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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Michael Jackson Trial Update; Teen Still Sought in Aruba; Koran Report Still Rankles; Doctor Loses 270 Pounds

Aired June 06, 2005 - 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.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening, everyone.
Michael Jackson. The jury is still out on his verdict and his health. Is the pop star really as sick as he seems?

360 starts now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER (voice-over): Michael Jackson's fate hanging in the balance. Tonight, is there something really wrong with the singer's health? Or was this weekend's trip to the hospital an attempt to influence the jury?

Howard Dean. Always outspoken, but now some in his own party say he's going too far. Tonight, what's happening between the Democrats and Dean.

Missing in Aruba. Seven days and no sign of Natalee. Tonight, the latest on the search and an exclusive interview with Natalee's stepfather, trying to keep hope alive.

And a big, fat Greek diet? How one man lost so much weight his own mother didn't recognize him. Tonight, the doctor who shed hundreds of pounds. Could his diet plan work for you?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

COOPER: Good evening.

The jury in the Michael Jackson trial has ended deliberations for the day, his fate, his future in their hands. The singer was not in court today. He was at his ranch where he is no doubt under enormous stress. No question about that.

There is some question about his health, which seems a little tidal, you might say. He was OK on Saturday, then spent five hours in the hospital yesterday. Stress can make you ill. We all know that. But is that really what's go on with Jackson?

CNN's Rusty Dornin investigates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An incredible athlete on stage. Offstage, Michael Jackson's health often seemed fragile. His longest ongoing health issue, says his biographer, has been panic attacks.

RANDY TORABORRELLI, BIOGRAPHER: There have been instances when he's had to perform on stage, and he was upset about one thing or another, and he would have a panic attack, and actually has been hospitalized.

DORNIN: In the '70s, he broke his nose in a dancing accident, which began a series of plastic surgeries. Jackson will only admit to two. In the '80s, Jackson's hair caught on fire during a commercial. He was hospitalized and forced to undergo scalp surgery. During that same time, Jackson's skin began to appear much lighter. He claimed he had a skin condition.

TORABORRELLI: Vitiligo is a true condition. It's not a made-up Michael Jackson fantasy. He was diagnosed with it back in the 1980s. He does have it. And you know, it is an issue in his life.

DORNIN: In 1993, following the previous allegations of sexual abuse, Jackson admitted problems with prescription drugs.

MICHAEL JACKSON, ENTERTAINER: After my tour ended, I remained out of the country undergoing treatment for dependency on pain medication.

DORNIN: And in '94, he fell off the stage in Germany, injuring his back -- a problem that Jackson says plagues him to this day.

During jury selection, Jackson went to the hospital with flu symptoms. Through the rest of the trial, it was his back that sent him to the hospital twice, complaining of debilitating pain. He even showed up for court in his pajamas. And he went to the hospital last week because a family friend thought he looked dehydrated.

TORABORRELLI: It always is a big drama around Michael Jackson. I mean, he's always, you know, dehydrated, or he's exhausted, or...

DORNIN: So is he sick? Is he really sick?

TORABORRELLI: He is. I mean, I can tell you from my own sources in the Jackson camp that he is very sick right now and has been for quite some time. It is the back. It's not an exaggeration.

DORNIN: Some close to the superstar say his health always deteriorates when the pressure is on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DORNIN: That pressure, of course, is mounting as the jury finishes their first full day of deliberations.

In the meantime, it was a very strange day outside the courtroom, as Michael Jackson's father Joe, came up through the crowd, through a melee of photographers and fans, and mysteriously kept saying, "Where is my son? I want to see my son," confronted one of the bailiffs who said, "Sir, he is not here." It was never really very clear the reason that he had showed up.

Also, Jesse Jackson, Reverend Jesse Jackson also came. He talked about Michael Jackson's health, again saying that he had been writhing in pain. But he claims that the superstar is very focused and believes that this jury has enough reasonable doubt that they're going to come around and acquit him.

Anderson?

COOPER: We'll be talking to Reverend Jackson a little bit later on 360. Rusty Dornin, thanks for that.

CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin was in the courtroom last week, joins us now.

You say, up close, Jackson just looks terrible?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Awful. I mean, and also what's interesting to me is, having seen him -- I wasn't there for the whole trial, so I would miss several weeks -- the deterioration in his appearance is quite striking. Remember at the beginning of this trial he danced on top of that car. That's not an easy thing to do.

COOPER: But isn't it possible he is trying to influence the jury? I mean, they are not sequestered. They can see the television reports.

TOOBIN: It is possible, but I don't think -- he doesn't strike me as that kind of strategic thinker. I don't think it would do much good. And he does seem like his health is disastrous.

COOPER: In his closing arguments, Jackson's attorney warned the jury about a potential civil suit in this case. I want to talk a little bit about what happens if he is convicted and if he's not.

This what he said about the accuser and the accuser's family. "You have the power in your hands to make them rich" -- he's talking to the jury -- "and they'll never have to work a day in their lives. You have that power."

Do they have that power? I mean, can there be a civil suit if Jackson is acquitted?

TOOBIN: Well, let's talk.

If he's convicted, Mesereau is exactly right. They don't need to try this case again. Because the burden of proof is higher in a criminal case, in a civil case, they can simply walk in with the certificate of conviction and say, "Give us our money. Let's start arguing about damages." So he's right that a conviction would certainly lead to a big civil -- well, a successful civil suit.

If he's acquitted, all bets are off. There still could be a civil suit, much less likely. And they would have to try it all over again because they'd have no judgment to rely on.

COOPER: And if he is convicted, what happens to his kids? TOOBIN: That would be up to the department of social services in Santa Barbara County where they live. There's a very good chance -- I mean, first of all, if he's convicted, he's going to be in prison for a long time. So he wouldn't be with them under any circumstances, but he'd very likely lose custody because child molesters don't get to keep their kids.

COOPER: And they would, what, go to Debbie Rowe, who I guess is the mother?

TOOBIN: I guess. I mean, I think there would be people coming forward. Presumably, Debbie Rowe would come forward and ask for custody. Perhaps Jackson's family would ask for custody. But he almost certainly wouldn't be able to keep them.

COOPER: And we know the verdict's going to be live, in terms of audio. Will he go directly -- I mean, if he is convicted, does he go directly to jail?

TOOBIN: Guaranteed big fight over bail pending appeal. Most people convicted of serious felonies go right to prison. He would probably go.

But his lawyers would say, "Look, where is Michael Jackson going to go? Let him out, given his medical condition. Keep him out for bail pending appeal." That's a big, big fight for what happens.

COOPER: What happened to his whole, "I was abused by police"? Is that just gone? Does no one even care about that?

TOOBIN: Well, I mean, it was just proven to be false. I mean, they released photographs. It just didn't happen.

COOPER: All right. Jeffrey Toobin, thanks.

As we mentioned, a little later on 360, Jackson on Jackson. Michael Jackson, he's got a spiritual adviser, the Reverend Jesse Jackson. You never know where or when he's going to show up. We're going to talk with him a little bit later on.

For the family of an American girl missing in Aruba, this past weekend has been a long, terrible one, indeed. Natalee Holloway, she has been missing for a week now. That's her picture. Two men have been arrested and will face a judge tomorrow or on Wednesday.

On Friday, I talked to Natalee's mom who said she was pleased with the cooperation she was getting from police. Well, today, a sign of just how seriously the island of Aruba is taking this case, 4,000 civil servants were released from work early to join in the search for her.

Now this hour, at this moment, Natalee Holloway is still missing. CNN's Karl Penhaul spoke for the first time with her stepfather, George "Jug" Twitty.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How tough is it for you? You've got to be the man of the family. You've got to be the pillar of strength there. But you like everybody else, you're out of your mind with worry.

GEORGE "JUG" TWITTY, STEPFATHER OF MISSING GIRL: It's very tough. And you have to think about, you know, what's going to be like in the future? I mean, you know, we sit there and we talk about it, because no matter what happens, if she walks through the door right now, it's still going to change our lives for the rest of mine and Beth's life.

I think a lot of people will learn from this experience. I hope, I pray to God that she walks through that door or that we find her somewhere. I don't care if she's, you know, in a crack house somewhere and she's been drugged up for, you know, seven days or whatever. We can work with that. We can fix her. We can do whatever to get her back. That's all we want. That's all we're asking.

PENHAUL: How long will you and Beth stay here?

This investigation could be long. It could be complicated. We all hope we've got a quick and happy resolution to this. But it could be long. It could be drawn-out. How long are you and Beth going to stay here?

TWITTY: Till we find her. I mean, it's not an object of -- you know, I have friends that have supported me back in Birmingham. I have people that I work with and work for, and that have supported me, my bosses have supported me. "No matter what-all it takes, you know, you find Natalee, Chuck."

And I cannot leave my wife's side. I mean, as I say, this will change my life. It already has, mine and Beth's life. And there is no way -- and she is not leaving. My wife is strong. And you know, no matter what, she is going to find Natalee.

PENHAUL: Jug, apart from the formal aspects of the police investigation, what are the methods that you've been looking at?

TWITTY: I've had my friends down here. My friends came and helped, and we'd get leads from different people, you know, because we're searching for anything. We're not trying to, you know, interrupt the police investigation at all.

All we're looking for is -- we're here to help. We're here to try to find Natalee, and any lead that we get, we go and research, you know? And we also tell the police about it, you know? But we've talked to psychics. You just wouldn't believe how many people have called and tried to help.

And you know, it's interesting they all have a read, you know, that they know that she's still alive, that she's either in -- she's in a dark place, she's in a cave, she's in a basement, she's unharmed, but she's maybe, you know, intoxicated, which, to me, means she's drugged. And they can't get through to her because she's drugged, and that she can see out. But you know, it's just -- you know, it's kind of funny because, you know, my daughter has had, you know, ones contact her back in Birmingham, and they're calling in from all over the country. And then the people down here, and they all say kind of the same spin. And I don't know, you know, because I've never really dealt with psychics before. We just chase every lead we can chase, I mean, to try to help, because you just never know.

I feel like, if somebody called me and said they saw Natalee at the pizza place, and that, you know, she comes by here every day, or she goes over there, or that they see her going into one of these, you know, maybe houses that they're holding her in, if I don't go check it, then I'll feel like I'm not doing everything I can do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, as for the two men arrested, Aruba's chief prosecutor has declined to specify the charges they could face. Authorities have not called the case a kidnapping. The men, both hotel security guards, could face a judge, as we said, tomorrow or Wednesday. Police are pressing the men for clues on Natalee's whereabouts. Police say the men are not cooperating at this point.

360 next, Howard Dean, mellow no more. He's unloading on Republicans. Find out why his fellow Democrats are none too pleased. That is definitely "Raw Politics" for tonight.

Plus, up in smoke. Patients using medical marijuana are now subject to arrest even in states where it's legal. We'll tell you why.

And later tonight, baseball and liquid shakes. One man's diet. How one man, a doctor, who weighed nearly a quarter ton, slimmed up and got into shape. Could his diet work for you? It's part of a week- long look at diets, "Choose to Lose," we're calling it.

All that ahead. First, your picks, the most popular stories on CNN.com right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: It's normal in the Byzantine world of Washington politics that Democrats take swipes at Republicans and vice versa. What's not exactly normal is when the leader of one party is getting openly criticized by top members of his own party. We're talking, of course, about Howard Dean, the Democratic Party chairman.

Just this past weekend, two prominent Democrats, former vice presidential nominee John Edwards and Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware, each said Dean isn't speaking for most members of the party, which is kind of his job in the world of "Raw Politics."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOWARD DEAN, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: I try to be restrained in my new role here in Washington. COOPER (voice-over): He said he'd be good, keep his infamous temper under wraps, not send the Democrats careening off message. It hasn't quite worked out.

DEAN: Yeah!

COOPER: He kept it together for a few months, but then the old Howard Dean was back, declaring he hated Republicans and everything they stand for.

DEAN: You know, I think a lot of these folks aren't very nice.

COOPER: That the embattled House majority leader should be behind bars.

DEAN: I think Tom DeLay ought to go back to Houston where he can serve his jail sentence down there courtesy of the Texas taxpayers.

COOPER: The chairman continued his GOP trash-a-thon last week.

DEAN: ... a lot of them have never made an honest living in their lives.

COOPER: All of which has some top Democrats saying, "Enough already."

JOHN EDWARDS (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What do I think about it? I don't agree with it.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC HOST: Is Howard Dean doing the party any good?

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: Not with that kind of rhetoric. He doesn't speak for me with that kind of rhetoric. And I don't think he speaks for the majority of Democrats.

EDWARDS: My own view is the chairman of the DNC is not the spokesman for the Democratic Party.

COOPER: Sort of, well, not really. With Washington Democrats out of power, the party's chairman is kind of a big deal. So his fighting words are powerful. They could backfire, of course. Or they could energize the grassroots, the folks who say the Democrats have been too cautious too long. For now, however, Dean's trying to tone it down.

DEAN: My parents were Republicans. I don't hate Republicans.

COOPER: Promising to hold his tongue...

DEAN: And little more precision in the words is always good thing.

COOPER: ... especially for the fragile flowers in the sensitive world of "Raw Politics."

DEAN: Yeah! (END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, we are tracking several other stories tonight. Erica Hill from HEADLINE NEWS joins us with the latest at about 18 past the hour.

Hey, Erica.

ERICA HILL, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hey, Anderson.

A big day for diplomacy. U.S. and North Korea officials meeting face-to-face to talk about nuclear weapons. Today's meeting in New York came at the request of North Korea. There's no word on whether the U.S. made any progress in getting Pyongyang to resume its six- nation talks over its nuclear ambitions which have been stalled for a year. In the meantime, the Associated Press reporting the U.S. has backed off its threat to try to punish North Korea with U.N. sanctions for its nuclear weapons program.

In Washington, D.C., in a decision of 6-3, the Supreme Court rules the federal government can ban medical marijuana. The high court found laws in 11 states don't protect users from federal prosecution, but the court says Congress can change the law to allow medical use of marijuana.

At The Hague in the Netherlands, the International Criminal Court said it is investigating alleged war crimes in Sudan's Darfur region. The court has a list of 51 potential suspects. An estimated 180,000 people have died in Darfur and 2 million others have been displaced since rebel uprisings began two years ago.

Back stateside, another company, more lost data -- and a lot of it. Citigroup says computer tapes of personal information on nearly 4 million customers were lost by UPS. The bank's finance division says it is notifying customers.

Scary, once again.

COOPER: Have you ever had your identity stolen?

HILL: No. I've had my bank account broken into, though, and that was enough.

COOPER: Yes. I had the same thing. And it's no fun.

HILL: No good.

COOPER: No, not good. Don't recommend it. Note to self, don't let it happen.

Erica Hill, thanks very much. See you in about 30 minutes.

HILL: See you in a bit.

COOPER: Coming up next on 360, after all of the screaming and the yelling, did "Newsweek" have its Koran abuse story right after all? The U.S. admits some soldiers abused the Koran. We'll take a closer look at the facts.

Also tonight, why is the Reverend Jesse Jackson now embedded in the Michael Jackson camp? We'll talk to him and find out why he's speaking out for Michael.

And flying with Fido. How safe is your pet when you check him or her in as baggage? We'll take a look. Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: You know, often when the government wants a story buried, it will dump it out at a time went it might go unnoticed by the media. That appeared to be the case Friday night when the Pentagon released an embarrassing report admitting that the Koran was mishandled by U.S. personnel at Guantanamo Bay prison camp. The report describes American guards and interrogators kicking, stepping on, and even in one case splashing urine on the Muslim holy book.

Now, so far, according to the Pentagon, there's been no backlash, like the outrage about a "Newsweek" article sparked a couple weeks ago.

But as CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre reports in tonight's "World in 360," there are some who will not take kindly to the news.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even before the latest revelations by the Pentagon, allegations of Koran abuse at Guantanamo continued to inflame the passions of Muslim protesters in India last week. And this week, reports of Koran desecration are fueling the anti-American rhetoric of Iraq's radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

MUQTADA AL-SADR, MUSLIM CLERIC (via translator): It is acknowledgement of paying no heed and respect to religions.

MCINTYRE: While the Bush administration condemned a "Newsweek" article for reporting erroneously that U.S. investigators confirmed the Koran was flushed down the toilet at Guantanamo, what investigators did confirm isn't likely to sound much better to Muslims who are already angry. The final report issued by Brigadier General Jay Hood cites five incidents, including one where a U.S. guard urinated on a detainee and a Koran accidentally.

BRIG. GEN. JAY HOOD, JOINT TASK FORCE GUANTANAMO COMMANDER: It was an inadvertent action by a member of the security force. And he was removed from his duties on that site and given other duties.

MCINTYRE: Hood's final report described the March 2005 incident this way. "The guard had left his observation area post and went outside to urinate. He urinated near an air vent and the wind blew his urine through the vent into the block."

Some critics argue it's time to shut down Guantanamo, because like the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, it's become an embarrassing symbol of abuse used as a recruiting tool by America's enemies. But the Pentagon insists that is not under consideration.

QUESTION: Have you considered moving the Gitmo, the terrorist prison in Cuba, to America, given the criticism and given the Supreme Court decision that says there is some review there? Have you ever considered that?

DONALD RUMSFELD, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I haven't, no.

QUESTION: Would it give any advantages of some transparency or better oversight or...

RUMSFELD: Oh, my goodness. There's so much transparency in Gitmo and so much oversight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: The Pentagon argues its final report should close the book on the controversy because it shows mishandling the Koran at Guantanamo was a rare occurrence that was never condoned.

Now, the White House called the offenses a few isolated incidents, saying 99.9 percent of America's military uphold the highest standards in protecting religious freedom.

Anderson?

COOPER: Well, we know a number of allegations have been made in a variety of lawsuits. No doubt this story will continue. Jamie McIntyre, thanks.

Michael Jackson's fate hanging in the balance. Tonight, is there something really wrong with the singer's health? And was this weekend's trip to the hospital an attempt to influence the jury?

And a big, fat Greek diet? How one man lost so much weight his own mother didn't recognize him. Tonight, the doctor who shed hundreds of pounds, could his diet plan work for you? 360 continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, for a second day, jurors in the Michael Jackson molestation trial could not reach a verdict. They're going to be back at the courthouse to resume deliberations tomorrow morning.

Since he was just a child, Jackson has had a relationship with another famous Jackson, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who is not only a friend of the singer but is also his spiritual adviser. The Reverend Jesse Jackson joins us now from Santa Maria, California.

Reverend Jackson, good to have you on the program.

REV. JESSE JACKSON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Good to be with you again. COOPER: Reverend Jackson, watching Michael Jackson come to and from the court, he seems out of it. I mean, he looks in bad shape. He looks dazed. And I don't say that with any glee.

You spent time with him last night after he got out of the hospital. How is he doing?

JACKSON: Michael is spiritually strong and his attitude is up, but he is in physical pain. He had a rather severe fall, and then complicated by another fall later in the shower. And so he has this recurring back problem. He has back spasms. And so it's not fake. It's real. I talked with him last night. He was kind of writhing in pain and grimacing somewhat.

But although his back has been hurting, his sense of where he is, is very clear and he believes that he will be in fact acquitted. He is driven by that hope.

COOPER: And when you talk with him, when you sit with him, when you pray with him, I mean, what are the discussions? What are the -- what is the give and take?

JACKSON: Well, the give and take is that the jury has the fate.

Michael must have the faith in himself and faith in God. He must lean now to that great faith tradition that his family has nurtured in him.

It's -- when Job had this meltdown and lost almost everything and Job said my worst fears have come upon me, and yet I know my redeemer lives, and yet though you slay me -- yet, will I trust you.

It is that sense of faith that must sustain him through these next hours of great anxiety and stress.

COOPER: Reverend Jackson, some would say how when Job had his suffering, I mean, through no fault of his own, did these come upon him.

I mean, Michael Jackson has repeatedly slept with children in his bed and has been warned by people around him not to do this; he continues to do this.

I mean, do you think he's really akin to Job?

JACKSON: Well, only in the sense that he has been a suffering person, he has known the meltdown. But you know, the appearance of impropriety is not illegal.

There is the kind of news room, news-frenzied, trial of speculation and imagination. And then there are the facts. And the facts seem to be that while he declares his innocence, those who have testified against him, while he's felt a bit betrayed by them because he put such confidence in them, upon cross-examination it simply did not pass the bar of getting beyond reasonable doubt. And he believes that between his own innocence and that cross- examination -- he has great confidence in, of course, his lawyer Tom Mesereau, who's done such a good job as his defense lawyer -- Michael feels that he will in fact survive this.

COOPER: As his adviser, do you have to feel that he is innocent? I mean, do you believe he is completely innocent of these charges?

JACKSON: Yes, I believe he's innocent. And furthermore -- and I believe he's been naive about the association and the relationships. And of course that has to change.

But given all that we now know, those who have been the most vociferous in their testimony, in fact have melted down in the face of cross-examination.

I remain concerned, for example, that before he was even charged a sheriff went into his house -- 75 deputies, armed deputies, ransacked his home; destroyed furniture and art; took way personal properties; came out and gave a big press conference; gave part of that to the press and some to the court. And yet all of that was generously allowed to be a part of this whole trial that's going on there. And so he feels a sense of injustice, and yet I sense in him nobilitiness (sic).

He has faith in this jury, faith in his lawyer, and faith in God. And those are very strong pillars for him to stand on.

COOPER: You paint him, though, as an underdog that, you know -- a David against the Goliath of the state. There are some who would argue that his resources don't really make him a fitting character to be that David.

JACKSON: Well in the sense that, you know, because he's the biggest land holder in the county, the biggest taxpayer, he's really paying for the prosecutor and paying for defense. So he is paying the big price for all of this.

But one would have to say that when the sheriff has a free run, maybe a 10-year itch to -- quote-unquote -- "get you," when the jury -- when the judge allows the opening up of 10-year-ago records, where there was no conviction but the settlement, even now the jury, which Michael has so much confidence in, is not sequestered.

It's a kind of real open season here. And yet in spite of all of that, Michael has a positive attitude and a faith that really, to me, is quite amazing.

COOPER: Well, Reverend Jackson, we appreciate you joining us. Thank you, very much.

JACKSON: Thank you, very much.

COOPER: Coming up tonight -- next on 360 -- missing in Aruba, an American teenager who vanished. Would you let your child go on a similar class trip? We're going to take a closer look at that issue next.

Also tonight, "Choose to Lose" -- a doctor following advice -- or following another doctor's advice by shedding hundreds of pounds. How did he do it? It's a very unusual way. We'll tell you -- part of our special series "Choose to Lose."

And a little later, pets and planes. The U.S. airline industry soon to follow a new policy when pets fly, but does it really make them any safer? We'll take a closer look at that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: At the time she disappeared, 18-year-old straight-A student Natalee Holloway was among about a hundred other students from her high school on vacation on the island of Aruba.

It's the type of trip a lot of graduating seniors take and they do it with their parents' permission. That, of course, was before Natalee vanished without a trace.

CNN's Rick Sanchez has this report from Natalee's hometown in Alabama.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: On this day, and every day, they gather for a prayer vigil at the Mountain Brook Community Church. For these recent high school grads, this place has become a refuge a week after many of these same students were topping off what was, for them, the party of a life-time.

The Mountain Brook High School graduation trip to Aruba included 140 seniors chaperoned by seven adults, familiar to the students as coaches, teachers and their spouses. It's a student-to-chaperon ratio of 20 to one.

The trip itself was planned not by the school, but rather by a local travel agency, then organized with the help of students who helped to promote it.

We called and paid a visit to the address listed for the travel agency, but found no one there and no one returning our calls.

MARCIA TWITTY, NATALEE HOLLOWAY'S AUNT: If for one-billionth of a second any one of us thought something was going to happen, we would have never let our kids go.

SANCHEZ (on camera): The fact that students here at Mountain Brook High School decided to take their graduation trip out of the country is really not unusual. As a matter of fact, for students all over the country, this is becoming a rite of passage.

Knowing what you know today, would you let your daughter go on a grad trip to another country?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I would not. SANCHEZ: You wouldn't?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would not, no.

SANCHEZ: You've thought it through?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would go if I were go -- I'd let her go if I were going, but I've already -- she doesn't go on trips now without me, so.

SANCHEZ: So the only way you'd let her go on a grad trip to another country is if one of the chaperones is you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.

SANCHEZ: If her mom is there with her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.

SANCHEZ: Otherwise, forget about it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right, that's correct.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): The disappearance of Natalee Holloway seems to be serving as a wake-up call. But people who analyze trends in the travel industry say, the high school graduation trip trend has been in the making for quite some time.

It all started with the televising of college spring break outings in the mid-'90s that showed high school teens what they were missing. Since then, senior class presidents say they've been inundated with calls from travel agents, recruiting them by offering them a free trip if they recruit other students.

Students pay around $500 to go to places like Negril, Jamaica; Cancun, Mexico; and Aruba. And in some cases, a cruise to nowhere, that for many has come to be known as a floating bar. Stateside drinking age laws do not apply. The $500 entitles the students to transportation, accommodations, and invites to open-bar parties with themes like toga night, pajama party, and wet T-shirt contests. The parties last into the night and early morning, and can have serious consequences.

Resort towns report seasonal increases in vandalism, alcohol poisoning, date rape pills and sexual assaults.

(on camera): Would you let your son or daughter go on a graduation trip overseas?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

SANCHEZ: Absolutely not, huh?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

SANCHEZ: Why? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not at 18.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: You know, it's interesting. We went out and we tried to talk to as many people as we possibly could. We couldn't find one person who at this point -- this is Birmingham, of course, they're very close to the story -- who would say that they would let their son or daughter go on one of these trips.

It all comes down to a question of vulnerability. Are these U.S. students more vulnerable when they go overseas? Keep in mind, here in Alabama, the drinking age is 21. When they go overseas, it's 18. But really with a wink and a nod, they can probably drink even if they're younger than that.

One more statistic, before we throw it back to you. Last year in Cancun alone, we checked, 100,000 graduating seniors went there. Of course, that's also combined with many college students who joined them as well. And the problems, they were many.

I'm Rick Sanchez. Anderson, back to you.

COOPER: Rick, thanks very much, live in Alabama tonight. We've been getting a lot of emails from Aruba, from people who live in Aruba who watch the program and say, look, we're taking this thing very seriously. As a sign of that today, the government of Aruba let 4,000 civil servants leave work early so they could actually help join the search for Natalee Holloway.

We'll continue to follow this story until she's found, of course.

We're following several other stories for you tonight. Erica Hill from HEADLINE NEWS joins us with the latest at about 16 to the hour.

Hey, Erica.

HILL: Hey, Anderson. Hello.

We start off with word that there will be no rush to judgment against Saddam Hussein. In Baghdad today, the judges who will try the toppled dictator made it clear no date for his trial has been set. The Iraqi special tribunal denied reports that the trial could begin within the next two months. American advisers believe it may start next year.

Back in the U.S., the violent crime rate continues to plunge. The FBI says nationwide, murders fell last year for the first time since 1999. Cities with more than a million people saw the greatest drop in the crime rate.

Good news, right? Well, it turns out experts are surprised by the decline. They point to a rise in gang activity and a sluggish economy.

From Chicago now, could there be a link between teen suicide and body image? A new study suggests suicidal thoughts are much more common in teenagers who perceive themselves as being too fat or too thin, even if their weight is normal. And researchers say teens who believe they are very fat or very thin are twice as likely to think about suicide than kids of a normal weight.

And in New York, the Cinderella Man getting a little punchy. Russell Crowe was arrested early this morning an assault charges. He allegedly hit an employee at the hotel where he was staying with a telephone. Those fighting minutes really add up. The actor's publicist denies the charges.

That's the latest from HEADLINE NEWS, but you know, promoting the boxing movie and then the phone thing, it's unfortunate.

COOPER: Well, we'll see if it's true or not. We'll see if, you know, the wheels of justice grind slowly. Though his perp walk -- that's what we call it in New York, the perp walk...

HILL: The perp walk?

COOPER: He looked pretty good on the perp walk. My favorite, you know, I guess it wasn't really a perp walk, it was more the photo, my favorite, Nick Nolte. There you go.

HILL: I have to say, I'm a huge fan of that one myself.

COOPER: Yeah, it's good. It's hard to beat that one.

HILL: It's kind of impossible.

COOPER: Crowe looked like he had time to comb his hair, put on glasses.

HILL: He absolutely did. There was some product in that hair.

COOPER: All right, Erica Hill, thanks very much. See you again in about 30 minutes.

Coming up next tonight, a doctor who loved food a little bit too much. He was 467 pounds. He lost more than half his body weight. His inspirational story and his tips for you ahead. Part of our special series, "Choose to Lose."

Also ahead tonight, you go on a flight with your four-legged best buddy, you make it there OK. Your pet, however, does not. It's a nightmare. Now airlines say they have a plan to deal with it, but you know what? They don't. We'll take a look why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, it's no secret that America has a weight problem. We simply can't resist the Big Macs, the Whoppers, the triple cheese meat lover's pizza, and whatever Paris Hilton has been sudsing up for. The CDC says 65 percent of American adults are overweight, 65 percent; 30 percent are obese.

Now, some people, however, are able to lose the weight and keep it off. And all this week, we're going to bring you some of their inspiring stories in a series we call "Choose to Lose."

Tonight, CNN's Gary Tuchman introduces us to a man who lost more than most of us weigh.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the Nick Yphantides who loved baseball and food, but not necessarily in that order.

DR. NICK YPHANTIDES: It's a bagel.

TUCHMAN: He called himself a big fat Greek. Dr. Nick, family practitioner, who knew he should be an example to his patients, wasn't even sure how much he weighed because the scale didn't go high enough. After stepping on two scales, he found out he weighed nearly a quarter ton.

YPHANTIDES: When I realized I weighed 467, you could have just told me my mother died. I was bawling. I was just so humiliated.

TUCHMAN: He also became motivated. This is Dr. Nick today, 6'2", around 200 pounds. A bout with testicular cancer convinced him his life had to change.

YPHANTIDES: It hit my like a ton of bricks how ridiculous it was having dodged the cancer bullet and on the other side of life I was literally killing myself. I am convinced now that I was committing a slow form of suicide by eating myself to death.

TUCHMAN: Dr. Nick planned a very ambitious diet. On the night before it was to begin though, one last monster dinner. A double portion of porterhouse steak, several appetizers, cheesecake and a banana cream pie.

YPHANTIDES: We went to the Ruth's Chris Steak House here in San Diego and I let it all hang out. Thirty-five years of bad habits culminated in one evening of food decadence. The next day I went on the liquid fast that would last for eight months.

TUCHMAN: Under medical supervision, he only drank protein shakes, exercised regularly and went off in this RV on what he called a radical sabbatical, a journey to each of the 30 Major League Baseball stadiums, including the home of his beloved San Diego Padres. Do you think you could have lost all this weight without the distraction of something like baseball?

YPHANTIDES: I'm not sure I could have.

TUCHMAN: He went to 110 games. At Chicago's Wrigley Field, he successfully performed CPR on a fan having a heart attack.

YPHANTIDES: When I got back to my seat, in true baseball hospitality fashion, people are like, whoa, how did you do that? Well, I'm a doctor. Whoa, can I buy you a beer? I'm like I don't drink. Can I buy you a hot dog? I don't eat. TUCHMAN: Dr. Nick spent five months going to all the Major League Baseball cities. Despite the temptations of kielbasa, hot dogs and pizza, not to mention peanuts and Cracker Jacks, he lost 188 pounds. He hadn't seen his mother for months. Home video caught her reaction when he returned to his home in Escondido.

BERNICE YPHANTIDES, DR. NICK'S MOTHER: He had lost so much weight and also got a haircut and just looked so different I was just shocked at the door.

TUCHMAN: He was your own flesh and blood. You didn't recognize him?

BERNICE YPHANTIDES: No. It was a miraculous, joyful moment.

TUCHMAN: Nick lost an additional 82 pounds for a total of 270. His first solid food was eaten with flair on Thanksgiving and also captured on home video.

In the three years since his diet, Dr. Nick fell in love and got married. Debbie Yphantides gave birth to their daughter Nicky in April.

Dr. Nick wrote a book appropriately named "My Big Fat Greek Diet" in which he tells his story and gives his medical viewpoint about how others can lose weight and keep it off. He writes that a liquid diet is certainly not for everybody. It should only be done under a doctor's care. He preaches about working out, something he tries to do seven days a week at his home YMCA. The Greek food is still plentiful at family gatherings in Escondido. Nick says the vivid memories of his past give him plenty of incentive to eat in moderation.

YPHANTIDES: These clothes used to be tight on me.

TUCHMAN: What are the size of these?

YPHANTIDES: This is a size 60 pant, five feet around.

TUCHMAN: And baseball remains an important diversion. Cheering on the Padres with his wife and daughter serves as a reminder of what his life was once like and how fortunate he is now.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Escondido, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, our "Choose to Lose" series continues tomorrow with the school of weight loss. We'll take you inside a radical new experiment, a private boarding school with a tough curriculum that aims to get kids in shape.

Let's find out what's coming up at the top of the hour on PAULA ZAHN NOW. In for Paula tonight, Soledad O'Brien. Hey Soledad.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Anderson. At the top of the hour an Oscar winner with an attitude. All day, we've been hearing about actor Russell Crowe's latest brush with the law here in New York City. We're going to take an in-depth look tonight at what makes him tick and why he sometimes goes off. Russell Crowe, the good, the bad and the sometimes ugly. That's right at the top of the hour.

Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Soledad, thanks. That's about five minutes from now.

Coming up next on 360, tabulating tabbies and counting canines. Anyway, motionless ones anyway. We'll explain in a moment about what happens to your pet when you take them on a plane.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Counting noses to "The Nth Degree", yeah, I said noses.

It's always a good thing when the powerful -- in this case America's airlines -- listen to the little guy -- in this case passengers who fly with their pets.

You see, unless they're small enough to fit in under-seat carriers pets have to travel with the luggage in the cargo hold. Now it's not pressurized down there in the belly of the beast or temperature controlled either. This does not bother the average suitcase in the least.

But then your spaniels and your Siamese are much more demanding than your duffle bags and sometimes show their displeasure with their accommodations by, well, by dying.

No one knows exactly how often this happens. Pet lovers have been after the airlines through Congress to improve conditions, air and temperature-wise in the hold. Needles to say, this would be expensive. So the airlines have made a counter offer and a compromise has been reached. Oh boy, what a triumph this is, too.

Starting June 15, cargo holds will be exactly as cold and noisy and inhospitable as ever, but -- hold on to your hats here -- airlines will have to keep track of pets that come aboard alive and, well, disembark dead.

Yes, siree Bob. Counting dead dogs and cats is a terrific first step towards solving the problem, don't you think?

We're going to call it progress, but only because we can't use the word for what we really think is it is on the air.

Thanks for watching 360" CNN's primetime coverage continues with PAULA ZAHN NOW. Soledad O'Brien sitting it for Paula tonight. Hey Soledad.

END 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 June 6, 2005 - 19:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening, everyone.
Michael Jackson. The jury is still out on his verdict and his health. Is the pop star really as sick as he seems?

360 starts now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER (voice-over): Michael Jackson's fate hanging in the balance. Tonight, is there something really wrong with the singer's health? Or was this weekend's trip to the hospital an attempt to influence the jury?

Howard Dean. Always outspoken, but now some in his own party say he's going too far. Tonight, what's happening between the Democrats and Dean.

Missing in Aruba. Seven days and no sign of Natalee. Tonight, the latest on the search and an exclusive interview with Natalee's stepfather, trying to keep hope alive.

And a big, fat Greek diet? How one man lost so much weight his own mother didn't recognize him. Tonight, the doctor who shed hundreds of pounds. Could his diet plan work for you?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

COOPER: Good evening.

The jury in the Michael Jackson trial has ended deliberations for the day, his fate, his future in their hands. The singer was not in court today. He was at his ranch where he is no doubt under enormous stress. No question about that.

There is some question about his health, which seems a little tidal, you might say. He was OK on Saturday, then spent five hours in the hospital yesterday. Stress can make you ill. We all know that. But is that really what's go on with Jackson?

CNN's Rusty Dornin investigates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An incredible athlete on stage. Offstage, Michael Jackson's health often seemed fragile. His longest ongoing health issue, says his biographer, has been panic attacks.

RANDY TORABORRELLI, BIOGRAPHER: There have been instances when he's had to perform on stage, and he was upset about one thing or another, and he would have a panic attack, and actually has been hospitalized.

DORNIN: In the '70s, he broke his nose in a dancing accident, which began a series of plastic surgeries. Jackson will only admit to two. In the '80s, Jackson's hair caught on fire during a commercial. He was hospitalized and forced to undergo scalp surgery. During that same time, Jackson's skin began to appear much lighter. He claimed he had a skin condition.

TORABORRELLI: Vitiligo is a true condition. It's not a made-up Michael Jackson fantasy. He was diagnosed with it back in the 1980s. He does have it. And you know, it is an issue in his life.

DORNIN: In 1993, following the previous allegations of sexual abuse, Jackson admitted problems with prescription drugs.

MICHAEL JACKSON, ENTERTAINER: After my tour ended, I remained out of the country undergoing treatment for dependency on pain medication.

DORNIN: And in '94, he fell off the stage in Germany, injuring his back -- a problem that Jackson says plagues him to this day.

During jury selection, Jackson went to the hospital with flu symptoms. Through the rest of the trial, it was his back that sent him to the hospital twice, complaining of debilitating pain. He even showed up for court in his pajamas. And he went to the hospital last week because a family friend thought he looked dehydrated.

TORABORRELLI: It always is a big drama around Michael Jackson. I mean, he's always, you know, dehydrated, or he's exhausted, or...

DORNIN: So is he sick? Is he really sick?

TORABORRELLI: He is. I mean, I can tell you from my own sources in the Jackson camp that he is very sick right now and has been for quite some time. It is the back. It's not an exaggeration.

DORNIN: Some close to the superstar say his health always deteriorates when the pressure is on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DORNIN: That pressure, of course, is mounting as the jury finishes their first full day of deliberations.

In the meantime, it was a very strange day outside the courtroom, as Michael Jackson's father Joe, came up through the crowd, through a melee of photographers and fans, and mysteriously kept saying, "Where is my son? I want to see my son," confronted one of the bailiffs who said, "Sir, he is not here." It was never really very clear the reason that he had showed up.

Also, Jesse Jackson, Reverend Jesse Jackson also came. He talked about Michael Jackson's health, again saying that he had been writhing in pain. But he claims that the superstar is very focused and believes that this jury has enough reasonable doubt that they're going to come around and acquit him.

Anderson?

COOPER: We'll be talking to Reverend Jackson a little bit later on 360. Rusty Dornin, thanks for that.

CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin was in the courtroom last week, joins us now.

You say, up close, Jackson just looks terrible?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Awful. I mean, and also what's interesting to me is, having seen him -- I wasn't there for the whole trial, so I would miss several weeks -- the deterioration in his appearance is quite striking. Remember at the beginning of this trial he danced on top of that car. That's not an easy thing to do.

COOPER: But isn't it possible he is trying to influence the jury? I mean, they are not sequestered. They can see the television reports.

TOOBIN: It is possible, but I don't think -- he doesn't strike me as that kind of strategic thinker. I don't think it would do much good. And he does seem like his health is disastrous.

COOPER: In his closing arguments, Jackson's attorney warned the jury about a potential civil suit in this case. I want to talk a little bit about what happens if he is convicted and if he's not.

This what he said about the accuser and the accuser's family. "You have the power in your hands to make them rich" -- he's talking to the jury -- "and they'll never have to work a day in their lives. You have that power."

Do they have that power? I mean, can there be a civil suit if Jackson is acquitted?

TOOBIN: Well, let's talk.

If he's convicted, Mesereau is exactly right. They don't need to try this case again. Because the burden of proof is higher in a criminal case, in a civil case, they can simply walk in with the certificate of conviction and say, "Give us our money. Let's start arguing about damages." So he's right that a conviction would certainly lead to a big civil -- well, a successful civil suit.

If he's acquitted, all bets are off. There still could be a civil suit, much less likely. And they would have to try it all over again because they'd have no judgment to rely on.

COOPER: And if he is convicted, what happens to his kids? TOOBIN: That would be up to the department of social services in Santa Barbara County where they live. There's a very good chance -- I mean, first of all, if he's convicted, he's going to be in prison for a long time. So he wouldn't be with them under any circumstances, but he'd very likely lose custody because child molesters don't get to keep their kids.

COOPER: And they would, what, go to Debbie Rowe, who I guess is the mother?

TOOBIN: I guess. I mean, I think there would be people coming forward. Presumably, Debbie Rowe would come forward and ask for custody. Perhaps Jackson's family would ask for custody. But he almost certainly wouldn't be able to keep them.

COOPER: And we know the verdict's going to be live, in terms of audio. Will he go directly -- I mean, if he is convicted, does he go directly to jail?

TOOBIN: Guaranteed big fight over bail pending appeal. Most people convicted of serious felonies go right to prison. He would probably go.

But his lawyers would say, "Look, where is Michael Jackson going to go? Let him out, given his medical condition. Keep him out for bail pending appeal." That's a big, big fight for what happens.

COOPER: What happened to his whole, "I was abused by police"? Is that just gone? Does no one even care about that?

TOOBIN: Well, I mean, it was just proven to be false. I mean, they released photographs. It just didn't happen.

COOPER: All right. Jeffrey Toobin, thanks.

As we mentioned, a little later on 360, Jackson on Jackson. Michael Jackson, he's got a spiritual adviser, the Reverend Jesse Jackson. You never know where or when he's going to show up. We're going to talk with him a little bit later on.

For the family of an American girl missing in Aruba, this past weekend has been a long, terrible one, indeed. Natalee Holloway, she has been missing for a week now. That's her picture. Two men have been arrested and will face a judge tomorrow or on Wednesday.

On Friday, I talked to Natalee's mom who said she was pleased with the cooperation she was getting from police. Well, today, a sign of just how seriously the island of Aruba is taking this case, 4,000 civil servants were released from work early to join in the search for her.

Now this hour, at this moment, Natalee Holloway is still missing. CNN's Karl Penhaul spoke for the first time with her stepfather, George "Jug" Twitty.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How tough is it for you? You've got to be the man of the family. You've got to be the pillar of strength there. But you like everybody else, you're out of your mind with worry.

GEORGE "JUG" TWITTY, STEPFATHER OF MISSING GIRL: It's very tough. And you have to think about, you know, what's going to be like in the future? I mean, you know, we sit there and we talk about it, because no matter what happens, if she walks through the door right now, it's still going to change our lives for the rest of mine and Beth's life.

I think a lot of people will learn from this experience. I hope, I pray to God that she walks through that door or that we find her somewhere. I don't care if she's, you know, in a crack house somewhere and she's been drugged up for, you know, seven days or whatever. We can work with that. We can fix her. We can do whatever to get her back. That's all we want. That's all we're asking.

PENHAUL: How long will you and Beth stay here?

This investigation could be long. It could be complicated. We all hope we've got a quick and happy resolution to this. But it could be long. It could be drawn-out. How long are you and Beth going to stay here?

TWITTY: Till we find her. I mean, it's not an object of -- you know, I have friends that have supported me back in Birmingham. I have people that I work with and work for, and that have supported me, my bosses have supported me. "No matter what-all it takes, you know, you find Natalee, Chuck."

And I cannot leave my wife's side. I mean, as I say, this will change my life. It already has, mine and Beth's life. And there is no way -- and she is not leaving. My wife is strong. And you know, no matter what, she is going to find Natalee.

PENHAUL: Jug, apart from the formal aspects of the police investigation, what are the methods that you've been looking at?

TWITTY: I've had my friends down here. My friends came and helped, and we'd get leads from different people, you know, because we're searching for anything. We're not trying to, you know, interrupt the police investigation at all.

All we're looking for is -- we're here to help. We're here to try to find Natalee, and any lead that we get, we go and research, you know? And we also tell the police about it, you know? But we've talked to psychics. You just wouldn't believe how many people have called and tried to help.

And you know, it's interesting they all have a read, you know, that they know that she's still alive, that she's either in -- she's in a dark place, she's in a cave, she's in a basement, she's unharmed, but she's maybe, you know, intoxicated, which, to me, means she's drugged. And they can't get through to her because she's drugged, and that she can see out. But you know, it's just -- you know, it's kind of funny because, you know, my daughter has had, you know, ones contact her back in Birmingham, and they're calling in from all over the country. And then the people down here, and they all say kind of the same spin. And I don't know, you know, because I've never really dealt with psychics before. We just chase every lead we can chase, I mean, to try to help, because you just never know.

I feel like, if somebody called me and said they saw Natalee at the pizza place, and that, you know, she comes by here every day, or she goes over there, or that they see her going into one of these, you know, maybe houses that they're holding her in, if I don't go check it, then I'll feel like I'm not doing everything I can do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, as for the two men arrested, Aruba's chief prosecutor has declined to specify the charges they could face. Authorities have not called the case a kidnapping. The men, both hotel security guards, could face a judge, as we said, tomorrow or Wednesday. Police are pressing the men for clues on Natalee's whereabouts. Police say the men are not cooperating at this point.

360 next, Howard Dean, mellow no more. He's unloading on Republicans. Find out why his fellow Democrats are none too pleased. That is definitely "Raw Politics" for tonight.

Plus, up in smoke. Patients using medical marijuana are now subject to arrest even in states where it's legal. We'll tell you why.

And later tonight, baseball and liquid shakes. One man's diet. How one man, a doctor, who weighed nearly a quarter ton, slimmed up and got into shape. Could his diet work for you? It's part of a week- long look at diets, "Choose to Lose," we're calling it.

All that ahead. First, your picks, the most popular stories on CNN.com right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: It's normal in the Byzantine world of Washington politics that Democrats take swipes at Republicans and vice versa. What's not exactly normal is when the leader of one party is getting openly criticized by top members of his own party. We're talking, of course, about Howard Dean, the Democratic Party chairman.

Just this past weekend, two prominent Democrats, former vice presidential nominee John Edwards and Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware, each said Dean isn't speaking for most members of the party, which is kind of his job in the world of "Raw Politics."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOWARD DEAN, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: I try to be restrained in my new role here in Washington. COOPER (voice-over): He said he'd be good, keep his infamous temper under wraps, not send the Democrats careening off message. It hasn't quite worked out.

DEAN: Yeah!

COOPER: He kept it together for a few months, but then the old Howard Dean was back, declaring he hated Republicans and everything they stand for.

DEAN: You know, I think a lot of these folks aren't very nice.

COOPER: That the embattled House majority leader should be behind bars.

DEAN: I think Tom DeLay ought to go back to Houston where he can serve his jail sentence down there courtesy of the Texas taxpayers.

COOPER: The chairman continued his GOP trash-a-thon last week.

DEAN: ... a lot of them have never made an honest living in their lives.

COOPER: All of which has some top Democrats saying, "Enough already."

JOHN EDWARDS (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What do I think about it? I don't agree with it.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC HOST: Is Howard Dean doing the party any good?

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: Not with that kind of rhetoric. He doesn't speak for me with that kind of rhetoric. And I don't think he speaks for the majority of Democrats.

EDWARDS: My own view is the chairman of the DNC is not the spokesman for the Democratic Party.

COOPER: Sort of, well, not really. With Washington Democrats out of power, the party's chairman is kind of a big deal. So his fighting words are powerful. They could backfire, of course. Or they could energize the grassroots, the folks who say the Democrats have been too cautious too long. For now, however, Dean's trying to tone it down.

DEAN: My parents were Republicans. I don't hate Republicans.

COOPER: Promising to hold his tongue...

DEAN: And little more precision in the words is always good thing.

COOPER: ... especially for the fragile flowers in the sensitive world of "Raw Politics."

DEAN: Yeah! (END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, we are tracking several other stories tonight. Erica Hill from HEADLINE NEWS joins us with the latest at about 18 past the hour.

Hey, Erica.

ERICA HILL, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hey, Anderson.

A big day for diplomacy. U.S. and North Korea officials meeting face-to-face to talk about nuclear weapons. Today's meeting in New York came at the request of North Korea. There's no word on whether the U.S. made any progress in getting Pyongyang to resume its six- nation talks over its nuclear ambitions which have been stalled for a year. In the meantime, the Associated Press reporting the U.S. has backed off its threat to try to punish North Korea with U.N. sanctions for its nuclear weapons program.

In Washington, D.C., in a decision of 6-3, the Supreme Court rules the federal government can ban medical marijuana. The high court found laws in 11 states don't protect users from federal prosecution, but the court says Congress can change the law to allow medical use of marijuana.

At The Hague in the Netherlands, the International Criminal Court said it is investigating alleged war crimes in Sudan's Darfur region. The court has a list of 51 potential suspects. An estimated 180,000 people have died in Darfur and 2 million others have been displaced since rebel uprisings began two years ago.

Back stateside, another company, more lost data -- and a lot of it. Citigroup says computer tapes of personal information on nearly 4 million customers were lost by UPS. The bank's finance division says it is notifying customers.

Scary, once again.

COOPER: Have you ever had your identity stolen?

HILL: No. I've had my bank account broken into, though, and that was enough.

COOPER: Yes. I had the same thing. And it's no fun.

HILL: No good.

COOPER: No, not good. Don't recommend it. Note to self, don't let it happen.

Erica Hill, thanks very much. See you in about 30 minutes.

HILL: See you in a bit.

COOPER: Coming up next on 360, after all of the screaming and the yelling, did "Newsweek" have its Koran abuse story right after all? The U.S. admits some soldiers abused the Koran. We'll take a closer look at the facts.

Also tonight, why is the Reverend Jesse Jackson now embedded in the Michael Jackson camp? We'll talk to him and find out why he's speaking out for Michael.

And flying with Fido. How safe is your pet when you check him or her in as baggage? We'll take a look. Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: You know, often when the government wants a story buried, it will dump it out at a time went it might go unnoticed by the media. That appeared to be the case Friday night when the Pentagon released an embarrassing report admitting that the Koran was mishandled by U.S. personnel at Guantanamo Bay prison camp. The report describes American guards and interrogators kicking, stepping on, and even in one case splashing urine on the Muslim holy book.

Now, so far, according to the Pentagon, there's been no backlash, like the outrage about a "Newsweek" article sparked a couple weeks ago.

But as CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre reports in tonight's "World in 360," there are some who will not take kindly to the news.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even before the latest revelations by the Pentagon, allegations of Koran abuse at Guantanamo continued to inflame the passions of Muslim protesters in India last week. And this week, reports of Koran desecration are fueling the anti-American rhetoric of Iraq's radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

MUQTADA AL-SADR, MUSLIM CLERIC (via translator): It is acknowledgement of paying no heed and respect to religions.

MCINTYRE: While the Bush administration condemned a "Newsweek" article for reporting erroneously that U.S. investigators confirmed the Koran was flushed down the toilet at Guantanamo, what investigators did confirm isn't likely to sound much better to Muslims who are already angry. The final report issued by Brigadier General Jay Hood cites five incidents, including one where a U.S. guard urinated on a detainee and a Koran accidentally.

BRIG. GEN. JAY HOOD, JOINT TASK FORCE GUANTANAMO COMMANDER: It was an inadvertent action by a member of the security force. And he was removed from his duties on that site and given other duties.

MCINTYRE: Hood's final report described the March 2005 incident this way. "The guard had left his observation area post and went outside to urinate. He urinated near an air vent and the wind blew his urine through the vent into the block."

Some critics argue it's time to shut down Guantanamo, because like the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, it's become an embarrassing symbol of abuse used as a recruiting tool by America's enemies. But the Pentagon insists that is not under consideration.

QUESTION: Have you considered moving the Gitmo, the terrorist prison in Cuba, to America, given the criticism and given the Supreme Court decision that says there is some review there? Have you ever considered that?

DONALD RUMSFELD, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I haven't, no.

QUESTION: Would it give any advantages of some transparency or better oversight or...

RUMSFELD: Oh, my goodness. There's so much transparency in Gitmo and so much oversight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: The Pentagon argues its final report should close the book on the controversy because it shows mishandling the Koran at Guantanamo was a rare occurrence that was never condoned.

Now, the White House called the offenses a few isolated incidents, saying 99.9 percent of America's military uphold the highest standards in protecting religious freedom.

Anderson?

COOPER: Well, we know a number of allegations have been made in a variety of lawsuits. No doubt this story will continue. Jamie McIntyre, thanks.

Michael Jackson's fate hanging in the balance. Tonight, is there something really wrong with the singer's health? And was this weekend's trip to the hospital an attempt to influence the jury?

And a big, fat Greek diet? How one man lost so much weight his own mother didn't recognize him. Tonight, the doctor who shed hundreds of pounds, could his diet plan work for you? 360 continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, for a second day, jurors in the Michael Jackson molestation trial could not reach a verdict. They're going to be back at the courthouse to resume deliberations tomorrow morning.

Since he was just a child, Jackson has had a relationship with another famous Jackson, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who is not only a friend of the singer but is also his spiritual adviser. The Reverend Jesse Jackson joins us now from Santa Maria, California.

Reverend Jackson, good to have you on the program.

REV. JESSE JACKSON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Good to be with you again. COOPER: Reverend Jackson, watching Michael Jackson come to and from the court, he seems out of it. I mean, he looks in bad shape. He looks dazed. And I don't say that with any glee.

You spent time with him last night after he got out of the hospital. How is he doing?

JACKSON: Michael is spiritually strong and his attitude is up, but he is in physical pain. He had a rather severe fall, and then complicated by another fall later in the shower. And so he has this recurring back problem. He has back spasms. And so it's not fake. It's real. I talked with him last night. He was kind of writhing in pain and grimacing somewhat.

But although his back has been hurting, his sense of where he is, is very clear and he believes that he will be in fact acquitted. He is driven by that hope.

COOPER: And when you talk with him, when you sit with him, when you pray with him, I mean, what are the discussions? What are the -- what is the give and take?

JACKSON: Well, the give and take is that the jury has the fate.

Michael must have the faith in himself and faith in God. He must lean now to that great faith tradition that his family has nurtured in him.

It's -- when Job had this meltdown and lost almost everything and Job said my worst fears have come upon me, and yet I know my redeemer lives, and yet though you slay me -- yet, will I trust you.

It is that sense of faith that must sustain him through these next hours of great anxiety and stress.

COOPER: Reverend Jackson, some would say how when Job had his suffering, I mean, through no fault of his own, did these come upon him.

I mean, Michael Jackson has repeatedly slept with children in his bed and has been warned by people around him not to do this; he continues to do this.

I mean, do you think he's really akin to Job?

JACKSON: Well, only in the sense that he has been a suffering person, he has known the meltdown. But you know, the appearance of impropriety is not illegal.

There is the kind of news room, news-frenzied, trial of speculation and imagination. And then there are the facts. And the facts seem to be that while he declares his innocence, those who have testified against him, while he's felt a bit betrayed by them because he put such confidence in them, upon cross-examination it simply did not pass the bar of getting beyond reasonable doubt. And he believes that between his own innocence and that cross- examination -- he has great confidence in, of course, his lawyer Tom Mesereau, who's done such a good job as his defense lawyer -- Michael feels that he will in fact survive this.

COOPER: As his adviser, do you have to feel that he is innocent? I mean, do you believe he is completely innocent of these charges?

JACKSON: Yes, I believe he's innocent. And furthermore -- and I believe he's been naive about the association and the relationships. And of course that has to change.

But given all that we now know, those who have been the most vociferous in their testimony, in fact have melted down in the face of cross-examination.

I remain concerned, for example, that before he was even charged a sheriff went into his house -- 75 deputies, armed deputies, ransacked his home; destroyed furniture and art; took way personal properties; came out and gave a big press conference; gave part of that to the press and some to the court. And yet all of that was generously allowed to be a part of this whole trial that's going on there. And so he feels a sense of injustice, and yet I sense in him nobilitiness (sic).

He has faith in this jury, faith in his lawyer, and faith in God. And those are very strong pillars for him to stand on.

COOPER: You paint him, though, as an underdog that, you know -- a David against the Goliath of the state. There are some who would argue that his resources don't really make him a fitting character to be that David.

JACKSON: Well in the sense that, you know, because he's the biggest land holder in the county, the biggest taxpayer, he's really paying for the prosecutor and paying for defense. So he is paying the big price for all of this.

But one would have to say that when the sheriff has a free run, maybe a 10-year itch to -- quote-unquote -- "get you," when the jury -- when the judge allows the opening up of 10-year-ago records, where there was no conviction but the settlement, even now the jury, which Michael has so much confidence in, is not sequestered.

It's a kind of real open season here. And yet in spite of all of that, Michael has a positive attitude and a faith that really, to me, is quite amazing.

COOPER: Well, Reverend Jackson, we appreciate you joining us. Thank you, very much.

JACKSON: Thank you, very much.

COOPER: Coming up tonight -- next on 360 -- missing in Aruba, an American teenager who vanished. Would you let your child go on a similar class trip? We're going to take a closer look at that issue next.

Also tonight, "Choose to Lose" -- a doctor following advice -- or following another doctor's advice by shedding hundreds of pounds. How did he do it? It's a very unusual way. We'll tell you -- part of our special series "Choose to Lose."

And a little later, pets and planes. The U.S. airline industry soon to follow a new policy when pets fly, but does it really make them any safer? We'll take a closer look at that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: At the time she disappeared, 18-year-old straight-A student Natalee Holloway was among about a hundred other students from her high school on vacation on the island of Aruba.

It's the type of trip a lot of graduating seniors take and they do it with their parents' permission. That, of course, was before Natalee vanished without a trace.

CNN's Rick Sanchez has this report from Natalee's hometown in Alabama.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: On this day, and every day, they gather for a prayer vigil at the Mountain Brook Community Church. For these recent high school grads, this place has become a refuge a week after many of these same students were topping off what was, for them, the party of a life-time.

The Mountain Brook High School graduation trip to Aruba included 140 seniors chaperoned by seven adults, familiar to the students as coaches, teachers and their spouses. It's a student-to-chaperon ratio of 20 to one.

The trip itself was planned not by the school, but rather by a local travel agency, then organized with the help of students who helped to promote it.

We called and paid a visit to the address listed for the travel agency, but found no one there and no one returning our calls.

MARCIA TWITTY, NATALEE HOLLOWAY'S AUNT: If for one-billionth of a second any one of us thought something was going to happen, we would have never let our kids go.

SANCHEZ (on camera): The fact that students here at Mountain Brook High School decided to take their graduation trip out of the country is really not unusual. As a matter of fact, for students all over the country, this is becoming a rite of passage.

Knowing what you know today, would you let your daughter go on a grad trip to another country?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I would not. SANCHEZ: You wouldn't?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would not, no.

SANCHEZ: You've thought it through?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would go if I were go -- I'd let her go if I were going, but I've already -- she doesn't go on trips now without me, so.

SANCHEZ: So the only way you'd let her go on a grad trip to another country is if one of the chaperones is you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.

SANCHEZ: If her mom is there with her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.

SANCHEZ: Otherwise, forget about it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right, that's correct.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): The disappearance of Natalee Holloway seems to be serving as a wake-up call. But people who analyze trends in the travel industry say, the high school graduation trip trend has been in the making for quite some time.

It all started with the televising of college spring break outings in the mid-'90s that showed high school teens what they were missing. Since then, senior class presidents say they've been inundated with calls from travel agents, recruiting them by offering them a free trip if they recruit other students.

Students pay around $500 to go to places like Negril, Jamaica; Cancun, Mexico; and Aruba. And in some cases, a cruise to nowhere, that for many has come to be known as a floating bar. Stateside drinking age laws do not apply. The $500 entitles the students to transportation, accommodations, and invites to open-bar parties with themes like toga night, pajama party, and wet T-shirt contests. The parties last into the night and early morning, and can have serious consequences.

Resort towns report seasonal increases in vandalism, alcohol poisoning, date rape pills and sexual assaults.

(on camera): Would you let your son or daughter go on a graduation trip overseas?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

SANCHEZ: Absolutely not, huh?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

SANCHEZ: Why? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not at 18.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: You know, it's interesting. We went out and we tried to talk to as many people as we possibly could. We couldn't find one person who at this point -- this is Birmingham, of course, they're very close to the story -- who would say that they would let their son or daughter go on one of these trips.

It all comes down to a question of vulnerability. Are these U.S. students more vulnerable when they go overseas? Keep in mind, here in Alabama, the drinking age is 21. When they go overseas, it's 18. But really with a wink and a nod, they can probably drink even if they're younger than that.

One more statistic, before we throw it back to you. Last year in Cancun alone, we checked, 100,000 graduating seniors went there. Of course, that's also combined with many college students who joined them as well. And the problems, they were many.

I'm Rick Sanchez. Anderson, back to you.

COOPER: Rick, thanks very much, live in Alabama tonight. We've been getting a lot of emails from Aruba, from people who live in Aruba who watch the program and say, look, we're taking this thing very seriously. As a sign of that today, the government of Aruba let 4,000 civil servants leave work early so they could actually help join the search for Natalee Holloway.

We'll continue to follow this story until she's found, of course.

We're following several other stories for you tonight. Erica Hill from HEADLINE NEWS joins us with the latest at about 16 to the hour.

Hey, Erica.

HILL: Hey, Anderson. Hello.

We start off with word that there will be no rush to judgment against Saddam Hussein. In Baghdad today, the judges who will try the toppled dictator made it clear no date for his trial has been set. The Iraqi special tribunal denied reports that the trial could begin within the next two months. American advisers believe it may start next year.

Back in the U.S., the violent crime rate continues to plunge. The FBI says nationwide, murders fell last year for the first time since 1999. Cities with more than a million people saw the greatest drop in the crime rate.

Good news, right? Well, it turns out experts are surprised by the decline. They point to a rise in gang activity and a sluggish economy.

From Chicago now, could there be a link between teen suicide and body image? A new study suggests suicidal thoughts are much more common in teenagers who perceive themselves as being too fat or too thin, even if their weight is normal. And researchers say teens who believe they are very fat or very thin are twice as likely to think about suicide than kids of a normal weight.

And in New York, the Cinderella Man getting a little punchy. Russell Crowe was arrested early this morning an assault charges. He allegedly hit an employee at the hotel where he was staying with a telephone. Those fighting minutes really add up. The actor's publicist denies the charges.

That's the latest from HEADLINE NEWS, but you know, promoting the boxing movie and then the phone thing, it's unfortunate.

COOPER: Well, we'll see if it's true or not. We'll see if, you know, the wheels of justice grind slowly. Though his perp walk -- that's what we call it in New York, the perp walk...

HILL: The perp walk?

COOPER: He looked pretty good on the perp walk. My favorite, you know, I guess it wasn't really a perp walk, it was more the photo, my favorite, Nick Nolte. There you go.

HILL: I have to say, I'm a huge fan of that one myself.

COOPER: Yeah, it's good. It's hard to beat that one.

HILL: It's kind of impossible.

COOPER: Crowe looked like he had time to comb his hair, put on glasses.

HILL: He absolutely did. There was some product in that hair.

COOPER: All right, Erica Hill, thanks very much. See you again in about 30 minutes.

Coming up next tonight, a doctor who loved food a little bit too much. He was 467 pounds. He lost more than half his body weight. His inspirational story and his tips for you ahead. Part of our special series, "Choose to Lose."

Also ahead tonight, you go on a flight with your four-legged best buddy, you make it there OK. Your pet, however, does not. It's a nightmare. Now airlines say they have a plan to deal with it, but you know what? They don't. We'll take a look why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Well, it's no secret that America has a weight problem. We simply can't resist the Big Macs, the Whoppers, the triple cheese meat lover's pizza, and whatever Paris Hilton has been sudsing up for. The CDC says 65 percent of American adults are overweight, 65 percent; 30 percent are obese.

Now, some people, however, are able to lose the weight and keep it off. And all this week, we're going to bring you some of their inspiring stories in a series we call "Choose to Lose."

Tonight, CNN's Gary Tuchman introduces us to a man who lost more than most of us weigh.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the Nick Yphantides who loved baseball and food, but not necessarily in that order.

DR. NICK YPHANTIDES: It's a bagel.

TUCHMAN: He called himself a big fat Greek. Dr. Nick, family practitioner, who knew he should be an example to his patients, wasn't even sure how much he weighed because the scale didn't go high enough. After stepping on two scales, he found out he weighed nearly a quarter ton.

YPHANTIDES: When I realized I weighed 467, you could have just told me my mother died. I was bawling. I was just so humiliated.

TUCHMAN: He also became motivated. This is Dr. Nick today, 6'2", around 200 pounds. A bout with testicular cancer convinced him his life had to change.

YPHANTIDES: It hit my like a ton of bricks how ridiculous it was having dodged the cancer bullet and on the other side of life I was literally killing myself. I am convinced now that I was committing a slow form of suicide by eating myself to death.

TUCHMAN: Dr. Nick planned a very ambitious diet. On the night before it was to begin though, one last monster dinner. A double portion of porterhouse steak, several appetizers, cheesecake and a banana cream pie.

YPHANTIDES: We went to the Ruth's Chris Steak House here in San Diego and I let it all hang out. Thirty-five years of bad habits culminated in one evening of food decadence. The next day I went on the liquid fast that would last for eight months.

TUCHMAN: Under medical supervision, he only drank protein shakes, exercised regularly and went off in this RV on what he called a radical sabbatical, a journey to each of the 30 Major League Baseball stadiums, including the home of his beloved San Diego Padres. Do you think you could have lost all this weight without the distraction of something like baseball?

YPHANTIDES: I'm not sure I could have.

TUCHMAN: He went to 110 games. At Chicago's Wrigley Field, he successfully performed CPR on a fan having a heart attack.

YPHANTIDES: When I got back to my seat, in true baseball hospitality fashion, people are like, whoa, how did you do that? Well, I'm a doctor. Whoa, can I buy you a beer? I'm like I don't drink. Can I buy you a hot dog? I don't eat. TUCHMAN: Dr. Nick spent five months going to all the Major League Baseball cities. Despite the temptations of kielbasa, hot dogs and pizza, not to mention peanuts and Cracker Jacks, he lost 188 pounds. He hadn't seen his mother for months. Home video caught her reaction when he returned to his home in Escondido.

BERNICE YPHANTIDES, DR. NICK'S MOTHER: He had lost so much weight and also got a haircut and just looked so different I was just shocked at the door.

TUCHMAN: He was your own flesh and blood. You didn't recognize him?

BERNICE YPHANTIDES: No. It was a miraculous, joyful moment.

TUCHMAN: Nick lost an additional 82 pounds for a total of 270. His first solid food was eaten with flair on Thanksgiving and also captured on home video.

In the three years since his diet, Dr. Nick fell in love and got married. Debbie Yphantides gave birth to their daughter Nicky in April.

Dr. Nick wrote a book appropriately named "My Big Fat Greek Diet" in which he tells his story and gives his medical viewpoint about how others can lose weight and keep it off. He writes that a liquid diet is certainly not for everybody. It should only be done under a doctor's care. He preaches about working out, something he tries to do seven days a week at his home YMCA. The Greek food is still plentiful at family gatherings in Escondido. Nick says the vivid memories of his past give him plenty of incentive to eat in moderation.

YPHANTIDES: These clothes used to be tight on me.

TUCHMAN: What are the size of these?

YPHANTIDES: This is a size 60 pant, five feet around.

TUCHMAN: And baseball remains an important diversion. Cheering on the Padres with his wife and daughter serves as a reminder of what his life was once like and how fortunate he is now.

Gary Tuchman, CNN, Escondido, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, our "Choose to Lose" series continues tomorrow with the school of weight loss. We'll take you inside a radical new experiment, a private boarding school with a tough curriculum that aims to get kids in shape.

Let's find out what's coming up at the top of the hour on PAULA ZAHN NOW. In for Paula tonight, Soledad O'Brien. Hey Soledad.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Anderson. At the top of the hour an Oscar winner with an attitude. All day, we've been hearing about actor Russell Crowe's latest brush with the law here in New York City. We're going to take an in-depth look tonight at what makes him tick and why he sometimes goes off. Russell Crowe, the good, the bad and the sometimes ugly. That's right at the top of the hour.

Anderson.

COOPER: All right. Soledad, thanks. That's about five minutes from now.

Coming up next on 360, tabulating tabbies and counting canines. Anyway, motionless ones anyway. We'll explain in a moment about what happens to your pet when you take them on a plane.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Counting noses to "The Nth Degree", yeah, I said noses.

It's always a good thing when the powerful -- in this case America's airlines -- listen to the little guy -- in this case passengers who fly with their pets.

You see, unless they're small enough to fit in under-seat carriers pets have to travel with the luggage in the cargo hold. Now it's not pressurized down there in the belly of the beast or temperature controlled either. This does not bother the average suitcase in the least.

But then your spaniels and your Siamese are much more demanding than your duffle bags and sometimes show their displeasure with their accommodations by, well, by dying.

No one knows exactly how often this happens. Pet lovers have been after the airlines through Congress to improve conditions, air and temperature-wise in the hold. Needles to say, this would be expensive. So the airlines have made a counter offer and a compromise has been reached. Oh boy, what a triumph this is, too.

Starting June 15, cargo holds will be exactly as cold and noisy and inhospitable as ever, but -- hold on to your hats here -- airlines will have to keep track of pets that come aboard alive and, well, disembark dead.

Yes, siree Bob. Counting dead dogs and cats is a terrific first step towards solving the problem, don't you think?

We're going to call it progress, but only because we can't use the word for what we really think is it is on the air.

Thanks for watching 360" CNN's primetime coverage continues with PAULA ZAHN NOW. Soledad O'Brien sitting it for Paula tonight. Hey Soledad.

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