Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Good Morning America on Velvet for January 30

MYSTERY ROOM SERIES: THE AMBER ROOM
We travel across the globe to uncover some of the world’s mysteries surrounding famous rooms, buildings, sites. Claire Shipman will be live from St Petersburg, Russia with the Mystery of the Amber Room. The original Amber Room in the Catherine Palace near Saint Petersburg was a complete chamber decoration of amber panels backed with gold leaf and mirrors. Due to its singular beauty, it was sometimes dubbed the "Eighth Wonder of the World". The Amber Room was created from 1701 to 1709 in Prussia and remained at Charlottenburg Palace until 1716 when it was given by Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm I to his then ally, Tsar Peter the Great of the Russian Empire. The Amber Room was looted during World War II by Nazi Germany and brought to Königsberg. Knowledge of its whereabouts was lost in the chaos at the end of the war. Its fate remains a mystery, and the search continues. A reconstructed Amber Room was inaugurated in 2003 in the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia.

SINS OF A FATHER

The kid hated needles. But it hardly mattered. About once a week he'd roll up his sleeve, expose his shoulder and feel the cold metal plunge into what little muscle he had there. He would scrunch up his face as if he had smelled something foul and often close his eyes until the contents of the syringe emptied into his bloodstream. Then he could return to his PlayStation 2. The injections had started in 2002, when Corey Gahan was one of the top in-line skaters in the world for his age group. At first the shots contained B-12 vitamins; soon he began receiving human growth hormone as well, and later steady doses of steroids in the form of synthetic testosterone. Both his father and his trainer, Corey says, assured him that the shots were for the best. In April '06 the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) recommended a two-year suspension for Corey and he was ordered to forfeit results dating back to May 2004. Corey's reinstatement was contingent on his getting counseling and receiving a medical evaluation. "This case shows the extent to which drugs have infiltrated youth sports," says USADA chief executive officer Travis Tygart. "It's a grave societal problem. In my view it's just as pernicious as crack cocaine and meth abuse, though some people might think it's more acceptable. It was hard to punish this kid. Yes, he cheated and unfairly beat other competitors, but he was under his father's influence. The kid was a victim." When authorities confronted Miller and Pavicic the two men fingered Jim Gahan. At first Corey refused to implicate his father, but by December 2006, after being banned from competition and with the evidence mounting against Jim, Corey decided to cooperate with the investigators. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Porcelli, the lead prosecutor in the case, Corey's cooperation was a key element in forcing his father's guilty plea. On Jan. 7 Jim was sentenced for providing steroids to his son. With a a jailhouse interview with Jim Gahan, and a live studio interview with Corey.

EAT THIS AND NOT THAT: SUPERBOWL EDITION

Matt Bean from Men’s Health will be here with tips on how to eat smart at those Superbowl parties.

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