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CNN Live Sunday
President Bush Begins 5 Day Tour Of Europe; Interview with Evan Hendrix; Secret Tapes Of President Bush Leaked To New York Times
Aired February 20, 2005 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: What was on President Bush's mind before he ran for the White House for the first time? Secretly taped conversations with Mr. Bush are being released today. We'll let you listen to some of the excerpts.
Also ahead, how our shredders becoming one of your best weapons against the crooks in the information age? Find out what steps you need to take to protect your most valuable asset: your identity.
Plus, this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(FAKE FISH SINGING "DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY")
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: We'll run down the worst and the best of gadgets and gizmos that have penetrated pop culture.
Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. I'm Andrea Koppel filling in for Fredricka Whitfield. We'll have all of that and more after this check of the headlines.
President Bush has embarked on some transatlantic political fence mending. First stop on his five-day swing through Europe is Brussels, Belgium. The president hopes to close the chapter once and for all on the disagreement over the war in Iraq and start anew by meeting with virtually every major political player on the continent. We'll go live to Brussels in just a moment.
Osama bin Laden's chief deputy is lashing out against U.S. efforts to extend democracy. In a videotape broadcast on al Jazeera TV today, Aiman al-Zawahiri warns that the security of western nations is based on how effectively they deal with Muslims. It is not clear when the tape was made.
More storms had painted a rather wet bull's-eye over Southern California. Rain is hitting the state again today. The unsettling weather produced at least 2 tornados yesterday. Windows were damaged, trees were knocked down and so were power lines, but no major injuries were reported. Electricity has been knocked out to thousands of customers.
Sad news from Hollywood today. The woman who brought Gidget to life, actress Sandra Dee has died. Movies like "A Summer Place," and "That Funny Feeling" made Dee a popular film star in the 50's and 60's. Dee died of complications from kidney disease and pneumonia. She was 63-years-old.
Olive branches and concilatory words: Just about an hour ago, President Bush arrived in Europe prepared to offer both. He's starting five days of fence mending and face time with virtually every major political player on the continent. CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with the president and joins us now live from Brussels, Belgium.
Good evening, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good evening, Andrea. President Bush and the first lady arrived here in Brussels just a short time ago, really kicking off his European trip. What is significant here is his first trip of his second term. And it is here in Europe considered important for both Americans and Europeans. It is the headquarters of the European Union as well as NATO.
Now Mr. Bush will meet with officials to try to get greater commitments to support Iraqi reconstruction, but also aimed at setting a new tone for the second administration. Some big challenges the president will have. Look for his meeting with French president Jaques Chirac tomorrow.
The United States and E.U.'s approach to Iran to try to get it to abandon its nuclear weapon's program is different. The E.U. is offering diplomatic and econominc incentives, the U.S. believes that is not the right approach.
Also of course, another significant moment, the challenge will be when he meets with Russian president Vladimir Putin. That will happen on Thursday in the Slovak Republic. The U.S. has expressed some frustration with Russia privately for the backsliding of Democratic reforms. Today and over the last several days, top U.S. lawmakers have been putting pressure on Mr. Bush to hold Putin to account.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, (D) CONNECTICUT: Senator McCain and I earlier this week introduced a resolution in the Senate which calls our government to work to suspend Russia's participation in the G-8, the big 8 industrialized countries, unless they return to the path of democracy. Because they were brought into the G-8 based on their commitment to democritize Russia. And they're not keeping that promise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The White House of course is also expressed some frustration with Russia for what they see as Russia's supporting Iran's nuclear program, a nuclear weapons program. Russia says its an energy program. And also of course the sales of missiles to Syria.
Now President Bush tomorrow is expected to deliver a major speech to the European people. He's essentially calling for a fresh start -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: Suzanne, in light of that fresh start and the desire by all sides really to begin a new chapter in the transatlantic relationship. In particular on Iraq, what is the president hoping to hear, expecting to hear from European allies in terms of how they will help train, for instance, Iraqi security forces?
MALVEAUX: What he's hoping for is there will greater commitments from the European Union as well as NATO to say look, we will be moving forward, training more Iraqi force, perhaps outside of the country, inside of the country. There are already member, NATO members, that are taking part in that on an individual base. But they're hoping for additional resources, money and that kind of commitment.
I wouldn't hold our breath to say a lot of additional commitments. But what that is meant to do is set a different kind of tone here, to reestablish the trust 20 European allies and the United States to say hey, let's move forward, let's talk about this. It is in your interest, it is in our interest to move forward and invest more on Iraqi reconstruction.
KOPPEL: Suzanne Malveaux in Brussels, Belgium, thanks so much.
And now to the tale of the tapes. There are countless recordings of President Bush on the record. But it appears secretly recorded conversations offer a surprising glimpse into another side of Mr. Bush off the record.
The contents are detailed in today's "New York Times." Now while CNN has not independently authenticated the tapes, the "New York Times" and "ABC" which received some of the recordings say an independent analysis has verified that they contain the voice of President Bush.
CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us now from Washington.
Elaine, did these tapes, the publicity surrounding these tapes, take the White House by surprise?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Unclear. They're really not talking about this much as you might expect, Andrea. But as you mention, these tapes, the existence of these secretly taped conversations was first reported in the "New York Times." ABC News also received some excerpts of this.
According to the Times, though, these conversations took place from about 1998 to 2000. And they're about 9 hours of tapes in all. I talked to the man who authenticated part of the tapes for the "New York Times," Tom Owen, who says that after studying the excerpts he was given, he has concluded the voice is that of George W. Bush.
Now on these tapes, the discussions are quite frank. As in one exerpt in which Texas governor Bush candidly discusses his reasons for not answering questions about past drug use.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now Dough, but it's not, it doesn't matter cocaine, it'd be the same with marijuana. I wouldn't answer the marijuana question. You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I'd tried.
DOUG WEAD: Yeah, and it never stops.
BUSH: But, you got to understand, I want to be president. I want to lead. I want to set -- do you want your little kid to say, hey daddy, President Bush tried marijuana, I think I will.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
KOPPEL: Now Dough Wead, the man recorded these conversations did not respond to our requests of our interview. He does have a book coming out, though. He insists he recorded these conversations for prosperity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WEAD: If I'd had a chance to taperecord Gandhi or had conversations with Churchill, I probably would have recorded them, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now response from the White House as you might expect, very terse, just one sentence from spokesman Ken Lisaius. Quote, "These were casual conversations with somebody he considered a friend."
But for an administration that puts a premium on loyalty, this is undoubtedly viewed as a betrayal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STUART ROTHENBERG, ROTHENBERG POLITICAL REPORT: And a continuum of violations of personal relationship and personal confidences, this is probably the Super Bowl of them all. I mean, this is private, personal relationships between George W. Bush and a friend. And suddenly the guy leaks it to apparently to sell some books. So, I think the president will not look kindly on DOug wead in the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, Doug Wead has said that he plans to turn over the tapes to the Bush Library. But clearly, Andrea, he will not be receiving a invitation to the White House anytime soon.
KOPPEL: I was going to say. I don't know if the Bush Library would want them either. But Elaine, was it legal to record these conversations?
QUIJANO: Well, that's still an open question. What Doug Wead has told "The New York Times" was that these conversations were recorded in states where it is legal to do so. Unclear, though, because we have not been able to talk to Mr. Wead ourselves exactly what those states are and what the statutes in those states are. So, that's an open question.
But at this particular point, the only official word on that is what he has said to the "New York Times" -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: OK. And CNN is going to have Doug Wead on tomorrow morning on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING." Elaine Quijano in Washington, thanks so much.
Turning now to a day of firsts in the Middle East. Israel is saying good-bye to Gaza. And the blueprint for the final border between Israel and a future Palestinian State seems to be taking shape. But Concern and distrust linger on both sides.
CNN's John Vause reports now from Jerusalem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is ready cabinet meeting overwhelming support for an end to almost 38 years of Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip.
ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): It's not an easy day. It's not a happy day.
VAUSE: Seventeen ministers in favor, 5 opposed, giving Prime Minister Ariel Sharon authority to issue evacuation notices to almost 8,000 Jewish settleers in Gaza and a thousand more in 4 West Bank settlements.
ITZHAK HERZOG, HOUSING MINISTER: It's a painful resolution, but it will change the course of the region.
VAUSE: The pullout will begin in July, take about 8 weeks, and faces nationwide protests by settlers and their supporters.
ARI SHAVIT, POLITICAL ANALYST: Today marks the end of the political battle, but it marks the beginning of the battle over implementation.
VAUSE: At the same time, the Israeli cabinet approved the southern and final section of the separation barrier: from Jerusalem to the south. Two major settlement blocks will be included on the Israeli side with the new route confiscating about 6 percent of the West Bank. The old route took more than 15 percent. Palestinians, though, want an end to construction, especially after both sides declared a truce. The barrier, they say, preempts a final peace deal.
SAEB ERAKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: This is dictation and not negotiations. We call upon the Israeli government to rejoin us on the negotiating table to deal with the relations of the status of the Jerusalem settlement, borders, water (ph), et cetera.
VAUSE (on camera): The Israeli government has said all along the barrier is for security only, insisting it can be easily torn down once there's a lasting peace. But to many here, both Palestinian and Israeli, this is part of a bigger strategy: a retreat from Gaza while holding on to the major settlements in the West Bank. John Vause, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOPPEL: Millions of Americans are victims of identity theft every year. You're going to want to get your pen and paper out for this next story. What can you do to secure your name and your credit card rating? We'll ask a privacy expert next.
And still to come, we know your home can potentially harm your health. Coming up, advice from one doctor as to how best to test for lead, asbestos and toxic mold.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOPPEL: Fall out from the a security breach at data broker Choicepoint is growing. Attorneys general in 38 state are demanding the company mail notifications to everybody potentially compromised in the breach. There are fears that as many as half a million people have been left vulnerable to identity theft. Our Julie Vallese has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIE VALLESE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than 145,000 consumers are being sent letters of warning, their identity may have been compromised.
JAMES LEE, CHOICEPOINT SPOKESMAN: The information that these people had access to was by and large public information, but on occasion that includes Social Security numbers.
VALLESE: Choicepoint is a national provider of personal information for background checks and other services. Its says an organized ring set up 50 fake companies to gain access to personal information. Choicepoint's database contains 19 billion public records.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you get a letter, the letter will tell you exactly what to do. If you don't get a letter, you don't have to worry.
VALLESE: Maybe in the case of Choicepoint, but in the case of identity theft in general, everyone is a possible target.
BETSY BRODER, FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION: If, for example, your name and your Social Security number have been disclosed, then what you want to do is get a fraud alert on your credit file.
VALLESE: The Federal Trade Commission says last year 9 million people reported some kind of identity theft.
(on camera): Personal information in the United States is a commodity, a way to market products to a targeted audience. The European model is the exact opposite. Consumers must request their information be made public.
(voice-over): The government does have some regulations in place to protect consumers.
BRODER: There's a safeguard's rule, and this is the rule that says for financial institutions, you have to have reasonable security measures in place.
VALLESE: It's a good-faith rule. Choicepoint says it is increasing its level by security by reintensifying the vetting of clients, and may even visit a business to verify its legitimate.
As for consumers, stepping up personal security means keeping private information private. And taking advantage of a federal rule that allows consumers a free copy of their credit report once a year. Julie Vallese, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOPPEL: So should we all run out and just buy shredders? Even that wouldn't have helped the folks compromised in the Choicepoint breach. What would?
Evan Hendrix is an expert on protecting people from identity theft. He is the author of the book "Credit Scores & Credit Reports." And he's the editor and publisher of "Privacy Times" in Washington.
So, Mr. Hendrix, what are the easiest ways that most of us can try to protect ourselves from identity theft?
EVAN HENDRIX, PRIVACY TIMES: The very first thing you should do is check your credit report. Take advantage of your rights to a free report. And look in two major sections: one is the inquiry section, the final section of your credit report, telling you to who's looked at your credit report and why. So if you live in California and some auto dealership in Florida pulled your credit report, that's a red flag.
And then also look at your account, your trade history to see if you have accounts that you don't recognize.
KOPPEL: Now, there are 3 reporting agencies. We can put them up on the screen for folks: Equifax, Transunion and Experian. But it's not free for everyone.
HENDRIX: No, it's being roled out and phased in. So the people in the Western states already are entitled it a free report. And March 1st, mark this day, you Midwesterners, that's when you're going to be entitled to your free report. The South and the East Coast comes later.
In the book, we enumerate all of the other states that have free report rights. And all the other reason you can get a free report. But if cost is an issue, you want to make sure you know your rights, you don't waste money. KOPPEL: What surprised me, and I guess it shouldn't have, is that you equate online banking without firewalls or spyware, things of that nature, to having a swimming pool without a fence. How vulnernable are people who either bank online or buy things on-line?
HENDRIX: Well, it's very vulnerable right now, because are there so many weak links in the chain. And in this recent Choicepoint escapade, we found out that they were dumbing up businesses so they can get access to credit reports, find out who has the best credit history and then cherry pick the best candidates to steal those idenities.
So, if you -- really, if you're going to bank online, you do want to make sure you have anti-spyware, a firewall and make sure that you are dealing with business you know and don't fall for those e-mail spams that's called phishing when they're trying to trick you into giving out your personal identifiers. That's very important.
KOPPEL: And how do they do that?
HENDRIX: Well, they come to you, saying we are your bank. Like, they use the word like Washington Mutual, Citibank. And they say, we need to get some information out of you because we are checking your account or trying to fix your system. And it's unfortunate, but a lot of people are falling for this. And this too is helping those scammers commit identity theft.
KOPPEL: You also tell people not to carry their Social Security number around with them or to give that out. But for those people, and there are apparently about 10 million victims of identity theft that are out there in the United States. What should they do? How can they improve their credit rating?
HENDRIX: Well, if there's information on your credit report that's caused by fraud, then you want to get the fraud affidavit either from the Federal Trade Commission Web site or your local police, and have that fraud affidavit name the accounts that are fraudulent on your account. because the credit bureaus say they will remove them instantly.
No, they don't always do what they say they do. But if you do your job, it makes it more likely they will do theirs. So you have to dispute errors and they're supposed to get it out of there in 30 days.
KOPPEL: How long does it take to actually stop the fraud and clear your record?
HENDRIX: Well, the longer it takes you to discover it, some people only discover it by getting a call from a collector saying, hey, pay this bill. And you say, I don't know what you're talking about. The longer it takes to discover it the worst the damage is to your credit report and the longer it takes to clean up.
And, Andrea, that's why I have seen this drag on for a year, to two years of people having to fight and fight and fight to get errors off of their credit reports and to restore their credit history. And there indications where they actually get the bad news removed and then it reappears at a later date, because of the automated reporting systems.
KOPPEL: So, I guess, if you're not a victim uneed to be proactive about this, get your credit reports and keep checking up on them.
Evan Hendrix who's book "Credit Reports & Credit Scores" I guess is out in the book stores today. It sounds like a pretty good advice to take a look at it. Thanks so much.
HENDRIX: Thanks, Andrea.
KOPPEL: Much more on your security coming up at CNN SUNDAY NIGHT. How safe are you when you fly? Some airline are now outsourcing repair work. Is the safest way to go or just the cheapest?
And only on CNN investigation tonight at 11:00 Eastern. Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Is the Iraqi army ready to take care of its own? That's what religious and tribal leaders are trying to figure out.
And remember Ferbie? Would your guess be that he made the list of top gadgets? We'll find out, stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOPPEL: Turning now to stories in the news, mending fences with Europe. President Bush has arrived in Belgium on the first stop of a 5 day tour designed to improve relations with Europe, relations that were strained in the wake of the U.S. decision to go to war in Iraq.
A winter of discontent continues for Southern California. A new round of storms inundated the Golden State with 2 days of flash flooding that knocked out power to thousands of homes and businesses. Two small tornados touched down on San Diego county and Riverside County. More storms are predicted for the next few tays.
Gas prices have nudged slightly down, despite a recent rise in crude oil prices. Gasoline fell half a cent over the past two weeks. A new serve a shows. The average cost of a gallon of gasoline in the country is now $1.90.
The great American race, one of the most anticipated days for NASCAR fans has begun. Yes, the 47th Daytona 500 is under way now in Florida. The 88 cars of Dale Gerard and the USPS team began the race on the poll.
Cracking down on Iraq's insurgents: Operation River Blitz is underway in Ramadi and other cities along the Euphrates. Ramadi is considered a stronghold of Sunni Muslims who once backed Saddam Hussein. A curfew is in place. And the U.S. and Iraqi forces are setting up checkpoints and beefing up security to try to stabilize the area. Ramadi is the Capitol of Iraq's vast and dangerous al Anbar Province. The new operation follows 2 days of deadly attack on Shiites marking the holy period of Ashura.
Even as violence continues to plague Iraq, people there are trying to overcome their difference and the killing and rebuild their country.
Jane Arraf looks at their attempts to work through some of the problems that face them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the first meeting of its kind in this province in the Sunni heartland since the elections. And the first to bring together such a wide array of religious and tribal leaders. While most of the participants here want U.S. forces to leave as soon as possible, the main topic on this day was the Iraqi army and whether its ready to take over.
Saed Noria Samaadi (ph), a Sunni amman and a descenent of the prophet Mohammed has been detained by Iraqi soldiers, accused of being an insurgent. He said he was beaten on his face, hands and feet. He showed marks, he said, left after soldiers smashed his fingers.
Although, Diala (ph) is 40 percent Sunni, the army is mostly Shi'a. His arrest has caused an uproar.
"It's got to the point where we would prefer to be imprisoned by the Americans than the Iraqis," Shea Hassan Mullah Ali (ph), head of the Muslim Scholars Association here.
(on camear): After so many years of power being so tightly held, almost everything has been shaken up in Iraq. These are power struggles, being played out in cities and towns across the country.
(voice-over): There was even a representative at meeting of radical Shi'a cleric Muqtada al Sadr who's militia, the U.S. Army fought last year.
Shea Saed Unis (ph) made clear he didn't want anything to do with U.S. forces. But he still agreed for the first time to sit down separately with the U.S. army commanders.
The U.S. military has begun promising to move troops out of cities and towns in sectors where Iraqi security forces are ready and attacks stop. But first, Iraqi religious leaders of all faiths will have to learn to trust their own security forces. Jane Arraf, CNN, Baquba.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOPPEL: Now to a presidential partnership. Former presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush are still touring tsunami-stricken regions. The two leaders got a firsthand look at the destruction in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. They also spoke to survivors about their needs.
Bush and Clinton are encouraging private U.S. donations for tsunami relief. Both leaders are assuring donor their money is being well spent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM CLINTON, FRM. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think we'll have to monitor it. We have to have good auditing systems as we go along. But I do believe donors can be assured that these organizations to which they give their donations are not wasting money. And if you pick one off of the reputable list, you know, they're all honest and that they're going to be out here trying to help people.
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FRM. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We want to be able to assure the donors that the money is being spent wisely, that there's not a lot of overhead between what they give and how it gets to the recipient and there no corruption out there. And the embassies are interested in this, the governments that we talk to, for example, the Indonesians are interested in it and everybody I think is concerned that it not happen and want a guarantee that it not happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: The former presidents spoke to CNN's Wolf Bliter from Sri Lanka today. From there, it's onto the Maldese.
A top 100 list of gizmos that changed the way we live our lives. Or at least some of our lives. That story is next.
Still to come, after you build your dream home, what can you do to make sure it doesn't become a health hazard: from deadly radon gas to toxic mold, we'll find out from one doctor what you need to protect yourself.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOPPEL: That story is next. Still to come, after you build your dream home, what can do you to make sure it doesn't become a health hazard from deadly radon gas to toxic mold, we'll find out from one doctor what you need to protect yourself.
Plus, how Gary Saney (ph) is helping American children help the children of Iraq.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm Rob Marciano at the CNN Weather Center. It's time for the "Cold & Flu Report." These are the latest numbers out of the CDC as of February 12th. More red states popping up on the map over half the states now reporting wide spread cold & flu and the blue states meaning regional. That is one step below so you see a lot red and a lot of blue on the map. And we are peaking out now in the middle of February. Hope your feeling well today, enjoy the rest of your weekend. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOPPEL: From a precursor of the modern computer, the Abicus to the wrist watch to the Swiss army knife and the Pez candy dispenser, can't forget that. "Mobile PC" magazine has put together a list of the top 100 gadgets of all time. Joining us live from San Francisco to discuss the list is "Mobile PC's "editor in chief Christopher Null. And Chris, I understand that you've brought in a bunch of these and they are kind of laid out on the desk in front of you. Why don't you kind of walk us through it. Some of the all-time favorites gadgets.
CHRISTOPHER NULL, "MOBILE PC:" Sure, be glad to. Here's one of the ones that maybe everyone in the audience will remember. Ron Pokeel's (ph) famous pocket fisherman. The fisherman poll that would fold up to a nine inch.
KOPPEL: Now that doesn't fit in anyone's pocket, Chris.
NULL: Well, especially if you have overalls. Didn't go anywhere but the pocket fisherman. This is Ron's first invention. He later gave us things like the vegomatic and the smokeless ashtray and this was the thing that started them all.
KOPPEL: Was that a big seller?
NULL: It's huge and in fact it's still on the market today 50 years later.
KOPPEL: And is it actually effective and actually catching fish?
NULL: Sure. Well it's more about the fisherman than the poll really.
KOPPEL: Oh OK, I see. So in other words you can fish wherever you want at the drop of a hat?
NULL: Exactly.
KOPPEL: OK.
NULL: And another great one, everyone will remember the Etch a Sketch. Probably the first graphical user interface, it dates back to 1960 and again still a great seller.
KOPPEL: I could never make anything that was -- that I would actually classify as art when I was doing that. I just had the squiggly lines.
NULL: You and me both. I think there is a certain advance school of Etch-a-Sketching that I have never been able to crack.
KOPPEL: One of the ones that I think is most useful and certainly has contributed to more Americans gaining weight than any other gadget is the remote control.
NULL: Yes, yes that's a biggy. This is number two on our list and in fact we have one of the original Zenith space command remotes right here. This dates back to 1956. In fact there's no - the reason this still works today is there is no electronics in it. There is no battery. No moving parts expect for the buttons. You can't really see it inside. The way these original remotes worked is there was a tuning fork inside. When you push the button, a hammer strikes down on the tuning fork and it makes a ultra sonic sound to the TV and that tells the TV to turn the channel and this was state of the art for about 20 years before infrared came around.
KOPPEL: That looks like something that make your garage door go up and down rather than change the channel. But speaking of channels, you've also got the Atari Pong which I actually spent many hours enjoying as a kid.
NULL: Yes. I don't know how many hours I wasted on Pong. This is actually Super Pong, which came out a year later. Original Pong was in 1976, this was '77. Super Pong had four different games you could play. You could see the little switch right here. But they're all pretty much just Pong. You'll notice no controllers that you can separate. You both had to huddle in front of the TV in front of this little console, and --
KOPPEL: And who can forget that wonderful noise that it made every time it hit one of the paddle, right?
NULL: Oh, it's classic.
KOPPEL: And speaking of noises, what about the pager? When did that first come into existence?
NULL: Pagers started coming around in the early '80acy but this is really the icon. The Motorola Bravo. This was around -- introduced in 1986 and this is the one that pretty much everyone had on their belt. Motorola sold more of this pager than any other. It was distinguished because it had a top viewing display. You didn't have to take the pager off of your belt to see what it said. It was numeric only, one way strictly and the idea was that you could get special secret codes just when a friend would send you zero to 1, that would mean a special thing to you.
And it was kind of an introduction to the short hand that we have in e-mail and in instant messaging today when we just send special shorthand brb, be right back, things like that. It all started here with the Motorola Bravo.
KOPPEL: Wow. And then of course there was the digital camera, which is, more recently come into existence.
NULL: The digital camera, yes. It started around 1993, '94. This is the Casio qv-10. It was introduced in 1996. It was phenomenally successful because of one major thing. It had the LCD panel on the back. So you could suddenly see what you were taking a picture of before you took it and you could review your pictures right on the camera. This camera today would be extremely arcaic. It has 70,000 pixels versus seven million which is the standard.
KOPPEL: That's a huge difference.
NULL: Yes. It's amazingly low quality, but at the time, it was just, it was a real breath of fresh air for its abilities and plus you had this amazing swivel effect which let's you see what you're taking.
KOPPEL: Very high-tech. Now, drum roll please.
NULL: One thousand dollars in '96.
KOPPEL: A thousand dollars, oh my goodness.
NULL: Yes.
KOPPEL: Well, now we're coming to your number one pick, which is the power book. Why was the power book number one?
NULL: The original power book 100 which we have right here. Is phenomenal for a couple of different reasons. This was introduced in 1991. And all notebook computers before this had one major drawback. The keyboard instead of being back here in the rear of the base was up at front. So if you wanted to use the machine, you had to put it on a table basically. There was no hand rest to do typing with and no way to balance it on your lap.
So, by simply moving the keyboard to the back, Apple solved a major problem in portability. They also solved the second problem inadvertently because they suddenly had place for this track ball which we all take for granted the touch pad. Before you would there is to plug in external mouse or some, clip-on devices which let you do your mouse-type operation. But until this power book 100 book came out in '91, pretty much everyone who used a portable computer still had to do it at their desk. This freed up everybody. Changed the industry forever.
KOPPEL: Absolutely!
NULL: As you know, this is still the standard for computers 15 years later.
KOPPEL: Hey Chris before I let you go, what do you think are some of the -- just one or two of the worst gadgets we have ever seen besides the potato thing?
NULL: My personal worst is the alarm clock. Having to get up in the morning after that horrible, horrible sound or song on the radio that you hate. That's -- that always kills me every time.
KOPPEL: Well it is certainly better than being late.
NULL: Yes --
KOPPEL: Well at least that's my philosophy. Hey, Chris Null, thank you very much for coming in and thank you for bringing in all of those wonderful gadgets with us to help us reminisce on the good old days.
NULL: Thanks for having me. It is great to be here.
KOPPEL: Well can the air in your home make you sick from asbestos to lead? Older homes can contain a longer list of health hazard. Up next we're going to talk with a doctor about things that you can buy and do to protect your family.
But first, a recap of what happened on Wall Street this week.
MYRON KANDEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: First, Sprint agreed to buy Nextel late last year. Then SBC bought AT&T. And now the telecom industry is dialed up another big deal. MCI agreed to be acquired by Verizon for $6.75 billion. Spurning a higher bid from Qwest Communications, but Qwest still hopes to carry the day, and so the fate of a long-distance company is still up in the air.
Federal Reserve Chief Alan Greenspan told Congress the economy is in good shape and that more interest rate hikes are likely. He was also questioned extensively about Social Security and offered a qualified endorsement of President Bush's controversial proposal to create private accounts.
ALAN GREENSPAN, FEDERAL RESERVE: What we need to do is to create a system which the existing system is unable to do, mainly build-up a sufficient full-funding in a reserve system.
KANDEL: On Wall Street, the Dow Industrials edged lowered. The S&P 500 lost nearly a third of 1 percent. The Nasdaq composite lost nearly 1 percent. Myron Kandel, CNN, New York.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOPPEL: And welcome back. Carol Lin is here with a preview of when it's ahead at 6:00. So, what's on tap?
CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're pretty excited. We have the bloger who actually broke the story about this alleged reporter who had incredible access to the White House and the administration. But apparently ran some prostitution Websites. We're going to talk about this whole blogging phenomena but also the credibility of the White House and how aggressively the mainstream media is going after this story. The bottom line is the White House manipulating news coverage.
KOPPEL: Obviously how he got his credentials and things of that nature.
LIN: As we know it can take months if not years to get credentialed for the White House. This man who worked for a Republican-based organization had access to administration officials, was able to get in on a daily pass for about two years. And the White House is not answering questions so far about how he got it. How frequently, who he is and on what basis. Because are there people like Maureen Dowd, the "New York Times" columnist who wasn't able to get one and yet this man was.
KOPPEL: OK, and Carol Lin your show moves to 11:00 tonight. LIN: Yes, it's a big change for the network. We are trying something new. So at 11:00 Eastern on Sunday night, please join us. We have got some exclusive interviews coming up tonight and a big CNN investigation.
KOPPEL: Wonderful look forward to it. Thanks Carol.
And today on "Living Well," we're going to help you do a health check up on your house home. Testing kits are become popular but how effective are they? Dr. Bill Lloyd is an experienced pathologist at the University of California Davis School of Medicine. And he joins us from Sacramento. So, Dr. Lloyd, I understand you're not a fan of these some of them are cheap, some of them aren't so cheap but these test home kits?
DR. BILL LLOYD, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Well Andrea whenever you do a home test kit you are performing an experiment. Most people who do home testing are usually involved in selling a house or buying a house. And when you do these tests, if you don't do them properly or they don't give you the results that you're supposed to get, you could end up with bad information that could cost you money down the road.
KOPPEL: So if people don't buy a home test kit and they want to know if their home is either safe with asbestos with lead, even with mold, what should they do?
LLOYD: Well, there are professionals. You don't have to do your taxes. You can turn it over to professionals. Are there all types of activities that you can hand things over to a professional including testing for dangerous substances in your house. If there is a danger around your house, there is a test available to test for it. It's a multimillion dollar business. You can find them in home improvement stores and plenty of Websites as well. Things like radon which can be in your soil or underneath your hour, asbestos up in your attic, around your pipes. Of course there is lead in paint, particularly in houses that were constructed before 1960 but as recently as 1978, you could have lead in your paint as well and that ubiquitous concern about the dangerous toxic black mold.
What can we do about it? Well you can buy a home kit for mold is nothing but a petri dish. Open it up by a ventilation door and leave it there are a couple of hours and put the cap back on and mail it back. They only do a small sample. The air in this room, at this time of the day, it doesn't give you a universal understanding of what's going on in your property. It's one good reason why you might want to turn it over to a professional.
KOPPEL: Well let's say that you're not going to put your house on the market, but you have been living there for a number of years, are there any signs, any health indications that you one of your members of your family have been exposed to any one of the things you just laid out there, mold, asbestos or lead?
LLOYD: Most of the toxicity that comes from the items you just mentioned could take years to accumulate. That is why it's so important if your thinking about buying a house, demand open an exposure, make it part of the deal. Has this house even been tested for lead? I mean professionally test or abstetes or radon, etc. You could ask your local realtor or local health board, are these specific environmental concerns relevant to my neighborhood? If radon is a concern in your area then sure go ahead and test for radon. You don't want to wait to be occupying a dangerous toxic house to find out later, to find out later that you're going to have to spend plenty trying to remiediate the problem and bringing in people in space suits ripping down walls.
KOPPEL: Sure and while that is good advice, if somebody has been living in their house for a number of years you said sometimes it does take years for these signs to materialize. What are some of the indications that you've been exposed?
LLOYD: Well, if it's an issue with lead, there could be concerns with development with children. The lead dust particles which you cannot effectively clean up around your house, can get into the air. And any body who is resurfacing paint and creating lead dust in the air again from homes from 1978 could cause a danger and you may be able to manifest it in terms of your children. Not doing as well in school. Having behavioral problems, et cetera.
With asbestos of course, we know the problem with special lung tumors. But again it could take 30, 40 years for that to develop. So you get a little home test kit like this and you dab the window seal and did it turn blue? Did it turn pink? I'm in the sure. Problems with observer bias. I don't want to be positive. Maybe it's pink. I'm not sure.
KOPPEL: Good advice. Dr. Bill Lloyd, as always, thank you very much.
LLYOD: We'll talk again soon.
KOPPEL: How are American children helping the education of Iraqi children? We have that story up next.
And coming up at top of the hour, conquering depression. Anderson Cooper takes an in in-depth look at the symptom the causes and treatments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOPPEL: Some U.S. soldiers in Iraq are showing schoolchildren that they have counterparts a world away in America who really care about them. Bob Martin of Albuquerque affiliate KRQE reports now on an extraordinary wartime humanitarian mission called "Operation Iraqi Children."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB MARTIN, KRQE (voice over): For our troops in Iraq, even humanitarian missions like this one are dangerous. Convoys have been attacked, soldiers have died. Despite the hazard, troops like Mary Profit, a reservist and library assistant from Washington are delivering school supplies sent from young students in America. It's called "Operation Iraqi Children."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The children in America wanted to give you presents to help you with your studies. And all of the kids in America want to say hi to you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello!
MARTIN: "Operation Iraqi Children" was created by "CSI: New York's" Gary Sinies after he came here and saw soldiers trying to fill a critical need for filling supplies.
GARY SINIES, CSI: I a saw a lot of good will there between the Iraqis and the soldiers and I wanted to try and support that in some way. So I went to the principal of my own children's school and said let's do a drive for school supplies and out of that I was able to connect with Lori Hillenbrand who wrote "Seabiscuit: an American legend." She had a small project of her own and we joined forces.
MARTIN: Through "Operation Iraqi Children.org, American students put together special packages of supplies. In less than a year, more than 100,000 packages have been shipped. FedEx carries them overseas to volunteers in Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With all of the other organization that have gone away from Iraq, we're frying to make the difference.
MARTIN: Founders hope the program is changing some impressions in Iraq.
SINIES: The American soldier would be viewed as not just a warrior, not just somebody carrying a gun but also a messenger of friendship and goodwill.
MARTIN: Students are grateful for the supplies. Anxious to achieve.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, (Translator): I study to learn. To be an educated person.
MARTIN: American GI's and kids, any war, the same result. Bob martin, for CNN, Mosul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOPPEL: We have a special Anderson Cooper 360 up next. It is an in-depth hour-long look at conquering depression. And later, get a sneak preview of two new shows of viewing on "CNN Headline News" this week. And at 7:00 Eastern we'll have "Showbiz Tonight." Which will give us a behind the scenes look at Oscar and at 8:00 Eastern check out Nancy Grace's brand new show where she'll do justice to legal news. It's always live and unscripted. And at 10:00 Eastern, Anderson Cooper will be back with CNN "Prime Cuts." Learn about an amazing tsunami survival story, plus the decades' old hunt for a serial killer and what is up with America's fascination with IPpods?
We have a check of the headlines right after this short 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
Aired February 20, 2005 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: What was on President Bush's mind before he ran for the White House for the first time? Secretly taped conversations with Mr. Bush are being released today. We'll let you listen to some of the excerpts.
Also ahead, how our shredders becoming one of your best weapons against the crooks in the information age? Find out what steps you need to take to protect your most valuable asset: your identity.
Plus, this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(FAKE FISH SINGING "DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY")
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: We'll run down the worst and the best of gadgets and gizmos that have penetrated pop culture.
Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. I'm Andrea Koppel filling in for Fredricka Whitfield. We'll have all of that and more after this check of the headlines.
President Bush has embarked on some transatlantic political fence mending. First stop on his five-day swing through Europe is Brussels, Belgium. The president hopes to close the chapter once and for all on the disagreement over the war in Iraq and start anew by meeting with virtually every major political player on the continent. We'll go live to Brussels in just a moment.
Osama bin Laden's chief deputy is lashing out against U.S. efforts to extend democracy. In a videotape broadcast on al Jazeera TV today, Aiman al-Zawahiri warns that the security of western nations is based on how effectively they deal with Muslims. It is not clear when the tape was made.
More storms had painted a rather wet bull's-eye over Southern California. Rain is hitting the state again today. The unsettling weather produced at least 2 tornados yesterday. Windows were damaged, trees were knocked down and so were power lines, but no major injuries were reported. Electricity has been knocked out to thousands of customers.
Sad news from Hollywood today. The woman who brought Gidget to life, actress Sandra Dee has died. Movies like "A Summer Place," and "That Funny Feeling" made Dee a popular film star in the 50's and 60's. Dee died of complications from kidney disease and pneumonia. She was 63-years-old.
Olive branches and concilatory words: Just about an hour ago, President Bush arrived in Europe prepared to offer both. He's starting five days of fence mending and face time with virtually every major political player on the continent. CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with the president and joins us now live from Brussels, Belgium.
Good evening, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good evening, Andrea. President Bush and the first lady arrived here in Brussels just a short time ago, really kicking off his European trip. What is significant here is his first trip of his second term. And it is here in Europe considered important for both Americans and Europeans. It is the headquarters of the European Union as well as NATO.
Now Mr. Bush will meet with officials to try to get greater commitments to support Iraqi reconstruction, but also aimed at setting a new tone for the second administration. Some big challenges the president will have. Look for his meeting with French president Jaques Chirac tomorrow.
The United States and E.U.'s approach to Iran to try to get it to abandon its nuclear weapon's program is different. The E.U. is offering diplomatic and econominc incentives, the U.S. believes that is not the right approach.
Also of course, another significant moment, the challenge will be when he meets with Russian president Vladimir Putin. That will happen on Thursday in the Slovak Republic. The U.S. has expressed some frustration with Russia privately for the backsliding of Democratic reforms. Today and over the last several days, top U.S. lawmakers have been putting pressure on Mr. Bush to hold Putin to account.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, (D) CONNECTICUT: Senator McCain and I earlier this week introduced a resolution in the Senate which calls our government to work to suspend Russia's participation in the G-8, the big 8 industrialized countries, unless they return to the path of democracy. Because they were brought into the G-8 based on their commitment to democritize Russia. And they're not keeping that promise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The White House of course is also expressed some frustration with Russia for what they see as Russia's supporting Iran's nuclear program, a nuclear weapons program. Russia says its an energy program. And also of course the sales of missiles to Syria.
Now President Bush tomorrow is expected to deliver a major speech to the European people. He's essentially calling for a fresh start -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: Suzanne, in light of that fresh start and the desire by all sides really to begin a new chapter in the transatlantic relationship. In particular on Iraq, what is the president hoping to hear, expecting to hear from European allies in terms of how they will help train, for instance, Iraqi security forces?
MALVEAUX: What he's hoping for is there will greater commitments from the European Union as well as NATO to say look, we will be moving forward, training more Iraqi force, perhaps outside of the country, inside of the country. There are already member, NATO members, that are taking part in that on an individual base. But they're hoping for additional resources, money and that kind of commitment.
I wouldn't hold our breath to say a lot of additional commitments. But what that is meant to do is set a different kind of tone here, to reestablish the trust 20 European allies and the United States to say hey, let's move forward, let's talk about this. It is in your interest, it is in our interest to move forward and invest more on Iraqi reconstruction.
KOPPEL: Suzanne Malveaux in Brussels, Belgium, thanks so much.
And now to the tale of the tapes. There are countless recordings of President Bush on the record. But it appears secretly recorded conversations offer a surprising glimpse into another side of Mr. Bush off the record.
The contents are detailed in today's "New York Times." Now while CNN has not independently authenticated the tapes, the "New York Times" and "ABC" which received some of the recordings say an independent analysis has verified that they contain the voice of President Bush.
CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us now from Washington.
Elaine, did these tapes, the publicity surrounding these tapes, take the White House by surprise?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Unclear. They're really not talking about this much as you might expect, Andrea. But as you mention, these tapes, the existence of these secretly taped conversations was first reported in the "New York Times." ABC News also received some excerpts of this.
According to the Times, though, these conversations took place from about 1998 to 2000. And they're about 9 hours of tapes in all. I talked to the man who authenticated part of the tapes for the "New York Times," Tom Owen, who says that after studying the excerpts he was given, he has concluded the voice is that of George W. Bush.
Now on these tapes, the discussions are quite frank. As in one exerpt in which Texas governor Bush candidly discusses his reasons for not answering questions about past drug use.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now Dough, but it's not, it doesn't matter cocaine, it'd be the same with marijuana. I wouldn't answer the marijuana question. You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I'd tried.
DOUG WEAD: Yeah, and it never stops.
BUSH: But, you got to understand, I want to be president. I want to lead. I want to set -- do you want your little kid to say, hey daddy, President Bush tried marijuana, I think I will.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
KOPPEL: Now Dough Wead, the man recorded these conversations did not respond to our requests of our interview. He does have a book coming out, though. He insists he recorded these conversations for prosperity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WEAD: If I'd had a chance to taperecord Gandhi or had conversations with Churchill, I probably would have recorded them, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now response from the White House as you might expect, very terse, just one sentence from spokesman Ken Lisaius. Quote, "These were casual conversations with somebody he considered a friend."
But for an administration that puts a premium on loyalty, this is undoubtedly viewed as a betrayal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STUART ROTHENBERG, ROTHENBERG POLITICAL REPORT: And a continuum of violations of personal relationship and personal confidences, this is probably the Super Bowl of them all. I mean, this is private, personal relationships between George W. Bush and a friend. And suddenly the guy leaks it to apparently to sell some books. So, I think the president will not look kindly on DOug wead in the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, Doug Wead has said that he plans to turn over the tapes to the Bush Library. But clearly, Andrea, he will not be receiving a invitation to the White House anytime soon.
KOPPEL: I was going to say. I don't know if the Bush Library would want them either. But Elaine, was it legal to record these conversations?
QUIJANO: Well, that's still an open question. What Doug Wead has told "The New York Times" was that these conversations were recorded in states where it is legal to do so. Unclear, though, because we have not been able to talk to Mr. Wead ourselves exactly what those states are and what the statutes in those states are. So, that's an open question.
But at this particular point, the only official word on that is what he has said to the "New York Times" -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: OK. And CNN is going to have Doug Wead on tomorrow morning on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING." Elaine Quijano in Washington, thanks so much.
Turning now to a day of firsts in the Middle East. Israel is saying good-bye to Gaza. And the blueprint for the final border between Israel and a future Palestinian State seems to be taking shape. But Concern and distrust linger on both sides.
CNN's John Vause reports now from Jerusalem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is ready cabinet meeting overwhelming support for an end to almost 38 years of Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip.
ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): It's not an easy day. It's not a happy day.
VAUSE: Seventeen ministers in favor, 5 opposed, giving Prime Minister Ariel Sharon authority to issue evacuation notices to almost 8,000 Jewish settleers in Gaza and a thousand more in 4 West Bank settlements.
ITZHAK HERZOG, HOUSING MINISTER: It's a painful resolution, but it will change the course of the region.
VAUSE: The pullout will begin in July, take about 8 weeks, and faces nationwide protests by settlers and their supporters.
ARI SHAVIT, POLITICAL ANALYST: Today marks the end of the political battle, but it marks the beginning of the battle over implementation.
VAUSE: At the same time, the Israeli cabinet approved the southern and final section of the separation barrier: from Jerusalem to the south. Two major settlement blocks will be included on the Israeli side with the new route confiscating about 6 percent of the West Bank. The old route took more than 15 percent. Palestinians, though, want an end to construction, especially after both sides declared a truce. The barrier, they say, preempts a final peace deal.
SAEB ERAKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: This is dictation and not negotiations. We call upon the Israeli government to rejoin us on the negotiating table to deal with the relations of the status of the Jerusalem settlement, borders, water (ph), et cetera.
VAUSE (on camera): The Israeli government has said all along the barrier is for security only, insisting it can be easily torn down once there's a lasting peace. But to many here, both Palestinian and Israeli, this is part of a bigger strategy: a retreat from Gaza while holding on to the major settlements in the West Bank. John Vause, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOPPEL: Millions of Americans are victims of identity theft every year. You're going to want to get your pen and paper out for this next story. What can you do to secure your name and your credit card rating? We'll ask a privacy expert next.
And still to come, we know your home can potentially harm your health. Coming up, advice from one doctor as to how best to test for lead, asbestos and toxic mold.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOPPEL: Fall out from the a security breach at data broker Choicepoint is growing. Attorneys general in 38 state are demanding the company mail notifications to everybody potentially compromised in the breach. There are fears that as many as half a million people have been left vulnerable to identity theft. Our Julie Vallese has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIE VALLESE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than 145,000 consumers are being sent letters of warning, their identity may have been compromised.
JAMES LEE, CHOICEPOINT SPOKESMAN: The information that these people had access to was by and large public information, but on occasion that includes Social Security numbers.
VALLESE: Choicepoint is a national provider of personal information for background checks and other services. Its says an organized ring set up 50 fake companies to gain access to personal information. Choicepoint's database contains 19 billion public records.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you get a letter, the letter will tell you exactly what to do. If you don't get a letter, you don't have to worry.
VALLESE: Maybe in the case of Choicepoint, but in the case of identity theft in general, everyone is a possible target.
BETSY BRODER, FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION: If, for example, your name and your Social Security number have been disclosed, then what you want to do is get a fraud alert on your credit file.
VALLESE: The Federal Trade Commission says last year 9 million people reported some kind of identity theft.
(on camera): Personal information in the United States is a commodity, a way to market products to a targeted audience. The European model is the exact opposite. Consumers must request their information be made public.
(voice-over): The government does have some regulations in place to protect consumers.
BRODER: There's a safeguard's rule, and this is the rule that says for financial institutions, you have to have reasonable security measures in place.
VALLESE: It's a good-faith rule. Choicepoint says it is increasing its level by security by reintensifying the vetting of clients, and may even visit a business to verify its legitimate.
As for consumers, stepping up personal security means keeping private information private. And taking advantage of a federal rule that allows consumers a free copy of their credit report once a year. Julie Vallese, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOPPEL: So should we all run out and just buy shredders? Even that wouldn't have helped the folks compromised in the Choicepoint breach. What would?
Evan Hendrix is an expert on protecting people from identity theft. He is the author of the book "Credit Scores & Credit Reports." And he's the editor and publisher of "Privacy Times" in Washington.
So, Mr. Hendrix, what are the easiest ways that most of us can try to protect ourselves from identity theft?
EVAN HENDRIX, PRIVACY TIMES: The very first thing you should do is check your credit report. Take advantage of your rights to a free report. And look in two major sections: one is the inquiry section, the final section of your credit report, telling you to who's looked at your credit report and why. So if you live in California and some auto dealership in Florida pulled your credit report, that's a red flag.
And then also look at your account, your trade history to see if you have accounts that you don't recognize.
KOPPEL: Now, there are 3 reporting agencies. We can put them up on the screen for folks: Equifax, Transunion and Experian. But it's not free for everyone.
HENDRIX: No, it's being roled out and phased in. So the people in the Western states already are entitled it a free report. And March 1st, mark this day, you Midwesterners, that's when you're going to be entitled to your free report. The South and the East Coast comes later.
In the book, we enumerate all of the other states that have free report rights. And all the other reason you can get a free report. But if cost is an issue, you want to make sure you know your rights, you don't waste money. KOPPEL: What surprised me, and I guess it shouldn't have, is that you equate online banking without firewalls or spyware, things of that nature, to having a swimming pool without a fence. How vulnernable are people who either bank online or buy things on-line?
HENDRIX: Well, it's very vulnerable right now, because are there so many weak links in the chain. And in this recent Choicepoint escapade, we found out that they were dumbing up businesses so they can get access to credit reports, find out who has the best credit history and then cherry pick the best candidates to steal those idenities.
So, if you -- really, if you're going to bank online, you do want to make sure you have anti-spyware, a firewall and make sure that you are dealing with business you know and don't fall for those e-mail spams that's called phishing when they're trying to trick you into giving out your personal identifiers. That's very important.
KOPPEL: And how do they do that?
HENDRIX: Well, they come to you, saying we are your bank. Like, they use the word like Washington Mutual, Citibank. And they say, we need to get some information out of you because we are checking your account or trying to fix your system. And it's unfortunate, but a lot of people are falling for this. And this too is helping those scammers commit identity theft.
KOPPEL: You also tell people not to carry their Social Security number around with them or to give that out. But for those people, and there are apparently about 10 million victims of identity theft that are out there in the United States. What should they do? How can they improve their credit rating?
HENDRIX: Well, if there's information on your credit report that's caused by fraud, then you want to get the fraud affidavit either from the Federal Trade Commission Web site or your local police, and have that fraud affidavit name the accounts that are fraudulent on your account. because the credit bureaus say they will remove them instantly.
No, they don't always do what they say they do. But if you do your job, it makes it more likely they will do theirs. So you have to dispute errors and they're supposed to get it out of there in 30 days.
KOPPEL: How long does it take to actually stop the fraud and clear your record?
HENDRIX: Well, the longer it takes you to discover it, some people only discover it by getting a call from a collector saying, hey, pay this bill. And you say, I don't know what you're talking about. The longer it takes to discover it the worst the damage is to your credit report and the longer it takes to clean up.
And, Andrea, that's why I have seen this drag on for a year, to two years of people having to fight and fight and fight to get errors off of their credit reports and to restore their credit history. And there indications where they actually get the bad news removed and then it reappears at a later date, because of the automated reporting systems.
KOPPEL: So, I guess, if you're not a victim uneed to be proactive about this, get your credit reports and keep checking up on them.
Evan Hendrix who's book "Credit Reports & Credit Scores" I guess is out in the book stores today. It sounds like a pretty good advice to take a look at it. Thanks so much.
HENDRIX: Thanks, Andrea.
KOPPEL: Much more on your security coming up at CNN SUNDAY NIGHT. How safe are you when you fly? Some airline are now outsourcing repair work. Is the safest way to go or just the cheapest?
And only on CNN investigation tonight at 11:00 Eastern. Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Is the Iraqi army ready to take care of its own? That's what religious and tribal leaders are trying to figure out.
And remember Ferbie? Would your guess be that he made the list of top gadgets? We'll find out, stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOPPEL: Turning now to stories in the news, mending fences with Europe. President Bush has arrived in Belgium on the first stop of a 5 day tour designed to improve relations with Europe, relations that were strained in the wake of the U.S. decision to go to war in Iraq.
A winter of discontent continues for Southern California. A new round of storms inundated the Golden State with 2 days of flash flooding that knocked out power to thousands of homes and businesses. Two small tornados touched down on San Diego county and Riverside County. More storms are predicted for the next few tays.
Gas prices have nudged slightly down, despite a recent rise in crude oil prices. Gasoline fell half a cent over the past two weeks. A new serve a shows. The average cost of a gallon of gasoline in the country is now $1.90.
The great American race, one of the most anticipated days for NASCAR fans has begun. Yes, the 47th Daytona 500 is under way now in Florida. The 88 cars of Dale Gerard and the USPS team began the race on the poll.
Cracking down on Iraq's insurgents: Operation River Blitz is underway in Ramadi and other cities along the Euphrates. Ramadi is considered a stronghold of Sunni Muslims who once backed Saddam Hussein. A curfew is in place. And the U.S. and Iraqi forces are setting up checkpoints and beefing up security to try to stabilize the area. Ramadi is the Capitol of Iraq's vast and dangerous al Anbar Province. The new operation follows 2 days of deadly attack on Shiites marking the holy period of Ashura.
Even as violence continues to plague Iraq, people there are trying to overcome their difference and the killing and rebuild their country.
Jane Arraf looks at their attempts to work through some of the problems that face them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the first meeting of its kind in this province in the Sunni heartland since the elections. And the first to bring together such a wide array of religious and tribal leaders. While most of the participants here want U.S. forces to leave as soon as possible, the main topic on this day was the Iraqi army and whether its ready to take over.
Saed Noria Samaadi (ph), a Sunni amman and a descenent of the prophet Mohammed has been detained by Iraqi soldiers, accused of being an insurgent. He said he was beaten on his face, hands and feet. He showed marks, he said, left after soldiers smashed his fingers.
Although, Diala (ph) is 40 percent Sunni, the army is mostly Shi'a. His arrest has caused an uproar.
"It's got to the point where we would prefer to be imprisoned by the Americans than the Iraqis," Shea Hassan Mullah Ali (ph), head of the Muslim Scholars Association here.
(on camear): After so many years of power being so tightly held, almost everything has been shaken up in Iraq. These are power struggles, being played out in cities and towns across the country.
(voice-over): There was even a representative at meeting of radical Shi'a cleric Muqtada al Sadr who's militia, the U.S. Army fought last year.
Shea Saed Unis (ph) made clear he didn't want anything to do with U.S. forces. But he still agreed for the first time to sit down separately with the U.S. army commanders.
The U.S. military has begun promising to move troops out of cities and towns in sectors where Iraqi security forces are ready and attacks stop. But first, Iraqi religious leaders of all faiths will have to learn to trust their own security forces. Jane Arraf, CNN, Baquba.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOPPEL: Now to a presidential partnership. Former presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush are still touring tsunami-stricken regions. The two leaders got a firsthand look at the destruction in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. They also spoke to survivors about their needs.
Bush and Clinton are encouraging private U.S. donations for tsunami relief. Both leaders are assuring donor their money is being well spent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM CLINTON, FRM. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think we'll have to monitor it. We have to have good auditing systems as we go along. But I do believe donors can be assured that these organizations to which they give their donations are not wasting money. And if you pick one off of the reputable list, you know, they're all honest and that they're going to be out here trying to help people.
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FRM. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We want to be able to assure the donors that the money is being spent wisely, that there's not a lot of overhead between what they give and how it gets to the recipient and there no corruption out there. And the embassies are interested in this, the governments that we talk to, for example, the Indonesians are interested in it and everybody I think is concerned that it not happen and want a guarantee that it not happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: The former presidents spoke to CNN's Wolf Bliter from Sri Lanka today. From there, it's onto the Maldese.
A top 100 list of gizmos that changed the way we live our lives. Or at least some of our lives. That story is next.
Still to come, after you build your dream home, what can you do to make sure it doesn't become a health hazard: from deadly radon gas to toxic mold, we'll find out from one doctor what you need to protect yourself.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOPPEL: That story is next. Still to come, after you build your dream home, what can do you to make sure it doesn't become a health hazard from deadly radon gas to toxic mold, we'll find out from one doctor what you need to protect yourself.
Plus, how Gary Saney (ph) is helping American children help the children of Iraq.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm Rob Marciano at the CNN Weather Center. It's time for the "Cold & Flu Report." These are the latest numbers out of the CDC as of February 12th. More red states popping up on the map over half the states now reporting wide spread cold & flu and the blue states meaning regional. That is one step below so you see a lot red and a lot of blue on the map. And we are peaking out now in the middle of February. Hope your feeling well today, enjoy the rest of your weekend. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOPPEL: From a precursor of the modern computer, the Abicus to the wrist watch to the Swiss army knife and the Pez candy dispenser, can't forget that. "Mobile PC" magazine has put together a list of the top 100 gadgets of all time. Joining us live from San Francisco to discuss the list is "Mobile PC's "editor in chief Christopher Null. And Chris, I understand that you've brought in a bunch of these and they are kind of laid out on the desk in front of you. Why don't you kind of walk us through it. Some of the all-time favorites gadgets.
CHRISTOPHER NULL, "MOBILE PC:" Sure, be glad to. Here's one of the ones that maybe everyone in the audience will remember. Ron Pokeel's (ph) famous pocket fisherman. The fisherman poll that would fold up to a nine inch.
KOPPEL: Now that doesn't fit in anyone's pocket, Chris.
NULL: Well, especially if you have overalls. Didn't go anywhere but the pocket fisherman. This is Ron's first invention. He later gave us things like the vegomatic and the smokeless ashtray and this was the thing that started them all.
KOPPEL: Was that a big seller?
NULL: It's huge and in fact it's still on the market today 50 years later.
KOPPEL: And is it actually effective and actually catching fish?
NULL: Sure. Well it's more about the fisherman than the poll really.
KOPPEL: Oh OK, I see. So in other words you can fish wherever you want at the drop of a hat?
NULL: Exactly.
KOPPEL: OK.
NULL: And another great one, everyone will remember the Etch a Sketch. Probably the first graphical user interface, it dates back to 1960 and again still a great seller.
KOPPEL: I could never make anything that was -- that I would actually classify as art when I was doing that. I just had the squiggly lines.
NULL: You and me both. I think there is a certain advance school of Etch-a-Sketching that I have never been able to crack.
KOPPEL: One of the ones that I think is most useful and certainly has contributed to more Americans gaining weight than any other gadget is the remote control.
NULL: Yes, yes that's a biggy. This is number two on our list and in fact we have one of the original Zenith space command remotes right here. This dates back to 1956. In fact there's no - the reason this still works today is there is no electronics in it. There is no battery. No moving parts expect for the buttons. You can't really see it inside. The way these original remotes worked is there was a tuning fork inside. When you push the button, a hammer strikes down on the tuning fork and it makes a ultra sonic sound to the TV and that tells the TV to turn the channel and this was state of the art for about 20 years before infrared came around.
KOPPEL: That looks like something that make your garage door go up and down rather than change the channel. But speaking of channels, you've also got the Atari Pong which I actually spent many hours enjoying as a kid.
NULL: Yes. I don't know how many hours I wasted on Pong. This is actually Super Pong, which came out a year later. Original Pong was in 1976, this was '77. Super Pong had four different games you could play. You could see the little switch right here. But they're all pretty much just Pong. You'll notice no controllers that you can separate. You both had to huddle in front of the TV in front of this little console, and --
KOPPEL: And who can forget that wonderful noise that it made every time it hit one of the paddle, right?
NULL: Oh, it's classic.
KOPPEL: And speaking of noises, what about the pager? When did that first come into existence?
NULL: Pagers started coming around in the early '80acy but this is really the icon. The Motorola Bravo. This was around -- introduced in 1986 and this is the one that pretty much everyone had on their belt. Motorola sold more of this pager than any other. It was distinguished because it had a top viewing display. You didn't have to take the pager off of your belt to see what it said. It was numeric only, one way strictly and the idea was that you could get special secret codes just when a friend would send you zero to 1, that would mean a special thing to you.
And it was kind of an introduction to the short hand that we have in e-mail and in instant messaging today when we just send special shorthand brb, be right back, things like that. It all started here with the Motorola Bravo.
KOPPEL: Wow. And then of course there was the digital camera, which is, more recently come into existence.
NULL: The digital camera, yes. It started around 1993, '94. This is the Casio qv-10. It was introduced in 1996. It was phenomenally successful because of one major thing. It had the LCD panel on the back. So you could suddenly see what you were taking a picture of before you took it and you could review your pictures right on the camera. This camera today would be extremely arcaic. It has 70,000 pixels versus seven million which is the standard.
KOPPEL: That's a huge difference.
NULL: Yes. It's amazingly low quality, but at the time, it was just, it was a real breath of fresh air for its abilities and plus you had this amazing swivel effect which let's you see what you're taking.
KOPPEL: Very high-tech. Now, drum roll please.
NULL: One thousand dollars in '96.
KOPPEL: A thousand dollars, oh my goodness.
NULL: Yes.
KOPPEL: Well, now we're coming to your number one pick, which is the power book. Why was the power book number one?
NULL: The original power book 100 which we have right here. Is phenomenal for a couple of different reasons. This was introduced in 1991. And all notebook computers before this had one major drawback. The keyboard instead of being back here in the rear of the base was up at front. So if you wanted to use the machine, you had to put it on a table basically. There was no hand rest to do typing with and no way to balance it on your lap.
So, by simply moving the keyboard to the back, Apple solved a major problem in portability. They also solved the second problem inadvertently because they suddenly had place for this track ball which we all take for granted the touch pad. Before you would there is to plug in external mouse or some, clip-on devices which let you do your mouse-type operation. But until this power book 100 book came out in '91, pretty much everyone who used a portable computer still had to do it at their desk. This freed up everybody. Changed the industry forever.
KOPPEL: Absolutely!
NULL: As you know, this is still the standard for computers 15 years later.
KOPPEL: Hey Chris before I let you go, what do you think are some of the -- just one or two of the worst gadgets we have ever seen besides the potato thing?
NULL: My personal worst is the alarm clock. Having to get up in the morning after that horrible, horrible sound or song on the radio that you hate. That's -- that always kills me every time.
KOPPEL: Well it is certainly better than being late.
NULL: Yes --
KOPPEL: Well at least that's my philosophy. Hey, Chris Null, thank you very much for coming in and thank you for bringing in all of those wonderful gadgets with us to help us reminisce on the good old days.
NULL: Thanks for having me. It is great to be here.
KOPPEL: Well can the air in your home make you sick from asbestos to lead? Older homes can contain a longer list of health hazard. Up next we're going to talk with a doctor about things that you can buy and do to protect your family.
But first, a recap of what happened on Wall Street this week.
MYRON KANDEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: First, Sprint agreed to buy Nextel late last year. Then SBC bought AT&T. And now the telecom industry is dialed up another big deal. MCI agreed to be acquired by Verizon for $6.75 billion. Spurning a higher bid from Qwest Communications, but Qwest still hopes to carry the day, and so the fate of a long-distance company is still up in the air.
Federal Reserve Chief Alan Greenspan told Congress the economy is in good shape and that more interest rate hikes are likely. He was also questioned extensively about Social Security and offered a qualified endorsement of President Bush's controversial proposal to create private accounts.
ALAN GREENSPAN, FEDERAL RESERVE: What we need to do is to create a system which the existing system is unable to do, mainly build-up a sufficient full-funding in a reserve system.
KANDEL: On Wall Street, the Dow Industrials edged lowered. The S&P 500 lost nearly a third of 1 percent. The Nasdaq composite lost nearly 1 percent. Myron Kandel, CNN, New York.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOPPEL: And welcome back. Carol Lin is here with a preview of when it's ahead at 6:00. So, what's on tap?
CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're pretty excited. We have the bloger who actually broke the story about this alleged reporter who had incredible access to the White House and the administration. But apparently ran some prostitution Websites. We're going to talk about this whole blogging phenomena but also the credibility of the White House and how aggressively the mainstream media is going after this story. The bottom line is the White House manipulating news coverage.
KOPPEL: Obviously how he got his credentials and things of that nature.
LIN: As we know it can take months if not years to get credentialed for the White House. This man who worked for a Republican-based organization had access to administration officials, was able to get in on a daily pass for about two years. And the White House is not answering questions so far about how he got it. How frequently, who he is and on what basis. Because are there people like Maureen Dowd, the "New York Times" columnist who wasn't able to get one and yet this man was.
KOPPEL: OK, and Carol Lin your show moves to 11:00 tonight. LIN: Yes, it's a big change for the network. We are trying something new. So at 11:00 Eastern on Sunday night, please join us. We have got some exclusive interviews coming up tonight and a big CNN investigation.
KOPPEL: Wonderful look forward to it. Thanks Carol.
And today on "Living Well," we're going to help you do a health check up on your house home. Testing kits are become popular but how effective are they? Dr. Bill Lloyd is an experienced pathologist at the University of California Davis School of Medicine. And he joins us from Sacramento. So, Dr. Lloyd, I understand you're not a fan of these some of them are cheap, some of them aren't so cheap but these test home kits?
DR. BILL LLOYD, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Well Andrea whenever you do a home test kit you are performing an experiment. Most people who do home testing are usually involved in selling a house or buying a house. And when you do these tests, if you don't do them properly or they don't give you the results that you're supposed to get, you could end up with bad information that could cost you money down the road.
KOPPEL: So if people don't buy a home test kit and they want to know if their home is either safe with asbestos with lead, even with mold, what should they do?
LLOYD: Well, there are professionals. You don't have to do your taxes. You can turn it over to professionals. Are there all types of activities that you can hand things over to a professional including testing for dangerous substances in your house. If there is a danger around your house, there is a test available to test for it. It's a multimillion dollar business. You can find them in home improvement stores and plenty of Websites as well. Things like radon which can be in your soil or underneath your hour, asbestos up in your attic, around your pipes. Of course there is lead in paint, particularly in houses that were constructed before 1960 but as recently as 1978, you could have lead in your paint as well and that ubiquitous concern about the dangerous toxic black mold.
What can we do about it? Well you can buy a home kit for mold is nothing but a petri dish. Open it up by a ventilation door and leave it there are a couple of hours and put the cap back on and mail it back. They only do a small sample. The air in this room, at this time of the day, it doesn't give you a universal understanding of what's going on in your property. It's one good reason why you might want to turn it over to a professional.
KOPPEL: Well let's say that you're not going to put your house on the market, but you have been living there for a number of years, are there any signs, any health indications that you one of your members of your family have been exposed to any one of the things you just laid out there, mold, asbestos or lead?
LLOYD: Most of the toxicity that comes from the items you just mentioned could take years to accumulate. That is why it's so important if your thinking about buying a house, demand open an exposure, make it part of the deal. Has this house even been tested for lead? I mean professionally test or abstetes or radon, etc. You could ask your local realtor or local health board, are these specific environmental concerns relevant to my neighborhood? If radon is a concern in your area then sure go ahead and test for radon. You don't want to wait to be occupying a dangerous toxic house to find out later, to find out later that you're going to have to spend plenty trying to remiediate the problem and bringing in people in space suits ripping down walls.
KOPPEL: Sure and while that is good advice, if somebody has been living in their house for a number of years you said sometimes it does take years for these signs to materialize. What are some of the indications that you've been exposed?
LLOYD: Well, if it's an issue with lead, there could be concerns with development with children. The lead dust particles which you cannot effectively clean up around your house, can get into the air. And any body who is resurfacing paint and creating lead dust in the air again from homes from 1978 could cause a danger and you may be able to manifest it in terms of your children. Not doing as well in school. Having behavioral problems, et cetera.
With asbestos of course, we know the problem with special lung tumors. But again it could take 30, 40 years for that to develop. So you get a little home test kit like this and you dab the window seal and did it turn blue? Did it turn pink? I'm in the sure. Problems with observer bias. I don't want to be positive. Maybe it's pink. I'm not sure.
KOPPEL: Good advice. Dr. Bill Lloyd, as always, thank you very much.
LLYOD: We'll talk again soon.
KOPPEL: How are American children helping the education of Iraqi children? We have that story up next.
And coming up at top of the hour, conquering depression. Anderson Cooper takes an in in-depth look at the symptom the causes and treatments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOPPEL: Some U.S. soldiers in Iraq are showing schoolchildren that they have counterparts a world away in America who really care about them. Bob Martin of Albuquerque affiliate KRQE reports now on an extraordinary wartime humanitarian mission called "Operation Iraqi Children."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB MARTIN, KRQE (voice over): For our troops in Iraq, even humanitarian missions like this one are dangerous. Convoys have been attacked, soldiers have died. Despite the hazard, troops like Mary Profit, a reservist and library assistant from Washington are delivering school supplies sent from young students in America. It's called "Operation Iraqi Children."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The children in America wanted to give you presents to help you with your studies. And all of the kids in America want to say hi to you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello!
MARTIN: "Operation Iraqi Children" was created by "CSI: New York's" Gary Sinies after he came here and saw soldiers trying to fill a critical need for filling supplies.
GARY SINIES, CSI: I a saw a lot of good will there between the Iraqis and the soldiers and I wanted to try and support that in some way. So I went to the principal of my own children's school and said let's do a drive for school supplies and out of that I was able to connect with Lori Hillenbrand who wrote "Seabiscuit: an American legend." She had a small project of her own and we joined forces.
MARTIN: Through "Operation Iraqi Children.org, American students put together special packages of supplies. In less than a year, more than 100,000 packages have been shipped. FedEx carries them overseas to volunteers in Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With all of the other organization that have gone away from Iraq, we're frying to make the difference.
MARTIN: Founders hope the program is changing some impressions in Iraq.
SINIES: The American soldier would be viewed as not just a warrior, not just somebody carrying a gun but also a messenger of friendship and goodwill.
MARTIN: Students are grateful for the supplies. Anxious to achieve.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, (Translator): I study to learn. To be an educated person.
MARTIN: American GI's and kids, any war, the same result. Bob martin, for CNN, Mosul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOPPEL: We have a special Anderson Cooper 360 up next. It is an in-depth hour-long look at conquering depression. And later, get a sneak preview of two new shows of viewing on "CNN Headline News" this week. And at 7:00 Eastern we'll have "Showbiz Tonight." Which will give us a behind the scenes look at Oscar and at 8:00 Eastern check out Nancy Grace's brand new show where she'll do justice to legal news. It's always live and unscripted. And at 10:00 Eastern, Anderson Cooper will be back with CNN "Prime Cuts." Learn about an amazing tsunami survival story, plus the decades' old hunt for a serial killer and what is up with America's fascination with IPpods?
We have a check of the headlines right after this short 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
