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CNN Saturday Morning News

Images of Saddam Hussein in British Tabloid Spark Controversy; New Video Released of Missing Shasta Groene in Idaho; "Legal Briefs". New Research on Women's Diets; A Look at Big Tennis

Aired May 21, 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.


BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Unauthorized photos of Saddam Hussein have the Pentagon up in arms.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

It is May 21.

Good morning, everybody.

I'm Betty Nguyen.

It's 7:00 a.m. in the East, 4:00 a.m. in the West.

Thanks so much for being with us this morning.

Let's start with some headlines.

First Lady Laura Bush is at the World Economic Forum in Jordan. She spoke to world leaders there and she's also meeting with Arab women and children. The first lady says her trip is a goodwill effort to help change the image of the United States in the Arab world.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office won't confirm Palestinian reports that he'll meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas early next month. A spokesman for Sharon says the prime minister is interested in meeting but that nothing has been set up just yet. Abbas is scheduled to meet with President Bush at the White House this Thursday.

The first hurricane of the Pacific season is now merely just a tropical depression. Here's a live look at a satellite loop. We'll try to put that up shortly. Adrian hit El Salvador with a wallop of wind and rain, but the storm did little damage and no one was killed, thankfully. Thousands of people are headed to coastal areas in an evacuation.

Now, nearby Honduras also got plenty of rain, but no major damage there either.

Coming up this hour, a well known dictator possibly over-exposed. We will take you about more pictures of Saddam Hussein behind bars.

And, powerful serves -- they are bankable tennis stars, served with multi-million dollar advertising deals. We'll hit the court to find out who is raking it in. And check this out. This dog has a story to tell you. Yes, he does. He was supposed to die in a gas chamber. But he had other plans. They are calling him the "Miracle Dog." We'll tell you why.

We want to get to our top story right now.

More jailhouse photos are published of Saddam Hussein. It comes one day after a picture was splashed all over the media showing the former Iraqi dictator in his underwear. U.S. officials worry the photos will further tarnish America's image in the Arab world.

CNN senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): "The Sun" newspapers flashed the picture of the underwear-clad former dictator on its front page. The British tabloid claimed the photo, along with several others showing Saddam Hussein in captivity, were handed over by U.S. military sources who had said hoped to deal a body blow to the resistance in Iraq. Instead, the unauthorized release dealt the U.S. military another public relations nightmare by provoking outrage from many Iraqis.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): It is not acceptable to show a president in such way. It must respect the name of a president all over the world, regardless of if he is a dictator.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): What we saw on TV is not right. Saddam Hussein is an Iraqi and we are a civilized country.

MCINTYRE: In a statement, the U.S. military in Baghdad said the photos "were taken in clear violation of DOD directives and possibly Geneva Convention guidelines" and expressed disappointment that "someone responsible for the security, welfare and detention of Saddam would... provide these photos for public release."

Military sources tell CNN based on the way Saddam looks and the backgrounds, the images appear to have been taken between January and April of 2004, and may have come from a security camera that monitors Saddam around the clock. The military says it's taking the unauthorized release very seriously.

The last thing the U.S. needs is a repeat of the violent demonstrations that followed an erroneous report that military investigators confirmed U.S. interrogators desecrated a Koran. "Newsweek" magazine retracted the story and President Bush downplayed the idea that the Saddam pictures could spark similar protests.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think a photo inspires murderers. I think they're inspired by an ideology that is so barbaric and backwards that it's hard for many in the Western world to comprehend how they think.

MCINTYRE: A second set of pictures published by "The Sun" Saturday shows Saddam Hussein praying behind barbed wire, but also shows two other captives, the man dubbed "Chemical Ali" for his alleged role in using poison gas against the Kurds, and a woman nicknamed "Chemical Sally" or "Mrs. Anthrax" for her part in Iraq's germ program.

(on camera): The military says only a small number of people have access to the super secure jail where Saddam Hussein is being held and that personal cameras are banned from the facility. The U.S. is promising an aggressive investigation.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: The pictures of the imprisoned Saddam Hussein are getting lots of media attention in the West, but not so much in the Arab media.

So what do you think? Are these pictures news? E-mail us at our new address, weekends@cnn.com. We'll be reading your replies throughout CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

Well, the stage is set for a showdown in the Senate next week over judicial nominees and the filibuster. Republicans plan a test vote Tuesday on Texas Judge Priscilla Owen's nomination to a federal appeals court. She's one of the seven judicial nominees opposed by Democrats. If, as expected, Republicans don't get the necessary 60 votes to overcome a Democratic filibuster, then the Republicans may try to change the rules. They're talking about banning Senate filibusters on appeals court and Supreme Court nominees.

President Bush may butt heads with Congress over the controversial issue of stem cell research. The president is threatening to veto a bill that would expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. The bill is pending in the House and could come up for a vote next week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I've made my position very clear on embryonic stem cells. I'm a strong supporter of adult stem cell research, of course. But I made it very clear to the Congress that the use of federal money, taxpayers' money to promote science which destroys life in order to save life is -- I'm against that. And, therefore, if the bill does that, I will veto it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: One law maker calls the president's stance "disappointing" and says the bill holds the promise of curing diseases that affect millions of Americans.

Now to the case of those missing children in Idaho. Authorities say a tip that someone had spotted them yesterday turned out to be incorrect. An amber alert remains in effect for 9-year-old Dylan Groene and his 8-year-old sister Shasta. Authorities say someone reported seeing the two yesterday in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, a store there. But the boy spotted had long hair, while Dylan has a crew cut, as you can see in his picture there.

The children's brother, mother and the mother's boyfriend were found dead in their Coeur d'Alene home on Monday.

We will have a live report next hour.

If keeping up with the news wasn't on your to do list this past week, we are here to help.

Let's "Rewind" now through some of the big stories of the last few days.

Tuesday, Antonio Villaraigosa defeated incumbent James Hahn to become the first Hispanic mayor of Los Angeles in more than 100 years. Villaraigosa, who is currently an L.A. council member, lost a mayoral bid to Hahn four years ago.

Thursday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it raised questions more than two years ago about the Pentagon, or to the Pentagon about the American interrogators at Guantanamo Bay disrespecting the Koran. A "Newsweek" report that a copy of the Koran was flushed down a toilet at GITMO sparked deadly riots in Afghanistan last week. That story was later retracted because "Newsweek" said its source had doubts about the information.

Also Thursday, South Korean scientists announced they made a major breakthrough in stem cell research. Not only have they found a way to dramatically speed up the creation of embryonic stem cells, but their cells are patient-specific, which means they're a genetic match. The breakthrough put stem cells one step closer to being used for actual treatments.

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

All right, we are taking you "Beyond The Game" this Saturday morning, hitting the hard court to find out how much money tennis stars bring home after the match is over.

And later, 200 people were on hand to wish the happy couple well. Find out why this particular wedding got so much attention. That's not pictures of the wedding, of course. We'll show you those.

And good morning Chicago! Look at that, the sun just coming up over the beautiful city. We'll have your weather forecast in about five minutes.

Are you having trouble with your money? Well, you'll want to watch CNN this morning for some tips. We'll start with "OPEN HOUSE" at 9:30 Eastern, "DOLANS UNSCRIPTED" at 10:00 a.m., and then we will bring you small business success stories on "TURNAROUND." That's at 11:00 Eastern.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NINA ZAGAT: The Golden Door is the top spa in the country, according to the participants in our survey. Some of the things that make it special -- great facilities, wonderfully comfortable rooms, terrific treatments and it's a very comfortable environment.

Miraval is a unique kind of spa, very new age in terms of the atmosphere. People are not just interested in exercise, but also in more spiritual activities -- communing with nature and just enjoying themselves in a very calm setting.

The Canyon Ranch is known as a spa that's really much more involved in pure exercise. If you're really a very committed, athletic type and also want to be able to put other things into your time, then Canyon Ranch is a terrific spa.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: A former Anheuser-Busch employee is shedding tears in his beer. He claims he was fired after being spotted in his Budweiser uniform drinking a Coors. A cold one leads to a hot topic for our legal panel. That is live next hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Checking "Stories Across America" now, the Indiana Parole Board doesn't want its governor to grant clemency to a death row inmate who says he wants to donate part of his liver to his ailing sister. Gregory Johnson is scheduled to die Wednesday. He was convicted of beating and killing an 82-year-old woman.

In Boise, Idaho, the local rescue mission is getting some help from three determined youngsters. The children, they went door-to- door to help the mission and collected more than $100. A shelter official says that money was enough to feed 53 hungry people.

And here's a story some staffers right here on the weekends know all too well about. We're speaking of our producer, in particular. That's weddings. They are expensive. And a new study says the average wedding in this country costs more than $26,000. Yikes! Which may explain why couples are getting married later in life and footing much of the bill themselves.

Hey, speaking of walking down the aisle, some 200 people one -- or they helped one high profile couple celebrate their wedding at a Washington State winery. Forty-three-year-old Mary Kay Letourneau married her 22-year-old former student last night. Letourneau served seven-and-a-half years in prison for raping her now husband when he was 12 years old.

And take a look at this. A true wonder dog that made it out of the gas chamber alive. That's right. You'll meet him later this hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It's an amazing story.

And, hey, we've got another wonder here with us this morning, that is Rob Marciano.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi.

Where's Tony? What happened -- what did you say to him? Did you upset him in some way?

NGUYEN: I made him mad. He left. No, actually, he'll be in at 8:00 this morning.

MARCIANO: Oh, OK. Good. Good.

And the dog story coming up a little bit later, as well.

NGUYEN: And Tony's taking part in that dog story, so very interesting. You'll want to watch.

MARCIANO: All right. I'll be looking out for that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: The Allergy Report coming up in about 15 minutes.

NGUYEN: Oh, yes, we need to talk about that, Rob.

MARCIANO: I'm sorry.

NGUYEN: Talk to you soon.

MARCIANO: OK.

NGUYEN: All right, we want to talk about a major breakthrough right now which was announced this week in stem cell research. Korean scientists unveiled advancements they hope could one day save millions of lives. But that research is not allowed here in the U.S. Tomorrow on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING," is America falling behind in this historic race for cell reproduction? It's a question for U.S. scientists who moved to Europe to be a part of the stem cell revolution. The battle between politics and science, that is live on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING," 9:00 a.m. Eastern.

But up next, when -- with Roddick, Agassi and the Williams sisters, are Americans still losing their spin on the court? We will ask someone who can predict lots of things -- football in hand -- including the future of tennis. I guess that is his little globe there, as he looks into his crystal tennis ball.

RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: The tennis ball.

NGUYEN: Yes, Rick Horrow...

HORROW: It's a tennis ball.

NGUYEN: ... serves up "Beyond The Game" when we return. And he speaks.

We'll be talking with you shortly, Rick.

HORROW: OK, a deal. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

HOLLY FIRFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You've probably heard the phrase breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, now there are new studies to back up that claim.

Researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso found that calories consumed in the morning are the most satisfying. The theory is that our hunger and the signals that tell us we're full follow our circadian rhythms, gearing up when the sun comes up, around breakfast time, and slowing down at sunset, around dinner.

Now, based on the study, if women eat a little more at breakfast, they may be able to eat lighter the rest of the day and lower their overall calorie intake.

Holly Firfer, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

NGUYEN (voice-over): Only two Americans have won a grand slam title in tennis the last two years -- Serena Williams' victory this year at the Austrian Open and Andy Roddick at the U.S. Open in 2003. As we get ready for next week's second slam event of the year, tennis experts are wondering aloud if Americans have lost their top spin and would that make the game a tough sell in the U.S.?

An interesting question this morning, as we take you "Beyond The Game."

(END VIDEO TAPE)

NGUYEN: All right, here we go.

Corporate dollars and television contracts for tennis are usually generated here in the U.S. So, American superstars can certainly be a plus.

For more, we want to bring in a star in his own mind, the author of "When the Game Is On the Line," CNN sports business analyst Rick Horrow.

He joins us from West Palm Beach, Florida -- good morning, Rick.

HORROW: Betty, a star in my own mind?

NGUYEN: Yes.

HORROW: I thought that kind of comment was reserved only for Tony. NGUYEN: Well, you know, I have to... HORROW: So you're going to get it, too, huh?

NGUYEN: ... continue with the theme here.

HORROW: Is that what this is all about?

NGUYEN: Hey, we'll go at it.

HORROW: All right, we're starting.

NGUYEN: Let's go.

Ready?

HORROW: Here we go.

NGUYEN: All right.

HORROW: You've got it.

We're ready.

NGUYEN: So what happened to the American game? Who are today's tennis superstars?

HORROW: Well, today's tennis superstars are not Americans. We can get into that. But the bottom line is corporations still love the game. You know, Sony spent $88 million financing the women's tennis tour and now we're on the heels of the French Open so we're thinking about that kind of thing.

But the bottom line for corporate America is they love the sport. The average player, 31-year-old, upwardly mobile professional making 62K. So, the superstars are promoted. They're not necessarily American. Maria Sharapova, according to our Russian producer on Saturday morning...

NGUYEN: Shara-pova, Sharapo-va, whatever.

HORROW: ... that's the right punctuation -- not Sharapova. But she is making $6 million in a Canon deal and Nike, and she's obviously getting more and more as she wins more Wimbledons.

You have Serena Williams making $17 million to $18 million in endorsement money a year. She's also branching out. She's been in "My Wife and Kids," "Law and Order," and she wants to become a professional, world-renewed actress.

Then you've got the old reliables. You know, Steffi Graf and her husband Andre Agassi have a cute commercial where they're playing each other to see who fills out taxes. And Genworth Financial is funding $25 million for that campaign, so successful, they've carried the commercial over for another year.

NGUYEN: My goodness. There is some money to be made which, you know, leads to my next question. How does tennis and corporate America sell the game without this abundance of U.S. stars?

HORROW: Well, the first thing, Betty, is where they get the money. You know, $151 million in ad revenue goes to the tennis business. So they can fund things like promotion. And the U.S. Tennis Association has a plan called Plan For Growth where they're trying to diversify, as well. They're promoting old reliables -- Monica Seles, Chris Evert have been in a commercial, a "Got Milk" campaign. Then you've got the new superstars, Raphael Nadal and Gayle Monfields (ph), who you'll see in the French Open, are the future of the game, also.

And we've got some gimmicks, by the way. The USTA is going to have blue courts at the U.S. Open so the ball stands out. Hockey tried that. We saw what happened there. I can't wait.

The bottom line is to diversify, though. We now have a 20 percent increase in Hispanic tennis players, a 9 percent increase in African-American players. And the real key is to make sure the sport broadens its base because only 15 percent of the top 200 players in the world are Americans. And unless we continue to improve, we're going to have more grand slam titles without American players.

NGUYEN: Hey, you know what? I used to play a little tennis in high school. Maybe I should have stayed on the court with all that money to be made. My goodness.

HORROW: Well, I'm sure before we go to "Fair" and "Foul," you can beat Tony, and I'm going to put money on that high stakes match.

NGUYEN: Oh, I wouldn't go that far. Usually, he's a pretty good athlete.

So let's go to "Fair Ball," shall we?

HORROW: He's a pretty good talker.

The "Fair Ball," bottom line "Fair Ball," and it's a great story. You've got a firefighter named Herzog, 31 -- or 39-year-old Phoenix guy who, by the way, bet a dollar superfecta on the winner last week, Giacomo. Now, I did the same thing, expect I bit a $2 to win. I won $100.

This guy won $850,000.

NGUYEN: Wow!

HORROW: Problem -- lost the ticket. Rummaged around garbage. The ticket teller, Brenda Reagan, the next day, found it, gave it back to him. An American success story.

NGUYEN: That's amazing.

HORROW: More important than that, he's going to make $600,000 after taxes going into the Preakness this week. It's a great "Fair Ball."

NGUYEN: That's a good story of lost and found.

All right, so, we have to get to the "Foul Ball."

What is that?

HORROW: Well, the "Foul Ball" is kind of interesting. We have a new coach of the San Francisco 49ers football team. His name is Mike Nolan. He wanted to pay homage to his father, who coached the 49ers 20 years before, named Dick. And he wanted to wear a coat and tie on the sidelines, like his dad did. And the NFL said no, you've got to wear a Reebok sponsored jacket.

Now, the reason, we understand it. Reebok has a 10-year, $250 million deal with the NFL.

NGUYEN: Right.

HORROW: And what they're going to do, by the way, is Reebok is going to sit down with Nolan and design some higher quality, in their words, dress up suits for him, or shirts, to wear on the sidelines next year.

Now, Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry, the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, Hall of Fame coaches, they wore coats and ties. What happened? Well, it's the almighty dollar. But Reebok and the NFL are going to get together and do a bang up job, probably next year after this is all over.

NGUYEN: Get a new line out of it. That's not too bad for a "Foul Ball" today.

All right, Rick, thanks so much.

I didn't beat up on you too bad.

HORROW: No. You and I on the court next week. We'll see. I'd rather play a sporting event with someone who doesn't...

NGUYEN: You don't want to get beat...

HORROW: ... who does not talk as much as Tony any...

NGUYEN: ... by a girl, do you?

HORROW: I absolutely do. I have no problem with it, as long as you don't talk as much as Tony does.

NGUYEN: All right.

The deal is on.

Talk to you later.

HORROW: Bye-bye. NGUYEN: Bye.

Quentin the dog made it out of the gas chamber alive. This is an amazing story. But that is only the beginning. We'll fill in the blanks when Quentin and his owner join us a little bit later this hour.

And Afghan President Hamid Karzai is demanding the U.S. take strong action against certain U.S. military personnel. Find out why. We're "Going Global" next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

Plus, after the record breaking release of the new "Star Wars" movie -- have you seen it yet? Well, what else should you expect this summer? Find out tonight at 6:00 p.m. Eastern when CNN gives you a hot ticket to fun.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: First Lady Laura Bush is trying to spread the seeds of democracy in the Middle East.

We want to welcome you back this morning.

I'm Betty Nguyen.

We'll have that story in just a moment.

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

It's apparently a first in Iraq. Baghdad's main Sunni mosques were closed for three days. Sunni leaders say the move is a protest against the killings of members of the minority community. A recent up stick of murders -- up tick, that is -- of murders in Sunni -- of Sunni leaders is being blamed on a Shiite militia with ties to the government.

Now, the military will begin using a new laser warning system in the nation's capital today. When pilots see these colored laser beams, it means they're flying in restricted airspace and should turn away. The Pentagon says the goal is to avoid what happened earlier this month when a small plane got too close to the White House, forcing evacuations.

The Justice Department plans to get a national sex offender Web site up and running by mid-July. The site will allow parents and others to search for the latest information and location on known sex offenders beyond their home state. Participation by the states is voluntary.

There is more anti-American trouble brewing in the Muslim world.

We want to get the details now on that and those other top stories around the world.

So let's hand it over to Anand Naidoo at the CNN international Desk -- good morning, Anand. ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Betty, thanks, and good morning.

America's image in the world, especially the Muslim world, has taken a bit of a battering in recent days. Now there's deep anger in Afghanistan over reports American soldiers have been abusing prisoners in that country. The allegations were published in the "New York Times" and detail the deaths of two Afghans at Bagram Air Base. President Hamid Karzai, a close ally of the U.S., is demanding "very, very strong action" against U.S. military personnel found to be abusing prisoners.

For its part, the U.S. military says -- or, rather, defended its treatment of prisoners and says that it will not tolerate any kind of abuse.

The White House is making some high level efforts to repair the damage. First Lady Laura Bush is in Jordan extending a friendly hand to the Middle East. It's her second solo trip to the region in two months. She's calling on leaders in the region to expand women's roles and adopt democratic reforms.

Now to Chile and a tragedy in the making there. Hopes are fading for 41 soldiers trapped in the Andes after a blizzard hit their regiment during a training exercise. At least five men are already reported to have died. The country's top brass, the Chilean top brass, is blaming this on officers who ordered the men out of their shelter when this blizzard started.

That's all from me.

We'll have more later.

Now back to Betty.

NGUYEN: All right, we'll be checking in with you later on, Anand.

Thanks.

Now to "Security Watch" this morning, where we update you on the week's major developments in the war on terror every Saturday morning.

Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff wants to create a quicker travel system for some people. Now, it would allow so-called "trusted travelers" to get from Point A to Point B without constant screening at airports. He says that this would let his department focus on those who are not on that trusted list.

Chertoff's comments come after two similar incidents in a single week. Now, in both cases, transatlantic flights were diverted because a passenger's name appeared on a no fly list. Both episodes turned out to false alarms.

It's expected the Homeland Security Department will draw the curtain on a Hollywood consultant hired to improve the agency's image. The consultant's $100,000 salary would go instead to state and local first responders. Meantime, lawmakers are trying to close a loophole in airline security. They want to get all cargo inspected before it's shipped on commercial airliners by 2008. Now, until then, they want airlines to notify passengers if unchecked cargo is on their flight. Both items have been proposed as amendments to the 2006 Homeland Security spending bill.

You'll want to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

All right, chances are you've seen the pictures of Saddam Hussein behind bars by now. Those pictures are getting lots of media attention in the West, but not as much in the Arab media.

So what do you think? Are these pictures news? E-mail us your thoughts to our new Web address. That's weekends@cnn.com. We'll read those replies throughout CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP FROM FRANK SINATRA SONG)

FRANK SINATRA: When I sing, I can make the rain go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Oh, yes, that's a nice way to wake up this morning, Chicago, as we take a live look over the city right now. We'll have your national forecast coming up just a little bit later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Courtroom contradictions this week in the Michael Jackson sexual abuse trial. A witness disputes claims by the mother of the accuser that she was being held captive at the pop star's Neverland Ranch. The Jackson case on the docket next hour, live, 8:00 a.m. Eastern.

MARCIANO: And I'm Rob Marciano again in the CNN Weather Center.

Here's a look at your pollen crumbs. And your allergy Forecast south of the Mason-Dixon, where we see the biggest issues, Louisiana, Mississippi, southern Alabama is, well, where the grass is in. The walnuts and the pecan trees are starting to fire up. Hardwoods up north, also getting into the act.

Hope you're feeling well on this Saturday.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Here's a proposition for u. How about letting cnn.com be your Internet guide to summer entertainment? It sounds like a good idea to me.

VERONICA DELACRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How about it? NGUYEN: We have Veronica De La Cruz in here. DELACRUZ: How about it?

NGUYEN: De La Cruz, to talk about this -- good morning.

DELACRUZ: Good morning.

NGUYEN: Are you ready for the summer?

DE LA CRUZ: I am. Have you seen "Star Wars?"

NGUYEN: Not yet. It seems like everyone and their dog has seen it already. I haven't seen it just yet. I'm planning to, though.

DE LA CRUZ: I am, too. And lucky for you, at cnn.com we're actually taking a look at the long awaited feature "Star Wars," "The Return of the Sith," as well as what's on tap for this summer's coming attractions.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DELACRUZ (voice-over): From a galaxy far, far away, "Star Wars: The Return of the Sith" opened in nearly 3,700 theaters across the nation. CNN.com takes a look at the long awaited feature, as well as what's on tap for this summer's attractions.

The latest "Star Wars" episode brings the saga full circle. The original was the highest grossing film until "E.T." came along in 1982. How versed are you when it comes to the characters in this ever thickening plot? This guide connects the dots in an intergalactic story of love and war. And if you think you are the ultimate "Star Wars" fan, you can test your knowledge with this online quiz. Use the force for all the answers.

The movie industry makes more than half its money between now and Labor Day weekend. With "Star Wars: Return of the Sith" leading the pack, what else is out there? From "Batman: The Beginning" to "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," browse this gallery to get the scoop.

Plot your summer diversions with CNN.com's entertainment calendar. Get release dates for books, movies, DVDs and CDs, and find out when and where your favorite bands are on tour. Just log onto CNN.com/coming attractions.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

DELACRUZ: Also, don't forget to tune into CNN's entertainment special, "Hot Ticket To Fun." That airs today at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.

And did you see that, Betty, magic?

NGUYEN: I'm still trying to figure out how you got over there and you changed your clothes so quickly and then got back here.

DELACRUZ: High tech.

NGUYEN: That's some "Star Wars" magic right there.

DELACRUZ: That is.

NGUYEN: All right, Veronica, thanks so much.

Calling this dog's ordeal a miracle is an understatement, to say the least. Find out how he cheated death and how his story is now saving the lives of other canines. That's next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

First, a "CNN Extra" for you this morning.

The weekend is the latest addition to the endangered species list. It's no secret Americans work hard. In fact, "Life" magazine finds nearly half of us bring work home on the weekends instead of relaxing.

So, what do women want most on their weekends? Well, that's to spend time with their family. And the guys, well, they want some intimate time with their spouses or partners. Just the facts, guys. Just the facts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Checking out top stories at this hour, the U.S. military says it will aggressively investigate how pictures of Saddam Hussein were released to a London tabloid. One photo showed the former Iraqi president dressed only in his underwear.

For the first time in Iraq, Baghdad's main Sunni mosques were closed for three days. Sunni leaders say the move is a protest against the killings of members of their minority community.

And a nationwide sex offender database should be up and running by this summer. The Justice Department says the Web site will give people immediate access to information across the country. The Department says one problem, each state has its own definition for sex offenders.

Check out these pictures. No, it is not the desire to study that brought this bull -- yes, a bull -- to school. Wait until you hear how it there in our "Wows of the Week." That's a little bit later this hour.

But first, some startling statistics. Every day in the U.S., over 26,000 dogs and cats are put to sleep, about 18 every minute. The dog in our next story was supposed to be one of them. Called the "Miracle Dog," he was gassed with other dogs. But after 25 minutes inside the gas chamber, an amazing thing happened. The dog lived. But the either others, they did not.

My co-anchor, Tony Harris, met with the subject of this book and his owner just a few weeks ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Randy, tell us about this beautiful dog, Quentin, and how he survived the gas chamber. This is an amazing story.

RANDY GRIM, AUTHOR, "MIRACLE DOG": Yes, it's an amazing story, but it's an important story.

Quentin survived the gas chamber in St. Louis about a year-and-a- half ago. In St. Louis at that time, we still used a gas chamber to euthanize animals, unwanted pets. And so with Quentin, I got a call one morning from a supervisor there saying, "Hey, Randy, I just gassed our normal lot of dogs and I opened the chamber and standing on top of a mound of other dogs was this one little guy wagging his tail."

And she goes, "I don't have the heart to re-gas him."

HARRIS: Right.

GRIM: Well, I have two no kill shelters in the city of St. Louis and that's why they called me. And I said don't re-gas him, I'll come get him and rescue him. So I didn't know it was going to become such a huge story, either.

HARRIS: Right. And a media star. I mean look at this guy. He's beautiful and it's a miracle story, isn't it?

GRIM: It is a miracle story. The, you know, I always like to tell people that it's not just that Quentin was standing on top of a bunch of dead dogs. It's those dogs that died that the -- well, the new book is about, and how important it is for people to realize that there are, you know, five to 10 million Quentins a year being destroyed, and many of them being destroyed by the gas chamber.

HARRIS: Well, what is it that you want us to take from his story? What is it that you want us to learn and to understand about, I guess, the way we should treat our pets and treat our dogs?

GRIM: You know, 80 percent of Americans consider their dogs as family members.

HARRIS: Yes.

GRIM: So take it to the next level and be responsible for them.

HARRIS: Right.

GRIM: So instead of Quentin ended up -- his original name was Kane and he ended up at the city pound because they were moving into an apartment that didn't accept dogs.

HARRIS: Right. Right. Right.

GRIM: Well, find him a dog -- find a new home for your dog.

HARRIS: Right. Right. GRIM: Don't burden the shelter system, because it's already a fractured system. HARRIS: Well, you know, it's no surprise that you and Quentin came together. They call you the man who talks to dogs.

GRIM: Yes, it's embarrassing.

HARRIS: Did this work find you or did you find this work?

GRIM: It found me. I like to think I was a normal guy at one time and then -- in St. Louis, when I moved to St. Louis, I saw packs of wild dogs and street dogs, mainly in the poor, urban areas.

HARRIS: Yes.

GRIM: And I would call, you know, animal control, the Humane Society, and nobody would touch them. And I started to think of ways to touch them and the ways to capture them and then ways to rehabilitate them. And I had a -- and I just took it upon myself because I knew no one else was doing it.

HARRIS: What has this guy taught you about yourself? What you have you learned about yourself from your work?

GRIM: Well, I am a guy that's plagued with some phobias and anxiety and -- which is nothing more than fear. And if Quentin can be courageous and survive -- not just survive the gas chamber but then to -- I think he made a pact in that chamber with the dog gods and -- to go on to help other dogs close down gas chambers across the country, change laws, to make it a more humane, just a more humane world for man's best friend.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

NGUYEN: That's a true definition of man's best friend.

All right, recently, Grim convinced the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico to agree to a no kill policy within five years. That is a miracle story there.

Don't forget to e-mail us this morning.

The pictures of Saddam Hussein in prison with just his underwear getting lots of media attention in the West, but not as much in the Arab media.

What do you think? Are these pictures news? E-mail us at our new address, weekends@cnn.com.

We'll be reading some of your replies next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK MARTINO, GOLF INSTRUCTOR: This errant tee shot of mine has landed me in the intermediate rough. When we look at the lie of the golf ball, we immediately determine that we have a possibility of hitting a flier. A flier is when there's grass between the blade of the club and the ball. It sends the ball higher, takes the spin off it, makes it very hard to control.

So what I'm going to do to play this shot is I'm going to place my club behind the ball and then when I take my stance, I'm going to play the ball slightly farther forward in my stance. By playing the ball slightly farther forward, I'll catch it more on the up swing and I'll send it out knowing it's going high and long. I'll also use a club with more loft because the ball is going farther than I expect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Time now for some stories that'll make you say wow!

If it weren't for this next video, you might think our first story was a whole lot of bull. Here's a true high school bully. On Wednesday, Jasper was set loose in a Florida high school by some prank playing seniors who were caring for him. No raging bull, he just wandered around until teachers pushed him back in his pen. As for those pranksters? Well, they were suspended for four days.

In North Carolina, one growing family strapped for cash is putting the babies to work. Catherine and Richard Smith already have twins. Now, they found that they are having triplets. They estimate about 15,000 diapers the first year alone.

So, to help pay for it all, they are soliciting ads to go on their triplets' stroller. The more oohs and ahs over the babies, the more eyeballs on the ads.

And in Minnesota, a sheriff's deputy involved in a freak accident -- oh, look at that -- is lucky to be alive, no doubt. The deputy was struck by a pickup truck Wednesday as he helped a woman stranded on the road. Every time I see that, it never ceases to amaze me. He was treated at a hospital and released. No serious injuries. Can you believe it?

Rob, every time I see that, like I say, oh, it seems to hurt. And to imagine that he walked away with no serious injuries, that's a miracle.

MARCIANO: Oh, yes. I was watching a couple of interviews with this guy on morning TV.

NGUYEN: Yes, he was already doing interviews.

MARCIANO: And he was just like yes, you know, whatever. I just -- how did you survive? Well, I just kind of went along with the truck.

NGUYEN: Right.

MARCIANO: I mean it looked like he got just literally cut in half there. That's amazing.

NGUYEN: Yes, he said maybe just because he wasn't expecting it that he was perhaps limber.

MARCIANO: Right, right.

NGUYEN: And that allowed him just to be tossed to the side. But, whoo, that man has got a story to tell.

MARCIANO: He does, for sure.

Hey, I want to start you off with what's left of Adrian. It was the first hurricane of the Pacific season to get fired up, actually, the first hurricane ever to hit Central America on the west side. Now it's really been torn -- I mean the mountains down here, believe it or not, are 12,000, even 13,000 feet, and they really just rip apart any storms that try to make it over the mountain passes. So that's a non- event now, but still the rains that came across that area were torrential.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: Hey, big doings up at the race track this afternoon. The Preakness is showing up at Pimlico out there in Baltimore. A chance of rain and 68 degrees. But most of the rain across Baltimore came yesterday. They had over an inch of rain and the track is saturated, to say the least. But right now we're not looking at much in the way of rain, so just a slight chance of seeing a shower pop up there across the Northeast. It will be on the cool side.

Place your bets there, Betty, Pimlico at 6:00 p.m. today.

NGUYEN: I placed my bet on Giacomo last time and won, so...

MARCIANO: You did not.

NGUYEN: I did, too, Rob. We've already been over this.

MARCIANO: Oh, that's right. That's right.

NGUYEN: It was a free bet, though, remember that?

MARCIANO: All right, so let me know in the next half hour who you're going to pick today.

NGUYEN: All right. I'll work on that for you and get back with you.

MARCIANO: All right. Cool.

NGUYEN: Let's get to our e-mails today. We're getting several of them in. And here's the question: Saddam Hussein in his underwear, is it news? Of course, you've seen the pictures in the tabloids of him.

And Mighty Mouse writes to us this morning. I didn't know superheroes were watching, but apparently they are. Mighty Mouse says: "The photos of Saddam Hussein are not news at all. He has his rights as a prisoner. You can hate him but the pictures are rude and quite nasty. Whoever did this should be put in jail."

And Diana writes to us this morning saying: "The pictures were Saddam's idea to get people riled up against Americans. The terrorists and liberals looking to make the Republican administration's policy of a free Middle East a failed policy will do anything, including endangering our troops."

So, continue telling us what you think this morning.

Here is the question once again: Saddam in his underwear, it is news? E-mail us -- weekends@cnn.com.

CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, good morning, everyone. From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

And look who finally showed up. Good morning, Tony.

HARRIS: You started the show without me, huh?

NGUYEN: Hey, we had...

(CROSSTALK)

NGUYEN: ... the train has left, we had to get on board.

HARRIS: All right.

(LAUGHTER)

NGUYEN: Welcome back. It is, what, 8:00 a.m. here in the East...

HARRIS: Yes.

NGUYEN: ... 5:00 a.m. out West, early morning out there.

HARRIS: All day long.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: Good morning, everybody. I'm Tony Harris. Let's get you started with what's now in the news.

For the first time in Iraq, Baghdad's main Sunni mosques are closed for three days. Sunni leaders say the move is to protest the killings of members of their minority community. A recent spate of unexplained murders of Sunni leaders is being blamed on the Shi'ite militia with ties to the government. First lady Laura Bush is in Jordan today. Amman is the first stop on her five-day goodwill mission to Jordan, Israel, the West Bank, and Egypt. Mrs. Bush says she hopes that she can help repair America's image in the Muslim world.

Today, in the sky over Washington, the U.S. military begins testing a sophisticated aircraft warning system. An elaborate network of cameras and lasers will scan the sky. Color warning beams will flash at aircraft entering restricted air space. The FAA says on average, small planes violate prohibited airspace there at least twice a day.

NGUYEN: Here's a look at what's coming up this hour, Saddam Hussein captured again, this time on film. The U.S. says it will aggressively investigate when they were taken and how those pictures were linked to a London tabloid.

It is now five days and counting for two missing Idaho children. A tip in the case turned out to be a false lead.

And in our legal briefs, a Budweiser employee is canned after he's caught chugging back a cold one made...

HARRIS: Oh.

NGUYEN: ... by a competitor. We'll tell you all about that.

HARRIS: But first, our top story.

A dictator shown dress down. Some raw reactions, and now a search for the naked truth. And just who snapped and sold revealing shots of Saddam Hussein behind bars? Some in the Arab world are enraged, and the U.S. military says it will investigate.

More now from CNN's Kathleen Koch live at the Pentagon. Kathleen, good morning.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.

Obviously, the U.S. military is not at all pleased that these photos were taken or published. And, as you pointed out, (INAUDIBLE) promising a very aggressive investigation into just how and why this happened.

And, of course, there's additional concern here this morning over the release of some new photos. One of them, here the, there you see it, apparently shows Saddam Hussein praying. Also published today were similar photos, more images of Ali Hassan al-Majid, known at Chemical Ali, and then also Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash, known at Chemical Sally. A U.S. military official in Baghdad tells CNN that the pictures appear to have been taken between January and April 2004. These were the pictures of Saddam Hussein, given Saddam's conditions and some features in the background.

Now, obviously, these are some very high-value prisoners, so there are, is a, there are a very limited number of people who actually have access to them. No personal cameras are permitted in that area. Obviously, Saddam Hussein's lawyers are very concerned, also, that these pictures have been taken and published.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIOVANNI DI STEFANO, SADDAM HUSSEIN'S ATTORNEY: They are regrettable. It is regrettable when you have photographs of that nature, and it's very nice to hear that the Pentagon are going to have a full and aggressive inquiry into who took them, why, and wherefore. And then, needless to say, to punish those that require punishment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: The U.S. military is also concerned about the potential impact that this could have on U.S. efforts of win the hearts and minds of Iraqis to rebuild Iraq, because obviously, besides being a possible violation of the Geneva Conventions, these photos are seen by many as degrading and as an affront to Muslim sensibilities.

Still, President Bush says that he does not believe that they will inspire more attacks by the insurgents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think an -- a photo inspires murders. I think they're inspired by an ideology that is so barbaric and backwards that it's hard to many in the Western world to comprehend how they think.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: So the probe by the Pentagon will be very intensive, and there are many questions to explore. For instance, since no personal photos were allowed into this, personal cameras were allowed in this area, were these photos take by some sort of a security camera? And with the release of the new photographs, does -- were they taken and released by the same person, Tony, or could this perhaps reflect a broader breach of security?

HARRIS: Yes, yes, lots of questions. Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon for us. Kathleen, we appreciate it. Thank you.

KOCH: You bet.

HARRIS: The pictures of the imprisoned Saddam Hussein are getting lots of media attention in the West, but not as much in the Arab media. So what do you think? Are these pictures news? E-mail us at our news address, weekends@cnn.com, and we'll be reading your replies throughout CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: In Idaho, high hopes shattered after a false ID. The trail to two missing children grows colder as one supposed sighting of them turns out to be a bad tip. Now, though, new home video of one of the missing children, Shasta Groene, just nine days ago, as she gave a presentation on a science project. It was taken by parents of another child at her school. And with these new pictures, the hope that this will not be the last that we will see of her.

Our Alina Cho is following the story and has the latest from Coeur d'Alene. Good morning, Alina. ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Betty.

And we do want to get right back to that home video that CNN has just obtained. It is of 8-year-old Shasta Groene, who has been missing since Monday night, along with her brother, 9-year-old Dylan. As you mentioned, it was taken nine days ago, shows little Shasta presenting a science project at her school, taken by another parent who has a child in little Shasta's class.

As you mentioned, of course, we do hope it is not the last time we see Shasta and her brother Dillon.

A little more now about that false ID. Authorities are now discrediting that report of a possible sighting. Earlier, there was a report that someone had spotted two children resembling 9-year-old Dillon and 8-year-old Shasta Groene. That possible sighting was at a pawnshop that sells sporting goods about 70 miles north of here. The owner of the store had called in that tip, but later, upon being interviewed again, realized that the boy he had seen had longer and darker hair than Dillon.

Now, crime scene investigators, we should mention, are going to wrap up their work today at the home where the bodies of the children's mother, brother, and boyfriend were found on Monday night.

Also this morning, we've obtained the 911 call made by the neighbor.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BOB HOLLINGSWORTH, NEIGHBOR (on phone): I went to the door to pay the little kid $10 for mowing the lawn, and there's blood all over the door. And no one comes to the door, and their car is there (INAUDIBLE). And I tried to call them today, and I didn't get them.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

CHO: Joining us now Kootenai (INAUDIBLE) Kootenai County sheriff's captain Ben Wolfinger.

Captain Wolfinger, thank you for joining us.

CAPT. BEN WOLFINGER, KOOTENAI COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: Good morning.

CHO: Any new leads this morning?

WOLFINGER: Nothing since last night.

CHO: OK. And tell us, why is it that you are still holding out hope, after all of these days, that the children will still be found alive? WOLFINGER: Well, we think -- feel that if the children have been meant to be killed, they would have been killed there with the rest of the family. And that's why we're hopeful that they're alive out there, and somebody's going to find them and bring them to us. CHO: And in fact, you're going to be bringing in profilers in the future.

WOLFINGER: Absolutely. The FBI...

CHO: Tell us about that.

WOLFINGER: ... profile -- the FBI profilers should be here this weekend. They're going to review the crime scene so they can help our investigators get a direction and a sense for the kind of person that could be responsible for this.

CHO: So you're in it for the long haul.

WOLFINGER: We are really in it for the long haul. We're set up for it. We're planning for it. Be over 40 investigators working this. It's a team effort between our office, the state police, and the FBI.

CHO: All right, Captain Ben Wolfinger of the Kootenai County sheriff's office, we thank you very much for joining us.

WOLFINGER: Thank you.

CHO: And we'll see you again very, very soon.

We should also mention, Betty, that more than 500 tips have been called in to the hotline so far, and 40 investigators are following those tips. But so far, nothing has panned out, Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, you can only hope. Alina Cho, thank you so much.

Tony?

HARRIS: Well, it is a story to be told around the water cooler and the beer keg.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: A beer company employee, busted for drinking a competitor's brand.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: We'll put this one to our experts later in legal briefs.

(LAUGHTER)

NGUYEN: Also ahead, the second leg of the Triple Crown is later today. But will the weather cooperate? Rob will be along with the forecast, that ever-important forecast today. HARRIS: At the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Maryland, I should add.

NGUYEN: Oh, yes.

HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes.

And later on "HOUSE CALL," cancer breakthroughs. Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us the studies that are giving lots of people new hope.

And CNN has helpful advice for you all morning long. We'll start with "OPEN HOUSE" at 9:30 Eastern, with a half-hour special on safety at home. "DOLANS UNSCRIPTED" at 10:00 a.m. rolls out its summer travel special. And then we'll bring you small business success stories on "TURNAROUND" with Ali Velshi at 11:0 a.m. Eastern.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Morning once again. I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Weather Center, forecast for today.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

MARCIANO: In your hometown, Tony, of Baltimore, Maryland.

HARRIS: Yes. So we've got a little bit of -- some rain issues up there for you.

MARCIANO: Well, they had most of the rain yesterday. Tons of it, actually. Today, (INAUDIBLE) not nearly as much.

HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE)?

MARCIANO: Just a slight, about a 30 percent of seeing a shower, so not so bad.

HARRIS: While I was there, the sun was out, Betty. I want you to know that.

NGUYEN: You brought them sunshine.

MARCIANO: The sun always shines when you're there.

HARRIS: That's right. Thanks, Rob.

NGUYEN: Keep on believing that.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: It is reported Iraqis reacted with shock at photos of former dictator Saddam Hussein in jail in his underwear. A British tabloid today published another shot of Saddam, despite a lawsuit threat from his lawyers. On Capitol Hill, if no compromise is reached, a Senate showdown on the future of the filibuster is set for Tuesday. Republican Senators have forced a critical test vote in the fight over using filibusters to block President Bush's judicial nominees.

And surprise Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo is at six-to-one odds going into today's Preakness Stakes. Giacomo goes up against 13 other horses for the second jewel in racing's Triple Crown.

NGUYEN: He's a suspected terrorist seeking asylum in the U.S., and his case is sparking massive -- look at this -- massive protests in his native Cuba. We'll talk about the man and his uphill legal battle coming up next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: In this morning's "Legal Briefs," talk about a buzz kill. A worker at a company that distributes Budweiser beer says he was fired after he was caught drinking Coors beer out in public. The company says, Well, that's not why he was canned. We'll get into that.

Also on the docket this morning, the U.S. is trying to decide whether to deport a Cuban militant. He's wanted in connection with the bombing of a Cuban airliner. Cuba calls the man a terrorist and says the U.S. is guilty of a double standard if it doesn't send him back.

So let's turn all of these issues to our legal experts. Former prosecutor Nelda Blair is in Houston, and civil liberties attorney Leda Rodriguez-Tassef joins us from Miami. Good morning, ladies.

NELDA BLAIR, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Good morning.

LEDA RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF, CIVIL LIBERTIES ATTORNEY: Good morning.

NGUYEN: Let's start with of Luis Posada Carriles, a former CIA operative, staunch opponent to Fidel Castro, accused of blowing up a Cuban airliner. The U.S. has him in custody. Leda, should they deport him?

RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: They should hold a hearing and determine whether or not he's entitled to asylum. And once that process is done, they can decide whether to deport him or not. But the issue here isn't so much to deport him or not deport him, it's whether or not the United States is going to cave to the pressure of Cuba and refuse to follow its own laws.

When people apply for asylum, they're entitled to due process, they're entitled to have a hearing. And if the -- after all this happens, they decide to deport him, so be it, so long as he's had his hearing.

NGUYEN: All right. But if the U.S. holds him, then Cuba can say, You're harboring a terrorist. Isn't that the issue here also, Nelda? BLAIR: The issue is nothing about what Cuba thinks or says or what Castro feels about the United States. It has nothing to do with this case. What everything has to do with this case is for the safety and security of U.S. citizens. The administration is entitled to make its decisions based on that, and nothing else.

And I don't care what else is done, I don't care what Castro thinks. What matters is, what the administration feels is best for the U.S., and that's what they'll base it on.

NGUYEN: All right. Let's move over to the Budweiser issue here. We've got an employee who was seen in public drinking a Coors beer. Now, the employee says he was off duty, he was not wearing his Budweiser uniform. Does he have a suit, Leda?

RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: Absolutely he has a suit. This is about employers trying to control every aspect of your life, including your time off. What happened here is, the guy's drinking a beer on his off time, and now the company is saying, You don't have off time, even when you're not with the company, you're with us. And we can control what you do, even in your off hours.

Absolutely ridiculous. Of course he has a suit.

NGUYEN: All right. But the company, Nelda, says, Well, yes, he was wearing his uniform. And they're saying that he wasn't just fired for the fact that he was drinking a Coors beer, but that he was saying things about the Budweiser company. So, I mean, where does this fall?

BLAIR: Listen, the guy needs to learn not to bite the hand that feeds him. Here's the problem. He was so drunk, he doesn't remember that night. He was in uniform, according to other people in the bar. He was drinking brand X, talking bad about his employer, and he'd been demoted prior to that. What other reason do they need?

NGUYEN: But it was on his off time. How can be held accountable on his off time?

BLAIR: It may be his off time, but he was still in uniform. And even in his off time, if he's saying disparaging remarks about his own company, if he is disloyal, there is nothing wrong with wrong with firing this man. He was a bad employee. He needs to quit whining about losing his job...

NGUYEN: Oh, ouch.

BLAIR: ... and go find another one.

RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: Whoo. Well, you know what? What Nelda's actually telling all of us, Betty, watch out. If you're on your off time, and you're watching brand X on television...

NGUYEN: Uh-oh.

RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: ... you might actually be canned by brand Y. I mean, that's... NGUYEN: Don't be seen in public, yes.

(LAUGHTER)

RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: No, God forbid. I mean, that's absolutely ridiculous, if you think about it. People have -- people who are off duty need to have a life, and they have every right to drink brand X, eat brand Y, and do whatever they please, even if their employees don't like it. This guy was off duty. (INAUDIBLE)... BLAIR: Well, they don't -- this -- they didn't just not like it, Leda. The man's in uniform, he's in public. There's a whole lot of difference. I bet you don't go around talking about how great the prosecution is on your off time.

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: Oh, oh, oh, oh, wow.

NGUYEN: Ouch.

RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: That was painful, Nelda. I'll get you back.

NGUYEN: Who knew a can of beer would get you both so riled up.

All right, I've got to move on.

RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: (INAUDIBLE), though.

NGUYEN: Oh-ho. Oooh, that was another tough one. OK.

Let's move on quickly before you guys go at it.

HARRIS: OK.

NGUYEN: The judge in the Jackson case has allowed Geragos to continue with this limited testimony. Leda, can they change the rules in the middle of this? Because in the beginning, the judge thought he could talk about anything.

RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: Hey, the judge can change his mind. And what happened here, after he admonished the defense, he allowed them to limit Geragos's testimony to what Geragos knew before Michael Jackson was arrested. Absolutely logical decision. The judge did the right thing. The waiver of the attorney-client privilege here occurred only as to Geragos' communications with Jackson prior to the arrest.

NGUYEN: All right. One quick thing, though, for Nelda. You, I want to ask you about these sanctions, because the judge says he felt deceived by all of this, and he is considering sanctions against Thomas Mesereau, Jackson's lead attorney.

What kind of sanctions are we talking?

BLAIR: Well, what he's trying to say is, You don't come into my courtroom, tell me you're going to do one thing, and then do another on the stand, because I have control of this courtroom. Sanctions could range from anywhere from a fine to contempt of court. It could be anything.

NGUYEN: Really? OK.

BLAIR: But -- Absolutely. But this judge has every right to do that. And as Leda said, he has every right to change his mind in the middle of a trial. He is the judge.

NGUYEN: All right. We'll see how it all shakes out. Thank you, ladies. Boy, it was heated today over a can of beer. Who knew?

(LAUGHTER)

NGUYEN: See you next weekend.

HARRIS: Often gets heated over a can of beer.

(LAUGHTER)

NGUYEN: A can of beer.

HARRIS: Yes.

All right, let's get to our e-mail questions. Saddam in his underwear, is it news?

This from Sam. "Let's see, it's OK for the insurgents to publish pictures and video of kidnapped civilians being decapitated, but a photo of an apparently healthy and clean Saddam in his underwear is an awful dirty lowdown stinking thing to do, perhaps enough justification to murder more innocents. Did I get that right?"

Thank you for the e-mails.

Here's the address, weekends@cnn.com. And there's the question, Saddam in his underwear, is it news? We'll read more of your responses next hour.

NGUYEN: Coming up on "HOUSE CALL," from drugs to diets to exercise, Dr. Sanjay Gupta leads us through the latest cancer breakthroughs.

HARRIS: That, plus your top stories, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Now in the news from Idaho, new home video in to CNN this morning of Shasta Groene. She and her brother Dillon have been missing since Sunday. The video was shot just nine days ago as she gave a presentation on a science project. Police say word of a recent sighting of the children turned out to be a bad tip.

A British tabloid releases new photos of Saddam Hussein in U.S. custody. One of them shows the former Iraqi leader behind a barbed- wire fence praying. This comes on the heels of other revealing photos released yesterday. "The Sun" tabloid says someone in the U.S. military provided the pictures. Saddam's lawyer is threatening to sue. The Pentagon says it is investigating.

The Palestinians say President Mahmoud Abbas will meet with Israeli leader Ariel Sharon on June 7, but Israeli officials won't confirm that. Both leaders are due in the U.S. this week.

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 May 21, 2005 - 07:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Unauthorized photos of Saddam Hussein have the Pentagon up in arms.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

It is May 21.

Good morning, everybody.

I'm Betty Nguyen.

It's 7:00 a.m. in the East, 4:00 a.m. in the West.

Thanks so much for being with us this morning.

Let's start with some headlines.

First Lady Laura Bush is at the World Economic Forum in Jordan. She spoke to world leaders there and she's also meeting with Arab women and children. The first lady says her trip is a goodwill effort to help change the image of the United States in the Arab world.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office won't confirm Palestinian reports that he'll meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas early next month. A spokesman for Sharon says the prime minister is interested in meeting but that nothing has been set up just yet. Abbas is scheduled to meet with President Bush at the White House this Thursday.

The first hurricane of the Pacific season is now merely just a tropical depression. Here's a live look at a satellite loop. We'll try to put that up shortly. Adrian hit El Salvador with a wallop of wind and rain, but the storm did little damage and no one was killed, thankfully. Thousands of people are headed to coastal areas in an evacuation.

Now, nearby Honduras also got plenty of rain, but no major damage there either.

Coming up this hour, a well known dictator possibly over-exposed. We will take you about more pictures of Saddam Hussein behind bars.

And, powerful serves -- they are bankable tennis stars, served with multi-million dollar advertising deals. We'll hit the court to find out who is raking it in. And check this out. This dog has a story to tell you. Yes, he does. He was supposed to die in a gas chamber. But he had other plans. They are calling him the "Miracle Dog." We'll tell you why.

We want to get to our top story right now.

More jailhouse photos are published of Saddam Hussein. It comes one day after a picture was splashed all over the media showing the former Iraqi dictator in his underwear. U.S. officials worry the photos will further tarnish America's image in the Arab world.

CNN senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): "The Sun" newspapers flashed the picture of the underwear-clad former dictator on its front page. The British tabloid claimed the photo, along with several others showing Saddam Hussein in captivity, were handed over by U.S. military sources who had said hoped to deal a body blow to the resistance in Iraq. Instead, the unauthorized release dealt the U.S. military another public relations nightmare by provoking outrage from many Iraqis.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): It is not acceptable to show a president in such way. It must respect the name of a president all over the world, regardless of if he is a dictator.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): What we saw on TV is not right. Saddam Hussein is an Iraqi and we are a civilized country.

MCINTYRE: In a statement, the U.S. military in Baghdad said the photos "were taken in clear violation of DOD directives and possibly Geneva Convention guidelines" and expressed disappointment that "someone responsible for the security, welfare and detention of Saddam would... provide these photos for public release."

Military sources tell CNN based on the way Saddam looks and the backgrounds, the images appear to have been taken between January and April of 2004, and may have come from a security camera that monitors Saddam around the clock. The military says it's taking the unauthorized release very seriously.

The last thing the U.S. needs is a repeat of the violent demonstrations that followed an erroneous report that military investigators confirmed U.S. interrogators desecrated a Koran. "Newsweek" magazine retracted the story and President Bush downplayed the idea that the Saddam pictures could spark similar protests.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think a photo inspires murderers. I think they're inspired by an ideology that is so barbaric and backwards that it's hard for many in the Western world to comprehend how they think.

MCINTYRE: A second set of pictures published by "The Sun" Saturday shows Saddam Hussein praying behind barbed wire, but also shows two other captives, the man dubbed "Chemical Ali" for his alleged role in using poison gas against the Kurds, and a woman nicknamed "Chemical Sally" or "Mrs. Anthrax" for her part in Iraq's germ program.

(on camera): The military says only a small number of people have access to the super secure jail where Saddam Hussein is being held and that personal cameras are banned from the facility. The U.S. is promising an aggressive investigation.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: The pictures of the imprisoned Saddam Hussein are getting lots of media attention in the West, but not so much in the Arab media.

So what do you think? Are these pictures news? E-mail us at our new address, weekends@cnn.com. We'll be reading your replies throughout CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

Well, the stage is set for a showdown in the Senate next week over judicial nominees and the filibuster. Republicans plan a test vote Tuesday on Texas Judge Priscilla Owen's nomination to a federal appeals court. She's one of the seven judicial nominees opposed by Democrats. If, as expected, Republicans don't get the necessary 60 votes to overcome a Democratic filibuster, then the Republicans may try to change the rules. They're talking about banning Senate filibusters on appeals court and Supreme Court nominees.

President Bush may butt heads with Congress over the controversial issue of stem cell research. The president is threatening to veto a bill that would expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. The bill is pending in the House and could come up for a vote next week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I've made my position very clear on embryonic stem cells. I'm a strong supporter of adult stem cell research, of course. But I made it very clear to the Congress that the use of federal money, taxpayers' money to promote science which destroys life in order to save life is -- I'm against that. And, therefore, if the bill does that, I will veto it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: One law maker calls the president's stance "disappointing" and says the bill holds the promise of curing diseases that affect millions of Americans.

Now to the case of those missing children in Idaho. Authorities say a tip that someone had spotted them yesterday turned out to be incorrect. An amber alert remains in effect for 9-year-old Dylan Groene and his 8-year-old sister Shasta. Authorities say someone reported seeing the two yesterday in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, a store there. But the boy spotted had long hair, while Dylan has a crew cut, as you can see in his picture there.

The children's brother, mother and the mother's boyfriend were found dead in their Coeur d'Alene home on Monday.

We will have a live report next hour.

If keeping up with the news wasn't on your to do list this past week, we are here to help.

Let's "Rewind" now through some of the big stories of the last few days.

Tuesday, Antonio Villaraigosa defeated incumbent James Hahn to become the first Hispanic mayor of Los Angeles in more than 100 years. Villaraigosa, who is currently an L.A. council member, lost a mayoral bid to Hahn four years ago.

Thursday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it raised questions more than two years ago about the Pentagon, or to the Pentagon about the American interrogators at Guantanamo Bay disrespecting the Koran. A "Newsweek" report that a copy of the Koran was flushed down a toilet at GITMO sparked deadly riots in Afghanistan last week. That story was later retracted because "Newsweek" said its source had doubts about the information.

Also Thursday, South Korean scientists announced they made a major breakthrough in stem cell research. Not only have they found a way to dramatically speed up the creation of embryonic stem cells, but their cells are patient-specific, which means they're a genetic match. The breakthrough put stem cells one step closer to being used for actual treatments.

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

All right, we are taking you "Beyond The Game" this Saturday morning, hitting the hard court to find out how much money tennis stars bring home after the match is over.

And later, 200 people were on hand to wish the happy couple well. Find out why this particular wedding got so much attention. That's not pictures of the wedding, of course. We'll show you those.

And good morning Chicago! Look at that, the sun just coming up over the beautiful city. We'll have your weather forecast in about five minutes.

Are you having trouble with your money? Well, you'll want to watch CNN this morning for some tips. We'll start with "OPEN HOUSE" at 9:30 Eastern, "DOLANS UNSCRIPTED" at 10:00 a.m., and then we will bring you small business success stories on "TURNAROUND." That's at 11:00 Eastern.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NINA ZAGAT: The Golden Door is the top spa in the country, according to the participants in our survey. Some of the things that make it special -- great facilities, wonderfully comfortable rooms, terrific treatments and it's a very comfortable environment.

Miraval is a unique kind of spa, very new age in terms of the atmosphere. People are not just interested in exercise, but also in more spiritual activities -- communing with nature and just enjoying themselves in a very calm setting.

The Canyon Ranch is known as a spa that's really much more involved in pure exercise. If you're really a very committed, athletic type and also want to be able to put other things into your time, then Canyon Ranch is a terrific spa.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: A former Anheuser-Busch employee is shedding tears in his beer. He claims he was fired after being spotted in his Budweiser uniform drinking a Coors. A cold one leads to a hot topic for our legal panel. That is live next hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Checking "Stories Across America" now, the Indiana Parole Board doesn't want its governor to grant clemency to a death row inmate who says he wants to donate part of his liver to his ailing sister. Gregory Johnson is scheduled to die Wednesday. He was convicted of beating and killing an 82-year-old woman.

In Boise, Idaho, the local rescue mission is getting some help from three determined youngsters. The children, they went door-to- door to help the mission and collected more than $100. A shelter official says that money was enough to feed 53 hungry people.

And here's a story some staffers right here on the weekends know all too well about. We're speaking of our producer, in particular. That's weddings. They are expensive. And a new study says the average wedding in this country costs more than $26,000. Yikes! Which may explain why couples are getting married later in life and footing much of the bill themselves.

Hey, speaking of walking down the aisle, some 200 people one -- or they helped one high profile couple celebrate their wedding at a Washington State winery. Forty-three-year-old Mary Kay Letourneau married her 22-year-old former student last night. Letourneau served seven-and-a-half years in prison for raping her now husband when he was 12 years old.

And take a look at this. A true wonder dog that made it out of the gas chamber alive. That's right. You'll meet him later this hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It's an amazing story.

And, hey, we've got another wonder here with us this morning, that is Rob Marciano.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi.

Where's Tony? What happened -- what did you say to him? Did you upset him in some way?

NGUYEN: I made him mad. He left. No, actually, he'll be in at 8:00 this morning.

MARCIANO: Oh, OK. Good. Good.

And the dog story coming up a little bit later, as well.

NGUYEN: And Tony's taking part in that dog story, so very interesting. You'll want to watch.

MARCIANO: All right. I'll be looking out for that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: The Allergy Report coming up in about 15 minutes.

NGUYEN: Oh, yes, we need to talk about that, Rob.

MARCIANO: I'm sorry.

NGUYEN: Talk to you soon.

MARCIANO: OK.

NGUYEN: All right, we want to talk about a major breakthrough right now which was announced this week in stem cell research. Korean scientists unveiled advancements they hope could one day save millions of lives. But that research is not allowed here in the U.S. Tomorrow on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING," is America falling behind in this historic race for cell reproduction? It's a question for U.S. scientists who moved to Europe to be a part of the stem cell revolution. The battle between politics and science, that is live on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING," 9:00 a.m. Eastern.

But up next, when -- with Roddick, Agassi and the Williams sisters, are Americans still losing their spin on the court? We will ask someone who can predict lots of things -- football in hand -- including the future of tennis. I guess that is his little globe there, as he looks into his crystal tennis ball.

RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: The tennis ball.

NGUYEN: Yes, Rick Horrow...

HORROW: It's a tennis ball.

NGUYEN: ... serves up "Beyond The Game" when we return. And he speaks.

We'll be talking with you shortly, Rick.

HORROW: OK, a deal. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

HOLLY FIRFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You've probably heard the phrase breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, now there are new studies to back up that claim.

Researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso found that calories consumed in the morning are the most satisfying. The theory is that our hunger and the signals that tell us we're full follow our circadian rhythms, gearing up when the sun comes up, around breakfast time, and slowing down at sunset, around dinner.

Now, based on the study, if women eat a little more at breakfast, they may be able to eat lighter the rest of the day and lower their overall calorie intake.

Holly Firfer, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

NGUYEN (voice-over): Only two Americans have won a grand slam title in tennis the last two years -- Serena Williams' victory this year at the Austrian Open and Andy Roddick at the U.S. Open in 2003. As we get ready for next week's second slam event of the year, tennis experts are wondering aloud if Americans have lost their top spin and would that make the game a tough sell in the U.S.?

An interesting question this morning, as we take you "Beyond The Game."

(END VIDEO TAPE)

NGUYEN: All right, here we go.

Corporate dollars and television contracts for tennis are usually generated here in the U.S. So, American superstars can certainly be a plus.

For more, we want to bring in a star in his own mind, the author of "When the Game Is On the Line," CNN sports business analyst Rick Horrow.

He joins us from West Palm Beach, Florida -- good morning, Rick.

HORROW: Betty, a star in my own mind?

NGUYEN: Yes.

HORROW: I thought that kind of comment was reserved only for Tony. NGUYEN: Well, you know, I have to... HORROW: So you're going to get it, too, huh?

NGUYEN: ... continue with the theme here.

HORROW: Is that what this is all about?

NGUYEN: Hey, we'll go at it.

HORROW: All right, we're starting.

NGUYEN: Let's go.

Ready?

HORROW: Here we go.

NGUYEN: All right.

HORROW: You've got it.

We're ready.

NGUYEN: So what happened to the American game? Who are today's tennis superstars?

HORROW: Well, today's tennis superstars are not Americans. We can get into that. But the bottom line is corporations still love the game. You know, Sony spent $88 million financing the women's tennis tour and now we're on the heels of the French Open so we're thinking about that kind of thing.

But the bottom line for corporate America is they love the sport. The average player, 31-year-old, upwardly mobile professional making 62K. So, the superstars are promoted. They're not necessarily American. Maria Sharapova, according to our Russian producer on Saturday morning...

NGUYEN: Shara-pova, Sharapo-va, whatever.

HORROW: ... that's the right punctuation -- not Sharapova. But she is making $6 million in a Canon deal and Nike, and she's obviously getting more and more as she wins more Wimbledons.

You have Serena Williams making $17 million to $18 million in endorsement money a year. She's also branching out. She's been in "My Wife and Kids," "Law and Order," and she wants to become a professional, world-renewed actress.

Then you've got the old reliables. You know, Steffi Graf and her husband Andre Agassi have a cute commercial where they're playing each other to see who fills out taxes. And Genworth Financial is funding $25 million for that campaign, so successful, they've carried the commercial over for another year.

NGUYEN: My goodness. There is some money to be made which, you know, leads to my next question. How does tennis and corporate America sell the game without this abundance of U.S. stars?

HORROW: Well, the first thing, Betty, is where they get the money. You know, $151 million in ad revenue goes to the tennis business. So they can fund things like promotion. And the U.S. Tennis Association has a plan called Plan For Growth where they're trying to diversify, as well. They're promoting old reliables -- Monica Seles, Chris Evert have been in a commercial, a "Got Milk" campaign. Then you've got the new superstars, Raphael Nadal and Gayle Monfields (ph), who you'll see in the French Open, are the future of the game, also.

And we've got some gimmicks, by the way. The USTA is going to have blue courts at the U.S. Open so the ball stands out. Hockey tried that. We saw what happened there. I can't wait.

The bottom line is to diversify, though. We now have a 20 percent increase in Hispanic tennis players, a 9 percent increase in African-American players. And the real key is to make sure the sport broadens its base because only 15 percent of the top 200 players in the world are Americans. And unless we continue to improve, we're going to have more grand slam titles without American players.

NGUYEN: Hey, you know what? I used to play a little tennis in high school. Maybe I should have stayed on the court with all that money to be made. My goodness.

HORROW: Well, I'm sure before we go to "Fair" and "Foul," you can beat Tony, and I'm going to put money on that high stakes match.

NGUYEN: Oh, I wouldn't go that far. Usually, he's a pretty good athlete.

So let's go to "Fair Ball," shall we?

HORROW: He's a pretty good talker.

The "Fair Ball," bottom line "Fair Ball," and it's a great story. You've got a firefighter named Herzog, 31 -- or 39-year-old Phoenix guy who, by the way, bet a dollar superfecta on the winner last week, Giacomo. Now, I did the same thing, expect I bit a $2 to win. I won $100.

This guy won $850,000.

NGUYEN: Wow!

HORROW: Problem -- lost the ticket. Rummaged around garbage. The ticket teller, Brenda Reagan, the next day, found it, gave it back to him. An American success story.

NGUYEN: That's amazing.

HORROW: More important than that, he's going to make $600,000 after taxes going into the Preakness this week. It's a great "Fair Ball."

NGUYEN: That's a good story of lost and found.

All right, so, we have to get to the "Foul Ball."

What is that?

HORROW: Well, the "Foul Ball" is kind of interesting. We have a new coach of the San Francisco 49ers football team. His name is Mike Nolan. He wanted to pay homage to his father, who coached the 49ers 20 years before, named Dick. And he wanted to wear a coat and tie on the sidelines, like his dad did. And the NFL said no, you've got to wear a Reebok sponsored jacket.

Now, the reason, we understand it. Reebok has a 10-year, $250 million deal with the NFL.

NGUYEN: Right.

HORROW: And what they're going to do, by the way, is Reebok is going to sit down with Nolan and design some higher quality, in their words, dress up suits for him, or shirts, to wear on the sidelines next year.

Now, Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry, the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, Hall of Fame coaches, they wore coats and ties. What happened? Well, it's the almighty dollar. But Reebok and the NFL are going to get together and do a bang up job, probably next year after this is all over.

NGUYEN: Get a new line out of it. That's not too bad for a "Foul Ball" today.

All right, Rick, thanks so much.

I didn't beat up on you too bad.

HORROW: No. You and I on the court next week. We'll see. I'd rather play a sporting event with someone who doesn't...

NGUYEN: You don't want to get beat...

HORROW: ... who does not talk as much as Tony any...

NGUYEN: ... by a girl, do you?

HORROW: I absolutely do. I have no problem with it, as long as you don't talk as much as Tony does.

NGUYEN: All right.

The deal is on.

Talk to you later.

HORROW: Bye-bye. NGUYEN: Bye.

Quentin the dog made it out of the gas chamber alive. This is an amazing story. But that is only the beginning. We'll fill in the blanks when Quentin and his owner join us a little bit later this hour.

And Afghan President Hamid Karzai is demanding the U.S. take strong action against certain U.S. military personnel. Find out why. We're "Going Global" next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

Plus, after the record breaking release of the new "Star Wars" movie -- have you seen it yet? Well, what else should you expect this summer? Find out tonight at 6:00 p.m. Eastern when CNN gives you a hot ticket to fun.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: First Lady Laura Bush is trying to spread the seeds of democracy in the Middle East.

We want to welcome you back this morning.

I'm Betty Nguyen.

We'll have that story in just a moment.

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

It's apparently a first in Iraq. Baghdad's main Sunni mosques were closed for three days. Sunni leaders say the move is a protest against the killings of members of the minority community. A recent up stick of murders -- up tick, that is -- of murders in Sunni -- of Sunni leaders is being blamed on a Shiite militia with ties to the government.

Now, the military will begin using a new laser warning system in the nation's capital today. When pilots see these colored laser beams, it means they're flying in restricted airspace and should turn away. The Pentagon says the goal is to avoid what happened earlier this month when a small plane got too close to the White House, forcing evacuations.

The Justice Department plans to get a national sex offender Web site up and running by mid-July. The site will allow parents and others to search for the latest information and location on known sex offenders beyond their home state. Participation by the states is voluntary.

There is more anti-American trouble brewing in the Muslim world.

We want to get the details now on that and those other top stories around the world.

So let's hand it over to Anand Naidoo at the CNN international Desk -- good morning, Anand. ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Betty, thanks, and good morning.

America's image in the world, especially the Muslim world, has taken a bit of a battering in recent days. Now there's deep anger in Afghanistan over reports American soldiers have been abusing prisoners in that country. The allegations were published in the "New York Times" and detail the deaths of two Afghans at Bagram Air Base. President Hamid Karzai, a close ally of the U.S., is demanding "very, very strong action" against U.S. military personnel found to be abusing prisoners.

For its part, the U.S. military says -- or, rather, defended its treatment of prisoners and says that it will not tolerate any kind of abuse.

The White House is making some high level efforts to repair the damage. First Lady Laura Bush is in Jordan extending a friendly hand to the Middle East. It's her second solo trip to the region in two months. She's calling on leaders in the region to expand women's roles and adopt democratic reforms.

Now to Chile and a tragedy in the making there. Hopes are fading for 41 soldiers trapped in the Andes after a blizzard hit their regiment during a training exercise. At least five men are already reported to have died. The country's top brass, the Chilean top brass, is blaming this on officers who ordered the men out of their shelter when this blizzard started.

That's all from me.

We'll have more later.

Now back to Betty.

NGUYEN: All right, we'll be checking in with you later on, Anand.

Thanks.

Now to "Security Watch" this morning, where we update you on the week's major developments in the war on terror every Saturday morning.

Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff wants to create a quicker travel system for some people. Now, it would allow so-called "trusted travelers" to get from Point A to Point B without constant screening at airports. He says that this would let his department focus on those who are not on that trusted list.

Chertoff's comments come after two similar incidents in a single week. Now, in both cases, transatlantic flights were diverted because a passenger's name appeared on a no fly list. Both episodes turned out to false alarms.

It's expected the Homeland Security Department will draw the curtain on a Hollywood consultant hired to improve the agency's image. The consultant's $100,000 salary would go instead to state and local first responders. Meantime, lawmakers are trying to close a loophole in airline security. They want to get all cargo inspected before it's shipped on commercial airliners by 2008. Now, until then, they want airlines to notify passengers if unchecked cargo is on their flight. Both items have been proposed as amendments to the 2006 Homeland Security spending bill.

You'll want to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

All right, chances are you've seen the pictures of Saddam Hussein behind bars by now. Those pictures are getting lots of media attention in the West, but not as much in the Arab media.

So what do you think? Are these pictures news? E-mail us your thoughts to our new Web address. That's weekends@cnn.com. We'll read those replies throughout CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP FROM FRANK SINATRA SONG)

FRANK SINATRA: When I sing, I can make the rain go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Oh, yes, that's a nice way to wake up this morning, Chicago, as we take a live look over the city right now. We'll have your national forecast coming up just a little bit later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Courtroom contradictions this week in the Michael Jackson sexual abuse trial. A witness disputes claims by the mother of the accuser that she was being held captive at the pop star's Neverland Ranch. The Jackson case on the docket next hour, live, 8:00 a.m. Eastern.

MARCIANO: And I'm Rob Marciano again in the CNN Weather Center.

Here's a look at your pollen crumbs. And your allergy Forecast south of the Mason-Dixon, where we see the biggest issues, Louisiana, Mississippi, southern Alabama is, well, where the grass is in. The walnuts and the pecan trees are starting to fire up. Hardwoods up north, also getting into the act.

Hope you're feeling well on this Saturday.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Here's a proposition for u. How about letting cnn.com be your Internet guide to summer entertainment? It sounds like a good idea to me.

VERONICA DELACRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How about it? NGUYEN: We have Veronica De La Cruz in here. DELACRUZ: How about it?

NGUYEN: De La Cruz, to talk about this -- good morning.

DELACRUZ: Good morning.

NGUYEN: Are you ready for the summer?

DE LA CRUZ: I am. Have you seen "Star Wars?"

NGUYEN: Not yet. It seems like everyone and their dog has seen it already. I haven't seen it just yet. I'm planning to, though.

DE LA CRUZ: I am, too. And lucky for you, at cnn.com we're actually taking a look at the long awaited feature "Star Wars," "The Return of the Sith," as well as what's on tap for this summer's coming attractions.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DELACRUZ (voice-over): From a galaxy far, far away, "Star Wars: The Return of the Sith" opened in nearly 3,700 theaters across the nation. CNN.com takes a look at the long awaited feature, as well as what's on tap for this summer's attractions.

The latest "Star Wars" episode brings the saga full circle. The original was the highest grossing film until "E.T." came along in 1982. How versed are you when it comes to the characters in this ever thickening plot? This guide connects the dots in an intergalactic story of love and war. And if you think you are the ultimate "Star Wars" fan, you can test your knowledge with this online quiz. Use the force for all the answers.

The movie industry makes more than half its money between now and Labor Day weekend. With "Star Wars: Return of the Sith" leading the pack, what else is out there? From "Batman: The Beginning" to "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," browse this gallery to get the scoop.

Plot your summer diversions with CNN.com's entertainment calendar. Get release dates for books, movies, DVDs and CDs, and find out when and where your favorite bands are on tour. Just log onto CNN.com/coming attractions.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

DELACRUZ: Also, don't forget to tune into CNN's entertainment special, "Hot Ticket To Fun." That airs today at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.

And did you see that, Betty, magic?

NGUYEN: I'm still trying to figure out how you got over there and you changed your clothes so quickly and then got back here.

DELACRUZ: High tech.

NGUYEN: That's some "Star Wars" magic right there.

DELACRUZ: That is.

NGUYEN: All right, Veronica, thanks so much.

Calling this dog's ordeal a miracle is an understatement, to say the least. Find out how he cheated death and how his story is now saving the lives of other canines. That's next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

First, a "CNN Extra" for you this morning.

The weekend is the latest addition to the endangered species list. It's no secret Americans work hard. In fact, "Life" magazine finds nearly half of us bring work home on the weekends instead of relaxing.

So, what do women want most on their weekends? Well, that's to spend time with their family. And the guys, well, they want some intimate time with their spouses or partners. Just the facts, guys. Just the facts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Checking out top stories at this hour, the U.S. military says it will aggressively investigate how pictures of Saddam Hussein were released to a London tabloid. One photo showed the former Iraqi president dressed only in his underwear.

For the first time in Iraq, Baghdad's main Sunni mosques were closed for three days. Sunni leaders say the move is a protest against the killings of members of their minority community.

And a nationwide sex offender database should be up and running by this summer. The Justice Department says the Web site will give people immediate access to information across the country. The Department says one problem, each state has its own definition for sex offenders.

Check out these pictures. No, it is not the desire to study that brought this bull -- yes, a bull -- to school. Wait until you hear how it there in our "Wows of the Week." That's a little bit later this hour.

But first, some startling statistics. Every day in the U.S., over 26,000 dogs and cats are put to sleep, about 18 every minute. The dog in our next story was supposed to be one of them. Called the "Miracle Dog," he was gassed with other dogs. But after 25 minutes inside the gas chamber, an amazing thing happened. The dog lived. But the either others, they did not.

My co-anchor, Tony Harris, met with the subject of this book and his owner just a few weeks ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Randy, tell us about this beautiful dog, Quentin, and how he survived the gas chamber. This is an amazing story.

RANDY GRIM, AUTHOR, "MIRACLE DOG": Yes, it's an amazing story, but it's an important story.

Quentin survived the gas chamber in St. Louis about a year-and-a- half ago. In St. Louis at that time, we still used a gas chamber to euthanize animals, unwanted pets. And so with Quentin, I got a call one morning from a supervisor there saying, "Hey, Randy, I just gassed our normal lot of dogs and I opened the chamber and standing on top of a mound of other dogs was this one little guy wagging his tail."

And she goes, "I don't have the heart to re-gas him."

HARRIS: Right.

GRIM: Well, I have two no kill shelters in the city of St. Louis and that's why they called me. And I said don't re-gas him, I'll come get him and rescue him. So I didn't know it was going to become such a huge story, either.

HARRIS: Right. And a media star. I mean look at this guy. He's beautiful and it's a miracle story, isn't it?

GRIM: It is a miracle story. The, you know, I always like to tell people that it's not just that Quentin was standing on top of a bunch of dead dogs. It's those dogs that died that the -- well, the new book is about, and how important it is for people to realize that there are, you know, five to 10 million Quentins a year being destroyed, and many of them being destroyed by the gas chamber.

HARRIS: Well, what is it that you want us to take from his story? What is it that you want us to learn and to understand about, I guess, the way we should treat our pets and treat our dogs?

GRIM: You know, 80 percent of Americans consider their dogs as family members.

HARRIS: Yes.

GRIM: So take it to the next level and be responsible for them.

HARRIS: Right.

GRIM: So instead of Quentin ended up -- his original name was Kane and he ended up at the city pound because they were moving into an apartment that didn't accept dogs.

HARRIS: Right. Right. Right.

GRIM: Well, find him a dog -- find a new home for your dog.

HARRIS: Right. Right. GRIM: Don't burden the shelter system, because it's already a fractured system. HARRIS: Well, you know, it's no surprise that you and Quentin came together. They call you the man who talks to dogs.

GRIM: Yes, it's embarrassing.

HARRIS: Did this work find you or did you find this work?

GRIM: It found me. I like to think I was a normal guy at one time and then -- in St. Louis, when I moved to St. Louis, I saw packs of wild dogs and street dogs, mainly in the poor, urban areas.

HARRIS: Yes.

GRIM: And I would call, you know, animal control, the Humane Society, and nobody would touch them. And I started to think of ways to touch them and the ways to capture them and then ways to rehabilitate them. And I had a -- and I just took it upon myself because I knew no one else was doing it.

HARRIS: What has this guy taught you about yourself? What you have you learned about yourself from your work?

GRIM: Well, I am a guy that's plagued with some phobias and anxiety and -- which is nothing more than fear. And if Quentin can be courageous and survive -- not just survive the gas chamber but then to -- I think he made a pact in that chamber with the dog gods and -- to go on to help other dogs close down gas chambers across the country, change laws, to make it a more humane, just a more humane world for man's best friend.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

NGUYEN: That's a true definition of man's best friend.

All right, recently, Grim convinced the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico to agree to a no kill policy within five years. That is a miracle story there.

Don't forget to e-mail us this morning.

The pictures of Saddam Hussein in prison with just his underwear getting lots of media attention in the West, but not as much in the Arab media.

What do you think? Are these pictures news? E-mail us at our new address, weekends@cnn.com.

We'll be reading some of your replies next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK MARTINO, GOLF INSTRUCTOR: This errant tee shot of mine has landed me in the intermediate rough. When we look at the lie of the golf ball, we immediately determine that we have a possibility of hitting a flier. A flier is when there's grass between the blade of the club and the ball. It sends the ball higher, takes the spin off it, makes it very hard to control.

So what I'm going to do to play this shot is I'm going to place my club behind the ball and then when I take my stance, I'm going to play the ball slightly farther forward in my stance. By playing the ball slightly farther forward, I'll catch it more on the up swing and I'll send it out knowing it's going high and long. I'll also use a club with more loft because the ball is going farther than I expect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Time now for some stories that'll make you say wow!

If it weren't for this next video, you might think our first story was a whole lot of bull. Here's a true high school bully. On Wednesday, Jasper was set loose in a Florida high school by some prank playing seniors who were caring for him. No raging bull, he just wandered around until teachers pushed him back in his pen. As for those pranksters? Well, they were suspended for four days.

In North Carolina, one growing family strapped for cash is putting the babies to work. Catherine and Richard Smith already have twins. Now, they found that they are having triplets. They estimate about 15,000 diapers the first year alone.

So, to help pay for it all, they are soliciting ads to go on their triplets' stroller. The more oohs and ahs over the babies, the more eyeballs on the ads.

And in Minnesota, a sheriff's deputy involved in a freak accident -- oh, look at that -- is lucky to be alive, no doubt. The deputy was struck by a pickup truck Wednesday as he helped a woman stranded on the road. Every time I see that, it never ceases to amaze me. He was treated at a hospital and released. No serious injuries. Can you believe it?

Rob, every time I see that, like I say, oh, it seems to hurt. And to imagine that he walked away with no serious injuries, that's a miracle.

MARCIANO: Oh, yes. I was watching a couple of interviews with this guy on morning TV.

NGUYEN: Yes, he was already doing interviews.

MARCIANO: And he was just like yes, you know, whatever. I just -- how did you survive? Well, I just kind of went along with the truck.

NGUYEN: Right.

MARCIANO: I mean it looked like he got just literally cut in half there. That's amazing.

NGUYEN: Yes, he said maybe just because he wasn't expecting it that he was perhaps limber.

MARCIANO: Right, right.

NGUYEN: And that allowed him just to be tossed to the side. But, whoo, that man has got a story to tell.

MARCIANO: He does, for sure.

Hey, I want to start you off with what's left of Adrian. It was the first hurricane of the Pacific season to get fired up, actually, the first hurricane ever to hit Central America on the west side. Now it's really been torn -- I mean the mountains down here, believe it or not, are 12,000, even 13,000 feet, and they really just rip apart any storms that try to make it over the mountain passes. So that's a non- event now, but still the rains that came across that area were torrential.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: Hey, big doings up at the race track this afternoon. The Preakness is showing up at Pimlico out there in Baltimore. A chance of rain and 68 degrees. But most of the rain across Baltimore came yesterday. They had over an inch of rain and the track is saturated, to say the least. But right now we're not looking at much in the way of rain, so just a slight chance of seeing a shower pop up there across the Northeast. It will be on the cool side.

Place your bets there, Betty, Pimlico at 6:00 p.m. today.

NGUYEN: I placed my bet on Giacomo last time and won, so...

MARCIANO: You did not.

NGUYEN: I did, too, Rob. We've already been over this.

MARCIANO: Oh, that's right. That's right.

NGUYEN: It was a free bet, though, remember that?

MARCIANO: All right, so let me know in the next half hour who you're going to pick today.

NGUYEN: All right. I'll work on that for you and get back with you.

MARCIANO: All right. Cool.

NGUYEN: Let's get to our e-mails today. We're getting several of them in. And here's the question: Saddam Hussein in his underwear, is it news? Of course, you've seen the pictures in the tabloids of him.

And Mighty Mouse writes to us this morning. I didn't know superheroes were watching, but apparently they are. Mighty Mouse says: "The photos of Saddam Hussein are not news at all. He has his rights as a prisoner. You can hate him but the pictures are rude and quite nasty. Whoever did this should be put in jail."

And Diana writes to us this morning saying: "The pictures were Saddam's idea to get people riled up against Americans. The terrorists and liberals looking to make the Republican administration's policy of a free Middle East a failed policy will do anything, including endangering our troops."

So, continue telling us what you think this morning.

Here is the question once again: Saddam in his underwear, it is news? E-mail us -- weekends@cnn.com.

CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, good morning, everyone. From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

And look who finally showed up. Good morning, Tony.

HARRIS: You started the show without me, huh?

NGUYEN: Hey, we had...

(CROSSTALK)

NGUYEN: ... the train has left, we had to get on board.

HARRIS: All right.

(LAUGHTER)

NGUYEN: Welcome back. It is, what, 8:00 a.m. here in the East...

HARRIS: Yes.

NGUYEN: ... 5:00 a.m. out West, early morning out there.

HARRIS: All day long.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: Good morning, everybody. I'm Tony Harris. Let's get you started with what's now in the news.

For the first time in Iraq, Baghdad's main Sunni mosques are closed for three days. Sunni leaders say the move is to protest the killings of members of their minority community. A recent spate of unexplained murders of Sunni leaders is being blamed on the Shi'ite militia with ties to the government. First lady Laura Bush is in Jordan today. Amman is the first stop on her five-day goodwill mission to Jordan, Israel, the West Bank, and Egypt. Mrs. Bush says she hopes that she can help repair America's image in the Muslim world.

Today, in the sky over Washington, the U.S. military begins testing a sophisticated aircraft warning system. An elaborate network of cameras and lasers will scan the sky. Color warning beams will flash at aircraft entering restricted air space. The FAA says on average, small planes violate prohibited airspace there at least twice a day.

NGUYEN: Here's a look at what's coming up this hour, Saddam Hussein captured again, this time on film. The U.S. says it will aggressively investigate when they were taken and how those pictures were linked to a London tabloid.

It is now five days and counting for two missing Idaho children. A tip in the case turned out to be a false lead.

And in our legal briefs, a Budweiser employee is canned after he's caught chugging back a cold one made...

HARRIS: Oh.

NGUYEN: ... by a competitor. We'll tell you all about that.

HARRIS: But first, our top story.

A dictator shown dress down. Some raw reactions, and now a search for the naked truth. And just who snapped and sold revealing shots of Saddam Hussein behind bars? Some in the Arab world are enraged, and the U.S. military says it will investigate.

More now from CNN's Kathleen Koch live at the Pentagon. Kathleen, good morning.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.

Obviously, the U.S. military is not at all pleased that these photos were taken or published. And, as you pointed out, (INAUDIBLE) promising a very aggressive investigation into just how and why this happened.

And, of course, there's additional concern here this morning over the release of some new photos. One of them, here the, there you see it, apparently shows Saddam Hussein praying. Also published today were similar photos, more images of Ali Hassan al-Majid, known at Chemical Ali, and then also Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash, known at Chemical Sally. A U.S. military official in Baghdad tells CNN that the pictures appear to have been taken between January and April 2004. These were the pictures of Saddam Hussein, given Saddam's conditions and some features in the background.

Now, obviously, these are some very high-value prisoners, so there are, is a, there are a very limited number of people who actually have access to them. No personal cameras are permitted in that area. Obviously, Saddam Hussein's lawyers are very concerned, also, that these pictures have been taken and published.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIOVANNI DI STEFANO, SADDAM HUSSEIN'S ATTORNEY: They are regrettable. It is regrettable when you have photographs of that nature, and it's very nice to hear that the Pentagon are going to have a full and aggressive inquiry into who took them, why, and wherefore. And then, needless to say, to punish those that require punishment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: The U.S. military is also concerned about the potential impact that this could have on U.S. efforts of win the hearts and minds of Iraqis to rebuild Iraq, because obviously, besides being a possible violation of the Geneva Conventions, these photos are seen by many as degrading and as an affront to Muslim sensibilities.

Still, President Bush says that he does not believe that they will inspire more attacks by the insurgents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think an -- a photo inspires murders. I think they're inspired by an ideology that is so barbaric and backwards that it's hard to many in the Western world to comprehend how they think.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: So the probe by the Pentagon will be very intensive, and there are many questions to explore. For instance, since no personal photos were allowed into this, personal cameras were allowed in this area, were these photos take by some sort of a security camera? And with the release of the new photographs, does -- were they taken and released by the same person, Tony, or could this perhaps reflect a broader breach of security?

HARRIS: Yes, yes, lots of questions. Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon for us. Kathleen, we appreciate it. Thank you.

KOCH: You bet.

HARRIS: The pictures of the imprisoned Saddam Hussein are getting lots of media attention in the West, but not as much in the Arab media. So what do you think? Are these pictures news? E-mail us at our news address, weekends@cnn.com, and we'll be reading your replies throughout CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: In Idaho, high hopes shattered after a false ID. The trail to two missing children grows colder as one supposed sighting of them turns out to be a bad tip. Now, though, new home video of one of the missing children, Shasta Groene, just nine days ago, as she gave a presentation on a science project. It was taken by parents of another child at her school. And with these new pictures, the hope that this will not be the last that we will see of her.

Our Alina Cho is following the story and has the latest from Coeur d'Alene. Good morning, Alina. ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Betty.

And we do want to get right back to that home video that CNN has just obtained. It is of 8-year-old Shasta Groene, who has been missing since Monday night, along with her brother, 9-year-old Dylan. As you mentioned, it was taken nine days ago, shows little Shasta presenting a science project at her school, taken by another parent who has a child in little Shasta's class.

As you mentioned, of course, we do hope it is not the last time we see Shasta and her brother Dillon.

A little more now about that false ID. Authorities are now discrediting that report of a possible sighting. Earlier, there was a report that someone had spotted two children resembling 9-year-old Dillon and 8-year-old Shasta Groene. That possible sighting was at a pawnshop that sells sporting goods about 70 miles north of here. The owner of the store had called in that tip, but later, upon being interviewed again, realized that the boy he had seen had longer and darker hair than Dillon.

Now, crime scene investigators, we should mention, are going to wrap up their work today at the home where the bodies of the children's mother, brother, and boyfriend were found on Monday night.

Also this morning, we've obtained the 911 call made by the neighbor.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BOB HOLLINGSWORTH, NEIGHBOR (on phone): I went to the door to pay the little kid $10 for mowing the lawn, and there's blood all over the door. And no one comes to the door, and their car is there (INAUDIBLE). And I tried to call them today, and I didn't get them.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

CHO: Joining us now Kootenai (INAUDIBLE) Kootenai County sheriff's captain Ben Wolfinger.

Captain Wolfinger, thank you for joining us.

CAPT. BEN WOLFINGER, KOOTENAI COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: Good morning.

CHO: Any new leads this morning?

WOLFINGER: Nothing since last night.

CHO: OK. And tell us, why is it that you are still holding out hope, after all of these days, that the children will still be found alive? WOLFINGER: Well, we think -- feel that if the children have been meant to be killed, they would have been killed there with the rest of the family. And that's why we're hopeful that they're alive out there, and somebody's going to find them and bring them to us. CHO: And in fact, you're going to be bringing in profilers in the future.

WOLFINGER: Absolutely. The FBI...

CHO: Tell us about that.

WOLFINGER: ... profile -- the FBI profilers should be here this weekend. They're going to review the crime scene so they can help our investigators get a direction and a sense for the kind of person that could be responsible for this.

CHO: So you're in it for the long haul.

WOLFINGER: We are really in it for the long haul. We're set up for it. We're planning for it. Be over 40 investigators working this. It's a team effort between our office, the state police, and the FBI.

CHO: All right, Captain Ben Wolfinger of the Kootenai County sheriff's office, we thank you very much for joining us.

WOLFINGER: Thank you.

CHO: And we'll see you again very, very soon.

We should also mention, Betty, that more than 500 tips have been called in to the hotline so far, and 40 investigators are following those tips. But so far, nothing has panned out, Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, you can only hope. Alina Cho, thank you so much.

Tony?

HARRIS: Well, it is a story to be told around the water cooler and the beer keg.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: A beer company employee, busted for drinking a competitor's brand.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: We'll put this one to our experts later in legal briefs.

(LAUGHTER)

NGUYEN: Also ahead, the second leg of the Triple Crown is later today. But will the weather cooperate? Rob will be along with the forecast, that ever-important forecast today. HARRIS: At the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Maryland, I should add.

NGUYEN: Oh, yes.

HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes.

And later on "HOUSE CALL," cancer breakthroughs. Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us the studies that are giving lots of people new hope.

And CNN has helpful advice for you all morning long. We'll start with "OPEN HOUSE" at 9:30 Eastern, with a half-hour special on safety at home. "DOLANS UNSCRIPTED" at 10:00 a.m. rolls out its summer travel special. And then we'll bring you small business success stories on "TURNAROUND" with Ali Velshi at 11:0 a.m. Eastern.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Morning once again. I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Weather Center, forecast for today.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

MARCIANO: In your hometown, Tony, of Baltimore, Maryland.

HARRIS: Yes. So we've got a little bit of -- some rain issues up there for you.

MARCIANO: Well, they had most of the rain yesterday. Tons of it, actually. Today, (INAUDIBLE) not nearly as much.

HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE)?

MARCIANO: Just a slight, about a 30 percent of seeing a shower, so not so bad.

HARRIS: While I was there, the sun was out, Betty. I want you to know that.

NGUYEN: You brought them sunshine.

MARCIANO: The sun always shines when you're there.

HARRIS: That's right. Thanks, Rob.

NGUYEN: Keep on believing that.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: It is reported Iraqis reacted with shock at photos of former dictator Saddam Hussein in jail in his underwear. A British tabloid today published another shot of Saddam, despite a lawsuit threat from his lawyers. On Capitol Hill, if no compromise is reached, a Senate showdown on the future of the filibuster is set for Tuesday. Republican Senators have forced a critical test vote in the fight over using filibusters to block President Bush's judicial nominees.

And surprise Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo is at six-to-one odds going into today's Preakness Stakes. Giacomo goes up against 13 other horses for the second jewel in racing's Triple Crown.

NGUYEN: He's a suspected terrorist seeking asylum in the U.S., and his case is sparking massive -- look at this -- massive protests in his native Cuba. We'll talk about the man and his uphill legal battle coming up next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: In this morning's "Legal Briefs," talk about a buzz kill. A worker at a company that distributes Budweiser beer says he was fired after he was caught drinking Coors beer out in public. The company says, Well, that's not why he was canned. We'll get into that.

Also on the docket this morning, the U.S. is trying to decide whether to deport a Cuban militant. He's wanted in connection with the bombing of a Cuban airliner. Cuba calls the man a terrorist and says the U.S. is guilty of a double standard if it doesn't send him back.

So let's turn all of these issues to our legal experts. Former prosecutor Nelda Blair is in Houston, and civil liberties attorney Leda Rodriguez-Tassef joins us from Miami. Good morning, ladies.

NELDA BLAIR, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Good morning.

LEDA RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF, CIVIL LIBERTIES ATTORNEY: Good morning.

NGUYEN: Let's start with of Luis Posada Carriles, a former CIA operative, staunch opponent to Fidel Castro, accused of blowing up a Cuban airliner. The U.S. has him in custody. Leda, should they deport him?

RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: They should hold a hearing and determine whether or not he's entitled to asylum. And once that process is done, they can decide whether to deport him or not. But the issue here isn't so much to deport him or not deport him, it's whether or not the United States is going to cave to the pressure of Cuba and refuse to follow its own laws.

When people apply for asylum, they're entitled to due process, they're entitled to have a hearing. And if the -- after all this happens, they decide to deport him, so be it, so long as he's had his hearing.

NGUYEN: All right. But if the U.S. holds him, then Cuba can say, You're harboring a terrorist. Isn't that the issue here also, Nelda? BLAIR: The issue is nothing about what Cuba thinks or says or what Castro feels about the United States. It has nothing to do with this case. What everything has to do with this case is for the safety and security of U.S. citizens. The administration is entitled to make its decisions based on that, and nothing else.

And I don't care what else is done, I don't care what Castro thinks. What matters is, what the administration feels is best for the U.S., and that's what they'll base it on.

NGUYEN: All right. Let's move over to the Budweiser issue here. We've got an employee who was seen in public drinking a Coors beer. Now, the employee says he was off duty, he was not wearing his Budweiser uniform. Does he have a suit, Leda?

RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: Absolutely he has a suit. This is about employers trying to control every aspect of your life, including your time off. What happened here is, the guy's drinking a beer on his off time, and now the company is saying, You don't have off time, even when you're not with the company, you're with us. And we can control what you do, even in your off hours.

Absolutely ridiculous. Of course he has a suit.

NGUYEN: All right. But the company, Nelda, says, Well, yes, he was wearing his uniform. And they're saying that he wasn't just fired for the fact that he was drinking a Coors beer, but that he was saying things about the Budweiser company. So, I mean, where does this fall?

BLAIR: Listen, the guy needs to learn not to bite the hand that feeds him. Here's the problem. He was so drunk, he doesn't remember that night. He was in uniform, according to other people in the bar. He was drinking brand X, talking bad about his employer, and he'd been demoted prior to that. What other reason do they need?

NGUYEN: But it was on his off time. How can be held accountable on his off time?

BLAIR: It may be his off time, but he was still in uniform. And even in his off time, if he's saying disparaging remarks about his own company, if he is disloyal, there is nothing wrong with wrong with firing this man. He was a bad employee. He needs to quit whining about losing his job...

NGUYEN: Oh, ouch.

BLAIR: ... and go find another one.

RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: Whoo. Well, you know what? What Nelda's actually telling all of us, Betty, watch out. If you're on your off time, and you're watching brand X on television...

NGUYEN: Uh-oh.

RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: ... you might actually be canned by brand Y. I mean, that's... NGUYEN: Don't be seen in public, yes.

(LAUGHTER)

RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: No, God forbid. I mean, that's absolutely ridiculous, if you think about it. People have -- people who are off duty need to have a life, and they have every right to drink brand X, eat brand Y, and do whatever they please, even if their employees don't like it. This guy was off duty. (INAUDIBLE)... BLAIR: Well, they don't -- this -- they didn't just not like it, Leda. The man's in uniform, he's in public. There's a whole lot of difference. I bet you don't go around talking about how great the prosecution is on your off time.

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: Oh, oh, oh, oh, wow.

NGUYEN: Ouch.

RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: That was painful, Nelda. I'll get you back.

NGUYEN: Who knew a can of beer would get you both so riled up.

All right, I've got to move on.

RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: (INAUDIBLE), though.

NGUYEN: Oh-ho. Oooh, that was another tough one. OK.

Let's move on quickly before you guys go at it.

HARRIS: OK.

NGUYEN: The judge in the Jackson case has allowed Geragos to continue with this limited testimony. Leda, can they change the rules in the middle of this? Because in the beginning, the judge thought he could talk about anything.

RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: Hey, the judge can change his mind. And what happened here, after he admonished the defense, he allowed them to limit Geragos's testimony to what Geragos knew before Michael Jackson was arrested. Absolutely logical decision. The judge did the right thing. The waiver of the attorney-client privilege here occurred only as to Geragos' communications with Jackson prior to the arrest.

NGUYEN: All right. One quick thing, though, for Nelda. You, I want to ask you about these sanctions, because the judge says he felt deceived by all of this, and he is considering sanctions against Thomas Mesereau, Jackson's lead attorney.

What kind of sanctions are we talking?

BLAIR: Well, what he's trying to say is, You don't come into my courtroom, tell me you're going to do one thing, and then do another on the stand, because I have control of this courtroom. Sanctions could range from anywhere from a fine to contempt of court. It could be anything.

NGUYEN: Really? OK.

BLAIR: But -- Absolutely. But this judge has every right to do that. And as Leda said, he has every right to change his mind in the middle of a trial. He is the judge.

NGUYEN: All right. We'll see how it all shakes out. Thank you, ladies. Boy, it was heated today over a can of beer. Who knew?

(LAUGHTER)

NGUYEN: See you next weekend.

HARRIS: Often gets heated over a can of beer.

(LAUGHTER)

NGUYEN: A can of beer.

HARRIS: Yes.

All right, let's get to our e-mail questions. Saddam in his underwear, is it news?

This from Sam. "Let's see, it's OK for the insurgents to publish pictures and video of kidnapped civilians being decapitated, but a photo of an apparently healthy and clean Saddam in his underwear is an awful dirty lowdown stinking thing to do, perhaps enough justification to murder more innocents. Did I get that right?"

Thank you for the e-mails.

Here's the address, weekends@cnn.com. And there's the question, Saddam in his underwear, is it news? We'll read more of your responses next hour.

NGUYEN: Coming up on "HOUSE CALL," from drugs to diets to exercise, Dr. Sanjay Gupta leads us through the latest cancer breakthroughs.

HARRIS: That, plus your top stories, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Now in the news from Idaho, new home video in to CNN this morning of Shasta Groene. She and her brother Dillon have been missing since Sunday. The video was shot just nine days ago as she gave a presentation on a science project. Police say word of a recent sighting of the children turned out to be a bad tip.

A British tabloid releases new photos of Saddam Hussein in U.S. custody. One of them shows the former Iraqi leader behind a barbed- wire fence praying. This comes on the heels of other revealing photos released yesterday. "The Sun" tabloid says someone in the U.S. military provided the pictures. Saddam's lawyer is threatening to sue. The Pentagon says it is investigating.

The Palestinians say President Mahmoud Abbas will meet with Israeli leader Ariel Sharon on June 7, but Israeli officials won't confirm that. Both leaders are due in the U.S. this week.

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