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Stewart Party Probe; Afghan Heroin; Saudi Security

Aired April 25, 2005 - 14:00   ET

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

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


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The prince, the president and high gas prices. Will this meeting lead to the Saudis priming the pumps and giving the world a break on oil prices?
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: An alleged drug kingpin in custody, considered a threat to America's security, accused of funneling millions to the Taliban, now in a New York jail.

PHILLIPS: Will Martha Stewart's appearance at a party jeopardize her probation? We're live with the latest.

O'BRIEN: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien. And the camera is having a bad moment.

PHILLIPS: We're going up in space. And I'm Kyra Phillips. LIVE FROM starts right now.

O'BRIEN: Martha, Martha, Martha. The domestic diva is under investigation again. This time it's for schmoozing with celebrities at a New York party. The feds are looking into whether Martha Stewart violated the terms of her house arrest by attending a "TIME" magazine dinner last week.

CNN's Mary Snow live from New York with details in all this -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Miles.

The question is, did Martha Stewart's night out last week come under scrutiny for her home confinement program? The chief federal probation officer in the southern district here in New York says his office is now looking into whether Martha Stewart violated conditions of her supervised release.

As you just pointed out, the event in question was an event held by "TIME" magazine last Tuesday night honoring the 100 most influential people. Martha Stewart was one of them.

Now, the chief probation officer says that she did receive permission to attend this event. So why are they taking a second look at it? The office says that the "New York Post" here in New York had asked some questions, and that has prompted the probation office to see whether or not she had violated the rules.

Now, Martha Stewart is allowed out of her home for 48 hours a week. This to attend work functions, attend work, religious services, medical appointments. Last week, for instance, she was seen at an event announcing a SIRIUS radio network deal in which she signed.

She returned home on March 4, she is serving five months of home confinement.

Now, according to the probation office, punishment for violating these rules include having a reprimand, which would restrict her comings and goings, or the ultimate punishment, if there is a violation there, is to be sent back to prison. Now, we made several calls in to her company and to her lawyers. They were not immediately available for comments. And the legal analyst, though, we're talking to said that if she did get permission to go to the event that there shouldn't be that much of a problem -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. Mary Snow watching it for us. Appreciate it -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Household name-wise, he's not in the same league with bin Laden, al-Zarqawi, or Mullah Omar. But Haji Bashir Noorzai is considered by the Bush administration -- and we quote -- "a threat to national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States." His alleged crime is turning Afghan poppies into street-grade heroin under the paid protection of the Taliban. Today, Noorzai is under arrest, under indictment and under wraps in New York.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick has the details -- Deb.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the question is, why would one of the world's biggest heroin traffickers actually get on a plane and come to New York? Authorities say it is a question that only Haji Bashir Noorzai can answer.

He arrived at New York's JFK Airport on Saturday, according to sources. And he was quickly arrested. And prosecutors say he smuggled to $50 million worth of heroin into the U.S. and other countries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID KELLEY, U.S. ATTORNEY: Between 1990 and 2004, Noorzai and his organization provided demolitions, weaponry and militia manpower to the Taliban. In exchange, the Taliban permitted Noorzai's business to flourish and served as protection for Noorzai's opium crops, heroin laboratories and drug transportation routes out of the country.

In fact, on one occasion in 1997, it is alleged that Taliban authorities in Afghanistan seized a truckload of morphine base that belonged to the Noorzai organization. It didn't take very long, however, for Mullah Mohammed Omar to have the drugs returned to Noorzai with Omar's personal apologies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Mullah Omar, of course, being the Taliban leader who ran Afghanistan before he was kicked out by Northern Alliance forces about three years ago. Now, prosecutors are not saying whether Noorzai was traveling alone or what U.S. documents he had that he believed would allow him to get into the country. He's scheduled to make a first appearance before a federal judge sometime within the hour, though it could be delayed -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Deborah Feyerick, thank you so much -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Security, foreign policy, U.S. economy, they're all on the table in Crawford, Texas, today. That's where President Bush is hosting for the second time the Crown Prince and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia.

Here's a fun fact. Prince Abdullah's first visit to Crawford was on this date in 2002. The subject is the high price of oil, of course, and the resulting high price of gasoline. And if you wonder where security comes in, look no further than this report from CNN's Nic Robertson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If Saudi Arabia's lifeblood is oil, this is its heart, Ras Tanura, the world's largest oil refinery and the country's principal oil export facility. We saw fortified defenses, but not enough to satisfy former CIA officer Bob Baer.

ROBERT BAER, FMR. CIA OFFICER: I could sit down now with my training in the CIA and people I know and do a concerted military attack on Saudi facilities, standoff attacks with rockets, and take five, six million barrels off the market.

ROBERTSON: So could a plane packed with explosives if it crashed into Ras Tanura, a 9/11-style scenario that Baer says is also possible. The last of more than one half the desert kingdom's normal production would turn disaster here into a global economic nightmare.

ADRIAN BINKS, PETROLEUM ARGUS: If a major facility was knocked out, such as the Ras Tanura export facility, and it looked like it would be out for many months, then the market would be absolutely frenzied and prices would rise through the sky almost.

ROBERTSON: At a high-tech control room, Saudi engineers say they plan for that possibility.

ABDALLAH JUMAH, ARAMCO: We always have drills about "what ifs," and, therefore, a -- even a terrorist incident, if it were to happen, it's not going to be worse than an industrial incident in a volatile industry like ours.

ROBERTSON: Indeed, on a recent tour of Ras Tanura, where oil is not only refined but shipped out to the rest of the world, Saudi officials were keen to show off the safety features of the facilities.

(on camera): What you realize out of these oil-loading terminals, if terrorists were to strike against the Saudi oil infrastructure, it would have little effect. The system is spread out over a vast area. (voice-over): But in a volatile market already jittery about terrorist attacks at Saudi oil installations, even a minor attack would rattle the global economy, the sort of pipeline attacks that are already common occurrence in Iraq.

BINKS: The most likely scenario, which would by an attack on a pipeline in Saudi Arabia, then prices would spike for a very short time.

ROBERTSON: So far, Saudi al Qaeda has killed and mutilated western oil workers on at least two occasions, but has not yet targeted oil installations. The fear is that tactic could change.

BAER: These people are perfectly capable if they got some sort of victory in Iraq of turning south and going after the Saudi royal family and going after the facilities. I've got no doubt about that.

ROBERTSON: With internal tensions from rising unemployment, a booming birth rate and struggling economy, the Saudi royals carry the burden of protecting not only their oil fields, but also the world's economy.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: And as you know, CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of new that affects your security. Stay tuned to this channel for the latest information day and night.

PHILLIPS: Religion and politics and President Bush's judicial nominees. A rally for the faithful over the weekend raises the political stakes. We'll talk about it.

Also ahead, you're not seeing things. It's snow. And it's almost May. Details on the spring storm just ahead.

And later, wait until you see who is taking over nursing duties for these little tiger cubs. It's a LIVE FROM shocker.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Ah, no, we have not turned the way back machine to January. This video is from yesterday, kind of an odd spring snowstorm you might say.

It pounded the Midwest and Appalachians over the weekend. Northeastern Ohio hard hit, about 21 inches of snow in some places. Dozens of schools in the area are closed today. The kids are quite placed.

Snow also made for slippery roads in Michigan, where some were impassable in the evening. Forecasters say the two-day storm brought temperatures as much as 25 degrees below the norm.

PHILLIPS: Well, buying a newspaper isn't a crime, but it can be if you're a juror on a murder trial. We told you about this story last week. And now a juror in northern Virginia faces jail time for ignoring the court's order. CNN's Kathleen Koch has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Scene of the crime a convenience store in northern Virginia. The offense, buying newspapers and lying about it.

What's the problem with that? It seems that defense attorney John Shields recognized someone buying the paper. He says it was a juror from one of his own cases, the murder trial of Gerardo Lara, accused of killing his estranged wife Marissa. The trial under way in Prince William County, Virginia, was nearing it's a close, with jurors already deliberating.

Judge Rossie Alston Jr. had warned jurors to avoid media coverage of the trial. But the juror, Lindy Heaster, denied that she had purchased a newspaper, and the judge denied a request for a mistrial. Gerardo Lara was found guilty.

But back to that 7-Eleven store. It turns out there was a surveillance camera and a videotape. Attorney Shields tracked down the tape, showed it to the judge, who decided that Lindy Hester had lied and declared a mistrial. Prosecutors say Heaster cost the state valuable time and money.

PAUL EBERT, VIRGINIA PROSECUTOR: This juror, of course, actually lied to the court about what she had done.

KOCH: For now, Lindy Heaster is at home. Reached by phone, she would only say she regrets what happened.

(on camera): Heaster faces possible jailtime for contempt of court and perjury. She also may be fined to compensate the state for the money it spent on the trial, as well as pay some of the accused murderer's legal costs, potentially tens of thousands of dollars.

Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Today marks a dark moment in U.S. history. Twenty-five years ago, eight American servicemen died in an ill-fated mission to rescue 53 Americans held hostage in Iran. The long-planned operation suffered a string of technical difficulties.

When then President Jimmy Carter aborted the mission, two aircraft collided, killing eight men. Most of the hostages were not released, of course, until nine months later.

Thirty years ago this week, things were coming to a head in Vietnam. U.S. forces carried out a massive, hastily-arranged evacuation, creating these iconic images, airlifting thousands of civilians, military from Saigon, and bringing decades of conflict to an end. That was then, and this is now. To see the change, we need only to enter a Vietnamese classroom. The American role in the war is a little more than a blip in the history books.

Here's CNN's Atika Shubert.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): History class in Vietnam. Students are enacting in song the decisive Battle of Dienbienphu, signalling the end of French rule and the beginning of what is called here the American War.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't hate the Americans, I don't hate French. I think because I wasn't born in the wartime.

SHUBERT: That sentiment is widely shared in the schoolyard in the city formerly known as Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City, after Vietnam's victorious communist leader. Yet hamburgers, American movies and pop music are all favorites here. The only place the war is mentioned is in the history books.

(on camera): Two-thirds of the population here is under the age of 30, a generation that has no memory of the war.

(voice-over): Compared to French colonization and countless Chinese invasions, the American War is apparently a blip in Vietnamese history. In their textbook, the American War doesn't even rate its own chapter, but it does have a place of pride.

This student may be a fan of American boy bands, but she knows the party line.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Vietnam won the war because the people were united, and the communist party worked out a correct revolutionary strategy. I feel very proud of this victory.

SHUBERT: Yet, in a sign of the times, others in class are more skeptical.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) control of thinking about this world.

SHUBERT: He even suggests that Vietnam's flirtation with free markets may pave the way for other changes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The politics will change when the economy change. Because our economy today is very open.

SHUBERT: If anything, students here seem less concerned about American war history than American-style economics, seen as the key to their future.

Atika Shubert, CNN, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

(END VIDEOTAPE) PHILLIPS: So do you want to follow in the footsteps of one of the world's richest men? Coming up on LIVE FROM, learning to invest like Warren Buffett is child's play.

Sir Elton John, ready for a second trip down the aisle? Wedding plans for the rocket man later on LIVE FROM.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. On demand, jet travel at coach prices? A new service says it's possible. I'll have details coming up on LIVE FROM.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Baby Boomers may be reluctant to acknowledge the march of time, but many are staring retirement right in the face. Whatever your age, there's always a reason to jump-start your retirement planning.

CNN personal financial editor Gerri Willis has some suggestions for funding your retirement.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Four years ago, Karl Farmer, now 58, thought he had it made. Having worked 30 years as an electrical engineer for Polaroid, his retirement future seemed secure.

KARL FARMER: I thought it would have been an easy thing to do. I wouldn't need all of the finances that I had to have before, and this was going to be fun.

WILLIS: What happened next was far from fun. Polaroid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and Farmer's benefits package was revoked. Worse, his employee stock plummeted in value from $250,000 to just $300.

FARMER: My first inclination when I found out that this happened was that they really can't get away with this.

WILLIS: Today, Farmer is back in the job market, struggling to make ends meet. His bad luck may be exceptional, but experts say many Baby Boomers are unprepared financially for retirement. In fact, 25 percent of workers who are eligible don't even contribute to corporate 401(k)s. But even if you're within 10 years of getting the gold watch, there are ways to rescue your financial future.

WALTER UPDEGRAVE, SR. EDITOR, "MONEY" MAGAZINE: There is a lot you can do, actually. Because even if you're starting, say, at age 50, from scratch, it's possible to build up a six-figure portfolio if you contribute to your 401(k), you get the employer match, you do the catch-up contributions that the law now allows for people 50 and older. WILLIS: It's not just older people who are in trouble. Real estate broker Susan Forest Reynolds (ph) is 43 and has two teenagers to see through high school and college. All on a yearly commissions that can range from $40,000 to $80,000.

SUSAN REYNOLDS, REAL ESTATE BROKER: I don't think we think, oh, I've got to remember to save for retirement. I don't. I think we're saying, I have to remember that the rent is due and I have to remember that the kids need new shoes. And I have to remember that, you know, we have the SATs to pay for.

WILLIS: Whatever the day-to-day pressures, the advice is, start saving now, however small the amount.

UPDEGRAVE: If you don't have a 401(k) plan, there are plenty of mutual funds out there that will let you put in a certain amount each month. They'll take the money directly out of your checking account.

FARMER: I thought I'd be on the other side the golf course, where I'd be playing, talking to the guy that's cutting the grass, versus being the guy that's cutting the grass, watching the people play.

UPDEGRAVE: That's the way the retirement world is today. It's on you. The onus is on you.

The government isn't going to take care of you. The company isn't going to take care of you. You have to put the money aside and then you have to decide how to invest it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN ANCHOR: When it comes to keeping your financial life on track, are you headed in the right direction? Take a few lessons at CNNMoney.com/101.

Lesson no 1: Set your priorities. You probably won't achieve every financial goal you've ever dreamed of, so identify your goals clearly. Decide which are most important and why they matter. You can use this prioritizer to rank goals or options most attractive to you.

Lesson no 2: Once you've decided what your money should be spent on, make a budget. It may be tough, but making a budget is the only practical way to get a grip on your spending.

And answer this: are you putting your money in all the right places? From housing, to savings and investments and living expenses, use this online calculator to crunch the numbers.

Finally, when it comes to money 101, are you making the grade? After every lesson take this interactive quiz.

For example, how much income should you aim to save and invest? Is the answer at least 10 percent, 30, 50 or 70 percent? Log on and find out.

Getting you on the road to financial freedom, from the dot-com news desk, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: All right. Traveling in a small little jet may not be just for the rich and famous anymore. New technology could make jetsetting a little more affordable.

PHILLIPS: We still won't see private jets, but that's OK. Susan Lisovicz live from the New York Stock exchange to explain.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired April 25, 2005 - 14:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The prince, the president and high gas prices. Will this meeting lead to the Saudis priming the pumps and giving the world a break on oil prices?
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: An alleged drug kingpin in custody, considered a threat to America's security, accused of funneling millions to the Taliban, now in a New York jail.

PHILLIPS: Will Martha Stewart's appearance at a party jeopardize her probation? We're live with the latest.

O'BRIEN: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Miles O'Brien. And the camera is having a bad moment.

PHILLIPS: We're going up in space. And I'm Kyra Phillips. LIVE FROM starts right now.

O'BRIEN: Martha, Martha, Martha. The domestic diva is under investigation again. This time it's for schmoozing with celebrities at a New York party. The feds are looking into whether Martha Stewart violated the terms of her house arrest by attending a "TIME" magazine dinner last week.

CNN's Mary Snow live from New York with details in all this -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Miles.

The question is, did Martha Stewart's night out last week come under scrutiny for her home confinement program? The chief federal probation officer in the southern district here in New York says his office is now looking into whether Martha Stewart violated conditions of her supervised release.

As you just pointed out, the event in question was an event held by "TIME" magazine last Tuesday night honoring the 100 most influential people. Martha Stewart was one of them.

Now, the chief probation officer says that she did receive permission to attend this event. So why are they taking a second look at it? The office says that the "New York Post" here in New York had asked some questions, and that has prompted the probation office to see whether or not she had violated the rules.

Now, Martha Stewart is allowed out of her home for 48 hours a week. This to attend work functions, attend work, religious services, medical appointments. Last week, for instance, she was seen at an event announcing a SIRIUS radio network deal in which she signed.

She returned home on March 4, she is serving five months of home confinement.

Now, according to the probation office, punishment for violating these rules include having a reprimand, which would restrict her comings and goings, or the ultimate punishment, if there is a violation there, is to be sent back to prison. Now, we made several calls in to her company and to her lawyers. They were not immediately available for comments. And the legal analyst, though, we're talking to said that if she did get permission to go to the event that there shouldn't be that much of a problem -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. Mary Snow watching it for us. Appreciate it -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Household name-wise, he's not in the same league with bin Laden, al-Zarqawi, or Mullah Omar. But Haji Bashir Noorzai is considered by the Bush administration -- and we quote -- "a threat to national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States." His alleged crime is turning Afghan poppies into street-grade heroin under the paid protection of the Taliban. Today, Noorzai is under arrest, under indictment and under wraps in New York.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick has the details -- Deb.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the question is, why would one of the world's biggest heroin traffickers actually get on a plane and come to New York? Authorities say it is a question that only Haji Bashir Noorzai can answer.

He arrived at New York's JFK Airport on Saturday, according to sources. And he was quickly arrested. And prosecutors say he smuggled to $50 million worth of heroin into the U.S. and other countries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID KELLEY, U.S. ATTORNEY: Between 1990 and 2004, Noorzai and his organization provided demolitions, weaponry and militia manpower to the Taliban. In exchange, the Taliban permitted Noorzai's business to flourish and served as protection for Noorzai's opium crops, heroin laboratories and drug transportation routes out of the country.

In fact, on one occasion in 1997, it is alleged that Taliban authorities in Afghanistan seized a truckload of morphine base that belonged to the Noorzai organization. It didn't take very long, however, for Mullah Mohammed Omar to have the drugs returned to Noorzai with Omar's personal apologies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Mullah Omar, of course, being the Taliban leader who ran Afghanistan before he was kicked out by Northern Alliance forces about three years ago. Now, prosecutors are not saying whether Noorzai was traveling alone or what U.S. documents he had that he believed would allow him to get into the country. He's scheduled to make a first appearance before a federal judge sometime within the hour, though it could be delayed -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Deborah Feyerick, thank you so much -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Security, foreign policy, U.S. economy, they're all on the table in Crawford, Texas, today. That's where President Bush is hosting for the second time the Crown Prince and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia.

Here's a fun fact. Prince Abdullah's first visit to Crawford was on this date in 2002. The subject is the high price of oil, of course, and the resulting high price of gasoline. And if you wonder where security comes in, look no further than this report from CNN's Nic Robertson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If Saudi Arabia's lifeblood is oil, this is its heart, Ras Tanura, the world's largest oil refinery and the country's principal oil export facility. We saw fortified defenses, but not enough to satisfy former CIA officer Bob Baer.

ROBERT BAER, FMR. CIA OFFICER: I could sit down now with my training in the CIA and people I know and do a concerted military attack on Saudi facilities, standoff attacks with rockets, and take five, six million barrels off the market.

ROBERTSON: So could a plane packed with explosives if it crashed into Ras Tanura, a 9/11-style scenario that Baer says is also possible. The last of more than one half the desert kingdom's normal production would turn disaster here into a global economic nightmare.

ADRIAN BINKS, PETROLEUM ARGUS: If a major facility was knocked out, such as the Ras Tanura export facility, and it looked like it would be out for many months, then the market would be absolutely frenzied and prices would rise through the sky almost.

ROBERTSON: At a high-tech control room, Saudi engineers say they plan for that possibility.

ABDALLAH JUMAH, ARAMCO: We always have drills about "what ifs," and, therefore, a -- even a terrorist incident, if it were to happen, it's not going to be worse than an industrial incident in a volatile industry like ours.

ROBERTSON: Indeed, on a recent tour of Ras Tanura, where oil is not only refined but shipped out to the rest of the world, Saudi officials were keen to show off the safety features of the facilities.

(on camera): What you realize out of these oil-loading terminals, if terrorists were to strike against the Saudi oil infrastructure, it would have little effect. The system is spread out over a vast area. (voice-over): But in a volatile market already jittery about terrorist attacks at Saudi oil installations, even a minor attack would rattle the global economy, the sort of pipeline attacks that are already common occurrence in Iraq.

BINKS: The most likely scenario, which would by an attack on a pipeline in Saudi Arabia, then prices would spike for a very short time.

ROBERTSON: So far, Saudi al Qaeda has killed and mutilated western oil workers on at least two occasions, but has not yet targeted oil installations. The fear is that tactic could change.

BAER: These people are perfectly capable if they got some sort of victory in Iraq of turning south and going after the Saudi royal family and going after the facilities. I've got no doubt about that.

ROBERTSON: With internal tensions from rising unemployment, a booming birth rate and struggling economy, the Saudi royals carry the burden of protecting not only their oil fields, but also the world's economy.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: And as you know, CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of new that affects your security. Stay tuned to this channel for the latest information day and night.

PHILLIPS: Religion and politics and President Bush's judicial nominees. A rally for the faithful over the weekend raises the political stakes. We'll talk about it.

Also ahead, you're not seeing things. It's snow. And it's almost May. Details on the spring storm just ahead.

And later, wait until you see who is taking over nursing duties for these little tiger cubs. It's a LIVE FROM shocker.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Ah, no, we have not turned the way back machine to January. This video is from yesterday, kind of an odd spring snowstorm you might say.

It pounded the Midwest and Appalachians over the weekend. Northeastern Ohio hard hit, about 21 inches of snow in some places. Dozens of schools in the area are closed today. The kids are quite placed.

Snow also made for slippery roads in Michigan, where some were impassable in the evening. Forecasters say the two-day storm brought temperatures as much as 25 degrees below the norm.

PHILLIPS: Well, buying a newspaper isn't a crime, but it can be if you're a juror on a murder trial. We told you about this story last week. And now a juror in northern Virginia faces jail time for ignoring the court's order. CNN's Kathleen Koch has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Scene of the crime a convenience store in northern Virginia. The offense, buying newspapers and lying about it.

What's the problem with that? It seems that defense attorney John Shields recognized someone buying the paper. He says it was a juror from one of his own cases, the murder trial of Gerardo Lara, accused of killing his estranged wife Marissa. The trial under way in Prince William County, Virginia, was nearing it's a close, with jurors already deliberating.

Judge Rossie Alston Jr. had warned jurors to avoid media coverage of the trial. But the juror, Lindy Heaster, denied that she had purchased a newspaper, and the judge denied a request for a mistrial. Gerardo Lara was found guilty.

But back to that 7-Eleven store. It turns out there was a surveillance camera and a videotape. Attorney Shields tracked down the tape, showed it to the judge, who decided that Lindy Hester had lied and declared a mistrial. Prosecutors say Heaster cost the state valuable time and money.

PAUL EBERT, VIRGINIA PROSECUTOR: This juror, of course, actually lied to the court about what she had done.

KOCH: For now, Lindy Heaster is at home. Reached by phone, she would only say she regrets what happened.

(on camera): Heaster faces possible jailtime for contempt of court and perjury. She also may be fined to compensate the state for the money it spent on the trial, as well as pay some of the accused murderer's legal costs, potentially tens of thousands of dollars.

Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Today marks a dark moment in U.S. history. Twenty-five years ago, eight American servicemen died in an ill-fated mission to rescue 53 Americans held hostage in Iran. The long-planned operation suffered a string of technical difficulties.

When then President Jimmy Carter aborted the mission, two aircraft collided, killing eight men. Most of the hostages were not released, of course, until nine months later.

Thirty years ago this week, things were coming to a head in Vietnam. U.S. forces carried out a massive, hastily-arranged evacuation, creating these iconic images, airlifting thousands of civilians, military from Saigon, and bringing decades of conflict to an end. That was then, and this is now. To see the change, we need only to enter a Vietnamese classroom. The American role in the war is a little more than a blip in the history books.

Here's CNN's Atika Shubert.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): History class in Vietnam. Students are enacting in song the decisive Battle of Dienbienphu, signalling the end of French rule and the beginning of what is called here the American War.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't hate the Americans, I don't hate French. I think because I wasn't born in the wartime.

SHUBERT: That sentiment is widely shared in the schoolyard in the city formerly known as Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City, after Vietnam's victorious communist leader. Yet hamburgers, American movies and pop music are all favorites here. The only place the war is mentioned is in the history books.

(on camera): Two-thirds of the population here is under the age of 30, a generation that has no memory of the war.

(voice-over): Compared to French colonization and countless Chinese invasions, the American War is apparently a blip in Vietnamese history. In their textbook, the American War doesn't even rate its own chapter, but it does have a place of pride.

This student may be a fan of American boy bands, but she knows the party line.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Vietnam won the war because the people were united, and the communist party worked out a correct revolutionary strategy. I feel very proud of this victory.

SHUBERT: Yet, in a sign of the times, others in class are more skeptical.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) control of thinking about this world.

SHUBERT: He even suggests that Vietnam's flirtation with free markets may pave the way for other changes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The politics will change when the economy change. Because our economy today is very open.

SHUBERT: If anything, students here seem less concerned about American war history than American-style economics, seen as the key to their future.

Atika Shubert, CNN, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

(END VIDEOTAPE) PHILLIPS: So do you want to follow in the footsteps of one of the world's richest men? Coming up on LIVE FROM, learning to invest like Warren Buffett is child's play.

Sir Elton John, ready for a second trip down the aisle? Wedding plans for the rocket man later on LIVE FROM.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. On demand, jet travel at coach prices? A new service says it's possible. I'll have details coming up on LIVE FROM.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Baby Boomers may be reluctant to acknowledge the march of time, but many are staring retirement right in the face. Whatever your age, there's always a reason to jump-start your retirement planning.

CNN personal financial editor Gerri Willis has some suggestions for funding your retirement.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Four years ago, Karl Farmer, now 58, thought he had it made. Having worked 30 years as an electrical engineer for Polaroid, his retirement future seemed secure.

KARL FARMER: I thought it would have been an easy thing to do. I wouldn't need all of the finances that I had to have before, and this was going to be fun.

WILLIS: What happened next was far from fun. Polaroid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and Farmer's benefits package was revoked. Worse, his employee stock plummeted in value from $250,000 to just $300.

FARMER: My first inclination when I found out that this happened was that they really can't get away with this.

WILLIS: Today, Farmer is back in the job market, struggling to make ends meet. His bad luck may be exceptional, but experts say many Baby Boomers are unprepared financially for retirement. In fact, 25 percent of workers who are eligible don't even contribute to corporate 401(k)s. But even if you're within 10 years of getting the gold watch, there are ways to rescue your financial future.

WALTER UPDEGRAVE, SR. EDITOR, "MONEY" MAGAZINE: There is a lot you can do, actually. Because even if you're starting, say, at age 50, from scratch, it's possible to build up a six-figure portfolio if you contribute to your 401(k), you get the employer match, you do the catch-up contributions that the law now allows for people 50 and older. WILLIS: It's not just older people who are in trouble. Real estate broker Susan Forest Reynolds (ph) is 43 and has two teenagers to see through high school and college. All on a yearly commissions that can range from $40,000 to $80,000.

SUSAN REYNOLDS, REAL ESTATE BROKER: I don't think we think, oh, I've got to remember to save for retirement. I don't. I think we're saying, I have to remember that the rent is due and I have to remember that the kids need new shoes. And I have to remember that, you know, we have the SATs to pay for.

WILLIS: Whatever the day-to-day pressures, the advice is, start saving now, however small the amount.

UPDEGRAVE: If you don't have a 401(k) plan, there are plenty of mutual funds out there that will let you put in a certain amount each month. They'll take the money directly out of your checking account.

FARMER: I thought I'd be on the other side the golf course, where I'd be playing, talking to the guy that's cutting the grass, versus being the guy that's cutting the grass, watching the people play.

UPDEGRAVE: That's the way the retirement world is today. It's on you. The onus is on you.

The government isn't going to take care of you. The company isn't going to take care of you. You have to put the money aside and then you have to decide how to invest it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN ANCHOR: When it comes to keeping your financial life on track, are you headed in the right direction? Take a few lessons at CNNMoney.com/101.

Lesson no 1: Set your priorities. You probably won't achieve every financial goal you've ever dreamed of, so identify your goals clearly. Decide which are most important and why they matter. You can use this prioritizer to rank goals or options most attractive to you.

Lesson no 2: Once you've decided what your money should be spent on, make a budget. It may be tough, but making a budget is the only practical way to get a grip on your spending.

And answer this: are you putting your money in all the right places? From housing, to savings and investments and living expenses, use this online calculator to crunch the numbers.

Finally, when it comes to money 101, are you making the grade? After every lesson take this interactive quiz.

For example, how much income should you aim to save and invest? Is the answer at least 10 percent, 30, 50 or 70 percent? Log on and find out.

Getting you on the road to financial freedom, from the dot-com news desk, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: All right. Traveling in a small little jet may not be just for the rich and famous anymore. New technology could make jetsetting a little more affordable.

PHILLIPS: We still won't see private jets, but that's OK. Susan Lisovicz live from the New York Stock exchange to explain.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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