Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
New Orleans Gets Ready for Next Big Storm; Economics Lesson; Iraq and Oil Prices
Aired May 02, 2006 - 11:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And we're starting our second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY.
I'm Daryn Kagan.
It is just over the horizon, a brewing hurricane season. New Orleans gets ready for the next big storm. The city is a haunting reminder of a hurricane's awesome might and government's inability to meet the challenge of nature. Next hour, city leaders in New Orleans lay out their storm plans.
Our Gulf Coast correspondent, Susan Roesgen, is here with a preview.
Susan, good morning. What differences do we know in the plan that they have that they're going to lay out?
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT: We don't know anything yet, Daryn. We don't know anything exactly but what the plan will be. The details haven't been released yet. But it's one thing to call for a mandatory evacuation. It's something entirely different to actually execute one.
That's what happened last year. The mayor called for a mandatory evacuation, and then city leaders basically crossed their fingers and waited to see what would happen next.
There was no actual plan for police officers to drive up and down in their cars with bullhorns, telling people to get out. There were no city buses on standby. No bus drivers in those buses to go and get people.
People who had cars, Daryn, were able to get out, get on the interstate and head west. But 100,000 people, one out of every four New Orleanians, did not have a car at all, were not able to get out, and there was no real plan for them to get out.
So, this year, we understand that the mayor is going to be talking about using city buses to try to get some people out. Last year, it was Saturday night when he called for this mandatory evacuation, and the hurricane hit early Monday morning. At that time, he said, well, I just want people to get out, we've got to go. This is the big one. Let's get going.
And I remember, Daryn, I asked him, "Well, what about all the people who don't have cars?" And he said, "Well, they can rent a car, or they can buy an Amtrak train ticket."
And I said, "Well, Mr. Mayor, those people who don't have cars are poor. That's why they don't have cars. They don't have the money to by an Amtrak train ticket or rent a car." And he said, "Well, I'm counting on churches. Maybe the churches will get some buses and get some people out."
And, of course, Daryn, as we saw, that did not happen. You had all those people, thousands of people, on their roofs, evacuated by Coast Guard helicopters.
KAGAN: A big question I think will be, what will be the role of the Superdome and the convention center that have become the symbols for so much that went wrong?
ROESGEN: That is a big question. The Superdome, especially. The city has always said that the Superdome was only supposed to be a shelter of last resort. And yet, when people have no place to go, that's where they gravitate to.
So, you had about 25,000 people in this "shelter of last resort" that was not prepared to be a shelter. I was in the Superdome the day after a hurricane. I snuck in when a sympathetic National Guardsman let me go in and get a look at the situation.
It was hot, the air conditioning had failed, the generators had failed. The toilets were overflowing. It was terrible situation in there.
And what the city is saying now is, we mean it this time. We do not want people to go to the Superdome. We haven't heard what their plans are for a shelter of another kind.
KAGAN: Now, the mayor is coming out with this plan just a couple of weeks before he has this runoff election with Mitch Landrieu to be the next mayor of New Orleans. How does this all play into the election?
ROESGEN: Well, it has played into the election already, Daryn, in some of the debates leading up to the primary. Some of the candidates said, "Where's the plan? Come on, Mayor. Where's the plan? We don't have any real evacuation plan."
And he said, "I have a plan. We're working on it." And the response from some of the other challengers was, "Well, the rest of the city doesn't know about it."
So, today is the day that the mayor is supposed to let the entire city know about it. And I'm sure that we will probably hear some reaction from the mayor's main challenger now, Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu, the person he will face in the runoff on May 20th.
KAGAN: I would imagine. Well, we'll look forward to hearing what the exact plan is in the next hour.
Susan Roesgen, live from New Orleans. Susan, thank you.
The road to better MPGs may be paved with a lawsuit. "The New York Times" reports 10 states are going to court this week. They want better gas mileage for sports utility vehicles. Their lawsuit reportedly claims the Bush administration's analysis of fuel savings did not meet standards required by law. It was that analysis that led to new mileage rules last month for SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks.
California and New York are among the states taking part in the lawsuit. It's expected to be announced today.
School buses are rolling, teachers are teaching, and students are learning again in Rhea County, Tennessee, this morning. The county shut its school for two days this week. The reason? To save money on the soaring cost of gas.
The story from reporter Amy Katcher. She's with our Chattanooga affiliate WTVC.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It probably is a good idea right now, considering gas prices are so high. That's probably one way they can save money.
AMY CATCHER, REPORTER, WTVC (voice over): Tanika Mason (ph) agrees with Rhea County's decision to close schools for the day. Kids in the county school system get an extra long weekend. And school was canceled to save money on gas.
BIMBO MCCAWLEY, CHAIRMAN, RHEA COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD: Several months ago, our superintendent, Dallas Smith (ph), was over in Nashville. And through some conversations he had over there, the indication was given that we could utilize some of our remaining snow days to conserve some fuel costs.
KATCHER: This sign may best say why the superintendent and school board decided to use this option now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, if they are using up snow days that were already accounted for, I don't see that it's any problem.
KATCHER (on camera): Administrators hope by grounding this fleet, they'll help out that fuel budget.
MCCAWLEY: We utilize anywhere from $2,000 to $2,500 a day in fuel for our bus transportation system.
KATCHER (voice over): That can shave between $4,000 and $5,000 off the budget's bottom line. But Charles Kailer (ph) doesn't think closing school is the right way to save money.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They need to improvise somewhere because education is our future of the children.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Exactly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And without the education, then what is our future?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Getting a break at the gas pump. Iraq, is it a problem or a solution? We've got that story just ahead on LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: One sniper suspect testifying against the other. That scenario could play out in a Maryland courtroom.
WTOP Radio reports that Lee Boyd Malvo is expected to tell his story and testify against the older sniper, John Allen Muhammad. Jury selection is under way right now in Muhammad's second trial. He and Malvo face six murder charges in Maryland for the 2002 killing spree. Malvo's trial is scheduled for the fall.
WTOP reports that Malvo's testimony is part of a plea deal. It would allow the 21-year-old to admit guilt in Maryland and receive a life sentence. Neither the prosecutor nor Malvo's attorney would comment on any plea deal. Both sniper suspects have been convicted in Virginia.
Could Iraq hold a solution to high gas prices? Possibly. The country sits on one of the world's largest oil reserves, but getting that crude to your tank is no small task.
CNN's Brian Todd looks at the complications. He filed this report for THE SITUATION ROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): How much longer will you be squeezed whenever you squeeze that handle? A dire prediction from the U.S. Energy secretary.
SAMUEL BODMAN, ENERGY SECRETARY: We're going to have a number of years, two or three years, before suppliers are going to be in a position to meet the demands of those who are consuming this product.
TODD: Compare that to three year ago. In the spring of 2003, oil was at less than $30 a barrel, compared to more than $70 now. More than a doubling in the three years since the invasion of Iraq.
FRANK VERRASTRO, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: It's a contributing factor. When markets are tight in terms of supply and we've had growing demand, then the contribution from Iraq is really important.
TODD: Iraq sits atop one of the largest oil reserves. And U.S. officials had predicted before the war that oil exports would pay for the cost of reconstruction. Now experts say Iraq produces at least half a million barrels less per day than it did before the invasion. SAAD RAHIM, PFC ENERGY: On any given day, if you have, you know, militants blowing up a pipeline or a threat to a port, or any sort of supply disruption, you're really starting to see those barrels come off the market and just aren't available.
TODD: But experts caution Iraq is just part of a perfect storm that's driven prices up in recent years; market jitters over what might happen with Iraq's oil-producing neighbor, Iran; violence and political unrest in oil-rich Nigeria and Venezuela; hurricane devastation in the Gulf of Mexico; refining capacity not up to par; and ever-growing demand in China, India and the United States.
(on camera): Still, one expert says if Iraq could raise production even slightly, it would provide noticeable relief at the pump. But analysts say that won't happen anytime soon. Even if Iraq were stabilized tomorrow, they say, it would take at least two years to build back to its previous capacity.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: The politics of oil with Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM" this afternoon at 4:00 Eastern and again during prime time at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
Springtime, it is busting out all over. But the season may hold a dark side as well. Medical news is just ahead on LIVE TODAY.
And it tastes great, but is it good for you?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The butter already is contaminated with a paper fluorochemical that will be absorbed into your blood and stay in your blood for a long, long time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Ooh, every popcorn needs a party pooper. Straight ahead, new concerns about microwave popcorn packaging.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: "United 93" -- the grim film depicts the 9/11 hijacking that ended in a Pennsylvania field. It's won good reviews from critics and support from the families of those aboard the doomed plane. Now another perspective from a man at the center of the 9/11 aftermath.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY GIULIANI, FMR. NEW YORK MAYOR: I thought it was a very difficult film to watch, much more difficult to watch it than I even thought it would be. But I thought it was -- I thought it was a valuable contribution to explaining the heroism of those people that I believe saved the Capitol and gave up their lives to do that. I mean, that's an enormous act of heroism.
And I think it's something that people should see in order to remind themselves of what's going on. I mean, you know, when we saw the war on terror, there's a reason for it. And this is one of -- one of the ways -- having to confront what happened to us, maybe one of the ways to explain how important this is that we remain committed to doing everything we can to prevent an attack like that in the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: And, by the way, it's not just the corn that grows in Iowa. Dreams of the presidency sprout there, too. That is why former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani is sewing political seeds in the heartland.
Our Candy Crowley, part of the best political team on television, has our report. It first aired on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING".
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GIULIANI: Welcome to Iowa.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Can a big-city mayor find happiness in the byways and burbs of middle America? That's what he's trying to find out.
GIULIANI: My effort this year will be to help Republicans get elected. And then, you know, quite honestly, also, as part of it, saying to myself, does it look like I have a chance in 2008, and make that decision after the 2006 election.
CROWLEY: It has been almost five years since Rudy Giuliani plowed his way through the dust and chaos of 9/11 to become a national hero, America's mayor.
REP. JIM NUSSLE (R), IOWA GOV. CANDIDATE: He's what they say now a superstar within our party.
CROWLEY: He has quite the draw in Iowa in places like Des Moines and Davenport, turning out the crowds, talking up the candidates, courting the faithful for future reference.
GIULIANI: George W. Bush will be considered historically a great president. And -- and I think a lot of things are going to happen in the next couple of years that help to support that.
CROWLEY: If you would run for president on buzz, his honor would be printing up bumper stickers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Initially, the first few visits, I'm sure, 9/11 is the reason they come and they see him, they meet him. And then they are going to want to find out. They're going to ask him questions, and there will probably be some hard questions.
CROWLEY: Like, can a pro-abortion rights, pro-gay rights, pro- gun licensing, twice-divorced candidate survive the party's conservative primary voters? Perhaps a charge of subject.
GIULIANI: The major thing that we organize around as Republicans is a government that puts more reliance on people than government.
CROWLEY: The signal could not be more clear. If Giuliani runs, he will have to fundamentally change the dialogue within the Republican Party. He will be a tough sell in '08, but Giuliani is a tough customer, who as mayor cut crime and taxes and stared into the face of terrorism. Many a presidential campaign has begun on less.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Talking about a military raid in Iraq. Did the U.S. just miss capturing one of the world's most wanted terrorists? That story is just ahead.
And it's just about irresistible. But is microwave popcorn bad for you? New medical concerns coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Questions about the U.S. military in Iraq. Did troops miss another chance to capture one of the world's most wanted terrorists?
He is Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq. A U.S. defense officials say Special Forces may have unexpectedly come close to Zarqawi last month.
It all centers around the raid of a suspected safe house in the town of Yusifiyah, southwest of Baghdad. The military says five terrorists were killed and five others were detained. A defense official says the detainees told interrogators that Zarqawi was at a nearby house. The official could not say whether the U.S. was able to verify that information.
They are helping rebuild New Orleans, but that's what happens when they need help. What happens then? Illegal immigrants are part of the post-Katrina workforce, but many don't have insurance and they are straining the city's hospitals.
CNN's Sean Callebs has that story which first ran on "ANDERSON COOPER 360," part of our coverage of "A Day Without Immigrants."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Luis is living and working illegally in New Orleans. But he can make $150 a day here as opposed to $8 a day at home in Honduras. So it's worth the risk in more than one way.
Roofing, gutting homes, and putting up sheetrock can be dangerous. Luis told me a friend of his was putting in a screw with a power drill and accidentally drilled a screw through his finger.
Hospitals, such as East Jefferson, have seen a tremendous spike in the number of illegal immigrants needing treatments. It's estimated there are as many as 20,000 illegals here, people who don't have insurance and can require extensive and costly treatments.
Dr. Harold Stokes is a hand surgeon.
DR. HAROLD STOKES, HAND SURGEON: Finger amputations, severe lacerations of the hand.
CALLEBS: It's putting an additional financial burden on post- Katrina, New Orleans' healthcare.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So many of the immigrant workers are coming in, bringing their families, and their wives are coming and are pregnant. And many of those are not receiving any prenatal care. So they're coming here, presenting to the emergency department in labor.
CALELBS: And basically, the hospital has to eat the cost. E.R. Physician Dr. John Wales says the hospital can get some money back from the federal government if the patient admits he's in the country illegally.
DR. JOHN WALES, EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR: To me, that's kind of similar to going to the Department of Motor Vehicles and asking where you can register a stolen vehicle.
CALLEBS: There are tragic cases, hospital officials say, such as one illegal worker who fell off a roof.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had serious brain damage and required life support, intubation, and is now in basically a vegetative state.
CALLEBS: East Jefferson must keep him alive and pay the bill.
While today was a day to walk out, Luis and his coworkers were out sweating, trying to improve their lives and help rebuild the city, but oblivious to the strains the influx of illegals has created here.
Sean Callebs, CNN, New Orleans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Anderson Cooper tracks the Gulf Coast recovery. Join "AC 360" weeknights at 10:00 Eastern here on CNN.
Four months after the tragic Sago Mine disaster, emotions running high as new hearings get under way. A dozen men lost their lives in that West Virginia mining accident, and their families want answers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PEGGY COHEN, VICTIM'S DAUGHTER: Was this a preventable explosion? Did our dad have to die? These are just a few of the many questions I have. We can only hope that we get the answers.
The one thing we must do is to make changes and make these mines safe for the other miners that continue to work. We must do something to prevent any more miners dying and their families having to endure this pain.
This is awful pain. My heart just feels empty. We hope that everything will be investigated thoroughly so we can get our answers. Please, do not leave any stone unturned.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: CNN's Joe Johns is at the hearing in Buckhannon, West Virginia.
Joe, good morning.
First of all, what is the main purpose of these particular hearings?
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is the main purpose of these particular hearings, quite frankly, Daryn. The purpose was to give the families a say, give them an opportunity to have some input in this investigation now that's been going on for four months. And they truly did, during this morning's session, humanize it through their statements.
Raw emotion we heard throughout the morning, stories, of loss, the sense of loss these mothers and daughters, these family members of the deceased coal miners have felt since that day, January 2nd, when the explosion occurred at Sago Mine, quite frankly, not far from here.
The second reason for this hearing, obviously, is to try to get some answers. The state, as well as the federal government, have pulled together virtually all the players in this drama, all the players in this investigation to try to get at the bottom of the question of what caused the accident, what could they have done better, was it preventable?
So, over the course of these two or three days, however long it lasts, they do hope to at least get farther down that road with a view toward wrapping up the state investigation around July or so. The federal investigation, of course, may continue for some time. Certainly, sometime into next year -- Daryn.
KAGAN: What about the sole survivor, Randy McCloy, Jr.? Will he testify before this panel?
JOHNS: It doesn't sound like he will. The indications are he is not going to show up here, although none of that really is confirmed. It's quite hard to say. Randy McCloy has been going through absolutely extensive physical therapy to try to repair his body after that long stay in the mine in January.
KAGAN: Joe Johns, live from Buckhannon, West Virginia.
Thank you.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It is a dangerous gamble. Parents who illegally enter the U.S., then arrange to have their young children join them. Some of those kids don't make it across the border. Others fall into the hands of predators.
CNN's Thelma Gutierrez reports her story, first aired on "ANDERSON COOPER 360."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Daybreak on the border. And U.S. and Mexican agents prepare for another onslaught of deportees, led through this international gate back into Mexico.
The faces we see are not just men, women or even teenagers. We're talking about small children. Kids whose parents paid smugglers to sneak them into the United States in the trunks of vehicles, under floorboards, seats, even hidden in the dashboards and glove compartments.
ASTRID SANCHEZ, 15 YEAR OLD IMMIGRANT (through translator): I hid under blankets in the compartment of a bus.
GUTIERREZ: Just 15, Astrid made the harrowing trip from El Salvador to Tijuana all alone.
SANCHEZ (through translator): Sometimes it was hard to breathe, and sometimes we only had water.
GUTIERREZ: Astrid was trying to reach Boston, where her mother works in a factory. She left Astrid when she was only a baby so she could send money to help support her. But like thousands of other children who have dreams of being reunited with their parents, Astrid was caught at the border
SANCHEZ (through translator): I never understood why my mother went to the United States. I always felt sad for not having grown up with a mother.
GUTIERREZ: Enrique Mendez who runs this makeshift children's shelter just inside the Mexican border, sees children like Astrid arriving every day, all day long.
(On camera): This mobile home here in Tijuana is right on the border of two countries, and it's meant to be a safe house for the kids who are deported from the United States. If you come here, into this room, you can you see that there are bunk beds.
(Voice-over): The day has just started. Already parents and relatives show up looking for lost children. Children who disappeared with their boyellos (ph), or smugglers.
This mother tells Enrique, she's worried sick. She says her son is only 3. He was supposed to be delivered to her brother in Los Angeles, but he never made it. Enrique says the mother's best hope is that the smuggler was caught by Border Patrol and her son is in custody. If not, there's no telling what has become of him.
ENRIQUE MENDEZ, DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN'S SHELTER (through translator): Distraught families come here and say a smuggler approached us and said, I'll take your child across or I know someone who can. The family knows nothing about the smuggler and they never hear from the child again. So those kids were most likely trafficked for other reasons.
GUTIERREZ: U.S. and Mexican officials say smuggled children who disappear often end up in the hands of sex traffickers. No one knows just how many.
(On camera): I asked Lodi Verta Cruz (ph) if she was afraid to send her son with a stranger all alone. She tells me desperation drove her to make a bad decision. She's a single mother from Oaxaca, deep inside Mexico. She was looking for domestic work in Tijuana, but no one would hire her with a small child. That's why she took the risk.
(Voice-over): Enrique calls the Mexican consulate in San Diego. Lodi Verta's (ph) 3-year-old son, Yahir (ph), is safe, and on the next bus back to the border. An incredibly rare and lucky find. Most parents don't find their children here.
It's noon. The bus arrives. Seventeen deported children make their way back into Mexico. The smallest among them, 3-year-old Yahir (ph), who is scared, lost and unable to verbalize what he's been through. Yahir (ph) and the younger children wait here. Enrique and a social worker try to sort out who they are so that family can be located. Lodi Verta (ph) returns to claim her son.
Back on the U.S. side of the border, Enrique's counterparts locate Astrid's mother, whom she hasn't seen in 14 years.
These mothers say they took the most dangerous gamble to better the lives of their children, but nearly paid the most painful price.
Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Tijuana, Mexico.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: OK, pop quiz for you. Where in the world is Iraq? Afghanistan? A tough quiz for many young Americans. Coming up, the Geography challenge.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: A brutal attack with a bizarre twist. Illinois teacher Samson Shelton is accused of beating a 17-year-old Ashley Reeve (ph) and leaving the student for dead. She Reeve in the hospital with a broken neck. Shelton is in jail. And now to the twist. Investigators are telling St. Louis television station KMOV that the suspect went line dancing after the attack.
We get more on the case from reporter Alex Fees with our affiliate KSDK.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX FEES, KSDK REPORTER (on camera): Was he in custody when the victim was found?
LT. STEVE JOHNSON, ST. CLAIR CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT.: Yes.
FEES: Reporter: Did he lead you to her?
JOHNSON: I can't say that, but can I tell you that when we went to Citizens Park, Sam Shelton was with us.
FEES (voice-over): Lieutenant Steve Johnson addressed the air and canine service along Radio Range Road Friday night between Highways 161 and 158.
(on camera): What was going on there? Were you getting more information? Was it just sort of a -- were you Eliminating locations?
JOHNSON: I would actually say both. It was eliminating and receiving a little bit newer, updated information, checking in different areas.
FEES (voice-over): Investigator Daniel Stockett...
DANIEL STOCKETT, ST. CLAIR CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT.: Most of the time I was actually here, conducting interviews, and just getting information, following up on different leads.
FEES (on camera): Eventually the search for that victim came to an end here in Belleville Citizens Park. We now know a key component about that search that we did not know when it was unfolding Friday night.
JOHNSON: All the information that we received from the investigation is that we were searching for a deceased person.
FEES (voice-over): But that's not what they found. When they reached what were the remains of Ashley Reeves, she was still alive.
(on camera): What did you do then?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I started yelling for other investigators to contact EMTs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, this is a first time for me that it's turned out where we were successful in finding someone alive. So, it's a -- it's a tremendous feeling.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: So, are you celebrating a birthday this month? Well, congratulations. But they come with a caution. British researchers say that babies born in the spring or early summer face an increased risk of suicide later in life. Doctors speculate the gloomy days in autumn and winter can affect a pregnant woman's hormones or chemicals, and they even theorize that cold temperatures may play a role in the development of a fetus. Overall, researchers say a person born in the springtime runs a greater risk of suicide, a 17 percent increased risk. For women born in the spring, the risk is a startling 30 percent. The findings are in the "British Journal of Psychiatry."
Well, the smell is enough to make your mouth water. Popcorn. Americans love to much on that. More than 17 billion quarts get gobbled up every year. But now, there are new worries about the popcorn packaging.
With more on that, here's CNN's senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A lot of us like butter with our popcorn, even if it's in the form of artificial flavoring. But fluorotelomers? A recent FDA study found that a fluorotelomer -- that's a coating -- used to make microwave popcorn bags grease resistant is seeping into popcorn.
GLENN EVERS, FMR. DUPONT SR. SCIENTIST: On the food ingredients list it does not contain popcorn, butter and fluorotelomers.
GUPTA: Former DuPont senior scientist Glenn Evers recently brought a 1987 internal memo to the government's attention. The company memo warned that more of the chemical was coming off the paper than originally thought.
EVERS: Even before we cooked the popcorn, the butter already is contaminated with a paper fluorochemical that will be absorbed into your blood and stay in your blood for a long, long time.
GUPTA: FDA scientists say popcorn is still safe and there's no concern, especially in the small amounts of fluorotelomers that generally show up. But the FDA also acknowledges that in recent tests, the chemical similar to the coating found on nonstick pans did come off popcorn bags at a higher rate than almost any other way one might encounter it.
Now another government study complicates the picture a little bit. An independent scientific review board for the EPA found perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, which can be extracted from the chemical fluorotelomers, does cause cancer in animals and is likely to be carcinogenic to humans. Further testing is already under way.
We called DuPont, which makes the grease-resistant coating for many popcorn bags, and this is what Gary Spitzer, who is business director at DuPont said in the phone interview: "We are very confident in the FDA study, and we feel consumers should feel safe about using the product, too."
The company has promised to reduce emissions of PFOA from manufacturing plants. And now the popcorn council says companies are moving away from using this coating on their bags. But if consumers are still concerned about potentially harmful chemicals getting into popcorn, the Environmental Working Group offers this solution.
LAUREN SUCHER, EWG: Just take a brown paper lunch bag, put in about a quarter cup of regular, good old-fashioned kernels of popcorn. That's probably about a couple spoonfuls of popcorn. And then you want to fold your lunch bag and place two staples just to keep the popcorn from jumping around your microwave.
You want to keep the staples kind of far apart from one another. Then place the bag in the microwave and pop.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: To get your daily dose of health news online, logon to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address, CNN.com/health.
OK. You might not be as limber as you used to be, but then again, you might not be a limber as once were when you're close to 80. Look at these guys. They're close. They are the average age of these soccer players in Japan. They organized a senior version of the World Cup before their national team enters the real competition next month.
(BUSINESS HEADLINES)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: They don't have a clue where Iraq and Afghanistan is. How about Mississippi and Louisiana? Nope, not a chance there. Young Americans apparently are geographically challenged. A "National Geographic" points out that just how little most 18 to 24-year-olds know about the world. Three out of four can't find Israel on a map of the Middle East, 60 percent can't locate Iraq. It doesn't get much better on the homefront. Half don't know where New York State is, and 43 percent can't find Ohio.
So, dad's on the big screen, but son get as shot at the big game. The son of actor Denzel Washington could be headed to the NFL. John David Washington is one of 10 undrafted players signed by the St. Louis Rams. He was a star at Division II Morehouse College. He set new school records for single-game yardage, single-season yardage and career yardage. And if that picture is any indication, he's kind of a looker like dad as well.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(NEWSBREAK)
KAGAN: Well you're to the point, you've worked hard, you finally are able to spend some money, but should you?
Valerie Morris take a look at finding a good financial adviser. It's our report "At This Age, the 40s."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. I'm 45 years old, and I'm wondering how I could find a good, trustworthy financial adviser. VALERIE MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The first step in choosing a solid adviser is understanding what different financial advisers do. Some are geared toward individual planning, while others are not. For instance, Mary Clair Allvine (ph) says as a certified financial planner, or CFP, she handles retirement planning, estate planning, investment planning, employee benefits, taxes and insurance.
Then there are certified financial analysts, who are known as CFAs. Kate Shirley (ph), president of Financial Development Corporation, says these professionals are more likely to analyze stocks than handle personal planning. Financial planners get paid in a variety of ways. Some charge hourly fees, some charge retainer fees, and some receive a transaction fee each time you buy or sell something.
For more information on this subject, call the National Association of Personal Financial Advisers at 1-800-366-2732. Answering your questions at this age, I'm Valerie Morris in New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: I'm Daryn Kagan. That's our show for now. But I'll be back in about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is up next with international news. See you in a bit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
