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'New You Resolution'; Middle East Show 'Super Star' Puts Palestinian in Spotlight

Aired August 23, 2004 - 15:00   ET

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

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


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, it is the defense's turn. Prosecution star witness Amber Frey takes the stand again in the Scott Peterson double murder trial. But this time the defense is asking the questions. The latest live from the trial in about five minutes.
And speaking out, President Bush comments on ads attacking John Kerry's Vietnam war record. We're going to go live ti Crawford, Texas to hear what the president told reporters just a short time ago.

Just north of Laredo and San Antonio, Texas, people have actually had to be rescued because of nine inches of rain and heavy rain flooding Highway 85, people once again being rescued. We'll keep you posted on this story. Three counties around Catula (ph) right in that area had a flood warning this morning.

CNN, the most trusted name in news.

O'BRIEN: Up first this hour, war in Iraq, terror world-wide, Swift Boats in ad spots. It all figures into the shop talk underway at President Bush's Texas getaway, site of a yearly big picture national security overview. Serious business but guess what came up first at a news briefing on a dirt road at lunch time. Anti-Kerry TV ads by the group called Swift Boat Veterans For Truth. President Bush said he's disappointed any so-called soft money attack ads are still on the air.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm denouncing all the stuff being on TV on 527s. That's what I've said. I've said this kind of unregulated soft money is wrong for the process. And I asked Senator Kerry to join me in getting rid of all that kind of soft money, not only on TV but used for other purposes as well. I frankly thought we had gotten rid of that when I signed the McCain-Feingold bill. I thought we were going to once and for all get rid of the system where people could just pour tons of money in and not be held to account for the advertising so I'm disappointed with all those kinds of ads.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: CNN's Jill Dougherty joining us now with the latest on the president's working pre-convention vacation. Hello, Jill.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. If you listen to what the president said, listen to the very top, those two words, that ad and then he goes on to talk about all the ads. That's what's come up today. This is the new wrinkle. The president asked specifically about people who had contributed to those Swift Boat Veterans For Truth ads attacking Senator Kerry, he said he's against that ad. He wants to get rid of that ad and others funded by unregulated soft money.

That's farther than the president has gone previously on this. Up to this point, the White House and the president and the Bush campaign have really excoriated all of these groups that put together attack ads, the so-called 527 groups that are funded by soft money. But the Democrats have been coming back and saying, "Mr. President, you should denounce specifically this ad."

Obviously, Mr. Bush did not say specifically, I am against that Swift Boat ad. He did say that ad and you could say that that's a shift in position. We asked the president's press secretary about that, Scott McClellan about that. And he downplayed it. He said that essentially the president was saying what he has said, which is I'm against all those ads, I want to get rid of them.

Miles, I think you'd have to say that there was -- it's moving further than the president actually has before. One other thing, the president was asked about the smear campaign, the alleged smear campaign going on against Senator Kerry, and he said, Senator Kerry served admirably, he ought to be proud of his record, but then the president went on to say, the real question is who is better to lead the country in this time of the war against terror -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. Jill Dougherty near the ranch. Thank you very much. It's been simmering, flaring, even boiling tonight. Najaf is burning. An orange glow is coming from the general direction of the Imam Ali Mosque. But we don't know what specifically is on fire. These are fairly recent pictures. Militants loyal to the firebrand cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr are still believed to be holed up inside the mosque but Najaf's police chief now claims Al-Sadr is 200 miles away. Not confirmed however.

In Germany, a U.S. army judge is refusing to suppress those scandalous photos of alleged inmate abuse at Abu Ghraib prison. The request was made by the army specialist who prosecutors say made a specialty of cruelty. Charles Graner is his name. He is the first of four MPs facing pre-trial hearings over the next two days.

Another of that group is expected to plead guilty to at least some of the charges against him, Staff Sergeant Ivan "Chip" Frederic. He's charged with maltreating detainees, conspiracy to maltreat detainees, dereliction of duty and indecency. He's due in court tomorrow.

LIN: Scott Peterson has in the past professed his love for her and now his attorneys are going to try to discredit her to save him. We're talking about Peterson's former mistress, Amber Frey, under cross-examination this week. CNN's Rusty Dornin is at the courthouse in Redwood City, California. Rusty, when do you expect her to take the stand? RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, the moment finally arrived. Just minutes ago, Amber Frey took the stand before a hushed courtroom here in Redwood City, California, and defense attorney Mark Geragos. With that bit of dramatic flair that he's famous for, his first things out of his mouth were "no questions."

Of course, the entire courtroom erupted in laughter. He began questioning her very softly, very gently but very quickly sort of peppering her with questions. Where did you meet? How did you meet? Through a friend of hers. That sort of thing. They just came up to the first date and broke for that noon recess. Now she did take the stand a little later than we'd anticipated because they called another witness from Florida, an AT&T wireless fraud expert. They then haggled back and forth over whether you can indeed follow a cell phone and follow the direction of a person who's using the cell phone from tower to tower and therefore pinpoint their location. Prosecutors are claiming you can. Mark Geragos did have the witness admit that it was very difficult and actually these fraud records are not used usually to pinpoint someone's location. The judge just before the break, getting back to Amber Frey did tell the court that he believed that Ms. Frey would be through with her testimony this afternoon.

So we are expecting her to wrap up today. If not today, then certainly early tomorrow morning. Mark Geragos also is going to be using some kind of Powerpoint presentation, as he questions Frey. Something else that's come up, a source close to the case did tell CNN that there is a transcript from December 30 when Frey talked to the Modesto police department when she first talked to them that she apparently volunteers or suggested that perhaps she should tell Peterson that she was pregnant. The investigators decided not go with that but if Geragos is able to bring out or use that it might show that perhaps she was even at that point trying to -- had some kind of vendetta against him. We'll just have to see where the questioning goes.

LIN: Can you tell, Rusty, what Geragos's approach is with her? Is he -- what's his demeanor, his attitude with her?

DORNIN: I've been told he's been very gentle, firm, but really doing rapid fire questions one after another.

So they're moving quickly from when she heard about him, what her friend told her about him, to the time of their first date and that's where we'll be picking after lunch.

LIN: That's going to be interesting. Building towards something no doubt that Mark Geragos. Thanks, Rusty.

O'BRIEN: News across America now. Brent Marsh, the operator of a Georgia crematorium in court today. Nearly 1,700 relatives of people whose bodies were found rotting at the tri-state crematory are suing him for all he's worth. It's been 2 1/2 years since the bodies were discovered.

Back to class after Hurricane Charley. Florida students in some of the storm affected areas returned to school today. Counselors on hand to deal with mental health issues related to the storm.

And a massive sinkhole forced six families out of their homes near Detroit, Michigan. It also knocked out power to a few hundred people. The 150 x 45 foot crater was caused by a sewer line break. A second hole formed not too far away.

Well, did you keep your new year's resolution or resolutions? Do you even remember them at this point? Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta follows up on the men and women who told us they want to lose more weight, stop smoking, get more sleep. Just ahead, we'll give you a status report.

And it's "American Idol" Middle Eastern style, I guess. Meet Lebanon's Ruben Studdard a little late on LIVE FROM...

And crunching the numbers on exactly who gets more pay in that overtime overall. It's confusing, folks. We'll try to walk you through it. All that and more straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

LIN: Well, it's been several months since five people accepted the challenge from Dr. Sanjay Gupta to get fit. Our new year, "New You Resolution" series is back this week to see whether the five stuck to their goals or whether they -- all their hard work fell by the wayside.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Last January, five viewers from around the country took on a "New You Resolution" to change their lives and improve themselves both physically and mentally.

For eight weeks, we followed their successes and their pitfalls. Our stressed-out businessman: 44-year-old David Peck, a husband, father of two. He was concerned about his strong family history of heart disease and his own high-stress career.

DAVID PECK, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: I want the stress to go down, the energy go up, and lose weight.

GUPTA: After abnormal stress test results at the doctor's office, he traded in his fast-pace high-travel job to one closer to home and lost 10 pounds in the process. So, has David managed to stay out of the rat race?

Our youngest participant: 25-year-old Kimberley Everett, a busy single woman working two jobs. She knew her typical meals of cheese sticks or fried foods needed to change to get the figure she wanted.

KIMBERLEY EVERETT, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: I'm going to be so...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kim's not going to do this diet.

EVERETT: Yes, I am!

GUPTA: Despite a couple of skipped training sessions and some doubts of determination from her sister Tory, Kim dropped eight inches, 10 pounds, and four percent body fat in just two months.

So, did Kim continue to prove sis wrong by keeping it off?

Our pack-a-day smoker: 32-year-old Kathryn Burkholder. She looked healthy, but she couldn't quit the habit, even after trying 12 times.

KATHRYN BURKHOLDER, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: In an hour, I could probably smoke 10 cigarettes if I just sat here and did it. And it wouldn't be hard for me to do that.

GUPTA: With the aid of counseling and medication, she quit cold turkey. With "New You," she went cigarette free for two months and didn't pack on any additional pounds.

Now that she's off the medication, has she stayed smoke-free?

Our new parents: Pam and Michael Kirkbride. After the birth of their baby girl Olivia, they were sleepless, exhausted, and had gained 40 pounds together. As Michael worked two jobs and studied for his MBA, Pam dealt with coping as a working mom.

PAM KIRKBRIDE, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: I'm pretty much on the go, and I hide the fact that I'm tired all the time.

MICHAEL KIRKBRIDE, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: They're going to help you find time to go to the gym and eat well? Bring it on.

GUPTA: "New You" made them find the time to take care of themselves. And in the two months, they shed 27 pounds together.

Did the new parents keep it up after the cameras were turned off.

Now, six months after the success of their "New You" resolutions, have they made the changes their everyday reality? We'll find out this week with our "New You" check-up.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: See for yourself where they stand. Tomorrow, Dr. Sanjay Gupta checks in with David Peck; Wednesday, it's Kimberley Everett; on Thursday, Kathryn Burkholder; and Friday, Pam and Michael Kirkbride.

Well, a new regulation that could change the paychecks of a lot of Americans. We're going to try to sort out just who and who is not eligible for overtime pay starting today -- right after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: All right. We've been getting some great e-mails from you on the whole subject of Paul Hamm and the gold medal that has become a source of great controversy. As it turns out, a couple of the judges who judged Paul Hamm as he won the gold there in the all- around gymnastics competition.

Started off with a wrong figure for one of the competitors, and as our ethicist said, it was clerical error. And perhaps it is the right thing for Paul Hamm to do to return that gold medal. Lots of debate over that, as you might suspect.

Laura Shean (ph) in Cincinnati has this: "It is ridiculous that Paul Hamm has not done the right thing. I am sure that his objective was to win the Gold Medal, not to have on given to him. He could have been viewed as a winner who finished third rather than a loser who received the Gold. A sad example of the Olympic spirit of sportsmanship followed Paul's outstanding performance.

"No wonder we are known as 'Ugly Americans,' what would be the USA's position if the roles were reversed? If he keeps the Gold Medal, he will always be known as the guy who didn't deserve the Gold. Paul should immediately return the Gold. He will go down in history as an outstanding sports person." That from Howard Mengels (ph).

"Miles O'Brien just interviewed an ethicist named Randy Cohen on the subject of Paul Hamm's Gold Medal. I submit that he should also interview someone who knows something about the sport. Cohen was all theory. He seemed unaware of the impact of the size of a point lead or deficit on the performance of a gymnast in succeeding rotations events. If he insists on going back and changing the rules so that the judges' decision can be reversed days later, then review the tapes of the performances, too. Yes, Mr. Cohen, we do know who won under the rules and it was Paul Hamm." That comes from George Alexander.

Of course, when we booked Randy Cohen, we weren't trying to get somebody who knew the sport. That was the idea, it was specifically the whole notion of the ethical quandary. In any case, we do appreciate your comments, all of them very good. Thanks for all the e-mails.

All right. We're going to talk more about the summer games with a man who knows them well on Wednesday, Bela Karolyi. Just love that name, Bela Karolyi. What does the Olympic coach -- the great one, think about the new crop of gymnasts? We might ask him about this. It's must see TV on "LIVE FROM" on Wednesday right here on CNN.

LIN: Produced more champions than anybody in history.

O'BRIEN: Yes. Oh by the way, that wicket thing.

LIN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: It's really a cricket term, not a croquet term.

LIN: Oh, excellent. Did you get an e-mail on that?

O'BRIEN: Actually, Sonya Houston (ph), right there in the back, scurried up with the information. Wickets comes from cricket, not croquet.

LIN: As only Sonya can scurry.

O'BRIEN: But I've had a few sticky wickets in croquet.

LIN: Yes, well, you know, those ethical wickets.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

LIN: All right. Anyway, new controversial rules about overtime pay. we've been talking a lot about that today, they go into effect today. Who wins, who losses? It's very confusing. But Rhonda Schaffler, you have the talent for boiling it down because the bottom line is people are wondering are they going to be short on their paycheck?

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: And the short answer is some people might not know. It is confusing and there is already controversy on this one, too. The bottom line is, this what we know for sure. The new rules will help those on the lowest rungs of the income ladder. But the benefits for middle class workers remain murky.

Employees that earn about $23,000 or less must now receive overtime. But critics worry that employers will avoid paying overtime by raising those salaries just slightly. Now on the other hand, white collar workers making more than $100,000 lose their overtime.

Another point of debate is how many people will be affected. Estimates of how many will lose their overtime eligibility range from as few as 100,000 to as many as 6 million. And workers who could now become eligible for OT range from a small number to more than a million. So still a lot of questions on those new rules.

(MARKET REPORT)

LIN: TV's "American Idol," we watched it here, starry eyed singers crooning before the cameras in this country, but now there's a spin-off in the Middle East, and it's putting a Palestinian center stage.

O'BRIEN: You know, one thing about television the world over, it's all about imitation, isn't it? So it's just being franchised all over the world. Our Brent Sadler says the new pop idol is taking his people's minds off their conflict with Israel, at least nor a little while.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRENT SADLER, CNN BEIRUT BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): He is shooting for the stars, Palestinian singing sensation Ammar Hassan, from the West Bank, using his musical talent to win victory for himself and his people in this televised contest, running neck and neck with Libyan rival, Ayman Aatar for the TV title of "Super Star," the Arabic version of "American Idol" in the United States and "Pop Idol" in Britain. Outside the studio, the singing Palestinian is already idolized by many in Lebanon's sprawling Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp, especially among supporters of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, who telephoned the singer to wish him well.

There's even an ode to Ammar here sung by an ardent admirer.

(SINGING)

SADLER (on camera): But rising to take center stage as one of the two finalists in this hugely popular talent show has also thrust the Palestinian hopeful into a political tug-of-war.

(voice-over): And this is the front line, Ramallah on the West Bank. Anti "Super Star" demonstrators burn tires and denounce the show, heeding a call from militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad to ignore the program and shun rival Arafat's expression of solidarity with the singer.

"Super Star" opponents say it to diverts attention from the real struggle in which Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are on a fateful hunger strike.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have to support our prisoners. We don't need a "Super Star." We don't need those people.

SADLER: In Beirut, though, the singer tries to dampen the rage after taking a final bow.

"Despite all the suffering of Palestinians," he explains, "we are peace loving and I hope I can show a good image to Arabs and the entire world."

An outright winner will emerge after a week of Internet and telephone voting that has already set off a frenzied response. Winning the contest is one challenge for Ammar Hassan. Winning over his divided people is another.

Brent Sadler, CNN, Beirut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: All right. That wraps up this edition of "LIVE FROM." I'm Miles O'Brien. we're glad you joined us.

LIN: That's right -- me or them?

O'BRIEN: You too.

LIN: Because, you know, I'm visiting.

O'BRIEN: No, no, no, how rude of me.

(LAUGHTER)

O'BRIEN: It was really nice having you drop by. LIN: Well, thank you very much. "INSIDE POLITICS" is on the road today and Judy Woodruff is out there right now.

Hi, Judy.

JUDY WOODRUFF, HOST, "JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS": Hi, Carol. Thank you. Thanks to you and Miles.

Well, we are just a week away from the start of the Republican National Convention. And today, we begin our journey on the way to New York City. First stop, historic Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We'll take a look at how the race for the White House is shaping up in this critical showdown state.

Plus, New York's bravest and finest take issue with Michael Bloomberg. We're going to take a look at the brewing feud when "INSIDE POLITICS" starts in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired August 23, 2004 - 15:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, it is the defense's turn. Prosecution star witness Amber Frey takes the stand again in the Scott Peterson double murder trial. But this time the defense is asking the questions. The latest live from the trial in about five minutes.
And speaking out, President Bush comments on ads attacking John Kerry's Vietnam war record. We're going to go live ti Crawford, Texas to hear what the president told reporters just a short time ago.

Just north of Laredo and San Antonio, Texas, people have actually had to be rescued because of nine inches of rain and heavy rain flooding Highway 85, people once again being rescued. We'll keep you posted on this story. Three counties around Catula (ph) right in that area had a flood warning this morning.

CNN, the most trusted name in news.

O'BRIEN: Up first this hour, war in Iraq, terror world-wide, Swift Boats in ad spots. It all figures into the shop talk underway at President Bush's Texas getaway, site of a yearly big picture national security overview. Serious business but guess what came up first at a news briefing on a dirt road at lunch time. Anti-Kerry TV ads by the group called Swift Boat Veterans For Truth. President Bush said he's disappointed any so-called soft money attack ads are still on the air.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm denouncing all the stuff being on TV on 527s. That's what I've said. I've said this kind of unregulated soft money is wrong for the process. And I asked Senator Kerry to join me in getting rid of all that kind of soft money, not only on TV but used for other purposes as well. I frankly thought we had gotten rid of that when I signed the McCain-Feingold bill. I thought we were going to once and for all get rid of the system where people could just pour tons of money in and not be held to account for the advertising so I'm disappointed with all those kinds of ads.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: CNN's Jill Dougherty joining us now with the latest on the president's working pre-convention vacation. Hello, Jill.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. If you listen to what the president said, listen to the very top, those two words, that ad and then he goes on to talk about all the ads. That's what's come up today. This is the new wrinkle. The president asked specifically about people who had contributed to those Swift Boat Veterans For Truth ads attacking Senator Kerry, he said he's against that ad. He wants to get rid of that ad and others funded by unregulated soft money.

That's farther than the president has gone previously on this. Up to this point, the White House and the president and the Bush campaign have really excoriated all of these groups that put together attack ads, the so-called 527 groups that are funded by soft money. But the Democrats have been coming back and saying, "Mr. President, you should denounce specifically this ad."

Obviously, Mr. Bush did not say specifically, I am against that Swift Boat ad. He did say that ad and you could say that that's a shift in position. We asked the president's press secretary about that, Scott McClellan about that. And he downplayed it. He said that essentially the president was saying what he has said, which is I'm against all those ads, I want to get rid of them.

Miles, I think you'd have to say that there was -- it's moving further than the president actually has before. One other thing, the president was asked about the smear campaign, the alleged smear campaign going on against Senator Kerry, and he said, Senator Kerry served admirably, he ought to be proud of his record, but then the president went on to say, the real question is who is better to lead the country in this time of the war against terror -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. Jill Dougherty near the ranch. Thank you very much. It's been simmering, flaring, even boiling tonight. Najaf is burning. An orange glow is coming from the general direction of the Imam Ali Mosque. But we don't know what specifically is on fire. These are fairly recent pictures. Militants loyal to the firebrand cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr are still believed to be holed up inside the mosque but Najaf's police chief now claims Al-Sadr is 200 miles away. Not confirmed however.

In Germany, a U.S. army judge is refusing to suppress those scandalous photos of alleged inmate abuse at Abu Ghraib prison. The request was made by the army specialist who prosecutors say made a specialty of cruelty. Charles Graner is his name. He is the first of four MPs facing pre-trial hearings over the next two days.

Another of that group is expected to plead guilty to at least some of the charges against him, Staff Sergeant Ivan "Chip" Frederic. He's charged with maltreating detainees, conspiracy to maltreat detainees, dereliction of duty and indecency. He's due in court tomorrow.

LIN: Scott Peterson has in the past professed his love for her and now his attorneys are going to try to discredit her to save him. We're talking about Peterson's former mistress, Amber Frey, under cross-examination this week. CNN's Rusty Dornin is at the courthouse in Redwood City, California. Rusty, when do you expect her to take the stand? RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, the moment finally arrived. Just minutes ago, Amber Frey took the stand before a hushed courtroom here in Redwood City, California, and defense attorney Mark Geragos. With that bit of dramatic flair that he's famous for, his first things out of his mouth were "no questions."

Of course, the entire courtroom erupted in laughter. He began questioning her very softly, very gently but very quickly sort of peppering her with questions. Where did you meet? How did you meet? Through a friend of hers. That sort of thing. They just came up to the first date and broke for that noon recess. Now she did take the stand a little later than we'd anticipated because they called another witness from Florida, an AT&T wireless fraud expert. They then haggled back and forth over whether you can indeed follow a cell phone and follow the direction of a person who's using the cell phone from tower to tower and therefore pinpoint their location. Prosecutors are claiming you can. Mark Geragos did have the witness admit that it was very difficult and actually these fraud records are not used usually to pinpoint someone's location. The judge just before the break, getting back to Amber Frey did tell the court that he believed that Ms. Frey would be through with her testimony this afternoon.

So we are expecting her to wrap up today. If not today, then certainly early tomorrow morning. Mark Geragos also is going to be using some kind of Powerpoint presentation, as he questions Frey. Something else that's come up, a source close to the case did tell CNN that there is a transcript from December 30 when Frey talked to the Modesto police department when she first talked to them that she apparently volunteers or suggested that perhaps she should tell Peterson that she was pregnant. The investigators decided not go with that but if Geragos is able to bring out or use that it might show that perhaps she was even at that point trying to -- had some kind of vendetta against him. We'll just have to see where the questioning goes.

LIN: Can you tell, Rusty, what Geragos's approach is with her? Is he -- what's his demeanor, his attitude with her?

DORNIN: I've been told he's been very gentle, firm, but really doing rapid fire questions one after another.

So they're moving quickly from when she heard about him, what her friend told her about him, to the time of their first date and that's where we'll be picking after lunch.

LIN: That's going to be interesting. Building towards something no doubt that Mark Geragos. Thanks, Rusty.

O'BRIEN: News across America now. Brent Marsh, the operator of a Georgia crematorium in court today. Nearly 1,700 relatives of people whose bodies were found rotting at the tri-state crematory are suing him for all he's worth. It's been 2 1/2 years since the bodies were discovered.

Back to class after Hurricane Charley. Florida students in some of the storm affected areas returned to school today. Counselors on hand to deal with mental health issues related to the storm.

And a massive sinkhole forced six families out of their homes near Detroit, Michigan. It also knocked out power to a few hundred people. The 150 x 45 foot crater was caused by a sewer line break. A second hole formed not too far away.

Well, did you keep your new year's resolution or resolutions? Do you even remember them at this point? Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta follows up on the men and women who told us they want to lose more weight, stop smoking, get more sleep. Just ahead, we'll give you a status report.

And it's "American Idol" Middle Eastern style, I guess. Meet Lebanon's Ruben Studdard a little late on LIVE FROM...

And crunching the numbers on exactly who gets more pay in that overtime overall. It's confusing, folks. We'll try to walk you through it. All that and more straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

LIN: Well, it's been several months since five people accepted the challenge from Dr. Sanjay Gupta to get fit. Our new year, "New You Resolution" series is back this week to see whether the five stuck to their goals or whether they -- all their hard work fell by the wayside.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Last January, five viewers from around the country took on a "New You Resolution" to change their lives and improve themselves both physically and mentally.

For eight weeks, we followed their successes and their pitfalls. Our stressed-out businessman: 44-year-old David Peck, a husband, father of two. He was concerned about his strong family history of heart disease and his own high-stress career.

DAVID PECK, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: I want the stress to go down, the energy go up, and lose weight.

GUPTA: After abnormal stress test results at the doctor's office, he traded in his fast-pace high-travel job to one closer to home and lost 10 pounds in the process. So, has David managed to stay out of the rat race?

Our youngest participant: 25-year-old Kimberley Everett, a busy single woman working two jobs. She knew her typical meals of cheese sticks or fried foods needed to change to get the figure she wanted.

KIMBERLEY EVERETT, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: I'm going to be so...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kim's not going to do this diet.

EVERETT: Yes, I am!

GUPTA: Despite a couple of skipped training sessions and some doubts of determination from her sister Tory, Kim dropped eight inches, 10 pounds, and four percent body fat in just two months.

So, did Kim continue to prove sis wrong by keeping it off?

Our pack-a-day smoker: 32-year-old Kathryn Burkholder. She looked healthy, but she couldn't quit the habit, even after trying 12 times.

KATHRYN BURKHOLDER, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: In an hour, I could probably smoke 10 cigarettes if I just sat here and did it. And it wouldn't be hard for me to do that.

GUPTA: With the aid of counseling and medication, she quit cold turkey. With "New You," she went cigarette free for two months and didn't pack on any additional pounds.

Now that she's off the medication, has she stayed smoke-free?

Our new parents: Pam and Michael Kirkbride. After the birth of their baby girl Olivia, they were sleepless, exhausted, and had gained 40 pounds together. As Michael worked two jobs and studied for his MBA, Pam dealt with coping as a working mom.

PAM KIRKBRIDE, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: I'm pretty much on the go, and I hide the fact that I'm tired all the time.

MICHAEL KIRKBRIDE, "NEW YOU" PARTICIPANT: They're going to help you find time to go to the gym and eat well? Bring it on.

GUPTA: "New You" made them find the time to take care of themselves. And in the two months, they shed 27 pounds together.

Did the new parents keep it up after the cameras were turned off.

Now, six months after the success of their "New You" resolutions, have they made the changes their everyday reality? We'll find out this week with our "New You" check-up.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: See for yourself where they stand. Tomorrow, Dr. Sanjay Gupta checks in with David Peck; Wednesday, it's Kimberley Everett; on Thursday, Kathryn Burkholder; and Friday, Pam and Michael Kirkbride.

Well, a new regulation that could change the paychecks of a lot of Americans. We're going to try to sort out just who and who is not eligible for overtime pay starting today -- right after a break.

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O'BRIEN: All right. We've been getting some great e-mails from you on the whole subject of Paul Hamm and the gold medal that has become a source of great controversy. As it turns out, a couple of the judges who judged Paul Hamm as he won the gold there in the all- around gymnastics competition.

Started off with a wrong figure for one of the competitors, and as our ethicist said, it was clerical error. And perhaps it is the right thing for Paul Hamm to do to return that gold medal. Lots of debate over that, as you might suspect.

Laura Shean (ph) in Cincinnati has this: "It is ridiculous that Paul Hamm has not done the right thing. I am sure that his objective was to win the Gold Medal, not to have on given to him. He could have been viewed as a winner who finished third rather than a loser who received the Gold. A sad example of the Olympic spirit of sportsmanship followed Paul's outstanding performance.

"No wonder we are known as 'Ugly Americans,' what would be the USA's position if the roles were reversed? If he keeps the Gold Medal, he will always be known as the guy who didn't deserve the Gold. Paul should immediately return the Gold. He will go down in history as an outstanding sports person." That from Howard Mengels (ph).

"Miles O'Brien just interviewed an ethicist named Randy Cohen on the subject of Paul Hamm's Gold Medal. I submit that he should also interview someone who knows something about the sport. Cohen was all theory. He seemed unaware of the impact of the size of a point lead or deficit on the performance of a gymnast in succeeding rotations events. If he insists on going back and changing the rules so that the judges' decision can be reversed days later, then review the tapes of the performances, too. Yes, Mr. Cohen, we do know who won under the rules and it was Paul Hamm." That comes from George Alexander.

Of course, when we booked Randy Cohen, we weren't trying to get somebody who knew the sport. That was the idea, it was specifically the whole notion of the ethical quandary. In any case, we do appreciate your comments, all of them very good. Thanks for all the e-mails.

All right. We're going to talk more about the summer games with a man who knows them well on Wednesday, Bela Karolyi. Just love that name, Bela Karolyi. What does the Olympic coach -- the great one, think about the new crop of gymnasts? We might ask him about this. It's must see TV on "LIVE FROM" on Wednesday right here on CNN.

LIN: Produced more champions than anybody in history.

O'BRIEN: Yes. Oh by the way, that wicket thing.

LIN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: It's really a cricket term, not a croquet term.

LIN: Oh, excellent. Did you get an e-mail on that?

O'BRIEN: Actually, Sonya Houston (ph), right there in the back, scurried up with the information. Wickets comes from cricket, not croquet.

LIN: As only Sonya can scurry.

O'BRIEN: But I've had a few sticky wickets in croquet.

LIN: Yes, well, you know, those ethical wickets.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

LIN: All right. Anyway, new controversial rules about overtime pay. we've been talking a lot about that today, they go into effect today. Who wins, who losses? It's very confusing. But Rhonda Schaffler, you have the talent for boiling it down because the bottom line is people are wondering are they going to be short on their paycheck?

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: And the short answer is some people might not know. It is confusing and there is already controversy on this one, too. The bottom line is, this what we know for sure. The new rules will help those on the lowest rungs of the income ladder. But the benefits for middle class workers remain murky.

Employees that earn about $23,000 or less must now receive overtime. But critics worry that employers will avoid paying overtime by raising those salaries just slightly. Now on the other hand, white collar workers making more than $100,000 lose their overtime.

Another point of debate is how many people will be affected. Estimates of how many will lose their overtime eligibility range from as few as 100,000 to as many as 6 million. And workers who could now become eligible for OT range from a small number to more than a million. So still a lot of questions on those new rules.

(MARKET REPORT)

LIN: TV's "American Idol," we watched it here, starry eyed singers crooning before the cameras in this country, but now there's a spin-off in the Middle East, and it's putting a Palestinian center stage.

O'BRIEN: You know, one thing about television the world over, it's all about imitation, isn't it? So it's just being franchised all over the world. Our Brent Sadler says the new pop idol is taking his people's minds off their conflict with Israel, at least nor a little while.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRENT SADLER, CNN BEIRUT BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): He is shooting for the stars, Palestinian singing sensation Ammar Hassan, from the West Bank, using his musical talent to win victory for himself and his people in this televised contest, running neck and neck with Libyan rival, Ayman Aatar for the TV title of "Super Star," the Arabic version of "American Idol" in the United States and "Pop Idol" in Britain. Outside the studio, the singing Palestinian is already idolized by many in Lebanon's sprawling Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp, especially among supporters of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, who telephoned the singer to wish him well.

There's even an ode to Ammar here sung by an ardent admirer.

(SINGING)

SADLER (on camera): But rising to take center stage as one of the two finalists in this hugely popular talent show has also thrust the Palestinian hopeful into a political tug-of-war.

(voice-over): And this is the front line, Ramallah on the West Bank. Anti "Super Star" demonstrators burn tires and denounce the show, heeding a call from militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad to ignore the program and shun rival Arafat's expression of solidarity with the singer.

"Super Star" opponents say it to diverts attention from the real struggle in which Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are on a fateful hunger strike.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have to support our prisoners. We don't need a "Super Star." We don't need those people.

SADLER: In Beirut, though, the singer tries to dampen the rage after taking a final bow.

"Despite all the suffering of Palestinians," he explains, "we are peace loving and I hope I can show a good image to Arabs and the entire world."

An outright winner will emerge after a week of Internet and telephone voting that has already set off a frenzied response. Winning the contest is one challenge for Ammar Hassan. Winning over his divided people is another.

Brent Sadler, CNN, Beirut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: All right. That wraps up this edition of "LIVE FROM." I'm Miles O'Brien. we're glad you joined us.

LIN: That's right -- me or them?

O'BRIEN: You too.

LIN: Because, you know, I'm visiting.

O'BRIEN: No, no, no, how rude of me.

(LAUGHTER)

O'BRIEN: It was really nice having you drop by. LIN: Well, thank you very much. "INSIDE POLITICS" is on the road today and Judy Woodruff is out there right now.

Hi, Judy.

JUDY WOODRUFF, HOST, "JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS": Hi, Carol. Thank you. Thanks to you and Miles.

Well, we are just a week away from the start of the Republican National Convention. And today, we begin our journey on the way to New York City. First stop, historic Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We'll take a look at how the race for the White House is shaping up in this critical showdown state.

Plus, New York's bravest and finest take issue with Michael Bloomberg. We're going to take a look at the brewing feud when "INSIDE POLITICS" starts in just a moment.

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