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Evolving Controversy; Uniform Criticism; Iraqi Election Countdown

Aired January 13, 2005 - 13:59   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: Swept away in a matter of seconds. This is just one of dozens of homes destroyed by raging floodwaters out West. And the storm system is not done yet.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And stepping up to the plate. Major League Baseball set to announce stricter rules for athletes caught using steroids. We'll bring that to you live.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in for Kyra Phillips.

O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM begins right now.

We begin this hour with an evolving controversy pitting science and reason against faith and politics. The latest chapter, a federal court's decree to delete a school board's addendum to high school biology textbooks in Cobb County, Georgia, just outside Atlanta.

We get chapter and verse from CNN's Randi Kaye -- Randi.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, Miles, this is one of many chapters, and it may actually not be the final chapter in this case. The ruling in this case was in favor of the plaintiffs, a group of six parents, joined by the American Civil Liberties Union.

They fought to have stickers removed from high school biology textbooks in suburban Cobb County here in Georgia. Those stickers were placed in books after more than 2,000 parents complained the textbooks presented evolution as fact without mentioning rival ideas about the beginnings of life.

The stickers were so controversial because they read, in part, "This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact regarding the origin of living things." The stickers were posted in the books back in 2002, a move seen by opponents as discriminating against certain religions and violating the constitutional separation of church and state.

The case was heard in federal court last November. We do have the 44-page ruling right here. Judge Clarence Cooper ruled today these stickers convey a message of endorsement and are unconstitutional. He says they should immediately be removed from all books.

We got this reaction from the families who sued the district and won. They say, "It is a great day in history. Anti-evolution forces have afflicted the people of Cobb County since 1925. It stops cold their effort to push their religious dogma through our children's textbooks and down our throats. This gives Cobb County students a fighting change for improvement in scientific achievement."

The Cobb County school district had this to say: it is working closely with their attorneys to determine the proper plan of reaction to this ruling. Now, of course, the district could appeal this decision. They haven't said if they will, but there is a chance the debate may continue.

O'BRIEN: And, of course, the key issue here worth pointing out to folks is that this was in a science class, a science textbook, and perhaps if it had been in something else, a historical or religious book, it would be different.

KAYE: Absolutely. And we should also point out today that the taxpayers paid for these stickers that were put in these books in the front fold of the books.

O'BRIEN: And do we know the -- know what the cost will be?

KAYE: Well, we have contacted the school board, and they haven't given us an answer yet. They said they will get back to us this afternoon. They weren't able to pull that figure together just yet.

O'BRIEN: All right. Now, there are other states out there that have similar controversies brewing. Give us a sense of what's going on nationwide.

KAYE: There are many controversies regarding evolution, but each one is a little bit different. We do a listings of the states that we can share with you: Georgia, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Montana, South Carolina, Missouri, Ohio, Kansas, Alaska, Maryland, Arizona and Michigan. So 13 states battling this issue of evolution, each one a little bit different, and they're changing every day.

O'BRIEN: The debate just keeps going on, doesn't it?

KAYE: It sure does.

O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you, Randi.

KAYE: OK.

O'BRIEN: Fred.

WHITFIELD: Iraq's evolution toward democracy remains a grisly and intimidating process. Seventeen days before election day, the head of a Baghdad voting office is gunned down hours after the head of Iraq's Democratic Islamic Party escapes the second attempt on his life in two weeks.

On Baghdad's eastern outskirts, a representative of Iraq's most powerful Shiite cleric is shot to death, along with his son and four bodyguards, while leaving a mosque. The cleric, Ali al-Sistani, says taking part in upcoming elections is an Iraqi sacred duty.

The U.S. military acknowledges ongoing security challenges in four Iraqi provinces, home to a quarter of Iraq's population. But the top U.S. commander there insists the region is ready for elections, noting quick reaction forces will, "stomp on the insurgent when he raises his ugly head" -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Once again, Iraq's government is ruling out a delay in the vote security problems or not on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING." Iraq's national security adviser points out the interim regime dissolves at the end of this month. So a flawed election would be better than no election at all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOWAFFAK AL-RUBAIE, IRAQI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: If these elections get delayed, this will send the country and the whole country into absolute chaos. And we will be in a deep constitutional crisis because the transitional administrative law did not make any permission or allowance to -- for these elections to get -- to delay.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Unsettled by violence, unsure of the process, unwilling to turn their backs on the whole thing, millions of Iraqis are turning to, well, where else, these days? The Internet. They research, they reach out, they vent. And in just a few moments, we'll plug into this phenomenon with CNN's Arab affairs senior editor, Octavia Nasr.

WHITFIELD: Uniform agreement in Britain today and beyond young Prince Harry's choice of a Nazi uniform at a costume party on Saturday was a very bad idea. Beyond that, Harry's critics differ on whether and how he should redeem a reputation that was less than sterling to begin with.

CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney has the latest from London -- Fionnuala?

FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, less than sterling indeed. Prince Harry has been involved with a number of scrapes with the British media. But his choice of outfits, what's called here a fancy dress party last Saturday evening in the English countryside, has really been seen as many as a bridge too far.

There has been a lot of criticism of Prince Harry today from Jewish groups, from political leaders, also members of the public. But there have been those as well who say that Prince Harry, really, at the age of 20, deserves a break. Not so say others.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORD GREVILLE JANNER, FMR. MP, JEWISH ACTIVIST: If he deserves a break from doing anything public, he should go straight into the army. He's going in. It would do him a lot of good. And I hope he would learn how to behave. But at the moment, he doesn't deserve a break from being told how stupid and offensive his activities were, to walk around with a Nazi armband. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SWEENEY: Now, the prince issued a statement last night in which he apologized profusely and said he was sorry for having caused any offense or embarrassment. And he said that his choice of outfit had been a poor one.

But it's one of those crises that have enveloped the royal palace and the royal family here in Britain before. And this time, though, it seems, however, that this is different, this one isn't going to go away so quickly -- Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Fionnuala Sweeney, thanks so much for that update from London.

Well, a British royal who knows what it's like to be tarred in the tabloid says Harry's "been through a lot and deserves a break." Sarah Ferguson, duchess of York, was a guest today on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH FERGUSON, DUCHESS OF YORK: Harry's a great, great boy. I mean, he really is. He's first rate. His mom would be so proud of him.

He does so much to help so many children all over the world. He really does.

So I know what it's like to have bad press. I had it for quite a long time. So -- but, you know, OK, so he wore a fancy dress costume. He got it wrong, and he's apologized.

And he puts a letter out that says, "I'm sorry if I've caused any offense." And Harry said in the statement, "It was a poor choice of costume, and I apologize."

Now, the thing is that he's apologized. So I believe there are a lot of Jewish organizations in Britain have sort of accepted his apology, and I hope that the world accepts his apology because, you know, he deserves a break, really.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And Fergie says, "We all do things where the ramifications of our actions are perhaps afterthoughts."

O'BRIEN: London may be in the grip of a media storm, but across the pond we've got other weather concerns. In St. George, Utah, police warn spectators to stay away from riverbanks, or they risk arrest. I guess you can see why.

Gawkers wanting to get a look at the sights like these are hampering emergency efforts. Imagine that being your home, folks. Gosh. That's just tragic. Damage from this week's flooding is estimated at $37 million. But that's before losses are counted for the 50 homes either completely destroyed or damaged so badly they will be condemned, as you see here.

In La Conchita, California, meanwhile, workers are ordered to stop digging and move away from that big mudslide. Geologists fear the hillside above the coastal town may be moving. Work will not resume until stability at the site can be determined. Officials say all listed as missing earlier this week have now been accounted for, however.

Now, as the storms move east, they brought with them tornadoes to Arkansas. Two were killed in Union City. An apparent twister cut a 20-mile swath of destruction there.

After several days in the dark, the power is back on in most places in the town of Cotavick (ph), Alaska. But their trouble's not over. Five hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle, broken pipes and flooding now plaguing the town with the heat restored. Of course, it's hard to imagine liquid water right now. When we say flooding I suppose it's quickly becomes ice.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Well, we're going to talk about a storm of another sort that perhaps is being resolved now that Major League Baseball is set to make a major announcement. And that's coming up in a few minutes.

O'BRIEN: League officials are expected to talk about steroids and stricter punishments for players caught using them. It's quite a battle between owners and perhaps the most powerful union in all the land.

WHITFIELD: Also ahead, Social Security. Will it be there when you retire? It depends on who you ask. Ahead, Vice President Dick Cheney weighs in on White House plans to overhaul it.

And dramatic television. Spots like this one calling for peace during the Iraqi election, are they doing any good? We'll show you what some average Iraqis have to say about the upcoming vote straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Now we want to bring you this developing story as part of our CNN "Security Watch." A 22-year-old Florida man is charged with possessing a biological weapon after ingredients for the deadly poison Ricin were found in his home. The FBI says the man, Steven Ekberg (ph), lives with his mother in Ocala and has no known ties to terrorists. They don't know what he was planning to use the Ricin for. Ekberg (ph) is due in court this afternoon.

Stay tuned to CNN day and fight for the most reliable news about your security -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Seventeen days and counting to Iraq's elections. It will be an event unlike anything Iraqis have ever experienced before. Thanks to the Internet outsiders have a window on this landmark moment. CNN's senior editor of Arab affairs, Octavia Nasr, has been kind of plugged into all of this, watching it for us from afar here in Atlanta, but she has some pretty interesting insights.

Octavia, in addition to the Internet and the chat rooms, which we'll talk about in just a moment, there's a compelling advertisement, a public service announcement, as we call them, that is airing on Al Arabiya. Tell us a little bit about that.

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SR. EDITOR OF ARAB AFFAIRS: So many of those. But we picked one for today. We're going to start with this one.

It's showing, as you see here, different factions of Iraq. You have Kurds, you have Sunnis, and you have Shia sort of fighting each other, coming towards each other to fight. And then you see these little kids push away the adults and run towards each other and hug and kiss. And that sort of puts the adults to shame.

And then the adults come together and hug and make peace. At the end of this PSA, you see the zoom-out to show the entire country, and the word "Iraq" you see here, al Iraq (ph), which is Iraq in big letters there. And the slogan "divided we won't conquer," very interesting, very powerful, western-style production. Very, very interesting.

O'BRIEN: You say "western style." Clearly Madison Avenue cooked this one up. So the U.S. imprint is on all of this. I wonder how that kind of a message really resonates in a place where, you know, cars are blowing up routinely.

NASR: It's been working very well, it seems like. People are liking this because you have to understand, the players are Arabs, the music is Arabic. So it's the style. It's the power of marketing, as some people call it, the western weapon of marketing.

Now, to look at the impact that this is having, we looked at the Internet. We went on chat rooms. We checked the Web sites. And this is what we found out.

We found out that people are talking about elections. They're venting. They're showing their frustration. Here, for example, Iraq For You.

This is only for Iraqis. And Iraqis from all over the world get in and talk. And somehow in between...

O'BRIEN: Is this one in English, by the way?

NASR: Well, it has English, Arabic...

O'BRIEN: It's a mix.

NASR: And also a lot of Arabic written with English alphabet. So very interesting there. In the middle of "Who are you, what are you," you know, "what do you study at university, how old are you, and can we meet and talk," they talk about elections. And in there, very interesting conversation that I monitored yesterday.

Someone saying, "I'm going to run for office and I'm going to name you minister of health and you minister of justice." And the guy who was supposed to be minister of justice says, "Why? You want me killed?" And the person said, "No, no, no, I'll make sure you have enough bodyguards." So they're very aware of how dangerous things are in Iraq, how dangerous it is to be a politician in Iraq these days.

O'BRIEN: So, on one level it's kind of a light Internet sort of conversation. But there's a deadly -- literally deadly serious undertone to all of this.

Here's an interesting one from al Iraqi (ph). This is just from one who says "Elections stink," it says at the top here.

OK, here goes. "I'm venting my frustration. The registration election will happen during the time of the Hajj. Many Muslim Iraqis are therefore not in their country of residence or able to register to vote. I suppose they expect them to cancel Hajj for the elections? I bet there will be so many problems during the three days to register for voting," on and on it goes.

This fact that the Hajj ends just a few days before the actual election is really a potential problem, isn't it?

NASR: It is. And this is exactly what this guy is saying. He says, "I have a bad feeling about this. I really do."

This is a very genuine feeling that this person went on this Web site to vent. And basically, he's talking about not just the vote, but also registration to vote.

O'BRIEN: Right.

NASR: He's saying, you know, these people don't have enough time to go register to vote, or vote, you know, in the elections. Now, the reaction that he got, that this person got -- his name is Saba (ph) -- I'm assuming he's a male from his name. But then, you know, some people said that will be a good reason to work on the election, add that to the list.

Basically, this is someone supporting the boycott of the election. Someone else is saying, "Get over it." You know, "You should be happy that we have the chance to elect someone in the first place." So very interesting reaction.

O'BRIEN: All right. We didn't have time. We'll show it to you next time. I want to have you back and show people this ballot. It actually puts that butterfly ballot...

NASR: To shame. O'BRIEN: ... to shame from four years ago, the famous one with all the chads and all this. This thing is unbelievable. We'll talk about that and some other things when we'll have you back...

NASR: You bet.

O'BRIEN: ... as we continue our coverage on the run-up to the elections. Octavia Nasr, thank you.

NASR: Thank you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Next on LIVE FROM...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you can't tell when you're being followed, you're not going to be a very effective spy.

O'BRIEN: A former spy blows her cover, revealing dysfunction at the CIA. And we'll hear why she thinks women are better spies than men.

Later on LIVE FROM...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is crazy.

O'BRIEN: ... out of control. Snow and ice create a downhill disaster zone for dozens of drivers. We'll take you inside the jam.

And tomorrow on LIVE FROM, actress Robin Wright Penn gets ready for the performance of a lifetime to honor Dr. Martin Luther King. We'll have the LIVE FROM interview.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Volkswagen cars will soon be turning up on more TV shows and movies.

O'BRIEN: Hmm. That might actually kind of bug me, if you know what I mean.

(LAUGHTER)

O'BRIEN: David Haffenreffer joining us from the New York Stock Exchange.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, she plays an aging actress bored with her success and looking for a little adventure. Annette Bening finds out Sunday if she'll receive a Golden Globe Award for "Being Julia." She talked about work and family with CNN entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNETTE BENING, ACTRESS, "BEING JULIA": You've never understood what it means to carry a play, to sweat it out night after night. I'm the only one who takes it seriously, Michael. You know that.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Julia is a diva.

BENING: She is. Well, she's a great actress of her time. She's a theater actress, London, 1938, a marvelously accomplished star of the London stage. And it's sort of about what happens to her.

BENING, "BEING JULIA": All's fair in war and -- oh, the word escapes me -- Ben -- B-E-N.

VARGAS: I have to ask you, are you a diva?

BENING: No, I don't think so. I have my diva moments, I guess. But no, I'm not a diva like she is.

No, this is a woman very different than I am. I love her. I love her vitality and her -- and her energy and her interest in life. It was so much fun to play this woman because it's sort of a -- you know, a dream part.

VARGAS: Sure. And then you've got the hair and the clothes and all that.

BENING: Yes.

VARGAS: I've asked actresses in the past. You know, sometimes you take that home with you. Do you take your lines home with you?

BENING: That's a good question. I don't think so. I know Julia does. There are a couple of moments in the script where she says the same thing in different circumstances.

BENING, "BEING JULIA": It's as if -- it's as if the curtains come down on act one, which I have no idea what happens in act two. I'm in a sort of limbo, waiting for something to happen. But what?

BENING: I feel really lucky. I love what I do. I love my work.

I have an incredible family. I have beautiful children, a fantastic husband. I do have all of those things. It's true, and I'm very, very fortunate because I get to do the work that is so much a part of me.

BENING "BEING JULIA": What is it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why did you give such a lousy performance?

BENING "BEING JULIA": A lousy performance? That just shows how little you know. I've never acted better in my life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Balls. You were awful.

BENING, "BEING JULIA": They adored me tonight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The public are jackasses. You were barnstorming from beginning to end.

BENING, "BEING JULIA": How dare you speak to me like that you little -- get out of my room!

BENING: The process of making something is really fun whether or not it's well received. So that when something is well received and people like it, then it's just icing on the cake.

VARGAS: What are you looking forward to most at the Golden Globes?

BENING: Well, I hope they serve alcohol at the tables. What I'm looking forward to a nice glass of champagne and, you know, enjoying and celebrating, having a good time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And perhaps you'll have a great time, too, when you watch for our Golden Globes special, "Road to Gold." That's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on Saturday.

O'BRIEN: She looks fabulous, doesn't she?

WHITFIELD: Gosh, she does.

O'BRIEN: Wow.

WHITFIELD: She always looks good.

O'BRIEN: Yes. All right.

Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has a news conference coming up in just a few moments. That's a live picture of a podium. There's one of the technicians. Pretty soon, that will be alive with all kinds of information about steroid use in baseball. And we, of course, are going to bring that to you live.

WHITFIELD: We are, indeed. And we're going to be talking about the agreement when it's announced.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)


Aired January 13, 2005 - 13:59   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Swept away in a matter of seconds. This is just one of dozens of homes destroyed by raging floodwaters out West. And the storm system is not done yet.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And stepping up to the plate. Major League Baseball set to announce stricter rules for athletes caught using steroids. We'll bring that to you live.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in for Kyra Phillips.

O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM begins right now.

We begin this hour with an evolving controversy pitting science and reason against faith and politics. The latest chapter, a federal court's decree to delete a school board's addendum to high school biology textbooks in Cobb County, Georgia, just outside Atlanta.

We get chapter and verse from CNN's Randi Kaye -- Randi.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, Miles, this is one of many chapters, and it may actually not be the final chapter in this case. The ruling in this case was in favor of the plaintiffs, a group of six parents, joined by the American Civil Liberties Union.

They fought to have stickers removed from high school biology textbooks in suburban Cobb County here in Georgia. Those stickers were placed in books after more than 2,000 parents complained the textbooks presented evolution as fact without mentioning rival ideas about the beginnings of life.

The stickers were so controversial because they read, in part, "This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact regarding the origin of living things." The stickers were posted in the books back in 2002, a move seen by opponents as discriminating against certain religions and violating the constitutional separation of church and state.

The case was heard in federal court last November. We do have the 44-page ruling right here. Judge Clarence Cooper ruled today these stickers convey a message of endorsement and are unconstitutional. He says they should immediately be removed from all books.

We got this reaction from the families who sued the district and won. They say, "It is a great day in history. Anti-evolution forces have afflicted the people of Cobb County since 1925. It stops cold their effort to push their religious dogma through our children's textbooks and down our throats. This gives Cobb County students a fighting change for improvement in scientific achievement."

The Cobb County school district had this to say: it is working closely with their attorneys to determine the proper plan of reaction to this ruling. Now, of course, the district could appeal this decision. They haven't said if they will, but there is a chance the debate may continue.

O'BRIEN: And, of course, the key issue here worth pointing out to folks is that this was in a science class, a science textbook, and perhaps if it had been in something else, a historical or religious book, it would be different.

KAYE: Absolutely. And we should also point out today that the taxpayers paid for these stickers that were put in these books in the front fold of the books.

O'BRIEN: And do we know the -- know what the cost will be?

KAYE: Well, we have contacted the school board, and they haven't given us an answer yet. They said they will get back to us this afternoon. They weren't able to pull that figure together just yet.

O'BRIEN: All right. Now, there are other states out there that have similar controversies brewing. Give us a sense of what's going on nationwide.

KAYE: There are many controversies regarding evolution, but each one is a little bit different. We do a listings of the states that we can share with you: Georgia, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Montana, South Carolina, Missouri, Ohio, Kansas, Alaska, Maryland, Arizona and Michigan. So 13 states battling this issue of evolution, each one a little bit different, and they're changing every day.

O'BRIEN: The debate just keeps going on, doesn't it?

KAYE: It sure does.

O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you, Randi.

KAYE: OK.

O'BRIEN: Fred.

WHITFIELD: Iraq's evolution toward democracy remains a grisly and intimidating process. Seventeen days before election day, the head of a Baghdad voting office is gunned down hours after the head of Iraq's Democratic Islamic Party escapes the second attempt on his life in two weeks.

On Baghdad's eastern outskirts, a representative of Iraq's most powerful Shiite cleric is shot to death, along with his son and four bodyguards, while leaving a mosque. The cleric, Ali al-Sistani, says taking part in upcoming elections is an Iraqi sacred duty.

The U.S. military acknowledges ongoing security challenges in four Iraqi provinces, home to a quarter of Iraq's population. But the top U.S. commander there insists the region is ready for elections, noting quick reaction forces will, "stomp on the insurgent when he raises his ugly head" -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Once again, Iraq's government is ruling out a delay in the vote security problems or not on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING." Iraq's national security adviser points out the interim regime dissolves at the end of this month. So a flawed election would be better than no election at all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOWAFFAK AL-RUBAIE, IRAQI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: If these elections get delayed, this will send the country and the whole country into absolute chaos. And we will be in a deep constitutional crisis because the transitional administrative law did not make any permission or allowance to -- for these elections to get -- to delay.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Unsettled by violence, unsure of the process, unwilling to turn their backs on the whole thing, millions of Iraqis are turning to, well, where else, these days? The Internet. They research, they reach out, they vent. And in just a few moments, we'll plug into this phenomenon with CNN's Arab affairs senior editor, Octavia Nasr.

WHITFIELD: Uniform agreement in Britain today and beyond young Prince Harry's choice of a Nazi uniform at a costume party on Saturday was a very bad idea. Beyond that, Harry's critics differ on whether and how he should redeem a reputation that was less than sterling to begin with.

CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney has the latest from London -- Fionnuala?

FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, less than sterling indeed. Prince Harry has been involved with a number of scrapes with the British media. But his choice of outfits, what's called here a fancy dress party last Saturday evening in the English countryside, has really been seen as many as a bridge too far.

There has been a lot of criticism of Prince Harry today from Jewish groups, from political leaders, also members of the public. But there have been those as well who say that Prince Harry, really, at the age of 20, deserves a break. Not so say others.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORD GREVILLE JANNER, FMR. MP, JEWISH ACTIVIST: If he deserves a break from doing anything public, he should go straight into the army. He's going in. It would do him a lot of good. And I hope he would learn how to behave. But at the moment, he doesn't deserve a break from being told how stupid and offensive his activities were, to walk around with a Nazi armband. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SWEENEY: Now, the prince issued a statement last night in which he apologized profusely and said he was sorry for having caused any offense or embarrassment. And he said that his choice of outfit had been a poor one.

But it's one of those crises that have enveloped the royal palace and the royal family here in Britain before. And this time, though, it seems, however, that this is different, this one isn't going to go away so quickly -- Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Fionnuala Sweeney, thanks so much for that update from London.

Well, a British royal who knows what it's like to be tarred in the tabloid says Harry's "been through a lot and deserves a break." Sarah Ferguson, duchess of York, was a guest today on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH FERGUSON, DUCHESS OF YORK: Harry's a great, great boy. I mean, he really is. He's first rate. His mom would be so proud of him.

He does so much to help so many children all over the world. He really does.

So I know what it's like to have bad press. I had it for quite a long time. So -- but, you know, OK, so he wore a fancy dress costume. He got it wrong, and he's apologized.

And he puts a letter out that says, "I'm sorry if I've caused any offense." And Harry said in the statement, "It was a poor choice of costume, and I apologize."

Now, the thing is that he's apologized. So I believe there are a lot of Jewish organizations in Britain have sort of accepted his apology, and I hope that the world accepts his apology because, you know, he deserves a break, really.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And Fergie says, "We all do things where the ramifications of our actions are perhaps afterthoughts."

O'BRIEN: London may be in the grip of a media storm, but across the pond we've got other weather concerns. In St. George, Utah, police warn spectators to stay away from riverbanks, or they risk arrest. I guess you can see why.

Gawkers wanting to get a look at the sights like these are hampering emergency efforts. Imagine that being your home, folks. Gosh. That's just tragic. Damage from this week's flooding is estimated at $37 million. But that's before losses are counted for the 50 homes either completely destroyed or damaged so badly they will be condemned, as you see here.

In La Conchita, California, meanwhile, workers are ordered to stop digging and move away from that big mudslide. Geologists fear the hillside above the coastal town may be moving. Work will not resume until stability at the site can be determined. Officials say all listed as missing earlier this week have now been accounted for, however.

Now, as the storms move east, they brought with them tornadoes to Arkansas. Two were killed in Union City. An apparent twister cut a 20-mile swath of destruction there.

After several days in the dark, the power is back on in most places in the town of Cotavick (ph), Alaska. But their trouble's not over. Five hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle, broken pipes and flooding now plaguing the town with the heat restored. Of course, it's hard to imagine liquid water right now. When we say flooding I suppose it's quickly becomes ice.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Well, we're going to talk about a storm of another sort that perhaps is being resolved now that Major League Baseball is set to make a major announcement. And that's coming up in a few minutes.

O'BRIEN: League officials are expected to talk about steroids and stricter punishments for players caught using them. It's quite a battle between owners and perhaps the most powerful union in all the land.

WHITFIELD: Also ahead, Social Security. Will it be there when you retire? It depends on who you ask. Ahead, Vice President Dick Cheney weighs in on White House plans to overhaul it.

And dramatic television. Spots like this one calling for peace during the Iraqi election, are they doing any good? We'll show you what some average Iraqis have to say about the upcoming vote straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Now we want to bring you this developing story as part of our CNN "Security Watch." A 22-year-old Florida man is charged with possessing a biological weapon after ingredients for the deadly poison Ricin were found in his home. The FBI says the man, Steven Ekberg (ph), lives with his mother in Ocala and has no known ties to terrorists. They don't know what he was planning to use the Ricin for. Ekberg (ph) is due in court this afternoon.

Stay tuned to CNN day and fight for the most reliable news about your security -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Seventeen days and counting to Iraq's elections. It will be an event unlike anything Iraqis have ever experienced before. Thanks to the Internet outsiders have a window on this landmark moment. CNN's senior editor of Arab affairs, Octavia Nasr, has been kind of plugged into all of this, watching it for us from afar here in Atlanta, but she has some pretty interesting insights.

Octavia, in addition to the Internet and the chat rooms, which we'll talk about in just a moment, there's a compelling advertisement, a public service announcement, as we call them, that is airing on Al Arabiya. Tell us a little bit about that.

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SR. EDITOR OF ARAB AFFAIRS: So many of those. But we picked one for today. We're going to start with this one.

It's showing, as you see here, different factions of Iraq. You have Kurds, you have Sunnis, and you have Shia sort of fighting each other, coming towards each other to fight. And then you see these little kids push away the adults and run towards each other and hug and kiss. And that sort of puts the adults to shame.

And then the adults come together and hug and make peace. At the end of this PSA, you see the zoom-out to show the entire country, and the word "Iraq" you see here, al Iraq (ph), which is Iraq in big letters there. And the slogan "divided we won't conquer," very interesting, very powerful, western-style production. Very, very interesting.

O'BRIEN: You say "western style." Clearly Madison Avenue cooked this one up. So the U.S. imprint is on all of this. I wonder how that kind of a message really resonates in a place where, you know, cars are blowing up routinely.

NASR: It's been working very well, it seems like. People are liking this because you have to understand, the players are Arabs, the music is Arabic. So it's the style. It's the power of marketing, as some people call it, the western weapon of marketing.

Now, to look at the impact that this is having, we looked at the Internet. We went on chat rooms. We checked the Web sites. And this is what we found out.

We found out that people are talking about elections. They're venting. They're showing their frustration. Here, for example, Iraq For You.

This is only for Iraqis. And Iraqis from all over the world get in and talk. And somehow in between...

O'BRIEN: Is this one in English, by the way?

NASR: Well, it has English, Arabic...

O'BRIEN: It's a mix.

NASR: And also a lot of Arabic written with English alphabet. So very interesting there. In the middle of "Who are you, what are you," you know, "what do you study at university, how old are you, and can we meet and talk," they talk about elections. And in there, very interesting conversation that I monitored yesterday.

Someone saying, "I'm going to run for office and I'm going to name you minister of health and you minister of justice." And the guy who was supposed to be minister of justice says, "Why? You want me killed?" And the person said, "No, no, no, I'll make sure you have enough bodyguards." So they're very aware of how dangerous things are in Iraq, how dangerous it is to be a politician in Iraq these days.

O'BRIEN: So, on one level it's kind of a light Internet sort of conversation. But there's a deadly -- literally deadly serious undertone to all of this.

Here's an interesting one from al Iraqi (ph). This is just from one who says "Elections stink," it says at the top here.

OK, here goes. "I'm venting my frustration. The registration election will happen during the time of the Hajj. Many Muslim Iraqis are therefore not in their country of residence or able to register to vote. I suppose they expect them to cancel Hajj for the elections? I bet there will be so many problems during the three days to register for voting," on and on it goes.

This fact that the Hajj ends just a few days before the actual election is really a potential problem, isn't it?

NASR: It is. And this is exactly what this guy is saying. He says, "I have a bad feeling about this. I really do."

This is a very genuine feeling that this person went on this Web site to vent. And basically, he's talking about not just the vote, but also registration to vote.

O'BRIEN: Right.

NASR: He's saying, you know, these people don't have enough time to go register to vote, or vote, you know, in the elections. Now, the reaction that he got, that this person got -- his name is Saba (ph) -- I'm assuming he's a male from his name. But then, you know, some people said that will be a good reason to work on the election, add that to the list.

Basically, this is someone supporting the boycott of the election. Someone else is saying, "Get over it." You know, "You should be happy that we have the chance to elect someone in the first place." So very interesting reaction.

O'BRIEN: All right. We didn't have time. We'll show it to you next time. I want to have you back and show people this ballot. It actually puts that butterfly ballot...

NASR: To shame. O'BRIEN: ... to shame from four years ago, the famous one with all the chads and all this. This thing is unbelievable. We'll talk about that and some other things when we'll have you back...

NASR: You bet.

O'BRIEN: ... as we continue our coverage on the run-up to the elections. Octavia Nasr, thank you.

NASR: Thank you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Next on LIVE FROM...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you can't tell when you're being followed, you're not going to be a very effective spy.

O'BRIEN: A former spy blows her cover, revealing dysfunction at the CIA. And we'll hear why she thinks women are better spies than men.

Later on LIVE FROM...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is crazy.

O'BRIEN: ... out of control. Snow and ice create a downhill disaster zone for dozens of drivers. We'll take you inside the jam.

And tomorrow on LIVE FROM, actress Robin Wright Penn gets ready for the performance of a lifetime to honor Dr. Martin Luther King. We'll have the LIVE FROM interview.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Volkswagen cars will soon be turning up on more TV shows and movies.

O'BRIEN: Hmm. That might actually kind of bug me, if you know what I mean.

(LAUGHTER)

O'BRIEN: David Haffenreffer joining us from the New York Stock Exchange.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, she plays an aging actress bored with her success and looking for a little adventure. Annette Bening finds out Sunday if she'll receive a Golden Globe Award for "Being Julia." She talked about work and family with CNN entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNETTE BENING, ACTRESS, "BEING JULIA": You've never understood what it means to carry a play, to sweat it out night after night. I'm the only one who takes it seriously, Michael. You know that.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Julia is a diva.

BENING: She is. Well, she's a great actress of her time. She's a theater actress, London, 1938, a marvelously accomplished star of the London stage. And it's sort of about what happens to her.

BENING, "BEING JULIA": All's fair in war and -- oh, the word escapes me -- Ben -- B-E-N.

VARGAS: I have to ask you, are you a diva?

BENING: No, I don't think so. I have my diva moments, I guess. But no, I'm not a diva like she is.

No, this is a woman very different than I am. I love her. I love her vitality and her -- and her energy and her interest in life. It was so much fun to play this woman because it's sort of a -- you know, a dream part.

VARGAS: Sure. And then you've got the hair and the clothes and all that.

BENING: Yes.

VARGAS: I've asked actresses in the past. You know, sometimes you take that home with you. Do you take your lines home with you?

BENING: That's a good question. I don't think so. I know Julia does. There are a couple of moments in the script where she says the same thing in different circumstances.

BENING, "BEING JULIA": It's as if -- it's as if the curtains come down on act one, which I have no idea what happens in act two. I'm in a sort of limbo, waiting for something to happen. But what?

BENING: I feel really lucky. I love what I do. I love my work.

I have an incredible family. I have beautiful children, a fantastic husband. I do have all of those things. It's true, and I'm very, very fortunate because I get to do the work that is so much a part of me.

BENING "BEING JULIA": What is it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why did you give such a lousy performance?

BENING "BEING JULIA": A lousy performance? That just shows how little you know. I've never acted better in my life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Balls. You were awful.

BENING, "BEING JULIA": They adored me tonight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The public are jackasses. You were barnstorming from beginning to end.

BENING, "BEING JULIA": How dare you speak to me like that you little -- get out of my room!

BENING: The process of making something is really fun whether or not it's well received. So that when something is well received and people like it, then it's just icing on the cake.

VARGAS: What are you looking forward to most at the Golden Globes?

BENING: Well, I hope they serve alcohol at the tables. What I'm looking forward to a nice glass of champagne and, you know, enjoying and celebrating, having a good time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And perhaps you'll have a great time, too, when you watch for our Golden Globes special, "Road to Gold." That's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on Saturday.

O'BRIEN: She looks fabulous, doesn't she?

WHITFIELD: Gosh, she does.

O'BRIEN: Wow.

WHITFIELD: She always looks good.

O'BRIEN: Yes. All right.

Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has a news conference coming up in just a few moments. That's a live picture of a podium. There's one of the technicians. Pretty soon, that will be alive with all kinds of information about steroid use in baseball. And we, of course, are going to bring that to you live.

WHITFIELD: We are, indeed. And we're going to be talking about the agreement when it's announced.

We'll be right back.

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