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CNN SUNDAY MORNING

Body Found in Ohio Believed to be Jessie Marie Davis; Death by Hanging for Chemical Ali; Fake Caller ID

Aired June 24, 2007 - 09:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're glad it's over. I mean, they wanted closure. Everybody needs closure to something like this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: After 10 days of searching, a body believed to be a missing pregnant woman is found. Her boyfriend, a police officer, now facing double murder charges.

That is our top story this morning.

It's Sunday June 24th. Good morning. Thanks for sharing it with us today. We have a lot to tell you about.

I'm Betty Nguyen.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm T.J. Holmes. Glad you all are here.

Also ahead, you all know about I.D. theft. We've got something else for you to worry about now. It's called I.D. spoofing. And it could be police to your door.

NGUYEN: Plus, check it out. He could spoil the presidential party. New York mayor Michael Bloomberg goes Independent.

HOLMES: Yes. Which fellow New York will be hurt the most if he jumps into the presidential race. We're going to take a closer look at that this morning.

NGUYEN: But we do start with new information in the disappearance of Jessie Marie Davis, a pregnant Ohio woman. There is word now that the suspected father of her unborn child may have led investigators to the body. He is already in custody facing murder charges.

CNN's Jim Acosta is live in Canton, Ohio, this morning as developments occur.

Jim, what do you know so far?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, a source close to the search for Jessie Davis tells CNN that investigators were directed to the body that is presumed to be that of the missing pregnant 26- year-old mother by the father of her unborn child, the suspected father of her unborn child, the man in custody this morning, Bobby Cutts Jr. But authorities are not confirming that information, saying their investigation is still ongoing.

But what we do know is this, that yesterday afternoon, about 3:30 in the afternoon, a body presumed to be that of Jessie Davis, a pregnant woman, was found in a county park up in Summit County. That is the neighboring county to the north of here, and that part is just adjacent to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It was a very deeply- wooded area just about an hour north of there, and some time either before or after that discovery authorities took into custody 30-year- old Canton police officer Bobby Cutts Jr. He is the ex-boyfriend of Jessie Davis, also the father of her 2-year-old son, and also believed to be the father of that unborn little girl that was -- who was going to be named Chloe.

He was taken into custody yesterday and is now waiting in jail here at the Stark County Sheriff's Department behind me.

After a press conference yesterday afternoon in which the authorities here detailed as much as they could about this investigation, an attorney for the family of Jessie Davis, Rick Pitinii, who has been speaking on behalf of this family throughout this entire ordeal, said that the family is now grieving in private and wishes to be left along during this difficult time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK PITINII, DAVIS FAMILY ATTORNEY: They have gone through an absolute roller coaster of emotions. I've seen them laugh, I've seen them cry, I've seen them be angry, upset, everything you can imagine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And Bobby Cutts Jr. is now facing two counts of murder. One for Jessie Davis, one for the baby that may be his own child. He is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow afternoon, according to one local paper, to be arraigned and have his charges formally read to him.

The local prosecutor handling the case says that while those charges are pending at this point, they could be elevated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN FERRERO, STARK COUNTY PROSECUTOR: We will vigorously prosecute this case. We will take this to a court of law. And we will prosecute, as I said, vigorously.

As it stands right now, he is facing two counts of murder, which is the murder of Jessie Davis, and also her unborn child.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And an autopsy is expected to be performed on that body that is presumed to be that of Jessie Marie Davis. No word yet though when those results might come back -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Jim, let me ask you this. Any word that other arrests may occur in this case?

ACOSTA: No. And that is -- that is something that we're all waiting to hear.

The authorities yesterday told all of us that their investigation is still ongoing. There is one local newspaper report out there that they are searching for -- or that they searched through the home of a local woman.

It's not clear at this point whether or not that search is connected to this case. Authorities have yet to confirm that, although that is what the "Canton Repository," the local paper here in Canton, is reporting this morning.

NGUYEN: Yes, we're going to get some more information on that from Avery Friedman, who's going to be joining us. He's a law professor. Also, they're advising the local police department.

Jim, thank you for that.

ACOSTA: Sure.

HOLMES: Well, the family is said to be grieving in private. The community in Canton mourning as well. Thousands of volunteers came together to search for the missing woman, hoping for the best, accepting the worst.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We put all the effort into it, the community put all the effort into it. And, you know, I just don't have words to say how everybody feels right now. It's -- we're human, we get close to the families, we get emotional at the end of the day, we have real tears. And we'll be back for the funeral and continue to support this family and this community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And again, an autopsy is being done today in hopes of positively identifying the body, also possibly getting a cause of death.

Well, Canton's police chief says Cutts' involvement gives the department a black eye.

NGUYEN: Yes. Before becoming an officer, Cutts was arrested in 1998 for breaking into the home of a former girlfriend. He was still on probation for that when he went to work for the Canton Police Department in 2000.

Now, in 2003, he was almost fired from the force when a gun he owned was found in the home of a suspected drug dealer. Cutts had been on paid leave during the investigation, and earlier this week a local newspaper reported a reporter spoke with Cutts and asked if he was involved in the disappearance of Davis.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

TODD PORTER: Bobby, did you have anything at all to do with the disappearance of Jessie?

BOBBY CUTTS JR.: No, I didn't.

PORTER: Have authorities given you any indication if you're a suspect?

CUTTS: I mean, they continue to say that I'm not a suspect, but, I mean, I would be dumb and naive to think that they weren't treating me as a suspect by different things I've had to go through in the past couple of days.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

NGUYEN: The newspaper also reporting now that investigators have searched the apartment of a former high school classmate of Cutts, the person that Jim Acosta was alluding to. Now, this person may also be a former girlfriend. Earlier, as I mentioned, we spoke with attorney Avery Friedman about the involvement of a second person.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AVERY FRIEDMAN, ATTORNEY: Well, according, again, to the information that was text over to the local affiliate in Cleveland, the information was that this woman and Mr. Cutts had dated. They were long-time friends. They went to high school together.

The name of the individual was actually put in the text information. So it's pretty specific.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Now, police reportedly confiscating cell phones from the former girlfriend's apartment, as well as cleaning products.

We're going to stay on top of this story.

HOLMES: Well, another story now. An arrest has been made in another murder mystery. This one near Chicago.

Christopher Vaughn (ph) has been charged in the death of his wife and three children. Kimberly Vaughn (ph), and the children, ages 12, 11, and 8, were found shot to death in their SUV on June 14th. Christopher Vaughn (ph) was found nearby with gunshot wounds to his leg and arm. He was taken into custody at the funeral home right before the memorial services for his family.

NGUYEN: And the families of Virginia Tech shooting victims didn't get what they wanted, but they got something during the meeting with the governor yesterday. Governor Tim Kaine says relatives will get access to a panel investigating the campus massacre, but he stopped short of giving them a seat on that panel, which is what they want.

Meanwhile, an adviser working with the families says the April shooting was preventable and that Virginia Tech officials dropped the ball.

HOLMES: To Iraq now.

More American troops have died there. The military says eight soldiers and an airman were killed by bombs or small arms fire in Baghdad, and in Tikrit, north of the capital. Two other soldiers died of non-combat causes, according to the military. All this happened yesterday.

This month, 81 American service members have died in Iraq, 3,558 have died since the war began.

Another former member of the Saddam Hussein regime facing death. The man known as "Chemical Ali" has been sentenced to death by hanging for directing a genocide campaign against Iraqi Kurds in the 1980s.

Let's go live now to CNN's Hala Gorani, standing by for us live in Baghdad.

Hello, Hala.

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello.

Ali Hassan al-Majid, he was one of the most feared men in Iraq. He stood before his accusers today wearing traditional Arab dress, muttering "Thank God" twice when the judge sentenced him to death by hanging. He was accused and convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity, as well as genocide.

Four of five other top Saddam Hussein aides were also convicted today of either war crimes, crimes against humanity, or conducting a chemical raid and chemical attacks on the Kurdish population in the northern part of Iraq in 1988. It was called the Anfal Campaign. And according to human rights groups and Kurdish groups, they killed between tens of thousands of people to up to 180,000 people.

Now, the defense team of Chemical Ali, Ali Hassan al-Majid, has told CNN that they plan to appeal this sentence and this ruling, and they have called this trial political. Now, once the appeals are exhausted, if they are all rejected, then the court can order the execution of Chemical Ali and four of his co-defendants at any time -- T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Hala Gorani on this story for us, live from Baghdad.

Hala, thank you so much.

We've got a note for you here. Lieutenant General Ray Odierno will be a guest on "LATE EDITION" later this morning. He'll discuss the latest U.S.-led military offensive against insurgents in Iraq and the increasing death toll. NGUYEN: Want to tell you about a happy home coming for shuttle astronauts. A hero's welcome, in fact, in Houston, reuniting with their families after 14 long days in space. The mission was extended because of a problem with the shuttle's heat blanket, computer complications on the space station, and bad weather at the landing site in Florida.

Also back home is astronaut Suni Williams, who broke a record by spending more than 195 days in space. So welcome home, Suni.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, for most of us, having (ph) a bank is a pretty natural thing, but it turns out that up to 28 million people in the U.S. do without a bank account. That's about one in 12 families, according to the Federal Reserve. The bankless tend to be minority, low income and young. Some just don't trust financial institutions. Others can't handle the fees or the language barrier.

NGUYEN: Well, when your bank or anyone else calls, what's the first thing that you do? The answer used to be pick up the phone. Well, now many of us will check that caller I.D. before we even say hello. But the name on the display could be fake.

CNN's Paula Zahn reports on a disturbing new trend.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA ZAHN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Sharpshooters surround an apartment building in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Police respond to a desperate call from a woman who says she's being held hostage.

A S.W.A.T. team shuts down the entire neighborhood. But it was all a hoax.

Pranksters had fooled the authorities by faking the number on caller I.D. I.D. spoofing allows a caller to alter the name and phone number that appears on the caller I.D. display of the person they're calling.

KRIS MONTEITH, FCC: The commission is deeply concerned about reports that caller I.D. information is being manipulated for fraudulent or deceptive purposes.

ZAHN: Senators in the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee held a full hearing the topic of I.D. spoofing, in a push for new laws to protect consumers.

RON JONES, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REG. UTILITY COMM.: Caller I.D. spoofing is a key tool in identity theft efforts by criminals. The Federal Trade Commission reports that 10 million individuals are victims of identity theft each year, and identity theft is the number one consumer complaint. ZAHN: The possibilities are endless. Fake a call from a credit card company, a local courthouse, even the White House. A thief might spoof the number of your bank and even trick you into giving away sensitive financial information.

JERRY CERASALE, DIRECT MARKETING ASSOCIATION: I think you have to look at this as telephone phishing. And it starts with the banks -- "Please give me your number. We have a problem with our computer system and I need it." So those kinds of things are what we're starting to see.

ZAHN: Dozens of Web sites make it easy to do. Some are free. Others require the purchase of a calling card. Some even have features to mask your voice or record the call.

SASCHA SEGAN, "PC" MAGAZINE: You punch in your real number, the number you're calling, and then the number you want it to appear to be from, the fake number. So my phone's ringing here. I'll pick it up. It tells me I'm being connected, but look here.

ZAHN (on camera): It says a call from the White House.

SEGAN: Yes. Not from my BlackBerry. And as you can tell, I'm not George Bush.

ZAHN: So the bottom line is, the caller I.D. system is nothing more than the honor system and you can pretend to be anybody you want.

SEGAN: Exactly. It's no more trustworthy than the return address on an envelope.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, Paris...

NGUYEN: There's always Paris.

HOLMES: Always Paris. Just days away from freedom, she is. And she's going to be leaving her California jail cell. And she's ready to talk. It's the interview everybody is waiting to hear.

We've got it. We didn't pay for it. And we'll tell you when the interview is coming up.

NGUYEN: Well, here's some other news that a lot of people are watching. The body of a missing pregnant woman is found. Her boyfriend stands accused of her murder. Now that the search for Jessie Davis has ended, the hunt for justice starts.

We're going to have much more on this. That is next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Welcome back, everybody. You're watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

Thanks for being here.

I'm Betty Nguyen.

HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes. Hello to you all.

Up first this morning, or this half hour, a big story -- breaking story from yesterday, and a sad one, new information on the disappearance of Jessie Marie Davis. Police believe they have found her body there in a national park there in Ohio. CNN has learned that Davis' boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend, Bobby Cutts, Jr. may have provided the directions. CNN's Jim Acosta has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After 10 days of searching for missing 26-year-old pregnant mom, Jessie Marie Davis, authorities combing the nearby Cuyahoga Valley National Park make a grim discovery.

CHIEF DEP RICK PEREZ, STARK CO SHERIFF'S OFFICE: At approximately 3:30 p.m. today, we recovered the body of what, who we believe to be, as Jessie Marie Davis in Summit County, Ohio.

ACOSTA: Attorney Rick Pitinii spoke on behalf of Davis' grieving family members who are coming to grips with the conclusion that Jessie and her soon to be born baby girl are presumed dead.

PITINII: They have gone through an absolute roller coaster of emotions. I've seen them laugh, I've seen them cry, and I've seen them be angry, upset. Everything you can imagine.

ACOSTA: Also difficult to comprehend is the man charged with two counts of murder in connection with the case, 30-year-old Bobby Cutts, Jr., the victim's boyfriend and father of the couple's 2-year-old son, Blake. He is not stranger to the world of law enforcement.

CHIEF DEAN MCKIMM, CANTON, OHIO POLICE: Much has been made of the fact that an officer of the Canton Police Department has been charged in this investigation. There is no denying that this is a result of giving our department a black eye in the opinion of the local community as well as the opinion of the people across the nation.

ACOSTA: Stark County prosecutor, John Farrero, says it's too early to say whether he has a death penalty case on his hands, adding that pending charges could be elevated.

JOHN FERRERO, START CO PROSECUTOR: We will vigorously prosecute this case. We will take this to the court of law and we will prosecute, as I said, vigorously. As it stands right now, he is facing two counts of murder, which is the murder of Jessie Davis and also her unborn child.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Canton, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, an autopsy today could provide positive identification of the body.

NGUYEN: But a cause of death may still be a long way off.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCKIMM: Despite the fact that law enforcement's best efforts could not return Jessie safely back to her family, I sincerely hope that the closure this information brings and the promise of pending justice allows her family to return some semblance of normalcy to their lives as quickly as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And Bobby Cutts, Jr. facing two murder charges. But the prosecutor says those charges could be elevated.

NGUYEN: Bobby Cutts suspected involvement in this case is making it even harder on the family of Jessie Marie Davis. Here's what the missing woman's mother said a little bit earlier this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICIA PORTER, JESSIE DAVIS' MOTHER: Bobby Cutts is my son's -- my grandson's father. This is the most painful part of this whole thing for me, is that I pray every day that it's not Bobby Cutts. That is my prayer, that it's not me. I want it to be someone who doesn't even know us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Again, Bobby Cutts, Jr. facing two counts of murders suspected in the deaths of Jessie Marie Davis and her unborn child. Now, his formal arraignment is scheduled for tomorrow.

HOLMES: Death by hanging, that's the sentence handed down this morning for the infamous "Chemical Ali" for genocide against Iraqi Kurds. Ali Hassan al-Majid was found guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide related to an Iraqi army offensive in the late 1980s. Up to 100,000 Kurds were killed. Two other defendants of Saddam Hussein's former regime also being sent to the gallows and two were sentenced to life.

NGUYEN: More Americans have died in Iraq. The military says eight soldiers and an airman were killed by bombs or small arms fire in Baghdad. And in Tikrit, north of the capital, two others died of non-combat causes, according to the military. All this happened yesterday. This month alone, 81 American troops have died Iraq.

CNN correspondents will be discussing the military offensive in Iraq, also some new accusations of Iran's involvement in Iraq. Plus, the situation in North Korea. Join Jamie McIntyre has he hosts THIS WEEK AT WAR, that's today at 1:00.

Also want to give you this programming note: Lieutenant General Ray Odierno will be a guest on LATE EDITION, that's a little bit later this at 11:00 Eastern.

HOLMES: Going to turn to politics now -- New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg says he's not running for president, but his decision to lead the Republican Party fuelling speculation. CNN's John King with the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was as close as he has come to saying, "forget about it."

MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (I), NEW YORK: I'm not running for president and I'm going to be mayor for the next 925 days...

KING: But some still don't buy it. After all this, was just a day after Michael Bloomberg disclosed switching his voter registration from Republican to unaffiliated, a change interpreted by many as a big step toward an Independent presidential run. Not so, the mayor says.

BLOOMBERG: I've got the greatest job in the world and I'm going to keep doing it.

KING: Yet he won't say absolutely positively no. And he intends to keep up cross-country travels where he's finding high powered encouragement.

GOV ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: Well, (INAUDIBLE) I think he will make an excellent candidate.

BLOOMBERG: Well, he's a very smart guy and I'm very flattered that he'd say it.

KING: Democratic pollster, Stan Greenberg, doesn't think Bloomberg can win, but bets he finds the prospect of being in the presidential debates irresistible.

STAN GREENBERG, DEMOCRATIC POLLSTER: Why not? I mean, first of all there's the real chance of, you know, of running in a year that has the feel of a Perot-like year. You know, he runs against politics, he runs against Washington...

KING: Bloomberg is anything but a conventional politics, a billionaire not afraid to bankroll his own campaigns. The one-time Democrat, turned Republican, turned Independent, a balance the budge business man, with liberal views on abortion, gay rights, and gun control. Republican strategist, Scott Reed says the Democrats have the most to worry about.

SCOTT REED, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: If he runs, there will be two liberals in the race versus one Republican. So, unlike the Perot phenomenon that really hurt Republicans, this has a chance to hurt Democrats.

KING: During a subway ride a year ago, Mayor Bloomberg was already testing a national message.

BLOOMBERG: We keep bringing down crime, we keep improving our school system, we keep providing more services and creating more jobs and more affordable housing and improving our cultural institution...

KING: A constant theme is that both parties are either ducking the big issues, like Social Security reform and climate change, or being unrealistic. He cites immigration as a case in point.

BLOOMBERG: The real world is complex. The real world is not what you see in Congress where they stand up and say, we should deport 12 million people.

KING: While Bloomberg says he's not running, a few close advisers are meticulously researching what it would take.

REED: About how to qualify to get on the ballot, about what the rigors of a national campaign are like, and they're asking all the right questions. Will he go all the way? Nobody knows, but he clearly has made himself a player for the next nine or 10 months.

KING: And being a player suites Bloomberg just fine.

John King, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Oh, all right. Party switching, campaigning, also a new political ad spoof. Candidates mixing it up a bit last week. Here to talk about all things politics, Ken Rudin, political editor for "NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO."

Good to see you, sir.

KEN RUDIN, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: Good morning.

HOLMES: Is he running or not? Do you buy it when he says he's not?

RUDIN: Yeah, he's not running in 2007, but he doesn't have to run in 2007. I suspect that by next February, when we see the Democratic and Republican nominees for president are, he can make his decision. First of all, you know, anybody with $500 million ready to spend in a presidential election doesn't have to decide right away. Last year, Barack Obama was talking about he was not intending to run and he's one of the leading candidates today. So, we've seen it before.

HOLMES: So, there's absolutely no way that he switched to an Independent for no reason. You think he knows exactly what he's doing and setting himself up in case he decides to get in next year. RUDIN: Well, I'm not sure he knows exactly what he's doing, but I think exactly what you say is correct that he -- just in case, at the end of the -- we see that the polls show President Bush very unpopular, the Democratic Congress very unpopular, there's a crying out for a nonpartisan, nonpolitical approach to things and perhaps the Mayor Bloomberg brings that into play.

HOLMES: Or, is there any more logic, if he's not thinking about it, is there any other reason for switching to independent right now?

RUDIN: Well, I guess the fact is, you know, his term for mayor is up in 2009. He wants to stay in the mix. He was never political until he won that unlikely election in 2001. And, but ultimately, I really think that there are a lot of people who working with him who feel that the way to go, the way to bring his nonpartisan message to the country is to run for president.

HOLMES: All right, I know it's early, he said he's not running and all that, but hey, this is what we do is speculate when we're talking politics. If he were to get into the race, is he a real threat to win this thing, or could he just be a thorn in the side of the other candidates?

RUDIN: Well, you know, $500 million does go -- goes a long way, but we saw with Ross Perot with his millions and millions of dollars, when he ran in 1992, he got 19 million votes, the most in history, but how many states did he carry? Zero. How many electoral votes did he win? Zero. So, they don't really win. I think they really take away from other candidates. Ross Perot really hurt George -- President Bush -- the first President Bush. I think George Wallace, when he ran as an Independent in '68, hurt Hubert Humphrey. Ultimately, I think, third-party and Independent candidates affect the outcome and take away from other candidates, but they don't win.

HOLMES: Who is he going to take away from, Democrat or the Republican?

RUDIN: Well, I think Rudy Giuliani is not happy with the fact that his successor, the guy he endorsed in 2001 is running, but ultimately, given his views on gay rights and abortion and guns and global warming and things like that, ultimately, an Independent Bloomberg candidacy would hurt the Democrats.

HOLMES: OK, and last thing on Bloomberg, here. How long could he really wait before he jumped in? Like you said, he's got half a billion dollars sitting in the bank he could use.

RUDIN: Exactly. I mean, he doesn't have to compete in Iowa and New Hampshire or the early primary states. He could take his time. He does have to find out when -- if he's going to get on the ballot in all 50 states as an Independent, when that deadline is. But again, I don't think he has to do anything until next February, at the earliest, and see who the Democrats and Republicans put up.

HOLMES: All right, let's turn now to the Clinton video, the Hillary Clinton spoof, "The Soprano's." It was -- you know, people thought it was funny, a lot of people did. It was catchy, it played off something that was real popular at the time, but still you got others out there that are criticizing her for doing this and also criticizing the song that was chosen. Now, is any of this going to matter down the road? This is just something we're going talk about on this Sunday and it won't be talk about again?

RUDIN: No, I think we'll talk about this at least another 15 minutes. That's about it. I mean, look, look, look -- every body -- the problem with Hillary Clinton or at least with many of the people who watch her is that she's not human enough, she's not -- you know, she's not cuddly enough, she's too calculated.

Well, this commercial, this kind of cute video does make her look more fun. But ultimately, I don't think people are going to vote on whether she's fun or whether Celone -- Celine Dion is going to be the song that everybody likes. So, ultimately it'll be more than that.

But, a lot of voters are already turning out, even though we're months away from Iowa and New Hampshire, a lot of voters are already turning out and perhaps this is a kind of way to keep people interested.

HOLMES: Now, is it -- and again, you said maybe the 15 minutes, but on down the road, because there's criticism coming that, you know, you're playing off of a show that glorified violence and play off a guy who's a sociopath and all that, and why would she do something like that? I mean, is any of that stuff going to even matter or plague her at all down the road?

RUDIN: No. I think it just -- as I say, I think it humanizes her. Look, Bill Clinton, 1992, I think announced his candidacy on the Arsenio Hall show.

HOLMES: Yep.

RUDIN: I'm not confusing Arsenio Hall with Tony Soprano, but the fact is, a lot of it is entertainment and I think it does not hurt.

HOLMES: All right, Ken Rudin, I think that's going to be it about the Clinton spoof video we didn't even last the 15...

RUDIN: Fourteen more minutes running time.

HOLMES: All right. Ken Rudin, good to see you, sir. Thank you so much.

RUDIN: Thanks a lot.

HOLMES: And once again, CNN is raising the bar on the presidential debates. On Monday, July 23 the Democratic candidates square off in a CNN/YouTube debate. Anderson Cooper hosts the first of its kind event, live and interactive, on TV and online. You can see the Republican candidates debate on Monday, September 17, only on your home for politics, CNN -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right, what time is it where you are? Here it's 9:42 Eastern. So, are your kids still asleep in bed? Well, one presidential candidate wants them up, working. That's right. Chris Dodd says it is time to put America's youth to work. So, how does he plan to do that? Well, CNN's Rick Sanchez puts him in the Sunday spotlight, that is tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 7:00 Pacific.

Mobile homes meant to help hurricane victims are finally on the move, but it won't be storm survivors living in these homes. These trailers finally being put to good use. We're tell you who's getting them, that's next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And parts of the southeast are desperate for some is rainfall and today may be a lucky day. I'll tell you how long that rain may last and what you can expect in your neighborhood as we round out the weekend. That's coming up, right here on CNN Sunday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, this just in to CNN -- look at these pictures, 230 people have been killed after heavy rains have caused buildings in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, to collapse. We understand from an official, which runs the morgue, that many of the victims came from a cluster of villages with mud houses and other flimsy structures.

Now, want to give you more indication as to what caused most of these deaths. Many of them from collapsing homes, but also snapped power lines electrocuted many people in separate incidents and we have learned that a relief camp, in fact, has been set up to provide food, medicine and shelter to those people whose homes were destroyed. You can see a lot of people seeking emergency aid because of, not only, the rains, but the snapped power lines that have electrocuted several people.

Again, just wanted to reiterate that more than 230 people have been killed after heavy rains have caused buildings in Pakistan's largest city of Karachi to simply collapse. We'll stay on top of this story and bring you more as soon as it develops.

Now, we also have another story to tell you out of New Hampshire that gives new meaning to the phrase "paying at the pump." Last weekend, a pump at this Getty gas station, in the town of Epping, may have said unleaded, but dozens of drivers who filled up got diesel instead. Yeah, that'll do some damage. And people filling at the diesel pump, well, they got unleaded. What a mix-up.

Getty says that a delivery driver is to blame for that mix-up. And a Getty spokesman says the company will pay any repair costs. Well, get ready to write some checks.

HOLMES: Well, mobile homes now on the move. You've seen these pictures, thousands of large trailer homes set aside for victims of Hurricane Katrina, but instead sitting empty. Now, many of them may soon be put to use. CNN's Susan Roesgen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Since Hurricane Katrina, this is the scene that has amazed and angered people and politicians across the country. Even President Bush has demanded to know why thousands of unused mobile homes have been sitting empty in an Arkansas field. Your tax dollars, more than 300 million, paid for these mobile homes intended to help ease the burden on those hit hardest by Katrina, but because of various federal rules, only a few hundred of these actually reached hurricane victims on the Gulf Coast.

SEN TIM JOHNSON (D), SOUTH DAKOTA: This was a huge investment. All of them are sitting out in the mud in Hope, Arkansas, right now. It seems to me that they ought to be able to part with at least some of them for some of the housing crisis problems we have in Indian country.

ROESGEN: South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson has been trying for the last year to get FEMA to send some of the mobile homes to Indian reservations where decent housing is in short supply. Now, after months of negotiations, Johnson's office says the federal government has agreed to release 2,000 mobile homes by calling them "surplus inventory," freeing them up to be sent to Indian reservations in South Dakota and other states out West. The rest of these mobile homes will remain unused, for now, still on standby, awaiting the next disaster.

Susan Roesgen, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Time for our turn to weather and that guy, Reynolds Wolf, making his triumphant return to the weekend, here, again.

Good to have you back this weekend, sir.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: All right.

NGUYEN: Thank you.

WOLF: You bet, you guys.

HOLMES: Well, from protest to the patty wagon. What send Jesse Jackson to an Illinois jail this weekend?

NGUYEN: And kissing couples pucker up, they are trying to break a world record. Going to see all the smooching, next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: The Reverend Jesse Jackson arrested in suburban Chicago. Jackson and other activists were demonstrating outside a gun shop, yesterday, and he was cuffed and charged with criminal trespassing. Jackson and other activists have held several protests outside that store in recent weeks following the fatal shooting of 16-year-old honor student on a bus. NGUYEN: In Washington, U.S. park police arrested 16 people outside the White House, Saturday, for refusing to move on when ordered to. They were part of a group of activists protesting the treatment of detainees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This group is staging a 24-hour vigil in LaFayette Park.

HOLMES: Well, it is that time for us to check in with Howard Kurtz, in Washington, to see what's ahead on CNN's RELIABLE SOURCES.

Good morning to you, sir.

HOWARD KURTZ, RELIABLE SOURCES: Good morning, T.J. Coming up, the networks have been battling it out for Paris Hilton's first post- jail interview. What a huge scoop that is. And some put money on the table. Isn't this just checkbook journalism?

Political reporters swoon over another non-candidate, New York's Michael Bloomberg, but he says he's not running for president. What gives?

And CBS's Laura Logan from Baghdad on an exclusive story that made the U.S. military look good for a change.

That, plus the big TV showdown Kurtz versus Bill O'Reilly, ahead on RELIABLE SOURCES.

HOLMES: You -- you go get him! Mr. Kurtz, you go get him, man, we'll be watching. All right, thanks so much, Howard.

NGUYEN: Well, thousands of couples, they're getting it, kind of. Lip-locking, that is, all for a common cause. You're watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Better pucker up, all you lads and lasses, because it is time for the big kiss-off.

HOLMES: Thirty thousand couple, specifically, kissing-off in Glastonbury, England for the event. The purpose was to smash the world record. You may recall that world record was recently set in Hungry by about 6,400 couples.

NGUYEN: And this event, as you might have guessed, organized by an on-line dating service, specifically match.com. And from the looks of it, pretty successful in matching up a few people.

(LAUGHTER)

HOLMES: Thirty thousand, specifically.

NGUYEN: All right, enough of that.

HOLMES: Oh.

OK, yes, and moving on to another record, now. With this landing, a pilot, one step closer to becoming the youngest person to fly solo around the world. Twenty-three-year-old Barrington Irving touched down in Houston on Saturday. He's said the land in Miami Wednesday after a 21,000 mile trip. And if he makes it, he sets two records. He'll be the youngest pilot, also the first black pilot to fly solo around the globe. Good luck to you, there Barrington.

NGUYEN: Yeah. Well, RELIABLE SOURCES with Howard Kurtz is up next. And hot topics: Paying for Paris. The buzz this week that Hilton might be talking to NBC for a million bucks and that is raising serious questions about checkbook journalism.

And then at 11:00 Eastern, Wolf Blitzer, who never engages in checkbook journalism, he discusses the latest U.S.-led military offensive against insurgent strongholds in Iraq and the increasing death toll, as well. His guest, a commander with coalition forces, there.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com

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