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Selling Our Security?; President Bush Kicks Off Tour to Promote Energy Plan; Battling Bird Flu

Aired February 20, 2006 - 14:01   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: The numbers, they are sobering. U.S. seaports handle two billion tons of freight each year, but only five percent of the containers are examined on arrival. Now a Middle Eastern company is poised to take over operations at six U.S. ports, and that has critics worried about possible terrorist infiltration.
CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us now with the latest.

Suzanne, could this be a threat to national security?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly some members of Congress think so, and that is why they are so upset about this.

They do not trust this company, Dubai Ports, and do not trust the United Arab Emirates. That is -- of course, it's a state-owned company. And the reason they say is that they're taking over the operation of six American ports in New York City; Newark, New Jersey; Philadelphia; Baltimore, Maryland; Miami, Florida; and New Orleans, Louisiana. And they say that this is an issue of national security.

The reason why, they point to the 9/11 Commission report. They point to these two fact. They say at least one hijacker drew money from bank accounts that are based in that country regarding those operations. And secondly, that there was -- one of the hijackers is named Marawn al-Shehhi, who was from that particular country.

They believe that this is not a good idea because this country has terrorist ties.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: Why would we give a company and a government that has had a great of involvement with terrorism control of our ports?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: The general process that has to work before this occurs requires a very thorough review and, where appropriate, necessary conditions or safeguards have to be put into place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: You heard the homeland security secretary, Michael Chertoff, telling Wolf Blitzer essentially that there is a panel that is in place essentially to look at these particular cases, to look at this one. It involves treasury, it involves FBI, as well as many of the other departments. And that they looked through this very carefully, they do not believe that there's an issue with this particular company or that country that says this is a risk to national security -- Betty.

NGUYEN: OK, Suzanne. On the flip side, how, if necessary, could the administration stop this from happening, if it's needed?

MALVEAUX: Well, under the law, essentially the president does have the authority to block this transaction if there is any evidence that this is a threat to national security. That same law, however, says that this panel, if they call for a 45-day investigation, an extended investigation, that's when the president has to get involved. Other than that, really they don't have to bring this to the president.

In this particular case, a senior administration officials tells CNN that they did bring this case to the president, that it did not rise to that level, that there are hundreds and hundreds of cases that they clear through, this was just one of them. They did not believe that this was a risk to national security.

I should also tell you, Betty, I spoke with a port expert who said, look, you know, they believe that this perhaps is somewhat racist. They say there is no one in the intelligence, defense, port or shipping communities that raised any red flags when it came to this particular company.

NGUYEN: CNN's Suzanne Malveaux at the White House.

Thank you, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

NGUYEN: Tony.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Betty, with this current stir over the deal giving a company based in the United Arab Emirates control of six major U.S. ports, we thought it's time for a closer look at the small Gulf nation. Here are some of the key facts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS (voice over): The United Arab Emirates is a tiny nation along the Persian Gulf bordered by Saudi Arabia and Oman. It's slightly smaller than Maine but definitely more wealthy. The Emirates' GDP in 2004, about $102 billion, well ahead of countries like Kuwait and Egypt, and almost on par with Singapore.

Its natural resources are oil and natural gas. And the country's modern economy is dominated by those two commodities. The Emirates' reserves are huge and are estimated to last well over the next 150 years. Oil production per day in 2005, 2.5 billion barrels.

Though not a large oil supplier for the U.S., ties between Washington and Abu Dhabi are strong. Relations were established in 1971 when the Emirates gained their independence form Britain.

According to the U.S. State Department, the tiny Gulf nation became a key ally in the war on terror after September 11.

And one other key fact worth taking note of, the Emirates' air force has just received the first of many military aircraft it's purchasing from the U.S., 80 advanced F-16 multi-role fighter jets, 36 transport aircraft and several Apache helicopters.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Spiking oil prices, fears that gas prices could surge yet again, and bigger bills to heat your homes, that is what Americans are facing this winter. So President Bush is pushing some alternatives. He's kicked off a three-state tour to promote his energy plan aimed at making the U.S. less dependent on foreign oil.

The president spoke a short time ago at a Milwaukee plant that makes parts for hybrid cars.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some of the nations we rely on for oil have unstable governments or fundamental differences with the United States. These countries know we need their oil, and that reduces influence. It creates a national security issue when we're held hostage for energy by foreign nations that may not like us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Here are some of the Bush plan's main goals: expanding research into smaller, longer-lasting batteries for hybrid cars; also boosting the use of solar and nuclear power at home and overseas; and more use of biofuels. One example is ethanol, which can be made from wood chips.

But what about rising energy costs right here and right now? Critics say the president's plan does nothing to lower them.

Today, crude oil is topping $61 a barrel overseas after prices jumped about $1.50 a barrel. The spike is blamed on militants attacking oil sites in Nigeria, the world's eighth biggest oil exporter. U.S. markets are closed today for Presidents Day.

HARRIS: Well, call them White House whoppers. Some of the biggest mistakes in history have been made by U.S. presidents. And what better day than Presidents Day to bone up on those blunders?

The University of Louisville surveyed presidential historians and came up with this top 10 list. Are you ready?

They say the worst presidential blunder was James Buchanan's failure to prevent the Civil War.

Andrew Johnson's policy after the Civil War, opposing reforms for southern blacks, is number two.

After that, Lyndon Johnson for letting the Vietnam War intensify.

Woodrow Wilson for not compromising on the Treaty of Versailles after World War I.

Number five, Richard Nixon for the whole Watergate cover-up.

Then Madison for failing to keep the U.S. out of the war of 1812.

Thomas Jefferson for the Embargo Act of 1807, a self-imposed ban on trade with Europe.

Number eight, John F. Kennedy for the Bay of Pigs invasion which led to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Then Ronald Reagan for the Iran-Contra Affair.

And finally, Bill Clinton earned the number 10 spot for -- well, that's pretty easy, the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

NGUYEN: Yes, we guessed it.

Well, it is the shot heard around the European world. Agriculture ministers from EU nations are meeting in Brussels to debate mandatory bird flu vaccines for poultry in all member nations. France requested the move even before it became the seventh EU nation to detect the presence of H5N1 within its borders. But not everyone thinks it's a good idea.

CNN's Robin Oakley joins us from London with more on this.

Robin, what are European officials doing now to combat the spread of the virus?

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, a whole range of things, really, Betty. They've got a surveillance and reporting system all across Europe for any cases of the deadly H5N1 virus found in wild birds, they've got a ban on the import of poultry products from any country where the disease has occurred. They've got compulsory rules that, wherever a wild bird is found with the disease, they set up a kind of quarantine zone for three kilometers around and a further seven-kilometer zone which is a kind of buffer zone with other safety measures being taken.

So there's a lot of effort going into all of this. And at the moment, they're stressing that chicken is perfectly safe to eat anywhere in Europe and that it is a disease confined solely to wild birds and not to any domestic poultry flocks as yet -- Betty. NGUYEN: OK. So, to stop it there's this talk of mass vaccination. Why doesn't the plan just be implemented right now? Why do they have to get it all approved in that long process?

OAKLEY: Well, if they want to get any aid from the European Union in paying for the vaccines, they've got to agree it at EU level with all 25 countries. There's nothing to stop individual countries doing some vaccination, but they wouldn't get any financial help.

There's a lot of argument about the vaccination question because some countries say, well, it's going to be too impractical. I mean, in Britain alone here there are 850 million birds produced in a year. Vaccinating all those takes a lot of organization.

It has to be done twice over three weeks. It can confuse the symptoms of infected birds. It can hide the symptoms of infected birds. And British ministers are saying, look, this is just too expensive, too impractical to do, it's much better to rely on culling birds that do get infected. But Italy, France, a number of other countries are pushing for a big vaccination program -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Robin, you touched on this just a little bit ago, the business end of it. With all this fear out there, how is it affecting business in Europe? Are people staying away from eating poultry?

OAKLEY: There's a lot of talk about it. Not too much fear in most countries as yet, but Italy, for example, there has been a very big effect.

Seventy percent of the market in poultry products, chickens, eggs, and so on, 70 percent of that market has disappeared. And there are worries that such a mood could spread in other countries because, after all, we haven't yet seen it in any domestic commercially- produced poultry.

So there are fears it could get worse. A lot of farmers pressing governments to be ready to give them compensation, and that's another thing these European ministers have been discussing in Brussels today -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Seventy percent, that is a huge effect on business there.

Robin Oakley joining us from London.

Thank you for that update.

You'll want to stay right here for more on bird flu because next we're going to talk with an expert on migration. Are wild birds really to blame for the spread of bird flu?

HARRIS: But first, remembered as a remarkable talent, legendary TV sportscaster Curt Gowdy is dead after a long battle with leukemia. Gowdy, the long-time voice of the Boston Red Sox, was 86. He gained national stature as a baseball announcer for NBC during the 1960s and '70s doing the network's "Game of the Week" and Word Series broadcasts.

His credits also included several Super Bowls, final four college basketball games and the Olympics. In addition, Gowdy was host of ABC's "American Sportsman" TV series.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A flock of birds in flight, it's one of the great sights in all of nature and has inspired many a poet. But as bird flu continues to wing its way around the world, that same sight is also inspiring fear. What if the virus ever figures out how to spread between humans as easily as birds?

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the latest on the race to be ready.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A company called HemisphereX is working with two new drugs that won't necessarily kill or weaken the bird flu virus, but might, in fact, strengthen our own immune system in a way to make us much less susceptible to bird flu in the first place.

Yes, we would still need drugs like Tamiflu or Relenza, but in much, much smaller amounts. The new drugs haven't been tested on people yet, so we don't know if they will pan out. But, if they do, the current stockpile might be enough to control even the worst outbreak.

Now, if these or similar drugs don't pan out, the federal government only has enough medicine for five million people, leaving almost everyone else unprotected. And it would be years before we have enough for the whole population. The search for new drugs and vaccines is important, because it's almost certain that Americans will have to deal with bird flu.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE: And I would not be surprised if, within a period of several months to a year, we would see this, even in the United States.

GUPTA: Ever since it first emerged, the killer virus has lived in Southeast Asia. But, even when it was still contained to that side of the world, we knew it was likely to spread.

(on camera): Here in Thailand, they pride themselves on having a strong surveillance system. But here's part of the problem. Just behind me is the Mekong River. Over on the other side of the Mekong River is Laos, where a public health system barely even exists. The problem is, birds don't respect borders. They could migrate from Laos right here in to Thailand.

(voice-over): On the wings of wild birds, the virus did spread, from Southeast Asia to China, Siberia and the former Soviet republics, to Eastern Europe, then to Turkey and Iraq just last month, and now to birds in Western Europe and Africa, where it was first detected this week.

Fortunately, there's no sign the virus has gained the ability to spread easily from person to person. But that could be a matter of time. And, despite months of warnings, the U.S. and the rest of the world isn't nearly ready to deal with a fast-spreading human epidemic.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: OK. You can't argue with the fact that bird flu is spreading. Since the virus first appeared in China in 1997, it has moved across Asia, in to the Middle East, Africa, and is now being seen in birds in at least seven European nations. Since late 2003, bird flu has also been found in humans in the countries you see here in red, where it has infected 170 people and killed more than 90.

Now, many wonder how long it will be before we hear of bird flu hitting the shores of the U.S. And looking at this map of East Asian migratory bird fly-aways, it's hard to say that that won't happen. But my next guest says wild birds are getting something of a bad rap when it comes to the spread of bird flu.

Michael Fry is a migration expert with the American Bird Conservancy. He joins us from Washington.

Thanks for being with us.

MICHAEL FRY, AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY: Thank you very much for having me, Betty.

NGUYEN: Sure.

OK, why are wild birds getting a bad rap? Aren't they one of the primary reasons that the flu is spreading?

FRY: The flu is spreading with wild birds in a limited way in Europe, but the large movements of commercial poultry to Russia, to the Ukraine, to Turkey, and to Nigeria from commercial operations most probably in China, are responsible for the movement of these birds.

Then, unsafe practices of poultry farmers in countries like the Ukraine and Romania, where they would fertilize crops with infective manure, poultry manure, or just have outfalls from the poultry ranches going into rivers, that's where wild birds are being infected.

NGUYEN: OK, because the wild birds are drinking from these rivers, that's how they're contracting it.

FRY: Exactly.

NGUYEN: Let me ask you this -- and we want to put up that map once again of exactly where the bird flu is right now. You can see it in red. How did this virus move from places in Asia and Europe all the way down to Africa and India?

FRY: Well, the Nigerian government says that it came there in a shipment of live poultry just a few weeks ago. There are -- they received poultry from Turkey, and until there was a quarantine against it, they were receiving a large amount of poultry from China.

Thirty percent of the poultry in Turkey is controlled by a Chinese company that has been implicated in the spread of bird flu to Tibet previously. So it's very likely that the spread of this among large poultry operations is completely due to commercial trafficking of poultry.

NGUYEN: Between ships.

Well, let's talk about India specifically, because India is the fifth largest exporter of eggs.

FRY: Yes.

NGUYEN: How dangerous is that?

FRY: I think that it will be almost no problem with laying hens getting infected eggs on to the market. These birds die very quickly, they go out of production before they die. While the virus could spread in poultry products like eggs and in carcasses of birds, it's very unlikely that a well-controlled poultry operation as they have in -- excuse me, in India would have infected eggs get into the -- into the commerce.

NGUYEN: OK. Now, with that cleared up, there are some instances of reports of people in these poor countries where bird flu is being found that, once these birds are culled, they're sifting through those remains, picking them up and taking them home to eat. How dangerous is that?

FRY: It is dangerous. It is dangerous just from picking up dust particles that may have the virus. But once you take the bird and cook it, the bird flu is killed at about 160 degrees. Everyone cooks poultry to a higher temperature than that.

So if the meat is thoroughly cook, it's not going to be infective at all.

NGUYEN: All right.

We want to take a look at another map that we have for you where the human cases of bird flu have been found.

FRY: Yes.

NGUYEN: We mentioned 170 of them. And I want you to talk to us about the possibility of it spreading from human to human, and what this thing called the species barrier does to protect us in a way. FRY: I think that is of great concern. And there have been a large number of cases in Indonesia, Vietnam over the past year, a couple of hundred cases -- it's not a large number even, you know, compared to normal winter flu, but because it is such a dangerous disease, it is concerning.

But right now this flu has not mutated, and the strain that is going through Europe right now that's (INAUDIBLE) strain from central China, seems to be a different strain than the one that is in Indonesia and Vietnam. It's still quite infective for people in Turkey, and people in Iraq have also contracted the disease, but the wild birds that have taken it to Europe, no poultry have been infected with this and no humans have been infected in Europe yet.

NGUYEN: As Americans sit and we watch these new cases pop up in all these different countries, the question arises, when is it going to come to the U.S. shores? We've got a map of how that possibility could occur, and I want you to walk us through that, of how we could see bird flu here on U.S. soil, and what's being done to prevent it.

FRY: Well, if birds going back to the Arctic to breed this summer carry bird flu, then there's the potential for birds to mix, birds from, you know, the Americas also go to the Arctic. And so the possibility of having transmission from within the wild bird populations is there. And then when they would go south for the winter next year, there's the potential to get it into the United States.

However, I think the potential for commercial poultry shipments to carry this disease into the United States through illegal shipments or the shipments of wild birds, either one, is equally likely to that of migratory birds.

NGUYEN: It is just a frightening thought.

Michael Fry, American Bird Conservancy, we appreciate your time and your insight on this. Thank you.

FRY: Thank you much, Betty.

NGUYEN: Tony.

HARRIS: When love crosses the line, illegal romances. What happens when Border Patrol agents fall in love with someone they should be arresting? That's next on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: An apology of sorts coming today from Maryland's state comptroller. You may remember last week William Schaefer was harshly criticized for ogling a woman during a public meeting. Well, that woman had brought over a cup of tea -- you're going to see it right there -- as she walked away, Schaefer asked her to walk again.

The woman said she was embarrassed. And today Schaefer issued a handwritten apology to her. In it, he said he was sorry he put her through the ordeal and told her she handled the flack as a trooper.

HARRIS: And everybody's laughing. That's the...

NGUYEN: I don't get it.

HARRIS: Yes. Yes. The governor's right there -- Ehrlich is right there.

Just put Bob on the spot. Sorry about that.

On Friday, LIVE FROM brought you the tale -- the tale of the Spotsylvania, Virginia, Sheriff's Department. You may remember the ones who were sampling the wares of massage parlor workers in an effort to bust a prostitution ring.

Well, negative community reaction has led to the sheriff dropping that particular form of investigation. Similar undercover programs in Phoenix, Arizona; Louisville, Kentucky; and suburban Maryland have been shelved.

NGUYEN: Prostitutes bidding visitors inside their brothels is nothing new, right? Except when those visitors are tourist and the prostitutes are off duty.

That's what happened this weekend when Dutch prostitutes gave the public a peek behind the curtains of Amsterdam's red light district. Thousands showed up for free drinks and a wide-eyed look around, shall we say. It's an attempt to urge the city not to bar women from advertising themselves in the windows.

Regulars say it worked like a charm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's good, yes, because then people just think it's different than how it is. Yes, because they have a different kind of opinion, but it's just -- it's fun, it's nice, it's just entertainment. I think it's good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We think the image is too bad, too negative, so we want to give people a more honest view on this neighborhood.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Well, authorities have already closed another red light district in a nearby town. The open house idea was supported by Amsterdam Sex Museum and, yes, the Salvation Army -- Tony.

HARRIS: One border town in Arizona has a dirty little secret. Some Border Patrol agents there have been romancing undocumented women trying to enter the U.S.

CNN's Kareen Wynter has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) (KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the borderline in Arizona, a thin but heavily guarded frontier between poverty and opportunity. A magnet for immigrants dreaming of jobs, a better life.

MARIA TERRAZAS, DATED BORDER PATROL AGENT: Yes, it was love.

WYNTER: A budding romance with a federal official. A border patrol agent. Maria Terrazas says the agent in the border town of Douglas, Arizona, was unaware of her illegal immigration status until six months into their relationship.

(on camera): Did it ever cross your mind, I'm not here legally, he could get in trouble? The whole repercussion?

TERRAZAS: Yes, because -- yes, I tell him, you know, we have to finish it because I don't want you to have problems. I don't want you to lose your job.

PAUL CHARLTON, U.S. ATTORNEY, ARIZONA DIST.: There is a risk involved in ignoring the law. And especially ignoring the law post-9/11 as it relates to who is coming into our country.

WYNTER (voice-over): The U.S. attorney in Arizona, Paul Charlton, says that, in a state that accounts for more than half the illegal immigrants detained, agents can't expect to be above the law.

CHARLTON: Much of this information that we learn about comes from the public. People who see the hypocrisy in agents who are, during the daytime, enforcing the law. And in the evenings, going home to live a violation of that law. People should be allowed to fall in love. And my point is, that there's a process. A legal process that's in place.

WYNTER: Agents have the option of deporting their lover or legalizing their immigration status. A lengthy process. For young, single men recruited to patrol this remote area, the temptations are considerable.

(on camera): This fence is the only thing separating the U.S. from Mexico. Here in Douglas, Arizona, with the population around 17,000, some say it's inevitable for border patrol agents, both on duty and off, to run into undocumented women.

(voice-over): Ephraim Cruz was a senior border patrol agent. Now he faces felony charges for transporting and harboring an illegal immigrant, Maria Terrazas. He gave her a ride across the border one night.

EPHRAIM CRUZ, SUSPENDED BORDER PATROL AGENT: She's dated several agents. She's been at least in one supervisor's home. So why wouldn't I think anything other than, you know, her belonging in the community? WYNTER: Cruz says he was prosecuted because he filed complaints about what he calls abuse of detained immigrants in Douglas. Maria Terrazas avoided deportation by legalizing her residency. Terrazas says there are still agents in Douglas who have relationships with illegal immigrants despite the legal risks.

Kareen Wynter, CNN, Douglas, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Shifting gears a little bit, can winning the lottery be a losing proposition? That's what some experts say. Why a lucky day can turn into a nightmare. That's coming up on LIVE FROM. You don't want to miss it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Bridge the gap or else. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq issues a warning to Iraqi politicians to end sectarian interests or risk losing support.

CNN's Aneesh Raman reports from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Any talk that negotiations over Iraq's new government were going well got silenced Monday by the U.S. ambassador who issued a blunt threat over who should lead the country's security forces.

ZALMAY KHALILZAD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: The United States is investing billions of dollars into these forces. We're not going to invest resources of the American people to build forces run by people who are sectarian.

RAMAN: People, many say, like the current interior minister, Bayan Jabor, who has long been the target of intense criticism for abuse of mainly Sunni detainees at the hands of largely Shi'a security forces discovered last year by U.S. forces in a Baghdad bunker. For the alleged infiltration of a Shi'a death squad into the police force, also discovered by U.S. forces earlier this month, and for his own alleged ties to the country's largest Shi'a militia, the Badr (ph) organization, all charges he denies, but all reasons why secular politicians want change.

HACHIM AL-HASANI, IRAQI NAT'L ASSEMBLY SPEAKER: That security ministry should not be appointed from people who belong to militias.

RAMAN: If unresolved, the issue could place the United States in an unenviable position, either funding security forces that may do more harm than good to the country, or choosing not to, instead keeping U.S. troops here longer than desired and undermining the effort to get Iraqis to stand on their own.

KHALILZAD: We have got Iraq's success to be our success, and as I've said before, God forbid Iraq's failure will be also ours.

RAMAN: Monday, another reminder how high the stakes are for the new government, a suicide bomber detonated on a mini bus, killing at least a dozen and cutting away hope among Iraqis that their leaders will stabilize the country anytime soon.

(on camera): Politics in Iraq revolves around the issue of security, and now the very prospect of a unity government and U.S. troops reductions seems set to succeed or fail based on who gets the country's top security post. Aneesh Raman, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Thirty-four hours and counting, round-the-clock rescue efforts press on in Mexico for 65 miners trapped deep inside a coal mine. The miners became trapped during an explosion early yesterday. Search teams are about a third of the way down to where the miners are believed to be, but the presence of methane gas and the fact that the miners only had six hours worth of oxygen are dimming hopes they'll be found alive.

NGUYEN: A village school the focus of an intense search in the Philippines today. It was full of students when a mountain of mud crashed down on it Friday. U.S. Marines are helping search for survivors among the more than a thousand that are missing and amid fear that time is running out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Once again, Monday, searchers reported more than just the bleak recovery of the dead. Rescue workers said they'd heard tapping sounds from where the village school once was, but listening devices found nothing and officials are playing it down. The work continues, teetering between resignation and stubborn hope.

RICHARD GORDON, PHILIPPINES SENATE MEMBER: There may be some people alive there. Even if we think there is none, the -- the hope is that there are air pockets there that we can pick up, no?

RIMINTON: More U.S. Marines have been flown in to this isolated valley. They work alongside mountain rescue teams from Malaysia and Taiwan. The task for all of them, local and international, grueling, unremitting slog.

Specially-trained dogs have arrived from Spain for a personal presidential welcome from Gloria Arroyo.

PEDRO FRUTOS, DOG HANDLER (through translator): We know it's difficult, but we will try our best. We expect a lot of mud, a lot of work. But with the help of the army, we still have some hope.

RIMINTON (on camera): The international presence has given new energy to the search just when it was needed most, when the size of the task, the sheer daunting nature of the work up on the mountainside, had left the initial wave of rescuers both exhausted and demoralized.

(voice over): As the dead now begin literally to pile up, an urgent call for there to be no rush to bury them.

GORDON: We now express our concern, our serious concern, about this matter because we should not be burying bodies until we properly identify them. We would like to make sure that the people who died are given their proper dignity.

RIMINTON: Even now, less than 10 percent of those thought to have died have been retrieved.

Hugh Riminton, CNN, southern Leyte, the Philippines.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: If you're a "Godfather" fan, you know the name Al Neri. We'll have more on the character that gave Fredo the heave-ho and the actor who played him. That's coming up on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A lucky lady or a lucky lad is the subject of a national waiting game today, but it could be a while before we know who won the record $365 million Powerball jackpot Saturday. The winning ticket was sold in a convenience store in Lincoln, Nebraska. So far, the winner is lying low. He or she has six months to claim the money, about $140 million if taken in a lump sum, after taxes.

The convenience store owner feels lucky, too. He's set to receive a $50,000 bonus -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Tony, believe it or not, winning the lottery may not be all it's cracked up to be. You know, Notorious B.I.G. may have just sang it correctly, "Mo' money, mo' problems."

CNN's Randi Kaye has some cautionary tales for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the moment most of us only dream about, the moment those numbered bouncing balls beam ordinary people into Powerball heaven instantly. Mansions, fancy cars, cash to burn -- but what if we told you this? You might actually be better off not winning.

SUSAN BRADLEY, SUDDEN MONEY INSTITUTE: There's a great American myth that money is good and more is better. And it truly is a myth.

KAYE: Susan Bradley is the author of "Sudden Money." She helps instant millionaires cope with confusing emotions and wild impulses that come with turning instantly rich.

BRADLEY: Do you keep working or do you leave? Or do you get divorced or do you stay together? Or do you disinherit your kids or do you embrace your kids? There are so many different choices that normally in the working every day and getting by world you don't even have to think about those things.

KAYE: And for many instant millionaires there are Powerball sized problems, deep debt, drugs, divorce, severe paranoia.

BRADLEY: You can have all kinds of negative and weird things that you really can't anticipate, or you can have really wonderful and lovely things happen, but everything seems to be bigger than life. It's almost like you're living in a TV show, not your own life anymore.

KAYE: Jack Whittaker is the poster boy for post-Powerball problem.

JACK WHITTAKER, POWERBALL WINNER: My biggest problem is going to be keeping my granddaughter and daughter from spending all their money in one week.

KAYE: Christmas 2002, Whittaker won the biggest Powerball jackpot in history. The 55-year-old West Virginia grandfather won a whopping $314 million; his lump sum payout, $117 million. Related to the money or not, life went downhill from there.

In the years since, Jack Whittaker has been charged with drunken driving, sued for sexual assault, charged with threatening to kill a bar manager, had half a million bucks stolen from his car, and lost his granddaughter, Brandy Bragg (ph), her body found wrapped in plastic behind a West Virginia home.

BRADLEY: When you win a lottery of this size, the life that you have known up until now is over.

KAYE: Lottery winners think cash buys freedom of choice, confidence. But in reality, sudden riches often only bring fear, isolation, denial and grief. Kenneth Parker's (ph) wife won $25 million in New York's Mega Lotto in 2003, then split. After 16 years of marriage, they're fighting over millions in court.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She took all the money and didn't want to give me nothing.

KAYE: In far too many cases, the mighty dollar causes as many problems as it solves. So when you lay out that hard-earned cash to buy those lottery tickets, consider the problems you may actually be purchasing if the numbers fall your way.

Randi Kaye, CNN Atlanta.

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HARRIS: And straight ahead, entertainment news with A.J. Hammer of "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT."

A.J., good to see you. What's on tap?

A.J. HAMMER, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Nice to see you, too, Tony.

More wins for the film "Brokeback Mountain," and "American Idol" contenders party. I'll fill you in when LIVE FROM continues.

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HARRIS: He survived longer than most who hung around the Corleone family. After Richard Bright played the cold-eyed mob enforcer Al Neri in all three "Godfather" movies and created other thugs on shows like "Law & Order" and "The Sopranos." Bright died this weekend in an accident. It sounds like it could have been a "Godfather" plot twist. Listen to this. He was hit and killed by a privately-owned bus as he crossed a street in Manhattan. New York Police are still investigating. The bus driver says he didn't even know he'd hit anyone.

NGUYEN: Oh my, that is not the way to go.

Well, "Brokeback Mountain," the gay cowboy love story cleans up at the British Awards, while Hollywood's favorite former newlyweds are fighting over cash as they head to divorce court. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT's" anchor A.J. Hammer is here with all that and much more. I don't guess they had a prenup.

HAMMER: Yes, there was no prenup. And I'll get into that in just a second, Betty, it's nice to see you. Well "Brokeback Mountain" was the toast of the party over the weekend at the British Film Academy Awards. The film took home four awards, got best film, best director, best supporting actor and best adapted screenplay. "Brokeback," which is of course about two cowboys who fall in love is also a serious contender, as we all know for the Academy Awards, which happen in two weeks.

Other BAFTA awards went to Philip Seymour Hoffman, he won for best actor. Reese Witherspoon won for best actress and Thandie Newton for best supporting actress for her role in the film "Crash."

And just a couple of months after they filed their divorce papers, Nick Lachey is asking for alimony from his estranged wife Jessica Simpson. On Friday, Lachey filed papers saying he was reserving the right to seek spousal support. The couple made famous, of course by their MTV show "The Newlyweds," did not have a prenuptial agreement. The 32-year-old Lachey is also asking the court to confirm that miscellaneous jewelry and other personal effects are separate property, as well as his earnings from after the day of separation. Simpson filed for divorce back on December 16th.

And the 24 finalists for "American Idol" had a good old time over the weekend. A big party was held in their honor in Hollywood. Former Idol finalist Constantine Maroulis was on hand to perform with the 24 semifinalists. Now all 24 are going to begin singing for viewers, looking for votes, starting this week. The women will be performing on Tuesday, men will be performing on Wednesday. Get ready to dial in.

So what's better than seeing the Rolling Stones in concert? How about seeing the Rolling Stones in concert for free? Good gig to be at. Over a million people were there to watch the group rock out at the Copacabana Beach in Brazil. They danced to the classic hit "Jumping Jack Flash." The city deployed 10,000 police officers, now that's about three times the amount they usually have out for this kind of event. It's the Stones third visit to the country, but it is the first time the band has played for free in Brazil. Betty?

NGUYEN: Well I've got to ask you then, any chance that they're going to bring that generosity back here to the states? Throw a free concert for us here?

HAMMER: There's some stuff buzzing around, and there is word that they are thinking about getting back here to the states. I can't really divulge anything yet, because I don't want to accept responsibility for that, but a free concert from the Stones does not happen that often. So it would be great to see here.

NGUYEN: No, it doesn't, but you've got to keep us up to date on that. We want to know when and where, all right, A.J.?

HAMMER: I will make a point of it.

NGUYEN: OK, good talking to you.

HAMMER: You as well.

NGUYEN: Tony?

HARRIS: Spreading flames and outrage in Alabama, who was attacking rural churches in that state? Investigators are combing through new clues. The investigation heats up. We expect to hear more in a live news conference at the top of the hour. LIVE FROM is back after this.

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VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With hundreds of millions of dollars worth of uninhabited mobile homes sitting in a field, a $17 million morgue closing after only 60 bodies were examined, how much progress has the Gulf Coast area seen since Hurricane Katrina hit nearly six months ago?

A special report at CNN.com chronicles the progress in New Orleans. This interactive shows how the city is recovering as people begin to repopulate it. And check out other vital signs as the city's housing, schools and transportation slowly recover.

Now if you're curious about the city's landmarks, this picture gallery shows you how places like the Ninth Ward and the French Quarter have changed since Katrina. The Ninth Ward, one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods is now dry, but if you compare this picture taken in October with this one taken recently, you see the same overturned car and untouched debris. You can find more online at CNN.com/Katrina.

For the dot.com desk, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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