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CNN Saturday Morning News
Rescue and Recovery Team is Being Airlifted to Site Near Kabul Where Plane Crashed; A look at Super Bowl Security
Aired February 05, 2005 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone, from the CNN Center. This is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm Tony Harris.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen. It is 9:00 a.m. in the East, 6:00 a.m. out West. Good morning, everybody.
Let's get a check of the stories right now in the news.
A rescue and recovery team is being airlifted to the site near Kabul where an Afghan jetliner crashed, but there is no immediate indication of any survivors among the 104 people on board. The plane went missing on Thursday, and a helicopter crew spotted that wreckage today.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is leaving Poland at this hour bound for Ankara, Turkey, stop number four on her tour of Europe and the Mideast. In Warsaw, Rice conferred with Polish officials, some of the staunchest European backers of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
And four members of a Moroccan family have been arrested in Spain in connection with the Madrid train bombings last March that killed 191 people. Those arrested, two brothers in their 20s and their parents are charged with collaborating with a terrorist group.
HARRIS: And here's what is coming up this hour.
We'll profile a New England Patriot who took a most unusual route to Super Bowl XXXIX.
peaking of tomorrow's big game in Jacksonville, we'll have a live report on the defense, not the players but for the fans.
And hold the phone in Mink, Louisiana. A 129-year-old invention comes to town for the first time. You'll love this story.
And to our top story this hour, Super Bowl fans want a great game tomorrow. The FCC wants a G-rated halftime show. And the city of Jacksonville, Florida, wants everything supersecure. To that end, more than 50 law enforcement agencies will be on duty.
Susan Candiotti is live in Jacksonville with details on Super Bowl security. Good morning, Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony. It's downright chilly here today as fans enjoy pregame activities, and there are plenty of them. Law enforcers are turning up security an extra notch to make sure that land, sea, and air space is as safe as it can be.
Now, for example, customs and border protection pilots assigned to fly over the stadium and surrounding areas gave us a lift as they made some practice runs yesterday. Black Hawk helicopters allowed us to peer into Alltel Stadium right on the waterfront.
Inside, dozens of cameras, for example, are set up inside that can zero in on a single seat.
Helicopters and other aircraft are enforcing a no-fly zone encompassing a 30-mile radius around the stadium.
Now, on the water, before, during, and after the game, local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are patrolling the St. John's River. There's a 14-mile stretch of it that goes along the waterfront near the stadium.
One tool they are using is called a FLIR. Stands for forward- looking infrared. It provides a reverse image in darkness and light and gives law enforcers a better look at what's on the water, also on tops of buildings, and even people moving across bridges.
They gave us a look at the technology.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trying to focus in on this guy. It's hard. The camera's really having a hard time doing it because of the night. It's a daytime camera.
Switch over to FLIR. I can see I've got right now two POBs, two persons onboard, one with a flashlight, just closed the cooler. And is putting the cooler down. Laid the flashlight down and is now transiting right in front of us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: The Jacksonville sheriff is in charge of this entire operation. With the endorsement of the Department of Homeland Security, more than 50 agencies in all are involved. And the sheriff says he's ready.
Back to you, Tony.
HARRIS: Hey, Susan, just a quick question. It seems we have to ask this question every time there's a big event these days. Any phoned-in threats, any threats at all on the Super Bowl?
CANDIOTTI: As far as we know, there are no threats of which we've been made aware.
HARRIS: Yes. CANDIOTTI: So for now, all the security agencies seem to be ready and in place, they say, for what lies ahead.
HARRIS: Susan Candiotti at the Super Bowl in Jacksonville. Susan, thank you.
And this reminder, stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
NGUYEN: In other news, a Florida couple are waking up in a Utah jail cell, accused of the horrific abuses of their five adopted children. John and Linda Dollar were arrested last night without incident in San Juan County.
The three children, between the ages of 12 and 16, say the Dollars chained them, beat them, and even pulled out their toenails using pliers. Several were malnourished, so malnourished that they weighed a mere third of what they should have.
And authorities had tracked the couple's cell phone to narrow the search, which eventually found them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. JIM CERNICH, CITRUS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: They combed the area and were just about ready to shut down operations when they spotted the vehicle, stopped the Dollars on the roadway, and then arrested them and took them to the county jail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: The Dollars reportedly did not abuse two of their adopted children, a 14-year-old son and a 17-year-old daughter, because they considered them their favorites.
HARRIS: Other stories across America this morning, beginning in Carruthersville (ph), Indiana. Funeral services are set tomorrow for 10-year-old Katie Coleman (ph). Police say the 20-year-old man charged in her killing says he abducted her to keep her from revealing his methamphetamine operation in her neighborhood. He says she drowned in a creek while trying to escape.
Former Abu Ghraib prison guard Javal (ph) Davis will spend six months in a military prison, as well as losing his rank of sergeant and receiving a dishonorable discharge. A military jury deliberated more than five hours to deliver that sentence last night at Ford Hood, Texas. Davis had admitted to stepping on prisoners' hands and feet and falling on them.
Rap superstar Snoop Dogg appeared on CNN last night to deny rape allegations and dismiss the woman's $25 million lawsuit against him as, quote, "straight extortion." An award-winning makeup artist charges that Snoop Dogg and four other men sexually assaulted her in January of 2003. In an exclusive interview with CNN's Larry King, Snoop Dogg says he will not settle the case. NGUYEN: All right, let's go online now to find out which stories at CNN.com are getting the most attention. And we have Veronica Delacruz (ph) here to talk about this.
Always interesting to see what's gathering the nation's attention (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
VERONICA DELACRUZ: Always, because it's not necessarily the top stories that you guys are covering.
NGUYEN: Right.
DELACRUZ: And right now, the most popular stories at CNN..com, which we are tracking, first of all, let me tell you how to find them. You're going to go to CNN.com and click on the icon. It's right there in the right-hand side of your screen. It says "Most Popular." And the most clicked-on story has been in the number one spot right now.
Betty, let me ask you a question. These two girls, they are -- these ones right here...
NGUYEN: Right.
DELACRUZ: ... they're being sued for $900. And I want to ask you, do they look like they could put you in the hospital? Look at those girls.
NGUYEN: What are they being sued for?
DELACRUZ: Yes, look...
NGUYEN: What did they do?
DELACRUZ: ... at those girls. Well, apparently, these two girls baked a woman cookies, and they delivered them to her late at night. The woman says that she was scared so badly by this unexpected visit that she had to go to the hospital.
NGUYEN: Ahhhh. Hmmmm.
DELACRUZ: She had to go to the hospital.
NGUYEN: So much for doing a good thing, huh?
DELACRUZ: I know.
Also on the site right now, who is the biggest diva of them all?
NGUYEN: Well, besides you...
DELACRUZ: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
NGUYEN: ... it's J-Lo, right?
DELACRUZ: No, (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
NGUYEN: I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding.
DELACRUZ: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
NGUYEN: Having a little fun on this show.
DELACRUZ: All right. Well, once again, it's J-Lo who's making her fans wait for her new clothing collection. The clothing line is called Sweetface, and it will not be shown until the final day of fashion week, which is February 11. And fashion week actually started Friday. You can visit our gallery online at CNN.com to see all the pictures from the shows that were on Friday.
NGUYEN: So you know, those are some pretty good-looking...
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
NGUYEN: ... duds there.
DELACRUZ: They are.
NGUYEN: Not too bad. And that's a new portion of her line, because she already has a line out called J-Lo...
DELACRUZ: J-Lo, right.
NGUYEN: ... (UNINTELLIGIBLE). So sweet -- what is it?
DELACRUZ: It's called...
NGUYEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?
DELACRUZ: ... Sweetface. And...
NGUYEN: Sweetface.
DELACRUZ: Yes, Sweetface.
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
NGUYEN: All right.
DELACRUZ: But from the other diva.
NGUYEN: The other diva. You need to get your own clothing line.
DELACRUZ: There you go.
NGUYEN: There you go. We'll put that on the Web. Thank you, Veronica.
HARRIS: So are you a rabid football fan counting down the minutes to tomorrow's 6:30 p.m. kickoff? Or are you more interested in what happens during timeouts? Let us know in our morning e-mail. Are you looking forward to the game, or the commercials? Our address, wam@cnn.com. NGUYEN: And tomorrow, we go one on one with the man in charge of the $5 billion Super Bowl empire in interview with NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING," 9:00 a.m. Eastern.
HARRIS: Is the pope feeling up to his usual Sunday routine? An update on the pontiff's condition when we go global. That's straight ahead.
Plus, Alexander Graham Bell made his first long distance connection in 1884. Now, 121 years later, the town of Mink, Louisiana, gets telephones. Whoo-hoo-hoo. And we're calling them up next.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good times there for sure.
Hey, Mardi Gras happening. It culminates on Fat Tuesday, this coming Tuesday, in Louisiana. Mild weather infiltrates much of the eastern two-thirds of the country after the ice storm last weekend, this weekend looking pretty good. Detailed forecast coming up in just a few minutes. CNN SATURDAY MORNING will be right back. Good morning, Dallas.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And time now for a check of some of the other stories making news around the world.
NGUYEN: And for that, we want to go to the international desk and Anand Naidoo with the latest. Good morning.
ANAND NAIDOO, CNN INTERNATIONAL: Hey, good morning.
And we're following quite a few developing stories here at the international desk. We'll get the latest from Vatican City and Iraq in just a moment.
But first, Afghanistan. NATO forces have found the wreckage of a missing Afghan airliner. The plane disappeared off radar screens Thursday in a snowstorm, while coming into land at Kabul Airport. A Dutch helicopter found what appears to be the crash site. It's in a mountainous area just east of the capital. There were eight crew members and 96 passengers on board that plane.
What we do know now is that it's believed that there were three American women on board that flight. The three women work for a company that is based in Massachusetts. No word yet on whether anyone did survive that crash in Afghanistan.
Now, the latest on the pope. Word from the Vatican is that his condition continues to improve. A delegation of bishops met with the 84-year-old pontiff this morning. A Vatican official says the pope will give the traditional blessing for the Sunday Angelus from the hospital, but an aide would read his address. Pope John Paul II was, of course, rushed to hospital about five days ago, suffering from a respiratory infection. Now, this just in from Iraq. We got this just within the last hour. The Iraqi election commission has held a news briefing. No new election figures were released, but the commission says it's handling numerous complaints about last Sunday's historic vote, those complaints coming from inside Iraq and abroad.
Now, so far, with about one-third of the vote counted -- that's about 35 percent, or 3.3 million votes -- the coalition backed by the country's leading clerics holds a commanding lead.
That's all from me for now. I'll be back tomorrow. Back to Tony and Betty.
HARRIS: Anand, thank you.
NGUYEN: And we have some new developments this morning to tell you about. A Huntsville mother has been charged in the death of her three children, whose bodies were found in an apartment there in Huntsville.
On the phone, we have Huntsville Police Department spokesperson Wendell Johnson. Good morning to you.
WENDELL JOHNSON, HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, POLICE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON (on phone): Good morning. How are you doing this morning?
NGUYEN: I'm doing well. This is a disturbing story. Tell us about what you know at this point.
JOHNSON: Well, what happened, Huntsville police and paramedics responded to an apartment complex here in West Huntsville about 3:00 yesterday. When they arrived, they did discover the body of three children. All three of the children were in separate bedrooms. There were no beds. They were on the floor. The ages are 8, 9, and 11.
Now, Huntsville police questioned the mother, questioned family members. The children had not returned to Ridgecrest Elementary School at the time after school break. The Department of Human Resources did respond and talk -- tried to get to the mother, but she would not open the door.
Meanwhile, family members had not seen the children for a while. And based on our conversations with the mother and preliminary investigation and autopsy reports, we have charged the mother with capital murder.
NGUYEN: And based on the information that we're getting in here to CNN, in fact, the utilities, the electricity, the water, had been turned off to that apartment for several days before those bodies were found. Is that correct?
JOHNSON: That's true, January 12, the utilities had been cut off. And family members had pooled their resources together to go have the utilities cut on. When we responded there, the utilities had not been cut on. And we had to call the utilities company to turn the power on to the apartment complex.
NGUYEN: Do you have any idea exactly how these children died?
JOHNSON: We're not certain. And we are holding off any further comment until we get a complete autopsy report to determine the exact time and cause of death.
NGUYEN: OK. Wendell Johnson with the Huntsville, Alabama, Police Department, and the story of a mother who's been charged with the murder of three children found in her apartment. Thank you for that information.
JOHNSON: Thank you.
HARRIS: If you've had a tough time keeping up with the news this week, we're here to help. Time now to rewind through some of the week's top stories.
Jury selection began Monday in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial. Lawyers on both side have until Monday to review questionnaires for the -- from the potential jurors.
Wednesday, confirmation hearings for homeland security secretary nominee Michael Chertoff. Chertoff played a key role in the creation of a PATRIOT Act, and headed the Justice Department's criminal division for nearly a year and a half. A vote on Chertoff's nomination is expected on Monday.
And the Federal Reserve boosted a key short-term interest rate Wednesday by a quarter-point to 2.5 percent. Banks use that figure to determine rates for several types of loans. Many analysts expect more quarter-point hikes until rates hit 3.5 to 4 percent.
And Thursday, the Senate voted 60 to 36 to approve Alberto Gonzales as attorney general. He went to work on Friday. Aides say he has no plans to make immediate policy announcements.
NGUYEN: Tomorrow, we will fast forward to the week ahead to tell you which stories will grab the spotlight. So stay tuned for that.
HARRIS: Mink, Louisiana, can you hear me now? When we return, a small town in Louisiana finally gets phone service. So what are we going to do? Well, we're going to give them a buzz. That's what we're going to do.
NGUYEN: But first, a CNN extra. Half of all U.S. bankruptcies are caused by medical bills. And most bankruptcy victims are middle- class workers covered by health insurance. That is according to a study published this week in the journal "Health Affairs." The average bankrupt person surveyed in that study had spent more than $13,000 on co-payments, deductibles, and uncovered services with private insurance. People with no insurance spent nearly $11,000 for out-of-pocket expenses.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Hey, that's a -- that's Pearl Jam this morning.
Good morning, Dallas.
(UNINTELLIGIBLE) to Betty Nguyen.
NGUYEN: My old stomping grounds. Look at the lovely shot with the clouds...
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
NGUYEN: ... there. That'd be...
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). That is a great day.
We're going to get your forecast from Rob Marciano in just a couple of minutes. Well, why don't we do it now?
NGUYEN: Yes. Rob?
HARRIS: Dallas and the rest of the country.
NGUYEN: Dallas is looking good this morning.
MARCIANO: Right, right, right now, Tony, is when we are coming to me. Come on, get on the ball here. We shortened this show by a half an hour...
HARRIS: I know.
MARCIANO: ... (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for that time.
HARRIS: It takes me a minute. I'm sorry, I thought, yes.
MARCIANO: Got distracted with Betty's hometown looking good and Pearl Jam. It's nice to wake up to.
(WEATHER FORECAST)
MARCIANO: Ain't no threat of an ice storm anywhere this weekend, guys, so enjoy that.
HARRIS: That was a mess last weekend.
MARCIANO: Yes, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HARRIS: This is much better. We'll take it. Thank you, Rob.
NGUYEN: Thank you, Rob.
MARCIANO: See you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're all so thankful for it.
(END VIDEO CLIP) NGUYEN: That was Alma Bolton (ph) of Mink, Louisiana. And what she says she is so thankful for is telephone service. Mink was one of the last rural communities in the nation to get regular phone service. But now the calls, they are pouring in to the 15 homes in that village.
On the phone with us now, and on the brand-new phone, we should say, is Julian Ray of Mink, Louisiana.
Good morning to you.
JULIAN RAY, RESIDENT (on phone): Good morning.
NGUYEN: Well, how does it feel to have telephone service?
RAY: Oh, my gosh. We feel like we're somebody. We're in the 21st century.
NGUYEN: Yes. You know, a lot of people watching this stories is thinking, How in the world did it take so long for telephone service to come to Mink, Louisiana? How did you survive without it?
RAY: It was tough. I just moved back here about 20 months ago, but the people used the old bag phones, you know, not the little phones but the old bag phones.
NGUYEN: Not the flip phone but the big bag phones...
RAY: Yes, and...
NGUYEN: -- from, like, 10 years ago.
RAY: ... and they can only use analog signal, so there were limited services. And they worked most of the time.
NGUYEN: All right. So I understand you played a bit of a role in getting this telephone service to Mink. Tell us about that.
RAY: Well, I moved back here 20 months ago and took a job traveling the Southeast. And it became very important -- well, you know the old saying, necessity is the mother of invention. I needed -- I work off of a laptop, and I would have to travel all week, come home, prepare my reports, and get them in over the weekend. And I'd have to drive, oh, sometimes 20 miles to...
NGUYEN: Goodness.
RAY: ... borrow a phone from a friend or relative or someone. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
NGUYEN: So did you get on the phone and call your governor and say, Hey, we need service here? What did do you?
RAY: Well, actually, I called the north district of the Louisiana Public Service Commission and got Foster Campbell, or his staff, Ken Lamb (ph) and Bill Robertson, and they gave me the information to call BellSouth in New Orleans, and I called a Mr. Preston Ciprio (ph) there that sent me some previous documentation, where people had been trying for 30 years, since the last phones were installed. They were just basically five miles from us and wouldn't go any further.
NGUYEN: Goodness. So while finally it is there, and tell us, are you guys just ringing with excitement there in Mink?
RAY: Oh, we...
NGUYEN: Are the phones ringing off the hook?
RAY: Yes, I got to tell you a story. My brother that I live with has a granddaughter who is in Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq. And she called him the other day, and they could actually talk and hear. And she sent me an e-mail here over the weekend confirming that. And that's just -- I mean, what else can I say? It's a great moment.
NGUYEN: That is absolutely wonderful. And we appreciate you taking our call this morning. Thank you so much.
RAY: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Take care.
RAY: Bye-bye.
HARRIS: Take so much of that stuff for, these modern conveniences...
NGUYEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
HARRIS: ... for granted.
NGUYEN: Exactly.
HARRIS: Want to get to our e-mail question as quickly as we can this morning. Are you looking forward to the game, or to the commercials?
This first e-mail from, let's see, Micki, Micki, yes. "I'll be watching for the game. I have waited 24 years to see the Eagles make it back to the Super Bowl. As for the commercials, isn't that what the mute button is for?"
NGUYEN: All right, listen to this one. This one is from Bill, and he says, "To quote that famous Atlantan, Louis G, 'I would rather watch two mules fight over a turnip.'"
So I guess he won't be watching the game. (UNINTELLIGIBLE), you know, taking a little cue from that e-mail tat he won't be watching.
HARRIS: And thank you for your e-mails this morning.
A few changes in our programming lineup to tell you about this morning. CNN SATURDAY MORNING welcomes brand-new show at 9:30 Eastern, just a couple of minutes from now, "OPEN HOUSE" is what it's called. Buying, selling, refinancing, Gerri Willis takes you through all of it. Then at 10:00 a.m., "DOLAN'S UNSCRIPTED." You will love this show. It debuts on CNN. It's an hour on personal finance.
And for fans of The Novak Zone, note a new time, 2:30 p.m. Eastern.
NGUYEN: All right. And we want to thank you for joining us this morning. We are out of time.
HARRIS: We're going to see you again tomorrow morning. Have a great day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And good morning, everyone, I'm Tony Harris. "OPEN HOUSE" is straight ahead. But first, these stories now in the news.
The wreckage of a missing Afghan airliner was found this morning on a mountain near Kabul. One hundred four people were on the plane. There is no word of survivors. The plane disappeared from radar during a snowstorm on Thursday.
Pope John Paul II will give his Sunday blessing from his Rome hospital room, but because he's still recovering from a respiratory infection, a Vatican aide will read his message. A delegation of Catholic bishops met with the pontiff today. They told reporters that Pope John Paul II is feeling better.
A Florida couple will face charges of aggravated child abuse and torture. Authorities say John and Linda Dollar starved and imprisoned five of their seven foster children. Police in Utah were able to track down the fugitive couple last night through their cell phone signals.
I'm Tony Harris. "OPEN HOUSE" starts now.
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Aired February 5, 2005 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone, from the CNN Center. This is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm Tony Harris.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen. It is 9:00 a.m. in the East, 6:00 a.m. out West. Good morning, everybody.
Let's get a check of the stories right now in the news.
A rescue and recovery team is being airlifted to the site near Kabul where an Afghan jetliner crashed, but there is no immediate indication of any survivors among the 104 people on board. The plane went missing on Thursday, and a helicopter crew spotted that wreckage today.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is leaving Poland at this hour bound for Ankara, Turkey, stop number four on her tour of Europe and the Mideast. In Warsaw, Rice conferred with Polish officials, some of the staunchest European backers of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
And four members of a Moroccan family have been arrested in Spain in connection with the Madrid train bombings last March that killed 191 people. Those arrested, two brothers in their 20s and their parents are charged with collaborating with a terrorist group.
HARRIS: And here's what is coming up this hour.
We'll profile a New England Patriot who took a most unusual route to Super Bowl XXXIX.
peaking of tomorrow's big game in Jacksonville, we'll have a live report on the defense, not the players but for the fans.
And hold the phone in Mink, Louisiana. A 129-year-old invention comes to town for the first time. You'll love this story.
And to our top story this hour, Super Bowl fans want a great game tomorrow. The FCC wants a G-rated halftime show. And the city of Jacksonville, Florida, wants everything supersecure. To that end, more than 50 law enforcement agencies will be on duty.
Susan Candiotti is live in Jacksonville with details on Super Bowl security. Good morning, Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony. It's downright chilly here today as fans enjoy pregame activities, and there are plenty of them. Law enforcers are turning up security an extra notch to make sure that land, sea, and air space is as safe as it can be.
Now, for example, customs and border protection pilots assigned to fly over the stadium and surrounding areas gave us a lift as they made some practice runs yesterday. Black Hawk helicopters allowed us to peer into Alltel Stadium right on the waterfront.
Inside, dozens of cameras, for example, are set up inside that can zero in on a single seat.
Helicopters and other aircraft are enforcing a no-fly zone encompassing a 30-mile radius around the stadium.
Now, on the water, before, during, and after the game, local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are patrolling the St. John's River. There's a 14-mile stretch of it that goes along the waterfront near the stadium.
One tool they are using is called a FLIR. Stands for forward- looking infrared. It provides a reverse image in darkness and light and gives law enforcers a better look at what's on the water, also on tops of buildings, and even people moving across bridges.
They gave us a look at the technology.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trying to focus in on this guy. It's hard. The camera's really having a hard time doing it because of the night. It's a daytime camera.
Switch over to FLIR. I can see I've got right now two POBs, two persons onboard, one with a flashlight, just closed the cooler. And is putting the cooler down. Laid the flashlight down and is now transiting right in front of us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: The Jacksonville sheriff is in charge of this entire operation. With the endorsement of the Department of Homeland Security, more than 50 agencies in all are involved. And the sheriff says he's ready.
Back to you, Tony.
HARRIS: Hey, Susan, just a quick question. It seems we have to ask this question every time there's a big event these days. Any phoned-in threats, any threats at all on the Super Bowl?
CANDIOTTI: As far as we know, there are no threats of which we've been made aware.
HARRIS: Yes. CANDIOTTI: So for now, all the security agencies seem to be ready and in place, they say, for what lies ahead.
HARRIS: Susan Candiotti at the Super Bowl in Jacksonville. Susan, thank you.
And this reminder, stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
NGUYEN: In other news, a Florida couple are waking up in a Utah jail cell, accused of the horrific abuses of their five adopted children. John and Linda Dollar were arrested last night without incident in San Juan County.
The three children, between the ages of 12 and 16, say the Dollars chained them, beat them, and even pulled out their toenails using pliers. Several were malnourished, so malnourished that they weighed a mere third of what they should have.
And authorities had tracked the couple's cell phone to narrow the search, which eventually found them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. JIM CERNICH, CITRUS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: They combed the area and were just about ready to shut down operations when they spotted the vehicle, stopped the Dollars on the roadway, and then arrested them and took them to the county jail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: The Dollars reportedly did not abuse two of their adopted children, a 14-year-old son and a 17-year-old daughter, because they considered them their favorites.
HARRIS: Other stories across America this morning, beginning in Carruthersville (ph), Indiana. Funeral services are set tomorrow for 10-year-old Katie Coleman (ph). Police say the 20-year-old man charged in her killing says he abducted her to keep her from revealing his methamphetamine operation in her neighborhood. He says she drowned in a creek while trying to escape.
Former Abu Ghraib prison guard Javal (ph) Davis will spend six months in a military prison, as well as losing his rank of sergeant and receiving a dishonorable discharge. A military jury deliberated more than five hours to deliver that sentence last night at Ford Hood, Texas. Davis had admitted to stepping on prisoners' hands and feet and falling on them.
Rap superstar Snoop Dogg appeared on CNN last night to deny rape allegations and dismiss the woman's $25 million lawsuit against him as, quote, "straight extortion." An award-winning makeup artist charges that Snoop Dogg and four other men sexually assaulted her in January of 2003. In an exclusive interview with CNN's Larry King, Snoop Dogg says he will not settle the case. NGUYEN: All right, let's go online now to find out which stories at CNN.com are getting the most attention. And we have Veronica Delacruz (ph) here to talk about this.
Always interesting to see what's gathering the nation's attention (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
VERONICA DELACRUZ: Always, because it's not necessarily the top stories that you guys are covering.
NGUYEN: Right.
DELACRUZ: And right now, the most popular stories at CNN..com, which we are tracking, first of all, let me tell you how to find them. You're going to go to CNN.com and click on the icon. It's right there in the right-hand side of your screen. It says "Most Popular." And the most clicked-on story has been in the number one spot right now.
Betty, let me ask you a question. These two girls, they are -- these ones right here...
NGUYEN: Right.
DELACRUZ: ... they're being sued for $900. And I want to ask you, do they look like they could put you in the hospital? Look at those girls.
NGUYEN: What are they being sued for?
DELACRUZ: Yes, look...
NGUYEN: What did they do?
DELACRUZ: ... at those girls. Well, apparently, these two girls baked a woman cookies, and they delivered them to her late at night. The woman says that she was scared so badly by this unexpected visit that she had to go to the hospital.
NGUYEN: Ahhhh. Hmmmm.
DELACRUZ: She had to go to the hospital.
NGUYEN: So much for doing a good thing, huh?
DELACRUZ: I know.
Also on the site right now, who is the biggest diva of them all?
NGUYEN: Well, besides you...
DELACRUZ: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
NGUYEN: ... it's J-Lo, right?
DELACRUZ: No, (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
NGUYEN: I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding.
DELACRUZ: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
NGUYEN: Having a little fun on this show.
DELACRUZ: All right. Well, once again, it's J-Lo who's making her fans wait for her new clothing collection. The clothing line is called Sweetface, and it will not be shown until the final day of fashion week, which is February 11. And fashion week actually started Friday. You can visit our gallery online at CNN.com to see all the pictures from the shows that were on Friday.
NGUYEN: So you know, those are some pretty good-looking...
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
NGUYEN: ... duds there.
DELACRUZ: They are.
NGUYEN: Not too bad. And that's a new portion of her line, because she already has a line out called J-Lo...
DELACRUZ: J-Lo, right.
NGUYEN: ... (UNINTELLIGIBLE). So sweet -- what is it?
DELACRUZ: It's called...
NGUYEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?
DELACRUZ: ... Sweetface. And...
NGUYEN: Sweetface.
DELACRUZ: Yes, Sweetface.
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
NGUYEN: All right.
DELACRUZ: But from the other diva.
NGUYEN: The other diva. You need to get your own clothing line.
DELACRUZ: There you go.
NGUYEN: There you go. We'll put that on the Web. Thank you, Veronica.
HARRIS: So are you a rabid football fan counting down the minutes to tomorrow's 6:30 p.m. kickoff? Or are you more interested in what happens during timeouts? Let us know in our morning e-mail. Are you looking forward to the game, or the commercials? Our address, wam@cnn.com. NGUYEN: And tomorrow, we go one on one with the man in charge of the $5 billion Super Bowl empire in interview with NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING," 9:00 a.m. Eastern.
HARRIS: Is the pope feeling up to his usual Sunday routine? An update on the pontiff's condition when we go global. That's straight ahead.
Plus, Alexander Graham Bell made his first long distance connection in 1884. Now, 121 years later, the town of Mink, Louisiana, gets telephones. Whoo-hoo-hoo. And we're calling them up next.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good times there for sure.
Hey, Mardi Gras happening. It culminates on Fat Tuesday, this coming Tuesday, in Louisiana. Mild weather infiltrates much of the eastern two-thirds of the country after the ice storm last weekend, this weekend looking pretty good. Detailed forecast coming up in just a few minutes. CNN SATURDAY MORNING will be right back. Good morning, Dallas.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And time now for a check of some of the other stories making news around the world.
NGUYEN: And for that, we want to go to the international desk and Anand Naidoo with the latest. Good morning.
ANAND NAIDOO, CNN INTERNATIONAL: Hey, good morning.
And we're following quite a few developing stories here at the international desk. We'll get the latest from Vatican City and Iraq in just a moment.
But first, Afghanistan. NATO forces have found the wreckage of a missing Afghan airliner. The plane disappeared off radar screens Thursday in a snowstorm, while coming into land at Kabul Airport. A Dutch helicopter found what appears to be the crash site. It's in a mountainous area just east of the capital. There were eight crew members and 96 passengers on board that plane.
What we do know now is that it's believed that there were three American women on board that flight. The three women work for a company that is based in Massachusetts. No word yet on whether anyone did survive that crash in Afghanistan.
Now, the latest on the pope. Word from the Vatican is that his condition continues to improve. A delegation of bishops met with the 84-year-old pontiff this morning. A Vatican official says the pope will give the traditional blessing for the Sunday Angelus from the hospital, but an aide would read his address. Pope John Paul II was, of course, rushed to hospital about five days ago, suffering from a respiratory infection. Now, this just in from Iraq. We got this just within the last hour. The Iraqi election commission has held a news briefing. No new election figures were released, but the commission says it's handling numerous complaints about last Sunday's historic vote, those complaints coming from inside Iraq and abroad.
Now, so far, with about one-third of the vote counted -- that's about 35 percent, or 3.3 million votes -- the coalition backed by the country's leading clerics holds a commanding lead.
That's all from me for now. I'll be back tomorrow. Back to Tony and Betty.
HARRIS: Anand, thank you.
NGUYEN: And we have some new developments this morning to tell you about. A Huntsville mother has been charged in the death of her three children, whose bodies were found in an apartment there in Huntsville.
On the phone, we have Huntsville Police Department spokesperson Wendell Johnson. Good morning to you.
WENDELL JOHNSON, HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, POLICE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON (on phone): Good morning. How are you doing this morning?
NGUYEN: I'm doing well. This is a disturbing story. Tell us about what you know at this point.
JOHNSON: Well, what happened, Huntsville police and paramedics responded to an apartment complex here in West Huntsville about 3:00 yesterday. When they arrived, they did discover the body of three children. All three of the children were in separate bedrooms. There were no beds. They were on the floor. The ages are 8, 9, and 11.
Now, Huntsville police questioned the mother, questioned family members. The children had not returned to Ridgecrest Elementary School at the time after school break. The Department of Human Resources did respond and talk -- tried to get to the mother, but she would not open the door.
Meanwhile, family members had not seen the children for a while. And based on our conversations with the mother and preliminary investigation and autopsy reports, we have charged the mother with capital murder.
NGUYEN: And based on the information that we're getting in here to CNN, in fact, the utilities, the electricity, the water, had been turned off to that apartment for several days before those bodies were found. Is that correct?
JOHNSON: That's true, January 12, the utilities had been cut off. And family members had pooled their resources together to go have the utilities cut on. When we responded there, the utilities had not been cut on. And we had to call the utilities company to turn the power on to the apartment complex.
NGUYEN: Do you have any idea exactly how these children died?
JOHNSON: We're not certain. And we are holding off any further comment until we get a complete autopsy report to determine the exact time and cause of death.
NGUYEN: OK. Wendell Johnson with the Huntsville, Alabama, Police Department, and the story of a mother who's been charged with the murder of three children found in her apartment. Thank you for that information.
JOHNSON: Thank you.
HARRIS: If you've had a tough time keeping up with the news this week, we're here to help. Time now to rewind through some of the week's top stories.
Jury selection began Monday in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial. Lawyers on both side have until Monday to review questionnaires for the -- from the potential jurors.
Wednesday, confirmation hearings for homeland security secretary nominee Michael Chertoff. Chertoff played a key role in the creation of a PATRIOT Act, and headed the Justice Department's criminal division for nearly a year and a half. A vote on Chertoff's nomination is expected on Monday.
And the Federal Reserve boosted a key short-term interest rate Wednesday by a quarter-point to 2.5 percent. Banks use that figure to determine rates for several types of loans. Many analysts expect more quarter-point hikes until rates hit 3.5 to 4 percent.
And Thursday, the Senate voted 60 to 36 to approve Alberto Gonzales as attorney general. He went to work on Friday. Aides say he has no plans to make immediate policy announcements.
NGUYEN: Tomorrow, we will fast forward to the week ahead to tell you which stories will grab the spotlight. So stay tuned for that.
HARRIS: Mink, Louisiana, can you hear me now? When we return, a small town in Louisiana finally gets phone service. So what are we going to do? Well, we're going to give them a buzz. That's what we're going to do.
NGUYEN: But first, a CNN extra. Half of all U.S. bankruptcies are caused by medical bills. And most bankruptcy victims are middle- class workers covered by health insurance. That is according to a study published this week in the journal "Health Affairs." The average bankrupt person surveyed in that study had spent more than $13,000 on co-payments, deductibles, and uncovered services with private insurance. People with no insurance spent nearly $11,000 for out-of-pocket expenses.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Hey, that's a -- that's Pearl Jam this morning.
Good morning, Dallas.
(UNINTELLIGIBLE) to Betty Nguyen.
NGUYEN: My old stomping grounds. Look at the lovely shot with the clouds...
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
NGUYEN: ... there. That'd be...
HARRIS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). That is a great day.
We're going to get your forecast from Rob Marciano in just a couple of minutes. Well, why don't we do it now?
NGUYEN: Yes. Rob?
HARRIS: Dallas and the rest of the country.
NGUYEN: Dallas is looking good this morning.
MARCIANO: Right, right, right now, Tony, is when we are coming to me. Come on, get on the ball here. We shortened this show by a half an hour...
HARRIS: I know.
MARCIANO: ... (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for that time.
HARRIS: It takes me a minute. I'm sorry, I thought, yes.
MARCIANO: Got distracted with Betty's hometown looking good and Pearl Jam. It's nice to wake up to.
(WEATHER FORECAST)
MARCIANO: Ain't no threat of an ice storm anywhere this weekend, guys, so enjoy that.
HARRIS: That was a mess last weekend.
MARCIANO: Yes, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HARRIS: This is much better. We'll take it. Thank you, Rob.
NGUYEN: Thank you, Rob.
MARCIANO: See you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're all so thankful for it.
(END VIDEO CLIP) NGUYEN: That was Alma Bolton (ph) of Mink, Louisiana. And what she says she is so thankful for is telephone service. Mink was one of the last rural communities in the nation to get regular phone service. But now the calls, they are pouring in to the 15 homes in that village.
On the phone with us now, and on the brand-new phone, we should say, is Julian Ray of Mink, Louisiana.
Good morning to you.
JULIAN RAY, RESIDENT (on phone): Good morning.
NGUYEN: Well, how does it feel to have telephone service?
RAY: Oh, my gosh. We feel like we're somebody. We're in the 21st century.
NGUYEN: Yes. You know, a lot of people watching this stories is thinking, How in the world did it take so long for telephone service to come to Mink, Louisiana? How did you survive without it?
RAY: It was tough. I just moved back here about 20 months ago, but the people used the old bag phones, you know, not the little phones but the old bag phones.
NGUYEN: Not the flip phone but the big bag phones...
RAY: Yes, and...
NGUYEN: -- from, like, 10 years ago.
RAY: ... and they can only use analog signal, so there were limited services. And they worked most of the time.
NGUYEN: All right. So I understand you played a bit of a role in getting this telephone service to Mink. Tell us about that.
RAY: Well, I moved back here 20 months ago and took a job traveling the Southeast. And it became very important -- well, you know the old saying, necessity is the mother of invention. I needed -- I work off of a laptop, and I would have to travel all week, come home, prepare my reports, and get them in over the weekend. And I'd have to drive, oh, sometimes 20 miles to...
NGUYEN: Goodness.
RAY: ... borrow a phone from a friend or relative or someone. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
NGUYEN: So did you get on the phone and call your governor and say, Hey, we need service here? What did do you?
RAY: Well, actually, I called the north district of the Louisiana Public Service Commission and got Foster Campbell, or his staff, Ken Lamb (ph) and Bill Robertson, and they gave me the information to call BellSouth in New Orleans, and I called a Mr. Preston Ciprio (ph) there that sent me some previous documentation, where people had been trying for 30 years, since the last phones were installed. They were just basically five miles from us and wouldn't go any further.
NGUYEN: Goodness. So while finally it is there, and tell us, are you guys just ringing with excitement there in Mink?
RAY: Oh, we...
NGUYEN: Are the phones ringing off the hook?
RAY: Yes, I got to tell you a story. My brother that I live with has a granddaughter who is in Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq. And she called him the other day, and they could actually talk and hear. And she sent me an e-mail here over the weekend confirming that. And that's just -- I mean, what else can I say? It's a great moment.
NGUYEN: That is absolutely wonderful. And we appreciate you taking our call this morning. Thank you so much.
RAY: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Take care.
RAY: Bye-bye.
HARRIS: Take so much of that stuff for, these modern conveniences...
NGUYEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
HARRIS: ... for granted.
NGUYEN: Exactly.
HARRIS: Want to get to our e-mail question as quickly as we can this morning. Are you looking forward to the game, or to the commercials?
This first e-mail from, let's see, Micki, Micki, yes. "I'll be watching for the game. I have waited 24 years to see the Eagles make it back to the Super Bowl. As for the commercials, isn't that what the mute button is for?"
NGUYEN: All right, listen to this one. This one is from Bill, and he says, "To quote that famous Atlantan, Louis G, 'I would rather watch two mules fight over a turnip.'"
So I guess he won't be watching the game. (UNINTELLIGIBLE), you know, taking a little cue from that e-mail tat he won't be watching.
HARRIS: And thank you for your e-mails this morning.
A few changes in our programming lineup to tell you about this morning. CNN SATURDAY MORNING welcomes brand-new show at 9:30 Eastern, just a couple of minutes from now, "OPEN HOUSE" is what it's called. Buying, selling, refinancing, Gerri Willis takes you through all of it. Then at 10:00 a.m., "DOLAN'S UNSCRIPTED." You will love this show. It debuts on CNN. It's an hour on personal finance.
And for fans of The Novak Zone, note a new time, 2:30 p.m. Eastern.
NGUYEN: All right. And we want to thank you for joining us this morning. We are out of time.
HARRIS: We're going to see you again tomorrow morning. Have a great day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And good morning, everyone, I'm Tony Harris. "OPEN HOUSE" is straight ahead. But first, these stories now in the news.
The wreckage of a missing Afghan airliner was found this morning on a mountain near Kabul. One hundred four people were on the plane. There is no word of survivors. The plane disappeared from radar during a snowstorm on Thursday.
Pope John Paul II will give his Sunday blessing from his Rome hospital room, but because he's still recovering from a respiratory infection, a Vatican aide will read his message. A delegation of Catholic bishops met with the pontiff today. They told reporters that Pope John Paul II is feeling better.
A Florida couple will face charges of aggravated child abuse and torture. Authorities say John and Linda Dollar starved and imprisoned five of their seven foster children. Police in Utah were able to track down the fugitive couple last night through their cell phone signals.
I'm Tony Harris. "OPEN HOUSE" starts now.
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