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CNN Saturday Morning News
Polonium Poisoning Investigation Widens As Others Are Also Contaminated; Grim Situation In Philippines After Deadly Typhoon; Massive Cuban Party Without Guest of Honor; Saudi Arabian Surgeons Start Operation to Separate Iraqi Conjoined Twins
Aired December 02, 2006 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, Fidel Castro still unseen. The ailing Cuban dictator has been MIA during his 80th birthday celebrations this week. But there is still hope that he will show up for this morning's massive military parade.
We're going to get a live report from Havana in just a few minutes.
Well, he is considered one of the most powerful people in Iraq and next week he heads to Washington to meet with President Bush. The meeting between the president and Shiite politician Abdul Aziz al- Hakim takes place on Monday. And the two will discuss the political crisis and the ongoing crisis in Iraq.
Check this out -- doctors have now completed an autopsy on a former Russian spy who died from radiation poisoning. Results of that autopsy on Alexander Litvinenko are being kept very close to the vest while the criminal investigation continues.
Meanwhile, though, Litvinenko's wife and another close friend have tested positive for low levels of Polonium radiation.
And in the Philippines, rescue teams plow through all this mud and muck that you see here, finding more bodies after yesterday's powerful typhoon. Accurate casualty figures are still hard to come by, but they do range from a low of more than 100 to a high of about 300.
We're going to get the latest from a Red Cross official in Manila at the half hour.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Left in the dark -- a major storm leaves hundreds of thousands without electricity. Snow and ice snapped power lines in the Midwest. Gusty winds caused more power outages in the South. And it could take days before the lights are back on in some areas.
Now, we head over and say good morning to Reynolds Wolf, who's keeping an eye on some of those weather conditions for us -- hello, there.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely.
Hey, T.J. this is all that remains of that big storm that made its way through the Midwest and parts of the Great Lakes, just some scattered snow showers that should remain, again, through parts of the Northeast, then moving out into the Atlantic. It's going to bring anywhere from about an inch or less of snowfall in most places. But the rest of the country is going to be dealing with a major cool down.
Coming up, we'll let you know how low it's going to go. It's only moments away. Stay warm -- back to you.
HOLMES: All right, thank you, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet.
HOLMES: We'll see you here shortly.
And we're just getting started this morning, but we do run-down the top stories every 15 minutes for you here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
We have in-depth coverage for you all morning long. And your next check of the headlines coming up at 7:15 Eastern.
NGUYEN: Well, you see him there, but there is no sight of him yet. It's a big day in Cuba, with thousands celebrating Fidel Castro's birthday.
Will he show up?
Well, we're going to take you to Havana for a live report in just a few moments.
From the CNN Center, this is Saturday morning.
Good morning, everybody.
It's December 2.
Welcome.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes.
7:00 a.m. here in Atlanta and in Havana, Cuba.
Thank you so much for joining us this morning.
NGUYEN: Fidel Castro is missing one heck of a party today. Cubans have been holding massive celebrations this week to celebrate their leader's 80th birthday. It is a party that had to be postponed for almost four months due to Castro's failing health.
So far this week, no public appearances by el presidente.
CNN's Morgan Neill joins us now live from Havana -- do you expect him to show up today, Morgan?
MORGAN NEILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, that's a question everyone would like to hear answered. What we're going to see in just a couple of hours here is a very large military parade through the Plaza of the Revolution, just some blocks away from here.
In the last hour, we've seen these streets empty as everyone heads to the Plaza.
But, as you say, everyone is really waiting to see if one man can show up. That is President Fidel Castro. It would be his first public appearance since he handed over power on July 31st, as he recovered from what he said was surgery to stop intestinal bleeding.
Now, what we do know that we're going to see is a full scale military parade, the likes of which we haven't seen in the last 10 years. Today marks not only the belated birthday celebration of the president, but it's also the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Revolutionary Armed Forces. They mark that day from the date when an over burdened yacht called the Granma landed on Cuba's southeastern shore, bringing 82 revolutionaries that would eventually topple the government of Fulgencio Batista.
But, as you say, once the parade gets underway, all eyes are going to be on the reviewing stand, under a giant statue of revolutionary hero, Jose Marti, to see if President Fidel Castro will be there himself -- Betty.
NGUYEN: And, Morgan, let me ask you this. This big celebration has been postponed for almost four months because of Castro's ailing health.
What do you know about his health condition as of right now?
NEILL: Well, what we know is what we can glean from the videos that have come out on state television, photos that have been released.
And what we can say is this is a man that has obviously been weakened by the process. He's lost a great deal of weight, by his own admission. His voice seems weaker. He's had difficulty in walking.
Now, there has been various speculation about what is the condition he's suffering from. But it is just that, at this point. It's speculation.
We've got doctors in the U.S. who say they believe it is some sort of terminal cancer. But by their own admission, they're doing -- they're making those calls using publicly available materials.
And it's very hard to judge from just that -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right, we'll see if he shows up for his big party today.
Thank you.
Morgan Neill joining us live from Havana. HOLMES: Searching for political solutions to the violence in Iraq. President Bush meets Monday with a powerful Shiite politician. Abdul Aziz al-Hakim is head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. It's the largest party in Iraq's governing coalition.
Today, al-Hakim rejected a suggestion by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan for an international conference on the Iraq crisis.
Al-Hakim's meeting with President Bush follows this week's summit between the president and Iraq's prime minister. The president has promised to help the Iraqi government combat the violence raging in the country.
Some observers say the sectarian violence between the Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq amounts to a civil war.
On "THIS WEEK AT WAR," CNN correspondents discuss the ongoing bloodshed in Iraq. They'll also talk about troop deployments and whether Iraq is actually in a civil war. Join John Roberts today at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time.
President Bush, the Pentagon, neither really appear willing to commit to a timetable for getting U.S. troops out of Iraq.
But, as CNN's Jamie McIntyre reports, there is talk of cutting back on the number of Americans in combat.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Iraq Study Group reportedly will advocate an ambitious goal of bringing as many as 70,000 U.S. troops home by early 2008 by shifting American forces out of combat and into support roles, and redoubling efforts to train Iraqi troops to take their place.
MAJ. GEN. BENJAMIN MIXON, U.S. ARMY: I think it certainly reflects what we're doing now.
MCINTYRE: Major General Benjamin Mixon commands troops in northern Iraq and he's using the proposed strategy already, increasing the number of U.S. trainers in his area of Iraq from 2,000 to 4,000, and forecasting that in the next three to six months, Iraqi forces will take complete control in six northern provinces, which, in turn, will allow for substantial U.S. troop reductions.
MIXON: I can certainly see a great opportunity to reduce the amount of combat forces on the ground in Multinational Division-North.
MCINTYRE: The Pentagon has no problem with the call for quickly cutting the size of the U.S. force in Iraq by half in as little as 16 months, so long as it's at the discretion of military commanders.
The incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee thinks the Study Group recommendations will go much farther, calling for a partial U.S. pullout, whether or not the Iraqis are ready for Americans to go.
SEN. CARL LEVIN (D-MI), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: And this would represent some significant pressure, finally, on the Iraqis, to face the reality, which is that they must achieve a political settlement and that there is no military solution that can work unless they achieve a political settlement.
MCINTYRE: But Congressman John Murtha, who's talked to Iraq Study Group member Leon Panetta, says the call for a redeployment of U.S. troops is lacking any firm timetable.
REP. JOHN MURTHA (D), PENNSYLVANIA: The problem is they say it depends on the circumstances on the ground. Well, if it depends on the circumstances on the ground, it's not a lot different than what President Bush is saying. And President Bush says he's going to ignore it anyway.
MCINTYRE (on camera): Pentagon officials say there's nothing wrong with calling for deep troop cuts in Iraq, so long as it's based on reality and not on wishful thinking. And they say it's unlikely President Bush would approve any change in strategy if U.S. military commanders believe it will cause more chaos in Iraq.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, as you know, news can break at any time. And our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, is in Iraq, traveling with the top U.S. commander in the region, General John Abizaid.
And we are going to hear from her live as those events warrant.
Now, this programming note for you.
CNN will dedicate a half hour to the search for solutions in Iraq. From Congressional leaders to military commanders, who want to take in-depth look at America's options.
That is this evening at 5:30 Eastern.
HOLMES: Well, while you slept, an extraordinary operation -- Saudi surgeons working to separate Iraqi conjoined twins. These little girls have attracted so much attention, part of this morning's surgery is being shown live on Saudi TV.
And just in case you're a bit squeamish, a warning here -- we'll be showing some of those incredible pictures.
Journalist Mohammed Jamjoon is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
He joins us now on the phone.
Hello to you.
How do we know how things have been going with this operation? MOHAMMED JAMJOON, JOURNALIST: Yes, hello, T.J.
Well, we just finished a press conference a little over an hour ago. And the surgery is going extremely well. We're now into hour seven. They're actually three hours ahead of schedule.
Originally, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, who's the head of the surgical team here, which is quite world renowned for this separation procedure -- they had estimated the operation would last approximately 21 hours, and now they're estimating that it'll be about 17 hours.
HOLMES: And it's that much interest -- we were just talking about it -- this is being shown live on television, parts of it, there in Saudi Arabia?
JAMJOON: Absolutely. Absolutely. This is being broadcast live here and they're currently in phase five of a 10 phase operation. This is a large multi-disciplinary surgical team with at least 28 doctors. And this is basically a humanitarian gesture on behalf of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who heard the story of these conjoined twins that were born in a hospital in Sadr City, and have been Medivaced here to the National Guard Hospital in Riyadh.
That attracted a lot of attention by the media in the region. And because of that, that's why it's being covered the way it is.
HOLMES: My goodness.
You said the interest is there, of course.
But is this a, part of the government there, as well, wanting to make sure that word gets out and trying to, I don't know, trying to get as much P.R. and good press out of this humanitarian deal on their part as possible?
JAMJOON: Well, this is a huge effort. The other strategies that have taken place -- Dr. Abdel Arabiya, who heads the surgical team, they successfully separated 11 pairs of conjoined twins up until now. And that word hadn't really spread across the world.
And so there is a real P.R. effort that's going on, but there is a lot of regional interest here, as the mother had originally appealed to the media after the girls had been born.
There had been a lot of interest by many hospitals around the world to try to bring them there to assess, to see if they could be separated. They chose to go with Saudi Arabia because of how renowned the surgical team was and how successful they had been in the previous operations.
And because of that, the story grew and grew.
Also, when the twins arrived here, they were malnourished. They were suffering from infections. Originally, they thought that it would take maybe two to three months for them to gain the necessary amount of weight in order to have the surgery. It ended up taking about nine months and in all that time, the people had been paying attention.
HOLMES: All right, well, we are paying attention, as well.
Mohammed Jamjoon, journalist, thank you for the update.
JAMJOON: Thank you, T.J.
NGUYEN: This is an amazing surgery.
HOLMES: Man!
NGUYEN: It's going to take 21 hours. But these doctors, so far, have a 100 percent success rate. So...
HOLMES: Those are good odds.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: ... so far in the pictures just coming out of there...
HOLMES: Wow!
NGUYEN: ... are truly, truly, like I said, amazing.
So we'll be watching.
We'll bring you the latest just as soon as it comes in to us.
In the meantime, though, there is a desperate appeal for help in the Philippines. Check this out -- whole communities are just destroyed in the aftermath of a deadly typhoon. We're going to talk to the Red Cross in Manila live in about 25 minutes, as survivors search for the missing loved ones.
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chicago O'Hare empty, a FedEx plane stuck in the mud, piles of snow, cars stuck in ditches, snow blowers humming -- the snapshots of a winter-like mess.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Oh, we could just go with ugh.
Hundreds of thousands without power in the Midwest. And that is not likely to change any time soon.
So, what can we expect today?
Yes, look at the look on his face.
WOLF: I know. I know.
HOLMES: Yes, he's going to answer that question. WOLF: I feel like the grim reaper just giving them bad news. Goodness, gracious.
Well, the heavy snow is moving away, which is great news. They still have all that slush and snow on the ground to deal with. The one thing that's going to remain in place is that cool air. It is a bone chilling morning in Chicago.
Take a look at this great shot we have from WLS in Chicago. You can just make out a little bit of the silhouette of the John Hancock Building. Cool time to tell you how long it'll take for it to warm up.
That's moments away, right here on CNN.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN, the news channel trusted by more Americans.
Now, to CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
NGUYEN: Well, the storm is gone, but the mess, well, you can see it right there. It still lingers. Yes, this morning, hundreds of thousands have no electricity and thousands of travelers, well, they're just stranded.
CNN's Ed Lavandera has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Chicago O'Hare empty, a FedEx plane stuck in the mud, piles of snow, cars stuck in ditches, snow blowers humming -- the snapshots of a winter like mess.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I loved it. I got the day off yesterday. I didn't have to go to work, so it was great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had to go to work this morning and I'm looking at some vacation time. So I just decided to take a half day and hope that I can make it home in four hours.
LAVANDERA: Humor was in short supply for the thousands of people who tried to navigate the roadways. A 50-mile stretch of Interstate 70 in Missouri had to be shut down. Nothing says you're about to have a bad day like spinning off the road while driving to work.
This Chicago resident was lucky enough to be caught on tape struggling through the storm.
HUGO CUNIGA, CHICAGO RESIDENT: The road, it was pretty bad. And it was worse. It was kind of drizzling worse. But, I mean, we expected it. I mean we heard that on the news, but we never thought it was going to be like this bad.
LAVANDERA: Across Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri, many areas saw nearly 12 inches of snow. Snow piles reached 18 inches in some places. Thousands of travelers stranded. Airlines canceled hundreds of flights. By late Friday, airports were starting to crank up again, but it will take some time to get the backlog of stranded passengers to where they want to go.
Hundreds of thousands of homes across the Midwest lost power. The weight of snow and ice cracked tree limbs and knocked over power lines.
GARY RAINWATER, PRESIDENT/CEO, AMERICAN CORP.: Some customers will be out for four or five days and possibly longer.
LAVANDERA: As the storm makes its way into Canada and the Northeast, the heartland looks forward to seeing the sun-again.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: So the question is when is all of this mess going to finally clear up -- Reynolds.
I mean what happened to all of the beautiful weather that we were experiencing?
WOLF: Well, it's going to come back.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Well, the big business of big -- whoo! Hit.
HOLMES: Oh, yes, the NFL. Take it away!
Some games are being broadcast and now millions of fans are being left behind.
Why?
we'll go beyond the gridiron next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this was wrapped up. When the Styrofoam camera would normally, I would think, be in and the -- that's what we have, a jar of Classico-spaghetti sauce.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Except that's not what he purchased.
Yes, coming up in the Water Cooler, spicy tomato sauce causing major indigestion for a couple buying a camcorder. It's a shopping horror story that you just don't want to miss.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
PAT BENATAR: Hit me with your best shot. Why don't you hit me with your best shot? Hit me with your best shot...
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HOLMES: Oh, oh, OK. Now I get why we're playing that song.
All right, for the rest of the regular NFL season, gridiron fans can get their fix an extra day a week. The relatively new cable channel, NFL Network, is airing Thursday night games. But not every football fan is happy about that.
To explain why, we're joined by the author of "When the Game Is On the Line," Rick Horrow -- good morning, sir.
RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: NFL...
HOLMES: Your network? Do you have it at home?
HORROW: Yes...
HOLMES: Do you -- can we see this? Does anybody see this game on Thursday night?
HORROW: I could see it. But you may not be able to see it. Seventy million Americans probably can't see it.
And, by the way, can you sing Pat Benatar?
Were you -- I thought you were ready to sing...
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: Oh, no. I wasn't ready at all, man.
HORROW: All right.
HOLMES: I don't know what you're hearing in your earpiece there, but, no. Oh, see, they're playing the music again. I've got nothing for you this morning on that, though.
Go ahead.
Knock yourself out.
HORROW: All right.
HOLMES: You can go for it.
HORROW: Star.
Well, here's the thing, as far as the NFL is concerned, the NFL Network, the big deal is that most of the country can't see it for the first time. This is an amazing year. There are 14 NFL teams right now that are either six and five or five and six, which is more parity than anybody else in history.
The thing is for Saturday night and Thursday night games, the NFL Network is on and a lot of the country can't watch it. It's a $100 million experiment by the NFL. They're going way beyond just NFL. They've got the Texas Bowl and the Insight Bowl at the end of this season. They've got an amazing array of sponsors -- Microsoft and IBM and Wendy's and Vonage.
The thing is, they wanted to leverage these other networks to cause the basic cable systems around America to pick up NFL Network. And it's going to be working, but it's going to take a little while.
As far as TV is concerned with the NFL, they're doing quite well. Their current package, $17 billion in the core of the deal. That's more than baseball and basketball and hockey and NASCAR combined. They're doing OK.
HOLMES: So, in the long-term, this NFL Network experiment, as you just said, it's going to work out?
It's just going to take some time?
HORROW: Hey, it's all about leverage.
HOLMES: It's all about...
HORROW: It's the basic cable systems picking it all up so you can watch it, as well, and not just me.
HOLMES: All right.
Well, tell me what's going on with these NFL stadiums now being shuffled around a bit.
HORROW: Yes, well, see that's the deal, because it's a $6 billion business, the NFL, and 85 percent of the revenue or so is shared, the most of any sport. But the real key is everybody has got to get a new stadium that makes as much money as everybody else. And we've got a few of these controversies going on.
Minnesota, for example, they want a stadium in the suburbs. And downtown Minneapolis is coming up with a deal. That's going to take a little while to get done, maybe this next legislative session.
The San Diego Chargers, there is a proposal from suburbs National City in Chula Vista. They want a deal done. It may take a little while, as well.
You've also got the situations in places like Los Angeles. You've got that market.
The problem is, because of the non-starter there, the NFL has just approved some international games. Southern California may face the prospect of seeing real season, regular season games, played in Germany and Canada and other places before they go to L.A....
HOLMES: Whoa.
HORROW: ... which is a prospect that troubles southern California.
HOLMES: Oh.
All right, man, we're going to get to your fair ball and your foul ball for the week, and involving the same guy this time around.
HORROW: We're going to make it simple.
HOLMES: All right.
HORROW: It's Michael Vick. It's the quarterback for the Falcons.
First of all, the foul ball is his we're number one gesture, misplaced finger, last week...
HOLMES: Oh, that's what we're going to call the number one gesture?
HORROW: ... at the Georgia Dome.
HOLMES: Very nice.
(CROSSTALK)
HORROW: Well, let's call it that now, because it's Saturday morning, OK?
And I don't know what you're showing and I can't see it, but I'm sure they're covering up the part that we're talking about.
HOLMES: Yes, they are.
HORROW: The 31-13 loss to the Saints and everybody was booing. And he let his emotions out, OK?
So we had a really significant problem.
And what does he do with it, with all of his endorsements?
Well, here's the fair ball part. He may have been fine, but he beat people to it and he decided to give ten grand to two significant charities. One is an Atlanta firefighter who died on the line of duty Thursday night fighting a fire, Steven Solomon, $5,000 to his family.
The other $5,000 to the Warrick Dunn Foundation for single moms looking for housing and furniture. A nice touch by a very emotional and caring young man after he did something that nobody really liked.
HOLMES: Yes, and we just showed that clip like 52 times in a row.
HORROW: Yes, right.
Hey, this is television, right? So you've got to see it. And the people at home who don't know what is covered up, you know, you guys can give some lessons as to what's really happening.
HOLMES: All right.
And just, I've got to know, man, the SEC championship today, who do you have?
HORROW: Well, who is Florida playing?
HOLMES: Ahhh!
HORROW: All right, hey, I think Florida, but, you know, I don't like the idea of Arkansas losing, because I think you're probably a bear when the Razorbacks lose and I don't want to face you next week.
HOLMES: Yes, sir.
HORROW: And tell Betty that I can't wait for the big 12 championship tonight. It's Nebraska -- oh, Texas isn't in it.
HOLMES: Oh, yes. Oh, that's right.
HORROW: Yes, OK.
So, it'll be some great games.
Next week we'll talk about the whole BCS and the Heisman. So we've got a big college week coming up.
HOLMES: All right, and hopefully we'll be talking about the Razorbacks going to the BCS game.
Go Hogs!
HORROW: That's your issue.
HOLMES: Thank you so much, Rick.
HORROW: All right.
HOLMES: We'll see you.
HORROW: All right.
HOLMES: Betty.
NGUYEN: You know what?
We're not going to be talking about anything next week, because we're not talking to Rick Horrow ever again.
Do you hear that, Rick?
Do you hear me? HORROW: Yes, I heard it, but I don't listen to you.
NGUYEN: You know what?
There's always next year. My Horns are coming back, don't you worry.
HOLMES: Hmmm, she's all up in the screen...
NGUYEN: That's right.
HOLMES: You're scary, like come on, Betty, back off a little bit.
NGUYEN: Stop talking about my Texas Longhorns, OK, because I get a little offended when you start downing my Longhorns.
HORROW: Go to the next news.
NGUYEN: Oh, yes, I guess we should move on. And as for that game, I go for Florida. How about that, T.J.?
HOLMES: No need to be nasty this morning, Betty.
NGUYEN: Speaking of reality checks, let's talk about this, shall we? Today's topic, Afghanistan.
Five years after the Taliban are knocked out, take a look at this. British and other NATO forces, as well as U.S. troops, they are facing a reemerging Taliban. More in Afghanistan with no end in sight. That's a question. We're going to give you a "Reality Check."
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tests have detected polonium 210 in Mr. Scaramella's body, but at a considerably lower level than Mr. Litvinenko's. He is currently well and shows no symptoms of radiation poisoning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: New twists in the spy story out of Britain. An Italian security consultant who met former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, the day he fell sick, now showing signs of radiation exposure as well. We'll bring you the latest coming up in about ten minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Good morning, everybody. It's 7:34 Eastern. And "Now in the News": Cubans ready for a massive parade today. But they may have to go ahead without their guest of honor. That's right, Fidel Castro has been conspicuously absent during his week's birthday celebration. Now, Castro turned 80 back in August, but these celebrations were postponed while he was recovering from intestinal surgery.
This man is considered one of the most powerful people in Iraq and Monday Shiite politician Abdul Aziz al-Hakim goes to Washington to meet with President Bush. Now, the two will discuss the political crisis and the violence in Iraq. Today, al-Hakim blasted a call by the U.N. for an international conference on Iraq.
HOLMES: Left in the dark. A major storm leaves hundreds of thousands without electricity. Snow and ice snapped power lines in the Midwest. Gusty winds caused more power outages in the South. It could take days before the lights are back on in some areas -- Reynolds.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: Thanks, Reynolds.
Of course, we run down the top stories every 15 minutes on CNN SATURDAY MORNING. In-depth coverage all morning long. The next check of the headlines coming up for you at 7:45 Eastern.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Yet another dramatic turn in this increasingly complex poison plot. This the face of Mario Scaramella, now being treated in a London hospital after confirmation he, too, is poisoned with radiation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Another victim in the alleged assassination plot against former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko. Passenger jets, a sushi bar and apartment, all contaminated. Strange story here, just getting scarier by the day. The latest on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, coming up in a few minutes.
Welcome back to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: It is a really interesting story with a very strange twist. We'll get you the latest on that. In the meantime, yes, good morning, it's December 2nd. I'm Betty Nguyen. We want to thank you for starting your day with us.
Speaking of that story, the circle of contamination, well, that is growing in the wake of Alexander Litvinenko's poisoning death. Now a friend of the former Russian agent showing signs of deadly polonium radiation poisoning. Still, we don't seem to be any closer to knowing who is really responsible. CNN's Matthew Chance has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE (voice-over): Yet another dramatic turn in this increasingly complex poison plot. This the face of Mario Scaramella, now being treated in a London hospital after confirmation he, too, is poisoned with radiation. The kind that caused an agonizing death for his friend, former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko. DR. KEITH PATTERSON, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSPITAL: Tests have detected polonium 210 in Mr. Scaramella's body, but at a considerably lower level than Mr. Litvinenko's. He is currently well, and shows no symptoms of radiation poisoning.
CHANCE: A key figure in the police investigation, Scaramella is the Italian contact who met Litvinenko in a London sushi bar on November the 1st, the day he fell sick. He was once a consultant to an Italian parliamentary commission set up to investigate allegations of past KGB influence in Italian politics. He told Litvinenko he'd found a secret Russian hit list, that included both their names.
MARIO SCARAMELLA, FRIEND OF LITVINENKO: So I passed him a couple of papers and I said, Alexander, also to comment because I received an alarm in the last few days from a source to me.
CHANCE: But confirmation he's also contaminated raises important questions. Was he poisoned at the same time as Litvinenko? Was he contaminated through contact with his friend? Or should he now be considered a suspect?
PROF. PHIL WALKER, PHYSICIST: I think any of them is possible, really. It seems hard to imagine to me that he's got severely contaminated from Litvinenko from any casual contact. So it seems likely he's mixed up in it, significantly.
CHANCE: But what of the contaminated aircraft still grounded for forensic tests? Neither Scaramella nor Litvinenko went anywhere near them. Someone else must have been involved.
The now completed autopsy is unlikely to answer these questions, nor is it likely to prove Litvinenko's dying claim that he was poisoned beyond by his longtime foes in the Russian government. In a cruel twist tests have confirmed Litvinenko's widow, Marina, pictured in the middle, is also contaminated with what doctors say are very small traces of the same poison, intensifying concern that these victims may not be the last. Matthew Chance, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And as we mentioned, this investigation isn't even close to a conclusion. So be sure to tune in Monday night at 10:00 Eastern for a special edition of "Anderson Cooper 360", live in London. Anderson will take a closer look at the poisoning mystery and the possible players involved.
HOLMES: A grim situation in the Philippines after a deadly typhoon. The death toll has risen as more bodies are pulled from the mounds of muck today. And the Red Cross says it's in desperate need of basic supplies. Joining us now by phone is Gwendolyn Pang of the Red Cross, in Manila.
Give us an idea just how bad are things, right now?
GWENDOLYN PANG, PHILIPPINE NATIONAL RED CROSS: Hello, T.J. Our chairman, Richard Gordon, he just came back from an assessment trip in two of the provinces out of the 11 that were badly hit by this super typhoon, which is Legazpi (ph) and Katandwanes (ph). According to our Chairman Richard Gordon, the effect of the typhoon, there was massive damage of the whole area.
And there is still no power in those two areas. And there is still a problem in food and drinking water. Most of them totally lost their belongings. And the most serious problem is how can they reconstruct their lives to normalcy? And then much more (INAUDIBLE) much more that even the poorest of the poor has been hit badly and...
HOLMES: Can you tell me some of the basic immediate needs of some of these people that are suffering? Do you all have what you need to at least get some of the most of the basic of supplies to them?
PANG: As of this time, we are not -- we do -- we are not in the full scale relief operation. But what we are doing is a canteen service. So we're serving hot meals in the evacuation centers. And we will be needing, of course, big help for -- of food relief and, potable drinking water -- drinking water, and clothing and temporary shelter, and medicines.
HOLMES: OK.
PANG: Which are the basic needs that the people there will be needing, in these coming days.
HOLMES: All right. Well, really a desperate situation there. Gwendolyn Pang at the Red Cross in Manila. Thank you for taking out a minute with us. I'm sure we'll be checking in with the Red Cross again.
Good luck to you all and your efforts and getting help to those people who need it right now.
We move on to talk now about the U.S., have been focused largely on Iraq in the recent years. But has Afghanistan fallen apart? At the NATO meeting, this week, international leaders pledged to increase troops and reconstruction efforts in that country. It's been more than five years since the U.S.-led war was launched in Afghanistan, following 9/11.
We wanted to know what the war had actually accomplished and what it hasn't. Joshua Levs with a "Reality Check" to answer that question for us.
Hey, there Josh.
JOSHUA LEVS, CNN CORESPONDENT: Hi, T.J.
Yes, some people call this the forgotten war because, as you say so, much attention is focused on Iraq. Former President Clinton made news here on CNN when he believes -- he's actually very worried about what's going on in Afghanistan -- and he believes the United States should send more troops there. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm worried about the inroads that have been made by the Taliban trying to come back and what that might mean for greater freedom of movement for al Qaeda. We can't separate entirely our challenges in Iraq from our challenges in Afghanistan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: So what we wanted to do is show you what's going on now in Afghanistan and how things got this way. What you're going to find is so much of what's happening is exactly what the United States had been hoping to prevent.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS (voice-over): A widespread increase in violence as Taliban fighters target troops; 600,000 people who could go hungry this winter, if relief trucks can't make it through. Afghanistan could become a failed state. These are the realities, according to U.N. agencies. Striking when compared with what President Bush said the U.S. had already accomplished three months after the war began.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Destroyed Afghanistan's terrorist training camps, saved a people from starvation, and freed a country from brutal oppression.
LEVS: The U.S. did destroy al Qaeda training camps and toppled the Taliban following the 9/11 attacks. Now the U.S. acknowledges the Taliban insurgency is back and growing. This propaganda video from the Taliban shows a group of some 60 men training and there's this.
It looks pretty, but it's a poppy field. The U.N. says opium production is up 50 percent this year, a $3 billion industry, and a massive source of corruption, potential funding for terrorism. Back in 2002, President Bush said the war sent a message to terrorists.
BUSH: Across oceans and continents, on mountaintops and in caves, you will not escape the justice of this nation.
LEVS: But Osama bin Laden is still on the loose, believed to be hiding in the mountains along the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. The U.S. did kill or capture some other al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan, though more in Pakistan. Amid the fighting, the war led to a new era for freedom and an elected government.
JAAP DE HOOP SCHEFFER, SECRETARY-GENERAL, NATO: Afghanistan is making real progress to build a society that is democratic under Afghan ownership and that is no longer a threat to the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: And see, that is what world leaders want, an Afghanistan that's democratic and does not threaten other nations. Now, we wanted to give you a couple of key facts here, including troop deaths. As Operation Enduring Freedom, which centers primarily on Afghanistan, more than 500 non-Afghan troops have been killed, the majority of them American.
We also wanted to tell you how many U.S. taxpayer dollars have gone into this. I'll tell you the Bush administration does not exactly make those figures. They're built into a larger figure with no breakdown. But we spoke with the Congressional Budget Office, non- partisan, it's a safe estimate to say, T.J. , that more than $100 billion of U.S. money has so far been spent in Afghanistan.
HOLMES: All right. Whew! Staggering numbers there. Appreciate you, Josh.
LEVS: Thanks.
NGUYEN: Let's talk about the weather outside. No, we're not going to Reynolds this time. In fact, we're going to Veronica de la Cruz.
Because you have great pictures coming into you. Good morning.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, REPORTER, CNN.COM/DESK: Good morning, Betty, T.J. So nice to see you guys.
Christmas has come early from our I-Reporters this year. I'll show you what I mean next that's from the Dot.com Desk.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: "Now in the News": No signs of Fidel Castro, the ailing Cuban dictator has been MIA during his 80th birthday celebrations this week, but there's still hope he'll show up for this morning's massive military parade. A live report at the top of the hour.
A powerful Iraqi leader gets an invitation to the White House. Shiite politician Abdul Aziz al-Hakim meets with President Bush on Monday. They'll discuss the political crisis and ongoing violence in Iraq. Today al-Hakim blasted calls by the U.N. for an international conference on Iraq.
NGUYEN: Ice, snow, no electricity, blame it on the powerful storm that just plowed through the Midwest and left hundreds of thousands without power. More than 500,000 customers lost electricity in Illinois and Missouri. That's just those two states. And it could be days before everyone gets their power restored.
We do run down the top stories every 15 minutes right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines coming up at the top of the hour.
Speaking of that mess outside, all you had to do was send in your story to CNN where you share your thoughts, mark your -- I guess your calendar with the day all this mess occurred.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, seriously. Christmas coming early for a lot of people out there, whether they like it or not. NGUYEN: I imagine you're getting bombarded with all kind of pictures.
DE LA CRUZ: Lots and lots of pictures. Like you were just saying severe weather swept parts of the Northwest and the Rockies. More severe weather unfortunately still in the forecast. Now, at CNN.com we've received pictures from I-Reporters out there, on how those storms are affecting their areas.
Like I was just telling you, Betty, whether they like it or not it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. In places like Glumen (ph), Washington, though, we're still what, two or three weeks away here?
NGUYEN: Oh, yes, a good two weeks.
DE LA CRUZ: Diana Georgina sent us this snowy image taken outside her home. It actually is really picture perfect. It's gorgeous. She says it's not uncommon to see the snow, but it really is a bit early in the season.
Check out this shot by William Wyckoff. I'm still scratching my head over this one. This is his adobe house in New Mexico -- in New Mexico. This is New Mexico.
NGUYEN: Snow, huh?
DE LA CRUZ: Yes. Snow on an adobe house. You're thinking what desert, 120 degrees. It doesn't really look quite right.
These are a couple shots of his neighborhood. He went out and took a couple pictures of the town as well. Those are Santa Fe, New Mexico.
This next one is from Robert's Neurenberg, this is his home in Green Bank, Washington.
NGUYEN: Is that his house?
DE LA CRUZ: He says snow on the Whidbey Island is rare this time of year. That is not --
NGUYEN: I was going to say, where does he live exactly? Looks like a park.
DE LA CRUZ: You know, we're still on Santa Fe, New Mexico, actually. I was going to say.
NGUYEN: We'll flip the pictures in just a moment.
DE LA CRUZ: Do we have one more picture? Do we have Robert's picture? There we go. There it is.
NGUYEN: That's beautiful.
DE LA CRUZ: This is Whidbey Island. That is just gorgeous. Now that is postcard perfect.
NGUYEN: Definitely. It almost makes you forget how miserable it can be out in this kind of weather out there. So pretty.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, just in time for the holidays.
Don't forget. Please keep sending us your pictures. All you have to do is logon to CNN.com/exchange. I'll be back in the 10 o'clock hour to share a couple more with you guys. Get you in the holiday mood. Are you guys ready for Christmas?
HOLMES: Not even close.
NGUYEN: I am. Tree up, done a few of the shopping ...
DE LA CRUZ: Betty, Betty, Betty -- she's the type "A" personality. She's got the tree up.
NGUYEN: Yep.
DE LA CRUZ: She's got her presents wrapped.
NGUYEN: Well, just a couple of them. I have more to do. T.J., you may not get one this year.
HOLMES: Oh, see. I was trying to be good.
DE LA CRUZ: Has he been like that? I've been gone, I don't know.
HOLMES: That's how it's been.
NGUYEN: Yes, we have issues. We'll talk about it later.
(LAUGHTER)
Thank you, Veronica.
Now is your chance to grab another cup of coffee. But, please, do hurry back because you don't want to miss the "Watercooler." T.J.'s favorite.
HOLMES: I love the "Watercooler" and the "Watercooler" sound. We'll show you something really hot and steamy from Paris. I was hoping it has to do with other than ironing, but not just the heat.
NGUYEN: No chance.
HOLMES: It's the motion. We'll explain this. Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Time now for the "Watercooler".
HOLMES: Yes, these are the offbeat stories you may have missed. Got a good one for you here. NGUYEN: Imagine this, plunking down 1,600 bucks for a digital camera only to find, yes -- a jar of spaghetti in the box.
HOLMES: Happened to a couple in St. Louis. When they returned it to the store, customer service basically said, you know, tough noodles.
NGUYEN: But Sony was more sympathetic and is sending the couple a new camera. The incident, though, is under investigation. There you go.
Under way right now, though, we have to tell you about a marathon surgery to separate conjoined twins in Saudi Arabia. These are Iraqi twins. We have an update on their progress. That is four minutes away.
Plus, critics call it a virtual strip search but is this machine the answer to helping secure the nation's airlines? CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Check it out. Live this hour, a military parade is set to begin as Cubans gather to wish President Fidel Castro a happy birthday. But will the guest of honor actually show up?
We're keeping watch.
From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
Good morning, everybody. It is December 2nd, and in many parts it feels like December. Oh, yes, with all that snowfall.
It is 8:00 a.m. here at CNN headquarters in Atlanta and in Havana, 7:00 a.m. in the Midwest, where folks are waking up, as I said, to a cold, but clear day. And that's the good news.
Good morning. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: Yes, the clear is key there.
I'm T.J. Holmes.
We have a live report from Cuba in three minutes. But first, we have a check of the headlines for you.
An amazing operation under way this hour in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Surgeons about seven hours into an operation that will separate conjoined Iraqi twins.
Doctors say they're ahead of schedule right now and now expect the surgery to take 17 hours. It's being broadcast live on Saudi TV.
Much more on this story coming up in about 20 minutes.
Anti-government protesters are back on the streets in Beirut. They're led by the pro-Syrian militant group Hezbollah, and they're demanding the prime minister and his government step down.
And in the Philippines, rescue teams plow through mud and muck, finding more bodies after yesterday's powerful typhoon. Accurate casualty figures still hard to come by, but they range from a low of over 100 to a high of about 300.
NGUYEN: Back here in the U.S., an Amber Alert has been issued for a missing baby from Ft. Myers, Florida. Take a look at the picture.
Authorities say 1-month-old Brayn Dossantos-Gomes weighs 12 pounds and was last seen in Estero, Florida. Anyone with information is urged to call the Fort Myers Police Department. Here's the number. It's on your screen at the bottom. It's 239-338-2120.
A possible serial killer arrested in Louisiana. Ronald Dominique (ph) picked up at a Louisiana homeless shelter, now charged with two murders. The serial killer task force making the arrest. The murders in 1988 and 1999 may be linked to as many 20 other open murder cases.
We run down the top stories every 15 minutes here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your nest check of the headlines coming up at 8:00 Eastern.
HOLMES: The big chill. The Northeast will be shivering today from the remnants of a powerful storm. And the Midwest is digging out after more than a foot of snow fell in some areas. As many as 10 deaths are blamed on the storm. People -- you can see there, just a mess for them.
Five people were killed in storm-related traffic accidents. Hundreds of thousands were left without electricity. Officials say it will take days before the lights are back on.
Airports back up and running today, for the most part, but it will take time to get stranded travelers to their destinations. The storm forced airlines to cancel hundreds of flights.
NGUYEN: Reynolds Wolf joins us now with a look at the weather outside.
It seems like maybe things will start to clear up today.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh, absolutely.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Well, a massive party without a guest of honor. Yes, that's what Cubans are facing this morning.
Fidel Castro so far unseen during this week's birthday celebrations. Here's a live look as you see -- I guess some cannons are being set off today in part of that celebration. But there is hope, though, that Castro will appear this morning at a major military parade.
CNN's Morgan Neill joins us from Havana.
Good morning, Morgan.
Talk to us just a little bit about what's happening. I can hear some shots in the background. I imagine those are cannons being fired.
NEILL: That's right, Betty. We're just now seeing this military parade get under way, the ceremony that we've been expecting today.
This is -- this is a ceremony to honor 50 years since (INAUDIBLE) landed on Cuba's southeastern shore carrying the revolutionaries, including Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, Raul Castro, that would eventually topple the government of Fulgencio Batista.
Now, today, as we're looking at these pictures, all eyes are eventually going to be on the reviewing stand to see if President Fidel Castro himself can make an appearance. But in the meantime, we're going to be seeing tanks, armored vehicles. We're expecting to see a total of some 300,000 civilians and troops together.
A lot of these -- these machines, the weapons that will be seen, from the Soviet era. But again, just a big day for Cuba's military, and a day on which, as I say, a lot of the attention is going to be up there on their viewing stand.
I don't know if you can see the image yet. You'll see a big statue at the very front of a lot of the celebrations going on. And that's underneath the Cuban flag. And that will be Jose Marti, of independence era. Just around the right, right -- right near that statue is where we would expect to see President Fidel Castro if he is able to make it -- Betty.
NGUYEN: So haven't seen him so far. Any word or anything of that sort from Castro about these celebrations?
NEILL: No. That's what made this so interesting, Betty. It's a real sense of suspense here.
Everyone is really looking to see if he does make an appearance today. He wasn't able to appear at the celebrations earlier this week. There was a letter read out at one of the festivities on which the president apologized for not being there, saying that his doctors had told him he just wasn't ready to appear in such -- in front of such a challenge environment.
But as far as today, mum's been the word so far. So a real sense of suspense -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right. And we'll be watching and we'll be speaking with you throughout the morning. Also want to talk about his health condition. And we'll get to that next time we see you.
Morgan Neill, thanks for joining us live from Havana today -- T.J. HOLMES: Well, further contamination in that radiation poisoning case. In London, former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko is dead. The autopsy is finished but still a secret, and now a longtime friend and contact hospitalized, showing signs of radioactive Polonium poisoning.
CNN's Mallika Kapur is live in London this morning.
Good morning.
MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, T.J.
We do have an update for you on the condition of Mario Scaramella, the gentleman you just mentioned, who is being treated at the University College Hospital in central London, which is the hospital right behind me. Doctors from this hospital issued a statement at 11:00 a.m. local time, which is about two hours ago from now, saying that he appears to be in good and stable health this morning and does not appear to be showing symptoms of radiation poisoning this morning at 11:00.
Now, this update follows another one from the hospital which we got at about 9:00 p.m. local time last night. Now, last night, doctors here did confirm that they had found traces of Polonium-210 in Mario Scaramella's body. This is, of course, the same element that led to Alexander Litvinenko's death last week.
However, they did say that the levels of Polonium-210 in Mr. Scaramella's body is very low, and much lower than the levels that were found in Alexander Litvinenko's body. This, of course, is not surprising, because if it had been of the same levels, we would have seen some symptoms by now.
So at the moment we're just still waiting for further updates on his health. But at the moment, it does not -- he does not appear to be showing any signs or symptoms of radiation poisoning -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right. What do we know right now? Is there anything else around town as well?
I know they have been finding traces of this stuff in several areas. Still considered a threat to the public right now, that some of this stuff could still be floating around somewhere?
KAPUR: That's right. They are still continuing to search certain locations. The health protection authority here in Britain is still asking people to report to them if they were in one of three locations on November the 1st, which is the day Alexander Litvinenko was apparently poisoned.
They're asking people if they ate lunch at the Japanese restaurant where Alexander Litvinenko was allegedly poisoned, f people ate lunch there to call in. If people were in a hotel where he was, to call in.
But generally people aren't really that nervous about their own health because authorities here have been -- have done a very good job of reminding the public that the risk to public health is very low. And Polonium can only be -- can only enter their body if they were really in very close contact with somebody who had Polonium.
So people really aren't that nervous. But yes, tests are continuing at about 12 different locations throughout the city.
HOLMES: All right. Mallika Kapur for us in London.
Thank you so much this morning.
And be sure to tune in Monday night for a special "AC 360" live in London. Anderson Cooper delves into the poison plot and takes a closer look at the possible players in this mystery. That comes your way Monday night at 10:00 Eastern.
NGUYEN: Let's get you an update now on the latest developments out of Iraq.
Coalition forces are backing up Iraqi troops going after terrorist cells in the city of Baquba. The U.S. military says it is to let local police do their jobs.
Now, the head of the U.S. National Intelligence reportedly says Iraq and Vietnam are not the same because Iraq in many ways is worse. John Negroponte made those comments in an interview that airs tomorrow on C-SPAN.
And Abdul Aziz al-Hakim is set to meet with President Bush on Monday. He says Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's withdrawal from the government is only a temporary setback.
Want to give you this programming note as well. CNN will dedicate a half hour to the search for solutions in Iraq. That is at 5:30 Eastern this evening. From congressional leaders to military commanders, we will take an in-depth look at America's options.
HOLMES: Then at 7:00 Eastern, John Roberts hosts "THIS WEEK AT WAR," taking a closer look at the ongoing violence and the fallout from the Bush-al-Maliki meeting.
And as you know, news can break at any moment in Iraq, and our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, is traveling with the top U.S. commander in the region, General John Abizaid. And any time there are events there that warrant going to her live, we certainly will get her on the line.
NGUYEN: Well, this is something that we are definitely watching morning, a life-and-death gamble to separate conjoined twins in Saudi Arabia. Check this out.
While you were sleeping, a team of medical experts began the delicate surgery in Saudi Arabia.
HOLMES: Yes. Coming up, we'll tell you how a king's act of kindness made this life-saving opportunity possible. And then a bit later...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): We're just going to the dance together.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): That's what I told my mother when your granddaddy came to pick me up for my prom. And if he's anything like my Herbert, bless his soul, you'll be needing these.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: OK.
HOLMES: Yes. Didn't see that coming, did you? This educational cartoon deals out a dose of reality. But will it work?
NGUYEN: And at the half hour, if your holiday season is more frantic than festive, well, stick around, because Sanjay Gupta will have tips on how to stay healthy and happy.
That's on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
We'll be back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: "Now in the News," Fidel Castro still a no-show. The ailing Cuban dictator has been MIA during his 80th birthday celebrations this week. And so far, no sign of him at this morning's massive military parade.
Doctors have now completed an autopsy on a former Russian spy who died from radiation poisoning. And results of that autopsy on Alexander Litvinenko are being kept very close to the vest while the criminal investigation continues. Meanwhile, Litvinenko's wife and another close friend have tested positive for low levels of Polonium radiation.
HOLMES: Lights out still. That powerful storm that plowed through the Midwest left hundreds of thousands of people without power. Just in Illinois and Missouri, more than 500,000 customers lost electricity. It could be days before everyone gets their power restored.
And another hat in the ring. CNN has learned Indiana senator Evan Bayh will set up an exploratory committee next week to look into a presidential run in 2008. That is, of course, the usual first step before declaring your candidacy. The Democrat is serving his second term in the Senate after spending two terms at Indiana's governor.
And of course we run down the top stories for you every 15 minutes here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING. We have in-depth coverage for you all morning long as well. Your next check coming up at the bottom of the hour. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. AL SHARPTON, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: There are many that are calling for peace, but they really just want quiet. There's a difference between peace and quiet.
Quiet means shut up. Quiet means don't make no noise. Quiet means suffer in silence.
Peace means justice and fairness and living together. We want peace. But we won't get quiet until we get justice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Reverend Al Sharpton speaks at the funeral for a man killed in a police shooting on his wedding day. We told you this story last week.
Hundreds paid their respects to Sean Bell last night at the same New York church where he was supposed to be married. Bell will be buried today.
He was killed a week ago when police fired more than 50 rounds into a car outside a New York strip club. Two of his friends were also wounded. They had just left Bell's bachelor party. Now, police say they are investigating reports of a fourth man possibly armed at the scene.
Well, Larry King will have an exclusive interview with the shooting victim's fiancee. That is Monday at 9:00 Eastern. And that's an interview that you will only see here on CNN.
HOLMES: Other news now "Across America."
This morning, in Syracuse, New York, the Dinosaur Barbecue is closed after hundreds of people became ill. Authorities so far have not figured out what caused 600 diners to get sick at. The popular Dinosaur Barbecue says it plans to reopen Monday after a thorough cleaning.
Maybe if they stopped serving dinosaur people wouldn't get sick. No, that's not it, of course.
Moving on now.
Charges dismissed. Eleven antiwar grandmothers are free after a Pennsylvania judges dismissed trespassers against them.
They call themselves the Granny Peace Brigade and were arrested in June for refusing to leave a recruiting office in Philadelphia. The judge said the women shouldn't be prosecuted because they were in a public place.
And holiday cheer heading to the troops from a group of Rhode Island high school students. Freshmen from Smithfield High in Smithfield, Rhode Island, gathered enough donated toiletries to fill 20 boxes. The goodies now will be sent off to Iraq and, of course, as you can imagine, a welcomed gift for those over in the war zone.
NGUYEN: Oh, yes.
Hey, T.J., you ready for some big guns?
HOLMES: Some big gun? Oh, OK.
NGUYEN: These kind of guns. These kind of guns, right here.
HOLMES: Oh, the gun show. Don't hit us with the gun show.
NGUYEN: Yes, watch out. The biggest gun in fitness is going to join us next hour. That's him right there. Jerry Anderson in the house.
HOLMES: Can't wait for the shirt. The shirt.
NGUYEN: Oh, yes. Let's find out what kind of shirt he's wearing, if it's his little sister's today or if it's actually his. He'll share some of the secrets of his success and answer your e- mails.
And keep those fitness questions coming.
HOLMES: I'm sorry.
He wants to know what your problem is, if your problem is with his shirt. By all means, e-mail us.
NGUYEN: Please, send him an e-mail.
HOLMES: The address is weekends@cnn.com.
But first, Dr. Sanjay Gupta has a preview of this weekend's "WEEKEND HOUSE CALL."
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Guys.
Well, Betty and T.J., if you're like many Americans, you've already started holiday shopping, and possibly already started getting a little stressed as well. 'Tis the season for peace and joy, but it can also bring stress, waking (ph), even a heart condition that sometimes comes along with the holiday parties.
So tune in at 8:30 for a plan to deal with family members, stay healthy, and possibly even find the perfect gift.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The holidays are festive. Family, friends and food, lots of food. People often find themselves overeating. Registered dietician and author of "Small Changes Big Results," Ellie Krieger, has five tips on feeling fuller faster. ELLIE KRIEGER, AUTHOR, "SMALL CHANGES BIG RESULTS": Take a small plate, the smallest plate available. Because if you take a small plate you will be satisfied with less food.
COSTELLO: Don't go to the party hungry. Another tip is to eat something before you go. Soup or oatmeal is a good option. Also...
KRIEGER: Fill up on fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. So at a party, go for the crudite. Fill that plate up with lots of vegetables and some dip.
COSTELLO: And don't keep the food on your plate. She suggests buying the smaller package of food you're preparing.
And Ellie's best holiday advice?
(on camera): OK, another cool tip that you have is you should eat like a baby. Eat like a baby?
KRIEGER: Right. When babies eat, they eat when their hungry and they push the food away when they've had enough.
COSTELLO (voice-over): Carol Costello, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Look at this. While you were sleeping, we have been following an extraordinary operation under way in Saudi Arabia.
Surgeons working right now to separate twin girls joined at the chest and abdomen. These girls have captured so much media attention. Saudi TV is carrying part of that operation, as you see right there, live on television.
Well, the surgery began more than seven hours ago, and it is expected to take another 10, 11 hours to complete. Twenty-one hours in all.
Journalist Mohammed Jandun (ph) is following this story from Saudi Arabia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Zahra and Fatimah have been in this Saudi military hospital for more than nine months. Not because of an act of war, but, rather, an act of kindness.
Doctors say the sisters, conjoined twins connected at the lower chest, abdomen and pelvis, would have died without the proper medical attention back in Iraq. Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah heard about the girls on the news and had Zahra and Fatimah and their family medevaced to Riyadh's National Guard Hospital.
Here the sisters were assessed by a surgical team. It didn't take long to figure out there were complications.
ABDULLAH RABIRA, HEAD OF SURGICAL TEAM: They came, actually, with a bad infection, which is a fungus infection. And the fungus infection is very difficult to treat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dr. Abdullah Rabira heads the surgical team that will work to separate the twins. He says their case is one of the most challenging he's encountered.
RABIRA: Then they got better, then they came back again, then they got another infection, until it took them about 10 weeks in the ICU.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once the twins were transferred to the intensive care unit, their parents, Haidr (ph) and Najda (ph), found even more to worry about. Upon arrival, Zahra and Fatimah weighed just 3.2 kilograms, about 7 pounds. To have the surgery, they had to reach 9 kilos, or about 20 pounds.
So far, Dr. Rabira and the surgical team have successfully separated 11 pairs of conjoined twins, yet even he doesn't see this as easy.
RABIRA: I always say that people look at the heartbeat of the twins during surgery, but nobody looks at the heartbeat of the surgeon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Doctors give Zahra and Fatimah's odds of surviving the separation procedure at 60 percent.
Mohammed Jandun, CNN, Riyadh.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And stay right here all morning because Mohammed Jandun will keep us posted on how the surgery is going. And he joins us live next hour. Don't want to miss that.
It is really quite a remarkable surgery that's taking place right now in Saudi Arabia.
HOLMES: Also, it's the toughest decision any cop will face.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sheriff's deputy Kevin Casal (ph) has only a few seconds to decide.
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HOLMES: Later this morning CNN's Drew Griffin takes a closer look at a new tool that virtually puts the cop's fingers on the trigger in life-and-death situations.
NGUYEN: But first, Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells us how to beat the holiday blues and all that holiday stress -- I know lots of you are dealing with it. That's on this "WEEKEND HOUSE CALL."
HOLMES: And then at the top of the hour is this, a virtual strip search, or another way for airports to secure their planes. Huh. We'll take a closer look at the controversy over so-called naked x-ray scanners.
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