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CNN Saturday Morning News
West Point Graduates Face Even Greater Challenges After Commencement; Murder Suspect in Atlanta Removed from Crane After 57 Hours; Michael Jackson's Defense Rests as Trial Nears End; Memorial Day Events in the Nation's Capital; The Housing Market Offers Uncertain Investments
Aired May 28, 2005 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: OK, let's get this show on the road.
Good morning -- Randi Kaye.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
HARRIS: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
It is May 28 and good morning to you.
I'm Tony Harris.
KAYE: And I'm Randi Kaye in for Betty Nguyen.
It's 7:00 a.m. here in the East.
Let's get started with the overnight headlines.
Two bombs exploded this morning at an Indonesian market. At least 20 people are dead and 57 wounded. Police in the eastern town of Tentena say the second bomb was the stronger of the two and its 15 minute delay may have targeted emergency workers responding to that scene. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation. Tentena is a largely Christian area.
Driving home a message in the nation's capital. It's called Rolling Thunder, an annual motorcycle rally to remember Vietnam veterans and U.S. troops now serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Last year, about 300,000 motorcyclists took part and another half million people lined the route.
Back on the ground, and finally in custody just after midnight, Atlanta police tasered and subdued a murder suspect who had spent more than two days perched high atop a construction crane. We'll have a live report later this hour.
HARRIS: Will the housing bubble be followed by a bust? All this weekend, we'll tell you what to look out for. If you're a buyer or a seller, will you find yourself ahead of the curve or in a bubble?
Plus... (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not all right! (INAUDIBLE)!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Cries of outrage in an Indonesian court as a foreigner faces a stiff sentence. We'll take a closer look.
And NASCAR knows all too well the marriage between pro sports and Hollywood can be a very good thing. But it can also cause some big curves. We'll go "Beyond The Game."
KAYE: President Bush kicked off this Memorial Day Weekend with a commencement address at the Naval Academy. He personally commissioned the graduating officers at Annapolis yesterday. The president spoke about the changes ahead for military bases as the armed forces move into the 21st century.
Cadets graduating from West Point today will hear from chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Richard Myers.
Nowhere is Memorial Day more front and center than Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknowns.
CNN's national correspondent, Bruce Morton, was there for the preparations.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One, two, three.
BRUCE MORTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Charlie Company, 3rd Infantry Regiment's the old guard. They are in Arlington Cemetery doing what they do every Memorial Day -- putting flags in front of the tombstones here. The flag is planted one foot, one soldier's foot, in front of the stone. Aaron Nelson, 23, from Hibbing, Minnesota says the spring rains have softened the ground, made it easier this year.
PFC AARON NELSON, U.S. ARMY: Countless war heroes are buried throughout the cemetery. I mean, even just putting a flag in them is just a small honor. And that's one thing that I like to -- that's one thing that I'm able to do for them.
MORTON: They train for combat, too, here firing the anti-armor Javelin missile. But they are the old guard. They guard the Tomb of the Unknowns. It gets flags, too. This is a new grave -- no stone yet, but a flag. They're the honor guard at the funerals here.
Aaron Nelson likes the Army, but he'd only seen one funeral before he joined. And the ones here, he says, are not easy duty.
NELSON: You have to see the family. You have to see, you know, the wife, the children, you know, just babies that are left. And they -- they don't even know what's going on, you know? And they are left with no father, no mother. I mean, it's sad to see that. It's something that you don't want to see, to see 8-year-old girls crying, you know. It's just not a sight that should be seen.
MORTON: The work goes on flag by flag, row by row. The 1,100 men of the old guard will plant more than 280,000 flags this day. And, finally, as the day wanes, the work is done, Aaron Nelson and the other men of Charlie Company can head home now. The cemetery, full of memories, full of grief and pain and honor, rests now, ready for Memorial Day.
Bruce Morton, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: In the Iraqi city of Tikrit, two car bombs exploded within a half hour of each other. Nine people are dead and at least 44 others are wounded after the apparently coordinated bombings. Military officials say the second bomb was a suicide attack timed to target emergency workers responding to the first bombing.
In other violence, a Sunni tribal leader known as a moderate who supported the democratic process was gunned down in a drive-by shooting outside his home in Kirkuk.
KAYE: Black hoods and black robes -- that's what protesters wore as they disrupted a speech by Condoleezza Rice late Friday. The secretary of state was in San Francisco talking about the spread of democracy overseas. The protesters were apparently dressed like an Iraqi prisoner who was seen in one of the most striking photos from the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. Rice noted that people in Baghdad now also the right to protest.
We update you on the week's major developments in the war on terror every Saturday morning in "Security Watch."
A warning from the nation's law enforcement -- be careful what you buy. Sales of counterfeit goods may be funding terror groups. Experts told a Senate homeland security hearing this week that they believe Hezbollah may be raking in big bucks from the sale of knock off merchandise. There are no exact numbers, but sales estimates are in the millions.
General aviation and charter flights will soon resume at Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport. They were stopped more than three and a half years ago because of 9/11. Transportation officials are placing several security restrictions on the flights. Some are being criticized as needlessly cumbersome.
Congressional investigators say two programs designed to bolster security at the nation's ports are not working. The programs were meant to improve the screening of shipment containers at their point of origin and in the U.S. But the government found that countries taking part in the project only inspected 17 percent of the containers labeled high risk by the U.S.
Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security. HARRIS: And Randi, now to your financial security. All this weekend we're looking at rising concerns of a so-called housing bubble created when a red hot housing market suddenly turns ice cold.
Here's CNN senior correspondent Allan Chernoff.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Twenty-five miles west of the nation's capital, there is a Mecca for home builders and buyers. In Ashburn, Virginia, hundreds of homes under construction, thousands more planned.
STEVEN ALLOY, PRESIDENT, STANLEY MARTIN: If you can get the permits, if you can get pavement, then you're going to sell houses.
CHERNOFF: That kind of demand pushed new home sales up again in April. The median price nationwide for a new home now at $230,800, the second-highest level ever.
In markets like Las Vegas, Phoenix and Miami, speculation is fueling price gains. Investors putting down just 5 percent and taking out interest-only mortgages to defer principal payments. Their plan -- flip the house, sell it quickly for a profit.
DEBBIE SMITH, LAS VEGAS INVESTOR: You could buy a house for $130,000 and by the time you close, it could have been worth $200,000 or more. Some people made $50,000 to $100,000, even $150,000 off a single-family home.
CHERNOFF: "Fortune" magazine is calling it the real estate gold rush. But housing experts say it can be dangerous.
MICHAEL CARLINER, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDERS: If they think they're going to make a quick buck, it's not as easy to sell houses as it is to buy them. In a soft market, at least, it's not as easy to sell them. Right now, it's pretty easy. And so that's a risky proposition.
CHERNOFF: Federal Reserve officials are worried, as well. One central banker Wednesday warned buyers are going to get burned. And Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan says some hot markets could easily cool off.
ALAN GREENSPAN, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: But it's hard not to see, one, that there are a lot of local bubbles; and, indeed, even without calling the overall national issue a bubble, it's pretty clear that it's an unsustainable underlying pattern.
CHERNOFF (on camera): The key to housing is mortgage rates. As long as they remain relatively low, experts say the nation's housing market should be able to avoid a bust. But in certain overheated markets, they warn, supply could soon outstrip demand, leading to lower prices.
Allen Chernoff, CNN, New York. (END VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS: I need that.
KAYE: Yes, you do.
HARRIS: In just over an hour, CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis will join us with a closer look at the housing bubble and her top five tips on how to protect yourself. That's in the 9:00 hour Eastern, 6:00 Pacific right here on CNN.
So, let's get to our e-mail question this morning. Is real estate a good investment right now? Tell us what you think. We are at weekends@cnn.com reading your e-mails throughout the program.
KAYE: National outrage after a drug trial in Indonesia. We'll tell you why Australians are crying fowl, just ahead.
HARRIS: And we're taking you "Beyond The Game" to see how professional sports and Hollywood mix it up to cash in.
KAYE: And good morning, Philly. We've got your full Memorial Day weekend weather forecast -- looking good so far -- just ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIM ZAGAT: Theme restaurants have several pluses. They have the appeal of some kind of rock and roll, movies, sports. They very often have celebrities attached to them. They almost always have memorabilia. But the critical thing that to make a success, you've got to have food. They've got to remember that the theme may attract people once, but you come back to eat.
The theme restaurant of all time is probably the Hard Rock Cafe. But Dave & Buster's is one of the ones that is national. There are a lot of theme restaurants, unfortunately, that have failed in the last few years. Some of the biggest theme restaurants have also turned out to be the biggest failures.
Hard Rock has succeeded over the years and they have a simple but very good menu that keeps people happy to come back. It has turned out to be the biggest success in that whole industry of theme restaurants.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: An early wrap from Michael Jackson's defense team sends the trial to the jury. Find out what to expect next week in our "Legal Briefs," next hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Oh, the folks in Seattle, they love their hot coffee. But this weekend, they may want to drop some ice in it. It is hot in the Emerald City. Yesterday, Seattle saw a record temperature of 89 degrees.
HARRIS: Wow!
KAYE: That's breaking a 33-year-old record and prompting a heat advisory.
But there is some relief in sight. Forecasters say today will be much cooler.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Is that what they're saying...
KAYE: Is that...
HARRIS: ... the forecasters?
KAYE: We can count on you, Rob.
HARRIS: Yes.
KAYE: It's your job.
HARRIS: You've got the definitive word on this.
MARCIANO: Did you notice fans? Not a whole lot of air conditioning up there in Seattle.
HARRIS: Yes, that's true.
KAYE: No.
HARRIS: And I'll tell you something, you know, the heat -- I believe it was a little warm here yesterday -- it played a role in finally getting the crane guy to surrender and come down.
MARCIANO: Oh, right.
KAYE: The crane guy.
HARRIS: It was warm. Well, I don't know what -- everybody is calling him a different name. I can't share some of the names he's been called.
MARCIANO: We've been sharing that information.
KAYE: Oh, he's had a lot of names.
MARCIANO: You got yours already?
HARRIS: Yes, yes, right. Yes, we have.
KAYE: Yes. Yes.
HARRIS: Yes.
KAYE: So what is happening in Seattle?
MARCIANO: Randi, you were up in Seattle recently?
KAYE: I was. It was beautiful, though. I was there earlier this week shooting a story and the weather was glorious.
MARCIANO: It is nice there. It can be nice this time of year, at least.
KAYE: Yes.
MARCIANO: But record highs, obviously. The average 65 to 70 degrees. So 90...
HARRIS: Yes.
MARCIANO: That's tip top.
KAYE: Too much.
MARCIANO: Portland, down the road, 95. So, yes, that's smoking hot.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: A pretty good weekend for a lot of folks and I hope the weather cooperates for your plans.
HARRIS: That's right.
KAYE: OK.
Thanks, Rob.
HARRIS: Rob, thank you.
Professional sports are turning to Hollywood in hopes of winning more hearts. But it's not always an easy task. One big time star ready for his Demille close-up. OK, maybe not. Our sports guru, Rick Horrow, who knows the challenges of this relationship, he joins us next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Doctors for years have warned consumers about the health risks of salt. Too much sodium can cause hypertension, which can lead to heart disease and stroke.
Now, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, or CSPI, says Americans are not heeding that warning and that 150,000 premature deaths occur each year in the United States because of diets too high in salt.
CSPI says these days, more people are turning to processed foods and restaurant fare, which contain excessive amounts of salt. Federal dietary guidelines for middle-aged and older Americans recommend 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. For everyone else, the number is 2,300.
Kyra Phillips, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS (voice-over): Hollywood knows all too well, if you want people to come see your movie, wrap the plot around a popular sport.
Case in point, the newly released makeup of "The Longest Yard."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LONGEST YARD")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's race.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Professional sports are learning a similar lesson. One key to maximum exposure? Follow NASCAR's lead and get a starring role in a movie like "Herbie: Fully Loaded." They are but two examples of the ever growing and ever profitable relationship between Hollywood and sports. That and more when we take you "Beyond The Game."
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS: Sports and entertainment seems like the perfect match. But like any marriage, there are always challenges.
For more, let's bring in our leading man, the author of "When the Game Is On the Line," CNN sports business analyst Rick Horrow.
He joins us, as he always does, from West Palm Beach, Florida -- good morning, sir.
RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Hey, good morning, your honor. And, frankly, Happy Memorial Day to you and your colleagues.
HARRIS: And to u.
And to you.
HORROW: I'll be very nice to u. You are an inspiring talent and you should be in pictures yourself.
HARRIS: Oh, let me cross the fingers right now.
HORROW: OK.
HARRIS: All right, let's talk about this marriage between sports and Hollywood. And, you know, the latest example, as we mentioned, is this remake of "The Longest Yard." But we've seen this trend over the years, haven't we?
HORROW: Yes. An old 1974 movie featuring, now, an older Burt Reynolds and Adam Sandler...
HARRIS: That's right.
HORROW: ... and Chris Rock, Cinderellaman, coming up in a couple of weeks. All told, 15 first run sports movies in '05. And '04 was even better. "Dodge Ball" was the highest grossing sports movie. You had "Miracle," about the Olympic hockey team. And you had "Friday Night Lights" about high school football in Texas. And all of that had one thing in common -- money, money and more money.
And, of course, we have a survey saying there are 500 million spectators who watch sporting events every year.
HARRIS: Wow!
HORROW: But the lifestyle surveys say 36 percent of us would rather go to movies first and only 8 percent would rather go to a sporting event. So what did we do? We combined both of them. Major league baseball, for example, last year almost to the day, promoted a "Spiderman 2" movie with their Nets Spiderman logo around second base and other bases. Baseball was going to get $4 million. The fans were outraged. They said, no, no.
HARRIS: Right.
HORROW: They took it away.
But the merger of sports and Hollywood is here to stay. Let's call it Bally-wood.
HARRIS: Bally-wood.
Well, Rick, is there any sport taking better advantage of this relationship than NASCAR?
HORROW: No. NASCAR, by far, is doing a lot of stuff. For example, their NASCAR 3D, the Imax experience, grossed $20 million. It was the highest grossing documentary last year other than "Fahrenheit 911." You've got that Disney movie, "Herbie: Fully Loaded" coming out in a couple of weeks.
HARRIS: Yes.
HORROW: Lindsay Lohan in a Volkswagen is trying to beat Dale Jarrett and other drivers. You've got Sheryl Crow and Britney Spears and others performing and being involved in the races. Nextel, by the way, they get it right. They're spending a billion dollars on NASCAR every year for the next 10 years. So not just sports now, but they're able to get in movies by that relationship. June 19, Michigan International Speedway, The Batman Returns 400, the first time a race is named after a movie.
And, by the way, there's more on the way.
HARRIS: And, you know, they've been placing these movie titles on these NASCARs for a while now, haven't they? HORROW: Well, they've been placing the movie titles on cars for a long time.
HARRIS: Yes.
HORROW: And, frankly, remember, in soccer, Atletico Madrid signed a $16 million deal a couple of years ago where every week there's a new movie title put on their treads.
HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE).
HORROW: And it's common practice for soccer. In America they're saying, oh, no, no, we can't do that. But we are.
HARRIS: Yes, we really are.
All right, what do you want to go with now, your foul ball or fair ball? Which one first?
HORROW: No, we're doing the fair ball first...
HARRIS: Yes, OK.
HORROW: ... because we were told to do with fair ball first.
HARRIS: OK.
HORROW: And the reason why we're doing it is because we have the Indy 500 coming up and we've got Danica Patrick, who may win the Indy 500. She is the darling of the media, went to New York. Had 27 television interviews, by the way.
HARRIS: Wow!
HORROW: She has now caused Michael Bloomberg, the mayor, to claim Indy 500 Day in New York and she says that if she wins the race in Indy this weekend, she will revolutionish -- revolutionize -- easy for her to say -- the sport, you know?
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
HORROW: She (INAUDIBLE) what she does.
HARRIS: I'm with you.
And your foul ball of the week?
HORROW: Well, the foul ball is an indictment handed down by the New York district attorney last week and it's against 36 runners, reputed runners from the Bonanno crime family who sold $2,000 -- or $2,000 bets at $500,000 a day. But guess what the twist is? A lot of it, it is alleged, was out of Shea Stadium by a groundskeeper.
HARRIS: Oh.
HORROW: Now, the Mets have denied involvement, but given all of the stuff that's happening with major league baseball and steroids and the like, it couldn't have come at a worse time for them.
HARRIS: There he is, Rick Horrow, our guru, "Beyond The Game."
Good to see you, Rick.
Have a good weekend.
HORROW: You have an absolutely fantastic Memorial Day. Play a little bit of golf, because you need it.
HARRIS: Take care, man -- Randi.
KAYE: Thanks, Tony.
In a market where housing is booming and mortgage rates are low, a million dollar dream home could become a reality.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Beautiful granite countertops and, as you can see, gourmet Wolf range with a hood.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: So, what does a million dollars buy? Find out tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. Eastern on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING."
And, once again, our e-mail question this morning -- is real estate a good investment right now? Tell us what you think. We're at weekends@cnn.com reading your e-mails throughout the program.
Two and a half days on top of this construction crane proved to be enough for a murder suspect. Coming up, how police got him down. That's later this hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Drug smuggler or innocent victim? A friendly reminder to check your luggage after an Australian beauty therapist is convicted in Indonesia.
Welcome back.
I'm Randi Kaye in for Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.
That story In a minute.
But first, a look at the morning's headlines.
Now in the news, former President Bill Clinton is on another tsunami relief mission. This morning he's visiting a fishing town in Sri Lanka that was devastated by the December disaster. Clinton says he is also planning a future trip to tour other tsunami hit areas, including those held by the Tamil Tigers rebel group. We're keeping a close eye on the medical condition of Saudi Arabian King Fahd, leader of the world's largest oil producing nation. A Saudi diplomatic source tells CNN the 82-year-old monarch is suffering from pneumonia like symptoms. His condition is described as quite serious, but not life threatening. Official Saudi reports say he is well after being hospitalized.
A nearly 57-hour stand-off atop an Atlanta crane came to an end overnight. Carl Roland climbed out onto the crane's arm on Wednesday afternoon. Just after midnight, police tackled and tasered the Florida man as he approached them for some water. Roland is wanted in the beating death of his ex-girlfriend.
KAYE: The ups and downs of the Michael Jackson trial are nearing an end. For 13 weeks, a jury of his peers and the public saw celebrities on the stands, fans in the streets, even the defendant in his pajamas. Now the jury could begin deciding the singer's fate next week.
Here's CNN's Ted Rowlands.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The jury in the Michael Jackson case has heard all of the evidence that they are going to hear in this case.
And the last bit of evidence that they were exposed to was a videotape interview of the accuser detailing what he claims Michael Jackson did to him to police early on. The videotape, which was an hour in length, showed the accuser being interviewed by police detectives. He detailed at least two acts of molestation at the hands of Michael Jackson.
It was expected that the defense would put on what is called a sur-rebuttal, basically, an answer to the tape. But in somewhat dramatic fashion, they had a conference, turned to the judge and said, "Your Honor, we rest."
From here, the jury will have a four day weekend. Then they are expected to hear closing arguments next Wednesday, possibly Thursday. It's safe to say they will have this case at some point next week.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS: Now to a courtroom in Indonesia and a ruling that drew shrieks from the family of an Australian tourist.
Pandemonium erupted when a Bali district court sentenced her to 20 years for drug smuggling. Critics say it's unfair when compared to something like the two year sentence Indonesia gave to a suspect in a deadly terror attack on Australians.
Reporter Tim Palmer looks at the tensions between the two countries and the scramble for legal and political options.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
TIM PALMER, ABC NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Schapelle Corby's appeal would be in the hope of her going home, or at least receiving a reduced sentence. But her lawyers concede there's the risk things could go the other way, with the appeals court having in the past increased the sentence in a drugs case to the death penalty.
VASU RASIAH, DEFENSE SPOKESMAN: It's possible, but we are confident that in normal court we can get it lessened.
PALMER: Today, the prosecution was putting the finishing touches to its appeal for a tougher sentence, and issued the same warning.
INDIA BAGUS WISWANTANU, LEAD PROSECUTOR: That's a possibility in considering the evidence, the judges see no reason to be lenient. It could come to the death sentence.
PALMER: From the defense side, they say they'll accept government help, but insist they knew nothing about any offer from the government last March to provide barristers then to advise on the case.
RASIAH: But until today, no QCs have called us, contacted us, until today, not at all.
PALMER: But according to one of the Perth QCs on offer again for the appeal process, the Corby defense team were phoned twice in March, but never called back.
MARK TROWELL, LAWYER: Nothing. Not a reply. Not a reply, which was their prerogative. But it was strange given that they had seemed to be enthusiastic about accepting that assistance in the first place.
PALMER: Indonesian law expert John Ingleson believes arguing the appeal for Schapelle Corby will require more substance than was put at the trial just ended.
JOHN INGLESON, INDONESIAN LAW EXPERT: You'd have to say, as an outsider, and we're all outsiders, that the defense case does not appear to be all that strong.
PALMER: The point conceded by one of the QCs now offered to the defense, who repeated the same problems about the supposedly key witness, Victorian prison John Ford, that were raised by federal police commissioner Mick Keelty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it was obvious that he has had problems with that evidence.
PALMER: The QCs will be starting from the basics, saying they know little about the first trial beyond media reports.
Meanwhile, the Corby family has asked Australians to boycott Qantas and to have a (INAUDIBLE) protest against Indonesia. And even some of those already in Bali are in the mood to respond.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll boycott it. I wouldn't come again. Bloody that's right.
PALMER: Even the weakest of Indonesians, it seems, are to pay for the perceived miscarriage of justice.
(on camera): The Red Cross, World Vision and other charities now say they are receiving numerous calls from donors who now want to get back the money they had offered to assistant Indonesian victims of the Aceh tsunami.
The Australian government's fears that the Corby case could spill out of court to affect the way the country's peoples think of each other may yet be realized.
Tim Palmer, ABC News, Tentena.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS: Time now to check out some of the other stories making news around the world.
KAYE: There have been twin bombings in Indonesia.
For the details on that and some of the other big world news stories, let's hand it over to Anand Naidoo at the CNN international Desk -- good morning, Anand.
ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning and thanks.
Iraqi insurgents on the attack again. More on that in just a moment.
But first Indonesia. Double bombings in a crowded market in an eastern town have killed at least 20 people and wounded another 57. The second bomb, the bigger of the two, exploded 15 minutes after the first, just as people rushed to the scene to help victims. Hundreds of people have been killed in that particular area in Indonesia since fighting between Muslims and Christians broke out in 1998.
Now to Iraq and another bloody 24 hours. Back to back car bombings in Tikrit killed nine people. The second bomb apparently targeted emergency workers. The Iraqi government, meanwhile, has confirmed that a Japanese hostage abducted earlier this month has been killed by his captors. He was among five foreign workers ambushed by insurgents west of Baghdad.
Now, there have been more than 120 foreigners who have been taken hostage in Iraq since the U.S.-led occupation there in 2003. Thirty- five of them have been killed and right now 20 are still being held. And among those 20, two Americans.
Moving now to Saudi Arabia. And King Fahd remains in the hospital one day after he was admitted for suffering from pneumonia and fever. Officials say he is in a stable condition. Fahd has been king in Saudi Arabia since 1982. He suffered a stroke in 1995 and since then his half brother, Crown Prince Abdullah, has effectively been running the kingdom.
That's all from me.
More later.
Back to Tony and Randi.
HARRIS: Anand, thank you.
KAYE: If keeping up with the news wasn't on your to do list this past week, well, we are here to help.
Let's "Rewind" now through some of the big stories of the last few days.
Tuesday, the House passed a controversial bill that would expand federal spending for embryonic stem cell research. But the vote fell short of the two thirds majority needed to override a presidential veto. The bill moves to the Senate next.
Wednesday, Amnesty International's annual report detailed claims of widespread torture and mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib Prison in Baghdad. Among others, the report also cited Russia for human rights violations linked to the Chechen conflict.
Also Wednesday, the Senate voted to confirm Judge Priscilla Owen for an appeals court post. Her approval came as part of an agreement to end partisan gridlock over the president's nominations.
And Thursday, Republicans failed to secure enough votes to end debate on the controversial nomination of John Bolton as the next U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Democrats say they're ready to vote as soon as the White House turns over documents from Bolton's tenure as the State Department's undersecretary of arms control. The White House says it has no plans to deliver.
Tomorrow, we will "Fast Forward" to the week ahead and tell you which stories will grab the spotlight.
HARRIS: A bizarre incident in an Atlanta business district is over. Have you been following this story at all? Find out how police got this guy down in a live report, it's up next, on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
KAYE: And good morning, Philadelphia. Your forecast and the forecast for the rest of the nation coming up a little bit later this hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Good morning once again.
I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Weather Center.
Here's a look at your allergy forecast.
Problem pollens in the air now, the grasses are kicking in, some of the hardwoods, especially across the northern tier. And these brighter colors now are getting north, so folks who live across the Northern Plains, the Midwest and the Northeast beginning to feel it in the allergy department.
Hope you're feeling well on this Saturday.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
CNN LIVE SATURDAY MORNING will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: A high drama, a stunning end. Atlanta police taser a murder suspect who had perched atop a 350-foot construction crane. After nearly 57 hours, he's in custody and awaiting charges in the brutal beating death of an ex-girlfriend.
Let's go right to the scene and Catherine Callaway -- good morning, Catherine.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Randi.
You're right, some 57 hours after this stand-off began, it did end early this morning with no injuries to police officers, no injuries to rescue workers. Now to Carl Roland himself, 41-year-old Roland apparently agreed to take a drink of water from the chief negotiator, Vincent Velasquez, about 12:30 this morning. And that's when he was tackled by members of the police department and then tasered once by the SWAT team. But it took another two hours, Randi, to get him from the top of that crane down to the ground.
He was wrapped in blankets. He was then strapped into a back board and then he was hoisted vertically down that crane, 350 feet down to the ground. And police officers were stationed inside that crane, helping him get down safely the 25 stories that it took to get him down.
He was then taken to Grady Hospital, no doubt suffering from dehydration and exhaustion after being on that crane for more than two days. And that is, as far as we know, where he remains, in the Grady Hospital, where he will eventually be taken to the Fulton County Jail.
Now, we heard from the chief of operations of the police department in a news conference in the middle of the night talking about how instrumental Velasquez, the chief negotiator, was in bringing all of this to a safe end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF ALAN DREHER, ATLANTA POLICE OPERATIONS: It was just through negotiations with investigator Velasquez. They developed a rapport and over a period of time, without food and water, his physical condition deteriorated. And so through his negotiations he was able to entice Mr. Roland into a position where we could affect a tactical solution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLAWAY: Of course, that tactical solution was to essentially wear Roland down so he could be brought down safely.
Now, we heard from the family members over the last two days. They were very vocal about the police's -- the police handling of this situation. They were not very happy with that handling.
But last night, after he was brought down safely, they were just happy it was all over.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIWANA ROLAND, SISTER OF CARL EDWARD ROLAND: I'm relieved now that he's down and hope that I can talk to him. But now I couldn't. But I'm just glad that he's down and he didn't get hurt or anything like that. So I'm happy. I'm satisfied now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLAWAY: But what's next for Roland? Well, Pinellas County, Florida authorities are looking to charge Roland in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend, 36-year-old Jennifer Gonzalez, who was found beaten and strangled to death floating in a retention pond behind her home. Florida authorities are in Atlanta. They're trying to, apparently, extradite him to Florida to face those charges.
As far as charges here in Atlanta, Randi, police last night said they are looking into that possibility and they are going to essentially charge him, but they're not quite sure yet what they are going to charge him with. As you can see, this area now, it has been shut down for two days, now back open for business. Traffic allowed back here on Peachtree Street. All of these businesses are open.
As you can see, the crane and the building, construction was shut down here for two-and-a-half days. Construction can now begin again. Traffic is back on this street, pedestrian traffic. In fact, one of the odd moments this morning is all the joggers that normally jog through here every morning, they run by, look up, Randi, to see if the situation is still underway. They don't see Roland on top of the crane and they want to know how it ended. A lot of curiosity about this odd case.
KAYE: Catherine Callaway with a live report for us this morning.
Thank you -- Tony.
HARRIS: And checking our top stories this morning, the Iraqi government confirms a Japanese citizen being held hostage in Iraq has been killed. The man was working for a British security company and was one of five foreign workers taken hostage earlier this month. The other four hostages have also been confirmed dead.
Former President Bill Clinton is in Sri Lanka visiting one of the areas hardest hit by December's tsunami. Clinton is serving as a U.N. envoy for tsunami relief and working with local leaders to coordinate relief aid.
And Memorial Day Weekend means Rolling Thunder is roaring through the nation's capital. Nearly 300,000 motorcyclists are expected to roll through this weekend. The event focuses on veterans of war.
This weekend on CNN, find out how to protect yourself from the housing bubble, if, in fact, there is one.
So here is our e-mail question this morning -- is real estate a good investment right now?
Tell us what you think. We are at weekends@cnn.com reading your e-mails later this morning.
KAYE: First, a "CNN Extra."
Looking to invest in real estate? You'll find the country's hottest home markets in Florida, California and the coastal Northeast. And for more affordable homes, look in Beaumont, Texas; and Waterloo and Cedar Falls, Iowa. Prices have also declined in Canton, Ohio and Syracuse, New York.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Look, most people consider money an important priority, especially how to get it and how to keep it. Regardless of your tax bracket, there are simple things you can do to protect your savings.
CNN's Veronica De La Cruz of the Dot-Dom Desk has more on that for us -- good morning.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
How are you doing?
HARRIS: Well, thank you. Thank you.
DE LA CRUZ: Good.
Well, you know, sometimes you hear or you read stories about people hiding money all over their house.
HARRIS: In mattresses, under mattresses, yes, yes, yes.
DE LA CRUZ: Why, is this something you do?
HARRIS: No, no, no, no. A bank. A bank. Yes, a bank. No. But, if you're telling me I can get a better rate from the mattress, which I don't think you are.
DE LA CRUZ: Right. Right. Well, needless to say, Tony...
HARRIS: Yes?
DE LA CRUZ: This is not the best way to protect your savings.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DE LA CRUZ (voice-over): These 10 tips on banking and saving could help you tremendously.
The first tip, use a federally insured bank account. It's likely your safest bet because your funds are insured for up to $100,000 by the U.S. government.
When shopping for a bank account, options may appear limitless. In order to pick the right one, ask yourself these four questions: how much money will you put in the bank?; how many checks do you plan to write?; how many related banking services will you need?; and how many different types of accounts will you want to set up?
Plus, see if you're making the grade when it comes to Money 101 with this online quiz.
Last but not least, now that you've got some money in a safe place, find out how fast it will grow with a savings calculator.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
DE LA CRUZ: And, of course, you can find more tips on managing your personal finances at cnnmoney.com/101. And, remember, the bank is the best place.
HARRIS: The bank. Forget about the mattress.
DE LA CRUZ: Correct.
HARRIS: The bank.
OK, Veronica, good to see you.
Thanks.
KAYE: Our e-mail question this morning -- is real estate a good investment right now? Tell us what you think. We're at weekends@cnn.com, reading your e-mails throughout the program.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GALE PETERSON, GOLF INSTRUCTOR, TOP 100 TEACHER: All great putters have many things in common, but the one that stands out is that they have a repeatable beat to their stroke. How do they get that repeatable beat?
Well, they get it by having a stroke that is controlled by the length of their motion, about the same length back as through. On small putts, I have a short backswing and short follow-through. And longer putts would be a longer back swing and longer follow through.
So remember, let the length of your stroke control distance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: And we want to check in one more time with Rob Marciano for a look at the weather -- and, Rob, I know Tony here is really worried about Monday, because he's planning that big Memorial Day barbecue that we were all invited to, so.
MARCIANO: Oh, oh, right, yes, yes, yes. We'll talk more about that going on.
KAYE: OK.
Please.
MARCIANO: You know, have you been to one of those barbecues, Randi?
KAYE: Yes.
MARCIANO: Yes.
KAYE: But we have to go.
MARCIANO: Yes, exactly.
HARRIS: Bring your own everything.
KAYE: Because nobody else does.
HARRIS: Oh, nice. Nice.
MARCIANO: Here we go kids. Settle that between you, all right?
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: The e-mail question this morning: is there a housing bubble? What does it mean to you, housing bubble? What does it mean? Is real estate a good investment right now? There's the address. You can send along your e-mails at weekends@cnn.com.
We've got a couple we want to share with you this morning.
KAYE: Yes. The first one is from Scott. And he writes: "Investing in real estate is, and has always been, one of the best investments in history. From the Dark Ages to the current day, property owners have been well off. Property is the best."
HARRIS: And this from Richard: "I made the move to central Florida to reap the rewards of the real estate boom. Success is here to stay! Real estate provides the tangible evidence of wealth, and investors, everyday folks are reaping the rewards."
Thank you, Richard.
Thank you, all, for sending in those e-mails. Here's the question once again: is real estate -- you know, we're in this bubble. Gerri Willis will be along in a little bit to tell us all about it and what it means to you.
KAYE: It's pretty important stuff.
HARRIS: It is. Is real estate a good investment? Weekends@cnn.com.
KAYE: Meanwhile, the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins right now.
From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is Saturday, May 28, 8:00 a.m. here at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, 7:00 a.m. in the Mississippi River Valley.
Good morning, I'm Randi Kaye, in for Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. Thank you for being us.
Let's get you caught up with the morning's headlines now in the news.
A pair of deadly explosions this morning in eastern Indonesia. Two bombs went off just minutes apart in a crowded market. At least 20 people are dead and more than 50 others wounded.
It happened in an area where Christians and Muslims have been fighting for nine years now.
The leader of the world's biggest oil-producing nation remains in the hospital this morning. Official reports say Saudi Arabia's King Fahd is doing well, but a diplomatic source tells CNN the 82-year-old monarch is suffering from pneumonia-like symptoms, and his condition is quite serious.
Off the crane and behind bars, just after midnight, Atlanta police managed to snare a Florida fugitive after a nearly 57-hour standoff. Carl Rowland (ph) climbed atop a construction crane on Wednesday and was perched for two-and-a-half days there. A live report coming up in just a couple of minutes.
KAYE: There are plenty of celebrating seniors across the country. It is graduation day. Straight ahead, we'll take you to the nation's oldest military academy. The new grads are out of school, but they're in for some tough lessons.
Plus, should buyers beware, or should sellers be scared? The hot housing market could be in for a chill.
And Michael Jackson's fate, it could be in the hands of the jury soon. And our legal experts have the lowdown.
HARRIS: Memorial Day weekend is particularly poignant when so many American troops are in harm's way every day. Just today, explosions near a joint U.S.-Iraqi military base in northwest Iraq killed four Iraqis and wounded 23 others.
And in Tikrit, nine people are dead, and at least 44 others are wounded after the apparently coordinated bombings. Military officials say the second bomb was a suicide attack timed to target emergency workers responding to the first bombing.
Today marks the graduation for the class of 2005 at West Point, the nation's oldest military academy. Many of the troops being commissioned today will probably face combat soon, either in Iraq or Afghanistan.
CNN's Alina Cho is at West Point with more on what's ahead for the cadets. Alina, good morning.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, good morning to you.
And you are absolutely right. Seven out of 10 graduates are in combat branches. And that means they will likely deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan within a year.
Now, the graduation ceremony is expected to get under way in exactly an hour. And this is West Point, so you can bet it will start on time. General Richard Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, is the keynote speaker today.
There are 911 graduates. And once they get their diploma, they will immediately become second lieutenants in the Army.
Now, why is this class of 2005 important? Well, they had just been in class for a couple of weeks as freshman when the September 11 attacks had happened. Many of them had two years to decide whether they wanted to quit, and amazingly, an overwhelming majority decided to stay.
Joining us now is Lieutenant Colonel Kent Cassela. He is the director of public affairs with the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Lieutenant Colonel, thank you for joining us.
LT. COL. KENT CASSELA, DIRECTOR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS, U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT: My pleasure.
CHO: Twenty-three West Point grads have fallen since 9/11. These cadets know they will likely go into combat within a year. They know what they are going to face. They could have quit. Why didn't they? What are they telling you about that?
CASSELA: This is a very unique class. And we're very, very, very proud of this class. The commitment that they've shown during their four years here, their world changed. They were hear as freshmen going into an Army that was at peace.
What we see now is, they know they're going into an Army at war. And these cadets, who had the opportunity to leave, decided that they wanted to lead and be leaders in war. CHO: You know, these cadets also had to adapt to what was going on. But so did the academy. How is a post-9/11 West Point different from a pre-9/11 West Point?
CASSELA: The experience that the cadets have here is very relevant to what they're going to see. We have a large number of combat veterans that come back here as instructors, which gives that direct influence on these cadets that will be the leaders in Iraq and Afghanistan within a year after graduating.
But more importantly, we're focused on not teaching them just Iraq and Afghanistan, but teaching them to be our generals 20 and 30 years from now. So adaptive and creative leaders, that's what we're all about.
CHO: Very quickly, some of them have said combat is easier than West Point. Do you believe that?
CASSELA: Some of the cadets will joke about that, having to face the dean and the tough academics we have. They'll be glad to get out to their units and get going.
CHO: All right. Thank you very much, Lieutenant Colonel Ken Cassela.
Graduation ceremony, Tony, gets underway in an hour. We'll see you back here then.
HARRIS: Very good, Alina. Good to see you. Thank you.
Kawasakis lit up by candlelight, Harleys amid the heartache. There were quiet sounds from Rolling Thunder yesterday as the motorcycle club known by that name rode through Washington to honor prisoners of war. Some 250,000 bikers from across America are in the nation's capital for a candlelight vigil.
One woman talked about the pain of losing a child to war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every day is Memorial Day to anyone who has lost their child in the service of their country. So there isn't a day that doesn't go by that I don't think about Chris and I don't think about the other mothers and their losses also.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: In just a few hours, the Rolling Thunder Club will be at the Tomb of the Unknowns. We'll have more on this later today on CNN.
KAYE: It is Fleet Week in New York, but it's not all celebration. Hundreds of service members took time Friday to commemorate the September 11 attacks. Almost 300 Marines and Coast Guard members took part in a three-mile run in lower Manhattan, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at ground zero. And it's been sizzling in Seattle this week. Yesterday, the Emerald City saw a record temperature of 89 degrees, breaking a 33- year-old record and prompting a heat advisory. But there is some relief in sight. Forecasters say today will be cooler.
And along Florida's Atlantic coast, the Memorial holiday got off to a rough start for some swimmers. At least four people at one beach had to be rescued yesterday when powerful rip tides pulled them away from shore.
Well, it was the stuff of David Blaine, a man perched high in the sky without food or water for nearly 57 hours, and awestruck eyewitnesses watching from below. But instead of a famous magician, the man is an accused murderer, who's now on the ground and behind bars.
Our Catherine Callaway joins us from Atlanta with the very latest. Good morning again, Catherine.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Randi.
Yes, that ordeal came to an end about 12:30 Eastern time this morning, with no injuries to police officers, no injuries to rescue workers, or to Carl Rowland himself.
Forty-one-year-old Rowland apparently agreed to take a drink of water from the chief negotiator, Vincent Velesquez (ph), and at that point, he was tackled and tasered once by the SWAT team. But it was still another two hours before Rowland was actually brought down to the ground. He was wrapped in blankets. He was strapped to an orange backboard. And then he was hoisted down that 350-feet crane to the ground, and police officers were stationed inside that crane along the way, making sure that he made it down to the ground safely.
He was then taken to the Fulton -- to the Grady Hospital and will then be transported to the Fulton County Jail.
We heard from the police this morning, early this morning, at a news conference. And the chief of operations said that the chief negotiator, Vincent Velesquez, was very instrumental in bringing all this down to a safe end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF ALAN DREHER, ATLANTA POLICE DEPARTMENT: At times, he was calm. At times, he was cordial. At times, he was irate. At times, he was argumentative. It just depended upon the situation. But we had a number of negotiators. We had assistance from Fulton County. We had our negotiators. We had approximately five or six that went up and down the beam, and we had others on standby for support.
So each negotiator has their own style. They're very well trained, and they do this routinely. So we're very proud of them. And they did a great job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLAWAY: And again, Vincent Velesquez being the chief negotiator in that situation.
Rowland is wanted by Pinellas County authorities, as you know. He is wanted in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend, 36- year-old Jennifer Gonzalez (ph), who was found beaten and strangled to death in a retention pond in -- behind her home. Florida authorities are in Atlanta, expected to extradite him back to Florida.
Also, Atlanta authorities are looking into placing charges against Rowland. It's not sure, we're not sure yet what those charges will be.
Back to you, Randi.
KAYE: OK, Catherine Callaway, live in Atlanta for us this morning. Thanks.
HARRIS: Also on our minds this morning is the nation's housing market. Is the bubble about to burst? We're talking about the rising cost of homes. Consider that the national median home value is now $140,000. That's up 16 percent since 2000.
Also, the number of million-dollar homes in America has nearly doubled since 2000.
Our e-mail question this morning, Is real estate a good investment right now? Tell us what you think. We are at weekends@cnn.com. We're reading your e-mails throughout the morning program.
KAYE: Two comedians, one 64-minute videotape, and a surprise move by the defense made for another wild week in the Michael Jackson trial. We'll assess the testimony in this week's legal briefs.
HARRIS: And later on "HOUSE CALL," a trainer to the stars joins Dr. Sanjay Gupta with a tips on how he gets his clients in shape for summer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning again. I'm Rob Marciano on the CNN Weather Center.
Here's your forecast weather map for this afternoon.
(WEATHER FORECAST)
MARCIANO: That's the latest from the weather department. We'll talk, yes, we'll talk a little about gardening...
HARRIS: Oh.
MARCIANO: ... be a gardening tip in about 10 minutes.
KAYE: I can't wait.
HARRIS: Rob with a...
KAYE: Thank you.
HARRIS: ... green thumb...
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: ... who knew?
KAYE: Who knew?
HARRIS: Who knew?
HARRIS: OK, rob. See you then.
MARCIANO: All right, (INAUDIBLE).
HARRIS: And checking our top stories this Saturday morning.
He came up standing on his own two legs, but he went down in a stretcher. Early this morning, Atlanta police captured a man who perched atop a construction crane for two-and-a-half days. Carl Rowland is wanted in Florida in the beating death of his ex- girlfriend.
Is tsunami relief getting to the people who need it most? That's what President Clinton is looking into. He's touring tsunami-ravaged areas in Sri Lanka and the Maldives Islands today.
And finally, he thought "Green Acres" was the place to be. Actor Eddie Albert has died at 97. He garnered three Oscar nominations during his career, but Albert was best known for the sitcom "Green Acres," in which he and Eva Gabor played city slickers who moved out to the sticks.
KAYE: The defense comes to a sudden rest in the Michael Jackson trial. We'll have the play-by-play when our legal gurus join us next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: In legal briefs this morning, the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. It was no laughing matter when comedians Chris Tucker and Jay Leno took the stand for the defense earlier this week. Things wrapped up yesterday with jurors watching a videotape of the accuser talking to police. And then, both sides rested their case.
Our legal eagles are here to fill in the blanks for us this morning, arguing their cases from opposite sides of the issue.
Civil liberties attorney Lida Rodriguez-Tassef is joining us from Miami, and here in Atlanta, we are joined by former prosecutor BJ Bernstein.
Welcome to you both. I actually said that things wrapped up yesterday. What do you think of that? Little bit of a surprise?
LIDA RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF, CIVIL LIBERTIES ATTORNEY: A little bit of a surprise, but not that big a surprise. The defense played it just right. That videotape didn't really help the prosecution. And why make a big deal out of it? So the best that the defense had to do was just sit down and keep their mouths closed. And sometimes lawyers are unwilling to do that. But in fact, that was the absolute best result.
KAYE: BJ, this videotape is getting a lot of play. It's an interview with Jackson's young accuser from back in 2003. What can you tell us about this tape?
BJ BERNSTEIN, FORMER PROSECUTOR: It was a smart move by the prosecution to put it up, because after hearing all the defense testimony, the prosecution needed to bring back the jury's attention to what this case is really about, which is the molestation of this young man.
And by playing that tape, they get to see him when he was younger, closer in time to when this happened, hear his own words, hear how he described it back then, as opposed to what they saw in the courtroom. And that was a very, very powerful thing for the prosecution to do to help their case.
KAYE: How about the timing of this tape? Was it the right time to show it?
BERNSTEIN: Absolutely...
RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: Well, it...
BERNSTEIN: Oh.
RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: Well, it was -- BJ, I think you'll agree that it was the right time for the prosecution (INAUDIBLE) show it. They couldn't have showed it at any other time, because of the fact that it was simply bolstering.
The thing, though, about, that's interesting about the tape and the fact that the defense didn't challenge it, is because, if you listen to what the boy says on the tape, he talks about how he gets C's and D's in school, how would go, you know, drinking and get drunk with Michael Jackson. So he doesn't look like he's in a great light.
And in any case, the defense is going to point out that that tape was made after the mom went to a lawyer, after she had that same lawyer send her child to a psychologist, all in an effort to coach the witness and to prepare him for this shakedown of Michael Jackson.
KAYE: Why not bring out more witnesses, though, Lida? They had said -- the defense team had said they would possibly call this young boy to the stand again after this tape was played. Why didn't they?
RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: They must have watched the reaction of the jurors and decided that the reality is, is that, why make a bigger deal out of it than it is, that all this tape does is bolster the defense case that the boy was coached, and that he was coached after the mother went to a lawyer and to a therapist.
KAYE: And BJ, we saw a lot of celebrities, obviously, taking the stand. We saw Jay Leno, we saw Chris Tucker. How do you think they did?
BERNSTEIN: They didn't do as well as we all thought. I mean, Thomas Mesereau made a big promise as to what Jay Leno would say, what Chris Tucker would say, and how strongly they would say it, when in fact, when they actually testified, they weren't as clear about the -- what the mother said. In fact, Jay Leno testified that he was not asked for money as it was promised in the defense's opening arguments.
So it didn't quite go as well. And I think some folks are saying, you know, they didn't end as powerfully as promised on the front end.
KAYE: And Lida, this case is going to go to the jury without hearing from Michael Jackson on the stand. Now, his previous appearances on the stand in years before have not exactly been stellar. Was it a good idea to keep him off the stand?
RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: Absolutely a good idea to keep him off the stand. No matter what you think of the charges in this case, and I frankly don't think the prosecution has proven its case, the bottom line is, he's an odd duck. And he would he have come across really, really odd.
He also -- it's very clear, even from the defense witnesses, that he has a habit of sleeping with young boys, even though the defense made a very good case that he -- nothing ever happened.
So you don't want him convicted on his oddness. So it was very smart of the defense just to keep him off the stand.
KAYE: And given the fact that this is Michael Jackson, as we look at the jury instructions and the jury about to get this case, anything unique about those? Or is this just run-of-the-mill jury instructions?
BERNSTEIN: It should just be the jury instructions that you get in a child molestation case. Where you're going to hear the differences, because it's Michael Jackson, is in terms of the argument, what the prosecution has to say to let the jury know that he should be treated just like anyone else for these allegations, and that if you believe this young man, if you believe the young man who came in, who is 25 years old, who talked very graphically about -- and emotionally about what happened to them, for them to come forward and convict Michael Jackson.
KAYE: Either one of you bold enough, as we leave you this morning...
HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE). KAYE: ... to say which side did a better job here, (INAUDIBLE)?
RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: The defense, obviously, did the better work here. They had a lot to overcome, especially the fact they got a very bad ruling early on from the court, allowing the prosecution to put on all these other witnesses that don't have any relationship to this particular case, these other alleged victims.
So if Michael Jackson is convicted, he's going to be convicted not on this case, but on what the prosecution was able to do with regard to prior cases.
KAYE: BJ, quick last word.
BERNSTEIN: Quick last word is, prosecution did what they needed to do. Granted, there's some problems with what they did. But overall, as Lida just kind of acknowledged, they did the important thing, which is getting in those other allegations to show the truth potentially that Michael Jackson committed these offenses, and should be convicted.
KAYE: All right. We'll have to leave it there. BJ Bernstein and Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, thanks so much for your time this morning.
BERNSTEIN: Thanks, Randi.
RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: Thank you.
HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE), good stuff.
All right, to our e-mail question of the morning. Real estate, are we in a bubble? Are we not in a bubble? We'll take it up in more detail next hour. But here's the question this morning. Is real estate, in your opinion, a good investment right now?
And Cheryl says from South Carolina, "I have never known real estate not to be a good investment, but knowing the market" -- this sounds like it's key, Randi -- "knowing the market and where to buy are crucial."
Once again, thanks so much for your e-mails so far this morning. The question again, Is real estate a good investment right now? And there's the address. Send them along, send them along, weekends@cnn.com.
KAYE: Do you know how to protect your home and your bank account should the housing boom suddenly go bust? Gerri Willis will be along next hour with some very helpful tips.
HARRIS: But first, "HOUSE CALL" goes Hollywood, with hints from the stars how to get into shape, and hopefully stay there.
I'm Tony Harris.
KAYE: And I'm Randi Kaye. We'll see you again at the top of the hour. "HOUSE CALL" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and your top stories are straight ahead.
MARCIANO: But first, a gardening tip of the day.
Maybe you have plans to do some gardening this afternoon or this weekend. There are showers rolling across the Appalachian Mountains. Heavy rain across Texas right now, and some rain across parts of southern Oregon.
Did you know that lawn fertilizers are not formulated for feeding flowers? Nitrogen stimulates vegetative growth, which may harm the flowers. Most (INAUDIBLE) and lawn fertilizers contain more nitrogen than flowers need. So don't put that lawn fertilizer on your flowerbeds.
Latest from the weather department. We'll see you again in about half an hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Now in the news, frantic efforts to save a Japanese hostage in Iraq have run out of time. The Iraqi government confirms the man abducted earlier this month has been killed by his captors. He was among five foreign workers ambushed by insurgents west of Baghdad. The four others were also confirmed dead.
In Iraq, more carnage and casualties in Tikrit. Two car bombs went off within a half hour of each other. Nine people dead, and more than 40 were hurt. This morning in Sinjar, a car bomb and rocket- propelled grenade targeted a joint U.S.-Iraqi military base, killing four Iraqis and injuring 23 others.
History in the making in London. The landmark Big Ben fell silent late last night. No one is quite sure why the 147-year-old clock stopped ticking two separate times, losing a total of more than 90 seconds. One theory...
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 28, 2005 - 07:00 Â ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: OK, let's get this show on the road.
Good morning -- Randi Kaye.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
HARRIS: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
It is May 28 and good morning to you.
I'm Tony Harris.
KAYE: And I'm Randi Kaye in for Betty Nguyen.
It's 7:00 a.m. here in the East.
Let's get started with the overnight headlines.
Two bombs exploded this morning at an Indonesian market. At least 20 people are dead and 57 wounded. Police in the eastern town of Tentena say the second bomb was the stronger of the two and its 15 minute delay may have targeted emergency workers responding to that scene. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation. Tentena is a largely Christian area.
Driving home a message in the nation's capital. It's called Rolling Thunder, an annual motorcycle rally to remember Vietnam veterans and U.S. troops now serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Last year, about 300,000 motorcyclists took part and another half million people lined the route.
Back on the ground, and finally in custody just after midnight, Atlanta police tasered and subdued a murder suspect who had spent more than two days perched high atop a construction crane. We'll have a live report later this hour.
HARRIS: Will the housing bubble be followed by a bust? All this weekend, we'll tell you what to look out for. If you're a buyer or a seller, will you find yourself ahead of the curve or in a bubble?
Plus... (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not all right! (INAUDIBLE)!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Cries of outrage in an Indonesian court as a foreigner faces a stiff sentence. We'll take a closer look.
And NASCAR knows all too well the marriage between pro sports and Hollywood can be a very good thing. But it can also cause some big curves. We'll go "Beyond The Game."
KAYE: President Bush kicked off this Memorial Day Weekend with a commencement address at the Naval Academy. He personally commissioned the graduating officers at Annapolis yesterday. The president spoke about the changes ahead for military bases as the armed forces move into the 21st century.
Cadets graduating from West Point today will hear from chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Richard Myers.
Nowhere is Memorial Day more front and center than Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknowns.
CNN's national correspondent, Bruce Morton, was there for the preparations.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One, two, three.
BRUCE MORTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Charlie Company, 3rd Infantry Regiment's the old guard. They are in Arlington Cemetery doing what they do every Memorial Day -- putting flags in front of the tombstones here. The flag is planted one foot, one soldier's foot, in front of the stone. Aaron Nelson, 23, from Hibbing, Minnesota says the spring rains have softened the ground, made it easier this year.
PFC AARON NELSON, U.S. ARMY: Countless war heroes are buried throughout the cemetery. I mean, even just putting a flag in them is just a small honor. And that's one thing that I like to -- that's one thing that I'm able to do for them.
MORTON: They train for combat, too, here firing the anti-armor Javelin missile. But they are the old guard. They guard the Tomb of the Unknowns. It gets flags, too. This is a new grave -- no stone yet, but a flag. They're the honor guard at the funerals here.
Aaron Nelson likes the Army, but he'd only seen one funeral before he joined. And the ones here, he says, are not easy duty.
NELSON: You have to see the family. You have to see, you know, the wife, the children, you know, just babies that are left. And they -- they don't even know what's going on, you know? And they are left with no father, no mother. I mean, it's sad to see that. It's something that you don't want to see, to see 8-year-old girls crying, you know. It's just not a sight that should be seen.
MORTON: The work goes on flag by flag, row by row. The 1,100 men of the old guard will plant more than 280,000 flags this day. And, finally, as the day wanes, the work is done, Aaron Nelson and the other men of Charlie Company can head home now. The cemetery, full of memories, full of grief and pain and honor, rests now, ready for Memorial Day.
Bruce Morton, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: In the Iraqi city of Tikrit, two car bombs exploded within a half hour of each other. Nine people are dead and at least 44 others are wounded after the apparently coordinated bombings. Military officials say the second bomb was a suicide attack timed to target emergency workers responding to the first bombing.
In other violence, a Sunni tribal leader known as a moderate who supported the democratic process was gunned down in a drive-by shooting outside his home in Kirkuk.
KAYE: Black hoods and black robes -- that's what protesters wore as they disrupted a speech by Condoleezza Rice late Friday. The secretary of state was in San Francisco talking about the spread of democracy overseas. The protesters were apparently dressed like an Iraqi prisoner who was seen in one of the most striking photos from the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. Rice noted that people in Baghdad now also the right to protest.
We update you on the week's major developments in the war on terror every Saturday morning in "Security Watch."
A warning from the nation's law enforcement -- be careful what you buy. Sales of counterfeit goods may be funding terror groups. Experts told a Senate homeland security hearing this week that they believe Hezbollah may be raking in big bucks from the sale of knock off merchandise. There are no exact numbers, but sales estimates are in the millions.
General aviation and charter flights will soon resume at Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport. They were stopped more than three and a half years ago because of 9/11. Transportation officials are placing several security restrictions on the flights. Some are being criticized as needlessly cumbersome.
Congressional investigators say two programs designed to bolster security at the nation's ports are not working. The programs were meant to improve the screening of shipment containers at their point of origin and in the U.S. But the government found that countries taking part in the project only inspected 17 percent of the containers labeled high risk by the U.S.
Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security. HARRIS: And Randi, now to your financial security. All this weekend we're looking at rising concerns of a so-called housing bubble created when a red hot housing market suddenly turns ice cold.
Here's CNN senior correspondent Allan Chernoff.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Twenty-five miles west of the nation's capital, there is a Mecca for home builders and buyers. In Ashburn, Virginia, hundreds of homes under construction, thousands more planned.
STEVEN ALLOY, PRESIDENT, STANLEY MARTIN: If you can get the permits, if you can get pavement, then you're going to sell houses.
CHERNOFF: That kind of demand pushed new home sales up again in April. The median price nationwide for a new home now at $230,800, the second-highest level ever.
In markets like Las Vegas, Phoenix and Miami, speculation is fueling price gains. Investors putting down just 5 percent and taking out interest-only mortgages to defer principal payments. Their plan -- flip the house, sell it quickly for a profit.
DEBBIE SMITH, LAS VEGAS INVESTOR: You could buy a house for $130,000 and by the time you close, it could have been worth $200,000 or more. Some people made $50,000 to $100,000, even $150,000 off a single-family home.
CHERNOFF: "Fortune" magazine is calling it the real estate gold rush. But housing experts say it can be dangerous.
MICHAEL CARLINER, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDERS: If they think they're going to make a quick buck, it's not as easy to sell houses as it is to buy them. In a soft market, at least, it's not as easy to sell them. Right now, it's pretty easy. And so that's a risky proposition.
CHERNOFF: Federal Reserve officials are worried, as well. One central banker Wednesday warned buyers are going to get burned. And Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan says some hot markets could easily cool off.
ALAN GREENSPAN, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: But it's hard not to see, one, that there are a lot of local bubbles; and, indeed, even without calling the overall national issue a bubble, it's pretty clear that it's an unsustainable underlying pattern.
CHERNOFF (on camera): The key to housing is mortgage rates. As long as they remain relatively low, experts say the nation's housing market should be able to avoid a bust. But in certain overheated markets, they warn, supply could soon outstrip demand, leading to lower prices.
Allen Chernoff, CNN, New York. (END VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS: I need that.
KAYE: Yes, you do.
HARRIS: In just over an hour, CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis will join us with a closer look at the housing bubble and her top five tips on how to protect yourself. That's in the 9:00 hour Eastern, 6:00 Pacific right here on CNN.
So, let's get to our e-mail question this morning. Is real estate a good investment right now? Tell us what you think. We are at weekends@cnn.com reading your e-mails throughout the program.
KAYE: National outrage after a drug trial in Indonesia. We'll tell you why Australians are crying fowl, just ahead.
HARRIS: And we're taking you "Beyond The Game" to see how professional sports and Hollywood mix it up to cash in.
KAYE: And good morning, Philly. We've got your full Memorial Day weekend weather forecast -- looking good so far -- just ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIM ZAGAT: Theme restaurants have several pluses. They have the appeal of some kind of rock and roll, movies, sports. They very often have celebrities attached to them. They almost always have memorabilia. But the critical thing that to make a success, you've got to have food. They've got to remember that the theme may attract people once, but you come back to eat.
The theme restaurant of all time is probably the Hard Rock Cafe. But Dave & Buster's is one of the ones that is national. There are a lot of theme restaurants, unfortunately, that have failed in the last few years. Some of the biggest theme restaurants have also turned out to be the biggest failures.
Hard Rock has succeeded over the years and they have a simple but very good menu that keeps people happy to come back. It has turned out to be the biggest success in that whole industry of theme restaurants.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: An early wrap from Michael Jackson's defense team sends the trial to the jury. Find out what to expect next week in our "Legal Briefs," next hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Oh, the folks in Seattle, they love their hot coffee. But this weekend, they may want to drop some ice in it. It is hot in the Emerald City. Yesterday, Seattle saw a record temperature of 89 degrees.
HARRIS: Wow!
KAYE: That's breaking a 33-year-old record and prompting a heat advisory.
But there is some relief in sight. Forecasters say today will be much cooler.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Is that what they're saying...
KAYE: Is that...
HARRIS: ... the forecasters?
KAYE: We can count on you, Rob.
HARRIS: Yes.
KAYE: It's your job.
HARRIS: You've got the definitive word on this.
MARCIANO: Did you notice fans? Not a whole lot of air conditioning up there in Seattle.
HARRIS: Yes, that's true.
KAYE: No.
HARRIS: And I'll tell you something, you know, the heat -- I believe it was a little warm here yesterday -- it played a role in finally getting the crane guy to surrender and come down.
MARCIANO: Oh, right.
KAYE: The crane guy.
HARRIS: It was warm. Well, I don't know what -- everybody is calling him a different name. I can't share some of the names he's been called.
MARCIANO: We've been sharing that information.
KAYE: Oh, he's had a lot of names.
MARCIANO: You got yours already?
HARRIS: Yes, yes, right. Yes, we have.
KAYE: Yes. Yes.
HARRIS: Yes.
KAYE: So what is happening in Seattle?
MARCIANO: Randi, you were up in Seattle recently?
KAYE: I was. It was beautiful, though. I was there earlier this week shooting a story and the weather was glorious.
MARCIANO: It is nice there. It can be nice this time of year, at least.
KAYE: Yes.
MARCIANO: But record highs, obviously. The average 65 to 70 degrees. So 90...
HARRIS: Yes.
MARCIANO: That's tip top.
KAYE: Too much.
MARCIANO: Portland, down the road, 95. So, yes, that's smoking hot.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: A pretty good weekend for a lot of folks and I hope the weather cooperates for your plans.
HARRIS: That's right.
KAYE: OK.
Thanks, Rob.
HARRIS: Rob, thank you.
Professional sports are turning to Hollywood in hopes of winning more hearts. But it's not always an easy task. One big time star ready for his Demille close-up. OK, maybe not. Our sports guru, Rick Horrow, who knows the challenges of this relationship, he joins us next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Doctors for years have warned consumers about the health risks of salt. Too much sodium can cause hypertension, which can lead to heart disease and stroke.
Now, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, or CSPI, says Americans are not heeding that warning and that 150,000 premature deaths occur each year in the United States because of diets too high in salt.
CSPI says these days, more people are turning to processed foods and restaurant fare, which contain excessive amounts of salt. Federal dietary guidelines for middle-aged and older Americans recommend 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. For everyone else, the number is 2,300.
Kyra Phillips, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS (voice-over): Hollywood knows all too well, if you want people to come see your movie, wrap the plot around a popular sport.
Case in point, the newly released makeup of "The Longest Yard."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LONGEST YARD")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's race.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Professional sports are learning a similar lesson. One key to maximum exposure? Follow NASCAR's lead and get a starring role in a movie like "Herbie: Fully Loaded." They are but two examples of the ever growing and ever profitable relationship between Hollywood and sports. That and more when we take you "Beyond The Game."
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS: Sports and entertainment seems like the perfect match. But like any marriage, there are always challenges.
For more, let's bring in our leading man, the author of "When the Game Is On the Line," CNN sports business analyst Rick Horrow.
He joins us, as he always does, from West Palm Beach, Florida -- good morning, sir.
RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Hey, good morning, your honor. And, frankly, Happy Memorial Day to you and your colleagues.
HARRIS: And to u.
And to you.
HORROW: I'll be very nice to u. You are an inspiring talent and you should be in pictures yourself.
HARRIS: Oh, let me cross the fingers right now.
HORROW: OK.
HARRIS: All right, let's talk about this marriage between sports and Hollywood. And, you know, the latest example, as we mentioned, is this remake of "The Longest Yard." But we've seen this trend over the years, haven't we?
HORROW: Yes. An old 1974 movie featuring, now, an older Burt Reynolds and Adam Sandler...
HARRIS: That's right.
HORROW: ... and Chris Rock, Cinderellaman, coming up in a couple of weeks. All told, 15 first run sports movies in '05. And '04 was even better. "Dodge Ball" was the highest grossing sports movie. You had "Miracle," about the Olympic hockey team. And you had "Friday Night Lights" about high school football in Texas. And all of that had one thing in common -- money, money and more money.
And, of course, we have a survey saying there are 500 million spectators who watch sporting events every year.
HARRIS: Wow!
HORROW: But the lifestyle surveys say 36 percent of us would rather go to movies first and only 8 percent would rather go to a sporting event. So what did we do? We combined both of them. Major league baseball, for example, last year almost to the day, promoted a "Spiderman 2" movie with their Nets Spiderman logo around second base and other bases. Baseball was going to get $4 million. The fans were outraged. They said, no, no.
HARRIS: Right.
HORROW: They took it away.
But the merger of sports and Hollywood is here to stay. Let's call it Bally-wood.
HARRIS: Bally-wood.
Well, Rick, is there any sport taking better advantage of this relationship than NASCAR?
HORROW: No. NASCAR, by far, is doing a lot of stuff. For example, their NASCAR 3D, the Imax experience, grossed $20 million. It was the highest grossing documentary last year other than "Fahrenheit 911." You've got that Disney movie, "Herbie: Fully Loaded" coming out in a couple of weeks.
HARRIS: Yes.
HORROW: Lindsay Lohan in a Volkswagen is trying to beat Dale Jarrett and other drivers. You've got Sheryl Crow and Britney Spears and others performing and being involved in the races. Nextel, by the way, they get it right. They're spending a billion dollars on NASCAR every year for the next 10 years. So not just sports now, but they're able to get in movies by that relationship. June 19, Michigan International Speedway, The Batman Returns 400, the first time a race is named after a movie.
And, by the way, there's more on the way.
HARRIS: And, you know, they've been placing these movie titles on these NASCARs for a while now, haven't they? HORROW: Well, they've been placing the movie titles on cars for a long time.
HARRIS: Yes.
HORROW: And, frankly, remember, in soccer, Atletico Madrid signed a $16 million deal a couple of years ago where every week there's a new movie title put on their treads.
HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE).
HORROW: And it's common practice for soccer. In America they're saying, oh, no, no, we can't do that. But we are.
HARRIS: Yes, we really are.
All right, what do you want to go with now, your foul ball or fair ball? Which one first?
HORROW: No, we're doing the fair ball first...
HARRIS: Yes, OK.
HORROW: ... because we were told to do with fair ball first.
HARRIS: OK.
HORROW: And the reason why we're doing it is because we have the Indy 500 coming up and we've got Danica Patrick, who may win the Indy 500. She is the darling of the media, went to New York. Had 27 television interviews, by the way.
HARRIS: Wow!
HORROW: She has now caused Michael Bloomberg, the mayor, to claim Indy 500 Day in New York and she says that if she wins the race in Indy this weekend, she will revolutionish -- revolutionize -- easy for her to say -- the sport, you know?
HARRIS: Yes, yes.
HORROW: She (INAUDIBLE) what she does.
HARRIS: I'm with you.
And your foul ball of the week?
HORROW: Well, the foul ball is an indictment handed down by the New York district attorney last week and it's against 36 runners, reputed runners from the Bonanno crime family who sold $2,000 -- or $2,000 bets at $500,000 a day. But guess what the twist is? A lot of it, it is alleged, was out of Shea Stadium by a groundskeeper.
HARRIS: Oh.
HORROW: Now, the Mets have denied involvement, but given all of the stuff that's happening with major league baseball and steroids and the like, it couldn't have come at a worse time for them.
HARRIS: There he is, Rick Horrow, our guru, "Beyond The Game."
Good to see you, Rick.
Have a good weekend.
HORROW: You have an absolutely fantastic Memorial Day. Play a little bit of golf, because you need it.
HARRIS: Take care, man -- Randi.
KAYE: Thanks, Tony.
In a market where housing is booming and mortgage rates are low, a million dollar dream home could become a reality.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Beautiful granite countertops and, as you can see, gourmet Wolf range with a hood.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: So, what does a million dollars buy? Find out tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. Eastern on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING."
And, once again, our e-mail question this morning -- is real estate a good investment right now? Tell us what you think. We're at weekends@cnn.com reading your e-mails throughout the program.
Two and a half days on top of this construction crane proved to be enough for a murder suspect. Coming up, how police got him down. That's later this hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Drug smuggler or innocent victim? A friendly reminder to check your luggage after an Australian beauty therapist is convicted in Indonesia.
Welcome back.
I'm Randi Kaye in for Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.
That story In a minute.
But first, a look at the morning's headlines.
Now in the news, former President Bill Clinton is on another tsunami relief mission. This morning he's visiting a fishing town in Sri Lanka that was devastated by the December disaster. Clinton says he is also planning a future trip to tour other tsunami hit areas, including those held by the Tamil Tigers rebel group. We're keeping a close eye on the medical condition of Saudi Arabian King Fahd, leader of the world's largest oil producing nation. A Saudi diplomatic source tells CNN the 82-year-old monarch is suffering from pneumonia like symptoms. His condition is described as quite serious, but not life threatening. Official Saudi reports say he is well after being hospitalized.
A nearly 57-hour stand-off atop an Atlanta crane came to an end overnight. Carl Roland climbed out onto the crane's arm on Wednesday afternoon. Just after midnight, police tackled and tasered the Florida man as he approached them for some water. Roland is wanted in the beating death of his ex-girlfriend.
KAYE: The ups and downs of the Michael Jackson trial are nearing an end. For 13 weeks, a jury of his peers and the public saw celebrities on the stands, fans in the streets, even the defendant in his pajamas. Now the jury could begin deciding the singer's fate next week.
Here's CNN's Ted Rowlands.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The jury in the Michael Jackson case has heard all of the evidence that they are going to hear in this case.
And the last bit of evidence that they were exposed to was a videotape interview of the accuser detailing what he claims Michael Jackson did to him to police early on. The videotape, which was an hour in length, showed the accuser being interviewed by police detectives. He detailed at least two acts of molestation at the hands of Michael Jackson.
It was expected that the defense would put on what is called a sur-rebuttal, basically, an answer to the tape. But in somewhat dramatic fashion, they had a conference, turned to the judge and said, "Your Honor, we rest."
From here, the jury will have a four day weekend. Then they are expected to hear closing arguments next Wednesday, possibly Thursday. It's safe to say they will have this case at some point next week.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Santa Maria, California.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS: Now to a courtroom in Indonesia and a ruling that drew shrieks from the family of an Australian tourist.
Pandemonium erupted when a Bali district court sentenced her to 20 years for drug smuggling. Critics say it's unfair when compared to something like the two year sentence Indonesia gave to a suspect in a deadly terror attack on Australians.
Reporter Tim Palmer looks at the tensions between the two countries and the scramble for legal and political options.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
TIM PALMER, ABC NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Schapelle Corby's appeal would be in the hope of her going home, or at least receiving a reduced sentence. But her lawyers concede there's the risk things could go the other way, with the appeals court having in the past increased the sentence in a drugs case to the death penalty.
VASU RASIAH, DEFENSE SPOKESMAN: It's possible, but we are confident that in normal court we can get it lessened.
PALMER: Today, the prosecution was putting the finishing touches to its appeal for a tougher sentence, and issued the same warning.
INDIA BAGUS WISWANTANU, LEAD PROSECUTOR: That's a possibility in considering the evidence, the judges see no reason to be lenient. It could come to the death sentence.
PALMER: From the defense side, they say they'll accept government help, but insist they knew nothing about any offer from the government last March to provide barristers then to advise on the case.
RASIAH: But until today, no QCs have called us, contacted us, until today, not at all.
PALMER: But according to one of the Perth QCs on offer again for the appeal process, the Corby defense team were phoned twice in March, but never called back.
MARK TROWELL, LAWYER: Nothing. Not a reply. Not a reply, which was their prerogative. But it was strange given that they had seemed to be enthusiastic about accepting that assistance in the first place.
PALMER: Indonesian law expert John Ingleson believes arguing the appeal for Schapelle Corby will require more substance than was put at the trial just ended.
JOHN INGLESON, INDONESIAN LAW EXPERT: You'd have to say, as an outsider, and we're all outsiders, that the defense case does not appear to be all that strong.
PALMER: The point conceded by one of the QCs now offered to the defense, who repeated the same problems about the supposedly key witness, Victorian prison John Ford, that were raised by federal police commissioner Mick Keelty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it was obvious that he has had problems with that evidence.
PALMER: The QCs will be starting from the basics, saying they know little about the first trial beyond media reports.
Meanwhile, the Corby family has asked Australians to boycott Qantas and to have a (INAUDIBLE) protest against Indonesia. And even some of those already in Bali are in the mood to respond.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll boycott it. I wouldn't come again. Bloody that's right.
PALMER: Even the weakest of Indonesians, it seems, are to pay for the perceived miscarriage of justice.
(on camera): The Red Cross, World Vision and other charities now say they are receiving numerous calls from donors who now want to get back the money they had offered to assistant Indonesian victims of the Aceh tsunami.
The Australian government's fears that the Corby case could spill out of court to affect the way the country's peoples think of each other may yet be realized.
Tim Palmer, ABC News, Tentena.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HARRIS: Time now to check out some of the other stories making news around the world.
KAYE: There have been twin bombings in Indonesia.
For the details on that and some of the other big world news stories, let's hand it over to Anand Naidoo at the CNN international Desk -- good morning, Anand.
ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning and thanks.
Iraqi insurgents on the attack again. More on that in just a moment.
But first Indonesia. Double bombings in a crowded market in an eastern town have killed at least 20 people and wounded another 57. The second bomb, the bigger of the two, exploded 15 minutes after the first, just as people rushed to the scene to help victims. Hundreds of people have been killed in that particular area in Indonesia since fighting between Muslims and Christians broke out in 1998.
Now to Iraq and another bloody 24 hours. Back to back car bombings in Tikrit killed nine people. The second bomb apparently targeted emergency workers. The Iraqi government, meanwhile, has confirmed that a Japanese hostage abducted earlier this month has been killed by his captors. He was among five foreign workers ambushed by insurgents west of Baghdad.
Now, there have been more than 120 foreigners who have been taken hostage in Iraq since the U.S.-led occupation there in 2003. Thirty- five of them have been killed and right now 20 are still being held. And among those 20, two Americans.
Moving now to Saudi Arabia. And King Fahd remains in the hospital one day after he was admitted for suffering from pneumonia and fever. Officials say he is in a stable condition. Fahd has been king in Saudi Arabia since 1982. He suffered a stroke in 1995 and since then his half brother, Crown Prince Abdullah, has effectively been running the kingdom.
That's all from me.
More later.
Back to Tony and Randi.
HARRIS: Anand, thank you.
KAYE: If keeping up with the news wasn't on your to do list this past week, well, we are here to help.
Let's "Rewind" now through some of the big stories of the last few days.
Tuesday, the House passed a controversial bill that would expand federal spending for embryonic stem cell research. But the vote fell short of the two thirds majority needed to override a presidential veto. The bill moves to the Senate next.
Wednesday, Amnesty International's annual report detailed claims of widespread torture and mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib Prison in Baghdad. Among others, the report also cited Russia for human rights violations linked to the Chechen conflict.
Also Wednesday, the Senate voted to confirm Judge Priscilla Owen for an appeals court post. Her approval came as part of an agreement to end partisan gridlock over the president's nominations.
And Thursday, Republicans failed to secure enough votes to end debate on the controversial nomination of John Bolton as the next U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Democrats say they're ready to vote as soon as the White House turns over documents from Bolton's tenure as the State Department's undersecretary of arms control. The White House says it has no plans to deliver.
Tomorrow, we will "Fast Forward" to the week ahead and tell you which stories will grab the spotlight.
HARRIS: A bizarre incident in an Atlanta business district is over. Have you been following this story at all? Find out how police got this guy down in a live report, it's up next, on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
KAYE: And good morning, Philadelphia. Your forecast and the forecast for the rest of the nation coming up a little bit later this hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Good morning once again.
I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Weather Center.
Here's a look at your allergy forecast.
Problem pollens in the air now, the grasses are kicking in, some of the hardwoods, especially across the northern tier. And these brighter colors now are getting north, so folks who live across the Northern Plains, the Midwest and the Northeast beginning to feel it in the allergy department.
Hope you're feeling well on this Saturday.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
CNN LIVE SATURDAY MORNING will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: A high drama, a stunning end. Atlanta police taser a murder suspect who had perched atop a 350-foot construction crane. After nearly 57 hours, he's in custody and awaiting charges in the brutal beating death of an ex-girlfriend.
Let's go right to the scene and Catherine Callaway -- good morning, Catherine.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Randi.
You're right, some 57 hours after this stand-off began, it did end early this morning with no injuries to police officers, no injuries to rescue workers. Now to Carl Roland himself, 41-year-old Roland apparently agreed to take a drink of water from the chief negotiator, Vincent Velasquez, about 12:30 this morning. And that's when he was tackled by members of the police department and then tasered once by the SWAT team. But it took another two hours, Randi, to get him from the top of that crane down to the ground.
He was wrapped in blankets. He was then strapped into a back board and then he was hoisted vertically down that crane, 350 feet down to the ground. And police officers were stationed inside that crane, helping him get down safely the 25 stories that it took to get him down.
He was then taken to Grady Hospital, no doubt suffering from dehydration and exhaustion after being on that crane for more than two days. And that is, as far as we know, where he remains, in the Grady Hospital, where he will eventually be taken to the Fulton County Jail.
Now, we heard from the chief of operations of the police department in a news conference in the middle of the night talking about how instrumental Velasquez, the chief negotiator, was in bringing all of this to a safe end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF ALAN DREHER, ATLANTA POLICE OPERATIONS: It was just through negotiations with investigator Velasquez. They developed a rapport and over a period of time, without food and water, his physical condition deteriorated. And so through his negotiations he was able to entice Mr. Roland into a position where we could affect a tactical solution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLAWAY: Of course, that tactical solution was to essentially wear Roland down so he could be brought down safely.
Now, we heard from the family members over the last two days. They were very vocal about the police's -- the police handling of this situation. They were not very happy with that handling.
But last night, after he was brought down safely, they were just happy it was all over.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIWANA ROLAND, SISTER OF CARL EDWARD ROLAND: I'm relieved now that he's down and hope that I can talk to him. But now I couldn't. But I'm just glad that he's down and he didn't get hurt or anything like that. So I'm happy. I'm satisfied now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLAWAY: But what's next for Roland? Well, Pinellas County, Florida authorities are looking to charge Roland in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend, 36-year-old Jennifer Gonzalez, who was found beaten and strangled to death floating in a retention pond behind her home. Florida authorities are in Atlanta. They're trying to, apparently, extradite him to Florida to face those charges.
As far as charges here in Atlanta, Randi, police last night said they are looking into that possibility and they are going to essentially charge him, but they're not quite sure yet what they are going to charge him with. As you can see, this area now, it has been shut down for two days, now back open for business. Traffic allowed back here on Peachtree Street. All of these businesses are open.
As you can see, the crane and the building, construction was shut down here for two-and-a-half days. Construction can now begin again. Traffic is back on this street, pedestrian traffic. In fact, one of the odd moments this morning is all the joggers that normally jog through here every morning, they run by, look up, Randi, to see if the situation is still underway. They don't see Roland on top of the crane and they want to know how it ended. A lot of curiosity about this odd case.
KAYE: Catherine Callaway with a live report for us this morning.
Thank you -- Tony.
HARRIS: And checking our top stories this morning, the Iraqi government confirms a Japanese citizen being held hostage in Iraq has been killed. The man was working for a British security company and was one of five foreign workers taken hostage earlier this month. The other four hostages have also been confirmed dead.
Former President Bill Clinton is in Sri Lanka visiting one of the areas hardest hit by December's tsunami. Clinton is serving as a U.N. envoy for tsunami relief and working with local leaders to coordinate relief aid.
And Memorial Day Weekend means Rolling Thunder is roaring through the nation's capital. Nearly 300,000 motorcyclists are expected to roll through this weekend. The event focuses on veterans of war.
This weekend on CNN, find out how to protect yourself from the housing bubble, if, in fact, there is one.
So here is our e-mail question this morning -- is real estate a good investment right now?
Tell us what you think. We are at weekends@cnn.com reading your e-mails later this morning.
KAYE: First, a "CNN Extra."
Looking to invest in real estate? You'll find the country's hottest home markets in Florida, California and the coastal Northeast. And for more affordable homes, look in Beaumont, Texas; and Waterloo and Cedar Falls, Iowa. Prices have also declined in Canton, Ohio and Syracuse, New York.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Look, most people consider money an important priority, especially how to get it and how to keep it. Regardless of your tax bracket, there are simple things you can do to protect your savings.
CNN's Veronica De La Cruz of the Dot-Dom Desk has more on that for us -- good morning.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
How are you doing?
HARRIS: Well, thank you. Thank you.
DE LA CRUZ: Good.
Well, you know, sometimes you hear or you read stories about people hiding money all over their house.
HARRIS: In mattresses, under mattresses, yes, yes, yes.
DE LA CRUZ: Why, is this something you do?
HARRIS: No, no, no, no. A bank. A bank. Yes, a bank. No. But, if you're telling me I can get a better rate from the mattress, which I don't think you are.
DE LA CRUZ: Right. Right. Well, needless to say, Tony...
HARRIS: Yes?
DE LA CRUZ: This is not the best way to protect your savings.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DE LA CRUZ (voice-over): These 10 tips on banking and saving could help you tremendously.
The first tip, use a federally insured bank account. It's likely your safest bet because your funds are insured for up to $100,000 by the U.S. government.
When shopping for a bank account, options may appear limitless. In order to pick the right one, ask yourself these four questions: how much money will you put in the bank?; how many checks do you plan to write?; how many related banking services will you need?; and how many different types of accounts will you want to set up?
Plus, see if you're making the grade when it comes to Money 101 with this online quiz.
Last but not least, now that you've got some money in a safe place, find out how fast it will grow with a savings calculator.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
DE LA CRUZ: And, of course, you can find more tips on managing your personal finances at cnnmoney.com/101. And, remember, the bank is the best place.
HARRIS: The bank. Forget about the mattress.
DE LA CRUZ: Correct.
HARRIS: The bank.
OK, Veronica, good to see you.
Thanks.
KAYE: Our e-mail question this morning -- is real estate a good investment right now? Tell us what you think. We're at weekends@cnn.com, reading your e-mails throughout the program.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GALE PETERSON, GOLF INSTRUCTOR, TOP 100 TEACHER: All great putters have many things in common, but the one that stands out is that they have a repeatable beat to their stroke. How do they get that repeatable beat?
Well, they get it by having a stroke that is controlled by the length of their motion, about the same length back as through. On small putts, I have a short backswing and short follow-through. And longer putts would be a longer back swing and longer follow through.
So remember, let the length of your stroke control distance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: And we want to check in one more time with Rob Marciano for a look at the weather -- and, Rob, I know Tony here is really worried about Monday, because he's planning that big Memorial Day barbecue that we were all invited to, so.
MARCIANO: Oh, oh, right, yes, yes, yes. We'll talk more about that going on.
KAYE: OK.
Please.
MARCIANO: You know, have you been to one of those barbecues, Randi?
KAYE: Yes.
MARCIANO: Yes.
KAYE: But we have to go.
MARCIANO: Yes, exactly.
HARRIS: Bring your own everything.
KAYE: Because nobody else does.
HARRIS: Oh, nice. Nice.
MARCIANO: Here we go kids. Settle that between you, all right?
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: The e-mail question this morning: is there a housing bubble? What does it mean to you, housing bubble? What does it mean? Is real estate a good investment right now? There's the address. You can send along your e-mails at weekends@cnn.com.
We've got a couple we want to share with you this morning.
KAYE: Yes. The first one is from Scott. And he writes: "Investing in real estate is, and has always been, one of the best investments in history. From the Dark Ages to the current day, property owners have been well off. Property is the best."
HARRIS: And this from Richard: "I made the move to central Florida to reap the rewards of the real estate boom. Success is here to stay! Real estate provides the tangible evidence of wealth, and investors, everyday folks are reaping the rewards."
Thank you, Richard.
Thank you, all, for sending in those e-mails. Here's the question once again: is real estate -- you know, we're in this bubble. Gerri Willis will be along in a little bit to tell us all about it and what it means to you.
KAYE: It's pretty important stuff.
HARRIS: It is. Is real estate a good investment? Weekends@cnn.com.
KAYE: Meanwhile, the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins right now.
From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is Saturday, May 28, 8:00 a.m. here at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, 7:00 a.m. in the Mississippi River Valley.
Good morning, I'm Randi Kaye, in for Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. Thank you for being us.
Let's get you caught up with the morning's headlines now in the news.
A pair of deadly explosions this morning in eastern Indonesia. Two bombs went off just minutes apart in a crowded market. At least 20 people are dead and more than 50 others wounded.
It happened in an area where Christians and Muslims have been fighting for nine years now.
The leader of the world's biggest oil-producing nation remains in the hospital this morning. Official reports say Saudi Arabia's King Fahd is doing well, but a diplomatic source tells CNN the 82-year-old monarch is suffering from pneumonia-like symptoms, and his condition is quite serious.
Off the crane and behind bars, just after midnight, Atlanta police managed to snare a Florida fugitive after a nearly 57-hour standoff. Carl Rowland (ph) climbed atop a construction crane on Wednesday and was perched for two-and-a-half days there. A live report coming up in just a couple of minutes.
KAYE: There are plenty of celebrating seniors across the country. It is graduation day. Straight ahead, we'll take you to the nation's oldest military academy. The new grads are out of school, but they're in for some tough lessons.
Plus, should buyers beware, or should sellers be scared? The hot housing market could be in for a chill.
And Michael Jackson's fate, it could be in the hands of the jury soon. And our legal experts have the lowdown.
HARRIS: Memorial Day weekend is particularly poignant when so many American troops are in harm's way every day. Just today, explosions near a joint U.S.-Iraqi military base in northwest Iraq killed four Iraqis and wounded 23 others.
And in Tikrit, nine people are dead, and at least 44 others are wounded after the apparently coordinated bombings. Military officials say the second bomb was a suicide attack timed to target emergency workers responding to the first bombing.
Today marks the graduation for the class of 2005 at West Point, the nation's oldest military academy. Many of the troops being commissioned today will probably face combat soon, either in Iraq or Afghanistan.
CNN's Alina Cho is at West Point with more on what's ahead for the cadets. Alina, good morning.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, good morning to you.
And you are absolutely right. Seven out of 10 graduates are in combat branches. And that means they will likely deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan within a year.
Now, the graduation ceremony is expected to get under way in exactly an hour. And this is West Point, so you can bet it will start on time. General Richard Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, is the keynote speaker today.
There are 911 graduates. And once they get their diploma, they will immediately become second lieutenants in the Army.
Now, why is this class of 2005 important? Well, they had just been in class for a couple of weeks as freshman when the September 11 attacks had happened. Many of them had two years to decide whether they wanted to quit, and amazingly, an overwhelming majority decided to stay.
Joining us now is Lieutenant Colonel Kent Cassela. He is the director of public affairs with the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Lieutenant Colonel, thank you for joining us.
LT. COL. KENT CASSELA, DIRECTOR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS, U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT: My pleasure.
CHO: Twenty-three West Point grads have fallen since 9/11. These cadets know they will likely go into combat within a year. They know what they are going to face. They could have quit. Why didn't they? What are they telling you about that?
CASSELA: This is a very unique class. And we're very, very, very proud of this class. The commitment that they've shown during their four years here, their world changed. They were hear as freshmen going into an Army that was at peace.
What we see now is, they know they're going into an Army at war. And these cadets, who had the opportunity to leave, decided that they wanted to lead and be leaders in war. CHO: You know, these cadets also had to adapt to what was going on. But so did the academy. How is a post-9/11 West Point different from a pre-9/11 West Point?
CASSELA: The experience that the cadets have here is very relevant to what they're going to see. We have a large number of combat veterans that come back here as instructors, which gives that direct influence on these cadets that will be the leaders in Iraq and Afghanistan within a year after graduating.
But more importantly, we're focused on not teaching them just Iraq and Afghanistan, but teaching them to be our generals 20 and 30 years from now. So adaptive and creative leaders, that's what we're all about.
CHO: Very quickly, some of them have said combat is easier than West Point. Do you believe that?
CASSELA: Some of the cadets will joke about that, having to face the dean and the tough academics we have. They'll be glad to get out to their units and get going.
CHO: All right. Thank you very much, Lieutenant Colonel Ken Cassela.
Graduation ceremony, Tony, gets underway in an hour. We'll see you back here then.
HARRIS: Very good, Alina. Good to see you. Thank you.
Kawasakis lit up by candlelight, Harleys amid the heartache. There were quiet sounds from Rolling Thunder yesterday as the motorcycle club known by that name rode through Washington to honor prisoners of war. Some 250,000 bikers from across America are in the nation's capital for a candlelight vigil.
One woman talked about the pain of losing a child to war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every day is Memorial Day to anyone who has lost their child in the service of their country. So there isn't a day that doesn't go by that I don't think about Chris and I don't think about the other mothers and their losses also.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: In just a few hours, the Rolling Thunder Club will be at the Tomb of the Unknowns. We'll have more on this later today on CNN.
KAYE: It is Fleet Week in New York, but it's not all celebration. Hundreds of service members took time Friday to commemorate the September 11 attacks. Almost 300 Marines and Coast Guard members took part in a three-mile run in lower Manhattan, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at ground zero. And it's been sizzling in Seattle this week. Yesterday, the Emerald City saw a record temperature of 89 degrees, breaking a 33- year-old record and prompting a heat advisory. But there is some relief in sight. Forecasters say today will be cooler.
And along Florida's Atlantic coast, the Memorial holiday got off to a rough start for some swimmers. At least four people at one beach had to be rescued yesterday when powerful rip tides pulled them away from shore.
Well, it was the stuff of David Blaine, a man perched high in the sky without food or water for nearly 57 hours, and awestruck eyewitnesses watching from below. But instead of a famous magician, the man is an accused murderer, who's now on the ground and behind bars.
Our Catherine Callaway joins us from Atlanta with the very latest. Good morning again, Catherine.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Randi.
Yes, that ordeal came to an end about 12:30 Eastern time this morning, with no injuries to police officers, no injuries to rescue workers, or to Carl Rowland himself.
Forty-one-year-old Rowland apparently agreed to take a drink of water from the chief negotiator, Vincent Velesquez (ph), and at that point, he was tackled and tasered once by the SWAT team. But it was still another two hours before Rowland was actually brought down to the ground. He was wrapped in blankets. He was strapped to an orange backboard. And then he was hoisted down that 350-feet crane to the ground, and police officers were stationed inside that crane along the way, making sure that he made it down to the ground safely.
He was then taken to the Fulton -- to the Grady Hospital and will then be transported to the Fulton County Jail.
We heard from the police this morning, early this morning, at a news conference. And the chief of operations said that the chief negotiator, Vincent Velesquez, was very instrumental in bringing all this down to a safe end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF ALAN DREHER, ATLANTA POLICE DEPARTMENT: At times, he was calm. At times, he was cordial. At times, he was irate. At times, he was argumentative. It just depended upon the situation. But we had a number of negotiators. We had assistance from Fulton County. We had our negotiators. We had approximately five or six that went up and down the beam, and we had others on standby for support.
So each negotiator has their own style. They're very well trained, and they do this routinely. So we're very proud of them. And they did a great job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLAWAY: And again, Vincent Velesquez being the chief negotiator in that situation.
Rowland is wanted by Pinellas County authorities, as you know. He is wanted in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend, 36- year-old Jennifer Gonzalez (ph), who was found beaten and strangled to death in a retention pond in -- behind her home. Florida authorities are in Atlanta, expected to extradite him back to Florida.
Also, Atlanta authorities are looking into placing charges against Rowland. It's not sure, we're not sure yet what those charges will be.
Back to you, Randi.
KAYE: OK, Catherine Callaway, live in Atlanta for us this morning. Thanks.
HARRIS: Also on our minds this morning is the nation's housing market. Is the bubble about to burst? We're talking about the rising cost of homes. Consider that the national median home value is now $140,000. That's up 16 percent since 2000.
Also, the number of million-dollar homes in America has nearly doubled since 2000.
Our e-mail question this morning, Is real estate a good investment right now? Tell us what you think. We are at weekends@cnn.com. We're reading your e-mails throughout the morning program.
KAYE: Two comedians, one 64-minute videotape, and a surprise move by the defense made for another wild week in the Michael Jackson trial. We'll assess the testimony in this week's legal briefs.
HARRIS: And later on "HOUSE CALL," a trainer to the stars joins Dr. Sanjay Gupta with a tips on how he gets his clients in shape for summer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning again. I'm Rob Marciano on the CNN Weather Center.
Here's your forecast weather map for this afternoon.
(WEATHER FORECAST)
MARCIANO: That's the latest from the weather department. We'll talk, yes, we'll talk a little about gardening...
HARRIS: Oh.
MARCIANO: ... be a gardening tip in about 10 minutes.
KAYE: I can't wait.
HARRIS: Rob with a...
KAYE: Thank you.
HARRIS: ... green thumb...
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: ... who knew?
KAYE: Who knew?
HARRIS: Who knew?
HARRIS: OK, rob. See you then.
MARCIANO: All right, (INAUDIBLE).
HARRIS: And checking our top stories this Saturday morning.
He came up standing on his own two legs, but he went down in a stretcher. Early this morning, Atlanta police captured a man who perched atop a construction crane for two-and-a-half days. Carl Rowland is wanted in Florida in the beating death of his ex- girlfriend.
Is tsunami relief getting to the people who need it most? That's what President Clinton is looking into. He's touring tsunami-ravaged areas in Sri Lanka and the Maldives Islands today.
And finally, he thought "Green Acres" was the place to be. Actor Eddie Albert has died at 97. He garnered three Oscar nominations during his career, but Albert was best known for the sitcom "Green Acres," in which he and Eva Gabor played city slickers who moved out to the sticks.
KAYE: The defense comes to a sudden rest in the Michael Jackson trial. We'll have the play-by-play when our legal gurus join us next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: In legal briefs this morning, the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. It was no laughing matter when comedians Chris Tucker and Jay Leno took the stand for the defense earlier this week. Things wrapped up yesterday with jurors watching a videotape of the accuser talking to police. And then, both sides rested their case.
Our legal eagles are here to fill in the blanks for us this morning, arguing their cases from opposite sides of the issue.
Civil liberties attorney Lida Rodriguez-Tassef is joining us from Miami, and here in Atlanta, we are joined by former prosecutor BJ Bernstein.
Welcome to you both. I actually said that things wrapped up yesterday. What do you think of that? Little bit of a surprise?
LIDA RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF, CIVIL LIBERTIES ATTORNEY: A little bit of a surprise, but not that big a surprise. The defense played it just right. That videotape didn't really help the prosecution. And why make a big deal out of it? So the best that the defense had to do was just sit down and keep their mouths closed. And sometimes lawyers are unwilling to do that. But in fact, that was the absolute best result.
KAYE: BJ, this videotape is getting a lot of play. It's an interview with Jackson's young accuser from back in 2003. What can you tell us about this tape?
BJ BERNSTEIN, FORMER PROSECUTOR: It was a smart move by the prosecution to put it up, because after hearing all the defense testimony, the prosecution needed to bring back the jury's attention to what this case is really about, which is the molestation of this young man.
And by playing that tape, they get to see him when he was younger, closer in time to when this happened, hear his own words, hear how he described it back then, as opposed to what they saw in the courtroom. And that was a very, very powerful thing for the prosecution to do to help their case.
KAYE: How about the timing of this tape? Was it the right time to show it?
BERNSTEIN: Absolutely...
RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: Well, it...
BERNSTEIN: Oh.
RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: Well, it was -- BJ, I think you'll agree that it was the right time for the prosecution (INAUDIBLE) show it. They couldn't have showed it at any other time, because of the fact that it was simply bolstering.
The thing, though, about, that's interesting about the tape and the fact that the defense didn't challenge it, is because, if you listen to what the boy says on the tape, he talks about how he gets C's and D's in school, how would go, you know, drinking and get drunk with Michael Jackson. So he doesn't look like he's in a great light.
And in any case, the defense is going to point out that that tape was made after the mom went to a lawyer, after she had that same lawyer send her child to a psychologist, all in an effort to coach the witness and to prepare him for this shakedown of Michael Jackson.
KAYE: Why not bring out more witnesses, though, Lida? They had said -- the defense team had said they would possibly call this young boy to the stand again after this tape was played. Why didn't they?
RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: They must have watched the reaction of the jurors and decided that the reality is, is that, why make a bigger deal out of it than it is, that all this tape does is bolster the defense case that the boy was coached, and that he was coached after the mother went to a lawyer and to a therapist.
KAYE: And BJ, we saw a lot of celebrities, obviously, taking the stand. We saw Jay Leno, we saw Chris Tucker. How do you think they did?
BERNSTEIN: They didn't do as well as we all thought. I mean, Thomas Mesereau made a big promise as to what Jay Leno would say, what Chris Tucker would say, and how strongly they would say it, when in fact, when they actually testified, they weren't as clear about the -- what the mother said. In fact, Jay Leno testified that he was not asked for money as it was promised in the defense's opening arguments.
So it didn't quite go as well. And I think some folks are saying, you know, they didn't end as powerfully as promised on the front end.
KAYE: And Lida, this case is going to go to the jury without hearing from Michael Jackson on the stand. Now, his previous appearances on the stand in years before have not exactly been stellar. Was it a good idea to keep him off the stand?
RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: Absolutely a good idea to keep him off the stand. No matter what you think of the charges in this case, and I frankly don't think the prosecution has proven its case, the bottom line is, he's an odd duck. And he would he have come across really, really odd.
He also -- it's very clear, even from the defense witnesses, that he has a habit of sleeping with young boys, even though the defense made a very good case that he -- nothing ever happened.
So you don't want him convicted on his oddness. So it was very smart of the defense just to keep him off the stand.
KAYE: And given the fact that this is Michael Jackson, as we look at the jury instructions and the jury about to get this case, anything unique about those? Or is this just run-of-the-mill jury instructions?
BERNSTEIN: It should just be the jury instructions that you get in a child molestation case. Where you're going to hear the differences, because it's Michael Jackson, is in terms of the argument, what the prosecution has to say to let the jury know that he should be treated just like anyone else for these allegations, and that if you believe this young man, if you believe the young man who came in, who is 25 years old, who talked very graphically about -- and emotionally about what happened to them, for them to come forward and convict Michael Jackson.
KAYE: Either one of you bold enough, as we leave you this morning...
HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE). KAYE: ... to say which side did a better job here, (INAUDIBLE)?
RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: The defense, obviously, did the better work here. They had a lot to overcome, especially the fact they got a very bad ruling early on from the court, allowing the prosecution to put on all these other witnesses that don't have any relationship to this particular case, these other alleged victims.
So if Michael Jackson is convicted, he's going to be convicted not on this case, but on what the prosecution was able to do with regard to prior cases.
KAYE: BJ, quick last word.
BERNSTEIN: Quick last word is, prosecution did what they needed to do. Granted, there's some problems with what they did. But overall, as Lida just kind of acknowledged, they did the important thing, which is getting in those other allegations to show the truth potentially that Michael Jackson committed these offenses, and should be convicted.
KAYE: All right. We'll have to leave it there. BJ Bernstein and Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, thanks so much for your time this morning.
BERNSTEIN: Thanks, Randi.
RODRIGUEZ-TASSEF: Thank you.
HARRIS: (INAUDIBLE), good stuff.
All right, to our e-mail question of the morning. Real estate, are we in a bubble? Are we not in a bubble? We'll take it up in more detail next hour. But here's the question this morning. Is real estate, in your opinion, a good investment right now?
And Cheryl says from South Carolina, "I have never known real estate not to be a good investment, but knowing the market" -- this sounds like it's key, Randi -- "knowing the market and where to buy are crucial."
Once again, thanks so much for your e-mails so far this morning. The question again, Is real estate a good investment right now? And there's the address. Send them along, send them along, weekends@cnn.com.
KAYE: Do you know how to protect your home and your bank account should the housing boom suddenly go bust? Gerri Willis will be along next hour with some very helpful tips.
HARRIS: But first, "HOUSE CALL" goes Hollywood, with hints from the stars how to get into shape, and hopefully stay there.
I'm Tony Harris.
KAYE: And I'm Randi Kaye. We'll see you again at the top of the hour. "HOUSE CALL" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and your top stories are straight ahead.
MARCIANO: But first, a gardening tip of the day.
Maybe you have plans to do some gardening this afternoon or this weekend. There are showers rolling across the Appalachian Mountains. Heavy rain across Texas right now, and some rain across parts of southern Oregon.
Did you know that lawn fertilizers are not formulated for feeding flowers? Nitrogen stimulates vegetative growth, which may harm the flowers. Most (INAUDIBLE) and lawn fertilizers contain more nitrogen than flowers need. So don't put that lawn fertilizer on your flowerbeds.
Latest from the weather department. We'll see you again in about half an hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Now in the news, frantic efforts to save a Japanese hostage in Iraq have run out of time. The Iraqi government confirms the man abducted earlier this month has been killed by his captors. He was among five foreign workers ambushed by insurgents west of Baghdad. The four others were also confirmed dead.
In Iraq, more carnage and casualties in Tikrit. Two car bombs went off within a half hour of each other. Nine people dead, and more than 40 were hurt. This morning in Sinjar, a car bomb and rocket- propelled grenade targeted a joint U.S.-Iraqi military base, killing four Iraqis and injuring 23 others.
History in the making in London. The landmark Big Ben fell silent late last night. No one is quite sure why the 147-year-old clock stopped ticking two separate times, losing a total of more than 90 seconds. One theory...
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