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Baghdad Curfew Lifted; Top Iraqi Officials Believe American Journalist Jill Carroll Still Alive; Three School Bands Join Together to Perform at Mardi Gras; Arrivederci, Torino

Aired February 27, 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: Two deadly attacks in Baghdad, as the daytime curfew is lifted -- at least eight people died in the bombing of a Sunni mosque and mortar attacks on a Shiite neighborhood.
CNN's Aneesh Raman reports, last week's chaos still has that city on edge.

All right, we will work on getting that for you. We are having a little bit of a technical difficulty. We apologize.

Meanwhile, we are talking about a new ray of hope for Jill Carroll. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq says a top Iraqi official told him, he believes the kidnapped American reporter is alive and will be released eventually -- a short time ago, this statement issued by Richard Bergenheim, editor of "The Christian Science Monitor."

He says: "The Carroll family and 'The Christian Science Monitor' continue to follow developments in Iraq very carefully. We appreciate the wide-ranging efforts being made by Iraqi and U.S. officials to secure Jill's release. We hope that today's encouraging statements about Jill's condition and prospects for safe return are proved correct -- again, that statement from Richard Bergenheim, editor of "The Christian Science Monitor."

Carroll was freelancing for "The Monitor" when kidnappers snatched her off the streets of Baghdad January 7.

Emergency funds from the E.U. -- $143 million from the European Union to help cover payrolls, utility bills, and health and education programs of the Palestinian Authority. The money won't go directly to the P.A., which is soon to be led by the militant group Hamas. Rather, Europe hopes to ease the pressure on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is trying to moderate the new government's policies.

Now back to Aneesh Raman, reporting from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the curfew lifted in Baghdad, what little normal there is here started to reappear -- traffic returning to the streets, shops reopening the doors.

But Iraqi troops remain on high alert. In the suburbs, sectarian tensions are unabated. In the Sunni area of Baghdad, Shia residents say they were forced from their homes, huddled together now in a Shia neighborhood's youth center.

"These families come here because they are Shiite," says this man.

Some say they receive threats, some on their cell phones, demanding to leave their homes within 72 hours. There have also been a number of reports that Shia militia are doing the same to Sunni families, despite calls for unity, most recently, and notably, from Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Political and religious leaders are working to find common ground, after an emergency meeting on Saturday that, if nothing else, showed, the politicians are trying. But that may not be enough. After a string of reprisal attacks, Sunni politicians agreed, in principle, to enter talks on a unity government, but are still waiting for a number of things to happen before that can take place.

And, amid the current tensions, the trial of Saddam Hussein resumes Tuesday, with the chief defendant having ended an 11-day-long hunger strike, and, having been told of recent developments by his defense team, the stage is set for more drama from the former dictator.

(on camera): There is no easy answer as to whether Iraq has returned from the brink of all-out civil strife. The extraordinary curfews seem to have, for now, helped the situation. But sectarian tensions here remain incredibly high. And any small attack by any number of extreme groups could reignite fury on both sides.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Will a second glance mean a second chance for that controversial port deal? The White House says it will.

Some Democrats say it won't. The new review was requested by Dubai Ports World, the company that is poised to manage six major U.S. ports. It is expected to take 45 days and be broader than the first. Now, it will be done by the same panel that OKed that deal in the first place, leading some Democrats to ask, what's the difference?

Still, this is highly unusual. The panel has looked at more than 1,500 international deals and done full-blown investigations only about two dozen times.

For the U.S. Senate, the winter break is over. The battle over the Patriot Act is not. Critics have filibustered, arguing, the post- 9/11 law needs to be amended before it's renewed to protect civil liberties. Majority Leader Frist has scheduled a vote tomorrow to try to cut off debate, with a final vote Wednesday, if the first one succeeds.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

So, after gas prices spiked last year, you went out and bought a small car. Think it's your ticket to easy street? Well, not so fast. A new study finds small cars don't always come with small gas bills, and big cars don't have to be guzzlers.

CNN's Kimberly Osias has details now in Washington.

Kimberly, how much can you really save?

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, about $2,000 a year in some cases -- so, it's not insignificant, Kyra.

Everyone's always looking to optimize their ride, make it a little sweeter, right? Well, according to this new study from the Consumer Federation of America, you don't have to sacrifice the kind of car you want to buy, if you are in the market, or the class of car. The key is just to make informed decisions. And, by doing that, you can save some money at the pumps -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, let's talk about those hybrid cars.

OSIAS: Yes. There has certainly been a lot of talk about the hybrid cars of late.

And we are talking about cars that utilize a combination of two different fuel sources, like a combo of gas and a battery that powers an electric motor and stores energy for future use here. As a rule, these are the most efficient, fuel-wise cars. However, even with that class, there is a huge differentiation here, separating from -- the men from the boys, or the women from the girls, if you will. We don't want to be sexist.

The best bet is the Honda Insight, getting a whopping 56 miles per gallon. But take a look at Chevy Silverado, a four-wheel-drive, or GMC's Sierra four-wheel-drive. Both of these are hybrid options, too, but rated poor in terms of fuel efficiency, getting a meager 18 miles per gallon, if you can believe that.

Interestingly, some poor-performing minivans get about 19 miles per gallon -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Oh. The minivans are so popular, though.

OSIAS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: I mean...

OSIAS: Certainly.

PHILLIPS: Yes, I mean, how do they fare out then? I guess, they are -- they are just as bad as we are imagining?

OSIAS: Well, they are not -- all of them aren't that bad, you know. And they are not as optimal, though, say, as some compact cars. But, of course, you are dealing with a huge size differential there. So, the best bet, if you're going to go that route is the Honda Odyssey, which gets 23 miles per gallon. Now, in contrast, at 19 miles per gallon, some of the worst in this class are the Buick Terraza, all-wheel-drive, and the Mercury Monterey.

There's a number of other classes and choices listed in the report. So, if you are shopping for a new car, the best defense, of course, is a lot of information. And you can log on to www.consumerfed.org for all the details -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Kimberly, thanks so much.

Six months after Katrina, the focus remains on New Orleans, Mardi Gras or no. Other communities that were just as hard-hit haven't gotten half the attention -- among them, Long Beach, Mississippi. That town did get noticed for a notorious incident.

CNN's Kathleen Koch is there, her hometown -- well, sort of.

Hey, Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Long Beach is -- is a couple of towns away from -- from my hometown, Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi.

And, you know, when you look behind me, Kyra, it's hard to believe that this was at one point a thriving down of nearly 18,000 people. This was, right behind me, a very huge, affluent apartment complex, very much destroyed. And it looks the same today as it did six months ago.

Now, the beachfront areas of this community were hit so hard, that they spread concertina wire up and down the railroad tracks to keep looters out. They had to resort to that, because too many people were, tragically, you know, going through the remnants of people's lives. It's hard to believe that they would resort to that -- and kept the concertina wire up for months. They only took it up just a few weeks ago.

But my producer, Peter Tedeschi, was right here at this apartment complex shortly after the storm, and shot video that shows, again, how, in many ways, progress here at this particular spot in Long Beach has just simply stood still.

I would like to bring someone in now who is the civil defense director, also fire chief George Bass.

Mr. Bass, tell me, when you look around and you see the progress -- or lack thereof -- in Long Beach, how does that make you feel?

CHIEF GEORGE BASS, CIVILIAN DEFENSE DIRECTOR, LONG BEACH, MISSISSIPPI: Well I see progress.

And -- it's -- it's great. You know, we have done a lot of cleaning. We have moved, you know, over a million tons of debris -- cubic yards, rather, of debris. But I see so much more that has to be done. We are facing a deadline of March 15, where the government's paying us 100 percent to get this done. And -- and we are at such a devastated point, not only with our -- our -- our, you know, beachfront homes and -- and -- and inland three to four blocks, but also with our revenue.

And, you know...

KOCH: You told me earlier, 75 percent of your businesses are gone. How can you run the city, if you don't have any tax dollars coming in?

BASS: That -- that's one of the things that -- well, I'm -- I'm very happy not to be an elected official right now. But my mayor and my board, they are -- they're studying what to do. They are undertaking things, you know, to save money wherever we can. You know...

(CROSSTALK)

KOCH: Will this mean layoffs, I mean, firefighters -- firefighters, police officers who have been here through all this?

BASS: Unfortunately, yes. That's -- that's probably what it will lead to, unless we get some type of help in here to carry us over.

I mean, you know, we are getting help to -- to clean up. We are getting help to -- to replace our infrastructure, water and sewer. But we have got to have help also to -- to maintain a fire and police force, to maintain a public works, to take care of the remaining city.

You know, we have a library system, a senior citizens system that needs to be maintained. And, right now, you know, we are -- we are anticipating that, down the road, we will probably have to have layoffs.

And -- and we are...

KOCH: That's a -- that's a tough decision a lot of towns are have to -- are having to make.

Chief Bass, thanks so much for being with us.

BASS: Thank you.

KOCH: But it is important to point out, they did have a small Mardi Gras parade here, just a fraction of the floats they would normally have -- Chief Bass telling me it went off real well.

They changed the route because so many roads were still blocked. But they said, you know, it -- it really encouraged people. It really uplifted a lot of spirits here -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Kathleen Koch, sure appreciate your passionate reporting.

Thanks, Kathleen.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: You can't have Mardi Gras without the beads, the bizarre, and, of course, the bands.

(MUSIC)

PHILLIPS: Meet the MAX Band, getting ready to play in the Rex Parade tomorrow. How they got together is a testament to the determination of the musicians and the man leading them.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Developing news taking place -- Tony Harris working it from the newsroom.

Tony, what do you have?

TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, Kyra, you have been reporting this as well -- a couple of developments today on the Jill Carroll front -- Jill Carroll, of course, the American journalist who was snatched off the streets of Baghdad on January 7.

The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, is reporting that a top Iraqi official told him, he believes Jill Carroll is alive and will be released eventually. Carroll, as you know, was working for "The Christian Science Monitor" at the time of her kidnapping.

And "The Monitor" released a statement from its editor a short time ago. It reads: "The Carroll family and 'the Christian Science Monitor' continue to follow developments in Iraq very carefully. We appreciate the wide-ranging efforts being made by Iraqis and U.S. officials to secure Jill's release. We hope that today's encouraging statements about Jill's condition and prospects for a safe return are proved correct" -- a statement there from the editor of "The Christian Science Monitor."

And CNN's Wolf Blitzer, a short time ago, talked to Ambassador Khalilzad about Jill Carroll.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZALMAY KHALILZAD, UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: I don't know where she is.

If I did, we would be there, liberating her. The minister of interior is -- was reported to have said that he knows where she is, and that she's alive. It was also reported that he said that she will be released soon.

We are doing everything we can to find her and to release her, to gain her freedom. But she is obviously in a very dangerous situation. And we will persist in doing all that we can to -- to -- to gain her freedom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And, of course, Kyra, more of Wolf's interview tonight with Ambassador Khalilzad in "THE SITUATION ROOM" at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

PHILLIPS: It sounds good, Tony. Thank you so much.

HARRIS: OK, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Mardi Gras proving, the show must go on. And so are these musicians.

Even though many of them lost everything to Hurricane Katrina, well, they are still going to march. They're known at the MAX Band, three high school bands combined into one. They had to come together like that, because a lot of them simply lost their school buildings.

Band director Lester Wilson and Romere Jones, a senior and drum major in the MAX Band join us live, as they get ready to roll.

What a pleasure to have you both.

Lester, this is pretty amazing, that you guys were able to come together like this. It's pretty historic.

LESTER WILSON, MAX SCHOOL BAND DIRECTOR: Yes. It's very remarkable.

PHILLIPS: And let's just set the scene for the viewers that don't understand that the marching band bands are a huge part of the New Orleans culture. And for all of you to roll in these parades, it means a lot to that students and, of course, to you.

How did you get all these schools to come together as one and integrate like this?

WILSON: Well, Kyra, it was really an administrative -- administrative decision. They decided to get all three schools together, so they could open the doors and provide an education for the students...

PHILLIPS: You said...

(CROSSTALK)

WILSON: ... from each school.

PHILLIPS: Go ahead. Go ahead, Lester.

WILSON: No. It was really a decision that the administrators made, to -- to merge together, so that they could provide an education for the students from each school. PHILLIPS: Well, and for these students, music inspires them to keep going to school, right? I mean, it's a huge part of their lives.

WILSON: Yes, it is. Music is very cultural, especially in New Orleans.

PHILLIPS: You said coming together was like living like "Hamlet."

(LAUGHTER)

WILSON: Oh. Well, actually, what I meant by that is I'm actually staying in a convent with the nuns. So, that's a scene out of "Hamlet."

(LAUGHTER)

WILSON: That's what I meant when I -- I made that statement.

PHILLIPS: Well, are the nuns taking good care of you?

WILSON: Oh, yes. They are doing a great job.

PHILLIPS: Well, hey, the...

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: The nuns taught Lionel Hampton how to play the drums. So, I'm sure they are loving having you there in the nunnery.

Now, listen, tell me about...

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: ... these kids, and what it has been like to practice. And how have you encouraged them that, hey, you may not be at your individual school, but you have come together; you are going to play?

How has morale been?

WILSON: Well, the morale has been very good.

The thing that I try to impress upon the students is that it's all about pride. Saint Aug., well, they are legendary. And Saint Mary's, they have a great reputation. And so does Xavier Prep. Each band, in their own right, has a pretty good reputation. And we say it to the kids. They have to come together and provide a great band sound. So, that's what we have tried to accomplish.

PHILLIPS: Now, Romere, I know you are one heck of a drum major. I know you want to head off to college. Tell me what your goal is once you graduate.

ROMERE JONES, MAX BAND MEMBER: Oh, I'm planning on going to Belmont University in Tennessee, and, hopefully, major in music business... PHILLIPS: Oh, that's...

(CROSSTALK)

JONES: ... so that I can one day open my own record label.

PHILLIPS: All right.

And, so, what has it been like to be a part of this -- about -- a part of the MAX Band, coming together like this, and -- and just blending with all the different students, six months after the storm?

JONES: It is a great experience, I mean, for everybody to be back home, back in school, seeing your friends and your family that you missed. It's great.

PHILLIPS: Well, my dear, let's see you in action. How about you turn around and you lead those young men and women into something for us?

Let's see you in action, all right?

JONES: Horns up.

One, two, one, two. Ready. Play.

(MAX BAND PLAYS)

PHILLIPS: You are watching the MAX Band live. After tomorrow, they will have rolled in seven parades. The big Rex Parade is tomorrow. We wish them the best of luck.

They are going to take us to break.

(MAX BAND PLAYS)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA, IDENTITY THEFT VICTIM: It was worse than if somebody had just taken money from my purse, because it made me feel that they were taking me. For me, the cost of being a victim of identity theft was more than monetary.

I had always been pretty trusting and felt that everything was under control. And, suddenly, I started to suspect all the people with whom I normally do business. I mean, those people have all kinds of information about you, you know?

The technological fixes that I have heard of don't completely reassure me that my privacy wouldn't be invaded far more than I would be willing to have it invaded.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Barbara is not alone. In fact, American consumers lost nearly $57 billion last year to identity theft.

When it comes to protecting our personal security, what hope can technology offer?

REID GOUGH, SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY DEAN, DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY: This device is a smart card reader.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Meet Reid Gough, dean of Technology at Davenport University in Michigan.

GOUGH: Biometric security is one way to stop identity theft. Physical characteristics that identity who you are is a lot harder to steal than is a credit card number.

O'BRIEN: Technologies already in place include iris scans, palm geometry readers, facial recognition, and fingerprinting tools.

GOUGH: The next line of defense is trying to identify those unique physical characteristics of an individual that are very hard to replicate, veins in your hands, looking at the inner ear.

O'BRIEN: But are we all ready to divulge that much personal information?

GOUGH: If we think that we live in a -- in a private world, we don't. What we need to do now is just make sure that the information we do have is secure.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: As the crow flies, or, at least, the wild duck, bird flu continues to migrate into new areas around the world. The latest countries to report outbreaks in birds include Niger and the former Soviet Republic of Georgia.

Switzerland may soon join that list. A wild duck found dead at Lake Geneva tested positive with a strain of bird flu. Further tests will show whether it's H5N1.

As fresh outbreaks on reported in Russia, meanwhile, President Putin orders his cabinet to set up a bird flu task force, pronto. In China, the official news agency says a woman and a young girl are in critical condition with bird flu. Today, the World Health Organization raised its tally of confirmed human cases to 173, of which 93 were fatal.

Party-palooza in Rio. Carnival -- Carnival, rather -- kicked into high gear, with samba dancers from more than a dozen schools wowing and wooing tens of thousands of onlookers. Each dancer hopes her school is named champion, though there are no real prizes, save for bragging rights. During the festival, ordinary folks dress up like royalty or in drag to celebrate for Lent. The bash started Friday, ends Ash Wednesday.

Back in the U.S., rain, floods, maybe even some mudslides out West. (WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Well, it's an outrage. A boy waits for a kidney transplant and waits and waits and waits. Why? Because a possible donor, his father, is on the run.

Mike Petchenik of our affiliate WLKY has the story now from Louisville, Kentucky.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE PETCHENIK, WLKY REPORTER (voice-over): Life has dealt Destin Perkins a difficult hand.

DESTIN PERKINS, NEEDS TRANSPLANT: It's hard times.

PETCHENIK: Last year doctors discovered kidney failure and told him he'd need a transplant. Destin's mother Angie gave him one of her kidneys.

ANGIE HAMMOND, DESTIN'S MOTHER: I wanted to. Like any mother would, I'm sure.

PETCHENIK: But Destin's body rejected it, which meant until he could find a positive match, he'd have to endure a painful procedure just to stay alive.

PERKINS: Right now I'm on dialysis two times a week for three hours. When I first started, I was on three days a week for three hours.

PETCHENIK: Enter Destin's father Byron, a convicted felon estranged from his family, in jail awaiting sentencing for robbery.

HAMMOND: Immediately after they found out that, you know, the kidney that I gave didn't work, he said that he wanted to do it.

PERKINS: Well, I thought I'd soon be off dialysis and things would be better.

PETCHENIK: But things got worse. On January 24th, a judge let Byron Perkins out of jail so doctors at Kosair Children's Hospital could run pre-transplant tests. He never showed up. In fact, U.S. martials say he disappeared into thin air.

PERKINS: I just couldn't believe he had did it.

HAMMOND: What kind of father could he be? We have a sick child.

PETCHENIK: Perkins left behind this note for his own mother, telling her not to worry, that he'd be close and would come through for Destin one day. Until that day, Destin and his mother will wait and pray that life might finally deal them a better hand.

HAMMOND: Destin needs him, and he should do the smart thing. Turn himself in. (END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: U.S. martials warn that Perkins and his girlfriend Leah Anne Howard (ph) should be considered armed and dangerous. They were last seen driving a 1994 blue/green Crown Victoria with Kentucky license plate 784-VHS.

News keeps coming. We'll keep bringing it to you. More LIVE FROM, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Arrivederci, Torino. The 2006 Winter Olympics ended last night after two weeks of drama on skis, skates and everything else that goes with snow and ice.

CNN's Alessio Vinci looks back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You might have thought the most awarded athlete at the Winter Olympics had just arrived. Instead, it was supermodel Cindy Crawford in the spotlight at one of the many parties closing the Winter Olympics in Torino.

CINDY CRAWFORD, MODEL: I think for me the exciting part of the Olympics is just watching the drama unfold. It's better than any soap opera or reality TV, because the stories of all the athletes. And, you know, they practice and they practice and then sometimes the night that it counts, they fall.

VINCI: In figure skating, it wasn't a fall that brought the first drama. Because of an injury, Michelle Kwan withdrew even before her competition began. Then the spills of favorite Sasha Cohen and Russia's Irina Slutskaya gave way to Japan's first ever gold medal in figure skating.

The U.S. dominated snowboard competitions, the Austrians alpine skiing, where the Italians failed to win a single medal for the first time in more than 25 years, despite having the home proud advantage.

But the Olympics were also about the thousands of volunteers who made guests feel welcome, and the hundreds of thousands who cheered and supported athletes from all countries.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No politics. There's no politics. This is all -- everybody is rooting for their country, no matter what happens.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody's rooting for everybody's country.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody's country, yes.

VINCI: Their enthusiasm may have helped overcome adverse weather conditions and at times, prohibitive walks to reach venues. These Olympics were also about people like Giovanni (ph), the blind supporter who imagined cross country skiers zipping by. Pessimists who forecast too little snow were proven wrong. So were those who protected poor ticket sales, when 900,000 were sold. These empty seats are blamed on sponsors and sporting federations, which failed to distribute their slots efficiently.

The closing ceremony was a celebration of carnival proportions, with clowns wearing original Fellini costumes and performances by Andrea Bocelli and Ricky Martin.

(on camera): The Olympic flame no longer burns over Torino. And with the attention now shifting to Vancouver, hosting the next Winter Games in 2010, this city perhaps faces its biggest challenge yet: making sure the world does not forget about this lesser known corner of Italy.

Arrivederci from Alessio Vinci, CNN, in Torino.

PHILLIPS: Don't you love it when he speaks Italian. Now the final medal count. Germany finished on top with a total of 29 medals. The U.S. won 25. Canada, 24. Austria came away with 23. Rounding out the top five, Russia with 22.

Well, he called me baby and now we just can't let him go. Yes, the LIVE FROM team has decided to adopt a new intern. He reads the New York Times, has a gold medal hanging from his rear view mirror and handles the snowboard like no other. After quite a memorable interview, The Flying Tomato, Shaun White, stole our hearts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAUN WHITE, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: The stewardesses had all seen the games and they were so excited to see me. They were like you have the gold. And I had like unlimited service after that. I was getting drinks and I was getting snacks. I was taking photos in the back with all the stewardesses.

PHILLIPS: Wait a minute, drinks, you are 19 years old.

WHITE: I'm talking about Mountain Dews, baby. All right?

PHILLIPS: He called me baby. He called me baby. That's right. Ginger Ale for Shaun White, outstanding. Um, OK, getting a little warm here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: It was definitely warm then. But it got hot when Shaun came to Atlanta and joined our LIVE FROM team.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: How are you?

WHITE: They got me an office job in here.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Good. WHITE: The whole snowboarding thing went downhill after the games. Just trying to make ends meet.

PHILLIPS: This is the new intern?

WHITE: Hey. How are you?

PHILLIPS: I don't get a baby?

WHITE: Wow, pretty cool.

PHILLIPS: Look at all the finger prints on it. Can I wear it?

WHITE: Yes, throw it on.

PHILLIPS: Wow. What do you think? Is that awesome? Do you have a girlfriend yet?

WHITE: Um, no. I'm working on it.

PHILLIPS: Oh, who is this?

These are not the flight attendants you were having Mountain Dew with?

Who are these women?

WHITE: They are some friends I made at the games.

PHILLIPS: Just some friends? I would be so disappointed if you get crazy on me. No drugs, no drinking, no loose women.

WHITE: What? It's all official in here.

PHILLIPS: You like that. So seriously you want to join our team?

WHITE: Yes, I'm ready.

PHILLIPS: You have the gold medal. How are you going to handle all of this? You are 19, you are a quadrillionaire. You are down to earth. Good-looking guy. How are you going to keep this all in perspective?

WHITE: The thing is my family's just a huge balance for me. So wherever like things get crazy, they are right there to make sure things are going smooth. I'm so mellow. --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People on the tour. They want to wave at you.

PHILLIPS: Look at that. He has the gold medal.

WHITE: Oh. Oh.

Get the tape and I'm going to replay it, awesome. PHILLIPS: That's awesome. Thank you so much. I hate giving it back. What a bummer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Well that wasn't the final good-bye from Shaun. This came in the mail today. An invitation to Shaun White's "I Just Won the Olympics and Now I'm Raging Till I Die party in L.A." Shaun, save me a Mountain Dew on the rocks, baby.

The NBA versus a former MVP. Minnesota Timberwolf Kevin Garnett thrown out of yesterday's game against Memphis after tossing a ball into the stands and hitting a fan. What's up with that?

Garnett says he was frustrated in trying to get a delay of game. The fan appeared unhurt at first but was later carried off on a gurney. Garnett apologized but could still face suspension by the league. The Timberwolves still beat The Grizzlies by the way, 105-99.

Talking turkey to turkeys. The proud tradition continues and the turkey calling champ for 2006 is named. A peek at the competition straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Otis, cue the turkeys.

Wow, that's my team. The National Wild Turkey Federation really bagged some big game for its convention this weekend in Nashville. Key-note speaker and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia talked about his experiences with hunting and guns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUSTICE ANTONIN SCALIA, SUPREME COURT: I used to travel on the subway from Queens to Manhattan with a rifle. I mean, can you imagine doing that today in New York? There's a man with a gun!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Our affiliate of WSMV with another highlight of that convention.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TERRY BULGER, WSMV: Thousands are here showing off, selling, and competing for the national crown.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a lot more than a hobby. It's a lot of work.

BULGER: Doug Crabtree (ph) is here from Mansfield, Ohio. Bringing a national reputation and hope for a perfect on-stage performance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The judges that are behind that screen, you know they spent hours and hours in the woods. And they know what real hen turkeys sound like. And that's what they are listening for.

BULGER: There's no backstage, just a back stairwell to warm up. Kentucky's Jeremy McQuery (ph) has judges to impress, too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got two minutes, and just one time, with all of these guys here, they are really good callers. And they don't make mistakes.

ANNOUNCER: Contestant number 34.

BULGER: It all sounds good to me and probably you. We have untrained turkey ears. This is a skill carefully developed over time.

Terry Bulger, Channel 4 News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Pennsylvania's Matt Van Cise won The Wild Turkey Bourbon NWTF Grand National Calling Championship for the second year in a row. Thanks Otis. Congrats, Matt on the ring, the trophy, and the $5,000.

Time to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. He is standing by live in The "SITUATION ROOM" at the top of the hour. He's definitely no turkey. Hi, Wolf.

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

Splintering Iraq. Religious violence pushing the nation toward civil war, with 130,000 American troops caught in the middle. The U.S. ambassador in Iraq. He's in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

Plus, port controversy. A compromise is reached to delay the deal, but critics say that's not good enough. They want the deal dead.

Also, nuclear Iran. They're reportedly going ahead with plans to enrich uranium. Find out what it means to U.S. security.

And Hillary Clinton sounding off on Karl Rove, vice versa. Find out why she thinks he's obsessed.

That and much more here in "THE SITUATION ROOM" -- Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Wolf, we're obsessed with you.

BLITZER: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: You're welcome. Amazing grace. It's an anthem, a prayer, a prerequisite, as New Orleans heads into Lent exactly six months after the horrors of Hurricane Katrina. Now a unique look at that city then and now through the lenses of local photographers, Herald Paque (ph) and David Gallent (ph) and through the voices, of course, of the Blind Boys of Alabama.

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PHILLIPS: Video of the day, actually just a photo. But it's a doozy, yikes. International music man George Michael had a rough weekend. London cops woke up the "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" star as he snoozed in his car. The resulting charges include suspected possession of marijuana and GHB, or liquid ecstasy, and the very British "driving while unfit." Well, that charge was later dropped after in-jail medical check. Michael released a statement saying that he has no complaints about the police, and that the whole thing is, quote, "my own stupid fault, as usual."

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