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CNN Sunday Morning
Laura Bush Visits Jerusalem; Conflict of Interest in Tennessee
Aired May 22, 2005 - 07:00 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: Well, a school official and two kids are in trouble after this fist fight, take a look at this, gets a little crazy.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Whoa.
HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes. The question is, will the video make the police reexamine the charges? From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
It is May 22nd. Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. 7:00 a.m. here in the East, 4:00 a.m. out West. That story in just a moment.
But first, here's a look at the headlines today. Afghan President Hamid Karzai is to meet with President Bush tomorrow, but under the administration's public show of support are some serious concerns. "The New York Times" today reports on a U.S. government memo, accusing Karzai and his government of not doing enough to eliminate Afghanistan's heroin trade. President Karzai will join Wolf Blitzer on "Late Edition." That is at noon, Eastern today.
Meanwhile, U.S. led forces in Afghanistan have seen some action. CNN confirmed about 20 minutes ago that coalition troops clashed with insurgents in their haven near the border of Pakistan. Afghan interior ministry sources tell CNN the insurgents were members of the Taliban. That battle left nine insurgents and eight Afghan soldiers dead. One U.S. soldier was injured.
A bit of history this morning for you. For the first time in 21 years, South Korea welcomed the cargo ship from North Korea, its Communist rival. Seoul agreed last week to donate 200,000 pounds of fertilizer to its impoverished neighbor. At least two more North Korean ships will soon arrive.
HARRIS: Grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and stay tuned for these stories coming up this hour. Conflict of interest, how do you solve complaints of wrongdoing in a town where the police chief and the mayor are the same person? CNN's investigative unit reports.
Also ahead, making dreams come true. One group wants to make sure these kids don't follow in their father's footsteps. And a school bus fight caught on tape. We'll give it again here. Who is at fault? The pictures are pretty clear. The law is, too, but it doesn't stop there. The gray area is ahead. Our top story this morning, first lady Laura Bush visits Jerusalem and two of the most holy sites in Judaism and Islam. But she's not only trying to build bridges. She's also delivering a passionate message of her own.
CNN's Guy Raz is in Jerusalem with the latest.
Good morning, Guy.
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony. The First Lady arrived here on a hot afternoon for the start of two days of talks with prominent Palestinian and Israeli women.
Now her itinerary includes the traditional meetings of protocol. She'll take tea with the Israeli first lady. She'll go on to visit the Israeli Holocaust memorial museum, and then on to the western wall. But she will also be holding a series of more substantive meetings.
Later on in the day, she'll head to the Palestinian town of Jericho, where she'll hold a round table meeting with prominent Palestinian women.
All of this, designed to underline Mrs. Bush's very new, very public commitment to women's rights and education. Now she couldn't have chosen a more crucial time to come to the region, both among Palestinian and Israeli -- the Israeli communities. For Israelis later this summer, the government plans to begin evacuation of all of its settlements and soldiers from the Gaza Strip, a controversial plan known as the disengagement. For Palestinians, an upcoming parliamentary election that could see a major victory by the militant hard-line Palestinian group Hamas.
Now all of these issues are expected to remain on the sideline during Mrs. Bush's visit. Of course, she's here generally as a goodwill ambassador. And among her top priorities, she's made it very clear is to improve America's image in the Arab and Islamic world -- Tony?
HARRIS: CNN's Guy Raz in Jerusalem for us. Guy, we appreciate it. Thank you.
NGUYEN: Back here in the U.S., the aunt of two missing Idaho children has issued a tearful plea to the kids' presumed abductor and the siblings themselves. Wendy Price told 9-year old nephew Dylan Groene and his 8-year old sister Shasta to "hang in there because we are going to find you."
Tomorrow marks one week since they vanished from their home, where their brother, mother, and her boyfriend were found killed. Price also urged the kidnappers to surrender.
Now authorities in Idaho have set up a tip line for anyone with information. That number is 208-446-2292. Again, here are some pictures of the children. Number 208-446-2292. HARRIS: One Florida sheriff's deputy calls him a monster. And you might agree. Police in Port Charlotte accuse 31-year old Eric Nap of abducting two girls from their homes and raping them. The girls are ages 13 and 7. Police are now investigating whether there are more victims. They say the children were taken as their parents slept. The father of one of the girls says he's devastated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VINCENT MORELLI, FATHER: The guilt is tremendous. The guilt alone is tremendous. Why didn't I hear it? Nothing's the same. Nothing is the same and it won't be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Police say Nap confessed to raping the two girls. He is facing kidnapping, burglary, and sexual battery charges.
Also in Florida, kids in trouble for supposedly hitting their school bus driver. The driver also faces charges. Now school officials and police are taking a second look now that shocking video has surfaced.
CNN's Sara Dorsey has this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bus driver Albert Taylor told Charlotte County Police he had to pull his bus over Tuesday after a few students caused a disruption.
ALBERT TAYLOR: Don't you tell me what to do. Get up here. Get up here.
DORSEY: Taylor told police he had asked a student to come to the front of the bus three times. This video shows Taylor then went to get the student. The boy's brother intervened and Taylor appears to strike him and grab him by the throat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get off him! Get off of him!
DORSEY: The scuffle doesn't end there. The older brother, who has already been struck, appears to throw a punch at the driver.
The boys then demand to be let off the bus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to jail, boy if you don't let me off this bus. Let me off the bus.
DORSEY: Sixty-six year old Taylor has been charged with simple battery, a misdemeanor. We've been unable to reach him for comment. And it's not known if he has legal representation. None of the other children on the bus were involved in the confrontation, but the 13 and 15-year old brothers are charged with felonies.
The boys' defense attorney says that doesn't add up. RUSSEL KIRSHY, BOYS' ATTORNEY: It's just -- it's despicable. It's crazy that they would be charged with felonies and the bus driver would be charged with a misdemeanor.
DORSEY: Charlotte County Sheriff's officials say that in Florida, it's an automatic felony for a student to strike a school official. They say the charges were filed before the video became available, but that seeing it has quote "changed the thinking here."
(on camera): The sheriff's office says it does not have the power to change any of the charges, but the state's attorney can. The brothers have been suspended from school and will appear in front of a judge on Monday. The bus driver is scheduled to appear on June 1st. He has been suspended with pay. And the sheriff's office says the school board will meet next week to determine his future.
Sara Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Can't charge those kids with a felony.
NGUYEN: And the bus driver with a misdemeanor. I'd say that video does shed some new light on that whole situation there.
HARRIS: Sure, sure, sure.
NGUYEN: I'm sitting here thinking, my goodness, that actually happened on the bus.
HARRIS: Oh, yes. See, not a lot of good things happen on the school bus from my memory, anyway.
NGUYEN: Boy, has the day changed. Goodness.
HARRIS: OK. A political rift in a small Tennessee town. It all started when residents called 911 for help and complained no one answered. Now the consequences.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.: Now here's a nice family portrait. George Herbert Walker Bush, George W. Bush, Barbara Bush, Jeb Bush, Marvin Bush, Laura Bush, Neil Bush, Doro Bush Cook, Pierce Bush, Jenna Bush, George P. Bush or as we are known within the family, 41, 43, 44, 45, 47...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Now that's funny.
NGUYEN: That was pretty cute there. And presidential one liners as the White House shines the spotlight on news photographers.
HARRIS: And good morning, Boston. We'll have your Sunday weather and the forecast for the rest of the nation when CNN SATURDAY (sic) MORNING returns.
NGUYEN: Well, you've heard the talk for weeks. The U.S. Senate could change the rules to put an end to the filibuster. The Senate could vote this week and move forward on President Bush's controversial judicial nominees.
So here is our e-mail question for you this morning. Filibuster fight, do senators have better things to do? Tell us what you think. We're at weekends@cnn.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: And I have to say this about my mom and dad. After 60 years of marriage, they are as scintillated by each other's company as the day they met.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: You might call them the comic-in chief. President Bush hammed it up with White House photographers last night in Washington. It was an awards dinner in their honor. And in addition to thanking the photographers for all their hard work, Mr. Bush snapped off some one liners, calling himself "Laura Bush's straight man" and saying he will offer, get this, Tony, "free kittens to sell his plan for Social Security."
He tries all kind of stuff, doesn't he?
HARRIS: Yes.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Some stories making news across America this morning. In Cleveland, Ohio, what started as a children's slumber party ends in tragedy. Fire ripped through a home, killing seven children and two adults. The kids ranged in age from 12 to 15. Officials think the blaze was accidental, but they are still trying to find a cause.
On the shores of New York's Coney Island, sun bathers watched in horror as a small plane plummeted to the ground. The crash killed the pilot of the single engine Cessna, along with three passengers. Witnesses say it appears the plane's engine had stalled.
Talk about a tight spot. Listen to this. This three-year old boy trapped himself...
NGUYEN: Oh, no, not again.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: This has happened before.
HARRIS: Yes, sure, it happens a lot. The kid climbed inside one of those crane toy vending machines, you know the ones I'm talking about here.
NGUYEN: Does he have his pajamas on? What is that?
HARRIS: It looks like it, yes. The boy's mother thought it was funny at first. Took some pictures. But then she found out workers didn't have a key to the machine.
NGUYEN: Oh, no.
HARRIS: Yes, firefighters had to get the boy out. And well guess what? He still didn't get a toy.
NGUYEN: Well, he got a story to tell.
HARRIS: He's got a story.
NGUYEN: You know, think positive here.
HARRIS: That's right.
NGUYEN: But don't do that, all right? Parents, children, stay away from those toy machines at least inside of them.
All right, saving America's future from a future without hope. Meet the man who gives American kids the power to dream. That's later this hour on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
Plus this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm telling you...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK, in a small southern town, the entire police department headed by the man you just saw there was nearly shut down and run out of town. Find out why. Our investigative unit spotlight is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Each week at this time, we bring you some of the best stories from our CNN investigative unit. This morning, we take you to a small Tennessee town that faced some big time problems. And as you're about to see, things got pretty heated in Burns.
CNN'S Rick Sanchez has the story in our investigative unit spotlight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On the road in Burns, Tennessee, Sankers Country Market is really just about the first thing you see. And for Sandra Sanker, running it is a full-time job. Last summer, though, it was Sanker's other job, her unpaid seat on the town council, that became her biggest headache. It happened when she discovered that her town's tiny police department had some major problems.
Among them, residents were complaining their 911 calls weren't being answered.
SANDRA SANKER, BURNS CITY COUNCILWOMAN: A call went out and it was one that they felt like they'd answered, then they would go answer it. If not, the county would have to come in and answer it.
SANCHEZ: What's more, there were doubts about whether the officers were properly trained or supervised. Sanker even suspected one officer was an ex-convict.
So she tried to talk about it with the police chief, Ed Shot Groves.
SANKER: Went to Mr. Groves and asked, you know, what's going on with this or what about that or I've heard this. And actually, was told that it was none of our business.
SANCHEZ (on camera): Sanker would have done what most people do and take her complaint to the city. Except for one problem. The man who runs this building, the man she's complaining about, also runs this building, Burns City Hall. That's right. The police chief is also the mayor.
(voice-over): So with nowhere else to turn, Sanker wrote to the state agency that oversees police officials. They launched an investigation.
JOHN WELCH, STATE INVESTIGATOR: And we began to go through their paperwork. And their paperwork was not in compliance with post rules.
SANCHEZ: Johnny Welch headed the state's investigation. In his final report, he outlined nine major violations, including the hiring of a convicted felon and failure to complete state mandated fire arms training, training for which Chief Groves' department got additional funding after supposedly completing.
State agents considered the violation serious enough to threaten something they had never done before -- decertify the entire Burns police department.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anyone appearing with Burns police department.
SANCHEZ: And to make matters worse, state agents say Chief/Mayor Ed Shot Groves did not and would not cooperate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The law applies to all of us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We understand that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That include Mr. Groves. And Mr. Groves seems to think it doesn't appear to apply to him.
SANCHEZ: After much debate, the state decided to give Burns a second chance. 90 days to get the department in order. There was one condition, though. Chief Groves had to go.
ED "SHOT" GROVES, MAYOR: I'm telling you, them cameras are not...
SANCHEZ: Defiant, Groves stormed out of the hearing, refusing to answer questions.
GROVES: I'm still going to be mayor. And I'm going to raise hell.
SANCHEZ (on camera): Back here in Burns, as in most small towns, word traveled fast. People seemed to be lining up in one place or another. Most acknowledged there was a problem that needed to be solved. But you got to remember, Ed Shot Groves has been mayor in this town for 18 years. You bet he has his supporters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've known Shot all my life. And he's always been good to me.
SANCHEZ: And to many here, state scrutiny was just a bit unwelcome.
KEN SULLIVAN, BURNS RESIDENT: Most people are not from the country. They're not from Burns. And they don't know how it is down there. And they come in here with the rules. He never abided by the rules.
SANCHEZ: So Councilwoman Sanker has been left in a rather uncomfortable position.
SANKER: And I've had people, you know, well how do you feel? Are you, you know, you don't look very happy. There's nothing to be happy over.
SANCHEZ: Several weeks after the hearing, we asked again to talk with Mayor Groves. Reluctantly, he agreed to speak, denying any wrongdoing.
GROVES: I know it's a lie. It's not true.
SANCHEZ: Why would the state of Tennessee...
GROVES: It's a personal vendetta. I'm not going to go into it, but it's a personal vendetta with me and two other people. (INAUDIBLE) sit here and the other at post. And that's just how I'm going.
SANCHEZ: Groves has given up his position as police chief. He will remain the town's mayor until the next election, scheduled for May. Groves says he will not run again.
The police department now has a new chief. And officers we talked to say things are already improving. And for Sanker, that improvement of the department and the town is all she ever wanted.
SANKER: This problem has been taken care of. And from now on, the Burns officers can hold their head up because they're not a joke. They are trained. And they can be proud to put on a uniform.
Rick Sanchez, CNN, Burns, Tennessee.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Another report from CNN's investigative unit next Sunday at 7:00 a.m. Eastern.
NGUYEN: The debate over President Bush's controversial judicial nominees could come to an end this week, unless of course, some senators refuse to give up the fight. But here is our e-mail question for you this morning.
The filibuster fight, do senators have better things to do? Tell us what you think. We're at weekends@cnn.com.
HARRIS: For Saddam Hussein compares controversial tabloid pictures of the former dictator to the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. Hear what he's thinking of doing about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: The British tabloid that published Saddam Hussein's pictures behind bars is now facing a lawsuit. That's right. Welcome back. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. That story in a minute. First a look at headlines now in the news.
The first lady is in the holy land. Laura Bush is visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories today on her continuing goodwill trip to the mid east. She's touring Jewish and Muslim shrines along with Israel's holocaust memorial. She'll also meet with Palestinian women.
A desperate plea from the family of two missing Idaho children. In front of reporters, their aunt begged for their safe return and told the kids to hang in there. Nine-year-old Dylan Groene and his 8- year-old sister Shasta have been missing since Monday. Police found the beaten bodies of their mother, brother and the mother's boyfriend in their home.
In the nation's capital, no, no, no, that's not the Potomac River. It's the street. A water main break affected much of Washington yesterday, including four hospitals. Service has been restored. The hospitals had contingency plans, but at least one had to turn away some new patients.
There is no let up in the Iraqi violence. The latest victim is a top government official.
NGUYEN: For the latest on that and some other stories making news around the world, let's turn it now Anand Naidoo at the CNN international desk. Good morning Anand.
ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. First up, Iraq and a senior trade ministry official is assassinated. Officials say the director general of the ministry and his driver were shot while on their way to work in western Baghdad. Their sedan was sprayed with automatic weapons fire. It was the latest in a series of drive-by shootings targeting senior government officials. And one other note from Iraq, Saddam Hussein is planning legal action against the British newspaper "The Sun" which published pictures of him half naked while he was in prison.
Now on to Indonesia, thousands of Muslims stage an anti-American rally in the capital of Jakarta. Signs they carried condemned the alleged American desecration of the Koran. That's a charge published by "Newsweek" that was later retracted. Organizers say 10,000 people took part in the demonstration but police put the figure at less than that. U.S. officials in Jakarta played down that demonstration saying that it was expected and nothing unusual.
Now to the Middle East and more problems for that Israel pull out, that planned pullout from Gaza. Some senior Israeli army officers want the withdrawal delayed for up to six months. They're worried about the strength of militants in the territory and a possible takeover by the militant group Hamas. But Israel's defense ministry says the issue has not come up for discussion. That pull out, plan, by the way has already been put back three weeks to mid- August and that's to avoid a period of Jewish mourning at that time.
That's all from me for now, more later. Back to Tony and Betty.
NGUYEN: Each week here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, we bring you the story of a hero. Today's hero is like many of the others, quick to give away the credit for bravery to the others around him, but no less deserving of the title. CNN's Casey Wian has his story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That catwalk that was over the living room went 360 degrees around.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): First Sergeant Brad Kasel listens as his buddy Lt. Graves fills in details about what happened on that day in Fallujah last November, the day he was shot over and over again and nearly lost his life. Two young Marines listen intently as well. They saved Kasel's life by carrying him to safety.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First Sergeant Kasel was a tough Marine. He got shot seven times, took like over 40 pieces of shrapnel in him and he was still like able to do his job and get his job done.
WIAN: Five days into the Fallujah offensive, Kasel found himself literally looking down the barrel of an AK-47 as he tried to rescue wounded Marines in a house.
1ST SGT. BRAD KASEL, U.S. MARINE CORPS: I just took my M-16 and I stuck it over his AK and put it right in between his arms and right up against his chest, I put my barrel and started to pull the trigger. And I pulled it eight, nine, maybe 10 times before he finally went down to the ground.
WIAN: Kasel turned, yelling for cover as he did, a barrage of automatic gunfire.
KASEL: I remember several thuds just hitting my leg and several rounds hitting the wall all around me. And after about the fourth or fifth thud that hit my leg, my leg just collapsed out from underneath me and I fell to the ground.
WIAN: Behind him, another Marine had been hit.
KASEL: I called back out into the line of fire, and I remember as soon as I did that, rounds just started hitting all around me again and I grabbed Nicole's (ph) sleeve and pulled him down and started dragging him out of the line of fire.
WIAN: Kasel took another bullet in the backside. He was losing blood quickly, but still managed to get a tourniquet onto the wounded Marine beside him. Then Kasel saw a grenade.
KASEL: I rolled over on top of him, covered him up and then the grenade went off.
WIAN: Kasel was peppered with shrapnel but both Marines survived the blast. Kasel has been recommended for a medal for bravery but says the young Marines who rescued him are the real heroes. Casey Wian, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And we bring you hero stories every week right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
HARRIS: Time now to fast forward through some of the stories we'll be covering this week. Monday is day one of the French open. Lindsey Davenport is the number one seed on the women's side. Her first match is against Slovenia's Katarina Srebotnik. Is that OK?
NGUYEN: That was nice.
HARRIS: Number one. Roger Federer leads the men. He plays his first match against Sweden's Robin Soderling.
President Bush is threatening to veto a bill expanding public funding for embryonic stem cell research that could make it to his desk next week but there may be enough votes in Congress to override the veto. Early next week, Congress should have two bills on the table that would impose uniform testing standards for steroids on five pro sports. Both bills would mandate a two-year ban for first offense and a lifetime ban for a second offense. Yikes.
NGUYEN: Here's a question for you this morning. However often do dreams come true? I venture to say not that often. But thanks to the man that we're about to meet just ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, they are coming true a whole lot more often for a well-deserving group of kids.
HARRIS: And good morning, Boston. We will have your Sunday weather forecast with Rob Marciano in about 15 minutes. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: They help people to dream the impossible dream, then achieve it. They're the U.S. Dream Academy and they do work that is often overlooked for some of the most overlooked people among us. In fact, their dream mission is so real that people like Oprah Winfrey, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Senator Bill Frist are believers. So who are they? Who do they help and how do they do it? Well, here to tell us more about turning dreams into reality is Wintley Phipps. He is the president and CEO of the U.S. Dream Academy, live in Orlando. Thanks for being with us this morning.
WINTLEY PHIPPS, U.S. DREAM ACADEMY: You're very welcome.
NGUYEN: Well, let's talk about this for just a moment. U.S. Dream Academy, what sparked this because you created this back in 1998? What drove you to creating such an organization?
PHIPPS: Well, I started doing a lot of visiting and singing in prisons and my life was really changed. I did not know how many people we have incarcerated in this country, but more importantly, I did not realize that almost 70 percent of the children in America who go to prison come from the children of those who are in prison now. And so I had to do whatever I could to break that cycle of incarceration intergenerational incarceration.
NGUYEN: I think it's a very important point because you say children of prisoners go on to become prisoners. Why do you think that is? Lack of role models? Lack of education? Why?
PHIPPS: Really both. We found that there are two things that seem to really break that cycle. One of them is that you have to increase the density of caring, loving adults in the life orbit of children. Mentors are very, very important. Then we found that interactive tutorial academic support, that also helps to keep children from going that way.
NGUYEN: So, when we talk about the U.S. Dream Academy, exactly what does it do to stop this prison cycle?
PHIPPS: One of the first things we do when children come to our centers, we give them an academic assessment to figure out where their academic deficiencies are and then we build a prescriptive curricula for each child to pull them up. The ranks of juvenile offenders we have found aren't filled with successful students, so it's very important to give children the support they need to do well in school.
NGUYEN: And quickly, what kind of results have you gotten from this? PHIPPS: We've been really pleased with the results that we've seen. Children, their attendance is up, their suspensions are down. We found children excelling in school and their behavior changes. When you're succeeding, your behavior changes.
NGUYEN: I know Oprah Winfrey is among many celebrated guests to attend this fund-raiser on Tuesday.
PHIPPS: Yes.
NGUYEN: Tell us how much you're hoping to raise, because it's quite a number.
PHIPPS: We're hoping to raise $1 million. It takes a lot. We have centers in Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Newark, New York City, Houston, Atlanta, Memphis, Salt Lake City and we look to corporations and individuals. This, I found this is a great country and if you put before them a need and you manage your program well, you get supporters both from corporations and individuals who want to see this program work.
NGUYEN: You get support and you get results. Wintley Phipps, we thank you for your time and for what you're doing.
PHIPPS: You're very welcome.
NGUYEN: Best of luck to you.
PHIPPS: Thank you so much.
NGUYEN: Tony.
HARRIS: And checking our top stories, Afghan President Hamid Karzai is in Boston to give a commencement address at Boston University. He'll head to Washington for a meeting with President Bush tomorrow at the White House. The president is expected to push Karzai to clamp down on Afghanistan's heroin trade. First lady Laura Bush has a full calendar in the Middle East. She spends the morning in Jordan, then visits holy sights in Jerusalem through the afternoon. She has been speaking out in support of women's rights across the Middle East.
And still no sign of two Idaho children missing from the scene of a triple homicide last week. Their aunt made an impassioned plea for the safe return of eight-year-old Shasta and her nine-year-old brother Dylan Groene.
Up next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, a college junior with a top IQ who perseveres in school despite struggling with autism. A preview of the Academy Award nominated film "Autism Is a World" which airs tonight at 8:00 Eastern on CNN PRESENTS.
NGUYEN: First we want to give you an CNN extra. Forget the swipe. It is time to now do the wave, new kind of wave. JP Morgan Chase said this week, it will issue new Visa and Mastercards that can be waved in front of a special reader instead of swiped. American Express is also coming out with a new no-swipe version of its card. The no swipe ways speeds up transaction time because it doesn't require a customer's signature. Both companies also say there are fewer chances for theft with this new swipe method.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: We're going to take a look now at a film nominated for an Academy Award. It was written by a woman with autism. Narrated by Julianna Margulies, this film tells the story of Sue Ruben (ph), who despite her autism, attends college.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIANNA MARGULIES, NARRATOR: I'm a junior at Whitter College majoring in history. I attend classes with Ashley, my friend and support staff.
Ashley takes notes for me and is available when I want to communicate.
Autism is a constant struggle. It takes every ounce of energy I have to sit somewhat quietly during a two-hour lecture. I love learning. Yet, being looked upon as feeble minded is something I've been forced to endure my entire life.
Actually, in the times I'm not fully engaged in school, I find that I am more susceptible to awful autism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And you can see Sue Ruben's entire story tonight. An all new special on CNN PRESENTS, "Autism Is a World." That is tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
HARRIS: The pomp and ceremony of high school graduation ceremonies are echoing through auditoriums around the country. But college seniors face another stark question. What now? CNN's Veronica de la Cruz has some tips from the dotcom desk.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the summer draws near, so does graduation for college seniors. So before you dawn that cap and gown, get ready for the real world with five must haves at cnn.com/us. Good news for college grads looking for their first job. A recent survey by Career Builder found that more than 60 percent of managers say they plan to hire recent grads and more than 30 percent say they plan to increase entry-level salaries.
The survey also reveals the top five things grads can do to make the most of their search. Twenty eight percent of hiring managers said relevant experience is the most important factor in their hiring decision. Professionalism during the interview is also key. So invest in a professional business suit and arrive well dressed and on time. If you're looking for a place to start your search, try Career Builder's job search engine on cnn.com. After you've landed that first job, don't lose it. Log on for a list of top mistakes college grads make in their first three months on the job. Best of luck in your search. From the dotcom news desk, I'm Veronica de la Cruz.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: So will the Senate vote this week to end the filibuster fight? Do lawmakers have better things to do than talk and talk and more talk about it?
HARRIS: E-mail us your thoughts. We'll read them next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. We are at weekends@cnn.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Betty, that's Sammy Davis Jr.
NGUYEN: Know what the song's name is?
HARRIS: No.
NGUYEN: "Smile, Darn You Smile".
HARRIS: OK. I'll take those kind of orders. As promised, Rob Marciano is back with the weather forecast for Boston and the rest of the nation.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: All right. Let's move right along. The question today that we're asking you in our e-mail question of the day, filibuster fight. Do senators have better things to do? Well, L.A. in North Carolina says there are many other issues for them to get to work on the Democrats still haven't presented a Social Security proposal.
HARRIS: And this from Tim, that depends on whom you ask. If you ask conservative activists, the answer is no. However, if you ask the rest of the country (that would be the majority of us) the answer is a resounding yes. Issues like health care, border security, jobs, the deficit, war, famine, poverty and the list simply gets longer.
Thank you for the e-mails. Here is the question. This filibuster idea, what do you think and do the senators have better things to do with their time? There's the address, weekends@cnn.com.
NGUYEN: The new hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING begins right now.
From the CNN Center, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is May 22nd, 8 a.m. here at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, 5 a.m. on the west coast.
Good morning everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. Thank you for being with us. Let's get you started with the morning's headlines. Afghan's President Hamid Karzai's commitment to the fight against heroine production. in his country is questioned. A "New York Times" reports cites a U.S. internal memo critical of Karzai's leadership in trying to eradicate Afghanistan's poppy crop. Wolf Blitzer talks with Karzai later today on CNN's "LATE EDITION" at noon eastern.
In Jakarta this morning thousands of Indonesian Muslims marched peacefully against alleged desecrations of Iran by Americans. "Newsweek" retracted a story on the allegations which sparked outrage in the Muslim world. They estimated 10,000 folks has just concluded the March at the U.S. embassy in Jakarta. Indonesia is one of the world's most populous Islamic country.
A key stop on the first lady's goodwill tour of the Middle East. Laura Bush arrived in Israel this morning. She's visiting Jewish and Muslim shrines in Jerusalem and she will also meet with a group of Palestinian women.
NGUYEN: Much more to come this hour on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Hang in there. Words of comfort spoken in desperation as relatives of two missing kids reach out.
Also it may look like business as usual, but the battle lines are being drawn on Capitol Hill.
And in our Faces of Faith, don't turn the other cheek, put on a manly face. That is the advice of one author who says there's nothing blessed about being meek.
HARRIS: The aunt of two children missing for a week in Idaho makes an impassioned plea for their return. The TV show "America's Most Wanted" is also on the case. For the very latest let's go straight to Alina Cho in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Alina, good morning.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, good morning to you. Yes, you're absolutely right. In a show that aired last night Steve Groene, the father of the two missing children said he is not giving up hope that his two children are alive.
Meanwhile, two videos shot by a concerned parent is giving the public a better look at one of the two missing kids.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHO (voice-over): The proud little girl in this video showing off a school science project is Shasta Groene. The 8-year-old and her 9-year-old brother, Dylan, have been missing for nearly a week. Wendy Price is their aunt.
WENDY PRICE, AUNT: We hang in there because we're going to find you and we're going to find you soon.
CHO: The two children have not been seen since the bodies of their mother, 13 year old brother and the mother's boy friend were found at their home Monday night. Authorities discovered the bodies after a neighbor called 911.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I went to the door to pay the little kid $10 for mowing the lawn and there's blood all over the door. No one comes to the door and their car is sitting there. So I tried to call them today and I didn't get them.
CHOU: Preliminary toxicology results show both the mother and boy friend were using drugs at the time of their death. Investigators wrapped up their work at the home on Saturday, but so far they have few clues and no suspects. The Coeur d'Alene community has only hope to go on evidenced near the children's' school, little consolation for the children's' father.
PRICE: He hasn't been able to eat because he does not know if Shasta or Dillon are eating. He gets into bed and he can't get comfortable because he doesn't know where they're sleeping and he can't drink water because he doesn't know if they've had any water. It's been a very difficult week for him. He wants his children back. He wants to put his other child to rest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO (on camera): A public memorial for the victims will be held early next week. That's about the time all of the evidence collected at the home will be shipped off to Quantico, Virginia for analysis. And all the while, Tony, dozens of investigators are chasing down hundreds of leads, but so far none of them have panned out.
HARRIS: All right. Need some answers. Alina Cho for us this morning. Alina, thank you.
Coeur d'Alene police in Idaho set up a tip line and are asking for your help. Here's the number 298-446-2292.
NGUYEN: It was supposed to be a scenic sightseeing trip over the skies of New York, but it quickly turned into a nightmare. Four people are dead after the small plane they were touring in fell from the sky. It happened on Brooklyn's Coney Island. Shocked sun bathers looked out in horror as the plane barreled for the beach.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We could see it as it was flying through the air. We saw it start to hit down. I looked over and tapped my friends who were eating lunch and tapped my friends at the table and said that's a terrible trick to try to play.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we went back up about 300 feet really not as tall as me, but they went back up all of a sudden when it came back down we could see the sound, boom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: In addition to the pilot, a 38 year old dad, his 18 year old daughter and a young family friend also died in that crash. HARRIS: Here are some other headlines making news across America. Family members of those killed in a fatal house fire in Ohio are asking for prayers and answers today. Nine people, seven children and two adults were killed when a fire broke out early Sunday morning in Cleveland. Some of the children were in the home for a sleepover. The victims include a mother and her four children.
In Washington thousands of people near a water mane break have running water again. But it could be days before all of their payers are wrapped up. Service to about 10,000 D.C. water and sewer customers was disrupted for up to half a day.
In November voters in Texas will get to decide whether the state's constitution should bane gay marriages. This after the state said it yesterday approved an amendment which would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. If approved Texas would join 14 states with constitutional bans against gay marriage.
NGUYEN: Armageddon it is not, but you wouldn't know from the way they're talking about it, 11th hour compromises to avoid triggering the nuclear option, which could be the end of senatorial civility as we know it. Both sides are using strong words in the fight to end or keep the filibuster. So what's next? Well, our Elaine Quijano is in Washington with just that.
Good morning, Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Betty. On Friday Republican senators called for a procedural vote early this week to cut off debate on the nomination of Priscilla Owen for the 5th U.S Circuit Court of Appeal. That formality essentially brings the Senate one step closer to a confrontation over the use of filibusters to block judicial nominees.
Now publicly, of course, there has been intense debate over Judge Owen's nomination and the future of the filibuster. Republicans say President Bush's nominees deserve an up or down vote and have threatened to do away with the filibuster, which for more than 200 years has allowed for unlimited debate in the Senate.
Now Democrats for their part have threatened right back saying if Republicans do do away with the filibuster they will slow down Senate business to a craw. Democrats say President Bush's nominees are out of the mainstream.
At the center of the debate right now Priscilla Owen and Janice Rogers Brown. As all of that fighting, meantime, has been going on public behind the scene, behind closed doors moderates have been trying to work out a compromise. At last word, direct talks had been put on hold until Monday, but it's expected that talks are continuing by phone this weekend, according to sources close to the situation. But all of this has implications far beyond these nominations with people anticipating a vacancy on the Supreme Court, what happens with these nominees being seen as a test case for President Bush's future judicial picks.
Betty.
NGUYEN: Elaine, you hinted at a possible compromise in the works. Realistically how close is it?
QUIJANO: Well, at this point hard to tell. Obviously now you have the involvement of some senior senators. Robert Byrd a Democrat as well as Virginia Senator Warner also getting involved in this. So there is certainly the understanding that this is serious now, but at the same time you have publicly, both sides, using some very heated rhetoric and as you said calling this the nuclear option. Democrats are saying that if Republicans do away with the filibuster that will essentially explode this fight to a level it hasn't gotten to just yet.
At the same time though moderates are saying there is a certain amount of tradition involved here and civility, as you mentioned, and they certainly don't want it to get to the point where there is, in fact, a show down this week.
NGUYEN: And we'll be watching. Elaine Quijano in Washington. Thank you.
And this brings us to our e-mail question of the day. Filibuster fight, do Senators have better things to do? Tell us what you think. E-mail us at weekends@cnn.com.
HARRIS: It is a book that is taking the Christian world by storm. "Wild At Heart" calls on men to find their inner warrior. I'll talk to the author ahead in this week's Faces of Faith.
NGUYEN: And later on "HOUSE CALL" from drugs to diet to exercise, Dr. Sanjay Gupta leads us through the latest cancer breakthroughs.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: South Korean scientist break new ground in stem cell research, but what does it mean for the rest of us. We'll put that question to one of the world's top stem cell experts coming up in the next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Checking our top stories this Sunday morning, the search goes on but there is still no sign of two missing Idaho kids. Their aunt is pleading for their safe return and telling he kids to quote, "hang in there." Nine year old Dylan Groene and his 8-year-old sister, Shasta, have been missing since Monday. The mother, brother and mother's boyfriend were found beaten to death in their home.
Laura Bush has arrived in Israel, a key stop on her goodwill trip to the Mideast. The first lady's visiting Jewish and Muslim shrines and meeting with Palestinian women.
And finally, Afleet Alex proves just how fleet footed he is. Look at this. Oh, it was kind of rough there for a little while though. The horse won the 138th Preakness stakes despite being knocked to his knees. Kentucky Derby winner, Giacomo, came in third.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: He says, "Being a nice guy can kill a man's soul." Up next in Faces of Faith we'll talk to the founder of a growing Christian movement that urges men to find their masculine side.
John, good morning.
JOHN ELDREDGE, AUTHOR, "WILD AT HEART": Good morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: While some detest the brutality of movies like "Braveheart," there is a new Christian movement that finds it a great inspiration for goodness. The founder says too many American men have become too passive. And while the Bible says the meek shall inherit the earth, John Eldredge just isn't that interested in in his book "Wild At Heart" Eldredge encourages Christian men to explore their savage side and take on some more heroic characteristics to become close to God.
John joins me now to explain this thinking in Our Faces of Faith segment.
John, good morning to you.
ELDREDGE: Yes, good morning. Great to be with you.
HARRIS: Let me see if I have this right here, and correct me where I'm wrong here, masculinity, real masculinity has become a condition to be cured.
ELDREDGE: Well, men have gone soft. That's our problem.
HARRIS: Soft John, are you -- soft I assume...
ELDREDGE: Soft, yes. They've become nice guys, right. And what little boy dreamed of growing up to become a nice guy.
HARRIS: But all women want nice guys don't they?
NGUYEN: Yes.
ELDREDGE: No, no.
HARRIS: Betty here is saying yes.
NGUYEN: Yes they do although some of them like the bad boys. But I think all in all when it comes down to marrying someone they want a nice guy.
HARRIS: What do you think, John? What do you say to that.
ELDREDGE: OK, this is crucial. You want a man who is kind, but you want a man who's going to hang in there with you, right, who's not going to be a push over, who's not going to fold under pressure.
HARRIS: And you think that is what's happening?
ELDREDGE: Yes, yes. Guys have lost that inner strength. They've lost that inner masculinity. It wasn't given to them by their fathers and then the culture just takes it away whether it's in the church or public schools there's just this emasculation that goes on.
HARRIS: Yes, that's the step I want to talk about with you. You say our culture has adopted -- it's one thing to take it away, but you say our culture has adopted a strategy that feminizes men. What do you mean by the feminization, if that's a word, of men?
ELDREDGE: OK, here's the deal.
HARRIS: All right.
ELDREDGE: Our prisons are not for the most part filled with women, right? Violent crimes are not for the most part committed by women. And so we've seen this dangerous side of men and what we've concluded is you've just got to take that away, to get a man to be a good man, to get him to be a safe and a decent guy just take all passion, all strength, take that warrior nature away. But what you end up with is a passive man and then we wonder why there's so many fatherless children, why there are so many lonely women. You can't take the heart of a man away and then ask him to be the man.
HARRIS: OK. How do you propose men turn this cycle around?
ELDREDGE: Yes, it goes back to passion. It goes back to the core desires of a man's heart. Men want three things. They want a battle to fight. They want an adventure to live and they want a beauty to rescue. That's what they're created to do. I mean you look at the movies men love, look at the games little boys play, that's what a guy is wired for and he's got to get that back. He's got to hook up to those passions in his heart.
HARRIS: OK. Since most of the men, who you say are falling short of this ideal, they have -- well, a lot of these men are married, so turning this thinking around does that put the marriages at risk?
ELDREDGE: Oh, no, no. In fact, the real test of this message are the women, right? Doe sit make a better, does it make a better lover, does it make a better husband and boy friend and father? And the answer is it does. Women are responding to this inner strength, not of violence, not a domineering strength but a true man. Isn't that what every woman wants.
HARRIS: Well, John...
ELDREDGE: Look at the movies women love.
HARRIS: Are you promoting some chest pounding, testosterone, ego driven myth of a man that women -- well, you know where I'm going here. ELDREDGE: No, no, no. See those are the caricatures, right, the Rambo and the guy with the truck with the huge tires and all of that. OK, those are cartoon pictures of men, right? Those are guys who want to try and show a real strength. But most of that frankly is borne out of fear. I mean I'm talking about a genuine strength that allows a man to be kind when he needs to be kind, but to be fierce when he needs to be fierce. That's the kind of guy a woman wants.
HARRIS: One more quick question. You tell a great story. I'm wondering why you decided to ground it in scriptures, in spiritual Christian philosophies and beliefs, because that's where you get into a little bit of trouble with your critics.
ELDREDGE: Yes, just a bit. Spirituality is crucial for a man. He's got to be hooked up to a higher cause. He's got to have a bigger story than himself. So that's part of the reason. And the other part of the reason is I think the church has in large part been part of the problem. They've emasculated men. They've given us this image of sort of gentle Jesus meek and mild. But that is not the guy that you meet in the New Testament.
HARRIS: It's a good read. It really is a good read. "Wild At Heart" is the book, John Eldredge is the author, thanks for joining us this morning on Faces of Faith.
ELDREDGE: Yes.
HARRIS: We appreciate it, John.
ELDREDGE: You bet. Great to talk to you.
HARRIS: We'll take a break and come back with more on CNN SUNDAY MORNING right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Here's our e-mail question of the day. U.S. senators dealing with this filibuster fight, do senators have better things to do? We're getting your thoughts this morning. Actually we got one from Charles.
HARRIS: Want to read this one?
NGUYEN: Go ahead.
HARRIS: OK. This is from Charles. I think that the Senate should keep fighting about the filibuster rules. It keeps them from screwing up the rest of the country. That's from Charles, and Charles we want to thank you for your e-mail and encourage the rest of you to send them on in. There's the question. The filibuster fight, do senators have better things to do? There's the address weekends@cnn.com, and we'll read more of your e-mail responses next hour.
NGUYEN: Our Soldier's Story today is the story of once proud soldiers who chose to leave their units rather than fight in Iraq. That's ahead next hour on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
HARRIS: But first, Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us the newest ways doctors are trying to win the battle with cancer. "HOUSE CALL" and your top stories are straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: This just in to CNN. There were some tense moments today for first lady Laura Bush in Jerusalem. We want to go now to CNN's Suzanne Malveaux who's traveling with the first lady for the latest on this incident.
Suzanne, what happened?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was a very chaotic situation. It started at the western wall in Jerusalem. That is where the first lady was there to offer her prayers. This is a very holy sight for the Jewish people. There were many people, thousands of protesters who were shouting, "Free Pollard now." That, of course, referring to Jonathan Pollard, the spy who is in the U.S. prison for spying for Israel, a lot of people who were shouting.
It was a very narrow walkway up to the wall and a lot of people who were tripping and crushing to get to the first lady. That really was just the first leg. It was really the second leg that was quite alarming.
That is when we went to the Dome of the Rock. It's a mosque that's on top of a hill. It is a very sacred place for the Muslim people. We were walking towards the mosque and inside of the mosque things went fairly smoothly. Of course there was a crush of reporters, myself a lot of photographers who were around the first lady and that's typical but what wasn't typical was what was happening outside when she left the mosque. That was when there were a group of protesters, about 40 or 50 protesters who were trying to get as close to the first lady as possible. They were yelling. There was an incredible crush. Some of them were saying, "How dare you come in. You don't belong in this mosque. Why do you hassle our Muslims."
At that point it was Israeli security. You had one layer of Secret Service that were very close to the first lady. I was just a couple of feet away from her when all of this was taking place, and it was the Israeli security that formed that second outer layer. They all linked hands, linked arms. They had several of them who drew their guns on small children who had approached. Again there were many people who were trying to get very close to her that appeared very angry and it was a very, very tense moment. About 15 or 20 minutes this lasted, as they literally -- the first lady walking very, very slowly with her Secret Service surround her really extremely close to her body as they tried to get her out of the scene, away from the mosque, and these Israeli security guards, who were all linked arm in arm, who were pushing the people back as they tried to get closer and closer to her.
Finally, they made their way down the walkway, and at this point, just put her in her limousine, in the motorcade, and they sped away. At that point, I actually got off at the mosque site, and they headed of to Jericho. But some very tense moments for the first lady, for the Secret Service, and for all of those who were traveling with her.
NGUYEN: I can imagine. And I was just visualizing all of this happening as you described it, Suzanne. We're going to try to bring pictures at the top of the 9:00 hour.
So many questions we want to ask you; we'll tackle that then. Thanks so much for that report, and we'll be checking in with you at 9:00.
HARRIS: Well, that's a (INAUDIBLE) story.
NGUYEN: Yeah, a very tense moment there.
HARRIS: As you mentioned, more on all of this at the top of the hour. "HOUSE CALL" begins right now.
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 May 22, 2005 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, a school official and two kids are in trouble after this fist fight, take a look at this, gets a little crazy.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Whoa.
HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes. The question is, will the video make the police reexamine the charges? From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
It is May 22nd. Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. 7:00 a.m. here in the East, 4:00 a.m. out West. That story in just a moment.
But first, here's a look at the headlines today. Afghan President Hamid Karzai is to meet with President Bush tomorrow, but under the administration's public show of support are some serious concerns. "The New York Times" today reports on a U.S. government memo, accusing Karzai and his government of not doing enough to eliminate Afghanistan's heroin trade. President Karzai will join Wolf Blitzer on "Late Edition." That is at noon, Eastern today.
Meanwhile, U.S. led forces in Afghanistan have seen some action. CNN confirmed about 20 minutes ago that coalition troops clashed with insurgents in their haven near the border of Pakistan. Afghan interior ministry sources tell CNN the insurgents were members of the Taliban. That battle left nine insurgents and eight Afghan soldiers dead. One U.S. soldier was injured.
A bit of history this morning for you. For the first time in 21 years, South Korea welcomed the cargo ship from North Korea, its Communist rival. Seoul agreed last week to donate 200,000 pounds of fertilizer to its impoverished neighbor. At least two more North Korean ships will soon arrive.
HARRIS: Grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and stay tuned for these stories coming up this hour. Conflict of interest, how do you solve complaints of wrongdoing in a town where the police chief and the mayor are the same person? CNN's investigative unit reports.
Also ahead, making dreams come true. One group wants to make sure these kids don't follow in their father's footsteps. And a school bus fight caught on tape. We'll give it again here. Who is at fault? The pictures are pretty clear. The law is, too, but it doesn't stop there. The gray area is ahead. Our top story this morning, first lady Laura Bush visits Jerusalem and two of the most holy sites in Judaism and Islam. But she's not only trying to build bridges. She's also delivering a passionate message of her own.
CNN's Guy Raz is in Jerusalem with the latest.
Good morning, Guy.
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony. The First Lady arrived here on a hot afternoon for the start of two days of talks with prominent Palestinian and Israeli women.
Now her itinerary includes the traditional meetings of protocol. She'll take tea with the Israeli first lady. She'll go on to visit the Israeli Holocaust memorial museum, and then on to the western wall. But she will also be holding a series of more substantive meetings.
Later on in the day, she'll head to the Palestinian town of Jericho, where she'll hold a round table meeting with prominent Palestinian women.
All of this, designed to underline Mrs. Bush's very new, very public commitment to women's rights and education. Now she couldn't have chosen a more crucial time to come to the region, both among Palestinian and Israeli -- the Israeli communities. For Israelis later this summer, the government plans to begin evacuation of all of its settlements and soldiers from the Gaza Strip, a controversial plan known as the disengagement. For Palestinians, an upcoming parliamentary election that could see a major victory by the militant hard-line Palestinian group Hamas.
Now all of these issues are expected to remain on the sideline during Mrs. Bush's visit. Of course, she's here generally as a goodwill ambassador. And among her top priorities, she's made it very clear is to improve America's image in the Arab and Islamic world -- Tony?
HARRIS: CNN's Guy Raz in Jerusalem for us. Guy, we appreciate it. Thank you.
NGUYEN: Back here in the U.S., the aunt of two missing Idaho children has issued a tearful plea to the kids' presumed abductor and the siblings themselves. Wendy Price told 9-year old nephew Dylan Groene and his 8-year old sister Shasta to "hang in there because we are going to find you."
Tomorrow marks one week since they vanished from their home, where their brother, mother, and her boyfriend were found killed. Price also urged the kidnappers to surrender.
Now authorities in Idaho have set up a tip line for anyone with information. That number is 208-446-2292. Again, here are some pictures of the children. Number 208-446-2292. HARRIS: One Florida sheriff's deputy calls him a monster. And you might agree. Police in Port Charlotte accuse 31-year old Eric Nap of abducting two girls from their homes and raping them. The girls are ages 13 and 7. Police are now investigating whether there are more victims. They say the children were taken as their parents slept. The father of one of the girls says he's devastated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VINCENT MORELLI, FATHER: The guilt is tremendous. The guilt alone is tremendous. Why didn't I hear it? Nothing's the same. Nothing is the same and it won't be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Police say Nap confessed to raping the two girls. He is facing kidnapping, burglary, and sexual battery charges.
Also in Florida, kids in trouble for supposedly hitting their school bus driver. The driver also faces charges. Now school officials and police are taking a second look now that shocking video has surfaced.
CNN's Sara Dorsey has this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bus driver Albert Taylor told Charlotte County Police he had to pull his bus over Tuesday after a few students caused a disruption.
ALBERT TAYLOR: Don't you tell me what to do. Get up here. Get up here.
DORSEY: Taylor told police he had asked a student to come to the front of the bus three times. This video shows Taylor then went to get the student. The boy's brother intervened and Taylor appears to strike him and grab him by the throat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get off him! Get off of him!
DORSEY: The scuffle doesn't end there. The older brother, who has already been struck, appears to throw a punch at the driver.
The boys then demand to be let off the bus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to jail, boy if you don't let me off this bus. Let me off the bus.
DORSEY: Sixty-six year old Taylor has been charged with simple battery, a misdemeanor. We've been unable to reach him for comment. And it's not known if he has legal representation. None of the other children on the bus were involved in the confrontation, but the 13 and 15-year old brothers are charged with felonies.
The boys' defense attorney says that doesn't add up. RUSSEL KIRSHY, BOYS' ATTORNEY: It's just -- it's despicable. It's crazy that they would be charged with felonies and the bus driver would be charged with a misdemeanor.
DORSEY: Charlotte County Sheriff's officials say that in Florida, it's an automatic felony for a student to strike a school official. They say the charges were filed before the video became available, but that seeing it has quote "changed the thinking here."
(on camera): The sheriff's office says it does not have the power to change any of the charges, but the state's attorney can. The brothers have been suspended from school and will appear in front of a judge on Monday. The bus driver is scheduled to appear on June 1st. He has been suspended with pay. And the sheriff's office says the school board will meet next week to determine his future.
Sara Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Can't charge those kids with a felony.
NGUYEN: And the bus driver with a misdemeanor. I'd say that video does shed some new light on that whole situation there.
HARRIS: Sure, sure, sure.
NGUYEN: I'm sitting here thinking, my goodness, that actually happened on the bus.
HARRIS: Oh, yes. See, not a lot of good things happen on the school bus from my memory, anyway.
NGUYEN: Boy, has the day changed. Goodness.
HARRIS: OK. A political rift in a small Tennessee town. It all started when residents called 911 for help and complained no one answered. Now the consequences.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.: Now here's a nice family portrait. George Herbert Walker Bush, George W. Bush, Barbara Bush, Jeb Bush, Marvin Bush, Laura Bush, Neil Bush, Doro Bush Cook, Pierce Bush, Jenna Bush, George P. Bush or as we are known within the family, 41, 43, 44, 45, 47...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Now that's funny.
NGUYEN: That was pretty cute there. And presidential one liners as the White House shines the spotlight on news photographers.
HARRIS: And good morning, Boston. We'll have your Sunday weather and the forecast for the rest of the nation when CNN SATURDAY (sic) MORNING returns.
NGUYEN: Well, you've heard the talk for weeks. The U.S. Senate could change the rules to put an end to the filibuster. The Senate could vote this week and move forward on President Bush's controversial judicial nominees.
So here is our e-mail question for you this morning. Filibuster fight, do senators have better things to do? Tell us what you think. We're at weekends@cnn.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: And I have to say this about my mom and dad. After 60 years of marriage, they are as scintillated by each other's company as the day they met.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: You might call them the comic-in chief. President Bush hammed it up with White House photographers last night in Washington. It was an awards dinner in their honor. And in addition to thanking the photographers for all their hard work, Mr. Bush snapped off some one liners, calling himself "Laura Bush's straight man" and saying he will offer, get this, Tony, "free kittens to sell his plan for Social Security."
He tries all kind of stuff, doesn't he?
HARRIS: Yes.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Some stories making news across America this morning. In Cleveland, Ohio, what started as a children's slumber party ends in tragedy. Fire ripped through a home, killing seven children and two adults. The kids ranged in age from 12 to 15. Officials think the blaze was accidental, but they are still trying to find a cause.
On the shores of New York's Coney Island, sun bathers watched in horror as a small plane plummeted to the ground. The crash killed the pilot of the single engine Cessna, along with three passengers. Witnesses say it appears the plane's engine had stalled.
Talk about a tight spot. Listen to this. This three-year old boy trapped himself...
NGUYEN: Oh, no, not again.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: This has happened before.
HARRIS: Yes, sure, it happens a lot. The kid climbed inside one of those crane toy vending machines, you know the ones I'm talking about here.
NGUYEN: Does he have his pajamas on? What is that?
HARRIS: It looks like it, yes. The boy's mother thought it was funny at first. Took some pictures. But then she found out workers didn't have a key to the machine.
NGUYEN: Oh, no.
HARRIS: Yes, firefighters had to get the boy out. And well guess what? He still didn't get a toy.
NGUYEN: Well, he got a story to tell.
HARRIS: He's got a story.
NGUYEN: You know, think positive here.
HARRIS: That's right.
NGUYEN: But don't do that, all right? Parents, children, stay away from those toy machines at least inside of them.
All right, saving America's future from a future without hope. Meet the man who gives American kids the power to dream. That's later this hour on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
Plus this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm telling you...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK, in a small southern town, the entire police department headed by the man you just saw there was nearly shut down and run out of town. Find out why. Our investigative unit spotlight is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Each week at this time, we bring you some of the best stories from our CNN investigative unit. This morning, we take you to a small Tennessee town that faced some big time problems. And as you're about to see, things got pretty heated in Burns.
CNN'S Rick Sanchez has the story in our investigative unit spotlight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On the road in Burns, Tennessee, Sankers Country Market is really just about the first thing you see. And for Sandra Sanker, running it is a full-time job. Last summer, though, it was Sanker's other job, her unpaid seat on the town council, that became her biggest headache. It happened when she discovered that her town's tiny police department had some major problems.
Among them, residents were complaining their 911 calls weren't being answered.
SANDRA SANKER, BURNS CITY COUNCILWOMAN: A call went out and it was one that they felt like they'd answered, then they would go answer it. If not, the county would have to come in and answer it.
SANCHEZ: What's more, there were doubts about whether the officers were properly trained or supervised. Sanker even suspected one officer was an ex-convict.
So she tried to talk about it with the police chief, Ed Shot Groves.
SANKER: Went to Mr. Groves and asked, you know, what's going on with this or what about that or I've heard this. And actually, was told that it was none of our business.
SANCHEZ (on camera): Sanker would have done what most people do and take her complaint to the city. Except for one problem. The man who runs this building, the man she's complaining about, also runs this building, Burns City Hall. That's right. The police chief is also the mayor.
(voice-over): So with nowhere else to turn, Sanker wrote to the state agency that oversees police officials. They launched an investigation.
JOHN WELCH, STATE INVESTIGATOR: And we began to go through their paperwork. And their paperwork was not in compliance with post rules.
SANCHEZ: Johnny Welch headed the state's investigation. In his final report, he outlined nine major violations, including the hiring of a convicted felon and failure to complete state mandated fire arms training, training for which Chief Groves' department got additional funding after supposedly completing.
State agents considered the violation serious enough to threaten something they had never done before -- decertify the entire Burns police department.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anyone appearing with Burns police department.
SANCHEZ: And to make matters worse, state agents say Chief/Mayor Ed Shot Groves did not and would not cooperate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The law applies to all of us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We understand that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That include Mr. Groves. And Mr. Groves seems to think it doesn't appear to apply to him.
SANCHEZ: After much debate, the state decided to give Burns a second chance. 90 days to get the department in order. There was one condition, though. Chief Groves had to go.
ED "SHOT" GROVES, MAYOR: I'm telling you, them cameras are not...
SANCHEZ: Defiant, Groves stormed out of the hearing, refusing to answer questions.
GROVES: I'm still going to be mayor. And I'm going to raise hell.
SANCHEZ (on camera): Back here in Burns, as in most small towns, word traveled fast. People seemed to be lining up in one place or another. Most acknowledged there was a problem that needed to be solved. But you got to remember, Ed Shot Groves has been mayor in this town for 18 years. You bet he has his supporters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've known Shot all my life. And he's always been good to me.
SANCHEZ: And to many here, state scrutiny was just a bit unwelcome.
KEN SULLIVAN, BURNS RESIDENT: Most people are not from the country. They're not from Burns. And they don't know how it is down there. And they come in here with the rules. He never abided by the rules.
SANCHEZ: So Councilwoman Sanker has been left in a rather uncomfortable position.
SANKER: And I've had people, you know, well how do you feel? Are you, you know, you don't look very happy. There's nothing to be happy over.
SANCHEZ: Several weeks after the hearing, we asked again to talk with Mayor Groves. Reluctantly, he agreed to speak, denying any wrongdoing.
GROVES: I know it's a lie. It's not true.
SANCHEZ: Why would the state of Tennessee...
GROVES: It's a personal vendetta. I'm not going to go into it, but it's a personal vendetta with me and two other people. (INAUDIBLE) sit here and the other at post. And that's just how I'm going.
SANCHEZ: Groves has given up his position as police chief. He will remain the town's mayor until the next election, scheduled for May. Groves says he will not run again.
The police department now has a new chief. And officers we talked to say things are already improving. And for Sanker, that improvement of the department and the town is all she ever wanted.
SANKER: This problem has been taken care of. And from now on, the Burns officers can hold their head up because they're not a joke. They are trained. And they can be proud to put on a uniform.
Rick Sanchez, CNN, Burns, Tennessee.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Another report from CNN's investigative unit next Sunday at 7:00 a.m. Eastern.
NGUYEN: The debate over President Bush's controversial judicial nominees could come to an end this week, unless of course, some senators refuse to give up the fight. But here is our e-mail question for you this morning.
The filibuster fight, do senators have better things to do? Tell us what you think. We're at weekends@cnn.com.
HARRIS: For Saddam Hussein compares controversial tabloid pictures of the former dictator to the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. Hear what he's thinking of doing about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: The British tabloid that published Saddam Hussein's pictures behind bars is now facing a lawsuit. That's right. Welcome back. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. That story in a minute. First a look at headlines now in the news.
The first lady is in the holy land. Laura Bush is visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories today on her continuing goodwill trip to the mid east. She's touring Jewish and Muslim shrines along with Israel's holocaust memorial. She'll also meet with Palestinian women.
A desperate plea from the family of two missing Idaho children. In front of reporters, their aunt begged for their safe return and told the kids to hang in there. Nine-year-old Dylan Groene and his 8- year-old sister Shasta have been missing since Monday. Police found the beaten bodies of their mother, brother and the mother's boyfriend in their home.
In the nation's capital, no, no, no, that's not the Potomac River. It's the street. A water main break affected much of Washington yesterday, including four hospitals. Service has been restored. The hospitals had contingency plans, but at least one had to turn away some new patients.
There is no let up in the Iraqi violence. The latest victim is a top government official.
NGUYEN: For the latest on that and some other stories making news around the world, let's turn it now Anand Naidoo at the CNN international desk. Good morning Anand.
ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. First up, Iraq and a senior trade ministry official is assassinated. Officials say the director general of the ministry and his driver were shot while on their way to work in western Baghdad. Their sedan was sprayed with automatic weapons fire. It was the latest in a series of drive-by shootings targeting senior government officials. And one other note from Iraq, Saddam Hussein is planning legal action against the British newspaper "The Sun" which published pictures of him half naked while he was in prison.
Now on to Indonesia, thousands of Muslims stage an anti-American rally in the capital of Jakarta. Signs they carried condemned the alleged American desecration of the Koran. That's a charge published by "Newsweek" that was later retracted. Organizers say 10,000 people took part in the demonstration but police put the figure at less than that. U.S. officials in Jakarta played down that demonstration saying that it was expected and nothing unusual.
Now to the Middle East and more problems for that Israel pull out, that planned pullout from Gaza. Some senior Israeli army officers want the withdrawal delayed for up to six months. They're worried about the strength of militants in the territory and a possible takeover by the militant group Hamas. But Israel's defense ministry says the issue has not come up for discussion. That pull out, plan, by the way has already been put back three weeks to mid- August and that's to avoid a period of Jewish mourning at that time.
That's all from me for now, more later. Back to Tony and Betty.
NGUYEN: Each week here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, we bring you the story of a hero. Today's hero is like many of the others, quick to give away the credit for bravery to the others around him, but no less deserving of the title. CNN's Casey Wian has his story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That catwalk that was over the living room went 360 degrees around.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): First Sergeant Brad Kasel listens as his buddy Lt. Graves fills in details about what happened on that day in Fallujah last November, the day he was shot over and over again and nearly lost his life. Two young Marines listen intently as well. They saved Kasel's life by carrying him to safety.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First Sergeant Kasel was a tough Marine. He got shot seven times, took like over 40 pieces of shrapnel in him and he was still like able to do his job and get his job done.
WIAN: Five days into the Fallujah offensive, Kasel found himself literally looking down the barrel of an AK-47 as he tried to rescue wounded Marines in a house.
1ST SGT. BRAD KASEL, U.S. MARINE CORPS: I just took my M-16 and I stuck it over his AK and put it right in between his arms and right up against his chest, I put my barrel and started to pull the trigger. And I pulled it eight, nine, maybe 10 times before he finally went down to the ground.
WIAN: Kasel turned, yelling for cover as he did, a barrage of automatic gunfire.
KASEL: I remember several thuds just hitting my leg and several rounds hitting the wall all around me. And after about the fourth or fifth thud that hit my leg, my leg just collapsed out from underneath me and I fell to the ground.
WIAN: Behind him, another Marine had been hit.
KASEL: I called back out into the line of fire, and I remember as soon as I did that, rounds just started hitting all around me again and I grabbed Nicole's (ph) sleeve and pulled him down and started dragging him out of the line of fire.
WIAN: Kasel took another bullet in the backside. He was losing blood quickly, but still managed to get a tourniquet onto the wounded Marine beside him. Then Kasel saw a grenade.
KASEL: I rolled over on top of him, covered him up and then the grenade went off.
WIAN: Kasel was peppered with shrapnel but both Marines survived the blast. Kasel has been recommended for a medal for bravery but says the young Marines who rescued him are the real heroes. Casey Wian, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And we bring you hero stories every week right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
HARRIS: Time now to fast forward through some of the stories we'll be covering this week. Monday is day one of the French open. Lindsey Davenport is the number one seed on the women's side. Her first match is against Slovenia's Katarina Srebotnik. Is that OK?
NGUYEN: That was nice.
HARRIS: Number one. Roger Federer leads the men. He plays his first match against Sweden's Robin Soderling.
President Bush is threatening to veto a bill expanding public funding for embryonic stem cell research that could make it to his desk next week but there may be enough votes in Congress to override the veto. Early next week, Congress should have two bills on the table that would impose uniform testing standards for steroids on five pro sports. Both bills would mandate a two-year ban for first offense and a lifetime ban for a second offense. Yikes.
NGUYEN: Here's a question for you this morning. However often do dreams come true? I venture to say not that often. But thanks to the man that we're about to meet just ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, they are coming true a whole lot more often for a well-deserving group of kids.
HARRIS: And good morning, Boston. We will have your Sunday weather forecast with Rob Marciano in about 15 minutes. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: They help people to dream the impossible dream, then achieve it. They're the U.S. Dream Academy and they do work that is often overlooked for some of the most overlooked people among us. In fact, their dream mission is so real that people like Oprah Winfrey, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Senator Bill Frist are believers. So who are they? Who do they help and how do they do it? Well, here to tell us more about turning dreams into reality is Wintley Phipps. He is the president and CEO of the U.S. Dream Academy, live in Orlando. Thanks for being with us this morning.
WINTLEY PHIPPS, U.S. DREAM ACADEMY: You're very welcome.
NGUYEN: Well, let's talk about this for just a moment. U.S. Dream Academy, what sparked this because you created this back in 1998? What drove you to creating such an organization?
PHIPPS: Well, I started doing a lot of visiting and singing in prisons and my life was really changed. I did not know how many people we have incarcerated in this country, but more importantly, I did not realize that almost 70 percent of the children in America who go to prison come from the children of those who are in prison now. And so I had to do whatever I could to break that cycle of incarceration intergenerational incarceration.
NGUYEN: I think it's a very important point because you say children of prisoners go on to become prisoners. Why do you think that is? Lack of role models? Lack of education? Why?
PHIPPS: Really both. We found that there are two things that seem to really break that cycle. One of them is that you have to increase the density of caring, loving adults in the life orbit of children. Mentors are very, very important. Then we found that interactive tutorial academic support, that also helps to keep children from going that way.
NGUYEN: So, when we talk about the U.S. Dream Academy, exactly what does it do to stop this prison cycle?
PHIPPS: One of the first things we do when children come to our centers, we give them an academic assessment to figure out where their academic deficiencies are and then we build a prescriptive curricula for each child to pull them up. The ranks of juvenile offenders we have found aren't filled with successful students, so it's very important to give children the support they need to do well in school.
NGUYEN: And quickly, what kind of results have you gotten from this? PHIPPS: We've been really pleased with the results that we've seen. Children, their attendance is up, their suspensions are down. We found children excelling in school and their behavior changes. When you're succeeding, your behavior changes.
NGUYEN: I know Oprah Winfrey is among many celebrated guests to attend this fund-raiser on Tuesday.
PHIPPS: Yes.
NGUYEN: Tell us how much you're hoping to raise, because it's quite a number.
PHIPPS: We're hoping to raise $1 million. It takes a lot. We have centers in Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Newark, New York City, Houston, Atlanta, Memphis, Salt Lake City and we look to corporations and individuals. This, I found this is a great country and if you put before them a need and you manage your program well, you get supporters both from corporations and individuals who want to see this program work.
NGUYEN: You get support and you get results. Wintley Phipps, we thank you for your time and for what you're doing.
PHIPPS: You're very welcome.
NGUYEN: Best of luck to you.
PHIPPS: Thank you so much.
NGUYEN: Tony.
HARRIS: And checking our top stories, Afghan President Hamid Karzai is in Boston to give a commencement address at Boston University. He'll head to Washington for a meeting with President Bush tomorrow at the White House. The president is expected to push Karzai to clamp down on Afghanistan's heroin trade. First lady Laura Bush has a full calendar in the Middle East. She spends the morning in Jordan, then visits holy sights in Jerusalem through the afternoon. She has been speaking out in support of women's rights across the Middle East.
And still no sign of two Idaho children missing from the scene of a triple homicide last week. Their aunt made an impassioned plea for the safe return of eight-year-old Shasta and her nine-year-old brother Dylan Groene.
Up next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, a college junior with a top IQ who perseveres in school despite struggling with autism. A preview of the Academy Award nominated film "Autism Is a World" which airs tonight at 8:00 Eastern on CNN PRESENTS.
NGUYEN: First we want to give you an CNN extra. Forget the swipe. It is time to now do the wave, new kind of wave. JP Morgan Chase said this week, it will issue new Visa and Mastercards that can be waved in front of a special reader instead of swiped. American Express is also coming out with a new no-swipe version of its card. The no swipe ways speeds up transaction time because it doesn't require a customer's signature. Both companies also say there are fewer chances for theft with this new swipe method.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: We're going to take a look now at a film nominated for an Academy Award. It was written by a woman with autism. Narrated by Julianna Margulies, this film tells the story of Sue Ruben (ph), who despite her autism, attends college.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIANNA MARGULIES, NARRATOR: I'm a junior at Whitter College majoring in history. I attend classes with Ashley, my friend and support staff.
Ashley takes notes for me and is available when I want to communicate.
Autism is a constant struggle. It takes every ounce of energy I have to sit somewhat quietly during a two-hour lecture. I love learning. Yet, being looked upon as feeble minded is something I've been forced to endure my entire life.
Actually, in the times I'm not fully engaged in school, I find that I am more susceptible to awful autism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And you can see Sue Ruben's entire story tonight. An all new special on CNN PRESENTS, "Autism Is a World." That is tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
HARRIS: The pomp and ceremony of high school graduation ceremonies are echoing through auditoriums around the country. But college seniors face another stark question. What now? CNN's Veronica de la Cruz has some tips from the dotcom desk.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the summer draws near, so does graduation for college seniors. So before you dawn that cap and gown, get ready for the real world with five must haves at cnn.com/us. Good news for college grads looking for their first job. A recent survey by Career Builder found that more than 60 percent of managers say they plan to hire recent grads and more than 30 percent say they plan to increase entry-level salaries.
The survey also reveals the top five things grads can do to make the most of their search. Twenty eight percent of hiring managers said relevant experience is the most important factor in their hiring decision. Professionalism during the interview is also key. So invest in a professional business suit and arrive well dressed and on time. If you're looking for a place to start your search, try Career Builder's job search engine on cnn.com. After you've landed that first job, don't lose it. Log on for a list of top mistakes college grads make in their first three months on the job. Best of luck in your search. From the dotcom news desk, I'm Veronica de la Cruz.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: So will the Senate vote this week to end the filibuster fight? Do lawmakers have better things to do than talk and talk and more talk about it?
HARRIS: E-mail us your thoughts. We'll read them next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. We are at weekends@cnn.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Betty, that's Sammy Davis Jr.
NGUYEN: Know what the song's name is?
HARRIS: No.
NGUYEN: "Smile, Darn You Smile".
HARRIS: OK. I'll take those kind of orders. As promised, Rob Marciano is back with the weather forecast for Boston and the rest of the nation.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: All right. Let's move right along. The question today that we're asking you in our e-mail question of the day, filibuster fight. Do senators have better things to do? Well, L.A. in North Carolina says there are many other issues for them to get to work on the Democrats still haven't presented a Social Security proposal.
HARRIS: And this from Tim, that depends on whom you ask. If you ask conservative activists, the answer is no. However, if you ask the rest of the country (that would be the majority of us) the answer is a resounding yes. Issues like health care, border security, jobs, the deficit, war, famine, poverty and the list simply gets longer.
Thank you for the e-mails. Here is the question. This filibuster idea, what do you think and do the senators have better things to do with their time? There's the address, weekends@cnn.com.
NGUYEN: The new hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING begins right now.
From the CNN Center, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is May 22nd, 8 a.m. here at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, 5 a.m. on the west coast.
Good morning everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. Thank you for being with us. Let's get you started with the morning's headlines. Afghan's President Hamid Karzai's commitment to the fight against heroine production. in his country is questioned. A "New York Times" reports cites a U.S. internal memo critical of Karzai's leadership in trying to eradicate Afghanistan's poppy crop. Wolf Blitzer talks with Karzai later today on CNN's "LATE EDITION" at noon eastern.
In Jakarta this morning thousands of Indonesian Muslims marched peacefully against alleged desecrations of Iran by Americans. "Newsweek" retracted a story on the allegations which sparked outrage in the Muslim world. They estimated 10,000 folks has just concluded the March at the U.S. embassy in Jakarta. Indonesia is one of the world's most populous Islamic country.
A key stop on the first lady's goodwill tour of the Middle East. Laura Bush arrived in Israel this morning. She's visiting Jewish and Muslim shrines in Jerusalem and she will also meet with a group of Palestinian women.
NGUYEN: Much more to come this hour on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Hang in there. Words of comfort spoken in desperation as relatives of two missing kids reach out.
Also it may look like business as usual, but the battle lines are being drawn on Capitol Hill.
And in our Faces of Faith, don't turn the other cheek, put on a manly face. That is the advice of one author who says there's nothing blessed about being meek.
HARRIS: The aunt of two children missing for a week in Idaho makes an impassioned plea for their return. The TV show "America's Most Wanted" is also on the case. For the very latest let's go straight to Alina Cho in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Alina, good morning.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, good morning to you. Yes, you're absolutely right. In a show that aired last night Steve Groene, the father of the two missing children said he is not giving up hope that his two children are alive.
Meanwhile, two videos shot by a concerned parent is giving the public a better look at one of the two missing kids.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHO (voice-over): The proud little girl in this video showing off a school science project is Shasta Groene. The 8-year-old and her 9-year-old brother, Dylan, have been missing for nearly a week. Wendy Price is their aunt.
WENDY PRICE, AUNT: We hang in there because we're going to find you and we're going to find you soon.
CHO: The two children have not been seen since the bodies of their mother, 13 year old brother and the mother's boy friend were found at their home Monday night. Authorities discovered the bodies after a neighbor called 911.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I went to the door to pay the little kid $10 for mowing the lawn and there's blood all over the door. No one comes to the door and their car is sitting there. So I tried to call them today and I didn't get them.
CHOU: Preliminary toxicology results show both the mother and boy friend were using drugs at the time of their death. Investigators wrapped up their work at the home on Saturday, but so far they have few clues and no suspects. The Coeur d'Alene community has only hope to go on evidenced near the children's' school, little consolation for the children's' father.
PRICE: He hasn't been able to eat because he does not know if Shasta or Dillon are eating. He gets into bed and he can't get comfortable because he doesn't know where they're sleeping and he can't drink water because he doesn't know if they've had any water. It's been a very difficult week for him. He wants his children back. He wants to put his other child to rest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO (on camera): A public memorial for the victims will be held early next week. That's about the time all of the evidence collected at the home will be shipped off to Quantico, Virginia for analysis. And all the while, Tony, dozens of investigators are chasing down hundreds of leads, but so far none of them have panned out.
HARRIS: All right. Need some answers. Alina Cho for us this morning. Alina, thank you.
Coeur d'Alene police in Idaho set up a tip line and are asking for your help. Here's the number 298-446-2292.
NGUYEN: It was supposed to be a scenic sightseeing trip over the skies of New York, but it quickly turned into a nightmare. Four people are dead after the small plane they were touring in fell from the sky. It happened on Brooklyn's Coney Island. Shocked sun bathers looked out in horror as the plane barreled for the beach.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We could see it as it was flying through the air. We saw it start to hit down. I looked over and tapped my friends who were eating lunch and tapped my friends at the table and said that's a terrible trick to try to play.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we went back up about 300 feet really not as tall as me, but they went back up all of a sudden when it came back down we could see the sound, boom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: In addition to the pilot, a 38 year old dad, his 18 year old daughter and a young family friend also died in that crash. HARRIS: Here are some other headlines making news across America. Family members of those killed in a fatal house fire in Ohio are asking for prayers and answers today. Nine people, seven children and two adults were killed when a fire broke out early Sunday morning in Cleveland. Some of the children were in the home for a sleepover. The victims include a mother and her four children.
In Washington thousands of people near a water mane break have running water again. But it could be days before all of their payers are wrapped up. Service to about 10,000 D.C. water and sewer customers was disrupted for up to half a day.
In November voters in Texas will get to decide whether the state's constitution should bane gay marriages. This after the state said it yesterday approved an amendment which would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. If approved Texas would join 14 states with constitutional bans against gay marriage.
NGUYEN: Armageddon it is not, but you wouldn't know from the way they're talking about it, 11th hour compromises to avoid triggering the nuclear option, which could be the end of senatorial civility as we know it. Both sides are using strong words in the fight to end or keep the filibuster. So what's next? Well, our Elaine Quijano is in Washington with just that.
Good morning, Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Betty. On Friday Republican senators called for a procedural vote early this week to cut off debate on the nomination of Priscilla Owen for the 5th U.S Circuit Court of Appeal. That formality essentially brings the Senate one step closer to a confrontation over the use of filibusters to block judicial nominees.
Now publicly, of course, there has been intense debate over Judge Owen's nomination and the future of the filibuster. Republicans say President Bush's nominees deserve an up or down vote and have threatened to do away with the filibuster, which for more than 200 years has allowed for unlimited debate in the Senate.
Now Democrats for their part have threatened right back saying if Republicans do do away with the filibuster they will slow down Senate business to a craw. Democrats say President Bush's nominees are out of the mainstream.
At the center of the debate right now Priscilla Owen and Janice Rogers Brown. As all of that fighting, meantime, has been going on public behind the scene, behind closed doors moderates have been trying to work out a compromise. At last word, direct talks had been put on hold until Monday, but it's expected that talks are continuing by phone this weekend, according to sources close to the situation. But all of this has implications far beyond these nominations with people anticipating a vacancy on the Supreme Court, what happens with these nominees being seen as a test case for President Bush's future judicial picks.
Betty.
NGUYEN: Elaine, you hinted at a possible compromise in the works. Realistically how close is it?
QUIJANO: Well, at this point hard to tell. Obviously now you have the involvement of some senior senators. Robert Byrd a Democrat as well as Virginia Senator Warner also getting involved in this. So there is certainly the understanding that this is serious now, but at the same time you have publicly, both sides, using some very heated rhetoric and as you said calling this the nuclear option. Democrats are saying that if Republicans do away with the filibuster that will essentially explode this fight to a level it hasn't gotten to just yet.
At the same time though moderates are saying there is a certain amount of tradition involved here and civility, as you mentioned, and they certainly don't want it to get to the point where there is, in fact, a show down this week.
NGUYEN: And we'll be watching. Elaine Quijano in Washington. Thank you.
And this brings us to our e-mail question of the day. Filibuster fight, do Senators have better things to do? Tell us what you think. E-mail us at weekends@cnn.com.
HARRIS: It is a book that is taking the Christian world by storm. "Wild At Heart" calls on men to find their inner warrior. I'll talk to the author ahead in this week's Faces of Faith.
NGUYEN: And later on "HOUSE CALL" from drugs to diet to exercise, Dr. Sanjay Gupta leads us through the latest cancer breakthroughs.
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HARRIS: South Korean scientist break new ground in stem cell research, but what does it mean for the rest of us. We'll put that question to one of the world's top stem cell experts coming up in the next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
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NGUYEN: Checking our top stories this Sunday morning, the search goes on but there is still no sign of two missing Idaho kids. Their aunt is pleading for their safe return and telling he kids to quote, "hang in there." Nine year old Dylan Groene and his 8-year-old sister, Shasta, have been missing since Monday. The mother, brother and mother's boyfriend were found beaten to death in their home.
Laura Bush has arrived in Israel, a key stop on her goodwill trip to the Mideast. The first lady's visiting Jewish and Muslim shrines and meeting with Palestinian women.
And finally, Afleet Alex proves just how fleet footed he is. Look at this. Oh, it was kind of rough there for a little while though. The horse won the 138th Preakness stakes despite being knocked to his knees. Kentucky Derby winner, Giacomo, came in third.
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HARRIS: He says, "Being a nice guy can kill a man's soul." Up next in Faces of Faith we'll talk to the founder of a growing Christian movement that urges men to find their masculine side.
John, good morning.
JOHN ELDREDGE, AUTHOR, "WILD AT HEART": Good morning.
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HARRIS: While some detest the brutality of movies like "Braveheart," there is a new Christian movement that finds it a great inspiration for goodness. The founder says too many American men have become too passive. And while the Bible says the meek shall inherit the earth, John Eldredge just isn't that interested in in his book "Wild At Heart" Eldredge encourages Christian men to explore their savage side and take on some more heroic characteristics to become close to God.
John joins me now to explain this thinking in Our Faces of Faith segment.
John, good morning to you.
ELDREDGE: Yes, good morning. Great to be with you.
HARRIS: Let me see if I have this right here, and correct me where I'm wrong here, masculinity, real masculinity has become a condition to be cured.
ELDREDGE: Well, men have gone soft. That's our problem.
HARRIS: Soft John, are you -- soft I assume...
ELDREDGE: Soft, yes. They've become nice guys, right. And what little boy dreamed of growing up to become a nice guy.
HARRIS: But all women want nice guys don't they?
NGUYEN: Yes.
ELDREDGE: No, no.
HARRIS: Betty here is saying yes.
NGUYEN: Yes they do although some of them like the bad boys. But I think all in all when it comes down to marrying someone they want a nice guy.
HARRIS: What do you think, John? What do you say to that.
ELDREDGE: OK, this is crucial. You want a man who is kind, but you want a man who's going to hang in there with you, right, who's not going to be a push over, who's not going to fold under pressure.
HARRIS: And you think that is what's happening?
ELDREDGE: Yes, yes. Guys have lost that inner strength. They've lost that inner masculinity. It wasn't given to them by their fathers and then the culture just takes it away whether it's in the church or public schools there's just this emasculation that goes on.
HARRIS: Yes, that's the step I want to talk about with you. You say our culture has adopted -- it's one thing to take it away, but you say our culture has adopted a strategy that feminizes men. What do you mean by the feminization, if that's a word, of men?
ELDREDGE: OK, here's the deal.
HARRIS: All right.
ELDREDGE: Our prisons are not for the most part filled with women, right? Violent crimes are not for the most part committed by women. And so we've seen this dangerous side of men and what we've concluded is you've just got to take that away, to get a man to be a good man, to get him to be a safe and a decent guy just take all passion, all strength, take that warrior nature away. But what you end up with is a passive man and then we wonder why there's so many fatherless children, why there are so many lonely women. You can't take the heart of a man away and then ask him to be the man.
HARRIS: OK. How do you propose men turn this cycle around?
ELDREDGE: Yes, it goes back to passion. It goes back to the core desires of a man's heart. Men want three things. They want a battle to fight. They want an adventure to live and they want a beauty to rescue. That's what they're created to do. I mean you look at the movies men love, look at the games little boys play, that's what a guy is wired for and he's got to get that back. He's got to hook up to those passions in his heart.
HARRIS: OK. Since most of the men, who you say are falling short of this ideal, they have -- well, a lot of these men are married, so turning this thinking around does that put the marriages at risk?
ELDREDGE: Oh, no, no. In fact, the real test of this message are the women, right? Doe sit make a better, does it make a better lover, does it make a better husband and boy friend and father? And the answer is it does. Women are responding to this inner strength, not of violence, not a domineering strength but a true man. Isn't that what every woman wants.
HARRIS: Well, John...
ELDREDGE: Look at the movies women love.
HARRIS: Are you promoting some chest pounding, testosterone, ego driven myth of a man that women -- well, you know where I'm going here. ELDREDGE: No, no, no. See those are the caricatures, right, the Rambo and the guy with the truck with the huge tires and all of that. OK, those are cartoon pictures of men, right? Those are guys who want to try and show a real strength. But most of that frankly is borne out of fear. I mean I'm talking about a genuine strength that allows a man to be kind when he needs to be kind, but to be fierce when he needs to be fierce. That's the kind of guy a woman wants.
HARRIS: One more quick question. You tell a great story. I'm wondering why you decided to ground it in scriptures, in spiritual Christian philosophies and beliefs, because that's where you get into a little bit of trouble with your critics.
ELDREDGE: Yes, just a bit. Spirituality is crucial for a man. He's got to be hooked up to a higher cause. He's got to have a bigger story than himself. So that's part of the reason. And the other part of the reason is I think the church has in large part been part of the problem. They've emasculated men. They've given us this image of sort of gentle Jesus meek and mild. But that is not the guy that you meet in the New Testament.
HARRIS: It's a good read. It really is a good read. "Wild At Heart" is the book, John Eldredge is the author, thanks for joining us this morning on Faces of Faith.
ELDREDGE: Yes.
HARRIS: We appreciate it, John.
ELDREDGE: You bet. Great to talk to you.
HARRIS: We'll take a break and come back with more on CNN SUNDAY MORNING right after this.
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NGUYEN: Here's our e-mail question of the day. U.S. senators dealing with this filibuster fight, do senators have better things to do? We're getting your thoughts this morning. Actually we got one from Charles.
HARRIS: Want to read this one?
NGUYEN: Go ahead.
HARRIS: OK. This is from Charles. I think that the Senate should keep fighting about the filibuster rules. It keeps them from screwing up the rest of the country. That's from Charles, and Charles we want to thank you for your e-mail and encourage the rest of you to send them on in. There's the question. The filibuster fight, do senators have better things to do? There's the address weekends@cnn.com, and we'll read more of your e-mail responses next hour.
NGUYEN: Our Soldier's Story today is the story of once proud soldiers who chose to leave their units rather than fight in Iraq. That's ahead next hour on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
HARRIS: But first, Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us the newest ways doctors are trying to win the battle with cancer. "HOUSE CALL" and your top stories are straight ahead.
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NGUYEN: This just in to CNN. There were some tense moments today for first lady Laura Bush in Jerusalem. We want to go now to CNN's Suzanne Malveaux who's traveling with the first lady for the latest on this incident.
Suzanne, what happened?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was a very chaotic situation. It started at the western wall in Jerusalem. That is where the first lady was there to offer her prayers. This is a very holy sight for the Jewish people. There were many people, thousands of protesters who were shouting, "Free Pollard now." That, of course, referring to Jonathan Pollard, the spy who is in the U.S. prison for spying for Israel, a lot of people who were shouting.
It was a very narrow walkway up to the wall and a lot of people who were tripping and crushing to get to the first lady. That really was just the first leg. It was really the second leg that was quite alarming.
That is when we went to the Dome of the Rock. It's a mosque that's on top of a hill. It is a very sacred place for the Muslim people. We were walking towards the mosque and inside of the mosque things went fairly smoothly. Of course there was a crush of reporters, myself a lot of photographers who were around the first lady and that's typical but what wasn't typical was what was happening outside when she left the mosque. That was when there were a group of protesters, about 40 or 50 protesters who were trying to get as close to the first lady as possible. They were yelling. There was an incredible crush. Some of them were saying, "How dare you come in. You don't belong in this mosque. Why do you hassle our Muslims."
At that point it was Israeli security. You had one layer of Secret Service that were very close to the first lady. I was just a couple of feet away from her when all of this was taking place, and it was the Israeli security that formed that second outer layer. They all linked hands, linked arms. They had several of them who drew their guns on small children who had approached. Again there were many people who were trying to get very close to her that appeared very angry and it was a very, very tense moment. About 15 or 20 minutes this lasted, as they literally -- the first lady walking very, very slowly with her Secret Service surround her really extremely close to her body as they tried to get her out of the scene, away from the mosque, and these Israeli security guards, who were all linked arm in arm, who were pushing the people back as they tried to get closer and closer to her.
Finally, they made their way down the walkway, and at this point, just put her in her limousine, in the motorcade, and they sped away. At that point, I actually got off at the mosque site, and they headed of to Jericho. But some very tense moments for the first lady, for the Secret Service, and for all of those who were traveling with her.
NGUYEN: I can imagine. And I was just visualizing all of this happening as you described it, Suzanne. We're going to try to bring pictures at the top of the 9:00 hour.
So many questions we want to ask you; we'll tackle that then. Thanks so much for that report, and we'll be checking in with you at 9:00.
HARRIS: Well, that's a (INAUDIBLE) story.
NGUYEN: Yeah, a very tense moment there.
HARRIS: As you mentioned, more on all of this at the top of the hour. "HOUSE CALL" begins right now.
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