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Peter Jennings Dies of Lung Cancer; Shuttle Landing Delayed; Bombing Suspects Remanded into Custody; New Treatments Aid Battle Against Cancer

Aired August 08, 2005 - 13:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER JENNINGS, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: Peter Jennings, ABC News, south Lebanon.

This is Peter Jennings, ABC News in the Golan Heights.

ANNOUNCER: This is "World News Tonight" with Peter Jennings.

JENNINGS: Good evening, everyone. We're going to begin tonight with Saddam Hussein.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TONY HARRIS, HOST: America watched him for decades. Lung cancer ends his life in a few short months. This hour, the life and legacy of Peter Jennings.

Discovery delayed. The shuttle won't be coming home until tomorrow. The big question: where will the astronauts land?

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris. Kyra Phillips is on assignment. CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

He was the Canadian-born voice of the American Broadcasting Company. A high school dropout who was obsessed with facts and details, compulsively curious, a born anchor in the words of one competitor but one, who frankly, well, flopped his first time around.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: From ABC News, this is "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings."

JENNINGS" When Saddam Hussein was brought before an Iraqi judge today...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Peter Jennings was all those things, the impeccable, inscrutable, suave and unflappable anchor of "World News Tonight" who died late yesterday of lung cancer at 67.

CNN's Jason Carroll is at ABC headquarters in New York -- Jason. JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Tony, so much has already been said about Peter Jennings, his work and his legacy here at ABC News. What I thought was interesting was when David Westin, the president of ABC News, came out a little earlier today and he spoke about how Peter Jennings handled his cancer diagnosis. He said Jennings handled it with courage and tenacity.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNINGS: And living is the key word. The National Cancer Institute says that we are survivors from the moment of diagnosis.

CARROLL (voice-over): Four months after telling the world he had been diagnosed with lung cancer, Peter Jennings, the longtime ABC News anchor, died Sunday at the age of 67. His ABC News colleague, Charles Gibson, made the announcement.

CHARLES GIBSON, ABC NEWS CORRESPONDENT: It is with a profound sadness and true sorrow that I report to you Peter Jennings has died tonight, of lung cancer.

CARROLL: Within minutes of his passing friends and former longtime colleagues of Jennings shared their memories of the man who endlessly trotted the globe doing the job he loved and doing it with such panache right up till the very end.

TOM BROKAW, FORMER NBC NEWS ANCHOR: He cared so deeply about so many things, and he had such curiosity about life, about politics, about this country, born a Canadian, became an American citizen.

BARBARA WALTERS, ABC NEWS CORRESPONDENT/CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I never saw anyone work so hard, do so much homework. If I knew the name of a person in the parade, he knew the name of the horse. He was a stickler for detail. He pushed himself. He pushed us. He made us better.

DIANE SAWYER, CO-HOST, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": There were so many times that his heart and his emotions were there with us to comfort us and to connect to us in critical times.

DAVID WESTIN, PRESIDENT, ABC NEWS: We all got to see how professional he was on the air, and sometimes his urbanity could be mistaken for a certain distance, but in fact, he was a very sensitive, warm, decent man who cared passionately for what he did, for what all of us do.

DAN RATHER, FORMER CBS NEWS ANCHOR: He had an it in perspective. It was don't take yourself so seriously. Peter took his work very seriously, but he did not take himself seriously. And he was a little uncomfortable with -- very uncomfortable with the word "star" and a little uncomfortable with the word "anchor," because he really did think of himself as a reporter.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: So many voices there, a testament to how Jennings influenced so very many people. A major loss for the news industry, a very sad day for Jennings' family. They released a statement, saying, "Peter died with his family around him, without pain and in peace. He knew he had lived a good life."

Jennings is survived by his wife and two children. He had a son and a daughter -- Tony.

HARRIS: Jason, a couple of quick questions. Any word of any kind of memorial services in the offing?

CARROLL: I think that's what a lot of people are wondering. Peter Jennings had so many fans here in the United States, many people within the news industry. That question was posed to David Westin. He said at this point funeral arrangements have not been set.

HARRIS: Jason Carroll in New York for us. Jason, appreciate it. Thank you.

Lung cancer kills more people than any other cancer. The federal government says 172,000 Americans will be diagnosed this year. Of every 10 lung cancer patients just one will be alive after five years.

The American Lung Association says lung cancer is the most common form of the disease in the United States. It accounts for 14 percent of all cancers and 28 percent of cancer deaths.

Almost 9 of 10 deaths of lung cancer can be linked to cigarette smoking.

Next hour here on LIVE FROM, a closer look at lung cancer, from diagnosis to prognosis. Dr. Daniel Miller with the Cancer Institute at Emory University will join me.

And later, ABC News correspondent Dan Harris remembers his colleague and friend, Peter Jennings.

Well, this time it was low clouds thwarting the hopes of mission control and a Monday morning landing of the Space Shuttle Discovery. Instead a mission that's already had its share of hitches and glitches will land somewhere tomorrow. NASA says not necessarily in Florida.

CNN's Sean Callebs is watching the skies at Kennedy Space Center -- Sean.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, if you look behind me. Tony, it's hard to believe that weather had anything to do with the postponement of bringing Discovery back to Earth but indeed it was that low cloud coverage that you talked about.

Indeed, NASA has very rigid guidelines for bringing the shuttle back into the atmosphere and here at the Kennedy Space Center. Can't have terribly fast winds, no more than 50 knots; no precipitation; and no cloud cover below 8,000 feet. And that, indeed, was the culprit this morning. Commander Eileen Collins got the call early today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KEN HAM, MISSION CONTROL: We just can't get comfortable with the stability of the situation for this particular opportunity, so we're going to officially wave you off for 24 hours.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLEBS: Wave them off for 24 hours and then try again.

Well, right now the seven-person crew should be tucked in, getting about eight hours' sleep and then just about 7 1/2 hours from now they should be getting their wake-up call. Then they'll go through their preflight checklist as they begin to prepare for re- entry, get back into those orange suits that we've become so accustomed to seeing during launch and re-entry.

And this is what the shuttle and the crew will have to deal as they come back in. Just incredibly high temperatures. Those heat resistant tiles on the bottom of the shuttle protect them up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That's the kind of temperatures they will see during re-entry.

And to give you an idea of, Tony, why it is so important, why NASA has been so concerned about the possibility of some kind of breach somewhere on the shuttle, the aluminum frame of the shuttle can only withstand temperatures of about 350 degrees, so you get an idea of just why those tiles are, indeed, so important.

Clearly, NASA wants to bring the shuttle back here at Kennedy Space Center. Landing somewhere else and then bringing the vehicle across country is quite costly, about $5 million, and it can also cost perhaps further delays in the effort to relaunch the shuttle program -- Tony.

PHILLIPS: Sean, just curious, any early predictions as to where the shuttle might, indeed, land? Any weather -- we'll check in with Jacqui Jeras in just a moment but what are you hearing there?

CALLEBS: Well, we -- basically what we heard yesterday about this time. NASA believes the weather will be OK. And perhaps they could have made a landing early today. They had two chances. They had to wave both of them off.

NASA wants to bring the shuttle down here. This is where they're hoping for. They could get the same kind of weather. Look at the conditions out there now. It's a live picture out there, runway 15, not terribly far from where we are now.

So let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that it's a little bit light enough in the morning to burn those clouds off. And then we'll get a good view of the runway coming in, because you know they only get once chance...

HARRIS: That's right.

CALLEBS: ... once they try to land this brick, as astronauts call it. There's no way to abort a landing. So they really need to have pretty good visual on that runway as they come in.

HARRIS: Sean Callebs. Sean, we appreciate it. Thank you.

Well, if the weather is still iffy on the east coast of Florida, Discovery has two other landing sites ready and waiting. The preferred alternate is Edwards Air Force Base, California, where 41 shuttle missions have come to uneventful, and that is happy endings.

The backup alternate is White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, site of only one shuttle landing so far. Either choice would cost, as Sean mentioned, NASA roughly $5 million of returning the shuttle to Florida.

So where is the smart money going? CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is laying some odds for us up in the weather center.

Hi, Jacqui.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: OK, Jacqui, thank you.

Well, the men who allegedly carried non-exploding explosives onto the London subways on a bus and a city park will not be going anywhere for months and possibly much, much longer. Charges were filed and detentions ordered in a very busy day at the Belmarsh Prison Court, and CNN's Robyn Curnow has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some of Britain's most wanted men transported into Belmarsh Prison to face charges under the U.K.'s Terrorism Act.

Amidst high security, three suspected bombers from the botched July 21 attacks appeared before the magistrate. Ibrahim Mukhtar Said, Ramzi Mohammed and Yassin Omar all charged with conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and being in possession of or making explosives.

Also, Manfo Kwaku Asiedu, the man police suspect of abandoning a fifth bomb in a London park on July 21. He was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and handling explosives.

All four were remanded in custody until November the 14th.

(on camera) Three other men also appeared in court on lesser charges related to helping the suspects evade arrest. Additionally, though, another man also appeared facing charges unrelated to the other seven. He's Haroon Rashid Aswat, and he's wanted by the Americans.

(voice-over) U.S. authorities want Aswat extradited for conspiring to set up a terrorist training camp in Oregon. Aswat appeared before the magistrate and was remanded in custody until August 11. The legal process begins kick-starting a new phase of the investigation.

Robyn Curnow, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Specific and credible, says the State Department. Ominous intel triggering a two-day closure of all U.S. diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia. Officials tell CNN the threats suggested a vehicle bombing sometime today, though the choice of targets wasn't entirely clear.

The U.S. embassy in Riyadh and the U.S. consulates in Jeddah and Dahrain (ph) are scheduled to re-open Wednesday. The fears alone drove oil prices to a new record in New York, trading more than $63 a barrel.

The former head of the U.N. oil-for-food program in prewar Iraq is out of a job today and outraged that he's being accused of kicking kickbacks. Benon Sevan was suspended but kept on the payroll back in February after an independent probe turned up rampant corruption in what was meant to be a humanitarian campaign.

Part two of the investigators' findings was released last hour, singling out Sevan for allegedly pocketing $160,000 to arrange an illicit oil sale.

In his resignation letter to Kofi Annan, Sevan insists his management was transparent and laments his lack of support from the top.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS (voice-over): Next on LIVE FROM...

DR. ROY HERBST, M.D., ANDERSON CANCER CENTER: More and more I'm developing a group of patients who are long-term survivors of this disease.

HARRIS: The war on cancer. What one man's battle against lung cancer using experimental drugs could mean for conquering this disease.

Also ahead, America's new energy plan. Lengthening Daylight Savings Time, giving tax breaks for energy efficient homeowners. But it won't lower gas prices yet. A CNN fact check on what the bill will and will not do.

Later on LIVE FROM, suffocating sandstorm, big enough to bring Baghdad to a standstill. Will it also paralyze the politics of getting a new constitution in and American troops out?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: There may be a new weapon in the fight against bird flu. The government says a vaccine to protect people against the potentially deadly virus is showing promising results. Mass production could begin as early as next month.

The illness is spreading among birds in Asia and Russia. About 50 humans have died from it so far but there are fears the virus could mutate to infect many more. The World Health Organization says millions around the world could die in such a scenario.

Earlier today on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," a top government scientist compared the threat to an outbreak that happened almost 90 years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: The reference point we keep going back to is the 1918 pandemic flu that really -- it killed 40 to 50 million people worldwide and over 500,000 people in the United States. That was a very unusual event, but that is the kind of pandemic flu that we're concerned about when a virus thrusts itself into a society in which there's no background immunity, no protection, no prior experience to that, which is the reason why it's so important to develop a vaccine against this bird flu.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: In other medical news, researchers say the odds of surviving breast cancer are improving, but new treatments may not deserve much of the credit for the change.

A new study examined 25 years of cancer records across the nation and found much of the improvement is because the average tumor is smaller. That implies the importance of early detection, but the study didn't evaluate the value of mammograms or treatments.

Chances are you or someone you know has been affected by cancer in some way. The death of Peter Jennings shows how fast and how devastating the disease can be. All this week we'll be taking a look at cancer, but rest assured, these are stories of perseverance, cutting-edge treatments and hope.

Here's CNN's senior medical associate Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know exactly where he's going to be sitting. Bobby will be sitting to my left, to the congregation's right, and he will be approximately eight to nine rows back. He is always there.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By all odds, Bobby Yoakum should not be alive. A Baptist church deacon, he prays each day his stage four lung cancer won't take him. BOBBY YOAKUM, CANCER PATIENT: If you have cancer, don't worry. That's not going to solve it. Don't worry. You pray about it. You trust God. You have faith. Have faith in God.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's 97.

YOAKUM: Ninety-seven? OK.

GUPTA: Bobby spends his days receiving chemotherapy, sometimes radiation and one experimental drug after another. Dr. Roy Herbst is Bobby's doctor, a pioneer in new theories to beat back lung cancer.

HERBST: More and more I'm developing a group of patients who are long-term survivors of this disease.

GUPTA: Dr. Herbst first ordered Bobby a foul tasting mystery drink. He wanted to know if pure shark cartilage worked on lung cancer.

YOAKUM: I knew it would taste terrible, but anything that he suggested, if Dr. Herbst said it, I was willing to try. I have nothing to lose.

GUPTA: And in the beginning Plan A was a hit.

HERBST: You can see the main mass has pretty much disappeared.

GUPTA: But after 15 months of remission, the cancer began spreading. Bobby moved on to Plan B: more chemo and a new experimental drug, but like almost all clinical trials, Plan B soon flopped.

HERBST: His tumor grew by more than 20 percent, so he had to come off the study.

GUPTA: Bobby was disappointed but hopes that his participation may have a larger purpose.

YOAKUM: Thank you, sir. Thank you.

It's not just going to benefit me, but what they find out is going to benefit the public, and that's why I was willing to do this.

GUPTA: Clearly, a single drug will not magically cure Bobby Yoakum and the more than 175,000 Americans living with lung cancer. Bobby is now on Plan C.

HERBST: We're not going to make it all go away, so what we're really trying to do is knock it down as much as we can.

GUPTA: The Yoakums are left with the promise of new drugs, new weapons in the FDA pipeline.

Just days later...

YOAKUM: All right. HERBST: Congratulations are in order.

YOAKUM: Yes.

GUPTA: ... a new weapon does arrive.

HERBST: The drug we've worked on here for probably about three, four years now got its FDA approval.

GUPTA: Tarceva, a once a day pill, was fast tracked when trials showed it prolonged lives.

HERBST: In someone like Mr. Yoakum who, of course, is here on a regular basis, who follows what's going on in our research, we've already talked to him about, you know, what next.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Sunday night at 8 Eastern CNN presents "TAMING THE BEAST: INSIDE THE WAR ON CANCER." And all this week we're bringing you Dr. Sanjay Gupta's series on cancer. Tomorrow he looks at a smart bomb that targets one form of the disease.

The energy bill set to become the law of the land. We're moments away from President Bush signing it. But what will it mean for you? We're taking a look at a live picture from the Schiff Auditorium of the Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico. That signing moments away.

And next like father, like son. John Gotti Jr. goes on trial. We've got details on the late mobster's son straight ahead.

ANNOUNCER: You're watching LIVE FROM on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And news across America now.

Prosecutors in New York say it's a case of like father, like son. John A. "Junior" Gotti went on trial today on charges of kidnapping, conspiracy, extortion and fraud. The government says he ran the Gambino organized crime family after his father was sentenced to life in prison. Gotti's lawyers say he has found a new life far from the mob.

Now to Washington state, where a wildfire has farmers scrambling to save their crops. The flames have already burned across 32,000 acres of grass, brush and wheat. Authorities hope cooler weather in the next few days will slow down the fire.

And call it a mammoth find in Kansas. Highway workers in Wichita have dug up what could be a tusk from a prehistoric creature. Geologists say it probably once belonged to a woolly mammoth or a mastodon. Similar finds have turned up throughout the state before.

Crude oil is soaring to yet another record high today. For a look at the numbers and the reasons behind the gain, Susan Lisovicz joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange.

Hello, Susan.

(STOCK REPORT)

HARRIS: OK, Susan. Thank you.

We'll take you back to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the president is just moments away from signing the new energy bill. Let's take you to New Mexico live.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you all. Please be seated. Thanks very much for the warm welcome. I appreciate you treating a neighbor from Texas so kindly. (Laughter.) I'm really proud to be here with the men and women of the Sandia National Laboratory. We just had a fascinating tour of the facility. It was a little quick, but I learned a lot, and I want to thank Tom Hunter for his hospitality and his enthusiasm for the projects that go on here, and his praise for the people who work here.

I thank you for coming, and it's such an honor to be here. I know full well that the work you do here keeps our military strong, it keeps our nation competitive, and our country is really grateful for your dedication and for the fact that you lend your expertise into helping Americans.

It is such an honor to be in New Mexico, the home state of Pete Domenici, as well as Jeff Bingaman, to sign this bill. This bill will strengthen our economy and it will improve our environment, and it's going to make this country more secure. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 is going to help every American who drives to work, every family that pays a power bill, and every small business owner hoping to expand.

The bill is the result of years of effort. It is the result of good folks coming together, people who have made a commitment to deliver results for the American people. This bill launches an energy strategy for the 21st century, and I've really been looking forward to signing it. (Applause.)

I appreciate Pete Domenici's leadership on this bill. You know, he's the kind of fellow, when he makes up his mind to do something it's hard to stop him. And as Pete said, he's worked on a lot of energy bills in the past; some of them were signed by Presidents and some of them never made it to the desk. But he's been dogged in his determination to get a bill done, and he found a really find partner in Joe Barton.

Joe Barton did an outstanding job as the Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and he did a really good job as the conference chairman. This bill is here in New Mexico because of the fine work of Joe Barton and Pete Domenici. (Applause.) And as Pete mentioned, Senator Jeff Bingaman gets a lot of credit, as well. (Applause.) He knows the subject matter in the bill, and he's a proven leader on issues such as conservation and efficiency and renewable fuels and research and development. And, Jeff, I, like Pete, I want to congratulate you for a job well done, and thank you for being here -- (applause.)

A member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee came on over -- Ralph Hall, a great Congressman from the state of Texas. Ralph is a good friend. I think he came just to grab a cup of coffee on Air Force One, but -- (laughter) -- I'm proud to have him alongside. Thanks for coming, Ralph, and thanks for your vote. (Applause.)

I appreciate Congressman Steve Pearce, from eastern New Mexico, joining us. He and his wife, Cynthia, are with us. Thanks for coming, Steve. Appreciate your support on this bill. Good work. Thank you. (Applause.) I put a good fellow to run the Energy Department in Sam Bodman. He's smart, he's capable, he's got a lot of experience, he knows what he's doing. He's going to be the right person to help implement this bill. (Applause.) And I want to thank Sam and his wife, Diane, for being here. Thank you all for coming.

I want to remind you about the fact that this economy of ours has been through a lot. And that's why it was important to get this energy bill done, to help us continue to grow. We've been through a stock market decline; we went through a recession; we went through corporate scandals; we had an attack on our homeland; and we had the demands on an ongoing war on terror. And to grow this economy, we worked together to put together an economic growth policy, an economic growth package, the cornerstone of which was to cut the taxes on the American people. And that tax relief plan is working. This economy is strong, and it's growing stronger. And what this energy bill is going to do, it's just going to help keep momentum in the right direction so people can realize their dreams.

Last week we had some good news that America added just over 200,000 jobs -- new jobs -- in the month of July. Since May of 2003, we've added nearly 4 million new jobs. More Americans are working today than ever before in our nation's history. (Applause.) Workers are taking more of what they earn -- taking home more of what they earn. Inflation is low, mortgage rates are low. Home ownership in America is at an all-time high. In other words, this economy is moving. And what this energy bill does is it recognizes that we need more affordable and reliable sources of energy in order to make sure the economy continues to grow.

It's an economic bill, but, as Pete mentioned, it's also a national security bill. For more than a decade, America has gone without a national energy policy. It's hard to believe, isn't it? We haven't had a strategy in place. We've had some ideas, but we have not had a national energy policy. And as a result, our consumers are paying more for the price of their gasoline, electricity bills are going up. We had a massive blackout two summers ago that cost this country billions of dollars and disrupted millions of lives. And because we didn't have a national energy strategy over time, with each passing year we are more dependent on foreign sources of oil.

Now, solving these problems required a balanced approach. And that's the spirit that Pete and Jeff and Joe took into the -- on to the floors of their respective bodies. They recognized that we need a comprehensive approach to deal with the situation we're in. In other words, we need to conserve more energy; we need to produce more energy. We need to diversify our energy supply, and we need to modernize our energy delivery. And so they worked hard and listened to a lot of good ideas, and they've taken really important steps.

Now, one of the things that I appreciate about the people on the stage here is that they were able to set aside kind of the partisan bickering that oftentimes -- too many times -- deadlocks Washington, D.C. In other words, they said, let's get something done for the good of the country. And that's an important spirit. That's what the American people expect. I know the people in New Mexico expect people to go up to Washington, D.C. and work together for the common good. And that's exactly what this bill has done.

These members, when they say they're going to strengthen our economy and protect our environment and help our national security, are telling it like it is. And let me tell you why. First, the bill makes an unprecedented commitment to energy conservation and efficiency -- an unprecedented commitment. The bill sets higher efficiency standards for federal buildings and for household products. It directs the Department of Transportation to study the potential for sensible improvements in fuel-efficiency standards for cars and trucks and SUVs. It authorizes new funding for research into cutting-edge technologies that will help us do more with less energy.

The bill recognizes that America is the world's leader in technology, and that we've got to use technology to be the world's leader in energy conservation. The bill includes incentives for consumers to be better conservers of energy. If you own a home, you can receive new tax credits to install energy-efficient windows and appliances. If you're in the market for a car, this bill will help you save up to $3,500 on a fuel-efficient hybrid or clean-diesel vehicle. And the way the tax credit works is that the more efficient the vehicle is, the more money you will save. Energy conservation is more than a private virtue; it's a public virtue. And with this bill I sign today, America is taking the side of consumers who make the choice to conserve.

Second, this bill will allow America to make cleaner and more productive use of our domestic energy resources, including coal, and nuclear power, and oil and natural gas. By using these reliable sources to supply more of our energy, we'll reduce our reliance on energy from foreign countries, and that will help this economy grow so people can work.

Coal is America's most abundant energy resource. It accounts for more than one-half of our electricity production. The challenge is to develop ways to take advantage of our coal resources while keeping our air clean.

When I ran for President in 2000, I promised to invest -- or asked the Congress to invest $2 billion over 10 years to promote clean coal technology. So far, working with the United States Congress, we've provided more than $1.3 billion for research in the innovative ways to improve today's coal plants and to help us build even cleaner coal plants in the future. And the bill I sign today authorizes new funding for clean coal technology so we can move closer to our goal of building the world's first zero emission coal-fired power plant. (Applause.)

Nuclear power is another of America's most important sources of electricity. Of all our nation's energy sources, only nuclear power plants can generate massive amounts of electricity without emitting an ounce of air pollution or greenhouse gases. And thanks to the advances in science and technology, nuclear plants are far safer than ever before. Yet America has not ordered a nuclear plant since the 1970s. To coordinate the ordering of new plants, the bill I sign today continues the Nuclear Power 2010 Partnership between government and industry. It also offers a new form of federal risk insurance for the first six builders of new nuclear power plants. With the practical steps in this bill, America is moving closer to a vital national goal. We will start building nuclear power plants again by the end of this decade. (Applause.) Meeting the needs of our growing economy also means expanding our domestic production of oil and natural gas, which are vital fuels for transportation and electricity and manufacturing. The energy bill makes practical reforms to the oil and gas permitting process to encourage new exploration in environmentally sensitive ways.

The bill authorizes research into the prospects of unlocking vast amounts of now -- energy now trapped in shale and tar sands. It provides incentives for oil refineries to expand their capacity, and that's consumer-friendly. The more supply, the more reliable your gasoline will be and the more -- less pressure on price.

The bill includes tax incentives to encourage new construction of natural gas pipelines. It clarifies federal authority to site new receiving terminals for liquified natural gas, so that consumers across this nation can benefit from more affordable, clean-burning natural gas.

Thirdly, the bill I sign today will help diversify our energy supply by promoting alternative and renewable energy sources. The bill extends tax credits for wind, biomass, landfill gas and other renewable electricity sources. The bill offers new incentives to promote clean, renewable geothermal energy. It creates a new tax credit for residential solar power systems. And by developing these innovative technologies, we can keep the lights running while protecting the environment and using energy produced right here at home. When you hear us talking about less dependence on foreign sources of energy, one of the ways to become less dependent is to enhance the use of renewable sources of energy. (Applause.)

The bill also will lead to a greater diversity of fuels for cars and trucks. The bill includes tax incentives for producers of ethanol and biodiesel. The bill includes a flexible, cost-effective renewable fuel standard that will double the amount of ethanol and biodiesel in our fuel supply over the next seven years. Using ethanol and biodiesel will leave our air cleaner. And every time we use a home- grown fuel, particularly these, we're going to be helping our farmers, and at the same time, be less dependent on foreign sources of energy. (Applause.)

I used to like to kid, but I really wasn't kidding when I said, some day a President is going to pick up the crop report -- (laughter) -- and they're going to say we're growing a lot of corn, and -- or soybeans -- and the first thing that's going to pop in the President's mind is, we're less dependent on foreign sources of energy. It makes sense to promote ethanol and biodiesel. (Applause.)

The bill I sign today also includes strong support for hydrogen fuel technology. When hydrogen is used in a fuel cell, it can power consumer products from computers to cell phones to cars that emit pure water instead of exhaust fumes. I laid out a hydrogen fuel initiative, and I want to thank the members of Congress for adding to the momentum of this initiative through this energy bill.

The goal -- the goal of the research and development for hydrogen-powered automobiles is to make it possible for today's children to take their driver's test in a pollution-free car. (Applause.)

Fourth, the energy bill will help ensure that consumers receive electricity over dependable modern infrastructure. The bill removes outdated obstacles to investment in electricity transmission lines in generating facilities. The bill corrects the provision of the law that made electric reliability standards optional instead of mandatory. Most of you probably consider it mandatory that the lights come on when you flip a switch. (Laughter.) Now the utility companies will have to consider it mandatory, as well. (Laughter.)

To keep local disputes from causing national problems, the bill gives federal officials the authority to select sites for new power lines. We have a modern interstate grid for our phone line and our highways. With this bill, America can start building a modern 21st century electricity grid, as well.

The bill I sign today -- (applause) -- the bill I sign today is a critical first step. It's a first step toward a more affordable and reliable energy future for the American citizens. This bill is not going to solve our energy challenges overnight. Most of the serious problems, such as high gasoline costs, or the rising dependence on foreign oil, have developed over decades. It's going to take years of focused effort to alleviate those problems. But in about two minutes, we're going to have a strategy that will help us do that. (Applause.)

And as we work to solve our energy dependence -- dependency, we've got to remember that the market for energy is global and America is not the only large consumer of hydrocarbons. As the economies of nations like India and China grow rapidly, their demand for energy is growing rapidly, as well. It's in our interest to help these expanding energy users become more efficient, less dependent on hydrocarbons. You see, by helping them achieve these goals, it will take pressure off the global supply and it will help take pressure off price for American consumers.

And so, last month, I joined with the leaders of India and China and Australia and Japan and South Korea to create a new Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development. This is an innovative program which is authorized by this energy bill. And through it, our goal is to spread the use of clean, efficient energy technologies throughout the Pacific Rim. (Applause.)

After years of debate and division, Congress passed a good bill. It's my honor to have come to the great state of New Mexico to sign it. I'm confident that one day Americans will look back on this bill as a vital step toward a more secure and more prosperous nation that is less dependent on foreign sources of energy.

Thank you for coming. (Applause.)

HARRIS: There you have it. The president about to sign the $12.3 billion energy bill; $12.3 billion over 10 years, but when you factor in tax breaks, maybe loan guarantees, that price goes up to about $14.5 billion, signing it symbolically at a solar power complex in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

There are plenty of tax breaks and loan guarantees in the bill, tax breaks if you choose to make your home and your car more energy efficient, as you heard the president outline there, and loan guarantees if you're in the business of developing new technologies.

This is a bill designed to overhaul the nation's energy policy. Now, there is still a rather vigorous debate around the country about the extent to which this bill will actually bring real benefits for you and me. We can tell you that a lot of energy went into that bill, in crafting it and writing it and tidying it up, all 1,724 pages of it.

And you saw Senator Domenici just a moment ago. Senator Domenici is described by the president, you heard just a moment ago, as a driving force behind getting this bill done. The signing begins a week in which the president will highlight recent legislative accomplishments and successes. Later in the week he will meet at his Texas ranch with defense and economic advisers and later in the week we'll travel to Illinois for him to sign a highway bill, but today it was the new energy bill signed into law in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Still to come, a life of legacy. A look back on the career of a man some called the greatest anchorman ever.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The daughter of an Arkansas sharecropper, Joycelyn Elders entered college at 15 with big dreams, dreams that led her to serve in the army and eventually become a doctor.

In 1993, President Clinton nominated Elders to be the first African-American surgeon general. She was an advocate for universal health care and comprehensive health and sex education.

JOYCELYN ELDERS, FMR. SURGEON GENERAL: I would like every child born in America to be a planned, wanted child.

In regard to masturbation...

PHILLIPS: But her suggestion that public schools consider teaching young people about masturbation as a way to prevent sexual diseases enraged conservatives and forced her Elders to resign after just 15 months in office.

ELDERS: If I had it all to do over again, starting today, I would do it the same way.

PHILLIPS: She returned to the University of Arkansas, where she remains a semi-retired professor emeritus. Elders is married, has two sons and lives in Little Rock. Now 71, she travels frequently to speak on women's and other health issues. She remains an outspoken advocate of sex education.

ELDERS: If I could make any changes at all to the current health care system, you know, I would start with education, education, education, education.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Remembering a real journalist's journalist. Peter Jennings was always itching to be where the news was happening, always asking fellow reporters, eyewitnesses, newsmakers. What surprised you? This morning, news of his death shocked almost everyone. Here's CNN Tom Foreman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Peter Jennings was born in Toronto, died in New York, and lived for the world's news.

ANNOUNCER: This is "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings."

JENNINGS: Good evening, everyone. We're going to begin tonight with Saddam Hussein.

FOREMAN: For 32 years he was ABC's chief anchor.

JENNINGS: I've had -- I've been to a lot of countries, and I've covered a lot of great stories. And I've been there for some of the great moments of the last 30 years. And I'm really lucky.

FOREMAN: Jennings was born to broadcasting. His father Charles was an anchorman in Canada. At 9, Peter hosted a kid's show. In his teens, he took a radio job. And at 26, without ever completing high school, he joined ABC News.

JENNINGS: This was my first story outside Saigon, and I found out in a hurry.

This is Peter Jennings, ABC News. FOREMAN: An early stint as anchor pitted him against the legendary Walter Cronkite on CBS and the Huntley-Brinkley team on NBC. Jennings was too young, too inexperienced, too Canadian. He lost the position.

JENNINGS: And most Egyptians thoughts are not on war, they're on inflation.

FOREMAN: So, he began building his reporter's resume: the Middle East, on the Civil Rights trail in the South....

JENNINGS: It started with a single man, and it ended with a crowd...

FOREMAN: ...in the farm fields of Cuba.

JENNINGS: Never in the history of the revolution has sugar cane been as important as this year.

FOREMAN: ...at the Olympic village in Munich.

JENNINGS: Two negotiators who went in just a few minutes ago have now come back out and are standing in a group.

FOREMAN: And when he rose to become ABC's chief anchor again, after Tom Brokaw turned the job down, he was ready.

JENNINGS: Ginsberg is charged with anti-Soviet behavior. Suransky (ph) is charged, much more seriously, with treason.

FOREMAN: A demanding, often unpredictable boss, he was equally capable of relentlessly driving his staff or showing great compassion.

JENNINGS: How are you feeling these days?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I feel much better than I did.

FOREMAN: He always delighted in reporting, whether describing a makeshift lamp in Sarajevo...

JENNINGS: They fill it up almost to the very top with water and then put a thin film of oil on the top.

FOREMAN: ...or matching wits with world leaders.

WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And I will go to my grave being at peace about it. And I don't really care what they think.

JENNINGS: Oh, yes you do, Bill.

CLINTON: They have no idea.

JENNINGS: Oh, excuse me, Mr. President. You -- I can feel it across the room.

CLINTON: No, no. I care -- I care.

JENNINGS: You feel it very deeply.

CLINTON: You don't want to go here, Peter. You don't want to go here.

FOREMAN: But Peter Jennings was at his best when news was breaking.

JENNINGS: Because this was an attack on these -- on the United States. No question about it. Everybody said it all day, a declaration of war, an act of war against the United States.

FOREMAN: He loved hockey, history, culture, politics.

JENNINGS: I think when you come home and participate in the democratic process, even vicariously, as journalists do, I think it's extraordinarily moving.

FOREMAN: And he loved trying to understand what drives Americans to work, to play, to dream, to pray.

JENNINGS: I've been in search for America ever since I came to America 30-some-odd years ago. All journalists are.

FOREMAN: He wrote books, married four times, had children, and became an American citizen himself, finally, two years ago. Peter Jennings promised to keep working throughout his illness. And he did, right up to the end of his own story.

JENNINGS: Have a good evening. I'm Peter Jennings. Thanks. And good night.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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