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CNN Live Saturday

Peaceful Demonstrators Beaten In Baku; Holiday Shopping; Cindy Sheehan's Anti-War Rally In Crawford; Yakima County Jailbreak; Earthquake in Eastern China; Vigilante Mobs Destroy Liquor Stores; Hurricane Evacuee Carlandra Isaac; Palestinians Control International Border Crossing Between Gaza And Egypt

Aired November 26, 2005 - 12:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: 'Tis the season to be jolly? Tell that to these people. Holiday shopping can be a real knock-down, drag-out experience.
An anti-war rally gears up in Crawford, Texas, as President Bush pays tribute to troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And a deadly quake rocks China. We'll tell you where it hit and the injuries and damage it caused. Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY I'm Tony Harris. A busy hour ahead, first "Now in the News."

At least a dozen deaths and several hundred injuries are reported after a strong earthquake shook parts of eastern China. The quake had a magnitude of 5.5. Officials say it damaged or destroyed thousands of homes in the mostly rural area.

In Azerbaijan police crack down on a peaceful protest. Demonstrators gathered in the capital of Baku today to protest the outcome of parliamentary elections earlier this month. They claim the elections were rigged when they tried to stage a demonstration at a city square, police responded by beating demonstrators break up the protest.

In Iraq, one of Saddam Hussein's lawyers tells CNN that defense attorneys for the former dictator and his seven codefendants plan to ask for another delay in the trial. The proceedings are scheduled to resume on Monday. Hussein's lawyer says, among other things, the scheduled resumption does not provide enough time to do legal work. Defense attorneys were granted a delay after the trial got underway last month.

Up first, some nasty weather for holiday travels and shoppers to worry about. A tornado warning is now in effect for parts of Texas. Meteorologist Bonnie Schneider has the latest. Hi Bonnie.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Tony, luckily that tornado warning just expired just one minute ago. So, that is not the problem right now, but we are looking at very strong thunderstorm, that can be still be a major concern.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Oh, it sounds like it. OK Bonnie, thank you. Surviving Black Friday. Did you? One of the busiest shopping days of the year has come and gone despite frigid weather in parts of the country, bargain hunters were out in full force in some areas. Look at this. They pushed and shoved.

There were scuffles. So, was it a good day for retailers? And what about the weeks ahead? Plus there's always weather factor for retailers to worry about. CNN's Susan Lisovicz checks in from Paramus, New Jersey. Susan, good to see you.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, Tony. I am delighted to tell you that while the weather outside is frigid that I am inside a mall, the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey, 280 stores, two million square feet of retail. And we all know, I mean, this is not a weekend for timid or meek shoppers. Industry experts say 130 million of us will do some sort of shopping this holiday weekend.

Just here at this store alone on Black Friday, 100,000 shoppers. That's about an increase of about five percent from last year. So, the folks are happy here with the trend they're seeing. And one person, who is returning for punishment, is Diane Shorey, with three bags. You really did need a break when we came up to you, didn't you?

DIANE SHOREY, SHOPPER, TEANECK, NJ: I certainly did. The bags are very heavy.

LISOVICZ: And you actually have a plan? You're going back at it as soon as we finish, you're going out to the parking lot to drop it all off and continue?

SHOREY: Yes. I'm going to start again. Bags are heavy, have to get rid of them. I'll come back and finish my shopping.

LISOVICZ: So, tell me about the deals. What are you seeing here today?

SHOREY: I spent about three hours in Macy's. I found 30 percent off most items that I bought. I used my card and got an additional 15 percent, and that made it even sweeter.

LISOVICZ: So, are you bypassing anything that you don't think is cut aggressively enough?

SHOREY: If it's not on sale, I'm not buying it.

LISOVICZ: And how are you doing on your shopping overall so far?

SHOREY: Well, it's about three-quarters of the way finished. I have to finish shopping for my grandchildren and I'll be done.

LISOVICZ: So, tell us, what is hot for kids this year? There's always one toy that stands out.

SHOREY: Well, you know, I usually do not buy toys. I leave that for the parents, but I buy things that I know are serviceable, like coats, clothes, that's my gift to them.

LISOVICZ: That's because you're a teacher.

SHOREY: Yes.

LISOVICZ: You're focused on that. You are one of those shoppers, though, you're completing it basically in two days. And you know, most Americans are not following that. We're procrastinators; we're going right up until the end. Why do you have this approach you have to brave the parking lot gridlock and the long lines at the cashiers?

SHOREY: I just like to get things done early. Then can spend the rest of the holidays decorating and planning for the actual holiday.

LISOVICZ: A person with a sensible approach. Diane Shorey, thanks so much. And drop that off and keep continuing, because in fact, Diane says after she finishes here at the Garden State Plaza, Tony, she's going to -- let me see, the Burlington Coat Factory and the Paramus Park Mall as well. So, you know, it is a day where you really have to pace yourself. Back to you.

HARRIS: Hey, Susan, quick question. What are the forecasters saying for this holiday season? Are people like Diane going to spend more or less than last year?

LISOVICZ: I think, actually, some of the trends -- and you have to realize we're not going to get really good numbers probably until the beginning of next week. Is that -- is that there will actually be an increase. For instance, just in the past week, for instance, Tony, the National Retail Federation, which is the industry's largest trade group, raised its estimate by a full percentage point to six percent.

One of the reasons why is that gas prices came down so dramatically in the last month that people actually felt -- consumers felt like, wait. I have more money to spend. So, they were delighted with that trend. And they're actually a little bit more optimistic. And in fact, the folks here at the Garden State Plaza say that the volume, the traffic actually was a five percent increase over last year. So, everybody is crossing their fingers.

HARRIS: Sure, sure. Susan Lisovicz for us in Paramus, New Jersey. Susan, thank you.

U.S. and Iraqi troops are engaged in yet another mission to disrupt insurgent strongholds. Operation tigers is underway in eastern Ramadi, located in Iraq's Anbar Province. The effort is aimed designed to stabilize the area before Iraq holds elections on December 15.

Meanwhile in Baghdad, on the road north to Samara, police say a bomb exploded near a convoy carrying Iraq's former interior minister. It failed to hit its apparent target. Later, in Samara, a suicide car bomb ripped through a gas station killing at least three people and police gunmen have been shooting at people putting up election posters on the walls in Baghdad.

And here at home, an anti-war rally gears up in Crawford, Texas, as President Bush pays tribute to U.S. troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The president is spending a six-day thanksgiving break at his Crawford ranch. In his weekly radio address, Mr. Bush expressed the nation's gratitude to the U.S. military and their families.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They are serving with skill and courage in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere to extend the blessings of freedoms to others. In the past year these brave Americans have continued to fight terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at home and they have helped the people of Iraq and Afghanistan hold historic and successful elections. They are America's finest and we thank them today and every day for their service and sacrifice.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HARRIS: And later today, look for dueling demonstrations in Crawford, Texas, where President Bush's supporters are gathering to counter a planned anti-war rally. Dozens of demonstrators lead by anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan have been staging another protest this week near Mr. Bush's ranch.

Yesterday, she had dedicated this garden memorial to her son Casey who was killed in Iraq. She vowed to return to Crawford every time the president is in town. CNN's Elaine Quijano is coving today's rally and joins us live from Crawford. Hi Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you Tony. Cindy Sheehan is holding a news conference at this hour at the place that they have dubbed Camp Casey, just a short distance from President Bush's ranch and our CNN producer on site, Erica Dimler reports to us that Cindy Sheehan has just announced that she will not be coming back to Crawford in December, when President Bush is expected to be back here.

Apparently Sheehan saying that after this weekend, she does not expect to return to Crawford until the Easter break. Now, her message, though, generally the same message that she sent back in August, when Cindy Sheehan first took her anti-war demonstrations here, the message that U.S. Forces should be withdrawn from Iraq immediately.

Now, Sheehan and other anti-war activists are hoping to grab the headlines while President Bush remains here in Texas for the holiday, just a few miles away, but out of sight at his ranch, spending time with his family. The crowds, though, have been noticeably thinner than over the summer. Roughly 50 people turned out yesterday for the dedication of that stone memorial.

At the same time, Cindy Sheehan's presence is also attracting counter protesters. What you're looking at there, though, is video taken Wednesday of people who were arrested because of a new ordinance banning parking and camping alongside the road.

There you see the counter protesters who have come out and tried to show their support for President Bush. We are expecting to see more people come throughout the day. They say that Sheehan's efforts are hurting the morale of U.S. Forces overseas, meantime, Tony, no comment at all on any of these protests from the white house -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK, Elaine Quijano in Crawford, Texas, with the president. Elaine, thank you.

Thousands of homes collapsed and more than 100,000 damaged. And earthquake jolts parts of eastern China. We'll have details coming up.

Plus, do the holiday stress you out? Coming up, we will give you some tips on how to battle the pressure of the season. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Authorities in Washington State are searching for four inmates, one of whom is awaiting trial on a murder charge. He escaped from the jail Yakima County jail yesterday using rope made from bed sheets. Five other inmates who also attempt to escape the facility were quickly recaptured. Joining me now on the phone with the very latest on this story is Corporal Ken Rink, he's the Yakima County Corrections Department spokesman.

Good to talk to you, sir. Four inmates in all, can you give us more details? We understand that they used a rope to make -- out of bed sheets to make the escape. What more can you tell us about this escape?

CPL. KEN RINK, YAKIMA CO. CORRECTIONS DEPT.: Well, this happened at about 5:10 Friday afternoon. The inmates up there provided the bed sheets to the nine inmates that escaped off the roof. Five of them, we recaptured, four are still at large. And they fashioned these bed sheets to jump down from the fourth floor to the roof of an adjacent building, which is also part of our jail.

HARRIS: I know you consider your jail secure. So, how surprised are you that they could make this kind of an escape this way?

RINK: Well, this happened back in 1994 out of the same housing units, except that the path that these inmates took on Friday was a little bit different. They managed to get up in the ceiling above their cell and got out the roof through another way. And so, we have the other one fixed. So, they had found another path to get out.

HARRIS: We have the one inmate who was awaiting trial on a murder charge. What kind of offenses are the other three in for?

RINK: Well, the others are in all for felonies. Probably the most serious is someone who's in on second degree assault, malicious mischief, alluding -- you know possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a firearm; we got residential burglary, I.D. theft, possession of stolen property, so some real serious offenses. HARRIS: OK Ken, so what do you do now? I know there's not a whole lot you can tell us about what's happening on the ground in terms of the search, but what do you do now in that facility to make sure something like this doesn't happen again?

RINK: Well, right now, we got everybody is locked down in the facility. They're conducting a thorough investigation into what happened. Inmates are being interviewed. And I'm sure this whole thing is going to be reviewed all of next week to see what we can do to prevent this from happening again in the future.

HARRIS: And Ken, one last question. Any indications that these men may have had some help?

RINK: It would appear to be so. We believe there was and so does local law enforcement. So we don't know much more than that. I'm sure local law enforcement is on top of that. We're just busy keeping things under control and secure here at the county facility.

HARRIS: OK, and that's Corporal Ken Rink, he's with the Yakima County Corrections Department. Corporal, thanks for taking the time to talk to us.

And overseas now a 5.5 magnitude earthquake rumbled through eastern China at about 8:00 p.m. local time, so far, officials say, at least 12 people are known dead and 397 injured. Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to evacuate as their homes collapsed around them. Beijing bureau chief, Jaime Florcruz is following developments in this story, and he joins us on the phone from Beijing.

And Jaime, what is the latest?

JAIME FLORCRUZ, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Well, it's almost 1:00 a.m. here in China and so the tens of thousands of Chinese are now coping with the aftermath of the earthquake. Most of them have -- are staying outdoors in tents or makeshift places in basketball courts or quadrangles -- open air quadrangles. The relief operation has been going on the past few hours.

Medical teams have been sent from the provincial capital and Beijing. Also, they have rushed in 1,000 tents to house the evacuees. And a 20-member team of seismologists have arrived from Beijing, monitoring the aftermath, the -- especially the aftershock of the earthquake and forecasting earthquakes, too.

HARRIS: OK, that was my next question. Any word of aftershocks?

FLORCRUZ: Yes, there have been reports of aftershocks, 4.4 magnitude aftershocks, which, of course, makes people more jittery, but seismologists are saying that they think the worst is over. Meanwhile, they are advising local people to remain outdoors, because many of the houses have been damaged and are prone to collapsing.

HARRIS: And I mean, I guess the next point, how vulnerable an area are we talking about here? What kind of materials are these homes made out of? And could we still see more homes collapsing? FLORCRUZ: The epicenter area is mostly farm land or small towns and farming towns. So, most of the houses are made of bricks and plaster, very prone to more damage. That's the downside, but the upside is none of them are really high rise, you know, skyscrapers or high rise apartments, which means that most of the people were not trapped and were able to escape.

HARRIS: That is good news. A bit of good news there. CNN's Beijing's bureau chief, Jaime Florcruz with the latest on the earthquake. Jaime, thank you.

What makes your blood boil during the holiday season? Is it the hectic traveling, chaotic shopping, or just your family? Stay with us and find out how to combat these and other holiday stresses. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: You know, liquor stores are traditional crime magnets, especially for armed hold-ups. But know look, they've become targets for another sort of crime, vigilante mobs bent on destroying the store's wares. CNN's Chris Lawrence has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At first look, what you see on the surveillance video doesn't seem to fit. Ten men wearing clean suits and bow ties smashing bottles and glass all over this Oakland, California liquor store.

KALED SALEH, EMPLOYEE: When they first walked in, I thought they were a bunch of, you know, church people.

LAWRENCE: Kaled Saleh was on duty Wednesday night. He says, as one of the men asked him as a Muslim, how could he run a store like this?

SALEH: They said we weren't supposed to be selling liquor.

LAWRENCE: And then they attacked. One man jumped over the counter and tore bottles off the shelves. Others waited for a command and then destroyed entire walls full of liquor. The owners say they were accused of selling poison to the black community.

SGT. DOM AROTZARENA, OAKLAND POLICE: Despite what anybody said, this is a crime. This is not an act of helping out a neighborhood. This is a crime.

LAWRENCE: This isn't the first time groups have tried to shut down liquor stores on the basis of religion, but earlier efforts were peaceful. In Chicago, a pastor led a successful 1998 campaign to close 26 liquor stores in his neighborhood. In Philadelphia, another pastor tried to attract a convenience chain as competition to force out a nearby liquor store.

In several churches in Selma, Alabama, have been fighting council that allows a liquor store to open among them. Dr. John J. Hunter is the senior minister of 1st AME Church in Los Angeles. It says liquor sales have damaged communities like his.

DR. JOHN J. HUNTER, 1ST AME CHURCH: It's immoral. It -- there are many people are driven by profit only. But, responsible corporate citizens -- responsible business persons look beyond just merely the bottom line of profit.

LAWRENCE: The reverend says religious groups have an obligation to speak out about the damage these liquor stores can cause. In Oakland, police say the man attacked one store, then moved on to another.

TONY, LIQUOR STORE OWNER: And what they did, it's like gang members stuff, and like, you know, it's like -- it's not right.

LAWRENCE: The owner of that second store says his name is "Tony" and he won't back down from these attacks.

TONY: We've got god. God judges. They can't judge us. They're not going to be able to force me to stop selling it. I want to sell it.

LAWRENCE (on camera): Now, the men in the video wore suits and bow ties, that the traditional outfit of the nation of Islam, but they never identified themselves as members. And the Oakland office says they are not and have never been members of the nation of Islam.

Chris Lawrence, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: This Thanksgiving holiday weekend is not easy for many of the one million people directly impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Among them, New Orleans evacuee Carlandra Isaac who we first introduced you to last weekend. Then she was expecting FEMA's hotel funds to end by December 1. That's been extended to January 7th. Still, unable to find a job, Carlandra did locate an apartment in Georgia she can afford on her own. It's been a tough road, though, still her family is finding reasons to give thanks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARLANDRA ISAAC, KATRINA EVACUEE: We evacuated actually on Sunday, which was like your last chance to get out. We went to (INAUDIBLE) Louisiana, stayed in a house with about 17 people. Couldn't take it no longer, after about four days, we went to Texas. It was very overpopulated, a nightmare. But we had friends out in Georgia. So, from here, we wound up in Georgia in hotels for about a month.

I have two twins, I have a 14-year-old girl, an 8-year-old boy, I have a brother that's 25, my baby sister and her son. My twins receive Social Security benefits and when we received our benefits for the month of November, we actually placed a deposit on this apartment. I'm very thankful, because I'm in a better situation, actually, than I was in a week ago. We no longer have to live in a hotel. I can start getting my kids back on track with nutritious, healthy meals.

Happy thanks giving to you too.

Basically, I couldn't afford to drive back with my kids. My grandmother wanted to visit with my son. So, my aunt, she's working, she has some income. So, she was able to take the trip and bring her here to be with us for the holidays. I mean, but I'm still missing my parents. So, we still don't have a bare family, but I'm thank -- then again I'm thankful -- I'm thankful for what we do have.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is my first year cooking gumbo. She wanted gumbo and I'm like, I can try and I made gumbo last night. So, I don't know how this going -- how it's taste, but, I mean, I did it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I help cook today? No. I will not tell a lie.

ISAAC: No, the twins can eat. Now that I'm established in a better situation than a lot of people, I want to see what it is that I can do to assist them. In the future, a lot of people don't have cars. Maybe I can just pick someone up and give them a ride.

Father God, Dear lord, we coming to you today uplifting our nothing but thanks and praise.

I'm thankful. I'm not happy, but I'm thankful, because it can always be so much worse.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Carlandra Isaac, spending her first Thanksgiving with family after Hurricane Katrina.

Under normal circumstances, the holidays can be very stressful. For many hurricane victims, the stress level this year could be off the charts. Some of them are still far from home and they're among strangers. So, what's the best way to handle holiday stress? With us now from New York, Teresa Kay-Aba Kennedy. She's the president of Power Living Enterprises.

Teresa, good to talk to you.

TERESA KAY-ABA KENNEDY, POWER LIVING ENTERPRISES: Good morning.

HARRIS: Well, what the biggest challenge? You heard that piece, you watched that piece with Carlandra. What's the biggest challenge for folks who are trying to get through the grief and everything connected with surviving Katrina?

KENNEDY: Well, you have the usual stress of coming together and trying to create a perfect gathering and overspending and overindulgence, but for the Katrina survivors, you have to deal with tremendous loss and uncertainty and, so, many are away way from family, away from homes, they don't have jobs, and it's simply trying to create a sense of stability.

HARRIS: And how difficult is that to do when, in many cases, you may still be grieving?

KENNEDY: Loss is very difficult, particularly during the holiday season. I recently lost my dad a few months ago and this will be the first Christmas without him. It's really about honoring the person who's no longer there. Light a candle, share stories, create their favorite dish. Really celebrate their love.

HARRIS: Telling stories. I like that. That sounds like something that could really be helpful, if you're grieving a lost loved one. To be able to tell stories and to put them back in the room. That sounds like a great idea.

KENNEDY: And also, play. I mean, remember the children. You want to get back to the real spirit of the season. And sometimes we have forgotten the basics of simply playing with your family. Create a skit. Cook together. Actually, go out and volunteer.

And when you give the gift of time to someone else in need, it takes you away from your own troubles. And something else I like to do is create gratitude cards. So, write two or three things you are grateful for and share it with the family.

HARRIS: How do you deal with the fact -- and you have mentioned we have, for the most part, in a lot of ways, moved away from what the holiday -- what it really means, these holidays. And how do you deal with the fact we love the idea of giving gifts?

If you are someone who has come through Katrina, you may not have the resources. So, how do you deal with those feelings, perhaps, of not being able to give in a way that you're used to?

KENNEDY: Well, remember the KISS philosophy. Keep it simple or keep it simple and soulful, for me. It really is about doing what's in the heart and getting back to thanks and giving. That really is the spirit of the season. And it's about being together. There are so many things you can do in terms of creating new traditions.

Make sure you watch your budget, because it really isn't about material things. Your presence is the greatest present you can give. And that means being fully engaged, fully there, even if you're not physically there. Be there on the telephone. Be there by e-mail.

HARRIS: And, I'm sorry. If you are in a situation where you have kids and the expectation that kids have for the holidays at a time when you're trying to get used to new surroundings, or you're maybe trying to enroll them into new schools, how do you make your beloved kids happy if you are a survivor of Hurricane Katrina and relocated somewhere?

KENNEDY: Well, again, it's about spending time. One thing I love to do during the holiday is cook together. I have a 10-year-old nephew. And so we make this huge gingerbread house every year and then we give it.

We give it to his classmates or to his Sunday schoolmates. And so it's the process of being together and cooking as well as giving a gift that he can then share. That's a beautiful way to be together.

HARRIS: Teresa, good to talk to you. Great advice. Love the way you kept it positive. That's very good. Thanks for being with us.

KENNEDY: Thank you. Happy holidays.

HARRIS: And to you.

Palestinians began a new era along the Gaza-Egyptian border. What this could mean for the future of the Palestinians and the broader Middle East, that story coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: For the first time in nearly four decades, Palestinians are controlling an international border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. Hundreds of excited Palestinians lined up to pass through the Rafah checkpoint today. The Palestinian Authority President officially opened the crossing and, as John Vause reports, it marked a major milestone in the Middle East peace process.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the president of the Palestinian Authority this was an historic journey. Mahmoud Abbas took just a few steps, but for the first time, a Palestinian crossed the international border controlled by Palestinians.

"The opening of this border is important," he says, "because it means the Gaza strip will not be a big prison."

With Israel ending its 38-year occupation of Gaza, open and free borders are considered by most as crucial for the impoverished Gaza economy to grow. Israel has agreed to the building of a seaport but still no deal on reopening Gaza Airport.

And after almost a year in office for Abbas, the opening of the Rafah crossing is his first real success. It took months of negotiations with Israel and only happened with the direct mediation from the United States.

(on camera): While the Palestinians are now running the day-to- day operations here, they are still not totally in charge. The Israelis will be closely watching, via security cameras, who comes and who goes.

(voice-over): For at least the next 12 months, dozens of monitors from the European Union will also be watching. They will have the final say in any dispute about who and what is allowed to cross.

MARK OTTE, EUROPEAN UNION ENVOY: It's a first step. It's a first step. And other steps will have to be taken. It's the responsibility, also, of the Palestinians. VAUSE: The border opens for traffic Saturday, just four hours a day at first. Eventually it will operate 24 hours a day. Already outside, Palestinians are waiting to leave, like Basma Ismael (ph), traveling to Jordan for medical treatment.

"It's a little bit of freedom," she says. Most Palestinians have waited all their lives for this freedom. There's not long to go now.

John Vause, CNN, on the Gaza-Egypt border.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Well, let's check now on some other stories making news around the world. Floods in India caused two deadly bus accidents. For the details on that story and others, we turn now to CNN's Shanon Cook live from Control B. Hi, Shanon.

SHANON COOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Greetings, Tony. Thank you very much. Good morning to you. Good afternoon, actually. Sorry, I forgot about the time. Very wet conditions in southern India at the moment. It's been rainy for about five straight days and the state of Tamil-Nadu is just completely swollen with water.

So these wet conditions led to two separate bus accidents. Authorities say at least 75 people were killed when flood waters swept the two buses away. Government officials are warning that the death toll could rise.

Now, let's move to Afghanistan where the U.S. military says four U.S. troops will face disciplinary action. This stems from an incident a month ago where two U.S. troops burned the bodies of two suspected insurgents. Two other troops then taunted Taliban fighters over a loudspeakers.

Now, the Pentagon says those broadcasts were unauthorized, but investigators said the troops burned the bodies for hygienic reasons and were unaware that the Muslim faiths forbids cremation.

Now, Tony, an interest story out of the U.K. this week. Britain's government has introduced this new rule that affects how long you can stay at the pub. The new rule makes it so people can actually drink longer at night by abolishing an 11:00 p.m. closing time that's been common in pubs since World War I.

Sounds kind of crazy. Now, you may think why are they doing this? Well, it's to prevent binge drinking. And because, you know, the 11:00 p.m. bell rings and Britons just chug down all the beers that they have so that they don't get thrown out of the pub with drinks still left on the table. Now, it's also to crack down on violence and vandalism that erupts when there's a deluge of drinkers streaming out of pubs all at once at 11:00 p.m.

We'll have to see how it plays out. We don't know yet if this is going to have an effect, because the law just kicked in on Wednesday. Wednesday is not a big drinking night, but this weekend, I imagine a lot of Britons are putting that rule to good use and drinking longer. HARRIS: Wow. So you spill out of the pubs just in time for the morning rush. That's a great idea.

COOK: Yes, exactly.

HARRIS: All right, Shanon. Thank you.

COOK: Thanks, Tony.

HARRIS: To shop or not to shop. How your holiday spending affects the bottom line of the American economy. That story, dollars and cents next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Some people complain that the true meaning of the holidays is often lost in the sound of the cash register. But CNN's senior analyst, Jeff Greenfield, suggests that embracing your inner need for all that glitters isn't all bad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SENIOR ANALYST (on camera): Well, we're off and running on the annual ritual of shopping frenzy and massive debt. And before this first full day of mall crush is over, you'll hear a very familiar refrain -- why can't we stop all this commercialization and get back to the true spirit of the season?

That's an admirable sentiment, I'm sure, but have you ever stopped to think about what would happen if we really did put an end to all the buying and selling and giving and spending? Economic disaster, that's what.

(voice-over): This season, Americans will jam 47,835 malls and shopping centers. That's a real, official government number, by the way. What do you figure would happen to those stores and to their owners and workers if we all just stopped showing up?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Watch your step.

GREENFIELD: What would happen to the job hopes of the 850,000 seasonal workers, most of them hired to cope with the flood of frantic shoppers? What about the 28,527 jewelry stores, the 10,274 toy and game and hobby stores? Or, for you intellectuals out there, what about the 11,036 bookstores?

We spend half a billion dollars on Christmas trees alone, so what would happen to the folks who own and work those tree farms, not to mention the folks who profit from the 1.9 billion Christmas cards we send out. The U.S. Postal Service alone would take about a half a billion dollar hit if we stopped sending out those seasonal greetings.

And talk about the holiday spirit or spirits. We spend $1.3 billion on beer, liquor and wine to celebrate the season. And none of this begins to measure the full economic impact of seasonal excess. What about the caterers and the waiters who work the parties that endanger so many marriages? What about the truck drivers ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go.

GREENFIELD: ... warehouse workers and others involved in the giant chain of commerce? Put it all together and you're talking about some $435 billion worth of economic activity geared to the holidays.

UNIDENTIFIED CAROLERS: Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe...

GREENFIELD: So just imagine what would happen to the gross domestic product if we stopped heeding all those holiday commercials. Not to mention what would happen to our beloved media if folks stopped spending all that money on holiday advertising.

(on camera): So if you're heading out into the holiday fray today, don't think of it as a rendezvous with jangled nerves, migraine headaches and a pitched battle for that last Xbox. No, no. Think of yourself as a foot soldier in the battle for a healthy American economy. Don't you feel better?

Jeff Greenfield, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Better already.

Women's rights in Saudi Arabia is a controversial and touchy issue. Coming up, we'll take a look at how one activist for women's rights is fight to help Saudi women steer their own course into the future. We'll be right back.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider with a look at your cold and flu report for Saturday. As we check the map, you'll find most places in the country are reporting no activity for the flu so far. So, that's good news.

However, there have been some sporadic outbreaks of the flu in places like Texas, Louisiana, Florida, up into the Carolinas and even into New York, further to the north, Massachusetts. Back further westward we had sporadic outbreaks in California as well. So, keep that in mind and try to stay healthy, especially this holiday weekend. I'm meteorologist Bonnie Schneider with a look at your cold and flu report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: For women in Saudi Arabia, rights are restricted and freedoms are few, but women's rights activists are finding their voice and there are subtle signs of change. Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson reports from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Life for girls in Saudi Arabia doesn't get more daring than this. At the wheel of a virtual car, Annan's (ph) not sure if she'll drive when she grows up. Not because she's crashing, but because women are banned from doing the real thing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the house for ladies who can -- widows and divorced.

ROBERTSON: In her chauffeur-driven car as she drives me around her hometown, Jeddah, women's right activist Maha Fitaihi sees change.

(on camera): How long do you think before you could be driving around these streets?

MAHA FITAIHI, WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVIST: I say maybe a few months.

ROBERTSON: That's very short.

FITAIHI: It will have a backlash, I'm sure, from some people who don't believe in a woman's role in life.

ROBERTSON: The more religious extremes.

FITAIHI: Yes. And expected, but we're ready for that. Yes.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Female drivers are a hot issue. Video clips like this, purporting to be women flaunting the law, driving in Saudi Arabia, are popular in the growing youth counterculture of video messaging.

Fitaihi, though, wants more than just being allowed to drive. She wants religious extremists responsible for repressing women's rights to radically reform their attitudes. She wants respect.

FITAIHI: I want to see that when you talk to me, you listen to me, and you talk to me in the eyes. You look me in the eyes, and you respect me as a woman, and you take what I say as a woman.

That was the first time we come up on the TV. We're eight leaders.

ROBERTSON: Her path from mother of five to reformer began in earnest with TV appearances following September 11th.

FITAIHI: Just talking the every day life as a mother and as a wife, living her life and want to have a better life.

ROBERTSON: She felt Saudis were responsible for the attacks in the U.S., and her country needed to change. She discovered she wasn't alone.

FITAIHI: I was shocked by the -- some of the messages and the telephone calls.

ROBERTSON: Many women supported her view that narrow religious education is the root of the Saudi problem, stemming from the empowerment of conservative religious leaders, following a botched revolt against the royal family. FITAIHI: With that incident of 1979 had that impact on our TV, our schools, our education, our daily life. You know, everywhere, we were not allowed to speak out.

ROBERTSON: Fitaihi is devoted to Islam. She prays five times a day. To do less would allow religious extremists to derail her agenda.

FITAIHI: My mission that I would like to differentiate and to show the differences between what is from the Islam, and what is from social practices and customs.

I was living here in the...

ROBERTSON (on camera): In the center?

(voice-over): Nowhere the her calculated bucking of the social norm more obvious than when she shows me where she grew up. For a woman to be in public with an unrelated man is banned by religious police. For it to be filmed for western television is a first for me. It is a sign of change.

In the markets' female migrant workers, she sees optimism and reality in equal measure.

FITAIHI: Two years ago, it was only maybe three, four women. You see now how many? Saudi women themselves, they don't want to get into this now because they don't know that they -- maybe that she's going to be harmed, maybe she's going to be hurt, maybe she's going to be hearing some. But the more we have like this, I'm sure in two year's time, you'll find some Saudis sitting here.

ROBERTSON: Her optimism is based on trust in the new Saudi monarch King Abdullah, in whose hands women's fortunes here lie.

(on camera): Just looking along this rack of magazines and newspapers gives an indication of the subtle and slow change on women's issues. This magazine, for example, features a picture of Saudi Arabia's king and a woman on its cover. It would have been unheard of several years ago. Unlike many publications these days, features more articles relevant for women.

(voice-over): And elsewhere, women are getting minor victories. Girls can now study engineering. Women can join chambers of commerce, both formerly off limits. But fundamental changes like equality in law are nowhere in sight. Fitaihi has been fighting for her own college-age girls. She knows the final push may come from them.

FITAIHI: The new generation is rejecting that power without logic. They would like -- and this is their -- because of the Internet and the TV, satellite TVs and the exposure.

ROBERTSON: More than 60 percent of the country is under 16. Seventeen-year-old Sali (ph) knows what she wants, and is breaking social norms to tell us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It would be better if women could drive, she says. It would be easier on the family.

ROBERTSON: By the time Annan is Sali's age, she may well be driving. And if she keeps practicing, she'll likely do just fine.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Well, still ahead, it's the most wonderful time of the year, unless you're getting stomped on here. Holiday shopping chaos. You want to see it; we're going to show it to you right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And finally this hour, to help you get into the holiday spirit or perhaps to help curb your enthusiasm, a sampling of what it's like to shop until you drop.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We came to get a 42" plasma TV.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were behaving like animals.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was absolute pandemonium inside there, and they were throwing these laptops in the air, 20 feet in the air, and people were collapsing on each other to grab them. It was ridiculous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got what we came for. Now we're just going to go to the register and go home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now that I think of it, I really didn't save that much. I should have just slept.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Don't you just love the holidays?

Much more ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY. "IN THE MONEY" is next. Here is a preview.

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