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Clinton Out of Surgery; Congress Looks at Steroids in Baseball

Aired March 10, 2005 - 13:30   ET

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

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


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, this is not an anniversary that calls for the popping of any champagne corks. It was five years ago today that the Internet bubble reached its peak and it all went downhill from there. Susan Lisovicz joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange with an historical perspective on the market's ups and downs. Hi, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. A lot of investors still haven't recovered. One trader I just spoke to said it seems like a lifetime ago, the environment was that much different. Five years, three thousand points, since the Nasdaq hit its all-time high of 5,048. That tech-heavy index still a whopping 59 percent below that level. Analysts agree that the index will not make up the lost ground anytime soon. And by contrast, the Dow Jones industrial average is only down eight percent from its record high.

Part of the reason investors remain cautious about the Nasdaq is because profit growth from leading companies like Microsoft and Cisco has slowed. In 1999, for instance, Microsoft earnings grew 40 percent year over year. Now analysts expect three to four percent for Microsoft, year over year, which is why you're seeing it get into so many new businesses like search and music and games. And Intel, often considered a bellwether for the Nasdaq, is down 59 percent over the past five years, exactly the same as the decline for the overall index -- Kyra.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Now in the news, count on Michael Jackson to keep anything around him from becoming boring. His trial's resumed this hour after some tense moments. Last hour, Jackson arrived more than an hour late for court and the judge, who had scolded Jackson once before about being late, had issued a warrant for his arrest. Well, for a while, it was unclear if Jackson was headed for jail. A thriller, indeed.

Other story we've been following, of course, is the condition of former president Bill Clinton after his surgery. Let's check in once again with Dr. Gupta with update on his condition. Hi, Sanjay.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra. Yes, we're hearing that President Clinton now out of surgery. In fact, the hospital officials going ahead and scheduling a press conference. That should take place about 30, 45 minutes from now, around 2:30 or so, we're hearing. Probably going to get an update on his condition and his recovery at that point.

From the sounds of things, Kyra, sounds like things went well and on schedule. Typically, operations, we've been saying all day, typically take about three, four hours or so. He probably was taken to the operating room around 7:30. Operations start sometimes an hour, an hour and a half after that. So right on schedule. And that's a good sign in terms of his overall recovery -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, we'll check in with you once that news conference takes place. Sanjay, thank you so much.

GUPTA: Thank you.

MILES O'BRIEN: All right, let's go to Washington now, a city with no pro baseball team, at least for moment, but where plenty of big league heavy hitters are gathering today to talk drug use, drug abuse and who is responsible for both. Why, you may ask, would the United States Congress take such an interest in big league sports? And just who is juiced and who is not?

That's a good question, a question we will pose to Bob Barr, who join us as our analyst today. Former member of Congress and now a frequent contributor to LIVE FROM. Good to have you with us, Bob.

BOB BARR, FMR. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: Well, we're ready to play ball in Washington, I guess.

O'BRIEN: I guess they don't call it grand standing for nothing. Let's talk just about jurisdiction for a moment. We counted just before we got on here, three or four committees that could lay claim over baseball, of all things, in Congress. Name the committees and why are they so interested in baseball?

BARR: Well, of course, they're interested because it is America's pastime, and because anything to do with baseball at the start of a season, particularly in Washington, which is now poised, after a generation, to finally have a team, will get on the front page. Now I'm sure that no member of Congress ever thinks about that.

O'BRIEN: I'm shocked.

BARR: If they did, they would realize this is a good issue. You have the Commerce Committee, you have the Government Reform Committee, you have possibly Financial Services, and certainly, Judiciary Committee. And you have those mirrored on the Senate side. So you have at least eight different committees that have a piece of the action, potentially.

O'BRIEN: All right, and where it become a complete circus, which is of course what many members of Congress desire, I think -- media circus, that is -- when you start naming names, like Jose Canseco, Jason Giambi, Curt Schilling, Rafael Palmeiro and of course, Barry Bonds as possible witness. What are the chances we're really going to see those guys, raising their right hand, and testifying before Congress? BARR: Slim, but it is certainly possible, and I think a lot of this obscures the fact that there really is a legitimate issue here. We've been seeing steroids sort of work their way down the age chain, so that now it's affecting -- and we're seeing a problem with high school sports players. So clearly, there's a problem. These are -- the use of these substances, can be illicit, illegal under federal law. So there is a jurisdiction here, but one might question, why right now?

O'BRIEN: All right, well, just to clarify, I don't think it's illegal for these players to take steroids, right? I mean, it is -- there is other rules they might run afoul, Major League rules and that kind of thing.

BARR: Some of these substances do fall under the Controlled Substances Act.

O'BRIEN: It gets a little murky, doesn't it?

BARR: Yes.

O'BRIEN: So, there are three options here. They could challenge the subpoenas, right, contempt of Congress. Where does that leave Congress versus baseball?

BARR: Well, you know, certainly at loggerheads, sort of -- they would sort of take time out and see -- that would be highly unusual, to go through the long, drawn-out process of seeking a contempt citation.

O'BRIEN: They could testify, plead the Fifth. That's another option. Or then they do a full-up testimony and tell the truth about everything and perhaps ruin their careers. So, what do you think is the likely scenario?

BARR: Well, the likely scenario, is there will be some testimony. It might not be the witnesses, right at this time, that the members of Congress want, but I think there will be some hearings. And, of course, they also -- members of Congress have to be very careful here that in bringing these people before the Congress, while there is a grand jury investigation going on, that they don't prejudice or completely ruin whatever case there might be in the court system.

O'BRIEN: Lest we forget one Colonel Oliver North, and what happened there. Precisely that: he testified before Congress and ultimately it completely tainted the case against him.

BARR: It did, because what he testified to there was the basis for the subsequent prosecution, and that completely and ultimately blew it out of the water. The government doesn't want that to happen here.

O'BRIEN: Final thought here: with all the great issues in our land that we must contend with, the fact that people in Congress are singling out baseball, is that really an effective use of their time? BARR: If, in fact they're really serious about it, and if they're interested in more than just one day's headline, then yes, it can be.

O'BRIEN: That's a big if.

BARR: It is a very big if, both the "I" and the "F" are capital on that one.

O'BRIEN: All right, thank you very much, Bob Barr. Always a pleasure -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, coming up on LIVE FROM, teens take to the airwaves and take on methamphetamines, one of the most powerful and pervasive problems of their generation. Can these kids save lives? We're going to take a look, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right, we want to take you back out to New York Presbyterian Hospital where, this morning, former President Bill Clinton had checked in for his surgery, where he had some scar tissue removed and fluid drained, that was causing his lung to collapse. Sanjay Gupta, once again, outside of the hospital there. I guess you have a statement from the hospital now.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: An official statement actually from the Clinton office. Former President Bill Clinton is out of the operating room and resting comfortably. The operation was a success. That's the official statement now. They're going to have a press briefing with all the physicians at about 2:30. So it sounds like everything went just as planned, just as we thought it would, and we've been saying all morning -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Good deal. We'll check in with you and get updates on his condition since the surgery. Sanjay Gupta, thank you so much.

Well, it seems like every day that we tell you of another development in the nationwide war against the drug methamphetamine. Well, police in Florida this week busted three meth labs; in Arizona, 16 since January. Yesterday, near Atlanta, one of the largest meth seizures on the East Coast, 174 pounds of that stuff. Street value, $16 million.

O'BRIEN: No doubt the authorities are serious about keeping meth off the streets. Here now, proof that a group of young people on the West Coast are serious about it, too. Kimberly Osias reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want to lose weight fast and have all your hair and teeth fall out? If so, methamphetamine could be right for you.

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The satirical, fast-paced public service announcements weren't created by pros, although some played supporting roles. They were dreamed up, written and produced by kids for kids.

STUDENT FILMMAKER: What teenager really wants to listen to an adult who is all dressed up in a business suit and is talking very sternly to them?

STUDENT FILMMAKER: A lot of times teenagers don't want to feel threatened. When it becomes an adult or an authoritative figure, then they immediately want to disagree with them. You have to stick with your own group. You can't dis on who you're with.

OSIAS: The key message is that methamphetamines kill, and that teens are at risk. In 2002, eight percent of high school students in this county admitted using meth, two times the national average. These filmmakers want to save their friends, taking a creative approach to get their attention.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shooting meth has really improved my self- esteem.

OSIAS: Using humor as a myth busting tool.

STUDENT FILMMAKER: It's comedic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My teeth draw tons of attention.

STUDENT FILMMAKER: Even though we took a lighter tone, we really wanted to show these horrible effects.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You get so much done in such little time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at all my scabs.

OSIAS: The goal -- to get the serious message of meth out there beyond the walls of Oregon's Newberg High ,School located bucolic Yamhill County, 25 miles from Portland. An unlikely place for drug dens and meth lab, but in Oregon the state shut down 400 just last year.

STUDENT FILMMAKER: Everything that's in meth you can get at your local hardware store.

OSIAS: Items found in some cold medications, paint thinners and kitty litter.

STUDENT FILMMAKER: Another thing we were really shooting for was, to get people's attention, we went for shock value. For instance, with the breakfast PSA, where the kid's, like, walking out there and puts down a blender. And you're thinking, oh, so it's just some kid making breakfast. What's all this about? Then you see, he starts pouring like gasoline and dropping batteries into the thing and grinding it up. That's when you're wondering, OK, so what's this about, because that's not something you see every day.

OSIAS: Lieutenant Ken Summers does see meth every day. He remembers when the drug emerged in the '80s. Now the problem is so pervasive, the county had to open a juvenile detention facility just to keep up. Although Yamhill's teens are now using less, the community still feels the ripple effect.

LT. KEN SUMMERS, YAMHILL COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: It's a primary cause now in identity thefts that we're having, financial crimes, burglaries, all of our property crimes, virtually, 90 percent of them are based on methamphetamine problem.

OSIAS: Even more terrifying, younger and younger children are trying meth.

CRAIG CAMPBELL, METHAMPHETAMINE TASK FORCE: We're seeing it as early as 8 to 12-year-olds. It's getting into the middle schools now. This is a second generation that we're seeing. It's kids' parents who have been cooking meth. They know the trade, they know the vernacular and have probably been affected by the drug their whole life. And now they are including their friends. That's the way meth is spread.

OSIAS: But they're hoping these creative campaigns will work.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I've met all kinds of interesting people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You'll be amazed at what meth can do for you.

OSIAS: By employing unlikely messengers.

STUDENT FILMMAKER: I think it is important to get people before they start.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Meth is not for everyone. Symptoms may include paranoia, hallucinations, loss of sex appeal, skin irritations, loss of brain cells.

OSIAS: As far as those budding directors, copyrighters and prop managers...

STUDENT FILMMAKER: It kind of made me feel proud.

OSIAS: ...they believe their message made the mark.

STUDENT FILMMAKER: The 30-second scene on TV made it worth all the months of work.

STUDENT FILMMAKER: Kind of a huge thing. It has become way more than any of us probably imagined it could be.

OSIAS: And is making a difference.

Kimberly Osias, CNN, Newberg, Oregon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Well, does a Wisconsin suicide solve a Chicago double homicide? Investigators won't say for the record, but they're all over a minivan. The driver, who shot himself to death in a routine traffic stop just outside of Milwaukee.

PHILLIPS: But police sources and newspaper reports say the man left a note claiming responsibility for last week's killing of Michael Lefkow and Donna Humphrey. You remember, the husband and mother of a federal judge on the north side of Chicago.

Well, we get the latest now from Lauran Lemanchek (ph) of CNN affiliate WTMJ in Milwaukee.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAUREN LEMANCHEK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The FBI, West Allis police and Chicago police are inside the West Allis police station, analyzing evidence today. A captain confirms for me that there is a letter inside that van that does link the driver to the Lefkow murder case. However, this morning at a news conference, police would not go so far as to name the man who committed suicide or elaborate on his links to case.

What they are doing, however, is piecing together a timeline of just how this unfolded. It started when an officer noticed a suspicious brown van with Illinois plates outside a local school. The officer followed the van, and then pulled him over for a taillight out. When the officer approach the vehicle, the driver shot himself. It was hours later when they found the note and other physical evidence linking man to the Lefkow murders. Police won't say what was in the letter, but we're told in it he mentions kill the Lefkows and mentions other judges.

Now that man's name is Bart Ross, the person who owns van. Police will not say if he is the person who shot himself inside the van. However, we do have sources in Chicago who confirm that.

In West Allis, Lauren Lemanchek, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Coming up in our second hour of LIVE FROM, a news conference on the condition of the former president, Bill, Clinton, just out of the O.R.

PHILLIPS: And we're going to have a live report from the Michael Jackson trial, where it's been a bit of a chaotic day, you can say outside the courtroom.

LIVE FROM 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 March 10, 2005 - 13:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, this is not an anniversary that calls for the popping of any champagne corks. It was five years ago today that the Internet bubble reached its peak and it all went downhill from there. Susan Lisovicz joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange with an historical perspective on the market's ups and downs. Hi, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. A lot of investors still haven't recovered. One trader I just spoke to said it seems like a lifetime ago, the environment was that much different. Five years, three thousand points, since the Nasdaq hit its all-time high of 5,048. That tech-heavy index still a whopping 59 percent below that level. Analysts agree that the index will not make up the lost ground anytime soon. And by contrast, the Dow Jones industrial average is only down eight percent from its record high.

Part of the reason investors remain cautious about the Nasdaq is because profit growth from leading companies like Microsoft and Cisco has slowed. In 1999, for instance, Microsoft earnings grew 40 percent year over year. Now analysts expect three to four percent for Microsoft, year over year, which is why you're seeing it get into so many new businesses like search and music and games. And Intel, often considered a bellwether for the Nasdaq, is down 59 percent over the past five years, exactly the same as the decline for the overall index -- Kyra.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Now in the news, count on Michael Jackson to keep anything around him from becoming boring. His trial's resumed this hour after some tense moments. Last hour, Jackson arrived more than an hour late for court and the judge, who had scolded Jackson once before about being late, had issued a warrant for his arrest. Well, for a while, it was unclear if Jackson was headed for jail. A thriller, indeed.

Other story we've been following, of course, is the condition of former president Bill Clinton after his surgery. Let's check in once again with Dr. Gupta with update on his condition. Hi, Sanjay.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra. Yes, we're hearing that President Clinton now out of surgery. In fact, the hospital officials going ahead and scheduling a press conference. That should take place about 30, 45 minutes from now, around 2:30 or so, we're hearing. Probably going to get an update on his condition and his recovery at that point.

From the sounds of things, Kyra, sounds like things went well and on schedule. Typically, operations, we've been saying all day, typically take about three, four hours or so. He probably was taken to the operating room around 7:30. Operations start sometimes an hour, an hour and a half after that. So right on schedule. And that's a good sign in terms of his overall recovery -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, we'll check in with you once that news conference takes place. Sanjay, thank you so much.

GUPTA: Thank you.

MILES O'BRIEN: All right, let's go to Washington now, a city with no pro baseball team, at least for moment, but where plenty of big league heavy hitters are gathering today to talk drug use, drug abuse and who is responsible for both. Why, you may ask, would the United States Congress take such an interest in big league sports? And just who is juiced and who is not?

That's a good question, a question we will pose to Bob Barr, who join us as our analyst today. Former member of Congress and now a frequent contributor to LIVE FROM. Good to have you with us, Bob.

BOB BARR, FMR. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: Well, we're ready to play ball in Washington, I guess.

O'BRIEN: I guess they don't call it grand standing for nothing. Let's talk just about jurisdiction for a moment. We counted just before we got on here, three or four committees that could lay claim over baseball, of all things, in Congress. Name the committees and why are they so interested in baseball?

BARR: Well, of course, they're interested because it is America's pastime, and because anything to do with baseball at the start of a season, particularly in Washington, which is now poised, after a generation, to finally have a team, will get on the front page. Now I'm sure that no member of Congress ever thinks about that.

O'BRIEN: I'm shocked.

BARR: If they did, they would realize this is a good issue. You have the Commerce Committee, you have the Government Reform Committee, you have possibly Financial Services, and certainly, Judiciary Committee. And you have those mirrored on the Senate side. So you have at least eight different committees that have a piece of the action, potentially.

O'BRIEN: All right, and where it become a complete circus, which is of course what many members of Congress desire, I think -- media circus, that is -- when you start naming names, like Jose Canseco, Jason Giambi, Curt Schilling, Rafael Palmeiro and of course, Barry Bonds as possible witness. What are the chances we're really going to see those guys, raising their right hand, and testifying before Congress? BARR: Slim, but it is certainly possible, and I think a lot of this obscures the fact that there really is a legitimate issue here. We've been seeing steroids sort of work their way down the age chain, so that now it's affecting -- and we're seeing a problem with high school sports players. So clearly, there's a problem. These are -- the use of these substances, can be illicit, illegal under federal law. So there is a jurisdiction here, but one might question, why right now?

O'BRIEN: All right, well, just to clarify, I don't think it's illegal for these players to take steroids, right? I mean, it is -- there is other rules they might run afoul, Major League rules and that kind of thing.

BARR: Some of these substances do fall under the Controlled Substances Act.

O'BRIEN: It gets a little murky, doesn't it?

BARR: Yes.

O'BRIEN: So, there are three options here. They could challenge the subpoenas, right, contempt of Congress. Where does that leave Congress versus baseball?

BARR: Well, you know, certainly at loggerheads, sort of -- they would sort of take time out and see -- that would be highly unusual, to go through the long, drawn-out process of seeking a contempt citation.

O'BRIEN: They could testify, plead the Fifth. That's another option. Or then they do a full-up testimony and tell the truth about everything and perhaps ruin their careers. So, what do you think is the likely scenario?

BARR: Well, the likely scenario, is there will be some testimony. It might not be the witnesses, right at this time, that the members of Congress want, but I think there will be some hearings. And, of course, they also -- members of Congress have to be very careful here that in bringing these people before the Congress, while there is a grand jury investigation going on, that they don't prejudice or completely ruin whatever case there might be in the court system.

O'BRIEN: Lest we forget one Colonel Oliver North, and what happened there. Precisely that: he testified before Congress and ultimately it completely tainted the case against him.

BARR: It did, because what he testified to there was the basis for the subsequent prosecution, and that completely and ultimately blew it out of the water. The government doesn't want that to happen here.

O'BRIEN: Final thought here: with all the great issues in our land that we must contend with, the fact that people in Congress are singling out baseball, is that really an effective use of their time? BARR: If, in fact they're really serious about it, and if they're interested in more than just one day's headline, then yes, it can be.

O'BRIEN: That's a big if.

BARR: It is a very big if, both the "I" and the "F" are capital on that one.

O'BRIEN: All right, thank you very much, Bob Barr. Always a pleasure -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, coming up on LIVE FROM, teens take to the airwaves and take on methamphetamines, one of the most powerful and pervasive problems of their generation. Can these kids save lives? We're going to take a look, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right, we want to take you back out to New York Presbyterian Hospital where, this morning, former President Bill Clinton had checked in for his surgery, where he had some scar tissue removed and fluid drained, that was causing his lung to collapse. Sanjay Gupta, once again, outside of the hospital there. I guess you have a statement from the hospital now.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: An official statement actually from the Clinton office. Former President Bill Clinton is out of the operating room and resting comfortably. The operation was a success. That's the official statement now. They're going to have a press briefing with all the physicians at about 2:30. So it sounds like everything went just as planned, just as we thought it would, and we've been saying all morning -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Good deal. We'll check in with you and get updates on his condition since the surgery. Sanjay Gupta, thank you so much.

Well, it seems like every day that we tell you of another development in the nationwide war against the drug methamphetamine. Well, police in Florida this week busted three meth labs; in Arizona, 16 since January. Yesterday, near Atlanta, one of the largest meth seizures on the East Coast, 174 pounds of that stuff. Street value, $16 million.

O'BRIEN: No doubt the authorities are serious about keeping meth off the streets. Here now, proof that a group of young people on the West Coast are serious about it, too. Kimberly Osias reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want to lose weight fast and have all your hair and teeth fall out? If so, methamphetamine could be right for you.

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The satirical, fast-paced public service announcements weren't created by pros, although some played supporting roles. They were dreamed up, written and produced by kids for kids.

STUDENT FILMMAKER: What teenager really wants to listen to an adult who is all dressed up in a business suit and is talking very sternly to them?

STUDENT FILMMAKER: A lot of times teenagers don't want to feel threatened. When it becomes an adult or an authoritative figure, then they immediately want to disagree with them. You have to stick with your own group. You can't dis on who you're with.

OSIAS: The key message is that methamphetamines kill, and that teens are at risk. In 2002, eight percent of high school students in this county admitted using meth, two times the national average. These filmmakers want to save their friends, taking a creative approach to get their attention.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shooting meth has really improved my self- esteem.

OSIAS: Using humor as a myth busting tool.

STUDENT FILMMAKER: It's comedic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My teeth draw tons of attention.

STUDENT FILMMAKER: Even though we took a lighter tone, we really wanted to show these horrible effects.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You get so much done in such little time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at all my scabs.

OSIAS: The goal -- to get the serious message of meth out there beyond the walls of Oregon's Newberg High ,School located bucolic Yamhill County, 25 miles from Portland. An unlikely place for drug dens and meth lab, but in Oregon the state shut down 400 just last year.

STUDENT FILMMAKER: Everything that's in meth you can get at your local hardware store.

OSIAS: Items found in some cold medications, paint thinners and kitty litter.

STUDENT FILMMAKER: Another thing we were really shooting for was, to get people's attention, we went for shock value. For instance, with the breakfast PSA, where the kid's, like, walking out there and puts down a blender. And you're thinking, oh, so it's just some kid making breakfast. What's all this about? Then you see, he starts pouring like gasoline and dropping batteries into the thing and grinding it up. That's when you're wondering, OK, so what's this about, because that's not something you see every day.

OSIAS: Lieutenant Ken Summers does see meth every day. He remembers when the drug emerged in the '80s. Now the problem is so pervasive, the county had to open a juvenile detention facility just to keep up. Although Yamhill's teens are now using less, the community still feels the ripple effect.

LT. KEN SUMMERS, YAMHILL COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: It's a primary cause now in identity thefts that we're having, financial crimes, burglaries, all of our property crimes, virtually, 90 percent of them are based on methamphetamine problem.

OSIAS: Even more terrifying, younger and younger children are trying meth.

CRAIG CAMPBELL, METHAMPHETAMINE TASK FORCE: We're seeing it as early as 8 to 12-year-olds. It's getting into the middle schools now. This is a second generation that we're seeing. It's kids' parents who have been cooking meth. They know the trade, they know the vernacular and have probably been affected by the drug their whole life. And now they are including their friends. That's the way meth is spread.

OSIAS: But they're hoping these creative campaigns will work.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I've met all kinds of interesting people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You'll be amazed at what meth can do for you.

OSIAS: By employing unlikely messengers.

STUDENT FILMMAKER: I think it is important to get people before they start.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Meth is not for everyone. Symptoms may include paranoia, hallucinations, loss of sex appeal, skin irritations, loss of brain cells.

OSIAS: As far as those budding directors, copyrighters and prop managers...

STUDENT FILMMAKER: It kind of made me feel proud.

OSIAS: ...they believe their message made the mark.

STUDENT FILMMAKER: The 30-second scene on TV made it worth all the months of work.

STUDENT FILMMAKER: Kind of a huge thing. It has become way more than any of us probably imagined it could be.

OSIAS: And is making a difference.

Kimberly Osias, CNN, Newberg, Oregon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Well, does a Wisconsin suicide solve a Chicago double homicide? Investigators won't say for the record, but they're all over a minivan. The driver, who shot himself to death in a routine traffic stop just outside of Milwaukee.

PHILLIPS: But police sources and newspaper reports say the man left a note claiming responsibility for last week's killing of Michael Lefkow and Donna Humphrey. You remember, the husband and mother of a federal judge on the north side of Chicago.

Well, we get the latest now from Lauran Lemanchek (ph) of CNN affiliate WTMJ in Milwaukee.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAUREN LEMANCHEK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The FBI, West Allis police and Chicago police are inside the West Allis police station, analyzing evidence today. A captain confirms for me that there is a letter inside that van that does link the driver to the Lefkow murder case. However, this morning at a news conference, police would not go so far as to name the man who committed suicide or elaborate on his links to case.

What they are doing, however, is piecing together a timeline of just how this unfolded. It started when an officer noticed a suspicious brown van with Illinois plates outside a local school. The officer followed the van, and then pulled him over for a taillight out. When the officer approach the vehicle, the driver shot himself. It was hours later when they found the note and other physical evidence linking man to the Lefkow murders. Police won't say what was in the letter, but we're told in it he mentions kill the Lefkows and mentions other judges.

Now that man's name is Bart Ross, the person who owns van. Police will not say if he is the person who shot himself inside the van. However, we do have sources in Chicago who confirm that.

In West Allis, Lauren Lemanchek, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Coming up in our second hour of LIVE FROM, a news conference on the condition of the former president, Bill, Clinton, just out of the O.R.

PHILLIPS: And we're going to have a live report from the Michael Jackson trial, where it's been a bit of a chaotic day, you can say outside the courtroom.

LIVE FROM begins right after this.

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