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CNN Live Saturday

Thet Shopping Season has Started off Well; Escaped Prisoners are Being Rounded up in Washington; Several violent attacks have been reported on this Saturday in the fight for Iraq; demonstrators on both sides of the Iraq war debate are trying to get their voices heard this Thanksgiving holiday weekend; There are growing concerns about airport workers, especially those with direct access to cargo and luggage. China's government is scrambling to contain the political as well as environmental fallout from a toxic river spill.

Aired November 26, 2005 -   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Troops burned the bodies of bodies decomposing in the sun. The Army determined it was a bad judgment call not the violation of the rules of war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. JASON KAMIYA, U.S. ARMY: The U.S. military forces did not violate the law of war, and for hygiene purposes only, disposed of any remain through burning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: It was the first of a major Palestinian milestone. More than 1,500 people use used a nearly open border crossing between Gaza and Egypt today with no Israeli security checks. It's the first time Palestinian had control of the border in nearly 40 years.

And did you shop in Wal-Mart this weekend? You weren't alone. We know. The retail giant expects a four percent gain in the period that includes the after-Thanksgiving frenzy. Smiling faces, indeed.

Well, you can call today the eye of the holiday weekend storm. Travelers far fewer than we'll see tomorrow, shoppers, so many, that the retailers are the ones giving thanks. Susan Lisovicz is in the trenches tonight in a swirl of turkey-fuelled mall shoppers in New Jersey. We'll check in with her after a travel Sunday weather outlook from CNN's Brad Huffines -- Brad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll look forward to that. Thanks a lot, Brad.

Well, nervous retailers fretting about the start of Shopfest 2005 are resting easy tonight, well most of them anyway. The malls are full, plastic flying, and several risky promotion gambles appear to be paying off. On the phone now, CNN's Susan Lisovicz is at Garden State Plaza Mall in Paramous, New Jersey. On the phone because the mall is so thick with people, they're crowd are our camera lens. Well, just kidding about the camera lens -- Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah Fredricka, I'm out in the parking lot now, and you know, before when I was inside among the throngs, I had my unscientific shopping bag in hand survey, and there lots of shopping bags in hand.

Now I have the cars circling the parking lot survey, equally unscientific, but equally pointing to the fact that there are a lot of people here planning to do some shopping. And you know, whatever the numbers say, I mean, in some of the numbers, early numbers, are promising, Fredricka I think that one thing that can't be denied, this holiday weekend, this official start to the holiday shopping season is going to be remembered as one of the most heavily promoted ever. Two reasons, real quickly. Wal-mart stumbled last year. It didn't cut prices aggressively enough and it missed its early estimates as a result. It didn't want 20 repeat that. And it was rewarded, apparently, as the result. But also because of the fear among retailers, in general, about the high energy prices and what that would do to family budgets. So it was pretty much planned early on that there were going to be very aggressive discounts early in the season, and consumers, it seems, are responding.

WHITFIELD: And Susan, you know what? I think everybody recalls hearing Christmas music around Halloween this year and seeing those promotions, so the merchants had some pretty good ideas, I suppose, in the end?

LISOVICZ: Yeah I suppose so. You know, the only reason we're not seeing an early October is because Halloween has become such a huge commercial success. Halloween has become a really big event for retailers. Otherwise, we'd have it, maybe, in September, we'd be hearing "White Christmas."

WHITFIELD: Oh, that would be too much.

LISOVICZ: But, yeah they're starting early. It is too much. I mean, there are a lot people complain about it. On the other hand, Fredricka, you know, you're seeing a very focused consumer. When I was talking to people at 8:00 a.m. today when the doors opened, they had coupons in their hand, they very focused strategies about how they were going to get through this holiday season, and there were some shoppers who said flat out, if it's not on sale, I'm not buying it.

WHITFIELD: Well, all right. I'm sure we're going to be hearing a lot of that during this holiday shopping season. Susan Lisovicz thanks so much.

LISOVICZ: My pleasure, Fred.

WHITFIELD: A one-day taste of freedom is over this evening for two violent crime suspects in Washington State. Terry Moser and Santos Luera are back in police custody after a phone tipster pointed police their way. Two of the accomplices are still on the run. All four escaped from a jail in Yakima, Washington, yesterday. On the phone now, Yakima police chief, Sam Granato.

Chief, thanks again for being with us. So, it was some community policing that helped lead you all to the suspects or the prison inmates who were escapees?

CHIEF SAM GRANATO, YAKIMA POLICE DEPT: That's correct. We received cooperation from an anonymous citizen who thought that we should check out a residence on Dolphin Lane, here in Yakima. It led to the arrest.

WHITFIELD: And so what happened when you got there? Were you able to approach these escapees without fanfare?

GRANATO: Well, they were able to secure the premises and then made contact with the lady who was in charge of the house, she rented the house, and it turned out to be sons of Luera's sister and she gave permission to search and they were able to locate both in an attic.

WHITFIELD: And then what happened when approached in the attic? So, obviously they were not armed, they did not have weapons?

GRANATO: Yeah. They did not give any resistance to the officers.

WHITFIELD: All right, and, Chief, are they cooperating at this juncture in any way by helping you, getting you any information to lead you to the other two suspects still at large?

GRANATO: The detectives are interviewing them both to see what information they can obtain from them to determine whether there have any information where the other two inmates who are still outstanding are at.

WHITFIELD: Is it your suspicion the other two inmates or escapees have friends or family in the area and that you'll be reaching out to them, as well right away?

GRANATO: Well, we have been. We know that both of them, the two outstanding, John Alaimo and Soto both have family in the area, so we are definitely tracking those leads down. In fact, most of those were tact contacted last night and that led to the information that Soto was spotted in a community south of Yakima last night about 7:30 after his flee.

WHITFIELD: All right, and Chief Granato, it seems like not only the escape but even trying to find a place of safety all very typical, unimaginative routes from the tying of the sheets and making their way out of the prison to now going to a friends or family members. What is being learned of this investigation right now, based on these details of the escape and now the capture?

GRANATO: Well, like I said, we don't have -- that investigation is being handled by the Yakima County Corrections Department, because it was their facility they escaped from. Other than the information we have -- as to how they got out, that's pretty much all I have.

WHITFIELD: All right, Police Chief Sam Granato of Yakima, thanks so much for being with us.

GRANATO: You're welcome.

WHITFIELD: Other stories we're working for you right here on CNN LIVE SATURDAY, everyone's doing it, but some may not know how. We're talking about going digital. Consumer analyst Robin List joins me live with a snapshot of the right way to go.

Plus, on the frontline, the victims of Hurricane Katrina find a chance for a better life after boarding a plane not knowing where they would end up.

And later, toxic river. A chemical spill leaves nearly four million people without running water, as China tries to clean up the mess with the focus shifting on who was at fault.

Several violent attacks have been reported on this Saturday in the fight for Iraq. They include a car bomb attack on a convoy of armored vehicles in Baghdad. Officials in the convoy escaped unharmed when four Iraqi civilians, they were killed. The violence happened as a new videotape surfaced apparently showing a recent Al-Qaeda suicide attack on a Baghdad hotel. CNN's Nic Robertson is in Baghdad with a look at the disturbing images.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On what purports to be an Al-Qaeda videotape, insurgents celebrate while watching what they claim is their bombing of the Palestine Hotel last month. It appears the reinforced coalition concerns. They attacked a hotel housing western journalists to maximize publicity. While CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video it appears to the show insurgents preparing for the three-man suicide attack that killed at least 10 people, particularly details in the Al-Qaeda propaganda video released in the Associated Press seem to match the widely publicized attack. Like the cement truck used to carry the third suicide bomber.

MAJ. GEN. RICK LYNCH, COALITION SPOKESMAN: What I'd like to talk about is not just what happened but the impact...

ROBERTSON: At a briefing only days before the new video was released, U.S. commanders were detailing just why Zarqawi and Al-Qaeda in Iraq used suicide attacks in preference to others when they can.

LYNCH: Less than two percent are suicide attacks, but they account for more than 30 percent of the casualties.

ROBERTSON: Curtailing suicide bombings, Lynch says, is a measure of success. During "Operation Steel Curtain," close to the Syrian border, and operations in that region going back to September 1st, Lynch claims 35 days out of 81 have been suicide bomber-free.

LYNCH: Significant reduction in visibility to mask suicide attacks is extremely important, and an indicator of the progress we've made, specifically the progress we made in Al Anbar.

ROBERTSON: But while suicide attacks are down, insurgents seem to be switching focus. Just three weeks after bombing the Palestine Hotel, two suicide bombers tried to blow up the Hamra Hotel, another place where Western journalists live. Like the Palestine Hotel attack, the Hamra bombing was caught on camera.

(on camera): The very fact Zarqawi could is targeting places guaranteed to give him plenty of policety is an indication he's likely having a tough time recruiting enough suicide bombers and is likely using his recruits to maximum effect. The fact he is still able to attack is also likely an indication the U.S. troops are refining their tactics, too. Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And outside Baghdad, the U.S. military has launched a new offensive against Iraqi insurgents. "Operation Tiger" is underway in Ramadi. About 550 U.S. and Iraqi troops are taking part.

Meanwhile, attorneys for Saddam Hussein and his co-defendants are expected to request a delay in their trial. The trial of Hussein and seven others is scheduled to resume on Monday. Also, the military announced that a U.S. soldier was killed by a roadside bomb Friday in western Iraq. His death brings the total number of U.S. service members killed since the war began to 2,105.

Iraq also remains a hot topic in Crawford, that's where we find our Elaine Quijano.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And demonstrators on both sides of the Iraq war debate are trying to get their voices heard this Thanksgiving holiday weekend. I'll have that story, coming up.

WHITFIELD: Plus, you guessed it if you're cutting down on your holiday shopping list. We'll take you to one city that may have the solution.

And later, herbal remedies. Like it or not, the sneezing season is upon us. Well give you some natural ways to kick that cold.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Here in the U.S., President Bush has some company this weekend near his Texas ranch. A small group of aents war protesters including Cindy Sheehan are camping out near Crawford. Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq, Casey, also signed copies of her new anti-war book. A few other demonstrators also turned out to support the president they say Cindy Sheehan is misrepresenting military families. CNN's Elaine Quijano is standing by in Crawford with more on that -- Elaine.

QUIJANO: And Fredricka, anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan is back in town essentially delivering the same message she first brought here to Crawford in August. She basically wants U.S. forces out of Iraq immediately. The crowds, though, noticeably smaller than over the summer, today about 100 people gathered at the campsite they have dubbed Camp Casey in honor of Sheehan son killed in Iraq last year.

At the same time, Sheehan's presence is attracting counter protesters. A handful set up a tent on a corner in Crawford. They led by Gary Pauls (PH) whose son, Louis, died in Iraq last year. He supports President Bush's Iraq policy and says Sheehan's effort are hurting the morale of the troops abroad.

As for President Bush, he remained out of sight continuing to spend this holiday weekend on his ranch. But in his weekly radio address, the president reiterated his position the United States should stay the course in Iraq.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Military families who mourn the fallen can know that America will not forget their sacrifice. And they can know that we will honor that sacrifice by completing the noble mission for which they're loved ones gave their lives.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

QUIJANO: And on Wednesday, President Bush will deliver a speech on the war on terror in Annapolis. Now, the president, expect him to once again defend his Iraq policy and to talk about progress being made on the political front and the military front, as well, specifically when it comes to the training of Iraqi security forces -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Elaine Quijano, thanks so much from Crawford.

Other headlines making news, "Across America," now: Danger, thin ice. Three people are dead, two of them children in separate frozen pond accidents in southern Wisconsin. All three of them fell through thin ice while skating or riding ATVs.

A huge fire on Chesapeake Bay: This is historic downtown Annapolis, Maryland near the U.S. Naval Academy Campus. At least three businesses were gutted. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Fire rescuers believe an electrical failure started that blaze.

And Stanley "Tookie" Williams' fate might be -- in the hands of the governor. The California death row inmate's sentence is under review by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Williams is set to die December 13 for murders committed in 1979. The governor has the power to commute a death sentence.

Life after Hurricane Katrina: One family's cross-country journey just to find a new home. We're going on the frontlines, next.

Plus, with so many traveling this holiday weekend we thought we'd take a closer look at the people providing security at our nation's airports. Can they be trusted?

You're watching "Your Security" straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Every week we bring you the more personal stories from the frontline. Today, the story of Katrina evacuees who found a new home and eventually a new life on a military base in Massachusetts. CNN's Adorey Udoji has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADOREY UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Burns family, Tina, Reynold, and son Leroy, could never have imagined the life they're living today and the city they're living it.

TINA BURNS, KATRINA SURVIVOR: We see a chance to have a better life, since an act of god brought us here, then I think that we'll stay here.

UDOJI: Here, would be Cambridge, Massachusetts, light years away from New Orleans. The act of god, Hurricane Katrina, forced them on to a harrowing journey, hours in the filthy convention center and a sleepless night with thousands and the chaos of Louis Armstrong Airport wondering if their misery would ever end.

REYNOLD BURNS, KATRINA SURVIVOR: Not being able to rest, not having a place to seep in, you know, I mean, we were in there for about 12 hours.

UDOJI: They, like so many, clamored onto FEMA the disorganized free flights to emergency shelters in 48 states, but the agency was so overwhelmed, it couldn't tell them where they were going until takeoff.

R. BURNS: The pilot came on and, was like, OK, we'll be flying over Boston, Massachusetts in 2-1/2 hours. And we're like, wow. Massachusetts?

UDOJI: Straight over Boston, they were evacuated at first to Cape Cod, the summer playground of the rich and famous.

R. BURNS: And there's Leroy. And me.

T. BURNS: There I am.

R. BURNS: There she is.

UDOJI: The last place on earth the Burns thought they'd ever be. They'd never seen this video of their arrival until now.

UDOJI (on camera): What's going on the plane?

R. BURNS: It's pretty noisy. It's -- you know, a lot of people are cheering and a lot of people are...

T. BURNS: We made it safely.

UDOJI (voice-over): Safe but understandably nervous. Then they met Reverend Brown.

T. BURNS: He said, you are fate. You're going to be OK.

REV. JEFFERY BROWN, CAMP EDWARDS, MASSACHUSETTS: I told them that we want you to know you're welcome in this place.

T. BURNS: Those simple words, what's so incredibly phenomenal.

R. BURNS: They were so nice to us.

UDOJI: The family settled in at camp Edwards, a military base that became home positive to more than 200 survivors who became like a big family.

BROWN: Here on the Cape, they were able to find out that they have job options, that they had housing options.

UDOJI: It was still a painful six weeks. The Burns had to find missing relatives who eventually turned up in Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana. And they also had to figure out how to start over. A long way from the Big Easy, but they found new love.

T. BURNS: The Red Socks, and we have been converted.

R. BURNS: Oh, yeah. We are Red Socks fans.

UDOJI: They found a home in Cambridge, a Boston suburb, and a school for Leroy.

LEROY BURNS, SON: Well I made two friends. I made one friend yesterday.

T. BURNS: Oh, really?

L. BURNS: I think it's great. I hope we stay here for a long time.

UDOJI: Reynolds found a security job at a luxury hotel. Tina waitresses banquets. They plan to go back to college.

R. BURNS: It's a nice place to live, there's a lot of opportunity here.

UDOJI: As much as their yearning to go home and some people have gone back to their neighborhood, the family decided they couldn't return to a mold infested apartment.

R. BURNS: I love you, too.

UDOJI: Now their hopes for the future lie here in Cambridge, a place they knew nothing about just months ago.

(on camera): You like the fall?

T. BURNS: It's beautiful. Beautiful.

UDOJI: Are you ready for winter?

T. BURNS: Hmm, I don't know it's kind of scary.

R. BURNS: But, I'm ready for anything. You know? If a Category 4 hurricane doesn't prepare you, then nothing will, you know?

UDOJI (voice-over): Adorey Udoji, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: After what they've been through, they can probably handle anything.

Meanwhile, back in New Orleans, the Autobahn Zoo is back in business. Another sign that life is slowly returns to some normalcy, there. The zoo reopened to the public yesterday. Thousands of people came and many were in tears, the zoo was not flooded and all but three animals actually survived.

Inside Jobs: Some are asking can those charged with keeping you safe at the airport, be trusted? We're watching your security straight ahead.

Plus, toxic river: A chemical spill leaves nearly four million people without running water, a report from the region next.

And do the temperatures outside already have you reaching for a tissue? We'll tell you how to keep yourself flu or possibly cold- free, with some herbal remedies.

You're watching CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. Here's a look at what's happening in the news.

Captured, two inmates who escaped from the county jail in Yakima, Washington. They escaped last nigh by breaking a window and sliding down a makeshift rope made of sheets.

The U.S. military in Iraq says it has received information a top aide terrorist mastermind Abu Musab Al Zarqawi was killed last month in Ramadi. The military says a close relative of the aide confirms that he, the aide, is dead.

Dueling protests today outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. Peace activist Cindy Sheehan signed copies of her book before calling for an end to the war in Iraq. An anti-war demonstration is scheduled for later today.

A handful of pro-Bush supporters staged a counter-protest nearby. They accuse Sheehan of misrepresenting military families.

On this busy travel weekend we're keeping watch on airport security. There are growing concerns about airport workers, especially those with direct access to cargo and luggage. CNN's Jean Meserve is on the CNN Security Watch. She updates efforts to prevent so-called inside jobs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN MESERVE, HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: An international flight lands at New York's Kennedy Airport and a score of people rush to unload, clean, restock and refuel it. It is the perfect opportunity for crime.

TYRONNE BROWN: On it is written in pink marker, jj123.

MICHAEL ADAMS: Jj123.

MESERVE: Wire taps were key in busting up a drug smuggling ring at JFK in 2003. In Operation Snowstorm, 400 kilos of cocaine were seized along with hundreds of pounds of marijuana. 24 people pled guilty or were convicted. All of them airport employees who had undergone background checks.

ROSLYNN MAUSKOPF: This was a classic inside job. The defendants' status as airport employees gave them unfettered access, unlimited opportunity, and the ability to act with virtual impunity.

Reporter: Authorities worry that terrorists could use the same method and people to smuggle weapons of mass destruction.

MARTIN FICKE, U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS: Today narcotics. Tomorrow it could be something much more dangerous to us.

MESERVE: As customs and border protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement try to plug this hole in homeland security, they study the smugglers' tactics. Sometimes conspiring airport workers switch luggage tag so a drug-Laden suitcase looks like it came off a domestic flight and avoids customs inspection. Drugs are concealed in cargo, cargo containers, even the aircraft itself.

FICKE: Your imagination is your guide. We have found in the cargo holds in the door; we've found it under the floors. We've found it in the lavatory and on a few occasions, we've actually found it in the cockpit.

MESERVE: A lawyer representing an Operation Snowstorm defendant thinks it is a leap to assume that people who smuggle drugs would help terrorists.

STUART DAVID RUBIN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Desensitized, I guess to the seriousness of the drug trade but not desensitized to the seriousness of terrorism. Knowing participation in terrorist activities, unlikely.

MESERVE: There is big money in smuggling. As much as $50,000 a flight. There is intimidation. With 35,000 employees at JFK with access to as many as 200 flights a day, and with hundreds of thousands of workers at other ports of entry, no one thinks this problem is solved. Jeanne Meserve, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security. Stay tuned to CNN for the latest information, day and night.

(TRAVEL UPDATE)

Well, speaking of commute, Washington, D.C. Has some of the worst traffic on the road. So creative commuters over the years have come up with a unique solution. Kathleen Koch takes us inside the world of the slug.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They come out rain or shine. The slugs, with their briefcases and cell phones looking for a free ride to or from work. Drivers happily comply. Because one or more passengers gives them access to super fast carpool lanes that bypass Washington, D.C.'s notoriously snarled traffic.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do it for convenience, it's easy and faster to get home. Just take a look over there. We're talking a 30 minute ride, that could take an hour.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My family in Delaware thinks it's hilarious. They can't imagine me putting the window down and screaming out, 18th and I, and people running to the car and jumping in.

KOCH: The ad hoc carpools started in 1971 when Virginia built its first carpool lanes. Drivers needing extra passengers to enter would pick up riders at bus stops. Angry bus drivers call them body snatchers and their passengers slugs. Like counterfeit coins used to get free rides to buses.

But what bus drivers detest, commuters and transportation experts love.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I slug primarily because it's a win-win for me and driver?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the metro it takes a long time to get home -- an hour. But the slug line, you only wait five to ten minutes and you're home in like 25 minutes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because we have the slug lines our HOV lanes aren't underutilized.

KOCH (on camera): 23 states have carpool lanes. But Washington D.C's homegrown slug system is one of the most highly developed in the country.

(voice-over): There are 24 slug stops. And in a city known for long work hours. Slugging gives commuters more flexibility. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very convenient. I can come and go as I please. If I'm late from work, I don't worry about missing a bus or a carpool.

KOCH: And there is slug etiquette. Don't speak unless you're spoken to. No eating, drinking or cell phones, and everyone insists it's safe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are dealing with people who are in professional jobs, and I never heard of a problem.

KOCH: Strangers banding together in search of the elusive speedy commute. Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: In the "World Wrap" tonight, violence between protesters and police in Azerbaijan. Thousands of activists wanted a revote of parliamentary elections they believe were rigged. Officers in riot gear waded into the crowd using clubs to keep activists from setting up a permanent protest in the capital city of Bake.

Bad weather may have caused a passenger train to jump the tracks in Scotland this morning. Nine people suffered minor injuries in the derailment near the city of Inverness. Heavy rain was falling at the time of the accident, and there were reports of a mud slide on the tracks.

Thousands of people are stuck in elements after a moderate earthquake in Eastern China. At least a dozen people died and hundreds of others hurt. Thousands of homes were destroyed. The Chinese government rushed in with tents for people who are now without homes altogether.

China's government is also scrambling to contain the political as well as environmental fallout from a toxic river spill. Today China's premier travelled to the city in the northeast where residents spent a fourth day without essential services. He demanded local officials clean up the benzene that fouled the city's main source of drinking water. This, by Sunday night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAIME FLORCRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Chinese soldiers upgrading Harbin's filtration systems as the city of nine million people endures without its water supply. They are waiting and watching as a slick of toxic benzene oozes down the partially frozen Songhua river, The city's main source of water.

The contamination follows an explosion at a chemical plant in neighboring cities and the blame game has already begun.

ZHANG LIJUAN, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: We will be very clear about who's responsible, it is the chemical plant at the China National Petroleum Corporation. FLORCRUZ: For days, plant managers and officials covered up the river pollution. Now they have sent teams of workers to help drill deep water well was and issued a public apology. But there is anxiety about long-term ecological damage from the benzene. The Harbin disaster, environmentalists say, is not an isolated story. China now faces an acute shortage of clean water.

JOHN MCALLISTER, CEO, AQUA BIOTRONIC: China cannot sustain economic growth with current paths of water use and water pollution. 70 percent of the rivers and surface water are polluted.

FLORCRUZ: And that pollution, the price of a rush for growth, makes its way into the soil and the food chain.

MCCALLISTER: Far more people are being killed as a result of the pollution in this North China Plain than is -- than will be eventually killed from the leukemia effects of the benzine and Harbin.

FLORCRUZ: Earlier this year China's leadership called for an economic approach less damaging on the environment. But as the Harbin disaster has shown, enforcing laws at industrial plants across this rapidly modernizing country is often beyond even the might of the communist party.

Jaime Florcruz, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Fighting the flu or the common cold. Could something in your own backyard be your cure for the holiday sniffles? We look at herbal remedies, next.

Later, going digital. It is as easy as point, shoot, click, print. But the number of options out there could keep you using film for years, as long as you can find film. We'll get a breakdown on what's best, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: As the holidays and winter temperatures rise that means the cold and flu season can't be far behind. Are there ways to boost your immune system naturally? The new issue of "Health" magazine has suggestions for beating colds and flu. Samantha Heller is the clinical nutritionist and contributor to the magazine and joins us from New York. Good to see you.

SAMANTHA HELLER, "HEALTH" MAGAZINE: You, too.

WHITFIELD: A lot of us have heard about the benefits of zinc or even vitamin C. But now we're talking about a whole host of other natural remedies, but before we get into what some of those remedies are, let's talk about when you're supposed it even think about taking some of these things. At the early stages of when you see you've got a cold or sniffle or maybe even a flu virus?

HELLER: That's right. At the onset of symptoms up to that 48 hours is when some of the herbs we're going to discuss are best used. After that, not quite at effective.

WHITFIELD: Okay. In the fighting of the cold category, let's talk about some of these remedies. Because they're not cures. Just really remedies. There are very foreign names out there.

HELLER: I know.

WHITFIELD: The andrograssis (ph).

HELLER: This is a shrub native to India and Asia. It's used in traditional Chinese medicine. It does shows in studies that it can help reduce the symptoms and duration of upper respiratory tract infections. I got this in a health food store. You can find it here.

WHITFIELD: All right. Then there's the, oh, gosh --

HELLER: Extragulous --

WHITFIELD: That apparently dissolves in water. So you kind of stir it and drink it?

HELLER: If in that formula. You can get in a root or tincture. I got both of those in a health food store's. This has been around for centuries. It is mentioned in ancient Chinese medical text and it stimulates the immune system, and makes your body produce more cells that fight infection. They're pretty effective.

WHITFIELD: And then something called the umka? Sounds like a hiccup.

HELLER: It does. Actually, it's a member of the geranium. This is from South Africa, and this has been effective in reducing the duration and symptoms of chronic bronchitis, maybe strep throat and it's been pretty effective.

WHITFIELD: For both flu and cold, too? Right?

HELLER: Flu, cold, cough, things like that, absolutely. Initially the English explorers brought it back to England and they used it to treat consumption before the medical community caught up with real T.B. Drugs.

WHITFIELD: Then there's the elderberry. A few forms to consume it, right? In liquid form for one.

HELLER: There's liquid form, you can make tea with the berries you can get in the health food store, and some of the science is sketchy on that.

WHITFIELD: Well, what's interesting is most of these natural remedies, none of them are getting the endorsement of, say, the FDA. There's no real regulation. So in the case of all of these, you really need to check with your doctor, don't you? And make sure that you are taking these things at your own risk in a lot of cases?

HELLER: We want to rememberr that natural and herbs do not necessarily mean that they're safe. Because, you know, arsenic is natural, tobacco is natural. These also, even the ones we mentioned, may have interactions with medications you're taking and you certainly don't want to overdo any of them.

WHITFIELD: Before I let you go, because we did tease, forsythia and honeysuckle are things you find if your own backyard and you may want to look at them as remedies, too?

HELLER: You might. People use pesticides in their yards. I don't know if I would be so hot on doing that. Look in a health food store.

WHITFIELD: Not a good idea. We'll look for other suggestions in the Health magazine. Samantha Heller, thanks so much and happy holidays to you.

HELLER: Thank you,, too.

WHITFIELD: Stay healthy. Thanks.

Having a hard time finding that perfect gift out there? Consumer expert Robin Liss, there she is, snacking away there. Ooh, cool pictures right there. Don't you wish you had one of those? Robin Liss has some great ideas on going digital or not?

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WHITFIELD: Retailers say the holiday shopping season is off to a brisk start and consumer electronics appear to be at the top of everyone's shopping list.

Joining me from New York, consumer electronics expert Robin Liss. She is the founder and president of the Web site digitalcamerainfo.com. She knows everything about digital cameras. Good to see you. I got to the ask like in the last hour about TVs, HDs, must-haves nows, cameras, camcorders, digital must-haves?

ROBIN LISS, CONSUMER ELECTRONICS ANALYST: Definitely. At this point, in reason to get a film camera. The quality it's amazing. The things you can do, being able to share them with the family, they're really a huge advantage.

WHITFIELD: I only say, oh no because that intimidates me. That means you have to master the whole computer thing in order to download some of those images. Let's talk about some of the things you have to think about when trying to select the best digital camera.

Why do we need to know anything about megapixel, what is that?

LISS: You're going to hear a lot about megapixels. It's everywhere. High megapixels, it's a really easy to market thing. The bottom line is, once you hit three to four megapixels you really don't get much more advantage.

This is what allows you to make big print. There's a lot of things that go into the quality of the image. There's the lens, the processor, the chips. What actually a lot of manufacturers have done, some of the lower-end ones, kind of deceptive. Say, oh, it's an eight megapixexel camera. In reality, they ignore the lens and overall the quality is not there.

WHITFIELD: Ooh. What about memory and also about price? Because you see the bigger price tag, you think that must mean the better image. Is that necessarily the case?

LISS: Not necessarily. Because there's a lot of factors that go into the quality of the digital photos that a camera produces. What you want to do is look at the stills. Go to digitalcamerainfo.com. We have example stills up there. And you can see side-by-side.

But we do have picks here that we've tested and really liked the quality of.

WHITFIELD: Let's go through the picks.

LISS: The first one is the Fuji s-10. This is a great digital camera. The Fuji s-10 is a 6.3 megapixel ccd. You get really high resolution stills and it has 3- optical zoom. I want to stress here, only look at the optical zoom.

Digital zooms are kind of deceptive because they make the quality of your picture less. Just look at the optical. About $300. Right, next, this is the Canon Digital Rebel XT. A big decision you need to make when deciding to buy a camera is do you want digital SLR, which is the removable lenses, or do you want a simple point and shoot.

A digital XLR is better for the advanced photographer because you can put advanced lenses on. This goes for $850 with the lens. It's a really great camera. It's eight megapixels, definitely for the pro photographer.

WHITFIELD: None of this stuff is cheap then. When you talk about camcorders, you can also have a still photography capability in them. Do you have some of your favorite picks.

LISS: One of those is, I say get a separate camera and a camcorder. The reality is, the still photos out of a camcorder, they're just really poor quality.

WHITFIELD: Oh. All right. Robin Liss, sorry. We got to go. Towards the end of the hour, but thanks so much for those great shopping tips for those that want a camera under the Christmas tree or in the stocking.

Thanks for joining me. Up next at 7:00 eastern, "ON THE STORY." Then you won't believe your ears at 8:00 eastern. It's CNN 25. They said what? And at 9:00, Larry King goes country with Barbara Mandrell and Trisha Yearwood. And I'll be back at 10:00 eastern for CNN Saturday night. Holiday travel tomorrow will be smooth. Some not so smooth. The full forecast straight ahead. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. See you then.

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