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CNN Live Saturday

Enron Documentary Examines Corporate Unease; Pope Gets Rolling with Papacy; 9/11 Trials with Guilty Plea; Police Handcuff Unruly 5- year-old; 28-Year-Old Veteran Humanitarian Laid to Rest; Ethics of Searching for Birthparents; Tips on Cutting Costs During Summer Vacations; Dead 12-Year-Old's Poetry Brings Comfort to Parents, Funds to Indonesian Children

Aired April 23, 2005 - 12:00   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It is Noon on the East coast. 9:00 out West. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at CNN's global headquarters. Ahead this hour:
Don't let rising gas prices ruin your vacation. We'll show you some ways to save money on your driving getaways.

And, is the new big screen story or Enron this year's "Fahrenheit 9/11?" We'll take you inside a documentary at some theaters, right now.

Plus, turning tragedy into hope: One family takes their heartbreak and helps the children of the Indonesia tsunami, but first here are the top stories:

The Vatican is getting set for the installation of Pope Benedict XVI. The ceremony takes place tomorrow. Earlier today, the new pontiff met with journalists thanking them for their coverage of events during the papal transition, but he made clear that he is not a carbon copy of his media minded predecessor, Pope John Paul II; a live report about five minutes from now.

China and Japan are making new moves to try to ease growing tensions between the two countries. China's president and Japan's prime minister held talks, earlier today in Indonesia. Massive demonstrations erupted in China earlier this month over a Japanese history textbook. Protestors claim Tokyo is trying to gloss over atrocities against China during World War II.

A 13-year-old Florida girl, allegedly killed by a sex offender, is being mourned today in her hometown. Funeral services for Sarah Lunde were scheduled to get underway about an hour ago. Thirty-six- year-old David Onstott is charged with Lunde's murder. He was convicted of a sex crime 10 years ago.

An investigation by the Army's inspector general reportedly clears the former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez had been accused of leadership failure tied to the abuse of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib Prison. Kathleen Koch has more on the results on the report; she joins us now from the Pentagon -- Kathleen. KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, in contrast to past investigations into abuse at Abu Ghraib Prison, this one looked specifically at the issue of whether or not Pentagon or top brass, I should say, was responsible and should be punished, and according to senior Pentagon officials the report has cleared not only the former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, but three of his top deputies. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, we are told, will not face any punishment, nor will Major General Walter Wojdakowski, his former top deputy; Major General Barbara Fast, who's is intelligence chief; nor Colonel Marc Warren, Sanchez's legal adviser.

Now this scandal, of course, was a major embarrassment to the United States, to the U.S. military, and this report by the Army inspector general. Lieutenant General Stanley Green is designed to be the Army's final word on the subject. It has not, yet, though, been made public as -- because as the Army said in a statement, quote, "The Army is currently in the process of briefing members of Congress on the comprehensive results of and inspector general and legal review of senior leader involvement in Abu Ghraib. We are currently not addressing questions on the findings until we have addressed the questions of Congress"

KOCH: This, of course, though, will not stop the questions coming from some lawmakers, from civil rights advocates, and from attorneys for lower ranking soldiers who believe that those soldiers have been, indeed, made scapegoats in this case and they point to previous Pentagon investigations, other military investigations that have criticized Lieutenant General Sanchez. For example, the Faye Report which was released back in August said the actions of he and his deputies, quote, "Did indirectly contribute to some abuses," but that, Sanchez was quote, "not responsible for the things that happened." And then the Schlesinger Report concluded that Sanchez could, indeed, have taken stronger action when he realized the extent of the problem -- problems, I should say.

But, Fredricka, we have certainly not heard the end of the Abu Ghraib Prison scandal because now lawmakers are promising a series of hearings into these many investigations and reviews whether or not they have been adequate in really getting to the bottom of what happened and who is responsible.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kathleen Koch, in Washington, thanks so much.

In Iraq, today, another deadly roadside bomb blasted near the Abu Ghraib Prison. It happened as an Iraqi army convoy passed by. Nine Iraqi soldiers were killed, at least 20 more wounded. It was one of several bomb attacks across Iraq, today.

Survivors and families of victims of the 9/11 attacks say they feel some sense of justice. That's after Zacarias Moussaoui's guilty pleas to six terrorism conspiracy charges. Even so, Moussaoui promised to fight against the death penalty. Justice correspondent, Kelli Arena, has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The guilty plea was no surprise, but what happened after was. Moussaoui vowed "to fight every inch against the death penalty." He insisted he played no direct role in the September 11 attacks, but instead was part of a different plot to fly a plane into the White House, a plan personally approved by al-Qaeda's leader, Osama bin laden.

PAUL MCNULTY, U.S. ATTORNEY: He didn't say anything that's inconsistent with where we have positioned ourselves in this case all along. We have alleged that he was a participant in a conspiracy, a broad conspiracy, that's what he's pled guilty to. That conspiracy included the attacks on 9/11.

ARENA: Moussaoui admits he went to the U.S. flight schools to learn to use an airplane as a weapons of mass destruction, eventually. His goal? The release of Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind Egyptian cleric serving a life sentence for his involvement in earlier terror plots against the U.S.

As for 9/11, Moussaoui's worst offense, as outlined by the government, was lying to FBI agents so his, quote, "al-Qaeda brothers could go forward with their plot." In fact, he told investigators, after his arrest in Minnesota, that he was training as pilot purely for his personal enjoyment. Relatives of 9/11 victims were in court to hear the guilty plea for themselves.

DOMINIC PUOPOLO, SON OF 9/11 VICTIM: This is the day I've been waiting for since September 11. I promised my mother shortly after she was murdered that I would, in some way, shape, or form have justice afforded to her memory and also the memories of our other fellow family members.

ARENA: Moussaoui berated his offense attorneys, angry that they tried to declare him mentally incompetent. Judge Leonie Brinkema, said she was fully satisfied that Moussaoui was fully competent and went on to describe him as extremely intelligent.

Brinkema also told Moussaoui that in the penalty phase of his trial he could argue he could argue he shouldn't face death because the government refused to allow top al-Qaeda leaders, in U.S. custody, to testify on his behalf. Moussaoui has consistently argued those detainees would help clear him of any involvement in 9/11.

(on camera): The next step in this 3-1/2 year legal drama is for a jury to decide Moussaoui's punishment: Death or life in prison without parole.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Alexandria, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Still more about Zacarias Moussaoui, his trial, guilty pleas, and what happens next all on CNN.com.

A day before his inauguration, Pope Benedict XVI has a message for journalists. Members of the world's media gathered at the Vatican this morning, it was the pope's first public audience since his election on Tuesday. CNN's Rome bureau chief, Alessio Vinci, was there and he joins us from Rome, right now -- Alessio.

ALESSIO VINCI, ROME BUREAU CHIEF: Hello Fredricka, you know, it's never easy to speak or even report about ourselves, but we'll make an exception today because Pope Benedict XVI held his first public audience dedicated to the journalists, this morning, inside the Vatican in the hall of Paul VI, that's where John Paul II, that use to hold his own private audiences when they were not in St. Peter's Square. The whole thing lasted about 15 minutes and, you know, as he entered, he blessed all of us. Everyone was applauding. Many journalists, there, seemed excited to be there, and the pope looked a little shy and uneasy at first, he's clearly still adapting to his new role, but then he prepared remarks which he read in four different languages. He basically said that he hoped to continue in the legacy of John Paul II in using the media and also thanked all of us for the hard work that we did in the past few weeks, in reporting this papal transition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE BENEDICT XVI: I know how hard you have worked far away from your homes and families, for long hours and in sometimes difficult conditions. I'm aware of this skill and dedication with which you have accomplished the demanding task. In my own name, and especially on behalf of Catholics living far from Rome, who were able to participate in these stirring moments for their faiths, as they are take place, I thank you for all you have done. The possibilities opened up for us by modern means of such communications, are indeed, marvelous and extraordinary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VINCI: He may be a bit shy perhaps, but soon we had the feeling that this new pope does understand the media, will use the media to send his pastoral message around the world, something he called, in his word, "a cultural pastoral revolution." And meanwhile, here behind me in St. Peter's Square, everything is ready for the mass, the security extremely tight, of course, but already, Rome is packed with many pilgrims, as well as tourists, of course, many coming from the pope's native Germany -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Alessio, describe just how will the public get a chance to be a part of the inaugural?

VINCI: Well, they either will be able to come here early enough, in the morning, tomorrow, and make it all of the way inside St. Peter's Square. There will be plenty of room there with some chairs, as well as standing. The whole square packed is about, I believe, 40,000 people or so and those who will not make it to St. Peter's Square, they can gather in this area around the Vatican. The main boulevard leading up to St. Peter's Square, that's (UNINTELLIGIBLE), there are giant television screens there, and they will be able to watch it on those.

WHITFIELD: All right. Alessio Vinci, in Rome, thanks so much. Well, Florida's Governor Jeb Bush says Pope Benedict XVI has the same ability to provide moral leadership in the world as Pope John Paul II. The president's brother, a Catholic convert, is in Rome. He's leading a U.S. delegation for tomorrow's papal inauguration at the Vatican. The delegation includes 21 members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Well, set your clocks because CNN will have live coverage of the pope's inauguration mass beginning Sunday morning at 3:00 Eastern.

Well, some of the stories you'll see this hour on CNN LIVE SATURDAY: A young humanitarian is remembered here at home and in Iraq. We'll reflect on this woman's life, work, and dedication to helping others. And how the words left behind by this eloquent little girl seemed to be helping people on the other side of the world.

And we'll switch gears for this: Arrive for your summer vacation with something left in your wallet. That would be nice. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, this just in, involving that helicopter that was shut-shot down leading to the deaths of six Americans in Iraq, earlier in the week. Apparently, a civilian had information that helped the task force Baghdad soldiers find, what appear to be, six terrorists that were suspected of the act. This act was videotaped and shown on al-Jazeera television and you see that videotape, right there, of the shooting down of the helicopter. Six Americans were onboard along with other passengers onboard; all were killed, if not on the ground then killed during the crash. So, we'll have more information on the apprehension of the six terrorist suspects when we get them.

The housing market is red hot, but now signs things may cool down. CNN correspondent, Allen Chernoff looks at what's going on with your most important investment.

ALLEN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Home construction in Ashburn, Virginia, as far as the eye can see, hundreds of homes are going up. Builders plan thousands more.

STEVEN ALLOY, PRESIDENT STANLEY MARTIN: If you can get permits and you can get pavement then you're going to sell houses.

CHERNOFF: Here in Ashburn, 25 miles from Washington, it seems almost inconceivable that housing starts plummeted nearly 18 percent in March, the biggest drop in 14 years. While the decline came off February's record level, some economists warn the end of the housing boom is near.

DEAN BAKER, CTR. FOR ECON. & POLICY RESEARCH: An 18 percent falloff is extraordinary, so that could mean the end of the housing boom, beginning of the end, I should say.

CHERNOFF (on camera): Do you think it is? BAKER: Well, I've been expecting the end of the housing boom for two years, now.

CHERNOFF: Yet, for the past two years, builders have been putting up new frames at a record pace. Now, however, there are some factors that could weigh on housing. Mortgage rates popped above six percent last month, the rise in oil prices is hurting consumer confidence, and builders are worried about growing speculation, people buying homes and then selling them in a matter of months for a quick profit.

(voice-over): Even the National Association of Home Builders' chief economists believes, housing has peaked. But he says, there will be no crash.

DAVID SEIDERS, NATL. ASSN. OF HOME BUILDERS: I do have some pretty modest downslide in my forecast of home sales and housing starts through the rest of this year and some further decline in 2006. The rates are moving up gradually, you will ultimately get a gradual down movement in the housing numbers.

CHERNOFF: Although they've climbed, interest rates remained at historically low levels and home sales are still strong, but it is possible as, David Seiders predicts, that right now is the turning point for a housing market that has been the economy's lead engine.

Allen Chernoff, CNN, Ashburn, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Checking other stories making headlines across America. Officials with Wendy's restaurants say they're hoping business in the San Francisco Bay area will bounce back now that the woman that claims she found a human finger in a bowl of chili has been arrested. Anna Ayala of Las Vegas is accused of attempted grand theft. Police say her accusations about the find is likely a hoax.

Life is about to change drastically for one lucky lottery player. The winning Mega Millions ticket was sold in Port Heron, Michigan. It's worth about $205 million. The winning numbers: 23, 25, 43, 46, and 49. And the Mega ball: 26.

At the U.S. capital a giant baked Alaska was in the spotlight as protestors rallied against plans that might allow oil drilling in the arctic national wildlife refuge. The event took place on Earth Day. One of the sponsors was Ben and Jerry's ice cream. The Vermont-based firm is known for its activism on social issues.

In California, a burglary arrest with a twist. The suspect was captured after getting himself in quite a bind; he got stuck in a chimney. Police were alerted after a neighbor heard screams coming from next door where the owners were away on vacation. The suspect was wedged about halfway down the chimney, and consequently, later, arrested.

Well, some wild weather is also making headlines across the United States. Check out this scene, yesterday, off Miami Beach: Twin waterspouts. The twisters formed over the Atlantic, just offshore. And, this was the scene in Louisville, Kentucky, as a severe thunderstorm moved through that area. The stormed slammed the region with fierce winds, torrential rain, and hail. Let's see what the weekend has brought us. Here's meteorologist Orelon Sidney

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Thanks Orelon. Well, straight ahead, the company that's become synonymous with corporate greed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We was a huge risk taker. We actually talked about wanting to on out on trips that were son perilous that someone could actually die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A look inside the lives of the Enron executives. We'll talk to the director and writer of a new documentary.

And prices at the pump are soaring. Ahead, how you can stretch your spending between those gasoline fillups.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A documentary about the collapse of energy giant, Enron, opened in New York and Houston, last night, and will head to other cities later in the week. I'll talk live with the people behind the movie in a moment, but first, here's CNN's Brook Anderson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIMI SWARTZ, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, TEXAS MONTHLY MAGAZINE: The thing about people in Enron is a lot of them were former nerds.

BROOK ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Smartest Guys in The Room" tracks the rise and fall of Enron's unholy trinity: Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, and Andrew Fastow. The film portrays the trio as a ruthless click of corporate cowboys who, simply put, exaggerated Enron's bottom line and walked away with millions of dollars.

When another executive blew the whistle the company collapsed and the government took them to trial. But employees who had invested in 401ks in Enron's stock were left with nothing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We could add a kazillion dollars to the bottom line.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh Jeff, all right. That sounds fantastic.

ANDERSON: The documentary, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, features telling conversations between Enron's energy traders.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All that money you guys stole from those poor grandmothers.

(LAUGHTER)

ALEX GIBNEY, DIRECTOR: Enron had a commercial slogan, "Ask why." It's deeply ironic now. So, I guess if I want people to come out of this film with a message it is "ask why."

ANDERSON: Like Enron, workers did at this company meeting two months before Enron went bankrupt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're down to questions and I have a few up here. I would like to know if you are on crack.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If so that would explain a lot. If not, you may want to start because it's going to be a long time before we trust you again.

ANDERSON (on camera): Lay, Skilling, and Fastow didn't get off scot free. Fastow pleaded guilty to fraud charges and faces 10 years in prison. The other two are set for their days in court next year.

Brook Anderson, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Alex Gibney is the director of, "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room." The film is based on a book co-written by Bethany McLean a "Fortune" magazine reporter (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- both, rather, join me in New York.

Good to see both of you.

GIBNEY: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, Bethany, let me begin with you. When researching and writing this book, did you say to yourself, you know what I see a movie in the making?

BETHANY MCLEAN, AUTHOR, "SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM": Actually, researching and writing the book was such an exhausting process that I think, Peter, my co-author, and I, just had our heads down trying to put out a book and we weren't thinking past trying to put out something in that actually told the Enron story.

WHITFIELD: Does it tell the story, you believe, in complete? I mean, here these cases haven't even gone to trial yet and now we're seeing this documentary, which will certainly paint a picture for many of us about the real Andy Fastow, the real Ken Lay.

MCLEAN: I think it does tell the story completely for two reasons: One, is that this is really a story about people and not a story about numbers and I think that's something that isn't broadly understood. People tend to think of Enron and think complex transactions, financial chicanery, not human beings. I think the other reason it's complete, we didn't set -- we don't know if Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling are criminally guilty or not and we didn't set out to make that judgment. We set out, instead, to make the judgment that they're ethically guilty for what happened at Enron and we set out to tell that story.

WHITFIELD: And Alex, you had a lot to work with, didn't you, on this not only the words from Bethany's book, but you already had testimony on Capitol Hill, even some in-house video to help supplement this story. It's a very serious story, a lot of people lost a lot of money, but at the same time you kind of poke fun and make it rather comedic, don't you?

GIBNEY: Well, I didn't need to make it comedic, there are some aspects of this story that are just hilarious. I mean, at the end of the day it's a tragic -- it's tragedy. But the fact is that there's a lot that's funny about executives that are addicted to strippers, accountants who are making up numbers in the basement of the Enron building so, you know, it's funny, in some way, but it's -- there's an undercurrent of moral outrage to the story and at the end of the day it really is a human tragedy.

WHITFIELD: In Brook's piece, your interview, you said, you know, "the message I want to send is to ask why." But, don't you also have to leave that movie and say ask how. How is it that all this could have been taken place and there are a number of employees who are asking the questions, but somehow a small handful of folks still walked off with millions of dollars in people's retirement funds?

GIBNEY: I think it is important to understand that this is a story not just about a few executives at Enron, at the end of the day, it's a story of synergistic corruption, so, the investment banks, law firm, and Author Anderson, the now dispatched accounting firm. Everyone was in on this, in fact, the government bares a lot of blame for this story. So, that's why the Enron story is so interesting. At its core, it's about these three people, but it's really the ripples spread more widely and it's really about a system that's kind of run amuck.

WHITFIELD: Alex Gibney and Bethany McLean, thanks so much to both of you for joining us. And, of course, the documentary, as I said earlier, is already in certain theaters in New York and Houston and in other theaters later on in the week. Thanks so much to both of you.

GIBNEY: Thank you.

MCLEAN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Just how far should one go to control an unruly child? What an assistant principal and police officers did that's causing quite the uproar.

And we member one humanitarian worker who risked her life to help those in need.

CNN LIVE SATURDAY continues in a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: "Now in the News," the U.S. military has arrested six people suspected in Thursday's crash of a civilian helicopter in Iraq. Ten people were killed in the crash; one survivor was shot dead later.

And, it has been another violent day in Iraq. So far, 11 Iraqis killed and more than two dozen wounded in several bombings and a shooting.

Senior Pentagon officials say a report by the army's inspector general clears Lieutenant Colonel Ricardo Sanchez and other top officers of allegations connected to the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Lieutenant General Sanchez commanded forces in Iraq when abuses if Iraqi prisoners by U.S. troops surfaced nearly two years ago.

Pope Benedict XVI held his first public audience, as pope, today, at the Vatican. The new pope met with journalists, telling them he hoped to continue John Paul II's tradition of openness, but, unlike his predecessor's first meeting with the media, Benedict did not take any questions.

Did police go too far when they handcuffed an unruly 5-year-old? It happened in St. Petersburg, Florida, last month and, yes, an attorney does plan to sue. The incident was caught on videotape.

CNN's Tony Harris showed us what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TONY HARRIS, CNN HOST "SATURDAY MONRING": The cameras was rolling as part of a self-improvement exercize for preschool children in St. Petersburg, Florida. You see a 5-year-old girl become disruptive...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're not touching you, no, ma'am. We're not touching you. You don't touch me.

HARRIS: ...first throwing objects on the floor and resisting the efforts of a teacher and assistant principal to calm her down. Eventually the girl's mother is called, but she's unable to come to the school. The girl begins hitting the assistant principal and the police are called.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (CRYING)

HARRIS: The video is stopped soon after the girl's hands are fastened behind her. Now, no charges have been filed against the 5- year-old girl and she was released to her mother, but a lawyer for the girl's parents say the police went too far, and that he plans unspecified legal actions against them. Police officials have launched an internal investigation.

Tony Harris, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: At just 28, Marla Ruzicka was already a veteran humanitarian on a relentless mission to help innocent victims of war. Today Ruzicak is being buried in her hometown of Lake Port, California, and mourned in homes throughout Iraq and Afghanistan. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez reminds us of Marla's mission.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Marla Ruzicka was a humanitarian who lived and worked in Baghdad.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "I am very safe."

GUTIERREZ: Almost every day she wrote to her family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "I know when you hear news of kidnappings and bombs it does not put your minds at ease."

GUTIERREZ: Marla reached out to those in pain.

JILL RUZICKA, MARLA'S SISTER: "Today there were car bombs that exploded close to where I stay."

She sought money for Iraqi civilians caught in the crossfire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "On Thursday I'll visit some of the families that have been recently harmed."

GUTIERREZ: Marla not only tracked the civilian injured and dead in war-torn Iraq...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When people leave to run errands they are not sure they will come back safe.

GUTIERREZ: ...Marla Ruzicka risked her life to help them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "When you drive or walk anywhere in Baghdad, you face the possibilities that there will be a suicide attack."

GUTIERREZ: They were Marla's last written words to her family.

RUSICKA: This is written Thursday and she was -- April 14 -- two days before she was killed.

GUTIERREZ: Marla Ruzicka grew up in Lake Port, California, right on the water.

MARK RUZICKA, MARLA'S TWIN BROTHER: It's a great place to grow up.

GUTIERREZ: Mark is Marla's older brother, by six minutes. Mark and Marla are twins.

M. RUZICKA: We spent hours and hours and hours on this lake, and swimming. GUTIERREZ: Mark says his other half is gone.

When she actually told you that she was about to leave and go to Iraq -- you're her twin brother. You must have wanted to say, no, don't go.

M. RUZICKA: Yes, I didn't want her to go. I wanted to go -- I wanted to protect her.

GUTIERREZ: But anyone here in Lakeport will tell you, Marla had a different calling. It started early.

VICE PRINCIPAL STEVE GENTRY, LAKEPORT HIGH SCHOOL: Other students were taking trips, you know, over spring break or during the year, to Cancun or Hawaii, and she was going Cuba for -- with Pastors for Peace.

GUTIERREZ: Marla's parents, Nancy and Cliff Ruzicka.

CLIFF RUZICKA, MARLA'S FATHER: Her heart laid with the downtrodden and the unfortunate.

GUTIERREZ: From the age of seven, Marla began to reach out to people.

C. RUZICKA: I can recall, you know, going into a cafeteria and ordering lunch and wondering where Marla is at, and Marla is off sitting with an elderly person that's all by themselves, and you know -- and she comes back and she says, but, that that person was alone and I wanted to talk with them and give them some comfort. She had so much kindness in her.

GUTIERREZ: Marla's university studies took her to Cuba, Jerusalem, Costa Rica, and Zimbabwe. Her major? International relations.

NANCY RUZICKA, MARLA'S MOTHER: Before Iraq, she went to Afghanistan. She decided she needed to stay in that part of the country to maybe make a difference, and she went into Iraq the day Saddam's statue fell.

C. RUZICKA: We were afraid for her. We were frightened about her safety, and concerned about her safety, but you know, we were encouraging. We liked what she was doing. We thought that it was very important.

GUTIERREZ: Marla started a nonprofit organization CIVIC, the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict. And, she worked with the military to help Iraqis. But, perhaps Marla's greatest achievement was in convincing U.S. lawmakers to earmark millions of dollars for victims of collateral damage.

MARLA RUZICKA, HUMANITARIAN, KILLED IN BAGHDAD CAR BOMBING: When you go to a family and let them know, yes, we're sorry, we do care, it helps them with the healing process.

GUTIERREZ: At her old alma mater, Marla's life work is recognized.

We've had kids in the same class go into the service -- military service -- and have served in Iraq, and I was as proud of Marla, serving in her way.

GUTIERREZ: Nancy remembers the last time she heard her daughter's voice.

N. RUZICKA: I said, listen to this -- isn't this technology wonderful that we can listen to Marla talking to us from Baghdad? She said, mom and dad, I love you. I want you to know I'm safe.

GUTIERREZ: Two days later, Marla, her assistant, and driver, were traveling near the Baghdad airport when a car bomb exploded. All three were killed.

C. RUZICKA: She was the greatest kid in the world. I mean, she was a -- the love of my life. She was the most that anyone could want in a daughter. If we can all leave this world feeling that we've done a difference, then I think we've accomplished a lot in a life time.

GUTIERREZ: Marla Ruzicka was just 28 years old.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Lakeport, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(ALLERGY REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the first selection in the 2005 NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers select Alex Smith, quarterback, Utah.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue announcing the first pick, made by the San Francisco 49ers just after the top of the hour. Alex Smith had a 21-1 record at Utah where he was working on his masters' degree as well.

The search for an adoptive child's birth parents is the focus of today's ethics question. Syndicated columnist Bruce Weinstein joins us from New York, and he is the author of the forth-coming book, "Life Principles: Feeling Good by Doing Good."

Good to see you.

BRUCE WEINSTEIN, "THE ETHICS GUY," AUTHOR "LIFE PRINCIPLES": Welcome back, Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much. All right, our first question today comes from a viewer who wants to contact his biological parents. The viewer writes, "I still have pictures and letters my birthparents sent to my adoptive parents. I found where my birth mother is currently living, and it turns out I have a sister, about 10 years younger. Here's my dilemma: I want to contact my birth mother and especially my sister, but I don't know if I'm a 'deep dark secret,' and I don't want to open up a can of worms for my birth mother."

What should that person do?

WEINSTEIN: The ideal solution would be for the writer to see his sibling with the birth mother's permission, even though he doesn't need it legally or, arguably, ethically, it would behoove him to sit down with the birthmother privately, share his concerns in a heartfelt way, and hope that the birthmother can feel how important it is to him to be united with his sister. If that fails, then the writer will have to decide what ultimately is more important: keeping things the way they are, or being united with his sister, and ultimately, that's his choice to make. Sometimes ignorance is not bliss.

WHITFIELD: Yes, so, reach out to the birth mother first, and of course, how that person should reach out is also a question. Is it something that's a phone call? Is a person to person visit? What's your recommendation?

WEINSTEIN: It is always better to do it in person. In the era of email communication, too many people rely on emails or phone calls when a heart to heart talk in person is the best way to handle the problem.

WHITFIELD: So, say the birth mother says, you know, I don't mind that we stay in touch, but, perhaps I don't want the two siblings to get in contact. You know, what's the best approach that this person might want to take?

WEINSTEIN: Well, you know, the writer may say, I understand your reluctance, but I can't really go through the rest of my life without meeting my sister. It's very important to me. So, ultimately, the writer will have to decide whether it is more important to respect the birth mother's wishes or to fulfill his own desire of being united with his sister.

WHITFIELD: It's a tough situation, because, so often, young people end up having to go through various agencies, et cetera, to try to find or locate their biological parents, and in this case this person seems to know who the biological mother is. You know, this is always quite a dilemma.

WEINSTEIN: But, from the birth mother's perspective, if she feels for some reason uncomfortable, why should she hold that over her biological son? If she's embarrassed, or whatever her concerns are, she ought to really let that go because it would be very difficult for her biological son never to see the sister that he has.

WHITFIELD: All right. Bruce Weinstein, thanks so much. Always good to see you.

WEINSTEIN: You, too.

WHITFIELD: Well, if you have a question of ethics, email your dilemma to ethics@CNN.com. We'll get it on the air for you, and get it answered for you, too.

Well, the summer isn't far away and with that comes fun-filled vacations, but can you save money when you're driving to your destinations this summer?

Plus, one family is turning their tragedy around by helping children touched by the tsunami. We'll hear their story straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: There are simple and easy things you can do to cut your gas costs this summer. Don't be a NASCAR driver, for one. Keep it on the speed limit. For every five miles per hour over 60, your gas costs go up a dime a gallon. Well, set and use your cruise control. A steady speed is more efficient. Avoid idling; stay out of the drive-through lane, and, when you do start up again, don't be a jackrabbit. Ease up on your cruising speed and save, and finally, keep your tires properly inflated -- very easy to do and that can save you a nickel a gallon, apparently.

Gas prices are averaging around $2.20 a gallon nationwide. That's 40 percent higher than this time last year, and with the summer driving season coming up, now is the time to think about ways to cut costs during your getaway. "Budget Travel" magazine offers tips on saving in its latest issue. Eric Trickel (ph) is an editor at "Budget Travel," and he joins us from New York.

Good to see you.

ERICK TORKELLS, "BUDGET TRAVEL" MAGAZINE: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, do you have any sense as to whether these higher gas prices will keep people off the road for their driving vacations this summer?

TORKELLS: No. I don't think it will keep them off the road. You know, people want to go on vacation. They are going to be on vacation. By that logic people wouldn't be going to Europe either because it is so brutal there, but they numbers to Europe are higher than ever, so -- I think Americans feel it is their right to have a vacation.

WHITFIELD: So, what are -- what are some of your suggestions as to how they can have that vacation on the road, and perhaps it not costing them an arm and a leg?

TORKELLS: Well, there are different ways. There are different ways to sort of be smart about it and be prepared. That's always the best way to save money. There's one website called gasbuddy.com where people post prices at pumps around the country and offer tips on ways to save. One reader wrote in to us and said -- they swear that if you're driving from Georgia down into Florida, the prices rise incredibly once you go into Florida. So, it's like, load up your tank in Georgia. Stuff like that you can find at gasbuddy.com.

WHITFIELD: All right. So, perhaps you can't negotiate the gas prices no matter where you go, but you say there are some ways to cut corners or save some money during your vacation, whether it comes down to food or searching out accommodations. How do you go about that?

TORKELLS: Well, there are little ways to do it that just are smart in general. For families, we always recommend, pack a cooler. They make soft sided coolers that have wheels and handles so even if you wanted to fly with it, you could. You could fill it full of clothes and use it as a suitcase, and use it when you get there. But, you know, you're also -- kids love going to gas station mini-marts and spending too much money on food that's really terrible for them. Fill it up ahead of time with good snacks and water and stuff like that, and you will save money, too.

Or you know, when you go to a -- when you cross the border into a new state and there's that welcome center, stop in. They always have coupons and discounts for lodging and attractions. You can always find good stuff and good advice from people that work there.

WHITFIELD: And then, there are also discount clubs such as AAA. Often times you forget about that and you can get some good discounts in that way, as well, right?

TORKELLS: AAA is famous for roadside service and trip-planning advice, but they have tremendous amount of discounts. If you're going -- if you're planning to go to Orlando, you can actually make up the membership fee for AAA if you use all of the discounts that are available to you.

One of the things that I love about AAA is, it's not just about saving money -- I mean, thats -- saving money is great -- but it's also about making it easy. You know, you can -- with AAA, you can get preferred parking at Disney World that's near the entrance. That's terrific.

WHITFIELD: That helps! That's a big place. All right, Erick Torkells, editor of "Budget Travel" magazine. Thank you so much.

TORKELLS: Have a good day.

WHITFIELD: Well, coming up...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would want people to take the message, that we need to be better people and use her story as an example of how you can do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A legacy this mother is proud to share, and how her daughter's poems will help those in need. The story straight ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Tens of thousands of people lost their lives in the December tsunamis across South Asia. Now, one family is turning its personal tragedy into aid for Indonesian children touched by the disaster. This story from CNN's Sarah Dorsey.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

Hi.

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At 12-years-old, Monica Averhoff was full of life, living in Indonesia with her family, performing at her school. But while she was on a family vacation back in America, tragedy would strike. Monica was in a deadly accident.

CLAUDIA AVERHOFF, MONICA'S MOTHER: We decided to let the girls do one of those easy horseback rides on the beach, down there, a beginner horseback ride. When we came back, you know, there was a mob there and Monica had been hurt.

DORSEY: It was what Monica's family found after her death that shocked them.

AVERHOFF: This is her -- the notebook, that she was keeping all these poems in.

DORSEY: Poems Monica had secretly been writing for more than two years.

AVERHOFF: "Before I knew it, I was gliding up above the clouds on the back of a sparrow. All around me was blue. A cool breeze ripled through my hair. I was free. I had a new freedom."

DORSEY: Why do you like that one so much?

AVERHOFF: To me, it's very spiritual. She wanted to be free. She had a new freedom. So many of them seemed to talk about life after death. It is almost as if she had some sixth sense or some notion that her life was going to be short and that's when it really hit me.

DORSEY: The Averhoff's decided to publish their daughter's story and her poems. Monica's mom, Claudia, weaves her daughter's poetry throughout the book.

The waves of the tsunami devastated many countries, including Indonesia. Monica's family thought the poetry could be used to raise money for the storm's youngest victims.

Monica loved children, and had hoped to become a tutor.

AVERHOFF: You know, we were going to do this with the money, anyhow, so let's shift it and really focus on putting it into a relief fund, but still for homeless children. DORSEY: A tribute to a life cut short, words from one of monica's poems stand as a reminder of how she chose to live her life, words her mother hopes everyone can learn from.

AVERHOFF: I would want people to take that message that we need to be better people and use her story as an example of how you can do that. What a neat gift to have. For her to leave us something like this is pretty amazing.

Sara Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And you can go online for more information on how to buy a copy of "Tomorrow: Raising an Angel." Log on to littletreasurebooks.com.

Still much more ahead on CNN SATURDAY. In a few moments, "In the Money." At two eastern, CNN LIVE SATURDAY, where our legal round table will talk about how an unruly little girl ended up in handcuffs. And, at three, it's "NEXT@CNN," but first, a check of the headlines.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired April 23, 2005 - 12:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It is Noon on the East coast. 9:00 out West. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at CNN's global headquarters. Ahead this hour:
Don't let rising gas prices ruin your vacation. We'll show you some ways to save money on your driving getaways.

And, is the new big screen story or Enron this year's "Fahrenheit 9/11?" We'll take you inside a documentary at some theaters, right now.

Plus, turning tragedy into hope: One family takes their heartbreak and helps the children of the Indonesia tsunami, but first here are the top stories:

The Vatican is getting set for the installation of Pope Benedict XVI. The ceremony takes place tomorrow. Earlier today, the new pontiff met with journalists thanking them for their coverage of events during the papal transition, but he made clear that he is not a carbon copy of his media minded predecessor, Pope John Paul II; a live report about five minutes from now.

China and Japan are making new moves to try to ease growing tensions between the two countries. China's president and Japan's prime minister held talks, earlier today in Indonesia. Massive demonstrations erupted in China earlier this month over a Japanese history textbook. Protestors claim Tokyo is trying to gloss over atrocities against China during World War II.

A 13-year-old Florida girl, allegedly killed by a sex offender, is being mourned today in her hometown. Funeral services for Sarah Lunde were scheduled to get underway about an hour ago. Thirty-six- year-old David Onstott is charged with Lunde's murder. He was convicted of a sex crime 10 years ago.

An investigation by the Army's inspector general reportedly clears the former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez had been accused of leadership failure tied to the abuse of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib Prison. Kathleen Koch has more on the results on the report; she joins us now from the Pentagon -- Kathleen. KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, in contrast to past investigations into abuse at Abu Ghraib Prison, this one looked specifically at the issue of whether or not Pentagon or top brass, I should say, was responsible and should be punished, and according to senior Pentagon officials the report has cleared not only the former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, but three of his top deputies. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, we are told, will not face any punishment, nor will Major General Walter Wojdakowski, his former top deputy; Major General Barbara Fast, who's is intelligence chief; nor Colonel Marc Warren, Sanchez's legal adviser.

Now this scandal, of course, was a major embarrassment to the United States, to the U.S. military, and this report by the Army inspector general. Lieutenant General Stanley Green is designed to be the Army's final word on the subject. It has not, yet, though, been made public as -- because as the Army said in a statement, quote, "The Army is currently in the process of briefing members of Congress on the comprehensive results of and inspector general and legal review of senior leader involvement in Abu Ghraib. We are currently not addressing questions on the findings until we have addressed the questions of Congress"

KOCH: This, of course, though, will not stop the questions coming from some lawmakers, from civil rights advocates, and from attorneys for lower ranking soldiers who believe that those soldiers have been, indeed, made scapegoats in this case and they point to previous Pentagon investigations, other military investigations that have criticized Lieutenant General Sanchez. For example, the Faye Report which was released back in August said the actions of he and his deputies, quote, "Did indirectly contribute to some abuses," but that, Sanchez was quote, "not responsible for the things that happened." And then the Schlesinger Report concluded that Sanchez could, indeed, have taken stronger action when he realized the extent of the problem -- problems, I should say.

But, Fredricka, we have certainly not heard the end of the Abu Ghraib Prison scandal because now lawmakers are promising a series of hearings into these many investigations and reviews whether or not they have been adequate in really getting to the bottom of what happened and who is responsible.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kathleen Koch, in Washington, thanks so much.

In Iraq, today, another deadly roadside bomb blasted near the Abu Ghraib Prison. It happened as an Iraqi army convoy passed by. Nine Iraqi soldiers were killed, at least 20 more wounded. It was one of several bomb attacks across Iraq, today.

Survivors and families of victims of the 9/11 attacks say they feel some sense of justice. That's after Zacarias Moussaoui's guilty pleas to six terrorism conspiracy charges. Even so, Moussaoui promised to fight against the death penalty. Justice correspondent, Kelli Arena, has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The guilty plea was no surprise, but what happened after was. Moussaoui vowed "to fight every inch against the death penalty." He insisted he played no direct role in the September 11 attacks, but instead was part of a different plot to fly a plane into the White House, a plan personally approved by al-Qaeda's leader, Osama bin laden.

PAUL MCNULTY, U.S. ATTORNEY: He didn't say anything that's inconsistent with where we have positioned ourselves in this case all along. We have alleged that he was a participant in a conspiracy, a broad conspiracy, that's what he's pled guilty to. That conspiracy included the attacks on 9/11.

ARENA: Moussaoui admits he went to the U.S. flight schools to learn to use an airplane as a weapons of mass destruction, eventually. His goal? The release of Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind Egyptian cleric serving a life sentence for his involvement in earlier terror plots against the U.S.

As for 9/11, Moussaoui's worst offense, as outlined by the government, was lying to FBI agents so his, quote, "al-Qaeda brothers could go forward with their plot." In fact, he told investigators, after his arrest in Minnesota, that he was training as pilot purely for his personal enjoyment. Relatives of 9/11 victims were in court to hear the guilty plea for themselves.

DOMINIC PUOPOLO, SON OF 9/11 VICTIM: This is the day I've been waiting for since September 11. I promised my mother shortly after she was murdered that I would, in some way, shape, or form have justice afforded to her memory and also the memories of our other fellow family members.

ARENA: Moussaoui berated his offense attorneys, angry that they tried to declare him mentally incompetent. Judge Leonie Brinkema, said she was fully satisfied that Moussaoui was fully competent and went on to describe him as extremely intelligent.

Brinkema also told Moussaoui that in the penalty phase of his trial he could argue he could argue he shouldn't face death because the government refused to allow top al-Qaeda leaders, in U.S. custody, to testify on his behalf. Moussaoui has consistently argued those detainees would help clear him of any involvement in 9/11.

(on camera): The next step in this 3-1/2 year legal drama is for a jury to decide Moussaoui's punishment: Death or life in prison without parole.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Alexandria, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Still more about Zacarias Moussaoui, his trial, guilty pleas, and what happens next all on CNN.com.

A day before his inauguration, Pope Benedict XVI has a message for journalists. Members of the world's media gathered at the Vatican this morning, it was the pope's first public audience since his election on Tuesday. CNN's Rome bureau chief, Alessio Vinci, was there and he joins us from Rome, right now -- Alessio.

ALESSIO VINCI, ROME BUREAU CHIEF: Hello Fredricka, you know, it's never easy to speak or even report about ourselves, but we'll make an exception today because Pope Benedict XVI held his first public audience dedicated to the journalists, this morning, inside the Vatican in the hall of Paul VI, that's where John Paul II, that use to hold his own private audiences when they were not in St. Peter's Square. The whole thing lasted about 15 minutes and, you know, as he entered, he blessed all of us. Everyone was applauding. Many journalists, there, seemed excited to be there, and the pope looked a little shy and uneasy at first, he's clearly still adapting to his new role, but then he prepared remarks which he read in four different languages. He basically said that he hoped to continue in the legacy of John Paul II in using the media and also thanked all of us for the hard work that we did in the past few weeks, in reporting this papal transition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE BENEDICT XVI: I know how hard you have worked far away from your homes and families, for long hours and in sometimes difficult conditions. I'm aware of this skill and dedication with which you have accomplished the demanding task. In my own name, and especially on behalf of Catholics living far from Rome, who were able to participate in these stirring moments for their faiths, as they are take place, I thank you for all you have done. The possibilities opened up for us by modern means of such communications, are indeed, marvelous and extraordinary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VINCI: He may be a bit shy perhaps, but soon we had the feeling that this new pope does understand the media, will use the media to send his pastoral message around the world, something he called, in his word, "a cultural pastoral revolution." And meanwhile, here behind me in St. Peter's Square, everything is ready for the mass, the security extremely tight, of course, but already, Rome is packed with many pilgrims, as well as tourists, of course, many coming from the pope's native Germany -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Alessio, describe just how will the public get a chance to be a part of the inaugural?

VINCI: Well, they either will be able to come here early enough, in the morning, tomorrow, and make it all of the way inside St. Peter's Square. There will be plenty of room there with some chairs, as well as standing. The whole square packed is about, I believe, 40,000 people or so and those who will not make it to St. Peter's Square, they can gather in this area around the Vatican. The main boulevard leading up to St. Peter's Square, that's (UNINTELLIGIBLE), there are giant television screens there, and they will be able to watch it on those.

WHITFIELD: All right. Alessio Vinci, in Rome, thanks so much. Well, Florida's Governor Jeb Bush says Pope Benedict XVI has the same ability to provide moral leadership in the world as Pope John Paul II. The president's brother, a Catholic convert, is in Rome. He's leading a U.S. delegation for tomorrow's papal inauguration at the Vatican. The delegation includes 21 members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Well, set your clocks because CNN will have live coverage of the pope's inauguration mass beginning Sunday morning at 3:00 Eastern.

Well, some of the stories you'll see this hour on CNN LIVE SATURDAY: A young humanitarian is remembered here at home and in Iraq. We'll reflect on this woman's life, work, and dedication to helping others. And how the words left behind by this eloquent little girl seemed to be helping people on the other side of the world.

And we'll switch gears for this: Arrive for your summer vacation with something left in your wallet. That would be nice. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, this just in, involving that helicopter that was shut-shot down leading to the deaths of six Americans in Iraq, earlier in the week. Apparently, a civilian had information that helped the task force Baghdad soldiers find, what appear to be, six terrorists that were suspected of the act. This act was videotaped and shown on al-Jazeera television and you see that videotape, right there, of the shooting down of the helicopter. Six Americans were onboard along with other passengers onboard; all were killed, if not on the ground then killed during the crash. So, we'll have more information on the apprehension of the six terrorist suspects when we get them.

The housing market is red hot, but now signs things may cool down. CNN correspondent, Allen Chernoff looks at what's going on with your most important investment.

ALLEN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Home construction in Ashburn, Virginia, as far as the eye can see, hundreds of homes are going up. Builders plan thousands more.

STEVEN ALLOY, PRESIDENT STANLEY MARTIN: If you can get permits and you can get pavement then you're going to sell houses.

CHERNOFF: Here in Ashburn, 25 miles from Washington, it seems almost inconceivable that housing starts plummeted nearly 18 percent in March, the biggest drop in 14 years. While the decline came off February's record level, some economists warn the end of the housing boom is near.

DEAN BAKER, CTR. FOR ECON. & POLICY RESEARCH: An 18 percent falloff is extraordinary, so that could mean the end of the housing boom, beginning of the end, I should say.

CHERNOFF (on camera): Do you think it is? BAKER: Well, I've been expecting the end of the housing boom for two years, now.

CHERNOFF: Yet, for the past two years, builders have been putting up new frames at a record pace. Now, however, there are some factors that could weigh on housing. Mortgage rates popped above six percent last month, the rise in oil prices is hurting consumer confidence, and builders are worried about growing speculation, people buying homes and then selling them in a matter of months for a quick profit.

(voice-over): Even the National Association of Home Builders' chief economists believes, housing has peaked. But he says, there will be no crash.

DAVID SEIDERS, NATL. ASSN. OF HOME BUILDERS: I do have some pretty modest downslide in my forecast of home sales and housing starts through the rest of this year and some further decline in 2006. The rates are moving up gradually, you will ultimately get a gradual down movement in the housing numbers.

CHERNOFF: Although they've climbed, interest rates remained at historically low levels and home sales are still strong, but it is possible as, David Seiders predicts, that right now is the turning point for a housing market that has been the economy's lead engine.

Allen Chernoff, CNN, Ashburn, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Checking other stories making headlines across America. Officials with Wendy's restaurants say they're hoping business in the San Francisco Bay area will bounce back now that the woman that claims she found a human finger in a bowl of chili has been arrested. Anna Ayala of Las Vegas is accused of attempted grand theft. Police say her accusations about the find is likely a hoax.

Life is about to change drastically for one lucky lottery player. The winning Mega Millions ticket was sold in Port Heron, Michigan. It's worth about $205 million. The winning numbers: 23, 25, 43, 46, and 49. And the Mega ball: 26.

At the U.S. capital a giant baked Alaska was in the spotlight as protestors rallied against plans that might allow oil drilling in the arctic national wildlife refuge. The event took place on Earth Day. One of the sponsors was Ben and Jerry's ice cream. The Vermont-based firm is known for its activism on social issues.

In California, a burglary arrest with a twist. The suspect was captured after getting himself in quite a bind; he got stuck in a chimney. Police were alerted after a neighbor heard screams coming from next door where the owners were away on vacation. The suspect was wedged about halfway down the chimney, and consequently, later, arrested.

Well, some wild weather is also making headlines across the United States. Check out this scene, yesterday, off Miami Beach: Twin waterspouts. The twisters formed over the Atlantic, just offshore. And, this was the scene in Louisville, Kentucky, as a severe thunderstorm moved through that area. The stormed slammed the region with fierce winds, torrential rain, and hail. Let's see what the weekend has brought us. Here's meteorologist Orelon Sidney

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Thanks Orelon. Well, straight ahead, the company that's become synonymous with corporate greed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We was a huge risk taker. We actually talked about wanting to on out on trips that were son perilous that someone could actually die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A look inside the lives of the Enron executives. We'll talk to the director and writer of a new documentary.

And prices at the pump are soaring. Ahead, how you can stretch your spending between those gasoline fillups.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A documentary about the collapse of energy giant, Enron, opened in New York and Houston, last night, and will head to other cities later in the week. I'll talk live with the people behind the movie in a moment, but first, here's CNN's Brook Anderson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIMI SWARTZ, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, TEXAS MONTHLY MAGAZINE: The thing about people in Enron is a lot of them were former nerds.

BROOK ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Smartest Guys in The Room" tracks the rise and fall of Enron's unholy trinity: Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, and Andrew Fastow. The film portrays the trio as a ruthless click of corporate cowboys who, simply put, exaggerated Enron's bottom line and walked away with millions of dollars.

When another executive blew the whistle the company collapsed and the government took them to trial. But employees who had invested in 401ks in Enron's stock were left with nothing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We could add a kazillion dollars to the bottom line.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh Jeff, all right. That sounds fantastic.

ANDERSON: The documentary, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, features telling conversations between Enron's energy traders.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All that money you guys stole from those poor grandmothers.

(LAUGHTER)

ALEX GIBNEY, DIRECTOR: Enron had a commercial slogan, "Ask why." It's deeply ironic now. So, I guess if I want people to come out of this film with a message it is "ask why."

ANDERSON: Like Enron, workers did at this company meeting two months before Enron went bankrupt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're down to questions and I have a few up here. I would like to know if you are on crack.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If so that would explain a lot. If not, you may want to start because it's going to be a long time before we trust you again.

ANDERSON (on camera): Lay, Skilling, and Fastow didn't get off scot free. Fastow pleaded guilty to fraud charges and faces 10 years in prison. The other two are set for their days in court next year.

Brook Anderson, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Alex Gibney is the director of, "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room." The film is based on a book co-written by Bethany McLean a "Fortune" magazine reporter (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- both, rather, join me in New York.

Good to see both of you.

GIBNEY: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, Bethany, let me begin with you. When researching and writing this book, did you say to yourself, you know what I see a movie in the making?

BETHANY MCLEAN, AUTHOR, "SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM": Actually, researching and writing the book was such an exhausting process that I think, Peter, my co-author, and I, just had our heads down trying to put out a book and we weren't thinking past trying to put out something in that actually told the Enron story.

WHITFIELD: Does it tell the story, you believe, in complete? I mean, here these cases haven't even gone to trial yet and now we're seeing this documentary, which will certainly paint a picture for many of us about the real Andy Fastow, the real Ken Lay.

MCLEAN: I think it does tell the story completely for two reasons: One, is that this is really a story about people and not a story about numbers and I think that's something that isn't broadly understood. People tend to think of Enron and think complex transactions, financial chicanery, not human beings. I think the other reason it's complete, we didn't set -- we don't know if Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling are criminally guilty or not and we didn't set out to make that judgment. We set out, instead, to make the judgment that they're ethically guilty for what happened at Enron and we set out to tell that story.

WHITFIELD: And Alex, you had a lot to work with, didn't you, on this not only the words from Bethany's book, but you already had testimony on Capitol Hill, even some in-house video to help supplement this story. It's a very serious story, a lot of people lost a lot of money, but at the same time you kind of poke fun and make it rather comedic, don't you?

GIBNEY: Well, I didn't need to make it comedic, there are some aspects of this story that are just hilarious. I mean, at the end of the day it's a tragic -- it's tragedy. But the fact is that there's a lot that's funny about executives that are addicted to strippers, accountants who are making up numbers in the basement of the Enron building so, you know, it's funny, in some way, but it's -- there's an undercurrent of moral outrage to the story and at the end of the day it really is a human tragedy.

WHITFIELD: In Brook's piece, your interview, you said, you know, "the message I want to send is to ask why." But, don't you also have to leave that movie and say ask how. How is it that all this could have been taken place and there are a number of employees who are asking the questions, but somehow a small handful of folks still walked off with millions of dollars in people's retirement funds?

GIBNEY: I think it is important to understand that this is a story not just about a few executives at Enron, at the end of the day, it's a story of synergistic corruption, so, the investment banks, law firm, and Author Anderson, the now dispatched accounting firm. Everyone was in on this, in fact, the government bares a lot of blame for this story. So, that's why the Enron story is so interesting. At its core, it's about these three people, but it's really the ripples spread more widely and it's really about a system that's kind of run amuck.

WHITFIELD: Alex Gibney and Bethany McLean, thanks so much to both of you for joining us. And, of course, the documentary, as I said earlier, is already in certain theaters in New York and Houston and in other theaters later on in the week. Thanks so much to both of you.

GIBNEY: Thank you.

MCLEAN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Just how far should one go to control an unruly child? What an assistant principal and police officers did that's causing quite the uproar.

And we member one humanitarian worker who risked her life to help those in need.

CNN LIVE SATURDAY continues in a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: "Now in the News," the U.S. military has arrested six people suspected in Thursday's crash of a civilian helicopter in Iraq. Ten people were killed in the crash; one survivor was shot dead later.

And, it has been another violent day in Iraq. So far, 11 Iraqis killed and more than two dozen wounded in several bombings and a shooting.

Senior Pentagon officials say a report by the army's inspector general clears Lieutenant Colonel Ricardo Sanchez and other top officers of allegations connected to the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Lieutenant General Sanchez commanded forces in Iraq when abuses if Iraqi prisoners by U.S. troops surfaced nearly two years ago.

Pope Benedict XVI held his first public audience, as pope, today, at the Vatican. The new pope met with journalists, telling them he hoped to continue John Paul II's tradition of openness, but, unlike his predecessor's first meeting with the media, Benedict did not take any questions.

Did police go too far when they handcuffed an unruly 5-year-old? It happened in St. Petersburg, Florida, last month and, yes, an attorney does plan to sue. The incident was caught on videotape.

CNN's Tony Harris showed us what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TONY HARRIS, CNN HOST "SATURDAY MONRING": The cameras was rolling as part of a self-improvement exercize for preschool children in St. Petersburg, Florida. You see a 5-year-old girl become disruptive...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're not touching you, no, ma'am. We're not touching you. You don't touch me.

HARRIS: ...first throwing objects on the floor and resisting the efforts of a teacher and assistant principal to calm her down. Eventually the girl's mother is called, but she's unable to come to the school. The girl begins hitting the assistant principal and the police are called.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (CRYING)

HARRIS: The video is stopped soon after the girl's hands are fastened behind her. Now, no charges have been filed against the 5- year-old girl and she was released to her mother, but a lawyer for the girl's parents say the police went too far, and that he plans unspecified legal actions against them. Police officials have launched an internal investigation.

Tony Harris, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: At just 28, Marla Ruzicka was already a veteran humanitarian on a relentless mission to help innocent victims of war. Today Ruzicak is being buried in her hometown of Lake Port, California, and mourned in homes throughout Iraq and Afghanistan. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez reminds us of Marla's mission.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Marla Ruzicka was a humanitarian who lived and worked in Baghdad.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "I am very safe."

GUTIERREZ: Almost every day she wrote to her family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "I know when you hear news of kidnappings and bombs it does not put your minds at ease."

GUTIERREZ: Marla reached out to those in pain.

JILL RUZICKA, MARLA'S SISTER: "Today there were car bombs that exploded close to where I stay."

She sought money for Iraqi civilians caught in the crossfire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "On Thursday I'll visit some of the families that have been recently harmed."

GUTIERREZ: Marla not only tracked the civilian injured and dead in war-torn Iraq...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When people leave to run errands they are not sure they will come back safe.

GUTIERREZ: ...Marla Ruzicka risked her life to help them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "When you drive or walk anywhere in Baghdad, you face the possibilities that there will be a suicide attack."

GUTIERREZ: They were Marla's last written words to her family.

RUSICKA: This is written Thursday and she was -- April 14 -- two days before she was killed.

GUTIERREZ: Marla Ruzicka grew up in Lake Port, California, right on the water.

MARK RUZICKA, MARLA'S TWIN BROTHER: It's a great place to grow up.

GUTIERREZ: Mark is Marla's older brother, by six minutes. Mark and Marla are twins.

M. RUZICKA: We spent hours and hours and hours on this lake, and swimming. GUTIERREZ: Mark says his other half is gone.

When she actually told you that she was about to leave and go to Iraq -- you're her twin brother. You must have wanted to say, no, don't go.

M. RUZICKA: Yes, I didn't want her to go. I wanted to go -- I wanted to protect her.

GUTIERREZ: But anyone here in Lakeport will tell you, Marla had a different calling. It started early.

VICE PRINCIPAL STEVE GENTRY, LAKEPORT HIGH SCHOOL: Other students were taking trips, you know, over spring break or during the year, to Cancun or Hawaii, and she was going Cuba for -- with Pastors for Peace.

GUTIERREZ: Marla's parents, Nancy and Cliff Ruzicka.

CLIFF RUZICKA, MARLA'S FATHER: Her heart laid with the downtrodden and the unfortunate.

GUTIERREZ: From the age of seven, Marla began to reach out to people.

C. RUZICKA: I can recall, you know, going into a cafeteria and ordering lunch and wondering where Marla is at, and Marla is off sitting with an elderly person that's all by themselves, and you know -- and she comes back and she says, but, that that person was alone and I wanted to talk with them and give them some comfort. She had so much kindness in her.

GUTIERREZ: Marla's university studies took her to Cuba, Jerusalem, Costa Rica, and Zimbabwe. Her major? International relations.

NANCY RUZICKA, MARLA'S MOTHER: Before Iraq, she went to Afghanistan. She decided she needed to stay in that part of the country to maybe make a difference, and she went into Iraq the day Saddam's statue fell.

C. RUZICKA: We were afraid for her. We were frightened about her safety, and concerned about her safety, but you know, we were encouraging. We liked what she was doing. We thought that it was very important.

GUTIERREZ: Marla started a nonprofit organization CIVIC, the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict. And, she worked with the military to help Iraqis. But, perhaps Marla's greatest achievement was in convincing U.S. lawmakers to earmark millions of dollars for victims of collateral damage.

MARLA RUZICKA, HUMANITARIAN, KILLED IN BAGHDAD CAR BOMBING: When you go to a family and let them know, yes, we're sorry, we do care, it helps them with the healing process.

GUTIERREZ: At her old alma mater, Marla's life work is recognized.

We've had kids in the same class go into the service -- military service -- and have served in Iraq, and I was as proud of Marla, serving in her way.

GUTIERREZ: Nancy remembers the last time she heard her daughter's voice.

N. RUZICKA: I said, listen to this -- isn't this technology wonderful that we can listen to Marla talking to us from Baghdad? She said, mom and dad, I love you. I want you to know I'm safe.

GUTIERREZ: Two days later, Marla, her assistant, and driver, were traveling near the Baghdad airport when a car bomb exploded. All three were killed.

C. RUZICKA: She was the greatest kid in the world. I mean, she was a -- the love of my life. She was the most that anyone could want in a daughter. If we can all leave this world feeling that we've done a difference, then I think we've accomplished a lot in a life time.

GUTIERREZ: Marla Ruzicka was just 28 years old.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Lakeport, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(ALLERGY REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the first selection in the 2005 NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers select Alex Smith, quarterback, Utah.

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WHITFIELD: NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue announcing the first pick, made by the San Francisco 49ers just after the top of the hour. Alex Smith had a 21-1 record at Utah where he was working on his masters' degree as well.

The search for an adoptive child's birth parents is the focus of today's ethics question. Syndicated columnist Bruce Weinstein joins us from New York, and he is the author of the forth-coming book, "Life Principles: Feeling Good by Doing Good."

Good to see you.

BRUCE WEINSTEIN, "THE ETHICS GUY," AUTHOR "LIFE PRINCIPLES": Welcome back, Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much. All right, our first question today comes from a viewer who wants to contact his biological parents. The viewer writes, "I still have pictures and letters my birthparents sent to my adoptive parents. I found where my birth mother is currently living, and it turns out I have a sister, about 10 years younger. Here's my dilemma: I want to contact my birth mother and especially my sister, but I don't know if I'm a 'deep dark secret,' and I don't want to open up a can of worms for my birth mother."

What should that person do?

WEINSTEIN: The ideal solution would be for the writer to see his sibling with the birth mother's permission, even though he doesn't need it legally or, arguably, ethically, it would behoove him to sit down with the birthmother privately, share his concerns in a heartfelt way, and hope that the birthmother can feel how important it is to him to be united with his sister. If that fails, then the writer will have to decide what ultimately is more important: keeping things the way they are, or being united with his sister, and ultimately, that's his choice to make. Sometimes ignorance is not bliss.

WHITFIELD: Yes, so, reach out to the birth mother first, and of course, how that person should reach out is also a question. Is it something that's a phone call? Is a person to person visit? What's your recommendation?

WEINSTEIN: It is always better to do it in person. In the era of email communication, too many people rely on emails or phone calls when a heart to heart talk in person is the best way to handle the problem.

WHITFIELD: So, say the birth mother says, you know, I don't mind that we stay in touch, but, perhaps I don't want the two siblings to get in contact. You know, what's the best approach that this person might want to take?

WEINSTEIN: Well, you know, the writer may say, I understand your reluctance, but I can't really go through the rest of my life without meeting my sister. It's very important to me. So, ultimately, the writer will have to decide whether it is more important to respect the birth mother's wishes or to fulfill his own desire of being united with his sister.

WHITFIELD: It's a tough situation, because, so often, young people end up having to go through various agencies, et cetera, to try to find or locate their biological parents, and in this case this person seems to know who the biological mother is. You know, this is always quite a dilemma.

WEINSTEIN: But, from the birth mother's perspective, if she feels for some reason uncomfortable, why should she hold that over her biological son? If she's embarrassed, or whatever her concerns are, she ought to really let that go because it would be very difficult for her biological son never to see the sister that he has.

WHITFIELD: All right. Bruce Weinstein, thanks so much. Always good to see you.

WEINSTEIN: You, too.

WHITFIELD: Well, if you have a question of ethics, email your dilemma to ethics@CNN.com. We'll get it on the air for you, and get it answered for you, too.

Well, the summer isn't far away and with that comes fun-filled vacations, but can you save money when you're driving to your destinations this summer?

Plus, one family is turning their tragedy around by helping children touched by the tsunami. We'll hear their story straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: There are simple and easy things you can do to cut your gas costs this summer. Don't be a NASCAR driver, for one. Keep it on the speed limit. For every five miles per hour over 60, your gas costs go up a dime a gallon. Well, set and use your cruise control. A steady speed is more efficient. Avoid idling; stay out of the drive-through lane, and, when you do start up again, don't be a jackrabbit. Ease up on your cruising speed and save, and finally, keep your tires properly inflated -- very easy to do and that can save you a nickel a gallon, apparently.

Gas prices are averaging around $2.20 a gallon nationwide. That's 40 percent higher than this time last year, and with the summer driving season coming up, now is the time to think about ways to cut costs during your getaway. "Budget Travel" magazine offers tips on saving in its latest issue. Eric Trickel (ph) is an editor at "Budget Travel," and he joins us from New York.

Good to see you.

ERICK TORKELLS, "BUDGET TRAVEL" MAGAZINE: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, do you have any sense as to whether these higher gas prices will keep people off the road for their driving vacations this summer?

TORKELLS: No. I don't think it will keep them off the road. You know, people want to go on vacation. They are going to be on vacation. By that logic people wouldn't be going to Europe either because it is so brutal there, but they numbers to Europe are higher than ever, so -- I think Americans feel it is their right to have a vacation.

WHITFIELD: So, what are -- what are some of your suggestions as to how they can have that vacation on the road, and perhaps it not costing them an arm and a leg?

TORKELLS: Well, there are different ways. There are different ways to sort of be smart about it and be prepared. That's always the best way to save money. There's one website called gasbuddy.com where people post prices at pumps around the country and offer tips on ways to save. One reader wrote in to us and said -- they swear that if you're driving from Georgia down into Florida, the prices rise incredibly once you go into Florida. So, it's like, load up your tank in Georgia. Stuff like that you can find at gasbuddy.com.

WHITFIELD: All right. So, perhaps you can't negotiate the gas prices no matter where you go, but you say there are some ways to cut corners or save some money during your vacation, whether it comes down to food or searching out accommodations. How do you go about that?

TORKELLS: Well, there are little ways to do it that just are smart in general. For families, we always recommend, pack a cooler. They make soft sided coolers that have wheels and handles so even if you wanted to fly with it, you could. You could fill it full of clothes and use it as a suitcase, and use it when you get there. But, you know, you're also -- kids love going to gas station mini-marts and spending too much money on food that's really terrible for them. Fill it up ahead of time with good snacks and water and stuff like that, and you will save money, too.

Or you know, when you go to a -- when you cross the border into a new state and there's that welcome center, stop in. They always have coupons and discounts for lodging and attractions. You can always find good stuff and good advice from people that work there.

WHITFIELD: And then, there are also discount clubs such as AAA. Often times you forget about that and you can get some good discounts in that way, as well, right?

TORKELLS: AAA is famous for roadside service and trip-planning advice, but they have tremendous amount of discounts. If you're going -- if you're planning to go to Orlando, you can actually make up the membership fee for AAA if you use all of the discounts that are available to you.

One of the things that I love about AAA is, it's not just about saving money -- I mean, thats -- saving money is great -- but it's also about making it easy. You know, you can -- with AAA, you can get preferred parking at Disney World that's near the entrance. That's terrific.

WHITFIELD: That helps! That's a big place. All right, Erick Torkells, editor of "Budget Travel" magazine. Thank you so much.

TORKELLS: Have a good day.

WHITFIELD: Well, coming up...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would want people to take the message, that we need to be better people and use her story as an example of how you can do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A legacy this mother is proud to share, and how her daughter's poems will help those in need. The story straight ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Tens of thousands of people lost their lives in the December tsunamis across South Asia. Now, one family is turning its personal tragedy into aid for Indonesian children touched by the disaster. This story from CNN's Sarah Dorsey.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

Hi.

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At 12-years-old, Monica Averhoff was full of life, living in Indonesia with her family, performing at her school. But while she was on a family vacation back in America, tragedy would strike. Monica was in a deadly accident.

CLAUDIA AVERHOFF, MONICA'S MOTHER: We decided to let the girls do one of those easy horseback rides on the beach, down there, a beginner horseback ride. When we came back, you know, there was a mob there and Monica had been hurt.

DORSEY: It was what Monica's family found after her death that shocked them.

AVERHOFF: This is her -- the notebook, that she was keeping all these poems in.

DORSEY: Poems Monica had secretly been writing for more than two years.

AVERHOFF: "Before I knew it, I was gliding up above the clouds on the back of a sparrow. All around me was blue. A cool breeze ripled through my hair. I was free. I had a new freedom."

DORSEY: Why do you like that one so much?

AVERHOFF: To me, it's very spiritual. She wanted to be free. She had a new freedom. So many of them seemed to talk about life after death. It is almost as if she had some sixth sense or some notion that her life was going to be short and that's when it really hit me.

DORSEY: The Averhoff's decided to publish their daughter's story and her poems. Monica's mom, Claudia, weaves her daughter's poetry throughout the book.

The waves of the tsunami devastated many countries, including Indonesia. Monica's family thought the poetry could be used to raise money for the storm's youngest victims.

Monica loved children, and had hoped to become a tutor.

AVERHOFF: You know, we were going to do this with the money, anyhow, so let's shift it and really focus on putting it into a relief fund, but still for homeless children. DORSEY: A tribute to a life cut short, words from one of monica's poems stand as a reminder of how she chose to live her life, words her mother hopes everyone can learn from.

AVERHOFF: I would want people to take that message that we need to be better people and use her story as an example of how you can do that. What a neat gift to have. For her to leave us something like this is pretty amazing.

Sara Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And you can go online for more information on how to buy a copy of "Tomorrow: Raising an Angel." Log on to littletreasurebooks.com.

Still much more ahead on CNN SATURDAY. In a few moments, "In the Money." At two eastern, CNN LIVE SATURDAY, where our legal round table will talk about how an unruly little girl ended up in handcuffs. And, at three, it's "NEXT@CNN," but first, a check of the headlines.

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