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CNN Sunday Morning
North Korea Threat; Florida Turnpike Killings; Japan Feels it Would be a Likely Target of North Korea; GOP Troubles; Prosperity Theology
Aired October 15, 2006 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
"Now in the News," a defiant North Korea votes with its feet. Its U.N. ambassador walks out after the Security Council votes to impose sanctions against the country.
We have a full report on the diplomatic high drama. And yes, there was drama. Plus, reaction from the White House. That is just one minute away.
A roadside bombing in Baghdad is blamed four the deaths of three U.S. soldiers. The killings brings the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq this month alone to 46. At the current pace, though, October will become the deadliest month for U.S. forces in Iraq since January of last year.
At least six people have been killed in a series of attacks across Afghanistan today. That is according to various wire reports. The dead include three policemen, two civilians and a member of the provincial assembly. Violence this year has been the bloodiest since the Taliban's ouster back in 2001.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: There's been another death linked to bird flu. Hospital officials believe an 11-year-old boy in Indonesia died of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus. If confirmed by government tests, it would bring the number of bird flu deaths in Indonesia to 53.
College football's newest rivalry also the ugliest. This was not pretty last night. The first game ever between the University of Miami and Florida International University turned into this.
NGUYEN: Look at that.
HOLMES: Sidelines were cleared. This went on for five, 10 minutes. It was not pretty. Thirteen players in all were ejected. And Miami won the game, but that's not going to be what anybody remembers from this one.
NGUYEN: No, not at all.
HOLMES: So that was awfully ugly.
We'll turn to something a lot more pleasant. Bonnie Schneider hanging out with us for a quick of the weather. Good morning.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: And of course we run down the top stories every 15 minutes right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines coming up at 7:15 Eastern Time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAK GIL YON, NORTH KOREAN AMB. TO U.N.: If the United States increases pressure upon the Democratic People's Republic of Korea persistently, the DPRK will continue to take physical countermeasures, continuing it as a declaration of war. The delegation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea totally rejects the unjustifiable resolution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And there you have it. North Korea responds after getting slapped with U.N. sanctions. What's next in this standoff? It's our top story this morning.
Welcome. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING, October 15th. Halfway through the month, almost through the year.
Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes. It's 7:00 a.m. here on the East, 8:00 p.m. in Pyongyang.
Thank you so much for starting your Sunday morning right here with us.
NGUYEN: The threat of a nuclear North Korea looms larger than ever this morning. The U.N. Security Council has voted and unanimously will impose sanctions against North Korea because of its claim of a nuclear test. Even North Korean ally China went along.
Now, North Korea's U.N. ambassador bristled after the vote and then he stormed out of the chamber.
CNN Senior U.N. Correspondent Richard Roth was there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will those in favor of the draft resolution contained in document S/2006/805 please raise their hands.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The Security Council resolution demands North Korea stop testing nukes, slaps a variety of sanctions on the regime, and tells Pyongyang to start talking again with the world.
JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMB. TO U.N.: Today we are sending a strong and clear message to North Korea and other would-be proliferators that there will be serious repercussions in continuing to pursue weapons of mass destruction.
ROTH: But North Korea instantly rejected that message.
PAK: The delegation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea totally rejects the unjustifiable resolution 1718, 2006, adopted by the Security Council just now. It is gangster-like for the Security Council to have adopted today a coercive resolution while neglecting the nuclear threat and moves for sanctions and pressure of the United States against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
ROTH: North Korea is now hit with financial and weapons sanctions by the Security Council. The goal is to cut off Pyongyang from getting technology and equipment that can power the country's nuclear desires.
EMYR JONES PARRY, BRITISH AMB. TO U.N.: It is not the aimed at the people of North Korea, who are already suffering greatly.
ROTH: But cracks were already evident in the proclaimed unity of the council. The resolution requires countries to search, as necessary, goods going in and out of North Korea.
WANG GUANGYA, CHINESE AMB. TO U.N. (through translator): China does not approve of inspecting cargo to and from the DPRK. We, therefore, have reservations about the relevant provisions of the resolution.
ROTH: North Korea's ambassador said his country wanted dialogue, but walked out in protest before the meeting concluded.
BOLTON: I'm not going to waste any of our time responding to what the representative of the DPRK has said, but I want to call your attention to that empty chair. That is the second time in three months that the representative of the DPRK, having asked to participate in our meetings, has rejected a unanimous resolution of the Security Council and walked out of this chamber. It is the contemporary equivalent of Nikita Khrushchev pounding his shoe on the desk of the General Assembly.
ROTH (on camera): Japan's ambassador said North Korea's walkout was not totally unexpected. If so, that may be the only recent activity by North Korea that was predicted by diplomats here, a country seemingly on a collision course with the U.N.
Richard Roth, CNN, United Nations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And you can hear much more from U.N. Ambassador John Bolton a little bit later this morning on CNN's "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER". That today at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. HOLMES: The White House believes the best way to deal with North Korea is through the United Nations. President Bush praised yesterday's Security Council vote as the right signal to send.
CNN's Kathleen Koch has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Words of praise from a president clearly pleased with the outcome of the U.N. sanctions vote.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This action by the United Nations, which was swift and tough, says that we are united in our determination to see to it that the Korean peninsula is nuclear weapons free.
KOCH: Mr. Bush, at the same time, extending an olive branch to North Korea.
BUSH: There's a better way forward for the people of North Korea. If the leader of North Korea were to verifiably end his weapons programs, the United States and other nations would be willing to help the nation recover economically.
KOCH: But earlier, Democrats criticized Bush policy, implying his administration's rejection of one-on-one talks with North Korea had backfired.
PATRICK MURPHY, DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: We do not make America more secure by sticking our heads in the sand. Neglect will never make us safer, nor do does disengagement and denial make our enemies less dangerous.
KOCH: The White House would not comment on the fact that the initial sanctions proposed by the U.S. had been scaled back to gain U.N. approval. But one expert insists that is not a significant setback.
DANIEL PONEMAN, FMR. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBER: I think frankly, the sanctions themselves, in the first instance, could be somewhat modest and still be effective if the message is clear, because they can always be made stronger.
KOCH: Despite a draft statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence saying the U.S. has evidence of radioactivity from the site where North Korea apparently conducted its test, there still has been no definitive confirmation it was a successful nuclear test.
That did not appear to impact the Security Council vote.
BALBINA HWANG, HERITAGE FOUNDATION: I don't think, at this point, these countries are concerned of whether or not we can scientifically prove it. We all know it's very difficult to do so. Again, the point is that politically North Korea has made that statement and crossed that line in the international community.
KOCH (on camera): The Bush administration was so confident sanctions would pass, that it had already made plans to send Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to the region. She leaves Tuesday on a six- day trip to Japan, China and South Korea to work out how countries can quickly implement the resolution.
Kathleen Koch, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, Russia has long ties with North Korea and is one of the few countries that speaks directly with Pyongyang. Now, the Russian nuclear envoy today arrived in South Korea after visiting North Korea last week. North Korea's claim of a nuclear test makes many Russians very nervous. The test site is not far from the Russian border.
And CNN's Ryan Chilcote is in that remote region and joins us live.
Ryan, you are one of the very few journalists who had an opportunity to speak with North Koreans. What do they have to say about this claimed nuclear test?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure. Well, Betty, there are about 10,000 estimated -- 10,000 North Koreans in Russia. It's important to point out that these are not defectors.
The North Koreans that are in Russia are here basically on a deal between the North Korean and Russian government that allows North Korean workers to come to Russia to work at construction sites, to work in timber. And they are almost always under the control of North Korean communist party officials who basically serve as minders, making sure that they don't interact with the local population.
They are very isolated. They usually live in work camps completely separate from the rest of Russian society, or in dormitories, and spend their entire days working.
So it was very clear to me that they are under very specific instructions not to talk to people. In particular, not to talk to reporters.
In fact, I had a couple of instances where when I tried to interview some North Koreans they just turned around and ran away from me. I've also had a couple of instances where their minders really tried to interfere with me conducting my interviews.
Having said that, a couple of North Koreans did tell me that they support, as they put it, their "dear leader's" most recent actions. They seemed to really believe that the United States poses a threat to North Korea, that the United States is basically the basis of all of North Korea's problems, and that this nuclear weapon that they're trying to develop is a good response to that, that it could help them in resolving their problems with the United States. Having said that, it's very difficult when you talk to these people to really know whether they're giving their own opinion, or whether they're just giving you the North Korean communist party line -- Betty.
NGUYEN: A very good point.
Let's talk about the Russian perspective just for a moment, because Russia is a neighbor with North Korea. They do have direct talks with Pyongyang, as we mentioned.
So where does Russia stand, especially now that it voted in favor of these sanctions?
CHILCOTE: Well, Russia's stance is quite clear. Russia believes that the test was outrageous, and Russia supported the sanctions against North Korea, they were part of that resolution passed in the U.N. Security Council yesterday.
Having said that, Russia only supported those -- that resolution after any language that would have allowed for military action was taken out. Russia really is against military action. It feels that, particularly because it shares a border with North Korea, that any kind of instability in North Korea, any kind of refugee crisis that could be created by a military situation, that would be very bad for Russia. So it has been quite consistent in imposing any kind of military action.
Now, Russia has an ideological relationship -- or had an ideological relationship with North Korea for a very long time. They shared their communist ties. That ended about 15 years ago, but the Russians still have a lot of contacts with North Korean officials.
And it's no surprise that there was a Russian official in North Korea this past week. In fact, the first senior diplomat to travel to North Korea after the test was from Russia.
He's now in South Korea. He's expected to talk to the South Korean nuclear chief there. And one of the things he's going to be trying to do is work out a deal where North Korea will agree to rejoin the so-called six-party talks.
In fact, Russia believes that if it can get North Korea to rejoin those talks and get rid of its weapons program, then it will -- then there is no need for sanctions, that the sections can be called off. Even though just yesterday, of course, it supported those sanctions in the U.N. Security Council -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Well, that has been a key issue, trying to get North Korea to join these six-party talks. We'll see if these sanctions help them decide on whether they're going to do that, or stay where they are. We'll see.
Ryan Chilcote, thank you, joining us from the Russian-North Korean border -- T.J.
HOLMES: Police search for a black Jeep Cherokee in the murder of a family along Florida's turnpike. The latest in about five minutes.
Plus a look at your weather this morning with Bonnie.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: "Now in the News," tough trade sanctions are imminent for North Korea. The U.N. Security Council has unanimously voted to isolate the country even further because of North Korea's claim of a nuclear test. The North Korean ambassador denounced the sanctions as "gangster-like" and walked out.
October is becoming one of the deadliest months for U.S. forces in Iraq. A roadside bombing outside Baghdad killed three American soldiers Saturday. Forty-six U.S. service members' deaths are already reported for this month. And since the war began, 2,760 U.S. service members have died in Iraq.
Also, at least six people have been killed in a series of attacks across Afghanistan today. That's according to various wire reports.
Three of the victims were policemen killed by suspected Taliban insurgents. Others include a member of the provincial assembly. This year's violence has been the worst since the Taliban's ouster five years ago.
NGUYEN: Ecuadorians vote for a new president today. Rafael Correa, an outspoken admirer of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, is a heavy favorite. Now if he wins, Ecuador would become part of a broad shift to the left in Latin America. Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Argentina and Uruguay have also voted in left-leaning governments.
Check this out: instant chaos at the Orange Bowl. The University of Miami faced off against Florida International University for the first time, mind you.
Punches, well, they flew. Helmets, they came off, as a sidelines-clearing brawl broke out in the third quarter.
Look at that. Thirteen players ejected from the game. Well, they'll likely face off -- well, speaking of facing off, they faced off there, but they are going to face probably at least a one-game suspension at minimum.
We run down the top stories every 15 minutes right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, with in-depth coverage all morning long. So your next check of the headlines coming up at 7:30 Eastern.
HOLMES: We now know more about the family found shot to death Friday along Florida's turnpike. Relatives say the man and woman were high school sweethearts. They married, had children, and moved to Florida for a better life just months ago.
But as CNN's Susan Candiotti reports, the killer is still a mystery. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The day before Jose Escobedo's 29th birthday, police say he and his wife Yessica and two young sons were all shot multiple times. Their bodies left in the grass on the side of the Florida turnpike.
From tire marks, the killer or killers took off southbound in the family's missing car. A 1998 Jeep similar to this one, and investigators want to find it.
SHERIFF KEN MASCARA, ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA: It is actually a four-door Jeep Cherokee. It is black in color and we now have the addition of a temporary tag.
CANDIOTTI: A temporary paper tag in the rear window.
The Escobedos' bodies were abandoned about an hour's drive north from where they lived, a house in Palm Beach County. Property records indicate it's a rental.
MASCARA: This victim family moved recently to the Greenacres area of West Palm Beach on June 15th. They moved here from the Brownsville, Texas, area.
CANDIOTTI: Authorities will not reveal how the couple was employed.
Investigators spent the day reviewing nearly 500 hours of toll booth plaza surveillance videos, looking for signs of the family's Jeep. Police also are analyzing bullets, casings and blood collected from the crime scene.
The boys, ages 3 and 4, were found tucked under their mother's arms, as though police say she was trying to shield them from the killer's bullets.
(on camera): Seven law enforcement agencies are involved in this case. Police trying to find out who killed this family so viciously, and why.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Fort Pierce, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Stories "Across America" this morning for you.
Police in Iowa say a 22-year-old man is suspected of killing his entire family. Police responding to an early-morning 911 call found Shawn Michael Bentler's parents and his three sisters dead, apparently of gunshot wounds. Bentler is being held on unrelated charges.
Well, a gruesome scene awaited guests arriving early to a little boy's birthday party in Miami. Friends discovered two people shot to death and at least four others seriously wounded, including one child. Relatives of the victims believe the shootings may have been part of a home invasion robbery.
North Korea's claims of a nuclear test aren't sitting well with many Korean-Americans. Look at this. Hundreds took to the streets in Garden Grove, California, to protest. The rally was organized by the Korean-American Federation of Orange County. The group says it wants Pyongyang to stop any nuclear test immediately.
HOLMES: All right. You know that story, the bull in the china shop.
NGUYEN: Yes. It's not a very happy story.
HOLMES: Yes. Well, maybe this one will work out a little better. The elephant crossing the U.S.-Mexican border, what role...
NGUYEN: Oh, interesting.
HOLMES: What role does a Republican candidate for Congress play in all this?
NGUYEN: Oh my.
HOLMES: Jeanne Moos has the answer in about 18 minutes.
NGUYEN: Some people will do anything, won't they?
Well, let's talk about this for a minute. Gospel -- the gospel of money perhaps?
HOLMES: Preach it to me. Preach it to me, please.
NGUYEN: Preach it. Prosperity theology is what some are preaching. Does god really want you to be rich, or does god want you to be poor? And does he or she really care?
"Faces of Faith" right here in about 16 minutes right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: The rain comes down. And here comes the mud now.
You're looking at Willow Beach, along the Arizona side of the Colorado River. Hours of steady rain caused mudslides.
NGUYEN: Oh my. That guy didn't get too far.
HOLMES: Oh. Poor guy. I think it's a new truck, too.
Well, rangers rescued dozens of stranded people -- as you can see why they were stranded. They say it may take several days before the road can be reopened.
And also, we move to Vegas now. Vegas, Nevada. A stretch of highway shut down. You probably don't need me to explain to you why. You can see it there. Floodwater accumulated in the north and southbound lanes after a storm. Crews used pumps to drain that water. It was a traffic nightmare for hundreds of drivers who had no choice but to sit and wait it out.
NGUYEN: Well, you know, rain is causing lots of problems, not just there, but in many parts of the country.
Bonnie Schneider is in today for Reynolds Wolf.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: Well, America votes. As you know, midterm elections just a few weeks away.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: We'll look at the troubles facing the Republican Party. Maybe you heard about some of those troubles and its chances of retaining majority control in the House and Senate.
That report just minutes away.
NGUYEN: Plus, the Mexican-American border, the immigration debate. And, oh my goodness, an ambitious Republican, shall we say, a candidate for Congress, on an elephant. What are they doing? Well, it's all the perfect ingredients for a lighter take-home politics by our Jeanne Moos.
You don't want to miss this. It's coming up in 10 minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: "Now in the News," tough trade sanctions are imminent for North Korea. The U.N. Security Council has unanimously voted to isolate the country even further because of North Korea's claim of a nuclear test. The North Korean ambassador denounced the sanctions as a "gangster-like" situation and then walked out.
Well, a roadside bombing in Baghdad is blamed for the deaths of three U.S. soldiers. The killings brings the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq this month alone to 46. At the current pace, October will become the deadliest month for U.S. forces in Iraq since January of last year.
And in Afghanistan, wire reports say at least six people have been killed in a series of attacks across the country today. Three victims were policemen killed by suspected Taliban insurgents. Others include a member of the provincial assembly. This year's violence has been the worst since the Taliban's ouster five years ago.
HOLMES: Well, it didn't take long for college football's newest rivalry to become ugly. The first time these two teams every played each other, University of Miami and Florida International University. The teams are just miles away from each other in Florida. The first time they got together, and this is what happened. Maybe they shouldn't have gotten together all this time.
NGUYEN: Oh, they got together all right.
HOLMES: A sidelines-clearing brawl went on for a long, long time.
NGUYEN: My.
HOLMES: Finally, the fight was interrupted by a football game. The 13 players in all were ejected from that game.
And of course we run down the top stories every 15 minutes here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines coming up at 7:45 Eastern Time.
That fight was ugly. That was -- it's sad.
NGUYEN: You know what? That game was a good one, though, except the fight kind of got you thinking, what is going -- the first time they ever get together and that's what happens?
HOLMES: Yes. But it's a tough rivalry. A lot of those guys played each other in high school and all -- a lot of emotion. And it was just...
NGUYEN: OK. You're making excuses.
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: But welcome back to you all.
I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen.
We want to thank you for starting your day with us.
HOLMES: Well, a State Department official says the U.S. wants North Korean leaders to feel the pinch. The U.N. Security Council has voted unanimously to slap sanctions on North Korea. This follows North Korea's claim that it tested a nuclear weapon. President Bush sees the U.N. resolution as a message of solidarity against a nuclear North Korea.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: This action by the United Nations, which was swift and tough, says that we are united in our determination to see to it that the Korean Peninsula is nuclear weapons-free. I have said all along there is a better way forward for North Korea. There's a better way forward for the people of North Korea. If the leader of North Korea were to verifiably end his weapons programs, the United States and other nations would be willing to help the nation recover economically. (END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: South Korea and Japan may be the most concerned about North Korea becoming a nuclear power. Both countries' capitals could be within striking distance of the North Korean military. Seoul and Tokyo are deeply worried about the possibility of a fanatical North Korean army equipped with weapons of mass destruction.
CNN's Atika Shubert, in Tokyo, has more on the Japanese perspective on the crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Japan welcomes the Security Council resolution. It has been pushing for tough measures from the very start.
Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, reacted to the news today by saying that the resolution sends "a strong message that the international community will not tolerate North Korea's owning nuclear weapons." In fact, Japan has been pushing for the harshest measures, precisely because it feels the most threatened by North Korea.
Japan feels it would be the most likely target of a North Korean attack. And for that reason, Japan has gone ahead and unilaterally pass its own sanctions against North Korea, even before the Security Council resolution was passed.
Japan has banned the import and export of North Korean goods. Also banned the entry of any North Korean ships. It also prohibits the travel of any North Korean citizens into Japan.
Now, those measures will be in effect for the next six months, but the Japanese government has said it is considering whether or not to extend those sanctions and whether or not tougher sanctions will be imposed. All in the hope that North Korea can be coerced into giving up its nuclear weapons program.
Atika Shubert, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Here's a reminder for you. U.N. Ambassador John Bolton appears later this morning on CNN's "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER". That is today at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.
HOLMES: Midterm elections just 23 days away, and counting. And Republicans facing one embarrassment after another -- the Foley-page scandal, the Abramoff May influencing pedaling probe, and it goes on and on. Now some Republicans are bracing for the possibility of losing control of Congress.
CNN's Joe Johns reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The Republican Party has a slew of bad luck omens for the midterm elections. And like Jason from the movie, they just don't seem to go away.
Besides former congressman Mark Foley, whose Internet chat logs with former pages are striking fear in the hearts of GOP candidates, the one who keeps coming back is Jack Abramoff, the fedora-wearing lobbyist turned government witness who is at the heart of a guilty plea on corruption charges by disgraced Ohio congressman Bob Ney. Court documents in the Ney case works like an attack ad writer's dream.
He pleaded guilty to accepting trips worth $170,000, along with meals and concert tickets. He could face 27 months in prison and up to $60,000 in fines.
In a statement, Ney blamed Abramoff and Washington. "I never acted to enrich myself or to get things I shouldn't," He said. "But over time, I allowed myself to get too comfortable with the way things have been done in Washington, D.C., for too long."
Ney's party wants him out.
TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: What Congressman Ney did is not a reflection of the Republican Party, it's a reflection of Congressman Ney. And he ought to step down.
JOHNS: The Republican leadership pledged to expel Ney when Congress reconvenes in November. But that's not nearly the end of it. Jack Abramoff's reported ties to Republican senator Conrad Burns of Montana have caused problems in his tight race for reelection.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Conrad Burns, delivering for Jack Abramoff.
JOHNS: He's been charged with no crime and gave back about $150,000 in donations he received from Abramoff and his associates. Burns says he wasn't influenced by Abramoff. But as recently as last night's debate, he was still defending himself on the issue.
SEN. CONRAD BURNS (R), MONTANA: You've been beating up on me for 18 months on Jack Abramoff. I broke no law.
JOHNS: The Montana race is said to be the only Senate race in the country where an incumbent is clearly threatened by alleged ties to Abramoff. And some once firm House GOP districts, including the seat of former house majority leader Tom DeLay, who resigned, are not so firm anymore either.
AMY WALTER, COOK POLITICAL REPORT: I think there has been collateral damage done in a number of House races, most specifically Tom DeLay's old seat and Bob Ney's old seat.
JOHNS: Republicans are trying to conjure up some bad luck for Democrats, hitting Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid for what the GOP calls a shady land deal. Reid has aggressively defended the deal, saying it was all above board and perfectly legal. The story hasn't caught as much traction, partly because the GOP controls the Congress. And if you think all this is scary, just remember, Halloween is still just two weeks away.
Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And of course that's Joe Johns. He's one member of what we like to call the best political team on television.
And a reminder to you. Stay up to date on the latest election news by turning to the CNN "Political Ticker" any time. Just log on to cnn.com/ticker.
NGUYEN: How can you miss it/ It's right there.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: CNN.com/ticker, folks.
All right. How is this for you? Take one elephant, a border crossing, and a mariachi band, and what do you get?
HOLMES: Well, I assumed it was about to be a bad joke. But actually, she's talking about a Republican campaign ad.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: And who else do we turn to for this story but CNN's Jeanne Moos?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We see him, all right. An illegal immigrant crossing into Texas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see him.
MOOS: Come along for the chase.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Quickly, quickly!
MOOS: They may sound like stampeding elephants, but that part of the story comes later. Back to the illegal immigrant chase.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope he doesn't have a gun.
MOOS: The only thing anybody's shooting off here is their mouth.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right under the U.S. crossing station.
MOOS: This is Raj Bhakta, running for Congress in Pennsylvania, through Raj is better known as one of the contestants...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... those pants, man, they are on fire, man. Those pants!
MOOS: Who eventually got fired in season two of "The Apprentice."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man, I'm getting my ass handed to me today.
MOOS: but Now he's a Republican congressional candidate, and one of his big issues is immigration. While visiting a border crossing in Brownsville, Texas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, hey, hey.
MOOS: Raj stumbled on that illegal immigrant. And as the practically immigrant ran right into the border checkpoint.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unbelievable.
MOOS: Raj mocked what seemed to be the lack of border security.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You going to catch somebody?
MOOS: The border patrol says both Raj and the immigrant were already under surveillance, and the immigrant would have been caught anyway.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's our border security for you, right there.
MOOS: The immigrant was detained.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we did something today.
MOOS: What Raj did was make this campaign video. If they couldn't catch an immigrant crossing the Rio Grande, how about an elephant splashing in it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With a mariachi band playing, and there's nobody playing here, play on boys.
MOOS: The three elephants were briefly detained at a checkpoint later, as they were being driven back to the circus they came from.
The border patrol said, "To our knowledge, there is no problem with bringing three elephants and a mariachi band to a private ranch along the border."
(on camera): Elephants aren't the only ones who never forget. How could fans of "The "Apprentice" forget the time that Raj hit on the receptionist moments after being hired by Donald Trump?
DONALD TRUMP, THE APPRENTICE: Raj, I think you made a lot of mistakes. Raj, you're fired.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So Robin, what is your number?
MOOS (voice-over): We don't know if he got the girl, but he did get the elephant.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go, welcome to America.
MOOS: America, the land of the free and the home of broken borders, or is it broken Spanish?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you say hold on in Spanish?
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All I can say is, oh, my.
HOLMES: Don't you just love political season?
NGUYEN: Oh, my.
HOLMES: It brings them out of the woodwork, doesn't it?
NGUYEN: Yes, they're all coming out.
OK. How rich and prosperous does god really want you to be?
HOLMES: Not very. Well, that's just me right now.
NGUYEN: Are you speaking from personal experience?
HOLMES: We're going to find out what several televangelists say in our "Faces of Faith" segment, prosperity theology. That's ahead in about seven minutes.
Plus, a look at your weather -- Bonnie.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: "Now in the News," tough trade sanctions are imminent for North Korea. The U.N. Security Council has unanimously voted to isolate the country even further because of North Korea's claim of a nuclear test. The North Korean ambassador denounced the sanctions as "gangster-like". Then he walked out.
October is becoming one of the deadliest months for U.S. forces in Iraq. A roadside bomb outside Baghdad killed three American soldiers Saturday. Forty-six U.S. service members' deaths are already reported this month. Since the war began, 2,760 U.S. service members have died in Iraq.
Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, wire reports say at least six people have been killed in a series of attacks across the country today. Three of the victims were policemen killed by suspected Taliban insurgents. Others include a member of the provincial assembly. This year's violence has been the worst since the Taliban's ouster five years ago. NGUYEN: There is mourning in Gaza today. Israeli troops killed eight Palestinians in clashes yesterday, six from the militant group Hamas and two from the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. Twenty-one Palestinians have been killed in the past three days in Israel's bid to stop rocket fire form Gaza coming into Israel.
Let's get you over to Bonnie Schneider for a quick check of the weather outside.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: And we do run down the top stories every 15 minutes right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, with in-depth coverage all morning long. So your next check of the headlines coming up at the top of the hour.
Well, today Pope Benedict recognized Mother Theodora Guerin as a saint in a canonization ceremony on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica. Mother Guerin left for France for the U.S. in the 1800s. And despite persistent health problems, she negotiated land deals and opened a convent, and even schools, including St. Mary of the Woods College in Indiana. She's also been credited with two miracles and called a model of virtue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The word of god is the gateway to the world of wealth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Prosperity theology, some call it the gospel of money, the idea that god wants us to be rich and prosperous. It's particularly popular with so-called mega pastors and televangelists, and it has its critics.
CNN Faith and Values Correspondent Delia Gallagher has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN FAITH AND VALUES CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sunday morning, the sun has just risen and already thousands are streaming into a giant church south of Atlanta, to hear this pastor talk about blessings, God and money. Yes, money, and he's not shy about it.
CREFLO DOLLAR: The word of God is the gateway to the world of wealth.
GALLAGHER: Pastor Creflo Dollar. Dollar is his real name, has been growing his church for 20 years. He claims it has 29,000 members which ranks it among the largest Christian churches in the United States. Pastor Dollar preaches what's often referred to as a gospel of prosperity.
PASTOR CREFLO DOLLAR, WORLD CHANGERS CHURCH INTL.: Let's say you have a pie and divide it up into slices. You've got the faith slice, the deliverance slice, the healing slice and the financial slice. Now, that whole pie is called prosperity.
GALLAGHER: He says the secret to that prosperity is in the bible. To be prosperous he says all you have to do is read it, understand it and live it. Among the believers are Rick and Norma Hayes, they're in the front row, just seats away from another follower, Evander Holyfield.
RICK HAYES, MEMBER, WORLD CHANGERS: I can think of one scripture in particular in Psalms 112, which says wealth and riches shall be in my house.
GALLAGHER: Like others, the Hayes believe material wealth is just part of the prosperity God blesses on those who follow his word. Rick says he was homeless just before e entered the church 14 years ago. Now, he's a successful salesman. He has a nice home, income and expensive cars.
According to "TIME" magazine, 61 percent of Christian Americans believe God wants people to be financially prosperous. It's all part of a trend led by pastors like Dollar and Joel Osteen, whose Houston area church with his similar church, is the largest in the United States. Dollar's teachings are a bit controversial. Among other things critics say, it ignores one of the bible's central themes, the suffering of Christ.
DOLLAR: There's this Jesus who died for us so we can have a type of life that experiences peace and prosperity.
GALLAGHER: What's more, he says poverty is a curse and that poor people can find prosperity if they believe. The Reverend Dr. James Forbes is the senior minister at Riverside Church in New York. He sees some positive things in the prosperity movement, but has concerns.
REV. DR. JAMES FORBES, RIVERSIDE CHURCH: I do think that extraordinary luxury begins to undercut the authenticity of the message of God's care for all of us.
GALLAGHER: Dollar and their followers say they use their financial success to help the poor and their church. Tithing or donating is a central part of the church's belief.
DOLLAR: Well it's opportunity for prosperity time.
GALLAGHER: Dollar believes it required by the bible and that God gives back to the true believers who put in. And from the looks of the parking lot, it seems to be working.
Delia Gallagher, CNN, Atlanta.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Oh, well. No doubt that -- let's just change. Should (ph) we? Autumn is here. HOLMES: And so is Nicole.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: We're not very prosperous.
NICOLE LAPIN, CNN PIPELINE NEWS ANCHOR: No, we are prosperous. What a better way to enjoy the season than packing up and taking a road trip?
NGUYEN: Oh, that sounds good.
LAPIN: But where are you going to go? Don't worry. I'll tell you how to find the top 10 most scenic drives in America coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, autumn is in the air. For some folks, winter already. But we know that we should all start bundling up. But what can we do to really enjoy this season?
Nicole Lapin, here from CNN.com, is going to give us a little help in that category.
Good morning.
LAPIN: No problem, Betty. Good morning.
You know the bite in the morning air? We all feel that.
NGUYEN: Yes.
LAPIN: The orange creeping up in the leaves.
NGUYEN: Yes.
LAPIN: Autumn is here, and it's time to start enjoying the season. Find out the best way to do that at CNN.com.
What a better way to celebrate the cooler temps than packing up and taking a road trip? Fill up your tank, grab your camera.
We've got the top 10 most scenic drives for you, like the mountainside of Blackwater Falls State Park in West Virginia. Look at that, the picturesque covered bridges of Vermont. Or you can go along the coast and take Highway 1 on PCH.
Are you a B&B person? Don't worry. We've got you covered, too. We have the list of the best ones for optimal leaf peeping, like the Mayflower Inn in Connecticut, where you can just lounge and soak up the inn's autumn scenery.
Are you on a budget? Don't worry, we've got you covered, too.
You know all those apple festivals, hey rides? Look at all the pretty pictures. Well, we have all the typical fall fun for cheap. Have you ever heard of ghost tours and cornfield mazes?
(CROSSTALK)
LAPIN: You can find the obscure and the zen-like and the rest that the season has to offer all at cnn.com/exploring.autumn.
NGUYEN: Those pictures are so calming. I'm ready to take a trip. Thank you, Nicole.
LAPIN: Sure.
NGUYEN: Well, you want to stick around, because we are going to update the top stories at the top of the hour.
HOLMES: And we've been showing this a couple times this morning. This is just ugly. I'll bet the presidents of these colleges wish we would stop showing this.
A college football game last night got a bit out of control, as you can see. We'll show you what happened in this Florida "footbrawl".
NGUYEN: Plus, from Wall Street to the White House, a lot of experts say the economy is going strong. So why are so many people having trouble making ends meet?
That's ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Now in the news can international sanctions persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions? The U.N. Security Council thinks so. It has unanimously voted d to impose trade sanctions to punish North Korea for its claims of a nuclear test. A report from the U.N. on North Korea's defiant reaction that is just one minute ahead.
It's been a deadly weekend for U.S. troops in Iraq. A roadside bomb blast in Baghdad killed three American soldiers and military officials say one marine was killed in combat Saturday in Anbar Province. A roadside bombing Friday killed another soldier.
HOLMES: Police say an Iowa man is suspected in the killing of his parents and three teenage sisters. Authorities believe the family was shot to death, 22-year-old Sean Michael Bentler is being held on unrelated drug and traffic charges.
Ecuadorians vote for a new president today. Rafael Pereya an outspoken admiral a Venzuala leader Chavez is a heavy favorite. Pereya has put Wall Street a bit on edge with pledges to restructure foreign debt and suspend free trade talks with the U.S.
NGUYEN: All right. Take a close look at the TV screen. Take a look at this. An ugly night for college football as the first-ever meeting between the University of Miami and Florida International University turned out into an all-out brawl. Fists flying and helmets came off. Words were exchanged and we can't even say what was said on the field. Thirteen players were ejected after the five-minute may lie; it went on forever it seems.
Now lets get you something a little calmer, well it depends on where you live. Bonnie Schneider has a quick check of the weather for us. Good morning Bonnie.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning Betty. It is a chilly morning in Minneapolis at this hour, only 29 degrees. The good news is temperatures will warm up later on in the day. We're expecting it to climb near 60. We're expecting other changes across the map and I'll have your full weather forecast in just a bit.
NGUYEN: All right. Bonnie we will be watching. We do run down the top stories every 15 minutes right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING with in-depth coverage all morning long. So your next check of the headlines coming up at 8:15 Eastern.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we first got here we had to saturate the population and engagements just like this. We let them know we're human, too, we're not just people who ride around vehicles.
HOLMES: We take you on patrol in the infamous Sunni triangle. That is coming up at 8:15 Eastern Time.
NGUYEN: From the CNN Center this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING it is October 15th, fall is here, 8 a.m. at CNN Headquarters in Atlanta and 3 p.m. in Baghdad. Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes. Thank you so much for being here with us.
We're going to begin with the growing threat of a nuclear North Korea. Don't hold your breath that the communist country would buckle under U.N.-imposed trade sanctions. North Korean's ambassador told the Security Council as much yesterday before storming out of the session. Here's CNN's senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would those in favor of the draft resolution contained in document s/2006/805 please raise their hands.
ROTH: The Security Council resolution demands North Korea stop testing nukes, slapped a variety of sanctions on the regime and tells Pyongyang to start talking again with the world.
JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N: Today we are sending a strong and clear message to North Korea and other would-be proliferators that there will be serious repercussions in continuing to pursue weapons of mass destruction.
ROTH: But North Korea instantly rejected that message.
PAK GIL YON, NORTH KOREAN AMB. TO U.N.: The delegation of the people of Korea totally rejects the unjust resolution 17182006 adopted by the Security Council just now. It is like the Security Council to have adopted today a coercive resolution while neglecting the nuclear threat and moves for sanctions and pressure of the United States against the Democratic people of the Republic of Korea.
ROTH: North Korea is now hit with financial and weapons sanctions by the Security Council. The goal is to cut off Pyongyang from getting technology and equipment that can power the country's nuclear desires.
EMYR JONES PARRY, BRITISH AMB. TO U.N.: It not aimed at the people of North Korea were already suffering greatly.
ROTH: But cracks were already evident in the proclaimed unity of the council. The resolution requires countries to search as necessary goods going in and out of North Korea.
WANG GUANGYA, CHINESE AMB. TO U.N.: China does not approve of inspecting cargo to and from the DPRK. We, therefore, have reservations of other relevant provision of the resolution.
ROTH: North Korea's ambassador said his country-wanted dialogue, but walked out in protest before the meeting concluded.
BOLTON: I'm not going waste any of our time responding what the representative of the DPRK said, but I want to call your attention to that empty chair. That is the second time in three months that the representative of the DPRK having asked to participate in our meetings has rejected a unanimous resolution of the Security Council and walked out of this chamber. It is the contemporary equivalent of Nikita Krushchev pounding his shoe on the desk of the general assembly.
ROTH: Japan's ambassador said North Korea's walk out was not totally unexpected. If so, that may be the only recent activity by North Korea that was predicted by diplomats here, a country seemingly on a collision course with the U.S.
Richard Roth, CNN, United Nations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: You'll want to take note of this. U.N. Ambassador John Bolton will talk about North Korea today on "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer." You can tune in to that at 11:00 Eastern Time.
NGUYEN: Well whether sanctions have the desire to (INAUDIBLE) that will be known soon enough. The White House though is satisfied at least for now that the international community has responded to the North Korean threat. CNN's Ed Henry is at the White House for us this morning with much more on the administration's reaction to all of this. Good morning, Ed. It was high drama yesterday.
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Good morning Betty. The White House was watching it very closely yesterday. As you know, there are divisions over how these sanctions will be enforced so this nuclear crisis is far from over. But in the short term the White House is welcomely missed. This is a diplomatic victory for the president. He has faced sharp criticism for not getting tougher faster with North Korea the other day.
The other day in fact in a press conference the president mused that his critics said that he did not give diplomacy a chance that he went alone in rushed to war in Iraq. This time with North Korea, he's trying to solve it diplomatically. New critics are saying he should go it alone this time. Mr. Bush has been counseling patience, saying diplomacy takes time, that patience paid off yesterday and you can see the president was satisfied.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.: The leader of North Korea were to verifiably end the weapons programs the United States and other nations were willing to help the nation recover economically.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: There is not unity, however, here in the United States over how to move forward next and what the next steps will be. Democrats believe there would be a carrot and stick approach rather than the stick of sanctions wrapping North Korea that there should be incentives to get North Korea back to the table for direct talks. The White House has rejected that saying they will not reward North Korea's bad behavior and they also say that that approach failed in the Clinton administration. Clinton officials, former Clinton officials insist that's not true and note that no plutonium was ever produced on Bill Clinton's watch. Bottom line, yet another issue that has gotten wrapped up in this midterm election.
NGUYEN: Oh, yes. As we continue to look forward, what's on tap for the Bush administration this coming week? Because I understand Condoleezza Rice is headed to Asia?
HENRY: That's right. The diplomacy will continue. Condoleezza Rice in the earlier part of the week, the secretary of state will be in the region to pursue this and try to iron out exactly how these sanctions will be enforced and make sure they have the desired effect of getting North Korea to change its behavior.
Here domestically the president on Wednesday will be going to North Carolina for some fund raising and that is something we'll see more and more of as this midterm election heats up on Thursday. Watch out because the president will be having a fund-raiser for Congressman Don Sherwood. He's gotten in trouble for admitting to an extra marital affair.
Also on Thursday in Virginia the president will be raising money for Senator George Allen another embattled Republican incumbent, as you know facing questions of racial insensitivity with some things that he has said. You can bet that is going to kick up a lot of controversy. The president rushing to the aid of those endangered Republicans.
NGUYEN: You know controversy seems to be the thing as we head into the elections just weeks away. My goodness. Ed Henry thanks for staying on top of all that for us. HENRY: Thank you.
HOLMES: In the battle for control of Congress the Bush administration is trying to get voters to focus on the health of the economy instead of some of those scandals. But has that message hit home with middle-class Americans? Christine Romans has more in a report filed for Lou Dobbs tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): On Wall Street and at the White House, cheers for a record high in stock market and a pat on the back for strong, economic indicators. the pro-growth policies have worked.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.: Pro growth policies have worked.
ROMANS: But the view of the economy is quite different through the eyes of middle-class American workers.
JOHN IRONS, CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS: So you see that the economy is really only helping a few people at the top whereas most of the people in the middle are just not seeing any significant improvement or at least not like they would expect.
ROMANS: Forty seven million Americans are uninsured and more children than ever are without health insurance their parents' employers slashing benefits. We are told that education and retraining are the answer yet tuition prices are rising twice the rate of inflation. At the same time a trillion dollars in adjustable rate mortgages reset this year, it will mean hundreds of dollars more a month in mortgage payments for millions of homeowners.
Americans will have to dig deep to pay those higher bills. According to the Census Bureau real median hourly earnings for both men and women are falling, but supporters of the president's economic policy say he deserves economic bragging rights.
BRIAN S. WESBURY, ECONOMIST, FIRST TRUST ADVISORS: We've had the stock market collapse. We've had 9/11, we had deflation fears in our economy, and we've had massive hurricanes that wiped out large cities in America. We've gone to war twice. There have been incredible headwinds and don't forget to throw in $70 a barrel oil.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: He says pessimists are just looking for something to worry about and the president's policies are working; yet surveys show Americans don't feel optimistic about their condition. They are told this is a vibrant economy in the midst of a productivity boom, but for many, that's cold comfort when it's time to pay the bills.
Christine Romans, CNN, New York.
HOLMES: And coming up on CNN this Wednesday, Lou Dobbs will host a live special event from Kansas City. This is October 18th, 7 Eastern. Lou Dobbs brings you war on the middle class.
NGUYEN: Speaking of war, living in a war zone. We'll take you on patrol in Iraq as U.S. troops try to win hearts and minds in the Sunni triangle. That's next.
HOLMES: At the bottom of the hour a cancer doctor who became a patient. "House Call" tackles the mysteries and myths of breast cancer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought I'd never get cancer because this is what I do for a living. I'm very careful about my diet, my exercise and it can't possibly happen to me, and, of course, I was incredibly naive.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Now in the news, angry defiance of North Korea's U.N. Ambassador following a Security Council vote to impose sanctions against that country, he denounced the unanimous vote as gangster like and he stormed out of the room. International pressure so far has had no effect on North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
In Afghanistan, two NATO soldiers from Canada have been killed. NATO says militants ambushed them with rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire yesterday. There are reports an Italian photojournalist and his assistant have been abducted in the southern province of Helmand.
The controversial veil dispute heats up in Britain; the British newspaper quotes the government minister, as saying a Muslim teaching assistant who insists on wearing a full-face veil should be fired. She's already suspended from her job and a Muslim legislator criticized British politicians and the media for demonizing the country's Muslims.
We of course run down the top stories every 15 minutes right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines coming up at 8:30 Eastern Time.
NGUYEN: I bet you don't have to wait till the bottom of the hour for a check of the weather. Bonnie Schneider is here with a look at what is going around the nation on this Sunday morning.
Good morning to you Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: Good morning, Betty and T.J. It is chilly out there for many folks that are just sort of waking up at this hour and stepping outside or if you left the window open overnight, look at this, all of the area you see in purple this indicates where we have frost on the ground right now and that goes pretty far south into West Virginia but even further south than that we have frost advisories well into the Carolinas and you can see down through coastal South Carolina, temperatures are right around the upper 30s and into the 40s this morning so cold enough that you're definitely feeling the big chill out there. What about further to the north where we're tracking the snow that fell over the past couple of days in Buffalo. It stopped snowing now, temperatures right now are at 42 degrees. This will help melt the snow and it will cause some problems with flooding. That's a concern and we're also looking at the concern for more heavy snow and that exists for areas further to the north where we're watching out for heavy snow warning in effect for lake-effect snow and that includes areas north toward Watertown where more snow is likely to fall. But it's not just snow we're tracking here in the weather center; we're also tracking a lot of rain.
Let's walk over here and we'll head over to the big picture now and we'll show you there's rain across Oklahoma City and down to the south in northern Texas and particularly in the Houston area, plenty of moisture coming up from the Gulf of Mexico. So if you're going to be driving from Houston towards Lake Charles, it will encounter some heavy downpours and be using the windshield wipers pretty steadily throughout the day.
The reason why is our weather set up, we have high pressure over the eastern half of the country and we have low pressure working its way in from Arizona into New Mexico and eventually into Texas. As these two get closer together we're getting the influence from the south tapping into the Gulf moisture and that will not only bring about rain but the possibility of flooding conditions in places like Victoria, Texas and South Texas where flood watches are already posted due to the heavy amounts of rain that are expected.
We're also expecting rain in a place that can use it up into Portland and Oregon. We'll look for rain as this frontal system comes onshore and the blast of cooler air behind the snow. We showed you the pictures of the snow, but look at this, the cool air coming into Minneapolis and North Dakota and even into Chicago. Will start us off with temperatures that will be cool eventually warming up and we're moving into the cooler weather. High today 50 in Minneapolis, 64 in Kansas City with rain and 90 in Miami. So Betty, T.J. that's the hot spot and it always stays warm there.
NGUYEN: Yes hit the beach in Miami.
HOLMES: It's always a hot spot.
NGUYEN: For many reasons.
HOLMES: Thank you so much, Bonnie.
Well stick around because coming up.
NGUYEN: Yes the amazing advances in the battle against breast cancer. "House Call" brings you an in dept look in just 10 minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's over 2,000 years old and some will tell you it's one of the healthiest diets in the world, inspired by the traditional cuisine of countries like Italy, Spain and Greece, some health experts believe the Mediterranean diet can have dramatic benefits.
DR. DREW WARNER, VALLEY VIEW HOSPITAL: It is high in olive oil, which is unsaturated fat, which is really much better for us. It's better for our hearts and other things.
COSTELLO: DR. Warner believes the Mediterranean diet helps lower the risk of cancer and obesity. This Sicilian woman says she savors her food and eats less red meat than an average American does.
ANTONELLA CALGERONE, MEDITERRANEAN DIETER: I like American meat, but I prefer Sicilian fish.
COSTELLO: And fresh fish is a key part of the Mediterranean diet, also lots of fresh produce, olive oil, whole grains and wine, but only in moderation, of course. Although the diet is higher in fat, people in the Mediterranean region eat smaller portions so they consume fewer calories.
Carol Costello, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, you've heard it many times, military operations aimed at rooting out insurgents in Iraq. The army's Bravo Company is undertaking one of those right now. CNN's Arwa Damon is embedded with them. Take a look.
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Souter (ph) Yusufiya is at the Apex of what is often coined the triangle of death. A sanctuary for insurgents that sits along a Sunni-Shia fault line. We just want to be saved from this, Habib says. We don't want anything, no money, and no work, just to be saved from this era.
The impact of the last three and a half years is evident in the eyes. Many of them believe especially here that Iraq is broken. This area is not far from where insurgents kidnapped and killed two U.S. soldiers last June. Also not far from here the brutal rape and murder of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and her entire family. Four U.S. soldiers and one former soldier are facing charges for that crime.
The primary mission of the men of Bravo Company is to cut off insurgent lines to Baghdad, to successfully interrupt the insurgency they have to win over a community that's been a tinderbox in the past. Their principle is, treat everyone with dignity and respect and they think it's paying off.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we first got here we really -- we had to saturate the population with engagements just like this, we let them know we're human, too, we're not just people who ride vehicles and now we get out here and attitudes changed probably, I can't even tell you, it's crazy. Little kids like this would be running away right now. DAMON: Regardless of the area's past, there are some in this predominantly Sunni community who believe that the U.S. presence is keeping Shia militias away. Abu Oman sought shelter here from sectarian violence in Yusifiya. He blames America, wants the troops out, but at the same time desperately wants the United States to fulfill its initial promise.
We want the news they put out before they came Abu Omar says that they are going to build Iraq, but other Iraqis not convinced that the U.S. can help, are looking to a higher authority. God will bring peace, not America, not anyone else, Muhammad says, just god can save us from this misery now. The stakes could not be higher in Iraq, but in such a complex environment there are no simple answers.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Yusifiya, Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So far in the month of October we've seen 40 Americans killed and that that could be one of the bloodiest months in two years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The general recognition that things, not going the way they should be.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Or does the U.S. trying to isolate North Korea.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE U.S: Once again North Korea has defied the will of the international community and the international community will respond.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: You'll want to tune in to CNN at 1 Eastern today and here's why. We're going to give you an in-depth look of recent developments in Iraq. John Roberts is the host of "This Week at War."
HOLMES: All right. We have a population puzzle for you to figure out. Majority of Americans married or single?
NGUYEN: That's a good question.
HOLMES: Got some new numbers out. It might surprise you. We are going to have that story next. Our next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
NGUYEN: Check this out, details on this college football brawl. Oh, yes. Big-time brawl. We'll have that in three minutes.
HOLMES: Then it's "House Call" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He's showing you medical advances helping more women survive breast cancer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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