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Flight Attendant in Miami Jail; Obama, Boehner Play Golf; President Obama on Fatherhood; Importance of Fathers; Skeletal Science on Anthony Murder Trial
Aired June 18, 2011 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
The Casey Anthony murder trial tops the news this hour, testy exchanges today between a defense expert and the prosecution. At issue, skeletal evidence from Casey Anthony's daughter, Caylee, and the manner and cause of her death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, based on this examination, the cause of death remained unknown for those who did the first autopsy, and for me to some extent as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: David Mattingly is in Orlando following the trial. Last week a prosecution expert said that she has no doubt it was homicide, the defense is trying to counter that now, but still, other drama and the judge spoke out about it, David.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It's clear what the defense needs to do here, they are attacking all the evidence that the state is providing bringing their own witnesses to point out that this is a circumstantial case. Their challenge now is to make the jury believe their version of this is stronger than the prosecution's theory about this.
The prosecution saying that Caylee Anthony was murdered by her mother, the defense saying that Caylee Anthony was not murdered, that she tragically drowned in the family's pool. But the testimony today didn't even get started really before there were some fireworks so the judge had to weigh in warning the defense because there was an agreement here that there were supposed to be no surprises when someone comes to the stand. Both sides were supposed to know exactly what the defense was going to be talking about.
Well the defense called one of their expert witnesses who started talking about that the prosecution wasn't prepared for. The judge weighed in and here's what it sounds like when this judge scolds you. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JUDGE BELVIN PERRY, 9TH JUDICIAL COURT: I will entertain a possible instruction, if the state wants to draft one about this violation and I will decide whether or not I will do it. I will reserve the decision whether or not I should proceed to contempt proceedings when we come to the conclusion of this trial.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: Very calmly and very slowly laying it out, but there it is, he's making sure everybody knows what's very clear here, no surprises as this case goes forward. Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. David Mattingly, thanks so much, joining us from Orlando.
All right. Some say they represent a shift in AARP's stand on social security. The lobbying group says it expects cuts in social security benefits to be part of a package to make the program solvent for generations to come. AARP says that has been its position all along. The willingness of the group to support negotiations could help the White House move forward with reforms.
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is back home in Tucson today for the first since she was shot there in January. Giffords and husband astronaut Mark Kelly are spending the weekend with family. Giffords' office says they hope this will be the first of many trips back home.
A major conservative political conference is winding up at this hour. CNN's Peter Hamby is at the Republican leadership conference in New Orleans. I understand that you have some presidential straw poll results now, Peter.
PETER HAMBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka. We just got the results in from the straw poll. Ron Paul, the Texas rep, long- time libertarian hero, he always does well on these straw polls. He finished in first place. The big news though is that former ambassador to China, John Huntsman, the former Utah governor, and he didn't even show up at this event. He came out with a cold and he sent his wife, Mary Kay and several of his political team down here. He finished in second place, and he's not even a candidate yet. He was supposed to announce on Saturday, on Tuesday, excuse me.
And there were questions about how well he might do at this event because Huntsman is sort of perceived as a moderate in the field. He has broken with Republican orthodoxy on issues like climate change and same-sex marriage but he ended up finishing in second place and then third place was Michele Bachmann who as you know had impressive performance in Monday's Republican debate in New Hampshire. She came in third today, Fredericka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Peter Hamby, thanks so much.
They are also talking politics, presidential politics in Minnesota. There were two rival conferences there in Minneapolis this weekend. One involving liberal bloggers, the other involving conservative bloggers, Republican presidential candidate Michelle Bachmann as Peter was just mentioning, a Minnesota congresswoman spoke at the conservative conference.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MICHELLE BACHMANN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are now two years into an economic recovery. Were you aware of that? We're two years into it. Now normally when you go into a recovery, you begin to have a dramatic turnaround, in fact you start adding jobs at hundreds of thousands of jobs a month. How's the president doing? Not so great. That's right. We're now approaching the Obama trench of a double dip recession.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: As Bachmann someone actually threw glitter at her, as you saw right there. A gay rights activist group called Get Equal claimed responsibility.
President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner took pleasure in getting a little teed off today for their so-called golf summit. The long awaited match was played at the joint base Andrews in Maryland. It gave the two political rivals the chance to talk about some pretty big issues including U.S. debt ceiling, one thing they are mum about, so far, the score.
In other news, Afghan President Hamid Karzai says the United States is involved in peace talks with Taliban insurgents, he says while there have been no high level meetings, there have been contacts. Earlier today, CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr talked about the prospect.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (ON THE PHONE): It has long been said that Afghanistan will be solved by a political settlement with the Taliban and with the insurgents, you can't kill them all. You know, this is not going to happen. So there will be, eventually it is hoped some type of political settlement. What is going on is certainly the U.S. is trying to identify key insurgent leaders that they potentially could work with, that they and NATO could work with.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: The U.S. State Department won't confirm or deny Karzai's remarks, but it does say it supports reconciliation with insurgents willing to renounce violence.
Five inmates are coming to the defense of Amanda Knox. She is the American college student serving a 26 year sentence in Italy for killing her roommate. So far a convicted murderer and a mob boss has testified that another prisoner told them Knox had nothing to do with the murder.
Coming up, more misery in Arizona as firefighters there gain ground on the largest wildfire in state history, another one breaks out today.
Plus, this couple raised 71 kids and they want even more. We'll see what kind of advice the dad has for fathers right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. This father's day weekend we're asking you and our staff to share the best advice from dad. One of our writers Megan Ahern's dad has this fatherly advice to her. "If you don't toot your own horn, no one else will." And on my Twitter page, Happy Jamaican tweeted this about her dad saying this, "To this day, failure is an option that one cannot afford."
Thanks so much for your tweets. We have got many more we'll share with you throughout the weekend especially tomorrow. So what kind of advice might a Pennsylvania father in particular who has raised 71 kids have? Thomas Rose and his wife are foster parents, and are about to welcome home a 72nd child.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANN ROSE, FOSTER PARENT: We had children, we had grandchildren, they were getting older, they didn't have any babies. So we thought we would do this.
THOMAS ROSE, FOSTER PARENT: Part of your responsibility is to take care of them while you have them and the giving them up part, while it is hard, it's something you have to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: So Thomas Rose joins us now from Pennsylvania. Mr. Rose, thanks so much for joining us, happy father's stay this weekend.
THOMAS ROSE: Why, thank you, you're welcome.
WHITFIELD: So how long have you and your wife Ann been fostering children? I know since the grandkids and kids grew up, but about how long years wise has it been?
THOMAS ROSE: We have been at it for almost 15 years, it will be 15 years in August.
WHITFIELD: That's incredible. So how gratifying has it been?
THOMAS ROSE: It's very satisfying. It's really a lot of fun to see the little kids develop and go from not being able to sit up to maybe being able to crawl and then walk and then talk so it's pretty rewarding. A lot of fun.
WHITFIELD: So that means you and your wife have an awful lot of patience because kids are coming from all walks, of various backgrounds, et cetera, you just have to create for them a very loving environment?
THOMAS ROSE: Yes, we do, and we try to provide them with a very loving environment and you know, try and keep them safe and healthy and so forth. But also to teach them to have fun and to get a sense of humor, and if they're old enough to, teach them some manners. It's a teaching process, but it does require a lot of patience but it's a lot of fun.
WHITFIELD: So over the past 15 years, you know, helped raised 71 foster kids. How many kids do you have in your home at any one time?
THOMAS ROSE: Normally we just have one or two. At one time kind of an emergency situation, we did have five. They were siblings, that's kind of rare, but usually a couple is plenty.
WHITFIELD: So this father's day weekend, what kind of advice do you have, new fathers in particular, who are welcoming a new bundle of joy at home or perhaps have adopted maybe an older child, what kind of advice do you have for them?
THOMAS ROSE: Well, as an older person, I would say be very patient and realize that these kids grow up so darned fast that you blink your eye and the next thing you know they're grown up. So really be patient with them and love them the best and you know, have fun with them. Let them be kids.
WHITFIELD: And how about for dads who aren't necessarily welcoming new kids into the household but have been dads for some time what kind of advice do you have for them to maintain that kind of patience. And any advice on how to prolong that friendship with your kid until their adult years?
THOMAS ROSE: Well, I guess patience is the key to the thing and, you know, all they can realize is that, you know, they're raising something very special and they can just be there for their kids and you know, love them and cherish them really and it's not just the dads, the moms and dads have to work together so much. You know, they do a good job together, and just be there to support your kids. Don't be impatient with them.
WHITFIELD: Clearly you and your wife, Ann, have a great partnership to have helped raise so many kids. I wondered if you all still stay in contact with some of the kids who have moved on and grown up?
THOMAS ROSE: Some you do. Probably about, oh - some we have had for a very short time and you lose track of them. But some of the kids we have had for quite a while, you stay in contact with, maybe about 10 percent of them. And one little girl, we got here when she was two days old and we had her for two years and she's going to be 10 years old now and she comes to visit us for weeks at a time in the summer and around Christmas time. So it's kind of neat when they come back.
WHITFIELD: Oh, that's sweet. And when does that 72nd child join the family?
THOMAS ROSE: Well, I don't know. I hope somebody's working on it right now.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thomas Rose, thanks so much. Happy father's day.
THOMAS ROSE: Thank you so much.
WHITFIELD: And thanks for the advice to all the dads out there. Appreciate that.
OK. So what do you do with movie memorabilia that no one actually wants? The answer in one minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowlings has something new up her sleeve. What can it be? She launched a new Web site potter moore.com, that teases a big announcement set for 7:00 a.m. Eastern time Wednesday, (INAUDIBLE) the range from the digital comic book, to a new promotional effort for the final movie "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part II" which comes out next month.
Meantime, we've got a pretty eclectic group of movies hitting the theaters this weekend. "Green Lantern," "Mr. Popper's Penguins" and "The Art of Getting By." Film critic Grae Drake from (INAUDIBLE) and movies.com joining me now from Los Angeles. Grae, good to see you.
GRAE DRAKE, CRITIC, MOVIES.COM: Hey, Fredericka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Let's begin with "The Green Lantern," comic book superhero flick, let's take a quick peek.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I pledge allegiance to a lantern that I got from a dying purple alien.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. Grae, you are so ready for this.
DRAKE: I'm so ready.
WHITFIELD: This tells me you're going to give me a single thumbs up on this. I liked the mask.
DRAKE: Good. Because the deal with the lantern is that they can do summon anything just with their will. So what I did was sold this uniform from Warner Bros. And I'm trying to will this movie into something that I wanted to actually sit through twice. And I'm trying and it didn't work. This movie is a total disappointment.
WHITFIELD: No way.
DRAKE: Total disappointment.
WHITFIELD: (INAUDIBLE)
DRAKE: Ryan Reynolds did not get a chance to be as charming as he normally is. Blake Lively has like the personality of my armchair and it looks like the only person that's having fun in this movie is Peter Sarsgard who plays the scientist, Henry Hammond, who is furious over I think his receding hairline. And so soon he becomes telekinetic and develops a bad case of hepatitis B or yellow eyes. I don't know which one it is but it's really fun to watch. WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness.
DRAKE: The thing that the green lantern has going for it is that there's a lot of imagination in this comic series. And although it's like a pretty face adaptation as far as I understand, it's just not actiony enough.
WHITFIELD: What a disappointment.
DRAKE: Yes.
WHITFIELD: OK. So then your grade?
DRAKE: I couldn't possibly rate this movie at more than a C, because again it wasn't terrible, it just wasn't as action filled or as imaginative as I wanted it to be.
WHITFIELD: So say. Well you know what? Maybe they should have asked you in there. You brought that segment to life, maybe you would have helped bring the movie to life?
DRAKE: Ting.
WHITFIELD: That's right. I like the props. I like it very much.
So now how in the world are you going to top that one with "Mr. Popper's Penguins" now starring Jim Carrey, about a man who unexpectedly finds himself the caretaker of a group of penguins. Take a peek.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Get, go. OK. Need a little help. I get it. Watch this. There you go. Yes. Bye-bye birdie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, Mr. P.?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got your penguin for you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's not my penguin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, really?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, that could be anybody's.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Something about that Jim Carrey lately, he's really liking these films that appeal to kids too. Did you like this? I know you're a kid. You are a big kid. Did you like this?
DRAKE: I don't know why you would say that. I can't imagine.
WHITFIELD: I don't know. (CROSSTALK)
DRAKE: But let me tell you, the lowdown is, "Mr. Popper's Penguins" is a predictable piece of poppy cock. I was thoroughly prepared for Jim Carrey to perpetuate his position as a prince of puns but this picture left me perplexed.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. You're killing me with that (INAUDIBLE).
DRAKE: Yes (INAUDIBLE)
WHITFIELD: That's good.
DRAKE: About eight million. I mean, none, none. I just thought that up right now. But no, the movie is I think insulting to anyone over the age of eight. Imagine "Mrs. Doubtfire," minus the drag, plus the water fowl. And like I'm no snob, Fredericka, OK. But when your movie relies this heavily on penguin poop jokes, you're in trouble.
WHITFIELD: Oh, no.
DRAKE: I actually think that PETA is going to be on the filmmaker's case for forcing the penguins to participate in this film.
WHITFIELD: You kill me. (INAUDIBLE)
DRAKE: You can find me on Youtube later.
WHITFIELD: OK. We're going to play this tomorrow. All right. So wait a minute, your grade then. There's no p on the grade scale.
DRAKE: I wish that I could give this movie a p, but I gave it an F, F, F. Seriously, I think that your children, really young children might like it, but not anybody older.
WHITFIELD: Oh, what a grade.
DRAKE: I feel so sad for Jim Carrey. He's great. Carla Gugino great too. Not just a good movie.
WHITFIELD: And the penguins, they had to be great.
DRAKE: The penguins, cute, loud, funny but you know, whatever (INAUDIBLE).
WHITFIELD: OK. So didn't float your boat. OK. So let's move on to "The Art of Getting By." Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts. Let's take a quick look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why not? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything's meaningless, including the assignment, unfortunately.
I have no idea what I'm doing here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The stuff is fantastic. They're just due to George. This is just who you are.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George, what are you doing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm drawing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: OK. So the kids in this movie doesn't do his home work, but he makes friends and though there are adventures, were you digging this?
No.
DRAKE: Freddie Highmore in this movie, now he is the main star, the main character of "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory." Now imagine that that young, you know, cute, sweet, innocent wide eyed child full of wonder has grown up into a fatalistic, lazy, uncooperative high school senior that doesn't do his home work like you said. And that's this movie. He meets a girl, he has trouble with his parents. His principal played by Blair Underwood, you know, yells at him and the movie just never really gets interesting. They're much better coming of age dramas out there, it tries to be funny. I don't know, it didn't really work. There's an independent film out there right now called "Submarine: that's much better than this.
WHITFIELD: OK. Grade?
DRAKE: Yes. I gave it D because the performers, you know, they're trying real hard, but it's just been a bumber week for movies, I thought.
WHITFIELD: Oh, that's too bad. Oh, man. OK, well, the movie maker's got to try it but it didn't pass through inspection.
DRAKE: I admire their efforts but man, I just wasn't blown away by anything this week.
WHITFIELD: I see.
All right. Great, Drake. Hopefully next weekend or the next weekend after that, there will be a winner in there.
DRAKE: Fingers crossed. I got my ring ready, I'm putting it to work.
WHITFIELD: I love that ring. All right, good job. Thanks so much, Grae.
DRAKE: Thanks so much, Fredericka. Bye.
WHITFIELD: Bye-bye.
All right. Maybe to match that ring, a very unique lawn ornament. Any interest out there? How about a pink flamingo, maybe a fiberglass King Kong. And then you got to go to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for this.
CNN's Tom Foreman has the latest installment of "Building Up America."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On an old farm outside Oshkosh -
MEL SCHETTL, BUSINESSMAN Yes, we do have a lot of unusual items.
FOREMAN: A wonderland is growing.
SCHETTL: I just call it a collection of art.
FOREMAN: An open air emporium of nostalgia, whimsy and whatever else catches Mel Schettl's interest. He has rescued these items from old restaurants, theme parks even movie sets for 30 years, no they are rescuing him.
SCHETTL: Well, those items are actually helping us make us through the tough times.
FOREMAN: Mel Schettl's main business is building materials but as construction has stumbled, he has found himself relying more on the foot traffic and trade brought by well, this -
SCHETTL: This is a reproduction of a rodeo type bull. This is an eagle fabricated out of all steel. This is a fairly popular piece. Some people might think it's unusual, I don't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My daughter wanted us to stop here and I'm glad we stopped.
FOREMAN: Many people come just to look, but plenty end up buying.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know how much that is?
SCHETTL: The neon porch sign is $650. A lot of individuals will buy it for home use, yard art, interior art, other businesses use it for interior and exterior art work to get attention the same as we do.
FOREMAN: It is not an economic cure all, but it makes up for some of the weakness in his other trade.
SCHETTL: Well, I don't know how much of an advantage I have, I do know some of my competitors are gone and we're still here, so it must be helping us some.
FOREMAN: And in the building business these days, hanging on can be enough. Tom Foreman, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A major case of airline insecurity, police say a man stole another man's identity in order to work as a flight attendant.
Alison Kosik joins us now from New York. So, Alison, a pretty alarming misstep here.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, it really is a big misstep if you ask me.
In Miami, in court this morning, we learned that when he was confronted at the airport, Jophan - Jophan Porter refused to say who he was, why he allegedly stole someone's ID and got a job as a flight attendant for American Eagle. They only learned who he was when the FBI fingerprinted him. They know he came from the U.S. - from Guyana, but there are questions about his - his ties to there - to that country.
Porter has been charged with six counts of identity theft and three counts of forgery in Miami, among other charges. He's being held on a million dollars bond. Prosecutors did call him a flight risk.
Now, American Airlines says it is cooperating with authorities in their investigation. Once again, Porter was arrested at Miami-Dade International Airport on Friday with multiple forms of phony identifications on him including driver's licenses and a passport. A federal immigration official tells CNN that they've put on hold - put a hold on him and will deport him once his criminal case is complete.
Now, of course, we all want to know how was he able to become a flight attendant, that's really still hard to know at this point. American Airlines gave us a statement saying they are cooperating with authorities, but they haven't yet given us details of his employment.
Now, a TSA spokesperson - a spokesperson from TSA says airline flight crews are vetted against terrorist screening watch lists and that it's really up to the airlines to verify a potential employee's identity and legal status. The TSA also says that an airline ID card, that's something that Porter did have, does not give someone access to secure areas of an airport, although, Fredricka, we have to remember, he reportedly flew several trips as a flight attendant trainee before he got caught - Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Wow. Pretty alarming stuff. So whose identity did Porter allegedly steal?
KOSIK: Well, Porter used the name of a Bronx man as an alias and that man had applied for food stamps and was denied that benefit because he had a job at American Airlines. We all know that's not true now. This Bronx man according to this report alerted authorities and that's really what kicked off this investigation that's really stunning - Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Alison Kosik, thanks so much from New York. Appreciate that.
Texas Congressman Ron Paul has won today's presidential preference straw poll at the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans. Former Utah Governor John Huntsman came in second even though he didn't even attend the conference and hasn't officially announced his candidacy at all. Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann came in third.
There's a couple of rival - rival, rather, political conferences going on today in Minnesota and they're drawing some big name speakers as well including Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann. One group is made up of liberal bloggers, the other consists of conservative bloggers. Bachmann also apparently got some glitter thrown upon her at the end of her anti-gay speech when a protester ran up to the stage.
All right. Some people are calling it the Golf Summit. President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner, they got together for a round of golf today.
Let's bring in CNN White House Correspondent Brianna Keilar. Oh, good. It's quieter now. We'll be able to hear you loud and clear. No problems. So any scores or at least a progress report on what happened on the golf course.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: OK. We do have this Fredricka and I don't want to disappoint you because we don't actually - it turns out they didn't play stroke play, which would be to say, you know, the Speaker shot this and the President shot that, they did match play. And what that meant is they paired into teams, you had the Vice President with Governor John Kasich of Ohio and you had President Obama and Speaker Boehner together.
And so what they would do is they would - the way this works, they play a hole, which ever team wins the hole, they get a point and - and so on. And so whoever has the most points at the end is the winner. So it turns out, that -
WHITFIELD: Oh, boy.
KEILAR: -- officially they had a great time. This is part of the official readout from the White House -
WHITFIELD: All right.
KEILAR: -- from the Speaker's Office. And the President and Speaker Boehner teamed up to beat the Vice President and Governor Kasich.
WHITFIELD: Interesting.
KEILAR: And here's the thing. A total cliffhanger, the match was won on the 18th hole, the President and the Speaker winning two dollars each. WHITFIELD: OK.
KEILAR: There you have it.
WHITFIELD: Very good. But that's - I guess of the players out there, Boehner has, I guess, the best advantage, right?
KEILAR: Well, you know, actually, he's pretty good. He's an eight handicap -
WHITFIELD: OK.
KEILAR: -- but Vice President Joe Biden, according to Golf Digest is about a six. So technically speaking, he's better. But, you know, if you were to put -
WHITFIELD: It's interesting.
KEILAR: -- Biden against Boehner, just on the numbers, they could - you know, they would - they would sort of be about equal.
WHITFIELD: OK. Well, I guess the President and Boehner kind of just raised their game.
KEILAR: Yes and probably you could - we're not going to get this officially, but you could kind of assume that the Speaker might have had to carry the President a little bit, because according to Golf Digest, the President isn't as good of a golfer, according to Golf Digest, his handicap is about 17.
WHITFIELD: OK. And then as it pertains to the talks, what may have been accomplished, was there, you know, there was a happy medium that was found, that information is still mum, huh?
KEILAR: Yes. We don't have that officially. I mean, what we know is that these two leaders were out on the golf course together for about four hours. And there were some very big issues that we've been talking about, Fredricka. Libya, where, you know, Speaker Boehner told the President this week you need to get Congressional authorization and the White House is saying, no, we're not going to - we don't feel like we need to do that legally.
And then the issue of the debt ceiling talks that are going on right now. Vice President Joe Biden representing the White House in those discussions with Democrats and Republicans. Some big issues and they had a lot of time to discuss them. We heard from the White House, you know, it's probably going to come up, but they weren't going to come, you know, off the 18th green with a deal -
WHITFIELD: All right.
KEILAR: -- but this was an opportunity for them to, you know, discuss these things in an informal setting as well.
WHITFIELD: All right. They just wanted to celebrate, you know, the "Play of the Day." KEILAR: Exactly.
WHITFIELD: Fair enough. All right. Brianna Keilar, thanks so much from the White House.
KEILAR: Thanks, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Appreciate it.
And for the latest political news, you know exactly where to go, CNNPolitics.com.
President Barack Obama, world leader and father to two daughters, as Father's Day approaches, he opens up about being a dad in the White House. His comments straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: President Barack Obama is talking about dads this Father's Day weekend. He says that being a father is sometimes his hardest yet most rewarding job. With one daughter getting ready to become a teenager and the other not far behind, there's some perks to being president, he says.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I could not ask for better gifts. I'm not anticipating complete mayhem for the next four or five years, but I understand teenagehood (ph) is complicated. I should also point out that I have men with guns that surround them often. And a great incentive for running for re- election is that it means they never get in the car with a boy who had a beer. And - and that's a pretty good thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Meantime, the president is also taking a second job, assistant coach for his daughter's basketball team, and he says he enjoys coaching, even though Sasha rolls her eyes every now and then when he objects to the ref's calls.
So it doesn't matter if your father is a world leader or a Little League coach, the important thing is the role that he plays in his children's lives and within the family. Research shows just how important that role is.
Dr. Bill Lloyd, a father of three himself joins us right now. Dr. Bill, Happy Father's Day in advance. So when is a father's influence first felt?
DR. BILL LLOYD, HEALTHY LIVING EXPERT: Well, you know, Fredricka, not long ago people thought fathers were becoming irrelevant. But the science shows that the influence - the favorable influence of fathers impacts both the physical health and the emotional health of children in every stage of their life. Even at delivery - the moment of delivery, Fredricka, the presence of the father means less pain for the mother and a safer delivery, and fewer complications for the baby.
As toddlers develop, we know that the presence of a father in the family improves the language skills. As children grow, there's more play time with dad and that means stronger children. Fredricka, I can do a hand stand and I thank my father for that. And for adolescents, of course, yes, for adolescents, life lessons regarding important choices that they're going to make that will affect their life for the rest of their life.
WHITFIELD: Wow. So meantime, you know, we live in a country with nearly a 50 percent divorce rate, many dads no longer living in the same household with their children. So, you know, these two research study results show that in 1963, 89 percent of dads lived with kids, and in 2010, that number dropped to 73 percent. Does that make a difference?
LLOYD: It makes an enormous difference, but remember that data related to birth fathers and, of course now, things have changed and fathers can come from anywhere and any committed male can become a good father, and fathers are more than just a second pair of hands. That's because with the economy as it is right now, so many moms are professionals and entering the workforce, dad's got to stay at home often times.
The changing appreciation and the organization of families, traditional families, nuclear families, we've got adoptive families, we got families with stepparents and we got cohabitation as well. And as well as the cultural expectations of father, nowadays dad's expected to be around and to be an active member of the family. Dads provide unique experiences for their children that they can only get from their father and, of course, children benefit from that powerful connection between father and child.
WHITFIELD: So you also say that research supports the notion that it's the every day ordinary things that truly strengthen the relationship between fathers and their children. Any tips, you know, for dads out there to be even more effective in their fathering?
LLOYD: Sure, sure, you're exactly right. We call these shared activities. Aside from just sitting side by side or just having a conversation, that bond is strengthened by these shared activities that include meal time, play time, doing homework together and doing chores.
A brief story. When I was growing up, I was the youngest of four and so often my dad would say, come out here with me, we're going to fix the tires, or we're going to change the storm windows, or we're going to mow the lawn, and I'm there, my gosh, he's exploiting child labor. No, no.
It was that - it was that time I spent with my dad I got to learn how he solves problems, how he's able to relate to other people, and I learned a lot about his character, lessons that I hope I have been able to pass along to my own children.
WHITFIELD: Oh, that's sweet. And those are the moments that, you know, are forever with you, aren't they? I mean, those are the tender sweet moments that you remember as an adult and how, you know, impactful it was as a child.
LLOYD: Oh, certainly. And these tips that we talked about being a better father, all involve that example and those powerful lessons that fathers can teach their children. Lessons like respect for the mother and all women in general. Fathers making healthy choices regarding tobacco, alcohol and drug use and other behaviors that the children are watching.
Remember, the children are always watching, so prioritize your responsibilities. Are you turning that BlackBerry off when you sit down at the dinner table? Are you willing to accept imperfection? It's a very powerful lesson and every day I try to not be perfect and just try to accept my life as it is because the children are watching.
And finally, making yourself emotionally available. That doesn't mean walking around solving all the time. It means being able to share how you feel about things, being an authentic father.
WHITFIELD: Oh, great stuff. Thanks so much, Dr. Bill Lloyd. Appreciate that. Happy Father's Day to you and all the fathers in your circle.
LLOYD: Including my dad, 91, Tom Lloyd at Fort Pierce. Love you, Dad.
WHITFIELD: Happy Dad's Day to him. All right. Thanks so much.
LLOYD: We'll talk again soon.
WHITFIELD: Look forward to it.
OK. What's it like to zoom around a track at 170 miles per hour? A preview of my one-on-one "Face To Face" with NASCAR's Jason Leffler.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. No let up in Arizona where wildfires continue to burn out of control. This fire is in Sierra Vista right along the Mexican Border. It has burned nearly 20,000 acres so far. Red flag warnings are in effect today and tomorrow.
And can you believe that? That is the sound of hail, a powerful storm pounding parts of Colorado with hail so heavy that it blanketed the roads as well. It sounds like hail, looks like snow. Witnesses reported a funnel cloud in fact as a storm moved through as well.
Let's check in with meteorologist Jacqui Jeras. Oh, my gosh, it's June, but I guess parts of Colorado, you're still going to experience that, or is that unusual?
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Oh, not really unusual.
WHITFIELD: No? JERAS: You'll get severe weather like that in Colorado for sure. In fact, Eastern Colorado right now under a severe thunderstorm watch, more hail like that can be expected, along with some damaging winds.
So let's show you where some of these watches are in effect right now. I'll take you over there and show you one in Colorado, how about that. We'll move over there. There it is, the east of Denver, also into the Panhandle of Nebraska. And you can see there are several very large storms, especially this one right along I-70 that's likely producing (INAUDIBLE). So be aware of that, be aware that sometimes tornadoes can and do occur within severe thunderstorm watches and we've had a few isolated warnings here across parts of the Deep South as well. So be aware of that for the upcoming hours.
We're especially watching the stuff that's going on along the Tennessee-Georgia state line and this area now, Atlanta is included in that watch as well as Charlotte. It's going to be an interesting afternoon and evening.
Let's talk a little bit more about what's been going on with those wildfires. We saw the video out of Arizona, the wallow fires continue to burn. It's 38 percent contained now but 500,000 acres have burned. So it's still the largest wildfire in state history. Red flag warnings are in effect here. Winds today 35 to 40 miles per hour, but this area of low pressure is going to be intensifying for tomorrow, which means the winds are really going to pick up, so critical danger in this area for tomorrow.
Unfortunately, no big breaks for these firefighters, 4,000 people, Fredricka, on that fire alone.
WHITFIELD: My goodness.
JERAS: And there's 36 large fires nationwide that are burning.
WHITFIELD: So it's a very dry summer in lots of parts, too.
JERAS: Very dry. Yes, the drought -
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: Humidity is so low.
WHITFIELD: Yes. All right. Jacqui, thanks so much.
JERAS: Sure.
WHITFIELD: Check back with you. Appreciate it.
All right. Who doesn't dream about being a race car driver? Well, I headed out to the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Jacqui is laughing. She's like not me.
JERAS: Not me.
WHITFIELD: Really? OK. I've always want to do it. So, I went out to the Charlotte Motor Speedway with a couple of NASCAR's best who showed me the ropes face to face and this is what happens after 170 miles per hour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD (on camera): OK. I'm hooked. I want to be a race car driver.
JASON LEFFLER, NASCAR RACE CAR DRIVER: That was just a warm-up.
WHITFIELD: That's awesome.
LEFFLER: That was just a warm-up.
WHITFIELD: That is so awesome. Wow. I thought maybe I was going to close my eyes, but then I didn't want to miss anything.
LEFFLER: No. Yes.
WHITFIELD: That's so wonderful.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: OK. I loved it. Jacqui still wouldn't be on board with someone like that?
JERAS: I would be on board. I don't want to be the driver.
WHITFIELD: But you don't want to be a driver. OK. I do want to be a driver.
JERAS: Awesome.
WHITFIELD: Right now, it was being a passenger. One day, who knows? Maybe I'll get to be a driver, too.
Anyway, "Face to Face" with NASCAR's Jason Leffler and Joey Logano next week. You don't want to miss it.
All right. Boston Bruins fans are hitting the streets today, celebrating the team's Stanley Cup win. And despite the cloudy skies, the city estimates that more than a million residents cheered the camp at today's victory parade. The Bruins came back from a two game deficit to win the National Hockey League Championship against the Vancouver Canucks.
After the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup championship, some people were rather bitter. In fact there was a riot. A very significant one there in Vancouver. This photo showing a couple in the midst of it all kissing in the middle of the violence. And this image has gone viral. The couple, they're talking now about it. Scott Jones and his girlfriend Alex Thomas say they were trying to get away from the violence when they were knocked down and beaten by police. Jones says he was trying to calm Thomas when this moment happened.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. The NEWSROOM continues in a few minutes with my colleague here, Don Lemon, not sitting alongside me, but instead all the way in New York. How are you doing? It's been a while.
DON LEMON, CNN HOST: Can you believe, Fred? I know. When are we going to be in the same room?
WHITFIELD: When the heck are we going to be in the same building?
LEMON: It will be soon hopefully.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
LEMON: But I'm going to tell you what I have coming up and I want to talk to you about that NASCAR thing.
But first, the big story here where I am in New York City, in New York State, as a matter of fact, same-sex marriage. The New York State Assembly passed legislation this week and it could come up for a vote next week in the state. It is a talk of this state and the talk of New York City itself.
I'm going to talk to the sponsor of the bill, Democrat Daniel O'Donnell, by the way, he's in a same-sex marriage - same-sex relationship, I should say, and is the brother of Rosie O'Donnell. Also joining me is Bryan Brown. He is the president of National Organization of Marriage and is against that legislation.
Also how much would you pay for President Obama's autograph? A woman in Chicago wants to sell her special memento just to avoid eviction. We'll be talking to her about this.
Plus we'll have this for you. I don't believe this video when I see it. More crazy moments outside the Casey Anthony trial this week, fistfights and head locks, what's going on here? I'm going to be asking that question to our human behavior expert, Dr. Wendy Walsh.
And, Fred, of course we're going to be talking about this, the head - you should see.
WHITFIELD: Yes. Oh, boy.
LEMON: You should see it here. Weiner's pickle, little Weiner in the oven.
WHITFIELD: The headlines are harsh.
LEMON: But I want to talk to you about NASCAR. Oh, my gosh. I want to go for a ride with you.
WHITFIELD: I know.
LEMON: Was that the biggest rush ever?
WHITFIELD: Super. Great. Better than water skiing, better than being on a speedboat, the rush of being on a jet, any of that.
LEMON: Look at you grinning from ear to ear.
WHITFIELD: I know I was teasing (ph) the whole time. I mean, no wonder why I did have like dust particles in my teeth by the time we finish because I could not stop smiling. I loved it. Loved it.
LEMON: Oh, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
LEMON: That is awesome. It's better - I think I'm going to jet ski and I think I'm doing something, but that's awesome.
WHITFIELD: It's - it's better than that. Yes. It's pretty cool.
But, anyway, we're going to talk about that "Face To Face" next weekend with NASCAR drivers Jason Leffler and Joey Logano, two prized NASCAR drivers. And I got a chance to talk to them about their lives. It was great.
But, anyway, that's enough about me. On to you, Don Lemon -
LEMON: All right.
WHITFIELD: -- top of the hour, NEWSROOM. See you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
