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Heidi Klum Plays Role Of Supermom; Coach Andy Enfield's Magical Year Continues; Kevin Ware Released From Hospital; Blue Lights Mark World Autism Awareness Day; Are Smartphones Taking Over?
Aired April 02, 2013 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Bottom of the hour, I'm Fredricka Whitfield, in for Brooke Baldwin. Technology, sports, showbiz news, we're hitting all of it right now.
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WHITFIELD (voice-over): Supermodel Heidi Klum was channeling Superwoman when she dove into a dangerous riptide in HawaiI to rescue her 7-year-old son. Nischelle Turner is live for us from Los Angeles. So, Nischelle, tell us how all this unfolded.
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Super Heidi, Fred, Heidi Klum went from supermodel to supermom this weekend. She was vacationing in Oahu, Hawaii, on Sunday with her family when her oldest son, Henry, was swept into a large riptide along with two nannies.
Now Klum and her bodyguard boyfriend quickly reacted; they raced to save her 7-year-old son and caretakers from drowning. While fans are calling her a hero, in a statement to CNN, she says she was just being a mom. Here's what she said to us.
She said, "We were pulled into the ocean by a big wave. Like any mother, I was very scared for my child, and everyone else in the water. Thankfully, Henry, is a strong swimmer and was able to swim back to land and we were able to get everyone out safely."
I can only imagine, Fred. I don't have kids, but I can only imagine how frightening that must have been for her. Hopefully, though, she can get a little R and R for the rest of this vacation.
WHITFIELD: Yes. I think she developed a little superhuman strength; that kind of happens. That kicks in with a mom.
TURNER: Exactly.
WHITFIELD: And then, Nischelle, I understand did someone have a camera out there? Might there be some videotape or some images that might pop up at some point?
TURNER: There are definitely pictures of this. And I will tell you, when you see these pictures of her, she looks like a superhero in action. I mean, they really are great pictures. And if I were her, I would get those pictures, trademark those pictures and put them out, because I tell you what, they really make her look like a hero.
WHITFIELD: Wow. Well, we can't wait to see it and something tells me she's probably listening to your advice and that's going to happen.
All right. Nischelle Turner, thanks so much, appreciate it.
TURNER: Sure.
WHITFIELD: All right. Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon, well, they're taking their rumored rivalry to a new level. How about a singoff? Last night, the NBC late night comedians poked fun at reports that Fallon is taking over Leno's "Tonight" show and moving it to New York next year. Check it out.
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JIMMY FALLON, NBC HOST: Tonight, tonight who's going to host tonight, is it going to be Jimmy or Jay? Tonight, tonight where will they take tonight in New York, will it stay in L.A.?
JAY LENO, NBC HOST: Tonight, tonight my ratings were all right, 20 years and I'm still in first place.
WHITFIELD (voice-over): Oh, man. That is good.
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WHITFIELD: NBC, well, they haven't made any comments on those rumors about Fallon taking over "The Tonight Show" and something tells me they're OK with that singing rendition.
All right. He's already a millionaire and he's married to a former supermodel. But Coach Andy Enfield's magical year, well, it just continues.
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WHITFIELD (voice-over): After just two seasons at Florida Gulf Coast University, Enfield is now headed to California, the University of Southern California. He'll go from making $157,000 a year to a six-year deal reportedly worth over a million per year.
In a statement, the Trojans said, "Andy's success this season at Florida Gulf Coast was not a flash in the pan. He has a consistent and proven record of success for more than 15 years in college and the NBA."
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WHITFIELD: Enfield Eagles were the first number 15 seed to ever advance to the tournament round of 16. Congrats to him.
All right. Believe it or not, injured Louisville basketball player Kevin Ware has been released from the hospital.
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WHITFIELD (voice-over): Check out these pictures of him arriving back on campus at Louisville, just moments ago. Yes, he's already up on crutches. Pretty amazing stuff. It was just Sunday night when he brutally broke his leg in the NCAA Midwest regional final. Here is Ware's mother, speaking about his recovery.
LISA JUNIOR, KEVIN WARE'S MOTHER: He's not so much focusing on what happened, but he's focusing on recovery of it all. He still wants to be there to support his team. And he's in great spirits.
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WHITFIELD: Wow. Amazing. So it is possible Ware could be playing again in just six months. We're wishing him the best.
All right. Just ahead, actress Holly Robinson Peete, joining me live to spotlight autism, a disorder that affects millions of Americans.
Plus "Your Money," from starting our cars to cleaning our homes. Are smartphones taking over?
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ZAIN ASHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Say goodbye to this and say hello to this instead. CNNMoney newsroom, I'm Zain Asher. And this is "Your Money."
Cell phones have slowly evolved from this, remember them, to this. Now they pretty much control your life, doing everything from starting your car to help clean your floors.
But are smartphones becoming too smart for their own good?
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ASHER (voice-over): Going grocery shopping? You can now see inside your fridge from your smartphone.
Need to switch channels on your TV? Your smartphone can do that too.
Need help waking up? How about lights that turn on in sync with your phone's alarm?
CHARLES GOLVIN, FORRESTER RESEARCH ANALYST: Smartphones are going to be the remote control for our lives, controlling our home, security, heating and ventilation, air conditioning. ASHER (voice-over): The trend of using phones to replace menial tasks is nothing new. But according to Transparency Market Research, the home automation sector is expected to grow from $17 billion in 2011 to $47 billion in 2018.
JONATHAN COLLINS, ABI RESEARCH: What you're talking about is anything that you can manage or be controlled remotely. And that opens up an enormous world, both in the home and in industry.
ASHER (voice-over): At home, companies like this, Savant Systems are allowing us to control our living rooms, simply by tapping a touchscreen photograph.
ROBERT MADONNA, CEO, SAVANT SYSTEMS: can basically just touch the light in the picture and it goes off in the room and off in the picture.
ASHER (voice-over): And startups like Viper have developed apps to remote control your car.
ASHER: OK. So check this out. If I want to start my engine using my smartphone, all I have to do is download the Viper app, tap on this button right here, where it says "Smart Start, and the engine starts.
ASHER (voice-over): But none of this is cheap. Viper's technology retails at $300, while a smartfridge costs over $3,000.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of people say they're interested in this capability, but they perceive it as something that is only for rich people, you know, for Bill Gates' house and not for their house.
ASHER (voice-over): Experts say as prices fall, automated tech will no longer be for the wealthy few and the Knight Riders among us --
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The car just drove around the truck and steered itself.
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ASHER (voice-over): -- but for us all. That future mass market appeal had Nissan joining forces with Intel to develop a vehicle that notifies the owner's smartphone if their parked car is hit by another driver.
Meanwhile, iRobot makes robotic cleaners that can wash floors and clean carpets.
Remind you of anything?
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"ROSIE THE ROBOT": Just cleaning the rug, ma'am. (END VIDEO CLIP, "THE JETSONS")
ASHER (voice-over): But the Jetsons didn't have a smartphone to control theirs.
Samsung is calling its Galaxy S4 phone a life companion. Perhaps we're not that far off from needing anything else to get by.
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ASHER: And speaking of phones taking over your life, Facebook is rumored to be working on its own smartphone. The company will make a, quote, "significant mobile focus announcement" this Thursday. We will be watching very closely.
From the CNNMoney newsroom, that is it from me. We'll be back same time tomorrow.
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WHITFIELD: All right. Landmarks around the world are bathed in blue light today. It is to mark World Autism Awareness Day, which kicks off Autism Awareness Month.
Autism is a little understood disorder that affects an estimated 3 million Americans. Although the cause is unknown, its prevalence in the U.S. is undeniable. Recent government studies estimate about 1 million American children have the condition. That's about 1 in 88 kids.
It is also five times more likely in boys than in girls, which means one boy out of 54 has autism. No blood or biological markers signal a child has autism. Diagnosis is based primarily on a wide range of behaviors. Therapies can cost a staggering $80,000 a year.
Actress Holly Robinson Peete has become an outspoken advocate for greater awareness, ever since her son was diagnosed with autism in 2005. She joins us from New York.
Good to see you, Holly.
HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE, AUTISM ACTIVIST: Good to see you, too, Fredricka. Thank you for saying all that you said off the top. You did my work for me.
WHITFIELD: Oh, absolutely. Well, your organization, your foundation has done a tremendous job conveying the message. It's called HollyRod. And you know, people have come to know your family's story, your crusade.
First off, how is your son, R.J. doing? PEETE: He's 15 now and he's doing beautifully, considering the fact that when he was 3 and he got his diagnosis, he was told all this long laundry list of nevers that he would never do, never mainstream at school, never say I love you, never play sports. And he's done all that.
The problem is at 15, he's in the middle, in the throes of puberty. And autism and puberty is a very volatile mix sometimes.
So we're kind of, like, in a way, getting the diagnosis all over again, learning a new normal with him as an adolescent. But we're still blessed in so many ways. And I'm just thrilled to be in New York celebrating World Autism Awareness Day to get the word out about how special and amazing these people are.
WHITFIELD: Wow. So it evolves, it changes as the child changes and grows. That is, in large part, one of the things that your foundation does.
What are some of the other things that you're proud to say your foundation does to help people have a better understanding about what autism is and help people have a better understanding as a family unit and maybe as a community, how to help young people with autism?
PEETE: Well, as our journey has gone, I go. So when my son was 3 and he was getting the diagnosis, it was all about causation and what happened and I sort of was in this crazy tailspin back then.
But now I've mellowed out and I really want to help families impacted by autism, because it is such a very difficult disorder to afford. And if you have insurance, some states cover it. If you don't have insurance, it's really difficult; families shouldn't be choosing between putting food on the table and getting therapies for their kids.
So we, at HollyRod, really help work on the compassionate care for families impacted by this disorder. It could be very difficult under the financial and emotional strain.
WHITFIELD: And I mentioned that at the top, $80,000 a year on average. Is that typically what it takes to make sure that your child with autism gets what he or she needs?
PEETE: You know, Fredricka, it just varies. It depends on your socioeconomic status, it depends on where you are, how many children you have, what your budget is.
But autism doesn't discriminate. That's the thing. I mean, these are -- these are families who are just trying to get by, day to day in this economy, and then they have to make sure that their children are able to access services. So that's what we're really trying to do and help these families just get through the day-to-day of autism.
WHITFIELD: And are we talking about that money covering things like, you know, occupational therapy? Or is it also, you know, special education? What goes toward -- I mean, what is that $80,000 covering, if it's on average, that -- you know, I also hear from you, it really does depend. I mean, it may be much greater than that, depending on the family's needs, the child's needs.
PEETE: Oh, it's everything. I mean, it's -- listen, when your child gets diagnosed with something like autism, you want to try everything. You want a kitchen sink mentality, so you want to be able to try everything from your typical therapies to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which is -- which some people have really good luck with and we have.
And those are expensive. So how do you afford those? So it's just a matter of trying to figure out what your recipe is for your child. And if you met one kid with autism, you've met just one kid with autism. They all are different and they have different needs.
WHITFIELD: And Holly Robinson Peete, beautiful in blue, the blue symbolizing the puzzle piece that you and other people are wearing today to help people understand, get a better understanding if they don't have it already, about autism.
PEETE: Right. The blue, we're lighting it up blue all across the world. And in over 90 countries, all seven continents, and you know, we're really bringing the awareness to match the prevalence numbers, and the prevalence numbers (inaudible) off the charts.
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WHITFIELD: (Inaudible) right there.
All right.
PEETE: Everywhere. We're lighting up the Empire State Building tonight.
WHITFIELD: Love it. All right. We all look forward to that beautiful picture to match that gorgeous picture out of Sydney. Holly Robinson Peete, thanks so much. Always a pleasure. Appreciate your time.
All right. Straight ahead, Hillary Clinton making one of her first public appearances since leaving the U.S. State Department less than just two months. Find out what she is up to now.
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WHITFIELD: All right. We're just minutes away from "THE LEAD," Jake Tapper joining me live with a preview.
Hey, Jake. What you got?
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Well, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is with us. He is going to talk to us about the crime rate in Chicago and also, of course, he'll react to the announcement today from that NRA- backed commission for school safety. They've issued a number of recommendations, including more guns in schools from the school administrators and teachers, who go through a gun safety training.
We'll get his reaction to that. We'll also talk to him about whether or not as White House chief of staff, if he regrets not having done more about gun control. That, and we'll get his views on, of course, Senator Hillary Clinton's stepping out this evening to do some public speaking, causing all that speculation I hear you've been talking about as well.
WHITFIELD: That's right. OK. Rahm Emanuel will be giving us his take on all that.
Jake Tapper, thanks so much. Good to see you and we'll be watching "THE LEAD" just now about eight minutes or so away.
TAPPER: Thanks.
WHITFIELD: All right. Oh --
All right. Ohio's Rob Portman and now a second Senate Republican joining Portman, announcing his support for same-sex marriage.
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WHITFIELD (voice-over): Mark Kirk of Illinois issued a statement today. He said same-sex couples should have the right to civil unions. Yesterday Democrats Tom Carper of Delaware and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania made it two more Democrats who support same-sex marriage.
Only seven Senate Democrats still oppose it.
And Hillary Clinton, as you heard Jake talking earlier, making a return to the spotlight in just a few hours from now.
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WHITFIELD (voice-over): The former U.S. secretary of state will give her first public speech since leaving the State Department, presenting at the Vital Voices Global Awards ceremony in Washington.
And remember that sinkhole in Florida that swallowed a man? Well, we're getting a first-hand look now inside that massive hole threatening an entire neighborhood.
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WHITFIELD: All right. Some of the hottest stories in a flash. "Rapid Fire," roll it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD (voice-over): New video in to CNN from inside that sinkhole near Tampa, Florida, that killed a man back in February. A contractor shot the video with the camera on a pole before the home was demolished. It peers down 60 feet through that gaping hole in the bedroom floor where 37-year-old Jeff Bush died. His body could not be recovered and the hole was filled in.
It's a small town's new law with a big loophole. Nelson, Georgia, will require nearly every head of household to own a gun. The five-member city council just passed the measure unanimously, the law says, to protect the public. Exempted, however, people with mental or physical disabilities, felons -- and here is the big loophole -- those who don't believe in owning guns.
And rivers of oil coiling through the streets and flooding yards in an Arkansas neighborhood. The nightmare began Friday afternoon, when a crude oil pipe burst in the town of Mayflower. Take a listen to what one of these folks, Chris Harrell, told me earlier.
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CHRIS HARRELL, MAYFLOWER RESIDENT: (Inaudible) a lot of concern for my both myself, my family and a 4-year-old and a 10-month-old at home. And, you know, how did these fumes affect them? How -- what's the long-term outlook for any kind of -- any health issue that we may have down the road?
Supposedly they're checking hourly air samples and they're saying there is no issue, but at the end of the day, you know, who really knows what the long-term effect may be for anyone's health?
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WHITFIELD: Today an investigation has been launched to find out just what caused the Pegasus pipeline to rupture and how bad this oil spill could be.
All right. It was a place with good food, but to many Asian- Americans a bad name.
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WHITFIELD (voice-over): Now the owner of a cheese steak shop in Philadelphia has had a change of heart, giving his eatery a new name.
So for more than 60 years -- you see the name right there. Many consider that a racial slur and a childhood nickname of the founder, however, that was his best defense on it. But as of yesterday, the current owner is now calling his place Joe's Steaks and Soda Shop.
JOE GROH, RESTAURANT OWNER: Over the years it ate at me that it should be changed and i just, until maybe six months ago, said you know what, it's time.
WHITFIELD (voice-over): Our affiliate KAYW reports when Asian- Americans asked the owner to change the name in 2004, more than 10,000 people signed a petition for him to keep it.
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WHITFIELD: All right. He has already backed solar power and wind power. Well, today President Obama announced he is investing millions of dollars in BRAIN power. The president unveiled a $100 million initiative to fund research of the human brain. The hope is to not only discover new technologies but new treatments for Alzheimer's and epilepsy.
The project will involve both government and private scientists.
That's going to do it for me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.
