Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Petraeus Officially Assumes Command in Afghanistan

Aired July 02, 2010 - 14:30   ET

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

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: There's going to be a new ocean in 10 million years. In the middle of the Atlantic ocean, there's a rift. Now in the middle of the Atlantic ocean there's a rift. The middle Atlantic ocean is getting wider and wider. The Atlantic ocean is growing apart, we're getting farther from Europe every day, a little bit.

T.J.HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Some wouldn't mind that.

MYERS: But there is going to be another rift right through here through Ethiopia that is going to push off the other side of Ethiopia itself. There will actually be small little ocean in 10 million years there will be a new ocean Afar. The afar rift, go look it up.

HOLMES: Of course right now ,you can walk on what will later be the ocean floor.

MYERS: You can walk on the lava that's filling in this rift right now. I don't recommend it because it's hot. When it's under the ocean, you can't see it but it's pretty cool.

HOLMES: 10 million years, though, who's making that prediction? Who put 10 million on it?

MYERS: That's how long it's going to take for this rift -- it only formed in 2005 with a couple of earthquakes and a volcano. This is only about ten years apart from where we are now, from five years where it starts.

As it starts to go back and forth and wider and wider. Here are some of the pictures here. They're way over there. But you can, can you see the little split in the land? Well in 2004, that split wasn't there. So good thing you don't like have your $10 million house on that split somewhere in southern California.

But it's going to continue to get wider and wider. And it's long now -- hundreds of kilometers long. So they expect it to continue to split and eventually an ocean will fill in there.

HOLMES: And what's going to happen to Ethiopia?

MYERS: Well you know we'll all be dead then anyway, 10 million years from now, really?

HOLMES: I'm concerned. Somebody's going to have to cover the story later.

MYERS: Better have some good stem cells to last that long.

HOLMES: All right, Chad "Off The Radar" As we appreciate you. .

We're going to head here in a moment. The story happening in Pakistan, second largest city. Well we're seeing now armed mobs on the streets looking some would say for revenge in the wake of an attack on a holy shrine. We're going to be taking you there live.

(COMMERICAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Welcome back, folks. In today's "Globe Trekking", we're taking you over to Afghanistan. And that is where General David Petraeus has now arrived. Of course, he is replacing General Stanley McChrystal. Petraeus just confirmed this week, and again yes, already he is over and on the job.

This comes at the time that there's been a deadly suicide attack on a U.S.-affiliated compound in the northern part of that country five people killed there.. You're taking a look at some of the aftermath. Those are humanitarian aid subcontractors working with USAID. No Americans though killed in that explosion.

We turn also today to Pakistan where we have been keeping an eye there after a deadly suicide attack on a holy shrine. This happened in the city of Lahore. At least 50 people killed, another 200 wounded. Our International Correspondent-Senior International Correspondent, Nic Robertson, is live for us in Islamabad.

Nic hello to you..

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey there T.J. Yes A very deadly attack. And there's always--already been very strong reaction on the streets. Men from that mosque - and this is a Modra (ph) shrine rather, men from that shrine already coming out on the streets with weapons demanding revenge saying they will attack whoever it was who was responsible for this, T.J.

HOLMES: Nic, who do we know is responsible? Has there been word yet for who is responsible or is somebody taking responsibility yet?

ROBERTSON: No claims of responsibility. A group of moderate Sunni leaders is effectively blaming the Pakistani Taliban. But they're also blaming the prime minister and the chief minister of Punjab province where is the province where Lahore is. It's the most populous province in the country saying these officials should resign because there were warnings about this type of attack and the government hasn't done enough to protect the people.

So there's a big backlash, a lot of anger, fingers pointed at the Pakistani Taliban but no claim of responsibility yet T.J..

HOLMES: And Nic, remind our viewers of the significance of this mosque, this sect of Islam as well and why it possibly was a target. ROBERTSON They're moderates. This is a moderate shrine, it's one of the most important shrines in the country. The people that pray there are in the majority in the country. They're Sunni Muslims, moderate Sunni Muslims.

A lot of the Taliban are made up of radical Wahhabi Sunnis more--much more extreme, much more conservative and in the past, they have been the ones who have attacked these types of targets. There have been sectarian killings in this city before. But this seems to be extremist Sunnis attacking moderate Sunnis, closed-circuit camera video shot when the explosions took off showed one of the attackers rushing in, a guard chasing him, for the explosion blew people off their feet and out of the courtyard at the shrine.

And already one family has called in to say they recognize the attacker as being from their family, and that's somebody in Lahore but the police have yet to confirm that T.J..

HOLMES: All right Nic Robertson for us in Islamabad. Nic we appreciate you as always , thanks so much.

Stay with us here. We're going to turn to Africa, South Africa, in particular here. We know the World Cup has been going on for sometime now. And today, we saw a big upset because Brazil, the tournament favorite, is going home. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well the World Cup continues. The U.S. is out. But there's still reason for you to pay attention. A couple of big story lines happening today. One, Ghana, really the hopes of an entire continent resting on this team which is in action today trying to move on.

And also, the tournament favorite is going home. Let's turn to my dear friend, Isha Sesay, joining us now live from Soccer City in Johannesburg. I wonder what the biggest story would be here today, Isha, if Ghana was able to move on or the fact that Brazil is going home? What would you say would be the bigger story?

ISHA SESAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think the bigger story would be Ghana's progression because you have to remember that no African team has made to it the semifinals ever. Ghana's only the third ever African side to make it to the quarterfinals.

The two before, Cameroon and Senegal, Senegal back in 2002. So I think you know you can't really underestimate how much it means for the entire African continent to have Ghana potentially on the brink of making history.

I mean this is a physical side T.J. sure you're well aware of how good the side is as they knocked the U.S. out of the tournament. I just thought I'd mention that for you. They're a physical side, they have pace. The question is, have they got the quality to get the goals they need? The match started at 8:30 local time. It's just some ten minutes gone. Uruguay clearly already pressing Ghana. Uruguay with great some strikers some great attacking players in the form of Diego Forlan, and his strike partner Louis Suarez. So Ghana have a big battle on their hands T.J..

HOLMES: Yes and--but they're just so quick. Those guys are lightning fast, and we talk about how are they going to get the goals. But they always seem to come up with the goals that they need and they certainly did against the U.S. as well. But let's go to the other story I'm sure a lot of people are buzzing about there. The fact that Brazil got beat by a formidable opponent, no doubt. But still the fact that Brazil is going home, this is not supposed to happen.

SESAY: : No, this is not supposed to happen. This is a tournament that's been full of shocks already. Because look at it. We have France is out already. We have Italy out. We already have Portugal knocked out in their match on Tuesday. And now Brazil, the team that had won the World Cup five times, looking to get it for a sixth time. A historic sixth time my mistake. T

hey are packing their bags and going home. This is a team, T.J, to point out for our viewers, that already came into the tournament with actual Brazil fans sitting on the fence about the quality of football they were playing.

Yes, they were scoring goals and they were defensive. But you know I think we talked about this last hour. It's not exactly a team full of flair you know? This is a hard-working, disciplined team, not lots of showmanship. So to have them knocked out of the tournament without flair, without these great performances, I have to tell you the journalists in Portugal already sharpening their knives for the Brazil coach T.J..

HOLMES: Oh my goodness. Well you're right they have had some of the flashiest and flair-filled players really over the years and this wasn't that kind of team this year. Isha, good to see you as always. And it's 90 degrees here in Atlanta. What's the weather like there in South Africa?

SESAY: Oh, yes It's cold. But thanks for sharing. I appreciate that. I'll be home soon.

HOLMES: You look bundled up, well we look forward to welcome you back home, Isha, good to see you as always. Talk to you soon dear lady.

Well the world of a fashion model and the world of an inner city schoolteacher. They may seem worlds apart. But in "Mission Possible", talking to one woman who's done both and a whole lot more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Taking a look now at some of the stories making headlines, won't be today but NASA plans to try once again to dock an unmanned cargo vessel at the international space station. Who had passed the station during a docking attempt earlier today. NASA said it was a fluke. Re-supply vessel is carrying food, water and other items to a six-member crew aboard the space station. Two suspects in an alleged Russian spy ring have told investigators their real names now, both admitted to being Russian citizens. According to court documents, they say the names they previously used were fake ids. The judge ordered them along with a third suspect to remain in custody during a federal court appearance today. Another hearing is set for Wednesday. 11 people in all are accused in this case.

And on day 74 of the Gulf oil disaster. EPA chief Lisa Jackson is back in the region holding a town hall meeting in New Orleans. Her visit comes a day after her agency and the Coast Guard issued a directive to BP on how to deal with the massive clean-up effort. This is her sixth trip to the Gulf since the April 20th rig explosion.

Also this is coming to us from Los Angeles. Closing arguments complete in the murder trial of a former bay area Rapid Transit Police Officer. The jury receiving instructions. You see this video here the officer was seen on tape pushing a black passenger to the ground, then shooting him in the back. This was back in 2009. But, again, the update here is that it appears the jury is about to get this case. We'll continue to stay on top of that.

Meanwhile, Kate Gibbs was a high-fashion model. Appearing in magazines Elle Vogue, doing the whole mode l thing. She's also an artist and she's the creator of some custom-made jewelry. All right but these days, where can you find her? Not in the magazine, not in the jewelry store but in inner city schools in Long Branch, New Jersey. She joins us now from New York. Please dear lady help us understand this career decision. How do you go from magazines like Elle and Vogue to inner city schools? Why did you make the switch?

KATE GIBBS FORMER MODEL: Hi, T.J. how are you? You know, glamour sometimes can be a bit overrated. I really enjoyed my time in fashion. I enjoyed it tremendously. It's amazing and I was very lucky to have some wonderful opportunities to walk on runways, to be in magazines and travel all over the world.

But at the end of the day, I think I needed to make a little bit more of a difference on a daily basis. And I really enjoyed spending time working with children. I was lucky after several years of working in fashion to have an opportunity come up where I could work in a school district, take a government fellowship in education and take a position to get the training and the qualifications to be a schoolteacher and having that background, I've been able to learn about all the government systems in place for children and families as well as really learn about what it really takes to be a teacher. It's not that easy.

HOLMES: No, trust me, I know. My mom's a retired elementary schoolteacher. So I know those stories. But was this something you'd ever thought about doing while you were still in the fashion industry? Did you always have something in the back of your mind you really wanted to work with kids?

GIBBES: To be honest with you, no, I didn't. I grew up in a family of educators, artist, musicians. Both of my parents were teachers. My father was a professional surfer who turned into a teacher and superintendent. I swore I would never do it.

In fact turned down modeling contracts when I was 17 years old to pursue education. To get my degree at Villanova University. And as soon as I could get out with my degree, move to New York and shoot a campaign and travel all around doing the fashion thing. I jumped at it. But after several years of styling celebrities, of walking on the runways and living that life, I just knew there was a little bit more that I personally needed to contribute on a daily basis. I was raised that way. .

And the job came up, and I really took advantage of the opportunity. They had amazing innovative programs and they were very generous to include me and give me the chance to change careers, which is not an easy thing to do, especially from such diverse worlds.

HOLMES: What kind of response did you get from your fellow models and others in the fashion industry that you were about to go -- this is not a story we hear every day, going from runways to inner city schools.

What was the reaction you got?

GIBBS: You know I think people were a little bit shocked. I don't think anyone quite understood that. I think people on either side of the world were questioning, what are you really doing and why are you doing this?

But my family -- I was raised with a great deal of social consciousness. And I knew it was a move that I personally needed to make. And they really backed me up. And were supportive of that. I think either world is very different. And I think you need to live your life for what you feel you can contribute to society and what will make you happy along the way and doing not only this job as a teacher but I've always been involved in program development and social entrepreneurship which is someone who uses entrepreneurial business skills to improve social situations.

And being able to pull together the diverse worlds really enabled me to do a lot. So I feel I was given a gift to be able to take advantage of this opportunity.

HOLMES: Well, Kate Gibbs, it is an interesting story, and interesting to hear that your dad as well went from being a professional surfer to being a teacher as well. So interesting family, interesting household, it sounds like you grew up in. But congratulations to you on making the move and thank you for being with us. We hope to keep up with you down the road.

GIBBES: Oh Thank you so much, T.J.. Have a great day.

HOLMES: Oh thank you. You do the same.

Well coming up in today's "Wordplay", we usually like to keep you guessing until after the break. We're going to break it down for you in just a second. We're talking about bars and there are no cocktails or pick-up lines involved in these bars. Still want to go there? Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. Time for "Wordplay". take a term that's been in the news, take a closer look at it. Today's word, we're going after bars. Don't need to be 21 to keep watching, no hangovers here. Unless you just bought an iPhone 4. Folks have been sounding off about their pricey new phones and the finickey reception. Have you heard about the death grip?

Well basically some say they lose some or all of their bars, their signal if you hold it a certain way. Apple though says, you've got it all wrong, the iPhone's not losing reception it just didn't have as good a reception as you thought it did. Software error, da, da, da.

Well that brings us back to bars. They're a representation of your signal strength and clearly not always accurate since they have more to do with programming code than calling capability. Your word for the day. Bars.

Well how much out there is too much when it comes to celebrity divorce settlements? I'm weighing in. So are you in today's "XYZ".

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Alicia Keys had a song on her debut album. It was called" A Woman's Worth". One of the lines in there says, a real man just can't deny a woman's worth. So what is a woman's' worth?

More specifically what about the worth of the woman divorcing the man at the top of Forbes's list of richest athletes who happens to have cheated on her? What is that woman worth?

You may have heard some of those floating around out there now that Tiger Woods is going to be giving up $750 million to his wife, Elin, in a divorce.

First of all, here, Forbes quickly shot that down and said, those reported figures are not right. Tiger Woods is not even worth that much money. But when the $750 million came out, it set off that age- old debate I'm sure you've had with your friends at some point about what a woman deserves when she divorces her super rich husband.

According to the Forbes list the most expensive divorces, you got Michael Jordan at the top 168 million, Neil Diamond 150 million, Steven Spielberg 100 million.

Now here are some of the responses I got. When I put the question out via Twitter and Facebook about Tiger Woods. And I'm quoting all of these.

One said $750 million sounds about right to me, another says, all of it. Another says, she should get whatever she can get her hands on. All of those from women. On the other side here are some of the responses, quote, she is not the one swinging the golf club on the course. Another one, ",Elin shouldn't get, blank, she should go back to being a nanny". Another one, she should get what she came into the marriage with, nothing. All of those from men.

But I want to share this one from Benita (ph), " Many of us are going through the same issues with men who make far less money. Divorce can devastate finances for the average family. The mental and emotional impact on the children and other issues are far more important". Thank you for that, Benita (ph) and some civility into the conversation. Because with estimated divorce rates in this country at 40-50%

We sometimes can become desensitized to divorce and don't think about the emotional toll it takes and just think, hey, she's getting millions so she'll be fine. So what is a woman's worth? Is it possible that it's actually a whole lot more than $750 million? That's my "XYZ" Rick, it's showtime.