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CNN Saturday Morning News
Details Emerge About Suspect in JonBenet Ramsey Killing; Peacekeeping French Troops Arrive in Lebanon; Background Checks For Teachers; "Snakes on a Plane" One of Summer's Most Anticipated Films
Aired August 19, 2006 - 11:27 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Here are some stories now in the news. John Mark Karr, the man suspecting in the murder of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey is expected to arrive in Los Angeles as early as tomorrow night on a flight from Thailand. Karr is being deported by Thai authorities. A U.S. warrant calls for his arrest on suspicion of killing the child nearly 10 years ago.
In a strange twist in the Ramsey investigation, officials at San Quentin prison searched the cell of Richard Allen Davis. He is the man convicted of murdering 12-year-old Polly Klaas in 1993. There were reports that John Mark Karr corresponded with Davis. Now, the search turned up no evidence.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Boats bought French troops to the shores of Lebanon today. They are the first of the international forces whose job it will be to enforce the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah. France will deploy 200 soldiers to the region.
In Lebanon, Israel says it launched a raid today in the Bekaa Valley to prevent Hezbollah from receiving weapons from Syria and Iran. One Israeli officer was killed and two others wounded. Lebanon said the raid violated the cease-fire, but Israel said it was necessary because U.N. troops are not yet in place.
NGUYEN: In Iraq, at least 13 people were killed in attacks today around the country. Four of them were killed by a roadside bomb south of Baghdad, and last night, seven Shiites were shot to death while walking through a Sunni neighborhood.
Check this out, a big man in big trouble creates a big mess for drivers on an Arizona freeway. You've got to watch this as a brief, but bizarre, standoff unfolds. Now, look very closely. After a chase in Mesa, Arizona, a 350-pound man with a 3-month-old baby holds off. Police shoot a diversionary device that makes a loud noise, and look at the dog right there. Not only does it put out smoke, but then a police dog attacked him. Well, you see you won there.
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: Finally, the cops got their man.
HARRIS: As we mentioned, John Mark Karr could be back in the United States by tomorrow to face charges in the death of JonBenet Ramsey. As he remains in custody in Thailand, we're learning more about the man who says he was with the 6-year-old when she died. CNN investigative correspondent Drew Griffin reports on what people in Bangkok are saying.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They tell the story of a loner, a man lived in a room here at Bloom's guest house since December. No visitors, no friends. And according to this neighbor, a teacher himself, John Mark Karr's mood in the last few weeks had changed.
BIJAN SARDJAD, KARR'S NEIGHBOR: I think he was very paranoid. I think -- he looked like he had something on his conscience, guilty about something. He would never talk to anyone.
GRIFFIN: More details are emerging about the 41-year-old's life in Bangkok looking to be a teacher. One school showed CNN this job application from Karr. A school official said Karr seemed overly eager to be working with children, especially young girls and Karr wanted to work alone without an assistant. At one point, the school says, messages sent from Karr's e-mails contained pornography. This school actually hired Karr as a teacher but he was let go after two weeks because administrators say he was simply too strict. Bryce Smedley, a teacher who knows Karr, calls him strange
BRYCE SMEDLEY, TEACHER WHO KNEW KARR: I'm not a doctor or anything but I think he is someone who is a little mentally unstable to be honest with you.
JOHN MARK KARR, SUSPECT: Her death was an accident.
GRIFFIN: It was this admission from Karr two days ago that bordered on the bizarre. After almost 10 years, this loner in Thailand says he was with six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey when she died Christmas night 1996 in Boulder, Colorado. The statement raised suspicions Karr was just perhaps looking for attention. But according to this Thai police official, Karr has insisted he was involved.
SUWAT TUMRONGSISKUL, THAI POLICE LT. GENERAL: I heard from my people that he said that he had sex with her, the girl.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What about drugging her?
TUMRONGSISKUL: Not drugging her. My officer asked him how come you have sex with a girl six years old? He said, at that time, "blah, blah."
GRIFFIN: Drew Griffin, CNN, Bangkok.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And this programming note, Larry King will have an exclusive interview with the Ramsey family attorney Lin Wood and the Colorado professor who led police to Karr. That's Monday, 9:00 p.m. Eastern time. NGUYEN: It is as they say a start. French troops, the first contingent of a beefed up U.N. peacekeeping force have arrived in Lebanon. CNN's Jim Clancy reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: United Nations interim force in Lebanon entered a new phase on Saturday as French peacekeepers began arriving ashore. The first to arrive was a very small security contingent that secured the port and then amphibious landing ships began to arrive here in heavy equipment, amphibious troop carriers and other vehicles as well as heavy equipment like bulldozers.
All of that is part of the equipment needed for this engineering unit that is going to be arriving in the next 72 hours. Fifty members of that unit are now already on the ground. We got more information from Commander Bertran Berneau (ph) of the French navy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today we are landing a group of 49 engineering soldiers coming from the -- coming for the U.N., the U.N. camp. This is the very step of the deployment of 200 soldier, specialists also in engineering, which is going to happen next week.
CLANCY: Already, some of the UNIFIL troops have begun working with Lebanese Army forces that have deployed this week. They have been doing joint patrols and generally helping to support the Lebanese army in this role. It's a very popular mission from the viewpoint of the Lebanese who live here in south Lebanon. Many hadn't seen the deployment of their own forces in south Lebanon in decades. At the same time, the United Nations mission has some challenges ahead of it.
First of all, it hopes to reach a total strength of some 15,000. It is far short of that now in terms of commitment. Countries have to decide when and if they're sending troops. And second, the rules of engagement, currently it's a Chapter Six United Nations peacekeeping force. There are many here that say it needs to be Chapter Seven, giving it more robust strength to respond to any threats.
Jim Clancy, CNN, at the U.N. base in Naqoura.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Going global this morning while the world focuses mainly on Israel's battle with Hezbollah, Israel is moving forward with operations in the Palestinian territories. This morning, Israel arrested the Palestinian deputy prime minister and a top official of the Hamas militant group. Israel says it's trying to pressure the Hamas government to secure the release of a kidnapped Israeli soldier.
In Ecuador, the locals call this volcano the throat of fire.
NGUYEN: I can see why.
HARRIS: Right now, Betty, some would say peasant farmers are playing with fire. They're returning home despite warnings that it will explode again. Thousands of villagers fled when the volcano erupted two days ago. At least one man was killed and 30 people are still missing.
And how about this? Some Chinese parents have a unique match making thing going on in hopes of finding a suitable partner for their unmarried children. They go to a park in Beijing and meet with other parents.
NGUYEN: Look at them, holding up signs and stats.
HARRIS: Marry my son, please. Marry my daughter, please. And here's what they do. The parents show off pictures of their children and swap information like my daughter makes good money. She's got her own apartment and car.
NGUYEN: And I need you to support me once you get married.
HARRIS: Oh, man.
NGUYEN: You know what these parents are up to. It's all in their best benefit.
All right, so what kind of background checks do teachers in your state go through? That's a very good question. Susan Candiotti has a nationwide look when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Take a look at the top stories right now.
Well, it looks like John Mark Karr will be heading back to the U.S. this weekend. Authorities in Thailand say Karr, suspected of murdering six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey will be put on a plane tomorrow.
In the meantime, 50 French soldiers, the first members of a U.N. peacekeeping force, arrived in Lebanon today and here's some pictures. Lebanon accuses Israel of violating the cease-fire with a raid in the Bekaa Valley today. Now Israel says the raid was necessary to disrupt the flow of arms to Hezbollah before peacekeepers arrive.
HARRIS: We're going to check in once again with Reynolds Wolf keeping an eye on some storms in the Midwest in this heat wave.
NGUYEN: That never lets up. I'm telling you, Reynolds, my mom is threatening to never go to the store again or even get outside the house because it's too hot. She says I may run out of food but I'm not going outside.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Thanks, Reynolds.
Well, when John Mark Karr was arrested in the JonBenet Ramsey case, he had just started work as a second grade teacher in Bangkok. Five years earlier, Karr was arrested in California on charges of possessing child pornography. Earlier he lost a teaching job after complaints that he was too affectionate with the children. All this brings up the question just how carefully do schools check backgrounds before hiring teachers.
CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Before Rafael Sorrano can be a substitute teacher in Miami.
RAFAEL SORRANO: I never gave it much thought.
CANDIOTTI: He learns this lesson. No fingerprints, no criminal background check, no job. His prints will be cross checked with databases in all 50 states. Ten percent of all teacher job candidates come back with positive hits.
SORRANO: Especially in my case, where you're working with young children, I think it's very important that they do a background check. I don't feel anyway violated in any way.
CANDIOTTI: But no system is foolproof. For example in Miami, once teachers pass, there is no required follow-up unless they leave and want their job back.
JOHN SCHUSTER, MIAMI-DADE SCHOOL DISTRICT: People must self- report any crime that they are accused of. So that if someone after employment is actually involved in a crime, they must report it to their supervisor or they risk losing their job.
CANDIOTTI: Despite all the attention on child predators, there is no single way school districts check teacher's backgrounds. Thirty nine states either require or authorize state and FBI background checks of teachers, including fingerprinting. Nine states provide for state background checks. However, Indiana, Massachusetts and Tennessee have no policy on fingerprinting according to a national certification group. President Bush recently signed the Adam Walsh Act allowing fingerprint checks of national crime databases, but only if individual state education agencies ask for it.
REP. JOHN PORTER (R), NEVADA: It's a crime not to make sure that our kids are safe. And for these school districts, for these states that aren't doing it, they should be accountable for allowing this to happen without doing background checks. It's unacceptable.
CANDIOTTI: One study done for the U.S. Department of Education says nearly one of every 10 students reports some form of sexual misconduct by teachers, administrators or coaches during their high school years. But that misconduct doesn't necessarily show up in a database.
CHAROL SHAKESHAFT, HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY: The problem that most teachers have never been charged or convicted of sexually-based crimes so that if you did a background check on them, you wouldn't necessarily turn anybody up.
CANDIOTTI: Some schools have gone beyond checking teachers. An example, Florida's Jessica Lunsford act, named after a little girl kidnapped, raped and killed by a sex predator. The law requires criminal background checks of anyone who works at schools, even those who don't come into close contact with children, including construction workers and those who restock vending machines. One more way to make schools safer from those looking for any opportunity to get closer to children and do them harm.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And this programming note, Larry King will have an exclusive interview with the Ramsey family attorney, Lin Wood and the Colorado professor who led police to Karr. That is Monday 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
NGUYEN: Coming up, CNN LIVE SATURDAY at the top of the hour. Fred joins us now with a preview.
HARRIS: Good morning.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to both of you. Of course, we're going to follow up on all the big stories, but now I got to get personal with you guys. We're talking money matters. Betty, you first. When you were a kid, how old were you when you opened up a bank account? Were you a kid?
NGUYEN: I think I was probably about 16 when I did
WHITFIELD: Tony, how about your kids? Are you introducing them to money management yet?
HARRIS: Yes, yes, they've got to start their own bank account this week. Yes.
NGUYEN: It's like that idea just came to him.
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: I couldn't believe she was asking the question. We've got this going on right now, Betty.
WHITFIELD: Well, I ask the question because we're going to have somebody with "Money" magazine who's going to reveal to us that a lot of people really do not introduce money matters to their kids and they should. So we're going to address some of the questions, such as when should they open up a banking account? When should they even think about credit cards and ATMs.
NGUYEN: They want to get you young.
WHITFIELD: You know it and with a lot of college kids going off to school, this is going to be the first introduction to a lot of them on how to manage their money. So some great ideas from "Money" magazine.
NGUYEN: That's good stuff, especially because if you don't know, then you can get into so much debt.
WHITFIELD: So many college kids are getting out of school with credit card debt.
HARRIS: Not to mention student loans and everything.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Those are good loans versus bad loans. Student loans, good loans. Credit cards, not good loans or not good debt I should say.
NGUYEN: It's a good loan for the time, but when you got to pay it back, not so good. Thank you, Fred.
Was that really a snake? That thing is huge. The film has lines snaking out of theaters around the country. Find out why people are so thrilled to see "Snakes on a Plane."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Time now to see what people are watching online. Veronica de la Cruz joins us now from the dot com desk with the most popular videos at CNN.com.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey you, all right. Mysteries and miracles, that is the name of the game, mysteries and miracles and for Betty, we're going to go ahead and start in Texas where Betty, you be the judge. Is this weeping tree a miracle? This tree has brought people from all over who are wondering if it will touch their soul. Now regardless, city officials are asking people not to drink from it because it tested positive for high levels of bacteria. But one man claims he drank the water and his abyss disappeared.
HARRIS: Ew. Jeez.
DE LA CRUZ: All right guys, could this be a sign from above? Workers at a chocolate company discovered under a vat a two-inch tall column of chocolate drippings which they claim bears a striking resemblance to the Virgin Mary.
NGUYEN: Oh my goodness.
DE LA CRUZ: What do you think?
HARRIS: On eBay, it goes for about a zillion dollars, right.
DE LA CRUZ: I think it looks like an owl or a hawk.
NGUYEN: It looks like a chocolate dropping.
DE LA CRUZ: All right, all right. Moving on to Tucson, where send in the clowns. Send in the clowns. Do you guys remember that song? It's taken on a whole new meaning. In less than a week, two check cashing stores were robbed by armed suspects dressed in clown costumes. No arrests have been made.
And all you golf fans, Tony, listen up, you want to head to CNN.com where you can watch live TNT coverage of the PGA tournament on a pipeline player. Pipe one, full field as well as bonus coverage, pipe two, K.J. versus Phil Mickelson. That's today at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, pipe three, flyovers and plays from the past and then in pipe four, Tony, you want to listen up, expert analysis. You can learn from the pros who will deconstruct the course at Medina for you because the last I heard, you needed some help out there.
HARRIS: Yes, played a round of golf recently with Rob Marciano and it wasn't pretty.
NGUYEN: He lost all of his money.
HARRIS: It was not pretty.
NGUYEN: That's what happens when you play with the big boys, Tony.
DE LA CRUZ: You want to log onto CNN.com for the details. And pipeline is starting a 1:00 p.m. or has started a 1:00 p.m. newscast on the weekends. So something else you guys want to look at.
HARRIS: Are you going to be working at that?
DE LA CRUZ: I will.
NGUYEN: The many hats of Veronica de la Cruz. Thank you, Veronica.
So let's see if you have what it takes to be a Hollywood executive. If you had made a movie, you were thinking about making a movie of snakes on a plane. What would you call it? Well, the movie out, so let's see if you guessed correctly. This is a no-brainer. CNN entertainment correspondent Brooke Anderson looked into the plot for "AMERICAN MORNING."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The title alone says it all, "Snakes on a Plane." But it barely describes how such a seemingly B movie thriller became one of this summer's most anticipated films.
Almost as soon as word got out that New Line Cinema was producing the film about an FBI agent played by Samuel L. Jackson traveling on a plane filled with both passengers and deadly snakes, the Internet was buzzing.
(MUSIC)
ANDERSON: From song parodies ...
(MUSIC)
ANDERSON ...to comedy routines ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're snakes on the plane, and they're biting.
ANDERSON: ...producers at New Line couldn't help but take notice of the hype going so far as to schedule additional photography borrowing some suggestions pulled from the Internet which changed the film's rating from PG-13 to R and included a particular line of dialogue.
SAMUEL L. JACKSON, ACTOR: I've had it with these (EXPLETIVE DELETED) snakes on this (EXPLETIVE DELETED) plane. Everybody strap in, I'm about to open some windows.
ANDERSON: CNN spoke with Samuel L. Jackson at the recent Comic- Con International in San Diego where the promotional machine for "Snakes on a Plane" was full speed ahead.
JACKSON: Excuse me, snakes on a plane. We want everybody to know, that's what they're coming to see, snakes on a plane.
ANDERSON: Thanks to the Internet, director David Ellis thinks the audience will like what they see.
DAVID ELLIS, DIRECTOR, "SNAKES ON A PLANE": I think you're stupid not to listen to your audience wherever you find it. And because the Internet is such a powerful force now, that's a really good place to go.
ANDERSON: The producers of "Snakes on a Plane" are so serious about making a film for their audience, they refused to show it to the press. But Russell Schwartz, an executive with New Line says, while the Internet can be a powerful tool, it won't replace old-fashioned film making.
RUSSELL SCHWARTZ, NEW LINE CINEMA: The one thing about the web and the fan base is that there's thousands and thousands of communities. They each have their own opinion. And I think what you have to do is, the best you can do is take all these opinions, but you still have to go with your own gut, what you feel is the right kind of entertainment to put out there.
ANDERSON: As for Jackson who went with his gut to do "Snakes on a Plane" almost as soon as he heard the title, he feels his job is to give the fans exactly what they want.
JACKSON: They know me in the heroic bad ass genre as this kind of guy who speaks in a specific way and at some point is going to get fed up and start talking loud and screaming and cursing. And I'm OK with that because that's what fuels the fire. That's what I do and I'm very good at it.
ANDERSON: Brooke Anderson, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: It just makes me want to go see it.
HARRIS: Are you going to go?
NGUYEN: I'm going to try to go today.
HARRIS: Are you?
NGUYEN: I don't know how long it will be before I actually get back on a plane after I see it, but I'm going to try to see it.
HARRIS: Well, go see it and ...
NGUYEN: ...report back to you. All right Tony, I'll get right on that.
HARRIS: That still ahead, up next, your kids and your money. When do you start teaching them to save?
NGUYEN: CNN LIVE SATURDAY with Fredricka Whitfield is up next right after this short break. Have a wonderful day.
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