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CNN Saturday Morning News

President Endorses Ground Zero Islamic Center; First Family Vacations in the Gulf; Pakistan Scrubs Independence Day; WKBW: 7 Shot in Buffalo, 4 Fatally; Dr. Laura Uses N-Word; Stabbing Spree Suspect Arrested, Victims Relieved, But They Want To Know-Why; Flood Ravaged Pakistan's National Independence Day Filled With Sorrow

Aired August 14, 2010 - 06:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

President Obama has stepped into the controversy over a proposed mosque near Ground Zero, saying he supports it.

Meanwhile, after criticism of the First Lady's trip to Spain last week, the First Family will be vacationing in the gulf today. The criticism this time? They'll only be there for 27 hours.

Also, it's being called Pakistan's "Katrina". Already nearly 1,400 people are dead in flooding and a second wave of flood water is on the way.

From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Good morning to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.

Also for you this morning, a controversial contraceptive has been approved by the FDA. It's said to prevent pregnancies up to five days after unprotected sex. Both sides of the abortion issue weighing in on this.

Also, it turns out there is, in fact, video of that JetBlue flight attendant making his great escape after cursing and grabbing some beer. We'll do a play-by-play of that video for you this morning.

Also, the son of a former vice president is standing by his claim that President Obama is the worst president ever. We'll hear him explain himself this hour.

Also, why would you need to go to class to learn how to use coupons? Our financial analyst, Clyde Anderson, is here 7:25 Eastern time to explain why clipping coupons out of the Sunday paper is becoming obsolete.

But first, we do want to start with the big story this morning. President Obama, he has now thrown his support behind the proposal to build a mosque two blocks from New York's Ground Zero. Speaking at a White House dinner yesterday to mark the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the president acknowledged the controversial nature of the proposed mosque, but he argued that American ideals and the constitution demand that the project proceed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground. But, let me be clear, as a citizen and as president, I believe that Muslims have the right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country, and that includes - that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan in accordance with local laws and ordinances.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, the president's endorsement drew praise from New York mayor Michael Bloomberg but was also criticized by a New York congressman who has been out front on this issue.

First, "As I said, last week," this - this is from the - the New York mayor, Michael Bloomberg. He's saying, "the proposed of mosque and community center in Lower Manhattan is as important a test of the separation of church and state as we may see in our lifetime, and I applaud President Obama's clarion defense of the freedom of religion tonight."

Here now is what Republican Congressman Peter King had to say. He says - and I'm quoting here - "The right and moral thing for President Obama to have done was to urge Muslim leaders to respect the families of those who died and move their mosque away from Ground Zero. Unfortunately, the president caved in to political correctness," end quote.

New Yorkers, meanwhile, they're also split on whether the president should have gotten involved in what many believed is a local matter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Politically, it's probably not wise to interject yourself into a local issue that's very visceral here, for obvious reasons. I mean, obviously we all believe in freedom of religion, but it's sacred ground for New Yorkers and Americans. So it's a difficult topic for New Yorkers and Americans. I don't know how wise it was for the president to necessarily interject.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm glad that he's doing it. It's very civilized. It doesn't matter that - whether you're Muslim or Jewish or Christian. You should be able - this country stands for freedom of religion and we should be able to express our faith.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right, take a look now at what the rest of the country thinks. This is according to our CNN/Opinion Research poll that was out just last week, and you see 68 percent of the people polled opposed that mosque being built near Ground Zero. Another 29 percent say they are in favor of it. Meanwhile, the president is going to be taking a little break today. He's going to be heading to the Gulf Coast. The First Family is going to be there. The oldest daughter wouldn't be with them. She's still out at camp.

But they will vacation ever so briefly in the gulf this weekend. They're going to spend about 27 hours in Panama City today. Now, a lot of people are saying even though the trip is short, it is going to symbolize the administration's commitment to the long-term recovery of the region and also promote vacationing in that region.

The president is also going to be meeting with some business owners while he's there.

But yesterday our Dan Lothian posed which was kind of the big question right now about the trip. He posed it to Robert Gibbs in the briefing yesterday. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the president's trip this weekend, this was asked a couple of days ago, but any plans to get in the water?

ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I'm - I'm - I doubt that that will go out specifically on the guidance, but stay tuned.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) to get into?

GIBBS: Of course they're clean enough to get into. I know it's Friday. We have to preview whether or not the president will go swimming. I'm going to let - I - (INAUDIBLE) to let that -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's the biggest tourism pull, though.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just walk in --

(CROSSTALK)

GIBBS: I see. Just walking in a little (ph) -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Above the knee.

GIBBS: All right, we - you guys maybe get together, figure out - what would - what would have (ph) appropriately check the Aqua Man box (ph).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: So a lot of questions and it seems like such a - a simple matter and it seems like such a minuscule matter, if you will, but still a lot of people wondering and certainly people - people think that if you see that image of the president and his family in those gulf waters, that could certainly send a message to people all around the country about just the safety of that region, which a lot of people had concerns about whether or not they would want to get in that water.

Our Reynolds Wolf is back in the gulf for us this morning, in Gulf Shores, Alabama, in particular. Reynolds, good morning to you.

Let me start first on the point I was just making there about the president possibly getting in the water. First, have you heard any reaction from people there now that the president is going to be coming back to the region for a brief vacation, but also just how symbolic it could be to have the image of the president of the United States in those waters?

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think it would be a great thing. I think a lot of people would also love to see that happen. I'd tell you that the timing is not very good for them. If he's heading for Pensacola, we were in Pensacola last weekend and I happened to wade out, and I'm about 6'4" and when I was standing in the water, it got up to about - the water up here to my chest. I started (ph) to look down, the water was so clear I could actually count my toes. It's very easy to do.

However, we had the remnants of tropical depression five which moved through here, actually stirred up a lot of the waters. The water is not nearly as clean as it was just a couple of days or, say, a week ago, and if the president were to go out the water, it's going to be a little bit more murky.

Let me tell you something else, that water is done, T.J. Just about a few days ago we had a - a plume of oil that came up the shores here in Gulf Shores. It has been cleaned up since, but that oil did come back. Actually, it was resting on the bottom. It was pulled up by the turbulent waters and came onshore.

And, really, it has been the sight of not seeing oil that has been bringing a lot of the people back. And you have to remember that tourism is a $1.8 billion industry, and so the longer the oil stays away, certainly the better off it is - it is for me, it is for many of the people, but certainly that is not something they want to see at all.

You take a look at some of the video here, some of the people that are going out on the beaches, enjoying the volleyball, enjoying the - the sand. There will be people coming out here, but, I can tell you, T.J., although many of the hotels up and down the Gulf Coast have been filling up over the past couple of weeks, in the big picture, when you look at the whole summer, the entire summer from when the oil spill first started all the way through now, they're still about 30 to 50 percent down of where they should be in terms of business.

Speaking of business, some of the smaller businesses like, say, Alvin's Island, which is a - a souvenir shop here along the coast, that's a place that has lost about 75 percent of its business, so those guys are going to be hurting for some time to come, T.J.

HOLMES: And one more thing to you, Reynolds, we're coming - I suppose that we're wrapping up the season. I mean, kids are going back to school, so that vacation season is over. Do a lot of people think they pretty missed out, maybe the president's trip, maybe encourage people to come back to the gulf or maybe it's a little - a little too late for them?

WOLF: Well, I mean, that's - you know, it is - it is kind of late in the season, unfortunately. I mean, the timing of this, again, is terrible. It would have been much better - if you had to have a disaster like this occur, it would have been, I guess, more favorable for it to happen, say, in December or January, when you wouldn't have an onslaught of people trying to come here for their vacations. But it happened during the peak of the summer season.

I can tell you that with the summer fading, many businesses are really getting creative. They're going to try to attract people from, say, the Midwest, the north, the snowbirders, and try to have them come on down, trying (INAUDIBLE) for some lucrative deals of bringing people in to - to bring in that business.

Now, I tell you, coming up in a couple of hours, we're going to be speaking to the mayor of - here in Gulf Shores to give us an idea of what their strategy is going to be for the months to come - to come, trying to keep those dollars coming on in.

Let's send it back to you (ph), T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Reynolds, we're going to be talking to you plenty throughout the morning. You're going to be handling weather for us from there as well. Also, going to be talking to you about the - the relief well, that process still going on out there in the gulf as well. So, Reynolds, we'll be talking to you plenty -

WOLF: Absolutely.

HOLMES: -- throughout the morning. Thanks so much, buddy.

Well, a nation in mourning when they're supposed to be celebrating. We're talking about Pakistan and what's being called now a second wave of flooding after flooding has already killed about 1,400 people. We're checking in live in a moment.

Also, a father's 911 call to report his missing child. He didn't have to look far to find the kid, and now Child Protective Services involved in the case.

It's nine minutes past the hour here on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: It's 11 minutes past the hour here on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

This is supposed to be a day of celebration in Pakistan. It's their Independence Day, but impossible for the nation to celebrate right now. Severe flooding has pretty much canceled all of the ceremonies for the nation's 63rd anniversary. All the official festivities have been canceled. The country tries to coordinate massive relief efforts after massive flooding there that has killed about 1400 people.

Our Reza Sayah joining us now live from Islamabad. Reza, hello to you, and I heard you last night. You're reporting. Equate this to Pakistan's Katrina.

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it is. This is the worst natural disaster this country has - has ever seen. It's one of the worst disasters anywhere in - in recent memory.

The U.N. says about one-fifth of Pakistan is underwater, and to put that in perspective, that's the state of Florida. Imagine the state of Florida being underwater, and that's what we have here in - in Pakistan.

This is a result of Pakistan's notorious monsoon rains. They started about a couple of weeks ago, and for a 48-hour period, they didn't stop. There is parts of Pakistan that in two days got as much rain as they get for the entire year. Now, I don't know if you can see it and hear it behind me, but those rains continue to come down today and more rain in the forecast in Northwest Pakistan, Central Pakistan, areas that have already been ravaged by floods. Rescue and recovery efforts continue today.

Also today, Pakistan's president, Asif Ali Zardari, on sort of a PR blitz to make up for his much criticized absence two weeks ago when these floods hit, Pakistan's president visiting Northwest Pakistan, handing out care packages to some of these relief - flood victims, assuring them that the government is not going to abandon them. Of course, he took a beating in the media when he left Pakistan when these floods hit on what he called an important foreign policy visit, but many of his critics are going to tell you that no matter what he does now in an effort to redeem himself, he's not, because he lost a lot of his reputation when he took off when these floods hit a couple of weeks ago, T.J.

HOLMES: All right. And Reza, we can hear that rain still coming down behind you, actually.

One more thing to you, quickly, here. We're starting to hear about this second wave that could possibly impact people. This is just a flood water that could essentially rush down and hit people who've already been hit by flood water. Explain this idea of a second wave coming.

SAYAH: Yes. That's a result of two separate developments that - that are happening. One is these rains that continue to - to come down. And, again, this monsoon season not set to end until September.

Another development is happening, is all those monsoon rains that gathered up in Northwest Pakistan, the mountainous areas, are working their way down south. So the trouble areas are going to be in Central Pakistan, Northern Sindh Province, that's where you're going to have new floods in the coming days and weeks - T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Reza, we appreciate you this morning. We're going to be checking in with you throughout the morning. Our Reza Sayah in Islamabad. We appreciate you. Thanks so much.

And to find out how you could make a difference and help the flood victims in Pakistan, you can visit our Impact Your World page at cnn.com/impact.

Well, two of the four survivors of this week's plane crash in Alaska have now talked to the FAA. Investigators trying to figure out exactly what happened. They're trying to get some clues as to why that plane went down. One of the survivors, we're told, said we were just flying along and then just stopped.

You remember this plane crash this week that killed five people, among them former Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska. Also on that plane was a former NASA chief Sean O'Keefe. His condition has now been upgraded from critical to serious. His son, meanwhile, his condition upgraded as well from serious to fair.

And you probably heard this flack (ph) this week. And African- American listener of the talk show host, Dr. Laura's, show calls in to get some help from Dr. Laura, but instead, she gets this.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CALLER: I can't believe someone like you is on the radio, spewing out the [bleep] word, and I hope everybody heard it.

SCHLESSINGER: I didn't spew out the [bleep] word.

CALLER: You said, [bleep], [bleep], [bleep].

SCHLESSINGER: Right. I said that's what you hear.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HOLMES: Oh. That's what we heard this week. What are we hearing now from Dr. Laura about her words?

Also, you know, this story has generated a lot of response out there online. We'll be checking in with that in just a moment.

It's 16 minutes past the hour here on the CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Seventeen minutes past the hour.

A story - a horrible story we're just getting some confirmation of out of Buffalo, New York. We confirmed that several people were shot outside of a restaurant in Buffalo, New York.

Now, according to police - a dispatcher, police were called in after multiple shots were fired. According to our affiliate, WKBW, seven people were shot and four of them killed. Now, according to our affiliate, this was all a formal event at this restaurant that was celebrating a wedding that was supposed to take place today. According to our affiliate as well, one of the people shot was, in fact, the groom who was supposed to get married today. So some kind of a fight erupted, according to our affiliate, it spilled out into the streets. Several shots were fired. But, according to our affiliate, the numbers are seven were shot and four killed, again, trying to celebrate a wedding that was supposed to take place today on this Saturday.

We continue to work this story. We'll bring you more details again about a horrific story, certainly, when you throw in the fact that a wedding was supposed to take place today. We'll continue to follow up on that for you.

Also this week, a story that had a lot of people talking. Dr. Laura. You know her, and know her well, in some cases. She gives advice on her radio show.

She's supposed to be helping people out there, but she had a jaw- dropping exchange with one of her callers this week, an African- American caller who was calling in to get help with her marriage, her interracial marriage. But things turned a little testy when the "N" word started to fly.

(BEGIN AUDIO TAPE)

CALLER: I - I was a little caught back by the "N" word that you spewed out, I have to be honest with you. But my point, is race relations -

SCHLESSINGER: Oh, then I guess you don't watch HBO or listen to any black comedians.

CALLER: But that doesn't make it right.

SCHLESSINGER: Yes. I think you have too much sensitivity --

CALLER: So it's OK to say [bleep]?

SCHLESSINGER: -- and not enough sense of humor.

CALLER: It's OK to say that word?

SCHLESSINGER: Well, it depends how it's said.

CALLER: Is it - is it OK to say that word? Is it ever OK to say that word?

SCHLESSINGER: It's - it depends how it's said. Black guys talking to each other seem to think it's OK.

CALLER: But you're not black. They're not black. My husband is white.

SCHLESSINGER: Oh, I see. So a word is restricted to race. Got it. Can't do much about that.

CALLER: I can't believe someone like you is on the radio, spewing out the [bleep] word, and I hope everybody heard it.

SCHLESSINGER: I didn't spew out the [bleep] word.

CALLER: You said, [bleep], [bleep], [bleep].

SCHLESSINGER: Right. I said that's what you hear.

CALLER: Everybody heard it.

SCHLESSINGER: Yes, they did.

CALLER: I hope everybody heard it.

SCHLESSINGER: They did, and I'll say it again -

CALLER: So what makes it OK for you to say the word?

SCHLESSINGER: -- [bleep], [bleep], [bleep] is what you hear on HB --

CALLER: What makes it --

SCHLESSINGER: Why don't you let me finish a sentence?

CALLER: OK.

SCHLESSINGER: Don't take things out of context. Don't double N - NAACP me.

(END AUDIO TAPE)

HOLMES: Well, you could imagine what kind of reaction that got across the country, probably. Now, it got a reaction from you just by listening to it. Dr. Laura came back the next day and issued this apology.

(BEGIN AUDIO TAPE)

SCHLESSINGER: I talk everyday about doing the right thing. And, yesterday, I did the wrong thing. I didn't intend to hurt people, but I did, and that makes it the wrong thing to have done.

I was attempting to make a philosophical point, and I articulated the "N" word all the way out, more than one time. And that was wrong.

(END AUDIO TAPE)

HOLMES: Dr. Laura, no stranger to some controversy. She has referred to homosexuality before as, quote, "a biological error". Also, she has said in the past that women may share the blame if husbands cheat on them.

Josh Levs here with us now. Of course, Josh, this is always - this word, a sensitive word, and this certainly stirred up a lot of emotion, criticism, certainly as well, and a lot of reaction out there. What do you have? JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is - yes. I mean, look, the actual Dr. Laura part of this story in the end is going to be the relative minority of the story. And what - what is happening as a result of what she did is this triggering a new realm, new era in the discussion of the "N" word in America. And we're getting a lot of your reaction.

I'm going to go to the blogs in a minute. But, first, I want to talk to you about iReports, because some - some of you are sending us really interesting videos, and it's become a real conversation that we're having nationwide through all of our online resources.

I want to start off with what Egberto Willies sent to us. He sent us this video. He said he's really never been a fan of hers. In fact, he doesn't like her, but he actually - in his words, appreciates what she said here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EGBERTO WILLIES, IREPORTER: I am tired of the argument being swept under the rug. We need both black folks, white folks, Mexican folks, everybody in this mix, to be able to outwardly come out and say what they feel without fearing that what they say is somehow going to destroy them as a person.

So, Dr. Laura, I don't like you. I don't like your politics, but you keep on the issue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: A lot more people are saying that, hey, they just can't stand what she said. Oh, they're really offended by it, and, in some cases, for various reasons.

Here's another iReporter, Omekongo Dibinga.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OMEKONGO DIBINGA, IREPORTER: What bothers me is that you have somebody who's calling to get assistance and was told that she was hypersensitive and grouped into another group of black, quote/unquote, (INAUDIBLE). This is problematic, and this is what we do in America all the time. And if we've never walked in the shoes of another person, we do not have the right to call them hypersensitive.

What we do have the right to do, and what we should be doing, is being a charismatic listener.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: And that seems in line with what actually she said in her apology the next day. She should have been more of a listener, responding to what the woman actually wanted to talk about.

Let me show what we're getting in the blogs here. I'm going to go over to my Facebook page. This is from Kazem Alamulhuda. "Use of the word in any form is only acceptable to the ignorant. Everybody should say no to the "N" word."

But I wanted you all to see the debate that's been happening on Facebook here. Here's one from Joshua Cagle. "There's a big difference between the N-word that ends with "r" and the one that ends with "a." The "a" is socially acceptable black-only word. In no way should white people use this word in any form."

This one from Cathy Hirsch Eversole. "Give me a break. Folks are taking this way out of hand. I would not have apologized. Dr. Laura did not say the n-word in a negative way. It is like the "b" word."

And here's Janine Greaves. "Black people need to stop calling black people that, and then maybe other races will follow."

And here's an interesting one from Laura Simmons. "When are white people going to realize not every black person says the N word or accepts other black people saying it?"

I think we've got time for one tweet here, and I'll show you how to get involved. This is from NYCGirlTalk, complaining about Dr. Laura's apology, and a lot of people are sharing this and re-tweeting this. She says, the apology was not sincere, just PR damage control for ratings.

Let me show everyone how you can weigh in. You've got my Facebook and Twitter pages here. I'm at JoshLevsCNN. Now, I will tell you, from the time I posted that story, it was no time at all before hundreds of comments started coming in. So feel free to join that discussion.

I'm going to say what I always say, keep it respectful and thoughtful. And it is - you know, again, one good thing that can come out of all this is that people are having a conversation and, in some cases, actually really listening to each other and trying to move that conversation forward.

So, T.J., I'm going to go continue that while I toss it back to you. And you know in the coming days, as the fallout from this follows, and we'll see what happens with her, we will also see the fallout in a larger way in America as we renew this conversation about everything surrounding this word.

HOLMES: Yes. We always try to - like all these teachable moments and we squander a lot of them oftentimes.

LEVS: We do.

HOLMES: So maybe we'll see what comes out of this. Josh, thank you.

LEVS: Thank you. HOLMES: And speaking of that conversation, we will continue the conversation this morning in our 10:00 Eastern hour. We have a couple of guests that are going to be coming up this morning.

Sophia Nelson is a founder and editor in chief of PoliticalIntersection.com ,and also Randal Kelly, who is author of a book about specifically the "N" word. They will both be here, a part of this conversation, and one of the questions to ask this morning is, is it ever appropriate for a white person to use that word?

I want you to chime in. We'll be putting this up on my Twitter, Facebook page. We'll be reading some of your comments as a part of this conversation this morning. So please stay with us.

Well, coming up ahead, two miners missing out in Nevada, and the news now is not good. The search has been going on for two days and did not end the way they had hoped it would. We'll give you an update from Nevada.

We're coming up on the bottom of the hour here on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: So, bottom of the hour here on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Give you a look at some of the stories we are keeping a close eye on.

Possible second wave of flood water expected in Pakistan this weekend. Already, some 1,400 people have died in the flooding thereafter the record monsoon rains. We still have hundreds of thousands of people who are in need of rescuing. Supplies are slow to get to the people who need it, and now new fears of disease and starvation.

All of this comes today on Independence Day. The country should be celebrating but all of the celebration had been canceled.

Also, we turn to Nevada now where crews have found what they believe are the bodies of two miners who were killed in an accident there on Thursday. This is in Northern Nevada. No names have been released just yet. Families are still waiting to be notified.

Now, what happened here, apparently these two were going down in a particular chute, down this particular mine, and a pipe actually burst and hit the cage they were riding in causing this accident. Again, they believe they have found the two bodies of those miners.

Also, we have giving you updates over the past couple of weeks about actress Zsa Zsa Gabor. She's had more surgery. This happened last night in Los Angeles. Doctors had to remove a blood clot. Complications here from the hip replacement surgery she's had some three weeks ago. She had that hip replacement after she fell out of her bed. She's in pretty frail health and has been confined to a wheelchair for the past several years after a car accident in 2002. Zsa Zsa Gabor is 93 years old. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: It is 33 minutes past the hour now.

Suspected serial killer, Elias Abuelazam, is waiting to be extradited to Michigan . Atlanta police arrested him earlier this week trying to board a plane headed for Israel. He's accused in 18 stabbings across three states, a spree that started in Flint, Michigan . Five of the victims died. CNN's Susan Candiotti with the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in Flint, Michigan , there's a sense of relief among victims' families that a suspected killer has been caught, but mainly they want to know why, why did something like this happen? Why did someone go on a stabbing spree in three states, attacking or killing 18 people, in Michigan , Ohio, and Virginia?

Of course, police don't have to prove a motive but they say they're certainly going to try to find out why. In the meantime, CNN resources on the ground in Israel have been trying to learn more about the suspect in this case. Elias, or Illyas (ph) Abuelazam, he grew up as a boy there. His father died when he was very young. Friends describe him as a quiet child who moved to the United States in the 1990s. He lived in Michigan for a time, had some minor scrapes with the law. Moved to Virginia and was married there for three years before divorcing in 2007. His ex-father-in-law says he was verbally abusive to his wife.

He also worked at some behavioral treatment centers in the state of Virginia and left that employment, that job, in 2008. And then moved back to Michigan in May of this year. That is when police say the stabbing spree began. At this point we are still waiting to find out when this suspect will be returned to the state of Michigan to begin to face some charges. Susan Candiotti, CNN, Flint, Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: The jury deliberating the fate of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich taking the weekend off, could be in for another long week of deliberations next week. This is his federal corruptions trial going on right now. He's facing racketeering, wire fraud, attempted extortion, bribery charges, just to name a few. Two weeks of deliberations have gone by so far and the jurors say they are not really close to a decision. They've only decided on two of the 24 counts against the former governor. He's accused of a number of things related to trying to sell President Obama's former Senate seat.

Meanwhile, things keep getting stranger and stranger in South Carolina. The U.S. Senate nominee Alvin Greene has now been indicted by a grand jury on obscenity charges. He's accused of showing a college student pornography on a computer. Alleged victim claims she told Greene the image was offensive. This is a political unknown who shocked everybody when he won the South Carolina Democratic primary. He's going to be facing Republican Jim DeMint coming in November. >

Well, it has been hot. We have seen the heat wave through many parts of the country. At the same time, a lot of football teams are out there practicing in that, two a day, every single day right now, getting ready. How in the world would you suggest they beat the heat?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, good, God almighty. Oh, good gosh almighty. Whoa!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, that's one way to do it. That's our Reynolds Wolf there. He learned that trick from the University of Texas Longhorns about trying to beat a summer heat wave. He's with us this morning from the Gulf, not dunking in anything but, still, are we -- it's always amazing to think, Reynolds, how these teams -- it's a serious health issue out here. These guys are going at it hard every day in 100 degree heat.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. This is the time of the year when you have the college teams and high school teams that are preparing for the big season ahead with two-a-day, during the full heat of the summer season. We are making a transition from summer to fall and it is really going to be bearing down across many places. Teams are out and about.

Right now as it stands there are 17 states across the nation that are dealing with some kind of heat advisory, heat warning or heat watch. We are definitely going to be under the gun and under the sun, no question about it. We're going to talk about how the University of Texas is dealing with the extreme conditions.

Plus, we're also going to talk about the oil spill. The oil spill of course, the well has been sealed up on the top. Now they still have the bottom kill. Of course, they're dealing with the aftereffects of what it's done to tourism, $1.8 billion industry on the Gulf Coast. T.J., let's send it back to you.

HOLMES: All right. Reynolds, we appreciate you, buddy. See you again here in just a moment.

Also a little later, can you be so bad at housekeeping that the police actually come check you out? Well, kind of, sort of. This story takes a few twists and turns, but this more so had to do with the search for a missing child. They couldn't find him under all that filth. The story coming up. It's 30 minutes past the hour.

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HOLMES: It's 41 minutes past the hour now. We've been talking a lot about this intense summer heat we've been seeing across the country over the past several weeks. Yes, it's hot, but it can also be quite dangerous. Can you imagine being out there in two-a-days, every day, practicing with all that equipment on? This is what a lot of athletes are going through right now. They're getting ready for football season. Our Reynolds Wolf joining us once again from Gulf Shores.

Reynolds, you went out. This was fascinating to see this. It can be very dangerous just for anybody walking around outside. It's hard to imagine these guys out there going as hard as they do in football practice in this weather.

WOLF: Absolutely. It's all part of the conditioning process, and it can be very difficult. Obviously it's tough to get out there and work in any conditions under the sun, with the helmet and pads. When you have the extreme heat like in Austin, Texas, sometimes you have to have a little bit more of a strategy, a strategy that employs a very special technology in the form of a very small pill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF (voice over): Each season the Texas Longhorns face bitter rivals like the Sooners or Aggies. But an even tougher foe is the intense Texas heat.

SHERROD HARRIS, QUARTERBACK, UNIV. OF TEXAS: I don't think I've ever gotten used to this heat. The best way I've been able to adjust to it is drink more Gatorade or waters.

WOLF: Hydration, it is one method U.T. trainer Kenny Boyd stresses, but he also employs high-tech methods like the core temp pill.

(On camera): Wow.

(Voice over): The pill is ingested about six hours before training begins. So that's what I did before my Longhorn workout.

(On camera): All right. Let's play ball.

(Voice over): The heat index, 105 degrees. A quick warm-up run, then a body temp reading before practice starts.

Got to be a cool 98.6.

KENNY BOYD, UNIV. OF TEXAS: 98.6? Try 100.23.

WOLF: Kenny will pull a player from the field when their body temperature reaches 103.

BOYD: That's when you can start to exhibit some of the more significant signs of symptoms of someone in heat stress. When they get to 104, that's when we pull them from practice or their workout. At that point cease their workout or practice and try to get them hydrated and rapidly cooled.

WOLF: To replicate real practice conditions Kenny puts me through increasingly difficult drills.

BOYD: One, two, three, four, five. Let's go. Go through. Go through again. Coming back. Coming back. Finish through the line. Finish, finish, finish.

100.81, that's not bad.

Hit the next one. Go! Strike, extend! Go! Strike, extend! 101.7.

WOLF: This is me after 20 minutes of light workout in the 105 degree heat. Longhorns like most players in training will undergo intense workouts in 45-minute intervals. While doing so, Kenny looks for danger signs.

BOYD: Disorientation, any kind of decreased mental acuity, someone that's beginning to labor a lot more in their drill.

How about we go cool off?

WOLF (on camera): That sounds great. Wow.

(Voice over): One method is this shirt, fitted with a stem that allows a blast of cool air to fill its chambers. Not quite as high tech, but more effective is this, the rapid cooling towel.

(On camera): Oh, good God almighty. Good gosh almighty. Whoa!

(Voice over): May be crude, but it works. And that's the mission that trainers like Boyd, to keep their players safe.

BOYD: A lot of us in athletic training have been witness, or been a part, or know people that have had to deal with someone that's suffered from heat stroke, or from a heat crisis. And that has really shaped some of the passion and some of the concerns that we have as a staff today at the University of Texas.

WOLF: All part of an effort to keep their players on the field and in the hunt for the championship.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF: I can tell you, T.J., that a dude having to get into that icy cold water like that, can make a dude feel like not much of a dude at all. It can be a very brutal thing to say the very least. Not good times, awful times, awful stuff.

I can also tell you that many people might want to employ a gentler way of staying cool today. Because they're going to need it. I want to show you what we have weather wise today.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WOLF: I'll talk to you again coming up shortly about the very latest on the happenings here in the Gulf Coast and again we're getting close to the process of the bottom kill.

HOLMES: Big day in the Gulf once again including the president coming down. Reynolds, appreciate all that.

WOLF: Absolutely. HOLMES: We will talk to you plenty throughout the morning. Thanks so much.

A father in California calls police and says his son is missing. A search takes place and police actually find the little boy. You wouldn't believe where they found him though. And now police are investigating the father. Reporter Laura Cole of our affiliate KBOR has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SGT. CHARLIE SPRUILL, VACAVILLE POLICE: We found it disturbing, to say the least.

LAURA COLE, REPORTER, KBOR TV NEWS (voice over): And this is why, a house of filth, rooms cluttered with clothes everywhere, garbage on top of garbage. A ladder partially blocking a child's bedroom, and officers can't even get through the hallway.

SPRUILL: There was food, trash, piles and piles of clothes, other items, spider webs and foul odors.

COLE: But officers would have never ended up here if dad hadn't called them in the first place. Thirty-six-year-old Vincent Rush called Vacaville police yesterday after his three-year-old boy had been missing for more than two and a half hours.

SPRUILL: He appeared to be distraught and upset.

COLE: But when officers get inside, they're concerned.

SPRUILL: That the living conditions in the home were not safe, sanitary, or healthy.

COLE: The search ends where it starts, inside the house, the boy safe and sleeping in a bedroom hidden under piles of clothes and trash. And that's when officers arrest Rush for felony child endangerment.

(On camera): We were looking for Vincent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's not here.

COLE: Are you married to Vincent?

(Voice over): As this man walked to his truck he identified himself as the suspect's friend.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What happened was a travesty. The young man was just wanting to know where his son was.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More cops came. After that I saw him in the back of a cop car.

COLE: Rush's next door neighbor had no idea this boy was living in such disgusting conditions. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow, that's kind of scary though.

COLE: Scary that a child was lost in his own home amongst the filthy mess he had no choice but to live in.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Wow.

Coming up, Pakistan is still dealing with that horrific death toll. Some 1400 people are dead and on a weekend when the country is supposed to be celebrating. The latest on what is being called the worst disaster in that country's history.

It's 10 minutes until the top of the hour here on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Eight minutes now to the top of the hour.

We turn to Pakistan once again where they're supposed to be celebrating today. It's their 63rd anniversary of independent rule this weekend. But these pictures will not allow for any celebrating. All the official celebrations canceled. The nation continues to deal with the worst flooding in its history.

CNN Editorial Producer Nadia Bilchik, who you have seen here on our air with us a time or two, is going to be joining us regularly here on CNN SATURDAY and SUNDAY MORNING. Navigating through some international stories.

Nadia, so glad to have you here with us.

NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Well, thank you.

HOLMES: This is supposed to be a big day, a big deal, the 63rd anniversary.

BILCHIK: It is. Because if you think, 1947, you have India and Pakistan. So you have the British/India empire and what happens is there is a division into Pakistan, fundamentally Muslim, majority Muslims, and into India, which is majority Hindu. Why it's fascinating is we have Pakistan today, which is the 14th and India celebrates tomorrow. Isn't that interesting, even though they granted independence on the same time, because the Lord Mountbatten, who was the viceroy of India, couldn't be in both places at once. He was in Karachi on the one day, and then he went to India on the second day, today, to preside over the ceremony.

HOLMES: So, again, India will be celebrating tomorrow.

BILCHIK: Tomorrow.

HOLMES: We will hit on that a little bit as well. A what normally would we see today in Pakistan? BILCHIK: You would see flag raising, you would see the honoring of grand officials of people, you would have huge festivities, feasting. I'm assuming that although official ceremonies will be canceled, people will still be celebrating. This is a huge thing. But isn't it interesting that it is only 63 years, because America got independence from England in 1776. So you are talking only 63 years old and while Pakistan and India, as you know, the conflict still remains, they do exchange prisoners on this day. So there will be a prison exchange.

We speak about the role that Britain played. Even the word "Pakistan", the name is an acronym and a group of Cambridge students got together. I do have to tell you what it is. It's Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir, Iran, Sindh, Tukharistan, Afghanistan and Balochistan. And the "stan" of Balochistan, is the "stan" of Pakistan, so it is an acronym. So, you see how the British influence is even over the name.

HOLMES: People probably had no idea about that little nugget there. That's why we have you here. But with the name itself even, even there. Now, what with question see in India? We are talking about Pakistan here. But what will we see tomorrow, the same thing?

BILCHIK: In India, again, there will be some festivities. I think everything is subdued.

HOLMES: Yes.

BILCHIK: I mean, think of this, T.J., can you imagine celebrating Fourth of July during Hurricane Katrina. And what is going on is Hurricane Katrina multiplied. I was hearing the numbers this morning, is up to 1900 dead? It would be hard to celebrate independence in this way with this huge, huge devastation, and tragedy that's going on. So independence from the British, great celebration. Enormously subdued by the horrors and tragedy of the flooding.

HOLMES: Like I said, Nadia is going to be with us here on CNN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MORNINGS, doing some stuff for us. Tomorrow, we will see you again.

BILCHIK: Tomorrow we are talking about a hotel where everything, except a beautiful bed and power shower, you have to pay for.

HOLMES: Like soap? You have to pay for towels?

BILCHIK: Oh, yeah, soap, everything. It's opening in London. I'll tell you all about that tomorrow.

HOLMES: Nadia, so good to have you with us. We love having Nadia here with us. Thank you. We'll see you again in the morning.

BILCHIK: Thank you.

HOLMES: Coming up here, he was called the worst president ever. That was a scathing critique from the son of a former vice president. We'll tell you what's behind it and whether he's standing by his words. It's four minutes to the top of the hour.

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