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CNN Sunday Morning
President Bush Visits Europe; What's in Your Freezer?
Aired June 10, 2007 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening right now, take a look. President Bush making history in Europe and getting a warm welcome. We are going to give you all those details straight ahead.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: And we are not done talking Paris Hilton just yet. Yes she is reacting now to a media storm surrounding her legal woos and she issues new orders to her lawyers.
NGUYEN: Plus got beef? Why you need to take a closer look at what may be in your freezer.
HOLMES: From the CNN Center in Atlanta. This is CNN SUNDAY MORNING, and good morning to you all I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Yes, good morning everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. Happy Sunday, it is 7:00 a.m. here in the East, 4:00 a.m. in the West. Thank you for starting your day with us.
Lets get you started off right way friendlier crowd, for the president that is. A much warmer welcome for President Bush this morning.
HOLMES: He's in Albania right now holding a news conference as you see there, with that country's prime minister. Albania pretty much rolled out the red carpet for the U.S. president. The first sitting U.S. president to visit the small Balkan nation. Albania is mostly Muslin, Albania also pro American. Even has troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with the president and she will join us live a little later this hour.
President Bush has left behind some protests that interrupted during his visit in Rome. At one point yesterday police used tear gas to disperse a crowd of demonstrators. Clashes broke when the protesters tried to walk down a street that has been blocked off. Police estimated there were 12,000 demonstrators in that area, many of them protesting President Bush.
NGUYEN: Well, the stage is set for a political showdown tomorrow over Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. The Senate debates what Democrats are calling a no-confidence vote on Gonzales. First, they will hold a procedural vote to determine whether the no-confidence resolution moves forward. President Bush has called the whole thing "pure political theater." Gonzales is under scrutiny over the firings of eight U.S. attorneys last year. HOLMES: A warning for any one with ground beef in that freezer, you need to check the label. The beef was sold at 12 different grocery chains in 11 western states; it was also packed under six different brand names. United Food Group is expanding the recall to include nearly 6 million pounds of packaged ground beef. It has sell by dates between April 6th and April 20th. United Foods said none of the beef is still in stores because it would have been sold already. Would have expired already, but people may have some of that still in their freezers.
So if you have any questions, you can call United Foods at that number you see 1-800-325-4164.
Unrelated to that recall, is a warning for Wal-Mart shoppers. Traces of E-Coli contamination were found at a Tyson the food plant in Sherman, Texas. That has lead to a recall of more than 40,000 pounds of Tyson ground beef should at Wal-Mart stores in 12 states.
NGUYEN: Well a busy schedule for the space shuttle astronauts today, they are going to dock with the International Space Station and on approach the station crew will get a better look at those heat tiles on the shuttle's underbelly. NASA is still examining pictures of the shuttle's heat blanket, and engineers on the ground will decide if the astronauts need to make repair there's. We'll look at that right there. You see the hole. Well then is the foam that fell from the shuttle's fuel tank during lift off.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN SHANNON, NASA MISSION MGMT. TEAM: We saw a little six inch by three inch divot by that big feed line that takes oxygen to the main engines. That is very similar to foam loses we have seen in previous flights. We expect it will give us data on the mechanics of why foam comes off in that area, and we can work to improve that on future tanks. This is not any kind of a threat to the vehicle at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Falling foam and a compromised heat blanket. Well CNN's space correspondent Miles O'Brien is going to take a closer look at the possible dangers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It is a four-inch triangular gap in a thermal blanket and it has NASA's attention.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four, three, two --
O'BRIEN: Four and a half hours after a nearly flawless countdown and launch, the crew of "Atlantis" said flight controllers in Houston spotted the problem during a routine TV survey of the spaceship. The two inch thick blanket is either torn or bounced up at a place where it needs some heat resistant tiles. The torn or bunched up thermal blanket is located right about here on the front part of this hump just to the left of "Atlantis'" tail. He houses a big rocket that is used for major navigation changes when the shuttle is in space. But here's the key point, it's one of the coolest places on a shuttle orbiter as it returns to Earth. These locations where you see the black tiles and the other material that's darker, the temperature can approach 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Up here, though, temperature usually is about 600 degrees. That's exactly where "Columbia's" heat shield was breached in January of 2003. A large piece fell of foam fell off the external fuel tank about a minute after launch leaving a big hole in the leading edge of the wing. Sixteen days later the shuttle disintegrated in the heat of re- entry killing the crew of seven. Since then NASA has changed the way the insulated foam is applied to those external fuel tanks. On this launch, only a few small pieces broke off harmlessly, not a surprise, not a worry, say the engineers.
WAYNE HALE, SHUTTLE PROGRAM MANAGER: It was at the very end or just past the aerodynamically sensitive time and so that is something that we have come to understand and expect.
O'BRIEN: It's too early to say what might have hit the quilted blanket made of silica and woven glass. During the first shuttle mission in 1981 NASA had not yet developed the thermal blankets and no less then sixteen heat resistant tiles fell off the orbital maneuvering system pod on "Columbia" and of course that mission ended with a happy landing. So given the history, NASA engineers say they are not too worried. As one told me it doesn't raise my blood pressure at all.
Miles O'Brien, CNN, Cocoa Beach, Florida.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Boy it looks like Paris Hilton is feeling a little better this morning. In a statement posted on the celebrity Website, TMG.com, the heiress says she told her attorney not to appeal the judge's decision that sent her back to jail. Hilton says she's learned a bitter lesson from this experience and intends to serve her time behind bars.
Kara Finnstrom now looks back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is she handcuffed? Yeah, she was cuffed.
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A disheveled Paris Hilton in handcuffs and tears.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back up!
FINNSTROM: Reporters and photographers trampling each other.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is into these people. FINNSTROM: A ride to the courthouse broadcast live in true L.A. celebrity style. For late night entertainers, it was quintessential fodder.
DAVID LETTERMAN: You know who said you can't go home again? .
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who is that?
LETTERMAN: The judge in the Paris Hilton case. That's who!
FINNSTROM: But it is a surprisingly public and bitter brawl between Judge Michael Sauer and L.A. sheriff Lee Baca who released Hilton to house arrest. Creating serious questions about whether Paris Hilton's celebrity earned her star treatment for a stiff sentence.
LAWRENCE TAYLOR, DUI DEFENSE ATTORNEY: She showed herself as someone who perhaps needed a lesson, and he gave her a sentence, which under the circumstances probably was not entirely unreasonable.
NEIL SCHOUSE, DUI DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I felt that Paris got treated more harshly, from the beginning of this case up until now.
FINNSTROM: Lawrence Taylor and Neal Schouse are attorneys who specialize in DUI cases. Both say Hilton's plight after violating probation following an alcohol-related incident started a tug-of-war between the judge and the sheriff. During Hilton's hearing Friday, Judge Sauer was clearly annoyed, Sheriff Baca had strayed from his instructions saying, I at no time condoned the actions of the sheriff and at no time told him I approved of the action and at no time did I approve the defendant being released from custody to her home.
SHERIFF LEE BACA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY: The only thing that I can detect as special treatment is the mountain of her sentence. Under our 10 percent early release program she would not have served any time in our jail or would have been directly put on home electric monitoring system.
FINNSTROM: That was the sheriff defending his position hours later saying county doctors told him Hilton's condition was deteriorating. He said he'll keep her at a special facility, indicating Hilton who cried and screamed as she left the courthouse might be a danger to herself.
BACA: We'll watch her behavior so that there isn't anything that is harmfully done to herself by herself.
FINNSTROM: Here in Hollywood, celebrity soap operas are nothing new but in this case, the glare of the media may have ratcheted the stakes higher for everyone involved.
LAURIE LEVENSON, LEGAL ANALYST: It made the judge want to send a message through her to other celebrities and it made the judge react very strongly when she was let out early. Even if other people might have received the same treatment.
FINNSTROM: Kara Finnstrom, for CNN, Los Angeles. (END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well a grim weather forecast and a struggle to survive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think this is our Katrina. Seriously, we're a small group of people but we're just as affected.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Severe drought in South Dakota. Tell you about that straight ahead on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And we have more rain for parts of the southern Plains and areas in the Midwest and even for New York after a soggy start to the weekend. I'll have your complete forecast coming up next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
NGUYEN: Also this musician turned cross-country cyclist, he is a man on a mission. We're going to tell you all about it in our "Faces of Faith" segment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: In China a deadly season of rain, severe flooding and landslides are affecting tens of thousands throughout the southern part of the country and the northwest. State news agency says at least 40 people are dead and more than 175,000 have been left homeless.
Oklahoma, here now, has seen a share of storms as well.
NGUYEN: Oh yes. Bonnie Schneider is live in the Weather Center; she has been watching all of it. Still seeing a little bit on the radar this morning.
SCHNEIDER: We absolutely do. We have rain coming into parts of northern Texas, also rain further to the north from Tulsa up towards Wichita. We had some stormy weather in Tulsa yesterday. Powerful thunderstorms rolled through. Wow. Look at the wind shaking the trees. So damaging wind and heavy rain certainly and the wind gusts, when they're strongest, 50, 60 miles per hour, they're strong enough to knock down trees and unfortunately power lines. That's what we saw yesterday.
Now as we look a little bit further to the west in New Mexico, believe it or not, that was the spot for some very severe weather and dangerous weather. Captured by our I-reporters. Check this out; this is a picture of a tornado. These pictures were actually taken by Karen Shoemaker and her husband Don; they were headed south on I-25. They felt the golf ball size hail hit their RV, which you'll see in the next pictures that is where they took the pictures. They thought this was smoke on the east side of the freeway. But as they got closer, they took cover under an overpass, and they realized it was a tornado. This was taken from the west side of I-25 looking northward and incidentally, we do have confirmed reports of at least three tornado reports in New Mexico yesterday, from the Storm Prediction Center.
This may very well have been the same tornado, but three reports and one was from the airport tower in Santa Fe. So some rough weather for New Mexico today. Not in terms of severe weather, but we are also tracking rain that is spoiling the weekend for folks up in the northeast. A lot of rain particularly on the east end of Long Island yesterday, it was actually over two inches of rain. So we will see more rain due to a cold front that is kind of fluctuating here and waving back and forth. There is low pressure offshore as well. We are also watching fire danger across areas of the desert southwest. For today gusty winds and hot temperatures will make for those conditions particularly in the latter part of the date.
Betty and T.J.
NGUYEN: Thank you, Bonnie.
Well extreme weather on the Great Plains. Not storms and tornadoes but drought. We have CNN's Gary Tuchman reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It has happened right before their eyes. Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln have been watching this part of South Dakota turn brown. For seven straight summers, the southwestern part of South Dakota has been in a drought. The forecast for this summer is it will only get worse. Ranchers are struggling.
JOE FALKENBURG, RANCHER: Well I haven't taken a long walk with my rifle one-way, but it occasionally crosses a person's mind.
TUCHMAN: Joe Falkenburg and his family own a 60,000-acre ranch in Fall River County, on South Dakota's border with Nebraska and Wyoming. The family makes their living selling beef cattle, but the drought has left the grass barely growing so the cattle are hungry. This photo shows the way a dam on the ranch used to look. Now the dam is empty. The cattle get thirsty. By all means, the cows don't grow as much. Before the drought, a typical calf would way 600 pounds?
FALKENBURG: Six hundred, 650, somewhere around there.
TUCHMAN: How much is a typical calf weighing now?
FALKENBURG: Five hundred fifty would probably be more like it.
TUCHMAN: So you are losing 100 pounds, which is almost 20 percent of your income?
FALKENBURG: That's right.
TUCHMAN: The rancher is hundreds fewer cattle then he use to have, because he can no longer feed all them. Joe, his wife Farah and their children and grandchildren can barely make a living.
FALKENBURG: I think this is our Katrina. We're a small group of people but we are just as affected.
TUCHMAN: The government's drought map shows many areas of the country dangerously dry. East of the Mississippi, some improvement is expected and much of the west it's not. More dangerous wildfires are feared in southern California. For the large population it leads to a lot of attention. In sparsely populated South Dakota, not much national attention.
FALKENBURG: Yes, it seems like we're forgotten people.
TUCHMAN: So you might not have heard about this. These are prairie dogs. In a drought, these rodents can get away from predators more easily in the short grass. There are a lot more of them. They end up building mounds with huge holes in the ground making ranchers and farmers' land look like crater-filled moonscapes.
FARAH FALKENBURG, RANCHER'S WIFE: Once you put cattle in a pasture that has those prairie dogs, the time you leave them there is drastically reduced because the prairie dog already consumed the grass that the cows used to eat.
TUCHMAN: It has been more than four weeks since a drop of rain fell on this ranch. The forecast for the next seven days, grim. And this is the rainy season. State agriculture experts don't exactly have inspirational words for the people in this part of South Dakota.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the end of the line. It's that critical.
TUCHMAN: The Falkenburg's are trying to cut costs but still worry whether they can make if the drought continues.
FALKENBURG: We've been praying a lot, that serious. We have had some prayers. Guess we'll see.
TUCHMAN: What they'd like to see is rain.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, Fall River County, South Dakota.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well unraveling a mystery in Florida.
NGUYEN: Several sets of human remains found in Fort Myers and now new clues about who the victims may have been.
HOLMES: Also, Sergeant General Nominee under fire. The president's choice for that job facing criticism of what many say is an anti-gay agenda.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, we are just getting word of several people shot to death in a small Wisconsin town. Police say in Delavan that they responded to a report of shots fired at a home. The S.W.A.T. team found six gunshot victims dead inside that house and authorities say a seventh victim is in the hospital in critical condition. They also say a small child found in a vehicle outside the residence was turned over to EMS workers. We'll keep you updated as we get more information on this story.
HOLMES: Childhood obesity is a major problem in this country. The president nominated to be the new surgeon has been praised for his recent work on that issue. But since his earlier work and his earlier comments about some groups lined up against him. CNN's Mary Snow explains.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The president's pick for surgeon general is part of what one gay rights group calls a hostile crusade against homosexuals. Critics accuse Dr. James Holsinger of being biased against homosexuals and they vow to block his nomination.
MATT FOREMAN, NATL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE: The surgeon general is the doctor for all Americans not just for heterosexual Americans who believe a certain kind of doctor.
SNOW: A 1991 report Holsinger prepared for the United Methodist Church is on fire. In it, Holsinger concludes that homosexuality is both a natural and unhealthy, he compares male and female reproductive organs as pipe fittings and determines "When the complementarity of the sexes is breached, injuries and diseases may occur."
FOREMAN: It was an insulting piece of propaganda in which he used his medical license to give it some substance. He's never repudiated that.
SNOW: Holsinger's office referred all calls to the Department of Health and Human Services. The HHS says Holsinger based that report on pure reviewed scientific data at the time. Since then "Science deepened with continued research on these issues." The White House is defending and saying he dedicates his life to public service and on numerous occasions he has taken up the banner for underrepresented populations and will continue to be a strong advocate for these groups and all Americans.
Holsinger's supporters include Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher, who cites his work to reduce obesity as one of his qualifications for the job of surgeon general. But critics cite his religious ideology, including a 2004 vote to expel a lesbian from the clergy in the United Methodist Church as why he shouldn't be surgeon general.
The HHS says Holsinger remains focused on addressing the health of all in need, including all of the gay and lesbian population.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And Wolf Blitzer talks to two presidential hopefuls today on "CNN Late Edition," Democratic Candidate Bill Richardson and Republican Candidate Mike Huckabee tune in at 11:00 Eastern, 8:00 Pacific.
NGUYEN: Well two enemies unite in the hunt for terrorists.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was pretty wild at first when he said there was times we couldn't get down the street, a little ways before, it's all changed.
NGUYEN: CNN rides along as American troops face danger in Iraq's al Qaeda country.
HOLMES: Also, cycling for a cause, a Christian musician embarks on a journey to help orphans. We'll talk with Mark Schultz live coming up on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: It is a TV family that made northern New Jersey a tourist destination.
HOLMES: Coming up, in 50 minutes, the real-life mob crew, what they call home. I got that on my ipod. Not kidding that song.
NGUYEN: Are you going to be in tears after it is all over?
HOLMES: If they kill off Tony, I'm going to have a problem.
NGUYEN: You know they are.
HOLMES: No, they won't. He is going to live happily ever after.
NGUYEN: My money's on it. A goner.
HOLMES: Welcome back to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. We have a lot to tell you about this morning.
HOLMES: And we are going to start right now. In Iraq, a police station has come under attack in Iraq today. Security forces say a suicide truck bomb exploded at a police station near the northern city of Tikrit. At least seven officers killed and 52 others including officers and civilian were hurt.
Meanwhile, Iraq's government says U.S. troops raided an office in southeast Baghdad killing at least three people and wounding 19 others yesterday. This happened near the office of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr. Fights have broke out between U.S. forces and gunmen.
NGUYEN: Al Qaeda country in Iraq. The Diyala Province just north of Baghdad is one of the deadliest places for U.S. troops. U.S. military commanders describe the area as a stronghold for the al Qaeda insurgency.
HOLMES: CNN's Karl Penhaul takes a ride with striker combat vehicles in this danger zone. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fire attacks, simple fire, one IED so far this morning.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Whichever way you twist and turn, all routes lead to al Qaeda country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back about a click south of this right now is one of those support zones, the barrier they use for targeting and planning.
PENHAUL: Sprawling palm growths flash past the gaps in the camouflage netting. Striker combat vehicles cruise through dusty villages. Ground zero for extremist gunmen. Destination Firebase Bronco, a ram shack and outpost straight out of the video action game.
SPEC. STEPHEN HAWK, U.S. ARMY: It was pretty wild at first. There were times we couldn't get down the street a little ways before we took on -- it's all changed now.
PENHAUL: In just two months the striker battalion to which this unit is attached has had at least 11 soldiers killed and 60 seriously wounded, that makes this region of Diyala Province one of the deadliest spots in Iraq.
In the last few weeks it's been a little calmer. An alliance between formal nationalist insurgents and U.S. troops is taking hold. Two old enemies uniting against a common foe in al Qaeda. So between combat patrols, there's time to stroll down Market Street, and make new friends. A sign soldiers believe of progress. Back at the outpost, young soldiers battle to stay in touch with loved ones half a world away.
SPEC. LANGKILDE PALEAA, U.S. ARMY: The toughest thing out here is being on this little outpost and away from you know, any means of communication you know, like phones, Internet.
PENHAUL: Scratched into the smoke-charred walls, two words to spur the soldiers on: "Never Quit."
They've been here 12 months to date. Some think about finally going home. But few dare let their minds stray for long.
CPL. DENNIS WESTBROOK, U.S. ARMY: It's way too soon to still be thinking about home. You've still got to keep your head in the game and focus on the mission and make sure you and your buddy go home alive.
PENHAUL: Karl Penhaul, CNN, Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: In Afghanistan, a close call this morning for Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Taliban militants claim they fired rockets that landed near a gathering where Karzai was speaking at a province southwest of Kabul. No one was hurt. In the southern province of Zabul, air strikes targeting militants this weekend killed dozens of suspected Taliban. Afghan police report another 20 militants killed in a battle on Saturday.
NGUYEN: The U.S. military says many attacks against American troops in Iraq are carried out with explosives smuggled in from Iran.
HOLMES: Now there are reports U.S. forces have intercepted two shipments of suspected Iranian weapons inside Afghanistan.
NGUYEN: And CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr take a closer look at what is behind this disturbing and dangerous trend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iranian weapons shipped into Iraq and Afghanistan are not just a threat to U.S. troops, but now are seen as an effort to stop any diplomacy between Washington and Tehran by rogue members of Iran's all powerful revolutionary guard.
TRITA PARSI, NATL IRANIAN AMERICAN COUNCIL: These elements are probably fearing a diplomacy between the United States far more than they fear sanctions on Iraq. And I think they may be somewhat concerned that the talks in Iraq can actually end up being successful.
STARR: It was just days ago that U.S. and Iranian officials met in Baghdad, the first time in nearly 30 years that the two sides have sat down. The U.S. made clear the weapons shipments had to stop. They have not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We still see them shipping weapons, money and conducting training for extremists here in Iraq. It has not stopped.
STARR: The U.S. is finding armor penetrating bomb, rockets and other weapons some with links indicate they go were made just a few months ago inside Iran. There's still no direct evidence the Iranian regime itself is behind any of the weapons shipments. But in Afghanistan, the threat of sophisticated Iranian weapons may be growing.
LT. GEN. DAN MCNEILL, CMDR, ISAF-NATO: We have intercepted at least two convoys that have contained munitions or weapons. Some of those munitions and weapons clearly were of Iranian origin.
STARR: Those truck convoys had Iranian mortar rounds and weapons and explosives packaged to look like American C4 plastic explosives. And those truck convoys were found not all that far from Afghanistan's western border with Iran. Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: New attacks in Gaza today. Israeli warplanes flew to action launching strikes in Gaza City. Israel says it's targeting an Islamic jihad terrorist organization. In another development, Palestinian sources say violence between rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas flared in the city of Rafa (ph), leaving two people dead there and further highlighting the weaknesses of the Palestinian unity government.
NGUYEN: Unraveling a mystery in Fort Myers, Florida. Police now releasing new details about the recently discovered remains of eight people. They say the victims were all male and all were naked at the time of their deaths. Investigators say the deaths occurred sometime between 1980 and 2000.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEATHER WALSH-HANEY, FORENSIC INVESTIGATOR: What is interesting is the completeness of these skeletonized remains, of these human remains. And that is, we have nearly 90 percent of each individual.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: The remains were found in a remote wooded area three months ago, but now a local Florida television station is reporting there may be a link between this case and an unsolved serial murder case. We're going to bring you that report next hour.
Also this today, police in Hartford, Connecticut, are dealing with their own unique investigation. They're probing the death of a woman found in her home on Friday, but she may have actually died as many as eight years ago. Police were apparently called by the woman's worried son. They walked in past the high grass, and no trespassing signs to find a woman's skeleton. An autopsy found she died of natural causes.
So her son just found out what, eight years later? Let's check on mom. Interesting.
HOLMES: I heard that bit at the end there, who knows what was going on. Strange story.
We're going to talk about rolling out the red carpet now, a different reception for the president here on this trip. Albania, extending a warm welcome to President Bush. He's the first sitting U.S. president to visit that country.
NGUYEN: Yes, and this hour, he has been taking part in a news conference after meeting with Albanian leaders. And our Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with the president in Albania and she tells us what is on the table. Hi, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Betty.
President Bush, I'm sure has asked himself many times, where is the love? The love is here in Albania for sure. A very different reception for President Bush. Yesterday he was in Rome. There were thousands and thousands of protesters. Here, there are people lining the streets with American flags cheering.
We just saw President Bush with the prime minister of Albania, both of them coming out after a meeting and answering a couple of questions.
One of the key issues that's really important for this country is Kosovo. They are supporting Kosovo's independence. The United States is doing the same, but Russia is against that idea.
So what you're hearing and what was interesting out of this press conference is President Bush trying to get tough, trying to move his process forward. But at the same time, it's a very fuzzy diplomatic diplomacy, some diplomatic language here when asked whether or not he is pushing forward, straight forward, on a deadline to make happen. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: First of all, I don't think I called for a deadline. I thought I said -- what exactly did I say? I said deadline? OK. Yeah.
Then -- I meant what I said. The question is whether or not there's going to be endless dialogue on the subject that we have made up our mind about. We believe Kosovo ought to be independent. The G8 discussions were all aimed at determining whether or not there was a way to make this acceptable to Russia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So it really is kind of a power play that's developing here. The U.N. Security Council, they have this resolution that is up for a vote essentially over the independence of Kosovo.
So a lot of different dancing going on between, as you know, Russia, France, the United States and Albania.
But I have to tell you, very interesting scene on the streets here, in the square. I want to show you this. This is something we've seen a lot of people wearing here. You don't see this very often, even in the streets of the United States.
A lot of fanfare, a 21-gun salute. There's even a street that is named after the president, and if you can believe this, the top, the most popular names of children in this country would be Bill and Hillary and George and Laura, after the Clintons and the Bushes.
NGUYEN: You have got to be kidding? And you know, just to add to it, isn't there a stamp with President Bush's face on it there in Albania?
MALVEAUX: Well, there are actually three, Betty. Three stamps they have here. I think that's more than even what we have in the United States. I mean, there is just so much excitement here.
I think what they are seeing here, obviously, very grateful for the intervention, the military intervention in Kosovo as well as this move for Kosovo to become independent. They really see the United States as a very, very close ally.
NGUYEN: Well, be sure to send a postcard with that stamp. Will you?
HOLMES: And put the hat on for us next time.
MALVEAUX: I'll bring you one of these.
HOLMES: Put it on for us, Suzanne, go ahead. We're going stay here until you put the hat on.
MALVEAUX: Oh, no, no, no. I refuse, refuse.
NGUYEN: OK, we'll talk to you next hour.
MALVEAUX: It's going to be on YouTube, I'm sure.
HOLMES: All right, thank you.
Well coming up here, he's a big Christian music star and Mark Schultz could very easily have just spent time working on his next album.
NGUYEN: But that is not his style.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: I went to see some orphanages this summer and hung out with the kids, and I thought, man, how can I raise money for these kids?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Up next, in "Faces of Faith" he talks about his new mission.
HOLMES: And "The Sopranos" sadly may be ending but the show's legacy will live on in its famous locations. Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: There's going to be some long days. I'm scared to death there's a day in Kansas where I do 153 miles and then in one day and turn around and do 114 miles the next day.
But I got to tell you when I'm training I think about these kids, these orphans, and there's something in me that says, man if they can go through what they're going through, some of the hopelessness and nervousness that they have, man, if I can break through that in what I'm doing and help give this money to support them, man it makes it all worth it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: He's a platinum selling recording artist on a mission. In this morning's "Faces of Faith" segment, Christian music singer Mark Schultz is on a cross-country concert tour on a bike. Yeah, not on a tour bus.
It's a fund-raising trip to raise money to support orphans and widows. Take a look at this. He left California a month ago, traveled 3,500 miles, about 80 miles a day until he gets to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He's been stopping along the way to perform benefit concerts to raise money for his cause.
And Mark is signed to Word Records, which is affiliated with the company owned by Time Warner, CNN's parent company. Need to let you know that.
This cross-country fundraise is called "The Mark Schultz Across America Tour." And this morning, Mark joins us along his route from Kansas City, Missouri. Good morning to you, kind sir.
SCHULTZ: Good morning. How are you?
HOLMES: I am well, man. Better question, how in the world are you holding up?
SCHULTZ: Pretty good. I think we started out a little slow. We got out of California with the Santa Ana winds blowing 40 miles an hour in our face. It was 111 degrees, but it gets better every day.
HOLMES: It gets better every day. Now I guess what is the toughest -- how many miles are you doing a day? It kind of varies, roughly the average is about 80. Realistically, how many miles are you doing a day?
SCHULTZ: We found out when dealing with mountains, it gets to be a little bit slower. But we started off at about 80. And actually, we've been up to 170 to 150 to 130, just depending on the day.
HOLMES: Now what's your background as far as biking goes and cycling goes? Were you already in pretty good shape or did you have to start training for this trip?
SCHULTZ: Well, I think you have to train a little bit. But I don't know that there's anything can you do to really get in shape for it. And riding every day is quite a thing. I joke about that there was a gas station about 10 miles from my house when I trained. That was about as far as I could make it at first. I would get in there and get all the Gatorade and cookies. So we've shot past that just a little bit.
HOLMES: Now why this call? Why go this route to raise money for this cause? You could have done a concert tour and traveled around just the same. But why do it on a bike?
SCHULTZ: Well, I was adopted when I was two weeks old and I always tell people it was the hardest two weeks of my life, with the paperwork and everything.
But I've got the best parents in the whole world and I thought, you know, family Christian stores came to me and said we've got something called the James Fund that helps the windows and orphans and supports them. We thought you would do a good job to be a spokesperson.
And so by riding my bike I thought, this is something that lasts longer than one concert. It kind of gets some attention and people like to cheer something on that seems impossible.
Instead of taking a bus or the plane to do all of these shows, so far, people have been coming to the Web site at markacrossamerica.org, watching the daily video blogs, and been cheering this thing on. So we've got half way across the country. We've done four concerts, we've got nine left, we raised $100,000 so far. We're hoping to get up around a quarter million dollars by the time we get across.
HOLMES: Of course, we all know that a lot of people have a lot of causes, and a lot of worthy causes and a lot of money to be raised. This is certainly not one we hear a lot about, when you speak about he widows, you speak about orphans. So give people just a quick background and a quick idea of how important, how desperate the need is to help the orphans in this country?
SCHULTZ: It's great -- this is a worldwide organization. Let me tell you why I'm doing this. This is why it means so much to me.
When Family Christian Stores actually first came to me, they said we'd like to take you to some orphanages. And we went to Mexico and we were shown around by a guy who was 25-years-old, he was from Mexico. Orphanage to orphanage, we walk into a rather large orphanage and these kids are running up towards him and they're on him like he's Michael Jordan. I mean, they just think he's the greatest thing ever.
And I said, how do you know these kids? And he said, well, I grew up here. I said you mean you grew up in Mexico? He said no, in this orphanage. This is my family.
And he said when he was 12 to 13-years-old, normally you're too old to stay in the orphanage, you have to go out on your streets. Most kids get into prostitution or drugs. He said the James Fund helped, they came down, they brought a family that he could stay with. And they said as long as you get good grades, we'll pay for your high school and college.
He said now I speak six languages, I've got a master's degree and a little girl jumps up in his arms. And she says, in Spanish, I want to be just like you. And he says, no. As long as I'm here, you and everybody else in this orphanage are going to go a lot further than I ever did. And my wife and I, Kate, we just had tears in our eyes. I said, I've got to do something more than just be a spokesperson. I really need to help them out.
HOLMES: A story like that could get anybody going. Heck of a story there. When are you going to be at your final destination? When do you arrive?
SCHULTZ: They keep moving the date up on me, which I'm not too excited about. But June 6th, June 7th we'll be in Maine and have a final celebration there. HOLMES: Sir, good luck to you on the rest of your ride. I hope that body holds up for the rest of the journey going up some of those mountains, as you said. But Mark Schultz, really, thank you so much for being here and good luck to you on the rest of your journey.
SCHULTZ: Thanks.
HOLMES: If you're interested in donating, learning a little more about Mark Schultz and the tour across America and the James Fund, as well. Here's the first step. Like you just said there, go to www markacrossamerica.org and you can also find out where you can catch one of the fund-raising concerts, Betty.
NGUYEN: Well we do have some wild weather shots to show you this morning. Take a look. This rain just coming down in Oklahoma. Bonnie Schneider will be up next with a look at the weather in your area.
And "The Sopranos" has made mom and pop shops in New Jersey world famous. Fans are simply flocking to them and we're going to take you there, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: We are getting new information on this report of several people shot to death in a small Wisconsin town. Let's take you to Tom Murray with affiliate WTMJ. He filed this report for his local station just minutes ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM MURRAY, WTMJ CORRESPONDENT: Yes Melanie and now we can show you some of the things we have been talking about. I want you to look right behind me at this white home.
This is the home where the six victims were found in the upper level of this home. The home divided into two apartments. We are told that all the victims are still inside this home in the exact place where they were found by police.
The investigation now in the hands of the Wisconsin department of criminal investigation, and as we were looking around, you can see some of the investigators there and police now standing out in front of the home as they are carefully going over the scene.
And there is a white van that is parked in the driveway. That is where the seventh victim was found, the one that is still alive, in critical condition.
The two or 3-year-old girl, and she was taken, of course, initially to the memorial hospital and then to UW Madison. And if you look over to this side, you'll see a couple of large law enforcement vehicles.
The one that is closest to us that is the county sheriff mobile crime scene unit. The more important vehicle, perhaps is this yellow, almost ambulance-like looking vehicle that is just behind that white truck. That is the department of criminal investigation, this investigation now in their hands.
This is where some of the evidence is being brought. The coroner will be coming here later and at some point today we expect to see the victims actually brought outside the home. So now giving you this look of what's happening on the scene now. That is the latest from Delavan, Melanie, back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And that was Tom Murray with affiliate WTMJ filing that report for his local station just a few minutes ago. Again, six people found dead inside a home there in Wisconsin. A two to 3-year- old girl found in a vehicle outside the home. A lot of questions. We'll have an update on the story at the top of the hour.
HOLMES: Meanwhile, it's the TV theme that will go down in history.
Yes. "The Sopranos," coming to an end. Say it ain't so! But you can still live on with that show by going to where it was filmed.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Tough day for me here. It's a tough day. We're going have to say good-bye to "The Sopranos." This is - I can't believe this. We've got to say good-bye to "The Sopranos." After tonight's series finale, Tony, Carmella and the rest will be sleeping with the fishes. Hopefully not, no, they'll be sleeping with the DVDs.
NGUYEN: No, he's going down, you know it. The odds are two to one. Come on, he's a goner.
Since its 1999 debut on HBO, owned by Time Warner, the parent company of CNN, the show about a New Jersey crime boss has consistently stood out as one of the best dramas on television. Even the theme song is remarkable. You have it on your iPod.
HOLMES: I do. I absolutely do. Tonight's final episode culminates with Tony locked in a life and death battle with rival crime boss. How it wraps up, that is anybody's guess.
NGUYEN: We know what's going to happen.
HOLMES: No.
NGUYEN: Well, OK, I think I know. But what do you think? See, that's where you come in this morning. Tell us how you think "The Sopranos" is going to end. Is Tony a goner? E-mail us your ideas to weekends@CNN.com. How else? It's a movie about the mob!
HOLMES: He could live happily ever after, that's a possibility.
NGUYEN: Right, and turn into a philanthropist.
HOLMES: He could! Make up some of that money in the back, give it away.
NGUYEN: And the bodies -
HOLMES: OK, I'll get your creative juices flowing. CNN's Jim Acosta takes us on a tour of some of the local landmarks made famous on that show.
NGUYEN: And just to be square with you. As I mentioned a moment ago, "The Sopranos" airs on HBO, owned by Time Warner, the parent company of CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA (voice-over): Take heart, "Sopranos" fans, there is life after HBO. Fans of the show can still walk in Tony Soprano's shoes by taking a stroll through the crime family's famous stomping grounds.
But you better hurry if you're dying to see the notorious, but fictional Satriale's pork store.
MANNY COSTERA, REX PROPERTIES: Well, the front of the building is a very popular site on the show.
ACOSTA: Real estate developer Manny Costera plans to whack the building in favor of a new condominium project he calls "Sopranos Fort." The signs out front and the store's interior, all added by the show's makers during production, are gone.
COSTERA: This is where Tony had his little confrontation with the FBI guy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't get so bent out of shape. You're a big boy, Tony.
COSTERA: So this is a pretty significant little corner here.
COSTA: Want more? Twice a week on-location tours will show you 47 of the show's best known locales.
LINDA DOLL, SOPRANOS FAN: It makes me want to go back and watch all of the episodes again so we can see these sites.
ACOSTA: The popularity of "The Sopranos" has turned ordinary businesses in New Jersey into cultural landmarks, even a one-second appearance on the show can mean a fortune.
Take Pizzaland pizza, which stars in the program's opening credits.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now with "The Sopranos," you go, oh, that's Pizzaland! We've got to go in there.
ACOSTA: If you want a taste, owner Al Palowitz (ph) and his son will deliver his pies, shipped on ice, of course, across the country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From Texas, Nebraska, where else do we get out? Wisconsin, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wisconsin, California, everywhere. And they weren't just one-pie orders. They were three, four, five-pie orders.
ACOSTA: Because of the show?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because of the show.
ACOSTA: One attraction you won't find on any "Soprano" tour is Tony Soprano's house. That's because the actual owner of the home and his neighbors have fought to keep the tour buses out of their community.
And what "Sopranos" tour would be complete without the badabing, or the club's actual name, Satin Dolls? Shy about visitors here? Forget about it.
SUSIE QUIGLEY, SATIN DOLLS: People from all over the world, London, Japan, Ireland.
ACOSTA: And what tourist can resist picking up a few souvenirs?
QUIGLEY: Yeah, grandmothers coming in and stealing shot glasses off the bar, salt and pepper shakers off the bar because it came from the Badabing was very strange, but we've gotten used to it.
ACOSTA: But it may take time getting used to life without "The Sopranos." For some of the show's 12 million fans, it will feel like a loss in the family. Jim Acosta, CNN, North Arlington, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, check your freezer. A beef recall gets a lot bigger. We're talking about possible E. Coli contamination. Details, straight ahead.
NGUYEN: Paris Hilton says she is shocked at all of the attention she's getting. Yeah. We're going to tell you what else is on her mind as she talks about her time in jail.
Plus --
HOLMES: George Bush becomes the first U.S. president to visit Albania, and he's being greeted as a hero, yes. Good morning to you all, from the CNN Center, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING on this June 10th. I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. We want to thank you for being with us today.
Well there have been tears, instead of jeers, greeting President Bush this morning. The president is in Albania, the latest stop on his European tour. He is the first sitting U.S. president to visit the country, and he is getting a warm welcome shall we say. Albania, though, is mostly Muslim, but pro American. President Bush talked about religious differences in a news conference last hour. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: Mr. Prime Minister, I appreciate the fact that Albania is a model of religious tolerance. And I appreciate the fact that Albania is a trusted friend and a strong ally. In this visit today, hopefully we'll send a signal to the people of Albania, you can count on America, just like America can count on you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux will join us live from Albania in just a few moments. But in the meantime, we have this new this morning, a report of several people shot to death in a small Wisconsin town. Police in Delavan say they responded to a report of shots fired at a home. The S.W.A.T. team found six gunshot victims dead inside this house. Authorities say the second victim is in a hospital in critical condition and they also say a small child found in a vehicle outside the residence was turned over to EMS workers. We'll bring you a live report from Wisconsin in less than ten minutes.
HOLMES: Now to Iraq and word of U.S. raids. Iraq's government says U.S. troops raided an office in southeast Baghdad, killing at least three people and wounding nineteen others that happened Saturday near the office of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr. Clashes then broke out between U.S. forces and gunmen there.
Also this scene in Gaza after a new wave of attacks, Israeli warplanes launched strikes in Gaza City today. Israel says it targeted Islamic Jihad. In another development, Palestinian sources say violence between rival factions Fatah and Hamas squared off, leaving two people dead and further highlighting the weaknesses of the Palestinian unity government.
NGUYEN: NASA engineers are taking a closer look at pictures of a damaged thermal heat blanket on the shuttle "Atlantis." You can take a look right now. But they don't think it is a serious problem at the moment. NASA will get a better report on that condition of that shuttle a little later today when it docks with the International Space Station. The station crew will be looking at the heat tiles on the shuttle's underbelly. NASA could call for repairs on the heat blanket during a scheduled space walk later this week.
There is a warning for anyone with ground beef in the freezer. Check the label, United Food groups is now expanding its recall to include nearly 6 million pounds of packaged ground beef. The beef was sold at 12 different grocery chains in 11 western states. Now this is different from yesterday. It was also packaged under six different brand names. The recall involves ground beef with sell by dates between April 6th and May 7th.
HOLMES: New details now on an on-going mystery in Ft. Myers, Florida. The skeletal remains of eight people found in a wooded area. And now reports of a possible link to another high-profile case. We get that story from Patrick Flannary of affiliate WBBH in Ft. Myers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATRICK FLANNARY, WBBH: He's been sitting on death row since 2000 for murdering a vagrant in Charlotte County. Yet Daniel Connehan has long been suspected of killing five others, all transient men in the nude, each allegedly lured into wooded areas by Connehan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Try to be careful and not, you know, talk to strangers and things like that.
FLANNARY: Flash forward to March of this year, when investigators uncover skeletal remains in Ft. Myers, not far from where a drifter accused Connehan of attacking him back in 1994.
CHIEF HILTON DANIELS, FORT MYERS POLICE: We have been trying to identify the remains, and we have used several experts in order to does that.
FLANNARY: Forensics investigators point out the eight skeletons belong to men, aged 18 to 49, who wore no clothing when they died, and dental records show at least one of them was a drifter.
HEATHER WALSH-HANEY, FORENSIC INVESTIGATOR: What is interesting is the completeness of these skeletonized remains, of these human remains, and that is that we have nearly 90 percent of each individual.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Police still haven't positively identified any of the eight victims. Meanwhile, on death row, the suspected serial killer Daniel Connehan denies he killed anybody.
NGUYEN: It looks like Paris Hilton is feeling a little better this morning. In a statement posted on celebrity Website TMZ.com, the heiress says she told her attorneys not to appeal the judge's decision to send her back to jail, or that decision that sent her back to jail. And Hilton says that she is just shocked at the public attention devoted to her situation. She urged people to pay more attention to the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The statement went on to say -- "This is by far the hardest thing I have ever done. During the past several days I have had a lot of time to reflect and have already learned a bitter but important lesson from this experience."
The Reverend Al Sharpton is calling for a fair justice system.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. AL SHARPTON, SOCIAL ACTIVIST: The appearance is that some people are treated differently based on their wealth or based on their color. And there are any number of cases that has been cited where there has been different strokes for different folks. None of us have any negative or personal feelings one way or another about Paris Hilton, but we all are concerned that people from south-central are treated the same as people in Hollywood hills.
(END VIDEO CLIP) NGUYEN: Sharpton plans to meet tomorrow with L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca.
HOLMES: I want to update you now on a story we are following out of Wisconsin, where six people have been found shot to death. In happened in the town of Delavan. Tom Murray with affiliate WTMJ joins us now live. Good morning to you. Please tell us what you know.
MURRAY: Yes, good morning, T.J. This is a small town in southern Wisconsin, and I want to show you right behind me where investigators are now in this white home. This home is split into two apartments. The six victims -- four adults and two children were found shot to death in the upper level of this home. There is one person that is still alive. That is a 2 or 3-year-old girl. She was found outside the home inside a white minivan. You're looking at the white minivan that is still parked in the driveway. She was taken to a hospital at UW Madison, where she is described as being in very critical condition. Right now what investigators are doing is they're looking at the hands of all the people inside to find out if this was indeed a murder- suicide. On those hands they are looking for gunpowder residue.
As investigators continue to carefully comb over the scene. What police tell us is they do not believe that a brazen killer is on the loose, which would lead us to believe that one of those dead is the person who perhaps pulled the trigger on the other people inside the home. We have heard that police have not been called to this home on a regular basis and have had very few problems in this neighborhood. The police chief lives just three blocks from here. He was called here and calls this the worst shooting that he has seen in his 35 years on the force.
T.J.
HOLMES: All right, Tom Murray on the story for us from WTMJ. I know you're working the story. Hope to talk to you again in a little while, get another update from you. Thank you so much.
NGUYEN: Well they are rolling out the red carpet. Albania extends a warm welcome to President Bush. He is the first sitting U.S. president to visit the country. And our Suzanne Malveaux is traveling with the president. She joins us live from Albania. And what a welcome this has been, Suzanne, something that, obviously, the president hasn't seen a whole lot of traveling abroad.
MALVEAUX: A lot of TLC here, Betty, of course. We saw thousands of people who gathered to support the president really quite different than what we're used to seeing and what the president, quite frankly, is used to seeing, and that is a bunch of protesters. There are huge banners, American flags that are hanging here in the square in front of the mosque. This is the front page of the Albanian paper here. As you can see, a full spread there. This is a really exciting time for this country. These two leaders meeting just within the last hour with the prime minister, talking about a lot of issues that are important to them. Very strong and close allies to the United States.
One of the issues is over Kosovo's independence. Albania supports it. President Bush supports it as well. But Russia does not. What we heard from President Bush today is trying to push this process forward, get U.N. Security council members to come up with a resolution to make that happen. And he was asked, however, whether or not he is imposing a deadline. A lot of fuzzy language, it's a diplomatic dance. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: First of all, I don't think I called for a deadline. I thought I said time, what exactly did I say? I said deadline, OK. Yeah, then, I meant what I said. The question is whether or not there is going to be endless dialogue on a subject that we have made up our mind about. We believe Kosovo ought to be independent. The G-8 discussions were all aimed at determining whether or not there is a way to make this acceptable to Russia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So Betty, why is this important? It really does have, once again, a power play between the United States and Russia. Russia a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council could really derail this process for Kosovo's independence. So what you're seeing is a jockeying back and forth here of positioning of these leaders trying to move forward on Kosovo's independence.
Now as I mentioned before, quite a scene here in Albania. There is a street named after George W. Bush that's in front of the parliament. There are a lot of people that were draped in flags and kind of these American top hats, if you will. There are even three different stamps of the American president that's here. So really, a very, very, kind of surreal in a way, if you would.
NGUYEN: We're still waiting for you to put the top hat on, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: I know, I know. I knew you were going to do that.
NGUYEN: You are trying to sabotage us. OK, we'll let you go this time. But don't worry; we'll hit you up, again. Thank you, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Oh, I think so. We will.
NGUYEN: Thank you.
HOLMES: All right, folks, a lot of you will remember and a lot of people trying to forget the Mark Foley story. He was the lawmaker who was writing those e-mails and messages to congressional pages. Up next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, a look at the structure of that page program today.
NGUYEN: And later, Dr. Sanjay Gupta goes political. This morning on "House Call," he takes a look at where the presidential candidates stand on healthcare. That's coming up at 8:30 Eastern. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HOLMES: Well, behind the scenes on Capitol Hill. But congressional pages were put in the spotlight in the wake of the Mark Foley scandal. That bad publicity, however, may have actually served to strengthen the page program. CNN's Lisa Goddard takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is not about politics. This has nothing to do with politics.
LISA GODDARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): As Congress erupts in passionate, pivotal debate; a silent platoon of teenagers keeps the place running. The congressional pages are the most protected groups in Washington, especially now eight months after news broke that former Congressman Mark Foley sent inappropriate e-mails to male pages. But it seems that attention has boosted the program.
REP. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, (R) WEST VIRGINIA: Across the board, there are more applications for the page program, more interest in the page program.
GODDARD: West Virginia's Shelly Moore Capito is of four members of Congress on the house page board and she believes the program has benefited from the spotlight.
MOORE CAPITO: Well, I guess people say for every bad thing, something good happens and the scandal attached to this last year, I think, brought more light to the program.
GODDARD: One of the first classes of pages since Mark Foley resigned is finishing up this weekend, moving out of the dorm. One mother told CNN she felt especially secure sending her son now, because she knew there would be more caution than ever. Those controls are tight.
That same mom agreed to speak with us on camera about what she says is a wonderful program. But late Friday night the house clerk's office asked her family not to talk with us. This comes after two months of repeated requests from CNN and from congressional staffers on our behalf to speak with pages and their families. The house clerk's office denied those requests.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The house will be in order.
GODDARD: That leaves former pages to describe the program in which high school juniors suit up by 7:00 a.m. for class and then do things like deliver mail and help with vote counts. Former page Ed Demoulin calls the program the most important experience he had in high school.
ED DEMOULIN, FORMER CONGRESSIONAL PAGE: There is really no better way to teach kids about government than to have them involved in it.
GODDARD: And it seems despite past scandal, more kids want to be involved. Lisa Goddard, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, you knew it would happen sooner or later, but 100 years?
HOLMES: Yeah, something rare took place at the Belmont Stakes yesterday. We'll find out, coming up on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
SCHNEIDER: And we are also watching for the threat for flooding into parts of Texas and also northward towards Kansas. I'll have a complete look at your forecast, coming up next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Olympian and world class runner Jeff Galloway has been called the marathon man, he has been running for nearly 50 years and says he's helped coach more than 200,000 people.
JEFF GALLOWAY, "THE MARATHON MAN:" And I've now run over 128 marathons.
COSTELLO: What's Jeff's best running secret for people who want to go the distance? He says run, walk, run, which will erase fatigue and reduce injuries.
GALLOWAY: When people put walk breaks in early and often, they actually have faster times, in races like the half marathon and the marathon.
COSTELLO: Another important tip for success is to commit to training.
GALLOWAY: You only need three days a week, but you do need to get out there and spend that time. A minimum, 30 minutes, and then have a little bit longer one on the weekend.
COSTELLO: He also suggests you train with a running group, which will keep you motivated and keep a running log. Jeff says the biggest mistake runner's make is they start out too quickly on their run. It's always better to start slow on your run and warm up your legs.
GALLOWAY: As people every week tell me that they've done a lot of things in life, but they haven't found anything that has given them the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment as finishing a marathon. It's only 1/10 of 1 percent of the population that finishes one each year.
COSTELLO: Carol Costello, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Check it out, a storm chaser in Tulsa, Oklahoma, caught this on tape, a lot of damage, a lot of rain, flooded roads, and of course, those downed trees, but no reports of injuries.
HOLMES: Bonnie Schneider is keeping an eye on things. How are things? Are they calmer than they appear to be in some of that video?
SCHNEIDER: I think so, at least right now, but we're still looking at the threat for flooding and severe weather, possibly, later this afternoon. This is yesterday's storm report and you can see wind damage in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area, and we also had three reports of a tornado. Now, possibly one tornado, but three official reports from the Storm Prediction Center. Take a look at this video out of New Mexico, and you'll see that this tornado, wow! Look at that. It's not often you get so up close that you can see something like that. This was shot by our affiliate KOTE. And what you're hearing, hailstones, golf ball-sized hailstones hitting the windshield of the vehicle. A very dangerous situation there. Luckily, though, no injuries were reported. So that's good news.
Now, in terms of severe weather today, we're tracking a couple different features. We do have strong storms working their way across Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas right now, and it is producing the threat for flooding. Flood watches are posted for some counties further up to the east of Kansas City, to the south as well. We also have flash flooding reported near Wichita. Then down through Texas, the remainder of the day we'll be watching for flooding across northern Texas, just south of Dallas and also back out towards west Texas. That's not the only place we're watching for more rain today. We've had a lot of rain across the northeast. Yesterday it was a washout for the east end of Long Island, two inches of rain across areas into Montauk, on the eastern point of Long Island.
Today we're watching for fire danger in areas of Arizona and Nevada where temperatures are super warm. But unfortunately for areas towards Boston, look at this low pressure off the coast, easterly winds, high pressure bringing dry conditions to the Great Lakes and eastern sections of that region, but the problem is we're not going to see a let-up in the rain. Check this out, for the next 48 hours. Heavy rain for Albany, into Poughkeepsie, north of New York City and down through Baltimore, as well. This front is oscillating, so depending where you are; you're likely to see rain. Temperatures will be hot across much of the country. The only cool area is the Pacific Northwest Betty and T.J. with temperatures there in the 60s.
NGUYEN: That doesn't sound too bad, does it, 60s?
SCHNEIDER: No.
NGUYEN: Especially for the folks in Phoenix where it's 104. That's hot. Thank you, Bonnie.
Well it with a historic run at yesterdays Belmont Stakes turned into a ladies day there. There was no Triple Crown on the line, but Rags to Riches brought her own excitement. She edged Preakness winner Curlin by a neck to become the first filly to win the Belmont in over a century. It is also the first win for a filly in any Triple Crown race since Winning Colors won the Kentucky Derby back in 1988, and yes, girls do want to have some fun.
HOLMES: Don't you all?
NGUYEN: And win some money, of course, which is what Rags to Riches did.
HOLMES: Well you know, there are fans out there, and then there are "Star Wars" fans, which, different kind of folks, already? A wedding takes its theme to a galaxy that is far, far away. You've got to see this, folks.
NGUYEN: It's frightening.
HOLMES: It's a little scary, stick around.
NGUYEN: And no hair-raising moments during the Democratic debates, but there was a lot of hand rising. Jeanne Moos takes a look at that coming up on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: OK, we don't like to judge anyone, OK?
HOLMES: No.
NGUYEN: Let's just put that out there first. But we will let you decide for yourself on this one. If you haven't already guessed, you're watching a "Star Wars" wedding in Salem, Virginia. The happy couple admits it all kind of started as a joke that went way too far. But anyways, people may still have been laughing when the storm troopers led the bride and groom up and down the aisle.
HOLMES: I would not have been a groomsman for that. I would not have agreed.
I need a two-shot here on the next story because I need Betty's help in this story, because I need you to throw your hands in your air and wave them like you just don't care, Betty.
NGUYEN: OK.
HOLMES: OK, it's not quite like that on the campaign trail, but you kind of get where we're. The 2008 presidential race, a lot of candidates addressing the issues with a show of hands. Here now, CNN's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The beginning of the year, raise your hand.
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Ah, the frantic waving to get the teacher's attention, sometimes so exhausting, you had to support your arm with your other hand. Those days are over by the time you run for president, right?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN: And I want you to raise your hand. Let me just do a show of hands. If you would, raise your hand.
MOOS: It's the latest in presidential debate techniques.
CHRIS MATTHEWS, MSNBC: Does any gentleman want to raise his hand and say pardon him?
MOOS: Whether it be asking Republicans about pardoning Scooter Libby, or asking Democrats about making English America's official language.
BLITZER: The only hand I see is Senator Gravel.
MOOS: With candidates stretched as far as the eye can see, at least you get a snap shot of opinion.
BLITZER: If you think it's time to get rid of the don't ask- don't tell policy in the U.S. military, raise your hands.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Should have been gotten rid of 20 years ago!
MOOS: Raise your hand if you saw the debate. Raise your hand if you like the idea that they're being asked to raise their hands.
SANDRA BERNHARD, ACTOR/COMEDIAN: I keep my hands firmly in my pockets, Jeanne Moos.
MOOS: Oh, yeah, Sandra Bernhard, comedienne?
BERNHARD: It's the Paris Hilton School, of you, you know, debate. It's like, huh?
MOOS: But it makes for good TV. For instance, when the Republicans were asked...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there anybody on the stage that does not agree - believe in evolution?
MOOS: And three hands went up.
But just when hand raising comes to debates, it's under attack at these kid's school.
Show me what you do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, no, no, in school, we have to do this, because it's too hard to get the teacher's attention.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, our teacher doesn't like when we do that.
(CROSSTALK)
MOOS: When the debate questions got lethal, the candidates got jittery. How many would authorize a hit on Osama bin Laden if civilians would also die?
BLITZER: And if you would, raise your hand.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it depends on how many innocent civilians.
MOOS: At one point, Senator Obama protested under his breath to a chuckling Senator Clinton.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS: I don't want to raise hands anymore.
MOOS: When asked for a show of hands on using force in Darfur, the candidates mutinied.
Hillary spoke for the class.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: Well, we're not going to engage in these hypotheticals.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you please put us on TV?
MOOS: Raise your hand if you want to be on TV.
Now, that's a question even the candidates would answer unanimously.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right, raise your hand if you think Tony Soprano is going to get the ax? Oh, he is. OK.
HOLMES: No.
NGUYEN: Anyway, for those of you watching, the bet is 2:1, and the Sopranos' swan song. That is coming up in the next hour. How the mob family drama has changed - it really has changed American entertainment.
HOLMES: And please, weigh in on how do you want it to end. Maybe not how you think. How do you want it to end? Email us at weekends@cnn.com. We're going to talk about that a little later.
NGUYEN: Didn't you say you want him to go work in a Wal-Mart somewhere?
HOLMES: Yes, and live happily ever after, in northwest Arkansas, yes.
NGUYEN: That's going to happen. But first, "HOUSE CALL" starts right now.
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