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Texas Braces For Storm; Former NBA Ref Pleads Guilty; Mine Rescue Effort; Safety Check; Gerri's Top Tips

Aired August 15, 2007 - 10:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: His job kept him on the court. Right now he's in court. Sources tell CNN, a former NBA referee pleading guilty to betting on games.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: This looks like fuel for what may soon be Tropical Storm Erin. One of three systems we're tracking this hour.

HARRIS: Dow jitters again today. The stock index slips below 13,000 for -- well, at least for a while here.

This is Wednesday, August 15th. A little droopy. We're up now. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Triple play. But not necessarily the kind you want. Three tropical weather systems churning in the Pacific and the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico this hour. Relief, though, in Hawaii as Tropical Storm Flossie moves away. But in the Caribbean, something to worry about. Tropical Storm Dean. And Texans, along the coast, keeping a watch on a tropical depression in the Gulf. A live report from there just ahead.

But first we want to get to meteorologist Jacqui Jeras. She's in the CNN Hurricane Center.

So if you could juggle you would have three balls going right now, right?

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Well, Texans taking notice of that tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico. CNN's Keith Oppenheim on the scene for us in Corpus Christi.

And, Keith, let me ask you, what are officials saying to folks in terms of make something kinds of preparation for this storm?

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think the big concern, as Jacqui was saying, is going to be rain and how much we're going to get. But as you can see right now, there's no rain bands here yet. You can see the U.S. aircraft carrier museum, the USS Lexington, behind me as I walk along the sea wall here next to the marina here in Corpus Christi. So the expectation is, by some time this afternoon, we'll start to see some of the rain from tropical depression number five. And as we go into the overnight and into tomorrow, then it's very likely that Tropical Storm Erin will make an arrival here in Corpus Christi and along the Texas coast.

So with rain being the big concern, the Texas governor, Rick Perry, has ordered swimming rescue teams to do some practices along the Texas coast because there could be some rescues with rain accumulations on average in the three to six-inch range, as Jacqui was saying. But there could also be some really intense, wet spots of up to eight inches of rain. So flooding is the big concern here.

But, you know, if you walk around Corpus Christi today and you talk to folks about it, most people are just expecting this to be a big rain event, because that's something they've had a lot of in south Texas throughout the summer.

Tony.

HARRIS: Are you seeing any kind of a run on convenience stores, supermarkets, you know, for water and other supplies?

OPPENHEIM: Absolutely. But not for the reason that you would think. It just now so happens that as of yesterday in Corpus Christi, there was a report that there's been some contamination for the second time this summer in the city's drinking water system. So it's for that reason that people are going to the stores and buying up all that bottled water. But, you know, the obviously ironic thing here is, is that people are going to buy all that water and at the same time a whole bunch of rain is about to make its appearance here in a few hours.

HARRIS: Yes, go figure. Keith Oppenheim for us in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Keith, good to see you. Thanks.

COLLINS: Federal court in Brooklyn this morning. Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy entering a plea in a gambling scandal. Our Allan Chernoff live outside the courthouse for us this morning.

Allan, what can you tell us about what went on in the courtroom?

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, what's just happened inside of the courtroom is that Donaghy has pled guilty to participating in a gambling ring that was betting on NBA games, some of which he officiated. Donaghy admitted in court that he would call co-conspirators with his picks as to which team people should bet on. And he based his picks on knowledge, confidential knowledge, of who would be officiating games, the physical condition of players, and the relationship that certain referees had with certain players.

He would call in those picks and when he made a correct selection, he would be paid off for that. He said that he did receive payments in Pennsylvania and in Toronto. Just two instances that he did refer to. All of this happening during the past season.

Now, legally, he pled guilty to two felonies. First, conspiracy to engage in wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. And, number two, transmitting wagering information, which carries a maximum sentence of five years. He's still inside of the courtroom and he is now being talked about -- the judge, rather, is discussing with attorneys bail information. So that's still being figured out right now.

Now all of this came to light during an investigation here in Brooklyn into the Gambino family, the mafia family, and they allegedly do have a gambling ring. Apparently we believe that Mr. Donaghy is going to be cooperating now in that investigation and it is believed that some alleged bookies will be facing charges here, including James Batista (ph). His attorney has already told us that he intends to fight any charges related to this gambling ring.

Donaghy was an NBA ref for 13 years. He officiated more than 700 games. And when he did resign in July, NBA Commissioner David Stern said that he had violated a sacred trust with the NBA and with its fans.

Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes, interesting, too, Allan, that David Stern also said that this an isolated incident. And I'm reading something reports here saying, of course, that prosecutors are working to build a case against some other people who may be involved in this. Have you heard anything more? And I know it's early on, but -- about how this might really be a bit more widespread?

CHERNOFF: That's right. Well the NBA has said -- and David Stern himself did say when he made the announcement last month, he said, the NBA believes that Donaghy was the only rouge ref. The only referee involved in this. And, in fact, Donaghy in court did say that he has a gambling addiction. He's being treated for it. He's taking antidepressants as well. He told all of this to the judge.

It was quite clear that he, himself, also had gambled on games. Although, legally, that is actually not part of the plea deal. The plea deal just involves his giving information about games, picking winners, and calling those winners in. But it certainly is a very difficult situation for the NBA. They are in major, major damage control mode right now.

COLLINS: Boy, oh, boy. All right. Allan Chernoff, we will continue to follow this story with you live from the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse this morning.

Allan, thanks.

HARRIS: Combing through the carnage. Rescuers in northern Iraq still searching for victims. At least 200 people killed, 300 wounded in massive suicide bombings. The attackers driving fuel tankers targeted the Yaziti (ph) sect. That's an ancient Kurdish minority group. The U.S. military says it is too soon to say who's responsible, but al Qaeda is the prime suspect.

Word this morning from the U.S. military, a deadly helicopter crash in Iraq does not appear to be the result of an attack. The chinook helicopter, like this one, crashed yesterday near an air base in Anbar province. Five U.S. service members died. Officials say the chopper was on a routine post maintenance check flight.

COLLINS: Turning up the heat on Iran. The Bush administration now considering whether to name part or all of Iran's revolutionary guards a terrorist group. That word from a senior State Department official. That official says the move is about three-fourths done. But details are still being worked out. The Bush administration claims Iranian agents linked to the revolutionary guards are training and giving weapons to insurgents battling U.S. troops in Iraq. Iran denies that.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm John Zarrella at the Crandall Canyon Mine, closing in on six trapped miners from two fronts. That story coming up.

HARRIS: Also, what you need to do today to make sure your kids' toys are safe. You know about the recall. We'll tell you what to do next.

CHETRY: And gone fishing, with a bow and arrow? Check it out. This guy combines casting with archery. And the fish are quivering. Get it? In the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So here's a fish story you've got to see to believe. Have bow and arrow, will fish. Take a look. There he is. That's Chris Brackett (ph) showing his mastery at extreme aerial bow fishing. Who knew? The target, Asian silver carp. In the Illinois River they can jump, but Brackett brings them down. He has turned his hobby into a moneymaker with a popular DVD and tour operations. Some animal rights groups don't consider this much of a sport. This story comes to us from ChicagoTribune.com.

COLLINS: A dog with a sense of death and decorum.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On the day she died, the whole family was in there. He went into the room, he looked, he stopped at every family member and just stopped. And like he was paying his condolences.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Man's best mourner makes the rounds, ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Rescue teams pushing forward. They're working underground to clear rubble and drilling a third hole hoping to locate six trapped miners in Utah. Live now to our John Zarrella.

John, you've been there for quite some time. How far along are they in drilling that third hole now? ZARRELLA: Well, they ought to be very close, Heidi, to completing that. Probably sometime this afternoon. Certainly no later than this evening unless they have some difficulties that they run into. They were at 585 feet yesterday at midday, on their way down to 1,400 feet. Once they get that hole drilled, of course, they're going to drop that camera inside there and look at this far end of the cavity, a place they haven't searched yet, to see if they can spot those miners.

Now, of course, the greatest suffering through all of this ordeal has been with the families of these six trapped miners. And yesterday we spoke with a friend of one of those miners about what the families are going through.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY CAMMANS, FRIEND OF TRAPPED MINER'S FAMILY: I think it's very, very frustrating just to know he's four miles down. They don't know how he is. They can't communicate with them. And they are believing in the miracles that have happened in this area in the past with coal mining.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: Now yesterday the mining company released a videotape that showed the extensive work and preparation going on underground in order to shore up the walls and the ceiling inside of the tunnel where the rescue workers are working to dig out that tunnel to get to those miners. And that's what's really been taking a lot of the time, is to make sure that that tunnel is safe for the rescue workers. And during that tour on the inside of the tunnel, Bob Murray, the CEO of the mining company, talked about exactly what they're doing underground.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB MURRAY, CEO, MURRAY ENERGY: One thing that is important to show, here again in the area of the worst devastation, there was no damage. (INAUDIBLE) work to miners, this is the back end of it. It's going to cross cut right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: Now Murray's got 134 miners working underground there. And they're going as fast as they can. Still, not as fast as he would like. But, you know, he's been pressed for days on a timetable to reach those miners. Yesterday he finally said, if all goes well, maybe, just maybe within five to seven days, which would mean, Heidi, that these guys would have been down there two-plus weeks.

Heidi.

COLLINS: Boy, oh, boy, it's a really long time.

John Zarrella, thanks so much for the update on that.

Meanwhile, if you are looking for a way to make a difference for the miners' families, you can do that. Impact your world by logging on to cnn.com/impact to learn how you can become part of the solution. We've posted information about the Crandall Canyon Family support fund. "Impacting Your World" now just a click away at cnn.com/impact.

HARRIS: And still to come, powerful person. A magazine rates Condoleezza Rice number one inside the beltway. And we'll explain.

Dangerous toys made in China. Who's responsible for letting them inside the United States?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Gerri Willis. Yet another recall from the world's largest toy maker. What you need to know to keep your child safe, next on "Top Tips" in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. Need to take everyone to the New York Stock Exchange. The big board there. OK. The Dow up 31 points. All right. So that's a bounce back. That's a bounce back. The Dow down 200 points yesterday. Up 31 inside the first hour or so of the trading day. The Nasdaq up eight in early trading. We're following throughout the morning with Susan Lisovicz right here in the CNN Newsroom.

Mattel's second big recall. Many are wondering how do you keep it from happening again? CNN's Greg Hunter investigates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GREG HUNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Mattel launched a second, massive recall of toys manufactured in China in as many weeks. This time the toy company took out full-page newspaper ads to reassure parents of its commitment to safety. But that didn't quell the consumer outrage.

SUZANNA SILVER, PARENT: We buy things for our children, toys, and then they come up with something like this. It's horrible.

HUNTER: Does this big newspaper ad make you want to trust them again?

SILVER: Of course not.

HUNTER: Over the last seven years, Mattel has recalled more than 15 million toys. The company says that's a small number considering it makes a half billion toys a year.

BRYAN STOCKTON, EXEC. VP, MATTEL: We've had a history of trust. And when you look at the number of recalls, we think we make overwhelmingly safe products.

HUNTER: Mattel pledged to change procedures. It will now test every batch of toys it makes for lead and work with regulators to develop new safety standards for magnetic toys. But one toy industry watchdog says, that's good, but too late. JAMES SWARTZ, WATCH: Realistically, we're not going to get all these items back. Once they're out there in our homes, in our schools, there's no way to get them all back. So there need to be better controls in the first place to prevent this.

HUNTER: The Consumer Product Safety Commission, relied on to safeguard toys, is supposed to oversee the industry. However, the agency's been downsized, its staff cut by more than half in the past 25 years, with only 100 inspectors for all products for the entire country.

NANCY NORD, ACTING CHAIRWOMAN, CPSC: Our economy is so big, hundreds and hundreds of millions of toys and other products come into this country every day. And the notion that somehow we are going to pre-clear these hundreds of millions of products is naive.

HUNTER: Mattel says its 75-year history of making safe toys for children should speak for itself.

STOCKTON: We are upset and we feel we've disappointed some people. And, again, we want to continue to earn the trust of consumers and they will judge us over time by our actions.

HUNTER: Greg Hunter, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: All right. With recalls in the news, if you're a parent, you're wondering what you can do to make sure your children's toys are safe. We want to check in with personal finance editor Gerri Willis this morning.

Hi, there, Gerri.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi.

COLLINS: Obviously, I would imagine the first thing to do is to get a list, find out exactly what's been recalled. Because there has been quite a few products that have been mentioned now.

WILLIS: And it's easy enough to do, Heidi. To get the full list of toys that have been recalled, log on to the Mattel website at mattel.com or the Consumer Product Safety Commission website at cpsc.gov.

Now the company, as you just heard, recalled over 18 million toys, including Polly Pocket and Barbie toys that can shed small magnets. The company also recalled miniature toy vehicles because their paint could be toxic. So you want to go through the toy box carefully. You know, keep in mind these toys were produced between May 2003 and November 2006. Toys made after November 1, 2006, are not affected. Now you need to know the model number to make sure your toy is dangerous or safe. To find the model number, look on the bottom of the toys. And if you can locate a number, contact Mattel. Here's the number, 888-597-6597. COLLINS: It might take you a while to get through on that number. I'm not sure but, obviously, they're going to be taking a lot of calls as of late.

WILLIS: Yes, no kidding.

COLLINS: Gerri, so you go ahead and you find some of these toys in a toy box. What is the parents' recourse at this point?

WILLIS: Well, you're going to get some money. Now if you do find one of these recalled toys, take it away immediately from your child. Contact Mattel. Again, 888-597-6597. If we could just keep this up the whole time. And you'll get a voucher for a replacement toy. Now the company says you'll be able to get a replacement toy at the same value. And even if you don't have the original receipt, some big box retailers may be giving refunds. So there is recourse.

COLLINS: All right. Let's talk about the health threat for just a moment. We know there's sort of two different areas that we're talking about. At least a recall that we learned about yesterday. We were talking about lead paint and those tiny but very, very powerful magnets.

WILLIS: Yes, the company is recalling its toys for two reasons. As you just said, lead paint, loose magnets. Experts say that lead cannot be absorbed through the skin. So just touching the toy doesn't pose much of a health hazard. However, if your child chews on the toy and the paint is eaten away, well that could be a sign your child has ingested lead. So you want to get on the phone to a pediatrician to have a blood sample taken.

Now if more than one magnet is swallowed, you should know the magnets can attract each other and cause severe problems. You'll want to get an x-ray exam if you think your child has swallowed a loose magnet.

Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. So it kind of brings up the whole question, what can parents really do when they go out toy shopping, you know, and they can find a way to make sure that those toys are safe before they bring them into their home?

WILLIS: Well, first off, you want to read the packaging to find out what age child the toy is appropriate for. Keep up with the CPSC's toy recall list. You can find it easily at, again, cpsc.gov. And if you want more guidelines on toy safety, check out the American Academy of Pediatrics at aap.org. That's a great website, by the way, if you just want to stay abreast of all this and make sure you're buying the right thing for the toy box.

Heidi.

COLLINS: Sounds good. All right, Gerri Willis, our personal finance editor. Thank you.

WILLIS: Thank you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: And betting on games he officiated. New this morning, a former NBA ref admitting it in court a short time ago. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith joins us to talk about the Tim Donaghy case. COLLINS: More carnage in Iraq. Hundreds of people dead and wounded in coordinated suicide attacks.

HARRIS: And rants and redemption. Don Imus isn't the only high- profile personality to try to come back from a downfall. A closer look coming up for you in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Heidi Collins.

HARRIS: And good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris. From the Atlantic to the Gulf to the Pacific, it is what we're calling the tropical weather triple play today.

So among our top stories this hour, Hawaii dodges a hurricane. Flossie downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm. It lost strength as it sideswiped the big island before it weakened. Before it weakened, though, Flossie threatened the island with powerful winds, flooding rain, pounding surf. A state of emergency was put into place, and schools and businesses shut down. The state has not been hit by a hurricane, we should remind you, in 15 years.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Scandal shakes professional basketball this hour. Word former NBA referee Tim Donaghy has turned himself in, and that he has entered a guilty plea in federal court to two felonies related to wagering on professional basketball games he officiated, and supplying inside information on games to other individuals over the course of several years.

Let's talk about this case with ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, on the line with us. Stephen, good to talk to you.

STEPHEN A. SMITH, ESPN ANALYST: Good morning. How are you doing?

HARRIS: Hey, I'm great. Give me your take on this. You know, We like to come to you for this kind of thing. What do you make of this, this morning, this plea?

SMITH: Well, the reality is, is that this a step in the right direction for the NBA, because the sooner all of this gets over with and stops dangling in the wind, the better it is for the league and they can be resuscitated and move forward and go about the business of getting this league back on the right track. It was a devastating blow to them. Everybody knows that. But it's one rogue ref, until we hear otherwise, and they're anxious to get this done and over with.

HARRIS: Are we to believe, Stephen A., that this is the case of one rogue referee? Do you buy that?

SMITH: Yes, I buy that simply because there's only -- it is not like it is about 60,000 or 10,000 or anything like that. It is about 60 referees, 61 referees in the NBA. It is possible one out of 61 -- I think it is highly possible and plausible. Not to mention the fact that's what the evidence shows. The federal government is involved. They are the individuals that brought to it the attention of the NBA on June 20th. They're the ones that have been investigated this matter for a couple of years now before the NBA got involved. And the fact is that there were other officials involved, the likelihood is that the evidence would show just that with the federal indictment.

HARRIS: So he is giving up information right now it sounds like on organized crime figures, on bookies, and he's not giving up information at this time, it seems, on other players, coaches or anyone else in the league who might have been involved. Is the investigation from the NBA proceeding on a different track?

SMITH: There's no question about it. They're evaluating all things. And you know, from what my sources have been telling me over the last few weeks, one of the biggest fear it is NBA has is that other referees will be implicated, but not necessarily as it pertained to gambling. If you are a rogue referee, like Tim Donaghy allegedly is, and you know, you've been basically investigated for gambling and what have you, you've got to remember that he can sit there and say, well, guess what, I was the only one gambling that I know of. Other officials may have done something along the lines of throwing a player out of the game or what have you simply because we didn't like this guy or anything like that.

Once you open the Pandora's Box toward conspiracy, you never know what's going to come out of it. And that's why the NBA is anxious for this to be done and over with so they can move forward, because they certainly don't want other the specter of other...

HARRIS: You can't -- Stephen A., you cannot rush through this. He is giving information, allegedly -- well, no, he's admitted to this. He'd confessed to this. Based on his knowledge of games, matchups, the relationship between players and other referees, and the NBA had better take its time with this and be thorough.

SMITH: Well, nobody's saying that they are rushing. They're clearly taking their time. We haven't heard from them for weeks. We probably won't hear from them for a few more weeks. I mean, they're going to do everything that they can to diligently investigate this matter in terms of changing their system as well, in terms of the evaluation process of officials. Everybody knows that you can't rush through this, that this guy was doing it for a couple of years before he got busted. The NBA is smart enough to know that they've got to continue to investigate this matter.

But I will add this, understand who you are dealing with here. You are dealing with the commissioner and David Stern, who's considered, by and large, the best in the business. I can tell you from knowing him personally for years, this man does not play. And one of the things that he intends on doing always is to strike the fear of God in you to make sure you understand that there are going to be serious consequences in the event you act up. This one guy, I can assure you, that the likelihood a vast majority of the other referees do have the fear of God in them and they're going to conduct themselves just like that.

HARRIS: Well, you know what, if you're talking about integrity in the investigation, then I want a full report. He has been in the league for 13 years, 700 games. I want a full report on each of the games.

And I want you, commissioner, to point out the games in which there was point-shaving activity.

SMITH: Well, my response to that would be you work for CNN, you understand. I mean, it shouldn't be that hard for to you get that. So good luck.

COLLINS: Stephen A. Smith from ESPN on the line with us. Stephen A., good to talk to you. Thanks, man.

SMITH: No problem. Take care.

COLLINS: Ethnic cleansing in Iraq. Those strong words from the U.S. general commanding troops in northern Iraq, following bombings that left hundreds of people dead and wounded.

Our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is joining us now live. Barbara, good morning to you.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Heidi. This terrible situation goes on in a remote area of northwestern Iraq, where Iraqi security forces and U.S. troops are trying to render assistance to people after four or five suicide car bombs went off there yesterday. An attack against an Iraqi religious minority called the Yaziti (ph). Perhaps as many as 200 Iraqis, 175 wounded.

Just a little while ago we spoke to Major General Benjamin Mixon, the top U.S. commander for that region. General Mixon had some absolutely startling words about what he thinks is going on here. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. BENJAMIN R. MIXON, CMDR., MULTINATIONAL DIVISION NORTH: This is act of ethnic cleansing, if you will, almost genocide. When you consider the fact of the target they attacked and the fact these Yazitis are really out in a very remote part of Niniva (ph) province, where there is very little security, and really no security required up until this point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Heidi, I have to tell you, I don't think we have heard the words ethnic cleansing and genocide referred to in any certainly recent attacks in Iraq. With the violence ongoing of course now, just about one month before General Petraeus is ready to report on the impact of the surge operation. Out here in this remote northwestern area of Iraq. These people may have been extremely vulnerable to this type of attack. There were very few security forces in the region. And General Mixon also told us he has reports that death letters had been circulated through these villages, warning these people to get out, that attacks were coming. So this is a matter of very substantial concern -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes. It certainly sounds like it, Barbara. Interesting, too, at the end of that soundbite there that you played from General Mixon, when he said that no security had really been required before in this very area.

STARR: Yes. That is somewhat the actual facts. Very few U.S. forces up there. There had been Iraqi security forces up there. But General Mixon explained to us that it had been a relatively peaceful situation with this religious minority, called the Yaziti. The Iraqi security forces, in fact, were stretched pretty thin themselves and moved from town to town trying to keep an eye on things.

Now, of course, after the fact, it certainly appear that these people were very vulnerable. In fact, they're not really sure where this death toll is going to end at this point. A great number of buildings, including apartment buildings, are said to be -- to have been collapsed. Rescuers are continuing to search through the rubble. U.S. troops, Iraqi forces on the scene trying to render medical assistance, provide food and water. And get these people the assistance that they so desperately need -- Heidi.

COLLINS: CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr with more information about the attacks in northern Iraq. Barbara, we certainly appreciate it.

And also word this morning from the U.S. military a deadly helicopter crash in Iraq does not appear to be the result of an attack. A Chinook helicopter, like this one, crashed yesterday near an air base in Anbar province. Five U.S. service members died. Officials say the chopper was on a routine post-maintenance check flight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: High marks important the class of 2007. This year's high school graduates scored higher on the ACT college entrance exam. Test officials say it's an apparent trend, high schooners better prepared for college. Still only about a quarter of test takers met a score indicating they're ready for a range of introductory college courses. An estimated 42 percent of the 2007 class took the ACT. That is up 40 percent from a year ago.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

HARRIS: And still to come this morning, it was the attack of September 11, 1857. And this time Americans fired on Americans. A controversial new movie ahead.

COLLINS: Powerful person -- a magazine rates Condoleezza Rice No. 1 inside the beltway. We'll explain, after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Old west pioneers targeted in a brutal attack by fellow Americans.

CNN's Brooke Anderson looks at a new movie about that massacre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A serene meadow in the southwest corner of Utah, 150 years ago, this valley was the site of carnage.

SMITH: Bodies were left, many of them lying around, shallow graves, at best, for a few. The bodies were stripped of the clothing and they were boldly dug up -- it showed the evidence of the mangling by animals.

ANDERSON: Mel Smith was a Mormon. He lives near this site. He's a historian and expert on what's become known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857. That year, on September 11, 120 defenseless pioneers, men, women and children, traveling by wagon train from Arkansas were slaughtered by Mormons, re-enacted in a controversial new film.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mormons, do your duty!

ANDERSON: The notorious event is chronicled in the new film "September Dawn" starring John Voight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is almost an anatomy of religious fanaticism.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jehovah created me to be your god on earth.

ANDERSON: Historians disagree over what motivated the Mormons to attack and over who ordered it. The movie embraces the argument that it was Brigham Young, then head of the Church of Latter Day Saints, but that's fiercely disputed.

KATHLEEN FLAKE, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY: You cannot support the argument that Brigham Young either ordered this massacre, or condoned it once it happened.

ANDERSON: While the LDS church won't comment on the movie itself, a spokesman tells CNN, "We believe the weight of historical evidence shows that Brigham Young did not authorize the massacre." The church does not deny, however, that Mormons were involved. And it's built a monument to the victims.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The orders of those in authority are that all the immigrants must die.

ANDERSON: The filmmakers insist they have no particular ax to grind. But in the film they do draw parallels between the Mountain Meadows Massacre and today's Islamic fanaticism.

CHRISTOPHER CAIN, DIR./CO-WRITER "SEPTEMBER DAWN": It was on September 11th, which I found kind of ironic and it involved a religious fanatical group of people, who in the name of God, went off and created this horrible massacre.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm the voice of god, and anyone who doesn't like it will be hewn down.

ANDERSON: Even before the film's release, Mitt Romney's adherence to present day Mormonism has been the subject of wide debate in his bid for the presidency with 30 percent of potential voters saying in a February poll they'd be less likely to vote for a candidate who is Mormon.

MITT ROMNEY, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not running as a Mormon. And I get tired of coming on a show like yours and having it all about Mormons.

ANDERSON: So, will Romney see the movie? The filmmakers say they've invited him to screen "September Dawn," but Romney has so far decline. His spokesman told CNN: "Our campaign doesn't get involved in movie reviews."

RAPHAEL SONENSHINE, CAL STATE UNIV FULLERTON: I think he'd be foolish to speak about the movie. You certainly don't try to elevate sort of a piece of popular culture into a political adversary.

ANDERSON: Politics aside, Mel Smith believes this film may be the impetus for a long overdue discussion about a dark day in American history.

SMITH: I think what we have to do is finally approach the situation and say, you know, let's forgive those people for some terrible mistakes.

ANDERSON: Brooke Anderson, CNN, Mountain Meadows in southwest Utah.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: I want to tell you a little bit about what's coming up. We've got three major storms that our meteorologist, Jacqui Jeras, is tracking for us, Flossie Flounders, and Hawaii dodges a bullet. It's right here in the middle. We've also got hurricane -- where are we? See, I'm not a meteorologist. This was what could be airing coming up in the Gulf of Mexico. And then over here, we've also got a good eye, a good track on Dean. We are going to bring you the latest in just a few minutes right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: And if you have kids, we know you'll want to hear this. What you need to know about the massive toy recall. A consumer safety expert joining us next hour in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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