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CNN Sunday Morning

Spanish Banks in Need of Assistance; Broadway's Biggest Night

Aired June 10, 2012 - 08:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): From CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

Multiple people shot near Auburn University. Reports say the victims were football players at a pool party. We'll have a report on what happened.

The eurozone's fourth largest economy asks for a bailout. Spain, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, gets a huge rescue fund, but it's a drop in the bucket for a country facing junk bon bond status and an unemployment rate close to 25 percent.

And later the Pacquiao/Bradley fight may be over but the controversy has just begun. Why some are saying the judges' decision is an outrage.

Also, also her close encounter with death changed her life. I'll talk with an orthopedic surgeon about how a tragic accident gave her a spiritual gift.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. It is 8:00 on the East Coast; 5:00 on the West.

Thanks so much for waking up with us.

We start with a developing story out of Auburn, Alabama. A shooting at an off-campus apartment complex, we're hearing reports of multiple victims. The police have the whole area blocked off, about they're not releasing any details on the possible victims or the suspects.

Now, earlier I talked with one local reporter covering this story about those victims.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINA CHAMBERS, WLTZ REPORTER (via telephone): Sources tell me that there were three players, two of them are former Auburn players and one is a current player. Obviously, police have not confirmed who the victims are in this case, but sources tell me that three of the victims were football players, former and current. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Now, allegedly the shooting started with a fight at a party. That's at least what's being reported on Twitter right now. We'll continue following that story. We're expecting to hear much more specific detail later today. Police have planned a news conference around noon Eastern Time.

Mexican drug cartels are increasing their reach into the U.S. by leaps and bounds. The Justice Department says they now know that cartels operate in more than 1,200 U.S. cities. Back in 2006, it was just 50 cities. One of those cities where they have seen expansion is Wilmington, North Carolina. The DEA in that area has seized tons of marijuana, weapons, other drugs, and millions of dollars in cash. Agents say the cartels are running production and distribution of drugs from inside the U.S. but in Wilmington they have seen success with fighting the cartels with a tip line, that has lead to most of those seizures.

To Syria where the prospects for peace aren't looking good.

Heavy shelling why Homs punctuated the failure of the agreed-upon peace plan. That's the one put forward by former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Today, the opposition Syrian National Council elected in a new president. He's a Syrian in exile in Sweden. It's seen as the move that could unite various rebel factions. The lack of unity has been seen as a hurdle to international peace efforts.

The Supreme Court could issue its ruling on health care reform as early as tomorrow. They could strike down President Obama's signature piece of legislation, the Affordable Healthcare Act, or they could just pick and choose leaving parts of it in place. Either way, the decision will have a big impact on health care and politics. All rulings from this term are expected by June 28th.

To horse racing now and the disappointment over "I'll Have Another's" retirement. Before yesterday's Belmont Stakes, they held a little retirement ceremony in the winner's circle. A way for the fans to say good-bye to the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner.

But then it was time for the race. Union Rags came from behind at the end to pull off the victory. Union Rags was actually the favorite to win the Kentucky Derby but finished 7th in that day and now finally he gets to win.

All right. Now, to a shocker in Las Vegas. Manny Pacquiao lost last night. It was a controversial split decision victory for a guy named Timothy Bradley. Not taking anything away from Bradley here but we're talking about Manny Pacquiao. He hadn't lost a fight in seven years and was known by many as the best fighter in the world. You can believe there's going to be a big money rematch for sure.

All right. To Spain now and their looming financial crisis. The country is asking for big money to help their banks but don't call it a bailout.

Joining me now from Madrid is CNN's Nina dos Santos.

Nina good morning to you.

The Spanish prime minister held a news conference earlier this morning. What is he saying about this?

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Randi.

So, we had that Spanish prime minister stepping onto the podium one day after his economy minister broke the news that Spain had finally after months of pressure decided to go and ask for these emergency funds. And he didn't really give any more details from what we heard yesterday. So, there are many questions that remain unanswered, exactly how much money Spain will ask for, and also what kind of terms and conditions it will be awarded.

One thing he did talk about was that he was still going to the euro 2012 soccer championships in Poland this afternoon where Spain will be fighting it out on the pitch against Italy.

Take a listen to how he explained that decision, Randi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIANO RAJOY, SPANISH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I think that in these circumstances after having resolved this situation, obviously if this situation wasn't resolved and this decision wasn't made, I wouldn't go, but I am flying 6 1/2 hours. I'll be there for 2 1/2 hours, but I think the Spanish team deserves it.

There's always mixed arguments on this. If I go, why am I going? If I'm not going, why haven't I gone?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOS SANTOS: Let's hope Spain has a little more success on the soccer pitch than it has had on the world's financial markets as of late, because that is what has got them into this situation, Randi.

KAYE: Yes, certainly. So, we keep hearing this figure of $125 billion. Is that how much money we're talking about here?

DOS SANTOS: That's how much money the finance ministers of the 17 other countries that are also part of the eurozone like Spain so they have surrendered their money in order to use the single currency a number of years ago. Well, that's how much money they said they could throw at the problem to sort of ring fence it. What we have over the next couple weeks is Spain is awaiting an official order of how much money its banks will need and then it will table some kind of request with the exact amount.

KAYE: You know, we have been watching -- Americans have been watching what's going on in Greece and now this with Spain. Give us some perspective. I mean, why should the U.S. and the rest of the world care about this bailout?

DOS SANTOS: It's an excellent question. Yes. Well, the eurozone and Europe in particular as a larger trading bloc is actually the U.S.'s largest trading partner. What's going on here is extremely important for the United States at a time when obviously the U.S. and its government is trying, like everybody else, to try to create jobs, get people out of the unemployment line, and back into work.

The problems that the eurozone has been facing have been going on for three years now, Randi. That's pushed the currency to a two-year low. Although that sounds like a good thing for Americans who are planning to come to Europe because their dollars worth more when they were in the tourist vacation, in the long run, what it does is it makes U.S. goods and services twice in dollars too expensive for some European countries, when of course we're on the precipice of recession over here. So, that's why it matters to everybody.

KAYE: All right. Thank you for that perspective and for your reporting. Nina dos Santos, live in Madrid for us this morning.

So, bet you heard of films like "Chicago" and "The Bucket List". How about plays like "Hairspray"? The award winning producer behind them joins me next to dish about his career and tonight's Tony Awards.

But first a very good morning to San Francisco.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Love hearing that song this morning.

For fans of Broadway, tonight is the big night, the Tonys. Just hours from now, the stars of the stage will gather to compete for their art's highest honor.

And who else better to join us now than Neil Maron, the man who's won what seems to be just about every award for both stage and screen.

Thank you so much for joining us from Los Angeles this morning. Good morning.

NEIL MERON, PRODUCER, FILM, TELEVISION, AND BROADWAY: Good morning. Good morning to you.

KAYE: So let me just share with our viewers some of what you and your partner have accomplished. You have 12 Tony nominations, two wins, 6 Academy Awards, 5 Golden Globes, 69 Emmy nominations and 2 Peabodys. This is a pretty impressive list there, Neil.

What is it like to win a Tony or any of those awards really?

MERON: Well, we were fortunate to have people associated with our shows win the Tony Awards and that's always thrilling when people who work with you get acknowledged, and that really is the most rewarding thing for a producer.

KAYE: I'm sure. You work though in film, television, and stage as we just saw. Why do more and more stars, do you think, seem to be trading in the Hollywood life for Broadway? Even if it's for a limited time only?

MERON: You know, there's really nothing like performing on stage for an actor. The thrill of an audience every night, the actual being able to delve into a character performance after performance to enrich your performance.

It's kind of what acting is all about. When you go out on stage and you get a chance to actually be in control, there's no editor, there's no director once the curtain goes up. It's really about the actor, and that's, I think, very rewarding.

KAYE: Is using TV stars you think the new winning formula for Broadway?

MERON: You know, the economics of Broadway have changed so much over the years that in order to ensure that you could actually have an audience and recoup and do well, there is something to be said for star power. So I think it's just that added value that you get for the audience and for the producers and all the investors that you get when you have a star in the show.

KAYE: I want --

MERON: And --

KAYE: Go ahead. I'm sorry.

MERON: It's just that star power has become much more important for Broadway than it's ever been in the past and I think less so in movies. It's kind of an interesting conundrum right now.

KAYE: Yes. I want to get your picks for tonight but I have to ask you about the show you produced, the NBC series "Smash." How is that going?

MERON: Oh, yes. We are so excited to be doing season two of "Smash." It was a thrill to do something that original, to do an actual musical every week on television was kind of exciting, and the opportunity to do it for a second season is even more enriching for us.

I think the writers are at work right now. Josh Safran is our new show runner. He is cracking the stories probably as we speak and we start shooting in early summer, and then we'll be on the air at some point next season.

KAYE: Well, congratulations with all that success.

MERON: Thank you.

KAYE: Let's talk about -- let's talk about the Tonys. I know you want to talk about "Smash" some more, but if we have time we will.

But the Tonys, they may have been successful as "Smash" because their ratings have been dropping really for the last few years. And according to "The L.A. Times," this year's Academy Awards had five times more viewers than last year's Tonys. Why do you think that is?

MERON: You know, I think theater is still considered a bit rarified. But there is a very, very big audience that buys tickets that watches the Tonys, and I think that's why they keep on getting air time year after year, because there is an audience because it is proven that if a show wins best play or best musical, that business will increase. So somebody must be watching.

So it may not be the international audience that the Oscars have, but there is significant viewership for the Tony Awards that really improve box office.

KAYE: Neil Patrick Harris hosting. Can he help revive it, bringing those viewers in?

MERON: Neil Patrick Harris is a Godsend to the Tonys. He's of the theater, he's of television, he's a big star, he does movies. If he's promoting live theater, there couldn't be anybody better.

KAYE: Who are some of your picks tonight? Do you have a few in mine?

MERON: I think the sure bet for tonight is "Death of a Salesman." I think that will be hands down sure bet, and Audra Mcdonald as best actress in a musical for "Porgy and Bess". So, I think those are the two sure things going into tonight.

And then, for the most part, I personally think that "Once" will win best musical and "Clyburn Park" will win best play. So, those are all a little bit iffy but that would be my guess.

KAYE: So, why are you in L.A. and not New York for the big show?

MERON: I just got back to L.A. I have meetings out here for movie musicals. I have been in New York for the past year or so working on "Smash", and we had had a succeed in business without really trying that closed a couple weeks ago so I jut thought I'd back to L.A. to see what it was like out here and then I will be back in New York next week and hopefully at the Tonys next year.

KAYE: All right. A busy life and I'm glad you made time for us this morning. Thanks for waking up early. I know it's early in L.A. We certainly appreciate that.

Neil Meron, thank you so much.

MERON: No problem. Thank you.

KAYE: They are veterans of the war on terror and they are showing their anger at that conflict and others by taking some pretty surprising actions.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Hello, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye checking stories cross country.

Every senior at a Chicago high school is graduating this weekend, and all 50 of them are headed to college. What make this is really special is that four years ago, the school didn't exist. This is the first graduating class at Christ the King Jesuit College Prep.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHALAMIYAH BROWN, GRADUATING SENIOR: I'll be the first graduating class of my school and the first graduating -- the student of my family.

ROWSHAWN TREADWELL, GRADUATING SENIOR: Were the first to come in, the first to leave out together as one. So that's why at graduation it's going to be bittersweet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Graduates are going to colleges across the country, like Alabama A&M and the University of Iowa.

And in Fort Worth, Texas, a 19-year-old college student is dragging a 12-foot cross on the side of the road. He plans to carry it to Washington. That's more than 1,300 miles. He's doing it to spread the word of the Christian gospel and raise money for missionaries.

Junior Garcia said the idea came to him after he had a pretty rough year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUNIOR GARCIA, CARRYING CROSS: This is my way of showing them that Jesus Christ wants a personal relationship with every single one of them. I was going through so much in my life. July 24th, 2011, I remember just looking up to heaven and saying, I'm yours. That day I decided to take up my cross and I felt him tell me that's where we're going, Washington, D.C.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: He plans to arrive in D.C. by July 13th.

And speaking of D.C., check out these long lines outside a shoe store there. Huge crowds lining for a chance to buy Kanye West's new Nike Air Yeezy sneakers. This is one of the only stores in the area selling this. They go for about 300 bucks but people are bidding thousands of dollars for the shoes online. They feature fake reptile skin and glow in the dark soles.

In Orange County, Florida, police are looking for a man who tried to rob a 7-Eleven store. Witnesses say he pulled out a knick, demanded some cash, but a quick thinking customer grabbed a wine bottle, kicked the knife out of this guy's hand and then chased him out of the store with the bottle. Oh, yes, a little kick right there.

I turns out the knife wielding suspect robbed the store just last month.

They are back from Iraq and Afghanistan. And now a group of veterans is taking a stand against the war on terror and who it calls other, quote, "unjust occupations". Together they are known as Iraq veterans against the war and they recently gathered in Chicago to demonstrate outside the NATO summit and return their service medals to NATO command.

The veterans say their mission is to promote a message of healing and solidarity throughout the world.

And a programming note, we have invited Graham Clumper, an organizer for Iraq Veterans Against the War as a guest on this show next week. So, be sure to tune in for that.

A man pulls a gun against a neighbor in what he calls an act of self-defense. Now, he's on trial for murder. But I'm not talking about George Zimmerman. This case is in Texas.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Good morning, Atlanta. Oh, boy, a soggy day in Atlanta. Look at that. We got a little windshield wiper there on our tower cam. It is soggy and rainy and sort of ugly, but, hey, we're glad you're with us, glad you're watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

We've heard a lot about Florida's stand your ground law. It's come under intense scrutiny since George Zimmerman is using it as a defense for killing Trayvon Martin. Now, a retired firefighter in Texas said he was standing his ground when he shot an elementary school teacher. And as you're about to see, the firefighter's own words foreshadow his defense in court.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Raul Rodriguez showed up at his neighbor's house to complain about noise from a loud party, he was armed, not just with a gun, but a flashlight, a cell phone connected to 911 operators, and a video camera.

RAUL RODRIGUEZ: That's more than 85 decibels, and I'm 200 feet away.

KAYE: It was May 2010, and the retired firefighter had been calling Harris County police all night, complaining about a rowdy party.

Frustrated, he confronts his neighbor, Kelly Danaher and some of his buddies on the driveway.

RODRIGUEZ: Why don't y'all turn that down, please?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, well, who are you?

RODRIGUEZ: I live over here. Turn it down!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, don't go hollering at me, buddy.

KAYE: The video lasts about 20 minutes. Over and over you hear Rodriguez tell the men to stop or he'll shoot.

RODRIGUEZ: Yes, I ain't going nowhere.

STORM: Yes, you're going to go somewhere.

RODRIGUEZ: You need to stop right there. Don't come any closer please.

STORM: Don't tell us to stop coming close to you.

RODRIGUEZ: I'm telling you, stop. I said stop right now or I will shoot you. Stop! Get back!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back up, Kelly.

RODRIGUEZ: Get back! I'm in fear for my life.

KELLY DANAHER: I got nothing dude.

RODRIGUEZ: Y'all are drunk, get away from me!

KAYE: The men at Danaher's house appear unarmed, but still, Rodriguez, who has a license to carry a concealed weapon repeatedly tells the 911 operator he fears for his life.

RODRIGUEZ: It's just me against everybody. I've got a -- I've got -- look, there's about 15 people here. Look, I'm in fear for my life now. I'm in very -- that's why I drew my weapon. I'm in fear for my life. Please help me now.

They're going to kill me. Oh Jesus, they're going to kill me. I smell liquor.

KAYE: The men shout at Rodriguez, and Rodriguez tells police the partygoers want to quote, "beat me down".

RODRIGUEZ: And so I'm running the video camera right now, and I'm talking to you. And I'm scared to death here.

KAYE: At some point one of the men seems to hint at getting his own weapon.

STORM: When I go in the house and come back, don't think I won't be equal to you, baby.

RODRIGUEZ: OK, they're going to escalate this. OK, now, he's talking about going in the house ands getting something to shoot me with. I'm going to have to defend myself. I'm going to have to defend myself.

KAYE (on camera): While it may seem odd to bring a gun to resolve a noise complaint, Rodriguez still may be able to defend himself using Texas' version of the "Stand Your Ground" law known as the Castle Doctrine. It says a person can use force if that person feels as though his or her life is in danger.

So what happens in the next few moments on that video is key. Rodriguez uses very specific language, phrases like, I'm standing my ground, and my life is in danger. Listen closely.

RODRIGUEZ: It's about to get out of hand, sir. Please help me. Please help me, sir. My life is in danger now.

He's about to -- he says he's going to go in the house and he's going to be more than equal to me. Now I'm standing my ground here. Now these people are going to try to kill me.

KAYE (voice-over): Then suddenly shots fire.

RODRIGUEZ: Look I'm not losing with these people anymore. I'm just going to tell them to stay back. They're drunk. They're swearing.

(LAUGHTER)

(GUNSHOT)

RODRIGUEZ: God dang it.

KAYE: And that's where the video ends. But we know the shooting continued. Three of the partygoers are shot. Two survive. But Kelly Danaher, the young father and elementary schoolteacher hosting the party, is dead.

Raul Rodriguez says he's not guilty of murder. And he's hoping this grainy video will prove he acted in self defense and never planned to kill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights plans to examine stand your ground laws across the country. It will be looking at what role, if any, race plays in its enforcement.

And we've been asking to you send us your thoughts about this controversial suggestion. Should airlines offer kid-free zones on flights?

Rory tweeted me, "We have no smoking areas for restaurants for the comfort of the customers, why not do the same for those bothered by kids?"

LaMonica, says, "Yes, they may be the center of the parent's world, they aren't the center of the world. Kid free flights would be great."

Linda disagrees, "Just help. I've held children for frazzled mothers. We've read stories to bored children. Kids are easy, adults are difficult."

Keep those tweets coming. You can find me @RandiKayeCNN. An orthopedic surgeon says she's died, been to heaven, and says she's even spoken with God. I'll ask her all about it when she joins me live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Randi Kaye, bottom of the hour now.

This morning police in Auburn, Alabama are frantically working to find out what happened when someone opened fire at an apartment building just near campus. It happened late last night reportedly at an off-campus party. We are hearing reports that some people may have been killed and several other hurts and football players may have been involved in the shooting.

CNN is still working to confirm all of this information. Police aren't releasing many details and they're not talking about suspects, but authorities are expected to make a statement later this morning. One thing that we must note is that the "Auburn Plainsman", the school paper that has been tweeting out some of these unconfirmed details of the shooting, appears to have had its Twitter account now suspended.

Mega-church Pastor Creflo Dollar is speaking out following his arrest on simple battery saying he would never use physical force to harm his children. His comments came after a headline-grabbing incident that alleged Dollar assaulted his 15-year-old daughter. The pastor says the case will be handled privately going forward to protect his children. He is now out on bail.

Southern California's famed but troubled Crystal Cathedral is getting a name change. It'll now be called simply Christ Cathedral. According to the L.A. Times, the new name was chosen from 4,129 submissions received from around the world.

If you know someone who has had a close encounter with death, they might have said it changed their life. It changed Dr. Mary Neal's life forever. In her book "To Heaven and Back," she writes about her near death experience while on a kayaking trip in Chile. An orthopedic surgeon, mother and wife, Dr. Neal joins us now for today's "Faces of Faith".

Doctor, thanks so much for being with us. Most people would call your kayaking --

(CROSSTALK)

DR. MARY NEAL, AUTHOR, "TO HEAVEN AND BACK": Thank you Randi.

KAYE: -- accident a tragic experience, but you say that it was really the greatest gift you've ever received. Can you -- can you tell us about that day and what you experienced?

NEAL: Absolutely. I was kayaking in South America and we were kayaking on a part of a river that was well-known for waterfalls and I don't mean big waterfalls like Niagara Falls, but they were drops from 10 to 15 to 20 feet which were certainly within my skill set and as I crested one of the drops, I saw the bottom and realized that there was no clean exit, there was no water flowing out. And when I hit the bottom, the boat was pinned in the rocks that were submerged and I was immediately submerged, still in my boat but submerged.

KAYE: Did you know at that point that you were dying?

NEAL: Well, I am a spine surgeon and I stay calm in stressful situations, so I went through the usual routine of trying to free the boat or get myself out of the boat and reasonably quickly I came to the conclusion that I probably would drown. And at that point I knew I was out of air and I knew that I was dying.

KAYE: You describe this though as peaceful. I mean, you talk about your conversations as this was happening -- conversations that you had with God and challenges that you were given?

NEAL: I was so calm and peaceful and for me it was a very seamless transition from life to death. And I did leave my body. I was up and out of the river and I was greeted by a group of absolutely overjoyed people, beings, spirits -- I'm not quite sure what to call them -- but yes, eventually my kids would like to say that I was kicked out of heaven, but eventually I was sent back and I was sent back with a bit of a laundry list of things I still had to do.

KAYE: You're a mother of four and you write about your son, Willy's death in 2009. He was struck from behind while roller skiing. Have you been able to forgive the man given this experience that you've had? Have you been able to forgive the man for that accident?

NEAL: I have. I will say that my son's death was something I was told about and I knew that that would happen. I didn't know the details of how or when or why, but I -- I did know that that was a likely eventuality. And in knowing that it was part of this overall beautiful plan, I was able to forgive him.

I truly was never outraged. Mostly I was sad for him and I did after a while realize I was a little angry, but I did forgive him. And I really feel like he was part of -- part of this plan and I -- I hope that it impacts his life well.

KAYE: And when you say you were told, you're saying you were told during this near death or dying experience is that what you're saying? That you were told your son -- you would lose your son?

NEAL: Yes. I was given this laundry list of things that I still had to do, one of which was being here and not only being an absolute solid spiritual support for my family and community but really helping those people look at this event not as a tragedy, but really finding the beauty in it and finding the beauty in the ripple effects of my son's death.

And that was one --

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: That was one of the things you were told?

NEAL: That -- that was one of the two main things. The other was really to come back and share my story.

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: It's been 13 years since your accident though and now you're first sharing your story. Why wait so long? What inspired you to write the book now?

NEAL: A couple of things. I did tell people initially, but I spent a lot of time analyzing it, processing it, looking at my medical records, trying to corroborate some of the details and really coming to a conclusion that it was real. It wasn't the effect of a dying brain. It wasn't a hallucination, et cetera.

The other thing is that I really didn't want to come back, and I felt that that was an important part of it, and my children were very young. I didn't think it was fair to them to start telling everyone that I didn't want to come back because I never wanted them to feel like they weren't enough because I love them very dearly. But the love that I have for them is so pale in comparison to the love that I felt in God's world.

I mean that truly felt like home. And I didn't want to tell them. Plus, I am very busy. I have a full-time job. I had young kids. I'm not a writer. I didn't want to do it.

KAYE: Well, you know, a lot of people though, I mean, honestly, they're terrified of death, terrified to die wondering what that holds. So are you saying today that there's nothing to be afraid of?

NEAL: There is absolutely nothing to be afraid of. There really is life after death, but I don't believe that anyone at the very end has much of a different experience than I did. I had no fear, no panic. I felt great. I had no pain. My knees bent back upon themselves and I had multiple broken bones, but I had no pain and I was joyously greeted.

And that knowledge helped me also with regard to my son's death because I am quite sure that he didn't have pain, he didn't have fear. And I am quite sure that he was joyously greeted as well, and I'm sure that he didn't want to come back either.

KAYE: It is a fascinating -- a fascinating read. Dr. Mary Neal, thank you so much for your time this morning.

NEAL: Thank you.

KAYE: And for more stories on faith, be sure to check out our widely popular belief blog at CNN.com/belief.

Intelligence leaks rock the White House, cause concern in Congress and now Attorney General Eric Holder wants to know who is responsible. "State of the Union's" Candy Crowley joins me next with more. But first, good morning New York -- a great shot there of New York City's Columbus Circle, where the sun is already shining.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Joe Biden's picnic with the media, well, you might say it got just a little bit out of hand. It seems the Vice President armed the journalists' kids with squirt guns and sent them off to soak their family. Wolf Blitzer was among the very popular targets.

But you reap what you sow, right? And soon the kids turned their guns on the VP. But it was all in good fun. No Secret Service intervention required at this one.

Let's go to Washington now. CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" is coming up at the top of the hour; host, Candy Crowley joining us. Candy, good morning.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": Good morning.

KAYE: We have been talking a lot about this controversy over the intelligence leaks that have now stretched from Congress to the Justice Department; Attorney General Eric Holder launching this investigation. What's the reaction been so far?

CROWLEY: Well, so far what we know is that a couple of folks on the Senate side with big microphones, and that is John McCain and Lindsey Graham, have said what we need is outside counsel. We don't want someone from the Justice Department.

But there has been -- there are kind of two tracks for this story. One is whether the leaks are political in nature because the leaks we've seen in the past several weeks have certainly been favorable to the President in the sense that it made him look in charge. It made him seem as if he was on top of this and a tough guy when it came to terrorism.

And the other track is these leaks were really detrimental to intelligence gathering and to perhaps compromising sources. So there's two tracks. What Republicans are saying is, look, it looks pretty political to us, but what we have is bipartisan agreement that these leaks are incredibly damaging and that somebody needs to get to the bottom of it.

And one of your guests this morning, Senator John McCain, I mean he was among the first to speak out publicly against these leaks.

CROWLEY: He is. He is one of those furious about it but again, I mean Senator Dianne Feinstein, who's chair of the -- Democratic chair of the Intelligence Committee on the Senate side, was out this week alongside Republicans and her fellow Democrat on the house side saying this is very, very damaging.

I mean most people that you talk to say these particular leaks have been pretty awful. Sometimes for particular individuals and kind of putting a spotlight on, for instance, someone who had, in fact, seemed to infiltrate al Qaeda and something came out about that.

So they've been very damaging and there's, as I say, sort of this bipartisan outrage and then there's this undercurrent because let's face it, it's an election year of politics at play.

KAYE: Right. All right. So, Candy, because we have you this morning, I have to share a bit of my conversation that I had this week with Bravo's Andy Cohen. I know you know the name. He's the host of that popular show "Watch What Happens Live".

CROWLEY: Yes.

KAYE: And he happens -- he --

CROWLEY: Ok. This is frightening.

KAYE: This is frightening, yes. Do not be afraid. He had this very special message for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Candy Crowley.

ANDY COHEN, EVP OF DEVELOPMENT AND TALENT, BRAVO: Oh, the real deal.

KAYE: You have said many nice things about --

COHEN: I love Candy.

KAYE: Can you turn to the camera and send her a message. She's on our show every Sunday morning.

COHEN: Oh my God, Candy Crowley, I live for you. You break it down. You belong in the Mt. Rushmore of telling it like it is and serving the tea from Capitol Hill. And when you speak, I listen.

And I would -- actually I would be scared of Candy interviewing me because she -- seriously, she knows what she is talking about.

KAYE: You better to be prepared.

COHEN: Yes, yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Oh, I love that moment.

CROWLEY: Wow, he had me at "real deal".

KAYE: He is a huge, huge fan of yours. He just --

CROWLEY: That's very nice.

KAYE: He loves the show.

CROWLEY: He's very smart, that man.

KAYE: He is. He is very smart, yes. I think I saw you blushing slightly. I think it was great.

CROWLEY: I know, yes. Listen, me and my mother thank him. That's very nice.

KAYE: Well, next time I chat with him we'll pass that on.

CROWLEY: Ok.

KAYE: Candy that was fun. Thank you very much. We look forward to the program this morning.

CROWLEY: Thank you. All right.

KAYE: Well, he's outspoken, he's funny, and he's the brainchild. You saw him right there behind some of television's most popular reality shows. I spoke with Andy Cohen, as you just saw. And as he would put it, you'll have to watch what happens next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: We're having a lot of fun here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING this morning.

Bravo's executive vice president Andy Cohen is a pop culture and reality show king. In his new memoir, "Most Talkative", he writes about life experiences that would make the best reality show of all.

I had the chance to sit down with him about pleading the fifth, his days as a news producer, and how real it really gets with those housewives.

Here is our conversation. First of all, we are both BU grads -- Boston University.

COHEN: Cool.

KAYE: You were a year after me but I don't remember taking any classes with you. Broadcast journalism.

COHEN: I remember very little from that time.

KAYE: Is that a good thing?

COHEN: I think. I mean, I was sucking on a bong half the time, but beyond that I learned a lot.

KAYE: I'll take your word for it.

COHEN: Yes.

KAYE: All right. Onto life after Boston University --

COHEN: Yes. KAYE: You're certainly the face of Bravo, but before that a lot of folks know you spent a lot of time at CBS.

COHEN: I had a front row seat for the entire '90s. I was at the Little Hummer Olympics. I was at Hurricane Andrew. I was, you know, at the first -- covering the first "Vanity Fair" Oscar party and Bill Clinton's nominating convention which was in New York.

So a lot of really exciting things and I absolutely loved it. I felt like at CBS News I was in the center of the universe.

KAYE: You haven't forgotten some of your best moments. I will call your attention to a chapter in your book "Six Moments I Would Like to Forget".

COHEN: Yes.

KAYE: One of them was the open mike.

COHEN: Yes. That was terrible. The open mikes -- my book is called "Most Talkative" because my mouth -- I was voted "most talkative". My mouth has gotten me in -- it's gotten me where I am today but it's also been my Achilles' heel. I was doing a remote for CBS and I was saying something unkind about one of the anchors back in New York, and the person that I was speaking to had an open mike and it was going right into the earpiece of the anchor in New York.

KAYE: We read in your book that sometimes you have during interviews that you have -- you feel bad -- badly asking the tough questions.

COHEN: Yes. The questions that I ask on a lot of the reunion shows and actually on my show, too, we solicit from the audience. We say what do you want to know? Let's hear it. Because, first of all, it's easier to ask very rude questions when it's being actually asked by someone else and you're just the mouthpiece.

KAYE: We got a tweet because we sent out a note -- we sent out a tweet that you were going to be interviewing with us --

COHEN: Ok.

KAYE: And Michael sent us a tweet asking if you ever get scared doing "Housewives Reunion Specials" because they get pretty violent. You were shoved --

COHEN: I was shoved --

KAYE: By Teresa.

COHEN: Yes, I was. I was pushed like a rag doll by Teresa, but they don't really get violent. They get emotional and so I get nervous sometimes. It's very intense being in the middle of very emotionally-charged conversations, not just about -- not just when two women are disagreeing. Just when you're having to probe into why someone's marriage fell apart or just very personal things. It's hard to do, and it's hard for the women, too.

KAYE: Is there a moment -- what would you say is the most insane moment you have ever experienced in the Bravo Clubhouse?

COHEN: You know what, the most insane moment was I think a couple of weeks ago when Dan Rather and John Mayer were on together and I did -- we do this shot ski that Jimmy Fallon made me the ski with three shot glasses glued to it and we do a shot together.

And, you know, I just was -- I said to Dan Rather before we did it, I said, you know, this is a man who has been on TV for tens of thousands of hours. And I said, have you ever done a shot on television? He said "No. History is being made tonight." And we did the shot. So I think doing a shot ski with Dan Rather of bourbon --

KAYE: That was it.

COHEN: That was it for me. It was so great.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: And you can catch that entire interview and much more today. Check out my newsroom blog, just go to cnn.com/Randi for stories and guests that you may have missed or the goodies that you really want to see again.

The headlines are just ahead including the latest on the shootings at an apartment complex near Auburn University.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Checking the headlines for you now.

Police are investigating a shooting at an off-campus apartment complex in Auburn, Alabama. We're hearing reports of multiple victims. The police have the whole area blocked off. They're not releasing any details on the possible victims or the suspects though we are expecting to hear more detail later today.

Police have planned a news conference around noon Eastern and we should also note that the "Auburn Plainsman", the school paper that has been tweeting out some of these unconfirmed details about the shooting, appears to have had its twitter account suspended now.

And heavy rains along the Gulf Coast have caused severe flooding in some areas. This is what it looks like in Pensacola, Florida. A state of emergency was declared in that area.

Thanks for watching today. You can always continue the conversation with me online. You can find me on Twitter @RandiKayeCNN.

"STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley starts right now