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Protests Staged at G-20 Summit Meeting; Former Vice President Dick Cheney Admitted to Hospital; Financial Adviser Wants Teens to Work More; Boatmen Come Up With Innovative Way to Help Oil Covered Animals in Gulf of Mexico
Aired June 26, 2010 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Teenagers looking for work and coming up empty-handed, but there are money-making opportunities. We'll tell you where they are this hour.
And attending college commencement 40 years after graduating, find out why the class of 1970 is finally being recognized. That's at 3:00 eastern time.
And a ban on battled water? A Massachusetts town may impose one. At 4:0, we'll talk to the 82-year-old woman who is behind this environmental initiative.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM where the news unfolds live this Saturday, June 26th. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
We begin in Canada at the G-20 summit as world leaders gather in Toronto for the economic meetings. Police and protesters are already facing off. Up to 10,000 protesters are expected outside the security perimeter.
Let's get right to CNN's Jeanne Meserve who is with the protesters who right now look like they're gathering rather peacefully.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And they're marching rather peacefully, at least at this point in the parade route. We're at University, a major thoroughfare here in Toronto. As you can see, they're coming down this avenue and they stretch on for as long as the eye can see. This is certainly the largest of the demonstrations we've seen this week.
We're going to get in the middle of this and show you a little bit of what it's like. Excuse us while we climb down from our perch. Here we go.
We have a variety of groups here, just about any cause you think of has jump into this parade. We have a lot of labor unions. This is ostensibly a labor union. We have Amnesty International and Green Peace, we have women's rights groups. People who want to see the U.S. and Canada out of Afghanistan.
There's a lot of chanting. There's a lot of music. There's nothing like hearing this, I don't think. And if we look over here, we can see that the police presence, at least at this point in the parade route, is -- wait a minute, right over here. Look what we have.
These are people who have got their faces obscured, dressed in black, running along the parade route, clearly not part of the mainstream of this parade. This is what the police in Toronto have been worried about, groups like this coming in. And the labor groups sponsoring this parade have been leery of it, too.
Where are they heading? Down this avenue the parade is supposed to take a turn along Queen Street. But some of them are radical elements have said down here they're going to try and penetrate the police barrier and they're going to try and get down into the secure area where the G-20 is being held.
We don't know for sure, but it's possible that these people, these masked people who we're seeing running along the sidewalks are trying to do just that. We're going to get down there as fast as we can and tell you what's going on.
WHITFIELD: How many blocks away do you suppose that is?
MESERVE: Pardon me?
WHITFIELD: About how many blocks away?
MESERVE: I think it's about six blocks away.
WHITFIELD: OK. Jeanne Meserve, thanks so much.
MESERVE: We're going to get down there as fast as we can. We'll bring more to you.
You can see an increased police presence at this intersection as we head further south. They're more and more concerned about what people may be up to. They're blocking the side streets so protesters can't get around behind and penetrate that way. A steady cordon here, you see the police here.
These bicycles are strategically placed sideways to block. Yesterday when there was a confrontation with protesters, they put them in front of them and raised up the front wheels to create a barrier.
Fredricka, back to you.
WHITFIELD: Jeanne Meserve, thanks so much. We'll check back with you there in Toronto as demonstrators have gathered for the G-20 summit. As you saw right there, there are some demonstrators who want to get a little bit more attention than others. We'll check back with Jeanne to find out what might transpire there.
Meantime the Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is scheduled at this hour to be speaking -- in fact, there he is speaking right now. We'll monitor his speech and bring you updates as the news warrants. And in Washington, D.C., former vice president Dick Cheney is spending the weekend at a hospital. He was admitted yesterday after feeling ill. CNN's Sandra Endo is live at George Washington university hospital. Sandra, what's the latest, if any, on the former vice president?
SANDRA ENDO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Information, Fredricka, is very slow to come by. A hospital spokesperson says they can't really say anything because of patient privacy laws, and we have not yet heard an official update on the former vice president's condition so far today.
What we do know is that the 69-year-old Republican leader has a long history of heart problems, suffering multiple heart attacks since he was 37 years old. And most recently this past February, he suffered a mild heart attack.
We know that in 1988 he underwent a quadruple bypass surgery and two more surgeries after that to clear arteries. So we know the former vice president is fitted and wearing a special pacemaker which seems to have alleviated some of his heart problems in more recent years.
But, again, a spokesperson for Cheney says yesterday he was admitted to the hospital after saying he wasn't feeling well. Doctors then said that he should stay through the weekend to get tested. But we don't know as of right now if these problems are heart-related or not. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: Sandra, we'll check back with you as well. Thanks so much.
Even though the first tropical storm of the season is not expected to make a direct hit in the Gulf of Mexico -- it's called Alex. And Alex could still cause some problems for oil clean-up efforts. Alex is expected to strengthen into a category one hurricane before making landfall in Mexico. Forecasters say it could create high winds and waves and that could push oil further inland.
The government's point man in the oil crisis, U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen today cautioned that "The weather is unpredictable and we could have a last-minute change."
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: Summer jobs for teens. You know it's slim pickings these days, but if you're having a hard time getting hired, there are ways to actually create your own opportunities. Details straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Nearly a million people will lose their unemployment benefits this month. That's after the Senate Republicans blocked legislation to extend the benefits through November. They say the bill was too expensive and would add to the deficit. But Democrats call it a critical safety net, And they're hoping to revisit the legislation later on this year if they can find some GOP support.
Meantime, teenagers are also taking a huge hit on the job front. Many can't find that summer work. But there is money to be made out there. According to our next guest, the key is to think like an entrepreneur. Sharon Lechter is the author of book "Three Feet from Gold" and the head of the financial education group Pay your Family First. She joins us now from Phoenix.
Good to see you, Sharon.
SHARON LECHTER, AUTHOR, "THREE FEET FROM GOLD": Thank you so much for having me. I'm delighted to be with you.
WHITFIELD: All right, we're going to help kids get a job. And you say the first tip is think beyond the obvious. What do you mean?
LECHTER: When you think about teen unemployment, it's almost triple what the average unemployment is for adults. As these people come off unemployment rolls, it's going to get worse for young people, and certainly for minority kids, it's even higher.
So we want to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit in these kids and have them think beyond the typical babysitting and lawn service, maybe create a network of babysitters, offer reading, enrichment, and art, help parents have a better life, not just babysit but help them educate their kids.
WHITFIELD: And you say, try to determine a need that you can fulfill. And that's really the mantra, whenever you're to start up a business, what is needed out there? What will people grab onto?
LECHTER: Just think of all the struggling businesses that are out there. A teen could come up with the concept of going to a property manager at an office building downtown, set up a teen entrepreneur fair, and sell wears of local business opportunities, go sell movie tickets or tickets to the water park.
And as the parents come down from work, say, surprise your family. So not only does the local business win, the teens win and the families win because it helps mom and dad bring home something fun.
WHITFIELD: And you say start a business around something that interests you.
LECHTER: And it's so important. Combine your passion and your talent with what you want to do as a business. Many kids love to bike, as an example. You could set up a biking fair or a biking repair area at a local grocery store or teach young kids how to bike.
Do something that you truly love. People that are also very -- this generation is also very concerned about the environment. So start going to your neighbors and offer to replace all their light bulbs with energy-saving light bulbs.
These kids are very, very smart. Allow them and encourage them to think about what they can do to make money, because once they understand how to make money on their own that is a skill that will last them a lifetime.
WHITFIELD: It sounds like you're also asking them to be a little more philanthropic, too.
LECHTER: It's always very important to give back. The way we got out of the Great Depression was through capitalism and entrepreneurship, and the way we're going to get out of this current economic slump is through capitalism, entrepreneurship, and giving back, adding value to the world.
WHITFIELD: And you say you don't have to go far, you don't have to look far. You can find some of these opportunities right at home. For example?
LECHTER: Absolutely. Your parents are your best source and biggest cheerleaders. They may have that spare room that needs to get painted or they may have an attic full of stuff that you can say, mom, dad,, I'm going to clean it out and take to it the swap meet. And you can make hundreds of dollars. So start at home, and your neighbors.
WHITFIELD: And volunteer, sometimes that's a great road in which to find some employment.
LECHTER: One of the biggest concerns I have about these teens not being able to find jobs is the amount of idle time that they have. A lot of things that are not positive can happen with a lot of idle time.
So if you haven't been able to find a job, go volunteer for a local charity, volunteer for a hospital, because by volunteering you're going to meet people that are going to need to hire people in the future. So by expanding your network and by giving back to others, not only will you feel better, but you're going to be adding value to those around you.
WHITFIELD: The volunteer work might be priceless. But when you hear someone say, you can start your own business, sometimes that also means a little capital. And if you don't have any money, how do you find that seed money to get started?
LECHTER: That's where I'm calling on the baby boomers, those of us who are out there to give a hand up, not a handout to these teenagers. Give them an opportunity. We talked early in your show about micro-lending in the third-world countries. Let's do some micro-lending here in America.
Help that young person. We have a program here in Phoenix where kids take bubble gum machines out to local businesses and let businesses host them, and they earn money while they're learning object entrepreneurship. Extend a hand if you have a business. Find teens to help you sell your wares and host them. Allow them to come into your business and set up a shop, set up a table that says my entrepreneur business. The young person is going to realize the value of collaboration and opportunity.
WHITFIELD: Fantastic. Sharon Lechter, author of "Three Feet from Gold," I want to be a teenager again just to try out these tips because they sound quite brilliant. Thanks for your time.
LECHTER: Thank you so much.
We also have a board game called "Thrive Time for Teens" that just won an award. It teaches young people how important it is not only how they spend their money but how they spend their time. It teaches them about entrepreneurship and about how to make more money, keep it, and make it work for them.
WHITFIELD: Smart stuff. We love smart. Thanks so much, Sharon. Appreciate it. Have a great weekend.
LECHTER: I'm delighted to be here. Thank you so much.
WHITFIELD: OK, the BP oil disaster from a child's perspective now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We won't have any more seafood. I wish it didn't even happen because we can't have the beach for Fourth of July.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Children anxious about spill's impact. Hear their concerns coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories right now.
Admiral Michael Mullen is visiting the Middle East today with stops in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met with the leaders of both countries, and he assured Afghan President Hamid Karzai that General David Petraeus will continue General Stanley McChrystal's efforts to stabilize the country.
Petraeus is President Obama's pick to replace McChrystal.
And a union that represents U.S. border patrol agents disputes Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's comments about illegal immigrants. She says most are drug mules working for Mexico cartels. The union says that's not true. In our next hour, we'll look at the dangers some migrant workers are facing when they climb aboard the death train.
And there are new worries about the oil disaster in the Gulf today connected to tropical storm Alex. If it hits the leak site, all recovery efforts could be suspended for two weeks. Right now, that's not expected to happen, but Alex's winds are likely to kick up waves which could push more oil toward the shoreline.
The BP oil spill is a heartbreaking disaster. But for many children, it's also extremely frightening. They are worrying about what it will do to the wildlife, their families' jobs and their own future.
CNN's Gary Tuchman talked with some kids who live in an area of Louisiana hit hard by the spill. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: How many of you know the name of your parish? How many of you know the name of your town?
What do you think about this oil spill?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't like how the oil spill happened because it killed a lot of fish.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All the pelicans got full of oil.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It can hurt a lot of animals, and I care for the animals. And I don't want them to die.
TUCHMAN: What are you worried about?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My dad could lose his job.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My mom says you're just a kid, you shouldn't worry about all that work stuff. It doesn't -- it's not like we'll lose our house or anything.
TUCHMAN: Are you worried, though?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kind of.
TUCHMAN: Tell me why you're worried if your parents say not to worry?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know even if they tell me there, I know there's still something wrong. Just because they tell me that, they're just trying to cheer me up.
TUCHMAN: Your dad's a boat fixer. That's a cool job. Do you want to do that when you get older?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably.
TUCHMAN: OK. Are you worried about your dad's job right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: Tell me why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If he falls in the water, he doesn't know what's going to happen to him.
TUCHMAN: Have you stockholder your mom that you're worried about this?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: What does she say?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's going to be out soon and just don't worry about it.
TUCHMAN: Are you worried about it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: But they tell you not to worry about it? How come you're still worried?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because it's still there and it's not going away.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It can get on our bodies and we don't know what's going to happen. It can kill us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If oil is on you, you can barely move. You can drown in the water if oil is stuck on you.
TUCHMAN: Do you think you might have to move?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe, because we might not be able to take baths.
TUCHMAN: Not able to take baths anymore, because you don't want to take an oily bath.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's sad at the beach. You better be careful around it.
TUCHMAN: Because it could be an oily sand castle?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: Tell me what you're worried about?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We wouldn't have any more seafood.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We won't have the beach for Fourth of July.
TUCHMAN: How many of you like this area? How many of you want to stay in this area? How many of you love this area? What do you want to happen to the oil?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Disappear.
TUCHMAN: Vanish.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Gary Tuchman talking to a lot of kids there on the Louisiana coast area and their concerns about the Gulf oil spill.
Saving wildlife from the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico while building up America. CNN's Tom Foreman has the story of two boat builders doing just that in Pensacola Beach, Florida.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mark Castlow and Jimbo Meador are launching an idea.
JIMBO MEADOR, CO-OWNER, DRAGONFLY BOATWORKS, LLC: The main purpose is to recover oiled wildlife. That's what it's designed for.
FOREMAN: As co-owners of Dragonfly Boatworks, they've spent their lives on the water and were sickened by pictures of animals dying in the catastrophe. So they set out to dramatically modify a line of your boats to come to the rescue.
Completely funded by donations and on their own time, the men consulted wildlife biologists to produce what they believe is the first boat ever made specifically for this work.
FOREMAN (on camera): The basic problem with many boats is they just can't go into shallow marshes ...
MEADOR: Right because of the -- it draws too much water.
FOREMAN (voice-over): These boats operate in less than a foot of water, slipping up silently on injured animals. A big work table allows instant care instead of a long ride to a cleaning station first, while an adjustable shade canopy and mist nozzles lower the crushing temperatures. The boats are even wired for Internet access. It's a labor of love.
MARK CASTLOW, CO-OWNER, DRAGONFLY BOATWORKS, LLC: Really it's challenging on our business. But this is what we should be doing right now.
FOREMAN: The biggest trouble? They've been unable to get approval from BP and the government to put their boats to work. After we made a half-dozen calls, the unified command center admit that had juggling all the offers of help has been a problem.
FOREMAN (on camera): Do you think you can overcome all of that and actually get these boats working on the water?
CASTLOW: Yes. We will.
MEADOR: We will do it.
FOREMAN (voice-over): So the dragonfly team says they will keep turning out their innovative boats confident in time they will prove to be lifesavers. Tom Foreman, CNN, Pensacola Beach, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And getting ready for Ghana. The U.S. World Cup team is facing its next challenge and it's -- will it win or go home? We'll take you life to South Africa next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, it's a big day for U.S. soccer fans. The American World Cup team is taking on Ghana in the knockout stage. So will they win and stay or will they lose and come on home?
Our Alex Thomas is in Johannesburg, South Africa. Richard Roth is in New York hanging out with some fans there, too. We're going to begin with you, Alex, in South Africa. We know the U.S. is taking on Ghana. It's the last African team, so something tells me that there's going to be tremendous support in South Africa for Ghana.
ALEX THOMAS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: There will be. But don't take that as complete carte blanche. Hello from Johannesburg. We're a couple of hours drive away from Rustenburg where the United States will take on Ghana. They kicked off just a few minutes ago.
But it's now win-or-bust for the USA and for Ghana as well. Although they are the only remaining African representatives in this, the first-ever World Cup to be held on African soil, it doesn't mean all the crowd will be for Ghana because there are plenty of American fans over here.
But more than we can ever recall, the American team mentioned it really helped them in their game against Algeria and saw all the fans wearing the stars and stripes and their crazy outfits, waving their flags. It really gave the team a boost.
And from what I hear from our CNN team on the ground at the match, more of the same as well taking place at the moment. Its nil- nil the score in the early stages of this match. The USA is trying to get through to the quarterfinals for the first time since the 2002 World Cup and gain revenge on Ghana who beat them and helped knock them out of the last World Cup in Germany four years ago in the group stages.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness, lots of excitement there. Thanks so much, Alex. We'll be checking back with you because kickoff is only minutes from now? Game has already begun?
THOMAS: It's begun for a few minutes. It's nil-nil. We've had about four minutes of time.
WHITFIELD: All right, we'll check back with you. We know anything can happen anywhere in the game. Thanks, Alex.
Let's head to New York now where surely there are tons of fans who have poured out there in front of the TV screens in their own home or maybe they're in the tunnel there with Richard Roth where folks are watching the game. Remind me where you are, what tunnel, and why?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N.CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, we're under the Manhattan Bridge in Brooklyn in New York City with hundreds of fans now watching the match.
Tom, what's your sense -- early sense of the U.S. performance and how you're hoping it goes today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first ten minutes, both teams are going to be filling out what the field is like and the pressure and the moment and situation. I think we're doing already. We've had a little bit of possession and we're defending well.
ROTH: Roxanne, what do you think?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're looking good. It's been a pretty even keel so far.
ROTH: Jeff, what do you think of the U.S. and Ghana, the only African team? Any sympathy left for Ghana?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I spent six months as a student there in the '90s. So I have a lot of sympathy for them and I like the way they play. But the U.S. looks good. It's an open game.
ROTH: Ghana has just scored, which means people are going to start to get very upset. This early start of the U.S. team, always a slow start.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't believe I'm on live television when this just happened. It's the same story as the last three games.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not worried. Not worried.
ROTH: Don't blame us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: U.S. and the cardiac kids. They have come back when they've needed to and they're going to come back in this one.
ROTH: I believe only two teams have come back in this World Cup after falling behind. Don't blame us if they lose. Thank you, Jeff, Tom, and Roxanne. Fredricka, back to you.
WHITFIELD: Guess what, not even ten minutes into the game, folks, don't have a heart attack just yet. Enjoy the game. We'll check back with you, Richard, with the U.S. taking on Ghana.
OK, you will want to hear this before you get your breakfast cereal tomorrow morning. Kellogg's is recalling some of its most popular cereals. We'll tell you which ones right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories right now. Kellogg's has issued a massive cereal recall. It is recalling 28 million boxes of some of its most popular brands, including Corn Pops, Honey Smacks, Fruit Loops, and Apple Jax. The company says the potential for serious health risks is low but an unusual flavor and smell in the lining of the box could cause nausea and even diarrhea.
And there's extremely tight security going on in Toronto where world leaders have gathered to talk about economic issues. President Obama is among those attending the G-8 and G-20 summit this weekend. And there have been several protests and some security scares that turned out to be actually false alarms.
And a new health scare for former vice president Dick Cheney. The 69-year-old Cheney is in George Washington University hospital this afternoon. He was admitted yesterday for testing after saying he wasn't feeling well. Doctors won't say exactly what's wrong with Cheney, although he has a long history of heart trouble. He is expected to remain in the hospital throughout the weekend.
The first anniversary of actress Farrah Fawcett's death is being marked by a moment of family unity. Yesterday her son Redmond O'Neal visited his mother's grave for the first time. He was on a day pass from court-ordered drug rehab. He and his father and sister were near tears when they gave an interview to CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN O'NEAL, FARRAH FAWCETT'S COMPANION: I miss her a lot.
Redmond is doing extremely well. He's recovering from a terrible disease. He seems to have cured himself. We're thrilled about that. And that's why he's here, because ...
REDMOND O'NEAL, FARRAH FAWCETT'S SON: Thanks for letting everybody know I'm doing good.
TATUM O'NEAL, FARRAH FAWCETT'S STEPDAUGHTER: And how handsome he is and how much he looks like Farrah and how proud she would be, and how lucky I am that I can at least be here because he's so awesome. Oh, I'm going to cry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So this is your first visit to her grave then, today?
REDMOND O'NEAL: Today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the anniversary?
REDMOND O'NEAL: Yes. It was very nice, very beautifully setup. I'm just happy that I'm able to be there for her, you know?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The O'Neals spoke to CNN at the hoping of the Farrah Fawcett Foundation. The foundation will help fund research into alternative methods of curing cancer, the disease that killed Fawcett. Age is no limit ...
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, age is no limit for an alleged bank robber. Some call him the "geezer bandit," and he apparently strikes again.
But first, in the future world of the Jetsons, robots were programmed to help out with chores around the house. You remember that. Some Japanese researchers, however, are working on a robot that might actually wake you up in the middle of the night but could help solve a big problem facing their nation.
Kyung Lah has the story in today's "Edge of Discovery."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is Yotara, baby robot. He giggles, sneezes, and even cries with a runny nose until you touch his warm silicone skin and calm him down.
"A robot can't be human," says Yotaro project leader Hiroki Kunimura, "but it's great if this robot triggers human emotions so humans want to have their own baby."
All of this to make the robot as human-like and baby-like as possible and get a woman's biological clock ticking. Japan has a major population problem. One of the world's lowest birthrates coupled with the fastest aging population.
Japan's government is desperate to produce more children is now paying families $150 per month per child until he or she reaches high school.
"Yotaro changed how I feel about babies. I'm now paying more attention to babies on the street." Yotaro is not a complex robot, and after a few minutes, a tad redundant. But this robot already succeeds in at least getting people thinking about babies, the first step, they hope, in helping to solve a serious human dilemma.
Kyung Lah, CNN, Japan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: I'd say it's time for some water cooler action. They say age is only a number. And for southern California's the so-called "geezer bandit," his magic number is 11. Why? Because of the 11 banks that he so far has successfully robbed in the past year.
The FBI says he struck again Thursday at a Bank of America branch in Temecula. He's in his 70s. And don't forget the prescription glasses or the revolver that he says he'll use if bank tellers don't comply with his demand notes. And he's an older gentleman with a more constructive approach on living well in his golden years. Meet Merrill Mattsinger. He starts off every day with 1,500 abdominal crunches. Show those abs, will you please? And a daily exercise regimen that keeps him young all these years.
He's 95, but the first thing Merrill does when he wakes up, he thanks god that he is alive. He is fit and in shape.
And we have discovered a goose-stepping chicken in the country of Turkey. Are you confused yet? The militant rooster parades around a parking lot swinging its drumsticks and thighs high and straight. We're not sure how this talented chicken acquired these marching skills. Maybe he's been watching a lot of old World War II movies or something, or maybe he likes the attention he's getting. That's kind of fun.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: You may not be able to go to South Africa for the World Cup, but that doesn't mean that you can't check out South African cuisine right here in the U.S. We're giving you a taste straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: We're all hooked, aren't we? The World Cup is getting Americans more interested in football, soccer.
It's also putting a spotlight on the culinary specialties that World Cup host South Africa has to offer, and we're so lucky, because CNN editorial producer Nadia Bilchik is here, our resident know- everything and our resident South African who's going to give us a taste -- what do we look for when we go to dine with South African cuisine?
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: South African cuisine is remarkable. They say a culture is really assessed by how many different influences there are by the food. You have the indigenous culture and the European culture and then you have this wonderful Malaysian culture, which is a story in and of its own.
And you have this extraordinary food and wine, at some point we need to get to the wine, this is superb blended cuisine. In fact, last night, I went to the South African restaurant based here in Atlanta called ten degrees south.
And there they serve a variety of South African food in all its complexity. The best of South African wine, South African wine in the '60s was the best in the world. Then during apartheid, South Africa wasn't allowed to transport wine. So post-apartheid, post-Mandela, we see this extraordinary resurgence of the best of South African wine.
Right here, we have a kind of Bailey's. And you also get something called Amarilla. As we say, good luck.
WHITFIELD: That's very delicious.
BILCHIK: Different tastes, different flavors, best wine, best food ...
WHITFIELD: It is a little chocolaty.
BILCHIK: It is. And you have Don Pedro, which is another unique South African drink. You have it over ice with ice cream. If the U.S. wins against Ghana today, let's hope that's what we'll be celebrating with and some other South African delicacies and wine.
WHITFIELD: Do we get to check those out?
BILCHIK: We do. Let's check out some of the wine and foods.
WHITFIELD: Because I'm hungry.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILCHIK: Here I am at Ten Degrees South, the South African restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, enjoying some of the amazing food and wine that South Africans and visitors at the World Cup are enjoying. One of the things Derek has spoken about is this.
DEREK ANTHONY, RESTAURANT OWNER: This is a form of grits. It's cooked very firm. We have a tradition onion tomato salsa that goes on top. That's how you eat it. And you would actually just break it up and mush it up like that and then just use your fork. Back home we use our hand.
BILCHIK: When people say, what is South African food?
ANTHONY: South African food is a fusion. It's a fusion of Malay, Dutch, Mediterranean. We've taken the best of everybody's palettes and fused them together.
BILCHIK: A perfect example is your built-on Caesar salad. And one of the best-kept secrets is Amarilla, which is a wonderful after- dinner drink. And South Africa has wonderful brandy and sherry.
It's wonderful to know, here we are sitting in the United States of America in Atlanta, Georgia, enjoying some of the dishes that are indigenous to South Africa. So thank you very much and cheers.
ANTHONY: Cheers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: I need to now head to Ten Degrees South. I've got a burning sensation in my stomach, I think because I have an empty stomach and I just drank that. It's time to go there and have a little lunch.
BILCHIK: And did you see that salad? That was a Caesar salad and it had a dried meat on it. The difference from jerky is jerky is more processed. With this meat, you have a naturally dry -- and they make their own there.
WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness.
BILCHIK: And in fact, the person who was shooting, the built-on (ph) salad was so delicious, we didn't leave any left.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: It was done.
BILCHIK: And then of course, the wine. The South African wine.
WHITFIELD: Oh, fantastic.
BILCHIK: Not to mention ...
WHITFIELD: Well, maybe next weekend, we need to feature some South African wine to talk about that.
BILCHIK: And drink some South African wine.
WHITFIELD: But of course. You can't enjoy it and talk about it without drinking it, too.
BILCHIK: And then, I say to you the last South African ...
WHITFIELD: Moderation.
BILCHIK: ... word, which is koneko (ph) ...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
BILCHIK: ...which means it's time, and that's the slogan for the FIFA World Cup, which is it's time for the World Cup, but also, it's time for South Africa to be seen in a new light. Instead of only poverty and AIDS, let's see the sophistication, the beauty and the miracle that is South Africa.
WHITFIELD: Wow. It looks like that's happening. Nadia Bilchik, thanks so much. Koneka?
BILCHIK: Koneko.
WHITFIELD: Koneko. I like that. All right, thanks so much.
BILCHIK: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: See you soon.
