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CNN Sunday Morning
Weekend Weather; John Edwards' Fall From Grace; CNN Hero Carolyn LeCroy; New Controversy For U.S. Troops; New Controversy for U.S. Troops; White Sox Humber Throws Perfect Game; A Piece of Red Sox History; Gay Airman Rejoins Air Force; "Hot Girls" with "Hot Problems"
Aired April 22, 2012 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN Center in Atlanta, this is WEEKEND EARLY START.
Sex, money, betrayal. Tomorrow we'll hear how these themes played into the 2008 presidential campaign as the trial of John Edwards begins.
Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We are hiding under the stairs, under the stairs, by God. I swear. We are hiding under the stairs for our lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Desperation in Syria as reports mount of more government atrocities. Syrians swarm the newly arrived U.N. monitors. And a new warning from the U.S. to the Assad regime.
And, a perfect game for number 41. We'll bring you the final pitch that led to last night's big victory.
It is Sunday, April 22nd. Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye.
We start this morning with a look ahead. Tomorrow former presidential candidate John Edwards heads to federal court. Prosecutors say Edwards used nearly $1 million in campaign contributions to deceive the public. They say he was hiding an affair and a child. The mistress, Rielle Hunter, is expected to be the star witness in the trial. She has immunity. Edwards and his attorneys say he did nothing wrong. We'll have much more on the details of this case in about 10 minutes.
A major figure from the Watergate scandal has died, Chuck Colson. Colson was the first of Richard Nixon's aides to be convicted. He was the president's special council, but was also known as Nixon's hatchet man. Colson took his punishment, seven months in prison, and turned his life around. Here he is in 1999.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUCK COLSON: We've healed a great deal from what happened in Watergate, but it took a long period of time for people to recognize what they had done wrong. I apologize for what I did and went to the people I had offended and felt a repentant attitude throughout.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: After leaving prison in the mid 1970s, Colson founded the Prison Fellowship. That's an outreach group providing spiritual support for scores of prisoners. His humanitarian work earned Colson redemption in the form of the Presidential Citizen Medal in 2008. Charles Colson was 80 years old.
Wal-Mart could be facing federal scrutiny over allegations that it paid millions of dollars in bribes to Mexican officials. A "New York Times" investigation found that Wal-Mart's operation in Mexico paid $24 million to secure permits to expand throughout the country. It's now the largest private employer in Mexico. "The Times" alleges that key executives were informed and looked the other way. Wal-Mart could face punishment under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Investigators looking for answers into the disappearance of a New York boy 33 years ago say they have found a suspicious stain. They discovered the stain on a concrete wall yesterday while tearing apart a lower Manhattan basement about a half block from where Etan Patz's parents still live. FBI agents and New York Police spotted the stain after spraying a chemical that can indicate the presence of blood. But, for now, officials are only calling this stain an area of interest. Patz vanished in 1979.
It could be several days now until George Zimmerman gets out of jail. A judge set bond at $150,000 on Friday. But now his attorney says the family is having trouble raising the $15,000 needed to get him out. Zimmerman is facing second degree murder charges in the death of 17- year-old Trayvon Marten. He says he was self-defense.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK O'MARA, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S ATTORNEY: These two are focused on getting out at this point. You know, it's a long, long process. This is the first few steps of it. And he's still very worried about the fact that he's facing a life sentence on a second degree murder trial.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: His attorney is asking that Zimmerman be allowed to leave the state until trial. But before that can happen, concerns about how authorities would keep track of him have to be ironed out.
To Syria now. The United Nations Security Council has decided to increase their involvement from 30 observers to 300. Now you may think that sending in 300 unarmed monitors doesn't seem like much, but listen to the reaction in Homs, Syria, which the first monitors arrived there yesterday.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today is the first day since two months (ph) in Homs without killing. Homs without killing. Homs without fire. OK. It's very important for us at least understand this (INAUDIBLE). Because of that, we want you to stay. Please stay. This is what we want. This is in our interest. When you get -- when you get here, shelling stop. When you come, killing stopped. It's our blood.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: A cease-fire that went into effect earlier this month hasn't held. Syria's U.N. ambassador says his country's security forces will exercise restraint. But American Ambassador Susan Rice says the U.S. is losing patience and will rethink the course of action if the U.N. mission doesn't show progress soon. At least four people were killed across Syria today.
The U.S. Army is dealing with a drug problem in Afghanistan. Newly revealed documents show eight soldiers have died from overdoses in the past two years. The army has also investigated more than 50 soldiers for possessing or distributing heroin and other drugs. Afghanistan supplies around 90 percent of the world's opium. The U.N. says the Taliban uses opium sales to fund their insurgent operations. The Army records show that besides heroin, soldiers are also abusing prescription drugs like morphine.
Crews will soon begin the work of removing the Costa Concordia from where it capsized off the Italian coast in January. That will begin next month and could take about a year. The company that owns the cruise liner says two salvage companies from the U.S. and Italy have been picked to recover and tow the wrecked ship to an Italian port. Divers have recovered the bodies of all but two of the 32 victims. More than 4,000 passengers and crew members were on the ship when it struck rocks and ran aground.
All right, let's say good morning to Reynolds Wolf.
Reynolds, a lot of people wondering, are they going to need an umbrella today?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, indeed, they will, especially along the eastern third of the country. I'd say anywhere along the eastern seaboard, if you can see water, your chances are, you're going to be in a place -- I mean water along the coast. You may see some water from the sky.
We've got a slow moving frontal boundary. That's going to mean a lots to millions of people. And in south Florida, the story is kind of interesting. We have a tornado watch, not a warning, but a watch. And I'm telling you, as this moves off the coast, more than anything we're going to see the possibility of waterspouts. Not tornadoes, but waterspouts as far south as I'd say Key Biscayne, maybe even all the way to Key West. Right behind it some residual showers. And perhaps even up towards Tampa and into Orlando, might see more rain form into the afternoon.
Plus that, we're going to talk about the potential of some heavy snow in the Great Lakes. Not today, but rather tomorrow and into Tuesday. Some places perhaps getting up to a foot of snow. We'll talk about that in a few moments.
KAYE: OK, Reynolds, thank you.
WOLF: You bet.
KAYE: And here's a rundown of some stories that we're working on for you today.
A disturbing picture with U.S. troops posing with bodies in Afghanistan is causing more embarrassment for the military. We'll find out how the bad publicity will affect the troops.
Plus, a gay airman reinstated in the Air Force after the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." He'll tell us why he signed back up to serve.
And former presidential candidate John Edwards' trial begins Monday. We have a preview of his fight ahead.
Also, you can own a piece of baseball history, if you buy it. A legendary player's collection is going up for bid. Find out where the auction will be on CNN's WEEKEND EARLY START, where news doesn't take the weekend off.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Good morning. New York City. What a lovely shot of Columbus Circle there. Fountains already in full swing. Park looking green right there on the corner of Central Park South. That's what you're looking at.
Welcome back, everyone. It is Earth Day. So if you're planning on being outside today, we're going to turn to Reynolds, who's keeping his eye on the weather for us.
Good morning again.
WOLF: Good morning. Love hearing that music from the 1980s.
KAYE: Isn't that great.
WOLF: If you don't (ph) look out, I'll be tight-rolling my jeans or maybe even wearing some parachute pants. I mean just good times on this Earth Day.
KAYE: Oh, I'd like to see that.
WOLF: Oh, yes. No, you wouldn't. Trust me. We're trying to keep viewers, not scare them off.
Hey, this morning we've got some interesting weather. And it's both good news and bad news. The bad news, we have a tornado watch in effect for parts of south Florida. The good news is that it looks like we're not going to see a whole lot in terms of any danger for really much of anyone. This system is actually moving of shore. That's the good news. However, if you happen to be on Miami Beach, look out towards the east as the sun is coming up. You're not going to see much sunshine, but you will see a lot of cloud cover and possibly some waterspouts forming offshore.
Farmer -- farther -- farmer. Father a little bit up the coast, what we're going to be seeing is some heavy rainfall in parts of the Carolinas and back up into Virginia. Something else that's going to be very interesting is that water may begin to pile up in some places where we have pour drainage. Maybe in parts of New Jersey. Perhaps even over towards Long Island, New York. Two to four inches of rainfall. It doesn't seem like a whole lot, but, again, low-lying areas. It tends to pile up quite a bit. So just keep that in mind. That's going to be the issue for today, tonight, even into Monday.
Now, something else that's very interesting. From 11:00 p.m. onward into Tuesday -- Monday and Tuesday, we have a chance of getting some decent snowfall over parts of the Catskills, back over towards the higher elevations of Pennsylvania. And then, as you get towards Buffalo, at least Point South (ph), we could see some heavy snow. The reason why that could occur is because we are going to be seeing some wind coming in out of the northwest. A northwest breeze moving across Lake Erie always picks up that moisture and that's going to give you the chance of that snow really piling up. Anywhere from eight to 16 inches of snow. Not unusual to see it happen this time of the year. I know it's exacerbating for a lot of people that happen to be getting ready -- just frustrating for them sure to want the spring really to kick in. So you have the daffodils up and then snow on top of them. Not fun, but that's going to be the mix for you.
Meanwhile, for the northern Plains, central Plains and southern Plains, we're going to go from dry, we're going to go from sunny, we're going to go to warm. And then, over the desert southwest, as we wrap things up, we're going to warm up to temperatures of 94 degrees in El Paso. There you are. Seventy-three in San Francisco, 74 in Seattle, 57 in Minneapolis, 53 in New York, 67 in Atlanta and, Miami, 85 degrees. By the way, Miami, get ready for some delays. They should improve by the afternoon as that system moves out. Things will improve travel wise.
Back to you.
KAYE: OK. That's good, Reynolds. See you a little bit later on.
WOLF: You bet.
KAYE: A bright political future down the drain. John Edwards seemingly had it all, but did he take advantage of the public trust? That's what a jury will decide. We'll break down the trial, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back.
Former Presidential Candidate John Edwards will take his place in federal court tomorrow in his home state of North Carolina. His once promising political career is now in shambles as prosecutors prepare to tell a jury the tale of a candidate out of control, personally and financially. CNN's senior correspondent Joe Johns has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This political soap opera started at a bar in New York City where Edwards met self-proclaimed filmmaker Rielle Hunter in early 2006. She was quickly hired by Edwards to film webisodes. Casual, online videos of the former senator. The videos showed just how close Edwards and Hunter had become.
JOHN EDWARDS, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Fast transcript (ph).
RIELLE HUNTER: I'm so glad you like us.
EDWARDS: I love you (ph).
Why don't you hear me give it live?
JOHNS: Immediately, those close to Edwards suspected an fair. Behind the scenes, the government argues that Edwards was orchestrating a massive cover-up. Loyal and wealthy donors paid for his pregnant mistress to relocate and personal aide Andrew Young would claim paternity. In the fall of 2007, a tabloid published a story on the affair. Immediately the campaign went into defense mode.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you were running for president, you flat out denied having a relationship with Rielle Hunter. Is -- did you give me a truthful answer? Were you telling the truth then?
EDWARDS: Yes.
JOHNS: After being chased by reporters, eventually he admitted personal failure.
EDWARDS: There's no question that I have done wrong, and I take full responsibility for having done wrong.
JOHNS: Once a prominent politician preaching two Americas, Edwards himself was living two lives. He had fathered a child with his mistress, while his wife, Elizabeth Edwards, was dying of cancer. It got worse. In 2011, the government indicted Edwards on six counts, including conspiracy, issuing false statements, and violating campaign finance laws. He faces up to 30 years in prison.
EDWARDS: We're conditioned to say the same things. We're conditioned to say what to say. We're conditioned to be political. And it's hard to shed all that.
JOHNS: Edwards has spent the last year preparing for his trial, shuffling his legal team and undergoing surgery for a heart condition. Former top aides are expected to testify at his trial. Rielle Hunter has immunity.
EDWARDS: And I will regret for the rest of my life the pain and the harm that I have caused to others, but I did not break the law, and I never ever thought I was breaking the law.
JOHNS: Experts say the government has a tough, unprecedented case to prove in the arena of campaign finance. But no matter what the outcome, it is the ultimate fall from grace for Edwards, who was once adored as a son of the south.
Joe Johns, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And jury selection wraps up in the trial tomorrow. Opening statements will follow right after that. And be sure, of course, to stay with CNN for full coverage of the Edwards trial.
An explosion rocks a McDonald's. Ahead, what's to blame?
Plus, as Fenway Park turns 100, how you can own some of the items that once belonged to one of the Red Sox's most famous players. That story coming up.
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KAYE: Well, the lion may be sleeping, but Atlanta is waking up, tuning in to WEEKEND EARLY START we hope. Good morning, Atlanta. Nice to have you with us.
Urban Outfitters has a new t-shirt for sale, but it's causing a very familiar controversy for the store. This shirt, currently on the store's website, is drawing sharp criticism for its design. Take a look at it closely there. Critics say it resembles the Star of David patch worn by Jews during the Holocaust. The Anti-Defamation League of Philadelphia is blasting the store for what it calls a, quote, new low. In a letter to the company's CEO, the ADL wrote in part, "we find this use of symbolism to be extremely distasteful and offensive and are outraged that your company would make this product available to your customers." We have reached out to Urban Outfitters for a comment. We haven't heard anything back from them yet.
So it's about 20 minutes past the hour right now. Time to check out some of the stories making news around the nation.
In California, massive explosion rocked a McDonald's drive-thru in Coachella. Investigators say yesterday's blast came from a truck carrying two propane tanks. Pressure started building up because of the desert heat, apparently, and one of the tanks started leaking propane. When the driver tried to cap the leak, static electricity then ignited the propane. Witnesses thought a bomb exploded.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought it was a bomb or something, heaven forbid. But, I mean, it was bad. It was -- yes, the flames were shooting up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The man driving the truck was badly burned, but three passengers, including two children, escaped unharmed. No one inside McDonald's was hurt. In Washington state, this is not how a pilot had hoped to land his plane. But when he started having engine problems and couldn't make it to the airport, he landed the home built aircraft safely in Lake Wasu (ph).
And now to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Take a look -- oh, my goodness -- at this guy. That is one big fat cat. Two-year-old Meow had packed on close to 40 pounds, and now he's on a special diet to help him shed those extra pounds. Generally, you might be a cat owner, but if you're not, an adult cat weighs no more than 12 pounds. So my cat at home is about 10 pounds. Nothing like Meow right there. Get that cat a treadmill, somebody.
A criminal in a maximum security prison is just a number once he walks behind those high walls. But to his family and kids at home, he is still dad. CNN Hero Carolyn LeCroy was honored in 2008 for helping kids stay connected to their incarcerated parents through video messages. And, since then, she's expanded her program to five more states. Actress Holly Robinson Peete was so deeply moved by LeCroy's efforts, she decided to see her work up close.
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HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE: When I was involved with Heroes in 2008, Carolyn's Messages Project just touched my heart. When you think about the people in this world that need help, the last people on that list are the children of incarcerated parents. That, to me, is why I'm coming out here today.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Approaching destination on the left.
PEETE: So, what are the total number of messages delivered by The Messages Project now?
CAROLYN LECROY: We're right at 9,000.
PEETE: Wow. That's a lot of children that have this opportunity.
LECROY: Gate, please.
PEETE: So, tell me about this facility.
LECROY: This is a maximum security prison. And it is the pilot for California.
PEETE: Thanks.
LECROY: Good morning. How are you? I'm Carolyn.
Talk from your heart.
In 15 minutes we're going to give you a signal.
Are we ready to roll?
PEETE: Here we go. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, kids. I know that you're angry with me. And you should be angry with me. The difficulties that you've faced over the years, that's my fault. Hold on a second. Man.
PEETE: You could see that sadness, that guilt that they had for whatever decision they made that has impacted their children their entire lives.
LECROY: When you set these fathers down in front of that camera, they're dad.
PEETE: I can't imagine, with all the things going on in these children's lives, what this means to them. On behalf of all of them, thank you so much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And, remember, CNN Heroes, like Carolyn, are all chosen from people that you tell us about. So to nominate someone who's making a difference in your community, go to cnnheroes.com. Your nomination could help them help others.
Documenting a war like never before. Troops are taking their own pictures and videos in Afghanistan. But the results? Well, they're not always pretty. Coming up, we'll talk with award winning filmmaker Sebastian Junger about the mentality and the responsibility of the troops. Stay with us at WEEKEND EARLY START, where news doesn't take the weekend off.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back and thanks for starting your morning with us. I'm Randi Kaye. Bottom of the hour now. And here's a look at our top stories this morning.
As world leaders scramble to stop the escalating violence, an additional 300 unarmed U.N. monitors are heading to Syria. The U.N. Security Council authorized the move with an unanimous vote on Saturday just hours after a small group of U.N. monitors toured the besieged Syrian city of Homs. The mission is meant to hold Bashar al Assad regime accountable and to push troops to uphold a cease-fire. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Susan Rice, had this warning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUSAN RICE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: In the United States, our patience is exhausted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: But despite recent efforts, the opposition group says 40 people were killed on Saturday alone.
Back at the U.S., John Edwards' trial is set to begin tomorrow, Monday, but the first order of business will be selecting the final 12 jurors and four alternates. The former Democratic presidential candidate is accused of misusing campaign funds to cover up his affair with Rielle Hunter and the child that he fathered. Edwards is charged with six felony and misdemeanor counts.
In Peru, environmental experts are investigating a disturbing mystery washing up on its beaches. At least 877 dead dolphins have been found. Peru's deputy environment minister says the dolphins may have died from a virus. Official test results are expected next week.
A new controversy for the U.S. military in Afghanistan as a new picture has surfaced showing troops posing with the bodies of suspected insurgents. And I want to warn you that the image is disturbing. The picture was published by "The Los Angeles Times." It's reportedly been taken -- was taken in 2010. Afghan President Hamid Karzai called the picture, quote, "inhumane." "The L.A. Times" says the soldier came forward with 18 pictures, just like that one, to draw attention to the breakdown in leadership and discipline. The military has promised an investigation.
Joining me now to talk about this and other incidents is journalist and filmmaker Sebastian Junger and CNN military analyst General Spider Marks.
Good morning to both of you.
Sebastian, I'd like to start with you. You spent three years with troops in Afghanistan. You've chronicled it in your book "War." What's your impression of what's happened here? I mean did this kind of thing happen with the troops that you were with?
SEBASTIAN JUNGER, JOURNALIST AND FILMMAKER: I never saw anything like that personally. My impression, in a strange way, is that we've been in two wars for 10 years, hundreds of thousands of troops involved. I think the impulse to sort of gloat over the dead body of an enemy fighter is a very ancient, human impulse. And I'm surprised it hasn't happened more, actually. The fact that the U.S. military has kept that kind of activity to the occasional incident that we hear about, I think is actually pretty amazing.
KAYE: You know, we showed the picture once. I don't really want to show it again because it is that disturb. But it seems like they're posing, you know, with trophies. That that's how they're treating these body parts. Why do you think they do that? I mean what's going on up there?
JUNGER: I'm not a psychologist, but I think killing people is psychologically very, very difficult. I think the only way to do it for soldiers is to dehumanize the enemy. Otherwise it's hard not to think of it as murder. Once you've crossed that line, once you take that step into considering the enemy not fully human, I think it's very easy to do things like that.
This country has been doing some very questionable things with enemy fighters for about a decade -- waterboarding, the forceable rendition to countries that torture suspects, so soldiers listen in on that conversation. I think it leaves them very confused about how to consider the people that we're fighting. KAYE: General Marks, I want to ask you, I mean, what kind of role do the commanders play with this kind of behavior?
SPIDER MARKS, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Randi, the commanders' role is absolutely critical. The senior officer and the senior noncommissioned officer, they're the conscience of the unit, and when you think about what your conscience does for you individually is it guides you, and in moments of chaos and when no other guidance is there, you'll make a decision based on that, your learning, your experience, your culture. So the commanders set the tone.
That's the climate that exists within that unit and soldiers who'll do what they're told to do, they'll act within the intent, within the bounds established by the commander. So, it's an absolutely critical role and it needs to be reinforced as a matter of routine.
KAYE: You know, all this great technology isn't so great on the battlefield when you see something like this happen. I mean, we've seen these pictures taken on camera phones and devices like that, but really, General, can the military stop the troops from carrying them, or are they actually a part of the necessary equipment nowadays on the battlefield?
MARKS: I think it's the latter. In my personal experience, cell phones were in many cases -- we told soldiers you have to put those things away, but you can't check that, and so if a soldier feels like he or she wants to take that cell phone with them, they can take them. Now, access to the Internet is something entirely different.
Certainly that's established and can be turned on and turned off, but in many cases, these types of very small miniturized camera capabilities are in phones and that they have individually are part of the kit. They do biometrics exams. They can take retina exams, and in fact that's what these soldiers were charged to do is to get fingerprints and to do some retinal pictures of, sadly, these severed parts.
So, that is something that is really part of the enviornment and needs to be adjusted, needs to be accommodated, really.
KAYE: Yeah, because it can be shared so easily as well, and then here we are. Sebastian, what about the negative publicity? I mean, how do you think that affects the troops there? I mean, you've spent time with them, so how do you think this is affecting the team there?
JUNGER: Well, I mean, anything like this, I think, is horrifying to a lot of soldiers and should be. This is not good behavior. It's interesting in that photo, from what I could see, there were also Afghan security personnel posing along with American soldiers, so I'm not sure that there really is a kind of Afghan-American cultural divide here, at least in this instance.
The worst thing you can do as a soldier is do something that increases the risk to yourself and others on the battlefield, and what we saw with the burning of the Korans was a huge sort of backlash in public opinion in Afghanistan that may have helped some young Afghans join up with the Taliban. I'm not sure that that's happening with these pictures.
Afghans hate suicide bombers, because they are the primary casualties of them, so it would be interesting, actually, to be in Afghanistan right now to know what the opinion on the street is of this.
KAYE: General, I'd like to ask you on this final question -- we've been reporting about this increased drug use among troops in Afghanistan, heroin and prescription drugs. We've had eight soldiers have died from overdoses in the past two years, apparently, and the Army's also investigating more than 50 soldiers for possessing or distributing heroin and other drugs. Does any of this surprise you?
MARKS: Frankly, that is surprising, but I think it's important to note that this is a form of abberant behavior. It's illegal. It'll be corrected. None of that kind of surprises me in conditions like this. You'd hope that there would be sufficient discipline within the organizations down to the individual soldier, where this would be eliminated and they'd know not to do that.
You can't correct all bad behavior, as Sebastian has indicated, so it is surprising kind of, but you see incidences like this when soldiers are deployed for this type of time, and clearly it's access. I mean, it's available, so you've got to weed those guys out immediately so the entire unit is not affected.
KAYE: Spider Marks, Sebastian Junger, thank you so much. It was a great conversation, and we have a lot of troops watching from around the world, so it's an important conversation to have as well. Thank you both.
MARKS: Thank you.
JUNGER: Thank you.
KAYE: And fans of Ted Williams will soon have a chance to own a piece of the baseball legend's personal life. Reynolds Wolf shows us how next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Welcome back. A little piece of baseball history with this out. Chicago White Sox pitcher Philip Humber became just the 21st pitcher in Major League Baseball history to throw a perfect game, no runs, no hits, no errors, no walks, absolutely perfect. After the game, Humber's first phone call was to his pregnant wife. She's due to give birth in two weeks. Amazing she was able to hold it together. He was calling to make sure that the excitement didn't send her into labor early.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(voice-over) And baseball history was also made in Boston this weekend, where the home of the Red Sox turned the big 100.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
From the dugout to the famous Green Monster, fans of all ages got to experience the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball like never before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(on camera) And Reynolds is back, and I guess one of the most beloved figures of the Red Sox is?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Ted Williams.
KAYE: You got it.
WOLF: His Spendid Splinter, also known as -- he had a lot of nicknames, Teddy Baseball, Teddy Ballgame. The thing about Ted Williams you have to know more than anything else is he is a guy that if you made a movie about his life, no one would ever pick up the script, because you couldn't believe. This is a guy who was not only one of the greatest baseball players that ever lived; he actually left in his career twice to go fight for our country in World War II and in Korea, was shot down. A guy named John Glenn was one of his wingmen. He was also a great fly fisherman.
Well, he was also a great advocate for fighting cancer, and one of his biggest things that he helped with was the Jimmy Fund in Boston, and there is a great, great auction that's taking place this Wednesday through Sunday, where people are able to see some of his items going up for sale to benefit a wonderful cause.
DAVID HUNT, HUNT AUCTIONS: There's so many great things in a collection like this, really an American icon. I mean, to start with the jersey, obviously an on-the-field piece. Anything game-worn, game-used carries a pretty heavy value. This is a 1954 home flannel jersey worn by Ted, should be about $50,000.00 to $100,000.00 in the bidding once it gets started.
WOLF: Let's see. What else do you have there? I notice a picture of someone who looks very familiar, someone who wore a Red Sox uniform briefly and then went to the Yankees. What picture you have there?
HUNT: Popular guy in sports history, certainly not the biggest guy in Boston back then or certainly team-wise today, but Babe Ruth, one of the greatest names -- the greatest name in baseball history, and this is a very famous meeting between he and Ted Williams in Boston, and this is one of the only autographs and really the only autograph that Ted recounted his asking for from another player. It's a ball signed "to my pal," "to Ted Williams, my pal," from Babe Ruth, great piece, great condition, really great provenance when these things come right from a player's collection like this. It adds a lot of value to the piece.
WOLF: You know, when you think about Ted Williams, you think about these great pieces, you think about Williams' life itself. I mean, you could not write a Hollywood script like this. This guy was an incredible baseball player. He was a great fly fisherman, but he was also a veteran, flew twice, and I believe you've got some logbooks of his when he flew.
HUNT: Yeah. I think it's just amazing, really, when you learn about the life of a man like this who served not just in one U.S. foreign conflict but two, World War II and the Korean War, and we found his actual flight logs that he used to record his various flights and training for World War II and then in combat in the Korean War, and it's just amazing.
I mean, when you hold them in your hand, you think of Ted Williams, a player on that iconic level back then really serving in the military, not just sort of being a part of it and taking sort of a position where he wouldn't have to go into combat. Nobody likes those sorts of things, but he served honorably and really just adds another level to his credentials as a great American -- really a pop-culture figure the last 100 years.
WOLF: You know, it's amazing. It really is kind of an emotional thing, certainly very historical, but when it comes back to a financial type of a thing, how much money are we talking about here? How much is this collection worth, do you think?
HUNT: Well, it's going to be interesting. I mean, this is certainly a seven-figure auction; there's no question about that, whether it's multiples or not. Obviously we hope it is, but it's harder to say, because when you get into these types of pieces on this level, the pricing can get emotional and the bidding can get emotional. Somebody that wants a piece of this sort that has the means to go after it, and then all it takes is two sort of in this business, and there's lots of different components to it as well.
Even the Jimmy Fund being involved, Ted's lifelong charity to benefit children with cancer up here in the Boston area, they will be receiving a portion of the proceeds too, so it's a very positive experience. We're very happy to be involved with this, honored, really, and to have the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park this season, you really couldn't haven't designed it any better. Should be just an amazing event.
WOLF: It is incredible to see.
KAYE: Yeah.
WOLF: I've got, let's see, 36 bucks. I'm going to go for some of his fly-fishing stuff. If you can win me maybe a few thousand, we might be able to get closer.
KAYE: I don't know if we're going to get to seven figures.
WOLF: Probably not, but certainly for a good cause, as we mentioned, but an amazing thing to see and certainly a big part of not only baseball but American history.
KAYE: That's a great interview. Thank you.
WOLF: Thanks very much. KAYE: Thanks, Reynolds. Still ahead this morning, he was kicked out of the military because he's gay, but that was before "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was repealed. Now the airman is set to make history. We'll tell you how when I speak with him next.
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KAYE: He says he's ready to get back to the job he loved, the job of serving his country. Next month, Air Force Staff Sgt. Anthony Loverde is set to make history by becoming only the second service member reinstated to active duty following the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Loverde was discharged in 2008 under the now-defunct policy after serving seven years.
And joining me now to talk about how he got here, Staff Sgt. Anthony Loverde. Thanks so much for being with us. You are set to take the oath next month, where you will be re-instated, which is actually different from a re-entry. So, if you would, explain the difference and why it's so important.
ANTHONY LOVERDE, AIR FORCE STAFF SERGEANT: The re-entry process is something that the military has in place for any prior service member who has left the military and is looking to go back to the military. And that's really based on military needs, what jobs they have open and then a whole lot of other factors, the individual's time of service.
For reinstatement, there's really no process for that particularly, like in my position and in Petty Officer 2nd Class Jase Daniels' position, who was reinstated in the fall. And so they had to deal with us on an individual basis and see if they were able to put us back in our same job in our same rank. A lot of people, when they go back to the military, they don't always get their same job or same rank, so it was a special case for us, and it was with our lawyers and a resolution made between the parties that we were able to do so.
KAYE: And tell me what you've missed most about being away from active duty for the last three years and what you're really looking forward to about going back.
LOVERDE: Well, I really missed my fellow airmen, my comrades, my crew members. I've been able to keep in contact with them through social networking and through several trips just visiting them these past four years since I've been out, but I think most just being back in that environment, working with these professionals, who are actually my friends, and flying.
I mean, it's probably the best job in the military is to be able to fly around on these cargo planes, and you get to see a lot of the world. You get to actually be a part of some really great missions. We do a lot of humanitarian missions, and that's very satisfying as well.
KAYE: Do you hold any grudges at all for being dismissed?
LOVERDE: No, not at all. I've never looked at the military as responsible for my discharge. They were simply enforcing a law that was discriminatory. They didn't really have a choice to do so, so everyone I've ever dealt with, from my commander to my fellow coworkers, they've supported me through the process when I was discharged and to this day and are welcoming me back.
So, on a personal level and on a unit level, I've never looked at the military and the people I've served with as being any ill will towards me, and it's actually been very positive.
KAYE: And the Pentagon, of course, saying that there will be zero tolerance of any harrassment now. Do you expect to feel a difference there, do you think, in the atmosphere?
LOVERDE: I will feel a difference on a personal level of not having to serve in fear of being found out and losing my job. That was always a struggle, serving before, who you can and cannot trust and the loss, I mean, was very clear. I mean, you weren't allowed to tell anybody, but on a human level of trying to know your coworkers and trying to come to a sense of -- share some trust and common ground between each other, it's just a fact of life that you're going to talk about your personal life. And that really is going to be the difference, and like I said, too, I mean, through my experience it's been very positive. I've got a lot of support from my coworkers. I really don't see it being an issue.
KAYE: Staff Sgt. Anthony Loverde, thank you so much. Appreciate talking with you this morning.
LOVERDE: No problem. Thank you for having me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE (voice-over): Up next, Ted Nugent? No. The Army pulls the plug on the Motor City Madman. Pete Dominic weighs in on Nugent's anti- Obama rant and the First Amendment. Be sure to stay with us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back, everyone. It is that time where we take a look at the week ahead with our Week Ahead Calendar. Monday is a very big day, as we've been telling you this morning, because that is when the trial of John Edwards begins. He's accused, as you know, of using campaign funds to help cover up an affair with Rielle Hunter and the child that they had together. Edwards' team says the money was used to help with a personal problem, not a campaign donation.
Also, on Monday we've got a little bit of a bromance going between Marco Rubio and Mitt Romney. They will be campaigning together, the Florida senator Marco Rubio. They'll be campaigning together outside Philadelphia.
On Wednesday, big day in Arizona, the Arizona immigration law. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on that law, but at the heart of this, of course, is the question of whether or not police can question the immigration status of people they pull over.
Also on Wednesday -- we've been talking a lot about this this weekend. The Secret Service hearing is scheduled with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Of course, that relates to the Secret Service and the alleged prostitution scandal happening in Colombia.
And on Saturday maybe you were invited to this, I don't know. The comedian/talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel hosts the 98th annual White House correspondents dinner. Should be fun.
First there was that "Friday" song by Rebecca Black, and now this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(voice-over) Forget Friday. Apparently hot girls have hot problems too. We'll show the music video that's now a sensation. Millions are calling it the worst song ever. We'll see what you think.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE (voice-over): It is just so hard, apparently, being hot. Oh, yes, but that's just a glimpse. You could say it's a theme song of sorts for these two L.A. high school seniors, and that music video has now gone viral, because, as you just heard, hot girls have problems too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
In one week we're talking more than 3 million hits on YouTube hot, but all the attention isn't exactly flattering. Here's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's got a lot to live up to. Does it deserve the title "Worst Song Ever"?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What the hell did I just watch?
MOOS: You just watched "Hot Problems," about how hard it is to be hot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These two tone-deaf (bleep) heads.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Then they decide to open their mouths and produce this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't even know why it exists.
MOOS: So that everyone on the Web can talk about it. Meet the high school seniors with the hot problems.
(on camera) You do consider yourselves hot girls or you don't? LAUREN, DOUBLE TAKE: I wouldn't say we're that hot girl, but, it's fun to sing about it.
MOOS (voice-over): Lauren and Drew are California girls who wrote the lyrics in two hours and recorded the song in a friend's studio just for fun, they say.
(on camera) Did you guys ever mean to be singers?
DREW, DOUBLE TAKE: No, not at all. We really didn't consider ourselves musically talented.
MOOS (voice-over): Neither does most of the Internet.
TEXT: I cannot unhear this awful song.
MOOS: One critic posted bleeding ears with three words -- "make it stop."
UNIDENFITIED MALE: Their voice, like, you're not even singing. It's so stupid.
MOOS (on camera): Can't anyone say anything nice?
(voice-over) Yes. We found someone who asks, "Is it bad? I found this hilarious." "Methinks this is a joke."
DREW: I guess you can say it's a joke.
MOOS (voice-over): They didn't seem sure. People are comparing it to Rebecca Black, much ridiculed hit. It may not be flattery, but others are imitating "Hot Problems."
(on camera) How did you feel about seeing some of the reviews that said things like, "This is the death of music"?
LAUREN: All the negative criticism that we're getting, we're just really kind of brushing it off our shoulders.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd rather go to a (bleep) barbershop and let Stevie Wonder give me a free haircut before listening to that (bleep).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Except that we're hot.
MOOS (voice-over): Now he's hot. Genius.
(on camera) I can't get this out of my head. CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
