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CNN Saturday Morning News
Bush to Address Immigration Issues in Monday's Speech; Indonesian Volcano Threatens to Erupt
Aired May 13, 2006 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Plans are in the works to send more National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico-border. President Bush will make his case for immigration reform Monday night in a televised address to the nation. And you can watch it live right here on CNN, beginning at 7:00 Eastern.
There's the full line-up of Monday night.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, yes.
NGUYEN: Also, speaking of time, it is running out for millions of older Americans. Monday is the deadline to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug benefit program. Those who miss it? Well, they could face a penalty.
We're going to get some advice from a pharmacist in the next half hour.
HARRIS: Federal agents searched the office and home of Kyle "Dusty" Foggo. The former number three CIA official was forced to resign this week. Foggo is the target of a widening criminal investigation into corruption and bribery allegations.
By midday in Iraq, the toll is already five killed, another 16 wounded. The U.S. military says a roadside bomb killed a U.S. soldier in Baghdad. Early today, two Iraqi soldiers were killed and a dozen more wounded in a gun-battle among Iraqi forces. And two more bodies were found in eastern Baghdad. They had been tortured.
You're looking at Mount Merapi in Indonesia, clearly on the verge of erupting. Indonesian officials aren't wasting any time trying to get people evacuated and into emergency shelters.
CNN's Kathy Quiano is in Jakarta.
She'll join us live in about 10 minutes with the very latest.
NGUYEN: From the CNN Center right here in Atlanta, it's CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
Good morning, everybody.
Hey, 7:00 Eastern here in Atlanta, but 6:00 p.m. in Jakarta, Indonesia. That's where they're on a volcano watch today.
HARRIS: Oh. NGUYEN: Evacuations already in order and we're going to give you the latest from there.
Good morning, everybody.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.
Thank you for being with us this morning.
NGUYEN: Well, you might want to grab a notepad. We have a lot going on today. And we've brought in people who can answer some of your questions. That is because Monday's deadline looms for those who have not picked a Medicare prescription drug benefit.
We've brought in a pharmacist to answer your last minute questions and he's going to join us in about 30 minutes with all of that.
And, next hour, thousands of National Guard troops on our border with Mexico. Our Pentagon correspondent says it could happen, serving on the front line here at home. What that means for you, in our next hour.
Plus, later this morning, at 10:00 Eastern, how the price of gasoline goes way beyond fuel.
HARRIS: Oh, yes.
NGUYEN: Think plastics, if you will. Petroleum is the key ingredient and we're going to take a closer look.
HARRIS: Now at the top this morning, the battle over immigration moves from the streets back to the White House and Capitol Hill next week.
President Bush plans to tackle the issue head-on. He'll address the nation Monday night and there's word Mr. Bush will propose deploying National Guard troops to tighten security along the U.S.- Mexico-border.
His speech comes on the same day the Senate takes up immigration again.
More from White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Bush is making immigration reform his top domestic priority. A senior aide says that's why he's addressing the nation from the Oval Office Monday during prime time, to signal to members of Congress they've got to come up with legislation he can sign.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: First and foremost, the federal government has the role to enforce our border.
MALVEAUX: Mr. Bush has been facing increasing pressure from conservatives of his own party to get tougher or border security. So Monday, the president will address that head on.
One plan Mr. Bush is considering, a senior administration official says, is enhancing the role of the National Guard in protecting the southern border. The official said the plan would not call for federalizing those troops nor increase active duty assignments, nor would it jeopardize the Guard's missions overseas or preparations for hurricane season.
BUSH: I'm for a temporary worker program that will...
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: ... That says to a person, here is a tamper-proof card that says you can come and do a job an American won't do.
MALVEAUX: Mr. Bush will also argue that the country cannot enforce border control without a guest worker program that allows some illegal immigrants to stay and work and others to earn eventual citizenship.
Critics call that amnesty.
SEN. JEFF SESSIONS (R), ALABAMA: I do not back down on the fundamental concept that the legislation before us today is basically an amnesty for the people who came here illegally, in violation of our law.
MALVEAUX: On Capitol Hill today, supporters of amnesty for illegal immigrants squared off with the group calling themselves the Minutemen, who take it upon themselves to patrol the border.
(on camera): A senior administration official said that this issue is ripe and the debate has been moving forward over the last couple of months. But that same official acknowledged that finding a compromise over immigration reform will be a very heavy lift.
Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS: Our in depth coverage of the president's speech gets started with a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on Monday.
After the speech, join us for a special "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT." That'll be good.
NGUYEN: Um-hmm.
HARRIS: Followed by "LARRY KING LIVE."
It's all here on CNN. NGUYEN: We're going to shift over to Indonesia now.
A race against the clock. Mount Merapi is close to erupting. You can see the live pictures right there, the orange lava.
Authorities are trying to get everyone out of the volcano's path.
Sixty-six people were killed when Merapi erupted back in 1994.
And Kathy Quiano is on the phone in Jakarta with the latest.
We're looking at the live pictures. We see the molten lava.
How close is this volcano to erupting?
KATHY QUIANO, CNN PRODUCER: Well, Betty, scientists say Mount Merapi's eruptions are usually characterized by heat clouds and avalanches with a mixture of lava, rocks, ash and pumice reaching about 930 degrees.
Now, they are watching a new lava dome that started forming near its peak on April 28th. Volcanologists say it has now grown to about 270 feet, so there is some concern that more lava will be flowing out of the volcano.
Now, as you mentioned, the evacuation of thousands of residents from the danger zone is still underway. Villagers were brought in, in tracks and buses. Military police and volunteers moved from village to village, urging residents to pack up and leave -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Yes, we're looking at some pictures right now of those villagers being moved to shelters. Some 22,000 are being evacuated.
But let's talk about these temporary shelters.
Are they big enough to hold all of these people? Because I understand, for the most part, they can only comfortably house about 500 people.
QUIANO: That's right, Betty.
Well, we spoke to local authorities earlier and they did say that temporary shelters are starting to get overcrowded now. In one district, at least, the biggest shelter was designed to house about 500 people. By midday, there were more than 1,000 evacuees there.
NGUYEN: Wow!
QUIANO: Officials tell us that the contingency plan now is to use schools and government buildings in surrounding towns -- Betty.
NGUYEN: And let's talk a little bit more about the people living near this volcano. This is a heavily populated area.
Are these farmers being a little reluctant to leave their farmland as these evacuations are underway? (AUDIO GAP)
NGUYEN: Are you there with us, Kathy?
HARRIS: Oh, did we lose her?
NGUYEN: Yes, we have apparently lost Kathy Quiano, who was joining us on the phone from Jakarta.
Of course, we're going to stay on top of this volcano, as a lot of folks near it are preparing for the big eruption and evacuations.
HARRIS: Look at that.
NGUYEN: Yes, look at that, the smoke coming from it. We've seen the molten lava in live pictures.
So we'll stay on top of it and bring you the latest as it happens.
HARRIS: And let's take a look at Stories Across America this morning.
Senator John McCain will give the commencement address this morning at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University in Virginia. It's scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Eastern time. Political observers see it as a strategic move toward a possible run-for the White House in 2008. While it's too early for endorsements, the Reverend Falwell tells CNN that he considers McCain the strongest presidential contender in the GOP.
NGUYEN: Well, Kentucky's governor will be arraigned next month for allegedly rewarding supporters with state jobs. Governor Ernie Fletcher was indicted earlier this week. He says that despite the indictment, he'll complete his first term and seek reelection. But if convicted, it would cost Fletcher his job as governor and possibly land him in jail.
HARRIS: In Austin, Texas -- you know that area pretty well, don't you, Betty?
NGUYEN: I sure do.
HARRIS: A chainsaw is no defense against an angry swarm of bees.
It happened...
NGUYEN: Look at that.
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
It happened yesterday to a tree worker who accidentally touched off a bee attack while trimming branches. His safety harness slowed his escape and he went to the hospital with dozens, possibly hundreds, of stings.
NGUYEN: Ooh.
HARRIS: Several other people were also attacked.
NGUYEN: Not good.
Well, in Whiteford, Maryland, charges are pending against a homeowner found to have nearly 60 dogs on his property. Authorities say many of the animals were in poor health and at least one was dead. Officials were tipped off by neighbors who had complained of a stench.
HARRIS: And in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, a wild cougar as a pet is never a good idea.
NGUYEN: No.
HARRIS: But keeping one across the street from an elementary school is a no-brainer. Animal control officials removed the big cat from the neighborhood as soon as they found out where it was there in the home. The owner, who recently moved into town, claims the cougar is tamed.
NGUYEN: Well, new tests, same results.
Lawyers representing Duke University lacrosse players in a rape case say a second round of DNA tests shows no conclusive match to any member of the lacrosse team.
There's no comment yet from the district attorney.
CNN's Jason Carroll reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Defense attorneys representing several Duke lacrosse players gathered late Friday to say exactly what they thought of the results of the second round of DNA tests.
JOE CHESHIRE, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: We can say to you categorically that this report shows no conclusive match between any genetic material taken on, about, in or from the false accuser and any genetic material of any Duke lacrosse player.
CARROLL: While they say the results are inconclusive, the report does name a third lacrosse player, someone whose DNA material was found on the alleged victim's fake fingernail. Defense attorneys argue the nail was found in a trash can in the bathroom of the lacrosse house and therefore is tainted.
Even more importantly, they say the report shows semen was found in the alleged victim, but it does not match any of the players.
CHESHIRE: They did retrieve male genetic material from a single source, a single male source, from vaginal swabs, and that that source has been named in this report as a person known to the Durham Police Department. To put it very simply, it appears that this woman had sex with a male, but it also appears with certainty that it wasn't a Duke lacrosse player.
CARROLL: Durham's district attorney, Michael Nifong, did not return repeated calls about the second round of tests. He has said in the past it's his moral obligation to pursue anyone he believes is guilty of a crime.
The second round of tests Nifong ordered were done by a prevent lab. The first round, done by a state lab, showed no match between the players and the alleged victim.
The young woman, an exotic dancer and student, says three players raped her during a lacrosse party. So far, two have been charged, Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty.
(on camera): The question now, will the new DNA results lead to a third arrest?
Defense attorneys believe the district attorney will pursue another indictment. The next chance he will get to do that is when the grand jury meets on Monday.
Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS: OK, countdown time for senior citizens.
NGUYEN: It is ticking.
HARRIS: Yes, it really is. Monday is the deadline to sign up for the new Medicare prescription drug plan. But if you still have questions -- and many do -- don't panic. We have a pharmacist who is on the front lines of the Medicare change.
E-mail us your questions right now and we promise we'll get answers.
And our guest joins us at the half hour.
NGUYEN: And whether it is Mariah Carey, Angelina Jolie or some other celebrity, "CNN PRESENTS" looks at our obsession -- really, it's truly an obsession -- with the famous. And we'll give you a sneak peak at that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Our independent coverage of the president's speech gets started with a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer, 7:00 p.m. Eastern. That's on Monday evening after the speech.
Join us for a special "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT."
NGUYEN: That's going to be good.
HARRIS: Can you imagine Lou Dobbs after the president's... NGUYEN: He is going to be fired up.
HARRIS: Oh, you want to talk about must-see TV.
Lou Dobbs after the president's speech.
NGUYEN: Good television, folks.
HARRIS: Don't miss it.
And then "LARRY KING LIVE."
It's all here on CNN.
NGUYEN: We want to talk about a deadly typhoon. It's Chanchu, the name of it, and it's whipping the shores of the central Philippines today. Nearly two dozen people died when a ferry capsized in rough seas. You can see, truly rough out there. Flooding forced hundreds of families into evacuation centers. Eighty mile an hour winds snapped trees in Manila. Air and ferry service is halted, stranding more than 10,000 people.
HARRIS: Noisy, noisy, noisy, noisy in the Philippines. Pretty quiet around the country...
NGUYEN: Oh, you didn't say that, Tony.
HARRIS: Well, every Saturday for the last month, it seems...
NGUYEN: You never say it's been quiet, because you know what happens.
WOLF: Don't encourage this man.
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
WOLF: Don't do it.
NGUYEN: Oh!
HARRIS: Right?
NGUYEN: Oh, we're doomed. Reynolds, we're just doomed.
HARRIS: Reynolds was just thinking...
NGUYEN: We're just doomed.
WOLF: Figure -- you're right there, Tony.
I mean figuratively speaking, it is -- it has been a quiet day...
NGUYEN: Don't say it.
WOLF: Bubudup (ph).
NGUYEN: Yes.
WOLF: But at the same time Betty is right, because every time we do tell
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: Yes, that's true. That's true.
She's right.
NGUYEN: Yes.
WOLF: ... nice and we get the hammer dropped.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WOLF: Take a look at the forecast.
We'll have your Mother's Day forecast coming up in just a few moments.
NGUYEN: It better be a good one.
WOLF: I know.
NGUYEN: Lots of pressure.
WOLF: The pressure is on.
You bet.
HARRIS: Recovery.
OK.
NGUYEN: All right, Reynolds.
Well, looking ahead this morning, a pharmacist is going to join us in about 10 minutes. You'll want to stay tuned and grab a pen and piece of paper, as well, because he is going to answer some of your last minute Medicare prescription drug benefit questions.
We know you have a lot of them.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: So send them in to us.
E-mail us what you want to ask this pharmacist about the new plan.
We're weekends@cnn.com.
One more time, our address at the bottom of the screen, weekends@cnn.com.
We're going to read some of those questions on the air and get him to answer them live.
HARRIS: And we're off to a fast start.
NGUYEN: Yes, we are.
Lots of questions out there.
HARRIS: Yes.
There is no Kobe factor or a cross town rematch in the NBA playoffs, turning a potential TV ratings boon into a bust.
Rick Horrow comes off the bench with a...
NGUYEN: With a small bat.
HARRIS: With a pink bat.
What did you say? A small bat?
NGUYEN: That's a small bat. Not a big bat, but a small one.
HARRIS: We go "Beyond The Game"...
NGUYEN: It's a good thing we can't hear him.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: Oh, just cut his mike, would you?
RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: You can't hear me. I don't care. I'll keep talking. But you can't hear me anyway. I will. I'm going to just keep talking, OK?
HARRIS: OK. Good night. Good night.
NGUYEN: And we'll talk to you soon.
HORROW: Thank you very much.
That's mad...
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
CHRISTY FEIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Virginia Boser (ph) was diagnosed with breast cancer, she couldn't even feel the two centimeter lump in her breast. Neither could her doctor. It was found by an annual mammogram.
VIRGINIA BOSER: If there was no such thing as mammography, I don't know. The tumor probably would have grown.
FEIG: Because she caught it early, today, 18 years later, her doctors consider her cured. BOSER: We have to be very, very careful. We have to, you know, make sure we catch this early.
FEIG: And that doesn't just apply to breast cancer.
DR. HORTA: We have to understand that heart disease, cancer and diabetes, they give no symptoms when they start. It isn't until late, when the disease has really advanced, that a woman has a lump, bleeding or is losing her weight.
FEIG: Dr. Horta (ph) says before menopause, a woman should maintain a healthy weight and watch for high blood pressure or high cholesterol that could lead to heart disease.
DR. HORTA: Also, they should visit their doctors at least once a year to get a pap smear, to learn how to do the breast self- examination and to also do a screening for depression.
FEIG: After menopause, preventing heart disease and stroke and watching for any signs of breast, cervical, lung or colon cancer become the priority in the annual checkup.
Christy Feig, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS (voice-over): The most watched games in the NBA playoffs so far, the first round Western Conference clash between the L.A. Lakers, with marquis player Kobe Bryant, and the Phoenix Suns. The series pushed TNT to the top of the ratings heap a week ago. It went to game seven with MVP Steve Nash leading the Suns to victory, dashing network hopes of another play-offs' ratings coup.
And with more than a month to go in the NBA season, what does the absence of the Lakers mean for TV ratings and merchandise dollars?
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS: Sports business analyst Rick Horrow, author of "When the Game Is On the Line," joins us live from West Palm Beach, Florida -- Rick, good to see you.
Good morning, sir.
Hi.
HORROW: I like it the way you say coup.
Good morning.
How are you?
HARRIS: Good morning.
Good morning.
We'll get to the pink bat fiasco-in a second here.
HORROW: In a second.
HARRIS: The question to you, now that Kobe is out of the playoffs, what does all of this mean for TV ratings? Is anyone going to watch the playoffs now?
HORROW: Well, not too many people watch the regular season, as we all know. We don't talk about it. About an 11 percent decrease in ratings all told. When the playoffs start, usually another matter. ABC is up 16 percent this year. The Suns-Lakers game seven was the highest watched. They took it to game seven. Game six, TNT, everybody seemed to watch that.
Internet, by the way, a big deal -- 3.7 billion unique hits and page views on NBA.com this year. But compare it to NASCAR. There were two rain delay Sunday cancellations in Atlanta and Talladega this spring. They still outdraw the NBA two to one.
HARRIS: Wow!
I mean that NASCAR is just...
HORROW: Watching DeRay.
HARRIS: Yes, you have to watch DeRay.
HORROW: Watching DeRay.
HARRIS: Hey, take us "Beyond The Game" and talk to us about the marketing of professional basketball beyond -- really, beyond the playoffs.
HORROW: Well, beyond the playoffs, beyond the shores is another example. Merchandise is a big deal during the playoffs, for example, $3.billion in merchandise. A lot of it is play-off related merchandise. The Pistons, a 50 percent spike on their way to the world championship last year and the years before.
Corporate America, big time play-off -- McDonald's, Coca-Cola. Those are all companies that gear to play-off runs for their advertising.
But the big key, as we may know, is international. The NBA playoffs are televised in 215 countries and 43 languages. Steve Nash, the MVP of the league this year, two years in a row, is from Canada. And you have games this year, play-off wise, televised and new deals in Bahrain and even Wyclef Jean brokered a deal for his homeland, for Haiti. Haitians are now watching the playoffs live for the first time ever.
That's where the money is. HARRIS: I've got to tell you, we had some fun-with you in the tease with the pink bat. But I love this promotion by major league baseball and Mother's Day.
Talk to us about it.
HORROW: Well, I just happen to have it here. What major league baseball did is agreed, by the way, this week, to have 50 players use pink bats because -- pink bats. Not just this one. Home plates in pink, lineup cards in pink. They're auctioning it to before the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. And, more important, for example, is that major league baseball is committed to do these kind of events for a women demographic, expanding their envelope, as it were.
It's a big deal and it's very important.
HARRIS: Yes, I love it.
And we usually, when we go "Beyond The Game" with you here Saturday morning on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, we usually have two fair balls -- new -- what, a fair ball and a foul ball. But this week, you've got two fair balls.
So what's your second fair ball this week?
HORROW: Well, you know why? Because it's Mother's Day weekend and everybody is happy and you're even smiling, which is very rare for you at 7:00 in the morning, as we know.
HARRIS: No, right, right, right, very good.
HORROW: But the fair ball is boxing related.
Oscar de la Hoya is the example that we're using.
Two weeks ago everybody gave him up as the end of his career. A six round knockout for him, totally unexpected. But more important, it may set up for him the biggest Pay-Per-View deal in the history of boxing, which, of course, is very important for him and equally as important for the sport.
HARRIS: Hey, speaking of boxing, what are your thoughts on the passing of two time heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson?
HORROW: Well, it's another fair ball, because, you know, all the scandals in boxing recently and the Mike Tyson fiascos and some of those issues, it's good to see a champion like Floyd Patterson, who created an image of quiet introspection and quality and real excitement in the ring, and humility. Boxing needed more of that.
So we should celebrate his passing, not mourn it.
HARRIS: "Beyond The Game" with Rick Horrow.
Good to see you, Rick.
See you next week.
HORROW: See you next week, my friend.
HARRIS: And still ahead, millions of American seniors will pay a penalty if they miss Monday's deadline to sign up for the new Medicare prescription drug program. But many find the process confusing and frustrating. Help is on the way in about six minutes -- Betty.
NGUYEN: We've lots of help for this morning, so you definitely want to stay tuned for that.
And, what on Earth do Rosie O'Donnell and Mariah Carey have in common? We're going to answer that question coming up in our next half hour -- good morning, Veronica.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Betty.
Good to see you.
Hey, what kind of help can you find online when it comes to making sense of all this Medicare confusion?
We'll have some answers from the Dot-Com Desk.
That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WOLF: I'm Reynolds Wolf with your Fairway Forecast.
And if mom happens to be a golfer and you live in Texas, conditions are great, especially in Dallas. Now, there will be a chance of showers mainly north of Dallas, up near Oklahoma. But 85 degrees is what you can expect with a mix of sunshine and clouds. A gentle breeze out of the southeast, around five to 10 miles per hour. It should be a great day to go out there and hit the links.
This is your Fairway Forecast.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Securing the borders -- President Bush will address the nation Monday night about his immigration policy and senior administration officials say he could announce a plan to deploy thousands of National Guard troops to patrol the border with Mexico.
We'll stay on top of that.
HARRIS: A roadside bomb has killed another American soldier in Iraq. The military says the attack happened as the soldier was driving in southern Baghdad. His death brings to 2,435 the number of American troops killed in Iraq since the war began.
Indonesia is on a high alert. Authorities ordered thousands of people to evacuate near Mount Merapi. Warning a volcanic eruption is imminent. The volcano has been rumbling and spewing black ash for weeks. Lava has been flowing from the crater since Thursday.
NGUYEN: Well, good morning, everybody.
We're going to get right to it, because time is running out. Only two days left for seniors to sign up for the new Medicare prescription drug program. If you want to join after Monday's deadline, well, you're going to pay a penalty.
But a new CNN poll finds almost half of seniors saying the program is not a good one. When asked, "Is the new Medicare drug program working?," 47 percent said no. Only 30 percent said yes.
Part of the problem is confusion about all of the different options that are available.
So, joining us now to help us sort through the details is Jonathan Marquess.
He's a pharmacist right here in Atlanta and we really appreciate you staying with us.
And he's going to be with us throughout the morning, so keep those questions coming in to weekends@cnn.com.
But the first question that I want to send to you, about 50 percent of your clients are on Medicare. So you have received so many questions headed your way.
What are the main ones?
What's the main confusion here?
DR. JONATHAN MARQUESS, PHARMACIST: Good morning, first.
I guess the biggest question that people have is what should I do? There are so many plans out there. There are so many questions -- how much is their co-pay, what's their monthly premium? Just a lot of questions about the plans.
NGUYEN: And that's really on an individual basis.
MARQUESS: Yes.
NGUYEN: You can't just out there just give a blanket statement -- this is the plan that you should pick.
So, that's why there are so many questions.
In fact, you've had to set up extra staff, a help desk, to answer all of these questions.
MARQUESS: Right. Yes, you're exactly right. I mean, and a lot of pharmacies across the country have helped patients. But we did set up, you know, basically a table specifically for Medicare recipients. They could come in, ask questions, spend a little time with our pharmacists, ask questions about Medicare, what's right for them, what's the best program?
NGUYEN: Now, are you getting any help from the Medicare folks? Because essentially you're helping them do their job by signing up these people.
MARQUESS: Right. We haven't gotten any specific help, but obviously they do have Web sites. They have 800-numbers that patients can call. But they haven't specifically...
NGUYEN: Well, what I;/m saying, if you're not able to get help, are the people, the seniors at home trying to get help for themselves, are they having just as difficult a time getting help?
MARQUESS: They're having a difficult time. You know, it's very difficult to get on Web sites for most seniors, not all. But that's why I recommend them come into their local pharmacy. Hopefully they have a relationship there and the pharmacist could help them.
NGUYEN: All right, we've got some questions already this morning. In fact, we've got a lot of them.
MARQUESS: OK. Good. Good.
NGUYEN: So you're going to be quite busy.
Here's one from Marlene. And here's her question. She says: "My husband turned 65 on April 4th of this year. He's currently employed full time and has his hiss and prescriptions covered under BCBS of Minnesota. Does he have to sign up for Medicare Part D?
MARQUESS: That's a good question, Betty.
No. The term they used in Medicare is called credible coverage. If seniors have credible coverage, which means they have a plan that's equal to or better than Medicare, they don't have to sign up.
NGUYEN: OK, but if they sign up at a later date, will they be penalized?
MARQUESS: Well, they have basically two months, or 63 days. And that's a lot of the talk going around bedrooms across the country. If they do drop the seniors, the seniors would have two months to sign up for a Medicare Part D plan.
NGUYEN: Because if you sign up after the deadline, you get an increase.
Talk to us about that penalty.
MARQUESS: Yes, another question that we've been getting a lot over the last few weeks.
It is a 1 percent per month penalty. And that's what's confusing to some. Some people say well, it's just 1 percent. Well, it's like compounded interest.
NGUYEN: Right. Because that equates to, what, like $3.70 per month, on average?
MARQUESS: It depends on which plan.
NGUYEN: Yes.
MARQUESS: Yes, at least $2.to $5 it might increase that plan.
NGUYEN: And that is per month after the deadline.
MARQUESS: Per month.
NGUYEN: So, again, the question is, if this person thinks that he has the insurance through his employer, but if that changes at any time and he turns 65 and he doesn't sign up right now, before the Monday deadline, you say there's a two month period.
But after that, is it gone? Do you continue -- do you start paying the penalty?
MARQUESS: Then the penalties would start, yes.
NGUYEN: So is it better just to go ahead and sign up just to be safe?
MARQUESS: Well, as you said, it is a personal decision. That's why, again, I promote the patient to go into their pharmacist. Hopefully they have a relationship there. Bring their Medicare card, bring the list of their medications. Usually, the pharmacist can help get onto the right plan.
NGUYEN: Well, you're helping this morning because here's another question for you from Jo Ann from Maine.
MARQUESS: OK.
NGUYEN: She says: "I will be 65 in June" -- so this is after the deadline -- "and, therefore, on Medicare starting June 1st. Do I need to join up now or can I join up in June? Or do I need to wait until the next enrollment period?"
So how does that work?
MARQUESS: Yes, with people turning 65, they actually have a seven month window. It's three months before you turn 65. The month you turn 65 and three months afterward.
NGUYEN: OK.
MARQUESS: What will probably happen with this young lady is she'll sign up between November 15th and December 31st of 2006. That's the next enrollment period.
NGUYEN: OK.
MARQUESS: That's what some people are also confused about. They say well, if I miss Monday... NGUYEN: Right.
MARQUESS: ... can I sign up Tuesday? No, you can't. You have to wait until November 15th to sign up again.
NGUYEN: So there's nothing in between.
And in November, do you have all of that penalty in between that you'll have to start paying then?
MARQUESS: It will be a 7 percent penalty...
NGUYEN: Wow!
MARQUESS: ... because that -- they won't get...
NGUYEN: But there are seven months in between...
MARQUESS: There's seven months until January 1st.
NGUYEN: All right. So if you're planning on doing it, you'd better do it by Monday, is the bottom line, regardless of how tricky you're saying it can be.
MARQUESS: Yes, I agree.
NGUYEN: And we're going to sort through some of that confusion this morning...
MARQUESS: You're exactly right.
NGUYEN: ... and try to answer a lot of the questions.
Doctor, we'll be talking with you in just a little bit.
MARQUESS: OK, thank you.
NGUYEN: Thanks for staying with us.
HARRIS: Jonathan, thanks.
We appreciate it.
All right, we are trying to throw some resources at this, this morning.
DE LA CRUZ: We sure are.
HARRIS: To try to get you the help you need, we want to sort of simulate the walk through this...
DE LA CRUZ: Yes.
HARRIS: ... that seniors are going to have to take if they want to sign up for this program.
DE LA CRUZ: Right.
HARRIS: And they need to.
DE LA CRUZ: That's right.
HARRIS: And, if you are -- if you are trying to help your parent, your senior parent...
DE LA CRUZ: Exactly.
HARRIS: ... sign up for this program.
Veronica de la Cruz here from the Dot-Com Desk.
And you're going to help us walk through the online process here, right?
DE LA CRUZ: We are.
HARRIS: OK.
DE LA CRUZ: A couple of different Web sites I wanted to tell you about.
First of all, let's start with our sister Web site.
HARRIS: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: It's called cnnmoney.com.
HARRIS: Right.
DE LA CRUZ: And if you go to cnnmoney.com/retirement, this is the page that you find right here.
Scroll down the page and you get to Medicare confusion, Tony. Gerri Willis -- you're very familiar with Gerri.
HARRIS: Oh, yes, sure.
DE LA CRUZ: She has her top five tips on how to get your Medicare needs organized in time for the deadline.
Now, time is running out. We know that much.
HARRIS: The deadline is Monday.
DE LA CRUZ: So, deadline is Monday.
Weigh your position. Figure out how much money do you spend a year in prescription drugs.
HARRIS: Right.
DE LA CRUZ: So if you spend more than $750, you know that you definitely want to sign up for Medicare. Also, another tip that Gerri mentions, go national. If you spend some of your time in California, some of your time in Minnesota, you want to make sure that you have a plan that covers the entire country.
HARRIS: As opposed to living in one state and choosing from the plans that are being offered by the insurers in that state?
DE LA CRUZ: Exactly.
HARRIS: OK.
DE LA CRUZ: Exactly.
HARRIS: Got you.
Got you.
DE LA CRUZ: Now, if you scroll down the page, her fifth tip is send out the SOS. She says go to Medicare.gov. And we're going to go ahead and click on that.
HARRIS: Are we going to do that?
DE LA CRUZ: Yes.
HARRIS: Great. Great. Great.
DE LA CRUZ: We're doing that to figure out how easy is it, Tony, to enroll online? How easy is it?
Well, if you scroll down the page, relatively easy. You see that it's, what, the fourth link down, so we click there. But once we do that...
HARRIS: Yes?
DE LA CRUZ: You're going to need to know your current coverage information, review plan results, medication, pharmacy selection. There's all this stuff.
What if you don't know where to go from there?
HARRIS: Got you.
So you're confused, all right, all right, I need help. I'm not particularly tech savvy.
DE LA CRUZ: Right, right.
HARRIS: I don't...
DE LA CRUZ: Right.
HARRIS: OK, what do you do then?
DE LA CRUZ: So there is another Web site that is listed in Gerri Willis's top five tips. It's called eldercare.gov. This one is a little bit easier to use. And the best thing here is if you're doing this for your parents...
HARRIS: Yes?
DE LA CRUZ: ... you can do it yourself. For example, are you seeking service as yourself, a relative or caregiver?
HARRIS: Right.
DE LA CRUZ: So let's click there. And let's go ahead and search by zip code.
HARRIS: Put a zip code in?
DE LA CRUZ: And select an aging topic. Of course, we are looking for Medicare information. And the zip code here, let's do Atlanta.
HARRIS: 30080.
DE LA CRUZ: OK, 30080. Let's do 30303. How is that?
HARRIS: Right. OK.
DE LA CRUZ: Because that is Atlanta metro. And once you click on that, that gives you local resources in your area. We're waiting for the page to load here. But there you go. Atlanta, Georgia Cares, ABC Coalition. It gives you the address, also, an e-mail address for a person there if you would like to e-mail that person. There's an 800-number, as well as a local number.
HARRIS: So let's stop here and reset.
DE LA CRUZ: OK.
HARRIS: So I need help. I need additional help.
DE LA CRUZ: Right.
HARRIS: OK. I go to .gov and I go to Elder Care.
DE LA CRUZ: Eldercare.gov.
HARRIS: I need someone to help walk me through this in real detail.
DE LA CRUZ: Right.
HARRIS: So, I can call this number and theoretically I should get someone to answer and help me, correct?
DE LA CRUZ: Correct. Well, you should. Theoretically you should. But this morning, as you know, one of these links provides a 24-hour hotline. Now, the problem is, is that phone number that we called... HARRIS: You called it?
DE LA CRUZ: We did. We called it.
HARRIS: And?
DE LA CRUZ: It led us to another phone number that was a message that said they are only open Monday through Friday 9-5.
So...
HARRIS: Hang on a second.
Eddie, did we make a...
DE LA CRUZ: ... it's not as easy as you think, unfortunately.
HARRIS: Let me ask you something.
Eddie, did we make a call to one of these sites this morning to find out if we could get through? And we have it on tape?
All right, let's hear what we -- the response we got when we actually called one of these help sites, correct, Veronica?
DE LA CRUZ: Right.
HARRIS: OK, what did we get?
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP FROM MEDICARE HELP SITE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have reached Georgia Cares. We provide health insurance information and counseling regarding Medicare, Medicaid and prescription assistance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: I want a person.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP FROM MEDICARE HELP SITE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Due to the extremely high call volume, we are unable to take your call at this time. If you are calling regarding Medicare Part D...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Yes?
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP FROM MEDICARE HELP SITE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... please do not leave a message. Instead, call Medicare at 1-800-633-42...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK. And that's enough of that. That's enough of that.
DE LA CRUZ: Right.
HARRIS: So we'll talk to the doctor a little bit later and figure out what that's all about, that message that folks are getting directing them to call somewhere else...
DE LA CRUZ: Right.
HARRIS: ... when I call the help line because I need help from the folks who man, person the help line.
DE LA CRUZ: Right.
HARRIS: So, and particularly in a weekend, where we're about to see a bit of a crunch with folks trying to get in under the wire here, you would like to think that those help lines are going to be staffed.
Now, in fairness, we have to say, in fairness, what is it? It is 7:40...
DE LA CRUZ: It's 7:00 in the morning.
HARRIS: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: We made these -- I made my phone call at, what, 6:00 in the morning.
NGUYEN: But, but we have to say...
DE LA CRUZ: It was a 24-hour...
NGUYEN: ... these are supposed to be staffed 24 hours a day.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes.
NGUYEN: This is the last weekend. This is the big crunch, right before the deadline. You would assume there is going to be a high number of calls.
HARRIS: Betty, we called yesterday during regular business hours...
NGUYEN: Right.
HARRIS: ... and got the same message.
DE LA CRUZ: Right.
HARRIS: It rolled over.
So, what we'll do is we'll give the folks the benefit of the doubt this morning and assume that there will be somebody on, oh, starting 9:00 or something Eastern time and just check back to see that if we're tying to make a call to get some help, can we talk to a person. DE LA CRUZ: Exactly.
HARRIS: Let's just see what happens.
DE LA CRUZ: Right.
HARRIS: Let's just see what happens.
DE LA CRUZ: Right.
HARRIS: And you're going to be with us throughout the morning?
DE LA CRUZ: I am.
HARRIS: Something else you want to say?
DE LA CRUZ: And I wanted to go ahead and just go over those Web sites one more time so if people out there want to access them...
NGUYEN: That's a good idea.
DE LA CRUZ: These are the Web sites.
The first one that we hit was cnnmoney.com/retirement.
The second one was Medicare.gov.
And the third one was eldercare.gov.
There are also a couple of 800 numbers listed.
And something that's really important to mention here is we had the pharmacist on earlier today.
HARRIS: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: Go talk to your pharmacist. Your pharmacist should, hopefully, be able to help you out.
HARRIS: Which brings us back to the e-mail question. If you have questions, look, we're going to have -- we're going to have a guest on tomorrow, Mike Leavitt, who is putting this program together, along with Dr. McClellan...
NGUYEN: The secretary of Health and Human Services.
HARRIS: Absolutely.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes.
HARRIS: So we'll have -- we're asking you for your questions for the secretary of Health and Human Services tomorrow. We're asking for them today. We'll pose those questions tomorrow and we'll use those questions and we'll ask Jonathan, our pharmacist...
DE LA CRUZ: Pharmacist. HARRIS: ... who's here throughout the morning...
DE LA CRUZ: Right. Right.
HARRIS: ... some of those same questions.
OK, so tomorrow the secretary of Health and Human Services joins us live. Mike Leavitt will answer your e-mail questions on the Medicare prescription drug deadline. So there you go. Send us your questions, weekends@cnn.com. And tune in tomorrow, 9:00 a.m. Eastern, to get the answers to those questions.
DE LA CRUZ: And, one more thing, Tony.
HARRIS: Sure.
DE LA CRUZ: Jonathan was telling me about another Web site, Medicareresourcecenter.com. I'm going to go ahead...
HARRIS: And check it out?
DE LA CRUZ: ... and check this one out during the break and get back to you guys in the 9:00 hour.
In the meantime, if you have any Web sites that have been helpful to you, go ahead and send us those, as well. What is it? Weekends@...
NGUYEN: @cnn.com.
DE LA CRUZ: @cnn.com.
NGUYEN: And don't forget those questions, because not only tomorrow are we going to speak with Mike Leavitt, but this morning we're answering your questions right now, throughout the morning.
DE LA CRUZ: Right.
NGUYEN: So here is the question again to you.
What would you like to ask the secretary of Health and Human Services about the new Medicare prescription drug program?
Send in those questions or comments or thoughts to weekends@cnn.com.
We're going to use some of those this morning and get some answers straight to you from our good pharmacist, Jonathan Marquess.
HARRIS: Beautiful.
NGUYEN: Well, you can no longer use the excuse, Tony, I am just too old.
You know why?
HARRIS: Why? I'm young again? What?
NGUYEN: No, I'm not speaking of you.
HARRIS: Oh.
NGUYEN: Because it just doesn't fly.
HARRIS: OK.
Wow!
All right.
Well, she's...
NGUYEN: Here's why.
HARRIS: Yes, she's 86 years old and this isn't a ride at Disneyland we're finding about.
NGUYEN: Nope.
Look at her.
Ah!
HARRIS: In just a few minutes...
NGUYEN: Wow!
HARRIS: ... we'll take a sip from the Water Cooler, where this and other stories make you say wow!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WOLF: If you happen to suffer from allergies, pollen is not your friend, although you won't have any worries about that if you happen to be in the Northern Plains or parts of the Mississippi Valley, or even into central or south Texas. Conditions are pretty good for you.
Meanwhile, if you happen to be up in northern California, right along the coast, or even in upstate New York, well, the pollen is pretty high in the atmosphere. Not too good for u.
This is your Allergy Report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: OK, you want to know the gossip -- who's got the scoop?
We are starved for news about Hollywood's rich and famous.
This weekend, "CNN PRESENTS" goes behind-the-scenes. A look at the power players behind stars like Mariah Carey and Rosie O'Donnell.
CNN's Kyra Phillips has a preview. (BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROSIE O'DONNELL, ACTOR: Bye, everyone. Happy 100th show!
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): February 13, 11:15 a.m. Martha's 100th daytime show comes to a close. Rosie and her publicist, Cindy Berger, head back to the green room for a quick good- bye.
CINDY BERGER, PUBLICIST: Thank you so much. Thank you.
PHILLIPS: And a quick aside.
O'DONNELL: "CNN PRESENTS" -- fame, publicists. Do they spin? What do you think?
A tad.
BERGER: Spin is moving something in a direction that you want it to go.
O'DONNELL: We pay people to lie for us, really. They're called publicists.
PHILLIPS: In a career that's spanned more than two decades, Cindy's certainly been through the spin cycle.
O'DONNELL: Sharon Stone? Are you divorcing anyone? That's enough.
There was a brief period when Cindy was actually the publicist for Star Jones. Can I just say something? It didn't work out well for me.
Cindy was the one who represented the divas. So when I had the talk show, whenever there was a huge diva, like Mariah, you'd always see Cindy Berger. And I was like, oh, that one. She's always -- she's got the hardest women.
PHILLIPS: From 1997 to 2004, Cindy represented the biggest selling female recording artist of all time. She's now Billboard's brightest, but a few years ago Mariah Carey was a glittery mess.
MARIAH CAREY, SINGER: I don't want to upset everybody.
BERGER: You've got another -- she's got another, like, two minutes.
CAREY: OK, cool. I'm fine.
PHILLIPS: In July 2001, during promotion for the disastrous "Glitter" album and motion picture, Mariah melted down.
There was the infamous striptease on MTV. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM MTV)
CARSON DALY, FORMER HOST, MTV'S "TOTAL REQUEST LIVE": What are you doing? Oh, my God.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And those strange public appearances, including one that came to a screeching halt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAREY: We're all just living in the moment of being positive and there's like people called haters.
No, no, Cindy. Cindy.
BERGER: Come on, let's go. Let's go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One more thing.
BERGER: No.
CAREY: And we give them positivity.
BERGER: Let's go. Let's go. Stop this.
CAREY: You see, I can't even come in (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
BERGER: Let's go. Let's go. Bye. Now, come on.
O'DONNELL: I think Mariah, to this day is still angry. But, frankly, one day she will thank Cindy for that, because Mariah was not really in any state to be on TV at that point.
PHILLIPS: Two days after Cindy forcibly unplugged an incoherent Carey, the superstar entered a psychiatric facility. Berger's official explanation?
BERGER: She was exhausted.
PETER CASTRO, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: A publicist's best friend is the word exhaustion. That can mean so many things.
BERGER: She is so disciplined. Her level of work that she puts forth took its toll.
CASTRO: Was it just exhaustion? Probably not, but it was a hiccup in her career, and she has moved on. And Cindy Berger had a lot to do with that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right, you want more?
I know you do. So you have to tune in this weekend. From publicists to the paparazzi, a behind-the-scenes look at celebrity life. That's what it's all about. "CNN PRESENTS: CHASING ANGELINA: PAPARAZZI & CELEBRITY OBSESSION." Saturday night and Sunday night at 8:00 eastern. And it's only right here on CNN -- Tony, I know you'll be watching.
HARRIS: You'd better believe it.
If you need to take a pit stop, now is your chance. But hurry back.
This sign, which needs no translation, points the way to the future of public restrooms in Europe. We think you'll be impressed.
The story ahead in the Water Cooler.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Our in depth coverage of President Bush's speech gets started with a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM," 7:00 p.m. Eastern Monday.
After the speech, join us for a special, raucous -- I'm just trying to come up with different adjectives. It's going to be hot. Lou Dobbs...
NGUYEN: Live on fire, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT."
HARRIS: On fire.
Followed by "LARRY KING LIVE."
It's all here on CNN.
OK, we're going to chill for a couple of minutes around the Water Cooler, although we have coffee cups.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HARRIS: OK.
NGUYEN: They're empty. I'm going to spill the beans here.
HARRIS: Yes. With some...
NGUYEN: Just a prop.
They're brewing me in the back now.
HARRIS: Way to go, Betty.
NGUYEN: I know.
I just blew it, didn't I?
HARRIS: Just a collection here...
NGUYEN: We're all about truth here, though, Tony.
HARRIS: Yes, we are.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HARRIS: Truth tellers.
NGUYEN: So onward we march.
HARRIS: These are just some stories that people are talking about.
Take a look at this video. Why would someone jump out of a perfectly good airplane? Well, this 86-year-old woman in Portland, Oregon couldn't think of a reason not to. So she took the plunge.
Do we actually see her taking the plunge?
NGUYEN: I think we do.
Here she goes. Here she goes.
HARRIS: Right there...
NGUYEN: Oh!
HARRIS: Wow! That is 86-year-old Glenna Sparks (ph).
Why did she do it?
She says she always wanted to sky dive.
NGUYEN: That is one brave woman.
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
NGUYEN: I don't think I would do that.
All right, you've got to check this out, though.
Tourists and residents in Berlin can now make a pit stop in what is being billed as the swankiest public toilets in the world. These ultra clean, ultra modern facilities cost about a million dollars.
HARRIS: What?
NGUYEN: Look at that -- including clever signage for the clueless. The developer hopes to market the concept of spiffy public restrooms to other major cities in Europe.
HARRIS: The lavish loop, as it were.
NGUYEN: That's a nice name for it.
HARRIS: OK.
Just a quick trip to the Water Cooler for you this morning.
NGUYEN: Well, the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING, it begins in just a moment.
HARRIS: Our border -- is it facing a national security risk? Can potential terrorists slip through as easy as illegal immigrants? We'll talk to somebody who trains the Border Patrol on terrorist detection.
But first, Gerri Willis has your Tip of the Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Make sure no one is using your credit. Check your credit report every year. Log onto annualcreditreport.com or call 1-800-322-8228. It's free, secure, and you can request your information from all three major reporting agencies.
If you notice something wrong, dispute it with those agencies immediately.
I'm Gerri Willis and that's your Tip of the Day.
For more, watch "OPEN HOUSE" today, 9:30 Eastern, on CNN.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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