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Walter Cronkite is Remembered; President Obama to Urge Congress to Pass Health Care Reform Before August Recess; Blast in Indonesia Kills 53; Sotomayor Hearings Concluded
Aired July 18, 2009 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everybody and good morning on this Saturday. Welcome to the CNN Center. It is July 18th. I'm Betty Nguyen.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, good morning to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes. It's 10 o'clock here in Atlanta, Georgia, 9:00 a.m. in Detroit and 7:00 a.m. for you folks out in San Diego. Wherever you may be, thank you for being right here with us.
We're just getting word this morning that the two crew members aboard that U.S. fighter jet that crashed in eastern Afghanistan did in fact die in that crash. We'll give the latest details coming up in just a second.
NGUYEN: Also, the crew was performing a military operation this morning. We'll bring you more in the breaking news in about 10 minutes.
HOLMES: Also we'll be looking back at the extraordinary life and career of Walter Cronkite, Uncle Walter. Many called him the most trusted man in America. His dear friends are talking about the man this morning.
NGUYEN: We're asking you to share some of your memories about Walter Cronkite with us. Just go to our Facebook and twitter pages. You can also go to our blog at CNN.com/tj or CNN.com/betty. We want to hear from you today.
HOLMES: And a lot of people may not even realize that it's in fact been 28 years since he left the anchor desk, but his impact still felt to this day.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. And his family was with him last night when he passed away at his New York home at the age ever 92. Our Anderson Cooper has more on a fascinating life.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALTER CRONKITE, FORMER "CBS EVENING NEWS" ANCHOR: Of the only nation --
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: For so long, for so many of us, he was the most trusted man in America.
CRONKITE: and that's the way it is. COOPER: Walter Cronkite covered the world, and in an age of fewer channels and fewer newscasts, he changed the world as well.
CRONKITE: Looking back on it, I think I was so lucky, I just happened to fall into the right things at the right time, and it worked beautifully.
COOPER: He was born Walter Leyland Cronkite Jr. in 1916. He was a beat report and football announcer before joining United Press in 1939. When the first troops stormed Normandy, Walter Cronkite was there.
CRONKITE: As Dwight Eisenhower told me sitting on this very wall over here, on the 20th anniversary of D-Day, that he thinks of the grandchildren that these young kids will never have. And that's something for all of us to think about.
COOPER: When we think about Walter Cronkite, and generations of broadcast journalists have and will continue to, we think about his tenure at CBS, a company he joined in 1950.
Twelve years later bake the anchor of the "CBS Evening News." In that chair, in that role, he came to define what an anchor was. He told America the way it was.
Who can forget November 22, 1963? Cronkite reported and reacted to the horror in Dallas.
CRONKITE: From Dallas, Texas, the flash apparently official, President Kennedy died at 1:00 p.m. central standard time, 2:00 eastern standard time, some 38 minutes ago.
COOPER: In 1968, after returning from a trip to Vietnam, his conclusions may have helped alter the course of history.
CRONKITE: It seems now more certain than ever that the bloody experience of Vietnam is to end in a stalemate.
COOPER: The opinion reached President Johnson who reportedly said "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost middle America."
BOB SCHIEFFER, CBS JOURNALIST: His approach to news was, when news happens, get as close to the story as you possibly can, and then tell people about it in language that they can understand.
Walter spoke like the average person. It wasn't all literary, flowery kinds of language. People don't talk that way, and Walter didn't either.
COOPER: Walter, it seemed, was always there. For the moon landing --
CRONKITE: Man on the moon. Oh, boy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
CRONKITE: Whew, boy.
COOPER: -- for Watergate, for the Mideast peace breakthrough.
He was humble and honest and straightforward, and never made himself the story, even on a winter company that 1981 when he sat in the anchor chair for the last time.
CRONKITE: Old anchormen don't fade away, they just keep coming back for more.
And that's the way it is, Friday, March 6, 1981. I will be away on assignment, and Dan Rather will be sitting in here the next few years.
Goodnight.
COOPER: Goodnight, Mr. Cronkite, goodnight, and god speed.
Anderson Cooper, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: What a man. What a journalist.
I loved how he said, "I'll be away on assignment. Dan Rather will be sitting in for the next few years."
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: That's an interesting way to sign off. Yes, Dan Rather took the helm, and he was there for a long, long time.
But yes, Walter Cronkite, he was it for this country for a while. Really, that's who the country turned to to lead them through tough times.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: And of course, you have political leaders and things like that. But they turn on the tube, and Uncle Walter let them know it was going to be all right.
NGUYEN: And that's why he was the most trusted man in America.
President Obama praised Walter Cronkite. He called him, as we just mentioned, a trusted voice. And take a listen to some of words he had to say about the passing of Walter Cronkite.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He was the first to share the devastating news of John F. Kennedy's assassination, crystallizing the grief of a nation while fighting back tears of his own.
He cheered with every American when we went to the moon, boldly exploring a new frontier.
And he brought us all those stories, large and small, which would come to define the 20th century.
That's why we loved Walter, because in an era before blogs and e- mail, cell phones and cable, he was the news.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Yes, indeed.
And he called him Walter. I think a lot of people did, but they just felt that connection to him.
President Obama said of Cronkite set the standard by which all other journalists have been judged. And boy, is that a high bar.
Well, three weeks -- that is how long Congress has left to pass a health care reform bill by President Obama's deadline. But if ideas are simply too costly, the president says they will not fly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I want to be very clear. I will not sign on to any health plan that adds to our deficits over the next decade. And by helping improve quality and efficiency, the reforms we make will help bring our deficits under control in the long term.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: CNN's Elaine Quijano is live at the White House for us.
You know, Elaine, this week the Congressional Budget Office said the current proposals would add to the deficit long-term, not what the administration wanted to hear. But as we just heard the president say, he wouldn't let that happen.
So what's the next move?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. The next move for President Obama -- Betty, you're absolutely right, that was not at all what the CBO reported was what the Obama administration wanted to hear, needed to hear as it tries to press forward on this debate.
Nevertheless, the president is going to try to keep the pressure on members of congress, try to rail lawmakers. We saw him try and do that with some last-minute remarks on health care yesterday here at the White House.
And we're going to see him do that again, or at least try to, during a primetime news conference set to take place Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. eastern.
So the White House understands, look, this is a very tough fight ahead, not only because of that CBO report that you just mentioned, but even with this bipartisan group of senators, key senators saying, look, they think that really this debate, this process needs to slow down just a bit.
They think taking some additional time is going to actually help get effective health care reform done. And, Betty, of course, that's not the message that the Obama administration wants to hear right now. They want to press ahead. The president has set this very ambitious goal of getting health care reform done by August -- Betty?
NGUYEN: All right, so what's been the Republican response to all of this?
QUIJANO: Republicans, as you can imagine, are saying, look, Democrats and the president are rushing things. They are pushing this thing too quickly.
And they say, look, the more Americans learn about the Democrats' plan, the more Americans are opposed to it. In the weekly address, the Republicans basically sending this united message, that the Democrats plan, they say, would give the power to Washington, not doctors and patients, when it comes to making health care choices. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JON KYL, (R) MINORITY WHIP: We know Americans would prefer us to work together to ensure access to affordable, quality health care for all. But Americans do not want a government takeover of health care that will jeopardize their current coverage, ration care, and create mountains of new debt and higher taxes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, President Obama basically dismisses all of that, calling it scare tactics, the kind of scare tactics he says that have really stopped health care reform in the past.
So again, Betty, bottom line here, the president knows it's going to be a tough fight ahead.
So we are going to hear from him, a primetime news conference, where's he's going to try to drive home the message on Wednesday night at 9:00 p.m. that, look, health care reform is something he feels that simply cannot wait, that Congress has to act this year -- Betty?
NGUYEN: All right, Elaine Quijano, joining us live. Thank you, Elaine.
HOLMES: We now we have gotten confirmation that two crew members were killed in a crash of that U.S. jet in eastern Afghanistan.
Our guy on the ground there, Ivan Watson, told us a short time ago that it's happening. Ghazni province -- you see it labeled there on the map for you.
But this was a U.S. fighter jet that went down. This is believed to be the first time that an American fighter jet has gone down and been lost in the war in Afghanistan. There have been other choppers that have gone down, but his is the first believed to be a fighter jet.
Also of note here that July turns out to the bloodiest month for international forces in Afghanistan -- 47 international service members killed there.
Now back to the fighter jet -- don't know exactly what brought it down. Of course, that investigation is going on right now, but right now U.S. military does not believe it was brought down by any hostile fire.
More remains found today at the site of the Indonesian hotel blast. Also more questions about the people who possibly carried this out. Authorities think the suicide attacks may be tied to similar bombings in the past.
Our Dan Rivers has been on the scene.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The police investigation continues here in Jakarta at the scene of both hotel blasts. The latest information the police have given us is that the death toll has risen by one.
They are confirming that there are six known hotel guests who died in the twin blasts, three Australians, one New Zealander, one Singaporean, and one local Indonesian man.
In addition to that, the police have recovered two headless corpses which they believe are possibly the suicide bombers themselves.
And they've also found one severed head which doesn't match either of the two headless bodies. They don't know whether this indicates a possible third terrorist or whether this was in fact another guest.
They're working on DNA testing and dental records to try and match up and find out the identities of those three bodies.
But certainly the number of injured now is confirmed at 53, including six people from the United States, one person from Australia, two from Holland, two from Canada, one from India, two from Singapore, one from New Zealand, and one from Norway.
So a wide range of international people who were in these hotels. There was a big business meeting going on, as regularly goes on a Friday morning. And CCTV footage shows a man wheeling a suitcase across the lobby of the Marriott heading towards that meeting room.
We spoke to one security guard who challenged this man with the suitcase. He managed to persuade the guard to let him pass, saying he had to give something to his boss. And a few minutes later, a few seconds later, the bomb exploded with such devastating results.
Dan Rivers, CNN, Jakarta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is meeting with friends this morning. The Washington top diplomat is in India, and she's spending two days in Mumbai and one in New Delhi, India's capital.
After that she travel to Bangkok and then to Phuket for a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Clinton is talking with Indian officials about climate change and nonproliferation.
Her trip began on a solemn note, though. She signed a condolence book at the Taj Mahal palace, one of several targets last November. She also met with hotel workers who helped with rescues efforts during the attack.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Also, a closer look at Walter Cronkite's love of space flight, from the moon landing to shuttle launches, as we remember a giant of journalism.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Ah, they are soaking up the sun in Los Angeles. Look at that beautiful picture as we listen to a little bit of Sheryl Crowe. We talk about the sun and the heat and, boy, we have felt plenty of both lately.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: This is a live look, this feed we're getting from NASA. I can hear a little there. Can we bump that up and just hear what these guys are talking about right now?
And there's radio silence.
NGUYEN: Perfect timing.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: But these are the astronauts from shuttle Endeavour who are up there doing their thing today. They are getting ready for a spacewalk that will happen ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
HOLMES: He's teasing me, he's teasing me.
But they're getting ready for a spacewalk that will come a little while, a couple hours from now around noon. And we are certainly going to bring that to you live as we get it as well. But we need to be able to get these pictures. It's amazing that we get this clear of a shot. We can hear just fine. We get these pictures.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's funny. You compare these pictures, guys, to what they had on Apollo 11 where they were kind of grainy at times. Moments ago we saw the astronauts on this particular shuttle looking as though they were working with some kind of special tool, or an electric toothbrush.
You never know, I mean, because good dental hygiene is very important when going anywhere from 17,000 to 18,000 miles per hour, and these guys practice that.
HOLMES: You have to be careful. They did have a little issue up there. I guess a little, a threat, danger. There was some junk up there in space. There's a ton of stuff up there floating around, old satellites and all kinds of stuff floating around.
Well, there was something that was kind of making its way towards the space station and the shuttle. So they had to actually -- and this was interesting to me, Betty -- they can fire thrusters and move the entire space station. They moved it up about a mile, I believe it was, but just essentially got it out of the way.
NGUYEN: That's the beauty of being in outer space, isn't it?
So as we watch this, though, Reynolds, and I know that you're going to be watching throughout the day, too, 12:00 eastern, noontime today eastern, we are going to see that spacewalk. It's the first of five.
And as we wait on that, we also are remembering the life and career of Walter Cronkite. And, you know, as we talk about the space program, this is a man who absolutely loved it.
He was on the CNN anchor desk at Kennedy Space Center in 1998 for the shuttle launch. You're looking at some of that video right here, "Discovery" lifting off with John Glenn aboard for his return trip to space at the age of 77.
As you recall, Walter Cronkite covered Glenn's first space flight back in 1962. And he had to get special permission, in fact, to help us here at CNN out, because he was still under contract at CBS at the time.
But, you know, when we look back at not only the space program, but at Walter Cronkite's career, and he's taken us through so many moments in history, many people will agree that his favorite moment was the time that man stepped foot on the moon. And you could just see how giddy he was when those pictures came in. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The eagle has landed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks a lot.
CRONKITE: Whew. Oh, boy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
CRONKITE: Whew, boy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, we're going to be busy for a minute.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The eagle has landed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger. We're bringing it in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: I don't know how many people thought about this at the time, but it crossed my mind that we just are now celebrating the 40th anniversary of that lunar landing. And here we are, we just lost Walter Cronkite. It's just ironic and it's a weird twist of fate that it happened to work out like that.
But, again, known for not interjecting any emotion or any opinion in what he did. That was one moment he just had -- there it is, just rubbing his hands. You're just giddy when you see that stuff. We've been excited just watching the shuttle this morning. Talking about space just sparks the imagination like that.
NGUYEN: And there were few times, too, throughout his career where he was speechless, and that was one of them, just watching something like that occur, just the history happening before him.
You know, like you said, he had kind of a boy-like character, and the fact he was so excited about it. And he rubbed his hands together and said, "wow, boy." And then, hey, that's the way it is, right?
A man that has done so much for the industry, and is indeed an icon.
HOLMES: Well, Monday is, in fact, the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong's first step on the moon. Do you remember where you were when you saw that walk? Some of you maybe not around at the time, but still, a lot of you were.
We want you to share. Yes, you can find us. There it is. We've got a new graphic here put together for you.
NGUYEN: It was not approved by us.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: It's a great one, nonetheless. But here's how you can reach us -- CNN.com/newsroom. You can reach us on Facebook and twitter -- and can we get that graphic off the screen? That would be great.
(LAUGHTER) NGUYEN: All right, lots of ways to weigh in. We'll be reading those responses on the air. We had the same reaction when we saw that graphic.
HOLMES: All right. We've got to take a quick break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: There were plenty of pointed moments this week as Supreme Court Justice Nominee Sonia Sotomayor fielded some really tricky questions during her confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill.
And we want to talk more about those moments. Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree joins us now, and his book "All Deliberate Speed" is on Brown versus Board of Education.
Professor, how do you think Sotomayor did this week? You have met with her. You've actually even spent time in her chambers. Do you think she did a good job in fielding those questions?
CHARLES OGLETREE, HARVARD LAW PROFESSOR: I think she did a great job. She was well-prepared, and she is the most experienced judge, federal judge, to come to the court in 100 years. And she's had experience as a real warrior and as a real trial judge.
And so she was able to, in a sense, dismiss the few questions about some comments she made a speech or in a public hearing, and look at her 3,000 opinions, more than 400 she wrote herself. And she came across as a measured, pragmatic, thoughtful, and moderate judge. And she will be that as a Supreme Court justice as well.
NGUYEN: Let's get back to those comments, because, as you know, a lot was made of them. We're talking about that wise Latina woman comment.
And in fact, it led Senator Lindsey Graham to say this. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRAHAM: And you have said some things that just bugged the hell out of me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: That was quite a statement from Graham.
And then Senator John Cornyn went on to say, quote, "You appear to be a different person almost in your speeches and the comments that you've made."
So on the heels of this, let me ask you this -- has too much been made of this? Or is it an indication that her personal views will weigh in on her rulings? OGLETREE: I think it's just the opposite, because she has been involved in thousands, literally thousands of rulings and cases. And no one could find a single case where she's ever used the term "As a wise Latina woman, I would do this" or "As a person of color, I would do this," because her rulings have consistently been about the law.
And so these comments she made personally, which really are trying to encourage people at places like Berkeley, where they have very few students of color, to think about what they can have as an impact in the profession are very well-timed.
But the reality is that look at Sonia Sotomayor from 1992 until 2009, look at 3,000 cases in which you'll find a careful, pragmatic, cautious, and actually middle of the road jurist, and she'll be the same way on the Supreme Court.
NGUYEN: But what about the case that involved the New Haven firefighters, because they did come and speak during those hearings. And I got to ask you, what do you say to the critics who argue this is a judge who is an activist judge who will push the race agenda?
OGLETREE: That's a silly argument. If you look at what the Supreme Court did, and if you look at comments by, in the "Wall Street Journal," comments in the "Washington Post" and the "New York Times," they all talk about the fact that the court announced a new standard. And it was a five to four decision.
And there's very little that Judge Sotomayor did that undermines her view, is that at the time she and her colleagues decided the case, that was the law in Connecticut. That was the law in the second circuit where she was the judge, and she couldn't do anything more than that, and she didn't do anything more than that.
The reality is that she just was one vote away from being affirmed on that decision by the Supreme Court, and, more importantly, that the majority of members of her court agreed with her analysis and didn't have a rehearing.
And, you know, if you think about her rulings on personal injury case, civil rights cases, criminal justice cases, Republicans shouldn't be afraid of Sotomayor. They should be pleased that the president has nominated somebody who has been very careful, very cautious, and not at all an activist.
The reality is that -- here's the real problem. People think Barack Obama is running for the Supreme Court. He's not. He's not on the ticket. He's not going to be on the courts.
His views are important, but the question is, what is Sonia Sotomayor's record, her her actual record in a courtroom and writing? And we've had 17 years to look it, and it's pretty clear that she is none of the things people claim when they claim she's a radical or overly sensitive.
NGUYEN: Well, let's look at it for just a second, because many do believe that she will be confirmed. But do you think the senators did enough to try to figure out where she stands on hot button issues like abortion, same-sex marriage, gun control, and all of that? Do you think they did enough to help the public understand where she stands on those issues?
OGLETREE: Well, the thing about it is the confirmation process is an imperfect process to figure those thing out. The senators have their right, and it is a right, and they have a constitutional duty to ask hard questions.
They love to get justices to tell you how they feel about abortion, gun control, and all of these issues. But judge can't talk about their feelings about a case that might come before them, because their feelings are actually irrelevant.
The question is what does the law commands. And what she did was to both reinforce her adherence to established law and her refusal to comment on something that might come before her in the future.
And I think that's exactly what Chief Justice Roberts did, what Justice Alito did, what Justice Ginsburg and Justice Breyer and everyone else has done. They do not comment on it, because they don't know what might come before the court.
And I think the Senate has a right to ask, and she has a right to politely but firmly refuse to get into thing like gun control and abortion and other issue.
NGUYEN: And, as we heard here say, you know, I can't comment on that until I see the case before me and the facts before me.
Charles Olgetree, professor at Harvard Law School. Thanks so much for your insight today.
OLGETREE: My pleasure.
HOLMES: A parent's crime should not mean a life sentence of pain and tragedy for their child. T.V.'s Judge Mathis beat those odds. His story and the woman making a difference for other children, that's coming up.
NGUYEN: Also, why Walter Cronkite became the most trusted man in America. Two former colleagues share their thoughts about the acclaimed newsman.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Welcome back, everybody, on this Saturday morning.
Today we are remembering a legend, an icon in journalism, that being Walter Cronkite. He died last night at the age of 92.
And so many people are reflecting today on the kind of impact he had on their lives. Here's what CBS's Katie Couric said on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: You are the current anchor of the "CBS Evening News." You sit -- not quite exactly, but you sit in Walter Cronkite's chair. How does that feel every night?
KATIE COURIC, CBS NEWS ANCHOR: Well, John, it is a huge responsibility, and I have to say, slightly intimidating.
When I took this job, and, you know, for a number of days we've known at CBS news that Walter was in failing health, and we were all worried about when this day would come.
And he was so revered and so beloved here. And I've read so much, John, in recent days and, really, throughout my career about Walter. But I've been reminded, really only recently, what incredible man and journalist he was. I mean, he was the personification of integrity and decency and humanity.
I think that's one thing that struck me as I've watched some of the earlier broadcasts from the past. You know, when he announced that President Kennedy had died, it was so moving to see his body language and his facial expression.
And similarly, the glee he exhibited when, you know, he was anchoring a space launch. He had sort of an adolescent enthusiasm, it's been said, about the space program, this unbridled joy in terms of reporting that story, and a huge interest in science as well.
But I think he really connected to the audience.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And a lot of you all out there remembering Walter Cronkite as well. We appreciate your comments. You keep sending to us on Facebook and twitter and our blog.
But stay here with us. We're going to be talking when a parent goes to prison, a child chances of following in their footsteps is astronomical.
One woman has now found a way to beat those odds. We're going to be talking to her as well as T.V.'s Judge Mathis. They're coming up. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: For kids with parents in prison, life, no doubt is a struggle. It's a struggle to deal with disruption, to succeed at school, and for some a struggle to stay out of trouble themselves.
Now, Soledad O'Brien travels to a neighborhood in Houston where dozens of children have these problems, and where one woman is creating solutions that allows them to heal.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARILYN GAMBRELL, FOUNDER, NO MORE VICTIMS: Hey, sweetie.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: For these high school kids in Houston, Texas ...
GAMBRELL: OK. All phones off.
O'BRIEN: Marilyn Gambrell's class is a lifeline.
GAMBRELL: If we crash, OK. Y'all just keep it real. How's that?
O'BRIEN: This is No More Victims, a program for children whose parents are incarcerated.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm only 16 years old, and if I was to tell you everything I've been through, it would make you cry.
O'BRIEN: Each of these children has seen their share of hardship, and here they can share their pain and support each other.
For these kids, No More Victims is a family, and Marilyn Gambrell is mom.
GAMBRELL: How does it feel having one or both parents in prison? How does that impact your life experience, Tanecia (ph)?
TANECIA GARDNER, NO MORE VICTIMS: Well, it hurts, because, like my dad leaving my mom --
O'BRIEN: Tanecia Gardner is one of the newest members of the family.
GARDNER: As soon as he left, we didn't have another parents buy us schools stuff. My mama had to do all of it by herself. So it hurts me and it hurts my mom.
GAMBRELL: She came for two weeks, cried every class and didn't say one word. She didn't say a word. And I would say, "Sweetheart, do you want to talk?" "No." I said "OK, maybe tomorrow."
O'BRIEN: Tanecia's father and stepfather are in jail. She's helping her mother raise her six younger siblings. And like many of these kids, Tanecia's holding a lot in.
GARDNER: If you look at me, you won't really tell what I've been through, and stuff. So, like the type person I am, I'm a fun person, and I just like to have fun, or whatever. So you don't really see that I have any problems.
O'BRIEN (on camera): And you want nobody can know that?
GARDNER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Marilyn says talking and sharing leads to healing.
O'BRIEN (on camera): How does just talking about a problem really make it better? I mean, is that essentially what the classes are?
GAMBRELL: It is saying it out loud, letting secrets go that have tormented and tortured. And letting it go is one aspect. But being loved and supported no matter what, finding out that when you said it, you weren't the only child, that has been the key.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Another key element of No More Victims, this community center. It's a safe place where the kids can hang out, use a computer, have a meal.
Marilyn is here often, and available to the kids 24 hours a day.
GAMBRELL: We're year round. But we have to be. The stability is critical. A stable person that's not here today and gone tomorrow, and I'll see you much later and check on you.
The stability and unconditional love and providing two of the most basic needs, the most basic needs, nothing fancy.
O'BRIEN: Her approach may not be fancy, but Marilyn's success rate is astounding. Since starting the program in 2000, 700 kids have been part of no more victims. Most graduated high school. Few have ever gotten into serious trouble.
Shante Weaver says No More Victims changed her life. She joined in 2005.
SHANTE WEAVER, NO MORE VICTIMS: This place is really important, because, I mean, most of us, we felt like killing ourselves before we got in this class. And when we got in this class, you know, we fell in love.
O'BRIEN: This was Shante then. This is Shante now, two jobs, going to college, a veteran member able to help out younger kids like Tanecia.
For five years, Marylyn Gambrell has been there for Shante, even while her mother was in prison.
WEAVER: Ms. Gambrell, she goes to our trials, she goes to our graduations. She gives us birthday gifts.
O'BRIEN: It took years for Shante to open up about all she's been through, something that Tanecia Gardner is slowly learning to do.
GAMBRELL: And then all of a sudden one day, in front of the whole class, I said, "Sweetie, do you want to stay over for a minute?" And I got the "yes," and I went, "OK."
Ever since that day, she comes in, she's so full of energy, happy. No more tears. It's like she's let go and was set free.
How do you feel about yourself?
GARDNER: I feel that I am smart and I have made it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: OK. You see her on the screen. I have Judge Mathis with us. And I'm going to get to you in a second.
But also, Marilyn Gambrell, the woman you just saw featured there. And Marilyn, I'm bringing you in right now immediately, because you were a part of this we're putting together for this "Black in America" series.
But still, sitting here, I was watching you as were you watching that piece, and you were almost breaking -- you can't keep it together here. Why this morning, why do things -- and still seeing that affect you so this morning?
GAMBRELL: Good morning. It's always going to affect me. It's part of the passion and the compassion and years of work and seeing things that most of America really don't have any idea about that these children face.
So what you see with me is tears of joy. A lot of hard work ahead, and I'm committed for life.
HOLMES: What is it, ma'am, that these kids are missing? What would you say -- and we talk about the parents not being there. Is it the support? Is it an example? What is it these kids are not getting?
GAMBRELL: A safe place. And a lot of businesses, I know, what we've created for them is in the classroom setting at school is where is at our facility, as well as it's a safe place to come where you're not going to be hurt, where you're not going to be judged about what family issues you're dealing with.
You're honored. You're loved. You're respected. Birthdays are important. It's just creating a very safe place and filling a void, and relieving some of the responsibility that we can from this child so they can kind of breathe and feel a lot better about themselves, and mostly safe.
HOLMES: All right, Judge Greg Mathis with us here. A lot of people know you from your TV show and a lot of people might know the back story.
If they don't know, you have a gang to gavel story, as some would call it, quite frankly, a former ,thug and you've seen the wrong side of a jail cell before, judge.
But you made it. How were you able to? And you can probably relate to that story you just saw, but how were you able to get your mind right and not end up where she's trying to keep these kids from ending up?
JUDGE GREG MATHIS, "THE JUDGE GREG MATHIS MOBILE COMMUNITY SHOW": Two things, T.J. One, when I was released from jail, I was told to get a GED as condition of my parole. I did that, and was able to escape the environment in which I had grown up in through an affirmative action program they had at Eastern Michigan University.
When I left and went to college, I was in an environment that was conducive to educating and re-entry into mainstream society.
So it was those two things, an education, essentially, that allowed me to overcome those past obstacles.
HOLMES: Well, some of these kids you see here and the support that they are getting through this program, how helpful would this be, do you think, Judge Mathis, if we could take it from what she's doing now and implement this thing nationwide?
MATHIS: I think it would be an immense help. I'm convinced, T.J., that the bigger problem with all of society as it relates to destructive youth is the failed education system.
And a failed education system, which is the reentry or the entry point, point of entry into society, if that's blocked, the quality education, then you won't have folks entering society, mainstream society, in a way that they could be successful.
And so I think that a program such as that really would boost the opportunities for young people.
HOLMES: And Marilyn, you can pick up on that point as well, any possibilities of it going nationwide.
But also I want to ask, we saw in the piece, there, it appeared to be just minority students, black students in particular in that particular piece. But is it mostly, or what percentage, would you say, are African-American students? Do you have other minorities? Do you have white students in there as well?
GAMBRELL: We do. We have -- the majority is about 85 percent African-American. And then we have Hispanic children is the next largest number, and maybe five or ten white children. This is just the nature and reality of our community, where we're at.
But this program is capable of going absolutely nationwide. This child exists in every school district in this country. There's millions of children, we don't even talk about them. They're referred to as "throwaway children."
And we need to absolutely implement it in schools. That's where we're going to be able to help most children is one place that they come to.
And this is across the board. Socioeconomically, racially, this child exists across the board in every aspect of this country.
HOLMES: Marilyn Gambrell, really good to have you with us this morning. Again, you said those were tears of joy. I'm glad they were. Really, I applaud you for what you are able to do, and, judge, applaud you for what you were able to accomplish.
If you all aren't familiar with Judge Mathis' story, you need to go look it up and see the background. He didn't just show up there and they gave him a robe. He went through a lot to get it.
So thank you sow both of you for being here this morning. Thank you so much.
GAMBRELL: Thank you.
MATHIS: Thank you, T.J.
HOLMES: And for those who want to see and learn more about Marilyn Gambrell's program, you can see it just days from now, because our special correspondent, Soledad O'Brien, is going to be examining "Black in America."
We have the second part, the follow-up to "Black in America" from last year. We're got "Black in America 2" coming your way, premieres just a few days from now, July 22nd and 23rd.
Stay with us, be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Are you looking to catch some rays this summer? You might want to try the beaches in Mexico. But, as our Richelle Carey reports, you may want to do some homework first.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHELLE CAREY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The government's advisory against non-essential travel to Mexico has been lifted. But officials are still urging visitors to take precautions before heading south of border.
TED COLEY, BUREAU OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS: As far as the h1n1 virus is concerned, it's no less safe traveling to Mexico than it is traveling anywhere else in the world. You have to know where you're going, you have to be aware of your surroundings, and you have to use common sense.
If exposed to any disease or have any emergency situation, you need to contact local authorities.
KERRY: Read up on travel alerts in Mexico before you leave. Be on the lookout for criminal activity and civil unrest in the area.
And monitor the weather for severe conditions.
COLEY: The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Web site is excellent for tracking tropical storms and hurricanes throughout the region.
KERRY: Coley says you can also safeguard yourself with travel insurance to cover some unexpected expenses if bad weather hits.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right, think of Brazil. What comes to your mind? Maybe you imagine some of those carnival celebrations, beaches, maybe, that go for miles.
But then there is the other side of Brazil, the one with shantytowns. This week's CNN "Hero" is helping kids overcome their hardship.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FLAVIO CANTO, CHAMPIONING CHILDREN: I've never seen any place as beautiful as Rio de Janeiro, but it does have its dark side.
There is violence all over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via translator): The bad things that happen here are the shootings.
CANTO: It's the kids who have it toughest here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via translator): Sometimes I get scared.
CANTO: They don't have many options. Kids die every day from making the wrong choice.
But every time I see this, the first thing that comes to my mind is potential.
My name is Flavio Canto. I'm a judo Olympic medalist. But the best thing about my life is changing people's destiny through sports.
I usually tell the kids that we can't let ourselves get used to the violence that surrounds us. We have to fight back somehow. Instead of fighting in the streets, they learn how to use their energy in the right way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel less afraid. Flavio helps me win lots of championships, and he helps me feel very proud of myself.
CANTO: Helping kids avoid the wrong choice is one of our goals. They don't need to follow the destinies everyone told them they would have. They can change it. They're the true heroes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: So many today are remembering Walter Cronkite. What a legend in the field of journalism.
And on the phone with us to share her memories is Linda Mason. She is the senior vice president for Standards and Special Projects at CBS. In fact, Mason was the very first female producer on the "CBS Evening News."
Linda, thanks so much for spending a little bit of time with us. When you took over that position, how was Walter's reaction to it?
LINDA MASON, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CBS (via telephone): Walter was extremely welcoming, whereas some of my colleagues didn't quite know how to handle it.
On one of my -- about six months into the broadcast, it was time for the Florida primary that year. And I was sent down to produce some pieces for Walter.
And he called me to say he was on his way down, what were we doing? And I told him. And I said I'll write a rough script for you. He said, "Don't make it rough."
(LAUGHTER)
MASON: And so I was up all night and I stuck the script under his door. And he read it, and it sounded like Walter Cronkite. And I thought, wow, this is great.
NGUYEN: What history there. In fact, you have called him "The Forrest Gump of the 20th century." What is that all about, Linda?
MASON: Years later when we making a two-hour special, "Walter Cronkite Remembered," we spent about 20 hours with him in these tapings.
And as he recounted all of the events he been a part of in the 20th century, I realized he was an observer -- he was Mr. 20th century. He was an observer at all of these things, and a very internal observer in some cases.
He was so excited -- I remember when he got Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat together and he did that interview.
So he participated in some things. And he participated -- he had his opinions on Vietnam, as we've all heard. And he finally told everybody what he felt.
But he was very careful. He realized the power he was wielding, and he didn't feel it was his place to be wielding it. So he was very careful in keeping his opinions to himself. People didn't know whether he was a Republican or a Democrat, conservative, liberal. He was just Walter Cronkite.
NGUYEN: And people respected him for it, because he stuck to the facts. In fact, he was the most trusted man in America there for some time.
Linda Mason, thanks so much for sharing your memories with us today. We really do appreciate it.
MASON: You're welcome, Betty.
