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CNN Sunday Morning
Alleged Chicago Terror Plot; First Tropical Storm of the Season; Wildfires Burning In The West; Rare Annular Solar Eclipse Tonight; CNN Hero Connie Siskowski; Containing the Gladiator Fire; Interview with Comedian Jim Gaffigan
Aired May 20, 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 world headquarters in Atlanta, this is EARLY START WEEKEND.
A terror plot uncovered in Chicago. Three self-proclaimed anarchists accused of planning an attack on today's NATO summit are under arrest. And wait until you hear what police call their other targets.
And there's a new Mrs. Social network. Mark Zuckerberg marries just one day after an anti-climatic IPO.
And "I'll Have Another," well, had another. The winner of the Kentucky Derby did it again last night at the Preakness Stakes. Will he break the triple crown drought?
And comedian Jim Gaffigan has a new stand-up special that's bringing laughs to you and money to military veterans. My interview with him later in the hour.
It is Sunday, May 20th. Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye.
We start with the action in Chicago as the leaders of the NATO nations prepare to meet today. For several days now, protesters have crowded the streets of downtown. But what is expected to be the biggest demonstration of them all is scheduled to start a little later this morning in the Grant Park area. It is billed as a major anti-war protest. The war in Afghanistan, of course, is going to be front and center on the agenda for President Obama and the other NATO leaders. Police say there were only a handful of arrests during protests yesterday, even though things got pretty tense at times.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look, look, look, look. Come on. Come on. Shoot. Roll. Roll.
OK. So, listen, this is -- things are getting -- things are changing a lot here. This had been a very peaceful march for a long time and then this police van tried to come through and knocked a person down right here and they're calling out for a medic. Calling now for a medic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get back CNN (ph). Give him room. Give him room. Give him room.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: That was our Jim Spellman reporting from the middle of the chaos you saw there. Earlier, protesters stood in front of other police vans trying to stop them. Those vans were mostly filled with riot police who had stayed on the sidelines during much of the demonstration.
Despite that incident, the protests have pretty much been peaceful. But according to police, that wasn't the intention for a few of the protesters. Three men were snatched up and charged with planning a series of terror attacks meant to coincide with the NATO Summit. CNN's Paul Vercammen has more on the alleged terror plot.
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Randi, the young men sitting in jail on $1.5 million bond each are all in their 20s. They are Brian Church, 22, Jared Chase, 27, and Brent Betterly, 24. According to authorities, they all came from Florida to Chicago to cause mass mayhem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERCAMMEN (voice-over): The terror suspects stood handcuffed and expressionless, identified by police as self-proclaimed anarchists. Prosecutors charged they had planned to commit extreme acts of violence and destruction during the NATO Summit. Authorities say the three men were members of a Black Bloc group, which was blamed for violence and occupy movement protests like the one in Rome last year marked by clashes with police and the torching of police cars. They're being charged with conspiring to attack President Obama's campaign headquarters, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's home and police targets.
ANITA ALVAREZ, COOK COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY: Specifically, plans were made to destroy police cars and attack four Chicago police department stations with destructive devices in an effort to undermine the police response to the conspirators other planned actions and the NATO Summit.
VERCAMMEN: Police say they seized four of those destructive devices, Molotov cocktails ready for use, along with a mortar gun, hunter's bow, swords, knives and throwing stars. Their attorneys describe the defendants as peaceful activists trained by undercover agents who infiltrated their group and even brought them the materials for making firebombs.
MICHAEL DEUTSCH, ATTORNEY: What we've learned now, we believe it is a setup. An entrapment to the highest degree. And it is sensationalism by the police and the state to discredit the protesters that have come here to nonviolently protest.
VERCAMMEN: Supporters of the defendants could be heard scoffing at the allegations in court, but prosecutors allege that the men in custody are domestic terrorists. They say one of them asked while making a firebomb, "have you seen a cop on fire?"
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERCAMMEN: Before the hearing, the defense sort of being tossed out there was that these young men were involved with beer making material, not firebomb making equipment. Then the charges were read and suddenly the defense attorneys were talking more about entrapment.
Back to you, Randi.
KAYE: Before heading to Chicago and the NATO Summit, President Obama hosted the leaders of the G-8 nations at Camp David. The day-long talk centered on problems in the euro zone. The financial failures in places like Greece and Spain threaten the world economy, but the G-8 leaders came away way with a consensus that growing jobs could combat those troubles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's now an emerging consensus that more must be done to promote growth and job creation right now in the context of these fiscal and structural reforms. That consensus for progress was strengthened here at Camp David.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The G-8 leaders also declared their commitment to promoting transition in the Middle East and providing food aid to Africa.
Applause greeted a blind Chinese human rights activist as he arrived in New York. Chen Guangcheng made it to the U.S. after a diplomatic back and forth that saw him holed up in the U.S. embassy in Beijing before finally getting clearance to come to the U.S. He had earlier escaped house arrest in China. He's now slated to be a fellow at New York University, working with the university's law school. He spoke to the crowd through his translator.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHEN GUANGCHENG, (through translator): At the most critical junctures, the American embassy in China provided a safe haven and the American government has provided great assistance and given me partial citizenship rights here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Several times during his comments, he mentioned his family members back home, saying he hoped that they wouldn't face retribution over his high profile flight from China.
While many of you were sleeping, Italy was shaken by a deadly earthquake. At least six people were killed in the quake centered in northern Italy, 50 others were injured. There are fears that more victims could be found when search crews reach remote villages in the region. You can see some of the damage caused by the 6.0 magnitude quake.
And this morning we are watching two weather extremes. Let's bring in Reynolds Wolf.
All right, Reynolds, so we have some dry weather out west fueling the wildfires and we also have the big storm brewing off the East Coast. So you pick which one you want to start with.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know let's start with -- let's start with something a little bit closer to home. I think it's kind of an anomaly. We're talking about Tropical Storm Alberto. It has formed off the Carolina and Georgia coastline. What's pretty amazing about this is that hurricane season in the Atlantic basin doesn't even get underway until we get into June and then goes all the way through, of course, November. But it's very hard to see, but we have a little bit of development right off the coast. Closed circulation. And with that closed circulation, we've got Tropical Storm Alberto with winds right now sustained at 50 miles per hour.
I'm telling you, though, this looks really, really bad. The convection is not that deep. I would not be surprised if in the next couple of updates, this thing actually just falls apart altogether. We're going to watch it for you. Again, very unusual to see this, but it may be the sign of what could be a very interesting tropical season, Randi.
KAYE: All right. So let's talk about those wildfires out west. Have they been able to get a handle on them yet?
WOLF: To tell you the truth, things have been a little bit better for them. What they've been seeing out towards the west -- let me tell you, if we have any videos of the wildfires, we're going to show it to you. Here you go. Take a look. You see the plumes of smoke popping up all across the area.
KAYE: Wow.
WOLF: You've got wildfires from not just parts of Arizona or Colorado or even parts of New Mexico, but from all over the country that have been joining forces to battle this blaze. In fact, you take a look at this map that we have up, it will give you an idea of how much containment we have there. We're making pretty good headway in a couple of them, especially the "sunflower fire," where it's 33 percent contained. But, yes, they've got a long way to go, but they certainly made big strides yesterday. "Gladiator fire," 12,000 -- over 12,000 acres burned. Twelve percent contained. Bull Flat, 90 percent contained. Eight-five percent contained in Hewlett.
The problem is, Randi, that as we fast forward into Tuesday and even into Wednesday, what we expect will be very dry conditions. And, unfortunately, the winds are going to be back. So we still have plenty of foliage out there. A lot of shaparel (ph). A lot of ponderosa pines. With the strong winds, we could see the flames spread once again.
KAYE: All right, Reynolds, thank you for the update on both of those stories that we're following.
And what a week for FaceBook founder Mark Zuckerberg. First, he made billions off that little IPO on Friday when he took his company public. Now an even bigger change. A status update from Zuckerberg and his long-time girlfriend, Priscilla Chan -- married. Of course it was announce on FaceBook. There's the wedding photo right there. Yep, they actually announced it on FaceBook, updating their status. Zuckerberg actually wore a suit. You can see it there. Not his signature hoodie. Very nice. Congratulations to them.
"I'll Have Another" had another. The Kentucky Derby winner made it two for two with a win in the Preakness. That means we are just one win away from having the first triple crown winner in 34 years. The next race is the Belmont on June 9th. Wow, what a win.
All right, here's a rundown of some of the stories that we're working on. The NAACP takes a history stand, formally endorsing same-sex marriage.
And if you don't catch it tonight, NASA says you may have to wait just another 11 years. I'll have a preview of a rare solar eclipse.
Plus, heads or tails? How one Texas election was settled with the flip of a coin.
Then, he's using stand-up comedy to take a stand for veterans returning from war. My conversation with comedian Jim Gaffigan.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: The push for same-sex marriage is getting another significant boost as the nation's oldest civil rights group, the NAACP, overwhelmingly voted to back the issue. In a statement, NAACP CEO Ben Jealous said in part, "civil marriage is a civil right and a matter of civil law. The NAACP's support for marriage equality is deeply rooted in the 14th Amendment." In an interview with my colleague, Don Lemon, Julian Bond, chairman emeritus of the NAACP, explained what some are calling a historic decision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIAN BOND, CHAIRMAN EMERITUS, NAACP: President Obama brought it to the for when he spoke about it, in effective giving people permission to talk about it and to think about it, I think, in ways they had not. And I think for our board, we were saying to each other, if the president can do this, then perhaps we could do it too. As a welcome surprise to me, I was just -- I was just -- I can't tell you how happy I was that this happened.
DON LEMON, CNN: You realize that this is something that the majority of African-Americans are opposed to, same-sex marriage. And this, again, it's the NAACP. Are you worried about any backlash? How might this go over with African-Americans?
BOND: I think thinking people will think about it and say, well, I may not agree with it, but there it is. They've done it. And I support the NAACP. I always have. And I'm going to continue to do so. It's like President Obama. You know, people are going to say -- I don't think people are going to say, I'm not going to vote for him because he took this position on same-sex marriage, unless you weren't going to vote for him originally, then I think you'd be encouraged to vote for him now. And some people are going to be more encouraged to vote for him now. And I think people will feel the same way about this.
I've been flooded with congratulations by e-mail from people all over the country, including many whom I don't know, saying thank you, God bless you, we're so happy you did this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Same-sex marriage has been a contentious issue among African- Americans. Last year, a poll by the Pew Research Center showed that 62 percent opposed it.
From controversial to something rare. So star gazers get ready to view the moon and sun in a way that hasn't been seen this century. And we're just a few hours away from it happening.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Good morning, Los Angeles. Yes, we promise, the sun will be coming your way any time now. Still dark there. But we're glad you're with us on EARLY START WEEKEND. Good morning to you.
And get ready to look up to the skies tonight. A rare solar eclipse is going to be visible over parts of the U.S. tonight. Reynolds is going to tell us a little more about it. But this is, what, the first one of its kind in like 18 years or something?
WOLF: It really is. And what makes this one really different, what sets it apart from the other ones, is that this one, instead of blocking out the entire sun, it's still going to have a really well defined ring around it, which makes it very distinct.
The thing is, though, again, you don't want to stare directly at the eclipse.
KAYE: Not good for the eyes.
WOLF: Not good at all. In fact, here's some factoids you need to know about it.
Plain and simple, it's the moon passing between the earth and sun. The best viewing is actually in the eastern Asia and the western U.S. Unfortunately, not everyone's going to have a picture perfect view of it. Partial eclipse for much of Asia Pacific and western two-thirds of North America.
So, to give you a timeline of when all this is going to shake out, in Lubbock, Texas, your -- you should have a pretty good view of it. That being said, you're still going to have a lot of smoke coming in from the four corners, which should give you kind of a hazy effect. As we get to the Grand Canyon, you should be able to see it around 5:25. In Reno, Nevada, beginning around 5:15. It ends around 7:37. So it's not going to happen super fast. And then when you get to Redding, California, it begins at 5:12 and ends at 7:36 p.m.
But again, it is something that's certainly amazing to watch. If you have welders glasses, you should be able to see it pretty well. Also, there's specially designed sunglasses that you can also use to get a good view of it. But again, as I mentioned, do not look at it with a naked eye. You could actually also tune in here to CNN. I'm sure we're going to have a multitude of images from our eye reports from around the globe giving you some of the greatest shots and certainly a safer way to view it. (INAUDIBLE).
KAYE: Are you going to try and check it out, Reynolds?
WOLF: Knowing me, I will probably have eyes like Barney Rubble without pupils if I stare at the thing. So, no, I'll be tempted to look, but probably hold off a bit.
KAYE: All right, we'll hold off on the pictures until tomorrow.
WOLF: You bet.
KAYE: All right. Thank you. And, of course, remember, don't look directly into the sun, as Reynolds was saying, without that special viewing equipment. And you can visit cnn.com/lightyears for more on how to stay safe this evening to check it out.
Speaking of rare events, the first transgender contestant strutted across stage last night in the Miss Universe Canada pageant. Jenna Talackova didn't win but finished in the top 12. You'll recall Talackova is the person who got Donald Trump and his Miss Universe organization to change the rules to allow contestants who weren't born a woman. As for the winner, the crown went to Sahar Biniaz.
A family didn't even realize the roof of their home was burning when suddenly they saw a stranger running into their yard.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA REEVES, MOTHER: The first thing I thought was that there was a couple of kids trying to mess with us.
CHAD REEVES, HOME CAUGHT ON FIRE: Some kid with a flannel shirt, jeans, and a ball cap jumps over my fence asking where my hose is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: And now they're saying that stranger saved their lives.
Plus, firefighters rush to put out a raging fire at a warehouse, but it's what they found inside that's now turned into a criminal investigation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: And good morning. What a lovely picture there of the White House. Folks waking up. A little bit of sunshine. Hopefully it will be a sunny day for all of you watching from Washington, D.C., this morning.
Let's check some stories for you across country.
Kansas has been hit by another tornado. A storm chaser caught this twister ripping through farmland yesterday. This morning there are reports of damaged homes and some uprooted trees. The Storm Prediction Center says there were at least 17 reported tornadoes. And in Oakland, California, firefighters spent more than three hours trying to control this fire at a warehouse. And then, in the same building, they found an illegal indoor pot growing operation. Officials say there were hundreds of marijuana plants and grow lights. The warehouse is next door to an apartment building, but the fire didn't spread and nobody was hurt.
In Colorado, an off duty firefighter driving home from a baseball game spotted a fire burning the roof of a house. Nate Kelley leaped a fence, grabbed a hose, and started to fight the flames. The fire was burning right above where a five-month-old baby was sleeping.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA REEVES, MOTHER: A few more seconds, they would have toppled on top of him. So he saved his life.
CHAD REEVES, HOME CAUGHT ON FIRE: I believe without God putting Nate in our path, that my son would be gone.
AIMEE REEVES, HOMEOWNER'S SISTER: What's the chances of an off duty fireman hopping a fence to tell us that we need to get out of that house?
C. REEVES: He's amazing. And he's going to tell you that he's not amazing, but he is amazing.
D. REEVES: We think that he's Superman. He literally appeared and disappeared just within an instant.
NATE KELLEY, FIREFIGHTER: I don't view myself as a hero. I don't -- I'm just there to help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Sounds pretty amazing to me. Family members say they had heard a lightening flash before the fire and they think that's what caused it. Luckily everybody is OK.
Across the country, behind closed doors, more than a million children are caring for ill, disabled, or aging family members. Nearly a third of them are under the age of 12. This week's CNN Hero is bringing this hidden population and their labor of love out of the shadows, helping them stay in school and hold on to their childhood. We introduce you to Connie Siskowski.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You OK? Here, let me help you.
My mom has been sick for as long as I can remember.
We need more Methodone.
Helping her out is a bigger priority than going to school because I don't know what I would do if something happened to her. I wouldn't be able to really live.
CONNIE SISKOWSKI, CHAMPIONING CHILDREN: In the United States, there are at least 1.3 million children caring for someone who is ill or injured or elderly or disabled. They can become isolated. There are physical effects. The stresses of it and the worry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, baby. Thank you so much.
SISKOWSKI: But these children suffer silently. People don't know they exist.
I'm Connie Siskowski. I am bringing this precious population into the light to transform their lives so that they can stay in school.
Good?
We offer each child a home visit.
Has the rent been helpful?
We look at what we can provide to meet the need. We go into the schools with a peer support group and we offer out of school activities that give the child a break.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is so relaxing.
SISKOWSKI: So they know that they're not alone. We give them hope for their teacher --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nicolas (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now I'm getting a's and b's, and I feel more confident.
SISKOWSKI: But we have a long way to go. There's so many more children that really need this help and support.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And, remember, CNN Heroes are all chosen from people that you tell us about. To nominate someone who's making a difference, go to cnnheroes.com. Your nomination could help them help others.
Chaos on the streets of Chicago. Protesters have a message for the NATO leaders in town for a major summit. And police have a message for the protesters.
Colorado firefighters are working overtime trying to put out the last flames of a wildfire. We'll tell you why one man is especially hoping they hurry up. And it has nothing to do with saving his neighbor's homes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back, everyone. Thanks for starting your morning with us. I'm Randi Kaye. It is just about half past the hour. The leaders of the NATO nations are preparing to meet today in Chicago. For several days now, protesters have crowded the streets downtown. But what is expected to be the biggest demonstration of them all is scheduled to start just a little bit later this morning in the Gant Park area. It's billed as a major anti-war protest. The war in Afghanistan, of course, is going to be front and center on the agenda for President Obama and the other NATO leaders.
Meanwhile, police picked up three suspected domestic terrorists as part of an ongoing investigation. They say the Florida men were planning a series of attacks coinciding with the summit. Some of the suspected targets included police stations and President Obama's campaign headquarters. We'll have much more on this at the top of the hour.
A California company is recalling more than a ton of chopped red onions distributed to 14 states and Canada. The company fears the onions could carry the listeria bacteria. Listeria can cause high fevers and severe headaches and is potentially fatal. All of the onions are past their use by dates of May 14, 15, and 17th. The company grills onions, says to throw the onions out.
A school bus driver is in the hospital this morning after a chain reaction crash not far from Atlanta. Six school buses were carrying kids to an amusement park when one rear ended another setting off the multi-vehicle wreck. At least 65 people were taken to area hospitals. Most were treated and released.
A camper in Colorado could be forced to pay millions of dollars for starting a wildfire. Authorities say a camp stove started the Hewlett fire on Monday. Now 7,600 acres later, firefighters are close to having it under control, but the guy who authorities say started the fire could be forced to pay for all the firefighting efforts. The other wildfire that we're watching this morning is in Arizona. The Gladiator fire has burned 14,000 acres. Joining me now on the phone is Karen Takai from the Southwest Arizona Incident Management Team. Karen, good morning to you. How close are firefighters to getting this under control?
KAREN TAKAI, SW ARIZONA INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM: We're looking at only a 12 percent containment, and the fire activity has been pretty high, so we'll have to see today. These next two days are a turning point for watching the advancement of the fire.
KAYE: And what exactly is being threatened by this fire?
TAKAI: We have one, two -- we have a few communities that are evacuated right now, and then also some communication towers that the fire is actually next to, some (ph) fire where we did some burnout just to protect them last night.
KAYE: And how many -- can you give me an idea of just how many teams you have on the ground there, that are on the frontlines?
TAKAI: The total personnel is approximately 1,050 at this point right now. KAYE: How does this compare to some of the others that you have had to battle?
TAKAI: As far as wildfires?
KAYE: Yeah.
TAKAI: Well, we had the Wallow -- here last year in New Mexico, and each one of them have their inherent problems because of the location in the wild and urban interface, and the threat to community and properties. Then this is just something that will continue as more people move into these areas.
KAYE: Yeah. And so, any world as speaking of people -- when they might be able to get back into their homes?
TAKAI: It's pretty early right now to see. As I said, we're at turning points right now to see what this fire is going to do. We do have some heating up of temperatures, increase the wind coming in the next few days, so that also could put another spin and challenge to what's happening here.
KAYE: We were talking about this other fire that appears to have been caused by a camper and a stove. Any idea what might have caused the Gladiator fire?
TAKAI: The gladiator fire was started by a home in the Crown King area. As far as exactly what started it from that home is unknown. It did come from the kitchen, as far as I understand.
KAYE: All right. Karen Takai, I appreciate the update. And good luck with the battle there.
TAKAI: Thank you.
KAYE: We are just one win away from the coveted triple crown after a big win at the Preakness this weekend. Plus, the best of the best. Highlights of Kristen Wiig's hilarious performance on last night's "Saturday Night Live."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAEY: Well, welcome back, everybody. Reynolds and I were just talking about some of our favorite moments of the week and the weekend. One of them, no doubt, right, the Preakness yesterday.
WOLF: Yes.
KAYE: Did you get a chance to see it?
WOLF: I did see it. Heart -- heart-pounding, no question.
KAYE: It was incredible. An amazing finish. You could say that I'll have another, yes, had another. Listen to the exciting finish from NBC. OK. We're not going to listen to it, but you saw it there. It was pretty great. We could try and voice it, but we're not going to. Anyway, lots of screaming and cheering. It was really cool. So, we might have a triple crown, right? I mean, it's the first time in, like, 34 years.
WOLF: Absolutely. I mean, the next race is going to be one of the big ones, and it's been a while. I guess Affirmed was the last one to actually get the triple crown, so I mean, definitely history in the making possibly.
KAYE: Yeah. June Ninth, June Ninth, and it was incredible because if you saw the Kentucky Derby, I'll Have Another did the exact same thing. Started way back, and at that very last literally second ...
WOLF: Absolutely.
KAEY: ... came right up and just went right by. Poor Bodemeister (ph), just never going to make it there.
WOLF: I know. It's getting close every time, but it's been a very interesting once last one, no doubt about it.
KAYE: Yeah. All right. Well, this is a nightmare of mine. We want to share with you. It didn't happen to me, luckily. I don't know if you've ever had a nightmare like this. Maybe your wife has. But I'm always afraid I'm going to, you know, drop my wedding ring or something like that ...
WOLF: Huge nightmare.
KAYE: ... down the garbage disposal or a sink.
WOLF: Oh, yeah.
KAYE: Lord knows what. So, it actually happened to this woman, a woman in Massachusetts. Actually, threw away her wedding ring by accident. Her engagement ring and a ring that her father gave her and two more. S he had taken them off her hands, right, to wash her hands, which we do all the time. And I guess dumped it in the garbage, and then she called and the truck was almost at the incinerator, Reynolds, but she was able to get waste management to stop. And they dumped it, all 15 tons of dirty, stinky, Lord knows what stuff into the -- into a transfer station and she got to go through it all.
WOLF: Well, a couple of things. You know, first of all, it's easy to understand how this could happen. It's a mistake any one of us could make. There is no doubt about that. But going through, you said, 15 tons ...
KAYE: Yeah.
WOLF: Fifteen tons of trash to find it. Well worth it.
KAYE: Yeah, and she had some help, though. I mean, eight guys -- apparently very nice guys -- came out and helped pore through all that trash. Happy ending -- after just 30 minutes they actually found those rings. I mean, I'm always afraid to take them off.
WOLF: 30 minutes to find, and how much time to clean them? What do you think?
KAYE: They probably smell a bit. You could ...
(CROSSTALK)
KAYE: But I'd still want them back. Look, see, there they are. All right, if you were -- if you are up last night or maybe you are still up from last night, who knows, and if you are a fan of Kristen Wiig from "Saturday Night Live" and films like "Bridesmaids" -- you're a big fan, right?
WOLF: Very much so.
KAYE: She is -- she is so funny, well, take a listen to her amazing performance on SNL last night. It had our whole team cracking up this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got some great news. I'm planning on proposing to Kate (ph) tonight.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She thinks this is just going to be a casual dinner, just with family and friends, and she has no idea that I'm going to pop the question, OK?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god. How romantic?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I bet she's going to cry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My god. Here? (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. You are -- what's going on with you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love surprises. I love being involved. God, I'm so freaking excited.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's going to be a really fantastic -- what the? Hey, all right. Who just tried to hit me with a drinkable yogurt? Julie (ph)? Julie (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Julie. Did you launch a drinkable yogurt at me?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sorry.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: That is just so disturbing. I mean, right? We probably should have given you guys a warning at home.
WOLF: Oh, man, yeah, that was the mock of the Lawrence Welk episode. Oh, my gosh.
KAYE: I loved the first one, though, that we showed there, that first clip where she cannot contain a surprise. She's done that skit before, and she ends up breaking through a wall and sharing the surprise, and she's just so great. And the reason, obviously, we're showing some of this this morning is because it appeared to be her last show, actually, last night. There was a big send-off. I guess maybe she's heading into Hollywood for sure.
WOLF: I need oxygen. That was really funny. That was really, really good.
KAYE: She's so funny. Every word of it. I'll have to watch it again at home.
WOLF: No doubt.
KAYE: That was fun. Thanks for that.
WOLF: Very much so. You bet. Thank you.
KAYE: All right, now here is some advice for you. If you are known to text while you walk, well, you might want to watch out. It can be dangerous and even deadly, and, yes, also expensive. More and more communities are starting to fine people for careless walking. Just this week Fort Lee, New Jersey, starting to fine people $85 if they're caught. But other cities laces are taking a kinder approach, putting signs reading "look up" on sidewalks. Just an example of how dangerous this is. You remember this video, right? A woman texting, and then she walked right into the mall's fountain. It was all caught on surveillance tape. Oh, yes. There she goes. Oops. Or maybe you've seen this video of a guy walking up on a hungry 400-pound black bear while texting in Los Angeles. Yeah. Didn't see it. So busy with his nose and his little phone there that he was rather surprised. Yeah. Run.
So we want to know what you think about this. Should cities fine people for texting while walking? Is it really that dangerous? Is it worth a fine? How would you feel about it? Tweet me @randi kayecnn. We'll read some of your comments on the air.
Breaking a tie in Texas. We'll show you how a city council race came down to $1 that neither candidate could spend.
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KAYE: A little U2 to wake you up this morning. What a lovely shot of Chicago there. Beautiful city. Good morning, Chicago.
President Obama is in Chicago today for the NATO summit. But before heading there, he led talks among G8 leaders on the growing financial crisis in Europe. The G8 leaders came away with a consensus that growing jobs could combat their troubles.
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BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's now an emerging consensus that more must be done to promote growth and job creation right now in the context of these fiscal and structural reforms. That consensus for progress was strengthened here at Camp David.
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KAYE: The G8 leaders also came together to express concern over a lack of progress with getting Iran to give up their nuclear program. So it is a busy weekend for President Obama with NATO and the G8, but come Monday it is back to being candidate Obama. Here is CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Good morning, Randi. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden hit the campaign trail in crucial battleground states this week.
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OBAMA: It is good to be back in Iowa.
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STEINHAUSER: Mr. Obama heads to the Hawkeye State, while Biden stumps in New Hampshire.
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MITT ROMNEY, GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you.
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STEINHAUSER: Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney speaks before a Latino group here in the nation's capital on Wednesday. Friday his campaign released a Spanish-language version of their new TV commercial.
The speech and the ad seem to be part of an outreach to Latino voters, who may have been turned off by Romney's tough talk on illegal immigration during the battle for the GOP nomination. Polls indicate President Obama holds a large lead over Romney among Latino voters.
Also this week, primaries on Tuesday in Arkansas and Kentucky. Randi.
KAYE: Paul Steinhauser, thank you very much.
A coin flip has decided the election in Wolfforth, Texas. Imagine if it was always that easy. The city council vote was tied after last Saturday's vote, so the candidates agreed to settle it with a coin flip. Heads won.
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BRYAN STUDER, CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE, LOST COIN FLIP: When the city secretary texted me that we tied the other night, that was my first - and I texted her back, can we just flip a coin? More of a joke, didn't know if we could really do that or not.
BRUCE MCNAIR, CITIY COUNCIL CANDIDATE, WON COIN FLIP: I did not want to concede because that would just be giving up, and certainly spending the taxpayers' money to do another election was ridiculous thought, so the other option was to cast lots, as they called it.
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KAYE: I think they might have a point there. Pretty good idea. A special election to break the tie would have cost the small West Texas town around $10,000.
He is one of the funniest guys in the world making the most mundane hilarious.
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JIM GAFFIGAN, COMEDIAN: You ever make the mistake of reheating McDonald's fries in the microwave? They become packing peanuts. Doesn't stop you from eating them. You're like, these aren't even good anymore. How are yours? Yours aren't good either.
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KAYE: But Jim Gaffigan isn't just looking for laughs. He is supporting veterans with a new stand-up special. And just a quick note for those of you heading out the door. We know it's early, but if you are on the go, you can continue watching CNN from your mobile phone. Or if you are heading to work, you can also watch CNN live from your desktop. Just go to cnn.com.
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GAFFIGAN: There's a McDonald's denial. We all embrace it. No one is going in there innocent. We're walking into a red and yellow building with a giant M over it. What's this, a library? I'll get some fries while I'm here. Those McDonald's fries are truly amazing, right? Has your mother ever made anything as good as a McDonald's fry? Not even close.
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KAYE: That is Jim Gaffigan's hilarious new standup special "Mystery Universe," and here are two reasons that you should get it. For starters, it's $5 for more than an hour of laughs, and number two, one out of those $5 goes to the Bob Woodruff Foundation. It's a nonprofit that's helped more than a million service members and their family members reintegrate back into civilian life after war. The very talented, very funny Jim Gaffigan joins me now from New York. Jim, I've seen clips of this. It is pretty hilarious. Do you know how well it's been selling so far?
GAFFIGAN: It's been -- I've kind of intentionally not been all over the sales, because I didn't really expect it to be -- to change my life. But it's doing well. I ran into someone today that said that they bought it, so -- and that's just walking down the street in New York.
KAYE: You are offering this as a download from your site for $5. We saw comedian Louis CK successfully release an album last year in a very similar way. Is this what you'd say the future of stand-up specials? Will more and more albums be self-released like this?
GAFFIGAN: It's an interesting question, and it's one of those where I don't know the answer. I know that Louis's success -- is he definitely the hottest comedian today, and he is brilliant. But there is also something of the element of seeing the jazz musician on a subway. The first time you see it, you want to give money, and then maybe the next or third time, you are less interested in giving money. So I don't know if the novelty will wear off, but I don't know. I think it's -- I wouldn't even guess, because in three years it might be a completely different thing.
KAYE: True.
GAFFIGAN: Who knows? Maybe it will be on our glasses.
KAYE: The second that we booked you for this interview, my producer Norah started shouting "hot pockets," referring, of course, to one of your most popular routines. How often do crazy people - not that my producer is crazy - but how often do crazy people shout out things like that at you?
GAFFIGAN: Well, the hot pocket thing, it's strange. You know, I certainly don't need any more people yelling "hot pocket" at me in the airport. When one of our children was born, secretly in the back of my head I was like, I'm not going to be surprised if this baby comes out and looks at me and instead of say "dada" says "hot pocket," but I don't know. It's a blessing and a curse, right? I'm very blessed to have the career that I have, but I don't know if I need drunk college kids yelling "hot pocket" at me on a Friday or Saturday night.
KAYE: I want to talk more about this foundation that you're giving some of your money to in this case. The Bob Woodruff Foundation. How did you get involved with them and why?
GAFFIGAN: Well, I had done a comedy show benefit for the Woodruff Foundation, and I had met Bob and Lee, and they were really super solid people. And when I was doing the download, I knew that I was going to do a charity element, and I ended up deciding on veterans and their families because I think that it's -- it's a very well known secret -- a very well known fact that I don't think that veterans get treated fairly in this country. Whether it be from the government or veterans affairs. I'm not trying to start a war or anything or a fight. I just think that it's kind of ridiculous how we treat veterans. I don't come from a military family, but I think it's kind of ridiculous. And so when I did the charity element, I didn't think that it was going to be that big of a deal. I just thought that it was maybe the right thing to do, and that it's kind of the way my parents raised me, that you kind of do the right thing, but I don't know. The veterans thing, it does feel a little bit that, you know, it comes up. It's in Time magazine, but I feel as though -- I think we're going to be embarrassed how we're treating our veterans in 10, 15 years.
KAYE: Oh, yeah, no question.
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KAYE: My conversation there with Jim Gaffigan. And just ahead, the family of Anne Frank, a well known face of the Holocaust, went to clean out an old attic and found a treasure-trove of mementos that Anne and her family had left behind. Anne Frank's cousin will talk with me about the never before published photos in the next half hour.
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