Tonight, you saw it here first.
I didn't call them.
Preying on you when you need help.
How did you get the call on this?
A Unit 13 exclusive investigation with a report that now has the state capitol taking action.
The new law to protect you.
Plus, I am more optimistic right now than I've ever been.
Day 17 on the MTA strike, why good news could be on the way for commuters.
And killer bees strike close to home.
Your good queen can lay over a thousand eggs per day.
Multiple attacks over the last month.
Tonight, the four things you can do to survive a bee attack.
Also, is that a stuffed animal you're carrying around?
He's one hot dog.
Why you can't say no to this canine.
Then, don't get caught off guard.
A medicine chest checkup.
What you should know to be prepared.
Plus, if somebody say I want to play with your poodle, I want to play with your poodle
doll, but you knew what he was talking about.
A rare interview with Ray Charles.
Tonight, the legendary entertainer on rap, the blues, and sexual feelings.
And Shaq and the team reveal what they did on their summer vacation.
Once I saw Halle Berry, she French kissed me and she said I liked it.
So I just decided to keep it there.
News 13 starts right now.
Hello, everyone.
I'm Natalie Fugio and tonight for Lauren Sanchez.
And I'm Rick Chambers.
Tonight, an exclusive.
Tow truck drivers that listen to police scanners finding out where the accidents have happened.
Then they show up with an offer to help.
It's an update now and an investigation we first brought you a year ago.
And now the governor has taken action.
Unit 13's Christina Penza now with an exclusive report.
How did you get the call?
How did you get the call on this?
Are you listening to the police scanners?
Cops call them bandits or bird doggers.
They're tow truck drivers who appear out of nowhere on accident scenes.
They do it, cops say, by illegally monitoring police scanners for accident calls.
Then racing to beat official police tow trucks to the scene.
Be warned, the bandits' offer of assistance can be very expensive.
We'll recommend an auto body shop that they're in cahoots with.
And from that point on, they'll say are you injured?
You know, here, go see this attorney.
The bandits get kickbacks for bringing in the customers.
That cost gets passed to insurance companies.
And as AAA investigator Don Brogdon told us...
He drives up the insurance rates for everybody.
But state lawmakers are now cracking down on these illegal operations after our investigation
last year caught the attention of Assemblyman Herb Wesson.
He was moved, he says, by the pleas of Phyllis Stewart from our story.
She lost her son Jerry to a bandit tow driver who was racing to beat police to the scene.
I lost a piece of my heart.
I miss him so damn much.
When I saw the mother of the son who had been killed, I felt compelled to do something.
What Wesson did was sponsor a law just signed by the governor.
It will cost the bandits plenty.
The fines are significantly increased.
Now bandits can face up to five grand and six months in jail for a first offense, 10
grand and one year in jail for the second.
They can also have their driver's licenses suspended.
And the worst threat of all, their tow trucks can be impounded.
They're going to have to pay to get the vehicle back and you can't put the vehicle in service.
All of this because of a piece from your station.
And Wesson believes this new legislation will finally send a strong signal to the bandits.
We're coming after you.
Oh, be assured, it'll make a difference.
And the new law goes into effect January 1st.
Now to protect yourself in an accident, police say you should only use a tow truck that you
have called to the scene or one that has the official police garage seal.
Otherwise you have no idea who's taking your car, where they're taking it and what's going
to happen.
It's easy to get confused though.
It's a very emotional time.
Absolutely.
And they know that and that's why they prey on people at that time.
But hopefully now it's going to be harder.
You just have to stay calm.
Absolutely.
All right, Christina, thank you.
Well, now to the MTA strike, day 17.
Union leaders and MTA officials back at the bargaining table.
Here is the latest tonight.
Unions representing striking bus and mechanics and MTA supervisors are allowing their workers
to cross picket lines.
That does not mean the strike is over though.
The union representing striking bus and rail drivers calling it a mistake.
For more on the strike and the controversial move, we go live now to Peter Thorne.
Peter?
Hey, Natalie, unfortunately no major breakthroughs to report in this long strike from out here
tonight.
Negotiations going on in the hotel there behind me.
But what I can report to you is that now with the unions apparently splitting ranks, the
end may be in sight.
Seventeen days into the MTA bus strike, now the first major sign of weakening support
for striking drivers.
An unexpected split inside the union camp.
Friends acting more like foes with this startling announcement.
I am asking my members to return to work on Tuesday morning, October 3rd.
That's right, not just one, but two sister unions representing 2,000 MTA mechanics and
supervisors who had been honoring drivers picket lines, announce they will now cross
them.
Reaction from the bus drivers union, cool.
I think it's a mistake.
I think it's a mistake.
But MTA mechanics are only going back to work for seven days, hoping to jump start stalled
contract talks.
If the MTA does not cut a deal by next week, the gloves come back off.
If MTA doesn't get off the ground, doesn't get somebody a subcontracting and a regressive
bargaining off the table in seven days, they will be a strike here at the likes of which
MTA has never seen before.
Governor Gray Davis over the weekend signing a bill protecting MTA workers rights, got
the two unions to go back to work even if just temporarily, but with drivers still on
strike, still no buses.
Even so, LA Mayor Richard Reardon says he's encouraged.
I am more optimistic right now than I've ever been tonight.
Here's what one MTA rider has to say.
They need to get back to work because just like all of us need to get to work and that's
our only transportation is them.
Apparently the governor is keeping a close watch on these negotiations going on down
here in Pasadena tonight.
I've heard I've learned I should say that Governor Gray Davis personally put a call
in through to the striking bus drivers union chief to lean on him a little bit to show
some flexibility and bring this strike to an end.
As you heard the major sticking points at this point, subcontracting and money issues
coming at you live tonight from Pasadena.
I'm Peter Thornton, News 13.
Natalie back to you.
All right Peter, thanks.
So what will we see tomorrow?
Well both sides will be back for more talks in the morning.
Striking bus and rail drivers still out on those picket lines and there could be some
clashes if striking mechanics or MTA supervisors try to cross those lines.
Later on in the newscast we'll tell you about county workers and their plans to start picketing.
On the night beat tonight a driver is literally taken to the cleaners.
Let's go out to a cedar.
Police say the owner of a dry cleaners destroyed his own business when he hit the accelerator
instead of the brake.
The car suddenly lurched forward, jumped a curb and landed right in the middle of his
shop.
Nobody was hurt but as you can see there is a lot of damage there.
Near Corona a van full of suspected illegal immigrants caught hiding in the brush.
After a high speed chase though along the 60 freeway in the I-15, the driver tonight
is in custody, he's charged with a number of offenses.
The CHP tells us his 19 passengers are now headed back to Mexico.
And the FBI, they need your help in finding this little boy, a kidnapped Mexican boy,
11 year old Francisco Vega.
He is believed to have been abducted by this guy, Francisco Felin Hernandez, a convicted
child molester.
The boy disappeared from Mexicali about a month ago after Hernandez befriended him.
The pair though may be right here in Los Angeles tonight if you see either of them.
Please call your local FBI office or the police.
And that's the news on the night beat tonight.
Well Rick, to Santa Ana tonight a serial rapist strikes again.
This is the suspect police are after but now they say he is a marked man.
On his nose a large red pimple.
Tammy Taylor reports.
To me it's not scary, it's just, it's really upsetting.
Because I have daughters.
Angela Herrera is one of six neighbors who chased the rape suspect after hearing the
victim's screams.
She was in shock.
She was in a lot of shock.
She was scared.
Did she say anything?
She just said he tried to rape me, tried to rape me in Spanish over and over again.
The victim was attacked at knife point just after six this morning.
Just like a half dozen previous sexual assaults, it happened inside a gated apartment complex.
But this time several witnesses saw the suspect.
We can take all of these statements that we have now, put them together, and we've been
able to come up with a more detailed composite.
And because we've had such close contact between these witnesses and the suspect, hopefully
now somebody will come forward.
The suspected serial rapist was chased to a nearby apartment complex where cops using
bloodhounds searched for hours with no luck.
The suspect was wearing this Tommy Hilfinger shirt which he got rid of as he ran away.
While a police task force works full time to solve the case, Angela Herrera says she'll
look for him too.
What would an angry woman do to a guy that tried to do something?
If he had a knife.
I don't need a knife.
Santa Ana has a task force of 30 cops working since last Wednesday full time to try to find
this serial rapist.
They hope that that great big pimple on his nose will make him more identifiable.
Anyone with information, anyone who thinks they might know who he is, well they're asked
to call Santa Ana police.
Live in Santa Ana, Tammy Taylor, News 13, back to you.
Alright Tammy, we appreciate it, thanks for that.
Here are some very important safety tips for you to keep in mind, especially if you live
in a gated apartment complex.
Stay away from the secluded parking lots or the walkways.
Don't go out alone at night if you can help it.
And be careful that no one has followed you into the gated complex.
America 2000 now, George W. Bush getting ready for the great debate tomorrow with Al Gore
in West Virginia.
Bush tells minors they'll be in for a big surprise election day.
Bush's communications director calls Gore a robot when it comes to debating.
Gore relaxed and insists he is not a robot.
Standing in Florida today, Gore says he got ready to debate Bush by talking to real people
in a really relaxed setting.
The Florida Keys, today's polls show Gore and Bush neck and neck.
The debate format in News 13's Graphics in Motion, a traditional two podium set up in
Massachusetts.
Each candidate has two minutes to answer questions from the moderator.
The other candidate gets a minute to respond.
The second debate will be held in North Carolina, the third in St. Louis.
For now though, Nat, the Boston debate is on everyone else's mind.
Tuesday's audience will be the largest that either one of these candidates has ever faced.
Both men must be in top form.
There is a lot at stake.
What's at stake in the debates can be seen in the numbers.
Just 36 days before we go to the polls, nearly 80 million people will tune in tomorrow to
hear what the candidates have to say.
The Olympics are behind us and many Americans are now looking at the candidates and trying
to make up their mind.
It's a very important night.
And at a time when the race is a dead heat with Bush and Gore each grabbing about 45%
of the pie, a lot is on the line.
Sometimes the debates are pivotal, other times they're not.
And you never know until they actually happen.
That's what makes them exciting to watch.
For George W. Bush, it's crucial to show he's a nice guy who understands national policy.
A guy who can handle Washington and get his agenda across.
But also show that he's got the judgment and the sense of humor and the convictions that
people want to have in their next president.
Mr. Gore on the other hand must take command, play up the country's prosperity, detail his
policies and speak from the heart.
That's the Al Gore that people liked at the convention when he gave his speech.
That's the one they've liked along the campaign trail and the debate should be no different.
With all of this advice swirling through both political camps tonight, the number one rule
for both men seems to be be yourself.
And there is a saying, if you can't win a debate, don't lose it.
Both candidates will be trying very hard not to give this one away.
And keep it right here for all the full coverage after the presidential debates.
Tomorrow at 10 o'clock we will have voter reaction and the very latest on the polls.
That's tomorrow right here at 10 o'clock.
All right Rick, killer bees on the hunt are attacks on the rise and what should you do
if killer bees are after you?
Coming up on News 13, the information that could save your life.
We don't need to go out and reinvent the wheel.
They have the unit, now let's give them some positive content.
Thoughtful content that plugs into the gadget just about every kid has today.
The Game Boy still ahead in antidotes to sue the savage video gamer.
Welcome back.
Swarms of angry bees are on the attack all across Southern California.
In fact, just the last week alone a man dies in banning on Tuesday stung by thousands of
bees.
Over the weekend an elderly Lake Forest woman survives about 500 stings.
And in Simi Valley neighbors are chased but they do manage to escape a swarm of angry
bees.
What should you do if the bees come after you?
David Rose has some tips.
Family members mourn Don Algiers who died Tuesday after a killer bee attack near Banning.
Algiers was moving dirt with a backhoe when he dumped it on a culvert sending the bees
inside into a frenzy.
My dad said there were bees in his mouth, in his hair, he had been bitten all around
his neck.
It's one of several recent killer bee attacks.
They've become more common since Kevin Foster's father, 83 year old Virgil, was killed in
Long Beach just over a year ago.
Pops was the first man in California to die from African bees and I don't know, I didn't
warn people for a year now.
Good queen can lay over a thousand eggs per day.
Simon Sharpe, owner of Bee Professional, says he's had 20 recent cases of killer bees including
this one in Beverly Glen.
Almost 20,000 of the insects built a nest in a bay window of Yvonne Bragg's house.
A huge cloud of crazy bees, I mean they were zigzagging everywhere.
They were just swarming all up in here?
Yeah, huge, huge cloud of bees.
Sharpe killed the bees before removing the hive but says someone could have been hurt.
The bees are, you know, they are deaf but they feel vibration and once the gardener
is going to come use the blowers, they can come down and start to sting everybody that
passes here and that can be a real danger.
Bee professionals always wear white because studies show that killer bees will attack
darker colors ten times more often and these special suits are made of a nylon so that
the stingers can't get through.
So what should you do to keep safe from the bees?
If you're attacked, the best thing is to run inside.
Don't jump in the water to get away, the bees will just wait for you to surface.
Don't wear floral or citrus perfume or cologne because it attracts the insects.
And if you are stung, scrape the stingers with a plastic card.
Using your fingers or tweezers to get them out pushes more of the venom into your body.
This is my bee trap.
It's the kind of advice Kevin Foster wants everyone to have so someone else doesn't fall
victim to a killer bee attack.
Be careful.
David Rose, News 13.
And those same bee professionals say that if you can't get inside when attacked, start
running in a zigzag pattern and do it as fast as you can and head for a shady area.
Unfortunately the killer bees can't see well in the shade and that may help you get away.
A lot of good info there.
A deadly fishing trip, a toxic airport and a tea party in Boston without the tea.
Just some of the video making news around the nation tonight.
Seattle, dozens of people coughing and gasping for air.
Some had to be rushed to a hospital.
Seemed something bad got in the air, overwhelming the passengers and employees of Northwest
Airlines.
Folks at the airport think it was pepper spray but they are not sure where it came from.
In southwestern Pennsylvania, four people very lucky to be alive.
Their small plane crashes on landing, barrels right into a nearby woods, rips the wings
off.
The piper was attempting to land at a resort when it's apparently just overshot the runway.
Off the coast of Florida, the Coast Guard rescues the lone survivor of a deadly fishing
trip.
Two friends were out in five foot seas when their boat capsized, trapping one of them
in the pilot house.
A surviving man hid in an air pocket.
In Boston Harbor, not a tea party but a TV party.
Demonstrators calling themselves We the People tossed their sets into the harbor.
They're upset that third party candidates have been excluded from this year's presidential
debates.
And that is the video making news around the nation tonight.
Nat.
Napster fighting for its future tonight.
The dial up music website under fire from the recording industry.
News 13's graphics in motion.
The issue is possible copyright infringement.
Viewers link to servers and download files from them.
But computers from the free Napster software transfer files directly to each other.
Napster can even play the music files or they can be burned onto a CD.
And record companies don't like that.
What do news 13 viewers think?
People are going to trade music anyway so why not trade it over the net?
That's what the net is for.
I guess you kind of have to say it's fair because everyone's getting free music that
should be paid for.
It's like soliciting the artist.
If they're going to do that then there's going to be censorship on all kinds of things.
So I think it's a really fine line that they're going.
And Napster's already tried to reach a settlement with two of the record companies but both
companies turned them down.
Not surprising.
Music at the center of another roaring debate tonight.
The marketing of violence to young people.
Now except this time music, hip hop, rap or any other music is offered as a solution to
teens fixating on violent entertainment.
Teens today have hundreds of ways to obliterate, blast and decimate their free time away.
But a Beverly Hills firm says it's about to introduce an anecdote to the marketing of
violence to kids.
Something to soothe the savage gamer.
Songpro.com's solution is conceptually simple.
Fix it so the 100 million Nintendo Game Boys in the hands of teens today can be converted
into a high tech portable digital music machine with 3D pictures and lyrics.
We provide an enabling technology that allows for the audio and visual enhancement of the
digital experience.
Basically the Songpro is a multimedia mp3 plug in to the Game Boy.
A kid can use a PC to download ebooks, music, educational materials and more onto a 16 megabyte
or larger smart car.
The music and or content is then transmitted to the chip and it plays through our module
and on the screen.
And poof you get a CD player with visuals.
Songpro.com's co-founder Mark Bush says teens will give their violent video games a rest
if they have an equal or better entertainment alternative.
And one thing in particular always works.
We all love music whether it's classical rock, hip hop, jazz.
We all love music.
The irony here is that one of the very tools at the root of the problem may also be an
answer to use something most teens already have and love.
We don't need to go out and reinvent the wheel.
They have the unit.
Now let's give them some positive content.
Songpro.com has already negotiated content deals with Emusic.com, mp3.com and Rapstation.com.
The Songpro enabling technology meanwhile will start hitting the store shelves just
in time for Christmas.
The cost between 89 and 100 dollars.
Just for your kids.
Just in time for Christmas.
Alright.
Watch out for this.
Is he a dog, a toy, an icon?
You decide.
Meet the amazing, mysterious Mr. Winkle.
Still ahead.
I'm Michelle Bonner and I'm a sportscaster.
Coming up later in sports, the world champion Lakers get back to work plus this.
This is for y'all.
This is for everybody.
LA.
Philly.
Some world champion Olympians land back home sports at 1048.
Hi there, I'm Danny Romero.
Look at this.
Right here.
This low spinning off the coast is changing our weather.
What it's gonna do, I'll let you know at 1026.
Right now, here's what's on the way.
On the News 13 rundown.
Mexico and Central America were hit by a category three hurricane this weekend, but what makes
one classified as category one and another says category five?
Well News 13 graphics in motion shows us that category one hurricanes have wind gusts up
to about 95 miles per hour with storm surge of up to about five feet.
Category two have 110 mile per hour winds and surges of up to eight feet.
A category three storm winds reach 130 miles an hour and 12 foot crests.
Category four has winds of about 150 miles per hour and 18 feet of storm surge.
And then the big one, the category five, winds exceed 155 miles an hour and the surge will
get higher than 18 feet.
Wow.
You're in trouble, Lou.
Danny Romero joins us now with our local forecast.
Nothing like that of course here, Danny.
Now all very, very nice things going on for us today.
A few clouds moving in during the morning hours, nothing to worry about.
Of course here at News 13 we're giving you lots more for your weather.
Looking forward all the time.
And here follow along, find your area, then find your low tonight, your high tomorrow,
and then of course your current condition for that same area as I clue you into what
happened weather wise for us.
There's the low spinning right now in that counterclockwise motion.
That's a great shot of it.
You can see as it sits out there it kind of gave us a little bit of an onshore flow today.
That gave us some clouds, some gray skies, especially on the coastal areas, and it kept
the temperatures down.
Very cool, very mild, very nice.
But what's going to be changing here in just a little bit is well these temperatures, like
today the temps are very cool.
You see ocean side 69, Los Angeles a 72.
But towards the inland areas, different story there.
See inland temps are a little bit warmer.
Again because inland got those drier, warmer conditions.
90 Lancaster, you see Van Nuys Valley pushing the 90 mark with an 86 and of course the desert
areas to triple figures.
Now here's what's going on.
We're going to look at now a change coming our way as that low starts to move in towards
southern California.
As it moves towards the coast it's going to bring more moisture, more clouds, and so they're
going to stick around longer.
So the temps are going to stay cooler still and we're going to get more clouds and with
those clouds a slight chance of some drizzle.
So for tomorrow on Tuesday look for that onshore flow to really kick in and really kick up
that marine layer.
Even an eddy will be kicked up as well.
So by Wednesday a lot of onshore flow, a lot of clouds, and a lot of gray skies and yeah
maybe even a little bit of drizzle coming your way.
I'd say Wednesday morning moving in like Tuesday night.
So by Wednesday morning some drizzle, maybe even a light rain in some areas with some
lift like around the foothill areas and the valleys.
But as you look forward to the weekend Thursday into Friday and Saturday we'll start seeing
a little bit of a change because then we turn around and get a high moving in and giving
us the offshore flow.
That's warmer air, that's drier air, and that means warmer temps as well.
So as we head towards Friday and then into Saturday and Sunday into the weekend well
then that high really settles in, pushes the low all the way out.
That high comes in, we get offshore, we get warmer, we get drier, and yeah the temps start
rising up.
Nothing really hot at all.
Actually not very hot at all, just very very nice and warmer days ahead of us for Saturday
and for Sunday.
And here's the next five days of looking for you.
Not bad at all.
Here we go now.
Look at the temps.
Be very cool tomorrow, gray and getting grayer.
So by Tuesday night into Wednesday morning just a little drizzle, that's all I'm not
going to worry about.
That's a little drizzle.
A little wetness, that's all.
Then come Thursday, Friday, and into the weekend we start warming things up, a little breeze
pushing things out, and nice for Saturday and Sunday.
Just tomorrow and Wednesday.
We'll get through it.
I'm going to go through the days that I'm off.
Oh wow, didn't know that.
Sorry.
First the MTA drivers, now county workers.
Hundreds join the picket line.
How will this affect you tomorrow?
Just ahead on News 13.
You ought to have a way to express what you're saying without using filth.
Then we'll go one on one with the legendary Ray Charles.
We're going to hear more on what he has to say about rap and the blues.
Hundreds of LA county workers went on strike today.
They're demanding more money.
Phase one of a rolling strike meant walkouts at animal control and the registrar's office.
Larry Atterberry now with how this is going to affect you.
The first day of rolling walkouts and 800 of the 1,000 employees at the registrar recorder
office were on strike.
The main office was open, but many vital services were not happening.
Having ability to give people birth certificates, marriage licenses, file real estate property
documents, we're only able to do the absolute emergencies at this time.
With an election six weeks away and a continuing strike, it could be devastating.
I feel good because I know this is a big outcome.
I didn't think all these people would be out here, but this is to show Ms. McCormick that
without us, they're nothing.
Before picketing at the animal control centers, 50 out of the 70 employees at six shelters
were on strike.
But despite a one day walkout, animals were a top priority.
Outside feelings were running high.
A lot of us are struggling here.
It's a difficult job and we really want that raise.
So far, the county is offering workers a 9% raise over three years.
The unions want a 15 and a half percent to make up for recession years when they got
no raises.
The officials say no way.
At the registrar recorder's office and here at animal control, this is just a one day
strike.
But the union says if there's no agreement, 47,000 county employees will walk off the
job a week from Wednesday.
In Downey, I'm Larry Attenberry, News 13.
Here's what to look for tomorrow.
Strikers from social services, children's and family services, and public works will
all be off the job.
Remember, if the rolling strike affects public safety, the county will ask a judge to intervene.
Gunfire in Israel, a hurricane hits Nicaragua and freedom in the Philippines.
All making news on the world beat tonight.
Let's go to Israel.
A ceasefire tonight called after another day of violence there.
Palestinian and Israeli soldiers clashing for the fifth straight day.
Both sides blaming each other for the rioting which began after Israeli opposition leaders
visited the shrine.
Millions have been killed, more than a thousand injured.
On to Nicaragua.
Hurricane Keith leaving its mark there.
Hundreds force from their homes after pounding rains and heavy winds sweep through the area.
And look at this, a swift moving river almost becomes a death trap for people trying to
cross it.
Villagers, though, have to come to the rescue.
Meanwhile, the cleanup down there far from over.
Out to the Philippines, 12 evangelists are free tonight, rescued from their captors.
The evangelists had been held hostage for three months by a Muslim extremist group.
A military operation secured their freedom, though.
Five other people, including an American, still being held at this hour.
And that is the news on the world beat.
Madeline.
Rick, tonight there are only nine people in the world who get a chance to work on a special
mission to Mars.
And one of them lives right here in Southern California.
And she's barely a teenager.
How eyes are now with the interview you'll see only on just one station.
Mars, for some it's just the Red Planet, the third rock from the sun.
For others, it's the future.
I want to be an astronaut.
In fact, Kimberly DeRose of Northridge wants to be the first astronaut to walk on Mars.
It's a dream she's always had.
But when she found out she won an essay contest sponsored by the Planetary Society to actually
work on a Mars mission.
I was shocked.
Actually, she was stunned when she found out she was the only American among the nine winners
in the contest.
I'm extremely honored.
I mean, this is such a great, great opportunity for me.
This is what I've always wanted to participate in.
We were fortunate enough to have the world's greatest judges.
Linda Kelly, who oversees the competition for the Planetary Society, says the other
winners are from Brazil, Poland, India, Taiwan, and Hungary.
The only American.
I was jazzed.
It was great.
It was a great honor.
That was something completely unexpected.
Kimberly, who's won science fairs and been to space camps, has dreamed of the day she
might be able to do more than just dream about working on a mission.
Now she and the other winners will program the camera on the Mars Global Surveyor and
plot possible future landing sites.
I've always been fascinated with the stars, space, the unknown.
But exploring Mars and being one of those with the right stuff.
This is your passion.
That's what I love.
That's what I want to do with my life.
A remarkable conclusion when you consider Kimberly is only 13 years old.
In Chatsworth, Hal Ize, News 13.
You think that's young.
There are actually two 10-year-olds in the bunch.
One from Hungary and one from Poland.
In other news tonight, Anna Nicole Smith back in a Houston courtroom and at stake hundreds
of millions of dollars.
The former playmate cried as lawyers were haggling it out in court today.
Now the family feud pits Smith against the family of her billionaire ex-husband, Jay
Howard Marshall.
Smith lawyers say that Marshall's sons were greedy and that Smith deserves half that inheritance.
The money became the driving goal.
It became and is his identity.
Smith's California court victory is only half the battle.
The Houston judge says that Smith needs to win in Texas to get the money.
It's a big night for the legendary Ray Charles.
He's being honored at the House of Blues with a lifetime achievement award.
Earlier today, we sat down with him for an exclusive interview and we have to warn you,
Ray Charles is a charmer even when he's slamming rap.
Ray Charles has been called a pioneer of blues music, but he says he just put his own soul
spin on something that was already there.
The blues basically is only three chords, but it's what you do with those three chords.
In my own way, it was just a mixture and the mixture worked, but I don't know if I'd call
that being pioneering.
With Ray Charles, what you see is what you get and he says heartfelt honesty is what
made his own music popular, honesty without brutally descriptive language.
That's the problem, he says with rap.
You ought to have a way to express what you're saying without using filth.
He says the older artists never had to use filth, they left it to your imagination.
If somebody said, I want to play with your poodle, I want to play with your poodle doll,
but you knew what he was talking about.
Honesty with a bit of honey is how you might describe his music and the man himself who
says he's humbled to receive tonight's award.
I can't find the right words to truly express my gratitude.
I love this guy.
In addition to tonight's award, Charles has won countless of Grammys at his spot in the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but he told us never in his wildest dreams did he expect
that any of this was going to happen.
And you never get tired of hearing it.
You never, especially that laugh.
It's got a great laugh.
Alright folks, what's in your medicine cabinet?
Probably a lot you should be throwing away, but how about those must haves for handling
an emergency?
What to stock up on?
What's next?
Plus, Winkle Mania hits LA.
Meet the puny pooch turning heads everywhere he goes.
This portion of you, the Dow Jones closed higher.
Stay with us.
News 13 returns in one minute.
In tonight's Better Body segment, medicine chests must haves for managing emergencies.
This is the last time you gave your medicine chest a checkup.
For lots of people, the medicine chest is the last place they'd want visitors with good
reason.
For many households, the medicine cabinet is the equivalent of a time capsule.
Full of medicines that could be toxic because they've passed their expiration date.
First step, check expiration dates.
Then just get rid of all out of date products.
Now you're ready to stock up on medicine chest must haves.
The most important item, says Dr. Susan Stangel of UCLA.
Thermometer, very important.
People call all the time with sick children or they're sick themselves and they have no
idea whether they have a fever or how high it is.
If there's a fever, doctors will usually recommend must have number two.
A fever reducer like aspirin.
Tylenol, Advil, something along those lines.
Another emergency you need to be prepared for, allergic attacks.
That means...
Having at least one antihistamine for allergic reactions, something like Benadryl.
Other emergencies that commonly pop up, scratches, cuts and insect bites.
The must have here...
You should have something to clean your skin.
I would recommend something fairly simple like peroxide.
Along with bandaging materials to keep wounds protected from infection, once you've tossed
out all the old drugs and stocked your medicine chest with a thermometer, fever reducer, antihistamine,
and cleaner and bandages, Dr. Stangel recommends moving them all out of the bathroom.
The bathroom is one of the worst places to keep drugs because it's moist and warm and
most medications really should be kept in a more of a cool, dry environment.
Bedroom and kitchen cabinets are other places you can store medications.
Just make sure your kids can't get to them.
And for a closer look at tonight's report, visit our website.
The address is UPN13.com and click on Living in LA and that's tonight's Better Body.
Natalie, here is a rags to riches tale that actually has a tail.
This is not about the latest lotto winner, although a Los Feliz woman may feel like she's
got a winning ticket.
The twist of this story though is that this ticket has four legs.
It's time now to meet the amazing Mr. Winkle.
Lassie, move over.
Rin Tin Tin, take a hike.
Mr. Winkle's in town.
I never expected to have a dog.
I've always been a cat person.
A few years ago, professional photographer Lara Jo Regan was returning home from a shoot
in San Bernardino.
She was driving through a warehouse district when she saw Mr. Winkle alongside of the road
and in bad shape.
He kind of came hobbling toward me.
He was in pretty bad shape.
He had been abandoned or dumped.
Lara spent the next several months getting Mr. Winkle healthy.
Then she took him out for a walk one day and quickly realized that she had a canine star
on her hand.
Everywhere I would walk him, I mean I'm not exaggerating, like little mini mobs of people
would gather around him and just be mesmerized and enchanted.
Now Winkle Mania has taken hold.
He's got a calendar out.
He's even got his own website.
We followed Lara around tonight as she took Mr. Winkle for a stroll, appropriately out
on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
And among the questions she gets, just what kind of dog is that?
I know that he's part Pomeranian, but his exact genetic recipe is a complete mystery
and that's part of the fun.
Now things are moving way beyond calendars and websites.
There's interest in making Mr. Winkle the star of his own movie.
For Lara, it's almost too much to believe.
He just came into my life unexpectedly.
I couldn't have planned something like this.
And it's not just his storybook looks.
Lara says that people have trouble believing that he's real just because of his size.
He's full grown and Natalie, he only weighs five pounds.
And you gotta love that little tongue that sticks out.
You gotta love it.
Size of a guinea pig or even smaller.
Much more ahead on News 13.
The wedding cake disappears before the bride even gets her ring.
We'll tell you why these women are making a mess out of this cake.
Speaking of weddings, is he or isn't he?
The wedding's Monday.
I sent you guys invitations on Tuesday.
Coby keeps us all guessing on his wedding dates.
Sports is next.
Here are tonight's winning numbers.
Stay with us.
News 13 returns in one minute.
Back time for sports.
Michelle is here.
I can't believe that it's the basketball season.
I know.
We were just talking about four sports underway.
I just want to hear about Coby.
You know what?
Everybody wants to hear Coby.
All right.
Party time is officially over tonight.
The world champion Lakers head back to work tomorrow gunning for a repeat but of course
first they had to have one more day of fun with the media.
It was by all accounts your typical media day and Shaq was your typical Shaq.
Can you dig it?
While Shaq's still digging his title of world champ, we were all digging his new Elvis extra
long sideburned goatee look.
Once I saw Halle Berry and she French kissed me and she said I like that so I just decided
to keep it there.
French kissing Halle Berry, my we had an exciting off season.
What else did Shakespeare, Aristotle, whatever he's calling himself these days do this summer?
Went to a lot of gentleman's clubs.
Hang out, stayed out of trouble.
I just did the right thing.
Speaking of doing things.
Are we married yet?
No not yet.
So when are we getting married?
Not that you're going to tell me.
So.
During the season?
Soon.
What was the highlight of your summer if you didn't get married?
The highlight of my summer was going to Kona with my fiancee and just having a vacation.
That was the first time I had off since I can remember.
I just went out there and had a good time.
Went parasailing, bungee jumping, rode a little scooter.
Are you sure it wasn't a honeymoon?
I'm sure.
I'm sure.
I guess we'll know when you show up with a ring on your finger.
When I come to the game and have a wedding band on and you guys know that you missed
on.
The wedding's Monday.
I've seen you guys invitations on Tuesday.
I see.
Why do I think that he did get married in the off season?
Alright.
Clipper is also spending the day entertaining the media.
A lot of new players with a new coach and of course a whole new look.
So to get a peek at the new clips we sent out our new sports guy, Gerard Moncure.
Okay right here.
Nice smile.
Today is all about hamming it up and having fun.
How you gonna do this year?
I don't know.
I don't know man.
I just gotta get these young cats' hair focused and make sure their hair is alright and I'll
be alright.
What's up?
So y'all gonna succeed?
Y'all gonna be better than what y'all were last year?
Yeah we better be.
If not I'm gonna crack somebody in the head.
The ring leader of the young cats, Tyrone Nesby spoke of, top pick Darius Miles.
We like to have fun playing around with the media.
For the first time in over a decade the Clips are sporting new unis.
It's kind of part of the whole package, new players, a new coach.
Now whether or not that's gonna change what's taking place on the hardwood remains to be
seen.
Tell me about the unis.
Are you feeling them?
Yeah I'm feeling them a lot.
I like them.
It's a big change from last year.
What about you?
Well I'm enjoying it.
It's my first year so I'm just having fun.
So you're just happy to have the uniform on?
Yeah.
Laughter aside, new head coach Alvin Gentry knows his work is cut out.
Most of the guys have talked about the fact that they weren't here 10 years ago or 5 years
ago or 3 years ago for that matter.
If you look better and you feel better, do you play better?
Does it work that way?
Um, not yet, not yet.
Um, you know we still gotta go out there and prove ourselves.
Hopefully they bring new results.
Gerard Moncure, News 13.
Hi Gerard, great job and welcome to the team and don't be jealous guys but I got one of
those new Clipper jerseys today with the big 1-3 on it and my name.
We are jealous.
We have a little playoff open tomorrow but the postseason madness has already begun.
Buck Showalter, fired by Arizona.
Jack McKeon, fired by Cincinnati.
Jean Lamont, get the theme here, fired by Pittsburgh.
Terry Francona, fired by Philadelphia.
There you go and all signs point to the Dodgers firing Davy Johnson, I like him by the way,
by the end of the week.
Take it to the NFL, Monday night football, Seattle and Kansas City, all the Scurbak scramble
throws and it's complete to Eric Dickerson.
I don't know Melissa Stark must have been covered on that play.
Third quarter, Chiefs trailing by 10, Gerbak gets his receiver straightened out and throwing
from his own end zone.
He will finally hit Derek Alexander, 73 yard pass play.
Alexander pushed out of bounds with the Seahawks, 22.
Two plays later, Gerbak and Alexander.
Hooking up again, this time for a 17 yard TD.
The Chiefs cut the deficit to 17-14.
Gerbak with 256 yards passing and 2 DDs.
Fourth quarter, game tied at 17 and Mike Cloud breaks off a run right around the left end
and just manages to break the plan of the goal line with his die.
The Chiefs come back to beat the Seahawks 24-17.
Quick update on UCLA running back, Sean Foster.
Doctors rechecked Danny, his broken right hand this afternoon and Foster will not need
surgery.
But he will be out for at least 2-6 weeks.
Fortunately, the Bruins do have a bye this week.
We'll just call it the second coming of the California Gold Rush.
It happened at LAX this morning when United Flight 816 landed from Sydney, Australia.
This is for y'all, this is for everybody, LA, Philly, East Coast, West Coast, North
South, Midwest, it's for y'all.
Y'all help me do this.
I'm so happy, I'm so excited.
That's for everybody.
Not just one or two, but a lot of excited athletes coming home to Southern Cal this
morning all proudly displaying the ultimate sign of Olympic success and all still flying
very high over the total Olympic experience.
It's an incredible feeling.
I worked for this for 20 years you can say and finally to have that goal accomplished,
it's incredible and it's so self-satisfying.
I really, words can't describe it.
1996 was awesome because it was the first time we were ever in Olympic sport but this
one's much sweeter in terms of how we had to do it.
We had to fight really hard, we never gave up, we kept confidence in ourselves and we
walked away with the gold.
If you're looking for gold, LAX was the place to be this morning.
If California was the most represented state in the Olympics.
That's a good trivia question.
So many athletes.
That's a good trivia question.
I would wager yes.
I would too.
That's great.
Thanks.
We gotta go but first a wedding cake turns to mincemeat.
Take a look.
Three, two, one.
Oh, future brides attacking this helpless three-tiered cake in search of a half-carat
diamond engagement ring.
And the icing on this cake, there were 12 rings but only one had a real diamond.
Take a guess who got it.
After 20 minutes, that's the lady right there.
This one worth about $3,500.
Okay, I'd say the groom got off kind of easy there.
It got off real easy.
That's gonna do it for this edition of News 13.
Thanks for joining us.
We will of course see you again tomorrow night at 10 o'clock.
Now stay tuned for Blind Date.
Good night.
You've been watching UPN News 13, named by the Associated Press as California's best one-hour
newscast.
So you'll flunk us if we don't change the world.
You might just squeak by with a C.
It's funny.
You smell good.
Are you sure?
Yeah.
It's touching.
Give her another chance.
For me.
It's real.
It's okay to say you don't like me that way.
How could you ever say that?
It's the most surprising motion picture of the year.
You look good to me.
Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Hailey Joel Osment.
Pay it forward.
Rated PG-13.
Do I strike you as someone falsely nice?
You're not even really all that nice.
Sneak preview this Saturday.
Time comes over, people.
It's SeaWorld.
There must be something in the water.
Hey, Southern California, get $10 off each admission to SeaWorld through November 12th.
What's not to like about that?
I have the greatest bunch of kids in the world.
Someone may only see a handicap, but I see the heart.
Small accomplishments mean so much to them.
We teach the skills that they're going to need once they get out into the world.
The matching grants program through Walmart has enabled us to give them educational experiences
that we cannot simulate in the classroom.
So no matter where they're headed in the future, the experiences that they're having now at
Walmart is what's going to make the difference later in life.
I love all of these kids.
That's what I'm here for.
I did it.
You did.
I just decided I was ready.
I don't know if I'm ready yet.
It's something we're supposed to be doing at our age.
How did it feel?
It felt good.
Voting felt good.
Voting does feel good.
Your vote is your voice.
I hope you're ready to have a vote.
I'm not ready for a vote.
It does feel good. Your vote is your voice. Go to womencount.org and make yourself heard.
I think I'm gonna do it, too.
Visit UPN News 13 at www.upn13.com.
On September 18, 2000, an application for assignment of the license of KCOP-TV Los Angeles, California, Channel 13, from KCOP Television Inc. to Fox Television Stations Inc. was tendered for filing with the Federal Communications Commission.
KCOP Television Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chris Craft Television Inc., which in turn is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BHC Communications Inc.
Chris Craft Industries Inc. holds stock which possesses a majority of the votes of the outstanding stock of BHC Communications Inc.
Herbert J. Siegel owns stock which holds more than 10% of the voting power of Chris Craft Industries Inc.
The officers and directors of KCOP Television Inc. are Herbert J. Siegel, David Woodcock, Evan C. Thompson, Brian C. Kelly, Jolene K. Merkel, and Lawrence R. Barnett.
The officers, directors, and 10% or greater stockholders of Fox Television Stations Inc. are Chase Carey, Mitchell S. Stern, Raymond L. Parrish III, Jay Itzkiewicz, Gerald Friedman, David E. Miller, Elizabeth Swanson, Lesley Cohen, Rita L. Touzon, Gary D. Roberts, Muriel Reese, Molly Parker,
Bonnie I. Bogan, Daphne Gronach, Randall F. Kendor, and Michael R. Knapp.