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CNN Live Sunday

More Wildfires Break Out Across the West; U.S. May Prosecute Man They Say Deserted 40 Years Ago

Aired July 18, 2004 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It's 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 8:00 a.m. out West. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at CNN's Global Headquarters in Atlanta.
Ahead this hour, more wildfires break out across the West forcing hundreds of people from their homes in California. Plus, the strange case of American Charles Jenkins who defected to North Korea nearly 40 years ago. The U.S. might still try to prosecute him.

And this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Once we went up, it immediately we got up, it was whipping around. And one lady was like, I want to go down now. We've got kids. Let's go down, get us down, get us down, get us down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And a wild ride high in the sky. What should have been a fun day of ballooning became something very different.

First, a look at what is happening now in the news.

In Fallujah, Iraq, the aftermath of U.S. air strikes. An Iraqi official tells CNN the strikes killed 14 people and left three other injured. A spokesman for the U.S. military says the attacks were launched overnight.

Some retirees in Minnesota lose an unexpected break at the pharmacies. The computer for the health maintenance organization OK'ed free generic prescriptions for thousands of members, but one HMO member thought it was a little strange and started asking a few questions, which led to finding the mistake.

And most of the work at the Los Alamos National Laboratory is suspended. The lab's director wants to crack down on security problems that led to a halt of classified work at the government lab. The director says he doesn't care how many people he has to fire to fix the problem.

From prisoner to president, to icon, Nelson Mandela spends a quiet Sunday celebrating his 86th birthday with family and friends. Tributes have been pouring in to celebrate the former South African president, who spent 27 years in prison for opposing the apartheid regime.

First this morning, California burning, hundreds of people forced out of their homes by a wild fire north of Los Angeles. Take a look at this incredible view from the edge of the blaze. It's the latest of dozens of fires that have burned more than 31,000 acres in the past week.

Rick Vogt, a captain with the California Department of Forestry joins us on the telephone with details on what is going on right now.

And more than a dozen fires? Has the number grown?

RICK VOGT, CAPTAIN, CALIF. DETP. OF FORESTRY: Right now I'm on the fire just about 12 miles to the east of Humecula (ph). So far, this fire is looking pretty good. We have about 20 percent containment, 3,200 acres that have been burned. And we expect to have containment tonight, at midnight.

WHITFIELD: What is the biggest challenge it seems for firefighters battling the blazes?

VOGT: What we have seen so far this fire season, that actually started in late April, is extremely low fuel moisture and that means that the fuels are very dry, very ready to burn.

Over the past eight days we had fires start almost every day in Southern California. Resources are getting stretched a little bit thin and fatigue certainly a factor.

WHITFIELD: Evacuations can sometimes promote another big problem, with getting people to cooperate. What are you all finding with the residents?

VOGT: Well, a lot of residents do want to stay in the area, but we're highly encouraging people to follow those evacuation orders, not only for their safety but for the firefighters' effectiveness. If people are blocking roadways and interfering with the firefighters' ability to fight the fire, it really hampers the efforts.

WHITFIELD: And what about your resources, are fire department from other states assisting you all or are you able to handle the volume?

VOGT: Well, in Southern California we have fire engines and fire equipment and aircraft assisting us from throughout (AUDIO GAP) from around the United States are also joining the effort.

WHITFIELD: Captain Rick Vogt, California Department of Forestry, thanks very much and best of wishes on the progress out there.

VOGT: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And there's been some progress in the battle against a fire in neighboring Nevada. That blaze near Carson City was more than 85 percent contained this morning. Some firefighters have already been sent home. Fifteen homes were destroyed and the fire briefly threatened the governor's mansion. The Nevada fire burned nearly 7,600 acres. Officials say if there is good weather it could be fully contained by Tuesday.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

WHITFIELD: Well, thick smoke from wild fires is a common scene this summer in parts of South Florida besides the threat of hurricanes that they worry about. CNN's John Zarrella explains why the dry weather pattern there could spell trouble when this year's hurricane season does finally hit its peak.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Wildfires producing thick, choking, blinding smoke have been more of a nuisance this summer in South Florida than usual. The reason, a very dry spring; in fact, this past May was one of the driest Mays here since record keeping began.

Jim Lushine, a National Weather Service expert on severe weather says this could be a sign of bad things to come.

JIM LUSHINE, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: There is a positive correlation between the dryness in the spring months here in South Florida and the event of a major hurricane.

ZARRELLA: There's no way to know if a big one will hit here, but Lushine says, if you look back historically, it's somewhat ominous. After three of the previous driest Mays, South Florida was hit with major hurricanes, Andrew in 1992, the 1935 Florida Keys hurricane and Betsy in 1965. Hurricanes hitting South Florida and unusually dry weather are both caused, to some degree, by the same weather feature in the Atlantic called the Bermuda High.

When it sets up close to the U.S. East Coast, as it has this year, storms can be steered into Florida. But Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield says the high won't stay in the same place indefinitely.

MAX MAYFIELD, DIR., NAT'L. HURRICANE CENTER: I would hate to characterize the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of the whole season by what's going on right now. It would be unheard of for this condition to persist.

ZARRELLA: The satellite image of Hurricane Isabel last year shows what happens when the Bermuda High is nudged away from the East Coast. Isabel turned to the north. Good for Florida, bad for the Carolinas.

(on camera): Because weather patterns are ever changing, hurricane forecasters say it's impossible to know which area, if any, will be in the bull's eye a month or six weeks from now when hurricane season peaks. Which means no one from Texas to Maine should think they've dodged a bullet.

John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: A funeral, a bad choice for a weapon, and a celebration in our news across America today.

A public memorial will be held later today for Bobo the tiger. Bobo was buried in a private service yesterday. A Fish & Wildlife officer shot Bobo last week after the 600-pound animal escaped from the home of an actor who once played Tarzan.

Also in Florida, deputies say, a man faces battery charges after an argument with his girlfriend. Part of the problem was his alleged weapon. He's accused of taking his pet three-foot long alligator out of the bathtub and swinging it at the woman. The man who is in custody denies it. The alligator is also in custody.

In Alexandria, Virginia, this weekend a tribute to the USO for its years of service to American men and women in the military. The three-day festival includes a look back at the role the USO played in giving troops a needed break during World War II.

High drama in the skies over downtown Baltimore leave several people injured. We get the story from a reporter Sarah Parker, of CNN affiliate WMAR.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought we were going to die.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I thought we were going to get killed or get hurt.

SARAH PARKER, WMAR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fear flying high, over 350 feet above ground. The first time Kevin Phelps (ph) couldn't promise his girl everything would be OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was tough. The worst part was hitting the building. That was a big problem for us.

PARKER: Wind wiping over 50 miles per hour slammed the massive Port Discovery balloon into the roof of Baltimore's police headquarters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I told them, stay down, in case another gust comes. Just be calm.

PARKER: Calm amid chaos. Chris Gorman (ph) was helming the balloon, a balancing act between his terrified passengers and communicating to ground crews. The balloon at the mercy of the wind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were just being pulled -- I mean, it was so bad the cable was actually bending. It wasn't straight. We were bending and we were dipping down below, like way where we should have been.

PARKER: Fire officials say it may have been a mechanical malfunction paralyzing the controls that bring the balloon back to the ground.

KEVIN CARTWRIGHT, BALTIMORE FIRE DEPT.: It appears that there has been some problem with the retractor to the cable. Some type of interruption and it was not retracting as it ordinarily would.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You must leave the area. That way.

PARKER: All eyes on the sky. Crowds stopped to stare. Relief rippled from tourist next in line for a ride.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were packing up and if we had been a couple minutes earlier we would have been up there. I'm glad we're not.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: When it was all over, 20 passengers onboard had to be treated for minor injuries.

The U.S. unleashes new air strikes in Fallujah as a former Iraqi Republican Guard commander is arrested. Details coming up next.

And Marion Jones gives up her lane and a chance for the gold. We'll tell you why she ended her quest in the 200-meter race. And this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE BURKHARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Barbara Winslow is pulling her own weight and someone else's too. Just goes to show you behind every strong woman is a weak man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A moment of self-realization from Bruce Burkhardt as he visits the strong man -- and strong woman -- gym in Boston. This is CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In Iraq, U.S. jets carried out another deadly attack on a suspected terrorist safe house in Fallujah. Local reports say at least 14 people were killed. The very latest on that and more inside Iraq at this hour from CNN's Michael Holmes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The air strike in Fallujah, the latest in a series of such raids on that city. A restive place which is a hotbed of the insurgency.

(voice-over): This latest one occurring overnight, at about 2:00 a.m. local time, targeting what U.S. officials are telling us were 25 insurgents suspected of links to Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the wanted Jordanian militant thought responsible for numerous large-scale attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces, around Iraq. What they said the target was were trenches and a defensive fighting position, also a checkpoint near a destroyed house. They described it as a pinpoint operation. We are told that 14 bodies were later taken to hospitals, three wounded, as well. We don't have details on exactly who were among the dead.

Now as I said, this is the latest in a series of raid trying to get al Zarqawi.

(on camera): So far he has apparently not been caught or injured in any of these attacks. He claimed responsibility most recently for the attempted assassination of the Iraqi justice minister, that occurred yesterday when the driver of a mobile car bomb pulled up alongside the justice minister's convoy and detonated. Four of his security guards were killed.

(voice over): Now, also in Iraq, American troops have detained a former senior commander of the Republican Guard. The special Republican Guard, in fact. The Major General Suk Malhan al Hassan (ph) was taken into custody in Tikrit two days ago.

We're only just hearing about it now. He was taken to a coalition detention center. He's being questioned. Also the remaining members of a Philippine humanitarian unit that were here, some 50 soldiers, are pulling out of Iraq.

They will be handing over the last of their duties to Polish troops on Monday and heading for Kuwait and back to the Philippines. That, of course, a demand of those holding the Filipino hostage. The truck driver Angelo de la Cruz, 46 year-old father of eight. They said he won't be released until the last Filipino soldier leaves the country.

Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: In other international news now, a month-long leniency program is yielding results in Saudi Arabia. Another 27 wanted militants have surrendered to the government. The program expires this week amid calls to extend it.

The Pentagon said review panels begin this week on the cases of detainees at the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. That follows the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that enemy combatants can use federal courts to fight for their release.

After three launched delays, France's latest Ariane Rocket blasted into space from South America. It put into orbit the heaviest communication satellite ever, weighing nearly six tons. The satellite owned by a Canadian firm will help ensure high-speed Internet access and digital telecommunication for North America.

Charles Jenkins has been on the run from U.S. authorities for nearly 40 years hiding in North Korea. Now, the accused deserter is within striking range of U.S. military authorities in Japan. CNN's Atika Shubert reports from Tokyo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Charles Robert Jenkins stepped off the plane looking frail. Taking his first steps in Japan with the help of a cane and the support of his Japanese wife, Hitomi Soga. Their two daughters followed closely behind.

When asked how he how he felt, Jenkins shook his head. There were no police waiting to arrest him. No sign that he would be handed over to U.S. authorities.

Instead, Jenkins was whisked to a Tokyo hospital for immediate medical treatment.

The U.S. position remains unchanged. Jenkins is a wanted man for allegedly deserting his military post and defecting to North Korea in 1965 at the age of 24. Now, 64, Jenkins is wanted in U.S. custody to face a military trial.

Japan's extradition treaty requires the country to hand him over, but with the Japanese public closely following the case, sympathizing with the family, the government is under pressure to find a way to keep Jenkins and Soga united in Japan.

The temporary solution, it seems, is medical. Japanese officials insist Jenkins needs hospital treatment in Japan as a result of abdominal surgery in North Korea.

(on camera): It seems that as long as Jenkins receives medical treatment here, there is still time to negotiate a solution, but the U.S. maintains the former Army sergeant will eventually have to face charges of deserting his military post nearly 40 years ago.

Atika Shubert, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: For now, it's a relatively quiet day on the campaign trail; only Democratic vice-presidential hopeful John Edwards at the grind. Edwards is in Florida for stops in Lake Buena Vista, and then on to Hollywood, Florida, for a campaign reception.

Yesterday at a rally in Newport Beach, California, Edwards sought the help from the other America. He was referring to wealthy Democrats he hopes will donate to his campaign.

More than 1,000 people turned out in Minneapolis Saturday for a Republican rally headlined by Dick Cheney. Minnesota is seen as a battleground state and both sides are spending a lot of time there. The Cheneys are heading to Casper, Wyoming to attend Lynne Cheney's 45th high school reunion. The upcoming national conventions are just one of the topics Howard Kurtz discussed with ABC newsman Ted Koppel, and he joins us now with a preview.

HOWARD KURTZ, HOST, RELIABLE SOURCES: Coming up, Ted Koppel on the candidates, the conventions, the war in Iraq, celebrity trials and the future of "Nightline." A special interview with the veteran ABC anchor, just ahead.

Plus, the new movie about FOX News Channel. Does it play straight with the facts? And Jerry Springer, TV news correspondent? That is all next on "RELIABLE SOURCES."

WHITFIELD: Amazing feats of strengths. Could you ever do this? CNN's Bruce Burkhardt tests his strength against strong men and women in New Jersey. That story coming up on CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In sports, the trials and tribulations of track star Marion Jones. She won't be running in the 200-meter Olympic trial finals today. Jones pulled out of the trials yesterday in Sacramento. She cited fatigue. Her announcement comes after she had a disappointing finish in the 200-meter quarter finals.

Jones qualified for the long jump and possibly a relay. She could also still run the 100-meters due to possible changes on the team.

A Spaniard wins the 14th stage of the Tour de France today, a 119-mile ride through the French mountains. Lance Armstrong rode to victory in a 13th stage yesterday and was only 22 seconds off the lead. Armstrong is trying to win his sixth straight Tour de France title.

Now to an extreme sport that is all about pulling your weight, or trucks, or heavy chains, anything heavy. It's the sport of strong men and strong women.

CNN's Bruce Burkhardt talks with some amateurs in the sport and even tries it himself.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUCE BURKHARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Barbara Winslow is pulling her own weight -- and someone else's, too. Which just goes to show that you behind every strong woman is a weak man.

But not many weak men around here. A gym not far from Boston's Logan Airport that looks more like a transmission shop than LA Fitness.

These guys are strong men. Amateur versions of those guys you see on TV. Though it only gained prominence as a TV sport starting in the late '70s its roots go back much further, to the Scottish Hyland games. Then and now basically involves, well, just lifting heavy stuff. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, it's pretty much people like to lift heavy stuff.

BURKHARDT: CJ Murphy, better known as Murph, started this gym he says because regular gyms are not very welcoming to the strong man types.

CJ MURPHY, AMATEUR STRONG MAN: You drop a 300-pound stone on the floor 20, 30 times, it's probably going to go through the floor.

BURKHARDT: It's not a macho thing. A lot of fitness benefits, they argue.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What a wimp.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, he's a big baby.

BURKHARDT: Unlike bodybuilding, which isolates a muscle to make it stand out, strong men workouts work out all the muscles. And strong men isn't just for men.

BARBARA WINSLOW, AMATEUR STRONGWOMAN: You know, I got the wrong impressions if you lift heavy weights you can like start to look like a man and stuff like that. I was always kind of leaning toward not lifting weights and doing a lot of cardio.

BURKHARDT: Cardio, well that's Bostonese for cardiovascular. Another benefit of all this. Mainly it's about the satisfaction of taking something really heavy and showing it who is boss.

(on camera): There, see. That's what I'm talking about. You better watch out, yeah.

(voice-over): Well, she's been coming here longer than I have.

Bruce Burkhardt, CNN, Boston.

(on camera): Show off.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Coming up next on CNN, the candidates, convention and the future of "Nightline". Ted Koppel is Howard's guest on "Reliable Sources".

Then at noon Eastern, on "LATE EDITION" a CNN exclusive. Wolf Blitzer sits down with Jordan's King Abdullah. And at 2:00 p.m., "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" takes a look at Martha Stewart and her future.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired July 18, 2004 - 11:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It's 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 8:00 a.m. out West. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at CNN's Global Headquarters in Atlanta.
Ahead this hour, more wildfires break out across the West forcing hundreds of people from their homes in California. Plus, the strange case of American Charles Jenkins who defected to North Korea nearly 40 years ago. The U.S. might still try to prosecute him.

And this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Once we went up, it immediately we got up, it was whipping around. And one lady was like, I want to go down now. We've got kids. Let's go down, get us down, get us down, get us down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And a wild ride high in the sky. What should have been a fun day of ballooning became something very different.

First, a look at what is happening now in the news.

In Fallujah, Iraq, the aftermath of U.S. air strikes. An Iraqi official tells CNN the strikes killed 14 people and left three other injured. A spokesman for the U.S. military says the attacks were launched overnight.

Some retirees in Minnesota lose an unexpected break at the pharmacies. The computer for the health maintenance organization OK'ed free generic prescriptions for thousands of members, but one HMO member thought it was a little strange and started asking a few questions, which led to finding the mistake.

And most of the work at the Los Alamos National Laboratory is suspended. The lab's director wants to crack down on security problems that led to a halt of classified work at the government lab. The director says he doesn't care how many people he has to fire to fix the problem.

From prisoner to president, to icon, Nelson Mandela spends a quiet Sunday celebrating his 86th birthday with family and friends. Tributes have been pouring in to celebrate the former South African president, who spent 27 years in prison for opposing the apartheid regime.

First this morning, California burning, hundreds of people forced out of their homes by a wild fire north of Los Angeles. Take a look at this incredible view from the edge of the blaze. It's the latest of dozens of fires that have burned more than 31,000 acres in the past week.

Rick Vogt, a captain with the California Department of Forestry joins us on the telephone with details on what is going on right now.

And more than a dozen fires? Has the number grown?

RICK VOGT, CAPTAIN, CALIF. DETP. OF FORESTRY: Right now I'm on the fire just about 12 miles to the east of Humecula (ph). So far, this fire is looking pretty good. We have about 20 percent containment, 3,200 acres that have been burned. And we expect to have containment tonight, at midnight.

WHITFIELD: What is the biggest challenge it seems for firefighters battling the blazes?

VOGT: What we have seen so far this fire season, that actually started in late April, is extremely low fuel moisture and that means that the fuels are very dry, very ready to burn.

Over the past eight days we had fires start almost every day in Southern California. Resources are getting stretched a little bit thin and fatigue certainly a factor.

WHITFIELD: Evacuations can sometimes promote another big problem, with getting people to cooperate. What are you all finding with the residents?

VOGT: Well, a lot of residents do want to stay in the area, but we're highly encouraging people to follow those evacuation orders, not only for their safety but for the firefighters' effectiveness. If people are blocking roadways and interfering with the firefighters' ability to fight the fire, it really hampers the efforts.

WHITFIELD: And what about your resources, are fire department from other states assisting you all or are you able to handle the volume?

VOGT: Well, in Southern California we have fire engines and fire equipment and aircraft assisting us from throughout (AUDIO GAP) from around the United States are also joining the effort.

WHITFIELD: Captain Rick Vogt, California Department of Forestry, thanks very much and best of wishes on the progress out there.

VOGT: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And there's been some progress in the battle against a fire in neighboring Nevada. That blaze near Carson City was more than 85 percent contained this morning. Some firefighters have already been sent home. Fifteen homes were destroyed and the fire briefly threatened the governor's mansion. The Nevada fire burned nearly 7,600 acres. Officials say if there is good weather it could be fully contained by Tuesday.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

WHITFIELD: Well, thick smoke from wild fires is a common scene this summer in parts of South Florida besides the threat of hurricanes that they worry about. CNN's John Zarrella explains why the dry weather pattern there could spell trouble when this year's hurricane season does finally hit its peak.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Wildfires producing thick, choking, blinding smoke have been more of a nuisance this summer in South Florida than usual. The reason, a very dry spring; in fact, this past May was one of the driest Mays here since record keeping began.

Jim Lushine, a National Weather Service expert on severe weather says this could be a sign of bad things to come.

JIM LUSHINE, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: There is a positive correlation between the dryness in the spring months here in South Florida and the event of a major hurricane.

ZARRELLA: There's no way to know if a big one will hit here, but Lushine says, if you look back historically, it's somewhat ominous. After three of the previous driest Mays, South Florida was hit with major hurricanes, Andrew in 1992, the 1935 Florida Keys hurricane and Betsy in 1965. Hurricanes hitting South Florida and unusually dry weather are both caused, to some degree, by the same weather feature in the Atlantic called the Bermuda High.

When it sets up close to the U.S. East Coast, as it has this year, storms can be steered into Florida. But Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield says the high won't stay in the same place indefinitely.

MAX MAYFIELD, DIR., NAT'L. HURRICANE CENTER: I would hate to characterize the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of the whole season by what's going on right now. It would be unheard of for this condition to persist.

ZARRELLA: The satellite image of Hurricane Isabel last year shows what happens when the Bermuda High is nudged away from the East Coast. Isabel turned to the north. Good for Florida, bad for the Carolinas.

(on camera): Because weather patterns are ever changing, hurricane forecasters say it's impossible to know which area, if any, will be in the bull's eye a month or six weeks from now when hurricane season peaks. Which means no one from Texas to Maine should think they've dodged a bullet.

John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: A funeral, a bad choice for a weapon, and a celebration in our news across America today.

A public memorial will be held later today for Bobo the tiger. Bobo was buried in a private service yesterday. A Fish & Wildlife officer shot Bobo last week after the 600-pound animal escaped from the home of an actor who once played Tarzan.

Also in Florida, deputies say, a man faces battery charges after an argument with his girlfriend. Part of the problem was his alleged weapon. He's accused of taking his pet three-foot long alligator out of the bathtub and swinging it at the woman. The man who is in custody denies it. The alligator is also in custody.

In Alexandria, Virginia, this weekend a tribute to the USO for its years of service to American men and women in the military. The three-day festival includes a look back at the role the USO played in giving troops a needed break during World War II.

High drama in the skies over downtown Baltimore leave several people injured. We get the story from a reporter Sarah Parker, of CNN affiliate WMAR.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought we were going to die.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I thought we were going to get killed or get hurt.

SARAH PARKER, WMAR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fear flying high, over 350 feet above ground. The first time Kevin Phelps (ph) couldn't promise his girl everything would be OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was tough. The worst part was hitting the building. That was a big problem for us.

PARKER: Wind wiping over 50 miles per hour slammed the massive Port Discovery balloon into the roof of Baltimore's police headquarters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I told them, stay down, in case another gust comes. Just be calm.

PARKER: Calm amid chaos. Chris Gorman (ph) was helming the balloon, a balancing act between his terrified passengers and communicating to ground crews. The balloon at the mercy of the wind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were just being pulled -- I mean, it was so bad the cable was actually bending. It wasn't straight. We were bending and we were dipping down below, like way where we should have been.

PARKER: Fire officials say it may have been a mechanical malfunction paralyzing the controls that bring the balloon back to the ground.

KEVIN CARTWRIGHT, BALTIMORE FIRE DEPT.: It appears that there has been some problem with the retractor to the cable. Some type of interruption and it was not retracting as it ordinarily would.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You must leave the area. That way.

PARKER: All eyes on the sky. Crowds stopped to stare. Relief rippled from tourist next in line for a ride.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were packing up and if we had been a couple minutes earlier we would have been up there. I'm glad we're not.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: When it was all over, 20 passengers onboard had to be treated for minor injuries.

The U.S. unleashes new air strikes in Fallujah as a former Iraqi Republican Guard commander is arrested. Details coming up next.

And Marion Jones gives up her lane and a chance for the gold. We'll tell you why she ended her quest in the 200-meter race. And this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE BURKHARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Barbara Winslow is pulling her own weight and someone else's too. Just goes to show you behind every strong woman is a weak man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A moment of self-realization from Bruce Burkhardt as he visits the strong man -- and strong woman -- gym in Boston. This is CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In Iraq, U.S. jets carried out another deadly attack on a suspected terrorist safe house in Fallujah. Local reports say at least 14 people were killed. The very latest on that and more inside Iraq at this hour from CNN's Michael Holmes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The air strike in Fallujah, the latest in a series of such raids on that city. A restive place which is a hotbed of the insurgency.

(voice-over): This latest one occurring overnight, at about 2:00 a.m. local time, targeting what U.S. officials are telling us were 25 insurgents suspected of links to Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the wanted Jordanian militant thought responsible for numerous large-scale attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces, around Iraq. What they said the target was were trenches and a defensive fighting position, also a checkpoint near a destroyed house. They described it as a pinpoint operation. We are told that 14 bodies were later taken to hospitals, three wounded, as well. We don't have details on exactly who were among the dead.

Now as I said, this is the latest in a series of raid trying to get al Zarqawi.

(on camera): So far he has apparently not been caught or injured in any of these attacks. He claimed responsibility most recently for the attempted assassination of the Iraqi justice minister, that occurred yesterday when the driver of a mobile car bomb pulled up alongside the justice minister's convoy and detonated. Four of his security guards were killed.

(voice over): Now, also in Iraq, American troops have detained a former senior commander of the Republican Guard. The special Republican Guard, in fact. The Major General Suk Malhan al Hassan (ph) was taken into custody in Tikrit two days ago.

We're only just hearing about it now. He was taken to a coalition detention center. He's being questioned. Also the remaining members of a Philippine humanitarian unit that were here, some 50 soldiers, are pulling out of Iraq.

They will be handing over the last of their duties to Polish troops on Monday and heading for Kuwait and back to the Philippines. That, of course, a demand of those holding the Filipino hostage. The truck driver Angelo de la Cruz, 46 year-old father of eight. They said he won't be released until the last Filipino soldier leaves the country.

Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: In other international news now, a month-long leniency program is yielding results in Saudi Arabia. Another 27 wanted militants have surrendered to the government. The program expires this week amid calls to extend it.

The Pentagon said review panels begin this week on the cases of detainees at the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. That follows the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that enemy combatants can use federal courts to fight for their release.

After three launched delays, France's latest Ariane Rocket blasted into space from South America. It put into orbit the heaviest communication satellite ever, weighing nearly six tons. The satellite owned by a Canadian firm will help ensure high-speed Internet access and digital telecommunication for North America.

Charles Jenkins has been on the run from U.S. authorities for nearly 40 years hiding in North Korea. Now, the accused deserter is within striking range of U.S. military authorities in Japan. CNN's Atika Shubert reports from Tokyo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Charles Robert Jenkins stepped off the plane looking frail. Taking his first steps in Japan with the help of a cane and the support of his Japanese wife, Hitomi Soga. Their two daughters followed closely behind.

When asked how he how he felt, Jenkins shook his head. There were no police waiting to arrest him. No sign that he would be handed over to U.S. authorities.

Instead, Jenkins was whisked to a Tokyo hospital for immediate medical treatment.

The U.S. position remains unchanged. Jenkins is a wanted man for allegedly deserting his military post and defecting to North Korea in 1965 at the age of 24. Now, 64, Jenkins is wanted in U.S. custody to face a military trial.

Japan's extradition treaty requires the country to hand him over, but with the Japanese public closely following the case, sympathizing with the family, the government is under pressure to find a way to keep Jenkins and Soga united in Japan.

The temporary solution, it seems, is medical. Japanese officials insist Jenkins needs hospital treatment in Japan as a result of abdominal surgery in North Korea.

(on camera): It seems that as long as Jenkins receives medical treatment here, there is still time to negotiate a solution, but the U.S. maintains the former Army sergeant will eventually have to face charges of deserting his military post nearly 40 years ago.

Atika Shubert, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: For now, it's a relatively quiet day on the campaign trail; only Democratic vice-presidential hopeful John Edwards at the grind. Edwards is in Florida for stops in Lake Buena Vista, and then on to Hollywood, Florida, for a campaign reception.

Yesterday at a rally in Newport Beach, California, Edwards sought the help from the other America. He was referring to wealthy Democrats he hopes will donate to his campaign.

More than 1,000 people turned out in Minneapolis Saturday for a Republican rally headlined by Dick Cheney. Minnesota is seen as a battleground state and both sides are spending a lot of time there. The Cheneys are heading to Casper, Wyoming to attend Lynne Cheney's 45th high school reunion. The upcoming national conventions are just one of the topics Howard Kurtz discussed with ABC newsman Ted Koppel, and he joins us now with a preview.

HOWARD KURTZ, HOST, RELIABLE SOURCES: Coming up, Ted Koppel on the candidates, the conventions, the war in Iraq, celebrity trials and the future of "Nightline." A special interview with the veteran ABC anchor, just ahead.

Plus, the new movie about FOX News Channel. Does it play straight with the facts? And Jerry Springer, TV news correspondent? That is all next on "RELIABLE SOURCES."

WHITFIELD: Amazing feats of strengths. Could you ever do this? CNN's Bruce Burkhardt tests his strength against strong men and women in New Jersey. That story coming up on CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In sports, the trials and tribulations of track star Marion Jones. She won't be running in the 200-meter Olympic trial finals today. Jones pulled out of the trials yesterday in Sacramento. She cited fatigue. Her announcement comes after she had a disappointing finish in the 200-meter quarter finals.

Jones qualified for the long jump and possibly a relay. She could also still run the 100-meters due to possible changes on the team.

A Spaniard wins the 14th stage of the Tour de France today, a 119-mile ride through the French mountains. Lance Armstrong rode to victory in a 13th stage yesterday and was only 22 seconds off the lead. Armstrong is trying to win his sixth straight Tour de France title.

Now to an extreme sport that is all about pulling your weight, or trucks, or heavy chains, anything heavy. It's the sport of strong men and strong women.

CNN's Bruce Burkhardt talks with some amateurs in the sport and even tries it himself.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUCE BURKHARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Barbara Winslow is pulling her own weight -- and someone else's, too. Which just goes to show that you behind every strong woman is a weak man.

But not many weak men around here. A gym not far from Boston's Logan Airport that looks more like a transmission shop than LA Fitness.

These guys are strong men. Amateur versions of those guys you see on TV. Though it only gained prominence as a TV sport starting in the late '70s its roots go back much further, to the Scottish Hyland games. Then and now basically involves, well, just lifting heavy stuff. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, it's pretty much people like to lift heavy stuff.

BURKHARDT: CJ Murphy, better known as Murph, started this gym he says because regular gyms are not very welcoming to the strong man types.

CJ MURPHY, AMATEUR STRONG MAN: You drop a 300-pound stone on the floor 20, 30 times, it's probably going to go through the floor.

BURKHARDT: It's not a macho thing. A lot of fitness benefits, they argue.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What a wimp.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, he's a big baby.

BURKHARDT: Unlike bodybuilding, which isolates a muscle to make it stand out, strong men workouts work out all the muscles. And strong men isn't just for men.

BARBARA WINSLOW, AMATEUR STRONGWOMAN: You know, I got the wrong impressions if you lift heavy weights you can like start to look like a man and stuff like that. I was always kind of leaning toward not lifting weights and doing a lot of cardio.

BURKHARDT: Cardio, well that's Bostonese for cardiovascular. Another benefit of all this. Mainly it's about the satisfaction of taking something really heavy and showing it who is boss.

(on camera): There, see. That's what I'm talking about. You better watch out, yeah.

(voice-over): Well, she's been coming here longer than I have.

Bruce Burkhardt, CNN, Boston.

(on camera): Show off.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Coming up next on CNN, the candidates, convention and the future of "Nightline". Ted Koppel is Howard's guest on "Reliable Sources".

Then at noon Eastern, on "LATE EDITION" a CNN exclusive. Wolf Blitzer sits down with Jordan's King Abdullah. And at 2:00 p.m., "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" takes a look at Martha Stewart and her future.

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