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CNN Saturday Morning News
Toronto Terrorist Bomb Plot Thwarted; Manhunt Continues For Alleged Murderer Desmond Turner; Pet Evacuation Bill Gets Support And Opposition In The House; Violence Escalating in Afghanistan; President Bush Calling For Senate To Back Constitutional Amendment Banning Gay Marriage; Preventing Alligator Attacks
Aired June 03, 2006 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, a major police sweep in the Toronto area. Authorities say at least 17 people have been arrested on terrorism-related charges. We're going to give you those details just ahead.
Also, a Russian diplomat has been killed and four others kidnapped in Baghdad. It happened today near the Russian embassy. Police say gunmen opened fire upon a diplomat's vehicle.
A U.S. army investigation exonerates American troops in the deaths of several Iraqi civilians in the town of Ishaqi. Iraq's prime ministers office says the U.S. military rushed to judgment in clearing its troops.
And a massive manhunt in Indiana going on at this very moment. 28-year-old Desmond Turner is the prime suspect in the shooting deaths of seven family members, including three children. We're going to take you live there in just a few minutes with the latest on that.
President Bush is again urging Congress to push a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. He used his weekly radio address just a short time ago to renew his call. The senate votes next week on the so-called Marriage Protection Amendment.
Good morning, everybody it's Saturday, June 3rd. From the CNN Center right here in Atlanta, I'm Betty Nguyen.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris, a busy morning so far. Let's get right to it.
NGUYEN: First up, a developing story north of the border. A terrorism plot is foiled. Canadian officials say they have arrested 12 adults and five young people in connection with planned bombings.
They say the target sites were in and around Toronto. Now we got an U.N. date from Canadian officials just a short time ago. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE MCDONELL, ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE: This group took steps to acquire components necessary to create explosive devices using ammonium nitrate, which is a commonly used fertilizer. Three tons of ammonium nitrate was ordered and delivered to them. It was their intent to use it for a terrorist attack.
If I can put this in context for you, the 1995 bombing of the Murray Federal Building in Oklahoma City that killed 168 people was completed with only 1 ton of ammonium nitrate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: A lot of material there. We'll have more on this developing story. Denelle Balfour of DTV joins us live from Toronto.
What do you know about this foiled plot?
BALFOUR: Well, we know that the police felt they had to move last night. A number of raids were executed because they felt that there was a threat to public safety.
They wouldn't say if the attack was imminent. But they were very concerned about public safety. So they swooped down on number of Toronto residents, as you mentioned.
Seventeen people in custody and appearing in court this morning, all residents of Canada. They won't say if they're Canadian citizens but members of a homegrown terror cell that is inspired by al Qaeda. -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Do you have any idea what tipped police off to this plot, which led to the arrest?
BALFOUR: Well, it's been an ongoing investigation that started almost two years ago, monitoring Web sites, a lot of anti-western sentiments being expressed. And these people, these folks, have been under surveillance for some time.
But again, we don't know why they moved last night. But police did say they posed a real and imminent threat. They just didn't -- they weren't saying what the targets were or when they intended to attack. But there are reports that, on the list was the offices of Canada's spy agency, which is downtown Toronto.
NGUYEN: I know a lot of this is just coming out now. But have you been told anything about these 17 individuals, five of them being young people.
BALFOUR: That's right. We don't know the ages of those five young people. But we were told they cross the strata of society. There's students. There's fathers, husbands. They're unemployed, employed.
But very little details about exactly who they are. And again police saying this is an ongoing investigation. We don't know if there are going to be more arrests. But they do feel that they have foiled the terrorist plot. And that they have deactivated this terror cell.
NGUYEN: Well, we will be watching closely. Denelle Balfour of CTV, thank you for that. -- Tony. BALFOUR: You're welcome.
HARRIS: CNN homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve joins us by phone from what she has learned from her sources.
(BEGIN AUDIO FEED)
Jeanne, good morning.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.
U.S. officials have been in contact with the Canadians. And they are still analyzing what has happened up there.
A Homeland Security official saying, at this point, no additional border protection measures are being taken because this does appear to have been a Canadian plot involving Canadians with Canadian targets.
No indication, one Canadian official telling me, of any intent to do anything involving the United States.
I can tell you that, for many years, there has been terrorism experts in the United States concerned about the potential for terrorist activity in Canada because that country is perceived as having weaker immigration and asylum laws.
The fear, however, has been that there would be terrorist activity across the border directed at the U.S.
Now of course, indications, allegations that this was going to happen in Canada. This the first time Canada has faced this specter of terrorism within its own borders, a new day for them. -- Tony.
HARRIS: OK. CNN homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve.
Jeanne, thank you.
(END AUDIO FEED)
As always, stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security. CNN, the most trusted name in news.
NGUYEN: Well, a dragnet in Indianapolis, new developments this hour. Police thought they had Desmond Turner cornered this morning. Well, that is not the case.
He is their chief suspect in the shooting deaths of seven family members.
CNN's Keith Oppenheim in is Indianapolis.
Keith, you were just right there, outside the house where they thought they had surrounded the suspect. What happened?
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'm still there. In fact this street, which was just filled with police maybe just a minute ago, has suddenly cleared out, a major police operation for a house that was down the block.
This all started, Betty, around 5:00 in the morning when neighbors told us that police came with bull horns and starting crying the key suspect's name, "Turner, get out," referring to Desmond Turner.
And, in fact, later in the morning, police fired several canisters of tear gas to get the suspect out of the house down the street. Instead, a man, a woman and a boy came out, but no suspect.
And in fact, in the end, they did not find him in there.
I spoke to the deputy chief, Clifford Myers, and he explained to me why police came to this location.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLIFFORD MYERS, DEPUTY CHIEF: We continually are getting tips from the community, which is working well with us.
OPPENHEIM: Was this a tip?
MYERS: This was a tip. And we strongly believed that Mr. Turner was in this house, since the homicides have occurred.
(CROSSTALK)
OPPENHEIM: So he left while you were...
MYERS: Not here. We have not located him.
Yes, we believe he has slipped by us prior to our arrival.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OPPENHEIM: Police are telling us that in the last 24 hours, Betty, they have gone to seven different addresses and they still have not found him.
But I think that's an important point. Because it gives you the picture of the Indianapolis police really trying to put the squeeze on this guy.
They believe that he is somewhere on the east side of the city. But they don't have him in custody yet. And they want him.
Keep in mind, he is wanted for the murder of seven people, two parents, their two grown children, their two smaller children and one grandson, all killed. Murdered, execution style, in their home Thursday night.
They do have one suspect in custody, 30-year-old James Stewart, who was picked up on Friday. But they're looking for the key suspect. Back to you. NGUYEN: Here's what I want to know, Keith. You say seven houses, obviously they're putting the squeeze on this suspect. But why do they think he's still in the area?
OPPENHEIM: Well, I think they are working information that they have from a number of sources, including the suspect that they have in custody, who they have interrogated.
They also have some idea of what his options are. And at least the way the police tell it, he doesn't have that many places to go. So they are basically trying to smoke him out.
It's possible that he's not here? I suppose that's true. But police don't seem to think that's the case.
NGUYEN: We'll be watching. Keith Oppenheim, thank you, joining us live from Indianapolis. -- Tony.
HARRIS: And this just in to CNN. A bomb has exploded in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. This is an area that is starting to heat up lately, after a longer period of time of relative calm, certainly in comparison to the activity in Baghdad, almost since the beginning of the invasion of Iraq.
A motorcycle loaded with explosives went off in a market area today, once again, in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. There are many casualties reported, just no exact numbers at this time.
We will continue to follow this developing story and bring you the latest information as we get it.
Once again, staying in Iraq, an Army investigation clears troops of wrong doing in one incident. But the military is still looking into an alleged massacre and two deadly shootings.
First, the March raid in the town of Ishaqi. That is north of Baghdad. The Army now says troops there acted properly and will not face charges. Officials say U.S. forces came under attack and fired back.
An aide to Iraq's prime minister says the U.S. military rushed to judgment in exonerating the troops. He says the Iraqi government should continue its own investigation until the truth can be found.
As many as a dozen Iraqi civilians may have died in that accident.
Now, to the shooting death of an Iraqi man in Hamandiya in April. A dozen U.S. troops are under investigation.
A source says murder charges are likely against several of them.
Another incident happened this week in Samarra. The military is looking into reports that soldiers shot and killed two women. One of them was pregnant. Their vehicle apparently sped through a checkpoint while taking the pregnant woman to the hospital to give birth. And still ahead, tree on a house.
NGUYEN: What?
HARRIS: Yes. A sure sign of nasty weather in the Northeast.
NGUYEN: Oh, look at that.
HARRIS: Look at this picture. The Northeast gets a windy soaker this weekend.
NGUYEN: Yes. You want to keep your pets safe, too, during the storm.
Heartbreaking scenes with Katrina. Remember? These pictures show what happens when dogs and cats are left behind. I'm going to talk to our guest about disaster evacuations that include a family's fury friend.
Plus this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm not sure I want Kisses to be giving me any kisses.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably not a good idea.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Yes. I'd say that. Look at the teeth on that. That is just a baby, believe it or not. It's the big guys that are menacing Florida's neighborhoods.
Go on a gator hunt with our John Zarrella. Oh, this going to be good.
You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Just wanting to update you now on this developing story out of Basra. That's in southern Iraq. A bomb has exploded in a crowded market there.
We're now getting our first casualty figures. So far, ten dead, 30 hurt.
Once again, this was apparently a motorcycle loaded with explosives that went off in a crowded market area. We will continue to follow this story.
But once again, our initial casualty figures, ten dead, 30 hurt in this motorcycle bomb that exploded just a short time ago in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. We'll continue to update this for you. NGUYEN: Here's a look some of our other top stories.
Toronto Police round up 17 terror suspects. They describe them as inspired by al Qaeda.
Police say the group planned to build a fertilizer bomb much bigger than the one used in Oklahoma City that killed 168 people back in 1995.
Attackers ambush five Russian diplomats in Baghdad today. One is killed, the other four are kidnapped.
And an army investigation into this March attack in Iraq clears U.S. troops of any wrong doing. Now, some accuse the Americans of killing a family. Then, calling in an air strike to cover up the deaths.
The Army report calls the claim absolutely false.
HARRIS: Late spring thunderstorms cut across eastern Pennsylvania. Trees fell on power lines. Thousands of people have no electricity today. Lightning killed one man who was mowing his lawn.
One thunderstorm may have kicked up a tornado in New Jersey. Strong winds brought down trees onto houses. The stormy weather may bring two more inches of rain an hour to New Jersey today.
NGUYEN: Well, and that's the key. It's still happening. The rain is still falling. And that's not good news for an area. Because a lot of the northeast is just...
HARRIS: Soaked.
NGUYEN: Yes, saturated.
(WEATHER REPORT).
NGUYEN: Let's go across America right now. A couple of hundred of residents of Sedona, Arizona, hope to go home this afternoon.
A wildfire, check this out, chased them from their neighborhood on Thursday. Look at that smoke. It's now 50 percent contained. That's the good news. The blaze, though, is moving away from houses and towards the wilderness area. Five buildings have burned so far.
In Connecticut today, federal crews are looking into the crash of a Lear jet owned by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson. Now, he wasn't on the plane. But the pilot and co-pilot were killed when the plane flipped into the water while landing in heavy fog. Three passengers survived.
She runs U.S. foreign policy, but today, she is simply running.
HARRIS: Hey. NGUYEN: Yes. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice led warm-ups this morning for the Race for the Cure in the nation's capital. The annual run raises money for breast cancer research.
The Secretary's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when Rice was just a teenager.
In Afghanistan, hunting the Taliban. That's what you're watching. U.S. troops on the offensive against a growing insurgency. We'll bring you an exclusive interview with the head of the U.S. forces in the region.
HARRIS: Plus, no pet left behind. That is the goal of the Humane Society and some lawmakers. The next time a hurricane hits, will you and your pets be ready?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Build it and they will come. Bernie Marcus knows just how true that is. He co-founded Home Depot, with Arthur Blank and used some simple guidelines to turn it into the world's largest home improvement chain.
BERNIE MARCUS, CO-FOUNDER, HOME DEPOT: First of all, if you don't have common sense, you're not going to make it.
Number two, pick people who will disagree with you in a respectful way and can help change your mind if they're right and you're wrong.
CORRESPONDENT: Marcus also gives back to the community. The Marcus Institute helps children with disabilities. And last year, he donated $200 million to build the Georgia Aquarium.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: You know in the chaos of Hurricane Katrina, thousands of pets got separated from their owners. The next time a disaster hits, lawmakers hope that man and his best friend will have an easier time staying together.
Here's CNN's Kyra Phillips.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Bernard Williams left New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina, he took his puppy, Max. But he wasn't able to bring Max's mother, Missy, or his brother, Champ. Twelve days later, he didn't know what to expect.
BERNARD WILLIAMS, DOG OWNER: That's both my dogs. That's his mother and his brother right over there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your dog's mother and brother. I think they know we're coming.
PHILLIPS: Not all stories ended this happily though. An estimated 600,000 animals were left without shelter after Katrina. Many of them died. And Capitol Hill took notice.
REP. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS (R), CONNECTICUT: Hurricane Katrina was a storm of biblical proportion.
PHILLIPS: It's said that, during the original storm of biblical proportions, Noah took animals aboard an arc.
Congressman Christopher Shays doesn't want to go that far. But he does think evacuation plans should include provisions for pets.
SHAYS: We should evacuate humans first. And we should never put animals and pets in front of humans. But there were cases where, when you have people get on a bus and evacuate, and if a bus isn't full, allow them to bring their pets with them.
PHILLIPS: Last week, the House passed a bill that would require state and local officials to take pets into account when they create evacuation plans.
SHAYS: There are these stories of young children, literally, who lost their homes, lost everything in their homes. The one thing they could hold on to, the one thing that gave them comfort was their friend, their family member, their pet.
PHILLIPS: Who could be against a law to save Lassie? This man, among others.
REP. LYNN WESTMORELAND (R), GEORGIA: I'm a pet lover. I love pets. I rescued a dog from the side of the road.
PHILLIPS: Pet lover or not, Representative Lynn Westmoreland was one of 24 House members to vote against the Pet Rescue Bill.
WESTMORELAND: We had enough trouble during this last hurricane season evacuating people.
PHILLIPS: Westmoreland says, if individual states want to include pets in the evacuation plans, fine. But he says the federal government shouldn't be ordering them to do it.
WESTMORELAND: What we to do, if we send a helicopter in to pick some people up and, you know, they've got a Shetland pony on the ground?
PHILLIPS: Just about everyone agrees that people should come before pets. But supporters of the Pet Evacuation Bill argue that a law protecting animals would protect people as well.
In a poll conducted for the Humane Society, about half of all pet owners said they would refuse to evacuate if they couldn't take their pets. Congressman Shays says that's what happened before Katrina.
SHAYS: There were a lot of pet owners who simply refused to leave their pets and died with their pets in the storm.
PHILLIPS: Escape the storm or protect your pets? If this bill is signed into law, pet owners may be able to avoid that painful decision.
Kyra Phillips, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: OK. So now that we are in hurricane season, what you can do to help make sure that your pet doesn't get separated from you if another big one hits.
Wayne Pacelle is president of the Humane Society. We appreciate your time today. Thanks for being with us.
WAYNE PACELLE, PRESIDENT, HUMANE SOCIETY: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Let's talk about the lessons learned in Katrina. Is it a simple matter of preparation? Or, in the rush to save your lives, people had to choose between families and their pets?
PACELLE: Well, the best thing, of course, is to be prepared and to avoid a situation where you have to make a terrible choice between you and your pet.
And obviously, just being prepared means some of the very simple things that most us wouldn't really even have to give a second thought about, having a carrier for your animal, having the animal properly collared and tagged, having a leash, having some food and water, especially if you're going away for two or three days, everything you would take, including medicines for your animal.
And if you get out before the hurricane strikes or another natural disaster strikes, that's the best scenario.
But what your lead-in really did report is that there's such an incredible bond between people and pets. Sixty-three percent of American households have pets. There are more pets than people in this country.
NGUYEN: Well, if there's such a bond, why is it that so many people are ill prepared to take care of their pets in the case of disaster?
PACELLE: Well, I think there's a general lack of preparedness for disasters in general. I don't think people are prepared for themselves.
And we obviously have to think about pets not as a television set or a piece of furniture but as a living, breathing creature that needs protection. Because they're domesticated animals. They depend on us to help them because they've created this incredible dependency.
But I think it's a general lack of awareness, very simple things that you can do. And of course, there are some natural disasters that don't give you any warning, like earthquakes. That's why you have to be ready to go on a just a moment's notice.
NGUYEN: Yes. Simple things, like food, water, medications, but also, would you also want a picture and a description of your pet, should, for instance, you do get lost in the chaos?
PACELLE: That's a great question. You should definitely take a picture with you and your animal together so, if you're lost, you can show authorities or show any individual, who might be suspect about whether this is really your pet, that you are in fact the guardian of that animal. So that is a crucial component of any disaster plan, take a Polaroid with you and your pet.
NGUYEN: And very quickly, though, yes, you need a pet pack, a disaster pack. But when you get to that evacuation shelter, many of them don't allow you to bring pets in. So what do you do then?
PACELLE: You've got to have a plan to go somewhere. You've got to know relatives or friends, you know, away from the disaster area hopefully that can tack you in. Work through the Humane Society of the United States where -- at hsus.org -- we can help you identify pet-friendly shelters.
And there are drop-off points for animals as well. But then you've got to reunite.
Lots of things to do. Go to our Web site. Also the Department of Homeland Security is doing more and more work with pet preparedness.
You know, animals matter. They feel. They suffer. And we need to care about them. It's also good for us. You cannot have an effective disaster plan that does not account for the needs of animals.
NGUYEN: And bottom line, you've got to be prepared now, before it's too late.
PACELLE: Absolutely.
NGUYEN: All right.
PACELLE: Because you may get warning, but you also may not get any warning at all.
NGUYEN: Very true.
Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society, thanks pour your time today.
PACELLE: Thank you.
NGUYEN: In Afghanistan, U.S. troops on the offensive against the Taliban. CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is there with an exclusive report. That is next.
Plus, in Florida, gators attacked three people. We will tell you what is being done to prevent further problems from a growing alligator population.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Good morning, everyone. Now in the news, there's been a deadly car bombing at a crowded outdoor market in the southern Iraqi city of Basra today. New video into CNN, these are pictures from the scene. At least 10 people are dead and another 30 were injured. Basra is about 300 miles from Baghdad.
Canadian police say they've made 17 arrests in connection with a terror plot aimed at targets in and around Toronto. They say the suspects have taken steps to acquire three tons of ammonium nitrate, a powerful explosive.
More than 100 law men are on a manhunt in Indiana. Twenty-eight year old Desmond Turner is the prime suspect in what's being described as the most deadly attack in Indianapolis in a quarter century. Seven family members were gunned down including three children.
Another deadly attack today on Russian diplomats in Iraq. Gunmen attacked a Russian embassy car, killing one diplomat and kidnapping four others. The assault took place in an upscale Baghdad neighborhood just outside the Russian embassy.
There's a report of fighting in Afghanistan's Helmand province. Officials say Afghan troops and coalition forces attacked Taliban fighters loading munitions at a cave they were using as an arsenal. There is no word yet on casualties.
NGUYEN: You know, Tony, car accidents can flare tempers, but a traffic accident that sparked a deadly riot? It happened Monday in the Afghan capital of Kabul. Now Afghan authorities will look into this accident that drew violent crowds onto Kabul's streets. Twenty people were killed. It was the worst anti-American violence since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001.
But this year has seen an upsurge of fighting against insurgents, especially in the south where Taliban forces are strongest. CNN's Barbara Starr took an exclusive walking tour with the head of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. It is a report you saw first in "THE SITUATION ROOM."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry goes walking through the city of Khowst in eastern Afghanistan, he attracts a huge crowd. Everyone wants to know who is the big man in the American military uniform? Look closely. Eikenberry has no armored vest, no helmet, no weapon. His security is discrete.
This three-star commander is now facing a changing situation in Afghanistan. In many places like here in the highly conservative area of Khowst, once an al Qaeda stronghold, there is relative peace.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How's the security? TRANSLATOR: Thank God everything is OK. It's a good situation in Khowst province.
STARR: But in some areas, the Taliban are back, especially in rural areas where the new government is almost non-existent and U.S. military force have not yet, after four-and-a-half years, conducted significant operations. What's the part of the country that concerns you the most right now?
LT. GEN. KARL EIKENBERRY, US AFGHANISTAN COMMANDER: Taliban influence in some of these districts in the south in Helmand province, in Kandahar province, in Uruzagan province, it's in some of those areas, Barbara, that there is more Taliban influence and presence than there was last year at this time.
STARR: But even as he plans operations against the resurgent Taliban, this general, who is on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, says it is reconstruction, aid and jobs for Afghans that will defeat the Taliban and not U.S. military power.
EIKENBERRY: It's about building schoolings. It's about building health clinics. It's about what has taken place in this city right here at Khowst. It's about creating the conditions so that a civil society can begin to take shape.
STARR: But make no mistake, this military commander is determined the people of Afghanistan will have peace and his troops will keep after the Taliban until they are defeated.
Barbara Starr, CNN, Khowst, Afghanistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And Barbara Starr is part of the team covering the world from "THE SITUATION ROOM." Join Wolf Blitzer at 4:00 Eastern and again at primetime at 7:00.
HARRIS: It was an issue during the 2004 elections and now it's back. President Bush is calling on the Senate to back a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. CNN White House correspondent Elaine Quijano is standing by with details. Good morning, Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Tony. That's right. In 2004, this is exactly the issue that drove social conservatives to the polls for President Bush. But since then, he really hasn't talked about this issue too much and that has angered some social conservatives who feel that without them, President Bush would not be in the White House and Republicans would not have control of Congress.
Now with congressional elections just five months away, the GOP wants to hold on to those voters. So Monday the Senate is set to debate the Federal marriage amendment which would ban same sex marriages. Today in his radio address, the president said he supports it because he said some states that already banned gay marriage have some state laws that already ban gay marriage rather, have been overturned in court.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: An amendment to the constitution is necessary because activist courts have left our nation with no other choice. The constitutional amendment that the Senate will consider next week will fully protect marriage from being redefined, while leaving state legislatures free to make their own choices in defining legal arrangements other than marriage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: The president has invited supporters of the amendment here to the White House on Monday. That's when he's going to be making a statement on the issue. Even in conservative circles though, this a thorny issue. Some, including Republican Senator John McCain and Congressman Tom Delay say that the true Republican position is to let states, not the Federal government, decide these kinds of issues. Tony.
HARRIS: CNN's Elaine Quijano at the White House for us. Elaine, thank you.
NGUYEN: Here's an interesting question. Would you go into surgery if you didn't have to? Thousands of people do to keep others alive. It is the give and take of organ donation. CNN's Elizabeth Cohen gives us an inside look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can we all take a moment now to extend our hand towards our sister Kathleen.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the depths of winter, a woman prays. In the midst of summer, her prayers are finally answered.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lord we ask you to be with her every day of her life but most especially this Tuesday.
COHEN: Tuesday is the day Kathleen Sampson has been praying for.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You might feel a warm sensation going up your arm.
COHEN: After months of testing, she's giving her kidney who to someone who would die without it, someone she's never met.
KATHLEEN SAMPSON, ORGAN DONOR: Basically, here's my kidney, do with whatever is best, give it to the best person. This is just something that I want to do and I'm hoping that it will have great results.
COHEN: She's not alone. There are 78,000 living donors and nearly 400 of them are like Kathleen, giving to complete and total strangers.
DR. ROBERT MONTGOMERY, JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL: They realize that, hey, I've got two kidneys and really my body will function perfectly well with one kidney.
COHEN: Dr. Robert Montgomery will be performing her surgery at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. Kathleen's son Connor died several years ago when he was five. Connor died at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Kathleen is now here to give life where she lost it. Thousands of people would love to get Kathleen's kidney. Some are so desperate they beg on Web sites.
This huge demand has some people worried. In the rush to help those who need organs, will doctors be too quick to take them from generous people like Kathleen? Our investigation found that surgeons have approved donors who some believe are highly questionable, children as young as 10, drug addicts, even people who were mentally ill.
PROF. ART CAPLAN, UNIV. OF PENN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: I've seen anorexics give organs. I've seen people who are clearly depressed give organs. I've seen people come who have been accepted at programs who are morbidly obese. I've seen people come to programs who have had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Goodness. You can see more of Elizabeth's report. That's coming up on "CNN Presents, Body Parts," Saturday and Sunday night at 8:00 Eastern, 7:00 Central.
HARRIS: Alligator anxiety in Florida, a closer look at why gator trappers are busier than ever before.
But first, what to do if you're caught up in a natural disaster. That's today's real estate "Tip of the Day."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Disasters can strike quickly and without warning. So make sure you and your family are prepared for the worst. Establish an evacuation route and a meeting place in a familiar area. In case you're separated, have an out-of-state contact. It may be easier to make a long distance phone call than one across town. Be sure each member of your family knows the number and has coins or a prepaid phone card in case cell phones go down.
If you have children, ask about the school's disaster plan. This way you know where your child will be taken to in case of an evacuation. For more information, go to ready.gov or check with your state's emergency department. I'm Gerri Willis and that's your "Tip of the Day."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Here's our top stories right now. There has been a deadly car bombing at a crowded outdoor market in the southern Iraqi city of Basra today. These are new pictures from that scene. Check them out. At least 10 people are dead, another 30 injured. Basra is about 300 miles from Baghdad.
At least 17 people have been taken into custody after a major anti-terror investigation in Canada. Police say the suspects tried to acquire three tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate for use in attacks in and around Toronto.
A bold assault on the streets of Baghdad near the Russian embassy. Gunmen attacked a car carrying five Russian diplomats. One diplomat was killed, the others kidnapped.
Iraq's prime minister is apparently unconvinced by U.S. assurances there is no massacre of Iraqi civilians in Ishaqi. An aide to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says questions and doubts remain and the Iraqi government is conducting its own probe.
HARRIS: Cuff 'em Dano! Let me try it again. Cuff 'em Dano or at least tape him up. This baby gator was arrested in Coral Gables, Florida. He showed up uninvited at the front door of an unhappy homeowner. Come to think of it, baby gator doesn't look too happy either. Wildlife workers will take the reptile to the Everglades and of course untape it before setting it on its merry, merry way.
In Florida, there is real danger lurking in the water. Recently, three women were killed by alligators in one week. CNN's John Zarrella looks at what's being done to prevent more attacks. He filed this report for "AMERICAN MORNING."
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JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Not in his 20- plus years of rounding up alligators had Todd Hardwick ever caught one so big, 11 1/2 feet, more than 600 pounds. The gator trapper called in a tow truck to hoist the writhing beast onto a flatbed. In the wake of three fatal gator attacks on women in Florida -- this one killed a jogger west of Ft. Lauderdale -- gator trappers have been busier than ever before.
Trappers are getting calls nonstop from people spotting gators in backyard lakes and along canals. They're targeting the biggest ones first. The recent attacks have brought on a frenzy of public awareness and a degree of alligator anxiety. But experts say there really isn't anything different between this and past years.
TODD HARDWICK, ALLIGATOR TRAPPER: Well, everything that we're experiencing right now has happened before except for three fatalities in less than a week.
ZARRELLA: During Florida's usually dry winters and springs, alligators are on the move looking for water, which usually leads them to urban lakes, closer to humans. And more importantly this is mating season. HARDWICK: Because they're breeding and fighting with each other for territory and breeding rights, we literally have these alligators moving down the canal systems into the urban areas.
ZARRELLA: And they don't turn up just in the water. This one crossed without looking both ways. Another took a bite out of a bumper before its capture. Adam Stern is the senior children's zoo keeper at Miami's metro zoo. He's holding a 4-year-old four-and-a- half foot alligator named Kisses. I'm not sure I want Kisses to be giving me any kisses.
ADAM STERN, MIAMI METRO ZOO: Probably not a good idea.
ZARRELLA: Kisses is motionless in Stern's arms. It looks like a stuffed animal until you see the eyelid roll from front to back. Stern says gators you encounter on land can be just as dangerous as one in the water.
STERN: I know it sounds like an urban legend that if you try to outrun a gator you do it by zigzagging but they're so fast, it's not going to happen.
ZARRELLA: By the time you think about making your move to get away, it's probably already too late.
STERN: Exactly.
ZARRELLA: Stern says gators don't go out looking for humans to attack, but as Florida's population booms, alligators and people share more of the same land and neither species sees eye to eye. John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.
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HARRIS: And that story comes to us from "American Morning." Make sure to join Soledad O'Brien, Miles O'Brien, weekday mornings, bright and early, 6:00 Eastern.
NGUYEN: You know that gator didn't look too bad until it took a bite out of the bumper.
HARRIS: You thought he was cute.
NGUYEN: Right, then you saw the sheer force of its mouth.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Serious teeth.
HARRIS: So CNN SATURDAY is coming up in just a couple of minutes. Fredricka Whitfield joins us now.
WHITFIELD: That's right. We've got a whole lot on tap as we do every Saturday at noontime Eastern. We'll have more on those terror arrests in Canada and what it means for U.S. border security.
Plus a CNN exclusive, we'll take you inside a terrorist workshop. A secret factory in the Middle East used to build bombs and rockets. And we've got a story that could save you a bundle when it comes down to planning your next vacation, that's always good, right?
NGUYEN: Uh-huh.
WHITFIELD: The best travel Web sites coming up in our dollars and deals. You know, a lot of folks are turning to the web now.
NGUYEN: Because you can get better deals sometimes.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, not necessarily calling a travel agent. Have you tried that?
NGUYEN: No.
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HARRIS: ... a travel agent anymore?
WHITFIELD: At your fingertips.
NGUYEN: That simple and deals to boot. Love it, going to be watching. Thank you Fred.
WHITFIELD: Have a good day.
NGUYEN: And just ahead -- what you don't see -- oh, wow -- is what you get. Let's take a look at the most popular stories on CNN.com including, yes, the air guitar championships, Tony's favorite.
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HARRIS: Time now to find out what people are watching online. Veronica de la Cruz joins us now from the dot com desk. Veronica, good morning.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi guys. Good morning to you. Big question, can you air guitar? Well, if you think you can, these guys, they might put you to shame. It was a call for head bangers of the world to come together and rock out. The U.S. air guitar championships kicked off in San Francisco last weekend.
NGUYEN: Was that a Speedo? What was that?
DE LA CRUZ: I have no idea what he was wearing. The rules, well, pretty much like you see, anything goes, but there are no instruments allowed, no props, no roadies. And what was that outfit all about? One contestant said it's all about the tenacity in your crotchal region.
NGUYEN: Your what?
DE LA CRUZ: Your crotchal region.
NGUYEN: How do you practice that?
DE LA CRUZ: Well, did you see the move that guy did?
HARRIS: I don't think that's a word.
DE LA CRUZ: Your crotchal region.
HARRIS: We're making up words here.
NGUYEN: Down there, how about that?
DE LA CRUZ: Down there, let's go with that. Anyway, the competition goes nationwide this year with 13 regionals being held across the country.
And now to Cordelia, California, do you believe there is life on other planets? Well you might after you see this x-ray. This is the x-ray of a duck. We're going to see it in two seconds. It was taken to the international bird rescue center after it broke its wing. The duck died from its injury, but here's the x-ray that it left behind. If you look closely, you can make out image of an alien head. So is it the work of extraterrestrials?
NGUYEN: Was it possessed by an alien?
DE LA CRUZ: Or the duck ate an alien.
(CROSSTALK)
DE LA CRUZ: Tony, you're right. The x-ray is being auctioned off on eBay to raise money for the bird center. If you're interested in bidding, it's still up for grabs. In fact, I think that you still have a little bit more than a day left. Right now, it's going for --
HARRIS: It was a couple thousand earlier in the week.
DE LA CRUZ: It's like $4800. And almost 100 people have bid on this alien head.
HARRIS: Well, there you go.
NGUYEN: Can you believe it? People will buy anything.
DE LA CRUZ: But why?
NGUYEN: It's for a good cause. It's for the bird center. So maybe that is why.
HARRIS: We're just reaching for a reason. OK. All right Veronica, everything online, CNN.com.
DE LA CRUZ: Everything online at CNN.com/video.
NGUYEN: Very good stuff. Veronica, thank you.
HARRIS: So we should get upstairs for a final check of weather with Reynolds Wolf.
NGUYEN: Nasty weather out there.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. We've been talking about things happening in the northeast. We're going to take you away to the southwest, in fact southwest off of Mexico's coast. We have a tropical depression to talk about. Tropical depression 2e, the latest that we have on this storm, we've got the coordinates for you up here in the corner of the screen. You'll take a look at them. The coordinates, 16.0 north, 102.8 west, winds at 30.
So this is a very, very weak, weak system moving north-northeast at seven miles per hour. Not expected to get any stronger. It's going to remain a depression and should make its way just off the Mexican coast at 5:00 a.m. Sunday Pacific time and then it's going to make its way right into the interior away from the warm ocean water, away from its primary power source and then it should die out. Nothing huge, but certainly things are starting to heat up in parts of the Pacific.
Things are certainly really getting under way, getting very moist in parts of the northeast. Scattered showers are going to continue through much of the midday, afternoon hours, not just in the northeast, but all the way down the eastern seaboard, nice and sunny out in Texas and very hot in the desert southwest with temperatures going up into the 100s, 101-11 in Phoenix, 88 in Denver, 86 in Memphis and New York, 70 degrees with those scattered showers. That's the latest in the forecast, back to you.
NGUYEN: Hot out there. Reynolds, thank you.
CNN SATURDAY with Fredericka Whitfield, that is up next right after this short break. Have a great day everybody.
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