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Eye on Iran; Interview With Blind Boys of Alabama; Severe Weather Across Nation

Aired January 13, 2006 - 15:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, if you're waiting for a late- night flight to or from the eastern third of the nation, you won't be surprised to learn weather is the reason, but don't blame the snow. Even though it's January, the nation's worst weather is a spring-like series of storms that are causing hail, apparent tornadoes, and flight delays in the Deep South and beyond.
CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras keeping tabs from our Weather Center.

Hey, Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Kyra.

Some pretty incredible weather for January, as you mentioned -- it's unbelievably balmy, still. There will be colder air pulling in back behind that system. That's why we have got the clash of the season, why we are getting the severe weather breaking out.

But the cooldown is going to be very temporary across the East. And the temperatures are going to soar right back up there by the end of the weekend. The worst of the weather has really been confined to this area. It's pulled to the east now of Alabama and has really been pounding the Panhandle of Florida, extending into parts of Georgia.

We did have severe thunderstorm warnings here, which did Panama City, which have expired now. But you still might see a little bit of hail with these thunderstorms. They're starting to collapse, as they pull on off to the east. We do have one other severe thunderstorm warning at this time for Terrell County (ph). There you can the cell right here pulling off to the east.

That could produce some winds around 60 miles per hour, hail up to the size of nickels, we think, maybe produced with that. There is a tornado watch in effect for all of that area until 9:00, but I do expect that that could possibly expire a little bit early tonight, as the storm system is just moving very quickly. In fact, these storms are ripping eastward about 50 miles per hour.

There you can see the Atlanta metro area. We haven't seen anything severe here, just a lot of lightning, a lot of low clouds, and, yes, those airport delays, Kyra, that you did mention. We have got a live picture out of Atlanta to show you the weather conditions there.

There, you can see the rain coming down. It is primary now at about the eastern half of town. However, the clouds are going to stay pretty low, we think, for the next several hours. So, expect those delays to continue across the Atlanta metro area.

Look at big this storm system is. It covers up much the of Southeast. On the backside of this system, that cold air is coming in. And there you can see that snow coming down still across Chicago, into Saint Louis. And we could pick up a couple inches of some real wet, slushy snow -- not great for that commute home, if you're driving, by air or in the cars.

There, you can see some of the delays, more than an hour, JFK, La Guardia, into Newark and Philadelphia. These are all arrival delays. So, if you're trying to get into the Northeast, that is going to be troublesome -- 30 minutes to one hour there at O'Hare -- also, some delays at Mid -- Midway.

There's the delay in Atlanta, more than an hour now here. The ground stop has been lifted, so at least you're getting in and out of here. We are moving. But you are going to have to be waiting for that. And things are looking a lot better across parts of the west. We had a few delays earlier this morning. But there you can see no travel trouble any longer.

Forecast for tomorrow, showing you this big trough. We call it a trough, which digs on in. That's where all that stormy weather is. So, that's going to be pulling offshore already by tomorrow -- still going to see some snow, some new systems developing here. And we could see some significant heavy snow into interior parts of the Northeast by Sunday. You get up into the Alleghenies, across western parts of Pennsylvania, Kyra, we're talking about potentially a foot or more.

PHILLIPS: All right, Jacqui Jeras, thank you so much.

Well, in New Orleans, the storms have passed, but today's big challenge is fire.

CNN's Gulf Coast correspondent, Susan Roesgen, joins us once again live on the phone.

Is it getting any better, Susan?

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, it -- it is getting better.

Initially, they thought this fire was about two football fields wide, that that was how much of the scrap yard was burning, the mountains of Katrina trash, mostly appliances that were on fire. Now they say they have got it down to about 40 yards.

And I talked, Kyra, to one of the firefighters who went in between one of these trash piles here to give you a sense of what it is like. He says the water covered his boots. That's how much water the fire department has been able to get into the area, after fighting it all night. But the EPA is on the scene, and they have told the firefights to back off, that the smoke from the fire could be hazardous.

So, they have asked the firefighters to just contain the fire, to watch the perimeter, but not try to put it out. And, Kyra, that could be a couple of days more. It may burn for -- for two more days.

PHILLIPS: All right, we will keep checking in with you. Susan Roesgen, thank you so much for the update.

And one more note about the Gulf Coast: FEMA now estimates that Katrina and Rita forced about two million people to leave their homes. That's an increase of about one-third over last month's official estimate of displaced people. A FEMA spokeswoman tells "The Washington Post" that the original undercount was caused by a reporting error.

Well, there's still no word on the condition of a middle school student shot during a confrontation with a deputy sheriff in Central Florida today. The shooting took place at the Milwee Middle School in Longwood, just outside Orlando. The Seminole County sheriff says that a suicidal eighth-grader brought a gun to school in his backpack.

He says two other students saw the gun, and then there was a scuffle. Then authorities were summoned. The sheriff's department says the boy made a threatening gesture and -- with his gun. And then a member of the death department's SWAT team responded by opening fire.

Here's a look at how the story unfolded earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And, as we look up, we can look back up into the crime scene area, which is only visible from the air. It's in a quad in the back of the school, the southeastern corner, where -- where police officer officials have told us that, in this alcove right here in the center of the screen, you can see where the bathroom door was where this student was barricaded inside.

DON ESLINGER, SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA, SHERIFF: He was spotted by apparently two students. One student...

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: ... in the backpack?

ESLINGER: In the open backpack, as we know it.

QUESTION: OK.

ESLINGER: And one student told the other student to -- to say something. They did. And they began to exit the room. And that's when that brief struggle ensued.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were just in the office, and we -- a whole bunch of people started coming in, and we kept on hearing like, get on the floor, and shut the door, shut the door, and saying, oh, he's got a gun, he's got a gun.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm nervous, for one. Right now, I can't even speak, not knowing what's going on. See, totally nervous, trying to get my baby out of here.

BILL VOGEL, SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA, SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT: It was a very tragic situation. We really appreciate the -- the quick response of the police department, because they were able to contain the situation and ensure the safety of the -- the students.

ESLINGER: From what the deputies explained to me, he was suicidal. And, yet, I -- I -- we -- you know, the investigation will continue and see what -- see if we can glean additional information to determine his state of mind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But now investigators are walking the area and checking everything out, and marking certain places where they want to check things out and get some more evidence to find out exactly what happened during this -- this tense situation and this tragic situation that happened this morning on this very scary Friday the 13 at Milwee Middle School.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Now, authorities in Seminole County, Florida say that, aside from the student with the gun, no one else was hurt in today's confrontation.

A senseless series of attack that seem to have been committed for pleasure, that's how police are describing the beatings in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this week that killed one homeless man and injured two others. A surveillance video of one of those attacks shows two young men chasing and beating one of the victims. But police say they're -- they may have been up to -- there could have been other -- a -- an additional two attackers.

Now, so far, there have been no arrests. Police are definitely staying on top that story.

And warnings are going out in Central Ohio County. It's because of an incident at a high school wrestling tournament. A man was recruiting for a modeling agency.

But Kevin Landers of CNN affiliate WBNS says detectives think there could have been another motive involved.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN LANDERS, WBNS REPORTER (voice-over): This is the business card with the handwritten phone number that raised suspicions among law enforcement. It came from George Stephen Franks, a registered sexually oriented offender.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would believe that he's probably trying to make contact with juveniles again. LANDERS: Franks came to Coshocton High School last weekend to attend a boys' wrestling tournament. Inside the gym, detectives say he gave his business card to a 21-year-old. Franks was posing as a modeling agent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He said he had handed out one card to an adult. I asked him where his studio was and if he did, in fact, had an agency. He said no. So, I -- I suggested that he really wasn't really a modeling agent. And he concurred with that.

LANDERS (on camera): Detectives don't believe that Franks broke any laws when he came here to the high school. Even so, the superintendent sent him this letter today, warning him that, if he comes on school property, he will be considered a trespasser and be removed by law enforcement.

(voice-over): Franks wasn't at home for comment, but his home is in trouble, too. It turns out he lives a block away from this elementary school. By law, sexual offenders can't live that close.

(on camera): So, he's in violation now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct.

LANDERS (voice-over): If he doesn't move soon, Franks could be headed back to jail.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, a Michigan police officer, a courtroom bailiff, and an assistant prosecutor all got sick recently. All three had just shared courtroom handshakes with a man who had rubbed a mysterious liquid on his hands.

Officials say that John Ridgeway faces felony assault charges and six years in prison now. He was at the Isabella County courthouse for more mundane reasons, and then he was tried and convicted for driving without insurance. Well, after the three became sick, police searched Ridgeway's home and seized a vial of liquid. FBI tests are under way. Ridgeway claims the substance was olive oil.

A false alarm at a San Francisco Starbucks -- police first thought a device found in the shop Monday might explode. Streets were closed. About 100 people were evacuated from the building. It turns out it was a flashlight. The man who says he accidentally left the flashlight in the bathroom is being held on an unrelated burglary charge.

Well, the news keep coming. We will keep bringing it to you -- more LIVE FROM right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Germany, France and Britain are taking a deep breath today, after throwing up their hands and saying nuclear talks with Iran had hit a dead end. The European trio says it's too soon to smack Iran with U.N. sanctions.

With Washington's backing, though, the threat to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council remains in play, even though talks on Iran's nuclear program appear to have broken down. But if it comes to imposing penalties, some say the way to hit Iran where it hurts would be a ban on international soccer, especially in a year of the soccer World Cup.

CNN's Jim Boulden reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With military options ruled out for now, the West is looking for other ways to punish Iran for restarting its nuclear program.

Could the arena for those sanctions be sports? After Iran's president dismissed the Holocaust last year, some German politicians called for Iran to be kicked out of this year's soccer World Cup, which will be hosted by Germany.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said no. So did football's governing body, FIFA. And on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice agreed.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I would hope that it would be possible for Iranian athletes to be welcomed in places because this should not be about the Iranian people.

BOULDEN: Still, calls are continuing for the World Cup to be used as a sanction against Iran.

PATRICK CLAWSON, WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY: The next step I'd rather take would be sanctions on international sporting events, rather than turning to more forceful actions like military force. It's a painful step to ban Iran from the World Cup, but it's sure preferable to letting bombs fly.

BOULDEN: History is littered with sport used as a sanction and a boycott. Be it South Africa banned from the Olympics from 1964 to 1992, or to United States and the Soviet Union boycotting each other's Olympics in the early 1980s.

One critic of boycotts and sanctions says the very idea of athletes from unfriendly nations sparring is what makes sports so important. Case in point, Iran beating the United States 2-1 in the 1998 football World Cup.

RICHARD DORFMANN, SPORTS MEDIA CONSULTANT: It was a fantastic story. And had there not been the politics involved, it wouldn't have been as big a story. But the important thing is at the end of that game, the Iranian players and the U.S. players came together. And they, you know, they shared a few beers and they talked.

BOULDEN: FIFA says it never mixes football and politics, but it did ban Yugoslavia from the 1994 World Cup, following United Nations' economic sanctions.

Those calling for Iran's ouster have another six months to change FIFA's mind before the games kick off in Munich on June the 9th.

Jim Boulden, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, more speculation that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il is in China -- reports all this week have placed Kim in China or Russia or at home, but the Chinese and North Koreans so far have refused to confirm or deny the reports.

Tight security around a five-star hotel in Southern China is fueling today's rumors. A reason for all the fuss, well, if Kim in China, it may signal that he's ready to return to international talks aimed at getting the North to abandon its nuclear weapon program.

The Guantanamo Bay detention center marks its fourth anniversary in operation this week, as a human rights group makes new claims of torture going on there. Amnesty International says that 500 detainees are being held at Gitmo without being charged. The group wants more international pressure on the U.S. to either hold trials or release them. Amnesty International released statements from prisoners alleging physical, sexual and religious abuses while being held at Guantanamo.

Extra green for good test scores -- one city is giving its teachers new incentives to score higher. We will explain.

LIVE FROM, it's all the news you need this afternoon. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Do well in school and you may get a gold star. Do well in Houston's school, and your teacher may get some extra green.

Call it the four R's, reading, 'writing, 'rithmetic, and rewards. The Houston School Board voted yesterday to give teachers merit pay based on how their students perform on standardized tests. Well, the plan could pay certain teachers up to $3,000 in bonuses, an amount that could eventually grow to $10,000.

The Houston school system now has become the largest school district in the county to adopt such a pan, but the teachers union is opposed, saying the plan puts too much emphasis on the test scores and it is too complicated.

No need to say "Hold the tomatoes" at the Wendy's. The chain will now provide tomatoes only by request.

Susan Lisovicz has the story behind the change of policy, live from the New York Stock Exchange.

What is the deal, Susan? SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, it's supply and demand. And Wendy's is facing a tomato shortage.

The company says tomatoes are available by request only now at its restaurants. The policy began late last month because of crop damage from the hurricanes in Florida last fall. The shortage could end in a few weeks, when new crops become available.

Hurricanes made 2005 one of the worst years in recent memory for agriculture in Florida, which supplies more than half of the nation's fresh vegetables between November and February. The four storms that struck or brushed Florida caused estimated damage of more than $2 billion to the state's crops and farming infrastructure. By the way, McDonald's says it does not have a tomato shortage.

Turning now to the markets, stocks are -- little change, and a lot of economic news today. We had some earnings outlooks from Lucent and Tyco, which certainly weren't inspiring. And the markets have been selling off, but nothing too drastic, the Dow industrials falling further below 11000, down 19 points, 10943 -- the Nasdaq down four points.

Tyco shares, however, are on the move, sinking nearly 11 percent right now, this after the company confirmed a rumored move to split its security, electronics and health care businesses into three public units. But Tyco also warns that its first quarter in early estimates will now miss estimates. You may recall that the company has been trying to recover from various accounting scandals. Former CEO Dennis Kozlowski and former CFO Mark Swartz were both convicted last year of stealing more than $150 million from the company.

In fact, Kozlowski was the architect for the company to become the size it is right now. And a lot has changed for both the man and the company.

That's the latest from Wall Street.

LIVE FROM is coming right back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD LUI, CNN PIPELINE: Believe it or not, but this little blue iridescent cube right here can protect me from being burnt by the common blowtorch. You can find it at a Home Improvement store, only on a spacecraft like Stardust.

Stardust is the first space probe dedicated to comet exploration. You can also check out highlights of the Stardust mission in this timeline. Almost five years after its 1997 launch, the probe collected interstellar dust particles from the tail of a comet, using aerogel to trap it.

This substance has two NASA applications, one as an insulator, the other as a space butterfly net. Learn more about aerogel in this gallery. For instance, it's 99.8 percent air and 39 times more effective than fiberglass. (INAUDIBLE) it will return to Earth Sunday with the Stardust probe, using a parachute to land somewhere in Utah around 5:00 a.m. Eastern time.

It's all at CNN.com/science. I'm Richard Lui for Dot-Com Desk.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)

PHILLIPS: Sixty-six years and still going strong. Here's the Gospel truth. The Blind Boys of Alabama are singing out stronger than ever.

(MUSIC)

PHILLIPS: That's right. They're in the Gospel Hall of Fame and have four consecutive Grammys to their credit. Their latest C.D. is this one, "Atom Bomb."

And, right now, we are happy to welcome two of the Blind Boys' founding members, Clarence Fountain and a man who ought to be president, Jimmy Carter.

PHILLIPS: Great to have you guys.

CLARENCE FOUNTAIN, BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA: Good to be here.

JIMMY CARTER, BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA: Glad to be here.

PHILLIPS: Oh, man. This is wonderful.

All right. So, I want to backtrack a little bit. You know, not too long ago, when you boys were 7 years old, and you were at the Talladega Institute for the Negro Deaf and Blind, a school near -- near Birmingham.

Jimmy, what do you remember from that time? Was -- was it tough?

CARTER: Well, I remember the time when I want up there. My mom, and a lady -- a lady told my mom about this school. And, so, one day, they drove me up there. I was 7 years old, 1939.

PHILLIPS: Wow.

CARTER: And, when they -- when we got there, they went through all the preliminaries. And, when my mom left me, I felt like the end of the world had come, because you picture this, now. A boy, 7 years old, didn't know anybody, and had to fend for himself. That's kind of tough.

PHILLIPS: Clarence, was it the same for you?

FOUNTAIN: No, I didn't want to leave home, but I had to do it, because that's what my daddy said, and to get an education and to further my way up the ladder.

I was very successful in going to school and in learning how to be a man. I never knew exactly what was going on. But, as you grow up, you learn that things are not like you thought they were. And I have -- I have come a long ways, done. We have a lot of things. By the goodness of the lord, we -- he's brought us this far.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's pretty amazing, just to think back.

Seven years old, you were brought to this institute to learn braille and learn skills -- this was -- amazed me -- like furniture- making and making brooms. And I could just see the two of you thinking, forget this.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: We got a gift for music. We're going to do something else.

CARTER: Oh, yes.

FOUNTAIN: Right.

CARTER: I -- I told the teacher, I'm not going -- I'm not going to do this now.

CARTER: I got -- I think I got something better to do.

PHILLIPS: You're like, forget this broom-making.

CARTER: Yes.

PHILLIPS: So, how did -- how did you all discover that you had a gift for music, Clarence?

FOUNTAIN: Well, you know, they had a -- a radio station out of Birmingham was playing quartet music. And the Golden Gate was very popular in that day, because they had won the major bowl -- the network, they had major bowls that was on.

And they had won the prize for the best group. And they were very popular. And they was on CBS network. And -- and we -- we said to ourselves, well, if they can sing, we can do it, too.

FOUNTAIN: So we just got ourselves together, sat down and listened to their records, and just went the way, you know?

PHILLIPS: And so, Jimmy, you guys would sit around and sort of -- I mean, what would you do? Would you write music? Would you just sort of -- how did you create it?

JIMMY CARTER, BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA: Well, we did a lot of harmonizing together.

PHILLIPS: OK. CARTER: Clarence and I, we do a little writing now, as a matter of fact, so we wrote back then, too. You know, and as we said, we would listen to the Golden Gate Quartet. Those were our idols

PHILLIPS: The Golden Gate Quartet ...

CARTER: The Golden Gate Quartet.

PHILLIPS: ... on CBS Network.

CARTER: Yes, and so they were our idol quartet. We patterned after them, and as the years went by, we created our own, you know, style.

PHILLIPS: Well -- and I love the story. You named yourselves the Happyland Jubilee Singers, but that didn't stick very long. Tell me how that changed, Clarence.

CLARENCE: Well, you know, there was a guy up in New Jersey that was a promoter, and there was another blind group that was singing, which we didn't know anything about it, but they were singing, and he had a contest. And he said, ladies and gentlemen, we're going to have a contest next Sunday at the Laurel Garden, and we're going to have the Blind Boys from Alabama and the Blind Boys from Mississippi.

We're going to battle it out, and we're going to have a showdown at the O.K. Corral. So the date come, and the blind boys, we said to ourselves, well, here's a good thing to do, to separate the groups.

What we like to do is just say the Blind Boys from Alabama and Blind Boys from Mississippi and that would make the determination of who was who, and what was what. And they had a good lead singer, and that made it better. And I wasn't too hot, but I was doing the best I could. But I could stand up ...

PHILLIPS: To be so humble.

FOUNTAIN: Yes, I was -- I could stand off and I could do some things, you know, and so we came along, the battle came off and that's how we separated the groups.

PHILLIPS: I love it. So you had this gravely voice. Jimmy, you were the tenor, so the name stuck. Now, Jimmy, did you guys win the competition?

CARTER: No, we lost.

PHILLIPS: Oh, you lost! But you know what? Look at you now, so who cares, right?

CARTER: That's history now.

PHILLIPS: Oh, yes, that's right. You've come a long way. Well, look, you have now flirted -- I mean, you guys have had -- you have been a gospel sensation for decades. And now you've sort of flirted with contemporary sounds. I just want to listen to a little bit of -- I believe it's "Demons" that we picked from your latest CD, and I want to ask you about this. Let's listen.

(MUSIC)

PHILLIPS: Now, when I heard this, I thought, this is rock. Wait a minute. Blind Boys from Alabama are gospel singers. Did you worry about doing this, Clarence, testing the waters?

FOUNTAIN: No, you know, that was the producer's idea. I never did go along with it, but it was a good thing, because it really shows that you're versatile and shows that you can do anything. We can sing anything they put before us if we put our minds to it.

PHILLIPS: Great point.

FOUNTAIN: And see that -- we learned that in school. We learned how to harmonize and we learned how to put things together. And we were able to put anything they'd bring us, if we liked it, we could sing it.

PHILLIPS: And even though you've mixed all these different types of sounds, Jimmy, you have -- all of you have never forgotten about your roots and that whether -- just the meaning of gospel and the good Lord being so good to you, you still talk about that, no matter how much you mix your music.

CARTER: Oh, yes, the Blind Boys are a traditional gospel group. That's all. You know, we started out singing traditional gospel music, and that's what we're going to always do. But, you know, we have to keep up with the times. We're singing contemporary, we're trying to please everybody. So we do contemporary, we do gospel, we do harmonize -- we can harmonize.

FOUNTAIN: We do a cappella stuff too. All that.

PHILLIPS: You do the whole -- And you know what I wanted to do special? Just as we wrap up this segment, George Louis Scott, who was with you for years, you lost him unfortunately to diabetes, is that right? And both of you have diabetes, correct?

FOUNTAIN: Right.

CARTER: Yes.

PHILLIPS: And you have been tremendous spokespeople for this organization. Let's listen to just a little bit to "Spirit In The Sky."

(MUSIC)

PHILLIPS: Tell you what, you guys look sharp in those red suits. But just as we leave, I just want to give you a chance to say a little something. Jimmy, maybe you want to wrap it up, about George Louis Scott, and how you remain dedicated to raising money for diabetes. CARTER: Well, George Scott was a founding member, and he -- we're trying to carry it on, because I feel as though, that even though he's gone, he would want us to continue. So we're going to do that.

And we always try to donate some -- we always contribute to diabetes because he had it, Clarence and I have it, and so we try to do our best to finally cure it in our lifetime. Maybe not our lifetime, but somewhere down the road, somebody will be benefited by what we're trying to do.

PHILLIPS: Well, we purposely picked the next story in honor of George Louis Scott, to honor both of you. You're going to play at Ebenezer Church -- incredible history in that church -- in honor of Martin Luther King Day. Jimmy Carter, Clarence Fountain, what a tremendous blessing to have you both. Thank you so much.

CARTER: Well, we thank you so much. We're glad to be here.

FOUNTAIN: Yes.

PHILLIPS: It was wonderful. And this next story is just for you guys, and also for George Louis Scott.

It's a silent epidemic sweeping through New York City and the nation -- diabetes. We've all been talking about it right now, and CNN's Mary Snow has the startling numbers and the reasons behind them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Here in New York's East Harlem, whether it's someone struggling to walk or suffering from failing eyesight, the effects of diabetes are just about everywhere.

DR. CAROL HOROWITZ, MT. SINAI HOSPITAL: This is, in my opinion, the epicenter of diabetes in New York City, and one of the epicenters in the United States.

SNOW: Dr. Carol Horowitz says one in seven people in this community are diabetic. That's higher than New York's average. She sees many cases like Anna Lugo (ph), where diabetes has taken a told on her limbs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They get swollen and, you know, all my eye vision, not too good.

SNOW: Lugo, who is Hispanic, is among the minority groups who are more susceptible to diabetes, doctors say. This community is largely minority, part of the reason why the diabetes rate is so high. But doctor point to the surge in Type 2 diabetes, as it's known, to the rise in obesity. They say it can be controlled to prevent serious health problems, but often it's not.

HOROWITZ: Why aren't we all really upset about this epidemic? Why aren't we all stopping what we're doing and trying to figure out how to prevent people from getting diabetes, how to help people live when they get diabetes?

SNOW: Getting diabetes is on the mind of 58-year-old Gladys Jeep (ph), who approached Dr. Horowitz for a glucose test. Within moments, her nervous laughter quickly changed.

HOROWITZ: One fifty eight.

SNOW: A blood sugar level that is higher than normal and shows she's at risk for diabetes.

HOROWITZ: What are you thinking?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to die early.

SNOW: But doctors say diabetes isn't a death sentence if it's controlled through diet, exercise and medication, but it's an uphill battle with an estimated 21 million Americans with the diagnosis. Dr. Horowitz says she's taking it one patient at a time.

HOROWITZ: Are we going to be upset or are we going to fight it together?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fight it together.

HOROWITZ: Deal.

SNOW: Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, he's 81, a retired professor and homeland security is reading his mail. Could it happen to you? Maybe it already has. Our Brian Todd has a report you won't want to miss. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, is the government opening your personal mail? The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency acknowledges it may read mail coming from abroad as part of the fight against terror.

CNN's Brian Todd tells us about one man who says he found out the hard way. He filed this report, which first aired from "THE SITUATION ROOM."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Grant Goodman is a bookish 81-year-old from a retirement community in Lawrence, Kansas. He has a friend in the Philippines who is about the same age and who he says is no more of a public threat than he is.

So, Goodman shuddered recently when a letter from his friend, which he says contained nothing more than a note and some newspaper clippings, had clearly been opened and resealed by officials from Customs and Border Protection, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security.

GRANT GOODMAN, MAIL OPENED BY FEDERAL AGENCY: I was obviously shocked and very distressed to think that my privacy had been violated in this way. I wondered why in the world this had happened to a letter addressed to me.

TODD (voice-over): Goodman doesn't believe there's anything in his background that's suspicious. A long time Asian studies professor at the University of Kansas, retired for 16 years. Says he's never been publicly critical of the government, and says he served as a Japanese translator for General Douglas MacArthur at the end of World War II.

Our separate background check found nothing to refute any of that. He says his friend, who he wouldn't name, is also an American- educated former professor with whom he's exchanged letters for many years.

On the heels of the NSA wiretapping controversy Goodman's letter raises more concern over the balance between privacy and security.

CAROLINE FREDRICKSON, ACLU: It would trouble me that goes on, and that our administration feels like it has the authority to poke around in people's private lives when there's no evidence of them doing anything wrong.

TODD: Contacted by CNN, an official with Customs and Border Protection says its longstanding policy that any package coming into the U.S. from overseas can legally be opened, if there's suspicion of contraband inside.

A statement from the agency says in part, "CBP does not open mail to read personal correspondence. Sealed letter-class mail, which appears to contain only correspondence is only opened when a search warrant is issued or the sender or addressee gives written authorization."

Goodman says he never gave permission and is sure his friend didn't.

(on camera): The Customs official says she does not know about Goodman's case, doesn't know why his letter would have been opened. The official says it's likely that no one actually read the letter. But Grant Goodman still feels like he's under surveillance.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: So do we really have nothing to fear but fear itself? Franklin Roosevelt didn't know what he was talking about. Coming up on LIVE FROM, millions of people freaked out about Friday the 13th. We'll look at some of the reasons why. Cross your fingers. We're back in a few.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: Well, a special shout out now for all of you Paraskevidekatriaphobia. That means all of you with a fear of Friday the 13th. And if you would just crawl out from your hiding places for just a few minutes, you just might learn how this convergence of day and date got such a bum rap.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS (voice-over): The bad vibe about Friday the 13th started way before this nut in the hockey mask started preying on silly teens with a fondness for skinny dipping.

Actually Friday and the 13th, each have a lot of bad luck baggage. And listen to this, much of it relates to the female gender. Friday gets demerits for being the only day of the week named after a woman, the Norse goddess Freya. Some people also allege it's the day that Eve offered Adam a fateful apple.

The number 13 has problems all its own. Some feminist scholars say that's because men were freaked out by the fact that women have 13 menstrual cycles in a calendar year.

But there are other theories that don't blame women for Friday the 13th superstitions. Some say the trouble started at the last supper when Judas showed up and made it 13 at the table.

As far as the Friday part, that was the day Jesus died on the cross, according to Christian tradition. However, it got started, the malign mojo of Friday the 13th is hard to deny.

In the old days, Britain typically hanged criminals on Fridays after they walked up 13 steps to the noose. And even in our enlightened age, it's estimated that every Friday the 13th costs the U.S. 800 to 900 million in lost business, because many people won't fly or do business as usual on the 13th.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, a cynical observer would say it's a perfect day for a wedding acknowledging the hellish future that awaits those who sign up for matrimony.

What else would possess so many Dutch couples to get married on a certain Tuesday this year? Tuesday, June 6th, sixth day, sixth month, sixth year of the century. Get it, 666? Biblical numbers ascribed to the anti-Christ, Satan.

One town notes that 17 weddings are already set for that date. Tuesdays usually see only a couple of couples tying the knot. And the trend has been noticed elsewhere throughout the Netherlands. No doubt when they cut the cake, it will be devil's food.

Time now to check in with CNN's -- OK, I won't say devil; he's quite an angel -- Wolf Blitzer. He's standing by in Washington to tell us what's coming up at the top of the hour.

Hey, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Kyra.

We have got lots of news happening. A SWAT team, get this, shoots an eighth grade student at a middle school. We're expecting a live news conference right near the top of the hour. We are going to bring it to you live once it happens

Plus, the deadly bird flu virus, is it mutating right now and spreading? And how big of a threat is it to all of us right here at home? We'll ask the Health and Human Services secretary, Michael Leavitt. He'll join us here in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

Plus, the first lady, Laura Bush, sits down with our Zain Verjee. Find out which woman she'd like to see in the White House. It's a CNN exclusive.

And toxic fire, New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward hit by a nasty blaze that may contain dangerous chemicals. All that coming up, Kyra, right at the top of the hour.

PHILLIPS: Wolf, do you have an iPod?

BLITZER: No.

PHILLIPS: No? You're not hip with it like Ali Velshi?

BLITZER: I don't. I've got to get one.

PHILLIPS: Yes, I'm telling you. All right.

Ali Velshi is coming up. He's going to tell us why we have to have one.

Right, Ali? See.

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I got mine. I'm ready to go.

PHILLIPS: You're always ready to go. Talk to Wolf, would you? The news keeps coming. We're going to keep bringing it to you. More LIVE FROM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Man, Otis and audio has it going on today. Can you believe all the music we've had? Well, call it a spat over a spat, or boy do those Australian paparazzi know how to hold a grudge.

A quintet of snap happy photographers drew pistols and shot at the actor. Water pistols, that is. It happened at the Sydney premiere of Heath Ledger's movie, "Brokeback Mountain." The soggy salvo lasted about ten seconds, but successfully soaked the star.

The attack was reportedly payback for an incident last year when Ledger allegedly spat on the paparazzi. Heath Ledger denies launching a loogie at anyone. TV star Pamela Anderson has a beef with a chicken icon. The one- time Playmate and Baywatch star takes her animal rights fight to the Kentucky state capital. Anderson who works with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants a bust of Colonel Sanders removed from the capital. Anderson and PETA accuse Kentucky Fried Chicken, the company founded by Sanders of animal cruelty.

Almost closing this time on Wall Street, Ali Velshi.

VELSHI: Does it strike anybody other than me as odd that Pamela Anderson wants someone else's bust removed?

PHILLIPS: I was just saying. And here we are talking about chicken and beef, and there she is doing her thing. Oh, Lord have mercy. What does that say, viva glam?

VELSHI: Yes, I wasn't -- I was looking at her eyes.

PHILLIPS: Back to...

VELSHI: Vingles.

PHILLIPS: Vingles.

VELSHI: Do you know what a vingle is?

PHILLIPS: Actually, I have sort of cheated. Mike Toppler (ph), our E.P., told me what it meant.

VELSHI: Yes, he said to me earlier--he said why don't you talk about vingles? What is a vingle?

PHILLIPS: You're like what the heck is it? I've heard of Pringles, but not vingles.

VELSHI: The vingle is the new single. And I don't know if you remember back when, you know, singles, 45s, those little records that played one song.

PHILLIPS: I still save some. Thank you very much.

VELSHI: Yes, well, now Apple filed a patent with the trademark with the patent office on October 7th for the word vingle. Not entirely sure what they mean it to be, but all the speculation is that it's a combination of video and single. And that in years to come, we might be talking about, oh, I just downloaded the latest vingle to my little iPod, yes.

PHILLIPS: It'll be the newest word.

VELSHI: Yes.

PHILLIPS: You know, I'm looking at these iPods -- Andy (ph), the director of technical projects here at CNN -- he goes here, you know, you want to check out mine? So, Mike Toppler also, since he tells me all this. (CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: Yes. He apparently this is an antique now? You can sell this with the box and make a mint.

VELSHI: Yes, this is to hold your papers down with.

PHILLIPS: It's a nice paper weight.

All right. I hear it's closing bell. I'm getting the hard wrap. Love you, Ali.

VELSHI: Good to see you, Kyra. We will talk to you again on Monday. Have a great weekend.

The Dow is closing almost flat actually. Right now, less than a point lower and the Nasdaq is up less than a point as well.

Take it to Wolf in "THE sITUATION ROOM."

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