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Castro's Brother Temporarily in Control of Cuba; Israel Increases Military Campaign; Syria Puts Military on Alert; Record Temps Hit East Coast

Aired August 01, 2006 - 13:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, HOST: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips live at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta.
Castro hands over power for now. Dawn of a new day? What do we know about his brother, now in control?

Israel marches on. The ground war reaching the heart of Hezbollah territory. Now another Middle East nation readies its troops.

Triple-digit temps scorch the plains and East. Power outages continue. The battle plan, conserve and cope. We're tracking the hot spots.

LIVE FROM starts right now.

A possible sea of change in Cuba. Here's what we know right now. Seventy-nine-year-old dictator Fidel Castro has undergone reported intestinal surgery. Although his current condition is not known.

In a letter read by Castro's secretary Monday night, the longtime leader said stress led to his illness and that he'd be in bed for several weeks after the operation.

Castro's younger brother is currently in power. Raul Castro, who's 75, is Cuba's first vice president and is also his brother's designated successor. It prompted Miami's exile Cuban community to erupt in celebration. But in the streets of Havana, the mood is uncertain. Cubans are waiting for updates on the man who's the only leader that many have ever known.

He's outlasted nine U.S. presidents, any number of invasion attempts and even CIA assassination plots. He's held on long after the Berlin wall tumbled and his Soviet pals crumbled. For 47 uninterrupted years, Fidel Castro has been the only leader that thousands of Cubans have ever known or imagined.

CNN producer Shasta Darlington is live in Havana, where uncertainty is an unusual emotion.

But Shasta, you and I were talking about the people there. And even if they wanted to see a change in power, these are people that proceed in a very slow, cautious manner, yes?

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN PRODUCER: That's right. And basically, Cubans are putting a brave face on the turn of events. And they're trying to continue with their daily lives.

Even -- even those who perhaps are critical of Fidel Castro's policies are worried about things spinning out of control. They wouldn't want that to happen. They certainly wouldn't want chaos to reign. And at this point, there's just been a temporary transfer of power. So it's just day by day, step by step.

Today, Cubans got up, went to work. They're treating it like another day, as much as they can. And the government has done a good job of trying to avoid any kind of panic, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: How do Cubans feel about Raul? How do they know him? How do they see him? How have they reacted toward him?

DARLINGTON: He's definitely more of a mysterious figure than his older brother. And he's been by Fidel's side all these 47 years but really in the shadows.

Still, he's considered more pragmatic, more down to earth. Of course, he lacks the huge charisma that Fidel has. But Cubans see him as maybe somebody more in touch with what they really need. For example, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was Raul Castro who famously said "what Cubans need right now is beans, not bullets." They were going hungry. All of their trade deals had fallen apart.

So this -- this is somebody that Cubans trust. Although they do expect that right now we'll see more continuity than anything else, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Shasta Darlington, thank you so much.

As Shasta was saying, 75-year-old Raul Castro is Fidel's younger brother. Raul is the first vice president of Cuba and designated successor to his brother. And after helping topple the government in 1959, Raul Castro became Cuba's military commander. It was his troops who defeated the CIA-organized Bay of Pigs organization in 1961.

And the White House is reacting cautiously to the Cuban leader's illness and the apparent temporary change in power. Our Suzanne Malveaux is on that story from the White House.

Hey, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hey, Kyra, of course the Bush administration watching the developments in Cuba very closely. They refuse to speculate over Fidel Castro' health. Officials, however, saying we continue to work for the day of Cuba's freedom.

And, of course, that is taken very, very seriously. It was three years ago President Bush actually created a commission to the State Department, co-chaired by Secretary Rice and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez to come up with a plan to help in a kind of post-Fidel Castro regime, in the event that he's incapacitated, to help with democratic reforms in that country, in the tune of some $80 billion over two years. So there's definitely a plan that is in place. Also, Kyra, of course, there is a big political component to all of this. President Bush just yesterday in Miami, Florida, addressing a very important voting constituency. That is, Cuban-Americans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've known many people in my country who are proud of their Cuban heritage, that came to the United States to live in a free society. And my hope is that one day that same freedom that people that found here in America will be found in Cuba.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Report from the commission. Two things that are not included in that report is any kind of explicit call for regime change or any kind of suggestion of U.S. troops moving in militarily to make anything like that happen.

Also U.S. officials I spoke with as well say, OK, perhaps Raul is in place, Raul Castro, but they are really waiting for the whole Castro family, if you will, to step aside. And that is when they feel like there's going to be a real chance for democratic reforms -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, Suzanne, something -- bit of a side note, something that's happening there at the White House. That's the renovation of the briefing room that usually we see you and Tony Snow in.

Now, my guess is Tony's been watching Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM", and that's why he's decided to make these changes. What do you think?

MALVEAUX: Hey, maybe that's the model. I don't know. You're absolutely right, because what they're going to do, they're going to kick us out of the White House for nine months. Across the street -- nine months, have you. And then of course they'll bring us back.

In the meantime, they're going to rip this briefing room apart. If you've ever seen it, Kyra, it's rather disappointing. It's a little on the grainy side.

But they're going to put these video panels behind Tony Snow so yes, it might have been inspired by "THE SITUATION ROOM". But that's just one of the main things that we're going to see, kind of the bells and whistles all meant to communicate the White House message a little bit better.

PHILLIPS: Well, I remember it was very, very small. I was surprised at the size. And I'm curious, all the chairs in there, I remember there used to be little brass plates with a number of the reporter's names. Are those still there? And is that still a normal thing?

MALVEAUX: Well, yes, and actually, it's got the little brass plate. It has a CNN plate for our seat. There's one that says Helen Thomas, of course, for her seat. She sits right in front of us.

But they're like, you know, when you're in third grade with the flip over desk and everything, you know. Back in the '50s, you know, these chairs. So we're hoping for something a little bit more high tech.

PHILLIPS: Excellent, all right, we'll follow it. Suzanne Malveaux at the White House, thanks so much.

Let's get back to Cuba Libre.

Yes, you may think of it as a drink. You can order it at the bar, but as Fidel Castro hands over power in Cuba for the first time in decades, it's a different kind of free Cuba that many Cuban exiles and their descendants are imaging. One Miami blogger says if you think you're seeing celebrating now, wait until, quote, "the old goat is dead. Even clocks will stop in Miami that day."

CNN's Susan Candiotti is at the epicenter of Miami's Cuba community, the Versai restaurant in Little Havana. And I'm assuming there's a little salsa dancing going on today.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is, and it hasn't stopped. And while you heard Suzanne say that officially the White House refuses to speculate on what might happen next, well, many people in the Cuban exile community are free to speculate about what might happen next. And they certainly hope that, in their view, Fidel Castro may already be dead, some of them are suggesting.

And they're also asking questions, such as, why hasn't Raul Castro already appeared on Cuban television to try to explain to the Cuban people what is going on? Why hasn't that happened yet?

Well, here on the streets of Little Havana, throughout the day, we are hearing car horns, truck horns, air horns, saxophones, and now the latest prop, if you will, to arrive on the scene, is over my shoulder. It is an empty, bloodied coffin that presumably is supposed to represent a coffin that is waiting for Fidel Castro.

And next to it, that mannequin is supposed to represent his political ally, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. Go figure, that's one of the things you see out here.

Also, you are seeing, for example, a gentleman who is selling Cuban flags, in the fine spirit of capitalism, for $7 apiece, and then lowered the price to $5 apiece.

So there's a little bit of everything right now. But people are very free to share their views on what might possibly lie ahead on the communist island.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cuba will be free. Because Raul take the power it doesn't matter. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we're doing is speculating about what's going to happen. Hopefully, nobody would die. Hopefully it won't be a civil war. And that could happen. That could be a regular transition to a democratic. Who knows? Also the speculation.

But the good news is that at least this is the beginning to the end, you know, of Castro life, you know. And remember, his brother's 75, so he's not a young person.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't believe that. I believe Fidel is dead, and they don't want to tell the country that he's dead. So they're doing it little by little. He's sick. He just got surgery. He's passing his power to his brother. I believe he's dead. I believe in my heart Fidel Castro is dead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: So as you can see, a range of opinions about what is happening on the island and what truly is happening with Cuba's president Fidel Castro. Just as is happening in every other place in the country, primarily in Washington and Miami, home to a number of Cuban exiles. People are on the edge of their seats waiting to see what will happen next -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: He's always been a man of mystery, that's for sure. Susan Candiotti, thanks.

Israel says Hezbollah has taken a serious beating. Here's what we know right now about the conflict in the Middle East. Heavy ground fighting is raging in Southern Lebanon, a day after Israel decided to expand its ground offensive. Israeli officials say that soldiers will go as far as 18 miles inside the border to clear out Hezbollah fighters.

Israel has also resumed the air campaign. The country's justice minister says 300 Hezbollah fighters have been killed since the conflict began three weeks ago. And he says the Israeli military has requested at least four more weeks to accomplish its goals.

Meanwhile, a United Nations convoy reached Qana, Lebanon, today, bringing badly needed aid. Dozens of civilians died Sunday when Israel bombed that town. Aid workers are describing the situation there as dire.

Well, the Israeli army on the move and on the offensive in Southern Lebanon. The fighting comes a day after Israel's security cabinet decided to expand the ground campaign against Hezbollah.

CNN's Paula Hancocks joins us now live from Jerusalem -- Paula.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra.

We have been seeing some very fierce fighting just across the Lebanon border this Tuesday. We've seen in one particular area, Aita al Shaab (ph), this is an area that the Israeli forces say they've been in for well over 12 hours now. And we have been seeing images of intense shelling on this particular hill-top village, just across the border. And we've seen a lot of black smoke rising from the buildings in that particular area.

Now, this is very close by to where the two Israeli soldiers were originally kidnapped almost three weeks ago, which sparked this initial escalation in violence. Also, during that attack, eight others were killed. So it's very close to that area. So we are seeing pockets of fierce fighting across Southern Lebanon in different areas.

So it does show that the security cabinet meeting that announced in the early hours of Tuesday morning, saying that there would be an expanded military operation, they approved this operation. And it does appear as though, at least on the ground, there is further incursions by the Israeli military.

Now Hezbollah has been saying they're pushing the Israeli military back, but this is something the Israeli military is denying.

Now we also just heard from the Israel prime minister, Ehud Olmert, and he really gave his clearest indication yet that the cease- fire would not be coming in a matter of days.

Now speaking in front of people, he did say that it was -- the process -- the political process was starting to begin to think about this cease-fire. But he said that Israel has not done enough to try and stop Hezbollah from launching these rockets from Southern Lebanon into Northern Israel. He says there's a lot more that needs to be done. As you said, the justice minister said the IDF wants at least four weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EHUD OLMERT, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We are at the beginning of a diplomatic process, which, I believe, ultimately will lead to a cease-fire with totally different conditions and circumstances from those which existed on our northern border.

So there will be a force which will bring about a real division -- separation of our country from those forces that threatened it, with the backing of Arab countries.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: Olmert also said he never promised the Israelis that every single Hezbollah rocket would be destroyed, but he did think they have been dealt a heavy blow -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Paula Hancocks, thanks so much.

Well, with fighting raging on in Lebanon, Syria takes an ominous step. President Bashar Assad orders his military to increase readiness to cope with what he calls regional challenges.

CNN's Aneesh Raman is in the Syrian capital of Damascus -- Aneesh. ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, good afternoon.

It comes as Israel seemed set to widen its presence in Southern Lebanon on the ground. It seems a statement that could perhaps be seen as a tit-for-tat.

But there's a bigger question here, as to why the Syrian president made that statement now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN (voice-over): Calling the war one of Israeli aggression and genocide, Syria's president, Bashar Assad, in a statement to the country's armed forces, raised their readiness, essentially telling them to train harder and prepare for whatever might come next.

But there was no mention of increasing troop numbers or any movement of military assets. Instead it seems, it was a reminder of Syria's regional importance.

Amid the fury in the Muslim world following the Israeli attack on Qana, Lebanon, amid increasing international calls for an end to the conflict, Syria is posturing, at an opportune moment.

(on camera) Across Damascus at cafes like this TVs are locked on to Arabic news channels that are constantly showing images of the children killed in the Qana attack. It is in part why the Syrian government feels the tide is turning its way, as Arab opinion hardens against Israel and its ally, the United States.

(voice-over) One top official here says it's Washington that's out of step, not Damascus.

BUTHAYNA SHA'BAN, EXPATRIATE AFFAIRS MINISTER: Yesterday, the foreign minister of Egypt was here. Nine foreign ministers called our foreign minister and spoke to him. So we don't feel lonely at all. Syria is not isolated. I think it's only in the minds of the U.S. administration that Syria is isolated.

I think in this crisis the U.S. is isolated in the Middle East, and the U.S. has shown itself not to have any vision or any credibility in the Middle East.

RAMAN: Syria says the U.S. must directly engage both Damascus and Iran if a permanent solution to the crisis is to be achieved. And, they say, Hezbollah must agree to any international peacekeeping force planned for Southern Lebanon.

SHA'BAN: Of course, we will see international troops as occupying force because they are not consulting with the resistance.

RAMAN: the resistance is how many here label Hezbollah, seen by Israel and the U.S. as a terrorist group.

And as a diplomatic solution to the current crisis is being debated in capitals around the world, Syria's president has his own message. His is a country essential to sustainable peace in the Middle East.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN: Kyra, his is a country, as well, that the U.S. labels as one that sponsors terrorism. So no one here is suggesting or assuming that a peace deal is in the works that would include both the U.S. and Syria -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: You know, we seem like we talk about this all the time, Aneesh, but Syria, has it come forward and talked about, in a direct way, its relationship with Hezbollah as the United States continues to say Syria is helping fund Hezbollah?

RAMAN: In short, in Damascus, no. We have relatively few comments that are made out of the capital. The Syrian character here is to lay low, see how the situation unfolds.

When we ask officials that we're able to about what kind of support they essentially go forward with Hezbollah, they say it's merely support for the resistance. They deny that there are any arms that are coming through -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Aneesh Raman, live from Damascus, thank you so much.

Straight ahead, horribly hot and humid, a dangerous combination for thousands of people from the Midwest to the East Coast. Just ahead, we're live from New York where the temps are reaching record highs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Intense, oppressive, and downright dangerous. Temperatures are topping 100 degrees from Chicago to Central Park today, a big problem for people with health issues or no power.

CNN's Allan Chernoff joins us from Union Station in the heart of Manhattan.

Hey, Allan.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

And it certainly is very hot here. You could say the Big Apple is being fried right now, not just baked, but fried as well.

Right now, my thermometer here showing more than 100 degrees. And that's just walking here on the sidewalk.

How about the guys that have to work outside, the guys who do construction? There you go over there. Those folks have been working since early this morning, in the hot sun. And they're working with steel beams, putting them into concrete. That is no fun on a day like this.

Other people also working outside. We have one individual here. Fernando Rivera is a messenger. Fernando, you have to walk all over the city.

FERNANDO RIVERA, MESSENGER: Yes, I do. And the train is the most -- it's like being in an oven, in the train downstairs. And I have to travel all the way uptown, all the way downtown. You know, the most comfortable thing is getting on a bus.

CHERNOFF: I can see you're well prepared here. You got your water.

RIVERA: Yes, I do.

CHERNOFF: And you're dressed pretty well for it.

RIVERA: Yes, I do.

CHERNOFF: Coping in spite of the discomfort?

RIVERA: Yes, I try to dress as lightly as possible and all that, and I try to do everything as quick as possible so I can get home early, because I feel like I'm in a sauna right now.

CHERNOFF: OK, we'll let you get out it. Thank you very much, Fernando.

RIVERA: Thank you very much.

CHERNOFF: OK. Mayor Bloomberg has announced a heat emergency. He's urging people to stay indoors, drink as much liquid as possible. And of course, for people that don't have air conditioning, there are more than 300 cooling centers.

The other big concern here in New York is the power situation. Con Edison, the utility for New York City and Westchester, the county (AUDIO GAP), says that there are 60 homes now without power. That's not too bad. Of course, they had a blackout a few weeks ago affecting thousands.

But right now, Con Ed says that the city is using more than 12,000 megawatts. That's enough power for 12 million homes. The all- time record set last summer, one day, was just over 13 million. We very well may hit that 13 million mark a little later today -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Wow, all right, Allan, we'll keep talking. You mentioned that the mayor's holding a news conference right now. We're actually monitoring that. He is addressing reporters. As soon as we get some additional details to what Allan just said, we'll bring it to you. We're listening to him.

How much longer will it be this hot? Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras monitoring that from the CNN weather center.

Hey, Jacqui.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: All right, Jacqui, thanks a lot. Straight ahead, a mission of mercy in the Middle East. Bombed- out roads, people in desperate need, and the arrival of hope. Meet a woman who made a dangerous journey inside Southern Lebanon, coming up on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Misery and desperation, that's what it's like for many civilians trapped by the conflict in the Middle East. But humanitarian convoys are finally bringing badly needed aid to Southern Lebanon.

Cassandra Nelson has seen that situation first hand. She's with Mercy Corps. She joins me live from Beirut.

Cassandra, I had the chance to talk to you by phone. Finally, I'm seeing you in person. And I know you finally got into the south also. Tell us about the trip.

CASSANDRA NELSON, MERCY CORPS: Well, it was a really long trip, but I think in the end really rewarding.

We set out at about 7 a.m. this morning with a two-truck convoy taking food items and blankets for about 1,600 people into an area called Marjajoun (ph), which is in the south of Lebanon, near the border.

The going was very slow. The roads were terrible, bombed out in many places. There were some places where we had to actually take our convoy and drive it through orchards. It's a very big agriculture area. And we were driving through olive orchards and things rather than on the road because we couldn't. We got a little bit of information from some friends of ours who were already down there, who called up and told me that there'd been airstrikes in the morning, and so we were pretty nervous coming in and asked them to keep us posted. If they thought the situation was going to get worse, we planned to turn back, but they said, you know, things were holding. So we continued on, and made it after about six hours. We got there.

What we found were about 2,000 families, mainly elderly and a lot of children, and they were near out of food. You know, some families were eking out the last of their supplies. They've been down there for three weeks, stuck behind these battle lines, really without any incoming supplies, so they were really in desperate need.

PHILLIPS: Did you ever feel you were in danger at any time, Cassandra?

NELSON: Well, you know, actually the drive down was eerie and everyone was very nervous. We were on edge. But we didn't experience any bombing or any strikes, and so we were nervous, but we weren't really scared.

Actually, after we delivered all the aid, we were on our way out of town, and there was one part of the town that actually was very devastated, completely leveled. And we stopped just for a minute to take a look and actually to take some pictures, and while we were out sort of looking at this devastated area, we started hearing incoming shelling and there's boom, boom, boom. And one of my colleagues just said, everyone, in the truck now, in the truck. And clearly, we got in the car as fast as we could and drove out of there and really never looked back. At that point, I think our hearts were all really racing, and we really moved very quickly until we were in a more secure area. I think all of our...

PHILLIPS: What was the hardest thing to see, Cassandra, when you finally got there to people, especially in Southern Lebanon, was it the kids, the families, what was the toughest part of that?

NELSON: You know, I had actually gone into a couple of these classrooms in one of the schools where they were living and was talking with some of them. Actually, a lot of them speak really good English. I didn't have a translator with me. We were having a very good conversation, and they asked me to come and sit and share a meal with them, and I almost lost it right about then. I mean, here we are, trying to help them, and these people are so kind and so hospitable that they're asking me to share their meal, their little food that they have with us. It was -- I was really overcome. It's very touching.

PHILLIPS: That is one of the most beautiful things about the culture. Are you going to get a chance to go back? Is this going to continue? How long will this aid last that you were able to get there?

NELSON: Well, the aid we gave out was for about 1,600 people, and should last them up to about two weeks. So they're definitely, I think, in a much more secure position, although they still have a lot of needs. Their electricity is out. Their pumps don't work, so they don't have any running water. So there's still a lot of problems there.

But Mercy Corps, you know, is going to plan, based on security, if we have access. Because right now we have no guarantees of safe access. We're out there taking a risk every time we go down there. But, you know, clearly a risk that we think needs to be taken, as long as it's a calculated risk. But we plan to continue these deliveries as long as the security situation is such that we think that we can make it.

PHILLIPS: Cassandra Nelson with Mercy Corps, unbelievable work you do, and I appreciate your keeping in contact with us. I definitely want to plug your Web site. If you'd like to help Mercy Corps in its mission, you can call this number: 1-888-256-1900, or you can click on to mercycorps.org, and you help Cassandra and the others there within the organization as they get that aid straight to the people.

PHILLIPS: Well, straight ahead, Inside Autism: Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes a look at what may cause this mysterious condition. That's next. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: Let's get straight to the newsroom. Tony Harris working the details on a developing story.

Hey, Tony.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Kyra.

You know, earlier in the morning hours, we were able to get the statement, the new statement from Mel Gibson, on the air where he acknowledged making anti-Semitic remarks during his arrest for suspected DUI. That was on Friday morning, early Friday morning.

In the new statement, he said there is no excuse for making those kinds of comments.

But here's another piece of that statement. "I am in the process of understanding where those vicious words came from during that drunken display, and I am asking the Jewish community, whom I have personally offended, to help me on my journey through recovery. Again, I am reaching out to the Jewish community for its help. I know there will be many in that community who will want nothing to do with me, and that would be understandable, but I pray that that door is not forever closed." And that is a larger snippet of the statement from actor Mel Gibson.

Then just a short time ago, we received this statement from Abraham Foxman, who is the national director for the Anti-Defamation League. And in the statement, Abraham writes, "This is the apology we had sought and requested. We are glad that Mel Gibson has finally owned up to the fact that he made anti-Semitic remarks. And his apology sounds sincere. We welcome his efforts to repair the damage he has caused, to reach out to the Jewish community, and to seek help. Once he completes his rehabilitation for alcohol abuse, we will be ready and willing to help him with his second rehabilitation, to combat this disease of prejudice."

So just wanted to bring you that, Kyra, sort of the latest development, the latest statement in this ongoing story with actor Mel Gibson.

PHILLIPS: And, Tony, as you were just kind of bringing us up to date, I'm being told the Office of Independence Review, you know, it's that outside department that oversees what the sheriff's department is doing when something like this happens, they investigate misconduct, or, you know, they monitor the -- they're going to hold a news conference, I'm told, probably about 2:30 Eastern Time.

HARRIS: Two-thirty?

PHILLIPS: Yes, is that the word you're getting, too?

HARRIS: Yes, and that's the word here, at 2:30.

And that's interesting, because you're wondering what this commission is going to actually say. Are they interested in the comments made during the arrest, or in the behavior of the deputy sheriffs at the time of the arrest? You know, there's a story that there were two versions of...

PHILLIPS: Right, and you know, I used to live and work there and there, and normally what they'll do, they'll sit the arresting deputies down; they'll take a look at the police report. Obviously, there's allegations that the police report was interested. And they'll look for evidence that that happened. They'll look, indeed, to see if that was had taken place. I'm sure they'll interview the sheriff and talk about all relationships between Gibson and those at the department. You know, they'll cover all the angles.

HARRIS: So that's the angle that they'll be looking into?

PHILLIPS: All right, Tony. We're following it.

HARRIS: Thanks.

PHILLIPS: "Inside Autism" -- it's definitely a medical mystery, and yet, as many as one in every 166 children in this country are diagnosed with autism. You know, doctors still don't know what causes it.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins me now with part two of his special, "Inside Autism." Five parts, right?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Five parts, and there's a lot to talk about. I mean, it is remarkable. A lot of people are talking about autism. Certainly the numbers have gone up, and whether that's because we've gotten better at diagnosing it or the actual cases have gone up is hard to say.

But one thing is sure. The number of researchers actually looking for the cause is also increasing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice-over): It is a true medical mystery, the secrets of an autistic brain.

WENDY STONE, VANDERBILT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: There is no identified single cause of autism that is universal for all children, and there may never be.

GUPTA: As with many mysteries of the mind, doctors point to genetics and environment as culprits. But as the mystery starts to unfold, we learn that it could be more complicated than that.

The newest research shows that there is something that a child is born with that allows outside factors to wreak havoc on their little brains. More simply, these children are not necessarily born with autism, but they are born with the potential to develop it.

And what exactly are those outside factors? Not sure.

STONE: Before we're born, it's the mother's womb and placenta. After we're born, it's what we eat, it's what we breathe, it's what we drink. And there are so many different things out there that it's hard to pinpoint exactly what it is.

GUPTA: Still, any parents of an autistic child will have theories.

When Zack Cachas' (ph) parents learned he had autism, his mother began to change his diet, worried he was eating something that was causing him to get worse. Some families believe that a preservative in some childhood vaccines called thimerosal is causing autism in their children.

The CDC says no scientific link.

DR. ROBERT DAVIS, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL: Now that we have the data coming in, there is no data to suggest that the thimerosal or the mercury in vaccines is linked to autism.

GUPTA: And what about the genetic link? Well, doctors at Vanderbilt are studying siblings of autistic children.

STONE: They are at elevated risk for developing autism. Even from birth, we can start following these children and we can identify the very earliest signs.

GUPTA: Catching those early signs may help doctors get one step closer to solving the mystery.

So what exactly is happening in an autistic brain? At the University of Pittsburgh, doctors are seeing what is happening inside the autistic brain.

The picture here shows a normal brain on the left, an autistic brain on the right with dramatically fewer connections lighting up. And, it turns out, we may soon be able to diagnose autism before the child is even born.

DR. FRED VOLKMAR, YALE UNIVERSITY: The placentas of the babies with autism had higher rates of what were called trophoblasts, which usually is a sign that something had gone wrong genetically in the pregnancy.

GUPTA: No, we still don't know what exactly causes it, or even how to explain the rising rates across the United States. But every day we're getting close to solving the mystery of autism.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: But you can start to get a sense of the problem as well. Without a cause, it's difficult to develop a cure. But the technology's become so much better, actually allowing people to peer inside the brain of autistic children.

And some new news actually out just yesterday saying that there is a genetic link and, in fact -- get this -- the genes that cause autism are different for boys versus girls, so they might actually be a sex-based autism, a little bit different between the two. PHILLIPS: Still not a test, though, right? So how do parents know, OK, my child -- it looks like they're falling under possibly that autism, you know, scale?

GUPTA: Right. It is very difficult, and I think any pediatrician that any parent talks to will be very careful in terms of actually talking about the specifics in terms of what milestones your child should meet, for example, because every child is going to be different.

But if you're worried, there are some things to think about, for instance: if your child doesn't babble, point, or make any meaningful gestures by age 1; if your child isn't saying a single word, no words at all, by 16 months; if he or she doesn't combine words by age 2; doesn't respond to the name or actually regresses, starts to lose language or lose social skills.

But, again, you know, I'm very careful in even saying that, Kyra, because every child is different and there are kids who are perfectly fine, end up being perfectly fine, who don't meet some of these milestones so you have to be careful there.

PHILLIPS: What's coming up tonight?

GUPTA: Well, we're going to talk a lot about early intervention. One thing that we did learn, more than anything else, is that the earlier you intervene with these kids, the better. What exactly the intervention is, how much of a difference it can make as well in the life of an autistic child, we're going to talk about that. And when should you, as a parent, seek help? And the answer's earlier the better. We'll talk about why.

PHILLIPS: All right. Thanks, Sanjay.

GUPTA: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Well, is this the beginning of the end for Castro's regime? Political insight on Cuba and late developments. See them right here on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

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PHILLIPS: Well, if you're still toting around your old, nearly obsolete cell phone, a new plan by one wireless company could give you an incentive to upgrade. Susan Lisovicz is live from the New York Stock Exchange with that story.

Hey, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey Kyra.

Well, who needs a Razr, those sleek cell phones, or the Chocolate cell phone we told you about yesterday, when you could have that old brick? There it is. You could do some weightlifting with that, build up your arms. The problem is, if you're a Cingular customer, you'll have to pay five bucks more per month if you want to carry them around or some other old models, for that matter. The company is trying to push all of its users to one type of signal, GSM or Global System for Mobile.

It's the dominate cell phone technology, 92 percent of Cingular customers already use it, but that leaves nearly five million subscribers who still use those older ones. Cingular says that having to carry three different types of wireless signals leave less room to connect calls and provide data services to the majority of its customers.

You know, that monthly surcharge, five bucks, adds up to about $23.5 million per month if customers pay it, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, hasn't Cingular been criticized in the past for poor service?

LISOVICZ: Exactly, and Cingular's trying to shake its reputation for poor service. You see all those ads about fewest dropped calls. Cingular's sensitive about that, especially since its buyout of AT&T Wireless two years ago. A couple months ago, Cingular was hit with a lawsuit claiming the company degraded the phone reception for the AT&T Wireless customers in an apparent effort to persuade them to sign new contracts.

The suit, which is taking class action status, also accuses Cingular of forcing AT&T Wireless subscribers to pay transfer fees and buy new phones. So Cingular has definitely been in focus on the last couple of years.

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PHILLIPS: We just got in the tape -- the president of the United States had his physical and Bethesda, Maryland, held a news conference.

Here's the latest on the exam and how it went today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm just amazed at the health care here at Bethesda. The admiral runs an amazing operation. And it's really important to our citizens to know one of our men and women get hurt on the battlefield, they're going to get incredibly good health care.

And Admiral, I can't thank you and your staff enough for serving the country with great dignity and class.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much, Mr. President.

BUSH: Appreciate it. Appreciate being with you here. God bless. Thank you. Doing fine. Health's fine. Probably ate too many birthday cakes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Dr. Sanjay Gupta here. Well, I guess we sort of knew that's how it's going to go. He's a runner. He's in good shape.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: He's a runner. He's in good shape. I mean, the things you look -- and he's 59 years old. He's almost 60 years. Obviously examining his heart. And you hear that he has a superior level of fitness.

So, I mean, for a 59-year-old guy, what does that mean? They measure something called C-reactive protein, which is the overall measure of inflammation in the body. That was all good last year. We obviously don't know the numbers so far this year. But it sounds like maybe not a significant amount has changed.

He was a big runner, as you mentioned. But he had those problems with his knee. He had a meniscus problem, and now he's more of a biker and more on the treadmill, I understand, and the elliptical trainer. Which is good. You know, the low-impact sort of stuff, versus the running.

PHILLIPS: You should be his personal doctor.

GUPTA: You know, I'm here to serve!

PHILLIPS: Mr. President, you're doing a good job.

GUPTA: That's right.

PHILLIPS: Well, just on sort of a news note today, because I -- we were talking about Fidel Castro ceding power and he was having -- you know, they're saying he's having intestinal surgery. And you said, well, that's normal. Even when the president had his colonoscopy, right, he had to do the same thing.

GUPTA: Yes, I mean, this is a bit of a tricky issue. Certainly has been the United States. Remember, Reagan never actually ceded power at the time of his attempted assassination. He -- President Bush did during a colonoscopy. I believe it was two or three years ago now. He actually ceded power for the time of the anesthesia, the time of sedation. Similar sort of thing, I guess they're saying, with Fidel Castro.

But it's hard to know exactly. Obviously, a very different situation. We're talking about surgery with Fidel Castro. They're saying surgery for an intestinal crisis due to stress. I was trying to decipher what that meant medically. It probably might mean ulcer surgery, like people develop ulcers as a result of stress. And the operation to fix that can be a big operation. Under general anesthesia for some time. Recovery period possibly weeks. In a 79- year-old guy who's about to turn 80, it's a very big ordeal.

PHILLIPS: And that's something we all try to avoid are those ulcers. That's for sure.

GUPTA: Got to. But in this business? PHILLIPS: Yes, really. It's difficult, isn't it? That's why you're here. We all call you.

GUPTA: That's right. I'm here to serve you, as well.

PHILLIPS: I have a stomach pain.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you. Appreciate it.

GUPTA: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: We're, of course, monitoring Castro's condition and continuing to talk about that story. Also straight ahead, Mel Gibson's fall from Hollywood grace. Will his star shine again? We expect a news conference from Los Angeles in the next hour. We're going to bring it to you live.

Stay with CNN, the most trusted name in news.

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