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CNN Saturday Morning News

Angry Protests at WTO Meeting In Hong Kong; U.S. Government Possibly Spying On U.S. Citizens Upsets Some; Interview With Author Darlene Mininni

Aired December 17, 2005 - 09:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Clashes this morning, protestors turned the streets of Hong Kong into a battle zone. We'll take you into the heart of it.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Fredericka Whitfield in for Betty Nguyen this morning. This is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning everyone. I'm Tony Harris. Thank you for starting your day with us.

Our top stories in a moment, but first a look at what else is happening right now. Now in the news, President Bush will address the nation in about one hour from now to make the case for keeping the Patriot Act in force. The Senate on Friday refused to bring it to a vote. All of this comes against the backdrop of allegations that the president in recent years authorized spying on hundreds, perhaps thousands of Americans.

A developing story out of Hong Kong as Fred just mentioned. Protestors and riot police have been clashing on the streets in Hong Kong where 148 nations are holding high-level trade talks, a report on the unrest is just ahead.

So far there's still talking, so New Yorkers aren't walking. More contract talks are set for today in New York where transit workers are threatening to strike if they don't get a deal. Plans for a limited strike have already been announced for Monday.

The Emmy Award-winning actor who played the president's chief of staff on NBC's hit show "The West Wing" has died. John Spencer's publisher says he had a heart attack and died in Los Angeles in a hospital there. He was 58 years old. Spencer appeared in more than 40 television series and movies.

WHITFIELD: And if you are just joining us there's been a lot of activity on the streets of Hong Kong this morning outside the World Trade Organization meeting. Angry protestors, many of them South Korean farmers, have been pushing closer to the Convention Center where the WTO talks are taking place and riot police have been pushing back with water cannons, pepper spray and tear gas.

CNN's senior Asia correspondent Mike Chinoy is there and filed this report a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MIKE CHINOY, CNN SENIOR ASIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mayhem in the streets of normally bustling Hong Kong as the World Trade Organization meeting enters its next to last day, militant South Korean farmers led violent protests. South Koreans trying to get inside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center where the WTO meeting is being held.

The South Koreans have been at the forefront of all of the protests this week. They're threatened by globalization. They say the imports of foreign rice would destroy their livelihoods and their way of life. So far earlier in the week the protests were relatively orderly despite minor scuffling. But the South Koreans had warned they would escalate things on Saturday and they did so.

Earlier they marched through the designated protest area a couple of hundred meters from the Convention Center when police who had built barricades with large concrete blocks wouldn't let them through and the South Koreans pushed forward and the police were forced to use pepper spray and then water cannons, the standoff lasting a couple of hours.

As darkness fell the South Koreans broke into small groups and scattered through the streets of the busy Wanchi (ph) commercial area regrouping for a final push. They made it to within a hundred meters of the front of the Convention Center, forcing the Hong Kong police to force CS gas to drive them back.

As the evening wore on, South Korean farmers and leaders said that they would stay here in the middle of this busy thoroughfare that they've been block until they're allowed to get access to the World Trade Center. For the police the choice is let them stay with all the disruption or try to clear them out almost certainly guaranteeing more trouble.

Mike Chinoy, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Now to the story that's hit a raw nerve across the country, the possibility that hundreds of Americans may have been subjected to illegal eavesdropping by their own government. CNN's Kathleen Koch is at the White House where the alleged spy orders reportedly originated. Kathleen good morning.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony. And it is a very dramatic revelation that sources say that in the months after 9/11 President Bush he did authorized the National Security Agency to spy on Americans' international phone calls and e-mails. Now the White House still will not confirm or deny the story. President Bush saying in an interview yesterday, though that he has broken no laws.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We do not discuss an ongoing intelligence operations to protect the country and the reason why is that there's an enemy that lurks that would like to know exactly what we're trying to do to stop them.

I will make this point, that whatever I do to protect the American people and I have an obligation to do so that we will uphold the law and decisions made are made understanding we have an obligation to protect the civil liberties of the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: The members of Congress are very upset about the news. The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Republican Arlen Specter promising that his committee will hold hearings on this early next year, calling the use of such use of the NSA, quote, inappropriate.

The issue played a pivotal role in Republicans failure to win renewal yesterday of the Patriot Act and many of the measures of it are expiring at end of the year. Opponents have already been concerned that the act gave the government too much power to delve into the lives of innocent Americans. One Senator saying when it comes to people's civil liberties, the revelation makes it crystal clear that we have to be very careful, very careful, Tony.

HARRIS: Kathleen Koch at the White House for us. Kathleen thank you and you'll be back next hour to guide us through the president's comments as well.

President Bush is doing a lot of talking this weekend and CNN will bring his comments to you live. First, at 10:06 Eastern this morning the president's radio address will be televised live. His topic, efforts to renew the Patriot Act and Sunday night starting at 9:00 Eastern special coverage of the president's prime time speech on the war in Iraq, we'll bring you a special "Larry King Live."

WHITFIELD: Federal agents say they've busted four child prostitution rings. Investigators say they've rescued at least 30 children who were being held as sex slaves. Thirty people have been charged so far, 19 of the suspects have been arrested in raids in seven states. The FBI has published photos on of the remaining fugitives on its Web site.

Jesse Jackson, Snoop Dog and Louis Farrakhan there are among those scheduled to attend a memorial service of Stanley Tookie Williams. The 51-year-old co-founder of the Crips street gang was executed last Tuesday for killing four people in 1979. His supporters tried to save his life fighting his anti-gang efforts while in prison. Williams' memorial is set for Tuesday in Los Angeles.

In Gaithersburg, Maryland a 16-year-old boy is dead. His friend hospitalized after both fell through a frozen pond. Investigators say the boys were taking a short cut across the pond when the ice gave way.

HARRIS: And ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, the vice president has his bags packed and we'll tell you where he is headed.

WHITFIELD: And are you ready for the holidays? We'll reach into the emotional tool kit for some tips on keeping your Christmas from turning into a blue one. And Brad.

BRAD HUFFINES, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Meanwhile if you're spending too much time outside in Kansas you may end up with blue fingertips and blue lips, cold and snowy, winter storm warnings snow advisories and I'll detail those in a few minutes, but first outside right now and the big apple, things are looking bright and should look bright most of the workweek with morning temperatures this morning above freezing. That's right, above freezing. We'll talk about your nation's weather forecast coming up in just a couple of minutes here on CNN SATURDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: How nice is that? Welcome back everyone to CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm Tony Harris. Here's what's going on at this hour.

In Hong Kong, demonstrators oppose opening up global markets are clashing with police at the WTO meetings. They are using bamboo sticks as you can see here; to push police back so they could get into the Convention Center where dozens of trade delegates are meeting. Police have fired back with tear gas and pepper spray. Vice president Dick Cheney is heading to Afghanistan tomorrow for the first session of that country's new parliament. He's also visiting other allies in the U.S. war against terrorism.

And back in the states New Yorkers could face a city transit strike in the coming days. Workers and managers have tried to hammer out a new contract to keep the buses and trains rolling. The union has scheduled the first phase of the strike affecting two bus lines for Monday morning.

WHITFIELD: Well most of us expect the holidays to be full of excitement and cheer, right? Let's think about the 2005, company downsizing, devastating storms, homes destroyed and loss of life. It's been quite the emotional roller coaster. So let's get those emotions under control. The author of "The Emotional Tool Kit." Darlene Mininni joins us now from Los Angeles. Good to see you. Happy holidays, Darlene.

DARLENE MININNI, AUTHOR, "THE EMOTIONAL TOOL KIT:" Happy holidays to you. Hi, how are you?

WHITFIELD: Well I wonder how do you know the difference between whether it's holiday blues you're experiencing or whether it is clinical depression on a much grander scale?

MININNI: Yes, that's a very good question. I think the difference happens to be one of intensity. When you're feeling the holiday blues it's usually limited to the holiday time and it responds very well to remedies like getting a good night's sleep or getting everything on your to-do list finished. When it comes to depression it's a lot more intense.

It doesn't necessarily go away just because the situation gets a little bit better. It's almost like you can imagine a cloud that hangs over you wherever you go and no matter what you do, it just doesn't seem to lift. So when you're feeling depressed you need to reach out and get some help.

WHITFIELD: All right. Some of the variables when you're talking about the holiday blues, everything from the pressure of family, getting together with family, traveling, getting gifts, your budget, going over budget, all of that stuff comes into play, how do we try to keep our emotions in check, things just don't get out of hand.

MININNI: Right, right. It could be very overwhelming it can be very stressful and everything just seems to be happening at once and that certainly leads to the feeling of being overwhelmed and there's a couple of emotional tools that you can use to help manage these things.

The first thing, it's going sound very obvious, but the first thing that you can do is really just take care of yourself because when you're feeling good you are able to deal with all of the stressors a lot better. It's almost like when the flight attendant on the plane says when there's an emergency, put your oxygen mask on first before you help others.

Before you make everybody dinner and go shopping for everybody and do everything for everyone else, take care of yourself and one of the things I recommend people try is exercise. What researchers are finding is if you can exercise for 30 minutes most days of the week it can actually affect your brain in a way similar to an antidepressant and you don't need to be an Olympic athlete to do this. You can go for a walk, dance in your living room, and take your dog for a walk, simple things like that.

WHITFIELD: They could be real stress busters.

MININNI: They can be -- absolutely. The other thing is also too; change your expectations that the holidays are going to be perfect because they're absolutely not going to be. The kids are going to fight. The airport will be a zoo; someone's going forget the video camera.

WHITFIELD: There are going to be things that are out of your control, quite simply.

MININNI: Absolutely, out of your control and you have a choice, you can either roll with it and laugh or you can see it as being horrible and terrible and if you see it that way you will probably feel horrible and terrible.

WHITFIELD: And then one suggestion, you also have us connecting with others, but sometimes it's connecting with the wrong people, you'll discover that will act as an irritant. So how do you pick and choose?

MININNI: It can. Yes, that's a very good point. The holidays brings us together with people that sometimes maybe we really don't want to be together with and when that happens you want to try not to get into conversations with family members that might traditionally be sore points or try to stay away from those things and connect with people who really care about you and for some of us this might be a time where we might feel alone. Maybe the people that we care about are not around, when we find ourselves alone for the holidays and that can make us feel blue.

One of the things that you can do is find a way to matter to people. Studies have found that when they asked men and women questions like if you went away, how much would you be missed. How much do people depend upon you?

What they found was that when people felt they mattered to others they were less depressed. So do things like volunteer, make a cake for an elderly neighbor. You don't even have to know the people that you're mattering to. It's just a matter of feeling connected to other people that can really change the way you feel.

WHITFIELD: It sounds like you're saying, remember it is the season of giving so you don't need to go into the holidays, thinking and expecting that you should be receiving. Instead a lot of the relief and happiness that you'll be experiencing comes from what you give to others.

Darlene Mininni thanks so much. Author of "The Emotional Tool Kit." Some great tips this morning in this holiday season. Thanks so much.

MININNI: Thank you. Happy holiday.

WHITFIELD: Thank you, and to you as well -- Tony.

HARRIS: Take a look at this. A great picture for you now coming out of New York City. Hey Fred do you know about the ice-skating rink there in Central Park?

I want to say that's what it is. Maybe someone will write me an e-mail.

WHITFIELD: I need a wider vantage point. I can't tell from that image opinion. Someone will send me a note correcting me, but there it is, Central Park, New York City. A little ice-skating, a little hockey going on.

Next, we will check the most popular stories making news at CNN.com and the news isn't good for Rudolph. Also, how many layers of clothing will you be wearing today? A look at your forecast is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Concessive (ph) all of that music ...

WHITFIELD: We need to drop down a disco ball, I think. Right in the middle of that, don't you think?

HARRIS: I feel battered at the end of that.

WHITFIELD: I like it. It gets you going. HARRIS: Well here's a story. A homeowner in Florida is playing reindeer games with his light display and folks aren't happy. Veronica is here to tell us all about it.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: Yes good morning to you. People there aren't laughing about that. In fact, they're saying that this little light display is sad disgusting and sick. So these are the words they're using. We'll show you the light display.

You're going to see it, Tony and you will change your mind.

But first, people are interested in watching this story. A man who underwent the first forearm transplant. We'll meet the woman who just underwent the first partial face transplant. I know we've heard about this story.

He's expected to congratulate her on her courage for going through with the procedure and is going to share his own experiences with her about his surgery. He says it took him two years to actually call his hand his own.

HARRIS: Wow!

DE LA CRUZ: And now, 'tis the season to decorate not only the tree with lights but your house, too. Take a look at this. This light display has neighbors in this town outraged. It features Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, hanging upside down from a tree, gutted with a trail of red lights that end up in puddles.

WHITFIELD: Oh, no, people!

DE LA CRUZ: Representing a pool of blood. Representing a pool of blood. The neighbors say the man is a deer hunter.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh.

DE LA CRUZ: Yeah. Needless to say the neighbors don't think the display is funny. Side note here, guys they live in a town called Hunter's Creek.

Maybe the rules are different in Hunter's Creek. I don't know. Finally --

WHITFIELD: That's not funny.

DE LA CRUZ: Here's an interesting way to take Fido for a walk and watch the news at the same time. This dog named Toby jumps on the treadmill with his owner every morning for a quick workout and they get caught up on the headlines to watch some CNN. The dog also plays tennis, he sings and he's going help you do push-ups. He helps you with the push-ups. How's that for motivation if he can't make it to the gym. It is all online at CNN.com/video.

WHITFIELD: Are you still laughing from the Hunter's Creek story?

DE LA CRUZ: How could you -- that is not funny! That is not funny.

HARRIS: I better not be the only one at home laughing.

DE LA CRUZ: No. I know it's sick.

HARRIS: I know it's sick, but it is ...

DE LA CRUZ: Sick, sad and disgusting is what they're saying there in Hunter's Creek, by the way.

WHITFIELD: I never saw anything like that before. Thanks Veronica.

HARRIS: Lets get to Brad Huffines in the CNN Weather Center for another check of the nation's weather. Brad good morning.

HUFFINES: Do not drag me into this.

HARRIS: I won't. Notice I didn't.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Try to put as much distance between the video and -- more distance. More distance, push away. All morning long, our e- mail question. It was sick.

WHITFIELD: You're still talking about the deer? You lost me; I don't know what you're talking about now.

HARRIS: I'm still thinking about ...

WHITFIELD: That was nasty.

HARRIS: Here it is the e-mail question, spying and national security, what do you think? A safeguard against potential terror attacks in the country or a violation of your civil liberties?

WHITFIELD: All right and Fred in -- no, that's not Fred, that's Tom. Oh Tom! In Delaware says "Unprovoked, he invaded another country, held people in prisons without benefit of attorneys or charges, systematically conducted torture rigged elections and spied on his own people. Are we talking about Saddam or W? Take your choice."

HARRIS: Hello. All right Tom and this from Fred, "I feel safer knowing they are watching. We know they are already here on our soil. Why not do everything we are capable of doing to protect us Americans."

Thank you so much for your e-mails this morning. The inbox on fire with the question today and I think that's it for e-mails this morning. We'll have a question again for you tomorrow.

WHITFIELD: And "Open House" is coming up straight ahead. Here is Gerri Willis right now with a preview. GERRI WILLIS, CNN ANCHOR: Today on CNN "OPEN HOUSE," we're a week away from Christmas and we'll show you how to stick to the holiday budget and news from Washington. The Feds are cracking down on mortgage fraud. We'll show you what you need to watch for. That's "Open House" 9:30 Eastern on CNN.

WHITFIELD: Also next hour, live coverage of President Bush's radio address regarding the Patriot Act.

HARRIS: That's coming up at the top of the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look now at our top stories. President Bush is giving the last of his series of speeches on Iraq from the oval office tomorrow night. It's the first time since the start of the war that Mr. Bush has addressed the public from the west wing room. CNN will have live coverage on Sunday night's speech beginning at 9:00 Eastern with the special "LARRY KING LIVE" as well.

Police and protestors are clashing in Hong Kong where WTO delegates have been meeting all week. The demonstrators are trying to edge closer to the Convention Center where negotiations are taking place, but police are holding them back with tear gas, fire hoses and pepper spray.

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