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CNN Saturday Morning News
Egyptians Protest Morsi's New Law; Peace Holds in Gaza Conflict; Health Concerns After Sandy; The 12 Scams of Christmas; Children of Conflict; Wrong Way Leads to Prison Sentence
Aired November 24, 2012 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell. 7:00 on the East Coast, four at West. Thank you for starting your day with us. Hundreds of people are turning up at Walmarts nationwide for Black Friday, but not in the way you might think.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When workers' rights are under attack, what do we do?
CROWD: Stand up and fight back!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: They were protesting what some say is Walmart's retaliation against those who's spoke out for better pay and affordable health care. Walmart has denied those claims. It says only a few employees participated in the demonstrations.
KAYE: But the protests didn't seem to affect Walmart's bottom line. In its statement, the world's biggest retailer said it was the best Black Friday ever. Other stores, like this Toys 'R' Us in New York are --
BLACKWELL: It says only a few employees participated in the demonstrations.
KAYE: But the protests didn't seem to affect Wal-Mart's bottom line. In a statement, the world's greatest retailer said it was the best Black Friday ever.
Other stores liking this Toys "R" Us in New York are probably hoping for similar results. Black Friday marks the start of the holiday shopping season and the National Retail Federation estimates that this year's sales could jump more than 4 percent from last year.
BLACKWELL: Some sad news from the world of entertainment. Actor Larry Hagman has died. His family says it was from complications from cancer. He is best known for his iconic performance at J.R. Ewing on the TV show "Dallas." He was the ultimate villain. But today, people are remembering him as much more. Peter Fonda said goodbye to his friend on Twitter. He said Hagman brought so much fun to everyone's life.
Barbara Eden said this of her "I dream of Jeannie" co-star. "There was no like you before you and there will be no one like you again."
Larry Hagman was 81.
KAYE: In other news, a wild scene in Springfield, Massachusetts, where an explosion triggered by a gas leak ripped through the city's downtown area. You see it there. A building that houses a strip club was leveled while 25 other buildings were also damaged. Springfield police say 18 people were injured in the blast which could be felt miles away.
BLACKWELL: A deputy is dead, another is critically wounded after a shooting in Baldwin County, Alabama. The county sheriff offered this tribute to the Scott Ward, the slain officer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF HOSS MACK, BALDWIN COUNTY, ALABAMA: I had personally worked with this deputy a majority of my career. I knew him very well. I'm very proud of him. It's a big loss. But he was doing his job. And we'll pull together in a time like this, and we'll honor his memory by carrying on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: The man who shot him, Michael Jansen -- this is a photograph of him -- was also shot during that incident and pronounced dead at the scene.
KAYE: One of the FBI's 10 most wanted fugitives is expected back in the U.S. this weekend. Federal agents snagged Jose Luis Saenz Thursday night in Mexico. He is accused of killing his girlfriend and two rival gang members in L.A. back in 1998. He's also wanted in a fourth murder in 2008. The FBI offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
BLACKWELL: Moving to the Middle East now, life is returning to normal in southern Israel and Gaza. Schools are open in Gaza for the first time since the fighting began last week and both sides agreed to a cease-fire. We know that happened Wednesday. Shootings and rocket fire have stopped for the most part except for one incident yesterday. We'll have much more on the end of the hostilities there in just a few minutes.
KAYE: And let's move to Egypt now where protesters had gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square. They were calling for the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi. Opposition leaders say new powers grabbed by Morsi make him look like a dictator.
CNN's Reza Sayah has more on the massive protests.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Outrage, clashes, and anguish in Tahrir.
Thousands of angry Egyptians back in a public square that has become the Arab world's emblem for the democratic right to protest. This is where Egyptians demanded the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak last year. This time, the fury aimed at current President Mohamed Morsi.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're here because we don't want Morsi to rule us anymore.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's a one-man show and he wants to do everything, and nothing at all of what we want, you know?
SAYAH: On Thursday, the new Islamist president made himself the most powerful man in Egypt by announcing sweeping decrees he says are designed to push forward the drafting of Egypt's new constitution, and speed up the formation of a government that is still missing a parliament.
(on camera): One of President Morsi's decrees bans anyone from overturning any of his declarations.
(CROSSTALK)
SAYAH: That order is to stay in place since until parliament is formed. So, technically, it means for now he can do whatever he wants without any oversight.
RIHAM HAMZA, PROTESTING PRESIDENT'S DECREES: I just felt he was telling us, you guys don't exist. It's just me and my people, and there's no place for anybody else in Egypt.
RAGY SOLIMAN, PROTESTING PRESIDENT'S DECREES: We're not allowing for a dictatorship again. Thirty years of dictatorship is enough. Egypt is not going into dictatorship once again.
SAYAH (voice-over): In a separate decree, Morsi banned the breakup of the constitutional assembly, the 100-member panel assigned to draft Egypt's new constitution.
Protesters here say the panel favors Islamist factions and ignores demands by liberals, Christians, youth groups and women's rights group. Some have sued to dissolve the panel. Morsi's decree forbids that.
As nightfall approached, anger turned to violence. In scenes similar to the Egyptian revolution, protesters clashed with police.
(on camera): We're right along one of the major arteries leading into Tahrir Square, clashes between security forces and protesters. Tear gas -- and we're moving away.
(voice-over): As the protests intensified, Mr. Morsi appealed for calm. In a speech to hundreds of his supporters who gathered outside the presidential palace in Cairo, he defended his decrees and rejected accusations of a power grab.
MOHAMED MORSI, EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I didn't take a decision against anyone or pick a side against another. I have to put myself in a clear path, a path that achieves a clear goal.
SAYAH (on camera): Several hours after Mr. Morsi's speech, his critics were still out here in Tahrir Square, protesting throughout the night, setting the stage for what seems to be an intensifying face-off between the president and his opponents.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And let's bringing in Reza Sayah from Cairo.
Reza, you filed that report hours ago. As we look at live pictures now of Tahrir Square, tell us about the scene there now. Are there still protesters?
SAYAH: They're still there but things have quieted down considerably. There are some demonstrators still out there, those who pitched tents to stay overnight, but nowhere near the numbers we saw yesterday.
Yesterday was probably one of the most intense and violent days of demonstrations we've seen over the past couple of years, 140 people injured according to the health ministry. Several injured with gunshot wounds. More than 200 people have been arrested.
And this face-off between the president and his opponents is starting to take shape. One of the presidential advisors has resigned today in protest and the judges club, this is an organization that represents the top judges in Egypt, the Supreme Court judges, has called for a meeting in an hour. There are rumor of a possible judge's strike that could be very disruptive to this country.
So, critical days ahead for this country, Randi.
KAYE: So -- and, of course, we're talking about the fact that Morsi effectively stripped the judges of their power. I mean, is that the only recourse they have possibly?
SAYAH: Well, right now, there doesn't seem to be any political mechanism for his opponents, these political factions that are opposing him to do anything about this. But keep in mind, one of the things that they are relying on is the power to protest that exploded onto the scene in the 2011 Egyptian revolution. They say they're going to keep demonstrating, keep protesting until someone heeds their call.
All eyes on Mr. Morsi. What is he going to do to defuse the situation? Is he going to lock horns with his opponents or is he going to make some concessions? If he does make concessions, is that a sign of weakness? A lot of questions that remain unanswered.
KAYE: Yes. Certainly so. Reza Sayah in Cairo for us this morning -- Reza, thank you. And we've got much more ahead on CNN this hour.
BLACKWELL: Here's what's coming up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE (voice-over): So far so good. That cease fire between Israel and Hamas is holding for now. But there are real fears even the slightest flare-up could kick off chaos.
Plus, hurricane Sandy's long gone, but did the storm leave behind more than just a mess?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's sort of like 9/11. At this point, who knows?
KAYE: Coughing, bronchitis, asthma, just some of the new health worries in Sandy's wake.
And before you shop online this weekend, listen up -- the scammers are ready and waiting for your money. We'll tell you how to avoid their traps.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is holding after eight days of fighting. Now, here's the deal. Israel is loosening their grip on Gaza and the blockade and Hamas has agreed not to fire rockets into southern Israel.
Joining me now is Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Jon, thanks for joining us this morning.
JON ALTERMAN, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: My pleasure, thank you.
BLACKWELL: Did either side make out better than the other in this agreement?
ALTERMAN: It's much too early to tell you about what seems to me is there's a military side of this which Israel clearly won. There's a political side. I'm not sure who won, whether Hamas won, whether Israel is going to win.
It seems at this point that Mahmoud Abbas looks like he's losing. If he stays irrelevant, this may be the beginning of the end of Mahmoud Abbas.
BLACKWELL: There's also, aside from the PLO story, that this new Egypt story for President Morsi, clearly the forefront of brokering this deal. What is America's role now dealing with Morsi in this is conversation of keeping the peace with Israel and Hamas? ALTERMAN: I think the United States has realized for a long time that it can't dictate to Mohamed Morsi and that there's going to have to be new U.S./Egyptian relationship. What's very unclear is how much we're going to be working with the Egyptians, how much we're going to be working to try to limit a potentially negative Egyptian role in regional affairs.
I think Morsi at this point is not sure where his presidency is going to go. Certainly, a lot of people in Washington who had been feeling reassured a couple of days ago woke up yesterday and said, what is this about? This can't be good.
BLACKWELL: Yes, let's talk more about that because -- and I want to get back to what's happening at the border of Gaza and Israel. But you brought up what's going on in Egypt.
We got this statement from the spokesperson for the secretary, Secretary Clinton, says what happened on the 22nd raised concerns. They're calling for calm. All parties should work together.
Really, an understated statement. This really has to complicate the relationship between the State Department and President Morsi.
ALTERMAN: Look, we've had a complicated relationship with Egypt for a long time and was made less complicated by having an Egyptian president who decided that the most important thing for Egypt's foreign relations was the relationship with the United States. You now have an Egyptian president who's decided he wants a more diverse set of relations in the world, in the region. He doesn't want to be subservient to the United States.
But what the Americans I think find very dangerous is what many Egyptians find very dangerous, that what Morsi's done is he's taken away all the potential breaks on his power. He pushed the military out, the parliament's been resolved. Now, he's been pushing out the judiciary. And there are no countervailing forces in Egyptian politics.
And whether or not Mohamed Morsi wants to become a dictator, one of the signs of being a dictator is there are no countervailing forces. You could say he's trying to do it because he wants to get through the constitution. He's doing it for good reasons, but I think if you're going to be serious about politics, you have to be successful politically convincing people, not destroying other institutions that might stand in your way.
BLACKWELL: Yes. Considering how aggressive the president and the State Department were in the latter days of the Arab spring as it relates to Egypt specifically, are we expecting as muted responses as we move forward with what's happening now with Morsi and these declarations and decrees? Will it stay these concerns and calls for calm?
ALTERMAN: I think there's a reason that the State Department is often measured when things initially happen and that's because things often turn out differently from the way people expect them. So I don't think they're being muted. I'm sure what they are saying privately is much sharper than what they're saying publicly.
But there's also a sense that for people in the Egyptian government, this is a life and death issue. This is what they do. And to constantly come in and try to publicly criticize them, humiliate them, doesn't help you get what you need to go.
I think the issue is, if you want a constructive relationship with the United States and I think Egypt wants a constructive relationship, this makes it harder. Egypt needs American capital. Egypt needs the United States to help persuade other countries and coordinate other countries giving money to Egypt to help the economy, and these kinds of steps makes it harder for the United States to do that.
I think Mohamed Morsi understands that. I think he's looking at the U.S. reaction. And I think a measured but strong response is better than trying to shift the tides of history because, I think ultimately, you can't shift tides, but you can do a constructive set of steps that help people think more clearly about what they're doing.
BLACKWELL: I know we're bouncing around a bit but I want to talk more about what's happening on the border with Gaza and Israel. This week, when the leader of Hamas said that Israel waved the white flag, he also said he was grateful to Iran for their support.
What is Iran's role moving forward?
ALTERMAN: Well, nobody really knows that. I think if you thought that you saw spin rooms after the presidential debates, I think you're seeing much more high-powered spin rooms after this. Iran certainly was providing weapons and support to Hamas. There are people in the Middle East who have argued to me that when he acknowledged Hamas, he was -- when he acknowledged Iran, he was waving good-bye to Iran, that there is an effort to bring Hamas over to Egypt, Qatar, to more moderate forces and not now Hamas is going to try to mainstream itself.
I don't know. I'm not sure he knows. He may be searching for a deal. He may be trying to send a message to the Iranians.
There certainly are I think two things that are important. One is that Palestinian Islamist jihad was present in these negotiations in a way we haven't seen before.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
ALTERMAN: And Fatah, the Palestinian Liberation Organization, was not present, and that could shift -- could mean a real shift in the Palestinian leadership.
BLACKWELL: All right. Very delicate times in Egypt and this fragile cease-fire that we're in the third day of now. Hopefully, this continue and we'll continue the conversation.
Jon Alterman from the center for strategic and international studies. Thank you very much for joining us. We've got much more coming up. Next hour, we'll hear from the Israeli government and hear how they view the cease-fire agreement and the prospects for peace.
KAYE: From mold and dust to the sewage. Why some of those affected by superstorm Sandy are now worried about their health.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Good morning, New York City. Thanks so much for starting your morning with us.
Look at that glorious shot -- people up and out already. So nice to see. There they are already. There's already some traffic on the bridge, of course.
BLACKWELL: Seems like there's always traffic on that bridge in New York.
We've all seen the images of the destruction left by superstorm Sandy and now we're getting details on the cost, almost $30 billion in just New Jersey alone. That's according to Governor Chris Christie. He issued a preliminary damage assessment. And that includes aid received so far from sources like FEMA and a few other agencies. Christie says the final estimate could be higher.
KAYE: And while Sandy left an undeniable impact on the coastlines along the Northeast, we're now learning about possible health effects from that storm.
Mary Snow traveled to Long Island to speak with concerned residents there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lurking in the devastation from Sandy is yet another worry for homeowners, exposure to toxins, mold and dust and in some places, sewage.
Long Beach homeowner, Fred Morello will only enter his house wearing a protective suit and mask as he clears out areas that were submerged in several feet of water.
FRED MORELLO, LONG BEACH, N.Y. HOMEOWNER: I am concerned about mold, sure. But at this particular point, I don't have the time for it. I have things to get done and they got to get done. So I protect myself as best I can.
SNOW: While Morello says he has no time to get checked for the cough he now has, others have been showing up to mash like tents set up by federal disaster medical assistance teams.
(on camera): You've been to other disaster areas.
KEVIN MCGILLICUDDY, FLORIDA 5, DMAT: Correct. SNOW (voice-over): Commander Kevin McGillicuddy says besides people seeking psychological treatment, they've mostly come in complaining of coughs, bronchitis and asthma since the base was set up November 13th.
MCGILLICUDDY: We've been treating 70 to 80 patients a day.
SNOW (on camera): A day?
MCGILLICUDDY: A day. And since we've started this base, we've treated over 1,000 patients.
SNOW: Majority of them would you say pulmonary problems?
MCGILLICUDDY: Pulmonary would probably be the best, yes.
SNOW (voice-over): The commander stresses it's unclear how many cases are linked to people with chronic conditions being worsened, combined with the fact that access to their regular medication has been tough.
Some of those questions are in the hands of the Long Beach Medical Center, which is taking over now that it's been able to set up a makeshift emergency room in its parking lot. The hospital is still closed because of the storm.
Dr. Robert Canter heads the ER Unit and says it's the unknowns that concern him.
DR. ROBERT CANTER, LONG BEACH MEDICAL CENTER: It's sort of like 9/11, at this point, who knows? You know, down the road, we're going to find I'm sure a lot of problems.
SNOW (on camera): The doctors stress that it is still too early to know whether these ailments are short-term or part of something more serious. One concern right now is the weather and dropping temperatures. Officials say that the cold and damp weather could be to blame for some of the respiratory problems that are being reported -- Randi and Victor.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Thank you very much.
BLACKWELL: All right. Black Friday is now behind us. So, are you ready for Cyber Monday? Well, online scam artists are. We'll tell you what to watch out for when you're shopping online.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Mortgage rates this week remain low. Take a look here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Bottom of the hour now. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye.
BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Thanks for starting your morning with us. Here are five stories we are watching this morning.
Number one: Actor Larry Hagman has died. Hagman is best known for his role as J.R. in the "Dallas" drama. His family says the 81-year-old died of complications from cancer.
We want to hear your thoughts on the passing of Larry Hagman. Tweet us @VictorCNN or @RandiKayeCNN. What's your favorite role? The favorite movie? Tell us what you'll remember of Larry Hagman. We'll read some of them at the end of the hour.
KAYE: And number two, hundreds turn out to protest Wal-Mart on Black Friday.
The group OUR Walmart says it is fighting for better wages and hours for workers and that the company retaliates against employees who speak out against the company. Wal-Mart says the group doesn't represent its employees and that only 50 of its workers actually joined that protest.
BLACKWELL: It has been an agonizing week for the family of champion boxer Hector "Macho" Camacho. And now, Camacho's mother says she will probably decide today whether to take him off life support. The 50- year-old Puerto Rican boxing champ is brain dead after being shot in the face on Tuesday.
The gunman and another suspect are still out there somewhere. One of Camacho's sons says his father is alive and will fight to the end.
KAYE: Number four, a gun was fired inside a Target store in Aurora, Colorado, last night. Police say a man in a ski mask fired one bullet into the ceiling while in the pharmacy section. He then ran outside the building before many shoppers even realized what had happened. The incident is being investigated as an attempted robbery.
BLACKWELL: And, of course, number five: Black Friday. Shoppers turned out in droves for door buster sales at stores like Best Buy and Wal- Mart. I was out there with them from midnight to 3:00 on Friday morning.
KAYE: Not me.
BLACKWELL: Early early. One interesting analyst is estimating that sales increased as much as 3 percent over last year. Wal-Mart said that by opening even earlier on Thursday, it sold 5,000 items per second.
KAYE: Amazing.
Well, it's practically become a holiday of its own, waking up from a turkey coma and shopping for deals on Black Friday. In fact, the National Retail Federation estimates 147 million shoppers are expected to hit stores throughout this weekend. According to McAfee Security, holiday shopping online is expected to climb about 12 percent this year to $96 billion -- yes, that is with a "B," dollars.
McAfee's online security expert Robert Siciliano joins me now with 12 scams of Christmas to avoid while holiday shopping.
So, millions are shopping online this weekend. Numbers are only expected to rise come Cyber Monday.
So, at the top of your list of things to watch out for are social media scams. Explain those.
ROBERT SICILIANO, MCAFEE'S ONLINE SECURITY EXPERT: So bad guys are creating fake social media pages with too good to be true offers and then luring in unsuspecting victims with offers via status updates to your friends' pages.
Once you click on those links, it can infect it your page and infect your P.C. Just delete those links. Don't go to those status updates and be careful out there.
KAYE: All right. That's good advice.
What about malicious mobile apps? I mean, we're downloading apps all the time on our phones and things.
SICILIANO: Yes, recent studies show as much as 33 percent of mobile apps are sharing information that you'd rather not like your location, they are actually -- when you download these apps, they can even infect your mobile device with spyware. So, only download mobile applications from, say, Google play or Apple iTunes. Whereas if you go to third party sites and download applications, essentially your device can be infected.
Also, be aware of what information you're communicating on certain apps. And always update your mobile device with antivirus, as well.
KAYE: And a lot of people, of course, during the holiday season, they love to get those gift cards. But you say some of them are bogus.
SICILIANO: Yes, bad guy are creating fake e-tailor websites designed to get you to enter your credit card information. And, often, these fake sites revolve around gift cards. So if you're searching out a gift card, you end up on a third party sites, you don't know if that site is going to be there the next day.
Basically, you should buy your gift cards at the kiosk at the mall or the brick and mortar store, places that you know, like and trust and always tell your -- the people who receive your gifts to spend them immediately.
KAYE: And you know, we've heard the term phishing before in our emails. But now there's this holiday term called "SmiShing". Explain that one.
SICILIANO: So, SmiShing is to text messages what phishing is to emails. Basically, bad guys send you out text messages designed to get you to a visit a website.
But once you click on these links, a couple of things could happen. A, you could download a virus right to your device, your mobile device, essentially infecting it with spyware, to spy on your activity on your mobile device, or it will bring you to a website that eventually you'll plug in your information and ultimately giving away your credit card data.
Anytime you receive a text message for any type of offer, just hit delete. If you receive a message to update your device just hit delete because your carrier is not going to send you that text.
KAYE: Yes.
SICILIANO: Always be careful out there. And update your device with anti-virus, as well.
KAYE: That delete button is your friend this time of year. What about certain sites and deals you think we can trust? What do you like?
SICILIANO: So I always will do business again with those who I know, like and trust. You know, you -- there are certain web sites out there like eBay and Amazon and Best Buy and others that you've been too, you're familiar with. When you type their dress in the address bar and it comes out, you know, like it should as it's spelled that's where you want to go.
Doing searches and the first page of search, generally, you're going to find legitimate retail sites. It's when you dig deeper and, it's when you get emails, getting fake sites you have to be aware of. So, just -- again, do business those how know, like and trust, who your favorites are.
KAYE: All right. Great advice. Robert Siciliano, thank you so much.
SICILIANO: Thank you.
BLACKWELL: To politics now and taxes. They are at the heart of the negotiations over the fiscal cliff. And now, Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss says a no tax pledge signed by most Republicans is standing in the way of getting that deal done.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
SEN. SAXBY CHAMBLISS (R), GEORGIA: Times have changed significantly. And I care more about this country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge. I think we owe the debt and we've got to figure out a way to pay it.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: And that pledge was written by Grover Norquist and his group Americans for Tax Reform. Norquist talked about this on CNN's "THE SITUATION ROOM."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GROVER NORQUIST, AMERICANS FOR TAX REFORM: The commitment he made to the people of Georgia was not to me. It was a written commitment to the people of Georgia that he would go to Washington to reduce government spending and reform government, not raise taxes. If he wants to change his mind and become a tax increaser, so we don't have to reform government, he needs to have that conversation with the people of Georgia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: We've got 38 days before we go over that cliff. Now, if there's no deal before the end of the year, taxes will go up for every American.
KAYE: Amid fears the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza won't last long, we found one place that is a zone of peace -- where victims, most importantly children, from both sides of the border can find some common ground.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: Forty-one after the hour. Syria is exploding in more violence.
KAYE: Opposition activists say at least 76 people were killed across the country yesterday and Syria is bracing for more unrest as rebels continue to battle troops loyal to President Bashar al Assad.
Ugandans could face life in prison for same sex acts. Homosexual acts are already illegal in the East African nation. Gays and lesbians there are seen as social outcasts and some have been beaten to death.
But a tough, new anti-homosexuality law before Uganda's parliament would crack down even more. Human rights activists say they are outraged.
BLACKWELL: Less than 48 hours into a fragile cease fire between Israel and Hamas, a deadly shooting. One young Palestinian was killed and many more wounded in a buffer zone near the Israeli/Gaza border. And while the sides remain divided, a week of fighting also saw an unlikely coming together.
CNN's Sara Sidner found proof in a hospital in Tel Aviv.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA SIDNER, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Four-year-old Yosef is listening to an age-old bedtime story, but he's not at home safe in his bed. He's in the hospital, a victim of an age-old conflict that has shattered his family life.
He and his parents were staying inside this apartment building in southern Israel when a rocket from Gaza slammed into it. The blast sheared off several of Yosef's tiny fingers, badly injured his father and took his mother's life. She was among the first to die on the Israel side of the border.
"He was saying, 'My mother is not here, she's with God.' He knows it will be a hard time," his grandmother says. Hard is putting it mildly. He has just been through a second surgery. Doctors at the Sheba Medical Center at Tal Shamir Hospital reattached four of his fingers, but in the end, they had to re-amputate two of them.
"He lives in the south and there are rockets all the time in that area. Hamas doesn't think about where the rockets are going, she says."
(on camera): While Yosef is being treated in this hospital room, just one room away, there's another child with the same kind of war injuries, except she is from the other side of the conflict -- she's from Gaza.
(voice-over): Eight-year-old Bissan al-Aghram (ph) lost three fingers when the war came to her home.
"I heard the sound of a missile that hit. I didn't even have time to ask what happened and then a second one hit," she says.
When the dust cleared, she could see the bones of her child's fingers in small pieces on the floor. She was taken to Al-Asheeba (ph) Hospital in Gaza, but it was too crowded and they couldn't give her the best care. So the family asked Israel for permission to cross the border.
Initially, her mother was terrified -- terrified at the prospect of people considered an enemy in their country putting their hands on her wounded daughter.
"It's a strange situation and it's my first time entering Israel. I was afraid, but they treated me and my daughter in a very nice way and I understand that medicine has nothing to do with politics," she says.
PROF. ZEEV ROTHSTEIN, CEO, SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER: All the tension is blocked outside the hospital. Here, there is an island of sanity in the stormy water of the Middle East. Here, we treat people. We don't actually look from where they are and what they do and what they did before coming here and what they are going to do after leaving us.
SIDNER: Dr. Batia Yaffe is treating both children.
DR. BATIA YAFFE, HAND SURGEON: It will never be normal. It will affect her life from now on and his life from now on, in choice of profession, in choice of hobbies, in choice of a future partner for life, everything.
SIDNER: She has worked in this Tel Aviv hospital her entire career, treating everyone from soldiers to suicide bombers and the civilians in between.
YAFFE: What is it in this piece of land that everybody is fighting about it all the time?
This is what comes to my mind, is whether this is our lot for eternity, from now on, you know. We always have the injured on both sides, always fighting.
What's the point?
SIDNER: If there is a point, it is lost on a 4-year-old boy and 8- year-old girl from either side of the Israel/Gaza border, who just want to be children, but now share a similar fate, their innocence interrupted by a war they had nothing to do with.
Sara Sidner, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: A long-haul trucker says a wrong way turn landed him in jail for seven months. We'll tell you his story.
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KAYE: It could have happened to any one of us just as easily. You run a new route, an area they don't drive very often all the time, relying on your GPS system for directions and then you take a wrong turn.
BLACKWELL: Yes, but for one long-haul trucker, it led to an international incident. Mexican authorities say Jabin Bogan crossed the border into Mexico carrying 258,000 rounds of high-powered ammunition in his truck and then sentenced him to prison. He was released on Friday after being locked up for seven months.
KAYE: And Nick Valencia has been following this story for us.
So, he says what, it was just bad directions? Or what did he say?
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's still some people questioning his alibi and his story. I mean, I was reading a truck driver blog before I got up here and they said how do you make a wrong turn? The GPS shouldn't lead astray. But Jabin Bogan has maintained his innocence since day one.
Back in April, on his way taking a shipment from Tennessee to Phoenix when he says he was looking at his GPS and all of a sudden, he look up, he took a wrong turn off the freeway and is at the border crossing from El Paso into Juarez.
He said he spoke to a border patrol agent and they waved him through, directed him that he could make a u-turn on the other side of the border at which point the Mexican authorities stopped him and said, hey, you had ammunition, you know you have ammunition in the back of your car -- 268,000 rounds of high-powered ammunition.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
KAYE: Yes.
VALENCIA: This is like some intense firepower. He goes to make the u- turn and gets stopped and gets pulled over. They held him in Mexican federal prison in Vera Cruz, Mexico for seven months before letting him go. He had an emotional press conference yesterday where he maintained his innocence and explained a bit more about what happened.
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JABIN BOGAN, TRUCK DRIVER: I want to say thank you to everybody for the help. Excuse me.
Everybody knows I was coming back home. I was following the GPS and I was watching the road at the same time, and it was a car on my left side, my driver's side. If I could have got over it, I would -- the car would get hit, I probably would have killed somebody.
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VALENCIA: Now, there's very strict laws in Mexico about firearms. Randi, you've been along the border. There are signs everywhere along the border crossings, no firearms, no ammunition. One bullet casing, if you're caught with it, can land you in prison.
So, his charge carried up to 30 years in prison. He was there rotting away for seven months he says.
KAYE: Wow.
BLACKWELL: And we know over the last seven months, there's been some intense negotiations between the Mexican government, the U.S. government. What was the turning point that led to his release?
VALENCIA: Well, there were some intense complications before the negotiations even started. The Mexican media reported shortly after this incident happened in April that he had confessed that he was smuggling this ammunition to two men in Mexico. Of course, he denies that report.
But finally the turning point was the NAACP got involved. A local congresswoman as well in the local area in Dallas, Texas, also got involved. And it took the mayor of El Paso to sign a resolution to say they had his back. They were supporting him. They believed his story.
Again, the company he's worked for maintained his innocence all the time, saying this shipment was destined for Phoenix and that he never intended to cross into El Paso. That border crossing is so small there. It's one of the closest in the world.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
KAYE: Yes, and going into Juarez.
BLACKWELL: That's not a place that you want to go in the last four years. A lot of -- a lot of violence there and said he never intended to go in, but somehow he ended up there. He's very thankful to be back home. He had a family party last night, family reunion and now he's back on U.S. soil. I don't think -- he may want to stay out of Mexico for a little while longer.
KAYE: Yes.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
KAYE: All right, Nick. Thank you very much.
VALENCIA: Yes.
KAYE: Appreciate that.
To some, he was one of the greatest TV villains of all time. To others, he was a dear friend.
BLACKWELL: Celebrities and people around the world are remembering actor Larry Hagman today. We'll talk about what everyone is saying, and we'll read some of the thoughts that have come in through Twitter. That's coming up next.
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KAYE: Welcome back.
Stars in Hollywood, as well as people across the country, are remembering actor Larry Hagman today. His family says the 81-year-old actor died of complications from cancer.
BLACKWELL: You may remember him as the villain J.R. Ewing from "Dallas" or Major Tony Nelson from "I Dream of Jeannie".
And his "Jeannie" co-star Barbara Eden posted this on her Facebook page, "I had the pleasure of watching the Texas tornado that was Larry Hagman. I can honestly say that we've lost not just a great actor, not just a television icon, but an element of pure Americana."
KAYE: I loved role, I love him on "Dallas" as well.
And here's a statement from Hagman's costar Linda Gray. "He was the pied piper of life and brought joy to everyone he knew. He was creative, generous, funny, loving and talented. And I will miss him enormously. He was an original and lived life to the full. The world was a brighter place because of Larry Hagman."
I actually interviewed Linda Gray for the start of the new "Dallas" series.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
KAYE: And he spoke so fondly of him. They really were a team. I mean, they were great as a married couple, but, boy, they were good friends.
BLACKWELL: Yes, he was such a major part of that story line that they had to bring him back when they brought the series back and we'll see how that plays out on air, in the script, in the plot. Larry King tweeted, "I'm shock. Larry Hagman was a dear man who had an incredible career. He helped me to stop smoking. He really was a very special person."
And we know that he smoked for 24 years.
KAYE: Yes.
BLACKWELL: And then quit and became a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society, and we learned from some reporting this morning that the people -- 30, 40 people over the years who say you've been the inspiration.
KAYE: Which he really enjoyed.
BLACKWELL: Yes, to stop me from smoking. So, that was a gift for him.
KAYE: One viewer, Mario, tweeted me, "Larry Hagman was the most charismatic villain TV ever created." No kidding, right. "We loved to hate him. We will miss him." No doubt he's great at being mean.
BLACKWELL: And this is from Carey, a viewer who sent me a tweet. "Like most '60s babies, I grew up watching Larry Hagman. His J.R. Ewing triumph is pure Americana. I'll miss him. Rest in peace, sir."
And a lot of fun memories coming in on Twitter. One from (INAUDIBLE), "An infamous J.R. sealed fame hype for Larry Hagman in 'Dallas'. South Fork will never be the same. What an actor we've lost."
A lot of people remember him today.
KAYE: Yes.
BLACKWELL: This one actually from Peter Fonda. "Rest in peace, my dear, longtime friend and brother. You brought so much fun to everyone's life and so much family to me and my family, always in my heart."
KAYE: And Scott Baio tweeted, "Larry Hagman died. What a sweet kind soul. I was fortunate enough to meet him. What an icon heaven is receiving."
BLACKWELL: Also, from Dominick Monaghan, "A J.R. Ewing has died. Garnered one of the greatest cliffhangers in TV history." You remember who shot J.R.?
KAYE: Of course he's talking about that.
BLACKWELL: An entire summer waiting for that show to come back.
KAYE: I didn't sleep that whole time. I was waiting, like, I had to know who did it.
BLACKWELL: Yes, it was definitely the cliffhanger of that season, and one of the 300 million people who watched it that season-ender. KAYE: Yes. It was -- he was it. I mean, he really was. But he will be missed. I know I'll certainly miss him as the "Dallas" series has to continue now.
BLACKWELL: And continue to send us your tweet. We both have them up on our laptops so if you have something you want to share about your memories of J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman, Major Nelson.
KAYE: Major Nelson.
BLACKWELL: Yes, send that to us.
Thanks for starting your morning with us.
KAYE: We've got much more ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING which starts right now.
