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CNN Live Today

Harry Hysteria; 'Daily Dose'

Aired July 15, 2005 - 11:30   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Israel says that it carried out helicopter raids against Hamas militants today. Israel says the men were on their way to launch more rockets at citizens. Palestinian security officials put the death toll was put at six. Israel pledged last winter to stop targeted killings as part of a truce with Palestinians.
New details about the CIA leak and presidential adviser Karl Rove. Sources confirm to CNN that Rove says he learned the CIA operative's name from columnist Robert Novak. Novak went on to publish Valerie Plame's name in his column days after he talked with Rove. Rove has maintained he never knew Plame's name to lead it to reporters. He denies doing anything wrong.

The Alps are behind him, and American Lance Armstrong is still wearing the yellow jersey in the Tour De France. Armstrong retains the overall lead despite finishing behind Robbie McCuen in today's flat 13th stage. Armstrong is bidding to win for a seventh consecutive time. The tour takes on the Pyrenees beginning tomorrow.

OK, mom and dad. The kids get to cancel bedtime and stay up late tonight. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" hits bookstores at one minute past midnight. I'm going to talk to a couple of harry experts in just a moment. First, though, a look at the woman behind the wizard. It is truly a rags-to-riches story for J.K. Rowling from poverty to billionaire in what seems like the turn of a page.

CNN's Paula Hancocks has her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, J.K. Rowling!

(APPLAUSE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A welcome you'd normally expect for a rock star. The woman who brought the world "Harry Potter" has secured a place in a generation's hearts. A phenomenal rise to stardom she can hardly believe herself.

J.K. ROWLING, "HARRY POTTER" AUTHOR: The first reading I ever did, there were two people who had wandered into the basement of Waterstone's by mistake and were too polite to leave when they saw someone was doing a reading. And they had to get all staff in the shop downstairs to bulk out the crowd a bit. HANCOCKS: 250 million copies later, she can certainly hold her own in Waterstone's these days. The boy wizard has made Rowling the most successful author of her time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Famous Harry Potter. Can't even go to a book shop without making the front page.

HANCOCKS: Fiction reflects fact, thanks to her phenomenal success of her books and the movie adaptations. The Hogwart's Express sped Harry towards wizardry. Harry's ability to sell sped a single mother on benefits to a spot as one of the wealthiest women in Britain, a far cry from humble beginnings in Edinburgh, where she penned her first novel longhand in this cafe with her sleeping daughter by her side.

J.K. Rowling even met Queen Elizabeth II last year, safe in the knowledge she was probably more wealthy than her highness, the "Harry Potter" fortune estimated at around $1 billion. J.K. Rowling has never put an exact figure on her wealth. In fact, she very rarely talks about her personal life at all, fiercely protective of herself, her husband and her three children. She does not want fame to change her.

ROWLING: My life is really what it always was, which is trying to get time to write, which used to be difficult because I'm a single parent and I was doing a day job. And now it's difficult because the phone never stops ringing, so I still walk out of the house to write.

HANCOCKS (on camera): Come midnight tonight U.K. time, it probably wouldn't be too safe for me to be standing in this doorway, as there will be a rush of excited children coming in to get their hands on the latest "Harry Potter" book. Now, at the same time, up in Edinburgh, J.K. Rowling will be hosting an exclusive event at the castle for more than 2,000 children.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Well, here in the states, Amazon plans to ship 1.5 million copies of "Harry" over the next few days. The dot-com has set up a Harry Potter kids review panel. Now they, like us, are just mere muggles, which means humans for those of you who don't read "Harry Potter," but they are experts nonetheless. Let's meet them. Emily Collier, 17 years old. She's in Southern California. Aspen Ott, 14 from Arizona. Both young ladies join me live from Los Angeles.

Good morning

EMILY COLLIER, AMAZON PANEL MEMBER: Good morning.

ASPEN OTT, AMAZON PANEL MEMBER: Good morning.

KAGAN: Are you guys excited for tonight?

COLLIER: Very. OTT: I bet so.

KAGAN: Now as I mentioned, you are mere muggles, humans, but you've got the Harry Popper mania thing down.

Emily, let's start with you. What is it about Harry Potter that you love?

COLLIER: Well, it's a phenomenon, so basically, every book it just gets darker and better, and it wasn't written for children specifically. It was written from J.K. Rowling's mind, because she felt she had to write a vision she had. I can -- I can connect with the characters, and it's just such a great book to get into, and I can lose myself when I read it.

KAGAN: Aspen, it looks like you walked right out of a Hogwarts academy class with your outfit today. What do you love about the "Harry Potter" books?

OTT: Because, like you said, we're just muggles. And if I could be anything I'd be a witch and go to Hogwarts, but because I can't, by reading I can. Like if I pick up the book and open the pages, it's like I'm there

KAGAN: So Let's talk about the latest book that's come out. It's "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." J.K. Rowling has given a couple hints. She said "The Half-Blood Prince" is not Harry Potter and it's not Voldemort, kind of the bad guy of the series.

So, Emily, any clues on who you think the half-blood prince might be?

COLLIER: I have absolutely no idea who it is. I'm -- it can't be Harry, obviously, and Voldemort, and there's a few people who it could be because they're half-bloods, like Dean Thomas or Seamus Finnegan, but there...

KAGAN: Explain for people out there who haven't read it was a half-blood is.

COLLIER: Well, a half-blood is someone that has a wizard or witch as one of the parents, either a mother or father, and then a muggle for another parent.

KAGAN: Got it.

COLLIER: So that's -- it's not quite clear. It could be a new character. That's what I'm thinking it is.

KAGAN: Aspen, what do you think is going to happen in the book?

OTT: I think that Harry's probably going to fight Voldemort again, or in some way fight him. I think Sirius is going to come back some how. I mean, I don't think he personally is going to come back, because he's gone. But I think he will play a part in the book. KAGAN: Let's talk a little bit about this, because, you know, you're talking, Aspen, about the fighting that goes on, and, Emily, you're talking about the dark side. When I've read "Harry Potter," I've got to tell you, I can't read it at night because it can give me bad dreams. These are not, like, totally feel-good kind of books. Do you guys ever get scared when you're reading the books?

COLLIER: I don't, no. I just -- I find that it's a perfectly real thing that could possibly happen if this world were real. So it's realistic in a way that, if this were to happen, that's how people would react.

KAGAN: And, Aspen, where and when are you going to get the book?

OTT: Well, because I'm on the Amazon kids panel, I get a free book.

KAGAN: Cool.

OTT: Great. But tonight I'm going to a midnight release party at Barnes & Noble with one of my best friends dressed like this.

KAGAN: Well, you are dressed perfect. You don't have to worry about what you're going to wear.

Ladies, enjoy the book. I'm sure you're just going to cruise right through it. Thank you for your insight.

COLLIER: Thank you

KAGAN: Potter experts. That's Emily Collier and Aspen Ott. Thank you.

COLLIER: Thanks.

OTT: Thanks.

KAGAN: Well, the braille edition of "Harry Potter and The Half- Blood Prince" will go on sale in just three days. Dozens of workers at the National Braile Press have spent the last couple of weeks printing the book for the blind, and of course, keeping Harry's latest secrets.

Usually, by the way, it takes months or even years for books to make it into braille form. The braille edition of "Half-Blood Prince" is almost twice as long as the hard-cover version, and it weights 11 pounds.

Don't look for the pope to bless Harry Potter anytime soon. A German writer says that two years ago when Pope Benedict was a cardinal, he wrote a letter expressing concern that J.K. Rowling's books, quote, "erode Christianity in the soul of children." The letter is featured on the writer's Web site. There's been no comment so far from the Vatican.

Coming up in our "Daily Dose" of health news, a new study suggesting obesity works differently in women than it does in men. Details just ahead.

Plus, Tiger Woods on the prowl for another win at the British Open, the latest news from St. Andrews, Scotland, coming up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT (on camera): There's a version of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" coming out directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, not quite related to the old film "Willie Wonka and The Chocolate Factory." There's a few changes. It's a little closer to the book by Ronald Dahl, and the new "Harry Potter" novel, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," comes out on Saturday.

Well, Dahl and Rowling have a wonderful fondness for those great English names, Charlie Bucket, Baruqoue Assault (ph), and Alvis (ph), Dumbledorf and Severis (ph) Snake, these very evocative names that roll off the tongue. They also aren't afraid to include some pretty scary elements in their works. Dahl's writing is often full of little horrific elements, and of course Rowling has the forbidden forest and the dementors, these beings that suck the soul out of you and leave you cold.

Well, on CNN.com we have a gallery devoted to Potter, a primer of the Potter books and a guide to the Potter characters and a Potter quiz, as well.

Cormac McCarthy, who wrote "Blood Meridian" and "All the Pretty Horses," has a new book out. It's called "No Country for Old Men."

It's a busy weekend, but you can keep up with all of it in the IN entertainment column on CNN.com, which is CNN.com/showbiz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Time to turn to our "Daily Dose" of health news. A study suggests brain damage from Alzheimer's might be partly reversible. Researchers at the University of Minnesota say a mutant protein poisons brain cells. When they implanted the protein in mice, the animals exhibited dementia. After the protein was deactivated, the mice rapidly regained memory. Scientists caution their success in mice doesn't assure similar results in humans. More than four million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's. Today's drugs only treat the symptoms and do nothing to reverse brain degeneration.

Another new study looking at obese women and saying that obese women tend to tolerate exercise far more easily than obese men and are less likely to have diabetes. Researchers at a Dutch hospital studied a group of morbidly obese men and women. They found that 59 percent of men had carbohydrate intolerance or diabetes compared to only 35 percent of the women. Researchers say the difference is partly due to where each sex stores excess fat. Women also have a natural need to store energy to feed their offspring.

Let's discuss this a little bit more with Dr. Holly Phillips, a general internist in New York City. Dr. Phillips, good morning

DR. HOLLY PHILLIPS, GENERAL INTERNIST: Good morning.

KAGAN: What do you make of this? Obese women doing better with exercise than obese men?

PHILLIPS: Well, this is an interesting study. We know that women and men carry weight very differently. Women tend to carry weight more in the lower body, hips and thighs, whereas men carry weight in their upper bodies, closer to the heart area and lungs and the chest, as well as in the abdomen. What this study is suggesting that that disparity in the way weight is carried may actually, in turn, create additional health effects for men.

KAGAN: What does it mean when they say they're carbohydrate intolerant?

PHILLIPS: Well, that's important and it's an important buzz word in medicine now. Because that's one -- that's thought to be one of the first signs of an impending diabetes. So when we first start to see difficulty metabolizing the carbohydrates, that sets off a red flag where we start to think, you know, maybe this person is at risk for diabetes.

KAGAN: What is the message overall to the millions of Americans who are overweight and obese?

PHILLIPS: Well, you know, although there are the gender differences, I think we just really need to focus on the overriding issues, which are that, you know, obesity is a tremendous health risk. It can lead to diabetes, coronary artery disease and general bad health for everyone.

KAGAN: And so it's not a green light to be obese just because they exercise better.

PHILLIPS: Definitely not.

KAGAN: All right. Dr. Holly Phillips, thank you for your insight.

PHILLIPS: Thank you.

KAGAN: To get your daily dose of health news online, including diet and fitness tips, just log on to our Web site. You'll also find the latest medical news and a health library. The address is CNN.com/health.

Well, it could be his last time teeing off at St. Andrews. Will it be a good one for Jack Nicklaus? The latest from the British Open is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT) KAGAN: Speaking of the British Open, as Jill just was, it's getting crowded at the top. Tiger Woods reclaimed the lead at St. Andrews last hour. For a while today, it was a five-way tie.

Sports correspondent Don Riddell joins me from the course in St. Andrews, Scotland. Looks like a pretty exciting day.

DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: It is exciting, especially if you're a Tiger Woods fan, Daryn. It looking like he might just run away with it actually, although he did miss a birdie putt just a moment ago. He has had four birdies today. He's 10 under par, and opening up a bit of a gap between himself and a rather large group behind him. But Tiger's playing very, very confidently and for many, and for many, he's stirring memories of the year 2000 when he came here and won at St. Andrews, the home of golf, the spiritual center of golf, as many fans like to refer to St. Andrews. And he absolutely blew the field away here five years ago, winning by a very, very impressive eight strokes, at 19 under par.

So if he carries on the way he's going, there may not be much that many of the other players in the field can do about it, though. There are several on the course at the moment trying to keep close on his tail.

Now if you believe in sports statistics and quirks and these things, it's interesting that every time the Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus, announces that this will be his last major, Tiger Woods goes on and wins it. This happened several times in the past and, of course, it could happen again. Jack Nicklaus playing in his last major tournament this week. Many fans here hoping, desperately hoping, he can make the cut. But I'm afraid that time is running out for Nicklaus. He's only got a few holes to play, and he's still three over par. He's getting a tremendous reception around here, a very emotional day for himself and his family who are all here, but not looking too good at the moment. He may miss the cut, and his major career could end here in just a matter of hours.

KAGAN: An emotional goodbye indeed. Thank you.

Let's get more now on the British Open. Sportswriter and commentator John Feinstein joining me from his home in New York.

He, by the way, is on the mend with a bum shoulder, which explains why he's not making the cut himself at St. Andrews this year. John is the author of "Caddie for Life." "New York Times" calls that one a multi-hanky read.

John, good morning.

JOHN FEINSTEIN, AUTHOR, "CADDY FOR LIFE": Good morning, Daryn.

It's probably going to be a multi-hanky finish here for Jack Nicklaus in a few minutes.

KAGAN: I know. What are your thoughts on that? Kind of the end of an era that really kind of ended a while ago. FEINSTEIN: Yes, that's well put. I mean, 1986 was the last time Jack Nicklaus won a major championship, the Masters. The last time he really contended was at the Masters in 1998 when he remarkably finished sixth at the age of 58. But you know, golf is different than a lot of sports. I think golf fans like to see Jack Nicklaus out there, like to see Arnold Palmer out there. Even if they're not the players they once were, it's still a great thrill to see them at a place like St. Andrews.

And when he walks across that (INAUDIBLE) bridge here in a few minutes, there will be a lot of players out there watching. I remember Palmer made his farewell in '95, looking around and seeing players coming out of the locker room. And as you know, Daryn, athletes are usually so self-absorbed they don't know what the heck is going on, but there'll be guys out there watching Jack today coming up 18.

KAGAN: Especially in an individual sport like golf. It might be a thrill for the fans, John. It's not easy for these men who have such superstars to play not even the middle of the pack; I mean, he's not even going to make the cut here.

FEINSTEIN: Yes, that's right. And everybody's different. Arnold Palmer adopted to it. He realized he was out there to have fun and play golf and to be cheered. Jack Nicklaus has never wanted to get into that. He said it over and over, that he doesn't want to be a ceremonial golfer. I remember at Augusta a few years when he was paired with Palmer and Player the first two rounds, and he basically had a temper tantrum, because he thought they were making him a ceremonial golfer by putting him with his old buddies, and he said, I don't want this, I'm here to try to win. That's Jack Nicklaus.

KAGAN: Let's talk about another superstar, Tiger Woods, and watching the leaderboard, a four-shot lead right now. Don had that interesting statistic that every time, three times, when Jack Nicklaus has said goodbye at a major, Tiger has come through to win.

FEINSTEIN: Tiger may pay Jack to go around and have farewells in all his future majors the way it's going. And you know, these weather conditions are perfect for him. A few minutes ago, he just drove it on the 10th green, a par four, and made a two-putt birdie, and he's simply overpowering the golf course, much the way he did five years ago when he won at St. Andrews by eight shots.

KAGAN: He hasn't been the same dominant force he was five years ago, but in this season, he has been knocking at the door.

FEINSTEIN: Oh, there's no question. I mean, he won the Masters, he was second at the Open. He's leading, as you said, by four shots here. You've got to remember, golf is cyclical. Jack Nicklaus went three years without winning a major, almost at the same age Tiger is now, back between '67 to '70. Tiger went 10 straight majors without winning, figured some things out, and now he's back to being his dominant self again.

KAGAN: Yes, I've always said, we have not heard the last of Tiger Woods. He's going to be around for a long time.

FEINSTEIN: Oh, God no.

KAGAN: And hopefully not the last of you. You take care of the shoulder, OK?

FEINSTEIN: I'm hoping to be off the D.L. soon. Thank you, Daryn.

KAGAN: Very good. John Feinstein, thank you.

Well, that's going to do it for me, for the week. I'm Daryn Kagan. International news is up next. Stay tuned for "YOUR WORLD TODAY." Jim Clancy, Zain Verjee will be back with you after a quick break. And I'll see you on Monday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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