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CNN Sunday Morning
Yemeni Student Arrested; Restoring Sanity Rally in D.C.
Aired October 31, 2010 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there. Good morning, everybody. Eight o'clock Eastern Time -- 8:00 here where I sit in Atlanta, Georgia. Wherever you may be here this morning, glad you are right here. From the CNN Center, this is your CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm T.J. Holmes. Glad you can be with us.
I want to start with an update on a story that has gotten a lot of attention, the security threat you've been hearing over the past couple of days with the suspicious packages that went from Yemen meant for Chicago but were intercepted in the U.K., as well as being intercepted in Dubai.
Well now, there has been an arrest and we are learning more about the suspect.
CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom, he is in Baghdad for us right now, but has spent some time in Yemen, reporting extensively.
Mohammed, good to have you here with us. We are talking about a student now that is a suspect.
MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, T.J., a lot of new developments to cover this morning coming out of Yemen.
According to a lawyer, a prominent human rights lawyer in Yemen, Abdul Rahman al-Barman who has been asked to represent the student, the suspect -- he tells CNN the student's name is Hanan Al-Masawi. She is an engineering student at the University of Sana'a. He insists that she is innocent. He is speaking with family members right now. He does not know yet if the woman has been formally charged, why, in fact, Yemeni officials suspected here.
But we've also spoken to friends and colleagues of this student around the University of Sana'a -- they've told us they don't understand how she could have been detained. They don't suspect her in any way.
The news started coming out last night. First, it was Yemen's president. He said there was a suspect who had been identified. Her house was being surrounded.
And we got news there was an arrest. And a few hours later, we heard that there was a relative of the woman who was arrested who was also being questioned. We don't yet know her relationship or involvement. We don't know from the Yemeni government if there's been any kind of formal charge, where this person is held, how long she can be held -- a lot of questions yet to be answered -- T.J.
HOLMES: And, Mohammed, you said a lot of questions there, because we're not getting a whole lot from the Yemeni government. You talked about that with me last hour. Why so quiet?
JAMJOOM: Well, it's typical for the Yemeni government when it comes to cases like this to keep quiet until they figure out what they want to say, how they want to present that to the world. Right now, when I've spoken to Yemeni officials the past few days, they've been telling me, there's a lot of scrambling that's been going on.
The fact that Yemen's president last night came out in a live press conference 24 hours after this terror plot was revealed, spoke to the country, spoke to the world, shows how concerned the Yemeni government is -- the fact that they want to get in front of the story to try to allay the fears of their partners in the war on terror, especially the U.S., and the U.K. and other regional neighbors. They want to show they're taking it seriously. They wanted to announce an arrest as quickly as possible.
Now, they have to figure out if this arrest was a valid one, why exactly it was traced back to this person. They have to start getting these facts out as quickly as possible -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Mohammed Jamjoom, we appreciate you as always. Thanks so much.
Well, we're going to turn to politics in this country, just two days away before the midterm elections, this critical midterm elections. This last weekend, there's been a big push by all the candidates -- and a lot of big names out there pushing for these candidates, including former President Bill Clinton.
But you have got to see this -- this happened at a rally. Yesterday, he was stumping for Democrats in Canton, Ohio. Now, you see him on stage making his speech and there starts to be a little bit of a scramble behind him. People clearly not paying attention to what the former president has to say. He's campaigning for Congressman Boccieri but listen now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His wife is having a baby.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: The baby is now being born. Tell him good-bye!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
CLINTON: You know what? We have both sets of parents here, the grandparents. You'd be amazed how many times I take a picture with a very pregnant woman and she immediately gives birth like that.
(LAUGHTER)
CLINTON: I would like some credit for your fifth grandchild being born into the world.
(LAUGHTER)
CLINTON: We got another Democrat. I wish we could register that baby before it's too late.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: So in classic Clinton form playing off what happened there. But the Congressman Boccieri's wife, yes, went into labor and, yes, has given birth now to a healthy baby girl, their fifth child. Emma is the name, came in at eight pounds nine ounces. So, a healthy, hefty baby girl, if you will. But congratulations to the Congressman there.
Little campaigning left, he has got celebrating to do maybe with the family, but still some campaigning left for some of the candidates.
I know a lot of you out there are sick and tired of all this political talk. So, a little something different for some of you yesterday at the National Mall in Washington. That was the place to be, thousands of people turned out to see Comedy Central's Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have their Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. You see a lot -- they told people to bring different signs, cute signs, fun signs and if there's any indication that sanity was not in place, it is right here.
This is Meghan McLaughlin (ph), having a little fun clearly out there, but asking me to give up my day job. That ain't happening and a lot of people know that already. But again, you could see the idea everybody was having a good time out there.
But a look back at the rally with CNN's Kate Bolduan. She was there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: T.J., the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear was more a comedy show or music fest than it was overtly a political rally. Appearances included Ozzy Osbourne, Sheryl Crow, even R2-D2.
The organizers were comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. They insist this was not a political rally targeting a left-leaning or right-leaning crowd. So, what was this?
Here's Jon Stewart in his own words:
JON STEWART, COMEDIAN: This was not a rally to ridicule people of faith or people of activism or to look down our noses at the heartland or passionate argument, or to suggest that times are not difficult and that we have nothing to fear. They are and we do. But we live now in hard times, not end times.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is really about making a statement in -- by body count for me. I felt it was important to be here, to show my son it's important to be here, for something that's not evil, fearful, critical, you know, something that doesn't have to be. It could be for fun, but still make a statement at the same time. And that was an important point for me.
BOLDUAN: And two men who make a living off of mocking politicians and criticizing the media did just that today with a final message of, quote, "If we amplify everything, we hear nothing." Maybe the biggest rally on this very political weekend didn't include a single politician at all -- T.J.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: All right, but you're going to get your dose of politicians over the next couple of days if you haven't gotten enough of them already. Two more days, of course, and one thing you just cannot ignore this campaign season and on Election Day, the impact that the Tea Party is having on this election cycle.
Earlier today, we brought back a couple of friends of our show here on CNN SATURDAY and SUNDAY MORNING, conservative Lenny McAllister and Democratic strategist Maria Cardona. They talked a bit about Tea Party politics and if some of these new candidates, these Tea Party- backed candidates can transform the Republican Party.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, you know, I do hope that if they do come into power, that they would try to offer something new. But the problem is, T.J., that their own leadership has said, both Pete Sessions and John Boehner, respectively, have said that if the Republicans take over Congress, they would go back to the same exact policies that were in place in 2006. And Boehner followed it up by saying that they would be different than they've been.
And the problem with the folks from the Tea Party is that they think they're going to come in to shake up Washington. But there's not going to be enough of them to make sure that the establishment goes with them.
LENNY MCALLISTER, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: They absolutely should be given a chance to show that they're not the same old Republican guard -- first and foremost, because of the fact that they are actually closer to the grassroots of America than the politicians from 2006 and 2008 that came in with the Democratic wave when they were throwing out Republicans that were -- that were spending too much, voting on policies and procedures that Americans didn't necessarily agree with. And at that time, there was a very unpopular Iraqi war going on as well.
These Republicans have campaigned. They have not been inside of the establishment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: All right, and a programming note: it's back by popular demand, our "Ballot Bowl," coming your way, kicking off later today at 2:00 Eastern Time. Our White House correspondents Ed Henry and Jessica Yellin, they are going to be on top of that coverage, along with "The Best Political Team on Television." Again, "Ballot Bowl" coming your way today at 2:00 Eastern Time. That's an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates as they go out there and stump.
Well, some of us caught up in all these name-calling, nasty ads and the back-and-forth, left and right, you got so many things on your mind leading up to Election Day -- do you know where to go to vote? We got some help for you. Stick around for that.
Also, Reynolds Wolf, he's going to be helping us as he tracks now Hurricane Tomas. Those details as well after the break.
It's nine minutes past the hour here on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Can I get to you focus on some weather?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We're talking football.
HOLMES: We're talking sports for just a minute.
Reynolds is excited today and he should be. We'll be talking about his number one Auburn Tigers in a little bit.
But, right now, Tomas is on the mind, yes.
WOLF: Just massive storm. Take a look at this. This is some video T.J., actually, some iReports that were sent in.
You know, when you have a tropical system you see from satellite, it's one thing. When you see the pictures of how it's affecting people, it is certainly something else. This damage you see here was actually caused when the storm was a category one, but around the threshold of a category two, see a lot of the widespread devastation that you have.
It has been a real powerhouse of a storm, but it is forecasting to get stronger -- and here's the reason why. The reason is actually two-fold. For one, it's moving to an area with very little sheer. It's upper level winds can sometimes tear these tropical systems apart. The upper level winds should be very weak over the next couple of days.
And something else is going to be key here, to the development of this, warm weather ahead in the Caribbean Sea. In fact, it's going to be in mid to upper 80s. So, it's going to be almost like a warm soup so to speak in terms of temperature, and that is going to help this system intensify.
In fact, the latest forecast that we have from the National Hurricane Center shows that occurring, the storm will get stronger especially as we make that transition from Thursday and into Friday, winds of 115 miles per hour forecast, gusts up to 140. It's going to be a powerhouse.
Places most affected, I would say back to Haiti, perhaps over to the Dominican Republic, Cuba and even into Jamaica. So, anyone who has travel plans there, certainly be advised.
In terms of your travel around the nation, one big trouble spot to speak of, and that is the Pacific Northwest. Any travel plans you have, take you to Seattle, maybe into Portland, you might have a few issue there taking off or landing. But other than that, it should be just blissful around the nation.
Sixty-three degrees in Denver, your expected high for the day. Just nice in Denver. But once you get into the Front Range and back into the Central Rockies, heavy snow is forecast in some spots, highest elevations, for most of us, anywhere from about three to six inches of snowfall, perhaps a bit more into portions of, let's say, the Tetons and even into Yellowstone. Northern Rockies, the same situation.
Beautiful across Chicago, 54 the expected high; 74 in Atlanta.
These are your daytime highs in the key cities. But for this evening, as we wrap things up and take a look at your Halloween forecast, 49 degrees in New York, and dry conditions; 65 in Atlanta for trick-or-treaters; New York and St. Louis both enjoying these clear skies, 56 and giant pumpkins in St. Louis; Seattle, 53; Los Angeles, 63 degrees.
That is a quick snapshot in your forecast. T.J., I'm going to hop over here and we're going to send it back to you, thankfully, in the U.S. conditions look pretty good for the most part.
HOLMES: That sounds good.
Give people update on -- a lot of people keeping an eye on the World Series, keeping an eye on what's happening with Brett Favre as well, and I know you're keeping an eye on college football. Your guys, your Auburn Tigers, number one in the country right now. Just give you folks an update, the Auburn Tigers still atop with their Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. This guy is going to win the Heisman.
WOLF: Cameron Newton.
HOLMES: It's his to lose at this point, but Auburn is on top of the BCS, hopped (ph) it up on Ole Miss and our former coach, former Arkansas coach there, the name that should not be said here.
So, that's good. Oregon number two. So, if all things play out, Auburn, Oregon for the national championship.
WOLF: But there are a lot of hurdles.
HOLMES: A lot of stuff could happen.
WOLF: Tons of hurdles.
HOLMES: A lot of stuff can happen. But the World Series, are you keeping an eye on this?
WOLF: Absolutely. You know, it's great. At, first though, you know what's interesting is the Giants have this history, at least the season, being a very low-scoring team, but they exploded the first few games in the series. And, of course, last night in Arlington, things went nuts.
HOLMES: Yes. Their first game, can you believe? Their first time to host a World Series game there in Texas, congratulations to them. But this only gets them down 2-1 in the series now. Giants, of course, took the first two games of the series, but Rangers clearly still in it.
But a lot of people still, the ratings haven't been the best for the World Series. But that shouldn't matter. Nice to see smaller market teams and smaller budget teams, quite frankly, to be in there.
Now, Brett Favre the other thing. What were you doing 18 years ago, Reynolds, do you remember?
WOLF: I -- something that could get me probably in trouble, not as much trouble as Favre's been in this season. But still, things that might be not mentionable on national television.
HOLMES: Well, 18 years ago, that was the last time Brett Favre did not start an NFL game as quarterback. His streak is at 291 games, a record, and some consider one of the greatest ironman streaks in all of professional sports ever. Well, he has two fractures in his ankle. They have bee healing. He was in a boot most of the week, but he says he is expecting to start today against New England and keep that streak going.
Two issues here: he hasn't been playing that well in the first place, so can he help the team if he's on a bum ankle? Secondly, can you protect yourself as a 41 now-year-old man with two fractures in your ankle? Can he even protect himself?
But he made the trip to New England. So he said he made the trip, they expect him back to play.
And it's hard. You're shaking your head there. It's amazing to think he would go out there at that age and on that ankle.
WOLF: To be a professional quarterback in that league is basically being a human pinata. It really is.
HOLMES: Yes, every Sunday.
WOLF: And I mean, every time, even if you don't take a sack, you're going to get hit and hit hard. So, it could be a long time and, well, could be very scary to watch today. HOLMES: We'll see if he runs out there. But he has pulled off some heroics in the past. Maybe he'll do it again.
But on this Halloween, we forget, it is -- we cannot forget your forecast with the scary pumpkins jumping out but it is Halloween. It is Halloween. So, we got another Halloween-related quiz for you.
And "Halloween the Movie," do you remember this?
WOLF: I do.
HOLMES: Michael Myers with the hockey mask. But what actor was that mask modeled after back in 1978? Yes, a lot of people don't know this one.
A, was it Ben Cartwright on "Bonanza"? Was it Lee Majors of the "Six Million Dollar Man"? Or William Shatner's Captain Kirk from "Star Trek"? The answer and scene from the flick after the break.
It's 17 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes, that's what you need in Sunday morning. Good morning, folks. It's a scene from a horror movie. We thought that was appropriate.
No. A lot of people remember this movie, "Halloween," and the mask, Michael Myers chasing folks down. Now, that mask, before the break, we ask what was that mask modeled after that? Was it after Ben Cartwright on "Bonanza"? Lee Majors of "Six Million Dollar Man"? Or was it William Shatner's Captain Kirk from "Star Trek"?
Well -- it was actually Captain James T. Kirk. Now, because the independent film had a very low budget, the prop department used the cheapest mask they could find at a costume store that happened to be William Shatner's "Star Trek" mask, Captain Kirk. They spray painted the face white, they teased the hair a little bit, reshaped the eye holes. The rest is movie history.
Shatner said in an interview years later, he had no clue that that mask was modeled after his character.
Well, here we go. We're going to turn back to politics here now. A lot of folks, you got a lot on your mind out there trying to figure out who to vote for, all the issues that are important to you as well. You get up on Tuesday, though -- do you even know where you're supposed to go to vote?
Josh Levs is here with that. This is some useful stuff that a lot of people, you got so many other things on your mind -- oh, yes, where am I supposed to go?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Listen to this figure, there was a study done after 2008 elections, that got bunch of professors looked at those elections. They said 1.9 million Americans didn't vote primarily because they didn't know where.
What I'm going to tell you now is there's a bunch of tools online to make it very easy for you to find where, you don't need to write these down as we go. I'm going to show you where I've linked them all for you.
But take a look here, first of all, from VotingInfoProject.org, what they do is they have this embedded map in here using Google. So, all you need to do is put in your address at the top, they use 1600 Pennsylvania as an example, and you click it and boom, it zooms you over to where your polling site is, and they'll give you step by step directions if you want them.
Here's something else we got -- there's texting this year. This group called Mobile Commons is talking about this. They provide you a text number, you just text them your address, boom, they write you back where you can vote.
Here's another one, there's an app for that. This is an app that Google has put out, it's free. All you need to do is tell it where you are, it can pick up by GPS if you say that's your home. It will guide to you your polling place. This is technology here, helping people out with a lot of information.
Now, obviously, there's something important that you need to do before you go vote, which is learn the issues -- which is why you should start right off here at our election center, CNN.com/Politics, talks you through the issues, the candidates, how the balance of power could change, and what that could mean for all sorts of issues, get all sorts of facts right here.
And one more thing I'm going to mention before I go here which is this -- this is a study that showed how people turned out in different states during the last midterms. And all you need to know when you look at it here is the darker, the more people showed up. So, in some states around the country where it's really light, very, very low turnout. In the last midterms, we only had 40 percent turnout in the country.
Here is where everything is linked for you. It's up on my Facebook page right here, Facebook.com/JoshLevsCNN. Take a look there. Hopefully, these tools will help you not be part of those almost 2 million people who don't know where to vote.
And, T.J., the idea here is lots of groups out there saying we're going to do all we can to up that voter participation this time around.
HOLMES: All right. Josh, we appreciate you -- very useful information for everybody. Thank you so much.
Twenty-two minutes past the hour. Quick break here, we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Katy Perry, didn't she just get married, is that?
LEVS: Yes, in India. Good for her.
HOLMES: And what's the guy's name? The funny guy from --
LEVS: What's his name, Russell, what's his last name?
WOLF: I, you know -- I --
(CROSSTALK)
LEVS: I think the funny guy, I think of Reynolds.
HOLMES: The movie.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVS: I know and he's funny.
HOLMES: OK. Sorry that, wasn't the point of this right now.
Hello, welcome back to y'all. Welcome back. Twenty-three minutes past the hour.
We have seen some record overtime games over the years, namely college, kind of a weird setup with college overtime. Both teams get the ball at the 25 yard line, you go back and forth.
OK, anyway, in Texas now -- apparently, this is a record, never happened before, game went 12 overtimes. Take a look at this. This is actually I believe the winning field goal won this thing, but these kids went for six hours, it was almost 1:00 a.m. when this game was over, started at 7:30 Friday night. So, of course, the guys didn't get home until late.
Now, there's a little something tricky here. The final score was 84 to 81. However, one team only needed to win to get into the playoffs. The other team needed to win by eight points.
So, there was certainly points in the game during overtime, they could have won --
WOLF: Wow.
HOLMES: -- but they threw the ball out the back of the end zone, so they could get another chance to beat the team by eight points.
LEVS: Yes, it was not (INAUDIBLE).
WOLF: Insane.
HOLMES: So that's why it went over and over and over.
LEVS: You know, what if more people turned out in town if they started hearing about this, radio stations started talking about it, people go flocking over at midnight? I guess not.
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: But it's not a heavily populated area, roughly 50 miles separate the two cities. And what's amazing about this is you have -- at the end of regulation, the score was tied at 28-28, twice and tied at 28 apiece. So, I mean, it's unreal. I mean, it's just a nonstop score-fest.
LEVS: Good for them, though. They'll remember it forever.
HOLMES: It is great, 1:00 a.m., 12 overtimes. They're in the history books.
All right. Quick break here. Twenty-five past the hour. CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues right after the break.
WOLF: Go team.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. It is time for "Extra Credit" and our Carl Azuz, who joins me here now.
Always the questions about what's OK for people to post online? We're usually talking about, you know, adults maybe trying to get jobs, looking at what their employer do them. We're talking about students this time. What's OK for students?
CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: It's a tough question for them. And a story that really brings this case in point comes out of Ohio. A teenager cheerleader was recently suspended from the squad over a photo that was posted on Facebook.
Now, this is the photo right here. The teenager is on the right. Her name is Bree Vargo appearing to drink a beer. She is underage. She's a cheerleader in the school.
What they say is that their arms were actually crossed. What you can't see in the photo is the two girls armed were crossed so that she wasn't actually drinking her own beer. She appeared to be drinking the other girl's.
HOLMES: OK.
AZUZ: But go ahead and take a listen to her side of the story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BREE VARGO, DENIES DRINKING BEER: And I was, like, that's not mine. I didn't drink there. I -- my parents were there. It was at my sister's wedding. They said it's in your possession. I said that's the girl next to me. And they said, well, you're still, like, you're suspended.
(END VIDEO CLIP) AZUZ: OK. Now, she was interviewed by the school principal, by the dean, by the athletic director, and they said that during that interview, she said at some point during this wedding, she did have a beer in her possession. And as you'll hear the principal say that's clearly against the rules for cheerleaders.
Take a listen to this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL YOCUM, SCHOOL OFFICIAL: We have a guidelines in our athletic policy which says either the possession of or the use of drugs, alcohol and so on, and if you're found to be in possession or using that, you're suspended for -- it's either three games or two weeks, whichever is less.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: So, the last couple games, she was off the cheerleading squad, and this is one of those things with our student audience, we wanted to blow it up a little bit and ask them: how do you decide what's OK to put online?
HOLMES: This is tricky one here.
AZUZ: Very much so. And there are several different schools of thought. I mean, for kids, is that they really expect privacy on Facebook. Many of the students we've talked to say "no way."
But we have a comment from Kara (ph), first this morning, and Kara is saying, look, she's a cheerleader. She needs to uphold what's expected of cheerleaders and she needs to make the right decision by not having photos like this posted.
Another student named Brooke also wrote in and she's saying, "It doesn't matter. Privacy is privacy. This girl had something posted on her Facebook page, somebody gave it to the school administration, but they need to focus on things that kids are doing that could cause harm to them or their education, not things that happen in the privacy."
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: It's like somebody else posted it, it ended up on her Facebook page? She didn't post it herself, right?
AZUZ: She posted this on her Facebook page --
HOLMES: She posted it --
AZUZ: -- but it was somebody else who got hold of it and then sent it to the school administration. So it's a little murky there, T.J.
HOLMES: A little murky --
AZUZ: It's a little murky.
HOLMES: Doesn't she know better? And why would you even put something out like that?
AZUZ: Some -- some students say I expect it to be private. But like I said the third school of thought, of CNNStudentNews.com, kids are saying no way, you should never expect that anything you ever put online is ever going to remain private.
HOLMES: Ok and I guess she was kicked off the school or just suspended?
AZUZ: Just suspended two games. They were the last two games of the season so she had to sit those in.
HOLMES: All right, Carl, good. You always give us something good to think about this young folks.
AZUZ: Thank you T.J.
HOLMES: Carl I appreciate you as always. I appreciate you so much.
Well, the bottom of the hour here now and coming up, clergy of all faiths coming together for a common goal, but it's not the goal you might be thinking clergy would come together on.
Quick break, we're right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well now it's 34 minutes past the hour.
We continue to update you the story about this terror alert we've been watching for the past couple of days. Now a woman is under arrest in Yemen in connection with the apparent plot to bomb airplanes with devices that were hidden in computer printers.
There's now an al Qaeda link we know about. Federal officials telling CNN that investigators have drawn a connection between the package explosives and al Qaeda bomb maker who is believed to be in Yemen right now.
Yemeni police have arrested an engineering student in connection with the bombing. She is telling through her lawyer that she is innocent, another unnamed relative also being questioned in the case.
Now experts now thinks the same person or persons who built the Christmas Day underwear bomb also had a hand in this plot; that these devices show similarities in how they were put together. French Minister says the explosives were meant to take down a plane. We'll continue to update you there.
I'm taking a look at some other stories that are making headlines today: 1,700 people get to go back home in Colorado they were chased out by a wildfire, this fire burned about 152 acres. Officials tell us now the blaze near Boulder is about 70 percent contained.
Also, to Washington, D.C., the people's -- there you go, they were kicking this all just a short time ago, here is the picture we were looking at this is the Marine Corps marathon, this is called the People's Marathon, the fourth largest in the country, but it's named the People's Marathon because these folks aren't running for cash and prizes. Most of these people are running to honor someone that was lost in war.
Also World Series action coming your way this afternoon, look at that. The former president scheduled to throw out the first pitch. Those two former presidents, the Bushes -- is going to be throwing it out today in Texas. Right now the Rangers are down 2-1 games to the San Francisco Giants. We'll keep an eye on that a lot of people are keeping their eye on sports today.
Well, keeping an eye on Tuesday as well, two days away, who is going to come out on top in Tuesday's midterm election? Republicans hold a sizeable lead in a lot of the polls now just days before the election.
The latest CNN Opinion Research Corporation Poll shows likely voters choice for Congress Republican by some ten points. The GOP got 52 percent of the vote, Democrats 42 percent of the vote.
We want to turn now to a brand new cemetery for Russia's best and brightest opening up in Moscow. Nadia Bilchik is here with me. Wait a minute, there's classism and you know while we're alive and now we have to worry about being buried according to class and rank and all this stuff?
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN PRODUCER: Well, the two very famous cemeteries in Russia, and one is called the Novodevichy --
HOLMES: Yes.
BILCHIK: -- and it's at the Novodevichy that Boris Yeltsin, Chekov --
HOLMES: Yes.
BILCHIK: -- are all buried. So what's happening is they now are going to have a new cemetery for the elite. And this is what they say. The new cemetery will be reserved for those who have made a meaningful contribution to the humanitarian care or to culture, science or society. Because what happened in some of the other cemeteries is the very wealthy (INAUDIBLE) over the last 20 years; they have these unbelievable gravestones.
I think we're taking a look right now --
HOLMES: Ok.
BILCHIK: -- these great -- they are life size and they have etchings of the person on, etchings of the cars but these rather ostentatious gravestones -- so they're saying let's have a cemetery that's more dignified, where -- it's assuming that people like Putin and Gorbachev will eventually be buried.
HOLMES: Ok. Who gets to make the decision about who gets buried there? You can't just decide and pay your money. Ok.
BILCHIK: No, it's going to be funded by the government.
HOLMES: Ok.
BILCHIK: But I really like what "The Contracosta Times" say -- it says in short that means by the time today's movers and shakers aren't moving or shaking there should be room at the crypt but they'll be checking the press clippings.
HOLMES: Now is this open yet -- is still being --
BILCHIK: 2011-12 it opens.
HOLMES: And do we know who -- who possibly will be the first? We've got to wait on somebody to die?
BILCHIK: Well I know there's some people that people want dead --
HOLMES: Ok.
BILCHIK: -- but who it remains to be seen but look out for Russians who are incredible as far as science, philanthropy, politics, et cetera.
HOLMES: Ok.
BILCHIK: But will it eventually be corrupted by those who can pay and will we see giant tombstones? It was Halloween today we thought let's have a cemetery tombstone story.
HOLMES: Always timely with you. And you're going to be coming back, or you have something else for us -- you're helping us out with our "Faces of Faith" today.
BILCHIK: Yes we're going to be looking at religion and the environment and what interfaith leaders are doing to educate people about environmentalism.
HOLMES: There is your tease. Quick break; we're right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, about 20 to the top of the hour now. I want to give you more update, more information about this -- this terror plot coming out of Yemen. These suspected packages that were supposed to go from Yemen to Chicago to synagogues found to have explosive material on them.
Our Susan Candiotti on the line has been digging on this story. Susan thanks for hopping on the line. You're finding out more about these packages and where or even who they might have come from. SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, T.J., good morning.
Well, investigators according to our sources are telling us that they have been thinking that the same person who built the Christmas Day underwear bomb is also linked to these hidden explosives that were packed inside those -- those packages that were discovered.
Now we are hearing some additional information this morning from a U.S. government official that specifically they believe that Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri (ph) who is a 28-year-old Saudi nation is believed -- who is believed to have made underwear bomb on Christmas Day is the person that they are really focusing in on as the person who is behind all of the PETN-based explosives that were hidden inside those toner cartridges.
Now who is he? He's a 28-year-old Saudi national as we indicated and he is on their most wanted list. He is believed to have built a bomb that he hid inside actually his brother, a younger brother of his that wound up killing his brother some years ago as well as wounding a Saudi counterterrorism official.
So this is the person that we're talking about and we're continuing to dig on this.
HOLMES: All right, Susan Candiotti we do appreciate you. And just coming across the wire I need to share with our viewers here as well. We have been talking so much about these packages and the fact that they were sent via UPS and FedEx and that they were supposed to be or they were on cargo planes in sorting facilities when they were found.
We are now getting from Qatar Airways a spokesperson telling CNN that these explosives that were found hidden in these packages actually did travel on passenger planes at one point.
Now, a lot of people have been speculating and wondering what may have been the point of putting packages, mailing packages to possibly blow up a plane that you wouldn't have mass casualties, maybe a pilot or two that were on a cargo plane. But now an airway, a Qatar Airways official telling CNN that before those packages got into cargo planes at some point in transit they had to be put on another plane that actually did carry passengers.
That would certainly change the investigation, change the dynamic of this story in many ways as this -- this conversation continues.
Do I have Candy Crowley? Is she standing by with me right now? Candy, I know you're coming up here, "STATE OF THE UNION" at the top of the hour. You're going to be talking a lot about terrorism here but this certainly adds a new element to this story.
People have been trying to figure out what was the point? Was the goal to get these packages to Chicago? Was the point as the British officials suggested to maybe just blow up a plane and do something dramatic no matter how many people you kill?
Now we hear the packages were in fact at some point on a passenger plane.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": Yes, and we sort of got hints of that before. I think what's happening here in fact we talked to John Brennan who as you know is the president's top counterterrorism official about this just a while ago for the show coming up. And we asked him a couple of things. One of them was do you think there are any more packages out there? Is this over or are there still packages out there?
And he said it would be, you know, absurd to think that just to deny the possibility so they're still looking. He also said, I asked him about detonating, like how are these things to go off, and he said it was his understanding that they could go off inside the plane, or they could go off at a synagogue where these packages were addressed.
So it's an interesting story. It's clearly an ongoing story because, A, they haven't totally nailed down who it is that's behind it although they truly believe it's al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. They don't know if they've gotten everything out there at least in this sort of go-round. And they're not exactly sure where it was intended to go. And now you do this latest news which is at some point this package had to have traveled on an airplane with passengers simply to get to the next cargo plane stop. So this is a story that continues to unfold and I know you'll be watching it and so will we.
HOLMES: And I know you're going to be talking about this, John Brennan on terrorism also going to be talking a lot about politics. But I didn't get a chance to tell you great job last week with the senate debate. I don't know how you kept your sanity listening to a lot of that stuff going on. But you did a masterful, masterful job in my opinion.
CROWLEY: Thank you. It was fun.
HOLMES: Also you're talking politics today with a pretty big Republican who has been out and about for the past couple of weeks.
CROWLEY: Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican Party, he'll it be talking to us; Dick Durbin, the number two Democrat in the senate. We also have Bob Kerry former senator from Nebraska and our own CNN contributor Bill Bennett.
Because everything we don't understand about this election they're going to explain.
HOLMES: Yes, they should make it crystal clear. All right. Candy, always, always good to chat with you. Thanks so much.
CROWLEY: Thanks. Thank you.
HOLMES: Have a good show. Her show starts in 15 minutes; 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HOLMES: In today's "Faces of Faith" centuries now, clergy of all faith have been called to console the sick, hear confession, save souls. Now, some of the world's most prominent leaders have set a goal to heal an ailing environment. Sixty-six clergy members gathered recently in New York to set an agenda for stopping what they call an ecological crisis.
Our Nadia Bilchik sat down with a few of these leaders.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IBRAHIM ABDIL-MUHD RAMEY, DIRECTOR, MUSLIM AMERICAN SOCIETY FREEDOM: The transformation that's saving the earth, that's saving our future generations is not simply something that's in Never- Neverland, that can be done if we take the right action.
KAREN ARMSTRONG, AUTHOR, "A HISTORY OF GOD": We have to change, and this requires a major re-evaluation of our traditions.
PROF. MARY EVELYN TUCKER, YALE DIVINITY SCHOOL: We need to be partners with the scientific community, because religions have been late in coming to this.
RABBI LAWRENCE TROSTER, CHAPLAIN, BARD COLLEGE: We are literally undoing creation, turning it back into primordial chaos so to speak.
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN PRODUCER: Each one of you has been identified as a thought leader and interfaith visionary. Now, we understand that interfaith dialogue is important but how does that fit into a discussion about the environment? Help us make the connection.
TROSTER: Well, ever since the beginning of the modern environmental movement in the early '60s, it's been understood that what is needed is a change of values and a change of world view. And that is part and parcel of a religious perspective, and that the real environment crisis not a crisis of technology. It is a crisis of the way we view ourselves in relation to the earth.
ARMSTRONG: Right from the very beginning, some of the earliest religions of humanity were deeply concerned about using up the earth's resources. Their rituals were about renewing the earth's resources, a sense that this was something tremendously precious.
BILCHIK: Let's talk about religions and how they relate to the environment. Doctor Tucker, how do they relate on this issue?
TUCKER: One of the things I would offer as environmental values from all of the world's religions that we could I think agree on would be reverence for the earth community, this great, huge planet that we share. It would also be a sense of restraint, that we can live with less and that religions have a particular role here.
RAMEY: The natural evolution of this conversation within the interfaith community has now reached a point where people of faith are stepping up to the plate and saying we have a particular role and a responsibility in moving the larger human conversation and human action forward around environmental justice and sustainability.
BILCHIK: Is there anything in the Koran or the Torah that warned against global warming?
TROSTER: No. Although there is the idea that humans can disrupt the order of creation and we are literally undoing creation, turning it back into primordial chaos, so to speak.
RAMEY: (INAUDIBLE) emphasized the need for responsibility in the process of giving. And what we have to give is the work that creates and expands the sustainable world, that we have to recognize that what happens to our brothers and sisters in this earth as a result of the irresponsibility of our civilization and our consumption and our greed is not acceptable in the eyes of God.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And Nadia with me once again. They got together, talked about some things. What do they think they actually achieved in this meeting?
BILCHIK: The Temple of Understanding, this group of people said they created a stronger network of truly international. They have people from Taiwan and India, so truly international people set a stronger network of educating people about the environment.
Van Jones, he was the keynote speaker there that day, author of the "Green Economy States", these faith leaders are the people who hold the people and they have such a role to play in sharing environmentalism so the dialogue on that day was spectacular. Usually you see maybe one Muslim, Christian or Jew. Here you literally had Buddhists, (INAUDIBLE), Hindus, Jews. So it was so multi-cultural, multi-ethnic from all over the world and a stronger network and stronger commitment to educate their communities about the environment.
HOLMES: We will see where it goes. As you say, the people that hold the people.
BILCHIK: The people that hold the people.
HOLMES: Nadia, we appreciate you as always.
Quick break here. We are right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: A look now at some of the stories making headlines. Federal officials telling CNN that investigators are linking this week's or last week's package explosives to an al Qaeda bomb maker in Yemen. Meanwhile, authorities in Yemen arrest a female engineering student thought to be involved in the bombing plots.
President Obama back on the campaign trail prior to Tuesday's critical midterm elections. Today the president and the vice president spoke on behalf of Ohio's incumbent governor Ted Strickland. Also, the Texas Rangers -- they have won their first ever World Series game. And it was at home, they beat the Giants last night 4-2. San Francisco still holding a one-game advantage and the best of seven World Series; Texas will try to even things up tonight in Arlington.
Halloween, a lot of people did their trick-or-treating last night. Some will do it tonight. So, just a reminder here some of these things we need to keep in mind from the food and drug -- excuse me -- the Federal Drug Administration they want you to know how to be safe.
They said wear costumes made of fire-retardant materials, might sound like common sense but something you can keep in mind. Make sure that they aren't so long that they're a danger of tripping. Also wear makeup and hats rather than masks that can obscure your vision. Also don't eat that candy until somebody checks it out at home -- more on that in a second.
Also the trick-or-treaters should eat a snack before they head out. Actually just give them a full dinner, make sure they go out with full bellies so they won't be out there trying to eat all that candy along the way. Parents of very young children should remove any choking hazards as well, some gum, peanuts, hard candies, small toys even that they might get. Again, you should inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, like an unusual appearance, discoloration, even tiny pinholes or tears in the wrapper. Unfortunately we have to think like that but still it's important to try to keep safe out there.
As we go to break, take a look at these pictures of our CNN family.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, thank you much for being with us here on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
Right now, I'm going to hand it over to Candy Crowley and "STATE OF THE UNION".
