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CNN Saturday Morning News

15 Dead in Baghdad Bombings; MLB Steroid Scandal Grows

Aired December 04, 2004 - 07:00   ET

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

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


BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, good morning, everyone.
From the CNN Center here in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

It's December 4, 7:00 a.m. in the East, 4:00 a.m. out West, very early.

Good morning.

I'm Betty Nguyen.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris.

Thank you for being with us.

"Now in the News," one of President Bush's top allies in the war on terror, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, arrives at the White House about two hours from now. The two presidents have a lot to talk about, including the so far unsuccessful search for Osama bin Laden, scaled back last month by Pakistan.

Opposition supporters in Ukraine celebrate their so-called Orange Revolution. Country's supreme court has nullified the November 21 runoff election for president. The court ordered a new runoff the day after Christmas, between the opposition candidate and the prime minister.

A downgraded typhoon has fizzled out off southern Taiwan, but the storm, along with three others over the past two weeks, leaves widespread devastation and more than 1,000 people dead or missing in the Philippines. Relief supplies are arriving by air and the Red Cross says up to 800,000 survivors may need help.

It's Election Day again in Louisiana, with runoff votes for U.S. House seats in two districts. In one race, Republican Billy Tauzin, III faces Democrat Charles Melancon. In the other, it's Republicans Charles Boustany against Democrat Willie Mount.

NGUYEN: All right, also coming up this hour, the steroid scandal prompts a prominent senator to flex his political muscle. His terse message to athletes and owners -- fix this mess now or else.

Also, feeling a pain in your backside this holiday? Well, maybe it's those credit cards burning a hole in your wallet, Tony. A consumer expert will join us to explain why plastic, well, that's just not fantastic. And we'll meet a fresh new recruit in the Kris Kringle corps. He'll explain how he went from down and out to become a graduate of the Academy of Saint Nick.

HARRIS: Well, our top story this morning is the fight for Iraq. More bloody bombings in Baghdad. These are the gates to the Green Zone, the coalition controlled area that's heavily fortified. At least 15 people are dead and 50 are wounded.

CNN's Karl Penhaul join us live from the increasingly dangerous capital of Iraq -- Karl, good morning.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Tony.

Yes, certainly over the last few days, we have seen an increase in some of the attacks here in the capital. This morning's attack took place about 9:30 local time at a very busy crossroads in the heart of Baghdad. On one corner of that crossroads is a district police station. On two of the other four corners are two of the main checkpoint entry points to the fortified Green Zone, the headquarters of the coalition and the Iraqi administration here in Baghdad.

We're told by police that there were two car bombs that detonated there. One of them had at least 800 pounds of explosives on board, we're told. So far, according to both police and hospital sources, we have a total of 15 people dead and at least 50 others wounded.

A U.S. Embassy source has told us that no coalition casualties are involved here. Iraqi police tell us that at least five of the dead are Iraqi police.

Now, after those explosions occurred, just seconds after, in fact, security sources inside the Green Zone say insurgents tried to assault two of the checkpoints. The U.S. Embassy official, however, has told us that he doesn't believe that that was a serious attempt by insurgents to breach the outer defenses of the Green Zone.

It does, however, indicate that the insurgents are becoming increasingly bold and as a government official has told us in the last few days, he believes that insurgents are filtering into Baghdad from outlying areas to try and stir up trouble in Baghdad ahead of the January elections -- Tony.

HARRIS: Well, Karl, I know there are problems in Mosul.

What else can you tell us about other attacks around and around the country?

PENHAUL: There have been a number of other attacks. Today, there was another attack in Ba'qubah. That's a town about 30 miles north of Baghdad. The attack actually just a little bit west of the city itself. A roadside bomb in that. One U.S. soldier was killed and another was wounded.

And then there were a number of events yesterday -- overnight, in fact, on the border crossing between Iraq and Jordan. There was a suicide bomb attack on a U.S. convoy. Two U.S. soldiers were killed in that. Five more were wounded.

Overnight, there was a mortar attack on a U.S. base in Kirkuk. That's the oil rich area in northern Iraq. And there was also an attempt by insurgents to storm four police stations in Mosul, although U.S. forces say they managed to successfully repel those attacks -- Tony.

HARRIS: CNN's Karl Penhaul in Baghdad for us this morning.

Karl, thank you.

NGUYEN: Now to what may be another instance of prisoner abuse in Iraq. We don't have all the details just yet, but what we do know so far comes from the Associated Press in words and still photos. According to the A.P., they show what appear to be Navy SEALS in Iraq poising with prisoners, some of them bloodied. Now, some handcuffed with guns to their heads, as well. An A.P. reporter found more than 40 of them posted on a commercial photo sharing Web site by a woman who said her husband brought them home from a tour of duty. It is unclear who took them or where. Date stamps on some of those photos suggest they were taken in May of last year.

Now, again, according to the A.P., the military has launched a criminal investigation into what the photos portray.

The second term cabinet shuffle, some of these Bush administration people are staying. Others replace those who are moving on. The eighth cabinet member to announce his departure is Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. But he is not going quietly. Thompson says he worries every single night about terrorists poisoning the nation's food supply because only a minute amount of food imports are inspected.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is one cabinet member who will remain in place for the second term. President Bush asked Rumsfeld to stay on and Rumsfeld agreed.

HARRIS: There's a new twist that could complicate efforts to get the 9/11 intelligence reform bill passed this year. Republican Senator John Warner, the powerful chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, says he shares some of the same reservations raised by his House counterpart. Warner and Congressman Duncan Hunter believe the current bill could interfere with the military's chain of command and create obstacles to intelligence reaching battlefield troops. President Bush is pressing Congress to pass the bill when it returns for a short lame duck session next week.

A leading senator is threatening action in the widening steroid scandal in Major League Baseball. John McCain, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, tells the "Washington Post" that if owners and athletes don't launch a crackdown, he will. McCain is quoted as saying if Major League Baseball doesn't adopt testing requirements within a month, he will initiate the process. The Republican says he will introduce legislation to impose drug testing standards in professional sports. The long whispered taint of steroids has loomed over baseball for several years. But it has mushroomed with reports of Barry Bonds' appearance before a grand jury. Bonds, who was on track to break baseball's all time home run record, reportedly said he doesn't -- he didn't realize that substances he was given by his trainer may have been steroids.

CNN national correspondent Frank Buckley explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He's just 12 home runs away from besting Babe Ruth's career record and sneaking up on Hank Aaron's. But Barry Bonds' acknowledgement to a grand jury that he used substances that prosecutors believe contained steroids, according to the "San Francisco Chronicle," promises to make his run for the records one shrouded in controversy.

CHARLEY STEINER, L.A. DODGERS ANNOUNCER: He is clearly the preeminent home run hitter of this generation and maybe of all time. And now the question has been legitimately raised, did he cheat along the way?

BUCKLEY: Bonds' attorney said the slugger was using what he still believes was a flaxseed oil for exhaustion and a lotion for arthritis MICHAEL RAINS, BARRY BONDS' ATTORNEY: So, no, I don't acknowledge my client took steroids. I won't. He won't.

BUCKLEY: Bonds has always denied using steroids.

BARRY BONDS: They can test me every day if they choose to.

BUCKLEY: Bonds' attorney says the substances in question were given to the San Francisco Giant by his personal trainer and best friend, Greg Anderson, who, along with three other men, faces charges of steroid distribution in connection with the federal investigation of BALCO, a firm that provided nutritional help to top athletes.

Victor Conte, the founder of BALCO and one of the four men charged in the case, said on ABC's "20/20" that while he supplied Anderson with performance enhancing drugs, he doesn't know if it went beyond the trainer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "20/20," COURTESY ABC NEWS)

VICTOR CONTE, BALCO FOUNDER: And this was not for any specific athlete, but mainly for Greg for his own personal use or whatever he did with it, I don't know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: But whether Bonds believes he was taking steroids or not, the damage may be done, say baseball insiders.

FAY VINCENT, FORMER BASEBALL COMMISSIONER: His legacy is almost certainly hurt. He'll never be able to prove that his performance was not enhanced by drugs.

BUCKLEY: It was a second strike against baseball, following Thursday's revelation about Yankee slugger Jason Giambi, who reportedly admitted to knowingly using steroids to the same grand jury.

(on camera): For critics of baseball's drug policy, it all represents a call to make it tougher. League Commissioner Bud Selig issued a challenge to the players association to help him do that. So far the players association has remained silent.

Frank Buckley, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And Victor Conte, the BALCO founder you just saw in Frank's report, implicated another sports star in that interview. He says he himself gave performance enhancing drugs to track star and five time Olympic medalist Marion Jones. Victor Conte told ABC that he gave her the human growth hormone in the weeks leading up to the 2000 Olympics and even showed her how to interject herself. Jones has never failed a drug test and has denied ever using performance enhancing drugs.

NGUYEN: All right, this scandal brings us to our E-Mail Question of the Morning. Should athletes who have taken steroids be forced to give their records or medals back? Tell us what you think. We're at wam@cnn.com. And we'll read your replies throughout the program.

HARRIS: Charge it!

COSTELLO: OK.

HARRIS: Boy, you might be saying that a lot this holiday season. Boy, we hope you're not. We'll tell you how credit card companies keep you hooked on the plastic.

NGUYEN: Also, making the grade at Santa's school. Some of these Santas overcame a lot to wear the beard. One of them joins us.

HARRIS: And good morning, Philadelphia, where the Army battles the Navy on the gridiron today. Your forecast in about 10 minutes.

NGUYEN: First, though, here's what you can own or rent on DVDs this coming Tuesday. Pick your Matt Damon favorite. Is it "The Bourne Supremacy" or "Stuck On You?" Well, they're both out. And for Jim Carey fans, there is "Me, Myself and Irene."

Now, over at the movies, only one release going nationwide this weekend, starring the new mother of twins and the sexiest man alive.

HARRIS: Hey, hey.

NGUYEN: We'll take a closer look ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Jason Giambi admitted to using illegal steroids. Barry Bonds is accused of the same crime. It's the hot topic in sports this week, but there's been no talk of possible criminal charges. Well, until now. Baseball and steroids on the docket live next hour in "Legal Briefs." That's at 8:00 a.m. Eastern.

ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm Orelon Sidney.

Here's a look at your cold and flu report.

The latest activity report through November the 20th shows the only widespread activity through Alaska. Sporadic activity through the rest of the United States. There is some local activity in the Northeast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Other news across America now.

Defeated presidential candidate John Kerry is among Democrats helping to pay for a head recount in the Washington State governor's race. His campaign is donating a quarter of a million dollars, which is about one third what is needed to get the process started. Democrats asked for the manual recount after Republican Dino Rossi was certified the winner by just 42 votes. The new recount could take most of the month.

John Kerry's campaign and a couple of third party candidates are pressing for a recount of presidential ballots in Ohio. Counts of the so-called provisional ballots trimmed President Bush's win by about 17,000 votes. But the 2 percent margin of victory was still large enough to avoid an automatic recount. The Reverend Jesse Jackson is among those who think the Ohio balloting deserves closer scrutiny. He'll join us in our 9:00 hour to explain why.

In Houston, Texas, no injuries reported after a huge explosion at a chemical plant. The fire burned through the night and spewed a massive cloud of smoke. Take a look at these pictures. A team of investigators is being sent to the site to find the cause.

And still ahead in about 36 minutes from now, a plate that could feed a homeless man for a lifetime. We'll tell you why this one item snatched from the jaws of tragedy could serve as a godsend.

NGUYEN: Well, planning on catching a flick this weekend? The pretty woman and the sexiest man alive work together in the only nationwide release this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "CLOSER," COURTESY COLUMBIA PICTURES)

JULIA ROBERTS, ACTOR: Good.

JUDE LAW, ACTOR: Come here.

ROBERTS: I don't kiss strange men.

LAW: Neither do I.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Apparently they do. Well, "Closer" stars Julia Roberts and Jude Law in the story of four strangers, two American women entangled with two Englishmen. London serves as the backdrop for some pretty hot stuff -- chance meetings, instant attractions and, of course, betrayal. But "Closer" is getting mixed remarks from the critics. The "Chicago Tribune" calls it "wittingly written and powerfully acted." The "Hollywood Reporter" says the movie is "brutally cold." Ouch.

HARRIS: Ouch.

Behind the beard and the jolly laugh, a story of personal struggle. We'll be joined by a very special Santa.

NGUYEN: also this hour, we're taking your e-mails. Should athletes who've taken steroids be forced to renounce the records or give back their medals? Let us know what you think at wam@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Army faces off against Navy in Philadelphia, one of the longest running rivalries in college sports.

Good morning to you, Philadelphia.

Orelon Sidney in for Rob Marciano this week will have your weather forecast in a few minutes and we'll have the game preview later this hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

But first, you can tell by those bells it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And if you're ready for some cheery charity, try donating your jingle to Kris Kringle. How's that? I'm rhyming this morning. Sidewalk Santa Claus is coming to town. A group of trainees fresh out of Santa school ready to ho, ho, ho and pick up your spare change.

Dale Keyser went to the Santa school and he joins us live this morning from New York.

Dale, good to see you.

DALE KEYSER, SIDEWALK SANTAS: Hi.

How are you doing?

HARRIS: Oh, I see you now. You've got the hat working, you've got the gear on, you've got the beard working. You look good this morning.

Good to see you.

Good to be with you.

KEYSER: All right.

It's great to be here, too.

HARRIS: How was Santa school for you?

Tell us about it.

KEYSER: Oh, yes, it was all right. Well, we learned the different rules and stuff that we have to follow and, you know, to be cheerful and, you know, do the best we can out there to collect donations.

HARRIS: How did you do on the cheerful party, pretty good?

KEYSER: Oh, yes. I'm always pretty much that way anyway, so that wasn't, you know, a big hurdle for me.

HARRIS: So this is your first go around as a sidewalk Santa?

KEYSER: Oh, no, this is the second year for me now.

HARRIS: Oh, so your second year. OK.

KEYSER: So I'm a real popular, you know, Santa Claus now.

HARRIS: What makes you so popular, Dale?

KEYSER: Oh, I don't know. It's just I guess my attitude is, I guess would have to be the number one thing. So...

HARRIS: Well, Dale, I've got to tell you, you are a pretty wonderful holiday story yourself.

Tell us a little bit about your story. You have essentially come back from the bowels of hell and...

KEYSER: Oh, yes.

HARRIS: ... and you're doing OK now, huh?

KEYSER: Well, I've had mental health issues in my past and alcoholism. And I just, I was able to pull myself out of this and I'm now on medication for my mental illness and I found my way to Volunteers of America and that's where I live now. And I have my own little apartment.

HARRIS: Yes.

KEYSER: And so life is much better now. And so now it's kind of, I feel like it's a chance for me now to give back, which is a good thing. And so I'm pretty happy. I'm pretty content about my life.

HARRIS: Well, we're happy for you.

But give us a sense, you were homeless for a while, weren't you?

KEYSER: Oh, yes. Well, a few months, about three months, I think. And that was enough for me.

HARRIS: Dale, what happened to you? I mean, you know, you look great now, you look like you're -- you've pulled it all together.

What happened to you?

KEYSER: Well, I just found the right people to help me out and that's about it. That's all I can say. And Volunteers of America gave me a chance and I do some part-time work at the building where I live. I work at the front desk when the people go on lunch and I'm like a courier, taking mail around to some of the different buildings. I do painting, painting work.

HARRIS: Yes.

KEYSER: And so it's all, I think when you do things and you start to do things and you, you know, you start to feel better about yourself, you feel like you're contributing. And I'm retired now so I don't really have to do any of these things, but it just makes me feel good. And so I think that's what it's all about. And now I feel like I have a chance to give back and so that's it.

So now I feel like I'm in the normal stream of society and that's where we all want to be, I think.

HARRIS: Dale, good to see you.

KEYSER: All right.

HARRIS: Be well, all right?

KEYSER: OK.

HARRIS: And...

KEYSER: And the great thing about this year is if you can't come to my chimney, you can log onto msnshopping and they'll make a donation, you know, in -- for you, in your name.

HARRIS: I know you're 10 years sober.

KEYSER: Yes.

HARRIS: And the best of luck to you.

KEYSER: Yes.

HARRIS: And keep up the good work with the sobriety.

KEYSER: OK.

HARRIS: And it's a pleasure to meet you.

KEYSER: Thanks a lot.

You, too. HARRIS: All right, Dale.

Be good.

KEYSER: God bless everybody.

HARRIS: And God bless you.

How about that?

NGUYEN: What a great story there with Dale.

HARRIS: Dale Keyser Kringle.

NGUYEN: One thing I like about Dale, several things. One, he's popular as a Santa and he knows it. He's not ashamed of it.

HARRIS: No.

NGUYEN: And, two, I love the beard.

HARRIS: How about that, huh?

NGUYEN: It's a real one. It's not one of those that you go up and you say oh, I don't know, it's not real.

HARRIS: Right. And he's in New York City, so if you're there doing some shopping...

NGUYEN: Yes.

HARRIS: ... find Dale and give him some of your change this holiday season.

NGUYEN: All those other sidewalk Santas, as well, out there.

Hey, how is the sidewalk looking in New York this morning, Orelon?

SIDNEY: Pretty good. It's looked like -- I think I'll rewind and just start all over again.

NGUYEN: You're in the snow.

SIDNEY: How's that?

It looks pretty good in most locations of the Northeast.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Orelon, good to see you.

NGUYEN: Yes, looking forward to it.

SIDNEY: Thanks a lot.

HARRIS: All right, see you a little later in the hour.

NGUYEN: Well, a prominent church puts out an ad saying it turns no one away. But the big three TV networks are turning it away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST AD)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No way. Not you. I don't think so. No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The United Church of Christ. No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you're welcome here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: But that is only part of the ad. Too hot to handle for the networks? Reaction from the United Church of Christ. That is live tomorrow morning in "Faces Of Faith." That's 8:00 a.m. Eastern on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

HARRIS: Is your credit card company playing tricks on you? Coming up, we'll tell you how to keep your plastic from weighing you down.

NGUYEN: And Osama bin Laden's trail -- Pakistan's leader says it is cold, but he might have some explaining to do when he meets with President Bush.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tyco International's CEO Edward Breen wasted no time in cleaning up the mess left by Dennis Kozlowski, Tyco's former CEO, who's charged with looting the company for millions of dollars. Green replaced the entire executive board and is now streamlining the massive conglomerate and reducing its enormous debt. Wall Street is smiling on Tyco's new image. The company's stock has been rebounding ever since Breen took over.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Pakistan is giving up the hunt for bin Laden. But will that sit well with the White House?

Good morning, everyone.

I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen.

That story in just a minute.

But first, here's a look at the morning headlines.

We have a developing story this hour out of Baghdad. Two car bombs got off -- went off at a checkpoint leading to the heavily fortified Green Zone. That's the area that houses coalition operations. Now, at least 15 people were killed, including four Iraqi police officers. Another 30 people were wounded.

The most recent to resign, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson. Now, upon announcing his resignation yesterday, he had a few unsettling concerns -- the possibility of a pandemic flu that could kill as many as 70 million people worldwide. As for the concern, he said, "I cannot understand why terrorists have not attacked our food supply. It is so easy to do."

And a warning from the Environmental Protection Agency. The agency is predicting a staggering spike in the number of hazardous waste sites littering the country. The EPA says there are 77,000 contaminated sites around the country right now and that number could grow to 355,000 in the next 35 years. Cleanup could cost taxpayers and private groups some $280 billion, with a B.

HARRIS: On to our top story right now.

President Bush will sit down for talks with Pakistan's president at the White House this morning. President Musharraf is considered the president's main Muslim ally in the war on terror. The two leaders are expected to hit on some touchy subjects, among them the unsuccessful hunt for Osama bin Laden. Pakistan's Army has said it is scaling back its search for bin Laden. That's likely to be a source of contention during today's Bush-Musharraf talks.

CNN's Andrea Koppel has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With its mountainous terrain and ancient tribal culture, South Waziristan in Pakistan topped the list of most likely hiding places for Osama bin Laden and other senior al Qaeda leaders. But two years after Pakistan's military mounted an unprecedented campaign to hunt down bin Laden, a Pakistani general made a surprising announcement recently. Pakistan's military would withdraw from the Waziristan's provincial capital because bin Laden, he said, wasn't there.

LT. GEN. SAFDAR HUSSAIN, CHIEF OF NORTHWEST PAKISTAN: If he was here in the tribal areas, I can assure that he wouldn't have escaped my eyes and ears.

KOPPEL: Other Pakistani officials quickly denied the trail for bin Laden had run cold, insisting they have more than 70,000 Pakistani forces deployed along the Afghan border and have incurred hundreds of casualties.

(on camera): But on the eve of President Pervez Musharraf's meeting with President Bush, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan suggested ever so gently...

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Well, I think there is always more that can be done. KOPPEL (voice-over): Paula Zahn sat down with President Musharraf several months ago and discussed the hunt for bin Laden.

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Is the United States putting increased pressure on your government to find Osama bin Laden before our national elections?

GEN. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTANI PRESIDENT: No, not at all. There is no pressure on us whatsoever. And how can there be pressure on us? What pressure? I mean, we are operating with all our might, with all our forces.

KOPPEL: Musharraf himself has been the target of several al Qaeda-linked assassination attempts. This videotape from South Waziristan obtained by CNN has an unmistakable message.

Hamid Mir, a prominent Pakistani journalist, says Musharraf intends to ask President Bush to beef up U.S. forces in Eastern Afghanistan.

HAMID MIR, JOURNALIST: That the U.S. Army should put pressure on al Qaeda from Afghan side. We will put pressure on al Qaeda from Pakistan side. We will squeeze them and then we can get some of them.

PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: What happens in Pakistan is absolutely critical with what happens in the war on terrorism. If Pakistan is not serious about going after al Qaeda, we have a huge problem.

KOPPEL: Andrea Koppel, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: This may be the Question of the Day. Will the Army take out the Navy this year?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOBBY ROSS, ARMY HEAD COACH: I do it because it serves as a constant reminder to me that we almost have an obligation to win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Or will it be the other way around? We've got a gridiron preview for you next.

NGUYEN: And good morning Boston. Your weather forecast is ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Two baseball MVPs caught in the middle of one of the game's biggest scandals ever, Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi. Bonds accused of using illegal steroids. Giambi confesses. Should there be criminal charges? That question on the docket in this morning's "Legal Briefs," live, 8:00 a.m. Eastern. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: If you had a tough time keeping up with work, family and the news this week, well, that's what we are here for.

Time now to "Rewind" to the top stories of the week.

Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced he is leaving his post. Ridge was appointed shortly after the September 11 attacks. President Bush nominated former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik as Ridge's replacement.

Next up, Baghdad. Wednesday, the Pentagon said 1,500 U.S. troops are getting ready to head to Iraq ahead of the country's January elections. They'll be helping with the security detail, along with 10,000 other U.S. troops who are having their tour of duty extended.

Flash floods began to recede Friday in the northern Philippines after back to back storms devastated much of the country. Look at these pictures. Monday's tropical storm was followed by a powerful typhoon three days later. Nearly 650 people were killed and about 400 are still missing.

And tomorrow we will "Fast Forward" to the week ahead and tell you which stories will grab the spotlight.

HARRIS: President Bush will attend a college football game today that will also draw impassioned fans from around the world. Yet not a single player will move on to the NFL. In fact, some will find their next great challenge in combat.

Here's a look at the 105th Army-Navy game.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AARON POLANCO, NAVY QUARTERBACK: A football game is about, I mean, you're leading, you know, men, just as you would out in the fleet or in (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And it's the same, you know, concept. It's not nearly the same, you know, surroundings, but it's the same concepts that come with leadership.

CAPT. GREG COOPER, U.S. NAVY: Whether you fly airplanes or operate ships or submarines, all those things you learn on the playing field certainly help make you a better leader. These young men, when they leave the football team and graduate, they're not going to the NFL. They're going to go off to be Marine second lieutenants or Navy ensigns leading troops or sailors.

LANE JACKSON, NAVY LINEBACKER: I want to be a SEAL. Guys on the SEAL teams and in the SEAL community are just hard-nosed, determined, focused in the visuals, and that's what I'm used to working with being a Navy football player, because that's exactly the kind of people I play with on Saturdays. My freshman year, 9/11 occurred. But as soon as it happened, I'm looking on the TV and I said, no, I'm going to war. Time is ticking away until I get there. I'm a senior now. It will be less than a year. When it comes to going to war, I'd have to say part of me is anxious, part of me definitely doesn't want to go. Who wants to go to war?

PAUL JOHNSON, NAVY HEAD COACH: I think it really hits home when you hear about another casualty in Iraq. Or you hear, you know, you look and say hey, do I know that guy? It's something you can't dwell on every day. I think you just have to go on about your life and know that it's part of what's going on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ready, set, go!

WILL SULLIVAN, ARMY DEFENSIVE TACKLE: Coach Ross, after every practice, reminds us what's going on and he uses e-mails and tells us stories about when he was in Germany as a young lieutenant.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir.

ROSS: From Baghdad, Iraq and Task Force Steel Dragons, I send my profound thank you to Coach Ross and the Army team for the victory in Army football. The members of the long great line currently serving in combat really, really needed this Army victory. Please extend my sincere compliments to the members of the Army football team and have mercy on the Corps for the goal posts.

I do it because it serves as a constant reminder to me that we almost have an obligation to win. And going further, we certainly have an obligation to play hard and to play as well as we possibly can and to play with spirit and to play with intensity. And we have that obligation because we are symbolic, in my mind, of the United States Army troops.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not just this small world. You know, we're reaching out to everybody worldwide fighting, you know, for us just to have this ability to play the game that we love. And, you know, it means so much to them, so it means a lot to us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Are you charging deeper and deeper into debt? We'll tell you how not to get hooked on the plastic this holiday season, next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: Also, if you're a Titanic fan, we may have found just the right item for you. Find out how this plate can bring one man back home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, good morning, Boston.

Look at this live picture. What a pretty morning there.

Did you know the Radio City Christmas Spectacular is in town today? For only one night and one night only. You can check out the Rockettes and Santa at the Wayne Center. And we'll tell you what to expect weather wise in about 10 minutes -- Tony.

HARRIS: But first, a check of our top stories this Saturday morning.

Smoke clouds the streets of Baghdad after twin bombings. Two car bombings went off near the coalition run Green Zone, killing at least 15 people.

They have a lot to talk about -- Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf meets with President Bush in a little more than an hour. On the agenda, Pakistan's scaling back its hunt for Osama bin Laden.

And Senator John McCain says if Major League Baseball doesn't step up to the plate, he will. McCain tells the "Washington Post" he will launch a political crackdown on the growing steroid scandal if the league doesn't take action.

And don't forget to e-mail us this morning. Should athletes who have taken steroids be forced to give their records or medals back? We're at wam@cnn.com and we'll read your replies throughout the program.

NGUYEN: 'Tis the season for shopping and you're probably dipping into your credit cards to cover all those gift buys. I know I am. And you may not be planning to pay the whole balance off at the end of the month. Well, you are not alone. Ninety million Americans carry a monthly credit card debt. Is your family credit debt above or below the nation's record average of $7,500?

Well, as much as we may adore our credit cards, for many it is a love-hate relationship, no joke. In fact, the Better Business Bureau says credit cards and banking companies are now the subject of a record number of consumer complaints.

Critics say there is good reason for those complaints and they say credit card firms are getting downright dirty with their lending practices.

One of the most vocal critics is Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren.

And she joins us now from Boston to talk about some of the top tricks you should look out for.

Good morning to you, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH WARREN, HARVARD UNIVERSITY LAW PROFESSOR: Good morning.

NGUYEN: Well, first off, let's talk about this. You say beware of credit card companies. Why? What are these dirty tricks?

WARREN: Well, credit card companies have employed millions of MBAs and marketing specialists in order to figure out ways to trick you into spending more money on your credit cards and to stretch our your payments over a long period of time so that the credit card companies can maximize profits.

NGUYEN: Let's take a look at these tricks one by one.

Number one, they change the interest rates on you. You sign up for one thing and automatically it changes without you knowing it.

Is that fair? Is that right? Is that legal?

WARREN: Well, the credit card companies have carefully buried in the fine print the right to just change the interest rates whenever they want to. And that means that even good customers who are making payments on time can go from 9.9 percent interest rate to 29.9 percent interest rate.

NGUYEN: Wow.

What about adding fees? They can do this, as well, can't they?

WARREN: That's exactly right. In fact, the credit card companies have figured out over the last five years that one of their new profit centers is to ding people with $29, $39, even $50 fees and it's especially profitable for the credit card companies because they charge fees for things that don't really cost them a lot of money. Your bill comes in literally one hour late and they say hey, that's $39. They make money off that.

NGUYEN: And you mentioned that, speaking of bills coming in late, they can actually check the mail in the morning and say oh, it's not there. But if it had come in the afternoon, you don't get the credit for it being there on time, right?

WARREN: That's exactly right. In fact, they've aimed their business practices toward trying to get you to pay late, because if you pay but pay late, it's far more profitable for the credit card company. So they check the mail early, early in the morning. They put their centers that collect the mail in distant locations so that the mail takes longer to get there. All of that is in the hopes that you will miscalculate and get that bill in just one day late and lots of money for them.

NGUYEN: Now, let's talk about those miscalculations, because every time I get my bill, there's always that minimum payment. And it's so enticing because if I could just pay $10, hey, that would be great. But if you do the math, that's really going to hurt you in the end.

WARREN: Oh, the minimum payments are absolutely the number one way that credit card companies are making money. You know, the first thing you want to remember is what it is that credit card companies call the people who pay their bills in full. They're referred to in the industry as deadbeats. In other words, the companies are making all their money off people who make minimum monthly payments.

And let me just give you an example. On a typical credit card today, if you have a balance of about $5,000 and you make minimum monthly payments, you know how long it's going to take you to pay it off?

NGUYEN: I'm afraid to ask, but go ahead.

WARREN: Thirty-five years.

NGUYEN: Yikes!

WARREN: You'll be retired and still paying on that credit card bill.

NGUYEN: Wow! OK. That being said...

WARREN: That gives you a little pause.

NGUYEN: That being said, quickly, we're almost out of time, what can people do to protect themselves, to make sure that they don't end up still paying 30 years from now?

WARREN: Well, the number one thing is to pay down as much as you can on your bill every month. The aim should be to have no credit card debt at all. It's the only way to keep yourself safe.

Now, look carefully at your bill when it comes in every month. Scrutinize your cards to make sure that the charges are right. And if you think there's something wrong, call and complain. Credit card companies will often waive the charges if that's going to be the difference between keeping a customer and losing a customer.

NGUYEN: Hey, the squeaky wheel always gets the grease, as they say.

WARREN: That's right.

NGUYEN: Elizabeth Warren, Harvard University Law, thank you so much for your information.

WARREN: Good to be here.

NGUYEN: Now, here are some other tricks that can save you some money. Remember, the squeaky wheel, as we mentioned, gets the grease. So believe it or not, if you complain, as she just mentioned, to threaten to close your account, you may be offered lower rates or fees. Now, use the low introductory rates to hop, skip and run to the next great deal after your rate expires. And timing, well, it is everything. Pay attention to your grace period and figure out your maximum float period. If you charge early in the cycle and pay close to the due date -- not too close, though -- you may get 50 to 60 interest free days.

For more ways on how to manage your credit, check out cardweb.com -- Tony.

HARRIS: We need to take those notes. If you will be using that credit card to buy the perfect gift, we may have just the thing for you. For the person who has it all, a one of a kind item, a plate that survived the shipwreck Titanic. It's intact and for sale on eBay. Asking price nearly $50,000. It seems a homeless man from Texas is selling it. He says his great aunt is a Titanic survivor and saved the souvenir after the ship went down. The factory in the Czech Republic says the plate is authentic and may be a one of a kind.

Now, if you think you've seen weird weddings before, just wait. Yes, find out why this couple decided to go gibbon to tie the knot. It's part of our "Wows of the Week" next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK, the "Wows of the Week" begin in Antwerp, Belgium. The center of that storied city has become a frozen wonderland. The ice sculpture festival is unique because every work pays homage to the Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens. Unlike his masterpieces, which are frozen in time, these will last until the next heat wave.

Cancer survivor Lloyd Scott has completed another epic fundraising stunt. This time he cycled all the way across Australia on an old-fashioned penny farthing bike while dressed as Sherlock Holmes. He completed the 2,700 miles in just 50 days. Scott is no stranger to bizarre stunts. Last year, he did an underwater marathon across the bottom of Scotland's Loch Ness. He does it to raise money for leukemia research.

And that is -- OK. And this is how gibbons do it in the wild, attract a mate, that is. Get your minds out of the gutter. For one Western couple, it seemed the perfect way to begin their wedding ceremony. The bridge and groom are volunteers at a wildlife sanctuary in Thailand, the story goes, and they share a mutual fascination for apes.

NGUYEN: Fascination is right. I don't even know where to begin with that one -- Orelon, help us out here.

HARRIS: Bail us out, more like it.

NGUYEN: Yes.

SIDNEY: Gee, I don't know if there's any help for that.

HARRIS: No, there's no -- there's no help to be found.

SIDNEY: To be totally honest, wow.

NGUYEN: Big issues.

SIDNEY: I mean what -- the best thing to do is to go on to the weather.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: We've got to rush through a couple of e-mails here.

Here's the question. Should athletes who've taken steroids be forced to renounce their records and back their medals?

And we've got a couple e-mails.

NGUYEN: Lanzaman writes: "Using steroids in competition is like allowing a calculator on a math test when others aren't using them. It provides an unfair advantage and it's easy to excel physically. Give the medals back. It's cheating."

HARRIS: And this from Sara and Jimmie Reynolds: "Steroids are like drugs. The user is always punished while the provider just keeps on providing. The records of the users should stand."

Now, a couple of e-mails this morning. We would encourage you to send us your responses at wam@cnn.com.

NGUYEN: And the next hour of CNN SATURDAY begins right now.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired December 4, 2004 - 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: Well, good morning, everyone.
From the CNN Center here in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

It's December 4, 7:00 a.m. in the East, 4:00 a.m. out West, very early.

Good morning.

I'm Betty Nguyen.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris.

Thank you for being with us.

"Now in the News," one of President Bush's top allies in the war on terror, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, arrives at the White House about two hours from now. The two presidents have a lot to talk about, including the so far unsuccessful search for Osama bin Laden, scaled back last month by Pakistan.

Opposition supporters in Ukraine celebrate their so-called Orange Revolution. Country's supreme court has nullified the November 21 runoff election for president. The court ordered a new runoff the day after Christmas, between the opposition candidate and the prime minister.

A downgraded typhoon has fizzled out off southern Taiwan, but the storm, along with three others over the past two weeks, leaves widespread devastation and more than 1,000 people dead or missing in the Philippines. Relief supplies are arriving by air and the Red Cross says up to 800,000 survivors may need help.

It's Election Day again in Louisiana, with runoff votes for U.S. House seats in two districts. In one race, Republican Billy Tauzin, III faces Democrat Charles Melancon. In the other, it's Republicans Charles Boustany against Democrat Willie Mount.

NGUYEN: All right, also coming up this hour, the steroid scandal prompts a prominent senator to flex his political muscle. His terse message to athletes and owners -- fix this mess now or else.

Also, feeling a pain in your backside this holiday? Well, maybe it's those credit cards burning a hole in your wallet, Tony. A consumer expert will join us to explain why plastic, well, that's just not fantastic. And we'll meet a fresh new recruit in the Kris Kringle corps. He'll explain how he went from down and out to become a graduate of the Academy of Saint Nick.

HARRIS: Well, our top story this morning is the fight for Iraq. More bloody bombings in Baghdad. These are the gates to the Green Zone, the coalition controlled area that's heavily fortified. At least 15 people are dead and 50 are wounded.

CNN's Karl Penhaul join us live from the increasingly dangerous capital of Iraq -- Karl, good morning.

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Tony.

Yes, certainly over the last few days, we have seen an increase in some of the attacks here in the capital. This morning's attack took place about 9:30 local time at a very busy crossroads in the heart of Baghdad. On one corner of that crossroads is a district police station. On two of the other four corners are two of the main checkpoint entry points to the fortified Green Zone, the headquarters of the coalition and the Iraqi administration here in Baghdad.

We're told by police that there were two car bombs that detonated there. One of them had at least 800 pounds of explosives on board, we're told. So far, according to both police and hospital sources, we have a total of 15 people dead and at least 50 others wounded.

A U.S. Embassy source has told us that no coalition casualties are involved here. Iraqi police tell us that at least five of the dead are Iraqi police.

Now, after those explosions occurred, just seconds after, in fact, security sources inside the Green Zone say insurgents tried to assault two of the checkpoints. The U.S. Embassy official, however, has told us that he doesn't believe that that was a serious attempt by insurgents to breach the outer defenses of the Green Zone.

It does, however, indicate that the insurgents are becoming increasingly bold and as a government official has told us in the last few days, he believes that insurgents are filtering into Baghdad from outlying areas to try and stir up trouble in Baghdad ahead of the January elections -- Tony.

HARRIS: Well, Karl, I know there are problems in Mosul.

What else can you tell us about other attacks around and around the country?

PENHAUL: There have been a number of other attacks. Today, there was another attack in Ba'qubah. That's a town about 30 miles north of Baghdad. The attack actually just a little bit west of the city itself. A roadside bomb in that. One U.S. soldier was killed and another was wounded.

And then there were a number of events yesterday -- overnight, in fact, on the border crossing between Iraq and Jordan. There was a suicide bomb attack on a U.S. convoy. Two U.S. soldiers were killed in that. Five more were wounded.

Overnight, there was a mortar attack on a U.S. base in Kirkuk. That's the oil rich area in northern Iraq. And there was also an attempt by insurgents to storm four police stations in Mosul, although U.S. forces say they managed to successfully repel those attacks -- Tony.

HARRIS: CNN's Karl Penhaul in Baghdad for us this morning.

Karl, thank you.

NGUYEN: Now to what may be another instance of prisoner abuse in Iraq. We don't have all the details just yet, but what we do know so far comes from the Associated Press in words and still photos. According to the A.P., they show what appear to be Navy SEALS in Iraq poising with prisoners, some of them bloodied. Now, some handcuffed with guns to their heads, as well. An A.P. reporter found more than 40 of them posted on a commercial photo sharing Web site by a woman who said her husband brought them home from a tour of duty. It is unclear who took them or where. Date stamps on some of those photos suggest they were taken in May of last year.

Now, again, according to the A.P., the military has launched a criminal investigation into what the photos portray.

The second term cabinet shuffle, some of these Bush administration people are staying. Others replace those who are moving on. The eighth cabinet member to announce his departure is Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. But he is not going quietly. Thompson says he worries every single night about terrorists poisoning the nation's food supply because only a minute amount of food imports are inspected.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is one cabinet member who will remain in place for the second term. President Bush asked Rumsfeld to stay on and Rumsfeld agreed.

HARRIS: There's a new twist that could complicate efforts to get the 9/11 intelligence reform bill passed this year. Republican Senator John Warner, the powerful chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, says he shares some of the same reservations raised by his House counterpart. Warner and Congressman Duncan Hunter believe the current bill could interfere with the military's chain of command and create obstacles to intelligence reaching battlefield troops. President Bush is pressing Congress to pass the bill when it returns for a short lame duck session next week.

A leading senator is threatening action in the widening steroid scandal in Major League Baseball. John McCain, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, tells the "Washington Post" that if owners and athletes don't launch a crackdown, he will. McCain is quoted as saying if Major League Baseball doesn't adopt testing requirements within a month, he will initiate the process. The Republican says he will introduce legislation to impose drug testing standards in professional sports. The long whispered taint of steroids has loomed over baseball for several years. But it has mushroomed with reports of Barry Bonds' appearance before a grand jury. Bonds, who was on track to break baseball's all time home run record, reportedly said he doesn't -- he didn't realize that substances he was given by his trainer may have been steroids.

CNN national correspondent Frank Buckley explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He's just 12 home runs away from besting Babe Ruth's career record and sneaking up on Hank Aaron's. But Barry Bonds' acknowledgement to a grand jury that he used substances that prosecutors believe contained steroids, according to the "San Francisco Chronicle," promises to make his run for the records one shrouded in controversy.

CHARLEY STEINER, L.A. DODGERS ANNOUNCER: He is clearly the preeminent home run hitter of this generation and maybe of all time. And now the question has been legitimately raised, did he cheat along the way?

BUCKLEY: Bonds' attorney said the slugger was using what he still believes was a flaxseed oil for exhaustion and a lotion for arthritis MICHAEL RAINS, BARRY BONDS' ATTORNEY: So, no, I don't acknowledge my client took steroids. I won't. He won't.

BUCKLEY: Bonds has always denied using steroids.

BARRY BONDS: They can test me every day if they choose to.

BUCKLEY: Bonds' attorney says the substances in question were given to the San Francisco Giant by his personal trainer and best friend, Greg Anderson, who, along with three other men, faces charges of steroid distribution in connection with the federal investigation of BALCO, a firm that provided nutritional help to top athletes.

Victor Conte, the founder of BALCO and one of the four men charged in the case, said on ABC's "20/20" that while he supplied Anderson with performance enhancing drugs, he doesn't know if it went beyond the trainer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "20/20," COURTESY ABC NEWS)

VICTOR CONTE, BALCO FOUNDER: And this was not for any specific athlete, but mainly for Greg for his own personal use or whatever he did with it, I don't know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: But whether Bonds believes he was taking steroids or not, the damage may be done, say baseball insiders.

FAY VINCENT, FORMER BASEBALL COMMISSIONER: His legacy is almost certainly hurt. He'll never be able to prove that his performance was not enhanced by drugs.

BUCKLEY: It was a second strike against baseball, following Thursday's revelation about Yankee slugger Jason Giambi, who reportedly admitted to knowingly using steroids to the same grand jury.

(on camera): For critics of baseball's drug policy, it all represents a call to make it tougher. League Commissioner Bud Selig issued a challenge to the players association to help him do that. So far the players association has remained silent.

Frank Buckley, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And Victor Conte, the BALCO founder you just saw in Frank's report, implicated another sports star in that interview. He says he himself gave performance enhancing drugs to track star and five time Olympic medalist Marion Jones. Victor Conte told ABC that he gave her the human growth hormone in the weeks leading up to the 2000 Olympics and even showed her how to interject herself. Jones has never failed a drug test and has denied ever using performance enhancing drugs.

NGUYEN: All right, this scandal brings us to our E-Mail Question of the Morning. Should athletes who have taken steroids be forced to give their records or medals back? Tell us what you think. We're at wam@cnn.com. And we'll read your replies throughout the program.

HARRIS: Charge it!

COSTELLO: OK.

HARRIS: Boy, you might be saying that a lot this holiday season. Boy, we hope you're not. We'll tell you how credit card companies keep you hooked on the plastic.

NGUYEN: Also, making the grade at Santa's school. Some of these Santas overcame a lot to wear the beard. One of them joins us.

HARRIS: And good morning, Philadelphia, where the Army battles the Navy on the gridiron today. Your forecast in about 10 minutes.

NGUYEN: First, though, here's what you can own or rent on DVDs this coming Tuesday. Pick your Matt Damon favorite. Is it "The Bourne Supremacy" or "Stuck On You?" Well, they're both out. And for Jim Carey fans, there is "Me, Myself and Irene."

Now, over at the movies, only one release going nationwide this weekend, starring the new mother of twins and the sexiest man alive.

HARRIS: Hey, hey.

NGUYEN: We'll take a closer look ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Jason Giambi admitted to using illegal steroids. Barry Bonds is accused of the same crime. It's the hot topic in sports this week, but there's been no talk of possible criminal charges. Well, until now. Baseball and steroids on the docket live next hour in "Legal Briefs." That's at 8:00 a.m. Eastern.

ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm Orelon Sidney.

Here's a look at your cold and flu report.

The latest activity report through November the 20th shows the only widespread activity through Alaska. Sporadic activity through the rest of the United States. There is some local activity in the Northeast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Other news across America now.

Defeated presidential candidate John Kerry is among Democrats helping to pay for a head recount in the Washington State governor's race. His campaign is donating a quarter of a million dollars, which is about one third what is needed to get the process started. Democrats asked for the manual recount after Republican Dino Rossi was certified the winner by just 42 votes. The new recount could take most of the month.

John Kerry's campaign and a couple of third party candidates are pressing for a recount of presidential ballots in Ohio. Counts of the so-called provisional ballots trimmed President Bush's win by about 17,000 votes. But the 2 percent margin of victory was still large enough to avoid an automatic recount. The Reverend Jesse Jackson is among those who think the Ohio balloting deserves closer scrutiny. He'll join us in our 9:00 hour to explain why.

In Houston, Texas, no injuries reported after a huge explosion at a chemical plant. The fire burned through the night and spewed a massive cloud of smoke. Take a look at these pictures. A team of investigators is being sent to the site to find the cause.

And still ahead in about 36 minutes from now, a plate that could feed a homeless man for a lifetime. We'll tell you why this one item snatched from the jaws of tragedy could serve as a godsend.

NGUYEN: Well, planning on catching a flick this weekend? The pretty woman and the sexiest man alive work together in the only nationwide release this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "CLOSER," COURTESY COLUMBIA PICTURES)

JULIA ROBERTS, ACTOR: Good.

JUDE LAW, ACTOR: Come here.

ROBERTS: I don't kiss strange men.

LAW: Neither do I.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Apparently they do. Well, "Closer" stars Julia Roberts and Jude Law in the story of four strangers, two American women entangled with two Englishmen. London serves as the backdrop for some pretty hot stuff -- chance meetings, instant attractions and, of course, betrayal. But "Closer" is getting mixed remarks from the critics. The "Chicago Tribune" calls it "wittingly written and powerfully acted." The "Hollywood Reporter" says the movie is "brutally cold." Ouch.

HARRIS: Ouch.

Behind the beard and the jolly laugh, a story of personal struggle. We'll be joined by a very special Santa.

NGUYEN: also this hour, we're taking your e-mails. Should athletes who've taken steroids be forced to renounce the records or give back their medals? Let us know what you think at wam@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Army faces off against Navy in Philadelphia, one of the longest running rivalries in college sports.

Good morning to you, Philadelphia.

Orelon Sidney in for Rob Marciano this week will have your weather forecast in a few minutes and we'll have the game preview later this hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

But first, you can tell by those bells it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And if you're ready for some cheery charity, try donating your jingle to Kris Kringle. How's that? I'm rhyming this morning. Sidewalk Santa Claus is coming to town. A group of trainees fresh out of Santa school ready to ho, ho, ho and pick up your spare change.

Dale Keyser went to the Santa school and he joins us live this morning from New York.

Dale, good to see you.

DALE KEYSER, SIDEWALK SANTAS: Hi.

How are you doing?

HARRIS: Oh, I see you now. You've got the hat working, you've got the gear on, you've got the beard working. You look good this morning.

Good to see you.

Good to be with you.

KEYSER: All right.

It's great to be here, too.

HARRIS: How was Santa school for you?

Tell us about it.

KEYSER: Oh, yes, it was all right. Well, we learned the different rules and stuff that we have to follow and, you know, to be cheerful and, you know, do the best we can out there to collect donations.

HARRIS: How did you do on the cheerful party, pretty good?

KEYSER: Oh, yes. I'm always pretty much that way anyway, so that wasn't, you know, a big hurdle for me.

HARRIS: So this is your first go around as a sidewalk Santa?

KEYSER: Oh, no, this is the second year for me now.

HARRIS: Oh, so your second year. OK.

KEYSER: So I'm a real popular, you know, Santa Claus now.

HARRIS: What makes you so popular, Dale?

KEYSER: Oh, I don't know. It's just I guess my attitude is, I guess would have to be the number one thing. So...

HARRIS: Well, Dale, I've got to tell you, you are a pretty wonderful holiday story yourself.

Tell us a little bit about your story. You have essentially come back from the bowels of hell and...

KEYSER: Oh, yes.

HARRIS: ... and you're doing OK now, huh?

KEYSER: Well, I've had mental health issues in my past and alcoholism. And I just, I was able to pull myself out of this and I'm now on medication for my mental illness and I found my way to Volunteers of America and that's where I live now. And I have my own little apartment.

HARRIS: Yes.

KEYSER: And so life is much better now. And so now it's kind of, I feel like it's a chance for me now to give back, which is a good thing. And so I'm pretty happy. I'm pretty content about my life.

HARRIS: Well, we're happy for you.

But give us a sense, you were homeless for a while, weren't you?

KEYSER: Oh, yes. Well, a few months, about three months, I think. And that was enough for me.

HARRIS: Dale, what happened to you? I mean, you know, you look great now, you look like you're -- you've pulled it all together.

What happened to you?

KEYSER: Well, I just found the right people to help me out and that's about it. That's all I can say. And Volunteers of America gave me a chance and I do some part-time work at the building where I live. I work at the front desk when the people go on lunch and I'm like a courier, taking mail around to some of the different buildings. I do painting, painting work.

HARRIS: Yes.

KEYSER: And so it's all, I think when you do things and you start to do things and you, you know, you start to feel better about yourself, you feel like you're contributing. And I'm retired now so I don't really have to do any of these things, but it just makes me feel good. And so I think that's what it's all about. And now I feel like I have a chance to give back and so that's it.

So now I feel like I'm in the normal stream of society and that's where we all want to be, I think.

HARRIS: Dale, good to see you.

KEYSER: All right.

HARRIS: Be well, all right?

KEYSER: OK.

HARRIS: And...

KEYSER: And the great thing about this year is if you can't come to my chimney, you can log onto msnshopping and they'll make a donation, you know, in -- for you, in your name.

HARRIS: I know you're 10 years sober.

KEYSER: Yes.

HARRIS: And the best of luck to you.

KEYSER: Yes.

HARRIS: And keep up the good work with the sobriety.

KEYSER: OK.

HARRIS: And it's a pleasure to meet you.

KEYSER: Thanks a lot.

You, too. HARRIS: All right, Dale.

Be good.

KEYSER: God bless everybody.

HARRIS: And God bless you.

How about that?

NGUYEN: What a great story there with Dale.

HARRIS: Dale Keyser Kringle.

NGUYEN: One thing I like about Dale, several things. One, he's popular as a Santa and he knows it. He's not ashamed of it.

HARRIS: No.

NGUYEN: And, two, I love the beard.

HARRIS: How about that, huh?

NGUYEN: It's a real one. It's not one of those that you go up and you say oh, I don't know, it's not real.

HARRIS: Right. And he's in New York City, so if you're there doing some shopping...

NGUYEN: Yes.

HARRIS: ... find Dale and give him some of your change this holiday season.

NGUYEN: All those other sidewalk Santas, as well, out there.

Hey, how is the sidewalk looking in New York this morning, Orelon?

SIDNEY: Pretty good. It's looked like -- I think I'll rewind and just start all over again.

NGUYEN: You're in the snow.

SIDNEY: How's that?

It looks pretty good in most locations of the Northeast.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Orelon, good to see you.

NGUYEN: Yes, looking forward to it.

SIDNEY: Thanks a lot.

HARRIS: All right, see you a little later in the hour.

NGUYEN: Well, a prominent church puts out an ad saying it turns no one away. But the big three TV networks are turning it away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST AD)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No way. Not you. I don't think so. No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The United Church of Christ. No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you're welcome here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: But that is only part of the ad. Too hot to handle for the networks? Reaction from the United Church of Christ. That is live tomorrow morning in "Faces Of Faith." That's 8:00 a.m. Eastern on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

HARRIS: Is your credit card company playing tricks on you? Coming up, we'll tell you how to keep your plastic from weighing you down.

NGUYEN: And Osama bin Laden's trail -- Pakistan's leader says it is cold, but he might have some explaining to do when he meets with President Bush.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tyco International's CEO Edward Breen wasted no time in cleaning up the mess left by Dennis Kozlowski, Tyco's former CEO, who's charged with looting the company for millions of dollars. Green replaced the entire executive board and is now streamlining the massive conglomerate and reducing its enormous debt. Wall Street is smiling on Tyco's new image. The company's stock has been rebounding ever since Breen took over.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Pakistan is giving up the hunt for bin Laden. But will that sit well with the White House?

Good morning, everyone.

I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen.

That story in just a minute.

But first, here's a look at the morning headlines.

We have a developing story this hour out of Baghdad. Two car bombs got off -- went off at a checkpoint leading to the heavily fortified Green Zone. That's the area that houses coalition operations. Now, at least 15 people were killed, including four Iraqi police officers. Another 30 people were wounded.

The most recent to resign, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson. Now, upon announcing his resignation yesterday, he had a few unsettling concerns -- the possibility of a pandemic flu that could kill as many as 70 million people worldwide. As for the concern, he said, "I cannot understand why terrorists have not attacked our food supply. It is so easy to do."

And a warning from the Environmental Protection Agency. The agency is predicting a staggering spike in the number of hazardous waste sites littering the country. The EPA says there are 77,000 contaminated sites around the country right now and that number could grow to 355,000 in the next 35 years. Cleanup could cost taxpayers and private groups some $280 billion, with a B.

HARRIS: On to our top story right now.

President Bush will sit down for talks with Pakistan's president at the White House this morning. President Musharraf is considered the president's main Muslim ally in the war on terror. The two leaders are expected to hit on some touchy subjects, among them the unsuccessful hunt for Osama bin Laden. Pakistan's Army has said it is scaling back its search for bin Laden. That's likely to be a source of contention during today's Bush-Musharraf talks.

CNN's Andrea Koppel has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With its mountainous terrain and ancient tribal culture, South Waziristan in Pakistan topped the list of most likely hiding places for Osama bin Laden and other senior al Qaeda leaders. But two years after Pakistan's military mounted an unprecedented campaign to hunt down bin Laden, a Pakistani general made a surprising announcement recently. Pakistan's military would withdraw from the Waziristan's provincial capital because bin Laden, he said, wasn't there.

LT. GEN. SAFDAR HUSSAIN, CHIEF OF NORTHWEST PAKISTAN: If he was here in the tribal areas, I can assure that he wouldn't have escaped my eyes and ears.

KOPPEL: Other Pakistani officials quickly denied the trail for bin Laden had run cold, insisting they have more than 70,000 Pakistani forces deployed along the Afghan border and have incurred hundreds of casualties.

(on camera): But on the eve of President Pervez Musharraf's meeting with President Bush, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan suggested ever so gently...

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Well, I think there is always more that can be done. KOPPEL (voice-over): Paula Zahn sat down with President Musharraf several months ago and discussed the hunt for bin Laden.

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Is the United States putting increased pressure on your government to find Osama bin Laden before our national elections?

GEN. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTANI PRESIDENT: No, not at all. There is no pressure on us whatsoever. And how can there be pressure on us? What pressure? I mean, we are operating with all our might, with all our forces.

KOPPEL: Musharraf himself has been the target of several al Qaeda-linked assassination attempts. This videotape from South Waziristan obtained by CNN has an unmistakable message.

Hamid Mir, a prominent Pakistani journalist, says Musharraf intends to ask President Bush to beef up U.S. forces in Eastern Afghanistan.

HAMID MIR, JOURNALIST: That the U.S. Army should put pressure on al Qaeda from Afghan side. We will put pressure on al Qaeda from Pakistan side. We will squeeze them and then we can get some of them.

PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: What happens in Pakistan is absolutely critical with what happens in the war on terrorism. If Pakistan is not serious about going after al Qaeda, we have a huge problem.

KOPPEL: Andrea Koppel, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: This may be the Question of the Day. Will the Army take out the Navy this year?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOBBY ROSS, ARMY HEAD COACH: I do it because it serves as a constant reminder to me that we almost have an obligation to win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Or will it be the other way around? We've got a gridiron preview for you next.

NGUYEN: And good morning Boston. Your weather forecast is ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Two baseball MVPs caught in the middle of one of the game's biggest scandals ever, Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi. Bonds accused of using illegal steroids. Giambi confesses. Should there be criminal charges? That question on the docket in this morning's "Legal Briefs," live, 8:00 a.m. Eastern. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: If you had a tough time keeping up with work, family and the news this week, well, that's what we are here for.

Time now to "Rewind" to the top stories of the week.

Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced he is leaving his post. Ridge was appointed shortly after the September 11 attacks. President Bush nominated former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik as Ridge's replacement.

Next up, Baghdad. Wednesday, the Pentagon said 1,500 U.S. troops are getting ready to head to Iraq ahead of the country's January elections. They'll be helping with the security detail, along with 10,000 other U.S. troops who are having their tour of duty extended.

Flash floods began to recede Friday in the northern Philippines after back to back storms devastated much of the country. Look at these pictures. Monday's tropical storm was followed by a powerful typhoon three days later. Nearly 650 people were killed and about 400 are still missing.

And tomorrow we will "Fast Forward" to the week ahead and tell you which stories will grab the spotlight.

HARRIS: President Bush will attend a college football game today that will also draw impassioned fans from around the world. Yet not a single player will move on to the NFL. In fact, some will find their next great challenge in combat.

Here's a look at the 105th Army-Navy game.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AARON POLANCO, NAVY QUARTERBACK: A football game is about, I mean, you're leading, you know, men, just as you would out in the fleet or in (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And it's the same, you know, concept. It's not nearly the same, you know, surroundings, but it's the same concepts that come with leadership.

CAPT. GREG COOPER, U.S. NAVY: Whether you fly airplanes or operate ships or submarines, all those things you learn on the playing field certainly help make you a better leader. These young men, when they leave the football team and graduate, they're not going to the NFL. They're going to go off to be Marine second lieutenants or Navy ensigns leading troops or sailors.

LANE JACKSON, NAVY LINEBACKER: I want to be a SEAL. Guys on the SEAL teams and in the SEAL community are just hard-nosed, determined, focused in the visuals, and that's what I'm used to working with being a Navy football player, because that's exactly the kind of people I play with on Saturdays. My freshman year, 9/11 occurred. But as soon as it happened, I'm looking on the TV and I said, no, I'm going to war. Time is ticking away until I get there. I'm a senior now. It will be less than a year. When it comes to going to war, I'd have to say part of me is anxious, part of me definitely doesn't want to go. Who wants to go to war?

PAUL JOHNSON, NAVY HEAD COACH: I think it really hits home when you hear about another casualty in Iraq. Or you hear, you know, you look and say hey, do I know that guy? It's something you can't dwell on every day. I think you just have to go on about your life and know that it's part of what's going on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ready, set, go!

WILL SULLIVAN, ARMY DEFENSIVE TACKLE: Coach Ross, after every practice, reminds us what's going on and he uses e-mails and tells us stories about when he was in Germany as a young lieutenant.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir.

ROSS: From Baghdad, Iraq and Task Force Steel Dragons, I send my profound thank you to Coach Ross and the Army team for the victory in Army football. The members of the long great line currently serving in combat really, really needed this Army victory. Please extend my sincere compliments to the members of the Army football team and have mercy on the Corps for the goal posts.

I do it because it serves as a constant reminder to me that we almost have an obligation to win. And going further, we certainly have an obligation to play hard and to play as well as we possibly can and to play with spirit and to play with intensity. And we have that obligation because we are symbolic, in my mind, of the United States Army troops.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not just this small world. You know, we're reaching out to everybody worldwide fighting, you know, for us just to have this ability to play the game that we love. And, you know, it means so much to them, so it means a lot to us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Are you charging deeper and deeper into debt? We'll tell you how not to get hooked on the plastic this holiday season, next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: Also, if you're a Titanic fan, we may have found just the right item for you. Find out how this plate can bring one man back home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, good morning, Boston.

Look at this live picture. What a pretty morning there.

Did you know the Radio City Christmas Spectacular is in town today? For only one night and one night only. You can check out the Rockettes and Santa at the Wayne Center. And we'll tell you what to expect weather wise in about 10 minutes -- Tony.

HARRIS: But first, a check of our top stories this Saturday morning.

Smoke clouds the streets of Baghdad after twin bombings. Two car bombings went off near the coalition run Green Zone, killing at least 15 people.

They have a lot to talk about -- Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf meets with President Bush in a little more than an hour. On the agenda, Pakistan's scaling back its hunt for Osama bin Laden.

And Senator John McCain says if Major League Baseball doesn't step up to the plate, he will. McCain tells the "Washington Post" he will launch a political crackdown on the growing steroid scandal if the league doesn't take action.

And don't forget to e-mail us this morning. Should athletes who have taken steroids be forced to give their records or medals back? We're at wam@cnn.com and we'll read your replies throughout the program.

NGUYEN: 'Tis the season for shopping and you're probably dipping into your credit cards to cover all those gift buys. I know I am. And you may not be planning to pay the whole balance off at the end of the month. Well, you are not alone. Ninety million Americans carry a monthly credit card debt. Is your family credit debt above or below the nation's record average of $7,500?

Well, as much as we may adore our credit cards, for many it is a love-hate relationship, no joke. In fact, the Better Business Bureau says credit cards and banking companies are now the subject of a record number of consumer complaints.

Critics say there is good reason for those complaints and they say credit card firms are getting downright dirty with their lending practices.

One of the most vocal critics is Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren.

And she joins us now from Boston to talk about some of the top tricks you should look out for.

Good morning to you, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH WARREN, HARVARD UNIVERSITY LAW PROFESSOR: Good morning.

NGUYEN: Well, first off, let's talk about this. You say beware of credit card companies. Why? What are these dirty tricks?

WARREN: Well, credit card companies have employed millions of MBAs and marketing specialists in order to figure out ways to trick you into spending more money on your credit cards and to stretch our your payments over a long period of time so that the credit card companies can maximize profits.

NGUYEN: Let's take a look at these tricks one by one.

Number one, they change the interest rates on you. You sign up for one thing and automatically it changes without you knowing it.

Is that fair? Is that right? Is that legal?

WARREN: Well, the credit card companies have carefully buried in the fine print the right to just change the interest rates whenever they want to. And that means that even good customers who are making payments on time can go from 9.9 percent interest rate to 29.9 percent interest rate.

NGUYEN: Wow.

What about adding fees? They can do this, as well, can't they?

WARREN: That's exactly right. In fact, the credit card companies have figured out over the last five years that one of their new profit centers is to ding people with $29, $39, even $50 fees and it's especially profitable for the credit card companies because they charge fees for things that don't really cost them a lot of money. Your bill comes in literally one hour late and they say hey, that's $39. They make money off that.

NGUYEN: And you mentioned that, speaking of bills coming in late, they can actually check the mail in the morning and say oh, it's not there. But if it had come in the afternoon, you don't get the credit for it being there on time, right?

WARREN: That's exactly right. In fact, they've aimed their business practices toward trying to get you to pay late, because if you pay but pay late, it's far more profitable for the credit card company. So they check the mail early, early in the morning. They put their centers that collect the mail in distant locations so that the mail takes longer to get there. All of that is in the hopes that you will miscalculate and get that bill in just one day late and lots of money for them.

NGUYEN: Now, let's talk about those miscalculations, because every time I get my bill, there's always that minimum payment. And it's so enticing because if I could just pay $10, hey, that would be great. But if you do the math, that's really going to hurt you in the end.

WARREN: Oh, the minimum payments are absolutely the number one way that credit card companies are making money. You know, the first thing you want to remember is what it is that credit card companies call the people who pay their bills in full. They're referred to in the industry as deadbeats. In other words, the companies are making all their money off people who make minimum monthly payments.

And let me just give you an example. On a typical credit card today, if you have a balance of about $5,000 and you make minimum monthly payments, you know how long it's going to take you to pay it off?

NGUYEN: I'm afraid to ask, but go ahead.

WARREN: Thirty-five years.

NGUYEN: Yikes!

WARREN: You'll be retired and still paying on that credit card bill.

NGUYEN: Wow! OK. That being said...

WARREN: That gives you a little pause.

NGUYEN: That being said, quickly, we're almost out of time, what can people do to protect themselves, to make sure that they don't end up still paying 30 years from now?

WARREN: Well, the number one thing is to pay down as much as you can on your bill every month. The aim should be to have no credit card debt at all. It's the only way to keep yourself safe.

Now, look carefully at your bill when it comes in every month. Scrutinize your cards to make sure that the charges are right. And if you think there's something wrong, call and complain. Credit card companies will often waive the charges if that's going to be the difference between keeping a customer and losing a customer.

NGUYEN: Hey, the squeaky wheel always gets the grease, as they say.

WARREN: That's right.

NGUYEN: Elizabeth Warren, Harvard University Law, thank you so much for your information.

WARREN: Good to be here.

NGUYEN: Now, here are some other tricks that can save you some money. Remember, the squeaky wheel, as we mentioned, gets the grease. So believe it or not, if you complain, as she just mentioned, to threaten to close your account, you may be offered lower rates or fees. Now, use the low introductory rates to hop, skip and run to the next great deal after your rate expires. And timing, well, it is everything. Pay attention to your grace period and figure out your maximum float period. If you charge early in the cycle and pay close to the due date -- not too close, though -- you may get 50 to 60 interest free days.

For more ways on how to manage your credit, check out cardweb.com -- Tony.

HARRIS: We need to take those notes. If you will be using that credit card to buy the perfect gift, we may have just the thing for you. For the person who has it all, a one of a kind item, a plate that survived the shipwreck Titanic. It's intact and for sale on eBay. Asking price nearly $50,000. It seems a homeless man from Texas is selling it. He says his great aunt is a Titanic survivor and saved the souvenir after the ship went down. The factory in the Czech Republic says the plate is authentic and may be a one of a kind.

Now, if you think you've seen weird weddings before, just wait. Yes, find out why this couple decided to go gibbon to tie the knot. It's part of our "Wows of the Week" next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK, the "Wows of the Week" begin in Antwerp, Belgium. The center of that storied city has become a frozen wonderland. The ice sculpture festival is unique because every work pays homage to the Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens. Unlike his masterpieces, which are frozen in time, these will last until the next heat wave.

Cancer survivor Lloyd Scott has completed another epic fundraising stunt. This time he cycled all the way across Australia on an old-fashioned penny farthing bike while dressed as Sherlock Holmes. He completed the 2,700 miles in just 50 days. Scott is no stranger to bizarre stunts. Last year, he did an underwater marathon across the bottom of Scotland's Loch Ness. He does it to raise money for leukemia research.

And that is -- OK. And this is how gibbons do it in the wild, attract a mate, that is. Get your minds out of the gutter. For one Western couple, it seemed the perfect way to begin their wedding ceremony. The bridge and groom are volunteers at a wildlife sanctuary in Thailand, the story goes, and they share a mutual fascination for apes.

NGUYEN: Fascination is right. I don't even know where to begin with that one -- Orelon, help us out here.

HARRIS: Bail us out, more like it.

NGUYEN: Yes.

SIDNEY: Gee, I don't know if there's any help for that.

HARRIS: No, there's no -- there's no help to be found.

SIDNEY: To be totally honest, wow.

NGUYEN: Big issues.

SIDNEY: I mean what -- the best thing to do is to go on to the weather.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: We've got to rush through a couple of e-mails here.

Here's the question. Should athletes who've taken steroids be forced to renounce their records and back their medals?

And we've got a couple e-mails.

NGUYEN: Lanzaman writes: "Using steroids in competition is like allowing a calculator on a math test when others aren't using them. It provides an unfair advantage and it's easy to excel physically. Give the medals back. It's cheating."

HARRIS: And this from Sara and Jimmie Reynolds: "Steroids are like drugs. The user is always punished while the provider just keeps on providing. The records of the users should stand."

Now, a couple of e-mails this morning. We would encourage you to send us your responses at wam@cnn.com.

NGUYEN: And the next hour of CNN SATURDAY begins right now.

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