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Bush in Brussels; Missing Mother & Son; Prisoner Release

Aired February 21, 2005 - 14:00   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.


BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: A big clue in the search for a missing Texas family as a pregnant woman and her 7-year-old son disappear. We have new developments from Texas this hour.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Raging floodwaters, deadly landslides, huge sinkholes, and the worst is not over for southern California.

NGUYEN: And a private dinner after public diplomacy. Right now, President Bush is eating dinner with French President Jacques Chirac as part of his fence-mending mission to Europe.

HARRIS: And they shoot 50,000 volts of electricity to subdue fleeing suspects. And recent deaths raise the question, should police use Taser stun guns?

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris, in for Miles O'Brien.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Kyra Phillips today. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

All right. One's west Texas, the other pure Paris. One's pork rinds and baseball, the other, foie gras and ballet, but with a reported taste for western movies and beer, of course. So maybe President Bush and French President Jacques Chirac really are hitting it off in their first working dinner since one sent troops to invade Iraq and the other stood as a figurehead of international opposition.

CNN's Robin Oakley dishes up all the details from Brussels.

So are they hitting it off, Robin?

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Betty.

Well, they're making a pretty good appearance of doing so. They've been swapping pleasantries over the last few minutes.

President Bush was asked if he was going to invite President Chirac to the ranch. And he said, well, he could always make use of a good cowboy.

And it's interesting that in his fence-mending trip to Europe, President Bush has chosen to concentrate on the three severest critics of the war in Iraq. He's giving this dinner for President Chirac tonight. He is spending a day with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Germany on Wednesday. And he's seeing President Vladimir Putin of Russia in Bratislava on Thursday. But basically, the whole theme of his major speech today, President Bush, was to call for a renewal of transatlantic unity. And he said that when Europe and America stood together, no problem could stand against them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In a new century, the alliance of Europe and North America is the main pillar of our security. Our robust trade is one of the engines of the world's economy. Our example of economic and political freedom gives hope to millions who are weary of poverty and oppression.

In all of these ways, our strong friendship is essential to peace and prosperity across the globe. And no temporary debate, no passing disagreement of governments, no power on earth will ever divide us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OAKLEY: The president has been going out of his way to talk about issues that worry the Europeans. And he's promised to engage with them on the problem of global warming, though he's not going to sign up to the Kyoto Treaty.

He's promised that Europe and America will engage together in a drive for Middle East peace. And he tried to end their worries about possible U.S. military action in Iran, saying that for the moment, the U.S. was content to go along with European diplomatic efforts to persuade the Iranians not to develop nuclear weapons -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Robin, another issue today, President Bush called on Syria to end its occupation of Lebanon. Is he getting very much European support behind that?

OAKLEY: That was one of the calls in his speech which drew some applause today. A fairly muted applause in general through the speech. That went down well.

And, of course, it will go down tonight quite well with President Chirac, because President Chirac was a personal friend of Rafik Hariri, the assassinated former prime minister of Lebanon. He joined with the United States in U.N. Resolution 1559 last September, calling on Syria to remove its troops from Lebanon.

So I think George Bush will get support from the Europeans on that particular issue. And that's one sign of the way in which fences are being mended on both sides. And another, of course, is that the Europeans today have promised to train 770 Iraqi prosecutors and judges as part of their effort to help in post-election Iraq -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Robin Oakley in Brussels today. Thank you, Robin -- Tony.

HARRIS: And now to those formerly secret tapes of the man who would be president and now is. Beginning in 1998, Doug Wead, former minister and former aide to the first President Bush, recorded phone conversations with then Texas governor George W. Bush. The tapes come to light as Wead unveils a book, "The Raising of a President," and they seem to shed a modicum of light on some long-ago controversies. Chief among them, the future president and questions he's never quite answered in public on drugs.

This from ABC News.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BUSH: Well, Doug, but it's not -- it just doesn't matter, cocaine. It would be the same with marijuana. I wouldn't answer the marijuana question.

You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I tried.

DOUG WEAD, AUTHOR: Yes, and it never stops.

BUSH: But you've got to understand, I want to be president. I want to lead. I want to set -- do you want your little kid to say, "Hey, Daddy, President Bush tried marijuana, I think I will?"

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HARRIS: Wead was a guest today on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," where he talked with LIVE FROM's Miles O'Brien.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEAD: It's an irrelevant point to me.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Why is that irrelevant?

WEAD: Because he's already said he was young and irresponsible. And that established the point I needed to make in my book about the man in the shadows. And the feeling -- my feeling was that because of his indiscretions as a young person, it took the pressure off him, the expectations that he would have to achieve and live up to the -- this Bush image.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: It is still not entirely clear how and why the tapes stopped being private. The author says it wasn't for personal gain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEAD: This isn't about money. I could sell the tapes. You've only seen little...

O'BRIEN: Well, it's going to help your book, isn't it?

WEAD: Well, my book could have been released before the election. It would have been a runaway bestseller.

O'BRIEN: Right. WEAD: It would have been driven by partisan...

O'BRIEN: But clearly people are going to go buy that book today after seeing this, right?

WEAD: My publicist said I lost $1 million by delaying the book after the election, where it would have been driven by partisan interest. But I hope it sells.

I'm a historian. And he's president, and he has to lead. He has to set an example.

I had to write about the Roosevelts, the Kennedys, the Bushes. I attempted to vet the stories with all three families.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: So what's more upsetting to you, what Bush said or the fact that he was secretly recorded? Send us your e-mails, livefrom@CNN.com.

NGUYEN: Well, a desperate search for a pregnant woman and her young son now focused about 30 miles from their home. Police were led there just a short time ago with the discovery of the family's vehicle.

We want to go now to CNN's Ed Lavandera in Dallas with the latest.

What have they determined from this vehicle? Are they any closer to finding this pregnant mother and her son?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, at this point there is no sign that they have found the 34-year-old woman and her 7-year-old son. Investigators are in a town north of the Dallas-Ft. Worth area in Denton, Texas, where they're working in a field, in a creeky area where they have found the car they believe belongs to 34-year-old Lisa Underwood.

The car was found partially submerged in a creek. The back tailgate of the truck there opened, but no sign of anyone. We understand that they're still at the scene working in it, as well.

Ms. Underwood and her son were last seen Friday night. They were supposed to have shown up for a baby shower for Ms. Underwood on Saturday afternoon, but they did not appear. The family reported them missing Saturday afternoon.

The images you're seeing now is from Sunday afternoon, when investigators were at Ms. Underwood's house in Ft. Worth. And we're told by authorities there that they have reason to believe that there is foul play involved in this case.

They found a significant amount of blood in the house, and that is why they have issued the Amber Alert. And, as well, this Amber Alert has now gone not just in the Texas area, but in the four surrounding states. And this is essentially becoming a nationwide search for Ms. Underwood and her 7-year-old son.

Her family members and her friends in Ft. Worth trying -- they say they have called as many people as possible, trying to get any kind of information they can at this point. But the search continues at this point -- Betty.

NGUYEN: So no information as to where she is. Do police know whether Ms. Underwood had any fears for her safety before her disappearance?

LAVANDERA: You know, one of her friends said over the weekend that everything appeared normal, that they had talked on Friday afternoon. She was jovial, excited about the baby shower. So, at least on the surface. In the initial reports that are coming out, no indication like that at this point.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Ed Lavandera in Dallas. Thank you, Ed -- Tony.

HARRIS: Soggy southern California is getting another dangerous soaking today. Right now rescue teams are looking for at least one person believed trapped after rain-sodden earth crashed into a condo complex in Hacienda Heights. Two others in the condo escaped with minor injuries.

So far, the storms, which have caused flooding and mudslides, have been blamed for three deaths. A teenaged girl was killed in Orange County last night after boulders crashed through her family's home.

In Sun Valley, a city worker fell to his death after the ground gave way, creating a massive sinkhole. The ground is so saturated, it just cannot handle anymore water. Eight counties remain under landslide advisories.

It may already be too late for some Laguna residents. This house is in danger of falling off its hillside perch. Forecasters say the rain may taper off some later today, but another round of wet weather is expected tomorrow.

NGUYEN: They can't seem to catch a break out there.

HARRIS: It won't end.

NGUYEN: Well, we do want to talk about three deaths. They are in news "Across America" today.

Police and family members say journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson fatally shot himself yesterday at his home near Aspen, Colorado. He was 67 years old. The hard-living writer's acerbic, novelistic, personal approach to reporting helped launch the gonzo journalism movement back in the 1960s. Thompson's books include "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."

HARRIS: Broadway will dim its lights tomorrow night in memory of actor John Raitt. The baritone star of stage and film musicals died of complications from pneumonia yesterday at age 88 at his home in Pacific Palisades, California.

Raitt made his Broadway debut in "Carousel" in 1945. His film credits include "The Pajama Game" and "Annie Get Your Gun." His daughter is singer Bonnie Raitt.

NGUYEN: And movie actress Sandra Dee is dead. The 1950s and '60s star died yesterday at a hospital in Thousand Oaks, California, after years of poor health. Her son says she was 63.

Among Dee's hits were "Gidget" and "A Summer Place." She was married to singer Bobby Darin in the '60s.

Well, some police departments are suspending use of those Taser stun guns.

HARRIS: Well, the reason? The supposedly less than lethal force has been allegedly involved in deaths of some suspects. Details on that ahead on LIVE FROM.

And a taste of freedom for 500 former prisoners. Will their release help keep peace in the Middle East? We'll examine that.

HARRIS: And former President Bush says he's never seen anything like it as he and former President Clinton tour the devastated tsunami zone. We'll follow their travels ahead on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: You hear that? That's anger on the streets of Beirut today. Thousands of protesters are calling for Syrian troops to get out of Lebanon.

The massive demonstration follows last week's assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Many Lebanese believe Syria was involved in his death, something the Syrian government has denied. President Bush echoed the protesters' sentiments and today is saying it is time for Syria to end its occupation of Lebanon.

Now, elsewhere in the Middle East, a day of emotional homecomings. Israel released 500 Palestinian prisoners as part of a goodwill gesture. It comes a day after the Israeli cabinet approved a pullout from Gaza and parts of the West Bank. CNN's John Vause reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At five checkpoints like this one across the West Bank in Gaza, 500 Palestinian prisoners were released. For many, an emotional reunion with family they have not seen for years.

This is a confidence-building measure, agreed to by Israeli and Palestinian leaders earlier this month. At the moment, about 7,000 Palestinian prisoners are being held in Israeli jails. Palestinians want them all to be released. Israel says, that won't happen. But 400 more prisoners will be set free in the next three months. The 500 released today have signed agreements not to be involved in attacks on Israelis. None have been released before under previous deals. And none have been involved directly in attacks on Israeli targets.

(on camera): For the newly elected president of the Palestinian Authority Abbas, this is a test of credibility. A major release of prisoners will give him the boost he needs amongst many Palestinians. Nine hundred, they say, is a good start, but many believe it's still not enough.

John Vause, CNN, in the West Bank.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: A political changing of the guard is taking shape in Iraq. Sunni Muslims who dominated control of Iraq under Saddam Hussein lost much of their power to the Shia in last month's election. So how are they reacting? Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson found out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At Falluja's main traffic intersection, the city appears to be returning to some normality following last November's joint U.S. and Iraqi offensive to oust insurgents. But windowless stores on once- crowded shopping streets and reconstruction down its back alleys hint at how much further this city of one-quarter million Sunnis has to go.

The question is, in this largely Sunni province, where only one in 50 voted in the elections, will they embrace Iraq's new Shia- dominated government?

ADNAN PACHACHI, SUNNI POLITICIAN: I think there would be a wait and see attitude, they'd take such an attitude. I believe there is going to be today, that's what we heard, a meeting of tribal leaders.

ROBERTSON: A wait and see to determine how the new government acts and who emerges from the closed door political horse trading now under way. For the influential posts of prime minister, interior and defense ministers.

PACHACHI: The national assembly would also exercise some control. So there would be more checks and balances, but still this -- the jobs are extremely -- are crucial, really.

ROBERTSON: Under Saddam Hussein, security was dominated by Sunnis. A reversal of that by the newly empowered Shias would send the wrong signal to the Sunnis sitting on the sidelines.

ASIZ AL TA'AIE, SHIA POLITICIAN: The more they are involved in the political process, the less terrorist activities we'll see in Iraq.

ROBERTSON: Perhaps most intimidating for Sunnis recently has been watch Shias, fresh from political victory, celebrate their religious festival Ashoura on TV, acts of faith banned under Saddam Hussein as part of his repression of the Shia, tens of thousands strong. A sign of their unity and strength. It is a changing dynamic. The Sunni insurgents are keen to exploit repeatedly attacking and killing Shia.

AYATOLLAH HOSSAIN TAQI MODERRESI, SHIA CLERIC (through translator): At this time, the Shiites could attack and revenge. We could blow up one of their mosques, but the Shiite people reject injustice and hatred.

ROBERTSON: But tolerance does have its limits. Some in the Ashura crowds did chant anti-Sunni slogans, calling Sunni attacks treachery. So how much time will it take for the Sunnis to get off the political fence and possibly trigger the marginalization of insurgents? According to Pachachi, that depends on the new government.

PACHACHI: They should exercise a lot of restraint in the early stages. And do not -- should not be tempted by -- to undertake measures that could be divisive in this country.

ROBERTSON (on camera): Giving top government jobs to moderates and making sure no one running security does it for ethnic or sectarian benefit should send the right signals to Sunnis. In Falluja at the moment, most people are concentrating on just putting their lives back in order.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: The war in Iraq comes full circle. He was a New York firefighter, until he went to the front lines in Iraq. We catch up with him as he comes back home.

And they have been tapped as tsunami fund-raisers in chief. Now the former presidents get to meet the people they're trying to help.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: We have an update now on that house out in Hacienda Heights, California, that was hit by a mudslide. All three people trapped inside, they have now been rescued.

Rescue workers have been on the scene for quite a while now. Three people were trapped inside by some 10 feet of mud.

We were looking at some video earlier of the house. You really couldn't tell how bad the situation was. This is the house, I believe, right now -- no, there it is.

HARRIS: There it is.

NGUYEN: As you see, all the rescue workers coming out of it. Ten feet of mud inside that house, but thankfully all the people who were trapped inside have been rescued, and they are headed to be checked out. We'll continue to follow those storms out in California throughout the show.

HARRIS: Refocusing the spotlight on the tsunami disaster. Two ex U.S. presidents surveyed the physical devastation across southern Asia while survivors tell them of the emotional toll. Bill Clinton and the elder George Bush are reminding everyone that now is not the time to stop giving.

CNN's Aneesh Raman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The former presidents came to see firsthand images they insist the world must not forget. Amidst endless debris and grateful villages in Aceh, Indonesia, the two confronted nature's brutality.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's humbling, because you realize just a mat of a few feet determined whether mothers, and fathers and children lived or died.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: the devastation on the ground is worse than I expected. Just leveled where there were schools, houses. It's just flat, flat land. It was -- I've never seen anything like it, ever.

RAMAN: The three-day, four-nation tour had a simple purpose, confirming for Americans who have given so much that their money is getting to those in need, and asking that they give more. The reconstruction process here will have no definable end. It is simply the region's new reality.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH: I think there's much more to be done, and we feel it much more strongly having been in this town that was ravaged by the storm.

RAMAN: Like the empty landscape of Aceh, each stop brought to light differing aspects of the tsunami's aftermath. In Phuket, Thailand, orphans presented the two with drawings of the waves that killed their parents, a poignant moment both said they would never forget.

And in Sri Lanka a visit to a trauma center, helping survivors deal with untold loss. Meeting with heads of state, the former presidents also conveyed America's commitment to help in the years ahead.

RAMAN (on camera): As they return home, Clinton and Bush Sr. carry with them the hope white the effects will be felt for generations, so will the world's empathy. This unparalleled disaster deserves nothing less.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Bangkok.

(END VIDEOTAPE) 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 February 21, 2005 - 14:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: A big clue in the search for a missing Texas family as a pregnant woman and her 7-year-old son disappear. We have new developments from Texas this hour.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Raging floodwaters, deadly landslides, huge sinkholes, and the worst is not over for southern California.

NGUYEN: And a private dinner after public diplomacy. Right now, President Bush is eating dinner with French President Jacques Chirac as part of his fence-mending mission to Europe.

HARRIS: And they shoot 50,000 volts of electricity to subdue fleeing suspects. And recent deaths raise the question, should police use Taser stun guns?

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris, in for Miles O'Brien.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen, in for Kyra Phillips today. This hour of CNN's LIVE FROM starts right now.

All right. One's west Texas, the other pure Paris. One's pork rinds and baseball, the other, foie gras and ballet, but with a reported taste for western movies and beer, of course. So maybe President Bush and French President Jacques Chirac really are hitting it off in their first working dinner since one sent troops to invade Iraq and the other stood as a figurehead of international opposition.

CNN's Robin Oakley dishes up all the details from Brussels.

So are they hitting it off, Robin?

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Betty.

Well, they're making a pretty good appearance of doing so. They've been swapping pleasantries over the last few minutes.

President Bush was asked if he was going to invite President Chirac to the ranch. And he said, well, he could always make use of a good cowboy.

And it's interesting that in his fence-mending trip to Europe, President Bush has chosen to concentrate on the three severest critics of the war in Iraq. He's giving this dinner for President Chirac tonight. He is spending a day with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Germany on Wednesday. And he's seeing President Vladimir Putin of Russia in Bratislava on Thursday. But basically, the whole theme of his major speech today, President Bush, was to call for a renewal of transatlantic unity. And he said that when Europe and America stood together, no problem could stand against them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In a new century, the alliance of Europe and North America is the main pillar of our security. Our robust trade is one of the engines of the world's economy. Our example of economic and political freedom gives hope to millions who are weary of poverty and oppression.

In all of these ways, our strong friendship is essential to peace and prosperity across the globe. And no temporary debate, no passing disagreement of governments, no power on earth will ever divide us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OAKLEY: The president has been going out of his way to talk about issues that worry the Europeans. And he's promised to engage with them on the problem of global warming, though he's not going to sign up to the Kyoto Treaty.

He's promised that Europe and America will engage together in a drive for Middle East peace. And he tried to end their worries about possible U.S. military action in Iran, saying that for the moment, the U.S. was content to go along with European diplomatic efforts to persuade the Iranians not to develop nuclear weapons -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Robin, another issue today, President Bush called on Syria to end its occupation of Lebanon. Is he getting very much European support behind that?

OAKLEY: That was one of the calls in his speech which drew some applause today. A fairly muted applause in general through the speech. That went down well.

And, of course, it will go down tonight quite well with President Chirac, because President Chirac was a personal friend of Rafik Hariri, the assassinated former prime minister of Lebanon. He joined with the United States in U.N. Resolution 1559 last September, calling on Syria to remove its troops from Lebanon.

So I think George Bush will get support from the Europeans on that particular issue. And that's one sign of the way in which fences are being mended on both sides. And another, of course, is that the Europeans today have promised to train 770 Iraqi prosecutors and judges as part of their effort to help in post-election Iraq -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Robin Oakley in Brussels today. Thank you, Robin -- Tony.

HARRIS: And now to those formerly secret tapes of the man who would be president and now is. Beginning in 1998, Doug Wead, former minister and former aide to the first President Bush, recorded phone conversations with then Texas governor George W. Bush. The tapes come to light as Wead unveils a book, "The Raising of a President," and they seem to shed a modicum of light on some long-ago controversies. Chief among them, the future president and questions he's never quite answered in public on drugs.

This from ABC News.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BUSH: Well, Doug, but it's not -- it just doesn't matter, cocaine. It would be the same with marijuana. I wouldn't answer the marijuana question.

You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I tried.

DOUG WEAD, AUTHOR: Yes, and it never stops.

BUSH: But you've got to understand, I want to be president. I want to lead. I want to set -- do you want your little kid to say, "Hey, Daddy, President Bush tried marijuana, I think I will?"

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HARRIS: Wead was a guest today on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," where he talked with LIVE FROM's Miles O'Brien.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEAD: It's an irrelevant point to me.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Why is that irrelevant?

WEAD: Because he's already said he was young and irresponsible. And that established the point I needed to make in my book about the man in the shadows. And the feeling -- my feeling was that because of his indiscretions as a young person, it took the pressure off him, the expectations that he would have to achieve and live up to the -- this Bush image.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: It is still not entirely clear how and why the tapes stopped being private. The author says it wasn't for personal gain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEAD: This isn't about money. I could sell the tapes. You've only seen little...

O'BRIEN: Well, it's going to help your book, isn't it?

WEAD: Well, my book could have been released before the election. It would have been a runaway bestseller.

O'BRIEN: Right. WEAD: It would have been driven by partisan...

O'BRIEN: But clearly people are going to go buy that book today after seeing this, right?

WEAD: My publicist said I lost $1 million by delaying the book after the election, where it would have been driven by partisan interest. But I hope it sells.

I'm a historian. And he's president, and he has to lead. He has to set an example.

I had to write about the Roosevelts, the Kennedys, the Bushes. I attempted to vet the stories with all three families.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: So what's more upsetting to you, what Bush said or the fact that he was secretly recorded? Send us your e-mails, livefrom@CNN.com.

NGUYEN: Well, a desperate search for a pregnant woman and her young son now focused about 30 miles from their home. Police were led there just a short time ago with the discovery of the family's vehicle.

We want to go now to CNN's Ed Lavandera in Dallas with the latest.

What have they determined from this vehicle? Are they any closer to finding this pregnant mother and her son?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, at this point there is no sign that they have found the 34-year-old woman and her 7-year-old son. Investigators are in a town north of the Dallas-Ft. Worth area in Denton, Texas, where they're working in a field, in a creeky area where they have found the car they believe belongs to 34-year-old Lisa Underwood.

The car was found partially submerged in a creek. The back tailgate of the truck there opened, but no sign of anyone. We understand that they're still at the scene working in it, as well.

Ms. Underwood and her son were last seen Friday night. They were supposed to have shown up for a baby shower for Ms. Underwood on Saturday afternoon, but they did not appear. The family reported them missing Saturday afternoon.

The images you're seeing now is from Sunday afternoon, when investigators were at Ms. Underwood's house in Ft. Worth. And we're told by authorities there that they have reason to believe that there is foul play involved in this case.

They found a significant amount of blood in the house, and that is why they have issued the Amber Alert. And, as well, this Amber Alert has now gone not just in the Texas area, but in the four surrounding states. And this is essentially becoming a nationwide search for Ms. Underwood and her 7-year-old son.

Her family members and her friends in Ft. Worth trying -- they say they have called as many people as possible, trying to get any kind of information they can at this point. But the search continues at this point -- Betty.

NGUYEN: So no information as to where she is. Do police know whether Ms. Underwood had any fears for her safety before her disappearance?

LAVANDERA: You know, one of her friends said over the weekend that everything appeared normal, that they had talked on Friday afternoon. She was jovial, excited about the baby shower. So, at least on the surface. In the initial reports that are coming out, no indication like that at this point.

NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Ed Lavandera in Dallas. Thank you, Ed -- Tony.

HARRIS: Soggy southern California is getting another dangerous soaking today. Right now rescue teams are looking for at least one person believed trapped after rain-sodden earth crashed into a condo complex in Hacienda Heights. Two others in the condo escaped with minor injuries.

So far, the storms, which have caused flooding and mudslides, have been blamed for three deaths. A teenaged girl was killed in Orange County last night after boulders crashed through her family's home.

In Sun Valley, a city worker fell to his death after the ground gave way, creating a massive sinkhole. The ground is so saturated, it just cannot handle anymore water. Eight counties remain under landslide advisories.

It may already be too late for some Laguna residents. This house is in danger of falling off its hillside perch. Forecasters say the rain may taper off some later today, but another round of wet weather is expected tomorrow.

NGUYEN: They can't seem to catch a break out there.

HARRIS: It won't end.

NGUYEN: Well, we do want to talk about three deaths. They are in news "Across America" today.

Police and family members say journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson fatally shot himself yesterday at his home near Aspen, Colorado. He was 67 years old. The hard-living writer's acerbic, novelistic, personal approach to reporting helped launch the gonzo journalism movement back in the 1960s. Thompson's books include "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."

HARRIS: Broadway will dim its lights tomorrow night in memory of actor John Raitt. The baritone star of stage and film musicals died of complications from pneumonia yesterday at age 88 at his home in Pacific Palisades, California.

Raitt made his Broadway debut in "Carousel" in 1945. His film credits include "The Pajama Game" and "Annie Get Your Gun." His daughter is singer Bonnie Raitt.

NGUYEN: And movie actress Sandra Dee is dead. The 1950s and '60s star died yesterday at a hospital in Thousand Oaks, California, after years of poor health. Her son says she was 63.

Among Dee's hits were "Gidget" and "A Summer Place." She was married to singer Bobby Darin in the '60s.

Well, some police departments are suspending use of those Taser stun guns.

HARRIS: Well, the reason? The supposedly less than lethal force has been allegedly involved in deaths of some suspects. Details on that ahead on LIVE FROM.

And a taste of freedom for 500 former prisoners. Will their release help keep peace in the Middle East? We'll examine that.

HARRIS: And former President Bush says he's never seen anything like it as he and former President Clinton tour the devastated tsunami zone. We'll follow their travels ahead on LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: You hear that? That's anger on the streets of Beirut today. Thousands of protesters are calling for Syrian troops to get out of Lebanon.

The massive demonstration follows last week's assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Many Lebanese believe Syria was involved in his death, something the Syrian government has denied. President Bush echoed the protesters' sentiments and today is saying it is time for Syria to end its occupation of Lebanon.

Now, elsewhere in the Middle East, a day of emotional homecomings. Israel released 500 Palestinian prisoners as part of a goodwill gesture. It comes a day after the Israeli cabinet approved a pullout from Gaza and parts of the West Bank. CNN's John Vause reports.

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JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At five checkpoints like this one across the West Bank in Gaza, 500 Palestinian prisoners were released. For many, an emotional reunion with family they have not seen for years.

This is a confidence-building measure, agreed to by Israeli and Palestinian leaders earlier this month. At the moment, about 7,000 Palestinian prisoners are being held in Israeli jails. Palestinians want them all to be released. Israel says, that won't happen. But 400 more prisoners will be set free in the next three months. The 500 released today have signed agreements not to be involved in attacks on Israelis. None have been released before under previous deals. And none have been involved directly in attacks on Israeli targets.

(on camera): For the newly elected president of the Palestinian Authority Abbas, this is a test of credibility. A major release of prisoners will give him the boost he needs amongst many Palestinians. Nine hundred, they say, is a good start, but many believe it's still not enough.

John Vause, CNN, in the West Bank.

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HARRIS: A political changing of the guard is taking shape in Iraq. Sunni Muslims who dominated control of Iraq under Saddam Hussein lost much of their power to the Shia in last month's election. So how are they reacting? Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson found out.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At Falluja's main traffic intersection, the city appears to be returning to some normality following last November's joint U.S. and Iraqi offensive to oust insurgents. But windowless stores on once- crowded shopping streets and reconstruction down its back alleys hint at how much further this city of one-quarter million Sunnis has to go.

The question is, in this largely Sunni province, where only one in 50 voted in the elections, will they embrace Iraq's new Shia- dominated government?

ADNAN PACHACHI, SUNNI POLITICIAN: I think there would be a wait and see attitude, they'd take such an attitude. I believe there is going to be today, that's what we heard, a meeting of tribal leaders.

ROBERTSON: A wait and see to determine how the new government acts and who emerges from the closed door political horse trading now under way. For the influential posts of prime minister, interior and defense ministers.

PACHACHI: The national assembly would also exercise some control. So there would be more checks and balances, but still this -- the jobs are extremely -- are crucial, really.

ROBERTSON: Under Saddam Hussein, security was dominated by Sunnis. A reversal of that by the newly empowered Shias would send the wrong signal to the Sunnis sitting on the sidelines.

ASIZ AL TA'AIE, SHIA POLITICIAN: The more they are involved in the political process, the less terrorist activities we'll see in Iraq.

ROBERTSON: Perhaps most intimidating for Sunnis recently has been watch Shias, fresh from political victory, celebrate their religious festival Ashoura on TV, acts of faith banned under Saddam Hussein as part of his repression of the Shia, tens of thousands strong. A sign of their unity and strength. It is a changing dynamic. The Sunni insurgents are keen to exploit repeatedly attacking and killing Shia.

AYATOLLAH HOSSAIN TAQI MODERRESI, SHIA CLERIC (through translator): At this time, the Shiites could attack and revenge. We could blow up one of their mosques, but the Shiite people reject injustice and hatred.

ROBERTSON: But tolerance does have its limits. Some in the Ashura crowds did chant anti-Sunni slogans, calling Sunni attacks treachery. So how much time will it take for the Sunnis to get off the political fence and possibly trigger the marginalization of insurgents? According to Pachachi, that depends on the new government.

PACHACHI: They should exercise a lot of restraint in the early stages. And do not -- should not be tempted by -- to undertake measures that could be divisive in this country.

ROBERTSON (on camera): Giving top government jobs to moderates and making sure no one running security does it for ethnic or sectarian benefit should send the right signals to Sunnis. In Falluja at the moment, most people are concentrating on just putting their lives back in order.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.

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NGUYEN: The war in Iraq comes full circle. He was a New York firefighter, until he went to the front lines in Iraq. We catch up with him as he comes back home.

And they have been tapped as tsunami fund-raisers in chief. Now the former presidents get to meet the people they're trying to help.

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NGUYEN: We have an update now on that house out in Hacienda Heights, California, that was hit by a mudslide. All three people trapped inside, they have now been rescued.

Rescue workers have been on the scene for quite a while now. Three people were trapped inside by some 10 feet of mud.

We were looking at some video earlier of the house. You really couldn't tell how bad the situation was. This is the house, I believe, right now -- no, there it is.

HARRIS: There it is.

NGUYEN: As you see, all the rescue workers coming out of it. Ten feet of mud inside that house, but thankfully all the people who were trapped inside have been rescued, and they are headed to be checked out. We'll continue to follow those storms out in California throughout the show.

HARRIS: Refocusing the spotlight on the tsunami disaster. Two ex U.S. presidents surveyed the physical devastation across southern Asia while survivors tell them of the emotional toll. Bill Clinton and the elder George Bush are reminding everyone that now is not the time to stop giving.

CNN's Aneesh Raman reports.

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ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The former presidents came to see firsthand images they insist the world must not forget. Amidst endless debris and grateful villages in Aceh, Indonesia, the two confronted nature's brutality.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's humbling, because you realize just a mat of a few feet determined whether mothers, and fathers and children lived or died.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: the devastation on the ground is worse than I expected. Just leveled where there were schools, houses. It's just flat, flat land. It was -- I've never seen anything like it, ever.

RAMAN: The three-day, four-nation tour had a simple purpose, confirming for Americans who have given so much that their money is getting to those in need, and asking that they give more. The reconstruction process here will have no definable end. It is simply the region's new reality.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH: I think there's much more to be done, and we feel it much more strongly having been in this town that was ravaged by the storm.

RAMAN: Like the empty landscape of Aceh, each stop brought to light differing aspects of the tsunami's aftermath. In Phuket, Thailand, orphans presented the two with drawings of the waves that killed their parents, a poignant moment both said they would never forget.

And in Sri Lanka a visit to a trauma center, helping survivors deal with untold loss. Meeting with heads of state, the former presidents also conveyed America's commitment to help in the years ahead.

RAMAN (on camera): As they return home, Clinton and Bush Sr. carry with them the hope white the effects will be felt for generations, so will the world's empathy. This unparalleled disaster deserves nothing less.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Bangkok.

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