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President Defends Military; Fears Reactor Cracked; Paying for Homes in Cash; Woman In Tripoli Approaches Journalists For Help, Saying Gadhafi Military Beat, Raped Her
Aired March 26, 2011 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: While a lot of attention has been on the no-fly zone in Libya, now one woman's account has caught the attention of not just reporters on the ground there but of course of the Libyan government as well. Our Nic Robertson is in the region and has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, the lady came into the hotel this morning. She was screaming, she was a middle-aged woman, seemed fairly respectable and she tried to tell journalists her story. She said she had been taken by government gunmen at a checkpoint in the east of the city, detained against her will for two days, (INAUDIBLE) she had been beaten she said and raped. The injuries that we could see about her, the rope burns on her wrists and ankles, the bruises on her thighs, bruises on her face seem to corroborate what she was telling. But barely (INAUDIBLE) her story.
Then government officials jumped in here in the hotel. One of them even branding a pistol, jumped in, pulled her away from the journalists, man handled her away. Jumped then on the journalists, beating, kicking, was punching them, even taking CNN's camera away. It didn't just get broken in the scuffle. CNN's camera was taken away, as systematically smashed by a government official in the corner of the restaurant here in the hotel Our video taken away.
The woman, later officials put a bag over her head as they tried to take her away and she was led away from the hotel kicking and screaming. What this was and as far as we can see, the government here leads us around the city, takes us to things that they want to see, stage manages the situation. Always portraying and showing government supporters. This was the first time someone had been brave enough to try and come on camera and speak against Gadhafi's regime here.
What we saw was something that we never normally witness here. We see government officials responding to that negative talk about the regime by literally manhandling and moving this woman away and beating the journalists and taking their video and smashing their equipment. This is a side of the government that we don't normally see. That this is a side of the government opposition figures talk about a lot. This brutality by the regime of the people that are opposed to the regime. This was a firsthand account for us to witness that here in the hotel. Nic Robertson, CNN, Tripoli, Libya.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: The Libyan government says the woman is in a safe place at police headquarters now, and the government says it may actually allow a few journalists to meet with that woman in the next coming days.
Meantime, rebel forces in eastern Libya say they now completely control an important city close to the country's oil fields. People celebrated on burned-out tanks and damage left by several days of coalition air strikes. An opposition spokesman says military officers formerly loyal to Moammar Gadhafi actually have given themselves up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHAMS ELDIN ABU ALMULLA, LIBYAN INTERIM COUNCIL SPOKESMAN: Early this morning, they had surrendered, most of them. It is our understanding we cannot confirm it as of this moment, but the commanding officer was also - he also surrendered.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: President Obama today defended his decision to use military force in Libya. Our Sandra Endo joins us now from Washington. So Sandra, we know the president will be taking to the air waves in just a matter of a couple of days. What do we expect his focus will be?
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, we understand that President Obama is set to give a speech on Monday evening and he's expected to lay out the objective and U.S. involvement in the conflict. You mentioned he did defend his decision to engage U.S. military forces in that conflict.
In his weekly radio address today, he touted the successes of U.S. and coalition forces saying they have both helped to knock down Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's air defense mechanisms as well as push back his ground forces. The president said that he had to engage in this conflict to do to save lives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The United States should not and cannot intervene every time there's a crisis somewhere in the world. But I firmly believe that when innocent people are being brutalized, when someone like Gadhafi threatens a blood bath that could destabilize an entire region, and when the international community is prepared to come together to save many thousands of lives, then it's in our national interest to act.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ENDO: But the president is facing mounting criticisms from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who say there is a lack of congressional involvement in setting up U.S. policy in Libya. And the president held a conference call with congressional leaders yesterday, trying to address some of their concerns but still, Fredricka, there is a lot of discontent, especially among Republicans, who are questioning the cost and who is going to pay for this effort.
The president maintains that the U.S. will maintain a limited involvement, no ground forces will be involved and that this will be a clear and focused mission. Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Sandra Endo at the White House. Thanks so much. Appreciate that.
And of course President Obama taking to the air waves Monday evening. CNN's coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. Eastern hour.
Now to Syria. Syria's state-run news agency says gunmen opened fire on pro-democracy activists, filling the streets of the coastal city of Latakia today. No word on casualties but dozens of demonstrators are reported dead after a week of clashes with government security forces.
And new worries in Japan today about radiation levels in the sea water off the coast of the damaged Fukushima Nuclear Plant. It's unclear where the radioactive iodine is coming from. Investigators are trying to determine if there's a leak at one of the reactors.
And two weeks after a massive earthquake triggered a tsunami in Japan, the death toll is topping a grim milestone. More than 10,000 people are dead, 17,000 others are still missing.
And a massive protest turned violent in London today. Dozens of people were injured, including five police officers. Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through the city to voice anger over so-called budget cuts, which includes slashing government jobs.
And a witness whose testimony helped convict American Amanda Knox of murder in Italy today gave conflicting stories in court. Knox's attorneys say that raises questions about the witness' credibility. Knox and her former boyfriend were convicted of killing Knox's roommate. Both are appealing those convictions.
Accused cop killer Jamie Donald Hood is in jail today. He surrendered to police in Athens, Georgia, late last night after a lengthy hostage standoff. Hood is accused of shooting two officers, one died. Well, Knowing Hood was watching the television news coverage of the standoff, negotiators went on television to actually communicate with the suspect. He released four hostages during the standoff and four others were freed when Hood surrendered.
A student was shot and wounded at a middle school in Martinsville, Indiana, yesterday. Police believe the shooting stems from a dispute that started at a school dance a few days ago. The 15-year-old victim is in stable condition. School officials say the accused shooter is a former student who should not have been on school property.
And America's first female vice presidential nominee, Gerald Ferraro died today after a 12-year battle with cancer. In 1984, the former congresswoman helped change the political landscape as a vice presidential candidate of a major U.S. political party. Geraldine Ferraro was 75.
Rebuilding Japan. The signs of life that are giving families who lost almost everything new hope.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: New worries in Japan today about rising radiation levels in the sea water. Tests show radioactive iodine levels have spiked in the ocean near the damaged Fukushima Nuclear Plant. It's unclear, however, where it's coming from. An official with Tokyo Electric speculates that it could be runoff from all the water being pumped into the reactors. Others worry that one of the reactor cores depicted in yellow here may have cracked during the earthquake. Radiation levels are so high in vegetables and raw milk in that area that they have been banned, leaving farmers wondering what to do.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (through translator): That's the problem, this farmer said. Even if I make lots of vegetables, I will have to throw them away. There are many questions I have toward the government and TEPCO, this farmer said. I can't trust them from the bottom of my heart.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: So far damage estimates from the quake and resulting tsunami are being put at more than $300 billion.
Well, there is a fighting spirit among the survivors of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. For some the smallest signs of life provide hope for the future. Here's CNN's Kyung Lah.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you need a sign that life can return to Japan's devastated tsunami zone, here's a small one. His name is Uma and hers, Ukia. Her still weary mother went into labor in the car fleeing the tsunami. She barely made it to a hospital on high ground.
YUKA KOBAYASHI, TSUNAMI VICTIM (through translator): After I gave birth to my baby, says this first-time mom, I wasn't filled with joy because I heard the news about so many victims.
LAH: Kanako Suzuki, Uma's mother lost an aunt and her home in the tsunami. They gained a son.
KANAKO SUZUKI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I'm trying not to be depressed, she says, because I have to move forward for my baby.
LAH: Across the region, people are beginning to move forward, digging out their homes. Finding precious possessions. A picture, he tells me. A part of his family's history saved. Food is getting to the victims. Many having their first hot meal since the tsunami left them homeless. And the most resilient, the young. Laughter filling this muddy evacuation center. A moment to play and be children.
(on camera): When entire cities up and down the northern Japan coastline looks like this, the natural question is how do you begin to rebuild? City leaders say the answer is actually quite simple.
You have to start somewhere.
(voice-over): Not that it's easy, says Kamaichi City spokesman. The tsunami flattened more than half of his city.
DAIKI MURAI, KAMAICHI CITY SPOKESMAN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I don't want to lose my hometown. I want it to come back. We won't give up, he says.
LAH: A fighting spirit among the survivors who pledge to begin the next chapter in the rebirth of a region.
Kyung Lah, CNN, Morioka, Japan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And now part of the U.S. is bracing for rough weather today. We'll look at the potential trouble spots.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Spring showers, spring storms, all of that. Karen Maginnis in the weather center.
KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, we do have some storms popping up as we take a look across the southeast. It has become increasingly volatile. Right around Atlanta to Macon, in between, that's where we're seeing a sharp contrast of temperatures and a sharp contrast of wind direction.
Right around Atlanta, temperatures only in the 50s. In Macon, Georgia, the temperatures are in the 70s. So there's a very big temperature gap here. Dew point temperatures are running pretty high as well.
We got a complex weather system that right along this boundary, that's where we're looking at some of these thunderstorms that are popping up and a couple of tornado warnings. Now this is the time of year we need to remind you that a warning means something is more imminent. The watch area that we do have across the southeast means conditions are favorable, but if a warning has been issued and if you live in a mobile home park, you need to take cover immediately.
For the metro Atlanta area, not so much. But we do have a couple of areas that we are watching that have the potential for tornadic activity. I want to point out specifically these areas in purple. A lot of these have just popped up in the last couple of minutes. If you're wondering where this is, this is the border between Georgia and Alabama. And as a consequence over across east central sections of Alabama, west central sections of Georgia, this is where we're looking at the potential for tornadic activity. What we have seen as of late have mostly been reports of hail. That is not to say we're not going to see a tornado.
With this much activity, I dare say that before the night is over, we will probably see numerous reports of possible funnel clouds or possible tornados. The atmosphere is rotating and the dynamics are there for something like that to occur. So we'll keep you updated on this. Tornado watch in effect across Georgia and Alabama. Throughout the evening we'll give you an update.
WHITFIELD: And sometimes, Karen, hail makes a lot of people very nervous this time of year because oftentimes that does precede tornadic activity.
MAGINNIS: Exactly. And the atmosphere, as I've said, is there. And we certainly have more than the potential. We've had a number of these little cells where they call them mesos or TVSs which means there's some rotation taking place which would lend itself to the possibility of a tornado.
WHITFIELD: Wow. All right. We're going to check back with you. Thanks so much.
All right. We turn now to a surprising uptick in a market that was all but flattened two years ago. An increasing number of people are actually paying for real estate with cash. Christine Romans has this week's "Smart is the new rich."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think we'll start with the kitchen.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Marc Wurst and his fiancee, Mary Mattie (ph), are looking at their 26th house in their search for their first home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is nice and big.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Isn't it? It's a great size.
ROMANS: They'll be paying for it in cash. Taking advantage of the market's low housing prices.
MARC WURST, CASH BUYER: This is a great time to buy houses because they are so much less than what they were at even four years ago.
ROMANS: From coast to coast, cash sales are up. According to the National Association of Realtors, 32 percent of all properties purchased in January were purchased with cash. That compares with 26 percent in January last year. Columbia University real estate professor Christopher Mayer.
PROF. CHRISTOPHER MAYER, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL: I think the cash purchases in the market are really a function of where we are in the cycle, the challenge of getting financing and, you know, what I think some people perceive as real opportunities to purchase property.
ROMANS: Many are investors who fix up condos or houses and then sell or rent them out. But for first time home buyers like Marc and Mary, cash means not having to worry about loans and credit for a mortgage.
WURST: It gives you a distinct advantage over other buyers and can probably get you a discount on a house. I don't need 90 days to get a mortgage approval, it's cash.
ROMANS: And that may just help the battered real estate market get back on its feet.
MAYER: It's going to be a really slow road to picking up again. And so I think people coming into the market and having confidence that we've hit a floor and they are willing to pay for properties with cash is a net positive.
ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And of course no one knows how long this trend will last, but experts agree cash buyers are helping to strengthen the market for now. And that's a good thing.
A young girl uses dreams to escape her real-life captivity. That's just one movie out this weekend in theaters. Movie reviews right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Weekends, that means it's time to talk movies, right? Well, there are a few new movies out in theaters this weekend and there are some not so new movies but they're out on DVD. So it still may be new to you.
Movie critic Grae Drake is with movies.com. She joins us right now from Los Angeles with details -
GRAE DRAKE, MOVIES.COM: Hello.
WHITFIELD: - on whether we should go to the movie or stay home. Hello, good to see you.
DRAKE: Good to see you too.
WHITFIELD: All right. Fantastic. You know, we're going to begin with "Sucker Punch." I mean, it's got kind of a weird title. It's a girl power kind of movie, right? Science fiction film. Let's just take a quick peek at what it is, try to figure out what it is from the clip and they'll we'll talk about whether you like it or not.
DRAKE: Good luck. Go ahead.
WHITFIELD: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have no purpose. And we don't keep things here that have no purpose. You see, your fight for survival starts right now. You don't want to be judged? You won't be. You don't think you're strong enough? You are. You are afraid. Don't be. You have all the weapons you need. Now fight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: OK . Grae, you giving "Sucker Punch" your own sucker punch. I got it. You said good luck. Good luck on trying to figure it out or good luck trying to embrace it? Which is it?
DRAKE: Good luck on both is kind of what I'm going with. I've got a one-two ready for this. This movie is Zack Snyder's new film. He's the director of "Dawn of the Dead" and "The Watchman." This movie is like as far I can tell was about a girl who is really distraught at having accidentally shot her sister and there's a pending lobotomy in a mental situation that she's been thrown into by her evil stepfather. And how she copes with it is she starts a fantasy about her chums in the mental institution becoming prostitutes and slaying dragons and robots in fishnet thigh highs and their underpants.
WHITFIELD: Oh, boy.
DRAKE: I know that I'm making this movie sound kind of awesome and it totally isn't.
WHITFIELD: Oh, no! But it's a nice little cast of some young promising Hollywood stars. Oh, my goodness, I'm see your grade. You're giving it a "D."
DRAKE: I give this movie a "D" because this movie is essentially Spice Girls without the brains. Like - I was looking - now here's the thing. I am totally a fan of half naked people fighting each other with guns, I just want to go on the record. But I want to care about them just a little bit. And there's nothing in this movie that made enough sense to me to make me care about these girls.
WHITFIELD: So a "D" for not just digging them.
DRAKE: I was not digging them. And in that clip, I totally disagree with Carla Gugino, I think that baby doll should be very afraid that she is not in a good film. This is such - just dragons and robots do not a great film make, unfortunately.
WHITFIELD: OK. That's all right. We like you calling it like as you see it. All right, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Roderick Rules." Let's take a look at the clip. I saw a couple of the trailers, it looked so cute. Can't wait to hear what you think about it.
DRAKE: Yes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's about time, little bro, that you learn the secrets to an easy life. Rule number one, don't be good at something you don't want to do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guys, use clean rags, not - give me that. I'll do it myself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rule number two, always lower mom and dad's expectations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, I took a math test today and I'm pretty sure I flunked it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, Greg.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But I got it back and, look, I got a C minus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: OK. I think we've just seen the entire movie. So real quick, what's your grade, you like?
DRAKE: I liked. I gave it an "A" because it's very cute. There's a lot of roller skating intrigue, there's bathroom door drama. I think that little kids are going to find this silly enough to laugh and also not going to be insulted because it's pretty smart. I enjoyed it sitting this as an adult. I probably laughed a little to hard.
WHITFIELD: You can never laugh too hard.
DRAKE: I know, I really enjoyed myself. Also Robert Capron plays friend, Rowley, who lip syncs to a Kesha song in the film which kind of made the whole thing worth it to me and I actually sort of convinced that we should just replace Kesha with Robert Capron.
WHITFIELD: Oh my. Oh, wow.
DRAKE: I'm just saying.
WHITFIELD: Oh that's cute. OK. Great. I like it. Real quick before we let you go, DVDs that are out there, "The Tourist" being one, "Black Swan," between the two which one should I be renting? Real quick.
DRAKE: Definitely, definitely "Black Swan." That's the one that Natalie Portman won the Oscar for, very deserved. She's a ballet dancer suffering from a nervous breakdown. And if Elton John had written a song about her, it would be "hold me closer crazy dancer." Love it.
WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh. That's big. All right. Grae Drake, love it. Appreciate. Thanks so much. You look great.
DRAKE: Thanks, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Talk soon.
OK. They are not just for kids. In today's healthy living report, vaccination shots. Can you believe that could save your life, preserve your life. And guess what I'm talking about, you, adults, you too.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. I want to update you on the goings on in Libya. In the eastern city known as the gateway to Libya's oil field, anti-Gadhafi forces claimed to be 100 percent in control. They say that with coalition air protection they can hold on to the city and then closer to Tripoli, witnesses say Libyan tanks are again shelling rebel positions in the city of Misrata.
And then this disturbing report coming out of Tripoli as well. This involves a woman who is alleging that she was assaulted and raped by forces who are loyal to Gadhafi. And she expressed this by approaching a number of journalists who were there in Tripoli. Our Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson fills in the details from there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: Well, the lady came into the hotel this morning. She was screaming, she was a middle-aged woman, seemed fairly respectable, and she tried to tell journalists her story. She said she had taken by government gunmen at a checkpoint east of the city, detained against her will for two days. Had her ankles bound, she had beaten, she said raped. The injuries that we could see about her, the rope burns on his wrists, her ankles, the bruises on her thighs and face seem to corroborate what she was telling.
But she barely could tell her story then government officials jumped in here in the hotel. One of them even brandishing a pistol. Jumped in, pulled her away from the journalists. Man-handed her away, jumped then on the journalists, beating, kicking, punching them, even taking CNN's camera away.
And not just-it didn't just get broken in the scuffle. CNN's camera was taken away and systematically smashed by a government official in the corner of the restaurant here in the hotel. Our video taken away. The woman -- later officials put a bag over her head as they tried to take her away and she was led away from the hotel kicking and screaming.
What this was, and as far as we could see, the government here leads us around this city, takes us to things that they want to see, stage manages the situation, always portraying and showing government supporters. This was the first time someone had been brave enough to try and come on camera and speak against Gadhafi's regime here.
What we saw was something that we never normally witness here. We see government officials responding to that negative talk about the regime by literally man handling and moving this woman away and beating the journalists, and taking their video, and smashing their equipment. This is a side of the government that we don't normally see. This is a side of the government opposition figures talk about a lot, this brutality by the regime, of the people that are opposed to the regime.
This was a firsthand account for us to witness that here in the hotel. Nic Robertson, CNN, Tripoli, Libya.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: The Libyan government says the woman is in a safe place at police headquarters. The government, in fact, also says it may allow a few journalists to meet with her in the next coming days.
Right now the U.S. military is leading coalition operations over Libya, but that's about to change. Let's get you to the Pentagon and Chris Lawrence with an explanation of this.
Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Fred. The U.S. military is right now in the process of handing over command to NATO. What that means is senior military commanders are briefing their NATO counterparts. They're coming up with new rules to guide some of the pilots and like that, but all that should be done in the next day or so.
Again, what we're seeing really has already started to take place over the last 24 to 48 hours in which the U.S. really is no longer doing these no-fly zone patrols. What they're concentrating on is giving some of the capabilities that only the U.S. forces have, some of the surveillance planes, some of the electronic jamming equipment. And most specifically, some of the strikes on ground forces and armament, tanks, units that are moving towards civilians.
We got confirmation from the Pentagon that there were overnight air strikes on Gadhafi forces and targets in the city of Misrata, Ajdabiya, also in Tripoli. So that part of the operation still very much continuing, Fred.
WHITFIELD: So, Chris, what happens with the U.S. reinforcements after NATO takes over?
LAWRENCE: That's right. Again, you're going to see what we've heard, that the U.S. is keeping options open to bring in possibly drones, possibly some specific gunships, or specific airplanes that say could fly, say, low altitude at night, and have more precision firing. Something that you wouldn't necessarily use to patrol, say, a no-fly zone, but they could be very much used if you're going after ground targets.
And again, as these Gadhafi forces move closer and closer to the city, where you've got more of a danger of civilian casualties, obviously the coalition is going to have to be, you know, just as judicious in knowing when to apply some of this force.
WHITFIELD: Chris Lawrence at the Pentagon. Thanks so much, Chris.
New worries in Japan today about radiation levels in the seawater off the coast of the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant. It's unclear where the radioactive iodine is coming from. Investigators are trying to determine if there is a leak at one of the reactors. And two weeks after a massive earthquake triggered a tsunami in Japan, the death toll is topping a grim milestone. More than 10,000 people are dead, 17,000 are still missing.
A massive protest turned violent in London today. Dozens of people were injured, including five police officers. Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through the city to protest budget cuts, which include slashing government jobs.
America's first female vice presidential nominee, Geraldine Ferraro, died today after a 12-year battle in cancer. In 1984, the former congresswoman helped change the political landscape as a vice presidential candidate of a major U.S. political party. Geraldine Ferraro was 75.
Vaccinations are not just for kids. Adult immunizations do more than just keep you healthy. They can actually help save your life.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: So we typically think of vaccinations for babies and young children, right? Well, many adults neglect to protect themselves from serious infections. Dr. Bill Lloyd joins us with our "Healthy Living" segment.
So, OK, so most adults were probably immunized as children, but then you say there are a lot of adults who probably never got those immunizations. And they should be, as adults, asking their doctors what they should get. Like what?
DR. BILL LLOYD, SURGEON: Well, there's a variety of them, Fredricka. You know, in order to live longer and to live healthier, what do we do? We exercise, we lose weight, we stop smoking, but none of that compares to the power of having your immunizations up to date.
So you do want to check with your doctor to make sure you got all the childhood vaccinations you were supposed to get, and many of the new vaccinations now that are available for adults. So we can break it down this way. Of course you always want your annual flu shot but there are some other ones. There is a chickenpox vaccine. Many adults have never had chickenpox before, Fredricka, and it's a much more serious infection for adults compared to children. There's a variation of chickenpox we Zoster; a very dangerous rash that affects older people and inflames the nerves. There is a vaccine for that as well.
We know about Hepatitis A and B. Hepatitis B vaccine will protect you not only from the Hepatitis infection but even from liver cancer. For older adults, pneumococcus is an important vaccine. It protects you from pneumonia and other serious infections later in life. Of course that tetanus booster, everyone should make sure that they have a current tetanus shot within ten years of their previous tetanus shot.
WHITFIELD: Really? So if I was immunized as a child, you're saying I may need to revisit a tetanus shot, right now, because it may have faded over time. What might be some of the other immunizations I got as a child, that may have faded over time and it's time for me to get inoculated again.
LLOYD: Well, the tetanus one is the number one on the list, but it's important to note that not all vaccines take. That is, you may have gotten a shot for measles, for example, as a child. But for whatever reason, the shot didn't work and you may still not be protected. It's always important to make sure that your doctors are aware of the shots that you've had, and the shots that you need. And there's a very, very simple blood tests that can determine if you're still susceptible to these very dangerous infections.
The immunity does fade over time and so it needs to be pumped up again. Also, as you get older, right, your susceptibility to different infections also changes. The pneumococcus is a great example of that. That's a vaccine that's only been out for a few years and it will protect adults 60 and over from a very serious form of pneumonia.
WHITFIELD: And if you're 40 and over, there perhaps may have been some vaccines that were not available when you were children. What would those vaccines be?
LLOYD: That is a great point, Fredricka. Over the past 15 years, there's been an explosion of vaccines that weren't around when we were in school, or as adolescents. Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B is a great example of that. Everybody needs the Hepatitis A. Depending on your lifestyle, depending on your occupation, you may deserve the Hepatitis B protection as well. That will afford you long life immunity, protect your liver, and as we mentioned, protect you from the possibility of developing liver cancer later in life.
WHITFIELD: What's the danger if you're not getting these? I have to say, I don't know too many adults walking around saying I better get my vaccination for shingles or even for Hepatitis A or B?
LLOYD: We need to keep up on our vaccines and the reason is if you went back and looked at the great medical advances over the past 100 years, insulin, antibiotics, cardiac bypass surgery, none of that compares with the power of immunizations. More lives of been saved and more people have been spared serious infections, and people have lived longer only because of the power of getting those vaccinations.
So for adults 30, 40 and 50, there are vaccines out there now that weren't available when you were younger. For those that may have had a drop in their immunity since the time they had their first one, they may need a booster. For adults older than 40, they have to start thinking about other infections, like shingles, which came from childhood chicken pox and the pneumococcus infections, both have brand new vaccines that are available when you go in for your annual doctor's check, say, hey, how are my vaccines doing? Do I need any new immunizations?
WHITFIELD: All right. Doctor Bill Lloyd, thanks so much. Appreciate it and thanks for helping us-
LLOYD: Hey, real quick, Fredricka. No, no, no, no, real quick. I have to tell you from now on I want to be referred to not as Doctor Bill but as Grandpa Bill.
WHITFIELD: Oh, great. Congratulations.
LLOYD: That's right, I'm a first-time grandfather today. Keaton Patrick Lloyd born in McKinney, Texas, 7 pounds, 15 ounces. Will and Sylvia, we love you, and welcome to the CNN family.
WHITFIELD: Oh, that's fantastic. Congratulations. Glad that all are doing well and healthy and thanks to you, Doctor Grandpa -- Grandpa Bill.
LLOYD: We'll talk to you soon.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much.
Well, if you are a reality TV show fan, you have come to know a particular breakout star for her boldness, her beauty, and her brand. Bethenny Frankel of "Bethenny Ever After" fame on BRAVO television just wrapped up a multi-city tour talking about her fame, her new family, fortune and many business ventures. We talked face-to-face about the reality of all those cameras following her everywhere.
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BETHENNY FRANKEL, AUTHOR, REALITY STAR: I just think people want someone that they feel they can trust. If you're going to watch someone on television and you are going to invest your time, you would rather feel like they're really bringing it, and giving it to you.
There are a lot of reality shows that are sheer entertainment value and there's a lot of drama. And people are in full makeup when they're in their pajamas, but my show isn't one of them. It's a reality sitcom. It's the ridiculous situations that just happen to occur in my life. And it's an emotional roller coaster. It's crying, it's laughing. You don't know what to expect next. It's life.
I'm sure it's why I got my own show because my life is just a little crazy. But the truth is most people's lives are crazy. Women's water breaks and the baby doesn't come out. Like most people on TV, it's like the water breaks and now the baby is out. It is not what happens. You're sitting eat Italian ices in the hospital for 24 hours.
WHITFIELD: Right. I've been there. I think I want out to dinner.
FRANKEL: Yeah. But every TV shows it like the baby is coming out. You have no idea. We didn't pack a bag for the water breaking. It's like, you know, we're going, it's happening. Most women are going through what I'm going through on some level. Most women forget half the stuff in the car when they go on a road trip. And most women's husbands fart. It's like why are you doing this.
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WHITFIELD: OK, next week, telling it like it is. Bethenny Frankel, she reveals why she is unapologetic about her tell-it-like-it-is kind of approach to both her personal and public lives. That's in my next face-to-face interview next weekend with Bethenny Frankel.
Conservative Republicans are meeting right now at an event that's considered a kickoff to the presidential campaign. That's not funny, but that Bethenny is. We'll tell you what Michele Bachmann announced about her presidential plans.
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KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Welcome back, everyone. I'm CNN Meteorologist Karen Maginnis. We're watching tornadic activity across the Southeastern United States; a number of severe thunderstorm warnings, as well as tornado warnings, which have been issued.
We're looking at Georgia and Alabama here with lots of activity to report. Where you see these dark red and purple cells, that's where we're looking at the potential for tornadic activity. As of the last several hours, most of what we have seen have been gusty winds, heavy downpours and hail. But there still exists the potential for tornados for the evening across the Southeast, and we will keep you updated and let you know should anything break in the next -- over the next few hours.
Fredricka, back to you.
WHITFIELD: Thanks, Karen.
There are plenty of Republicans considering a presidential bid for 2012. Only four of them have actually taken concrete steps toward launching a campaign, or exploratory committee. Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has formed a presidential exploratory committee, along with former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roamer, and Former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has announced he is exploring the race but stopped short of actually forming a legal committee.
Republican hopefuls are gathering in Iowa this weekend. Our Senior Political Editor Mark Preston joins us there from Des Moines.
OK, So who is there? Or maybe the question is, who is not there?
MARK PRESTON, CNN SR. POLITICAL EDITOR: Sure, let's start with who's not here. Let me tell you I am at this social conservative conference, some would say, here in Iowa; a very important gathering of conservatives all across the state, who have come here to hear from casual presidential candidates.
Who they did not hear from today was Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, and Tim Pawlenty, four folks who are certainly at the top of many people's list to run for president.
Tim Pawlenty, as you said, has already formed a committee. He is definitely in. Mitt Romney, we expect Mitt Romney to get in probably in the next month or so. The big question is will Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee get into the race? So far they are saying they're undecided, although they're seriously looking at it.
Who we have heard from today, though, Fredricka, we just heard from Herman Cain. He is a businessman from Georgia. We've heard from Haley Barbour, the Mississippi governor. We also heard from Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker. We'll hear from John Bolton in a few short moments, who's a former U.S. ambassador to the U.N.
It was Michele Bachmann, however, the Minnesota congresswoman, who has really seemed to have won the day here. She got the crowd on their feet, she talked about family values. She really, really emphasized that theme. She talked a little about national security. She teased us a little bit, Fredricka, as she said to the crowd at the very end, "I'm in. Are you in?" The big question is, is she fully in to run for president. We do not know that, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Oh, man. OK, Mark, we are already out of town but real quick because I said I want it to ask this question earlier last we spoke. If this is considered late by some people's standards to jump into the race, why is it so many are waiting so late before they make it official?
PRESTON: Very quickly, first of all, money. Very expensive to run a race. Two, a lot of candidates have already run and they don't need their name I.D. that is what we're seeing, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Got it. All right. Thanks so much. Mark Preston, always good to see you. Appreciate that.
All right, lessons learned now from past disasters. A Hiroshima survivor who uses radiation to help save lives as a cancer doctor.
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WHITFIELD: Survivors of the World War II atomic bombings in Japan have a unique perspective on the current nuclear crisis. One woman who lived through Hiroshima now uses radiation to help save lives as a cancer doctor. CNN's Doctor Sanjay Gupta has her story in this "Human Factor".
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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Doctor Ritsuko Komaki was two years old when the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, more than 65 years ago. Her family lost six relatives. Her grandmother had radiation sickness.
DR. RITSUKO KOMAKI, ONCOLOGIST, MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER: Her hair fell out and she had the nose bleeding and the diarrhea.
GUPTA: At that time no one in Hiroshima understood how dangerous radiation could be. Little Ritsuko grew up playing among the radioactive ruins.
KOMAKI: I was just too small to know how much radioactive material is staying on the ground.
GUPTA: When she was 11, Komaki lost a friend to leukemia, and she began to suspect that the bomb had long-lasting invisible effects on her city. She wanted to learn more about what killed her friend and how to stop it. Eventually, she went to medical school, and that's when she learned about radiation.
KOMAKI: I volunteered during summertime to check all those people who are exposed to the atomic bomb.
GUPTA: Later in her medical training, Doctor Komaki learned that radiation could actually save lives, not just ruin them.
KOMAKI: When I saw this patient who were cured by radiation treatment, you know, I saw the light. And I thought, oh, my goodness, this is incredible.
GUPTA: As a cancer specialist, she uses radiation to treat patients and educate people about how radiation can be a force for good. Both in the United States and in her native Japan, where most cancer patients forego this type of treatment because they fear radiation so much. For nearly a decade Komaki has made it her mission to change that.
KOMAKI: I really truly hope, you know, that people, they don't get any wrong idea. You know, this accident of the nuclear plant, it's not like a regular radiation treatment.
GUPTA: For now she's back in the United States treating patients, but hopes to head to Japan again soon to help her homeland and also to continue to spread her message that radiation doesn't always have to be a dirty word. Doctor Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
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WHITFIELD: I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks for being with me all afternoon long. Long? Now you're going to be with Don Lemon all evening long. The CNN NEWSROOM continues right after this.
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