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CNN Saturday Morning News
Iraq Curfew Due to Be Lifted Today; Robert Gates Visiting Iraq; Space Shuttle "Atlantis" Has Been Mostly Repaired; Mike Nifong on Trial
Aired June 16, 2007 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was almost like a sick joke, like we were being toyed with, like he was doing it maliciously, on purpose, to us.
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BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR, SATURDAY MORNING: Anger and raw emotion from a former suspect in the Duke lacrosse rape case. Tears and regret from the prosecutor. We have more testimony expected this morning.
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DISPATCHER: What do you want me to do for you, ma'am?
CALLER: Send an ambulance out here to take her somewhere where she can get medical --
DISPATCHER: OK. You're at the hospital, ma'am. You got to contact them.
CALLER: They have a problem. They won't help us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: An outrageous story. You have to hear this! Calls to 911 about a dying woman coming from inside a hospital emergency room.
And a big-time casino scam -- busted. The FBI takes down a sophisticated card shark operation. The real-life "Oceans 13" ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
Good morning, everybody from the CNN center right here in Atlanta, I'm Betty Nguyen. T.J. Holmes is off today.
We are pushing at least watching this push for progress in Iraq. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is in Baghdad right now and he's warning Iraqis to stop dragging their feet on reform, seen as crucial to ending violence. Meanwhile, the Iraqi capital is on lockdown after this week's bombing of a Shiite mosque.
CNN's Hala Gorani joins us now live from Baghdad with the latest.
Good morning, Hala. HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Betty.
Robert Gates, the Pentagon head on his fourth visit to Iraq a surprise visit. He arrived yesterday evening local time. Of course, he's the latest U.S. official to come to Iraq to try to put pressure on the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki to speed up the passage of law that will promote national reconciliation, such as oil revenue sharing laws. Also, for all of those Americans and otherwise who are impatient with military progress in Iraq, he had this to say --
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ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: The full surge actually only began a few days ago. We began the process of building up our forces some months ago. But the 5th brigade as part of the surge really only entered the fight within the last few days.
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GORANI: So you heard it there, Robert Gates saying, wait a minute -- the surge, as the military commanders here and elsewhere are calling it, has only just begun. We're up to 160,000 troops on the ground, the idea is to increase the number of boots on the ground and position them strategically.
We heard from the top commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, General David Petraeus that some offensive operations are taking place as we speak right now, in and around Baghdad to try to target suspected insurgent hideouts where car bombs are being manufactured. Betty?
NGUYEN: With all the violence that we've seen lately, there has been a curfew, fourth day of it. Is that still in place? Is it holding?
GORANI: It is in place and this curfew as you know went into effect, after the bombing of the Samarra mosque. It was the second bombing in 16 months of this very holy Shiite shrine that took out the two minarets of the mosque. Now this curfew is still in place. It is due to be lifted at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, that's 5:00 a.m. local time on Sunday morning. It could, however, be extended.
What we've seen in terms of retaliatory violence are attacks against some Sunni mosques now. It has not been the full-scale sectarian carnage that some had feared, but then again, the curfew is in place and it applies not just to vehicles but also to pedestrians. The top Shiite cleric here Ali al Sistani has asked his followers to stop attacks against Sunni mosques. The big question, Betty, is what will happen once the curfew is lifted.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. CNN's Hala Gorani joining us live from Baghdad this morning, Hala, thank you.
We get you now to a developing situation in the Middle East -- Hamas militants flexing their muscles in Gaza, this video now from earlier this morning. Hamas fighters patrolling the streets relatively calm now, but after days of fighting between Hamas and Fatah.
Meanwhile in the West Bank, Fatah forces are taking over Hamas- controlled government buildings. All of this going on while the new Palestinian prime minister tries to keep together a small emergency government. We'll be watching that.
The Hamas offensive in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shiite militants in Iraq, U.S. officials say they all have one common denominator -- support from Iran.
CNN's Brian Todd reports on the growing concern about Iran's influence across the Middle East.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hamas captures the streets and power centers of Gaza. The group designated terrorists by the U.S. but voted political power by the Palestinians shows its might.
DAN GILLERMAN, ISRAEL AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: This is Iranian work. This happened in Lebanon. It is now happening in Hamastan, which was Gaza until yesterday.
TODD: Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, anti-American Shia militants in Iraq. U.S. officials say Iran is supplying them all with weapons and recently U.S. and British officials told CNN sophisticated weapons bound for the Taliban in Afghanistan can be traced to Iran, although it is not clear if the Iranian government has its fingerprints on them. Iran denies the accusations, but analysts and U.S. officials say Iran has strong motives for so-called proxy wars.
SEAN MCCORMACK, STATE DEPT. SPOKESMAN: It is no secret that they have used other outside groups as proxies to try to extend their influence within the region.
VALI NASR, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: They are trying to obviously stretch the United States as thin as possible, in as many arenas as possible, because that makes it much more difficult for the United States to focus on Iran particularly militarily when it has its hands full.
TODD: How to counter it? Analysts point to a range of U.S. options. One is to recognize Iran as a major power in the region and talk to Tehran about issues beyond Iraq. But they say the U.S. has to talk from a position of strength, turn the tide militarily in Iraq and make one thing clear --
JAMES CARAFANO, HERITAGE FOUNDATION: Always demonstrate to the Iranians that we were going to protect our interests. If that requires striking back, if they try to attack the United States or its friends or allies.
TODD: While applying that pressure, analysts say, hit Tehran where it is most vulnerable, by tightening economic sanctions and investments. Analysts say Iran is already stretching its economic resources by engaging in all these so-called proxy wars and may simply run out of gas, but they warn the U.S. is in danger of doing the same. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
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NGUYEN: Want to take you now to Afghanistan where the Taliban are claiming responsibility for a deadly attack on a convoy carrying U.S. contract workers and military personnel. It happened today in the city of Kabul. At least four people were killed in the suicide car bombing and five were hurt. U.S. armored vehicles arrived at scene just after the blast and Afghan police say a soldier on board one of them mistakenly opened fire killing another civilian and wounding three.
Back here in the U.S. and in North Carolina specifically, an embattled prosecutor says his community has suffered enough. Mike Nifong facing ethics charges for his handling of the now-debunked Duke lacrosse rape case is quitting as district attorney, but his troubles may be far from over. CNN's Jason Carroll reports.
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JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A teary Michael Nifong, a prosecutor, now on the defense.
MICHAEL NIFONG: I need to take responsibility for the things I've done.
CARROLL: An emotional mea culpa during a North Carolina bar ethics hearing into allegations of misconduct by Nifong in the Duke lacrosse case. Nifong said he no longer had credibility and owed it to the community to step down.
NIFONG: So it is my intention, whatever the decision is here, to resign as district attorney of Durham.
CARROLL: For several minutes Nifong could barely keep his composure. Then he addressed the three players he'd accused of rape, calling Finnerty, Reade Seligmann and Dave Evans.
NIFONG: My actions have caused pain to the Finnerties, to the Seligmanns, to the Evans. I apologize.
CARROLL: Nifong admits he got carried away and made mistakes while prosecuting the Duke lacrosse players. He's accused of making inflammatory public statements about the case and more seriously of concealing DNA evidence showing male DNA found on the accuser that did not match any of the 46 players. Nifong said he was sorry that it happened.
NIFONG: I want to make it clear right now that that certainly is something that the defense attorneys were entitled to have.
CARROLL: Collin Finnerty, Reade Seligmann and their families attended the hearing. Seligmann talked about the pain of telling his mother he had been accused of raping a stripper hired to perform at the team's party.
READE SELIGMANN, EXONERATED DUKE LACROSSE PLAYER: I said, "mom, are you alone right now? She said, yeah, what's going on? I said she picked me. I could hear her on the other end of the phone. The life was sucked right out of her.
CARROLL: There were not just tears, but also frustration that Nifong continued to pursue sexual assault and kidnapping charges even after the rape charges were dropped
SELIGMANN: It felt almost like a sick joke, like we were being toyed with, like he was doing it maliciously, on purpose to us.
CARROLL: Regardless of Nifong's decision to step down, it is very likely he will be punished anyway, possibly disbarred, which would prevent him from ever being able to practice law in the state of North Carolina. Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.
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NGUYEN: And there is much more, because testimony in Nifong's ethics hearing is set to resume this morning at 9:00 Eastern. We'll be following that.
In the meantime, heavy rain expected this morning across Texas and Florida and that has led to flood watches in some areas. Our Bonnie Schneider is tracking the storm systems across the country. She joins us now with the latest. Good morning Bonnie.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning Betty. You're right. We have tropical moisture headed to two different destinations, one in Texas. All this rain is really coming down through the area even right now. We also have tropical moisture as we zoom in to Florida, coming up from the Gulf of Mexico, a very broad area of low pressure here and this combining with that tropical moisture will make for some very heavy downpours if you're traveling to Miami today or to Texas.
Take a look at the flash flood watches. They're in place right now. They will hold straight through tonight. We're expecting at least two inches of rain, maybe even three inches from Dallas down through the hill country of Austin and San Antonio. Heavy rain is coming down at this hour all along the major roads just south of Dallas. It is even heavier the further south you travel.
Now we head over to Florida where we can see heavy rain into Miami and all along the Florida keys. It is not too bad further north towards Palm Beach, but it will be because all this moisture is riding in. As the low gets closer to south Florida, we're likely to see even more rain exists for the area. Taking a look at hot temperatures today, we do have some heat advisories in place. Another scorcher for Phoenix, up to 109 today. That means it will feel like it is 115. Even for Arizona, that is super hot.
It will be warm all the way up to the north into Chicago with a high of 91 degrees. Temperatures not too bad along the eastern seaboard, mainly around 81 in New York, 82 in Washington. But the heat does slide to the east just in time for Father's Day tomorrow so a hot one for Washington on Sunday, 93 in Atlanta, 88 in New York City. We can see temperatures are really heating up. The only cool spot you'll find on the map here is the Pacific Northwest Betty. That's where highs today and tomorrow will stay into the 60s.
NGUYEN: Thank you, Miss Bonnie. Appreciate that.
Houston, we have solved the problem. Yes, almost all systems are now go as astronauts and cosmonauts made some important fixes aboard the international space station and the space shuttle "Atlantis." They've been very busy up there. CNN's space correspondent Miles O'Brien brings us up to speed.
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MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The troubleshooting and the trouble stitching all paid off. After a busy, tense 24 hours, the shuttle and the space station, appear to be in much better shape. Cosmonauts (INAUDIBLE) working to coax the critical command and control computers on the space station back to life, used jumper cables to bypass a suspect switch on a power supply. They turned on two of the three pairs of computers and they came back to life. Only one pair is needed to run the station. Everything from oxygen generation to the toilet, to the direction the outpost faces as it orbits.
The trouble began as the week began. Shortly after the "Atlantis" crew installed some new solar panels on the station, engineers in Moscow and Houston suspected there was something wrong with the quality of the electricity generated by those arrays. But now it is unclear if the arrays had anything to do with the failure at all. The fix came in while a pair of shuttle space walkers were out. With his feet attached to the end of the shuttle robot arm, astronaut Daniel Olivas (ph) made his way to the orbiter's tail and got to work on the peeled-back thermal blanket needed to protect the shuttle on re-entry.
Olivas tucked the blanket in and then using a stapler designed to close a wound on a hurt astronaut, healed the heat shield. NASA engineers were worried the blast furnace of re-entry would char the graphite skin beneath the blankets. There will be one more heat shield inspection before shuttle gets a green light to come home and there will be some worry about those computers until engineers fully understand what happened. But what started as a dark day for NASA took a dramatic turn for the better thanks to some Russian ingenuity.
Miles O'Brien, CNN, New York.
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NGUYEN: We are getting this breaking news just in to CNN regarding North Korea. We have learned that North Korea today has sent a letter to the U.N. nuclear watchdog inviting inspectors to the country to discuss procedures for shutting down its main nuclear reactor, that according to state media. The letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency noted quote that a working-level delegation of the IAEA has been invited to visit North Korea as it is confirmed that the process of de-freezing the funds has reached the final phase.
Now claiming the financial freeze was a sign of Washington's hostility, North Korea boycotted international nuclear talks for more than a year during which it conducted its first-ever atomic bomb test back in October. But we are learning today that North Korea according to its media has sent a letter to the U.N. nuclear watchdog inviting inspectors to the country to discuss procedures for shutting down its main nuclear reactor. So as soon as we get more information on this story of course we will bring it straight to you.
Meantime, if someone you love is desperately ill, you head for the emergency room for help. Right? Well, you might want to think again.
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CALLER: I'm in the emergency room, my wife is dying in the emergency room and nurses don't want to help her out.
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NGUYEN: A Los Angeles hospital comes under renewed fire after a woman dies on the waiting room floor.
Also, buying drugs at school. Nothing new? Well, you want to watch this tape when we come back.
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NGUYEN: So buying drugs at school, nothing new. Well you may want to watch this tape. It is a little grainy and black and white, but what sets this videotape apart -- the man caught on tape, a middle school principal videotaped in his office buying crack cocaine from an undercover cop.
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U.N.IDENTIFIED MALE: I made a mistake, and it was a huge mistake and it cost me everything.
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NGUYEN: This week Anthony Giancola (ph) accepted a plea deal and he says he hopes to start a new career as a drug counselor.
It's a story that's difficult to believe, a woman dies on an emergency room floor because no one will treat her. This, even after witnesses at the very same hospital called 911 for help. CNN's Ted Rowlands has the story.
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CALLER: I'm in the emergency room. My wife is dying and the nurses don't want to help her out.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As Edith Rodriguez was dying on the emergency room floor of Martin Luther King Jr. Harbor hospital, 911 dispatchers received two separate calls. Both callers seem to see what hospital staff members apparently didn't -- that this woman needed immediate attention.
DISPATCHER: OK, what do you mean she's dying? What's wrong with her?
CALLER: She's vomiting blood.
ROWLANDS: What happened to Edith Rodriguez is an extreme example of more than a decade of troubling incidents at a hospital that serves some of L.A.'s poorest residents, many of whom are U.N.insured. Just four months ago Juan Ponce was diagnosed with a brain tumor by the King emergency room staff, but then apparently they completely forgot about him. Instead of transferring Ponce to another hospital for immediate surgery, he says he was left to sit for four days in the King emergency room.
JUAN PONCE, FORMER PATIENT: They don't give me food, nothing, for three or four days, never asked me for medicine for the pain. Nothing, nothing.
ROWLANDS: Ponce says eventually his condition became so bad he couldn't see or speak. Finally a family member got the staff to move him.
U.N.IDENTIFIED MALE: I see a lot of people that wait 14 or 15 hours.
ROWLANDS: This man who doesn't want to be identified works in the hospital emergency room. He says he wasn't there when Edith Rodriguez died, but says he can see how it could happen.
U.N.IDENTIFIED MALE: The incompetency (ph) is a number one issue. Not all days this way, not every day this way, but most of the time there are problems to treat the patients, I would say, and to take care of them, yeah.
ROWLANDS: In response to both cases, the director of L.A. County's health services said in a letter this week that because of what happened to Juan Ponce, the hospital's chief medical officer was put on paid leave. As for the Rodriguez case, the letter says, the triage nurse in charge that night has resigned and all employees working in the triage area that night have been counseled and written findings placed in their personnel files.
ZEV YAROSLAVSKY, L.A. COUNTY SUPERVISOR: I think everybody has some answering to do for what happened at this hospital that night. The chief nurse, the physicians assistants who may or may not have known what was going on, other personnel. The people who were sitting in the waiting room, who didn't lift a finger to help her and watched the whole thing happen for 45 minutes, there was a complete moral and humanitarian breakdown. ROWLANDS: Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.
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VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: A very good morning to you. I'm Veronica de la Cruz from the dotcom desk. What's happening on the web this morning? What are you clicking on? We're going to take a look at the most popular stories coming up.
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NGUYEN: As you know, the CNN Web site is always a busy place.
DE LA CRUZ: Always.
NGUYEN: And Veronica de la Cruz of the dotcom desk has been looking at what you are looking at this morning when you are not watching television.
DE LA CRUZ: Hopefully you are. They're doing both at the same time. Right?
NGUYEN: Multi-talented viewers.
DE LA CRUZ: Exactly they are. Politics is the most popular story on the web this morning. Well, sort of. It is actually a very funny and risque video, it's called I've got a crush on Obama. it's been heating up the campaign trail. CNN's Jeanne Moos has the story about the people who made it.
Also on that most popular list right now, Betty, a male fifth grade student singled out by his teachers for a couple of dubious awards -- least likely to have kids.
NGUYEN: He is just a kid ...
DE LA CRUZ: Wait, wait, there's more. And most likely to not know what's going on.
NGUYEN: Oh, that's not right.
DE LA CRUZ: Exactly. His parents are outraged, he's outraged and the outrageous story is from our affiliate WRTV. Also on that list, lots of interest on the latest round of computer troubles on board the international space station. CNN space correspondent Miles O'Brien has our report on the out of this world fix-it project. I think they we just ran a story a couple of minutes ago.
Also Betty, you have to see this amazing story from our Atlanta affiliate WXIA. It's a toddler who somehow survived a wild ride and fall from the top of her daddy's camper as it rolls down the highway.
NGUYEN: Oh my goodness. She looks pretty good considering that bump on her head.
DE LA CRUZ: Lucky to be alive. Quick look at the top videos on cnn.com this morning. I'm going to be back a little later this hour with the viral video of the day. It's about a little girl who is singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for one of the toughest critics on television these days.
NGUYEN: Simon?
DE LA CRUZ: You always give it away, Betty!
NGUYEN: The toughest critic on television today, hello. All right. Looking forward to that. Thank you Veronica.
Well, accused of violating standards of professional conduct, the man at the center of this case takes the stand -- but the state bar will still have the final word on the future of Mike Nifong.
Plus -- finally some good news from the international space station. Problems inside and out, all fixed. That's next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Convertible, SUV, sports car? Before you know it, your child will be driving and safety should be priority number one. Read up on crash test ratings and other safety features on aaa.com.
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U.N.IDENTIFIED MALE: Your vehicle should have superior safety equipment, anti-lock brakes, crumple zones, electronic stability control.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIS: Don't forget to get an independent mechanic to inspect a used car for reliability before you buy and check to see if the warrantee is still in place. And if not, look into purchasing one. Shop around for car insurance. Rates can be as high as $5,000 for new drivers. But many companies offer discounts, and give good-grade rewards if they maintain a certain average.
I'm Gerri Willis and that's your "tip of the day." For more ideas, strategies and tips that save you money and protect your house, watch "open house" today 9:30 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
NGUYEN: Right now the latest on that developing situation in the Palestinian territories. Hamas militants ransacking the presidential compound in Gaza, but in the West Bank Fatah fighters loyal to the Palestinian president are now taking over Hamas-controlled government buildings. All this while a new emergency government is being pieced together.
CNN's Atika Shubert is live in Jerusalem and she joins us now to bring us up to speed on all of these developments.
Hi, Atika.
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Betty. Well, the fighting may have stopped in Gaza, but clearly there is still no law and order on the streets in the West Bank today. Fatah forces targeting Hamas officials, attacking apparently, in revenge, their homes and offices. While in Gaza, under Hamas, the looting has continued now for the second day in a row.
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SHUBERT (voice-over): Hamas in charge. Photos show Hamas gunmen inside the Gaza residence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, posing at his desk, making a mock phone call, saying, according to Reuters: "Hello, Condoleezza Rice. You have to deal with me now."
But perhaps this is the most poignant photo for Palestinians, Hamas gunmen trampling on the portraits not just of President Abbas, but the late and revered Yasser Arafat, father of the Palestinian national movement.
Hamas is in charge of Gaza. But, can it govern? Even as masked gunmen trumpeted their authority to the media, looters had taken over the streets of Gaza, stripping down the empty homes of Fatah leaders. Hamas leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, insists that he is still prime minister of the Palestinian government. But Palestinian President and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas has dissolved the Hamas-led government and installed an emergency cabinet under the leadership of former Finance Minister Salam Fayyad.
So who's in charge? Depends on where you're at. In Gaza, Islamic militant group Hamas is the undisputed power. In the West Bank, the Western-backed Fatah is still in control. The dream of a united Palestinian state torn in two.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SHUBERT: Now this is not just about a fight for power. It's about what kind of a state Palestinians want: the Islamic militancy of Hamas in Gaza, or the weak, secular authority of Fatah in the West Bank. Either way, Betty, it is a stark choice for Palestinians.
NGUYEN: Well, as far as that government that's being pieced together right now, what kind of progress are you seeing so far?
SHUBERT: Well, so far the prime minister has been named. He is expected to appoint a cabinet very shortly and while he may be able to consolidate power in the West Bank, the new prime minister won't have much of an effect in Gaza where Hamas is clearly in control and has completely ignored these decrees. So one way or the other, Hamas and Fatah are going to have to sit down and negotiate some sort of compromise.
NGUYEN: We'll be watching. CNN's Atika Shubert joining us live this morning, thank you.
Well, we do want to take you now to North Korea, at least give you the word on the latest out of that country. We are learning that North Korea has invited a working-level delegation from the united Nations nuclear watchdog group to come and inspect the country as it -- or at least monitor, I should say, as the country shuts down one of its reactors.
Want to take you to South Korea and Sohn Ji-Ae, who joins us live with the latest on this breaking news coming into CNN.
What do you have, Sohn Ji-Ae?
SOHN JI-AE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, the word is coming from North Korea's official news agency, the KCNA. And it is saying that North Korea has sent a letter to the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency, inviting a working-level delegation of the IAEA to come into North Korea and that -- they said that they did so because it is confirmed that the process of de-freezing the funds of North Korea at Banco Delta Asia has reached its final phase.
Now this means that one of the -- that North Korea agreed to do this in February. And what has held it up for so long is that North Korea has funds in a Macau bank that has been frozen there because of alleged illegal activities. Now that -- those funds are in a Russian bank at the moment but they are in the process of being transferred to North Korea.
And North Korea has -- from the letter that we are seeing, has deemed that it is now time to live up to its part of the deal -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Well, besides freeing up the funds, I understand that the countries involved in the six-party talks have also agreed to providing emergency energy assistance?
SOHN: That would be one of the next phases. A number of incentives have been offered to North Korea as it goes down the road to freezing its nuclear weapons activities and shutting down its nuclear reactor. So now that -- if North Korea has indeed invited the IA inspectors in and they come into North Korea, the process of shutting down that nuclear reactor can begin.
And once that begins, then there are promises made to North Korea that the outside forces, united States, Japan and South Korea included, will provide North Korea with alternative energy resources, and that meaning the oil supply -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Sohn Ji-Ae joining us live by phone this morning with the latest news out of North Korea. Thank you.
Want to talk now about the push for more progress in Iraq. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is in Baghdad right now and he is urging Iraqi leaders to step up the pace on crucial improvements. As for the U.S. troop buildup, well, Gates says it is too early to know how well it's working.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: The full surge actually only began a few days ago. We began the process of building up our forces some months ago. But the fifth brigade as part of the surge really only entered the fight within the last few days, and so I'd say, while I indicated yesterday that I think we'll see some trends and be able to point in some directions by September, the full impact of the surge is really just beginning to be felt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: This is the fourth trip by Gates to Iraq since he became defense secretary.
A stunning announcement to tell you about involving the prosecutor in that Duke lacrosse case. District Attorney Mike Nifong breaks down in tears at his ethics hearing in North Carolina on Friday, admitting he went too far pursuing rape allegations against members of the Duke lacrosse team. Allegations that proved false. But the real stunner yesterday came when Nifong announced he plans to quit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE NIFONG, DURHAM, N.C., DISTRICT ATTORNEY: My actions have caused pain to the Finnertys, and the Seligmanns, and the Evanses. I apologize. It is my intention, whether or not -- whatever the decision of this committee, to resign as district attorney of Durham.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Being considered at this hearing, possible sanctions against the prosecutor. It will get under way at 9:00 a.m. And we'll be watching that for you. They'll be back in court today.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Well, it could be a landmark vote in Dallas, Texas, today. They are electing a new mayor there in a runoff election. But one of the candidates is city councilman Ed Oakley, who happens to be gay. Now, if Oakley wins, Dallas would be the nation's largest city to have an openly gay mayor.
A real-life "Oceans 13." That's right, only this gang of card sharks got caught. Yes, a $1 million casino scam. We have it for you coming up.
And Paris Hilton says she is dropping the dumb blonde act, which got us wondering, where did the whole stereotype come from in the first place? That's ahead in our CNN "Reality Check."
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NGUYEN: Checking my blonde highlights here. OK, dumb blonde. You know the image those words create. But where does the myth of dumb blonde really come from? Have you thought about it? Well, with Paris Hilton this week proclaiming that she is dropping the dumb blonde act, our Josh Levs got to wondering how the whole stereotype got started. So here this morning is Josh, who is not blonde.
Although you started out blonde, right?
JOSHUA LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, but I'm wearing the tie for it, see?
NGUYEN: Oh.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVS: ... blondes across America.
NGUYEN: OK.
LEVS: Yes.
NGUYEN: Sure.
LEVS: I was blonde a few years ago. Have you ever been blonde?
NGUYEN: No, never. I have some highlights but never been blonde.
LEVS: I did have a lot of fun. All right. Check this out, so I did decide to look into this myth. Now I can't stand when people use bad puns on TV. Right? So TiVo me right now and use this against me some day. Here goes. I went "combing" through lots of research to get to the "roots" of the mess.
NGUYEN: Oh, goodness.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS (voice-over): People made fun of her for saying it, but in a way, Paris Hilton was right. Last year she said: "I think every decade has an iconic blonde, and right now I'm that icon." Now she has told Barbara Walters she is going to stop acting dumb. Whether an act or not, the dumb blonde thing has worked wonders for her, just like it did for others before her.
In the late 1970s, "Three's Company" made Suzanne Somers a huge star.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THREE'S COMPANY")
SUZANNE SOMERS, ACTOR: Oh, that's so beautiful. What does it mean?
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: Goldie Hawn kicked off her careers in the '60s on "Laugh- In."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN")
GOLDIE HAWN, ACTOR: Look that up in your Funk & Wagnalls.
(LAUGHTER)
HAWN: That's the dictionary, you know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: Dolly Parton's break-through single was called "Dumb Blonde." She has always said the jokes don't bother her.
DOLLY PARTON, SINGER: Because I know I'm not dumb and I know I'm not blonde.
LEVS: In the reality TV era, it is Paris and Jessica Simpson. Americans went wild over this scene in MTV's "Newlyweds."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "NEWLYWEDS")
JESSICA SIMPSON, SINGER: Why is it called chicken by the sea -- or in the sea?
NICK LACHEY, SINGER: "Chicken of the Sea" is the brand.
SIMPSON: Oh.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: But where does the stereotype come from? Studies show there is no correlation between hair color and intelligence. Researchers say since blonde kids generally grow darker hair by adulthood, blonde is associated with youthful naivete which on a bleach-blonde adult can suggest a lack of intelligence.
Some icons have played that up. Researchers say the dumb blonde image was driven into the American psyche by "Gentleman Prefer Blondes." First the book in 1925, then the star of the movie. Marilyn Monroe often used childlike ways of speaking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP "GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Why didn't you ring for him?
MARILYN MONROE, ACTOR: I didn't think of it. Isn't that silly?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: Now I love that clip especially because, you know, she's stuck in a room and it doesn't even occur to her to call someone and let her out. So she gets stuck halfway out the window and needs help from a 6-year-old. Ha!
(LAUGHTER)
LEVS: And there you go, that's the quintessential stereotype. Now there are some studies out there that say that a lot of people associate lower intelligence with blonde hair, but times are changing. Think about this. The first woman president in our next president just might be, Betty, a blonde woman, who does not seem to need to prove her intelligence.
NGUYEN: OK. But you know, when we say "dumb blondes" people associate that with women. I mean, are there male dumb blondes out there?
LEVS: There are. But there is not the stereotype. I actually looked into that. Here is what happened, you remember Kato Kaelin, remember when he became a national punchline around...
NGUYEN: How could you forget?
LEVS: ... the around the O.J. trial? Exactly. So there are actually some people out there who tried to get a male dumb blonde stereotype going after Kato Kaelin, but it didn't really happen. And that actually has a lot to do with the whole sexuality of this. The idea is that guys want this blonde woman because she's not only supposed to be dumb, but also a vixen, allegedly, at the same time.
NGUYEN: So they want them sexy and dumb, is that what you're telling me?
LEVS: Don't they? It came out of my mouth.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVS: So we're good, we're good.
NGUYEN: Right. All right. I've got a lot more to talk to you about this, including how Valerie Plame's name came up in your research. And also blonde is like the number one hair color out there. So it is very popular.
LEVS: Still is.
NGUYEN: We're going to be talking about all of that later on this morning so you're going to have to watch for that. More dumb blondes next, coming up. Can you say that? Thank you, Josh.
Well, card sharks caught double-dealing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF SAUER, CASINO DEALING INSTRUCTOR: There are people that practice this for hours on end and they'll videotape themselves until they can watch the video and they can't see it on video. I mean, they're that good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Eighteen casinos in seven states were hit for a total of more than $3 million. But cops say greed did the sophisticated group in. We take a closer look ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, she came out of the woods naked, scratched, carrying raspberries. Searchers in Illinois were just stunned when a missing 5-year-old girl was found alive yesterday. They were afraid she had drowned along with her grandfather during a boating trip. His body had just been pulled from the river. The girl was dehydrated and hungry but otherwise OK. It is really a miracle. Mercy (ph) crews say really they are stunned that she was able survived two days alone in the woods. Just a 5-year-old girl there.
Well, it is a gambler's dream to beat the house, but that's almost always a losing proposition. Still though, one group of players found a way to rig the game, but that only led to the FBI hitting the jackpot.
CNN's Kara Finnstrom takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "OCEAN'S 13")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: What, just because you have the greatest cover known to man?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Million dollar casino scams.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "OCEAN'S 13")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: The best score you can get is 21. It's called blackjack.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FINNSTROM: The "Ocean's 13" gang may make it look easy, but in real life, the FBI says one of the most sophisticated gangs of card sharks it has ever seen just got caught double dealing.
KATHY LOEDLER, FBI: The FBI characterizes this scheme as probably the largest cheating scheme ever brought by the federal government.
FINNSTROM: Court papers charge the group's ring leader, Phuong Quoc Truong, and his organization with targeting casino after casino, 18 in seven states and Canada. And that their grand scam all hinged on this...
SAUER: Instead of stopping, I'm just going all the way through the cards.
FINNSTROM: The expertly executed false shuffle.
SAUER: I can sit here and do this however many times you wanted. But basically everything remains the same.
FINNSTROM: Jeff Sauer teaches legit card dealers. He says the false shuffle allows a group of cards played before, called a slug, to be dealt again.
SAUER: There are people that practice this for hours on end and they will videotape themselves until they can watch the video and they can't see it on video. I mean they're that good.
FINNSTROM: Investigators say the Truong crime family bribed and trained dealers to be that good.
(on camera): Here's how FBI agents say the scam went down from there. Ring members showed up at baccarat and blackjack tables where the dealers had already been bribed and were in on the scam. They then used cell phones and hidden transmitters to relay the order of the cards to another ring member. That ring member put it all into a computer with card-tracking software and when the slug came up again, the players hit it big.
(voice-over): Agents say that in one big win, ring members scored $868,000, and in all, netted at least $3.3 million. So how did they uncover the scheme? Philip Hogan, chairman of the Indian Casino Gaming Commission, says tribal security tipped off FBI agents.
PHILIP HOGAN, NATL. INDIAN GAMING COMMISSION: They know what they ought to win at a gaming table. If there is a blip on the screen, that is if the theoretical hold doesn't match the actual hold, they will look intensely at what happened.
FINNSTROM (on camera): The FBI's investigation went on for five years. During that time, the Truongs not only kept operating, giving agents more chances to build their case, they also kept spreading their scam across the country. Like most gamblers, the Truong family simply never could walk away from the table.
Kara Finnstrom for CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Coming up, a 6-year-old singing sensation goes head-to-head with Simon Cowell. Who wins? We have that answer next from the dot-com desk.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. It is Simon Cowell versus a 6-year-old girl?
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, yes.
NGUYEN: It is a matchup that is taking the Web by storm. Veronica De La Cruz from the dot-com desk. And you've been really, you know, talking this up. So I hoping it is as good as you say it is.
DE LA CRUZ: All right. Well, pay attention, because Conny Talbot, she may be tiny, she may be small...
NGUYEN: She may be 6. DE LA CRUZ: Yes. But after she appeared on the TV show "Britain's Got Talent," she blew up. This video appearing all over the Internet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT")
CONNY TALBOT, CONTESTANT (singing): Somewhere over the rainbow way up high...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DE LA CRUZ: And she is missing her two front teeth. This wasn't an audition. It was really a moment. Almost immediately afterward, the whole thing was posted on YouTube, and word spread quickly around the globe. Little Conny's angelic voice cast a spell that even captured Simon Cowell's heart.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT")
SIMON COWELL, JUDGE: Conny, I'm going to talk to you like an adult, OK? Because I think it is important. I thought you were fantastic.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
DE LA CRUZ: OK. Grab your tissue boxes.
NGUYEN: OK. I just got chills...
DE LA CRUZ: I know.
NGUYEN: ... watching Simon Cowell of all people.
DE LA CRUZ: Of all people. Of all people. And her name again, Conny Talbot. You don't want to forget that one.
NGUYEN: She is so precious and to watch her smile.
DE LA CRUZ: Can you believe it?
NGUYEN: But I think what was so amazing about that -- and this is my first time seeing it, as well as probably many of our viewers if they haven't been on the Web, is just that she was so poised. She took it very slowly, very calmly, and she sang it beautifully.
DE LA CRUZ: And she wasn't scared of Simon.
NGUYEN: Uh-uh. Well, I mean, she warmed his heart. He was nothing but mush.
DE LA CRUZ: And that is on the show "Britain's Got Talent." I think that now that Simon is at home, he's a lot nicer.
NGUYEN: Nicer. Well, he needs to be a little bit nicer, Simon, if you're watching.
All right. We have got much more to come throughout the morning on CNN SATURDAY. Stay with us.
From the CNN center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. My partner, T.J. Holmes has the day off.
On patrol with U.S. forces in Samarra, a city where sectarian violence is at an all-time high. CNN traveling with the 82nd airborne this morning.
Also, searchers in shock as a missing five-year-old girl emerges from the woods to find them. The emotional reunion with the young girl and her family. That is straight ahead.
But we begin with a man on a mission in Baghdad. For the fourth time since he became defense secretary in December, Robert Gates is visiting Iraq. His task, pushing for progress and political reconciliation. CNN's Hala Gorani is in Baghdad where a curfew is still in effect after this week's mosque attack in nearby Samarra. Hi there Hala.
HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello Betty.
Well, Robert Gates really the latest in a stream of U.S. officials coming to the Iraqi capital to try to put pressure on the government of Nouri al Maliki, at least on the political level, trying to speed up the passage of laws that would promote national reconciliation.
One of those crucial laws, Betty, is of course, one that would divide up the revenues from oil. Oil -- Iraq of course a very oil- rich country and Sunnis would like a part of those revenues and that is something that the U.S. and others believe would speed up a national reconciliation and put a damper on sectarian strife in this country.
Another thing Robert Gates said is, to those who are impatient at progress on the military front regarding the U.S. strategy to increase troops on the ground. Another thing he said is be patient. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: The full surge actually only began a few days ago. We began the process of building up our forces some months ago, but the 5th brigade that's part of the surge really only entered the fight within the last few days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: And this is something we've heard time and time again. Not just from the defense secretary, but also from the top commander of U.S. forces, General David Petraeus. This surge strategy, as military commanders call it, has only just begun. It's going to be a tough summer. And some of them say it's going to become tougher before it becomes easier. Betty?
NGUYEN: And that curfew still in effect. We could learn more about whether it's going to be extended or not by Sunday. Hala Gorani, thank you for joining us live from Baghdad today.
I want to tell you about this, 60 miles north of Baghdad, anger is still simmering in Samarra, just days after the bombing of a revered Shiite mosque in the city. A joint U.S.-Iraqi patrol is dealing with all sorts of danger on the streets. CNN's Karl Penhaul went along.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A roadside bomb has just exploded.
UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: OK. I've got my truck down here. You're going to lock down that intersection.
PENHAUL: The U.S. soldiers and Iraqi police were lucky. Jangled nerves, but no casualties.
UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: Wherever that IED went off, start in that house.
PENHAUL: They hunt for the bombers and more explosives.
UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: Second room clear.
PENHAUL: The enemy is elusive.
UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: No bad guys?
PENHAUL: At the next house, soldiers hand out leaflets offering rewards. Nobody helps. Captain Buddy Farris tells his men to forget the bombs and move on.
CPT. BUDDY FERRIS, U.S. ARMY: If it was very big and if it was, it was buried too deep. So good day for us.
PENHAUL: While the troops were surging, a young boy lobbed a hand grenade at one of their armored Humvees. It failed to go off.
SPECIALIST KEVIN PARSONS, U.S. ARMY: My gunner was facing the other direction. So he watched it come over and he just yelled, pull forward, pull forward.
PENHAUL: Few civilians are on Samarra's streets. Tension is still high after insurgents brew up the minarets of Samarra's golden mosque.
(on-camera): We just heard an explosion. Some of the soldiers think it was a rocket-propelled grenade. After a brief car chase, they pulled over a vehicle and are now searching it.
(voice-over): They find nothing, but insurgents are harassing the patrols. From inside an armor-plated Humvee, the sound of gun fire outside is muffled. The Humvee chase insurgents speeding away in a car. Soldiers narrowly miss shooting their target.
FERRIS: I think we had every single form of contact there was -- hand grenades, small arms fire, RPG, mortars, IED.
PENHAUL: There's no sign of a sectarian backlash in Samarra after the golden mosque bombing, but the insurgents seem emboldened and are looking for a fight. Karl Penhaul, CNN, Samarra, Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: I want to take you now to Afghanistan, where the Taliban are claiming responsibility for a deadly attack on a convoy carrying U.S. contract workers and military personnel. It happened today in the capital of Kabul. At least four people were killed in the suicide car bombing and five hurt. U.S. armored vehicles arrived at the scene after the blast and Afghan police say a soldier on board one of them mistakenly opened fire, killing another civilian and wounding three.
An update now on a story happening in North Korea. U.N. nuclear inspectors have been invited back into North Korea to monitor the shutdown of its nuclear reactors. That is according to North Korea's official news agency. This move comes just hours after millions of dollars in North Korean funds that had been frozen were released.
North Korea agreed in February to shut down its reactor and bring U.N. inspectors back in in exchange for emergency energy assistance. We'll be monitoring that situation.
Right now, let's move to the unrest in Gaza. It is spreading to the west bank. Fatah fighters loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas taking over Hamas-controlled government buildings this morning. These moves looking like a direct response to Hamas militants taking over Fatah headquarters in Gaza, including the presidential compound.
For the latest, we turn now to CNN's Atika Shubert, who joins us live from Jerusalem. Where is the fighting now? Where does that stand?
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These are sporadic attacks that are still continuing across the west bank. The latest that happened was actually in Ramallah, the seat of power in the west bank. The militant group affiliated with Fatah known as the al Aksa (ph) martyrs brigade actually stormed the Palestinian legislative offices, went in attacking and threatening Hamas members there. They even attempted to apprehend the deputy speaker of parliament, but they later on released him when Fatah leaders actually appealed for him to be released.
Now, these sort of attacks perhaps might have been expected, but they're also a challenge to the authority of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He has to show that he can stop the violence from spreading in Gaza to the west bank. Betty?
NGUYEN: CNN's Atika Shubert joining us live in morning. Atika, thank you for that.
Want to tell you now about another problem that has surfaced at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. This time it's the mail. The army is now investigating a virtual pile-up of undelivered mail, some of it dating back as far as May of last year. Now, the head of the mail room has been fired. The commander at Walter Reed has ordered a team of soldiers to work round the clock sorting through 4,500 letters and packages.
Back in court this morning, Mike Nifong's ethics hearing resumes in North Carolina in less than an hour. Nifong is the Durham D.A. accused of going too far in pursuing rape allegations against three members of the Duke lacrosse team. Friday's hearing saw emotional testimony from an accused player and a tearful surprise from Nifong.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE NIFONG, DURHAM CO. DISTRICT ATTORNEY: For the last 14 months, unintentionally, my family and the families of David Evans, Reade Seligmann and Colin Finnerty has been kind of joined at the hip. Everything that affects one of us affects the other. I think that's going to be the case as long as I'll be district attorney in Durham. I think I can't do justice, I can't do the right thing if I allow that to continue. So it's my intention, whether or not, whatever the decision is for me, to resign as district attorney of Durham.
READE SELIGMANN, EXONERATED DUKE LACROSSE PLAYER: The room felt like it was spinning. And Julian comes in and says, she picked you. And, I mean, my dad just fell to the floor and I just sat on the ground and I said, my life is over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Now, Nifong's ethics hearing resumes at 9:00 Eastern this morning. We're going to bring you live reports just as soon as those proceedings get under way.
In the meantime, a potentially dangerous computer glitch now mostly fixed aboard the international space station. Four of the station's six computers are up and running. Good news also for the shuttle crew. During a space walk, astronaut Danny Olivas (ph) was able to staple down a section of the crimped thermal heat blanket, fixing a problem that raised concerns over the shuttle's safety during reentry.
There are drought conditions that could be putting an American icon in danger. We are talking about Jack Daniels whiskey, folks, I know it's early. But the special water used in producing the distinctive drink now running a little low there in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Don't worry. Employees are trying to conserve the special iron free spring water before production is interrupted. But the master distiller is telling the local media that rumors of Jack Daniels' demise are greatly exaggerated.
Let's take you over to Bonnie Schneider, who has not been dipping from the Jack Daniels (INAUDIBLE) yet.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Little early for that. Lynchburg, Tennessee, is in an area we call extreme in terms of drought, actually exceptional. Look at this and it's not just there, but here in Georgia, we've been talking about the drought. Extreme here as well, back out towards northern Alabama because it's just been so dry.
Now, if only we could move all the rain that's happening right now in Texas a little further to the east, that would be a good thing. And I'm sure the folks in Texas would appreciate that as well because the flash flood watch you see here from Dallas down through San Antonio and Austin and including Houston, this goes straight through tonight. We're also looking at a lot of lightning. Look at this, over 6,000 strikes of lightning in the past hour alone.
The rain is coming down heavy and hard in Texas due to an upper level storm system that sort of just stuck there, at least for the time being. It will sit there for the day today. Here it is, and you can see the winds wrap around this low in a counterclockwise fashion. So actually, the storm movement that you see here is moving in that direction. It's enhanced by moisture coming up from the Gulf of Mexico and that only adds fuel to the fire and that's why we're seeing such heavy downpours even at this early hour of the morning.
It is teeming in Dallas. We've had reports not only lightning, but pea-sized hail in the San Antonio, Austin area. So if you're driving on any of the major roads maybe heading towards Louisiana, you're going to be dealing with heavy rain.
That's not the only spot you'll deal with heavy rain. Miami is getting an influx of tropical moisture coming up from the gulf and from the Caribbean. This means heavy rain from Ft. Lauderdale down to Miami. Not too bad towards Palm Beach just yet, but expect that rain to continue throughout the day.
As we take a look at our graphic, we'll show you that we have the gulf moisture coming into Florida, extreme weather coming into areas to the north. But watch out because this tropical moisture will actually get worse as the day progresses. If you're traveling today, two trouble spots for you, Dallas and Miami. Betty.
NGUYEN: All right, Bonnie, thank you for that.
You may want to watch this because it's just one of those remarkable stories, Bonnie. A dad just can't get the image out of his head.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was thinking what if? People, they don't think about that. But we do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: A little girl goes on the ride of her young life on top of a truck.
OK. Dive bombing bird. Find out what the problem is when CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: And this political season, we are giving you your own voice. How you can weigh in on the presidential debate, that's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: She came out of the woods naked, scratched, carrying raspberries. Searchers in Illinois were just stunned when a missing five-year-old girl was found alive yesterday. They were afraid she had drowned along with her grandfather during a boating trip. His body had just been pulled from the river. The girl was dehydrated, hungry, but otherwise OK. Emergency workers say it is a miracle that she was able to survive two days alone in the woods.
Well, it was like an amusement park ride minus the amusement. That's right, this three-year-old Georgia girl survived a ride atop the camper of her father's pickup truck and it wasn't a slow ride either. Here's Katherine Kim (ph) of CNN affiliate WXIA.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHERINE KIM, WXIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By most accounts, three-year-old Christa Whitlow shouldn't be alive. Instead, she happily eats her strawberry shortcake seemingly unaware of the pain. But Carey Whitlow watches his baby girl with a great deal of pain. The sight of her wounds wound him deeply.
CAREY WHITLOW, FATHER: I keep thinking what if? People, they don't think about that. But we do.
KIM: Carey had a quick errand to run Tuesday afternoon.
COLLEEN WHITLOW, MOTHER: He circled the vehicle and realized he forgot his phone.
KIM: That's when Christa climbed on top of her dad's camper, wanting to ride along. Carey drove off, unaware of his precious cargo. Christa apparently was gripping on to the top of her dad's camper for five whole miles. Police say this is where they found her off of Jim Hood road, where she apparently let go of her grip. A passing driver says he saw her fall. But daddy's little girl got back up and chased after her dad.
CAREY WHITLOW: She said she got tired and wanted to step off and fell. I didn't know.
KIM: It wasn't long after that, Colleen called Carey frantic. Christa was missing. No one could find her at home.
COLLEEN WHITLOW: You know, you feel like, as a parent, your job is to love and to protect your kids. Of course, we feel like we let her down.
KIM: They soon found their miracle, Christa, cozy in her hospital bed feeling a little guilty herself.
CAREY WHITLOW: She smiled and I bent down to kiss her, and she licks my face, like sorry, dad. She thought she was in trouble. All she wanted to know was if she was still a good girl or not. (END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: What a precious little girl and to survive that, a miracle. Police say they don't believe any foul play was involved, but an investigation is under way.
Well, Democratic presidential candidates get ready, the people of America have a lot of questions for you. Find out how YouTube is playing a part in those upcoming debates.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: We all know the presidential season is in full bloom. All of the candidates already have some debate experience under their belts. But oh yes, the next round of debates will have, shall we say, a new wrinkle. Veronica.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: I guess we could call it a new wrinkle. CNN is raising the bar again.
NGUYEN: But of course.
DE LA CRUZ: Of course for this next round of presidential debates. The next one is going to be Monday, July 23rd, and it is between the Democrats. This time, however, the voters are going to be able to ask questions directly through YouTube. CNN and YouTube have teamed up for this experiment in democracy and the video questions are pouring in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would ask the candidates at the debate that citizen tube is hosting along with CNN how they feel about net neutrality.
SEAN CONNELLY (ph): Hi. My name's Sean Connelly. I'm from Athens, Georgia, and my question for any candidate is this. What do you think about the military commissions act of 2006? If you agree with it, why do you agree with it? If you disagree with it, what are you going to do about it? While I realize you don't have a lot of time to answer, please try to avoid the political cliches that we constantly hear all the time. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Now, that's a direct question.
DE LA CRUZ: I love the way he ends it too. Just quick look away from the camera.
NGUYEN: Get to it. Give me a real answer.
DE LA CRUZ: Again, that is just a little sample of some of what we're seeing. You can check it all out online on YouTube. And Anderson Cooper will be hosting the debate. They're the first of their kind, interactive, online something that you out there can all participate in. Again, that is July 23rd. The Republican candidates will debate on Monday, September 17th only on your home for politics, CNN.
NGUYEN: I'm really looking forward to it because I want to see what people are asking out there. Some of the questions that we've already taken a little look at, just a tiny little look, because there are a lot of them coming in.
DE LA CRUZ: It's very interesting.
NGUYEN: Very, very fascinating. It's going to be great to see how the candidates react to it so be sure to watch.
And also this. We have a lot more coming up. Check it out. When bird attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got to stay away from that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Yeah, you may want to put a hat on there, buddy. Keep your eyes in the skies in Peoria for a momma bird, it's all about protecting the nest. That's when CNN's SATURDAY MORNING returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Watch out. The chick's right there in the pot. You've got to stay away from that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Easy for you to say if you're not the person being attacked, shall we say.
A dive-bombing bird just terrorizing pedestrians in Peoria. Sounds like a good movie, huh? It's not quite that bad. The bird is just protecting its chick. The baby redwing blackbird just making its way out of the nest for the first time and that has the proud parents well, acting a little over protective you think. Your next check of the headlines coming up at the top of the hour.
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