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CNN Live Saturday

Prepaid Calling Card Links 5 Suspects To Bombing; Police Standoff In Tennessee Ends With Apparent Suicide; Darpa Grand Challenge Reveals No Winner

Aired March 13, 2004 - 16:00   ET

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

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


FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A prepaid calling card, a cell phone and a backpack they all add up to one big break in the Spain train bombings case. A live report from Madrid.
Plus, was it a ritual killing? What happened inside a California home where nine bodies were found?

Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Also ahead, you spend a lifetime building a nest egg, but what happens when you have to leave it all behind? We're talking wills and estates. Estate planning on "Dollar Signs." Call us or e-mail us your questions.

But first a look at the headlines. Pennsylvania firefighters spent the morning wrestling a four alarm fire at a Pittsburgh church. The pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church says people were preparing for a heritage festival when they heard an explosion coming from the basement. No one in the church was hurt, but two firefighters were injured fighting the blaze.

Federal transportation officials are investigating a deadly bus crash in South Carolina. Three U.S. sailors were killed and dozens injured when their bus crashed head-on into a tractor trailer Friday, just outside of Charleston. The sailors were heading to a wreath laying ceremony at Beaufort National Cemetery.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is condemning Iran for hiding sensitive nuclear information. And if Tehran doesn't cooperate, the weapons watchdog group says it has left open the possibility of U.N. Sanctions. Iran is not pleased with the IAEA's resolution, after it was adopted Iran announced a freeze on upcoming U.N. inspections.

We begin in Spain. A massive investigation of the country's worst terrorist attack leads to the detainment of five people. Spanish officials say evidence, including a telephone calling card, an undetonated bomb backpack, links the detainees to Thursday's deadly bombings. CNN's Brent Sadler joins us now from Madrid, where it's very noisy still because thousands have crowded the streets in anti- government protests.

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks Fredricka. You join me as a very noisy, but peaceful protest continues here in the center of the Spanish capital, Madrid. These people complaining for many hours now, accusing the government, the ruling Popular Party of some sort of cover-up in holding back information in advance of a general election Sunday.

And now the problem for these people is that they say information is being held to sort of prevent a possible voter back lash at the ballot boxes Sunday.

Now, information about these arrests came from Spain's interior minister at a press conference a couple of hours ago. He said that five people have been formally arrested, 3 Moroccans, and 2 Hindus they were described as, plus two other Indians of Spanish origin, not formally arrested we understand, but being held for questioning.

Now that's had no impact whatsoever in terms of the numbers of demonstrators now on the streets of Madrid right outside the offices of the ruling Popular Party headquarters.

As the heir apparent, should the Popular Party to return to power in an unprecedented TV broadcast just hours really before elections get under way here, appeal for calm. They're prepared to go to polls, and really I liken the fact that this demonstration, noisy but peaceful, and surrounded by riot squads, is technically illegal, and that these demonstrations should stop immediately. So far no response out here at least on the streets of Madrid -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Brent. And many of those people no doubt have gotten word about the five detainees from the interior minister's announcement. Any idea how that information is being conveyed to them? I imagine the number of the demonstrators may even have radios with them and just listening in to news reports?

SADLER: That's right, Fredericka, word of mouth, text messaging and so forth. These people are aware of it. Let's not forget, most of these people are by no means supporters of the government in power today. Many of these people were very much against, along with as many as 90 percent of Spanish against Spain's participation in the war against Iraq a year ago. And the hands of an Islamic terror group in Thursday's bombing could provoke an anti-government backlash against the Popular Party at the ballots on Sunday.

So this really is a crucial demonstration, unprecedented in terms of what's happening and the way this is being handled by the government at this crucial time. Not only in the investigation into Thursday's terror attacks, but into Spain's general election process itself.

WHITFIELD: All right Brent Sadler, thanks very much from a very vocal demonstration there in the streets in Madrid.

Now, many people there are angry, emotional and many are also in mourning. The families of some of the victims have begun to bury their loved ones. Their grief is shared by an entire nation shocked by the attack. CNN's Alessio Vinci reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESOPNDENT (voice-over): Behind every national tragedy, there are stories of personal losses. For Isabelle Rodriguez the death of her son is simply too much to bear. Family members and friends struggle to comfort each other.

I love you, cries Jorge's mother as the casket is pushed into its final resting place. Jorge Rodriguez was 23, a student at a technical institute in Madrid, killed with his father at the train station on his way to school. His classmates couldn't believe Jorge was among the victims.

Then in the morning, the day after the attack, they told us, says Alvaro, one now feels totally powerless.

Jorge and his father lived in Alcala de Henares, a town 17 miles or 30 kilometers outside Madrid. Some 40 of the 200 that were killed came from here. In the town's central square, there is a sense of loss.

The son of very good friends died, she says, so as a sign of respect and against violence I lit these candles.

At the cemetery, funeral after funeral. The last ceremony planned for late in the evening. And whether a father or mother, a son or daughter, the pain of those left behind does not change.

(on camera): With a nation in mourning, it is those who have been personally affected by this tragedy who feel most of the pain. And for them, no amount of public grief offers enough consolation. Alessio Vinci, CNN, Alcala de Henares, Spain.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Now to other news around the world. In Port-au- Prince, Haiti, U.S. marines on patrol shot and killed two Haitian gunmen near the presidential palace. The marines say it happened while returning fire.

Also arrested, a young man suspected of making threats against peacekeepers.

To Iraq now, in central Tikrit a roadside bomb killed two American soldiers and wounded five others. The U.S. military says it happened while they were patrolling the streets in an armored humvee. The killed soldiers were from the 1st Infantry Division.

And in Afghanistan, the U.S. military is preparing to launch operation Mountain Storm. It's a major offensive aimed at crushing Taliban and al Qaeda recommendent including looking for Osama bin Laden. It involves thousands of troops in remote areas of southern and eastern Afghanistan. They will conduct border patrols, house to house searches, air assaults and set up surprise checkpoints.

Here in the states, in Fresno, California, police investigating a horrifying and gruesome slaying are trying to determine the motive. A woman, a teenager and seven children were found dead. The man in police custody is believed to be the childrens' father. CNN's Miguel Marquez has the rest of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): This is the home where nine bodies were found after patrol officers showed up to a child custody call. Under arrest, but not yet charged is 57- year-old Marcus Wesson. Neighbors say this was an imposing man. One neighbor saying that she was afraid of him. Very tall man, had with long dark hair down past his waist.

They also say he was quiet. I talked to one gentleman who knew Mr. Wesson for about three years, says he didn't believe he had a job but that the women that he was associated with, the four women he was associated with, that they worked and he controlled their money. Neighbors also say that the women were typically dressed in black: black skirts, black blouses, all in black. And Mr. Wesson would be seen outside the front of the house typically working on cars.

I want to bring in Lieutenant Art Alvarado with Fresno police who knows a little bit more about this. Your officers arrived here to a child custody call yesterday afternoon, what happened once they got here?

LT. ART ALVARADO, FRESNO POLICE: That's correct. Shortly after 2:00, they arrived here and contacted two females that were here to pick up their children from a Mr. Wesson who lives here. They got a hold of Mr. Wesson, and at first he was cooperative and agreed to return the children to the females, but during the conversation with our officers he declined to give them back, ran inside a bedroom and locked and refused to come out.

MARQUEZ: The victims that they found, over how much time did it take them to find those victims?

ALVARADO: I don't know that information. All I know is they called negotiators because the females informed the officers that Mr. Wesson had possibly been armed with a handgun or a gun. So they called negotiators and set up a perimeter.

MARQUEZ: So, when he first came out to talk to police, he had no blood on him. When he came out later, though, after the negotiators got here, what did he look like?

ALVARADO: That's correct. He came out from the residence, and it appeared to be a soiled clothing, what appeared to be blood.

MARQUEZ: But police, did they hear anything, gunshots, scuffling, yells, screams, anything like that?

ALVARADO: No, none at all. We surrounded the -- set a perimeter around the house. And when the officers were here, they did not hear or see anything that would indicate something was going on inside.

MARQUEZ: What do you know about the relationship between Mr. Wesson or the women or children who were killed?

ALVARADO: The information that I have is that the women who were here, were picking up the children who was fathered by Mr. Wesson.

MARQUEZ: Okay. Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

Again, 57-year-old marcus wesson under arrest and suspected of the murders but not yet charged. Police still working the scene at the home. The bodies are with the coroner. And they are trying to figure out how they were killed as well. Charges expected sometime soon. Miguel Marquez, CNN, Fresno, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHIFIELD: On now to Tennessee, where a teen standoff with police ends with his own death. Police in Loudoun County say 16-year-old Michael Harvey was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The teen held authorities at bay since yesterday after allegedly killing a sheriff's deputy. Authorities say Harvey had been dead for up to 20 hours. The situation began when the boy's mother made a domestic call to police.

It's not a conventional children's program, but the makers sure hope it will catch on to your child's eye.

(SINGING)

No loss of music, no violence, no on scenety and no commercials. Still to come, a new alternative for the younger generation.

And while parents take a positive approach on television airwaves, presidential candidates continue their negative campaign ads. The latest round of attacks when we come right back.

And coming up in less than a half an hour from now, we're talking wills and estate planning. Just email your questions to dollarsigns@cnn.com or you can call us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHIFEILD: The campaign trail took Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry to Illinois today. He visited Quincy, where he challenged President Bush to monthly debates. Quincy was the site of the famous debates between Abraham Lincoln and Steven Douglas during a Senate campaign 146 years ago.

This year's presidential candidates are tentatively scheduled to hold three debates in October. Kerry is also exchanging some negative ads with President Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Once again, George Bush is misleading America. John Kerry has never called for a $900 billion tax increase. He wants to cut taxes for the middle class. Doesn't America deserve more from its president than misleading negative ads? John Kerry will crack down on the export of American jobs, get healthcare costs under control and cut the deficit. JOHN KERRY, (D-MA) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (on camera): I'm John kerry. And I approved this message, because we need to do what's right for America's economy.

ANNOUNCER: John Kerry, a new direction for America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The political ads, by both campaigns, are just one aspect of a presidential race that promises to be far from all the way positive. CNN's senior analyst Jeff Greenfield takes a look at why this election cycle is already shaping up to be uniquely argumentative.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KERRY: These guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group of people I've ever seen.

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): From John Kerry's unguarded rhetoric...

ANNOUNCER: And he wanted to delay defending America until the United Nations approved.

GREENFIELD: To George Bush's tough new ad, this campaign has turned very harsh very early. Indecision kills, vice president Cheney said of Kerry's alleged uncertainties.

KERRY: Bad, rushed...

GREENFIELD: Bad rushed decisions kill, Kerry said of the Bush administration's war on Iraq.

(on camera): Now a word of caution is in order. The press loves to label every campaign bitter, even if the candidates are just politely disagreeing on the issues, but this time it is different, tougher, blunter, way, way early. The question is why? The answer, lots of reasons.

(voice-over): First, in the old days, candidates battled within their parties for the nomination. It took until the summer to sort this out. Now the contenders are picked in early March.

Second, when incumbent presidents have the wind at their backs they can set a sunny upbeat tone.

ANNOUNCER: It's morning again in America.

GREENFIELD: Reagan's Morning in America in 1984.

ANNOUNCER: Building a bridge to the 21st Century.

GREENFIELD: Bill Clinton's bridge to the 21st Century in 1996. Though Clinton did run ads linking GOP nominee Bob Dole to House Speaker Gingrich. But the mood of America right now is darker. Four years ago most Americans said they were satisfied with how things were going. Today, most are not. This means the Bush campaign cannot stay above the fray. Not when the polls show him even with or trailing his opponent.

Third...

REP. DICK GEPHARDT, (D) MISSOURI: In such a partisan way...

GREENGIELD: Four years ago the country was clearly hungry for a change from the pitched warfare of the Clinton years. Then Governor Bush ran on changing the tone in Washington. Instead of feeding red meat to the GOP convention he said...

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have no stake in the bitter arguments of the last few years.

GREENFIELD: And his take on Clinton was almost sympathetic.

BUSH: So many talents, so much charm, such great skill, but in the end, to what end?

GREENFIELD: This year by contrast, the Democrats found themselves with a primary base steeped in intense dislike of President Bush. Howard Dean's rise was fueled in large measure by his insistence that the party confront the president head-on.

BUSH: Once again Senator Kerry is trying to have it both ways.

GREENFIELD: That fervor, in turn, sparked push by Republicans for the Bush campaign to answer earlier and more forcefully.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: That was Jeff Greenfield. The president's ads can be seen nationally on cable networks, including CNN, and on other stations in 18 key battleground states. Kerry's ad is airing in 16 of those same states.

From negative campaign ads to no ads whatsoever. A group of parents in Washington is fed up with all the commercials and the violence on television, so they're dishing out their own kind of show that they say is appropriate and fun for the kids. CNN's Elaine Quijano takes us to the new world of "Pancake Mountain."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SINGING)

ELAIN QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To describe "Pancake Mountain" as just another kid's show isn't at all accurate. For now, it's only on the Internet an edgy, eclectic mix of music and some education, but mostly fun. Complete with kid's dance parties, appearances by local D.C. Bands and a cast of characters like a not so bright backstage reporter named Rufus Leaking.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We play a variety of music from go-go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go where? Where do you want me to go? I don't understand the hostility here, because I'm just trying to do an interview and there's no need for that kind of...

QUIJANO: If you've never heard of "Pancake Mountain," it's for good reason. The show's creator and producers want it to retain its local flavor, and more importantly...

SCOTT STUCKEY, "PANCAKE MOUNTAIN" CREATOR: Without kind of the whole promotional stuff or trying to sell anything, that the kids can kind of have fun, and learn about the community, and see friends of theirs.

JEORGE SEDER, "PANCAKE MOUNTAIN" PRODUCTER: If I had kids, I would want to sit down and watch this show with them. I would enjoy the show just as much as they did, if not more.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We all agree on the show we would never sell this kind of cheap commercial product.

UNIDENTIIFED MALE: Especially something as ugly as this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And heavy. This could really hurt somebody.

QUIJANO: The show began as just a handful of skitless a few months ago, and grew to a more elaborate production. Paid for mostly by its creator with the help of borrowed equipment and time. The kids involved show up with their parents eager to perform.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are just doing our thing, being wild...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I danced a lot. I want to dance contest twice at my school.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't hear you.

QUIJANO: As for the future, the producers hope their recipe stirs up interest from either cable access or a local D.C. TV station so they can serve up "Pancake Mountain" to an even bigger audience. Elaine Quijano, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: OK. They've got wheels and fancy decorations, but it's a bit different from a NASCAR race. Still to come, the robots are off and rolling. The first one across the desert gets the dough. We'll explain.

And coming up at 4:30 Eastern, 1:30 Pacific, what should be in your will, and do you even need one? And who gets what when you leave? Email your questions at dollarsigns@cnn.com or call us at 1- 800-807-2620. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: Well, robots rolled across the Mojave desert today, racing to win $1 million. But guess what? The race is over, and there's no winner. No one collecting the big prize, that is. Here's CNN's Daniel Sieberg with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Well, they came, they crashed, they stalled, one of them even caught on fire, none of the 15 robots that arrived here in Barstow, California, for the Darpa Grand Challenge were able to complete the race. Officials called it off. The only robot that was able to get the furthest made it about ten miles or so. Other than that none of them were able to complete the 200-plus mile course that was set out.

These are autonomous vehicles that Darpa was hoping to test out here in Barstow. The race was designed between Barstow, California, and Primm, Nevada. They started here early today. They were lined up here in the start gate. There was a lot of excitement. A lot of enthusiasm. Even some helicopters overhead. Each of the robots had a chance to try to get out of the start area and make it as far as they could.

A lot of excitement very early in the morning. Some of them crashed very early on. Others were able to make it a few miles or several miles before they stopped and ran into some problems.

Now, the race was designed by Darpa, which is a research agency was the defense department in order to create these autonomous vehicles for the military. There's a congressional mandate set for 2015 at which time a third of the military vehicles need to be autonomous. So Darpa opened up this race called the Darpa Grand Challenge to anyone who wanted to come eat. And by the way, dangled a million dollar prize out there for anybody who completed it.

And so no one was able to complete the race in the alLotted ten- hour time limit. As such, that million dollar prize will carry over at least for a couple of years until about 2006 when Darpa says they might hold this Grand Challenge race again. Back to the drawing board. For new Daniel Sieberg, CNN, Barstow, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: You work your entire life to acquire the finer things in life right? But the reality is one day you'll have to leave it all behind. Who will trust -- who will you rather trust with your money and most valued possessions? Coming up, next in "Dollar Signs" we're talking will and estate planning. Just send us your questions at dollarsigns@cnn.com or you can call us at 1-800-807-2620. We'll be right back.

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Standoff In Tennessee Ends With Apparent Suicide; Darpa Grand Challenge Reveals No Winner>


Aired March 13, 2004 - 16:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A prepaid calling card, a cell phone and a backpack they all add up to one big break in the Spain train bombings case. A live report from Madrid.
Plus, was it a ritual killing? What happened inside a California home where nine bodies were found?

Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Also ahead, you spend a lifetime building a nest egg, but what happens when you have to leave it all behind? We're talking wills and estates. Estate planning on "Dollar Signs." Call us or e-mail us your questions.

But first a look at the headlines. Pennsylvania firefighters spent the morning wrestling a four alarm fire at a Pittsburgh church. The pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church says people were preparing for a heritage festival when they heard an explosion coming from the basement. No one in the church was hurt, but two firefighters were injured fighting the blaze.

Federal transportation officials are investigating a deadly bus crash in South Carolina. Three U.S. sailors were killed and dozens injured when their bus crashed head-on into a tractor trailer Friday, just outside of Charleston. The sailors were heading to a wreath laying ceremony at Beaufort National Cemetery.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is condemning Iran for hiding sensitive nuclear information. And if Tehran doesn't cooperate, the weapons watchdog group says it has left open the possibility of U.N. Sanctions. Iran is not pleased with the IAEA's resolution, after it was adopted Iran announced a freeze on upcoming U.N. inspections.

We begin in Spain. A massive investigation of the country's worst terrorist attack leads to the detainment of five people. Spanish officials say evidence, including a telephone calling card, an undetonated bomb backpack, links the detainees to Thursday's deadly bombings. CNN's Brent Sadler joins us now from Madrid, where it's very noisy still because thousands have crowded the streets in anti- government protests.

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks Fredricka. You join me as a very noisy, but peaceful protest continues here in the center of the Spanish capital, Madrid. These people complaining for many hours now, accusing the government, the ruling Popular Party of some sort of cover-up in holding back information in advance of a general election Sunday.

And now the problem for these people is that they say information is being held to sort of prevent a possible voter back lash at the ballot boxes Sunday.

Now, information about these arrests came from Spain's interior minister at a press conference a couple of hours ago. He said that five people have been formally arrested, 3 Moroccans, and 2 Hindus they were described as, plus two other Indians of Spanish origin, not formally arrested we understand, but being held for questioning.

Now that's had no impact whatsoever in terms of the numbers of demonstrators now on the streets of Madrid right outside the offices of the ruling Popular Party headquarters.

As the heir apparent, should the Popular Party to return to power in an unprecedented TV broadcast just hours really before elections get under way here, appeal for calm. They're prepared to go to polls, and really I liken the fact that this demonstration, noisy but peaceful, and surrounded by riot squads, is technically illegal, and that these demonstrations should stop immediately. So far no response out here at least on the streets of Madrid -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Brent. And many of those people no doubt have gotten word about the five detainees from the interior minister's announcement. Any idea how that information is being conveyed to them? I imagine the number of the demonstrators may even have radios with them and just listening in to news reports?

SADLER: That's right, Fredericka, word of mouth, text messaging and so forth. These people are aware of it. Let's not forget, most of these people are by no means supporters of the government in power today. Many of these people were very much against, along with as many as 90 percent of Spanish against Spain's participation in the war against Iraq a year ago. And the hands of an Islamic terror group in Thursday's bombing could provoke an anti-government backlash against the Popular Party at the ballots on Sunday.

So this really is a crucial demonstration, unprecedented in terms of what's happening and the way this is being handled by the government at this crucial time. Not only in the investigation into Thursday's terror attacks, but into Spain's general election process itself.

WHITFIELD: All right Brent Sadler, thanks very much from a very vocal demonstration there in the streets in Madrid.

Now, many people there are angry, emotional and many are also in mourning. The families of some of the victims have begun to bury their loved ones. Their grief is shared by an entire nation shocked by the attack. CNN's Alessio Vinci reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESOPNDENT (voice-over): Behind every national tragedy, there are stories of personal losses. For Isabelle Rodriguez the death of her son is simply too much to bear. Family members and friends struggle to comfort each other.

I love you, cries Jorge's mother as the casket is pushed into its final resting place. Jorge Rodriguez was 23, a student at a technical institute in Madrid, killed with his father at the train station on his way to school. His classmates couldn't believe Jorge was among the victims.

Then in the morning, the day after the attack, they told us, says Alvaro, one now feels totally powerless.

Jorge and his father lived in Alcala de Henares, a town 17 miles or 30 kilometers outside Madrid. Some 40 of the 200 that were killed came from here. In the town's central square, there is a sense of loss.

The son of very good friends died, she says, so as a sign of respect and against violence I lit these candles.

At the cemetery, funeral after funeral. The last ceremony planned for late in the evening. And whether a father or mother, a son or daughter, the pain of those left behind does not change.

(on camera): With a nation in mourning, it is those who have been personally affected by this tragedy who feel most of the pain. And for them, no amount of public grief offers enough consolation. Alessio Vinci, CNN, Alcala de Henares, Spain.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Now to other news around the world. In Port-au- Prince, Haiti, U.S. marines on patrol shot and killed two Haitian gunmen near the presidential palace. The marines say it happened while returning fire.

Also arrested, a young man suspected of making threats against peacekeepers.

To Iraq now, in central Tikrit a roadside bomb killed two American soldiers and wounded five others. The U.S. military says it happened while they were patrolling the streets in an armored humvee. The killed soldiers were from the 1st Infantry Division.

And in Afghanistan, the U.S. military is preparing to launch operation Mountain Storm. It's a major offensive aimed at crushing Taliban and al Qaeda recommendent including looking for Osama bin Laden. It involves thousands of troops in remote areas of southern and eastern Afghanistan. They will conduct border patrols, house to house searches, air assaults and set up surprise checkpoints.

Here in the states, in Fresno, California, police investigating a horrifying and gruesome slaying are trying to determine the motive. A woman, a teenager and seven children were found dead. The man in police custody is believed to be the childrens' father. CNN's Miguel Marquez has the rest of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): This is the home where nine bodies were found after patrol officers showed up to a child custody call. Under arrest, but not yet charged is 57- year-old Marcus Wesson. Neighbors say this was an imposing man. One neighbor saying that she was afraid of him. Very tall man, had with long dark hair down past his waist.

They also say he was quiet. I talked to one gentleman who knew Mr. Wesson for about three years, says he didn't believe he had a job but that the women that he was associated with, the four women he was associated with, that they worked and he controlled their money. Neighbors also say that the women were typically dressed in black: black skirts, black blouses, all in black. And Mr. Wesson would be seen outside the front of the house typically working on cars.

I want to bring in Lieutenant Art Alvarado with Fresno police who knows a little bit more about this. Your officers arrived here to a child custody call yesterday afternoon, what happened once they got here?

LT. ART ALVARADO, FRESNO POLICE: That's correct. Shortly after 2:00, they arrived here and contacted two females that were here to pick up their children from a Mr. Wesson who lives here. They got a hold of Mr. Wesson, and at first he was cooperative and agreed to return the children to the females, but during the conversation with our officers he declined to give them back, ran inside a bedroom and locked and refused to come out.

MARQUEZ: The victims that they found, over how much time did it take them to find those victims?

ALVARADO: I don't know that information. All I know is they called negotiators because the females informed the officers that Mr. Wesson had possibly been armed with a handgun or a gun. So they called negotiators and set up a perimeter.

MARQUEZ: So, when he first came out to talk to police, he had no blood on him. When he came out later, though, after the negotiators got here, what did he look like?

ALVARADO: That's correct. He came out from the residence, and it appeared to be a soiled clothing, what appeared to be blood.

MARQUEZ: But police, did they hear anything, gunshots, scuffling, yells, screams, anything like that?

ALVARADO: No, none at all. We surrounded the -- set a perimeter around the house. And when the officers were here, they did not hear or see anything that would indicate something was going on inside.

MARQUEZ: What do you know about the relationship between Mr. Wesson or the women or children who were killed?

ALVARADO: The information that I have is that the women who were here, were picking up the children who was fathered by Mr. Wesson.

MARQUEZ: Okay. Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

Again, 57-year-old marcus wesson under arrest and suspected of the murders but not yet charged. Police still working the scene at the home. The bodies are with the coroner. And they are trying to figure out how they were killed as well. Charges expected sometime soon. Miguel Marquez, CNN, Fresno, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHIFIELD: On now to Tennessee, where a teen standoff with police ends with his own death. Police in Loudoun County say 16-year-old Michael Harvey was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The teen held authorities at bay since yesterday after allegedly killing a sheriff's deputy. Authorities say Harvey had been dead for up to 20 hours. The situation began when the boy's mother made a domestic call to police.

It's not a conventional children's program, but the makers sure hope it will catch on to your child's eye.

(SINGING)

No loss of music, no violence, no on scenety and no commercials. Still to come, a new alternative for the younger generation.

And while parents take a positive approach on television airwaves, presidential candidates continue their negative campaign ads. The latest round of attacks when we come right back.

And coming up in less than a half an hour from now, we're talking wills and estate planning. Just email your questions to dollarsigns@cnn.com or you can call us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHIFEILD: The campaign trail took Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry to Illinois today. He visited Quincy, where he challenged President Bush to monthly debates. Quincy was the site of the famous debates between Abraham Lincoln and Steven Douglas during a Senate campaign 146 years ago.

This year's presidential candidates are tentatively scheduled to hold three debates in October. Kerry is also exchanging some negative ads with President Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Once again, George Bush is misleading America. John Kerry has never called for a $900 billion tax increase. He wants to cut taxes for the middle class. Doesn't America deserve more from its president than misleading negative ads? John Kerry will crack down on the export of American jobs, get healthcare costs under control and cut the deficit. JOHN KERRY, (D-MA) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (on camera): I'm John kerry. And I approved this message, because we need to do what's right for America's economy.

ANNOUNCER: John Kerry, a new direction for America.

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WHITFIELD: The political ads, by both campaigns, are just one aspect of a presidential race that promises to be far from all the way positive. CNN's senior analyst Jeff Greenfield takes a look at why this election cycle is already shaping up to be uniquely argumentative.

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KERRY: These guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group of people I've ever seen.

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): From John Kerry's unguarded rhetoric...

ANNOUNCER: And he wanted to delay defending America until the United Nations approved.

GREENFIELD: To George Bush's tough new ad, this campaign has turned very harsh very early. Indecision kills, vice president Cheney said of Kerry's alleged uncertainties.

KERRY: Bad, rushed...

GREENFIELD: Bad rushed decisions kill, Kerry said of the Bush administration's war on Iraq.

(on camera): Now a word of caution is in order. The press loves to label every campaign bitter, even if the candidates are just politely disagreeing on the issues, but this time it is different, tougher, blunter, way, way early. The question is why? The answer, lots of reasons.

(voice-over): First, in the old days, candidates battled within their parties for the nomination. It took until the summer to sort this out. Now the contenders are picked in early March.

Second, when incumbent presidents have the wind at their backs they can set a sunny upbeat tone.

ANNOUNCER: It's morning again in America.

GREENFIELD: Reagan's Morning in America in 1984.

ANNOUNCER: Building a bridge to the 21st Century.

GREENFIELD: Bill Clinton's bridge to the 21st Century in 1996. Though Clinton did run ads linking GOP nominee Bob Dole to House Speaker Gingrich. But the mood of America right now is darker. Four years ago most Americans said they were satisfied with how things were going. Today, most are not. This means the Bush campaign cannot stay above the fray. Not when the polls show him even with or trailing his opponent.

Third...

REP. DICK GEPHARDT, (D) MISSOURI: In such a partisan way...

GREENGIELD: Four years ago the country was clearly hungry for a change from the pitched warfare of the Clinton years. Then Governor Bush ran on changing the tone in Washington. Instead of feeding red meat to the GOP convention he said...

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have no stake in the bitter arguments of the last few years.

GREENFIELD: And his take on Clinton was almost sympathetic.

BUSH: So many talents, so much charm, such great skill, but in the end, to what end?

GREENFIELD: This year by contrast, the Democrats found themselves with a primary base steeped in intense dislike of President Bush. Howard Dean's rise was fueled in large measure by his insistence that the party confront the president head-on.

BUSH: Once again Senator Kerry is trying to have it both ways.

GREENFIELD: That fervor, in turn, sparked push by Republicans for the Bush campaign to answer earlier and more forcefully.

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WHITFIELD: That was Jeff Greenfield. The president's ads can be seen nationally on cable networks, including CNN, and on other stations in 18 key battleground states. Kerry's ad is airing in 16 of those same states.

From negative campaign ads to no ads whatsoever. A group of parents in Washington is fed up with all the commercials and the violence on television, so they're dishing out their own kind of show that they say is appropriate and fun for the kids. CNN's Elaine Quijano takes us to the new world of "Pancake Mountain."

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ELAIN QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To describe "Pancake Mountain" as just another kid's show isn't at all accurate. For now, it's only on the Internet an edgy, eclectic mix of music and some education, but mostly fun. Complete with kid's dance parties, appearances by local D.C. Bands and a cast of characters like a not so bright backstage reporter named Rufus Leaking.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We play a variety of music from go-go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go where? Where do you want me to go? I don't understand the hostility here, because I'm just trying to do an interview and there's no need for that kind of...

QUIJANO: If you've never heard of "Pancake Mountain," it's for good reason. The show's creator and producers want it to retain its local flavor, and more importantly...

SCOTT STUCKEY, "PANCAKE MOUNTAIN" CREATOR: Without kind of the whole promotional stuff or trying to sell anything, that the kids can kind of have fun, and learn about the community, and see friends of theirs.

JEORGE SEDER, "PANCAKE MOUNTAIN" PRODUCTER: If I had kids, I would want to sit down and watch this show with them. I would enjoy the show just as much as they did, if not more.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We all agree on the show we would never sell this kind of cheap commercial product.

UNIDENTIIFED MALE: Especially something as ugly as this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And heavy. This could really hurt somebody.

QUIJANO: The show began as just a handful of skitless a few months ago, and grew to a more elaborate production. Paid for mostly by its creator with the help of borrowed equipment and time. The kids involved show up with their parents eager to perform.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are just doing our thing, being wild...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I danced a lot. I want to dance contest twice at my school.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't hear you.

QUIJANO: As for the future, the producers hope their recipe stirs up interest from either cable access or a local D.C. TV station so they can serve up "Pancake Mountain" to an even bigger audience. Elaine Quijano, CNN, Washington.

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WHITFIELD: OK. They've got wheels and fancy decorations, but it's a bit different from a NASCAR race. Still to come, the robots are off and rolling. The first one across the desert gets the dough. We'll explain.

And coming up at 4:30 Eastern, 1:30 Pacific, what should be in your will, and do you even need one? And who gets what when you leave? Email your questions at dollarsigns@cnn.com or call us at 1- 800-807-2620. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: Well, robots rolled across the Mojave desert today, racing to win $1 million. But guess what? The race is over, and there's no winner. No one collecting the big prize, that is. Here's CNN's Daniel Sieberg with more.

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DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Well, they came, they crashed, they stalled, one of them even caught on fire, none of the 15 robots that arrived here in Barstow, California, for the Darpa Grand Challenge were able to complete the race. Officials called it off. The only robot that was able to get the furthest made it about ten miles or so. Other than that none of them were able to complete the 200-plus mile course that was set out.

These are autonomous vehicles that Darpa was hoping to test out here in Barstow. The race was designed between Barstow, California, and Primm, Nevada. They started here early today. They were lined up here in the start gate. There was a lot of excitement. A lot of enthusiasm. Even some helicopters overhead. Each of the robots had a chance to try to get out of the start area and make it as far as they could.

A lot of excitement very early in the morning. Some of them crashed very early on. Others were able to make it a few miles or several miles before they stopped and ran into some problems.

Now, the race was designed by Darpa, which is a research agency was the defense department in order to create these autonomous vehicles for the military. There's a congressional mandate set for 2015 at which time a third of the military vehicles need to be autonomous. So Darpa opened up this race called the Darpa Grand Challenge to anyone who wanted to come eat. And by the way, dangled a million dollar prize out there for anybody who completed it.

And so no one was able to complete the race in the alLotted ten- hour time limit. As such, that million dollar prize will carry over at least for a couple of years until about 2006 when Darpa says they might hold this Grand Challenge race again. Back to the drawing board. For new Daniel Sieberg, CNN, Barstow, California.

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WHITFIELD: You work your entire life to acquire the finer things in life right? But the reality is one day you'll have to leave it all behind. Who will trust -- who will you rather trust with your money and most valued possessions? Coming up, next in "Dollar Signs" we're talking will and estate planning. Just send us your questions at dollarsigns@cnn.com or you can call us at 1-800-807-2620. We'll be right back.

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Standoff In Tennessee Ends With Apparent Suicide; Darpa Grand Challenge Reveals No Winner>