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CNN Live Today

Campus Terror?; Homeless Man Kicked, Set on Fire in Park; Fugitive Father

Aired March 06, 2006 - 10:59   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, and welcome to the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY.
I'm Daryn Kagan.

We begin with a story of a man accused of plowing into a popular campus gathering spot. He arrived to face attempted murder charges.

Mohammed Taheri-Azar arrived at a North Carolina courthouse just a short time ago. He is charged with nine counts of attempted murder. Police say the Iranian-born man told them he wanted to avenge the deaths of Muslims around the world.

Some students at the University of North Carolina call it an act of terror and they plan to hold a protest rally this hour.

Ryan Tuck is the editor of "The Daily Tar Heel," and he joins me now by phone.

Ryan, hello.

RYAN TUCK, EDITOR, "DAILY TAR HEEL": Hi.

KAGAN: First, let's talk about this incident over the weekend. What are the status of the people who were plowed down by the SUV?

TUCK: You know, luckily, I am happy to report that they've all been treated and released from the hospital. Most of their injuries were characterized as minor. And luckily, it looks like no long-term physical damage has been done.

KAGAN: Now, I've been hearing conflicting reports about what might have sparked this person to do this. One report, as I just said, says that he was upset about, perhaps, the war or trying to avenge the deaths of others around the world. But also, there's a cartoon that you ran in your paper. What can you tell us about that?

TUCK: Well, I can tell you plenty about the cartoon, but it's important that at this point it appears that the two are unrelated. There's no link between the two.

KAGAN: OK. Well, then let me hold off on the cartoon, then, because there is supposed to be a protest later this hour.

TUCK: Sure -- right.

KAGAN: And what are those students protesting?

TUCK: We're not protesting. It's a rally. It's being called a rally to denounce terrorism.

They're saying this is a terrorist act and they want to denounce that and any other acts of terrorism around the world. Several different groups are holding the rally which will be in The Pit.

KAGAN: OK. Now, tell us about the cartoon that ran in "The Daily Tar Heel."

TUCK: Sure. Well, it was -- it was a cartoon depicting the Prophet Mohammed. It was an original drawn by one of our staff cartoonists that caused a fairly-sized bit of controversy here on campus and made some national -- national news. But, like I said, it appears at this time that that's completely unrelated to the incident.

All of his motives, all of his stated motives are, as you said, to avenge the deaths of Muslims around the world. They seem to have a global tent and are not motivated by anything locally as far as we can tell at this point.

KAGAN: How would you describe the mood on campus right now?

TUCK: You know, it's a mood -- mood of kind of disbelief. There's definitely a pall hanging over the campus.

Not more than a week ago, actually last Friday, two students fell from a dormitory window, one of them dying in the incident. And to have this happen on consecutive weekends, you know, a lot of comments, "Is the sky falling? What's going to happen next? What could happen next?"

Just really disbelief, and that's been reflected in our newspaper as well. Each Monday edition has been a different news headline of all time, so to speak, in terms of the campus. And it's just disbelief and hoping that these things are in no way related or indicating that -- like, people are joking, but saying that the world is coming to an end.

KAGAN: Do you have an online edition, Ryan?

TUCK: We do -- dailytarheel.com.

KAGAN: All right. For those people who would like to check out more about what's happening on your campus.

TUCK: Absolutely.

KAGAN: Ryan Tuck, editor of "The Daily Tar Heel."

Ryan, thank you.

We move on now at two minutes past the hour to Boston. And that's where police are looking for two suspects who brutally attacked a homeless man. The 30-year-old victim was kicked and then set on fire while he was sleeping in a city park.

With more on that, here's reporter Dela De Voz (ph) with our affiliate WCVB.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Volunteers come out every night to give the homeless food and clothing, but tonight they're also handing out these flyers to warn them about what happened overnight.

(voice over): Volunteers from Pine Street in go out every night to protect the homeless from cold and hunger, but this time they're trying to protect them from another danger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was very outraged by the fact that anybody would do you such an outrageous thing to an individual, a homeless individual, but anybody.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police say overnight two men attacked and later set fire to a homeless man in Langone Park. But the victim quickly took off his burning clothes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thankfully, I mean, I'm sure that saved him from much more severe burns. So it's localized. He's in a lot of pain but he's getting excellent care.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The victim is 30 years old and described as a gentle soul. His attackers are still on the loose. Police are working with a vague description. They know one man was wearing a White Sox cap.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to find you, and when we find you we're going to lock you up, we're going to bring you to trial and hope the jury and the judge throw the books at you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Volunteers heard one homeless man put it this way -- "As if he didn't have enough to worry about already."

(on camera): Volunteers here are telling me that this incident is really reminding them of what happened last August when a homeless man was beaten to death.

In Boston, Dela De Voz (ph) for "The Eye-Opener."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Well, and you might remember a similar case in Florida where homeless men were viciously attacked. Three teens now face charges in that Florida case.

And now updating you on a story that we are keeping a very close eye on. U.S. marshals are now pursuing what they say is a solid lead as they try to track down a Kentucky convict. Byron Perkins duped a judge into letting him out of jail on a claim that he planned to donate a kidney to his son. Now the hunt is on in Mexico for Perkins and his girlfriend. The latest from CNN's Susan Candiotti in Miami.

Susan, good morning.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.

The question of the hour, where in Mexico is that fugitive donor dad and his girlfriend?

David Perkins and Leann Howard (ph), apparently now posing as husband and wife, are on the run somewhere. They were last seen in a little fishing village called Boca De Tomat Lan (ph), south of Puerto Vallarta. But they took off from there in the middle of the night last week and skipped out on their food and lodging bill.

A tourist couple from Washington State recognized those photos on CNN and called U.S. marshals. Now, the couple vividly remembers this couple talking about his son, but says his father never once mentioned that his son badly is in need of a new kidney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He talked about what a great man he was going grow to be and the fact that he aspired to be a Marine, and he was just very, very proud of him and talked incessantly about him for the four days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: U.S. marshals are convinced that that witness and her husband, who want to protect their privacy, correctly identified the fugitive couple.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAWN IZGARJAN, DEPUTY U.S. MARSHAL: I'm positive they saw them. The details that they gave us, the tattoos, their mannerisms, et cetera, I do believe that they are there and they're still there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: But where? This couple is believed to have a limited amount of money and appear to be spending time in out-of-the-way places.

Now, investigators are trying to get their photographs distributed to taxi and bus drivers in hopes that someone or more people will be on the lookout for the fugitive donor dad.

Back to you.

KAGAN: And what about the status of the boy and his health?

CANDIOTTI: Well, he is on kidney dialysis at least twice a week now. He is in kidney failure, but doctors are not saying at this time how badly off he is and how long he can go without getting that transplant. Remember, he did have one transplant from his mother, but his body rejected that kidney.

KAGAN: All right. Susan Candiotti in Miami.

Thank you for the latest on that.

Topping our CNN "Security Watch," who is guarding the department in charge of protecting the nation? A report by The Associated Press raises questions about the training of guards at the Department of Homeland Security. The AP says security guards have complained about inadequate training and lax procedures.

The complaints come from current or former employees of a private firm that guards the Homeland Security headquarters. Two senators who have received complaints are calling for an investigation.

He is the first person charged in the U.S. in connection with the September 11 attacks, and the trial for Zacarias Moussaoui is getting under way today.

Homeland Security Correspondent Jeanne Meserve is following developments at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia.

Jeanne, good morning.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Under way behind me in the courthouse, final jury selection. The 12 who were chosen will hear opening statements this afternoon as they begin this trial which will determine whether Zacarias Moussaoui spends the rest of his life in prison or whether he is sentenced to die.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE (voice-over): Prosecutors will argue Zacarias Moussaoui should die because he concealed from the FBI his knowledge of al Qaeda agents in the United States.

To win a death sentence, prosecutors must first persuade the jury that Moussaoui's lying, which he confessed to, directly resulted in people dying on 9/11.

ANDY MCCARTHY, FMR. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: If his lies really did stop the agents from breaking up the conspiracy, we'd have 3,000 people alive today who aren't, so he is as responsible in terms of somebody who committed activity that resulted in the death of Americans, as the people who actually were on the plane and carried this out.

MESERVE: Moussaoui, who has pled guilty to terrorism conspiracy, has denied having a direct role in the 9/11 plot. He says he was being trained for a different al Qaeda mission, to fly a plane into the White House. Prosecutors will argue the training was very similar to that of the 9/11 hijackers. But the defense is expected to use summaries of interrogations of key al Qaeda detainees, such as 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Muhammad, to argue that Moussaoui should not be linked to that attack.

Some of the evidence, as attorneys will present, will point the finger at the government for failing to detect the plot, even though it was well known al Qaeda wanted to strike in the U.S. Exhibit one, the government's failed search in August 2001 for two al Qaeda agents who would turn out to be hijackers aboard the plan that struck the Pentagon.

But a large hurdle for the defense may be the client himself. Moussaoui, who was pledging to testify, had several outbursts at the beginning of jury selection, proclaiming, "I'm al Qaeda," and calling his attorneys names.

Moussaoui's mother, in town for the trial, gave this possible explanation.

AICHA EL WAFI, MOUSSAOUI'S MOTHER (through translator): I'm extremely sorry for the things that my son says during the hearings, but one must understand that he's been in isolation for four years now and he is in a situation of a person who cannot talk to other people. And what he is expressing is his pain, his suffering.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: Moussaoui's mother says she hopes her son receives a fair trial, but she fears he will be made a scapegoat for the 9/11 attacks.

Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: What about the question of his behavior in the courtroom, Jeanne?

MESERVE: Well, you heard the mother's explanation right there. She said that this is a guy who hasn't been able to communicate with other people for years and that he wanted to express himself. This is how he does it. Clearly, it's not helpful to his defense team to have him behaving this way in the courtroom -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Jeanne Meserve live from Alexandria.

Thank you.

To Vienna now. United Nations nuclear experts are holding key talks today. Front and center, Iran's nuclear program.

Unless Iran reverses course, delegates are expected to send the matter to the U.N. Security Council this week. Sanctions could follow, but they probably won't be immediate. The U.N.'s nuclear chief says Iran still has time to sidestep punitive measures, but Iran says it will not be bullied. It vows to go full throttle with uranium enrichment if the Security Council gets involved.

Iran claims its nuclear program is for electricity production, but the Bush administration and several European powers say Islamic hard-liners want a nuclear weapon.

Who are these nuclear experts meeting in Vienna today and who are they working for? Our Kyra Phillips takes a look in this CNN "Fact Check."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The International Atomic Energy Agency, more commonly known as the IAEA, has been called the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog. Established in 1957 as an autonomous organization under the United Nations, President Dwight Eisenhower actually proposed the creation of the agency in 1953 to monitor the spread of nuclear technology.

The IAEA is headquartered in Vienna, Austria. It has 139 member states who meet annually. The IAEA currently has safeguard agreements with more than 145 countries around the world. Under these agreements, inspectors are set out to monitor nuclear reactors to make sure nuclear material is not being made into weapons. More than 900 facilities around world are under IAEA safeguards.

Since 1997, Mohamed ElBaradei has been the director-general of the IAEA. Along with the agency, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year for his efforts to limit the spread of atomic weapons.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: CNN "Security Watch" keeps you up to date on safety. Stay tuned day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

We're just about 13 minutes after the hour. Hollywood is buzzing over the winners, losers and surprises from the 78th annual Academy Awards.

Perhaps the biggest upset came in the best picture category. "Crash" and its gritty take on race relations won the top prize. It beat out the front-runner, "Brokeback Mountain."

Reese Witherspoon took home the best actress award for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line."

The award for best actor went to Philip Seymour Hoffman for "Capote."

George Clooney won best supporting actor for "Syriana" and applauded Hollywood for tackling social issues.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: We are a little bit out of touch in Hollywood every once in a while, I think. It's probably a good thing. We're the ones who talked about AIDS when it was just being whispered. And we talked about civil rights when it wasn't really popular.

I'm proud to be a part of this academy. Proud to be out of part of this community, and proud to be out of touch. And I thank you so much for this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: CNN's entertainment correspondent, Sibila Vargas, in a moment, who pegged on the glam meter who crashed fashion winners and losers. And there were a lot of spectacularly dressed women last night. I just have to say.

Also, in business news, Ford's new sedan gets creamed in the latest round of crash tests. Coming up, the Fusion melts down.

And hello, moms and dad. Can you hear me? A new shot in the arm may help cut that awful pain in the ears for your children.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: This just in to CNN, a possible evacuation situation that we're watching very close to us here at CNN in downtown Los Angeles. This is what they called the Sloppy Floyd building in downtown Los Angeles. Sorry, that's where I spent the last week -- downtown Atlanta.

Apparently, a mail room clerk opened up a piece of mail and a suspicious substance came out. So this building, parts of it, have been evacuated. We're following it from downtown Atlanta with our affiliates here on CNN.

So we'll get you more on that as it becomes available.

Meanwhile, let's get more on the story at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A suspect taken into custody with the mowing down of a number of people on campus over the weekend.

Kenneth Moton of our affiliate News 14 joins us now from there.

What's the latest?

KENNETH MOTON, REPORTER, NEWS 14: Well, Daryn, Mohammed Taheri- Azar came here at the Orange County Courthouse here in Hillsboro, North Carolina, just like -- he just left moments ago, but he came just like he arrived, under heavily-guarded security.

Now, he went inside the courthouse, sat before the judge and heard the charges against him, nine count of attempted murder after authorities say he ran his car through a crowd of UNC-Chapel Hill students on Friday.

Now, he spoke with the judge. He asked him if he had any questions at all. And he said that he just wants to represent himself and just have a chance to explain the will of Allah.

Now UNC students have been throughout the weekend just a little bit afraid. We've been doing stories here in around Chapel Hill and the students say that they're a little nervous, they're a little afraid because they think this was an act of terror against them.

Now, there were only minor injuries to several of those students and a visiting scholar that were on campus at the time. Taheri-Azar said -- made claims to an FBI agent that he was doing this to avenge the American treatment of Muslims and that he had hatred for the American government.

That is the latest here in Hillsboro, North Carolina.

Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: Kenneth, what else do we know about this guy?

MOTON: We don't know that much besides that he was a UNC graduate. He just graduated a few months ago, and he worked in the area. He was a philosophy or psychology -- philosophy and psychology grad at UNC, and that's about all.

We do know that he is from a small town near Charlotte called Indian Trough (ph), and that he also is a native of Iran. And that's about it.

KAGAN: All right. We'll be watching it. Thank you.

Kenneth Moton from our affiliate News 14 Carolina.

Thank you.

If you drive a car, you're going to want this next information. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released new ratings on several new or redesigned mid-sized and luxury cars.

The institute picked the 2006 BMW 3 s and the Lexus I-S as the best overall performers in the group. They earned top ratings in both frontal and side crash tests.

On the flip side, the 2006 Ford Fusion tested without its optional side airbags, got the lowest overall rating. It earned a poor rating in side-impact tests and only an acceptable rating on frontal crash tests.

Not the kind of news they want to hear at the Ford Motor Company.

Here is Susan Lisovicz with other business news.

(BUSINESS REPORT)

KAGAN: We're going to head back to Hollywood and return to glamour on Oscar night. The bold, the beautiful, the winners, the losers -- we're talking fashion.

Sibila Vargas was there on the scene -- Sibila.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: All of the scene.

Well, they called it the year of the gutsy film, but did Oscar reflect that in its winners and its fashion? I'll tell you when CNN's LIVE TODAY continues

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUEEN LATIFAH, ACTRESS, SINGER: The Oscar goes to...

(SINGING): ... it's hard out here for a pimp.

Oh my god!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Queen Latifah announces one of the Oscar surprises of the night. And there were a few of those.

Our entertainment correspondent, Sibila Vargas, shows us the evening's biggest moments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACK NICHOLSON, ACTOR: And the Oscar goes to... "Crash."

VARGAS (voice-over): The big win and the big surprise of the night for best picture, "Crash."

CATHY SCHULMAN, PRODUCER, "CRASH": We are humbled by the other nominees in this category. You have made this year one of the most breathtaking and stunning maverick years in American cinema.

VARGAS: The maverick small-budget film about race and class upset the much-buzzed front-runner "Brokeback Mountain," but it wasn't a total shutout for the cowboy romance. "Brokeback Mountain's" Ang Lee used the film's signature line when accepting the award for best director.

ANG LEE, BEST DIRECTOR: I wish I knew how to quit you.

VARGAS: "The Daily Show's" Jon Stewart hosted the evening with a mix of his classic political humor.

JON STEWART, HOST: Bjork couldn't be here tonight. She was trying on her Oscar dress, and Dick Cheney shot her.

VARGAS: And a few jokes at the expense of Hollywood.

STEWART: "Good Night and Good Luck," which is not just Edward R. Murrow's signoff, it's also how Mr. Clooney ends all of his dates. VARGAS: George Clooney, nominated for three Academy Awards for two different films, took home the first Oscar of the night for best supporting actor in "Syriana." Clooney praised Oscar voters for their willingness to award out of the mainstream films.

GEORGE CLOONEY, BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: I'm proud to be a part of this Academy, Proud to be part of this community, and proud to be out of touch.

VARGAS: "The Constant Gardener's" Rachel Weisz won the Oscar for best supporting actress. The best actor award, as most industry experts predicted went to "Capote" to Philip Seymour Hoffman.

And the man of the evening thanked his mom.

PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN, BEST ACTOR: Be proud, mom, because I'm proud of you. And we're here tonight, and it's so good.

VARGAS: Reese Witherspoon won the best actress award for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line." She thanked her grandmother.

REESE WITHERSPOON, BEST ACTRESS: My grandmother was one of the biggest inspirations of my life. She taught me how to be a real woman.

VARGAS: And also honored, the woman she played.

WITHERSPOON: People used to ask June how she was doing, and she used to say, I'm just trying to matter. And I know what she means, you know? I'm just trying to matter, and live a good life and make work that means something.

VARGAS: A significant night for all of the Oscar winners.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: And Reese Witherspoon, by the way, is best known for comedies like "Legally Blonde," "Election," "Sweet Home Alabama," just to name a few. But winning this award has definitely raised her stock and given her the credibility that actresses work their entire lives for.

By the way, there are reports that her next film project will earn her $29 million. That breaks Julia Roberts' record.

So, Daryn, it looks like she'll be taking the reins as America's sweetheart. She also looked pretty good last night.

KAGAN: She did. And let's talk about that. Let's talk about how the women looked.

I've got to tell you, Sibila, I think this was one of the strongest fashion award shows that I have seen in many years. There were a lot of people hitting it out of the park. VARGAS: They were. You know, it was pretty amazing, because usually you have one that really sticks out, or, you know, at least sometimes even five that just -- not good, fashion faux pas, but yes, you know, people kind of played it safe, but at the same time, very glamorous, very beautiful. There's nothing wrong with that.

KAGAN: Let's talk specifics. Charlize Theron, some people either loved her or didn't love her with the big -- with the bow. I've got to say, I think she looked like a movie star and she looked glamorous. It's the biggest night, and she had a big bow to go with it.

VARGAS: Oh.

KAGAN: You didn't love it?

VARGAS: I don't know. That's -- yes, that's the only one I would maybe -- I can't agree with that.

You know, that bow that she's wearing there is just I think over the top. But some people think that she could pull this outfit off. I'm not -- I'm not big on it.

KAGAN: Let's -- I think -- here's one that I don't think anyone's debating, Kyra Knightly.

VARGAS: Oh my gosh.

KAGAN: I mean, drop-dead gorgeous in her Vera Wang.

VARGAS: Absolutely. Does she ever do anything wrong?

She wore this beautiful Valentino dress at the Golden Globes. She was in Vera Wang.

I mean, look at her jewels. Look at that. Look at her necklace.

And her eyes were stunning. She did a more dramatic look. She is absolutely breathtaking, just beautiful. She is -- I mean, I don't really think she can do any -- any wrong.

KAGAN: Another young star who got it right, Jessica Alba. I thought she looked absolutely beautiful as well.

VARGAS: Yes. Yes. I was thinking when I saw her come out, I said, "If I'm a director, I want to groom that girl. I would like to groom her to be an Oscar winner at some point."

Her agent has to work it because she is so beautiful. She is a Hollywood movie star. Just that look alone.

KAGAN: It looks like -- yes, it looks more like a big-time star rather than just somebody who does just movies or TV.

VARGAS: Exactly.

KAGAN: Another one, Salma Hayek. Here is a woman with a real body, and boy, does she look beautiful, which she usually does.

VARGAS: She does, but I don't think I've ever seen her look this good. That was her color.

Last year she came out with this beautiful outfit. It had sort of feathers, and it was sort of the color of a peacock, very dark, but this blue was stunning, stunning, and I think you and I because we had the dark hair, we should consider maybe going in this direction with our colors.

KAGAN: It's a color I don't necessarily go toward, so thank you for that.

And you last night in the red strapless up there on the bridge over Hollywood Boulevard looked lovely as well.

VARGAS: Thank you so much.

KAGAN: Good work on the pre-show.

Sibila, go get some rest.

VARGAS: I'll try. Thanks.

KAGAN: Nap time is right around the corn or.

Sibila Vargas, thank you.

Well, we're counting them, only 691 in the entire world. Tiger Woods on track to become 692. Golf's top player earns his stripes and sets his sights on an elite club. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

KAGAN: And it has been more than six months since the floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina inundated much of New Orleans. And just this weekend searchers found another body in the attic of a house. That discovery follows a new push to find hundreds of people who are still missing.

Sean Callebs joining us by phone from New Orleans with more on that.

Sean, hello.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.

We've been following the cadaver dog crews this morning, and now they're just pulling up to their fourth location. There are actually two separate operations going on. One, they're going house to house in homes where families have called in, and said, I haven't seen this loved one, we fear he could be in this house. So they're going in with the dogs, doing extensive checks, and that is how they found the individual last night in the Lakeview area. According to the state medical examiner, Louis Cataldi, the cadaver dog walked in, sat down and immediately looked straight up to the ceiling, indicating that they thought there was something in the crawl space of the attic. Firefighters went up, checked it out, and sure enough behind an air-conditioning apparatus, they found a body and the medical examiner presumed this was someone who was trying to climb out of a hole in the roof. There were concerns because the floodwaters moved all of the way up to the top of the house.

Now secondly, they're also beginning some initial demolition in the city's Ninth Ward. These are homes that have been moved off their foundations into the middle of the road or blocking a road, a right of way. So legally they're allowed to do that, so we'll keep you updated throughout the day, Daryn, on the activity there.

KAGAN: Sean Callebs live from Louisiana. Thank you for that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Developing story out of Alexandria, Virginia, and the Zacarias Moussaoui trial. With more on that, let's go back to Jeanne Meserve in Alexandria -- Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, our understanding is that the jury has now been seated in this trial at this point. We do not have any specifics on the makeup, in terms of gender or ethnicity. We hope to get those details soon.

But a jury has now been selected this afternoon. They will begin hearing opening arguments in the case of Zacarias Moussaoui. Prosecutors will say that he knew enough about the 9/11 hijackings that had he told them what he knew, they would have been able to stop those. They're seeking the death penalty in this trial.

They're going to be two phases here. In phase one, the jury will consider whether Moussaoui's lying prevented the FBI from finding out about the 9/11 plot, resulting in death. And then part two will be the penalty question, the key question here, whether Zacarias Moussaoui will indeed be sentenced to death, or whether he'll spend the rest of his life in prison. This trial is expected to take several months -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Jeanne Meserve from Virginia, live. Thank you.

We'll take a break. We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: And this just in to CNN. We're getting word that the governor of New York, George Pataki, is finally being let out of the hospital. He really has kind of a rough road last couple of weeks. Had his appendix taken out, and then had complications following that. But finally being let out of the hospital, says he is looking forward to getting back to work.

On to other health news now. If you have loved ones in prison, check this out. You can now send them a greeting card designed especially for inmates. A Kansas woman came up with the idea. She has two brothers behind bars, and she was having trouble finding just the right card to express her feelings. So now she is running Prison Expressions. The company offers cards for inmates and their friends and families. While some of them are serious, others have some humor, like the one for inmates to send home. It says, quote, "Happy to hear from you, but where's the money?"

(MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: And now on to a reality of today's "Daily Dose." A startling report predicts the number of overweight children will soar over the next four years. The "Pediatric Journal" says almost half the children in North and South America will be overweight by 2010. The study also finds the number of severely obese children will jump in Europe and the Middle East. Experts blaming the usual stuff. Too much junk food, too little exercise.

Well, speaking of kids, if you're a parent, we don't have to tell you how common ear infections are among children or how painful they can be for kids, but now more help may be on the horizon in the form of a new vaccine. It still is in clinical trials, but the results are encouraging.

Our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here with details on that. Good morning.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

It's amazing how many doctors' visits, pediatricians' visits, are because of ear infections. They're so common. As you said, every parent can tell you their story about how many ear infections their children get. In fact, 20 million children in the U.S. every year end up at doctor -- like this little girl -- to get an ear infection checked out.

Now since 2000, there has been a vaccine that kids have been getting to prevent ear infections. It's called Prevnar, and it prevents against bacterial ear infections caused by seven different types of bacteria. But now, there is a new report out about a study that would prevent infections from 11 different strains of bacteria.

Let's take a look at that particular shot. What they found is that it protects against the two main causes of middle ear infections. It reduced the overall number of infections by one-third compared to kids who didn't get the shot.

Now, before you go out and ask your doctor for this, you should know that studies are still underway in Europe and the company that makes this drug, this vaccine, is not expected to ask the Europeans for approval to market this drug until 2007, until next year. And they're still talking to the FDA about whether or not -- I'm sorry. They're still talking to the FDA about when they're going to apply for approval in the United States.

So you cannot get this for your child any time soon, but the hope is ,if it does get on the market, that it can prevent against even more infections than the vaccine that's being given out.

KAGAN: So then if somebody got this, would they expect -- or their kid had it -- would they expect a decrease in the ear infections?

COHEN: They could very likely see a decrease in the number of ear infections, but it might not be as dramatic as you think. When you hear 11 different strains of bacterial ear infections -- the reason for that, as many parents know, is that most ear infects are actually caused by viruses, not by bacteria. In fact, 80 to 90 percent of ear infections are viral.

This shot, of course, only covers bacterial infections and not every single kind of bacterial infection. So that's where when you go to your doctor and the doctor says your child does have an ear infection, but I'm not giving you an antibiotic, it's because, chances are, it's viral.

KAGAN: But there are more reasons than just ear infections to get something like this?

COHEN: There is, and that's the reason why the FDA approved that first one that's currently being used now. And that's because ear infections can cause terrible problems. Most of them are minor. They're not such a big deal. The child gets over it. But if a child has repeated ear infections, and if they're severe, it can lead to hearing loss, which can lead to speech problems. It can also, in some cases, lead to meningitis.

The other hope is that if children get an even better infection vaccine than they're getting now, is that it will cut down on the number of antibiotics that doctors are prescribing. And, of course, fewer antibiotics being prescribed is good for all of us. It will cut down on the resistance that's developed to antibiotics.

KAGAN: Very good. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.

COHEN: Thanks.

KAGAN: Thanks, Elizabeth.

To get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, just go on to our Web site and you'll find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address is CNN.com/health.

He is going to be a billion dollar baby. We're talking Tiger Woods. The man himself has to say what he has to say about the sweet life and his plans for the future, straight ahead on LIVE TODAY.

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KAGAN: We're keeping an eye on a situation in downtown Atlanta. This is near the -- what they call the "Sloppy Floyd" building on Piedmont, and basically a postal worker or a mail room worker in this building opened up a piece of mail earlier this morning, a suspicious substance came out, and they decided to evacuate parts of that building. So that continues to unfold in downtown Atlanta.

Golfing great Tiger Woods is a rich man. And if he keeps up the pace it won't be long before he hits a new plateau. How does this sound? Tiger Woods billionaire. "Golf Digests" reports that Woods will reach the billion-dollar mark in earnings just four years from now. Woods sat down with our Don Riddell to talk about his career and his goals.

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TIGER WOODS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: I feel like my life is pretty special, to wake up and have the life that I have, can't wait to go to work. You hopefully one day that your life might be like this, and I'm very lucky to have it like this.

DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Being Tiger Woods is a full-time job. Do you ever get a chance to pinch yourself and think, Jesus,this is amazing. I mean, can you believe what's happening to you sometimes?

WOODS: I don't look at it that way. It is what it is. And I caused a lot of this by making some putts at the right time and hit some good shots, and sometimes I just don't understand, you know, the people and the fascination.

RIDDELL: Have you got goals for this year?

WOODS: Yes, I do.

RIDDELL: What are they?

WOODS: Win.

RIDDELL: Well, we know that.

WOODS: That's it.

RIDDELL: You don't have anything special you'd like to achieve, or is it just keep going in the way you have?

WOODS: In golf?

RIDDELL: Yes.

WOODS: Win, three letters.

RIDDELL: And how do you feel your form is at the moment?

WOODS: Getting better. Certainly better at this time of year than it was last year. I have less things on the checklist that I have to go through to get ready for Augusta, which is nice. So I'm ahead of schedule for Augusta, which is great, and hopefully I'll get everything organized and ready for that.

RIDDELL: Are you prioritizing the majors, again? WOODS: Always. My golfing year resolves around those four events. So hopefully I can peak at four teams a year and get everything organized before those events.

RIDDELL: You've been making some adjustments in your swing over the last 18 months or so?

WOODS: Yes.

RIDDELL: Are they now, ore are you still working on it?

WOODS: We never finished, ever. And golf is fluid. Golf is always evolving, every day, very shot. You may hit one good one, but the next one may be a little bit off, and you try and figure out for the next one. So that's the great thing, great challenge about golf, it is fluid, so it's always evolving, and you always have to be so dedicated and disciplined to trying to get things better.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: He keeps working out, he might just be OK at that game, get a little better there.

"Fortune" magazine says Woods has the high of the net worth among American athletes, and "Forbes" magazine says that right now there are only 691 billionaires in the world. Perhaps very soon, 692.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: We have some more information now about that situation in downtown Atlanta, learning that this bag, this suspicious substance, came from within the prison system, the department of corrections and the central office mail room. So while that was dumped, they went ahead and quarantined that floor. Four employees taken to the local hospital, experiencing skin irritations. The building not evacuated, just the seventh floor of one tower. We'll keep an eye on that.

I'm Daryn Kagan. International news is up next. Stay tuned for YOUR WORLD TODAY. And I'll be back with headlines from the U.S. in about 20 minutes.

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