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Mass Kidnapping in Baghdad; Bolton Nomination; Top Three Auto Executives Meet With President Bush; What Makes Us Happy?; Plane Crash in Big Bear Lake, California

Aired November 14, 2006 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Lightning fast, in broad daylight. A mass kidnapping in Baghdad today. People who were scholars, workers and security guards one moment were captives the next.
Let's go straight to the Iraqi capital and CNN's Arwa Damon -- Arwa.

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, truly a brazen attack in broad daylight in the center of the capital, Baghdad. What we do know is that at least 20 vehicles with at least 80 armed gunmen showed up at the Ministry of Higher Education and entered one of the buildings there.

Now, they were claiming that they were on official business. Why they were able to make that claim is because they were dressed as Iraqi police, wearing both a combination of the old and the new Iraqi police uniforms.

They rounded up all of the occupants of the building, separated the men and the women. They left the women behind, locking them up in a room, and detained up to 100 men. That figure, according to the ministry itself, the Iraqi police are putting it at a lower number.

We do now know from the Ministry of Interior that approximately 16 of those individuals have been released, most of them Shia. What we do also know from the minister himself, the minister of higher education, is that he has been, for quite some time now, asking both the ministries of interior and the ministries of defense for additional security, both at the ministry itself and at universities around the capital.

This is a very violent area. We are seeing numerous attacks. We have seen a number of attacks in the past against universities, against students, against university professors. And this one, Don, really just underscoring the fact that no one is safe in Iraq these days.

LEMON: And Arwa, this attack does raise some questions about the state of the country's educational system, I would imagine.

DAMON: It does, Don. The educational system here has been deteriorating ever since this invasion began. Iraq used to have, in the past, a fairly solid educational system. It was quite well known throughout the Middle East. And right now what we're seeing and what we have been seeing over the last few years is that the country is experiencing a brain drain. It is losing its best and brightest. They are fleeing, fleeing the violence, fleeing the insurgency, moving mostly to neighboring countries such as Jordan and Syria. But bottom line is they are not here in Iraq, and this is causing a lot of problems on many levels.

And even right now we are hearing that most of the universities in Baghdad this semester were largely closed for the most part. A lot of students aren't going to school because of the dangers in the streets. A lot of professors aren't showing up either -- Don.

LEMON: Arwa Damon live in Baghdad.

Thank you.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Do Americans own the world? The president of Iran says we act like it. Smug and smiling, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told reporters in Tehran today that he's willing to talk to the U.S. on one condition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): As for the U.S. government, we've always said we'll have a dialogue, but under certain conditions that have been created as a result of the behavior of the U.S. government towards us. If they fix their behavior towards us, we will have a dialogue with them because that's the principle of our foreign policy.

But, you know, they have their own way of thinking. They really think they own the world. They always sort of look down upon you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Not only is Iran still rejecting worldwide calls to drop its nuclear program, Ahmadinejad says that Iran is close to completing its uranium enrichment cycle and is planning a pretty big party.

LEMON: A lot of energy, a lot of new faces, and a lot of questions on Capitol Hill. Elected just a week ago, the newest members of Congress are posing for pictures and learning their way around.

There are more than 50 new House members, 10 in the Senate, most of them Democrats. They get down to business starting January.

PHILLIPS: For the first time in 14 years, Democrats will be in charge. Their leader in the Senate, to no one's surprise, will be Harry Reid of Nevada. He was elected just a short time ago as majority leader for the 110th Congress. He's been minority leader for the past two years.

Dick Durbin of Illinois was elected majority whip. Senate Republicans elect their leadership tomorrow.

LEMON: And a familiar face. Remember this one? Well, he is back in the game. He wants back in the game, at least. Former Senate majority leader Trent Lott is going after the job of minority whip. Lott returned to the back benches four years ago over comments many saw as racially insensitive at Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday celebration.

PHILLIPS: John Bolton has been U.S. ambassador to the United Nations since August of last year, but the Senate didn't send him there. After failing to get the votes, President Bush made a so-called recess appointment. Now he wants the lame-duck Senate to take up the nomination again before Christmas and before the new Congress convenes.

Our senior U.N. correspondent, Richard Roth, joins us now with the latest on that.

Hey, Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, it's a big question here at the U.N. At lunch just a few minutes ago, a U.N. official said, "What's going to happen? Is John Bolton going to be the ambassador again?"

The White House insists he's fit for the job and wants the Senate to show some bipartisanship. What about the United Nations? How do they feel about John Bolton's performance?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH (voice over): U.S. Ambassador John Bolton cast the only veto in the Security Council Saturday, shooting down a resolution that would condemn Israel's offensive in Gaza.

JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMB. TO U.N.: We are disturbed that there's not a single reference to terrorism in the proposed resolution.

ROTH: It was not the only time Bolton stood alone at the United Nations.

BOLTON: Contrary to my desire to work this weekend...

ROTH: Even President Bush, soon after his recess appointment of Bolton without congressional approval, joked if Bolton had blown the place up yet. However, the U.N. and Bolton have survived.

ED LUCK, U.N. ANALYST: I think people see two John Boltons. One who's very engaged in the Security Council and quite effective, and one who seems to ignore much of the rest of the organization.

ROTH: On hot global emergencies like North Korea's nuclear ambitions, Bolton has appeared to have enjoyed being the Bush administration's attack dog.

BOLTON: The North Korean population has been losing average height and weight over the years, and maybe this will be a little diet for Kim Jong-il. ROTH: Bolton does get some praise. Several U.N. diplomats highlight his legal skills for cobbling together U.N. resolutions, a drive for hard work, as well as what one diplomat called an encyclopedic knowledge on issues.

But Bolton's style has bruised others. Even the top U.N. brass have felt his wrath.

BOLTON: I'm telling you, this is the worst mistake by a senior U.N. official that I have seen in that entire time.

ROTH: Accusations like that rankled U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

JAMES TRAUB, AUTHOR: There was one point when he and Bolton got into a real argument, a real fight, and Annan said to him, "Don't talk to me that way," or words to that effect. And I asked him later, "Have you ever spoken to any American ambassador as harshly as that?" Because Kofi Annan is a man who speaks harshly to no man. And he said, "No."

ROTH: Bolton takes pride in his patience, noting he helped count chads in the lengthy 2000 Florida presidential stalemate. But now the votes may not be there for him in the U.S. Senate for him to remain the country's U.N. ambassador.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROTH: One Arab ambassador told me that he would rather deal with John Bolton than any other U.S. ambassador because he's straightforward. It's black and white. He's very direct. You know what the country of the United States is thinking.

But there's others here who feel that they were unfairly treated. It all depends, perhaps, on what your country is and how John Bolton took you in or out of his confidence.

Back to you -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, Bolton's had a lot of contentious moments.

ROTH: I think the incident that got people really here unhappy was the so-called reforming of the U.N., when he came in at what some considered a late hour with hundreds of suggested or demands, amendments and changes. And look, the United States through Bolton has been pushing for changing the U.N. And many think he's just the type of guy to kick-start the place.

But the U.N. is not John Bolton, and they have a different way of going about things. And many people say that was a disaster for him, but others would say someone's got to start lighting a fire under change here at the United Nations.

PHILLIPS: Richard Roth at the U.N.

Thanks, Richard. LEMON: He's got lots of ideas, lots of enthusiasm.

PHILLIPS: But not a single fear among newly-elected senators. The only brand-new Republican senator, Bob Corker of Tennessee, joins us live in the NEWSROOM in just a few minutes.

LEMON: Come on, get happy. Living a joyful life may be a lot easier than you think. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the story straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: President Bush meeting with the bigwigs at the White House today, talking economics and automaking. Alan Mulally, the new CEO of Ford; Tom LaSorda, the head of DaimlerChrysler; and also CEO Rick Wagoner of GM briefing reporters.

Do we want to -- all right. Let's listen to Wagoner.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

RICHARD WAGONER, CHAIRMAN & CEO, GENERAL MOTORS: We talked about things that our industry could do to support initiatives in the energy -- energy security area. You may recall this summer that the three of us jointly agreed to double our production of flexible fuel vehicles, including biodiesel and ethanol E-85 by the year 2010. Today we told the president if we could be assured of adequate availability of ethanol and adequate distribution capability, we could go significantly beyond that and produce up to 50 percent of our vehicles by the year 2012 that would be enabled to either use ethanol or biodiesel.

So, these were the kinds of things we talked about, in addition to our investments in advanced technology batteries, things of that sort, which could be of importance in assuring the objective of less reliance on imported oil.

We talked quite a bit on trade policy. We talked about manufacturing competitiveness, specifically in the area of healthcare.

But maybe I'll let you ask questions on the areas you'd like for us to respond to.

QUESTION: Rick, how did the president respond to those suggestions?

WAGONER: Well, I'll just start. And we're going to take turns so I don't end up answering all the questions.

What I would say, it was a very good dialogue. Very open, back and forth. I think it's fair to say on a number of areas we sensed -- I mean, there was agreement in things we could continue to work on.

We talked about the energy. We talked about some healthcare areas. Some areas where frankly we might see it differently. Exchange rate policy in particular, and our strong conviction the Japanese yen is systematically undervalued, which helps them to maintain significant trade balance surpluses in our industry.

And I can honestly say that it appeared that the president 100 percent saw it that way. We had a good open dialogue, but we agreed to continue the dialogue going forward.

QUESTION: The president's going to Asia this week. Did he make a promise he's going to talk to them about this?

TOM LASORDA, PRESIDENT & CEO, DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORP.: No, he didn't make any promises other than making sure that the playing field is even on both sides and our exports into those countries and imports back here. It was a tremendous dialogue with the president this time.

QUESTION: Tom, a number of these issues are ones that you all three have agreed on for some time.

Alan, I know (INAUDIBLE),

Do you honestly think that this dialogue, this discussion with the president will actually change any of these issues?

ALAN MULALLY, PRESIDENT & CEO, FORD MOTOR CO.: I think so. I was very impressed with the president's knowledge of the situation, the competiveness issues, and the fact that we were taking the actions needed to create viable businesses going forward, and his commitment to partner with us on the issues that are really important to us going forward. I was very, very impressed.

QUESTION: It was a very short meeting. If I could ask you -- whoever wants to respond to this -- how could you get so much accomplished in such a short period of time? We should be doing that in our offices.

LASORDA: Well, first of all, the meeting was over an hour, which was great -- great content. The specific issues like healthcare, it's an issue that it doesn't only face the auto industry. It's an issue that faces every company, every business, every level of government as well.

So the same problems that they have at the federal government we have here in our industry. So we're going to talk about ways together and how can we team up and go after and try to address some of the core issues like high-cost cases.

The federal government has it. Every business has it. How can we work together to create more dialogue? And it was very open.

QUESTION: Do you want some kind of government help with those high- cost cases, or what do you want on healthcare exactly?

WAGONER: Well, we talked in the healthcare area about a couple of topics, and I think there's a reasonable amount of common ground on the things like the role that information technology could play and can we roll those systems out faster to improve quality and reduce costs. We talked about transparency of data so consumers could be better informed. And again, I think the question is, can we go faster in those areas? We had some significant conversation on the matter of high-cost cases, so-called catastrophic cases, that small percentage of people that drive a big percentage of the costs, and agreed that that would be an area that we would study together. We had some thoughts that we shared with the president, and I can't say 100 percent that he saw it exactly our way, but he said he'd be very willing to look into that.

So let's leave it at that.

QUESTION: Did you find the president sympathetic to the concerns of the auto industry overall?

MULALLY: Absolutely. We talked about the importance of the automobile industry in the United States, the jobs that it creates, our competiveness around the world. And the president clearly understands the importance of the business, of the importance to the United States, and to our global economy.

And so that's where we started from. And we just started going down through every issue that's critical to our competiveness, and we covered a lot in a little over an hour.

But he was very well prepared. His staff was very well prepared. And the dialogue was terrific.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) for over two and a half years. How did you respond to that?

WAGONER: Actually, we talked about it in the meeting because we noticed, for example, at a senior government meeting about three or four months ago where there was a statement issued that all of the major countries agreed that the foreign exchange rate should be set by free markets, immediately thereafter the Japanese Central Bank issued a statement to their parliament saying that they held reserves specifically to ensure...

PHILLIPS: The big three auto execs meeting with the president today -- Alan Mullally, the new CEO of Ford; Tom LaSorda, the head of DaimlerChrysler; also CEO of GM, Rick Wagoner, talking about energy security, alternative sources for fuel, biodiesel, ethanol, advanced technology in the car industry, and healthcare.

Let's listen to the president. He's talking about that meeting as well.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These leaders have -- are making difficult decisions, tough choices to make sure that their companies are competitive in a global economy. And I'm confident that they're making the right decisions. And that's good news for the American people because the automobile manufacturers play such a significant part of our economy and a vital part of our employment base.

We've had a fascinating discussion about a lot of major issues that we share in common. One, of course, is rising healthcare costs. And I assured these leaders that the government is addressing rising healthcare costs through a variety of initiatives that I think over time are going to make a significant difference in not only their costs, but the cost to the U.S. taxpayer as well.

We talked about our mutual desire to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Obviously, as these automobile manufacturers begin to incorporate new technologies that will enable us to power our cars in different ways, it will make it easier for me to be able to tell the American people we're using less foreign oil. And that's in our economic interest, as well as in our national security interests.

And finally, these gentlemen are well aware that I'm on my way overseas this evening, and one of the issues I'll be talking about with our partners in APEC is free trade, but fair trade. And my message to our trading partners is just treat us the way we treat you. Our markets are open for your products, and we expect your markets to be open for ours, including our automobiles.

And so we found a lot in common. We'll have a continuing dialogue. That's in our interest. In government, we find out ways that we'll be able to, you know, work to make sure that this industry is as vibrant and solid as possible. And so it's the beginning of a series of discussions we'll have not only with me but also with people in our government.

I really do want to thank you all for coming. Appreciate you coming. Thank you very much.

PHILLIPS: The president responding to his meeting with the big three auto execs from GM, DaimlerChrysler and Ford today, talking about hoping to lessen the dependency on foreign oil and making cars more efficient on different sources, biodiesel, ethanol, talking about energy security, and the impact of the automotive industry on the economy, and also talked about rising healthcare costs.

LEMON: Yes.

PHILLIPS: All good.

LEMON: And noticeably absent were other automakers, not U.S.-based automakers, because most of the money from GM and the big three stay in the U.S. That's why it's important for the president today to meet with those folks.

He's got lots of ideas and lots of enthusiasm.

PHILLIPS: Not a single peer among newly-elected senators. The only brand-new Republican, Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, he joins us from the NEWSROOM -- actually, from the Hill in just a few minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, a week ago today, Americans elected 10 new U.S. senators. Only one is a Republican. Meet Bob Corker, former mayor of Chattanooga, now senator-elect from Tennessee.

First, congratulations. Now, how does it feel being the only Republican in that select group?

SEN.-ELECT BOB CORKER (R), TENNESSEE: Well, you know, I always advocated small class sizes in our schools when I was mayor. We have kind of taken it to the extreme here. But this is a great orientation.

I met with senators McConnell, Frist and Alexander today at lunch. And obviously, learning a great deal being here.

I'm excited to be here and certainly have enjoyed meeting my other classmates from around the country. We had an enjoyable time together last night.

PHILLIPS: So nobody was giving you a hard time? Nobody was saying anything behind your back like, "Oh, he's the lone ranger"?

CORKER: I thought I heard them whispering a little bit. I'm just kidding. They've always been wonderful. And I think it's going to be a good working relationship.

PHILLIPS: Well, why do you think you won in a year that was a major victory for Democrats?

CORKER: You know, I think we were able to cause the race to be won that Tennesseans decided instead of causing it to be -- if you will, nationalizing all the issues that were taking place. We were able to focus on Tennessee and a choice between two people, and I think that's why we won the race.

PHILLIPS: You can't forget the election, nor the ads. Let's take a quick peek back at this one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I met Harold at the Playboy party.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Republican National Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Harold, call me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: All right. You know we had to go there because everybody was talking about this commercial and this ongoing back and forth with you and Harold Ford and the ads.

CORKER: Right.

PHILLIPS: You didn't know anything about this tactic?

CORKER: No, absolutely not. As a matter of fact, I hope to work with other senators to keep this kind of thing from happening in the future. You know, I campaigned for 25 months and 95 counties and met citizens all across our state. And I think there's a problem when these independent expenditure groups can come in and change the tone of a race.

It was something that certainly did not help our campaign, that I thought was tacky. Within an hour we were asking for it to come down. And certainly it's something I think we need to do something about in the future.

PHILLIPS: It was paid for by the RNC, and critics called it a racist commercial. Did you think it was racist?

CORKER: I just thought it was really tacky. I did. And as you know, I've said that many, many times.

And as I mentioned, we had nothing to do with it. I thought there were some tacky ads on my opponent's side, too, from the DNC. And I think both of them -- there needs to be a way for candidates to be able to prove these kind of things before they're on the air.

PHILLIPS: How do you convince the RNC not to mud-sling?

CORKER: I don't know. You know, we'll -- we'll figure that out.

I think this is one of those unintended consequences of campaign finance reform that needs to be looked at, and something I plan on doing as a U.S. senator. In this particular case, I think it was harmful to our campaign.

So, not only was it tacky, I think it hurt us. And again, for somebody who worked as hard as I did and ran the kind of campaign we ran, which I'm really proud of, you just hate to see this kind of thing taking place.

PHILLIPS: Are you going to have to fight to get your voice heard, or do you think it's not going to be an issue?

CORKER: In the U.S. Senate?

PHILLIPS: Yes.

CORKER: Oh, you know, look, it still takes 60 votes to make good things happen in the U.S. Senate. And, you know, I've really never have been in a very partisan environment.

As mayor of our city, as commissioner of finance of our state, as a civic leader, I had to work with people from all walks of life, and certainly plan on doing that here. And I think that it's a body that respects all the members. And I'm looking forward to having a very constructive relationship with my colleagues.

PHILLIPS: What are you going to do about the war in Iraq and that issue?

CORKER: Well... PHILLIPS: Of course, a lot of talk now that Democrats owning the House and the Senate, we could see a lot of investigations, hearings, it could change foreign policy in Iraq.

Where do you stand? What are you going to do?

CORKER: Well, I think the Baker group's going to be coming out soon. There will be a lot of dialogue around that. No doubt the American people have great concerns about the war in Iraq, as I do as an individual.

I think we need to have a policy that moves us ahead. I'm looking forward to seeing what -- what this group is going to come out with and look forward to discussing that with my colleagues.

PHILLIPS: Senator-Elect Bob Corker, who do you schmooze when you're the lone ranger there, the only Republican?

CORKER: Everybody.

PHILLIPS: And how exactly do you do that?

CORKER: Oh, you know, look, I've always had one of those kind of personalities where I got along with everybody. You've got to remember, I started out on work sites years ago as a construction laborer. And I've been able to, throughout life, just get along with people from all walks of life.

I look forward to doing that here. And I don't look at people with a "D" or an "R" on their forehead. I just look at them as senators. I think we've got a lot of issues here in the country to deal with. And I look forward to working constructively with all of them. I really do.

PHILLIPS: Everybody will be watching.

Senator-Elect Bob Corker, thanks for your time.

CORKER: Thank you. Thank you very much.

LEMON: A close race, a recount, possible problems with voting machines.

PHILLIPS: It sounds like Florida in 2000, but it's also Florida in 2006. Find out which race is prompting more headaches straight ahead from the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

LEMON: A 22-year-old rapper, a belated apology, a rape rather I should say, a belated apology and now a plea deal. William Beebe pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated sexual battery in Charlottesville, Virginia. That from an assault at a University of Virginia fraternity party in 1984. In 2005, Beebe e-mailed an apology to the victim, Liz Sekura, but Sekura pressed charges.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM BEEBE, PLEADS IN 1984 ASSAULT: 22 years ago last month I crossed the line in the standards of conduct with Liz Sekura. I regretted that conduct immediately afterwards and since. I always wanted to find some form of effective closure for both of us. When I first reached out to Ms. Sekura, I did my utmost to keep our e-mail dialogue open and full of human understanding. When she asked me to tell her what I remember about this night, I did my best to answer her. As my answers seemed to anger her, I stepped back. My only purpose in contacting her was to bring peace to our lives.

LIZ SEKURA, ASSAULT VICTIM: This has been a really long road. For my family and I. And I've spoken with many of you in the past. And I just want to say thank you. And I'm sure we'll be seeing more of you, unfortunately. I think it's an edifying moment to hear that word. You know, this is also a moment for my parents who were not -- who were not given the proper information 23 years ago. So this day is a really long-time coming. 23 years, I think. So yes.

LEMON: Well, Beebe could serve up to two years in prison. For now he's free on bond and says he'll cooperate in further investigations. Prosecutors believe Sekura may have been assaulted by more than one person.

PHILLIPS: Almost seven years after a deadly fire at Seton Hall University, a the jury is seated in the trial of two former students. Opening statements are tomorrow. The two dependents, now 26, are charged with arson and murder in that dorm fire that killed three freshmen. Soon after the state of New Jersey enacted the nation's first mandatory dorm sprinkler law.

LEMON: Sure signs of winner. New whiteout conditions across much of western and northwestern Colorado. Take a look at that. Heavy snow began falling overnight, as much as 20 inches could pile up before the storm moves east. And for some, it's a chance to play. There you go. The storm dumped up to a foot of snow yesterday in the Rockies and the Sierras. A definite plus for ski resorts looking for a busy holiday weekend.

PHILLIPS: Come on, get happy. Living a joyful life may be a lot easier than you think. We'll have that story straight ahead from the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Imagine watching the only road into and out of your neighborhood crumble away. It's a nightmare come true in Washington State. We'll take you there coming up.

PHILLIPS: Live pictures. There he is, the new James Bond. Pretty good-looking. Pretty good with his own stunts as well.

LEMON: You like that, huh?

PHILLIPS: Yes. I want to see the queen, too. She is supposed to be there. I want to see what kind of hat she's wearing. LEMON: She's pretty good-looking, too. She's good with her own stunts as well.

PHILLIPS: Now it's time to go to break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Young, rich, attractive, a surefire formula for happiness? Not necessarily. In fact, it's hard to predict what will bring you joy. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a very happy person, by the way, has this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dan Gottlieb is doing something he loves. He's a successful radio talk show host in Philadelphia and a family therapist.

DAN GOTTLIEB, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: At the moment I'm very grateful.

GUPTA: What may surprise you is that Gottlieb is paralyzed from the chest down, the result of a freak accident, a truck tire bouncing across the highway crushing his car and his spine. He says he's happier now than before his accident.

GOTTLIEB: I'm a happy man. But I would have struggled with that question when I was 30-years-old.

DANIEL GILBERT, AUTHOR "STUMBLING ON HAPPINESS": Studies suggest that most people who are in Dan's situation lead reasonably happy lives -- that surprises most of us.

GUPTA: Harvard professor Daniel Gilbert studies what makes people happy. He has found most people are incredibly bad at predicting what will bring them joy.

GUPTA: (on-camera): Does money buy happiness?

GILBERT: Well, you bet it does if you're living under a bridge in a cardboard box because when people are moved from abject poverty into the middle class, their happiness increases dramatically, but it stops increasing thereafter.

GUPTA (voice-over): So what does bring us happiness? According to a Pew Research Center survey -- age. Older people are happier than younger. The happiest, men, 60 to 69. The least happy, men 20 to 29. Education. College graduates are happier than high school graduates. Religion. Religious people are happier than those who aren't religious. Climate. Sunbelt residents are happier than residents elsewhere in the United States. Marriage. Married people are happier than singles. Political affiliations. Republicans are happier than Democrats -- both are happier than Independents. No kids. Married couples with no children are happier than those with kids. The least happy group? Single parents with children under 18.

Dan Gottlieb says happiness boils down to love and gratitude for family and friends.

GOTTLIEB: I strongly encourage love who we love, only do it better.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, here's something to smile about. Tomorrow Sanjay takes a closer look at smiles. He's going to tell us, get this, what researchers can predict based on your yearbook picture. To keep that happy feeling going, tune into his primetime special this weekend, "Happiness and Your Health: The Surprising Connection." That's Sunday night 10:00 Eastern only on CNN.

LEMON: Well the Raging River in Washington is living up to its name. It flooded last week, overpowering the only road into and out of a community near Seattle. Jeff DuBois of our affiliate KIRO-TV has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF DUBOIS, KIRO-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The gaping hole in the bridge on Upper Preston Road is getting more and more dangerous and residents are getting more and more isolated. Access had been limited to four hours a day across just one lane of the bridge. But now more than 200 residents are stranded.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need to get our kids to school. We need to get to our jobs. We need groceries.

DUBOIS: Marcy McGowan (ph) was upset with the limited crossings before. Now after more ground gave way yesterday, structural engineers have decided to close the bridge completely while they work on a gravel bypass road for emergency vehicles and critical deliveries to homes. That road is supposed to be completed today. But authorities will have to study it to make sure it's safe enough for the public to use. Meanwhile...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When natural disaster happens, you've got to live with it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Repairs to the main road could last well into winter.

Snow and rain and severe weather on the horizon, Jacqui Jeras, what is going on?

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Straight to the NEWSROOM. T.J. Holmes working details on a developing story. T.J.?

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Kyra, we have a picture here to show you of a plane crash, "A.P." reporting at Big Bear Lake in California. This is a live picture you're looking at. Really you can kind of make out the wreckage there. We're told at least "A.P." reporting that this plane was fully engulfed in flames when it went down. You can make out the wreckage there.

But, again, this is in Big Bear Lake which is, what, 100 miles or so outside of Los Angeles. A major resort area there. But reporting this was a twin-engine plane crash according to the "A.P." and three people are believed to have been on board. And they are not believed to have survived that plane crash.

Don't know why the plane might have gone down, what may have caused this. Again, "A.P." reporting that three people believed dead in this crash. This happened about 10:15 Pacific time. So a little bit ago. But, again, reported that this thing was completely engulfed in flames and right now not believed to be any survivors according to "A.P." We're going to keep an eye on that. A lot more details to get from that so we'll bring those to you when we get them done.

LEMON: Doesn't appear from the pictures that weather was a factor because it looks like a fairly sunny day, just looking from the pictures.

HOLMES: Looks nice out there, you're right, Don.

LEMON: We'll keep checking in with you, thank you very much.

Needing a new thrill? Well finding it too easily.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We wanted our sexuality back and oh boy, we got it back. We got it back with a vengeance. And in that environment, crystal meth was allowed to kind of blossom.

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LEMON: A new film exposes the fatal equation between crystal meth and gay men. The director joins us next in the NEWSROOM.

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LEMON: Brash, tasteless, spectacularly offensive. Obviously, if you didn't see the banner right there that says the name -- is that -- you wouldn't know -- there you go -- "Borat" -- you wouldn't know where I was going with this.

Anyway, "Borat" is a monster hit with monster buzz and monster controversy. Here's "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT's" Sibila Vargas.

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SACHA BARON COHEN, COMEDIAN: In my country, they would go crazy for these two. Not so much.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The antics of British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and his anti-Semitic, sexist alter ego Borat have raked in a bundle at the U.S. box office.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The movie's made almost $70 million in two weeks, which is really great. And it's building on word of mouth.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A woman has a right to choose who she has sex with.

COHEN: What?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How about that?

VARGAS: The "Hollywood Reporter's" Boris Kitt (ph) says while Borat's making millions of fans in movie theaters, he's made a fair share of enemies, among those both on and off the screen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of people were saying that they were feeling manipulated in this film. And it's only now that the movie is a big hit that that's when you see lawsuits flying.

VARGAS (on camera): Two fraternity brothers from South Carolina seen heavily drinking in the film and making offensive remarks about women, minorities and slavery are now suing the movie's production companies. They claimed they were provided alcohol by the film's producers and then signed consent forms while intoxicated. They also say they were told that the movie would only be seen in Europe.

The movie studio behind the film tells CNN the lawsuit has no merit. While this is the only lawsuit on record thus far, it appears they are not the only ones with concerns.

COHEN: Is it not a problem that the woman have a smaller brain than the man?

VARGAS (voice-over): Linda Stein from the Veteran Feminists of America is furious. In a first-person article posted on her website, Stein says, quote, "I don't know what motivates Cohen to use his considerable talents to deceive and manipulate. I only know that afterward, I am left feeling confused and sad".

Lining up behind Stein taking issue with the film are a Maryland car salesman, a rodeo producer, an etiquette instructor, a hotel clerk, a local television station and even the Rumanian village used to portray Borat's incest-ridden rape-friendly homeland.

COHEN: She is my sister.

VARGAS: But, according to Kitt, when you make a film based on practical jokes, some backlash is always expected.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Part of the brilliance of Sacha Baron Cohen and his comedy is that he is willing to risk himself and put himself so out there he's in a danger zone. And that's where a lot of the comedy comes from.

VARGAS: And with box office receipts still adding up, it appears for Borat, so far it's been a risk worth taking. COHEN: Very nice. How much?

VARGAS: Sibila Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.

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PHILLIPS: So will Bond fans be shaken, stirred or neither? Even the Queen wanted to know how Daniel Craig would tackle the classic role of OO7. She showed up for the London premiere along the likes of Beyonce and Elton John. No word on whether she had Milk Duds or Junior Mints squirrelled away in a handbag. No official royal review yet, either.

But early word from London, critics seem to indicate the latest Bond will be off like the box office.

LEMON: Hey, those snacks are expensive nowadays. I wouldn't blame her.

PHILLIPS: Come on, they're worth it.

It's expected to be a major contender in 2008.

LEMON: That's right.

But John McCain's stance on a major issue could complicate his bid for the White House. Our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley joins us in the NEWSROOM next with a closer look.

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