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CNN Newsnight Aaron Brown
Hurricane Katrina Threatens Gulf Coast
Aired August 26, 2005 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, GUEST HOST: Good evening, everyone.
Katrina is turning into a monster of a storm. It is now a Category 2 hurricane, making its way across the Gulf of Mexico. Katrina is expected to be a Category 3 or 4 storm when it makes landfall again on Monday.
Right now, the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Louisiana are in its path. You heard Larry say that, and the governors of both of those states have already declared states of emergency.
In Florida, Katrina has left a mess behind. At least six people were killed, a million homes still without power. Flooding, a big problem. So are power lines.
First, the flooding. Here's CNN's David Mattingly.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): How bad is it?
(voice-over): Eric Garcia's (ph) house used to sit at the end of a cul-de-sac that now looks more like a neighborhood lake. His family was inside, as waters a foot deep poured through their new southwest Miami-Dade County home.
MARLENE DECESPEDES, HOME OWNER: The kids were all on top of the bed. We weren't sure -- the electricity was still on, so we didn't want anyone to get electrocuted. So they were just sitting on their beds, crying.
MATTINGLY: They first tried to stop the flood with towels and comforters, but no luck. Hurricane Katrina dumped 15 inches of rain, too much water too quickly to keep the house dry. By morning, they were among thousands either stranded by flooded streets or struggling with the sudden damage to cars and property.
Being insured gives them some confidence they can recover, but there's a lot of heart-breaking work ahead.
(on camera): Like so many South Floridians, the family here hunkered down when Katrina came ashore, confident that their house could easily weather a Category 1 storm. What they hadn't counted on were the flood waters, and as far as they're concerned, the waters can't go away quickly enough. (voice-over): Water still bubbles up from under the newly laid hardwood floors. They had just moved in a week ago, and belongings were still in bundles on the floor. New appliances were still in boxes in the kitchen. Everything now is either soaked or ruined.
DECESPEDES: Well, we didn't lose any lives. The children were safe. We were safe. So the things can be purchased again. They're just material.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just material. Can't replace a human life, so.
MATTINGLY: Garcia (ph) and his family waited patiently for renovations to be completed before they moved in. Now, they will look for other accommodations, while they wait for repairs that could take months.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MATTINGLY: And the first order of business in South Florida at this hour is to dry out, as the last of the flood waters that still persist in these neighborhoods slowly go away -- Carol.
COSTELLO: You know, I know in previous hurricanes, insurance has been a big problem. Is it this time?
MATTINGLY: We talked to quite a few families who do have some insurance. We were hearing reports of people claiming they never knew that they would have a water problem and did not have flood insurance. Every time you have a disaster like this, you find that there are people unprepared. And by the time they know that they need it, it's too late.
COSTELLO: David Mattingly, thanks.
Power lines are no match for a hurricane, even a Category 1 hurricane, which Katrina was last night. In the storm's wake, a busy day for the Ft. Lauderdale fire and rescue team. Here's CNN's John Zarrella.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lieutenant T.J. Quinn (ph) knew it was going to be this kind of day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is that it?
ZARRELLA: In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Quinn, Lieutenant Mike Bloomberg (ph) and Danny Oatmeyer (ph), the men on Engine 2 out of the city's main fire station, knew most of their runs would be for downed power lines.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're at Rose and Second. We have got one line down, but the power is dead. It's been dead, the whole area.
ZARRELLA: The first call of the day, a huge ficus tree had been uprooted and fell, taking power lines with it. There was nothing they could do here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Engine 2 dispatch. How did we get this call?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got it from somebody who wasn't sure of the exact location.
ZARRELLA: Had the wires been live, Quinn and his team would not have been able to leave until the power company arrived.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hazards like that, it's -- we're actually committed and we are to stand by. The last storm that we had here, I was eight hours wires down.
ZARRELLA: Katrina has heaped more work on what is already one of the busiest fire stations in the country. They average nearly 25,000 runs a year. Engine 2's second run came minutes after clearing from the first. Again, wires down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wires on the pole are sparking and smoke is coming from the pole.
ZARRELLA: Quinn says, even after 26 years, he never gets tired of the constant running and never takes any run lightly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got to be prepared for the worst, worst scenario. I mean, a wire just laying on the road or a wire dancing in the road, popping from one side to the other. But, you know, kind of expect the worst, and then you can downplay it when you get there.
ZARRELLA: But Quinn admits chasing downed power lines doesn't get the blood pumping.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come here. Come here. OK, come here. What is the problem? I don't want you walking back into it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, no. Two trees, that tree over there and this tree right here, have fallen down on the lines.
ZARRELLA: Minutes later, a Florida Power & Light truck pulls up. Quinn passes on what he knows.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The tree is leaning over on the wires.
ZARRELLA: Engine 2 is clear to head back to the station. But the break doesn't last long.
First, a fire alarm has gone off at a warehouse. It turns out to be nothing. From there, driving through a passing rain squall, it's on to a condominium, where Quinn, Bloomberg and Oatmeyer pry open a door. Residents were concerned something might have happened to their neighbor, who they hadn't seen in days. It turned out no one was home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You need us for anything else?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which unit is that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Engine 2.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Engine 2 clear.
ZARRELLA: But Quinn, Bloomberg and Oatmeyer know that won't last for long. It never does, and certainly not today.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: They were absolutely right, it did not last for long. They were called out pretty quickly. In fact, Engine 2 behind me here has only been back about two hours. Late this afternoon, there was a three-alarm fire raging at a personal -- at a personal storage warehouse. And just about every unit here was called out to cover that fire. Quinn, Bloomberg and Oatmeyer were out there for several hours this afternoon, among the dozens of firefighters who were out there. They only got back a couple of hours ago with Engine 2. There are still many units out on that fire, and will probably be out there for most of the night, Carol, putting out the hot spots.
COSTELLO: Was that fire storm-related at all?
ZARRELLA: It may well have been. There's a possibility that a transformer may have set that fire off, an arching transformer, a shorting out transformer. Fire inspectors are going through it as we speak, trying to find out the cause.
COSTELLO: Great guys. John Zarrella, thanks so much. John Zarrella, reporting live from Florida this morning.
When Katrina came ashore last night in South Florida, CNN's Rob Marciano was there. He rode out the storm and has been reporting all day. We're going to check in with him now in Cutler Ridge, south of Miami. Where is the storm heading next, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Carol, into the Gulf of Mexico is where it is now. And you know, it's already strengthened to a storm that was stronger than the one that made landfall last night as a Category 1 storm, with Category 1 winds and big-time rains.
Where we are standing right now was under water just about six hours ago today, and even earlier today we still had squall lines moving through.
Take a look at some of the video. I mean, it was like a hurricane just about six hours ago, with rain coming down sideways, on top of already flooded streets.
You know, 2,000 miles of drainage canals across this very flat state of Florida, even so, even with that kind of operation, you couldn't help it, 15 to 18 inches of rain in this particular area. That on top of winds. Just because it was a Category 1 doesn't mean it didn't have damaging winds. There were all sorts of debris all over the place. Trees down, and people were lining up just to get rid of the trees that were in their yard, on the roads, blocking traffic. And just taking downed power lines, and even tonight as it -- as night falls and it seems to be a little more calm, it's kind of eerie, because many neighborhoods around Miami are still dark.
Here's where the storm is. It's 100 miles off the coast of Key West, heading west-southwest into the very warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It's forecast to strengthen.
The latest track out of the National Hurricane Center will bring it to the west, and then eventually up towards the northwest, with a turn towards maybe New Orleans, maybe Biloxi, maybe Mobile, maybe Pensacola once again.
But notice the numbers. Those numbers -- 2, 3 and then 4, in the center of those red symbols, that is the category that that hurricane is forecast to be at that time. And notice the 4, Monday afternoon, a projected landfall somewhere in that cone. Anywhere from Morgan City, Louisiana, all the way over to Panama City, Florida.
So that's where we expect the storm to go, Carol. We do expect to see that northerly turn. But the biggest deal is, it's going to be likely a much stronger storm than it was even last night when it made its first landfall on the east coast of Florida. Back to you.
COSTELLO: Rob Marciano, thanks.
Hurricanes have a way of humbling everything in their path. Even something as huge as an oil rig. Last year Hurricane Ivan destroyed seven oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico and damaged two dozen others. So add this to the possible follow of Katrina, already high gas prices may soon go higher. CNN's Ali Velshi filed this report from one of the thousands of oil rigs now in the path of Katrina.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Noble Max Smith weighs in at about 24 million pounds. It's an oil rig anchored to the sea bed by 18 miles of steel cable. Its drills can bore 25,000 feet below the Earth's surface. It's mighty, but it's no match for a serious hurricane. More than 4,000 floating rigs and fixed platforms dot the nearly two billion acres of underwater oil field that is the Gulf of Mexico.
THERALD MARTIN, NOBLE CORPORATION: What we're doing at this time is we're in level two, stage two, so we are starting evacuation of non-essential personnel. This is the first chopper to start taking people back to shore that is not needed on the rig and prepare for hurricane evacuation.
VELSHI: As Hurricane Katrina ripped through Southern Florida it took a wide turn west into the Gulf. It was still hundreds of miles away but the company that owns Noble Max Smith wasn't taking chances. Not with its $300 million rig. And not with 90 crew members aboard.
MARTIN: And our goal is to have everyone off the vessel, because safety is our No. 1 concern to where we protect our personnel and have them off the rig within 24 hours before a hurricane gets to the rig. VELSHI: This scene played out on many other rigs and platforms in the Gulf . And prepping rigs for a storm means not drilling wells or drawing oil or gas. And that drives prices up. More than a third of U.S. oil production comes out of the Gulf, even a threat of a slow down roils the oil markets.
MARTIN: In this type of event with a hurricane, it stops all that operation. So you're no longer performing a service of drilling a well looking for oil and gas.
VELSHI: But with the hurricane coming, they have to evacuate. On this rig nine people who were deemed non-essential to the drilling operations are the first to go. Thousands could be evacuated from all over the Gulf by Tuesday, if Katrina doesn't change her plans. Tommy McNabb remembers last September when Hurricane Ivan shut down every offshore rig and platform in the Gulf.
TOMMY MCNABB, NOBLE MAX SMITH MANAGER: With the weather, you just, it's so unpredictable you never know from one day to the next what it's going to do, so you have to plan ahead for this.
VELSHI: For now, Tommy's men, and they are all men, are safe. They're staying put and they're securing the well. It's part of a well-rehearsed plan to abandon the rig, if Katrina intensifies. As clouds roll in to the Central Gulf, we're evacuated too. We're definitely non-essential. For everyone now, it's not about the price of oil, it's about staying safe, protecting the rig. And avoiding the wrath of Katrina. Ali Velshi, CNN, in the Gulf of Mexico.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: In a moment, what happens to American girls forced into the sex trade. But first, about a quarter past the hour, time for other news of the day, and Erica Hill. She's in Atlanta. Hello, Erica.
ERICA HILL, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi again, Carol. We start off with another extended deadline for drafting a constitution in Iraq. Shias and Kurds agreeing today, but only on a deal in principle. They say they will address Sunni concerns about being cut out of power. Sunnis will look it over the weekend. A decision to move forward, with or without Sunni agreement, is now expected by Sunday.
The Justice Department filing an appeal asking the descendants of the, so called, Millennium Bomber be extended. The government said Ahmed Ressam is not cooperating, a condition of his plea deal. And it wants his 22-year sentence extended.
Meantime, police in Aruba have now rearrested two brothers suspected of raping and killing, now, teenager Natalee Holloway in Aruba. Satish and Deepak Kalpoe were released after the first arrest, but prosecutors say they have new facts as well as a third suspect who is now identified only by the initials F.Z.A. (ph) who's also in custody. Joran Van Der Sloot remains in custody as well. And the post office is serving up a stamp to honor tennis champ Arthur Ashe. Ashe won three Grand Slam victories, including Wimbledon in 1975. He was the first African-American on the American Davis Cup Team. The stamp goes on sale, Carol, on Monday.
COSTELLO: We'll be looking for it. Thank you, Erica.
Much more to come on the program tonight. Starting with sex and slavery and heartache and tears.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
"KEISHA," SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIM: He threw a glass in my face and he told me that I couldn't leave because he loved me.
COSTELLO (voice over): She was 12 years old and forced into prostitution and cut off from help.
CAROL SMOLENSKI, ECPAT USA: If only we could train all the American girls to say that they're Canadian.
COSTELLO: Why foreigners get rescued, and Americans don't.
Also they were outed on national television.
RANDY VORICK, HOMEOWNER: They just drive by and scream terrorists and then they just keep driving.
COSTELLO: One minor detail, they're not terrorists.
Later, a major development concerning the morning-after pill.
DR. CHARLES J. LOCKWOOD, OBGYN, YALE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Taking the morning-after pill definitely does not harm an established pregnancy. Doesn't cause birth defects, doesn't cause abortions of implanted healthy pregnancies.
COSTELLO: So why are people trying to keep it hard to get? Is politics trumping medicine?
No politics here. Just the science and art of your body.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What he's done is really amazing.
COSTELLO: And even more impressive? Taking this amazing voyage could save your life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These aren't dramatizations. This is reality.
COSTELLO: And this is NEWSNIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: A new report comes to this stark conclusion. If you are a victim of sex trafficking in the United States, it's better not to be an American. Better, the report found, to be brought here against your will from another country. That's because non-American who are forced to prostitute themselves are treated as victims, not criminals. A new bill in Congress aims to correct this gap, but for many young American girls, change, if it happens, will come far too late. Here's CNN's Deborah Feyerick.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It was never a choice, not for Linda.
LINDA BORK, SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIM: I was 11 and my mom -- my mom sold me into prostitution.
FEYERICK: Not for "Keisha" who was 12, and did it to make her 32-year-old boyfriend happy.
"KEISHA," SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIM: If all it takes is to pull my pants down and have sex with a guy for money, then that was just something that I felt I was going to do at that time.
FEYERICK: And not for Tina who was 14.
TINA FRUNDT, SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIM: I was raped and I was assaulted and I was sexually abused.
FEYERICK: They were all children forced to grow up too soon.
BORK: It's not a choice. It's not glamorous and it's not fun and it's --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At all.
BORK: -- it's -- It's not a choice I made. I was put there by someone that I loved and trusted.
FEYERICK: Not a choice because when "Keisha" tried to get out after 16 months, she was already in too deep. She asked us to protect her identity.
"KEISHA": And he threw a glass at my face and he told me that I couldn't leave because he loved me.
FEYERICK: Donna Hughes is working for the State Department putting together a report on sex trafficking, also known as forced prostitution.
DONNA HUGHES, UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND: Part of it is that everyone assumes that the women are there by choice. They don't understand the violence and the control that these pimps, or traffickers, have over them.
FEYERICK: No one knows how many American women and girls are forced to prostitute themselves. The Census Bureau doesn't keep those kinds of figures. Yet research shows, whereas U.S. born prostitutes are treated as criminals, those born outside the country are treated as victims of an inescapable tragedy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are not arrested. They are -- and they are offered services the same as a refugee would be. But unfortunately because we haven't recognized that the exact same thing is happening to American women and girls, they're often just arrested, put in jail.
FEYERICK: American girls are simply not seen as being unwilling players in the sex trade. Yet Tina Front learned otherwise when her boyfriend forced her to have sex for cash.
TINA FRONT, FORCED INTO PROSTITUTION: Just like in international trafficking, they move you to a different country where you no know one, where you have to solely depend on them. Same thing with domestic trafficking. They're moving you constantly from state to state. Sometimes you don't even know where you're going to be next. You don't know the city, you just know where he puts you out on the street that block, and that's the only thing you know.
FEYERICK (on camera): The laws are slowly changing. Still, the majority of states aren't able to prosecute pimps as sex traffickers, charging them instead with other crimes as rape or kidnapping.
(voice-over): Even so, it's the women on the streets who bear the brunt of the backlash.
Carol Smolenski heads an organization trying to wipe out child prostitution.
CAROL SMOLENSKI, ECPAT USA: If only we could train all the American girls to say that they're Canadian then they could be referred to the federally-funded services for trafficking victims.
FEYERICK: Yet for women like Linda, the damage is done.
FRONT: I'll never be the same. I'll never be happy go lucky little girl. I never got that chance. And I'll never be able to be that happy go lucky little girl.
FEYERICK: And that, too, was never her choice.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, St. Paul, Minnesota.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: Turning out to a terrorism story that hits home in a way that nobody should have to live through. Imagine that your home is identified on national television as the home of a terrorist. That is exactly what happened in a Los Angeles suburb this month. You can picture the outrage, the anxiety, the hatred that came next.
Problem is the report which aired on the Fox News Channel was flat out wrong. Fox apologized. The Fox contributor apologized. Fox reprimanded the contributor. None of this is making life much easier for the family at the center of it all. Here's Peter Viles.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Now, we're not going to tell you the address, but it's an ordinary suburban house east of Los Angeles, except that it's under a police watch because it was briefly and wrongly identified on national television as the home of a terrorist. A mistaken report that became a nightmare for the innocent family who lives here.
RANDY VORICK, HOMEOWNER: Just people driving by and honking. And then they'll shout obscenities at us. We've heard the word terrorists from I don't know how many cars. They just drive by and scream terrorist, and then they just keep driving.
RONNELL VORICK, HOMEOWNER: We don't sleep well every night. Every sound, we're up, looking around. It's just, you know, I go to work. I can't think. I can't concentrate. I'm calling my oldest, because she's usually home during the day, every half hour.
VILES: One night, someone spray painted this on the front of the home. The family of five has been living in fear.
RANDY VORICK: I just can't imagine anyone doing that to someone else's house, being that close to my front door. I mean, might as well have done it inside my house. It has the same effect.
VILES: The mistaken report came August 7 on the Fox News Channel. A guest contributor John Loftus, reported he believes a California man is linked to a known terrorist organization. And then he gave the man's home address.
JOHN LOFTUS, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: And he lives at (BLEEP) La Habra, California.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, now -- to be fair to him, we haven't contacted him at the moment.
VILES: The man Loftus was referring to does not even live at this house, it's not clear if he ever did. In addition, he's not been accused of illegal activity. In a statement Fox said, quote, "John Loftus has been reprimanded for his careless error. And we sincerely apologize to the family." Loftus in a telephone interview told CNN, quote, "I got it wrong. And I'm just heart sick about it. I apologize profusely to the family."
Loftus said Fox has terminated his contract to appear as a contributor.
RANDY VORICK: I never understood the power of media, until this incident happened. You know, how much one phrase or one little address could effect so many people.
VILES: The Voricks were happy on this street and in this house. Now, they're wondering if it's safe to stay.
Peter Viles, for CNN, La Habra, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And just ahead, the grade A controversy over the morning-after pill called "Plan B." Should it be available over the counter? Is it a health hazard?
And later, your body as you've never seen it before. A real eye opener because this is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: In an unexpected twist, the FDA today put off its long awaited decision on the morning-after pill. The agency said it needed 60 more days to decide whether to allow the drug, also known as Plan B, to be sold over the counter without a prescription. One of the sticking points? How to keep the pills out of hands of teenagers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. LESTER CRAWFORD, FDA COMMISSIONER: We need to resolve these policy and regulatory questions before we can reach a final decision on the underlying science that was presented to us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Eight months ago, the FDA's independent scientific advisers overwhelmingly voted to allow the morning after pill to be sold to everyone, not just adults. Planned Parenthood called today a terrible day for women's health and safety and accused the FDA of failing to meet it's public health responsibilities. At the center of this long and bitter battle, a small pill designed to be a back-up when contraception fails or when a couple fails to use it. Here's more from CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Commonly referred to as the morning after pill, Plan B was first approved for prescription use in the United States in 1999. Since then, effectiveness, relatively low side effects and ease of use have made at it the most common form of emergency contraception.
On average, most women have an 8 percent chance they will become pregnant after having unprotected intercourse. If taken within 72 hours, though, Plan B can lower that chance to 1 percent.
Here's how it works. Plan B contains high doses of progesterone, that's a birth control hormone that tells the brain not to ovulate or release on egg. Now, if ovulation has already happened when the pill is taken, the hormone works to prevent fertilization by making it harder for the sperm to penetrate the egg. And if fertilization has already occurred, then most doctors believe the morning-after pill can prevent the fertilized egg from after attaching to the wall of the uterus. Misconceptions about Plan B have driven the controversy surrounding this drug. Some believe that it could cause birth defects if the pregnancy develops, or even cause an abortion. Others believe that no such thing could occur, because Plan B prevents the fertilized egg from attaching to the uterine wall.
DR. CHARLES J. LOCKWOOD, OBGYN, YALE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Taking the morning-after pill definitely does not harm an established pregnancy. Doesn't cause berth defects. Doesn't cause abortions of implanted, healthy pregnancies.
GUPTA: In fact, when a pregnancy occurred, hormones in a woman's body change dramatically. And suddenly the body is awash in progesterone. Plan B would simply add more.
Another misconception is to confuse Plan B with RU-486, the abortion pill. Even doctors' offices can mistake the difference.
Lalena Garcia wanted to prevent pregnancy, and as most people would, called her doctor's office for a prescription.
LALENA GARCIA, MORNING-AFTER PILL USER: So I called and I said, hi, I need to make an appointment to just come in and get a prescription for the morning-after pill. And the reception said, oh, we don't have that. No, no, no, not RU-486, I want emergency contraception. I want the morning-after pill.
GUPTA: In fact, the two drugs work in literally opposite ways. Instead of increasing progesterone levels the way Plan B does, RU-486 lowers progesterone levels, inducing menstruation, and the loss of an early pregnancy. Other questions about Plan B don't have such clear- cut answers. Opponents argue widespread access will encourage irresponsible sexual behavior among young people, and increase sexually transmitted diseases. Two large studies have not supported those claims.
And now, approved for over-the-counter use or not, that controversy is likely to continue.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Now, however this turns out, it looks like Plan B won't be too difficult to get. Where there's a will, there's a way, or these days, a Web site. Here's CNN's Rusty Dornin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You could call Dr. Matt Wise the morning-after man. This OB/GYN's services are in such demand, he works seven days a week. Vacations? He says he hasn't had one in five years. Not because of his regular job, but because of his virtual one. He gives online prescriptions for the morning-after pill. DR. MATT WISE, OBGYN: These are telemedicine consultations. So you know, have laptop, will travel. But in terms of I can't -- I haven't left the country during that time, and I have got to make sure that I've got Internet access wherever I am.
DORNIN: In 2000, while he was training as a resident, Wise took a lot of phone calls from women trying to prevent unwanted pregnancies the morning after. He felt there was a huge need, so he created the Web site GetThePill.com. For a fee of $24.95, women who fill out a questionnaire and qualify can get a prescription for emergency contraception.
(on camera): Women can already get this through their doctor. Why do they really need to go this route?
WISE: A lot of different reasons. Number one, I mean, I'm surprised how many women actually don't have a primary OB/GYN care provider. They don't have access to someone. Some patients actually, you know, they have a regular OB/GYN, but it's a weekend, it's a holiday, they simply can't contact their OB/GYN.
DORNIN (voice-over): Wise's regular employer did not want to be identified and tried to discourage him from doing this interview, but Wise says he works the Web site on his own time, with a little help from his brother and a few employees to field phone calls.
He gets up early and then is back online after his day job is done.
Wise prefers to prescribe Plan B, a product containing two pills for emergency contraception.
(on camera): Do people still misunderstand and mistake you for an abortion pill?
WISE: Absolutely. Absolutely. Pharmacists even misunderstand that.
DORNIN (voice-over): But some right-to-life advocates disagree.
CECELIA CODY, CALIFORNIA RIGHT TO LIFE ED. FUND: Because we believe that life begins at fertilization, we would consider this as an early-term abortion.
DORNIN: And opponents say that with an online service, women don't have a doctor they can get to quickly if there are side effects.
But Wise says side effects are limited to nausea and in rare cases, vomiting. And he says he's available by phone or e-mail if they have problems.
Wise had to get a medical license for each state where he prescribes the medication.
WISE: I think I'm probably like one of the most licensed doctors in the country right now, actually. At last count, it was somewhere between 22, 23 licenses.
DORNIN: But it's one thing to prescribe, another to find a pharmacy that will actually take the prescription. Some pharmacists refuse.
(on camera): New Mexico is one of seven states where pharmacists are allowed to dispense Plan B without a doctor's prescription. But it's their choice, and they have to first take a course.
(voice-over): Phil Griego, a pharmacist in Albuquerque, New Mexico took the course. He says he's happy to get referrals from Wise.
PHIL GRIEGO, PHARMACIST: There's no controversy in my mind. I know there is a controversy with a lot of pharmacists not wanting to dispense.
DORNIN: Wise says he's not getting rich from the Web site and says he'd be happy to shut down if that meant women were able to get emergency contraception over the counter.
Rusty Dornin, CNN, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Just ahead tonight, a governor in court, and state money going into coin collecting. Must be Ohio.
And later, about 5,000 lawsuits, billions at stake, would you fight or settle? The maker of Vioxx could be about to decide.
A break first from New York. This is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: In a moment, you will hear somebody call Ohio the most corrupt state in the country, and a bit later you will hear someone else say, no, it's only the second most corrupt. Whoever is right, there's no disputing that Ohio is now one of the most highly investigated states in the country, and those investigations lead all the way to the governor's office. Reporting from Columbus tonight, here's CNN's Jason Carroll.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Taft, you've been charged with four counts of ethics violations.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In an Ohio courtroom, a shameful moment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you wish to enter a plea, is that correct?
GOV. BOB TAFT (R), OHIO: Yes, I do, a plea of no contest. CARROLL: Ohio's Republican Governor Bob Taft, the great grandson of a president, a governor who promised to weed out unethical politicians, was charged for being unethical. Prosecutors say he failed to report about $5,000 worth of gifts, golf outings and hockey tickets mostly, on financial disclosure statements.
TAFT: I accept full responsibility for this mistake, and I'm very sorry.
CARROLL (on camera): Governor Taft?
TAFT: Hi, how are you.
CARROLL: Hi, I'm Jason Carroll with CNN.
(voice-over): We caught up with the governor moments after a cabinet meeting.
TAFT: And obviously, it's been a very tough time for my wife and myself, also for my family and my friends and for the cabinet, and that's why I met with them today. But the important fact is that when I realized I made a mistake, I admitted it. I came forward.
CARROLL: Apologies may not be enough, not in a state plagued with taxes, unemployment and political scandals. It's so bad one political science professor calls it...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The most corrupt state in the nation.
CARROLL: The charges against the governor were relatively minor, at least when compared to the accusations against one of his golf associates.
MARC DAHN, OHIO STATE SENATOR: This isn't about golf at all. I mean, at best, the governor accepting golf outings from people who have an interest in state business is a subplot here.
CARROLL: The investigation centers around Tom Noe, a rare coin dealer and Republican fund-raiser. Noe managed $50 million in investments for the state's Workers Compensation Bureau. Much of it went into, what else, rare coins. Noe's attorney confirmed to CNN at least $13 million is unaccounted for, but would not say why. Locals call it Coingate.
A separate investigation is under way into whether Noe made illegal contributions to President Bush's campaign last year. Noe could not be reached.
DAHN: It is absolutely been astounding to me, the level of corruption that has gone on in state government.
CARROLL: Another high-profile probe involves the fund-raising practices of the former GOP speaker of the House. And just last month, the governor's chief of staff resigned, after also pleading no contest to charges of not reporting gifts.
Even some Republicans now say the governor must do more.
JIM TRAKAS, OHIO STATE REPRESENTATIVE: I think he needs to go on statewide television and explain to the people of Ohio what's been going on in the capital over these past several months, because certainly it's been, you know, spinning out of control.
CARROLL: But not so out of control to force this two-term governor's resignation. He says he will finish his final term, which ends next year. However...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think his critics are going to let him up off the floor here. I think it's going to get worse.
CARROLL: Are you confident at this point that you'll be able to do that, that you'll be able to put all of this behind you and move on?
TAFT: Absolutely.
CARROLL: At stake, a family legacy. A man's reputation, and the GOP's future in a battleground state.
Jason Carroll, CNN, Columbus, Ohio.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Joe Hallett covers politics and corruption for "The Columbus Dispatch." We spoke with him earlier tonight. Our NEWSNIGHT conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Joe, perhaps the most shocking thing that I heard from that story, being from the state of Ohio, is that that political science professor says it's the most corrupt state in the nation. That can't be true, can it?
JOE HALLETT, SR. EDITOR, "THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH": Well, a lot of people ascribe that title to New Jersey, but Ohio seems to be making its way to that dubious distinction, because there are about 11 different federal, state and county agencies investigating corruption in Ohio right now, primarily in state government. And we expect more indictments to come down on a number of different fronts, not just in the governor's office.
COSTELLO: Well, let's go with the governor now. He's really committed some minor infractions, and he came forward and he says, you know, I've admitted my mistakes. I have apologized for it. But is there more trouble ahead for him?
HALLETT: Well, I think so. The House Democrats -- they are in a distinct minority there -- are talking about impeachment. They're doing it, of course, for political reasons, and they want to string that kind of talk out as long as they possibly can, to make as much political hay as possible. But the governor's support among Republicans who dominate state government is tenuous, because he is not a popular governor.
COSTELLO: Which is astounding to me, because the Taft name in the state of Ohio is big and very well respected.
HALLETT: Well, it is as close to royalty as you can get in an Ohio democracy. But it's been tarnished by this governor. He goes into this scandal unpopular already, and...
COSTELLO: Well, let's talk about the biggest scandal and his relationship with this guy Noe, who invested state taxpayer money in rare coins. I mean, when does that happen?
HALLETT: Well, Tom Noe is a long-time friend of Republican politicians in this state. He was chairman of the party in Lucas County, which is Toledo. He was a high roller, gave a lot of contributions. He got a $50 million contract from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation to invest money for -- intended for injured workers into his rare coin fund. The fund so far has lost an estimated $13 million. Noe is accused of stealing $4 million.
COSTELLO: And so far, the governor says that he knew nothing about this money being invested in rare coins. It was like up to the people who run the workers comp bureau, right?
HALLETT: Yes. The governor claims that he did not know the state was investing in Noe's coin fund until April, last April.
Now, Noe claims that Taft knew about his investments and the state's investments in the coin fund as far back as 2001. Taft has known Noe for 15 years. He's been to his Toledo coin shop twice. He went to his house for a fund-raiser that Noe held in his honor. So a lot of folks are skeptical about the governor's claim that he didn't know these investments were being made.
COSTELLO: And if it comes out that he knew, maybe that would be enough for impeachment. But if I were a Democrat, I might let him, like, blow in the wind, because wouldn't that help the Democrats in 2006?
HALLETT: Well, yes, a lot of Democrats, even though they're trying to make hay now with impeachment talks, say let's just leave him in place. He's very unpopular, he'll be wearing a big bull's eye in the 2006 statewide elections, even though he'll not be on the ballot. He'll give us a target, and we would be better off just keeping him in office.
COSTELLO: Joe Hallett, from "The Columbus Dispatch," thanks for joining us tonight.
HALLETT: Happy to be with you, Carol.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Ahead on the program, we'll get to the heart of the matter, and the liver and maybe even a small intestine or two. One amazing voyage, only on NEWSNIGHT. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Coming up on the program, the inside of the human body gets ready for its close-up. But first, at a quarter until the hour, time to check back in with Erica Hill. She's in Atlanta. Hello, Erica.
HILL: Hello again. The drug company that lost a $253 million jury verdict over its painkiller Vioxx last week is now considering settling the claims. Merck facing nearly 5,000 lawsuits, and company lawyers say they are going to fight some of those cases aggressively, but others could be settled.
The Justice Department has approved a Georgia law which requires a photo ID to vote. The Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials has promised to fight the Republican-backed law. Democrats say it will discourage minorities and the poor from going to the polls.
CNN founder Ted Turner was inducted into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame in Atlanta today. Also honored, baseball player Henry Aaron and Atlanta's first black mayor, Maynard Jackson Jr.
And making their first public appearance at a Berlin zoo today, two baby snow leopards. There's a cute picture on a Friday night. Kashi (ph) and Naron (ph), both boys, were born on June 13th. The arrival welcome news, not just for their parents but the entire species. There are estimated to be fewer than 8,000 snow leopards living in the wild. And they are pretty darn cute.
COSTELLO: Oh, they're beautiful!
HILL: You've got to love them.
COSTELLO: Yeah.
HILL: Hey, Carol, have a great weekend. Go get yourself some sleep, girl, you've been working like crazy.
COSTELLO: Yeah, well, it's been fun, though.
HILL: Well, good.
COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Erica. You have a great weekend, too.
HILL: Thanks.
COSTELLO: A report published this week found that Americans in every state but Oregon are getting fatter. Nearly 25 percent of adults in the United States are now obese. Doctors tell us all the time that being overweight is bad for your health. Words are one thing, pictures are quite a another. Which brings us to the cover story of this week's "Life" magazine.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BILL SHAPIRO, MANAGING EDITOR, LIFE MAGAZINE: Alexander Tsiaras is a photographer who has taken amazing pictures of inside the human body, like you've never seen it before. He's taken CAT scans and MRIs and other medical imaging techniques, with the help of a computer. Then he adds color and he adds shadow and he makes these three- dimensional.
What he wants to do is have people see the artistry and complexity of the human body, so that they will take care of it. Because human nature is such you won't really take care of a problem unless you see it.
Tsiaras has taken pictures that really address some of the major health problems facing millions of Americans today. He looks at a healthy heart and a heart after a heart attack. And if you look at the heart after a heart attack, you can see a black spot on it and it is striking. He also shows a clogged arteries, and if you look at the pictures you can see what an artery looks like with plaque on the inside and the blood can barely get through. You know, the passageway is so thin. He also shows what an artery looks like when there's a stint in it, a titanium tube that opens up to allow the blood to pass right through.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Look, it's taking on its exact shape.
SHAPIRO: We've seen Fantastic Voyage. We have seen the healthy lung and the smoker's lung next to each other. What's different about these is that they are so precise and they really show in an artful way how the human body is constructed. And really what a gorgeous piece of machinery it is.
We're so used to looking at what Olympic athletes or what not -- photographs of them. And you see the muscle tone and just how beautiful they are. And this is that from the inside. And it really makes you feel what a shame it is that sometimes we don't take care of ourselves. When you see these pictures, you have to act. They are so striking that you will definitely think about it the next time you go for a triple cheeseburger.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: He's not kidding.
Just ahead, another amazing image. The picture of the day. What will it be? And with Katrina gathering force, keep it right here all weekend long.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARON RALSTON, CLIMBER: My name is Aron Ralston. My parents are Donna and Larry Ralston, of Englewood, Colorado.
ANNOUNCER: His name may not be familiar, but Aron Ralston's desperate act of survival became headline news in the spring of 2003. The 27-year-old was climbing alone in a remote Utah canyon when his right hand became pinned under an 800-pound boulder. Six days he was trapped with little food and water until he took drastic action.
RALSTON: I reached for the knife, said out loud to myself, "Here we go, Aron, you're in it now," very calmly and collectedly, went about the process of thrusting the knife into my arm.
ANNOUNCER: After cutting off his arm, Ralston still had to rappel down a cliff and then hike five miles to find help. After several surgeries and a painful recovery, he was climbing mountains just a few months later. Ralston chronicled the experience in his book, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place." He is now a motivational speaker, sharing the lessons he learned.
RALSTON: Even the impossible can be overcome by courage and perseverance.
ANNOUNCER: Ralston is still climbing mountains with the help of a custom climbing arm. He recently summited Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina. He says the drive to find the next mountain is what sustains him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: What more can you say? Awesome.
Up next, the picture of the day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Now for the picture of the day. This is the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. You can see Sherry Robinson holding up a sign, ice. Her father's bait shop. She's trying to sell $400 worth of ice. The power went out, and maybe she doesn't realize that everyone else's power is out too. We're going to be following Katrina throughout the weekend. For now, I'm Carol Costello in for Aaron Brown. Have a great weekend.
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