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Al-Jazeera Airs Tape of Abducted Christian Peace Activists; Using the Internet as a Cancer Resource

Aired March 08, 2006 - 14:30   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Three suspects now in custody in that baffling series of church fires in Alabama. Two students at Birmingham Southern College, Ben Moseley and Russell Debusk, were hauled into federal court in Birmingham today, where both were ordered held on arson charges. Sources now say a third suspect, Matthew Lee Cloyd, a student at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, also has been arrested.
Ten fires were set in rural Alabama churches early last month, and investigators say at least nine were related. Police say they tracked down the suspects from tire tracks found on four of the crime scenes.

No word on a motive, though one affidavit quotes a witness as calling it "a joke that got out of control." We're expecting a news conference at the top of the hour. We'll bring that to you live.

This week, Al-Jazeera Television aired new video of Christian peace activists held hostage in Iraq. Four were seized in November, but the video showed only Norman Kember of Britain and two Canadians, James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden. American Tom Fox was not seen or heard from.

Joining me from Vancouver, once again, the brothers of James Loney, Ed and Matt Loney. Guys, good to see you again. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances.

EDWARD LONEY, BROTHER OF HOSTAGE JIM LONEY: Thanks, you too.

MATTHEWS LONEY, BROTHER OF HOSTAGE JIM LONEY: Thanks for having us.

E. LONEY: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, let me first get your reaction. Matt, why don't we start with you. Your reaction to the latest videotape?

M. LONEY: Well, it was good to see James and the other two alive. We were disheartened not to see Tom Fox in the video, but those who were the on video did look tired. But for myself, it was good to see my brother again, for sure.

PHILLIPS: Ed, were you able to hear their voices or understand what they were saying?

E. LONEY: No, I couldn't understand what they were saying or read their lips or anything, unfortunately. It's such a small clip. It's 25 seconds or something, so you can't really tell what they're saying, unfortunately.

PHILLIPS: Now, does this give you guys any -- you know, like I said earlier, we were chatting during the break. I mean, it's difficult to be in this position still talking about this because your brother is not back home with you, but at the same time, it appears he is still alive, right, Matt?

M. LONEY: Yes. Well, we -- I mean, it's part of the roller coaster ride that this has become for our family and, I mean, this is a big piece right here that we've seen in the last few days. And we're holding up very well.

Like, you know, talking to my family, we're all sort of separated now in our different sort of new -- you know, in our lives that we normally carry on, so we're separated across the miles of our country, but we still keep in contact. And we're very pleased that -- we're very pleased with the support we've been getting locally and nationally and internationally.

And so we're hanging on. We're doing OK, and we also have a sense of humor at times too because we can't -- I mean, if we didn't, we would probably crack up.

PHILLIPS: Well, you have you to be. You have got to -- sometimes that's the best therapy in times like this.

Ed, let's talk about who is communicating with you. Is it the Canadian government? The American government? Who is keeping you up- to-date on what's going on, and do you know of any type of ongoing operation to try and rescue your brother and these others?

E. LONEY: Well, we know that the -- our Canadian government has people on the ground in Baghdad in the Green Zone who are trying to, you know, collect information about the whereabouts of my brother and his colleagues.

But at the same time too, we know that they're not going to be very effective in the Green Zone because it's an insulated place, and they don't really have contact with people on the ground.

But we know that CPT still has a presence in Baghdad, and they have an apartment outside of the Green Zone, and so I know they're out on the street collecting as much information as they can in markets and cafes and their neighbors and stuff to try to get information about the whereabouts of my brother and their colleagues as well.

PHILLIPS: Matt, talk to us a little bit about Jim and the organization he is involved with. I know that he has always been the peacemaker in your family, that you guys have always been very, very close, and he has always been the one that's sort of been the faithful leader in that family.

M. LONEY: Yes, he is an interesting guy. He is very spiritual and, you know, he has had such a great effect on our family through this whole thing because all the stories that we've heard about James's work and the type of guy that is he, and, of course, you hear about people's involvement with him that are completely, you know, different from how you view a sibling or a son just within our family.

And so we're very touched by the kind of work he has been doing, and CPT, for that matter, because these people are very dedicated to resolving things in a peaceful way and conflict resolution. So we're -- yes, like, we're very heartened by what James has done, the effect he has had in the world.

PHILLIPS: And, Ed, my guess is, whatever the outcome, that your brother knows deep if his heart that he has done what he feels is right and would never have any regrets about going over there to try and help the people.

E. LONEY: No. He has always been committed to his causes, whatever he decides to pick up, and I know that he is going to feel as though he has done as much work as he possibly can, even though he is in captivity. And

hopefully he realizes that, you know, people of conscience are gathering behind him and realizing that, you know, just one or two or three or four people can make a huge difference in what goes on in the world. And he has changed a corner of a lot of people's lives, and that makes a big difference for myself and my brother and the rest of our family.

PHILLIPS: Matt and Ed Loney, we'll continue to keep in touch with you. Let us know as you learn of new developments and, of course, we'll stay in contact with you. I thank you, again, for your time today.

M. LONEY: Thank you.

E. LONEY: Thanks for having us, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: You bet.

California sheriff's deputy on the wrong side of a court hearing in San Bernardino in a confrontation captured on tape. Ivory Webb shot Elio Carrion, and airman just home from Iraq. Prosecutors and a witness say Webb fired after telling Carrion to get up. His arraignment is going on this hour.

CNN's Kareen Wynter is at the courthouse right now. Kareen, what do we know?

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kyra. Well, we're trying to turn on video for you of the San Bernardino County deputy Ivory Webb just leaving the courthouse here in California just moments ago.

Webb did not speak in court during his arraignment this morning. He waived his right, but his attorney did speak on his behalf, entering a not guilty plea to the charge of attempted voluntary manslaughter, specifically the use of a firearm and inflicting great bodily harm in the January 29th shooting of unarmed military police officer Elio Carrion who had just returned home from Iraq.

Carrion was shot three times in the leg, chest, and shoulder following a brief car chase in which he was a passenger. Now, Kyra, this case has captured national headlines because of the fact that this incident was caught on tape.

A grainy amateur videotape shot by a resident in Chino, California where this shooting occurred shows Carrion on the ground. The tape is rolling. The cameras are rolling. And we hear the deputy ordering Carrion to get up now. This is the issue of controversy here because it appears, as Carrion is raising up, standing to his feet, that's when the deputy fires three shots.

Now, Carrion is still recovering from his injuries at an undisclosed location. His attorney says they're definitely upset by the charge that they were indeed pushing or hoping that it would be attempted murder because of the nature.

Now, as for Webb, his attorney filed a motion in court today asking the judge to reduce the bail amount from $100,000 to $50,000. The judge denied that request saying that they had previously reduced that amount from $175,000, Kyra, to $100,000. So that's as it stands right now. He has until Friday to post bail -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Kareen Wynter, thanks.

Point, click and comfort. More and more cancer patients are reaching out online to share their struggles and successes. We're going to meet the blogger behind redtoenail.org and explain what the name means, when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation -- blogs? Treating and beating cancer has always been as much about emotional support as medical science, and nowadays, a lot of that support is online. One of the leading bloggers is the lung cancer field.

It's a radiologist-turned-patient whom you'll meet in this report from CNN's Ed Lavandera.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. PHIL BERMAN, CANCER PATIENT: This is my brain, taken in slices like...

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Phil Berman keeps a stack of brain scans in his San Diego home. Two years ago, he was diagnosed with cancer.

BERMAN: Look at these big guys. Tons of them. You know, everywhere you look.

LAVANDERA: Doctors couldn't count all the cancer. Then the news got worse.

BERMAN: I had it in my liver, I had it in my bones, I had it in my brain, had it in my lung. So everywhere.

LAVANDERA: Berman was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, the most advanced stage. Most doctors gave him less than a year to live.

BERMAN: Because the times get really difficult, and the opportunity to just lay down and die is very real. And you have to just say no, I'm not going to do that.

LAVANDERA: What Berman needed was an outlet for his thoughts and fears, so he started an online diary to keep family and friends updated on his condition.

BERMAN: OK. Here's my very first blog. "Chemo number two today. Went well. I'm feeling well. Maybe it's just the steroid high?" So that's where it started. And then I got better at it. You know, they got, -- you know, longer and more story-like.

LAVANDERA: He found blogging so therapeutic, he created a Web site called redtoenail.org, a site where other cancer patients can create their own blogs. Putting your fears and experiences in words, Berman says, offers cancer patients the kind of medicine doctors can't prescribe: hope.

BERMAN: The people that gave me the most hope when I got my diagnosis and I obviously knew how deadly the disease I had were other people with the same diagnosis at the same stage who had done well.

LAVANDERA: Cancer patients can go online to share experiences about treatment, as well. Doctors do warn people to be careful with information they find on the Web. What works for one cancer patient might not work for another. But Berman says this site is policed by the patients who participate.

BERMAN: This is a community that is more interested in people surviving and healing, so that I don't think we're going to experience that kind of misbehavior, if you will, or bad behavior.

LAVANDERA: Phil Berman knows people will be asking where the name for the site came from. The secret is in his shoe.

BERMAN: Yes, I have one red toenail. It is true.

LAVANDERA: Berman will paint one toenail red for every year he beats lung cancer. He just passed the two-year survival mark, so there are two red toenails. The idea came from a friend who had a nightmare that while Berman was undergoing treatment, he had he come out with 10 red toenails. Phil Berman's goal is to make that nightmare come true.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, San Diego.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Kirby Puckett had wanted to be an organ donor. Now he might get his wish, and someone close to him might get a very special gift. The former Minnesota Twins star died of a stroke Monday at the age of 45. His ex-wife tells the "Minneapolis Star Tribune" one of Puckett's organs may be a match for his sister Jackie, who has kidney disease. Testing is still underway. We'll see what happens.

Attention, Medicare recipients. Are you still confused about the new prescription drug program? Having problems with the program that you signed up for? Well, we want to hear from you. E-mail us at livefrom@CNN.com because the man who can answer your questions, Dr. Mark McClellan, head of Medicare and Medicaid coverage, will be here live to answer your questions. E-mail us now, livefrom@CNN.com. We'll pose your questions to him tomorrow right here on the newscast.

Straight ahead, entertainment news with Brooke Anderson of "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT."

Brooke, what's on tap?

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, this is not a script from "Desperate Housewives"; rather, it's a serious situation Teri Hatcher has faced. She helped put a real-life child molester behind bars. I'll have that and more when LIVE FROM returns.

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PHILLIPS: Well it's got lobsters all over the world turning red. A new blonde bombshell's in town, completely with its own silky fur. Divers found it last year in the South Pacific. It's so distinct from other ocean species that it now has its very own family, something that rarely happens. No word on how it tastes with butter, though. Oh, that was cruel.

All right, on T.V. she's a "Desperate Housewife." In real life, Teri Hatcher relives a very painful memory now, to help put a child molester behind bars. Also, rehab and community service for an '80s pop icon. And, a judge tells Paris Hilton to stay away.

Brooke Anderson has all the details in today's entertainment update.

Hi, Brooke.

ANDERSON: Hi, Kyra. Off the red carpet and into the courtroom, but today's entertainment news reads like a script from a legal drama, that's for certain.

Starting off with Golden Globe winning star Teri Hatcher. The famous "Desperate Housewife" seen here on the cover of the new "Vanity Fair" has helped put a child molester behind bars. And here's the real shocker, the bad guy in this story is her own uncle. The 41- year-old star tells the magazine that her uncle, Richard Hayes Stone sexually molested her when she was five-years-old. Hatcher says she decided to come forward about her own story when she heard that a 14- year-old victim of her uncle's had committed suicide.

It was the information from Hatcher, police say, that helped put Stone behind bars, 64-year-old Stone pleaded guilty to four counts of child molestation and was sent to prison for 14 years. In some hot water of his own, British pop icon Boy George has pleaded guilty to a New York court for making a false police report. The '80s chart topper receives five days of community service and a $1,000 fine for lying to police about being robbed. But in the end it was a good deal for George, who also had drug possession charges dropped. During their investigation of the supposed robbery, 13 bags of cocaine were found. George, whose real name is George O'Dowd, could have faced 15 years in prison if found guilty of the drug charges. The court did order the singer to enter a drug rehab program, which he will do in his native England.

Jet-setting celebutante Paris Hilton is used to giving out orders, but now has been given one of her own. The 25-year-old reality star has been slapped with a three-year restraining order. Hilton must stay at least 100 yards away from 37-year-old event producer Brian Quintana who claims the hotel heiress harassed and threatened him after their relationship soured. But here's the real Hollywood kicker. Because Hilton and Quintana are often invited to the same social events, the court has allowed the disclaimer that Paris only has to stay 25 feet away from Quintana when the two are partying at the same spot -- only in L.A.

OK, tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," we will have more on Teri Hatcher's shocking story of sexual abuse, all the details on why the "Desperate Housewife" star decided to reveal who abused her and where things stand now with the child molester she sent to jail. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" 7:00 and 11:00 Eastern on "Headline Prime," Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, looking forward to it, thanks Brooke.

He taught himself to take pictures and became one of "LIFE" magazine's most admired photographers. Gordon Parks also became an author, a composer, and Hollywood's first major African American film director. Yesterday he passed away.

CNN's Soledad O'Brien looks back at a very successful life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Gordon Parks was a legend behind the camera. He spent more than 20 years as a photographer for "LIFE" magazine, covering everything from fashion to politics to sports. Parks is best known, perhaps, for his gritty photo essays on poverty in the U.S. and abroad and on America's civil rights movement.

In a 1998 interview with CNN, Parks talked about his passion.

GORDON PARKS, PHOTOGRAPHER & FILMMAKER: The important thing about trying to show bigotry with a camera was that you just couldn't photograph a bigot and write "bigot" underneath the photograph. You had to go to the source of bigotry, which is how people lived and what they were suffering.

O'BRIEN: Parks also wrote books of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, including the best-selling autobiographical novel "The Learning Tree."

In 1969, Gordon Parks turned his talent to Hollywood, becoming the first major black movie director. He made a film version of his story, and then two years later came this.

"Shaft" was his breakout film and a box office smash. On three of his other movies he even composed the music. Though he never formally studied music, Parks wrote a piano concerto, a symphony and a ballet based on the life of Martin Luther King Jr.

Gordon Parks said his body of work should be a lesson to all.

PARKS: So many people could do so many things if they just tried, but they are frightened off because they haven't been trained to do this or trained to do that. I just picked up a $7.50 camera and went to work.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, Parks bought that camera used at a pawn shop. Gordon Parks was 93-years-old.

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