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CNN Sunday Morning
APEC Summit Wraps Up; China Eastern Airlines Plane Crash Kills 53
Aired November 21, 2004 - 09:00 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.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. Welcome to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is November 21, Thanksgiving week.
RUDI BAKHTIAR, CNN ANCHOR: It sure is.
HARRIS: I'm Tony Harris.
BAKHTIAR: And I'm Rudi Bakhtiar in today for Betty Nguyen. Thanks for joining us everyone. If you are waking up on the west coast, it is early, early for you, 6:00 a.m. So let's get you started with the day's top stories.
President Bush and Pacific Rim leaders are wrapping up their two- day economic summit in Chile today. On the sidelines, Mr. Bush met with Mexican President Vicente Fox. Mr. Bush told them he remains committed to a stalled proposal that would help undocumented workers hold jobs legally in the U.S.
A China Eastern Airlines plane crashes in a frozen lake in northern China, killing all 53 people on board and two people on the ground. Witnesses say shortly after takeoff, the plane broke into flaming fragments igniting a house and several yachts. The flight data recorder hasn't been located, yet.
The mayor of Los Angeles says the security of millions of travelers may be at risk at Los Angeles international airport if a TV report is true. A local television station's hidden cameras revealed several police officers taking long breaks, ignoring radio calls and even abandoning their posts. The mayor is calling for an investigation into that.
And the NBA's investigation into Friday night's ugly, ugly fight on the court between Pacers and Pistons players and fans is expected to be wrapped up later today. The league has indefinitely suspended Indiana Pacers players Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal. The NBA also suspending Detroit Piston's player Ben Wallace.
HARRIS: Here's what we've got coming up this hour. Boosting the morale of front line troops with letters and packages from home, an Army sergeant will join us to explain how you can adopt a soldier.
Also coming up, a California dentist on a mission to help Afghans smile again one mouth at a time. This story is unforgettable.
And just ahead, a dicey moment in Santiago. A Secret Service agent assigned to President Bush encounters a security problem of his own and the president has to come to his rescue.
BAKHTIAR: All right. Let's begin this hour in Santiago, Chile, host city for the APEC summit. This is the 12th annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group. The official agenda of the two-day meeting wraps up today but President Bush's private one-on-one meeting have been getting much of the attention this weekend. CNN's Lucia Newman has been covering the summit for us and joins us with the latest. Hello Lucia.
LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Rudi, well, the last working session of the 21-member APEC meeting is under way at this hour with trade, of course, as well as regional stability, very high on the agenda. But first there was the class photo, the 21 amigos as they're being called now all got together wearing a typical Chilean poncho or chamanto (ph), which symbolizes the fact that these 21 leaders who represent more than half of the global economy, come to agreements by consensus. None of their agreements are binding.
Before this class photo, though, President Bush as you mentioned, did hold a one-on-one, this time with Mexican President Vicente Fox where immigration was the key subject. Both agreed to meet early next year in Washington to try and iron out a comprehensive immigration agreement. The Mexicans have been impatient for the United States to take measures to make it easier for Mexican workers to go to the United States and work there legally. Let's hear what President Bush had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I made very clear my position that we need to make sure that where there's a willing worker and a willing employer, that that job ought to be filled legally, in cases where Americans will not fill that job. We share a mutual concern to make sure our border is secure. One way to make sure the border is secure is to have reasonable immigration policies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWMAN: And Rudi, speaking of security, apart from pushing for reduction of trade barriers, the president is also calling for stronger measures, stronger security measures at ports, at airports as well and measures in the region, greater coordination to prevent suspected terrorists from obtaining false or stolen passports. Rudi?
BAKHTIAR: Lucia, one of the other subjects that was being discussed is the concerns over the value of the U.S. dollar which is affecting the Asia Pacific Rim countries. Where do they fall on that?
NEWMAN: Absolutely. The Asian leaders here made it very, very clear to President Bush and their bilaterals yesterday that they are concerned that the weak U.S. dollar is making their goods uncompetitive and President Bush committed himself to strengthening the U.S. dollar, as well as to reducing the U.S. deficit, which the Asians and Latin Americans say is slowing down the global economy. Rudi. BAKHTIAR: Lucia Newman, covering the APEC summit for us in Chile. Thank you.
HARRIS: On Capitol Hill efforts to make sweeping changes in the nation's intelligence community are now on hold. Congress failed to reach agreement on reform measures proposed by the 9/11 Commission and backed by President Bush. CNN's Joe Johns has that report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The rare Saturday session of Congress started with hope for the long-stalled intelligence reform legislation but fell short at the end. A tentative agreement on the bill, fiercely promoted by President Bush himself and House Speaker Dennis Hastert collapsed in a rebellion by conservative House Republicans.
REP. CURT WELDON (R) PENNSYLVANIA: This doesn't do the job. It is far short of what needs to be done. It's shallow in terms of the depth of change necessary to deal with the threats of terrorists and those individuals that will harm our society.
JOHNS: House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter led the objections, arguing that on the ground intelligence should be under the control of the Pentagon and not a new director of national intelligence.
REP. DENNIS HASTERT, (R) HOUSE SPEAKER: Duncan was concerned that the proposed reform could endanger our troops in the field who use real time intelligence to fight the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
JOHNS: But the bipartisan group that negotiated the bill suggested Hunter is simply trying to protect his committee and the Pentagon's turf.
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (D) MAINE: I think what you are seeing here is the forces in favor of the status quo protecting their turf, whether it's in Congress or in the bureaucracy.
JOHNS: The second killer objection came from House Judiciary Committee Chair James Sensenbrenner, who insisted that the bill bar illegal immigrants from holding driver's licenses. The bill's supporters said it goes a long way to strengthening border security and that the driver's license issue should be taken up separately.
REP. JANE HARMAN (D) CALIFORNIA: It is really a tragedy today that a small group in the Republican caucus of the House have prevented the American people from a reform that they sorely need, now that we are at higher risk.
JOHNS: Backers of the bill called on Speaker Hastert and the president to redouble their efforts to persuade Sensenbrenner and Hunter and House conservatives to back down or if needed, simply override them.
(on-camera): Saturday was to have been the last day of the 108th Congress, but because of the stunning breakdown on the intelligence bill, the speaker of the House has said he will not adjourn in hopes of reaching agreement during the month of December. Both sides say however, the outlook for passage is not good this year. Joe Johns, CNN Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: An Oklahoma congressman is getting some extra attention this morning. Congressional aides say Republican Ernest Istook is behind a spending bill provision that has his colleagues red faced. The provision would give certain members of Congress access to your income tax returns without privacy protections. Republican leaders now say it was all a mistake and they promise to quickly repeal it before sending the spending bill to get signed. Istook chairs a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.
BAKHTIAR: It is official. Iraq will hold national elections exactly 10 weeks from today. Even under ideal circumstances, that would be a pretty tall order, but it's even more daunting in the current situation, CNN's Karl Penhaul joining us from Baghdad with the details. Hello, Karl.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Rudi. For several months now, it was January, the month that has been slated for these elections, but obviously given the spike in violence that we've seen here across the country, not only in the capital but elsewhere, certainly places like Fallujah and Mosul of late and a lot of people both the general public here in Iraq and internationally, had been asking questions as to whether this timetable really was feasible.
So by coming forth today, the electoral commission seems to have ratified that it is confident that the timetable is feasible that it can be accomplished. Nevertheless things do need to be done before then because right now one of the objectives in November is for political parties to register. That process seems to be going well. We're told that in excess of 120 political parties have registered to take part in the vote.
What's not going so well, we understand, is the process of voter registration. Now, the bulk of the voter register is actually based on Saddam Hussein's old food ration system. But that register has to be updated and so voter registration cards have been handed out of late in the last few weeks. We understand in a lot of neighborhoods here in Baghdad, insurgents have been going along to the electoral officials, telling them under threat of death not to hand out those voter regulation slips. It probably won't be though until the end of the month until we find out how successful that process has been and whether that in itself may cause some delay in the timetable. But certainly today's announcement does go along way to suggesting that confidence is high that the timetable can be fulfilled, Rudi.
BAKHTIAR: All right. Karl Penhaul in Baghdad, thank you Karl.
And there's a huge amount of additional information about Iraq at cnn.com. You can find a treasure trove of special reports that cover all aspects of the Iraqi conflict, from ancient history all the way up to today's headlines.
HARRIS: All that was missing were the sticks, pucks and the ice. What looked like hockey was actually basketball. It's all the talk around the country, the pandemonium at the Palace between the Pistons and the Pacers. Now as certain punishment looms, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is speaking out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK CARLISLE, INDIANA PACERS HEAD COACH: A hard-fought game by two top teams was marred by the fact that at the end, a lot of mistakes were made by a lot of people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: So they fought like hockey players. Now four players are on ice. The NBA has indefinitely suspended Indiana's Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, Jermaine O'Neal and from Detroit, Ben Wallace and more punishment may be on the way. It seems like we are sorry statements are flying as fast and furious as the fists were on Friday night. Commissioner David Stern of the NBA says, the events at last night's game were shocking, repulsive and inexcusable, a humiliation for everyone associated with the NBA.
Meanwhile the executive director of the NBA's players' association had this to say. We are in the process of consulting with our players, league officials and others in an effort to determine all of the facts. No one can condone the level of incitement and violence we all witnessed.
And that brings us to our e-mail question of the day -- should criminal charges be filed against the players and fans involved in Friday night's fights? E-mail us at wam@cnn.com.
BAKHTIAR: President Bush is known for his hard stances and tough guy image, but yesterday he really had to play the heavy. As we told you earlier, the president is in Santiago, Chile for the APEC summit. Upon entering an official dinner, the president realizes some Chilean security officers are giving one of his Secret Services guards the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) welcome are not letting him in. Seeing the scuffle, the president swings back to save his agent. The White House says it was simply a misunderstanding.
BUSH: He just reached in and grabbed his guy.
BAKHTIAR: Look at that.
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
BAKHTIAR: Hey, he's with me.
HARRIS: That's right.
BAKHTIAR: We've all done that outside of nightclubs, haven't we?
HARRIS: Sure. BAKHTIAR: Hey, that's my friend over there.
HARRIS: OK.
BAKHTIAR: OK. This is a remarkable story. A college student who is sent to the war in Iraq, he survives and he's back at school.
HARRIS: The tales he brought back encouraged his classmates to take action. A soldier's story you won't want to miss right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, plus this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: State police are out there on the field. Now there's more going on in the end zone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: As far as (ph) the Detroit show down, now this. A look at some of the most infamous sports brawls ever on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Such violent themes on SUNDAY MORNING.
BAKHTIAR: Violence in sports.
MARCIANO: All right. We will try to get a little peace and quiet into the weather scenario, a little (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for you. It's windy out in San Francisco. Here you go. Look at that flag blowing in the breeze. Good morning, San Fran, KTO, our affiliate, winds gusting over 30 miles an hour, north winds though. It will be a dry day, just hold onto your hat. Taking a break and we'll be back, weather forecast coming up. CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And here's a look at this morning's headlines. The traditional class photo highlights the APEC summit in Santiago, Chile. President Bush and 20 Asia Pacific leaders are discussing holding a new round of world trade talks.
Secretary of State Colin Powell leaves for Jerusalem in talks aimed at reviving the Middle East peace process. Palestinian leaders are pressuring U.S. envoys to get Israeli troops removed during upcoming elections.
And policing the police at Los Angeles international airport. An investigation is ordered after a television station airs hidden video of several officers leaving their post for long hours, ignoring emergency radio calls, even using their patrol cars to pick up their kids from school.
And still ahead, one man's plan to bring modern dental care to a nation that is badly in need. And get this, even a child can go from patient to dental assistant in one afternoon. That's progress. That's a promotion and a half for you.
BAKHTIAR: Yes it sure is. All right. Time to check out some weather. Everybody's getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday. I'm sure they want to know what the weather is going to be like at least leading up to it.
HARRIS: And we've got a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in Miami.
MARCIANO: Thank you had Rudi for not pressuring me to go all the way to Thursday. Tony be quiet. I got 45 seconds. Sorry buddy, here you go.
A little bit of moisture across northeast New England, just some light, light showers and maybe some drizzle, just enough to keep the leaves wet so you can say I'm going to watch football today as opposed to raking leaves. Down across in D.C., mostly cloudy, kind of foggy. Other than that, pretty dry.
Here's where the really wet weather is, Houston south. This red is just not moving. It hasn't moved in like over 24 hours. We had record-breaking rain yesterday and flooding, same counties between Houston and Corpus Christi are looking at rainfall this morning and we're caught, I'm afraid the video we might pull out of there later on today in the form of some flooding.
San Diego to Los Angeles, some rainfall there, in through Las Vegas as well and some snow is across the four corners. Northern tier states looking pretty good with dry weather across the Great Lakes, temperatures 46 degrees in Chicago and 70 with a north wind in San Francisco.
They moved the camera for us, got a beautiful postcard shot. There's the bay bridge, good morning, San Francisco. I'll tell you what, it just makes me want to eat a little Rice-a-Roni when you look at that.
HARRIS: The San Francisco treat.
MARCIANO: Maybe we could fire that up Thursday afternoon, Tony. Rudi likes it too.
HARRIS: Thanks Rob, appreciate it.
For many Americans it's hard not to feel close to the U.S. forces overseas immersed in combat.
BAKHTIAR: Sure. Take a look at these students. They have taken those feelings and they've put them into action. They are working with a group called "My Soldier" putting together care packages for the soldiers in Iraq. We're going to have the founder of "My Soldiers" live right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, perhaps you have to be a soldier in the combat zone to appreciate what it's like to get a letter or a small package from America. It doesn't even have to be from someone the trooper knows. "My Soldier" is a program to allow anyone to adopt a member of the armed forces and let that service man or woman know they are not forgotten. The "My Soldier" program is the brainchild of Sergeant Juan Salas who spent two years in Iraq. He knows what that those letters and those packages can do for a unit's morale and Sergeant Salas joins us from New York and Juan, good to see you.
SGT. JUAN SALAS, FOUNDER, MY SOLDIER: Good morning Tony. Thank you very much.
HARRIS: Oh, it's good to see you sir and before we get to the program, you have to tell me about your service time in Iraq. You hero you, you actually saves an Iraqi child.
SALAS: It was actually just my duty. I happened to be in the right place at the right time and we were able to get the little girl to a safe hospital, the Spanish boat (ph) believe it or not.
HARRIS: How did it make you feel?
SALAS: It felt great actually. We had a translator in Arabic go in English and I went from English back to Spanish, to the Spanish doctor and it actually felt great.
HARRIS: Tell us about the program, "My Soldier." How did you come up with the idea?
SALAS: Well, the idea came at the heart of Manhattanville College thanks to President (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and we were able to set up a program with a red bracelet that actually is to support a soldier who is overseas, Iraq, Afghanistan, it don't matter. Those soldiers need us. So we've started, it's a red bracelet that says my soldier and it says (UNINTELLIGIBLE) on it.
HARRIS: You know what. I'm holding it up right now. Can you see it, the my soldier bracelet right here. How helpful was the president of Manhattanville College in getting this program going for you?
SALAS: Not only is he a friend, but he's a leader and he's our leader in Manhattanville College and thanks to him, we were able to do this great program and to reach out to the soldiers overseas.
HARRIS: How important is it to get mail in these care packages?
SALAS: It's like a treasure when you get mail overseas and you know, you cherish it for so much. You post it up. You look at it wall (ph). You put it next to your mirror or you put it inside your Kevlar and it really is important, once you get mail from, you know, from your students, from your fellow Americans back at home. It reminds you of the little things in time.
HARRIS: All right. Juan, I want to get involved. How do I go about doing it and what are my responsibilities once I sign up?
SALAS: It's very easy. All you got to do is go to our website, www.mville.edu or Manhattanville. It's also on the website right there online and all you got to do is register your name, your address and your telephone number and your e-mail address and in return you are going to get a bracelet and a hat.
HARRIS: Let me hold up the hat here, OK.
SALAS: And a hat that says Manhattanville, my soldier. Also, there you go, there's the hat and also in return, we e-mail you the name of that soldier who's overseas or the name of the platoon sergeant, due to homeland security, you know.
HARRIS: I'm trying to model and show everyone the hat here and what are my responsibilities? I have to send letters. I have to send a care package. Tell me what I need to do here.
SALAS: It's very easy. All you got to do is get to know the soldier overseas. Send him letters, socks, t-shirts, encouraging letters, thank you note, anything that you would like to send to that soldier. That soldier becomes part of you.
HARRIS: And Juan, we are going to pull up a couple of letters that you received and talk to us about those letters and what they meant to you.
SALAS: This letter is from April, one of my ex-girlfriend's cousin. And in return, she says please be careful out there, take care of yourself, and p.s. kill someone. And April is about eight years old. In return she just wanted me to come back safe at home.
HARRIS: Related to your ex-girlfriend?
SALAS: Yes sir.
HARRIS: Didn't make the cut, huh? Well, you know, things happen. Juan, good to see you.
SALAS: Thank you very much.
HARRIS: And thank for the service and thank you for this program. We appreciate it.
SALAS: Thank you very much.
HARRIS: Have a good day.
BAKHTIAR: What a great idea he had, wonderful. Well, from the ruins of war comes a story that's putting smiles on the faces of many, literally. A dentist travels thousands of miles to fix a few teeth. We're going to tell you why. Plus this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: State police are out there on the field. Now there's more going on in the end zone.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: Yeah, there was yet another sports brawl this weekend. Is to contagious? A look at the brawl to beat them all right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAKHTIAR: Welcome back everyone. I'm Rudi Bakhtiar.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. Here's what's happening in the news:
A very special class picture in Chile: President Bush stands with other leaders on today's second and final day of the Asia Pacific Summit. At the meeting, Mr. Bush called on North Korea and Iran to scrap their disputed nuclear programs. He also talked immigration reform with Mexico's president.
In southern Gaza, this morning, Palestinians gather in the streets after a deadly shooting. The Israeli army says it troops shot and killed a Palestinian gunman after seeing him and another gunman approach a road near some Jewish settlements. The second gunman fled.
U.S. forces are in action in eastern Afghanistan. They targeted compounds near Jalalabad this weekend killing four people and detaining several others. Military officials say the compounds had clear connections to al-Qaeda. People described as Arab fighters were among those killed or captured.
BAKHTIAR: Chinese authorities are investigating a plane crash that killed 55 people today. The commuter plane crashed into a frozen lake just after takeoff from an inner Mongolian city. CNN's Tara Duffy now, with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TARA DUFFY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rescue workers searching for bodies and clues for what caused this commuter plane to crash, less than a minute after takeoff from Baotou Airport in inner Mongolia. Witnesses told China's state-run media they saw the plane vacillating. Others then saw it break into flaming fragments and fall into this frozen lake in a park two kilometers from the airport. The blaze set a nearby house and boats on the lake on fire.
It quickly became clear there were no survivors from this China Eastern Airlines flight and then the confirmation that two people on the ground the also died. Forty-seven passengers, one from Indonesia, the rest Chinese nationals, and six crew members were aboard the Bombardier CRJ200 bound for shanghai. China Eastern has grounded all Bombardier planes as the investigation continues.
The last major airplane crash in China was more than two years ago, when a China Northern flight crashed into the ocean after the pilot reported a fire in the cabin, 112 people died then.
In Baotou firefighters and divers had recovered all 53 bodies by mid afternoon Sunday, but the cause of the crash was still unknown. Tara Duffy, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) had a thriller in Manila, and the reverse of a curse, now will likely be saying "where were you when the melee in Michigan went down?" It was all guts and certainly no glory as the basketball game turned into a sparing match. Four players were suspended indefinitely, and though everybody's talking about the players, what about the fired up fans in the stands?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN WALLACE, DETROIT PISTONS CENTER: Players stay off the floor -- you know, we got have to stay out the stands -- you know, once you go into the stands -- you know, you really -- you know, are crossing the line -- you know, you -- you know, in their territory, so to speak. So -- you know, is never a need to run up in the stands.
ALONZO MOURNING, NEW JERSEY NETS CENTER: Yes, he was wrong for doing it. But was the fan -- did the fan have any right to do that? No, not at all. You know, the fan -- no fan has a right to throw anything from the stands to hit any player on the court.
RICHARD JEFFERSON, NEW JERSEY NETS FORWARD: You can throw whatever you want at people not believing they're going to come do it. But in the end, would a 5'9" person really throw something, if he were just on the street, would a 5'9" person throw something at a 6'5" 240 pound individual? No, unless you believe that oh, I can't be touched.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAKHTIAR: What's going on here? It seems like sports and violence are teaming up now more than ever before. Here's CNN's Sarah Dorsey.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: State police are out there on the field. Now there's more going on in the end zone then...
SARAH DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It happened again, more flying fists. This time rival team South Carolina and Clemson went for the jugular.
ANNOUNCER: Congratulations to the fans at Death Valley. They stayed in their seats. They were professional about -- they were adults.
ANNOUNCER: They are coming out of the stands and they're beating up on the...
DORSEY: Fans don't always stay on the sidelines though, William Ligue, Jr. and his 15-year-old son charged Kansas City 1st base coach Tom Gamboa at a White Sox game. Gamboa never saw the shirtless duo coming. Ligue dodged prison time getting 30 months of probation. The Toronto Maple Leafs Tie Domi in 2001 threw water on a fan, when the man fell into the box, Domi unloaded on him. The penalty for that incident -- a $1,000 fine, but no suspension.
Here fans hit Dodgers backup catcher, Chad Kreuter, in the head and stole his hat setting off this battle in the ballpark. Kreuter got an eight-game suspension and 18 other coaches and players were punished.
Great tickets sometimes spell grave danger in the stands. In 1995, soccer star Eric Cantona performed his best Kung Fu move on a fan. Cantona was banned worldwide for eight months and ordered to do 120 hours of community service.
And who could forget the famous chair throwing incident this year? After being heckled by A's fans, Texas Rangers' relief pitcher, Frank Francisco, launched a chair into the audience, breaking a woman's nose. He was suspended for 15 games and still faces misdemeanor assault charges.
Some is of the more memorable sports, squabbles, scraps, and scuffles.
Sarah Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BAKHTIAR: And that brings us to our e-mail question for the day:
Should criminal charges be filed against the players and fans involved in Friday's Pistons-Pacers brawl. E-mail us at w-a-m, wam@cnn.com.
HARRIS: A visit to the dentist, for many Americans, is a real pain, but for people of Afghanistan it's a sign of hope after years of war. Our Thelma Gutierrez tells us about a California dentist who's plying his trade in of places it's needed the most.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A street in Kabul Afghanistan; the face of an orphan child; a mother in need; the victims of war. Images one visiting American could not forget of people in need he could not leave behind.
DR. JAMES ROLFE, DENTIST: I was really overwhelmed and it affected me a lot emotionally.
How has school been going.
GUTIERREZ: Dr. Rolfe is a dentist in Santa Barbara, California. For 36 years he built up his practice until one fateful day when Rolfe picked up the paper.
ROLFE: I saw an article in the newspaper that showed some children in an orphanage and I thought "I can go over there and help these children."
GUTIERREZ: Rolfe packed up supplies and traveled around the world to Kabul.
ROLFE: It's beyond compression to imagine this many people, 27 million people, would be able to exist in a nation, basically, without dentistry.
GUTIERREZ (on camera): But nothing in nearly four decades of experience could have prepared him for what he was about to see.
ROLFE: As you look in their mouths and the teeth have never been cleaned, and the tartar has built up on the teeth to the point you can't see individual teeth, it's just a solid wall of tartar.
When I went to the orphanage for my first trip. I didn't have any ability to communicate with people, so I would have to show them what I was going to do.
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Rolfe spent three weeks in Afghanistan and treated dozens of children and adults.
ROLFE: The children would come in and get treatment and then I would have that child become my assistant. So then they would be my assistant and I would get a new child.
GUTIERREZ: Then he had a revelation.
ROLFE: Well, you know, I could teach these orphan kids to be dental technicians.
GUTIERREZ: That gave birth to the Afghanistan Dental Relief Project.
ROLFE: You can have three laboratory technicians working at once.
GUTIERREZ: Rolfe and others are building a self-contained dental treatment and training facility to ship to Kabul. But, the facility is actually this old 40-foot steel shipping container that will have its own generator and water system.
ROLFE: And this will be a modern sterilizing area where we'll...
GUTIERREZ: Rolfe says the steel container is perfect because it's a secure.
ROLFE: Security is a concern because people are so poor there. So, we wanted something that we could take there but then lock it up and come back later when we wanted to use it and it would still be there and still work.
GUTIERREZ: He says the clinic will be staffed by volunteers.
ROLFE: We need to treat people in the Middle East and Islamic cultures in a different way, otherwise we're not be able to improve on our opinion that the world has of us.
GUTIERREZ: In Afghanistan, Rolfe says he felt like a raindrop in the desert. When his clinic opens next year, he hopes it might help the country's humanitarian drought.
Thelma Gutierrez, CNN Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BAKHTIAR: Time now to hit the fast-forward button and take a quick look at some of the stories making news this week.
Scott Peterson's attorney is hoping a different jury in a different county will help his client avoid the death penalty on Monday. The judge in the case will review a request to have a new jury hear evidence in the penalty phase of Peterson's trial. Just over a week ago, Peterson was found guilty of killing his wife and their unborn son.
Also on Monday, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt a conference on the future of Iraq. Regional and International government representative are slated to attend, including Secretary of State Colin Powell.
And, how big is the nuclear threat from Iran? That's the question before the International Atomic Energy Agency at a meeting on Thursday. Board members will be looking at a report detailing Iran's pledge to suspend its uranium enrichment operations.
HARRIS: And, high school students get a real life lesson in the pain and emotions of losing someone to war. A poignant trip to Brentwood high right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
All right. You know, we've been talking about it for the last couple of days, we're going to be talking about it for many days to come, it seems. What do you think? Should criminal charges be filed against the players and fans involved in Friday's fracas? Well that's the e-mail question this morning. Send your answers to us here at wam@cnn.com and we're read a few of them in just a couple of minutes.
ROB MARCIANO, METEOROLOGIST: And hi, I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Weather Center. We're going to talk weather in just a few minutes, warm air to the east, cold air and snow to the west. What's happening in you city? We'll talk about it. Meanwhile here's a live shot of Washington, D.C., a little soupy out there. Low visibility some humidity in the air. But you'll clear out later today and tonight. CNN SUNDAY MORNING will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
This is CNN the news channel watched by more Americans than any other news channel. Now, back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BAKHTIAR: All right, let's take a look at our top stories for today:
In Santiago, Chile, Asia Pacific leaders posed for the annual class photo. The APEC Summit addressed a solution to the North Korea's nuclear threat and plans for a new round of world trade talks.
A commuter plane crashes seconds after take off in northern China killing 55 people. Police and firefighters broke the ice on a lake where the plane went down to recover the bodies.
And in Los Angeles an investigation is ordered of police at L.A. International Airport. A local TV station's hidden cameras, show officers taking long breaks, ignoring emergency radio calls, and even abandoning their posts.
It's a holiday treat you won't want to miss, next Sunday morning:
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
NAJI, JAZZ PLAYER: It was really our teachers who encouraged us to learn beyond what we heard on the radio. You know, because we could play Cool and the Gang, or play by Maceo, that was our dimension, that was our whole world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BAKHTIAR: Oh, yeah, acclaimed jazz pioneer, Najee joining us to help bring in this holiday season. That's a live performance right by Najee, right here at the CNN Center, next Sunday morning. Don't miss it.
HARRIS: Lance Corporal Shane Kiellion is being remembered as a hardworking man who joined the Marines to help his family. Kiellion was killed Monday in Iraq just hours after the birth of his only child back home in Omaha, Nebraska. Kiellion never learned he had become a father. The baby was named Shame, Keillion, Jr.
A soldier's death is never easy to cope with, but one long Island high school dealing with multiple tragedies. We bring you their story from the blue collar town of Brentwood.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS CHAMBERLIN, ENGLISH TEACHER, BRENTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL: We've lost three students in the war, two in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, one African-American, one Latino, and one Caucasian. That's who we are. They are a slice of Brentwood.
BETTY BROWN-GREEN, DEAN, BRENTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL: Very big loss. In Brentwood, we are a family. And when something happens, we come together as a community. And you feel it. Whether it was Raheen Heighter, Michael Esposito, or Ramon Mateo, it's like losing one of our children. So it's very painful.
Raheen was ahead of his time. He was bright. He was intelligent. He was headstrong. Raheen was a go-getter.
SGT. ARTHUR BURGESS, BRENTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL ROTC PROGRAM: Michael was a, I would say a 110-pound kid soaking wet. He was very close to me. Occasionally, when I step out in the hall, I can still see a little, thin kid dressed in his camouflage BDU standing in the hallway saying, "hey, Sarge." So he was one of the good ones.
LINDA PAPPERT, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, BRENTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL: And Ramon was the kind that he had this energy. He had this wonderful charisma, but he needed to know how to focus it. And he knew he needed the military to kind of grab it together for him. And he went.
And when he came back, he knew it. You could see he was happy. He was just very proud of himself. And there he was in his uniform, looking handsome.
THOMAS O'BRIEN, PRINCIPAL, BRENTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL: In each of these cases, we had an evening event here at the high school and presented a memorial plaque on behalf of the Brentwood School District. That's hung in our lobby. There are two now. The parents of Ramon still have his. We give them to them for a couple of weeks. And they bring them back and we mount them on the wall in our Wall of Honor outside.
It's a very working-class community, where about 62 percent of our families live below the federal poverty line. For either a two- year or a four-year college experience, many look to other avenues to finance that, one being, you know, veterans benefits.
CHAMBERLIN: Since I was in the Marine Corps for four years, which helped me go college, I'm one of the people they come to discuss -- you know, that as an avenue for their future.
He's someone alive from Brentwood serving in this war.
In a great irony, the publicity that all of this has received, I have even more students now that want to join.
ROBERT SMITH, BRENTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR: To see them just in their uniforms, proud, it affects me. It gives me this feeling that they died doing something great for us.
RYAN RAMKISSOON, BRENTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR: The military's always been a dream for me, just to defend my nation. If I die, well, I'll be remembered as a soldier, as a patriot.
CHAMBERLIN: All of these kids feel immortal. I think that's any kid anywhere at 18.
I'm an educator. Educate them as much as possible about the war, about politics, through literature. If anything was happen to them, would it kill me? Yes, absolutely. Yes, it's going to crush me. PAPPERT: What I thought coming out of that assembly, the other night, thinking, we're going to add another picture to that wall, and I was thinking, "Oh, God, I hope that never becomes full."
O'BRIEN: I feel very proud of the fact that they chose to put their lives at risk for what they believed was right and what they believed was good and, in fact, to put their lives on the line, so that others didn't have to. I hope that their sacrifice reaches the goals for which it was intended.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Now you can check it out, dreams of tourism at zero Gs on the cover of "Time" magazine which has named SpaceShipOne as the Invention of the Year. Now, as you recall, the revolutionary and novel vehicle won the $10 million Ansari prize for reaching orbit bit twice in less than two weeks and returning safely to earth. If you pick up a copy of "Time" at the newsstand, you'll also find profiles of some really cool inventions that may change our lives in the future.
BAKHTIAR: I was there at that event, it was fabulous.
So, how did the nation's intelligence reform bill get stalled in Congress? The proposal aimed at overhauling the intelligence community drawing heavy fire from both republicans and democrats, it's the hot topic on "Inside Politics" hosted by Kelly Wallace.
HARRIS: Ok, our e-mail question of the day, and you have been great in sending us plenty of food for thought.
BAKHTIAR: People are pretty fired up about this one.
HARRIS: And understandably so. Here's the question: Do you believe people should be prosecuted, the fans and the players, for that brawl at the Palace at Auburn Hills in Michigan on Friday?
BAKHTIAR: Yeah, and here's one person who answered. Glenn from D.C. says: "It's time to focus the cameras on the fans who played a part from throwing punches to popcorn and issue warrants for their arrest to set the tone for the future. I do not blame the players and I hope they do not face criminal charges."
HARRIS: And this from Mark: "Regardless of how rich, famous, or talented, why should any athlete be above the law? What is the message if those involved in that out of control display of anger and violence are not prosecuted to the fullest extend to the law?"
What's the message? Thank you, Mark.
BAKHTIAR: Hmm, maybe it was the weather that day. Think it was the weather?
HARRIS: Blame it on something. MARCIANO: Knock it off, you two.
BAKHTIAR: Let's blame it on Rob.
MARCIANO: I think they all ate something bad that day.
HARRIS: Yeah...
MARCIANO: And maybe the past five years
HARRIS: They brought that bad with them that day.
MARCIANO: Anyway, why can't we all just get along?
HARRIS: Yeah.
BAKHTIAR: Yeah.
MARCIANO: Nice to see you two kids. It's Sunday morning. Feel the love if you could.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: How about Rudi Bakhtiar this weekend with us?
MARCIANO: Yeah, beautiful nice to have you with us.
BAKHTIAR: It's been fun.
HARRIS: Bringing some class this...
BAKHTIAR: Oh, right, right, right.
HARRIS: Until Betty gets back next week.
BAKHTIAR: Betty, hard shoes to fill, there. But thanks, guys. You've all been great.
HARRIS: Oh, you've been wonderful. Thank you for joining us for CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
BAKHTIAR: I'm Rudi Bakhtiar, Kelly Wallace with "Inside Politics" up next.
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 November 21, 2004 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. Welcome to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is November 21, Thanksgiving week.
RUDI BAKHTIAR, CNN ANCHOR: It sure is.
HARRIS: I'm Tony Harris.
BAKHTIAR: And I'm Rudi Bakhtiar in today for Betty Nguyen. Thanks for joining us everyone. If you are waking up on the west coast, it is early, early for you, 6:00 a.m. So let's get you started with the day's top stories.
President Bush and Pacific Rim leaders are wrapping up their two- day economic summit in Chile today. On the sidelines, Mr. Bush met with Mexican President Vicente Fox. Mr. Bush told them he remains committed to a stalled proposal that would help undocumented workers hold jobs legally in the U.S.
A China Eastern Airlines plane crashes in a frozen lake in northern China, killing all 53 people on board and two people on the ground. Witnesses say shortly after takeoff, the plane broke into flaming fragments igniting a house and several yachts. The flight data recorder hasn't been located, yet.
The mayor of Los Angeles says the security of millions of travelers may be at risk at Los Angeles international airport if a TV report is true. A local television station's hidden cameras revealed several police officers taking long breaks, ignoring radio calls and even abandoning their posts. The mayor is calling for an investigation into that.
And the NBA's investigation into Friday night's ugly, ugly fight on the court between Pacers and Pistons players and fans is expected to be wrapped up later today. The league has indefinitely suspended Indiana Pacers players Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal. The NBA also suspending Detroit Piston's player Ben Wallace.
HARRIS: Here's what we've got coming up this hour. Boosting the morale of front line troops with letters and packages from home, an Army sergeant will join us to explain how you can adopt a soldier.
Also coming up, a California dentist on a mission to help Afghans smile again one mouth at a time. This story is unforgettable.
And just ahead, a dicey moment in Santiago. A Secret Service agent assigned to President Bush encounters a security problem of his own and the president has to come to his rescue.
BAKHTIAR: All right. Let's begin this hour in Santiago, Chile, host city for the APEC summit. This is the 12th annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group. The official agenda of the two-day meeting wraps up today but President Bush's private one-on-one meeting have been getting much of the attention this weekend. CNN's Lucia Newman has been covering the summit for us and joins us with the latest. Hello Lucia.
LUCIA NEWMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Rudi, well, the last working session of the 21-member APEC meeting is under way at this hour with trade, of course, as well as regional stability, very high on the agenda. But first there was the class photo, the 21 amigos as they're being called now all got together wearing a typical Chilean poncho or chamanto (ph), which symbolizes the fact that these 21 leaders who represent more than half of the global economy, come to agreements by consensus. None of their agreements are binding.
Before this class photo, though, President Bush as you mentioned, did hold a one-on-one, this time with Mexican President Vicente Fox where immigration was the key subject. Both agreed to meet early next year in Washington to try and iron out a comprehensive immigration agreement. The Mexicans have been impatient for the United States to take measures to make it easier for Mexican workers to go to the United States and work there legally. Let's hear what President Bush had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I made very clear my position that we need to make sure that where there's a willing worker and a willing employer, that that job ought to be filled legally, in cases where Americans will not fill that job. We share a mutual concern to make sure our border is secure. One way to make sure the border is secure is to have reasonable immigration policies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWMAN: And Rudi, speaking of security, apart from pushing for reduction of trade barriers, the president is also calling for stronger measures, stronger security measures at ports, at airports as well and measures in the region, greater coordination to prevent suspected terrorists from obtaining false or stolen passports. Rudi?
BAKHTIAR: Lucia, one of the other subjects that was being discussed is the concerns over the value of the U.S. dollar which is affecting the Asia Pacific Rim countries. Where do they fall on that?
NEWMAN: Absolutely. The Asian leaders here made it very, very clear to President Bush and their bilaterals yesterday that they are concerned that the weak U.S. dollar is making their goods uncompetitive and President Bush committed himself to strengthening the U.S. dollar, as well as to reducing the U.S. deficit, which the Asians and Latin Americans say is slowing down the global economy. Rudi. BAKHTIAR: Lucia Newman, covering the APEC summit for us in Chile. Thank you.
HARRIS: On Capitol Hill efforts to make sweeping changes in the nation's intelligence community are now on hold. Congress failed to reach agreement on reform measures proposed by the 9/11 Commission and backed by President Bush. CNN's Joe Johns has that report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The rare Saturday session of Congress started with hope for the long-stalled intelligence reform legislation but fell short at the end. A tentative agreement on the bill, fiercely promoted by President Bush himself and House Speaker Dennis Hastert collapsed in a rebellion by conservative House Republicans.
REP. CURT WELDON (R) PENNSYLVANIA: This doesn't do the job. It is far short of what needs to be done. It's shallow in terms of the depth of change necessary to deal with the threats of terrorists and those individuals that will harm our society.
JOHNS: House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter led the objections, arguing that on the ground intelligence should be under the control of the Pentagon and not a new director of national intelligence.
REP. DENNIS HASTERT, (R) HOUSE SPEAKER: Duncan was concerned that the proposed reform could endanger our troops in the field who use real time intelligence to fight the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
JOHNS: But the bipartisan group that negotiated the bill suggested Hunter is simply trying to protect his committee and the Pentagon's turf.
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (D) MAINE: I think what you are seeing here is the forces in favor of the status quo protecting their turf, whether it's in Congress or in the bureaucracy.
JOHNS: The second killer objection came from House Judiciary Committee Chair James Sensenbrenner, who insisted that the bill bar illegal immigrants from holding driver's licenses. The bill's supporters said it goes a long way to strengthening border security and that the driver's license issue should be taken up separately.
REP. JANE HARMAN (D) CALIFORNIA: It is really a tragedy today that a small group in the Republican caucus of the House have prevented the American people from a reform that they sorely need, now that we are at higher risk.
JOHNS: Backers of the bill called on Speaker Hastert and the president to redouble their efforts to persuade Sensenbrenner and Hunter and House conservatives to back down or if needed, simply override them.
(on-camera): Saturday was to have been the last day of the 108th Congress, but because of the stunning breakdown on the intelligence bill, the speaker of the House has said he will not adjourn in hopes of reaching agreement during the month of December. Both sides say however, the outlook for passage is not good this year. Joe Johns, CNN Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: An Oklahoma congressman is getting some extra attention this morning. Congressional aides say Republican Ernest Istook is behind a spending bill provision that has his colleagues red faced. The provision would give certain members of Congress access to your income tax returns without privacy protections. Republican leaders now say it was all a mistake and they promise to quickly repeal it before sending the spending bill to get signed. Istook chairs a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.
BAKHTIAR: It is official. Iraq will hold national elections exactly 10 weeks from today. Even under ideal circumstances, that would be a pretty tall order, but it's even more daunting in the current situation, CNN's Karl Penhaul joining us from Baghdad with the details. Hello, Karl.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Rudi. For several months now, it was January, the month that has been slated for these elections, but obviously given the spike in violence that we've seen here across the country, not only in the capital but elsewhere, certainly places like Fallujah and Mosul of late and a lot of people both the general public here in Iraq and internationally, had been asking questions as to whether this timetable really was feasible.
So by coming forth today, the electoral commission seems to have ratified that it is confident that the timetable is feasible that it can be accomplished. Nevertheless things do need to be done before then because right now one of the objectives in November is for political parties to register. That process seems to be going well. We're told that in excess of 120 political parties have registered to take part in the vote.
What's not going so well, we understand, is the process of voter registration. Now, the bulk of the voter register is actually based on Saddam Hussein's old food ration system. But that register has to be updated and so voter registration cards have been handed out of late in the last few weeks. We understand in a lot of neighborhoods here in Baghdad, insurgents have been going along to the electoral officials, telling them under threat of death not to hand out those voter regulation slips. It probably won't be though until the end of the month until we find out how successful that process has been and whether that in itself may cause some delay in the timetable. But certainly today's announcement does go along way to suggesting that confidence is high that the timetable can be fulfilled, Rudi.
BAKHTIAR: All right. Karl Penhaul in Baghdad, thank you Karl.
And there's a huge amount of additional information about Iraq at cnn.com. You can find a treasure trove of special reports that cover all aspects of the Iraqi conflict, from ancient history all the way up to today's headlines.
HARRIS: All that was missing were the sticks, pucks and the ice. What looked like hockey was actually basketball. It's all the talk around the country, the pandemonium at the Palace between the Pistons and the Pacers. Now as certain punishment looms, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is speaking out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK CARLISLE, INDIANA PACERS HEAD COACH: A hard-fought game by two top teams was marred by the fact that at the end, a lot of mistakes were made by a lot of people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: So they fought like hockey players. Now four players are on ice. The NBA has indefinitely suspended Indiana's Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, Jermaine O'Neal and from Detroit, Ben Wallace and more punishment may be on the way. It seems like we are sorry statements are flying as fast and furious as the fists were on Friday night. Commissioner David Stern of the NBA says, the events at last night's game were shocking, repulsive and inexcusable, a humiliation for everyone associated with the NBA.
Meanwhile the executive director of the NBA's players' association had this to say. We are in the process of consulting with our players, league officials and others in an effort to determine all of the facts. No one can condone the level of incitement and violence we all witnessed.
And that brings us to our e-mail question of the day -- should criminal charges be filed against the players and fans involved in Friday night's fights? E-mail us at wam@cnn.com.
BAKHTIAR: President Bush is known for his hard stances and tough guy image, but yesterday he really had to play the heavy. As we told you earlier, the president is in Santiago, Chile for the APEC summit. Upon entering an official dinner, the president realizes some Chilean security officers are giving one of his Secret Services guards the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) welcome are not letting him in. Seeing the scuffle, the president swings back to save his agent. The White House says it was simply a misunderstanding.
BUSH: He just reached in and grabbed his guy.
BAKHTIAR: Look at that.
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
BAKHTIAR: Hey, he's with me.
HARRIS: That's right.
BAKHTIAR: We've all done that outside of nightclubs, haven't we?
HARRIS: Sure. BAKHTIAR: Hey, that's my friend over there.
HARRIS: OK.
BAKHTIAR: OK. This is a remarkable story. A college student who is sent to the war in Iraq, he survives and he's back at school.
HARRIS: The tales he brought back encouraged his classmates to take action. A soldier's story you won't want to miss right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, plus this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: State police are out there on the field. Now there's more going on in the end zone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: As far as (ph) the Detroit show down, now this. A look at some of the most infamous sports brawls ever on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Such violent themes on SUNDAY MORNING.
BAKHTIAR: Violence in sports.
MARCIANO: All right. We will try to get a little peace and quiet into the weather scenario, a little (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for you. It's windy out in San Francisco. Here you go. Look at that flag blowing in the breeze. Good morning, San Fran, KTO, our affiliate, winds gusting over 30 miles an hour, north winds though. It will be a dry day, just hold onto your hat. Taking a break and we'll be back, weather forecast coming up. CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And here's a look at this morning's headlines. The traditional class photo highlights the APEC summit in Santiago, Chile. President Bush and 20 Asia Pacific leaders are discussing holding a new round of world trade talks.
Secretary of State Colin Powell leaves for Jerusalem in talks aimed at reviving the Middle East peace process. Palestinian leaders are pressuring U.S. envoys to get Israeli troops removed during upcoming elections.
And policing the police at Los Angeles international airport. An investigation is ordered after a television station airs hidden video of several officers leaving their post for long hours, ignoring emergency radio calls, even using their patrol cars to pick up their kids from school.
And still ahead, one man's plan to bring modern dental care to a nation that is badly in need. And get this, even a child can go from patient to dental assistant in one afternoon. That's progress. That's a promotion and a half for you.
BAKHTIAR: Yes it sure is. All right. Time to check out some weather. Everybody's getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday. I'm sure they want to know what the weather is going to be like at least leading up to it.
HARRIS: And we've got a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in Miami.
MARCIANO: Thank you had Rudi for not pressuring me to go all the way to Thursday. Tony be quiet. I got 45 seconds. Sorry buddy, here you go.
A little bit of moisture across northeast New England, just some light, light showers and maybe some drizzle, just enough to keep the leaves wet so you can say I'm going to watch football today as opposed to raking leaves. Down across in D.C., mostly cloudy, kind of foggy. Other than that, pretty dry.
Here's where the really wet weather is, Houston south. This red is just not moving. It hasn't moved in like over 24 hours. We had record-breaking rain yesterday and flooding, same counties between Houston and Corpus Christi are looking at rainfall this morning and we're caught, I'm afraid the video we might pull out of there later on today in the form of some flooding.
San Diego to Los Angeles, some rainfall there, in through Las Vegas as well and some snow is across the four corners. Northern tier states looking pretty good with dry weather across the Great Lakes, temperatures 46 degrees in Chicago and 70 with a north wind in San Francisco.
They moved the camera for us, got a beautiful postcard shot. There's the bay bridge, good morning, San Francisco. I'll tell you what, it just makes me want to eat a little Rice-a-Roni when you look at that.
HARRIS: The San Francisco treat.
MARCIANO: Maybe we could fire that up Thursday afternoon, Tony. Rudi likes it too.
HARRIS: Thanks Rob, appreciate it.
For many Americans it's hard not to feel close to the U.S. forces overseas immersed in combat.
BAKHTIAR: Sure. Take a look at these students. They have taken those feelings and they've put them into action. They are working with a group called "My Soldier" putting together care packages for the soldiers in Iraq. We're going to have the founder of "My Soldiers" live right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: You know, perhaps you have to be a soldier in the combat zone to appreciate what it's like to get a letter or a small package from America. It doesn't even have to be from someone the trooper knows. "My Soldier" is a program to allow anyone to adopt a member of the armed forces and let that service man or woman know they are not forgotten. The "My Soldier" program is the brainchild of Sergeant Juan Salas who spent two years in Iraq. He knows what that those letters and those packages can do for a unit's morale and Sergeant Salas joins us from New York and Juan, good to see you.
SGT. JUAN SALAS, FOUNDER, MY SOLDIER: Good morning Tony. Thank you very much.
HARRIS: Oh, it's good to see you sir and before we get to the program, you have to tell me about your service time in Iraq. You hero you, you actually saves an Iraqi child.
SALAS: It was actually just my duty. I happened to be in the right place at the right time and we were able to get the little girl to a safe hospital, the Spanish boat (ph) believe it or not.
HARRIS: How did it make you feel?
SALAS: It felt great actually. We had a translator in Arabic go in English and I went from English back to Spanish, to the Spanish doctor and it actually felt great.
HARRIS: Tell us about the program, "My Soldier." How did you come up with the idea?
SALAS: Well, the idea came at the heart of Manhattanville College thanks to President (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and we were able to set up a program with a red bracelet that actually is to support a soldier who is overseas, Iraq, Afghanistan, it don't matter. Those soldiers need us. So we've started, it's a red bracelet that says my soldier and it says (UNINTELLIGIBLE) on it.
HARRIS: You know what. I'm holding it up right now. Can you see it, the my soldier bracelet right here. How helpful was the president of Manhattanville College in getting this program going for you?
SALAS: Not only is he a friend, but he's a leader and he's our leader in Manhattanville College and thanks to him, we were able to do this great program and to reach out to the soldiers overseas.
HARRIS: How important is it to get mail in these care packages?
SALAS: It's like a treasure when you get mail overseas and you know, you cherish it for so much. You post it up. You look at it wall (ph). You put it next to your mirror or you put it inside your Kevlar and it really is important, once you get mail from, you know, from your students, from your fellow Americans back at home. It reminds you of the little things in time.
HARRIS: All right. Juan, I want to get involved. How do I go about doing it and what are my responsibilities once I sign up?
SALAS: It's very easy. All you got to do is go to our website, www.mville.edu or Manhattanville. It's also on the website right there online and all you got to do is register your name, your address and your telephone number and your e-mail address and in return you are going to get a bracelet and a hat.
HARRIS: Let me hold up the hat here, OK.
SALAS: And a hat that says Manhattanville, my soldier. Also, there you go, there's the hat and also in return, we e-mail you the name of that soldier who's overseas or the name of the platoon sergeant, due to homeland security, you know.
HARRIS: I'm trying to model and show everyone the hat here and what are my responsibilities? I have to send letters. I have to send a care package. Tell me what I need to do here.
SALAS: It's very easy. All you got to do is get to know the soldier overseas. Send him letters, socks, t-shirts, encouraging letters, thank you note, anything that you would like to send to that soldier. That soldier becomes part of you.
HARRIS: And Juan, we are going to pull up a couple of letters that you received and talk to us about those letters and what they meant to you.
SALAS: This letter is from April, one of my ex-girlfriend's cousin. And in return, she says please be careful out there, take care of yourself, and p.s. kill someone. And April is about eight years old. In return she just wanted me to come back safe at home.
HARRIS: Related to your ex-girlfriend?
SALAS: Yes sir.
HARRIS: Didn't make the cut, huh? Well, you know, things happen. Juan, good to see you.
SALAS: Thank you very much.
HARRIS: And thank for the service and thank you for this program. We appreciate it.
SALAS: Thank you very much.
HARRIS: Have a good day.
BAKHTIAR: What a great idea he had, wonderful. Well, from the ruins of war comes a story that's putting smiles on the faces of many, literally. A dentist travels thousands of miles to fix a few teeth. We're going to tell you why. Plus this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: State police are out there on the field. Now there's more going on in the end zone.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: Yeah, there was yet another sports brawl this weekend. Is to contagious? A look at the brawl to beat them all right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BAKHTIAR: Welcome back everyone. I'm Rudi Bakhtiar.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. Here's what's happening in the news:
A very special class picture in Chile: President Bush stands with other leaders on today's second and final day of the Asia Pacific Summit. At the meeting, Mr. Bush called on North Korea and Iran to scrap their disputed nuclear programs. He also talked immigration reform with Mexico's president.
In southern Gaza, this morning, Palestinians gather in the streets after a deadly shooting. The Israeli army says it troops shot and killed a Palestinian gunman after seeing him and another gunman approach a road near some Jewish settlements. The second gunman fled.
U.S. forces are in action in eastern Afghanistan. They targeted compounds near Jalalabad this weekend killing four people and detaining several others. Military officials say the compounds had clear connections to al-Qaeda. People described as Arab fighters were among those killed or captured.
BAKHTIAR: Chinese authorities are investigating a plane crash that killed 55 people today. The commuter plane crashed into a frozen lake just after takeoff from an inner Mongolian city. CNN's Tara Duffy now, with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TARA DUFFY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rescue workers searching for bodies and clues for what caused this commuter plane to crash, less than a minute after takeoff from Baotou Airport in inner Mongolia. Witnesses told China's state-run media they saw the plane vacillating. Others then saw it break into flaming fragments and fall into this frozen lake in a park two kilometers from the airport. The blaze set a nearby house and boats on the lake on fire.
It quickly became clear there were no survivors from this China Eastern Airlines flight and then the confirmation that two people on the ground the also died. Forty-seven passengers, one from Indonesia, the rest Chinese nationals, and six crew members were aboard the Bombardier CRJ200 bound for shanghai. China Eastern has grounded all Bombardier planes as the investigation continues.
The last major airplane crash in China was more than two years ago, when a China Northern flight crashed into the ocean after the pilot reported a fire in the cabin, 112 people died then.
In Baotou firefighters and divers had recovered all 53 bodies by mid afternoon Sunday, but the cause of the crash was still unknown. Tara Duffy, CNN, Beijing.
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HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) had a thriller in Manila, and the reverse of a curse, now will likely be saying "where were you when the melee in Michigan went down?" It was all guts and certainly no glory as the basketball game turned into a sparing match. Four players were suspended indefinitely, and though everybody's talking about the players, what about the fired up fans in the stands?
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BEN WALLACE, DETROIT PISTONS CENTER: Players stay off the floor -- you know, we got have to stay out the stands -- you know, once you go into the stands -- you know, you really -- you know, are crossing the line -- you know, you -- you know, in their territory, so to speak. So -- you know, is never a need to run up in the stands.
ALONZO MOURNING, NEW JERSEY NETS CENTER: Yes, he was wrong for doing it. But was the fan -- did the fan have any right to do that? No, not at all. You know, the fan -- no fan has a right to throw anything from the stands to hit any player on the court.
RICHARD JEFFERSON, NEW JERSEY NETS FORWARD: You can throw whatever you want at people not believing they're going to come do it. But in the end, would a 5'9" person really throw something, if he were just on the street, would a 5'9" person throw something at a 6'5" 240 pound individual? No, unless you believe that oh, I can't be touched.
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BAKHTIAR: What's going on here? It seems like sports and violence are teaming up now more than ever before. Here's CNN's Sarah Dorsey.
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ANNOUNCER: State police are out there on the field. Now there's more going on in the end zone then...
SARAH DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It happened again, more flying fists. This time rival team South Carolina and Clemson went for the jugular.
ANNOUNCER: Congratulations to the fans at Death Valley. They stayed in their seats. They were professional about -- they were adults.
ANNOUNCER: They are coming out of the stands and they're beating up on the...
DORSEY: Fans don't always stay on the sidelines though, William Ligue, Jr. and his 15-year-old son charged Kansas City 1st base coach Tom Gamboa at a White Sox game. Gamboa never saw the shirtless duo coming. Ligue dodged prison time getting 30 months of probation. The Toronto Maple Leafs Tie Domi in 2001 threw water on a fan, when the man fell into the box, Domi unloaded on him. The penalty for that incident -- a $1,000 fine, but no suspension.
Here fans hit Dodgers backup catcher, Chad Kreuter, in the head and stole his hat setting off this battle in the ballpark. Kreuter got an eight-game suspension and 18 other coaches and players were punished.
Great tickets sometimes spell grave danger in the stands. In 1995, soccer star Eric Cantona performed his best Kung Fu move on a fan. Cantona was banned worldwide for eight months and ordered to do 120 hours of community service.
And who could forget the famous chair throwing incident this year? After being heckled by A's fans, Texas Rangers' relief pitcher, Frank Francisco, launched a chair into the audience, breaking a woman's nose. He was suspended for 15 games and still faces misdemeanor assault charges.
Some is of the more memorable sports, squabbles, scraps, and scuffles.
Sarah Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.
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BAKHTIAR: And that brings us to our e-mail question for the day:
Should criminal charges be filed against the players and fans involved in Friday's Pistons-Pacers brawl. E-mail us at w-a-m, wam@cnn.com.
HARRIS: A visit to the dentist, for many Americans, is a real pain, but for people of Afghanistan it's a sign of hope after years of war. Our Thelma Gutierrez tells us about a California dentist who's plying his trade in of places it's needed the most.
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THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A street in Kabul Afghanistan; the face of an orphan child; a mother in need; the victims of war. Images one visiting American could not forget of people in need he could not leave behind.
DR. JAMES ROLFE, DENTIST: I was really overwhelmed and it affected me a lot emotionally.
How has school been going.
GUTIERREZ: Dr. Rolfe is a dentist in Santa Barbara, California. For 36 years he built up his practice until one fateful day when Rolfe picked up the paper.
ROLFE: I saw an article in the newspaper that showed some children in an orphanage and I thought "I can go over there and help these children."
GUTIERREZ: Rolfe packed up supplies and traveled around the world to Kabul.
ROLFE: It's beyond compression to imagine this many people, 27 million people, would be able to exist in a nation, basically, without dentistry.
GUTIERREZ (on camera): But nothing in nearly four decades of experience could have prepared him for what he was about to see.
ROLFE: As you look in their mouths and the teeth have never been cleaned, and the tartar has built up on the teeth to the point you can't see individual teeth, it's just a solid wall of tartar.
When I went to the orphanage for my first trip. I didn't have any ability to communicate with people, so I would have to show them what I was going to do.
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Rolfe spent three weeks in Afghanistan and treated dozens of children and adults.
ROLFE: The children would come in and get treatment and then I would have that child become my assistant. So then they would be my assistant and I would get a new child.
GUTIERREZ: Then he had a revelation.
ROLFE: Well, you know, I could teach these orphan kids to be dental technicians.
GUTIERREZ: That gave birth to the Afghanistan Dental Relief Project.
ROLFE: You can have three laboratory technicians working at once.
GUTIERREZ: Rolfe and others are building a self-contained dental treatment and training facility to ship to Kabul. But, the facility is actually this old 40-foot steel shipping container that will have its own generator and water system.
ROLFE: And this will be a modern sterilizing area where we'll...
GUTIERREZ: Rolfe says the steel container is perfect because it's a secure.
ROLFE: Security is a concern because people are so poor there. So, we wanted something that we could take there but then lock it up and come back later when we wanted to use it and it would still be there and still work.
GUTIERREZ: He says the clinic will be staffed by volunteers.
ROLFE: We need to treat people in the Middle East and Islamic cultures in a different way, otherwise we're not be able to improve on our opinion that the world has of us.
GUTIERREZ: In Afghanistan, Rolfe says he felt like a raindrop in the desert. When his clinic opens next year, he hopes it might help the country's humanitarian drought.
Thelma Gutierrez, CNN Los Angeles.
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BAKHTIAR: Time now to hit the fast-forward button and take a quick look at some of the stories making news this week.
Scott Peterson's attorney is hoping a different jury in a different county will help his client avoid the death penalty on Monday. The judge in the case will review a request to have a new jury hear evidence in the penalty phase of Peterson's trial. Just over a week ago, Peterson was found guilty of killing his wife and their unborn son.
Also on Monday, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt a conference on the future of Iraq. Regional and International government representative are slated to attend, including Secretary of State Colin Powell.
And, how big is the nuclear threat from Iran? That's the question before the International Atomic Energy Agency at a meeting on Thursday. Board members will be looking at a report detailing Iran's pledge to suspend its uranium enrichment operations.
HARRIS: And, high school students get a real life lesson in the pain and emotions of losing someone to war. A poignant trip to Brentwood high right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
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All right. You know, we've been talking about it for the last couple of days, we're going to be talking about it for many days to come, it seems. What do you think? Should criminal charges be filed against the players and fans involved in Friday's fracas? Well that's the e-mail question this morning. Send your answers to us here at wam@cnn.com and we're read a few of them in just a couple of minutes.
ROB MARCIANO, METEOROLOGIST: And hi, I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Weather Center. We're going to talk weather in just a few minutes, warm air to the east, cold air and snow to the west. What's happening in you city? We'll talk about it. Meanwhile here's a live shot of Washington, D.C., a little soupy out there. Low visibility some humidity in the air. But you'll clear out later today and tonight. CNN SUNDAY MORNING will be right back.
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This is CNN the news channel watched by more Americans than any other news channel. Now, back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
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BAKHTIAR: All right, let's take a look at our top stories for today:
In Santiago, Chile, Asia Pacific leaders posed for the annual class photo. The APEC Summit addressed a solution to the North Korea's nuclear threat and plans for a new round of world trade talks.
A commuter plane crashes seconds after take off in northern China killing 55 people. Police and firefighters broke the ice on a lake where the plane went down to recover the bodies.
And in Los Angeles an investigation is ordered of police at L.A. International Airport. A local TV station's hidden cameras, show officers taking long breaks, ignoring emergency radio calls, and even abandoning their posts.
It's a holiday treat you won't want to miss, next Sunday morning:
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(MUSIC)
NAJI, JAZZ PLAYER: It was really our teachers who encouraged us to learn beyond what we heard on the radio. You know, because we could play Cool and the Gang, or play by Maceo, that was our dimension, that was our whole world.
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BAKHTIAR: Oh, yeah, acclaimed jazz pioneer, Najee joining us to help bring in this holiday season. That's a live performance right by Najee, right here at the CNN Center, next Sunday morning. Don't miss it.
HARRIS: Lance Corporal Shane Kiellion is being remembered as a hardworking man who joined the Marines to help his family. Kiellion was killed Monday in Iraq just hours after the birth of his only child back home in Omaha, Nebraska. Kiellion never learned he had become a father. The baby was named Shame, Keillion, Jr.
A soldier's death is never easy to cope with, but one long Island high school dealing with multiple tragedies. We bring you their story from the blue collar town of Brentwood.
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CHRIS CHAMBERLIN, ENGLISH TEACHER, BRENTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL: We've lost three students in the war, two in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, one African-American, one Latino, and one Caucasian. That's who we are. They are a slice of Brentwood.
BETTY BROWN-GREEN, DEAN, BRENTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL: Very big loss. In Brentwood, we are a family. And when something happens, we come together as a community. And you feel it. Whether it was Raheen Heighter, Michael Esposito, or Ramon Mateo, it's like losing one of our children. So it's very painful.
Raheen was ahead of his time. He was bright. He was intelligent. He was headstrong. Raheen was a go-getter.
SGT. ARTHUR BURGESS, BRENTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL ROTC PROGRAM: Michael was a, I would say a 110-pound kid soaking wet. He was very close to me. Occasionally, when I step out in the hall, I can still see a little, thin kid dressed in his camouflage BDU standing in the hallway saying, "hey, Sarge." So he was one of the good ones.
LINDA PAPPERT, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, BRENTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL: And Ramon was the kind that he had this energy. He had this wonderful charisma, but he needed to know how to focus it. And he knew he needed the military to kind of grab it together for him. And he went.
And when he came back, he knew it. You could see he was happy. He was just very proud of himself. And there he was in his uniform, looking handsome.
THOMAS O'BRIEN, PRINCIPAL, BRENTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL: In each of these cases, we had an evening event here at the high school and presented a memorial plaque on behalf of the Brentwood School District. That's hung in our lobby. There are two now. The parents of Ramon still have his. We give them to them for a couple of weeks. And they bring them back and we mount them on the wall in our Wall of Honor outside.
It's a very working-class community, where about 62 percent of our families live below the federal poverty line. For either a two- year or a four-year college experience, many look to other avenues to finance that, one being, you know, veterans benefits.
CHAMBERLIN: Since I was in the Marine Corps for four years, which helped me go college, I'm one of the people they come to discuss -- you know, that as an avenue for their future.
He's someone alive from Brentwood serving in this war.
In a great irony, the publicity that all of this has received, I have even more students now that want to join.
ROBERT SMITH, BRENTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR: To see them just in their uniforms, proud, it affects me. It gives me this feeling that they died doing something great for us.
RYAN RAMKISSOON, BRENTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR: The military's always been a dream for me, just to defend my nation. If I die, well, I'll be remembered as a soldier, as a patriot.
CHAMBERLIN: All of these kids feel immortal. I think that's any kid anywhere at 18.
I'm an educator. Educate them as much as possible about the war, about politics, through literature. If anything was happen to them, would it kill me? Yes, absolutely. Yes, it's going to crush me. PAPPERT: What I thought coming out of that assembly, the other night, thinking, we're going to add another picture to that wall, and I was thinking, "Oh, God, I hope that never becomes full."
O'BRIEN: I feel very proud of the fact that they chose to put their lives at risk for what they believed was right and what they believed was good and, in fact, to put their lives on the line, so that others didn't have to. I hope that their sacrifice reaches the goals for which it was intended.
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HARRIS: Now you can check it out, dreams of tourism at zero Gs on the cover of "Time" magazine which has named SpaceShipOne as the Invention of the Year. Now, as you recall, the revolutionary and novel vehicle won the $10 million Ansari prize for reaching orbit bit twice in less than two weeks and returning safely to earth. If you pick up a copy of "Time" at the newsstand, you'll also find profiles of some really cool inventions that may change our lives in the future.
BAKHTIAR: I was there at that event, it was fabulous.
So, how did the nation's intelligence reform bill get stalled in Congress? The proposal aimed at overhauling the intelligence community drawing heavy fire from both republicans and democrats, it's the hot topic on "Inside Politics" hosted by Kelly Wallace.
HARRIS: Ok, our e-mail question of the day, and you have been great in sending us plenty of food for thought.
BAKHTIAR: People are pretty fired up about this one.
HARRIS: And understandably so. Here's the question: Do you believe people should be prosecuted, the fans and the players, for that brawl at the Palace at Auburn Hills in Michigan on Friday?
BAKHTIAR: Yeah, and here's one person who answered. Glenn from D.C. says: "It's time to focus the cameras on the fans who played a part from throwing punches to popcorn and issue warrants for their arrest to set the tone for the future. I do not blame the players and I hope they do not face criminal charges."
HARRIS: And this from Mark: "Regardless of how rich, famous, or talented, why should any athlete be above the law? What is the message if those involved in that out of control display of anger and violence are not prosecuted to the fullest extend to the law?"
What's the message? Thank you, Mark.
BAKHTIAR: Hmm, maybe it was the weather that day. Think it was the weather?
HARRIS: Blame it on something. MARCIANO: Knock it off, you two.
BAKHTIAR: Let's blame it on Rob.
MARCIANO: I think they all ate something bad that day.
HARRIS: Yeah...
MARCIANO: And maybe the past five years
HARRIS: They brought that bad with them that day.
MARCIANO: Anyway, why can't we all just get along?
HARRIS: Yeah.
BAKHTIAR: Yeah.
MARCIANO: Nice to see you two kids. It's Sunday morning. Feel the love if you could.
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HARRIS: How about Rudi Bakhtiar this weekend with us?
MARCIANO: Yeah, beautiful nice to have you with us.
BAKHTIAR: It's been fun.
HARRIS: Bringing some class this...
BAKHTIAR: Oh, right, right, right.
HARRIS: Until Betty gets back next week.
BAKHTIAR: Betty, hard shoes to fill, there. But thanks, guys. You've all been great.
HARRIS: Oh, you've been wonderful. Thank you for joining us for CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
BAKHTIAR: I'm Rudi Bakhtiar, Kelly Wallace with "Inside Politics" up next.
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