Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Darren Wilson Resigns; 13-Year-Old Missing For Four Years; OSU Football Player Costa Karageorge Missing; Outrage After GOP Aide Scolds Obama Girls Online; How To Maximize Your Dollars On Cyber Monday; Lindsey Vonn Opens Up About Rehab, Tiger

Aired November 30, 2014 - 16:00   ET

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


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It is one of the busiest travel days of the year but for millions of travellers, something unusual and unexpected is happening. And police called to a house in the case of a boy missing for four years made a stunning find. The 13-year-old was hidden behind a fake wall.

Plus a Ferrari crashes had burst into flames but the drivers actually make it out alive.

Hello again, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. A big change happening today in Ferguson, Missouri. The mayor says the city has cut ties with Officer Darren Wilson. Wilson turned in his resignation letter yesterday saying he feared for the police department after threats had been made. The resignation follows a grand injury decision not to indict Wilson in the killing of teenage Michael Brown.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is in St. Louis today. So, are you in Ferguson actually? So Ed, the city's mayor did hold a press conference earlier. What more does he have to say about how the city moves forward?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the mayor and various city officials announced a series of programs planned to recruit more African-American police officers to the police force here in Ferguson as well as community outreach programs to kind of focus on in the long term. But really, the news of the day is that Darren Wilson officially resigning. The city accepting that resignation. City officials say that there will not be a severance paid out to Officer Darren Wilson and really the mayor trying to talk as much as possible about looking ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFED MALE: We are committed to rebuilding our city and to once again become a thriving community for economic development and residential stability. We are working hard with local and regional partners to assemble resources that will be available to you shortly and in the near future. And to our business owners who are entrepreneurs pursuing the American dream, whether you provide a service, operate a restaurant, a small boutique or own a car shop, you are not forgotten. We will not leave any rock unturned to find the resources necessary for you to rebuild. We ask you to stay strong and don't give up. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: And you know, that's going to be a big focus and a big issue for this city. As you drive around the streets, they were hardest hit by the most violent protests last week. Still a lot of businesses boarded up, a lot of businesses not necessarily quite open for business once again.

You know, then you have this story here, Fredricka. This is the church where Michael Brown Senior attended (INAUDIBLE) Christian Church. They just finished, completed their church services, had to be held in the parking lot. What's interesting here is that this church was set on fire last Monday night at the height - or early Tuesday morning, at the height of the most violent unrest here that we saw last week. ATF and FBI and arson teams are investigating whether or not this was connected to the fact that this is the church where Michael Brown Sr. attended.

Some people here in the community think that it was deliberately set on fire because he attended here but that's one of the issues that officials and investigators are looking at right now. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And then, Ed, was Michael Brown's father at that church service today that was now held in the parking lot? What more is the pastor even saying about how they're going to try to move forward?

LAVANDERA: You know, he was. He didn't say anything but he was - a lot of the church service focused on moving ahead as well and really kind of emboldening the community to involve, to stay active, to push for these reforms, the kind of reforms that they want to see in the police force here locally. So that was one of the major constant themes of the church service this morning.

WHITFIELD: All right. Ed Lavandera, thank you so much.

And then coming up in a few minutes, I want you to get a chance to ask the pastor myself about how they move on from this point forward.

A 13-year-old boy missing for four years was found hidden behind a fake wall at his father's house. That father and the boy's stepmother were denied bond in court this morning. They are now facing charges of false imprisonment and child cruelty. Investigators went to their house here in Atlanta Friday night, looking for the boy. They didn't find him at first but then officials say the boy called his mother and told her that he was hidden behind a wall.

The boy and his mom were reunited yesterday morning. Ryan Krueger with our affiliate with XIA spoke to neighbours of the boy's father and stepmother.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: I'm shocked because you think you know somebody.

RYAN KRUEGER, WXIA REPORTER: Julie Pizaro (ph) had no idea that the 13-year-old boy who her son played with everyday at this house was being held against his will.

JULIE PIZARO, NEIGHBOR: It was a shock to all of us, honestly. They were really nice people. They were open. Like come over any time you want.

KRUEGER: According to Clayton County Police, the 13-year-old was kept behind a fake wall inside this home on (INAUDIBLE) in Jonesboro. Neighbors tell me the family moved to this house about six months ago and they saw the boy out here all the time, out in the yard and they had no idea he was being held captive.

PIZARO: The mother told me he was home schooled so I didn't question why he was always home.

KRUEGER: Akono Ikunde (ph) lives across the street. He tells us he and his wife saw the boy nearly every day but now he is left wondering if there were any warning signs that they missed.

AKONO IKUNDR (PH), NEIGHBOR: Gosh, it was right in our nose but he was never under distress.

PIZARO: The young man didn't seem like he was in any distress or anything. You never know behind closed doors.

KRUEGER: In Jonesboro, Ryan Krueger, 11 Alive News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: It is one of the busiest travel days of the year for families across the country. Now returning home after this Thanksgiving holiday weekend, flight tracking website Flight Aware put together this misery map showing the worst spots for delays and cancellations. It doesn't look so good in the west, particularly in Denver but the east coast looking pretty good so far.

Erin McPike is live for us at Reagan National Airport just outside of Washington, D.C. and OK, now we are seeing the crowd behind you picking up. How's it going?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, just a little bit. Actually Senator John McCain leave here a few minutes ago. A lot of people come into Washington D.C. on Monday. So Monday can be a pretty busy travel day, too, really throughout the East Coast. What we're seeing, form both Washington, D.C. and in the airport to New York, people are moving through these lines much faster.

TSA has done a lot to improve their systems. A lot of people are using TSA free checks. But we have seen pretty smooth sailing for many of the travellers who are travelling today. That's what many of them are telling us. We have heard from AAA that 90 percent of the travellers for this weekend are traveling by car going by road and that's a lot busier. The roads are a lot busier because gas prices have fallen dramatically. So while that's good news, people on the road may find bottlenecks when they are coming back in the big city. Fred.

WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness. OK. We're wishing the best to all those who are traveling. Thanks so much, Erin.

All right. And it's looking a better than it did a few days ago. Snow ruined a lot of travel plans but they may still be a few trouble spots weather-wise. Jennifer Gray has the forecast.

JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Fred, if you are traveling back today, should be much better compared to Wednesday when people are trying to get to Thanksgiving. The East Coast clear. We do have some clouds hanging around but nothing is going to slow you down with the airports.

We are seeing temperatures in the 50s and low 60s. Temperature in south, 68 degrees in Atlanta, 77 in New Orleans, 76 in Dallas. The very cold air is going to stay to the north. Unfortunately our friends in the northern plains, brutal temperatures this morning, single digits in the teens across much of the northern plains. The only hang ups today will be from the Rockies to the west. We are looking at even some snow and a lot of rain actually entering California.

Good news, though, that they are getting the rain. They need it. So bad. Look at these temperatures. Teens, single digits. 20s for Minneapolis over the next couple of days. The best places to be will be down in the south. Temperatures in Atlanta today and tomorrow will be close to 70 degrees. We do cool off a little bit by mid week, nothing major though.

Dallas, quite a temperature swing compared today to tomorrow, 76 today, 44 tomorrow. That's quite a change. New York City even feeling quite nice in the 50s the next two days before cooling off as well. Here's that system pushing on to California. We are looking at a lot of rain, some areas could be anywhere from three to five inches, from San Francisco all the way up to Redding (INAUDIBLE) and point south could pick up about an inch or two even western Oregon could pick up two to four inches. So Fred, looking good for travel on the east coast. The west though is going to stay west.

WHITFIELD: OK.

All right. Thanks for the warning. Appreciate it.

An Ohio state football player was honored yesterday at Ohio Stadium but guess what? He wasn't even there. More ahead on the search for the 22-year-old missing since Wednesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The search continues for a missing Ohio State University football player. Costa Karageorge was last seen on Wednesday when he left his Columbus apartment reportedly upset. He hasn't been seen since. The 22-year-old senior was supposed to be playing his last game at Ohio State yesterday in the buckeye's big rivalry match-up against Michigan. Everyone paused and got silent when the announcer mentioned his name.

Rosa Flores is following the story for us. Rosa, what more are you hearing from police? ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, I have talked to police and they tell me they are following every single lead. Even a hash tag find Costa was created on Twitter as dozens of people look for the teammate, the friend, the son.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFED MALE: With time, pumps, now steps up and runs.

FLORES (voice-over): It's a move outside of Costa Karageorge's playbook.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: For him to drop off the radar is very unlike him.

FLORES: The Ohio State University football player and wrestler went missing last Wednesday morning, his mother telling police in the missing person's report that her son has suffered several concussions and confusion spells. His last text message at 1:30 a.m. saying "I am sorry if I'm an embarrassment but these concussions have my head all expletive up."

In a statement, the team's physician wouldn't comment on players' medical care saying only "We are confident in our medical procedures and policies to return athletes to participation following injury or illness."

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Get his picture out there, get awareness of the situation.

FLORES: Dozens of searchers have hit the streets, posting flyers with his pictures.

UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: He's missing are.

FLORES: And talking to people about the 22-year-old senior. According to the missing person's report, his mother and police tried to call his cell phone several times with no luck.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: I'm very scared for him. You know, I'm worried. Trying to remain optimistic but we love him and want him home. We miss him tremendously.

FLORES: Police joining the search from horseback and following leads. His family taking to twitter and from his account, asking for prayers and information about his whereabouts. So far, no sign yet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: And according to that missing person report, the family allowed the police to go into his apartment and a few clues came out of there. First of all, his motorcycle was still there. He does not own a car. His three jackets were in that apartment. His book bag was also in that apartment and Fred, they also noticed that nothing was out of place. Everything was in order.

And so, important clues but again, there are still a lot of missing pieces to this puzzle.

WHITFIELD: And so, Rosa, we know his mom and others have said that he has experienced concussions. Has anyone said anything about whether, you know, he becomes forgetful, doesn't know where he is? Anything like that, has he reportedly kind of wandered off without anybody knowing, anything to that magnitude.

FLORES: You know, we have information from the missing person's report from the interview that the mother did with police where she mentioned that he has had several concussions and several confusion spells. She didn't expand on to that. We do know from looking at his bio of OSU website that he has an extensive history of being a student athlete. He has been a wrestler for a while. He joined the football team in August. He had 35 wins on the wrestling team. And so he has been a student athlete for a really long time. We just don't know the entire history of his concussions and his experience on the field.

WHITFIELD: Very sad. We are of course hoping for the best outcome. Rosa Flores, thank you so much.

FLORES: You're welcome.

WHITFIELD: Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo is in good spirits after being admitted into the hospital because of a heart problem. A spokesman for Cuomo's son, Andrew Cuomo, the current governor of New York, says this, "As the "Daily News" reported today, former governor Mario Cuomo is currently being hospitalized to treat a heart condition. He is in good spirits and thanks everyone for their support and best wishes. We will provide updates as appropriate."

The spokesman also said that current Governor Cuomo spent the Thanksgiving holiday with his dad.

All right. Up next, Michael Brown's family's church was destroyed by fire. Now, being investigated by the FBI. We will talk to the pastor about how they are coping.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The church attended by Michael Brown's family was destroyed by fire earlier this week and police say the fire was deliberately set and they don't know yet if it was targeted because of its connection to the Brown family, however. This church is about a mile from Ferguson.

Joining me right now is Carlton Lee, the pastor of Flood Christian Church in St. Louis. Pastor Lee, good to see you. I understand that you had services today but not inside the church but in the parking lot. Give me an idea of what that was like today and your message.

PASTOR CARLTON LEE, FLOOD CHRISTIAN CHURCH: It was very different. Something we had never done before. It was also bitter - it's a bittersweet moment, you know. We're grateful that we're all still alive but more so hurt that even as we breathe we could smell the smoke that was coming down from the church still. It was a constant reminder. Very emotional. You know, I almost didn't want to have service this morning because I didn't really think that it would be that hard but certain things that I was looking for I lost in the fire. It's very hard.

WHITFIELD: So you almost didn't want to have service but then something in you said it's got happen. What was that thing? What was that message, that voice that told you it had to go on?

LEE: Two parts. It was definitely god told me "hey, you can't stop right now. You have work to do." And then my wife, she also encouraged me as well to continue on and not give up. We had greater things in store for us and we have to go out and we have to talk to the people, our congregation, people in the community and we had to let them know we're here with them, we're here for them and we're not leaving.

WHITFIELD: What was the message to your congregation? And perhaps, you know, what were some of your members willing to say to you today?

LEE: You know, I have been so busy all this week. So when they saw me we've been talking on the phone a whole lot. When they saw me, a lot of them broke down and start crying because they know all that we put into the church. They know the way we feel about the church into to take a blow like that. It was very intense.

You know, my message came out of the Book of Psalm 66. The bible says "You have allowed men to ride over our heads and send us to the flood and the fire but we come into a place of abundance." And I told the church, you know, we have no idea what we're getting ready to come into. (INAUDIBLE) everything has a time. I believe that this was a time for us to go through this type of affliction but he love of god that we have inside of us will bring us out.

WHITFIELD: And do you feel, pastor, that your church was targeted or was this a terrible mistake of, you know, someone playing with fire and not realizing what it was they were burning? What's your gut say?

LEE: Well, my gut says no it was not an accident. My gut says that it was something that was calculated. Someone did above and beyond - I know there's an investigation going on. The ATF told me that there was forced entry into the church and they went in and they used an accelerant or whatever they used. I just know that they really messed up our church. So, you know, we pretty much lost everything that we have due to that.

WHITFIELD: And then today, the police chief as well as the mayor acknowledged that Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Michael Brown did offer this resignation. Resignation accepted. And the city is going to try to build from that and the mayor issue certain commitments to make sure that Ferguson is more inclusive. How hopeful is that message? Does that message matter at all to you? How do you digest that today?

LEE: You know, it's very important. Inclusion is always important especially with a lot of people who feel like the police are out of touch, if you will. So in this situation we need more transparency. We need different policies to be offered. We need accountability. I think this is moving in the right step forward. It's a step towards a long path that we have to take called change. You know, all we can do together is continue to work together even if we have a disagreement, we still can come together in unity and love.

WHITFIELD: Pastor Carlton Lee of the Flood Christian Church, thanks so much for your time and all the best in the rebuilding efforts not just for your city but for your church as well.

LEE: Thank you so much.

WHITFIELD: And some players on the St. Louis Rams took the field today with their hands up. That's become the symbol of the Ferguson protest along with the chant hands up don't shoot.

And a GOP communication staffer lashes out at what she calls the lack of class and respect shown by the Obama children. The problem is those comments were not aimed at the president and the first lady but the daughters only. The outrage it ignited coming up.

But first this week's ones to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: Sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine lies Moldova, one of Europe's small and poorest countries, these unremarkable streets harbor a talent which Arman Van Burren believes could become the next big thing on the dance music scene, DJ Andrew (INAUDIBLE).

I grew up in a small town called (INAUDIBLE). That's where all my friends are. That's where my family is. One day one of my friends brought me a CD with a program that's how I found out how to record my melodies, how to make loops, beats. That's when I actually started to create something that sounded actually like a track.

I didn't go abroad until I was like 17 or 18 years old when I got my first show.

I always know what track I'm going start with and maybe sometimes I even think what track I'm going to end with.

Nowadays, every D.J. is a producer and every producer is a D.J.. The only way to impress the crowd is with your production. I never thought that me from Moldova can be right there with the big names, with the big DJ. I was dreaming about that and it's happening right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And watch the full show on cnn.com/onestowatch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Bottom of the hour right now, welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Here are the top stories crossing the CNN news desk right now. Some tense moments today for passengers arriving from Barcelona, Spain, to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, American Airlines Flight 67 was carrying about 200 passengers when authorities say someone called in a bomb threat.

That forced the pilot to park the plane at a remote hanger on the property for safety. The passengers then evacuated. No one was injured and authorities later searched the plane thoroughly, but no bomb was found thankfully.

And the mayor of Ferguson, Missouri says the city has cut ties with Officer Darren Wilson. Wilson resigned from the Ferguson Police Department yesterday.

This follows the grand injury decision not to indict Wilson in the killing of teenager, Michael Brown. Wilson's lawyer tells CNN Wilson also fear for the police department, which have been threatened with violence if he stayed. Earlier this afternoon, the Ferguson mayor addressed those concerns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JAMES KNOWLES, FERGUSON, MISSOURI: I don't know if anybody made a threat and gave him a deadline. If someone else did, if there is a group that did, I'm not aware of that intelligence but that may be the case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The U.S. led-coalition battling ISIS launched at least 30 airstrikes overnight in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa. It's a stronghold of the extremist group. The offensive marks the sharp increase in coalition activity there.

Recent attacks on ISIS and Syria has focused on the city of Kobani near the Turkish border. And a 22-year-old woman shot in the head by her ex-boyfriend in a Chicago Nordstrom store has died.

The man opened fire in the crowded store where his ex-girlfriend worked as a seasonal employee on Black Friday. He then turned the gun on himself. Her funeral is set for tomorrow.

After looking at this video, it is hard to believe the two men in this car are alive. They were involved in a fiery crash Friday night in the Los Angeles suburb area and police say the speeding Ferrari veered off the road slamming into two trees and then bursting into flames. It's unclear what caused the driver to lose control.

Outrage is growing after a Republican congressman's communications director criticized President Obama's teenaged daughters on Facebook. Elizabeth Lawton has since apologized, but now there are calls on Twitter demanding her resignation. Here's Brian Stelter.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN HOST, "RELIABLE SOURCES": Hi, Fred. I think the stories gain a lot of traction because historically the first daughters and the first sons of presidents have been, for lack of a better word, off limits. You know, politicians and the media can criticize and scrutinize the adults all they want.

But there's been a general sort of sense that people don't go after the children of those presidents. I think that's probably why this has gotten so much attention. What's interesting is this woman is a communications director. She works with the media. She speaks to the press and the public for Tennessee Congressman Steve Fincher.

Yet, now she is in this PR nightmare, I would say, and it all started because of her Facebook post, as you said, on Thanksgiving. This was something that she posted in relative obscurity.

It was barely noticed until a reporter at the African-American news web site "The Root" noticed it. That got it a lot of attention. That caused it to go viral. Now there have been calls for her to be fired. I'm not so sure that will actually happen. We haven't heard from the congressman about this over the weekend.

They may be trying to wait and see if it just blows over, but it really get to that point I was making about how the children of presidents have historically been off limits. That was true for George W. Bush. That was true for Bill Clinton and all into the past as well.

It's one thing to criticize the president, to say that your mother and father don't respect their positions very much or the nation for that matter. But it's another thing to address them directly and say try showing a little class.

That's what created so much outrage in this and that's why I think people are now waiting to see what the congressman is going to say. Fred, back to you.

WHITFIELD: Indeed. All right, Brian Stelter, thanks so much.

All right, still ahead, what you need to know to maximize your money before you log on for Cyber Monday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: We're just a few hours away from some of the best shopping deals of the season. So how do you maximize your money on Cyber Monday? Consumer savings expert, Andrea Woroch, is joining us again this weekend. Good to see you. So --

ANDREA WOROCH, CONSUMER SAVINGS EXPERT: Thank you for having me back.

WHITFIELD: Fantastic. So we could actually see some record spending online, right, because just yesterday you were talking about the stores weren't that packed for, you know, Black Friday. So Cyber Monday is definitely going to be very popular.

WOROCH: And retailers are extending Cyber Monday deals through the week. As you shop from home we will see record sales through the week, I believe on a lot of online purchases.

WHITFIELD: All right, so now you have got some tips on how to maximize. You say, for one you need to prep your browser. What do you mean?

WOROCH: That's right. Most people are at work all day and so you might not have as much time looking for those deals and although shopping online seems less chaotic than going to the stores on Black Friday.

There are so many online retailers and so many online sales that I recommend saving some stress and time by pre-shopping today. Start browsing products that you want to purchase. Research reviews because, you know, a low price on a lousy product is not a great deal.

So read those reviews and make sure it's a quality that you expect and has all the features that you're looking for and then start bookmarking pages. You may start filling up your online carts, fill in your billing and shipping information.

This will save you a lot of time and all you have to do is hit check out when you find the sale tomorrow. And don't forget to follow your favorite stores and brands on Facebook and Twitter.

They'll be releasing special deals and sales throughout the day on those social pages, but you can look at your app on your phone. During your lunch break to see who has the best deal.

WHITFIELD: Is that what you mean by stacking your savings?

WOROCH: I'm talking about finding savings on top of the site wide deals that you're going to find tomorrow. So some stores may offer 30 percent off, but you may be able to find a coupon code to save even more.

So head over to sites like couponsherpa.com, not only will you find coupon codes for hundreds of different retailers. They also aggregate all the Cyber Monday coupons and sales in one place.

So you can browse through those very easily. Before you check out, look at giftcardgranny.com for any discount e-gift certificates. You can enter those on online right at check out and it can help you save an extra 5 to 15 or 20 percent depending who you're shopping for from.

And then also check "Honey," it's an online tool that will actually scour the internet for any coupon codes for the retailer you're shopping for.

WHITFIELD: And then track your price changes and be specific, really know what you're going to shop for?

WOROCH: Yes. This is very important when you're shopping online. Retailers use analytical tools to fluctuate prices throughout the day based on the competition, time of day and perhaps even based on your browsing patterns.

So you want to track prices using "Poach It." This will alert you if something you purchases goes on sale and this way you can buy it at the cheapest price or if you bought something earlier in the day then you can go back to that retailer and request the price adjustments. WHITFIELD: My goodness, OK, and then, you know, have a list and know what you're going to shop for and then there is a lot of, you know, free shipping that's available too?

WOROCH: Yes. Be aware though because some retailers will require you to spend a minimum order to receive that free shipping. If you have to spend more money to get free shipping it's really not free.

So go to freeshipping.org to see if there are any free shipping coupons or find out if the retailer has a free store pick-up option so that you can dodge those delivery charges altogether.

WHITFIELD: And then of course always read those return policies. You don't want to get stuck with something you really don't want or --

WOROCH: Especially when you're shopping online. It can be quite a headache so read those return policies, find out if you can return that product at a local brick and mortar store. And then also look to see if there are any restocking fees. You don't want to purchase something, return it and then be out money.

WHITFIELD: And then sometimes people are not looking for stuff, but they want an experience or they may want to start planning travel and I understand Cyber Monday, too, is a great time in which to look for some deals for maybe a vacation or trip you want to book?

WOROCH: Yes. So, some of the top Cyber Monday deals are clothing, shoes, beauty products and cookware but also travel. A lot of people don't think to look for travel deals. So hotels will be offering deals and discounts. Perhaps your favorite or local ski resort will offer some type of Cyber Monday deal. Airlines as well so look at your favorite travel companies and see what type of Cyber Monday sales they have available.

WHITFIELD: OK. Now I'm really interested. I like the whole idea of an experience instead of the stuff.

WOROCH: Exactly. That's a great angle.

WHITFIELD: Happy holiday weekend. Appreciate it.

WOROCH: Thank you. You, too.

WHITFIELD: All right. The 81-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg expected to head back to work tomorrow. Ginsberg had a stent placed in her right coronary artery last week after experiencing discomfort while exercising. She is also a colon and pancreatic cancer survivor.

Pope Francis returns from Turkey, a pretty courageous trip say many. Why his visit was so significant for Catholics around the world? But first we are counting down the days until the worldwide broadcast of CNN Heroes, An All-Star Tribute.

It airs next Sunday, December 7th, at 8:00 Eastern. While we can't wait for that, CNN's Anderson Cooper shows us what last year's top honoree is doing right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "AC360": In 17 years, Chad Pregracke and his team have picked up 8 million pounds of trash from America's rivers. Last November for his inspiring work, Chad picked up a big honor.

(on camera): The 2013 CNN Hero of the Year is Chad Pregracke.

(voice-over): One year later we caught up with him to get an inside look at what he does and how he does it. At the heart of his work is a massive 800-ton barge. He stores the huge piles of trash Chad's team collects. It looks like a floating junkyard but.

CHAD PREGRACKE, CNN HERO: Welcome to CNN cribs.

COOPER: It's also Chad's part-time home.

PREGRACKE: Pretty much everything is reclaimed or recycled out of either old buildings, old barns.

COOPER: The goal is serious, but there is definitely quirk in this work.

PREGRACKE: This would be our creepy doll collection. Why do I have it, I don't have any idea other than we fine a lot of creepy dolls.

COOPER: And trash isn't all he needs to look out for on the river.

PREGRACKE: One of the safety concerns is actually the flying carp. They really do fly out of the water at high speeds and they get rather big.

COOPER: It's all part of Chad's work, work that also includes growing trees. Chad started in 2007, but he was able to expand after being named CNN's Hero of the Year. In the end, Chad's crusade is about much more than cleaning rivers.

PREGRACKE: It's about people taking action in their own communities and that's really what it's all about. That's how you change the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Pope Francis is back in Rome after his trip to Turkey. During his visit to the predominantly Muslim country, the pope called for interfaith dialogue and an end to religious persecution.

He also marked a historic moment with patriarch after asking for his blessing. Earlier I spoke to CNN religious commentator and Host of the "Sunday Mass," Father Edward Beck about why the pope's trip was so significant.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FATHER EDWARD BECK, CNN RELIGIOUS COMMENTATOR: Well, it began with the whole conversation with the Christian Muslim dialogue, which as we know has been very, very significant. You recall when Pope Benedict then in 2006 gave that famous speech in Regansberg, where he alienated a lot of the Muslim world because of an ill chosen metaphor.

He then went to Turkey and he went to the blue mosque in Turkey and he prayed with the Muslim leaders in that mosque. Pope Francis on this trip returned to that same mosque and prayed with the Muslim leaders there and this has done a lot to heal the Muslim Christian rift.

And so that was an important step. When he first met with the president on Friday, again, the president was calling for Pope Francis to denounced Islamophobia, which of course, Pope Francis did, but he denounced all extremism, all fundamentalists.

So the first real important part of this trip was the Christian Muslim dialogue that Pope Francis was hoping to wade into those waters and to repair some of the damage.

WHITFIELD: Does it appear at least from the world view and maybe within and outside the Catholic Church this pope seems to do no wrong? He seems to have a way in which to bring people together or try to narrow the divide. This trip, does that best kind of exemplify the power, the means in which he's able to do that?

BECK: I think it does because he's not only trying to do it between other faiths, but within his own Christian faith. Remember an important part of this trip was to meet with the patriarch, patriarch of Constantinople and he went to the cathedral there in Istanbul and it's a remarkable moment where he asked for the blessing of Patriarch Bartholomew.

And he put his head down. Remember when he first went out and asked for the blessing of all the people gathered in Rome, when he was first elected, he put his head down and Patriarch Bartholomew kissed his head. This is a first historically for the patriarch to kiss the head of the Roman right pope.

Remember, this has been in effect since 1054, so there's a lot of healing to be done. But these two men said that they are committed to the interfaith dialogue between orthodox Christianity and roman right Christianity and this has been a big step in that dialogue.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Father Ed Beck, thank you so much. Olympic skier, Lindsay Vaughn is getting ready to return to competitive skiing. She talks about that and her relationship with Tiger Woods next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: If you love the Oscar winning movie "Frozen" then you will be pleased to hear that a sequel is reportedly in the works. Adina Menzel, the actress who voiced "Elsa" in the Disney film told "The Guardian" that a sequel and stage musical are in the works.

"Frozen" has reportedly grossed $1.27 billion worldwide and she has overcome two major knee surgeries, now four-time World Cup champion skier, Lindsay Vonn, is ready to return to the slopes.

The U.S. Olympian sat down with CNN's Cristina McFarlin to discuss her long road back and her relationship with the world's most famous golfer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CRISTINA MCFARLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's been a long road to recovery for Lindsay Vonn, but there have been a few bright spots along the way like adopting her dog, Leo.

LINDSAY VONN, OLYMPIC SKIER: He was hit by a car before I adopted him. So his back leg is shorter. It looks pretty gnarly. I scooped him up and we both were doing rehab together.

MCFARLIN: And during our visit, Lindsay also opened up about her relationship with boyfriend, Tiger Woods, and he's been a source of inspiration.

VONN: Tiger and I went through rehab with our injuries at the similar time. We're both in the gym together and pushing each other and motivating each other and both frustrated. I think we both helped each other a lot through that time and you know, I draw a lot of inspiration from him and I think he does the same with me.

And we just continue to push each other and it's a really positive relationship in that way. For us we're just two athletes trying to do the best we can in our sports. There's other stuff that goes along with it for both of us.

You know, there's media and stuff like that, but that's all a part of sports and a part of being a successful athlete and we both understand that and we just take it in stride.

MCFARLIN: Is his skiing better than your golf?

VONN: It's tricky. I have a hole in one.

MCFARLIN: Wow.

VONN: I had a hole in one, but he's pretty good -- he's a pretty good skier. We're highly competitive. We're competing at every single thing that we can. He holds the record in ping-pong. I have only won victory to I don't know how many hundred times he has beaten me. He's pretty much better than me at everything except skiing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Something tells me that they're both winners. All right, thank you so much for spending part of your Sunday with me in this holiday weekend. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The next hour of the NEWSROOM begins right now with my good friend, Suzanne Malveaux.