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Tiger Faces the Media; Easter Weekend Crimes; Coal Miner Rescue in China
Aired April 05, 2010 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Boy, we've got a lot to get to. We really do.
Time for your top-of-the-hour reset. I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM.
It is 12:00 at the Masters in Augusta, Georgia, where Tiger Woods faces questions at a news conference two hours from now. And no subject is off the table.
9:00 a.m. in southern California, where CNN iReporters document their brush with a major earthquake.
And it is 11:00 in Montgomery, Alabama, where a would-be kidnapper tries to grab a little girl who was hiding Easter eggs at her church.
Let's do this -- let's get started.
Back in the game and back in the spotlight, Tiger Woods faces the media just two hours from now. Woods got in some practice today at Augusta National, where he returns to golf at the Masters at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. He holds his first full-blown news conference since the scandal over his marital infidelities broke.
You will see it live, right here on CNN.
Terry Badddoo has more on Woods' return.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TERRY BADDOO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's time for Tiger Woods to meet the media. And given the intense curiosity about his return from exile, the interest in his first open news conference since his marital scandal broke is almost presidential.
Following the mea culpa speech in which he apologized for his infidelities, he has given two one-on-one interviews. But Monday's event at Augusta National will be the first time he's faced the mass (INAUDIBLE) of the media in open session.
That said, returning at the Masters, which tees off in Augusta on Thursday, does afford him the most protected environment in the game. The organizers of the year's first major are renowned for keeping a tight rein on discipline among the crowd and the media. As a result, the four-time champion can expect a certain degree of shielding as he negotiates an unprecedented return to the spotlight.
DAVID DUSEK, DEPUTY EDITOR, GOLF.COM: The mental challenge that's facing Tiger Woods as he returns to Augusta National, and then afterwards, at other PGA Tour events, we can assume, later on in the 2010 season, is probably something no golfer has ever faced before.
BADDOO: Once he's asked questions in the conference room, Tiger will give his next answer on the course, when he hopes to claim the 15th Major of his career by winning his comeback event.
According to his caddie, Steve Williams, he wouldn't be coming back to the game unless he believed he could win. And the odds-makers appear to have full confidence in him. As according to some leading bookmakers, he will tee off the Masters as the favorite. But that's not a view shared by everyone.
DUSEK: I think it's a little bit much to sort of assume that he's just simply going to walk on after really not having any competitive play for the better part of four months, walk into the season and be able to physically dominate the way that we assume Tiger Woods always does. I would look for him to improve and get better as the season goes on. I wouldn't be surprised if he wins golf tournaments in 2010, but I don't think that he can come out and probably win the Masters right away.
BADDOO: Whatever the outcome, golf itself will be a winner, as even under normal circumstances, Tiger is a cash cow for the game whenever he plays. And these are not normal circumstances.
Tony Baddoo, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Boy, oh boy. More talk about Tiger Woods. Golf Channel's -- man they know Tiger, the folks at the Golf Channel, better than anyone. Rich Lerner joins me from Augusta later this hour.
At 2:00 Eastern, Tiger Woods' news conference live from Augusta National in the CNN NEWSROOM with Ali Velshi. Ali will get an opinions from a panel of golf experts.
What would you ask Tiger Woods at the news conference today, if you could, of course? That's our blog question of the day. Just go to CNN.com/Tony and let us know what you would ask Tiger Woods. And we will share some of your questions on the air.
Parts of Mexico still reeling after a 7.2 earthquake slammed the country on Easter Sunday. It struck Mexico's Baja, California, peninsula about 6:40 p.m. Eastern Time and rattled Arizona and California. Engineers in Mexico are checking buildings for damage.
Two people are dead, 140 others injured. All of the injuries are reported in the city of Mexicali, where power is still out. Our iReporters took these videos of the shaking in California.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: You know, he is hoping to put personal scandal behind him and put the focus back on his terrific golf game. But first, Tiger Woods faces the media. Golf Channel anchor and reporter Rich Lerner -- we love Rich Lerner around here -- joins us to talk about Tiger's comeback and his news conference.
First, though, our "Random Moment" in 90 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. We have got a "Random Moment" rewind.
Remember this, Erykah Badu, naked in the city for her new music video, "Window Seats"? She filmed it in Dealey Plaza, in Dallas, where JFK was gunned down.
You remember this? Now Dallas police have charged her with a misdemeanor.
Badu went on "The Wanda Sykes Show" and said she meant no disrespect. Sykes cooked up her own version of the Badu video called "Middle Seat," but the comedienne wasn't as skilled at stripping while walking.
Sykes' spoof ends with her on the ground. Her trousers crumpled around her ankles.
Another "Random Moment" exposed.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. A couple of really disturbing stories on our radar happening while people were celebrating Easter.
Two teenagers on a hunt for Easter eggs make a pretty gruesome discovery. And a man tries to snatch a little girl.
Ines Ferre joining us live from New York.
And Ines, got to tell you, it's an Easter these kids, I would imagine, would rather forget.
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, definitely, Tony.
Two teenagers who wandered off from their younger siblings during an Easter egg hunt this weekend found a man's body. About 100 kids were looking for Easter eggs at Beaverdale Park in Des Moines, Iowa.
Now, the body was discovered about 300 years away from where most of the kids were located. The man had a rope tied around his neck. Police don't suspect foul play, but are still waiting for autopsy results. And, Tony, in Montgomery, Alabama, a man tries to kidnap a little girl while she was hiding Easter eggs with her brother outside her church. And the church's surveillance camera caught it all on tape.
Cody Holyoke from our affiliate WSFA has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CODY HOLYOKE, REPORTER, WSFA (voice-over): On a day devoted to faith, togetherness and fun, parishioners at Hunter Station Baptist Church don't know what to think.
JANE SILAS, CHURCH MEMBER: They're not safe if they're home. They're not safe at the store. They're not safe -- not even at a church no more.
HOLYOKE: Luckily, this church has a surveillance camera which caught the whole thing on tape. During Sunday worship, a 10-year-old girl and her brothers stepped outside to hide Easter eggs for other children. Meanwhile, police say the driver of this SUV passed the parking lot, circled back, got out and asked the kids to come over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He pulled up, began talking to the subject's little brother, who's 6 years of age, began making small talk with him.
HOLYOKE: At that point, small talk was out of the question.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He grabbed her, pushed her in the truck.
HOLYOKE: Police say the man also pushed the boy to the ground and tried to drive off with the girl. At the same time, the girl jumped from the SUV and ran off.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have to tip my hat to the young girl for her bravery and keeping her wit about her. She actually ran from the vehicle at the time he tried to get in and possibly saved her own life.
HOLYOKE: It's an Easter Sunday that could have ended much worse. Church members say they will stay out with the children next time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I would have been five more minutes, I would have been coming out when he tried to grab her.
SILAS: We're going to have to watch them closer, very, very, very close. So you can't trust anybody.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Boy. That is so disturbing.
All right, Ines. Appreciate it. See you a little later in the hour. Thank you.
And still to come in the NEWSROOM, a coal miner is trapped underground for more than a week, finally seeing the light. Hear the amazing ways they kept themselves alive.
We are back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Boy, what could have been a huge tragedy in a coal mine has ended with the rescue of 115 workers. The workers were trapped underground in northern China for more than a week.
CNN's Emily Chang brings us the dramatic story -- and this is dramatic -- from Beijing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EMILY CHANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It has been an incredibly emotional day watching this rescue unfold. We have seen family members waiting desperately. We've seen rescue workers crying tears of joy. Officials say it is nothing short of a miracle that anyone was found alive after this long in what has been an amazing story of survival.
(voice-over): A dramatic, miraculous turn in a story that could have been hopeless. One by one, miners are pulled to safety after being trapped underground for more than a week. Their rush to the hospital, in shock, but reportedly stable.
One hundred and fifty-three miners were trapped in China's Shanxi province when the mine flooded. Some survived by attaching their belts to the wall, hanging there for days until they were able to crawl into a floating mine cart. Hundreds of family and friends camped out at the site, hoping their loved one would be pulled out next.
The rescue has been risky and complicated, with crews pumping mass amounts of water out of the mine and divers being sent in. "The slope is very steep, and there's still a lot of water in there," says the head of the rescue team. "There's so much equipment and not enough space. It's hard for us to get in there."
A letter read on behalf of President Hu Jintao conveyed sympathy for the survivors and encouraged rescuers to race against time, but left many wondering why China's coal mining industry continues to be so notoriously deadly.
PETER HUMPHREY, CHINA ANALYST: Safety standards throughout the Chinese mining industry are appalling. Actually, safety standards throughout much of Chinese industry as a whole are appalling. And there's not much regard for human safety and human life.
CHANG: There's been five separate mining accidents across the country in the last week. More than 2,600 people died in mining accidents last year, down from almost 7,000 deaths in 2002.
The government is working to improve safety and consolidate the industry, but problems persist. China's rapidly developing economy demands massive amounts of coal. It accounts for 70 percent of the country's energy, with some producers cutting corners to meet demand.
HUMPHREY: There's a tremendous pressure on everyone involved in natural resources in China to meet high numbers, to meet that demand, this insatiable hunger that China has for natural resources.
CHANG (on camera): According to government reports, mine managers in this particular case ignored water leaks, warning signs that, if heeded, could have prevented this accident before it happened.
Emily Chang, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: So the pope delivers his Easter message to the Catholic faithful, but many felt something important was missing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. Let's get you caught up on top stories now.
Yes, pretty incredible pictures out of Peshawar, Pakistan, where just hours ago, militants set off a series of coordinated attacks targeting the U.S. Consulate. At least six people were killed, including two consulate workers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one, zero. Booster ignition and liftoff of Discovery.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Man, isn't that good? A spectacular blastoff in the early-morning darkness.
Shuttle Discovery is now in orbit chasing the International Space Station for a scheduled Wednesday docking. The 13-day mission includes three spacewalks, one to retrieve a Japanese experiment from outside the station.
And thousands of Americans who rely on extended jobless benefits will have to go without, at least for now. Senate Democrats say they hope to pass a retroactive extension of benefits when they return from spring recess.
Another check of our top stories in 20 minutes for you.
The Vatican is rallying around embattled Pope Benedict, who did not address the growing pedophile priest scandal in his Easter Sunday remarks. And that didn't sit well with many of the Catholic faithful in St. Peter's Square, as Diana Magnay reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rain did not stop the Catholic faithful from filling St. Peter's Square for Easter Sunday mass. Some clutched tickets for front-row seats. Others, just their umbrellas.
(on camera): It's been a difficult Easter week for the Church marred by international outrage at pedophile priests. Many bishops around the world have chosen Easter week to address this scandal in their homilies. The pope, however, has remained silent.
(voice-over): Some people we spoke to thought Easter Sunday would be different.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hopefully he'll address it. Because unless they address it, then people would think that it's being stuck under the carpet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, that's one of the reasons why we're here. We want to see if there's any reaction, if there's any comments on that.
MAGNAY: But it wasn't to be.
POPE BENEDICT XVI (through translator): I pray to the Lord Jesus that in the Middle East, and especially in the land sanctified by his death and resurrection, the people will accomplish a true and definite exodus from war and violence.
MAGNAY: Prayers, too, for the people of Haiti and Chile, the Christians suffering persecution in Iraq and Pakistan, for an end to conflict in Africa, and to drug-related crime in Latin America and the Caribbean. The only reference to the scandal came from one of the pope's senior cardinals.
CARDINAL ANGELO SODANO, DEAN OF COLLEGE OF CARDINALS (through translator): Holy Father, on your side are the people of God who do not let themselves be influenced by the petty gossip of the moment.
MAGNAY: Petty gossip described by the Vatican's newspaper over the weekend as a vile defamation campaign against the pope. The Vatican still very much on the defensive against the world's media.
The faithful still waiting for answers, with a sense here of opportunity missed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I guess it would have been a good day to mention it, because everyone was here and everyone was watching today.
MAGNAY: But even without the Easter Sunday crowds, the Vatican knows that the world will still be watching, if and when it does decide to say more.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: All right. Diana Magnay joining us now from Rome.
And Diana, look, it's been a day since the pope delivered his Easter message. What are you hearing in the way of reaction today? MAGNAY: Well, the faithful certainly that we spoke to were fairly disappointed that he hadn't made any reference to it. in his Easter Sunday address, especially when, as I said, ,there have been so many bishops around the world who did use Easter week to talk about it. There are other opportunities.
Perhaps it was that the Vatican decided to keep Holy Week holy and not tarnish it with this very unholy of subjects. If so, he may address it this coming Wednesday at his weekly address to pilgrims.
But certainly if the Vatican and the pope continue to avoid the issue, it does only serve a sort of growing impression that many people we've spoken to have. But it is, at the very least, shirking responsibility, or possibility that the Vatican has something to hide -- Tony.
HARRIS: Yes. And Diana, how rare is it to have a senior cardinal speak before the pope's Easter mass?
MAGNAY: Well, this is not a scheduled event. We were surprised to see Cardinal Sodano stand up and say those comments to the pope.
It was -- in fact, he was echoing, using that phrase, "petty gossip," a phrase that the pope himself had said the weekend before in relation to the campaign of attack against him in the media. And those really have been the only response from the Vatican to the campaign.
And as you can imagine, the words "petty gossip" don't sit very well with victims' groups, who say that broken childhoods really -- broken childhoods, as a result of abusive priests, can't be boiled down, pared down to the phrase "petty gossip." So a lot of anger at those kinds of comments -- Tony,
HARRIS: Yes. We're going to delve into this topic a little more tomorrow at about this time, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. And Diana Magnay will be with us at that time as well.
Diana, appreciate it. Thank you.
That's tomorrow, 12:30 Eastern Time, in the NEWSROOM.
But still to come today, a group of veterans with PTSD may lose the one place that gives them solace. The story of Archi's Acres, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Just glancing at CNNMoney.com now. Of course, CNN is your source for money news. And if you want the latest financial news and analysis, CNNMoney.com.
The lead story at CNNMoney.com right now, 10 highest paid CEOs. I'll tell you who the number one is.
You probably can guess, right? Larry Ellison, Oracle. How much he makes? Not going to tell you. CNNMoney.com.
Let's get to the New York Stock Exchange -- a lot of money.
We are just about three hours into the trading day, and the Dow is up in positive territory. Up, but off session highs, at -- we're 45 points to the good, to the green.
And the Nasdaq at last check was up. Wait for it, Tony. Wait for it -- up 23.
We are following these numbers with Felicia Taylor throughout the day, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
A safe havens for veterans returning from war. Archi's Acres provide mental relief and job training for veterans with PTSD. But as Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr reports, a government snafu could force the farm to shut down.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We first visited this hillside near San Diego last year because it was a success story for a group of young Marines recovering from the stress of war.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These aren't just, you know, people that come out here for training. These are guys that we support each other overseas with.
STARR: We have come back because everything has come crashing down.
CORY POLLARD, MARINE CORPS VETERAN: I did have to pawn my laptop, and just to try to, you know, get some extra money to eat. And you know, everything's really, really tight for me, and I think for everybody here.
STARR: Here at Archi's Acres, farming has helped the former Marines decompress and learn new job skills. But the VA cut off funding, saying after three years it discovered the money it was using to pay the vets came from the wrong federal account. That government snafu has led to this --
CARLOS RIVERA, MARINE CORPS VETERAN: I'm stressing. I mean, I'm really concerned. You know, rent, me, my mood swings, you know. You know, I'm spending more time by myself, away from my wife, because, you know, it's -- I just --
STARR (on camera): It's hard.
(voice-over): Former Navy corpsman Roderick Krause keeps an eye on the younger vets.
RODERICK KRAUSE, MARINE CORPS VETERAN: Like, Carlos here, you know, with an upcoming young family, in the beginning, starting out. This is not a good solid basis. STARR: This young Marine veteran who goes just by the name "Mike" often sleeps under the trees here. He worries about the others.
MIKE, MARINE CORPS VETERAN: And when I see what these guys are going through right now, it's just -- it's very, very sad. I mean because, you know, these guys put their lives on the line for this country.
STARR: The Archie in Archi's Acers, is Colin Archipley, a Marine veteran of three tours in Iraq. He bought this farm after he came home, determined to keep helping fellow Marines.
COLIN ARCHIPLEY, OWNER, ARCHI'S ACRES: When I was leaving, I left with the hopes that I can create some type of unit outside the military that was as proficient as the unit I was within the military.
STARR: So when the VA cut the funds, Colin and his wife paid the men thousands of dollars out of their pocket, all the while talking to the VA about how to get the money turned back on.
ARCHIPLEY: The problem is that the aid (ph) vets that we have in this program are falling victim to interpretation of statute. And it leaves them high and dry until we can patch that up.
STARR: High-level VA officials have come to the farm to try to find a funding solution. But we are told by the Archipley's, those visits came after the VA learned CNN was working on the story. Private money has been donated to pay some of the vets' immediate bills.
What we have found on this hilltop, once and former Marine, still Marines helping each other. Retired Brigadier General David Brahms, an attorney, is here helping with legal advice.
STARR (on camera): I mean, we always hear, you know, once a Marine, always a Marine.
GEN. DAVID BRAHMS, U.S. MARINE CORPS (RET.): Yes. That's why I'm here. That's why some of the -- sometimes the burden gets heavy. You got to be here. You can't leave them on the battlefield. And that's why we're pulling together. You don't leave wounded on the battlefield.
STARR (voice-over): Barbara Starr, CNN, San Diego.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Man.
You know, you might call this young man, the one you're about to see here, the new blue collar worker. Ronnie Sadler (ph) works equally with his hands and his mind.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RONNIE SADLER: I love my seams. It's a passion. It's something that I've been doing most of my times. You get to see the finish work is what I really love about it. I mean, we make -- we take what's on paper and we bring it to life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Computer programmer and machinist rolled into one. As old manufacturing goes by the wayside, high-tech, high-skilled and well-paid workers are finding new opportunities to make a living. Watch my special report "The New Blue Collar Worker" this Friday at noon Eastern.
You know, the poppies are popping in Afghanistan. We will tell you why that means trouble for U.S. forces fighting the Taliban.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. The approach of summer in Afghanistan means the poppy cash crop is in bloom. Proceeds from that drug money, as you know, will go to feed the Taliban's fight. CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence reports from Kandahar. It is bad news for U.S. troops planning an offensive there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Two months in now, NATO troops will launch a major offense into Kandahar, at the exact moment the Taliban will be flush with new cash.
CAPTAIN JEREMY WILKINSON, U.S. MARINE CORPS: What I could see is, you may see a spike in violence in June -- you know, the June time frame.
LAWRENCE: The poppy fields are like the Taliban's bank. Right now, the plants are blooming. And just before the big events, the harvest wraps up and the poppies sold off to make heroin.
WILKINSON: And that poppy harvest does aid and support the moneys that they use for fighting.
LAWRENCE (on camera): And the money that they're going to make off that harvest come June, does that only stay with the insurgents of the Taliban right here in Helmand province?
WILKINSON: It would impact insurgents across the spectrum of all -- everything because the enemy is so fluid.
LAWRENCE (voice-over): We traced the money trail back through northern Helmand province, to Sofla (ph), where the U.S. Marine Corps is facing down the Taliban.
2ND LT. CODY HARDENBURGH, U.S. MARINE CORPS: From what I believe, this is the forward line of enemy troops. Every other day we're taking indirect fire.
LAWRENCE: Second Lieutenant Cody Hardenburgh's Marines can fire back at the Taliban, but can't stop the farmers that are funding them.
HARDENBURGH: It is frustrating.
LAWRENCE (on camera): The Taliban's got its fingers really deep into the poppy crop up in this area. In fact, take a look. No more than 400 meters from the Marine Corps base, you can see those farmers openly cultivating their poppy crop. We're told that every few days or so, the Taliban will come by, pick off some bulbs.
HARDENBURGH: What they'll do, and we've seen them doing it at night, they'll hack a few plants that are ready to go and put it on a donkey and just head north.
LAWRENCE (voice-over): But the Marines aren't here for counter narcotics. They're not allowed to slash and burn these fields because it could turn the entire village against them.
HARDENBURGH: This is the only thing they know to produce quick money for themselves and for their families.
LAWRENCE: But the heroin money that blooms here in April could buy the weapons and bombs used in June.
WILKINSON: It's fair to say that the insurgents in Kandahar could be very well recipients of moneys of poppy that is harvested away from their zone.
LAWRENCE (on camera): We saw enough poppy in Helmand alone to feed the world's heroin habit. Now, some of those farmers are being intimidated by the Taliban into growing the crop. Others literally are so poor, they don't have another option.
Now, we did see where the Marines are starting to push the Taliban out of that area. They say the key is to get the civilian component in there, to give the farmers seeds and other viable crops so they can still make a living.
Chris Lawrence, CNN, Kandahar.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: OK. Let's get you caught up on our top stories right now.
There was a lot of that back-and-forth. Afghan President Hamid Karzai got an earful at a meeting of tribal elders. Sort of Afghanistan's version of the town hall meeting. Karzai traveled to Kandahar to brief the leaders of an upcoming offensive against the Taliban. Chris Lawrence just referred to that. But many say they don't trust the government to protect them.
Tiger Woods talking in his return to golf at The Masters in Augusta, Georgia. He is expected to give his first full news conference since reports of his infidelity last year led to an extended period of time away from the game. We will have that for you in the NEWSROOM. That's at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. It is only spring, but I've got to tell you, charter schools are already enrolling students for the fall. We will show you what they are doing to chart a new course in education. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: I need you to reach out to the program. I need you to talk to me directly. A couple of ways that you can do that. First of all, cnn.com/tony takes you directly to this, bam, our blog page. If you'd like to send us your thoughts on Facebook, here's what you do, TonyHarrisCNN. Here's my Twitter address, TonyHarrisCNN. Call us. Pick up the phone, 1-877-742-5760. Let's have more of your thoughts on the program, CNN NEWSROOM with Tony Harris.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Got to tell you, the Obama administration is dangling a giant carrot to states. $4 billion in competitive grants for innovative education programs. And some of the schools competing for that money are charter schools. So what exactly are charter schools and who runs them? Have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID SHAGINAW, MAIN STREET ACADEMY PETITIONER: It's open enrollment for the next two weeks.
HARRIS (voice-over): The new school year is still some four months away, but parents registering their children can't wait for it to be here. David Shaginaw, a guiding force behind the school, let them know this is not your average public school.
SHAGINAW: It takes more than just enrollment. You're going to come to the fundraisers.
HARRIS: Shaginaw should know. He actually led the charge to set up this charter school. For years, Shaginaw, a parent and real estate agent, has witnessed the revolving door of couples moving into his neighborhood, and then after the children, moving out to areas in a better school district.
SHAGINAW: People move to where good schools exist. High quality. We have a great private school, close parochial schools, but we need a high-quality public option.
HARRIS: Shaginaw and other concerned parents decided to start a charter school in 2005. The local school board initially denied their charter application.
SHAGINAW: After the -- really the sting of the denial in 2008, you really have to start over. To get the school through, I felt like we needed an EMO.
HARRIS: EMO, or education management companies. They manage 30 percent of charter schools nationally. Janet McCaulay works with Edison Learning, an EMO, that serves more than 130 schools in 25 states, including Main Street Academy.
JANET MCCAULEY, EDISON LEARNING: The advantage of having a private company work with the schools, many schools cannot afford the kind of services that we do. It's really an economy of scale and efficiency. We have people who write contracts. We have people who provide legal services.
HARRIS: Fifteen percent of Main Street's budget goes to Edison Learning, which provides a whole host of administrative services, including conducting background checks on job applicants.
Jim Hull, the senior strategist for the Center for Public Education, cautions that the jury is still out over the effectiveness of charter schools and EMOs.
JIM HULL, SENIOR STRATEGIST, CENTER FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION: Only about one in five charter schools does more effective (ph) than the public school that feeds that. What's successful in these EMO schools and charter schools is what research shows has been successful in traditional public schools. They have smaller schools, smaller classes. They use those -- their time effectively.
HARRIS: Back at Main Street, expectations are high.
STACEY WILLIAMS, PARENT: My kids are not getting what I got when I was in elementary. And I want them to get what I got. I'm looking for that here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: OK. This is -- what's coming up is going to be good, good, good, good, good. Astronauts like you've never seen them before. Guys like you rarely have seen them. And Lady Gaga like you've never heard her. We've got what's hot on the Internet. That's next in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So he chose The Masters for his return to golf. But can Tiger Woods master the media attention he will be getting in less than two hours? Woods holds his first full news conference since the scandal over his extramarital affairs. Plural. Make that plural. Rich Lerner, there he is, is an anchor and reporter with The Golf Channel and he joins us from Augusta National to talk about Woods' comeback.
Richard, it's great to see you. Boy, we've been lucky. We've got The Golf Channel connected with our program today. Jim Gray last hour and you this hour.
If you are Tiger Woods, do you answer specific questions about the relationships with the women who have come forward to claim an affair with him? Do you go near that at all?
RICH LERNER, ANCHOR/REPORTER, THE GOLF CHANNEL: Absolutely not. I think paramount in this press conference, which will last probably 45 minutes for Tiger, is that he show absolutely no hostility whatsoever. I think he has to answer the queries in the following manner. Look, I understand that you have questions and you want answers. I get that. But I'm not going to get into the personal details of what happened. Safe to say, I made a lot of mistakes. I'll pay for those mistakes for the rest of my life. I'm deeply sorry for what I did, but I want to get on with my life. I want to try to repair my marriage and my family and I hope you respect that. But, again, I think the key is that he can't be hostile in any way.
HARRIS: Yes. Well, let me push you on that a little bit. Should he go a little further in explaining some of the stuff that's on the public record, say, in the police report? Why he lost control of his SUV? What happened Thanksgiving night?. Should he go a little further than he did even with your colleague, Kelly Tilghman?
LERNER: Probably a little bit further, but I do not think you're going to get any of the sordid details. I just think he's going to keep that private. I think in talking to a number of the press members, and they're going to push Tiger. I think there will be some tough moments in there. I think what everybody's looking for is for some sort of humanity. I don't think they want it scripted like it was in the February 19th apology. And in the interviews with Kelly and then Tom Rinaldi of ESPN, they were limited only to five minutes. So this is the first time that the press at large will have had a chance over the last five months to question Tiger. So I think they just want him to speak from the heart.
And how much detail we get, I don't know. I don't think you're going to get a lot. I think the tougher moments will come when they ask him about the association with the Canadian doctor, who was unlicensed to practice in Florida and who had been linked to performance-enhancing drugs. I think they'll ask him about his inner circle, because Tiger has said no one else knew. And some reports of late that suggest that that may not be true.
HARRIS: Well, Rich, you know, I promise everyone watching us that I would ask you this question. If you -- you're going to be there. What are you going to -- what are you going to ask Tiger in that news conference? What are some of your questions? I think you mentioned one about this doctor in Canada.
LERNER: Interesting, Tony, I actually will not be in the press conference. Each organization is allowed just one reporter. So Steve Sands will be in there.
HARRIS: OK.
LERNER: I'll be back at Augusta Country Club at the Wallace House. But if I had a question, I might want to know, why would an athlete of your caliber, an elite athlete who presumably treats his body as a temple, why would you put yourself in the hands of an unlicensed doctor from Canada who had been linked to performance- enhancing drugs? Why would you even drag that black cloud over your world? That would be the one question I might -- if I had only one, that would be the one I'd ask. HARRIS: Let me read a bit of one of your articles that you wrote on this whole situation. "Will the humility that you must have in order to be successful in any program of recovery soften that killer instinct?" What are you expecting to see from -- boy, you've watched him for so long now, what, 17 years, since the start of his career. I mean -- and even before. So what do you expect from Tiger, the golfer? I don't know if you had a chance to see some of the practice round today, but what do you expect?
LERNER: Yes, we did. Well, I will tell you what I saw this morning. And the first departure from the old Tiger is that he interacted with the gallery in a way that he had never done before. I mean Tiger was the type of competitor who got so lost in what he was doing, you couldn't find him with a GPS system. He's legendary for his focus.
HARRIS: Yes.
LERNER: But today, and maybe this is just part of the charm offensive, Tony, today he interacted with the galleries. If somebody said, hey, Tiger, good luck, nice to have you back. He stopped, he smiled, he looked that person in the eye and he said "thank you." And he did that on a number of occasions. That's more in keeping with what we see from Phil Mickelson.
HARRIS: Yes.
LERNER: But as it relates to Tiger, the competitor, I think at some point in the near future, he will find his footing and tap into what he used to have. But he might also find, Tony, that if he's at peace with himself and at peace with the world around him, he could find that that is a place from which to play brilliant golf as well.
He had always struck me as a cold-blooded and ruthless competitor. A lot like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. The kind of guy that, on the field of play, wanted to just cut your heart out and feed it to you in a lot of different pieces.
HARRIS: Yes. Rich, good stuff. Good stuff. Rich Lerner from The Golf Channel.
LERNER: Thanks, Tony.
HARRIS: And, Rich, we appreciate your time. I know you're really busy out there. Appreciate it. Thanks you.
LERNER: Thank you, Tony. No problem.
HARRIS: When Tiger Woods gives his live news conference at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, we will bring it to you right here on CNN. And if you're away from your television set, you can also watch it on cnn.com or on your CNN iPhone app.
Now, a look at some of the stories generating a lot of buzz on the Internet. Ines Ferre joining us again.
And what's hot out there, lady?
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK. Well, Tony, we had this successful shuttle launch. So check this out now. CNET and nasa.com. Bet you didn't know that astronauts had a sense of humor. This is a gallery of posters. They flipped the script on movie stars and posed for a bunch of NASA posters from some of the most popular classic sci- fi movies. See if you can guess them. There's references to "Star Trek," "Indiana Jones," "The Matrix." NASA astronauts have been doing this since 1999, Tony, the first time a U.S. shuttle docked with the International Space Station. That's really very cool, right?
HARRIS: Well, yes, well that -- that is kind of cool, you know. Pretty creative as well. What else are you following here, Ines?
FERRE: OK. This from YouTube. And these male cheerleaders --
HARRIS: Oh, boy. Oh, boy.
FERRE: Oh, check them out. Big production. The video has since gone viral on YouTube. They're seniors from Carroll High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. These guys, Tony, have become so popular, they've been invited to a lot of events across the country. But their ultimate goal is to perform on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show."
HARRIS: Yes, I can see that happening any day now.
FERRE: They're really coordinated.
HARRIS: Oh, please. Hey, all right. Not bad. But, you know, I ask you every day for some kind of an item on Lady Gaga. You got anything for me?
FERRE: Yes, I always try and find Lady Gaga.
HARRIS: Yes.
FERRE: OK. This is "Poker Face" performed by a girl who goes by that handle Apple Girl 002 on YouTube. The only instruments she uses are her iPhones, four of them. She explains how she does this. And it sounds remarkably like the studio version. And there really is an app for everything, even becoming like Lady Gaga, or singing like her. Maybe you should get these, Tony.
HARRIS: Well, yes. Yes, I'm all invested now. Apps for Gaga.
All right, Ines, see you tomorrow. Appreciate it. Thank you.
FERRE: Bye-bye.
HARRIS: We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. Tiger Woods is taking questions from the media this afternoon in Augusta, Georgia. Here's what some of you would love to ask Tiger. We got this comment on Twitter. Curious1966 says she'd ask, "how in the world can he concentrate now with so much media hounding him all the time."
And this from Kim to Tiger, "Do you think all of the attention that's being paid to your indiscretions is justified and at what point to you think it should stop?"
And this from Jim. "Some say this experience might not only make you a better person, but a better golfer. How do you see it affecting your concentration on the golf course?"
Let's do this. Let's keep this conversation going. Leave me a comment on, let's see here, Twitter, Facebook, or my CNN NEWSROOM blog at cnn.com/tony. And just another reminder for you, CNN will bring you live coverage of the Tiger Woods news conference. It begins at 2:00 p.m. Eastern from Augusta, Georgia. Watch it live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
And the NEWSROOM continues right now with Ali Velshi.
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Tony, good to see you again. Good afternoon.
