Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
An Amber Alert is Issued in Kentucky; Condoleezza Rice's Diplomatic Mission to Asia; Violence in Iraq
Aired October 17, 2006 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. You're with CNN. You're informed.
I'm Tony Harris.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins.
Developments keep coming into the NEWSROOM on this Tuesday, October 17th.
Here's what's on the rundown.
North Korea throwing a big party right now. Behind the scenes, are there telltale signs that a second nuclear test may be coming?
HARRIS: President Bush puts his signature on terror legislation. The roadmap for terror prosecutions laid out now by law.
COLLINS: Kentucky police scrambling to find this young mother and her baby. We'll explain a grisly killing connected to the case right here in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: A killing in Kentucky and now an Amber Alert. Police say a 10-month-old boy is believed to be with his mother and her boyfriend.
T.J. Holmes is in the newsroom monitoring this developing story for us -- T.J.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, a scary, kind of disturbing story here.
A 10-month-old baby boy is missing. His mother is missing. And the social worker who was in charge of caring for that boy has been found brutally killed.
You're looking at 10-month-old Sage Terrell and his mother, 33- year-old Renee Terrell. Police are on the lookout for those two, as well as Christopher Lutrell, who is the boyfriend of the mother you're looking at there.
Now, what happened in this case? The social worker who was -- who was caring for that boy there, 10-month-old Sage Terrell, took the boy to the home you're seeing there to visit the mother. The mother, Renee Terrell, does not have custody of her son. The child, according to police, has some developmental issues. He's developmentally disabled, in the care of the state.
The social worker took the child to the home to visit the mother. The social worker did not return to work after some time. Of course, co-workers got concerned, called police. Police went to the home and found that social worker dead. And now the child, the mother and the mother's boyfriend are all missing.
Police believe they may be in the social worker's vehicle, which is also now missing. Want to get that description out of that vehicle, which is a white station wagon with Kentucky plates 675-DRV. Again, that's 675-DRV. And again, that's 10-month-old Sage Terrell.
Police aren't going as far at this point as calling the mother and the -- and the boyfriend suspects. They're just saying that they're all missing and they're all concerned, especially about the child who does have some developmental issues. But again, that is 10- month-old Sage Terrell.
Want to also give you a description of him. He does have, like we say, some developmental issues, according to police. But also, he has a scratch on the right side of his face. And also a rug burn on the back of his neck.
So a couple of other ways to possibly identify that child. But again, police are desperate at this point to really just track down the mother, the boyfriend, and that child, and to find out -- have no idea really what anyone's intentions are in this case right now, Tony.
A lot of questions. But still, after -- after finding that social worker dead, this thing ratcheted up a whole other level. A lot of concern there, as you can imagine.
HARRIS: Absolutely.
All right, T.J. Thanks.
COLLINS: The North Korea threat. Here's what we know.
Word there may be new evidence that North Korea is preparing for a second nuclear test in defiance of international warnings. That according to a U.S. official who has access to intelligence information.
Meanwhile, the communist nation is blaming Washington for the U.N. sanctions leveled against it. Today, North Korea blasted the resolution as "a declaration of war." North Korea's foreign ministry says the country wants peace but is not afraid of war.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice launches a diplomatic mission this morning. She will travel to Asia to lobby Asian allies and Russia to enforce the U.N. punishment. Rice is aware some countries like South Korea and China are uneasy about provoking Pyongyang. She says, "We have no desire to ratchet up conflict either."
HARRIS: CNN White House Correspondent Elaine Quijano joins us again in the NEWSROOM.
Elaine, good morning to you.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Tony.
Well, when Secretary Rice arrives in Asia, she will be bringing with her a strong message, particularly for China and South Korea. Her first stop, though, will be Tokyo, Japan, where she will meet with her counterparts there, then move on to Seoul, South Korea. Next stop after that will be Beijing, and finally going on to Moscow.
Now, all along the way, Secretary Rice will reiterate to these countries that is it is in their best interest to enforce tough sanctions against their neighbor, North Korea. Already, of course, Chinese officials have expressed reservations about actually intercepting, not just inspecting cargo at the North Korea-China border. Well, yesterday Secretary Rice tried to downplay those differences, but she also stressed the high stakes in reining in North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: North Korea cannot endanger the world and then expect other nations to conduct business as usual in arms or missile parts. They cannot destabilize the international system and then expect to exploit elaborate financial networks built for peaceful commerce.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, Secretary Rice's trip, of course, comes amid fears that North Korea may be preparing for a second nuclear test. A U.S. official with access to intelligence tells CNN -- says that there has been activity at a second nuclear site in North Korea. Also activity, apparently, at the first site where that confirmed test took place. It's not exactly clear, though, what this activity is.
Nevertheless, as the United States continues to monitor North Korea's activities, White House spokesman Tony Snow says it would not be unreasonable that North Korea would want to try something again. In his words, he noted that the first test had a very low yield, and he also said that the North Koreans have made no secret, in his words, of their desire to be provocative.
Back to you.
HARRIS: CNN White House Correspondent Elaine Quijano.
Elaine, thank you.
COLLINS: Fighting terrorism. Just moments ago, President Bush signed a bill that sets rules for interrogating and prosecuting terror suspects. That includes high-value al Qaeda suspects linked to 9/11.
The bill would create military commissions to conduct trials. It would ban certain forms of detainee torture but allow CIA interrogators to continue to question suspected terrorists.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The bill I signed today helps secure this country and it sends a clear message, this nation is patient and decent and fair, and we will never back down from the threats to our freedom. One of the terrorists believed to have planned the 9/11 attacks said he hoped the attacks would be the beginning of the end of America. He didn't get his wish.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: The first trials before a military commission may be months away.
HARRIS: In Iraq, familiar scenes of devastation today. Police say two civilians and two police commandos were killed in separate attacks. That comes with the discovery of 64 more bullet-riddled corpses across Baghdad.
Our Cal Perry has more from the Iraqi capital.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAL PERRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The month of Ramadan is coming to an end in Iraq, but there seems to be no end in sight to the unrelenting and bloody violence. Baghdad, which has been at the center of the violence, continues to boil over.
Six explosions across the capital on Monday alone, and a gun fight in the north-central part of the city. Regardless of the target, civilians continuing to pay the ultimate price.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The Americans were parking here. They left, and minutes later a blast happened. The armored vehicles, the new vehicles left and the blast happened.
PERRY: It wasn't just Baghdad. Bombs littered the country from Sawera (ph), in the south, to Baquba in the north. The fighting is on two fronts: insurgent attacks against both U.S. and Iraqi security forces, and a growing sectarian battle between Sunni and Shia.
Iraqi police found more than 500 bodies in the capital alone this month, victims, police say, of sectarian violence. And in Balad, just over the course of the weekend, fighting between Shia and Sunni has killed more than 50, police say.
The government's security forces have been unable to get a handle on the situation, according to at least one powerful Sunni political party. The Iraqi Islamic Party put out a statement calling the situation "out of control" and called on the government to do something to end the bloodshed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And Cal Perry joins us now from Baghdad. Cal, a couple of questions.
First of all, what has been the effect of Ramadan on U.S. troops?
PERRY: Well, as we've seen an influx in attacks, we've seen an influx of casualties. The U.S. has lost 54 service members since the start of the month. And the coalition as a whole passed a grim milestone yesterday -- 3,000 soldiers killed since the start of the war.
We do know that this not all related to the month of Ramadan. We know that U.S. forces and coalition troops together are on the move in various parts of the country, certainly in the capital with Operation Together Forward, tens of thousands of troops on the streets. And we know from CNN's Arwa Damon, who's embedded with the 10th Mountain Division south of Baghdad, they're sweeping through the "Triangle of Death," searching for weapons and insurgents there as well.
So it's not just Ramadan. It's also that some of these forces are on the move -- Tony.
HARRIS: Cal, but we do know that the violence -- history tells us that the violence spikes during Ramadan. What does it say about the security forces that, even with this history, the security forces can't seem to check this violence?
PERRY: Well, what we've seen on this Ramadan to a new level are really two wars. We've seen the war against the insurgency -- that's the one we're most familiar with -- trying to stop IEDs, roadside bombs and car bombs. And also, this new sectarian violence which has really emerged in the past few weeks.
We know that Balad is having serious problems with sectarian fighting. We know that the town of Baquba, as well, is seeing hundreds of families flee.
This is where the Iraq government is catching most of its criticism. We know that Sunni groups are coming forward asking the government to do anything. Certainly, this is where most of the criticism is coming from, the sectarian violence, as opposed to insurgent attacks.
HARRIS: CNN's Cal Perry for us in Baghdad.
Cal, appreciate it. Thank you.
COLLINS: Want to get to some news that's coming into us here at CNN. We are learning that apparently actor Wesley Snipes -- you may remember him from "White Man Can't Jump" and "Blade I" and "Blade II" -- has apparently been indicted on federal tax charges. This is an eight-count indictment coming to us out of Tampa.
Specifically, he is charged with failing to file income tax returns, conspiracy to defraud the IRS, and presenting a fraudulent claim for payment.
Once again, actor Wesley Snipes being indicted on federal tax charges. We'll get more just as soon as we learn it here at CNN.
And meanwhile, the home of a congressman's daughter searched by FBI agents. Part of a new Capitol Hill probe. We'll talk about that in a moment.
And the Foley scandal. Some opinions have changed, some have not. We check the numbers before the voters check the candidates.
HARRIS: And one country, dual languages. America is changing and so are its classrooms.
That story in the NEWSROOM. Un momento, por favor.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: A 10-term congressman caught up in a tight race for re- election. Now Republican Curt Weldon finds himself at the center of a federal probe.
CNN's Dana Bash has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A senior law enforcement official tells CNN the FBI searched six businesses and residences related to the Curt Weldon probe, including the Philadelphia home of Karen Weldon, the congressman's daughter.
Sources familiar with the inquiry say the Justice Department is investigating whether Representative Curt Weldon used his influence to steer clients to his daughter's lobbying firm. Weldon insists neither he nor his daughter did anything wrong.
REP. CURT WELDON (R), PENNSYLVANIA: I would absolutely never use my position to help anyone in an unusual way. And my daughter would be -- my kids don't need my help. My kids are successful, they're talented, they do a good job.
BASH: Weldon travels to Russia frequently and is a vocal advocate for strong U.S.-Russian relations. The investigation appears to be focused on whether the congressman helped his daughter's firm win contracts with two Russian companies and two Serbian brothers, contracts worth a million dollars a year, according to McClatchey newspapers.
One source with knowledge of the inquiry tells CNN it's been underway for more than six months.
The Pennsylvania Republican, a 20-year veteran of the House, was already in a neck-and-neck race to keep his seat and acknowledged this investigation will hurt him. But he calls the timing, three weeks before election day, suspect.
WELDON: Assuming the Democrats will win control of the Congress, I think it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this district could swing control of the Congress. BASH: Even before the investigation became public, Democrats were using this issue against him. A flier mailed to voters in his Pennsylvania district last week said Weldon helps get clients for his daughter.
Weldon also blamed, Melanie Sloan, the head of a liberal leaning watchdog group, for spurring the issue.
Sloan did file a complaint with the FBI, but that was two and-a- half years ago, when questions were first raised by the "Los Angeles Times."
MELANIE SLOAN, CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBILITY AND ETHICS: We don't control what the Justice Department does. The Justice Department is investigating Curt Weldon and I can't force the Justice Department to do anything.
BASH: Weldon did acknowledge, under questioning, the Justice Department is run-by a Republican administration.
WELDON: Well, I understand that. I'm not stupid, you know? And that -- I mean, you know, I may have offended some people. I've been known to do that.
BASH (on camera): Weldon insists there's no need for this investigation because he took documents to the House Ethics Committee two and-a-half years ago to prove he did nothing wrong and thought the case was closed. A call to that committee to confirm that was not returned.
Dana Bash, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COLLINS: Foley fallout. Has the tide of opinion turned since the story first broke? And what about the affect on next month's elections?
CNN's Bill Schneider takes a look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Some opinions have shifted on the Mark Foley scandal, some have not. Most Americans continue to believe that former Congressman Foley's actions were illegal, not just immoral.
Last week, 52 percent of Americans thought Dennis Hastert should resign as Speaker of the House because of the way he handled the Foley matter. Fifty percent still feel that way. But there's been a noticeable increase in the number who feel Hastert should remain as speaker, 31 percent last week, 39 percent now. Why? Because his fellow Republicans, led by President Bush, have rallied to Hastert's support.
On the other hand, growing numbers of Americans believe Republican leaders in Congress were involved in a deliberate cover-up of the Foley matter, 52 percent last week, 57 percent now. That's coming mostly from independents, swing voters. The more they read and hear about the Foley matter, the more they suspect a political snow job.
How important is the Foley scandal to voters nationwide? Not as important as terrorism, Iraq, the economy and North Korea. But the Foley scandal is emerging as a serious issue in specific races involving Republican congressional leaders and it fuels a larger concern about ethics in government and corruption. My god, many voters are saying, what's going on in Washington? Time for a change.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And still to come, cleared in the JonBenet Ramsey case, child porn charges dropped. So what's next for John Mark Karr? Well, hear for yourself in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: And one country, dual languages. America's changing, and so are the classrooms.
We'll have that story next in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Hey, you know what? It's getting a bit crowded in here.
Today, a new American milestone. The Census Bureau says the nation's population officially hit 300 million this morning.
Now, of course no one really knows who pushed the U.S. over the mark or the precise moment it happened. According to estimates, there's a birth every seven seconds in the United States.
COLLINS: How about that?
HARRIS: You can do the math there. How about this... a death every 13 seconds and a new immigrant every 31 seconds.
Three hundred million, one in five Latinos. The surging minority means changing in the classroom, but some critics question the new lesson plans.
CNN's Gary Tuchman with that angle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At this public school in Bryan, Texas...
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: ... of the United States of America...
TUCHMAN: ... children in this kindergarten class start their day with a pledge, two versions of the pledge. UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (SPEAKING SPANISH)
TUCHMAN: This class has many children who've recently moved to the United States from Mexico. And they're in a class that for the great majority of the day will learn their reading, writing and arithmetic in Spanish.
FRANCES MCARTHUR, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, BRYAN ISD: If we can teach them the concepts in their native language as they're acquiring English, then they don't fall further and further behind.
(MUSIC)
TUCHMAN: An estimated 5.5 million children who speak limited English are now living in the U.S., compared to less than two million a decade ago. With that in mind, an increasing number of schools are offering dual language immersion programs, where initially up to 90 percent of the teaching is in Spanish.
Three of Bryan, Texas's, schools offer the program in which English instruction gradually increases. In this first grade class, 80 percent of the day is in Spanish.
Six-year-old Catia's mother speaks almost no English.
SONIA SOLIS ALDARADO, CATIA'S MOTHER (through translator): It's very important for her to be able to speak both languages.
TUCHMAN: Catia, on the other hand, seems to be catching on quickly.
(on camera): Do you think your mom should be in your class with you here?
CATIA ALDARADO, STUDENT: Maybe.
TUCHMAN: What's the most fun part about being in this school?
C. ALDARADO: Homework and math.
TUCHMAN: Whoa, whoa, whoa, you're telling me homework is fun?
C. ALDARADO: Yes.
TUCHMAN: What kind of school is this?
(LAUGHTER)
(voice-over): The Bryan school system says this program works so well that native English speaking parents eagerly enroll their students in the classes, too, in order to learn fluent Spanish.
JIM BOULET JR., EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ENGLISH FIRST: It's political correctness.
TUCHMAN: But some, like the head of the English First organization, say taxpayer-funded schools in the U.S. should not be spending most of the day teaching in Spanish.
BOULET: Bilingual education has never worked. That thinking doesn't work. If a child arrives at school not speaking English, remedy the deficiency. Give that child a longer school day, some intensive English. Get them caught up.
TUCHMAN: Both sides in this debate site research to back their viewpoints. This proud teacher, though, is convinced it works in her class.
JULIA NORSWORTHY, BILINGUAL TEACHER: Because whenever students work together, the cultural and linguistic barriers are broken.
TUCHMAN: Here in Bryan and elsewhere these types of program will likely grow as America's immigrant population does the same.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you for coming.
TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN, Bryan, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Secretary Condoleezza Rice on her way to Asia. North Korea talking about a declaration of war.
The escalating crisis in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: And a rare look inside North Korea's Soviet-style prisons from a man who made it out alive.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: The North Korea threat, here is what we know: There's word they there may be new evidence that North Korea is preparing for a second nuclear test now in defiance of international warnings. That, according to a U.S. official who has access to intelligence information.
Meanwhile, the communist nation is blaming Washington for the U.N. sanctions leveled against it. North Korea blasted the resolution as, quote, "a declaration of war." North Korea's foreign ministry says the country wants peace, but is not afraid of war.
COLLINS: Meanwhile, secretary of state Condoleezza Rice launching a diplomatic mission this morning. She's traveling to Asia to lobby Asian allies and Russia to enforce the U.N. punishment. Rice is aware that some countries like South Korea and China are uneasy about provoking Pyongyang. And she says, quote, "We have to desire to ratchet up conflict either.
Earlier in the NEWSROOM, we looked at the crisis through the eyes of a seasoned diplomat, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. He's a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. I asked him what he made of North Korea's comments that the U.N. resolution is a declaration of war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: There are obviously upset, and rightly so. I am not among those that feel the sanctions were insignificant. I think this is the first time the Security Council has acted. And there are two sanctions that are very biting at the North Koreans, one, financial sanctions that are aimed at the North Korean leadership, some of their assets, their accounts. The second, the military technology exports that are curtailed.
Now, the cargo inspections, the fact that the Chinese won't inspect the cargo, weakens them a bit. But nonetheless, I see this statement about a declaration of war -- I'm concerned, because it seems North Korea's hunkering down. They went ahead with that missile test July 4th. They had the underground test last week, now preparing for another one.
My sense is that they're hunkering down, that they're not in the mood for any dialogue, that they're going to continue ratcheting this huge public and political pressure on the international community.
So it is important that we build international support, especially in Asia.
What we don't want is mixed messages like the Chinese really not standing up and helping with the embargo, like the South Koreans continuing development assistance. So it's a very turbulent time, and the secretary of state has her work cut out for her. But she's doing the right thing lining up bilateral support for tough sanctions with South Korea, with China, with Japan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: And while I was talking to Governor Richardson, this was going on live in North Korea. We had a camera on it, to get some pretty interesting pictures out of there. What this is with the 80th anniversary of the "Down With Imperialism Union." It was founded back in 1926 under North Korea's late leader Kim Il-Sung. This is before the independence of the country.
But what you're seeing here is thousands of children and young adults who obviously had been really practicing and training, I think, for this celebration, had to have been months, because it was very choreographed, celebrating this 80th anniversary.
As we said, also not all that out of the ordinary to have people come, and gather and participate in celebrations that are sort of demanded of them, if you will.
HARRIS: Let's take you inside North Korea now. The focus, Kim Jong-Il's idea of crime and punishment.
CNN's Dan Rivers takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In many ways, Kang Chol Hwan now has a perfect life, a loving wife, a healthy baby boy and lots of friends. But this land of plenty and comfort is a world away from his own famished childhood. He spent a decade in one of North Korea's labor camps. He reflects on how different things will be for his own 1-year-old son Jusan (ph).
KANG CHOL HWAN, FMR. POL. PRISONER (through translator): If I were in North Korea, the future of my son would be miserable. I'm so glad that my offspring will have a life here. Babies cannot survive there. There are times when newborn babies were brought into the camps, but they all died.
RIVERS: Kang thinks there were up to six main camps still operating, imprisoning some 200,000 people. They're based on Soviet- style gulags were prisoners are forced into punishing hard labor for years. Much of Kang's childhood was devoid of the love and fun his son now enjoys.
HWAN (through translator): It was total hell. It was like Auschwitz. We were forced to work eating only corn and salt. We were starving. It was a very hard life, with cold weather and regular beatings.
RIVERS: And the reason for his imprisonment, his family's alleged Japanese sympathies, guilt by association, spanning three generations. But Kim Jong-Il's government has consistently denied the camps even exist.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the worst of the worst.
RIVERS: Human rights expert David Hawk has collected detailed information on the camps.
DAVID HAWK, HUMAN RIGHTS CONSULTANT: They're a dumping grounds for people who are deemed to have bad ideas.
RIVERS: Kang Chol Hwan knows many defectors who come to Seoul from North Korea. But what's remarkable about this encounter, is that his friend was actually a prison guard at one of Kim Jong-Il's brutal gulag camps.
AHN MYONG CHOL, FMR. PRISON CAMP GUARD (through translator): I was taught in special classes that the prisoners are very bad people, and I had to control them.
Now when I remember those times, I feel so sorry, even though I didn't do it on purpose. When I first joined the army, I thought they were human beings. But the more I got indoctrinated, it got more natural to kill or beat them.
RIVERS: Do you find it difficult to forgive him because he was a guard in the camps?
CHOL (through translator): It's not personal, even though he was a guard, he's kept from North Korea and opposed Kim Jong-Il. He was the first guard who told the truth about the camps. He's a hero. A person like me should appreciate him. RIVERS: Such incredible forgiveness after years of tyranny is breathtaking. Once this former guard and prisoner were enemies in Kim Jong-Il's horrific camps, now they're friends, united by their awful shared experience.
Dan Rivers, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
So bringing justice to those responsible for 9/11, President Bush says the bill he signed into law this morning will do just that. It outlines rules for interrogating and prosecuting terror suspects. Specifically it legalizes the military commission struck down by the Supreme Court in June, and it allows CIA interrogations of terrorists. The president calls that the most valuable tool against terrorists.
COLLINS: Big island, big jolt. Residents along Hawaii's Kona coast recover from a strong earthquake there. We'll talk about that ahead in the NEWSROOM.
And yes, it's that time of year again. But there's a little snag this flu season. Ahead in the NEWSROOM, what you need to know about protecting your little ones from the flu bug.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: A horrible story, a killing to tell you about in Kentucky, and now an Amber Alert. Police say a 10-month-old boy is believed to be with his mother and her boyfriend. The mother does not have custody of the baby, who is said to be developmentally disabled. Police say a social worker had taken the baby to see his mother. It's reported when the social worker didn't return to her job, police were called to the home. They found the social worker dead, from what they describe as a violent attack.
COLLINS: If you've got a toddler who needs a flu shot, our Daily Dose this morning is for you. The company that produces the vaccine says it may be three weeks before you will be able to get it. We're talking about the injectable type of flu vaccine for children 3 and under. The company says it's taking longer than expected to produce the vaccine, but it should still be available well before the peak of flu season. That's usually between December and March.
Make sure you get your Daily Dose of health news -- you can get it online. Just log onto our website and you will find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. That address is CNN.com/health.
HARRIS: No deaths, no injuries, no widespread damage, but Hawaiians trying to get their footing today after a big shakedown. CNN's Chris Lawrence surveys the quake damage.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the biggest jolt to the big island in more than 20 years.
ALEX LAGO (ph), RESIDENT: Yikes!
LAWRENCE: Alex Lago couldn't believe what the quake did to his school. Falling ceilings forced the principal to keep it closed on Wednesday.
OLAF JORGENSON, PRINCIPAL: It's definitely literally and figuratively shaken us up, but we're coming through.
LAWRENCE: Students are still dealing with the emotional aftershock of the quake, which hit Sunday morning when most were home.
MICHAEL SPETICH, STUDENT: And then I was kind of scared that the roof would fall on us, because it was kind of starting to crack.
LAWRENCE: No one was hurt or killed. No major buildings collapsed. The quake measured 6.7 magnitude, but it hit 24 miles below the surface. Compare that to 1994's Northridge, California earthquake which was less than 12 miles down.
(on camera): You can see where this road splintered, buckled and then just gave way. A few feet more at, say, a busier time of day and it literally could have collapsed this entire lane of traffic.
VITA FLEMING, RESIDENT: Everything in our home came crashing down.
LAWRENCE (voice-over): The home next to Vita Fleming survived the shaking, but a power line snapped and set the house on fire. Fleming screamed at her neighbor to get out.
FLEMING: And then she come running out right through the fire, ran, fell flat on her face. It was amazing.
LAWRENCE: Crews are still inspecting roads and bridges for structural damage. But folks who live here realize it's those violent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that actually created the beauty of the big island.
Chris Lawrence, CNN, Kona.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Strange place for an earthquake. I don't really know that geologically, but -- I haven't heard of it before. Chris Lawrence there, covering it for us.
Thanks for looking at me like I --
HARRIS: No, no, no. I was just trying to figure out if that's -- are there plates there that are actually colliding and rubbing? It has to be the case. COLLINS: I'm sure there are.
HARRIS: No, I just -- Hi.
COLLINS: Rosemary Church now joining us, bailing us out. Rosemary, taking it for YOUR WORLD TODAY here in just about 15 minutes.
Hi, Rosemary.
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hi, to you both, Heidi and Tony.
Well, it's the issue that won't go away. North Korea is calling the UN sanctions against it `a declaration of war.' This, though, as it apparently appears to prepare for a second nuclear test. Now that's according to a U.S. official with access to intelligence information. The U.S. says that would be a big mistake. We're going to take a look at that.
Madonna's very public and controversial attempts to adopt a 1- year-old Malawi boy: two of her people arrived back in London with the babe in arms. Should she have been allowed to take him? Jeff Koinange weighs up the pros and cons of these celebrity adoptions in Africa and talks to people on both sides of the issue.
So we're going to take a look at those stories. And of course, much, much more on YOUR WORLD TODAY, coming up at the top of the hour. Do join us.
Thank you both.
COLLINS: All right. Thank you.
Cleared in the JonBenet Ramsey case, child porn charges dropped -- so what's next for this guy, John Mark Karr? Hear for yourself in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Take you to this story now. About 25 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, there's an elementary school there -- Midland Elementary School, in case you know the area -- three school buses carrying students who were on a field trip -- ages grade 4 to 8 -- chain reaction crash is what we're talking about. Terrible weather, as you can see there. Pretty slick highways, lots of rain. Injured dozens of children and adults, apparently -- 42 people, in fact, taken to three different hospitals in the area. So we are continuing to watch this situation.
I'm sure very scary for those kids. They get all excited about field trips and then this has to happen. Once again, on Interstate 279, Pittsburgh area, if you're familiar with it, we will continue to watch the situation.
HARRIS: John Mark Karr: cleared in the JonBenet Ramsey case, unrelated child porn charges dropped after authorities say they lost the evidence -- now, out of jail and on with his life. But he'll never be just another guy, will he? Even though, as he told our Larry King, that's all he wants.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARR: I have a clean record. I've never been convicted of a crime.
KING: And you're going to go back and live in Atlanta?
KARR: I am. I'm going to go back and live in Atlanta, hold my head high, spend some time with my dad. My dad is a World War II vet. He's 85.
KING: Do you want to teach again?
KARR: I might, you know. I'll always --
KING: Do you think it might be hard for you, though?
KARR: I don't know. I'm the kind of person who -- I believe America is a wonderful country and that people are innocent until proved guilty. And I haven't been proved guilty of anything. I have a right to pursue what I want to pursue. At this time, though, I'm not really -- it's not something that's of interest to me.
KING: In all fairness, though, John, and you don't have to comment, there were many reports that you confessed to a crime, which caused the whole hoopla to begin with. That's why there were all the photographers. That's why there was the insanity over the plane trip. You had said you did something, don't you think you created the story?
KARR: Well, I think that I have multiple opinions on who created the story.
KING: You were part of it.
KARR: You know, the story, that was certainly something that still disgusts me. I want to be John Mark Karr, the unknown.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Karr adds he thinks he'll be a future target for law enforcement. Moving forward tonight, Larry continues to look at John Mark Karr. That's at 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific, right here on CNN.
(FINANCIAL HEADLINES)
HARRIS: You are back in the NEWSROOM, 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Don Lemon here with a preview. Good to see you, Don.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Don't you love Susan Lisovicz?
HARRIS: You have to, have to.
LEMON: Smart yes, and good looking, yes.
Thank you guys.
But obviously coming up today, the big story, North Korea, the North Korea nuclear threat. The world's talking economic sanctions. But will shutting down trade hurt an already suffering population in North Korea? Will china be able to get Kim Jong-Il to abandon his nuclear program? We'll talk diplomacy and human suffering with a former ambassador in the region.
Madonna and child. This one's a talker right. Madonna's planned adoption of a child from Malawi is raising its profile, is it, and awareness of its problems. I have been there, and I'll show you some of my amazing video of what daily life is like for the children, who won't be living with a pop icon. All of that and much more ahead in the "CNN NEWSROOM." Join me along with that lady you just saw, that Kyra Phillips, today at 1:00 p.m.
COLLINS: Looking forward to seeing some of your stuff on East Africa.
LEMON: Thank you.
COLLINS: All right, Don, we'll be watching.
HARRIS: Well, paying the price and not just a slap on the wrist. Consequences of the brawl-game. .
COLLINS: And a wedding is priceless. But this cake? That's going to cost you, that's for sure. A big bite of bling ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You have seen this? Boy, this is a brawl that won't soon be forgotten, especially by players. For both the University of Miami and Florida International, a total of 31 players disciplined, including two FIU players kicked off the team entirely. The rest will do community service.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON STROCK, FLORIDA INTL. UNIV. COACH: Football is an emotional game, but there is also a line that you can't cross, and I think it's obvious that some of our players crossed that line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: The fallout hitting the TV crew. One of the announcers, Lamar Thomas, was fired for his comments during the fight. Thomas, a former Miami player, pretty much cheered on the players during the brawl. Yikes.
COLLINS: That's just gross.
(WEATHER REPORT) COLLINS: Thanks for watching, everybody. CNN NEWSROOM continues just one hour from now.
HARRIS: YOUR WORLD TODAY is next, with news happening across the globe and her at home.
I'm Tony Harris.
COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins. Bye, everybody.
(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
