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American Morning

U.S. Marines Arrive to Aid Tsunami Victims in Asia

Aired January 05, 2005 - 9:30   ET

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

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


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: ... bit of a retreat lately, though. 10,630 is where we start today, off about 98 points in trading on Tuesday. Nasdaq market site, kicking off today at 2107, off about 44 points at the close of business yesterday.
Welcome back, everybody. It's 9:30 here in New York. Good to have you along with us today. Soledad continues reporting from Phuket, Thailand, again today.

In a moment, we'll hear from Christiane Amanpour in Sri Lanka. More U.S. marines headed for that country. And we'll look at the task that is ahead now for them. Also, a firsthand account of the force of the tsunami when it hit Sri Lanka. We'll meet a family there that day. They're back in the U.S., they have brought their own videotape. And what a story they have to tell, both before and after, as the wave came on shore.

Back to Heidi Collins here in New York. Good morning, Heidi.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We need to be hearing those stories of survival now, don't we?

HEMMER: Yes, so true.

COLLINS: All right, well, "Now in the News" this morning, as you just heard here on CNN, more aid money pouring in for the tsunami disaster relief. Within the past 15 minutes, Australian prime minister John Howard reportedly announced he will pledge more than $760 million to the reconstruction fund. That's according to Reuters and the Associated Press. Much more on the international relief effort coming up.

Here in the United States now, the Senate preparing for a series of upcoming confirmation hearings. Alberto Gonzales, President Bush's pick for attorney general, is set to face a committee tomorrow. His critics say Gonzales opened the door for the use of torture against Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib. Gonzales is expected to be confirmed.

Less than three hours from now, more testimony expected in the Robert Blake murder trial. Today's testimony expected to focus on the restaurant where Blake and his wife ate the night she was shot. Prosecutors say Blake killed his wife to gain custody of their daughter.

And Delta Airlines hoping to woo more customers now. As of today, Delta is cutting domestic fares by up to 15 percent -- 50, that is. Five-oh percent. And reducing the fee for changing tickets from $100 to $50. Delta has been expected to slash fares this week, a move aimed at keeping it out of bankruptcy. Hope they can do that.

HEMMER: Think the other airlines will follow now?

COLLINS: I don't know. The other airlines that are not bankrupt, anyway.

HEMMER: Yes. Thanks, Heidi.

Getting relief supplies to some of the hardest hit areas in Sri Lanka seems an uphill battle at this point. Our chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour in the scene there in Sri Lanka and joins us live. And Christiane, marines there -- the U.S. marines continue to arrive in that area with more relief supplies. From what you have seen to date, is this material getting to those who need it the most?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, from what we understand about 20 more marines have arrived in Sri Lanka. You know, the bulk of the U.S. military operation is in Thailand and Indonesia. But they are bringing supplies into here. Although I must say that even down on this -- on this coast over here, the West Coast, and certainly down around the East Coast, where we were yesterday, there is little direct evidence of the sort of heavy- lifting supplies and help that needs to get to the people.

There are food supplies coming in, cargos are coming, cargo planes are landing with bulk orders of food and other relief supplies. But the actual help that the people need to lift all this debris, to start to clear it, even to get the remainder of the bodies out of the ground, is still really being done on their own.

HEMMER: Christiane, also, the orphans. We are told thousands in that part of the world. Who is there now to help them?

AMANPOUR: You know, Bill, it's a shocking figure. Of the U.N.'s latest figures, over 150,000 death toll around the affected region, 50,000 of them, we are told, are children. That's a third of the casualties. 50,000 children killed. Here in Sri Lanka, something like 40 percent of the victims have been children. And this is causing an enormous problem. All sorts of help is being attempted to be taken to these children.

Some of them, you know, there's sort of conflicting imperatives between the Sri Lankan government and the Unicef aid officials. Unicef wants to place them with extended families, the Sri Lankan government had originally wanted to put them in orphanages. The little children who we've heard from don't want to go to orphanages, simply want to find their parents or be with their family. This is a long-term crisis for these children, not just in immediate care and placement, but in the long-term, trauma and displacement that they've suffered.

HEMMER: Indeed. Christiane Amanpour there in Sri Lanka. Christiane, thanks, be safe out there.

This Devisser family also ran for their lives ten days ago as that tsunami hit that same part of the world. They're in Sri Lanka as well. A very unique perspective, now, because they are Sri Lankan Americans. Back home now. Winston and Joyce Devisser and their children, 10-year-old Jason and 3-year-old Joanna, join me now in Richmond, Virginia.

Good morning to you. And I have to think, at this point, for yourselves and your lives at this point, it has been one heck of a happy new year. Good morning to you.

And I want to share with our viewers. You brought some videotape. A before scene down at the beach in Sri Lanka, then an after scene. We'll roll the videotape, we'll show our viewers the before scene. Very calm and tranquil, just like we have seen all over Thailand and parts of Indonesia. And as we start our conversation, we'll allow the other videotape to roll in here.

Joyce, maybe you can start for us. You were going to the beach that day. When did you know something was headed your way, in a very wrong way?

JOYCE DEVISSER, SRI LANKAN-AMERICAN SURVIVOR: Well, I didn't know until my -- until I saw my husband and my son and my little daughter running from a distance and I really thought that somebody had drowned in the beach. But then I saw the entire beach, running up to where I was near the pool. And then I heard people screaming and said, run, run, there's a big wave hitting us. So that's when I really knew it.

HEMMER: Let me ask your husband -- Winston, I understand the lifeguards there were the first ones to start screaming and yelling that something was wrong. Relay that experience to us.

WINSTON DEVISSER, SRI LANKAN-AMERICAN SURVIVOR: In fact, when we were -- we were at the pool. We got there to the hotel around 10:00 and by the time we had a cup of tea, and then we were at the pool with Joanna and my son, Jason, and then we were going up to the beach. And my son was interested, seeing the beach. And usually, every two years, when we go back home, we usually go to the beach and have a nice time, along with our family as well.

And then the lifeguard had apparently seen a sudden change in the beach where the water has drawn back quite a number of feet behind. And he was advising us that we should not reach to the beach at all this time because of the sudden change. Then, in the meantime, I took a couple pictures with my daughter.

And then while I was turning back, I see like a two-feet wall hitting to the foot of me and my little daughter. Then I call my son, Jason, to get back as early as possible, and then he saw the water coming to his feet and then he stumbled down. He fell off, on the water. And then we were reaching up to the bridge and we could see the second, third, wave, coming up to the bridge. And then by the time I got down to the other side of the bridge, and then while I was reaching to pool side, I saw another wave coming, and cracking the wall off. And then it's a 10-foot wall that just came off. And we were rushing to our rooms and then in the meantime, when we were getting to the first floor, the manager of the hotel said don't go up -- the first floor, because the water can reach the first floor. Because at that time, the water had already gotten to the ground level and then we were at the second floor. Then we were asked to go to the fourth floor. And we were pretty much scared for our life. Are we going to live or are we going to die because of this type of situation?

HEMMER: Scared and...

W. DEVISSER: Yes, we were very scared. Yes, sir.

HEMMER: And very lucky, too. To your wife again. Joyce, I understand you tried to get on to a different beach that was further south. And that beach was filled. No reservations allowed. Had you gone there, do you think you'd be sitting here today?

J. DEVISSER: No, definitely not. I would say the mighty hand of god that protected us and my family, because from the day we landed in Sri Lanka, it was the 13th of December, we'd been trying to get the hotel that was most affected. And somehow, god's mighty hand stopped us. We could never get into that hotel. So right now, I'm sitting here, because I was away from that particular hotel that got drowned under water.

HEMMER: Hey, what have you told Joanna and Jason, your two children?

J. DEVISSER: Well, there was nothing much to say. Because they saw it with their own eyes, the big wave coming. And we had to run for our dear lives, so...

HEMMER: Have they asked you questions or anything about it?

J. DEVISSER: Well, they -- time to time, they ask me, how come, how come the big wave came close to us? So I had to say it was a sudden change in the sea and we are safe and we don't have to worry about -- we are fortunate and there are lots of less fortunate children over there who are dead. Yes so...

HEMMER: I know they can't hear me. Tell us how they're doing.

J. DEVISSER: Right now, they're doing fine. Can you say hi to them and say you're fine?

CHILD: Hi.

CHILD: Hi.

HEMMER: Hey, good morning, Jason. Good morning, Joanna. Our best to you. Winston and Joyce Devisser. Thanks for sharing your story today.

J. DEVISSER: Thank you very much.

W. DEVISSER: Thank you.

HEMMER: All right. CNN has an unmatched team in four different countries. Stay with us throughout the day as we get new developments. Later tonight, you can see a primetime coverage, 7:00 Eastern time. "Turning the Tide" is now on Wednesday. Tomorrow, on Thursday, at 10:00 Eastern, we'll have a special "Saving the Children," 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 on the West Coast. Only here on CNN -- Heidi.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Memo to the many resolved to lose weight in the New Year. The key, according to a new study, isn't Atkins, Ornish or even Weight Watchers; it is will power. Dr. Louis Aronne is director of the New York Presbyterian Hospital Comprehensive Weight Control Program. I asked him about the study, which suggests picking a diet and sticking to it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. LOUIS ARONNE, NEW YORK PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL: This was a study of 160 people who were signed to one of four treatments; 40 percent were assigned to a weight watchers diet, 40 people to a zone diet, and then there were two groups of more radical diets, one, a very low fat or Ornish-type diet, and 40 people to an Atkins-type diet, a very high-fat diet.

COLLINS: OK, so looking at those 160 people who are on these four different diet what the study found is people who started bat 220 pounds ended up losing about 6 pounds in a year. Now, when you think about 220 pound, 6 pounds being lost, it doesn't seem like an awful lot.

ARONNE: It doesn't seem like a lot, but it does help people to live a healthier life. That's one important point.

The second point is that some people do extremely well on any kind of diet. If they stick with the plan, they're going to do well no matter what they do.

COLLINS: Are you surprised at all that everybody did about the same on the four different diets?

ARONNE: No, I think that one of the messages we're getting is that there's no diet that's right for everybody. There are a lot of different ways to do this, and what you have to do is find what's right for you.

COLLINS: But you already brought up a pretty good point about being persistent and really trying to stick with it. Unfortunately, though, the study also found that not many people were able to stay on the diet. Why do they fail?

ARONNE: Well, there are a number of reasons. The most important reason is that the body resists weight loss. There are built-in mechanisms to resist weight loss. And what happens is people give up too easily, because they expect too much. They think it's going to be easy, and it's not as easy as they think.

COLLINS: So is there a way, then, to know, before you choose which diet you'll go on, which one will be best for you as an individual?

ARONNE: Well, right now, we can't choose that. There are other studies going on which we hope will be able to help us pick out which diet is best for any given person. But for now, I think people should try something. If it doesn't work, try something else. Don't give up.

COLLINS: When you look at this information, overall what is the bottom line here? What should people take away from it?

ARONNE: Even little bit of weight loss is good for your health. You'll get health improvements even losing 5 or 10 pounds. It's great.

COLLINS: And we already kind of talked about being realistic about this. Don't refer to the Anna Nicole Smiths and say, oh, boom, I can all of a sudden be this tiny person if I take a pill.

ARONNE: It's tougher to lose weight loss than you think. But you can do it. You've just got to be persistent.

COLLINS: OK, and that is your final one, be persistent, do not give up.

ARONNE: That was the most important finding of the study, the better people stuck to the diet, the better they did. Adherence to diet plan was the best predictor of how much weight people would lose, no matter what kind of diet it was.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: And remember, don't get discouraged. Dr. Aronne, even a small amount of weight loss will provide you with some health benefits -- Bill.

HEMMER: Heidi, in a moment here, the newest headliner in Vegas will be wearing prison stripes. Make that prison stripes. Andy has that, "Minding Your Business." Also thanks to one TV network, swimsuit season is already here, and so is "90-Second Pop," after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Now there's some music. It's time once again for "90- Second Pop." Let's round up the usually suspects today. Andy Borowitz, minister of humor at BorowitzReport.com. Sarah Bernard, contributing editor for "New York" magazine. And Toure, CNN's pop culture correspondent.

Good morning, guys. TOURE, CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

SARAH BERNARD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: Good morning.

ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: Good morning.

COLLINS: I want to talk to you, if we could first, Sarah, with you, about the tsunami relief. We're hearing from a lot of celebrities now.

BERNARD: A lot of people.

COLLINS: ... really donating a lot of money. Sandra Bullock, one million, Leonardo DiCaprio giving a significant amount. But is the PR surrounding their donation a little too much?

BERNARD: You know, I love that the way that Leonardo said, a significant amount, by the way. That's sort of making us all more intrigued. I am going to take the opposite opinion of my couch-mates that this is actually kind of a cynical way to -- Toure is looking at me. A cynical way to get attention for themselves and their really huge, you know, larger-than-life subjects.

I think there is really no difference between Sandra Bullock giving money and Rupert Murdoch giving money, or Coca-Cola giving money. I mean, all of these other corporations have put out press releases that this is what they're doing. I don't see that it's any different for an individual to do it.

Besides, NBC is going to do a big celebrity musical concert on January 15, which is similar to what everybody did around 9/11. And we weren't talking about that then. So, I don't see why it's any different than that. Besides, it's the perfect celebrity cause, you have to admit. It doesn't have any partisan...

COLLINS: And when you make that much money, it could be an argument that these celebrities are corporations within themselves.

BERNARD: They are.

TOURE: Of course they are. Look, if you go on a film set and pretend for three months and get $10 million, you can give $1 million to people who are actually suffering for real. I mean, I don't think it's a PR stunt. It's something that is actual and generous and real. I mean, to whom much is given, much is required.

COLLINS: Yes. And at that point, I guess, who cares, as long as the money is going there?

BERNARD: You to agree with me.

TOURE: No. That is a good move that they seem to be doing.

BERNARD: Right.

TOURE: It's not a PR stunt.

BERNARD: No, I don't think it is a PR stunt.

COLLINS: All right. Well, the money is going, and that's the important thing.

All right, let's talk about that music we just heard a little while ago, Toure. A Lifetime achievement Grammy for Led Zeppelin.

TOURE: Yes.

COLLINS: Surprised?

TOURE: No.

COLLINS: Or is it just completely overdone?

TOURE: I mean, this had to happen. I mean, this is one of the great, great bands of their era. Big, huge sound, lots of blues and soul in their rock and roll mix. They had these great long operatic songs. I mean, when I was a kid, you know, no high school dance could end without playing "Stairway to Heaven." We would not leave.

BOROWITZ: On that note, though, in the acceptance speech it would be so awesome if they would explain what a "bustle in your hedgerow" is.

(CROSSTALK)

BERNARD: Oh!

BOROWITZ: Because they say it's just a spring clean for the May queen. I'm so lost. I have no idea.

TOURE: It's made me thought it was just stoner music, but it was great, great stuff all along.

COLLINS: It was very good stuff.

Andy, Sarah and Toure, guys, thanks so much -- Bill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: All right, Heidi, thanks. A reminder, later tonight on NBC, that swimsuit edition will air the reality show, as "Sports Illustrated" looks for the next great swimsuit model. You can check it out on NBC. On CNN, though, if Martha Stewart is doing time at Camp Cupcake, her stockholder -- broker, rather, must be heading for camp casino. Andy explains, next here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. An update on Martha Stewart. Her broker getting ready to do time. Andy Serwer has that. Plus, a market preview, "Minding Your Business."

Start with the markets, huh.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yes, let's do that. Stocks trading up at this hour, Bill, kind of throwing me for a little bit of a loop, because I thought futures were heading the other way. In fact, they were, but we got a higher open, 44 points to the upside on the Dow. Stock moving, Bristol Myers. According to published reports looking to sell its consumer drug business. That's Excedrin, Bufferin. I need a little bit of that today.

Delta Airlines down sharply, even with that new plan to lower fares. But airline stocks under a lot of pressure. Continental saying its business not doing too well. So those stocks moving down over the past couple of days.

Nasdaq holding a moment of silence at 11:00 a.m. this morning to commemorate the victims of the tsunami disaster. I'm scratching my head over this. How do you have a moment of silence in an electronic marketplace that doesn't really exist? Also, they've asked market participants to join in the silent remembrance. Since trading will not be halted during this time, has asked market participants to use their best judgment and sensitivity with regard to trading. Get a grip.

HEMMER: Why 11:00 a.m., by the way?

SERWER: I don't know, there's a lot of mysterious things going on.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Why now?

HEMMER: The most noise they made over there was Election Night when CNN was over there with our election team, right?

SERWER: We're piling on now.

OK, CNN has confirmed that Peter Bocanovich, Martha Stewart's broker, will begin his five-month jail sentence at a Las Vegas institution as of January 18th. It's called Nellis Prison Camp. It's an Air Force base there, just outside of Las Vegas. And interestingly, according to published reports, Wall Street tycoon Michael Milken served part of his sentence there. So just to give you an update on the Martha Stewart affair.

HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

COLLINS: Checking in with Jack one last time, though.

CAFFERTY: A New York family court judge ordered this woman with seven kids not to have any more kids. She's a drug addict. Six of them are in foster care. She said, I don't want you to have any more children.

The question is, should a judge order a woman to stop having kids? The ACLU's in a snit over this, saying, you know, we got a right to procreate, and she ought to be able to do what she wants.

Kate in Flowermount (ph), Texas is a teacher: "I see the struggles faced by children whose parents are unable to care for them. It's heartbreaking, and it takes a huge toll on our society. I agree with what the judge tried to do."

Charles in Savannah, Georgia, "Not only should a judge be allowed to order this woman to stop having kids, but in situations like this, the judge should be able to order compulsory sterilization. The ACLU needs to be less concerned with this woman's rights and more concerned with the rights of the kids, who's lives she is destroying.

And Jorge in Miami Beach, weighs in with, "It's about time someone in this country finally had the guts to put a stop to the welfare nation. I'm 30 years old. I want to have children, but have not gone down that road because I don't feel financially stable enough to do so yet."

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack. All right, next hour here on CNN, "LIVE TODAY," the tsunami disaster, bringing out the best in millions of people around the world. What are the charitable things you can do beyond giving to the effort? The top five tips coming up next hour with Daryn and Rick on "CNN LIVE TODAY." We're back in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired January 5, 2005 - 9:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: ... bit of a retreat lately, though. 10,630 is where we start today, off about 98 points in trading on Tuesday. Nasdaq market site, kicking off today at 2107, off about 44 points at the close of business yesterday.
Welcome back, everybody. It's 9:30 here in New York. Good to have you along with us today. Soledad continues reporting from Phuket, Thailand, again today.

In a moment, we'll hear from Christiane Amanpour in Sri Lanka. More U.S. marines headed for that country. And we'll look at the task that is ahead now for them. Also, a firsthand account of the force of the tsunami when it hit Sri Lanka. We'll meet a family there that day. They're back in the U.S., they have brought their own videotape. And what a story they have to tell, both before and after, as the wave came on shore.

Back to Heidi Collins here in New York. Good morning, Heidi.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We need to be hearing those stories of survival now, don't we?

HEMMER: Yes, so true.

COLLINS: All right, well, "Now in the News" this morning, as you just heard here on CNN, more aid money pouring in for the tsunami disaster relief. Within the past 15 minutes, Australian prime minister John Howard reportedly announced he will pledge more than $760 million to the reconstruction fund. That's according to Reuters and the Associated Press. Much more on the international relief effort coming up.

Here in the United States now, the Senate preparing for a series of upcoming confirmation hearings. Alberto Gonzales, President Bush's pick for attorney general, is set to face a committee tomorrow. His critics say Gonzales opened the door for the use of torture against Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib. Gonzales is expected to be confirmed.

Less than three hours from now, more testimony expected in the Robert Blake murder trial. Today's testimony expected to focus on the restaurant where Blake and his wife ate the night she was shot. Prosecutors say Blake killed his wife to gain custody of their daughter.

And Delta Airlines hoping to woo more customers now. As of today, Delta is cutting domestic fares by up to 15 percent -- 50, that is. Five-oh percent. And reducing the fee for changing tickets from $100 to $50. Delta has been expected to slash fares this week, a move aimed at keeping it out of bankruptcy. Hope they can do that.

HEMMER: Think the other airlines will follow now?

COLLINS: I don't know. The other airlines that are not bankrupt, anyway.

HEMMER: Yes. Thanks, Heidi.

Getting relief supplies to some of the hardest hit areas in Sri Lanka seems an uphill battle at this point. Our chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour in the scene there in Sri Lanka and joins us live. And Christiane, marines there -- the U.S. marines continue to arrive in that area with more relief supplies. From what you have seen to date, is this material getting to those who need it the most?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, from what we understand about 20 more marines have arrived in Sri Lanka. You know, the bulk of the U.S. military operation is in Thailand and Indonesia. But they are bringing supplies into here. Although I must say that even down on this -- on this coast over here, the West Coast, and certainly down around the East Coast, where we were yesterday, there is little direct evidence of the sort of heavy- lifting supplies and help that needs to get to the people.

There are food supplies coming in, cargos are coming, cargo planes are landing with bulk orders of food and other relief supplies. But the actual help that the people need to lift all this debris, to start to clear it, even to get the remainder of the bodies out of the ground, is still really being done on their own.

HEMMER: Christiane, also, the orphans. We are told thousands in that part of the world. Who is there now to help them?

AMANPOUR: You know, Bill, it's a shocking figure. Of the U.N.'s latest figures, over 150,000 death toll around the affected region, 50,000 of them, we are told, are children. That's a third of the casualties. 50,000 children killed. Here in Sri Lanka, something like 40 percent of the victims have been children. And this is causing an enormous problem. All sorts of help is being attempted to be taken to these children.

Some of them, you know, there's sort of conflicting imperatives between the Sri Lankan government and the Unicef aid officials. Unicef wants to place them with extended families, the Sri Lankan government had originally wanted to put them in orphanages. The little children who we've heard from don't want to go to orphanages, simply want to find their parents or be with their family. This is a long-term crisis for these children, not just in immediate care and placement, but in the long-term, trauma and displacement that they've suffered.

HEMMER: Indeed. Christiane Amanpour there in Sri Lanka. Christiane, thanks, be safe out there.

This Devisser family also ran for their lives ten days ago as that tsunami hit that same part of the world. They're in Sri Lanka as well. A very unique perspective, now, because they are Sri Lankan Americans. Back home now. Winston and Joyce Devisser and their children, 10-year-old Jason and 3-year-old Joanna, join me now in Richmond, Virginia.

Good morning to you. And I have to think, at this point, for yourselves and your lives at this point, it has been one heck of a happy new year. Good morning to you.

And I want to share with our viewers. You brought some videotape. A before scene down at the beach in Sri Lanka, then an after scene. We'll roll the videotape, we'll show our viewers the before scene. Very calm and tranquil, just like we have seen all over Thailand and parts of Indonesia. And as we start our conversation, we'll allow the other videotape to roll in here.

Joyce, maybe you can start for us. You were going to the beach that day. When did you know something was headed your way, in a very wrong way?

JOYCE DEVISSER, SRI LANKAN-AMERICAN SURVIVOR: Well, I didn't know until my -- until I saw my husband and my son and my little daughter running from a distance and I really thought that somebody had drowned in the beach. But then I saw the entire beach, running up to where I was near the pool. And then I heard people screaming and said, run, run, there's a big wave hitting us. So that's when I really knew it.

HEMMER: Let me ask your husband -- Winston, I understand the lifeguards there were the first ones to start screaming and yelling that something was wrong. Relay that experience to us.

WINSTON DEVISSER, SRI LANKAN-AMERICAN SURVIVOR: In fact, when we were -- we were at the pool. We got there to the hotel around 10:00 and by the time we had a cup of tea, and then we were at the pool with Joanna and my son, Jason, and then we were going up to the beach. And my son was interested, seeing the beach. And usually, every two years, when we go back home, we usually go to the beach and have a nice time, along with our family as well.

And then the lifeguard had apparently seen a sudden change in the beach where the water has drawn back quite a number of feet behind. And he was advising us that we should not reach to the beach at all this time because of the sudden change. Then, in the meantime, I took a couple pictures with my daughter.

And then while I was turning back, I see like a two-feet wall hitting to the foot of me and my little daughter. Then I call my son, Jason, to get back as early as possible, and then he saw the water coming to his feet and then he stumbled down. He fell off, on the water. And then we were reaching up to the bridge and we could see the second, third, wave, coming up to the bridge. And then by the time I got down to the other side of the bridge, and then while I was reaching to pool side, I saw another wave coming, and cracking the wall off. And then it's a 10-foot wall that just came off. And we were rushing to our rooms and then in the meantime, when we were getting to the first floor, the manager of the hotel said don't go up -- the first floor, because the water can reach the first floor. Because at that time, the water had already gotten to the ground level and then we were at the second floor. Then we were asked to go to the fourth floor. And we were pretty much scared for our life. Are we going to live or are we going to die because of this type of situation?

HEMMER: Scared and...

W. DEVISSER: Yes, we were very scared. Yes, sir.

HEMMER: And very lucky, too. To your wife again. Joyce, I understand you tried to get on to a different beach that was further south. And that beach was filled. No reservations allowed. Had you gone there, do you think you'd be sitting here today?

J. DEVISSER: No, definitely not. I would say the mighty hand of god that protected us and my family, because from the day we landed in Sri Lanka, it was the 13th of December, we'd been trying to get the hotel that was most affected. And somehow, god's mighty hand stopped us. We could never get into that hotel. So right now, I'm sitting here, because I was away from that particular hotel that got drowned under water.

HEMMER: Hey, what have you told Joanna and Jason, your two children?

J. DEVISSER: Well, there was nothing much to say. Because they saw it with their own eyes, the big wave coming. And we had to run for our dear lives, so...

HEMMER: Have they asked you questions or anything about it?

J. DEVISSER: Well, they -- time to time, they ask me, how come, how come the big wave came close to us? So I had to say it was a sudden change in the sea and we are safe and we don't have to worry about -- we are fortunate and there are lots of less fortunate children over there who are dead. Yes so...

HEMMER: I know they can't hear me. Tell us how they're doing.

J. DEVISSER: Right now, they're doing fine. Can you say hi to them and say you're fine?

CHILD: Hi.

CHILD: Hi.

HEMMER: Hey, good morning, Jason. Good morning, Joanna. Our best to you. Winston and Joyce Devisser. Thanks for sharing your story today.

J. DEVISSER: Thank you very much.

W. DEVISSER: Thank you.

HEMMER: All right. CNN has an unmatched team in four different countries. Stay with us throughout the day as we get new developments. Later tonight, you can see a primetime coverage, 7:00 Eastern time. "Turning the Tide" is now on Wednesday. Tomorrow, on Thursday, at 10:00 Eastern, we'll have a special "Saving the Children," 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 on the West Coast. Only here on CNN -- Heidi.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Memo to the many resolved to lose weight in the New Year. The key, according to a new study, isn't Atkins, Ornish or even Weight Watchers; it is will power. Dr. Louis Aronne is director of the New York Presbyterian Hospital Comprehensive Weight Control Program. I asked him about the study, which suggests picking a diet and sticking to it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. LOUIS ARONNE, NEW YORK PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL: This was a study of 160 people who were signed to one of four treatments; 40 percent were assigned to a weight watchers diet, 40 people to a zone diet, and then there were two groups of more radical diets, one, a very low fat or Ornish-type diet, and 40 people to an Atkins-type diet, a very high-fat diet.

COLLINS: OK, so looking at those 160 people who are on these four different diet what the study found is people who started bat 220 pounds ended up losing about 6 pounds in a year. Now, when you think about 220 pound, 6 pounds being lost, it doesn't seem like an awful lot.

ARONNE: It doesn't seem like a lot, but it does help people to live a healthier life. That's one important point.

The second point is that some people do extremely well on any kind of diet. If they stick with the plan, they're going to do well no matter what they do.

COLLINS: Are you surprised at all that everybody did about the same on the four different diets?

ARONNE: No, I think that one of the messages we're getting is that there's no diet that's right for everybody. There are a lot of different ways to do this, and what you have to do is find what's right for you.

COLLINS: But you already brought up a pretty good point about being persistent and really trying to stick with it. Unfortunately, though, the study also found that not many people were able to stay on the diet. Why do they fail?

ARONNE: Well, there are a number of reasons. The most important reason is that the body resists weight loss. There are built-in mechanisms to resist weight loss. And what happens is people give up too easily, because they expect too much. They think it's going to be easy, and it's not as easy as they think.

COLLINS: So is there a way, then, to know, before you choose which diet you'll go on, which one will be best for you as an individual?

ARONNE: Well, right now, we can't choose that. There are other studies going on which we hope will be able to help us pick out which diet is best for any given person. But for now, I think people should try something. If it doesn't work, try something else. Don't give up.

COLLINS: When you look at this information, overall what is the bottom line here? What should people take away from it?

ARONNE: Even little bit of weight loss is good for your health. You'll get health improvements even losing 5 or 10 pounds. It's great.

COLLINS: And we already kind of talked about being realistic about this. Don't refer to the Anna Nicole Smiths and say, oh, boom, I can all of a sudden be this tiny person if I take a pill.

ARONNE: It's tougher to lose weight loss than you think. But you can do it. You've just got to be persistent.

COLLINS: OK, and that is your final one, be persistent, do not give up.

ARONNE: That was the most important finding of the study, the better people stuck to the diet, the better they did. Adherence to diet plan was the best predictor of how much weight people would lose, no matter what kind of diet it was.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: And remember, don't get discouraged. Dr. Aronne, even a small amount of weight loss will provide you with some health benefits -- Bill.

HEMMER: Heidi, in a moment here, the newest headliner in Vegas will be wearing prison stripes. Make that prison stripes. Andy has that, "Minding Your Business." Also thanks to one TV network, swimsuit season is already here, and so is "90-Second Pop," after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Now there's some music. It's time once again for "90- Second Pop." Let's round up the usually suspects today. Andy Borowitz, minister of humor at BorowitzReport.com. Sarah Bernard, contributing editor for "New York" magazine. And Toure, CNN's pop culture correspondent.

Good morning, guys. TOURE, CNN POP CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

SARAH BERNARD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: Good morning.

ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: Good morning.

COLLINS: I want to talk to you, if we could first, Sarah, with you, about the tsunami relief. We're hearing from a lot of celebrities now.

BERNARD: A lot of people.

COLLINS: ... really donating a lot of money. Sandra Bullock, one million, Leonardo DiCaprio giving a significant amount. But is the PR surrounding their donation a little too much?

BERNARD: You know, I love that the way that Leonardo said, a significant amount, by the way. That's sort of making us all more intrigued. I am going to take the opposite opinion of my couch-mates that this is actually kind of a cynical way to -- Toure is looking at me. A cynical way to get attention for themselves and their really huge, you know, larger-than-life subjects.

I think there is really no difference between Sandra Bullock giving money and Rupert Murdoch giving money, or Coca-Cola giving money. I mean, all of these other corporations have put out press releases that this is what they're doing. I don't see that it's any different for an individual to do it.

Besides, NBC is going to do a big celebrity musical concert on January 15, which is similar to what everybody did around 9/11. And we weren't talking about that then. So, I don't see why it's any different than that. Besides, it's the perfect celebrity cause, you have to admit. It doesn't have any partisan...

COLLINS: And when you make that much money, it could be an argument that these celebrities are corporations within themselves.

BERNARD: They are.

TOURE: Of course they are. Look, if you go on a film set and pretend for three months and get $10 million, you can give $1 million to people who are actually suffering for real. I mean, I don't think it's a PR stunt. It's something that is actual and generous and real. I mean, to whom much is given, much is required.

COLLINS: Yes. And at that point, I guess, who cares, as long as the money is going there?

BERNARD: You to agree with me.

TOURE: No. That is a good move that they seem to be doing.

BERNARD: Right.

TOURE: It's not a PR stunt.

BERNARD: No, I don't think it is a PR stunt.

COLLINS: All right. Well, the money is going, and that's the important thing.

All right, let's talk about that music we just heard a little while ago, Toure. A Lifetime achievement Grammy for Led Zeppelin.

TOURE: Yes.

COLLINS: Surprised?

TOURE: No.

COLLINS: Or is it just completely overdone?

TOURE: I mean, this had to happen. I mean, this is one of the great, great bands of their era. Big, huge sound, lots of blues and soul in their rock and roll mix. They had these great long operatic songs. I mean, when I was a kid, you know, no high school dance could end without playing "Stairway to Heaven." We would not leave.

BOROWITZ: On that note, though, in the acceptance speech it would be so awesome if they would explain what a "bustle in your hedgerow" is.

(CROSSTALK)

BERNARD: Oh!

BOROWITZ: Because they say it's just a spring clean for the May queen. I'm so lost. I have no idea.

TOURE: It's made me thought it was just stoner music, but it was great, great stuff all along.

COLLINS: It was very good stuff.

Andy, Sarah and Toure, guys, thanks so much -- Bill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: All right, Heidi, thanks. A reminder, later tonight on NBC, that swimsuit edition will air the reality show, as "Sports Illustrated" looks for the next great swimsuit model. You can check it out on NBC. On CNN, though, if Martha Stewart is doing time at Camp Cupcake, her stockholder -- broker, rather, must be heading for camp casino. Andy explains, next here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. An update on Martha Stewart. Her broker getting ready to do time. Andy Serwer has that. Plus, a market preview, "Minding Your Business."

Start with the markets, huh.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yes, let's do that. Stocks trading up at this hour, Bill, kind of throwing me for a little bit of a loop, because I thought futures were heading the other way. In fact, they were, but we got a higher open, 44 points to the upside on the Dow. Stock moving, Bristol Myers. According to published reports looking to sell its consumer drug business. That's Excedrin, Bufferin. I need a little bit of that today.

Delta Airlines down sharply, even with that new plan to lower fares. But airline stocks under a lot of pressure. Continental saying its business not doing too well. So those stocks moving down over the past couple of days.

Nasdaq holding a moment of silence at 11:00 a.m. this morning to commemorate the victims of the tsunami disaster. I'm scratching my head over this. How do you have a moment of silence in an electronic marketplace that doesn't really exist? Also, they've asked market participants to join in the silent remembrance. Since trading will not be halted during this time, has asked market participants to use their best judgment and sensitivity with regard to trading. Get a grip.

HEMMER: Why 11:00 a.m., by the way?

SERWER: I don't know, there's a lot of mysterious things going on.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Why now?

HEMMER: The most noise they made over there was Election Night when CNN was over there with our election team, right?

SERWER: We're piling on now.

OK, CNN has confirmed that Peter Bocanovich, Martha Stewart's broker, will begin his five-month jail sentence at a Las Vegas institution as of January 18th. It's called Nellis Prison Camp. It's an Air Force base there, just outside of Las Vegas. And interestingly, according to published reports, Wall Street tycoon Michael Milken served part of his sentence there. So just to give you an update on the Martha Stewart affair.

HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

COLLINS: Checking in with Jack one last time, though.

CAFFERTY: A New York family court judge ordered this woman with seven kids not to have any more kids. She's a drug addict. Six of them are in foster care. She said, I don't want you to have any more children.

The question is, should a judge order a woman to stop having kids? The ACLU's in a snit over this, saying, you know, we got a right to procreate, and she ought to be able to do what she wants.

Kate in Flowermount (ph), Texas is a teacher: "I see the struggles faced by children whose parents are unable to care for them. It's heartbreaking, and it takes a huge toll on our society. I agree with what the judge tried to do."

Charles in Savannah, Georgia, "Not only should a judge be allowed to order this woman to stop having kids, but in situations like this, the judge should be able to order compulsory sterilization. The ACLU needs to be less concerned with this woman's rights and more concerned with the rights of the kids, who's lives she is destroying.

And Jorge in Miami Beach, weighs in with, "It's about time someone in this country finally had the guts to put a stop to the welfare nation. I'm 30 years old. I want to have children, but have not gone down that road because I don't feel financially stable enough to do so yet."

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack. All right, next hour here on CNN, "LIVE TODAY," the tsunami disaster, bringing out the best in millions of people around the world. What are the charitable things you can do beyond giving to the effort? The top five tips coming up next hour with Daryn and Rick on "CNN LIVE TODAY." We're back in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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