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The Vatican Fires Back At Italian Media's Speculation On Pope Benedict's Resignation; Oscar Pistorius Granted Bail; Danica Patrick Hopes To Make NASCAR History Again
Aired February 23, 2013 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, 3:00 on the east coast, noon out west. Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
A look at our top stories right now beginning with the Vatican and it's hitting back and Italian media reports on why Benedict XVI became the first Pope in centuries to resign. A newspaper and a weekly magazine said, the pope made his decision on the same day he received a report on gay priests and financial corruption.
CNN's international correspondent Ben Wedeman is in Rome.
So Ben, is the Vatican saying this report doesn't even exist?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly what they are saying is that it's unverified, unverifiable and completely false news stories. The dossier itself, we do know three cardinals were assigned by Pope Benedict XVI to look into wrongdoing at the Vatican after the so-called Vatileak scandal. That's when his butler, the Pope's butler leaked hundreds of sensitive documents to the Italian press.
Now, these two publications, "La Republico," it is the daily newspaper and "Panorama," a weekly magazine are alleging that this dossier, 300 pages, bound in red leather, contains not only reports or allegations of a network of gay priests within the Vatican being blackmailed by a network of male prostitutes, but also that there was serious financial wrongdoing within Vatican financial institutions.
Now, according to these reports, the allegation is that people within the Vatican violated the sixth command which is thou shall not steal and the seventh commandment, thou shall not commit adultery.
And so, very -- these reports are really going around Rome like wildfire. The Vatican frantically trying to deny them, but certainly people are paying a lot of attention to this topic just days before Pope Benedict steps down as Pope.
WHITFIELD: And what's the feeling as to how influential this might be on the conclave that will pick the new Pope?
WEDEMAN: Well, Vatican watchers are saying this could be critical, that these allegations, whether true or not, underscore the need for the next Pope to really clean up house, to look throughout the institution of not only the Vatican state but the catholic church itself and take a very hard look at how the Vatican has dealt with pedophile scandals, homosexuality within the church, and allegations that go back decades of financial wrongdoing within the Vatican bank - Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: And meantime, Ben, there was some movement or a proposal to try and change the parameters, the dates, the window in which a Pope can be selected. Is there any new development on that?
WEDEMAN: Well, what we're hearing from the Vatican is that if there is any change to the timetable for the conclave, that meeting of 116 cardinals to elect the next Pope, it will come after the Pope steps down on the 28th. There had been talk that the Vatican constitution might be modified to move it up, but at this point, I think the Vatican's attention is now elsewhere.
WHITFIELD: All right. Ben Wedeman, thanks so much in Rome.
All right, one of the men who will help elect the next Pope is Cardinal Roger Mahony. He is giving a legal deposition today in this country about alleged sex crimes by priests when he was archbishop of Los Angeles.
CNN's Miguel Marquez is in L.A.
So, Mahony had he's been deposed before. Why is it different this time?
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Different because this is the first time he has been deposed since a release of massive release of documents related to his time in the late '80s as archbishop here and his handling of sex abuse cases, 12,000 pages of documents, hundreds of victims and over 120 priests involved in those documents.
He was subsequently stripped of his public duties but not of being a cardinal and not of his duty of being able to go to Rome. The case that they are deposing him on today and we believe that is just about concluded now is on a priest Nicholas Aguilar Rivera who is accused of molesting some 26 people. He fled to Mexico, has been there ever since. But certainly lawyers wanted to know what cardinal Mahoney's role was in protecting him along the way.
A member of the citizens, the guy who runs citizens united opposed to cardinal Mahony going to Rome to cast his vote for the Pope had this to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES SALT, CATHOLIC UNITED: If Roger Mahony participates in the conclave, it will be a major distraction for the worldwide church that should otherwise be celebrating the future of Catholicism. Instead, we will be reminded of the sins of our leaders and their general lack of accountability.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MARQUEZ: Now, I should say that cardinal Mahony has apologized for his past transgressions. He has said it was a different time and things were handled differently there. But when you read through these documents that were released by the archdiocese here, it is shocking the level of disregard for what was right and what was wrong, given what the archbishop was facing at that time. We expect that deposition should be wrapped up soon. I have been e-mailing and calling lawyers in there and hopefully we'll have a read out on that fairly shortly -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: Would it be possible that Mahony would recues himself from the papal vote?
MARQUEZ: Church watchers -- yes, church watchers say it is possible. It is possible that it could get there and the cardinals in the conclave could say thanks, but no thanks you're not invited. But, in the moment, he has said he is going to Rome. He may leave hours, minutes after this deposition is over. Get on a plane, head to Rome. They've all got to be there by the 27th. So, he is going to be there fairly soon if not today, perhaps tomorrow -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: Miguel thanks so much in Los Angeles.
On to South Africa now where Oscar Pistorius is intending his first full day out on bail. But, as part of his bail conditions he is not allowed to go back to his house. He is staying with his uncle in Pretoria instead. He's due back in court on June 4th. The Pistorius family meantime says the twitter account of Oscar's older brother has been hacked. So, they are now deleting all of their social media accounts. Oscar Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Stenkamp.
All right, she has made history by becoming the first woman to get the pole position in tomorrow's Daytona 500 putting her in the best starting spot. And now Danica Patrick is focused on another record, being the first woman to win that race.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANICA PATRICK, NASCAR DERIVER: As Tony said, I can go out there and treat it like a video game and get after it and give it all I've got and not have to be concerned about, you know, being smart and taking care of the car. I mean, can I win? Yes, absolutely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right, Danica also says her success is not just for her. She hopes it inspires other young women and girls to compete in sports.
All right, now, let's talk about the snow that folks are dealing with across the middle of the country. Take a look at this right there.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING) WHITFIELD: People in this building in Wichita, Kansas, thought it was an earthquake when sheets of snow started sliding off the roof. Our i-reporter who shot the video described is the sound as a thunderous roar.
And then there's the northeast. It's bracing for its turn again. Forecasters expect slushy snow or rain in the northeast and the Deep South. Also, this massive weather system is rolling in toward the Atlantic Ocean, likely to bring a lot of rain. In New England they could see as much as 10 inches of snow.
All right, a mystery death at a Los Angeles hotel. What killed a young woman whose body was found inside the hotel's water tank? We will have more on the investigation.
And would you be willing to trade in your Smartphone or for rather a pair of glasses? We will show you what life would look like through Google glass.
And Danica Patrick, well she has already made racing history at Daytona. Ahead, a look at the unconventional road the NASCAR driver has traveled to get to the pole position.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: In Washington state, six underground tanks at the sprawling Hanford nuclear complex are leaking radioactive waste. Governor Jayencely (ph) insists there is no immediate public health risk but he says it is disturbing. Hanford's last reactor shut down in 1987. Despite a massive clean-up effort, authorities say it is still the country's most contaminated nuclear site.
On to Los Angeles now, a hotel with a notorious past is the site of another bizarre case. Police are trying to find exactly what happened after a missing woman's body was found in the Cecil Hotel's water tank.
Kyung Lah has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SABINA BAUGH, BRITISH TOURIST: It tasted horrible. It had very funny sweetie disgusting taste. It's very, very strange taste. I can't barely describe it.
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michael and Sabina Baugh, tourists from the UK never imagined the source of that indescribable taste and that it would trace back to 21-year-old Elisa lam, the tourist from Vancouver, Canada came to Los Angeles January 26th. She checked in at the Cecil Hotel. Surveillance video from the hotel's elevator show her acting unusual as if she's hiding from someone. Then Lam disappeared January 31st. The boss never saw lam but knew something at their hotel was off.
SABINA BAUGH: There was something wrong. The pressure in the water was terrible. The shower was awful. LAH: The hotel's maintenance man responding to guest complaints went to check the four rooftop tanks that feed the building's main water supply. Tanks that are unlocked, but the roof top is locked to guests. The maintenance man found Lam's body inside one of the thanks at the bottom.
SABINA BAUGH: It made me feel really sick yesterday until now knowing that we have been drinking this water for eight days.
MICHAEL BAUGH, BRITISH TOURIST: It makes you feel physically sick, literally physically sick. But more than that, you feel psychologically, you think about it and it's not good.
LAH: The L.A. county department of public health says the hotel was immediately placed on a flush only order but not ordered to shut down, a reasonable solution that the health department if the hotel provides bottled water. The hotel would not speak to CNN on or off camera but it did notified guests about a quote "health and safety condition." Guests tell us if they leave, they don't get a refund. If they stay, they must sign this legal agreement releasing the hotel of legal liability. It says if guests stay quote "you do so at your own risk and peril."
This gruesome discovery is the latest chapter in a dark history for the Cecil Hotel. At least two serial killers have lived here, including night stalker Richard Ramirez found guilty of killing 13 people in the 1980s. He lived on the 14th floor of the hotel.
KIM COOPER, HOTEL HORROR ESOTOURIC (ph) BUS TOUR: He was living here during his killing spree, going out at night and killing people.
LAH: So this is just the latest unusual chapter in a storied history.
COOPER: It is. And I think it's the sort of thing that's going to be hard to forget because it's such a graphic and disturbing story. And I hope we find out what happened.
LAH: The LAPD is not calling this a homicide right now. Investigators are still calling this a suspicious death. They have not named any suspects or made any arrests.
Kyung Lah, CNN Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And forced spending cuts in Washington, you've heard about them and you read about it. But how will it impact you? We will show you straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: In Washington, politicians are playing another high stakes game of chicken. They are fighting over forced spending cuts that will go into effect March 1st unless Congress and the White House make a budget deal. So, how will it impact you? Here is chief business correspondent Ali Velshi.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Forced government spending cuts take effect March 1st. It's what Washington has been calling the sequester. It's a stupid name for a stupid thing.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These cuts are not smart. They are not fair. They will hurt our economy. They will add hundreds of thousands of Americans to the unemployment rolls. This is not an abstraction. People will lose their jobs.
VELSHI: You've heard the big numbers, $1.2 trillion in cuts over ten years, $85 billion this year. That's 13 percent cuts to defense, nine percent to everything else.
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: We're weeks away from the president's sequester and the president laid out no plan to eliminate the sequester and the harmful cuts that will come as a result.
VELSHI: The forced budget cut were created during the 2011 debt ceiling debacle. They were passed by Congress and signed by the White House. A worst case scenario that would be so bad, it would force lawmakers to make a deal. Now, it's become a poison pill that the nation may have to swallow beginning March 1st. And if it happens, 70,000 children kicked off head start programs putting more than 14,000 teaching and staff jobs at risk. Fewer inspections for things like horse meat in your burgers. Cuts to mental health programs mean almost 400,000 seriously mentally ill people will go untreated.
Homeland security draw downs would result in longer wait times at airports and scaled back cyber security would mean more vulnerability to attacks from hackers in China and at home threatening our infrastructure.
Furloughs and layoffs would affect more than 800,000 workers in the defense industry at the same time that North Korea is testing a nuclear bomb. Cuts at the IRS would mean fewer tax return reviews and longer waits to get refunds. And more than 100,000 people would be thrown out of emergency housing onto the streets. One way or another, everyone is it going to feel this while Washington continues to play the blame game.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bottom line is very simple. Republicans have proposed devastating cuts.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MINORITY LEADER: Washington Democrats have gotten used to Republicans bailing them out of their own lack of responsibility.
VELSHI: Ali Velshi, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: All right.
Ali, thank you very much on that one.
All right, let's go to the racetrack, shall we? Danica Patrick is the first woman to win the pole position in NASCAR's biggest race. Her life, her love and her racing have all been in the spotlight long before this week. We will look at what makes her tick straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
A lot straight ahead in the next hour or so, starting with the Vatican firing back at Italian media reports on why Pope Benedict decided to resign. A newspaper and a weekly magazine say it happened the same day the Pope received a bombshell. A 300-page Vatican report about gay priests and financial corruption. A Vatican spokesman says it's just gossip designed to influence the vote for a new Pope.
A U.S. cardinal who will be part of that vote potentially has been tied up in a legal deposition in the states today. Cardinal roger Mahony answered questions about pedophile priests in the Los Angeles diocese during the time that he was archbishop. Church documents suggest Mahony knew about the sex abuse but went out of his way to protect the priests.
In South Africa, Oscar Pistorius is spending his first full day out on bail. But as part of his bail conditions, he is not allowed to go back to his own house. So he's staying with his uncle in Pretoria. He is due back in court June 4th. Oscar Pistorius is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reval Steenkamp.
Now, here's what's trending online right now. Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman is the latest politician to endorse gay marriage. The former Republican presidential candidate says he used to support only civil unions but he now says his opinion has changed. And he's urging fellow Republicans to endorse gay marriage, as well.
And talk about good karma. Well-wishers from around the world are opening their wallets to a homeless man in Kansas City, Missouri. He returned a diamond engagement ring to its rightful owner after she accidentally dropped it in his donation cup. So far, people have raised almost $94,000 for Billy Ray Harris.
And first lady Michelle Obama, I bet you never knew she had moves like this. She was grooving with TV host Jimmy Fallon who got dressed up like a mom for what they call the evolution of mom dancing.
OK. Well, she has done it once and now Danica Patrick is hoping to make NASCAR history again. Last week, she became the first woman to qualify for the front spot at Daytona 500 and tomorrow, she's hoping to become the first woman to win the race.
Joe Carter has more on Patrick and her quest to make history. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK: I think that there's an opinion that I'm probably kind of hard or tough or tool serious maybe. But I can tell you I'm probably like the opposite of that at home. Number one, I'm very girly. And I like to go shopping. I like to go get pedicures. I like to wear high heels and dresses. So, I'm definitely a lot softer than I am at the track where I'm doing my job.
JOE CARTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Love as it turns out has no caution flag. In November, she announced the end of her seven- year marriage. But just weeks ago, it was revealed she had a new love, fellow rookie driver Ricky Stenhouse Junior and her happiness couldn't be more apparent.
PATRICK: We're enjoying it, and I think we both kind of laugh a lot when we get asked about each other. So I think that's a good thing.
RICKY STENHOUSE JUNIOR, ROOKIE NASCAR DRIVER: I'm not going to crash somebody because they crashed her or you know, I mean, I'm going to go out and drive hard every week.
CARTER: Being in the spotlight is nothing new for Danica. She's garnered is worldwide fame for her provocative photo shoots and record 12 super bowl commercial appearances.
PATRICK: How hot is too hot?
CARTER: Danica is among NASCAR's top earners and biggest stars. But over the years, she's been a lightning rod for critics who point to her failure so far to win a race or accuse her of focusing more on self-promotion. But for racing, she brings a tremendous amount of exposure and popularity to a sport that could use an attendance and TV ratings boost.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really created significant added interest from a fan base standpoint. She's got this large and engaged fan base. Some who are NASCAR fans before and some who were not. So, for us to have her bring that fan base to us and then be able to cultivate it and grow it is important for us.
CARTER: Patrick struggled in the spotlight last year. Her first racing with NASCAR after seven seasons with IndyCar. Just two lapse into her debut at the Daytona 500, she crashed and finished 38th. But now, after making history as the first woman to win pole position for this year's race, it's clear that her years of working to make it to the front row are paying off on the biggest stage.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you have a clear mind and you're happy in your personal life, everything, everything shows. You know? You can do your job well.
PATRICK: I have a lot to learn, too. I understand that. I mean, I've got Jeff Gordon starting next to me and I've got, oh, my God, a herd of them behind me. So, hopefully at the end of 500 we are rolling and we have a chance.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARTER: You know, win or lose come Sunday, Fredrick, we have certainly seen the impact Danica Patrick has on NASCAR and its fan base. All week we have seen a herd of little girls following her around, going up to her garage window, signing her well wishes, waiting for any chance to get a glimpse of her, waiting for a chance to meet her, hoping for an autograph. Her pit crew sheaf saying they have handed out more lug nuts with the number 10 scribbled on them than he's ever handed out in his entire career, Fredricka. So, she is certainly opening NASCAR to a whole new fan base.
WHITFIELD: I love that. OK. Meantime, is there some science behind, you know, the chances of her winning?
CARTER: Well, you know, it's going to be tough for her to win. I mean, I tell you, I don't want to take away from what she did on Sunday, by winning the pole. But, it's been 13 years since a driver has been able to win both the pole and the Daytona 500. She raced in the series which of course NASCAR's most elite series ten times last year. Her best finish was 17th. But there was a rookie that won this race two years ago in Trevor Bane. So Danica Patrick, the rookie, the new star, with everybody watching has a chance albeit not the best chance but she certainly has a chance -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Wow! That's amazing. You can't help but say, go girl. Go Danica.
CARTER: Yes.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Joe. Keep us posted on that one.
All right. Speaking of driving, how about those gas prices? You probably noticed the price of gas has gone way up. I'll tell you in a minute why some are seeing it as a threat to the economic recovery.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: The Oscar Pistorius murder case is riveting people around the world. Pistorius claims he killed his girlfriend by mistake, thinking she was an intruder. But the prosecution says it was premeditated murder. Which is it? Our Tom Foreman takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Throughout these proceedings, both sides have been insisting their version of events is the correct one. So, let's sort them out. Oscar Pistorius says it all began in the bedroom where in the early hours of Valentine's Day in the darkness, he and his girlfriend were asleep there and he got up to go out to the balcony to bring in a fan and to close a window. Unbeknownst to him, he says his girlfriend got up at the same time and went to the bathroom. So when he came back in from the balcony, he insists he was under the impression that she was still in the bed. So, let's fly inside and show you his point of view. He says he goes into this darkened room. He doesn't have his prosthetic legs on. He's low to the ground. The room is very dark. He can't see much, but he thinks she must be there. Then he hears a noise down this hallway. There have been threats against his life. There have been break-ins in the neighborhood before. He gets his pistol from under the bed and goes down the hall to confront the intruder. Sees an open window. That door to the toilet room is closed, and he hears noise behind it. He thinks that must be the intruder. Starts yelling for the intruder to get out, yelling for his girlfriend protect herself. And in a panic, fires through the door.
Only when he goes back into his bedroom to put on his prosthetic legs and he turns the lights on he says does he realize his girlfriend's not there. Then it occurs to him that that might have been her inside the toilet room. He goes back and bashes the door down and starts calling for help. That is his version of what happened.
But the prosecutors tell a very different story. They say, look, there was no darkness. The lights were on the whole time. There was no confusion. There was a huge fight going on. They say this couple had been arguing for quite some time so loud that neighbors hundreds of yards away could hear it. And yes, she went into the bathroom but went there and locked the door to get away from him. And they say Oscar Pistorius indeed got his pistol and yes, he went down that hallway in the full light with full knowledge of what he was doing, that he was pursuing her to that door. And when he found it locked, in a rage, he tried to bash it down and shot through it with the intent of killing her.
Two very different stories. And the details will determine whether or not he spends a lot of time in jail.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Tom Foreman for that. The trial is not expected to start till the end of the year.
All right. Britain is going to need a stiff upper lip to swallow a bitter economic pill. Moody's, the big credit rating agency, just downgraded the country's rating. To make things worse, the country used to have the highly prized AAA rating. Moody's said it was worried about the country's debt and that its balance sheet won't be improving anytime soon. In real terms, it means Britain will pay a higher interest rate anytime it needs to borrow money.
All right. Back here in the U.S., the focus is still on the bumpy economic recovery here, and now the latest concern is the skyrocketing price of gasoline. Felicia Taylor explains.
FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fredricka. We're in the middle of one of the most dramatic run-ups in gas prices in the last decade. The average price of a gallon of regular ended the week 14 cents higher than it was the previous Friday. And almost 50 cents higher than it was one month ago. But higher gas prices are just one reason consumers are starting to get seriously squeezed. The end of the payroll tax holiday has taken a bite out of every American's paycheck since the beginning of the year. And a delay in tax refund checks going out a result of Congress' delay to decide on the fiscal cliff has forced some tough choices.
This week, we found out just where people are cutting back. A new survey from National Retail Federation found 24 percent of shoppers putting off big-ticket purchases. The same number of people said they're foregoing everyday treats like an afternoon latte. And almost half plan to pocket their tax refunds rather than spend them.
That has retailers worried. This week, Wal-Mart reported results for the last three months of 2012. They weren't bad. In face, holiday sales were pretty good. But the world's largest retailer warned February sales started slower than planned and said it would continue to monitor economic conditions that impact sales.
The good news is, prices won't stay high forever. AAA says it expects gas prices to peak in early spring and that prices shouldn't go any higher than it did last year when the national average topped out at $3.94 a gallon. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture is predicting a record high corn crop this summer, which would put downward pressure on meat, poultry and dairy prices and help ease some pain at the store by the end of the year. Fredricka?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Felicia. Get ready to ditch your smartphone. Google says it is working on a pair of cool new glasses that will do the same job. I'll show you how they work.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Break through scientists are being honored with awards and big cash prizes. The Breakthrough Prize foundation Headed up by Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's CEO has handed out the group's first awards for research in curing deadly diseases. Each of the 11 winners took home $3 million. That's twice as much as Nobel Prize winners get. Zuckerberg says the money is well deserved.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK ZUCKERBERG, FOUNDER, FACEBOOK: The big thing here is that you know, science and technology are very closely related. And when you're building these information technology companies, the market rewards you and you can make a lot of money. But a lot of these folks doing such extraordinary work in science don't have the same opportunity. And because of that, I think it would be a shame if a lot of folks are growing up trying to figure out what they want to do now don't choose to go into such critical work because of that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Google has another competition going. The company is looking for people to test out a new set of glasses. Right there, it's called The Google Glass. But it's not just any pair of glasses. These are super high-tech glasses that will do a lot of the same things a smartphone can do.
Laurie Segall joining me now. She is CNN money's tech reporter. Okay, this is very interesting. Have you had a chance to see them up close and personnel.
LAURIE SEGALL, CNN MONEY TECH REPORTER: Oh, I wish. I wish! I'm trying to work it, though. I'm trying.
WHITFIELD: I think you can make it happen. OK, so the way it works, they've got these glasses, the Google glass, but there's a contest and you can be a tester but you have pay, right? It's a competition and then you have to pay to actually get the glasses. So explain.
SEGALL: Sure. So up -- they put these out there about a year ago; they said they were doing this. Now this is the first time they're kind of putting them saying we want to see what people will do with them. For now, everybody that's been testing them, they've been Google developers. Now they're saying tweet us, go on Google Plus, say #ifIHadGlass and then say what you would do. So, #if I had glass, I would be using them right here on air right now. So, there's my application. But it's the kind of thing where now they're ready to put these out there and just see how people use them, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And then how can you use them? What is it that it does?
SEGALL: Well, they released a new video showing some of the things you're going to be able to do. So, you can take video just by saying I want to take video. It recognizes your voice. People are taking video of their children, they're taking pictures. You can check and see if your flight's delayed. You can check the weather. All things that you could do with your smartphone, you can essentially now you're going to be able to do with your glasses. You can look at it as an extension of the smartphone.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. There's a tiny little screen within the screen where you can read information. I mean, the point of view we're seeing mostly right here in this video is kind of like a viewer taking a photograph or video. But then I guess in that little upper right-hand corner, that's the information that you'd have to read? Boy, this is a real test on your vision.
SEGALL: Sure. Think about directions. If you're getting lost and want to look down at your smartphone, when you're driving that can be dangerous. Now you can say, I need directions here, and it will show it to you. So, this is only the beginning. I have a feeling we're going to be walking down the street and we're going to see people with these glasses very, very soon.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. Ultimately this is something you would buy in the store? SEGALL: Sure, yes. And there are all these rumors that Google might open up a store. So we can see a lot of things happening right now, especially this extension of fashion and technology. So they're rumored to be available 2014. There were some rumors maybe by the end of 2013. So, this isn't just saying this is crazy technology. This is them saying OK, we're ready to put them out there and get people to actually purchase them. I don't think they're going to be cheap though, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: No, probably not. Especially if you've got to pay $1,500 just to test them out. OK, so then, now, Google isn't the only one who's come up with an idea on some real smartphone accessories of this caliber. What else is in the pipeline?
SEGALL: Sure. There's rumors that Apple is working on a smart watch. We covered a watch a little while ago that allows you - it was a smartwatch, it's called Pebble, and it allows you to get text messages and look down at your wrist and get text messages via watch and see who's calling.
So, what we're really seeing is this extension of not just your smartphone where you can do things. Now it's becoming smart clothing. We spoke a little bit last week about a chip embedded in clothing that helps you with GPS tracking. If you lose your gloves, you can press an app on your smartphone. So, I think the innovation has been there for a while and now extending very much past your smartphone.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh, it's all too much, but so fascinating. Laurie Segall, thanks so much. I can't wait for you to be the first one to get your hands on that Google Glass.
SEGALL: I'm hoping
WHITFIELD: I think you'd look good in it. All right. Thank, Laurie.
For more high-tech ideas and reviews, just go to CNN.com/tech and look for the gaming and gadgets tab.
All right. Every year, more than 400,000 American teens who are qualified to go to college don't. Many simply don't note how to get in or aren't even aware that going beyond high school is an option for them. That's where this week's CNN Hero comes in. Meet Michael Carter.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The state took me and my siblings away from my mom when I was 14. Now we live with our grandparents. I don't want to be faced with the limits that my mom faced and that's why I want to go to college. My grandparents only went to grade school. There was nobody at home that could help me figure out how I could reach my dream.
MICHAEL CARTER, CNN HERO: Applying to college can be very bewildering. There's over 400,000 low-income students every year who graduate and qualified to go to a four-year college and they just don't go.
My name is Michael Carter and I help qualified underserved students apply to, pay for and stay in college. We bring college to the mentors to high schools to help students through the entire process.
How many more apps do you have to do?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: None.
CARTER: None? You're done?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I did them all.
CARTER: That's pretty good.
It's completely free. Students pick their mentor and they meet weekly until they're accepted into college.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've never really thought of myself as the greatest student. Like, college was not on my mind. Now I'm a sophomore at the Southeast (ph) State University. My full tuition is covered and I'm mentoring a high school student. I'm proof that Strive for College works.
CARTER: Together we are going to solve this problem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, Over a career, having a college degree can mean earning nearly $1 million more than if you only have a high school degree. So to get more details on Michael's program or if you know someone who's making a big difference in the lives of others, tell us about them. Go to CNNheroes.com and nominate a CNN Hero.
It is almost Oscar time. The countdown is on. This year, the show will have a new host and a new look.
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WHITFIELD: Argo, just one example of art imitating life at the Oscars. And tomorrow's awards show probably won't look anything like the one last year. A.J. Hammer is on the red carpet with his shades on.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Well, Fred, this year's Oscar show promises to have a decidedly new feel to it. We have brand-new producers this year who guarantee there are going to be some big performances throughout the night. We of course have a new host this year, Seth McFarland hosting for the very first time. He is eager and ready to out his stamp on the show. We're also going to have some once-in-a-lifetime performances.
But for the frontrunners this year, the familiarity of art imitating life may just be the key to Oscar gold.
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A.J. HAMMER, HLN HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" (voice-over): The Oscars, always about stars and glamour. But experts like deadline.com's Pete Hammond say, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences pays close attention to history.
PETE HAMMOND, WRITER, DEADLINE.COM: With historical movies, you get the big sets, you get the costumes, you get the so-called truth factor. And that's always appealing to the Academy.
HAMMER: Best Picture nominees and Oscar favorites "Lincoln," "Argo," "Les Miserables," "Zero Dark Thirty," and even "Django Unchained," all tell stories rooted in the past. And Hammond says this year's Oscar nominees are being influenced not just by history class, but politics is also playing a part.
HAMMOND: Now, the Oscars have always been accused of being political, but this year it's literally political. And it's with D.C. really getting involved in Hollywood's business here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you really believe this story, Osama bin Laden?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
HAMMOND: "Zero Dark Thirty" started it all with, you know, John McCain and Dianne Feinstein and the acting head of the CIA at that time basically attacking the movie for playing with the facts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Things which are equal to the same thing are equal to each other.
HAMMOND: "Lincoln" has really been using Washington, D.C. They had a special screening for Barack Obama at the White House. They came back and they had a big screening for the U.S. Senate. That was sort of unprecedented.
HAMMER: And Hammond says his pick for Best Picture is going to benefit from its historical setting and its political momentum among Oscar voters.
HAMMOND: You have to go with "Argo." I mean, I can't think of a movie that's won the Golden Globe, the Critic's Choice, the PGA, the DGA, SAG, you know, and BAFTA and gone on to lose at the Oscars for Best Picture.
HAMMER: But with "Argo's" Ben Affleck not being nominated for Best Director, that category is wide open.
HAMMOND: You know, it's a tossup I think really between Steven Spielberg for "Lincoln," --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're stepped out upon the world stage now.
HAMMOND: But I can really see it going to Ang Lee for "Life of Pi." HAMMER: The consensus is, the Best Actress category comes down to "Silver Linings Playbook's" Jennifer Lawrence and "Zero Dark Thirty's" Jessica Chastain. But if they split the vote, there could be a surprise in this category from the star of the French film "Amour."
HAMMOND: You could see a real surprise. Emmanuelle Riva could sneak in for a win.
HAMMER: Although the Best Actor category seem like a lock.
HAMMOND: I mean Daniel Day-Lewis, across the board, has been winning everything. Plus he's playing Abraham Lincoln. You know, every time a voter reaches into their wallet, they pull out a reminder of him with a $5 bill.
HAMMER: So we will see who gets to become part of Oscar's history on Sunday night.
And if Daniel Day-Lewis does walk away with the Oscar for Lincoln as so many expect he will, it will be the first time ever an actor has won three times in that category, cementing his place in history. Fred?
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HAMMER: All right. Very exciting. Thanks, A.J.. You can catch CNN's Oscar coverage tomorrow night. Our red carpet special, "The Road To Gold" begins at 6:00 Eastern time.
All right. The Vatican in damage control mode right now. There are new allegations involving sex, money and gay priests. Top Vatican officials say it's all a bunch of lies. More on that after this.
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