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CNN Live Saturday

Tropical Storm Arlene Hits Land; New Developments in Natalee Holoway Case; Update on Latest Howard Dean Remarks; Possible Case of Mad Cow Disease in U.S.; Officers Fire 120 Shots at Unarmed Man; Special School for Overweight Tenns; Group Fasts for 10 Days While Hiking 200 Miles

Aired June 11, 2005 - 18:00 ET

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

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

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Tropical Storm Arlene is bringing back bad memories for folks along the Gulf Coast. This time it's heavy rain and possible tornadoes that are threatening the folks in its path. Our Jacqui Jeras is tracking that storm.
Also, the case of the missing teenager in Aruba -- new developments tonight keep suspects behind bars.

And should your young kids diet? A change in food, eating habits, and even exercise is helping teens at one camp lose hundreds of pounds.

It is June 11 and you're watching CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Carol Lin. Our top story in just a moment, but first these are the stories making news right now.

Today, U.S. Marines carried out air strikes against insurgents in Western Iraq. U.S. military officials say seven precision-guided strikes killed about 40 armed insurgents. Insurgent violence raged on today with at least 19 people killed in and around Baghdad. Police say a suicide bomber exploded his car near the Slovak embassy in Baghdad, wounding four people.

Tragedy in Northern China after a flash flood completely engulfs a primary school. China's official news agency says a torrent of water came crashing down on the school yesterday. Sixty-two of the children inside were killed, along with two adults. Another 24 people were injured.

And a new beginning, well, for some of the world's poorest countries. The group of eight industrialized nations has agreed to wipe out $40 billion in debt for 18 developing countries, many of them in sub-Saharan Africa. G-8 finance ministers say more countries could be eligible for debt relief if they make Democratic reforms.

We begin right now though along the Alabama/Florida panhandle coast where Arlene is pushing northward with heavy winds and rains bringing back some bad memories for residents there. In fact, right now, you're looking at live pictures from Pensacola Beach, Florida. A few hours ago, the first named storm of the hurricane season came ashore almost in the same spot where Hurricane Ivan made landfall nine months ago. CNN's Susan Candiotti is weathering the storm in Pensacola Beach, and meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is tracking the system from our weather center.

Susan, let's start with you. How did you ride out the storm out there?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Carol, as one of the emergency officials put it; I think we fared very well. Certainly, one of the driest tropical storms here, and we're not completely out of the clear yet. Obviously, you can see we're still feeling some of the outer bands as Arlene passes by us, but it never did become a hurricane.

And here are some of the statistics. Again, a dry storm, only two to three inches of rain, 20 to 30 miles per hour sustained winds with gusts of about 40. Those are inland wind speeds, clearly, a little higher here. But throughout the day, we saw people walking on the beach and of course, you could see the waves crashing to shore here, and up against a pier that's very popular here at Pensacola Beach. A lot of people coming out here to take a look at how the storm was coming. About more than 7,000 people lost power as Arlene passed by. However, they do expect and hope that everyone will get that power restored by nightfall.

More good news for those people who evacuated to -- from low- lying areas and to shelters, although it only amounted to fewer than 200 people, to shelters, anyway, they are going to be given the all- clear sign in about an hour from now to go home. So we -- but there is, of course -- this is an area that was hard hit by Ivan last September.

And Matt Edens (ph), you were fortunate not to suffer any damage. Some of your neighbors weren't so lucky.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's absolutely right. Definitely a lot of homes here destroyed. A lot of lives were taken and a lot of monetary damage to city of Pensacola. And I think that's why a lot of people were worried about today.

CANDIOTTI: Indeed. How did -- did you get a feeling in your gut, like oh, no it's going to happen again when you heard that Arlene was heading this way?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I was fortunate enough to hear the reports and kind of knew what to expect, but still everyone fostered a little bit of fear that what if this is another Ivan. And everybody had that sinking suspicion and luckily, we're turned out OK today.

CANDIOTTI: It is early on in the season. How do you think this affects morale, as you look ahead? It's a long road ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think as far as the morale issue, this is just going to be a great eye-opener for us, to wake us up for the season, get everybody prepared and get those medical kits and the first-aid equipment in the houses and get that bottled water stored up. CANDIOTTI: Thank you very much for joining us. And I hope you don't have anything that comes even remotely close to Ivan this hurricane season.

And in fact, authorities here would agree with that assessment. They told us, if anything, Arlene is a reminder that once a storm enters the gulf, it has the potential of striking here and we're never completely off the hook -- Carol.

LIN: Susan, checking the sea behind you, how high do you think those waves are right now?

CANDIOTTI: Well, they're telling us the storm surge really never reached higher than about three feet, five tops. But they said it was more like three feet. They certainly look very menacing. And they were higher a bit earlier this day, but clearly not as worse as they might have hoped.

LIN: Dramatic pictures though. Thanks very much, Susan Cadiotti.

Let's check where the storm is now and where it's actually heading. CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras tracking Arlene from our weather center -- Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Carol, it's right over Atmore, Alabama, at this time. Here you can see it on our tightened radar. It's still pretty easy to pick out the center of circulation. It made landfall between 2:00 and 3:00 this afternoon. And you can see it has also weakened pretty dramatically. Still some occasional thunderstorms and some gusty winds can be expected here, still reaching tropical storm strength. We had some gusts in Mobile, Pensacola, around 30 miles per hour. Valparaiso at 40 miles per hour. These are gusts. These are not maximum sustained winds, so keep that in mind. We're going to occasionally see these little bursts with the winds picking up. And it still is enough that it could possibly aggravate a couple of power lines, maybe some small tree branches coming in.

Now, this is a 5:00 advisory and it shows that the winds at 5:00 Eastern Time, by the way, 50 miles per hour gusting to 65, but it has gone down pretty significantly since that time. We'll get another update around 7:00 Eastern -- or Central Time. Nineteen miles northwest of Pensacola. It is moving northward, about 15 miles per hour. We're expecting it to stay on that track, continuing to move north, continuing at about sustained speed. It will become extra- tropical eventually. And the forecast track has it moving into the Tennessee Valley and eventually, into the Ohio River Valley.

Our primary concern at this hour is really just the rain and occasional gusting winds. The tornado watch has been expired now, so we're not really concerned about that kicking back up. The rain, though, very widespread across the Southeast. We're expecting about two to four inches widespread with the heaviest of rainfall. It's going to be in the eastern parts of Mississippi and into western parts of Alabama. And then it's going to make its way into western Tennessee, eventually on into western Kentucky. So the worst is over and done with. Arlene, our first named storm of the season.

LIN: All right. Arlene sharing the wealth all across the Southeast. Thanks, Jacqui.

Stay with CNN for full coverage of Tropical Storm Arlene because we're going to continue to update you on its strength, any changes as well as its location.

But right now we want to turn to Aruba where we have new developments this hour. A judge has ruled police can continue holding three men arrested in the disappearance of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway. The three suspects went before a judge today, as authorities announced a break in the case. CNN's Karl Penhaul has the very latest from Palm Beach, Aruba.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A senior police official has told CNN that there has been a breakthrough amounting to a confession or some sort of confession by one of the three suspects detained on Thursday in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. The police official has given no further information on that at the moment. But earlier in the day, the Prosecution Service, which is also heading the investigation, had this to say...

VIVIAN VAN DER BIEZEN, PROSECUTOR'S SPOKESWOMAN: Good morning, members of the press. The Prosecution Service has -- is aware of some information that are related to the investigation of alleged statements of witnesses -- of, sorry suspects in this case. And what the Prosecution Service would like to say is at this moment; we neither confirm or deny any information coming from other sources.

The investigation at this point is the following -- we have five suspects. They are being interrogated, and we are at a very crucial and very important moment in our investigation. And as soon as we have all of the information, we will make that available to you. PENHAUL: Other law enforcement sources close to this investigation have told CNN there is no confession at this stage, but they do say there are cracks and discrepancies appearing in the stories that the three young detainees are telling to their interrogators. So far though there's been no crucial clues to the whereabouts of Natalee or her remains.

Karl Penhaul, CNN, Palm Beach, Aruba.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: CNN "Security Watch," a California man suspected of training at an al Qaeda camp in Pakistan remains behind bars. A judge yesterday denied bond for 22-year-old Hamid Hayat of Lodi, California. An FBI affidavit accuses Hayat of attending the al Qaeda camp to learn how to wage terrorist attacks in America. Hayat's father and three other men have been arrested in this investigation.

Now, of course, CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security, so stay tuned to CNN for the latest information day and night.

In the meantime, Howard Dean may not have been the ideal choice for many Democrats to lead the Democratic National Committee. Yet after some blunt and hard-hitting comments about Republicans, they are standing by their man. Today, Democratic leaders rallied behind the party boss. CNN Congressional correspondent Joe Johns reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To hear Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean tell it, last week was a pretty good week for him and the party.

HOWARD DEAN, CHAIRMAN, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE: The last couple days we've raised over $100,000 in 24 hours on the web, unsolicited. People want us to fight, and we are here to fight. We are not going to lie down...

(APPLAUSE)

JOHNS: As voters found out in his race for the White House, Dean has a way with words. But in the days leading up to this weekend's meeting of the Democratic Party's top brass in Washington, Dean's rhetoric about Republicans has attracted increasing attention.

DEAN: They are pretty much -- they all behave the same and they all look the same. And they all -- you know, it's pretty much a white Christian Party.

JOHNS: Dean has also said embattled Republican majority leader Tom Delay, whose fund-raising and foreign travel funding, have come under scrutiny, ought to go back to Houston where he can serve his jail sentence. Delay has not been charged with any crime.

These kinds of comments have made some Democrats nervous and given joy to joke writers.

JAY LENO, TALK SHOW HOST: A large group of Democrats are going to Europe this week, not a fact finding mission. They're just trying to distance themselves from Howard Dean.

JOHNS: And some Democrats with relative degrees of diplomacy have tried to distance themselves. Even a former general chair of the party suggested Dean has stepped over the line.

SEN. CHRIS DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: He's doing a good job as chairman. Did he make a mistake with these comments? Absolutely.

JOHNS: The Senate and House Democratic leaders have also criticized Dean's remarks and plenty of Republicans have, too. One political observer said the problem is Democrats have a wealth of political targets to exploit right now, from social security, to protecting the independence of the judiciary, and don't need Dean turning the spotlight on himself.

PROF. ALLAN LICHTMAN, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: If Howard Dean would just be able to touch right on the line; he would be the most effective advocate the Democrats have.

JOHNS (on camera): Many Democrats agree that the point of Dean's remarks has been to motivate the Democratic base, and they say he's doing that. But some say a little more subtlety and nuance couldn't hurt.

Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: A possible case of mad cow disease right here in the United States. So why is the USDA telling Americans not to worry? A live report from Washington straight ahead.

Now, that we have your attention, yes, that is gunfire. That video is incredible to see and hear. Deputies taking 120 shots at a man who wasn't even armed. Now the fallout from this incident has sparked the sheriff to take action.

And call them weight-loss pioneers, a new program that is helping teenagers shed some major pounds and feel better about themselves.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: New suspicions of a cow in the U.S. infected with mad cow disease have officials in a frenzy for answers. One animal that has been cleared by tests last year is under renewed scrutiny. Our Kathleen Koch is in Washington with more on why the cow is raising new fears.

Kathleen, what happened?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, right now the results are only preliminary. And it's unfortunate timing as the federal government is trying to persuade world markets that U.S. beef is safe to buy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH (voice-over): The possible mad cow case was discovered in November when a cow like this that couldn't walk was brought to slaughter. A preliminary test was inconclusive. A second test found the beef disease-free, but at the urging of consumer groups, the Agriculture Department's inspector general ordered a third, more sophisticated test this week. It came up positive. Agriculture officials say consumers have no cause for alarm.

DR. JOHN CLIFFORD, USDA CHIEF VETERINARIAN: This animal was definitely not into -- in the food supply. It went through a facility that would handle only animals for non-human use, and actually this animal was incinerated.

KOCH: But Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro reserves stronger safeguards against mad cow disease -- said the discovery -- quote -- "raises concerns over the integrity of our cattle." Further testing on a sample of the cows being done by a laboratory in Great Britain and by the Agriculture Department. Mad cow is a chronic and degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system of cattle. Concern over the disease became widespread in the 1990s when more than 150 people died from a human form of the disease after consuming cattle infected during a mad cow outbreak in Great Britain. Until now, the only confirmed case of mad cow in the U.S. was in December 2003 in a dairy cow in Washington State. The discovery prompted a government ban on selling for human consumption any beef parts that could carry mad cow.

BRYAN DIERLAM, NATIONAL CATTLEMEN'S BEEF ASSOCIATION: It's only found in center nervous system tissues and they define them as brain, spinal course, the dorsal root ganglia, basic parts of the animal's anatomy. And all of those parts are removed and in no way, shape or form can enter the human food supply.

KOCH: Still, major buyers worldwide, like Japan and South Korea, have cut off U.S. beef imports, costing the cattle industry $4 billion a year. The federal government is in the middle of negotiations to reopen those markets.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: Tests on the suspect cow will take some two weeks to complete. And despite the reassurances, there's concern that simply the possibility of another case of mad cow disease could U.S. beef consumption both at home and abroad -- Carol.

LIN: Kathleen, thank you very much.

We've also got some news across America. The parents of a 13- year-old Texas girl are dropping their objections to treating their daughter's cancer. Katie Wernecke's parents had insisted radiation treatments would only harm their daughter. Well, last week, they lost custody of the girl. And now, the parents say they've changed their minds, based on tests that show their daughter's cancer is no longer in remission.

A major recall for Nissan, the auto maker is calling back 49,000 2005 Sentra Sedans because of a concern that potential fuel leaks could spark fires. Now, so far Nissan has no reports of injuries or fires. Nissan is suggesting customers take their vehicles to a dealer to be checked out.

Some ambitious athletes are more than halfway through their quest to make it into the world record books. Two softball teams in Forth Smith, Arkansas are hoping to play ball for 61 hours straight to break the record for the longest continuous game. They're 36 hours into the quest. The girls are doing it to raise money to renovate their ballpark.

And two brushes with death for one Marine in Iraq. When CNN LIVE SATURDAY returns on the front lines, a wounded Marine returns to his home base but only as a visitor. And later, hikers on a mission, why five men and four women made a 200-mile trek with only water and a tea bag to quell their hunger pangs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Every week we like to bring you the more personal stories from the frontlines. And it seems daily we report on the ubiquitous IEDs in Iraq, those improvised explosive devices. Well, a U.S. Marine who lived through not one but two separate run-ins with the homemade bombs is now putting his life back together. Our Bill Tucker has his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lance Corporal Borquez was wounded in Iraq a couple times, got blown up, a couple of IEDs, correct?

BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lance Corporal Nathan Borquez is on an unfamiliar mission. He's a visitor at his home base, Camp Pendleton, California.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you feeling?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm feeling good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good.

TUCKER: Although he looks well, home for Borquez is a hospital. He's been there for months recovering and hoping for a normal life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got some real bad concussions.

TUCKER: Borquez has two purple hearts. His first brush with death came on his 20th birthday.

BORQUEZ: I was on a convoy and the convoy got struck by an IED, an improvised explosive device, and I was hit in the head with some frag and knocked unconscious.

TUCKER: He came to, was checked out, and sent back to work.

BORQUEZ: Dazed, headache, just not the same. It was a weird, weird experience.

TUCKER: He struggled but he did his job. A month later he was hit in the head again by another IED.

BORQUEZ: I just couldn't believe it happened a second time. The symptoms were much worse this time and my memory, along with my balance, was off by a lot.

TUCKER: Borquez had suffered traumatic concussions and damage to his eardrums.

BORQUEZ: I thought I was going to shake it off. I thought it was just a regular type of knock in the head.

TUCKER: He tried again to go back to work, but this time his fellow Marines could see that he wasn't right and he was sent home to recover. Borquez has been hospitalized every since, undergoing treatment to restore his memory, his hearing, and to deal with his constant vertigo.

BORQUEZ: It'll take a couple -- a year or two for me to heal up and get back to normal.

TUCKER: Borquez will soon be medically retired from the Marine Corps. He says he feels better just having a chance to visit with the Marines that he served with and those of a previous generation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And for you, I want to thank you, and I want to wish you well and salutations to your mother and you father for having you back.

BORQUEZ: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK?

BORQUEZ: Thank you, sir.

TUCKER: Bill Tucker, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All right, Tropical Storm Arlene moves ashore along the Gulf Coast as heavy rain continues to pound the area. We are going to get a live report and a look at the storm's movement straight ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

Also, a hail of gunfire by sheriff's deputies in the middle of a neighborhood sparks punishment for those involved and new rules for police confrontations.

And this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY HENRY, ACADEMY OF THE SIERRAS STUDENT: If it definitely wasn't for this place, I probably would be dead right now, seriously. I mean, I was one of the biggest human beings in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Some might call it a fat camp but for the teenagers who attend, it's proving to be a life-altering experience. You're watching CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Welcome back, I'm Carol Lin. And here's a quick look at what's happening right now in the news. A judge in Aruba has just ruled police can continue holding three young suspects in the case of a missing American teen. We have conflicting reports about whether the suspect has confessed. Two other men were also arrested connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.

A group reported to be a documentary film crew that includes Americans is safe in Namibia. They have been rescued in good health in the southern African country. The international group went missing earlier this week.

U.S. Marine air strikes killed about 40 insurgents in Western Iraq today. The military reports all targets were demolished and there were no American casualties. The insurgents were stopping civilian vehicles with guns.

And elsewhere in Iraq, 13 local civilians were killed in scattered incidents.

Now, we want to get back to our top story, Tropical Storm Arlene. It has been hours since landfall now and the system is weakening, as it moves north, but it is still making its presence felt along the Alabama/Florida panhandle coast. CNN's Bob Franken is standing by there in Pensacola Beach, Florida.

Bob, what's the day been like for you out there?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you can see, it's been a little wet. But as storms go, Arlene was a bust, and that of course is a good thing when it comes to tropical storms versus hurricanes. This rubbed some raw wounds here in the area that we're in, the area that was hit so hard by Hurricane Ivan in just September. This time it was in effect a dress rehearsal. An official told us that you always, when you have a tropical storm like this, always have to be prepared. You're never off the hook, said one emergency official. But the statistics weren't bad: 20 to 30 mile per hour winds at the airplane with gusts up to 40. There was two to three inches of rain, so we're not talking about a really awful day.

Nevertheless there is continuing winds. And the power outages numbered about 11,000 in this three-county area. Officials are working hard to restore the power. They expect that they're going to have it back either tonight or tomorrow morning.

You can see in back of me that surf's up. They had one arrest here that was spotted today when a person insisted on going into the water. They were not allowed to. There were police orders not to. But you can see that a lot of people have come down to the beach, which gives you some idea of the fact that people are fairly calm about this, even though the weather is not exactly calm. The wind continues to whip up. The rain, as you can see, Carol, continues to whip up. But this was a good one. It did not turn into what, as we learned so tragically last year, could (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

LIN: Yes, hard to forget, Bob, definitely. So what is the plan from here? Is there a chance for people to actually go out and assess the damage or at least some of the damage, to get a bigger picture, of what Arlene's full impact really was? FRANKEN: Well, I think what -- the short answer to that is what damage? Apparently, there was very little. There may have been a few trees down although one official said that she didn't even know about that. But some power lines were affected, so there was a little bit of damage, but this really wasn't much. As a matter of fact, I was at a ball game the other night and it rained harder than this, and then after that they played the game.

LIN: Some good perspective. Thanks very much, Bob Franken, out there in Pensacola Beach.

Well, let's get the latest on the storms' strength and location. CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras joins me now from the weather center.

Jacqui, of course, the rain is not stopping. So who's going to -- who else is going to get wet out there?

JERAS: Well, people in Mississippi and Alabama particularly, also in the Florida Panhandle. And some flooding that's going to be possible especially right along those state lines, as the system continues to push on up to the north. It's still a tropical storm. The 5:00 advisory Eastern Time, that's 4:00 Central, had maximum sustained winds at 50 miles per hour and I'm sure those are down now. In fact, we're having a hard time finding gusts, wind gusts, around 40 miles per hour. You can expect that occasionally with some of these thunderstorms that still go around the center of circulation. You can see that's right around Atmore, Alabama at this time.

Heavy rain all across the Southeast, general amounts of about two to four inches, and like Bob mentioned, you can get that out of an isolated storm. In fact, I think the weather tonight has been worse across parts of Wisconsin, also down into parts of Texas. In fact, law enforcement just reporting a tornado on the ground now in Randall County. It's four miles north of Happy, and it's pushing up to the north and to the east around 15 miles an hour. Severe thunderstorm watches also in effect in Wisconsin. A little damage reported in Saint Troy County just over the river from Minneapolis. We'll keep you up to date with the tornadoes and the tropical storm all night -- Carol.

LIN: It's a wild June so far. Thanks, Jacqui.

Well, we were riveted by the images. Sheriff's deputies firing shot after shot after shot at an unarmed motorist in Compton, California last month, a 120 shots in all. Those involved are being disciplined. But needless to say the sheriff department has been trying to do a lot of damage control. Peter Viles reports on this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A 120 shots fired at an unarmed man. Who was responsible? Well, ultimately, this man, the sheriff of Los Angeles County, Lee Baca. Those were his deputies.

SHERIFF LEE BACA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY: The sheriff's department can do better and it will do better. I can do better, and my deputies can do better.

VILES: Baca has been taking the heat for a month now at town hall meetings like this one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When is the police department going to turn around and say, they're wrong, they are just wrong?

VILES: And now, the sheriff is standing up. Yes, the deputies were wrong, he says. They apologized. And a dozen deputies and a sergeant have been reprimanded or suspended for up to 15 days. A lawyer for the deputies' union says several of those deputies are planning to appeal the decision.

Baca has also implemented a new policy on when to shoot at vehicles. The short version -- don't shoot. If the driver won't get out, stand back and call in the S.W.A.T. team even if you have to shut down a freeway, which is exactly what Baca's S.W.A.T. team did in this standoff Tuesday.

BACA: It took a long time. It was about four hours and a lot of people were very upset about that. But reverence for human life means just exactly that, that if we've got to wait for an hour or two hours or three to save a life, we'll wait.

VILES: The driver who was shot in Compton did survive, but on the streets of Compton, residents are still angry and told us 15 days' suspension doesn't cut it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police (UNINTELLIGIBLE), that's not a punishment. Fifteen days?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they should have fired them, period, no suspension, fired them, no money at all.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It had to have been anybody else, they would do some type of time. What is 15 days? That's no time.

VILES: City officials, though, give Baca credit for taking the blame himself and for listening to the community.

ISADORE HALL, COMPTON CITY COUNCIL: On a range of 1 to 10, I'd give him an 8.5 to 9 and here's why, he had four town hall meetings. He walked every door, literally, door knocked every single door.

VILES: Baca says a lot of this comes down to respect. In firing all those shots, his deputies disrespected the community and he's trying to right that wrong.

BACA: The only person that's going to address that feeling that you are disrespected as a citizen is me. The only way people understand respect is for the guy at the top of the organization to give it to them.

VILES: Peter Viles for CNN, Compton, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LIN: Parents are shedding big bucks to help their children shed a lot of pounds, and it's changing lives, as well as appearances. That is next on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

And an endurance test with a cause. Hikers pound the dirt around Washington, D.C. while their hearts are focused on the other side of the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: All right, everyone wants a magic pill for weight loss, but nothing seems to beat the tried and true method of sensible eating combined with exercise. Well, a group of overweight teens is learning that lesson at a special school out in California. Their stories are full of emotion and they are sharing them with our Gary Tuchman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When getting to this isolated location in California's San Joaquin Valley, it's easy to lose your way. But once there, the time has come to find your way.

(on camera): How much did you weigh when you came here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two hundred and twenty.

MAL MAHEDY, ACADEMY OF THE SIERRAS STUDENT: I weighed 322.

HENRY: I weighed 591 pounds at my peak.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): These are teenagers who in a sense have become weight-loss pioneers in a brand-new program.

RYAN CRAIG, ACADEMY OF THE SIERRAS: The Academy of the Sierras is the first year-long program for obese and overweight adolescents. And we do it in a boarding-school environment.

TUCHMAN: Jared Fitzpatrick is 13 from Illinois. He is the boy who used to weigh 220.

(on camera): How much do you weigh right now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One hundred and thirty-eight.

TUCHMAN: Mal Mahedy is 17 from Florida. She's the one who weighed 322. She's lost 130 pounds, coming here after a debilitating sophomore year of high school.

MAHEDY: It was the most traumatic experience I've ever had. I got -- it got to the point where I was being made fun of every day, and I just eventually quit school. And I had to be privately tutored.

TUCHMAN: And 16-year-old Terry Henry from New Hampshire is the teen who weighed 591. His life has been very difficult but he's now lost 254 pounds. (on camera): How were you able to even know how much you weighed? The scales don't go that high.

HENRY: I got on a cattle scale.

TUCHMAN: They do their reading, writing and arithmetic here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then, you're like giving us the wrong answer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): But the reason their families are paying a steep $5,500 a month is because nothing else has worked in their efforts to lose weight.

(on camera): In a typical day, when you weighed 591 pounds, how much food did you eat?

HENRY: About 60,000 calories a day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love it.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): About 2,000 calories a day is what the students here average while eating three meals and two snacks. They're allowed no more than 12 daily fat grams. They keep journals of what they eat and how they feel. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. I'm still hungry, and it's after dinner. I want some more soft-serve.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cooking something does require coming up with a plan for it.

TUCHMAN: They learn how to prepare healthy foods with other kids who understand what they're going through.

(on camera): Did you know about nutrition foods before you took this class, for example?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, not really. Like, I knew how to make macaroni and cheese.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does it burn a little bit? Good.

TUCHMAN: They're required to exercise every day. All students wear pedometers, five miles of walking, 10,000 steps are required.

(on camera): Do you carry a pedometer with you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

TUCHMAN: And how many steps have you taken?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Five thousand ninety.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Privileges are taken away from those who ignores exercise and other requirements. Fourteen-year-old Shari Lininger is challenging me to a one-on-one.

(on camera): Nice shot. You are the winner.

(voice-over): .... and challenging herself to lose more than the 82 pounds she has already shed so she can pursue a singing career.

SHARI LININGER, ACADEMY OF THE SIERRAS STUDENT: I have passion for that. And I knew that my weight would potentially keep me from doing that and keep me from being successful in that area of my life.

TUCHMAN (on camera): This class of 36 has lost a combined total of more than 2,400 pounds. Almost all of the kids say they have zooming confidence levels. But what happens when they get back in the real world where there are lots of fast-food restaurants and menacing high school classmates?

(voice-over): Those types of questions are addressed in behavioral classes here, which may be the most important lessons of all.

MOLLY CARMEL, ACADEMY OF THE SIERRAS: It would be nearly impossible for them to do anything if they didn't change the behaviors that they came in with.

TUCHMAN: Terry says he has become disciplined and motivated.

HENRY: If it definitely wasn't for this place, I probably would be dead right now, seriously. I mean, I was one of the biggest human beings in the world. I'd like to get my weight around 200 pounds.

TUCHMAN (on camera): That means you still have about another 137 to go, right?

HENRY: Yes.

TUCHMAN: Do you think you'll make it?

HENRY: I know I'll make it.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Experts not affiliated with the school say the families are a key to these teenagers succeeding.

DR. KEITH AYOOB, ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: Things have to change at home. So while the child's away, the family really needs to implement some major changes as well.

TUCHMAN: The school says it is training the parents. As its first group of eight students goes home for good this week, and while we were there, a good-bye ceremony for those leaving.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you. And everybody, I love you all, and I'll miss you so much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am ready to use the skills which I have been taught for the past nine months. I am ready to start my life again and to succeed this time. TUCHMAN: Terry is not leaving yet. He has more weight to lose, but he received an award for being so inspirational.

As for Shari, who is going home, her voice eloquently conveyed her feelings about her classmates.

LININGER: And I will remember you. Will you remember me? Don't let your life pass you by if not for the memories.

TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN, Reedley, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Tonight, we are tackling this issue of overweight kids. Coming up at 10:00 Eastern in our primetime show, you can learn how to help your own children keep trim. In fact, I'm going to be talking with a registered dietitian and physical fitness expert about childhood obesity and whether kids should even be dieting.

All right, in the meantime, a charity fundraiser that went way beyond door-to-door collections or car washes. A group of men and women so dedicated to their cause that they hiked 200 miles without food. I'm going to talk to two of the participants straight ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY, but first here's Al Hunt to tell us what's ahead on "THE CAPITAL GANG."

AL HUNT, CO-HOST, "THE CAPITAL GANG": Former Democratic House leader Dick Gephardt joins the gang to look at the Bush player alliance and whether the Democrats should rethink compromise on judges. And Capital Gang's very first guest in 1988, then House Speaker Tom Foley joins the gang for a look back. That and more next on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Plenty of people fast for spiritual or health reasons, but not many people fast for 10 days while they are hiking 200 miles. Well, a group of hikers managed to accomplish just that grueling task, all to raise money for the education of girls in Afghanistan. Brian Armstrong and Clifton Wiens organized the hike and they join me from Washington where their long and difficult journey ended just a couple days ago.

Good to see both of you and both in good health today, right?

CLIFTON WIENS, HIKE ORGANIZER: Absolutely.

BRIAN ARMSTRONG, HIKE ORGANIZER: Very good health, thanks, Carol.

LIN: Brian, you called this a slog, actually. I mean I'd say hike, but it was a slog. What's a slog? And how did you come up with the idea?

ARMSTRONG: Slog, I guess is more known in Australia where I'm from, and it just means a long, hard, grueling walk. And that's what this was, a long, hard grueling walk. And yes, I became involved because I became very concerned that -- with the attention turned to Iraq that we're forgetting to finish the job in Afghanistan. I think it's very, very important that we make Afghanistan a success story. And the key to doing that, and one of the main keys, is to educate its women to elevate that country to a whole other status.

LIN: How much money have you managed to raise?

ARMSTRONG: Good question. I think we're probably looking around $30,000 at the moment.

LIN: Wow, that's terrific!

ARMSTRONG: We're pretty happy, yes.

LIN: But it was a lot of work. And I shouldn't say it was completely without food. I mean you did have water, and Cliff, you were allowed a single tea bag. Was it each person got a tea bag or you all had to share one?

WIENS: No, each person got a single tea bag for the entire 10 days. Theoretically we would drink a cup of tea every day, heat it over the fire. It would help reduce the panic if we had panic and were worried about food or so forth. But by about the sixth day, we were so sick of tea, we just went with water the rest of the time.

LIN: Panic because in fact, you were staving yourself, weren't you, Cliff. What did that feel like?

WIENS: Surprisingly, Carol, it didn't feel what you would think. It did not feel the same as going without food for a day in a normal course of a day. Hardly any of us had hunger pangs, you know, after day two or three. It was more about the feet not the hunger. You're concentrating on the walk and you're concentrating on your destination and the cause. And the focus -- really the hardest part is the feet and the heat.

LIN: The feet and the heat because of the blisters, Brian, right? I mean I just heard that walk was ever so painful sometimes.

ARMSTRONG: Well, the feet got really ugly. You don't want to know those details.

LIN: Gruesome details.

ARMSTRONG: I think Cliff might have actually lost a nail, I think it was, one day there. It's looking pretty bad. But it is all about the head and the feet. It's a head game. The hunger -- we can go 21 days in fairly warm weather before we're even remotely risk suffering any kind of permanent damage from lack of food. So 10 days is well within the safety limit and it's just getting your head around that. And once you start, it's not too hard to keep going. It's surprising.

LIN: So the money that you raised, what is it going to go towards? How much can it really buy in Afghanistan? ARMSTRONG: Fifty dollars a year can pay for a teacher. That's how far it can go. We worked for National Geographic and we have an association with the Asia Foundation, which is building and rebuilding schools in Afghanistan and funding those. And they're very up-to-date schools with computer and Internet access. And we're seeing some good returns for the donations that have been made to that fund so far.

LIN: Wow! When you got back Thursday, what was the first thing you ate or did?

ARMSTRONG: Well, we didn't rush to food. It might be surprising. We didn't race out and have a big pizza or anything like that. We wanted some -- perhaps some slightly different drinks than water, you know, some flavored, cold, icy cold drinks, maybe a beer.

LIN: Cliff?

WIENS: Well, some of us, I think, over-ordered actually. I ordered a big salad and a steak, and so forth, and I ended up sipping some miso soup. And after about 10 minutes, I was full.

LIN: Oh my goodness. Yes.

ARMSTRONG: Remember Carol, your stomach shrinks to about the size of a small apple. So to fill yourself is literally just a couple of mouthfuls.

LIN: Yes. And speaking of which, you have a photo where you guys are weighing -- you're weighing in afterwards. How much weight did you lose?

WIENS: I lost 11 pounds.

ARMSTRONG: I lost 23.

LIN: My goodness. Twenty-three pounds, Brian? What did you look like before? That's the question.

ARMSTRONG: I was 23 pounds heavier, yes.

LIN: All right. Well, since this is for the Afghan Girls' Fund, I got to ask you, who was tougher, the men or women on this hike?

WIENS: It was equal, I think. Yes, it was a group effort. And I tell you, you couldn't have had a greater group of people, both men and women. Everyone was tough all the way through, I'd say.

LIN: Tough group with big hearts. Thanks so much.

ARMSTRONG: We had one woman who had to pull out on Day 3 but -- because of a bad knee, but basically as a group effort, we all managed to pull through together.

LIN: Well, I'm sure you're all very proud of yourselves. And it's great to see the effort go towards such a terrific cause. Thanks so much to both of you, Brian, Cliff. ARMSTRONG: You're welcome.

WIENS: Thanks.

LIN: Well, what a story at the Belmont Stakes today. Just minutes ago, Afleet Alex won the million dollar race, this after winning the Preakness last month. Part of Afleet Alex's winnings will go toward fighting childhood cancer.

Tonight at 10:00, we are going to tell you about a special connection between this horse and a little girl who recently lost her battle with cancer. The touching story tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

In the meantime, that's all the time we have for this hour. Coming up next "THE CAPITAL GANG" and then at 8:00 Eastern on CNN, defining moments, a look at the events that defined a generation using -- during CNN's first 25 years. And at 9:00, Larry King and tonight Larry's guest is famed defense attorney Mark Geragos. He is going to talk about Michael Jackson and his most controversial clients.

And of course, I'll be back at 10:00 Eastern for "CNN SATURDAY NIGHT." We are going to talk to Jackson trial insider, Anne Bremner. She has been in the courtroom every day during the trial. Of course, you know the jury is deliberating, so we're going to get her thoughts on what's going on.

After the break, I'll have a check of the hour's headlines.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

Aired June 11, 2005 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Tropical Storm Arlene is bringing back bad memories for folks along the Gulf Coast. This time it's heavy rain and possible tornadoes that are threatening the folks in its path. Our Jacqui Jeras is tracking that storm.
Also, the case of the missing teenager in Aruba -- new developments tonight keep suspects behind bars.

And should your young kids diet? A change in food, eating habits, and even exercise is helping teens at one camp lose hundreds of pounds.

It is June 11 and you're watching CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Carol Lin. Our top story in just a moment, but first these are the stories making news right now.

Today, U.S. Marines carried out air strikes against insurgents in Western Iraq. U.S. military officials say seven precision-guided strikes killed about 40 armed insurgents. Insurgent violence raged on today with at least 19 people killed in and around Baghdad. Police say a suicide bomber exploded his car near the Slovak embassy in Baghdad, wounding four people.

Tragedy in Northern China after a flash flood completely engulfs a primary school. China's official news agency says a torrent of water came crashing down on the school yesterday. Sixty-two of the children inside were killed, along with two adults. Another 24 people were injured.

And a new beginning, well, for some of the world's poorest countries. The group of eight industrialized nations has agreed to wipe out $40 billion in debt for 18 developing countries, many of them in sub-Saharan Africa. G-8 finance ministers say more countries could be eligible for debt relief if they make Democratic reforms.

We begin right now though along the Alabama/Florida panhandle coast where Arlene is pushing northward with heavy winds and rains bringing back some bad memories for residents there. In fact, right now, you're looking at live pictures from Pensacola Beach, Florida. A few hours ago, the first named storm of the hurricane season came ashore almost in the same spot where Hurricane Ivan made landfall nine months ago. CNN's Susan Candiotti is weathering the storm in Pensacola Beach, and meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is tracking the system from our weather center.

Susan, let's start with you. How did you ride out the storm out there?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Carol, as one of the emergency officials put it; I think we fared very well. Certainly, one of the driest tropical storms here, and we're not completely out of the clear yet. Obviously, you can see we're still feeling some of the outer bands as Arlene passes by us, but it never did become a hurricane.

And here are some of the statistics. Again, a dry storm, only two to three inches of rain, 20 to 30 miles per hour sustained winds with gusts of about 40. Those are inland wind speeds, clearly, a little higher here. But throughout the day, we saw people walking on the beach and of course, you could see the waves crashing to shore here, and up against a pier that's very popular here at Pensacola Beach. A lot of people coming out here to take a look at how the storm was coming. About more than 7,000 people lost power as Arlene passed by. However, they do expect and hope that everyone will get that power restored by nightfall.

More good news for those people who evacuated to -- from low- lying areas and to shelters, although it only amounted to fewer than 200 people, to shelters, anyway, they are going to be given the all- clear sign in about an hour from now to go home. So we -- but there is, of course -- this is an area that was hard hit by Ivan last September.

And Matt Edens (ph), you were fortunate not to suffer any damage. Some of your neighbors weren't so lucky.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's absolutely right. Definitely a lot of homes here destroyed. A lot of lives were taken and a lot of monetary damage to city of Pensacola. And I think that's why a lot of people were worried about today.

CANDIOTTI: Indeed. How did -- did you get a feeling in your gut, like oh, no it's going to happen again when you heard that Arlene was heading this way?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I was fortunate enough to hear the reports and kind of knew what to expect, but still everyone fostered a little bit of fear that what if this is another Ivan. And everybody had that sinking suspicion and luckily, we're turned out OK today.

CANDIOTTI: It is early on in the season. How do you think this affects morale, as you look ahead? It's a long road ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think as far as the morale issue, this is just going to be a great eye-opener for us, to wake us up for the season, get everybody prepared and get those medical kits and the first-aid equipment in the houses and get that bottled water stored up. CANDIOTTI: Thank you very much for joining us. And I hope you don't have anything that comes even remotely close to Ivan this hurricane season.

And in fact, authorities here would agree with that assessment. They told us, if anything, Arlene is a reminder that once a storm enters the gulf, it has the potential of striking here and we're never completely off the hook -- Carol.

LIN: Susan, checking the sea behind you, how high do you think those waves are right now?

CANDIOTTI: Well, they're telling us the storm surge really never reached higher than about three feet, five tops. But they said it was more like three feet. They certainly look very menacing. And they were higher a bit earlier this day, but clearly not as worse as they might have hoped.

LIN: Dramatic pictures though. Thanks very much, Susan Cadiotti.

Let's check where the storm is now and where it's actually heading. CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras tracking Arlene from our weather center -- Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Carol, it's right over Atmore, Alabama, at this time. Here you can see it on our tightened radar. It's still pretty easy to pick out the center of circulation. It made landfall between 2:00 and 3:00 this afternoon. And you can see it has also weakened pretty dramatically. Still some occasional thunderstorms and some gusty winds can be expected here, still reaching tropical storm strength. We had some gusts in Mobile, Pensacola, around 30 miles per hour. Valparaiso at 40 miles per hour. These are gusts. These are not maximum sustained winds, so keep that in mind. We're going to occasionally see these little bursts with the winds picking up. And it still is enough that it could possibly aggravate a couple of power lines, maybe some small tree branches coming in.

Now, this is a 5:00 advisory and it shows that the winds at 5:00 Eastern Time, by the way, 50 miles per hour gusting to 65, but it has gone down pretty significantly since that time. We'll get another update around 7:00 Eastern -- or Central Time. Nineteen miles northwest of Pensacola. It is moving northward, about 15 miles per hour. We're expecting it to stay on that track, continuing to move north, continuing at about sustained speed. It will become extra- tropical eventually. And the forecast track has it moving into the Tennessee Valley and eventually, into the Ohio River Valley.

Our primary concern at this hour is really just the rain and occasional gusting winds. The tornado watch has been expired now, so we're not really concerned about that kicking back up. The rain, though, very widespread across the Southeast. We're expecting about two to four inches widespread with the heaviest of rainfall. It's going to be in the eastern parts of Mississippi and into western parts of Alabama. And then it's going to make its way into western Tennessee, eventually on into western Kentucky. So the worst is over and done with. Arlene, our first named storm of the season.

LIN: All right. Arlene sharing the wealth all across the Southeast. Thanks, Jacqui.

Stay with CNN for full coverage of Tropical Storm Arlene because we're going to continue to update you on its strength, any changes as well as its location.

But right now we want to turn to Aruba where we have new developments this hour. A judge has ruled police can continue holding three men arrested in the disappearance of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway. The three suspects went before a judge today, as authorities announced a break in the case. CNN's Karl Penhaul has the very latest from Palm Beach, Aruba.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A senior police official has told CNN that there has been a breakthrough amounting to a confession or some sort of confession by one of the three suspects detained on Thursday in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. The police official has given no further information on that at the moment. But earlier in the day, the Prosecution Service, which is also heading the investigation, had this to say...

VIVIAN VAN DER BIEZEN, PROSECUTOR'S SPOKESWOMAN: Good morning, members of the press. The Prosecution Service has -- is aware of some information that are related to the investigation of alleged statements of witnesses -- of, sorry suspects in this case. And what the Prosecution Service would like to say is at this moment; we neither confirm or deny any information coming from other sources.

The investigation at this point is the following -- we have five suspects. They are being interrogated, and we are at a very crucial and very important moment in our investigation. And as soon as we have all of the information, we will make that available to you. PENHAUL: Other law enforcement sources close to this investigation have told CNN there is no confession at this stage, but they do say there are cracks and discrepancies appearing in the stories that the three young detainees are telling to their interrogators. So far though there's been no crucial clues to the whereabouts of Natalee or her remains.

Karl Penhaul, CNN, Palm Beach, Aruba.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: CNN "Security Watch," a California man suspected of training at an al Qaeda camp in Pakistan remains behind bars. A judge yesterday denied bond for 22-year-old Hamid Hayat of Lodi, California. An FBI affidavit accuses Hayat of attending the al Qaeda camp to learn how to wage terrorist attacks in America. Hayat's father and three other men have been arrested in this investigation.

Now, of course, CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security, so stay tuned to CNN for the latest information day and night.

In the meantime, Howard Dean may not have been the ideal choice for many Democrats to lead the Democratic National Committee. Yet after some blunt and hard-hitting comments about Republicans, they are standing by their man. Today, Democratic leaders rallied behind the party boss. CNN Congressional correspondent Joe Johns reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To hear Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean tell it, last week was a pretty good week for him and the party.

HOWARD DEAN, CHAIRMAN, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE: The last couple days we've raised over $100,000 in 24 hours on the web, unsolicited. People want us to fight, and we are here to fight. We are not going to lie down...

(APPLAUSE)

JOHNS: As voters found out in his race for the White House, Dean has a way with words. But in the days leading up to this weekend's meeting of the Democratic Party's top brass in Washington, Dean's rhetoric about Republicans has attracted increasing attention.

DEAN: They are pretty much -- they all behave the same and they all look the same. And they all -- you know, it's pretty much a white Christian Party.

JOHNS: Dean has also said embattled Republican majority leader Tom Delay, whose fund-raising and foreign travel funding, have come under scrutiny, ought to go back to Houston where he can serve his jail sentence. Delay has not been charged with any crime.

These kinds of comments have made some Democrats nervous and given joy to joke writers.

JAY LENO, TALK SHOW HOST: A large group of Democrats are going to Europe this week, not a fact finding mission. They're just trying to distance themselves from Howard Dean.

JOHNS: And some Democrats with relative degrees of diplomacy have tried to distance themselves. Even a former general chair of the party suggested Dean has stepped over the line.

SEN. CHRIS DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: He's doing a good job as chairman. Did he make a mistake with these comments? Absolutely.

JOHNS: The Senate and House Democratic leaders have also criticized Dean's remarks and plenty of Republicans have, too. One political observer said the problem is Democrats have a wealth of political targets to exploit right now, from social security, to protecting the independence of the judiciary, and don't need Dean turning the spotlight on himself.

PROF. ALLAN LICHTMAN, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: If Howard Dean would just be able to touch right on the line; he would be the most effective advocate the Democrats have.

JOHNS (on camera): Many Democrats agree that the point of Dean's remarks has been to motivate the Democratic base, and they say he's doing that. But some say a little more subtlety and nuance couldn't hurt.

Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: A possible case of mad cow disease right here in the United States. So why is the USDA telling Americans not to worry? A live report from Washington straight ahead.

Now, that we have your attention, yes, that is gunfire. That video is incredible to see and hear. Deputies taking 120 shots at a man who wasn't even armed. Now the fallout from this incident has sparked the sheriff to take action.

And call them weight-loss pioneers, a new program that is helping teenagers shed some major pounds and feel better about themselves.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: New suspicions of a cow in the U.S. infected with mad cow disease have officials in a frenzy for answers. One animal that has been cleared by tests last year is under renewed scrutiny. Our Kathleen Koch is in Washington with more on why the cow is raising new fears.

Kathleen, what happened?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, right now the results are only preliminary. And it's unfortunate timing as the federal government is trying to persuade world markets that U.S. beef is safe to buy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH (voice-over): The possible mad cow case was discovered in November when a cow like this that couldn't walk was brought to slaughter. A preliminary test was inconclusive. A second test found the beef disease-free, but at the urging of consumer groups, the Agriculture Department's inspector general ordered a third, more sophisticated test this week. It came up positive. Agriculture officials say consumers have no cause for alarm.

DR. JOHN CLIFFORD, USDA CHIEF VETERINARIAN: This animal was definitely not into -- in the food supply. It went through a facility that would handle only animals for non-human use, and actually this animal was incinerated.

KOCH: But Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro reserves stronger safeguards against mad cow disease -- said the discovery -- quote -- "raises concerns over the integrity of our cattle." Further testing on a sample of the cows being done by a laboratory in Great Britain and by the Agriculture Department. Mad cow is a chronic and degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system of cattle. Concern over the disease became widespread in the 1990s when more than 150 people died from a human form of the disease after consuming cattle infected during a mad cow outbreak in Great Britain. Until now, the only confirmed case of mad cow in the U.S. was in December 2003 in a dairy cow in Washington State. The discovery prompted a government ban on selling for human consumption any beef parts that could carry mad cow.

BRYAN DIERLAM, NATIONAL CATTLEMEN'S BEEF ASSOCIATION: It's only found in center nervous system tissues and they define them as brain, spinal course, the dorsal root ganglia, basic parts of the animal's anatomy. And all of those parts are removed and in no way, shape or form can enter the human food supply.

KOCH: Still, major buyers worldwide, like Japan and South Korea, have cut off U.S. beef imports, costing the cattle industry $4 billion a year. The federal government is in the middle of negotiations to reopen those markets.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: Tests on the suspect cow will take some two weeks to complete. And despite the reassurances, there's concern that simply the possibility of another case of mad cow disease could U.S. beef consumption both at home and abroad -- Carol.

LIN: Kathleen, thank you very much.

We've also got some news across America. The parents of a 13- year-old Texas girl are dropping their objections to treating their daughter's cancer. Katie Wernecke's parents had insisted radiation treatments would only harm their daughter. Well, last week, they lost custody of the girl. And now, the parents say they've changed their minds, based on tests that show their daughter's cancer is no longer in remission.

A major recall for Nissan, the auto maker is calling back 49,000 2005 Sentra Sedans because of a concern that potential fuel leaks could spark fires. Now, so far Nissan has no reports of injuries or fires. Nissan is suggesting customers take their vehicles to a dealer to be checked out.

Some ambitious athletes are more than halfway through their quest to make it into the world record books. Two softball teams in Forth Smith, Arkansas are hoping to play ball for 61 hours straight to break the record for the longest continuous game. They're 36 hours into the quest. The girls are doing it to raise money to renovate their ballpark.

And two brushes with death for one Marine in Iraq. When CNN LIVE SATURDAY returns on the front lines, a wounded Marine returns to his home base but only as a visitor. And later, hikers on a mission, why five men and four women made a 200-mile trek with only water and a tea bag to quell their hunger pangs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Every week we like to bring you the more personal stories from the frontlines. And it seems daily we report on the ubiquitous IEDs in Iraq, those improvised explosive devices. Well, a U.S. Marine who lived through not one but two separate run-ins with the homemade bombs is now putting his life back together. Our Bill Tucker has his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lance Corporal Borquez was wounded in Iraq a couple times, got blown up, a couple of IEDs, correct?

BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lance Corporal Nathan Borquez is on an unfamiliar mission. He's a visitor at his home base, Camp Pendleton, California.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you feeling?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm feeling good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good.

TUCKER: Although he looks well, home for Borquez is a hospital. He's been there for months recovering and hoping for a normal life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got some real bad concussions.

TUCKER: Borquez has two purple hearts. His first brush with death came on his 20th birthday.

BORQUEZ: I was on a convoy and the convoy got struck by an IED, an improvised explosive device, and I was hit in the head with some frag and knocked unconscious.

TUCKER: He came to, was checked out, and sent back to work.

BORQUEZ: Dazed, headache, just not the same. It was a weird, weird experience.

TUCKER: He struggled but he did his job. A month later he was hit in the head again by another IED.

BORQUEZ: I just couldn't believe it happened a second time. The symptoms were much worse this time and my memory, along with my balance, was off by a lot.

TUCKER: Borquez had suffered traumatic concussions and damage to his eardrums.

BORQUEZ: I thought I was going to shake it off. I thought it was just a regular type of knock in the head.

TUCKER: He tried again to go back to work, but this time his fellow Marines could see that he wasn't right and he was sent home to recover. Borquez has been hospitalized every since, undergoing treatment to restore his memory, his hearing, and to deal with his constant vertigo.

BORQUEZ: It'll take a couple -- a year or two for me to heal up and get back to normal.

TUCKER: Borquez will soon be medically retired from the Marine Corps. He says he feels better just having a chance to visit with the Marines that he served with and those of a previous generation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And for you, I want to thank you, and I want to wish you well and salutations to your mother and you father for having you back.

BORQUEZ: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK?

BORQUEZ: Thank you, sir.

TUCKER: Bill Tucker, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All right, Tropical Storm Arlene moves ashore along the Gulf Coast as heavy rain continues to pound the area. We are going to get a live report and a look at the storm's movement straight ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

Also, a hail of gunfire by sheriff's deputies in the middle of a neighborhood sparks punishment for those involved and new rules for police confrontations.

And this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY HENRY, ACADEMY OF THE SIERRAS STUDENT: If it definitely wasn't for this place, I probably would be dead right now, seriously. I mean, I was one of the biggest human beings in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Some might call it a fat camp but for the teenagers who attend, it's proving to be a life-altering experience. You're watching CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Welcome back, I'm Carol Lin. And here's a quick look at what's happening right now in the news. A judge in Aruba has just ruled police can continue holding three young suspects in the case of a missing American teen. We have conflicting reports about whether the suspect has confessed. Two other men were also arrested connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.

A group reported to be a documentary film crew that includes Americans is safe in Namibia. They have been rescued in good health in the southern African country. The international group went missing earlier this week.

U.S. Marine air strikes killed about 40 insurgents in Western Iraq today. The military reports all targets were demolished and there were no American casualties. The insurgents were stopping civilian vehicles with guns.

And elsewhere in Iraq, 13 local civilians were killed in scattered incidents.

Now, we want to get back to our top story, Tropical Storm Arlene. It has been hours since landfall now and the system is weakening, as it moves north, but it is still making its presence felt along the Alabama/Florida panhandle coast. CNN's Bob Franken is standing by there in Pensacola Beach, Florida.

Bob, what's the day been like for you out there?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you can see, it's been a little wet. But as storms go, Arlene was a bust, and that of course is a good thing when it comes to tropical storms versus hurricanes. This rubbed some raw wounds here in the area that we're in, the area that was hit so hard by Hurricane Ivan in just September. This time it was in effect a dress rehearsal. An official told us that you always, when you have a tropical storm like this, always have to be prepared. You're never off the hook, said one emergency official. But the statistics weren't bad: 20 to 30 mile per hour winds at the airplane with gusts up to 40. There was two to three inches of rain, so we're not talking about a really awful day.

Nevertheless there is continuing winds. And the power outages numbered about 11,000 in this three-county area. Officials are working hard to restore the power. They expect that they're going to have it back either tonight or tomorrow morning.

You can see in back of me that surf's up. They had one arrest here that was spotted today when a person insisted on going into the water. They were not allowed to. There were police orders not to. But you can see that a lot of people have come down to the beach, which gives you some idea of the fact that people are fairly calm about this, even though the weather is not exactly calm. The wind continues to whip up. The rain, as you can see, Carol, continues to whip up. But this was a good one. It did not turn into what, as we learned so tragically last year, could (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

LIN: Yes, hard to forget, Bob, definitely. So what is the plan from here? Is there a chance for people to actually go out and assess the damage or at least some of the damage, to get a bigger picture, of what Arlene's full impact really was? FRANKEN: Well, I think what -- the short answer to that is what damage? Apparently, there was very little. There may have been a few trees down although one official said that she didn't even know about that. But some power lines were affected, so there was a little bit of damage, but this really wasn't much. As a matter of fact, I was at a ball game the other night and it rained harder than this, and then after that they played the game.

LIN: Some good perspective. Thanks very much, Bob Franken, out there in Pensacola Beach.

Well, let's get the latest on the storms' strength and location. CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras joins me now from the weather center.

Jacqui, of course, the rain is not stopping. So who's going to -- who else is going to get wet out there?

JERAS: Well, people in Mississippi and Alabama particularly, also in the Florida Panhandle. And some flooding that's going to be possible especially right along those state lines, as the system continues to push on up to the north. It's still a tropical storm. The 5:00 advisory Eastern Time, that's 4:00 Central, had maximum sustained winds at 50 miles per hour and I'm sure those are down now. In fact, we're having a hard time finding gusts, wind gusts, around 40 miles per hour. You can expect that occasionally with some of these thunderstorms that still go around the center of circulation. You can see that's right around Atmore, Alabama at this time.

Heavy rain all across the Southeast, general amounts of about two to four inches, and like Bob mentioned, you can get that out of an isolated storm. In fact, I think the weather tonight has been worse across parts of Wisconsin, also down into parts of Texas. In fact, law enforcement just reporting a tornado on the ground now in Randall County. It's four miles north of Happy, and it's pushing up to the north and to the east around 15 miles an hour. Severe thunderstorm watches also in effect in Wisconsin. A little damage reported in Saint Troy County just over the river from Minneapolis. We'll keep you up to date with the tornadoes and the tropical storm all night -- Carol.

LIN: It's a wild June so far. Thanks, Jacqui.

Well, we were riveted by the images. Sheriff's deputies firing shot after shot after shot at an unarmed motorist in Compton, California last month, a 120 shots in all. Those involved are being disciplined. But needless to say the sheriff department has been trying to do a lot of damage control. Peter Viles reports on this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A 120 shots fired at an unarmed man. Who was responsible? Well, ultimately, this man, the sheriff of Los Angeles County, Lee Baca. Those were his deputies.

SHERIFF LEE BACA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY: The sheriff's department can do better and it will do better. I can do better, and my deputies can do better.

VILES: Baca has been taking the heat for a month now at town hall meetings like this one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When is the police department going to turn around and say, they're wrong, they are just wrong?

VILES: And now, the sheriff is standing up. Yes, the deputies were wrong, he says. They apologized. And a dozen deputies and a sergeant have been reprimanded or suspended for up to 15 days. A lawyer for the deputies' union says several of those deputies are planning to appeal the decision.

Baca has also implemented a new policy on when to shoot at vehicles. The short version -- don't shoot. If the driver won't get out, stand back and call in the S.W.A.T. team even if you have to shut down a freeway, which is exactly what Baca's S.W.A.T. team did in this standoff Tuesday.

BACA: It took a long time. It was about four hours and a lot of people were very upset about that. But reverence for human life means just exactly that, that if we've got to wait for an hour or two hours or three to save a life, we'll wait.

VILES: The driver who was shot in Compton did survive, but on the streets of Compton, residents are still angry and told us 15 days' suspension doesn't cut it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police (UNINTELLIGIBLE), that's not a punishment. Fifteen days?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they should have fired them, period, no suspension, fired them, no money at all.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It had to have been anybody else, they would do some type of time. What is 15 days? That's no time.

VILES: City officials, though, give Baca credit for taking the blame himself and for listening to the community.

ISADORE HALL, COMPTON CITY COUNCIL: On a range of 1 to 10, I'd give him an 8.5 to 9 and here's why, he had four town hall meetings. He walked every door, literally, door knocked every single door.

VILES: Baca says a lot of this comes down to respect. In firing all those shots, his deputies disrespected the community and he's trying to right that wrong.

BACA: The only person that's going to address that feeling that you are disrespected as a citizen is me. The only way people understand respect is for the guy at the top of the organization to give it to them.

VILES: Peter Viles for CNN, Compton, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LIN: Parents are shedding big bucks to help their children shed a lot of pounds, and it's changing lives, as well as appearances. That is next on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

And an endurance test with a cause. Hikers pound the dirt around Washington, D.C. while their hearts are focused on the other side of the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: All right, everyone wants a magic pill for weight loss, but nothing seems to beat the tried and true method of sensible eating combined with exercise. Well, a group of overweight teens is learning that lesson at a special school out in California. Their stories are full of emotion and they are sharing them with our Gary Tuchman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When getting to this isolated location in California's San Joaquin Valley, it's easy to lose your way. But once there, the time has come to find your way.

(on camera): How much did you weigh when you came here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two hundred and twenty.

MAL MAHEDY, ACADEMY OF THE SIERRAS STUDENT: I weighed 322.

HENRY: I weighed 591 pounds at my peak.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): These are teenagers who in a sense have become weight-loss pioneers in a brand-new program.

RYAN CRAIG, ACADEMY OF THE SIERRAS: The Academy of the Sierras is the first year-long program for obese and overweight adolescents. And we do it in a boarding-school environment.

TUCHMAN: Jared Fitzpatrick is 13 from Illinois. He is the boy who used to weigh 220.

(on camera): How much do you weigh right now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One hundred and thirty-eight.

TUCHMAN: Mal Mahedy is 17 from Florida. She's the one who weighed 322. She's lost 130 pounds, coming here after a debilitating sophomore year of high school.

MAHEDY: It was the most traumatic experience I've ever had. I got -- it got to the point where I was being made fun of every day, and I just eventually quit school. And I had to be privately tutored.

TUCHMAN: And 16-year-old Terry Henry from New Hampshire is the teen who weighed 591. His life has been very difficult but he's now lost 254 pounds. (on camera): How were you able to even know how much you weighed? The scales don't go that high.

HENRY: I got on a cattle scale.

TUCHMAN: They do their reading, writing and arithmetic here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then, you're like giving us the wrong answer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): But the reason their families are paying a steep $5,500 a month is because nothing else has worked in their efforts to lose weight.

(on camera): In a typical day, when you weighed 591 pounds, how much food did you eat?

HENRY: About 60,000 calories a day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love it.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): About 2,000 calories a day is what the students here average while eating three meals and two snacks. They're allowed no more than 12 daily fat grams. They keep journals of what they eat and how they feel. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. I'm still hungry, and it's after dinner. I want some more soft-serve.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cooking something does require coming up with a plan for it.

TUCHMAN: They learn how to prepare healthy foods with other kids who understand what they're going through.

(on camera): Did you know about nutrition foods before you took this class, for example?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, not really. Like, I knew how to make macaroni and cheese.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does it burn a little bit? Good.

TUCHMAN: They're required to exercise every day. All students wear pedometers, five miles of walking, 10,000 steps are required.

(on camera): Do you carry a pedometer with you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

TUCHMAN: And how many steps have you taken?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Five thousand ninety.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Privileges are taken away from those who ignores exercise and other requirements. Fourteen-year-old Shari Lininger is challenging me to a one-on-one.

(on camera): Nice shot. You are the winner.

(voice-over): .... and challenging herself to lose more than the 82 pounds she has already shed so she can pursue a singing career.

SHARI LININGER, ACADEMY OF THE SIERRAS STUDENT: I have passion for that. And I knew that my weight would potentially keep me from doing that and keep me from being successful in that area of my life.

TUCHMAN (on camera): This class of 36 has lost a combined total of more than 2,400 pounds. Almost all of the kids say they have zooming confidence levels. But what happens when they get back in the real world where there are lots of fast-food restaurants and menacing high school classmates?

(voice-over): Those types of questions are addressed in behavioral classes here, which may be the most important lessons of all.

MOLLY CARMEL, ACADEMY OF THE SIERRAS: It would be nearly impossible for them to do anything if they didn't change the behaviors that they came in with.

TUCHMAN: Terry says he has become disciplined and motivated.

HENRY: If it definitely wasn't for this place, I probably would be dead right now, seriously. I mean, I was one of the biggest human beings in the world. I'd like to get my weight around 200 pounds.

TUCHMAN (on camera): That means you still have about another 137 to go, right?

HENRY: Yes.

TUCHMAN: Do you think you'll make it?

HENRY: I know I'll make it.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Experts not affiliated with the school say the families are a key to these teenagers succeeding.

DR. KEITH AYOOB, ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: Things have to change at home. So while the child's away, the family really needs to implement some major changes as well.

TUCHMAN: The school says it is training the parents. As its first group of eight students goes home for good this week, and while we were there, a good-bye ceremony for those leaving.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you. And everybody, I love you all, and I'll miss you so much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am ready to use the skills which I have been taught for the past nine months. I am ready to start my life again and to succeed this time. TUCHMAN: Terry is not leaving yet. He has more weight to lose, but he received an award for being so inspirational.

As for Shari, who is going home, her voice eloquently conveyed her feelings about her classmates.

LININGER: And I will remember you. Will you remember me? Don't let your life pass you by if not for the memories.

TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN, Reedley, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Tonight, we are tackling this issue of overweight kids. Coming up at 10:00 Eastern in our primetime show, you can learn how to help your own children keep trim. In fact, I'm going to be talking with a registered dietitian and physical fitness expert about childhood obesity and whether kids should even be dieting.

All right, in the meantime, a charity fundraiser that went way beyond door-to-door collections or car washes. A group of men and women so dedicated to their cause that they hiked 200 miles without food. I'm going to talk to two of the participants straight ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY, but first here's Al Hunt to tell us what's ahead on "THE CAPITAL GANG."

AL HUNT, CO-HOST, "THE CAPITAL GANG": Former Democratic House leader Dick Gephardt joins the gang to look at the Bush player alliance and whether the Democrats should rethink compromise on judges. And Capital Gang's very first guest in 1988, then House Speaker Tom Foley joins the gang for a look back. That and more next on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Plenty of people fast for spiritual or health reasons, but not many people fast for 10 days while they are hiking 200 miles. Well, a group of hikers managed to accomplish just that grueling task, all to raise money for the education of girls in Afghanistan. Brian Armstrong and Clifton Wiens organized the hike and they join me from Washington where their long and difficult journey ended just a couple days ago.

Good to see both of you and both in good health today, right?

CLIFTON WIENS, HIKE ORGANIZER: Absolutely.

BRIAN ARMSTRONG, HIKE ORGANIZER: Very good health, thanks, Carol.

LIN: Brian, you called this a slog, actually. I mean I'd say hike, but it was a slog. What's a slog? And how did you come up with the idea?

ARMSTRONG: Slog, I guess is more known in Australia where I'm from, and it just means a long, hard, grueling walk. And that's what this was, a long, hard grueling walk. And yes, I became involved because I became very concerned that -- with the attention turned to Iraq that we're forgetting to finish the job in Afghanistan. I think it's very, very important that we make Afghanistan a success story. And the key to doing that, and one of the main keys, is to educate its women to elevate that country to a whole other status.

LIN: How much money have you managed to raise?

ARMSTRONG: Good question. I think we're probably looking around $30,000 at the moment.

LIN: Wow, that's terrific!

ARMSTRONG: We're pretty happy, yes.

LIN: But it was a lot of work. And I shouldn't say it was completely without food. I mean you did have water, and Cliff, you were allowed a single tea bag. Was it each person got a tea bag or you all had to share one?

WIENS: No, each person got a single tea bag for the entire 10 days. Theoretically we would drink a cup of tea every day, heat it over the fire. It would help reduce the panic if we had panic and were worried about food or so forth. But by about the sixth day, we were so sick of tea, we just went with water the rest of the time.

LIN: Panic because in fact, you were staving yourself, weren't you, Cliff. What did that feel like?

WIENS: Surprisingly, Carol, it didn't feel what you would think. It did not feel the same as going without food for a day in a normal course of a day. Hardly any of us had hunger pangs, you know, after day two or three. It was more about the feet not the hunger. You're concentrating on the walk and you're concentrating on your destination and the cause. And the focus -- really the hardest part is the feet and the heat.

LIN: The feet and the heat because of the blisters, Brian, right? I mean I just heard that walk was ever so painful sometimes.

ARMSTRONG: Well, the feet got really ugly. You don't want to know those details.

LIN: Gruesome details.

ARMSTRONG: I think Cliff might have actually lost a nail, I think it was, one day there. It's looking pretty bad. But it is all about the head and the feet. It's a head game. The hunger -- we can go 21 days in fairly warm weather before we're even remotely risk suffering any kind of permanent damage from lack of food. So 10 days is well within the safety limit and it's just getting your head around that. And once you start, it's not too hard to keep going. It's surprising.

LIN: So the money that you raised, what is it going to go towards? How much can it really buy in Afghanistan? ARMSTRONG: Fifty dollars a year can pay for a teacher. That's how far it can go. We worked for National Geographic and we have an association with the Asia Foundation, which is building and rebuilding schools in Afghanistan and funding those. And they're very up-to-date schools with computer and Internet access. And we're seeing some good returns for the donations that have been made to that fund so far.

LIN: Wow! When you got back Thursday, what was the first thing you ate or did?

ARMSTRONG: Well, we didn't rush to food. It might be surprising. We didn't race out and have a big pizza or anything like that. We wanted some -- perhaps some slightly different drinks than water, you know, some flavored, cold, icy cold drinks, maybe a beer.

LIN: Cliff?

WIENS: Well, some of us, I think, over-ordered actually. I ordered a big salad and a steak, and so forth, and I ended up sipping some miso soup. And after about 10 minutes, I was full.

LIN: Oh my goodness. Yes.

ARMSTRONG: Remember Carol, your stomach shrinks to about the size of a small apple. So to fill yourself is literally just a couple of mouthfuls.

LIN: Yes. And speaking of which, you have a photo where you guys are weighing -- you're weighing in afterwards. How much weight did you lose?

WIENS: I lost 11 pounds.

ARMSTRONG: I lost 23.

LIN: My goodness. Twenty-three pounds, Brian? What did you look like before? That's the question.

ARMSTRONG: I was 23 pounds heavier, yes.

LIN: All right. Well, since this is for the Afghan Girls' Fund, I got to ask you, who was tougher, the men or women on this hike?

WIENS: It was equal, I think. Yes, it was a group effort. And I tell you, you couldn't have had a greater group of people, both men and women. Everyone was tough all the way through, I'd say.

LIN: Tough group with big hearts. Thanks so much.

ARMSTRONG: We had one woman who had to pull out on Day 3 but -- because of a bad knee, but basically as a group effort, we all managed to pull through together.

LIN: Well, I'm sure you're all very proud of yourselves. And it's great to see the effort go towards such a terrific cause. Thanks so much to both of you, Brian, Cliff. ARMSTRONG: You're welcome.

WIENS: Thanks.

LIN: Well, what a story at the Belmont Stakes today. Just minutes ago, Afleet Alex won the million dollar race, this after winning the Preakness last month. Part of Afleet Alex's winnings will go toward fighting childhood cancer.

Tonight at 10:00, we are going to tell you about a special connection between this horse and a little girl who recently lost her battle with cancer. The touching story tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

In the meantime, that's all the time we have for this hour. Coming up next "THE CAPITAL GANG" and then at 8:00 Eastern on CNN, defining moments, a look at the events that defined a generation using -- during CNN's first 25 years. And at 9:00, Larry King and tonight Larry's guest is famed defense attorney Mark Geragos. He is going to talk about Michael Jackson and his most controversial clients.

And of course, I'll be back at 10:00 Eastern for "CNN SATURDAY NIGHT." We are going to talk to Jackson trial insider, Anne Bremner. She has been in the courtroom every day during the trial. Of course, you know the jury is deliberating, so we're going to get her thoughts on what's going on.

After the break, I'll have a check of the hour's headlines.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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