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CNN Saturday Morning News

Pope Benedict XVI Meets with Journalists. Federal prosecutors Seek Death Penalty for Zacarias Moussiaou. In Texas, legislation would ban non-traditional, homosexual foster parents. U.S. Army Investigation Clears Ricardo Sanchez of Abu Ghraib Allegations. President Bush Picks Brother Jeb to Lead U.S. Delegation to Pope's Inauguration Mass. Sarah Lunde Memorial Service in Florida. 41 Wounded or Killed in Recent Car Bombing Attacks in Iraq. Winning Megamillion ticket worth $205 million claimed in Michigan. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Back in Power.

Aired April 23, 2005 - 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.


TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The Army says the former top U.S. commander in Iraq did nothing wrong in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

It is April 23.

Good morning, everyone.

I'm Tony Harris.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Andrea Koppel in for Betty Nguyen.

It is 7:00 a.m. in the East and 4:00 a.m. out West.

Thanks for being with us.

We're going to have that story in a minute.

But let's begin with some headlines.

Just a couple of hours ago, Pope Benedict XVI met with the world's media. The papal audience is his first with Vatican outsiders and reflects the importance of the media in delivering the pontiff's message. In fact, the late Pope John Paul II was once quoted as saying: "If it didn't happen on TV, it didn't happen."

President Bush's brother Jeb will lead a U.S. delegation to the Vatican to attend tomorrow's inaugural mass of Pope Benedict XVI. The Florida governor, who is a practicing Catholic, will be joined by Maryland's lieutenant governor, among others. A separate delegation of 21 House members will also attend tomorrow's mass.

Here's an answer to someone's prayers. A single lottery player has raked in a $205 million jackpot. The winning Mega Millions ticket was sold in Port Huron, Michigan. Last night's winning numbers are 23, 25, 43, 46 and 49. The Mega Ball number was 26. HARRIS: Let me check here. Nope, nope, nope, not a single number.

Coming up this hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, the Army concludes its inquiry into the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal in Iraq. We'll tell you how far up the chain of command the blame goes.

Also ahead, NFL team owners prepare to shell out big bucks for fresh, young stars. CNN sports business analyst Rick Horrow takes us "Beyond The Game" in the annual pro-football draft.

And later, crabbers on the Eastern shore are feeling the pinch of too few workers. We'll have a closer look at the dilemma that could bring a time-honored way of life to an end.

Our top story this morning, a U.S. Army investigation into the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal has exonerated the former top U.S. commander in Iraq. The probe found Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez and three other senior officers did not commit dereliction of duty. But such allegations were substantiated against Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, who commanded the military police unit at the Abu Ghraib Prison. Karpinski had already been relieved of her command. She has said the military made her the scapegoat to cover the failures of her supervisors.

KOPPEL: Less than 24 hours before Pope Benedict XVI is formally inaugurated in a special mass, he met with those who will carry his papal message to the world. Those journalists include our own Alessio Vinci, who joins us from Rome -- so, Alessio, I guess it only lasted about 15 minutes.

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It was quite short. And, you know, it's never really easy to report about ourselves, but today we're going to make an exception, Andrea, since obviously the pope held this general audience for the members of the news media accredited here in Rome and, you know, we went to this hall called Paul VI inside the Vatican. That is where Pope John Paul II used to hold his own general audiences when they were not held in St. Peter's Square.

Pope Benedict XVI entered the room. He blessed all of us. There was loud cheers. Many journalists, of course, looked extremely excited. There were also some people who were not journalists there and they started chanting his name. But generally the media there, and especially the Italian ones, they were quite excited to see the pope.

In a brief message to us he basically told us that he was hoping to continue in his openness with the media the same way Pope John Paul II had. He actually spoke several languages. He began in Italian, of course, then switched to first English then French, then his native German, then we went back to Italian. So he really sort of cheered a little bit with the crowd there.

However, I must tell you that I experienced a pope who was still very much shy, still getting used to his new, you know, job if you want; also getting used to the attention. It is not very easy for him. He remains a very shy man and I think it will take some time for him to get used to it. But nevertheless, I really got the impression that this was a pope who really understood the power of the media, the need for the media in order for him to preach his message around the world, something he called actually cultural and pastoral revolution.

So I suspect that even if he is a bit shy, we're going to hear and see from him -- hear and see about him for quite some time -- Andrea, back to you.

KOPPEL: Well, we certainly hope so.

Alessio Vinci joining us from Rome.

Thanks.

And we hope that you're going to joins us for live coverage of the papal inauguration mass. It is scheduled to begin tomorrow morning at 3:00 Eastern. That's midnight on the West Coast.

HARRIS: Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty against the man who says he conspired with the September 11 hijackers to slam an airliner into the White House. But in admitting his guilt, Zacarias Moussaoui also vowed to fight for his life.

CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena explains.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The guilty plea was no surprise. But what happened after was. Moussaoui vowed to fight every inch against the death penalty. He insisted he played no direct role in the September 11 attacks, but instead was part of a different plot, to fly a plane into the White House, a plan personally approved by al Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden.

PAUL MCNULTY, U.S. ATTORNEY: He didn't say anything today that's inconsistent with where we have positioned ourselves in this case all along. We have alleged that he is a participant in a conspiracy, a broad conspiracy. That's what he's pled guilty to. That conspiracy included the attacks on 9/11.

ARENA: Moussaoui admits he went to U.S. flight schools to learn to use an airplane as a weapons of mass destruction eventually. His goal? The release of Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, the blind Egyptian cleric serving a life sentence for his involvement in earlier terror plots against the U.S.

As for 9/11, Moussaoui's worst offense, as outlined by the government, was lying to FBI agents so his "al Qaeda brothers" could go forward with their plot. In fact, he told investigators after his arrest in Minnesota that he was training as a pilot purely for is personal enjoyment.

Relatives of 9/11 victims were in court to hear the guilty plea for themselves. DOMINIC PUOPOLO, SON OF 9/11 VICTIM: It's a day I've been waiting for since September 11. I promised my mother shortly after she was murdered that I would in some way, shape or form have justice afforded to her memory, and also the members of our other fellow family members.

ARENA: Moussaoui berated his defense attorneys, angry that they tried to declare him mentally incompetent. Judge Leonie Brinkema said she was fully satisfied that Moussaoui is fully competent and went on to describe him as extremely intelligent. Brinkema also told Moussaoui that in the penalty phase of his trial, he could argue he shouldn't face death because the government refused to allow top al Qaeda leaders in U.S. custody to testify on his behalf.

Moussaoui has consistently argued those detainees would help clear him of any involvement in 9/11.

(on camera): The next stop in this three-and-a-half year legal drama is for a jury to decide Moussaoui's punishment -- death or life in prison without parole.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Alexandria, Virginia.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

KOPPEL: In case you missed out on some of the big headlines of the past week, we are here to help.

Time for a quick "Rewind."

Champion cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong is retiring. He announced Monday that this year's Tour de France will be his last. The 33-year-old has won six Tours and if he wins his seventh, he'll be the Tour's oldest winner in modern history.

Wednesday, drug manufacturer Merck announced it's about to cut prices on 11 prescription drugs for people who don't have prescription drug benefits. The company will offer discounts of 15 to 40 percent.

And Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to send two controversial judicial nominees onto the full Senate for confirmation. Both nominees, Priscilla Owen and Janis Rogers Brown, received committee approval during President Bush's first term. But their confirmation was blocked by Democrat threats to filibuster.

Now, a potentially historic fight may be on the horizon. Republican leaders are threatening to exercise what Democrats call the nuclear option -- changing the rules so Democrats can't use filibusters to block the nominations.

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

HARRIS: Police get a closer look at the bottom of that chili bowl mystery. You really... KOPPEL: That's not really a morning story, I've got to tell you, around the breakfast table. But we're going to have the next chapter in the tale of the missing finger.

And we're going "Beyond The Game" for the low down on the cash behind the NFL as it prepares for this year's draft.

And for more on our weather this weekend, let's go to Orelon Sidney -- hi, Orelon.

ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Andrea, thanks a lot.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: It is a question that's stirring controversy well beyond the Texas state line -- should gays and lesbians be banned from becoming foster parents? The so-called Friendship State is considering legislation that would do just that. It's a hot topic this morning in "Legal Briefs," live next hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, 8:00 a.m. Eastern.

But before our legal eagles get to it, we'll ask you -- is it fair to ban gays from becoming foster parents? E-mail us your thoughts. We're at wam@cnn.com. We'll be reading your replies throughout the morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And some "Stories Across America" this morning.

A fast food restaurant chain hopes to see more patrons. The woman who claimed -- remember this, she found a severed finger in a bowl of Wendy's chili -- is under arrest. San Jose, California police believe she carried out the hoax before threatening to sue the restaurant chain.

Where that finger came from, that's the big question. We still don't have an answer to that yet.

A convicted sex offender was found dead in his Ocala, Florida home, apparently by his own hand. Residents had posted signs in the neighborhood with his photo and criminal history. The man had just been released from a psychiatric hospital.

KOPPEL: Folks watching for waterspouts weren't disappointed. They saw two of them side by side over Miami Beach. A waterspout can be dangerous. It's essentially a tornado over water. And sometimes it can come ashore.

Later this hour, some monkey business at one South African zoo is causing serious health problems for the chimps. Doesn't he know that's bad for his health?

HARRIS: Yes. KOPPEL: That is bad for your health and the humans aren't helping matters.

HARRIS: Yes, and the zookeepers are very upset about that.

KOPPEL: Oh, the poor little guy. I read a report that he would hide it.

HARRIS: He would hide it?

KOPPEL: This is great. Behind his back when some of the zookeepers came around. And then he was...

HARRIS: Now?

KOPPEL: ... caught in the act.

HARRIS: Well, they don't want him smoking. They said look, it has the same effects on the chimp as it does on the rest of us.

KOPPEL: Of course it does.

HARRIS: And now behind the back, that's where he's hiding the lighter, too, I suppose.

KOPPEL: It sure is.

HARRIS: Let's get a check of weather now with Orelon Sidney now.

KOPPEL: OK.

HARRIS: Now, yesterday, Orelon, some severe weather in the Southeast. Today not so bad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Well, you've seen the headlines, you've heard the hype. What's really behind claims that you could live longer if you're a little overweight? And how much is just a little overweight? It all starts with calculating your body mass index. Now, tomorrow we'll show you how you can find your BMI plus learn if bigger really is better, live tomorrow on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING."

KOPPEL: That ought to be sort of good news for some folks.

Today's NFL draft has football owners checking the bottom line. We're going to do the same just ahead.

HARRIS: We're going "Beyond The Game" with our resident money man, Rick Horrow. There he is, pigskin in hand. And in Central Florida. OK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MARK WOOD, GOLF INSTRUCTOR: You've got to always remember, the higher the shot, the higher the risk. Sometimes you can't roll the ball on the green and you've got to play a high shot. Oftentimes the hired handicapper makes a mistake that he thinks that the tour player swinging across his body. A tour player will open his body line and swing it down his body line to make the ball have more loft.

But for the average player, I think the easiest way to play, you've got plenty of loft on your club. Make sure that you don't push the ball too far forward in your stance, just forward of center. Use your most lofted club. Make sure you've got nice posture and plenty of room to swing and simply let the loft of the club knock the ball up in the air without you trying to get real risky.

Remember, the high shot is a high risk.

Good luck.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS (voice-over): Nineteen million fans bought tickets last year to cheer the NFL's biggest and best. That's more than 95 percent of the league's stadium capacity filled to see the likes of Brett Favre, Terrell Owens and Michael Vick. This weekend, as the NFL draft gets underway, we focus on the game's future. What fresh faces are destined to be the financial backbone of a league already bringing in more than $5 billion annually?

The status of the NFL at draft time, the focus this morning, as we take you "Beyond The Game."

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS: A new NFL television contract announced this week promises to bring in more than $20 billion to the league.

So, a lot is at stake this afternoon.

One name we know will not be called as teams pick their players today is the author of "When the Game Is On the Line."

That name, Rick Horrow, as usual.

CNN business sports analyst Rick Horrow joins us live from West Palm Beach, Florida -- good morning.

You've got a pigskin in hand. You're ready, huh?

RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Hey, you have fund reading that, Tony?

I'm sure you had a lot of fun with that. Tony Harris, the man picking the Falcons to win the Super Bowl three months ago, all right?

Now we're going to talk a little bit more about football as it exists in '06. Maybe you can redeem yourself.

HARRIS: Yes, let's hope so. Let's do that.

HORROW: All right.

HARRIS: OK, now here's the deal. All the players in today's draft have big dollars on their minds. That makes sense. And the league does, as well.

HORROW: Yes.

HARRIS: Now, explain this to me. The NFL and the players are having trouble negotiating a new labor agreement with all of this money around?

HORROW: They're jousting. It's not like hockey, where they're canceling.

HARRIS: Yes.

HORROW: And the reason they're just jousting is because the NFL is the gold standard of all pro sports. You know, a salary cap and revenue sharing combined really did set that standard. And that's why Michael Vick can make $130 million in his contract and Peyton Manning $99 million and Ray Lewis and Urlacher are close behind.

HARRIS: That's right.

HORROW: But the deal is not just individuals, but the team salaries, as well, $2.5 billion for players. And why? Because the salary cap was about $45 million a decade ago and $85 million last year. And guess what? That new TV contract you talked about with NBC and the Micks and now ESPN with "Monday Night Football?"

HARRIS: That's right.

HORROW: $3.7 billion annually for the league. That's more, by the way, than baseball, basketball, hockey, NASCAR and Olympics combined. The commissioner and Gene Upshaw are friends, but they're also enlightened partners and they're not going to mess this up because they have incentive to close the deal.

HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes, you're right. This is just a dance that they're going through.

We've got to ask you, the NFL has arguably the most loyal fans in all of sports. But here's the question -- can the league survive this anticipated steroid scandal that's out there?

HORROW: Yes, they can, because it's a $6 billion industry. It's the most loyal of any other fan base besides NASCAR. And, by the way, they appeal to all those demographics. But it is being tested. Next week we have another set of congressional hearings by the Reform Committee and the commissioner will testify about the standards that he is trying to tighten up, even more stricter, by the way, than the International Olympic Committee standards.

Dr. Shortt from Carolina, who blew the whistle on a couple of Panthers, is now saying -- football players -- is now saying we're going to have a blockbuster release of a book on the Canseco model, timed for the beginning of football season.

So while the hearings will happen in the next week or so, this whole controversy ain't over.

HARRIS: Speaking of controversies, what's the story with Michael Vick and "Ron Mexico?" What is this, please?

HORROW: Yes, sir.

A guy who's making $130 million, a lawsuit alleges he goes into a hospital or doctor for a herpes treatment and uses the alias "Ron Mexico." So NFLshop.com says you can't personalize your jersey with that name.

But there's good news because the company also said that of the 1, 059 you can't use on the back of the jersey, "gay" can be used. And I think it's more than just an appeal to former NFL players Ben Gay and others. It's expanding the demographics. So we know the NFL needs to get younger, for example.

HARRIS: I see.

HORROW: That's why a 13 percent decrease in viewership, by the way, for young kids. But the age two to 11 fans and they quantify that stuff -- is down 5 percent. So parents, get your 2-year-old in front of the draft today to boost NFL ratings.

HARRIS: There you go, Rick.

All right, I'll see you on Tuesday, my friend.

HORROW: Hey, we're playing Tuesday and we're going to announce it next week, my friend.

HARRIS: OK.

We'll take that beat down.

All right, Rick Horrow, as usual.

Thank you, sir -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: At the bottom of your screen is our news ticker, right about there. You can see it. Some people call it the crawl. Love it or hate it, it rarely goes away. That was before comedian Lewis Black was our guest. He was on the set with anchor Kyra Phillips and he had a hissy fit over that ticker. It was quite a moment. We replay it for you now, as we debut an occasional feature we call "CNN Encore."

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BLACK: And this is my opportunity to say it. See this thing at the bottom of the screen?

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Right.

BLACK: Stop it!

PHILLIPS: In a black mood?

BLACK: Stop it!

PHILLIPS: In a black mood?

BLACK: New York City, 60, nobody cares, all right?

PHILLIPS: Oh, you're talking about that ticker.

BLACK: You're supposed to be looking at me. Me. Not this San Francisco 70. Where do you live? Where are you, huh? You're in Des Moines. Do you care? No. Get rid of the scroll...

PHILLIPS: We lost the ticker.

BLACK: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Look at that.

And guess what?

BLACK: Get rid it.

PHILLIPS: That's Nashville (INAUDIBLE)...

BLACK: And do we need the Nasdaq, or whatever that is, Standard & Poor's?

PHILLIPS: Don't you want to know where your money is going?

BLACK: Why don't you remind me that we're broke?

PHILLIPS: You know what, we're losing that. Anything else we want to lose here?

BLACK: OK, I feel better now.

PHILLIPS: You feel OK? You're all right?

BLACK: Yes, I do.

PHILLIPS: Do you want to lose "in a black mood," too? You want to lose that? BLACK: No, that I can live with.

PHILLIPS: You can handle that?

BLACK: Yes, because they...

PHILLIPS: But wait a minute. You just told me...

BLACK: ... obviously the audience needs to be told.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

KOPPEL: As you can see, the ticker returned immediately after he left. But Mr. Black, if you're watching this morning, thanks so much for playing.

And when something suitably outrageous happens again on CNN -- and it surely will -- we'll replay is as a "CNN Encore" -- Tony.

HARRIS: Oh, that's good.

It's a familiar refrain in the debate over imported labor. They're jobs no Americans would want. But what do you do when the guest laborers don't work them either? One perspective from Maryland's crabbing industry.

KOPPEL: And the Army decides whether or not to punish one of the top commanders connected to the Abu Ghraib scandal. That's next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: A former top U.S. commander is cleared of any wrongdoing in the Abu Ghraib Prison scandal.

Welcome back.

I'm Andrea Koppel, in for Betty Nguyen.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.

That story in a minute.

First, a look at the morning's headlines.

President Bush has picked his brother Jeb to lead the U.S. delegation to Rome for the pope's inaugural mass tomorrow. Earlier this year, the Florida governor surveyed tsunami damage in Asia on behalf of the president. The international spotlight is feeding speculation that despite denials, Jeb Bush plans to run for president in 2008.

We are now getting word from Italy that Silvio Berlusconi, who resigned Wednesday as prime minister, has formed a new government. CNN has learned the new cabinet will be sworn in later today, with Berlusconi again as prime minister. Berlusconi said yesterday he was asked by Italy's president to form the new government.

The Rover Spear has sent back some incredible pictures of dust devils on the surface of Mars. NASA says it's the best look yet at the effects of wind whirling around on the Martian surface. The images were recorded April 15 and April 18.

KOPPEL: Sources say the Army has cleared the former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq of all allegations of wrongdoing in the Abu Ghraib Prison scandal. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez was blamed for leadership lapses that may have contributed to prison abuse. But Pentagon officials say the Army inspector general concluded that those allegations were unsubstantiated. Officials say Sanchez will not be punished. Three of his top deputies were also cleared.

HARRIS: And time right now for a check on some of the other stories making news around the world this morning.

KOPPEL: Can China and Japan ease years of growing tension in just under an hour?

For the details on that and the rest of the world news, let's go to Anand Naidoo at the CNN international Desk -- good morning, Anand.

ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning from me.

That's right, China and Japan holding talks right now in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. The two sides hoping to ease tensions after the last few weeks of increasingly bitter anti-Japan protests in China. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi earlier made an unusually public apology for Japan's past atrocities in Asia.

This meeting that is taking place in Jakarta expected to last about 40 minutes. The protests that took place in China were actually triggered by a Japanese history textbook that the Chinese say glosses over Chinese -- or, rather, Japan's role in China during World War 2.

Now on to Iraq. A roadside bomb there in Baghdad kills nine Iraqi soldiers, wounds 20. Five other attacks across the country left one person dead and several wounded.

Well, now the American security company Blackwater has released the names of its workers who were killed in that helicopter crash in Baghdad, near Baghdad. Eleven people died in that incident in total.

Now to a historic visit by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to Israel. It's the first of its kind by a Russian leader. On the eve of the trip, Mr. Putin is assuring the Israelis that Moscow's nuclear collaboration with Iran is for "peaceful purposes." He also says Russian missiles sold to Syria would not fall into the hands of anti-Israeli militants. The Russian leader made those comments on Israeli television. That interview was done just before he left to get to Israel.

That's all from me.

I'll be back later with a look at the political crisis in Ecuador that's spilling out onto the streets right now.

That's later.

But right now back to Andrea and Tony.

KOPPEL: Thanks so much.

Now to "Security Watch." We update you on the weeks' major developments in the war on terror every Saturday morning.

Federal authorities are investigating a spate of incidents in which people posed as inspectors to look around hospitals in Boston, Detroit and Los Angeles. The Department of Homeland Security is monitoring the situation even though it says there is no evidence of any ties to terrorism.

Representative Bennie Thompson is among several Democrats who say the Department of Homeland Security is ignoring potential threats posed by right-wing extremist groups in the U.S. Democrats say a recent internal list of domestic terror threats needs to include groups like white supremacists, violent militias and anti-abortion bombers. A homeland security spokesman says the list is in an overview and was not mean to be comprehensive.

The government has put up more than $1.5 million to develop a scanner to detect weapons of mass destruction in cargo. The technology is intended for country borders, airports and seaports, to identify the contents of a container without opening it.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

HARRIS: In Maryland, should immigrants be forced to keep their hands off the crabbing industry? A debate that could lead to consumers getting pretty pinched, too. That's next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

KOPPEL: And good morning, Chicago.

Should you expect warm weather any time soon?

Orelon Sidney is going to have the latest forecast a little later in the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A string of victories for the defense in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. Will it make a difference? That's the question.

Plus, Texas tries to ban gays and lesbians from becoming foster parents. One state lawmaker calls it a way to protect our most vulnerable children.

Two hot topics in "Legal Briefs," live next hour, 8:00 a.m. Eastern. SIDNEY: And I'm Orelon Sidney.

Here's a look at the allergy forecast across the country.

Of course, the pollen now increasing, especially across parts of the Gulf Coast and the Mississippi Valley and the mid-Atlantic. That's where you'll find high to very high amounts of pollen, especially tree pollens, this time of year.

Up to the north, not a lot going on. In fact, there's not a lot of pollen reported at all in the Dakotas, so the sneeze factor will be low there today.

Maybe you'll get some rain to wash some of it out of the air in the Southeast. We'll talk about that in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: An annual survey of the Chesapeake Bay suggests the blue crab population is beginning to recover after years of decline. That's the good news.

The bad news is that crabbing as a way of life is imperiled.

Here's CNN's Tom Foreman and the crabbers who are feeling the pinch.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Out of the Chesapeake Bay, generations of crabbers have ridden the dawn.

ART PHILLIPS: I worked with my father, too.

FOREMAN: Like Art Phillips and his son Barry, pulling in the prized blue crabs. But this year, the work comes with a great worry.

PHILLIPS: We just don't want to see the business go out because it's going to affect everybody, everybody from the grocery store to everything.

FOREMAN: The problem is not off, but onshore, in the plants were crabs are steamed, the meat picked out and packed for sale, almost entirely by foreign guest workers.

ROBIN HALL, CRAB PLANT OWNER: Well, as you can see, they're empty.

FOREMAN: A limited number of these workers are allowed into the U.S. on a seasonal basis and normally Robin Hall's plant would be full of them. This year, however, most were scooped up by richer industries -- construction, landscaping -- before the crab harvest began.

HALL: We're hanging on by our fingernails, is what I like to say. And just the least little thing and we're gone, too. FOREMAN: Locals used to do this tedious work, but young Americans everywhere are fleeing rural communities for better jobs in the cities.

LAURA JOHNSON, FORMER CRAB PICKER: The homes down here are expensive and they just can't afford it on picking crab money. You just can't.

FOREMAN: So, for $10 an hour over the past 10 years, foreign workers have come into the crab season.

"We come to do the jobs, " Martin Medina (ph) says, "that people here don't want to do."

A hundred miles away in Washington, an emergency measure to let more foreign workers in is being considered.

SEN. BARBARA MIKULSKI (D), MARYLAND: This amendment is desperately needed by small and seasonal business throughout the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got him, sir?

FOREMAN: Opponents, however, argue...

STEVEN CAMEROTA, CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES: There's no such thing as a job Americans won't do. But there certainly are jobs that Americans won't do if the pay is very low, the benefits are virtually non-existent and the working conditions are very poor.

FOREMAN (on camera): But people out here say it's just not that simple. If they paid enough money to bring enough Americans in to do all of this work, the cost of their crab meat would go through the roof.

(voice-over): Ninety percent of the crab consumed in the U.S. is already from foreign waters, they say.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Old Maryland crab cakes.

FOREMAN: And any increase in costs here will wipe out the jobs that remain, for foreigners and Americans, too.

PHILLIPS: I guess we're just trying to hold onto what used to be, you know? I guess there's nothing wrong with that, is there?

FOREMAN: So the crabbers are themselves caught and many are afraid that this summer they will dry their traps for the last time.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Fishing Creek, Maryland.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

KOPPEL: Pentagon sources say Army Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez has been cleared of any wrongdoing linked to the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. Sanchez is the former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq. There had been claims leadership failures contributed to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.

Pope Benedict XVI met journalists today in a special papal audience. He thanked them for their coverage of the historic papal transition.

One winning ticket takes all in that huge Mega Millions lottery jackpot. But who is that lucky person? The winning ticket, worth $205 million, was sold in Porcelain, Michigan. The numbers were 23, 25, 43, 46 and 49. The Mega Ball number was 26.

And don't forget our e-mail question this morning. Is it fair to ban gays from fostering children?

We're at wam@cnn.com reading your replies ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

HARRIS: But first, a "CNN Extra."

Being overweight may be good for you? A new report out this week -- have you heard this -- says people who are overweight but not obese have a lower risk of death than those with normal weight. The study shows only extreme obesity leads to an increased mortality rate. More than 64 percent of Americans are considered overweight; 40 percent are ranked obese and about 5 percent are considered severely obese.

We're going to take a closer look tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. Eastern on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: It is that time, April showers mean more than just spring flowers. They also usher in tornado season for much of the United States. And with a simple mouse click, you can learn more about the facts, fiction and fury of those twisters.

Here is CNN's Veronica Delacruz to tell us more about it -- Veronica.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

VERONICA DELACRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tornadoes start as offshoots of thunderstorms, but can be devastating forces in their own right, carving a path of destruction many miles long and an excess of a mile wide.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A tornado is basically a violently rotating column of air that extends from the clouds down to the ground. And when they touch down, depending on the size and strength, they can level virtually everything in its path.

DE LA CRUZ: And how much do you know when it comes to these violent natural occurrences?

This interactive offers possible indicators of whether a tornado is approaching, details the difference between a tornado watch and more severe warnings and gives tips on what you can do if a twister comes your way.

Residents of what's known as Tornado Alley, shown here on this interactive map stretching across the central U.S., are more likely than most to face this dilemma. Those tornadoes that touch down, some with winds exceeding 250 miles per hour, can inflict significant damage. You can look at the 10 deadliest twisters in the U.S. in this gallery.

Since the 19th century, surveys have included reports of tornadoes moving houses, completely unharmed, feet from their original locations.

Which stories are true and which ones are legends? Click through this interactive gallery for some answers. For example, tornadoes seek out mobile homes -- fact or fiction? And tornadoes always rotate counterclockwise. You can log on and find out.

You can also get your current forecast or sign up from the severe weather alerts.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

DELACRUZ: And, again, you can find it all online at cnn.com/tornado.

And, Andrea, going back to that question, do tornadoes always rotate counter-clockwise -- what do you think?

KOPPEL: I'm going to guess the answer is no.

DELACRUZ: Oh...

(CROSSTALK)

DELACRUZ: No, she's right.

HARRIS: Yes?

DELACRUZ: They don't always rotate counter-clockwise.

KOPPEL: OK.

DELACRUZ: Actually, in the Northern Hemisphere they do rotate counter-clockwise and then in the Southern, the opposite direction.

KOPPEL: And why is that?

DELACRUZ: I can't tell you because I'm not a meteorologist. But Orelon Sidney can.

KOPPEL: Oh, OK.

(CROSSTALK)

DELACRUZ: So we're going to ask her later.

KOPPEL: Yes.

DELACRUZ: All right.

Thanks.

KOPPEL: Thanks, Veronica.

HARRIS: Well, you know, bad habits -- the more that couple -- you know, they're pretty easy to pick up. Charlie here has got one. Check out what this chimp learned from his admiring public. Then he's going to do a little jig here in a second. There you go. He's been up in the club. Details -- thanks -- next -- thanks -- our "Wows of the Week."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Well, we've showed it a lot, though, but, you know, you never get tired of this.

KOPPEL: You don't.

HARRIS: Here's one you've got to see to believe.

KOPPEL: You don't.

I feel sorry for him, though.

HARRIS: Well, you kind of do, don't you?

Everybody has a role in life and apparently Charlie's is to be a bad example. He didn't plan it that way.

KOPPEL: He looks cool.

HARRIS: Right.

But it's almost as if he's saying here, see, if you smoke, you'll end up like this, you know? Zoo officials in South Africa are not amused that Charlie has picked up this terrible, tacky, bad smelling habit. He may have learned how by imitating people.

KOPPEL: You know what they say?

HARRIS: No, what is it?

KOPPEL: You don't want to kiss an ashtray.

HARRIS: You really don't. You really don't. Yes. The thing is that Charlie's mate obviously takes a couple of puffs, too, with him. Yes. He gets the smokes from visitors who toss them into his enclosure.

In New York, one extra passenger got off an Egypt Air flight when it arrived at JFK. The stork intercepted the jetliner somewhere over the Atlantic. The Egyptian woman says the girl -- look at her, just precious -- was not due for another 10 days. And in Chicago, some people call this image Our Lady of the Underpass. The expressway shrine is attracting lots of attention since it was spotted shortly after the death of Pope John Paul II. Many people think it looks like the Madonna. So there you go, a couple of the "Wows of the Week."

KOPPEL: I don't think that's a natural occurrence.

HARRIS: No.

KOPPEL: No.

HARRIS: No, no, no.

KOPPEL: No, no.

HARRIS: Some taggers may have had a hand in all this.

We want to get to our e-mail question this morning.

But before we do that, let's get another check of weather with Orelon Sidney in the Weather Center upstairs -- good morning, Orelon.

SIDNEY: Good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Now let's get to those e-mail responses from u. And thanks for sending in those responses to this question this morning -- is it fair, in your mind, to ban gays from becoming foster parents?

There is a legislator, a lawmaker in Texas who believes it's a good idea and is proposing a bill. And he says it's a way to protect our most vulnerable children.

What do you think?

KOPPEL: Well, this one comes from Pete.

He says: "I don't think it would be fair to put children in this type of environment. Children are easily influenced and could grow up thinking that gay is normal."

HARRIS: Yes, and this from Lauren this morning: "It is very disturbing to me to hear that some states are attempting to ban gays from taking in foster children. After all, there is no difference between gay or straight people in the care of foster children. And I would argue that placement in a gay home has a larger chance of developing tolerance and understanding of diversity in the foster children. Thanks for bringing us interesting cases in the morning."

Well, thank you, Lauren, for that response.

KOPPEL: And this one from John: "There is so much control and oversight before adoptive parents are permitted to care for children, it's hard to see how loving, supportive and child-oriented people can be rejected on such a social issue."

In fact, apparently they believe that about 3,000 kids might be affected who are living now with gay and lesbian foster parents.

HARRIS: So there's a lot to talk about.

Send along those e-mails to us. There is the question -- what do you think? Is it fair to ban gay parents from adopting children, fostering children?

There's the address, wam@cnn.com.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: And to get centered here with the CNN Center here in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is 8:00 a.m. Eastern on the 23rd of April.

Good morning. I'm Andrea Koppel, in for Betty Nguyen, who hopefully is having a nice day off.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, yes. So neat. (INAUDIBLE). And I'm just a mess up here, I'm...

KOPPEL: (INAUDIBLE)?

HARRIS: Yes, you're so (INAUDIBLE).

KOPPEL: (INAUDIBLE).

HARRIS: Thank you, that make me feel more comfortable.

I'm Tony Harris.

Let's get you started with a look at what's happening in the news this morning.

First thing this morning, Pope Benedict XVI met with journalists at the Vatican, thanking reporters for their coverage of the papal transition. In his first audience with Vatican outsiders, he noted the media's capacity to reach what he calls the whole of humanity.

Alessio Vinci has a live report in just a couple of minutes.

Florida Governor Jeb Bush is leading a U.S. delegation to the Vatican. The dignitaries will attend tomorrow's inaugural mass of Pope Benedict XVI. A separate delegation of 21 House members will also attend tomorrow's mass.

Federal prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty for Zacarias Moussiaoui. As expected, he pleaded guilty yesterday to six counts of terrorism, conspiracy. Moussiaoui declared he was personally chosen by Osama bin Laden to fly a plane into the White House during attack after September 11.

And talk about luck, there is one, winning ticket in last night's Megamillions lotto drawing, but no sign of the winner just yet. The ticket sold in Port Huron, Michigan, and it is worth $205 million. The winning numbers were 23, 25, 43, 46, and 49. The Megaball number was 26.

KOPPEL: And coming up this Saturday morning, just how far do you go to control a 5-year-old who's having a temper tantrum? We're taking you to Florida. Did school officials and police officers cross the line?

And taking on the tough job of parenting a foster child. The question in Texas, should nontraditional parents be banned?

And we'll take a look at some nontraditional medical cures with Dr. Sanjay Gupta in "HOUSE CALL" just ahead.

Well, Pope Benedict XVI has wrapped up his first audience with people from outside the Vatican. He met with the international reporters who will deliver his papal messages to the world.

CNN's Jim Bittermann was there and joins us now from Rome.

Good morning, Jim.

So what was the audience like?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was kind of a mixed affair. The journalists, I think, thought they may -- they might be able to get a question or two in. They weren't able to. There were several hundred journalists there, but also several thousand sort of others. There was the sort of pilgrims that had come along, but also members of journalists' families and children. So it was a real mixed crowd.

You know, but unlike his predecessor, Benedict XVI did not take any questions and answers. He simply talked to the journalists for about 15 minutes with a message that was basically a thank-you for all the coverage over the past three weeks.

POPE BENEDICT XVI: The Second Vatican Council spoke of the great potential of the media, in fact. The council fathers devoted their first document to this theme and say it's (INAUDIBLE), a group, quote, that's a nature of capable of reaching and influencing not only individuals but whole masses of people, indeed, the whole of humanity.

Ever since December the 4th, 1963, that the decree (INAUDIBLE) was promulgated, humanity has been witnessing an extraordinary, extraordinary media resolution affecting every aspect of human life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BITTERMANN: The pope there using his excellent English. He also spoke in German and Italian and French, and basically showed a little bit of his communicative style, which we really didn't have a lot of experience with, but we're getting to know here at the Vatican.

Now, the other thing that's happening here is that security is beginning to be ratcheted up in anticipation of tomorrow's inauguration mass that will take place, three-hour-long mass, where there'll be many scores, I would say, of (INAUDIBLE) heads of state, heads of government, and crowned heads from all over Europe and North America, Andrea.

KOPPEL: Jim, last hour we heard from Alessio that Pope Benedict XVI seemed a little shy. What would you say, you know, were the big comparisons between him and Pope John Paul II in terms of personality?

BITTERMANN: Well, I think he's going to be somewhat reserved. I don't know if shy is exactly the right word, but he certainly will be more reserved. I can remember very well with John Paul II that he took questions and answers. He had a very similar audience to this one when he -- right after he was elected, and he took questions and answers for, oh, 40 or 45 minutes or so back 26 years ago.

I don't think we're going to see much of that from Benedict XVI. And it'll be interesting, one of the more interesting things will be seeing how he travels, whether he takes press with him, whether he talks to the press on the airplanes the way John Paul used to, or whether it's a different style from this pope.

And I have a feeling it's going to be a different, more reserved, more detached style, Andrea.

KOPPEL: And he's a little older than Pope John Paul II was when he took over. Jim, thanks so much.

And we're going to have live coverage of the papal inauguration mass, begins tomorrow morning at 3:00 Eastern, bright and early, midnight on the West Coast.

HARRIS: A U.S. Army investigation into the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal has cleared the former top U.S. commander in Iraq. The probe found Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez and his three top deputies did not commit dereliction of duty. But Brigadier General Janice Karpinski did not escape punishment. She commanded the military police unit at the Abu Ghraib prison. Karpinski had already been relieved of her command. She has said the military made her the scapegoat to cover up the failures of her superiors.

The scandal and the graphic photos of U.S. soldiers humiliating and mistreating prisoners ignited an international firestorm. So will these findings help soothe the world anger or further stoke it?

CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is in Crawford, Texas, near the president's ranch.

Suzanne, good morning.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Tony. As you know, of course, the Abu Ghraib prison scandal was a huge embarrassment to this administration, and it came at a time when U.S. casualties in Iraq were high. Also, U.S. had expressed outrage in the hostage-taking and beheading of its own citizens there. And it is fair to say that much of the world really saw little justification for the U.S. invasion of Iraq or the aftermath.

It was also very clear to the White House that it had been damaged very much in its credibility as a moral leader. President Bush had come out during that time, he'd apologized to the Iraqi people, to the rest of the leaders of the world, saying that this was an aberration, that the U.S. government would get to the bottom of this.

Now, while the White House has yet to respond to the Army's findings this morning, there have been quite a number of other people who've reacted, members of Congress, civil rights groups, and even those who represent lower-ranking soldiers in this investigation, in this scandal, expressing dismay, the fact that four top officers were cleared of wrongdoing.

I did speak with a Pentagon spokeswoman this morning who defended the Army's investigation. She said, and I'm quoting here, "The Army is currently in the process of briefing members of Congress on the comprehensive results of an inspector general and legal review of senior leader involvement into Abu Ghraib. We are currently not addressing questions on the findings until we have addressed the questions of Congress."

And Tony, I can tell you, there are lots of questions coming from members of Congress and other people who are not happy with this outcome, Tony.

HARRIS: And it seems to me, a lot more fallout and reaction to come. Suzanne Malveaux in Crawford, Texas, with the president. Suzanne, thank you.

KOPPEL: A 5-year-old girl throws a tantrum at school. Maybe not so unbelievable, but what may be unbelievable is how it was handled.

Susannah Geragiolo (ph) has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSANNAH GERAGIOLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The camera was rolling as part of a self-improvement exercise for preschool children in St. Petersburg, Florida. You see a 5-year-old girl become disruptive.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're not touching you. You're -- No, ma'am. We're not touching you, you don't touch me.

GERAGIOLO: First, throwing objects on the floor and resisting the efforts of a teacher and assistant principal to calm her down.

Eventually, the girl's mother is called, but she's unable to come to the school.

The girl begins hitting the assistant principal, and the police are called.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No! No!

GERAGIOLO: The video was stopped soon after the girl's hands are fastened behind her.

Attorneys refused to file any charges against the 5-year-old, and she was released to her mother. But a lawyer for the girl's parents say that police went too far, and that he plans unspecified legal actions against them. Police officials have launched an internal investigation.

GERAGIOLO: Susannah Geragiolo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: And that brings us to the school officials. Did they do the right thing in handling the child's unruly behavior? Reaction is mixed, depending on who you ask.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN TREVENA, CHILD'S MOTHER'S ATTORNEY: They claim that they're trying to deescalate the situation, but to me, hovering over a young child of that age who is upset and essentially having a tantrum or a fit would just seem to escalate, not deescalate, the situation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did the staff do anything wrong?

RON STONE, SCHOOL DISTRICT SPOKESMAN: I don't think so. You know, in looking at the tape, I think they did everything they could under those circumstances to deescalate the situation and get the child under control and to try to get her back to, you know, the routine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: And stick around for more on this story, when, in just a few minutes, we're going to break it down in our legal brief segment. Will the fact that no charges were filed against the 5-year-old hurt the school and police? A topic in this morning's legal briefs.

HARRIS: Our legal panel also takes us to Texas, where some lawmakers want to stop gays and lesbians from becoming foster parents.

KOPPEL: And good morning, Washington, D.C. This is a live picture of what looks to be not such a pretty day...

HARRIS: No.

KOPPEL: ... in our national capital. Orelon Sidney is going to have your complete forecast right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING just ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Now, here's a question. Are you one of those people who is constantly interrupted by Internet instant messages, other e-mails, and phone calls?

KOPPEL: Yes. Next hour, we're going to tell you what you may have in common with pot smokers. It is one the top stories on the Web this morning. We're going to get details you from CNN.com's Veronica De La Cruz live next hour at 9:00 a.m. Eastern.

ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And I'm Orelon Sidney. Here's a look at your gardener's forecast.

The average date of the last freeze for the plains is in April. But don't look now, because we have frost and freeze advisories in all those areas in green, extending across much of Iowa, southward down into the Midwest. You're going to see temperatures very close to or hovering around freezing tomorrow morning. Keep that in mind.

This is the time to apply the preemergent to your lawns to avoid crabgrass. Once you get it, it's hard to get rid of it. I know. Ask me. I've got some.

We'll have a look at your forecast in just a few moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Want to take you back upstairs to Orelon Sidney. You know, she's got that fancy new piece of equipment up there, that (INAUDIBLE)...

SIDNEY: (INAUDIBLE), I've got crabgrass.

HARRIS: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

SIDNEY: (INAUDIBLE) I have that too, as a matter of fact. I could be used to getting used to getting rid of that stuff.

But we have some fancy new equipment I'll show you in a second.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

SIDNEY: Look for a chance of thunderstorms, though, this afternoon, Andrea, Tony.

HARRIS: Still climbing to the moon. Take B.C.

KOPPEL: Yes, I'll be heading back there a little later.

HARRIS: You will, that's right.

Orelon, thanks.

SIDNEY: You're welcome.

HARRIS: Let's check a couple of stories this morning.

Pope Benedict XVI held his first papal audience with the members of the news media this morning. He thanked them for their coverage during the historic papal transition.

President Bush has picked his brother Jeb to lead the U.S. delegation to the pope's inauguration mass tomorrow. This is the Florida governor's second high-profile international assignment this year. Jeb Bush insists he has no plans to run for president in 2008.

Pentagon sources say the Army has cleared Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez of any wrongdoing linked to the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. He's the former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq. Three of his top deputies were also cleared.

KOPPEL: Emotions are high in Texas this morning, where lawmakers want to ban this woman and other gays and lesbians from becoming foster parents. That's just one of the hot topics this morning in legal briefs. That's live next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

HARRIS: And here's your chance to speak on the subject. This morning's e-mail question, Is it fair to ban gays from fostering children? Send your comments to wam@cnn.com. And some of your answers when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: The judge in the Michael Jackson trial says yes to evidence that could help the singer's case. Plus, an expert witness for the prosecution is banned from testifying. Is the legal tide turning for the pop singer?

Also this morning, there is a bill making the rounds in the Texas state legislature that could ban this woman from being a foster parent. Why? Because she's a lesbian.

Tough topics on the docket in this morning's legal briefs.

We're going to have those two stories in a moment.

But we want to start with a story about the 5-year-old girl that we just told you about who was arrested, believe it or not, in Florida. She was caught on videotape. The girl becomes unruly for about half an hour. Police are called, who actually handcuff the child.

Now, a lawyer plans legal action against the police.

Now to our legal experts. Former federal prosecutor Pam Bethel is in our Washington bureau. And from Miami, civil liberties attorney Lida Rodriguez-Taseff. Nice to see you both.

LIDA RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF, CIVIL LIBERTIES ATTORNEY: Good morning.

PAM BETHEL, CIVIL ATTORNEY: Good morning.

KOPPEL: Lida, let's start with you.

This sounds outrageous to me, that they would handcuff a 5-year- old little girl. Do they have any chance of being able to fight this charge?

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Absolutely outrageous. A 5-year-old can't vote, can't drive, can't even be home alone. How can they even imagine that a 5-year-old can form the criminal intent to be prosecuted for a crime? This kid was throwing a tantrum. You deal with tantrums by putting a kid in time out, not jail.

KOPPEL: Pam, your thoughts?

BETHEL: Oh, yes. I can't (INAUDIBLE) this with her this morning. This is just outrageous. Where are we going with this? So if a two years -- 2-year-old screams while sitting in his chair trying to eat dinner, we've gone crazy. We need to separate that which is criminal from that which is just a child throwing a tantrum.

KOPPEL: Time is tight this morning. Let's move on our next subject, which I think be a little more contentious, and that is, what's going on right now in the Texas state legislature. The house has already approved this bill that would ban a gay parent from becoming -- a gay person from becoming a foster parent.

Lida, is this legal?

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Absolutely not legal. The reason it's not legal is because there is no analysis made as to whether or not this person is fit to be a parent, is fit to care for kids. It's simply a ban on gayness, and that has got to be unconstitutional. And this law will be tested. And, in fact, what's crazy about this is that this would cost the Texas state over $8 million, and it would put between 2,000 and 2,500 kids out of foster care into orphanages. Ridiculous.

KOPPEL: Pam, the proponents of this bill say that they want to support traditional families.

BETHEL: Right. Well, yes, and look, Lida says that it's unconstitutional. I'm not certain that it is. And I, and in fact, if this is what the Texas legislature wants to do, I mean, it's certainly there within their right to set the standards by which the courts and the agencies within the state will have to abide.

Look, I'm not saying that there's no gay family or gay person that should be a foster parent, but certainly I think that the Texas legislature has the right and the ability and the authority to make that determination on behalf of the voters.

HARRIS: Pam Bethel and Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, that was a very quick legal segment. Unfortunately, we ran out of time. We can't do Michael Jackson this time. But hopefully, we'll get you back. This story isn't going away.

Thanks to both of you.

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Thank you.

BETHEL: OK.

HARRIS: All right. So you've heard from our legal experts. Let's hear from you on the e-mail question this morning. What do you think? Is it fair to ban gays from becoming foster parents?

And a lot of opinions this morning.

This first one from Barbara. "I am absolutely stunned by the ignorance and meanspiritedness of this proposed amendment. The proposition that children do not thrive in gay foster or adoptive homes is not supported by research. Sexual orientation does not rub off on children. Clearly, most gay people were raised by heterosexual parents and around heterosexual siblings and peers who remained heterosexual."

Thanks, Barbara.

KOPPEL: Well, this next e-mailer disagrees with that perspective saying, "Allowing gays to have children further defiles God's creation by instilling in children the insinuation of approval for this lifestyle. Would the reader of this e-mail like his or her children growing up gay or becoming grandparents to your gay grandchildren? It should not be legal for gays to marry or to have children."

HARRIS: It is a provocative subject.

KOPPEL: Yes.

HARRIS: We have been getting hit with lots of e-mails on this question. We're going to keep it going and read some of your responses next hour.

Here's the question again. Is it fair, in your opinion, to ban gays from becoming foster parents? E-mail us your response at wam@cnn.com, and we'll read more of those responses next hour.

And as we've been telling you this morning, the Army says the former top Army commander in Iraq is not responsible for the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Now, coming up, at the top of the hour, we'll go live to Crawford, Texas, as President Bush enjoys a weekend at home.

KOPPEL: But first, the popularity of ancient medical cures. Do they really work? That's the subject this morning as Dr. Sanjay Gupta makes his Saturday morning "HOUSE CALL."

Stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Now in the news, Pope Benedict XVI met with journalists this morning, thanking them for their hard work. The pontiff promised the group a, quote, "affectionate dialogue."

Meanwhile, President Bush is sending his brother, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, to lead the U.S. delegation at the pope's inauguration mass tomorrow.

Well, the man who was in charge of U.S. operations in Iraq at the time of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal won't be held responsible. A senior Pentagon official tells CNN the Army has cleared Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez for abuse at the prison. Three other top officers were also cleared.

An attorney in St. Petersburg, Florida says he's planning legal action after a kindergartner was handcuffed for having a temper tantrum. The 5-year-old girl was videotaped by school officials, who later called police to control her. Police didn't charge the child and say the case is under investigation.

I'm Tony Harris. HOUSECALL begins right now.

(HOUSE CALL WITH SANJAY GUPTA)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: From the CNN Center in Atlanta this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is April 23rd, and good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

KOPPEL: And I'm Andrea Koppel in for Betty Nguyen. It is 9:00 a.m. in the east, 6:00 a.m. out west. Thanks so much for being with us.

Let's begin with some headlines.

In just about two hours, the family and friends of Sarah Lunde will gather for her memorial service and funeral in Ruskin, Florida. The 13-year-old found last week submerged in an abandoned fish pond near her home. Police believe she was abducted and killed by a sex offender who had dated her mother.

It's been a violent day of bombs across Iraq today. Car bombing attacks in Baghdad and Basra killed 11 Iraqis, and wounded at least 30 others. One Baghdad attack targeted a U.S. military convoy along the airport road. Another attack was on the road near the Abu Ghraib prison.

Time to check those lottery tickets: a single ticket holds the key to a $205 million jackpot, and we think we found the store where they sold it. The winning Megamillion ticket sold at River District Supermarket in Port Huron, Michigan. Last night's winning numbers are 23, 25, 43, 46 and 49. The Megaball number was 26. Stay close, because we're going to talk to the owner of that store, the one that sold the winning ticket, just ahead.

HARRIS: That would be Jamie (ph) Abro. We'll talk to her in just a couple of minutes. Here's what's coming up for you this half hour. Some of the military's top brass get a pass in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. We'll tell you who in a live report.

The new pope offers an olive branch to journalists as he prepares for tomorrow's inaugural mass.

And, we've got one heck of a stupid criminal story for you just ahead: a crook take as turn at playing Santa Claus.

KOPPEL: Now, to our top story. An Army investigation clears some key military players of wrong-doing in the Iraq prisoner abuse scandal. Among them is Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez. He's the former U.S. commander of U.S. forces in Iraq. Early on, some had claimed that leadership failures may have contributed to the humiliation and abuse suffered by Iraqi prisoners. Our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us from Crawford, Texas, near the president's ranch.

Good morning, Suzanne. So, is that good news for the president?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning.

Of course, as you know, the Abu Ghraib prison scandal was a huge embarrassment for this administration that came at a very bad time. It was at a time, of course, when there were a lot of casualties inside of Iraq; also at a time when the U.S. was expressing outrage over hostage-taking and beheading of its own citizens there, and it was clear, as well, that much of the world saw very little justification in the U.S. invasion of Iraq or the aftermath.

What this did, of course, as you know, is put the United States in a position where it was severely compromised as its role of a moral leader. President Bush had to come out, apologize to the Iraqi people, to leaders of the rest of the world. What he had argued was that this was an aberration, that the U.S. government essentially was going to get to the bottom of this.

Now, the White House has not yet responded to the outcome of the Army's investigation, but certainly we have heard complaints from members of Congress, as well as those who represented lower level officers involved in this scandal. Now, I did speak with the Pentagon spokesperson this morning and she defended the Army's investigation -- the results of this -- saying simply that the Army is currently in the process of briefing members of Congress on the comprehensive results of an inspector-general and legal review of senior leader involvement into Abu Ghraib. "We are currently not addressing the questions on the findings until we have addressed the questions of Congress."

Your question, of course, Andrea, whether or not this is good for the administration, on the one hand, it's receiving a lot of questions, a lot of doubts, about the outcome of the Army's investigation. The Army very straightforward, saying that they believe that they have done a good job, that this is a fair job; at the same time, perhaps vindicated because they say that the top officials were not involved in this abuse. Andrea?

KOPPEL: OK, Suzanne Malveaux for us, there, near Crawford, Texas. Thanks, Suzanne.

HARRIS: Now the prosecutors have a guilty plea in connection with the terrorist plot. They now plan to seek the death penalty against Zacarias Moussiaoui. Moussiaoui pleaded guilty yesterday to six counts of terrorism conspiracy. He insists, however, he played no direct role in the 9/11 attacks. Instead, Moussiaoui says he was part of a different plot approved by Osama bin Laden to fly a plane into the White House. Moussiaoui says he'll fight against the death penalty.

Now to "Security Watch": we update you on the week's major developments in the War on Terror every Saturday morning. Federal authorities are investigating a spate of incidents in which people posed as inspectors to look around hospitals, kind of a scary thought, in Boston, Detroit and Los Angeles. The Department of Homeland Security says it's monitoring the situation, even though there is no evidence, it says, of any ties to terrorism.

Representative Benny Thompson is among several Democrats who say the Department of Homeland Security is ignoring potential threats posed by right-wing extremist groups in the U.S. Democrats say a recent internal list of domestic terror threats needs to include groups like white supremacists, violent militias and anti-abortion bombers. A Homeland Security spokesman says the list is an overview and was not meant to be comprehensive.

The government has put up more than $1.5 million to develop a scanner that would detect weapons of mass destruction in cargo. The technology is intended for cross-country borders, airports and seaports to identify the contents of a container without actually opening it.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

HARRIS: Earlier this morning, Pope Benedict XVI held his first audience with Vatican outsiders. The new pontiff conducted a papal audience with hundreds of international reporters. The gathering seemed to reaffirm his vow to maintain the strong media relations enjoyed by his predecessors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE BENEDICT XVI, VIA TRANSLATOR: It my desire to continue this fruitful work, which was started by John Paul II. It has forced this new era to -- the church to confront this new epoch-making era of mass communications, and use it to the benefit of the gospel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And join us for live coverage of the papal inauguration mass. It's scheduled to begin tomorrow morning at 3:00 eastern, midnight on the west coast. KOPPEL: And Texas is considering legislation that would ban gays and lesbians from becoming foster parents. Do you think it's fair? That is our morning e-mail question, and, boy, are people writing in with some pretty strong opinions about this. Send your replies to wam@CNN.com. We're going to be reading them later this hour.

HARRIS: And, good morning, Chicago: Orelon Sidney is coming up with your weekend weather forecast. That and more, when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who can forget the face of 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez when federal agents snatched him out of his Miami relatives' home in a pre-dawn raid? The most politicized custody battle of the century made the little Cuban rafter boy, whose mother drowned at sea, a poster child on both sides of the Florida straits. After a nine month tug-of-war, Elian was returned to the custody of his father and sent back to communist Cuba. Today, back in his hometown of Cambinas (ph), Elian looks like any normal 11-year-old. He goes to school and lives in a bigger house with his father, two half-brothers and his stepmother, whom he now calls Mom.

But Elian isn't like other boys. President Fidel Castro goes to his birthday party at school, and you often see him in the front row next to the communist leader at special functions, all tell-tale signs no matter how much he may want to be like everyone else, Elian Gonzalez remains a political symbol, even today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And, time now for a check of some of the other stories making news around the world.

KOPPEL: The Italian political crisis has been somewhat resolved. For details on that and the rest of the world, let's go to Anand Naidoo at the CNN international desk. So, Berlusconi's going to be around a little longer?

ANAND NAIDOO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning from me. That's right. The Italian political crisis -- no surprises here. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is back at the controls. He resigned only a few days ago. Berlusconi will remain prime minister. The president of -- the cabinet to the Italian president, just a short while ago, that cabinet, expected to be sworn in in a few hours. Berlusconi resigned two days ago after a power struggle with his coalition allies. He got into trouble after that coalition lost 12 of 14 regions that were at stake in regional elections earlier this year. Italians are also unhappy with the government over the sluggish economy, and with its military involvement in the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

Now, to those key talks taking place between China and Japan. They took place in the Indonesian capital Jakarta on the sidelines of an African-Asian summit taking place there. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi emerged from the 40-minute session with the Chinese and described the discussions as "very good." The two sides are hoping to ease tensions after the last few weeks of increasingly bitter anti-Chinese protest in China. Mr. Koizumi, earlier, made an unusually public apology for Japan's past atrocities in Asia. And, those protests in China were triggered in part by a Japanese history textbook which the Chinese say glosses over Japan's role in China during World War II.

That is all from me. Stay with CNN for extensive coverage of all international developments through your day. But, for now, let's send it back to Andrea and Tony.

KOPPEL: Thanks so much, Anand. That was apparently a new textbook they just came out with.

HARRIS: Yes, that's right, that's right. A couple of other headlines this morning: a U.S. Army investigation into the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal cleared this man, the former top commander in Iraq. The probe found Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez and three top deputies did not commit dereliction of duty.

Earlier this morning, Pope Benedict XVI met with the world's media. The papal audience is his first with Vatican outsiders. The pope did not take questions or meet with reporters individually.

And these numbers have added up to $2 -- Andrea? -- $205 million for a Megamillions lotto player in Port Huron, Michigan. Last night's winning numbers, 23, 25, 43, 46, and 49; the Megaball number was 26.

KOPPEL: Well you know that old expression, something about a common sense going out the window?

HARRIS: Yes.

KOPPEL: Well, here, take a look, folks, it went up the chimney. That's where this burglary went wrong. Coming up.

HARRIS: But, first, this morning, a CNN "Extra." Problems in your marriage? Therapy may not -- may not -- be the answer. Recent studies show after two years of counseling, 25 percent of couples are worse off than they were before. Experts say many therapists lack the skills to work with the couple in trouble and give up on their client. Just give up, throw their hands up in the air, there's nothing I can do, pushing them on to divorce. The divorce rate is 27 percent higher in red states than in blue states.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Just fancy. It's just so fancy!

KOPPEL: It doesn't confuse you, though?

HARRIS: Well -- time to check in with the CNN.com desk for a look at what web surfers are clicking on and finding the most interesting topics online. Veronica de la Cruz is here now, from the dot com desk. Good morning, Veronica.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM DESK: Good morning, Tony. How are you doing?

HARRIS: Not much. Standard.

DE LA CRUZ: All right, well, I'm going to tell you how to find these most popular stories, first of all. You're going to go to our main page, and click on the icon "Most Popular" on the right-hand side of your screen. You can also type in CNN.com/mostpopular.

Now, Tony, it's been all over TV news and now it is number one on the web. Police have arrested a woman for lying about finding a finger in her Wendy's chili. Anna Ayala was arrested Thursday; she's being charged with attempted grand larceny in connection with the case. But two questions remain, Tony -- think about this: how did the finger get there? And whose is it?

HARRIS: yes! we need to know.

DE LA CRUZ: Wendy's is still offering a $100,000 reward for any information.

Another hot story, does this sound like you? When you are at work, are you constantly checking your e-mail, text messaging, and on the phone? Andrea?

HARRIS: Yes. Yep.

DE LA CRUZ: A British study says workers engaging in all of those activities suffer a greater loss of I.Q. than pot smokers. That's right. The study shows that the I.Q. of those who tried to juggle messages and work at the same fell by 10 points, and that is the equivalent of missing an entire night's sleep, and more than double the four-point drop seen after smoking marijuana. Can you believe that?

HARRIS: I got to leave it alone. I just, you know, I just got to leave it alone. That's -- that's very interesting, Veronica.

DE LA CRUZ: I mean, I think we all work that way. I mean, I know that I'm a multi-tasker.

HARRIS: Yes? Well, you have to, sort of. You got to do a bunch of things. Very good. All right.

And, remember, CNN.com, you watch...

DE LA CRUZ: CNN.com/most popular.

HARRIS: You watch the network, and this is just an additional tool in your news-gathering day.

DE LA CRUZ: Of course.

HARRIS: There you go. Veronica, thank you. KOPPEL: An ex-convict is in custody, suspected in the deaths of three elderly women in southeast Texas. All three victims were found dead in their closets. A fourth woman who had fought off her attacker later picked 40-year-old Gary Sinagoal (ph) from a police lineup.

And, now, from our stupid criminal file -- and we do mean stupid -- a would-be burglar got stuck trying to break into a Lake Tahoe home through the chimney. A neighbor called the sheriff about 10 o'clock Thursday night when he said he heard screams coming from next door. Firefighters had to chip away at the home's walls to get the guy out. The rescue cost about 20 grand in damages. Christmas, my friend, is in December.

And a beautiful sight over Miami Beach yesterday. Two water spouts side-by-side. A water spout can be dangerous; it's essentially a tornado over water and sometimes it can come ashore. Now, I got to tell you, I don't think that is so beautiful, but -- but that's because it's dangerous.

HARRIS: Well, yes, and we had -- if we had stayed with the shot a little bit -- there's a boat, there's a little pleasure craft

KOPPEL: That's right.

HARRIS: Yes, just taking it in. Oh, my.

KOPPEL: OK, I guess Orelon is standing by. Those things must not be that common, are they, Orelon?

ORELON SIDNEY, METEOROLOGIST: Actually, in that part the world, they're extremely common. You see them quite a bit, even in the wintertime. It's -- generally, you have kind of a tropical air mass; any time you get that tropical air mass, you get that warm air to rise, just a little bit of rotation can kick off those water spouts. Not all that unusual, although I don't think you're going see a whole lot of that action up the coast today.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: $205 million. You want it? You want it?

KOPPEL: Yes, I do. I do.

HARRIS: Yes? Someone else got it. Just ahead, we'll talk to the owner of the store that sold the winning Megamillions lotto ticket, and the owner of that store, we are now told, just in, has heard from the person who bought the winning ticket. Stay with us; more of CNN SATURDAY MORNING when we come back right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Got a mathematical question: how do you take a half dozen two-digit numbers and come up with the princely sum of $205 million? Well, the key is having those numbers on a winning Megamillions lottery ticket. Joining us on the phone from Port Huron, Michigan, is Jerrod Abro of the River District Supermarket who says their store sold last night's winning combo.

Jerrod, good morning.

JERROD ABRO, STORE OWNER, SOLD WINNING LOTTERY TICKET: Good morning, Tony.

HARRIS: Well, how excited are you?

ABRO: Tony, man, I'm telling you, I can't even explain it to you. I'm about to jump out of my boots!

HARRIS: Well, tell me about this. Now, was it your sister or did you actually sell the winning ticket?

ABRO: No, Tony, actually, it was my sister, yesterday at about 5:30. She sold the ticket to a -- to the woman's son-in-law, and I was actually on my way with my father here to open up the store today, and we heard on a local radio station that the winning ticket for the Friday night big game was sold at River District, and I about had a heart attack. I'm like, what? We didn't even know!

HARRIS: Oh, that's great. Shouldn't you get some kind of a little notification or something on your terminal that says that you sold the ticket? Is that how it normally works?

ABRO: That's -- I believe so. I don't know. I think we probably should have got a phone call at home last night or something to expect all of this. We are just in complete shock.

HARRIS: Well, tell us about your business. I understand it's a family-run operation.

ABRO: It's a family-run operation, Tony. We've been here for almost 30 years. You know, it's a -- it's a hard-working, blue-collar town.

HARRIS: Yes. How many people in that town? It is a small town, isn't it?

ABRO: It's a small town, and when you think about it, out of nine states and all counties and small cities, for it to happen to a place like this is just unbelievable.

HARRIS: I have to ask you. Was the winner someone who lives in Port Huron or one of those interlopers who came over from Canada?

ABRO: I believe it's -- I believe it's someone from -- someone from here in Port Huron, and we're -- I don't even actually know who they are, but I know have -- they go by the last name of Scott.

HARRIS: OK, so, have you made contact with them? Have you or your sister or someone in the family actually talked?

ABRO: Yes. I actually talked to the lady this morning. She called up here, and she says to me, what do we do? I was like, you got to call Lansing, because that's where the office is for the lottery, for the state lottery. And she was just completely shaking, and I had to call my sister at home. I was like, didn't have the number off-hand, I said, get it off the internet right now. These people need to get their money.

HARRIS: Oh, I got to ask you -- is there a little bit of a -- of a cut in this for the family business for selling that winning ticket?

ABRO: You know what? Tony, I have no idea how that works, with the state, or anything. The only thing I can tell you, I'm just very, very happy for these people.

HARRIS: Jerrod, let me tell you something. There is, I believe, there really is a little bit of a cut in there for you, but hey -- this is a great story. Congratulations to you. Congratulations to the winner. It's a great story coming out of Port Huron this morning.

ABRO: Thank you, Tony. Thank you.

HARRIS: And thanks for talking to us this morning.

ABRO: Yes, you have a terrific morning, Tony.

HARRIS: I sure will. Not as good as your morning, but I'm going to have a pretty good one.

KOPPEL: Or that woman.

HARRIS: Or that woman, that's right.

KOPPEL: Oh, that is really wonderful news, and we're so glad we found him, and congratulations to our producer who tracked him down.

HARRIS: That's right.

KOPPEL: Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Andrea Koppel. We hope to see you again tomorrow morning.

HARRIS: "OPEN HOUSE" is straight ahead, but first, these stories.

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 April 23, 2005 - 07:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The Army says the former top U.S. commander in Iraq did nothing wrong in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

It is April 23.

Good morning, everyone.

I'm Tony Harris.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Andrea Koppel in for Betty Nguyen.

It is 7:00 a.m. in the East and 4:00 a.m. out West.

Thanks for being with us.

We're going to have that story in a minute.

But let's begin with some headlines.

Just a couple of hours ago, Pope Benedict XVI met with the world's media. The papal audience is his first with Vatican outsiders and reflects the importance of the media in delivering the pontiff's message. In fact, the late Pope John Paul II was once quoted as saying: "If it didn't happen on TV, it didn't happen."

President Bush's brother Jeb will lead a U.S. delegation to the Vatican to attend tomorrow's inaugural mass of Pope Benedict XVI. The Florida governor, who is a practicing Catholic, will be joined by Maryland's lieutenant governor, among others. A separate delegation of 21 House members will also attend tomorrow's mass.

Here's an answer to someone's prayers. A single lottery player has raked in a $205 million jackpot. The winning Mega Millions ticket was sold in Port Huron, Michigan. Last night's winning numbers are 23, 25, 43, 46 and 49. The Mega Ball number was 26. HARRIS: Let me check here. Nope, nope, nope, not a single number.

Coming up this hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, the Army concludes its inquiry into the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal in Iraq. We'll tell you how far up the chain of command the blame goes.

Also ahead, NFL team owners prepare to shell out big bucks for fresh, young stars. CNN sports business analyst Rick Horrow takes us "Beyond The Game" in the annual pro-football draft.

And later, crabbers on the Eastern shore are feeling the pinch of too few workers. We'll have a closer look at the dilemma that could bring a time-honored way of life to an end.

Our top story this morning, a U.S. Army investigation into the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal has exonerated the former top U.S. commander in Iraq. The probe found Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez and three other senior officers did not commit dereliction of duty. But such allegations were substantiated against Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, who commanded the military police unit at the Abu Ghraib Prison. Karpinski had already been relieved of her command. She has said the military made her the scapegoat to cover the failures of her supervisors.

KOPPEL: Less than 24 hours before Pope Benedict XVI is formally inaugurated in a special mass, he met with those who will carry his papal message to the world. Those journalists include our own Alessio Vinci, who joins us from Rome -- so, Alessio, I guess it only lasted about 15 minutes.

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It was quite short. And, you know, it's never really easy to report about ourselves, but today we're going to make an exception, Andrea, since obviously the pope held this general audience for the members of the news media accredited here in Rome and, you know, we went to this hall called Paul VI inside the Vatican. That is where Pope John Paul II used to hold his own general audiences when they were not held in St. Peter's Square.

Pope Benedict XVI entered the room. He blessed all of us. There was loud cheers. Many journalists, of course, looked extremely excited. There were also some people who were not journalists there and they started chanting his name. But generally the media there, and especially the Italian ones, they were quite excited to see the pope.

In a brief message to us he basically told us that he was hoping to continue in his openness with the media the same way Pope John Paul II had. He actually spoke several languages. He began in Italian, of course, then switched to first English then French, then his native German, then we went back to Italian. So he really sort of cheered a little bit with the crowd there.

However, I must tell you that I experienced a pope who was still very much shy, still getting used to his new, you know, job if you want; also getting used to the attention. It is not very easy for him. He remains a very shy man and I think it will take some time for him to get used to it. But nevertheless, I really got the impression that this was a pope who really understood the power of the media, the need for the media in order for him to preach his message around the world, something he called actually cultural and pastoral revolution.

So I suspect that even if he is a bit shy, we're going to hear and see from him -- hear and see about him for quite some time -- Andrea, back to you.

KOPPEL: Well, we certainly hope so.

Alessio Vinci joining us from Rome.

Thanks.

And we hope that you're going to joins us for live coverage of the papal inauguration mass. It is scheduled to begin tomorrow morning at 3:00 Eastern. That's midnight on the West Coast.

HARRIS: Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty against the man who says he conspired with the September 11 hijackers to slam an airliner into the White House. But in admitting his guilt, Zacarias Moussaoui also vowed to fight for his life.

CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena explains.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The guilty plea was no surprise. But what happened after was. Moussaoui vowed to fight every inch against the death penalty. He insisted he played no direct role in the September 11 attacks, but instead was part of a different plot, to fly a plane into the White House, a plan personally approved by al Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden.

PAUL MCNULTY, U.S. ATTORNEY: He didn't say anything today that's inconsistent with where we have positioned ourselves in this case all along. We have alleged that he is a participant in a conspiracy, a broad conspiracy. That's what he's pled guilty to. That conspiracy included the attacks on 9/11.

ARENA: Moussaoui admits he went to U.S. flight schools to learn to use an airplane as a weapons of mass destruction eventually. His goal? The release of Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, the blind Egyptian cleric serving a life sentence for his involvement in earlier terror plots against the U.S.

As for 9/11, Moussaoui's worst offense, as outlined by the government, was lying to FBI agents so his "al Qaeda brothers" could go forward with their plot. In fact, he told investigators after his arrest in Minnesota that he was training as a pilot purely for is personal enjoyment.

Relatives of 9/11 victims were in court to hear the guilty plea for themselves. DOMINIC PUOPOLO, SON OF 9/11 VICTIM: It's a day I've been waiting for since September 11. I promised my mother shortly after she was murdered that I would in some way, shape or form have justice afforded to her memory, and also the members of our other fellow family members.

ARENA: Moussaoui berated his defense attorneys, angry that they tried to declare him mentally incompetent. Judge Leonie Brinkema said she was fully satisfied that Moussaoui is fully competent and went on to describe him as extremely intelligent. Brinkema also told Moussaoui that in the penalty phase of his trial, he could argue he shouldn't face death because the government refused to allow top al Qaeda leaders in U.S. custody to testify on his behalf.

Moussaoui has consistently argued those detainees would help clear him of any involvement in 9/11.

(on camera): The next stop in this three-and-a-half year legal drama is for a jury to decide Moussaoui's punishment -- death or life in prison without parole.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Alexandria, Virginia.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

KOPPEL: In case you missed out on some of the big headlines of the past week, we are here to help.

Time for a quick "Rewind."

Champion cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong is retiring. He announced Monday that this year's Tour de France will be his last. The 33-year-old has won six Tours and if he wins his seventh, he'll be the Tour's oldest winner in modern history.

Wednesday, drug manufacturer Merck announced it's about to cut prices on 11 prescription drugs for people who don't have prescription drug benefits. The company will offer discounts of 15 to 40 percent.

And Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to send two controversial judicial nominees onto the full Senate for confirmation. Both nominees, Priscilla Owen and Janis Rogers Brown, received committee approval during President Bush's first term. But their confirmation was blocked by Democrat threats to filibuster.

Now, a potentially historic fight may be on the horizon. Republican leaders are threatening to exercise what Democrats call the nuclear option -- changing the rules so Democrats can't use filibusters to block the nominations.

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

HARRIS: Police get a closer look at the bottom of that chili bowl mystery. You really... KOPPEL: That's not really a morning story, I've got to tell you, around the breakfast table. But we're going to have the next chapter in the tale of the missing finger.

And we're going "Beyond The Game" for the low down on the cash behind the NFL as it prepares for this year's draft.

And for more on our weather this weekend, let's go to Orelon Sidney -- hi, Orelon.

ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Andrea, thanks a lot.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: It is a question that's stirring controversy well beyond the Texas state line -- should gays and lesbians be banned from becoming foster parents? The so-called Friendship State is considering legislation that would do just that. It's a hot topic this morning in "Legal Briefs," live next hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, 8:00 a.m. Eastern.

But before our legal eagles get to it, we'll ask you -- is it fair to ban gays from becoming foster parents? E-mail us your thoughts. We're at wam@cnn.com. We'll be reading your replies throughout the morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And some "Stories Across America" this morning.

A fast food restaurant chain hopes to see more patrons. The woman who claimed -- remember this, she found a severed finger in a bowl of Wendy's chili -- is under arrest. San Jose, California police believe she carried out the hoax before threatening to sue the restaurant chain.

Where that finger came from, that's the big question. We still don't have an answer to that yet.

A convicted sex offender was found dead in his Ocala, Florida home, apparently by his own hand. Residents had posted signs in the neighborhood with his photo and criminal history. The man had just been released from a psychiatric hospital.

KOPPEL: Folks watching for waterspouts weren't disappointed. They saw two of them side by side over Miami Beach. A waterspout can be dangerous. It's essentially a tornado over water. And sometimes it can come ashore.

Later this hour, some monkey business at one South African zoo is causing serious health problems for the chimps. Doesn't he know that's bad for his health?

HARRIS: Yes. KOPPEL: That is bad for your health and the humans aren't helping matters.

HARRIS: Yes, and the zookeepers are very upset about that.

KOPPEL: Oh, the poor little guy. I read a report that he would hide it.

HARRIS: He would hide it?

KOPPEL: This is great. Behind his back when some of the zookeepers came around. And then he was...

HARRIS: Now?

KOPPEL: ... caught in the act.

HARRIS: Well, they don't want him smoking. They said look, it has the same effects on the chimp as it does on the rest of us.

KOPPEL: Of course it does.

HARRIS: And now behind the back, that's where he's hiding the lighter, too, I suppose.

KOPPEL: It sure is.

HARRIS: Let's get a check of weather now with Orelon Sidney now.

KOPPEL: OK.

HARRIS: Now, yesterday, Orelon, some severe weather in the Southeast. Today not so bad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Well, you've seen the headlines, you've heard the hype. What's really behind claims that you could live longer if you're a little overweight? And how much is just a little overweight? It all starts with calculating your body mass index. Now, tomorrow we'll show you how you can find your BMI plus learn if bigger really is better, live tomorrow on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING."

KOPPEL: That ought to be sort of good news for some folks.

Today's NFL draft has football owners checking the bottom line. We're going to do the same just ahead.

HARRIS: We're going "Beyond The Game" with our resident money man, Rick Horrow. There he is, pigskin in hand. And in Central Florida. OK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MARK WOOD, GOLF INSTRUCTOR: You've got to always remember, the higher the shot, the higher the risk. Sometimes you can't roll the ball on the green and you've got to play a high shot. Oftentimes the hired handicapper makes a mistake that he thinks that the tour player swinging across his body. A tour player will open his body line and swing it down his body line to make the ball have more loft.

But for the average player, I think the easiest way to play, you've got plenty of loft on your club. Make sure that you don't push the ball too far forward in your stance, just forward of center. Use your most lofted club. Make sure you've got nice posture and plenty of room to swing and simply let the loft of the club knock the ball up in the air without you trying to get real risky.

Remember, the high shot is a high risk.

Good luck.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS (voice-over): Nineteen million fans bought tickets last year to cheer the NFL's biggest and best. That's more than 95 percent of the league's stadium capacity filled to see the likes of Brett Favre, Terrell Owens and Michael Vick. This weekend, as the NFL draft gets underway, we focus on the game's future. What fresh faces are destined to be the financial backbone of a league already bringing in more than $5 billion annually?

The status of the NFL at draft time, the focus this morning, as we take you "Beyond The Game."

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS: A new NFL television contract announced this week promises to bring in more than $20 billion to the league.

So, a lot is at stake this afternoon.

One name we know will not be called as teams pick their players today is the author of "When the Game Is On the Line."

That name, Rick Horrow, as usual.

CNN business sports analyst Rick Horrow joins us live from West Palm Beach, Florida -- good morning.

You've got a pigskin in hand. You're ready, huh?

RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Hey, you have fund reading that, Tony?

I'm sure you had a lot of fun with that. Tony Harris, the man picking the Falcons to win the Super Bowl three months ago, all right?

Now we're going to talk a little bit more about football as it exists in '06. Maybe you can redeem yourself.

HARRIS: Yes, let's hope so. Let's do that.

HORROW: All right.

HARRIS: OK, now here's the deal. All the players in today's draft have big dollars on their minds. That makes sense. And the league does, as well.

HORROW: Yes.

HARRIS: Now, explain this to me. The NFL and the players are having trouble negotiating a new labor agreement with all of this money around?

HORROW: They're jousting. It's not like hockey, where they're canceling.

HARRIS: Yes.

HORROW: And the reason they're just jousting is because the NFL is the gold standard of all pro sports. You know, a salary cap and revenue sharing combined really did set that standard. And that's why Michael Vick can make $130 million in his contract and Peyton Manning $99 million and Ray Lewis and Urlacher are close behind.

HARRIS: That's right.

HORROW: But the deal is not just individuals, but the team salaries, as well, $2.5 billion for players. And why? Because the salary cap was about $45 million a decade ago and $85 million last year. And guess what? That new TV contract you talked about with NBC and the Micks and now ESPN with "Monday Night Football?"

HARRIS: That's right.

HORROW: $3.7 billion annually for the league. That's more, by the way, than baseball, basketball, hockey, NASCAR and Olympics combined. The commissioner and Gene Upshaw are friends, but they're also enlightened partners and they're not going to mess this up because they have incentive to close the deal.

HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes, you're right. This is just a dance that they're going through.

We've got to ask you, the NFL has arguably the most loyal fans in all of sports. But here's the question -- can the league survive this anticipated steroid scandal that's out there?

HORROW: Yes, they can, because it's a $6 billion industry. It's the most loyal of any other fan base besides NASCAR. And, by the way, they appeal to all those demographics. But it is being tested. Next week we have another set of congressional hearings by the Reform Committee and the commissioner will testify about the standards that he is trying to tighten up, even more stricter, by the way, than the International Olympic Committee standards.

Dr. Shortt from Carolina, who blew the whistle on a couple of Panthers, is now saying -- football players -- is now saying we're going to have a blockbuster release of a book on the Canseco model, timed for the beginning of football season.

So while the hearings will happen in the next week or so, this whole controversy ain't over.

HARRIS: Speaking of controversies, what's the story with Michael Vick and "Ron Mexico?" What is this, please?

HORROW: Yes, sir.

A guy who's making $130 million, a lawsuit alleges he goes into a hospital or doctor for a herpes treatment and uses the alias "Ron Mexico." So NFLshop.com says you can't personalize your jersey with that name.

But there's good news because the company also said that of the 1, 059 you can't use on the back of the jersey, "gay" can be used. And I think it's more than just an appeal to former NFL players Ben Gay and others. It's expanding the demographics. So we know the NFL needs to get younger, for example.

HARRIS: I see.

HORROW: That's why a 13 percent decrease in viewership, by the way, for young kids. But the age two to 11 fans and they quantify that stuff -- is down 5 percent. So parents, get your 2-year-old in front of the draft today to boost NFL ratings.

HARRIS: There you go, Rick.

All right, I'll see you on Tuesday, my friend.

HORROW: Hey, we're playing Tuesday and we're going to announce it next week, my friend.

HARRIS: OK.

We'll take that beat down.

All right, Rick Horrow, as usual.

Thank you, sir -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: At the bottom of your screen is our news ticker, right about there. You can see it. Some people call it the crawl. Love it or hate it, it rarely goes away. That was before comedian Lewis Black was our guest. He was on the set with anchor Kyra Phillips and he had a hissy fit over that ticker. It was quite a moment. We replay it for you now, as we debut an occasional feature we call "CNN Encore."

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BLACK: And this is my opportunity to say it. See this thing at the bottom of the screen?

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Right.

BLACK: Stop it!

PHILLIPS: In a black mood?

BLACK: Stop it!

PHILLIPS: In a black mood?

BLACK: New York City, 60, nobody cares, all right?

PHILLIPS: Oh, you're talking about that ticker.

BLACK: You're supposed to be looking at me. Me. Not this San Francisco 70. Where do you live? Where are you, huh? You're in Des Moines. Do you care? No. Get rid of the scroll...

PHILLIPS: We lost the ticker.

BLACK: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Look at that.

And guess what?

BLACK: Get rid it.

PHILLIPS: That's Nashville (INAUDIBLE)...

BLACK: And do we need the Nasdaq, or whatever that is, Standard & Poor's?

PHILLIPS: Don't you want to know where your money is going?

BLACK: Why don't you remind me that we're broke?

PHILLIPS: You know what, we're losing that. Anything else we want to lose here?

BLACK: OK, I feel better now.

PHILLIPS: You feel OK? You're all right?

BLACK: Yes, I do.

PHILLIPS: Do you want to lose "in a black mood," too? You want to lose that? BLACK: No, that I can live with.

PHILLIPS: You can handle that?

BLACK: Yes, because they...

PHILLIPS: But wait a minute. You just told me...

BLACK: ... obviously the audience needs to be told.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

KOPPEL: As you can see, the ticker returned immediately after he left. But Mr. Black, if you're watching this morning, thanks so much for playing.

And when something suitably outrageous happens again on CNN -- and it surely will -- we'll replay is as a "CNN Encore" -- Tony.

HARRIS: Oh, that's good.

It's a familiar refrain in the debate over imported labor. They're jobs no Americans would want. But what do you do when the guest laborers don't work them either? One perspective from Maryland's crabbing industry.

KOPPEL: And the Army decides whether or not to punish one of the top commanders connected to the Abu Ghraib scandal. That's next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: A former top U.S. commander is cleared of any wrongdoing in the Abu Ghraib Prison scandal.

Welcome back.

I'm Andrea Koppel, in for Betty Nguyen.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.

That story in a minute.

First, a look at the morning's headlines.

President Bush has picked his brother Jeb to lead the U.S. delegation to Rome for the pope's inaugural mass tomorrow. Earlier this year, the Florida governor surveyed tsunami damage in Asia on behalf of the president. The international spotlight is feeding speculation that despite denials, Jeb Bush plans to run for president in 2008.

We are now getting word from Italy that Silvio Berlusconi, who resigned Wednesday as prime minister, has formed a new government. CNN has learned the new cabinet will be sworn in later today, with Berlusconi again as prime minister. Berlusconi said yesterday he was asked by Italy's president to form the new government.

The Rover Spear has sent back some incredible pictures of dust devils on the surface of Mars. NASA says it's the best look yet at the effects of wind whirling around on the Martian surface. The images were recorded April 15 and April 18.

KOPPEL: Sources say the Army has cleared the former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq of all allegations of wrongdoing in the Abu Ghraib Prison scandal. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez was blamed for leadership lapses that may have contributed to prison abuse. But Pentagon officials say the Army inspector general concluded that those allegations were unsubstantiated. Officials say Sanchez will not be punished. Three of his top deputies were also cleared.

HARRIS: And time right now for a check on some of the other stories making news around the world this morning.

KOPPEL: Can China and Japan ease years of growing tension in just under an hour?

For the details on that and the rest of the world news, let's go to Anand Naidoo at the CNN international Desk -- good morning, Anand.

ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning from me.

That's right, China and Japan holding talks right now in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. The two sides hoping to ease tensions after the last few weeks of increasingly bitter anti-Japan protests in China. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi earlier made an unusually public apology for Japan's past atrocities in Asia.

This meeting that is taking place in Jakarta expected to last about 40 minutes. The protests that took place in China were actually triggered by a Japanese history textbook that the Chinese say glosses over Chinese -- or, rather, Japan's role in China during World War 2.

Now on to Iraq. A roadside bomb there in Baghdad kills nine Iraqi soldiers, wounds 20. Five other attacks across the country left one person dead and several wounded.

Well, now the American security company Blackwater has released the names of its workers who were killed in that helicopter crash in Baghdad, near Baghdad. Eleven people died in that incident in total.

Now to a historic visit by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to Israel. It's the first of its kind by a Russian leader. On the eve of the trip, Mr. Putin is assuring the Israelis that Moscow's nuclear collaboration with Iran is for "peaceful purposes." He also says Russian missiles sold to Syria would not fall into the hands of anti-Israeli militants. The Russian leader made those comments on Israeli television. That interview was done just before he left to get to Israel.

That's all from me.

I'll be back later with a look at the political crisis in Ecuador that's spilling out onto the streets right now.

That's later.

But right now back to Andrea and Tony.

KOPPEL: Thanks so much.

Now to "Security Watch." We update you on the weeks' major developments in the war on terror every Saturday morning.

Federal authorities are investigating a spate of incidents in which people posed as inspectors to look around hospitals in Boston, Detroit and Los Angeles. The Department of Homeland Security is monitoring the situation even though it says there is no evidence of any ties to terrorism.

Representative Bennie Thompson is among several Democrats who say the Department of Homeland Security is ignoring potential threats posed by right-wing extremist groups in the U.S. Democrats say a recent internal list of domestic terror threats needs to include groups like white supremacists, violent militias and anti-abortion bombers. A homeland security spokesman says the list is in an overview and was not mean to be comprehensive.

The government has put up more than $1.5 million to develop a scanner to detect weapons of mass destruction in cargo. The technology is intended for country borders, airports and seaports, to identify the contents of a container without opening it.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

HARRIS: In Maryland, should immigrants be forced to keep their hands off the crabbing industry? A debate that could lead to consumers getting pretty pinched, too. That's next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

KOPPEL: And good morning, Chicago.

Should you expect warm weather any time soon?

Orelon Sidney is going to have the latest forecast a little later in the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A string of victories for the defense in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. Will it make a difference? That's the question.

Plus, Texas tries to ban gays and lesbians from becoming foster parents. One state lawmaker calls it a way to protect our most vulnerable children.

Two hot topics in "Legal Briefs," live next hour, 8:00 a.m. Eastern. SIDNEY: And I'm Orelon Sidney.

Here's a look at the allergy forecast across the country.

Of course, the pollen now increasing, especially across parts of the Gulf Coast and the Mississippi Valley and the mid-Atlantic. That's where you'll find high to very high amounts of pollen, especially tree pollens, this time of year.

Up to the north, not a lot going on. In fact, there's not a lot of pollen reported at all in the Dakotas, so the sneeze factor will be low there today.

Maybe you'll get some rain to wash some of it out of the air in the Southeast. We'll talk about that in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: An annual survey of the Chesapeake Bay suggests the blue crab population is beginning to recover after years of decline. That's the good news.

The bad news is that crabbing as a way of life is imperiled.

Here's CNN's Tom Foreman and the crabbers who are feeling the pinch.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Out of the Chesapeake Bay, generations of crabbers have ridden the dawn.

ART PHILLIPS: I worked with my father, too.

FOREMAN: Like Art Phillips and his son Barry, pulling in the prized blue crabs. But this year, the work comes with a great worry.

PHILLIPS: We just don't want to see the business go out because it's going to affect everybody, everybody from the grocery store to everything.

FOREMAN: The problem is not off, but onshore, in the plants were crabs are steamed, the meat picked out and packed for sale, almost entirely by foreign guest workers.

ROBIN HALL, CRAB PLANT OWNER: Well, as you can see, they're empty.

FOREMAN: A limited number of these workers are allowed into the U.S. on a seasonal basis and normally Robin Hall's plant would be full of them. This year, however, most were scooped up by richer industries -- construction, landscaping -- before the crab harvest began.

HALL: We're hanging on by our fingernails, is what I like to say. And just the least little thing and we're gone, too. FOREMAN: Locals used to do this tedious work, but young Americans everywhere are fleeing rural communities for better jobs in the cities.

LAURA JOHNSON, FORMER CRAB PICKER: The homes down here are expensive and they just can't afford it on picking crab money. You just can't.

FOREMAN: So, for $10 an hour over the past 10 years, foreign workers have come into the crab season.

"We come to do the jobs, " Martin Medina (ph) says, "that people here don't want to do."

A hundred miles away in Washington, an emergency measure to let more foreign workers in is being considered.

SEN. BARBARA MIKULSKI (D), MARYLAND: This amendment is desperately needed by small and seasonal business throughout the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got him, sir?

FOREMAN: Opponents, however, argue...

STEVEN CAMEROTA, CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES: There's no such thing as a job Americans won't do. But there certainly are jobs that Americans won't do if the pay is very low, the benefits are virtually non-existent and the working conditions are very poor.

FOREMAN (on camera): But people out here say it's just not that simple. If they paid enough money to bring enough Americans in to do all of this work, the cost of their crab meat would go through the roof.

(voice-over): Ninety percent of the crab consumed in the U.S. is already from foreign waters, they say.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Old Maryland crab cakes.

FOREMAN: And any increase in costs here will wipe out the jobs that remain, for foreigners and Americans, too.

PHILLIPS: I guess we're just trying to hold onto what used to be, you know? I guess there's nothing wrong with that, is there?

FOREMAN: So the crabbers are themselves caught and many are afraid that this summer they will dry their traps for the last time.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Fishing Creek, Maryland.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

KOPPEL: Pentagon sources say Army Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez has been cleared of any wrongdoing linked to the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. Sanchez is the former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq. There had been claims leadership failures contributed to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.

Pope Benedict XVI met journalists today in a special papal audience. He thanked them for their coverage of the historic papal transition.

One winning ticket takes all in that huge Mega Millions lottery jackpot. But who is that lucky person? The winning ticket, worth $205 million, was sold in Porcelain, Michigan. The numbers were 23, 25, 43, 46 and 49. The Mega Ball number was 26.

And don't forget our e-mail question this morning. Is it fair to ban gays from fostering children?

We're at wam@cnn.com reading your replies ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

HARRIS: But first, a "CNN Extra."

Being overweight may be good for you? A new report out this week -- have you heard this -- says people who are overweight but not obese have a lower risk of death than those with normal weight. The study shows only extreme obesity leads to an increased mortality rate. More than 64 percent of Americans are considered overweight; 40 percent are ranked obese and about 5 percent are considered severely obese.

We're going to take a closer look tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. Eastern on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: It is that time, April showers mean more than just spring flowers. They also usher in tornado season for much of the United States. And with a simple mouse click, you can learn more about the facts, fiction and fury of those twisters.

Here is CNN's Veronica Delacruz to tell us more about it -- Veronica.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

VERONICA DELACRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tornadoes start as offshoots of thunderstorms, but can be devastating forces in their own right, carving a path of destruction many miles long and an excess of a mile wide.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A tornado is basically a violently rotating column of air that extends from the clouds down to the ground. And when they touch down, depending on the size and strength, they can level virtually everything in its path.

DE LA CRUZ: And how much do you know when it comes to these violent natural occurrences?

This interactive offers possible indicators of whether a tornado is approaching, details the difference between a tornado watch and more severe warnings and gives tips on what you can do if a twister comes your way.

Residents of what's known as Tornado Alley, shown here on this interactive map stretching across the central U.S., are more likely than most to face this dilemma. Those tornadoes that touch down, some with winds exceeding 250 miles per hour, can inflict significant damage. You can look at the 10 deadliest twisters in the U.S. in this gallery.

Since the 19th century, surveys have included reports of tornadoes moving houses, completely unharmed, feet from their original locations.

Which stories are true and which ones are legends? Click through this interactive gallery for some answers. For example, tornadoes seek out mobile homes -- fact or fiction? And tornadoes always rotate counterclockwise. You can log on and find out.

You can also get your current forecast or sign up from the severe weather alerts.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

DELACRUZ: And, again, you can find it all online at cnn.com/tornado.

And, Andrea, going back to that question, do tornadoes always rotate counter-clockwise -- what do you think?

KOPPEL: I'm going to guess the answer is no.

DELACRUZ: Oh...

(CROSSTALK)

DELACRUZ: No, she's right.

HARRIS: Yes?

DELACRUZ: They don't always rotate counter-clockwise.

KOPPEL: OK.

DELACRUZ: Actually, in the Northern Hemisphere they do rotate counter-clockwise and then in the Southern, the opposite direction.

KOPPEL: And why is that?

DELACRUZ: I can't tell you because I'm not a meteorologist. But Orelon Sidney can.

KOPPEL: Oh, OK.

(CROSSTALK)

DELACRUZ: So we're going to ask her later.

KOPPEL: Yes.

DELACRUZ: All right.

Thanks.

KOPPEL: Thanks, Veronica.

HARRIS: Well, you know, bad habits -- the more that couple -- you know, they're pretty easy to pick up. Charlie here has got one. Check out what this chimp learned from his admiring public. Then he's going to do a little jig here in a second. There you go. He's been up in the club. Details -- thanks -- next -- thanks -- our "Wows of the Week."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Well, we've showed it a lot, though, but, you know, you never get tired of this.

KOPPEL: You don't.

HARRIS: Here's one you've got to see to believe.

KOPPEL: You don't.

I feel sorry for him, though.

HARRIS: Well, you kind of do, don't you?

Everybody has a role in life and apparently Charlie's is to be a bad example. He didn't plan it that way.

KOPPEL: He looks cool.

HARRIS: Right.

But it's almost as if he's saying here, see, if you smoke, you'll end up like this, you know? Zoo officials in South Africa are not amused that Charlie has picked up this terrible, tacky, bad smelling habit. He may have learned how by imitating people.

KOPPEL: You know what they say?

HARRIS: No, what is it?

KOPPEL: You don't want to kiss an ashtray.

HARRIS: You really don't. You really don't. Yes. The thing is that Charlie's mate obviously takes a couple of puffs, too, with him. Yes. He gets the smokes from visitors who toss them into his enclosure.

In New York, one extra passenger got off an Egypt Air flight when it arrived at JFK. The stork intercepted the jetliner somewhere over the Atlantic. The Egyptian woman says the girl -- look at her, just precious -- was not due for another 10 days. And in Chicago, some people call this image Our Lady of the Underpass. The expressway shrine is attracting lots of attention since it was spotted shortly after the death of Pope John Paul II. Many people think it looks like the Madonna. So there you go, a couple of the "Wows of the Week."

KOPPEL: I don't think that's a natural occurrence.

HARRIS: No.

KOPPEL: No.

HARRIS: No, no, no.

KOPPEL: No, no.

HARRIS: Some taggers may have had a hand in all this.

We want to get to our e-mail question this morning.

But before we do that, let's get another check of weather with Orelon Sidney in the Weather Center upstairs -- good morning, Orelon.

SIDNEY: Good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Now let's get to those e-mail responses from u. And thanks for sending in those responses to this question this morning -- is it fair, in your mind, to ban gays from becoming foster parents?

There is a legislator, a lawmaker in Texas who believes it's a good idea and is proposing a bill. And he says it's a way to protect our most vulnerable children.

What do you think?

KOPPEL: Well, this one comes from Pete.

He says: "I don't think it would be fair to put children in this type of environment. Children are easily influenced and could grow up thinking that gay is normal."

HARRIS: Yes, and this from Lauren this morning: "It is very disturbing to me to hear that some states are attempting to ban gays from taking in foster children. After all, there is no difference between gay or straight people in the care of foster children. And I would argue that placement in a gay home has a larger chance of developing tolerance and understanding of diversity in the foster children. Thanks for bringing us interesting cases in the morning."

Well, thank you, Lauren, for that response.

KOPPEL: And this one from John: "There is so much control and oversight before adoptive parents are permitted to care for children, it's hard to see how loving, supportive and child-oriented people can be rejected on such a social issue."

In fact, apparently they believe that about 3,000 kids might be affected who are living now with gay and lesbian foster parents.

HARRIS: So there's a lot to talk about.

Send along those e-mails to us. There is the question -- what do you think? Is it fair to ban gay parents from adopting children, fostering children?

There's the address, wam@cnn.com.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: And to get centered here with the CNN Center here in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is 8:00 a.m. Eastern on the 23rd of April.

Good morning. I'm Andrea Koppel, in for Betty Nguyen, who hopefully is having a nice day off.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, yes. So neat. (INAUDIBLE). And I'm just a mess up here, I'm...

KOPPEL: (INAUDIBLE)?

HARRIS: Yes, you're so (INAUDIBLE).

KOPPEL: (INAUDIBLE).

HARRIS: Thank you, that make me feel more comfortable.

I'm Tony Harris.

Let's get you started with a look at what's happening in the news this morning.

First thing this morning, Pope Benedict XVI met with journalists at the Vatican, thanking reporters for their coverage of the papal transition. In his first audience with Vatican outsiders, he noted the media's capacity to reach what he calls the whole of humanity.

Alessio Vinci has a live report in just a couple of minutes.

Florida Governor Jeb Bush is leading a U.S. delegation to the Vatican. The dignitaries will attend tomorrow's inaugural mass of Pope Benedict XVI. A separate delegation of 21 House members will also attend tomorrow's mass.

Federal prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty for Zacarias Moussiaoui. As expected, he pleaded guilty yesterday to six counts of terrorism, conspiracy. Moussiaoui declared he was personally chosen by Osama bin Laden to fly a plane into the White House during attack after September 11.

And talk about luck, there is one, winning ticket in last night's Megamillions lotto drawing, but no sign of the winner just yet. The ticket sold in Port Huron, Michigan, and it is worth $205 million. The winning numbers were 23, 25, 43, 46, and 49. The Megaball number was 26.

KOPPEL: And coming up this Saturday morning, just how far do you go to control a 5-year-old who's having a temper tantrum? We're taking you to Florida. Did school officials and police officers cross the line?

And taking on the tough job of parenting a foster child. The question in Texas, should nontraditional parents be banned?

And we'll take a look at some nontraditional medical cures with Dr. Sanjay Gupta in "HOUSE CALL" just ahead.

Well, Pope Benedict XVI has wrapped up his first audience with people from outside the Vatican. He met with the international reporters who will deliver his papal messages to the world.

CNN's Jim Bittermann was there and joins us now from Rome.

Good morning, Jim.

So what was the audience like?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was kind of a mixed affair. The journalists, I think, thought they may -- they might be able to get a question or two in. They weren't able to. There were several hundred journalists there, but also several thousand sort of others. There was the sort of pilgrims that had come along, but also members of journalists' families and children. So it was a real mixed crowd.

You know, but unlike his predecessor, Benedict XVI did not take any questions and answers. He simply talked to the journalists for about 15 minutes with a message that was basically a thank-you for all the coverage over the past three weeks.

POPE BENEDICT XVI: The Second Vatican Council spoke of the great potential of the media, in fact. The council fathers devoted their first document to this theme and say it's (INAUDIBLE), a group, quote, that's a nature of capable of reaching and influencing not only individuals but whole masses of people, indeed, the whole of humanity.

Ever since December the 4th, 1963, that the decree (INAUDIBLE) was promulgated, humanity has been witnessing an extraordinary, extraordinary media resolution affecting every aspect of human life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BITTERMANN: The pope there using his excellent English. He also spoke in German and Italian and French, and basically showed a little bit of his communicative style, which we really didn't have a lot of experience with, but we're getting to know here at the Vatican.

Now, the other thing that's happening here is that security is beginning to be ratcheted up in anticipation of tomorrow's inauguration mass that will take place, three-hour-long mass, where there'll be many scores, I would say, of (INAUDIBLE) heads of state, heads of government, and crowned heads from all over Europe and North America, Andrea.

KOPPEL: Jim, last hour we heard from Alessio that Pope Benedict XVI seemed a little shy. What would you say, you know, were the big comparisons between him and Pope John Paul II in terms of personality?

BITTERMANN: Well, I think he's going to be somewhat reserved. I don't know if shy is exactly the right word, but he certainly will be more reserved. I can remember very well with John Paul II that he took questions and answers. He had a very similar audience to this one when he -- right after he was elected, and he took questions and answers for, oh, 40 or 45 minutes or so back 26 years ago.

I don't think we're going to see much of that from Benedict XVI. And it'll be interesting, one of the more interesting things will be seeing how he travels, whether he takes press with him, whether he talks to the press on the airplanes the way John Paul used to, or whether it's a different style from this pope.

And I have a feeling it's going to be a different, more reserved, more detached style, Andrea.

KOPPEL: And he's a little older than Pope John Paul II was when he took over. Jim, thanks so much.

And we're going to have live coverage of the papal inauguration mass, begins tomorrow morning at 3:00 Eastern, bright and early, midnight on the West Coast.

HARRIS: A U.S. Army investigation into the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal has cleared the former top U.S. commander in Iraq. The probe found Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez and his three top deputies did not commit dereliction of duty. But Brigadier General Janice Karpinski did not escape punishment. She commanded the military police unit at the Abu Ghraib prison. Karpinski had already been relieved of her command. She has said the military made her the scapegoat to cover up the failures of her superiors.

The scandal and the graphic photos of U.S. soldiers humiliating and mistreating prisoners ignited an international firestorm. So will these findings help soothe the world anger or further stoke it?

CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is in Crawford, Texas, near the president's ranch.

Suzanne, good morning.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Tony. As you know, of course, the Abu Ghraib prison scandal was a huge embarrassment to this administration, and it came at a time when U.S. casualties in Iraq were high. Also, U.S. had expressed outrage in the hostage-taking and beheading of its own citizens there. And it is fair to say that much of the world really saw little justification for the U.S. invasion of Iraq or the aftermath.

It was also very clear to the White House that it had been damaged very much in its credibility as a moral leader. President Bush had come out during that time, he'd apologized to the Iraqi people, to the rest of the leaders of the world, saying that this was an aberration, that the U.S. government would get to the bottom of this.

Now, while the White House has yet to respond to the Army's findings this morning, there have been quite a number of other people who've reacted, members of Congress, civil rights groups, and even those who represent lower-ranking soldiers in this investigation, in this scandal, expressing dismay, the fact that four top officers were cleared of wrongdoing.

I did speak with a Pentagon spokeswoman this morning who defended the Army's investigation. She said, and I'm quoting here, "The Army is currently in the process of briefing members of Congress on the comprehensive results of an inspector general and legal review of senior leader involvement into Abu Ghraib. We are currently not addressing questions on the findings until we have addressed the questions of Congress."

And Tony, I can tell you, there are lots of questions coming from members of Congress and other people who are not happy with this outcome, Tony.

HARRIS: And it seems to me, a lot more fallout and reaction to come. Suzanne Malveaux in Crawford, Texas, with the president. Suzanne, thank you.

KOPPEL: A 5-year-old girl throws a tantrum at school. Maybe not so unbelievable, but what may be unbelievable is how it was handled.

Susannah Geragiolo (ph) has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSANNAH GERAGIOLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The camera was rolling as part of a self-improvement exercise for preschool children in St. Petersburg, Florida. You see a 5-year-old girl become disruptive.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're not touching you. You're -- No, ma'am. We're not touching you, you don't touch me.

GERAGIOLO: First, throwing objects on the floor and resisting the efforts of a teacher and assistant principal to calm her down.

Eventually, the girl's mother is called, but she's unable to come to the school.

The girl begins hitting the assistant principal, and the police are called.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No! No!

GERAGIOLO: The video was stopped soon after the girl's hands are fastened behind her.

Attorneys refused to file any charges against the 5-year-old, and she was released to her mother. But a lawyer for the girl's parents say that police went too far, and that he plans unspecified legal actions against them. Police officials have launched an internal investigation.

GERAGIOLO: Susannah Geragiolo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: And that brings us to the school officials. Did they do the right thing in handling the child's unruly behavior? Reaction is mixed, depending on who you ask.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN TREVENA, CHILD'S MOTHER'S ATTORNEY: They claim that they're trying to deescalate the situation, but to me, hovering over a young child of that age who is upset and essentially having a tantrum or a fit would just seem to escalate, not deescalate, the situation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did the staff do anything wrong?

RON STONE, SCHOOL DISTRICT SPOKESMAN: I don't think so. You know, in looking at the tape, I think they did everything they could under those circumstances to deescalate the situation and get the child under control and to try to get her back to, you know, the routine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: And stick around for more on this story, when, in just a few minutes, we're going to break it down in our legal brief segment. Will the fact that no charges were filed against the 5-year-old hurt the school and police? A topic in this morning's legal briefs.

HARRIS: Our legal panel also takes us to Texas, where some lawmakers want to stop gays and lesbians from becoming foster parents.

KOPPEL: And good morning, Washington, D.C. This is a live picture of what looks to be not such a pretty day...

HARRIS: No.

KOPPEL: ... in our national capital. Orelon Sidney is going to have your complete forecast right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING just ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Now, here's a question. Are you one of those people who is constantly interrupted by Internet instant messages, other e-mails, and phone calls?

KOPPEL: Yes. Next hour, we're going to tell you what you may have in common with pot smokers. It is one the top stories on the Web this morning. We're going to get details you from CNN.com's Veronica De La Cruz live next hour at 9:00 a.m. Eastern.

ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And I'm Orelon Sidney. Here's a look at your gardener's forecast.

The average date of the last freeze for the plains is in April. But don't look now, because we have frost and freeze advisories in all those areas in green, extending across much of Iowa, southward down into the Midwest. You're going to see temperatures very close to or hovering around freezing tomorrow morning. Keep that in mind.

This is the time to apply the preemergent to your lawns to avoid crabgrass. Once you get it, it's hard to get rid of it. I know. Ask me. I've got some.

We'll have a look at your forecast in just a few moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Want to take you back upstairs to Orelon Sidney. You know, she's got that fancy new piece of equipment up there, that (INAUDIBLE)...

SIDNEY: (INAUDIBLE), I've got crabgrass.

HARRIS: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

SIDNEY: (INAUDIBLE) I have that too, as a matter of fact. I could be used to getting used to getting rid of that stuff.

But we have some fancy new equipment I'll show you in a second.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

SIDNEY: Look for a chance of thunderstorms, though, this afternoon, Andrea, Tony.

HARRIS: Still climbing to the moon. Take B.C.

KOPPEL: Yes, I'll be heading back there a little later.

HARRIS: You will, that's right.

Orelon, thanks.

SIDNEY: You're welcome.

HARRIS: Let's check a couple of stories this morning.

Pope Benedict XVI held his first papal audience with the members of the news media this morning. He thanked them for their coverage during the historic papal transition.

President Bush has picked his brother Jeb to lead the U.S. delegation to the pope's inauguration mass tomorrow. This is the Florida governor's second high-profile international assignment this year. Jeb Bush insists he has no plans to run for president in 2008.

Pentagon sources say the Army has cleared Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez of any wrongdoing linked to the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. He's the former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq. Three of his top deputies were also cleared.

KOPPEL: Emotions are high in Texas this morning, where lawmakers want to ban this woman and other gays and lesbians from becoming foster parents. That's just one of the hot topics this morning in legal briefs. That's live next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

HARRIS: And here's your chance to speak on the subject. This morning's e-mail question, Is it fair to ban gays from fostering children? Send your comments to wam@cnn.com. And some of your answers when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: The judge in the Michael Jackson trial says yes to evidence that could help the singer's case. Plus, an expert witness for the prosecution is banned from testifying. Is the legal tide turning for the pop singer?

Also this morning, there is a bill making the rounds in the Texas state legislature that could ban this woman from being a foster parent. Why? Because she's a lesbian.

Tough topics on the docket in this morning's legal briefs.

We're going to have those two stories in a moment.

But we want to start with a story about the 5-year-old girl that we just told you about who was arrested, believe it or not, in Florida. She was caught on videotape. The girl becomes unruly for about half an hour. Police are called, who actually handcuff the child.

Now, a lawyer plans legal action against the police.

Now to our legal experts. Former federal prosecutor Pam Bethel is in our Washington bureau. And from Miami, civil liberties attorney Lida Rodriguez-Taseff. Nice to see you both.

LIDA RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF, CIVIL LIBERTIES ATTORNEY: Good morning.

PAM BETHEL, CIVIL ATTORNEY: Good morning.

KOPPEL: Lida, let's start with you.

This sounds outrageous to me, that they would handcuff a 5-year- old little girl. Do they have any chance of being able to fight this charge?

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Absolutely outrageous. A 5-year-old can't vote, can't drive, can't even be home alone. How can they even imagine that a 5-year-old can form the criminal intent to be prosecuted for a crime? This kid was throwing a tantrum. You deal with tantrums by putting a kid in time out, not jail.

KOPPEL: Pam, your thoughts?

BETHEL: Oh, yes. I can't (INAUDIBLE) this with her this morning. This is just outrageous. Where are we going with this? So if a two years -- 2-year-old screams while sitting in his chair trying to eat dinner, we've gone crazy. We need to separate that which is criminal from that which is just a child throwing a tantrum.

KOPPEL: Time is tight this morning. Let's move on our next subject, which I think be a little more contentious, and that is, what's going on right now in the Texas state legislature. The house has already approved this bill that would ban a gay parent from becoming -- a gay person from becoming a foster parent.

Lida, is this legal?

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Absolutely not legal. The reason it's not legal is because there is no analysis made as to whether or not this person is fit to be a parent, is fit to care for kids. It's simply a ban on gayness, and that has got to be unconstitutional. And this law will be tested. And, in fact, what's crazy about this is that this would cost the Texas state over $8 million, and it would put between 2,000 and 2,500 kids out of foster care into orphanages. Ridiculous.

KOPPEL: Pam, the proponents of this bill say that they want to support traditional families.

BETHEL: Right. Well, yes, and look, Lida says that it's unconstitutional. I'm not certain that it is. And I, and in fact, if this is what the Texas legislature wants to do, I mean, it's certainly there within their right to set the standards by which the courts and the agencies within the state will have to abide.

Look, I'm not saying that there's no gay family or gay person that should be a foster parent, but certainly I think that the Texas legislature has the right and the ability and the authority to make that determination on behalf of the voters.

HARRIS: Pam Bethel and Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, that was a very quick legal segment. Unfortunately, we ran out of time. We can't do Michael Jackson this time. But hopefully, we'll get you back. This story isn't going away.

Thanks to both of you.

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Thank you.

BETHEL: OK.

HARRIS: All right. So you've heard from our legal experts. Let's hear from you on the e-mail question this morning. What do you think? Is it fair to ban gays from becoming foster parents?

And a lot of opinions this morning.

This first one from Barbara. "I am absolutely stunned by the ignorance and meanspiritedness of this proposed amendment. The proposition that children do not thrive in gay foster or adoptive homes is not supported by research. Sexual orientation does not rub off on children. Clearly, most gay people were raised by heterosexual parents and around heterosexual siblings and peers who remained heterosexual."

Thanks, Barbara.

KOPPEL: Well, this next e-mailer disagrees with that perspective saying, "Allowing gays to have children further defiles God's creation by instilling in children the insinuation of approval for this lifestyle. Would the reader of this e-mail like his or her children growing up gay or becoming grandparents to your gay grandchildren? It should not be legal for gays to marry or to have children."

HARRIS: It is a provocative subject.

KOPPEL: Yes.

HARRIS: We have been getting hit with lots of e-mails on this question. We're going to keep it going and read some of your responses next hour.

Here's the question again. Is it fair, in your opinion, to ban gays from becoming foster parents? E-mail us your response at wam@cnn.com, and we'll read more of those responses next hour.

And as we've been telling you this morning, the Army says the former top Army commander in Iraq is not responsible for the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Now, coming up, at the top of the hour, we'll go live to Crawford, Texas, as President Bush enjoys a weekend at home.

KOPPEL: But first, the popularity of ancient medical cures. Do they really work? That's the subject this morning as Dr. Sanjay Gupta makes his Saturday morning "HOUSE CALL."

Stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Now in the news, Pope Benedict XVI met with journalists this morning, thanking them for their hard work. The pontiff promised the group a, quote, "affectionate dialogue."

Meanwhile, President Bush is sending his brother, Florida Governor Jeb Bush, to lead the U.S. delegation at the pope's inauguration mass tomorrow.

Well, the man who was in charge of U.S. operations in Iraq at the time of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal won't be held responsible. A senior Pentagon official tells CNN the Army has cleared Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez for abuse at the prison. Three other top officers were also cleared.

An attorney in St. Petersburg, Florida says he's planning legal action after a kindergartner was handcuffed for having a temper tantrum. The 5-year-old girl was videotaped by school officials, who later called police to control her. Police didn't charge the child and say the case is under investigation.

I'm Tony Harris. HOUSECALL begins right now.

(HOUSE CALL WITH SANJAY GUPTA)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: From the CNN Center in Atlanta this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is April 23rd, and good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.

KOPPEL: And I'm Andrea Koppel in for Betty Nguyen. It is 9:00 a.m. in the east, 6:00 a.m. out west. Thanks so much for being with us.

Let's begin with some headlines.

In just about two hours, the family and friends of Sarah Lunde will gather for her memorial service and funeral in Ruskin, Florida. The 13-year-old found last week submerged in an abandoned fish pond near her home. Police believe she was abducted and killed by a sex offender who had dated her mother.

It's been a violent day of bombs across Iraq today. Car bombing attacks in Baghdad and Basra killed 11 Iraqis, and wounded at least 30 others. One Baghdad attack targeted a U.S. military convoy along the airport road. Another attack was on the road near the Abu Ghraib prison.

Time to check those lottery tickets: a single ticket holds the key to a $205 million jackpot, and we think we found the store where they sold it. The winning Megamillion ticket sold at River District Supermarket in Port Huron, Michigan. Last night's winning numbers are 23, 25, 43, 46 and 49. The Megaball number was 26. Stay close, because we're going to talk to the owner of that store, the one that sold the winning ticket, just ahead.

HARRIS: That would be Jamie (ph) Abro. We'll talk to her in just a couple of minutes. Here's what's coming up for you this half hour. Some of the military's top brass get a pass in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. We'll tell you who in a live report.

The new pope offers an olive branch to journalists as he prepares for tomorrow's inaugural mass.

And, we've got one heck of a stupid criminal story for you just ahead: a crook take as turn at playing Santa Claus.

KOPPEL: Now, to our top story. An Army investigation clears some key military players of wrong-doing in the Iraq prisoner abuse scandal. Among them is Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez. He's the former U.S. commander of U.S. forces in Iraq. Early on, some had claimed that leadership failures may have contributed to the humiliation and abuse suffered by Iraqi prisoners. Our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us from Crawford, Texas, near the president's ranch.

Good morning, Suzanne. So, is that good news for the president?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning.

Of course, as you know, the Abu Ghraib prison scandal was a huge embarrassment for this administration that came at a very bad time. It was at a time, of course, when there were a lot of casualties inside of Iraq; also at a time when the U.S. was expressing outrage over hostage-taking and beheading of its own citizens there, and it was clear, as well, that much of the world saw very little justification in the U.S. invasion of Iraq or the aftermath.

What this did, of course, as you know, is put the United States in a position where it was severely compromised as its role of a moral leader. President Bush had to come out, apologize to the Iraqi people, to leaders of the rest of the world. What he had argued was that this was an aberration, that the U.S. government essentially was going to get to the bottom of this.

Now, the White House has not yet responded to the outcome of the Army's investigation, but certainly we have heard complaints from members of Congress, as well as those who represented lower level officers involved in this scandal. Now, I did speak with the Pentagon spokesperson this morning and she defended the Army's investigation -- the results of this -- saying simply that the Army is currently in the process of briefing members of Congress on the comprehensive results of an inspector-general and legal review of senior leader involvement into Abu Ghraib. "We are currently not addressing the questions on the findings until we have addressed the questions of Congress."

Your question, of course, Andrea, whether or not this is good for the administration, on the one hand, it's receiving a lot of questions, a lot of doubts, about the outcome of the Army's investigation. The Army very straightforward, saying that they believe that they have done a good job, that this is a fair job; at the same time, perhaps vindicated because they say that the top officials were not involved in this abuse. Andrea?

KOPPEL: OK, Suzanne Malveaux for us, there, near Crawford, Texas. Thanks, Suzanne.

HARRIS: Now the prosecutors have a guilty plea in connection with the terrorist plot. They now plan to seek the death penalty against Zacarias Moussiaoui. Moussiaoui pleaded guilty yesterday to six counts of terrorism conspiracy. He insists, however, he played no direct role in the 9/11 attacks. Instead, Moussiaoui says he was part of a different plot approved by Osama bin Laden to fly a plane into the White House. Moussiaoui says he'll fight against the death penalty.

Now to "Security Watch": we update you on the week's major developments in the War on Terror every Saturday morning. Federal authorities are investigating a spate of incidents in which people posed as inspectors to look around hospitals, kind of a scary thought, in Boston, Detroit and Los Angeles. The Department of Homeland Security says it's monitoring the situation, even though there is no evidence, it says, of any ties to terrorism.

Representative Benny Thompson is among several Democrats who say the Department of Homeland Security is ignoring potential threats posed by right-wing extremist groups in the U.S. Democrats say a recent internal list of domestic terror threats needs to include groups like white supremacists, violent militias and anti-abortion bombers. A Homeland Security spokesman says the list is an overview and was not meant to be comprehensive.

The government has put up more than $1.5 million to develop a scanner that would detect weapons of mass destruction in cargo. The technology is intended for cross-country borders, airports and seaports to identify the contents of a container without actually opening it.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

HARRIS: Earlier this morning, Pope Benedict XVI held his first audience with Vatican outsiders. The new pontiff conducted a papal audience with hundreds of international reporters. The gathering seemed to reaffirm his vow to maintain the strong media relations enjoyed by his predecessors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE BENEDICT XVI, VIA TRANSLATOR: It my desire to continue this fruitful work, which was started by John Paul II. It has forced this new era to -- the church to confront this new epoch-making era of mass communications, and use it to the benefit of the gospel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And join us for live coverage of the papal inauguration mass. It's scheduled to begin tomorrow morning at 3:00 eastern, midnight on the west coast. KOPPEL: And Texas is considering legislation that would ban gays and lesbians from becoming foster parents. Do you think it's fair? That is our morning e-mail question, and, boy, are people writing in with some pretty strong opinions about this. Send your replies to wam@CNN.com. We're going to be reading them later this hour.

HARRIS: And, good morning, Chicago: Orelon Sidney is coming up with your weekend weather forecast. That and more, when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who can forget the face of 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez when federal agents snatched him out of his Miami relatives' home in a pre-dawn raid? The most politicized custody battle of the century made the little Cuban rafter boy, whose mother drowned at sea, a poster child on both sides of the Florida straits. After a nine month tug-of-war, Elian was returned to the custody of his father and sent back to communist Cuba. Today, back in his hometown of Cambinas (ph), Elian looks like any normal 11-year-old. He goes to school and lives in a bigger house with his father, two half-brothers and his stepmother, whom he now calls Mom.

But Elian isn't like other boys. President Fidel Castro goes to his birthday party at school, and you often see him in the front row next to the communist leader at special functions, all tell-tale signs no matter how much he may want to be like everyone else, Elian Gonzalez remains a political symbol, even today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And, time now for a check of some of the other stories making news around the world.

KOPPEL: The Italian political crisis has been somewhat resolved. For details on that and the rest of the world, let's go to Anand Naidoo at the CNN international desk. So, Berlusconi's going to be around a little longer?

ANAND NAIDOO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning from me. That's right. The Italian political crisis -- no surprises here. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is back at the controls. He resigned only a few days ago. Berlusconi will remain prime minister. The president of -- the cabinet to the Italian president, just a short while ago, that cabinet, expected to be sworn in in a few hours. Berlusconi resigned two days ago after a power struggle with his coalition allies. He got into trouble after that coalition lost 12 of 14 regions that were at stake in regional elections earlier this year. Italians are also unhappy with the government over the sluggish economy, and with its military involvement in the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

Now, to those key talks taking place between China and Japan. They took place in the Indonesian capital Jakarta on the sidelines of an African-Asian summit taking place there. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi emerged from the 40-minute session with the Chinese and described the discussions as "very good." The two sides are hoping to ease tensions after the last few weeks of increasingly bitter anti-Chinese protest in China. Mr. Koizumi, earlier, made an unusually public apology for Japan's past atrocities in Asia. And, those protests in China were triggered in part by a Japanese history textbook which the Chinese say glosses over Japan's role in China during World War II.

That is all from me. Stay with CNN for extensive coverage of all international developments through your day. But, for now, let's send it back to Andrea and Tony.

KOPPEL: Thanks so much, Anand. That was apparently a new textbook they just came out with.

HARRIS: Yes, that's right, that's right. A couple of other headlines this morning: a U.S. Army investigation into the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal cleared this man, the former top commander in Iraq. The probe found Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez and three top deputies did not commit dereliction of duty.

Earlier this morning, Pope Benedict XVI met with the world's media. The papal audience is his first with Vatican outsiders. The pope did not take questions or meet with reporters individually.

And these numbers have added up to $2 -- Andrea? -- $205 million for a Megamillions lotto player in Port Huron, Michigan. Last night's winning numbers, 23, 25, 43, 46, and 49; the Megaball number was 26.

KOPPEL: Well you know that old expression, something about a common sense going out the window?

HARRIS: Yes.

KOPPEL: Well, here, take a look, folks, it went up the chimney. That's where this burglary went wrong. Coming up.

HARRIS: But, first, this morning, a CNN "Extra." Problems in your marriage? Therapy may not -- may not -- be the answer. Recent studies show after two years of counseling, 25 percent of couples are worse off than they were before. Experts say many therapists lack the skills to work with the couple in trouble and give up on their client. Just give up, throw their hands up in the air, there's nothing I can do, pushing them on to divorce. The divorce rate is 27 percent higher in red states than in blue states.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Just fancy. It's just so fancy!

KOPPEL: It doesn't confuse you, though?

HARRIS: Well -- time to check in with the CNN.com desk for a look at what web surfers are clicking on and finding the most interesting topics online. Veronica de la Cruz is here now, from the dot com desk. Good morning, Veronica.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM DESK: Good morning, Tony. How are you doing?

HARRIS: Not much. Standard.

DE LA CRUZ: All right, well, I'm going to tell you how to find these most popular stories, first of all. You're going to go to our main page, and click on the icon "Most Popular" on the right-hand side of your screen. You can also type in CNN.com/mostpopular.

Now, Tony, it's been all over TV news and now it is number one on the web. Police have arrested a woman for lying about finding a finger in her Wendy's chili. Anna Ayala was arrested Thursday; she's being charged with attempted grand larceny in connection with the case. But two questions remain, Tony -- think about this: how did the finger get there? And whose is it?

HARRIS: yes! we need to know.

DE LA CRUZ: Wendy's is still offering a $100,000 reward for any information.

Another hot story, does this sound like you? When you are at work, are you constantly checking your e-mail, text messaging, and on the phone? Andrea?

HARRIS: Yes. Yep.

DE LA CRUZ: A British study says workers engaging in all of those activities suffer a greater loss of I.Q. than pot smokers. That's right. The study shows that the I.Q. of those who tried to juggle messages and work at the same fell by 10 points, and that is the equivalent of missing an entire night's sleep, and more than double the four-point drop seen after smoking marijuana. Can you believe that?

HARRIS: I got to leave it alone. I just, you know, I just got to leave it alone. That's -- that's very interesting, Veronica.

DE LA CRUZ: I mean, I think we all work that way. I mean, I know that I'm a multi-tasker.

HARRIS: Yes? Well, you have to, sort of. You got to do a bunch of things. Very good. All right.

And, remember, CNN.com, you watch...

DE LA CRUZ: CNN.com/most popular.

HARRIS: You watch the network, and this is just an additional tool in your news-gathering day.

DE LA CRUZ: Of course.

HARRIS: There you go. Veronica, thank you. KOPPEL: An ex-convict is in custody, suspected in the deaths of three elderly women in southeast Texas. All three victims were found dead in their closets. A fourth woman who had fought off her attacker later picked 40-year-old Gary Sinagoal (ph) from a police lineup.

And, now, from our stupid criminal file -- and we do mean stupid -- a would-be burglar got stuck trying to break into a Lake Tahoe home through the chimney. A neighbor called the sheriff about 10 o'clock Thursday night when he said he heard screams coming from next door. Firefighters had to chip away at the home's walls to get the guy out. The rescue cost about 20 grand in damages. Christmas, my friend, is in December.

And a beautiful sight over Miami Beach yesterday. Two water spouts side-by-side. A water spout can be dangerous; it's essentially a tornado over water and sometimes it can come ashore. Now, I got to tell you, I don't think that is so beautiful, but -- but that's because it's dangerous.

HARRIS: Well, yes, and we had -- if we had stayed with the shot a little bit -- there's a boat, there's a little pleasure craft

KOPPEL: That's right.

HARRIS: Yes, just taking it in. Oh, my.

KOPPEL: OK, I guess Orelon is standing by. Those things must not be that common, are they, Orelon?

ORELON SIDNEY, METEOROLOGIST: Actually, in that part the world, they're extremely common. You see them quite a bit, even in the wintertime. It's -- generally, you have kind of a tropical air mass; any time you get that tropical air mass, you get that warm air to rise, just a little bit of rotation can kick off those water spouts. Not all that unusual, although I don't think you're going see a whole lot of that action up the coast today.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: $205 million. You want it? You want it?

KOPPEL: Yes, I do. I do.

HARRIS: Yes? Someone else got it. Just ahead, we'll talk to the owner of the store that sold the winning Megamillions lotto ticket, and the owner of that store, we are now told, just in, has heard from the person who bought the winning ticket. Stay with us; more of CNN SATURDAY MORNING when we come back right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Got a mathematical question: how do you take a half dozen two-digit numbers and come up with the princely sum of $205 million? Well, the key is having those numbers on a winning Megamillions lottery ticket. Joining us on the phone from Port Huron, Michigan, is Jerrod Abro of the River District Supermarket who says their store sold last night's winning combo.

Jerrod, good morning.

JERROD ABRO, STORE OWNER, SOLD WINNING LOTTERY TICKET: Good morning, Tony.

HARRIS: Well, how excited are you?

ABRO: Tony, man, I'm telling you, I can't even explain it to you. I'm about to jump out of my boots!

HARRIS: Well, tell me about this. Now, was it your sister or did you actually sell the winning ticket?

ABRO: No, Tony, actually, it was my sister, yesterday at about 5:30. She sold the ticket to a -- to the woman's son-in-law, and I was actually on my way with my father here to open up the store today, and we heard on a local radio station that the winning ticket for the Friday night big game was sold at River District, and I about had a heart attack. I'm like, what? We didn't even know!

HARRIS: Oh, that's great. Shouldn't you get some kind of a little notification or something on your terminal that says that you sold the ticket? Is that how it normally works?

ABRO: That's -- I believe so. I don't know. I think we probably should have got a phone call at home last night or something to expect all of this. We are just in complete shock.

HARRIS: Well, tell us about your business. I understand it's a family-run operation.

ABRO: It's a family-run operation, Tony. We've been here for almost 30 years. You know, it's a -- it's a hard-working, blue-collar town.

HARRIS: Yes. How many people in that town? It is a small town, isn't it?

ABRO: It's a small town, and when you think about it, out of nine states and all counties and small cities, for it to happen to a place like this is just unbelievable.

HARRIS: I have to ask you. Was the winner someone who lives in Port Huron or one of those interlopers who came over from Canada?

ABRO: I believe it's -- I believe it's someone from -- someone from here in Port Huron, and we're -- I don't even actually know who they are, but I know have -- they go by the last name of Scott.

HARRIS: OK, so, have you made contact with them? Have you or your sister or someone in the family actually talked?

ABRO: Yes. I actually talked to the lady this morning. She called up here, and she says to me, what do we do? I was like, you got to call Lansing, because that's where the office is for the lottery, for the state lottery. And she was just completely shaking, and I had to call my sister at home. I was like, didn't have the number off-hand, I said, get it off the internet right now. These people need to get their money.

HARRIS: Oh, I got to ask you -- is there a little bit of a -- of a cut in this for the family business for selling that winning ticket?

ABRO: You know what? Tony, I have no idea how that works, with the state, or anything. The only thing I can tell you, I'm just very, very happy for these people.

HARRIS: Jerrod, let me tell you something. There is, I believe, there really is a little bit of a cut in there for you, but hey -- this is a great story. Congratulations to you. Congratulations to the winner. It's a great story coming out of Port Huron this morning.

ABRO: Thank you, Tony. Thank you.

HARRIS: And thanks for talking to us this morning.

ABRO: Yes, you have a terrific morning, Tony.

HARRIS: I sure will. Not as good as your morning, but I'm going to have a pretty good one.

KOPPEL: Or that woman.

HARRIS: Or that woman, that's right.

KOPPEL: Oh, that is really wonderful news, and we're so glad we found him, and congratulations to our producer who tracked him down.

HARRIS: That's right.

KOPPEL: Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Andrea Koppel. We hope to see you again tomorrow morning.

HARRIS: "OPEN HOUSE" is straight ahead, but first, these stories.

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