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More Details in Wisconsin Shootings; Holiday Travel Tips

Aired November 24, 2004 - 13:33   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.


(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Taking a look at stories now in the news. A royal welcome in Texas. Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia are lunching with President Bush and the First Lady at the presidential ranch in Crawford. Iraq will be among the topics discussed.

Illegitimate and unacceptable. Secretary of State Colin Powell says the U.S. will not accept the results of Ukraine's presidential election. The election, which put the government-backed candidate over the opposition candidate, was rumored to be wrought by fraud and abuse. We're going to get reaction from Ukraine later in LIVE FROM.

Some Pennsylvanians are getting a free ride today. Toll workers on the Pennsylvania Turnpike are on strike. Anticipating the walk- out, tolls were waived for the day. They will likely be reinstated tomorrow.

A bizarre shooting that left six hunters dead in Wisconsin is leading to more questions than answers now. The suspect, Chai Vang, now says that he was shot first. Days after the incident, more details are surfacing about Vang and his community is speaking out. John Croman, from CNN affiliate KARE, has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): We're part of the community ???

JOHN CROMAN, KARE REPORTER (voice-over): University Avenue offers a direct route into the heart of Saint Paul's Hmong community. Among the pit stops is a one of a kind bookstore that celebrates an on-going cultural journey.

YUEPHING XIONG, HMONG ARTS, BOOKS AND CRAFTS: What we try to bring to the community is to help educate both Hmong and non-Hmong about our history and culture.

CROMAN: Hmong books, clothing and handicraft tell the story of a people who risked their lives to find a new home.

XIONG: It tell about the secret war in Laos and migration to Thailand, crossing the Mekong.

XIONG: A people now taking steps to distance themselves from one of their own. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We, too, are shocked and horrified. The Hmong community believes in peace and justice and do not support violence of any kind.

CROMAN: This morning, Hmong leaders gathered to offer prayers for the victims, support for their survivors in west central Wisconsin. They also asked that the alleged actions of 36-year-old Chai Vang not be held against the entire community.

ILEAN KER (ph), COUN ASIAN-PACIFIC MINNESOTANS: People who are planning on hunting this week may face some tension, and we already hear that from the community.

CHA VANG, HMONG COMMUNITY SPOKESPERSON: We ask you not to allow the despicable act of one person to stain the reputation of an entire community of good, hard-working Hmong people.

CROMAN: While not expecting violence, Saint Paul police are stepping up their presence in Hmong businesses and neighborhoods.

CHIEF JOHN HARRINGTON, ST. PAUL POLICE: But there are people that will react badly to this and we are concerned that somebody, just as -- as far as we know, the suspect in this case acted alone, that somebody might act alone and do something.

CROMAN: That wouldn't be fair to those who worked so hard to weave their lives into the fabric of Minnesota.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Very proud to be here.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Now joining us to talk more about the Hmong culture, Cha Vang, the spokesperson for the Hmong community that you saw in that piece, is speaking out about his people and his culture.

Nice to have you, Cha.

CHA VANG, HMONG COMMUNITY LEADER: Thank you, Kyra, thanks for having me here.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's a pleasure. I actually had the unique opportunity, while working and living in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to get to know a lot about the Hmong community. And I want you to sort of set the background for folks that don't understand the background in depth. It goes all the way back to Vietnam, where people like your father, a general, were a part of the special army, trained by the CIA to fight communism overseas.

VANG: Correct, Kyra. In the war against -- the Vietnam War, the United States and all the foreign nations had agreed that nobody would be -- no foreign forces would be inside Laos. Therefore, they recruited the Hmong and the Lao (ph) forces to sort of replace the operations for the United States there.

PHILLIPS: So the Hmong fighters and family members were granted special visas to come over to the United States. How big is the Hmong community throughout the United States? I know there's a big population in Wisconsin and Minnesota, but across the U.S.

VANG: Across the U.S., we're probably about 350,000 to 450,000 people.

PHILLIPS: So, when something like this happens, and the fact that the alleged killer in this case -- in this hunting incident, comes out with a background that he is Hmong, is it tough for the community right now to say this is the complete opposite of what we represent for years, for decades?

VANG: Yes, Kyra, we -- once again, our community as a whole is shocked, especially since this person is of Hmong descent. And as I mentioned yesterday in the press conference, you know, the actions of this one individual did not represent what the Hmong community stands for.

For the most part, we're very good people, just like any other American family here in the United States. We love family. We love life. And we try to abide by the laws of this land that has so graciously and warmly embraced us.

PHILLIPS: Well, I also know that -- you have been embraced, but also there have been racial tensions through the years. Living in Wisconsin, I saw it first-hand. And it's quite frustrating, when you see a lot of the discrimination that takes place. And now, as these new details come out, the shooter in this hunting accident -- or situation -- says hey, look, I was fired upon first. It's now raising questions of the tensions, racially.

What have you experienced? What has the community experienced? Sort of put in a perspective for us.

VANG: Well, Kyra, you know, we're not unlike and different from any other community, especially immigrant groups coming in. We are subject to racist -- racism here and there. I, myself, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) also, have experienced racism. It's not just here in Minnesota. In Montana, where I went to school, and in California, where I grew up.

So -- but the greater part of the American community, as I have known the American community, are good people, just like the Hmong. I mean, we have our bad apples and we understand all the other communities have their bad apples, regardless of whether they're white, black or Asian.

PHILLIPS: Does your father, the general, talk about the Hmong fighters, his experience in Vietnam?

VANG: Yes, he speaks a little bit about, you know, the Hmong fighters and, you know, the role that they played. For the most part, people talk about how valiantly and how bravely the Hmong fought and how good they are as fighters, but I don't think those depictions of the Hmong are really truly accurate of who the Hmong really are. I mean, the reason why we fought was because we had invaders coming into our homeland and we had no choice but to stand up and fight for our freedom and homeland.

PHILLIPS: Well, we'll continue to follow this case, of course, as it's on-going and we get new details. Cha Vang. Thank you so much for your time today.

VANG: Thank you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, long delays, heavy traffic, tempers flair, blood pressure goes up. Oh, yes, you're stuck in a seat for hour. Is it bad for your health? The short answer: maybe. Elizabeth Cohen joins us next with some tips to help you stay healthy when the holiday heat is on.

And hey, you in the middle of some crazy holiday travel drama? Is it better than expected out there? Let us now how it's going. E- mail us -- livefrom@cnn.com. I'll read what you have to say throughout the newscast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RALLY CAPARAS, TRAVELOCITY BUSINESS: Hello, folks, I'm Rally Caparas from Travelocity business. And as you all know, today is the busiest air travel day of the year for many of you. And it's not been a good one so far. On the board behind me, you'll see 6,957 airplanes in the skies on flightexplorer.com.

A lot of those airplanes are covered in red. That identifies those flights that are being delayed by the FAA as a result of the poor weather conditions, probably the poorest weather conditions we've seen in quite some time. It doesn't help that it's the busiest air travel day of the year.

Delays today. Boston's Logan Airport, you're still delay free. You'll squeeze out about another half hour or so of that, and then you'll start to see 60 to 90 minute arrival delays. Low clouds, rain and poor visibility, the problem. Excuse me.

New York City metros and Philadelphia, you're already in major delays and it won't get any better. It's going to be two to three hour arrival delays for all of you headed into those airports. The volume and the rain, poor visibility, contributors to that problem.

D.C. metros and Charlotte. 60 to 90 minute arrival delays will be a problem later in the p.m. They're not quite there yet. The weather will build, and so will the delays.

Atlanta, Detroit, Cincinnati, Covington, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh. Atlanta, at Hartsfield/Jackson, they've got it the worst now. They had major thunderstorms this morning, it created 90 minute departure delays. Now they're seeing one to two hour arrival delays. And it's going to stay that way until around 10:00 p.m. eastern time.

Chicago, you're looking at one to two hour arrival delays already. Expect almost three hour delays by the time we hit the evening rush period by about 5:00 p.m. in the central time zone. The western half looks great. Kyra, I'll be back in the next hour. Back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right, Rally Caparas, thank you so much. Well, those long hours on the plane or behind the wheel can not only be annoying, but they can be dangerous. Sitting in one position too long can lead to blood clots.

Joining me now to talk about how that happens, and the symptoms to watch out for, CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. A lot of thing to worry about when you're all stuffed up in a car for hours.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, it's no fun at all. You should worry about, you know, what you're eating...

PHILLIPS: Road rage.

COHEN: Are you eating a lot of fattening foods? Road rage, that's right, all sorts things to worry about. But this one is really the most serious thing to worry about today.

Millions of people will be sitting and sitting and sitting in cars or on airplanes. And what can happen, unfortunately, is sometimes something called deep vein thrombosis. It can happen to people who are young, it can happen to people who are old. Let's take a look at exactly what happens when someone has deep vein thrombosis because of all this inactivity.

There you see the blood is traveling through the veins. But then what can happen is, if you're inactive for a long period of time, it can pool up and then that clot -- you see a clot traveling up there to the heart, the lungs and sometimes to the brain. You see it again, the blood travels, it pools up, a clot forms, and that clot just breaks off and travels up and can cause a heart attack or a stroke.

So here's some of the symptoms you should watch out for if you're traveling. If your calf starts to swell, if you experience leg pain, if the skin in your calf is warm, or if a vein starts sticking out, those are signs that you may be experiencing thrombosis and you need to seek medical attention immediately -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, how do you avoid it? You see these videos on exercises you can do and things like that while you're driving or sitting.

COHEN: Right, it's great, many airlines now have those videos right there on airplane. Pay attention to them, do what they say. There are lots of stretches you can do.

Let's go through a list of all the things that you can do so that you won't get travel's thrombosis. Drink lots of water. That's very important, stay hydrated. Stay away from alcohol and caffeine, those will de-hydrate you. Get up and move, so important. Take a walk every couple of minutes if you can. And exercise your calf muscles. Stretch them out. That will help a great deal, too.

PHILLIPS: All right. Elizabeth Cohen. Thank you so much.

COHEN: And have a Happy Thanksgiving, that's important, too.

PHILLIPS: There you go. And continue to eat lots of turkey and ham, and all that good stuff.

COHEN: All that yummy stuff.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll eat a lot later in the day. More LIVE FROM right after this.

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Rhonda Schaffler in New York. I'll have a check of today's markets and I'm going to tell you why more people are bypassing the kitchen this holiday. LIVE FROM is coming right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Live pictures now, this just in, as we look at the protest taking place here in Kiev. It's a story we've been following, of course, within the past couple of days. And now the latest information is that the Ukraine opposition leader, Viktor Yushchenko, who we just saw a shot of a minute ago, is now calling for a nationwide general strike after the central election commission says that his pro-Russia rival had won a disputed presidential vote.

The opposition leader coming forward, saying that this is an illegal decision that is made of the electoral commission and it's placed Ukraine on the verge of civil conflict. Now, Secretary of State Colin Powell came out recently, also, saying the United States does not consider legitimate the results of the elections in the Ukraine, which the opposition says, of course, were marred by fraud. So now you have Secretary of State Colin Powell coming forward, saying they do not support the election results, that he feels they are not legitimate results.

At the same time now, the opposition leader, with a number of keynote speakers there, in Kiev, in the central square with thousands of demonstrators. This picture really hasn't changed much since yesterday, the gathering of people. So now opposition leader challenging leaders of the former Soviet Bloc nation to decide whether they are on the side of democracy or not, plain and simple.

We'll continue to follow this and see what happens.

PHILLIPS: Well, if you've committed to travel over the Thanksgiving weekend and the only way to get out of it is to risk a family feud and marriage or resort to frozen burritos for Thanksgiving dinner, hey, we want to help out. Whether you're using planes, trains, or automobiles, cnn.com's Eric Phillips is riding to the e- rescue with online hints to make your trip as painless as possible.

ERIC PHILLIPS, CNN.COM: That's right, Kyra, and where we're going to deliver you is cnn.com/travel. Lots of tips and lots of maps, helpful things to help you navigate your way through this holiday, which of course is becoming even more hectic because of the travel.

One thing we can take you to really quickly is maps. A map that shows you all of the airports across the country, many of them listed on this map. If you scroll to the airport, it gives you just a brief synopsis of delays, the departures and weather conditions. And if you double-click on that box, you'll find that it gives you more of a detailed explanation of what's going on in that particular airport and in that particular area.

A lot of folks always wondering what they can and cannot bring on board, versus what they should leave packed in their luggage that's going to be stowed away. We have a link on there that shows you a list of what you can actually pack and take on board in your carry-on luggage. For example, one item at the very top of the list is a baseball bat. Obviously, for those of you who are baseball enthusiasts, you want to leave that bat packed in your luggage, which is going to be stowed underneath. Also, lighters -- if you have a cigarette lighter, for you smokers out there, make sure that you pack that in your carry-on luggage, not what's going to be stowed away.

Finally, let's talk about the weather. That's always a big issue for those traveling and for those waiting on their loved ones. If you scroll down a bit further on Web site, you'll find a spot where you can enter in a city name or a zip code, go ahead and enter that in and it will give you the information concerning highs and lows, weather conditions, what you can expect in the area that you're coming from or going to. And it will help kind of explain why someone may arrive a little bit later than you expected for that Thanksgiving dinner.

And of course, Kyra Phillips has the same last name as me, I'm Eric Philips. So we're going to do some research and see if we're related. I may end up at Kyra's Thanksgiving table this year.

PHILLIPS: We're distant relatives. Mom says she's waiting for you, Eric. OK, thanks so much. Once again, we want to reiterate: Eric Philips, all his information on cnn.com.

Well, as we pause and reflect on what we're thankful for this holiday season, Martha Stewart has already beaten us to punch at marthatalks.com. She's posted a open letter, giving thanks to her supporters and fans. She said she's gotten thousands of letters and e-mails since she began her incarceration at the Federal Women's Prison in West Virginia. She also adds that she's well and she's making the best of a difficult situation.

Meanwhile, just because the election is over, it doesn't mean we're quitting cold turkey on the polls. So we happily present a Gallup poll of America's top Thanksgiving likes and dislikes. Among the favorites, well, 49 percent of the vote, it's turkey that brings almost half of us to table. Stuffing draws 14 percent. Ham, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, each pulling in 5 percent. And that's funny, there was no mention of Aunt Mavis' yummy, nasty, interesting casserole.

Now the most dissed dishes. Despite that festive color and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) punch, cranberries got 21 percent of the no thanks vote. 17 percent take a pass on vegetables, although no specifics provided. We're thinks brussel sprouts accounts for a large part of it. And 11 percent turn up their noses at sweet potatoes. I'm with them on that.

Speaking of Thanksgiving dinner, more people might be opting for takeout turkey this year. Rhonda Schaffler joins us from the New York Stock Exchange with more on that -- Rhonda. There's also the deep fried turkey out of New Orleans. That ain't bad, either.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

PHILLIPS: All right, thank you so much, Rhonda. Well, coming up in the second hour of LIVE FROM, Nick Robertson's exclusive interview with Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law. LIVE FROM's "Hour of Power" begins right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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


Aired November 24, 2004 - 13:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Taking a look at stories now in the news. A royal welcome in Texas. Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia are lunching with President Bush and the First Lady at the presidential ranch in Crawford. Iraq will be among the topics discussed.

Illegitimate and unacceptable. Secretary of State Colin Powell says the U.S. will not accept the results of Ukraine's presidential election. The election, which put the government-backed candidate over the opposition candidate, was rumored to be wrought by fraud and abuse. We're going to get reaction from Ukraine later in LIVE FROM.

Some Pennsylvanians are getting a free ride today. Toll workers on the Pennsylvania Turnpike are on strike. Anticipating the walk- out, tolls were waived for the day. They will likely be reinstated tomorrow.

A bizarre shooting that left six hunters dead in Wisconsin is leading to more questions than answers now. The suspect, Chai Vang, now says that he was shot first. Days after the incident, more details are surfacing about Vang and his community is speaking out. John Croman, from CNN affiliate KARE, has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): We're part of the community ???

JOHN CROMAN, KARE REPORTER (voice-over): University Avenue offers a direct route into the heart of Saint Paul's Hmong community. Among the pit stops is a one of a kind bookstore that celebrates an on-going cultural journey.

YUEPHING XIONG, HMONG ARTS, BOOKS AND CRAFTS: What we try to bring to the community is to help educate both Hmong and non-Hmong about our history and culture.

CROMAN: Hmong books, clothing and handicraft tell the story of a people who risked their lives to find a new home.

XIONG: It tell about the secret war in Laos and migration to Thailand, crossing the Mekong.

XIONG: A people now taking steps to distance themselves from one of their own. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We, too, are shocked and horrified. The Hmong community believes in peace and justice and do not support violence of any kind.

CROMAN: This morning, Hmong leaders gathered to offer prayers for the victims, support for their survivors in west central Wisconsin. They also asked that the alleged actions of 36-year-old Chai Vang not be held against the entire community.

ILEAN KER (ph), COUN ASIAN-PACIFIC MINNESOTANS: People who are planning on hunting this week may face some tension, and we already hear that from the community.

CHA VANG, HMONG COMMUNITY SPOKESPERSON: We ask you not to allow the despicable act of one person to stain the reputation of an entire community of good, hard-working Hmong people.

CROMAN: While not expecting violence, Saint Paul police are stepping up their presence in Hmong businesses and neighborhoods.

CHIEF JOHN HARRINGTON, ST. PAUL POLICE: But there are people that will react badly to this and we are concerned that somebody, just as -- as far as we know, the suspect in this case acted alone, that somebody might act alone and do something.

CROMAN: That wouldn't be fair to those who worked so hard to weave their lives into the fabric of Minnesota.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Very proud to be here.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Now joining us to talk more about the Hmong culture, Cha Vang, the spokesperson for the Hmong community that you saw in that piece, is speaking out about his people and his culture.

Nice to have you, Cha.

CHA VANG, HMONG COMMUNITY LEADER: Thank you, Kyra, thanks for having me here.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's a pleasure. I actually had the unique opportunity, while working and living in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to get to know a lot about the Hmong community. And I want you to sort of set the background for folks that don't understand the background in depth. It goes all the way back to Vietnam, where people like your father, a general, were a part of the special army, trained by the CIA to fight communism overseas.

VANG: Correct, Kyra. In the war against -- the Vietnam War, the United States and all the foreign nations had agreed that nobody would be -- no foreign forces would be inside Laos. Therefore, they recruited the Hmong and the Lao (ph) forces to sort of replace the operations for the United States there.

PHILLIPS: So the Hmong fighters and family members were granted special visas to come over to the United States. How big is the Hmong community throughout the United States? I know there's a big population in Wisconsin and Minnesota, but across the U.S.

VANG: Across the U.S., we're probably about 350,000 to 450,000 people.

PHILLIPS: So, when something like this happens, and the fact that the alleged killer in this case -- in this hunting incident, comes out with a background that he is Hmong, is it tough for the community right now to say this is the complete opposite of what we represent for years, for decades?

VANG: Yes, Kyra, we -- once again, our community as a whole is shocked, especially since this person is of Hmong descent. And as I mentioned yesterday in the press conference, you know, the actions of this one individual did not represent what the Hmong community stands for.

For the most part, we're very good people, just like any other American family here in the United States. We love family. We love life. And we try to abide by the laws of this land that has so graciously and warmly embraced us.

PHILLIPS: Well, I also know that -- you have been embraced, but also there have been racial tensions through the years. Living in Wisconsin, I saw it first-hand. And it's quite frustrating, when you see a lot of the discrimination that takes place. And now, as these new details come out, the shooter in this hunting accident -- or situation -- says hey, look, I was fired upon first. It's now raising questions of the tensions, racially.

What have you experienced? What has the community experienced? Sort of put in a perspective for us.

VANG: Well, Kyra, you know, we're not unlike and different from any other community, especially immigrant groups coming in. We are subject to racist -- racism here and there. I, myself, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) also, have experienced racism. It's not just here in Minnesota. In Montana, where I went to school, and in California, where I grew up.

So -- but the greater part of the American community, as I have known the American community, are good people, just like the Hmong. I mean, we have our bad apples and we understand all the other communities have their bad apples, regardless of whether they're white, black or Asian.

PHILLIPS: Does your father, the general, talk about the Hmong fighters, his experience in Vietnam?

VANG: Yes, he speaks a little bit about, you know, the Hmong fighters and, you know, the role that they played. For the most part, people talk about how valiantly and how bravely the Hmong fought and how good they are as fighters, but I don't think those depictions of the Hmong are really truly accurate of who the Hmong really are. I mean, the reason why we fought was because we had invaders coming into our homeland and we had no choice but to stand up and fight for our freedom and homeland.

PHILLIPS: Well, we'll continue to follow this case, of course, as it's on-going and we get new details. Cha Vang. Thank you so much for your time today.

VANG: Thank you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, long delays, heavy traffic, tempers flair, blood pressure goes up. Oh, yes, you're stuck in a seat for hour. Is it bad for your health? The short answer: maybe. Elizabeth Cohen joins us next with some tips to help you stay healthy when the holiday heat is on.

And hey, you in the middle of some crazy holiday travel drama? Is it better than expected out there? Let us now how it's going. E- mail us -- livefrom@cnn.com. I'll read what you have to say throughout the newscast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RALLY CAPARAS, TRAVELOCITY BUSINESS: Hello, folks, I'm Rally Caparas from Travelocity business. And as you all know, today is the busiest air travel day of the year for many of you. And it's not been a good one so far. On the board behind me, you'll see 6,957 airplanes in the skies on flightexplorer.com.

A lot of those airplanes are covered in red. That identifies those flights that are being delayed by the FAA as a result of the poor weather conditions, probably the poorest weather conditions we've seen in quite some time. It doesn't help that it's the busiest air travel day of the year.

Delays today. Boston's Logan Airport, you're still delay free. You'll squeeze out about another half hour or so of that, and then you'll start to see 60 to 90 minute arrival delays. Low clouds, rain and poor visibility, the problem. Excuse me.

New York City metros and Philadelphia, you're already in major delays and it won't get any better. It's going to be two to three hour arrival delays for all of you headed into those airports. The volume and the rain, poor visibility, contributors to that problem.

D.C. metros and Charlotte. 60 to 90 minute arrival delays will be a problem later in the p.m. They're not quite there yet. The weather will build, and so will the delays.

Atlanta, Detroit, Cincinnati, Covington, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh. Atlanta, at Hartsfield/Jackson, they've got it the worst now. They had major thunderstorms this morning, it created 90 minute departure delays. Now they're seeing one to two hour arrival delays. And it's going to stay that way until around 10:00 p.m. eastern time.

Chicago, you're looking at one to two hour arrival delays already. Expect almost three hour delays by the time we hit the evening rush period by about 5:00 p.m. in the central time zone. The western half looks great. Kyra, I'll be back in the next hour. Back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right, Rally Caparas, thank you so much. Well, those long hours on the plane or behind the wheel can not only be annoying, but they can be dangerous. Sitting in one position too long can lead to blood clots.

Joining me now to talk about how that happens, and the symptoms to watch out for, CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. A lot of thing to worry about when you're all stuffed up in a car for hours.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, it's no fun at all. You should worry about, you know, what you're eating...

PHILLIPS: Road rage.

COHEN: Are you eating a lot of fattening foods? Road rage, that's right, all sorts things to worry about. But this one is really the most serious thing to worry about today.

Millions of people will be sitting and sitting and sitting in cars or on airplanes. And what can happen, unfortunately, is sometimes something called deep vein thrombosis. It can happen to people who are young, it can happen to people who are old. Let's take a look at exactly what happens when someone has deep vein thrombosis because of all this inactivity.

There you see the blood is traveling through the veins. But then what can happen is, if you're inactive for a long period of time, it can pool up and then that clot -- you see a clot traveling up there to the heart, the lungs and sometimes to the brain. You see it again, the blood travels, it pools up, a clot forms, and that clot just breaks off and travels up and can cause a heart attack or a stroke.

So here's some of the symptoms you should watch out for if you're traveling. If your calf starts to swell, if you experience leg pain, if the skin in your calf is warm, or if a vein starts sticking out, those are signs that you may be experiencing thrombosis and you need to seek medical attention immediately -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, how do you avoid it? You see these videos on exercises you can do and things like that while you're driving or sitting.

COHEN: Right, it's great, many airlines now have those videos right there on airplane. Pay attention to them, do what they say. There are lots of stretches you can do.

Let's go through a list of all the things that you can do so that you won't get travel's thrombosis. Drink lots of water. That's very important, stay hydrated. Stay away from alcohol and caffeine, those will de-hydrate you. Get up and move, so important. Take a walk every couple of minutes if you can. And exercise your calf muscles. Stretch them out. That will help a great deal, too.

PHILLIPS: All right. Elizabeth Cohen. Thank you so much.

COHEN: And have a Happy Thanksgiving, that's important, too.

PHILLIPS: There you go. And continue to eat lots of turkey and ham, and all that good stuff.

COHEN: All that yummy stuff.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll eat a lot later in the day. More LIVE FROM right after this.

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Rhonda Schaffler in New York. I'll have a check of today's markets and I'm going to tell you why more people are bypassing the kitchen this holiday. LIVE FROM is coming right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Live pictures now, this just in, as we look at the protest taking place here in Kiev. It's a story we've been following, of course, within the past couple of days. And now the latest information is that the Ukraine opposition leader, Viktor Yushchenko, who we just saw a shot of a minute ago, is now calling for a nationwide general strike after the central election commission says that his pro-Russia rival had won a disputed presidential vote.

The opposition leader coming forward, saying that this is an illegal decision that is made of the electoral commission and it's placed Ukraine on the verge of civil conflict. Now, Secretary of State Colin Powell came out recently, also, saying the United States does not consider legitimate the results of the elections in the Ukraine, which the opposition says, of course, were marred by fraud. So now you have Secretary of State Colin Powell coming forward, saying they do not support the election results, that he feels they are not legitimate results.

At the same time now, the opposition leader, with a number of keynote speakers there, in Kiev, in the central square with thousands of demonstrators. This picture really hasn't changed much since yesterday, the gathering of people. So now opposition leader challenging leaders of the former Soviet Bloc nation to decide whether they are on the side of democracy or not, plain and simple.

We'll continue to follow this and see what happens.

PHILLIPS: Well, if you've committed to travel over the Thanksgiving weekend and the only way to get out of it is to risk a family feud and marriage or resort to frozen burritos for Thanksgiving dinner, hey, we want to help out. Whether you're using planes, trains, or automobiles, cnn.com's Eric Phillips is riding to the e- rescue with online hints to make your trip as painless as possible.

ERIC PHILLIPS, CNN.COM: That's right, Kyra, and where we're going to deliver you is cnn.com/travel. Lots of tips and lots of maps, helpful things to help you navigate your way through this holiday, which of course is becoming even more hectic because of the travel.

One thing we can take you to really quickly is maps. A map that shows you all of the airports across the country, many of them listed on this map. If you scroll to the airport, it gives you just a brief synopsis of delays, the departures and weather conditions. And if you double-click on that box, you'll find that it gives you more of a detailed explanation of what's going on in that particular airport and in that particular area.

A lot of folks always wondering what they can and cannot bring on board, versus what they should leave packed in their luggage that's going to be stowed away. We have a link on there that shows you a list of what you can actually pack and take on board in your carry-on luggage. For example, one item at the very top of the list is a baseball bat. Obviously, for those of you who are baseball enthusiasts, you want to leave that bat packed in your luggage, which is going to be stowed underneath. Also, lighters -- if you have a cigarette lighter, for you smokers out there, make sure that you pack that in your carry-on luggage, not what's going to be stowed away.

Finally, let's talk about the weather. That's always a big issue for those traveling and for those waiting on their loved ones. If you scroll down a bit further on Web site, you'll find a spot where you can enter in a city name or a zip code, go ahead and enter that in and it will give you the information concerning highs and lows, weather conditions, what you can expect in the area that you're coming from or going to. And it will help kind of explain why someone may arrive a little bit later than you expected for that Thanksgiving dinner.

And of course, Kyra Phillips has the same last name as me, I'm Eric Philips. So we're going to do some research and see if we're related. I may end up at Kyra's Thanksgiving table this year.

PHILLIPS: We're distant relatives. Mom says she's waiting for you, Eric. OK, thanks so much. Once again, we want to reiterate: Eric Philips, all his information on cnn.com.

Well, as we pause and reflect on what we're thankful for this holiday season, Martha Stewart has already beaten us to punch at marthatalks.com. She's posted a open letter, giving thanks to her supporters and fans. She said she's gotten thousands of letters and e-mails since she began her incarceration at the Federal Women's Prison in West Virginia. She also adds that she's well and she's making the best of a difficult situation.

Meanwhile, just because the election is over, it doesn't mean we're quitting cold turkey on the polls. So we happily present a Gallup poll of America's top Thanksgiving likes and dislikes. Among the favorites, well, 49 percent of the vote, it's turkey that brings almost half of us to table. Stuffing draws 14 percent. Ham, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, each pulling in 5 percent. And that's funny, there was no mention of Aunt Mavis' yummy, nasty, interesting casserole.

Now the most dissed dishes. Despite that festive color and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) punch, cranberries got 21 percent of the no thanks vote. 17 percent take a pass on vegetables, although no specifics provided. We're thinks brussel sprouts accounts for a large part of it. And 11 percent turn up their noses at sweet potatoes. I'm with them on that.

Speaking of Thanksgiving dinner, more people might be opting for takeout turkey this year. Rhonda Schaffler joins us from the New York Stock Exchange with more on that -- Rhonda. There's also the deep fried turkey out of New Orleans. That ain't bad, either.

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PHILLIPS: All right, thank you so much, Rhonda. Well, coming up in the second hour of LIVE FROM, Nick Robertson's exclusive interview with Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law. LIVE FROM's "Hour of Power" begins right after this.

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