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Crisis in the Middle East; The War on Terror; Smoking & Allergies; Jury Selection Begins in Peterson Trial

Aired March 22, 2004 - 13:00   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: To Israel he was a heinous butcher, the first and foremost of the Palestinian murderers. To Palestinians he was a prominent leader, a helpless man in a wheelchair. He was Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and founder and spiritual leader of the militant group Hamas, killed today by Israeli helicopter gunships in Gaza. The political repercussions are seismic and revenge attacks have already started.
We get the latest from CNN's Chris Burns. He is in Gaza -- Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kyra. As I was following here, we did hear several -- I got a bit of -- a bit of echo in my ear here, if you could fix that.

But as night was falling, we heard four booms and that was what Hamas says were four rockets that they fired at Israel. No word on any injuries yet, but that was just another theory (ph). At least two more rocket or mortar attacks against Israel as we were coming in to Gaza as there was the funeral procession here in the streets. Tens of thousands of people who were protesting, enraged, enraged that Israel could fire rockets at a 66-year-old quadriplegic man in his wheelchair as he left morning prayers, and that is where they're demanding revenge attacks against Israel. There was a leaflet being circulated at the -- at the funeral procession which called for an earthquake of revenge to shake Israel, calls for revenge from other militant groups as well.

The Palestinian Authority, however, is condemning the attack, calling it a cowardly act that could cause further chaos and just bring on more violence in the region. They're calling for more peace talks. Israel, however, of course argues that Mr. Yassin has been the inspiration behind countless suicide attacks in Israel that have killed hundreds of Israelis over the past three-and-a-half years -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Chris Burns live from Gaza City. Thanks, Chris.

And in just a few minutes, we're going to talk more about the aftermath of the sheikh's assassination with CNN military analyst General Don Shepperd. That's at half past the hour right here on LIVE FROM...

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: No way out? Apparently no. Pakistan says it has uncovered tunnels leading in to and out of that fortified compound that was thought to be sheltering a top al Qaeda fugitive, maybe Osama bin Laden's second in command, maybe not. For almost a week now, government troops and paramilitaries have bombarded the compound. Al Qaeda loyalists and local tribesmen have offered up a fierce defense.

With the latest on all of that, here is CNN's Nic Robertson in Islamabad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The very latest from here a Pakistani military convoy headed into the tribal region came under rocket attack. We have no details yet of casualties, but that convoy was carrying fuel in to the troops in Waziristan around the area of Wana where Pakistani military forces have surrounded up to 400 al Qaeda members. It was carrying fuel in. But as yet we have no details of the casualties in that attack on that convoy.

The day has, in principle, been mostly quiet as tribal leaders have tried to negotiate on behalf of the Pakistani government, negotiate the surrender of al Qaeda members hold up in that area. We also understand from Pakistani military officials that bodies have been removed. At least six bodies removed from the battlefield. We are told by Pakistani intelligence sources that U.S. officials will be performing DNA analysis on those bodies.

We've also learned today from Pakistani military officials that there was a system of tunnels linking some of those compounds that they had surrounded. One of those tunnels was two kilometers, a mile long, leading away from one of those compounds.

And Pakistan military officials saying they cannot rule out the possibility that people, including the high value target, may have escaped down that series of tunnels. Although at this time there's absolutely no indication being given that Ayman al-Zawahiri was that high value target or has been one of those captured or killed or escaped. There is very little information on that. Pakistani officials really playing down expectations at this time and the likelihood it seems diminishing that Ayman al-Zawahiri will be caught.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Islamabad, Pakistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: The White House is giving a big thumbs down to what it calls Dick Clarke's American Grandstand. No, not that Dick Clark. Long time U.S. counterterrorism official Richard Clarke, who has been retired for a year but not apparently playing golf and fishing. Clarke has written a book entitled "Against All Enemies" in which he claims the Bush administration downplayed the risks from al Qaeda pre- 9/11 while playing up the risks from Iraq.

In an interview with "60 Minutes," Clarke says post 9/11 Iraq shot to the top of the suspect list.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RICHARD CLARKE, FORMER COUNTERTERRORISM AIDE: The president, we were in the situation room complex. The president dragged me into a room with a couple of other people, shut the door and said I want you to find whether Iraq did this. Now he never said make it up. But the entire conversation left me in absolutely no doubt that George Bush wanted me to come back with a report that said Iraq did this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now among Clarke's other assertions that Mr. Bush's National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice seemed never to have heard of al Qaeda before he discussed it with her in early 2001. Rice has been leading the White House counteroffensive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Richard Clarke had plenty of opportunities to tell us in the administration that he thought the war on terrorism was moving in the wrong direction, and he chose not to. In fact, when he came to me and asked if I would support him with Tom Ridge to become the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, a department which he now says should never have been -- have never have been created. When he asked me to support him in that job, he said he supported the president. So frankly, I'm flabbergasted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well in the next hour of LIVE FROM... we'll get both sides of the claims and counter claims from former Justice Department spokeswoman Barbara Comstock and former international security aide in the Clinton administration Robert Borson (ph).

And Clarke will be a guest tomorrow on "AMERICAN MORNING." That begins at 7:00 a.m. Eastern, 4:00 Pacific, right here on CNN.

O'BRIEN: Live this hour, some of the 9/11 families and a group called Citizens Watch present a series of questions -- live pictures now -- that they want to see answered in the hearings this week. The 9/11 Commission will hear testimony from people like Richard Clarke over the next couple of days. CNN will have all day live coverage of those hearings. Tomorrow morning is when it all begins.

The European Union might soon give member states a financial incentive to fight terror. In Brussels today, EU foreign ministers contemplated cutting economic aid to countries whose anti-terror efforts are seen to be lagging. The Union pledged mutual assistance in case of attack and it backed the creation of an anti-terror coordinator or czar. It will not be merging European intelligence services, though, anytime soon.

Well coming up, live pictures from the White House now. We do expect a White briefing, and we do expect some response to all the accusations coming from Dick Clarke, the former national security aide who is out with a book today. We'll bring that to you as it happens. And then a warning from the government for people taking popular antidepressants about the signs of suicidal tendencies. We'll have more on that ahead.

Plus privacy versus crime prevention, the Supreme Court considers a case about just how much you have to tell the police.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ted Rowlands in Redwood City, California, where the second phase of jury selection in the Scott Peterson murder trial has begun. The judge has also made a potentially significant ruling. We'll have that coming up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Live pictures of the White House. We're expecting a briefing very shortly. We expect Scott McClellan to talk about, among other things, that new book out by Dick Clarke, "Against All Enemies." We'll see what the White House has to say about that. We'll bring it to you live as it happens.

'News Across America' now. The Supreme Court takes up a case that pits the right to privacy against crime prevention. It involves a Nevada cattleman who refused to show a sheriff's deputy some ID. The cowboy says he wasn't doing anything wrong, so he shouldn't have to identify himself. The lower courts disagreed. He was convicted of resisting an officer.

In the same-sex marriage debate, a county in New York presses its controversial criminal case against two ministers. Kay Greenly (ph), Fen Dong Sangri (ph) are among a group of clergy who have been performing same-sex weddings. Now some as recently as Friday. Their lawyer says they will plead not guilty today to charges of solemnizing marriages without licenses. Supporters plan to protest today's arraignment.

Will California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger take the witness stand in a libel case involving his campaign? An L.A. judge holds a hearing to decide that today. Rhonda Miller says his campaign intentionally defamed her when it told reporters she had a criminal record. In fact, she does not. Miller says Schwarzenegger sexually harassed her.

PHILLIPS: Another reason not to smoke around kids. A new study finds children who are exposed to second-hand smoke are at a disadvantage when it comes to fighting allergies.

CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well here is a topic close to home for many people especially this time of year. Forty to 50 million Americans suffering from significant allergies come this spring. So people were encouraged a couple years ago when there was a study coming out actually looking at pets and the possible protective benefits pets might have on children in terms of developing allergies. Some of the numbers pretty encouraging, children with two or more dogs or cats reduce allergies by 50 percent including allergies to the pets themselves, dust mites, grass or ragweed.

Now a new study, a follow-up study coming out just this weekend, looking at a way that those possible beneficial effects might be negated, that is by parents who smoke.

Take a look here now. Children with regular smoking parents, either one or both parents who regularly smoke, lost the protective benefits of those pets. Now this it not a great surprise. People have known that second-hand smoke is bad. But this is the first study really showing that one effect is actually negated by the other. A crude rule of thumb: if both parents have significant allergies, then the child has about a 50 percent of developing allergies. One parent, about 25 percent.

Why does this work? That's a question I get a lot. It really has to do with introducing allergies to a -- to a young child or a baby, and introducing them early in life.

Take a look here. Basically the body is, especially at birth, is geared towards -- the immune system is geared towards bacteria and allergies. Now as the child develops, if they're exposed to certain allergens, they're going to develop a natural exposure to the bacteria, and that's going to condition them against the allergies.

Later on in life, the next time this bacteria comes knocking on the door or the next time this allergy comes knocking on the door, the body is going to say, uh uh, not this time, we're not going to develop any sort of reaction to that. And in effect, the body is geared towards these particular allergies. It's the same concept on which allergy shots work. This time maybe just with pets.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: It's the visit every military family dreads.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They didn't have to tell me what it was. I knew that one of the two casualties of that day were one of them was my son.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: One year after a Marine dies in the war in Iraq, his family speaks out about a son's sacrifice.

And later, tailed by the FBI, reports out today show just how extensively the feds were on John Kerry's back in the '70s. DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: I'm CNN technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg at the Wireless Show. And I know it looks like I need a pocket protector here. But in fact, one of these pens is a cell phone. That's right. Coming up on CNN LIVE FROM... we'll tell you how it works and when you might be able to get one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well the Fortune 500 companies made a lot of money last year. Who got the lion's share?

Rhonda Schaffler has the list. She joins us now live from the New York Stock Exchange -- Rhonda.

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

Coming up, jurors are continuing their deliberations in the case of Tyco's former executives. I'll have the latest when CNN LIVE FROM... rolls on right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Scott Peterson's statements to the media can and most likely will be used against him in a court of law. That's the ruling today from Redwood City, California. And that may be where the trial will stay, despite some previous comments by Peterson's attorney that he would request a second change of venue.

CNN's Ted Rowlands is watching it all for us.

Ted, what's the latest?

ROWLANDS: Well, as you mentioned, the judge ruled against the defense on this motion to exclude Peterson's statements to the media. He said, quite frankly, there just wasn't enough evidence to allow him to do that. So those will be part of this trial, according to the prosecution. They now, of course, have that right.

And then they moved right into the jury selection process. This is the second phase. The initial jury pool has been scaled down. About 30 percent, maybe almost 40 percent of the perspective 1,000 jurors that filled out questionnaires were eliminated because of other commitments, financial being the most significant one. Now, it is down to the remaining 300 plus jurors.

And we just had the first juror come up to be questioned by both sides. This is the voir dire process, where both sides have the opportunity to pepper the potential juror about potential bias. In the end, they accepted this guy as a potential juror. He was an environmental investigator in the city of San Jose. He said that he had once testified as an expert witness for the city attorney down there. But despite that, the judge said bring him on board. So he is potential juror No. 1. They need to get 60 potential jurors before they can proceed. And that process is expected to take a very long time. In fact, the judge today set out a tentative schedule and said that he doesn't expect opening arguments in this case until May 17 because of the length of time that this second phase of jury selection is expected to take. They'll take a break for lunch and then they will be at it again this afternoon, hoping to get through a total of six potential jurors and then do it again tomorrow, working four day weeks until they can assemble these 60 individuals -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. Ted Rowlands, you might as well call a real estate agent now. Looks like you're going to be there for a while. Thanks very much.

ROWLANDS: Thanks.

PHILLIPS: Checking headlines at the half hour, it appears presidential hopeful John Kerry had a closer encounter with the FBI than once thought. According to the "L.A. Times," the FBI had Kerry followed in the '70s when he became a prominent activist against the Vietnam War. Kerry says he knew the FBI was following him, but learned only recently the extent of it.

Opening statements are under way in the Terry Nichols trial after a short delay. Two jurors and an alternate juror were excused today from the state trial against the Oklahoma City bombing conspirator. It turns out they were distant cousins of an Oklahoma county assistant district attorney.

A hearing scheduled today in a lawsuit filed by Michael Jackson against XtraJet. That's the Santa Monica based charter jet company the pop star accused of videotaping him without his permission just before he surrendered on child molestation charges.

We want to take you now live to the White House. Scott McClellan addressing reporters.

(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)

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




Allergies; Jury Selection Begins in Peterson Trial>


Aired March 22, 2004 - 13:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: To Israel he was a heinous butcher, the first and foremost of the Palestinian murderers. To Palestinians he was a prominent leader, a helpless man in a wheelchair. He was Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and founder and spiritual leader of the militant group Hamas, killed today by Israeli helicopter gunships in Gaza. The political repercussions are seismic and revenge attacks have already started.
We get the latest from CNN's Chris Burns. He is in Gaza -- Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kyra. As I was following here, we did hear several -- I got a bit of -- a bit of echo in my ear here, if you could fix that.

But as night was falling, we heard four booms and that was what Hamas says were four rockets that they fired at Israel. No word on any injuries yet, but that was just another theory (ph). At least two more rocket or mortar attacks against Israel as we were coming in to Gaza as there was the funeral procession here in the streets. Tens of thousands of people who were protesting, enraged, enraged that Israel could fire rockets at a 66-year-old quadriplegic man in his wheelchair as he left morning prayers, and that is where they're demanding revenge attacks against Israel. There was a leaflet being circulated at the -- at the funeral procession which called for an earthquake of revenge to shake Israel, calls for revenge from other militant groups as well.

The Palestinian Authority, however, is condemning the attack, calling it a cowardly act that could cause further chaos and just bring on more violence in the region. They're calling for more peace talks. Israel, however, of course argues that Mr. Yassin has been the inspiration behind countless suicide attacks in Israel that have killed hundreds of Israelis over the past three-and-a-half years -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Chris Burns live from Gaza City. Thanks, Chris.

And in just a few minutes, we're going to talk more about the aftermath of the sheikh's assassination with CNN military analyst General Don Shepperd. That's at half past the hour right here on LIVE FROM...

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: No way out? Apparently no. Pakistan says it has uncovered tunnels leading in to and out of that fortified compound that was thought to be sheltering a top al Qaeda fugitive, maybe Osama bin Laden's second in command, maybe not. For almost a week now, government troops and paramilitaries have bombarded the compound. Al Qaeda loyalists and local tribesmen have offered up a fierce defense.

With the latest on all of that, here is CNN's Nic Robertson in Islamabad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The very latest from here a Pakistani military convoy headed into the tribal region came under rocket attack. We have no details yet of casualties, but that convoy was carrying fuel in to the troops in Waziristan around the area of Wana where Pakistani military forces have surrounded up to 400 al Qaeda members. It was carrying fuel in. But as yet we have no details of the casualties in that attack on that convoy.

The day has, in principle, been mostly quiet as tribal leaders have tried to negotiate on behalf of the Pakistani government, negotiate the surrender of al Qaeda members hold up in that area. We also understand from Pakistani military officials that bodies have been removed. At least six bodies removed from the battlefield. We are told by Pakistani intelligence sources that U.S. officials will be performing DNA analysis on those bodies.

We've also learned today from Pakistani military officials that there was a system of tunnels linking some of those compounds that they had surrounded. One of those tunnels was two kilometers, a mile long, leading away from one of those compounds.

And Pakistan military officials saying they cannot rule out the possibility that people, including the high value target, may have escaped down that series of tunnels. Although at this time there's absolutely no indication being given that Ayman al-Zawahiri was that high value target or has been one of those captured or killed or escaped. There is very little information on that. Pakistani officials really playing down expectations at this time and the likelihood it seems diminishing that Ayman al-Zawahiri will be caught.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Islamabad, Pakistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: The White House is giving a big thumbs down to what it calls Dick Clarke's American Grandstand. No, not that Dick Clark. Long time U.S. counterterrorism official Richard Clarke, who has been retired for a year but not apparently playing golf and fishing. Clarke has written a book entitled "Against All Enemies" in which he claims the Bush administration downplayed the risks from al Qaeda pre- 9/11 while playing up the risks from Iraq.

In an interview with "60 Minutes," Clarke says post 9/11 Iraq shot to the top of the suspect list.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RICHARD CLARKE, FORMER COUNTERTERRORISM AIDE: The president, we were in the situation room complex. The president dragged me into a room with a couple of other people, shut the door and said I want you to find whether Iraq did this. Now he never said make it up. But the entire conversation left me in absolutely no doubt that George Bush wanted me to come back with a report that said Iraq did this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now among Clarke's other assertions that Mr. Bush's National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice seemed never to have heard of al Qaeda before he discussed it with her in early 2001. Rice has been leading the White House counteroffensive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Richard Clarke had plenty of opportunities to tell us in the administration that he thought the war on terrorism was moving in the wrong direction, and he chose not to. In fact, when he came to me and asked if I would support him with Tom Ridge to become the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, a department which he now says should never have been -- have never have been created. When he asked me to support him in that job, he said he supported the president. So frankly, I'm flabbergasted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well in the next hour of LIVE FROM... we'll get both sides of the claims and counter claims from former Justice Department spokeswoman Barbara Comstock and former international security aide in the Clinton administration Robert Borson (ph).

And Clarke will be a guest tomorrow on "AMERICAN MORNING." That begins at 7:00 a.m. Eastern, 4:00 Pacific, right here on CNN.

O'BRIEN: Live this hour, some of the 9/11 families and a group called Citizens Watch present a series of questions -- live pictures now -- that they want to see answered in the hearings this week. The 9/11 Commission will hear testimony from people like Richard Clarke over the next couple of days. CNN will have all day live coverage of those hearings. Tomorrow morning is when it all begins.

The European Union might soon give member states a financial incentive to fight terror. In Brussels today, EU foreign ministers contemplated cutting economic aid to countries whose anti-terror efforts are seen to be lagging. The Union pledged mutual assistance in case of attack and it backed the creation of an anti-terror coordinator or czar. It will not be merging European intelligence services, though, anytime soon.

Well coming up, live pictures from the White House now. We do expect a White briefing, and we do expect some response to all the accusations coming from Dick Clarke, the former national security aide who is out with a book today. We'll bring that to you as it happens. And then a warning from the government for people taking popular antidepressants about the signs of suicidal tendencies. We'll have more on that ahead.

Plus privacy versus crime prevention, the Supreme Court considers a case about just how much you have to tell the police.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ted Rowlands in Redwood City, California, where the second phase of jury selection in the Scott Peterson murder trial has begun. The judge has also made a potentially significant ruling. We'll have that coming up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Live pictures of the White House. We're expecting a briefing very shortly. We expect Scott McClellan to talk about, among other things, that new book out by Dick Clarke, "Against All Enemies." We'll see what the White House has to say about that. We'll bring it to you live as it happens.

'News Across America' now. The Supreme Court takes up a case that pits the right to privacy against crime prevention. It involves a Nevada cattleman who refused to show a sheriff's deputy some ID. The cowboy says he wasn't doing anything wrong, so he shouldn't have to identify himself. The lower courts disagreed. He was convicted of resisting an officer.

In the same-sex marriage debate, a county in New York presses its controversial criminal case against two ministers. Kay Greenly (ph), Fen Dong Sangri (ph) are among a group of clergy who have been performing same-sex weddings. Now some as recently as Friday. Their lawyer says they will plead not guilty today to charges of solemnizing marriages without licenses. Supporters plan to protest today's arraignment.

Will California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger take the witness stand in a libel case involving his campaign? An L.A. judge holds a hearing to decide that today. Rhonda Miller says his campaign intentionally defamed her when it told reporters she had a criminal record. In fact, she does not. Miller says Schwarzenegger sexually harassed her.

PHILLIPS: Another reason not to smoke around kids. A new study finds children who are exposed to second-hand smoke are at a disadvantage when it comes to fighting allergies.

CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well here is a topic close to home for many people especially this time of year. Forty to 50 million Americans suffering from significant allergies come this spring. So people were encouraged a couple years ago when there was a study coming out actually looking at pets and the possible protective benefits pets might have on children in terms of developing allergies. Some of the numbers pretty encouraging, children with two or more dogs or cats reduce allergies by 50 percent including allergies to the pets themselves, dust mites, grass or ragweed.

Now a new study, a follow-up study coming out just this weekend, looking at a way that those possible beneficial effects might be negated, that is by parents who smoke.

Take a look here now. Children with regular smoking parents, either one or both parents who regularly smoke, lost the protective benefits of those pets. Now this it not a great surprise. People have known that second-hand smoke is bad. But this is the first study really showing that one effect is actually negated by the other. A crude rule of thumb: if both parents have significant allergies, then the child has about a 50 percent of developing allergies. One parent, about 25 percent.

Why does this work? That's a question I get a lot. It really has to do with introducing allergies to a -- to a young child or a baby, and introducing them early in life.

Take a look here. Basically the body is, especially at birth, is geared towards -- the immune system is geared towards bacteria and allergies. Now as the child develops, if they're exposed to certain allergens, they're going to develop a natural exposure to the bacteria, and that's going to condition them against the allergies.

Later on in life, the next time this bacteria comes knocking on the door or the next time this allergy comes knocking on the door, the body is going to say, uh uh, not this time, we're not going to develop any sort of reaction to that. And in effect, the body is geared towards these particular allergies. It's the same concept on which allergy shots work. This time maybe just with pets.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: It's the visit every military family dreads.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They didn't have to tell me what it was. I knew that one of the two casualties of that day were one of them was my son.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: One year after a Marine dies in the war in Iraq, his family speaks out about a son's sacrifice.

And later, tailed by the FBI, reports out today show just how extensively the feds were on John Kerry's back in the '70s. DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: I'm CNN technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg at the Wireless Show. And I know it looks like I need a pocket protector here. But in fact, one of these pens is a cell phone. That's right. Coming up on CNN LIVE FROM... we'll tell you how it works and when you might be able to get one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well the Fortune 500 companies made a lot of money last year. Who got the lion's share?

Rhonda Schaffler has the list. She joins us now live from the New York Stock Exchange -- Rhonda.

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

Coming up, jurors are continuing their deliberations in the case of Tyco's former executives. I'll have the latest when CNN LIVE FROM... rolls on right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Scott Peterson's statements to the media can and most likely will be used against him in a court of law. That's the ruling today from Redwood City, California. And that may be where the trial will stay, despite some previous comments by Peterson's attorney that he would request a second change of venue.

CNN's Ted Rowlands is watching it all for us.

Ted, what's the latest?

ROWLANDS: Well, as you mentioned, the judge ruled against the defense on this motion to exclude Peterson's statements to the media. He said, quite frankly, there just wasn't enough evidence to allow him to do that. So those will be part of this trial, according to the prosecution. They now, of course, have that right.

And then they moved right into the jury selection process. This is the second phase. The initial jury pool has been scaled down. About 30 percent, maybe almost 40 percent of the perspective 1,000 jurors that filled out questionnaires were eliminated because of other commitments, financial being the most significant one. Now, it is down to the remaining 300 plus jurors.

And we just had the first juror come up to be questioned by both sides. This is the voir dire process, where both sides have the opportunity to pepper the potential juror about potential bias. In the end, they accepted this guy as a potential juror. He was an environmental investigator in the city of San Jose. He said that he had once testified as an expert witness for the city attorney down there. But despite that, the judge said bring him on board. So he is potential juror No. 1. They need to get 60 potential jurors before they can proceed. And that process is expected to take a very long time. In fact, the judge today set out a tentative schedule and said that he doesn't expect opening arguments in this case until May 17 because of the length of time that this second phase of jury selection is expected to take. They'll take a break for lunch and then they will be at it again this afternoon, hoping to get through a total of six potential jurors and then do it again tomorrow, working four day weeks until they can assemble these 60 individuals -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. Ted Rowlands, you might as well call a real estate agent now. Looks like you're going to be there for a while. Thanks very much.

ROWLANDS: Thanks.

PHILLIPS: Checking headlines at the half hour, it appears presidential hopeful John Kerry had a closer encounter with the FBI than once thought. According to the "L.A. Times," the FBI had Kerry followed in the '70s when he became a prominent activist against the Vietnam War. Kerry says he knew the FBI was following him, but learned only recently the extent of it.

Opening statements are under way in the Terry Nichols trial after a short delay. Two jurors and an alternate juror were excused today from the state trial against the Oklahoma City bombing conspirator. It turns out they were distant cousins of an Oklahoma county assistant district attorney.

A hearing scheduled today in a lawsuit filed by Michael Jackson against XtraJet. That's the Santa Monica based charter jet company the pop star accused of videotaping him without his permission just before he surrendered on child molestation charges.

We want to take you now live to the White House. Scott McClellan addressing reporters.

(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)

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




Allergies; Jury Selection Begins in Peterson Trial>