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CNN Saturday Morning News
Congress Controversy Over War in Iraq; Tropical Storm Gamma Nears Yucatan
Aired November 19, 2005 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: President Bush talks to U.S. troops in South Korea early this morning before heading to China. His trip overseas enters its fifth day.
It's 8:00 p.m. in Beijing and 7:00 a.m. here at the CNN Center in Atlanta.
This is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
Today is Saturday, November 19th.
Good morning.
I'm Rob Marciano in for Tony Harris.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, welcome back, Rob.
Good to see you.
MARCIANO: Thank you.
NGUYEN: It's been a little while. You've got to show up a little more often.
And I'm Betty Nguyen.
Thanks for being with us today.
We've got a lot to tell you about.
Now in the news, the rancor rules in the House of Representatives. In a late night vote, Republicans flatly reject their own resolution on immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq. Democratic Congressman Jack Murtha had touched off a bitter debate earlier this week. He called for troop withdrawal at the earliest practical date, but not immediately.
Now, the partisan politics doesn't stop the violence in Iraq. Two separate car bombs kill a dozen and wound more than 30. One bomb detonates at a busy Baghdad marketplace, killing 11 civilians and wounding 20 others. The second bomb targets a police patrol, but kills one civilian. Ten others, including four policemen, are wounded.
And back here in the U.S. calmer winds are helping firefighters battle a Southern California wildfire. Look at it. The blaze has burned at least 4,000 acres north of Los Angeles. It's burning toward some homes and some residents have fled.
MARCIANO: And here's a quick look at what else is coming up this half hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
Still no end to the stormy season. Tropical storm Gamma is on a path similar to hurricane Wilma. It could be look out South Florida by Monday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE," COURTESY WARNER BROTHERS PICTURES)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cover him in fire. Did you ask one of the older students to do it for you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you absolutely sure?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: Full of cash, "Goblet Of Fire" is a certified hit at the box office. We have a few kids, the experts...
NGUYEN: They are the experts.
MARCIANO: ... joining us to give us their opinions about the movie.
And Wolfgang in the house, right over there, right here at CNN Center. The maestro of food whips up some tips for holiday parties.
NGUYEN: We're in support of that, yes.
MARCIANO: We begin this morning, though, with one bizarre political episode, at least in recent memory. It's not often that a resolution is introduced in Congress with the goal of being defeated. But that's what House Republicans did last night, presenting a bill calling for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.
The GOP sponsors had no intention of seeing it pass, but they did want to put everyone in the House on record on the issue.
Republicans said it was forced by Democrat John Murtha's spectacular broadside against the Bush White House earlier this week demanding the U.S. pull out of Iraq.
Democrats were furious over the sudden vote, denouncing it as a political stunt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), OHIO: I spent three years making the case against the war in Iraq, working with other members, leading a nationwide opposition to the war, developing an exit strategy once we got in, working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle on plans to withdraw from Iraq, to bring our troops home.
But I will vote against this resolution because it is a fraud. What more does anyone need to know but that the sponsor himself has called for the defeat of his own proposition?
REP. DUNCAN HUNTER (R-CA), CHAIRMAN, ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: Nobody can complain now that they've been duped and therefore that this is not a real question or a solid question or an important question to answer. So we're going to let every member answer that. And I hope that the message that goes back to our troops in Iraq -- and I know that the message that will go back to our troops in Iraq -- is that we do not support a precipitous pullout from Iraq, and that will do more to restore their morale than anything else this Congress could do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: Republicans were thrilled to see their bill fail miserably, 403-3.
For his part, Murtha was not amused at how the president's party tried to twist his position against him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN MURTHA (D), PENNSYLVANIA: I didn't introduce this as a partisan resolution. I go by Arlington Cemetery every day. And the vice president, he criticizes Democrats. Let me tell you, those gravestones don't say Democrat or Republican, they say American.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: And that brings us to this morning's e-mail question. Do you think Friday's late night House vote was a show of support for the troops or a political stunt? You can e-mail your thoughts to weekends@cnn.com. We'll be reading some of them on the air throughout the morning.
NGUYEN: No doubt that's going to fill up the in-box today. It's a hot question.
Well, amid the sound and fury, and from Capitol Hill, it is important to note that the Pentagon does, in fact, have a tentative withdrawal plan from Iraq. According to a senior Pentagon official, the plan, submitted to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, foresees brigade size reductions by early next year. A brigade is roughly 2,000 troops. U.S. military leaders have always said that troop withdrawals from Iraq depend on numerous factors, especially political stability and security.
In any event, the Pentagon's troop reduction plan would not be enacted prior to the next round of Iraqi elections, which are set for December 15th.
President Bush addressed the Iraq withdrawal debate earlier today in South Korea, where he gave a pep talk to U.S. troops before traveling on to Beijing.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is at Osan Air Base with the details on the president's remarks.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And President Bush's Air Force One actually landed about an hour ago in Beijing, China, of course. And critical talks with Hu Jintao over trade. President Bush also, of course, promoting the war on terror and facing some challenges when it comes to the Iraq war, both at home and abroad.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our nation is grateful for your service, your service for freedom and peace.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): President Bush at the Osan Air Base in South Korea promoting his global agenda, but also continuing to strike back at those who have been calling for an immediate pullout of U.S. troops in Iraq.
BUSH: In Washington, there are some who say that the sacrifice is too great and they urge us to set a date for withdrawal before we have completed our mission. Those who are in the fight know better.
MALVEAUX: Eager to prove that point, in Washington, House Republicans introduce a resolution for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops, to try to force Democrats to take a stand on a quick exit from Iraq.
HUNTER: We do not support a precipitous pullout from Iraq.
MALVEAUX: Democrats denounce the move as a stunt, and joined the GOP in rejecting the resolution outright. The White House used the failed measure to argue Congress was on the president's side. In a statement released from South Korea, the press secretary said: "Congress, in strong bipartisan fashion, rejected the call to cut and run."
The Republican maneuver was prompted by a call made the day before from the powerful Democratic congressman, John Murtha, to withdraw troops within six months. The White House painted the decorated veteran as out of the mainstream.
BUSH: One of our top commanders in Iraq, Major General William Webster, says that setting a deadline for our withdrawal from Iraq would be "a recipe for disaster." General Webster is right.
MALVEAUX: But a State Department official tells CNN a withdrawal plan for U.S. troops in Iraq has already been submitted to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld by the top U.S. commander there, General George Casey. The official said the plan has numerous options and recommends that brigades begin leaving Iraq by early 2006. The official says the plan has yet to be signed by Rumsfeld and is conditioned on whether certain milestones are met.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
MALVEAUX: And, Betty, one of those milestones, of course, December elections, when the Iraqis transition to fully governing themselves -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Suzanne, talking about troop withdrawal and the call for it, where is South Korea in its stance in Iraq? Is it going to be withdrawing troops?
MALVEAUX: Well, Betty, somewhat of a setback for the Bush administration. The president meeting with the president of South Korea and then it was just days after the South Korean Defense Ministry actually making an announcement, saying they're considering withdrawing about a third of their 3,000 troops in Iraq.
Now, this is something that the president was not notified ahead of time. Of course, they say these are preliminary, just discussions. They are not yet really official notification. But it is something that the South Korean government is considering. Of course, they would like them to cooperate and consider keeping all of their troops, at least through those December elections -- Betty.
NGUYEN: CNN's Suzanne Malveaux.
Thank you, Suzanne.
And you want to be sure to tune in tonight for "CNN PRESENTS," Undercover: The Secret State. It is an unprecedented peek inside North Korea through documentary video smuggled out of the country at great risk.
Again, that's tonight, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 p.m. Pacific.
Mother and son ride out the storm, then one survives, the other does not. It is a lasting symbol of neglect in the wake of hurricane Katrina, these pictures that we're showing you right now.
This image haunts the failed government response to the hurricane.
Now, the body of 91-year-old Ethel Freeman, abandoned in a wheelchair in front of the New Orleans Convention Center. There, mother and son join thousands of others who had no food, water or medical care. And there she died.
Her son, Herbert Freeman, Jr. was ordered to evacuate. She was left there for days.
Freeman was a guest on "ANDERSON COOPER 360."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "ANDERSON COOPER 360")
HERBERT FREEMAN, JR. MOTHER DIED AFTER KATRINA: I was confused. I was angry. I didn't know what to do. But I had prayed and the spirit told me just to, you know, hold out a little longer, that my help was coming, you know?
So I just kept asking around, searching different help lines. And the last help line I got, they helped like, you know, to find the people that's living or people that's dead. So it was Miss. Sue Faulkner (ph) from Baton Rouge. And she had guaranteed me, she almost promised me on the phone that she would find my mother. And she did.
She called like two or three days later and told me she found her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Family and friends gathered at her funeral this week. Herbert Freeman is suing FEMA.
And we will talk with more hurricane survivors who are now faced with the dilemma of not having their hotel housing paid for by FEMA come December 1st. That's just in a few days from now. We'll talk with them about three hours -- we will talk with them about three hours from now on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
Well, he was acquitted of murder, but he is liable for death? Actor Robert Blake in a California courtroom again. We will take you how the jury ruled this time.
And...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE," COURTESY WARNER BROTHERS PICTURES)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now the moment you've all been waiting for -- the champion selection.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: Already a champion at the box office.
Is this the best Harry Potter movie ever?
We'll visit with a few of the young wizard fans and see what they have to say -- Bonnie.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, ATS METEOROLOGIST: Tropical storm Gamma continues to churn out in the Caribbean here, getting closer and closer to the Yucatan and certainly near Belize at the moment.
How will it affect South Florida this coming weekend and into Monday?
I'll have the answer coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: There's a lot of misinformation out there when it comes to bird flu. So, how do you know what to believe?
Well, some of our questions will be answered live next hour when the author of "False Alarm: The Truth About the Epidemic of Fear," joins us on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: If you're just waking up with us this morning, here's a look at a few stories we're following today.
President Bush says America will stay in Iraq until troops achieve victory. Bush spoke to U.S. soldiers at Osan Air Base in South Korea earlier today.
Meanwhile, Democrats are crying foul. During Friday's session, House GOP leaders introduced a resolution calling for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops. Democrats called the move a stunt to force them to take a stand on a quick exit from Iraq.
And in California, just 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles, a fire continues to burn in School Canyon. More than 4,000 acres have been burned so far. Some 200 homeowners have voluntarily fled.
NGUYEN: Well, in the U.S. many parents tell their kids just say no to drugs. But for many Muslim parents worldwide, drugs are the least of their worries. They are fighting to keep al Qaeda from persuading their kids to wear the vest of a suicide bomber.
Tomorrow on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING," meet a man whose mission is to reach young Muslims before the terrorists do. The founder of Interfaith Youth Corps live in "FACES OF FAITH." That's tomorrow on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING."
MARCIANO: I thought we were done with that music. We're not done with that music?
NGUYEN: Well, what, hurricane season has got 11 more days?
MARCIANO: A couple more days. November 30th is the end. And Bonnie Schneider, Mother Nature holding onto this one right until the end of the season -- isn't she?
SCHNEIDER: Right. It's like nothing we've ever seen before in past seasons, to have the storms start so late. And that's exactly what we're seeing right now.
As we take a look at our satellite perspective, we can see tropical storm Gamma on the map and it's really getting ready to pound Belize, pound much of the Yucatan coastline. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for this country and then further north toward coastal sections of Mexico.
It's just been an awful season for the Yucatan, with numerous storms hitting the Yucatan before they come up to the U.S.
And it looks like, at this point, we're going to be facing some threat and some trouble from Gamma.
Here's a look at our latest satellite imagery. And notice much of the convection is to the north and to the east of the storm's center. There's a reason for that. We've got strong winds coming from the west. And that not only is breaking down Gamma a bit and kind of shearing it apart to some degree, because it could be a lot more intense if we didn't have those winds, but it's also steering it and guiding it. And we're expecting it to head in the direction of South Florida, quite likely, actually, as we look at our latest track.
This just came in from the National Hurricane Center. And by the time we get to tomorrow, we'll start to see that turn to the northeast, toward South Florida.
What's interesting to note, in the past 24 hours, as we start to watch these tracks, the storm here, the center line, though we tell you not to watch the line, it's important just to note the track shifted slightly south, about 60 nautical miles from where it was yesterday. Not to say that South Florida won't be affected, because really we're expecting tropical storm force winds to extend outward of 100 miles once the storm gets close enough to South Florida. So that will be from Monday into Tuesday. We'll be watching for that.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: That is getting chilly outside.
MARCIANO: Do you force her to talk about Texas every time...
NGUYEN: I, you know, I'm not paying her to say that, but I like that. Head to Texas if you want nice weather.
SCHNEIDER: Oh, Betty.
NGUYEN: All right, I'll do that.
MARCIANO: Thanks, Bonnie.
NGUYEN: Thanks, Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: Um-hmm.
NGUYEN: Well, coming up, the life and Vatican times of the late Pope John Paul II. The made-for-TV movie starring John Voigt as John Paul hits the small screen next month.
MARCIANO: But just three minutes away and right here, the ingredients for great holiday entertaining with the renowned Chef Wolfgang Puck.
NGUYEN: Oooh, it looks tasty. You know it is. It's Wolfgang Puck.
WOLFGANG PUCK, CELEBRITY CHEF: Absolutely.
NGUYEN: We can't wait, because the world's biggest aquarium opens its doors in Atlanta coming this weekend, actually, Wednesday, November 23rd. And among the main attractions, over 100,000 animals representing 500 different species from all over the globe. We're going to tell you about that when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right, check this out. We told you a little bit about this a little bit earlier. The world's biggest aquarium opens its doors in Atlanta on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. Now, among the main attractions, listen to this, Rob, 100,000 animals representing 500 different species from all over the globe.
MARCIANO: Nice.
NGUYEN: So if you want to see it, it's there.
MARCIANO: It's going to be huge. And, you know, you've got to have some fine catering done, as well.
NGUYEN: Oh, yes.
MARCIANO: And you might as...
NGUYEN: This is a big time event.
MARCIANO: You might as well have the best.
World famous chef Wolfgang Puck is here.
PUCK: Good morning.
MARCIANO: Good morning.
PUCK: Good morning.
NGUYEN: How are you?
PUCK: I'm really excited about the new aquarium here.
NGUYEN: Oh, yes.
PUCK: I think it's one of the most amazing attractions you can find anywhere, for adults, for kids, for anybody. And we're going to do the food there. If you want to have a great party there...
NGUYEN: Right.
PUCK: ... you know, for people who have conventions here, birthday parties, weddings, anything to pass the...
NGUYEN: So good fun, good food? PUCK: Absolutely. It goes together really, really well. No...
MARCIANO: That's got, that's a pretty chi-chi place.
NGUYEN: It is.
MARCIANO: I heard it's going to be top notch.
PUCK: Absolutely.
MARCIANO: But to you have catering the food there...
PUCK: Yes, we do the food. We are going to do a dinner tonight. We are going to do their grand opening tomorrow. So we have 2,500 people tomorrow at the aquarium.
NGUYEN: Oh, wow!
That's a lot of cooking you've got to do.
PUCK: A lot of cooking. But we have great people with us, so it's going to be really easy.
NGUYEN: Well, now you're making something today.
Is this something you're going to be serving?
PUCK: OK, this is -- we might serve it there, too. But I think this is really a tip for the people out there for Thanksgiving.
NGUYEN: Yes.
PUCK: Thanksgiving is coming up. How to make a great soup.
You know, it's cold already. Even here in Atlanta, it's cold already.
NGUYEN: Oh, yes.
PUCK: I woke up this morning, it was 30 degrees or something.
NGUYEN: You didn't realize you were in Atlanta, did you?
PUCK: I know. I came in a t-shirt and a cooking jacket.
MARCIANO: That'll get you.
PUCK: Now, you started out like with some butternut squash. Butternut squash makes really good purees of like a pumpkin puree. But use that is...
NGUYEN: Did you just bake it?
PUCK: I just bake it with a little orange juice.
NGUYEN: OK. PUCK: You can add a little honey if you want to.
NGUYEN: Ooh, orange juice.
PUCK: Yes.
NGUYEN: That's a good idea.
PUCK: For a little extra flavor. Then, we make it into a very, very smooth puree, just like that. That's really easy, with the blend or whatever.
Then you put it in a pot with a little bit of chicken stock if you have. You can get that in any store if you want to or you make your own, or just a little vegetable stock.
NGUYEN: It's so creamy over there.
PUCK: Yes. Blend it one more time. And then, when you serve it, make a few little garnishes extra. Like I have here some candied pecans.
NGUYEN: Yes, I'm going to have to take a taste of that.
PUCK: OK, you can take a taste of it.
MARCIANO: Yes, that's...
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: ... these are really...
PUCK: Yes, I made a little bit of a cranberry chutney, like a cranberry marmalade, really. So when you serve it after, make it look pretty. So that way people eat with their eyes first.
NGUYEN: That is true.
MARCIANO: This looks very, very rich.
PUCK: Yes, it's...
MARCIANO: But is there any cream in there?
PUCK: No. You can -- I actually made a little cream to put on top here. I made a cardamom cream. So you have a little spice as to...
NGUYEN: That's caramel cream?
How many...
PUCK: Cardamom. Cardamom.
NGUYEN: Oh, OK.
How many calories does this have in it?
PUCK: This doesn't have that many calories yet. I'm going to add a few in here now.
NGUYEN: Oh, see this is where the calories are.
MARCIANO: You've got to have a little bit.
PUCK: Look at it, like this and then...
NGUYEN: Look at the technique that he uses there.
MARCIANO: Yes, that's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
PUCK: And then maybe a few cranberries in the middle here so it looks pretty and it tastes even better. Maybe a few candied pecans around.
MARCIANO: Oh, that looks great.
PUCK: So you have a delicious soup and just spruce it up with a little garnish so it's really nice.
NGUYEN: Yes, add a little color in there.
PUCK: Uh-huh. You even can saute some apples, you know, get some green apples, saute them a little bit and add them to your soup.
MARCIANO: So you can make it as complicated as you want. But the basics of it look...
(CROSSTALK)
PUCK: The basics is so simple. All you have to do is roast your butternut squash and then thin it out a little bit, add some spices, a little ginger, a little cinnamon, maybe a little nutmeg, whatever you like. And salt and pepper.
NGUYEN: Now, I have to ask you this.
With the holidays coming up, what is your favorite holiday dish?
PUCK: You know, I actually start to like Thanksgiving. At the beginning when I came to this country...
NGUYEN: You didn't like Thanksgiving?
PUCK: ... I didn't like the turkey. So I...
MARCIANO: It's very big in Austria.
PUCK: But now when I make my turkey, I brine the turkey overnight. You know, I boil a little salt, water, a little molasses, a little honey, some spices --
NGUYEN: Oooh, yes? PUCK: ... and I soak the turkey in there overnight so that way it comes out much juicier. So that's really (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
NGUYEN: You don't want a dry turkey.
PUCK: Yes.
NGUYEN: Yes.
PUCK: But most of the time you get it dry. The same thing as...
NGUYEN: Mine is usually dry. I have problems. We need to talk.
PUCK: All right.
All right.
I'll get you the recipe. We'll put it on your Web site and then...
NGUYEN: Yes.
PUCK: ... you can give all your friends the recipe.
NGUYEN: Good deal.
So the Georgia aquarium coming this week.
We are looking forward to it.
PUCK: I know, it's...
NGUYEN: I have to ask you, though, are you serving fish?
PUCK: You know, we serve certain species of fish...
NGUYEN: Oh.
PUCK: ... you know, like, for example, wild salmon, if somebody wants it. But we have so many other things. So we have so far many burgers, our pizzas and, you know, we have steaks. We have everything.
NGUYEN: If only the animals in the aquarium knew what you did for a living, huh?
MARCIANO: Yes.
PUCK: Well, you know what? I think we have to take care of the environment.
NGUYEN: You do. You do.
PUCK: And I think one of the great things of the aquarium is they actually rescued some whales...
NGUYEN: Yes, they did.
PUCK: ... and they rescued the fish and everything. So to really learn about them more, which is really a great experience there.
NGUYEN: Absolutely.
MARCIANO: Which means you won't be putting your hand in the tank to catch...
NGUYEN: No.
PUCK: I don't -- I'm not going to go swimming with them either. I will be cooking.
MARCIANO: OK.
Very good.
Chef Wolfgang Puck, thank you very much.
PUCK: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Yes, thank you.
PUCK: Thank you.
Thank you.
MARCIANO: Tips for the Thanksgiving holiday.
All right.
And check it out, Cafe Aquarium.
NGUYEN: Yes, coming this week.
MARCIANO: Well, you've seen it twice now -- celebrities escaping criminal murder charges only to find a different fate in civil court. O.J. Simpson talks about the Robert Blake verdict, still to come here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
NGUYEN: Plus this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE," COURTESY WARNER BROTHERS PICTURES)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll never recover the fire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Closer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you ask one of the older students to do it for you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you absolutely sure?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Oh, the theaters have been packed since Harry Potter opened 48 hours ago. And we are going to be talking with some kiddos who took a look at it and they're going to tell you what they think. These are the experts, so we're going to give you some good advice on whether you should go see it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, good morning, everybody.
MARCIANO: I'm Rob Marciano in for Tony Harris, who's taking a couple of well deserved days off.
NGUYEN: Yes.
You know, he's sleeping in.
MARCIANO: Exactly.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen.
Let's get started with a look at what's happening right now in the news.
MARCIANO: President Bush vows to stay in the fight. Speaking during a visit with U.S. troops based in South Korea, the president again rejected calls for a quick troop pullout of Iraq. The issue has been front and center this week after a call for withdrawal from senior House Democrat John Murtha.
And that call by Congressman Murtha triggered a bitter debate in the House last night. GOP leaders tried to force Democrats to take a stand on the issue. Republicans brought a resolution calling for the immediate military withdrawal from Iraq. The Democrats called the move a stunt. It was overwhelming denied.
And an avian flu expert north -- or alert north of the border. Canadian authorities quarantine a poultry farm in British Columbia after a duck tests positive for an avian flu type virus. But they say there is no threat to human health.
Farmers culled thousands of fowl in the same area last year after they tested positive for the H7 type avian flu.
NGUYEN: It's time now to check more headlines around the globe today.
MARCIANO: Pakistan's prime minister warns that time is running out to aid thousands of survivors of South Asia's earthquakes.
Shanon Cook has more from the international desk -- Shanon, what's happening?
SHANON COOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Rob, that's right, thousands of people are still homeless and with the onset of the harsh Himalayan winter, you know, their situation is considered pretty desperate. And having enough money for aid has been a problem. But today, Pakistan is hosting a one day international conference to raise money for earthquake relief. And the prime minister says new pledges total about $5.4 billion. That's slightly more than the amount that they were actually hoping for.
This money, of course, to be used for short-term relief and long- term reconstruction. The quake killed more than 70,000 people and left an estimated half million people homeless.
Now to Athens, Greece, where thousands of protesters took to the streets in an organized march to the U.S. Embassy earlier this week. The demonstrations were to commemorate a 1973 pro-democracy student uprising. The rally happens annually, although this time parents were also protesting U.S. troops in Iraq and they were calling for Greek troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. This was prompted when two Greek soldiers were recently injured in suicide bombings in Afghanistan.
There are 128 Greeks stationed there. No Greek troops in Iraq, by the way -- Rob.
MARCIANO: I heard, Shanon, that the pope is now going to the movies. What -- fill us in on that.
COOK: Yes. There was -- he went to a screening at the Vatican of a movie. No papal popcorn about, so it wasn't a total sort of typical movie experience. But Pope Benedict XVI attended the world premiere of a television miniseries on the life of the late Pope John Paul II. This took place at the Vatican this week.
The miniseries is set to air on CBS in the U.S. next month, so you can see it, too.
Actor John Voigt plays the late pontiff. And the miniseries basically tells the story of his life from his youth in Poland to his 26 years in the papacy -- Rob.
MARCIANO: Thumbs up, thumbs down?
NGUYEN: Yes, what did he think?
MARCIANO: What was his view?
COOK: He liked it.
NGUYEN: Wow!
COOK: He gave it a ringing endorsement. In fact, he said it was "an important service of spreading the message about the life and works of John Paul." And what was quite sweet was he was in the miniseries himself when he -- back when he was a cardinal. And when the German actor who played him made the first appearance in the miniseries, everyone at the screening applauded in a nice showing of support for the current pope.
NGUYEN: Oh, yes, a show of support there.
All right, Shanon.
MARCIANO: That's fine.
COOK: Thanks, guys.
NGUYEN: Thank you.
MARCIANO: You know, popes are generally pretty positive people, so I can't see him coming out and really trashing it.
NGUYEN: Yes, exactly. I don't see him getting too upset about that.
OK, all right, thanks, Shanon.
COOK: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Well, actor Robert Blake will have to cough up a lot of money after a California jury found him liable in the death of his wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley. This latest verdict comes after Blake was acquitted in his criminal trial.
CNN reporter Sibila Vargas has the details from Los Angeles.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Robert Blake has spent a lifetime as an actor, but he wasn't able to win over one audience -- a group of civil jurors.
BOB HORN, JURY FOREMAN: You know, the majority of us felt that Mr. Blake was guilty.
VARGAS: By a vote of 10-2, jurors found Blake liable in the death of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, and ordered him to pay $30 million to her children in damages. Jurors said the actor's testimony in his own defense was pivotal.
HORN: As a group, we believe that Mr. Blake was probably his worst enemy on the stand.
VARGAS: The verdict came eight months after Blake was acquitted in his criminal trial. But unlike the criminal case, where the burden of proof was beyond a reasonable doubt, in the civil trial, it only took a preponderance of the evidence.
ERIC DUBIN, PLAINTIFF'S ATTORNEY: It's a good day for justice. VARGAS: Blake has consistently maintained he found his wife dead in their car in May 2001, after they had dinner at a Los Angeles area restaurant. He said she was shot while he went back inside the restaurant to retrieve a gun.
Jurors in his civil trial weren't required to determine exactly how Blake was responsible for his wife's death, just that he was.
Whether Blake can pay the civil damages is uncertain. Last March, after his acquittal on murder charges, he described himself as penniless.
ROBERT BLAKE, ACTOR: I'm broke. Right now, I couldn't buy spats for a hummingbird.
VARGAS: The lawyer for Bakley's family expects Blake to pay up.
DUBIN: Oh, yes, I will take a check, a cashier's check or cash. I will leave it at whatever he wants to do, but, hopefully, not in quarters.
VARGAS: Legal experts believe it's unlikely that Bonny Lee Bakley's four children will ever collect the full amount.
Sibila Vargas, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
NGUYEN: All right, Rob, listen to this.
As you may remember, a similar outcome happened to O.J. Simpson. In 1995, the former NFL star was acquitted on criminal charges for murdering his wife, his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and a friend of hers.
However, two years later, like actor Robert Blake, Simpson was found responsible for the slayings in a civil case and was ordered to pay more than $33 million in damages.
Now, in a recent interview, Simpson commented that he still doesn't understand how someone can be found responsible for murder after being acquitted in criminal court.
Um-hmm.
MARCIANO: Bird flu. You know, we're making a big deal out of it, but there's really plenty to be concerned about.
NGUYEN: Yes, I mean there's a lot of concern out there, especially when you talk pandemic. More than 35,000 people die every year from the common everyday flu, not bird flu, but just the common flu.
Tips from cnn.com when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: This just in. This is video into CNN right now.
President Bush, as you will see, just momentarily coming through the doors of Air Force One. He has arrived in Beijing, China. He is on this eight day, four nation tour of Asia. And he has just left South Korea, where he spent some time there meeting with leaders. And arriving now in Beijing.
Of course, we're going to be following every bit of this trip and we'll bring you the latest as soon as we get it.
Well, now we want to check our top stories.
President Bush again rejects calls for a U.S. military pullout from Iraq. The president made the comments during a visit with U.S. troops based in South Korea. He vowed to "stay in the fight until victory is achieved."
Now, those calls for withdrawal came to a head on Capitol Hill last night. House GOP leaders tried to force Democrats to take a stand on a quick exit from Iraq. They brought up a resolution calling for immediate withdrawal. The measure, though, was overwhelmingly defeated.
And out West, hundreds of firefighters are battling a wildfire in Ventura County. That's just north of Los Angeles. The blaze has charred about 4,000 acres and some residents in the area are voluntarily evacuating.
MARCIANO: Well, if you want to save yourself from coughing and sneezing during the next few months, cnn.com might have the prescription for fighting the flu.
Veronica De La Cruz apparently works with Sanjay Gupta.
From the Dot-Com Desk you've got more -- what have you got?
You've got Spocksters now over there?
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
Yes, let's not say prescription, because Sanjay is the doctor.
MARCIANO: OK.
DE LA CRUZ: Let's say helpful tips.
MARCIANO: All right, good enough.
DE LA CRUZ: Sanjay would have the prescription, actually.
MARCIANO: I'll take a tip or two.
DE LA CRUZ: All right.
All right, well, it's known as influenza and it's more severe than the common cold, that much we can tell you. So you can check out cnn.com for a few helpful tips when it comes to this year's flu season.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DE LA CRUZ (voice-over): Flu is nothing to sneeze at. Each season, it puts more than 200,000 Americans in the hospital and some 36,000 will die from the infection and its complications. You can find out more about symptoms, prevention and treatment in this click through gallery.
But concerns over seasonal flu are taking a back seat to fears about the bird flu and the possibility that it could evolve into a global pandemic. Although the H5N1 strain of avian flu has been found in birds in Asia and parts of Europe, only 130 people in Asia have been inflicted and over 67 have died as a result.
As of now, there is no pandemic because the virus is not easily transmitted from human to human.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
DE LA CRUZ: But, of course, you can get the facts all online at cnn.com/flu.
And have you guys got your flu shot this year?
NGUYEN: Oh, I knew you were going to ask that.
DE LA CRUZ: Did you get it?
MARCIANO: No.
DE LA CRUZ: Did you?
MARCIANO: I'm chicken.
NGUYEN: Yes, that's -- exactly.
MARCIANO: So I didn't do that.
DE LA CRUZ: I can't believe this.
NGUYEN: I saw them giving it and I thought oh, I need to do it, but it's going to hurt. So I...
DE LA CRUZ: No, it doesn't hurt. Come on.
NGUYEN: I want...
DE LA CRUZ: You have to get it. I get it every year and I never get sick.
MARCIANO: But can't you get sick from getting the shot?
DE LA CRUZ: Right. That's a very good point. That's another... MARCIANO: Dr. De La Cruz?
DE LA CRUZ: I would go that far but, yes, I mean that's a possibility.
But seriously, you guys, I've gone in every year and I don't get the flu.
NGUYEN: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: So there you go.
NGUYEN: And you're doing all right.
MARCIANO: Well, you're tougher than we are.
NGUYEN: Yes, and I usually do get the flu, so I might as well go ahead and just do it.
All right, Veronica...
DE LA CRUZ: Just a try.
MARCIANO: Thanks, Veronica.
DE LA CRUZ: Give it a try.
NGUYEN: I'll roll up a sleeve and get it done.
Thank you.
Well, it's a movie that appears on the verge of breaking a few box office records. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE," COURTESY WARNER BROTHERS PICTURES)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now the moment you've all been waiting for -- the champion selection.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Oooh, that was exciting. The fourth installment of the Harry Potter series is packing theaters worldwide.
MARCIANO: And take a look at this. We've got our own team of movie review...
NGUYEN: Experts.
MARCIANO: Yes, the experts, the kids. They've been to it and they have an opinion. Why not?
We're going to get it, coming up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE," COURTESY WARNER BROTHERS PICTURES)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The champion selection.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: The fourth time is a charm.
Harry, Ron and, kids, help me.
How do you pronounce her name?
CHILDREN: Hermione.
NGUYEN: Hermione -- will once again work their magic at theaters all across the country. Sneak peekers enjoyed a midnight screaming -- and screening, too -- of "Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire."
I say screaming because it's a little scary this time.
Fans are looking forward to a more grownup Harry and friends and their hijinks at Hogwarts, of course.
So, the question is, two thumbs up or two thumbs down?
We want to see how a few die-hard Harry Potter fans rate this latest installment of "The Goblet Of Fire."
Was it a hit or a miss? That's what we're going to be talking about.
This is our critics corner. Talking to all the -- not only are they critics, but they experts. And we have here today with us a number of them.
We have Nicholas, Alyssa (ph), William, Winston, Nick and Arch over there. Actually, I got you reversed, Nick and Arch. And all of you range from 10 to 16. You've seen it. PG-13.
What did you think?
NICHOLAS: I think it was really cool. I loved how they put all the scenes together when Voldemort and Harry fought together and when Harry came up and actually won the battle.
NGUYEN: Alyssa, was it scary?
ALYSSA: It wasn't really scary, scary, but there was a lot of things that made me jump.
NGUYEN: Did it?
Like what?
ALYSSA: Like are some harsh spells in there that were like whoa. NGUYEN: Whoo, harsh spells.
All right, so you're 16 over here and you said you're a little scared by it.
Or are you just pulling my leg?
ARCH: I think I was just pulling your leg.
NGUYEN: But what did you think, though?
ARCH: It was a good movie. But I wouldn't really take any like very little kids to it, because, you know, it would frighten them.
NGUYEN: So you think it's worth the PG-13 rating that it got?
ARCH: It's worth the PG-13.
NGUYEN: Because this was really the only one in the series that got this PG-13 rating.
What did you like best about the movie?
WILLIAM: The best part I liked about the movie was the first task, where Harry had to get a dragon egg from a dragon.
NGUYEN: Whoo.
WILLIAM: And while the first task, if he did not retrieve the egg, sometimes during a task you can die so.
NGUYEN: Oooh. Did that scare you at all?
WINSTON: No, not a lot, because it wasn't that scary.
NGUYEN: Did any of it scare you?
WINSTON: Well, a little.
NGUYEN: Yes? Which part?
WINSTON: At the last part when they like, when Voldemort came out and like (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Harry.
NGUYEN: Oh.
And, you know, we have a clip that we want to show you, too, because the movie also deals with the first big dance, which was exciting. I see Alyssa smiling here, because it was really cute.
So we're going to take a look right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE," COURTESY WARNER BROTHERS PICTURES)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ready, Professor? MAGGIE SMITH, ACTOR: To dance. It's traditional that the three champions, well, in this case, four, are the first to dance. Surely I told you that.
DANIEL RADCLIFFE, ACTOR: No.
SMITH: Oh, well, now you know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She looks beautiful!
RADCLIFFE: Yes, she does.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And that's compliments of Warner Brothers Pictures. Of course, CNN is a Time Warner subsidiary.
I've got to ask you, very cool scene.
This is a time when Harry kind of grows up.
Do you like this grown up Harry?
ALYSSA: Yes, I really do. But the hair, I don't like the hair.
NGUYEN: You don't like that? You're not digging the hair?
ALYSSA: No.
NGUYEN: What did you think about the fashion?
NICK: The fashion was kind of outdated in a way.
NGUYEN: Was it?
Now, was this a movie that you think was better than the other ones?
NICK: Yes.
NGUYEN: Why is that?
NICK: Because I read the book before I saw the movie and the book was my favorite one out of the whole series.
NGUYEN: This one?
NICK: Yes. Well, now -- well, after...
NGUYEN: It depends on whichever one you're reading at the time, right?
NICK: Yes. Like, after -- when that one came out, it was my favorite one.
NGUYEN: And there also are rumors that we're going to get one more book in the series.
Does anyone have a clue what that one is going to be about in Harry's life? Anyone?
ARCH: His last year.
NGUYEN: Hold on.
His last year at school?
ARCH: I think it's his last year at Hogwarts.
NGUYEN: Because no one really knows just yet. And we don't know when it's going to come out.
Do you think someone is going to die in that one?
ARCH: Probably.
NGUYEN: Yes, I see a yes.
WILLIAM: Yes, I think so because during like some of the end of the books, something terrible happens. So someone might die in the last book.
NGUYEN: Yes, well, and lastly, what in the world are you going to do when all the books are out and Harry Potter, you've seen it all?
NICK: Do it again.
NGUYEN: Do it all again? Keep watching it over and over? Buy the DVD?
All right, you know, I think the author is going to really appreciate that.
Well, experts, we appreciate your time today.
Thank you for sharing.
The bottom line, thumbs up or thumbs down?
CHILDREN: Thumbs up!
NGUYEN: Way up.
All right, thank you so much.
Of course, they loved it, Rob. And who wouldn't? It's Harry Potter.
MARCIANO: That's right. When you get that many kids going thumbs up, Betty, you know they appreciate it.
NGUYEN: You know it's a good movie. MARCIANO: And there are kids at home going mommy, take me to that; daddy, take me right now. So, yes, the pocketbooks are being opened.
Thanks, Betty.
Thanks, guys.
All right, well, we all know New Orleans has its share of problems right now. But one thing is for sure, the spirit still lives in the music.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IRVIN MAYFIELD, MUSICIAN: Music is the only art form that's in the same space as emotion. So music is a great healing tool. And I guess we're kind of really trying to show -- be an example to the rest of the world of how we can rebuild and how we use our culture to help us do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: That's good to see. Some traditions just never die.
That story is coming up.
Plus, tracking tropical storm Gamma. This hurricane season doesn't want to go away.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: The wrath of hurricane Katrina caused several universities and colleges to shut down for the semester. But Dillard is now preparing for the spring semester. We'll talk to the school's president, Dr. Marvalene Hughes, in our 9:00 hour. That's Eastern time.
And it was a celebration and a rebirth of life in New Orleans, as award winning jazz trumpeter Irvin Mayfield took a famous second line jazz profession -- procession, I should say -- through the streets.
It's normally performed at traditional jazz funerals in New Orleans. But under the circumstances, many residents feel this honor was most appropriate.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.
MAYFIELD: In New Orleans, a jazz funeral is like the biggest honor someone could ever have.
(VIDEO CLIP FROM JAZZ FUNERAL)
MAYFIELD: I think the most interesting thing is the first song, "The Dirge." Now, that's when I think you hear a lot of the pain and the soul of the city.
(VIDEO CLIP FROM JAZZ FUNERAL)
MAYFIELD: After "The Dirge," when we started to speed it up, I think that's truly the celebratory aspect of New Orleans...
(VIDEO CLIP FROM JAZZ FUNERAL)
MAYFIELD: ... you know, because it's kind of like a memorial for our city, of what it was. But it's also a celebration of what the city is going to be.
(VIDEO CLIP FROM JAZZ FUNERAL)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Down by the riverside.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm from here and since (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful thing.
(VIDEO CLIP FROM JAZZ FUNERAL)
MAYFIELD: Music is the only art form that's in the same space as emotion. So music is a great healing tool. And I guess we're kind of really trying to show -- be an example to the rest of the world of how we can rebuild and how we use our culture to help us do that.
(VIDEO CLIP FROM JAZZ FUNERAL)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: That was hurricane...
NGUYEN: Tropical storm Gamma.
MARCIANO: Can you believe it? Can you believe it? It doesn't want to end.
NGUYEN: I don't want to believe it. It needs to stop.
MARCIANO: It will.
NGUYEN: Maybe...
MARCIANO: At some point.
NGUYEN: At some point, yes.
MARCIANO: At some point.
NGUYEN: Good answer. Good answer.
Bonnie Schneider here to talk about this, Gamma on the horizon. Hopefully it won't turn into a hurricane -- Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: No, I don't think so.
MARCIANO: Yes, is it supposed to get strong after that, Bonnie? Or are they going to keep it at a tropical storm?
SCHNEIDER: It's at a tropical storm, Rob, and there's a couple of reasons for that.
One is it's going to be moving much quicker once it gets over the Florida Straits, for example, and zips across to the north. It's not going to be as powerful as Wilma, that's for sure.
The National Hurricane Center keeps Gamma as a tropical storm, a fast moving one, eventually, because look what happens from Monday to Tuesday. It's already passed to the south of Florida. And that's an important thing to note. It looks like at this point the storm will pass to the south.
However, tropical storm force winds will definitely be felt into South Florida. So we'll be watching this very closely Monday into Tuesday. Right now the main concern is Belize and parts of the Yucatan in Mexico, which are really expecting a lot of rain. We could see up to eight inches in some areas.
Now, the front that you see here through the center of the country is actually going to help to steer along Gamma and pull it up to the north. And depending on how those two interact and the timing of that, we'll also steer the direction of the storm.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Let's talk about our e-mail question of the day, because while much of the nation may be cold, this question is on fire.
Here it is. Friday's House vote on immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq, a show of support for troops or a political stunt?
Well, Mary Hogan from West Virginia says: "Forget about whether it is support or a stunt. I am trying to decide if the juvenile act was bullying or a temper tantrum."
MARCIANO: And this one comes at us. It says: "The Democrats all loudly called for the withdrawal of troops, but when it came time to put up or shut up, only three of them out of the 403 total voted for the resolution. They should have seized the moment that was handed to them on a platinum platter."
NGUYEN: And Todd writes: "Maybe the troops who are in the rear with the gear have time to follow the constant charade that Congress puts on. But the actual combat troops are too busy to pay attention to all of the political garbage and can't afford distractions, positive or negative, period," says Todd.
So, let us know what you think.
Here it is, one more time. Friday's House vote on immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq, a show of support for troops or a political stunt? E-mail us, weekends@cnn.com.
The next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins right now.
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