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Pet Food Survival Guide; Sex in the Fifth Grade?; Footsteps of Jesus?

Aired April 06, 2007 - 14:00   ET

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

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there.
I'm Brianna Keilar, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm T.J. Holmes.

Well, this sure didn't take long, did it? Iran fires back at comments from its freed former captives and accuses Tony Blair of pressuring his troops to retract what they said in Tehran.

KEILAR: Is a new climate change report just the tip of a melting iceberg? Some scientists say they were pressured to water down their findings. How much worse are their predictions?

HOLMES: And should the feds go to the doghouse for not acting faster on the tainted pet food scare, as even more brands fall under suspicion? The Senate promises hearings.

You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

HOLMES: So, if they weren't technically hostages, it sure sounds like they got the hostage treatment. British sailors and marines one day home from Iran and telling stories of blindfolds, solitary confinement, and constant psychological pressure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE TINDELL, BRITISH ROYAL MARINES: Being in the country, there's a selected few that we -- subjected to a lot. As you know, obviously various mind games, and obviously we're not pleased about it.

And as far as I'm concerned, the whole thing was a complete media stunt. And I've got nothing to say, really. I'm not their biggest fan, put it that way.

LT. FELIX CARMAN, BRITISH ROYAL NAVY: The pressures that we were subjected to, they were quite diverse (ph) in the way it was carried out. It was mainly psychological and emotional.

To start with, the isolation was a major part of this. And a complete suffocation in terms of information from the outside world. None of the guards spoke English. We were blindfolded at all times and kept in isolation from each other. Also, when we first went to the prison, we were put up against a wall, hands bound, blindfolded, and people were cocking weapons in the background, which, as you can imagine, was an extremely nerve-racking occasion. So it was -- there were lots of tactics like that that were employed.

ADAM SPERRY, BRITISH ROYAL MARINES: They received rumors that George Bush said negative things about whether we had been tortured or not, and the British government was not apologizing. And actually, we were in a bubble, so we didn't know what was happening. But actually, none of us believed that for a second.

CAPT. CHRIS AIR, BRITISH ROYAL MARINES: Being in an Islamic country, Faye was subjected to different rules than we were. She was separated from us as soon as we arrived in Tehran in a detention center and isolated in a cell well away from any of us. She was told shortly afterwards that we had all been returned home and was under the impression for about four days that she was the only one there.

So, clearly, she had subjected to quite a lot of stress that we unfortunately -- we didn't know about, and we weren't subjected ourselves. She coped admirably and retained a lot of dignity, and has maintained that throughout. And coming home to her family is clearly great relief, and she just wants to sort of have some time with them now and out of the media spotlight, because like all of us, she has been exploited.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: The British unit's leading officers says they were aggressively arrested by a heavily armed force from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and fighting back simply was not an option.

KEILAR: He was covered in mud and begging to be killed. Instead, Francisco Herrera-Genao was captured after a night on the run in New Jersey and a confrontation with the FBI outside a bank. Special Agent Barry Lee Bush was killed in the confusion. He and other agents had been tracking Herrera-Genao and two other men for weeks.

All of them suspects in a series of violent bank robberies. The other men were arrested yesterday at the scene, but it took 300 officers from various agencies to bring in Herrera-Genao.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. RICK FUENTES, SUPT., N.J. STATE POLICE: As Trooper Pasquino (ph) approached, the individual got up. Trooper Pasquino (ph) drew his weapon, and the individual put his hands in his pocket and began to say to the trooper approaching him slowly, "Please shoot me. Please kill me."

At around that time, the two Readington officers ran up to back up Trooper Pasquino (ph), and they effected the arrest of Mr. Herrera.

KEILAR: Police say the suspects had two assault rifles and a handgun with them but did not fire when confronted by the FBI. Investigators say Agent Bush may have been shot by a fellow agent.

HOLMES: New questions and a troubling theory in that pet food fiasco. The FDA's chief vet tells CNN it is investigating whether the contamination started with a deliberate attempt to drive up profits.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. STEPHEN SUNDLOF, VETERINARY MEDICINE, FDA: Somebody may have added melamine to the wheat gluten in order to increase what appears to be the protein level. Wheat gluten is a high protein substance, and by trying to artificially inflate the protein level, it could command a higher price. But that's just one theory at this point. And we are not in a position to say whether or not this is our major theory or whether it may be some other.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And, you know, a lot of people have been asking why it has been taking so long. Apparently, the melamine is not toxic enough in these small quantities to actually kill an animal, at least according to some scientists. So it deepens the mystery.

Have you gotten any closer to figuring out what's causing these deaths?

SUNDLOF: Well, we are looking into that. That's true, Melamine is not very toxic as a chemical. And so we are wondering why we are seeing the kinds of serious conditions, especially the kidney failure that we are seeing in cats and dogs. So we -- but we do know that the wheat gluten that contained the melamine is the -- by far the most probable source of the contamination.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: The FDA may face questions of its own as well. Senate majority whip Dick Durbin says the agency was tragically slow to respond. Senate hearings are now planned.

In the meantime, 40 new products are being added to the recall list, including 20 varieties of the dog biscuits from Sunshine Mills. For its part, Menu Foods is expanding its recall to include products made as far back as November.

KEILAR: Pet food recipes and cookbooks have been in huge demand lately. But while you are trying to protect your animal from one threat, you could unknowingly be creating another.

Here is what I found out today when I visited a pet store.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAURA SAUNDERS, PET STORE OWNER: If you're going to cook for your pet, that you know exactly what you are doing. I mean, there are certain vitamins and minerals and amino acids that pets need in their food, and you want to make sure that you are giving them a well- balanced diet. So, just do a lot of research before you do that. I think if you go with a premium brand, quality pet food, you are going to be safe and you are going -- it's going to be what you need for your pet. You don't have to worry about it. Just make sure if you are going to cook that you do a lot of research.

KEILAR: And you can just be feeding your cat or dog some cooked hamburger meat or something, or some tuna fish out of the can that you would eat yourself?

SAUNDERS: Actually, tuna fish out of the can is not good for cats. There's a lot of sodium in it, and it's really unhealthy for them. So, stay away from tuna fish in a can altogether if you can. But you want to -- it doesn't have enough of the balanced nutrients that are in pet foods that you need to give them so they can stay healthy.

KEILAR: That they would have naturally?

SAUNDERS: Right. There are certain oils as well in pet foods that they need to have good skin and coat, as well, and just overall health.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: And we've posted the entire list, including the new additions on our Web site. You can check it out at cnn.com/petfoodrecall. And also, check out the ticker running across the bottom of your screen. We are listing all of the affected brands.

HOLMES: A guilty plea brings a strong objection in Memphis, Tennessee.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dale Mardis, upon your plea of guilty to the offense of murder in the second degree...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: The bailiffs, as you see here, had to restrain a murder victim's daughter who was just irate that the killer made a deal that cost him 15 years in prison. Dale Mardis admits he killed Mickey Wright, a county code enforcement officers, six years ago this month. He also burned and dismembered Wright's body.

All right.

I need you to think back to the fifth grade. Those were the days, right?

Now, what was the most outrageous thing you or your classmates did when the teacher wasn't around? Did you have sex? Of course you didn't. At least I hope not, which is why this story from a fifth grade class in Louisiana is one you will not forget any time soon.

Here now, CNN's Susan Candiotti. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She loves computers, science and astronomy. So, when 11-year-old Blair saw four of her fellow fifth-graders allegedly having sex right in front of her and her classmates, it was, well, creepy.

BLAIR, 11 YEARS OLD: Yes, I was just freaking out.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): Did you try -- did you look? Did you try not to look?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I turned around and I saw them. But then I turned back around. I'm like, I don't want to have anything to do with that.

CANDIOTTI: It happened right in this classroom at about 9:00 in the morning. There was a school assembly going on at the time. These students were not invited. And officials say, because of a mix-up between two teachers, the students were left alone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One of the girls came in and said: There's no teacher. We can do whatever we want.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Police say that girl suggested having sex. Then she and another girl had sex with two boys in the back of the room. A third boy acted as lookout.

(on camera): What is it your investigators told you about where these kids came up with the idea?

BOB BUCKLEY, UNION PARISH, LOUISIANA, SHERIFF: In my humble opinion, I think of a lot of this is being picked by children from Internet and from lyrics of songs and what they see in the movies.

CANDIOTTI: Do the kids involved in this get it? Do they get why so many people are upset about this?

BUCKLEY: I don't really think they -- they have. I think that the notoriety has been kind of an ego booster.

CANDIOTTI: In fact, this scandal is a very big deal here at Union Parish, Louisiana. In this rural area, many parents work two jobs to make ends meet. The church is influential here. Folks host conservative family values. There is no sex education in public schools, but the sheriff says that needs to change.

BUCKLEY: ... we as a community and we as parents need to do is -- is demand that there's some sex education in the classroom or in the home or wherever that teaches these kids that there's more to sex than just the act itself.

CANDIOTTI: Blair's mother blames the school for being neglectful.

REBECCA TRUMAN, MOTHER OF BLAIR: They should be under investigation for leaving the children unattended in the classroom.

CANDIOTTI: Four children are charged with obscene behavior, but the district attorney has not decided whether to prosecute them. The school board has yet to decide whether it will punish the kids. As for Blair, with the help of family, she is trying to cope.

BLAIR: I want the kids to know that it's all right to talk to their parents about what happened.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): Why do you think that's important?

BLAIR: Because, well, it's stuff that they need to know in life.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): An unexpected lesson in life in a fifth- grade classroom.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Union Parish, Louisiana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: A heavyweight report on climate change. Scientists forecast disaster.

We've got details ahead for you in the CNN NEWSROOM.

HOLMES: Also, the Stations of the Cross. A lesson for the faithful, or is it a myth?

Following the footsteps of Jesus here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Fifteen past the hour now, and here are three of the stories we are working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Some of the British sailors and marines held for almost two weeks in Iran described their ordeal to reporters today. They said they were often blindfolded and held in isolation, and they insist that they were in Iraqi waters when they were seized.

Also, a new U.N. report makes dire predictions about the impact of global warming. The report blames climate changes on manmade pollution and predicts droughts, storms and rising seas.

And Christians worldwide are observing Good Friday. Pope Benedict held services at the Vatican, and later today he's going to take part in the Way of the Cross procession inside the Roman Coliseum.

HOLMES: And on Good Friday, Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land walked the Via Dolorosa, commemorating and, in some cases, almost recreating Jesus' torture and crucifixion. It's a path many scholars say is paved with good intentions but very little authenticity.

CNN's Atika Shubert reports from Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every year the faithful come dressed in robes and thorn crowns dragging wooden crosses. They walk the Via Dolorosa, the way of sorrow, the route Jesus is said to have walked to his crucifixion. Pilgrims follow what are known as the 14 stations of the cross, scenes that mark Jesus final hours.

REV. JEROME MURPHY O'CONNOR, BIBLICAL SCHOLAR: Today there's a traditional route that starts on the east side of the city and goes towards the west. And that is completely wrong.

SHUBERT: According to the bible, Roman Governor Pontius Pilate sentenced Jesus to crucifixion. Some think it would have happened here, then the governor's residence, now a museum. Others think it started from another Roman barracks, now the site of a school. The official stations of the cross begin at this site, but even these scholars say, are a myth.

O'CONNOR: They're not mentioned in the gospels at all. It was simply a way of preachers trying to get people to really understand that this was torture.

SHUBERT: Historians think the stations were designed to spread the gospels, a liturgical invention originally placed on the walls of a church, re-created much later in the streets of Jerusalem.

STEPHAN PFANN, PRES., HOLY LAND UNIVERSITY: So, it was a matter of finding good places to have these 14 different stations in the midst of the city itself.

SHUBERT: But for pilgrims, none of this detracts from the holiness of the Via Dolorosa today.

O'CONNOR: Places that have been visited in good faith by courageous, simple people that they do require a pattern to which every decent human being should be sensitive.

SHUBERT (on camera): Thousands of pilgrims are expected to walk the Via Dolorosa today. It's expected to be especially crowded because the Orthodox and Catholics are both celebrating Easter at the same time. An emotional and spiritual pilgrimage for many.

Atika Shubert, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: The war in Iraq, poverty, global warming -- what would Jesus do about today's major issues? Ahead in the NEWSROOM, a preview of tonight's CNN special.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

(BUSINESS REPORT) KEILAR: They're priceless to you, of course, but unfortunately they are all but worthless in the eyes of the law. Pets, they're family members, beloved and irreplaceable, but heartbroken owners who try to sue over contaminated dog or cat food may find little relief from the courts.

CNN's Keith Oppenheim has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): About three weeks ago, this seemingly healthy big orange cat named Phoenix (ph) suddenly and inexplicably got extremely sick.

DAWN MAJERCZYK, PET OWNER: All his organs were shutting down.

OPPENHEIM: Within days, Phoenix was dead. Then his owner, Dawn Majerczyk, heard about a recall of tainted pet food. She said she soon discovered the pet food that had been pulled from stores was exactly what she had given her cat.

MAJERCZYK: I just kept crying to my husband: I can't believe this. I gave the cat this recalled food.

OPPENHEIM: Now Majerczyk is doing more than grieving. She's suing, taking action against Menu Foods, alleging the manufacturer delayed announcing a massive recall of dog and cat food, despite knowing its products were contaminated.

JAY EDELSON, ATTORNEY: The heart of this case is that people entrusted the safety of their pests to Menu Foods and to other retailers, and that trust was broken.

OPPENHEIM: Chicago attorney Jay Edelson is representing Dawn Majerczyk and about 200 other clients in a class-action suit, all trying to recover damages for their sick or deceased pets.

EDELSON: They want to get to the bottom of this. They do want Menu Foods to have to be held responsible.

OPPENHEIM (on camera): Did you have any idea why Freddy (ph) was getting sick?

BEN DELONG, PET OWNER: No. We had no clue.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): Ben and Jennifer (ph) Delong are also clients of Edelson. They had three cats. They say two, Rita (ph) and Merv (ph), ate small amounts of tainted cat food and survived. But the third, Freddy (ph), ate more and died of kidney failure last month.

(on camera): Why are you a part of this lawsuit?

DELONG: You know, for the company to feel a little bit of a sting. You know, I mean, they basically poisoned our cats.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): We tried to contact Menu Foods, but the company has turned down CNN's repeated requests for interviews.

(on camera): But we did think to legal experts, who told us that lawsuits like this are more likely to recover things like vet bills, and less likely to pay for emotional distress. Why? In many states, the law really doesn't make a distinction between, say, this watch or this dog.

Yes, Max (ph).

Legally, they're both property and both worth about what you paid with them.

Sorry.

Still, some pet owners and their lawyers are trying to change that definition.

DELONG: It's not like, you know, a table that you own and you break the table. You know, are you upset about it? Yes, but you get over it pretty quick, whereas you watch your cat basically die over a period of 12 days, and you're pretty broken up about it.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): The question is, as the cases about contaminated food build, will the courts continue to see pets as things or as living things that have a greater value?

Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: And another reminder. We posted the entire list, including the new additions to this list, on our Web site. You can check it out at cnn.com/petfoodrecall. And also check out the ticker running across the bottom of your screen. We're listing all of the affected brands.

HOLMES: Could the city by the bay become the city in the bay?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): On the West Coast, the worst-case scenario calls for the San Francisco Bay to expand and make Sacramento a bay city.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Whoa. CNN's Mary Snow reports as we continue our look at the latest global warming report.

That is straight ahead here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Hello, everybody. I'm T.J. Holmes live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. KEILAR: And I'm Brianna Keilar. It is a book, it is a board game. But one group has its own version of worst-case scenarios linked to climate change. The bottom line for some major cities, hope you can swim. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

But first, we are getting a much clearer picture of what happened to those British troops captured by Iran in the Persian Gulf a couple of weeks ago. Today the Royal Navy sailors and marines held a news conference in Britain aimed at countering all the video that we saw of them from Iran.

You may have heard the dramatic remarks live here on CNN earlier. And of keen interest were the troops in Iranian or Iraqi waters on March 23rd?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. FELIX CARMAN, BRITISH ROYAL NAVY: We were equipped with (INAUDIBLE) true navigational equipment and hand-held GPS for backup. The helicopter in support provided continuous navigational confirmation. And we were also linked to the HMS Cornwall, who was monitoring our exact position at all times.

Let me make it absolutely clear, irrespective of what has been said in the past, when we were detained by the IRG -- the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, we were inside internationally recognized Iraqi territorial waters. And I can clearly state we were 1.7 nautical miles from Iranian waters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: We also heard the troops explain their decision to surrender.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. CHRIS AIR, BRITISH ROYAL MARINES: Let me be absolutely clear. From the outset, it was very apparent that fighting back was simply not an option. Had we chosen to do so, then many of us would not be standing here today, of that I have no doubts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: The former captives all say they were used by Iran for propaganda.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE TINDELL, BRITISH ROYAL MARINES: Being in the country, there were a selected that were subjected to a lot -- as you know, various mind games. And obviously we are not pleased about it. And as far as our concern, the whole thing was a complete media stunt. And I've got nothing to say really, I'm not their biggest fan, put it that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And of course, something everyone was eager to know, whether the group had been tortured.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARMAN: We were blindfolded, our hands were bound. We were forced up against a wall. Throughout our ordeal we faced constant psychological pressure. Later we were stripped and then dressed in pajamas. The next few nights were spent in stone cells, approximately eight feet by six, sleeping on piles of blankets. All of us were kept in isolation.

We were interrogated most nights and presented with two options. If we admitted that we had strayed, we would be back on a plane to the U.K. pretty soon. If we didn't, we faced up to seven years in prison.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, now we need to tell you about drought, floods, disease and deadly storms. Doesn't sound too good. But a new U.N. report on climate change says that's what we are headed for, trouble, if the world's largest economies don't reduce greenhouse gases. But consensus does not come easily.

Scientists were up all night working on the language of the report which some complained was watered down by politicians and bureaucrats. A top U.N. official says it is critical the U.S. take a leadership role.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SALVANO BRICENO, INTL. STRATEGY FOR DISASTER REDUCTION: The U.S. is certainly the greatest emitter of greenhouse gases. But they are also the leading country in many of the technologies that are needed to address this issue. So the expectations with the U.S. is not only that it changes or it helps to change behaviors in the American citizens to reduce their vulnerability, but also to show the lead and to lead the world on this, since they have the greatest knowledge on this subject.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: This week President Bush repeated his position that climate change proposals not hurt the economic growth.

KEILAR: The new report includes some nightmare scenarios for major American cities. CNN's Mary Snow takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The threat of global warming melting polar ice caps is well known by now. In the United States, scientists point to milder winters with things like slowing maple syrup production in the Northeast as evidence of climate change. But some say that example could pale in comparison to future risks that are on the scale of destruction that New Orleans experienced with Hurricane Katrina. PHILIP CLAPP, PRES., NATL ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST: It is time to stop debating the science and really beginning to protect people that are at risk from this kind of phenomenon.

SNOW: Phil Clapp is the president of the National Environmental Trust, a nonpartisan science and policy group. The group has come up with worst-case scenarios of the effects of climate change on cities at risk of rising sea levels and strong storms. High on the list, New York.

CLAPP: You have most of the areas of the financial district in the southern end of Manhattan flooded.

SNOW: Clapp says both New York City airports could be under water in the event of a Category 2 hurricane with a sea level rise of about two feet. In Washington, D.C., if there was a strong storm along the Potomac, the area stretching from the mall to the White House lawn could be at risk.

CLAPP: This is a rather large flooding event for Washington. There would be a lot of destruction to national monuments and memorials.

SNOW: Miami, especially South Beach, could see severe flooding and so could Boston's financial and historic areas. On the West Coast, the worst-case scenario calls for the San Francisco Bay to expand and make Sacramento a bay city. These models are projected for the later half of this century.

Many scientists say stopping all carbon emissions now won't reverse the effects of climate change completely.

GAVIN SCHMIDT, CLIMATE SCIENTIST: The real debate is we have some global warming that is going to continue regardless of anything we do. But then we have worst case scenarios which, if we carry on with our business as usual kind of approach, are really very, very serious.

SNOW (on camera): The vast majority of scientists buy into the theory of global warming and sea level rise. But there is no certain agreement on how bad it will or won't be and when it will happen.

Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: We want to know what you think. Are you worried global warming will affect you? That's the question we are asking on our quick vote today. Right now 63 percent of you say yes, you are worried. You can go to cnn.com and cast your quick vote.

HOLMES: "What Would Jesus Really Do?" Tonight, CNN contributor Roland Martin hosts an hour-long special taking a unique look at issues such as the Iraq War, global warming and the gap between rich and poor. Here now is a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Why all of a sudden is the focus so much on money and people are gravitating to bigger houses, more money, cars, material goods? What's up with the prosperity -- the gospel of prosperity?

REV. RICK WARREN, SADDLEBACK CHURCH: Jesus said a man's life consists not in the abundance of things that he possesses. Your value has absolutely nothing to do with your valuables. Your net worth and your self worth are not the same thing. And Jesus clearly did not teach that God wanted everybody to be a millionaire. So I repudiate that belief.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Oh what? Roland? Jesus didn't want us to be millionaires?

MARTIN: I know, T.J., you are sad now.

(LAUGHTER)

HOLMES: I'm upset. I'm still going to watch your special, though. But Roland joins us now from the Time Warner Center in New York. Good to see you here. And in the program tonight, you talk to some of the best-known religious leaders in this country. Now surely they agree on a lot of major issues. But what are some of the things you found they were -- I guess some of the most diverse opinions about?

MARTIN: Well, again, I think folks will be very surprised when you start talking about the war in Iraq, when you start talking about what is the Christian agenda. I mean, we have seen so much dialogue and debate from folks on the left and the right as opposed to the Christian position. God's agenda, one agenda.

So you are going to see some different viewpoints. And again, folks who are conservative, those who are progressive, those who believe in a liberal theology, a conservative theology, in liberation theology.

And so it is a great conversation to get a good understanding as to what Christians should be focused on. And again, getting some really good opinions and also hopefully moving us forward to a sort of change of the dialogue that we have seen thus far.

HOLMES: All right. So as we move forward -- try to move forward, but still, what were some things, I guess, talking to all of these folks, what jumped out at you? What kind of maybe surprised or even shocked you talking to some of these leaders?

MARTIN: Well, I think one of the things that jumped out is how most of them recognize that the discussion today is very limited. That for so much -- the attention is focused on abortion, homosexuality. When you bring up those two issues, that's what people think that Christians are so fixated on and many of them say, wait a minute, this agenda should be broader. It should be deeper, have more context and depth.

And so that's one of the things I think you will see come out. That is really important and that may very well change the debate. No doubt religion is going to play a part in the upcoming election. But again, they say it should be a much broader agenda beyond those two issues

HOLMES: All right. Well, we look forward to seeing it. Roland Martin, good to see you. And we will see you on the special tonight. Let me tell folks about it again. "What Would Jesus Really Do?", it is a CNN special report. Yes. You talk about what would Jesus do? Well, "What Would Jesus Really Do?" That's the special report tonight at 8:00 Eastern. Roland, good to see you.

MARTIN: Thanks, T.J.

KEILAR: In pampers and packing heat, did a toddler get his first lesson in armed combat from dad? We have got details here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Whether you like it or not, it is time for spring cleaning. You can log on to cnn.com for a few creative ways to get ideas to get your home in order.

Now before you roll up your sleeves and take the plunge, point and click your way through tips on trimming your grass and organizing your garage. And get some expert advice for the ultimate spring cleaning checklist.

Now if you are repainting the house, take this quiz to find out what your color choices say about your personality. Then take a look at this gallery to see how the colors work in certain rooms.

And it is true the garage might be the messiest place in the house, but it can also be the most dangerous. This gallery tells you what you need to know when it comes to dealing with chemicals and teaches you how to store everything properly to keep you and your family safe.

You can get more at cnn.com/spring. For the .com|Desk, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. We know rain delays, that's one thing. But a snow delay? It got snowed out here. This is yesterday, to the minor league team, the Fisher Cats in Manchester, New Hampshire. The grounds crew tried to clear the field in time for the home opener. The city's hockey team even sent over that Zamboni, but ain't going to be able to do it. The club is now offering fans a free ticket to a future game in exchange for their snow shovels and muscles to get the field ready for play tonight. We will see if that happens. Meanwhile, in the Major League level, New York Yankees fans, you know, they endured a pretty chilly night at the ballpark, maybe they wished the snow flurries that they saw -- what? Now where did that come from? Maybe the snow flurries might have stuck because Tampa Bay won that game by a run.

KEILAR: All right. Winter is also overstaying its welcome in Vermont. More than a foot of snow has fallen the past two days. And of course, that's great for skiers. But it is a big headache for holiday travelers.

HOLMES: Well, snow on the ground there. It is cold enough here. I cut my hair off, I thought the summer was coming. It has been hot.

KEILAR: No.

HOLMES: Now we have got cold enough to snow here in the South.

KEILAR: So you are very -- you're not keeping the heat in.

HOLMES: I'm having problems.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KEILAR: All right. And all of this talk of T.J. cutting his hair, it's like he knew what we were going to be doing here next. Straight ahead, entertainment news with Sibila Vargas.

Sibila, what is on tap?

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is right, Brianna. Brace yourselves for this one, Halle Berry, bald. She may be looking like T.J. Holmes soon. I'll talk to you about that when CNN's NEWSROOM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: New revelations in the Anna Nicole Smith case. Halle Berry goes the Britney Spears route. And what's Martha Stewart doing in Kazakhstan? It is a crazy day here. A lot going on. And Sibila Vargas joins us now with today's entertainment news.

Hi, Sibila.

VARGAS: Hi, Brianna. Well, just when you thought you knew just about everything about the late Anna Nicole Smith, there is more. Now her personal diaries are out in the open for a lot more to see. The journals, which were handwritten by her, are going on the auction block once again. The two diaries were written between 1992 and 1994.

In them she writes about her fears of meeting the head of Guess? jeans and her expressions of love towards her then husband, the late J. Howard Marshall II. Last month, a German businessman had paid more than $500,000 for Smith's personal diaries during an auction on eBay.

But now the diaries have been consigned to Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas, Texas, which will hold a live auction on April 14th and April 15th for fans and collectors.

OK. So what do Martha Stewart and Borat have in common? Well, one was from Kazakhstan and the other is visiting. The lifestyle guru has flown there to wish her friend, space tourist Charles Simonyi, good luck. He is due to blast off on Saturday. The billionaire founding father of Microsoft was there undergoing last minute checks.

The 65-year-old Stewart will watch the rocket take off from the observation post along with other guests.

And OK, all of you Halle Berry fans out there, close your ears, you may want to kind of tune out for this one. You loved her with her short hair, you loved her with her long hair. And definitely you admired her in a bikini, right? But will you love her bald? That's right. The Oscar-winning actress says she will buzz it all off for a role in an upcoming film.

The 40-year-old will soon start filming a movie called "Nappily Ever After" which will start shooting this summer. Berry says, quote, "I'm going to shave my head, I can believe it." The movie is a romantic comedy. And Berry will play a woman whose hair is starting to fall out. So she decides to shave it all off and then must deal with people who react to her.

But if you want to see her with a full head of hair, there is still some time. Her new film, "Perfect Stranger," hits theaters on April 13th.

Well, tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," the most embarrassing celebrity interviews ever. Why do stars say the whacky things they do? See for yourself in a very special hour that reveals why stars are not just like us on TV's most provocative entertainment news show, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on HEADLINE PRIME.

Brianna, back to you.

KEILAR: You know, Sibila, I think Halle Berry will still be gorgeous without hair. And it is going to grow back in two seconds, you know?

VARGAS: Maybe not as pretty as T.J. Holmes, though.

KEILAR: No, maybe not.

HOLMES: Awww.

(LAUGHTER)

KEILAR: Thanks, Sibila.

HOLMES: That's so cute, the way they are talking. Halle Berry can shave her eyebrows off, she is still going to look good. It does not matter. Well, thank you, ladies.

Well, moving back to the story about the Brits now. Handshakes, gift bags, that is what we saw yesterday. We got a much different account today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARMAN: The questions were aggressive and the handling rough. But it was no worse than that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Details of their two-week ordeal in Iran. You will hear from Britain's released captives. That is ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Plus, paroled from jail, but are they sentenced to a life of homelessness.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On the state sex offender Web site, each man's address is listed as the Julia Tuttle Causeway.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: CNN's John Zarrella reports, that is also here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Parents teaching children, a store manager in Louisiana says he witnessed a troubling lesson for a toddler. How to hold an AK-47. Reporter LaTonya Norton of New Orleans affiliate WDSU has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LATONYA NORTON, WDSU REPORTER (voice-over): This is an image pawn shop manager Dan Reese never thought he'd see, a two-year old wearing diapers and holding an AK-47 given to him by his father and all of it caught on tape.

DAN REESE, PAWN SHOP MANAGER: The husband asked to see an AK-47 and as soon as the girl hands it to him, he calls his small child over and tells him, daddy's buying you this AK -- this "chopper," he called it. Your daddy is going to buy you a chopper so you can become a soldier.

NORTON: Reese is on the right side of the screen assisting another customer, this while the father proceeds to show the child how to hold, load and operate the weapon.

REESE: Well, he's telling him, this is how you hold your chopper, you can hold it like this. And anybody in front of you, you can mow them down. You can kill everybody out in front of you. And you're a soldier. You're going to be a soldier because dad is going to buy you this chopper. That is what he keeps repeating over and over.

NORTON: Now father and son are marching in the store showcasing the weapon. Then the father goes one step further.

REESE: He sets the child down. He unslings the weapon and slings it over the child's back.

NORTON: With an assault rifle now slung over the infant's shoulder, that's where Dan Reese says he drew the line.

REESE: This is when I become angry and I tell the man, give me the weapon and I take it away from him and I tell the clerk to shut the case, that these people cannot buy firearms from us. And this man becomes irate and wants to fight with me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Authorities say they too are concerned, but the father didn't break any laws. The next hour of the NEWSROOM starts right now.

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