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CNN Saturday Morning News
Jill Carroll Arrives In Ramstein, Germany; Cynthia McKinney May Be Charged; Senators Debate Over Bush Censure; Teen Goes To Wal-Mart For Spring Break; Underwater Russian Entertainment
Aired April 01, 2006 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning everyone. Out of Iraq and on her way home, a few hours ago former hostage Jill Carroll arrived in Ramstein, Germany. She is expected to arrive in the U.S. sometime this weekend. We'll have a live report from Germany.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center right here in Atlanta. Good morning everybody, I'm Betty Nguyen. This is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
HARRIS: It is all fancy there Betty. Good morning, I'm Tony Harris. Thank you for starting your day with us. Our top story in a moment, first a look what else is happening right now in the news.
Volunteers in cities around the country are going door-to-door to tell Katrina evacuees about New Orleans Mayoral election. It happens April 22, some say that is to soon. Bill Cosby and the Reverend Jesse Jackson head a rally in New Orleans today. They want satellite-voting centers set up for evacuees outside Louisiana.
Five weeks of rain, take a heavy toll on parts of Hawaii. Several roads are flooded on the island of Oahu and so are some of the some of the homes. Customers evacuated a shopping mall yesterday when more than a foot of water flooded stores. The state remains under a flood watch for most of today.
People are placing sand bags along swollen rivers across Germany in Eastern Europe. Rising waters from rain and melting snow is forcing thousands to evacuate. Some areas of Rumania are reporting the worst flooding in 50 years.
NGUYEN: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice greets anti-war protesters in Britain with a smile and a wave. She is in Blackburn, England, meeting with British officials and Muslim leaders. About 20 percent of the city is Muslim. Opposition to the Iraq war runs strong there.
All 19 people aboard a plane that crashed near Rio de Janeiro are dead according to various wire reports. The small twin-engine plane went down in a mountainous region east of the city. Rescue workers had to walk nearly three hours just to get to the remote area.
Kurdish protesters riot again in Turkey clashing with security forces. At least seven people have died in five days of street battles. That started Tuesday after funerals for Kurdish separatist killed while fighting the military. HARRIS: American journalist Jill Carroll was all smiles when she arrived in Germany today. It was the first leg of her long trip home after being held hostage in Iraq for almost three months. The next stop is expected to be the good old USA. CNN's Paula Hancocks is following the story from Frankfurt. Paula good morning.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Tony. We saw a very exhausted looking but extremely happy looking Jill Carroll touch down at Ramstein Air base in western Germany. She was chatting with military personnel as she got off the plane, smiling with -- looking very relaxed and very at ease, also looking tired, though, which is understandable considering she has been held hostage for almost three months.
Also she flew overnight from Baghdad time to get to Germany at 9:00 a.m., local Time of 2:00 a.m. Eastern Time. She was wearing jeans, a beige jacket, and her hair pulled back and looking very happy before she was whisked off in a car.
According to a Ramstein spokesperson they told CNN that she then went to a hotel nearby. And it was suggested that she was there writing an article on what had happened to her. Now, we are expecting either later on this Saturday, it is getting fairly late now, 4:00 p.m. Local Time or Sunday morning she could be getting on the plane to go back to the states to go and see her family who are all waiting to see her.
HARRIS: CNN's Paula Hancocks. Paula thank you, appreciate it.
NGUYEN: Well, Tony, you know it's been all over the news and papers, on the blogs Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney involved in a confrontation with Capitol Police. There is plenty of speculation and finger pointing over what exactly happened, who is to blame, and whether charges should be filed. CNN's Brian Todd has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A police union official tells CNN he believes Capitol Hill police will recommend to the U.S. Attorney that charges be filed against Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, possibly, we're told, charges of assault. This stems from an incident earlier this week when police say McKinney walked around a security checkpoint on Capitol Hill and an officer did not recognize her.
A police union official tells CNN the officer tapped McKinney lightly on the arm seeking identification and says the congresswoman then turned around and struck the officer on the chest with her cell phone. The Georgia Democrat gives a defiant response.
REP. CYNTHIA MCKINNEY (D), GEORGIA: This whole incident was instigated by the inappropriate touching and stopping of me, a female black congresswoman. I deeply regret that this incident occurred and I am certain that after a full review of the facts I will be exonerated. TODD: Pending possible charges, Capitol Hill police will only say they are still investigating. McKinney's attorney says he'll do some digging himself.
JAMES MYART, MCKINNEY'S ATTORNEY: We are going to seek a criminal investigation against the police officer who assaulted this congresswoman. And we are further reviewing the civil liabilities and responsibilities of the capitol police as well as this particular individual.
TODD: According to the National Journals Almanac of American Politics, McKinney had similar recognition issues at the White House in 1996 and 1998. The book quotes McKinney saying "I am absolutely sick and tired of having to have my appearance at the White House validated by white people."
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Other stories making news across America now. Search begins today at two landfills in Pennsylvania for missing college student. John Fayco (ph) was last seen a week ago. Traces of his blood were found around the trash bin outside his dorm.
A California dorm damaged not by a storm but a car. It happened during a police chase of a stolen vehicle in Oakland. The stolen vehicle went out of control and crashed into the house. Fortunately missing a teenager inside. The driver was taken into custody.
A Washington woman delivered quintuplets this week. Mother, four daughters and son are doing just fine. Courtney Stevens and husband Mike and their 3-year-old daughter live in a mobile home. Their church is raising money to provide them with a bigger home that volunteers will build.
NGUYEN: Well Senators got hot under the collar during a Judiciary Committee hearing. The topic? A resolution to censure President Bush for his domestic surveillance program without a warrant. Former Watergate figure John Dean testified saying President Bush's abuse of power tops Richard Nixon. CNN's Andrea Koppel covered the contentious meeting.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD (D), WISCONSIN: You didn't help me draft this thing.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Senator Feingold did not back down from his call to censure President Bush.
FEINGOLD: You know what word comes to mind, Mr. Chairman, it is a word that first came in to my conscious in 1974, cover-up.
KOPPEL: And Feingold's star witness in making that case was former White House counsel John Dean whose Watergate testimony implicated President Richard Nixon who later resigned.
JOHN DEAN, FORMER WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL: I think I have probably more experience firsthand than anybody might want in what can go wrong and how a president can get on the other side of the law.
KOPPEL: But Republicans seemed unimpressed by someone who went to jail for Watergate crimes.
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), TEXAS: When I was looking this morning at one of the witnesses that's going to be testifying, that's selling a book, and that has -- is a convicted felon, it strikes me as very odd.
KOPPEL: Other witnesses said Dean was out of line in comparing Nixon's Watergate cover-up to President Bush's decision to authorize warrant less wiretaps.
LEE CASEY, ATTORNEY: He did not break the law and there is no evidence that he has in any way misused the information collected. This is not Watergate.
FEINGOLD: When the president of the United States breaks the law he must be held accountable.
KOPPEL: Since Feingold introduced his resolution to censure Bush most Democrats have kept their distance. Only the committee's ranking member Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy showed up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president broke the law of the United States of America.
KOPPEL: A new ad on the Republican National Committee's Web page portrays Feingold and other Democrats as weak on national security while Senator Orrin Hatch implied Feingold who is considering a presidential run in 2008 is playing politics.
SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R), UTAH: Partisanship may be at a fever pitch around here these days but wartime is not a time to take steps that may weaken the commander in chief.
KOPPEL: But Feingold staffers defend their boss. They say he has a record of independence and calls them like he sees them. They say regardless of the senator's political ambitions he believes that any one who breaks the law has to be held accountable.
Andrea Koppel, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Reverend Jesse Jackson's opposition to New Orleans upcoming election. Why he's taking issue and what is being done to help evacuees across the country cast their vote.
HARRIS: Plus bubbles, ballet, drama, Russians take a show offstage and into the water.
NGUYEN: Really, underwater. HARRIS: Reynolds good morning.
NGUYEN: Look at that.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: April Fool's Day, yes, remember when that happened?
HARRIS: '89?
NGUYEN: '96. Hey, everybody, happy April Fool's Day. Get your jokes ready because this is a day to play them. I know Tony has a few up his sleeve I'm just kind of waiting for it to happen.
Reynolds Wolf, too. Folks are feeling a little bit like an April fool's joke has been played on them with all the severe weather.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: All right top stories we're covering this hour. Freed hostage Jill Carroll is closer to home. The U.S. journalist arrived in Germany earlier this morning. Now no more Islamic headscarves. She is now wearing jeans and a bulky sweater. Carroll is due to fly home sometime this weekend. We'll keep you posted.
Going door to door in cities across the U.S. looking for New Orleans voters. We're a minute away from Jesse Jackson's take on voting rights after Katrina. And today's march in New Orleans.
Basketball's final four, Florida is asking if it is time to kiss Cinderella good-bye and send her home. Cinderella being George Mason. The unexpected teams is facing the Gators today in Indianapolis, LSU big baby, meets UCLA in the other game.
HARRIS: I love him.
OK, so African-American activists hitting the streets of New Orleans in a couple of hours. A very vocal protest against the city's April 22 mayoral election. The Reverend Jesse Jackson is the man behind the movement. He says he's not opposed to the election but how it's being done.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REVEREND JESSE JACKSON: Can you imagine that we can have these opportunities for people in Baghdad and Mexico City but not in New Orleans. It's not right. It's not fair. We all deserve better.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: We'll hear more of what he has to say about today's march coming up in our next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
NGUYEN: Got a lot going on. Not only on your television screen but also on the web. CNN.com is following all of that. Most popular, you're pretty popular Veronica.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: Well thank you. You know what else is popular this morning is Tony's pink tie.
NGUYEN: I love Tony in pink today.
HARRIS: We do what we can for the big morning show here.
NGUYEN: Get a close-up.
HARRIS: Pretty in ...
NGUYEN: Nice tie.
DE LA CRUZ: A couple spots on it. We'll let that go.
HARRIS: Well, thank you ladies, thank you for noticing.
NGUYEN: Looking lovely.
DE LA CRUZ: Coming up you guys think back to spring break. Where would you want to go? Where would you want to go? Some people think Cancun, Ft. Lauderdale. One Nebraska teen -- well his choice is going to surprise you.
What else is coming up?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Well for him it was a spring break he'll never forget, for her it was worse day on the job.
NGUYEN: Worse day. OK, that has piqued my interest. What happened here?
DE LA CRUZ: I'm going to tell you in two seconds. Let's start with the spring break story. Some people you hear about their parents funding their trips to Cancun, Ft. Lauderdale, how about a trip to Wal-Mart? One Nebraska student took his parents up on that offer.
He packed a few belongs and headed to the nearest 24-hour Wal- Mart. He ate at the Subway located in the store; he caught some Zs on the lawn and patio furniture. When he wanted to wash his hair he booked an appointment at Wal-Mart's hair salon. He is planning on staying a week but only lasted 41 hours.
A Wal-Mart spokes person had this to say about his trip.
"We are a retailer, not a hotel."
Well the teen's stay was all a part after sociology experiment.
NGUYEN: Sure it was.
DE LA CRUZ: Forty-one hours. I don't think I could of have lasted that long. HARRIS: Really.
DE LA CRUZ: Check out the scene guys, talk about a bad day on the job. That was the case for one Michigan bank employee. She was robbed at gunpoint while servicing the ATM. The robber took the money, her purse, her keys and her car and made a run for it. Not before tying her up with duct tape, stuffing her back inside that ATM and locking the door. Bad, bad day on the job.
NGUYEN: He put her inside the ATM. That's a first for me.
DE LA CRUZ: He did. She went hours before somebody finally heard her. So somebody was trying to get money out.
NGUYEN: Can you imagine somebody going to get money and going, wait, this thing isn't working. All of a sudden hearing somebody talking to you.
DE LA CRUZ: That is exactly what happened and they called the police and said we think there's somebody inside the ATM.
NGUYEN: Oh, my goodness. She is OK?
DE LA CRUZ: She is OK.
NGUYEN: That's the good news here.
DE LA CRUZ: Of course you can find the stories at CNN.com/video.
NGUYEN: Veronica De La Cruz thank you.
Well there is drama that takes your breath away and then there's, well, this form of underwater Russian entertainment. International correspondent Ryan Chilcote reports from Moscow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Their performances have all the hallmarks of powerful drama, but it's the bubbles you see that put this Russian theater's work into a world of its own. Breathless drama is acted out nearly 20 feet underwater.
It's the only one like it in the world the director of Moscow's underwater theater says at a rehearsal, the only one where genuine drama takes place meters under water without any breathing equipment. The only equipment allowed? Nose plugs and goggles. The only actors swimmers who can hold their breath for at least three minutes and according to Sasha one of the stars know how to use their bodies to communicate.
SASHA, SOLOIST, UNDERWATER THEATER: You can talk about something. You cannot show. And underwater we must show everything, like how you look, how you move and every spinning, what you feel. Must put in your body, like the body talking.
CHILCOTE: Rehearsing body talking is a little different from traditional theater, too. Actors take their breaks in the hot tub to help maintain body temperatures. The director has to communicate over an underwater sound system and uses a stopwatch to keep track of how long each cast member has been submerged. There's a doctor on deck just in case.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I used to forget they have to breathe. I would be shouting away at them and forget that they had already been under water for several minutes.
SASHA: Everybody dream to be underwater and you don't need to breathe and everything.
CHILCOTE: For now the underwater theater uses the last six lanes of Moscow's Olympic swimming pool both practice and performances. Providing some of the lap swimmers with a welcome break.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's cool.
CHILCOTE: Think it's cool? But finding a place to really watch a performance isn't easy. Underwater viewing room designed for swim coaches can only handle 15 spectators at a time. That's one reason why the theater has been around for seven years very few Russians have ever seen it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is how the stage director sees the principles of solution.
CHILCOTE: Plans for a $40 million underwater theater are in the works. Backers say with the right makeup, costumes and lighting underwater theater could be a good venue for just about any genre. Already done romance, what's next? Maybe opera, 32 actors holding their breath down below and singers with equally powerful lungs on deck.
Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Kind of majestic.
HARRIS: Calming, relaxing.
NGUYEN: A little bit.
HARRIS: "Open House" is straight ahead.
NGUYEN: Next hour the day we have all been waiting for is here. The final four, the NCAA men's basketball championships that take place tonight but did you pick the right teams on your March madness bracket?
No. Tony and I did not. Not even close. We're going to take you beyond the game. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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