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U.S. to Close Embassies Sunday; Victim Speaks at Ariel Castro's Sentencing; GOP Leaders Battle Each Other; U.S. Issues Global Travel Alert; Week in Sports; The Predator Test; NSA Director Heckled at Hackers Conference; The Return of Oprah

Aired August 03, 2013 - 13:00   ET

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


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. A look at the top stories we're following for you in the NEWSROOM.

Americans around the world are under a global travel alert today amid fears of a terror attack and embassies are ready to close their doors tomorrow. We have the latest response from Washington, next.

A shocking and graphic statement from the man who kidnapped three women and held them captive in his Cleveland home for a decade. You have to hear what he said. And the brave words from one of his victims.

And parents everywhere give their children the lecture. Don't talk to strangers, but a child's real reaction when a stranger approaches just will shock you.

A global travel alert in effect right now for all Americans around the world. That's after sources say there's growing intelligence say al Qaeda is planning an attack, possibly in the Middle East or North Africa.

As a precaution the U.S. is closing 22 embassies and consulates tomorrow, mostly in that region and the threat is expected to last for the next month.

Emily Schmidt has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EMILY SCHMIDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nearly one year ago, Americans saw what happens when terrorists attack a U.S. diplomatic compound. In Benghazi, four Americans died, including the U.S. ambassador. Now the U.S. government is dealing with what could be a new round of regional threats.

Officials say they tracked the chatter coming out of Yemen for weeks, and then it changed over the past few days. More of it. Enough that key members of Congress were briefed about the threat.

REP. MIKE ROGERS (R), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Obviously, it's serious enough that we're talking concrete steps to make sure that our personnel overseas are safe. SCHMIDT: The State Department has taken the unusual step of issuing a worldwide travel alert to Americans abroad. The action is clear. Nearly two dozen embassies will close on Sunday. And those closings could stretch into the week.

Officials say the intelligence makes them particularly concerned about the U.S. embassy in Yemen over the next few days. Multiple sources tell CNN al Qaeda in Yemen could be in the final stages of planning an attack.

For the past two years, U.S. drones have targeted regions of Yemen trying to eliminate the al Qaeda threat there. The threat has also been described as ambiguous. Meaning it could target other U.S. or Western targets across the region.

CHRISTOPHER HILL, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: I think this closing of the embassies in the Middle East to North Africa is in fact unprecedented. At least I didn't see this -- during my career.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Emily Schmidt now joins me from Washington.

So, Emily, what more have we heard from the White House particularly today?

SCHMIDT: Fredricka, some news -- yes, some news out of Washington today. White House officials say the president was updated this morning about the threat. He will continue, they say, to be updated throughout the weekend. Meanwhile, you look at his schedule, it's a normal weekend routine, golfing, going to Camp David to celebrate his birthday.

WHITFIELD: So what has changed in the Middle East? In North Africa? You know, since that attack in Benghazi because it's natural to try and draw a correlation between what happened then, a year ago, and what is taking place now with these closings.

SCHMIDT: Certainly you look at what is going on and you look at the fact that we are only a few weeks before the first anniversary of that deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi. The Obama administration at the time criticized for not responding strongly enough to the threat. This time, officials say they are acting out of what they call an abundance of caution.

But there is some direct effect out of what has happened in Benghazi. The Pentagon approved a Marine contingency combat force team for the area. Something that's there all the time. Roughly 1500 Marines on ships in the Red Sea. Around 500 Marines split between Italy and Spain.

Take a look at that. You see that they surround the region that we've been talking about. They are posted there full time to respond if something happens in the area -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Emily Schmidt in Washington, thank you. So this travel alert will impact Americans all over the world for the next month. Nick Valencia is live for us now at Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson Airport, the busiest airport in the world.

So, Nick, you've been talking to passengers. What are they telling you?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, domestically it's business as usual. Those that are flying out this airport this weekend, Fred, will not -- will not expect delays. They are not going to be expecting long lines either. This is business as usual. Everything is normal behind us here.

Internationally, though, there may be something going on. It's not going to be visible either. Security, the State Department says, will not change or we won't notice a change anyway.

We visited the international terminal earlier today and it was calm over there. Some passengers were oblivious to what was going on while other passengers a little bit more worried than others.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the State Department to go ahead and even ask the embassy to close the embassy on Sundays, also, I mean, it's worrisome, and I don't think America's job with security. When they say something, they mean it, so I'm worried because suddenly at the end of the day if what they are scared of happens, innocent lives were lost.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: And those airlines that do fly internationally out of Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, they say that there's no change to their flight schedules. No flights have been canceled. For those wondering perhaps if they can get waivers or refunds, if they're not going to fly this weekend because of this travel alert, the airlines right now, they aren't planning on it.

This policy may change, though, depending on the updated information they receive from the TSA and the State Department -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Nick Valencia, thanks so much. We'll check back with you.

Meantime, the U.S. is very worried about the possibility of an al Qaeda attack in the Middle East and North Africa. And Homeland Security Committee chairman Peter King says the intelligence information is the most specific he's ever seen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PETER KING (R), HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: Based on the sources, the credibility and the extent of the damage that appears that they want -- of the carnage they want to cause with the attack, it's really as far as I can go, and I think the fact that you'll see unprecedented action of 21 embassies being closed, the global travel advisory being given, this is being taken very, very seriously. It's not just trying to connect the dots. There is, you know, very specific information.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Meantime, al Qaeda's leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has appointed the head of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula as the terror group's number two man now.

Back in this country, as Ariel Castro begins his thousand-year sentence, we'll hear the shocking statement that he made at his sentencing and the brave words from one of his victims. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A thousand years in prison, that on top of a life sentence, will ensure Ariel Castro will never get out from behind bars. He was sentenced on Thursday after pleading guilty last week to kidnapping three women, raping them and holding them captive for a decade.

His rambling 15-minute long statement at his sentencing was shocking to many. Here's part of what he said and, we do want to warn you, you might find it rather disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARIEL CASTRO, KIDNAPPER AND RAPIST: I'm not a monster. I'm a normal person. I'm just sick. I have an addiction. Just like an alcoholic has an addiction. Alcoholics cannot control their addiction. That's why I can't control my addiction, Your Honor.

I know what I did is wrong. But I'm not a violent person. I simply kept them there without them being able to leave. Most of the sex that went on in the house, and practically all of it, was consensual. These allegations about me being forceful on them, that is totally wrong because there were times that they would even ask me for sex. Many times. I never tortured them.

Finally I would like to apologize to the victims, to Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight. I am truly sorry for what happened. To this day, I'm trying to answer my own questions. I don't know why.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Castro said all that right after one of his victims bravely gave her own statement. Michelle Knight recounted the horror that she went through. Eleven years of being trapped in Castro's home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE KNIGHT, KIDNAPPING SURVIVOR: Ariel Castro, I remember all the times that you came home talking about what everybody else did wrong, and act like you wasn't doing the same thing. You said, at least I didn't kill you. You took 11 years of my life away. And I have got it back. I spent 11 years in hell. Now your hell is just beginning.

I will overcome all this that happened, but you will face hell for eternity. From this moment on, I will not let you define me or affect who I am. You will live, I will live on, you will die a little every day. After 11 years, I am finally being heard and it's liberating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Knight went back to the neighborhood, in fact, where she was held captive yesterday and she thanked neighbors who helped rescue her, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus. One woman snapped this picture, in fact, with Michelle Knight.

All right. We're going to talk politics because this is the season again. The 2016 presidential election is just on the horizon. In fact, if you're counting, it's just 1,000 days away, but two top Republicans are already battling like they are already waging a nasty primary fight. Chris Christie versus Rand Paul, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. A new political war broke out this week and it's not the Democrats fighting the GOP or the other way around. It's two familiar and outspoken Republicans going after each other. One, a governor of a big state and the other, a high profile U.S. senator.

And as our Jim Acosta reports, they both may have their eyes on the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An olive branch rejected.

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: I'm running for re-election in New Jersey. I don't really have time for that at the moment.

ACOSTA: After accusing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie of harming national security by hoarding federal relief money for Hurricane Sandy victims --

SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: This is the king of bacon talking about bacon.

ACOSTA: Kentucky Senator Rand Paul seemed to ask for forgiveness, suggesting a sort of ceasefire between the two outspoken Republicans.

PAUL: I think with Governor Christie, it's gotten a little too personal, so we're ready to kiss and make up.

ACOSTA: But on a New Jersey radio program, Christie would have none of it.

CHRISTIE: I don't know why Senator Paul's so, you know, out of whack about this. At the end of the day, I never called him any names.

ACOSTA: It all began last week in what could be the first shots fired in the battle for 2016. Christie slamming Paul for his criticism of government surveillance.

CHRISTIE: This strain of libertarianism that's going through both parties right now and making big headlines I think is a very dangerous thought. But I doubt he would because most Washington politicians only care about bringing home the bacon so that they can get re- elected.

ACOSTA: The back and forth continued right on the CNN's "THE SITUATION ROOM."

PAUL: Attacking me isn't helping the party. He's hurting the party.

ACOSTA: Beyond the jab, some Republicans say it's Paul's noninterventionist views on foreign policy that are setting stage for a fight for the heart and soul of their party.

KING: This is the antiwar, left-wing Democrats of the 1960s that nominated George McGovern and destroyed their party for almost 20 years.

ACOSTA: It doesn't look like a truce will come anytime soon.

CHRISTIE: Really had nothing to do with Senator Paul but Senator Paul wanted to make it about Senator Paul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. That was Jim Acosta reporting now from Washington.

So are we seeing the onset of a GOP civil war heading into the next presidential race?

Ron Brownstein is CNN's senior political analyst and editorial director at the "National Journal."

Good to see you.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Good to see you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And David Boaz is the executive vice president at the Cato Institute, also joining me from Washington today.

Good to see you as well.

DAVID BOAZ, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CATO INSTITUTE: Hi.

WHITFIELD: OK, so, you know, David, you first. Is this the beginning of a long primary season already?

BOAZ: Well, it's certainly the beginning of a long primary season. You know, you were talking about civil war. WHITFIELD: Yes.

BOAZ: Party primaries, and certainly presidential primaries, ought to be about ideas, and I don't think that makes it civil war. I think the Republicans are going to have a debate here about the role of government, both at home and abroad. The NSA spying, the surveillance, has that gone too far, and are we getting involved in too many wars. And I think there is --

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: OK, but before you even get to that, before you get to that, you're seeing this -- what appeared to be just kind of a personality conflict here and name calling. You heard Chris Christie say, you know, I'm not calling any names, but you heard it in the various sound bites coming from Rand Paul, so that kind of upstaged whatever issues there may be to discuss, wouldn't you think?

BOAZ: I hope they'll back off from that. Christie threw down the gauntlet first saying libertarianism was a bad idea and naming Rand Paul as an advocate of it. And then they both got into it, and Christie, of course, has this reputation for tough talk and I guess Rand Paul has shown he's not going to back down from that, but I think they will move away from the personal jabs and we need to have a debate on the role of government, when it's a good idea to get involved in wars overseas. How far do we go in surveillance and spying and those sorts of things and we haven't had that debate.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, somehow it seems like people will have to get on track if that has to be the mantra, Ron. So how do you get to that point if there becomes kind of this infighting of personalities or style or what is it that's going on here?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, I basically agree with David that over time the issues are going to kind of overshadow the personalities. But there's question, I mean, it's kind of revealing on both fronts here. There is a debate within the Republican Party. Chris Christie will -- if he does run -- kind of a candidate that will draw on similar voters as Mitt Romney did. Better educated, more affluent, more coastal.

Rand Paul, if he does run, Ted Cruz, if he does run, folks like will be drawing on the more ideological kind of wing of the party. The more -- populous wing of the party. The anti-establishment wing.

So what you saw is actually a revealing prediction of what you might see in 2016, but I think it's also a warning to both of these two men. Christie is someone who is famous for not turning the other cheek and Rand Paul has made his style largely around a kind of irreverence. And I think in each case, they're going to have to tone that down to be seen as fully presidential if they do run in 2016. And this was kind of a reminder of that.

WHITFIELD: Well, what do you mean this is a turning point? Because shortly after the election, it was said that that was the turning point for the Republican Party. There wasn't -- they need real cohesion, there was too much infighting. There were too many people, you know, imposing a different direction, and now you've got this. I mean, we're really on the eve of, you know, the presidential race, or I guess the next presidential race always begins after, you know, one just ends.

BROWNSTEIN: Right.

WHITFIELD: But, you know, it seems as though if there's cohesion that has to be sought, it doesn't seem as though we're seeing within the GOP there is that.

BROWNSTEIN: Well, there's never -- you know, look -- you never, a party never has -- a party that's out of the White House never has an unequivocally agreed upon direction, but I would say I think the Republican Party has moved pretty clearly since the election. The immediate aftermath of 2012 when Mitt Romney won a higher share of the white vote than Ronald Reagan did in 1980 and still lost badly, there was a sense -- an overwhelming sense in the party what you saw in the report from the RNC Commission that looked at this, that they had to expand the base, they had to reach out more to minorities, they had to reach out more to young people.

Rand Paul kind of reflects that in some ways, arguing that his agenda would help broaden the party. But I think what you see in, Fred, in the eighth months since is kind of a tectonic poll back toward the argument that really what the party has to do is turn out its base and therefore all of this talk about repositioning is wrong headed and we need to kind of pursue a more uniformly conservative agenda with the one caveat that, as David noted, that on the issues of national security and surveillance, exactly what is a true conservative agenda is suddenly very much in dispute.

WHITFIELD: So, David, if there's a mission statement, what is it?

BOAZ: Well, I think that there is clearly a libertarian shift in American politics these days and it runs from issues like gay marriage and marijuana legalization to the opposition to Obamacare, concern about deficits and overspending. And to me, the Democrats are not well positioned for a lot of those issues, including the NSA spying issue, and the Republicans are now having a debate about whether they're going to move in a libertarian direction that might appeal to more young people, to more independents and moderate voters than they got in the last two elections, or whether they're going to try to stick with the agenda and the programs that lost them the last two elections.

WHITFIELD: So I wonder, whether we call it infighting or disorganization or finding its way, does this kind of create an advantage, however, for the Democrats? Ron?

(CROSSTALK)

BOAZ: No, I don't think -- go ahead.

BROWNSTEIN: I just want to say, I mean, you know, look, Republicans have to really figure out, they have lost the popular vote in five out of the past six elections just as Democrats did from '68 to '88. That doesn't happy accident. It happens because your -- the coalition that you are attracting with your message is simply no longer a national majority. And I think the evidence, as I said, from 2012 is very clear on that.

There are different theories in the Republican Party about what went wrong and how to fix it. The initial theory was we had to broaden the base. The -- I think new theory is we can win even relying almost entirely on white voters by just turning out more of the base.

WHITFIELD: OK.

BROWNSTEIN: And I think what David is suggesting is right, there will be an argument in 2016 about where libertarian ideas fit in, but the challenge is that the voters that he's talking about, young voters, independent voters, have not be big players in the Republican primaries.

Sixty percent of the total electorate in 2012 in those Republican primaries were over 50.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

BROWNSTEIN: So if Rand Paul is going to be a serious candidate, he's going to have to bring people who don't normally vote in primaries.

WHITFIELD: All right.

BROWNSTEIN: And that is not easy to do.

WHITFIELD: So, David, let me --

BROWNSTEIN: Historically.

WHITFIELD: Let you have the last word on that then.

BOAZ: Well, I think that's right. It -- it does mean if somebody like Rand Paul wants to win the Republican nomination, he'll have to get new people to come into the primary, but I'll tell you what, in 2008, the Democrats had a long presidential primary in which there were no actual policy differences discussed.

I'd rather see a thousand days of a Republican primary where we discuss different approaches to government.

WHITFIELD: All right.

David Boaz, maybe your wish will be granted. Ron Brownstein --

(LAUGHTER)

BROWNSTEIN: A thousand days.

WHITFIELD: Good to see you -- no, not chance, huh, Ron? OK.

(LAUGHTER)

All right. We'll see you guys in four months if it happens. Thanks so much. Good to see you both, gentlemen.

BOAZ: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, a reminder right now. There's a pretty significant travel warning out there for every American around the world. Up next, we'll tell you why the U.S. State Department made this unprecedented move.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Updating our top story now. The U.S. is warning American travelers around the world to be on alert with fears mounting of an al Qaeda terror attack. Some embassies are closing tomorrow and this threat could impact travelers for the next month.

Nick is live for us now at Atlanta's airport.

So, Nick, if someone already has travel plans, particularly abroad coming up, what do they need to do? What do they -- how do they need to prepare themselves?

VALENCIA: The State Department is putting out some notes about what you should do if you're planning on traveling internationally this weekend or really for the rest of the month, Fred. That travel alert going all the way through the end of August.

First and foremost, register with the U.S. embassy in the country that you're going to. Let them know what you're going to be doing there, for how long you're going to be doing there. Also, the State Department is encouraging travelers to sign up for this STEP program, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, where you're able to get updated alerts on crisis, emergency situations -- potentially emergency situations, I should say.

It's a pretty easy application to navigate through. I registered yesterday using it. You can put in your emergency contact information in there, passport information. And also State Department is encouraging travelers to go to their Web site. They have updates there. They'll be putting alerts on the State Department Web site as well. So those are very convenient ways for travelers who are anticipating travel abroad to stay in touch with this latest travel warning -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Nick Valencia. Appreciate that. Keep us posted. Great traveling tips there.

All right. Let's talk sports now. Tiger Woods coming close to making history yesterday. He played one of the greatest rounds of golf ever according to a lot of people who are watching golf.

Jeff Fischel has that and more sports in this "Bleacher Report."

JEFF FISCHEL, BLEACHER REPORT: Fred, do not let anyone tell you Tiger doesn't have it anymore. People look at the majors. Sure, he hasn't won one of those in five years, but if you just focus on that, you are ignoring how well he's playing overall and yesterday at the WGC Bridgestone it looked like Tiger would shoot the magical 59.

It's only been done four times ever in pro-golf. Tiger was 9 under through 13 holes, which is just ridiculous. He needed two birdies on the last five holes. He didn't get it. Ended up with a 61. He was asked afterward if he was disappointed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIGER WOODS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: Am I disappointed? Absolutely not. You know, 61's pretty good.

(LAUGHTER)

I'm not bummed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FISCHEL: That match is his best round ever.

Riley Cooper is taking time away from the Philadelphia Eagles after his racial slur at a recent concert surfaced. The wide receiver has released a new statement saying the last few days have been incredibly difficult and acknowledging what he did was inexcusable. He'll meet with counselors and says he'll make it right.

Eagles coach Chip Kelly says Cooper will be allowed to return to the team, but Kelly says this is an important lesson for the entire organization.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIP KELLY, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES COACH: I think we all should watch what we say. Whether it's a racist comment or a sexist comment or a sexual orientation comment. It's because your words have impact and when you say them, people listen and it can hurt people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FISCHEL: All right. So must-see baseball. The Angels' Jayvee Shuck running out of room in left field. Jumps into the stands. He's gone. Where did he go? There he is. And in fact, he has the baseball, too. He made the catch. Teammates fired up. Watch Shuck dive in. He actually landed on a slab of concrete, but he jumps back up, gets back on the field and they rule that a catch. A great catch. Perhaps the best catch you'll see.

Fred, that's sports. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: I don't think it gets any better than that. Pretty impressive stuff. Thanks so much, Jeff.

A reminder, CNN has all of the sports action all the time on the Web. Just go to Bleacherreport.com.

All right. Every parent teaches their child about stranger danger, right? Well, when the real thing happens, would your kid pass the test? Would your kid know what to do? Up next, we put some young ones to the test and show you the shocking results.

But first in the central African nation of Cameroon, there are only two doctors for every 10,000 people. And for the lucky few able to get the healthcare, many can't afford to pay for it, but this week's CNN hero is a surgeon who devotes his personal time to bringing medical care and surgery to the remote jungles of this country -- his country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE BWELLE, CNN HERO: For a country like mine, people like to drink, to dance, to enjoy their life. But with poverty they cannot enjoy their life.

To go to the villager is pleasure. If I can help two or three people, that would be great. I saw my father ill for 23 years. Before he passed away, he asked me, you see how people suffer to see a doctor? Please, if you graduate to be a doctor, help people.

My name is George Bwelle. I bring free surgery and health services to people of rural Africa. Beating the drums to see things to come. They can leave 60 kilometers around and they're coming on foot.

So, are you also here for the operation?

We are starting by doing consultation.

We will do the exam. To go see the possibilities for this mass. And in the afternoon, we have a list of patients that we are going to operate. We need our generator because in the village there is no light. We start doing the operation until Sunday morning. We are doing around 40 surgical operation for free.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have no money. That's why they brought me here. This will change my future and my family.

BWELLE: We leave our address to all the patient that if there's any problem they can come back to us. I help people and they are happy. I'm doing that to give them opportunity to restart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wow, what an incredible impact. We need your help to find great stories just like these. Please go to CNNheroes.com right now to nominate someone you know who's making a difference like that and also deserves to be recognized.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. You know it is every parent's worst nightmare. A stranger approaches your child at the playground or at a park and in the blink of an eye, he or she is gone. It's a scenario that happens all too often and the outcome is rarely very good.

We've all been telling our children not to talk to strangers, but how would your son or daughter react in a real-life scenario? Kyra Phillips of our sister network HLN's "Raising America" wanted to find out and the results are chilling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYRA PHILLIPS, HLN'S RAISING AMERICA: We took them to a public park and on four separate occasions, tested 20 children. Ed played the predator. (INAUDIBLE), the bait. The objective, get the kids to the car.

We had the parent's permission. They were in on this. The moms wanted to know if all those warnings about bad guys would have any impact on their kids' decision-making.

Let's start with 7-year-old Max and 6-year-old Evie.

MAX, 7-YEAR-OLD: Can I pet the dog?

ED PARRY, PRODUCER, HLN: You want to pet the dog? Oh, sure. He's a baby. He loves to be petted. He's -- oh he likes you.

PHILLIPS: Max definitely likes the dog, but gets a bad feeling about Ed.

PARRY: You don't want to walk him? It's OK if you want to. OK. Well, the truck's this way if you want to go. No?

PHILLIPS: The only place Max wants to go is right towards his mom.

MAX: He offered me to walk his dog and I said no. To his truck.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you know what?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rock on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good job. But why did you say no? Because --

MAX: Because he might take me.

PHILLIPS: As for 6-year-old Evie --

PARRY: So you -- you want to pet him? He's real friendly.

EVIE, 6-YEAR-OLD: No.

PARRY: No?

EVIE: He's nice.

PARRY: OK.

PHILLIPS: She's not having any of this.

Did you feel weird when he came up to you?

EVIE: I didn't want to talk to strangers. PHILLIPS: And where did you learn that?

EVIE: Mommy.

PHILLIPS: What did mommy tell you?

EVIE: Told me don't talk to strangers because mom doesn't know them.

PARRY: I need to go get him some water. Do y'all want to come with me? And then help me feed him and give him water?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have some water here.

PARRY: Let's go this way.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So right in front of my face.

PHILLIPS: I mean, it happened right in front of your face.

PARRY: Do you want to feed him a treat?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Did you think it was going to be that easy?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. Not at all.

PHILLIPS: OK. They're still going. They're going all the way to the parking lot.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And then they were asking, can I go --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Exactly.

PARRY: I'm going to put him in here. We're going to feed him in here. OK? It was so easy. I could have all six of them in my truck right now going god knows where.

PHILLIPS: What did he look like to you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A nice guy that takes care of dogs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They could have just picked you and I will never saw you no more. Now what?

PHILLIPS: What do you do next time someone comes up to you that you don't know?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I ask my mom.

PHILLIPS: There we go.

So for these moms, the conversation about predators is just starting. But for another mom, she couldn't even talk about our test.

PARRY: You're not scared of a dog, are you?

PHILLIPS: So devastated by what you're about to see, she asked us to conceal their identities.

PARRY: I got a toy in there. I got some food in there. You got him? You got a good grip on him? OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is that his cage?

PARRY: Look. Look at that cage. Could you reach that raccoon in there? I can't get it.

PHILLIPS: Mom's warnings forgotten.

PARRY: My dogs are standing in your way. There you go. Can you -- just like a dog, oh, he's like, what are you doing, get out of my house.

PHILLIPS: A child now vulnerable to abduction. Terrifying proof that the talk doesn't go far enough.

PARRY: I'm just a guy faking it out here for TV. If I'm a real sex predator, I've got him in my truck. Oh, my god.

PHILLIPS: Yes.

PARRY: Terrifying.

PHILLIPS: Families need to practice for that moment when a predator comes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Wow. Chilling indeed. Experts tell us when you are out with your kids, leave the iPods, tablets, cell phones alone. Pay attention, listen and watch what's going on around you. You can help your child or perhaps someone else's.

Well, one conversation with the kids that isn't -- just one conversation is not enough, rather. You have to repeat the message over and over again so that it eventually sinks in.

NSA officials are attending an annual hacker's conference and they're asking for the group for help. We'll tell you why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATHARINE MCPHEE, SINGER: Hi. I'm Katharine McPhee, and we can make an impact on malaria. Through personal connections to West Africa I had the opportunity to build a preschool. The school master, a wonderful woman there. She had come down with malaria. I had gotten together with Malaria No More, saying I would love to get to Africa and see what we can do for her and for all the people that she worked so hard to help. Every minute, a child dies from malaria. It's something that doesn't need to happen. Something that's curable, preventable. It's something that would ever happen in the United States but it's something really -- it's devastating to their lives and there's so much to be done that you can feel overwhelmed, with like, what can I actually do?

The truth of it is a $10 net can save lives. That's why we're working so hard with Malaria No More to end the malaria deaths by 2015.

Join the movement. "Impact Your World."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The National Security Agency often attends hacker conferences to recruit top security personnel. Well, this year, they are under a lot of heat over -- the NSA, rather, over their surveillance program.

CNN money tech expert Laurie Segall was at the Black Cat Conference, that's what it's called, where the NSA's director defended the program.

LAURIE SEGALL, CNN MONEY TECH CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fredricka.

Well, we're here in Las Vegas at an annual hacker's conference. Now it brings together the best and brightest minds in the security world and this year, NSA chief General Alexander came here, gave a speech to these hackers, and he said, we need your help. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. KEITH ALEXANDER, NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY DIRECTOR: You're the greatest gathering of technical talent anywhere in the world. If we can make this better, the whole reason I came here was to ask you to help us make it better. And if you disagree with what we're doing, then you should help twice as much.

Our nation takes stopping terrorism as one of the most important things.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Freedom.

ALEXANDER: Exactly. And with that, when you think about it, how do we do that? Because we stand for freedom.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

ALEXANDER: Not bad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEGALL: A lot of folks enthusiastic that General Alexander actually came and spoke in light of recent events, but I will say that there were folks in the audience that were also heckling him. One guy actually screamed, "Have you read the Constitution," to which General Alexander responded, I have, have you? So obviously, the feelings are mixed -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Laurie Segall, thanks so much for bringing that to us.

All right. Let's talk about the big O. Oprah Winfrey, making a comeback in a very big way. We'll show you why some are saying the O could also stand for Oscar.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: I know, hard to believe, but it's been two years since Oprah said goodbye to daytime television. And even longer since she appeared on the big screen. And since her departure from daytime, the Oprah Winfrey Network has struggled to make it in the ratings. But the queen of talk is making a comeback in another way.

Her new role in the movie "The Butler" is causing quite the buzz. And CNN's Jake Tapper explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAKE TAPPER, ANCHOR, "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER" (voice-over): She was once regarded as the Midas of media, known by just one name, Oprah. For two decades, if Oprah Winfrey touched your product, you could see gold. After she put "Anna Karenina" on her book club list in 2004 sales increased 5,421 percent.

After she put Ciao Bella's "Blood Orange Sorbet" on her 2007 "Oprah's Favorites" list the company went from 175,000 Web site hits a week to three million. In 2008 two University of Maryland economists concluded that the endorsement of then-Senator Barack Obama by Oprah, whom they called a celebrity of nearly unparalleled popularity, well, they said, that produced 1,015,559 additional votes for him.

OPRAH WINFREY, OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK: I love this show. This show has been my life.

TAPPER: So when Oprah bid this tearful goodbye to her 42 million American talk show viewers two years later, it seemed likely that a good many would follow her and her favorite things to her new TV cable network.

WINFREY: Over this holiday break, my team and I will be brainstorming new ways that we can entertain you.

TAPPER: But it turned out OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network, has attracted just a fraction of the ratings Oprah's daytime talk show once had. One-tenth to be exact. In fact it wasn't until this week that OWN announced it is now finally cash flow positive.

MEETA AGRAWAL, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: When she went to own and it didn't exactly look like the talk show that everybody knew her for and loved her for, there was a lot of disappointment there. I think what's been interesting is that in the time since, you've seen her slowly figure out what this network looks like and what her presence in the network looks like.

TAPPER: So now OWN can begin repaying the more than $500 million investment that the Discovery Channel made in the network. Oprah herself has said her team started before they were ready. She told CBS News she has learned from the experience.

WINFREY: If I knew then what I knew now, I might have made some different choices. I would say if I were writing a book about it, I could call the book 101 mistakes.

TAPPER: But presumably the savvy business woman's network is now ready. One key to her success, bringing in someone with his own larger-than-life brand and built-in audience.

WINFREY: All my life I had to fight.

TYLER PERRY, ACTOR: Girl, I'm not trying to buy them. Just trying to find home.

WINFREY: I had to fight the press folks.

TAPPER: Tyler Perry, the man behind Media. He's driven the network's profits with two original shows, the highest rated on OWN.

PERRY: All right. Get the whole family together. Watch "Love Thy Neighbor." It'll be fun.

TAPPER: While Oprah transformed back into her widely acclaimed role from "The Color Purple" for this ad --

WINFREY: You want a great cable channel?

TAPPER: It's her highly anticipated performance in "The Butler" this summer that has some people saying O might stand for Oscar this year.

WINFREY: Well, I don't know how many stories you're going here because (INAUDIBLE) to some kind of secret code.

TAPPER: It's not that Oprah was ever gone. But those 101 mistakes are now in her rearview mirror and her Midas-ness is back.

(On camera): By the way, Lee Daniels' "The Butler" opens in theaters on August 16.

Jake Tapper, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And I guess Oprah would argue she never really went away, just a new transformation.

All right. Let's talk Olympics, the winter games haven't even started and already controversy. Russia's anti-gay laws are the reason, grounds for a boycott? Well, coming up in our 3:00 hour. I'll talk to our own Olympic gold medalist, Greg Louganis, about what he thinks should happen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, a lot more coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM. You'll hear from the ninth woman to come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against San Diego's mayor. Find out what she thinks should happen next.

And mixing politics with sports? Russia's strict new anti-gay laws may have some Olympians skipping next year's winter games. We'll talk live with our gold medalist Greg Louganis about a possible boycott.

And a Kansas farmer wants to know why the earth opened and swallowed part of his land. Now he's worried, it'll get larger. We'll take a closer look.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield, we'll see you back here at 3:00 Eastern Time in the NEWSROOM, but first, the stock market is soaring and jobs are coming back, so why are the paychecks barely enough to keep millions of U.S. workers out of poverty.

Christine Romans has answers. "YOUR MONEY" starts now.