Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
"Daily Dose"; Discussion with Creator of "CSI"; "The Old Farmer's Almanac's" Weather Predictions
Aired September 22, 2004 - 11:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: John Kerry has good reason to focus on Florida. Actually, there's a live picture from Pennsylvania, where President Bush will be.
Let's talk about John Kerry in Florida. The state's 27 electoral votes are considered up for grabs, just like they were four years ago.
Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider is with me from Washington.
Bill, it has been a rough month and a half for Florida, three hurricanes. Have the storm affected the battle for Florida votes?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POL. ANALYST: Well, I think the storm -- various storms that have hit Florida, sadly, have kind of put politics in suspension there. A lot of voters in Florida and various parts of the state were hit, were hit badly, and they don't want to talk about politics.
I think in a way that hurts Kerry, because he's there campaigning today, but he's campaigning to an electorate for whom politics is not their primary concern. President Bush has been able to go to Florida on a couple of occasions and campaign without campaigning, by delivering aid, by standing there. There were pictures of him with his brother, the governor of Florida, delivering ice, delivering supplies. He can campaign without campaigning, that's more difficult for John Kerry.
KAGAN: We've heard about the Catholic vote in this campaign. What about the Jewish vote, especially as it applies to Florida?
SCHNEIDER: Well, I've often said the Jews are the most conflicted voters in this campaign, because a lot of Jewish voters like what President Bush has done to stand by the government of Israel, but they're very critical of John Kerry over his views on -- I'm sorry, very critical of President Bush over his views on social issues and over the war in Iraq.
There was a poll that was just done by the American Jewish Committee that chose that Kerry is indeed doing very well with Jewish voters. Sixty-nine percent of Jewish voters -- this is around the country, not just in Florida. Over two-thirds of them are voting for John Kerry. Bush is only 24 percent among Jewish voters. That is slightly better than he did, than President Bush did in 2000, where exit polls showed him getting 19 percent of the Jewish vote. He's edged up a little bit, but not as much as the White House might be hoping, because they feel that they have a real shot at carrying maybe 30, 40 percent of the Jewish vote, because of his strong stand in support of Israel, and it does not look like Bush is doing that.
KAGAN: All right, Bill Schneider, thank you for that.
We usually see Judy Woodruff sitting in the seat there. She's on the campaign trail today in West Palm Beach, Florida. "INSIDE POLITICS" is live from the CNN Election Express. That is today at 3:00 p.m. Eastern.
Pocketbook issues are always high on voters' radar in election season. What are the candidate saying about taxes and the deficit.
Here is part three of Kelly Wallace's week-long series "Promises, Promises."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): First, the big picture -- the big deficit picture that is.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I can say to you that the deficit will be cut in half over the next five years.
WALLACE: Senator Kerry says he can accomplish that in four.
KERRY: We believe it's time for Washington to live within a budget just like you do.
WALLACE: But cutting in half a federal budget deficit, expected to reach a record $422 billion this year, translates into a case of simple arithmetic. To keep all their campaign promises, the candidates need to cut spending, raise your taxes, or both.
BUSH: And we've got to keep your taxes low.
WALLACE: The president promises to make permanent across-the- board tax cuts set to expire in 2010, but that would mean $1 trillion in lost government revenue. He also proposes allowing younger workers to invest social security payroll taxes in the stock market, but that could cost 2 trillion over the next 10 years, according to independent experts.
So, the president's wish list adds up to about 3 trillion over the next decade, and that doesn't include spending for the war in Iraq, homeland security, education and everything else.
So, how will President Bush bring down the deficit? He promises to restrain the growth in spending and make cuts to offset spending increases.
KERRY: We're going to cut taxes for the middle class.
WALLACE: Senator Kerry, for his part, promises to lower taxes on 98 percent of Americans, says he would raise taxes only on the wealthiest 2 percent, who make more than $200,000 per year. This would bring in $860 billion over 10 years, his campaign says. He promises to use that money to pay for new programs: 200 billion for education, 650 billion for health care. But other experts say his health care plan will cost much more. His wish list, like Mr. Bush's, does not include spending for the war, homeland security and everything else.
So, how would the senator cut down the deficit? He promises to impose spending caps and offset spending increases with mandatory spending cuts or tax increases.
Now the bottom line. The assessment from independent analysts that both candidates' promises would likely increase the deficit, not reduce it.
Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Tomorrow we're going to focus jobs and what each candidate promises to do to create them in the U.S. and reduce job losses. We'll find out whether they can turn their promises into public policy.
All right, now think about this, it's good for you, and it also tastes good? Up next, in our "Daily Dose" of health news, a diet that you might actually want to sink your teeth into.
And later, start spreading the news, one of televisions best dramas is coming talking to the Big Apple. I'll have a chance to talk to the creator of "CSI: New York," just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: New research suggests the so-called Mediterranean Diet may help you stay healthy now and then live longer into the future.
Our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has more in our "Daily Dose" of health news, finding herself healthy in New York City today.
Hello.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I am feeling healthy in New York City today. It is a beautiful day, a good day for walking, which is an important part of this story, and we'll talk about that in a minute.
But as far as the Mediterranean Diet goes, people it seems like every day there's a new-fangled diet coming out, and a group of researchers said, hey, what about the Mediterranean Diet, what people have traditionally eaten in the Mediterranean region of Europe, where traditionally, they have had lower obesity rates than what we have here in the United States. So they decided to take a look at a group of elderly people. They followed them for 10 years to see who was eating a Mediterranean Diet and who wasn't, and what their chances were of dieting in those 10 years.
And here you see some of the foods that are common in the Mediterranean Diet.
What the researchers found was that over that 10-year period, the people who followed this Mediterranean Diet had a 23 percent lower risk of death in that 10-year period.
And here's a really remarkable number. They had a 65 percent lower risk of death when they followed the Mediterranean Diet and also exercised, didn't smoke and drank moderately, drank, for example, a drink a day for a woman, or two drinks a day for a man.
Now what exactly is the Mediterranean Diet? The Mediterranean Diet is high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, olive oil and fish, and it is low in red meat and refined grains, such as white bread, and that low in red meat is a really important part of the diet according to the folks who study it. They say here in America, meat is at the center of the plate, it's at the center of what we eat, and everything is else is off to the side. In the Mediterranean diet, it's the opposite -- the fruits and vegetables are sort of the main course. The meat is in very small portions, kind of off to the side of the plate -- Daryn.
KAGAN: I like that. So that is the how, but what about the why? Why do they think it helps people live longer?
COHEN: Well,there was a second study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and what that found is that folks who studied the Mediterranean Diet, they actually put people on it, had a lower chance of getting something called the metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome is something that it is thought to affect one out of four Americans, and the metabolic syndrome is where folks are overweight, they have high blood pressure, high glucose, high insulin levels and high cholesterol. So they think something about this diet, and it may be the high amounts of monounsaturated fats, which is what you find in fish, and olive oil and nut nuts, that that may have something to do with it.
KAGAN: But it seems the only kind of diets Americans care about, besides high fat, is low carb or low fat. So how does that fit into the Mediterranean Diet?
COHEN: Right, Americans are assessed with carbs and they're obsessed with fats. You're either not eating fat or you're not eating carb. But what this diet says is throw that all away, and what you want to look at is eating good carbs and good fats. What you want to eat is good carbs, like whole grains -- for example, whole wheat bread -- and good fats, like nuts, olive oil and fish. Carbs are OK. You just eat the right kind and fats are OK. Eat the right kind. Again, that's the monounsaturated fat found in olive oil and avoiding, or at least limiting saturated fight, like you find in red meat.
KAGAN: All right, Elizabeth, thank you for that. Thank you so much.
Also in New York City, my friend Soledad O'Brien is tuning in. It's not like she has a lot of free time right now. She has been off the airwaves for a while. Good reason. Gave birth to two healthy twin boys. Tomorrow, though, she's going to return to AMERICAN MORNING, only on tape and only on Thursdays.
For the next five weeks, she and Dr. Sanjay Gupta will bring you a new series every Thursday morning on AMERICAN MORNING. It's called "Crowded House." Soledad knows about that, four kids four and under. That's going to start tomorrow at 7:00 Eastern.
Hope you're doing well, Soledad.
First it was Las Vegas, then Miami, now New York City. Criminals beware. The trail of is evidence leading right to the Big Apple. We're talking to the creator of "CSI: New York." It debuts tonight. That conversation coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: I want to show you a live picture from Capitol Hill, Senator Pat Roberts talking on the floor of the Senate. They're looking at the confirmation of Congressman Porter Goss as the next head of the CIA. Senator Roberts is head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, the chairman there. This talk and this debate is expected to go on for many hours, five or six hours. Eventually, though, there will be a vote, and it is expected that Porter Goss will be confirmed as the next head of the CIA.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Trying to find a single house in a city of eight million, this should be fun.
GARY SINISE, ACTOR: All we need is a photograph.
All right, let's get this triangulation started. We'll use Zoey (ph) as our primary reference. What's her height?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Emmy (ph) says she's 5'9.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: They worked in Vegas, they've worked in Miami, why not New York? "CSI: New York" premiers tonight on CBS. In the city that never sleeps, there is always a crime to solve.
The popular and critically-acclaimed "CSI" franchise is the brainchild of Anthony Zuiker, the show's creative and executive producer.
Anthony Zuiker, welcome.
ANTHONY ZUIKER, "CSI" CREATOR & EXEC. PROD.: Thank you.
KAGAN: A big night for you tonight, just what you needed, another show on network television.
ZUIKER: I never asked for it, but I'll take it. KAGAN: So why "CSI: New York?" Of all of the cities, and all the towns and all of the gin joints in this country, why New York?
ZUIKER: Well, I think the emotion of the country really resided in New York City. It's my favorite city in the entire world, and I just felt that if we were going to do a third installment of "CSI," what better backdrop than New York City?
KAGAN: Well, you're doing something right. Because let's look at the top 10 shows right now on television. You put it up. It is like a -- basically a ghetto of reality shows, except for a couple of shows. First of all, "CSI" No. 1 at the top. Congratulations on that. And your other new show, second newest show now, "CSI: Miami," hanging in there at number nine. What do you think you're doing with your show and your franchise that's allowing it not just to do well, but really to do an excellent job and have great success.
ZUIKER: Well, I Believe that America has a fascination over justice, also a fascination over forensics. I think if you're learning, watching our show, you're learning. And I think based on the O.J. trial, now that "CSI" has really come out and had a profound effect on forensic science and really educated the public as to what forensic science is, I believe the people love the mystery and they love the cast.
KAGAN: You're really, Anthony, stepping this up a notch. You're not just putting another show out there. You're going up against "Law and Order."
ZUIKER: Yes.
KAGAN: Dick Wolf, the creator of that show, of that genre, shall we say, has kind of put some fighting words out there. One, he says, as a term of respect. He says this is the biggest competition his show has ever had. That must feel kind of good.
ZUIKER: It feels great. I mean, Mr. Wolf is amazing. He's the godfather of the spinoff, and he's done amazing things at "Law and Order" for 15 years. And like I've said before, there's no such thing as good competition, just good company, and there's no reason why "CSI: New York and "Law and Order" can't be successful in the same time slot.
KAGAN: But just to differentiate, he says "Law and Order," as he puts it, is a brand; "CSI" is a franchise. Did you take that as a little bit of a diss?
ZUIKER: Well, you know, he has to say what he has to say. I have full respect for Mr. Wolf, and we'll do our talking on screen.
KAGAN: OK, you'll let the scripts and the show speak for itself.
ZUIKER: Right.
KAGAN: And I talk about the two big stars you were able to land for "CSI: New York." ZUIKER: Well, Gary Sinise is one of the greatest actors in the world. To be able to have him say yes to series television and yes to "CSI: New York" is an amazing blessing, and Melina Kanakaredes, who has a long of great accreditations for her work in film and TV, to have those two stars commit to series television at this juncture is a huge plus for us, and we're very excited to have them aboard.
KAGAN: Part of the job is to tell compelling stories, but few compelling -- more stories compelling than your own story and your rise to success. When you think back on the guy that was driving the tram from the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, could he even begin to imagine the kind of success you've been able to have in Hollywood.
ZUIKER: Not at all. Like I said, "CSI" was my first TV script. I was just hoping to be on the air for six episodes, might as well have three shows over the course of five years. So, I count my blessings every day, and we have a hot of talented people that help put "CSI" on the map. So, I'm just grateful to be involved with very talented people.
KAGAN: And it beats driving the tram?
ZUIKER: A little bit. Little bit.
KAGAN: Just a little bit.
Well, good luck with the show. Once again, it debuts tonight, "CSI: New York," 10:00 p.m. on CBS. Anthony Zuiker, the executive producer, thanks for stopping by. We always love to have you stop by here on CNN LIVE TODAY.
ZUIKER: All right. Thank you, Daryn.
KAGAN: Yes, he's been stopping by the show since there was only one "CSI" on the air, so you know we go way back.
Rhonda Schaffler, are you feeling safer now that there's going to be "CSI: New York?" Your town's a little bit safer now they have those detectives?
RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Let me tell you, Daryn, they need to feel safer on Wall Street.
KAGAN: Oh, no!
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Breaking news for you now on the CBS flap. The news network, CBS News announcing that has appointed a former U.S. Attorney Dick Thornburgh, also former Associated Press Chief Lou Boccardi, they're being appointed to investigate the flap over the now known as fake documents, the story involving these documents that CBS News was doing looking at President Bush's National Guard service. Those documents turned out not to be authenticated and, in fact, to be fake. So, CBS appointing two men, former U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh and former Associated Press Chief Executive Lou Boccardi to investigate how their organization association went wrong with that story.
We move on here at CNN. The 2005 version of "The Old Farmer's Almanac" is out this month. The publication is famous for its long- rage weather predictions, but the little yellow book offers oh so much more.
John Pierce is the publisher of "The Old Farmer's Almanac," and he is here with me now. Good morning. Thanks for being here with us.
JOHN PIERCE, PUBLISHER, "THE OLD FARMER'S ALMANAC": It's a pleasure to be with you, Daryn.
KAGAN: I want to talk weather first.
PIERCE: Sure.
KAGAN: And because weather has been in the news so much lately, what about the hurricanes? Looking back, did "The Old Farmer's Almanac" predict this intense hurricane season.
PIERCE: No, we did not, Daryn. We expected this intensity to be next hurricane season, and in fact we are predicting an active season for next year. And we hope we're wrong. We saw the trend developing, but not this quickly.
KAGAN: And you also look at other seasons. Next up, probably winter 2005. What are we looking at?
PIERCE: Well, we're seeing a shift in two major ocean currents that will affect our winter weather nationwide for the next 10 years. And in general, it means colder, snowier winters -- or more snow and ice in the Atlanta areas, for example -- for the next 10 years.
For the entire country next year, the desert southwest will be warmer than average and very dry, of course. The rest of the country will be below average temperature, generally above average precipitation with a few exceptions -- the upper Rockies being one of them.
KAGAN: And finally, "The Old Farmer's Almanac" still comes with a hole in the side there in the upper left-hand corner so you can hang it in the outhouse.
PIERCE: Well, that's why it was put there initially, yes, because that's where we assumed people read back then, yes. So, and we've kept the hole, because it's a great tradition, and our readers really demand it.
KAGAN: Excellent. Very good. Well, good luck with 2005, then, and thanks for stopping by.
PIERCE: Oh, it's my pleasure. KAGAN: We are talking about weather, Jacqui Jeras. Jacqui uses a few more things than "The Old Farmer's Almanac" in figuring this out, right?
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: Jacqui, thank you for that.
And that's going to do it for me, Daryn Kagan. Wolf Blitzer is standing by to take over in Washington D.C., Wolf?
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "NEWS FROM CNN": Thanks very much, Daryn.
We're following several important developments this hour. The conflict in Iraq, presidential politics -- how the two mix.
First, though, some headlines now in the news.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 22, 2004 - 11:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: John Kerry has good reason to focus on Florida. Actually, there's a live picture from Pennsylvania, where President Bush will be.
Let's talk about John Kerry in Florida. The state's 27 electoral votes are considered up for grabs, just like they were four years ago.
Our senior political analyst Bill Schneider is with me from Washington.
Bill, it has been a rough month and a half for Florida, three hurricanes. Have the storm affected the battle for Florida votes?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POL. ANALYST: Well, I think the storm -- various storms that have hit Florida, sadly, have kind of put politics in suspension there. A lot of voters in Florida and various parts of the state were hit, were hit badly, and they don't want to talk about politics.
I think in a way that hurts Kerry, because he's there campaigning today, but he's campaigning to an electorate for whom politics is not their primary concern. President Bush has been able to go to Florida on a couple of occasions and campaign without campaigning, by delivering aid, by standing there. There were pictures of him with his brother, the governor of Florida, delivering ice, delivering supplies. He can campaign without campaigning, that's more difficult for John Kerry.
KAGAN: We've heard about the Catholic vote in this campaign. What about the Jewish vote, especially as it applies to Florida?
SCHNEIDER: Well, I've often said the Jews are the most conflicted voters in this campaign, because a lot of Jewish voters like what President Bush has done to stand by the government of Israel, but they're very critical of John Kerry over his views on -- I'm sorry, very critical of President Bush over his views on social issues and over the war in Iraq.
There was a poll that was just done by the American Jewish Committee that chose that Kerry is indeed doing very well with Jewish voters. Sixty-nine percent of Jewish voters -- this is around the country, not just in Florida. Over two-thirds of them are voting for John Kerry. Bush is only 24 percent among Jewish voters. That is slightly better than he did, than President Bush did in 2000, where exit polls showed him getting 19 percent of the Jewish vote. He's edged up a little bit, but not as much as the White House might be hoping, because they feel that they have a real shot at carrying maybe 30, 40 percent of the Jewish vote, because of his strong stand in support of Israel, and it does not look like Bush is doing that.
KAGAN: All right, Bill Schneider, thank you for that.
We usually see Judy Woodruff sitting in the seat there. She's on the campaign trail today in West Palm Beach, Florida. "INSIDE POLITICS" is live from the CNN Election Express. That is today at 3:00 p.m. Eastern.
Pocketbook issues are always high on voters' radar in election season. What are the candidate saying about taxes and the deficit.
Here is part three of Kelly Wallace's week-long series "Promises, Promises."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): First, the big picture -- the big deficit picture that is.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I can say to you that the deficit will be cut in half over the next five years.
WALLACE: Senator Kerry says he can accomplish that in four.
KERRY: We believe it's time for Washington to live within a budget just like you do.
WALLACE: But cutting in half a federal budget deficit, expected to reach a record $422 billion this year, translates into a case of simple arithmetic. To keep all their campaign promises, the candidates need to cut spending, raise your taxes, or both.
BUSH: And we've got to keep your taxes low.
WALLACE: The president promises to make permanent across-the- board tax cuts set to expire in 2010, but that would mean $1 trillion in lost government revenue. He also proposes allowing younger workers to invest social security payroll taxes in the stock market, but that could cost 2 trillion over the next 10 years, according to independent experts.
So, the president's wish list adds up to about 3 trillion over the next decade, and that doesn't include spending for the war in Iraq, homeland security, education and everything else.
So, how will President Bush bring down the deficit? He promises to restrain the growth in spending and make cuts to offset spending increases.
KERRY: We're going to cut taxes for the middle class.
WALLACE: Senator Kerry, for his part, promises to lower taxes on 98 percent of Americans, says he would raise taxes only on the wealthiest 2 percent, who make more than $200,000 per year. This would bring in $860 billion over 10 years, his campaign says. He promises to use that money to pay for new programs: 200 billion for education, 650 billion for health care. But other experts say his health care plan will cost much more. His wish list, like Mr. Bush's, does not include spending for the war, homeland security and everything else.
So, how would the senator cut down the deficit? He promises to impose spending caps and offset spending increases with mandatory spending cuts or tax increases.
Now the bottom line. The assessment from independent analysts that both candidates' promises would likely increase the deficit, not reduce it.
Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Tomorrow we're going to focus jobs and what each candidate promises to do to create them in the U.S. and reduce job losses. We'll find out whether they can turn their promises into public policy.
All right, now think about this, it's good for you, and it also tastes good? Up next, in our "Daily Dose" of health news, a diet that you might actually want to sink your teeth into.
And later, start spreading the news, one of televisions best dramas is coming talking to the Big Apple. I'll have a chance to talk to the creator of "CSI: New York," just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: New research suggests the so-called Mediterranean Diet may help you stay healthy now and then live longer into the future.
Our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has more in our "Daily Dose" of health news, finding herself healthy in New York City today.
Hello.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I am feeling healthy in New York City today. It is a beautiful day, a good day for walking, which is an important part of this story, and we'll talk about that in a minute.
But as far as the Mediterranean Diet goes, people it seems like every day there's a new-fangled diet coming out, and a group of researchers said, hey, what about the Mediterranean Diet, what people have traditionally eaten in the Mediterranean region of Europe, where traditionally, they have had lower obesity rates than what we have here in the United States. So they decided to take a look at a group of elderly people. They followed them for 10 years to see who was eating a Mediterranean Diet and who wasn't, and what their chances were of dieting in those 10 years.
And here you see some of the foods that are common in the Mediterranean Diet.
What the researchers found was that over that 10-year period, the people who followed this Mediterranean Diet had a 23 percent lower risk of death in that 10-year period.
And here's a really remarkable number. They had a 65 percent lower risk of death when they followed the Mediterranean Diet and also exercised, didn't smoke and drank moderately, drank, for example, a drink a day for a woman, or two drinks a day for a man.
Now what exactly is the Mediterranean Diet? The Mediterranean Diet is high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, olive oil and fish, and it is low in red meat and refined grains, such as white bread, and that low in red meat is a really important part of the diet according to the folks who study it. They say here in America, meat is at the center of the plate, it's at the center of what we eat, and everything is else is off to the side. In the Mediterranean diet, it's the opposite -- the fruits and vegetables are sort of the main course. The meat is in very small portions, kind of off to the side of the plate -- Daryn.
KAGAN: I like that. So that is the how, but what about the why? Why do they think it helps people live longer?
COHEN: Well,there was a second study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and what that found is that folks who studied the Mediterranean Diet, they actually put people on it, had a lower chance of getting something called the metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome is something that it is thought to affect one out of four Americans, and the metabolic syndrome is where folks are overweight, they have high blood pressure, high glucose, high insulin levels and high cholesterol. So they think something about this diet, and it may be the high amounts of monounsaturated fats, which is what you find in fish, and olive oil and nut nuts, that that may have something to do with it.
KAGAN: But it seems the only kind of diets Americans care about, besides high fat, is low carb or low fat. So how does that fit into the Mediterranean Diet?
COHEN: Right, Americans are assessed with carbs and they're obsessed with fats. You're either not eating fat or you're not eating carb. But what this diet says is throw that all away, and what you want to look at is eating good carbs and good fats. What you want to eat is good carbs, like whole grains -- for example, whole wheat bread -- and good fats, like nuts, olive oil and fish. Carbs are OK. You just eat the right kind and fats are OK. Eat the right kind. Again, that's the monounsaturated fat found in olive oil and avoiding, or at least limiting saturated fight, like you find in red meat.
KAGAN: All right, Elizabeth, thank you for that. Thank you so much.
Also in New York City, my friend Soledad O'Brien is tuning in. It's not like she has a lot of free time right now. She has been off the airwaves for a while. Good reason. Gave birth to two healthy twin boys. Tomorrow, though, she's going to return to AMERICAN MORNING, only on tape and only on Thursdays.
For the next five weeks, she and Dr. Sanjay Gupta will bring you a new series every Thursday morning on AMERICAN MORNING. It's called "Crowded House." Soledad knows about that, four kids four and under. That's going to start tomorrow at 7:00 Eastern.
Hope you're doing well, Soledad.
First it was Las Vegas, then Miami, now New York City. Criminals beware. The trail of is evidence leading right to the Big Apple. We're talking to the creator of "CSI: New York." It debuts tonight. That conversation coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: I want to show you a live picture from Capitol Hill, Senator Pat Roberts talking on the floor of the Senate. They're looking at the confirmation of Congressman Porter Goss as the next head of the CIA. Senator Roberts is head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, the chairman there. This talk and this debate is expected to go on for many hours, five or six hours. Eventually, though, there will be a vote, and it is expected that Porter Goss will be confirmed as the next head of the CIA.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Trying to find a single house in a city of eight million, this should be fun.
GARY SINISE, ACTOR: All we need is a photograph.
All right, let's get this triangulation started. We'll use Zoey (ph) as our primary reference. What's her height?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Emmy (ph) says she's 5'9.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: They worked in Vegas, they've worked in Miami, why not New York? "CSI: New York" premiers tonight on CBS. In the city that never sleeps, there is always a crime to solve.
The popular and critically-acclaimed "CSI" franchise is the brainchild of Anthony Zuiker, the show's creative and executive producer.
Anthony Zuiker, welcome.
ANTHONY ZUIKER, "CSI" CREATOR & EXEC. PROD.: Thank you.
KAGAN: A big night for you tonight, just what you needed, another show on network television.
ZUIKER: I never asked for it, but I'll take it. KAGAN: So why "CSI: New York?" Of all of the cities, and all the towns and all of the gin joints in this country, why New York?
ZUIKER: Well, I think the emotion of the country really resided in New York City. It's my favorite city in the entire world, and I just felt that if we were going to do a third installment of "CSI," what better backdrop than New York City?
KAGAN: Well, you're doing something right. Because let's look at the top 10 shows right now on television. You put it up. It is like a -- basically a ghetto of reality shows, except for a couple of shows. First of all, "CSI" No. 1 at the top. Congratulations on that. And your other new show, second newest show now, "CSI: Miami," hanging in there at number nine. What do you think you're doing with your show and your franchise that's allowing it not just to do well, but really to do an excellent job and have great success.
ZUIKER: Well, I Believe that America has a fascination over justice, also a fascination over forensics. I think if you're learning, watching our show, you're learning. And I think based on the O.J. trial, now that "CSI" has really come out and had a profound effect on forensic science and really educated the public as to what forensic science is, I believe the people love the mystery and they love the cast.
KAGAN: You're really, Anthony, stepping this up a notch. You're not just putting another show out there. You're going up against "Law and Order."
ZUIKER: Yes.
KAGAN: Dick Wolf, the creator of that show, of that genre, shall we say, has kind of put some fighting words out there. One, he says, as a term of respect. He says this is the biggest competition his show has ever had. That must feel kind of good.
ZUIKER: It feels great. I mean, Mr. Wolf is amazing. He's the godfather of the spinoff, and he's done amazing things at "Law and Order" for 15 years. And like I've said before, there's no such thing as good competition, just good company, and there's no reason why "CSI: New York and "Law and Order" can't be successful in the same time slot.
KAGAN: But just to differentiate, he says "Law and Order," as he puts it, is a brand; "CSI" is a franchise. Did you take that as a little bit of a diss?
ZUIKER: Well, you know, he has to say what he has to say. I have full respect for Mr. Wolf, and we'll do our talking on screen.
KAGAN: OK, you'll let the scripts and the show speak for itself.
ZUIKER: Right.
KAGAN: And I talk about the two big stars you were able to land for "CSI: New York." ZUIKER: Well, Gary Sinise is one of the greatest actors in the world. To be able to have him say yes to series television and yes to "CSI: New York" is an amazing blessing, and Melina Kanakaredes, who has a long of great accreditations for her work in film and TV, to have those two stars commit to series television at this juncture is a huge plus for us, and we're very excited to have them aboard.
KAGAN: Part of the job is to tell compelling stories, but few compelling -- more stories compelling than your own story and your rise to success. When you think back on the guy that was driving the tram from the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, could he even begin to imagine the kind of success you've been able to have in Hollywood.
ZUIKER: Not at all. Like I said, "CSI" was my first TV script. I was just hoping to be on the air for six episodes, might as well have three shows over the course of five years. So, I count my blessings every day, and we have a hot of talented people that help put "CSI" on the map. So, I'm just grateful to be involved with very talented people.
KAGAN: And it beats driving the tram?
ZUIKER: A little bit. Little bit.
KAGAN: Just a little bit.
Well, good luck with the show. Once again, it debuts tonight, "CSI: New York," 10:00 p.m. on CBS. Anthony Zuiker, the executive producer, thanks for stopping by. We always love to have you stop by here on CNN LIVE TODAY.
ZUIKER: All right. Thank you, Daryn.
KAGAN: Yes, he's been stopping by the show since there was only one "CSI" on the air, so you know we go way back.
Rhonda Schaffler, are you feeling safer now that there's going to be "CSI: New York?" Your town's a little bit safer now they have those detectives?
RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN SR. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Let me tell you, Daryn, they need to feel safer on Wall Street.
KAGAN: Oh, no!
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Breaking news for you now on the CBS flap. The news network, CBS News announcing that has appointed a former U.S. Attorney Dick Thornburgh, also former Associated Press Chief Lou Boccardi, they're being appointed to investigate the flap over the now known as fake documents, the story involving these documents that CBS News was doing looking at President Bush's National Guard service. Those documents turned out not to be authenticated and, in fact, to be fake. So, CBS appointing two men, former U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh and former Associated Press Chief Executive Lou Boccardi to investigate how their organization association went wrong with that story.
We move on here at CNN. The 2005 version of "The Old Farmer's Almanac" is out this month. The publication is famous for its long- rage weather predictions, but the little yellow book offers oh so much more.
John Pierce is the publisher of "The Old Farmer's Almanac," and he is here with me now. Good morning. Thanks for being here with us.
JOHN PIERCE, PUBLISHER, "THE OLD FARMER'S ALMANAC": It's a pleasure to be with you, Daryn.
KAGAN: I want to talk weather first.
PIERCE: Sure.
KAGAN: And because weather has been in the news so much lately, what about the hurricanes? Looking back, did "The Old Farmer's Almanac" predict this intense hurricane season.
PIERCE: No, we did not, Daryn. We expected this intensity to be next hurricane season, and in fact we are predicting an active season for next year. And we hope we're wrong. We saw the trend developing, but not this quickly.
KAGAN: And you also look at other seasons. Next up, probably winter 2005. What are we looking at?
PIERCE: Well, we're seeing a shift in two major ocean currents that will affect our winter weather nationwide for the next 10 years. And in general, it means colder, snowier winters -- or more snow and ice in the Atlanta areas, for example -- for the next 10 years.
For the entire country next year, the desert southwest will be warmer than average and very dry, of course. The rest of the country will be below average temperature, generally above average precipitation with a few exceptions -- the upper Rockies being one of them.
KAGAN: And finally, "The Old Farmer's Almanac" still comes with a hole in the side there in the upper left-hand corner so you can hang it in the outhouse.
PIERCE: Well, that's why it was put there initially, yes, because that's where we assumed people read back then, yes. So, and we've kept the hole, because it's a great tradition, and our readers really demand it.
KAGAN: Excellent. Very good. Well, good luck with 2005, then, and thanks for stopping by.
PIERCE: Oh, it's my pleasure. KAGAN: We are talking about weather, Jacqui Jeras. Jacqui uses a few more things than "The Old Farmer's Almanac" in figuring this out, right?
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: Jacqui, thank you for that.
And that's going to do it for me, Daryn Kagan. Wolf Blitzer is standing by to take over in Washington D.C., Wolf?
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "NEWS FROM CNN": Thanks very much, Daryn.
We're following several important developments this hour. The conflict in Iraq, presidential politics -- how the two mix.
First, though, some headlines now in the news.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
