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CNN Live Sunday

Dawn Of The Dead No. 1 At Box Office; A Look At Oscure Tax Deductions

Aired March 21, 2004 - 16:30   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SUNDAY: A look at the top stories now. At least five Palestinians are dead after the latest round of violence in southern Gaza. Palestinian sources say Israeli forces backed by about 20 tanks rolled into an area near a refugee camp today. The Israelis say the raid was targeting terrorism. A Hamas operative and his wife were among those killed.
Rockets targeting the heavily protected green zone in Baghdad killed two Iraqis today and wounded at least six other people. A U.S. soldier is among those injured in that attack.

The standoff continues along the Afghan border between Pakistani troops and suspected members of Al Qaeda. Speaking earlier today with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S. said a high- value target is still believed to be hiding out in the mountainous region. Officials earlier suggested that the target could be Al Zawahiri; Al Qaeda's number two man.

Senator John McCain says support of the war in the Iraq is not the only reason Spain's ruling popular party lost an election last week. McCain says the Spanish government finger pointing at Basque's separatist after the train bombings in Madrid contributed to the defeat. Appearing on a morning talk show McCain said Spanish voters felt they had been misled.

Spaniards carried that anger to the polls where they cleaned house in light of prime minister elect Jose Louise Rodriquous Sabitario (ph) win in last week's election, the Basque separatist group Spain initially blamed for the bombings ETA. Is now speaking a dialog. But Sabitarios (ph) socialist party says no. It wants the rebel group to surrender all of its weapons and cease fighting.

Well did voters in Spain allow themselves to be intimidated by the Madrid bombings? Edward Luttwak is with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, he has written an op ed piece in today's "New York Times" and is suggesting that if the elections had been delayed by just a week the outcome would have been different. How so?

EDWARD LUTTWAK, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Well, in Europe, all of the larger countries, Britain, Italy Spain itself, France, had been through terrorism before. For Americans terrorism is a new thing. Not for them and the rule was firmly established that no political party should ever take advantage of it in any way against any other political party.

WHITFIELD: So do you think the socialist party then did take advantage of people as result of the terrorist attacks?

LUTTWAK: Absolutely. Because the terrorist there was no campaigning after the Madrid attacks. And during that no campaigning period they organized attacks against the various headquarters of the opposition party, accusing them, saying, because you took us to Iraq, that's why we are dying in Madrid. And that was the message they launched, and this was colossally responsibility, and a total breach of the rules.

WHITFIELD: But already prior to the Election Day, 90 percent of Spaniards had been polled, and all were against Spain's participation in Iraq.

LUTTWAK: There was no doubt the public opinion was against the whole, the entire intervention in Iraq, but public opinion also wanted to re-elect the popular party of Aznar, because the popular party had been so successful in the previous years. And I -- you know, I had the honor of working for the previous socialist government as an anti- terrorism consultant. I can tell you this lot certainly did not behave as the previous session when faced with the big wave of --

WHITFIELD: When you mentioned it's a decades old tactic to have violent attacks such as this in many places around the world just prior to an election. What made it different this time that perhaps that attack did indeed influence the vote?

LUTTWAK: Well, this attack came immediately before the vote, and the reaction of the socialists to what happened guarantees -- I hope not, but increases enormously the possibility of the other pre election attacks. I mean we now know that three or four people with very little money and little brains can kill hundreds in any of these huge modern cities. We know that and they're going to do it.

WHITFIELD: Well if the outcome of that Spanish race does in any way empower terrorists, what are your concerns about an upcoming election here in the U.S., given the climate of things around the world now?

LUTTWAK: Well, evidently the fact that we've not had attacks after September 11th shows that it's harder to operate in the United States. We're not dealing with powerful people. Al Qaeda is dead. There are only fragments of it here and there. We're dealing with hot heads, groups of hot head, not very smart. They can't do very much. In Madrid, there is a large Moroccan community and among them some are extremists and the gangsters, sold them explosives and they went ahead and did it.

In this country, it's just that much harder to operate. And since they are not formidable, they are not that great, our general security has prevented this so far, and may well prevent it through November. But the gravity of what happened is for Europe, a very serious matter, indeed it is. That you have a defection of a major political party surrendering in this way.

WHITFIELD: Edward Luttwak of The Center for Strategic and International Studies, joining us from Washington, thanks very much. LUTTWAK: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Well now a look at other news around the world. In Kosovo, funerals test a fragile piece. Thousands of ethnic Albanians gather to mourn the death of two boys ages 9 and 11 years; the children drown after allegedly being chased by Serbs into the river. It sparked deadliest ethic violence since the war in Kosovo ended five years ago.

A third boy was with them, but only two bodies have been recovered. There was heavy security and the families of the boys urge mourners to disperse peacefully.

In Malaysia's national election, a surprise victory. The government winning two key Muslim dominated states back from the countries fundamentalist Islamic opposition. The win shows Malaysia's prime minister succeeded in rolling back the influence of the Islamic opposition. This amid fears that religious fundamentalism was on the rise in the mostly Muslim country.

And in Germany, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder quit as leader of his political party. This social Democrat but he remains Chancellor. And says he'll seek a third term. Schroeder says he will press ahead with unpopular cuts in jobless benefits, and new rules making it easier for companies to fire employees.

In Taiwan, controversy and conspiracy theories are swarming after a deeply divisive election victory for that president. Our Mike Chinoy has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE CHINOY, SENIOR ASIA CORRESPONDENT: Bitter -- frustrated -- angry. Still unwilling to accept defeat. Thousands of supporters of opposition candidate Lean Jiang (ph), massed outside the presidential office in Taipei after an election where more than 300,000 votes were ruled invalid and the outcome was determined by just 30,000 votes. The opposition believes President Tie Chen Ben (ph) survived an apparent assassination attempt on Friday stole the election. Some even endorsing popular rumors that Chen staged his own shooting to generate a sympathy vote.

Addressing the crowd, opposition leader Lean Jiang demanded an immediate recount and that foreign experts participate in an independent investigation of Friday's attack. He said protesters would remain on the streets until their demands were met. A Taiwan court ordered all ballot boxes sealed, and given the opposition, two weeks to produce evidence to justify a recount.

Meanwhile, Chen's aides made public photos of the president being treated for a gunshot wound, seeking to dispel speculation the incident was somehow faked. But with no arrests, no weapons found, no suspects identified and accusations of political interference in the investigation, questions about Friday's incident remain.

The political deadlock here, after a bitterly fought campaign has created an unprecedented crisis for Taiwan young democracy. This was only the third presidential election year. And even if the court upholds his victory, Chen must still govern a deeply divided island in which many of those who voted against him. Including the demonstrators behind me do not accept him as a legitimate leader of Taiwan. Mike Chinoy, CNN, Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Turning to U.S. politics now. The campaign coffers are growing for both President Bush and Senator John Kerry, but the Democratic candidate is barely keeping ahead of his spending. Kerry's campaign collected $8.4 million last month, but after expenses, his campaign war chest was worth only about a quarter of that. In contrast, President Bush's campaign has $110 million on hand. It took in $13.7 million last month alone.

Howard Dean used to be a serious threat to the Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry's campaign. Now Dean is vowing to help Kerry in his quest to unseat President Bush. Is that a good thing for Kerry? CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL SCHNEIDER, SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Does Howard Dean help or hurt John Kerry? That depends on whether Dean sees himself primarily as Kerry's ambassador to the left, or as the left's ambassador to Kerry. Dean has promised to rally his supporters for Kerry. Probably less because of his high regard for Kerry than because of his hostility to Bush.

HOWARD DEAN, (D) FMR. PRES. CANDIDATE: I intend to do everything I can to send George W. Bush back to Crawford, Texas, and move John Kerry into the White House.

SCHNEIDER: What Dean brings to the table, is not large numbers of voters. He didn't win a single primary outside of his home state of Vermont. He brings a wired network with an impressive fund-raising record.

DEAN: Like the Dean for American campaign democracy for America will maintain interactive Web sites where supporters can plug in join in on the discussion, get involved.

SCHNEIDER: Dean also brings a message of empowerment, which Kerry has already appropriated.

DEAN: The pourer to change this country is in your hands, not mine.

KERRY: We need to change what is happening in this country. And the power to change it is in your hands.

SCHNEIDER: Dean also helps Kerry deal with the Ralph Nader problem.

DEAN: Because this election is really critical, that we not stray to third party and independent candidates.

SCHNEIDER: But Dean also sees himself as the left's ambassador to Kerry.

DEAN: Keeping folks in Washington on the straight and narrow and responsive too ordinary Americans is a full-time job.

SCHNEIDER: He will pressure Kerry to keep the faith.

DEAN: We've got to stand up for our principles and not paper over differences.

SCHNEIDER: That can create problems. Like when Dean said last week in the conference call to reporters the president is the one who dragged our troops to Iraq, which has apparently been a factor in the death of 200 Spaniards over the weekend. That's not our position, Kerry responded. Statements like that from Dean's mouth can drive up the enthusiasm of Dean's anti-Bush supporters. But they cannot come out of Kerry's mouth. Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Moviegoers crowned a new king at the box office. Still to come, we'll tell you who unseated Mel Gibson "The Passion." Plus.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is relief for every gay and lesbian person across the country.

WHITFIELD: A religious verdict is handed down in the case against a lesbian minister.

And after the break, it doesn't look impressive now. But stick around to see what happened when Veterans Stadium faced 3,000 pounds of explosives.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Across America now, in Columbus, Ohio, the man suspected in two dozen shootings in the Interstate 270 area faces a court appearance tomorrow. Authorities extradited 28-year-old Charles McCoy Jr. from Las Vegas back to Columbus yesterday.

In Butho, Washington, even the pastor who prosecuted a lesbian united Methodist minister and the bishop who filed the complaint say they are relieved that a church trial acquitted the minister. The Reverend Karen Demand recently married her female partner of nine years. A jury of 13 pastors decided this weekend to let her keep her ministry.

Section by section, another one bites the dust. Veterans Stadium yesterday suffered this same and glorious fate as many other old stadiums. It took 3,000 pounds of explosives just over a minute to implode the structure. Philly now has baseball and football only stadiums. The vet space will give way to parking lot now. Well have you filled out your tax forms? You have just less than three weeks to get those returns filed. But believe it or not, there are still some things you can do to cut your tax bill. Valerie Morris looks at deductions you may not even know about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIE MORRIS, CNN CORRESPODNENT: Food record keeping isn't just about being organized. It can help taxpayers save a lot money.

GARY AMBROSE, CEP PERSONAL CAPITAL MGMT: I would say that people probably don't get the most from their tax deductions because of lack of proper record keeping. If you have good records of what you spent, how much you spent and why you've spent it when you do your tax returns, you should be able to capture all of this. General rule, if you think broadly as your going through your expenditures, you probably save a lot of money on taxes.

MORRIS: The list of allowed deductions is long.

AMBROSE: Whenever you spend money to make money or preserve wealth you already have, those expenses are deductible somewhere on the return.

MORRIS: Those deductions include money paid to attorneys for estate planning, or to an accountant to prepare your taxes. Money spent to improve your investment decisions. If for example you buy the "Wall Street Journal" or subscribe to "Money" magazine, you can deduct those costs. You can also deduct the cost of a safe-deposit box to keep your stocks and bonds protected. If you must wear a special uniform for work, you can deduct the costs, but not the clothing that might also be worn outside work, like a new suit. Most people know charitable contributions are deductible, but many people overlook charity-related costs.

AMBROSE: Driving to a charitable function is 12 cents a mile. You can deduct that. If you're laying out money to buy supplies and doing work for a charitable organization, you go to Staples and buy supplies for the organization that would be deductible.

MORRIS: Some hybrid cars such as the Honda Civic hybrid, qualify for the IRS clean fuel vehicle deduction. Snapper says the point is don't be afraid to deduct.

AMBROSE: A lot of people don't take actual deductions for the very reason; oh I'm afraid the IRS isn't going to like this deduction. Well the IRS gave you that deduction. As long as you have the support, as long as you have the canceled checks, you can show you truly paid this money, you used it for the right things, it's deductible. Don't worry about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORRIS (on camera): To find a list of everything that is deductible, go to a tax preparation web site or straight to the IRS' Web site at irs.gov and search for publication 17, that is the most comprehensive list of deductions for individual taxpayers. Valerie Morris, CNN financial news, New York.

WHITFIELD: The makers of a 250-calorie confectioner are looking to capitalize on America's sweet tooth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's dreamy and creamy. It's better than having a lover, if you don't have one. It's better than a lot of them.

WHITFIELD: What is she talking about? What does it have to do with the Japanese? We'll tell you, right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: You want to try and name that tune? Give up now? Well, its "Flight of the Bumblebee" performed on a conch shell. Contesting Clinton Curry blew away the competition in this year's Key West conch shell blowing contest. Curry wowed the judges by blowing two of the fluted shells at the same time adding a second tone to the winning tune. Maybe they're next year's winners.

Well more familiar tunes took top honors at last night's Soul Train Music Awards. The Atlanta duo Outkast led the 18th Annual Awards with wins for R & B, soul or rap album of the year. They also took home the Michael Jackson award for best music video for the song "Heyia." And MJ's sister Janet Jackson was honored for career achievement. Without making any specific mention of her Super Bowl scandal, she thanked the fans for love and support, especially in the last few weeks.

Well from music to movies where this weekend's audiences apparently had a big appetite for zombies with "insatiable hunger." The horror flick "Dawn of the Dead" ruled the box office deviewing with ticket sales of more than $27 million. Mel Gibson "The Passion of the Christ" slipped into second place after three weeks at number one. It earned about $19 million. And "Secret Window" rounds at the top five.

If you think resisting snacks at the movies is tough, there's is new temptation about to sweep the country. Our Jeanne Moos tells us we have to thank the Japanese for this gooey treat.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is a dessert that had been all but deserted when suddenly New Yorkers began lining up for it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was it worth the wait in line?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Uh-huh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They melt in your mouth.

MOOS: Bagels beware, Krispy Kreme, prepare to be creamed. Tough daddy there is a new puff on the block.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What kind of stuff do they have?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cream puff.

MOOS: Wrinkle your nose, but this could be the comeback of the cream puff, thanks to the -- Japanese? Loosely translated, that's, here come the world's greatest puffs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is dreamy and creamy. It is better than having a lover, if you don't have one. It is better than a lot of them.

MOOS: The Japanese chain Beard Poppa recently opened its first U.S. outpost.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A secret recipe.

MOOS: The filling is a blend of whipped cream and custard. Will this inject new life into a dying dessert? Good enough for Shibba and her owner.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's chowing down on that one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got cream puff on my diamonds. How about that?

MOOS: Is it in my hair?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the goo. I keep spitting on you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My girl saw it in the Japanese newspaper and made me ride all the way from Queens on a bicycle to get this.

MOOS: You must love her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do.

MOOS: Devin here says his favorite food is macaroni and cheese. Devin if you had to choose between macaroni and cheese or cream puffs, what's it going to be?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cream puff.

MOO: 250 calories each, or 220, if you miss your mouth. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Who could afford more than one at 250 calories each?

Well that's it for us. Stick around, up next on CNN, "NEXT@CNN." Is earth facing a serious danger from a bug? Daniel Sieberg we'll take a look at the potential impact of asteroids on the planet's future.

Then it is "CNN Live Sunday" adding a little humor to Capitol Hill. We will highlight the week's best political jabs from late-night television. And at 7:00 Eastern, "People in the News" profiles Al Qaeda's top two men. Thanks for joining us. I'll be back with a look at the headlines right after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. "NEXT@CNN" is coming up but first a look at the headlines. To Iraqis have been killed and at least six others wounded by rockets that landed in and around the so-called green zone in Baghdad. A U.S. soldier is among those hurt. The heavily fortified area contains the headquarters of the International Coalition. Also today, an American soldier was shot and killed in a non-combat incident in Samara about 70 miles north of Baghdad.

Pakistani forces are easing their assault on suspected Al Qaeda fighters along the Afghan border. It is being done to give tribal leaders a chance to negotiate with villagers who may be protecting some militant leaders. It's still not certain if Al Qaeda's number two guy is among them. But speculation persisted about who the fighters are. The U.S. military is performing DNA tests on some of the bodies that were killed to identify possible terrorists and Pakistan's ambassador to the United States suspended the operation.

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Deductions>


Aired March 21, 2004 - 16:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SUNDAY: A look at the top stories now. At least five Palestinians are dead after the latest round of violence in southern Gaza. Palestinian sources say Israeli forces backed by about 20 tanks rolled into an area near a refugee camp today. The Israelis say the raid was targeting terrorism. A Hamas operative and his wife were among those killed.
Rockets targeting the heavily protected green zone in Baghdad killed two Iraqis today and wounded at least six other people. A U.S. soldier is among those injured in that attack.

The standoff continues along the Afghan border between Pakistani troops and suspected members of Al Qaeda. Speaking earlier today with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S. said a high- value target is still believed to be hiding out in the mountainous region. Officials earlier suggested that the target could be Al Zawahiri; Al Qaeda's number two man.

Senator John McCain says support of the war in the Iraq is not the only reason Spain's ruling popular party lost an election last week. McCain says the Spanish government finger pointing at Basque's separatist after the train bombings in Madrid contributed to the defeat. Appearing on a morning talk show McCain said Spanish voters felt they had been misled.

Spaniards carried that anger to the polls where they cleaned house in light of prime minister elect Jose Louise Rodriquous Sabitario (ph) win in last week's election, the Basque separatist group Spain initially blamed for the bombings ETA. Is now speaking a dialog. But Sabitarios (ph) socialist party says no. It wants the rebel group to surrender all of its weapons and cease fighting.

Well did voters in Spain allow themselves to be intimidated by the Madrid bombings? Edward Luttwak is with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, he has written an op ed piece in today's "New York Times" and is suggesting that if the elections had been delayed by just a week the outcome would have been different. How so?

EDWARD LUTTWAK, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Well, in Europe, all of the larger countries, Britain, Italy Spain itself, France, had been through terrorism before. For Americans terrorism is a new thing. Not for them and the rule was firmly established that no political party should ever take advantage of it in any way against any other political party.

WHITFIELD: So do you think the socialist party then did take advantage of people as result of the terrorist attacks?

LUTTWAK: Absolutely. Because the terrorist there was no campaigning after the Madrid attacks. And during that no campaigning period they organized attacks against the various headquarters of the opposition party, accusing them, saying, because you took us to Iraq, that's why we are dying in Madrid. And that was the message they launched, and this was colossally responsibility, and a total breach of the rules.

WHITFIELD: But already prior to the Election Day, 90 percent of Spaniards had been polled, and all were against Spain's participation in Iraq.

LUTTWAK: There was no doubt the public opinion was against the whole, the entire intervention in Iraq, but public opinion also wanted to re-elect the popular party of Aznar, because the popular party had been so successful in the previous years. And I -- you know, I had the honor of working for the previous socialist government as an anti- terrorism consultant. I can tell you this lot certainly did not behave as the previous session when faced with the big wave of --

WHITFIELD: When you mentioned it's a decades old tactic to have violent attacks such as this in many places around the world just prior to an election. What made it different this time that perhaps that attack did indeed influence the vote?

LUTTWAK: Well, this attack came immediately before the vote, and the reaction of the socialists to what happened guarantees -- I hope not, but increases enormously the possibility of the other pre election attacks. I mean we now know that three or four people with very little money and little brains can kill hundreds in any of these huge modern cities. We know that and they're going to do it.

WHITFIELD: Well if the outcome of that Spanish race does in any way empower terrorists, what are your concerns about an upcoming election here in the U.S., given the climate of things around the world now?

LUTTWAK: Well, evidently the fact that we've not had attacks after September 11th shows that it's harder to operate in the United States. We're not dealing with powerful people. Al Qaeda is dead. There are only fragments of it here and there. We're dealing with hot heads, groups of hot head, not very smart. They can't do very much. In Madrid, there is a large Moroccan community and among them some are extremists and the gangsters, sold them explosives and they went ahead and did it.

In this country, it's just that much harder to operate. And since they are not formidable, they are not that great, our general security has prevented this so far, and may well prevent it through November. But the gravity of what happened is for Europe, a very serious matter, indeed it is. That you have a defection of a major political party surrendering in this way.

WHITFIELD: Edward Luttwak of The Center for Strategic and International Studies, joining us from Washington, thanks very much. LUTTWAK: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Well now a look at other news around the world. In Kosovo, funerals test a fragile piece. Thousands of ethnic Albanians gather to mourn the death of two boys ages 9 and 11 years; the children drown after allegedly being chased by Serbs into the river. It sparked deadliest ethic violence since the war in Kosovo ended five years ago.

A third boy was with them, but only two bodies have been recovered. There was heavy security and the families of the boys urge mourners to disperse peacefully.

In Malaysia's national election, a surprise victory. The government winning two key Muslim dominated states back from the countries fundamentalist Islamic opposition. The win shows Malaysia's prime minister succeeded in rolling back the influence of the Islamic opposition. This amid fears that religious fundamentalism was on the rise in the mostly Muslim country.

And in Germany, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder quit as leader of his political party. This social Democrat but he remains Chancellor. And says he'll seek a third term. Schroeder says he will press ahead with unpopular cuts in jobless benefits, and new rules making it easier for companies to fire employees.

In Taiwan, controversy and conspiracy theories are swarming after a deeply divisive election victory for that president. Our Mike Chinoy has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE CHINOY, SENIOR ASIA CORRESPONDENT: Bitter -- frustrated -- angry. Still unwilling to accept defeat. Thousands of supporters of opposition candidate Lean Jiang (ph), massed outside the presidential office in Taipei after an election where more than 300,000 votes were ruled invalid and the outcome was determined by just 30,000 votes. The opposition believes President Tie Chen Ben (ph) survived an apparent assassination attempt on Friday stole the election. Some even endorsing popular rumors that Chen staged his own shooting to generate a sympathy vote.

Addressing the crowd, opposition leader Lean Jiang demanded an immediate recount and that foreign experts participate in an independent investigation of Friday's attack. He said protesters would remain on the streets until their demands were met. A Taiwan court ordered all ballot boxes sealed, and given the opposition, two weeks to produce evidence to justify a recount.

Meanwhile, Chen's aides made public photos of the president being treated for a gunshot wound, seeking to dispel speculation the incident was somehow faked. But with no arrests, no weapons found, no suspects identified and accusations of political interference in the investigation, questions about Friday's incident remain.

The political deadlock here, after a bitterly fought campaign has created an unprecedented crisis for Taiwan young democracy. This was only the third presidential election year. And even if the court upholds his victory, Chen must still govern a deeply divided island in which many of those who voted against him. Including the demonstrators behind me do not accept him as a legitimate leader of Taiwan. Mike Chinoy, CNN, Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Turning to U.S. politics now. The campaign coffers are growing for both President Bush and Senator John Kerry, but the Democratic candidate is barely keeping ahead of his spending. Kerry's campaign collected $8.4 million last month, but after expenses, his campaign war chest was worth only about a quarter of that. In contrast, President Bush's campaign has $110 million on hand. It took in $13.7 million last month alone.

Howard Dean used to be a serious threat to the Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry's campaign. Now Dean is vowing to help Kerry in his quest to unseat President Bush. Is that a good thing for Kerry? CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL SCHNEIDER, SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Does Howard Dean help or hurt John Kerry? That depends on whether Dean sees himself primarily as Kerry's ambassador to the left, or as the left's ambassador to Kerry. Dean has promised to rally his supporters for Kerry. Probably less because of his high regard for Kerry than because of his hostility to Bush.

HOWARD DEAN, (D) FMR. PRES. CANDIDATE: I intend to do everything I can to send George W. Bush back to Crawford, Texas, and move John Kerry into the White House.

SCHNEIDER: What Dean brings to the table, is not large numbers of voters. He didn't win a single primary outside of his home state of Vermont. He brings a wired network with an impressive fund-raising record.

DEAN: Like the Dean for American campaign democracy for America will maintain interactive Web sites where supporters can plug in join in on the discussion, get involved.

SCHNEIDER: Dean also brings a message of empowerment, which Kerry has already appropriated.

DEAN: The pourer to change this country is in your hands, not mine.

KERRY: We need to change what is happening in this country. And the power to change it is in your hands.

SCHNEIDER: Dean also helps Kerry deal with the Ralph Nader problem.

DEAN: Because this election is really critical, that we not stray to third party and independent candidates.

SCHNEIDER: But Dean also sees himself as the left's ambassador to Kerry.

DEAN: Keeping folks in Washington on the straight and narrow and responsive too ordinary Americans is a full-time job.

SCHNEIDER: He will pressure Kerry to keep the faith.

DEAN: We've got to stand up for our principles and not paper over differences.

SCHNEIDER: That can create problems. Like when Dean said last week in the conference call to reporters the president is the one who dragged our troops to Iraq, which has apparently been a factor in the death of 200 Spaniards over the weekend. That's not our position, Kerry responded. Statements like that from Dean's mouth can drive up the enthusiasm of Dean's anti-Bush supporters. But they cannot come out of Kerry's mouth. Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Moviegoers crowned a new king at the box office. Still to come, we'll tell you who unseated Mel Gibson "The Passion." Plus.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is relief for every gay and lesbian person across the country.

WHITFIELD: A religious verdict is handed down in the case against a lesbian minister.

And after the break, it doesn't look impressive now. But stick around to see what happened when Veterans Stadium faced 3,000 pounds of explosives.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Across America now, in Columbus, Ohio, the man suspected in two dozen shootings in the Interstate 270 area faces a court appearance tomorrow. Authorities extradited 28-year-old Charles McCoy Jr. from Las Vegas back to Columbus yesterday.

In Butho, Washington, even the pastor who prosecuted a lesbian united Methodist minister and the bishop who filed the complaint say they are relieved that a church trial acquitted the minister. The Reverend Karen Demand recently married her female partner of nine years. A jury of 13 pastors decided this weekend to let her keep her ministry.

Section by section, another one bites the dust. Veterans Stadium yesterday suffered this same and glorious fate as many other old stadiums. It took 3,000 pounds of explosives just over a minute to implode the structure. Philly now has baseball and football only stadiums. The vet space will give way to parking lot now. Well have you filled out your tax forms? You have just less than three weeks to get those returns filed. But believe it or not, there are still some things you can do to cut your tax bill. Valerie Morris looks at deductions you may not even know about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALERIE MORRIS, CNN CORRESPODNENT: Food record keeping isn't just about being organized. It can help taxpayers save a lot money.

GARY AMBROSE, CEP PERSONAL CAPITAL MGMT: I would say that people probably don't get the most from their tax deductions because of lack of proper record keeping. If you have good records of what you spent, how much you spent and why you've spent it when you do your tax returns, you should be able to capture all of this. General rule, if you think broadly as your going through your expenditures, you probably save a lot of money on taxes.

MORRIS: The list of allowed deductions is long.

AMBROSE: Whenever you spend money to make money or preserve wealth you already have, those expenses are deductible somewhere on the return.

MORRIS: Those deductions include money paid to attorneys for estate planning, or to an accountant to prepare your taxes. Money spent to improve your investment decisions. If for example you buy the "Wall Street Journal" or subscribe to "Money" magazine, you can deduct those costs. You can also deduct the cost of a safe-deposit box to keep your stocks and bonds protected. If you must wear a special uniform for work, you can deduct the costs, but not the clothing that might also be worn outside work, like a new suit. Most people know charitable contributions are deductible, but many people overlook charity-related costs.

AMBROSE: Driving to a charitable function is 12 cents a mile. You can deduct that. If you're laying out money to buy supplies and doing work for a charitable organization, you go to Staples and buy supplies for the organization that would be deductible.

MORRIS: Some hybrid cars such as the Honda Civic hybrid, qualify for the IRS clean fuel vehicle deduction. Snapper says the point is don't be afraid to deduct.

AMBROSE: A lot of people don't take actual deductions for the very reason; oh I'm afraid the IRS isn't going to like this deduction. Well the IRS gave you that deduction. As long as you have the support, as long as you have the canceled checks, you can show you truly paid this money, you used it for the right things, it's deductible. Don't worry about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORRIS (on camera): To find a list of everything that is deductible, go to a tax preparation web site or straight to the IRS' Web site at irs.gov and search for publication 17, that is the most comprehensive list of deductions for individual taxpayers. Valerie Morris, CNN financial news, New York.

WHITFIELD: The makers of a 250-calorie confectioner are looking to capitalize on America's sweet tooth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's dreamy and creamy. It's better than having a lover, if you don't have one. It's better than a lot of them.

WHITFIELD: What is she talking about? What does it have to do with the Japanese? We'll tell you, right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: You want to try and name that tune? Give up now? Well, its "Flight of the Bumblebee" performed on a conch shell. Contesting Clinton Curry blew away the competition in this year's Key West conch shell blowing contest. Curry wowed the judges by blowing two of the fluted shells at the same time adding a second tone to the winning tune. Maybe they're next year's winners.

Well more familiar tunes took top honors at last night's Soul Train Music Awards. The Atlanta duo Outkast led the 18th Annual Awards with wins for R & B, soul or rap album of the year. They also took home the Michael Jackson award for best music video for the song "Heyia." And MJ's sister Janet Jackson was honored for career achievement. Without making any specific mention of her Super Bowl scandal, she thanked the fans for love and support, especially in the last few weeks.

Well from music to movies where this weekend's audiences apparently had a big appetite for zombies with "insatiable hunger." The horror flick "Dawn of the Dead" ruled the box office deviewing with ticket sales of more than $27 million. Mel Gibson "The Passion of the Christ" slipped into second place after three weeks at number one. It earned about $19 million. And "Secret Window" rounds at the top five.

If you think resisting snacks at the movies is tough, there's is new temptation about to sweep the country. Our Jeanne Moos tells us we have to thank the Japanese for this gooey treat.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is a dessert that had been all but deserted when suddenly New Yorkers began lining up for it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was it worth the wait in line?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Uh-huh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They melt in your mouth.

MOOS: Bagels beware, Krispy Kreme, prepare to be creamed. Tough daddy there is a new puff on the block.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What kind of stuff do they have?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cream puff.

MOOS: Wrinkle your nose, but this could be the comeback of the cream puff, thanks to the -- Japanese? Loosely translated, that's, here come the world's greatest puffs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is dreamy and creamy. It is better than having a lover, if you don't have one. It is better than a lot of them.

MOOS: The Japanese chain Beard Poppa recently opened its first U.S. outpost.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A secret recipe.

MOOS: The filling is a blend of whipped cream and custard. Will this inject new life into a dying dessert? Good enough for Shibba and her owner.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's chowing down on that one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got cream puff on my diamonds. How about that?

MOOS: Is it in my hair?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the goo. I keep spitting on you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My girl saw it in the Japanese newspaper and made me ride all the way from Queens on a bicycle to get this.

MOOS: You must love her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do.

MOOS: Devin here says his favorite food is macaroni and cheese. Devin if you had to choose between macaroni and cheese or cream puffs, what's it going to be?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cream puff.

MOO: 250 calories each, or 220, if you miss your mouth. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Who could afford more than one at 250 calories each?

Well that's it for us. Stick around, up next on CNN, "NEXT@CNN." Is earth facing a serious danger from a bug? Daniel Sieberg we'll take a look at the potential impact of asteroids on the planet's future.

Then it is "CNN Live Sunday" adding a little humor to Capitol Hill. We will highlight the week's best political jabs from late-night television. And at 7:00 Eastern, "People in the News" profiles Al Qaeda's top two men. Thanks for joining us. I'll be back with a look at the headlines right after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Hello, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. "NEXT@CNN" is coming up but first a look at the headlines. To Iraqis have been killed and at least six others wounded by rockets that landed in and around the so-called green zone in Baghdad. A U.S. soldier is among those hurt. The heavily fortified area contains the headquarters of the International Coalition. Also today, an American soldier was shot and killed in a non-combat incident in Samara about 70 miles north of Baghdad.

Pakistani forces are easing their assault on suspected Al Qaeda fighters along the Afghan border. It is being done to give tribal leaders a chance to negotiate with villagers who may be protecting some militant leaders. It's still not certain if Al Qaeda's number two guy is among them. But speculation persisted about who the fighters are. The U.S. military is performing DNA tests on some of the bodies that were killed to identify possible terrorists and Pakistan's ambassador to the United States suspended the operation.

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