Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Sunday Morning

Teacher Encorages Students to Beat Bully; National Park Authorities Continue Search for Missing Climbers; 'Vagina Monologues' on Michigan Capitol Steps; Elections in Egypt; Looking at Greek Vote

Aired June 17, 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 Headquarters in Atlanta, this is EARLY START WEEKEND. The world holding its breath as the global economy faces another potential collapse. Greece may be the next Lehman Brothers. And if you thought the 2008 meltdown was bad, wait until you see what today's election results bring.

And an alleged serial pedophile may take the stand as the Sandusky defense takes center stage tomorrow. Promises that jurors will hear from the man himself.

Plus, what do the CIA, the Mafia, and President Nixon have in common? According to one scholar, Watergate. We'll explain as today marks the 40th anniversary of the infamous break-in.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

KAYE: Good morning, everyone, and Happy Father's Day. It is Sunday, June 17th, I'm Randi Kay. We'll catch you up on what you missed overnight in a moment.

First, I had to share the story of a teacher who apparently ordered an entire class to beat up a so-called bully at school. It happened in San Antonio, Texas. And now that kindergarten teacher has lost her job.

Look, I am all about stopping bullying. We do a lot on this program on the topic of bullying because it really has to end. But this is extreme. This Texas teacher allegedly punished a 6-year-old boy by ordering an entire class to take turns hitting him.

Here's what we know from police: the boy's regular teacher called the boy a bully and asked another teacher how to best discipline him. This was the result. It was apparently her attempt to show the class and the boy why bullying is bad.

She reportedly instructed them to hit him and even shouted, quote, "Hit him harder." What's even more bizarre, the boy's mother said she never heard any complaints from the school about her son's behavior.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMY NEELY, PARENT: He's not a bully. He's a kindergartner. And he never had any problems with his behavior ever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: When school officials found out about this, they put both teachers on paid administrative leave. Cynthia Ambrose (ph), the teacher who allegedly suggested the slugfest, could face criminal charges as the district attorney continues to investigate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUSAN REED, BEXAR COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: I've never had an instance where the teacher thinks the way we discipline a child is by having the other classmates beat the kid up. That's not something I've ever run across before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The 6-year-old boy wasn't seriously hurt but his mom says he was traumatized. And get this: the police report says some of the boy's closest friends were ordered to hit him and they did it because they were afraid not to.

So what do you think about this? What, if anything, should happen to this teacher? You can tweet me, @randikayecnn. We'll talk much more about this story throughout the morning and of course share some of your responses.

All right. Now let me take you to Colorado where more than 54,000 acres have been burned and nearly 200 homes have been destroyed in the fast-moving Hyde Park wildfire -- that's in northern Colorado. Thousands of people have been evacuated in connection with the fire.

Today's weather could make things even worse with 50 mile-an-hour winds expected. It was sparked over a week ago when lightning struck a tree. And officials say it could be another month before they have it fully under control.

Further west, about an hour outside of Los Angeles, firefighters are battling a blaze that has now grown to 2,000 acres. One official says the brush fire was helped by steady winds but that he didn't expect it to threaten any homes.

I want to update you now on a story that I covered this week in the small town of Shiner, Texas, about a father who beat to death a man he alleges was trying to rape his 5-year-old daughter.

Now according to the sheriff, Jesus Mora Flores (ph) is the alleged molester. It is the first time the they've revealed his identify. A grand jury will decide if the father who killed Flores will be charged in the case. But some neighbors think that father should be given a medal, not a criminal charge.

Greeks are heading to the polls in a nail-biting election that could send shock waves through the U.S. economy, Wall Street, Europe and Asia as well. Let's get right to CNN's Matthew Chance. He's in Athens for us this morning.

Matthew, good morning. This election certainly critical in deciding whether or not Greece stays in the Eurozone. Tell us what exactly is at stake here.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's that issue very much, Randi. It's not just about what kind of government leads Greeks from their point of view. It's about the implications this election will have for the future of the Eurozone, the single currency of the European Union.

If Greece votes for a party that rejects the austerity measures that have been imposed upon it by its international creditors, it could mean that the country crashes out of the euro zone. And if that happens, the consequences are kind of very uncertain. It could mean all sorts of financial calamities befalling the continent.

That's why this election has got so much focus right now. The hope is of course around Europe that the Greeks will elect a party that continues with the austerity measures, even though that's causing a great deal of economic hardship in here in Greece itself, Randi.

KAYE: We talk a lot about Greece, Matthew, but this election is really bigger than Greece. Some are calling this vote a potential Lehman Brothers moment for Europe. We're certainly familiar with that here in the U.S. That could trigger a disastrous domino effect.

Some believe even if Greece ends up leaving the euro zone and it's banks don't get funding and there's no bailout money, then that could hit Spain, it could hit Italy, Portugal, France, right? I mean, this could boomerang on the U.S.

CHANCE: Yes. It's a real contagion effect is the significance of what --

(AUDIO GAP)

CHANCE: -- then the banks may (inaudible).

KAYE: All right. We're going to have to leave it there. We've lost Matthew Chance's signal there. We'll get back to him. But that was Matthew Chance reporting in Athens.

An international manhunt for a suspected triple murderer has ended. Twenty-one-year-old Travis Baumgartner was captured yesterday while attempting to cross into the United States at a crossing in Washington State. Police believe he tried to rob an armored car at the University of Alberta. Three guards were killed in that robbery, a fourth critically injured.

One man is dead, four people injured after a stage collapsed at a concert in Toronto. Police say the weather was good at the time of the collapse, no significant winds or storms. The incident took place just an hour before fans were due to arrive for a sold-out show by the band Radiohead. The concert was canceled.

Here's a rundown some of the other stories that we're working on -- Jerry Sandusky may have a new defense for his child abuse trial. It's called histrionic personality disorder. Ever heard of it? We'll explain what it is. Plus, some bones discovered in the ruins of a Bulgarian church may belong to John the Baptist. We'll tell you what scientists are saying.

And today is the 40th anniversary of the Watergate break-in. We'll share some new information about the man who helped expose the scandal.

And finally, the final round of the U.S. open golf tournament is today. We'll tell you about a 17-year-old golfer who's casting a big shadow on Tiger Woods.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: What a beautiful day it is already shaping up to be in Atlanta. Good morning, everyone. Take a look at that sky. Glad you're with us for EARLY START WEEKEND.

Father's day may have an entirely new meaning for one family today. Swift currents and high waters turned a family kayaking trip into a nightmare on Saturday. A raging Oregon river swamped the family of four's boat, leaving them all in the water to fend for themselves. Thankfully, the Oregon Army National Guard was able to rescue and airlift each person to safety. Dramatic video there.

Today, Jerry Sandusky is expected to meet with the prosecution's psychologist, who will examine him to see if he has something called histrionic personality disorder. It seems his lawyers plan on using that as a defense, arguing his so-called love letters to young boys weren't part of a grooming technique but, rather, a byproduct of this disorder.

So what is histrionic personality disorder? Well, according to the National Institutes of Health, those with this disorder act in a very emotional and dramatic way that draws attention to themselves.

One expert says Scarlett O'Hara from "Gone with the Wind" is an example of someone with this disorder. The National Institutes of Health also says that people with the disorder aren't beloved members of the community. They're theatrical, fake, and usually female.

So we may see histrionic personality disorder come up when the defense starts this week. Susan Candiotti has a preview of what to expect when the prosecution rests tomorrow.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Randi. For four days, jurors heard prosecutors set out to prove Jerry Sandusky is a serial predator, raping and molesting 10 boys. Come Monday, the defense takes center stage.

After a week of listening to withering testimony from and about 10 alleged victims, Jerry Sandusky began and ended nearly every day with a smile on his face. His lawyer is trying to be upbeat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every day's hard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you decided --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's tough work.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Tough work defending a man who himself is a legend for designing defense on the football field. Criminal defense attorney Ron Kuby says Sandusky has an uphill battle.

RON KUBY, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: There's a tsunami of evidence against him.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Sandusky's strategy is expected to attack the timeline of repeated alleged sexual assaults raised during cross examination by pointing out conflicts with Sandusky's schedule. The defense is also suspected to further question whether alleged victims were motivated to come forward by possible lucrative lawsuits.

Nonsense, says Howard Janet, attorney for alleged Victim Six.

HOWARD JANET, ATTORNEY FOR ALLEGED VICTIM SIX: Does that mean that none of them are telling the truth because they've gone to hire a lawyer? That's absurd.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Sandusky's wife, Dottie (ph), appeared briefly in court the first day but stayed away the rest of the time, indicating she's expected to take the stand to defend her husband.

KUBY: What is his wife going to say in his defense unless she was in the shower with him and the various young boys, which obviously she wasn't. She has, as far as I can see, nothing to offer this case outside of some sort of plea for sympathy.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): The defense also plans to bring in a psychologist to explain love letters Sandusky wrote to alleged victims. In court papers, the defense indicates the letters were not part of a predator's grooming technique but indicative of someone suffering from a histrionic personality disorder, who wanted to make himself more endearing to the boys in his charity.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you looking forward presenting your case?

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): A gag order is preventing Sandusky from talking now, and he isn't required to testify, but the defense promised jurors they would hear from Sandusky.

KUBY: The only chance he has is to take the witness stand and just maybe he can convince one juror to hold out.

CANDIOTTI: Will he or won't he take the stand? Ultimately Sandusky must decide whether he wants to look jurors in the eye and face prosecutors armed with tough questions of their own. Randi?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Susan Candiotti, thank you very much.

All right. Imagine this -- imagine having 19 siblings. That is the case for one family that is highlighting a growing population problem. Find out why it could have some unintended consequences.

Plus, one man claims his sandwich was so bad -- yes, he called 9-1-1 to report it. We'll tell you the advice police gave him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. Let's check some stories cross country. An upset customer in Connecticut calls 9-1-1 to complain about his lunch order. He even had the nerve to use the store's phone to make that call. When police arrived, they basically gave him the same advice as the emergency dispatcher. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're calling 9-1-1 because you don't like the way that they're making your sandwich?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Silly, right ? All right. In Topeka, Kansas, Frank and Nita (ph) Weiss are celebrating 75 years of marriage. Nita lives in an assisted living facility, but after three quarters of a century together -- three-quarters of a century -- the flames are still burning, according to Frank.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANK WEISS: When I walk in the front door out here, she's all excited and throws her arms up most of the time. You're actually more in love when you get older, I think, than when you're young. I come to see her every day. I've been doing that for 41/2 years. I'll continue, keep doing it, because that's just the way it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Frank is a good man.

Surf's up in San Diego, California. It was a dog day at the beach for some furry surfers. One four-legged friend was named top dog at the 7th Annual Lowe's Surf Dog competition. Look at those guys go. The event benefits the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Whoa! That was fun.

All right. After losing his daughter to a drunk driver, a father in Montana set out on a mission to try to protect all the children of his community from the same fate. Ahead of this Father's Day, we celebrate CNN Hero Leo McCarthy, the courageous dad who refused to let his daughter become just another statistic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEO MCCARTHY, CNN HERO: October 27th, 2007, was a beautiful autumn day. Mariah, she was with her two friends. I didn't know the last time I kissed her would be my last time. Later that night, they were walking down this path when an underage drunk driver swerved off the road and hit them. Mariah landed here. She died that night. They were only a block away from my house. Mariah was only 14, and I'm thinking how did this happen? It is so preventable. My name is Leo McCarthy. I give kids tools to stay away from drinking.

Our state has been notoriously top five in drinking and driving fatalities in the country. The drinking culture, it's a cyclical disease that we allow to continue.

Mariah's challenge is be the first generation of you kids to not drink.

In the eulogy, I said, if you stick with me for four years, don't use alcohol, don't use illicit drugs, I'll be there with a bunch of other people to give you money to go to a post-secondary school.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I promise not to drink until I am 21.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I promise not to get into a car with someone who has been drinking.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I promise to give back to my community.

MCCARTHY: I think Mariah's challenge is something that makes people think a little bit more, to say we can be better.

Mariah's forever 14. I can't get her back. But I can help other parents keep their kids safe. If we save one child, we save a generation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE (voice-over): And remember, all of our heroes come from your nominations. So go to cnnheroes.com and tell us about your hero.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: He's a central figure in Christianity. Now scientists say they may have identified the bones of John the Baptist. We'll tell you where they were found.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. He is known as the man who baptized Jesus. Now scientists say six bones believed to have belonged to John the Baptist may be the real thing. That revelation comes after a series of DNA tests.

One of those bones which were discovered two years ago in the ruins of a Bulgarian church was dated back to the 1st century A.D. when John the Baptist would have lived. A scientist involved says that while they cannot be certain the bones are John the Baptist's, they also can't rule it out.

Critical U.S. ally Pakistan could face a threat even greater than the militants who wage battle on its borders. CNN's Reza Sayah reports its population is surging at a nearly uncontrollable rate and that could have consequences reaching all the way to our shores.

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): First came Tazago (ph). Then came Henmetola (ph). Then it was Faidagul (ph). Then Soraya (ph).

Then Farmanola (ph) and Abadola (ph) and Fazia (ph) and Zakia (ph), Anasia (ph), Antapiola (ph), Dadala (ph), Dadim (ph), Inamola (ph), Muscan (ph), Mela (ph), Awia (ph), Sanna (ph), Hadia (ph), Aminola (ph) and finally Omna (ph), 20 brothers and sisters, all of the kids belonging to dad, Islam Mohmand, and his two wives who didn't want to be camera. The Mohmands have so many children, dad admits it gets confusing.

"Sometimes I forget their names and I ask for help," he says.

SAYAH: This is the last one, right?

SAYAH (voice-over): And the family may still get bigger.

SAYAH: The Mohmands are happy to have more kids, but population experts and aid groups say it's families like theirs that are adding to a rapid population growth here in Pakistan that's fast becoming this country's most dangerous crisis.

AKBAR LAGHARI, DEPARTMENT OF POPULATION WELFARE: I can see the population problem, the biggest problem of this country.

ZEBA SATHAR, POPULATION COUNCIL: It's of huge concern that we are growing at one of the fastest rates in Asia.

SAYAH (voice-over): With well over 180 million people, Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world.

LAGHARI: The future is bleak because of this population.

SAYAH (voice-over): Akbar Laghari of the Population Welfare Department admits the government shares the blame. Pakistan doesn't do nearly enough, he says, to offer effective family planning services and teach people about birth control.

LAGHARI: We do not have that much mobility. We do not have that much sources.

SATHAR: As we are doing a lot of research, we notice women say they don't want that many children or they wanted to have a child later but they just didn't find the services.

SAYAH (voice-over): Another challenge: a deeply conservative culture. Many here view birth control as un-Islamic.

"None of these methods is allowed in Islam," says this Muslim cleric Molana Tanvir Alvi (ph). "Why should Muslims worry about population when God cares for everyone?" Today just one out of five Pakistani women uses modern birth control, a factor that fuels Pakistan's growth by roughly 4 million people every year. Pakistan is on pace to double its population in just 40 years. LAGHARI: Everything is going to explode.

SAYAH (voice-over): Everything's going to explode?

LAGHARI: Because of the population.

SATHAR: I think it's a frightening idea.

SAYAH (voice-over): Frightening because Pakistan already suffers from widespread poverty, joblessness, an energy crisis, a woeful education system and the bloody fight against Islamist militants. Imagine the same problems if the population doubled.

LAGHARI: Naturally there will be epidemics that will be vast, there will be fights for the food and water and for everything.

SAYAH (voice-over): The moment children are already paying the price. The family can only afford to send four of their 20 children to school. The rest work to support the family, denied their most basic rights to have a childhood, an education and dreams of a better life.

SAYAH: But there's still help for Pakistan, experts say. They point to Muslim countries like Iran and Bangladesh. They've curbed their population despite similar challenges. Experts say those countries started with the political will to do something, then spent a lot of time and resources on family planning efforts. Pakistan can do it, too, they say, but time is running out. Reza Sayah, CNN, (Inaudible).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And there's another side to Pakistan's population boom, its growing use of social media. Out of Pakistan's 180 million people, 30 million now use the Internet, according to one report. The most visited site, Facebook, and that's followed by Google and YouTube.

She was banned from speaking on the floor of the Michigan State House after daring to utter the word "vagina" during a heated debate. And now this politician will be saying it a lot more with the help of a Tony award-winning playwright. We'll tell you why.

And a rare health scare in Oregon: the plague. We'll tell you how one guy got it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Good morning, welcome back, everyone. Thanks for starting your morning with us. I'm Randi Kaye. It is about half past the hour. National park authorities continue searching for missing climbers on Alaska's Mountain McKinley. Four Japanese men feared dead following a massive avalanche. One climber survived and was able to climb out with only some minor injuries. The climbers were coming down the mountain when the avalanche hit.

Tomorrow, the Michigan State lawmaker who was punished after saying "vagina" in a speech will join in a special performance of "The Vagina Monologues" on the Capitol steps in Lansing. "Detroit News" report she'll be joined by the award-winning playwright Eve Entsler and several other female Democratic lawmakers. Lisa Brown was giving an impassioned speech against a bill that would restrict abortions when she shouted the word. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LISA BROWN, (D), MICHIGAN STATE HOUSE: I have not asked you to adopt and adhere to my religious beliefs. Why are you asking me to adopt yours? And finally, Mr. Speaker, I'm flattered that you're all so interested in my vagina, but no means no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Michigan Republicans said she wasn't punished for saying "vagina" but for violating House decorum rules and acting unprofessionally.

And the U.S. Air Force's unmanned space plane successfully completed its mission Saturday. The plane, which is about a fourth of the size of the space shuttle will allow experts to continue sending up experiments. The 11,000 pounds state of the art vehicle had been in orbit for more than a year.

A Primeville, Oregon, man is in critical condition this morning after being diagnosed with the plague. Health officials say the man contracted the rare disease from an infected stray cat that has since died. That cat's body was sent to the Centers for Disease Control so they can test it.

In Saudi Arabia, the royal family is preparing for the funeral of Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz. His burial is expected Sunday afternoon. President Obama praised the prince's hard line stance against terrorism in his country.

The world's eyes are on Greece. The country is voting in a pivotal election that could have huge consequences for the struggling U.S. economy and for debt-ridden Europe. Greek voters are picking a new parliament, but they are also deciding between parties who favor and oppose an international bailout. And if the anti-bailout party wins, well, that could push Greece right out of the Euro zone, sending shockwaves through the financial markets and Wall Street. We'll continue to watch what happens.

Another closely watched election is underway in Egypt right now. Voters are heading to the polls for a second straight day to pick a president. CNN's Ivan Watson joining us this morning from Cairo. Ivan, good morning to you. You're seeing everything firsthand on the ground there. So, what's the turnout been, what's the mood like?

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESONDENT: Well, good morning, Randi. In this polling station, as you can see, it's small but it's pretty crowded. People in some cases voting behind this sheet over here, in some cases behind that barrier, filing through despite the [AUDIO GAP] the afternoon heat here. Now, this is day two of this presidential election. Someone saying the first time in thousands of years that Egyptians are getting to choose their leader and they don't know what the outcome of the vote will be. One of the representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is fielding one of the two candidates actually slept outside this polling station last night to ensure that nobody tampered with the votes that had been cast yesterday in this ballot box.

I'm going to show you one of the ballots, Randi. There are two candidates here. They're Ahmed Shafiq, a former air force general and handpicked prime minister of the deposed dictator Hosni Mubarak, and Mohamed Morsi, the candidate [AUDIO GAP] from the long-banned Muslim Brotherhood. Many Egyptians I'm talking to feel with this stark choice ahead of them, their vote can help determine the very future of this country. Randi?

KAYE: And Ivan, we've been talking about Greece and Egypt this morning. And like Greece, this election is bigger than Egypt, as well. I mean, Egypt's been a critical ally for the U.S. in the Mideast where we've seen so much turmoil. How do you think this election might impact that?

WATSON: Well, I mean, Egypt is a crucial American Middle Eastern ally. It's on the border with Israel. It was long considered the cultural and political leader of the Arab world. It's a -- it's a populist country, too, with more than 90 million people. And it's been in turmoil for the past year and a half. The transition from dictatorship has been a messy one and a difficult one, and it's far from over. Just two days ago, the ruling military council here dissolved the recently elected parliament, which was dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood. That was viewed as one of the big achievement of this difficult and sometimes bloody transition since the revolution. And it's been called by some critics a soft military coup. So, there are a lot of questions ahead for this strategic country in the heart of the Middle East. Randi?

KAYE: Ivan Watson reporting for us in Cairo. Ivan, thank you very much.

It has been nearly 40 years since the most notorious political scandal in American history began to unfold. We're talking about the Watergate break-in. And now, we are hearing new information that connects President Nixon to the Mafia.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: In the early hours of June 17th, 1972, five men are arrested after an attempted break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington. At the time, no one knew their motive, but we would later learn their identities and their links to the committee to re-elect President Richard Nixon. Nixon's role in covering up the crime would lead to his resignation and to one of the biggest political scandals in the nation's history. A scandal known today by one word -- Watergate.

40 years later, we're still getting new information about the scandal. The burglars were traced to the Nixon administration, but what were they really after? Lots of speculation, of course. But no one really knows for sure. But author Lamar Waldron tells me that he has found new evidence that explains the why behind Watergate.

LAMAR WALDRON, AUTHOR: It all went back to 1960 when Richard Nixon was the vice president and had been for eight years, running a very close election race against Senator John Kennedy. And to get an edge in the election, Richard Nixon pressured the CIA to work with the Mafia to assassinate the new leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro.

KAYE: Yeah, I was going to ask you about that. Because there has long been speculation that then-Vice President Nixon was trying to lay the groundwork for that. So, you've uncovered some new information about it.

WALDRON: Right, in other words, it was Nixon who actually pressed for that. He was Eisenhower's action officer for Cuba. Eisenhower delegated Cuba to Nixon. Nixon pressed for that thinking that if Fidel Castro died right before the election, the public would stick with the proven eight-year vice president over the relatively inexperienced young senator Kennedy. However, the mafia was not able to assassinate Fidel. That same month, in September, 1960, some of the same mafia members also contributed to a half million-dollar bribe to Richard Nixon on behalf of the campaign and to stall an indictment against Jimmy Hoffa. So that all happened back in 1960. You would think that would be ancient history.

KAYE: Right.

WALDRON: However, the FBI and the Justice Department, they had records about that CIA mafia plot. And they had records about that half million-dollar bribe that involved someone would say mobsters.

KAYE: So, when you talk about this plot, this mafia/CIA plot, it sounds pretty incredible, but there's also actually a name attached to this. The name Johnny Roselli.

WALDRON: Right.

KAYE: Who was he in this plot?

WALDRON: Johnny Roselli was the key guy, the key mobster in the plot. Johnny Roselli was the Chicago Mafia's man in Hollywood and Las Vegas.

KAYE: So, he was the assassin?

WALDRON: No, he was -- he was like a fixer, like a deal-maker. He would later on broker casino deals to Howard Hughes. He was the ultimate fixer in the mafia. And so, he turned to his boss Sam Giancana, and the Florida godfather Santo Trafficante because they had the connections to get Fidel killed. Giancana and Trafficante also donated to that half million-dollar mafia bribe back in September, 1960. So, Nixon had those two big secrets in his past. No one has ever yet until now been able to connect those two big secrets to Watergate. And that's what we have brand new documents that I was the first person to get from the National Archives back in April that finally connect the Mafia and Johnny Roselli to Watergate and show that that was the reason for the Watergate break-ins. KAYE: What about Mark Felt? I mean his personnel files were just released this week by the FBI. Why do you think he did what he did? Why do you think he helped those reporters?

WALDRON: Well, those files show very clearly that Mark Felt for almost 30 years had been a very by-the-book, upstanding FBI agent and then supervisor and then high FBI official. He fully expected that when J. Edgar Hoover died a few weeks before the first Watergate break-in that he would become FBI director. But Nixon knew that the FBI and Hoover had these secrets that he did not want exposed in 1972, which was an election year. So, instead of Mark Felt, who would be the logical successor, who had practically been groomed to be the next FBI director, Nixon chose a political guy that he could trust, L. Patrick Gray, instead. Mark Felt was very, very resentful. So he - in the summer he starts leaking to Bob Woodward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Lamar Waldron's research is in a new book called "Watergate: the Hidden History" It's just out this week.

A bond between father and son made stronger after a tour of duty in Afghanistan. How one dad is dedicating his life to his child's recovery from a devastating blast.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOMINIQUE HENRY: Hi, I'm Captain Dominique Henry with the First I.D. here at Bagram air field in Afghanistan. I want to wish my father and very best friend Ozi Henry in Haymarket, Virginia, a happy Father's Day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EFREM GIBSON: Hi, I'm Major Efrem Gibson here at taskforce (inaudible) here at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. I want to say hello to my lovely children Miles and Melory (ph) in Kansas City, Missouri. I love you two very much and I am honored to be your father. And it's a privilege. Take care, I'll see you soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And we want to wish happy Father's Day to all of our troops this morning. It is Father's Day. And it will be extra special for one wounded warrior and father of two who has defied all odds in his recovery. But as reporter Bob Lawrence of our affiliate KGTV explains, it is that Marine's father who deserves honors each and every day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB LAWRENCE, KGTV CORRESPONDENT: This is Staff Sergeant Jason Ross whose job while deployed with Marines in Afghanistan last year was to protect others from homemade bombs. But as he crossed a road on patrol ...

JASON ROSS, MARINE STAFF SERGEANT: I stepped on ten pounds of HME, homemade explosives. It basically -- because the ground and everything, it was directed completely straight up.

LAWRENCE: The date, March Seventh, 2011. The same day his father, George, was to start a new job months after being laid off when the phone rang.

GEORGE ROSS : My knees almost buckled. I almost - I almost hit the floor.

LAWRENCE: At a field hospital like this, Jason was stabilized. Then he was taken to Germany, then to Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. And as for George's job ...

GEORGE ROSS: Got to Bethesda, saw what the situation was. I called them up and I said, I'm not coming back.

LAWRENCE: For more than a year, George has been at his son's side as Jason tries to recover from a blast that not only stripped him of his legs, it should have killed him.

GEORGE ROSS: Basically gave me about two percent or less, more or less, chance that I would survive.

LAWRENCE: Jason was initially so weak he couldn't open a bottle of water. The blast so severe that skin grafts are nearly impossible. And with all the infections, it's been three steps forward and two steps back.

GEORGE ROSS: He was deteriorating right before our eyes. And we were glad that we got that back around.

Well, I was thinking either this way or that way.

LAWRENCE: George gets some help in the backyard from friends who are retired military like he is. And from Jason's daughter. And for Jason, every day is Father's Day.

JASON ROSS: He's taking care of something I'm not even aware of. He's taking care of things that now - that all pertain to basically the maintenance of me. And it's -- I really can't put that into words.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: That was Bob Lawrence of our affiliate KGTV. Jason Ross is now undergoing treatment and therapy at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego. We wish him well.

A quick reminder of a story that I've been sharing with you all morning. File this under "What were you thinking?" A teacher apparently ordered an entire class to beat up a so-called six-year-old bully at school. Why? Allegedly to teach the class that bullying is bad. Which, of course, it is. But come on -- the teacher reportedly instructed the kids to attack him shouting, "Hit him harder." What do you think about this story? What do you think should happen to the teachers involved here? Send me your thoughts at RandiKayecnn is where you find me on Twitter, and I'll read them on the air, it's just about ten minutes. So keep them coming.

A teen near the top of the U.S. Open leader board with a chance at history. He's on our list of the most intriguing people. We'll tell you who else made this very short list.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Baptists, Saints, and birdies, what do they have in common -- they all have a place in our list of the week ahead of most intriguing people. Nadia Bilchik here to tell us all about it. Good morning.

NADIA BILCHIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. But we start with Fred Luter, and this is quite a week for Fred. He's currently the vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention. And on Tuesday, he's actually likely to be elected president, which is a big deal because he'd be the first African-American president in 167 year history of the religious organization. The Southern Baptist Convention boasts more than 16 million members. The vote is being held in New Orleans on Tuesday. The city is dear to Fred Luter's heart. And this is the largest congregation, and it meets there in a church that he helped rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. And as for the prospects of being president, Luter says he's pumped and more importantly, he's really excited for the church.

KAYE: I bet.

BILCHIK: And this is another big week or so for Roger Goodell from the NFL, the NFL commissioner. Tomorrow, he's scheduled to hear appeals from four players that were suspended as part of the New Orleans Saints Bountygate scandal. Goodell is the last word on the punishment part of the whole thing. Now, Randi, you probably remember several of the coaches have already been disciplined for paying players to intentionally injure opponents. Well, after that, Goodell turned his focus to players who allegedly pledged money to that prized pool. And interestingly enough, Goodell began his career as an intern. So encouraging for all interns.

KAYE: Certainly.

BILCHIK: He was an admin (ph) intern for the NFL and is now commissioner. Big decisions this week.

KAYE: Very impressive.

BILCHIK: And very exciting, of course, is the 17-year-old who is taking the U.S. Open by storm. So you might say all eyes are on Tiger Woods, but the guy that everyone's watching is with a mouth full of braces ...

(laughter)

BILCHIK: Beau Hossler. And he even got a standing ovation on the final hole yesterday.

KAYE: Yeah, he is getting a lot of attention yesterday.

BILCHIK: A lot of attention. Just four shots behind the leader. And he says he thinks he can actually win this thing. If he does win, he would join the likes of legendary golfers like Bobby Jones who won the Open as an amateur. So, if he is an amateur and he does win, though, he doesn't get the 1.4 million ...

KAYE: Yeah, see, that's the thing. You work that hard and then you can't even keep the prize money because you're an amateur?

BILCHIK: Exactly. But I must tell you , his father said this is quite a Father's Day present today to see your son's name on the leader board at the U.S. Open.

KAYE: That's pretty special.

BILCHIK: That's the person everyone's talking about is Beau Hossler's mother. This blonde woman called Amy Balsz who is apparently quite attractive and very interesting. So lots to talk about with Beau Hossler with a mouth full of braces and a high school student.

KAYE: Well, we'll see if he pulls it off.

BILCHIK: Very interesting to see.

KAYE: Nadia, thank you.

Well, here's our Dr. Sanjay Gupta with a preview of what's ahead on "Sanjay Gupta, MD."

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, maybe as we wait for the Supreme Court to weigh in on President Obama's Affordable Care Act, we're going to ask the question -- what would Romney do? Also, the Magnificent Seven gymnast Dominique Moceanu who is going to join me to drop an Olympic-size bombshell. Plus, a story you'll only see on CNN. A sister giving her brother and sister-in-law the ultimate gift -- a baby. Surrogate sisters. The good, the bad, and the ugly, that's coming up at 7:30 Eastern. Randi?

KAYE: Thank you, Sanjay. And file this under "What were you thinking?" A high school teacher apparently ordered a class to beat up a six-year-old bully at school. We'll tell you more and share your thoughts on this very bizarre and troubling story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)