Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Saturday Morning News

Airline Glitch Strands Passengers; Obama Versus Boehner; Couple Explain Riot Kissing Photo; Hiring Probationers on the Farm; Anthony Trial Enters 4th Week

Aired June 18, 2011 - 06:00   ET

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


ANNOUNCER: From CNN's World Headquarters bringing you news and analysis from across the nation and around the globe, live from Studio 7, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING with T.J. Holmes.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour here on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Hello to you all.

Two words no passenger wants to hear, computer glitch. We've got some long lines and stranded passengers. After, yes, United Airlines said they had a computer glitch. They say it's fixed now, but the pain may be not over for all of those travelers.

Also, on this Saturday, we'll be watching the Casey Anthony trial. She'll be back in court today facing murder charges. We're keeping an eye what's happening inside. But, also, have you been seeing what's happening outside the courtroom?

And have you seen this picture yet? In the middle of the Vancouver riot this week, what in the world is that couple doing in the middle of the street?

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is your CNN SATURDAY MORNING for June 18th. I'm T.J. Holmes.

A couple of air travel stories at the top of the hour here to tell you about. It certainly caught our eye. If you are flying today, we know a lot of people are, you might be delayed because of a lingering computer glitch. They say it's over.

United Airlines is who I am talking about here. They say the glitch is fixed. But look at what a lot of people had to deal with at the airport. The system went down for several hours last night. Thousands of people were affected. Some passengers may still be sitting at the airport this morning waiting to get out.

United tried to process everybody by hand while the system was down. So exactly how does that work out?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUSAN HABBAS, STRANDED PASSENGER: This has been horrific. It's horrific. We are hungry. We are tired. We want to get home. They wouldn't give us any answers.

They have a thousand people in line. How will you process all of these people and get us home? You can't. It's impossible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, here is the statement we got from United Airlines saying, "United apologize for the disruption caused to travelers at affected airports and is re-accommodating travelers where necessary." And the airline also waived change fees for those stranded passengers.

Meanwhile, the other story that got our attention travel related, a man in this country illegally gets clearance to work for an airline. Police in Miami say that's exactly what happened at American Eagle Airlines.

You're seeing the man there. He's 38-year-old, Jophan Porter, he has been charged now with stealing another man's identity to work as a flight attendant for the airline. Porter was arrested yesterday after his flight returned from London. Passengers, as you can imagine, shocked to learn that their flight attendant was in fact an imposter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How do they do that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How come that company, a big company like that, you know, they - they should check that before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Miami Police say Porter is from Guyana and used the identity of a New York man when he applied to work at the airline. Sure a lot more is going to come out of that.

Also - and turn to South Korea now, where a pair of South Korea soldiers fired on a Asiana Airlines flight heading into South Korea from China. This was a commercial airline. They fired their rifles, the South Korean Military source telling CNN that the soldiers thought it was a North Korean plane invading their air space. The plane was not hit because it was nowhere near even close enough to be hit by that rifle fire.

Also, developing news out of Afghanistan this morning. Well, the Afghan President Hamad Karzai telling a youth group that Washington is involved in peace talks with the Taliban. U.S. officials could not be reached immediately for comment. The Guardian newspaper reported earlier this month that the U.S. and Britain want U.N. sanctions against 18 former senior Taliban members removed. President Obama expected to announce plans for troop withdrawals next month. CNN is checking in with officials in Washington. We'll get you the very latest as we get it.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is back home in Tucson, Arizona this morning for the first time since she was shot there back in January. Giffords and her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, spending the weekend there with family. Giffords, as you know, was shot in the head during a meet and greet with constituents in a supermarket parking lot back in January. She was just released from a Houston Area Hospital earlier this week.

Her husband, Mark Kelly, put out a statement saying, "We've been dreaming of this trip for some time. Gabby misses Tucson very much and her doctors have said that returning to her hometown could play an important role in her recovery."

Well, Casey Anthony will be back in court this morning. Testimony is scheduled to start up again around 9:00 Eastern Time. She, of course, is accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter. Anthony's attorneys have not said if they plan to put her on the stand on her own defense.

Now, while a lot of people are keeping a close eye on what's happening inside the courtroom, we're also keeping an eye on what's happening outside. This was outside yesterday, a mini brawl broke out. This is in the line for people trying to get some of those coveted seats, about 50 seats, to get in to watch the trial.

Now, we have seen different scenes like this day in, day out since the trial has been going on. People get out there at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 in the morning lining up to get a spot. But there's some news rules now that the judge put in place after this brawl that requires court watcher wannabes to line up the day before to get their tickets to the trial. They have to get in there at specific times so we might not see any more scenes like that hopefully. We'll have much more on the case coming your way in about 30 minutes.

Inmates, including a child murderer and mob boss, are testifying in Italian courtroom today to try to help American Amanda Knox. Know is serving a 26-year sentence for killing her house mate. Five inmates now taking the stand today, expecting to say they heard someone else in prison confessed to the crime and that Knox was not involved.

President Obama teeing off in just a few hours with House Speaker John Boehner. They're calling this the "Golf Summit," a chance for the two to get together, swing the club, possibly talk about the nation's debt ceiling among other things.

CNN White House Correspondent Brianna Keilar has the story for us on today's big match-up.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's pretty extraordinary, T.J. Today, amidst negotiations over spending cuts and raising the debt ceiling and just one day before Speaker Boehner says President Obama will be breaking the law for not seeking Congressional authorization to have the U.S. Military involved in Libya, these two men will hit the links.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR (voice-over): They may not be on the same course politically, but President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner both spend a lot of time golfing. The president even takes practice swings at work from time to time. This one was before a 2009 event in California, and Boehner's famous tan, he says it's from his hours spent golfing.

Appropriately, the president's a lefty, the speaker, right- handed, no oddly he putts left. Some common ground perhaps?

For the first time Saturday, they'll be playing golf together. The interest in this game is intense, well, at least among us reporters.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney has been answering questions about the round for more than a week.

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I have heard no trash talking from the president on this. He feels it is a very useful thing to do. And this is an opportunity that I think has value beyond the game.

KEILAR: That's because the White House and Congress are involved in negotiations to increase the debt ceiling before August 2nd. Representing the White House in those talks, Vice President Joe Biden. He's also the president's partner on Saturday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why did the president choose him? Is it because he's a little bit of (INAUDIBLE)?

CARNEY: I think because he is vice president of the United States.

KEILAR: Yes, but it doesn't hurt that Biden is a six handicap according to Golf Digest. President Obama is a 17. That's not terrible, but he probably wouldn't stand up so well to Boehner. He's an 8, good enough to play with Tiger Woods in a Pro-Am two years ago.

Boehner's partner, John Kasich, the governor of Ohio and a former member of the House Budget Committee could be his secret weapon. He hasn't released his handicap.

Birdies, pars and bogeys aside, what will this game really accomplish? The Speaker has a proposal.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER, HOUSE SPEAKER: Somebody said, well, you know, if the president wants strokes from Boehner, Boehner ought to say to the president, Mr. President, we have all the strokes you want, it will just cost you a trillion dollars a stroke. I thought it was a very good idea.

KEILAR: It seems the president wouldn't be taking Boehner up on the offer.

CARNEY: I think I can say with great confidence that they will not wrap up the 18th hole and come out and say that "we have a deal."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: OK. So maybe no deal, but the real question is, who is going to win? And we may find out because the White House says they might reveal the scores after the round. My money, well, it's on the Vice President because an employee at a local golf course here in D.C. says that he has been on the driving range twice this week, T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Thanks to our Brianna Keilar there.

And a lot of folks you may just be listening to the news right now. I want you to stop and actually look at the screen for a moment. Did you see this picture? Can you see what's going on here?

You see the couple laying in the middle of the street. But they're also laying in the middle of a riot. This is in Vancouver on Wednesday. This couple is caught laying in the middle of the street and it looks like they're making out, all right?

It does need some more explanation here, if you will. But the riots, of course, were after the Canuck Hockey Team lost in the Stanley Cup Finals. This photo has now gone viral on the Internet.

But who you're seeing here, Scott Jones and his girlfriend Alex Thomas, they got caught up with this. Listen to them for a second.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCOTT JONES, MAN IN CANADA RIOT KISSING COUPLE: They started banging us with the shields, like trying to get us to move. I don't know why we weren't being aggressive towards them or anything like that. But then eventually they passed over us. And that's when we were on the ground. I was just - she was a bit hysterical afterwards obviously and I was trying to calm her down.

ALEX THOMAS, WOMAN IN CANADA RIOT KISSING PHOTO: So I think people will be able to see that it's just a moment that happened to be on camera and that it's not - it's not embarrassing at all. It's sexually a really beautiful shot.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: It is - it is a beautiful shot. This really - my director, put that picture back up for me and, Reynolds, I want to bring you in here. When people first see the picture, it looks like what are they doing? Are they just in the middle of the street making out?

But to explain here a little further what's happening, she was actually injured in the middle of this whole riot and she - that's why she was on the ground. He went over to just lay down next to her to comfort her, and the camera catches the guy actually just bending down, giving her a kiss on her cheek to try to comfort her.

Reynolds, so that's what's going on. Initially people thought what are these crazy kids doing in the street making out. It's a sweet moment. He was actually trying to comfort her.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: T.J., I think it backs up what I've always believe. HOLMES: Yes.

WOLF: You know, basically burning cars and smelling tear gas and losing Stanley - Stanley Cup can indeed be a very sexy moment. Obviously, one shared by that lovely couple.

HOLMES: It is a cool - I love the shot. It's very cool. Initially people just thought they were making out. But he was trying to comfort her. His mom actually told a Vancouver newspaper he's kind of a romantic, a bit of a dreamer, and quote here, "he wouldn't even have known that there was a riot going on around him quite possibly." That's what she says about her son. What a nice (INAUDIBLE).

WOLF: So the next time on Valentine's Day, in lieu of the candy, in lieu of the champagne and the soft music -

HOLMES: Burn some cars.

WOLF: -- just get some guys, you know, with some body armor and some batons and with some sirens blaring in the background, it can - it can indeed work wonders.

HOLMES: And here you all - you see this now? I didn't realize we had this. But that's them, we kind of highlighted them where she got injured.

WOLF: Unbelievable.

HOLMES: So this was a very sweet moment, it's gone viral there and he's just trying to comfort her, gave her a little kiss on the cheek because she was hysterical and it was captured. It's great picture. I absolutely love that picture. I just love it there.

WOLF: But does it make you also wonder, T.J., what would have happened had the Canuck won the Stanley Cup? What would have happened then in the street?

HOLMES: You know, that's a pretty good point (ph).

WOLF: It's something that could not be shared at all on this SATURDAY MORNING.

HOLMES: Good point. But, good morning to our man, Reynolds Wolf. What have you got going on today?

WOLF: Transition time.

HOLMES: Yes.

WOLF: OK. What we got? We got some rough weather to talk about in parts of the country. Some strong storms this morning. Actually in the west, there was - it's not storms, it's not rains. We're talking about fires. It's still there. Also some fires popping up in parts of South Georgia into Florida. It's a full plate. We're going to talk about it in just mere moments - T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Appreciate you, buddy. We'll see you in just a moment.

But at 12 minutes past the hour now, you know what you like to it. But what does everybody else like to eat? A new study ranking the world's favorite foods. We'll show you the top tastes. Might be surprised by some of them.

I'm back in 60 seconds on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: It's now 14 minutes past the hour now in the CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

In Arizona, you don't want to hear this, but things are getting worse in the fire zones. We have been telling you about one wildfire that's burned nearly a half million acres already, but there's other fires going on now, there are several others.

Extreme southeastern corner of the state along the Mexican border, crews there are fighting three different fires. One is called the Horseshoe 2, another called the Monument Blaze, and one that just sparked yesterday, they're calling this the Antelope Fire. Police say it's contained for now, but red flag warnings are in effect today and tomorrow. Hundreds of people have been evacuated, dozens of homes now destroyed.

Let me bring in Reynolds Wolf once again. Reynolds, you've been watching the weather out there for quite some time. You've been saying for quite some time, forget about rain -

WOLF: Yes.

HOLMES: But still what kind of relief could they possibly be getting in Arizona from winds and what now?

WOLF: Unfortunately through the weekend, it looks like the wind is going to remain high. At the same time, the humidity is going to be very low. So it's going to be really a tough battle for them. But they're not the only ones battling the blazes out west. We also have the issue in parts of South Georgia. In fact, we have some video that - we're showing you there from that part of the woods - that part of the world.

It's, again, rough conditions there, same story, very low humidity. At the same point, you've got some fairly strong winds at times and they fan - the flames will continue to fan out a bit. What they could use is some rainfall, and what's been unfortunate, it's farther to the north in Atlanta. We've had some decent rainfall over the last couple days, no such luck though for parts of South Georgia.

All right. Let's show you what else is happening this morning. We've got some issues in terms of tornado warnings going back out towards portions of the Midwest, the Mississippi Valley. You see a severe thunderstorm watch indicated by this box here. But as we zoom in just a bit, just to west of St. Louis, near St. Charles County right along I-70, we have a couple of tornado warnings that have popped up. There is no visual confirmation on this just yet. They're just some rotation that has been detected by Doppler radar. They're keeping a very sharp eye on this.

This storm moving east right along parts of I-70, possibly right through St. Charles, right near the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Olsen also may be under the gun. And I would expect it to possibly moving through St. Louis in the next 30 to 45 minutes and certainly be advised.

Meanwhile, what we're seeing through the rest of the world again the possibility of storms developing across parts of the Central Plains, the Upper Midwest and into the Ohio Valley. And, again, as we mentioned with T.J. just moments ago, the fire threats still going to exists out towards parts of the Four Corners. Certainly rough there.

And as we wrap up things very quickly, these temperatures just overwhelming in Texas; 103 for Dallas, 103 in El Paso, 93 in Albuquerque, 86 in Kansas City, 58 in Seattle, 65 in Los Angeles, New York and Boston into 80s and 70s, Washington, D.C. with 89, Atlanta with 89, finally catching a break in terms of the heat here in the sunny south.

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

HOLMES: All right. Reynolds, appreciate you as always. We'll be checking in with Reynolds plenty throughout this morning.

Well, you know your favorite food, right? But the people at Oxfam International, they did a survey to find out the worldwide answer to the question of what's your favorite food. Listen to this.

At number five, chicken. Results based on a survey of 16,000 people in 17 countries here. At number four, listen to this, pizza. Actually ranks number one here in the U.S., though. More than 15 percent of Americans picked it as their favorite. Number three on this international list, rice, a staple in a lot of countries. Number two on the list - and I have some questions about this, just meat. Just meat - that can mean a lot of things, I guess, but that's - this is separate from chicken or steak. Also, at number one, pasta. The number one favorite food in the world. Yes, Reynolds, pasta. Although you have the love the people in Australia, though, they actually chose as their favorite food, chocolate in Australia.

Now, this is kind of a fun survey here with people around the world like to eat, but there's a greater cause here to the study that Oxfam International did. It's meant to start a dialog about the world's food problems. Two-thirds of the people surveyed said the cost of food was their greatest concern. The number jumps to 73 percent in the United States.

Well, it's 17 minutes past the hour now. Is a change in the Social Security program possible? AARP signaling it's now stepping back from its iron grip hands off position.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, at 20 minutes past the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

Take a look at some business news now. Investors keeping a close eye on the Federal Reserve next week and the plan it now has. Also, our Poppy Harlow is going to be reporting on that.

But our Alison Kosik right now first has the story of Pandora.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, T.J.

It was a roller coaster week for stocks as investors wrestled with economic concerns at home and abroad. Pandora became the latest big Internet name to begin trading at the New York Stock Exchange. Shares of the personalized radio company surged after their Wednesday IPO. But the enthusiasm wore off quickly as shares ended the week well below the initial offering price. Pandora has never turned a profit and relies heavily on advertising revenues to offset high royalty fees - Felicia.

FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Alison.

New numbers confirm what most people already know. College is too expensive. According to the College Board, tuition and fees at public universities have more than doubled since 1988, while middle class incomes have been stagnant. The Department of Education says a growing number of middle class students are opting for two-year programs instead of the traditional four year degree.

Now, that may be a good short term financial plan, but it could hurt their earnings potential over the long term - Poppy.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Thanks so much, Felicia.

Well, the Federal Reserve is scheduled to meet this week. No major policy changes are expected, but investors well want to know how the Fed plans to tackle the challenges of the slowing economic recovery. Since the Central Bank's last meeting, job growth has slowed, stocks have stumbled and prices have risen. So far the Fed has no plans or any announced plans for more stimulus to reverse those trends once its current program ends in less than two weeks.

We know the market will be watching this decision very closely. We'll follow it all on CNNMoney.

T.J., back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. Thanks so much to our group there.

Well, that once almost sacred program for retiring Americans, Social Security, now appearing not so sacred any more. The nation's most powerful lobbying organization for older Americans, the AARP now says it expects Social Security benefit cuts to be part of a plan to keep the program running for a long time. The group's legislative policy director telling CNN he expects changes, quote, "that affect both the benefit and the revenue side."

Well, Georgia, Alabama, Arizona, all has tough immigration laws in those states, and some are saying it's scaring off farm workers. One governor has a solution - ex-cons. I'll explain after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: It's 25 minutes past the hour now on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

Ex-convicts, that's the Georgia governor's solution to the shortage of farm workers. A tough law that goes into effect July 1st might create a shortage of immigrant workers, so Governor Nathan Deal wants Agriculture and Correction officials to connect unemployed probationers with farm jobs. Even on one survey found farmers say they are getting only 30 to 50 percent of the workers they need. Not all farmers are sold on the idea of hiring people on probation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

R.T. STANLEY, VIDALIA ONION GROWER: It's (INAUDIBLE) I wouldn't want anybody on my farm, you know, that was dangerous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, the Pew Hispanic Research Center recently estimated that there are about 425,000 illegal immigrants in the State of Georgia.

Well, the defense taking new swings at the prosecution's case in the murder trial of Casey Anthony. But that's the drama inside. This is the drama outside the courtroom. A mini brawl breaks out because these folks want to get a seat inside. But now, there are some new seating rules. That story next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: We're at the bottom of the hour now on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Welcome back everybody. I'm T.J. Holmes. Thank you for spending part of your weekend here with us.

We're about two and a half hours away from today's testimony in the Casey Anthony murder trial. Anthony, of course, accused of killing her two-year-old daughter Caylee two years ago.

Now, as many focus on the drama inside, look at this - look at what's happening outside the courtroom. This was yesterday. Fist fights breaking out. What are they fighting over here? Seats - courtroom seats.

A lot of people as you know have been lining up early, trying to get about 50 coveted seats in that the public is allowed to have. But now they have changed the rules on when people can line up. You have to line up the day before to get tickets and at specific times, so they hope this will end some of these ugly scenes we have seen outside. Meanwhile, inside, bugs have become a big focus of the trial. CNN's Gary Tuchman has more on Friday's testimony.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): His testimony was most unusual.

TIM HUNTINGDON, FORENSIC ENTOMOLOGIST: What I did is I obtained pigs, had them killed -- I didn't physically killed myself -- and placed them in the trunk of the car.

TUCHMAN: This is insect expert Doctor Tim Huntington, an entomologist from Nebraska. Who Casey Anthony's attorneys hope helps convince the jury of their shocking theory.

They say Caylee accidentally drowned in the family pool and then they claimed the man who later found her remains actually got the body earlier, tampered with it, and then deposited it in the woods right before it was discovered. His name, Roy Kronk, a former utility meter reader.

The defense hopes to convince the jury that a key piece of evidence in the case, the duct tape found on Caylee's face, may have been placed there by Kronk, not Casey. The entomologist says his experiment with the pigs led to the discovery of throngs of early colonizing flies, which were missing from Caylee Anthony's body.

HUNTINGDON: There's no good reason at the scene why they shouldn't be there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And what does that tell you?

HUNTINGDON: What that indicates is that the body was moved, or transported, from some other location to the site where it was discovered.

TUCHMAN: It sounded like what Casey Anthony and her team wanted to hear, that the body was transferred to the woods weeks or months after the little girl died. Then the prosecution swung into action.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you mean to suggest to this jury that this body fully skeletonized in another location, and was then moved?

HUNTINGDON: No, sir, I did not say that.

TUCHMAN: The prosecution's theory is that Casey Anthony murdered her daughter, put the body of Caylee in her car for a few days, then disposed of it in the woods. Before Prosecutor Jeff Ashton drilled down on that, he made fun of experimenting with a pig in a car in Nebraska, which he says is a bad comparison with a little girl, wrapped in a blanket in Florida.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why didn't you wrap your pigs in a blanket? I promised I'd say that, Judge. But seriously, why didn't you wrap the pigs in a blanket. HUNTINGDON: Thank you for saying that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's OK. We needed it right now.

(LAUGHTER)

TUCHMAN: Laughter erupted in the courtroom, from what some may consider a morbid joke. Even Casey Anthony laughed, although she then covered her mouth with her hand. But it was the beginning of a larger point.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You would agree that this is not a fair representation of what Caylee's body or what the trunk would have looked like with Caylee's body in it, because she was wrapped in a blanket, two bags and a laundry bag. So, you would agree this is not an accurate description, right?

HUNTINGDON: If you're looking at the final product of decomposition, then that would be correct.

TUCHMAN: That's not testimony the defense wants to hear from its own witness. But other testimony was even more damaging.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So how many days is it that you feel at this temperature we are experiencing now that that body was someplace else before it went to that location? It is around 95 degrees today as I understand.

HUNTINGDON: Probably around two to three or maybe four days.

TUCHMAN: Only two, three, four days before Caylee's body ended up in the woods, which is not what the defense wants the jury to think. Gary Tuchman, CNN, Orlando, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Taking a look at some of the stories making headlines.

Angelina Jolie is in Turkey to bring attention to refugee camps there. Jolie is a United Nations goodwill ambassador and she praised Turkey for taking in close to 10,000 Syrians who crossed the border to escape on-going violence in their country. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELINA JOLIE, U.N. GOODWILL AMBASSADOR: The Turkish government and Turkish Red Crescent have just been extraordinary in their generosity and all that they have done and they are very organized. And we're so grateful to them. They also made a point to say they are not going to be forcing anybody back. And that they are going to keep their border open. This is saving lives and making a difference to all of these children, and their families, so we're very, very grateful to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Meanwhile, a senior Obama administration official says the U.S. is collecting information on possible war crimes carried out by the Syrian government during its crack down on protesters.

Meanwhile, In Saudi Arabia, women are challenging the kingdom's long-time ban on driving a car. This was prompted by ticketing of a female motorist last month, and similar to other recent protests in the Middle East and this one started online.

An American soldier captured in Afghanistan in 2009 has been promoted a second time while in captivity. The military says Bowe Bergdahl was given the rank of sergeant. The adjutant general of the Army traveled to Bergdahl's hometown of Hailey, Idaho to deliver the promotion certificate to his parents.

You want to survive the apocalypse? We've got the solution to how to do that. You just need to move to a particular place, a village, in France. It is the place to be when the world is supposed to end next December. We will take you there next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Thirty-seven minutes past the hour. Look at this severe weather that hit Colorado Eastern Plains yesterday. Look and listen.

All right. This is Highway 71 you were seeing there, people going along rather slowly. Reynolds Wolf joining me here now. The report is two inches of hail. I usually don't hear hail talked about, like we hear snow or snow or rain, in inches, but you can get two inches of hail, too.

WOLF: Apparently so. Yes, it is a pretty strange season. All you have to do is proof in the pudding there. I'm not going to say, absolutely not. It is completely -- you know, you see it, there it is, it is documented. It is amazing stuff.

You know what is funny is hail is not unusual at all in Colorado. What is unusual is that in parts of Colorado, especially near Steamboat Springs, have of to 60 inches of snow fall still up on those high peaks. It is still there. We have half the country roasting with some record temperatures and have snow in some places.

Not only that, this morning, we have had some rough storms. A couple tornados in parts of Missouri -- not near Joplin, but near St. Louis. Let's go right to the weather map.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: We will turn right now to the video we saw this week. They are still dealing with the fallout from what happened in Vancouver. Riots broke out. Can you believe this? This is after the Vancouver Canucks lost game seven of the Stanley Cup playoffs; 100 people were arrested. But not before they did this damage. Turned over cars, they started fires out there. A number of people had to go to the hospital with stab wounds.

There were big screens, you see, set up outside, specifically so thousands of people could gather outside and watch the game in the streets. Maybe not the best idea, because after they lost, this is what happened. Police are now, check this out, asking anyone who got pictures of the riots on their cell phones to turn those pictures over so they can identify rioters. There's also a Facebook page set up so people can post those videos and pictures.

Also new video we are getting out of West Palm Beach, Florida. This is some scary stuff here. And look closely. This shows a police officer you see him there? He is being dragged behind a motorcycle that he has stopped for going more than 110 miles per hour on the highway.

You see him there, he ends up bouncing right back up. He gets up. And he has been dragged on the back of a bike there. This happened in late March, police are just now releasing the video though. This comes from police cruiser dash cam. The officer is 62 years old. He was OK. Listen to this. He only missed two shifts.

WOLF: He's a man.

HOLMES: Police were able to catch up with the driver a short time later. As you see it here, now you know what you're looking for, you can see him right there on the back, being dragged. He finally lets go, but he pops right back up, and again, he only missed a couple of shifts.

Now to other video. I think you may have seen this. This got a lot of attention online. A little guy at a zoo in Colorado Springs, up close and personal with the lions. One of those lions, you can see it here, kind of plays and just toys with the kid there. It looks like it is trying to eat the kid.

WOLF: Give me some baby back ribs. Give me some baby back ribs. That's what he is thinking.

HOLMES: The kid doesn't seem bothered. But it is a little scary. You have to remember though, there's two inches of glass between the two of them. Apparently the mother was a little disturbed by the whole scene, but the dad, nah, got to get this on video. And we have to get this on YouTube is what the dad is thinking.

WOLF: Disturbed, but not disturbed enough to take the child away from the window.

HOLMES: Didn't bother the child at all.

WOLF: Crazy shots.

HOLMES: The kid is fine. To see the jaws there, opened his mouth like he is trying to get the kid's head. And it is that scene, right there.

WOLF: Unbelievable.

HOLMES: That is scary.

WOLF: And he is still hungry -- or she, I'm sure the lioness. Lioness, female, yes, Hungry lady. Baby back ribs. HOLMES: Reynolds, appreciate it. We will check in with Reynolds plenty throughout the morning. But at a quarter to the top of the hour now.

The big gathering going on in New Orleans this weekend. It is a rallying cry for Republicans gathering in a major conference there. We will hear from the presidential hopefuls. That is next on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Quarter to the top of the hour now. Today, day three of the major gathering of Republicans in New Orleans; it is called the Republican Leadership Conference. And most of the presidential hopefuls from the GOP side are there. CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser is there as well. He has more on what these candidates have been saying.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Good morning, T.J. four presidential candidates speaking here yesterday at the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans, all of them doing very well.

Listen, it is a conference of Republican activists and strategists from about 38 states. In a way it is like preaching to the choir. One stood out among the rest, I think that was Michele Bachmann, the congresswoman from Minnesota. Listen, since her performance Monday at our debate in New Hampshire, which many people consider a basically a breakout performance, she has been in the spotlight. She did not -- did not at all let down this crowd, really getting them up on their feet a number of times throughout her speech. Take a listen. Here is a little taste of what happened yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN, (R-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Get ready 2012, the Tea Party will be bigger than ever! Because the Tea Party, and all of America, has one goal, and it's this, that Barack Obama will be a one term president!

REP. RON PAUL (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: But it is up to us, it is up to the people, it is up to the Congress, it is up to all of us, and it is up to us to get a president that won't put up with this nonsense and go to war so carelessly.

(APPLAUSE)

HERMAN CAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You mess with Israel, you are messing with the United States of America.

(APPLAUSE)

They are our friends! REP. RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am the only person that announced for president who has said I immediately supported the Ryan plan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: That was yesterday. Let's move on to today. Who's in the spotlight? Rick Perry, the governor of neighboring Texas. He was here last year at this conference he wowed the crowd. What is different this time? Now Rick Perry is saying he is considering, considering a run for the White House.

We are going to be kind of glued into what he has to say today and how the audience here, the crowd here, receives him. And at the end of today, a straw poll, presidential straw poll. We will have the results for you guys, later today.

T.J., back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. Thanks as always to our Paul Steinhauser. We will be checking in with him down in New Orleans a little bit later.

You know some of these interpretations of the ancient Mayan prophesy that suggests the world will end December of next year. You might not take that seriously. Some people do. So seriously, they have found the one place on the planet where you need to be if you want to survive the apocalypse. We will take you there to a village in France next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Ten minutes to the top of the hour.

Nadia Bilchik joining me with our "Morning Passport." We just had, in May, people were predicting the end of the world, that didn't happen. A lot of people are looking ahead to the apocalypse, according to Mayan calendar, they say December of next year.

NADIA BILCHIK, CNN PRODUCER: December 21st, 2012, some people believe what they call esoteric, believe the end of the world is coming.

HOLMES: I want to survive it. What do I need to do?

BILCHIK: Exactly.

Well, you know, there are some stories you just can't make this up. According to certain esoteric, there is a belief that a place in Bugarach, southwest France. This is going to be the place that will save you, the apocalypse.

HOLMES: Beautiful. BILCHIK: What you are seeing now is what they call the sacred mountain. Le Peake De Bugarach. It is believed in this mountain there are actually aliens, some believe that are going to save you.

HOLMES: Aliens are in the mountain right now?

BILCHIK: Some people believe that, T.J. But let's look at this mountain, it is actually fascinating. Because usually you would have older rock at the bottom and newer rock at the top, but in this mountain you have a complete inversion. It is a scientific anomaly.

This is of grave concern to the mayor of Bugarach, because he has this little town, 200 people. People go to there to hike and see the views, to find beautiful orchids, and he is very concerned that you are going to get 2,000 or 3,000 people converging on this little town.

HOLMES: Are they starting to do this, already?

BILCHIK: People are already booking. They are booking apartments, bed and breakfasts to come in for this period. Some residents actually report that there are people that have been walking up the mountain, some in white robes, some naked with orbs, but the concern here, T.J., is sects. And a government agency in France has actually sent out an alert this week -- that is why it so topical -- warning people about sects. There is a concern, like we saw with Waco, what happens if you get people that are very vulnerable. One of the things that they have warned people is people who have cancer, people who are ill, they may be susceptible to these kind of cults. So, that's the concern here.

HOLMES: Now, again, how seriously do people -- is this just another of these things -- but are reasonable people starting to come in or - is it --

(CROSS TALK)

BILCHIK: That is questionable, but if you look on the Internet, the concern by the French government agency is how prolific it is. How many people actually believe this.

HOLMES: They are taking it seriously enough to act if you would, at least put out a statement?

BILCHIK: Exactly. And the mayor is going I don't want my town to be known for lunatics and fanatics about apocalypse and people who are seeking or concerned about the end of the world. So it has really become quite controversial. And interestingly enough, this is the place where Jules Verne spoke about in "Journey To The Center Of The Earth," and Spielberg spoke about it in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." So a very beautiful place, but of grave concern right now to the mayor and French to authorities that there may be a group of people who are taking this far too seriously, and who may influence others to take it seriously.

HOLMES: It is beautiful. Aliens inside the mountain?

BILCHIK: Inside the sacred mountain, La Peak La Bugarach.

HOLMES: Nadia Bilchik. All right, folks. Book -- I would say book your tickets, but that's exactly what they don't want you to do, people to descend on this place. Nadia with our "Morning Passport."

BILCHIK: We will speak again December 21, 2012.

HOLMES: But will we speak on the 22, is the question, I guess. Nadia, thank you, as always.

And have you heard this one, folks? A lemonade stand, you know, the kind that is run by children? Shut down at the U.S. Open, parents fined 500 bucks for their kids selling lemonade. Why? Have they made this right yet? That story after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: As we approach the top of the hour here on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING, take a look at some of the news making news across the country now.

First in Michigan. Look at this. Police surround the home of a man armed with a nail gun. You see him there? He is firing a nail gun at police officers. This standoff lasted some six hours. Witnesses say it started after the man chased his girlfriend and her mother down the street with a knife.

We turn now to Maryland. Some kids will be allowed to serve lemonade near the U.S. Open after all. Officials in Montgomery County shut down their lemonade stand on Thursday and fined parents some $500. Police and the authorities say the stand violated several traffic and safety regulations.

But after the story of got out, they had a change of heart. They waived that $500 fine and allowed that stand to reopen. It did have to reopen this time about 100 feet away from the intersection where it was set up before.

In Tennessee, an anonymous donor has given almost 13,000 vintage comic books to Goodwill. Some of these things date back to 1962, includes Super Man, Spider-Man, Batman. Goodwill will now auction the comics online. You may be thinking, OK, what's the big deal? A bunch of comic books, OK? Actually they are expected to bring in about $42,000 at auction.