Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Bad Manager?; Life Or Death; Stopping Gun Trafficking; New Orleans Mayoral Elections; Brazil's Sweet Alternative

Aired April 24, 2006 - 10:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We'll get started.
Are you planning on getting any today? We're talking gas. And how much are you going pay? We're keeping an eye on the gas gauge throughout America and we're going to get to more of the gas prices across the country in just a minute.

First, though, on the run and under pressure, the White House says that is the message it gets from Osama bin Laden. In an audiotape that was aired on the Arab TV network, al-Jazeera, a voice believed to be bin Laden accuses the United States and Europe of supporting a Zionist war on Islam. The speaker points to the west's decision to cut off funds to the new Hamas-led Palestinian government. Among other things, the speaker also calls for a global Muslim boycott of American products.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: One interesting thing is he's making less of a distinction between the American people and the American government, which could be troubling. He has, in the past, sometimes tried to sort of offer a, you know, sort of directly speak to the American people and suggest that there was some separation. The fact that he's not making that separation suggests that it's OK again to attack American civilians and might be a signal to al Qaeda or its affiliates to go after American civilians again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Before now, the last audiotape that was attributed to the al Qaeda leader was heard back in January.

Complaints about the boss. Apparently employees, if that's what you want to call them, of al Qaeda have a few gripes with the big guy. A captured aid criticizes Osama bin Laden as a rotten business manager. CNN's Brian Todd has that story. His report first aired on "The Situation Room."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Does the leader of al Qaeda run a sloppy ship? If you believe what he told interrogators, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the operational mastermind of the September 9/11 plot, does not think kindly of Osama bin Laden's management style. We went over summaries of Muhammad's interrogation read in court earlier during the Zacarias Moussaoui trail with CNN Terrorism Analyst Peter Bergen.

PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: There were lots of disagreements within the organization about, you know, how to attack the United States, with whom to attack the United States.

TODD: The summaries portray bin Laden as undisciplined, loose- lipped about the operation in the weeks leading up to 9/11. "Bin Laden informed high-level visitors to expect a major near-term attack against U.S. interests. And during a speech at the al-Faruq camp, he urged trainees to pray for the success of a major operation involving 20 martyrs.

BERGEN: This was sort of an open secret and, of course, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the operational commander of the 9/11 attacks, was, you know, quite annoyed by this.

TODD: The summaries say Mohammed and another al qaeda leader were "concerned about this lack of discretion and urged Bin Laden not to make additional comments about the plot."

Then there's bin Laden the micro-manager, insisting that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed use operatives he didn't want, including Khalid al Midhar (ph) and Nawaf Alhamzi (ph), who were ordered to blend in in San Diego. And according to Mohammed, couldn't speak English and "barely knew how to function in U.S. society."

BERGEN: On the other hand, they managed to get through anyway.

TODD: They got through to become part of the hijacking team that crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: You can watch "The Situation Room" this afternoon at 4:00 Eastern. The prime time edition with Wolf airs at 7:00 Eastern on CNN.

Zacarias Moussaoui says he does not expect mercy from his jury. Doesn't even want any. Despite Moussaoui's defiance or fatalism, his lawyers hope to get him a life sentence instead of the death penalty. The jury is expected to begin deciding his fate today after closing arguments. CNN's Jeanne Meserve looks back at this extraordinary trial.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): It has been a harrowing two weeks of testimony and exhibits.

DOI: I'm going die, aren't I?

OPERATOR: No, no, no, no, no, no.

DOI: I am going to die. MESERVE: 911 call, the Flight 93 cockpit voice recorder which captured the struggle between passengers and hijackers. The c-ring often tearful recollections of 9/11 survivors and families of those who did not survive. The prosecution used all of these on top of Zacarias Moussaoui's own testimony.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The key to the government's case so far has been Moussaoui's own admission that he was part of the plot and that he was one of the people who was going to fly planes into buildings on September 11th, 2001.

MESERVE: Moussaoui testified that Richard Reid, the so-called shoe bomber, was part of that plot. But the government conceded during the trial that there was no evidence that was true. The defense tried to use Moussaoui's apparent exaggeration to bolster the testimony of two mental health experts who said Moussaoui is a paranoid schizophrenic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The psychiatric testimony that they put on can be very powerful. They had very credible and very authoritative sources that testified for them regarding Moussaoui's psychiatric state.

MESERVE: The defense also put on the stand 9/11 family members who do not support the death penalty, though they could not say that explicitly in court. Alice Hoagland, who lost her son on Flight 93, was one.

ALICE HOAGLAND, MOTHER OF 9/11 VICTIM: We are all part of the human family. None of us is beyond redemption.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And then there's this story related to 9/11. Human remains discovered at ground zero, but we're talking almost five years after the September 11th attacks. Now one senator says it's time for the military to get involved. Nearly 600 bone fragments have been found at the former Deutsche Bank building in recent months. Senator Charles Schumer wants the Pentagon to send in an elite military unit to search for more. The White House is on record though, let local authorities handle the recovery of remains.

CNN's security watch keeps you up to date on your safety. Stay tuned day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

What all drivers are talking about, how much did you pay today? Gas prices are bubbling up, nearing that unbelievable $3 a gallon mark. In some places it's already been there. We're all about paying 25 cents more than we were about two weeks ago. Our Sumi Das reports consider your tank half empty, not half full.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is ridiculous. This is not -- this is not normal.

SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): New week, more pain at the pump.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gas prices are outrageous because it's costing us too much money to travel.

DAS: According to the Lundberg Survey, gas prices jumped to a national average of $2.91 a gallon for self-serve regular. Nearly all of the increase, the result of crude oil prices. The Lundberg Survey says average gas prices hit $3 or more a gallon in Washington, D.C., California, Nevada, Hawaii, Wisconsin and Illinois.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a student, so, you know, the money that I have is somewhat limited and it just makes it really difficult. It's something that I used to not think twice about doing.

DAS: And the high cost of fuel has some people crossing state lines for a bargain.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's a little insane that the prices are high in Chicago and you drive across the border and they're about 50 cent different.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not happy about it, but I guess I don't feel like we have much choice in the matter.

DAS: If self-serve prices weren't high enough, full-service may be a luxury many drivers can't afford with some stations charging 50 cents to a dollar more per gallon for the privilege of filling you up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do it once a week. So it's not like I do it every day.

DAS: The peak summer driving season is just ahead and analysts expect things will get better after they get worse? So what's a driver to do?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we're going to cut back. We're not driving this summer. Normally we take a nice long vacation, a driving vacation, and we're just not going to do it this year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Sumi Das drives. You probably did drive to join us from a gas station in Hammond, Indiana. So everyone's kind of whining, complaining about the gas prices. But what kind of cars are people driving up to fill up their tanks, Sumi?

DAS: I've seen a lot of gas-guzzlers, Daryn, SUVs, trucks, minivans, full-size vans as well, some sedan. What I haven't seen a lot of is compact cars. Not a mini cooper or hybrid cars for that matter either. No Prius in sight either.

This morning I saw somebody who was filling up their Hummer. I went over and talked to the driver. I was just curious about how much it cost her to fill up her tank. She said she couldn't afford it. She was just putting in a little bit of money. And I said, well how about when you do normally fill up your tank? And she said that it cost her $70 a pop, Daryn. Pretty expensive.

KAGAN: Wow.

DAS: Yes.

KAGAN: No humming there.

DAS: Yes, too rich for my blood.

KAGAN: Yes, no humming there.

So people come over to Hammond, Indiana, because it's cheaper.

DAS: That's correct.

KAGAN: But, really, how much cheaper than let's say Chicago? And really how much are people saving?

DAS: Well, I'll tell you what the figures break down to. Here self-serve regular, I'm looking over at the sign, $2.89 a gallon. And premium is $3.07 a gallon. Over in Chicago, according to the Lundberg Survey, which was just released, regular is $3 a gallon. So that's a savings of 11 cents a gallon. But if you do the math, say you've got a 20-gallon tank. That's $2.20 that you're saving for making the trip out here. It's about 23 miles from Chicago. For some people, it may not be worth it. But perhaps this is on your way and you can make the stop and save that couple of extra bucks. Every penny count, Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, and you know what they do, they go in the mini mart there and spend even more than what they save on the gasoline outside.

DAS: That's correct. And the other thing that's cheaper over here on this side of the state line is cigarettes. A lot of people pay less for cigarettes and that's another incentive to come out here.

KAGAN: Such a deal. Not that we're encouraging that, buying the cigarettes, but just reporting the information.

DAS: Exactly.

KAGAN: Sumi Das in Hammond, Indiana, thank you.

Now to some video that you might have seen. This vicious gang beating. It was just outside of a Las Vegas casino. Today, police have three men in custody and their investigation, they say, is not over. Eighteen-year-old Daryle Williams has been in jail for a week and now 18-year-old Demarcus Smith and an unidentified juvenile have joined him in custody. Police say Vegas businesses needs them to solve this case quickly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I think everybody that lives and works here, that pays attention realizes that that four-mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard is the economic engine that drives this entire community. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Investigators say the suspects in the casino assault might also be linked to six other attacks that weekend. They include this beating that took place in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

Illegal guns on the streets. One woman's personal crusade when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.

A congresswoman hot under the collar. We're going to show you what happened and we'll listen in as well straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Police say it could have been a high school bloodbath. Just hours from now, five teenagers face a judge in Riverton, Kansas. Police hauled the group in because of a Web site posting. They say the teenagers discussed the Columbine school massacre, flak jackets and trench coats. The alleged attack on their school was supposed to happen last Thursday. The suspects are being held on a half million dollar bond each.

And then there's this in Alaska, a troubling case involving middle school students. Police in the town of North Pole say that half a dozen middle schoolers hatched a plan to kill fellow students and teachers. They apparently were upset about things such as bullying and teacher decisions they didn't like. The youngsters are now at a detention facility in Fairbanks.

Well, it's no big secret, it's fairly easy to get a gun on the street. Big city mayors are tackling that problem. Tomorrow they hold a national summit to find ways to end gun trafficking. The stakes are high. Our Christopher King has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GLORIA CRUZ, NAIESHA PEARSON'S AUNT: I could show you five different points in this neighborhood where people have been shot and killed.

CHRISTOPHER KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): For Gloria Cruz, the agonizing memories of gun violence are vivid. Her niece, Naiesha Pearson, shot dead last Labor Day by a bulletin intended for someone else. Rene Bonnia (ph) was arrested and charged with her murder. He was 19 years old at the time. Naiesha was only 10. Cruz says guns, many of them illegal, wind up on the streets of her Bronx neighborhood in New York and in the hands of young people. The flow of guns is steady and young people can get them, Cruz says, with alarming ease.

CRUZ: It costs $10,000 to bury a child. It costs $50 and one minute to kill a child from the weapons and we have to stop the weapons. And we have to stop the cause.

KING: Little Naiesha was riding her brand new bike here in the Sawmill (ph) playground, doing what 10-year-olds do just before she was fatally shot. Gloria Cruz says this type of needless gun violence happens all too often in her neighborhood.

According to the Bronx district attorney, the gun used to kill Naiesha was never found, thus never traced, leaving her mother with a wound that won't heal.

TAISHA PEARSON, NAIESHA'S MOTHER: Her birthday just passed. Instead of being a joyful occasion, it was an occasion that a family went to the cemetery to visit my daughter and that hurts.

KING: Cruz has organized a march through these Modhaven (ph) streets set for the day before Mother's Day. Cruz wants to get illegal guns out of her community. According to the ATF, the vast majority of all guns used in crimes in New York City come from out of state, often shipped up Interstate 95. The agency believes some 17 percent originate in Virginia, 12 percent from North Carolina, another 12 percent from Pennsylvania. The figures imprompted New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg to call for a summit on illegal guns. On Tuesday, more than a dozen mayors from around the country will meet in New York to talk about how to curb illegal gun trafficking.

JOHN FEINBLATT, NYC CRIMINAL JUSTICE COORDINATOR: In New York City, 82 percent of our crime guns come from other states. In the 15 other cities that are participating in the gun summit, about 50 percent or more of their crime guns come from other states. If that's not a national issue, I don't know what is.

KING: The National Rifle Association called the summit, "a publicity stunt." The NRA says the mayor should instead more aggressively prosecute gun crimes. But outside a political debate . . .

CRUZ: This is where she died and this is where we feel is the last place that she took her last breath. And it's important for us to let everyone know that she did not die in vain.

KING: Cruz wants to end the killing so that no mother has to feel the anguish of losing a child to gun violence again.

Christopher King, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: May 15th, mark that down, it could be that long before the next move in the Duke rape investigation. The district attorney says results of a second DNA test won't be back until May 15th. That also is the date of the next hearing. Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty are charged in the case. Their attorneys say their clients weren't at the party at the time of the alleged attack.

Well, do you see that unwanted spotlight? It is shining again today on Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. It's less than a month after her run-in with a Capitol Hill cop. Where she got a bit steamed up, this time during an interview with an Atlanta TV station.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. CYNTHIA MCKINNEY, (D) GEORGIA: Well, you're a distraction because that seems to be all you want to talk about. But people here understand that my representation is much larger than any discreet incident.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Well, McKinney was asked about the scuffle at least four times. She wasn't really answering questions. She ended the interview, she gets up with her microphone still on, but she forgets and she was caught on tape bad-mouthing her communications director Coz Carson (ph). Then she comes back to face the camera and the reporter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCKINNEY: Oh, crap. Now, you know what, they lied to Coz and Coz is a fool.

Anything that is captured by your audio that is captured while I'm not seated in this chair is off the record and is not permissible to be used. Is that understood?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Well, apparently it wasn't because they used it. McKinney says the TV station lied about setting up the interview. A claim that the station, which is right here in Atlanta, is denying.

Let's see what's happening with Gerri Willis, trying to help us save money. Maybe not on gas, but on car insurance. Got to save somewhere.

Hi, Ger.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Daryn. Good to see you.

There's not much you can do about the high price of gas, but you can cut your overall driving cost. When "Five Tips" returns, we'll tell you how you can cut your insurance costs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The markets have been open about 52 minutes. Kind of a lazy morning to start on this Monday morning, the beginning of the week. The Dow is down 17 points. The Nasdaq also starting down slightly. It is down 11 points.

Let's talk some cold, hard -- there I am. Some cold, hard cash. You know all about skyrocketing gas prices, but what about your car insurance? That can also hit you in the wallet. Our Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis is here with today's "Top Five Tips" on saying money on your car insurance.

Gerri, good morning. WILLIS: Hey, good morning, Daryn. Good to see you.

Yes, I don't think people are feeling lazy about these oil prices. Gas prices at the pump $2.91 on average. Some people paying higher. One way to cut your cost, you can drive less. And if you are, tell your insurer, you may qualify for a 10 to 15 percent price drop in your car insurance premiums. A low mileage discount applies if you drive less than 7,500 miles a year. Some people are going to qualified for this, Daryn, and this is going to be a really good savings.

KAGAN: This next tip blows my mind, your credit report can affect how much you spend on your car insurance.

WILLIS: I'm telling you, the most important document in our society is the credit report, do you know what I mean? More than 90 percent of auto insurance companies use your credit information to determine your rate. So chances are, if you don't pay your bills on time, you're going to be paying more for that auto insurance. Recent statistics show that 79 percent of credit histories have mistakes. So you could be paying more for something that's not your fault. Make sure you stay vigilant. Get your annual report at annualcreditreport.com for free or call 877-322-8228.

KAGAN: Some insurance companies are showing the love for certain occupations more than others.

WILLIS: You bet. Your job can get you discounts. Some insurers give you discounts for people in certain professions. So if you're a mail carrier, a biologist, a vet, or even an economist in some states, you can get a 10 percent discount with Allstate. Now if you're a teacher and you belong to State Education Associations, insurer Horace Mann (ph) will give you discounts as well. Now, Daryn, no word yet on whether on-air talent gets any big discounts.

KAGAN: TV news anchors. What are they -- are they're loving us or not.

WILLIS: Maybe not. I don't know.

KAGAN: We'll have to wait and see. But certain clubs you can join that will help you.

WILLIS: Yes, some community groups give you a discount as well. It's about how you spend your time, not where you work with some groups. Some insurance companies offer discounts to people who join organizations like the Eagle Scouts and the Automobile Association of America, AAA as most people know it, will also lower your rates if you are a member.

KAGAN: OK. Good tip. Meanwhile, you've got to know how to insure your particular car.

WILLIS: That's right. You know, if you're driving a really old car, a jalopy, you may want to think about cutting your costs by dropping your collision and comprehensive coverage. You'll probably pay as much in premiums over a few years as you'd pay to replace these cars. And you can check out the market value of a car at Kelly Blue Book. There's the actual Kelly Blue Book and then there's the dot com, kbb.com, to actually check that out. And the rule of thumb is this, Daryn. If your car is worth less than $2,000, drop that coverage. You don't need it and you're going to end up paying more in the long run. So it's, you know, it's about the details here if you want to save money on your car insurance.

KAGAN: Very good tips. Gerri, thank you.

WILLIS: You're welcome.

KAGAN: We're going to check in on a very famous and ailing whale just ahead. Top-notch care for a sick beluga. How is Gasper doing at the Georgia Aquarium? We'll get some expert take on this just ahead.

Also, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin says he can't believe it. So much support, he says, after all the crazy things that have come out of his mouth. A look ahead at the mayor's run-off race in New Orleans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Twenty-two started, only two remain. One will be the next mayor of New Orleans. Incumbent Ray Nagin faces Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu in the May 20th run-off. Neither candidate had a majority in Saturday's election. Our Susan Roesgen look ahead to round two.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Amber and David Howel (ph) went to vote, determined to cast their ballots against incumbent Mayor Ray Nagin, and that he weren't alone. Although the mayor finished in first place with 38 percent of the vote, 62 percent went to the other candidates. And some political analysts say the mayor may have a tough time winning the run-off.

JEFF CROUERE, POLITICAL ANALYST: Certainly he's going to get the majority of black vote, no doubt about it. But Mitch Landrieu has the ability to pull a sizable block of black voters and I suspect that's going to continue to be the case.

ROESGEN: Mitch Landrieu is the state's lieutenant governor, the son of a former mayor, and a popular long-time politician in both state and local politics. He finished behind Nagin with 29 percent of the vote. Before Katrina, most people thought he was planning to run for governor, but then he decided to run for mayor.

LT. GOVERNOR MITCH LANDRIEU, NEW ORLEANS MAYORAL CANDIDATE: Well, I do think the nation is expecting a new leader here that they can have confidence in. And I think they have a right to expect that. If we have a right to ask the nation to provide the funds necessary to do the thing that we're asking them to do, I think we have a corresponding responsibility to act right. ROESGEN: The overriding issue in the mayor's race is who's the best person to lead the city's recovery? After the primary, Mayor Nagin urged voters to stay with the man they've got.

MAYOR RAY NAGIN, NEW ORLEANS: Ladies and gentlemen, we have a plan. It's your plan. It's time to implement the plan. I am a doer. I am a pusher. I am a maverick. I crossed the line periodically. But I am you. And I love this city.

ROESGEN: Some say Nagin crossed the line with the "chocolate city" comments in January when he said God wanted New Orleans to be a majority African-American city. But he has campaigned steadily since then trying to mend fences and political analysts say don't count Nagin out.

CROUERE: He's had a -- just an incredible recovery, he really has, to be in the position that he's in now from the depths of where he was back in January. You have to give him credit for his Houdini skills as a politician.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And Susan Roesgen joins us live from New Orleans. Susan, as it said in your piece, neither one of the candidates has a slam dunk in this run-off. So what are they doing, each of them, to try to get the votes from the people who voted for other candidates?

ROESGEN: Well, we understand, Daryn, that they're probably both working the phones today, trying to get the endorsements of the third and fourth place finishers in this race, because those two candidates got a combined total of 28 percent of the vote. Those were the two top finishers after Nagin and Landrieu. So certainly both candidates want to try to get the endorsements from those candidates, and they hope that that would, in turn, lead to getting those voters.

KAGAN: We'll be watching it. Susan Roesgen, live from New Orleans. Susan, thank you.

An update now on one very popular whale. The Beluga named Gasper has been one of the main attractions at the new Georgia aquarium. The kids love him. We told you last week how Gasper was taken out of the viewing tank to be treated for skin and breathing problems.

We want to check on how he's doing now with Tim Binder, the man responsible for animal care at the aquarium. He comes over -- not a very long commute. You just come across the street, don't you?

TIM BINDER, GEORGIA AQUARIUM: No, it's very easy.

KAGAN: Let's talk about how Gasper is doing.

BINDER: Gasper had a very strong weekend. In fact, last -- late last week, we put him back on exhibit for a couple of days, and then moved him back into the secondary holding area so we could treat him. A very strong appetite and behavior over this weekend, but this morning he seems to be a little bit off. He's not eating quite the way we would like to see him.

KAGAN: What other indications that things aren't as good this morning?

BINDER: Well, he's resting on the surface a little bit more than what we normally see. Usually, he's very interactively swimming and he's doing that today, but a little less than what we normally like to see.

KAGAN: You can't ask a whale what doesn't feel good, poor baby.

BINDER: That's right.

KAGAN: That's the challenge.

BINDER: But what we did do this morning is we laid hands on Gasper, took a blood sample and took cultures so we could monitor and see if anything's changing.

KAGAN: And he cooperates when you do that?

BINDER: He handles that very well, yes.

KAGAN: And how do you tell a whale that you're there to be his friend?

BINDER: You know, it's rather interesting. This animal works with us each time that we've handled him. He has not put up any type of resistance at all. It seems -- it's as if he knows that we're there to help.

KAGAN: Now, what -- let's talk about the positive. What went right over the weekend? Last time you were here last week, you were talking about this ointment that they developed, I think, at University of Georgia that was so good because it actually stayed on the whale's skin when he's back in the water.

BINDER: That's right.

KAGAN: Is that a big help?

BINDER: It has been a big help. The tricide (ph) is a bioadhesive, and we're actually seeing the healing of that -- that flipper legion is healing in fairly nicely. But he has a long way to go.

KAGAN: There were breathing problems?

BINDER: We heard raspy breath late last week. We're still hearing that and it doesn't seem to be any worse at this point, or any better. But then the early indications on the blood sample this morning show some slight changes, but nothing significant.

KAGAN: And again, how does one hear raspy sounds in a whale's breath?

BINDER: The same way the doctor would with you or me. We listen to their heart and lungs with a stethoscope.

KAGAN: Really?

BINDER: That's right.

KAGAN: Same way. A bigger stethoscope, though?

BINDER: We're about the same, but you have to listen a lot because they don't breathe very often.

KAGAN: So for people stopping by Georgia Aquarium, Gasper's going to kind of be off in the sick ward, do you think, or you're going to keep putting him back and forth?

BINDER: We're going to be moving him back and forth. He'll be on exhibit for two days, and then he'll go into secondary holding for stretches of around four days so that we can treat him.

KAGAN: And as part of that socialization -- because he's happier when he's with his other whales or...

BINDER: It's just better to have him in a social environment. He doesn't seem to be -- his behavior doesn't change one way or the other when he's by himself or when he's with the others, but it's good to have him in a social setting.

KAGAN: And there's never been any indication that whatever's wrong with him -- and it's still kind of unclear exactly what's wrong with him -- it's not contagious and the other four Belugas aren't going to catch it.

BINDER: We're really not worried about that. The other male that he was with in Mexico for seven, eight years...

KAGAN: Nico.

BINDER: Nico, that's correct, he shows no signs of illness at all. So if it were contagious, we would expect to see that animal.

KAGAN: So just day to day, see what the blood results show, continue with the ointment.

BINDER: And then just keep working with him, make sure his diet's up, and take it as comes.

KAGAN: Very good. I hear he's gained 200 pounds since...

BINDER: He has gained 200 pounds, which is good.

KAGAN: This is the one case where it's good to gain 200 pounds.

BINDER: It is. He's eating about 38,000 calories a day.

KAGAN: You're kidding.

BINDER: No. That's a good diet. KAGAN: Sounds good. Tim Binder from Georgia Aquarium, thank you. And we'll continue to check in on Gasper. I hope he does better and better every day.

BINDER: Great. Thank you.

KAGAN: Thank you, Tim.

Well, a rare scene in Tehran. Coming up, Iran's president takes questions on the country's nuclear program. Our Aneesh Raman is there, and he'll join us live with a live report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Now on to something you don't see every day. Journalists regularly confront American presidents. That is not always true in Iran. In an extremely rare event, Iran's president is taking questions today on the country's nuclear program and U.S./Iran relations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRAN (through translator): We basically are suspicious of the American government. We are not happy that we don't trust them, but this is a reality. Activities of the U.S. have to be taken in consideration. They want to portray themselves as the master of the world, and well, they are showing certain behaviors that has led to our mistrust. So we don't negotiate with them as a matter of principle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Our Aneesh Raman is one of the few U.S. reporters allowed inside Iran now. He is joining us on the phone now.

Aneesh, the president of Iran also asked about any need for talks between his country and the U.S.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Daryn, good morning.

You heard him say then that there was no need for talks. There had been rumblings of direct talks between the U.S. and Iran specifically over Iraq. It seems that will not take place as of this latest statements by the president.

Now this press conference only the second time that Iran has allowed foreign journalists into a press conference with the president, also comes amid rising tensions with Iran and the West over its nuclear program. Iran has consistently maintained, as the president did today, that it is pursuing a peaceful civilian nuclear program.

The West, though, specifically the U.S., has warned that if Iran has a nuclear program on Iranian soil, it could potentially be Iran having a nuclear weapon. Iran has denied that throughout. But today we did hear, again, a defiant statement from the Iranian president, saying the country will continue to enrich uranium toward a peaceful civilian nuclear program. He also questioned really the validity and value of the U.N. Security Council and its International Atomic Energy Agency, preempting, one would assume, any report that could come by the IAEA later on, that deals with Iran, and whether there's any evidence, which the government claims there is not, of the weapons program here.

So Iran will continue the enrichment of uranium. It also said, and hinted, the Iranian president, they could withdraw from the nuclear nonproliferation treaty. That depending on the actions to come in the weeks ahead. And Iran said if sanctions were imposed, they would do more harm to the countries imposing them than they would do to Iran -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Aneesh, how much does it sound like the president of Iran was thumbing his nose at the U.S. in this news conference.

RAMAN: A lot of times he essentially said that the U.N. and the U.N. Security Council, specifically, are being run by a number of countries. The U.S. clearly was insinuated as being know of those countries. Iran, essentially, feels that are being by the U.S. that is has potentially a weapons program here without any evidence, and that it is Iran's right to pursue a civilian nuclear program.

Now it also had larger issues with the west. A number of times he said there are two to three countries that are essentially setting the world dialogue and setting actions that are taking place in the in the world, and Iran will not allow that, that those days are over.

And so we did hear a sort of defiant statements, but in some sense it was more moderate than some of the statements, the fiery statements, that we've heard from the Iranian president before. It could be because of the timing. We are just days away from that deadline, where the U.N. Security Council will deal with the Iran issue -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And just from a personal perspective, how it was to be at this event, Aneesh? As we were saying so rare for the Iranian president to give an opportunity like this for journalists, especially for an American journalist.

RAMAN: Well, personally, it was a bit frustrating, because I had a number of questions I wanted to ask. CNN wasn't given a chance, because there were any number of other foreign press that were there, in addition to the Iranian press.

But it was an incredible setting. A lot of questions were coming from the Iranian press about the government. Economics was a big issue here.

And for the past few days I've been traveling around the capital, talking to Iranians. Those are that wiling to talk to Western journalists, especially when you have a camera there. And a lot of them support the Iranian president's desire for a civilian nuclear program. And the reason isn't so much a defiance against the West, as just pure economics. This country is 70 percent under the age of 25. Unemployment is conservatively put at around 12 percent. And there are a lot of educated youths here who are looking for jobs, who desperately want to work, and who desperately want income. And Iran's president has made a concerted effort in recent months to go around the country, through television programs, through speeches, to remind the Iraqis, in his view, that this nuclear program, civilian program, will lead to economic progress, and that it is a matter of national pride. And that is something that you hear when you go out and talk to the Iranians.

But we are allowed to sort of move as freely as we want. We have accreditation with us that we have to show if police do come upon us. It's a difficult country to enter, but so far we've been able to go around and talk to a number of Iranians, but again, and it's difficult, I should say, to get a number of them to for them to come on camera, even more difficult to get any of them to criticize what's taking place here -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Aneesh Raman live from Tehran. Thank you.

Well, you know, Mary Poppins 'advice, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Could it also stretch your gas dollars? LIVE TODAY looks south of the boarder for solutions, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: President Bush is offering sympathy but little else in response to rising gas prices. He wants Congress to fund research into alternate fuel sources, but those solutions could be years away. Meanwhile, let's look at what they're doing in Brazil. Instead of gasoline, they put a little sugar in the tank.

Special correspondent Frank Sesno has this story from "CNN PRESENTS."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK SESNO, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This place has a rhythm all its own. But what brings me to Brazil is this: sugarcane, mile after mile of it. They make sugar with it, of course, but also something that makes Brazil a world leader, sugarcane ethanol, clean-burning, high octane.

Ethanol now accounts for nearly 40 percent of Brazil's transportation fuel. In a dangerous world, this stuff is sweet in more ways than one.

(on camera): Eduardo (ph), this stuff goes on forever.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it's a green ocean. It's only sugarcane.

SESNO (voice-over): I meet Eduardo Gunciera (ph) in the fields near his mill, four hours north of Sao Paulo. It's one of the largest operations in the region.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They unload the sugarcane here, and with this sugarcane they produce sugar and ethanol.

SESNO (on camera): You can smell the sugar, smell the molasses.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Smells very good.

SESNO (voice-over): Here nothing is wasted. The fiber from the cane is burned, which generates enough power for the entire mill.

(on camera): This is renewable energy in the real sense.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Renewable energy in the real sense. And we are able to produce the Ethanol that's enough to fuel about 11,000 or more cars per day.

SESNO: Eleven thousand cars a day of ethanol...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

SESNO: ... from these tanks...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.

SESNO: ... day after day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Day after day.

SESNO (voice-over): Brazil is experiencing a sugar boom, 300 mills produce 4 billion gallons of ethanol in 2005, 51 new mills are under construction. And they will need 130 more in the next seven years, why?

Because ethanol in Brazil is not an experiment, it's a way of life. You see it at just about every gas station. "Alcool" they call it, and it's a lot cheaper than gasoline, though it doesn't deliver quite the mileage. Here, even regular gas contains 25 percent ethanol.

Brazilians say the ethanol they make, together with the oil they pump, are about to make Brazil energy independent. They won't need oil imports.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Frank Sesno's report on Brazil's sweet alternative is part of "CNN PRESENTS" production, "We Were Warned."

Keeping families together. We'll show you how one state is going to extreme measures to make that happen. We'll go behind prison walls, just ahead.

Also, look who we found sneaking around CNN. Hey, kids, you're on CNN. Those are the fifth graders of East Valley Elementary School in Marietta, Georgia. They've invaded Chad's weather space. We'll see if he survived, coming up in a bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: This just into CNN. Officials in Aruba say that 19-year- old man, the latest to be taken into custody in connection with Natalee Holloway's disappearance, has now been released. He was released, they say, because grounds for his detention are no longer there, but officials in Aruba say Geoffrey van Cromvoirt still does remain a suspect. Natalee Holloway disappeared just over ten months ago, when she was in Aruba on a graduation trip with her high school from Alabama.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: High anxiety at the pump. The Lundberg Survey has new numbers making motorists cringe today. Gas prices have shot up nearly 25 cents a gallon over the last two weeks. The national average for a gallon of self-serve regular is now $2.91, closing in on the $3 mark. The survey gives two main reasons for the leap: the surge in crude oil prices and the cost of blending ethanol into gasoline.

In world news, one after the other. Seven times today bombs sounded in Baghdad. At least eight people were killed in the string of bloody car bombings across the capital today. Along with the ongoing violence, a step forward for democracy. Parliament chose some new leaders over the weekend. Among them, a prime minister, finally.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com