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CNN Saturday Morning News

New Orleans Facing Another Challenge; Avoid Holiday Debt; Animals Front And Center Online

Aired December 03, 2005 - 09:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Speaking out, anger, frustration, homesickness, displaced hurricane evacuees, get a chance voice their feelings today. The mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin holds a town hall meeting here in Atlanta. Why is he on our show this morning? Betty.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to have him live at noon.

HARRIS: He needs to call you.

NGUYEN: Yes.

HARRIS: He's in your town.

NGUYEN: Mayor gives us a call.

HARRIS: All right. Good morning from the CNN Center in Atlanta. I'm Tony Harris and this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. I think I hear the phone ringing. Thanks for starting your day with us. Our top stories in just a moment but first here's a look at what else is happening right now in the news.

A senior al Qaeda commander has been killed in Pakistan. Abu Hamza Rabia reportedly died in an explosion at a home in northwest Pakistan along with four associates. He was apparently working with explosives at the time. Pakistan's information minister tells CNN that Rabia was in charge of international operations for al Qaeda.

An Arab television networks airs a threat against four western hostages being held in Iraq, two Canadians and an American and a Briton are seen on the tape. Now the report says the kidnapper has threatened to kill the hostages unless the Iraqi government frees all prisoners by Thursday.

An Amber Alert for a missing Kentucky girl, that alert for 3- year-old Sophia Grace Arnold. You see her there of Danville, Kentucky. That was issued last night. Authorities are also looking for her babysitter, Tammy Clark. Police she may be driving a 1997 beige Pontiac Sunfire with the Kentucky plate 134-JDT. Anyone with information please contact the Danville police department.

HARRIS: Now turning to New Orleans where efforts to get life back to normal has faced another setback. Local elections planned for February have been put on hold for up to eight months. Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco agreed to postpone them after state election officials say most of the polling places still have serious flood damage. Also a problem thousands of Louisiana voters are scattered across the country. The election is for mayor and city council seats.

NGUYEN: An estimated 40,000 hurricane evacuees are now temporarily housed in Atlanta and they want to know what is going in their home state. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin who we are hoping will call in soon, holding a town hall meeting with those evacuees. It is set to kick off in three hours at Atlanta's Morehouse College. CNN's Renay San Miguel is at Morehouse this morning with the latest on what is expected today. Renay I imagine people have lots of questions for the mayor.

RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An awful lot of questions, as you said. Some 40,000 people in the city of Atlanta, is estimated to have been displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita from New Orleans now living in this area. That happened before Labor Day and here it is Christmas time and they are still wondering about their homes and their jobs and their businesses. You might call this the Ray Nagin bring New Orleans back tour. He has been visiting cities that have a high concentration of Katrina evacuees.

He was in Memphis last week and he's been to Houston and now it is Atlanta's turn. There are a couple of developments that we should talk about here just within the past couple of weeks regarding the cleanup effort in New Orleans. Dueling environmental reports came out late last week.

One study coming out from the government saying yes there are still high levels of toxic chemicals in the neighborhoods of New Orleans, but that it should still be safe for people to go back and restart their lives. That was immediately challenged by a group of independent environmental organizations saying that residents need to take into account the high levels of chemicals like arsenic that have been found, left there by the floodwaters.

Also you may recall there was a 60 minutes report just a couple of Sundays ago in which a scientist was quoted as saying that within 80 years the city of New Orleans will basically be surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and residents and businesses need to be prepared right now for that eventuality. As you can imagine some of the folks who are leading rebuilding effort and trying to get folks come back to New Orleans are upset about that. So we're likely to hear about those particular developments.

During the Memphis town hall meeting on November 30 Mayor Ray Nagin said that he expected some 300,000 residents to be back within the city by the start of the New Year. You may recall that before Katrina hit that was a city that was approaching 500 thousand in population.

He is saying that, yes, some utilities are still being worked on in some of the neighborhoods, some of the folks who have been to those neighborhoods are saying it still looks like Katrina had just hit within just a week ago. There are still cars that are upside down, debris all over the place and not a lot of utilities basic utilities back online. So some of the folks who are going to be here at this town hall meeting today are expected to have questions about that. Back to you.

NGUYEN: Yes apparently a lot of progress still to be made and obviously some questions on when that is going to be done.

Renay San Miguel, thank you and that town hall session with Mayor Nagin does get underway at Morehouse College in Atlanta. That's at noon Eastern Time and we're going to bring you some of that meeting live right here on CNN.

HARRIS: Good or bad, it's a reality check in New Orleans. This holiday display is back at a suburban mall. Earlier this week we told you it was removed after some shoppers complained. As you can see, it depicts hurricane-ravaged neighborhood circled by a miniature train that children ride after sitting in Santa's lap, but the critics were overwhelmed by supporters so it goes back up.

Police in northern Ohio may have found the bodies of two New Hampshire children who have been missing for more than two years. The children's father has confessed to killing his son and daughter and burying them in the Midwest. Manuel Gehring later hanged himself in jail. The kids mother lead a nationwide search for them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRI KNIGHT, MOTHER: I'm not going down the road yet that this is definitely it because you set yourself up for disappointment. So I'm just going wait and take it one step at a time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: A dog out for a walk with its owner started digging near a small woodpile and found remains wrapped in a plastic in a wooded area in Hudson, Ohio. Tests are being done to positively identify the remains.

Celebrations have been going on all week to mark the 50th anniversary of the Alabama bus boycott on December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man sparking the 381 day bus boycott and igniting the Civil Rights Movement. Today Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and Civil Rights activist will speak at a service at the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Take a look at this video out of Florida. Randy Stephens who is confined to a wheelchair has been ringing bells for the Salvation Army for eight years. The man seen here pulls up and snatches Stephens' money kettle and then just drives off. Police say several kettles have been stolen in the St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park areas.

NGUYEN: That is just so sad. All right. Here's one thing that I think we can speak for just about everything that you don't want to see in you're stocking this holiday. And that's a huge bill from the credit card company. A debt expert is going to join us Tony to explain how to hit the malls without mauling your budget.

HARRIS: Not a moment to soon. Also coming up the bling ring and the feds want your help to catch some wildly jewel thieves and they're offering cold cash, if you can help.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Under the cover of war, professional thieves broke into the Iraq Museum to steal priceless treasures, selling them on the underground market and then a hardened U.S. marine colonel volunteered to track down the real thieves of Baghdad. Meet that hero live in a special soldier's story. That's tomorrow 9:00 a.m. Eastern on "CNN Sunday Morning."

NGUYEN: And this Sunday night at 8:00 Eastern our "Then and Now" special looks at some of the newsmakers of CNN's first 25 years and what they're doing now. CNN's Jill Dougherty has a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He will always be the man a stride of tank, facing down a hard line cue in 1991. Boris Yeltsin remains a creature of contradiction. A communist who helped destroy communism. A Democrat who opened fire on his own parliament. A man who seemed on the verge of dying so many times who now a days looks healthier than ever.

In 1980 Yeltsin was a communist party boss in a Ural Mountain city of Spidlost (ph). Ten years later he was a president of the Russian Republic. The Soviet Union was about to collapse and when it did, Yeltsin moved into the Kremlin. At the height of his powers he told CNN.

BORIS YELTSIN, FMR. PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): I am not thinking about history at all and I'm not planning on thinking about it. I'm thinking about deeds.

DOUGHERTY: But in 1999 in the New Year's address, Boris Yeltsin shocked the world announcing he was stepping down as Russian president, handing the reins of power to Vladimir Putin. Years of heavy drinking and heart attacks took their toll, but in retirement Yeltsin is following a healthier lifestyle.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, I hope you like snow because, folks, in the northeast you're going to be getting some soon. Here's Bonnie Schneider with a look at that. How soon is it coming Bonnie?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: So maybe a double whammy when it comes to snow. Thank you Bonnie.

Lets get you caught up on the stories that are making news this hour.

Pakistani leaders say a top al Qaeda commander has been killed in an explosion. The sources claim Abu Hamza Rabia was in charge al Qaeda's international operations. Pakistan's interior minister referred to Rabia as, quote, and a big fish.

New pictures now shown on Arab language television Al-Jazeera. They depict four abducted western aid workers. According to a statement read by Al-Jazeera the group Swords Justice Brigade is demanding the Iraqi government free all prisoners from jail by next Thursday.

And in less than three hours from now, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nation sin holding a town hall meeting at Atlanta's Morehouse College. He'll update hurricane evacuees on how rebuilding efforts are going in New Orleans. More than 40,000 displaced Louisiana residents temporarily call Atlanta home.

HARRIS: We need this segment Betty.

NGUYEN: I need it in a bad way.

HARRIS: All right. With plastic in hand and deals to be devoured people are shopping for presents at the perfect price! Millions of Americans lined up in the wee hours of the morning to take advantage of Thanksgiving weekend bargains. Remember Black Friday folks trying to get in these stores and running over folks, deep discounts on electronics, clothes, toys, shoes, you name it. Researchers revealed sales during the three-day holiday weekend totaled nearly $17 billion.

Sales for the November, December holiday combined are expected to reach more than $440 billion and the average person will spend at least $700 on gifts this year. Will you go into debt to try to impress your loved ones with lavish gifts? Joining me now to help us avoid this holiday debt hangover is financial expert and author of "What Had Happened Was," Clyde Anderson. Clyde good to see you.

CLYDE ANDERSON, AUTHOR, "WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS": How are you doing today?

HARRIS: Wow outstanding, I love the title of the book.

ANDERSON: Thank you.

HARRIS: You should have had a couple of other lines. You see "What Had Happened Was." Here is the book, catchy title. How did you come with it?

ANDERSON: Talking with people for several years in my profession. Usually I hear a lot of stories and as soon as the stories start they start with, well, what had happened was.

HARRIS: And it works. OK, lets get to beat of this. Because there is a lot to cover. Let's see if we can do as much of it as we can. The premise here how to avoid the holiday debt hang over and the first thing you tell us to do is to create a budget. Come on, what are you talking about, Clyde? The holidays know no budgets. ANDERSON: The foundation, you've got to have the budget. I mean you got to start there. Name those dollars before you spend them. Know where they're going. Account for everything. How much is going toward savings and how much is going towards investing and how much you will spend on gifts and how much on each gift.

HARRIS: Very good. Leave credit cards at home?

ANDERSON: It is hard for a lot of people, but I think that's the key. If you leave those credit cards at home. You think about it, and when you see the dollars coming out of your pocket and it's a lot easier to account for everything and the plastic, which a lot of people equate with image near money.

HARRIS: Yes, so you talking about checks then or do it with cash.

ANDERSON: That is it.

HARRIS: But once you get into the stores, there are always in- store deals with credit cards. So you are saying avoid those.

ANDERSON: Don't do it. Stay away from them. Don't apply for that in-store credit.

HARRIS: So create a get out of debt plan and an exit strategy.

ANDERSON: Have an exit strategy. Know what you need to do to get out of that debt. If you can pay it off, pay it off within the first month. Two to three months at most. But if it more than that maybe you have to reevaluate everything and maybe it's something you can afford at this time.

HARRIS: And accountability partner.

ANDERSON: Have somebody that you're accountable to, other than yourself. If you're married it's a spouse or shopping buddy that knows your budget know and knows exactly what you're out to do.

HARRIS: Clyde here's the top one. Make sacrifices.

ANDERSON: That's hard for a lot of people. But it's key. I think that's so key for so many people. You got to look at it. Trim the fat where you need to. Maybe this year it's getting the Timex instead of a Rolex.

HARRIS: And the reason we want to do this is because we want to our credit in good shape. To do that, you tell us the number one piece of advice is pay on time.

ANDERSON: Pay on time. You have got to pay it on time, you know? Had when you do charge things that are the thing that can help a lot of people even if it's the minimum. I would like to feel see a lot of people pay more, but if it's the minimum, pay it on time.

HARRIS: And pay the late fees. ANDERSON: Those late fees can hurt you.

HARRIS: Keep balances on your credit card cards under 30 percent of the maximum credit line and we'll throw up a couple of examples here so we can figure this out. So here's an example.

Well, $2,000 is your credit line times 30 percent, $600 debt on the card of $500, explain that.

ANDERSON: That is it I mean once -- when you're maxed out on the credit card. Maxed out means you're over your limit. That is really going to hurt your credit score.

HARRIS: Then why do they give you the limit? If they want you to spend it on it.

ANDERSON: That's what they want you to do. You've got to be smarter than that.

HARRIS: Then you are penalized if you do.

ANDERSON: That's it.

HARRIS: That's it. We will give you the limit. Here's $5,000, but don't spend it because if you do, you will hurt your credit.

ANDERSON: Exactly, they don't tell you that right there. They want you to spend it, but you have to be smarter than that and you have to be able to play the game and know that. Keeping this down will help your credit score so much if you can keep it under that 30 percent.

HARRIS: And one final quick tip. Check the credit file.

ANDERSON: Do it often. Know what's on there; know what is being reported about you, this is you. This is who you are and what represents you. Pull it.

HARRIS: That's good information. Clyde Anderson's book you see, "What Had Happened Was" and available now.

ANDERSON: Available now.

HARRIS: At your Web site?

ANDERSON: At my Web site.

HARRIS: Which is?

ANDERSON: Www.paramindpublications.com.

HARRIS: Good to meet you.

ANDERSON: A pleasure to meet you.

HARRIS: Thanks for the advice. Betty.

NGUYEN: All right, Tony. I've been crunching some numbers here and doing the numbers I'm going have to take Clyde's advice. That means you're not going to get anything.

HARRIS: I'm the sacrifice.

NGUYEN: Blame it on Clyde. He's right there. I just can't do it this year, sorry, Tony. Thanks Clyde though. Appreciate that.

HARRIS: Like last year.

NGUYEN: So have you seen a story on CNN this morning that you just have to know more about? Chances are you are going find it on CNN.com and we are going take you there next. So stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: We have a treat for you. A panda pooch and a globetrotting cat. That's right, animals are front and center today on CNN.com and Veronica De La Cruz is watching all of this. I can't wait to hear about this.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes well animals are stealing the spotlight.

NGUYEN: They always do.

DE LA CRUZ: People love animal. But before we get to that, Betty, I'm going to have to tell you about this other story people are watching. Jewel thieves stealing millions of dollars in jewelry. I need you to play a little Nancy Drew here. They call themselves the gate cutters because they break into jewelry stores at the mall. They clip those gates and then they steal the jewelry in the display cases. They focus men's jewelry and men's Movado watches.

NGUYEN: I wonder why.

DE LA CRUZ: Yes I do too.

HARRIS: Man bling.

DE LA CRUZ: Man bling. They have made off with more than $5 million in jewelry in the past two years. So the FBI is asking for your help in cracking this case.

NGUYEN: My help?

DE LA CRUZ: And everybody out there, too.

Now we move on to those animal stories that everybody loves so much. Take a look at this guy. He's black and white and he appears to be a panda bear. He even has those rings around his eyes. But he was a dog in panda's clothing. This guy you're looking at now. This guy, this dog -- this mother hen, she gave up her babies and Kodiak -- we're going back to the panda bear.

NGUYEN: I'm confused.

DE LA CRUZ: This is a panda pooch.

NGUYEN: That is a panda, not the dog.

DE LA CRUZ: This is a dog that's been died to look like a panda bear.

NGUYEN: That is so wrong!

DE LA CRUZ: He lives in Japan and his owners dyed him to look like that. Isn't just crazy? I have one more. We are going to go on to that.

I know it's the craziest thing. Let's move on to the globetrotting cat now.

NGUYEN: Emily or something.

DE LA CRUZ: Yes Emily is a case where curiosity almost killed the cat. This cat Emily made her way from Wisconsin to France. She got stuck in a shipping container at a paper factory near her house and she was shipped to Paris. Because she had a nametag, however, the people at the factory kindly shipped her back. Now Continental Airlines they caught wind of the situation and they flew her home first-class. They flew her home first class. She's a VIC, very important cat.

NGUYEN: And she was not painted as a panda.

DE LA CRUZ: She was sitting in the first class and refused the champagne. They didn't have it.

NGUYEN: Doggoned it. All right. Thank you, Veronica. I'm still trying to get over the dog panda.

DE LA CRUZ: The panda pooch.

NGUYEN: What ever it was. It was convincing, wasn't it, Tony?

HARRIS: Are you guys done? Are you done?

NGUYEN: I'm baffled that someone would spray paint their dog to look like a panda.

HARRIS: It's a mess.

NGUYEN: It's a zoo. All right. Let's move on.

HARRIS: The e-mails? The e-mail question for the day.

NGUYEN: All right.

HARRIS: We have a live debate coming up at the 10:0 hour. Has Tookie Williams done enough as an anti-gang activist to warrant his clemency and our first response comes from Flip.

"I teach eighth grade black kids from the projects and Tookie's provisos about gangs from his personal experience really impress them in a positive way. I use his books in my classes. Since his incarceration he has rehabilitated himself and is now a more positive influence on society than most of us. He will be able to do no good what so ever if he is dead."

NGUYEN: Well Harold from Georgia, disagrees. He says, "The mothers of every child lost to gang violence can, at least in some measure, thank Tookie. Yes, Mr. Williams needs to die."

Obviously, there are people on both sides. This is a hot issue and time is running out. We want to know what you think. Has Tookie Williams done enough as an anti-gang activist? Also he's nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize as well. Has he done enough to warrant his clemency? E-mail us at WEEKENDS@CNN.com.

"OPEN HOUSE" straight ahead with some new ways to decorate for Christmas that's on a budget.

HARRIS: And just another note. Next hour, a man nominated for the Nobel Prize but sentenced to die in California. We've been talking about him. Stanley Tookie Williams. Should he be executed since going to prison. He's renounced violence and written children's books. Should his life be spared? We will have a live debate at 10:00 a.m. Eastern.

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