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CNN Saturday Morning News
Wooing Evangelicals; Michael Phelps Earns His Seventh Gold; Tropical Storm Fay; Russia and Georgia Sign Peace Deal
Aired August 16, 2008 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello there, everyone. It is August the 16th. I'm coming to you this morning from the international desk where we have a lot of major news breaking right now. Hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Randi Kaye, in for Betty Nguyen. It's 7:00 a.m. in the east, 7:00 p.m. in Beijing.
HOLMES: Yes. And what is happening in Beijing these days? That guy on the right is all the talk, all the rage right now. Michael Phelps is seven for seven, picked up another gold in dramatic, the most possible dramatic fashion, really.
We'll explain this picture and happened, coming up in just a short time.
KAYE: Also, abortion, same-sex marriage -- two presidential candidates on the same stage tonight with a popular California pastor to answer questions about moral issues.
HOLMES: Also, a lot of people, you know, they pack their bags and head for the Florida Keys for vacation. Well, folks in the Florida Keys right now are packing up and trying to get the heck out of there because of that storm you see churning. We're talking about -- Fay is the name. We'll find out if Fay is going to become a hurricane. Reynolds Wolf is tracking this storm. He'll have all the latest for us. There he is this morning; he's keeping an eye on things. We'll check in with him in just a short time.
But we do want to begin this morning with news just coming in to us out of Moscow. We're just getting this moments ago, in fact, the Russian president has now signed on to a cease-fire deal with the Republic of Georgia. Hopefully -- many are hoping this could end a lot of the fighting that's been going on in the past week. But that's the word now, officially, that the Russian president has now signed that peace agreement. The Georgian president, Saakashvili, had signed that agreement, actually, a few days ago.
So, what does this mean going forward? Well, of course, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is now back in the U.S. She was in the region for an emergency trip to the Republic of Georgia. And that's when that cease-fire agreement all came about. She'll brief President Bush today at his Texas ranch.
The Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev -- he signs that agreement, again, just moments ago, is the word we got. The Georgian president, Saakashvili, as well as leaders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, had signed that deal. Those two regions are two of those contested separatist regions that much of the fighting has been taking place in.
Well, CNN U.S. affairs editor, Jill Dougherty, is in Moscow for us this morning. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is in Tbilisi for us as well. But we are going to start with Jill.
All right, Jill, the agreement is signed. Now, what?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN U.S. AFFAIRS EDITOR: OK. Well, the agreement is signed now. Everybody is on board.
So, what happens? Number one: cessation of hostility. There are six points. And the basic things, cessation in hostilities and then the two sides have to go back to where they were before the conflict broke out. So that means that the Georgians have to go back to their barracks and it means that the Russians have to go back to Russia.
Now, how quickly could that happen? Well, that's one of the questions that we've actually asked the Russians. They, in principle, are ready to do that. They, however, say that there are mines all over in that area and that they have to de-mine the area. There are also some depots of weapons, tanks, things that are unguarded that they claim they have to make sure are either destroyed or taken out of commission.
So, it would appear that you're not going to see people immediately moving down the road toward Russia. But it will be done, they claim, as quickly as possible, bearing in mind the security side of this. So they pull back to Russia, but there are still peacekeepers who will remain as they've been there since 1992, in those two regions. And in South Ossetia where much of the action has been, there are about 500 to 600 peacekeepers.
And you could see some Russians pulling back into that peacekeeping area, staying there for a while, making sure things are secure and then finally going on back to Russia. So, that's essentially what's happening.
HOLMES: So, Jill, tell us, we talked about them going back to where they were before it all started, you talked about the peacekeepers staying, the Russian peacekeepers, but a lot of trust has to be shot at this point. Is there a lot of confidence that any Russian staying behind will not be targeted and that still couldn't lead to some kind of tension?
DOUGHERTY: Well, you know, that's a very good point. And especially with the peacekeepers, you know, there were three types of peacekeepers in there. There were Russians, primarily, and then there were Georgians and then there were South Ossetians. And the Russians are saying, even though, you know, according to the original agreement, there should be Georgian peacekeepers in there. The trust has been broken so severely that there's no way the South Ossetians are going to want Georgian peacekeepers back in that contingent.
So, what happens? You know, realistically, do the Georgians insist, "We must have peacekeepers in there"? It would appear that would be very strained. And then also, could there be provocative moves against them? Entirely possible. But at least the main thing is, that after just a week of fighting -- it's the eighth day now -- that at least they've come up with this agreement that everybody says they want to go into effect.
HOLMES: And finally here, Jill, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, the two regions, the two separatist regions, certainly been contested -- this agreement, does it all address what should happen to those regions or at this point, those are just going remain a part of the Republic of Georgia?
DOUGHERTY: Yes, that's really not what's being discussed here. But it's a huge question, because ultimately, it's kind of like the peacekeeper deal, that there's a lack of trust. Those regions have made it very clear for years, actually, that they want to either -- well, definitely become an independent and, perhaps, such as South Ossetia, become part of Russia. So that's number two. And that's a huge issue.
What's the final decision? How does it affect the territorial integrity of Georgia? Would Georgia actually accept those regions pulling out? Even if they don't want to be in there, would Georgia actually want it? So, still a lot of political issues to work out.
HOLMES: Still a lot to work out but hopefully, this is a good first step.
Jill Dougherty for us in Moscow -- Jill, thank you so much this morning.
We turn now to our Frederik Pleitgen who is in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.
All right, Frederik, we have a cease-fire that's officially in place. Does it seem like the fire has, in fact, ceased? Are we still seeing fighting?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're not seeing any fighting anymore. We haven't for the past couple of days, T.J. But, certainly, what people here in Tbilisi and all over Georgia are going to be asking and looking for -- they are going to see if and when the Russian forces will indeed withdraw from this country.
Now, we heard from Jill that all Russian forces under the cease-fire agreement are to withdraw from the Georgian territory; all those that weren't in place here before August 6th. But so far, we have no indications, T.J., that the Russian forces are withdrawing or indeed even planning or preparing to withdraw.
What we're hearing from the town of the Kaspi, near the town of Kaspi, which is sort of the front line, the closest that Russian forces are to the capital here of Tbilisi, is that the Russian forces are indeed digging in, they are digging new foxholes right on the front line there. And there's no real indication of what they actually intend to do with those. Is that for force protection once they do start to withdraw or are they, in fact, planning to stay there for an extended period of time?
Now, as you mentioned, there's a sort of a second front in all of this which is near the other breakaway republic of -- or breakaway region here of Abkhazia where there's also significant amount of Russian forces on Georgian territory near the town of Senaki, and our reporters who were there yesterday reported that there were significant amounts of Russian forces and they indeed also were digging in rather than preparing to withdraw. That they were digging trenches there and that they were getting their military equipment in line to stay there for an extended period of time.
So certainly, at this point, there are no indications that the Russians are preparing to leave. We will see if that changes during the course of the day, T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Frederik Pleitgen for us there at the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.
Frederik, we appreciate you. We'll be checking in again with you later -- Randi.
KAYE: Religion and politics. The two issues converge at a forum for the presidential candidates tonight. You will see it live right here on CNN. Barack Obama and John McCain will answer questions from well- known pastor, Rick Warren. He's author of the best-selling book, "The Purpose Driven Life." Both candidates are hoping to strengthen their support among evangelical voters.
Warren says he'll ask tough heartland questions. He'll interview each candidate for one hour at his 20,000-member Saddleback Church in California.
More now on the forum and the presidential race, CNN deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser, is part of the best political team on television, and he's with us from Washington this morning.
This is the first time McCain and Obama will be together on the stage. What can we expect, Paul?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, the first time since each of them won their party's nomination and will probably the only time we see them on the same stage together until they're at those debates in September and October. So a quick glance.
I think, Rick Warren has said he's going to ask them about moral issues, about issues of faith and how they feel about religion. But he's also going to ask them about some other questions as well. Here's what he said yesterday on "AMERICAN MORNING."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK WARREN, SR. PASTOR, SADDLEBACK CHURCH: We're going to look at four different segments. One is a segment on leadership, what is the personal character, competence, experience of each of these guys. One section will be on what I call "stewardship" which is on the role and responsibility of the presidency, what they believe about the Constitution, about the role of America.
We're going to look at a section on world view, which all of those mine field questions that no matter how you answer them somebody is not going to like it. And then we're going to look at America's role internationally -- how we've been a blessed nation and how should we bless others.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: Evangelical voters are real crucial voting bloc in this election; they could really maybe determine the outcome. Four years ago, George Bush won about eight in 10 evangelical voters. But take a look at our latest poll numbers from late last month.
John McCain is not doing nearly as well. Only, right now, about 67 percent of those voters. These are crucial people. He needs to have them in his camp if he wants to win the election in November. Barack Obama is really doing some outreach to these voters, Randi.
KAYE: Yes, Paul. I mean, Obama has really been reaching out to these religious voters. He's much more comfortable talking about his faith, certainly, than John McCain. Is that showing up in the polls?
STEINHAUSER: You know, if you look at the polls, you say, "Well, 27 percent, not so high," but yes, compared to four years ago and eight years ago, I think he's ahead of the game as to where John Kerry was four years ago and Al Gore was eight years ago when it comes to reaching out to these kinds of voters.
KAYE: And a critical voting bloc, no doubt.
STEINHAUSER: Yes, they are. They are and they really could make the difference come November.
KAYE: All right. Paul Steinhauser, thank you. Talk to you a little bit later on.
STEINHAUSER: Thank you.
KAYE: A reminder now, you can see John McCain and Barack Obama on stage together for the first time tonight on CNN. A live forum hosted by Reverend Rick Warren begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
HOLMES: All right. Are you watching the Olympics?
KAYE: Of course. I'm glued to it.
HOLMES: The big story, of course, no doubt, Michael Phelps.
KAYE: Yes.
HOLMES: It's getting a little ridiculous, don't you think?
KAYE: I don't know. Are you keeping track or trying to keep ahead?
HOLMES: He's seven for seven. Now, usually, he's been blowing people out in all of his races. But last night, he had to fight for one, almost lost this sucker (ph), won it by literally a fingertip.
KAYE: I was going to say, the reach.
HOLMES: It's literally a fingertip. But his quest continues for a single game Olympic history. It goes on now. He has tied the record. He could break the record for the most gold but we'll show you this dramatic come-from-behind win from last night.
KAYE: In just a second. And, Reynolds Wolf has a little drama over there in the weather computer.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, some drama, indeed, drama about (INAUDIBLE).
KAYE: How is your reach, Reynolds? Is it good?
WOLF: My reach right now is I'm trying to reach over and to give you the very latest on Fay. Fay today (ph) is really getting quite strong, right now, interacted in parts in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. It's got its rough (ph) course set on Jamaica and parts of Guantanamo Bay.
We're going to show where the storm is headed, how it may affect the U.S., coming up in a few moments. Don't go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN: Watched by more Americans than any other news channel. Now: Back to CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
HOLMES: A woman attacked in Beijing while attending the Summer Games is now back in the U.S. Barbara Bachman was wounded in a knife attack that left her husband, Todd, dead. Her daughter is married to the U.S. men's indoor volleyball coach. Now, the attacker committed suicide. Barbara Bachman is listed in fair condition at the Mayo clinic and praised her care in China where Bachman underwent surgery.
KAYE: It is seven down, one to go for swimmer Michael Phelps, but it took a reach for him to win his latest gold medal.
Our Larry Smith is live with the big story from Beijing.
And Phelps is swimming tonight again, isn't he, Larry?
LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENBT: Yes, he is. And he will go for the record in the men's 4x100 meter medley relay. And boy, you talk about, imagine the other three knowing what is online, the other three swimmers in that, the nerve they must be feeling as they prepare for that. It's going to take off -- go off about 10:58 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday night.
But Michael Phelps, I heard, T.J. say a minute ago that he got this last medal by a fingertip. How about by a fingernail? That's how close it was. Michael Phelps in the 100 meter butterfly, he was down at the turn. In fact, was behind at the 25-meter mark and rallied against Mike Cavic, who was swimming for Serbia but lives in southern California, and beat him out just at the wall by 0.01 of a second. In fact, the judges immediately came out to look at the photographs and immediately said, yes, Phelps did touch first to avoid any kind of protest from Serbia.
So, Michael Phelps has now tied the record of seven gold medals in a single game set by Mark Spitz back in 1972 in Munich and again it goes for the record on Saturday night east coast time. By the way, the one thing he didn't do was set a world record, which he had done in the previous six gold medals, only an Olympic record here, six gold medals.
Now, meanwhile, also later today, watching these games, well, first the medal board, we should let you know, the USA leads now in total medals with 50 to 45 for China. China: 27 gold to the U.S. with 16.
Dara Torres is a great story, also in the pool as she will go for gold. That will be her 11th Olympic medal in her incredible career. She will swim also Saturday night east coast time about 30 minutes before Michael Phelps. She qualified number one for the final in the 50-meter freestyle.
Now, here in about an hour in the Bird's Nest, it's track and field competition and the semifinals of the men's 100-meter dash. It is Tyson Gay trying to make his mark and qualify in a good spot for the final which will go off about 10:00 o'clock Eastern Time on Saturday night. So a very busy day in both the Water Cube and in the Bird's Nest here in Beijing.
Let's go back to you.
KAYE: All right, Larry, thanks so much for that report.
And Phelps is certainly in the spotlight in Beijing and around the world. Now, CNN.com will be talking to him and you can, too. Phelps joins CNN.com live this Tuesday. And if you are a big Phelps fan, you can just go to iReport.com right now or any time before Tuesday, submit your video question for Michael Phelps. Don't miss him, live, Tuesday morning, 8:30 Eastern, only at CNN.com/live.
Get that, Michael Phelps, live at CNN.com. I think you got it.
HOLMES: We want to emphasize what you're saying.
KAYE: I know, I want everybody to know.
HOLMES: But it's worth mentioning as well. Dara Torres, we were just talking about, mentioning and that moment she had last night.
KAYE: Wasn't it a sweet moment?
HOLMES: It was very sweet. Yes.
KAYE: A 41-year-old mother and she really played mom. She had a nice little moment right before the start. She went over and she helped this young swimmer with her bathing suit. She's really looking out for the others today. HOLMES: And was holding up the race (INAUDIBLE).
KAYE: Yes, everybody seemed a little confused as to what was going on.
HOLMES: Yes. Good sportsmanship is what the Olympics is all about. It is not or shouldn't be about this next story we have to tell you about. Some are alleging some cheating going on.
KAYE: Yes, maybe.
HOLMES: They won the gold, they're on top, but are they underage? China won that team's gymnastics competition, but were all the women, women old enough?
KAYE: A big question.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: I need to update you on this sad story out of the New York. The baby was delivered after his mother was struck and killed by a van and a school bus is now getting better but it still has to spend the next six to eight weeks in the hospital. You may remember this horrible story here. Dozens of bystanders helped lift a five-ton bus off the pregnant mother after that accident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, NY1)
GARY BURGESS, PULLED WOMAN FROM UNDER BUS: I was standing across the street over there when we heard a loud bang. Then I heard a second bang and then a third bang. So, I walked over to the corner to see what had happened and when I got there, I've seen that somebody was trapped under that bus there.
Somebody was saying, "It was a lady, it was a lady." So what we did, it was like 30 to 40 of us, actually lifted that bus off of her. Lift the bus up, pulled her from under the bus. When we pulled out, and I've seen she was pregnant, I just started wanting to cry. I swear. I just want to cry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And the woman he's talking about is 33-year-old Donnette Sanz who was a New York Police Department traffic agent. She was hit by that van whose brakes failed and then she was thrown into the path of that school bus and traffic.
As you heard there, about 30 bystanders came and actually lifted that school bus off of her, not able to save her life but the baby was actually born premature and weighed about three pounds and six ounces. The van's driver now faces charges of negligent homicide and driving without a license.
KAYE: Well, the Dominican Republic and Haiti are certainly in for some pretty rough weather today. Tropical storm Fay is bearing down, bringing with it, high winds and heavy rains which could cost some flooding. The storm could make its way to Florida over the next few days. Reynolds Wolf is here, of course, to tell us just exactly what Fay is all about.
WOLF: You know, Randi, I love these moments together but I just wish the subject matter was a little more cheery. That's what I wish.
But the situation as it stands is Fay is out there and Fay continues to go brew out in parts of the Caribbean. I'm going to step out so you can get a great shot at this storm. It's not really well-defined at this point, one of the reasons why is because the interaction with land at this time. You know, these storms get all their power; they derive their power from the warm ocean waters.
Water temperatures right now near the Dominican Republic and back to Haiti is in the mid-80s, some upper 80s out there, too. The storm actually headed a little bit more to the west going near the wind ward passage where water temperatures there are exceedingly warm.
Anyone who has vacation interest in spots like say, Jamaica, perhaps, in Kingston, it's going to be a rough time for you. And, of course, some of our soldiers out towards Guantanamo, you're going to see conditions there getting increasingly worse as this storm edges ever closer.
Now, what we anticipate with this storm, the strength that you see, winds at 45 miles per hour, gusting to 60. It is moving to the west at 14 miles an hour. The latest path we have from the National Hurricane Center, take a look, shows the storm just passing just the south of the eastern tip of Cuba, intensifying as we get to 2:00 a.m. on Monday, 2:00 a.m. Eastern Time. As a category one storm, that's winds in excess of 74 miles an hour.
Then as we get into Tuesday, it's going to cross right over parts of central Cuba, then near Key West as we get into early Tuesday. Then by Wednesday, off the coast, the part near Tampa, and then coming up, I'd say, close to Apalachicola and then, eventually, as we get in to Thursday, as tropical storm in south and central Georgia.
Thing is, though, that is if you just follow that line. Remember, this is a storm that's well over hundreds of miles wide and there's a chance the storm can move a bit more to the east or possibly back to the west. These storms do wobble. They don't move in a linear fashion. And there's a chance we're going to see many changes in the strength and the path over the next couple of days.
Randi, that's the latest we got for you in terms of the storm. It's -- again, the time of year that we see these systems and we'll keep a sharp eye on it for you.
KAYE: OK. I know you will. Thank you, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet.
KAYE: And we want to tell you about some iReports that we got as well, pictures to show you this morning. This funnel cloud was shot in Hialeah, Florida on Thursday. Take a look at that. Josh Kimber says he saw it while getting ready to make a delivery for the flower shop where he works and snapped that for us.
And also, take a look at this. Hail in New York. These pictures are sent in by Ben Milano. He says nickel-size hail fell on Thursday, covering the ground like snow -- it really does look like snow if you look at that -- and pounding his house like crazy. He looks a little confuse about all this, taking some chunks out of his deck, holding it right there. Pretty amazing pictures. T.J.?
HOLMES: All right, Randi.
Well, politics and religion to talk about now. John McCain says he might consider a pro-choice V.P. How do you think conservatives are taking that news?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye, in for Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And hello to you all, I'm T.J. Holmes.
The focus will be on faith for the presidential candidates tonight. They'll take part on a forum hosted by well-known pastor, Rick Warren, and that you can see only right here live on CNN.
KAYE: And stakes, of course, will be high for John McCain. Evangelicals are worried about the abortion issue and the vice presidential spot.
Ed Henry explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After saying he may pick a running mate who supports abortion rights, John McCain has set off alarm bells with conservatives.
PHIL BURGESS, CITIZENS FDOR COMMUNITY VALUES: Well, there's no question that it would devastate the pro-family movement and he would more than likely lose Ohio.
HENRY: Concerns sparked by McCain telling the conservative "Weekly Standard" that former Pennsylvania governor, Tom Ridge, quote, "happens to be pro-choice, and I don't think that that would necessarily rule Tom Ridge out" for V.P.
Conservative Tony Perkins who's organizing a rally on the National Mall on Saturday to get issues like abortion and same-sex marriage on the campaign radar is warning McCain to be careful.
TONY PERKINS, PRES., FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL: Pro-life, conservatives, Christian, social conservatives -- whatever you want to call them -- orthodox Christians, are moving toward John McCain. His reluctance to talk about his record on those issues, though, is keeping it from having a clear line of distinction. And that's where I think a running mate helps him out, as someone who clearly connects with evangelicals. ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: A thorny issue for McCain as Democrat Barack Obama tries to reel in evangelicals who helped re- elect George Bush in 2004.
RICK WARREN, SR. PASTOR, SADDLEBACK CHURCH: Evangelicals have never been a monolithic voting based, never. And the people who try to predict which way they're going to go in this election, I think may be surprised after Election Day.
HENRY: When Pastor Rick Warren hosts a faith forum on Saturday night with the two candidates appearing back to back, the stakes will be especially high for McCain.
The latest CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll shows among white born again or evangelical voters, 67 percent for McCain, 24 percent for Obama. Strong for McCain, but he's lagging 11 points behind the president showing in 2004. Exit polls show Mr. Bush beat Democrat John Kerry 78 percent to 21 percent among these voters.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R-AZ) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe that that inalienable right applies to the unborn as well as the born.
HENRY: Phil Burgess says that in key states like Ohio, conservatives are warming to McCain, but they would not work hard to get their friends to the polls if McCain picks Ridge.
PHIL BURGESS, CITIZENS FDOR COMMUNITY VALUES: This is a serious, you know, we have a problem.
HENRY (on camera): But McCain is unpredictable and he may gamble that he could win more independent voters by picking a moderate who underlines his maverick image.
Ed Henry, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight on CNN, we look at how religion has shaped their faith, their views, their candidacy. John King hosts "The Next President: Campaign Kickoff" tonight at 7:00 o'clock Eastern. And then, watch John McCain and Barack Obama live tonight on CNN, the forum on faith, hosted by Reverend Rick Warren, begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
T.J.HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, the first time we're going to see those two on stage together actually.
KAYE: Absolutely.
HOLMES: And, on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, I'm going to be interviewing Reverend Franklin Graham live in our "Faces of Faith" segment. That's in our 7:30 half hour Eastern Time tomorrow.
We turn now to that conflict between Russia and Georgia. A major development this morning, we learned that Russia's president has, in fact, signed a cease-fire agreement with the Republic of Georgia. That agreement had already been signed by the president of Russia, as well as leaders of the autonomous regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The six-point agreement requires Russian troops to leave Georgia and for Georgian troops to return to their bases.
Well, President Bush is expected to speak about the situation, about 2 1/2 hours from now.
KAYE: The United Nations estimates the week-long fighting in South Ossetia and Georgia has displaced more than 100,000 people.
HOLMES: And it's time for us to say good morning to our Josh Levs. He's been looking at the humanitarian problems this conflict has created. And, indeed, it has created something.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, these numbers are really blowing me away. You, guys, got to see this. I mean, yes, more than 100,000 people. It sounds like a lot but let me put it in context for you.
Let's go in on this screen right here because I pulled up something from the U.N. refugee agency right here which is UNHCR, they're estimating right now that you've got more than 118,000 people who have been displaced by this conflict. But when we put that in context, it grows even bigger.
Let's look at this graphic we have for you here. I want to show you the population size and how that compares to the number of refugees. There you go -- more than 118,000 people have been displaced, right? That's in a population of only 4.6 million people, which means that in that country, one out of every 40 people is displaced and it could be more, because 118,000 is the minimum that they're going by right now. They say as they learn more, it could turn out that these figures are even bigger.
Now, let me go in on a map here because I want to show you what's happened to these people and how they're getting these numbers. If Scott (ph) could zoom in on this map, I'll show you where they have gone -- this right here, this is Russia, this is Georgia and this is where the conflict began, in South Ossetia.
These other figures from the government, here's what they have. They believe 30,000 people fled from South Ossetia up into Russia. They believe another 15,000 fled from South Ossetia down into Georgia. And all over the rest of the country, more than 70,000 other people have also been displaced. So, therefore, some are refugees, some are internally displaced.
And then we got to bring it back to you, guys, but I want to let you know, quickly, some people interested in "Impact Your World" how you can help out, we have a page on that here on CNN.com where we're focusing on this and I'll show you some of the key agencies that are working here. You've got the ICRC, which is the International Red Cross. People need basic medical assistance, food, water, shelter, things like that. Also, the International Orthodox Christian Charities. Two major sites doing a lot of work to help these people.
And, obviously, guys, we will keep a close eye on the humanitarian situation throughout this crisis.
KAYE: Sure, we should (ph) see that.
HOLMES: All right. Thank you, Josh.
LEVS: Thanks.
KAYE: China's gold in the women's team gymnastics tarnished in the eyes of some critics. Are all members of the team actually old enough to compete? Some aren't so sure.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE (voice-over): How old does this girl look to you? The Chinese gymnastics coach says He Kexin (ph) is 16 -- the required age to compete in the Beijing Olympics. But is she really?
A recent investigation by the "New York Times" suggests half the Chinese team, three out of six, could be underage. These are the girls raising eyebrows. According to their passports, they are all 16, but the "Times" reports, a 2006 biography on He Kexin (ph) listed her birthday as January 1st, 1994, which would make her 14, not 16.
This girl was listed as 14 in a local competition in China recently. And a Web site in China says this member of the team is 15.
Amanda Borden represented the U.S. in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
AMANDA BORDEN, FORMER OLYMPIC GYMNAST: Are they 16? I'm not sure we'll ever know the exact age of those girls. They do look like they are far from being 16.
KAYE: Borden says there are definitely advantages to competing at a younger age. Gymnasts are smaller, more flexible.
BORDEN: We tend to be a lot better and at our peak performances when we are younger before we go through maturity.
KAYE: This Chinese gymnast knows that's true. In this documentary now on YouTube she admits she was too young to compete at the 2000 Sydney Olympics where she won a bronze medal. She says she was just 14.
Debbie Johnson has been coaching gymnastics for 30 years. She says the girls don't look 16 either.
KAYE (on camera): One of these girls was 68 pounds. Do you know any 16-year-olds that are 68 pounds?
DEBBIE JOHNSON, GYMNASTICS COACH: No, I don't.
KAYE: What's the average height and weight of a 16-year-old gymnast that you see here at your gym?
JOHNSON: At my gym, they are much bigger. They average, may be, 100 pounds, 110 pounds, 5'2", 5'3", 5'4", in that range. KAYE (voice-over): A Chinese gymnastics official reportedly suggested sports writer in China got the ages wrong, insisting their passports are valid.
(on camera): The Chinese team's average size is 4'9", 77 pounds. The gymnasts from the U.S. are about 3 1/2 inches taller and 30 pounds heavier. Only one American, Shawn Johnson, stands shorter than 5 feet and weighs under 100 pounds.
(voice-over): A spokeswoman for the International Olympics Committee told the "Times," "We feel comfortable having heard feedback from people directly involved with the athletes," but that's not how legendary coach, Bela Karolyi sees it. The man who once coached Nadia Comaneci Mary Lou Retin told the "Associated Press," "These people think we are stupid."
And during the NBC's coverage of the games on Tuesday night, Karolyi continues.
BELA KAROLYI, FORMER GYMNASTICS COACH: It's obvious (ph) that half of the Chinese team is underage. But the thing is over. Nobody could really prove because they have their passport given by the government.
KAYE: Former Olympian Amanda Borden suggests if the U.S. team had done better on the finals, the focus would still be on the games, not the girls.
BORDEN: I think had U.S. won the women's team, none of these issues would have come up.
KAYE: The competition may be over, but the fight continues.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: The Chinese state-run news agency says before the Beijing Olympic Games, the international media was already writing about the age of China's female gymnastic team. In fact, the news agency says the team, quoting here now, "reacted quickly and clarified with abundant evidence that all girls of the team were born before December 31st, 1992."
HOLMES: Is this just going to continue as a controversy or something official can happen to check on these girls' ages? Or, again, it's just...
KAYE: There, actually, isn't going to be any investigation at all. And one other note, just to point out, is, when two of the team members from the Chinese team took third and sixth, the coach said this, "They are younger and less experienced but they're not intimidated." That was his reasoning for why they didn't do so well. So, here we are saying that they're of age but he's also pointing out that they're younger and less experienced. So, a very interesting controversy.
HOLMES: Too bad we have to cover something like that.
KAYE: I know.
HOLMES: And just, somebody can win and everybody be happy. I don't know.
KAYE: If only.
HOLMES: If only.
KAYE: Well, we are not finished with all of our coverage of the Olympics this hour. There is much more.
HOLMES: And, of course, if there's more, we've got to be talking about this golden boy, Michael Phelps. The rush for Olympic history and records are being crushed. We're going to be talking about that with our guy -- oh, my goodness gracious to me, why do we continue to have this guy on our show? I will never understand.
(LAUGHTER)
KAYE: He's not wearing goggles. Are you wearing goggles?
RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: There's luck tied into this. Yes, goggles. What do you think they are? No, purple goggles, not pink.
KAYE: Oh, sorry.
HOLMES: Oh, that's better. Yes.
We're going to be talking to Rick Horrow after the break. Stick around if you dare.
KAYE: I don't know if he can see us or not.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, most of his other finishes have been uneventful but not this one for Michael Phelps. The swimmer took his seventh gold medal in the Beijing Games. That is the finish you're looking at there. Don't try to determine who won by that picture though. He won the 100-meter butterfly coming from behind his Serbian competitor in a blink of an eye. Amazing, 0.01 of a second win.
Now, with this win he ties Mark Spitz for the most gold medals in a single Olympics. He can break that mark with his final event, the 400 meter medley relay. That is tomorrow morning in Beijing. Tonight, U.S. time.
Phelps in the spotlight in Beijing, and, of course, around the world right now. And CNN.com will be talking to him. You can talk to him, too. Join CNN.com live this Tuesday. If you're a big Phelps fan, you can go to iReport.com, right now, submit your video question for Mr. Phelps. So, don't miss it live on Tuesday, 8:30 Eastern, only CNN.com/live.
Well, Phelps' latest win was his only event in Beijing that he did not break a world record. Other swimmers have also set new Olympic or world record at these games.
So -- Rick Horrow, our sports business analyst, what's going on? I heard some allege that the water is even juiced. But every race, we've got world records not just falling but being smashed. What's up?
HORROW: Well, what's up is you have a super hero. By the way, you talk to me, I'll even put the goggles back on if anybody is interested.
HOLMES: Please do. We all are. Go ahead. Do the segment with your goggles on.
HORROW: No, we're not doing the segment with the goggles. We did the tease with the goggles. That is more than enough, especially the pink ones, as you said. But I'm not Michael Phelps because I'm not making $30 million to $50 million for this, but that's the next question. AS to the records, you had 13 of 14 of the racers who've won gold medal records -- time with these new Speedo suits.
And the bottom line is, Warnaco, the parent company of Speedo, says that they're making 15,000 of these suits selling by Christmas at $550 per. You, too, can have an Olympic medal if you just buy the suit.
HOLMES: So, these things are obviously working. And I heard you mention that Phelps is making $30 million or something like that?
HORROW: Well, here's the thought and everybody is speculative -- speculating about what the deal really is. Remember, Olympics are usually won and done. It's kind of harsh but swimming has not been a mainstream American sport. So, after these two weeks, Phelps rises above any other athlete short of Mark Spitz and probably after him.
But the bottom line is -- is he at the $87 million endorsement number of Tiger? Probably not. But he has Omega, he has AT&T, he has Kellogg's and he has these major endorsers or contracts to about $1 million or so a year -- $5 million, $6 million, $7 million or so in the renewals. So, he may be at $30 million, $40 million, $50 million a year in endorsements after this is all said and done.
HOLMES: Oh, Beijing. So, one Olympics and the man is set for life.
Let's turn now to some other Olympic sports. There are some that maybe people aren't so interested in right now, that they think may be a little odd but they're even more odd when down the pike. Go through some of these for me -- we're going to put some up on the screen here - that people maybe have never heard of -- pick out a few. What in the world is WushuNetball, what in the world is Korfball, what is this stuff?
HORROW: Well, you know, they are major sports just because you don't know what they are, clearly, you know, Far Eastern, Australian, some of these are Chinese. The real key is there are 31 of these that are lined up for Olympic committee approval next year in their meeting in London. Softball, baseball, out. Certain of these maybe in, orienteering, life saving skills, Wushu, dance sport with Warren Sapp or others in the "Dancing with the Stars." You know, they maybe, and Warren Sapp maybe that Olympic athlete.
The other bottom line is tug of war. Do you realize that until 1920, tug of was an Olympic sport. Now, their organizers are saying it might be difficult to get back in. Why? Lack of television coverage, no fooling.
HOLMES: No kidding. Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
HORROW: Yes, right. Exactly, absolutely.
HOLMES: All right. Rick Horrow, always good to see you. Thank you for bringing the goggles this morning. We look forward to talking to you again next week, kind sir.
HORROW: Put them back on, I may make the $30 million just for you.
HOLMES: Oh, wow.
KAYE: It's going to take more than that. I don't know.
HOLMES: Yes, thank you, Randi. Thank you for saying that.
KAYE: Thank you for color goggles. Wow.
HOLMES: Yes.
KAYE: Reynolds Wolf is keeping his eye on some severe weather. He doesn't need any goggles for that.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: No, not yet. That may change in a couple of days. We're talking about Fay. Fay is one of the strongest storms of the northern hemisphere. Right now, it's moving through parts of Haiti. It's got Jamaica right ahead, also Guantanamo Bay. And it may even have Miami in store.
Take a look at the live image we have in Miami. Right now, hazy conditions, 81 degrees, chance of thunderstorms there today. Your complete forecast is coming up in just a few moments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: We are watching tropical storm Fay. And at this hour, she is moving across Haiti. Reynolds Wolf is tracking it all for us.
WOLF: Indeed, she is. Remember, parts of Haiti, right where you have the border of Haiti and Dominican Republic, you get some really high heat, some places up to 10,000 feet, you're going to have some heavy rainfall there, possibly some flooding, even mudslides. Same story maybe in Jamaica.
So, anyone you have, any person you know that maybe going to Jamaica for a trip, are going to have some wet times, to say the very least, from all this the rain, of course, the heavy surf action, surf anywhere from say, two to maybe even four feet above normal. As it spins, Fay is still a tropical storm, winds at 45, some gusts have been stronger at 60, moving to the west at 14 miles an hour. The latest path we have from National Hurricane Center brings the storm due west. And then as we get to later on Sunday or rather early Sunday at 2:00 a.m., just north of Jamaica, the storm center. But keep in mind, this is just the eye that we're following, the width of the storm is still over 100 miles wide.
In south of Jamaica on Monday, then by Tuesday, north of Havana, moving across the strait of Florida, near Key West, then near Tampa by 2:00 am on Wednesday, and then moving into south Georgia and north Florida as we get into Thursday.
Keep in mind, though, again, these storms can really vary from this path. This is just a forecast. Look at the cone of probability; it could move a bit more to the east or west. We're going to watch for you very carefully and of course, keep you up to speed.
There are other big stories in weather. One of the huge stories, it's not what you can see, but rather what you can feel, namely, the temperatures. Take a look at some of the record highs we have -- in Redding, California, well in excess of triple digits; in Red Bluff, we have 111; Medford, 108; Ukiah, California, 107; even in Oregon, parts of Oregon, got 106 degrees.
Further north in Seattle, it was roasting there, too. Not just for man, but also for beast. I got monkey video for you or orangutan video.
What in the world is he eating? Believe it or not, what he was eating was a popsicle but these guys get hot just like we do. You see them, goodness gracious, well, this like -- I don't know what this is, that's just a scary thing to see. Anyways, these guys are really warm. To tell you the truth that these guys could have actually gone to (INAUDIBLE) driven over to say, Denver, Colorado, temperatures there were some -- it smells like monkey in here -- the temperatures are about 50 degrees cooler.
If you happen to see one of these guys driving on the freeway, be careful. Orangutans have really bad issues with the turn signals. They don't even sit (INAUDIBLE) they can turn signals that way. They're crazy.
KAYE: Well, one of them had to go out and pick up those popsicles, right?
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: Yes, they did. They sure did. But, you know, they're nice, they're friendly, they'll give you pat on the back. Just bad drivers. Give some of that.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Reynolds, thank you. We've got more for you here, though, Reynolds. KAYE: That's pretty cute. Well, Reynolds, stick around for this one, absolutely because if you're having a bad day, maybe you're mad at your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your boss, your co-anchor, who knows. You need to vent? Well, try this.
HOLMES: All right. This is in San Diego. And this is Sarah's Smash Shack. And for a fee, you can buy plates to break them and throw them, like you see here, against the wall. Smash them up to vent your frustration. I just do this in my own place. I stay at home.
KAYE: I'm sure you do.
HOLMES: This is actually all the idea of Sarah Lavely.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, XETV)
SARAH LAVELY, OWNER, SARAH'S SMASH SHACK: I just was having a bad day. And I woke up and I thought, I just want to go break some stuff.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And they want to just go break some stuff.
KAYE: Is that how you feel when you wake up?
HOLMES: Guys don't do that.
KAYE: I don't think so.
WOLF: Cell phones maybe. You know, you can throw a cell phone every now and again.
HOLMES: Cell phones? Do you think she has more female clients or male clients?
KAYE: Oh, I'd say female.
HOLMES: You think?
KAYE: Yes.
HOLMES: All right.
WOLF: I think it's both ways.
KAYE: I can say that.
HOLMES: Oh, yes, you can say it. You can actually bring your own picture frames, if you want to, and bust them up, cell phones, like you said there, Reynolds, just from past relationships. If you want to bring those in, and smash them up, some say it is great therapy.
KAYE: And if you really need a lot, if you really need to work out a lot, she's actually has a special. You can buy like 15 plates or something for $45.
WOLF: What a bargain.
KAYE: Isn't that a bargain?
LEVS: What are the plates made out of, though?
WOLF: Obviously, something breakable.
LEVS: Yes, something breakable.
KAYE: Josh Levs, you would never throw your computer at that wall, would you?
LEVS: There are moments that I want to, but, no, that wouldn't happen. Let's just say let's not have a big, giant CNN day over there because I have a feeling everybody would have way too much fun with that thing.
Hey, guys, I got something for you here.
HOLMES: Yes.
LEVS: What is the buggiest state in the country?
HOLMES: Buggiest - I'd say Arkansas, it's kind of buggy.
KAYE: I'd say Minnesota.
LEVS: What's the most spectacular?
HOLMES: Spectacular? I'll go with Arkansas as well.
(LAUGHTER)
KAYE: New Jersey.
LEVS: I got one more for you. Which state has the most road kill?
HOLMES: Oh, that's Arkansas, for sure.
KAYE: I live in Arkansas, too, I would agree with you.
WOLF: T.J. calls it the most magnificent state because of the road kill?
LEVS: Oh, don't go by. T.J., we have real list coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. Summertime, lot of people are still going on the road trip even though gas prices are crazy right about now.
KAYE: They sure are. But one family's R.V. experience has turned into a popular blog of some very odd observations. Josh Levs has been checking it out for us.
LEVS: Yes, this is a blog called GoRVing.com. They're having a field with this. And apparently, T.J. thinks everybody should take the vacation in Arkansas this year.
So, this GoRVing.com, they put together this list of state superlatives based on some of the top bloggers. Let's take a look here. This is what they say. This is their official answers.
We're going to start off with this graphic that says the windiest -- there you go. Windiest -- New Mexico. Stop me when you think they're wrong. Hilliest -- Pennsylvania. Buggiest -- South Dakota. Emptiest one in the union, Wyoming. And the most inspiring is Montana.
We have one more screen here. Most spectacular state in the country -- Colorado. Most underrated -- Iowa. Most tourist friendly -- Wisconsin. Best accents are allegedly -- in Maine? And I'm sorry, T.J., I know you wanted it to be Arkansas, but the most road kill, according to this site, is in Louisiana.
You want to them up on that?
HOLMES: Well, the people go to -- the people have been through all 50 states on this site?
LEVS: Allegedly, they've been through all 50 states and they came up with their own list. But we're encouraging you to come with yours. So, if people disagree, you can let us know: Weekends@CNN.com and iReport.com.
Any superlative category you want to make up because you're so proud of your state or not so proud -- go ahead let us know, we'll toss it in there.
HOLMES: Wow.
KAYE: Do you have any? You want to do your own test and trying to go out?
HOLMES: When we have you back, I will come up with a list for Arkansas.
LEVS: Well, listen, I'm going to be back in a couple of hours. There's something else, too. It's Madonna's birthday, she's turning 50. So, we're hearing from all these people this morning about how cool it is to be 50, what it means to be 50 in this day and age -- Ireport.com. Send us your stuff, we'll share it at 9:00 o'clock hour today, guys.
KAYE: All right. We're going to vogue then, too, I'm sure.
HOLMES: Sure, let's do that.
KAYE: Yes.
HOLMES: All right. Josh, we appreciate you. We'll see you again shortly.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes. KAYE: And I'm Randi Kaye, in for Betty Nguyen.
I can't stop talking about it or looking at it for that matter, Michael Phelps gets another big just by a finger nail.
TJ HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR, SATURDAY MORNING: And we have another story a lot of people are talking about, really an inspiring story, but really so tragic at the same time. This happened in New York. A woman was killed, but dozens of people actually lifted a bus off of this woman to try to rescue her, but they ended up, did save the baby that she was carrying. So that's a tragedy there, but still an upside, inspiring part of this story. We'll be talking about this morning.
But we will start with the conflict between Russia and the republic of Georgia. Word just into us this morning, Russia's president has in fact, signed a cease-fire agreement with Georgia. Nearly a week of bitter fighting now appears to be officially over, at least. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice back in the U.S. after an emergency trip to the Republic of Georgia. She came back, that six-point cease-fire agreement was being talked about and put in place while she was there. She will brief the president at his Texas ranch today.
KAYE: And as we said, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the agreement just a short time ago. It has already been signed by the Georgian president as well as leaders of Abkhazia and south Ossetia.
HOLMES: And Kathleen Koch is in Crawford, Texas for us this morning. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. We want to start with Frederik there in the capital. Well, the fighting is officially over with this cease-fire agreement, but, quite literally, is it over there on the ground?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, TJ, two sides certainly haven't been shooting at each other for the past couple of days. But what has been going on, there have been significant Russian troop movements on the ground here all over Georgia. What we're getting is the latest word, especially around that town of Gori, is that the Russian forces still are very much in place there. And what they're doing there is they're also starting incursions deeper into Georgian territories. The latest that I'm getting from the front line, which is about 25 miles actually only outside this capital city of Tbilisi is that the Russian forces have sort of a forward force there that's actually digging in, that's actually digging new fox holes there.
Now, the people there on the ground, the Georgian forces on the ground say that might be because the Russians are going to try to protect their own forces as those forces withdraw. But certainly they don't really know what the Russian forces will do and right now, at least, they don't have -- they're not making any preparations to actually be going out of that area. Now as you know, there's a second front which is in the west of Georgia. And yesterday, our own Michael Ware was able to travel to the town of Sanaki (ph) and he said over there, he saw a significant amount of Russian troops. He saw artillery there and he saw tanks there and he said they, too, appear to be digging in rather than making preparations to withdraw. TJ? HOLMES: All right. Tell us, as well -- another part of this story is the humanitarian crisis that is going on. Even though you say the troops are still there, many Russian forces still there. The fighting is not going on. So how are people getting along, getting around? Are they able to continue their normal lives in any way?
PLEITGEN: Well, it's very difficult. Because you know, even if there's no fighting going on, of course there's checkpoints. There's a lot of distrust on both sides, very difficult for Georgians to get through Russian checkpoints and it's very difficult for aid agencies to get anywhere, really, so you're actually right. It's very hard for humanitarian aid organizations to get anywhere in this country. I've been talking to UNICEF a lot over the past couple of days and they say they're absolutely frustrated with the way things are going. They say there's many areas like that, strategically important town of Gori (ph) where they don't even have an exact estimation of how bad the situation is.
Another really problematic place is Tskhinvali, which is the capital of that breakaway province of southern Ossetia which saw some amazingly harsh fighting over the past couple of days, especially in the early days of the conflict. And again there, UNICEF said they have no estimation of how bad the situation is on the ground. They say they're trying to get humanitarian convoys going into that area and as you know, the U.S. has dramatically stepped up its aid to this country with a lot of American cargo planes coming in here, bringing in humanitarian aid. The big problem is getting that to the people on the ground is what we're hearing and also getting people who are in those areas out of those areas who need medical attention. TJ?
HOLMES: All right, our Frederick Pleigten for us there in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, Frederik we appreciate you this morning.
KAYE: President Bush is getting a briefing today on the situation in Georgia from his secretary of state. Our Kathleen Koch joins us from near the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas. Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Randi, that meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will start in about an hour. She's be giving the president obviously the full briefing on her meetings in France and then later in Georgia. Then the two will participate in a secure video conference with the other members of the president's national security team, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and certainly they're going to be focusing on this new cease-fire accord that was signed by Georgia yesterday, by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev today and it does indeed as you've already heard, commit Russia to pulling their troops back to their original position. President Bush in his Saturday morning radio address hinted that if it doesn't, there could be repercussions.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Russia's actions in Georgia raise serious questions about its role and its intentions in the Europe of the 21st century. In recent years, Russia has sought to integrate into the diplomatic, political and economic and security structures of the west. The United States has supported those efforts. Now Russia has put its aspirations at risk by taking actions in Georgia that are inconsistent with the principles of those institutions.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
KOCH: That is obviously a hint at possibly expelling Russia from the group of eight industrialized nations or halting talks on its potential entry into the World Trade Organization. But right now, the focus of the talks today is going to be this cease-fire. Will it hold and does it indeed give away too much? There is concern about the fact that it will permit Russia to patrol this six-mile area beyond the borders of the breakaway republic of south Ossetia. And honestly, the greatest concern is does this mark the end or the beginning of this newfound flexing of Russia's military muscles. Randi?
KAYE: So many questions still unanswered, our Kathleen Koch for us from Crawford this morning. Thank you.
HOLMES: And a sad story here, to continue to update you on. Certainly catching a lot of interest from of a lot of our viewers, the baby that was delivered after its mother was struck and killed by a van, a school bus. That baby is now getting better, though. Josh Levs is following the condition of that child. Josh, horrible, horrible story but some inspiring details about how bystanders helped out in this case.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sometimes tragedy brings out heroes. That's what's happened here. Obviously, we've been following this very closely for the last 24 hours, since this broke and basically the latest news, let me tell you right now, this child, Sean Michael Justin Sanz has improved. He had been in guarded condition when we left it yesterday, now been raised to stable condition. So the doctor is saying that there are reasons for hope for this child, but we're also hearing he'll be in the hospital for weeks on end.
Let me show you the screen for just a second. We've been showing some of the top websites following this in New York. This is from "The New York Daily News." And this is a picture right here of the child's father, Raphael and also the mother (INAUDIBLE), who was killed yesterday. Let me go to some video of the crime scene and I'll tell you basically what happened here. She was a traffic agent in the Bronx and a van came along and hit her and basically thrust her in front of a bus. It was too late for the bus to stop. The bus ended up on top of her. She, miraculously, was saved and the way they did it is pretty incredible. Let's listen to a sound bite now from someone who was one of those rescuers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARY BURGESS, PULLED WOMAN FROM UNDER BUS: I was standing across the street over there when we heard a loud bang and then I heard a second bang and then a third bang. So, I walked over to the corner to see what had happened and when I got there, I seen that somebody was trapped under that bus there. Somebody was saying there was a lady, it was a lady. So what we did, there was 30 to 40 of us that actually lifted that bus off of her, lift the bus up, pulled her from under the bus. When we pulled her out, I seen she was pregnant, I just started to want to cry, I swear. I just wanted to cry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: They lifted a five-ton bus, even if it's 30 or 40 people, that's still astounding strength. We have a little bit of video here I think of a vigil that was held for her outside the hospital yesterday and held for this child. There you go, a lot of people thinking of this child at St. Barnabas hospital. And before I toss it back to you guys TJ, I just want to let you know a little bit about the investigation here. This is from our story at cnn.com. I've highlighted this text here. The van's driver, 72-year-old was arrested on charges of criminal and negligent homicide and driving without a license. Police commissioner telling us that he had 20 previous suspensions to his license. I know you can't see this, actually, but that's the idea. So there's a lot to look into right now about how this happened and why. But you're right. In the meantime, it's an incredible story of heroism amid a tragedy.
HOLMES: They said his brakes were just a mess. He said his brakes went out. But at the same time, they hadn't been checked in six months. They said he knew these brakes were in bad condition so that's why the charges. But you're right, bystanders helping out this case. Hopefully that kid will be OK. Josh, we appreciate you. We'll be checking in with you again this morning on some other things.
A convicted child rapist free this morning after serving more than 30 years in prison. He has returned to his old Pennsylvania neighborhood greeted by protesters. 68-year-old George Feigley was convicted of raping three girls who were students at a private school linked to a church that he founded. Prosecutors called the school a sex cult.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNETTE ANTOUN, CONCERNED RESIDENT: They have scars that they say will never go away and that they have trouble relating to men. They have trouble relating to women. They have trouble relating to anybody and they're frightened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Feigley's Harrisburg community is outraged about his release because authorities cannot restrict his movement and he won't have to register under a sex offender notification law. That is because Feigley's crime occurred before that law existed.
KAYE: In Louisiana, a teenager gets four months in prison for using hangman's nooses to threaten civil rights marchers. Federal prosecutors announced the sentence against Jeremiah Munson (ph) yesterday. Munson pleaded guilty in April of Federal hate crimes charges. Last September, he drove a pickup truck with nooses on the back past marchers in the Jena six demonstrations. The marchers were protesting what they considered unfair charges against six black teens accused of beating a white classmate. HOLMES: Thousands are expected at a public memorial for actor and comedian Bernie Mac in Chicago. He's being remembered for his stand up career, his movies and that hit TV show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THE BERNIE MAC SHOW, MGM WEINSTEIN GROUP: My house is all my stuff and you are not to touch my stuff without my permission. To break it down, don't touch my TV. Don't touch my DVD. Don't touch my dual deck VCR and most definitely don't touch the remote that works the TV, the DVD and the dual deck VCR. Any questions?
Can we touch --
No, you can't touch nothing. Matter of fact, don't even look at it. When you walk past it, close your eyes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well of course he leaves you in stitches, as always. Mac died a week ago today of complications from pneumonia. The memorial will be at a church in Chicago, south side not far from where Mac grew up. Bernie Mac was 50 years old.
KAYE: Well, it looks like it might be heading to Florida, but right now it's circling around Haiti and the Dominican Republic. We're talking about Fay. Isnt' that right Reynolds?
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAYE: Questions of faith for the presidential candidates.
HOLMES: And Barack Obama and John McCain talk politics and religion with a well-known pastor. We'll preview the faith forum.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Religion and politics.
KAYE: Those are two issues that come together in the forum for the presidential candidates tonight. You will see it live right here on CNN.
HOLMES: And Barack Obama, John McCain will answer questions from well-known pastor Rick Warren. He's the author of the best selling book "The Purpose Driven Life." You may have heard of it. Both candidates are hoping to strengthen their support of our evangelical voters. Warren says he'll tough heartland questions and interview each candidate for one hour at his 20,000-member (INAUDIBLE) church in California.
KAYE: And of course, a lot at stake for the presidential candidates at tonight's forum. CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser is part of the best political team in television and he's with us this morning from Washington. This is the first time McCain and Obama are going to be on stage together, probably not for very long though, but what can we expect?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: For the first time since both of them clinched their party's nominations and we won't see them together again probably until the debates in late September and October. Rick Warren says he's going to ask both these candidates about issues of religion, faith, moral questions, social, hot-button questions, abortion, gay marriage, but he's also going to delve into their personal lives he said and he also wants to ask them how they would serve if they were elected president. Here is what he told us on "American Morning" yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. RICK WARREN, PRESIDENCY CIVIL FORUM: I'm going to ask all of the tough questions, I just intend to ask them in a civil way. This is called the civil forum which means you can disagree without demonizing the opposition. And I think everybody wants to know the questions not just about those, quote, moral issues, but also about a lot of about other things too. And I'm trying to stake out a common ground for the common good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: It's a chance for both candidates to speak out to born- again voters, evangelical voters, religious voters and they're crucial voters in this election. It was four years ago where George Bush won about eight in 10 of them. But take a look at these numbers from our latest poll, John McCain right now only grabbing about 67 percent of such voters. He's got his work cut out for them. Barack Obama really doing some outreach to these people, because when it comes to these voters nowadays, it's not just abortion, same-sex marriage. It's also the environment, poverty, other issues that are important that Barack Obama really touches them with.
KAYE: And that's why this could really get interesting because Rick Warren is sort of a new type of Christian conservative, focused a lot less on issues like abortion and more on say poverty and disease.
STEINHAUSER: Exactly. Rick Warren has really been a leader in that. He's had a couple of trips to Africa, dealing with victims of HIV and AIDS. He's a lot like these younger evangelical voters, who are not just married to the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage. So I think that's what could give Barack Obama maybe a little bit of an opening here with some voters of that type. John McCain really needs these people in his camp if he wants to win the White House. This is an opportunity for him as well to connect with them. Randi?
KAYE: All right, Paul, thank you, as always for your insights.
And tonight on CNN, we look at how religion has shaped their faith, their views, their candidacies. John King hosts "The Next President: Campaign Kickoff" tonight at 7:00 Eastern. Then watch John McCain and Barack Obama live tonight on CNN, the faith forum, hosted by Reverend Rick Warren begins at 8:00 Eastern time.
Hitting the wall is a very good thing for Michael Phelps. HOLMES: A very good thing. Swimming star reaches out, he's there on the right to win his latest event. You will not believe how close this race ended up being. He finally got some competition but he still won.
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KAYE: One week after being stabbed in Beijing, a Minnesota woman attending the Olympics has returned to the U.S. Barbara Bachman arrived at the Mayo clinic yesterday. Doctors say she is alert, is talking and has good memory function. Bachman and her husband were attacked at a tourist site on the first day of the games. Todd Bachman, her husband, was killed. The Chinese attacker committed suicide.
HOLMES: The first six gold medals looked easy compared to what it took for him to win the seventh. Last night, Michael Phelps, literally, a fingernail got him his seventh gold medal, so now he has the dream of breaking Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in one Olympics. In Beijing for us has been our Larry Smith. He is there for us again right now. This guy continues to be the story, but last night at least he made it interesting for us.
LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, he did make it interesting, TJ. I watched that and watched the replay and the replay and the replay. I still don't know how Michael Phelps won that seventh gold medal. The finish was that close, 100 meter butterfly. Phelps was down throughout the entire race. In the final 25 meters, he closed the gap between he and Mike Cavic (ph), the southern California who swims for Serbia and then, but he beat him at the wire, 0100 of a second is the difference in Phelps touching the wall to Cavic. The judges immediately came out and looked at the pictures and determined that yes, the photo finish did show that Phelps was the winner.
So a seventh gold medal, the first one in which he doesn't set a world record, though he did break the old Olympic record. So he ties the mark of seven golds in a single Olympic set by Mark Spitz back in the 1972 games. He now will go for the record, eight gold medals in the men's four by 100 meter medley relay. That is Sunday morning, Saturday night east coast time at 10:58 pm. And by the way, you're wondering what the U.S.'s chances are in this? They have never lost a medal in this event in an Olympics in which they competed. The only time they did was in 1980 in Moscow, when of course the U.S. boycotted due to political reasons. So let's check the medal board very quickly, U.S.A. leading the overall medal count right now, but it is China still with more gold, 27-16.
Also in the pool Saturday evening on the east coast, it'll be Dara Torres, the 41-year-old who has already made history by becoming the oldest woman ever, oldest swimmer ever in Olympic history. She will go for gold. She was the top qualifier in the 50 meter freestyle. And so she will go for her 11th medal of her incredible career in this, the final swim of her career.
Now, the track and field competition is under way and some bad news for Tyson Gay. He finished fifth in his semi final heat, just about three minutes ago and so he will not advance to the final here in about two hours. The other two heavy weights in this, the two Jamaicans (INAUDIBLE) and (INAUDIBLE) won their heats. They advanced to the final, but Tyson gay is out and again because he was injured in the 200-meter at the U.S. trials back earlier this summer. His chances right now at an individual gold are gone. Let's go back to you.
HOLMES: That is horrible, horrible news there about Tyson Gay. Tell us, is there any other hopeful American sprinter out there that's a hopeful right now or was Tyson Gay the last hope there? And he's an American or the world record holder still, isn't he?
SMITH: Yeah. Well, Gay was not because it was (INAUDIBLE) so he ran it, but it was taken back. Really, this is a two-man race with Bolt and Powell. These two are phenomenal. They're big and fast and this is going to be fun to watch between the two of them. But they really are the two main gold medal favorites in this.
HOLMES: That is too bad. Tyson Gay, one of my University of Arkansas guys. So you know that was a double whammy for me there. All right, Larry Smith for us in Beijing. We appreciate you. We'll be checking in with you again. And of course as we've been talking about, Michael Phelps, certainly one of the biggest stories, certainly the big story, we can say, of these Olympic games. He has been in the spotlight all over the world. And now on cnn.com, we'll be talking to him. You can talk to him, too. He joins cnn.com live this Tuesday. So if you're a fan or not, whatever, go to cnn.com. Go to ireport.com and submit your video question for Michael Phelps. You don't miss him live, Tuesday morning, 8:30 Eastern only on cnn.com/live. Randi?
KAYE: One of the top stories on cnn.com, we are confident, is faith. So still a lot of questions about this very strange photo, supposedly of Big Foot. We'll see.
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HOLMES: All right. Now, this is almost certainly a hoax.
KAYE: You think?
HOLMES: For fun, we're going to pretend it's not, one of the most popular stories. The photo supposedly shows a dead creature found in the north Georgia mountains.
KAYE: Hear about their discovery, which they say, in fact, is Bigfoot. They also claim that there were three other living creatures that were lurking nearby. So, other Bigfeet.
HOLMES: You had you, sure.
KAYE: The carcass is being kept supposedly at an undisclosed location.
HOLMES: How would you like to eat anything you want, no consequences?
KAYE: I would like that. That would be really nice.
HOLMES: That's what Michael Phelps does. His diet is unbelievable. Next, we'll show you what it takes to feed the champ.
KAYE: Next, "HOUSECALL WITH DR. SANJAY GUPTA" starts right now.
