Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
Sources in Gaza Report Encouraging Signs For Kidnapped Two FOX News Journalists; Sentimental Journey for Barack Obama; Pinedale, Wyoming Turning Into Energy Boom Town
Aired August 26, 2006 - 08:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: "Now in the News," eyes on Iran and its nuclear program. Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, officially put a heavy water production plant into operation today. It is part of Iran's nuclear program which the West fears is aimed at producing bombs. Now, this move comes just days before an U.N. Security Council deadline for Tehran to stop uranium enrichment. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
His father calls it a stupid, stupid mistake. A college student faces possible federal charges. A sniffer dog found a partial stick of dynamite in his checked luggage. Now, he says he bought it as a souvenir from an abandoned Bolivian mine. It was one of seven security incidents involving U.S. flights on Friday.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: There are new clashes in Afghanistan. U.S. military officials say two coalition soldiers were killed and two were wounded in a roadside bomb attack in the eastern part of the country. Military officials say after the explosion, fighting broke out with enemy forces.
Senator Barack Obama is on a journey to his ancestral home in Kenya today. He got an opportunity to tour his late father's village. While there, the Illinois Democrat took an AIDS test to draw attention to the epidemic. It's estimated some 700 people die each day from AIDS-related illnesses in Kenya.
NGUYEN: Well, fire at pop singer Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch. Look at these pictures.
Fire crews contained a wildfire, but not before it burned about 40 acres. Flames came within a quarter mile of the house. Jackson was not at the ranch and none of his menagerie of animals was injured. The cause of this fire, though, still being investigated.
As you know, we run down the top stories every 15 minutes right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines coming up at 8:15 Eastern.
HAMMER: A community with an unemployment rate below 2 percent? We will tell you where America's thirst for energy is a windfall for one small town.
NGUYEN: I'd say, yes.
From the CNN Center, though, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING, August 26th, 8:00 a.m. here at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, 7:00 a.m. in New Orleans.
Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
Thanks for being with us.
Sources in Gaza report encouraging signs in efforts to free those two FOX News journalists kidnapped last week. The Palestinian interior minister says there are no direct talks, but some third parties are now getting involved.
Chris Lawrence joins us now from Jerusalem with the latest.
Chris, good morning.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony, it's a little after 3:00 in the afternoon here, and just a few hours passed the kidnappers' self-imposed midday deadline. And the word out of Gaza right now is that both journalists are healthy and have not been harmed.
In fact, a spokesman for the Hamas government says he "expects a happy end to this tragedy within the next two days." Now, he did not elaborate on that statement, but when I talked to the spokesman for the interior ministry, Khaled Abul Halal (ph), he told me there are no direct talks between Hamas and the kidnappers, but third parties are facilitating communication between the two.
Now, this videotape was the first we had seen of FOX News correspondent Steve Centanni and his cameraman, Olaf Wiig, in nine days since they were kidnapped. In that video, they said they were being treated fairly well. Both men are experienced journalists who were kidnapped while they were working a story in Gaza on August 14th.
The Palestinian prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, has condemned this kidnapping. He has even met with the wife of Olaf Wiig. She has repeatedly offered encouraging words to her husband, and the family of Steve Centanni has made repeated appeals to the kidnappers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEN CENTANNI, BROTHER OF STEVE CENTANNI: Our brother and his colleague are in Gaza to report your story. Nothing more and nothing less. It is in your control to resolve this matter. I respectfully request that you let our brother Steve and his colleague come home to their families.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: Now, no one had heard of this group, the Holy Jihad Brigades, until they released this videotape and a written statement in Arabic on Wednesday. There is some speculation in Gaza that it may be an individual group, a faction of one of the larger political groups that does not directly report to its command structure -- Tony. HARRIS: Hey, Chris, you mentioned a moment ago third parties getting involved in negotiations to free these journalists. The Reverend Jesse Jackson, isn't he due in the area soon?
LAWRENCE: We have heard that he expects to come here, and he made statements that he was coming. I -- from my experience, he does not travel quietly, in that when he does arrive in the area, the media certainly are going to hear about it. And as of yet, we have not heard that he has arrived here in Israel or in Gaza. And it remains to be seen just how much sway he can have over a situation like this.
HARRIS: OK.
CNN's Chris Lawrence for us.
Chris, thank you.
NGUYEN: Well, just days away from the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and there is a new worry churning its way across the Caribbean. And that is Tropical Storm Ernesto. It is predicted to reach hurricane status.
Meteorologist Bonnie Schneider tells us when and where from the CNN hurricane center.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Well, the cleanup of many properties in New Orleans could pick up significantly this fall. The city council on Friday passed an ordinance that will require property owners to clear debris or risk losing the house. However, the Lower Ninth Ward, one of the worst-hit areas, is exempt from the new rules. Other exemptions are also possible. The city says the ordinance is needed because blinded properties have become a public health and safety issue.
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has been a target of criticism since the first days after the Katrina disaster, and it's happened again. He was talking to "60 Minutes" about the challenge of trying to get the neighborhoods clear of storm debris one year later.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR RAY NAGIN (D), NEW ORLEANS: We've cleaned up just about everything except for things on people's personal property. Now, we have to contact a lot of these individuals and get their permissions to go here and demolish these properties.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But you can't get the cars out yet. You can't get this demolished...
NAGIN: That's all right. You guys in New York City can't get a hole in the ground fixed, and it's five years later. So let's be fair.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: Well, that dig at New York didn't go over too well, as you might expect. Even Governor Kathleen Blanco has distanced herself from the mayor and apologized to New York. Nagin himself offered this clarification.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAGIN: I think some people will say that it's -- it's a bit insensitive to call it a hole in the ground, but the comparison is relevant. You know, it's difficult to recover from a disaster, whether it's a couple of block in New York or whether it's 80 percent of the city of New Orleans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And CNN does have extensive special programming to mark the anniversary of Katrina. On Monday, the "Storm of a Lifetime." Our crews never left the Gulf region, and for the past year, we have documented how lives were changed, the progress made, and where the greatest challenges still lie.
A senator's rock star welcome in Africa, and we're not kidding.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: Coming up in five minutes, a live report as Barack Obama makes a stop in his father's hometown.
HARRIS: And a run on housing and a ridiculously low unemployment rate. We'll tell you what town is cashing in on America's energy crisis.
That story in 15 minutes.
NGUYEN: And coming up at the bottom of the hour, how the start of a new school year could affect your ability to get a doctor's appointment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Think you don't have time to fit healthy eating into your daily routine? Think again. Registered dietician and author Ellie Krieger has a few tips for people on the go.
ELLIE KRIEGER, REGISTERED DIETITIAN: Your first stop should be the produce section, where you will find more pre-cut, pre-washed options than ever before. Here we have vegetables, fruits, just about everything to be healthy.
One of my favorite staples in the freezer section is frozen shrimp. It is just so convenient. You can make a shrimp cocktail if you have guests. You can throw some shrimp into a tomato sauce. It's just a really easy, convenient way to get some good, lean protein. Tuna in a pouch is one of the most convenient ways to get good healthy protein on the run.
Next stop, dairy. From individual yogurts to drinkable yogurts, to individual milks that you can tote along with you, all really easy ways to get your calcium.
COHEN: Thanks, Ellie.
For the Bod Squad, Elizabeth Cohen, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: "Now in the News," Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, says Tehran's nuclear program is no threat to any nation. The Iranian leader officially opened a heavy water production plant today. Heavy water can be used in preparing uranium for nuclear weapons, but Iran said the production plant would be used for peaceful purposes.
And if you're just joining us, trouble brewing in the Caribbean. Tropical Storm Ernesto is building up ahead of steam that could reach hurricane strength by Monday. We're watching it very closely. And by Tuesday, Ernesto is expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico. And coincidentally, Tuesday is also the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina smashing into the Gulf Coast.
HARRIS: Sources in Gaza report encouraging signs in efforts to free those two FOX News journalists kidnapped last week. The Palestinian interior minister says there are no direct talks, but some third parties may get involved. On Wednesday, the militant group Holy Jihad Brigades demanded U.S. officials release Muslim prisoners in American jails within 72 hours.
A long night for many in Dover, Delaware, after a chemical leak forced evacuations that sent nearly two dozen people to the hospital. The leak happened at a Dow chemical plant. Residents within five miles of the plant were warned to stay indoors, turn off air- conditioning and close windows.
We run down the top stories every 15 minutes here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines is coming up at 8:30 a.m. Eastern.
NGUYEN: Well, Illinois senator Barack Obama is in Kenya today, his ancestral home. He's visiting the family and dignitaries, but he's also there to help increase awareness of the AIDS epidemic.
Our Jeff Koinange joins us by phone with more on this.
What a welcomed reception he is getting.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT: Unbelievable, Betty. You should have seen this morning when he landed in the town of Kisumu, his ancestral home, about 200 miles west of Kenya, on the Lake Victoria shoreline, and there were literally tens of thousands of people lining the streets up and down chanting, "Obama! Obama!"
Many of them wearing Obama T-shirts, wearing Obama hats. Even waving Obama flags.
It was an unbelievable scene. Some people were thinking it was a head of state that was in town. But when you asked the locals, they said, "No, this is our favorite son and we are proud of him."
And he's still doing the rounds, but right now he literally, moments ago, just arrived at the newly renamed Barack Obama Secondary School, and this is literally a mile away from where his grandmother lives. That's his father's mother.
As you well know, his father was born in Kenya, raised in a village right here in the west of Kenya. That's a mile from where we are standing. He'll be going there very shortly.
It's been an amazing tour. And we're going to ask him later on how he felt, especially about this day, because his welcome has been described as rock star status -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Oh, I know you're going to get lots of smiles from him. And I'm sure he is so excited to be there.
But he's also doing something very important about AIDS awareness. I understand he even took an AIDS test to get the information out there and make sure that people understand that this is the way to prevention.
KOINANGE: That's correct. In fact, that was his very first stop on this day.
Went to one of the largest hospitals, and there, in front of tens of thousands of people, he told them, in his words, he said, "If an American can come all the way and take an AIDS test here in Kenya, you..." -- meaning the people out there -- "... have no excuse."
And everybody chanted and shouted and yelled and applauded him. It was amazing. And he literally took the test, waited the 20 minutes, came out after that, and smiled at the crowd and said, "If I can do it, you can, too."
Betty, very, very strong message-sending today.
NGUYEN: But Jeff, let me ask you, though, it's a strong message and I know he is getting this rock star welcome, but is the message resonating? Are people taking this to heart?
KOINANGE: You know what? The last few years people have been more and more aware, and with people like Senator Obama coming and doing the things that he is doing, it will definitely filter through.
Eventually, it will get down to the ground. And obviously things like this take a while, but again, in his own words, if someone can come all the way from the U.S., take an AIDS test in front of tens of thousands of people, hey, life goes on -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. Jeff Koinange, good to talk to you. Take care. We'll be speaking with you shortly.
HARRIS: And still ahead, "House Call" takes on the back-to- school blues. At the bottom of the hour, find out how to protect your children and your home from all those nasty schoolhouse germs -- Betty.
NGUYEN: And next, if you are in need of a good-paying job, we will tell you where you need to turn for America's energy crisis, and you can turn that into a career, one that pays.
HARRIS: But first, more images from Senator Barack Obama's trip to Kenya.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Check out these stories "Across America" this morning.
They were giving away free booze in Vegas. I'm not kidding you. Volunteers, well, they got plastered, but it was for a good cause. They were guinea pigs for police sobriety tests, and, by the way, designated drivers did take those volunteers home, which is a good thing.
It's a case of double vision at Albright College in Pennsylvania. That is, double times four. Four sets of twins are enrolled in Albright's freshman class. It is a first for the school.
And Peaches. Check out Peaches. The Pug didn't exactly pick this litter, but, oh, is that a cute litter? She's nursing. That's Pug Peaches right there...
HARRIS: Oh, OK.
NGUYEN: ... nursing the seven Husky puppies, anyway. One...
HARRIS: Yes, get over here. Come here now.
NGUYEN: ... is her own. Now, they look like purebred Huskies dropped off at a Jacksonville shelter, and they will be up for adoption in just a few weeks.
HARRIS: Energy crisis? Well, a problem for most of America. But how about this? It is turning tiny Pinedale, Wyoming, into a boom town.
Bill Tucker has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): America's thirst for energy is driving a wave of domestic energy exploration. No place is that more visible than in the fields outside Pinedale, Wyoming, where workers are tapping into rich reserves of natural gas. The Pinedale Anticline Field in Sublette County is the third largest natural gas field in the United States.
J.R. JUSTICE, SHELL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION: This is a long life field. So it's going to provide a lot of natural gas to this country for many, many years. Easily 30 to 50 years.
TUCKER: It's not just any energy, it's energy coming from American land.
DENNIS STENGER, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT: There are public lands and public minerals, and they do belong to the people.
TUCKER: The drilling and development has been a boom for the small town of Pinedale, which at last census barely counted 1,400 residents, as oil companies have poured in, chasing a contemporary gold rush. Along with the boom in business and tax revenues have come some challenges.
MAYOR STEPHEN SMITH, PINEDALE, WYOMING: The people that are coming into the community, although they come into Pinedale and work here, shop here, they don't necessarily all live here. We're having a housing shortage.
TUCKER: Real estate is in tight demand. Workers often live in trailer parks.
(on camera): Perhaps nothing typifies the housing shortage better than this hotel. The locals have dubbed it the "Halliburton Hilton". That's because Halliburton has leased every room for the next five years to house its workers.
(voice-over): In addition to the housing shortage, there's a labor shortage. The local chamber of commerce estimates unemployment at 1.5 percent. Local businesses find it hard, if not impossible, to compete with the wages paid out on the rigs. But on the whole, Pinedale and Sublette County are coping.
BILL CRAMER, SUBLETTE COUNTY COMMISSIONER: It's a good problem to have. We're doing OK. We're holding our own.
TUCKER: And there's still no traffic light in town, yet.
Bill Tucker, CNN, Pinedale, Wyoming.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And you can catch more of Bill Tucker's reporting on "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT," weeknights at 6:00 Eastern.
NGUYEN: The promise of weight loss in a bottle, can it really happen? Are you just throwing money down the drain, along with your health? Well, our fitness guru joins us in the next hour to give the good, the bad and the ugly in dietary supplements. HARRIS: And in just three minutes, keeping you and your kids healthy when they head back to school. How you can combat all of those nasty, nasty germs. Sanjay Gupta and "House Call" when CNN returns right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
