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U.S. Troops Get Message of Thanks, Warning of Potentially More Violence from Commander in Chief

Aired June 16, 2004 - 13:30   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Checking the headlines a "At This Hour."
In an emotional interview with CNN, the son of kidnapped American Paul Johnson pleads for his father's release. Johnson's captors in Saudi Arabia are threatening to kill him unless the Saudis release all al Qaeda prisoners. Videotape on the Internet shows Johnson wearing an blindfold.

A new report from the 9/11 Commission says al Qaeda initially planned to attack with ten airplanes. Among the additional targets, CIA and FBI headquarters and nuclear power plants in Washington State and California. The report also names at least ten additional al Qaeda operatives.

And from Iraq, two more U.S. soldiers killed in action. A senior coalition official says they were killed in a rocket attack at a base about 50 miles north of Baghdad, near the town of Balad. Eight soldiers and two Iraqis wounded in that attack.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A massacre in northeastern Colombia has taken the lives at least 34 farm workers. They were tired up, then shot with automatic weapons. The workers reportedly were growing coca, the raw ingredient of cocaine.

The motive for the attack is not clear. Authorities say it appears linked to leftist guerrillas trying to topple the government for the past 40 years. The leftists are also locked in a fight with right-wing paramilitary forces for control of that drug trade.

Other news around the world now. A key investigator in an espionage case at Guantanamo Bay faces criminal charges of his own. An Air Force tech sergeant is charged with rape, sodomy and fondling girls as well as mishandling classified documents. The sergeant investigated is a Gitmo translator who's also accused of spying.

A passenger train jumps the tracks in western India killing at least 14 people, leaving cars dangling from a bridge. Officials say the train slammed into boulders that had fallen on to a bridge. Dozens of people were injured.

Burned alive in Boliva. A mayor accused of corruption is set on fire by an angry crowd. It's not clear whether he was killed in his home or after he was dragged into the streets. In Iran, is it thumbing its nose at nuclear inspectors? Well President Mohammad Khatami says the nation is not morally obligated to stop enriching uranium, a possible step toward producing nuclear weapons. However he didn't threaten to resume the process. Today, the U.N. nuclear agency debates a resolution that criticizes Tehran for poor cooperation.

O'BRIEN: U.S. troops get a message of thanks and a warning of potentially more violence ahead from their commander in chief. President Burn speaking to American forces from Central Command headquarters in Florida today. CNN's Elaine Quijano joining us with more on the president's day from her perch at the White House. Hello, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.

President Bush delivered a message of appreciation and determination to U.S. troops at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. He also broadcast that message via satellite to U.S. troops all over the world.

The president spoke to a crowd of thousands at MacDill itself. MacDill, of course, home to U.S. Central Command which is in charge of the military operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

The president thanked the troops for their service, telling them they were in the thoughts of their fellow Americans. He focused his speech on the Iraq mission and said the U.S. came not to conquer, but to liberate people.

Now despite the ongoing violence, the president said progress is being made. All along, President Bush has repeatedly warned the days leading up to the June 30 transfer of sovereignty might be increasingly violent ones, that insurgents might step up efforts.

Today, speaking to the troops, the president once again reaffirmed his commitment to carry out the Iraq mission.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And we can expect more attacks in the coming few weeks. More car bombs, more suiciders, more attempts on the lives of Iraqi officials.

But our coalition is standing firm. New Iraq's leaders are not intimidated. I will not yield, and neither will the leaders of Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now, the last time the president spoke at MacDill was in March of last year, just after the start of the Iraq war, when he rallied the troops then.

This year in delivering his message in Florida, the backdrop is significant for another reason. Although officially today was not a campaign stop, Florida is a crucial swing state for President Bush. It's, of course. the place where the president garnered just 537 votes more than Al Gore in 2000.

This time around, of course, both John Kerry and President Bush pushing hard to win Florida. This, by the way, was the president's 22nd trip to that state since taking office -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Elaine Quijano at the White House, thank you very much.

Senator John Kerry is courting working families in Ohio, in Columbus this morning. The Democrat says if he's elected president he'll expand after school programs and increase the tax credit for child care. This will all cost about $20 billion over ten years which Kerry says he would get by closing some corporate tax loopholes.

Kerry is returning to Washington this afternoon where there is speculation he's going to meet with some potential running mates.

PHILLIPS: Four years ago, he was perceived as stiff and formal. Today, Al Gore is a man transformed. Will his new image hurt or help the Democrats going into the election? CNN's Kelly Wallace takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: How dare they drag the good name of the United States of America through the mud of Saddam Hussein's torture prison?

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: His loyalists call it "Al Gore unplugged".

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our country would be a lot better off today if he were president because of all the problems in Iraq and the economy.

GORE: Donald Rumsfeld ought to resign immediately as the chief architect of this plan.

WALLACE: To his critics, it is the former vice president losing his mind.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had his shot at political office, and we already said we didn't want him.

GORE: This administration has shamed America and has deeply damaged the cause of freedom and human rights everywhere.

WALLACE: To oldest daughter Karenna, it is her father who won the popular vote in 2000, speaking not as a candidate, but as a concerned statesman.

KARENNA GORE, AL GORE'S DAUGHTER: Right now my dad is not reading polls, not paying attention to focus groups. He is just saying from the heart what he believes is right, and where he would like to see this country go. WALLACE: If Al Gore wanted to get people's attention, he succeeded. After all, Bruce Springsteen on his Web site is encouraging fans to read the speech Gore delivered a few weeks ago, his most critical yet of the president's handling of the war with Iraq.

GORE: We may have to wait to get rid of Bush and Cheney. But we ought to call on our Republican friends to join us in getting the rest of that team out right now.

WALLACE: Some Democratic strategists say Gore's charges could help John Kerry, especially with those Democrats who might be considering Ralph Nader.

HOWARD WOLFSON, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Strident anti-war Democrats need reassurance that it's OK to vote for John Kerry. And Al Gore helped provide that.

WALLACE: An alternative view that Gore does nothing but make the GOP smile.

MICHELLE COTTLE, THE NEW REPUBLIC: For every voter who thinks, wow, this is my team, go team. There's going to be somebody else who thinks, wow, Bush was right. The Democrats are a little unbalanced. I don't want them running national security or homeland security.

WALLACE: And then there is this political theory, that Gore seeming to be on the left of Kerry will make the presumptive Democratic nominee appear more moderate. Do you buy that assessment at all?

K. GORE: Well, I think it's absolutely great if what my dad is doing helps John Kerry for whatever reason. And I know that he feels that way too. But he really is speaking from the heart.

WALLACE (on camera): And Karenna Gore told us she wanted her father to run this year, but he chose not to. And says while he has no plans for a future presidential bid, he will continue speaking out.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: The effort is on to shrink the nation's collective waistline. But do the latest numbers show any improvements in the battle of the bulge? What are you looking at, Miles?

And Motown turned into a party last night thanks to the Pistons' NBA championship win over the L.A. Lakers. We'll recap the highs and lows of the finale when LIVE FROM... rebounds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: On the medical front, obesity has become a major problem for children. Many people have turned to dietary supplements that are supposed to lead to quick weight loss. Well now the House Subcommittee is looking into the dangers associated with these products. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us with the details.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, this is such a vulnerable group of people, kids who are overweight. The parents who want to help them. And unfortunately, sometimes they'll believe anything.

And that's why the Federal Trade Commission announced that a House Subcommittee hearing today that they're taking action against some of these products that are aimed at overweight children and their parents.

Let's take a look at one Web site, it's for PediaLean. This one of the products the FTC is moving against. They say it's not proven that it works and it's not proven that it's safe.

There's another product called Pedia Loss. There's another product called Skinny Pill For Kids, which we've talked about on this show before. And that is now not going to be available at all because of actions that the Federal Trade Commission took.

Again, they say it's not clear that these things actually work and they may actually be harmful. This is from Dr. Alison Hoppin who works at Mass General Hospital.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ALISON HOPPIN, MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL: Some members of the dietary supplement industry develop products based on a very shaky foundation of pseudo science. They then market these products to a vulnerable population.

There's no scientific reason to believe that any of these supplements have true effectiveness in the short or long-term control of obesity. Children and adolescents are particularly influenced by advertising or marketing. And are less likely than adult to take a skeptical view of unproven advertising claims.

To market these products to the public with claims of effectiveness is therefore exploitive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So experts say whether it's a weight loss supplement for kids or for adults, be more wary and then be more wary and then be even more worry.

PHILLIPS: All right, we talk about being wary because there are so many claims that come out on these diets. What would be the perfect red flag?

COHEN: Right. There are several red flags that you should look for that say, you know what, this doesn't sounds like kind of a funny claim, doesn't quite sound right. For example, no exercise or diet required. If a pill says, "You're going to loss weight with no diet or exercise," that's the...

O'BRIEN: Duh.

COHEN: Duh, exactly. Thank you, Miles.

That's probably the biggest red flag you can have. That's just too good to be true.

"Clinically proven or doctor approved." That doesn't mean anything. Those words don't mean anything. Those words, you can just throw those words around. It doesn't really mean anything.

And the third one is "natural" or "safe." Again, words that don't necessarily mean anything. It doesn't really mean it is natural. Any even if it is natural, that doesn't necessarily mean that it works or it's safe.

PHILLIPS: We say we're safe, and that's a whole other story.

O'BRIEN: We're certainly natural.

PHILLIPS: Are some of these drugs too strong for kids?

COHEN: Well, yes. They' actually -- some doctors say that some of the ingredients in the supplements actually can do harm to kids, that you're not supposed to give them to kids. And so it's not just that they're putting nothing in there, they are putting something. But some of them you are not supposed to give to children under the age 12. And here they are in a children's product.

O'BRIEN: Get them off the couch. That's -- it's...

COHEN: There you go.

O'BRIEN: I'm sorry. I'm kind of old fashioned that way. Go out and play, kids.

COHEN: Off the couch and off the French fries.

O'BRIEN: There you go.

PHILLIPS: There you go.

O'BRIEN: All right. Good to see you, Elizabeth.

COHEN: Thanks.

O'BRIEN: You know, it's a dirty business, but somebody's to do it. From the dirty street of New York City to the dirtier backyards of -- North Carolina? One former cop turns your dog's business into his business. One man's -- is another man's -- well, you know.

And speaking a bit -- Rhonda, I'm sorry, I did not mean to land it right in your lap if you know what I mean.

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNNfn CORRESPONDENT: Listen, Miles, that job may make you want to stay home sick. But is it really worth the sick day? More on that when CNN's LIVE FROM... continues after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Oh yeah. The Motor City is celebrating. Jason's happy. The Detroit Pistons pounded the L.A. Lakers to wrap up the NBA Championship. First time since 1990.

Jason, by the way, is our floor director.

Here's Larry Smith.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They personified their cities perfectly in the NBA finals. Los Angeles, glitz and star power, lost out to the hard work of a relatively anonymous group of Detroit Pistons.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We didn't worry about what people wrote in the papers or what people were saying on TV or what they was even saying in Vegas. We said to ourselves, you know, anything is possible if you play together.

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, BASKETBALL PLAYER: They played consistently hard. They played consistently good defense. And they just flat out beat us to everything.

SMITH: Lost in the hoopla surrounding Lakers' coach Phil Jackson, going for a record 10th NBA title in these finals, was Larry Brown getting his first in his 22nd year as an NBA coach, the longest wait in league history.

LARRY BROWN, PISTONS COACH: Since this is toward the end of it for me, and the way we did it against such a quality coach and a quality team, it's a pretty incredible feeling.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Larry, he deserves it. He deserves all the accolades. He deserves everything, you know, because I think he's been looked over the last few years. But, you know, he finally done it. He finally got over that hump.

SMITH (on camera): While the Pistons ride off to enjoy the spoils of a champion, the Lakers now ponder an uncertain future. Jackson's contract is expired, and three of the starting five can become free agents, including Kobe Bryant.

Larry Smith, CNN, Auburn Hills, Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, as you could imagine, fans celebrated in Detroit, dancing in the streets far into the night. Police say the party was mostly peaceful. The last time Detroit won the NBA title, seven people were killed, hundreds more were injured in street violence. That was 14 years ago. Mayor Kwame Kirkpatrick (ph) says that Detroit is different now. He stayed up past 5:00 a.m., he said, shaking hands with the fans.

O'BRIEN: Detroit is celebrating right now, and Pistons' owner Bill Davidson is a man on a roll. Davidson is a reclusive 81-year-old billionaire, and he also owns the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning team. Boy, that's not bad. He's the only majority owner to win two major championships in the same year. Who knew?

PHILLIPS: WNBA championship last year, too.

O'BRIEN: Really?

PHILLIPS: I wish I could say I knew that, but my producer just told me that.

O'BRIEN: Wow.

PHILLIPS: Detroit Shock.

O'BRIEN: Wow, I'm floored.

PHILLIPS: All right, well, making those millions of dollars, I'll bet Bill Davidson rarely called in sick.

In fact, according to Rhonda Schaffler, many Americans rarely do so, even when they really are sick.

O'BRIEN: You mean like that other day when you called in? Yes, I know. I knew exactly what you were up to.

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

O'BRIEN: We've got the scoop on a New York City cop -- you know what it's like being a cop, a lot of times you're knee deep in duty. Well, He traded his beige for doody in North Carolina. It's a living. Al Crocker is now in the business of picking up pet poop. Crocker says he likes his job, but you know what I'm going to say, sometimes it stinks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL CROCKER, POOP PATROL: 90 percent of the time, it's a woman calling me up -- he's going to do it, he's not doing it up, and they call me up. It's not as bad as you would think. I guess you just get used to it, you know, just like the man working in the city landfill. He could be eating a sandwich while he's taking care of his job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: OK, Crocker says has 75 clients and at $12 a piece. When I say $12 a piece. It's $12 a client, not a piece per se. But we think -- we did some math, and he's making quite a load.

PHILLIPS: We've lost all -- can you hear, everyone? Ewww!

All right, coming up in the next hour of LIVE FROM, new details on a much more serious note emerging as the 9/11 Commission continues its investigation. We're going to take a closer look at those specifics, with CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen. That's coming up. Don't go away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired June 16, 2004 - 13:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Checking the headlines a "At This Hour."
In an emotional interview with CNN, the son of kidnapped American Paul Johnson pleads for his father's release. Johnson's captors in Saudi Arabia are threatening to kill him unless the Saudis release all al Qaeda prisoners. Videotape on the Internet shows Johnson wearing an blindfold.

A new report from the 9/11 Commission says al Qaeda initially planned to attack with ten airplanes. Among the additional targets, CIA and FBI headquarters and nuclear power plants in Washington State and California. The report also names at least ten additional al Qaeda operatives.

And from Iraq, two more U.S. soldiers killed in action. A senior coalition official says they were killed in a rocket attack at a base about 50 miles north of Baghdad, near the town of Balad. Eight soldiers and two Iraqis wounded in that attack.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A massacre in northeastern Colombia has taken the lives at least 34 farm workers. They were tired up, then shot with automatic weapons. The workers reportedly were growing coca, the raw ingredient of cocaine.

The motive for the attack is not clear. Authorities say it appears linked to leftist guerrillas trying to topple the government for the past 40 years. The leftists are also locked in a fight with right-wing paramilitary forces for control of that drug trade.

Other news around the world now. A key investigator in an espionage case at Guantanamo Bay faces criminal charges of his own. An Air Force tech sergeant is charged with rape, sodomy and fondling girls as well as mishandling classified documents. The sergeant investigated is a Gitmo translator who's also accused of spying.

A passenger train jumps the tracks in western India killing at least 14 people, leaving cars dangling from a bridge. Officials say the train slammed into boulders that had fallen on to a bridge. Dozens of people were injured.

Burned alive in Boliva. A mayor accused of corruption is set on fire by an angry crowd. It's not clear whether he was killed in his home or after he was dragged into the streets. In Iran, is it thumbing its nose at nuclear inspectors? Well President Mohammad Khatami says the nation is not morally obligated to stop enriching uranium, a possible step toward producing nuclear weapons. However he didn't threaten to resume the process. Today, the U.N. nuclear agency debates a resolution that criticizes Tehran for poor cooperation.

O'BRIEN: U.S. troops get a message of thanks and a warning of potentially more violence ahead from their commander in chief. President Burn speaking to American forces from Central Command headquarters in Florida today. CNN's Elaine Quijano joining us with more on the president's day from her perch at the White House. Hello, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.

President Bush delivered a message of appreciation and determination to U.S. troops at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. He also broadcast that message via satellite to U.S. troops all over the world.

The president spoke to a crowd of thousands at MacDill itself. MacDill, of course, home to U.S. Central Command which is in charge of the military operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

The president thanked the troops for their service, telling them they were in the thoughts of their fellow Americans. He focused his speech on the Iraq mission and said the U.S. came not to conquer, but to liberate people.

Now despite the ongoing violence, the president said progress is being made. All along, President Bush has repeatedly warned the days leading up to the June 30 transfer of sovereignty might be increasingly violent ones, that insurgents might step up efforts.

Today, speaking to the troops, the president once again reaffirmed his commitment to carry out the Iraq mission.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And we can expect more attacks in the coming few weeks. More car bombs, more suiciders, more attempts on the lives of Iraqi officials.

But our coalition is standing firm. New Iraq's leaders are not intimidated. I will not yield, and neither will the leaders of Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now, the last time the president spoke at MacDill was in March of last year, just after the start of the Iraq war, when he rallied the troops then.

This year in delivering his message in Florida, the backdrop is significant for another reason. Although officially today was not a campaign stop, Florida is a crucial swing state for President Bush. It's, of course. the place where the president garnered just 537 votes more than Al Gore in 2000.

This time around, of course, both John Kerry and President Bush pushing hard to win Florida. This, by the way, was the president's 22nd trip to that state since taking office -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Elaine Quijano at the White House, thank you very much.

Senator John Kerry is courting working families in Ohio, in Columbus this morning. The Democrat says if he's elected president he'll expand after school programs and increase the tax credit for child care. This will all cost about $20 billion over ten years which Kerry says he would get by closing some corporate tax loopholes.

Kerry is returning to Washington this afternoon where there is speculation he's going to meet with some potential running mates.

PHILLIPS: Four years ago, he was perceived as stiff and formal. Today, Al Gore is a man transformed. Will his new image hurt or help the Democrats going into the election? CNN's Kelly Wallace takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: How dare they drag the good name of the United States of America through the mud of Saddam Hussein's torture prison?

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: His loyalists call it "Al Gore unplugged".

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our country would be a lot better off today if he were president because of all the problems in Iraq and the economy.

GORE: Donald Rumsfeld ought to resign immediately as the chief architect of this plan.

WALLACE: To his critics, it is the former vice president losing his mind.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had his shot at political office, and we already said we didn't want him.

GORE: This administration has shamed America and has deeply damaged the cause of freedom and human rights everywhere.

WALLACE: To oldest daughter Karenna, it is her father who won the popular vote in 2000, speaking not as a candidate, but as a concerned statesman.

KARENNA GORE, AL GORE'S DAUGHTER: Right now my dad is not reading polls, not paying attention to focus groups. He is just saying from the heart what he believes is right, and where he would like to see this country go. WALLACE: If Al Gore wanted to get people's attention, he succeeded. After all, Bruce Springsteen on his Web site is encouraging fans to read the speech Gore delivered a few weeks ago, his most critical yet of the president's handling of the war with Iraq.

GORE: We may have to wait to get rid of Bush and Cheney. But we ought to call on our Republican friends to join us in getting the rest of that team out right now.

WALLACE: Some Democratic strategists say Gore's charges could help John Kerry, especially with those Democrats who might be considering Ralph Nader.

HOWARD WOLFSON, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Strident anti-war Democrats need reassurance that it's OK to vote for John Kerry. And Al Gore helped provide that.

WALLACE: An alternative view that Gore does nothing but make the GOP smile.

MICHELLE COTTLE, THE NEW REPUBLIC: For every voter who thinks, wow, this is my team, go team. There's going to be somebody else who thinks, wow, Bush was right. The Democrats are a little unbalanced. I don't want them running national security or homeland security.

WALLACE: And then there is this political theory, that Gore seeming to be on the left of Kerry will make the presumptive Democratic nominee appear more moderate. Do you buy that assessment at all?

K. GORE: Well, I think it's absolutely great if what my dad is doing helps John Kerry for whatever reason. And I know that he feels that way too. But he really is speaking from the heart.

WALLACE (on camera): And Karenna Gore told us she wanted her father to run this year, but he chose not to. And says while he has no plans for a future presidential bid, he will continue speaking out.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: The effort is on to shrink the nation's collective waistline. But do the latest numbers show any improvements in the battle of the bulge? What are you looking at, Miles?

And Motown turned into a party last night thanks to the Pistons' NBA championship win over the L.A. Lakers. We'll recap the highs and lows of the finale when LIVE FROM... rebounds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: On the medical front, obesity has become a major problem for children. Many people have turned to dietary supplements that are supposed to lead to quick weight loss. Well now the House Subcommittee is looking into the dangers associated with these products. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us with the details.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, this is such a vulnerable group of people, kids who are overweight. The parents who want to help them. And unfortunately, sometimes they'll believe anything.

And that's why the Federal Trade Commission announced that a House Subcommittee hearing today that they're taking action against some of these products that are aimed at overweight children and their parents.

Let's take a look at one Web site, it's for PediaLean. This one of the products the FTC is moving against. They say it's not proven that it works and it's not proven that it's safe.

There's another product called Pedia Loss. There's another product called Skinny Pill For Kids, which we've talked about on this show before. And that is now not going to be available at all because of actions that the Federal Trade Commission took.

Again, they say it's not clear that these things actually work and they may actually be harmful. This is from Dr. Alison Hoppin who works at Mass General Hospital.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ALISON HOPPIN, MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL: Some members of the dietary supplement industry develop products based on a very shaky foundation of pseudo science. They then market these products to a vulnerable population.

There's no scientific reason to believe that any of these supplements have true effectiveness in the short or long-term control of obesity. Children and adolescents are particularly influenced by advertising or marketing. And are less likely than adult to take a skeptical view of unproven advertising claims.

To market these products to the public with claims of effectiveness is therefore exploitive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So experts say whether it's a weight loss supplement for kids or for adults, be more wary and then be more wary and then be even more worry.

PHILLIPS: All right, we talk about being wary because there are so many claims that come out on these diets. What would be the perfect red flag?

COHEN: Right. There are several red flags that you should look for that say, you know what, this doesn't sounds like kind of a funny claim, doesn't quite sound right. For example, no exercise or diet required. If a pill says, "You're going to loss weight with no diet or exercise," that's the...

O'BRIEN: Duh.

COHEN: Duh, exactly. Thank you, Miles.

That's probably the biggest red flag you can have. That's just too good to be true.

"Clinically proven or doctor approved." That doesn't mean anything. Those words don't mean anything. Those words, you can just throw those words around. It doesn't really mean anything.

And the third one is "natural" or "safe." Again, words that don't necessarily mean anything. It doesn't really mean it is natural. Any even if it is natural, that doesn't necessarily mean that it works or it's safe.

PHILLIPS: We say we're safe, and that's a whole other story.

O'BRIEN: We're certainly natural.

PHILLIPS: Are some of these drugs too strong for kids?

COHEN: Well, yes. They' actually -- some doctors say that some of the ingredients in the supplements actually can do harm to kids, that you're not supposed to give them to kids. And so it's not just that they're putting nothing in there, they are putting something. But some of them you are not supposed to give to children under the age 12. And here they are in a children's product.

O'BRIEN: Get them off the couch. That's -- it's...

COHEN: There you go.

O'BRIEN: I'm sorry. I'm kind of old fashioned that way. Go out and play, kids.

COHEN: Off the couch and off the French fries.

O'BRIEN: There you go.

PHILLIPS: There you go.

O'BRIEN: All right. Good to see you, Elizabeth.

COHEN: Thanks.

O'BRIEN: You know, it's a dirty business, but somebody's to do it. From the dirty street of New York City to the dirtier backyards of -- North Carolina? One former cop turns your dog's business into his business. One man's -- is another man's -- well, you know.

And speaking a bit -- Rhonda, I'm sorry, I did not mean to land it right in your lap if you know what I mean.

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNNfn CORRESPONDENT: Listen, Miles, that job may make you want to stay home sick. But is it really worth the sick day? More on that when CNN's LIVE FROM... continues after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Oh yeah. The Motor City is celebrating. Jason's happy. The Detroit Pistons pounded the L.A. Lakers to wrap up the NBA Championship. First time since 1990.

Jason, by the way, is our floor director.

Here's Larry Smith.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They personified their cities perfectly in the NBA finals. Los Angeles, glitz and star power, lost out to the hard work of a relatively anonymous group of Detroit Pistons.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We didn't worry about what people wrote in the papers or what people were saying on TV or what they was even saying in Vegas. We said to ourselves, you know, anything is possible if you play together.

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, BASKETBALL PLAYER: They played consistently hard. They played consistently good defense. And they just flat out beat us to everything.

SMITH: Lost in the hoopla surrounding Lakers' coach Phil Jackson, going for a record 10th NBA title in these finals, was Larry Brown getting his first in his 22nd year as an NBA coach, the longest wait in league history.

LARRY BROWN, PISTONS COACH: Since this is toward the end of it for me, and the way we did it against such a quality coach and a quality team, it's a pretty incredible feeling.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Larry, he deserves it. He deserves all the accolades. He deserves everything, you know, because I think he's been looked over the last few years. But, you know, he finally done it. He finally got over that hump.

SMITH (on camera): While the Pistons ride off to enjoy the spoils of a champion, the Lakers now ponder an uncertain future. Jackson's contract is expired, and three of the starting five can become free agents, including Kobe Bryant.

Larry Smith, CNN, Auburn Hills, Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, as you could imagine, fans celebrated in Detroit, dancing in the streets far into the night. Police say the party was mostly peaceful. The last time Detroit won the NBA title, seven people were killed, hundreds more were injured in street violence. That was 14 years ago. Mayor Kwame Kirkpatrick (ph) says that Detroit is different now. He stayed up past 5:00 a.m., he said, shaking hands with the fans.

O'BRIEN: Detroit is celebrating right now, and Pistons' owner Bill Davidson is a man on a roll. Davidson is a reclusive 81-year-old billionaire, and he also owns the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning team. Boy, that's not bad. He's the only majority owner to win two major championships in the same year. Who knew?

PHILLIPS: WNBA championship last year, too.

O'BRIEN: Really?

PHILLIPS: I wish I could say I knew that, but my producer just told me that.

O'BRIEN: Wow.

PHILLIPS: Detroit Shock.

O'BRIEN: Wow, I'm floored.

PHILLIPS: All right, well, making those millions of dollars, I'll bet Bill Davidson rarely called in sick.

In fact, according to Rhonda Schaffler, many Americans rarely do so, even when they really are sick.

O'BRIEN: You mean like that other day when you called in? Yes, I know. I knew exactly what you were up to.

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

O'BRIEN: We've got the scoop on a New York City cop -- you know what it's like being a cop, a lot of times you're knee deep in duty. Well, He traded his beige for doody in North Carolina. It's a living. Al Crocker is now in the business of picking up pet poop. Crocker says he likes his job, but you know what I'm going to say, sometimes it stinks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL CROCKER, POOP PATROL: 90 percent of the time, it's a woman calling me up -- he's going to do it, he's not doing it up, and they call me up. It's not as bad as you would think. I guess you just get used to it, you know, just like the man working in the city landfill. He could be eating a sandwich while he's taking care of his job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: OK, Crocker says has 75 clients and at $12 a piece. When I say $12 a piece. It's $12 a client, not a piece per se. But we think -- we did some math, and he's making quite a load.

PHILLIPS: We've lost all -- can you hear, everyone? Ewww!

All right, coming up in the next hour of LIVE FROM, new details on a much more serious note emerging as the 9/11 Commission continues its investigation. We're going to take a closer look at those specifics, with CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen. That's coming up. Don't go away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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