Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Saturday Morning News

Tear Gas Gives Way to Helicopter Attacks in Libya; Arrest Made in East Coast Rapist Case; Wisconsin's Walker to Teachers: Layoffs Will Begin This Week; Baby Boomers Redefining Age: It's More Than Just a Number; Costco Selling Designer Wedding Dresses; Making Money Off of YouTube?

Aired March 05, 2011 - 09:00   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.

The fight for Libya intensifies. Tear gas attacks give way to gunfire from helicopters. CNN is on that story and the growing refugee catastrophe affecting thousands of desperate Libyans.

Police say they've arrested the so-called East Coast Rapist. The man who has eluded capture since the 1990s. Who is the prime suspect? And wait until you hear how police actually cracked this case. Details are coming up.

Despite nearly two weeks of protests, Wisconsin's governor has had enough. He's making good on his threat to issue layoff notices and thousands of teachers could be out of work in a matter of weeks.

It's early and we're on it. From CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It's March 15th, I'm Randi Kaye. Thanks for spending part of your morning with us.

We start this morning in Libya where anti-government forces are celebrating victory today. These are new pictures now from Ras Lanuf. Rebel fighters say their forces have taken control of that city. It's a strategic oil town in eastern Libya. Pro-government forces have been firing at rebels from helicopters.

Our Ben Wedeman who is on the ground there tells us opposition members say they are moving on to the city of Sirte, which is significant because it's actually where Moammar Gadhafi was born. There were also fierce battles today in the streets of Zawiya, that's not far from the capital of Tripoli, about 30 miles to the west. Government forces have apparently retreated from the city center after shooting it out with protesters.

It's a similar story in Tripoli. A U.S. official tells CNN that the protesters are well armed and could carry on the fight for some time. And well armed means tanks and anti-aircraft guns. The heavy fighting has forced tens of thousands to flee for the relative safety of the border. Many are huddled into tent cities at the Tunisian border.

CNN's Ivan Watson is there and he joins me now on the phone. Ivan, can you set the scene for us? We've been watching these dramatic pictures all week of these people huddled on the concrete, sleeping there with very little - with them, no food or money or anything. How many people exactly are we talking about here?

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, more than 100,000 people have crossed the Libyan-Tunisian border alone over the past week and a half. And many of them in very difficult conditions when they cross the border. Forced to sleep outside in the middle of dust storms and rain. Depending on what country you come from, some governments then put their refugees, for instance, India and China, put their citizens in hotels. Other people are really left to fend for themselves.

Randi, I'm joined by a Filipino engineer who had to flee Libya. And his name is Raul Bernali (ph). Sir, you had to spend a couple of days sleeping on the floor here in the airport and in other places. When was the last time you had a shower?

RAUL BERNALI, FILIPINO ENGINEER IN LIBYA (via telephone): The last time I had a shower was around four days ago.

WATSON: And who's feeding you right now, sir?

BERNALI: Actually, the Tunisian airport employee here are supporting (INAUDIBLE) and the people also outside. The Tunisian people are very hospitable with us.

WATSON: How did the Libyans security forces treat when you were trying to get out of Libya? What did they do to you?

BERNALI: Actually, I would say very inhumane. It's a very horrible situation when we encountered these Libyan soldiers. They took all our belongings, laptops, cell phones, money, and whatever they want, they got it.

WATSON: Why would you give that to them? Why would you give your belongings to them? Your money even?

BERNALI: We can't resist because every time - they are (INAUDIBLE) their AK-47. So we were frightened and, I think, I think there - the instruction come from above, from higher position.

KAYE: Hey, Ivan -

BERNALI: That they're going to take all those electronic gadgets. But what they take - they took it all. They took laptops, cell phones, and everything.

WATSON: So, Randi, this is a story we've been hearing again and again from the unfortunate people who have been streaming out by the tens of thousands. And that appears to be a systematic operation on the part of the Libyan security forces to rob these refugees of any electronic devices that could show images of some of the atrocities and the human rights abuses that are being committed inside Libya today. Randi?

KAYE: All right. Ivan Watson there reporting for us on the border. Thank you, Ivan.

And in other news, I've got a new picture of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords to show you this morning. It shows the congresswoman meeting with two of her supporters at the January event in Tucson shortly before the shooting. She's there with Jim and Doris Tucker. Jim Tucker was one of 13 people wounded in the attack. His wife Doris was not injured.

The man charged with shooting Giffords and the others is facing a new indictment this morning. A grand jury in Arizona has added to the charges against the suspect Tucson shooter Jared Loughner. He's now charged with 49 counts including murder, attempted murder and attempted assassination. This new indictment carries the possibility of the death penalty. Loughner is expected to be arraigned on Wednesday.

In Wisconsin, layoffs could be on the way. Governor Scott Walker sent out warning letters to unions. He says massive layoffs are coming in April if a deal is not reached soon on a new budget. Senate Democrats are blocking a vote on the governor's contentious budget which would eliminate collective bargaining rights for public employees. Many states are watching how this one plays out as they look for ways to cut their own budgets.

An Indiana man is suing a local strip club after getting hit in the face by a dancer's stiletto heel. Yes, his attorney says the man is having to get extensive dental work done. The high-heel shoe flew off the dancer's foot while she twirled on the stripper pole. Well, maybe he got just a little too close. You think? Maybe.

Do you think your ideas are worth millions? YouTube is offering you a chance to prove it all the way to the bank. It's a story that pays you to watch. Yes.

Plus, buying that special dress for your wedding. It's time to go to Costco. Yes, Costco.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I doubt (INAUDIBLE) but I don't know, they sell coffins online, so why not wedding dresses?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Roast beef, drill bits, and wedding veils to go, please.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Educating America. The nation's schools and teachers are coming under fire as states deal with budget problems. But you can't blame all of our education problems on the economy.

Here's CNN's Christine Romans with a look at what's coming up on "YOUR BOTTOM LINE."

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Randi, did you know some 1,800 American schools are worse than dropout factories. They get F and are actually getting even worse.

So Randi, how will American kids compete in the world if we can't even get them to graduation? The president yesterday using a once- failing school in Miami to push his reform agenda. We're tackling all the hard choices for fixing America's schools. Should we have longer school days? Summer school? Fire principals? Close schools? Completely retrain failing teachers.

All that plus how to get free college money for scholarships, Randi. That's on "YOUR BOTTOM LINE" at 9:30 a.m. Eastern.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Next hour, we should learn more about yesterday's arrest by U.S. marshals of a 39-year-old man that they suspect of being the East Coast Rapist.

CNN's Susan Candiotti is live in New Haven, Connecticut this morning.

Susan, good morning to you. If this is the right person, how did authorities manage to get this guy after all of these years?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's been a long road for authorities, but they think that they have finally nailed the right man largely through DNA evidence. It's been a long, intensive investigation and has involved a lot of brave victims who cooperated with police. And it is also a story about numbers.

Listen to these numbers. 12 rapes and possibly up to 17 allegedly linked to the same man across four states along the East Coast, which is why they call him the East Coast Rapist. From Virginia to Rhode Island and all over the course of 13 years from 1997 to 2009.

The biggest break seemed to come this past week when authorities received new information that led them to create a web site, put up electronic billboards with composite sketches of this man. And last night, police explained how they found him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. KIM CHENN, PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTRY, VIRGINIA POLICE: In the last few days, the task force received an anonymous tip from a crime solver's caller as well as they were able to put some information together themselves. And both of these things coincided at the same time and they came up with the name of a suspect that was picked up today in new haven by the U.S. marshals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: Police are calling the suspect a brazen, cold-blooded rapist. We'll get more details at the top of the hour from people who were part of a task force made up of federal and local police to try to catch this man. Back to you, Randi. KAYE: All right. Susan Candiotti for us, thank you. That police news conference begins at 10:00 a.m. Eastern and we'll take you there live when it happens.

Meanwhile, let's turn to Reynolds Wolf who is watching the weather for us this morning.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. We're watching a storm system that is stretching from the Great Lakes clear down to the Gulf of Mexico bringing rain, sleet, even some snowfall. And the snow the forming now in parts of the central Great Lakes where we see the state of Michigan, (INAUDIBLE) much of this is snowfall. But in Detroit for the time being, it's mainly a rain event for now.

Let's go right now, live to Detroit. And you can see a little bit of the city. Can't see the top of the building. See the low clouds hanging overhead, just a few raindrops here and there. But later on today, we're expecting those temperatures this morning, mainly in the 40s to drop below the freezing point. And with it, the possibility of one to two inches of snowfall. And then tomorrow the snow moves out and the wind picks up. Where we could see wind gusts topping 25 to perhaps even 30 miles per hour.

Meanwhile, the other big story we're following is what's happening to the south of Michigan. We've got flood watches and warnings that are in effect. Everything you happen to see on the map shaded in green, either bright green or a darker green is where you have your flood watches or warnings. It includes much of the Ohio Valley, eastern third of the Great Lakes, parts of central Michigan and then down into Kentucky, parts of Tennessee, and into the mid Mississippi Valley. So certainly an area of concern for us.

The thing that's making it all happen is the big area of low pressure and the frontal boundary that's going to be pulling through. You see that cold air surging right behind it. Minneapolis, high today 26, 40 for Billings, 58 in Washington, D.C., and 62 in Dallas.

That's a quick shot at your forecast. We got a lot more to share with you coming up. You're watching CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

KAYE: Thank you. Thank you, Reynolds.

WOLF: There you go.

KAYE: And when you think of wedding dresses, names that come to mind include Vera Wang, House of Brides and (INAUDIBLE). Well, add Costco now to the list for those who want glamour on a budget. Yes, Costco.

And this, 50 is the new 30, right? One expert tells us, not so fast. The author of "Between a Rock and a Hot Place: Why 50 is not the New 30" will join us live to talk about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: In "Health Tracker" this morning, baby boomers changing the way we think about aging. Fifty-year-olds used to be considered over the hill. Well, not today, many in their 50s see themselves like 30-year-olds in how they think, how they act, and even the shape they're in. So is 50 the new 30?

Author Tracey Jackson takes on this debate in her new book called "Between a Rock and a Hot Place: Why 50 is Not the New 30."

Tracy, thanks for joining us this morning. You say 50 is not the new 30. So why not?

TRACEY JACKSON, AUTHOR "BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HOT PLACE": Well, there's a lot of reasons, Randi. And one of them is when we start going through at 50 is a very different thing than we do at 30. And when we're 30, we have this whole plan that's been laid out before us. At 50, nobody really tells us what to do. We're sort of left to our own how to get from 50 to 80. So I think a lot of people are really confused. Life looks very different at this stage. And we look better, we feel better, we have much more energy, but society hasn't always caught up to where we are.

KAYE: So what is it that you wish someone had told you before you turned 50?

JACKSON: I wish someone had given me a plan. I wish someone had said, "you know, there's a lot of things that are going to change. You need to know where you're going. Emotionally, financially, when your kids move out, in terms of work." It's a huge change. And people just don't prepare you. They prepare you when you're 20, but they don't prepare you when you're 50.

KAYE: So how do you start with a plan like that?

JACKSON: Well, I think you look at your life and you see what's working and what's not. Is your career working? Does it look like someone's coming up behind you? Is your company being downsized? I think everybody should have a plan B because most boomers are going to have to get to 80 or 70 career working? Does it look like someone's coming up behind you? Has your company been downsized?

I think everybody should have a plan "b." Because most boomers will have to get to 70 at least in the workforce. Social security's not going to be there, salaries have been cut. What are you going to do? I think it's a hugely important thing. When your kids move out, you've been a mom for 20 years, how are you going to fill that time?

KAYE: I want to talk about these five key tips for an awesome 50 and beyond that are part of your book. The first one you said would be exercise.

JACKSON: Oh, so important. You've got to really move. So many people in this country. There's 2/3 of America is obese right now. The one thing you can do. If you don't have your health, you can't go anywhere. You can't do anything. This is a time when your body does start to break down. But you can change that. You can work out. If you work out between five and six days a week, you can almost assure yourself a really good next 20 years. KAYE: That sounds good.

JACKSON: It's essential.

KAYE: And what about another tip you have is make a 30-year plan. What does a 30-year plan look like?

JACKSON: Well, I think - think about it when you were 20, Randi. You had a plan. You had a career plan, you had an emotional plan. If you wanted to get married, have children. You really sort of had a blueprint. At 50, we don't really do that. So where do you want to be in 30 years? How do you envision the next 30 years of your life playing out? A lot of people just say sort of say, "oh, well, now I'm 50, I'm going to retire, life is going to be what it is."

But no, be active. Make a plan for yourself, have things to look forward to. Where do you want to be in the next 20 to 25 years?

KAYE: Yes, otherwise you can really get left behind. So you take stock of your life and you find an older mentor? Why do you think that's a good idea?

JACKSON: Well, I like that because there are people in my life that I look at who are - I have a couple of women in their 80s and they're active, they're working, they're vibrant. They don't feel irrelevant. They get up every day with energy. They have something to do. And I look to those women and I think, yes, that looks really good. That's something I could do too. I don't think we take enough advantage of the older people who are really active and engaged in the world. And I think it scares people to age. But if they look at people who are actually living really full lives, it's not quite as scary. And I think that's why we do this whole 30 thing.

KAYE: It's so true when I see an older woman who is you know, well-dressed, taking care of herself, she's fit. It's very inspiring. So I think that's a great tip. We'll have to leave it there, Tracey. We're out of time. Tracey Jackson with her great book. So pick up a copy if you can check it out. Tracey, thanks again.

JACKSON: Thank you, it's been great.

KAYE: They're not just for grins anymore. So how much can you make posting videos like these on YouTube? Try six figures. Yes, it's true. We'll show you what sells.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: If you're looking for a wedding dress, look no further than your local Costco. Yes, the big box retailer has launched a new wedding line by designer Kirstie Kelly. As you can expect, people are on both sides of the aisle on this one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WENDI HRONCICH, WEDDING PLANNER: Getting your wedding cake there or maybe your flowers to save some money is one thing, but your dress? MARY HALTINER, COSTCO CUSTOMER: (INAUDIBLE) I don't know, they sell coffins online, so why not wedding dresses?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Special dressing rooms have been built in Costco stores for the bridal pilot program. Still, I don't think you're going to get them cheap, prices range from $700 to about $2,000 for a wedding dress from Costco.

YouTube is a guilty pleasure for millions of people. And now some of those videos you've been watching are making big bucks for people. CNN's Jason Carroll tells us exactly how it's done.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Whether it's David after the dentist or cats who slap, YouTube is not only a place for laughs, some are now laughing all the way to the bank.

ANNIE BAXTER, YOUTUBE SPOKESWOMAN: They're making more than six figures a year making very, very funny videos for YouTube, educational videos, how-to videos, and the program is growing and growing.

CARROLL: What's growing is YouTube's partner program. Here's how it works. If creators of popular videos like this one -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two half double crochet -

CARROLL: Showing viewers how to crotchet allow ads to appear alongside, YouTube splits the ad revenue with the creator. Michelle Fan (ph) is making thousands just showing women how to apply make-up. Rob (INAUDIBLE) is doing the same instructing on origami.

So far, YouTube says 15,000 people worldwide are in their partner program. They're shy on specifics but estimate hundreds are making six figures or more a year. Thousands are making about $1,000 per month, and a few are pulling in more than $1 million per year.

(on camera): When you look at the odds of making the real money, what are the odds here that we're really talking about?

JESSI HEMPEL, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: OK. They're pretty slim. Let's be frank. I wouldn't encourage anybody to just go up today, quit their job and start uploading, you know, videos on YouTube.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, everybody.

CARROLL (voice-over): Actually Emily Kim did quit her job at a non-profit after making enough money in the program with her Korean cooking tips.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's my hand, see.

CARROLL: Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Well, all you have to do is say Charlie Sheen and you have people's attention. He's become somewhat of a freak show. Millions just can't seem to stop watching. The self-proclaimed warlock's next move just might surprise you, though.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Checking top stories.

In Libya, we've been getting reports within the past couple of hours of more battles and helicopters attacking rebel positions in eastern Libya as fighting there enters their 19th day. President Obama calling for long-time leader Moammar Gadhafi to step aside. Reports of renewed fighting suggests that advice is not being heeded.

A half hour from now, in New Haven, Connecticut, a police conference is set to begin where we expect to learn more about Friday's arrest of the so-called East Coast Rapist. He's described as a 39-year-old truck driver. Police say his DNA links him to a string of sexual assaults that span four states since the late 1990s. We'll take you there live to that news conference at the top of the hour.

And hold on, Haiti, troubled Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen says he's going to the earthquake-ravaged island at the invitation of friend and fellow actor Sean Penn.

"YOUR BOTTOM LINE" with Christine Romans starts right now.