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CNN Saturday Morning News
General Criticizes Iraq War Effort; Extreme Drought in the Southeast U.S.; Hannah Montana Caught in a Public Relations Nightmare; U.S. Trying to Calm Tensions With Turkey
Aired October 13, 2007 - 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: From the CNN center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is October 13th. Good morning, everybody. Don't bother calling that number at the bottom of the screen. Don't really know why it's there. But we do want to say we appreciate you being here. We're getting it together
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: This is how we're going to start off this morning, folks. Good morning to you all.
NGUYEN: Please don't call.
HOLMES: I'm T.J. Holmes, that is not her home phone number or anything like that and any service she has set up.
NGUYEN: What?
HOLMES: Good morning to you all. Glad you could be here. This morning, we're going to talk about Iraq and a harsh assessment of the war coming from one of the men who directed it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. RICARDO SANCHEZ (RET): There is no question that America is living a nightmare with no end in sight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yeah, the retired three-star general Ricardo Sanchez, slamming the war plan and the country's leadership.
NGUYEN: In the southeast, extreme drought. Will the city of Atlanta soon be without water? We're going to get you up to speed on this critical situation.
HOLMES: Also Disney's darling caught in a public relations nightmare. Why some young fans of Hannah Montana can't get in to see her shows. That's ahead on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
But first and new this morning, scathing criticism of the war in Iraq and it comes from a former commander of coalition forces. Retired General Ricardo Sanchez calls the war a nightmare with no end in sight, but he says withdrawal of U.S. forces now could lead to chaos. We get more now from senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ricardo Sanchez was brimming with optimism when he was the top commander of U.S. troops in Iraq. He's retired now, his career cut short by the fallout of the Abu Ghraib scandal that happened on his watch. And he's turned into one of the biggest critics of how the Bush administration has managed the war, calling it a catastrophic failure.
SANCHEZ: Continued manipulations and adjustments for a military strategy will not achieve victory. The best we can do with this broad approach is stave off defeat. The administration, Congress, and the entire inter-agency, especially the State Department, must shoulder the responsibility for this catastrophic failure and the American people must hold them accountable.
MCINTYRE: Sanchez told the group, military reporters and editors, that he had reservations about the strategy while in Iraq back in 2003 and 2004. But he felt he could not resign without jeopardizing his troops. But now retired, he says the current strategy is too little and doomed to fail.
SANCHEZ: There has been a glaring unfortunate display of incompetent strategic leadership within our national leaders. As the Japanese proverb says, action without vision is a nightmare. There is no question that America is living a nightmare with no end in sight.
MCINTYRE: Sanchez was in line for promotion to four-star general until tarred by the Abu Ghraib scandal. While officially cleared of any wrongdoing, he had fierce critics in Congress. For a while, he sat quietly in a job in Europe waiting to see if the furor would blow over, but the controversy essentially made him unconfirmable (ph) and he retired. He now plans to write a book.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: The National Security Council spokeswoman Kate Starr issued a short response last night to Sanchez's comments saying we appreciate his service to the country. As General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker said, there's more work to be done, but progress is being made in Iraq. That's what we're focused on now.
NGUYEN: Let's take you to Afghanistan and a deadly blast there on the first day of post Ramadan celebrations. Four police officers were killed in an explosion near a mosque in southern Afghanistan. At least seven other people were injured, most of them police officers.
Well, the U.S. is trying to calm tensions with Turkey. The U.S. military is keeping watch this morning on Turkish troops along the board with Iraq. Turkey's military is poised to strike across that border at a group of Kurdish rebels that has launched raids inside Turkey. The Bush administration opposes any cross border action. Relations with Turkey, well, they took a nosedive this week. Turkish officials are angry over a resolution approved by a U.S. House committee. It labels the killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War II as genocide.
More on the war in Iraq and Turkey, on the brink tonight, "This Week at War." That's going to be airing. Join host Tom Foreman for "This Week at War" tonight at 7:00 Eastern.
HOLMES: From Russia with no love. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gets the cold shoulder and a Russian official wants a U.S. missile defense program frozen. (INAUDIBLE) from Rice's visit to Russia. She's there to try and counter opposition to plans for a U.S. missile defense shield in eastern Europe. Russia's foreign minister calls it a threat that must be neutralized. President Vladimir Putin threatens to pull out of a 20-year-old arms control agreement unless this impasse can be resolved.
NGUYEN: New this morning, a Texas man suspected of killing his wife and two step children is dead. Police say Arthur Jackson shot himself in the head, ending a seven-hour standoff. A church daycare worker called police after Jackson dropped his three-year-old daughter after at daycare yesterday. That child had blood on her clothes but was not hurt. Police later found Jackson parked in a driveway. A chase then followed, and it ended, you're going to see right there, in a lake. Police say Jackson was dead when they pulled him out. They say they never fired.
HOLMES: Outrage today in Florida over the acquittal of seven boot camp guards and a nurse in the death of a 14-year-old black boy in 2006. An all-white jury took 90 minutes to return a not guilty verdict in the manslaughter trial.
Yeah, the verdict provoked protest at the capital. Emotions ran high immediately after that verdict came down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GINA JONES, MARTIN LEE ANDERSON'S MOTHER: I don't see my son no more. (INAUDIBLE) their family members. Martin was 14-years-old. And we do know you can kill a young black male and don't do time for that right there.
HOOT CRAWFORD, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It's been a long three weeks. It's been a long six months that we've been working on this case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The U.S. Justice Department is now reviewing the case for possible civil rights violations.
We move now to De Soto, Wisconsin, where two people were killed when their SUV was broadsided by a school bus. Police say the SUV ran through a stop sign. The bus tipped over after the collision. Nine of the high school soccer players on board the bus were taken to the hospital.
NGUYEN: New developments this morning in the investigation into the death of Anna Nicole Smith. Officials tell CNN that eight search warrants have been issued. Police are searching the homes and offices of two California doctors. Authorities want to know if Smith was illegally prescribed medication. As you recall, Smith died of a drug overdose in February. So, why the investigation now? Well, here's what California's attorney general had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY BROWN, CALIF. ATTORNEY GENERAL: The investigation started when I reviewed the fact that all these different dangerous drugs and controlled substances were part of the death of Anna Nicole Smith. And I've learned that these were California doctors and California prescriptions. So, based on that and the head of the Department of Justice commenced an investigation and it's been going full bore since that time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: So far, no arrests have been made, but one of the doctors has been investigated by the California medical board.
HOLMES: California's gay marriage ban stands. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation that would have allowed homosexual couples to marry. It's the second gay marriage bill he has vetoed. Schwarzenegger says he supports state law on domestic partnerships, but he wants the courts to have the final say on the gay marriage issue. California voters approved the gay marriage ban in 2000. An appeal to that ban is expected to be decided by the state supreme court sometime next year.
Idaho Senator Larry Craig in the spotlight because he's being honored. Yes, inducted tonight into his state's hall of fame. Craig was chosen for the honor months before his now famous or infamous encounter in a Minneapolis airport men's room. Among the other inductees at tonight's ceremony, the current governor, lieutenant governor and Boise State University's head football coach.
NGUYEN: Giving up just a little to save a whole lot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know if there's a rule that you at least go two times before you flush.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: We're talking about doing what we can to conserve water. You heard him right. Go a couple times before you actually flush. Well, that's what some people are deciding to do. Many states though are clamping down on water usage and that's because of a drought.
Reynolds Wolf has been watching all of this for us. Good morning, Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning and still rough conditions in parts of the southeast due to that drought that you've been referring to. Coming up, I'll let you know why the drought is taking place and where we might see some relief. That's coming up in just a few moments right here on CNN.
HOLMES: All right, thank you, Reynolds. We'll see you here shortly.
And it may be the most anticipated concert of the year. Tickets for Hannah Montana went fast and disappointed many parents and tweens. So, who snapped up all of those seats so quickly? Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. So, how long does it take you to shower? Do you leave the tap running while you brush your teeth? Thanks to a severe drought in the southeast, people in Georgia are starting to pay a lot more attention to how much water they use and how much they might be able to save with just a little bit of creativity.
Here's CNN's Susan Candiotti.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bob and Melanie Bluett used to take pride in caring for their lawn, but their priorities have changed.
MELANIE BLUETT, GEORGIA HOMEOWNER: If there's no water to drink, that's where your priority is.
CANDIOTTI: Sixty one counties in Georgia are under restrictions for water use due to severe drought conditions. Many face the possibility of completely running out of drinking water. The Bluetts are doing their part to conserve.
M. BLUETT: While it's warming up, you can catch all of that water, and if I catch the water in those litter pans, I pour it into there.
CANDIOTTI: And later into her thirsty plants. But that's not all.
BOB BLUETT. GEORGIA HOMEOWNER: I don't know if there's a rule, but you at least go at least two times before you flush.
JEFF KILLIP, Normally the water level is to right about here.
CANDIOTTI: Jeff Killip is the public works director for the city of Jefferson, Georgia. He says the situation is so severe in their city that water is being piped in from other areas. That translates to a temporary hike in water bills.
KILLIP: A regular residence, their bill, if they use the same quantity of water, will increase 150 percent. We're hoping with good conservation techniques and observations, their water bill shouldn't even change at all.
CANDIOTTI: Sydney Roberts is a program manager for Southface, an organization dedicated to promoting sustainable homes and communities. She says there are many low-cost conservation solutions for your home. The first place to check is outside. Fifty to 60 percent of the water being used by a typical home owner is outdoors. A rain barrel is one way to catch and store water for your lawn and plants. Another large water user, toilet flushing. So, make sure it's not leaking.
SYDNEY ROBERTS, SOUTHFACE PROGRAM MANAGER: The cheap way to check that is put a couple drops of food coloring in the tank of the toilet, walk away for a couple hours and come back and see if any of the food coloring has gone through into the bowl. If it has, then you've got a leak.
CANDIOTTI: You can also turn off the tap while washing your hands, brushing your teeth, and shaving, methods the Bluetts hope will also provide some conservation in the wallet. How much money do you think sir that you might save by taking these steps?
B. BLUETT: Well, compared to last month, when you're watering, we'll probably save about $100 at least.
CANDIOTTI: Susan Candiotti, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: We're having a little conversation here about not flushing until after a couple times.
HOLMES: A couple of times of what, though? Does it matter?
NGUYEN: T.J., I think it would matter.
WOLF: I was thinking during the break, this might be a great thing to talk about. Right now it's just come crashing to a halt. You can just go so far and then you just jump into the Grand Canyon. We're at the bottom of the Grand Canyon right now pretty much.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: All right, Reynolds, we appreciate it.
WOLF: You bet.
HOLMES: All right. We've got a few things, a few quick hits we want to share with you this morning. Up first here, a bulldog back home in San Antonio after his owner put up his prize '96 Mustang convertible as a reward, wanted that dog back bad. A $500 reward got no response, so the dog's owner decided to offer up a Mustang. That's too bad you have to do that. It worked.
Losing his legs, listen this here. That hasn't stopped A.D. Duncan from getting on the gridiron. Take a look at this kid here, actually was born with severely deformed legs but still playing football, a Minnesota eighth-grader here. He says actually his low profile is an advantage when making a tackle, serving quite as an inspiration for his fellow teammates there.
Also, a frisky buck had a brief run-in with the law in Wisconsin. Officers eventually steered this buck back out to where he belongs, just a couple of quick little hits for you from around the country.
NGUYEN: Yeah, so the deer got sent out and the bulldog is back safe and sound.
HOLMES: Do you have to put up your car? Shouldn't the person just give you your dog back anyway?
NGUYEN: Without a reward. Those are the good old days. Now you got to put up a convertible.
All right. So let's talk about this, when vengeance turns to school violence. What bullying has to do with two recent cases of teens with guns and how schools should be reacting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's going to be a good show, but I don't think it's worth what it's going for.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But like, for the people that do get in, it will be like the best show ever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: That's Miley Cyrus talking about her Hannah Montana show and some outrageous prices for tickets to her show. Find out why they're costing so much. Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. The Hannah Montana concert, sorry, folks, it's sold out.
NGUYEN: I know you're upset.
HOLMES: Oh!
NGUYEN: Reynolds is over here.
HOLMES: Reynolds is upset about it as well. But the thing is, there's a controversy here because who was actually going to this concert?
NGUYEN: Parents weren't able to get tickets for their kids because ticket brokers bought them first and now are selling them for 10 times as much.
CNN's John Zarrella has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cara, Casey, Amanda, 7:00 p.m., like clockwork, they're plopped on the sofa in front of the TV. CARA VON MINDEN, "HANNAH MONTANA" FAN: We didn't miss, like, any episodes ever, unless something really big was happening.
ZARRELLA: The "her" is Miley Cyrus, the 14-year-old star of her own Disney show called Hannah Montana. Every parent with girls between the ages of six and 16 knows about it. It has exploded in popularity, so Cara, Casey and Amanda had to have tickets to Cyrus' concert billed as the best of both worlds.
VON MINDEN: All my friends were going to come, too, but now we can't.
ZARRELLA: Can't because within minutes of going on sale, tickets at all 54 venues were gone.
(on-camera): So, where did they all go? They're right here. Ticket brokers using sophisticated computer programs gobbled up nearly every ticket available. And now tickets that went for $25 to $65 face value are going for hundreds, even thousands on Internet sites. And all that cash going into ticket brokers' pockets. Cyrus' October 25th concert in Denver, on ticket liquidators you can buy one in section 212 for $228 or in section AAA row two for $2,550 each.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They have taken advantage of me as a consumer, my children and it's not teaching my children a good lesson either, that, oh, you can get what you want if you pay the right price.
ZARRELLA: After undercover investigators paid 10 times face value for tickets in Kansas City, Missouri's attorney general filed suit, accusing three companies of violating local anti-scalping laws.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you allow the hijacking of the market, it's literally the worst of both worlds. You get too much charged for the price and no access for the locals.
ZARRELLA: Ticket brokers would not talk with us, but Donald Vaccaro, whose company, ticketnetwork.com, resells tickets for brokers, says the bottom line is that the marketplace defines the price.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd say a reasonable price is whatever a consumer wants to pay.
ZARRELLA: Thursday, Cyrus and her co-star dad, Billy Ray, appeared on the Ellen Degeneres show, saying they understand their fans' disappointment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's going to be a good show, but I don't think it's worth what it's going for.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For the people that do get in, it's like the best show ever. ZARRELLA: Except in this case, the concert promoter, AEG live auctioned off select tickets at 15 venues. They went for hundreds to thousands per ticket.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If the brokers are going to end up with the tickets, the owner (ph) should get paid for them I guess is the theory.
ZARRELLA: The fact is, no one anticipated that a ticket to see a 14-year-old might end up the most coveted concert ticket ever.
John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: We also spoke with Billy Ray Cyrus about the ticket controversy, and he had this to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILLY RAY CYRUS, SINGER: As far as scalping goes and as far as selling out arenas, you know, too quickly, that's beyond our control. We're just here as entertainers and our job is to go out and make as many people happy as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: I don't know if I would ever pay close to $3,000 for any concert.
HOLMES: I know you're a Vanilla Ice fan.
NGUYEN: If he makes a comeback, perhaps.
HOLMES: You'd be there for that one. It is unfortunate because she does have a lot of fans and they can't get their hands on tickets.
NGUYEN: She's cute, little 14-year-old doing her thing and people paying to see it, apparently.
HOLMES: We'll see how that one works out. Coming up here folks, don't go away because we're going to be talking about retiring General Peter Pace. He paid tribute to some old friends on his last day of military service. The former chairman of the joint chief of staffs left these notes at the Vietnam memorial wall in Washington. We'll have that right after the break.
But first, time for us to say good morning to Mr. Josh Levs, Mr. Reality himself. Good morning sir.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Doing my best. I love that title. Good morning to you guys, OK, check this out. Are the Nobels really about peace or are they about politics? Turns out one of the committee heads made it clear, politics do play a major role in the decisions. Also the story of someone who won a Nobel peace prize but turned it down. That's coming up in just a few minutes -- Betty? NGUYEN: And right after this, a 14-year-old boy's arsenal has been found. Check it out. What was he planning? Was it retaliation for being bullied? We'll take a look at bullying in schools and why some schools may not be siding with the victims.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, is your SUV safer than a car in side crash? Well, the answer depends on which SUV you might be driving. We have results from the new crash test.
NGUYEN: That's good information and we're going to bring it to you right here. Good morning and welcome back, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: I'm T.J. Holmes. So glad you could be with us this morning. Up first this half hour, a final tribute by General Peter Pace, who used his own farewell to remember some of his men. We get this story from CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (on camera): On the day his 40-year military career ended, in part because of the war in Iraq, General Peter Pace remembered the first men he lost in combat in another unpopular war long ago.
CNN has obtained photos from a private moment the day General Pace retired as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on October 1st.
(voice over): After this farewell ceremony with the president, the secretary of Defense, and the new chairman, Pace went to the Vietnam wall and left some notes. Each was addressed to one of the men who died during his command in Vietnam in 1968. Look closely. Each note has a set of his four stars pinned to the card.
This note, to 19-year-old Lance Corporal Guido Farinaro reads, "These are yours, not mine. With love and respect, your platoon leader, Pete Pace."
He remembered those same men and others when he closed his farewell speech just an hour earlier.
GENERAL PETER PACE, (RET.) U.S. MARINE CORPS.: I made a promise about 38 years ago to Guido Farinaro, Chubby Hale, Whitey Traverse, Mike Witt, Little Joe Arnold, Freddy Williams, Jon Miller that I would serve this country in whatever capacity I could, for as long as I could, and try to do it in a way that would pay respect to the sacrifice that they made following Second Lieutenant Peter Pace in combat.
STARR: Pace, of course, did not get a second term as chairman because of the Iraq war. But we now know he left office that day making one last private stop to say good-bye one more time to the men of his platoon in Vietnam.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right. So, is the Nobel Peace Prize really about peace or politics? Al Gore has gained international respect for his environmental work, but is it one of the biggest peace efforts of our time?
HOLMES: And how does the committee choose the winner? CNN's Josh Levs, Mr. Reality, himself, always giving us good information and keeping it real for us.
So, please, tell us what's the deal here?
LEVS: That's what it's all about, isn't it?
So, yesterday, people were talking about this. Is it politics or isn't it? But it turned out when I looked into it, we actually have an answer to this. In the past, a leader of the Nobel has specifically made clear that politics do play a role.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AL GORE, NOBEL PRIZE WINNER: It is the most dangerous challenge we've ever faced.
LEVS (voice over): Al Gore's Nobel Peace Prize puts him in the company of such human rights activists as Iranian Shirin Ebadi and more controversial winners like Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. In 1973, Henry Kissinger won along with North Vietnamese leader Le Doc Tho, who turned down the prize saying his country was not at peace.
But is the prize princely about peace, or is the committee also making a political statement? The answer, politics play a big role. In 2002, when former President Carter won, the Nobel Committee chairman said the award should be interpreted as a criticism of the line that the current U.S. administration has taken in international politics. In selecting Gore and the intergovernmental panel on climate change, the committee said it wants to increase focus on efforts to protect.
OLE DANBOLT MJOS, CHAIRMAN, NOBEL COMMITTEE: The world's future climate, and thereby, to reduce the threat to the security of mankind.
LEVS: Many environment experts do see these efforts as critical for peace.
ROGER HIGMAN, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH: The Committee has recognized that climate change, if unchecked, will be a cause of conflict in the future.
LEVS: The British newspaper "The Guardian" says drought helped spark the conflict in Sudan, making it likely the first climate change war. Still, there are plenty of peace activists worldwide. Who was Gore's competition, and how does the committee decide? They don't want us to know.
GORE: Thanks to the Nobel Committee.
LEVS: You have to be invited to nominate someone, and the five- member panel appointed by the Norwegian parliament keeps its work top secret, including, the committee says, investigations and opinions related to the award of a prize.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: And while it is a huge honor, you know, the Nobels do not necessarily add a lot of fuel to the efforts that they're highlighting in the first place. One really good example is 1991, Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi won, but then spent most of the following years in detention. And to this day, in Myanmar, people are battling for basic human rights and freedoms. So, just because they getting the Nobel, Betty, doesn't automatically mean you can expect any change in the world.
NGUYEN: Yeah, that's a really good point. And we heard Gore yesterday in his live news conference saying that he hopes to take this to a new level because of winning this award. But I want to know, obviously, people have to be weighing in on this on CNN.com. What have you found?
LEVS: Big time. And no one is holding back. I mean, really intense opinions. People are torn about this. It's interesting to see what people are saying. Why don't we do a couple of examples here? Some of responses we're getting on CNN.com.
Let's start with this one, from Subhojit Roy, "This is as deserving an award as one can be. Al Gore is the undisputed champion of raising awareness about global warming and other environmental hazards."
On the flipside, there's a negative remark from Mark Green of High Point, North Carolina, "If his efforts had resulted in a sweeping policy change across the globe, then maybe I could see it. Gore's role has been more of a spokesman. Maybe the award should be the Nobel Prize for Most Prominent Politician as a Spokesperson."
And Betty, folks can keep those coming in all day. It's really easy, CNN.com, click on the story, just stay you want to post a response.
NGUYEN: Wonderful. Thank you, Josh. We appreciate that "Reality Check".
LEVS: Thanks, Betty.
NGUYEN: And it is your world. So we're bringing you the story behind the stats. Tune in for CNN worldwide investigations "Planet in Peril" with our Anderson Cooper, Doctor Sanjay Gupta, as well, and Jeff Corwin. It airs Tuesday October 23 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and then Wednesday October 24. You can get a view of "Planet in Peril" online. Go to CNN.com/planetinperil.
It's been more than 20 years since the battle began against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, now a new weapon in the arsenal. The Isentress was developed by the drug maker Merck and it's the first in a new class of drugs to win FDA approval. It works by blocking an enzyme that helps HIV replicate in new cells. And so far Isentress has been OKed for new HIV patients or children -- or has not been OKed, I should say mind you, but can be used for adults with HIV, who have shown resistance to other treatments -- T.J.
HOLMES: Well, Betty, a metal detector, security guards, confidential hotline, those are just a few of the new safety standards for Cleveland public schools after a shooting rampage at SuccessTech Academy. It happened last week; 14-year-old Asa Coon wounded two teachers and two other students Wednesday, before taking his own life. A relative says the boy complained about being suspended after an after school scuffle and said that teachers would not listen to his side of the story.
Well, a day after that SuccessTech shooting in Cleveland, Pennsylvania police arrested another 14-year-old boy on tip. They turned up a huge stash of weapons and suspect he was playing a massive attack on a local high school.
CNN's Allan Chernoff as more on a troubling common denominator in these stories.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The teenage gunman at a Cleveland high school, who shot four and then killed himself this week, had a history of being bullied. The same is true of the 14-year-old boy arrested Wednesday who had a cache of arms in his bedroom, allegedly to be used in a Columbine-style attack at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School outside of Philadelphia. His former karate teacher, who says she knows the family well and did not want to appear on camera, believes the boy has had social problems for years.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stayed to himself.
CHERNOFF (on camera): He was bullied quite a bit, though?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, he was. Yes, he was.
CHERNOFF: To your knowledge, for any particular reason?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, kids are kind of cruel when kids are overweight, or they made fun of him by the way he talked.
CHERNOFF (voice over): The Columbine attackers also had been bullied at school. In fact, the federal government Safe School Initiative found more than two-thirds of school shooters feel they've been bullied, often severely, a condition, experts say, that can set off a child to seek vengeance.
JOHN DAVIS, EXTREME ALTERNATIVE YOUTH COUNSELING: They're going to isolate themselves, possibly have some issues with depression, and eventually they're going to either start self-medicating, or find ways to be able to act out. CHERNOFF: Schools recognize the problem of bullying, and many have programs to stop it, but they are largely ineffective says youth violence expert Sally Black, whose two children are students at Plymouth Whitemarsh High. Too often, Black says, school administrators end up siding with the bully, rather than the initial victim, which can instill in that victim a desire to strike back in a big way.
SALLY BLACK, ST. JOSEPH UNIVERSITY: We just need to get the programs out there that work. And stop doing these programs that don't work. We're causing a whole lot more harm than good. We're wasting taxpayers' money. And there's going to be a whole lot more bloodshed over this unless we, as adults, get it right.
CHERNOFF (on camera): What's needed, says Black, are school programs that aggressively address bullying but understand that children, including teens, need to learn what is unacceptable. So, the best defense against school violence, Black says, is for schools and parents at home to constantly teach proper behavior.
Allan Chernoff, CNN, Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: It is a crippling situation affecting tens of thousands of school children. Put simply, they are not equipped to learn. That's the education gap, and it could be impacting your child. Parents, you want to listen up because this Sunday at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, Tony Harris digs deep into your nation's schools to identify the problems and give you the solutions. A special report no parent can afford to miss. We are "Bridging the Gap" tomorrow night at 10:00 Eastern.
Right now, though, SUV side crash test results, they are in. And the good news is some of them are pretty safe. Of course, the bad news, a couple performed worse than a car. Find out how your SUV did coming up on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
HOLMES: And got to get an animal story in on this Saturday morning. What does a deer do when it's on the loose in the back yard? Plays ball. That story, and that video, just ahead. Stick around, folks.
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NGUYEN: All right, some "Quick Hits" for you right now. Video that you have to see. OK, hot air balloons in Albuquerque. That's what that is. This is the Annual International Balloon Festival. And when it comes to fanciful designs, well, the sky's the limit.
All right. Next video, on your mark, get set, sit still. Yeah. That's how they do it at the Annual Baby Derby in New York. They are not moving at all.
HOLMES: There he goes.
NGUYEN: That's probably like a cupcake at the end or something. Winners eventually figure out the shortest distance to mommy is a straight line.
And when you put camels on a racetrack, it's not exactly the sport of kings. Maybe this is what they mean by hump day in Australia. I've never seen anything like that. Wow. Where do you sit? You know? It looks like there's two places where you could do that. We need two jockeys.
WOLF: At least you got options.
NGUYEN: What is she doing?
WOLF: I don't think she knows.
HOLMES: Wow.
NGUYEN: Wow.
WOLF: You know, it's really cool seeing baby races. It's cool seeing camel races. But what if you had a baby/camel race? Babies and camels racing at the same time?
I'd probably go with the babies. Not on the babies, literally. I wouldn't ride the babies.
NGUYEN: Reynolds.
HOLMES: Good morning, Reynolds.
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HOLMES: Well, folks, check out this video and check out this daredevil strapped in a catapult, flying into the air.
NGUYEN: Oh, my goodness.
HOLMES: Just how high do you think he went or how high did he have to be to decide to do this thing anyway?
NGUYEN: Oh, T.J.
Plus, it's stunt driving gone wild. Look at this. A so-called drifter shows off his precision with a knife and cucumber.
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NGUYEN: Oh, it's back.
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HOLMES: We haven't had that in a while. Thank you, whoever, for bringing that back out for us. Yes, that means it's time for "The WaterCooler", the outrageous video you have to see. Up first here, some home video. We have to throw in an animal story every once in a while.
NGUYEN: Of course, we do.
HOLMES: We showed you a skunk with his head in a jar last week.
NGUYEN: That was your favorite, wasn't it?
HOLMES: We'll go with a deer this time. Showed up in the back yard and probably would have wandered off except for the child's blue ball back there.
NGUYEN: Yeah, T.J., instead, the young buck decided to stick around and play a little while. Not sure if this is a sport recognized by other deer. But perhaps it should be.
HOLMES: Take a look at this, Scott Albert (ph) leaps out of planes, bridges, skyscrapers. Check this guy out.
NGUYEN: Goodness. Why?
HOLMES: Are you kidding me?
NGUYEN: This daredevil takes a fast ride on a giant bungee catapult to get launched hundreds of feet in the air, just high enough to get a chute open.
HOLMES: We hope.
NGUYEN: He's good.
HOLMES: And this video here. This is the latest in extreme kitchen gadgets, so this is pretty impressive driving. This is performed in Japan, the birthplace of course that racing style you've seen by now, called drifting.
NGUYEN: Notice one spot on the course, a cumber on a stand. The hood of the car, sharp kitchen knife, there he goes, right there. That is precision. Look at that.
HOLMES: That is impressive. It is absolutely impressive. The driver car puts it through the slide with knife-point precision. Slicing the cucumber on the way around.
Betty, I have no doubt you could handle this no problem.
NGUYEN: No problem, whatsoever. We should do it in the parking lot right now. Instead of the stand for the cumber, I would like you to hold it yourself.
HOLMES: OK, just let me get my vehicle out of the parking lot before you try that. And no, I will not be your assistant on that one.
NGUYEN: No, we won't be attempting this at home, or in the parking lot at CNN.
HOLMES: Right after the break, folks, we'll be talking about SUVs. And the one that you drive, is that one really safe? We'll have the latest side-impact crash test results coming up.
NGUYEN: And coming at the top of the hour, prehistoric animals come to life. Part of "National Geographic" cinema adventures. We'll tell you what you can tell your family they can expect next time they head to the movies.
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HOLMES: They're big, they're heavy, and some can be down right intimidating.
NGUYEN: Like the one you drive?
HOLMES: Mine's not intimidating. It's friendly. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) It's big.
NGUYEN: It's bit and it's heavy that's for sure. But some mid- size SUVs aren't as safe as you think they may be in certain types of crashes.
HOLMES: CNN's Greg Hunter has the story from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Virginia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GREG HUNTER, CNN CONSUMER CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The side- crash test simulates the impact of another SUV or pickup at 31 miles an hour. This Nissan Xterra, on the left, without air bags, on the right with them, the dummy fared much better.
ADRIAN LUND, PRESIDENT, INSURANCE INSTITUTE: Having a side airbag to protect your head from whatever is coming in, or protect your chest and abdomen can mean the difference between surviving and dying in a crash.
HUNTER: Nissan told us, "While airbag systems have been shown to help mitigate risk of injury, Nissan believes that seat belts and vehicle structure help provide the primary protection in crashes."
But even with side airbags, the Institute says two SUV models rated worse than many cars in the side test. This Jeep Grand Cherokee was rated marginal because its airbags only protected the head.
LUND: You can see how the driver's seat is smushed together.
HUNTER (on camera): Folded like a sandwich.
LUND: Folded like a sandwich. And the driver still has to fit in there. There's nothing to -- no side air bag here to protect that chest and abdomen area.
HUNTER: Chrysler, Jeep's manufacturer, told CNN, "The 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee has performed well in a variety of internal and external test conditions, and meets or exceeds all federal motor safety standards."
The Chevrolet TrailBlazer, rated marginal due to a similar problem.
LUND: Too much intrusion and the side of the vehicle has been pushed in, and then the driver's chest and abdomen weren't adequately padded.
HUNTER: In contrast a smaller sedan, the 2005 Volkswagen Jetta, seen here on the right, protecting the driver better than the TrailBlazer on the left. That's because it has side airbags for both head and torso, not just the head.
In a statement, the manufacturer General Motors said, "The Chevrolet TrailBlazer meets or exceeds all federal motor vehicle safety standards."
But there is some encouraging news. The Institute says all six models performed well in the 40-mile-an-hour frontal crash tests.
(on camera): One of the vehicles that did well in the frontal crash test, the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The 40-mile-an-hour strike into a solid object, and look at the compartment. The door frame is square, and that's a telltale sign of this vehicle doing well. It got top marks. That allows the air bag to protect the occupant.
Greg Hunter, CNN, Ruckersville, Virginia.
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HOLMES: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Good morning to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Yes. Good morning.
HOLMES: Good morning.
NGUYEN: Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. We want to thank you for starting your day with us.
First up, a dangerous drought in the Southeast. The lake that supplies water to metro Atlanta is almost dry. So, will Northern states come to the rescue?
HOLMES: Also, before you eat breakfast this morning, do you know where your food has been? Chances are it's not just made in the U.S. A. We'll explain ahead on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
NGUYEN: First up new this morning, a blunt comment and harsh criticism of the war in Iraq and it comes from a former U.S. commander. Retired Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez calls the Iraq war a nightmare with no end in sight. He was speaking to a group of military reporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. RICARDO SANCHEZ (RET): Continued manipulations and adjustments for military strategy will not achieve victory. The best we can do with this broad approach is stave off defeat. The administration, Congress and the entire interagency, especially the State Department, must shoulder the responsibility for this catastrophic failure, and the American people must hold them accountable. There has been a glaring, unfortunate display of incompetent strategic leadership within our national leaders. As a Japanese proverb says, action without vision is a nightmare. There is no question that America is living a nightmare with no end in sight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: All right. So, despite the bleak assessment, Sanchez says U.S. forces should stay in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: America has no choice but to continue our efforts in Iraq. A precipitous withdrawal will unquestionably lead to chaos, in my opinion, that would endanger the stability of the greater Middle East. If this occurs, it would have significant adverse effects on the international community. Coalition and American force presence will be required at some level for the foreseeable future. Given the lack of a grand strategy, we must move forward rapidly to minimize that force presence and allow the Iraqis maximum ability to exercise their sovereignty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Sanchez retired from the army last year and called his career a casualty of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.
Well, National Security Council spokeswoman Kate Starr issued a short response last night to Sanchez's comments and she said quote, we appreciate his service to the country. As General Petraeus and Ambassador Crawford said, there's more work to be done but progress is being made in Iraq and that's what we're focused on now.
HOLMES: Also new this morning, a Texas man suspected of killing his wife and two step children is dead. Police say Arthur Jackson shot himself in the head, ending a seven-hour standoff. A church daycare worker called police after Jackson dropped his three-year-old daughter off yesterday. That child had blood on her clothes. She, however, was not hurt. Police later found Jackson parked in a driveway. The chase followed and ended here at a lake. Police say Jackson was dead when they pulled him out of that car, the one you see there going into the water and they say, police, that they never fired a shot.
NGUYEN: A Pennsylvania mother out on bail this morning. Michelle Cossie (ph) was arraigned on charges related to firearms police say she bought for her 14-year-old son. The teen told police he was planning a Columbine-type attack on a local high school. He is being held pending a psychiatric evaluation. Prosecutors say his mother probably didn't know his intentions and was just indulging his interest. Around 30 weapons were found in the home. Most were air rifles.
HOLMES: Outrage today in Florida over the acquittal of seven boot camp guards and a nurse in the death of a 14-year-old African-American boy in 2006. An all-white jury took 90 minutes to return a not guilty verdict in the manslaughter trial. And that provoked this protest in the capital. Emotions ran high immediately after the verdict came down.
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GINA JONES, MARTIN LEE ANDERSON'S MOTHER: I don't see my son no more. They see their family members. Martin was 14 years old. At least we do know you can kill a young black male and don't do time for that right there.
HOOT CRAWFORD, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It's been a long three weeks. It's been a long six months that we've been working on this case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The U.S. Justice Department is now reviewing the case for possible civil rights violations.
NGUYEN: A lingering drought is threatening much of the south. Quite literally, many areas are just about to run out of water, but don't expect any help from the northern neighbors.
CNN's Carol Costello has more.
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CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Beautiful, sparkling water -- it's a resource that's becoming so scarce it sparked a new kind of war. The latest bomb thrown by New Mexico governor and presidential candidate Bill Richardson, who told a Las Vegas newspaper, I want a national water policy. We need a dialogue between states to deal with issues like water reuse technology, water delivery and water production. States like Wisconsin are awash in water.
GOV. JENNIFER GRANHOLM, (D) MICHIGAN: The minute somebody starts talking about a national water policy, watch your lakes. That's all I can say.
COSTELLO: Them's fighting words. Michigan's governor says what Governor Richardson real hi means is my state needs water, give me some.
GRANHOLM: Hell, no. That's my response. This is exactly why we need someone in the White House who understands Michigan's concerns.
COSTELLO: Her mission is to keep the water in the Great Lakes in them. She fears water needing states like Governor Richardson's New Mexico will raid Lakes Michigan, Superior, Erie, Huron and Ontario, siphoning off huge amounts of the Midwest water for themselves. This fear of western American cities coveting someone else's water has long been an issue. Remember the movie "Chinatown"?
"CHINATOWN" FROM PARAMOUNT PICTURE: You see Mr. Gites (ph), either you bring the water to L.A. or you bring L.A. to water.
COSTELLO: It was about Los Angeles' secret attempt to siphon off water from unsuspecting farmers. Some say that's a scenario not so far-fetched when you consider persistent water shortages out west and severe droughts in states like Georgia. Lake Lanier, which supplies water to metro Atlanta's five million citizens, will run dry in three months. But if it wants help from Michigan, forget it. If Atlanta or New Mexico wants to dip into the lakes ...
HUGH MCDIARMID, JR., MICHIGAN ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL: We invite Governor Richardson and his constituents to come to the Great Lakes and you know and share the water. But to do it within the basin, where it is not being lost forever.
COSTELLO: In other words, move on over to Michigan, where drinking water is plentiful.
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NGUYEN: In the interest of full disclosure, I must tell you that next week, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm is expected to announce who she is supporting for president. And it is expected to be Senator Hillary Clinton. Clinton is the only leading Democratic contender who didn't pull out of January's Michigan presidential primary, and that includes Bill Richardson.
HOLMES: We'll turn to our Reynolds Wolf and say good morning to him again and people having all kinds of problems. This is a mess. This is a serious, serious implication now.
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NGUYEN: As always, thank you Reynolds.
HOLMES: Reynolds, thank you so much.
We'll talk about Al Gore now. And of course after I guess one of the biggest, most infamous political losses in this country's history, Al Gore these days, he can't lose. He's now won the Nobel peace prize for his efforts to bring more attention to global climate change. He already of course for his efforts picked up an academy award and an Emmy earlier this year. Gore is the co-winner along with the intergovernmental panel on climate change. The group has been studying climate change for nearly 20 years. Gore says he will donate his half of the $1.5 million award to an environmental charity.
NGUYEN: Speaking of the world, it is yours, so we're bringing you the story behind the statistics. Tune in for CNN's worldwide investigation "Planet in Peril" with our Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Jeff Corwin. It premieres Tuesday, October 23rd at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Wednesday, October 24. You can get a preview of "Planet in Peril" online. All you have to do is go to cnn.com/planetinperil.
HOLMES: California's gay marriage ban stands. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation that would have allowed same-sex couples to marry. This is the second gay marriage bill that the governor has vetoed. Schwarzenegger says he supports state laws on domestic partnerships, but he wants the court to have a final say on the gay marriage issue. California voters approved the gay marriage ban in 2000. An appeal to that ban is expected to be decided by the state supreme court sometime next year.
NGUYEN: It's been more than 20 years since the battle began against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Now a new weapon in that arsenal, Isentress (ph) was developed by the drug maker Merck and is the first in a new class of drugs to win FDA approval. It works by blocking an enzyme that helps HIV replicate a new cell and so far, Isentress has not been OK'd for new HIV patients or children but can be used for adults with HIV who have shown resistance to other treatments.
HOLMES: The Islamic holy month of Ramadan draws to a close. After a month of daily sunup to sundown fasting, Muslims around the world are now celebrating the three-day festival of (INAUDIBLE) from the Middle East to Asia. The official start of the festival is determined by the sighting of the new moon.
NGUYEN: The festival and fast breaking is also being noted in New York with special lighting on the Empire State building. It's the first time the world famous skyscraper has been lit to mark the Islamic holiday, but we are told it will be an annual event. In Islam, the color green symbolizes a happy occasion and the importance of nature.
HOLMES: The safety of our food has become a huge concern for many out there. Just where do we get our food and can it hurt us?
NGUYEN: A deer in trouble with the law. Check it out. Apparently, he had gotten lost and needed a little direction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're trying to make it sound like this educational element. The best way to do that is to make it entertaining.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: We like to be entertained and a new Imax film does just that and it's about prehistoric sea creatures, so stick around for more on these sea monsters right here on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: These guys were the kings of the ocean. They did -- you know, they were the biggest predator around. They ate everything else, including (INAUDIBLE) and they were all over the world. I mean, they were a real special animal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Yes, they were. So, think "Jurassic Park" underwater and in 3D. You got it now? It's kind of interesting, huge sea creatures stalking the open waters brings prehistoric fascination to life. Those cold-blooded swimming reptiles are the focus of a new "National Geographic" film. So let's dive in with Lisa Truitt, president of "National Geographic" cinema adventures joins us today. We really appreciate it. Looking at this film, it is really quite amazing. You actually had to do quite a bit of research to come up with your main character, Dolly, correct?
LISA TRUITT, FILM PRODUCER: Oh, absolutely. All we had to go on was bones and we had to take those bones and what those bones told us about the world of the ancient past and piece together a story. It was great fun.
NGUYEN: And the cool thing too is, we're looking at some video of it, not only were you re-creating these prehistoric animals and an entire age for that matter, but you also used open water. You used some of the realities of everyday life today and merged it together with science to create this. Tell us how you were able to really make that happen.
TRUITT: Yeah. It was really an amazing process. We had to find a place on earth today that looked a lot like the late cretaceous period on 82 million earth years ago. We found that in the Bahamas, but we had to film empty ocean, so we had to go find seas with no fish, no coral, no nothing.
NGUYEN: Good luck.
TRUITT: The strangest assignment a "National Geographic" photographer will ever have and then you hut put the animated creatures in this world, you have to take out all the particulate matter that's in the ocean or your depth perception in 3D will get completely messed up. Then we have to put it back in using computers and add sunlight and dappled effects to tell the eye that this was actually real. It's amazingly complex and interesting.
NGUYEN: It makes for a great film, because not only are you seeing these cool creatures, but then some are coming at you and you feel like they're going to be right there touching you because of the whole 3D effect. Through this all, I want to ask you this, because people are going to learn quite a bit in watching this, what were you able to learn? What were those little nuggets of information that you dug out that were just like, oh, my goodness, I never knew?
TRUITT: It's hard to pick one. But in many ways I would say it's the whole picture of what the world was like back then. I think so few of us know that the middle of America was covered with a sea and that Europe was a scattering of islands and there were -- there was no ice at the pole. Just the whole picture of the world back then is so rich and alive to me. Loch Ness, Nessie, relived back then in a way.
NGUYEN: And also, didn't Kansas have like a sea floor running through it?
TRUITT: Yeah. There was a sea that cut through North America from the Gulf of Mexico all the way up to the Arctic. We were just cut in half.
NGUYEN: That is just -- just to envision a world like that and especially compared to the world in which we live today. Very quickly, you know, in so many interesting projects, this being the latest, what else is up your sleeve? You got anything else going?
TRUITT: We've got so many things. We're working on a movie about volcanoes and something in China. We've got a whole bunch of really cool projects, but this is the one in my heart right now.
NGUYEN: It's a good one and I'm really looking forward to it. Lisa Truitt, the producer of "Sea Monsters 3D," a prehistoric adventure and what an adventure it was, all the way through. Thank you Lisa.
TRUITT: Thank you, Betty.
HOLMES: We continue with this theme kind of, sort of here, you folks who like creepy crawlies. Then we got a guy who maybe got your number. Brady Barr (ph) inside a dark cave, up to his waist in muddy water doesn't look like -- are we going to have that video? No. Well he's looking for killer snakes. We're going to show it to you now. He finds one of those killer snakes, maybe we could say it finds him.
We'll go, it found him. Brady, you OK there buddy?
NGUYEN: I hope he had some anti-venom.
HOLMES: Maybe somebody sucked out poison as they say.
NGUYEN: How would you like to be that guy on staff?
HOLMES: "Dangerous Encounters" with Brady Barr, that is one of them. That airs tomorrow night at 10:00 Eastern. Check that out, my goodness.
NGUYEN: After that, who's going to miss it? My goodness. He's probably still screaming.
OK, let's get to this, all those food recalls having a lot of us wondering just where in the world does our food come from? And how safe is it? Global food safety when CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues.
HOLMES: Also, one pet owner trades her car for that dog, her missing dog. Find out just how much pork chops the bulldog is worth to his owner.
NGUYEN: But first, Dr. Sanjay Gupta has a preview of today's "House Call."
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From the country that brought us tainted pet food and lead paint on toys, China is now sending us large amounts of prescription medications.
Then simple things you can do right now to stop stress at work. How do you do this? And finally the no-period pill. Is it safe? We'll take a closer look at the latest generation of birth control. All that's coming up on "House Call" at 8:30.
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NGUYEN: Let's get to some quick hits now. A crack in Boston's (INAUDIBLE) bridge has forced new weight restrictions. Vehicles over 5 1/2 tons are no longer permitted on the upper deck and officials insist that bridge is still safe, though.
And a frisky buck had a brief run-in in with the law in Wisconsin. Check it out. At one point they had to Taser the deer to get him out of a gymnasium. Officers eventually steered him back out to where he belongs, none the worse for wear.
And check out Pork Chop. Who wouldn't love this face? But would you love it enough to give up your prize 1996 Mustang convertible? That's what one dog owner did in order to get Pork Chop back. The dog's owner decided to offer up that Mustang when a $500 reward got no response. Can you believe it?
HOLMES: Why wouldn't somebody just give her her dog back?
NGUYEN: Just for free, like that's what you do. You find a dog, you return it to its owner.
HOLMES: And took her car. They actually accepted the car? We've got to look into that a little more. That's a little disturbing.
NGUYEN: That dog is pretty cute, though.
HOLMES: I don't know. The $500 reward was a bit much.
Well folks, got another food recall here to tell you about and just throw them out. It is the word you're getting here about packaged food maker, Conagra and their frozen pot pies. They're recalling all brands and varieties of those pot pies. They include Banquet and a number of store brands, Albertson's, Hill Country Fare and Food Lion, also Great Value, Kirkwood, Kroger and Meijer brands. Health experts have linked some of the pies made at a Missouri plant to a salmonella outbreak. Conagra says throw out the pies but you might want to keep that box because you can return that for a refund.
NGUYEN: You're going to be busy this weekend aren't you T.J.?
HOLMES: Returning all those pot pies.
NGUYEN: Do you really know what you're eating? The food on your table may not be all that it seems.
CNN's Christine Romans takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There's nothing more American than a fall apple harvest, but you won't find these New York apples in your apple juice. Most apple juice contains concentrate from China and to a lesser degree from Brazil, Argentina and Chile. And that hamburger, American beef mixed with trim from at least 16 different countries. Bread, wheat gluten from China and Europe. Kellogg's popular Nutrigrain cereal bar contains ingredients from the U.S. and least seven other countries.
CAROLINE DEWAAL, CTR. FOR SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST: We are trying to manage this tremendous growth in imports without modernizing our food safety laws and so, in fact, we are really not checking the foods adequately.
ROMANS: The Food and Drug Administration inspects just 1 percent of our imported food. There are fewer inspectors today than five years ago. Yet imports are exploding. According to the Agriculture Department, almost 15 percent of America's food is imported, $63 billion worth last year from more than 175 countries. Many snacks and prepared meals contain ingredients from dozens of countries.
LEE MEYER, U. OF KENTUCKY: The more process, the more opportunities there are for those cost-conscious processors to save a few bucks by sourcing ingredients from one country as opposed to another country.
ROMANS: This country imports some $14 billion in fruits, vegetables and nuts, up 53 percent in just the past few years. Snack food imports grew even more. Red meat imports jumped 19 percent.
CAL DOOLEY, GROCERY MANUFACTURERS OF AMERICA: We are always going to have a more globalized food source. We're going to be importing more products from across the world because that's what consumers are demanding.
ROMANS: He represents the big food companies and says Americans want fruit year round. It's that consumer demand that will continue to drive food imports.
(on-camera): But want to know where your food is from? You have to guess. Country of origin labeling is the law, but it's been postponed until at least next year under pressure from industry.
Christine Romans, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: So, if you have a teenager or a preteen in your lives, you already know they speak a very different language.
HOLMES: And when we continue here on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING, we'll break the code of the current teen slang.
NGUYEN: At least we'll try.
HOLMES: We're going to give it a shot. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. So there are more than what, a half million words in the English language and more being added all the time.
HOLMES: Yes and you can blame it on the teenagers. They have an incessant need to make up new words on a daily basis. Now urbandictionary.com has unveiled some of the newest entries.
NGUYEN: All right. We're going to put you to the test. For example, if you hear a teen saying something like that's bunk. Well, it's not a reference to a bed of course. It means something like that's disgusting. It's nasty or maybe even it's gross.
HOLMES: I know you use that one a lot with the whole hand motion. People didn't see you do that, but there's a whole the hand motion you have to use with that.
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