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CNN Sunday Morning

DPRK Ambassador Calls Sanctions 'Gangster-Like'; Can GOP Recover from Foley Scandal?

Aired October 15, 2006 - 09:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: "Now in the News," a new round of diplomacy on tap this week aimed at diffusing the North Korean nuclear crisis. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice leaves Tuesday for South Korea, Japan and China. She is following up on a U.N. Security Council vote to impose sanctions on North Korea. We do have a live update from the White House, that's ahead.
Well, a string of deadly car bombings rocks the city of Kirkuk. Police say four blasts within 30 minutes killed at least eight people and wounded 40 others, including several students at an Islamic girl school. Officials say the blast came from parked cars, not suicide bombers.

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. Autopsies are scheduled for today. 22-year-old Shawn Michael Bentler is being held on unrelated drug and traffic charges.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, The game of football, it is violent enough already, it got a little more violent last night in this first-ever game between...

NGUYEN: Oh yes, just a little.

HOLMES: ... University of Miami and Florida International University. It got ugly in the third quarter, threw in violence to go on top of some more violence. Got a brawl going, sidelines cleared. This thing last five to 10 minutes. It took a while to get everyone separated. But 13 players -- there goes the helmet.

NGUYEN: Did you see that helmet?

HOLMES: Yes. Thirteen players were ejected from this thing.

NGUYEN: It looks like he is about to do it again.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: And 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 9:15 Eastern time.

An adoring little boy becomes a troubled teen. Now his parents want to get rid of him. Should they be allowed to un-adopt him?

NGUYEN: I wonder if that is even possible. HOLMES: Whew, I think my mama tried to give me back a couple of times, too. But I'm still with you, mama.

NGUYEN: Well, knowing you, I can understand. No, I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding.

HOLMES: Well, from the CNN Center, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is October 15th, 9:00 a.m. here in Atlanta, 6:00 a.m. on the West Coast. Hello wherever you are, I'm T.J. Holmes.

NGUYEN: Yes. We'll keep you around for a little while, T.J., depending how you act. Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. We want to thank you for starting your day with us.

All right. We begin this hour with the North Korean threat and an international response to North Korea's claim last week that it conducted a nuclear weapons test. The U.N. Security Council has voted to impose sanctions. Among the key points, freezing any North Korean assets intended for nuclear and weapons programs, and banning travel and luxury goods. Now that is aimed at high-level North Korean officials. North Korea's U.N. ambassador had a terse response before walking out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAK GIL YON, NORTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR 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, considering it as a declaration of war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: And as you can imagine, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton, well, he was not impressed by the threat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: I'm not going 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 from 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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now whether those sanctions have the desired effect will be soon known soon enough. The White House is satisfied at least for now that the international community has responded forcefully. CNN's Ed Henry at the White House live for us this morning with what's happening around there.

Good morning to you, Ed. ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, T.J. You know, there still are questions, there is division over exactly how these sanctions will be enforced. So this nuclear crisis is not over yet, but in the short term this is a clear diplomatic victory for President Bush.

He's been facing heavy criticism for not getting tougher with North Korea sooner. Mr. Bush has been counseling patience, saying that diplomacy takes time. That patience paid off yesterday, obviously, and you could tell that after that U.N. vote, the president appeared satisfied.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: 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.

The message today, however, says to the leader of North Korea that the world is united in our opposition to his nuclear weapons plans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: There is not unity here in the United States, however. Democrats on Capitol Hill saying that the president should have more of a carrot and stick approach. The carrot of incentives, not just the stick of these sanctions wrapping North Korea. Those incentives of course could include direct talks with Pyongyang. So far the White House, though, has rejected those direct talks. They say they don't want incentives on the table that could reward the bad behavior of North Korea -- T.J.

HOLMES: Well, Ed, of course, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice heading over to Asia this week. What is she hoping to get accomplished?

HENRY: Well, starting on Tuesday she'll be in Japan, China, South Korea, three key members of those so-called six-party talks. That's the framework that the president has chosen to try to solve this diplomatically. A lot of criticism though here in the United States that those six-party talks have yielded very little. That's why there's been pressure on the president to do bilateral, direct talks with North Korea and the United States.

The president has said he believes that failed in the Clinton administration and that's why he'd rather go the six-party route -- T.J.

HOLMES: Yes. It doesn't seem like he's going to change his mind on that one. Thank you so much, Ed Henry from the White House for us this morning.

NGUYEN: Well, 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, well, they are deeply worried about the possibility of a fanatical North Korean army equipped with weapons of mass destruction. CNN's Sohn Ji-Ae has just returned from North Korea for a firsthand look at the situation there. And she joins us now from Seoul.

Tell us about that trip and actually who you got to speak with while there?

SOHN JI-AE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, it was actually quite interesting that on the day that the United Nations decided to impose economic sanctions on North Korea, we were in North Korea at a place which actually showed how limited any type of economic sanctions could be without the cooperation of a U.S. ally, South Korea.

It was in Mount Kumgang, it's one of the most beautiful mountains in North Korea, which has been developed by a South Korean company. And even though there are nuclear tensions going on, about a thousand South Koreans go to these mountains every day, especially at this time of year which is the peak autumn season.

And it is expected that in this time about a million dollars, more than a million dollars of hard currency goes on North Korea from the South Korean company for these tours.

Now, we went and talked to the South Koreans. They were really not worried at all. They were just there to just enjoy the beautiful mountains. We got to talk to some North Koreans. The North Koreans understood, they were following the party line to a T.

They say that the United States forced North Korea to make the nuclear bombs and that the North Koreans felt that they needed to make these nuclear weapons for their own safe defense. So it is a very interesting part of North Korea. It seems, in a way, to be very apart from the rest of the world -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Ji-Ae, let me ask you this, because you say the South Koreans didn't seem too worried about the situation, but do they feel that these sanctions will indeed prevent, say, another nuclear test?

SOHN: Well, South Koreans have seen sanctions against North Korea come and go and they actually haven't seen a lot of results come out of these except for a lot of harsh words from North Korea and a lot of tensions go up.

So South Koreans at this point are watching it with very worried concern, but they have not seen a lot of results coming out of this. A lot of South Koreans want more negotiations, more dialogue, possibly between the United States and North Korea. Any type of dialogue to resolve the issue in a peaceful manner is actually what South Korea really needs and wants at this point -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Interesting perspective from both South and North Koreans. Sohn Jie-Ae, thanks for joining us this morning.

HOLMES: And CNN's Wolf Blitzer just wrapped up talking to U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton, who says the U.S. has not forgotten about Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOLTON: I hope the lesson they learn is that if they continue to pursue nuclear weapons, they will face the same kind of isolation and restrictions that we have just imposed on the North Koreans.

The Iranians as well could have dialogue with the United States. They could enjoy a completely different relationship with the United States if they would suspend their uranium enrichment activities.

This is an unparalleled offer that President Bush's administration has made that the Iranians have spurned because they seem to be obsessed with the idea of getting nuclear weapons. And as long as they pursue that course, we will have to respond accordingly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And you can see that full interview today on "LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER." That starts at 11:00 Eastern time.

And of course, 23 days and we are counting.

NGUYEN: Yes, we are.

HOLMES: Have the Republicans made any ground after a month of non-stop scandals it seems?

NGUYEN: A lot of controversy.

HOLMES: Or will the Democrats gain control in this midterm election? Up next, some political insight.

NGUYEN: Plus, love and marriage may not be so popular anymore. Mm-hmm. We're going to explain as CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: And many dinner tables or even that water cooler, interest in talking politics is at its highest level in 10 years, at least according to a new Associated Press/Pew Center poll. Seventy percent of Americans say they're discussing politics with family and friends. Forty-three percent say they're debating issues at work and 28 percent are talking politics at their place of worship. The poll claims interest in this election outpaces 1994 when Republicans swept Democrats out of office.

So what does this mean for Election Day? Only 23 days to go now. Is this a good week for the Democrats or a good week for the Republicans? Mark Preston, CNN's political editor, joins us now with some insight.

Good morning to you, sir. Thanks for being here. Well, this past week we were not talking about Foley as much, at least. A lot of headlines were about North Korea, a lot even about the plane crash in New York. So we weren't talking about Foley as much. Does that mean it was a better week for Republicans?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: No. It really wasn't, quite frankly. The fact of the matter was we still were talking about Foley and that is a problem for the Republicans heading into November. No question about it at this point. It seems to be a drip, drip, drip on this Foley matter. We don't know when the next shoe is going to drop.

It certainly dissipated a little bit from the previous weeks, but still it is about Mark Foley at this point.

HOLMES: Still not done with Mark Foley yet. Well, we got back a little bit at least with North Korea, talking about national security, so at least that is some of the bread and butter there for Republicans, and that still didn't help?

PRESTON: Well, you know, this is going to be an issue we'll hear about for the next three weeks. And quite frankly this is an issue that is going to roll into the 2008 elections. Right now we have Republicans blaming the Clinton administration, saying that they didn't do enough to stop North Korea when North Korea was trying to acquire the material in order to build the weapon right now.

And now we have Democrats that are saying, look, the Bush administration has done nothing over the past six years to try to reach out to North Korea, you know, to try to assuage them, so to speak, to make them perhaps work with us better. So it's something we're going to hear about in the next three weeks. But you know something, this North Korea issue is going to roll right into 2008.

HOLMES: Well, back to Foley for just a second. We heard from some folks -- we had some reports and some stories which we aired here that, you know, folks are getting tired of hearing about it. So isn't that eventually going to hurt Democrats if they keep pushing that issue?

PRESTON: Well, you know, I think there's something to be said about an over-saturation on an issue, however I do believe that the Foley scandal, it really goes to the heart of parents and protecting their children. And, you know, while people are saying that perhaps, you know, they don't want to hear about it as much, I do think that this is going to be an issue on Election Day.

It's something that hits home to everybody, it touches everybody. You know, I hate to put it in these terms, but it's much like gas prices, I mean, it really does affect everybody.

HOLMES: All right. And I guess you're not supposed to do this in politics ever, but from all of the indications we get and from listening to you here, can we pretty much put a fork in the Republicans, they're done, need to give it up at least for this midterm and look ahead to the future?

PRESTON: Well, you're going to get me in trouble here. But, no, you know, I'll say never say never. Right now it does look bleak for Republicans in the House of Representatives that the point. Again, the Foley scandal, we have all of these other investigations ongoing, right now it doesn't look that good for Republicans come November 7th in the House.

In the Senate it does look a little bit better for Republicans, although Democrats are making gains. Look, it's going to be a tough road for the next three weeks for Republicans.

HOLMES: All right. We'll wrap up here by talking about what everybody likes to talk about, speculation about who's running in 2008 and we know who's not running now, Mark Warner said, I'm not interested. He dropped out. Who does that help, who does that it hurt?

PRESTON: You know, I think it is three people, specifically that this is going to help. It helps Hillary Clinton because she's the perceived front-runner right now. However, many people in the Democratic Party say, look, Hillary Clinton is too liberal. Mark Warner was a Democrat from a red state, from Virginia. He was someone that I think a lot of Democrats said, you know, he might be a good alternative to Hillary.

It also helps John Edwards. He's the son of the south, North Carolina. Mark Warner is from Virginia. It certainly helps him a little bit. You know, I think it helps Evan Bayh too, who is from Indiana, a red state Democrat, former governor. It certainly should help Bayh a little bit in this contest.

HOLMES: But even though, I mean, from what I've seen, Warner, Bayh, these guys weren't polling that well. So still is everybody going to be desperate to get up the -- to pick up the support at least that he is going to be leaving behind by not running?

PRESTON: Oh, there is no question. And quite frankly, his advisers as well. I mean, you know, he had quite a campaign team already is assembled at this point. So certainly you're going to see a lot of people, you know, trying to swoop in, trying pick up any donors that Mark Warner had, any of his staffers that he had already accumulated at this point.

But yes, you know, they weren't really polling well, you know why? Because there are three people right now that are polling well. Hillary Clinton, no question. John Kerry, who was 2004 nominee. And, of course, John Edwards, who was the vice presidential nominee in 2004.

HOLMES: All right. Well, again, CNN political editor Mark Preston, we know you're busy these days. We appreciate you giving us some time. We'll see you soon.

PRESTON: All right. Take care.

NGUYEN: Well, Americans are speaking up and we, well, we are listening. Here's this morning "Political "Shout-out" from the "CNN Election Express Yourself Tour."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The single most important issue to me in this election is having people in the United States trust in the integrity of the decision-making process of the United States Congress and the White House.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Women to have their own say and not religious right step in and tell us what the whole world is supposed to do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Other the nations don't like us because we're all talking, well, you can't have the nukes and stuff like that when we were the ones -- the first ones that tested it, you know?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To find out where the tour is headed next, go to cnn.com/election.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And if you want to speak your mind, this Wednesday is your chance. The tour rolls into Kansas City. So be sure to stop by and share your thoughts.

HOLMES: And for the latest breaking political news, check for updates throughout the day on the "CNN Political Ticker" online at cnn.com/ticker. That's all politics all the time.

NGUYEN: "Now in the News," angry defiance from North Korea's U.N. ambassador following a Security Council vote to impose trade sanctions against the country. He denounced the unanimous vote as "gangster-like" and then stormed out. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice travels to South Korea, China and Japan this week to follow up on that sanctions vote.

An explosion injured four people in downtown Beirut overnight. Reports quote police as saying grenades hit a building located near U.N. offices. Police and army troops are investigating.

Democratic Congressman John Murtha slams the Republican Party. In an opinion piece in The Washington Post, Murtha says Republicans who called Democratic opponents of the Iraq War "defeatocrats," "pessimists," and the "cut-and-run party" are simply wrong. The decorated Marine veteran says it's baseless name-calling.

Well, if you're feeling a little left out because all your friends are married and you're still single, take note of an analysis by The New York Times of some new census figures. Married couples are now a minority. That's right, a minority. They used to make up the majority of American households, but not anymore.

We do 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 9:30 Eastern.

NGUYEN: So you're not in the minority. You're part of that majority, right?

HOLMES: I'm part of what -- oh yes, I'm part of the minority, actually. NGUYEN: Yes.

HOLMES: I have to remind myself sometimes.

NGUYEN: Married man, you.

HOLMES: Well, coming up next -- I might need one of these, a call for help, actually.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we can impress upon the nation and people who are sitting, thinking, I wish I would have volunteered but now that it's over I don't need to, to reconsider that because it's not over for us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And Gulf Coast homeowners asking you lend a hand.

NGUYEN: Plus, have you ever heard of someone un-adopting a child? Is that even possible? Well, one couple is trying to do just that. Their unusual story ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Some rough weather out West this weekend. Rain washed out an access road in Arizona's Black Canyon, stranding dozens of campers and kayakers. Rangers had to bring them out in four-wheel drive trucks.

Flooding also caused problems in Las Vegas. Officials has to shut down a portion of highway after a pool of water submerged the north- and southbound lanes. So not looking good there.

NGUYEN: No, not at all. Lots of problems in the weather department. Mother Nature is just raining down, and an emphasis on rain here.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Other "News Across America" to tell you about. Long lines and airport security can be a headache, we know that. But is that the biggest problem?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's sad because they're there to protect you and they're stealing from you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: A TSA screener in Wisconsin faces theft charges after reportedly stealing money from a passenger's wallet. The passenger reported losing 20 bucks but officials ultimately recovered $235 after the screener's co-worker said he'd seen her storing things behind a magazine rack.

It's the end of a musical era. Singer Patti Smith gives the last show at the legendary punk rock club CBGB tonight. Take a good look, it's about to go the way of the dinosaurs. The East Village nightspot helped launch the careers of Blondie, the Ramones and the Talking Heads. But after 33 years, the club is closing over a rent dispute with its landlord.

Well, it was a clean up the aisle nine at one California grocery store. Look at this. But instead of spilled milk, they were picking up rose petals. Dozens of customers watched as longtime Albertsons employee, Cookie Fields (ph), yes, that is her real name, tied the knot with Jeff Howard (ph). Cookies says she chose aisle nine because it's stocked with hair coloring and other things needed for a happy marriage. Smart woman there. She is prepared.

HOLMES: She wanted to be in the minority and be married.

NGUYEN: Yes. Nothing wrong with that.

HOLMES: Well, welcome to the club. Glad to have you. Well, they packed up and shipped out, but New Orleans needs them now more than ever. Ahead, help wanted in the Gulf Coast region.

NGUYEN: But first, when adopted children come with hidden disorders, should the parents be able to actually give them back to the state? CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: "Now in the News," a new round of diplomacy, this week, aimed at diffusing the North Korean nuclear crisis. Secretary of state Condoleezza Rice leaves Tuesday for South Korea, Japan and China. She's following up yesterday's U.N. Security Council vote to impose sanctions on North Korea.

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.

Back here in the U.S., the "Associated Press" reports the Marine Corps has ordered a military lawyer and a paralegal not to speak to the media. The lawyer filed a complaint with the Pentagon, last week, alleging prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba.

And earlier today, Pope Benedict declared Mother Theodore Guerin a saint in a ceremony on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica. Mother Guerin came from France to the U.S. in the 1800s. She headed numerous humanitarian efforts, she's also credited with two miracles and has been called a "model of virtue."

NGUYEN: Well, it sounds like a good deal. Parents, a home, a chance for a better future. But now a Virginia couple says there were things they never knew about the little boy they adopted and now they actually want to give him back. CNN's Deborah Feyerick has more. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a small, simple room, but Helen Briggs says to the boy she adopted at age nine, a child who had nothing, this room was everything.

(on camera): You would catch him standing right here.

HELEN BRIGGS, ADOPTED CHILD: Standing right here looking at his room, being so happy, so grateful that this was his room.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Briggs, who was a full-time foster mom, says the boy was different from the dozens of other children she had cared for over the years.

BRIGGS: I just wanted to give him more and more.

FEYERICK: The problems began three years ago when her adopted son turned 12.

BRIGGS: I got calls from the school that he was drawing pictures on the wall and that he was grabbing at little girls and he wanted to -- they asked me do you know what's wrong with him? No, I sure don't.

FEYERICK: Briggs says she had been told by caseworkers the boy was hyperactive and need to take special medication, but when her adopted son was arrested for sexually molesting two small children, she realized the problems were far deeper.

BRIGGS: Not until he was incarcerated and I found out a whole lot of things that he talked to me about. He talked about he'd been abused.

FEYERICK: So now Briggs and her husband James want out. Six years after becoming the boy's legal parents, the couple from Fairfax, Virginia, claim they were deceived and were fighting to terminate the adoption.

FEYERICK (on camera): Did they tell you he had been in foster care a few times?

BRIGGS: No.

FEYERICK: Did they tell you he had been abused in anyway?

BRIGGS: No.

FEYERICK: Did they tell you that there was evidence that perhaps he had even suffered some sort of brain trauma.

BRIGGS: No.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Foster care agencies in Virginia do not discuss specific cases. By law, they're supposed to tell prospective parents everything about a child, that would have included the boy's alleged history of psychiatric problems. BRIGGS: I call it fraud. Not giving information is fraud. Not telling a person everything is fraud.

FEYERICK: But there's also the question of money. Though the couple says it's not about that. The state was paying the Briggs approximately $350 a month. Now the family's paying the state $440 a month to maintain the child in a state institution. A sum they can ill afford.

BRIGGS: That's a car payment. OK? That's more than a car payment in some places.

FEYERICK (on camera): There are some people who are going look at this and they're going to say, look, when you become a parent you don't know whether you've got a good penny or a bad penny.

BRIGGS: It's not about bad penny or good penny. The point is he's not my biological penny.

FEYERICK: Under Virginia law the only way an adoption can be dissolved is if the child says OK and so far it seems the boy has said he wants to stay with his adoptive mom and dad.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: So, what do parents need to know when they're considering adoptions? Jane Schooler, the author of "Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child" and "The Whole Life Adoption Book" joins us from Dayton to sort all of this out.

Talk us to about the situation of unadopting. How undoes that occur? Obviously we saw the problems with the Briggs family. They feel they were misled when it came to adopting the child. They didn't know the background.

JANE SCHOOLER, AUTHOR: Well Betty, I am not aware of national statistics, but I did some checking in Ohio. And one of the our Ohio agencies, a large county averaged 250 to 300 adoptions a year and they said in the last five years, about 1 percent of those adoption disrupted and so it's not a large amount of families that get in trouble here.

NGUYEN: Well, you know, the question here is are families being told, one, the truth, and are they seeking the information that they need? What is it that parents, who want to adopt, need to know before the process goes through so that they don't feel like they're made a mistake?

SCHOOLER: Well, I think it's very important for adoptive parents to understand that every adoptive child that comes into their home has a story and that story will impact them. And very tragically part of that story is a history of abuse, neglect and trauma. And adoptive parents need to be very proactive about asking the right questions and inquiring of social workers about the child's history and the impact, very, very important.

NGUYEN: The right questions, specifically what kind of questions should parents be asking?

SCHOOLER: I think very important -- they need to know about the history of the child's abuse. At what age that happened. Research today really indicates that the earlier the trauma occurred for a child, the more likely there is to be some impact on development, neurological development, social development, cognitive development, so a big question would be asking workers at what age did this trauma begin?

NGUYEN: Well, you know, whether it's an adoptive parent or biological parent, you don't know what the child's going to turn out to be or how that child will be as this child grows up. So, you know, when it comes to adopting, do parents have an unrealistic expectation? You know, they're focusing on this beautiful child, this cute, loving person coming into the family that they don't realize that there's a lot of work here.

SCHOOLER: There is, and the families have to understand that bringing a child into their family through adoption is almost like a marriage, you know, there's the wedding then there's the honeymoon and after the honeymoon comes the marriage. When you adopt after happy adoption day there's the rest of their life and often -- we're adoptive parents -- you go in with unrealistic expectations. We did not even know what we didn't know and so you go into it with unrealistic expectations and when things begin to get in trouble you don't wherein to turn.

NGUYEN: Quickly, what needs to be done with the adoption process that can help both sides with this?

SCHOOLER: Two things, as I thought about that question, Betty. The first thing we need to look at is how are we preparing families? (INAUDIBLE) Family Programs in Seattle has a wonderful -- brand new assessment tools to help families identify their strengths and areas of need.

Secondly, we need to look at agencies at the agency environment culture. Are we creating a place where families feel safe enough to come back if they're having trouble without fear of judgment and criticism? We need to understand that adoption has its unique challenges and concerns.

NGUYEN: It does have challenges, but it can also be a wonderful thing.

SCHOOLER: Absolutely.

NGUYEN: Jane Schooler, an adoption educator. Thanks so much for your time today.

SCHOOLER: Thanks, Betty.

NGUYEN: So, do parents who adopt have a legal obligation to keep a child or can they give them back? Coming up at 10:00 Eastern tonight, you don't want to miss this, we're going to debate that very issue right here on CNN -- T.J.

HOLMES: All right, Betty.

Well, the call goes out again, the Gulf Coast needs your help. Coming up in four minutes, what you can do to make a difference.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE FRIEDMAN, HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHERS: I think being a true leader is something that you're born with and it is also the ability to listen and learn from others. Nobody knows everything.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Harper Collins hired Jane Friedman to make the company profitable. Under her leadership, company earnings have increased nearly 1,000 percent in the past six years. Early on in Friedman's career it was ingenuity that got her noticed. She gave up the idea of having authors tour different cities to promote her books.

FRIEDMAN: One of the messages that I got from someone who mentored me was have idea, they can be bad, they can be good, but have ideas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, good morning to the folks there in Miami, we were just taking a shot of. But, we're going to talk New Orleans now, and New Orleans tourism which sets sail once again. The 2,000 passenger Norwegian Sun Cruise ship leaves today for the Caribbean. I don't think I can make it, but it'll be the first departure of a regularly scheduled cruise ship since Hurricane Katrina. Before Katrina the city was the home port to four cruise ships.

Meanwhile, volunteer service organizations in the greater New Orleans area are experiencing huge drop-offs. The shortages are leading to a significant recovery slowdown for communities and residents devastated by Hurricane Katrina. CNN's Susan Roesgen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eric Brookbower (ph) decided to leave his home in Seattle for a week to gut houses for Habitat for Humanity in St. Bernard Parish near New Orleans. Once he got here he signed up for a second week because he realized the work is nowhere near finished.

ERIC BROOKBOWER, VOLUNTEER: You'd be amazed how much damage there still is after a year. It looks like this happened about a month ago, and people have forgotten about it, but there is still a lot to be done.

ROESGEN: In St. Bernard Parish alone there are hundreds of flooded houses just like this one that still need to be cleaned out. Neither the government nor private insurance companies cover this work and there are far fewer volunteers these days to swing hammers.

(on camera): Habitat for Humanity has fewer than 40 volunteers here in St. Bernard Parish this week. A few months ago there were more than 2,000.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've set up cots in the rooms and as you can see, we desperately need more people. These rooms are barely filled.

ROESGEN (voice-over): Six months ago Habitat for Humanity took over an abandoned elementary school and made room for hundreds of volunteers. Now almost all of the cots are empty and other groups have seen their volunteer numbers drop-off dramatically, too.

St. Bernard Councilman Craig Taffaro says without volunteers the parish would never have gotten back on its feet.

CRAIG TAFFARO, JR., ST. BERNARD COUNCILMAN: If we can impress upon the nation and people sitting thinking "I wish I would have volunteers, but now that it's over, I don't need to," to reconsider that because it's not over for us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This stands for St. Bernard recovery...

ROESGEN: Kelly Donahue has been so inspired by her work for Habitat that she got this tattoo, a reminder of Katrina's damage and all the work that still needs to be done.

Susan Roesgen, CNN, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: "Now in the News," tough 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 then he walked out.

There's been another death linked to bird flu. Indonesia health officials confirmed this morning that an 11-year-old boy in Indonesia died of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus and that brings the number of bird flu deaths in Indonesia to 53.

Back here at home, House Speaker Dennis Hastert tiptoed around the scandals rocking the Republican Party at a fundraiser last night. No mention of the Mark Foley page scandal or the Bob Nay corruption guilty plea. Instead Hastert wanted to talk about the Patriot Act and catching terrorists.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: But those are the stories that we have to tell. Not this trash that you see coming out and spread and it's a blame game and pointing everybody around.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HOLMES: And wow, what a great football -- oh, wait a minute. What happened? This is the first...

NGUYEN: They're not playing a game there. This is serious business. This is slugging going on.

HOLMES: Wrestlemania 52 we're watching here. This is the first- ever match up between the University of Miami and Florida International. This turned into this in the third quarter, sidelines were cleared. Watch the guy, he's coming with the helmet. We've been seeing this all morning -- there is it is.

NGUYEN: Boom! Ouch.

HOLMES: He's probably one of the ones that will get suspended. Thirteen players were ejected, they'll likely, most of them, face a one-game suspension.

Well, look at something a lot sweeter. Sweet times at Italy's annual Euro Chocolate Festival. Among the highlights a giant igloo made of three tons of dark chocolate bricks with melted milk chocolate as mortar.

NGUYEN: Mmmm, sounds good.

HOLMES: And he got a beauty (INAUDIBLE) to show you here where chocolate is used for massages and manicures and hairstyling and stuff. One customer said she had a huge desire to eat her new do.

NGUYEN: You could see why.

HOLMES: We run down the top stories, if we can here, every 15 minutes getting through the chocolate and whatnot. We do that every 15 minutes on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. We got in-depth coverage for you all morning long, next check of the headlines is going to be coming up at the top of the hour.

Ever had any desire to eat your do?

NICOLE LAPIN, CNN DOT COM DESK: Every once in a while.

HOLMES: Probably not. Nicole here to tell us about ways we can enjoy Fall.

LAPIN: Sure, not only is the chocolate big this Fall, but we're also talking about Halloween and scarves and it's also a time to travel, maybe a bed and breakfast trip. I'll show you some of the top ones this season when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Now, it's time to check in with Howard Kurtz and see what's up next on CNN's RELIABLE SOURCES.

HOWARD KURTZ, RELIABLE SOURCES: Good morning.

NGUYEN: Good morning.

KURTZ: Hi Betty. Coming up, have the media made way too much of the Mark Foley scandal and its potential impact on the midterm election. Author and blogger Andrew Sullivan on why he's turned against the Bush administration and how in his view conservatives can get their soul back.

Plus, the campaign freak show how the mainstream media have lost their clout to folks like Matt Drudge. And his liberal radio headed for oblivion after Air America's bankruptcy.

All ahead on RELIABLE SOURCES.

NGUYEN: Can't wait. Thank you Howard and that is RELIABLE SOURCES coming up at 10:00 Eastern, followed by Wolf Blitzer and LATE EDITION and THIS WEEK AT WAR, that is at 1:00 Eastern. So you'll want to stay tuned to CNN as we go in-depth into the stories of the day.

HOLMES: All right. It's Fall, it's Autumn, what are your plans, Nicole. What you got planned?

LAPIN: To enjoy the season.

HOLMES: To enjoy -- and how are you going do that? Are you going to tell us how we can all do that...

LAPIN: I'm going help you out because you know that the bite is in the air. It was kind of cold this morning...

HOLMES: The bite is in the air.

LAPIN: It was a little bity (ph)...

HOLMES: Is that what that was?

LAPIN: It was a little bit. You could feel it. It was nippy, you know, the orange creeping up in the leaves, well that means Autumn, Fall is here, it's time to start enjoying it. Find out how do that at cnn.com.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): What better way to celebrate the cooler temps than packing up and taking a road trip? Fill up your tank and grab your camera because we have the top 10 most scenic rides for you like the mountain side of Blackwater Falls State Park in West Virginia or the picturesque villages covered bridges of Vermont.

Are you a B&B person? We have a list of the best ones for optimal leaf keeping, like the Mayflower Inn where you can just lounge and soak up the inn's Connecticut Autumn scenery.

Are you on a budget? Don't worry, we have got you covered too. Apple festivals, hayrides, pumpkin patches, all of the typical fall finds for cheap, but have you ever heard of ghost tours and cornfield mazes? Find the obscure, the Zen-like, the rest of the season has to offer all at cnn.com/exploring.autumn.

NGUYEN: Sounds perfect.

HOLMES: We're good to go. Thank you for that.

NGUYEN: And speaking of the chill in the air. Bonnie Schneider is here to talk about the weather outside, lots of that going around.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: All right Bonnie, thank you for that. And as we mentioned, RELIABLE SOURCES, that is next, followed by LATE EDITION and THIS WEEK AT WAR, so don't go anywhere.

HOLMES: And of course, we're going have all of the day's top stories after a short break.

NGUYEN: Have a great Sunday.

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