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CNN Saturday Morning News

Massive Earthquake Strikes Indonesia; A look at Medical Work on the Front Lines; Questions Deepen in Controversy Over Seized Documents.

Aired May 27, 2006 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
In the news this morning, a massive earthquake strikes Indonesia, killing nearly 2,900 people and injuring thousands. Officials fear many people are still trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings. A live report from the scene is coming up.

President Bush has just delivered the commencement address at West Point. He told the future leaders of the U.S. Army that their generation will achieve victory in the war on terror.

And a false alarm? Construction noise is blamed for a lockdown on Capitol Hill Friday. Police and ambulances swarmed the Rayburn House Office Building after gunshots were reported. The noise turned out to be a construction worker using an air hammer.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: OK, Saturday, May 27th.

Happy Memorial Day long cookout weekend for you.

LONG: A lot of picnics, backyard barbecues. Love the backyard barbecues.

HARRIS: It's just good stuff.

Good morning, everyone.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris.

LONG: And good morning.

I'm Melissa Long in this weekend for Betty Nguyen.

HARRIS: Pope Benedict XVI in Poland. We'll tell you what he has to say about possible sainthood for John Paul II.

It's Memorial Day weekend. We'll take you to some observances that are already underway. And a soldier's family -- how a sergeant in Iraq got to share in his daughter's high school graduation.

But first, a developing story out of Washington.

We now have confirmation that Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez was ready to resign this week if the White House had ordered him to relinquish evidence seized in a raid on Capitol Hill.

Our Kathleen Koch joins us live from the White House -- Kathleen, fill us in.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, we got the confirmation from two senior administration officials and they do confirm to CNN that basically this debate over whether or not those materials seized from the office of Congressman William Jefferson last weekend, his Capitol Hill office, the debate over whether those should be returned to him, that that reached basically what these sources called a "tipping point" midweek last week. And at that point, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty and even the director of the FBI, Robert Mueller, that they threatened to resign if the FBI was forced to return that seized material to the congressman.

Now, the officials say that those threats were relayed to the White House midweek. But just about a half an hour ago I was able to speak with a source who is familiar with the negotiations and that source clarified it a little bit, saying that the threats, while delivered to the White House, were not made directly to the president. The source said, "It never rose to the level of someone saying if you do this, we're out of here."

The source said that the threats came more in conversations in the midst of negotiations. They were usually framed as a hypothetically, if this happens and if that happens, then there could be these resignations.

And the source said that while there was a lot of brinkmanship going on on both sides, on the part of members of Congress, Capitol Hill and then the Justice Department, both sides also did make it very clear throughout that they did not want this to come to a showdown. And then Thursday morning when the president stepped in and said we are going to seal these documents, all this material seized, for 45 days, until we can figure this out, the source said that both sides, while at that point, did not back off on their positions, already they did begin changing their tones a bit.

So there is this hope that this 45-day cooling off period will work and that though the tempers were very high at one point, and obviously these threats were made, that now eventually this will be resolved -- Tony.

HARRIS: Well, Kathleen, Kathleen, either you're going to quit or you're not. Either this is a threat or it isn't.

So which is it?

KOCH: Well, again, the source who I spoke with said the threats were made, but there was no phone call to President Bush. My source saying that...

HARRIS: Well, what does that mean? What does that mean? Well, who... KOCH: It got to him, apparently, Tony, through back channels, let's say, that it was -- it got to people within the White House, the information, that this was going to be coming to a head and that someone needed to step in. And it was the president himself yesterday morning. I had learned through sources yesterday -- I mean not yesterday morning, but Thursday morning, who made the decision that something had to be done, that clearly, there might really be some -- some kind of a constitutional face-off that they certainly wanted to avoid if someone didn't step in. So he did.

HARRIS: OK.

Kathleen Koch for us at the White House.

I still have a bunch of questions here.

They know Kathleen.

KOCH: You bet.

Thanks.

HARRIS: Appreciate it.

In just a couple of minutes, we'll talk to a constitutional law expert. He's really good, really smart, Jonathan Turley, a law professor over at George Washington University in the nation's capital. We'll get a little more clarity on the constitutional issues raised by all of this.

LONG: Now on to the other big international stories we are following for you this morning. Some 16 hours after a powerful earthquake in Indonesia, the official death toll is already nearing 3,000. It's a 6.2 magnitude quake. It was centered about six miles beneath the ancient city of Jakarta. It's a popular tourist destination on the island of Java. It's about 250 miles east of Jakarta, just to give you -- here. That map provides you with a beautiful picture of the geography.

The damage is reportedly extensive. The hospitals have been overwhelmed, as you would imagine, with thousands of injuries. It has been called the worst disaster to hit Indonesia since the 2004 tsunami.

Malcolm Johnston of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Societies is joining us by phone from Bantul, Indonesia.

Thank you so much for your time.

We appreciate it.

MALCOLM JOHNSTON, INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE RED CROSS: Oh, no problem, Melissa.

LONG: Malcolm, I understand that Bantul was particularly hard hit by the quake. So please become our eyes and tell us exactly what you're seeing.

JOHNSTON: Oh, right now it's dark. The night has come. I'm still in a field hospital. People are bedding down for the night in various positions, carrying their injuries. We have a kitchen and really we're waiting for -- waiting for morning, when we can begin working again.

LONG: How overwhelmed is the hospital where you're located?

JOHNSTON: Yes, there are people outside the tents, inside the tents. The hospitals in the town are also affected quite badly. Patients -- patients still on the road, on the foot path. Anywhere you can hang a drip, they're hanging a drip from.

LONG: If you were to walk into the streets, would you hear silence? Would you hear quiet screams of people searching for help?

JOHNSTON: No, it's not -- it's not quite like that. If you're -- if you're in the -- near the hospitals, they were directing traffic and trying to get things moving. Unfortunately, the power just went off on the -- in the town where I am. So if the wind and the darkness and there are only a few generators left running at the moment.

LONG: I can't imagine that that will make the situation any easier in the morning, when you have some sunlight to continue this search and rescue operation.

JOHNSTON: The morning will begin -- we'll begin again fresh and I'm pretty confident we'll get a lot done in the morning. We have reinforcements arriving and yes, the Federation together with the Indonesian Red Cross is definitely gearing up for the morning.

LONG: Malcolm, take us back to just before six in the morning when thousands of people woke up to feel the tremors. Paint the picture for us. Tell us what it was like.

JOHNSTON: Well, people came out of their houses, I mean, pretty quick. It was in the morning. Most people were awake. And you had many, many houses collapsed.

As I drove toward the affected areas, there were tons of people on the road. There were some bodies on the foot paths. There were people sitting in front of their houses just wondering what to do, really. So many houses have been destroyed here.

LONG: Speaking of what people should do, what are people being encouraged to do in this situation?

JOHNSTON: Well, look, they've brought the injured to hospitals. We've been, with the Indonesian Red Cross and other organizations, the local government, we've been evacuating, evacuating various -- around the areas and the affected areas. That will continue in the morning. There are some harder to reach areas that haven't been reached yet. So, they're encouraged to bring their injured to the hospitals and for the displaced people, the people who have lost their houses, we will also be providing tents and tarpaulins, together with other international NGOs in the next few days.

LONG: Malcolm Johnston joining us on the line from Bantul, Indonesia, bringing us up to date on the devastation from that 6.2 magnitude quake.

Malcolm, thank you.

JOHNSTON: OK.

HARRIS: And, Melissa, more now on that showdown over the FBI's raid on Congressman William Jefferson's office. As we've been reporting, the top officials in the Justice Department are threatening to resign if the White House orders them to give in.

George Washington University Professor Jonathan Turley is an expert on constitutional law and he joins us on the phone this morning to talk about this.

Jonathan, thanks for your time this morning.

JONATHAN TURLEY, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: Good morning.

HARRIS: Well, let's start with Article 1, Section 6 of the constitution.

What does it say that might be relevant in this matter?

TURLEY: Well, Article 1 and Section 6 contains the speech or debate clause. And what that has historically meant is that the legislative branch has an independence from the other branches. And the idea is that we have three coequal branches.

And it's very important for Congress to exercise oversight over the White House, over the executive branch. And you can't do that if you've got the executive branch that can raid your office and look through your papers.

So this entire raid is unprecedented. Never in our history as a nation has the Justice Department ever raided the office of a sitting congressman.

Now, many of us have had a debate over whether the raid is just simply unconstitutional or whether parts of it may be constitutional. We're almost uniform in one view, and that is the raid was a terrible mistake, that regardless of whether it violated the constitution...

HARRIS: Yes.

TURLEY: ... it clearly violated the spirit of the separation of powers.

HARRIS: Well, Jonathan, so here we have this morning, we've got Attorney General Gonzales, FBI Director Mueller, Deputy Attorney General McNulty saying hey, we -- not only do we believe this was a good idea, we feel that we were backed into the corner because Congressman Jefferson was not cooperating and coming forward with information, and we feel we were totally within the law, constitutionally protected, to do this.

TURLEY: Well, I think that part of the problem is that even if they are correct -- and many of us disagree that they -- that this was entirely constitutional, there is a chorus of opposition inside and outside Congress that this was a truly moronic act. They did not have to do this. There were other ways to do it. It showed terrible contempt, not just for Speaker Hastert, but for the entire Congress. And I think when the president was thinking of returning these documents, it was a very good idea. It showed a measured response. There's a reason this has never happened in the history of this country. It was a terrible mistake.

Now, the idea that these gentlemen would say that they would resign...

HARRIS: Yes?

TURLEY: ... is just baffling. I mean, you know, to be actually honest, you know, many of us expected that we would see Gonzalez come out and say I never did sign off on this, this was a remarkably stupid act. But now, to say that not only did I sign off on it, but I will resign if you try to give the documents back, just deepens this whole crisis. And it's -- and I've got to tell you, I think it really does strike of arrogance that, you know, these executive officials seem to be entirely blind to the implications of what they have done.

HARRIS: Jonathan, this is the attorney general of -- the top lawyer of the United States of America that you're talking about in these terms.

TURLEY: Well, I know. And it doesn't give me any great pleasure. You know, Alberto Gonzales, unfortunately, has shown a certain contempt, in my view -- and this isn't my own personal view -- but a certain contempt for the separation of powers. We've seen that since this administration first took office. And the president shares, in my view, this problem with the concept of a government of shared powers.

This is not first affront to the separation of powers. This administration is viewed by many of us, certainly is viewed by me, as the most antagonistic toward the separation of powers doctrine of any presidency in history.

HARRIS: Yes.

TURLEY: And this raid really sort of manifested that in a very crude way.

HARRIS: When an ordinary citizen ignores a subpoena for information, is it the next step you go to a judge and you get a search warrant? Don't we have a case here where the FBI is following the procedures with regard to Congressman Jefferson that it would if it were you or if it were Melissa or if it were me? TURLEY: Well, yes, that's the problem is that you and I are not a house of Congress. We're not protected under Article 1 of the constitution. And the problem is that they treated this like they were doing a raid on the Bada Bing Club (ph). This was an office of the -- the house of Congress.

Now, historically what has happened is that you issue a subpoena. If the subpoena is refused, if they invoke some type of privilege or constitutional protection, it goes back to the court. The court can issue an order. If the congressman then refuses, the congressman could be put into jail. But the subpoena process has been used historically.

You know, the amazing thing is that I can name six previous criminal investigations that had a greater reason to go into a congressional office than this one. I mean this guy, Jefferson, knew for eight months that they wanted stuff in his office. So it was pretty unlikely that they were going to find, you know, eight heads in a duffel bag. I mean this guy knew that there was a possibility that they could do this.

And so what's really baffling for many of us is what little purpose there was here, to spend all of this capital with such little return. I mean they just nailed this guy with $90,000 in his freezer. I mean, you're not talking about a case that was dying for a lack of evidence.

HARRIS: Jonathan, what about -- what does this say about this administration and, you know, there are many people who said this administration is really about expanding executive power.

Is that a -- is this another example of that?

TURLEY: Well, I've got to tell you, I've testified on this in Congress and I truly believe that we are in a constitutional crisis because of the view of presidential power in this administration. And what is lost is this preexisted 9/11. This is not about 9/11.

the minute this administration took office, they brought into the administration academics and others with very extreme views of presidential power. And they began to assert it long before we were ever attacked.

And we are in a very, very serious crisis. Our government has existed so long, through so many problems, because of this delicate balance that no branch has the power to govern alone. This president has really challenged that in a very fundamental way. And I think all of us would at least agree on that, that we are talking about a major revision of the presidency.

HARRIS: You know, you're not a man who's given to sort of outrageous statements. So this is something you've thought long and hard about, and I'm sure you've talked over with colleagues.

So clearly this is something that is deeply concerning to you. TURLEY: It is. You know, I have to tell you, I love the Madisonian system. We have the greatest government on Earth. You know, we've been through things that would have turned other countries into a fine pumice. We survived. And so we've got a system that was designed for survival.

The only thing you cannot do in our system is go outside the rules. If you stay within the rules, if you stay within the separation of powers, we can defeat anything. We've shown that.

What's the problem that many of us have is that this administration is really sort of freelancing. They're going outside the system.

The raid on Congress, we can all debate on a constitutional basis, but the one thing we shouldn't debate is it was a uniquely bad idea. And it created, in my view, a great offense to a coequal branch for little reason.

HARRIS: And you know there -- you seem to have unanimity among Democrats and Republicans at this point on this.

Jonathan Turley, constitutional law expert, a professor at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Jonathan, thanks for your time this morning.

We really appreciate it.

LONG: Still to come, high school graduation is certainly a day that moms and dads don't want to miss. But if they're serving in Iraq, what can they do? We'll talk to an Army sergeant who found a way to see his daughter's big moment.

Taking a stand -- how the Duke women's lacrosse team is showing solidarity on the field with the men's team in the middle of a legal firestorm.

And he wanted the money, but what that robber got was something quite different. The story ahead, when CNN punches forward.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: Of course, Memorial Day isn't until Monday, but some ceremonies are already taking place this weekend.

Just outside of Washington, at Arlington National Cemetery, members of the "Rolling Thunder," a veterans organization, are laying a wreath, as you see at this hour, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. They arrived in Washington after a 10-day motorcycle trek across the country. It's an annual effort to focus public attention on prisoners of war and Americans listed as mission in action.

Another veterans group holding a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. This was earlier. The "Flying Tigers" flew missions to protect Chinese supply lines against Japanese attack during the early years of World War II. Surviving members of that group held a service to remember their fallen comrades.

HARRIS: Still ahead, a reporter is in the right place or the wrong place, depending on how you look at it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, gosh, guys, as you can see...

HARRIS: And if, you're hitting the road this holiday weekend, hopefully in a safer way than that vehicle, you won't want to miss our weather forecast.

Reynolds Wolf coming up right up after the break.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cesar Millan came to the United States with $100 in his pocket and a dream -- to be the world's best dog trainer. Today, you could say he's reached that goal. He owns a dog psychology center in Los Angeles and published a new book called "Cesar's Way."

His philosophy differs from traditional trainers. Cesar doesn't teach typical commands. Instead, he rehabilitates dogs to correct unwanted or aggressive behaviors. He also focuses on dog owners, training them to be assertive leaders, with the goal of achieving balance.

CESAR MILLAN, FOUNDER, DOG PSYCHOLOGY CENTER: What I want to create, besides this wonderful dog psychology center, is all over the United States you have different psychology centers for dogs, in order for dogs to get the benefit of what dog psychology is all about. So this way I feel that I did something for humanity.

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: And the key to Cesar's success?

MILLAN: It's important that you surround yourself by people that love you, respect you and trust u. And if you don't have it, you can always get a dog.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: Some encouraging news for polish Catholics today, as Pope Benedict XVI visited the hometown of the man he succeeded. Speaking at the Shrine outside Krakow, Poland, the pope said he hopes John Paul II will be declared a saint in the near future.

Reporter Hanna Smiktunowicz joins us now live from Krakow.

Thank you so much for your time, Hanna.

We appreciate it.

HANNA SMIKTUNOWICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Melissa.

LONG: Hanna, let's talk a little bit about the pope's comments about canonizing Pope John Paul II. Very significant comments.

SMIKTUNOWICZ: Yes, very significant. Quite expected, even though at this very start of his pilgrimage to Poland, Benedict made it clear that this wasn't going to be a sort of, as he put it, only a sentimental journey in John Paul II's footsteps.

Today, you could see it was thoroughly sentimental, filled with memories of Karol Wojtyla, with words about the late pope. And no wonder it's hard to imagine two places more connected to Karol Wojtyla than Wadowice, his place of birth, and Krakow, the city he loved so much.

And I think with speaking of his hope for a swift beatification of Pope John Paul in these very places, in Krakow, Benedict wanted to reassure Poles that this is -- this matter is not only something that results from his agenda, but first and foremost it's something that comes straight from his heart. And in that, I think we can see a promise for a fast outcome.

LONG: Can you explain the significance of that fast outcome, as you say, and the fast canonization and how the process works?

SMIKTUNOWICZ: Well, normally a five year waiting period accounting from the death of a candidate is required. But Pope Benedict has already waived that requirement and that he did more than a year ago, May 13th, on the anniversary of the failed assassination attempt on Karol Wojtyla.

Anyway, since the death of Pope John Paul, a special body, the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, has been gathering information about his life. Among that information, about the miracles he has completed. And the requirement is one proven miracle. And that miracle has already been added to the documentation. The gathering of further documents can now take several more years, but it doesn't have to. At any time he chooses, the pope can proclaim John Paul II a saint.

And I think what Benedict wanted to tell us today was that he's close to doing just that.

LONG: How did the crowd respond to that news?

SMIKTUNOWICZ: Well, enthusiastically, of course. But, you know, to tell you the truth, for most Poles, Pope John Paul II already is a saint. So the beatification and the formal process are, of course, it will make them rejoice, but it won't really change the way they think of him and the way they remember him.

LONG: Hanna Smiktunowicz from Poland live.

Thank you, Hanna.

HARRIS: And good morning once again everyone.

Now in the news, in Indonesia, the toll is rising from an earthquake that struck this morning. More than 2,900 have died -- 2,900. Thousands more have been injured. The quake was a magnitude 6.2.

A veterans group is observing Memorial Day in Washington, D.C. after a 10-day motorcycle journey across America. The "Rolling Thunder" group was at Arlington National Cemetery this morning laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.

Construction noise, not gunfire, that's what shut down part of Capitol Hill yesterday. Police rushed to the Rayburn House Office Building after a report of gunshots. Now authorities think it was a construction worker using an air hammer.

He was a half a world away, but, yet, he was there. A father serving in Iraq gets a chance to witness a special moment in his family's life. A family reunion from around the world. We can do this. Straight ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SATURDAY MORNING: And they're on the front line of medical care, those who help our wounded warriors in Iraq. A rare look at how our injured troops are treated ahead on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: Good morning to you on this Saturday. When U.S. troops are wounded in Iraq, medics rush to their aid, often while under fire. This weekend, this Memorial Day weekend, CNN presents offers a rare glimpse at the medical care troops receive from the battlefield to home. Correspondent Alex Quade was given unprecedented access. We have an excerpt from wounded warriors and a warning. Some of the video you may find disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX QUADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The firefights, the car bombs, the improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, the wounding of U.S. troops. So begins their medical journey home. Amidst the chaos, the pain, Army medics or Navy corpsmen take life-saving action. The fight continues around them. This is the first level of treatment. They bandage the fallen, carry them out. If the battle's too hot for a medevac helicopter, it's into vehicles nearby, then on to a fallback position out of the kill zone. This is triage, the next level of care. Navy shock and trauma platoon members collect and clear the wounded. The goal, stabilize the patient and send back to battle or on to the next level of treatment.

Urgent means medical evacuation. If the patient can be delivered to a combat field hospital within one hour of being wounded, what's called the golden hour, odds are, he'll survive. In the middle of the Iraqi desert, there is no LZ, no landing zone. A purple smoke grenade guides this helicopter in. The clock is ticking. It's time for the medicine man. Medicine man, that's the call sign for the U.S. Army medevac unit. Two pilots, a crew chief and a flight medic in each Blackhawk.

C.W.O. 2 HARLEY MAST, MEDEVAC PILOT, US ARMY: The guys in the field will get injured during their battles and the medics on the scene can only treat them to a certain extent. Our job is to grab them and pick them up and bring them to a hospital.

QUADE: They get the call on the radio. Fire at the bird. The clock is still ticking.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We fly at a pretty high speed with the patients.

QUADE: Care begins in flight. They're brought to the cash combat support hospital or to a forward surgical team and turned over to the surgeons. Medevac crews do this all day, all night.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: A personal look at fallen soldiers, the medics who save them and how battle injuries dramatically change their lives. "Wounded Warriors" airs tonight, tomorrow night as well at 8:00 and 11:00 Eastern only on CNN.

Turning to other branches of the armed forces, the fleet is in town. In New York City, some 4,000 sailors and Marines are in New York City this week along with their ships -- unique opportunity to tour the ships as well. Fleet week continues with military band concerts, parades and ceremonies.

HARRIS: High school graduation day, a proud time for students and their parents. Troops serving in Iraq can't be there for the big day. But through the magic of the Internet, some of them got the next best thing. Army Sergeant Trodell Sherrell was in Iraq when his daughter Reyniza graduated in Tennessee last week. He joins us from Iraq. His wife Vander and Reyniza are in Nashville. Wow, smiles all around. It's OK, you can smile. Good morning to you. How are you, sir?

SGT. TRODELL SHERRELL, FATHER OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE: I'm OK.

HARRIS: Well, you have to tell me, what was your reaction when you learned, A, that you would be able to watch your daughter graduate on the Internet?

SHERRELL: I was very pleased to know that.

HARRIS: You were very pleased to learn that?

SHERRELL: Yes. I was very pleased to be able to see my daughter graduate on the Internet.

HARRIS: So I have to ask you, it's one thing to see it on the Internet. Did that make you long to be there even more, you know, because that moment when the graduation is over and the graduates come off the stage, you get that chance to give them a big hug. And while you're happy to be able to see it on the Internet, did it make you long for that hug even more?

SHERRELL: Yes, it did. I would have loved to be there to get that hug, but I was also happy just to be able to see it.

HARRIS: Hey Reyniza, can you hear me OK? REYNIZA SHERRELL, HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE: Yeah, I can hear you.

HARRIS: What is it that you'd like to say to your dad this morning?

REYNIZA SHERRELL: Well, I wish you was back home so we can have fun like we used to do.

HARRIS: It's one thing for him to be able to see the graduation on the Internet. It's another thing for him to be there. Did it make it any easier to know that he could watch the graduation for you?

REYNIZA SHERRELL: Yeah, it made it a lot easier, because I knew that even though he wasn't here, with his body -- he was here with his heart. I just knew it. That just made me even happier.

HARRIS: Hey, Vander, you're just all smiles this morning, like you're just happy to be in the room with all this love going on here. Tell us about what you're thinking, what you're feeling and the fact that your husband so far away was able to participate.

VANDER SHERRELL, MOTHER OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE: I am -- you know, I'm so glad that he was there to participate to see her graduate. And I'm just glad that we're on now to be able to talk about it and I was just so happy. That's why I'm smiling.

HARRIS: Well, Vander, what did he miss? Share something with him. There he is. What did he miss?

VANDER SHERRELL: He missed the preparations for her graduation, the preparations for the prom. He missed the cookout. He missed the cooking, because my husband is a cook. So I had to do the cooking. He missed out on a whole lot of stuff.

HARRIS: Trodell, did you hear about this prom date?

TRODELL SHERRELL: Yes, I heard.

HARRIS: What do you think?

TRODELL SHERRELL: I wish I could have been there to participate in all the activities that went on, but I can make up for it when I get home.

VANDER SHERRELL: All right!

HARRIS: Yeah. So, Vander, but there was an extra added little surprise here in that one of your other daughters who is at Ramstein (ph) air base in Germany was able to watch as well, is that correct?

VANDER SHERRELL: Yes, that's correct. I e-mailed her with the information. And she was there to watch the graduation. As soon as it was over with, she called me while I was still in the auditorium and told me, ma, I just seen her graduate. So that was great. I was happy about that also. HARRIS: Let's see here. We've got a wife and husband connected here. So, Vander, what do you want to say to your loving husband in Baghdad?

VANDER SHERRELL: I love you and I miss you and to keep yourself safe and come back home to us safe.

HARRIS: And Reyniza, what would you like to say to your loving dad in Baghdad?

REYNIZA SHERRELL: Well, I miss you and I miss all the fun that we had. But you best believe when you come back we're going to have some fun.

HARRIS: And, dad, what do you think of all of that?

TRODELL SHERRELL: I miss them both. And I just can't wait to get home so I can give them a big hug. And I appreciate all the support they give me while I'm over here.

HARRIS: And Reyniza, tell your dad about your college plans. Where are you going?

REYNIZA SHERRELL: I'm going to (INAUDIBLE) so I can stay home with them forever.

HARRIS: I would ask dad how he feels about that but that's a conversation for when he gets home. Hey, it's great to see you all and happy Memorial Day weekend to all of you.

VANDER SHERRELL: Thank you.

HARRIS: That was fun.

LONG: Some nice smiles this morning, too. Happy graduation.

Next, replacing the scars of disaster with the beauty of the ocean. The fish return to the New Orleans aquarium. And so do the tourists as well. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: Good morning. The top stories on this Saturday, a powerful quake on the Indonesian island of Java kills more than 2900 people, injured thousands more. And the numbers keep on rising. The 6.2 magnitude quake struck early in the morning while many people were sleeping.

President Bush's message to the next generation of Army officers -- the war on terror began on my watch; It will end on your watch. The president wrapped up his commencement address at West Point last hour.

And Pope Benedict XVI visits the Polish hometown of his predecessor, John Paul II. The pontiff says he hopes John Paul will be declared a saint in the near future. HARRIS: And now across America, a display of support for the Duke University men's lacrosse team. Members of the women's lacrosse team playing in the NCAA semifinals wore wrists and head bands featuring the logo of the men's team. Some displayed the numbers 45, 13 and 6, the numbers of the Duke men charged with raping an exotic dancer at a team party.

Investigators seized boxes of records and personal belongings during a raid this week at a polygamist compound in Arizona. They were investigating charges of underage marriage and sexual abuse related to eight indictments handed up last summer.

Here's a look at a Dallas robbery attempt that didn't quite work out. The surveillance tape tells the tale. When the clerk realizes that the would be robber's gun is a fake -- time this out here -- let's the guy have it. Here, take that. Want some fries with that? Be prepared indeed, Melissa.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone was actually ejected from a Chevy blazer and that person was barely moving. Ow, ow, ow.

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HARRIS: A Louisville, Kentucky, reporter was on the air live covering a story about an accident at this intersection when that happened, another accident right behind him. No one was seriously injured.

About 3,000 people toured the New Orleans aquarium as it opens for the public for the first time since hurricane Katrina. Aquarium managers spent $5 million repairing the damage from the storm and replacing the fish and animals that died.

LONG: Love the penguins. They're so cute. They can be very dangerous though.

HARRIS: The penguins?

LONG: I was attacked by one once.

HARRIS: You survived.

LONG: No, I'm fine. I was doing a story behind the scenes at a zoo and it didn't really like me.

HARRIS: Did we get it on tape?

LONG: No, thank goodness.

HARRIS: What good is it if we don't... Let's get you upstairs.

LONG: It's my memory.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Those penguin attacks, they run rampant.

HARRIS: We need it on tape. Reynolds, tell her. We need it on tape.

WOLF: Most people that are attacked, they never live to tell the tale. Those little guys, terrifying.

LONG: They are cute, though, in their little tuxedos.

WOLF: Absolutely, no question about it. Hey, today and speaking of fancy stuff, we got some pretty fancy weather around much of the nation. Looks pretty good for you. However, we do have a few trouble spots and we also have a few delays, which are going to cause a few headaches out there in a couple of spots. Places we're looking at mainly in Chicago, also New York. There's a 25 minute delay for departure in Chicago, New York at la Guardia. There's a ground delay that is nearly two hours, about an hour and 40 minutes or so. Be patient, folks, that's all you can do.

Meanwhile in New York we have a live shot that shows a beautiful view. This is part of fleet week. I believe this is on the Hudson River, if I'm not mistaken. Things look pretty good. Aircraft carrier there, a little bit of a ferry right behind that ship coming in for closer inspection, but should be just a magnificent day throughout much of the northeast.

Let's move on back to the weather maps. As we do so very quickly, here's the trouble spot we have in the northern plains. Possibly some strong storms later in the day. Some scattered showers through portions of the Ohio Valley and into the deep south, but we're going to be getting some high pressure moving into the great lakes, 73 degrees the expected high in Chicago for today, 75 in Washington. Mild conditions for Sunday.across the great lakes and on to the eastern seaboard. Meanwhile, very warm out in portions of the four corners. That's a huge surprise for you. As we look ahead to Memorial Day, conditions along the west coast will be just picture perfect. Plenty of sunshine there. Meanwhile, scattered showers may still pop up in parts of the Tennessee Valley and looks like Florida is going to be beautiful, living up to its billing, the sunshine state. OK, Melissa, that's the very latest. Let's send it back to you and hopefully no penguins close by.

LONG: No, no, no penguins. Reynolds is actually sleep deprived of course because he's just back after having a little baby.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Congratulations, Reynolds.

WOLF: Thank you. Good times.

LONG: Of course, CNN Saturday is continuing at the top of the hour and what's on tap?

WHITFIELD: All right. We've got a lot ahead for you at the top of the hour. We'll have an update on that deadly earthquake in Indonesia. Also, Al Gore unleashed. He's got a new movie about global warming. I know you've heard about that. Well, is this sound science or another political platform? I'll ask the movie's director.

And we've got good news for college graduates and their families. The job market is booming. So where do you look for work? We've got a list of top 10 jobs for new graduates coming up at noon. So a lot of relief for those recent grads as well as their parents.

LONG: Yeah, very busy. It'll will be interesting also to hear more about that documentary film, creating a lot of buzz.

WHITFIELD: Lots of buzz and getting a lot of respect, too, very much so.

LONG: It's Al Gore in Hollywood now.

WHITFIELD: That's right.

LONG: Thanks, Fred. He won over millions of fans and one very difficult judge. Ahead on CNN, how Simon Cowell's biting comments inspired the man who would become the "American Idol."

Plus this --

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JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART": Jimmy Hoffa, still looking for Jimmy Hoffa. That means they'll find Osama bin Laden in 2037.

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LONG: You know the jokes will be coming sooner or later. The search for Jimmy Hoffa inspires humor and some local entrepreneurs coming up.

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HARRIS: It looks like an "Idol" takeover of "Larry King Live" the other night. Did you see it on the set? New "American Idol," Taylor Hicks, runner-up Katharine McPhee. She didn't win and judge Randy Jackson. And in the big chair "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest. You know the topic had to turn to Simon Cowell.

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TAYLOR HICKS, AMERICAN IDOL WINNER: I had -- I knew I had an uphill battle to climb. And, you know, I tell what you, if anything that Simon Cowell did the whole season was drive me even more to succeed. (INAUDIBLE) It did. It really ticked me off.

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HARRIS: You can catch the "Idol" chat in its entirety on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Monday night 9:00 Eastern 6:00 Pacific.

LONG: Tony, I think this was bound to happen. In case you were wondering, still no sign of Jimmy Hoffa. They've been searching a Michigan farm for the remains of course of the former Teamster's union leader. Ever since Hoffa disappeared 1975, allegedly the victim of a gang slaying, there's been many theories about his final resting place. As CNN's Jeanne Moos reports, there have been just as many jokes.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As long as they keep digging for Jimmy Hoffa, the comedians will keep unearthing those Jimmy Hoffa jokes.

DAVID LETTERMAN: He was last seen on a duck hunting trip with Dick Cheney.

MOOS: Missing for 31 years, Hoffa has come to symbolize that which cannot be found.

JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART": Jimmy Hoffa, still looking for Jimmy Hoffa. That means they'll find Osama bin laden in 2037.

MOOS: For many who weren't born yet when he disappeared, he's a complete mystery. Who is Jimmy Hoffa?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have no idea.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who is it? I don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have skirts older than that boy. Jimmy Hoffa was a racketeer.

MOOS: But those under 30 know him best as a movie line.

"GHOST" FROM PARAMOUNT PICTURES: They're going to bury you right next to Jimmy Hoffa.

MOOS: Or the punch line to a fat joke in the "Nutty Professor."

"THE NUTTY PROFESSOR" FROM UNIVERSAL PICTURES: I think I found where they hid Jimmy Hoffa.

MOOS: But there's one place everyone jokes about, even "The Simpsons."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I always knew him from supposedly he was buried under Giants stadium.

MOOS: A self described hit man spread the story that Hoffa was buried in the end zone, near section 107. Even players joked about hearing something underfoot.

CARL BANKS, NEW YORK GIANTS LINEBACKER: I heard somebody talking one time, too, help, help.

MOOS: But, wait, somebody's already found Jimmy Hoffa on eBay. Jimmy Hoffa found on a piece of toast, just like that grilled cheese with the outline of the Virgin Mary. In Milford, Michigan, site of the latest dig, they're posting digs of their own. FBI, you're out standing in your field, T-shirts saying the FBI digs Milford, do you? And those famous hand reaching out of the ground cupcakes. They've sold over 1800 of them, some to FBI agents.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I discovered him through the weekly world news. They had a ridiculous article about saying he wasn't buried under Giants stadium. He's actually buried on the moon.

SINGING: We're old and sad and bored and we're not funny anymore. We're like Jimmy Hoffa jokes

MOOS: After three decades of comedians counting on them, there's only one thing that could kill off those Jimmy Hoffa jokes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of these days they're going to find that son of a gun.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: We got to go. CNN LIVE SATURDAY is next. Fredericka Whitfield back in the air chair that leads you through the afternoon.

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