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CNN Live Saturday
Powerball at $365 Million; Mardi Gras in New Orleans; Drugs being Developed to Stenghten Immune System; Bird Flu Scare; Washington Still Finger-Pointing about Katrina after Six Month; Steven Rue's Documentary called "A New Orleans Story"
Aired February 18, 2006 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Highs in low teens. That's what's expected in Northern Plaines. How much lower may the temperatures go? A full weather update coming up shortly.
And as the hours to the Powerball drawing dwindle, the number of people buying Powerball tickets increases every minute. We'll live to a store where some of those tickets are being sold so you can see for yourself the madness.
And while many of us are watching the Torino Olympic games on television, some Americans have it better, watching it live up close and personal from the stands. What's their experience like? We'll introduce you to an American family in Italy.
Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. A busy hour ahead, but first, some stories "Now in News."
A blast of winter weather bringing frigid air and high winds to the much of the Midwest and Northeast. In New York, wind gusts of nearly 80 miles-per-hour are blamed for the deaths of three people, thousands of others are without power.
The U.S. military says it has accounted for 10 Marines missing off the coast of Djibouti. They were in two military helicopters that crashed, but no word on whether the missing troops survived. Two other crew members were rescueened and are in stable condition.
A militant group in Nigeria claims it is holding three Americans and six other foreign nationals hostage. All nine work for a U.S. oil services company in the African country Niger Delta. The militant group claims it is fighting for more local control of oil wealth there.
And search and rescue teams in that Philippines say they are not optimistic they'll find any more survivors from the mudslide. The mud buried almost an entire village. Just a few dozen people have been found alive, nearly 2,000 others are missing.
And in the Mideast, dozens of members of Hamas have taken their seats in the new Palestinian parliament. They were sworn in early today. The militant group controls 74 of 132 seats,
In Libya at least 11 people are dead after a protest turned violent. Demonstrators had gathered two Libyan cities to protest the controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, then clashes with police broke out. The drawings were first policed in Danish newspaper.
Putting its worries aside, New Orleans lets the good times roll. Nearly six months after Hurricane Katrina, the battered city is celebrating Mardi Gras. Several parades rolled through the streets today. The carnival season draws to a close 10 days from now.
And unless you've got a super-this parka, perhaps some snow shoes or maybe even cross-country skis, well, it's no fun being outside in other parts of the country. Brad Huffines is in the Weather Center.
And Brad, we're talking everything from sub-zero temperatures to icey conditions, right?
BRAD HUFFINES, CNN NEWS METEOROLOGIST: Well Fredricka, we have all kinds of problems now. Because of the cold temperatures streaming down from if south, then you get down to the South and you begin to mix that with Gulf moisture and this time of year, you know that spells snow or ice. That's what's happening right now. See this stream of precipitation, blue is rain, pink is an area of sleet or freezing rain, and then the white is mostly snow that's falling from northern Mississippi all the way through the middle of Tennessee, into east Tennessee it's spilling across the mountains into western parts of North Carolina. So, what we have is quite a mix of snow and now some icing across north Alabama, southern middle Tennessee and northeast Mississippi.
Drivers, please beware, up and down 65, 59, 75, and 40, through Tennessee, north Alabama, and also across parts of north Mississippi, this is a real travel trouble spot today as the bitter cold temperatures are sliding down across the Plaines and across the lower Mississippi Valley.
How cold? Current wind chills, this is what it feels like to your body, if you go on outside to wind and the bitter temperatures, feels it's 28 below in Milwaukee, feels like it's 17 below in Minneapolis, 23 below in Fargo. Weather services across the upper Midwest are asking people to don't forget, in your cars, your winter survival kit in case you get stranded.
Seven below in Detroit, eight below in Cleveland, right now again, these are wind chill temperatures. In New York City the wind chills are a balmy 24, feels just downright warm. Boston, 17, is the feel- like temperature. Around the rest of the country, here's what's happening with this swath of rain, south mixing with freezing rain and snow across parts of the Ohio Valley into the Midwest and including portions of the mid Atlantic states.
Cold weather across the Great Lakes, temperatures in the single digits and teens. Minneapolis, five should be your high temperature today. In Rapid City, 10; Kansas City, 10; Boise, 28, makes Las Vegas' 59 feel downright warm, and 30 in Dallas-Fort Worth a slight change of a freezing drizzle drop or two early this morning. That's clearing out, though, And lows tonight, once again, below zero across the Plaines. Bundle up there and stay warm. Fredricka, please be careful. People traveling right here in the southeast, this is the travel trouble spot for the day.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, all right. Good advice. Thanks so much, Brad.
Well, rescue workers in the Philippines are still digging though the mud, but there's still little hope of finding anyone else alive. It's estimated as many as 1,800 people died when a rain-soaked mountain crumble and buried a farming village. Eleven other villages in the area have been evacuated. U.S. warships lowed with relief supplies are now on the way.
And more weather with a vengeance, check out these pictures from Spain -- sunbathers had to run when a wave, some 33 feet tall -- look at that -- came crashing on to the San Sebastian Beach in northeastern Spain on Friday. Winds in the area were close to 70 miles-an-hour. The high winds coupled with the full moon are blamed for creating this monster wave.
Let's go across America now. Phoenix police discovered a possible mobile drug lab parked right near the state capitol building. An officer noticed canisters inside this SUV and called in a robot to help get a better look. Police say the chemical found inside can be used to make methamphetamines.
A scare at a Phoenix amusement park, police say a teenager apparently tried to reach something and then fell out of a log ride. The boy was briefly pinned in the water. He had a few scrapes, but was OK otherwise.
And doctors in southern California say this Iraqi girl is doing well after surgery on her abdominal wall. The 3-year-old suffered wounds last may from an artillery shell explosion. She had surgery earlier in Orlando, Florida to remove shrapnel from her eyes and reattach her retina.
And the last-minute scramble is on for Powerball tickets. Tonight's jackpot is the largest in U.S. lottery history $365 million, that's a million dollars a year before taxes. Our correspondent Gary Nurenberg is in Washington.
And hopefully, Gary, you've got your tickets in hand.
GARY NURENBERG, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, keep your fingers crossed, please. Last time it even came this close was six years ago when it got to $363 million. But as you say, this is the largest one ever. It is so big, people in this little mini mart in northwest Washington have been keeping the clerks here on their feet since before the sun came up this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): There are lines outside the mini mart, too, a special lotto window. Red, white, and blue balloons let passing motorists know they can buy Powerball tickets here. It is so busy, they haired John General to direct traffic in the little parking lot. JOHN GENERAL, DIRECTING TRAFFIC: Well, they're not pleased with taking directions and little orders, and what have you, about where to park.
NURENBERG: Chances are winning less than being hit by lightning, twice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm playing because I want to be hit by lightning. I want to be hitting that Powerball, definitely. I could use it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why not? I mean, it's a chance in lifetime, but, it a chance in lifetime.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you always believe that you can, you always have to be positive, there's always the chance that it just might happen to you. You never know.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NURENBERG: That's kind of a philosophy for everybody here, maybe it will be you. Powerball is in 28 states, D.C. and the Virgin Islands. This started in 1987 with a plan that only had seven states, became Powerball in 1992 and this one's really pulling them out. As you say Fredricka, the biggest jackpot ever.
WHITFIELD: So Gary, be honest with me, how many tickets did you buy?
NURENBERG: I'm a big spender, I spent two bucks.
WHITFIELD: OK, all right, that's good, you only need one to win. Right?
(CROSSTALK)
NURENBERG: Tell me that -- you can write off your gambling losses against your gambling wins, so maybe it's deductible.
WHITFIELD: All right, well, we'll hope. Fingers are crossed for you, but you know, try and pick up a couple for me too, if you don't mind.
Well, check is in the mail. Thanks a lot, Gary.
Well, the party is on in New Orleans where folks are taking time-out from the mud and the debris, to take part in a 150-year-old tradition. Mardi Gras is revving up and the first of five parades is already getting underway. Our Sean Callebs is there.
And how's it looking -- Sean.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, a little cloudy, a little rainy. Actually it's gotten somewhat cooler throughout the day. And we're on St. Charles, one of the main thoroughfares, here in the city, and in a short while, you're going to see a lot of things, Fredricka. The first of five floats, five parades, will begin making their way through here, the five crews that will wind their way down, then right down the heart of Canal Street. A lot of discussion this year about should they have Mardi Gras, should they not have Mardi Gras. Of course, with everything this area has had to cope with, now the money they're going to have to spend on overtime. But a lot of people say, look, we need this.
And here's some video from last night in area of Mettery (ph), Jefferson Parish. It's kind of a small, family-oriented parade, but really a lot of fun. People look at this kind of as a litmus test, just how well will Mardi grew -- Mardi Gras do this year. CNN well- represented in this fiesta, last night. He had a couple of people, our camera man, Ken Tillus (ph) was onboard. Ken, did you enjoy the parade? Nod the camera if you did.
There you go.
OK, and also, we got to show you this -- we got to show you this. Bring in our phenomenal sound technician, Kevin Kaviculic (ph), this is the outfit that you have to wear. There has to be a mask, nice lid, Kevin had some beads. He said last night they throw the beads like these and people would just look at the camera and say, I don't want that. But what about these? These are big. Run back and show us your technique, Kevin. People'd say, "trough us some of the good, mister." And these things would come flying in. Fredricka, I've got to tell you, these are about as heavy as those little heavy-hands things people used to use working out, but -- parade will be by shortly, so we'll keep you updated and hopefully people here have something to celebrate today. They certainly need it after what they're been through.
WHITFIELD: Say, Sean, I wonder, you know, a couple of weeks ago, we talked to the director of the visitors bureau, Steve Perry, who said they really were very optimistic that a lot of people were going to come into town for Mardi Gras and they had the hotel space etcetera for everyone, to accommodate everyone. So, give me an idea. What are the crowds, what are the expectations now that it's about to be underway?
CALLEBS: You know, people tell us, right now, it's really a wildcard. There are 38,000 hotel rooms that were available, 10,000 of those, however, taken up by the number of emergency -- FEMA, the other EPA, other entities in here with the -- involved with the cleanup. But, we're told a lot of those people brought their families in for this weekend. There are going to be a number of parades in the coming days, the next one (UNINTELLIGIBLE) this -- a week from today, is the biggie.
There's going to be 2,200 people alone in that parade, some 33 floats. So really, people are really wondering exactly how this is going to be. We know, usually Mardi Gras brings in about $1 billion a year, quite a bit of money. This year, authorities say they hope they can make $300 million. But I think if people walk away, 10 days from now, and this area had a good time and no real problems, I think people are going to call it a whopping success, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, we'll be looking for that. Thanks so much, Sean Callebs in New Orleans. Thanks for the beads. Got 'em. Well coming up, as Congress looks at what went wrong in aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, some people are looking ahead to see how ready the nation is for the next big national disaster. Is FEMA any more ready now than last year.
And the militant group, Hamas, takes control of the Palestinian parliament. Is there any chance for talks with Israel?
From Italy to Germany, is the bird flu hitting yet another western European country?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HUFFINES: I'm meteorologist Brad Huffines with your "Cold and Flu Report." As we are continuing to see the activity widespread, at least, in the red states, regional activity to local activity in the blue and purple. You notice though, from last week, the flu activity has peaked and is starting now to lesson just a little bit. But remember, it's your personal habits that make a difference. Wash your hands, no matter where you are in the country, whether you're in a state that has no activity of widespread activity.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: French President Jacques Chirac said his country is ready for a possible outbreak of the deadly strain of bird flu. The strain can be transmitted to humans and it is believed to have killed a duck in Lyon, a region famous for the quality of its chickens. The deadly strain of bird flu is spreading, 19 people are known to have died from the disease in Indonesia. This week the virus killed two people in Iraq. And many Americans are asking could it happen here? The answer is unsettling. CNN's chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A piece of news caught my eye this week, a company called HemisphRX is working with two new drugs that won't necessarily kill or weaken the bird flu virus, but might, in fact, strengthen our own immune system in a way to make us much less susceptible to bird flu in the first place.
Yes, we would still need drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza, but in much, much smaller amounts. The new drugs haven't been tested on people yet, so we don't know if they'll pan out, but if they do, the current stock pile might be enough to control even the worst outbreak.
Now if these or similar drugs don't pan out, the federal government has enough medicine for five million people, leaving everybody else unprotected and it would be years before we have enough for the world whole population. The search for new drugs and vaccines is important because it's almost certain that Americans will have to deal with bird flu. DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: And I would not be surprised that within a period of several months to a year we would see this even in the United States.
GUPTA: Ever since it first emerged, the killer virus has lived in southeast Asia. But even when it was still contained to that side of the world, we knew it was likely to spread.
(on camera): Here in Thailand, they pride themselves on having a strong surveillance system. But here's part of the problem, just behind me is the Nakhon River, over on the other side of Nakhon River is Lau (ph), where a public health system barely even exists. The problem is, birds don't respect borders, they could easily migrate from Lau, right here into Thailand.
(voice-over): On the wings of wild birds, the virus did spread from southeast Asia to China, Siberia, and the former Soviet Republics, to eastern Europe, than to Turkey, and Iraq ,just last month, and now to birds in western Europe, and Africa where it was first detected this week.
Fortunately there's no sign the virus has gained the ability to spread easily from person to person. But that could be a matter of time. And despite months of warnings, the U.S. and the rest of the world isn't nearly ready to deal with a fast spreading human epidemic.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Also still ahead, FEMA is a four-letter word for many people living in the hurricane zone, but as Congress ways on the agency responsible to Katrina. What can be done to fix FEMA before the next storm season begins? We'll try to find out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECY: I have to say that the idea that this department and this administration and the president were somehow detached from Katrina, is simply not correct, in my view and in my recollection of what happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Much of New Orleans and coastal Mississippi are still in ruins while top disaster officials play the Katrina blame game. This week, a House report spreads fault for the response to all levels of government, from President Bush to local workers. So, does this Washington finger-pointing matter to those folks who lost everything and just want a normal like again? John Spain is executive vice president of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. The organization works with community leaders and nonprofits to improve life in south eastern Louisiana.
Good to see you John.
JOHN SPAIN, BATON ROUGE AREA FOUNDATION: Good morning.
WHITFIELD: All right, well, it's been about six months, you're talking to people all of time. What do they want to here?
SPAIN: Well, I think they'd like to see clear-cut answers as to when they can come back. People need to know when they will know the new flood regulations, the new areas where they can build and cannot build. They need to know what kind of financial aid will be provided to help them rebuild their homes.
There's some good news in that, as you know, the White House and our leaders, last week, approved plan to ask Congress for another $4 billion which we're all very, very pleased with. But We still have roughly 220,000 family away from home. And they're still sitting all over the country and they're wondering when we will have a definitive plan that will allow us to come back and that depends on health care, depends on levee restoration, it depends on funding, it depends on police and fire. All of the infrastructure that we take for granted in a community has to replaced in these disaster zones before people can come back.
It's been six months.
WHITFIELD: Right.
SPAIN: And that's a long, long time for people to be gone and not have clear answers. So, I think while we're encouraged the reports out of Congress have given us some clarity, quite frankly, all of those people who live in this area knew there was chaos, knew there were problems, knew that we didn't...
WHITFIELD: Yeah, they don't have to be reminded of that.
SPAIN: Exactly, and I think as important as that is to examine and look back and try to learn from the mistakes, people really want to know what's our future look like and when is the help we need to go back to Louisiana and Mississippi going to be in place so we can go home.
WHITFIELD: So they want to hear less of who did what when and why. Instead, people now are looking at the calendar, while it's six months since Katrina hit, it's now just four months away before hurricane season is to begin again. And still unclear, what is going to be done about the levee systems. So, if people are to get a green light to rebuild, for those who are getting the green light to rebuild, aren't they still feeling very vulnerability about being back along the Gulf Coast?
SPAIN: Oh, they certainly are. We're -- as you say, about 100 days away from the new hurricane season, that part of the state and the lower parishes along the Gulf Coast, both here and the Mississippi, still do not have adequate levees protection. Although, those breaks in the levees that we saw that caused all the damage in New Orleans are quickly being restored and the Corp of Engineers tell us that they will be in place, but they are being put back in place at the same levels that we had prior to Katrina. And clearly, I think, the city, in particular, not really ready for another hurricane that might dump inches of rain and cause wind damage in the area. And any severe hurricane that would come into New Orleans, would certainly put all of the restoration back and would raise further questions about when people can return to their homes.
WHITFIELD: So, while you're hearing from a lot of people, the frustration about all of this finger-pointing. You know, and folks are feeling frustrated about that, don't really want to hear who did what when, why, etcetera, but at the same time they got to know, where do they go -- who do they turn to get some answers to those lingering questions? Especially if they have not yet returned back to their home or they haven't heard from their insurance companies, adjusters, etcetera. What do you tell them? Where do you advise them to go?
SPAIN: Well there is some good news there. We just completed on Friday, the second special session our legislature. Two very important things happened there. One was the codification making into law, the Louisiana Recovery Authority, which is the agency appointed by governor, and now by the legislator, to oversee the recovery operations. And I have to tell you that they've done a great deal of work and there are some good things that have happened as a result of them being in place.
The second thing that happened that was significant is the legislature did agree to consolidate all of the authority over the levee boards in southern Louisiana, which as you know, has been very controversial. Two very, very key components that had to be put in place before people could start the recovery. On Monday, the governor and her staff will actually announce a program, and the details on the program, as to how the billions of dollars that have been provided by Congress will be distributed for homeowners. That will be very, very significant. It will be the first time that those people who have lost their homes will have some information as to how they apply for those funds, who would be eligible for them, and when those dollars would be in place.
WHITFIELD: John Spain, still a lot of work to be done and still a lot of obstacles, especially if you are, you know, among those people who are still homeless, and still trying to figure out, you know, how are you going to make ends meet and how are you going to get back into some sort of stability. John Spain, executive vice president of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. Thanks so much and good luck.
SPAIN: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Well, a documentary called "A New Orleans Story," now in production chronicles the events and the players surrounding the Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans attorney and amateur filmmaker, Steven Rue lived the tragedy that he filmed. The project also includes the only personal interview with disgraced FEMA director, Michael Brown. The interview with Brown lasted more than two hours touching on who the former FEMA director thinks handled the situation well or not. Also, director, Rue, surprised Brown by offering an olive branch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL BROWN, FMR. FEMA DIRECTOR: Thank you. You did that on purpose at the end.
STEVEN RUE, DIRECTOR: No, no. No, I didn't.
Does that matter to you?
BROWN: It matters a great deal to me. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The filmmaker, Rue, had actually said to him that he forgave Brown for all that had taken place. And what you just heard, he is part of more than 135 hours of interview Steven Rue collected. The film which he is financing himself, should be completed by mid- March. And you can see for yourself later tonight when "CNN Presents: Saving my Town, the fight for Bay St. Louis." Our Kathleen Koch returns to her Mississippi hometown as it struggles to recover from Hurricane Katrina. And you can watch that tonight and tomorrow night at 8:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
The militant group Hamas officially took control of the Palestinian parliament today. Are any peace talks with Israel in the works?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories. At least four deaths are blamed on a damaging storm now pounding the Northeast with savage winds. Three people were crushed by falling trees in New York and Massachusetts. Hundreds of thousands could be without power for days. Our meteorologists are following this on closely. Stay with us for constant updates
A U.S. soldier and five other people have been killed in attacks around Iraq today. The soldier's vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. In Baquba, Iraqi officials say insurgents apparently targeted civilians, killing one and wounding five others.
An explosion at a karaoke bar in the Philippines has wounded at least 20 people. The bar is near a military base, housing U.S. troops preparing for joint war exercises. The Philippines military says the exercises will go as planned.
$365 million is almost too much to resist. Extra Lottery terminals have been set up to handle the rush to get in on tonight's record Powerball draw. In South Carolina, lottery ticket sales reached a record-breaking $11,000 a minute.
And French president Jacques Chirac is urging calm over a possible case of bird flu in France. The deadly strain can be transmitted to humans and it appears to have killed a duck in France. France is Europe's largest poultry producer.
Militants launched attacks and seized nine foreign oil workers today in southern Nigeria. The U.S. embassy confirms three Americans are among those kidnapped.
And news from the Middle East. Hamas takes power. The new Hamas-dominated Palestinian parliament was sworn in to office today. CNN's Jon Vause reports from Gaza City.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even before the new parliament was sworn in, there were clashes in Gaza between soldiers who say they haven't been paid for months, and Palestinian police.
As lawmakers took their oath of office, paying the bills of the Palestinian Authority is said to be their first crisis. Israel plans to freeze taxes collected on behalf of the Palestinians.
And many donor countries say they will stop direct financial aid, including the U.S., which has also demanded the repayment of $50 million donated last year.
YOSSI KLEIN HALEVI, ISRAELI ANALYST: Yes, you can vote whoever you want into power, but the international community isn't obligated to support that decision.
VAUSE: Hamas plans to make up the revenue shortfall by appealing to the Arab and Islamic worlds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does that include Iran and Syria?
MAHMOUD AL ZAHR, HAMAS LEADER: Yes, yes.
VAUSE: The ceremony was held in both Gaza and the West Bank city of Ramallah, because Israel has banned Hamas members from travelling. So the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, spoke to lawmakers in Gaza via video link telling them that he wants to restart peace negotiations with Israel and demanding a new government honor all past deals, including the stalled U.S.-backed roadmap to peace.
"I would like to remind the members of the council of the importance of respecting all previous agreements," he said. And that sets the scene for a potential confrontation with Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist, refuses to negotiate and disarm.
AL ZAHR: Let us wait and see how we are going to run out policy with Mr. Abbas. Believe me, it will be construction. It will be a fair relationship.
VAUSE (on camera): With its parliament now sworn in, the Hamas era begins. The next move will come from the Israeli government. When its cabinet meets on Saturday, it's expected to approve tough new sanctions designed to isolate this new Palestinian Authority. As one senior Israeli government official said, "the intention is not to starve the Palestinians, just but them on a diet."
John Vause, CNN, Gaza City.
(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: And we've got details on a world-class oops. We're going live to Torino, Italy for an Olympic update.
And we have heard some of the athletes, but what it's like to experience the Winter Olympics Games as a fan? We'll visit with an American family who got tickets and went.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: American snowboarder Shaun White is still celebrating his gold medal victory in the men's half pipe earlier this week. Check this out, the "Flying Tomato" in action. White got the name because of his flaming red hair, which you can't see under his helmet right now.
Well, guess what? He's back now in the United States. And after his arrival, he talked about his big win with CNN's Kyra Phillips.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHAUN WHITE, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: I got the tomato thing from all the hair. They like to pick on me.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: They like to pick -- but, you know, does it take a lot of conditioning and a lot of teasing? And, I mean, do you put more time on the hair than the snowboarding? I'm just wondering.
WHITE: That was like the worst thing, is I would do these interviews and actually the girls would want to know. They're like, so, like, do you curl it? Do you like -- you know what I mean? I'm like, come on. Give me a break.
PHILLIPS: You're bringing the curlers back. You're making it hip again.
WHITE: Yes.
PHILLIPS: So I understand you've got your gold with you. Can I -- may I see it?
WHITE: I don't know where the gold is right now.
PHILLIPS: I'm talking the medal.
WHITE: Oh, oh, OK.
PHILLIPS: Oh, lookie there.
WHITE: OK. There it is. It's made out of chocolate. It's pretty cool. It's got the . . .
PHILLIPS: So you -- but you're not going to eat it. You're going to freeze it and keep it for a while, right.
WHITE: No, see, that's the thing, I'm trying to figure out where to put it. I mean I asked my teammate Danny Kass who got silver. He said I should put it in the rearview mirror. Just kind of . . .
PHILLIPS: Oh that would be kind of cool. Forget the dice.
WHITE: Yes, he was claiming ultimate parking pass. So I don't know.
PHILLIPS: You'd probably get whatever you wanted if you showed that if you were showing that to anybody.
WHITE: For sure. It's pretty crazy, though. I mean, it's heavy. And, I don't know, I think it really hit me that I got the gold when I went to bed and then I woke up the next day and this thing was just sitting on the dresser next to me. It was cool.
PHILLIPS: You weren't sleeping with it?
WHITE: No. You know what the worst was, I kind of -- I blew it and I was flying home and I almost checked it under the plane. I was like, maybe I should hang on to that.
PHILLIPS: I wouldn't let it go. Were you showing people on the airplane? Were people asking to see it?
WHITE: Yes. Like what happened was the funniest thing is the stewardesses had all seen the games and they were just so excited to see me. They were like, do you have the gold? And, I mean, I had like I had unlimited like service after that. I was getting drinks and I was getting snacks. And, I mean, I was taking photos in the back with all the stewardesses flying.
PHILLIPS: Wait a minute, drinks? Your 19 years old.
WHITE: Yes, I'm talking about Mountain Dews, baby. All right.
PHILLIPS: He called me baby. He called me baby. OK. That's right, Ginger Ale for Shaun White. Outstanding. OK, getting a little warm here.
So do you have a girlfriend? I mean you're rich, you're 19, you've got your own clothes line, you've got a gold medal that looks like a donut.
WHITE: Yes, I mean, things are going good. I haven't really had time for the girlfriend so far. I mean, so much training going into the Olympics. But I'm looking forward to some time off and check it out. I don't know.
PHILLIPS: What do you do when you're 19 years old and you have a gold medal? It seems you have everything that you want. I mean, what's next?
WHITE: I don't know. I mean, I've just been having so much fun. And we came home early from Italy to just do some press and just see what everybody at home had to say about the Olympics. And, I don't know, I'm excited because the summer X-Games and skateboarding for me is coming up. I love to snowboard, but, I mean, skateboarding's also a passion of mine. And I'm just going to have some fun with it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: So cute. Both Shaun and Kyra. Cute.
All right. Well, American men and women have been dominating the snowboarding events at the Torino games, except for one American snowboarder. Well, she had a tough time, a slip up, a real costly one. Alpine skiing, hockey, speedskating, all of that on tap today at he Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy.
And for the latest now, let's turn to CNN's Larry Smith who's there. Hello, Larry.
LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka. Good evening, from Torino. Now day eight of this competition. And boy, still what a -- for Bode Miller, you know, he really raised expectations when in 2005 he became the first skier in 22 years to win the World Cup overall title.
But 2006 has really been a different story, and yet again, disappointment today in the Super-G. Miller, who was expected to content for a medal, failed to negotiate a turn and ended up going right into a hate, and as a result he misses out for the third time in these events getting a medal.
A third disappointment in these Torino games for him. He finished fifth in the downhill earlier, and then as you recall on Tuesday, was disqualified for straddling a gate when he was leading in the men's combined.
Good news though for Miller. He does have two events to go, so, Fredricka, still two more chances to redeem himself for the very controversial skier. Let's go back to you.
WHITFIELD: Oh good. Well, we're glad to here that. Well, there are some other big events as well, and other big players on tap.
SMITH: Yes, right now, ongoing, in fact, the marquee event of the day -- we've been excited watching this -- the men's 1,000 meter speedskate. Four superstar Americans in this one. Right now, Chad Hendrick is leading. He's got about a .29 second lead over the second place competitor.
However the other three Americans, Joey Cheek, Casey FitzRandolph -- Cheek has already won a gold medal in these games, FitzRandolph won a gold in the 500 meters four years ago in 2002 -- and Shani Davis, who is the world record holder in the 1,000 meters.
None of them have yet to go off. So Hendrick, while he leads, could still have some competition there, as the Americans, conceivably, if they all have good races, could go one, two, and three in the men's 1,000 meter speed skate.
Also later tonight, Apolo Ohno going in the short track with 1,000 meter as well as he tries to win his first gold, his first medal of these games -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Wow. And I know all eyes are one him. You know, and all eyes were on the snowboard cross last night, especially the women's. Lucky Lindsey, not so lucky.
SMITH: Not so lucky. And if you have seen some video -- you can go on the Internet and see some pictures too of just what happened. Boy, she had it there -- 100 yards or more ahead. All she had to do was finish and she fell.
And the sad thing now is that instead of relishing -- just as you heard Shaun White doing, and even Seth Wescott and other snowboarders who have won gold here now -- instead of talking about the silver she's won, all she has to talk about and has to answer is the questions of why did he make that move and fail to win gold? And here's her comments today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDSEY JACOBELLIS, OLYMPIC SNOWBOARDER: It feels cool when you fly through the air, and you want to add some style to it and you want to make it so it's not such a tense race. And it was really fun to do that It was definitely a fluke. I don't expect myself to ever do something like this again, and it's just kind of what happened. Stuff like that happens.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Tough lesson to learn for young Lindsey Jacobellis, but she does have one of ten medals that the U.S. has managed to win here in these games. Let's go back to you.
WHITFIELD: Oh, I feel so sorry for her. All right. Thanks, Larry.
I would say that's the madness in the method since that was the move that she did
Well, unlike some Olympic games, tickets at Torino have been pretty easy to come by, and most of the venues have not been so overcrowded.
CNN's Alessio Vinci takes a closer look at the games from a spectator's point of view.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): At first sight, there is lots to cheer about at the Olympics. The Zamorskis (ph), who flew in from New York and Virginia, are exhilarated.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good spirit.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good spirit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it's so much fun. VINCI: But there's a muggier side to watching these winter games. At the ski resort of Sestriere, the downhill race is a half- hour walk from town.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're in training for skiing next week.
VINCI: But Pat Zamorski (ph) is clearly enjoying the picture- perfect Italian experience. She and her family are among those who, fearing they wouldn't find seats, bought tickets well in advance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Getting the tickets are easy. We did back in last July.
VINCI: They couldn't have known back then, that getting hold of tickets has been fairly easy. Organizers they have sold more than 800,000 tickets, but hardly any of the events this week have been sold out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I noticed that with most of the area at the top, it's very, very empty.
VINCI: With seats widely available at ticket windows and prices starting at $30, scalpers are having a tough time turning a profit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not easy. It's not that easy to sell tickets. People are coming out to events, just going straight to window.
VINCI: And for spectators with rock-bottom budgets, there's several cost-free options.
(on camera): They can either watch the competitions from up here, but clearly, that's no match for supporting and cheering your favorites skier from up close. Or you can gather in the main piazza.
(voice-over): That's where you'll find local spectators rooting for their national heroes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I'm here because the price for the tickets are very high. So, we prefer to, like, to watch the TV -- the big TV here in the square.
VINCI: On a crisp, Monday evening, where better to enjoy the Olympics without having to pay a penny.
Alessio Vinci, CNN, at the Olympics in Sestriere.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And here's some advice to the Zamorski family and everybody else and all of the Olympians who are heading their way to Torino. Be careful what you pack in your checked luggage. Why? You may never get it back. Where's your luggage. The answer coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: If you're a frequent flyer you have probably dealt with this problem -- mishandled baggage. It's getting worse as airlines work to keep fares so low and it's aggravated by financial problems confronting some of the nation's biggest carriers. Here's CNN's Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lisa Pfenninger is at the end of her rope. She's just brought her travel bag back to the airline for repairs, after it was damaged during the time it was lost for three days somewhere between Miami and Reagan National Airport.
LISA PFENNINGER, AIR TRAVELER: They completely trashed it. It looks like they put it through a dumpster and rolled it around and shot it with bullet holes and tore it up with a knife. I mean, it's totally trashed. I had to put it I a garbage bag in order to bring it here. It's outrageous.
TODD: This kind of frustration is multiplying. The Department of Transportation now says U.S.-based carriers mishandled more than 3.5 million bags last year. That's nearly 10,000 a day. Mishandled meaning lost, delayed, damaged or stolen.
Among the major carriers with more than 30 million passengers last year, U.S. Airways had the highest rate of mishandled bags, nearly 10 for every 1,000 passengers, followed by Delta.
Contacted by CNN, both airlines said they recognize the problem and are taking steps to fix it. U.S. Airways officials say they're mortified by the numbers and they cite the challenges of slogging through two bankruptcies in recent years.
David Stempler of the Air Travelers Association says that's the essential problem. Financially strapped major carriers struggling to compete with the discount airlines. The majors have cutback personnel, they're dealing with more passengers, backed up flight schedules, tighter baggage screening; an overloaded system. But Stempler says passengers looking for someone to blame should look in the mirror.
DAVID STEMPLER, AIR TRAVELERS ASSN.: We, the passengers, are the ones to blame. This is the airline system that we bought. We basically said the three most important things that we want is low fares, low fares and low fares.
TODD: It all has a ripple effect, says Stempler. More passengers carry luggage onboard, overhead bins are jam-packed and more dangerous. Flights take longer to board and depart, and the system is again overloaded.
TODD (on camera): Experts say this is not going to matter much to passengers in the long run. People won't fly any less because of mishandled luggage. The system will only get worse experts say and passengers won't be willing to pay any more at the ticket counter to make it better. Brian Todd, CNN, at Reagan National Airport.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Coming up, want to hear some interesting water cooler talk. We'll have something that will get those tongues wagging, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: You have heard all of the important news today. But there is always much more. It's a little something we like to call the "CNN Water Cooler." Here's CNN's Carol Lin.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Face value of a rare U.S. bank note, one million dollars. Investment raised from eight Japanese investors to buy the rare bank note, $1.25 million. Anticipated return to investors upon immediate selling of rare bank note, $10 million.
Look on their face when they found out that the U.S. Treasury has never issued a million-dollar bill, priceless.
Either someone has a fetish for fake legs or they are hell-bent on keeping Melissa Huff (ph) from playing softball. For the second time since November, a burglar has run off with a pair of her artificial legs. Melissa, of Temple City, California, lost her leg in an accident two years ago. The artificial legs cost as much as a car, so replacing them is a huge deal.
The everyday cosmetic leg costs 12 grand, but the sports model to play softball, which is Melissa's passion, cost $16,000.
Try following along. The niece is older than her uncle by more than an hour. The uncle mom is the niece's grandma. The niece's mom is the uncle's sister. The niece's is named after a British luxury car. The uncle is named after a an American pickup truck. For the rest of the their lives they'll probably be treated as brother and sister.
WHITFIELD: The stuff that has people talking. That was CNN's Carol Lin. Still much more ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY. "IN THE MONEY" is next. Here's a preview.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you. Coming up on "IN THE MONEY" is the economy getting stronger or is Mother Nature just messing with our heads a little bit. We'll get one economists take on the impact of this warm winter weather.
Plus, not so strange bedfellows. It's no secret doctors get freebies from the drug companies, everything from pens to pills to dinners out. Find out how that might be putting your health at risk.
And democracy in America meets on the road. A French thinker travels around our country to find out what it means to be American. He'll join us with his take on the colonies.
All that and more right after a quick check of the headlines.
WHITFIELD: Here are the headlines. An explosion rocks a karaoke bar in The Philippines wounding 20 people. The bar is near a military base where U.S. troops are staying. The Philippine military says joint military exercises with the U.S. will go ahead as planned.
Off the east coast of Africa search and rescue operations have concluded following the crash of two U.S. helicopters during an exercise. The Pentagon says all 12 crewmembers have now been accounted for. Details on casualties were not released pending family notifications, however. Two marines picked up yesterday are listed in stable condition.
New Orleans is kicking off the Mardi Gras season and putting its best party face on. Even though the city is still badly battered nearly six months after Hurricane Katrina, residents and officials feel the famous street party should go on.
Across the northern U.S. the mercury is in the double digits today below zero. Tens of thousands of people are coping with the arctic blast without power. The severe weather is blamed for at least four deaths.
Power ball mania is kicking into high gear. The jackpot for tonight's multi-state drawing is a record $365 million dollars. The tickets are selling fast, but don't hold your breath. The chances of matching all six numbers are estimated to be one in 146 million.
And those are the headlines. More news as it happens. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Up next, "IN THE MONEY."
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