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CNN Sunday Morning
Arrests in Oklahoma Shootings; Deadline Looming in Syria; Interview with Kay Warren
Aired April 08, 2012 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Today on CNN SUNDAY MORNING --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're coming for you.
KAYE: That warning from the chief of police to killers on the loose in Tulsa, Oklahoma, paid off. Two suspects now in custody in the shooting rampage that left three dead and two in critical condition.
More than 120 people killed by government forces in Syria. Just two days before the Assad regime's promised cease-fire. But we're now learning the Syrian government has new demands.
And it's Easter Sunday. "New York Times" Nick Kristof joins us live to talk about his new column. Is religion seeing a resurgent?
You're watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING, where news doesn't take the weekend off.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: It is Sunday, April 8th. Good morning, everybody. I'm Randi Kaye. Glad you're with us.
It is a story that you heard here first. The series of shootings in Tulsa, Oklahoma, left three people dead. While you were sleeping, there was a successful end to the manhunt. Two men in custody right now are being questioned by authorities. This is one of them. You see him there, Alvin Watts.
Earlier, I asked Tulsa police captain, Jonathan Brooks, about the arrest and how they found the suspects.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPTAIN JONATHAN BROOKS, TULSA POLICE (via telephone): We have two subjects in custody right now. We have Alvin Watts, 32-year-old white male, and Jake England, 19-year-old white male, now in our custody.
KAYE: And what led them to you? How were you able to get them? BROOKS: Well, it was through the work and investigation of our detectives and agents and deputies. And through the tip line that we set up and tips that the community provided to us and the information that was provided on us all coming to collaboration and led us to the successful arrest of these two individuals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Last hour, I spoke to Tulsa's mayor about his feelings now that he's two people are in custody.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR DEWEY BARTLETT, TULSA, OKLAHOMA (via telephone): We're very pleased that this has come to an end -- at least will this portion of this whole process. But we still have to remember that three of our fellow citizens were killed and their families on Easter morning are how having to deal with that. So -- being glad that we're caught two guys and arrested them, put them behind bars, is somewhat tempered by what they appear to have done.
KAYE: Was there a single tip that led to the arrests and any information about how those arrests went down?
BARTLETT: I don't know exactly other than it was a tip that was phoned into our crime stoppers network. Then that led to some phone calls and some observation and several door knocking opportunities. And then lead to these two individuals being arrested.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The mayor also said police are looking for a motive and trying to find out if these may have been a hate crime. The suspects are white and all the victims are African American.
The Syrian military keeping up its onslaught against rebel fighters and civilians just two days before the cease-fire deadline. On Tuesday, a cease-fire agreement is supposed to take effect in Syria, but the Syrian government now demanding a written guarantee from the opposition that they will stand down. Activists say more than 120 people were killed across the country Saturday, including five children.
We'll have a live report for you in just a few minutes.
A landmark deal being signed today will change the way the U.S. military operates in Afghanistan. The agreement will mean the end to night raids by U.S. Special Forces troops. They will now be carried out by Afghan troops. The night raids had sparked particularly harsh anger among the Afghans.
And check out these pictures from Los Angeles where a tanker fire shut down all lanes of the 134 Freeway overnight. Firefighters got control of the blaze around midnight local time, but officials closed the road because of concerns about the structure of the bridge. No injuries reported. Easter is being celebrated around the world today. Pope Benedict marked the holiday with a mass at St. Peter's basilica. After that, he gave the traditional Easter message.
Take a look here. This was a scene in Jerusalem, where Christian pilgrims attended Easter Sunday services. And take a look at this traditional scene in Poland. You can see families carrying around their Easter baskets. It's the blessing of the baskets. These are pilled with bread and sausages instead of chocolate and bunnies.
And let's say good morning and happy Easter to Reynolds Wolf.
You have your Easter tie on. Nice pink tie.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Pretty much. I need the Easter basket that has meat and bread. That's the way to go. I mean, don't get me wrong -- chocolate is a great thing, got to love the jelly beans. But, man, hey protein sounds good, too.
KAYE: Oh, yes.
WOLF: Hey, weather is going to be pretty nice this Easter Sunday. We're expecting a lot of sunshine in parts of the Southeast and along portions of the West Coast. But we also have a few thunderstorms that are popping up across the Central Plains. We're going to show you what to expect coming up in a few moments. Plus, your travel weather, that's moments away.
KAYE: OK. Thank you, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet.
KAYE: No written guarantee, no deal -- that's the word from the Syrian government on the looming ceasefire deadline. We've got a live report next.
Also ahead, Nick Kristof from the "New York Times." So, what's he writing about today? Well, you have to stick around to find out or by "New York Times" I guess as well.
But stick around. We'll be right back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PFC. RUBEN JARLEGUI, HOMETOWN: JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA: Hi. This is PFC Jarlegui, Rubin, here at Camp (INAUDIBLE) 148 Camp Delta. I just want to say I love you, babe, to my wife, and my mom, my brother and my cousins back home. I love you guys and I'll see you soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Tuesday is the deadline for the ceasefire to start in Syria. But the Syrian government wants a written guarantee now from opposition forces that they, too, will lay down their weapons. Otherwise, tanks and troops will stay put in cities and towns across the country and violence will just keep going.
CNN's Ivan Watson joining me now from Istanbul, Turkey.
Ivan, with the violence continuing, is there any hope that the cease-fire will take effect now with this new demand of a written agreement?
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It certainly puts that whole peace plan in to question, especially now that the man who helped broker it, the United Nations special envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, has just come out with a statement that's quite critical of the Syrian regime.
He said, quote, "I am shocked by recent reports of a surge in violence and atrocities in several towns and villages in Syria, resulting in alarming levels of casualty, refugees and displaced persons in violations of assurances given to me. I remind the Syrian government that the present escalation of government is unacceptable."
Now, Kofi Annan has come under a great deal of criticism from the opponents of the Syrian regime because he helped hammer out an agreement with the Syrian government to withdraw its forces by Tuesday of next week and to agree to a cease-fire. Many people, critics, accusing Kofi Annan of giving the Syrian government more time to delay coming to a cease-fire and more time to crackdown on the Syrian opposition.
But now you've got Kofi slamming the Syrian government and the Syrian government coming out and demanding more as assurances from the opposition. This does not look good.
And meanwhile, amid all this diplomacy in these states, people are dying inside and we're seeing more movements by Syrian tanks and artillery, Syrian fighter planes fighting over Syrian cities, as well. This does not show any indication that there is going to be a drawdown in the fighting.
More than 100 people reported killed yesterday alone. Randi, I've been watching videos coming out of there of mass graves and executions of people lined up against walls. The fighting and violence is only getting worse -- Randi.
KAYE: So -- and there's really no indication, right, Ivan? I mean, we're not seeing -- we're not seeing any type of pull out or even the beginning of a pull out at all, right?
WATSON: No, you know, the U.S. ambassador to Syria, who is out of the country, published some satellite images on Friday night that he said indicated there are a few places where there has been a pull back of tanks. But most of that armor does appear to still be in place.
And, Randi, we've been documenting here in Turkey a dramatic increase in the number of refugees fleeing the Syrian government crackdown over the past three to four days. So we're not in the country, but all the indicators are that the Syrian government is stepping up its attacks ahead of this Tuesday deadline.
KAYE: Ivan Watson for us in Istanbul -- Ivan, thank you very much.
Meanwhile, as Christians around the world celebrate Easter, my next guest says respect for religion is growing among an unlikely group -- that group atheists.
Joining me now from New York is "New York Times" columnist and author of the paper's "On the Ground" blog, Nick Kristof.
Nick, welcome back to the show. Good morning to you.
NICHOLAS KRISTOF, NEW YORK TIMES: Good morning, Randi. And happy Easter.
KAYE: Thank you. Back to you as well.
In your column today, another great one, you write about a shift in perspective to what you call the, quote, "grudging admiration for religion as an ethical and cohesive force."
Tell us what you found out.
KRISTOF: Well, Randi, as you know, a few years ago we had some array of best selling books by Christopher Hitchens, by Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, that were just scathing about religion. Hitchens was called "God is a Not Great." And I think that that trend has subsided. And what we're seeing instead is a new wave of books by people who also consider themselves atheists or agnostics, but aren't nearly as hostile or scathing, and actually do offer a measure of respect and the title of maybe the standard bearer of this is "Religion for Atheists" by Alain De Botton.
KAYE: Yes, you mention that book, "Religion for Atheists," in which the author writes in part, I'm going to quote here, "the error of modern atheism has been to overlook how many aspects of the faith remain relevant even after their central tenets have been dismissed.
I mean, what are some ways that atheists are finding religion useful or helpful that you found?
KRISTOF: Well, I think that there is a growing (INAUDIBLE). I think part of it is just the heat of religious wars in the U.S. has faded a little bit over issues like science versus evolution, some degree over gay marriage. And so, it's easier now and also I think that religion had been very much associated with the Bush administration policies of the past and now that President Bush is out of office, it's a little easier for the left to look at religion a little more dispassionately and to look at artistic achievements, to look at Notre Dame, to look at works of literature, also to look at the degree to which ethical -- which religion can at times provide an ethical basis. There is still certainly huge disagreement with many positions of the church, perhaps particularly the Catholic Church or evangelical positions. But also a willingness, to acknowledge there are a lot of priests and nuns who are out in the middle of nowhere risking their lives on behalf of other people.
KAYE: Yes. We did a little research, as well, and we found this 2008 survey on religion in America. And it found that the number of people who call themselves nonreligious, including atheists, has actually doubled over the last 20 year. But the number of Christians has declined.
So, two things here, Nick. I mean, first how is it possible for the number of atheists to grow but we are seeing a change in their attitudes toward religion?
KRISTOF: Well, I think it's true that atheists are the fastest growing religious community, if you will. Even though they're exactly a religious community, but that's from a very small base. I think that may indeed be related, though, that as a growing number of people feel less connection to God, that that community has grown and become somewhat more moderate, that it's no longer just a fringe group and especially in the Pacific Northwest, it really is a significant force. That's where it's strongest.
KAYE: Let me ask you about spirituality because a lot of people, you know, they say, well, I'm not very religious, but I'm spiritual. So, what about the idea of spirituality versus religion? I mean, do Americans think that they have to be a member of a church or a mosque or synagogue, whatever it is, to get the full benefits of faith? Or is it possible that people believe in God but just not religion?
KRISTOF: There is some evidence that we have an engrained biological need for faith, that is inherited, that varies on some degree with the individual depending on the DNA that we've inherited. And that can be reflected in attending a church in a very traditional way, but it can also find expression in other forms of spirituality or even secular things. I think there are secular activities that provide a community, that provide some sense of ethical obligation that to some degree fulfill this inner desire for something quasi- spiritual.
KAYE: Nick, it is always great to talk to you. I will speak with you next Sunday.
In the meantime, if anyone would like to check out Nick Kristof's column, you can find it at NewYorkTimes.com. I'll also probably could link to it on my Facebook page at RandiKayeCNN.
Nick, have a great day. Thank you.
KRISTOF: And you. Take care.
KAYE: Well, snow is pretty much a given in Alaska, right? But one city there has seen more snow this season than anytime in the last 57 years. You can guess how much? Is it 33 inches, 133 inches, 233 inches? Oh, my. We'll tell you, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Reynolds is back with a little bit of forecast for us.
So, are lots of folks out seeing family and friends on the holiday weekend?
WOLF: Absolutely.
KAYE: What can they expect?
WOLF: Well, I'll tell you what they're going to expect. First, the answer the question you asked about the snowfall in Alaska.
KAYE: Oh, yes.
WOLF: OK. Can we bring that back up?
What do you think the answer was to this? If you were to it take a gander at this yourself, what do you think was the record snowfall total that was actually broken that was held for some 57 years? Do you think it's 33, do you think 133 or 233?
KAYE: I'm going to go with 233.
WOLF: You're close. You're absolutely right, but incorrect. It's actually 133 -- 133 inches. Hard to believe.
KAYE: How can I be right and incorrect?
WOLF: I'm trying to sound nice.
KAYE: You're so nice. Trying to make me look smart.
WOLF: Hey, you are the smartest.
You know someone else who is very smart, Joe Connelly (ph), our producer. I want to thank Joe -- pardon me -- Joe Connelly for his great service. Joe is actually leaving this team.
KAYE: Yes.
WOLF: Staying with CNN, but just going a different show.
Joe, we love you very much. You know that, doesn't need to be said, but I'm saying it any way. Just like I said I had to say that Randi got the question right and wrong at the same time.
All right. We'll show your forecast here. You have some rain that's been forming just the southeast of Oklahoma City, west of San Antonio, in places like in (INAUDIBLE), just the west of Austin, you're going to have a light drizzle of rainfall.
It's going to continue through a good part of the morning. The reason why it's going to be moving through is you got that frontal boundary from west to east. Another very weak front moving through the Great Lakes. It's not going to give you a great deal of precipitation, certainly not as heavy as some of the snow we're seeing now towards New England and also towards New Brunswick, even Maine this morning getting a light dusting of snowfall for this eastern morning.
Wind is going to be the big issue that we're going to see. In the western Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, gusts anywhere from 30 to 40 miles per hour. Same deal for Mid-Atlantic States -- if you happen to go to Washington, D.C. today, you're walking out among the cherry blossoms. A nice gust may drop a couple of those for you.
What we're also going to be dealing with today is plenty of sunshine for parts of the Southeast and for the West Coast until you get to Mt. Shasta northward, it's going to be a rainmaker in the highest elevations in the next day or so -- I would say you might see snow in the Cascades, also into the Sierra Nevada.
In terms of your temperature, it is going to be so comfortable in Chicago today, 65 degrees, the expected high, 74 in Denver, 65 in San Francisco, 83 in Tampa. And as we wrap things up, here we go -- delays in Miami, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Dallas, thunderstorms delays under an hour.
OK, Randi. Happy Easter.
KAYE: Are you -- thank you -- are you going to get home for the egg roll today in time?
WOLF: You know, I'm not --
KAYE: On the front lawn.
WOLF: I think I'm going to try for this afternoon. I think the bunny is going to wait for us.
KAYE: OK. I'll be there.
WOLF: All right. Good times. Bring it on.
KAYE: Thanks, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet.
KAYE: So the final round of the Masters tees off in just about an hour. Phil Mickelson lad a big moving day to move one step closer to capturing his fourth green jacket. But he'll still have to get past Peter Hanson. The Swede holds a one the shot lead over the Lefty. Tiger Woods 12 shots back.
Just ahead, we'll take you live to England where hundreds are relatives and Titanic enthusiast are setting sail on a memorial cruise retracing the ill-fated ship's voyage 100 years ago.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAYE: It has been 100 years since the Titanic set sail on its ill-fated maiden voyage. And still holds the world's imagination, books, popular movies, of course. And now, believe it or not, a memorial cruise with more than 1,000 passengers setting sail from England.
Senior international correspondent Dan Rivers joining me now from South Hampton.
Good morning, Dan. So where exactly is this cruise ship going and who's on it?
DAN RIVERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's full of sort of Titanic enthusiasts, some relatives of survivors, some relatives of victims. People who are obsessed I think it's fair to say with the Titanic, many of them this morning we've seen dressing up in period costume to celebrate sort of getting on board the ship. What they're going to do is follow in the wake of the Titanic, first to France, then to Ireland, and then over the Atlantic and they will stop exactly where the wreck is at the exact time that the Titanic sank next Sunday and hold a memorial ceremony.
Among them is a guy called Phillip Littlejohn, whose grandfather Alexander Littlejohn was a first class steward on board who amazingly made it off. He was ordered in to a live boat to row first class passengers to safety.
Phillip Littleton talked to me and described what effect it had on his grandfather.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILIP LITTLEJOHN, GRANDSON OF TITANIC SURVIVOR: There is a picture of him on the rescue ship on, quite clearly still dark hair and dark mustache. Six months later, he goes back to work. He's issued with a new discharge book. And in the front of that, his color of his hair white. So between April and October, he went completely white through the effects of shock.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERS: Phillip Littleton there explaining the remarkable story of his grandfather. He's just one of the number of people who got -- who had relatives on board the Titanic. And I think it's fair to say both sides of the Atlantic, there is still enormous interest in this ship 100 years after she sank.
KAYE: Yes.
But, Dan, you know, some might look at this and they might call it disaster voyeurism. I mean -- but I guess it's acceptable, a lot of people have a lot of interest in it.
RIVERS: Well, absolutely. It's not been without some criticism. I think the organizers sort of say they're going to do it in a sensitive fashion and it's designed to sort of pay homage for the people that lost their lives. They'll so that in Nova Scotia on the way to New York to visit the graveyards of some of the people that were buried there in Halifax.
So, it is going to be a fairly somber affair for part of this voyage, I think is fair to say. But the organizers are saying, you know, they want to do this in a sensitive way, they feel it's fitting.
Interestingly, the number of people aboard is almost equal to the number of people that were on the Titanic, 1,300 people in all.
KAYE: Dan Rivers for us. Dan, thank you very much.
In just four minutes, Kay Warren, the wife of Pastor Rick Warren and co-founder of the Saddleback Church, talks to me about Easter and finding joy despite the challenges of depression.
You're watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING, where news doesn't take a weekend off.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back. And thanks for starting your morning with us. I'm Randi Kaye. It is half past the hour.
Checking "Top Stories".
These are the two men now in custody in connection with a series of shootings in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Three people were killed. Police say Alvin Watts and Jake England were apprehended in a home overnight. They are being questioned right now.
Not only has there been a surge in violence but the Syrian government is making new demands just days before a ceasefire deadline. It's supposed to withdraw its troops from cities and towns by Tuesday, but now the Assad regime wants a written guarantee from the opposition that they will stand down. Activists and more than 120 people were killed across the country yesterday.
The world is waiting to see if North Korea will launch a missile in the coming days. The window for Pyongyang to do so opens Wednesday. An academic group at Johns Hopkins University says recent satellite images are consistent with operations to erect a rocket. A launch would apparently violate international sanctions and by the way CNN does have a crew in North Korea and we will be on top of any developments.
Christians consider Easter one of the most joyful days of the year. But for many people, joy can actually be pretty hard to find. Pastor Rick Warren's wife, Kay, has written a new book called "Choose Joy because Happiness isn't Enough"; I spoke with her about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Kay Warren joins me now from New York. Kay, I had a chance to read your book. I'm curious how you would define joy. I mean, how do you see the difference between joy and happiness? KAY WARREN, AUTHOR, "CHOOSE JOY": Oh there's a huge difference because happiness is completely dependent on what is going on externally. I just got a promotion or a raise or had a new baby or, you know, I got a good report back from the doctor. It's all about external things that -- that are good.
But joy has to be more stable because it has to take us through the dark times. It has to take us through the times when, you know, you don't get a good report back from the doctor, when the person you love doesn't love you anymore, when the economy tanks a little further.
Joy has to be -- it has to come from some place different, it has to be more permanent. And I think --
(CROSSTALK)
KAYE: So joy comes from within?
WARREN: Well no, it comes from God. That's -- that's the point. It's -- it's -- God is the only thing that's stable in our lives everything else about life changes. Nothing stays the same. But God is eternal, he's permanent, he's stable.
So when we put our -- our hopes for joy in him, then we've got a real possibility to experience him -- experience him on a daily basis.
KAYE: In your book, you quote the bible and I want to read one quote here. You write "When troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy". Now, some might say that's easier said than done but you say it's possible.
WARREN: It is definitely easier said than done, but it's -- it's the goal. And it's reflective I think of the way that Jesus lived his life. He was -- the bible says a man of sorrows, but in his essence, he was a man of joy. So he shows us how to live with both joy and sorrow at the same time.
And that's sort of what launched me on the search was to read that the bible said joy was something I was supposed to experience and yet I wasn't. And I wanted to know why. And I wanted to figure that out.
KAYE: Does Easter help Christians find joy?
WARREN: Absolutely. Because Jesus -- the bible says he came to die. He was so clear about why he came to earth. Don't be -- Jesus was never confused about why he came. He came to die, to be the savior. And the book of Hebrews says that he went to the cross for the joy that was set before him. Well, the joy that was set before him was being our savior and bringing all the men and women who would say yes to him back into relationship with God. That's why he did it.
KAYE: For years you've been very open about suffering from low level depression. How does your faith help you find joy to get through those times? WARREN: Yes low level depression has been a constant companion. I really don't remember a time when I haven't experienced it. And so as such, it just becomes like a low grade headache, something that just stays with you all the time. And then you add other life circumstances on top of that, and sometimes that can feel pretty significant.
And so it's challenged me to look beyond my personality, to look beyond the temporary places that I would put my joy because it's just never enough. For me, it is -- it has been on developing a perspective that says God is in control, I can trust him with my life and I can choose every day how much joy I'm going to experience no matter what's going on, on the outside. No what externally is happening?
KAYE: One thing I really like in the book is your suggestion that we go out and we find ourselves a joy mentor, somebody who can help us learn about joy and carry joy. Is -- is there someone who served as your joy mentor?
WARREN: You know, I am loving right now, my mother is 88, and I would have to say when she was a little bit younger, my mother was -- had a little more anxiety struggle, but I'm watching her as an 88- year-old woman today live with absolute joy. She is at peace with who she is. She spends every day in the assisted living home where she is at near my house. She talks to people. She prays with them. When they need something, they come find her.
So at 88, you know, she is experiencing joy on a daily basis. I'm learning something about joy every day from my mom.
KAYE: Wow that's really wonderful to hear. Listen, I know that you've been very active in, working with AIDS orphans in Africa. I want to talk to you about that. And I also want to talk to you8 about the role that religion and faith has been playing in the presidential race so far this year.
So we'll talk more right after the break.
WARREN: Ok.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Easter is a time of joy and before the break, I was speaking with Pastor Rick Warren's wife, Kay, about her new book, "Choose Joy Because Happiness isn't Enough". I also had a chance to speak with her about one of the biggest priorities of her ministry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: I want to talk to you about your work that you've done with the AIDS orphans. One of the ministries that you've been devoted to really is working with these orphans and those living with HIV and AIDS around the world. Why is that so important to you and where do we stand on that now, how much progress are we seeing?
WARREN: Well, the reason it's so important is because HIV is the worst humanitarian crisis the world has ever seen. So it's something that's not just a cause, it's not just something that a few people should care about. I really believe that -- that all of us have to care about people who are HIV positive.
So with AIDS 2012, the International Aids conference coming to U.S. soil in July, it's a moment for us here in the United States to say we care about people who are positive. It's a moment for those people of faith to say we're going to lead the way. We haven't always done so well at that, but it's a moment to be able to do so.
The good news is that they're finding that in some countries, the infection rate is stabilizing for the first time in the pandemic and they're also finding that when people are put on treatment earlier, that they become if they -- if they stay adherent to their medication, they become much less able to transmit the virus.
So treatment becomes a form of prevention. It'll never take the place of behavior change. I mean treatment is expensive. We want to use treatment but people still have personal responsibility, as well.
KAYE: Well it's incredible really the work that you've doing.
Let's turn to politics now. During the campaign, Rick Santorum certainly have been very outspoken about issues that are important to Evangelical Christians. Do you think that faith has a role to play in politics maybe because now really he has turned everything towards social issues in this campaign?
WARREN: Well, it's always bothered me when I hear politicians say that, you know, I have a faith, but it's personal, it's private, I don't talk about it. As though we can compartmentalize our lives in to these neat little boxes. It just -- I don't believe it happens that way. I think we all have a world view that -- that we approach every single thing from politics to our family to what we believe about life, what we believe about the economy, what we believe about the earth.
So we all have a world view. And it has to spill over into politics. So Rick and I have always said that we -- that you cannot divorce your faith from politics. But that -- that the separation of church and state must exist. So it's a dance that -- that we have to do.
KAYE: During the last election cycle, your husband, Rick, hosted the forum with Barack Obama and John McCain. Do you expect that -- that he might repeat that any forums planned once the nominee is announced?
WARREN: Well, we're thinking about it. We're considering it. We haven't made a hard decision yet. But that was a highlight for us. That was a -- that was a lot of fun to do that. And I hope we can do it again this time.
KAYE: All right. Kay Warren, thank you so much for your time. Thank you for joining us and happy Easter.
WARREN: Ok. You, too, thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: For more stories on faith, you can go to our belief blog at CNN.com/belief. You can also share your thoughts there as well.
Politicians are responding to the new jobs report. We'll ask CNN's Candy Crowley what they're saying next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Senator Chuck Grassley may have some explaining to do today. You see the Iowa Republican sent out a tweet about President Obama's comment that the Supreme Court shouldn't overturn his health care law. Check this out.
Constituents asked why I'm not outraged at Pres. O. attack on Supreme Court independent because American people are not stupid as this x-prof of con law.
President Obama is a former professor of constitutional law and his campaign chief David Axelrod fired back on Twitter, saying this to Grassley, "I think a 6-year-old hijacked your account and is sending out tweets just to embarrass you".
Grassley the ranking member of the judiciary committee actually did have his Twitter account hacked in January by the group Anonymous. We reached out to Grassley's office for a reaction but we haven't heard anything back.
CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" is coming up at the top of the hour and Candy Crowley is standing by with a preview for us. Good morning Candy, let's talk jobs.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": Yes, let's talk jobs.
(CROSSTALK)
KAYE: What do you make of the spin from the GOP candidates on this one?
CROWLEY: Well listen. It was -- even the White House could not put a great spin on these jobs numbers other than to say look, we did create more jobs which is better than losing them. But when you expect 200,000 jobs to be created and you get a little over 100,000, that's not great; when unemployment drops, that's always good news except for it dropped because people left the job hunting force.
So there is something in here politically for everybody. And economists say look maybe it's a slowdown, maybe you know what we know is the recovery is still weak, but it takes more than one month to kind of a trend make.
KAYE: Yes.
And of course being that this is Easter, what better day to discuss religion's role in politics. And I understand you have a pretty great panel of guests on this morning to do just that.
CROWLEY: We do. Ralph Reed out of Georgia is with us, as well as Congressman Emanuel Cleaver who is not just a congressman, but a pastor, to talk in fact about the role of religion in politics and is it too much.
KAYE: You know we just talked to Kay Warren I'm sure you saw just a clip of that before and she basically said that you can't divorce faith from politics. That it's an -- it's an interesting dance. So I'm sure you'll hear some of that, as well, from your guests.
CROWLEY: Indeed it is. I'm sorry, I --
KAYE: Are you ok? You need a break?
CROWLEY: There's construction around here and every once in a while I breathe in dust. You can't -- you believe what you believe and it can't help but shape your politics.
I think what Americans are saying, at least the plurality of them in a Pew poll that we'll be asking them to talk about, is that they think there's too much sort of open praying, open talk about God. They understand that people are formed by their spiritual and religious beliefs. They're not so sure that they like them using those religious beliefs to promote their political beliefs. So it's a matter of how far you go in joining the two, I think for a lot of Americans.
KAYE: I'm not sure how far you're going to get today talking about Mitt Romney and the President, but we had the President this week naming Mitt Romney in one of his speeches. Have they moved to the general election at this point do you think?
CROWLEY: Well, the President has always been in the general election because he didn't have a primary. But you are right that even though Rick Santorum is saying, listen, it's not over, I'm still -- and we do indeed have primaries all the way through most of June, the fact of the matter is when you just look at the numbers, it's hard to come up with a scenario that either Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum or Ron Paul can win the number of delegates.
Perhaps will is a way to stop Mitt Romney, but he has gathered up a lot of momentum. So very definitely the re-election committee of President Obama is looking in fact right at Mitt Romney. That's who they think the nominee is going to be and, by the way, that's who Mitt Romney thinks it's going to be, too.
KAYE: He made that very clear this week.
CROWLEY: Absolutely.
KAYE: Candy, thank you very much. Nice to see you.
CROWLEY: Thank you.
KAYE: And keep it here of course for "STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley, it starts in just about 14 minutes, 9:00 a.m. Eastern time, 6:00 a.m. Pacific, right here on CNN.
From a giant Easter egg hunt to a possible rocket launch? Those are just a few of the events scheduled for the week ahead. I'll show you what's on the "Week Ahead" calendar right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back. Let's take a look at what you need to know for the week ahead. We have our "Week Ahead" calendar -- it's brand new -- I'm just trying it out today, so bear with me, ok.
But Monday, big day Monday, we have the White House egg roll happening on Monday. The First Family hosts the 134th annual White House Easter roll. More than 35,000 people are expected on that White House lawn.
Now, on Tuesday, we know that. We'd been talking about this quite a bit this morning. It's the deadline for Syria and the cease fire. It's the day that the Syrian government has agreed to complete its pull out of forces from major population centers. Hundreds of members of the Syrian opposition have been reported killed since the agreement was reached two weeks ago.
We have a couple things going on, on Wednesday. First is the Charles Manson parole hearing; he is the cult leader. He is scheduled to go before the California Board of Prison Terms to try and convince them that he is no longer a threat to society. In 2007, Manson was denied parole for the 11th time since being sentenced to life for a murder rampage in 1969.
Now, also on Wednesday is the North Korea rocket launch window. This opens for a planned rocket launch by North Korea. The launch would apparently violate international sanctions and by the way, CNN does have a crew in North Korea.
On Thursday, John Edwards has a big day. The jury selection begins for the trial of the former senator. He's accused of illegal use of campaign funds to hide his affair with his mistress.
And on Friday, busy day for the President. He travels to Cartagena, Colombia for the summit of the Americas. 34 heads of state will meet to talk about an agenda for the region.
So there you have it -- get over there, just a little bit on Friday -- our week ahead.
Coming up, when I say airmen, you think of the men and women serving in the Air Force, right; but you may have to rethink that image because these airmen, yes these little four legged guys, are among the most deployed in the military. We'll explain in a moment.
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KAYE: Checking top stories.
These are the two men now in custody in connection with a series of shootings in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Three people were killed. Police say Alvin Watts and Jake England were apprehended in a home overnight. They're being questioned right now.
Not only has there been a surge in violence, but the Syrian government is making new demands just days before the ceasefire deadline. It's supposed to withdraw its troops from cities and towns by Tuesday, but now the Assad regime wants a written guarantee from the opposition that they will stand down. Activists and more than 120 people were killed across the country yesterday.
Rescue crews are close to reaching nine miners trapped underground in Peru. They've been stuck there since Thursday. Rescuers were just six feet away from them last might, but the fear of landslides has closed the operation down. Miners are getting oxygen and food and water through a tube.
Christians around the world are celebrating Easter, one of the most sacred days on the Christian calendar. Pope Benedict XVI delivered his annual Easter message from St. Peter's Basilica just a few hours ago. Christians observe this as the day that their lord and savior Jesus Christ rose from the dead after his crucifixion.
We're about to show you a story that may actually redefine how you see airmen. This is a story that you did and it really does redefine because we're talking about the four-legged kind.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. I mean normally -- I mean let's all be honest, when you think of an airmen, you think of a soldier that has two legs. These airmen that we have in the Air Force, very crucial members, have four legs and they have incredible talent. And the relationships they have with their handlers is really something to behold.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF (voice-over): Robbins Air Force Base in Georgia is home to some 7,000 airmen. Six of them are among the most deployed and most vital in the military. Mike Asac (ph), a 5-year-old German Shepherd; yes, he's a dog, but also considered an airman.
STAFF SGT. ROCKY FOREMAN, U.S. AIR FORCE: They're not people obviously, but they're almost like that for us. They're our partners so that's how we look at him.
WOLF: Staff Sergeant Rocky Foreman is Asac's handler.
(inaudible)
WOLF: He says there's a lot more to his job than just holding a leash.
(on camera): What is his specific role.
FOREMAN: He can find certain types of explosives or narcotics. He's also a patrol certified dog. So that means he can do the bite work, the escort, the detention and apprehension of suspects.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get your dog. Get your dog. Get your dog off me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good boy.
FORMAN: This they can save lives just like soldiers and airmen can. They can stop the whole line of patrol before you even get to a detonation or a hazardous area due to their detection sense. That's when you halt everything and basically whoever is with you, that's how many lives you just saved because of his nose.
WOLF (voice-over): It's estimated these dogs save an average of 150 lives each.
LT. COL. TOM MOREA, COMMANDER 78THY SECURITY FORCES SQUADRON: The dogs don't know that they're being heroes. They're just doing what they think is right between their relationship that they have with their handler and themselves.
WOLF: That partnership is critical to their success.
MOREA: It's extremely important that we do find the right handler with the right dog. The better the relationship, the better the detection capability, the better the capability they're going to be having when they're going out there and doing any kind of mission.
WOLF (on camera): How do they decompress? How do they separate themselves from very frightening situation?
MOREA: They have some down time where they're able to go and relax and it might be just that handler having time with the dog -- petting it, playing with it a bit more. And then they go out and do the mission again. It becomes routine. And it becomes something that the dog looks forward to.
WOLF (voice-over): Staff Sergeant Foreman is relying on that relationship. The two will head overseas in a matter of weeks.
(on camera): Do you feel confident when you're deployed having this guy with you?
FOREMAN: I feel completely confident with him by my side overseas. We're good to go.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: It is amazing to see those dogs in action. And I love that last part. He just stops in his track. Yes.
WOLF: On a dime. On a dime. Like a sports car going from 100 miles-an-hour to just a screeching halt.
KAYE: Exactly.
WOLF: I mean It's impressive the relationship they have, the trust that's built up and how he's able to follow commands like that.
KAYE: You have some of this in your family, as well, right?
WOLF: Absolutely. My grandfather Frank Reynolds actually served in the day Canine Corps. Here's a shot of him with a collie. Most of the dogs that he trained on Cat Island which is off the Mississippi coast were actually deployed to the South Pacific for a variety of missions. And yes, he had a real talent with the dogs. He's an amazing, amazing man.
KAYE: You know, I'm glad you brought up your grandfather because I posted a picture of us earlier this morning on my Facebook page @RandiKayeCNN, if you want to check it out. And I included you, of course, named you. And somebody wrote is Reynolds Wolf, Reynolds' real name?
WOLF: Absolutely.
KAYE: So I'll give you a chance to answer our viewer.
WOLF: Yes, the answer is yes. My name is actually Reynolds Scott Wolf. And Yes, I was named for my grandfather. Thank god his last family wasn't Dinkledorf. Can you imagine that, Dinkledorf Wolf.
KAYE: Hey maybe somebody with that last name is watching.
WOLF: Seriously, I apologize for insulting the Dinkledorf clan if there is a Dinkledorf clan.
KAYE: So they get answers. People ask. They go to Facebook. They want to know. And we provide answers.
WOLF: It's so simple. It's amazing when you get --
(CROSSTALK)
KAYE: It's like magic.
WOLF: Yes. Ba-boom.
KAYE: Ba-boom. All right Reynolds Wolf. Thank you very much.
WOLF: Happy Easter.
KAYE: Reynolds Wolf with the real name. Happy Easter to you.
This is CNN SUNDAY MORNING where, of course, news doesn't take the weekend off. "STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley starts right now.
Have a wonderful Easter, everyone.
