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CNN Sunday Morning
Four Killed in Collision of News Helicopters in Phoenix; Iowa Poll Positions
Aired July 29, 2007 - 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: Well, good morning, everybody. And welcome to the CNN Center here in Atlanta.
It is Sunday, July 29th. I'm Betty Nguyen.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm T.J. Holmes.
So glad you all could start your day right here with us.
NGUYEN: We do want to get you straight ahead to an air show stunt that goes horribly wrong. It's all caught on camera by several of our I-Reporters, and it's one of the many different deadly crashes that occurred this weekend.
HOLMES: Also, we've got some good news we'd like to pass along to. And it's coming out of Iraq. Yes, the whole country has soccer fever this morning. Can a game really unite this war-torn country? We'll get into that.
Plus, we've got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let's make sure that we put it to work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Hillary heckler gets booed herself. Yes, things are getting tough on the campaign trail. More presidential politics, that is coming up this hour.
HOLMES: But we do start with those air tragedies. An Ohio air show takes a horrifying turn. An award-winning stunt pilot crashes his plane as stunned spectators watch.
The crash captured by several of our I-Reporters. The pilot died on his way to the hospital. He was performing an aerobatics maneuver when his biplane slammed into the runway and caught fire. Among those who witnessed the crash, a news photographer for CNN affiliate WKEF.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT LAWRENCE, WKEF PHOTOGRAPHER: The stunt was called Mary's Lamb. And he's corkscrewing down. And he is supposed to pull up. He is supposed to get low to the ground and pull up, and just have his belly get low.
But he is supposed to pull up. And he just -- apparently, he just misjudged it and couldn't pull up in time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Investigators are trying to determine the cause of that crash. The air show is set to resume this hour.
Also, we're getting more information about an air show collision in Wisconsin. Federal investigators say it does not appear that weather or mechanical problems were factors in the accident on Friday.
One pilot was killed when his vintage plane collided with another one while landing. He has been identified as a 58-year-old North Dakota man known for rebuilding old warplanes.
NGUYEN: Well, investigators in Phoenix are taking a closer look at the wreckage of two local news helicopters, and they're expected to remove the debris today. The NTSB is also interviewing dozens of witnesses. So far, though, no one is giving an indication that there was anything wrong before that crash happened.
We do want to get more now from CNN's Rick Sanchez.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey -- oh, my god. Channel 15 and Channel 3 just had a midair collision. They're in the park. Oh, man.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The horror in his voice really tells the story, the pain of watching colleagues die. He is a chopper pilot for TV station KSAZ, a lucky one, one who survived, but seems tortured by what he saw.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A collision over here at the park. Two helicopters -- two helicopters down. Oh, my god.
SANCHEZ: Five news choppers were tracking this police chase over Phoenix's crowded skies. They describe the stolen car, the car getting ditched, the suspect getting out. Then on live TV, the story suddenly changes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Oh. Oh.
Scott, we're going to have to turn back around and get away from this. We do have two helicopters down during this crash.
SANCHEZ: Two news helicopters crash into each other. They fall about 500 feet into a city park and explode into flames.
Witnesses say one seemed to get sucked in by the other.
DAVID WILSON, WITNESS: I heard like a loud gunshot. And then about two seconds after that, there was a real loud -- like a huge bang. And then just two helicopters coming straight down, falling about three different areas and bursting into flames, and debris is all over the place.
SANCHEZ: There was a pilot and a photographer on board each helicopter. All four were killed.
Jim Cox and Scott Bowerbank worked for KTVK. Craig Smith and Rick Krolak worked for KNXV. On the ground, no one was killed, though it was raining helicopter parts.
STEVE CHEALANDER, NTSB: A rotor blade came off of one of the helicopters and hit a truck. It was a delivery truck. And it hit the front windshield of the truck just in front of the driver, but then embedded itself in the asphalt.
SANCHEZ: Piece after piece fell into the pond in the city park. Investigators are draining it, looking for clues.
Rick Sanchez, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: A medical helicopter crash in Marks, Mississippi, has left two people hospitalized. It crashed shortly after takeoff.
They were transporting a car accident victim to a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, which is about 80 miles away. Now, the original accident victim suffered no additional injuries in this helicopter crash. And the FAA is still investigating.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Let's talk about arming America's allies. CNN has confirmed the U.S. is working on a plan to sell $20 billion in arms to Saudi Arabia and five other Persian Gulf countries. A senior administration officials tells CNN the 10-year arms sales package is aimed at offsetting aggression from Iran, and the sale will be on the agenda when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates meet with Saudi officials next week.
HOLMES: A blast from the past. Pakistan's embattled president is apparently turning to a one-time rival in a bid to save his political future.
A government aide confirmed today that president -- General Pervez Musharraf held talks this weekend with former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. She is an exiled opposition leader. A government minister says the two discussed the power-sharing deal. Musharraf is expected to seek re-election in October. Analysts say he's contacting opposition leaders to build support as his political strength weakens. The U.S. relies on Musharraf to fight radical Islam.
NGUYEN: Well, there is an important meeting at Camp David a little bit later today. President Bush will be welcoming new British prime minister Gordon Brown. It will be their first face-to-face meeting since Brown succeeded Tony Blair last month. Brown is also scheduled to address the United Nations in New York a little bit later this week. And you can look for a live report from Washington in our next half hour. White House Correspondent Ed Henry joins us with a preview of today's meeting between President Bush and the British prime minister.
HOLMES: And Japan looks like the ruling party is headed for a major defeat in today's parliamentary elections. Japanese television networks reporting that exit polls show the leading opposition party is poised to get big gains. That would be a defeat for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's liberal democratic party, and it could cost the leader his job. It also could trigger a period of political deadlock for the world's second largest economy.
Well, it's not just the candidates who aren't playing nice. Hillary gets heckled?
What happened next, that's coming up right after this.
NGUYEN: And the high-heeled hundred. Take a look at this. Yes, these lovely ladies have decided they want to run in heels. Why would anyone want to do this?
HOLMES: Yes, why, Betty?
NGUYEN: For some cash. We'll tell you about it.
HOLMES: OK. Oh, it makes perfect sense. Maybe some diamonds at the end of that.
NGUYEN: Oh, I'd run in that race.
HOLMES: Also, the mishap caused by a missing elevator. Yes.
This is no bad dream. This really happened at a U.S. ballpark. Stay tuned for those details right here on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: Let's make sure that we put it to work.
(BOOING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Did you hear that?
HOLMES: Yes, do you hear that? Heckling Senator Hillary Clinton?
Well that, heckler paid for it, because she got shouted down by Clinton's -- they didn't attack her though. The woman was carrying a sign saying she doesn't care, all she wants is power. The crowd at the University of South Carolina drowned the woman out, cheering and chanting for the presidential candidate. NGUYEN: Well, you know, T.J., Senator Clinton may be the Democratic frontrunner in the national polls, but Iowa is a much different story.
HOLMES: Yes. That's where the race for the White House really begins.
And our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, looks at some of the new number numbers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): The frontrunners in the national polls are Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani. But there isn't any national primary. The race starts in Iowa. And national trends don't mean much in Iowa, where caucus goers are famous for not being trendy. Remember what happened in 2004 to national frontrunner Howard Dean in Iowa?
HOWARD DEAN, DNC CHAIRMAN: Take back the White House!
SCHNEIDER: A new poll of Iowa Democratic caucus goers taken this week shows John Edwards in the lead with Clinton second and Barack Obama third. Both Clinton and Obama have dropped six points since the last Iowa poll in May. What happened? Here's one theory -
JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Two good people, Democratic candidates for president, who have spent their time attacking each other instead of attacking the problems that this country has faced. And we -- we need to be doing -- we need -- I got your attention with that one, didn't I?
SCHNEIDER: If Clinton and Obama are down in Iowa, who is up? Undecided is up the most. Plus Bill Richardson, whose dogged campaign may be beginning to pay off.
In the Republican race, national frontrunner Rudy Giuliani is coming in third in Iowa. Giuliani's now slightly behind Fred Thompson, who is not even a declared candidate yet. Mitt Romney is making a strong pitch to conservatives and now leads the Republican field.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The most encouraging experience is going into a roomful of people, having that room somewhat skeptical as you walk in, but have a number of folks come up afterwards and say, you know what, I'm on your team now.
SCHNEIDER: If Romney is up in Iowa, who is down? John McCain. McCain was leading the field in May. Now he's coming in fourth.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER: If Hillary Clinton loses Iowa, it will nick her image of inevitability, and she'll have to rely on New Hampshire to make her the comeback kid, just as did it her husband. Now, if Mitt Romney wins Iowa and New Hampshire, where he's also ahead, then he will face a big test in South Carolina. Will evangelical Christian voters support a Mormon candidate?
Betty.
NGUYEN: Hey, Bill. Let's talk more about this presidential race. Things are really heating up between senators Obama and Clinton. Is it just too early for this type of an exchange? We still have several months to go.
SCHNEIDER: Yes. Well, everything is too early in this campaign. The whole thing started too early. This was bound to happen sooner or later.
All year long, Hillary Clinton has been in the frontrunner position. And nobody is going to get anywhere unless they can figure out some way of pushing her off her perch at the top of the list. So this was certainly bound to happen. It's just happening about four or five months earlier than we would expect.
NGUYEN: Well, so how is that going to affect the campaigns, though? Is it going to have a lasting effect on them?
SCHNEIDER: Well, it much depends on what happens in the polls, what happens in the fund-raising. As long as she stays the frontrunner, people are going to start taking swipes at her. And she, of course, will want to get rid of all those pesky challengers. She saw an opening when Barack Obama made his comment about meeting with unfriendly dictators, and she went for it.
NGUYEN: Well, and, you know, as we're watching that exchange, and have seen it several times now, when you're looking at that and seeing the Democrats with this infighting, of course the candidates are going to do what they can to get ahead here. Does that give the Republicans a bit of an advantage?
SCHNEIDER: Well, I'm not -- I think it's a little too early to talk about that. You can't have a Republican advantage until they have some kind of a candidate, and their field is really mired in confusion.
Everyone is waiting for Fred Thompson to get in, if he's going to do that. So I think at this point people are just watching with some amusement and bewilderment for the fields to shake out. But notice what I reported in that Iowa poll. That was the first poll taken since the debate, and it looks like both Mr. Obama, Senator Obama, and Senator Clinton lost points because of their confrontation.
NGUYEN: Got you.
SCHNEIDER: And there is a multiple field of candidates, and two of them get into a fight, the votes often go to another candidate.
NGUYEN: Well, let's shift it over to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Things are getting a lot hotter in that situation. Do you expect him to hold on to his job?
SCHNEIDER: Well, nobody knows. George Bush is famous for continuing to support people whom he feels personally loyal to. And Gonzales is a close personal friend for a long time. And I wouldn't expect Mr. Gonzales's resignation to happen imminently.
The problem is, President Bush said in his radio address yesterday he is very eager to get the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act renewed, possibly changed by the Congress, and they're going to be very resistant to doing something like this, which has very complicated legal implications if the attorney general really doesn't have the credibility he needs to try to advocate this legislation. So if it's blocking the legislation, Bush may -- President Bush may decide it's time for Gonzales to go.
NGUYEN: And very quickly, besides just that legislation, how is this reflecting back on the White House and the president himself? Because he's always stood behind Gonzales.
SCHNEIDER: He has, indeed. Well, let me give you a comment that was made yesterday in "The New York Times".
"The attorney general's loss of credibility not only harms him personally, it diminishes the Justice Department and undermines the president's ability to move his legislation forward, because the trust factor does not exist with his attorney general."
Why is that comment significant? Because it was made by a member of the House Republican leadership, the chairman of the House Republican Conference, Adam Putnam, of Florida. When the leadership in Congress is turning against the attorney general, the leadership of the Republican Party, then you know the president has serious problems.
NGUYEN: Got you. All right.
CNN's senior political analyst, Bill Schneider.
As always, we appreciate your time. Thank you.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
HOLMES: And in case you missed it, or if you just want to see it again and again and again, we're bringing you an encore presentation of the debate everybody is still talking about, the CNN/YouTube Democratic debate, tonight at 9:00 Eastern on your home for politics, right here, CNN.
NGUYEN: All right. Finally, though, we have something to cheer about, T.J.
HOLMES: And in Iraq we have got something to cheer about -- a game that is bringing together Iraq's warring factions. For the moment, that is.
Our Arwa Damon reports live from Iraq. NGUYEN: We also have an investigation into a sea plane crash. On board, a former pilot of the year.
We have that story ahead right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. So you got your tickets? Because this could be the day San Francisco slugger Barry Bonds realizes a dream.
Bonds is still one away from Hank Aaron's record of 755 career home runs. He went 0 for 4 yesterday, even though the Giants rallied to defeat the Florida Marlins in San Francisco 4-3. Bonds gets another chance to tie or even break Hank Aaron's record today. The Giants finish their home stand against the Marlins this afternoon.
All right, ladies. This one is definitely going to hurt. Check it out.
Racing in high heels. I don't even want to think about it. It's becoming a popular competition actually in Russia, though.
The high-heeled 100 meters being held in several cities, including this one in Moscow. Yes, that's going to hurt.
These women proving it isn't easy to run in three and a half inch heels. Yes, tell me about it. Like I didn't know.
The winners get around $4,000 in gift certificates, probably so they can buy new shoes.
Why you are taking off my shoes? Yes, OK. I'll give them you to. I can't run in these.
HOLMES: I can't tell. That is a, what, heel of...
NGUYEN: That's about a three, three and a half, maybe.
HOLMES: Three inches?
NGUYEN: yes.
HOLMES: So that makes you, what, 4'11".
NGUYEN: No. I'm way taller than that, Mr. basketball player.
HOLMES: Just kidding. Ah, there we go. All right.
We've got some bad news, more bad news. You know, it's been piling on top of the other bad news. Yes.
Ahead this morning on CNN, yes, we're talking about Michael Vick here. How much more bad news can pro football handle?
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ed Henry in Washington, where Mr. Brown is coming to town. That would be Gordon Brown, the new British prime minister. The big question, will he be as a close ally to President Bush as Tony Blair was?
That story coming up on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
NGUYEN: Also this morning, he is 88 and just accomplished something many 18-year-olds dream to do. His story and much more ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
HOLMES: But before we go to break here, a company where attitude is everything. Erica Hill has more in this week's "Tips From the Top".
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Life is Good is a casual clothing and accessory company, but it also has a message: optimism. Founded by brothers Bert and John Jacobs, they started the business selling T-shirts out of a van with an investment of only $75. Today, it's a $100 million company. Jacobs believes success is driven by passion.
BERT JACOBS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OPTIMIST, LIFE IS GOOD: I think that in general in business I.Q. is overrated. I think when people are willing to rally around somebody and somebody is willing to jump on a table and make a statement, it goes a lot further than being the smartest person in the room.
Most of the good ideas come from somewhere externally. Leaders that think they're the visionary and know all the answers, will stay like this, will never get as far as the people who lead like this.
HILL: Selling T-shirts isn't their only goal. Life is Good Kids Foundation raises money and awareness for disadvantaged children. So far, it's raised over $3 million.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Welcome back, everybody, on this Sunday morning.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes.
So glad you could be with us on this Sunday morning.
We'll tell you a little bit about what is happening right now.
Federal investigators in Phoenix still picking through the wreckage two local news helicopters. The choppers collided while covering a police chase Friday, killing all four on board those helicopters. Crews hope to remove the debris today for further analysis.
NGUYEN: Firefighters are battling dozens of western fires this morning. This one in Montana outside Glacier National Park. Wind helped the fire jump firefighters' control lines, forcing the evacuation of a lodge and the closure of a 24-mile stretch of highway.
HOLMES: Well, soccer is bringing people together in Iraq.
Our Arwa Damon is standing by. She's watching the game with coalition troops.
Iraq playing in Saudi Arabia right now in the Asian Cup championship.
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, T.J.
Hi, T.J. Well, I can't hear you very well. As you can see, quite the (INAUDIBLE) atmosphere behind me.
Now, we are at the halfway point here. The score here still 0-0. But this is quite the celebration for everyone involved.
We're at a U.S. military base. And behind me are Iraqi contractors, translators and members of the U.S. military. This entire event organized by the U.S. commanders here.
And I'm also joined by captain Eddie Vargas. Now, he is wearing an Iraqi uniform.
And Captain, if you can just tell us about this uniform and what today means you to.
EDDIE VARGAS: Today is a great day to celebrate with our Iraqi counterparts. I'm extremely proud to display the Iraqi uniform. It is an honor to celebrate with them and we wish them the best luck. Go Iraq!
DAMON: That's pretty much the sentiment echoed by all of the U.S. Troops. And I also want to introduce you to one of the Iraqi fans. Most of them do not want to appear on camera. They are concerned for their family's safety. But Jacob, here and his family lives in America. He's been here in Iraq working with the U.S. Military for 14 months, now.
Jason, what does today mean for you?
JASON: Truly, today for the Iraqi team, we are here to support them because they've been suffering all these years, their families. We are trying to support them as much as we can. You know? And we're here also to support the army. First of all, we're here for the army and then for the Iraqi people.
DAMON: And how does it make you feel to see your Iraqi friends celebrating like this, being this happy after all the difficulties they've lived through?
JASON: Truly, it's a good feeling because I feel for them. I feel for the comrades, they fall. I feel for the Iraqis, they die every day. So therefore, this is a great opportunity for us to celebrate for them and make them happy.
DAMON: Thank you.
JASON: Thank you.
DAMON: T.J., I have to tell you, I have not seen a scene like this in Iraq for quite some time, now.
HOLMES: All right. Arwa, well thank you so much. We wish you could talk to you. We know you can't hear us that well. But, like she says there, she has not seen a scene like that and she has been there for quite some time. So, we thank Arwa for that and what a nice scene to see.
NGUYEN: That is so great.
HOLMES: That is typical of something we would see in the U.S. after a celebration of a big national championship of some kind. Get to see it there in Iraq, wow.
NGUYEN: Dancing around. I told you, you know, I was in Bangkok last week and saw the Iraqi team and the hype surrounding this team just abroad, doesn't matter where they are, is huge. So, this is going to be a great day for them. I'm sure regardless of whether they win or lose.
Now, I doubt the celebrations are that big, but President Bush is welcoming his British counterpart to Camp David a little bit later today. Prime Minister Gordon Brown making his first major overseas trip since succeeding Tony Blair, and the Bush administration is wondering what kind of message is he bringing?
CNN White House correspond, Ed Henry, is live in Washington this morning.
There's going to be a lot of discussions to see pretty much where Gordon Brown stands -- Ed.
ED HENRY, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Good morning, Betty. Absolutely right. These are going to be serious issues on the table ranging from Darfur to global warming. But of course, the biggest issue of all that's really going to hang over these two days of talks will be where will Gordon Brown be on Iraq? Will he be as stalwart an ally as Tony Blair was for President Bush?
Raised a lot of eyebrows right after he took office when he appointed to his cabinet a minister who was an anti-war critic. I can tell you that while they're not saying it publicly, privately there's a lot of anxiousness at the White House about where Gordon Brown will go.
Clearly, he saw the example of Tony Blair who got too close to Mr. Bush in the eyes of some in Britain, his poll numbers plummeted. As a result of the critics called him Bush's poodle and the like. And so there's a lot of wondering in Washington in general about whether or not Brown will be as close a critic.
But Tony Snow, the White House spokesman, makes a good point. He said this on Friday at his briefing. When you look at those pictures right now of Bush and Blair in 2001, for their first meeting at Camp David, a lot of people in the media at that time were saying they have no chance of being as close as Mr. Blair was to Bill Clinton, the former president. They've got no chance at all, and of course, the rest is history because, take a listen to what one of the famous moments from that first meeting in 2001.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, we both use Colgate toothpaste.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Now I still don't know how exactly Mr. Bush found out about the toothpaste. That's obviously a little up close and personal, but obviously the point here is that you can see not just about the toothpaste, but the fact that Mr. Blair and his retort jokingly he called him George, not President Bush. And almost immediately they had that personal chemistry that people didn't think they'd have.
So, tomorrow -- the talks start tonight at Camp David -- but tomorrow there will be a joint press conference as well with Mr. Bush, Mr. Brown. A lot of people will be watching very closely at the chemistry there -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Yeah, and we'll determine if he likes Colgate, as well.
HENRY: Yeah. I hope he doesn't bring Crest or anything like that.
NGUYEN: Oh yeah. That would just ruin everything. All right.
HOLMES: We don't know what kind of toothpaste the vice president uses, but he's given a thumbs up, everybody, as a spokesman calls the surgery to replace Cheney's heart defibrillator is a success. The device monitors is the vice president's heartbeat and the battery was been running a bit low. Apparently not an Energizer. Cheney spent about four hours in a Washington hospital yesterday then went home to resume his normal schedule.
NGUYEN: Well, an elevator accident injuries two people at the Philadelphia Phillies baseball stadium. One of them is in critical condition this morning. A food cart rolled through an opened freight elevator door falling 30 feet onto an elevator car below. Now, the driver of the food cart suffered head injuries and chest injuries. Stadium officials say the cart hit the elevator door causing it to open. A person inside the other elevator was also hurt. That accident happened before the game.
HOLMES: You can tell we've been giving you a lot of plane crashes, helicopter crashes, another one we need to tell you about. Investigators trying to figure out what caused the small plane, a sea plane, to crash in Oregon. Two men were killed when the vintage plane went down yesterday near Oregon City. Officials say the 80-year-old pilot, David Howard Wiley, was an accomplished flight instructor. He was once even named National Sea Plane Pilot of the Year. The identity of the second man not released until his family has been notified.
NGUYEN: Well, the weather outside has just been really frightening for a lot of folks, whether it be too much rain or the fact that they haven't gotten enough rain to battle these fires.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We're talking extremes here, aren't' we? I mean, everything has either been a lack of rainfall or way too much. And we're seeing way too much.
NGUYEN: You're in the never enough department. I determined this.
WOLF: It's sad. I mean, there's never that perfect equilibrium. It's always once -- desperate measures have taken by some (INAUDIBLE) person or another (INAUDIBLE) here and there.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Thank you Reynolds, we do appreciate it.
WOLF: Any time.
NGUYEN: Hey, Northwest Airlines seems to have a lot fewer planes in the air, lately. The website Flightstats.com says northwest called off 166 flights yesterday and then canceled 125 flights on Friday. Airline officials blame the trend on pilot absenteeism. The Pilots' Union says there is no improper use of sick time. The union says Northwest doesn't have enough pilots to fly its full schedule.
And now to the Vick effect. Ahead here on CNN, the bad news surrounding Michael Vick and what it means to the rest of the NFL.
HOLMES: Also, his hiking days may be over, but this 88-year-old treads where few Boy Scouts follow. The story of his dreams finally coming true, that's just minutes away. Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, one of Michael Vick's co-defendants may be getting a different kind of deal. Tony Taylor who, like Vick, pleaded not guilty to federal dogfighting charges has a plea agreement hearing scheduled for tomorrow morning.
HOLMES: Yeah, the details of that agreement unknown right now. As for Vick, he's still facing serious charges and a public backlash. We get more now from CNN's Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Animal rights protesters target their rage at a NFL star as he enters a federal courthouse. Inside, Michael Vick pleads not guilty to felony charges of dogfighting and conspiracy. His three co-defendants do the same. Vick is stoic, shows respect to judge Henry Hudson, dressed in a dark suit, he says only "yes, sir" when he asked if he understands the charges. Later, speaking through his attorney, Vick said he knows what he's up against.
BILLY MARTIN, MICHAEL VICK'S ATTY: I take these charges very seriously and look forward to clearing my good name. I respectfully ask all of you to hold your judgment until all of the facts are shown.
TODD: Vick's lawyer said with his plea the quarterback has taken the first step toward proving his innocence. But a veteran criminal defense attorney says there's still a possibility a trial could be avoided.
STEVEN BENJAMIN, DEFENSE ATTY: He still held open or he did not preclude the possibility that this plea could change, that Michael Vick could accept responsibility.
TODD: Still, Steven Benjamin says most signs point to this case going to trial, set to begin November 26. The prosecutor also said he may file additional charges against Vick and his co-defendants by the end of august.
(on camera): Michael Vick has been told by his team and the league to stay away from training camp for now. Another restriction imposed by the court, Vick and his co-defendants cannot leave their home districts without the court's permission.
Brian Todd, CNN, Richmond, Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, we now want to take a look at some interesting numbers from a SportsIllustrated.com public poll: 67 percent say Vick should be suspended immediately and the majority says it should be a lifetime ban. Also the pocketbook answer, 93 percent say they will never buy a Vick No. 7 jersey, and 75 percent say Vick's troubles will stop other athletes from getting into dogfighting.
Well, join me now from New York to talk more about Michael Vick is SI.com NFL editor, Andrew Purlof.
Sir, thank you for being here. We all know what hit Michael Vick is taking right now financially, also his public image. We know what kind of hit the Falcons might take on the field and also their image. What kind of hit is the NFL really taking right now? Are they taking a hit?
ANDREW PURLOF, SI.COM NFL EDITOR: They're definitely taking a hit. I mean first of all, they want to make sure it's just Michael Vick. There's always a chance there are other players involved, not necessarily with Michael Vick, but there's been smoke about other players running their own dogfighting rings and you never know. Right now the NFL is doing everything it can to make sure there are no other players. And then the next step is to do whatever they can do to keep Michael Vick off the field. Roger Goodell is bringing in a former federal prosecutor to research this case, because they want to prove as much as they can about Michael Vick, so that they can keep him off the field because of their league policy, not necessarily have to wait for the trial in Richmond.
HOLMES: Is that fair right now? The guy hasn't been convicted of a thing. And they are pretty much finding him guilty in public. Is that fair to Michael Vick?
PURLOF: You know, it's a matter of business. I mean it might not be fair, but the NFL is looking at the long-term health of the league. I don't think Roger Goodell immediately -- his first reaction was let's wait for the trial to play out, but now he's saying, you know what? You have PETA protesting, you know, training camp's been sort of a circus, a little bit. The court was a circus. It's a business decision at the end of the day.
HOLMES: Well tell me, shouldn't somebody -- of course Michael Vick is a grown man, responsible for his own actions, but this guy is the $35 million man, he's the face of your organization. CNN keeps a pretty good eye on me and I'm one of many faces, here. Shouldn't they have been keeping a close eye on what I was up to, how much responsibility is there to the Falcons that all this is going down?
PURLOF: Oh, I agree completely. You know, Sports Illustrate had quotes from former Falcons executives who said they heard about Michael Vick and dogfighting. So, why didn't they do anything is the question? I think also the NFL, you know, there was that lag time between when the story originally broke in April and the indictment. You know, what happened in those three months? I'm very curious -- all of a sudden they get very serious when Vick's name is in the indictment. They should have had a federal prosecutor involved in the first place.
I think what they're doing is they're, you know, they're listening to public sentiment, which is unfortunate. They really should have been a step ahead of this instead they're waiting to react.
HOLMES: Well, how great is the chance here finally that the Falcons will actually cut ties with Michael Vick, let this guy go, take a financial hit maybe before there's an outcome of the trial?
PURLOF: Oh, I think it's huge. I don't think he'll ever play in a Falcons uniform again. I think the Falcons are waiting to get help from the league, but they would like to cut him now, is my sense. I can almost guarantee he will never play in Atlanta again. It just doesn't make sense.
HOLMES: Wow. Well, that is tough for a lot of Falcons folks to hear and may be a harsh reality that No. 7 will never -- with a Vick name on the back, will never take the field again in a Falcons uniform. That's tough stuff, there.
Andrew Purlof, SI.com's NFL editor. Sir, thank you so much for your time and your insight. We appreciate you.
PURLOF: My pleasure.
NGUYEN: Yeah, that's definitely quite a statement.
HOLMES: That is a huge statement.
NGUYEN: We'll see how that plays out.
Ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING though, a story of inspiration to tell you about.
HOLMES: Yes. Yeah, we got a CNN hero here, who who's risking his life to make the world a better place. Stick around for that story.
NGUYEN: And you have to see this, the De Vinci painting that is proving too popular for the web. Way too popular. Stay with us for more CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: There are people all around us every day who are doing extraordinary things to make our world a better place, and today we want to introduce you to a former gang member who is working to help others build better futures for themselves after gang life. His name is Luis Ernesto Romero and he is today's "CNN Hero."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, look into the camera.
LUIS ERNESTO ROMERO, HOMIES UNIDOS EL SALVADOR DIRECTOR: I thought I going to die at the age of 20 because somebody's going to shoot me. I was living as a gang member. And El Salvador kids get into the gangs because they don't have no other opportunities.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): When you're on the street, every moment you live, you live as if it were your last, because you never know how that day will end.
ROMERO: Something powerful come up when my daughter born. So, I start like checking, hey, what am I doing? What I going to offer to my daughter? But then I find Homies Unidos in 1997, so I started like educating myself and now, you know, I have others.
We teach them how to empower themselves, not smoking weed, no doing violence, not doing what they do. In El Salvador, the kids are much discriminated. They have tattoos, they be bald-headed, but when he start looking for a job, they don't give opportunity for him. We teach them how to do things in other ways.
(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE): Here you can see some of the bread they made, here.
They never thought they would have a bakery of their own. Now they have a bakery and they doing their own business.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We think different. I mean, we don't think going and doing violence, doing killings, we do other things. Homies' saving a lot of lives.
ROMERO: We come from gangs and now we are part of the solution. So, it doesn't matter how much I got to spend, how much time I got to be on it, I need to do it for my kids and for the other kids of San Salvador.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And if you'd like to make a contribution to Luis Ernesto's work or just nominate your hero for special recognition later this year, you'll find more information on our website at cnn.com/heroes.
And we also want to update you on a previous hero. Remember Zack Hunter? Well, he's the 15-year-old working to end modern day slavery by collecting loose change. Since CNN aired his story, at least two dozen students have contacted him to start their own loose change programs. A record label executive also has pledged his company's loose change which is a portion of sales to Zack's organization. So, good for him. We're seeing it work, T.J.
HOLMES: Yeah, he was the guy we had in the studio here, once.
And this is something pretty great going on great right now, soccer fever in Iraq. Sunnis, Shias, Kurds, all coming together to root for Iraq's soccer team. They're playing right now in the Saudi Arabia Asian Cup Soccer Final that's going on now. Just take a listen to what's going on, here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: (speaking foreign language)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes, you're hearing the game being called there in Arabic. But you can still tell the excitement in the air and still the enthusiasm surrounding the soccer game. But, this is the finals that they are in right now, this final game again is happening in Jakarta Indonesia. It is underway, it's 0-0 with about 34 minutes left in the game, right now. This is kind of a clash of the titans of this tournament, if you will, I understand.
I've been told by some of our researchers that Iraq has the best defense in this tournament and they're going up against a team that has the best offense in this tournament. So, really exciting time for folks in Iraq we saw a live shot from our Arwa Damon, not too long ago, who was watching this game with coalition troops there in Iraq and some other Iraqis. But everybody's coming together right now to really support the Iraqi team. So, a great story there and some good news coming out of Iraq, certainly good to see.
Well, meanwhile, time for us to check in with Howard Kurtz. He's in Washington. See what is ahead on reliable sources.
Good morning you to, sir.
HOWARD KURTZ, RELIABLE SOURCES: Good morning, T.J.
Coming up, Hillary Clinton's campaign denounces a "Washington Post" report about her cleavage and uses the controversy to raise money. We'll plunge into that one.
Barry Bonds who is one swing away from tying the all-time home run record lashes out at a top sportscaster. Why does he get such bad press?
The media grapple with their celebrity addition as Lindsay Lohan is busted again and the coverage goes crazy.
That plus a report card on the CNN/YouTube debate, ahead on RELIABLE SOURCES.
HOLMES: OK, Howie, cleavage story, we'll plunge into that one. Was that necessary?
NGUYEN: Howie? How dare you?
HOLMES: Come on. Thank you, Howie.
NGUYEN: We'll see you here shortly. Hey, people will be watching, right?
You might want to watch this as well, because the Da Vinci painting here, well, the painter may being long dead but not his work of art because it is clogging the web.
HOLMES: Also the 88-year-old who wanted to be an eagle, the story of his dreams finally coming true.
All right. Been a bit of a heavy morning, if you will here. We're going to liven things up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right, it's been a bit of a heady morning, if you will, here. We're going to lighten things up as we leave you this morning.
NGUYEN: You have to see this. He waited 70 years, but finally This Walter Hart of Florida can call himself an Eagle Scout. Looks good on him, doesn't it? It's the top honor a Scout can reach. Love that little sash there. Hart completed the requirements to be an Eagle Scout on time when he was 18, but World War II intervened and he never got the award until now. Congratulations, Walter.
HOLMES: Well, that's great for him. And I don't know how great this accomplishment is for this town of Collinsville, Illinois. It's already the home to the world's largest ketchup bottle. Now the city has taken another challenge here with ketchup, spend eight hours creating what they believe to be the world's largest ketchup packet.
NGUYEN: Why?
HOLMES: Like somebody else did it. This organizers hope to...
NGUYEN: Yeah, I don't think there is stiff competition in this category.
HOLMES: Yeah, I think they got this one. They hope to set a Guinness world record.
NGUYEN: Well, good for them.
HOLMES: Yeah. Well, a new Da Vinci theory so popular that has crashed on the Web. The famous painting at the center of this crashing is "The Last Supper."
NGUYEN: An armature scholar claims De Vinci he hid something in the painting and shows it on the Web. More than 15 million tried to access the sites on Thursday alone. The sites say that they're trying to get a more powerful server to accommodate all this high demand. Now that's got my interest perked. Don't you want to go on and see what it is?
HOLMES: Let's go crash the site.
Well, RELIABLE SOURCES with Howard Kurtz, coming up next and then a little bit later at 11:00, Capitol Hill takes on Alberto Gonzales. Was the attorney general telling the truth?
NGUYEN: We're also going to ask top congressman, plus the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., you'll want to join Wolf and LATE EDITION, that is today at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.
But, first a check of this morning's headlines.
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