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Not Just a Game, Fighting Together, Wounded Together; Motown Goes Green; Updates on Major Accident on Missouri's I-44 Crash

Aired August 05, 2010 - 14:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: I want to show you a picture now of something that had a lot of people around the newsroom and around the country even now scratching their heads.

Can we just put that up?

I want to just tell you what it is, and you can come to your own conclusion. Just initially take a look at this picture.

This is a carnival game. And what you see on the far left side is a young man at the carnival. He's paid his money to take shots at the figure you see in the middle.

That figure is wearing a suit. It's clearly a black man. It has a target on his head and a target on his chest to shoot at.

Don't know what conclusion you might come to, but now let me give you a little further detail.

This image of this black man in the suit also has a belt on it with something that resembles the presidential seal. That black man is holding in his hand -- that figure is holding a scroll that says "health bill" in it.

This is in Leigh Valley, Pennsylvania. The game had people shooting these foam darts at a game called Alien.

Now, you can jump to your own conclusions, but you can probably guess the conclusion that a lot of people came to, which was, in fact, that this was supposed to be a depiction of President Obama, that people were paying $1 to take shots at his head and shots at his chest.

Now, a lot of people -- this is from Goodtime Amusements that put on this carnival there. The president says this was a mistake. He says, in fact, they have now thrown this thing away. They said that some of the visitors actually complained about it at this particular fair.

Take a listen here to the president of the amusement company that put this game up, how he explained what this was about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IRVIN GOOD JR., PRESIDENT, GOODTIME AMUSEMENTS: It's not meant to be political at all. It was just meant to be current.

We apologize for anybody that took offense to this. If we're guilty of anything, I'm certainly sure it's of poor judgment. We've eliminated the game. It's no longer a part of our operation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, I want to actually give you a statement as well we got from the diocese. This whole fair was put on as part of a school here.

Essentially, the statement -- if you see it up on your screen, you can read it there -- it says, "The carnival game was offensive. The pastor says he was not aware of its contents until the carnival was over. He added that had he known sooner, he would have put a stop to it."

But something that has a lot of people scratching their heads and in shock, and thinking, how can it get this far? But, yes, in fact, people were paying money to take shots at this figure.

I want to bring in Christopher Baxter. He's a reporter with "The Morning Call, who did a story, brought this particular story to a lot of people's attention.

Christopher, we appreciate you hopping on the phone here.

Could you believe you were even doing this story in the first place? What kind of reaction initially were you getting from people when they saw this picture?

CHRISTOPHER BAXTER, REPORTER, "THE MORNING CALL": Thanks for having me, T.J.

Well, it's pretty surprising to come in and find this to be the story I was covering for the day, but, you know, we were first talking to people and talking to the woman who first complained and sort of brought this to light. It was pretty clear that it struck a chord with her, and struck a chord with others as we started reaching out to people. And certainly online, on our Web site, morningcall,.com, and also in our in boxes. We've been certainly getting a lot of messages.

So there's been quite a reaction here, and I think it's gone national, too.

HOLMES: Christopher, can you help us understand? You talked to the guy who put this thing up. Help us understand the logic, or why in the world would someone think this was funny or OK in any way, shape or form?

BAXTER: My understanding from Irvin was that they've had this game called Alien Attack for quite some time, and the image that they actually use on the board periodically changes, and that a worker for him had drafted up this image of the man, which many believe to be President Obama. And he's had the game out there, he says, for six or seven weeks, and says he's only gotten two complaints about it. In talking to him in retrospect, he says, hey, I probably should have put the nix on this. I don't think he realized what kind of stir it would create. Obviously, now he's had a visit from the Secret Service, which I think shook him up a little bit.

HOLMES: Yes, the Secret Service takes things like this certainly very seriously. And the Secret Service has looked into it, as you reported.

But how long was the game up? And how many people actually went through and actually paid some money to take some shots at this figure?

BAXTER: Well, like I said, six or seven weeks. This company sort of does work for various fairs. So this one in Rosetto (ph), they were just there for a weekend in late July.

But they had been to other places throughout other months where they've had the game. And certainly, these fairs are very popular. I can say that, big time, in Rosetto (ph), it was a very popular fair.

Like, this woman who complained, she came all the way from Massachusetts, part of her family reunion there. So, you know, a lot of people play the games, a lot of people were there, and, you know, certainly a lot probably paid to play.

HOLMES: What about the school itself that was helping -- we read a statement from the school there, but were they embarrassed by this? They didn't -- of course, they contracted out with this company, but were they embarrassed by this?

BAXTER: You know, I got pretty much the same that you got from the diocese. It's their position that they didn't know about it.

The woman from Massachusetts said she did, she and her family members tried to talk to members of the church about it, and they told her they didn't know about it. To be fair, it was towards the end of this particular fair, so it may have been gone by the time, you know, word got through the church. But, you know, certainly we've heard from several people asking, how could this be at a church event?

HOLMES: All right.

Christopher Baxter with "The Morning Call."

We appreciate you hopping on the line with us, and appreciate you bringing the story to the attention of a lot of folks.

Christopher Baxter of "The Morning Call."

We appreciate you.

BAXTER: Thanks, T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Well, coming up, we have even the impassioned reaction on both sides a day after a federal judge strikes down California's ban on gay marriage. Some post-Prop 8 sound effects for you now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AUSTIN NIMOCKS, SENIOR LEGAL COUNSEL, ALLIANCE DEFENSE FUND: It's really disappointing any time a single federal judge takes it upon themselves to cancel out the voices of over seven million Californians. We know that Californians turned out for this vote in record numbers after having a full and fair debate, hearing both sides of the issue, and making the decision that they wanted to make. And for a single federal judge to throw out that entire process is really a tragic day for America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF ZARRILLO, PROP 8 PLAINTIFF: At the end of the day, in America we're about democracy, and we applaud that process, and we wouldn't want that process to change at all. But when someone goes into a voting booth and votes to take away the rights of a minority, that can't happen. And that's why the courts are there. That's why we have a Constitution. That's why Judge Walker did what he did yesterday, is because at the end of the day, we can't allow the majority to vote on the rights of the minority.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: That's Jeff Zarrillo there. He was one of the plaintiffs in the Prop 8 case, and he and his partner sued the state of California after voters passed the measure, Prop 8, back in 2008.

Supporters of the Prop 8 gay marriage ban now taking this up to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. We could be seeing the case before the Supreme Court. Many are predicting maybe in 2011 or 2012.

Coming up, whey go to war together, they fight together, they get wounded together. And if they're lucky, if they're blessed, they get to come home together. And their stories are right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, they go off to war together. And can you imagine how close they are by the time they get to come home? They go through a lot.

And Barbara Starr is joining us now with the final part of the series "The Journey Home," part three here.

Barbara, it is. It's a heck of a journey, a long journey, and it's the one they look forward to, which is oftentimes the one that brings them back home.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: It is, T.J.

This was the final leg. We joined the wounded. This was, in total, T.J., a 41-hour journey. A journey home.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: This is what it's really all about in the world of the air medical evacuation community. You can see the plane now is full of the combat wounded from Afghanistan.

These troops have all suffered injuries from IED, roadside bomb explosions, mortars, artillery, small arms fire, gunshot wounds. They have gotten their initial treatment here in Germany. Now we about to make a nine-hour flight back to the United States. Finally, they are getting back home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Remember that other guy that we took the antibiotics on --

STARR (voice-over): Air Force medical teams tend to every need on the final leg of the journey home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You saw that tape (ph), buddy?

STARR: Captain Chris Watkins, a nurse, has worked evac flights for seven years. He sees the rising number of wounded first hand.

CAPT. CHRIS WATKINS, U.S. AIR FORCE: Unfortunately, it's a lot of blast injuries. We have a lot of amputations, a lot of significant trauma patients that require some sort of a continuous monitoring care or obviously surgical treatment. IEDs are probably the number one player followed by small arms and indirect fire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just wanted to see a drop.

STARR: Private First Class James Darlington hit by a rocket- propelled grenade in the arm a few days ago now hours away from seeing his family. Doctors have eased initial worries that he may lose his arm.

PFC. JAMES DARLINGTON, U.S. ARMY: I didn't think I was going to have an arm because the way it was just skin attaching to it. But I was actually really amazed when I woke up and seen an arm there, and I had feeling in it and everything, so, yes.

STARR (on camera): So the medical care is pretty amazing.

DARLINGTON: It's really amazing. I was really surprised.

STARR (voice-over): Twenty-two wounded on stretchers, some just hours off of the battlefield. There is constant worry about infection, many still on morphine for pain, some in extremely critical condition, on ventilators.

WATKINS: We haven't sat down since about 8:00 this morning Germany time, and that was almost 11 hours ago. It's hard seeing these catastrophic injuries.

STARR: On some flights the most critically wounded are kept alive long enough to be brought home so their families can say good- bye. Sometimes the best cure just being together. On this flight, three young soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division hit in the same attack just a few days earlier.

Specialist Aaron Knuckols and his buddies were on patrol in the eastern Afghanistan when their vehicle hit a 300-pound roadside bomb.

SPEC. AARON KNUCKOLS, U.S. ARMY: Everything got red and we went upside down.

STARR: After a near-death experience like that, Specialist Knuckols says he could not imagine going home without his friends.

KNUCKOLS: We have been together the whole trip, ma'am.

STARR (on camera): That's good.

KNUCKOLS: It's awesome.

STARR: Yes. You keep an eye on each other.

KNUCKOLS: Yes, ma'am. I know my two guys back there, and I can't see, but I know they are getting the same care I am getting, and it is a very good feeling. I can't see them, but I know they are getting taken care of.

STARR (voice-over): Fellow soldier Private First Class Mike Garcia broke two vertebrae in his back, his knee and his ankle in the attack, but his priority, his brothers in arms.

PFC. MIKE GARCIA, U.S. ARMY: Ma'am, that's what makes it personal, because we go over there, and we're such a small group to begin with. And we see pretty much nobody else for the year we're over there, and we just bond. A lot of bonding, pretty much, and especially when you get hit.

STARR: The third man, Staff Sergeant Benjamin McGuire's broken jaw, is wired shut, but he doesn't need to talk for us to understand how grateful he is that they are all together.

(on camera): It means a lot to you. Do you think that it actually helps?

"Yes, ma'am. Without a doubt in my mind, it made my injuries seem not so bad."

"You went to Afghanistan together, you fought together, you got hit together. Now, you are coming home together."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tower, reaching (ph) 612 --

STARR (voice-over): For many of these soldiers, the journey home is almost complete. Many we have spoken to have already reenlisted and are anxious to get back to Afghanistan to stand beside their fellow soldiers, even as the cycle of war wounded continues.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: So, T.J., right now, we're seeing about 600 troops a month wounded in the war in Afghanistan. And think of this -- we've taken you on this journey to see the enormous effort, time, the medical care that goes into getting each and every one of these troops home. As our plane unloaded at Andrews Air Force Base here in Washington, another plane already loading up back in the war zone.

HOLMES: And you said there in the end of the piece that you've talked to some since they've gotten back, and they're already ready to go back to the war zone.

What else are they talking about since getting home?

STARR: Well, that's young troops, isn't it? They want to get back. They want to get back with their young buddies.

Those three young men from the 101st Airborne Division, if you have ever met a band of brothers, it is those three. Aaron Knuckols sent me an e-mail a couple of days ago saying that they were all doing much better. Sergeant McGuire, the young man with the shattered jaw, he's going to have to have a little more surgery, but he says everybody is feeling much better. But many of these troops, of course, face a very, very long road on recovery -- T.J.

HOLMES: All right.

Barbara Starr, we absolutely appreciate those pieces, and being able to see that, and appreciate you sharing them here with us this week.

Barbara Starr for us.

Thank you, as always.

STARR: Thank you.

HOLMES: Well, one of Detroit's poorest neighborhoods getting some help going green. How it will save them money and keep them warmer this winter.

It is "One Simple Thing."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: The program launched for some of Detroit's poorest neighborhoods is helping residents save big bucks on their utilities this summer.

It's "One Simple Thing" that will also keep them warm this winter.

Here now, CNN's Joe Johns.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A watershed moment for members of the Green Economy Leadership Training team. After six weeks of intensive training, they're weatherizing their first home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you doing?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Grocery bags actually acts as a perfect insulator.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

JOHNS: For Karletha Price, the help can't come soon enough. She's unemployed and raising six kids on her own.

KARLETHA PRICE, RESIDENT: We do not have the funds to really put new windows and everything we need in the home, but this will help us with our heating tremendously.

JOHNS: Once inside, the team installs window kits and seals cracks. Their work could save the family hundreds of dollars a year on their electric bill.

Karletha's sons are relieved after spending the last few winters without heat.

LARRY, KARLETHA'S SON: We did have a little trouble in the wintertime, and trying to keep us warm. We had to light fires and stuff.

JOHNS: By the end of the summer the GELT team hopes to complete 200 more homes in Highland Park. It's part of an even greener plan designed by Global Exchange activist Scott Meloeny.

SCOTT MELOENY, GLOBAL EXCHANGE: We're talking about a citywide food system. We're talking about we're in the process of acquiring more land. We're talking about turning that land into full-scale agriculture. We're talking about revitalizing a farmer's market that hasn't been seen in Highland Park in decades.

JOHNS: Meloeny and GELT set up shop in Highland Park, once home to Ford and Chrysler, now one of the worst neighborhoods in Detroit. This formerly abandoned house is now a makeshift classroom. Here energy experts teach GELT members how to weatherize homes.

ANDREA FLEMING, W.A.R.M.: Today right now we're going to be talking about what goes into that electric bill.

JOHNS: And in a back yard overgrown for decades a so-called Urban Lab showing residents how to grow their own food.

MELOENY: These will be great for raised beds.

JOHNS: Compost and use a solar energy earth oven.

MELOENY: We can cook food in here. We can bake bread. We can put pizzas in.

JOHNS: The neighborhood kids are going green, too, sitting in on meetings, even composting.

ISAIAH, 12-YEAR-OLD: We're just helping out the folks out there, you know, helping out the folks do stuff and out in this world. And it's good to recycle.

MELOENY: We just need to first lay the foundation that people can say, oh, they did it there, we can do it in our community.

JOHNS: Joe Johns, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: We're going "Off the Radar" today.

And every once in a while, Chad, you go way off the radar.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, I think of the people that I believe would be the most honest people in the world.

HOLMES:

MYERS: And for some reason -- I have no backup for this -- I would think Sir Winston Churchill would be one of the men or women that I would trust the most with, you know, anything.

HOLMES: All right.

MYERS: I think he tried to cover something up.

MYERS: Don't kill my joy on Churchill now. OK?

MYERS: I know. But 50 years ago, or however long ago this was, he said that there was supposed to be an encounter with some RAF pilots over Germany as they were circling back around. A couple of planes never were found, and UFOs may have been to blame.

HOLMES: May have been to blame for the disappearance of these aircraft?

MYERS: You know, there's a lot of water around England. It's kind of an island country. The U.K. is an island.

So, it's not really all that mysterious to lose things in water, of course. But some of the pilots came back and said, we saw this thing. It was 20 times bigger than a football field, which I assume they meant soccer, right?

HOLMES: Because that's huge then. MYERS: It would be huge. And could it have been some kind of Zeppelin that they were flying around? Could it have been something manmade or not?

But all you have to do is Google "Churchill cover-up" today on Google.

HOLMES: So why are we saying Churchill tried to cover it up?

MYERS: Well, because he said he wanted it to be under wraps for 50 years. Guess what?

HOLMES: For 50 years?

MYERS: Guess what? Fifty years are up and have been up, but now people have found these in the archives, all these drawings of what the pilots say -- you would think a pilot is probably a pretty straight shooter, too, right?

HOLMES: Yes.

MYERS: You would hope. Well, they found things in these archives where the pilots sat down with Churchill and Eisenhower, another guy that I would think would have some, you know, things that I could believe. And they found this.

HOLMES: When was Roswell?

MYERS: Look at that. How would you find anything in that anyway? That looks like my closet.

HOLMES: Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

HOLMES: They have a good system.

When was Roswell? Anybody remember?

MYERS: It was in New Mexico.

HOLMES: When was that? What year was that?

Anybody? No UFO buffs in here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 1942?

HOLMES: All right. Someone said '42.

MYERS: All you need to do, if you go to Google and type in "cover-up," and it's all over the presses today.

HOLMES: OK. All right.

We appreciate you.

MYERS: Yes, buddy.

HOLMES: Chad, "Off the Radar," way off the radar sometimes.

All right. Thanks so much.

Well, coming up here, they are the invisible enemy -- IED. You've been hearing about those for years and years in the Iraq and Afghan wars. Well, U.S. military officials say it's the Taliban's weapon of choice in killing Afghan civilians.

Those details as we go "Globe Trekking" next.

Stay right here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: I want to take you back to this picture, a story we're not going to get too far away from as we continue to get information in. A bus accident -- bus accident involving two school buses, I should say. This was outside of St. Louis where at least two people are dead and several students have been injured.

You see these pictures here, and if you look through there, you can tell -- you can make out a school bus that is propped up, that's elevated. It looks like it was about to launch. That's exactly what you're seeing. It is up on top of a semi, a tractor trailer. And behind that bus you see propped up is another bus involved the accident. And underneath that bus that's on top of -- lifted up there is an SUV.

Now, we don't know exactly how this happened, but again it's about 40 miles to the south. Southwest, I should say, in Gray Summit. This happened this afternoon. At least two are dead. We don't know if the two dead are students or someone in the other vehicles. But these students are eighth graders, we're told, that were headed for a trip to Six Flags.

And this is what's happened to them today. All the vehicles, we're told, were going the same way on the highway. Interstate 44. So, I have no idea how this whole accident played out for that type of a violent impact to have that bus end up in that position today.

A good chunk of the students, 36, we're told, were being taken to a particular hospital, only being treated for some minor bumps and bruises. So, that's good news. A good chunk of the student with minor injuries. Again, a couple of others had more severe, more serious injuries. And again, there are two dead. But we don't know if the two dead are students or not. We're keeping an eye on this story. Again, happening just outside of St. Louis.

We want to go now to "Globe Trekking," and we're going to the war in Afghanistan for our "Globe Trekking" right now. "USA Today" reporting that the Taliban is targeting, targeting Afghan civilians with their weapon of choice, IEDs. Citing reports from the military, the newspaper says IEDs killed 75 percent more Afghan civilians this year than 2009. So far this year -- take a look -- 1,859 civilians have been killed by IEDs. That is up from 2009, when IEDs killed 1,057 Afghan civilians. IEDs, that stands for improvised explosive device. They're the top killers of American and coalition forces. They're often made of cheap materials like fertilizer or fuel. The Taliban plant them, literally plant them in the ground oftentimes. They're detonated by contact or sometime remote control by something as simple as a cell phone.

A U.S. army officer tells "USA Today" the Taliban using IEDs in a deadly campaign of intimidation against Afghan villagers. Army lieutenant general Michael Oates says, quote, "IEDs are used principally to coerce the population from cooperating with the Afghan government and the coalition force."

Now, as we've reported, Afghan civilians have also been killed by American or NATO air and ground attacks. Coalition officials say civilians are never targeted, but sometimes they're caught in the crossfire or mistakenly attacked. Here's a breakdown from the U.N. -- 2,412 Afghans killed in the war last year. Of those, 1,630 killed by the Taliban. 596 killed by U.S. and coalition forces.

It's a pleasure now for me to bring in CNN's Atia Abawi, who has been covering this war for us for quite some time. Atia, always good to see you. Tell me, first of all, help us understand a little better - the population, the Afghan population. When they hear this report, when they know that the Taliban is targeting them specifically, how do they react and how do they feel about the Taliban these days?

ATIA ABAWI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, hello, T.J. I just want to be clear when it comes to the Afghan people. One thing they are very honest about is they are tired of being caught in the crossfire when it comes to the Taliban, the insurgency and the NATO forces and the Afghan forces. And they do know that the majority of Afghans are killed by the Taliban and by the insurgency, but when you talk to most Afghans, when you get their perspective and you wonder why they're not as angry at the insurgency, at the Taliban as they are at NATO forces, at American forces and at the Afghan forces.

And it stems down to a simple, they look like us, they talk like us, and they pray the same way that we pray. That seems to be an ongoing scenario in different provinces in Afghanistan. So no matter how hard the NATO forces try, and no matter how many times they apologize, it's because the Taliban can apologize in their language. Can say it a way that they would understand, that in a way -- I know it sounds odd to the majority of the people watching us right now -- but they seem like they can forgive the Taliban before they can forgive foreigners. T.J.?

HOLMES: Well, Atia, at the same time there, and again, that's a good way to put it. A lot of people watching can't really understand that dynamic. And also at the same time, the Afghan civilians are torn. Yes, they're caught in the crossfire, but they're torn about exactly which side they want to take because they don't feel so good that the United Nations -- or the United States, I should say, and coalition forces are going to be there with them in the long haul. ABAWI: Absolutely. And you touched on it right there, T.J. If they knew that America -- if they knew the international community was here to stay in Afghanistan and would help them grow, because that's all they want. They want building. They want roads. They want hospitals. They want schools. Everything that was promised to them in 2001. And if they felt that the international community was here to stay, they would side with the international community and the Afghan government.

But they truly do believe that everyone will leave them as they have left them in the past. And they will then suffer under the hands of the Taliban. So, it's not necessarily that they want the Taliban in control, but the reason we're seeing more and more Afghans turning to the Taliban is because they feel in the end, they will win. America, the international community will leave. So, if they side with them now, they will be punished less later.

HOLMES: Atia, one last thing to you. And you hit on it kind of there, why some people who support or side with the Taliban. Does it seem like the United States or the coalition forces are making any headway? Are they still losing that battle? For instance, these days, if there's a person on the fence, if you will -- am I going to go this way or that way, Taliban or coalition -- does it seem like the United Nations and coalition forces are losing more of those people to the Taliban or not?

ABAWI: It goes back to Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a very big country, and it's very different. When you go from province to province, you'll meet a different Afghan than you met in an Afghan a village before.

When you go to the place where is the fighting is occurring, particularly the south and east of the country, you are meeting many Afghans who are very sick of the fighting. And they're not seeing the building process. They're not seeing what was promised to them. All they're seeing is death. They're seeing their family members die, they're seeing their neighbors die, whether it be by the hands of the Taliban or the NATO coalition.

But then when you come to places like Kabul, places in western Afghanistan like Harat or other cities in the country that have seen progress, that have seen U.S.AID coming in building schools, hospitals, roads being paved here in the capital, those Afghans will tell you that they are siding with the NATO coalition, and they'll continue to side with the NATO coalition if they continue to help them.

But it's those places that aren't seeing the building, that aren't seeing the kind of help that they really want. Those are the ones that we see straying away from NATO.

And let me be clear. It's not that they want to stray again from the NATO coalition. It's not that they want to stray from the international community. But they're just tired of suffering and they want this war over one way or another. But they do not want to be abandoned again. T.J. HOLMES: Atia Abawi for us. Atia, it is always good to talk to you. Always good perspective. We appreciate you. We'll be talking to you plenty down the road. Thanks so much, Atia.

Coming up, we're going to bring you story of a teenager who's going up against the big boys. Making her mark on professional sports. It is our "Mission Possible" today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Taking a look at some of the stories making headlines now.

The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits last week jumped to a three-month high. A total of 479,000 filed new claims. That's partly because temporary jobs from stimulus dollars and census funding having run dry. A new jobs report out tomorrow will give a better indication of where the labor force stands.

Turn to Pakistan now, where about three million people have been affected by monsoon rains and flooding there. As many as 1,500 have died. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has appealed for aid. She says that helping Pakistan is essential to building U.S. ties there. It's the worst flooding the country has seen in some 70 years.

And we could be just an hour or so away from a Senate vote to confirm Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Three days of floor debate coming to an end with essentially no suspense about the outcome here. Kagan will be the fourth woman justice on the Supreme Court ever.

We turn to our "Mission Possible" now. Wanted to tell you about the young lady who is known as "the knuckle princess." She stands a towering 5'1. Her name is Ari Yoshida. She's a pitcher for independent league Chico Outlaws, and she's the first female pitcher to play pro ball in the U.S. in some ten years. But before she could make her mark on the field, she had to win over her teammates.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBBY ALCOMBRACK, OUTLAWS CATCHER: It was a shocker, I'm not going to lie. You don't hear about this every day. So, to finally get out on the field with her and see what she can do, it kind of changed our minds a lot.

GARRY TEMPLETON, OUTLAWS MANAGER: She's got, like, 22 big brothers over there. If anybody do anything, they be really upset.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: The 18-year-old Yoshida has had a pretty rough time on the mound so far this year. 0-3. Still battling out there, however. Her record doesn't diminish the appeal to the fans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARI YOSHIDA, CHICO OUTLAWS PITCHER (via translator): She hope the environment among the girls is going to be increase more and easy for everybody has a chance to get along with that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's really amazing that she's playing with a bunch of guys.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, many of the guys she's actually playing against are former Major Leaguers, or at least have some Major League pedigree. In fact, former Chicago Cubs star pitcher Mark Pryor just joined that league. Yoshida is the first woman to play professionally in both Japan and the U.S. The first woman to pitch in a pro game in the U.S., however, was Ila Borders, however. She played for a couple of years in independent leagues. Borders ended her career with two wins, a record that is certainly in Yoshida's sight right now.

Well, the government is calling it, quote, "a deadly pipeline." Money, materials, manpower from the U.S. heartland to the battlefield of Somalia. An alleged plot to aid Somali terrorists. That's when we come back.

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HOLMES: Fourteen people have been indicted on charges of providing money, personnel and services to the Al-Shabaab Islamist militant group in Somalia. Attorney general Eric Holder made that announcement made that announcement earlier today. Our CNN homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, is on this story for us. Jeanne, what can you tell us?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: They're accused of providing money, services and personnel to Al-Shabaab, which is the al Qaeda affiliate in Somalia. A designated terrorist group, according to the U.S. These 12 individual, most of them came from Minneapolis. There was one from California, and one who was born and raised in Alabama. His name, Omar Hamami. He's particularly interesting because he's risen to some prominence within the Al- Shabaab organization; in fact, even recording recruiting videotapes to try to lure other fighters to that cause.

In addition, the U.S. attorney's -- excuse me, the U.S. attorneys in Minneapolis announcing there have been two arrests in that state of two women who allegedly were raising money for Al- Shabaab face to face and also through teleconferences. The amounts of money weren't great, but the U.S. government is alleging that they sometimes did this under false pretenses, telling people the money was being raised for the poor in Somalia. Here's a bit of what the attorney general had to say in a press conference today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: While our investigations are ongoing around the country, these arrests and charges should serve as an unmistakable warning to others who are considering joining or supporting terrorist groups like Al-Shabaab. If you choose this route, you can expect to find yourself in a United States jail cell or to be a casualty on a Somali battlefield. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: Now, Al-Shabaab was characterized in a State Department report today as one of al Qaeda's most active affiliates. U.S. officials have been concerned about the number of Americans choosing to go over there and fight for their cause. In fact, there have been two arrests just the last couple of weeks of young men who allegedly wanted to do just that. T.J.?

HOLMES: Are we hearing any defense of those who are now being charged, either from the individuals themselves or maybe friends or family? People that know them?

MESERVE: Well, the 12 individuals who are alleged to be fighting for Al-Shabaab are in Somalia, so they are not reachable. We did talk to the mother of one of them, however. Our producer Eric Feigal (ph) spoke with her. She described her son, Omar Hamami, the one who made that recruiting videotape, as being a brilliant young man who had been very good at everything he tried when he was in high school.

He did go to college for a time. Got more involved in Islam. In fact, he was raised a Baptist as she was, but he had a Syrian father who was a Muslim. He converted to Islam, moved to Toronto, married a woman, the mother said, who's of Somali extraction. And he went to Somalia to visit with her relatives. According to the mother, he told them he lost his passport when he was over there, and then he fell out of touch. They haven't talked to him since 2007. The mother, of course, very surprised when she learned of his alleged activities on behalf of Al-Shabaab.

Back to you, T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve. Jeanne, we appreciate you.

As always, stay here. Coming up, it has been at the heart of national headlines this week. And it is today's "Wordplay." I'm going to make a proposal to you right now. Why don't you stay with us? At least until after the break?

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HOLMES: Once again, keeping you updated on the story. We're keeping an eye out of St. Louis, just outside of St. Louis, where there has been an accident involving two school buses, and two people have been killed in this thing. Just outside of St. Louis.

But some of the pictures we've seen have been just horrific to watch. But there's a school bus propped up on top of a semi truck. You've seen this live picture on your screen. It was at the mercy of our affiliate there, on one side there. There there's the picture I was talking about. You see that bus propped up there. There were several kids, eighth graders, who were on this bus headed on a trip to Six Flags, of all things today. A fun trip.

But this is some of the video from a little earlier of the bus propped up. All the vehicles were going the same direction, so we don't understand how there was such a violent coming together of those two vehicles that the bus could end up there. So, you see in this picture now, much different picture, the bus has come down. They have gotten it down at this point, at least. So, the work continues there.

But I want to give you an update again about the number of people injured. There were at least 50 students on these two school buses. At least two people dead. We don't know if this were students. However, some 36 kids were taken to the hospital with minor bumps and bruises. A few others had more serious injuries, but again, we don't know if the two dead are, in fact, students or not. We will continue to keep an eye on that particular story and give you updates throughout the day.

It's time for our "Wordplay" now. Today's term may sometimes make people's eyes glaze over every November or it could make their blood boil. We're talking about the word propositions. English or Latin teachers would tell you the root word here is propose.

Proposition means something very different in politics than in bars, of course. It's a proposed measure or a change to a law. Instead of elected officials deciding, the people do in a direct vote, like the vote we've just seen in California, home of Prop 8.

Even if a proposition passes, though, it might not stand the test of time or stand the test of a judge. The Golden State, they've been voting on propositions since 1949. They make it to the ballot if the state legislature decides to put them there or via an initiative system for public attention. How to get a percentage of active voters signatures, pay the fee, have your attorney general sign off, and then you are on the ballot. There you go with your preposition (sic) today.

Coming up in my "XYZ," his name is synonymous with cycling and he's the focus of my "XYZ" today as more claims surface about alleged doping. Stay right here.

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HOLMES: In today's "XYZ," quick, name three professional cyclists. Okay, you've got Lance Armstrong out of the way. What's number 2? Probably couldn't get to number two and much less a number three. The only reason you know anything about cycling is because of Lance Armstrong. We don't care about cycling in this country.

I'm sorry. Some people are going to get offended by that. But relatively speaking, we love football, baseball, basketball, with a side serving of hockey, golf and tennis. That's just how it goes here. But you know about Lance Armstrong because of his accomplishments and winning seven Tours de France, because of his compelling personal story of beating cancer, and because of his efforts in raising hundreds of millions of dollars for cancer research. We know Lance Armstrong.

But do you want to know whether or not he was doping? Whether or not he was cheating to win all those tours? "The New York Times" reported today that federal investigators have collected information from former teammates and associates of Armstrong's that say he and his team participated in systematic doping, not just individual incidents. They had a whole system set up for this.

This is in addition to similar claims made publicly earlier this year by Armstrong's former teammate, Floyd Landis, who lost his tour title in 2006 because of doping. Armstrong, of course, has faced allegations before and has always strongly denied that he has ever doped, and nothing has ever been proven otherwise.

We are used to, unfortunately, in this country, our sports heroes falling into doping scandals. You can go down the list. Mark McGuire, Marion Jones, A-Rod, just to name a few, and it goes on and on and on. Their cheating benefited, though, one person. The person who was cheating.

If Armstrong cheated, some are now arguing his cheating would have benefited others. Cheating, not a good thing. Let's get that out of the way. You should never do it. Let's be clear there. We certainly hope Armstrong is and always has been clean.

But think about this. What if he did cheat? You could argue that, in fact, if he didn't cheat, he wouldn't have been able to win those tours. If he didn't win, he wouldn't have been able to draw the public attention. Without the public attention, he wouldn't have been able to raise $325 million -- $100 million. $325 hundred million though LiveStrong for cancer research.

Should someone get a pass for their bad deeds because they also did some good deeds? Let's hope we're never faced with that choice when it comes to Lance Armstrong.

That's "XYZ." Here's Rick Sanchez.