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CNN Newsnight Aaron Brown
Category 4 Hurricane Wilma Pounds Away at Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula; 16-Year Old Charged with Murder; The Frozen Discovery in the Sierra Nevada Mountains is Being Slowly Thawed; Bird Flu Detected in a Parrot in Britain; Hurricane Wilma Batters Cancun, Destroying Luxury Hotels In Mayan Riviera; NBA Imposes Dress Code On Players, No More Urban Scene; Dome Of A Home, New Ideas In Building Hurricane- Proof Structures; Michael Jackson Is Moving To Bahrain
Aired October 21, 2005 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening again. Welcome to NEWSNIGHT. The charge against a young man in California is murder.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Accused of brutally murdering his neighbor, a 16-year old is charged as an adult in a California court. What's the state's evidence? And what's the possible punishment for the heinous crime?
NBA players up in arms about the new dress code -- aimed at doing away with dew rags, flashy chains and loose fitting clothes. Tonight, we'll talk to the former NBA rebel, Dennis Rodman. Could a dress code really help bring in more fans?
A frozen discovery in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, now being slowly thawed to determine the past of this frozen man. Tonight, will forensic evidence shed light on a life frozen in time?
This is NEWSNIGHT. Live, from the CNN Broadcast in New York is Aaron Brown. And from Naples, Florida, Anderson Cooper.
BROWN: The blue flu -- make that the bird flu continues its march across Europe -- Anderson.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening, Aaron. Good evening, everyone. I'm in Naples, Florida, where the state is getting more time to prepare as Wilma slowly approaches; 140 mile per hour winds right now -- no one taking any chances. We're going to bring you the latest on the storm in just a second.
First, here's a look at what's happening at this moment. Let's take a look.
In Britain, a major concern after a bird from South America dies under quarantine. The parrot tested positive for bird flu strain, but it is not know if that's the same as the deadly strain of bird flu found in Asia.
Texas Congressman Tom DeLay made his first court appearance this morning. His arraignment on conspiracy and money laundering charges was delayed pending a hearing on his request for a new judge. In Washington, a man who apparently told police there was a bomb in his car, today has been taken to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation. D.C. police detonated a package inside the vehicle on Capitol Hill. No explosives were found inside.
And President Bush is calling a U.N. report released today deeply disturbing. The report implicates Syria in the February murder of Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. Mr. Bush says the world body must take strong action and hold those guilty accountable.
We continue to watch Wilma. Right now the Category 4 hurricane is lashing Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. It's got 140 mile per hour winds, storm surge of 11 feet. Tracking Wilma from Atlanta is CNN's Severe Weather Expert Chad Myers. Chad, what's the latest?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The latest, we just have the 11:00 o'clock advisory. Some of the newer stuff, the discussion coming, as we call it. The storm has literally moved about 15 miles in six hours, just pounding away here at the Yucatan. There is Cozumel.
Basically this entire area is called the Mayan Riviera. Some very high dollar, high-class resorts, all the way from the seven in Cancun -- and we'll get you a little bit closer -- the seven in Cancun is called the resort or the hotel zone. That's where all the big hotels are. And as we get you a little bit closer with the radar, this entire thing turns to the right -- look, by 8:00 o'clock tomorrow night, it only moves 50 miles. And then it finally picks up some speed and tries to track toward the Florida coast.
I am not convinced that it's going to be this far south, though. It could be a little bit farther to the north. I haven't read enough about what the Hurricane Center is thinking about that, but that is the same forecast, the same path that this thing's been taking for a long time. These guys are not changing their mind much. This has been a pretty solid forecast. I'm sure the timing has changed a little and I think it maybe even sped up a little bit. It looks like tomorrow it starts to speed up a little bit after it gets offshore.
Here's the storm itself, though. Here's Cozumel, the island here. There's the town of Cozumel. Down here where the cruise ships dock, and then Cancun just getting the extreme northern eye wall. The airport, right about there, so just south of the Moon Palace -- right through here -- that's what's getting pounded with those 140 mile per hour winds. Cancun itself and the Hotel 7, right there.
You have to use your imagination, but it is there, getting winds at 110 now and going up. And the Hurricane Center talking about the center of the eye almost making a second landfall right now; it made the first one right here in Cozumel. Still tracking off towards the northwest at three miles per hour, Anderson, an excruciatingly slow storm for the people getting by these high winds right now.
COOPER: I cannot even imagine a three mile per hour storm. I'm trying to remember what the slowest storm that I was in was and I think it was even double digits. I think it was maybe 10 or 12. MYERS: Oh, sure.
COOPER: Three is just extraordinary.
MYERS: Yes. And something on the other side of my screen here -- I don't want to get you all excited, but probably something that could be turning into a tropical depression for tomorrow. And if it does, and then to a storm, it would be Alpha -- the first time we ever had to get to the Greek alphabet.
COOPER: I don't even want to hear any Greek right now from you Chad.
MYERS: Just so you know.
COOPER: Not right now. It's too much. All right, thanks very much. Appreciate it. I know you got to tell us. Aaron, we always hate it when Chad is the bearer of bad news or the bearer of another storm, but the imaginable -- to think there could be another one out there.
BROWN: Yes, I can live without Alpha and I'm sure everyone down there can too. Thank you.
Classmates say he was a gothic kid, a loner who always dressed in black. Tonight, 16-year old Scott Dyleski is charged with murder in the killing of Pamela Vitale, the wife of Defense Attorney and TV Commentator Daniel Horowitz. From California tonight, CNN's Ted Rowlands.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 16-year old Scott Dyleski is being treated as an adult by the state of California. He made his first court appearance late today on charges of first-degree murder.
HAL JEWETT, DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: This is a brutal homicide. And because he is very close to his 17th birthday, we believe that it's a situation where he is not entitled to protections afforded him under the juvenile law and it's appropriate to prosecute him as an adult.
ROWLANDS: Dyleski is accused of killing 52-year old Pamela Vitale, the wife of defense attorney Daniel Horowitz. Vitale was found dead at the couple's northern California estate last Saturday.
A law enforcement source close to the case tells CNN that investigators believe Dyleski used a piece of crown molding to beat Vitale to death. They say he then carved a cross-like symbol into her back.
Friday evening investigators with dogs were back at the Horowitz estate, apparently searching for potential evidence.
Schoolmates tell CNN in recent year, Dyleski was withdrawn, dressing in black, painting his nails black and wearing makeup. Anthony Catanesi says he used to play baseball with Scott Dyleski. He says Dyleski changed after his older sister died in an auto accident a few years ago.
ANTHONY CATANESI, FRIEND OF SUSPECT: That may have helped in his turn towards the, you know, the goth side.
ROWLANDS: The decision to treat a 16-year old boy as an adult can be a difficult one, according to Former Prosecutor Jim Anderson, but not in this case.
JIM ANDERSON, FORMER PROSECUTOR: The horrendous nature of the crime in and of itself is going me, if I was the one in charge and making that call, I'd file ASAB (ph) right now. It's just not even going to be a second glance.
ROWLANDS: During his short court appearance, Dyleski did not speak or enter a plea. The hearing was continued because his lawyer was out of town. Dyleski is scheduled to be back in court next Thursday.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROWLANDS: And as it stands now, the maximum sentence that Scott Dyleski faces is 26 years to life. That said, investigators were out looking for more clues tonight and prosecutors do have the ability to add special circumstances, meaning he could face a possible life without parole sentence. Because he is under the age of 18, he is not eligible for the death penalty -- Aaron.
BROWN: Is there any suggestion that he has been talking to police?
ROWLANDS: Well, from what we know from law enforcement sources yesterday, the answer to that is no, in terms of a confession. Whether that has changed over the last 24 hours, who knows. He is a 16-year old boy and I'm sure they're asking him for details. And who knows whether his cooperation level has changed.
BROWN: Ted, thank you. Ted Rowlands, San Francisco.
Tonight, a fence moving quickly since yesterday's break in this case. 16-year old suspect, as we just told you, will be tried as an adult. Bail: Million dollars. We're learning some detail now on the bludgeoning of Pamela Vitale. We talked with CNN's Nancy Grace a little bit earlier tonight about some of the developments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Nancy, I suppose if photos and mug shots were evidence, we wouldn't even need to have a trial. This is a scary looking young man. But mug shots aren't evidence and what do we know of the evidence against this boy?
NANCY GRACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we know is this young man, Scott Dyleski, went to a first appearance today, as it is called in many jurisdictions, and he was charged with murder one; bail set at $1 million, Aaron.
We also know or strongly suspect that the link to this young many will be DNA evidence. We know that Pamela Vitale put up a ferocious fight. I have confirmed tonight that Scott Dyleski is covered in scratches. That says to me DNA will be under Pamela's fingernails. Now, as you know, several days have passed. So a DNA match could have already been made up.
But it's my understanding from Daniel Horowitz as late as tonight, that the tip line is what led to the arrest. Remember, this is a 16-year old with no fingerprints no DNA on file, no criminal history. So the tip line apparently led to police questioning and then arresting him.
BROWN: Do we know anything about the tip?
GRACE: I think the tip had something to do with the young man being scratched up.
BROWN: Do we know if it came from a student? Do we have any idea who it came from -- a fellow student? A neighbor? Do we have any idea?
GRACE: I have an idea, but I have not confirmed it. I do know that this young man lived very near Daniel Horowitz, on that same mountain, a very remote area. I also confirmed tonight that Daniel had done quite a bit of pro bono work for this family, just as a neighbor, for free.
BROWN: Do we know that if this boy had contact with the victim?
GRACE: You mean prior to the killing?
BROWN: Yes, prior -- yes.
GRACE: In the sense that they were neighbors, most likely, yes.
BROWN: Do we know if there was bad blood?
GRACE: No. No bad blood to my knowledge whatsoever. In fact, as I said, Horowitz had helped the family out. Tonight there are a lot of suspicions that there was some type of credit card fraud that this young man was engaging in and that Horowitz's mailbox or mail had been tampered with by him.
But I can tell you this much, Aaron, as I went over the crest of that hill and down to Horowitz's trailer where they were living while building the home, you could see immediately that she was there alone. I saw her car still parked there alone, covered in fingerprint dust. But the first thing he would have known, whether by the street or by one of many, many foot paths across that mountain, he would have known she was there by herself.
BROWN: All right, just one more question here. He's charged with murder one as an adult, but he's 16, so he is not death penalty eligible? GRACE: Absolutely not. Until recently the cutoff in our country was 16. It has now been upped. He does however face life without the possibility of parole.
BROWN: Nancy, it's good to see you. Have a good weekend.
GRACE: Thank you, friend.
BROWN: Still to come on the program, tracking down the identity of a man frozen in time. We take a look at the painstaking process, using both sophisticated forensics and a good old public library.
And later, an entire Russian village under quarantine tonight -- bird flu to blame. We'll take you there. We'll take a look at where the deadly virus has already spread in this world.
We'll take a break first. This is NEWSNIGHT on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: A sad, but simple fact -- unless you happen to be rich or famous or notorious, you probably won't run into a lot of people wanting to write your biography. That's hardly the case of a man who departed life years -- perhaps decades ago -- possibly on a training mission during World War II. Though probably not famous or notorious or rich, he now has biographers of plenty lining at his feet -- very cold feet. Here's CNN Thelma Gutierrez.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Sierra Nevada mountain range, 400 miles long. Could it be that this man recently discovered at the foot of a glacier, preserved in ice and frozen in time, was on an ill-fated military flight during World War II?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Disappeared while on a routine training flight.
GUTIERREZ: Some local historians think so.
RAY SILVIA, LIBRARIAN: Tuesday morning I received a call from the government and they said they had found an airman.
GUTIERREZ: Ray Silvia, the Fresno librarian, says the military asked him to research plane crashes in the Sierra Nevada mountain range during that era.
SILVIA: It's kind of an obscure book, but it's one of a kind on aircraft wrecks.
GUTIERREZ: Ray searched for the name of the glacier where the soldier was found. There it was, a crash back on November 18, 1942, that killed everyone on board.
SILVIA: It was uncertain really whether everyone was found. GUTIERREZ: Then, Ray turned to local newspaper reports from 1942. More details matched the discovery in the ice.
ALEX PICABET, SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK: People who reported finding this had found a parachute and cut a piece off of that parachute. And the parachute itself said U.S. Army.
GUTIERREZ: Alex Picabet says it was a highly trained team of national park rangers who chipped into the ice for hours so that this soldier could finally come home.
PICABET: You could have all kinds of things go with him in his pocket. He could have photos or letters. We don't know. There's so much still to be revealed as he comes out of the ice that kept him company for the last 60 plus years.
GUTIERREZ: The body, encased in 400 pounds of granite and ice was flown to the Fresno coroner's office, where it was thawed.
LORALEE CERVANTES, FRESNO COUNTY CORONER: We've just been using cold water to melt the ice at a quicker rate.
GUTIERREZ: The coroner x-rayed the body in ice, but so far no ID.
CERVANTES: Even if we found something that had his name on it or had an ID, we'd go further than that to try to provide positive ID.
GUTIERREZ: From Fresno, the body will be flown to the joint POW- MIA Counting Command in Hawaii where forensic studies will help determine who this man, still wearing a military green sweater, was.
CERVANTES: Something like this is really exciting, because the chance to return anyone, much less someone who's been missing for 60 plus years, the chance to return them to their family is pretty exciting for a coroner to be able to take part in that.
GUTIERREZ: Exciting for everyone, from the park rangers who brought him out, to local librarians who dug up the details. It's a chance to participate in history. Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Fresno, California.
BROWN: History and science. For more on the science, we talked with Forensic Anthropologist Kathy Reichs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Let's just assume for a second that the speculation turns out to be all factual and that the body was frozen the whole time. What kind of condition is that body in?
KATHY REICHS, FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGIST: Well, if it's been frozen the whole time, it should be in pretty good condition. And there's a good chance 13,000 feet up, that maybe it was. Now when they saw it, part of it was sticking out. I think part of the head and part of the hands were sticking out. So there's a possibility that over the years the snow has retreated and advanced and retreated and advanced, so there may have been periods when it was exposed.
BROWN: And when it was exposed, it would decompose?
REICHS: Yes. It would be subject to decomposition, just like any other body. Now, again, being 13,000 feet up, it may be protected in some ways. The insect activity is probably going to be just about zero up in that climate.
BROWN: But it's possible you have a relatively intact human being, isn't it?
REICHS: It's very possible. Remember the ice man that was discovered in the Italian Alps? He was 7,000 years old.
BROWN: And if in fact it's a relatively intact human being, is it so intact that you could actually recognize the face?
REICHS: Well, that was certainly the case with the ice man. You could still see that his eyes had been blue. You could still see he had a mustache. You could still see his tattoos. So if this guy was in, you know, permafrost for 66 years, it's very possible.
BROWN: Let's talk about the challenges. Assuming it was less than optimal, the challenges for determining the identity after all these years are what?
REICHS: Well, you've got a closed population. One of the -- I consulted to the military identification lab out in Hawaii for years, so I'm very familiar with the process. You've got a closed population. They're going to -- first of all they're going to research what planes might have crashed in that area. They're going to take the paraphernalia that were found with the body and they're going to trace back through that. So they're going to get a list of names, possible names.
So that they're going to be able to go out and get dental records and antemortem medical records. And the military is really good at archiving that kind of information. So it's not like you have a complete unknown and you're starting from zero. So the anthropologists and the dentists that work out at the military ID lab, out in Hawaii are going to begin their analyses, they're going to look at the bones, they're going to look at the teeth and they're going to see which of those individuals on that list of possible matches is the best fit.
BROWN: So it's not without challenges, but it's not a one in a million, figuring out who this is either?
REICHS: Oh, not at all. In fact, I think it's probably in some way, it's going to be easier than if you just stumble upon a completely unknown individual. You're going to have those records that you can go to. Now, if they come up zero as a match to anybody in those records, then you've got a real challenge.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Kathy Reichs, talked with her earlier.
Preparations against bird flu being stepped up around the world. This will give you a good idea why too. Until recently, bird flu was contained to Asia; 60 people there have died from bird flu, presumably from contact with animals that had the disease. Bird flu has now spread to Europe, detected in Turkey, Romania and in Russia. And just today, Britain found bird flu in a parrot from South America. We don't yet know if it's the deadly strain.
Officials fear the virus could mutate into a form that could spread easily among humans and set off a world-wide pandemic. And in Russia, that means drastic measures. Here's CNN's Ryan Chilcote.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This checkpoint is the closest journalists can get to the Russian village of Yandovka. Only government workers and its 200 residents are allowed in now. The government ordered Yandovka sealed off and all its birds destroyed after test results indicated some were infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu.
In six days, 300 birds died. None of the villagers have come down with bird flu symptoms yet, as has happened in Southeast Asia. And of those who came to the checkpoint to talk to journalists, none worried they would. The worry here is for their livelihood.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (In Russian)
CHILCOTE: They're not afraid of the flu, this villager says, but they are of course sad. There's no work here, but poultry, which now all the poultry is gone.
Just a day earlier, before the quarantine, cameras were allowed inside Yandovka. The villagers clearly upset about giving up their chickens, geese and ducks.
When this official told these women they'd get $3 per chicken, they told him that won't fly.
This elderly couple began hastily butchering their ducks before health officials could take their birds away. And in defiance of the official's instructions, they said they'd keep the meat.
Officials say the villagers eventually cooperated and all of the birds -- an estimated 2,500 -- were culled.
On the way back from filming the burn pit on the edge of town, we were disinfected.
(on camera): Absolutely everyone who leaves Yandovka goes through this procedure. They come into this area where there's a lot of sawdust, and this gentleman right here disinfects them with a liquid that smells a lot like vinegar.
(voice-over): Cars, too, are sprayed with a disinfecting solution. Yandovka will remain under quarantine for three weeks and its villagers will be closely monitored for bird flu symptoms.
But that's little comfort, the villagers say, when the little livelihood they had in this impoverished Russian village is now gone. Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Yandovka, Russia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Still to come, on a Friday night, Wilma's fury, as seen from the ground.
And later, the NBA is calling for a bling-free zone. I've never said bling on TV before. The dress code off the court, and more as NEWSNIGHT continues.
What was the most popular story on CNN.com today? Was it Hurricane Wilma crashing in to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula? Or Former Majority Leader Tom DeLay requesting a new judge at his arraignment? Or was it a 16-year old suspect arrested for murdering the wife of a prominent California attorney? The answer, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: So what was the most popular story on CNN.com today?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN (voice-over): Investigators in California have arrested Scott Dyleski, a 16-year old, in the connection with the murder of Pam Vitale, the wife of Criminal Defense Attorney Daniel Horowitz; investigators still trying to determine a motive. Vitale was found dead by her husband on October 15. Dyleski will be charged as an adult in the state of California.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: More on Hurricane Wilma in just a moment. Time now to make a quick check on some of the other news of the day. Christi Paul in Atlanta.
CHRISTI PAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Aaron. NATO is joining the effort to help earthquake victims in South Asia. Members of the alliance today agreeing to send up to 1,000 engineers, medics and other troops to help with the relief effort. Officials are warning of a second wave of death as winter sets in.
A California mother accused of tossing her three young children to certain death in the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay was in court today. Lashaun Harris kept her head down during the brief arraignment. Her public defender entered a plea of not guilty. Relatives say Harris has a history of mental problems, including schizophrenia and had stopped taking her medication.
Scott Peterson has lost his gannet to get his late wife's life insurance policy. Today, a judge in Fresno, California ruled Laci Peterson's $250,000 policy will go to her mother. Mr. Peterson is sentenced to death for her murder and the murder of their unborn son. Under California law, criminals cannot profit from their crimes.
And who said what to whom and why? Those have always been the key questions in the valor acclaimed CIA leak investigation. Now comes word Reporter Judith Miller's boss at the New York Times says she appears to have mislead the paper about her role in the investigation. Miller went to jail for refusing to reveal her source, as you will remember.
That's it from Atlanta. Aaron, back to you.
BROWN: Christi, thank you, very much.
Scott Peterson gets the insurance money -- that would be a shocker right there. That's a lead -- Anderson.
COOPER: Yes, it certainly is unbelievable. Aaron, welcome back. We are in Naples, Florida, watching Hurricane Wilma. It could hit the state by Monday. A mandatory evacuation is in effect here and is also going to resume tomorrow in the Florida Keys where thousands of residents are being told to pack up and get out. Not all of them are however. CNN's Gary Tuchman is live in Key West with more. Gary, what's going on?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there may be a hurricane on the horizon, but the fact is Key West is still very lively. Most of the tourists are gone. They were told to evacuate on Wednesday, but there is still no mandatory evacuation for most of the people who live here. Some people have left. Others haven't, though, just yet. And many tell us they won't leave.
The mayor and the city councilmen here in Key West are going door to door, telling people they should leave no matter what, telling them: You remember what happened in New Orleans? A lot of people decided not to leave. Look what happened. Please be careful and go. But many people here are telling us no matter what, they're sticking it out. Especially now they see it won't be as strong -- or it doesn't look like it will be as strong as originally anticipated.
Now, we can tell you obviously a hurricane is a serious story, but this is Key West. This is a major party town. And tonight, all over Key West there are Wilma parties taking place. I just met some women a short time ago here who were participating in one of those Wilma parties. There's a gentleman there too. I think that he wasn't with the group originally. But I can tell you -- I'm not going to tell you what kind of theme parties are going -- we're just going to listen to these ladies for a second and you'll see what kind of theme parties are going on.
Ladies, do what you were doing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALES: Flintstones, meet the Flintstones. We're the modern stone-age family. Lalalalalala.
TUCHMAN: OK. Now I cut in for a second. The idea is the Flintstones, but where is Wilma? None of you are Wilma. There's Fred, there's Barney, there's Betty. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're looking for -- where is Wilma.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're looking for Wilma. But where is she?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, but I have a question.
TUCHMAN: OK, and these guys are not exceptions to the rule. In fact, it's all over -- All over Duval Street here in Key West, there are Wilma parties taking place. This is Key West. The only place, Anderson, that may be like this is New Orleans, where we both just came from. All right, back to you.
COOPER: Yes, certainly. I like that they don't know the other lines of the Flintstones song. It was -- they all in unison went da- da-da-dya-dryadra (ph) ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have a gay old time.
COOPER: OK, there they go. All right. They knew end of it all right. Gary, thanks very much for that original report. And -- yes, why don't we just leave it at that.
Coming up, we're tracking Hurricane Wilma. We'll have the very latest from Chad Myers in the Weather Center.
Plus, NBA players getting a makeover, whether they like it or not. Look at the new mandated dress code, minus the bling and the bling.
And later, it seems Neverland has lost its charm. Said it ain't so. Michael Jackson decides to put down roots in the sand.
From the Arabian Peninsula to Manhattan Island to Naples, Florida, this is NEWSNIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: And welcome back from the beautiful town of Naples, Florida. In just a moment we're going to talk to Dennis Rodman, live, about the new NBA dress code. Hmm? That will be interesting. And we're tracking Hurricane Wilma, of course. Severe Weather Expert Chad Myers is going to have the latest.
First, a look at the news at this moment.
Bail for 16-year-old Scott Edgar Dyleski, has been set at $1 million. He has been charged with murdering Pamela Vitale, wife of defense attorney Daniel Horowitz. Prosecutor says Dyleski will be tried as an adult.
At least of the president's men could be in legal jeopardy in the CIA leak case. Karl Rove, the President Bush's top aide and Lewis Libby, Dick Cheney's chief of staff, should learn their fate next week. Grand jury may vote on possible indictments by next Wednesday.
Congressman Tom DeLay was all smiles today as he made his first court appearance in his conspiracy and money laundering case. The defense maintains that both the prosecutor and judge are partisans and want the judge replaced. Another judge will rule on the defense's motion.
And in Iraq, four new U.S. fatalities. Three Marines and a soldier were killed in Anbar Province. This, as the vote count continues on the new Iraqi constitution.
As always CNN Severe Weather Expert Chad Myers has the latest on Hurricane Wilma. He joins us now from Atlanta -- Chad.
MYERS: A little bit more on the discussion coming out for the 11 o'clock advisory, Anderson. And now they actually have landfall coming in as a Category 2 storm, not a Category 1 like it was before. So above the Category 1, 2 threshold there.
There is the storm, itself, and I'll zoom into this storm. It may, in fact, have actually drifted south. The wrong direction for that matter, in the past couple of hours. It kind of got up here. That is the island of Cozumel. And notice maybe just a little southward, maybe just a kink there, to the storm.
Here's the latest radar picture. There is Cantana Rue (ph), there is Cancun, Cozumel. Right on down the Mayan Riviera, just multi-million-dollar resorts through here, and spas. South of Cozumel, that is the island area there. The hotel zone, downtown, right under that northern eye wall, picking up winds now in excess of 120 miles per hour. Just absolutely something you don't want to hear when you are talking about -- just structures here that probably don't have the same type of quality that some other folks are used to.
At 8 o'clock on Saturday, the storm does travel to the northwest, about 50 miles in almost a single day. So what is that, two, three miles per hour? And then making a right-hand turn Sunday and finally into Monday, making landfall somewhere around 2 o'clock on Monday afternoon. So maybe that is a little bit faster actually, than we were thinking. And the Hurricane Center was thinking at 5 o'clock.
There is the storm, itself, not very much progress. The arms of the storm all the way up to Florida, and for that matter right on down to Honduras. Port St. Lucie, Miami, picking up some rain showers.
I got a call from my mom earlier, near Orlando. She said, hey, is this stuff from the storm? From Wilma? Yes, it is. In fact, even the rain showers all the way up to Jacksonville, part of Wilma.
A little bit farther to the north, rain showers ending in Atlanta and more rain headed to the Northeast for the weekend. Not part of Wilma, part of a cold front. That will make some showers from the Ohio Valley right on up into Upstate New York. Back to you guys.
COOPER: And we saw some rain in Naples earlier today, Chad. But it has since calmed down and no rain here right now. Thanks very much for that.
Aaron, a lot going on around the world. What is this about the NBA dress code? I've been totally out of the loop on this.
BROWN: Well, and I know how rigorously you read the sports page every single day.
(LAUGHTER)
So I'm shocked to hear that. Let me fill you in on that, OK? The storm -- it is an ongoing joke we have with each other.
The storm around the NBA a week before the season starts is in some ways as old as the debate about athletes as role models. We humbly suggest that if one is looking for a role model one might look at a school teacher or a firefighter. But somehow athletes have been given that responsibility.
To some NBA players it seems especially burdensome, requiring beginning this season that they dress the part of -- well, a professional.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN (voice-over): No one disputes it's about image, and perhaps, a bit about race. Some of the NBA's biggest stars dress off the court the way many young African-American men dress on the street. So sitting on the bench, Allen Iverson, with his tattoos aplenty, and hat turned sideways, baggie pants and bling, is not the image the League wants to project to the people who buy what it is selling.
So a League edict, the baggie pants, the bling, the jerseys, even headphones have to go at public team events. Unhappy news for Mr. Iverson.
ALLEN IVERSON, PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: You know, you can put a suit or a shirt and tie on a bad person, still going to be a bad person. So I just think it is a bad idea, you know, basically because we have our own identity. We have our own personalities.
BROWN: Another of the League's stars was even more direct. Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs said, quote, "I think it a load of crap. I'll probably stay in the locker room if I don't play. I understand what they're trying to do with the do-rags and the hats," he went on, "But I don't understand why they're taking it to this extreme."
Race has long been an issue for the League and its fans. A generation ago it was said you could start two black players at home, three on the road. Those days are long gone. But League executives worry that young star look like gangsters. They would rather they look like San Antonio's Tony Parker. And a lot of players seem to agree.
ANDRIS BIEDRINS, SAN FRANCISCO WARRIORS: I have a lot of suits. I bought a lot of (INAUDIBLE) so, I don't have a problem with that.
DEJI AKINDELE, SAN FRANCISCO WARRIORS: I don't have no problem with the dress code, because I think it -- make you look like a professional.
BROWN: Some players say the whole idea should have gone through the players union. Others are upset because they see it as an edict imposed by white executives on mostly African-American athletes.
DEREK FISHER, SAN FRANCISCO WARRIORS: I think it is always tough when you get into taking away an individual person's ability to express themselves, in the way they feel comfortable, whether it is through speech, or whether it is through dress, or whatever it maybe.
BROWN: As we said in the end, it is all about image and image matters. So when all is said and done, what fans may most remember, is not what Allen Iverson wears, but what he said.
IVERSON: I feel like they want us to dress a certain way. They should pay for, you know, our clothing.
BROWN: Mr. Iverson makes about $11 million a year for playing basketball and another $8 million or so for the sneakers he wears.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: In making the announcement on Tuesday, the NBA Commissioner David Stern called it a dress code even Mark Cuban could live with. Mr. Cuban being the outspoken and often underdressed owner of the Dallas Mavericks. We spoke with him earlier tonight about the notion that players appear too urban to too street.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARK CUBAN, OWNER, DALLAS MAVERICKS: I think, there is not question that, sure, anybody looking from the outside in that would be the perception. I think you know there is just a faction within the NBA, particularly the ownership group, that just doesn't understand the players these days. And that comes through as being perceived as being we're too street and that's unfortunate.
BROWN: I think they would say, I'm reluctant to speak for Mr. Stern, but it's not a question of whether they understand the players, it is whether fans understand the players, whether corporations understand the players, whether commercial potential sponsors understand the players. Maybe they're wrong, but that is how they see it.
CUBAN: To your point, you know, if you don't really understand the people you are selling, or the product you are selling it is awful tough to sell it to corporations. And there is no question that from time to time the NBA has had a struggle in certain corporate environments. And this is definitely a response to that. Do I think it is the right response? Certainly, not the right timing in the response, but I understand why we did it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: We're joined, from Costa Mesa, California, by Dennis Rodman, who is a man who wore many jerseys in his NBA career, and just about everything else off the court. He's also the recent author of, "I Should Be Dead By Now". And we're glad to see that he is not.
It is nice to see you, Mr. Rodman. Would you agree that among a good chunk of the audience that watches basketball, the NBA has an image concern?
DENNIS RODMAN, FMR. NBA PLAYER: Well, I don't think so. I think the fact that if you look at the guys back, like Michael Jordan, and Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas and Charles Butler (ph), those guys that represented the League real well, as far as dressing and a dress code, I think those guys would say, you know what, we didn't care what we dressed like, as long as we performed and get the fans what they want. You know, get their money's worth. And for me, I didn't care what I looked like.
BROWN: Really?
RODMAN: I don't think the fans cared either.
(LAUGHTER)
No, I don't think the fans care either. They just want the players to come on the court and produce. I think David Sterns went way, way overboard with this.
BROWN: You don't think that -- I don't know, I'm trying to think of a sponsor that I won't get in trouble on -- but some company that might buy a luxury box at a arena, or might buy time on a television newscast -- on a television cast of a basketball game, that those people, money people, the revenue that players count on to pay very hefty salaries, aren't concerned about the image of pro basketball players?
RODMAN: Well, that's a loaded question, right there. I mean basketball will be basketball players --
BROWN: That's my job.
RODMAN: I know it's your job. I know it's your job. But I mean, you got to understand something. David Stern should have communicated with the Players Association, and with the players and all the players and their teams should have sat down and got with some type -- you know, some type of -- middle man, and said, OK, let's dress this way. If we can't do that, let's do it this way.
He didn't do that. He just said, you know what we're going to sign this right here. And just declaration, this is where it is going to go, and we can't have -- we have so much money now, we need more money from the corporate sponsors.
And I'm looking like this, you know, why is it that the sports figures have to portray an image where, we're not trying to be role model type people. I think if you want to look at anything. You ask those corporate people that are trying to buy teams and trying to buy everything in the world. If you are going to their homes, how many of their kids are watching MTV, VH-1, that is where they're getting all this from. Not from the NBA players. If you ask any -- any kid, who are you dressed like? Who are you trying be like? You go in the homes, there is MTV, that's all that crap on MTV, VH-1.
BROWN: No, maybe -- you know, you may be exactly right and maybe one of the reasons that they find it troubling that athletes dress this way, is exactly that. That they're uncomfortable with their kids dressing that way, and they're uncomfortable with athletes as role models when they do.
I'm not sure they're right or wrong. I'm just saying that is how they feel. And if they pay the freight, they should get to call that shot, shouldn't they?
RODMAN: Well, you have to understand something. What I'm saying, in my career, you pay me to play. You don't pay to control my life. You don't pay to control my life. You know, if I want to feel like I want to come to the gym, maybe to the stadium, maybe three four hours earlier. Does that mean I have to wear a suit, there is no one here? Can I come in my sweats and work out before the game. And when I'm the last person to leave, should I wear a suit to go out?
Is that right? No, it's not right. I think the players and the people that are in this business seem to understand that. It's like, if you want to buy a team, are you going to judge every particular player on your team, everybody in your office, and say, you know what, (INAUDIBLE) cannot dress that way. You have to dress this certain way or you're done. That's not right. You have to give them an opportunity --
BROWN: It depends if they can make a three-point shot at the buzzer.
RODMAN: But it ...
BROWN: Do you ever miss playing?
RODMAN: Well, as far as, yes -- I don't know about that. Today, I don't -- you know, all these rules and regulations. I don't know man.
BROWN: Oh, you'd do fine.
RODMAN: I'd have to go to David Stern and say, David, you know, it's OK. I'm all right. I'm a good guy, now can I play? I'm not going to sit there and kiss anybody's ass. I'm not going to do that. But you know what, we have to play by the rules and perform, that's great.
BROWN: Mr. Rodman, it is good to talk to you.
RODMAN: All right, brother.
BROWN: There's a lesson in there. I know I ask one too many questions.
Still to come on the program, reminiscent of "The Three Little Pigs", a special house built to withstand all the huffing and puffing the hurricane throw it's way. And Neverland no more, Michael Jackson leaves the Hollywood scene for a bit of royalty.
We'll take a break, clean up our act, and continue, this is NEWSNIGHT on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: As we speak Hurricane Wilma sweeping along the Yucatan Peninsula out to sea, but is it true that man-made structures can't withstand a major hurricane? Maybe not, if your home is a dome. CNN's Jonathan Freed investigates.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're here in Pensacola Beach, Florida, and behind me is what's called the dome of a home.
If you're driving by here, you cannot help but stop and stare at this thing.
Let me give you a sense of where we are. Over here, we're about 150 yards away from the Gulf of Mexico right there. Now, this home is built to withstand, as you pointed out, the force of a hurricane.
Let me give you an example about that. Come back here, and if you see what used to be their neighbors, there's nothing there. The homes that were next door here were just completely razed by last year's hurricane season here in Florida.
Joining me now is the member of the family that built this home, Rick Kuklinsky. Thank you for joining you.
RICK KUKLINSKY, FAMILY MEMBER: You're welcome.
FREED: So what is it about the shape, this dome shape that really allows this home to withstand the force of a hurricane?
KUKLINSKY: Well, it's a monolithic design. The ground is built up and bermed to the side. It's a dome shape, so when the wind hits this, it breaks around. So it doesn't have, you know, the sheer force to knock it down, so it will withstand tremendous forces.
FREED: So with other more traditional homes, with flat walls, you have that wind just impacting right on the walls there, and adding stress.
KUKLINSKY: Right.
FREED: Here, the wind just breaks right around the side.
KUKLINSKY: Right. Like an airplane wing kind of thing.
FREED: OK. Now, part of the construction here involves actually inflating a balloon in order to cover over that dome. How does that work? KUKLINSKY: Well, it's sprayed with -- a balloon is blown up. It's sprayed with foam and then shot with concrete to coat it. And inside the concrete, there's rebar. So basically, we're making a cooler -- a cooler home. There's no infiltration of moisture whatsoever.
So long-term, this home will be here for a couple of lifetimes.
FREED: So if you've ever played with paper mache as a kid and covered over a balloon with newspaper dipped it in ...
KUKLINSKY: Well ...
FREED: It's kind of a high-tech version of that?
KUKLINSKY: That's correct. That's correct. This is sort of experimental. Mr. Sigler has spent five years developing the concept, and Ivan proved that it worked. The break-away worked, the house stood.
FREED: And talking about things and break-away, that sort of thing, let's go inside here. Now, the whole house is built on pilings.
KUKLINSKY: Right.
FREED: And you can park, what, a half-a-dozen cars down here?
KUKLINSKY: When you say pilings, it's a different design. Pilings are usually -- they're every 10 foot, that you have a post. This home has a perimeter ring with the pilings going down to a certain depth, and they're reusable pilings. But it gives us a free space, which was a unique design.
FREED: And the storm surge will come -- the waves will come right through?
KUKLINSKY: Gush right through, that's the plan.
FREED: And that's kind of like you were describing before, if you took a glass of water.
KUKLINSKY: That's what a storm surge is like. A lot of people don't understand this. If you took a big tumbler, put a piece of cardboard on top, flipped it over and lifted up the glass, and the water goes out. You multiply that by 20, 30 miles, that's what happens. And it starts right here at the beach.
FREED: And speaking about right out here. Come on, Rick. Let's show people the one thing last season's hurricanes actually washed away. And we're talking about the staircase that's here in the front of the house. But this is really a break-away staircase.
KUKLINKSY: Right, this is built to wash away, when an intense surge comes, this breaks away from the home and it doesn't take the home with it. It's an expendable piece of structure. FREED: OK. Now, what's it like inside? I think people would imagine if the wind is whipping around the outside of a dome like this, they would think it's probably quite noisy during a storm.
KUKLINSKY: Well, it's been amazing. Mr. Sigler stayed here during Ivan with about four other people. And they actually slept through the intense part of Ivan. And it was just quiet inside.
FREED: They slept through the storm?
KUKLINSKY: They slept through the storm, yes, the main part of it. They were up to about midnight, but then during the main eye they were sleeping and weren't disturbed. It's like being in a cooler. This is a concrete, huge, massive structure that is going to be here forever. It's an amazing feat that these pulled off. And it works.
FREED: If people want more information about this type of construction, where can they go?
KUKLINSKY: Domeofahome.com. In fact, universities are using this Web site. It's a massive thing. Domeofahome.com. They can got to that, find out everything about the dome, the construction, etc cetera.
FREED: All right. Rick Kuklinsky, thank you very much for showing off your house with us.
KUKLINSKY: Oh, you're welcome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Coming up, he's got a dome of his own. The King of Pop in a Persian Gulf Palace? Michael Jackson leave Neverland and the United States behind? NEWSNIGHT will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Welcome back to Naples, Florida. We're spending a lot of time covering Hurricane Wilma tonight, and rightfully so. But there are other stories making news, some are important, some -- well, they just kind of get your attention.
Take the case of Michael Jackson, he's been out of the spotlight for a while and we don't mind that one bit, I must say. But now he's back. It seems the aging King of Pop maybe leaving America for good, trading it in for desert home -- oh, so far away.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): Like life imitating art, Michael Jackson has packed up his gloves, his dancing shoes and his not guilty verdict and beat it, from the streets of LA, to Bahrain. Bahrain?
That's right, Bahrain. And island in the Persian Gulf. They call it the pearl of the Persian Gulf, in fact. Slightly to the right of Saudi Arabia. In fact, this is their national anthem. For those of you unfamiliar with Michael's new home. A few facts, it's a monarchy. The King of Pop's new best friend is the Crown Prince Sheik Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the official language is Arabic, but English is spoken just about everywhere. And 82 percent of the population practices Islam.
That's the where, but the real question is, why?
STACEY BROWN, AUTHOR, "MICHAEL JACKSON": The fact that the royal family over there has basically taken care of him, financially and physically, they've really nursed him back to health.
COOPER: Judging from what we know of his lifestyle at the Neverland Ranch, it is going to take more than two men and a truck to move Michael across an ocean, a sea, and a couple of continents to his new digs. Who can handle a ferris wheel, a tiny train line, and menagerie? Oh, yes, Bahrain allows pets to come in, so Bubbles, if he's still around, will be welcome.
Even if he leaves his toys behind, Michael won't want for life's luxuries. According to GulfNews.com, Michael has already made a few purchases, enough land to build a mansion and two villas for his closest friends.
BROWN: Now, that he's made Bahrain his permanent home, you can rest assured that wherever he lives there, he will try and recreate Neverland.
COOPER: There is an upside to life in self-imposed exile on and dessert island, especially when your guided tours are conducted by millionaire race car drivers. In fact, there are reports that Michael has been seen driving around his new homeland in a flashy red Ferrari. You'll be happy to know a source told GulfNews.com that is just baseless gossip and the gloved one, quote, "Has a limited entourage, and he moves in his Rolls Royce."
Nice to know he may have moved out of Neverland, but he hasn't lost the common touch.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: And of course we did that story, because all week, Aaron has been asking me, where is Michael Jackson, where is Michael Jackson?
So, Aaron, now you know.
BROWN: Thank you very much. He makes Dennis Rodman seem normal. Thank you.
A quick of morning papers, before we leave you for the week, "The Washington Post", the Harriet Miers story -- I just think this is trouble here. It doesn't bother me, but it is going to bother some people. "Miers backed race, sex, set asides: She made diversity Texas Bar goal (ph)". She is just tough to get a handle on, which is not a terrible thing. But it is gonna bother some people. "New York Daily News", that would be here in New York, "Inside Story of a Wild Strip Club Spending Spree: Oh, What A Night!" Rob McCormick the CEO of the Savits (ph) Communications company allegedly, according to American Express, spent about $200,000, in one night, in a strip joint.
If you happen to be going to the World Series in Chicago tomorrow, according to "The Chicago Sun-Times", it is going to be a mess, "contrary" is the weather. A bit of rain, too.
We'll wrap up our week with you in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Well, that's if for us here in Naples, Florida. Of course, Aaron, this weekend, we'll be watching very closely Wilma, right now over Cancun, 140 mile an hour winds, a very slow moving storm.
BROWN: Stay safe down there. We'll talk to you on Monday. Good to have you all with us tonight. "LARRY KING LIVE" coming up next. Have a good weekend.
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