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CNN Live Sunday

President Bush Visit Russia During WWII Commemoration; San Francisco To Host California Stem Cell Research Center; Interview Frank Ryan

Aired May 08, 2005 - 18:00   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.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: It is May 8. And you are watching CNN LIVE SUNDAY.
From the CNN center in Atlanta, I'm Carol Lin. To our top story in just a moment, but first other stories making news right now.

The head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency believes North Korea has five or six nuclear weapons. Mohammed ElBaradei made that comment today on CNN's "LATE EDITION" with Wolf Blitzer. He said North Korea has the plutonium to make those weapons and the ability to weaponize the plutonium.

A bit of good news at that time pump, gas prices fell another three cents over the past two weeks to $2.21 a gallon. That makes a total drop of more than 7 cents during the past month. But during the first few months of the year, gas prices rose 50 cents.

Britain's Prince Harry, known for his late night partying, will now be up at the crack of dawn. The prince arrived at Sandhurst Military Academy today to start his army service. The school says he will be treated the same as any other cadet during a 44-week course.

And it is all smiles today between President Bush and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Their public faces at least show none of the strain that has plagued their relationship of late. But behind closed doors, it is almost certainly a different story.

The two leaders met privately just hours ago at Mr. Putin's country house near Moscow. CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash is traveling with the president. And she joins me now from Moscow.

Dana, how did the meeting go?

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

Well, the two presidents met privately, no staff, for about 40 minutes. That's when aides say some tough issues were discussed. But then they broadened it to include their staff for about 45 minutes more. That is when aides describe their relationship and their discussions as cordial, even light-hearted. Tried to make the case that their storied friendship is still very much in tact.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH (voice-over): If you're look fog a feud, don't look here. This is camaraderie for the cameras. And how is this for a gesture? That's the Russian leader's vintage 1956 Volga. And the American president taking the wheel. The waves and smiles en route to dinner masked growing tension. So did the president's words here.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And I want to thank you for your work on Iran and the Middle East. And there's a lot we can do together.

BASH: That, despite Bush objections to Russia's nuclear cooperation with Iran and missile sales to Syria. A stark contrast to the pointed challenge he issued in Latvia, a former Soviet state, just a day earlier.

BUSH: In the long run, it is the strength of Russian democracy that will determine the greatness of Russia.

BASH: The secretary of State said, in private Mr. Bush did press his fear Mr. Putin's retreating from democracy and trying to intimidate his neighbors.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: I would characterize the relationship as absolutely straightforward. They say what they think. They say what they mean. And then they act on that.

BASH: The president irritated Russia by publicly pushing Mr. Putin to apologize for wrongs in the Soviet past. But now in Russia, the White House is taking pains to insist discussions now are about the future.

It's a delicate balance, but some say it is time for a choice.

IVO DALDER, FRM. NATL. SECURITY COUN. MEMBER: Whether we're going to support Mr. Putin, because he supports us on the war on terror or whether, indeed, Mr. Putin is more a part of the problem than part of solution when it comes to promoting freedom and democracy.

BASH: But Mr. Bush thinks maintaining friendship with his Russian counterpart is crucial.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: And that's why Mr. Bush decided to come to an event once considered unimaginable for a U.S. president to attend. To mark the end of World War II, Mr. Bush will be at a parade in Red Square, the place where Stalin and Khrushchev once reviewed Soviet troops at the height of the Cold War -- Carol.

LIN: So Dana, did the White House like what it heard from President Putin about democracy then?

BASH: Well, you know, it's interesting. What the White House is saying is that Mr. Bush told President Putin that he liked what he had said recently, for example, on his State of the State Address about ten days ago. President Putin did talk about things that the White House would like to hear, like allowing NGOs to come about in Russia and also talked about the idea of more freedoms for the press.

But they also are acknowledging tonight that those are words and they do look forward to and hope that Mr. Putin turns those words in actions, but he has not done that yet.

LIN: All right. Diplomatically put. Thank you very much. Dana Bash, live from Moscow.

Earlier today, President Bush helped mark Victory Day in the Netherlands. It has been 60 years since World War II came to an end in Europe. And as part of the commemorations, Mr. Bush joined Dutch queen Beatrix in a wreath laying ceremony at the city of Margaten. Now, it's is the site of Europe's third largest cemetery for Americans killed in World War II.

The president paid tribute to the soldiers who fought to free Europe from the Nazis. He said a new generation is working to bring liberty to the Middle East.

And Victory Day celebrations are also taking place right here in the United States. You are looking at live pictures there of the one- year-old World War II memorial in Washington. Veterans and dignitaries gathered there to commemorate the end of war in Europe six decades ago. 16 million U.S. forces served in that conflict, more than 400,000 died.

At Victory Day commemorations in Europe topped news in our world wrap tonight. In London, Britain's Prince Charles laid a wreath at a monument honoring the dead of both world wars. He later joined veterans for a march through Hyde Park.

In Berlin, the date was marked by a wreath laying ceremony at a memorial to victims of Nazism and the war. It contains the remains of an unknown soldier and an unknown concentration camp victim.

And in Paris, French president Jacques Chirac relit the flame at the tomb of the unknown soldier. Jets later flew over the Champs Elysees streaking the sky with red, white and blue smoke -- the colors of the French flag.

And now to Iraq. We are learning of yet another big catch in the fight against the insurgency. CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has those details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR (on camera): U.S. officials say they have captured the man who planned several bomb attacks that hit Baghdad April 29, part of a wave of rising violence. There is hope the arrest will bring them closer to getting Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the Jordanian-born terrorist leader responsible for months of violence.

Inside the U.S. military, growing worry about the deadly rise in car bombs and suicide attacks. U.S. officials now estimate nearly 300 Iraqi civilians and security forces have been killed in the last ten days. But officials insist their information is getting better, that each arrest now giving them more intelligence and more tips about Zarqawi.

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: That intelligence allows you to plan future operations which after conducting those operations also gives you more intelligence. It is a virtually cycle permitted us of late to take down a significant part of the Zarqawi network.

STARR: The latest arrest came in Baghdad a few days ago, but was not immediately announced. Mohammed Homza al Zubaydi is described by the U.S. as a prominent figure in the Zarqawi organization. When U.S. troops grabbed him, they got documents detailing the attacks in April insurgent attack against Abu Ghraib Prison and plans to assassinate a prominent Iraqi government official in the days ahead. The U.S. is not saying the name of that official.

The U.S. military also trying to convince many people that Zarqawi is not ten feet tall in the words of one official. A U.S. military press release is taking the unprecedented step of detailing statements from Zarqawi's driver when he was arrested back in February.

The press release saying the driver told interrogators, quote "Zarqawi became hysterical while he was trying to escape on February 20." Of course, there is no way for us to corroborate that information from the U.S. military -- Carol.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All right. My thanks to Barbara Starr, Pentagon correspondent.

An international manhunt is under way for a South Carolina police officer accused of murder and child molestation. Daniel William Eyres has been missing for almost two months. He was charged earlier this year with molesting an 11-year-old girl. When he didn't turn himself in to police in mid-March, police went to his home and found his wife shot to death. Police suspect Eyres killed her in her sleep and then left town.

And there are new developments in the disturbing case of Precious Doe, the little girl who was killed and decapitated four years ago. Her identity discovered only last week after a break in the investigation.

The girl's mother and stepfather who are charged in the case, have waived extradition from Oklahoma. They could appear in Kansas City Missouri, in a courtroom there as early as this week. Their arrests have brought relief to Kansas City residents who have never forgotten the case.

CNN's Drew Griffin reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNETTE JOHNSON: This is -- right here is where her body laid, where I will take you. DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Annette Johnson has walked this path dozens of times and wondered just who the little girl was. Her headless, nude body dumped on the road, the head found a week later dumped in a bag -- no name, no family. No one in this little girl's life who even reported her missing. It was up to strangers to keep at least her case alive.

JOHNSON: I decided to put together a community which is called the Precious Doe Committee. That's the name we gave her, because we didn't know who she was. And to us she was precious. And we named her Precious Doe.

GRIFFIN: Annette Johnson and everyone in Kansas City who adopted a girl they never knew, heard the news they have waited four years to hear.

CHIEF JIM CORWIN, KANSAS CITY POLICE: The little girl we have known for four years as Precious Doe has a name.

GRIFFIN: Erica Michelle Marie Green would have been 8-years-old this month.

JOHNSON: I felt so relieved. I felt so happy. And then I started to feel sad, because I had to think about it all night. And I tossed and turned and said what happened?

GRIFFIN (on camera): But along with the joy of finding who this little girl was, Kansas City also learned how precious Erica Green died. And there was nothing precious about it.

(voice-over): Prosecutor Mike Sanders at this prayer vigil said the mother and stepfather have confessed. He has charged both with second degree murder. Sanders said the reason the couple gave for killing the girl is even more horrific than how they disposed of her.

MIKE SANDERS, PROSECUTOR: She didn't want to go to bed. Became somewhat fussy and started to cry. At that point he then struck her, threw her to the ground. And then by her statement kicked her in the head.

GRIFFIN: Then, police say, the couple used a hedge clipper to decapitate this child, dumping the body down this road and the head in the woods.

Not a happy ending. How could there be one? But at least for those who have waited and prayed for a precious little girl, the ending has a name.

(on camera): Do you wish Erica Green, maybe she does in your mind, know how much she is loved by this community?

JOHNSON: She does. I know she does. Because I feel her presence. Every time when I'm here I feel her presence. She's happy, she's running around. When we're holding hands, she's running between us, you know, laughing, looking at her teddy bears, touching them, smelling her flowers. And said, boy, they love me. They love me. GRIFFIN: Drew Griffin, CNN, Kansas City, Missouri.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, we still have a lot ahead this hour, including the story of a North Carolina minister playing politics from the pulpit. Wait till you hear why some members were kicked out of his congregation.

Plus, parenting autistic children on this Mother's Day. One woman has a story to tell through pictures and her own son.

And later, similar lives and mirrored legacies. The story of a mom finding hope and comfort through the heartache of war. You're watching CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: A Baptist church in North Carolina is trying to coax back its members it expelled for not backing President Bush's re-election bid. Now, last week the pastor led a move to oust nine of its flock. Well, now he says it was all a misunderstanding. The ousted members did show up at church today with their lawyer, Holly Headrick of Ashville -- with her lawyer, Holly Headrick is the reporter from Asheville affiliate WLOS. She has got the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REV. FRANKLIN GRAHAM, BILL GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSN.: I believe that as a minister, I have a right to speak out on moral issues, because this is what God has called me to do. But I'm not going to stand for the Republican or the Democratic or whatever -- it's God's stand.

HOLLY HEADRICK, WLOS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Reverend Franklin Graham says a pastor was wrong to force people out of East Waynesville Baptist Church for their political stance. Chan Chandler excommunicated nine members this week who supported John Kerry in November's election.

He claims his actions weren't political. But here is a sermon from last October.

PASTOR CHAN CHANDLER, WAYNESVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH: The question then comes in in the Baptist church, how do I vote? Let me just say this right now. If you vote for John Kerry this year, you need to repent or resign. You have been holding back God's church way too long. And I know I may get in trouble for saying that, but just pour it on.

GRAHAM: For a church to say you have to support one or the other, I don't know where the pastor was coming from on that. It sounds a little interesting.

HEADRICK: Former members say because they're Democrats Chandler insisted they support abortion and homosexuality. Graham believes politics is being confused with morals.

GRAHAM: Abortion is not a Republican and it is not a Democratic issue. This is a moral issue. It's a sin against God, whether you're a Democrat or Republican, God is God. And he is not -- he doesn't show political favoritism.

HEADRICK: The law mandates separation between church and state and church and politics.

EDITH NICHOLS, FORMER CHURCH MEMBER: And it is a freedom that we all have to worship as we please and to vote as we please. This is a free country.

HEADRICK: Franklin Graham's advice -- stay true to their faith no matter where they worship.

GRAHAM: I think it is not in a man, it is not in a building, our faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, some church members say it is too late for Pastor Chandler to smooth the matter over and he should resign.

Elsewhere across America this weekend, two sailors are safe after a close brush with death at sea off the North Carolina coast. Their sailboat's engine conked out as a severe storm caught them Thursday. They say they were swept overboard at least twice. The Coast Guard rescued them yesterday.

Amazingly, the firefighters set ablaze while battling this house fire in Tulsa, Oklahoma, are OK. They narrowly escaped injury Friday when the attic fell through.

And jury selection begins tomorrow in Berkeley, California for a second trial in the killing of a transgender teenager. Three men are accused of murdering 17-year-old Gwen Arroyo in October of 2002. The defense argued for manslaughter in first trial calling it a crime of passion when the men discovered that Arroyo was biological male. A jury deadlock outraging the family and transgender activists.

And a developing story out of Ohio. The Associated Press is reporting that jurors in the Columbus area highway shootings trial have reached an impasse. Now, jurors told the judge today that they cannot reach a verdict in the high profile case.

The suspect, Charles McCoy Jr., pleaded guilty by reason of insanity to murder and other charges stemming from 12 shootings in 2003 and 2004. It's reported that the judge sent the jury home. If the case has, in fact, ended in mistrial, McCoy could be retried.

All right. He made headlines paving the way for gay couples in San Francisco. Now, Mayor Gavin Newsom prepares to take on another controversial social issue. We're going to get a fresh take on this and other political hot topics with Carlos Watson up next.

Plus, want to look younger but afraid to go under the knife? Find out how you can with renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Frank Ryan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: The city by the bay is the center of another social controversy. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom took political heat for spearheading the right for gays to marry. And now he's involved in the debate over, well, some other very controversial research. So, we're going to get a fresh take on that and other issues with our political analyst Carlos Watson. He is live from Mountainview, California.

Carlos, I love the way you're working your sources, because we don't get this stuff from anybody else. What's going on in San Francisco?

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well Carol, as you said, San Francisco has often been at the forefront of political and major cultural revolutions. Gay marriage was certainly something we saw in 2003 and 2004. But now as of Friday, it was announced that San Francisco would be the new headquarters for California's major stem cell initiative.

So the effort to spend $3 billion on stem cell research which may provide information on as many as 700 different diseases and debilitating injuries now will be headquartered here in San Francisco. And it's a big issue, because as you know, on one hand it offers a lot of hope as it relates to kind of healthcare, which is a major issue, but also a lot of controversy as it relates to social values. Indeed here, we're talking about the destruction of human embryos.

LIN: All right. Which obviously means that researchers out there who are not necessarily going to get the help they need from the federal government given the Bush administration's stand on using embryos in stem cell research?

WATSON: Very much so. In fact, this is an interesting one whereby often when you think about states taking the lead, you may think about tax rebellions or you may think about new education policy, but for states to really take the lead in sponsoring scientific research is a major one. And now that California step forward, you see other states like Wisconsin, Illinois. You see states like New Jersey and Connecticut looking to spend money on doing something very similar.

On the other hand, though, you've got a number of states who are saying hold on and who are putting limits or at least major roadblocks to doing more stem cell research. And those include North Dakota and South Dakota, Arkansas, Iowa and a number of others.

LIN: You are also, Carlos, hearing about a new and unexpected national political player. What group is this?

WATSON: Well, you probably expecting me to say evangelical Christians or maybe the blogs, but actually is it a different group -- Native Americans. Almost 20 years ago there was a major Supreme Court ruling which essentially cleared the way for Indian tribes to go into casino gambling in a major way. And there was a follow-up piece of congressional legislation.

Since then, they built up a pretty serious business in doing that. And have become fairly significant fund-raisers, or at least political donors. Everyone from Speaker Denny Hastert to Hillary Clinton to recently we heard about Tom DeLay have been involved in one form or another. And they're also starting to become major voters in terms of voting as well.

LIN: How much money wry talking about, Carlos, that's generated from casino money that's going into political campaigns?

WATSON: Believe it or not, more than the NFL, the NBA and Major League Baseball combined. We're looking at about $18.5 billion last year -- so pretty significant -- across 28 states or 400-plus casinos. And so it's a pretty major operation.

And again it's allowed a group that, in the past, hasn't been that engaged politically, to be engaged as political donors but now it has had an additional effect which is getting more Native Americans to vote in key states like Oklahoma, North Dakota and South Dakota and others.

And one of the things that I found so interesting about this story, Carol, as you hear more about it is that traditionally over the last 50 years when you hear about minority groups, African-American, Latino, others you typically have associated them with the Democratic Party.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: In this case, some of the biggest supporters of Native Americans have become the Republican Party. People like Senator John McCain of Arizona, people like Congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma, Speaker Denny Hastert and others have become some of their chief supporters if you will.

LIN: Money talks.

All right, Carlos. Well, on this Mother's Day, did you give mom a call?

WATSON: Definitely gave mom a call, Rose Watson got a call early this morning. And you know, one fun thing besides saying a happy Mother's Day to you is, as we sit back and pause, we remember that in the past often fathers were the ones who passed down political legacies to their sons or daughters, but these days we see lots of mothers do it.

We see Dianne Feinstein, a Senator, passing the baton to her daughter who is now a judge, Judge Katherine Feinstein. Congresswoman Carrie Meek of Florida passing the baton to her son, Congressman Kendrick Meek.

So happy Mother's Day. Lives long in politics as well.

LIN: You bet. Also hats off to Senator Jean Carnahan who has lived through her own trials to pass on the legacy to her kids.

WATSON: In fact, not just one, but two.

LIN: Yep. Thanks so much, Carlos. Good to see you. Fresh take.

Also you all can tune in to Carlos' column at CNN.com. CNN.com/carlos biweekly column.

Straight ahead on CNN LIVE SUNDAY as well...

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joey, in particular, is the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning. And I know he will be the very last thing that I think of as I draw my last breath.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Perceptions through pictures. Inspired by her son, one mother tries to open others' eyes to a mysterious disorder.

And later, it is pretty hard to be a mother if you're not a good manager. So, straight ahead an expert tells us how to succeed at both. We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Normally we don't do weather unless it's pretty serious. Parts of Texas are getting hammered with severe thunderstorms. So, let's turn to CNN's Jacqui Jeras live at the CNN weather center. What's going on, Jacqui?

(WEATHER REPORT)

LIN: All right. Thanks very much, Jacqui. Happy Mother's Day.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Thanks. You, too.

LIN: You know, we want Mother's Day to be a special day. And we want to share with you a special salute to some exceptional mothers. CNN's senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta introduces us to a woman whose autistic son inspired her to help other children and families cope with the disorder.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Won't that put blips in the schedule, Mom?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Baby, really, you're bribing me, aren't you?

SHARON ROSENBLOOM, MOTHER OF CHILD WITH AUTISM: Joey in particular is the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning and I know he will be the very last thing that I think of as I draw my last breath. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That's because Sharon Rosenbloom's 17-year-old son Joey has autism. Children diagnosed under the vast description of autism spectrum disorder suffer from a neurological disorder. They often display repetitive behavior, lack social skills and have difficulty communicating. They have a very hard time showing their emotions without therapy. They may not even speak.

So for Sharon, husband Bob and their 14-year-old daughter Raya (ph), Joey's autism has shaped all of their lives.

ROSENBLOOM: The challenges and the struggles bring their own joy, with Joey, but they also allow me the ability to have a profound appreciation for things that people just take so for granted.

GUPTA: For the past 15 years, Sharon, who's also a speech therapist, has worked with Joey and other children with autism.

ROSENBLOOM: I was outraged at people's perceptions of individuals with autism. And I thought if I could do one thing, it would be to talk about autism from a different vantage point, to write something for parents that would be a voice for them.

GUPTA: So Sharon wrote a book, and with the help of photographer Thomas Balsamo (ph), shared some of her thoughts. These remarkable pictures are all of children with autism.

ROSENBLOOM: People with autism do not experience the world as other do. They don't experience the world in the same way. And that's important to understand, so that we can better help them.

GUPTA: The book is intense, offering an unusual glimpse at some of the faces and into the souls of autism. Some of Balsamo's (ph) portraits and Sharon's words were also turned into a DVD.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Lying here with you...

GUPTA: And the images show children smiling.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Looking in your eyes...

GUPTA (on camera): As children writes in her book, and perhaps the most important lesson: "Just because children with autism have difficulty showing their emotions doesn't mean they don't have emotions."

ROSENBLOOM: Nothing of this world compares with the embrace of a person with autism.

GUPTA: According to the CDC, some studies suggests one in 166 children in the U.S. have some form of autism, and boys outnumber girls four to one.

ROSENBLOOM: I think one of the big frustrations for those of us in the trenches is, if one in every 166 children in this country were being kidnapped, would someone do something about it? That there's not more outrage, that there's an indifference.

GUPTA: But Sharon uses her frustration to help others. Sometimes the pictures are enough.

ROSENBLOOM: I can only imagine what I am to become because of, not in spite of, my child with autism.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All right. Well, sure parenting is hard work even under the best of circumstances. And it is even harder when parents are feed a regular list of hyper-parenting rules. But an editorial written by two contrarian social economists concludes that what matters is how much money and education the parents have and not much more.

Statistically their children out test children of poor struggling parents. It is called the privilege gap. And it really rankles my next guest. Rosalie Fuscaldo Gaziano was 2002's national mother of the year. Her sons literally grew up to be Rhodes Scholars.

Rosalie, this is a study that these two economists took based on a Department of Education interview with some 20,000 kids. So, is it very data based. And I want to get your feedback, because one of the contentions is, look, if the parents are rich -- if the parents are rich, they're simply going to test higher. They don't even have to read to their kids. They don't have to do anything with their kids, all they have to do is just kind of live their lives and set examples as, you know, wealthy, educated adults. What's your experience?

ROSALIE FUSCALDO GAZIANO, AUTHOR: Well, I would certainly refute that. Our family speaks for such a situation. My husband himself grew up in a coal camp as a Sicilian immigrant's son. My mother led her class and she, too, was from a poor family. Our children, five of them, indicate that we already va group of people to educate, but they all had this love of learning, and worked hard and I certainly would say that they defied that statistic.

LIN: I want to also tap into the experience that you had in writing a book "For Love Of Family." You went around the country, you talked to some 40 different mothers of all, you know, profiles. And I'm wondering, some of the other conclusion that these economist came up with was that highly educated parents matter. What doesn't matter is whether a child, for example, regularly watches television or whether parents even take kids to museums. I mean, what did you hear from these moms out there, what really mattered in raising kids successfully?

GAZIANO: Well, from all of these stories, I garnered different senses of inspiration, but especially for those who wanted their children to do -- the joy of wanting a child and seeing their unique abilities seemed to outshine, came through story after story, that any statistic would only be a limited portion of the whole picture. The stories, for instance, of a young mother who had a child who had downs syndrome, but ended up having gifted children of her own was from this love and intense interest in joy within her family that she saw the changes in the child throughout her life.

LIN: So, what is your reaction when you hear -- you know, we get all these rules, OK no TV watching beyond 30 minutes, make sure that toddlers serve table time so that they learn manners. Make sure -- the mother should work outside the house, or the mother shouldn't work outside the house. There should be stay at home mothers. When you hear these rules, how do they apply to the women you've talked to?

GAZIANO: Well, I think that statistics can only tell us a limited amount. And undoubtedly I felt like that the mothers who cared, who did give a little discipline time so that if TV wanted to be one of their outlets, that was all right. But in the whole circumstance of mothering depends on the interest in the child and defies some of these literally limited -- I would call them -- statistics. Of course, encouraging a love of learning by what you do...

LIN: Setting the example.

GAZIANO: Well, in my case, many instances we did talk about interesting things that were going on in the world at the dinner table. And I suggest that dinner table talk -- having dinner together alone opens up the listening, the banter, the interaction of children in a very natural way, encouraging a love of learning.

And of course, knowing that their thoughts are worth something. That we respect that, we're listening and interacting with them with our concepts of the world. Giving them a chance to answer.

LIN: That's what I'm hearing from you. I'm hearing from you from the very beginning that your child is an individual and you treat them with respect as well as love.

GAZIANO: Absolutely.

LIN: Thanks very much for sharing your wisdom with us.

GAZIANO: Thank you, Carol.

LIN: Well, hard working moms are searching for that fountain of youth as well. But so many are afraid of cosmetic surgery. Up next, we're going to show you how you can get that youthful appearance without actually going under the knife.

And later, an amazing story you'll only see on CNN. One lost a father, the other a husband, now, two women are helping each other heal the wounds of war.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Busy moms know the last thing you have time for is yourself. So on this Mother's Day, we thought we'd show you, well, the hottest anti-aging tricks to help you keep or at least get back that youthful appearance. And who better to talk to than renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Frank Ryan who is with us today. Hey, Dr. Ryan.

DR. FRANK RYAN, PLASTIC SURGEON: Hi.

LIN: At what age do most women come to you and actually start talking about plastic surgery?

RYAN: Actually, I see patients in their 20s starting to come in about primarily nonsurgical methods I would say at that age: Botox, collagen injections, restilin injections, skin care. Things of that nature.

LIN: But when, in your opinion, do you think a woman really starts showing signs of aging that they may want to address? In your opinion what age?

RYAN: Well, you know, I see people who have grown up here in Southern California, went to the beach every single weekend when they were kids. And they're showing significant sun damage in their skin at age 25. So those are the girls that should really start doing some prevention with a good SPF sun screen and a good skin care regimen.

LIN: All right. But eventually, you figure, especially in your business, a woman may go under the knife. You've actually shared with us some before and after pictures. And I'm wondering, from taking a look at these, how painful is it? And are the results really worth it?

RYAN: I'd say the results are worth it. Most of my patients would agree with me that they're well worth it. I mean, I literally -- I don't tell patients that I can change their life. I would never say that. But honestly, it can. I've seen not just physically of course, but emotionally, they develop confidence they never had. It is pretty amazing what we can accomplish with plastic surgery.

LIN: Yeah. The last two, actually, were the most dramatic examples. And women who were a little bit older. I would guess probably at least in their mid-40s to late 40s.

RYAN: Yes. I would say the younger patients, of course, in terms of the before and afters have a much more subtle result. So, of course, the older women with more sun damage, you look at the befores and afters and say wow, what a dramatic improvement.

LIN: All right. Hypothetically speaking, let's just stay, you know, that the throat or the chin is getting loose. You've got some crow's feet. You know, your skin is starting to look a little slack. If you don't want to go through surgery, what would you recommend? I mean, are there -- you hear about these lunchtime peels or, I don't know. Is there a magic bullet out there? What can women initially do?

RYAN: Well, first of all, I like to tell patients if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Just the other week, I had a woman come in. She was probably in her mid 50s, but had a very significant amount of neck skin hanging down. And she said, you know, I heard about that little lunchtime thing that can solve that problem. And I said, sorry, in your case, there is no lunchtime procedure. You really need a good old fashioned face lift, good or bad.

LIN: All right. Well, talk to me about some specifics, though. Give me two or three alternatives to actual surgery itself that you have found to be pretty successful.

RYAN: Well, I think the most important thing is a good skin care regimen. There are great product lines out there that emphasize sun protection and have antioxidants. Erno Laszlo is a great line. I use it myself, actually. And It just covers all the bases. And there's other lines out there that are just high quality lines that really can prevent sun damage and improve what's already there.

LIN: So, sunscreen, maybe something that might tighten the skin a little bit. And then what's the next step?

RYAN: Well, you know what's huge right now? Botox. I mean, Botox in the last ten years is just unbelievable. It's the biggest thing out there. And it really works. It is safe, obviously. We've been doing it for years and years and years. It is unbelievable.

LIN: How much does it cost? And how many shots do have you to have?

RYAN: You know, it's so variable. But the three areas we typically do with Botox would be the forehead, the crow's feet and the frown area. And the fees range across the country. They're all over the map. But typically the number of shots is, I don't know, maybe 10 to 20 to get all these areas done.

LIN: Right. And an average price for that?

RYAN: Hard to say. It could be from a few hundred dollars to a thousand dollars.

LIN: Wow. All right. And you have to get it how many times a year?

RYAN: Botox lasts about -- every three to four months most of my patients come in. Something that complements Botox by the way, are the new generation of fillers out there are -- fillers for the lips, for the nasal folds, for other things on the face. They plump up the lines. And these new fillers last about twice as long as the old fillers. So it really has been a quantum leap in these fillers in the last year or two.

LIN: And is there a recovery period?

RYAN: Really, no. I mean, you can have bruising from one of these injections. But typically these are true quote, unquote "lunch- time procedures" where I do have patients coming in at lunchtime, getting a peel, getting some Botox, getting some restilin, then they head back to work.

LIN: All right. Well, in my case, I think I just need a good night's sleep.

RYAN: Me, too.

LIN: I think I'd be happy with that. Anyway. Dr. Frank Ryan, I hope there's a day when we can all get older more peacefully without any procedures. But until then looking good and feeling good does matter as well. Thanks very much, Dr. Frank Ryan.

Anyway. Many of the wounds of war leave behind -- those wounds never go away. But some actually do heal. So straight ahead, how two women, a mother and a daughter have found hope and comfort after two family tragedies.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Every week we like to bring you the more personal stories from the frontlines. And on this Mother's Day, we bring you the story of two women forever changed by wars fought decades apart. One lost a father and the other a husband. CNN's Aaron Brown has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN (voice-over): This is the story of two very different women from two very different times.

JACKIE LIVAUDAIS, HUSBAND KILLED IN IRAQ: Who's this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Daddy?

BROWN: Jackie Livaudais, a mother of three, was one of the first widows of the war in Iraq.

LIVAUDAIS: Destre, he misses everything about him. He loved daddy in every day. He misses working with him. He misses cuddling with him. I know he really misses daddy telling him that he's proud of him. But we all try to do that for him. When the boys ask why did God take him, it's hard, hard to hear. But it's the only answer I have, which is he's needed more up there right now. And, of course, it's hard for kids to understand why.

BROWN: Karen Spears Zacharias, was the child of another war, searching for a father who left for Vietnam when she was 9 and never came back.

KAREN SPEARS ZACHARIAS: Why in the world did life continue? Didn't the world understand my father was dead? And how could they go on and just act like nothing had happened? Because everything had happened different for me from that point in time. And I was angry at my mother over that. I was angry at my dad. I was angry at God.

BROWN: Zacharias, that anger haunted her for years. The book that grew from that anger "Hero Mama," is her story and the story of her mother.

ZACHARIAS: I almost can't stand the way that this is being replayed in people's lives every day because of the war in Iraq. I look at Jackie Livaudais. She was 22 when he died. She was 5 months pregnant. She had two little boys. I look at Jackie Livaudais and I see my mother. I hear my mom's story.

LIVAUDAIS: We've become good friends, because we have that loss in common. But there's so much more than just the loss. When somebody can understand it and actually articulate and relate to the boys, they love it. Karen's been a great friend, but she's also been the view from the child's eyes that I need.

ZACHARIAS: When you're in that child, it just doesn't matter. Your dad's gone. He's gone for the rest of your life. He's not there when you drive your first car. He's not there when you take your first date. He's not there when you get married.

BROWN: What you have, all you have, are memories.

ZACHARIAS: You tell me a story about daddy.

DESTRE LIVAUDAIS, SON OF JACKIE: He was a great man. And he had strong muscles.

I remember he was a good guy. He took care of us good. I keep those pictures in my room because, I love him. But it doesn't help any.

LIVAUDAIS: Every kid has a picture of their dad in their room. They'll sleep with the picture when they're having a rough night because they know that bad thing are scared of dad because dad's pretty tough and strong. All the widows, all the kids, they all have -- the kids all have their tear-stained pillows, I believe. I think they all do. They're always going to have that pain. It's their shadow now.

BROWN: Karen Zacharias, the adult, is never far from Karen, the child. Someone who knows too much about loss and a lot about possibility.

ZACHARIAS: I'm just there because I would have given anything as a young girl to have that person there for me or to have someone come along and befriend my mom. What I hope it brings to them is a sense of hope that when Jackie Livaudais looks at me, what Jackie Livaudais sees is that her kids are going to be OK. That she's going to mess up, but as long as she loves those boys with all of her heart, mind and soul, the way my mom loved me, they will know that she was a terrific mother. She is a terrific mother.

BROWN: Another hero mama in a long line.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And isn't every mother a hero today?

That's all the time we have for this hour. I'll be back at 10:00 Eastern tonight. The Atlanta child murderers. I have an investigative reporter who covered the crime some 20 years ago.

The hour's headlines when I come back. And then "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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 May 8, 2005 - 18:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: It is May 8. And you are watching CNN LIVE SUNDAY.
From the CNN center in Atlanta, I'm Carol Lin. To our top story in just a moment, but first other stories making news right now.

The head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency believes North Korea has five or six nuclear weapons. Mohammed ElBaradei made that comment today on CNN's "LATE EDITION" with Wolf Blitzer. He said North Korea has the plutonium to make those weapons and the ability to weaponize the plutonium.

A bit of good news at that time pump, gas prices fell another three cents over the past two weeks to $2.21 a gallon. That makes a total drop of more than 7 cents during the past month. But during the first few months of the year, gas prices rose 50 cents.

Britain's Prince Harry, known for his late night partying, will now be up at the crack of dawn. The prince arrived at Sandhurst Military Academy today to start his army service. The school says he will be treated the same as any other cadet during a 44-week course.

And it is all smiles today between President Bush and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Their public faces at least show none of the strain that has plagued their relationship of late. But behind closed doors, it is almost certainly a different story.

The two leaders met privately just hours ago at Mr. Putin's country house near Moscow. CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash is traveling with the president. And she joins me now from Moscow.

Dana, how did the meeting go?

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

Well, the two presidents met privately, no staff, for about 40 minutes. That's when aides say some tough issues were discussed. But then they broadened it to include their staff for about 45 minutes more. That is when aides describe their relationship and their discussions as cordial, even light-hearted. Tried to make the case that their storied friendship is still very much in tact.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH (voice-over): If you're look fog a feud, don't look here. This is camaraderie for the cameras. And how is this for a gesture? That's the Russian leader's vintage 1956 Volga. And the American president taking the wheel. The waves and smiles en route to dinner masked growing tension. So did the president's words here.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And I want to thank you for your work on Iran and the Middle East. And there's a lot we can do together.

BASH: That, despite Bush objections to Russia's nuclear cooperation with Iran and missile sales to Syria. A stark contrast to the pointed challenge he issued in Latvia, a former Soviet state, just a day earlier.

BUSH: In the long run, it is the strength of Russian democracy that will determine the greatness of Russia.

BASH: The secretary of State said, in private Mr. Bush did press his fear Mr. Putin's retreating from democracy and trying to intimidate his neighbors.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: I would characterize the relationship as absolutely straightforward. They say what they think. They say what they mean. And then they act on that.

BASH: The president irritated Russia by publicly pushing Mr. Putin to apologize for wrongs in the Soviet past. But now in Russia, the White House is taking pains to insist discussions now are about the future.

It's a delicate balance, but some say it is time for a choice.

IVO DALDER, FRM. NATL. SECURITY COUN. MEMBER: Whether we're going to support Mr. Putin, because he supports us on the war on terror or whether, indeed, Mr. Putin is more a part of the problem than part of solution when it comes to promoting freedom and democracy.

BASH: But Mr. Bush thinks maintaining friendship with his Russian counterpart is crucial.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: And that's why Mr. Bush decided to come to an event once considered unimaginable for a U.S. president to attend. To mark the end of World War II, Mr. Bush will be at a parade in Red Square, the place where Stalin and Khrushchev once reviewed Soviet troops at the height of the Cold War -- Carol.

LIN: So Dana, did the White House like what it heard from President Putin about democracy then?

BASH: Well, you know, it's interesting. What the White House is saying is that Mr. Bush told President Putin that he liked what he had said recently, for example, on his State of the State Address about ten days ago. President Putin did talk about things that the White House would like to hear, like allowing NGOs to come about in Russia and also talked about the idea of more freedoms for the press.

But they also are acknowledging tonight that those are words and they do look forward to and hope that Mr. Putin turns those words in actions, but he has not done that yet.

LIN: All right. Diplomatically put. Thank you very much. Dana Bash, live from Moscow.

Earlier today, President Bush helped mark Victory Day in the Netherlands. It has been 60 years since World War II came to an end in Europe. And as part of the commemorations, Mr. Bush joined Dutch queen Beatrix in a wreath laying ceremony at the city of Margaten. Now, it's is the site of Europe's third largest cemetery for Americans killed in World War II.

The president paid tribute to the soldiers who fought to free Europe from the Nazis. He said a new generation is working to bring liberty to the Middle East.

And Victory Day celebrations are also taking place right here in the United States. You are looking at live pictures there of the one- year-old World War II memorial in Washington. Veterans and dignitaries gathered there to commemorate the end of war in Europe six decades ago. 16 million U.S. forces served in that conflict, more than 400,000 died.

At Victory Day commemorations in Europe topped news in our world wrap tonight. In London, Britain's Prince Charles laid a wreath at a monument honoring the dead of both world wars. He later joined veterans for a march through Hyde Park.

In Berlin, the date was marked by a wreath laying ceremony at a memorial to victims of Nazism and the war. It contains the remains of an unknown soldier and an unknown concentration camp victim.

And in Paris, French president Jacques Chirac relit the flame at the tomb of the unknown soldier. Jets later flew over the Champs Elysees streaking the sky with red, white and blue smoke -- the colors of the French flag.

And now to Iraq. We are learning of yet another big catch in the fight against the insurgency. CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has those details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR (on camera): U.S. officials say they have captured the man who planned several bomb attacks that hit Baghdad April 29, part of a wave of rising violence. There is hope the arrest will bring them closer to getting Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the Jordanian-born terrorist leader responsible for months of violence.

Inside the U.S. military, growing worry about the deadly rise in car bombs and suicide attacks. U.S. officials now estimate nearly 300 Iraqi civilians and security forces have been killed in the last ten days. But officials insist their information is getting better, that each arrest now giving them more intelligence and more tips about Zarqawi.

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: That intelligence allows you to plan future operations which after conducting those operations also gives you more intelligence. It is a virtually cycle permitted us of late to take down a significant part of the Zarqawi network.

STARR: The latest arrest came in Baghdad a few days ago, but was not immediately announced. Mohammed Homza al Zubaydi is described by the U.S. as a prominent figure in the Zarqawi organization. When U.S. troops grabbed him, they got documents detailing the attacks in April insurgent attack against Abu Ghraib Prison and plans to assassinate a prominent Iraqi government official in the days ahead. The U.S. is not saying the name of that official.

The U.S. military also trying to convince many people that Zarqawi is not ten feet tall in the words of one official. A U.S. military press release is taking the unprecedented step of detailing statements from Zarqawi's driver when he was arrested back in February.

The press release saying the driver told interrogators, quote "Zarqawi became hysterical while he was trying to escape on February 20." Of course, there is no way for us to corroborate that information from the U.S. military -- Carol.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All right. My thanks to Barbara Starr, Pentagon correspondent.

An international manhunt is under way for a South Carolina police officer accused of murder and child molestation. Daniel William Eyres has been missing for almost two months. He was charged earlier this year with molesting an 11-year-old girl. When he didn't turn himself in to police in mid-March, police went to his home and found his wife shot to death. Police suspect Eyres killed her in her sleep and then left town.

And there are new developments in the disturbing case of Precious Doe, the little girl who was killed and decapitated four years ago. Her identity discovered only last week after a break in the investigation.

The girl's mother and stepfather who are charged in the case, have waived extradition from Oklahoma. They could appear in Kansas City Missouri, in a courtroom there as early as this week. Their arrests have brought relief to Kansas City residents who have never forgotten the case.

CNN's Drew Griffin reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNETTE JOHNSON: This is -- right here is where her body laid, where I will take you. DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Annette Johnson has walked this path dozens of times and wondered just who the little girl was. Her headless, nude body dumped on the road, the head found a week later dumped in a bag -- no name, no family. No one in this little girl's life who even reported her missing. It was up to strangers to keep at least her case alive.

JOHNSON: I decided to put together a community which is called the Precious Doe Committee. That's the name we gave her, because we didn't know who she was. And to us she was precious. And we named her Precious Doe.

GRIFFIN: Annette Johnson and everyone in Kansas City who adopted a girl they never knew, heard the news they have waited four years to hear.

CHIEF JIM CORWIN, KANSAS CITY POLICE: The little girl we have known for four years as Precious Doe has a name.

GRIFFIN: Erica Michelle Marie Green would have been 8-years-old this month.

JOHNSON: I felt so relieved. I felt so happy. And then I started to feel sad, because I had to think about it all night. And I tossed and turned and said what happened?

GRIFFIN (on camera): But along with the joy of finding who this little girl was, Kansas City also learned how precious Erica Green died. And there was nothing precious about it.

(voice-over): Prosecutor Mike Sanders at this prayer vigil said the mother and stepfather have confessed. He has charged both with second degree murder. Sanders said the reason the couple gave for killing the girl is even more horrific than how they disposed of her.

MIKE SANDERS, PROSECUTOR: She didn't want to go to bed. Became somewhat fussy and started to cry. At that point he then struck her, threw her to the ground. And then by her statement kicked her in the head.

GRIFFIN: Then, police say, the couple used a hedge clipper to decapitate this child, dumping the body down this road and the head in the woods.

Not a happy ending. How could there be one? But at least for those who have waited and prayed for a precious little girl, the ending has a name.

(on camera): Do you wish Erica Green, maybe she does in your mind, know how much she is loved by this community?

JOHNSON: She does. I know she does. Because I feel her presence. Every time when I'm here I feel her presence. She's happy, she's running around. When we're holding hands, she's running between us, you know, laughing, looking at her teddy bears, touching them, smelling her flowers. And said, boy, they love me. They love me. GRIFFIN: Drew Griffin, CNN, Kansas City, Missouri.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, we still have a lot ahead this hour, including the story of a North Carolina minister playing politics from the pulpit. Wait till you hear why some members were kicked out of his congregation.

Plus, parenting autistic children on this Mother's Day. One woman has a story to tell through pictures and her own son.

And later, similar lives and mirrored legacies. The story of a mom finding hope and comfort through the heartache of war. You're watching CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: A Baptist church in North Carolina is trying to coax back its members it expelled for not backing President Bush's re-election bid. Now, last week the pastor led a move to oust nine of its flock. Well, now he says it was all a misunderstanding. The ousted members did show up at church today with their lawyer, Holly Headrick of Ashville -- with her lawyer, Holly Headrick is the reporter from Asheville affiliate WLOS. She has got the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REV. FRANKLIN GRAHAM, BILL GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSN.: I believe that as a minister, I have a right to speak out on moral issues, because this is what God has called me to do. But I'm not going to stand for the Republican or the Democratic or whatever -- it's God's stand.

HOLLY HEADRICK, WLOS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Reverend Franklin Graham says a pastor was wrong to force people out of East Waynesville Baptist Church for their political stance. Chan Chandler excommunicated nine members this week who supported John Kerry in November's election.

He claims his actions weren't political. But here is a sermon from last October.

PASTOR CHAN CHANDLER, WAYNESVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH: The question then comes in in the Baptist church, how do I vote? Let me just say this right now. If you vote for John Kerry this year, you need to repent or resign. You have been holding back God's church way too long. And I know I may get in trouble for saying that, but just pour it on.

GRAHAM: For a church to say you have to support one or the other, I don't know where the pastor was coming from on that. It sounds a little interesting.

HEADRICK: Former members say because they're Democrats Chandler insisted they support abortion and homosexuality. Graham believes politics is being confused with morals.

GRAHAM: Abortion is not a Republican and it is not a Democratic issue. This is a moral issue. It's a sin against God, whether you're a Democrat or Republican, God is God. And he is not -- he doesn't show political favoritism.

HEADRICK: The law mandates separation between church and state and church and politics.

EDITH NICHOLS, FORMER CHURCH MEMBER: And it is a freedom that we all have to worship as we please and to vote as we please. This is a free country.

HEADRICK: Franklin Graham's advice -- stay true to their faith no matter where they worship.

GRAHAM: I think it is not in a man, it is not in a building, our faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, some church members say it is too late for Pastor Chandler to smooth the matter over and he should resign.

Elsewhere across America this weekend, two sailors are safe after a close brush with death at sea off the North Carolina coast. Their sailboat's engine conked out as a severe storm caught them Thursday. They say they were swept overboard at least twice. The Coast Guard rescued them yesterday.

Amazingly, the firefighters set ablaze while battling this house fire in Tulsa, Oklahoma, are OK. They narrowly escaped injury Friday when the attic fell through.

And jury selection begins tomorrow in Berkeley, California for a second trial in the killing of a transgender teenager. Three men are accused of murdering 17-year-old Gwen Arroyo in October of 2002. The defense argued for manslaughter in first trial calling it a crime of passion when the men discovered that Arroyo was biological male. A jury deadlock outraging the family and transgender activists.

And a developing story out of Ohio. The Associated Press is reporting that jurors in the Columbus area highway shootings trial have reached an impasse. Now, jurors told the judge today that they cannot reach a verdict in the high profile case.

The suspect, Charles McCoy Jr., pleaded guilty by reason of insanity to murder and other charges stemming from 12 shootings in 2003 and 2004. It's reported that the judge sent the jury home. If the case has, in fact, ended in mistrial, McCoy could be retried.

All right. He made headlines paving the way for gay couples in San Francisco. Now, Mayor Gavin Newsom prepares to take on another controversial social issue. We're going to get a fresh take on this and other political hot topics with Carlos Watson up next.

Plus, want to look younger but afraid to go under the knife? Find out how you can with renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Frank Ryan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: The city by the bay is the center of another social controversy. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom took political heat for spearheading the right for gays to marry. And now he's involved in the debate over, well, some other very controversial research. So, we're going to get a fresh take on that and other issues with our political analyst Carlos Watson. He is live from Mountainview, California.

Carlos, I love the way you're working your sources, because we don't get this stuff from anybody else. What's going on in San Francisco?

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well Carol, as you said, San Francisco has often been at the forefront of political and major cultural revolutions. Gay marriage was certainly something we saw in 2003 and 2004. But now as of Friday, it was announced that San Francisco would be the new headquarters for California's major stem cell initiative.

So the effort to spend $3 billion on stem cell research which may provide information on as many as 700 different diseases and debilitating injuries now will be headquartered here in San Francisco. And it's a big issue, because as you know, on one hand it offers a lot of hope as it relates to kind of healthcare, which is a major issue, but also a lot of controversy as it relates to social values. Indeed here, we're talking about the destruction of human embryos.

LIN: All right. Which obviously means that researchers out there who are not necessarily going to get the help they need from the federal government given the Bush administration's stand on using embryos in stem cell research?

WATSON: Very much so. In fact, this is an interesting one whereby often when you think about states taking the lead, you may think about tax rebellions or you may think about new education policy, but for states to really take the lead in sponsoring scientific research is a major one. And now that California step forward, you see other states like Wisconsin, Illinois. You see states like New Jersey and Connecticut looking to spend money on doing something very similar.

On the other hand, though, you've got a number of states who are saying hold on and who are putting limits or at least major roadblocks to doing more stem cell research. And those include North Dakota and South Dakota, Arkansas, Iowa and a number of others.

LIN: You are also, Carlos, hearing about a new and unexpected national political player. What group is this?

WATSON: Well, you probably expecting me to say evangelical Christians or maybe the blogs, but actually is it a different group -- Native Americans. Almost 20 years ago there was a major Supreme Court ruling which essentially cleared the way for Indian tribes to go into casino gambling in a major way. And there was a follow-up piece of congressional legislation.

Since then, they built up a pretty serious business in doing that. And have become fairly significant fund-raisers, or at least political donors. Everyone from Speaker Denny Hastert to Hillary Clinton to recently we heard about Tom DeLay have been involved in one form or another. And they're also starting to become major voters in terms of voting as well.

LIN: How much money wry talking about, Carlos, that's generated from casino money that's going into political campaigns?

WATSON: Believe it or not, more than the NFL, the NBA and Major League Baseball combined. We're looking at about $18.5 billion last year -- so pretty significant -- across 28 states or 400-plus casinos. And so it's a pretty major operation.

And again it's allowed a group that, in the past, hasn't been that engaged politically, to be engaged as political donors but now it has had an additional effect which is getting more Native Americans to vote in key states like Oklahoma, North Dakota and South Dakota and others.

And one of the things that I found so interesting about this story, Carol, as you hear more about it is that traditionally over the last 50 years when you hear about minority groups, African-American, Latino, others you typically have associated them with the Democratic Party.

LIN: Right.

WATSON: In this case, some of the biggest supporters of Native Americans have become the Republican Party. People like Senator John McCain of Arizona, people like Congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma, Speaker Denny Hastert and others have become some of their chief supporters if you will.

LIN: Money talks.

All right, Carlos. Well, on this Mother's Day, did you give mom a call?

WATSON: Definitely gave mom a call, Rose Watson got a call early this morning. And you know, one fun thing besides saying a happy Mother's Day to you is, as we sit back and pause, we remember that in the past often fathers were the ones who passed down political legacies to their sons or daughters, but these days we see lots of mothers do it.

We see Dianne Feinstein, a Senator, passing the baton to her daughter who is now a judge, Judge Katherine Feinstein. Congresswoman Carrie Meek of Florida passing the baton to her son, Congressman Kendrick Meek.

So happy Mother's Day. Lives long in politics as well.

LIN: You bet. Also hats off to Senator Jean Carnahan who has lived through her own trials to pass on the legacy to her kids.

WATSON: In fact, not just one, but two.

LIN: Yep. Thanks so much, Carlos. Good to see you. Fresh take.

Also you all can tune in to Carlos' column at CNN.com. CNN.com/carlos biweekly column.

Straight ahead on CNN LIVE SUNDAY as well...

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joey, in particular, is the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning. And I know he will be the very last thing that I think of as I draw my last breath.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Perceptions through pictures. Inspired by her son, one mother tries to open others' eyes to a mysterious disorder.

And later, it is pretty hard to be a mother if you're not a good manager. So, straight ahead an expert tells us how to succeed at both. We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Normally we don't do weather unless it's pretty serious. Parts of Texas are getting hammered with severe thunderstorms. So, let's turn to CNN's Jacqui Jeras live at the CNN weather center. What's going on, Jacqui?

(WEATHER REPORT)

LIN: All right. Thanks very much, Jacqui. Happy Mother's Day.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Thanks. You, too.

LIN: You know, we want Mother's Day to be a special day. And we want to share with you a special salute to some exceptional mothers. CNN's senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta introduces us to a woman whose autistic son inspired her to help other children and families cope with the disorder.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Won't that put blips in the schedule, Mom?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Baby, really, you're bribing me, aren't you?

SHARON ROSENBLOOM, MOTHER OF CHILD WITH AUTISM: Joey in particular is the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning and I know he will be the very last thing that I think of as I draw my last breath. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That's because Sharon Rosenbloom's 17-year-old son Joey has autism. Children diagnosed under the vast description of autism spectrum disorder suffer from a neurological disorder. They often display repetitive behavior, lack social skills and have difficulty communicating. They have a very hard time showing their emotions without therapy. They may not even speak.

So for Sharon, husband Bob and their 14-year-old daughter Raya (ph), Joey's autism has shaped all of their lives.

ROSENBLOOM: The challenges and the struggles bring their own joy, with Joey, but they also allow me the ability to have a profound appreciation for things that people just take so for granted.

GUPTA: For the past 15 years, Sharon, who's also a speech therapist, has worked with Joey and other children with autism.

ROSENBLOOM: I was outraged at people's perceptions of individuals with autism. And I thought if I could do one thing, it would be to talk about autism from a different vantage point, to write something for parents that would be a voice for them.

GUPTA: So Sharon wrote a book, and with the help of photographer Thomas Balsamo (ph), shared some of her thoughts. These remarkable pictures are all of children with autism.

ROSENBLOOM: People with autism do not experience the world as other do. They don't experience the world in the same way. And that's important to understand, so that we can better help them.

GUPTA: The book is intense, offering an unusual glimpse at some of the faces and into the souls of autism. Some of Balsamo's (ph) portraits and Sharon's words were also turned into a DVD.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Lying here with you...

GUPTA: And the images show children smiling.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Looking in your eyes...

GUPTA (on camera): As children writes in her book, and perhaps the most important lesson: "Just because children with autism have difficulty showing their emotions doesn't mean they don't have emotions."

ROSENBLOOM: Nothing of this world compares with the embrace of a person with autism.

GUPTA: According to the CDC, some studies suggests one in 166 children in the U.S. have some form of autism, and boys outnumber girls four to one.

ROSENBLOOM: I think one of the big frustrations for those of us in the trenches is, if one in every 166 children in this country were being kidnapped, would someone do something about it? That there's not more outrage, that there's an indifference.

GUPTA: But Sharon uses her frustration to help others. Sometimes the pictures are enough.

ROSENBLOOM: I can only imagine what I am to become because of, not in spite of, my child with autism.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All right. Well, sure parenting is hard work even under the best of circumstances. And it is even harder when parents are feed a regular list of hyper-parenting rules. But an editorial written by two contrarian social economists concludes that what matters is how much money and education the parents have and not much more.

Statistically their children out test children of poor struggling parents. It is called the privilege gap. And it really rankles my next guest. Rosalie Fuscaldo Gaziano was 2002's national mother of the year. Her sons literally grew up to be Rhodes Scholars.

Rosalie, this is a study that these two economists took based on a Department of Education interview with some 20,000 kids. So, is it very data based. And I want to get your feedback, because one of the contentions is, look, if the parents are rich -- if the parents are rich, they're simply going to test higher. They don't even have to read to their kids. They don't have to do anything with their kids, all they have to do is just kind of live their lives and set examples as, you know, wealthy, educated adults. What's your experience?

ROSALIE FUSCALDO GAZIANO, AUTHOR: Well, I would certainly refute that. Our family speaks for such a situation. My husband himself grew up in a coal camp as a Sicilian immigrant's son. My mother led her class and she, too, was from a poor family. Our children, five of them, indicate that we already va group of people to educate, but they all had this love of learning, and worked hard and I certainly would say that they defied that statistic.

LIN: I want to also tap into the experience that you had in writing a book "For Love Of Family." You went around the country, you talked to some 40 different mothers of all, you know, profiles. And I'm wondering, some of the other conclusion that these economist came up with was that highly educated parents matter. What doesn't matter is whether a child, for example, regularly watches television or whether parents even take kids to museums. I mean, what did you hear from these moms out there, what really mattered in raising kids successfully?

GAZIANO: Well, from all of these stories, I garnered different senses of inspiration, but especially for those who wanted their children to do -- the joy of wanting a child and seeing their unique abilities seemed to outshine, came through story after story, that any statistic would only be a limited portion of the whole picture. The stories, for instance, of a young mother who had a child who had downs syndrome, but ended up having gifted children of her own was from this love and intense interest in joy within her family that she saw the changes in the child throughout her life.

LIN: So, what is your reaction when you hear -- you know, we get all these rules, OK no TV watching beyond 30 minutes, make sure that toddlers serve table time so that they learn manners. Make sure -- the mother should work outside the house, or the mother shouldn't work outside the house. There should be stay at home mothers. When you hear these rules, how do they apply to the women you've talked to?

GAZIANO: Well, I think that statistics can only tell us a limited amount. And undoubtedly I felt like that the mothers who cared, who did give a little discipline time so that if TV wanted to be one of their outlets, that was all right. But in the whole circumstance of mothering depends on the interest in the child and defies some of these literally limited -- I would call them -- statistics. Of course, encouraging a love of learning by what you do...

LIN: Setting the example.

GAZIANO: Well, in my case, many instances we did talk about interesting things that were going on in the world at the dinner table. And I suggest that dinner table talk -- having dinner together alone opens up the listening, the banter, the interaction of children in a very natural way, encouraging a love of learning.

And of course, knowing that their thoughts are worth something. That we respect that, we're listening and interacting with them with our concepts of the world. Giving them a chance to answer.

LIN: That's what I'm hearing from you. I'm hearing from you from the very beginning that your child is an individual and you treat them with respect as well as love.

GAZIANO: Absolutely.

LIN: Thanks very much for sharing your wisdom with us.

GAZIANO: Thank you, Carol.

LIN: Well, hard working moms are searching for that fountain of youth as well. But so many are afraid of cosmetic surgery. Up next, we're going to show you how you can get that youthful appearance without actually going under the knife.

And later, an amazing story you'll only see on CNN. One lost a father, the other a husband, now, two women are helping each other heal the wounds of war.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Busy moms know the last thing you have time for is yourself. So on this Mother's Day, we thought we'd show you, well, the hottest anti-aging tricks to help you keep or at least get back that youthful appearance. And who better to talk to than renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Frank Ryan who is with us today. Hey, Dr. Ryan.

DR. FRANK RYAN, PLASTIC SURGEON: Hi.

LIN: At what age do most women come to you and actually start talking about plastic surgery?

RYAN: Actually, I see patients in their 20s starting to come in about primarily nonsurgical methods I would say at that age: Botox, collagen injections, restilin injections, skin care. Things of that nature.

LIN: But when, in your opinion, do you think a woman really starts showing signs of aging that they may want to address? In your opinion what age?

RYAN: Well, you know, I see people who have grown up here in Southern California, went to the beach every single weekend when they were kids. And they're showing significant sun damage in their skin at age 25. So those are the girls that should really start doing some prevention with a good SPF sun screen and a good skin care regimen.

LIN: All right. But eventually, you figure, especially in your business, a woman may go under the knife. You've actually shared with us some before and after pictures. And I'm wondering, from taking a look at these, how painful is it? And are the results really worth it?

RYAN: I'd say the results are worth it. Most of my patients would agree with me that they're well worth it. I mean, I literally -- I don't tell patients that I can change their life. I would never say that. But honestly, it can. I've seen not just physically of course, but emotionally, they develop confidence they never had. It is pretty amazing what we can accomplish with plastic surgery.

LIN: Yeah. The last two, actually, were the most dramatic examples. And women who were a little bit older. I would guess probably at least in their mid-40s to late 40s.

RYAN: Yes. I would say the younger patients, of course, in terms of the before and afters have a much more subtle result. So, of course, the older women with more sun damage, you look at the befores and afters and say wow, what a dramatic improvement.

LIN: All right. Hypothetically speaking, let's just stay, you know, that the throat or the chin is getting loose. You've got some crow's feet. You know, your skin is starting to look a little slack. If you don't want to go through surgery, what would you recommend? I mean, are there -- you hear about these lunchtime peels or, I don't know. Is there a magic bullet out there? What can women initially do?

RYAN: Well, first of all, I like to tell patients if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Just the other week, I had a woman come in. She was probably in her mid 50s, but had a very significant amount of neck skin hanging down. And she said, you know, I heard about that little lunchtime thing that can solve that problem. And I said, sorry, in your case, there is no lunchtime procedure. You really need a good old fashioned face lift, good or bad.

LIN: All right. Well, talk to me about some specifics, though. Give me two or three alternatives to actual surgery itself that you have found to be pretty successful.

RYAN: Well, I think the most important thing is a good skin care regimen. There are great product lines out there that emphasize sun protection and have antioxidants. Erno Laszlo is a great line. I use it myself, actually. And It just covers all the bases. And there's other lines out there that are just high quality lines that really can prevent sun damage and improve what's already there.

LIN: So, sunscreen, maybe something that might tighten the skin a little bit. And then what's the next step?

RYAN: Well, you know what's huge right now? Botox. I mean, Botox in the last ten years is just unbelievable. It's the biggest thing out there. And it really works. It is safe, obviously. We've been doing it for years and years and years. It is unbelievable.

LIN: How much does it cost? And how many shots do have you to have?

RYAN: You know, it's so variable. But the three areas we typically do with Botox would be the forehead, the crow's feet and the frown area. And the fees range across the country. They're all over the map. But typically the number of shots is, I don't know, maybe 10 to 20 to get all these areas done.

LIN: Right. And an average price for that?

RYAN: Hard to say. It could be from a few hundred dollars to a thousand dollars.

LIN: Wow. All right. And you have to get it how many times a year?

RYAN: Botox lasts about -- every three to four months most of my patients come in. Something that complements Botox by the way, are the new generation of fillers out there are -- fillers for the lips, for the nasal folds, for other things on the face. They plump up the lines. And these new fillers last about twice as long as the old fillers. So it really has been a quantum leap in these fillers in the last year or two.

LIN: And is there a recovery period?

RYAN: Really, no. I mean, you can have bruising from one of these injections. But typically these are true quote, unquote "lunch- time procedures" where I do have patients coming in at lunchtime, getting a peel, getting some Botox, getting some restilin, then they head back to work.

LIN: All right. Well, in my case, I think I just need a good night's sleep.

RYAN: Me, too.

LIN: I think I'd be happy with that. Anyway. Dr. Frank Ryan, I hope there's a day when we can all get older more peacefully without any procedures. But until then looking good and feeling good does matter as well. Thanks very much, Dr. Frank Ryan.

Anyway. Many of the wounds of war leave behind -- those wounds never go away. But some actually do heal. So straight ahead, how two women, a mother and a daughter have found hope and comfort after two family tragedies.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Every week we like to bring you the more personal stories from the frontlines. And on this Mother's Day, we bring you the story of two women forever changed by wars fought decades apart. One lost a father and the other a husband. CNN's Aaron Brown has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN (voice-over): This is the story of two very different women from two very different times.

JACKIE LIVAUDAIS, HUSBAND KILLED IN IRAQ: Who's this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Daddy?

BROWN: Jackie Livaudais, a mother of three, was one of the first widows of the war in Iraq.

LIVAUDAIS: Destre, he misses everything about him. He loved daddy in every day. He misses working with him. He misses cuddling with him. I know he really misses daddy telling him that he's proud of him. But we all try to do that for him. When the boys ask why did God take him, it's hard, hard to hear. But it's the only answer I have, which is he's needed more up there right now. And, of course, it's hard for kids to understand why.

BROWN: Karen Spears Zacharias, was the child of another war, searching for a father who left for Vietnam when she was 9 and never came back.

KAREN SPEARS ZACHARIAS: Why in the world did life continue? Didn't the world understand my father was dead? And how could they go on and just act like nothing had happened? Because everything had happened different for me from that point in time. And I was angry at my mother over that. I was angry at my dad. I was angry at God.

BROWN: Zacharias, that anger haunted her for years. The book that grew from that anger "Hero Mama," is her story and the story of her mother.

ZACHARIAS: I almost can't stand the way that this is being replayed in people's lives every day because of the war in Iraq. I look at Jackie Livaudais. She was 22 when he died. She was 5 months pregnant. She had two little boys. I look at Jackie Livaudais and I see my mother. I hear my mom's story.

LIVAUDAIS: We've become good friends, because we have that loss in common. But there's so much more than just the loss. When somebody can understand it and actually articulate and relate to the boys, they love it. Karen's been a great friend, but she's also been the view from the child's eyes that I need.

ZACHARIAS: When you're in that child, it just doesn't matter. Your dad's gone. He's gone for the rest of your life. He's not there when you drive your first car. He's not there when you take your first date. He's not there when you get married.

BROWN: What you have, all you have, are memories.

ZACHARIAS: You tell me a story about daddy.

DESTRE LIVAUDAIS, SON OF JACKIE: He was a great man. And he had strong muscles.

I remember he was a good guy. He took care of us good. I keep those pictures in my room because, I love him. But it doesn't help any.

LIVAUDAIS: Every kid has a picture of their dad in their room. They'll sleep with the picture when they're having a rough night because they know that bad thing are scared of dad because dad's pretty tough and strong. All the widows, all the kids, they all have -- the kids all have their tear-stained pillows, I believe. I think they all do. They're always going to have that pain. It's their shadow now.

BROWN: Karen Zacharias, the adult, is never far from Karen, the child. Someone who knows too much about loss and a lot about possibility.

ZACHARIAS: I'm just there because I would have given anything as a young girl to have that person there for me or to have someone come along and befriend my mom. What I hope it brings to them is a sense of hope that when Jackie Livaudais looks at me, what Jackie Livaudais sees is that her kids are going to be OK. That she's going to mess up, but as long as she loves those boys with all of her heart, mind and soul, the way my mom loved me, they will know that she was a terrific mother. She is a terrific mother.

BROWN: Another hero mama in a long line.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And isn't every mother a hero today?

That's all the time we have for this hour. I'll be back at 10:00 Eastern tonight. The Atlanta child murderers. I have an investigative reporter who covered the crime some 20 years ago.

The hour's headlines when I come back. And then "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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