Return to Transcripts main page

Paula Zahn Now

911 Call Ignored; Will Immigrant Rights Protests Make a Difference?; DNA Results Released in Duke Rape Case

Aired April 10, 2006 - 20:00   ET

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

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. And thank you all for joining us.
Tonight, an incredible sight in city after city today, but will all those huge demonstrations make any difference in the fight over immigration?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: USA! USA!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN (voice-over): They're in the streets by the tens of thousands. And they want to be heard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: USA! USA!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Who gets in? Who gets a job? How many immigrants are legal, and what should we do about the millions who aren't?

"What Were They Thinking?" When his mother collapsed, he called 911?

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My mom has passed out.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

DELANIA PATTERSON, SISTER OF ROBERT TURNER: We are constantly telling him that he is a hero.

ZAHN: But the 911 operator simply ignored him.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: I don't care. You shouldn't be playing on the phone.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

ZAHN: Did his mother have to die? Why would 911 operators ignore anyone's call?

There has also been a bombshell announcement about the sexual assault allegations against the Duke lacrosse team. We are going to more on that coming up.

But we get started tonight with a subject that is so controversial and is generating so much passion, it literally brought tens of thousands of people into the streets today. How do we fix our broken borders, and what do we do about the millions of people who are here illegally?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN (voice-over): They pick our crops, repair our homes, cook for us, and clean up. And, today, by the tens of thousands, they were in our streets, in Atlanta, New York, in nearly 70 U.S. cities. The demonstrators were organized and peaceful, yet are only a fraction of the estimated 36 million immigrants now in the U.S.

Most of them, 71 percent, are here legally. What Congress and the country are agonizing about are the other 29 percent, an estimated 10 million to 12 million people, mostly from Mexico, who are here illegally. And, every year, at least half-a-million more cross our borders. Most illegal immigrants end up in California, followed by Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, and North Carolina.

As it stands now, there are two broad options before Congress. The law-and-order approach simply makes the borders harder to cross, including a 700-mile fence, and beefs up the effort to catch those who try or who are already here. The Senate is trying a different approach, make them register as guest workers, perhaps by letting many of them stay and by paying fines in back taxes, work their way to citizenship.

A compromise announced last week would have required many of the illegal workers to go home before applying to become guest workers. As of right now, no proposal has enough support to become law. But as the people in the streets remind us, millions of lives are at stake and shouldn't be forgotten.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: Meanwhile, here in New York, the rally has just broken up. It was the result of three massive marches that converged on city hall this afternoon.

Allan Chernoff has been covering it all day long. He joins me now with the latest on what unfolded earlier.

Hey, Allan.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Paula, the rally lasted for four hours, and the protesters packed 13 blocks of Broadway, at least 15,000 people, all hoping that their voices can change U.S. immigration policy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: ... puede. Si, se puede.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): "Si, se puede," "Yes, we can," a melting pot of pot of New Yorkers, like Eligio Ramirez, here illegally from Argentina, declaring, yes, we can change U.S. immigration policy.

A story like so many others, Ramirez says he left his wife and four children in Buenos Area when he came here to earn money for them as a construction worker. He says, it's the law, not him, that is criminal.

ELIGIO RAMIREZ, UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT: I am not a -- a bad person. I am a father. I am a -- a good person. I come from a good family. And only I want -- I want to work, only that.

CHERNOFF: "We are not criminals," read the shirts worn by undocumented Mexican immigrant Anna Sanchez (ph) and her children.

John Cerevantes from Ecuador, also in construction, admits he snuck across the Mexican border 12 years ago and still has no legal status. His daughter, Evelyn (ph), though is a citizen, born in the United States.

JOHN CEREVANTES, UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT: I come here for work. I want work. I like this country for work.

CHERNOFF: The protesters who are here illegally say they simply want a shot at the American dream and the kind of opportunity that Chung-Wha Hong had. As a child, she arrived here legally from Korea, speaking no English. But, years later, she earned a degree in English literature from the University of Pennsylvania. And, today, she is one of the leaders of the New York rally, as executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition.

(on camera): What would you say to those who argue, hey, certainly this is a country of immigrants, but you can't break the law?

CHUNG-WHA HONG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEW YORK IMMIGRATION COALITION: Right. And, so, I think that's all the more reason why we have to change our laws, so that people wouldn't have to break them. Our immigration laws are making it impossible for workers to get jobs that America needs to come here and work. Our immigration laws are ripping apart families who deserve to stay together. So, we need to change the laws.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF: For many illegals, today was a liberating experience, speaking out publicly about something that they have kept relatively private for many years -- Paula.

ZAHN: Was there much negative reaction to them on the street from folks watching all of this happen today? CHERNOFF: Certainly not at least what we saw. And this area, I should emphasize, though was packed with protesters, certainly not people on the other side of the issue.

ZAHN: Allan Chernoff, thanks for the update.

Arizona happens to be one of the busiest illegal entry points on America's border with Mexico. And, today, in Phoenix, more than 50,000 people were in the streets.

Our Dan Simon is there for us tonight.

Dan, what did you see?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hey, Paula, things winding down here in the streets of Phoenix.

But get this. We're now hearing, as many as 200,000 people took to the streets, an incredible show of unity here. Now, there are a lot of people on the other side. You just haven't seen the counter- protesters in large numbers, although, yesterday, in Tucson, there was one very small group that burned the Mexican flag.

And, you know, Paula, it doesn't really matter where you come down on this issue. There is a very sad story out there, and that deals with the casualties, people who died while making the journey from Mexico. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. BRUCE ANDERSON, FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGIST: This is another individual presumed to be an undocumented border crosser.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dr. Bruce Anderson is trying to identify the dead and reconnect them with their families.

ANDERSON: Most shouldn't be dead, but they are.

SIMON: Anderson is not a psychic medium. He has to rely on science to speak for the dead. Each body is a mystery.

ANDERSON: I look at it this way. I'm trying to do whatever I can to generate a lead, so -- so we don't have to bury this person as an unknown.

SIMON: Anderson is a forensic anthropologist -- his job, to identify the remains of illegal immigrants who had crossed from Mexico into Arizona and died in the desert.

ANDERSON: There are a lot of sad stories associated with these migrants crossing. There's a lot of young, healthy people. Most are young. Most are healthy.

SIMON: But their bodies don't offer a lot of clues. Many carry I.D.s but they're often fake. Their personal belongings are usually of little value, and the bodies themselves, often by the time they're found, they're so badly decomposed, there's no way to determine who they were.

ANDERSON: This has become our regular caseload. It didn't used to be this way.

SIMON: But this is the way it is now in Pima County, Arizona, where more legal immigrants die crossing the border each year than anywhere else in the country. Last year, 198 people found dead here, more than a third of all U.S. border crossing deaths.

(on camera): Is it fair to say your office has never been busier?

DR. BRUCE PARKS, PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA, MEDICAL EXAMINER: Yes. That's true.

SIMON (voice-over): Dr. Bruce Parks is Pima County's medical examiner. He's responsible for determining the cause of death, mainly heat stroke. Sixty-eight people died last July.

(on camera): Sixty-eight people in one month?

PARKS: Yes.

SIMON: That's mind-boggling.

PARKS: It is. It is. We -- we couldn't believe it. It was a very -- very warm month however, and that seems to happen, that the -- the death rate goes up when we have -- when the weather is worse than normal.

SIMON (voice-over): Dr. Parks' office was overwhelmed, so many bodies that it had to plant refrigeration trucks outside its building. That's in addition to the cold storage already inside. And it still needs the trucks.

(on camera): Here in Tucson, Parks and Anderson say they manage to identify about three-quarters of the bodies they get. But that still leaves dozens without a name or an identity or a family. Some victims go unclaimed for months or maybe even forever.

ANDERSON: From 2005, there are probably between 30 and 40 individuals that we do not have name associations for right now.

SIMON (voice-over): Including these remains. But Anderson thinks he may have developed a lead. A Mexican who thinks he lost his brother tracked down Anderson and e-mailed him, wondering if his brother was found, saying he had several false teeth.

ANDERSON: And I told him this morning I would send him some photographs of three men who had partial dentures or dentures on the upper teeth just in case the family, he or some other family member right recognize the denture.

SIMON: The photos will be closeup shots of the dentures. Anderson wants to spare the family of seeing anything more graphic. Finding a match yields mixed emotions. ANDERSON: And you can feel very good about yourself, but then you realize, when you make the phone call to the next of kin, you're giving them the worst possible news they can ever hear. So, you have to temper your enthusiasm and your satisfaction with -- with doing a good job.

SIMON: As for those who never get a match, well, they're brought here to the county cemetery with a simple mark, identifying them as Jane or John Doe. American soil, their final resting place.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIMON: And that office there in Tucson is one of the few coroner's offices in the country that has an anthropologist on staff, a necessity there.

And, Paula, one thing I -- I talked about earlier, you haven't seen the counter-protesters taking to the streets, but there was a very revealing poll that was conducted recently. And it asked Arizonans what the most important issue -- what's the most important issue facing them and their families. And the number-one thing on that list, illegal immigration -- that was ahead of taxes. That was ahead of terrorism -- back to you.

ZAHN: Concerns that mirrors some parts of the rest of the country, as we go into the midterm elections. Dan Simon, thanks so much.

We move on now. We all try to teach our children in an emergency to dial 911 -- coming up, the incredible story of a 5-year-old boy who did. And now the little boy's attorney says his mother died because the operators ignored him. "What Were They Thinking?"

Also, the very latest on the sexual assault allegations against players on Duke University's lacrosse team. The DNA test results are in. Does the prosecution still have a case?

And we all know that generic drugs save money, right? Well, wait until you see what our consumer reporter Greg Hunter found out.

First, though, let's move down to our countdown of the top 10 stories on CNN.com today. Nearly 18 million of you went to our Web site.

At number 10, the White House is dismissing a report that it's planning a military strike against Iran to prevent that country from developing nuclear weapons.

Number nine -- brand new views of the red planet. Look at these pictures, some extraordinary first color pictures, courtesy of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The spacecraft has been orbiting Mars since March 10 -- numbers eight and seven straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: Tonight, we have a major development in a story that we have been following pretty closely over the past few weeks, the alleged rape of an exotic dancer by Duke University lacrosse players.

The victim had told police that some of the people team members dragged her into a bathroom during a party on March 13 and sexually assaulted her. Well, today, crime lab officials turned over the test results from the DNA samples of 46 lacrosse players. And, just a few hours ago, defense attorneys announced the results.

Jason Carroll has the very latest from Durham, North Carolina, for tonight's "Outside the Law."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The defense attorneys representing 46 members of Duke University's lacrosse team, three of whom are accused of raping an exotic dancer, finally got the DNA test results they have been waiting for.

WADE SMITH, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: No DNA material from any young man tested was present on the body of this complaining woman, not present within her body, not present on the surface of her body, and not present on any of her belongings.

JOSEPH CHESHIRE, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: There is no evidence, other than the word of this one complaining person, that any rape or sexual assault took place in that house on that evening. It wasn't here two weeks ago. It's not here today. It won't be here tomorrow.

CHERNOFF: Durham's district attorney handed over the results, after receiving them late today. He would not comment on them.

MICHAEL NIFONG, DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA, DISTRICT ATTORNEY: It would be inappropriate for me to comment on any of the evidence at this point. And it would be inappropriate for me to comment on any of the things that have been said by the defense counsel. I'm trying to prepare a case, so that we can be in a position to do what we need to do, under my statutory authority.

CHERNOFF: Since the allegations surfaced, the defense attorneys have been presenting a very different account of what happened that night at the off-campus home rented by the players. An exotic dancer said, that's where she was raped after she performed at a party. The players have maintained, nothing happened.

The case has already tested racial tensions in the community. The young woman is black. She alleged, those who attacked her and used racial slurs against her were white.

CHESHIRE: None of us standing up here are saying that there aren't proper social and moral issues that have come out of this discussion that aren't appropriate for discussion. There are. But, unfortunately, people have meshed those things with this sexual assault.

CHERNOFF (on camera): The defense attorneys say, their clients are relieved, but not surprised by the DNA results. They also say, it's time for the district attorney to drop the case, so Duke's players, the university, and the community can begin to heal.

Jason Carroll, CNN, Durham, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: So, the question is, what happens to this rape case now?

Let's turn to senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.

All right, we just heard Jason saying that DA says he will not drop this case. So, what kind of case does he have at this hour?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: There's a big fact we don't know right now. Did -- were -- was DNA identified on her body, and it was identifiable to a person, and it is not one of these 46 students? That's one scenario. If that's the scenario, the case is over, as far as I can tell. But...

(CROSSTALK)

ZAHN: And -- and that's not what he said today, when he said no DNA material that was tested was found present or in her body?

TOOBIN: Well, no.

See, what would -- that -- what -- the other possibility, which seems to be left open by what the defense attorney said -- and, remember, we're only hearing from the defense attorneys here.

ZAHN: Sure.

TOOBIN: The other possibility is that the DNA tests simply couldn't be matched to anybody, that this was an inconclusive DNA test, that it could -- that -- that, simply, there was not a DNA match to anyone that could be made.

In that case, the investigation could continue, because you don't need DNA to make a rape case. Obviously, it's very helpful, but if the test is inconclusive, you go on to other ways of proving your case.

ZAHN: But the DA has said in the past that there was other information, perhaps, other material, that led him down this path to prosecute this case.

TOOBIN: Well...

(CROSSTALK)

ZAHN: Do we have any idea what that is?

TOOBIN: Well, sure.

There are -- there are lots of things that you can use in a case. You know, I read the -- the search warrant affidavit in the case. And the accuser names three people, describes the event. I mean, a normal way of conducting an investigation, perhaps you conduct a lineup, see if she can pick out anyone, see if -- if any of these students made damaging admissions, can -- can't account for their time.

I mean, these are the kind of things that you use in a normal rape investigation. If DNA is inconclusive, you could base a case on those kind of traditional methods. It's a lot harder, but you could -- you could bring a case.

ZAHN: Very quickly, in closing, based on what we learned today, it's difficult to say whether either side has any advantage here tonight at all?

TOOBIN: No. I think this is clearly an advantage for the defense. This is a -- this is -- this makes the case harder, no question, because, you know, in the absence of DNA, you don't have -- are never going to have that mathematical certainty. But it...

(CROSSTALK)

ZAHN: Right. But we have also seen a lot of people convicted of rape...

TOOBIN: Sure.

ZAHN: ... where there was no DNA match.

TOOBIN: Absolutely.

But this is certainly good news for the defense. There's no doubt about that.

ZAHN: Jeffrey...

TOOBIN: You shouldn't even call it a defense, really, at this point, because no one has been charged with anything. It's a good idea -- it's good for the suspect.

ZAHN: Jeffrey Toobin, thanks. Appreciate it.

When a little boy's mother collapsed, he did the right thing to try to save her life. He called 911. His mother had taught him to do that. So, what did the operator say? You are going to hear the tapes next. And you're going to have a very hard time accepting what you hear.

Plus, a startling look at the cost of prescription drugs -- what are the secrets that could save you thousands of dollars?

Now on to number eight on our CNN.com countdown -- a labor law that sparks weeks of massive protests in France will not go into effect. The measure had been billed as a way to reduce unemployment among young people.

Number seven, President Bush today said he decided to declassify parts of a pre-war intelligence report in order to respond to critics and build support for the invasion of Iraq. We are going to have numbers six and five straight out of the break. Please stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: We are about to introduce you to a 6-year-old boy who should be a hero for trying to save his mother's life. When she got sick, he did the smart thing and called 911. But you're not going to believe what happened next.

Here's Jonathan Freed with tonight's "What Were They Thinking?"

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Robert Turner is being told he's a hero, but he sure doesn't feel like one. Back in February, when he was 5 years old, Robert found his mother, 46-year- old Sherrill Turner, unconscious in their Detroit apartment.

ROBERT TURNER, 6 YEARS OLD: Then I had -- I had feel her tummy. She wasn't breathing. And I had -- I had called 911, told them that send an emergency truck right now.

FREED: You would think a child crying out for help would set things in motion at the 911 center. That didn't happen.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: Emergency 911. What's the problem?

TURNER: My mom has passed out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where's the grownups at?

TURNER: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let me speak to her. Let me speak to her before I send the police over there.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

FREED: The police were not dispatched. Three hours later, Robert tried again.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: I don't care. You shouldn't be playing on the phone. Now, put her on the phone before I send the police out there to knock on the door and you're going to be in trouble.

TURNER: Ugh!

(END AUDIO CLIP)

FREED: Police arrived 20 minutes after the second call. They found Sherrill Turner dead. The family is now seeking $1 million in damages from the city of Detroit. The lawsuit says Turner died from heart arrhythmia.

GEOFFREY FIEGER, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Every call has to be considered a life-and-death situation.

FREED: The union representing 911 dispatchers says about one in four calls are pranks. Detroit police are handling the investigation. The chief issued a statement, saying, "If disciplinary action is recommended, following the completion of the investigation, then that is the course that will be taken."

Robert's family is trying to convince him he shouldn't feel guilty about his mother's death.

DELANIA PATTERSON, SISTER OF ROBERT TURNER: He did everything right, and we believe he's a hero, and want to make -- make sure he knows that he did everything right.

TURNER: Every time somebody talk about her, I just bought bust out and start crying.

FREED: The family says, children must know they will be taken seriously when they call 911.

Jonathan Freed, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: And joining me now, one of the people we just heard from in that report, attorney Geoffrey Fieger, who is representing the family of Sherrill Turner.

Thanks so much for being with us tonight.

FIEGER: Thanks, Paula.

ZAHN: We heard Robert's voice on tape, such a scary thing for any kid to go through.

But I think what is so disturbing about this case is, it was not just one operator, but two operators basically accusing this kid of making it up, playing a game. What does this say about the system?

FIEGER: Well, it -- it says a lot about the system.

And let me agree with you about the effect on Robert. As I have spent the last three days with him, and he in my presence heard the tape for the first time, the effect was dramatic upon him. And I'm really concerned. And I'm going to make sure that he gets therapy.

What this says about our system is, we have a child like Robert, who does exactly what his mother told him to do, exactly what we teach children to do, call 911 in the face of an emergency. And, instead, he's threatened. He's intimidated. He's spoken to as if he's done something wrong.

And now, for the rest of his life, I can assure you, there will be a sense that he did something wrong. And that is tragic.

ZAHN: When you listen to this tape, there is a point where his voice is a little bit faint. And you now have the union representing 911 operators...

FIEGER: Right.

ZAHN: ... coming out and saying that 25 percent of all calls that come into them are pranks. Is it possible that the operators couldn't understand what he was saying?

FIEGER: No.

And I will tell you why. I have listened to this tape more than anybody. And this tape shows, first, that the operators responded to everything Robert said, and then harassed him for saying it.

ZAHN: Geoffrey, you and I both are parents of young children.

FIEGER: That's right.

ZAHN: So, we can only imagine how frightened this little boy was. You say you that hope that he will get therapy down the road.

Has he described to you what happened during that period of time, the three hours that elapsed between the first call to 911 and the second one?

FIEGER: His mother felt very sick. And, as she was passing out, she said, you need to call 911 to help me.

Now, that has come out very slowly in Robert. And in the three hours, then, after the first 911 operator hung up on him, he was alone in a dark home, with his mother passed out and dying on the floor, afraid to call 911.

And he got up the courage again, three hours later, to call 911 again, and they did it to him again. And then the police finally came, not to save his mother, but to get him. I just can't imagine. And he's very bright, too. Robert is a very bright -- and he was only 5 years old. He turned 6 in march, but he was only 5, Paula.

ZAHN: Geoffrey Fieger, thanks for your time tonight. Appreciate it.

FIEGER: Thanks. Thanks, Paula.

ZAHN: Generic drugs are supposed to save you money, but are you still losing in the process? Just wait until you see what we discovered.

And, then, a little bit later on, the scandal that's just too big for the gossip pages. What are the people behind one of the country's hottest gossip columns doing to get all their dirt?

And what will your children look like if they keep stuffing themselves with junk food? You're going to watch them grow electronically.

Before that, number six on our CNN.com countdown. A day of emotional testimony at the Moussaoui trial from the families of September 11 victims. One witness described his last phone conversation with his son who was on United Flight 175 when it hit the World Trade Center's south tower.

Number five, in India at least 45 people killed, more than 100 hurt when a fire broke out at a consumer electronics show. Investigators say a short circuit may have started the fire. Number four on our list when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: In tonight's "Eye opener," Americans spend billions every year on generic drugs. They are a great way to get a handle on skyrocketing health care costs. You're not going to believe what we discovered about the big differences in what generic drugs cost. We found some pharmacies charge up to ten times more than others for identical generic pills. That means you may be paying more for your medicine than you have to. Take a look at what consumer correspondent Greg Hunter found out in tonight's "Eye Opener."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GREG HUNTER, CNN CONSUMER CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These days, the cost of prescription drugs may be a hard pill to swallow. It's a relief to know that choosing generic can save us a couple of bucks, right? But buyer beware. You may still be spending a lot more than you have to, even on your generics.

CVS, Walgreens, Sam's Club, and Costco, we canvassed four well- known national pharmacies and discovered that there can be a big difference in the cost of the exact same generic drug from pharmacy to pharmacy. How much of a difference? From a couple of dollars to a couple of hundred dollars.

Since developing diabetes and then suffering a stroke, 59 year old Gloria Weedly (ph) relies on 15 different medications to stay alive.

Twenty-nine pills a day, mostly generic, which she pays for out of pocket.

HUNTER (on camera): Can you stop taking any one of these things?

GLORIA WEEDLY: No.

Why?

WEEDLY: I'd probably die.

HUNTER (voice-over): Because Gloria struggles to afford her hundreds of dollars of drugs every month, we did some price shopping for her in the Tampa, Florida, area, to see if we could save her cash. Here's what we found. (on camera): The generic muscle relaxer that she uses to control her spasms from her diabetes is $11.68 at this Sam's Club. At this CVS, that same medication, nearly $48.50. And at this Walgreens, the exact same generic muscle relaxer, nearly $64. More than five times the cost of the cheapest.

(voice-over): And that wasn't the only drug. Overall, we discovered we could save Gloria $120 per month on her generics by shopping around.

(on camera): Same drug.

WEEDLY: Wait a minute. How come? It's all generic. It's the same thing.

HUNTER (voice over): Hip Pham (ph) is a pharmacist with Sam's Club, which is owned by Wal-Mart. It's where we found the best total price for Gloria's medicines. He sees big price differences all the time, especially when customers transfer their prescriptions from a competing pharmacy.

(on camera): A $50 drug here could cost $150, $200?

HIP PHAM: Any where from $100 to $200 at the other pharmacy.

HUNTER (voice-over): We priced some other common prescriptions. On the day we called, the generic form of Paxil was about $32 at Sam's Club, but $200 at Walgreens. The generic version of Cipro would run you only $19 at Costco, but at CVS, it was $198. Ten times the price for the exact same prescription.

We even found big differences in the cost of a well-known breast cancer drug.

(on camera): The generic cancer drug, Tomoxofin, sells for a little more than $39 at this Costco, but the same generic cancer- fighting drug here at CVS is $216. A staggering $177 difference.

CHARLIE CRIST, FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL: The wide range in prescription drugs is a problem in our state. It is a problem nationally.

HUNTER (voice-over): Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist finds the differences in drug prices in his state excessive.

CRIST: I'm all for people making a profit and that's what they're doing, but I'm not for people profiteering on the backs of people who need this in order to live.

MARIANNE WAGNER: I don't think you can consider profiteering when barely covering your costs to operate a business.

HUNTER: We asked for on camera interviews with CVS and Walgreens, which in our limited survey had some of the higher prices. They sent us to Marianne Wagner from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores. WAGNER: When a pharmacy buys the drug from the wholesaler or manufacturer, those costs to the pharmacy may vary day to day. On top of that, they have to add their cost for dispensing that prescription.

HUNTER (on camera): We're talking a cancer drug costs $150 more to dispense for the exact same cancer drug?

WAGNER: I have no idea what CVS paid for their Tomoxifan, I have no idea where that store is located and that store's cost of operating. I have no idea what their overhead is. But I do know that CVS is a very successful company, they would not be in business today by overcharging customers. People don't tolerate that.

HUNTER (voice-over): According to our research, pharmacies in membership club stores like Costco and Sam's Club almost always offer the cheapest prices. They told us they can do this by avoiding fancy displays, buying in bulk and charging membership fees. Wagner says their sheer size helps too.

WAGNER: If you have a pharmacy that the pharmacy is just one department out of say 20 in a large store, they have a different business model than that a traditional chain store that may do 50 or 60 or 70 percent of their business in a pharmacy.

HUNTER: So, a membership club store can afford to keep their drugs cheap and most people don't know, you do not have to be a member of the store to use their pharmacies. People like 56-year-old Carmen.

HUNTER (on camera): How much do you spend a month for drugs?

CARMEN: Over a thousand dollars.

HUNTER: A month?

CARMEN: Uh-huh.

HUNTER: And you buy mostly generics?

CARMEN: Mostly generics.

HUNTER: Carmen takes a substitute for Lipitor, called Lovastatin,

(on camera): filled here at this Walgreens a prescription can cost as much as $173. If she would come over here, to Sam's Club, that exact same prescription would be $105, a nearly $70 savings simply for crossing the street. We told Carmen.

When I tell you you could have saved $70 walking across the street, how do you feel?

CARMEN: Angry.

HUNTER: But Maryanne agrees. If Carmen can get a better deal, she should go ahead and walk across the street.

WAGNER: If it's cheap over there, going to be on the medication for some time, she should do that.

HUNTER: They're responsible for getting a good deal.

WAGNER: As they are with everything else in life.

HUNTER: The good news is now there is some help for consumers who are willing and able to do a little research to save themselves some money. Several states now have Web sites that do the price checking for you, including Florida.

The site has recorded 700,000 visits since it started in July.

CHARLIE CRIST, FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL: It's a great public service. It gives them the opportunity to get the drugs they need at a price that is competitive.

HUNTER: A start for some, but the challenge now is getting that information to people without easy access to the Internet, like Carmen and Gloria, who still feel caught in the system.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here I am, a middle-aged woman, I'm not on Medicare, and you know, it just seems like we're the category that gets socked with everything. You know, give us a break.

HUNTER: Greg Hunter, CNN, Tampa, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: Meanwhile, the CVS pharmacy chain tells us price surveys across multiple retailers don't give a complete picture. CVS says you need to take into account the discount programs they offer, which they say can save you up to 40 percent.

Well a big scandal out there shedding some new light on the hush- hush world of gossip columns. How did one of the hottest columns around dig up its dirt? And how big a deal could this alleged extortion scandal get? And a little bit later on, a reality show that is pretty scary. Will it scare your kids into making healthier food choices? You'll see. People grow and grow and grow on T.V. No. 4 in our CNN.com countdown, our top story, massive rallies at cities all over the country to protest immigration reform. Many demonstrators also called for legal status for illegal immigrants. No. 3, it's up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: Well, we've got some new twists and turns for you tonight, in a story that's rocking the gossip world. The "New York Post" gossip writer who was accused of trying to extort $200,000 from a billionaire in exchange for positive coverage is now launching a counterattack. Jared Paul Stern says he was set up and is being smeared. Here's entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When it comes to celebrity gossip, the "New York Post," Page Six is maybe the juiciest go-to column in print. It's read religiously by millions each day and just being mentioned here can make or break a career. Some people will do anything to get onto Page Six, others to stay off it.

MICHAEL MUSTO, THE VILLAGE VOICE: It's tremendously powerful. The "New York Post" is a gossip bible for tons of people like myself. And Page Six is the first page that everyone turns to.

VARGAS: But with its developing scandal, Page Six is now page- one news. One of its writers, Jared Paul Stern, is the target of a federal investigation into whether he tried to extort $220,000 from California billionaire Ron Burkle.

In exchange, Stern allegedly would guarantee favorable stories about Burkle. The "Post" suspended Stern pending the outcome of the probe. A "Post" spokesman today told CNN, quote, "So far only one person is involved in this. 'The Post' maintains a high ethical standard and he slipped very dramatically from that."

In a world where favors and freebies from glamorous trips to designer hand bags are routine, the scandal shocks even gossip veterans.

DEBORAH SCHOENEMAN, NEW YORK MAGAZINE: To compete in the gossip world you have to play by a different set of rules. And that often means by not playing by the rules. However, there's all different levels and gradations of that. But I think what Jared Paul Stern did was that he crossed the line, which was already murky.

VARGAS: In his defense, Stern claims he was set up by Burkle, who recorded their meetings. He says that Burkle initiated discussions about investing in Stern's clothing company, and Stern told CNN, quote, "He definitely had this paranoid notion that Page Six was out to get him. He was out to destroy us. He'll find out it backfired on him."

Burkle's spokesperson said the billionaire had no interest in putting money into Stern's clothing company. Both scandal comes in an aggressive new era of gossip and even celebrity sightings are posted on the Web within a minute. Now, in an ironic role reversal, it's the gossipers themselves who are having to deal with some very unfavorable publicity. Sibila Vargas, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: Next, we move on to the issue of food and too much food, if your children keep eating junk food. What could they look like when they grow up? You're going to see. They're going to change right before your eyes, electronically. Stay with us for a reality show that has a bite to it.

But first, Sophia Choi has the "Headline News Biz Break." Sophia?

(STOCK MARKET REPORT) ZAHN: Thanks so much, Sophia, appreciate it. "LARRY KING LIVE" gets starts in just a few minutes. Hi, Larry. What are you going to be doing, talking about?

LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, dear. We're going to do a major panel discussion on this ruckus at Duke University involving an alleged rape of an exotic dancer at the lacrosse club's victory party. And we will have various assemblages on both sides of this defense prosecution, and people attached to the school and city as well. All that at the top of the hour, Paula.

ZAHN: Well that bombshell announcement about the DNA evidence certainly will bring a lot of people to your show tonight. It's fascinating from all sides. Larry King, thanks, see you at the top of the hour.

Now do you have trouble keeping your kids away from junk food? Well a new reality show could be your best friend. What will they look like if they keep snacking and snacking and snacking over a 20- year period? You'll see. It will all unfold on television.

First though, let's move on to No. 3 in our CNN.com countdown. Praise for Saddam Hussein and his seven co-defendants from the former Iraqi dictator's eldest daughter. Her comment came in an interview with the satellite channel Al-Arabiya. She also called the trial, quote, "a farce and unfair." What else would you expect her to say? No. 2 on the countdown right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: All right, so if you thought you had seen it and heard it all in reality TV land, apparently you're not there quite yet. The latest show puts a new spin on the theme of losing weight. It focuses in on overweight kids and starts by showing their parents what their kids will look like at the age of 40. The title: "Honey, We're Killing the Kids." Here's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For a parent, it's hard to swallow.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're killing your kids.

MOOS: But "Honey, We're Killing the Kids," sure does make a pithy reality TV show title. Remember, "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids?" Shrunk and dunked in Cheerios.

Well, instead of shrinking, these kids are getting bigger and bigger. In the Learning Channel's new series, a nutritionist confronts families like the Youngs from Long Island.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You won't listen to me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm never talking to mom again. MOOS: They are three kids who are junk food junkies, who watched TV and never exercised. The high point comes in the beginning, when Dr. Lisa Hark shows the parents the future.

LISA HARK, NUTRITION: He already weighs more than most 18-year- old boys.

MOOS: What their 12-year-old will look like at 40. Photo aging is based on data that assumes James will continue his bad habits. The same thing happens with a different family in every episode, and every kid ends up looking like a serial killer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's not my Stevie.

MOOS: Reminds us of a certain green guy.

Once they're scared silly, the nutritionist begins a three-week intervention. The junk food is stashed away, the family shops for healthy items. Mom tries recipes like tofu stir fry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tofu tastes like dirt.

MOOS: Mom decides to make Robbie eat. Otherwise...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's going to die. Then it'll be honey, we actually did kill our children. Swallow now.

MOOS: To get them off the couch, TV and computer games are limited to two hours a day.

James rebels.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After I'm 18, I'm gone forever.

MOOS: Robbie's caught stealing chocolate chip mini muffins from the junk food stash.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do not put that in your mouth. Do not -- if you eat it, no TV for a week.

MOOS: Some think the photo aging is a bit much. We showed clips to Mo'Nique, the star of "Phat Girlz."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do I look fat in this?

MO'NIQUE, ACTRESS: No, Twiggy, I look fat in this. You look ugly in that.

MOOS: Mo'Nique wasn't thrilled with "Honey, We're Killing the Kids."

MO'NIQUE: But to show that? That's a form of hatred to me. So what if he looks like that in 40 years? He's a nice looking plump guy.

MOOS: But the nutritionist says changing bad habits will add years to their lives.

(on camera): Now if you think you're killing your kids, you can apply to be on the show at the Learning Channel Web site. That's how they recruit families.

(voice-over): And there is of course, a happy ending. Parents see what their kids might look like at 40 if they change their ways.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll take him.

MOOS: Maybe these parents really could say "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," but looking like a serial killer beats being killed in cereal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't eat me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: Frankly, not my favorite job as a parent, being a member of the food police, as you can see in that reality TV show as well. And then there's this: The show actually uses the same technology to age those kids that is used to age pictures of missing children.

In just a few minutes, "LARRY KING LIVE" has more on today's big surprise, the Duke lacrosse case. Do the DNA tests really clear all the players?

And then coming in at number two on our CNN.com countdown, a story we told you about earlier, the wrongful death lawsuit filed in the case of 6-year-old boy whose mother died after emergency operators in Detroit failed to send immediate help when he called 911.

So what is the top story at cnn.com have to do with an expensive car that went to pieces? You'd have to wait to find out straight out of the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAHN: Beautiful night out there in Columbus Circle tonight.

We move on to number one in on our CNN.com countdown, a stunning twist in the story we've been following. A mysterious crash in California that wrecked a rare million-dollar Ferrari -- that's all that was left of it. The Swedish investor who survived that wreck was arrested Saturday on grand theft charges. It turns out the guy was behind on his car payments, and the car really belonged to a British bank.

That's it for all of us here tonight. Thanks so much for being with us. "LARRY KING LIVE" stats right now.

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