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Indonesia Suicide Bombings; Remembering Walter Cronkite; Graduating Students Discuss Judge Sotomayor

Aired July 18, 2009 - 12:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, much more straight ahead on some pretty hard-hitting news here, too. We have new information on the suicide bombings at two luxury hotels in Indonesia. This is surveillance video that you're about to see of one of the blasts. Police in Jakarta have found the remains of at least one more person in the rubble, but it's unknown if it's a suicide bomber or hotel guest. At least six guests are dead as are two attackers.

And we also now know that 53 people were injured in the twin attacks. Six of them are Americans. None of the injuries is believed to be life threatening. Our Dan Rivers is in Jakarta and has more on the investigation, including a man police believe may be behind the bombings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN RIVERS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rob and Nadira (ph) Doodemead are still reeling from the death of their close friend, Nathan Varaty (ph) of Australia. They almost attended the same networking breakfast at the hotel, but this isn't the first time they've come close to being caught up in a terrorist attack.

ROB DOODEMEAD, FRIEND OF VICTIM: We've been pretty close to it three times. We were meant to be with a dear friend of ours who was injured in Bali, major bombings there. I canceled at the last minute. And then we were meant to stop here at the last bombing and we could have been here yesterday morning.

RIVERS: Even more incredible, this security guard, who was severely burned in the bombing of the Marriott six years ago. And he was on duty again on Friday, luckily escaping with minor injuries this time.

He says, "I couldn't believe the Marriott was bombed again. The terrorists must have a fixation with this hotel."

Jakarta's governor, visiting the survivors in hospital, conveyed a sense of outrage, here.

FAUZI BOWD, JAKARTA GOVERNOR: It not only inhuman, but it's more than that. I think it is something that - unimaginable, actually.

RIVERS: This security guard was the last person to speak to the Marriott suicide bomber. He describes how he challenged the man who told him he had to deliver something to his boss in the lounge where a business meeting was taking place. As this CCTV footage shows, the man was allowed to pass the guard, wheeling his suitcase across the lobby. Seconds later, a devastating explosion.

The police say the explosives were similar to those used in the past by this man, Noordin Top, a notorious terrorist mastermind with links to regional Islamists Jemaah Islamiyah. Police blame him for a string of bombings in Indonesia over the past decade.

(on camera): Security has remained tight here at both hotels while the police continue their investigation and while the president of Indonesia pays his tributes. This has done immense damage for Indonesia's reputation internationally, now synonymous once again with the terrorist outrage in the capital.

Dan Rivers, CNN, Jakarta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: To Afghanistan now, where the U.S. military is confirming the deaths of two crewmen in the crash of an Air Force jet. According to a military spokesman, an F-15 fighter plane went down before dawn this morning in the Ghazni Province, that's southeast of the Afghan capital of Kabul. The military adds the crash was not caused by enemy fire, the pilot of the second jet flying with the F-15 confirming such.

Well, here at home, the way it is will never be the same, not after the loss of news legend and broadcasting icon, Walter Cronkite, who passed away last evening at his home in New York City. CBS says the 92-year-old Cronkite died surrounded by friends and family. Our own Anderson Cooper looks back at a man and a career unparalleled.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): For so long, for so many of us, he was the most trusted man in America.

WALTER CRONKITE, CBS NEWS: And that's the way it is.

COOPER: Walter Cronkite covered in 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 Leland Cronkite Jr. in 1916. He was a beat reporter and football announcer before joining United Press in 1939. When the first troops stormed Normandy, Walter Cronkite was there.

CRONKITE: It was Dwight Eisenhower who told me, sitting on this grey 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, he became 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 have lost Cronkite, I have lost Middle America."

BOB SCHIEFFER, CBS NEWS: 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 kind 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 day in 1981, when he sat in the anchor chair for the last time.

CRONKITE: Old anchormen, you see, don't fade away. They just keep coming back for more.

And that's the way it is, Friday, March 6, 1981. I'll be away on assignment and Dan Rather will be sitting in here for the next few years.

Good night.

COOPER: Good night, Mr. Cronkite. Good night, and Godspeed.

Anderson Cooper, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And we are continuing to hear from people who are impacted by Walter Cronkite throughout the day. And I'd also like to hear from you. What are your thoughts and opinions and feelings about Walter Cronkite? You can reach out via Facebook, you can e-mail us at weekends@CNN.com or you can send your comments to my blog as well as at CNN.com/NEWSROOM and then click on "Fredricka."

President Obama, like millions of Americans, is likening Walter Cronkite's death to that of a family member. But more pressing for the president this weekend is defending the Democrat-backed health care overhaul that critics charge is far too expensive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Those who oppose reform will also tell you that under our plan, you won't get to choose your doctor, that some bureaucrat will choose for you. That's also not true. Michelle and I don't want anyone telling us who our family doctor should be, and no one should decide that for you either.

Under our proposal, if you like your doctor, you keep your doctor. If you like your current insurance, you keep that insurance. Period. End of story.

SEN JON KYL (R), ARIZONA: They propose to pay for this new Washington-run health care system by dramatically raising taxes on small business owners. Small businesses create jobs, approximately two-thirds of new jobs in the last decade. With a shaky economy and the need for new jobs, the last thing the president and the Congress should do is impose new taxes on America's small businesses. New taxes on small business would cripple job creation, especially jobs for low wage earners.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Health care will likely be one of the main topics as president Obama holds a news conference Wednesday evening at 9:00 Eastern Time. And of course CNN will bring you live coverage of those remarks.

Almost six months and President Obama's approval ratings, well not exactly what they used to be. We'll look at how and why they have dipped.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, I don't know if you stepped out this morning. It's gotten a little cool. It's starting to feel maybe like spring, we're going back to spring or maybe even summer depending where you are. Reynolds Wolf in the Weather Center.

It's actually welcome, not bad. I liked it.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, I know it's a great change. I mean, it's like someone got the calendar and just flipped it to October and here we are. I mean, but we've had times here in Atlanta in October like in, say, for example, where it's into the 90's. That's not the case today. We're not getting into the 90s

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Reynolds, appreciate it.

All right, health care reform, job creation, fighting global warming, President Obama has an ambitious agenda, a lot on his plate. But his approval ratings have actually slipped a bit trying to tackle all these things. Earlier I talked about some new poll numbers with our deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

All right, Paul, just seven months into the presidency, just shy of, and already a dip in his popularity. What happened?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yeah, you know, Fred, I guess it's almost natural. After you start out the presidency all shiny and new, but running the White House is not that easy.

Take a look at this. This is our CNN poll of polls and what we did here is we averaged the most recent polls. Five national polls done in July and you can see the president's approval rating 57 percent of Americans give him a thumbs up, 36 percent disapprove. That is a drop, that 57 percent is a drop of four points from just last month in June.

And I think one reason is the economy, more concerns about the economy. And some of that deterioration is coming from independent voters -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And how well or poor did his predecessors do in comparison?

STEINHAUSER: Yeah, it's interesting, our polling director, Keating Holland (ph) put this together. Take a look, you can see. This president exact same number as George W. Bush back in July of 2001.

WHITFIELD: And just six months in.

STEINHAUSER: Yeah, six months in, exactly. Bill Clinton back in July of 1993, he was at 48 percent. George Herbert Walker Bush, two out of three Americans gave him the thumbs up about six months into his presidency and Ronald Reagan, six out of 10 approving of how he was doing as president back in July of 1981 -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. And we'll have to check those numbers again in a month or two because we know they'll change again, right?

STEINHAUSER: Oh, they will, yeah.

WHITFIELD: All right, Paul Steinhauser, thanks so much. Good to see you.

STEINHAUSER: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And then after four days of grilling, the president's Supreme Court pick might find out Tuesday if she actually gets the job. If she is confirmed, Sonia Sotomayor would be the first Latina Supreme Court justice in U.S. history.

Her chances look pretty good. Three GOP moderates, including the party's senior senator, Richard Luger of Indiana, were quick to throw their support behind her.

And one group watching the Sotomayor confirmation process very closely, students who will be graduating from law school only about a year and a half from now. I sat down with four of them from Emory and the University of Georgia schools of law to get their take on this week's hearing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

As law students, you've all talked about in your classrooms about being prejudicial, applying the rule of law, these are things that we heard during the hearings.

JEFF ZACHMAN, UNIV OF GEORGIA LAW STUDENT: I'll say personally I didn't always agree with Sotomayor's decisions that she handed down and I think a lot was made of some of the extra judicial comments that she had made that some people wanted, I guess, some clarification about.

WHITFIELD: Was it fair play to focus on the definition of her personal experiences, her application of her life experiences and weigh that with her law experience?

JASON ESTEVES, EMORY UNIV LAW STUDENT: I think it is fair game. The Republicans really didn't have anything to point out in her judicial record other than the Ricci case, which was a very closely decided case in the Supreme Court.

WHITFIELD: Of what you witnessed this week during the hearings, did it inspire you in your pursuit in the field of law? Did it in any way maybe kind of stoke the fire of, hey, one day I want to become a Supreme Court justice, especially because of what I saw?

SEAN SOBOTTKA, EMORY UNIV LAW STUDENT: I think that judge Sotomayor's nomination, in general, is an inspirational story. Where she came from, how hard she worked, the tremendous amount of achievement that she was able to achieve, I mean, that's the American dream.

WHITFIELD: And we heard Justice Ginsburg say not too many months ago that it's lonely being the only woman on the bench.

RHANI LOTT, EMORY UNIV LAW STUDENT: And I think you see in cases, for example, the strip search case, which I can't remember the name of now. I think when you have -- I think it was important even though you have justices who are applying broader legal concepts, it was still a 13-year-old girl who was strip searched. And I any it was valuable to have someone who had been a 13-year-old girl on the bench when that decision was made.

WHITFIELD: So, why is it in that type of case, we're talking about life experience, then...

LOTT: Right.

WHITFIELD: ...in another sense. Why would that not be disputed, yet to say wise Latina woman, is that life experience that did ruffle feathers?

LOTT: I think it was her comparison, her statement that a wise Latina woman would make a better decision than a white male. I think -- at least my perception is that is the difference -- that's the statement that really ruffled ...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: "The feathers" which was her last comment. And so those students have a lot more to say. You'll be hearing a lot more from them throughout the day, including at the 4:00 p.m. Eastern hour. So, Sonia Sotomayor, she, of course faced a lot of questions, critical comments before the Senate Judiciary Committee all week. Most seemed convinced that she will make a good Supreme Court justice, but we want to know what you think.

So, today at 4:00 Eastern Time we're breaking down Judge Sotomayor's word, what she said, what she didn't say and we're also getting your thoughts. Post your comments on our blog at CNN.com/Fredricka, on Facebook at Fredricka Whitfield CNN. Or you know what, you can call us. This is a new feature. You can leave a voice message by calling this toll free number, right there, 877-742- 5760. Be part of the discussion today at 4:00 Eastern Time. We'll get your comments in so many different fashions, on the air.

OK, is there such a thing as giving too much? African-American women putting themselves out caring for their families and their communities. How that self-sacrifice could be taking is a toll on their health.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, it's considered a taboo topic among African- Americans, so Black women don't often realize, they, like millions of other Americans, are suffering from depression, our Soledad O'Brien explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Terrie Williams is a successful publicist with a long list of top tier clients. On the surface she always looked like she had it together, but on the inside...

TERRIE WILLIAMS, PUBLICIST: It was so dark. It was the hardest thing in the world to just get up, to shower and to dress and put the mask on, because you had to put the mask on, you had to walk out that door and pretend all was well.

O'BRIEN: Even a background in social work didn't help Terrie see she was suffering from depression.

(on camera): You're a social worker, you know what that means?

WILLIAMS: Exactly.

O'BRIEN: How come you didn't know that's what you had?

WILLIAMS: You don't. You just don't.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Some mental health experts say there's a reason black women often don't recognize they are depressed.

DR. MARILYN MARTIN, PSYCHIATRIST: It is definitely something that hasn't been talked about in our culture so people don't know what the signs and symptoms of depression are.

O'BRIEN: Because it is unrecognized, depression often goes untreated. And some health experts say ignoring their mental health may be causing Black women's physical health to suffer, contributing to high rates of heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.

REV DR MICHELE BALAMANI, BARAKA COUNSELING CTR: And it has to do with, I call the body screaming. You know, somehow it has to get out, something has to break down eventually and so we are breaking down in numbers that are astounding.

O'BRIEN: It was after a mental breakdown that Terrie Williams got help in the form of therapy and medication.

WILLIAMS: I was highly irritable. I snapped at people.

O'BRIEN: She decided to share her story in a book and with audiences around the country. She's been moved bid the response.

WILLIAMS: When I speak about it at these events, I can't tell you the number of people who come after me afterwards and say, that's my story, in tears.

O'BRIEN (on camera): How many of those people who say that's my story, too, are Black and female?

WILLIAMS: Overwhelmingly female, black female. Black women carry the nation, carry our communities, you know? We're nurturers, we are care takers, and feel like we have to be there and do for everybody.

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Brenda Gallion is the oldest of five children and is the one that the family turned to after her sibling became ill and mother was diagnosed to cancer. She cared for everyone but herself. She was worn out and gaining weight.

BRENDA GALLION, BATTLED DEPRESSION: I don't recall ever crying. I did not have time to cry. So, 65 pounds could have been mostly tears, you know, just stuff on the inside that wasn't or I didn't have the ability to get out.

O'BRIEN: it never occurred to Brenda to see a therapist, like so many generations of black women, she turned to god instead.

GALLION: We grew up in church. And when things were beyond what I thought I could handle, I 'd pray about it.

O'BRIEN: Dr. Michelle Balamani understands the importance of the church to Black woman, because she's also an ordained minister. She spends her career trying to build a bridge between church and therapy, letting women know they're not turning away from God by seeking help.

BALAMANI: I preach that God can heal in many ways, the same way that you go a doctor to get your leg fixed if it's broken, you can go to a therapist if you need to. You need to put your own gas mask on first, so that if you're going to be taking care of all these other people, take care of yourself first so you can do a better job at it.

O'BRIEN: Now with her own gas mask in place, Terrie Williams hopes her work can help others begin to heal themselves.

WILLIAMS: When you hear somebody else and their tears start to flow or you feel the emotion, gets other people talking. That's the goal.

O'BRIEN: Soledad O'Brien, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And our special correspondent Soledad O'Brien will be bringing us a new look at being Black in America. "Black in America 2" premieres next week July 22 and 23, only here on CNN.

Well, you know you've set the standard when a whole school of journalism is named after you. Coming up, I'm talking with the founding dean of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN RATHER, FMR CBS NEWS ANCHOR: He was literally a living legend and now a legend in memory, the very best in journalistic craft. In many ways, many important ways, he defined the role of a network anchor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: We are remembering journalism giant, Walter Cronkite, who died last night at the age of 92. His influence on generations of journalism students has been profound. Nounding dean of the Cronkite School of Journalism, Christopher Callahan joins me from Phoenix.

Good to see you. The school of journalism at the Arizona State University. When you heard the news last night, given the journalism school is the namesake of Walter Cronkite, how did that news strike you?

CHRISTOPHER CALLAHAN, CRONKITE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM: Well of course we all knew this was coming. Walter had been in declining health for the last few months, nevertheless, still very painful, a great shock. Faculty and students started coming to the building. We were flooded with calls and e-mails -- people, students, alumni, faculty, news leaders around the country remembering the person who we believe is the greatest journalist of our time.

WHITFIELD: Let's talk about what it means for so many students as they walk through the doors there and they're reminded, they see Walter Cronkite's name every day. It sets the standard, particularly for broadcast journalism, but journalism as a whole, really but broadcast journalism in particular. Can you see it in these students that they walk with a certain level of pride knowing that they're at a place with Cronkite's name on it, that somehow, in some indirect way, if not directly in some ways, that they are touched by him, his legacy?

CALLAHAN: That's absolutely right, Fredricka. There's a great sense of pride in our students and our alums in the fact that they are part of the Cronkite school and of course, most of them have had the opportunity to meet with Walter. Walter would come out on a regular basis. We would do the Cronkite Award every year. He would meet with faculty. And of course, his favorite part was meeting with his students. It was really a high ...

WHITFIELD: And so, what was that interaction like -- what was that interaction like between Cronkite and these students?

CALLAHAN: It was very, very special. You would have Walter in a room talking to maybe 150 or 200 students. And there was a great affection, respect. And really love, both certainly from the students to Walter and then Walter to the students. He had such a -- such a passion.

WHITFIELD: Would you remember some of the questions that perhaps -- would you remember -- sorry to interrupt you. Would you remember some of the questions that perhaps some of the students would ask him? What did they want to know from him?

CALLAHAN: Yes. And really it was so interesting, because it always covered journalism past, as you would expect, but also journalism present and journalism future. And Walter would, of course, tell, you know, tell the students about all of his extraordinary experiences in journalism through the years.

He would give the students his sense of where journalism was today. And then, where it was going. And it was -- it's just an enormous opportunity for these students to be hearing that sort of knowledge from Mr. Cronkite.

WHITFIELD: A lot of these current-day students at the Cronkite School of Journalism, they weren't around, you know, to even see him at his work. They were able to reference historically how he covered it, et cetera. But did you feel like even with that kind of distance that they still felt a connection, they felt like he was -- he was, yes, bigger than life, but he was also a man that they could draw from?

CALLAHAN: At a really deep connection. And of course, Walter had that ability with whoever he met to make you feel special, to make you feel that you're the only person in the room. And the students certainly felt that. And in our journalism curriculum, it is designed largely around the great values that Walter embodied for so long and so well, the values of accuracy and integrity and objectivity in our journalism.

WHITFIELD: And I know all those students really feel a sense of pride, a bigger than life's sense of pride that they had this one-on- one interaction with this bigger than life man, Walter Cronkite.

Christopher Callahan, thanks so much, of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at the Arizona State University. Thanks so much for your time and thanks for your memories of Walter Cronkite.

CALLAHAN: Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: Well, it is indeed also a big day for space and a couple of astronauts there. They stepped out of the airlock moments ago to step -- to start, rather, their first spacewalk of this mission. It's the first of five and they're attaching the final piece of a space laboratory to the International Space Station.

The shuttle Endeavour docked there yesterday. NASA was a little worried about some space debris that was heading in their direction, so they fired off the shuttle's thrusters to move the station simply out of the way.

Well, this is a special weekend. Happy birthday, Nelson Mandela. He turns 91 today and there's a special Mandela day all-star concert tonight at Radio City Music Hall in New York. But the former South African president, he won't be there.

As CNN's Robyn Curnow reports, he's at home in South Africa inspiring others with his birthday wish.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nelson Mandela's birthdays are traditionally big celebrations with Mandela at the center of the party. But this year, on his 91st birthday, Mandela's staying at home with his family. Instead of gifts, he wants people to spend time doing good for those around them.

His charity, though marketing July 18th, his birthday, as Mandela Day and his wife Graca Machel, says they hope it's the beginning of a social movement that'll continue long after he's gone.

GRACA MACHEL, MANDELA'S WIFE: It is a brilliant initiative to remind all of us -- let me say every one of us, that the values which Mandela represents is something which is with us, too.

CURNOW (on camera): So, how can we be more like Mandela? What are the things we can do in our own lives, particularly on Mandela Day, that can, you know, make a little bit of him shine off on us?

MICHEL: You care about others. You care about their well-being. You want them to have a real smile, they feel worthy. They are loved, they're cared. And that's what you can do.

CURNOW (voice-over): His daughter, Zindzi, agrees.

ZINDZI MANDELA, DAUGHTER: It's up to you whether you prefer to mow your neighbors' lawn or whether you prefer to go and help run a soup kitchen, whether you prefer to go and do something at a hospital. But it's all about that, about living the legacy, because now he's handing it over to future generations and to us.

CURNOW: And that's the best birthday present for a man whose tastes are simple.

ZELDA LA GRANGE, PERSONAL ASSISTANT: What we saw recently with the death of Michael Jackson is the outpour of love and goodwill and good messages and -- you know, towards him and his family. And what we also hope is that we want Mr. Mandela to experience it while he's still around. We want him to see the outpour of love and goodwill while he's still around. And what better way to do it than participating in a day like Mandela Day?

CURNOW: However, for those who really want to give him something this birthday, his personal assistant has a few suggestions.

LA GRANGE: Simple thing like a good pair of slippers, a blanket, something that makes his life more comfortable. A good book or autobiography. He enjoys reading. Good music. You know, it's the simple things in life that still makes him happy.

CROWD (SINGING): Nelson Mandela!

CURNOW: Robyn Curnow, CNN, Johannesburg, South Africa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Among those wishing Mandela happy birthday, Cedric Suzman with the Southern Center for International Studies. He's the cousin of the late Helen Suzman who relentlessly challenged South Africa's apartheid and visited Mandela in jail weekly. He's joining us here right now in Atlanta.

Good to see you.

CEDRIC SUZMAN, SOUTHERN CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Thanks for the invitation. WHITFIELD: Well, this is a fantastic birthday celebration, as is every birthday, particularly for this man, Nelson Mandela. His legacy is extraordinary. However, he is still in a very indirect way incredibly influential worldwide and in South Africa. How does he achieve that?

SUZMAN: Well, I think he's left a huge legacy of his ability to forgive and to reconcile differences, which has set a standard for leaders, not only in the rest of Africa, but also in the world. And that carries great weight.

But I'd like to give you a little anecdote.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

SUZMAN: Two, actually. One to show his huge humanity and the other his loyalty to friends. The first a personal story. You mentioned Helen. And she passed away on the 1st of January this year. And to everyone's surprise, Mr. Mandela paid a condolence call on his daughters and family after the funeral some days later, actually.

WHITFIELD: It really underscores the loyalty ...

SUZMAN: And this was a huge loyalty. And he actually spent most of the interview with Helen's great grandson on his knee. It was just a huge indication of his humanity.

Another loyalty was also to the party, to the African National Congress. And just before the recent elections, party leaders from the ANC, a number of influential leaders split away to form a new party in opposition.

And everyone wondered who Mr. Mandela would support. And it was surprising because some of these leaders were his old colleagues and comrades. Jacob Zuma, who was the then -- by then the head of the ANC, leader of the party, invited Mr. Mandela to his last political rally.

WHITFIELD: And people were watching really because they feel like he's the grandfather, he's the father of the country, so to speak. And where Mandela throws his support ...

SUZMAN: Right.

WHITFIELD: ...the commoner would likely want to throw their support.

SUZMAN: And to everyone's surprise, he came to the rally. He supported Jacob Zuma. And I would say as much because of his loyalty, he always said, I am a servant of the party. And that probably accounted for a lot of the ANC's success in winning 66 percent of the vote.

But there's another legacy. 17.6 million people voted ...

WHITFIELD: Yes. SUZMAN: ...in free, fair and totally peaceful elections. And that set a huge standard.

WHITFIELD: He inspired an incredible moment -- a movement, not just in South Africa but really worldwide. I mean, how many people do you know whose birthdays are celebrated on this scale as his is.

On the 91st birthday for Nelson Mandela, Cedric Suzman, thanks so much for joining us.

SUZMAN: Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: Appreciate it. And of course, New York City celebrating at Radio City Music Hall for a concert this evening as well. All right. Thanks so much ...

SUZMAN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: ...Mr. Suzman. Appreciate it. Nice to meet you.

SUZMAN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, Michael Jackson's ex is suing a friend -- quote/unquote "friend" over e-mails. And Michael Vick's home confinement, it's about to end. You can bet our legal guys have plenty to say about all of this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, somebody play the Peaches & Herb "Reunited." Finally, it's been forever. Avery Friedman, my favorite legal minds, and Richard Herman, we're back together again.

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Welcome back, Fred.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: How are you feeling?

WHITFIELD: Well, thanks so much. I'm feeling good.

HERMAN: We missed you, we missed you.

WHITFIELD: I missed you all.

FRIEDMAN: We really did miss you.

WHITFIELD: We have so many cases, so many cases, so little time. So, let's get straight to it. Let's talk about Michael Jackson ...

FRIEDMAN: Right.

WHITFIELD: ...that investigation now is kind of turning in another direction. The ex-wife, Debbie Rowe says, you know what, I'm ready to sue because someone she says misrepresented her in the form of an e-mail. Richard, explain.

HERMAN: Well, apparently this newscaster who interviewed her several times and said she was a friend claims that Debbie Rowe sent her e-mails saying she doesn't want these kids and she wants money and that's why she's not going to pursue it. Debbie Rowe got offended. She brought a defamation lawsuit.

But Avery, you know this is so transparent. They delayed Monday again. They're working out a confidential deal. She's taking money here. She's going to walk away.

FRIEDMAN: Well, bottom line ...

WHITFIELD: Wait a minute, you mean -- you're saying in connection with the custody hearing that was supposed to be Monday, now it's been delayed. You're seeing a connection here?

FRIEDMAN: Yes. I mean, basically what's going to happen: custody will be resolved. Rebecca White, who's the defendant in the defamation case, that's going nowhere.

WHITFIELD: OK.

FRIEDMAN: But this is what Rebecca White does. She sells stories, a lot of nothing.

WHITFIELD: And she's been sued before, which would mean she's got some pretty deep pockets to have been sued over and over again and still taking a chance.

FRIEDMAN: Well, she's got no money. It doesn't mean anything. Again, keeps the visibility up to settle the custody case.

WHITFIELD: OK, it's been a while. We've -- I'm sorry, Richard, but you know, we've got so many cases and I got to zoom through them. It's been awhile, we talked about Michael Vick's home confinement and, poof, time went just like that. Monday, he's out. What does this mean, Richard?

HERMAN: Well, what it means is, you know, in the spirit of Nelson Mandela's birthday, how about some forgiveness and humanity.

FRIEDMAN: What?

HERMAN: I mean, this guy's got to be able to go back into the NFL. He served a year and a ...

WHITFIELD: And you think that's going to happen?

HERMAN: A year -- I think it's going to be happen. A year-and- a-half federal ...

FRIEDMAN: Wait a minute, wait a minute ...

WHITFIELD: Starting Monday, he -- you know, the bracelet's off and the offers start coming?

FRIEDMAN: The bottom line is everyone -- you've heard nothing from any NFL team. We are a nation of forgiving people. It's up to Roger Goodell, the commissioner. We don't know where he's going to go. He may very well wind up back in the NFL.

HERMAN: A year-and-a-half ...

FRIEDMAN: I don't know what the message is for that, but that's what we're looking at.

HERMAN: Hey ...

WHITFIELD: OK, well ...

HERMAN: OK, go ahead.

WHITFIELD: I know, sorry. We got another NFL player, late NFL player, Steve McNair. And now, there's an arrest involving the purchase of a gun ...

FRIEDMAN: Yes.

WHITFIELD: ...shouldn't have happened. Richard, explain this one real quick.

HERMAN: Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is a crime. That's what the charge was. He admitted selling the gun to the woman who shot McNair, but he said he didn't know she was going to shoot him. That's what's he's going to deal with; it's a violation of his parole, his probation. He's going to have a big problem.

FRIEDMAN: Yes, and he's gone.

WHITFIELD: So, so sad on so many levels. And Avery, this last one is for you because I know how hot you were on the Supreme Court nominee ...

FRIEDMAN: You bet.

WHITFIELD: ...Sonia Sotomayor. How do you think she did this week?

FRIEDMAN: She did great. Actually, I was looking forward to the hearings. It wound up as a sequel to "Grumpy Old Men." That's what it was.

WHITFIELD: But are we seeing perhaps a happy ending for her come Tuesday now?

FRIEDMAN: She slides in with roughly 80, maybe 90 votes from the Senate. She's in wonderful shape. Did a great, great job.

WHITFIELD: All right, yes or no, Richard, you like what you saw during the week?

HERMAN: The wise Latina from New York did incredible. She's brilliant. She's got tremendous judicial history, more so than Roberts and Alito. She's -- I mean, she's got an outstanding education. She's going to be a great Supreme Court judge. This woman will make the court status quo, Avery knows, the next one that Obama selects, that's going to be the swing vote.

FRIEDMAN: I agree with that. I really agree with that. There you go.

WHITFIELD: Wow, that was a big yes. That was a real big yes. OK, thanks, gentlemen. Appreciate it. Good to see you.

FRIEDMAN: See you soon. Take care.

HERMAN: All right, be well.

WHITFIELD: All right, appreciate it, Richard and Avery.

All right, an Olympic task, not just getting through all those four cases in record time, but an Olympic task that attracts just the man to take it on. He's our CNN hero.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, Brazil, one of the most glamorous vacation destinations in the world. But for those who live in Brazil's favelas, shanty towns, it's a daily struggle just to survive.

But one man is helping kids find hope despite the hardship.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN "HEROES."

FLAVIO CANTO, CNN HERO: I've never seen any place as beautiful as Rio de Janeiro, but it does have its dark side. There is violence all over.

JOAO VICTOR (through translator): The bad things that happen here are the shootings.

CANTO: It's the kids who have the toughest here.

VICTOR (through translator): Sometimes I get scared.

CANTO: They don't have many options. Kids die every day making the wrong choice. But every time I see a favela, the first thing that comes to my mind is potential.

My name is Flavio Canto. I'm a judo Olympic medalist. But the best part of 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 the streets, they learn how to use your energy in the right way.

VICTOR (through translator): 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 destiny everyone told them they would have. They can change it. They're the true heroes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Now, he is an inspiration, as are the kids. July is the last month to nominate a CNN hero for this year. And you can do that at CNN.com/heroes. You can also join the fans following CNN heroes on Facebook. That's where you'll find exclusive photos and videos of all the CNN hero nominees.

All right, the geyser and the guide. Two veterans at Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful and the park ranger who makes it much more fun to watch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, a few minutes before the top of the hour. Here's a quick check of what's happening now. Tragedy in Afghanistan. A U.S. military -- the U.S. military, rather, confirms that two crewmen were killed today in the crash of an F-15 fighter jet in Ghazni province, southeast of the capital. The crash is not believed to have been caused by enemy fire.

And security is tight in Jakarta today in the wake of suicide bombings at two luxury hotels in Indonesia. The remains of at least one more person have been found. That brings the number of victims and bombers killed to nine. Police believe a known terror mastermind may be behind the attacks.

All right, let's check with our Reynolds Wolf, not this time to talk about weather, what's happening ...

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: No weather this time.

WHITFIELD: ...in your neck of the woods, but let's take a beautiful journey west.

WOLF: Absolutely. Went out to Yellowstone National Park. Had the opportunity to go out there and do a story on the super volcano. Yellowstone's actually situated in a giant caldera or a crater and of course, at Yellowstone, you have the Old Faithful geyser. Well, this geyser's been erupting in that park for some 600,000 years. I had a chance to meet a park ranger who's been out there not quite as long ...

WHITFIELD: You lucky dog.

WOLF: But an amazing person nonetheless. I'd like you to get a chance to meet him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF (voice-over): It's the reaction you hear nearly every 90 minutes at Yellowstone National Park and after 43 summers at the Old Faithful geyser, Sam Holbrook still finds it equally inspiring. As a park ranger, he observes each eruption, takes notes and explains the phenomena to the thousands visiting each and every day. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How long does the eruption last?

SAM HOLBROOK, YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK RANGER: Each eruption lasts about four minutes generally. But one minute up high at about 130 feet. And then, it starts down the last three minutes it's coming back down.

WOLF: And for Sam, there are lots of questions.

HOLBROOK: 7:05, plus or minus 10, minutes so you've got about an hour.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, thank you.

WOLF (on camera): And how many times are you going to get that question each day? How often does it happen?

HOLBROOK: You're out here roving for about two hours at a time and people stand and watch me answer that question.

WOLF: Right.

HOLBROOK: They say, you should put a sign on your chest, you know. And don't you get tire of that? No, I never do. I just -- you're talking to people and that question comes up and then right after that, two or three more questions. And so ...

WOLF: Let me guess. It's when does the geyser erupt. The second is where's the bathroom?

HOLBROOK: Where's the bathroom?

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many gallons of water does it squirt out?

HOLBROOK: How many gallons of water? 8,000 gallons of boiling water every hour and a half.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow.

WOLF (voice-over): Sharing that information is all natural for this former science teacher.

HOLBROOK: Where else can you find a job where you get to be outdoors, talk to people, see the light turn on in their face, give them some information. They're so excited about it. I am thrilled to be here. People say how do you get a job like that? I'm not going to tell you. Grab you a seat here, folks, because it's going to fill up.

WOLF: And while he calls it a job, he definitely doesn't think of this as work.

HOLBROOK: And I'm 77-years-old, so how much longer have I got to work a 40-hour week? I don't have to work a 40-hour week, but I love it here. This is not work. I'd probably do this for nothing, but don't tell the Park Service that.

WOLF: Fitting words from a man who's as true to this park as the Old Faithful geyser itself.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF: OK, Sam, unfortunately Sam, now everyone knows. Everyone knows he'll do it for free.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

WOLF: But if you get a chance -- you got to go out there and meet him if you ever get the opportunity. His wife works in the gift shop. They've been there over 40 years.

WHITFIELD: Oh lovely.

WOLF: He's a wonderful, wonderful guy and a real treat to meet.

WHITFIELD: Oh I love that. And you know how fit he is.

WOLF: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: All that walking and at 77.

WOLF: He's the man.

WHITFIELD: He is the man. All right, Reynolds. And you are, too, for getting a chance to go see it and meet him.

WOLF: Very true. Yes, no question. Very lucky.

WHITFIELD: Yes, all right, Reynolds, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

All right, well, Sonia Sotomayor, people can't stop talking about her. Is she a shoo-in Tuesday when the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote? Today at 4:00 Eastern, we're actually breaking down Judge Sotomayor's words, what she said during this week's hearings and what she didn't say.

And we want to get your thoughts. Post your comments on our blog at CNN.com/fredricka, on Facebook at Fredricka Whitfield CNN or -- this is a new feature, drum roll please -- you can call us. You can leave a voice message at this number, 877-742-5760. And we'll get your comments, your thoughts on the air so that you can be part of the discussion today at 4:00 Eastern time.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Stay with CNN throughout the day for the latest breaking news. "YOUR MONEY" starts right now.