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Three Days of Mourning Begins for Victims of 'Quake in China; Dems Gear-Up for Primaries; Supreme Court Upholds Penalties for Child Porn; Custody Hearings Begin for Children Taken from Polygamist Compound in Texas

Aired May 19, 2008 - 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: Home from Iraq ready to get on with his career as a chef. We begin a series on the war's burn victims today. Monday, May 19.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Up first. It looks like another case of his and hers. Two states hold primaries tomorrow. Barack Obama favored in one, Hillary Clinton in the other.

And CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is with the CNN "Election Express" in Frankfort, Kentucky. That's where Clinton is focusing today.

Hey there, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey there.

There are still a very fierce battle that is going on between these two candidates. Both of them wanting the nomination very badly. The math favoring Barack Obama. We saw Barack Obama over the weekend in Oregon. And it really was quite an incredible sight to see. The crowds, the number of people who gathered, about 75,000, record- breaking in Portland, Oregon.

They came by boat, land, to get a sense of his message, of his campaign. There's really a feel among the Obama campaign at least of inevitability. They are trying to convey Obama and his camp trying to convey that they want to move beyond the primary, that they're ready to move beyond the primary to the general election season, to taking on John McCain.

So there is a sense of a parallel universe, if you will, happening where Barack Obama talking about Hillary Clinton, really in favorable ways. And at other times simply ignoring her, taking on the presumptive Republican nominee.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let's face it, nobody thought a 46-year-old black guy named Barack Obama was going to be the Democratic nominee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: A very confident Barack Obama, essentially saying he believes he will be the Democratic nominee. Looking at the numbers ahead, but Barack Obama also telling reporters over the weekend that on Tuesday, tomorrow, after what is expected to be a victory in Oregon, he is not going to claim victory but he is going to make the point that they believe will have the majority of the pledged delegates and they will take that argument to the superdelegates saying, look, this is the will of the people, it's been expressed, now it's time to seal the deal and come and jump on his side so he can get that magic number moving forward.

Now, Hillary Clinton will have none of that. She's been campaigning very heavily in Kentucky over the weekend. That is where we are. She has been talking about details, about issues, about solutions, the kinds of things that really worked very, very well for her in West Virginia. Those kind of economic issues. And she drew some crowds as well. And she says she is not giving up.

She is ready to move forward. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My opponent said the other day he wasn't coming back, so I've got the whole state to myself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: That is the state of Kentucky where she is favored. She believes that she's going to be able to win, and really what they're trying to do there is show the superdelegates, those party officials, that she's going to increase in the popular vote. There will be more and more people coming out to support her. It may not actually give her the kind of math she needs, looking at the overall state picture, the pledged delegates, but she'll have more popular vote.

That's going to increase, so she can go to the party officials and say, look, I'm getting stronger. Hold off, consider another couple weeks and take a second look at me -- Betty?

NGUYEN: Well, let's look at the math for just a second, Suzanne. Because going back to video of that crowd that turned out for Barack Obama, there for a while, a lot of people saying he cannot win with the white, blue collar votes. And looking at, you know, the demographics of the people that came out in Oregon, it looks like he's doing pretty good in those categories.

MALVEAUX: Well, the Obama campaign has always disputed the fact that they're not going to do well necessarily with particular blue collar working class white voters. They point to Iowa, numerous states where they were actually able to do so. They did have a problem the last couple of contests where it went favorably, in big numbers, to Hillary Clinton. The bottom line here is that the math does look good for Barack Obama. It would be very, very difficult at this point for Hillary Clinton to overcome those odds. But she does want to stay in the race and say, and look, I'm getting stronger. I'm getting to those voters that are really going to matter in the general election. So let's take a look here.

There's a real active sense behind the scenes of this campaign to hang on to her supporters, not to let them go. She's dialed back on the rhetoric against Barack Obama. She doesn't want them to feel like it's going to cost them by supporting her. But she does feel that there is a reason, a good reason to still stick this out.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux joining us live.

Thank you, Suzanne.

All right. So here is what's at stake for the Democrats in tomorrow's primaries. Kentucky has 51 pledged delegates to give. There are more than 1.6 million registered Democrats eligible to vote. Take you to Oregon now, there are 52 democratic delegates up for grabs. The state has a unique mail-in primary system. More than two million ballots were sent out May 2, giving voters just over two weeks to make their choice and return those ballots.

And you can find out more on the candidates at CNNPolitics.com. CNNPolitics.com is your source for everything political.

HARRIS: China begins three days of mourning for the victims of last Monday's devastating earthquake. Three minutes of silence gave way to an outpouring of tears, anguished shouts and wails of grief in Chengdu, the epicenter of the earthquake. The death toll now more than 34,000, almost a quarter million people hurt, adding to the misery the Chinese government announced 200 rescue workers were buried in mud slides this weekend.

In sympathy, the Olympic torch relay is suspended during the morning period. And we're going to be taking you to the quake zone in just minutes.

NGUYEN: There is movement today in the Myanmar aid crisis. That country also known as Burma, is agreeing this morning to let foreign medical personnel and assessment teams into the cyclone ravaged areas. Now it is a turn-around for Myanmar, which has been refusing most international help for the last two weeks. The foreign aid workers are expected to arrive from neighboring countries in Asia.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon will also visit the area then. The devastation in Myanmar, still growing. The U.N. now is estimating more than 100,000 people killed, 2.5 million people affected. Myanmar's military government puts the official death toll much lower.

And we do many of you may want to help, so at CNN.com, we have a special page on the devastation in China and Myanmar. Complete with links to aid agencies that are organizing help for that region. It's a chance for you to impact your world, so let us be your guide. HARRIS: In Texas, individual custody hearings get started today for more than 400 children taken from polygamist parents. Our Ed Lavandera outside the courthouse in San Angelo.

Ed, this is a massive undertaking for the system there in Texas. I'm curious how the proceedings begun, and in how many different courtrooms?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It has started. It started about 8:30 Central time.

There are five courtrooms, five different judges. And they will be hearing cases simultaneously. They've been scheduled over the course of the next three weeks. So over that time period, there will be different family members and attorneys returning back to San Angelo. Remember, that a few weeks ago the State of Texas essentially moved all of the 460 children out of San Angelo and have put them in foster care homes throughout the state, in places like Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, in Dallas as well.

They will have to return here. Those family members, to be a part of these hearings, where state officials are essentially asking these family members to participate in what's being called a service plan, which is essentially a long list of requirements that these families must meet to prove to the state that they are essentially worthy of getting their children back and putting them in a non- abusive of atmosphere.

So that's the situation these families are facing now. And essentially it really is the first time that these family members have had the ability to talk about their specific case. Every court hearing up until now has essentially been under the umbrella of everyone living inside that 1,600-acre ranch in Eldorado, Texas. So there has been little time if any given to specific cases or specific allegations of abuse.

This is the first time the judges will be able to rule on the evidence in this case.

HARRIS: Hey, Ed, just curious, the service plan sounds like more of a template than it does an individual plan for individual parents and children. I'm wondering, is there any real evidence that the state has even had enough time to interview all of the children and the parents?

LAVENDERA: You know, that's the hard thing about this story is, there are so many lawyers involved, so many families involved, it seems like everyone has a different version of events. About what's going on behind the scenes. So there's a great deal of controversy into exactly how all of this is being handled.

State officials are saying that, of course, they continue to do their investigation, continue talking to these children. That will obviously be a part of many of these custody hearings, if those interviews have taken place, or at a place where they want to present them before the judge. So we will get a better sense of exactly what has been going on over the last few weeks as we hear these case workers talk about these individual cases over the course of the next three weeks.

So, but Tony, it's absolutely incredible, almost everyone you talk to every day seems to be a different version of events of what's going on in this case.

HARRIS: And you still have children whom the parents have not been identified yet, which is part of the reason that we're still waiting for DNA results. Is that true?

LAVANDERA: Right. DNA tests have been -- or the DNA samples were taken. We're still waiting on getting back the results of those tests. But we talked to one attorney who said that she had been given a family tree of her particular client's situation. And everything seemed to match what she had been able to put together. And then it had been taken away saying, oh, we're going to wait on the DNA tests to get, you know, verified information. So exactly how far along they are seems to vary depending on who you talk to.

HARRIS: Yeah, I feel delays coming in all of this. Ed Lavandera for us.

Ed, thank you.

NGUYEN: Well, clouds of smoke are still rising over parts of Florida this morning. Take a look at this. Firefighters battling around 100 wildfires. The worst is in Everglades National Forest. More than 200 firefighters are trying to contain the 36,000-acre fire. The smoke advisory has been issued in that area of South Florida. Last week's damaging wildfires up the coast in Central Florida are now about 75 percent contained.

HARRIS: And as we check in with Jacqui Jeras in the severe weather center, Jacqui, I understand there's rain coming to Florida. But not only do we need the rain, but we need the rain in the right areas.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Enjoy it if it is cool in your area, because it's not going to last. Thank you, Jacqui.

Grief spills over in China. Take a listen.

Three days of mourning for the thousands crushed by the earthquake. We're going to take you there for an update next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: You know, the Supreme Court session wraps up in June, and we've been expecting some decisions, have received some already from the high court. And one in this morning we want to share the results with you.

The Supreme Court has upheld criminal penalties for promoting child pornography. The court in a 7-2 decision is brushing aside a lot of concerns that the law could apply to mainstream movies that depict adolescent sex, and some classic literature, and even some e- mails.

At issue here was the constitutionality of a federal law against child pornography, and whether it is overly broad. The ruling upholds part of a 2003 law that also prohibits possession of child porn. So the court has upheld the criminal penalties attached to promoting child pornography in a 7-2 ruling. More on this story in CNN NEWSROOM.

NGUYEN: Just imagine minutes of silence followed by cries of anguish. China begins three days of mourning for victims of last Monday's earthquake. And CNN's Eunice Yoon live from Chengdu, China.

You were at the moment of silence. It had to have been so very powerful.

EUNICE YOON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Betty.

As 1.3 billion people observed three minutes of silence, as China mourned the death of tens of thousands of people who lost their lives in one of the deadliest earthquakes ever in this country. Air sirens were blaring their horns, wailing of grief as people went, as people tried to console each other, and tried to make sense of this natural disaster, and why this natural disaster was able to take so many lives.

Some of the worst pain was really felt here in Sichuan Province where the earthquake took place. I was down at the main square in Chengdu, this is the capital of Sichuan Province, where thousands of people were holding hands in solidarity. They were also laying wreaths and bouquets of flowers at a temporary memorial. And they were wearing wrist bands with flowers. The color of these flowers was white, which is the color of mourning here in China. They were also carrying banners with a very simple message - "Farewell, friends."

NGUYEN: Eunice, as you were in the middle of those demonstrations, is there any anger at all? We saw a John Vause piece earlier which talked about how these schools just crumbled on top of the children. And there's some worry that it was shoddy construction. Is there any anger and frustration surrounding that?

YOON: There has been some anger, some frustration along this, you know, this whole road and map of what we've been seeing in the wake of this quake. But today, on that main square, it was more an outpouring of emotion, where we were actually witnessing grief turning into determination, and determination into hope.

The slogan that people were shouting was "Chingo Chayo (ph)" which means "Press on China." They were also shouting out "Rebuild Sichuan."

These people really want to tell the world that China is ready to recover, that it will rebuild in the wake of this terrible, terrible disaster -- Betty. NGUYEN: A lot of work ahead. Eunice Yoon, joining us life. Thank you, Eunice.

HARRIS: A hard sell as gas prices rise. More SUV owners look to unload. We have tips.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: It's a Monday, so let's take a look at the big board. The Dow up 32 points today. So far the NASDAQ also in positive territory, up 11. And a lot of investors really looking to see how Microsoft and Yahoo! perform today. Microsoft said it was going to approach Yahoo! with teaming up on a transaction. Though, Tony, it stopped short of saying it was going to resurrect the full takeover bid. Although it still left that possibility open. So we'll see how it flows today there on the markets.

HARRIS: When filling up is tapping you out, it may be time to sell that gas-hungry SUV. Personal finance editor, Gerri Willis.

Gerri, good to see you.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Tony, good to see you.

HARRIS: You know, this is a great topic, again, as usual. If you have one of these SUVs and you want to trade it in, get it started here. What should we know?

WILLIS: Well, guess what, your dealer does not want your SUV.

HARRIS: Thank you and good night.

WILLIS: Exactly. You know, other people don't want to buy it either. It's going to be hard to unload this thing. In fact, the value of they was SUVs are dropping by 10 percent from September of 2007 until last month. If you try to take your SUV back to the dealer, you're going to take a hit of at least, at least $1,000 or more.

HARRIS: Whoa!

WILLIS: On the value. On the Blue Book value, not what you paid for it.

HARRIS: So let's factor this all out. How do you know if it's even worth trading in the gas guzzler for the fuel saver?

WILLIS: That's the right question. Understand it could take years, years, to realize actual savings at the pump when other factors are taken into consideration. You want to find out how much you would get to trade in your car. You can do that at Kelley Blue Book's Web site at kbb.com. Then find out how much you would pay for the fuel efficient car. The compare how much more miles per gallon you'd get and factor in how much you drive. But I have to tell you, Tony, here are the rules of thumb. If you paid off your SUV, you're probably better off sticking with it. And if you don't at least double your miles per gallon rating, double it, it may not be worth your while to trade in your car. Finally, if you're upside down in your SUV loan, meaning you owe more than the car is worth, don't go out and finance a new vehicle. You'll lose money. Trading in your SUV will only make sense if you're already in the market for a new car, because your SUV is worn out, or if you are constantly on the road, say a sales person out there.

HARRIS: That's terrific information. Particularly the upside down scenario. A lot of folks find themselves in that position. What's your advice to folks who are, in spite of that information, great information, what if folks are dead set on getting rid of that SUV?

WILLIS: You've got to make sure you know the value of the vehicle, including depreciation. We sent you to kbb.com. But there is another Web site you want to pay attention to, carmax.com, this is an online dealership that may take in your car and write you a check without you having to buy another car.

You may also want to check out autotrader.com, autotrader.com that is. You can list your car there. And don't forget about your local newspaper, online communities like craigslist.com, a lot of people sell cars there. The most important thing, price it right. If there are 20 cars like yours selling in your area, you've got to have a very competitive price.

HARRIS: So I still want to buy a new car. And I'm wondering about incentives. We hear on and off about great incentives out there. What's going on now?

WILLIS: Well, this year there have been fewer new vehicles sold than we've seen in a decade. So the industry's in real -- in a real hurting place. Bottom line, manufacturers want cars off the lots. You can cash in on incentives because of this. Some manufacturers are offering free gas cards, some of the most popular incentives include cash rebates and reduced rate financing.

Of course, SUV incentives are on the rise if you're in the market for an SUV. Maybe you have a huge family, maybe you have to tow stuff. You're going to find great deals out there. Of course, you'll pay the gas bill, too.

And of course if you have any questions, send them to us at toptips@cnn.com. We love hearing from you.

HARRIS: I'll bet you're not getting any deals or incentives on those gas sippers. I bet you just are lucky to get one of those ...

WILLIS: I have to tell you, if you want a Prius, say, if you want a car that is a hybrid, you may well find a line.

HARRIS: Yeah. I think you're right. Gerri, if you would before we run out of time here, give us a preview of "ISSUE #1" noon today on CNN.

WILLIS: Price of gas, towns where commuters feel the most pain, at the pump. And we're talking to billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens about his wind farm. Ali Velshi will be doing that. And ways to fix the food crisis, abroad and at home.

Interesting stuff join us at noon. We'll also be answering your e-mail questions live on the air.

HARRIS: Trust me, it is a hot, hot show. Gerri Willis, great to see you. Thank you.

WILLIS: Thank you, Tony.

NGUYEN: Oregon may go one way, Kentucky, the other. Both states are voting tomorrow and we have a primary preview in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: How about that, bottom of the hour.

Welcome back everyone to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And, happy Monday everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen in for Heidi.

Well, a pair of primaries on tap tomorrow in Oregon and Kentucky. Why don't you take a look at the crowd -- look at that. Barack Obama drew this kind of crowd in Portland, tens of thousands on hand for the outdoor event. Now he is expected to win Oregon -- you think, with that kind of crowd?

He's campaigning in Montana today but, Hillary Clinton is in Kentucky again today. That's where she spent the weekend. And she is expected to carry the state tomorrow. Now on the Republican side, Mike Huckabee is putting himself back into the picture, talking about his desire to be John McCain's running mate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's no one I would rather be on a ticket with than John McCain. Whether or not I do the best for him, that's something that only he can decide. I'm going to support him, because I think he's the right person for America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: All right, but John McCain may not have heard those comments, because he was up late poking fun at himself on Saturday Night Live.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I ask you, what should we be looking for in our next president? Certainly someone who is very, very, very old.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Well, McCain gets back on the campaign trail today with a scheduled speech this morning in Chicago.

HARRIS: He is inspiring others while being inspired himself. A soldier who suffered severe burns in Iraq, won't take pity, but hopes to take reservations.

CNN's Barbara Starr has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Army specialist Rick loved to cook even before he joined the army and went to Iraq.

SPEC. RICK YAROSH, U.S. ARMY: Let me grab some parmesan cheese.

STARR: Now this 25-year-old is cooking again with his rehabilitation therapist Kim, at Brook Army Medical Center in Texas.

Today's menu? Fettucine alfredo and a big helping of dignity and courage.

YAROSH: Right now I could care less about what I look like. Somehow I can see pretty much perfectly. And I can hear pretty much perfectly.

STARR: Rick suffered third-degree burns in 2006 when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle hit an IED in Baghdad. One leg is amputated. His hands, fused by scarring. Rick and the other wounded say they know some find it hard to look at them.

YAROSH: People have to understand they're going to see people like us. For people that do see us, don't be afraid to ask us questions.

STARR: Rick says his friend, Sergeant Luis Montez (ph), who didn't survive the attack, is the real hero.

YAROSH: That's the hardest thing to deal with. After all I've been through, I can deal with everything I have wrong with me. You know, like you can see I'm cooking. You learn to overcome everything.

STARR: Rick's dream now, to open his own restaurant, cooking recipes from the wounded troops he will call it "The Purple Heart."

YAROSH: I had a guy downstairs one day, missing both of his legs above the knee, missing one arm. You know? And he came -- he told me that I was an inspiration to him. This whole time I thought he was the inspiration for me. You know, he told me that and that was amazing. You know? So we're inspiring each other and we don't even know it sometimes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Man, oh man.

CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr, joins us live this morning.

And love Rick's story, love Rick.

Barbara, you went to Brook Army Medical Center. What are you hearing from these burn patients?

STARR: Well you know Tony, they don't appear in public very often, and they all told me down there they know that many people in the world find it hard to look at them. They know that they don't get a lot of attention. That's something we might change around here in the next couple of weeks. We're going to be presenting several of the profiles of some of the most badly wounded troops on the "LOU DOBBS SHOW" and on "HOUSE CALL" over the next couple of weeks. Showing people what these young kids are really going through.

You know, they go to therapy every day for two and three years to try and get some motion back in their bodies, to try and recover from the multiple surgeries that they're having. It's very tough going for these young kids. And their stories are truly amazing.

So keep an eye out. We'll be having more of them on our air, Tony.

HARRIS: Well, let's give those stories a run right here in the CNN NEWSROOM as well, Barbara.

Another quick question for you. We're hearing more troops will get moved around. What are you hearing?

STARR: Well, you know, that is it. The war does go on even as the wounded still struggle to recover. Today the Pentagon announcing another 50,000 troops for Iraq and Afghanistan. But let's be very clear, this is rotation, not new troops, not additional troops, this is just going to be enough troops rotating in fresh troops, to try and keep the mission going -- enough troops to keep 15 brigades in Iraq until the end of the year.

But everybody keeping an eye on the election, of course, because if there is -- there will be a new president. But depending on who it might be, there might be some adjustment in that policy. Some of these troops could wind up not having to go. But at least 50,000 lined up for their next tour of duty, Tony?

HARRIS: Man, all right. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for us this morning. Barbara, good to see you. Thanks.

NGUYEN: Listen to this, China's nuclear facilities in the earthquake zone. And U.S. satellites, they are keeping a close watch.

We want to get the story now from CNN's State Department correspondent, Zain Verjee. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's where the quake hit China that set off alarm bells among Washington spies and scientists.

(on-camera): This is the area of the quake in China. But it's also an area that's very important to China for another reason. What is it?

HANS KRISTENSEN, FDN. OF AMERICAN SCIENTISTS: The quake has happened right in the heartland of China's nuclear weapons production area. There are three major facilities, one here where they design the weapons, one where they assemble them and one up here where there's a nuclear plutonium production reactor.

VERJEE: How high are the chances for radiation leaks?

KRISTENSEN: It's hard to say, it really depends on the damage. It's a very severe accident. And some of these buildings are old, going back to the 1970s. And we just don't know how strong they are.

VERJEE (voice-over): China says it's checking.

WANG BAODONG, PRESS COUNSELOR, CHINESE EMBASSY: I believe that the Chinese government is preparing for every consequences.

VERJEE: And after an extraordinary request from China, the U.S. is sharing satellite images of damaged roads, bridges and dams. A U.S. intelligence official tells CNN it's also keeping an eye on China's nuclear facilities to look for damage.

(on-camera); What concerns you the most right now?

KRISTENSEN: Well, right now it's either the release from the reactor here itself, if it was damaged, or the nuclear reprocessing facility that they also have here where high-level radioactive waste could leak into the river. We can see it running rights through the area.

VERJEE (voice-over): No sign of leaks so far, experts say. But given the danger, the close watch continues.

Zain Verjee, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: All right, more tests on Senator Ted Kennedy, today. Doctors trying to find out what caused his seizure. Kennedy was taken by helicopter Saturday from Cape Cod to a Boston hospital. Look at this picture, a little disturbing here. Doctors initially thought he may have had a stroke. But revised that later saying he was not in any immediate danger. Kennedy appeared fine on Friday when he attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The senator has been watching ball games and movies with family members in his hospital. In Texas today, individual custody hearings get started for hundreds of children taken from that polygamist ranch last month. Parents expected to start learning what they must do to get their children back. State authorities took 463 children because of abuse allegations, and placed them in foster care. The individual cases will be heard in five separate courtrooms over the next few weeks.

So another ruling from the Supreme Court just in to CNN. The Supreme Court has ruled against an Algerian man convicted of conspiring to detonate explosives at Los Angeles International airport during the millennium holiday, a travel rush. This decision, an 8-1 decision. The court today upheld Ahmed Rassam's conviction on an explosives charge, one of nine convictions that resulted in a 22-year prison sentence.

At issue in this case was whether Rassam should be convicted of carrying explosives during the commission of another serious crime, and Rassam's case, lying on a U.S. customs form when he crossed the border from Canada. That in December of 1999.

Our Justice correspondent Kelli Arena, will be joining us shortly as we get up to speed on all of the rulings -- two so far, from the Supreme Court.

Concert for a cause. Latin American music star Sean Bearlight (ph), on child poverty.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well singing for their supper, and education, and health. Latin American music stars take the stage for children and poverty.

Here's CNN's Harris Whitbeck.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Crowds gathered in two of Latin America's most iconic capitals. The excitement, contagious. It's not every day the region's biggest names in entertainment gather in song. And never before have they come together like this for a common cause.

Ricky Martin, Shakira. Just a few of the dozens of Latin American artists hoping to use their music to launch a movement against child poverty in the region.

SHAKIRA, ENTERTAINER: It is very important that we are here today insisting on demanding from our state -- our heads of state, and our government and the private sector, and the social -- the civil society as well, to make bigger efforts and to also create bigger budgets for our children's needs. Especially in the areas of nutrition, education and early childhood development.

WHITBECK: The movement is called Alas -- wings. And it's got some powerful backers. Between them, philanthropist Howard Buffett and Mexico's Carlos Slim, have pledged more than $200 million to child development programs in the region.

(on-camera): But Alas' founders say it is about more than just the money. They're hoping the music will help change people's attitudes about problems children face in Latin America.

RICKY MARTIN, ENTERTAINER: Every artist on stage in this event has a different approach of how to attack social issues. And they're all welcome. We just have to sit in a round table and let's see how to attack.

WHITBECK (voice-over): And there's plenty to attack. 60 million children in Latin America live below the poverty line. And one-third of all children in the region don't get beyond elementary school.

Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So Betty, we are podcasting today.

NGUYEN: We're in it.

HARRIS: We're in it to win it, right?

NGUYEN: It's going to be good.

HARRIS: Podcast.

NGUYEN: Absolutely.

HARRIS: What you do is you go to CNN.com. And what we try to do with the podcast is we just try to include stories that have no chance of making the always packed three-hour thrill ride that is the CNN NEWSROOM.

NGUYEN: And sometimes those stories are really good.

HARRIS: Yes, yes, And the content, we have world-wide news. So we've got content from all over the world.

NGUYEN: All over.

HARRIS: So we just try to incorporate as much of that as we can in the podcast.

So what you do is you go to CNN.com and you download the CNN NEWSROOM daily podcast. It is available to you 24/7 --

Hi, Trish (ph).

-- it is available 24/7 for you right there on your iPod. NGUYEN: And oftentimes those stories are the talkers, the things that you'll be talking about at work, when you go home today, so don't miss it today.

In the meantime, though, Big Brown's Preakness win Saturday puts his one stride closer to winning the Triple Crown. And the horse's namesake is basking in the glow.

CNN's Richard Roth has the call.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Big Brown is racing to the Big Apple, sprinting for potential horse racing glory.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Big Brown is doing it again. He's disappearing from the field!

ROTH: Big Brown triumphed in the Preakness stakes just two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. He's on the verge of capturing racing's elusive Triple Crown.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it's going to be Big Brown rounding (ph) home to a convincing win in the (INAUDIBLE).

ROTH: But a different and larger Big Brown also stands to be a big winner. UPS, the global package shipping company, also known as Big Brown, is sponsoring their namesake, the horse and the jockey.

Horse and drivers are making hay together. In fact, UPS delivered some to the horse's owners at the Derby.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're excited to be partners with you guys and are very happy (ph).

RON ROGOWSKI, UNITED PARCEL SERVICE: We wouldn't be doing it if we didn't think there was a nice return on it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rich, on behalf of UPS, welcome to the 43rd street facility.

ROTH: Big Brown's co-owner, Rich Schiavo, gave the morning pep talk to U.P.S. drivers last week.

RICH SCHIAVO, CO-OWNER, BIG BROWN: The two Big Browns have some things in common -- it is hard work, it's dedication, and it's a passion for winning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go Big Brown!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go Big Brown!

ROTH: With some recent high pro-file racing fatalities, sports marketers say the Big Brown combo is high risk but big reward for U.P.S. BOB DORFMAN, BAKER STREET PARTNERS: It's an opportunity. The horse itself is named Big Brown. They almost don't have to do anything else except, sit back and watch the horse win. Because every time you hear Big brown, you think, hey, "what can brown do for you."

ROTH: It's created a big brown buzz.

MIKE CHIRICHELLA, UPS DRIVER: Let me tell you, all the guys are talking about Big Brown.

ROTH (on-camera): Who's faster, Big Brown the horse, or you in a big brown truck?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Big Brown he's (INAUDIBLE) so he's the fastest.

ROTH (voice-over): But the owner of Big Brown the horse should stay alert.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our relationship is one that hopefully this is just the start of it. But it's one that --

ROTH (on-camera): Don't get run over by Big Brown.

(voice-over): Richard Roth, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And one week after China's big quake, the number of people rescued from the concrete tombs falls off sharply.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Mobilizing the world's largest army and the military playing a critical role in the aftermath of China's earthquake.

CNN's Eunice Yoon has a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

YOON: This Chinese military helicopter is making a dangerous trip into a narrow canyon near the epicenter of last week's powerful earthquake. Fast changing winds, mountainous terrain and dangling electrical wires threaten every single landing. But the soldiers of the People's Liberation Army, which is leading the nation's rescue efforts, are taking great risks, coming to remote areas by air, water, and over mountains to reach the people they have pledged to protect.

The PLA is the world's biggest army, tightly organized, disciplined. Outside of China, the military's image was tarnished by the 1989 crackdown on protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

These soldiers can seem menacing, blocking us from entering what they see as sensitive areas. Yet in times of crisis and disasters, like this one, the PLA typically plays a uniquely critical, and some would say heroic, role. Thousands of troops are camped out in the now devastated village of Yingxiu.

(on-camera): This town now resembles a war zone. Nearly every building is severely damaged, and the villagers say that only a quarter of the people here survived.

(voice-over): Soldiers searched through apartment buildings pulverized by the quake and reduced to mounds of debris, pulling out body, after body. They drill through tile and cement, hunting for lost souls, holding out hope for more scenarios like this one. A girl found alive after 123 hours buried under the rubble of a hotel. Her mother thanks the rescuers with a cry of relief. Soldiers are also carrying in supplies, and building temporary roads.

Survivors like Nai Yulin feel incredibly thankful. After being thrown off her feet when the quake struck, Nai spent the night sleeping next to the body of a stranger, in the rain. Then the military came in.

"They rescue people and help us with our daily needs," she said. "Without them, this town would fall apart."

Their devoted effort is perhaps softening their image both here and overseas.

Eunice Yoon, CNN, Yingxiu, Wenchuan, China.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And good morning again, everyone. You are informed with CNN.

I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: Yes, good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen in for Heidi.

HARRIS: Developments keep coming into the CNN NEWSROOM on this Monday, the 19th of May. Here's what's on the rundown.

NGUYEN: Heading into the Oregon primary, Barack Obama -- look at this -- plays to an overflow crowd. Hillary Clinton pins her hopes on a Kentucky victory.

HARRIS: Child porn and pandering. A short time ago, the Supreme Court ruling on a federal law that makes promoting kiddy smut a crime.

NGUYEN: Myanmar agrees to let its neighbors in southeast Asia bring in aid for cyclone victims still waiting -- in the NEWSROOM.