the world ending? Probably not, but it sure did get your attention. We'd like to see a pause on the use of cable news question marks. Yes, in its place, we suggest a smile. Or a frown. It may not make any sense, but it sure would put a whole new face on the news.

I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for watching. 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


Aired April 12, 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, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): A shaky truce holds in Fallujah. Now the Pentagon says 10,000 American troops won't come home as promised.

Hostages released but no Americans and no word on the fate of two U.S. soldiers and seven U.S. contractors. Might even more Americans be missing?

The president announces a prime-time press conference to address the nation. What will he say and why say it now?

First, Howard Stern, could Oprah be next? How far will the government's indecent crackdown go?

And, the man who sold all his possessions and bet the bank on a single spin of the roulette wheel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

COOPER: And a good evening tonight.

We begin with new kidnappings in Iraq, another U.S. ally targeted. Now, 11 Russian workers for an electric company are being held hostage.

Covering the story in Baghdad our Jim Clancy and, in Washington, Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

We begin in Baghdad. Jim, what's the latest on the missing Americans?

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the latest here is that the search goes on for those missing Americans, 11 more Russians taken even as seven Chinese are freed and the question being asked by the military and everyone else who is behind it all?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY (voice-over): This is the face of Iraq's new insurgency, as fuel tankers burn ferociously behind him, a masked gunman vows to fight the Americans. Later, he will tell CNN he seized hostages from the convoy to help in that fight. The Friday ambush west of Baghdad is where insurgents are believed to have kidnapped nine people, including two U.S. soldiers.

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY: It is not business as usual. We must acknowledge that. There are people out there who are taking hostages. There are people out there who are kidnapping people.

CLANCY: A deadline has come and gone with no word on the fate of American truck driver Thomas Hamill. Two Japanese aid workers and an 18-year-old journalist are still in captivity. In all, some 30 people are believed now held hostage. Foreigners jammed a Baghdad travel office trying to book air transport out of Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Unintelligible) in our group is going to leave tomorrow.

CLANCY: His South Korean passport stacked along with others, this man said he was held for three days by Shia Muslim militiamen near Nasiriyah. Whatever officials are saying about the situation improving, he and a lot of others are leaving Iraq.

Iraqis themselves continue to stream out of Fallujah. Efforts to broker a full cease-fire are reported making slow progress while Monday night firefights broke out after five Marines were wounded.

Insurgents attacked more military supply convoys Monday south of the Iraqi capital burning a shipment of armored personnel carriers. In west Baghdad on a troubled airport road another of the lightly guarded convoys was hit. Looters quickly moved in to raid cargo from a crippled truck.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Jim, is there anything the U.S. military can do, would do to try to free those hostages?

CLANCY: There certainly is and they are working on that right as we speak, 24 hours a day, looking at all the options, also working to prevent more kidnappings by trying to clean up the area near Fallujah. It is believed a mix of criminal elements, insurgents, and former regime supporters are involved in these kidnappings. Some of them may end up being for profit -- back to you, Anderson.

COOPER: And, of course, the U.S. military always maintaining their position not to negotiate with hostage takers. Jim Clancy thanks very much.

There was some good news out of Iraq tonight, freedom for these seven Chinese men released by their captors just hours ago. China's official news agency says the men were kidnapped last night while traveling from Jordan to Baghdad.

Meanwhile, Japan's new agency reports the group holding these three Japanese citizens has agreed not to kill them. It quotes a self-proclaimed mediator. The group holding the trio had threatened to kill the hostages unless Japanese troops withdraw from Iraq.

Tonight in Iraq, U.S. forces taking steps to stiffen the resolve of the Iraqi forces they trained after some failed to report for battle in Fallujah, more from CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When the new Iraqi Army's 2nd Battalion finished its training in January, it was hailed by U.S. commanders as having proud and dedicated soldiers but last week that same Iraqi unit, having just taken casualties after an attack from fellow Iraqis, balked at being sent to join Marines fighting in Fallujah. Frustrated U.S. commanders blame it on a failure of Iraqi command.

LT. GEN. RICARDO SANCHEZ, U.S. GROUND FORCES COMMANDER: Clearly what we faced here in the last week to ten days is a challenge that we've got to confront directly.

MCINTYRE: The breakdown follows another failure of Iraqi police to resist when militia loyal to the anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr seized control of police stations in the Sadr City section of Baghdad.

GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, U.S. CENTRAL COMMANDER: A number of units, both in the police and also in the ICDC, did not stand up to the intimidators of the forces of Sadr's militia and that was a great disappointment to us.

MCINTYRE: Military officials say the reluctance of some Iraqi soldiers to fight fellow Iraqis is partly based on plain old fear. The U.S. intends to stiffen their determination by adding more American Special Forces to their ranks and replacing weak Iraqi commanders.

But the wavering resolve could also be a reflection of what appears to be growing sympathy for the insurgents by ordinary Iraqis, which the U.S. military blames on Arab TV coverage by Al-Jazeera and Al Aribiya, which it argues overemphasizes civilian suffering.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: The poor performance of the Iraqi Army is one reason the U.S. is not able to draw down its troop levels as planned. Today the top commander, General John Abizaid says he needs two more combat brigades, roughly 10,000 troops, and Pentagon sources say at least for three months that gap will be filled by soldiers from the 1st Armored Division who had been planning to start leaving for home -- Anderson.

COOPER: Bad news for them. All right, Jamie McIntyre thanks.

A "Fast Fact" now on U.S. casualties in Iraq, April is already the deadliest month for U.S. forces since they stormed into Iraq more than a year ago. Just two weeks into this month, 73 U.S. troops have been killed by hostile fire. That tops the previous monthly high, 69 last November at the height of the insurgency. With no end in sight to the tense and bloody situation in Iraq, President Bush will hold a prime-time news conference tomorrow night. Is this a defensive tactic in an election year?

For a preview we go live to the White House and CNN's Elaine Quijano -- Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, President Bush made that announcement about the formal news conference today at Crawford, Texas at his ranch there after a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak the president telling reporters at the end of that appearance, see you in the East Room.

Administration officials say the president plans to open the news conference tomorrow with a statement on Iraq, a spokesman saying the president decided to hold the question and answer session because the U.S.-led coalition is at a critical period in that country and the president wants to update the American people on where things are now and where they are headed.

Now the news conference comes at a time of increased violence by insurgents in Iraq, as well as increased U.S. casualties. At the same time, White House officials say the president will also be addressing a second issue, namely the questions that are still looming about the August 6, 2001 PDB or presidential daily brief.

Now, critics continue to question whether the administration took seriously enough the information contained in that memo titled "Bin Laden Determined to Attack in the U.S."

The administration contends that that memo was historical, that there was no new information that was warning of an imminent threat, the president's national security adviser, in fact, last week on Thursday telling the September 11 Commission that it was a historical memo.

President Bush has maintained had there been information specifically about where and when an attack would happen that the administration would have certainly acted on that but this just the 12th formal news conference by President Bush since he took office -- Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Elaine Quijano at the White House thanks.

You can, of course, watch the president's press conference tomorrow on CNN at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time. We're going to cover all the (unintelligible) angles on 360. Be sure to tune in for that.

Senator John Kerry is hoping to use the politics of misery to unseat President Bush. Kerry's campaign has released what it calls a middle class misery index, which spotlights factors, such as job losses and the rising cost of gasoline and health care.

The tactic dates back decades and has been used by previous presidential candidates Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan. The Bush campaign dismisses Kerry's index as a political ploy. A Bush spokesman said the economy is now growing "at its fastest rate in 20 years." We'll talk more about this with Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala a little bit later on tonight.

Back in Washington, the 9/11 Commission resumes hearings tomorrow with the head of the FBI and Attorney General John Ashcroft the star witness.

For the kinds of questions they'll face, we turn now to National Security Correspondent David Ensor. I'm not hearing this is there...

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): (AUDIO GAP) face a lot of questions, especially for the FBI, about what it didn't do in the summer of 2001.

TIMOTHY ROEMER (D), 9/11 COMMISSION: It is a crescendo type activity that is causing the CIA director to have, so to speak, his hair on fire. Why aren't we seeing a commensurate reaction out of FBI and Justice to try to meet this threat?

ENSOR: Commissioners want to know more about the 70 FBI al Qaeda related investigations in the summer of 2001 referred to last week by National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and contained in the now famous August 5 presidential daily brief from the CIA.

Also, why didn't law enforcement connect the dots between Zacarias Moussaoui and the flight training mentioned in the FBI's Phoenix memo? Why didn't the CIA share its information about two al Qaeda suspects in the United States?

According to commission sources, Attorney General John Ashcroft will face criticism from then acting FBI Director Thomas Pickard. He has said Ashcroft had little interest in counterterrorism before 9/11, a charge the attorney general's aides reject.

The Bush and Clinton law enforcement teams may also be asked whether the U.S. should set up a British style MI5 domestic spy agency and take that job away from the FBI.

JOHN LEHMAN (R), 9/11 COMMISSION MEMBER: Their whole internal systems and culture was not to share anything.

ENSOR (on camera): One commissioner told CNN everyone shares some blame for failing to stop 9/11 and he believes the final report due in July should name names.

David Ensor, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Thanks very much, David.

Right now we're following these stories "Cross Country." Let's take a look. In Washington, another gas price record. The government said today the national average price at the pump rose to nearly $1.79 last week. That's the third record high in as many weeks. It could go higher.

Also in Washington, passenger privacy, the Department of Homeland Security is investigating the third case of an airline releasing passenger information at the request of the government.

American Airlines has disclosed they gave the Transportation Security Administration more than a million passenger records in June, 2002, without those travelers' knowledge or permission. Recent similar cases involve JetBlue and Northwest.

In Los Angeles, airport tower blackout, the FAA blames a power surge for an outage that briefly knocked L.A. International Airport's control tower out of commission this morning. The blackout lasted less than a minute. The airport says flight disruptions were minimal.

In Newark, New Jersey, Ephedra ban upheld, the FDA ban on the weight loss and body building supplement Ephedra is now in effect. A federal judge today upheld the ban. Researchers have linked the herbal stimulant to 155 deaths.

Washington, trying to sue Clinton, former Congressman Bob Barr is trying to revive a $30 million defamation suit against Bill Clinton, Presidential Adviser James Carville and pornographer Larry Flynt.

The Georgia Republican accuses them or conspiring to publish details of his private life in a porn magazine because he aggressively pushed for President Clinton's impeachment. The case was thrown out last year because Barr had missed the filing deadline. His lawyers today were back in court to appeal that decision.

San Francisco, home run milestone, giant slugger Barry Bonds hit his 660th home run today at Pacific Bell Park. There it was. That ties him with his godfather Willie Mays for third place on baseball's home run career list. Congratulations. That's a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight.

Ladies lingerie stripped off TV, the Victoria's Secret Show canceled, the latest casualty of the FCC's crackdown on indecency. All this week we're going to be looking how far the government is going to police the airwaves, a special series "Indecent Crackdown." That's all this week on 360.

Plus, tonight rocket wars, no we're not looking at a rock just a good old-fashioned Easter celebration.

And you're going to meet the man who gambled everything he had on a single bet, why he did it and plans to do it again. We'll talk to him.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Rainy night here in New York.

With the FCC in hot pursuit of what it deems indecent, Victoria's Secret has decided to pull the plug on its annual steamy televised lingerie show.

CNN's Jen Rogers reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEN ROGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Janet Jackson can laugh about her wardrobe malfunction now but it's still being taken seriously by broadcasters and advertisers gun shy after the Super Bowl surprise.

The latest victim a teenage boy's Tivo dream the Victoria's Secret fashion show yes take one long last look. The annual eye- popping parade will be on hiatus this fall thanks in part to the indecency crackdown set off by Jackson's breast.

CBS, which aired the special the past two years, confirmed there would be no show this time around but a no comment on the reasons behind the decision. The network, of course, is already in hot water with federal regulators for broadcasting Jackson's Super Bowl performance.

MELISSA GREGG, "TELEVISION WEEK": They can't afford another scandalous moment or they don't want another scandalous moment but they can afford to let go of this thing. This is not like letting go of the Super Bowl.

ROGERS: For its part, Victoria's Secret says it plans an exciting new holiday campaign. It's a strategy shift that may be motivated by money as well as morals. The fashion show came with a hefty $10 million price tag and may have generated more media hype than ratings or sales.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROGERS: Now, while there's no special airing this fall, take heart. There's always the catalog and those new ads featuring Bob Dylan, plus this catwalk extravaganza may have nine lives after all. Victoria's Secret says it reserves the right to bring back the show sometime, somewhere in the future -- Anderson.

COOPER: Yes, when all the heat blows over no doubt. All right, Jen Rogers thanks. Jen mentioned the program's poor ratings but the show's online popularity is a completely different story.

Here's a "Fast Fact" for you. The Victoria's Secret fashion show was first broadcast online in 1999 and 1.5 million users tried to watch it. The site couldn't handle all the users and crashed within 20 minutes.

So, has the government gone too far in policing the airwaves? "Indecent Crackdown," our special series, begins tonight. Coming up, we're going to look at who's been fined so far and who may be next on the list, Oprah? Fear Factor? We'll see.

You'll also hear from a man who's been leading the charge against Howard Stern, all that is ahead.

We're tracking a number of developing stories right now around the globe. Let's check the "Up Link."

Jerusalem, prime minister's new plan, Ariel Sharon is on his way to Washington, armed with what could be a major concession to the Palestinians. He's suggesting Israel abandon 21 settlements in Gaza but Sharon also said Israel will keep six large blocks of settlements in the West Bank.

Mexico City, cleaning house, the governor of a central Mexican state fires all 552 state police officers. The move comes only days after several top commanders were arrested on charges of providing protection for drug traffickers.

Islamabad, Pakistan, Islamic soda? A new brand of soda drink is being pitched to the Muslim masses, Qibla Cola it's called. It got its name from the direction Muslims pray each day. Its CEO says the company's business practices are founded in Islamic principles and ten percent of profits go to local charities.

London, England, bulging premiums for the obese, the overweight already pay more for life insurance. Now some insurance underwriters in England say people predisposed to obesity may face hikes as well. About one out of every three Americans is overweight.

Chios, Greece, a holy war that is all in good fun, two Orthodox churches keep up an unusual Easter tradition. They fired rockets at each other's bell towers hoping to strike their rival sanctuary even while mass is in progress but it is all in good fun, and that is tonight's "Up Link."

A week of violence and hostage-taking in Iraq, tomorrow President Bush is speaking out. Tonight, Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson on what the president might say and how best to say it.

Also ahead, calls for dismissal, did the prosecution botch the case against Jayson Williams? We'll look at in justice served.

And, a little later, "Indecent Crackdown," first, Howard Stern, now Victoria's Secret, how far will the government go to police what you see and hear?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, President Bush will be speaking in a live prime- time news conference tomorrow night. He's going to address reporters' questions and no doubt chief among them the situation in Iraq and the 9/11 Commission.

I spoke with "CROSSFIRE" co-hosts Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson earlier and began by asking them how they think President Bush has handled the 9/11 commission so far.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TUCKER CARLSON, CO-HOST "CROSSFIRE": We'll find out after the press conference. I mean fundamentally, no. I mean I'd like to find out whose idea it was to allow these hearings to take place seven months before a presidential election. That does not strike me as a wise judgment at all (unintelligible) the president.

COOPER: Did they have an option though?

CARLSON: I don't know if they did but I mean he is -- you know he does control the Executive Branch and a lot of, of course, the information that was forming the substance of the hearings came from the White House.

So, yes, I mean you'd think they'd have some sway over it. I mean you'd think someone in the White House would stand up, think this through, a lot of smart people over there, and say, you know, that's just an unacceptable time table because it's bound to become partisan and political just given the timing.

COOPER: Paul, has it become partisan and political in your opinion?

PAUL BEGALA, CO-HOST "CROSSFIRE": In part but, you know, we're a country in an election year. There are Democrats. There are Republicans. In the main, I think the commission members have done a terrific job. I think the White House has done a terrible job. They should just relax.

Look, the truth is no sensible person blames President Bush for 9/11 but no sensible person believes him when he says that there was no threat warning, that that presidential daily briefing was historical and not a threat. Nobody believes that.

COOPER: Let's talk about John Kerry. Has he handled this correctly?

TUCKER: Well, he hasn't said a lot. I mean I don't think he wants to align himself with his lunatic fringe, which is getting larger every day. I mean Cynthia McKinney again running for Congress, simply a metaphor for a larger trend, Moveon.org, et cetera, of people who actually I think do blame Bush for 9/11. That doesn't hurt Kerry. I don't think he ought to weigh in.

Actually, in the end I think these last couple of weeks may have been good for Bush given all the alternatives. I mean here you -- think it through. If 9/11 weren't the focus of news coverage this week what would be and it would, of course, be the Americans now being held hostage in Iraq. That's a big deal story. That's something that George Bush is in some sense directly responsible for, our invasion of Iraq in contrast to 9/11.

No one in the end is going to hold Bush responsible for that. I think they will hold him responsible for Iraq but no one is talking about it because of these hearings and all these ridiculous allegations and implications.

COOPER: Is that the strategy then of Kerry not really saying much about the 9/11 Commission, Paul?

BEGALA: It's very smart for him. First off he doesn't have the facts that the president has. He doesn't have the facts that the commission has and anything he says will and should be viewed as partisan. After all he is running to replace President Bush.

The biggest thing I think he could do if he wants to and there's ample time for this is to point out the falsehoods that we've been given about how the president handled it.

Again, Dr. Rice's testimony I think is riddled with spin, if you want to be gracious about it, and the president even yesterday says no indications of an attack here in America. That's just factually false and I think so credibility rather than blaming him for 9/11 is a better political attack for Kerry (unintelligible).

CARLSON: Really. I'm not really in a position to really give a lot of advice to John Kerry. I think that's a stupid strategy. I mean I think people know, you know, that everybody knew Osama bin Laden was planning to attack the United States. He said so on television. He said so on our network. He said so on ABC. I mean that's news from nowhere.

This election is about Iraq. That's the only issue that matters. That's the only issue people will remember 50 years from now. John Kerry, I think, owes us, has an obligation to address it in a sensible way.

He finds it difficult because he voted for it. That doesn't mean he can't though. He needs to come up with some idea, some sort of counter plan against the president and he hasn't. He'll have to to win though.

COOPER: Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala, thanks.

BEGALA: Thanks, Anderson.

CARLSON: Thanks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): First, Howard Stern, could Oprah be next? How far will the government's indecent crackdown go?

And he bet it all on red and now is in the black. He's a gambler who sold everything and won it all back, 360 continues.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COOPER: In the next half hour on 360 our special series "Indecent Crackdown," Victoria's Secret pulls the plug on its fashion show. Who's next?

First, let's check our top stories in "The Reset."

Baghdad, hostage update, seven Chinese men kidnapped in Iraq are now free but 11 Russians working for a power company have now reportedly been kidnapped. At least six other people are hostages, three Japanese, two Arabs, and one American, at least. A Muslim cleric's committee has issued a religious decree against kidnappings.

Los Angeles. Clarke's movie deal. Former White House counterterrorism expert Richard Clarke is going Hollywood. Columbia Pictures has bought the movie rights to Clarke's best-selling memoir "Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror." The book challenges the Bush administration's record on terrorism.

Maui beach, Hawaii. Governor Schwarzenegger to the rescue. While on vacation last week he played the real-life role of super hero apparently saving a drowning man. He dragged the man ashore using a boogie board.

Las Vegas now. Bellagio blackout. One of the biggest hotel casinos on the Las Vegas strip won't reopen until tomorrow morning at the earliest. The partial blackout kicked in early Sunday morning at the 3,000-room Bellagio resort. The owners say a power line coming into the building failed.

San Francisco. Bonds ties Mays. Giants hitter Barry Bonds is now tied with his godfather Willie Mays for third in baseball's home run career list. Bonds hit his 660th home run today at Pacific Bell Park. Very happy indeed.

Well, last Wednesday Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia spoke to a Mississippi high school. We can't show you the speech because Scalia won't let the broadcast media cover such events. Only the print media. But when two print reporters tried to record his speech, something happened that we think was, well, just wrong.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): It happened 35 minutes into Justice Antonin Scalia's speech to the Presbyterian Christian School in Hattiesburg. A deputy U.S. marshal seized one of the print reporter's recorders and ordered the recordings be erased. The speech ironically was about the importance of the U.S. constitution. Justice Scalia told his teenage audience, the constitution of the United States is extraordinary and amazing. We couldn't agree more. But by confiscating reporters' recording equipment the deputy marshal clearly violated the 1980 Federal Privacy Protection Act which makes it unlawful to search for or seize any work product materials possessed by a person reasonably believed to have a purpose to disseminate to the public a newspaper, book, broadcast, or other similar form of public communication.

Justice Scalia doesn't like to appear on TV or the radio. That's his prerogative. But when his bodyguards take that to mean it's OK to confiscate reporters' equipment, that is just wrong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, development late today, in a letter released today, Justice Scalia apologized for the incident in Hattiesburg. He said he, too, was upset by it and he would change his policy to allow the print media to record his speeches.

Tonight we begin a special series. Indecent Crackdown. How far is the government going in its crackdown on what it calls indecency? We're going to look at the facts. This weekend's announcement by Victoria's Secret that they're canceling their televised fashion show is just the latest example of the impact this crackdown is having. Why is the government getting tough now and how far will this indecent crackdown go?

We begin tonight with a look at what's happened so far.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): In their search for smut the FCC has focused most notably on the radio, proposing $1.6 million in fines so far this year. That's more than they fined in the previous ten years combined, according to the Center for Public Integrity. The biggest fine, a double whammy for radio giant Clear Channel. $755,000 for Tampa's Bubba the Love Sponge for graphic talk about sex and drugs.

HOWARD STERN, RADIO SHOW HOST: I would love to see you with your top off.

COOPER: And $495,000 for airing bad boy Howard Stern who made comments about sex and flatulence. Clear Channel dropped the Sponge and Stern. Now, the FCC says it's investigating daytime soaps. And has had complaints about Oprah. Congress is trying to get in on the crackdown, as well. They're considering the Clean Airwaves Act, which will punish television and radio broadcasters for airing eight words and phrases deemed indecent. Scared, the giant media companies are very publicly trying to show they're policing themselves.

"Good Morning America," "The View," the Academy Awards and the Grammys are just some of the shows now seen on five to seven-second delays. The $10 billion a year porn industry is also in the government's sights. In the last 3 1/2 years, the Justice Department has filed and won 25 anti-obscenity cases. Some 50 other investigations are pending right now. Some targets include producers of porn where rapes and murders are simulated.

But many in the mainstream porn industry are fearful the crackdown will soon expand to them. Who knew when Janet Jackson bared her bosom the nipple ripple would go this far.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: In 1989, Florida attorney Jack Thompson secured the first decency fines ever levied by the FCC. Indecency fines. Now over a decade later he is still in hot pursuit. His focus, Howard Stern. After hearing a Stern show recently he filed a formal complaint with the FCC. Shortly thereafter the Stern storm was unleashed. I asked Thompson where the line is drawn between what is considered indecent legally and what is not.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACK THOMPSON, DECENCY ADVOCATE: Anderson, it stops at the line drawn by the law. 47 states have sexual material harmful to minor statutes where you can't display inappropriate material to children. And indeed the standard that is not my standard but is the law of the land is you cannot engage in through-the-air broadcasts either on the radio or on network TV that children should not hear.

COOPER: Do you think Oprah Winfrey should be taken off the air?

THOMPSON: First of all, Howard Stern doesn't have to be taken off the air. He has to abide by the law. Oprah Winfrey, and I've been on her show as a matter of fact, clearly, and I agree with Howard on this, has violated repeatedly the decency standard enunciated by the Pacifica (ph) case and upheld by the Supreme Court, and yes, indeed, Oprah Winfrey, as well as Jerry Springer, and others have aired material that's totally inappropriate for children.

COOPER: What about "Fear Factor?" On "Fear Factor" they're eating raw pig's rectums. Why is it okay to eat a raw pig rectum on TV when kids are watching but talk about part of the human body is inappropriate.

THOMPSON: I don't know that it is. But, you know, this line of questioning is sort of like Howard -- something a cop, someone would say to a cop if they were pulled over for going 95 on an interstate and say, you know, other people were speeding. Don't give me a ticket. Howard Stern has been the poster child for indecency in broadcasting for nearly 20 years. And everybody knows it.

COOPER: The question is, where does the line stop? I mean, it does -- I ask you about "Fear Factor" and some of the things they do on that show, know, are clearly disgusting. Why is it OK to do that, but talking about sex or joking about sex is not OK?

THOMPSON: I didn't say it was OK. And, indeed, there is stuff on in prime-time TV that is clearly over the line, and indeed, polls by Gallup and others of the American people have repeatedly shown that the American people have had enough. But the straw that broke the camel's back as Stern himself has indicated, it was the halftime show at the Super Bowl. It's not that the halftime show in and of itself has generated this swing of the pendulum in favor of parents, it is that we have had 20 years of this nonsense...

COOPER: Do you worry at all that the pendulum might swing too far? I assume you don't think it has already. Do you worry it might?

THOMPSON: Yes, of course. I'm a conservative. I think that the great infringer of freedom in the history of man has been the state. But, it was Carl Sandburg who said that freedom is best defined as moving easy in harness. By that he meant we must have ordered liberty for liberty to survive. And therefore inferentially, people like Howard Stern need to be ostracized by their own industry when they start doing the things he has done otherwise we will get to the point where government may overreact.

COOPER: Jack, you defend your position really well. Jack Thompson, thanks for being on the program.

THOMPSON: Thank you, Anderson.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: What do you think? Our buzz question of the day is this. What's fueling the government's crackdown on indecency? Morality or politics? Vote now, CNN.com/360. We'll have results at the end of the program. And tomorrow when our series "Indecent Crackdown" continues we're going to look at how the Justice Department is cracking down on porn, and how the multibillion dollar industry is responding.

We're also going to talk with "Playboy's" Hugh Hefner who has seen crackdowns like this before. Find out tomorrow what he has to say. Jayson Williams on trial coming up next. A delay while the defense asks for the charges to be dismissed. That is ahead in justice served.

Plus betting it all in Vegas. I'll talk to the Brit who came out the big winner in Vegas this weekend. Why did he do it and what's he going to do now? We'll talk to him.

And reality rewind. All the ridiculous stuff that's been happening on reality TV. Can't make it up. Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, tonight on "Justice Served," justice on hold. A major ruling still to come in the Jayson Williams trial. The judge right now considering dismissing the case over 100 pages of withheld evidence.

Adaora Udoji reports.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why did you change the report

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Judge, I disagree.

ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the jury still on hold the prosecution and defense clashed repeatedly as lawyers for Jayson Williams fought to have aggravated manslaughter charges against the former NBA star dropped. Defense lawyers vigorously questioned a prosecution weapons expert whose notes about the shotgun involved in the death of Gus Christofi were not turned over until two weeks ago by lead prosecutor Steve Lember. The defense honed in on changes the expert made to his draft report months ago after talking to the prosecutor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, didn't you tell us that you thought that was a substantive change?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I don't think so.

UDOJI: All of this relates to what made the gunfire. Prosecutors accuse Williams of recklessly shooting at a limousine driver two years ago. The defense says the gun accidentally misfired. They accuse prosecutors of intentionally withholding the evidence to deny Williams a fair trial.

BILLY MARTIN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: This discovery violation, your honor, we believe is part and parcel of a continuing pattern of conduct.

UDOJI: Prosecutors vehemently argued the late turnover was unintentional. That the defense has an ulterior motive.

KATHERINE ERRIKSON, PROSECUTOR: The defense wants the death of Gus Christofi to go unjudged because they don't like how Steve Lember handled this case.

UDOJI: At the end of nearly six hours the judge requested more time to review the record before making a decision. Which he said would come on Tuesday. Adaora Udoji, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Covering the case for us, Court TV's Lisa Bloom. Highly unlikely that they're actually going to -- the judge is going to approve this motion.

LISA BLOOM, COURT TV ANCHOR: Unlikely the judge is going to throw out the whole case and say it can't be retried. That's what the defense wants. They also would like a mistrial. That's probably not going to happen either. Judges hate mistrials. Judges want to take the thing through conclusion to a verdict when that's possible.

COOPER: But they're not gist trying to dismiss the case. They're also trying to get it so that Jayson Williams can never be tried for this again.

BLOOM: Exactly. That's a dismissal with prejudice. That's not likely.

COOPER: Why was the evidence -- what happened to this 100 pages of evidence?

BLOOM: There's a couple of things that happen. First of all the prosecutor did make a mistake in failing to turn over some photographs and drawings attached to the expert's report. That's a prosecution gun expert. And what happened with this gun, did it malfunction? That's a central issue in the case. So the prosecution not turning over all the evidence to the defense, that is a big deal. The defendant has a constitutional right to have all of that evidence.

COOPER: Before the trial is put on hold, both the defense and the prosecution had rested their cases. BLOOM: Yes.

COOPER: How did they do?

Who made the strongest case?

BLOOM: I think the prosecution has a very solid case. I mean it's very clear from a number of eyewitnesses that Jayson Williams in the middle of the night after drinking a lot of alcohol took a loaded gun and either pointed it and pulled the trigger or accidentally was playing with it, jerking it, opening and closing and the gun just went off and killed Gus Christofi. Either way we've got a guy who looks like he's being pretty reckless with a loaded gun. I don't think the jury is going to like that.

COOPER: And the testimony of his friends was very damaging.

BLOOM: His friends were the eyewitnesses. The Harlem Globe Trotters, some really colorful characters, seven feet tall, coming into the courtroom talking about Jayson Williams cursing at this man. Humiliating this stranger, the limo driver, saying things that I can't repeat here on CNN, but really degrading the man, and then shooting him dead right there in this bedroom.

COOPER: And then afterwards, there was testimony about them trying to cover it up.

BLOOM: And there was a cover-up. Take the gun, put it in Gus Christofi's hand, put his finger on the trigger to try to make it look like a suicide with a long barreled shotgun. That was highly unlikely which clued the police immediately it was not suicide.

COOPER: Were you surprised Jayson Williams didn't testify?

BLOOM: I was. Especially because his attorney promised the jury in opening statement that he would testify. He said you will hear from Jayson Williams. We've replayed that over and over again on Court TV.

COOPER: Not a good idea to promise something in an opening statement and not deliver.

BLOOM: Exactly and then he didn't deliver. Why didn't he deliver, we may never know.

COOPER: Lisa Bloom, Court TV. Thanks very much.

A man trades in all he's got for spin of the roulette wheel. Coming up, meet the guy who's either brave or nuts. A guy who sold everything he owned for a big chance to hit it big.

Also tonight get your score card out. It's time to check up on the latest news from all those cookey reality shows. And a little later the reigning king of reality, Donald Trump, is about to shift his hype machine into overdrive. Find out why in tonight's "Current."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)

COOPER: Oh, Frank. What a fitting song for this next story. A British man sold everything he owned, even his clothes, to try his luck on the spin of a roulette wheel in Las Vegas yesterday. Ashley Revell, that was his name, put $135,000 on red, and with friends and family watching the ball hit the mark giving Revell $270,000. Now of course, it's all captured on some reality TV. Earlier I asked Revell to tell us what was going through his mind when that big old wheel was spinning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ASHLEY REVELL, WON $270,000: It was just utter, just pleading that I'd pick it and that it would come in red. Before I actually walked up to the wheel, I was thinking about putting it on black, and then suddenly the guy was spinning the ball around and all the Sky viewers said I should vote for -- they voted that I should put it on red. So suddenly I just put it all on red. But it was just -- I was just pleading that it would come in and I'd get lucky this time. What I was really worried about was that I'd lose and my parents would be upset and my family would, you know, all my friends would be upset. So -- and I was obviously just so happy when it came in.

COOPER: So you were going to put it on black, but people back in England were voting and they said, no, you should put it on red? You decided to do that?

REVELL: Yeah, that's right. I mean, with all those people sort of hoping that it would be red, I thought I've got to go red, so that's what I did.

COOPER: Your father was opposed to this whole concept all along. This is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I told him he was a naughty boy, he was a bad boy, he shouldn't do it. He should work like all other kids do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: How does he feel now? I mean, has he changed his mind?

REVELL: Yeah, I think so. I mean, I obviously went and shook his hand before I did it, and after he was just hugging me and jumping up and down. So, you know, I think most all dads are just concerned, and he's seeing all my friends being married off and having kids and stuff, and he's like any father, he just wants me to settle down and make sure I'm secure.

COOPER: Now, why did you do this? I mean, apparently, is this true, you sold all your possessions, even underwear, everything you had, and then put all the money on this? Why? Was it all just to be on TV? REVELL: It was -- looking back on it now, I mean, at no point before I did the bet did I think about losing. I just felt positive and thought about just going ahead and winning. But now I've actually won, I can think about what would have happened if I'd lost. And to be honest, I was crazy to do this bet. It was the maddest thing. I mean, this is really about all I've got left, the tuxedo, which I'm not allowed to keep.

So it was just a mad thing to do. And I'm thinking back now about what would have happened if I lost. I'd have nothing to go back to, nothing to wear. But I'd still have my friends, my family, and they'd always be there for me. So they gave me the security to be able to do this.

But you know, never again. I mean, that's -- it was mad.

COOPER: But was it -- I mean, what was the initial idea? Did TV producers come to you and say, look, we'll do a documentary about you, we'll do a reality show about you if you do this, or was this something you thought of?

REVELL: Yeah, it was my idea. I just thought about doing it, and originally my friend was just going to -- just going to film it just for posterity, and suddenly there's a lot of cameras following me. I mean, the basics haven't changed, and that's I sell everything and put it on red or black.

COOPER: I hope you at least put some of it in the bank. Ashley Revell, congratulations, thanks for being on the program.

REVELL: Thanks very much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, time to check in on some pop news in tonight's "Current." Let's take a look. In Thailand, an unusual beauty contest over the weekend. Sakna Rin Naliapun (ph) was chosen Miss Transvestite of the year. It was quite an honor for the 19-year-old who was awarded a tiara, a sash and we hope a year's supply of aftershave.

There's talk of turning "The X-Files" into another movie. Actor David Duchovny is reportedly interested in starring in it, but says he doesn't know what the plot is about. We're going to go out on a limb and guess, aliens, something to do with aliens.

Get ready for the hype machine to take over for "The Apprentice." In advance of the show's finale this Thursday, NBC is interviewing everyone connected to the show. For example, Donald Trump is being interviewed on "Dateline." His hair will be guest host of the "Today Show." Probably not.

There's so many reality shows on TV these days, we find it basically impossible to keep up, and really who wants to try. But we know you want to be able to figure out what everyone's talking about around the water cooler, so we've created a quick guide to what's already gone on. We call it "Reality Rewind."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER (voice-over): On reality shows, love is breaking out all over. Average Adam finally picked up his average Jane. Actually, her name is Samantha. And a new "Bachelor" showed he's got brawn, but not necessarily brains.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I accidentally called out the wrong name.

COOPER: He said Katie when he meant to say Karen. Don't you hate it when that happens?

"The Osbournes" return, dealing with the aftermath of Ozzy's ATV accident. Other than that, it was hard to tell what they were talking about.

OZZY OSBOURNE: I've got (UNINTELLIGIBLE) post traumatic syndrome.

COOPER: On "The Real World," things got real serious.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is real, Frankie is a cutter, and yes, she does do this to herself.

COOPER: Dr. Drew Pinsky even showed up to teach everyone about cutting.

DR. DREW PINSKY, ADDICTION SPECIALIST: If you or someone you know is cutting, please get them help.

COOPER: There were, as always, plenty of fights. And, of course, plenty of tears.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I should have listened to you. No friends in this case.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I look beautiful.

COOPER: Camile (ph) sang good-bye, Lex (ph) was voted off, and Nick and Amy...

DONALD TRUMP, HOST, "THE APPRENTICE": You're fired.

COOPER: And of course what would reality TV be without the J word? Journey.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm glad I came on and did this journey.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Journey, journey, journey, journey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: They always use that word journey. It really annoys me.

Punctuation overload on TV, just ahead on "The Nth Degree." Time to do away with all those question marks, we think. And tomorrow, our special series continues, "Indecent Crackdown." Special series on what the government is doing to police the airwaves. Have they gone too far? We're also going to talk to that man, Hugh Hefner, who's seen indecent crackdowns before.

And our buzz question, e-mails pouring in. What's fueling the government crackdown on indecency? Morality or politics? What do you think? Vote now. Cnn.com/360. Results when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: The government's crackdown on what it calls indecency has created a lot of buzz among our viewers. Earlier we asked you, what's fueling the government crackdown on indecency? Morality or politics? Fourteen percent of you think morality; 86 percent say politics. Not a scientific poll, just your buzz. We appreciate you voting.

Tonight, taking banners to "The Nth Degree." We've been noticing more and more punctuation on TV. Mostly on those banners, the catchy headlines cable news just seems to love. See what I mean? These days, though, the punctuation is nearly always a question mark. Yeah, have you noticed? See, with a question mark you can say anything in a banner? Is the world ending? Probably not, but it sure did get your attention. We'd like to see a pause on the use of cable news question marks. Yes, in its place, we suggest a smile. Or a frown. It may not make any sense, but it sure would put a whole new face on the news.

I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for watching. Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

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