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CNN Saturday Morning News

178 Educators Asked to Resign in Atlanta Over Cheating Scandal; Casey Anthony's Last Day in Jail; Murdoch Scandal Continues to Erupt on Both Sides of the Pond; Will Justin Timberlake Follow His Own Advice?

Aired July 16, 2011 - 09:00   ET

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


T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Here we go at the top of the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Thank you for being here. I'm T.J. Holmes.

First up as we check some of the stories making headlines: Atlanta's school cheating scandal; they have now been given an option, the 178 teachers and principals accused. They've been told, you have two options: one, you quit; two, you can be fired. It's your choice land you have until Wednesday to decide. Educators are suspected of helping falsify answers on student standardized tests.

Also, today is Casey Anthony's last full day in jail. She will be released tomorrow. Not sure of the details how it's going to go down. But before she leaves a South Carolina inmate actually wants her served for a paternity test. He wants to determine whether or not he is the father of deceased Caylee. It's not sure what relationship or contact Casey Anthony and this inmate have ever had.

Also, carmageddon is here in Los Angeles. You're looking live at it right now, oh the humanity. This is interstate 405. Not just any freeway. This is the infamous 405, one of the busiest in the country that is shut down from now until sometime on Monday morning, construction work is being done to try to improve that area, but it is expected to cause a traffic nightmare as people try to navigate and find other routes around the 405.

We turn to Washington, D.C. now and the ongoing debates over raising the debt ceiling. No debate talks scheduled for this weekend. The U.S. actually hit its debt limit in May. But we're told the deadline is August 2nd. That is the deadline for raising the debt limit. According to the Treasury, after August 2nd, the government will not be able to pay all of its bills.

Now, the big stumbling block has been taxes during these debates. Republicans say spending cuts, that's the only way to go. Democrats say you have actually got to put more of a burden on the wealthier people, have them pay more in taxes. We heard from the president this morning, this was his White House address.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm willing to compromise. I'm willing to do what it takes to solve this problem, even if it's not politically popular. And I expect leaders in Congress to show that same willingness to compromise.

The truth is, you can't solve our deficit without cutting spending but you also can't solve it without asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share or without taking on loopholes that give special interests and big corporations tax breaks the middle class Americans don't get.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, certainly, a number of the Republican presidential candidates are weighing in on the debt ceiling debate.

First up, take a listen to Tim Pawlenty.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM PAWLENTY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is a mess but it's got to be fixed. The problem is if they just put a Band-Aid over a broken bone, that's not going to solve the problem. So I really hope that they'll use this moment. I wish they wouldn't raise the debt ceiling. But obviously, they're moving in that direction. And so they should fix the problem really and not just kick the can down the road.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, Mitt Romney for his part saying that a line needs to be drawn in the sand. He made that remark at a town hall meeting in New Hampshire. ROMNEY: says spending cuts and caps are the key to getting a long-term deal done.

Also Michele Bachmann. The only one of these three who is actually in Congress right now. She opposes raising debt ceiling and accuses the president and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner of not exactly telling the truth about what happens if the ceiling is not raised.

Well, turning back now to this phone hacking scandal in the UK, Rupert Murdoch is issuing a printed apology this morning, issued that in several British newspapers. Meanwhile, Les Hinton - he is out as CEO of Dow Jones. That's another of Rupert Murdoch's companies. Now what does that have to do with the hacking scandal? Hinton actually was in charge of "News of the World" when all of this hacking started.

Now the woman who is the most current chief at the tabloid's parent company, News International, is also out. Her name is Rebekah Brooks, she resigned as CEO of that company. That's the British part of Murdoch's News Corp. empire, News International.

Now Murdoch had given Brooks a vote of confidence shortly after the scandal. Really started heating up but now she's out. Our Jim Boulden is live for us in London this morning. And, Jim, tell us more about this apology, this very public and printed apology for Murdoch.

JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we learned last night after we heard that Les Hinton and Rebekah Brooks had resigned that Rupert Murdoch would take it one step further and start to publish today - "We are sorry" in a number of newspapers, newspapers he owns and some of the competitors, as well. And he says that we are very sorry for the serious wrongdoing that occurred.

And that's very strong language for Rupert Murdoch. You know, I'm not sure though it's going to make much of a difference right now.

Yesterday, when he was meeting with the family of a murdered teenager who was murdered in 2002 and whose phone was allegedly hacked into by "News of the World," there were people around him when he was walking in heckle him.

Let's hear that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, ITV NEWS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you!

REPORTER: Mr. Murdoch, will you tell us what you said to Milly Dowler's family?

RUPERT MURDOCH, CHMN. OF NEWS CORPORATION: If you will just keep silent for a minute. It was a private meeting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep your head down, mate.

REPORTER: Can you tell us what you said?

MURDOCH: I'm the founder of the company. I was appalled to find out what happened.

REPORTER: Are you pleased?

MURDOCH: I apologize. I have nothing more to say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOULDEN: That's really the first public statements we've heard from Rupert Murdoch. That was on Friday. Might have been hard to hear there, but he was saying it was a very private meeting. The lawyer for Milly Dowler's family said he was very apologetic.

Now, we'll hear more from Mr. Murdoch, his son, James and Rebekah Brooks on Tuesday when they go before a parliamentary committee. A lot of people say that is going to be a very, very much of a grilling -- T.J.

HOLMES: Yes, nothing short of interesting that will be. Jim Boulden for us, we appreciate you as always. And here at six minutes past the hour.

To our viewers, we're talking about phone hacking. It sounds like a complicated something, and you might need some technical know- how, but really? Can anybody hack your phone right now?

I want to bring back in our Mario Armstrong.

Mario, you help me with this, because it does it sounds like something you would have to be savvy to do this. But can anybody hack my phone right now?

MARIO ARMSTRONG, CNN DIGITAL LIFESTYLE EXPERT: Yes, that's the biggest misconception. I'm so glad you're focusing on this, T.J., because anyone can do this. You don't have to have a technology- related degree by any means, and that's why a lot of reporters were able to do this in the first place.

It's a thing called spoofing. Anyone can look this up. Essentially, if I know your cell phone number, T.J., I can have my phone spoof that number, which would trick the voice mail system into thinking my phone is yours.

So I don't know if I just confused you, but essentially what I would do with my phone is be able to call into your voice mail and if you don't have a pass code on it, it thinks this is you calling in.

HOLMES: Now, OK, in that case, it's not like the phone calls coming into my phone would go to yours. We're talking specifically about hacking into voice mails.

ARMSTRONG: That's correct. And that's how this whole - that's one of the ways that this whole scandal started to reveal itself. It's one of the ways where many people are very vulnerable.

There are other things, too. Downloading apps can also have malicious software so you need to be paying attention to what you're downloading. So there are other ways that people can get access to your account or to your phone but starts mostly with the voice mail.

HOLMES: OK. It sounds like you said in there that if you don't have a password protecting your voice mail.

ARMSTRONG: Yes.

HOLMES: - is that the key and you can prevent this?

ARMSTRONG: Three quick keys to prevent this. That's number one, T.J., many people do not put a pass code on their voice mail. It's just default wide open. So you need to place a pass code on your voice mail, number one.

Number two, you need to place a pin code on your actual wireless account. So call your wireless provider and place a pin code. The reason why you do that, is if someone gets your number, they could call into the wireless carrier and put additional services on to your phone where messages could be sent via e-mail.

You know, there's voice mail transcription services now so you could have your voice mail transcribed into texts and sent to someone else's e-mail and they get the full voice mail transcription of that and you not even know that's happening. So they can't make changes to your account if you have a pass code placed on the account.

And then last but not least, you want to make sure that you are looking out for apps that you are downloading on your device and place a lock code on the actual hardware itself. So place a lock code on the physical device.

HOLMES: OK. I'm going to ask you one last question. It might come off as being selfish because I do have an iPhone. But a lot of people do. A lot of these are out there, is it good enough -

ARMSTRONG: Absolutely.

HOLMES: -- to just put a lock on the phone you? You know, you have to type in just to get access to the phone. You need to do something else to your voice mail actually and put a lock on the voice mail.

ARMSTRONG: That's right.

HOLMES: So there is a feature that allows you to do this on these iPhones, correct?

ARMSTRONG: That's right. It's basically - that's exactly right. The answer is yes. It's not good enough just to place a lock code on the physical device. You need to place a pin code on the voice mail system.

HOLMES: OK. Good stuff and this is a good time to think about, probably something not a lot of people would normally think about. Maybe this whole scandal has given us an opportunity here to educate ourselves.

ARMSTRONG: You know, T.J., it's big man, because husbands, wives, spouses people could be in really rough relationships or in situations where they don't want their messages, what you assume voice mail to be private. You want that information to remain private. And you know, it's making it easier for people to break into those things. I want people to be aware.

HOLMES: Oh my goodness if I locked my wife out of this phone in any way form or fashion, whoo, not happening.

ARMSTRONG: Transparency is the best policy.

HOLMES: There you go.

ARMSTRONG: Transparency is the best policy.

HOLMES: Always the good stuff this morning. Thank you so much for sticking around a little longer here so we could get this in. Thanks so much, Mario.

All right. We're at 10 minutes past the hour now. You have heard it by now, it's being called carmageddon, oh, the end of humanity in Los Angeles as we know it. The biggest traffic nightmare some are saying they will ever see in their lifetimes. A tense weekend for drivers in Los Angeles but what weekend is it? They're being told to stay home. We will explain.

Stay with us on the CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, Southern California's traffic nightmare is under way. You've heard the name by now. They call it carmageddon. This is some of the construction workers gathering to shut down one of the busiest highways in the country. They shut it down in both directions this weekend so they could work on a bridge in particular.

This is not just any freeway, folks. We are talking about the 405, one of the busiest in the country. Some 500,000 cars pass through the construction area on an average weekend. Now all those drivers need to find another way to get around.

Officials there are telling people just stay home this weekend. Not likely. It's southern California. You got to get out. Not everybody taking this so seriously though.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN COLBERT, "THE COLBERT REPORT": This weekend in Los Angeles, a short stretch of the 405 Freeway will be closed for repair. Is everyone OK? We prayed this day would never come.

Now, sure, Californians have survived earthquakes, wildfires, Lakers' victories, even alien invasions. But this is the big one, folks. Increased traffic on two off-peak days. You know what that means. Someone might have to walk someplace.

Think of the children. Pray for them.

JAY LENO, HOST "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": Best way to beat this, remember balloon boy, that's what I'm doing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you want to avoid the 405 this weekend, I suggest cutting through Cold Water Canyon.

Just pull over and crawl down the embankment. Once you're down, make your way through the tall grass to the old Beverly Bridge.

Once across jump in Deer Creek and swim through the underwater cave. This will take you to the main sewer line, which brings you out to the 101 Freeway.

It's as simple as that.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HOLMES: It's that serious.

Well, the 405 is a big deal. If you're in Atlanta, what if just shut down 75, 85 for a weekend. If you're in Dallas, what if they shut down 35? What would you do? That's what we're talking about.

The construction company though is working out there and they hope to have the work done by Monday, 6:00 a.m. deadline and they'd better because it's going to cost money if they don't. They could be fined $72,000 an hour if they don't get this done on time.

Well, it's 16 minutes past the hour. Let's head across the country right now for a look at some stories our affiliates are keeping an eye on.

We'll start in San Francisco where a New Jersey man pleaded not guilty to stealing a Picasso sketch. Not just any sketch. It's worth about $275,000. He took it out of a allegedly last week. Here are surveillance video police say shows the man carrying the thing. He faces several charges including burglary. Police believe he also robbed other galleries. They found 11 paintings hanging in his apartment.

Also in Illinois, look at this. A 26-foot sculpture of Marilyn Monroe unveiled yesterday, wearing that iconic white dress made famous in the movie "The Seven Year Itch."

Also, California's governor has signed a bill requiring public schools to teach students about contribution from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, the bill was believed to be the first of its kind in the country. It requires teachers to instruct students on how to deal properly with people with disabilities. The bill goes into effect in January, but it's not expected that the textbooks will be able to be updated until 2015.

Now, they are expecting temperatures around 110 degrees. At least that's what it's going to feel like in some parts of the country today. Places like Dallas, Texas, yes, maybe they're used to it. Seeing Dallas there, but some other places not used to those kinds of temperatures. Reynolds Wolf will be with me here in just a moment.

And have you heard about this? Mila Kunis, the actress. She was asked out by a Marine in Afghanistan via YouTube but now here buddy Justin Timberlake have gotten his own YouTube offer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Right. Twenty one minutes past the hour.

Reynolds telling us about a dangerous weather situation this week.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know, it is dangerous. We really don't think - when we think of dangerous, by the way, we think about hurricanes, you think about floods, you think of all these kinds of things. But heat is really a big killer. It truly is and especially in a situation like this where you have a prolonged heat wave and you've got a lot of people, younger kids, senior citizens, even pets are susceptible to heat.

Right now, T.J., let's work over here and show you what we have. Right now, conditions look just fine. We're talking about the upper Midwest. We have some storms there and we also have something else and very cool air right now with temperatures that are mainly in the 70s. That's what's happening now. What's going to happen later on today is going to be daunting. What I'm referring to, the extreme heat where highs are set to go to 93 degrees in Minneapolis, 87 in Chicago, 94 in Kansas City.

That's only part of the story. You bring in humidity, it changes the landscape all together. We're talking about, is it feeling like possibly 110 degrees or so. By tomorrow, fast forwarding into Sunday, 111 degrees is what it's going to feel like in Minneapolis. 108 in Kansas City, the reason why we have the extreme heat just to wrap things up.

We'll get a big trough in the jet screen out towards the west and trough it we've got a big trough in the jet stream, a trough in the east but a ridge in the center of the U.S. that allows things to really warm up and that trend should continue until the middle of next week. We're going to talk more about that throughout the morning. For now, let's pitch it back to you.

HOLMES: So as always buddy, thanks so much. Up next, actress Mila Kunis. She first says she was going to have to break a date and break the heart of one of her military fans, but then yesterday, this is what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MILA KUNIS, ACTRESS: I am attending. I'm going November 18th. I will be there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: She is going to the ball after all. The story is next on this "CNN Saturday Morning."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Earlier this week, a Marine in Afghanistan asked actress Mila Kunis out on a date. Did it via YouTube and she agreed at first. Then she backed out, says she had a scheduling conflict but now he's got some good news. He's got a date.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KUNIS: I am attending. I'm going November 18th. I will be there. I accepted an invitation, and I'm staying true to my word.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Geez, you want your date to be a little more excited, don't you?

OK. Well, her buddy Justin Timberlake, he actually was the one who encouraged her to agree to the date and then shortly after that, he got his own offer from someone and our Jeanne Moos says he should do it, as well, for his country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This female Marine is asking Justin Timberlake out on a date.

CORPORAL KELSEY DE SANTIS: Well, I'm going to call you out.

MOOS: Hoping he'll take his own advice.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, SINGER: Do it for your country.

MOOS: That's what Timberlake told his co-star Mila Kunis after a male Marine stationed in Afghanistan tilted his shades and asked Mila out via YouTube.

SGT. SCOTT MOORE Hey, Mila. Sergeant Moore. You can call me Scott.

KUNIS: What?

MOORE: I just want to take a moment out of my day to invite you to the Marine Corps ball on November 18th in Greenville, North Carolina with yours truly. So take a second, think about it, get back to me.

MOOS: Now chances are the last time Mila Kunis was asked out on a semi blind date was when CNN's own Wolf Blitzer invited her to the White House correspondents dinner.

KUNIS: This is my date.

MOOS: And though Wolf is more famous than Sergeant Scott Moore, the sergeant had Justin Timberlake on his side during a Fox News interview.

TIMBERLAKE: This needs to go down. This needs to happen.

KUNIS: OK.

TIMBERLAKE: Do it for your country.

KUNIS: I'll do it for you.

MOOS (on camera): Yes, well you do it for your country, Justin Timberlake because now this Marine wants you.

On the phone, Justin, you want to call on my girl, Mila? Well, I'm going to call you out and ask you to come to the Marine Corps Ball with me on November 12th in Washington, D.C.. Corporal Kelsey De Santis is the only female Marine at the Martial Arts Center for Excellence at Quantico. She's an instructor with a black belt who sometimes does cage fights.

Kelsey is a fan of Timberlake's and she got the idea to invite him to the Marine Corps ball after seeing him so enthusiastically tell Mila Kunis to go.

Her friends set up a Facebook page called Let's get Justin Timberlake to the Marines Corps ball with Kelsey, complete with an array of photos so impressive, how could Timberlake tell her to go jump in a lake or even in a river.

DE SANTIS: If you can't go, all I can say is cry me a river.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

MOOS: Hey, the corporal's got a tattoo, too. That's just the one we can see. When we asked the friend who helped set up the Facebook page whether Kelsey could kick Justin Timberlake's butt if he turned her down - she said, oh, yes. For sure. This Marine isn't looking for a few good men. Just one.

TIMBERLAKE: Do it for your country.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos.

DE SANTIS: Hit me up.

MOOS: CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Whatever works, back in 90 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Coming your way at the top of the hour, we are headed live to Germany where the women's soccer team, the USA team is getting ready for a shot at history in Sunday's World Cup finals against Japan.

Our Zain Verjee is with the team, she'll give us a live report again at 10:00 Eastern. will bring us a report top of the hour right here on CNN.

I'll be back with you at the top of the hour of course, with more live news. But right now, "YOUR BOTTOM LINE."