By David Lee Miller

It seemed like a straightforward assignment: Get over to the United Nations and check out their new “Cool U.N.” plan, part of the organization’s effort to lower energy costs and reduce carbon emissions.  

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had ordered a one-month experiment designed to drastically cut the amount of air conditioning at U.N. headquarters. The building would shut down the a/c air entirely on the weekends, and set thermostats five degrees higher – from 72 to 77 – during the week. U.N. staff were told to dress down for the occasion, dropping their familiar suits and ties for more comfortable clothing. 

Familiar enough with covering hot air at the U.N. – and usually getting a quite cool reception from U.N. officials for doing it, off I went, joined at the scene by TV crews from around the world.  

It wasn’t going to be that easy. 

I mistakenly entered Ban’s conference room upon arrival – actually, so did a number of other reporters - only to find it as chilly as a meat locker. “COOL U.N.” indeed.  

That led to some rather heated informal questioning of the U.N. boss after we were brought into the room where he was to discuss his ostensibly energy-saving initiative. Here’s how it went: 

ME: Quick question, Secretary General. I notice this room is warm, but the room next door, the conference room, felt like an icebox. Why is the room next to this one so cold?  

BAN: I have been feeling at times very warm in this room. So I had to move sometimes to my next door conference room.

ME: It’s like a meat locker in there. 

BAN: Next door will be set at 77 degrees. 

ME: But why is it so much colder in there now?  

BAN: Because of this particular situation in this room the temperature may be a little bit warmer than normal, but conference will be set at 77 degrees.  

Moving on, we thought we might get some answers at the daily U.N. briefing. There a spokeswoman explained that the conference room temperature was actually not at 77 degrees but at…80!  

Which forced us once again to ask the same question: So why’s it so cold in there?  

The answer: U.N. headquarters is a very old building, and rooms can experience drastically different temperatures. Even, it seems, when they’re set to 80, it feels 20 degrees cooler.  

“There is no special setup for the secretary-general’s office,” we were told.  

Apparently not.  

Controversy aside, if the experiment does not interfere with productivity, U.N. officials say energy-saving measures could take effect year-round. The savings: an estimated one million dollars.

And that’s a lot of hot air, either way you cut it.  

On a superficial level, traveling with expensive, high-tech cameras, lights and polished network correspondents can make you feel pretty important. But a recent assignment in Durham, NC put my ego in it’s place. (An occasional reality check is good for all of us).

As we usually do, we arrived at Duke Children’s Hospital pushing our cart stocked with lights, microphones, cameras and other necessary broadcast equipment. Our crew was made up of a photographer, audio technician, Atlanta Bureau Correspondent Jonathan Serrie and myself, the all-important producer. Quite an impressive sight walking through the door on most occasions. But when entering a children’s hospital where medical miracles are performed, I had to check my ego at the door.

We were at Duke to cover an experimental procedure that might be able to help three year old Zoey Komninos. Zoey was born with cerebral palsy. She can’t walk or talk and her parents feed her several times a day through a feeding tube. Melanie and Jim Komninos saved the blood from Zoey’s umbilical cord when she was born. For the past three years, the family has been paying a private laboratory to keep the frozen blood in safe storage.

Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg has been working with cord blood since 1993 and hopes the stem cells in Zoey’s cord blood might help her condition by reversing some of the damage to her brain cells. That day, Dr. Kurtzberg was infusing the cord blood into Zoey’s body and we were there to cover the procedure.

It wasn’t long into our shoot that I realized the buzz of activity going on around us. It’s activity that happens every day, without fail, even after the network TV crew is gone. The third floor of Duke Children’s Hospital at Duke University Medical Center is ground zero for many kids in the fight of their young lives against cancer, leukemia and other deadly diseases. We were in the outpatient area, the place where many of these kids come to get life-saving medicine, chemotherapy and medical support from the doctors and nurses who work this floor every day. The room was filled with small children, some in diapers. Even a teenage boy who probably would rather be in gym class this day. They were sitting in recliners or lying on beds, many of them hooked to IVs and machines monitoring their vital signs. I was most impressed with the staff on the floor. Doctors, nurses, counselors, even a guitar wielding man with a goatee, who was there to entertain and possibly bring a smile to those little faces. They all played a vital role in making sure that these kids had the best care the medical community could offer.

I am always in awe of those who work in medicine. I can only imagine how many years they spent in school to learn the intricate workings of the human body and all the medicines and procedures they have to study on a regular basis just to do their jobs. But what amazes me the most is the personal side of practicing medicine. In the face of very sick kids, frustrated and worried parents and a demanding medical system that never shuts down, these doctors and nurses focus on being human first. I saw it in Dr. Kurtzberg who wore a simple t-shirt with a dog on it and used princess stickers to make the medical equipment less scary to already frightened kids. I saw it in Kristin, one of the nurses who wore bright red scrubs and a warm smile while helping little Zoey and other kids through their procedures. And I saw it in Wendy, another nurse who took time out from her rounds to give me a Sesame Street bandage to cover a cut on my index finger.

On Sunday night at 7 PM (Eastern) and throughout Monday morning, check out the story that Jonathan Serrie and I put together about little Zoey Komninos and her experimental cord blood infusion. Her parents know the procedure may not even help Zoey at all. Dr. Kurtzberg was very clear to make sure that all our viewers understood that this is not a miracle cure, just an experimental procedure that might improve some of her symptoms. Despite what happens with Zoey, her parents are happy to have a beautiful and loving little girl.

We all have important jobs. Even my job makes a difference in people’s lives every now and then. But I have to hand it to the folks who work at Duke Children’s Hospital. If it weren’t for their knowledge, hard work and personal touch, kids like Zoey and that teenage boy who would have rather been in gym class might lose the fight against horrible diseases no one should have to suffer, at any age.

Islamabad, Pakistan - Not getting the welcome home he wanted, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousef Gilani returned to Islamabad today after three days of high-level meetings in the U.S. as a battle raged in the northwestern Swat valley. While he was gone, violence has kicked-up in Swat where a pro-Taliban militant group has been steadily increasing its influence and power despite a peace deal with the government back in May. Pakistan’s military has been battling with the militants for two days after Taliban fighters abducted 25 policemen. Nearly 60 people have been killed, including 13 civilians. This is just such a situation Prime Minster Gilani says his government will handle in its own way while on his state visit to the U.S.

There’s American concern that the Pakistan government’s choice to talk with tribal elders to use their influence with militants is not working. In fact, top U.S. military officials believe talks have given Taliban militants more room to grow and allows safe havens for Al Qaeda leaders hiding out in the remote region to remain. When asked by Fox News about this concern, Major General Athar Abbas, the Pakistani Army Spokesman, said “There are no quick fixes to this problem, we have to go for solutions which are homegrown.” Meaning, the situation is in Pakistan and has to be dealt with in a Pakistani way.

In the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), militants are continuing to cross over into Afghanistan to attack U.S.-led coalition forces and their Afghan counterparts. Afghan and NATO officials say the attacks are up 40% this year. And recently the top Taliban leader in Pakistan Beitullah Mesud started pulling militant groups together creating a Taliban umbrella organization. But some groups are holding out and not joining. They are steadfast in staying on their own such as one group who has created parallel systems because they say the government is not providing the Islamic way of life they want.

One such group is Lashkar-e-Islam, the local Taliban that controls the Khyber Tribal agency. Their number two in charge, Haji Mesri Khan, gave Fox News a rare one-on-one interview this week in FATA. Khan said “Ever since assistant secretary of State Richard Boucher visited (Pakistan) and they (Pakistani Government) started to take money from the U.S. and attacked us, things have gone bad between us and the government.” The big picture impact of what could happen if the militants continue to train, arm and grow is dire. It’s thought that the next major terrorist attack on the West could be planned in FATA.

I had just gotten home from working on a medical story in Raleigh. My flight into Atlanta was slightly late due to weather, but I was home in time for a little dinner and relaxation before bed.

My focus was on the story I just shot and how I was going to structure the words and pictures about this three-year-old girl who had cerebral palsy. I was surfing the Internet and not really paying attention to the TV when my blackberry started buzzing. I half ignored it. We always get press releases and not so urgent announcements from various companies and organizations. But something told me instead to ignore the reality show I was watching long enough to see what junk or email I would be deleting. I was shocked to see that this e-mail wasn’t a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new library in Alabama or some statement from a political campaign.

This e-mail was from the Fayetteville Police Department in North Carolina. It was marked urgent and looked very serious. The headline read “Megan Touma Case- Arrest of Edgar Patino.” The Fayetteville Police Department made a break in a month old murder case and it was a big one. The story shook this community known for it’s military roots with Fort Bragg smack inside the city limits.

Back in June Army Specialist Megan Touma, just 23 years old, was found dead in her Fayetteville Motel Room. She was in the bathtub, badly decompsed and seven months pregnant when police found her. The headlines and non-stop media coverage had locals asking lots of questions. When her death was ruled a homicide, everyone wondered who could do such a thing? Not only to a vibrant young woman but also to an unborn child…someone who never even had the chance to make an enemy in this world.

I read more on my blackberry. Behind bars and charged with her death was a fellow soldier 27 year old Edgar Patino. He was arrested at his Fayetteville home on July 29th. A call from my bureau chief brought the instructions I was expecting. Be on the first flight to Fayetteville in the morning.

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TUESDAY NIGHT VIDEO….BEHIND THE SCENES!

On our way into Yosemite to check out the park, we ran across this amazing scene. Watch as helicopter pilots drop down in narrow canyons to get water. Amazing work!  done

THIS IS LATE BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO FROM THE TELEGRAPH FIRE

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Welcome to Yosemite. That’s the sign in these parts. Over the course of modern time, millions of people from all over the globe have come here. From the time of horse and buggies, to limiting auto’s in the park, Yosemite has withstood the test of time. Its stunning vistas and amazing mix of natural wonders, now like much of California, shadowed by the black/brown/gray layer of smoke that has ruined the blue skies of the Golden State. I got the call on the way to the airport. I had come to Tahoe and Northern California for a wedding and a birthday and the drive a couple of days ago along I-80 revealed the lingering smoke that stretches over much of the northern state. I saw it again today as I grabbed a rental car at the Sacramento Airport and headed south on Highway 99. I hadn’t expected to be at the fires and I made a quick pit stop to get some fire clothes. The entire drive, the foothills of the Sierra was obscured. A blackish blanket that thickened as I passed through Stockton, Modesto, Turlock and Atwater. The temperature is warm and the humidity down…a warm breeze also blows. While this is tough weather, in normal years, this likely wouldn’t be enough to fuel and even erupt a fire. This year is sooooo much different as I have explained in the four previous fires I have covered. We are here again, homes and lives threatened. We will get you updates and watch yet another battle with the flames in ultra dry California.

MONDAY NIGHT

Minutes before our scheduled live shot in tonight’s Fox Report, a thunderstorm knocked over our lights and tent. Producer David Lewkowict handed me his cell, which he had dialed into our New York control room so that I could do Q and A with Shep by phone.

Amid the downpour and all the thunder and lightning, I saw residents walking to 2nd Presbyterian Church, which was holding a memorial service for the victims of Sunday’s shooting at the Unitarian church next door. They were drenched. Yet they continued to walk in stoic defiance of the elements.

Despite the weather, an estimated 1-thousand people showed up for the memorial — many from nearby churches and synagogues — to help support those who suffered losses during Sunday morning’s violence..

These diverse congregations of Christians, Jews and Unitarians, no doubt, have significant theological differences. But all seem committed to the American ideal of freedom of religion. And they’ve demonstrated they will not be intimidated — by thunder, or a gunman’s rampage. Keep Reading …

When I met 2 year old Brittan Allison, he was a little shy, but immediately warmed up to our crew. Then I noticed something: his right arm didn’t move and he was walking along slowly dragging his right leg. Yet, he just smiled and laughed and played with his big brother just like any little kid. Only Brittan has endured more in his young life than most adults probably will in a lifetime.

Brittan was born with a heart condition and a rare blood condition that has led to three strokes which paralyzed his right side. So his pediatrician prescribed Plavix which is a blood thinner usually given to adult heart attack patients and the elderly. Brittan’s mom, Paige Allison, says so far the drug is working. She says she doesn’t worry about the fact that most of these adult drugs have not been tested in clinical trials on children. Brittan’s pediatrician at Duke Medical Center in Durham says drug companies need to do more research into developing pediatric versions of adult medications.

CLICK OVER TO READ BLANTON BROOKS’ COVERAGE OF THIS STORY >>

Right now, doctors are guessing the appropriate dosages based on a child’s body weight. As far as Brittan’s parents are concerned, the drug is easy to administer and is much better than the alternative which is the danger of Brittan suffering another damaging or perhaps fatal stroke. The day we were there, Brittan showed us how he’s learned to get up the staircase at his house pretty fast even without full use of his right arm and leg.

A FAMILY’S STRENGTH

There is something I would like to add to this. The Allisons told us they don’t feel like they have it so bad. After all, they said, there are plenty of people out there having a tougher time with life’s struggles. I was so impressed with how loving and patient they were with Brittan, especially when it came time to take his meds. He cried and protested, but right after he took them, he was back up and running.

He walked over to me, grabbed the bracelets on my wrist, and just looked up at me and laughed like any toddler would.

Comic Con is now in full swing. That means 125,000 comic book lovers…many dressed as their favorite character. I’ve seen just about all the Star Wars characters, plenty of Batmen and a few Ghostbusters for good measure.

This unusual crowd has become critical to the recent success of Hollywood. Right next to a vendor selling comic strip drawings you’ll see a flashy set-up from Paramount Pictures or Sony. The big studios have been raking in the cash in recent years with their films adapted from comic books. This year’s Batman movie, Dark Knight is likely to smash all records. It grossed $203 million in its first 5 days..becoming the fastest movie to reach $200-million smashing the old record by 3 days. Hollywood has learned that Comic Con is a great place to generate buzz about their upcoming films. These fans leave San Diego and blog endlessly about the convention and the cool movies they got to get a sneak peak at. And 2008 is shaping up as the Year of the Comic Book Movie. In addition to Batman, there’s Iron Man, The Hulk, Hellboy, and Hancock…all big budget movies.

I have to say when you get beyond the big studio releases, the comic book movies get pretty strange and have a much smaller audience. For every Batman, there are several movies that are true to the graphic novels, lots of sex, blood and always very dark. But these fans eat it up. They love their flawed heroes and twisted story lines.

But Comic Con is showing no signs of slowing down. What started as 300 people gathering in the basement of a San Diego hotel 38 years ago has now taken over the entire San Diego Convention Center with more that 1,000 exhibitors. In fact, organizers say they need even more space and are trying to get the Convention Center to expand. The weekend even brings in some $40-million to the local economy. Geek Pride Day has its economic benefit.

George Sarris is among 21 restaurant owners donating used cooking oil to the City of Hoover, Ala.. "I never thought in my life that we'd cook fish one day and, in the next few days, it would be used for fuel in automobiles," Sarris said.

Abe Einhorn, one of our college interns, came up with this witty phrase to describe what folks are doing in Hoover, Ala.: “turning French fries into freedom fuel.”

Faced with the rising cost of diesel, this Birmingham suburb of 75-thousand residents launched an ambitious recycling program to turn used cooking oil into bio-diesel fuel for 160 trucks in its municipal fleet.

Now, instead of paying upwards of $4 a gallon for petroleum from sometimes hostile foreign regimes, the City of Hoover spends about 1 dollar a gallon making fuel out of grease collected from considerably friendlier places — such as Sarris Cafe, where pleasant servers address customers with such terms of endearment as “Baby” and “Sweetie.”

Mmmm… French fries.

Another endearing aspect of recycled cooking oil is the smell of the exhaust it produces. “If you get behind a dump truck and it smells like french fries, you know it’s a Hoover dump truck,” said Mayor Tony Petelos. For a detailed demonstration of how the city is converting cooking oil into bio-diesel fuel, click on the video below.

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Beyond Grease

Although our story focuses on the novelty of converting grease into bio-diesel, it is only part of Hoover’s alternative energy portfolio. Keep Reading …