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Western Contractors Kidnapped in Iraq; President Bush at Asian- Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit; Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes Wedding; Ben Stein Discusses Retirement Saving; Comedians Help Katrina Victims; Daniel Craig Debuts As Bond In "Casino Royale"

Aired November 18, 2006 - 12:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: "Now in the News" -- new developments on four Americans and an Austrian kidnapped in Iraq. A little known group, Islamic Mujahideen Battalion claims it abducted the contractors on Thursday. Among those taken, American Paul Reuben, a former police officer in suburban Minneapolis. A live report from Baghdad straight ahead.
President Bush in Vietnam this hour hammering away on the need to pressure North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program. That's one of the top issues on the agenda at the summit of 21 Pacific Rim countries in the Vietnam capital.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice took a moment to discuss the issue of Iraq at the Asian summit. She says the Iraqi people must realize that they have only one future, not one of warring factions but of a single nation.

In the Middle East, Israel's new deputy prime minister denounces Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as ineffective. Avigdor Lieberman says Israel should wipe out the leadership of the militant Palestinian Hamas party and disregard the U.S.-backed Road Map to Peace plan. No reaction yet from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

The FDA lifts a 14-year ban on the sale of silicone breast implants. The agency says the implants are approved for breast reconstruction in all women and breast augmentation in women 22 and older. Silicone implants were banned in 1992 because of rupture concerns and claims that leaking silicone could cause diseases.

In Minnesota a mother and sister plea for the life of a U.S. contractor kidnapped in Iraq.

And James Baker, the head of the Iraq Study Group, is reaching out to countries that have been labeled America's enemies. Find out why.

And the new Bond is at a theater near you. Is this version leaving audiences shaken or stirred?

The news unfolding live on this Saturday, November 18. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. You are in the NEWSROOM.

We have new information, this hour, about those five Western contractors kidnapped Thursday in Iraq. An unknown group claims to be holding them, this according to Iranian television. Our Arwa Damon is following developments from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A claim of responsibility for the abduction of four American contractors, one Austrian contractor, broadcast on Iranian satellite television. The al-Alam Arabic language network showed video of a man whose identity is concealed by a headscarf. His audio is not heard, but according to the anchor, he is a representative of the Islamic Mujahideen Battalion claiming to have these five hostages in their custody.

They are, however, providing no proof of life or no further evidence to back their claim. They are a little known-group which only became public in the past six months, operates in Southern Iraq along with a number of other militias and insurgent groups carrying out attacks against the British military and private security companies that move through their area.

The Islamic Mujahideen Council is believed to have received its training in Iran.

Now, these five hostages, who are still kidnapped, and there are massive military operations going on to secure their release, worked for a Kuwaiti-based company, the Crescent Security Group.

Meanwhile, new information on five operatives that work for another security company, Secura Force were also involved in an incident, also in the facility of Basra. The company now saying that it has secured the whereabouts of all five of its operatives, one of them were killed, the other four were wounded. The specific circumstances surrounding those incidents are right now not clear.

What we have seen over recent months in Southern Iraq, especially around Basra, is an increase in tension between the militias and Iraqi security forces and the British military and private security companies.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And one of the four Americans held hostage is this man, Paul Reuben, a former police officer from suburban Minneapolis. His mother, as you might expect, is heartbroken, worried, and distraught.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNNIE REUBEN, PAUL'S MOTHER: I knew something that happened. There was something that told me, and even at 3:00 this morning, something drained from me. I'm scared, but something -- an injury or worse.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And so far Paul Reuben is the only American to be identified publicly.

We're learning they are heading back to Iraq, some 5,000 Army troops at Georgia's Fort Benning, a major rally in support of U.S. troops is getting underway at this hour. John Zarrella is in Columbus.

And how soon might they be deployed?

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I understand it'll be next year for the bulk of them, sometime in 2007, when they will be deployed, the troops from here at Fort Benning. But about 30,000 people expected here today, Fredricka, Columbus, Georgia, this is God Bless Fort Benning Day. The people here in Columbus have an opportunity to thank the troops who mean so much to them.

You can see behind me here the ROTC and behind them some of the military hardware from Fort Benning. And I've also got with me Eve Tidwell.

And Eve, you and your husband, Jack, actually started this about five year ago, and what does this mean to you?

EVE TIDWELL, CO-FOUNDER, GOD BLESS FT. BENNING: All we want to do is make sure that the soldiers in this country -- because every soldier that steps through foot through Fort Benning comes from all over the country. We want them to know how much we appreciate everything they're doing for us.

ZARRELLA: There is a real incredible story as to why you and your husband Jack decided to do this. Give me a brief thumbnail how that all started.

TIDWELL: It's funny, you know, knee jerks sometimes take you a long way. And we were in a restaurant and a little soldier family came in, the husband had his fatigues on and the little son, and also some protesters were also in the restaurant. And one of them looked up and he goes, "Oh, he's teaching his son to kill at a really young age."

Well, my husband and me are retired military, I said, "Come on, you know, don't you hate it when they're in town?" And the soldier looked at me very calmly and said "I hope that I -- because of what I do I give my son the right to say whatever he wants to say in this country as well." And that day this event changed from being anything against protesters to just being for soldiers.

ZARRELLA: Eve, I want to thank you so much. I know the soldiers certainly thank you and everyone here.

What Eve was referring to is that every year there is a protest that goes on at the front gates of Fort Benning. That's going on right now as we speak and it is basically a protest of the school there, that over the years has trained soldiers from other countries, and the protesters come down -- some 10,000 or so to protest that school and to protest U.S. foreign policy. Now, CNN is here, too. Not just me. We want to try and give you a real quick look, if you can, through the ROTC band here. That is CNN's Warrior One, that, of course, is the vehicle that CNN took to Iraq. You can see it the way it the way used to look back during its days in Iraq and it's been completely refitted by overhaul -- and the TLC folks and, it is going to be auctioned in January in Scottsdale, Arizona at a car collector car auction. And the proceeds are going to go to the Fisher House which has houses all over the country and helps out military families whose loved ones are going -- undergoing extensive military care at VA or military hospitals.

So, it's going to be auctioned off for a real good cause and we expect it to bring many, many, many hundreds of thousands of dollars. So, if you got deep pockets and you want a conversation piece out front, this is what you want, Warrior One here, right here -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, that indeed is a great conversation piece. John Zarrella, thanks so much, And I want to tell folks a little bit more about Warrior One, just kind of underscore some of the points that John made there.

It is a vehicle that took our crews through Iraq, at least during the first conflict and you can learn a lot more about Warrior One at our Web site. Check out the overhauled Hummer online, and the money towards all the proceeds from this auction which will eventually come will indeed benefit the Fisher House. Go to CNN.com/WarriorOne, find out where it's going next. See the before and after of its transformation and read all about the Fisher House Foundation and all that it does for military families.

The situation in Iraq will be the focus of tonight's LOU DOBBS. This week, if the election was lost because of frustration with the Iraq war, then why are so many more troops being sent?

A new guidepost perhaps for the leadership strategy for Iraq? All that tonight at 6:00 Eastern. Then at 7:00 Eastern, John Roberts hosts THIS WEEK AT WAR. CNN correspondents discuss military options and the war of words on Capitol Hill over U.S. troop levels.

And news now from "Across America." One of the hospitals in New Orleans devastated by Hurricane Katrina reopens on a smaller scale. University Hospital reopened Friday with only 85 of its original 575 beds. That brings the number of hospital beds in the city to just under 900, less than 27 percent of what was available before the storm.

And former Congressman Mark Foley is expected to attend his father's funeral today in Florida. Edward Foley died Tuesday of complications from cancer. Mark Foley emerged from seclusion yesterday to attend a visitation for his father. He hadn't been seen since checking into rehab in October shortly after he resigned from Congress over sexually explicit internet messages sent to male congressional pages.

And a sad ending as a mountain lion paid an unexpected visit to one California town. Animal control officers in San Luis Obispo, California, tracked the big cat all over town before cornering it near the city police station. They say they had to kill the animal because of all the pedestrians and traffic in the area.

And President Bush is in Vietnam, but North Korea is very much on his mind. We'll have the latest from Asia straight ahead.

And the world is watching for a fairytale celebrity wedding. Later a live report from Italy on what's happening behind the castle walls.

And are you planning well enough for retirement? We'll get some tips from a familiar face on the big screen who says if you're a baby boomer, you could be looking at retirement in poverty -- a sobering evaluation in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A quarter past the hour. Here's what's happening right now "In the News." So far no sign of five contractors kidnapped Thursday in Iraq. Coalition troops are engaged in an aggressive hunt. Iranian TV says a little known group is claiming responsibility, but so far no proof.

In Indonesia, demonstrators ridiculed President Bush. He's expected to stop in Jakarta on his way back from the Vietnam summit. Police worry the visit could increase the risk of a terrorist attack.

And the U.S. has found a home for three detainees released from the U.S. military prison Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Albania says it will accept them as a humanitarian gesture. The Algerian, Egyptian and Uzbek nationals are the last of 38 detainees released after a review determined they were no longer enemy combatants.

And Ruth Brown sang the blues. The R&B performer first hit the charts back in the 1940s, but her claim to fame came in the 1980s on Broadway where she won a Tony and a Grammy and as "Motormouth Maybelle" in the movie "Hairspray." Brown died on Friday in Las Vegas. She was 78.

President Bush is in Vietnam this hour, the setting, a Pacific Rim economic summit. Dominating the meeting so far, North Korea's nuclear weapons.

CNN's Elaine Quijano is with the president in Hanoi.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Trade was not the main focus here in Hanoi, Vietnam, host city to this year's annual Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit. Instead, one security issue dominated the discussions President Bush had today with his Asian counterparts, what to do about North Korea and its nuclear weapons program.

Now, the president's day was capped off by a gala dinner, here in Hanoi, with the 20 other leaders of Pacific Rim countries that are APEC members. Earlier, though, Mr. Bush sat down with the president of South Korea, President Roh Moo-hyun, and though he tried, Mr. Bush was not able to persuade the Korean leader to support intercepting ships suspected of carrying nuclear weapon supplies headed to North Korea. Instead Mr. Bush emphasized after the meeting that the two leaders do agree on the over-arching goal.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our desire is to solve the North Korean issue peacefully. And as I've made clear, in a speech as recently as two days ago in Singapore, that we want the North Korean leaders to hear these discussions (ph) and nuclear weapons ambitions that we will be willing to enter into security arrangements with North Korea as well as move forward the new economic incentives for the North Korea people.

QUIJANO: On Sunday North Korea will once again be the focus when President Bush sits down with China's president, President Hu Jintao, as well as Russian president, Vladimir Putin. Also expected on Sunday, a statement from all 21 member nations of APEC expressing concern about North Korea's nuclear activities. The White House has endorsed that statement.

Elaine Quijano, CNN, with the president in Hanoi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And now entering the holiday week which means a lot of folks are going to be hitting the highways or even the airwaves. Bonnie Schneider is in the Weather Center.

And how does it look for this upcoming travel coming week.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: That's right. It could be a whole different ball of wax. Thanks so much, Bonnie.

Well, some are calling it a fairytale story. Coming up next, a live report from the Italian wedding of actor Tom Cruise and actress Katie Holmes.

And .007 has a new face, that face. Later, a close up look at the Bond -- the blond Bond.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD (voice-over): When it comes to personal satisfaction, volunteer vacations may be something to consider. According to IndependentTraveler.com it could be one of your most rewarding trips ever.

GENEVIEVE BROWN, EDITOR INDEPENDENTTRAVELER.COM: You'll gain sort of inside knowledge to a culture that you may not have had otherwise. It's very comparable to a regular vacation except all the expense that you incur as a volunteer vacationing may be tax deductible.

WHITFIELD: There are so many types of organizations that need volunteers. Finding one that best matches your area of interest is key to getting the best experience possible.

BROWN: If you're interested in building houses, of course, there's Habitat for Humanity. A great resource for finding out about the general scope of all the organizations available is a Web site called TransitionsAboard.com. They have links to hundreds of Web site that will help you get started in your search.

WHITFIELD: When volunteering your time during vacation, remember to have realistic expectations. There's only so much you can do in a short period of time, but keep in mind what do you accomplish is worth more than you'll ever know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So, finally the Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes star-studded wedding is happening. They're tying the knot at a 15th century castle in Italy. And taking it all in from outside the castle, Alessio Vinci.

And so Alessio, the guests in place. Has the thing started already?

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF: We don't know. I'm outside. I tried to get inside earlier, but some policeman told me I didn't have an invitation and so I couldn't go inside. So, I don't know what's happening in there. We do know however that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have arrived here a few hours ago separately.

First Katie Holmes arrived in a Mercedes car, and she came out. It was raining. She had to take cover with an umbrella and cover also their daughter Suri who she was holding in her arms. And then a couple hours later, Tom Cruise arrived in convoy of four cars and you can imagine the locals here went absolutely crazy trying to take a picture and trying to get a snapshot of their favorite star.

Among the stars arriving also within the last few hours, Halle Berry, Richard Gere, J. Lo, Will Smith; Brooke Shields, Victoria Beckham -- formerly a Spice Girl, she is also the wife of a famous football player here in Europe -- as well as Jim Carey with his wife and Giorgio Armani who we understand has designed and provided the wedding dress as well as the wedding suit for Hollywood's hottest couple.

As far as the journalists are concerned, we understand that more than 300 of them have been accredited for this event. Many paparazzi who earlier today could enjoy perhaps the view from above because they were using helicopters, however authorities have closed the airspace above the castle because, according to officials in Rome, they're saying the helicopters were flying too low above the castle and they were a threat to the local population down below. And speaking of them, they are absolutely thrilled. I mean, this is not just because of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, but because they're seeing coming and going of stars that they usually only see on their small television sets in this sleepy town of 15,000 here in Bracciano.

So, we understand that several thousand now have lined up the streets. Every time there is a black limousine with tinted windows driving by, you can hear them all the way up here screaming. So, there is a lot of excitement.

We don't know when the actual ceremony will begin, but it's expected any time now as soon as the arrivals end. We do know that it will not be neither a civil ceremony nor a Catholic one. The local priest here said no way, Tom Cruise is divorced so there's no way that it will be a Catholic wedding and also, of course -- also not a civil one because the local mayor is telling us that she has not given any marriage license out. So, it will be largely a ceremonial event officiated, we understand, by a minister from Scientology.

Back to you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, well that is some ceremonial event, that's for sure, in that little sleepy town which I imagine is really happy to see this happening because they are making a mint now.

Alessio Vinci, thanks so much.

Well, can a former secretary of state and close friend of the Bush family turn things around in Iraq? Find out what strategy he's pursuing.

And how much money will you have to live on during your retirement?

You know him as an actor, he's also a financial guru. Ben Stein joins us for a dose of reality straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Half past the hour, here is what's happening right now. A group called Islamic Mujahedeen Battalion says it is holding five western contractors hostage. The report has not been confirmed. Among the four Americans and one Austrian being held, Paul Reuben, a former police officer in suburban Minneapolis.

President Bush is in Vietnam attending an Asian economic summit, a meeting that so far is dominated by talk on North Korea's nuclear weapons. Mr. Bush is offering economic and other incentives if the north gives up those weapon.

And U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is also at the Pacific Rim Summit, and she's talking about Iraq. She called on the Iraqi people to put aside their differences and work as one nation to solve their problems. Harsh words today from the Israeli cabinet. Prime minister Ehud Olmert's new deputy prime minister says Israel should get rid of the Hamas leadership and he says moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas should be ignored and Israel should abandon the U.S.-backed roadmap peace plan. So far, no response from Minister Olmert.

The FDA lifts a 14 year ban on the sale of silicone implants. The agency says the implants are approved for breast reconstruction in all women and breast augmentation in women 22 years and older. Silicone implants were banned in 1992 because of rupture concerns and claims that leaking silicone could cause diseases.

Is there a solution to the war in Iraq? Critics of the Bush administration have long argued yes, if Washington would only talk with its biggest antagonists in the region.

CNN's Brian Todd reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Syrian officials tell CNN the Iraq Study Group, led my former Secretary of State James Baker, met with them in the past several weeks.

IMAD MOUSTAPHA, SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: We were meeting with Secretary James Baker and we were discussing all these issues.

TODD: Syria's ambassador to the U.S. tells us his side made it clear to Baker how Syria can help stabilize Iraq.

MOUSTAPHA: We have very good relations with all Iraqi factions across the political spectrum.

TODD: Including, he says, the anti-American Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Syria is mostly Sunni, but Imad Moustapha says al-Sadr travels frequently to Damascus. The implication? Syria could convince al- Sadr to rein in his lethal militia, and could do the same with some Sunni insurgents.

An Iranian official tells CNN Iran's ambassador to the U.N. had a three-hour dinner meeting with Baker and his group during the height of Ramadan in October. He says a message was relayed to Baker that Iran would consider helping the United States control Shia militias in Iraq, if the Bush administration started treating Tehran like a strategic partner in the region.

A spokesman for Baker confirms he met with the Iranian and Syrian diplomats, but will not give details. He says Baker made it clear he does not represent the U.S. government. If Baker recommends reaching out to Iran and Syria, would the president listen?

ROBERT MALLEY, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: It gives some space, some political space, for those in the administration who are in agreement with that view. And they may be able to sway the president. TODD (on camera): A word of caution from analysts. Even if the Bush administration does start talking to Syria and Iran, don't expect that to be a silver bullet solution. Both countries will want something in return. But James Baker has said he's a firm believer in talking to your enemies, and these two nations are what he calls big players in Iraq.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: "Going Global" now. Things are getting pretty ugly down under. Some 3,000 angry protesters in Melbourne are facing off against police at the G-20 Economic Summit. Most of the violence stems around a core group of 200 demonstrates who were throwing stones, bottles and smoke grenades. Representatives from major economic powers like China and the U.S. are attending the trade summit.

A German court says a Moroccan linked to the September 11 attacks will stay in jail while he awaits sentencing. Munir el-Matasaday (ph) faces up to 15 years in prison. He was convicted of being an accessory in the deaths of the 246 passengers and crew killed on 9/11.

A U.N. humanitarian envoy says there are desperate troubles in Darfur's camps for displaced people but he says he can't even go into the camp for fear of getting shot. He says armed men have infiltrated many of the camps and that the security of people inside the camps is at risk.

You knew he was an actor, but an economist? Ben Stein talks about your money and your retirement straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

And having a tree house is what many kids and some adults want. They have been dreaming about it. Well, Gerri Willis takes us on a tour of one above-ground hideaway in this week's "Modern Living."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Most houses are found on the ground, unless you are building a different kind of house -- a tree house.

(on camera): I guess the first step in building a tree house is finding a tree to build it in. How do you do that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We look. Here are trees. I call these the twins.

WILLIS: They're big.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're big.

WILLIS: How tall are they?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About 120 feet. Red oaks, good choices. Good, sturdy trees. Good, healthy trees.

WILLIS (voice-over): And a healthy tree means a safe tree house.

(on camera): Wow. What a great view up here. This is amazing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, makes you feel like a bird. A lot of times we get the question, is -- if you build a tree house 10 feet high, am I going to come back in five years and it's 15 feet? No. Once you put a nail or a bolt in a tree, it's always going to be at that height because trees only grow from the tips of the branches and tops outward.

WILLIS (voice-over): And here's our number one rule: If you're building a tree house, have fun.

I'm Gerri Willis, and that's this week's "Modern Living."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So a warning now to baby boomers -- in fact, to everyone. If you don't start saving, you're in for a very rude shock when you want to retire. Ben Stein is an actor, an economist and the author of "Yes, You Can Retire Comfortably." He's also the honorary chairperson of National Retirement Planning Week 2006. I spoke with him earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Let's talk about baby boomers being that generation of folks that you really want to get this message to about trying to get your finances in check so that you can enjoy retirement. It's quite the surprise that that would be the generation in trouble, the ones that are at risk of really facing poverty in retirement when they're the ones who also enjoyed much more a lavish lifestyle and experience than their parents and grandparents.

BEN STEIN, ACTOR, AUTHOR: Well, that's exactly why. Well, that's exactly why. They earned much more than their parents and grandparents but they also spent a great deal more. They were the first generation really without much self-discipline. Everything was always provided easily for them, except, of course, those of them who went to Vietnam.

They thought they were going to get pensions from their employers, they thought the defined benefit pension plan would step in and save them in retirement. Instead, the rug was pulled out from under them. So there's a huge, looming gap between what they thought they would get from their pension plans and what they are getting from Social Security.

That has to be made up by savings. People are not doing it. I estimate that roughly 40 percent of American baby boomers are slated for a drastic downturn in standard of living because they have nil or almost nil savings for retirement. They have to step up to the plate and start saving right now.

WHITFIELD: So if you are in your late 50s, is it too late to try to save for retirement. I mean, I know it's going to be much harder.

STEIN: Well, every dollar you save now is worth a lot more than every dollar than you don't save. And probably people in their late 50s are going to be working into their early 70s if they don't have much saved for retirement. So, yes, it can make a difference.

But if you have no absolutely savings and your heart set on -- have your heart set on retiring at 62, you'd better expect to live quite modestly because your Social Security is only going to be about $18,000 a year on average. That is not enough for much of a standard of living.

WHITFIELD: So what can you do if you're in that category? You're talking about $18,000 a year in Social Security. Say you have counted on your 401(k) but for a lot of folks, it's not paying back like they expected. What can someone in that category do now to try to save? Is it 10 percent a year, 15 percent a year?

STEIN: Well, oh, I say -- no, no, no, at that age, if you don't have much saved, you should be saving 50 percent.

WHITFIELD: Fifty percent?

STEIN: You should be saving 50 percent if you're in your late 50s and have almost nothing saved. You should be saving half of what you earn and you should fully expect to keep working into retirement. If you're in your 20s, if you save eight, nine, 10 percent, that's plenty.

But if you're in your late 50s and you haven't saved, you've got to just cut back to the bone and save everything you can in broadly diversified mutual funds, index funds, EPS. You've got to save every dime you can. It's a crisis.

WHITFIELD: Wow. So you gave us an idea of if you're in your 20s. How about if you're in your 30s? What's the formula?

STEIN: In your 30s if you don't have much saved, I would say save about 15 percent a year. If you're in your early 40s, save about 20 percent a year. But the ideal is to start out right after college, right after you start your first job out of high school. Start saving 10 percent a year.

You will never have to increase it. You will get there with room to spare and you'll live a comfortable, pleasant retirement playing golf instead of being in fear.

WHITFIELD: So this is money to set aside in addition to those 401(k) plans if you're lucky enough to work for a company who offers one?

STEIN: This would be -- this would include the 401(k). You should -- if the 401(k) has, say, a four percent or three percent match, you make sure you get yourself up to 10 percent of your pretax income counting the 401(k). If your employer is not matching, no matter what, get yourself up to 10 percent by the time you're in your 20s, 15 percent if you don't start until your 30s, 20 percent if you don't until your 40s.

But the general rule is you want to have enough in retirement to be equal to about 16 times what you need to live on. Not many Americans have that and they're going to pay for it.

WHITFIELD: So now, what happens if you're in debt, because that represents a lot of America right now. You've got -- whether it's college debt or you've got credit card debt. It's hard to save if you're already looking at how do I figure out how to pay down this debt every month?

STEIN: Well, first of all, pay off your credit card debt right away, because for most Americans, that's at a ridiculous amount and they can't invest in anything that's going to leave them with that kind of return. So pay that off right away.

For a mortgage debt, just continue to pay that on the regular schedule. That's a perfectly fine kind of debt. It's for an investment. Car debt, usually that's at a pretty good rate. You don't need to worry too much about that unless you bought something from a rip-off used car dealer, which I hope you haven't.

But then add to your savings, too. Pay off your debts, pay off your college debts, pay off your mortgage, but also add to your savings. There's no substitute for savings. Your house is not a substitute for savings. You have got to have savings in index funds, mutual funds, variable annuities, broadly-based EPS. You have got to have that saving. Your house is not your piggy bank. Your house is what you live in.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Sound advice from actor and economist Ben Stein.

Well, it's 45 minutes past the hour now, and here's what's happening in the news.

Coalition forces in Iraq are searching for five western security contractors kidnapped Thursday. A little-known group is claiming responsibility. Among the four Americans and one Austrian abducted is this man, former Minneapolis suburban police officer Paul Reuben.

President Bush is in Vietnam for a Pacific Rim Economic Summit. But so far the talk has been focused on North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Mr. Bush is offering U.S. economic incentives if the north gives up those weapons.

U.S. officials have released three more detainees held at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba. They say the three terror suspects are no longer enemy combatants. The State Department says Albania has agreed to accept the men, an Algerian national, an Egyptian national, and an ethic Uzbek. The celeb event of the day, if not the year, is playing out right now in Italy. That's where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are finally tying the knot. We believe those might be guests entering this 15th century castle where the ceremony is to take place. Right now, it's a mob scene. Star-struck fans and Hollywood stars.

And nothing about it has been a laughing matter, the devastation brought by Katrina. But what if some humor could help restore lives and livelihood? How comedian Billy Crystal and others are trying to do their parts.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: More than a year after Hurricane Katrina, parts of New Orleans are still without basic services. Some wonder if the city will ever bounce back without more help. Tonight, several comedians will do their part to raise money and provide a little comic relief.

Thomas Roberts has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Billy Crystal is used to playing to bigger crowds, but when he showed up on this street in the Lower 9th Ward...

BILLY CRYSTAL, COMEDIAN: Until you're here and get a feel of the smells of this neighborhood, the music of the neighborhood -- I mean, this is Sunday. You should be hearing the Saints game coming from everybody's house.

ROBERTS: The only person there is Herbert Getrich (ph). Getrich is 83, married 67 years, has six children, 36 grandchildren, and no home. That's why Crystal came, to shoot this segment for Saturday's "Comic Relief."

CRYSTAL: And now you plastered and painted all?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And now, here are your hosts, Billy Crystal.

ROBERTS: The show has featured top comedians such as Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Jay Leno and others, and raised millions for humanitarian causes. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, HBO is bringing the show back after nearly a decade off the air to get you to open your wallet for Katrina victims.

CRYSTAL: And I just think it's an enormous job that is almost -- I don't know how you begin. But it feels like it's forgotten. It feels like -- would you say that? Would you feel that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Looks like somebody or whoever forgot about New Orleans, especially New Orleans in the Lower 9th Ward.

ROBERTS: But Getrich can't forget his house. He has got no place else to live, so he's rebuilding. And he shows Crystal why the good memories outweigh the bad.

CRYSTAL: It's astounding to me. So the fact that we're able to do this show and get people reacquainted with what's going on in the Lower 9th and other areas of New Orleans, but this is -- this is profound.

ROBERTS: And as they sit on the front stoop, two men from very different worlds share their stories like old friends and the desire to make a difference here.

In New Orleans, Thomas Roberts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And, of course, New Orleans wasn't the only area devastated by Katrina. This weekend, CNN's Kathleen Koch returns to her hometown in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi for an update on that town's progress since the storm. "CNN PRESENTS: THE TOWN THAT FOUGHT BACK" tonight and Sunday night at 8:00 Eastern, only here on CNN.

And it's back to the beginning for James Bond. Next, 007 like you have never seen him before.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: The world of Bond, shaken not stirred. Does the new face have what it takes? Daniel Craig, the latest incarnation of Agent 007, has some big shoes to fill in the latest James Bond thriller, "Casino Royale."

Here's our Brooke Anderson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The stakes are high as British actor Daniel Craig goes all in and takes it all off for "Casino Royale."

KIRK HONEYCUTT, "THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER": They have decided to go to a meaner, leaner James Bond. He's chiseled from granite. I mean, he just -- he looks so buff.

DANIEL CRAIG, ACTOR: I've been naked in other films. I've been far more naked in other films than that. I was working out and keeping as fit as I could, so I wasn't worried about that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And action!

ANDERSON: Stage and screen actor Daniel Craig previously starred in Steven Spielberg's "Munich" and alongside Angelina Jolie in "Lara Croft Tomb Raider."

CRAIG: Fifty bucks says the peach (ph) is inside the sun.

ANDERSON: Craig accepted the role amid widespread debate that he wasn't right to fill the shoes previously worn by Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, and Roger Moore. This Web site DanielCraigIsNotBond.com, even urged a boycott of the movie with one Bond fan calling Craig "dull and lacking charisma and charm."

(on camera): You faced a lot of harsh criticism.

CRAIG: I can't lie to you. It did affect me. I had a couple of days where I suppose it was letting me get to me a bit, and then I just thought get on with it. Ignore it. Get on with it. You can't do anything about it. Get on with it.

ANDERSON (voice-over): Craig is the sixth actor to portray Bond, but it's the very first 007 he's actually playing. "Casino Royale" is the original book in Ian Fleming's series of James Bond novels, giving Craig license to be gritty and not the suave, sophisticated Bond of previous films.

HONEYCUTT: He has got a real edge to him and a chip on his shoulder. In this one, he doesn't care how his martinis are made, for instance, and doesn't come with a lot of gadgetry.

ANDERSON: This back to basics super spy even made it past China's strict sensors, the first Bond deemed good enough for big screen there. It's even fit for a queen. In a rare public appearance, the Queen of England strolled the red carpet for the world premiere in London.

And to top it off, this new blond Bond has been named one of "People" magazine's sexiest men alive.

(on camera): Are you prepared for the attention that you're gong to receive?

CRAIG: I don't know. I mean, I don't know how you prepare yourself for that. And it's something I'm not born to do, but I just -- I'm going to -- you know, I take it as it comes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I knew it was too early to promote you.

CRAIG: Well, I understand double 00s have a very short life expectancy. So your mistake will be short-lived.

ANDERSON (voice-over): Not so. Craig tells CNN he's signed on for two more of the films -- proof that Bond is back and his name is Craig -- Daniel Craig.

Brooke Anderson, CNN, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, Bonnie Schneider is in the Weather Center. Do you have a favorite Bond?

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot, Bonnie.

Well, a look at the top stories in a moment. "IN THE MONEY" is coming up next. Here's a preview.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks.

Coming up on "IN THE MONEY," air space. We'll find out about U.S. Airways bid for Delta Airlines and look at how bad air travel could be this upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

Plus, lifting the roadblocks. See if Washington is finally ready to let stem cell research drive on through.

And fat chance -- a political scientist is going to tell us why he thinks the obesity epidemic is bogus.

All that and more right after a quick check of the headlines.

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