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State, Defense Sum up Casey Anthony Case; Royal Updates; Big NASCAR Holiday Weekend; DSK Case in Jeopardy; Reducing Stress When There's More Work than Pay; Shuttle Countdown to History
Aired July 03, 2011 - 17:00 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.
Here's what's going on right now. An 11-year-old boy is facing murder charges in Martinsville, Indiana. Police say the boy fatally shot his 6-year-old brother in the head. No word on why the boys were at home alone and with a gun. His aunt says the boys actually got along.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They got along just fine, all normal, nothing out of the ordinary to suggest that anything would happen. I was crushed. I cried all night. My kids didn't know what was going on. It's hard.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: A hearing is scheduled for the 11-year-old shooting suspect on Wednesday.
A new Georgia law aimed at illegal immigrants inspired between 10 and 15,000 people to protest in Atlanta. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against parts of the law, a provision authorizing 15-year prison sentences for workers convicted of using phony IDs to get jobs went into effect Friday.
A day of pomp and pageantry in Canada today. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are on day four of their first official tour since their wedding. Last hour the royal couple attended a community fair at Fort-de-Levis in Quebec. They shook hands with a group of children dressed up as regimental soldiers. Next hour, they head to Prince Edward Island.
And on to London now. England. A new Wimbledon Men's champion celebrates on center court with that victory right there. Novak Djokovic earned the world's number one ranking, beating defending champ Rafael Nadal in today's Men's Final. Djokovic came into the tournament as the second seed. He has lost just one match all yearlong.
And now to Orlando, Florida, where attorneys in the murder trial of Casey Anthony have been summing up their cases all day.
Our David Mattingly is at the courthouse in Orlando. These closing arguments are not without a bit more drama, David.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka. Things got a little bit heated and everything ground to a sudden halt when during the closing arguments by Jose Baez, the defense attorney, he was talking about how the duct tape belonged to Casey Anthony's father.
And while he was trying to make a point about that, he looked over and saw prosecutor Jeff Ashton sitting there apparently smiling. And this is what happened. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE BAEZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR CASEY ANTHONY: We're not talking about fantasy forensics anymore. We're talking about cold hard evidence, evidence that points to one person and one person only. He can get up here and lie all he wants and dance around the truth. But the truth is the truth, and depending on who is asking the questions, whether it's this laughing guy right here or whether it's myself --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your Honor, objection.
CHIEF JUDGE BELVIN PERRY, CIRCUIT JUDGE, ORANGE COUNTY: Sustained. Approach the bench.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: And there it is. That was the end of what they were going through at the moment. They went into a recess. The judge came back and said look, I have rules here. I know you know what they are. Why won't you follow them? He seemed rather exasperated about it, and warned that if anything like that happened again, that whoever was smirking or whoever had an outburst in court was going to be ejected from the courtroom, expelled from these further proceedings.
Well, earlier today, things were a lot calmer. The prosecution was on the -- was on the floor talking to the jury. They were looking at all the pieces of evidence that they have in this circumstantial case, trying to craft a compelling story together about what they believed happened.
And they say it came down to this. That Casey Anthony was a young mother who longed for a different life. And she sacrificed her young daughter to get that life. And here's prosecutor Jeff Ashton talking about just that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF ASHTON, ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY: And as hard as it is for anyone to imagine she had to choose between two -- sacrificing two things. The first was her dreams and the life she wanted. And second was her child. And we submit to you the evidence in this case shows that the choice she made was her child.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP) MATTINGLY: Now Fredricka, we are back on track now. Jose Baez, the defense attorney is back in front of the jury, continuing to knock down a lot of the assertions by the prosecution, everything from duct tape to chloroform to computer records.
He is hitting everything he possibly can to instill that feeling of reasonable doubt within this jury -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: So David, the expectation this court would remain in session until about 6:00 Eastern Time, just about 55 minutes away. Are they still on schedule for that?
MATTINGLY: Well, after that brief interruption that we had, the judge came back and said it looks like we're going to charge the jury tomorrow. So it's looks like they're going to wrap up with their closing arguments today, let the jury spend the night thinking about it, and then the judge will call them back tomorrow morning and charge them, tell them what they should be thinking about, how they should go about their deliberations and then put it all in their hands as they determine the fate of Casey Anthony.
WHITFIELD: All right, David Mattingly, thanks so much in Orlando. Appreciate that.
So let's bring in our legal experts. On the phone from Cleveland, Avery Friedman, and from Las Vegas, Richard Herman.
So, Richard, you first. Is the behavior of the attorneys upstaging the closing arguments for today?
RICHARD HERMAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY (via phone): I'll tell you, Fred, I've been watching this trial every single day. And I would challenge this judge to review the videotape because at every single tape, you can see Ashton in the background either laughing or smirking or shaking his head no.
And that goes from day one from the Baez opening. He shakes his head no. He is in full view of the jury. And he is absolutely going to turn off some jurors with that conduct.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: So that's a big no-no. How influential would that be?
HERMAN: Now was Baez prompted today? No. But he was certainly in the heat of the moment, Fred. He was in a crescendo in his summation. He turns around, and there is Ashton smiling again. So he was inappropriate. The judge halted the proceedings. It hurt Baez a little bit.
But I really believe -- Avery, I believe some of those jurors will really be emboldened by that. They will like Baez for his tenacity. He is fighting for his client with whatever he has. And he is bringing everything he has here.
(CROSSTALK) WHITFIELD: Avery, you agree with that?
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Well, you know what? I hate to do it, I do. I mean I think that Jeff Ashton did a tremendous job at the beginning in closing argument.
David Mattingly talked about the breakup. But what happened back there is Judge Perry admonished both lawyers, both Jeff Ashton and Jose Baez with a fairly serious sanction here. And I think those sort of antic antics -- smiling and gesturing and shaking your heads -- I mean experienced lawyers generally don't do those sort of things.
And you know what? I -- look. What Jose Baez did in referring to Ashton as laughing boy here or something like that was inappropriate. And, you know, this is no Johnnie Cochran. But Baez, to his credit, has gotten a couple of points across.
I think the phrase "fantasy of forensics" will stick with the jury. I think he's had a couple of very powerful points, Fredricka. And the bottom line is that he has been going for a little bit over two hours. I think Richard and I agree that we're not going see very much more.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
FRIEDMAN: And then at that point we're probably looking at least another two hours. So when Judge Perry says instructions the charges will be tomorrow, that's right. The question is how long the rebuttal is going to be by prosecution. And I have a hunch we're probably talking about another two hours after Jose Baez gets done.
WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness. OK, so gentlemen, let's revisit the prosecution. Early this morning they were first up in their closing statements. This is some of what was said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHTON: The only way Casey's lies work is if Caylee isn't talking. Caylee is 2 1/2, almost 3. She is starting to become verbal. She is starting to talk. Caylee is not going to cooperate. She can't. She doesn't know enough to lie. At some point, Caylee is going to say something.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: So Richard, Jeff Ashton has to hope that these are the words that are going to stick with jurors. Not the behavior, not that exchange between he and Baez.
HERMAN: Yes. I thought that was probably the most powerful point he made in his summation with respect to premeditation and the fact that the entire Casey fantasy world would now crumble because Caylee would not go along with it.
She'd be too young and innocent, and she would expose the fact that, you know, she's hanging out with Casey every single day. So I thought that was very powerful. But again, you know, on the other hand, Fred, Baez I believe is bringing everything he has to show reasonable doubt. And I am truly -- I am believing it's going to be a hung jury on the first-degree murder. Second-degree murder, they're not going to get it. Not with the evidence in this case.
WHITFIELD: And real quick, Avery. Your predictions on this if you would care to mention.
FRIEDMAN: Yes, it's first-degree murder, they've gone -- Ashton is going to get his conviction. Baez, to his credit, has done a lot better than a lot of people expected. Bottom line, I think the jury gets it. I think we're looking for a conviction, first degree.
WHITFIELD: All right. We will see. Thanks so much. Avery Friedman, Richard Herman, appreciate your insights.
HERMAN: Thank you, Fred.
FRIEDMAN: Thanks a lot.
WHITFIELD: And of course, tonight a comprehensive special report on the Casey Anthony murder trial at 10:00 Eastern Time on the closing arguments of the day.
All right. The high-profile case involving Dominique Strauss-Kahn may be crumbling. But as far as his fellow French are concerned, he still has some explaining to do about his lifestyle in New York.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTIAN MALARD, SR. FOREIGN ANALYST, FRANCE 3 TV: All this going around with Anne Sinclair, the restaurants, the (INAUDIBLE), the new life, and all this money which has been spent. These people are shocked.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. My interview with a French journalist still ahead.
And sealing it with a kiss. A royal couple's fairy tale wedding in Monaco. Could it have upstaged the other royal wedding of this year?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Syrian tanks loaded on to Syrian military trucks. Witnesses say Syrian forces are solidifying positions in cities outside of Damascus, where large demonstrations are being compared to those in Egypt that pushed a president from power.
And now to the Philippines, where political argument got rather physical, as you can see right there. Very physical, right in front of the television cameras. Take a look.
Oh, my goodness. And throwing that punch, that woman is the mayor. The target of her anger is a court sheriff. She lashed out after he reportedly ignored her order to postpone the demolition of a shantytown until she arrived. The mayor has since apologized. The incident is now under investigation.
And the votes are in, and enough of them counted to make it official. Thailand will have its first woman prime minister. She is the younger sister of a former prime minister who was thrown out of power in a military coup.
And other international news right now. It is a real royal weekend. Ooh, don't say that to fast.
William and Catherine are trekking through Canada, and a certain crown prince has tied the knot in Monte Carlo. I'm talking about Prince Albert of Monaco.
All right. So here he is with his new princess. They have a very interesting story. We'll get to them and that story in a moment.
But first really to Ralitsa Vassileva here from CNN International. Yesterday, we're talking about that impending election and what could be news, you know, history-making.
RALITSA VASSILEVA, ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT, CNNI: The first female prime minister in Thailand possibly.
WHITFIELD: They were way ahead of the game. OK, so now let's talk about something else, which had a lot of folks interested and analyzing this, the wedding of the prince of Monaco.
VASSILEVA: Yes, and basically this American connection to American royalty. His mother is Grace Kelly, the Hollywood actress.
WHITFIELD: Right.
VASSILEVA: So finally he gets to tie the knot. He's 53 years old. They'd almost given up hope.
WHITFIELD: He's been quite a bachelor for a long time. I think he enjoyed it, though.
VASSILEVA: A bachelor. And he's really sown his wild oats and he's admitted to two illegitimate children, however, there is still no heir to the throne because it has to be out of wedlock so basically now this is his first wedding.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
VASSILEVA: Also first wedding for his bride, South African Olympic swimmer. She participated in the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
VASSILEVA: He is also an Olympian bobsled.
WHITFIELD: Is that something, yes, this Olympic couple.
VASSILEVA: Yes. They actually met at an Olympic event in Monaco in 2000. WHITFIELD: Yes.
VASSILEVA: So that's how they met.
WHITFIELD: Interesting. So then why is this pairing a little controversial? I mean there is a little bit of talk around the fringes about how this wedding came to be, and you know those who are kind of analyzing the body language of the two during the wedding. Why is there all this chat?
VASSILEVA: Well, we tried to find confirmation of rumors, reports that have appeared in the British press that basically the bride tried to run away a few days before. And that happened right after there was this paternity test that supposedly Prince Albert has another challenge, another paternity test coming up.
So these are things we were not able to confirm. CNN cannot confirm them. But this was something that came up. But they got married. She was very emotional. We saw the pictures there of her. She shed a tear after the ceremony. Very beautiful. The dress by Armani. I was reading a bit there are hundreds of pearls, hundreds of crystals.
WHITFIELD: Yes, and several different types of silk apparently.
VASSILEVA: Yes. It is just gorgeous, gorgeous.
WHITFIELD: Well, you would expect nothing less for a princess.
VASSILEVA: That's right.
WHITFIELD: OK. Well, let's talk about the other royal company that people love to watch. They're in Canada right now. And for the most part, quite the fanfare. A lot of people are showing their great support for Catherine and William.
VASSILEVA: Yes, Prince William and Catherine. Their first official visit, they chose Canada.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
VASSILEVA: And they were very warmly welcomed on Friday, first in Ottawa. However, this is the trickiest part of their trip. And that's in Quebec. And that's when they -- there was just a small but vocal anti-monarchist protest.
But it was all handled very well. They hardly saw them, hardly heard them. But there is this -- you know, very big protection of identity there in Quebec. The French identity, French language. And Prince William is very well aware of that. He addressed the people there in French.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: And he scored some points.
VASSILEVA: Eighty percent of the people there speak French. So he had to.
WHITFIELD: That's smart.
VASSILEVA: And listen a little bit to what he had to say and how he speaks French.
WHITFIELD: OK.
VASSILEVA: There are those who say that his French is not very good. And he himself apologized to the people and acknowledged his weak skills.
WHITFIELD: Come on, A for effort.
VASSILEVA: But he was trying.
WHITFIELD: He sounded great.
VASSILEVA: But there was no other choice.
WHITFIELD: How many other royals have done that?
VASSILEVA: In Quebec only 10 percent of the people speak English so if he wanted to be heard and understood, he had to. He tried.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: Good for him. A for effort. You got to give it to him on that one. All right. Well, the look very lovely. They actually look like they're very comfortable in this role.
VASSILEVA: Absolutely. Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: Yes. And it's just the first.
VASSILEVA: And it's just the first abroad.
WHITFIELD: Yes. All right, Ralitsa Vassileva, thanks so much. Appreciate it. Good to see you.
VASSILEVA: Good to see you, too.
All right. No doubt you have seen a police officer directing traffic somewhere in a city near you, right? Well, how about in this way? A little boogie woogie? He is a traffic-directing sensation, and he is in our "Chat Room."
Also up next, spectacular fireworks and the Fourth of July.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. That will get you in the spirit. Across America, in fact, the night skylights up as big cities and small towns celebrate the country's 235th birthday. A spectacular display taking place over Madison, Wisconsin, right there last night. The fireworks show in Wisconsin's capital city is the biggest in the Midwest. And then check out this awesome display in Provo, Utah. Yes, pretty, too. A stadium of fire literally. This fireworks show last night was held at the football stadium at Brigham Young University. Everybody always loves the fireworks show.
How about you -- Karen.
KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST, Love it.
WHITFIELD: I know.
MAGINNIS: Love it.
WHITFIELD: It's always a lot of fun.
MAGINNIS: And tomorrow is the big Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta.
WHITFIELD: That's right.
MAGINNIS: Fifty thousand people.
WHITFIELD: Will you be out there?
(CROSSTALK)
MAGINNIS: Are you?
WHITFIELD: No, no. I haven't done that one yet.
MAGINNIS: For years it was great, great fun. People cheer you on and you're breathing heavy.
WHITFIELD: People really -- they work out for that all yearlong getting prepared.
MAGINNIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: And I think people hang on in the hour, too, for this moment, the "Chat Room." This is when we go for the lighter side of things, including you saw that tape earlier of the traffic cop?
MAGINNIS: I did see that.
WHITFIELD: Kind of dancing a little bit.
MAGINNIS: Yes. This in the Philippines. You've probably seen this somewhere in a city near you, right? Every now and then there is an interesting story about a traffic cop that's, you know, putting the grooves into the moves.
(LAUGHTER)
MAGINNIS: Now he is 54 years old. And he's out there and he's busting a move, and looking pretty good.
WHITFIELD: I know. He is doing really well there. And the traffic is still flowing. That's the good thing there. It doesn't seem to stand in the way. You know, off traffic. That taking place in Manila. He apparently is the most traffic -- most famous traffic police there.
MAGINNIS: I can see why.
WHITFIELD: I know. All right. That's cool stuff. All right, where are we off to next? France?
MAGINNIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: A France.
MAGINNIS: France.
WHITFIELD: A little roller skater.
MAGINNIS: Yes. And I didn't realize he was using roller skates. I thought he was one of the skate board things. But he I think has set a record. It's his second record.
WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness.
MAGINNIS: And he rolled along and he even beat the previous record. He went 79 feet.
WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness.
MAGINNIS: But see, the ending is really the most grand part, I think.
WHITFIELD: That one where he wiped out?
(LAUGHTER)
MAGINNIS: Yes, when he crawls out from underneath the balloon bag.
WHITFIELD: OK. Well, you know, I can see that now. That's Sacre- Coeur. That's like the highest point of Paris.
MAGINNIS: Aren't you good?
WHITFIELD: Yes. It's a beautiful spot in the city. And usual that is the area -- do you remember the kind of quintessential pictures of the artist painting outside that Montre Mart area? That's that whole area now transformed into this kind of roller derby way.
My gosh.
MAGINNIS: Look at that, head over heels.
WHITFIELD: OK. He's pretty fierce. I don't. Who could beat that? That's pretty impressive stuff.
All right, are you into Harry Potter?
MAGINNIS: You know, I love to watch Rafe Fiennes. So anything that he's in I'm going to watch. And I can't believe there have been seven "Harry Potter" films.
WHITFIELD: I know. And it just rolls on. There is yet another to be rolled out. And so it's already "Harry Potter" mania taking place.
Let's take a look at those images right there. Oh my goodness. A lot of folks turning out, getting ready for this next part. This is kind of a marathon showing of all the "Harry Potter" movies. Just as they get ready for yet another release.
MAGINNIS: It's quite the franchise.
WHITFIELD: I know. And you know of course the moviegoers were encouraged to dress up like the characters. Of course that's going to happen. And people did in all sorts, shapes, and sizes.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: All right. Lots of fun. You wouldn't be able to name all the films, would you?
MAGINNIS: No.
WHITFIELD: No, me neither. Forget it. OK. Just a little, you know, precursor for those who are trying to get ready.
MAGINNIS: Phoenix, the Deathly Hallows.
WHITFIELD: OK. It's all there. You know it.
MAGINNIS: This is the -- yes.
WHITFIELD: Karen, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
All right. Back to the NEWSROOM now after our little moment in the "Chat Room."
Now to a very different kind of marathon. This one on the racetrack. Stamina, of course is very critical for NASCAR drivers who race for hours at a time around the track, sometimes 200 times, laps. As demanding as the sport, number 38, Jason Leffler tells me face-to-face that he isn't interested in slowing down at all.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON LEFFLER, NASCAR DRIVER: Might be a day when I move back to Indiana and go dirt track racing full time and call it my retirement. But you know I'm going to drive for a long, long time.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And I believe it. Next Leffler and fellow NASCAR driver Joey Logano talk about their careers, and if they want their children to follow in their footsteps on the track.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PFC. QUIERA JEFFERIES, U.S. ARMY: Hello. I'm PFC Quiera Jeffries from Joint Base Balad in Iraq, and I'd like to say Happy Fourth of July to my mommy and my daddy, the Jeffries family, and my beautiful daughter Aleja (ph) Craig in Grand Prairie, Texas.
I love you guys, and have a great Fourth of July.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: A Marine Corps officer badly wounded by a sniper's bullet in Iraq is now dedicating his professional life to helping other troops returning from the war.
Justin Constantine was shot through the head and survived. Instead of retiring, he actively lobbies for warriors rights on Capitol Hill. And he runs a charity for veterans, Iraqandback.com.
I talked to him right here yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. JUSTIN CONSTANTINE, U.S. MARINE CORPS RESERVE: I was shot behind the ear by a sniper. My head -- I've had probably 25 or 30 surgeries since then. So my head was a disaster for a couple of years. And when we would go out, people would clearly look and wonder what the heck had happened.
So we were at the beach and we went to a T-shirt shop and made a shirt like this one that says "Iraq and Back" so people would know that OK, this is kind of what can happen. And I thought it would just answer some of those unasked questions what happened that cause people to come out and say thank you and welcome home and all sorts of great things. And my wife and I thought wow, why can't we make a shirt that all can wear with pride.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Justin Constantine is still recovering from those wounds that he suffered five years ago. Well, this is his charity T-shirt site that you're seeing on the screen there, Iraqandback.com.
All right. It's been a huge July Fourth weekend for NASCAR, and for drivers Jason Leffler, number 38, and Joey Logano, number 20.
Logano won a nationwide series race at Daytona Friday and then Leffler came in second. And then last night at the Coke 400 Sprint Series race, Logano finished third in a pool of more than 40 drivers.
Well, "Face-to-Face" I was the passenger and Leffler was behind the wheel on the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
It doesn't look like it, but we went about 170 miles an hour, and then we slowed it all down, talking face-to-face with Leffler and Logano at the NASCAR Hall of Fame about how long they'll actually be in the race.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: You've got a 3-year-old son Charlie. We talked a little bit on the racetrack about what would happen if he says, you know, I want to do this. Or do you expect that your 3-year-old is naturally going to want to be a race car driver like dad?
LEFFLER: You know, I don't expect it. If he wants it, like I said, we'll give him that opportunity. But I want him to want to do it.
JOEY LAGANO, NASCAR DRIVER: I guess it's kind of a hard question to answer.
WHITFIELD: He's not there yet.
LOGANO: Yes. But you know it's like Jason said. I've raced against kids that were pushed by their parents to race. And I remember running quarter midgets. And you know, I'd win all the time. And I beat this kid. And his father would yell and scream at him. And I started to feel bad I beat him, you know? But I still beat them anyway.
WHITFIELD: You feel bad for a little bit.
(CROSSTALK)
LOGANO: I just feel bad. It's like, you know, the poor kid is crying and we're 6 and 7 years old, the father is yelling at him because he made a mistake on the track and this and that. I'm like, this is supposed to be fun. You know this is not -- we have plenty of time to make this serious when we get to this level, you know? The thing is when you're young, you just want to have fun with it. You're a kid. Be a kid.
WHITFIELD: Want to tighten it. Yes, ready.
How long do you see yourself driving? Is this something that, you know, you say I'm going to do this until I'm -- you know, in my 50s or 60s or is this something that has kind of like a stopping point because of the toll it take on your body?
LEFFNER: Yes, I mean I see myself driving for a long time. I don't know in what series or what class. If the opportunities still come and the rides are competitive, I'll keep going. Might be a day when I move back to Indiana and go dirt track racing full time and call it my retirement. But, you know, I'm going to drive for a long, long time.
LOGANO: You know, I think I've been doing this for a long time. I like it's really cool. It's like you're Red Farmer, and he's been racing forever. I think he is 79, 80. I'm not really sure. He is still racing.
(CROSSTALK)
LOGANO: And he's runs dirt races. There's only 43 of us every weekend that are able to do it. And, you know, it's hard. It's just -- it's probably tougher now than it's ever been because of the economy and hard to get sponsors. It's when you get a good sponsor like the Home Depot or Game Stop, you really want to do everything you can to please them and to keep them as happy as you can.
WHITFIELD: So now what is this feeling here we are in this NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte. And you look around and see these cars. You see the drivers who are honored. What are your hopes of one day being inducted into the Hall of Fame, Jason?
LEFFNER: Well, I'd like to be. But first, you know, you got to do something special. I mean this place is, this is the elite here. So you got to make yourself part of that elite group. You know win a lot of races, win championships. And you never know. You never know in this business. You know? Still always looking for that next big thing.
WHITFIELD: Do you have aspirations of one day being in the Hall of Fame?
LOGANO: Doesn't everybody want to be in the Hall of Fame some sort? There is only 10 drivers in this -- not just drivers, there's other people in here that are in the racing sport that are in the Hall of Fame. You know, so I say we race against the best of the best, that's the best of the best of the best, you know?
(LAUGHTER)
LOGANO: It's really, really impressive just to be sitting here and looking at the cars they used to race. I think it's so cool.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. They may not be inducted as of yet in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, but there is no denying that Logano and Leffler are huge successes on the track.
Coming up, the top drivers will reveal their keys to their greatness.
And just two months ago, Dominique Strauss-Kahn was a likely candidate for president of France. Now that the sexual assault case against the former IMF chief appears to be crumbling, what are the French saying?
My interview with a popular French television journalist, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: We could learn this week whether prosecutors will drop charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn. The former International Monetary Fund chief was released on his own recognizance Friday amid allegations the sexual assault case against him may be falling apart.
The prosecution says there are credibility problems with the accuser. But a source tells CNN there is no decision yet on the fate of the case.
So before his arrest, Dominique Strauss-Kahn was widely expected to be the French Socialist Party's candidate for president. Well, now what? I spoke with French television journalist Christian Malard about how the French public is reacting to the latest news that the case against him is crumbling.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: What is the reaction from the French? Is this an "I told you so" moment?
MALARD: Today I have to give you two polls. This morning in Paris, in France, we get a poll asking the French do you want DSK to be back as soon as possible to France? The answer, 49 percent said we favor his return as soon as possible, and 45 percent are against.
But if you go deeper into the analysis, into the poll -- we have another poll about the Socialist voters, the Socialist electorate. And 55 percent, 55 percent say they would like him to be back and to participate through the primaries, which date of registration normally is over on the 13th of July.
WHITFIELD: Does it mean that there is some wiggle room, that there is a possibility that this deadline could be extended so that Dominique Strauss-Kahn could actually pursue still a run for presidency?
MALARD: What they say openly, quote, "We wait to hear Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Does he want or not to participate?"
WHITFIELD: Now that he is about to move around as freely with his wife here in the United States, is there this feeling, or have the French been watching him in terms of how he has displayed dignity, or how he has composed himself throughout all this? Does he in any way kind of score points with the general public the way he has handled this?
MALARD: The French are mad at the police -- at U.S. justice right now. Does he have more sympathy in the country in France? It's split again. A lot of people think that he has been ill-treated and he deserves better treatment after what happens and seeing the latest development.
But at the same time there are two things the French are shocked by Strauss-Kahn's behavior, attitude. First we know that he has a problem with women. The way he's been treating women, it's not new. Some people think it's a pathologic problem. And I think we might be close to the truth when these people say that.
But at the same time, the French and especially the Socialist voters, the people, the workers and all that, who vote Socialist have been shocked by the way the luxury has been spent in New York, all the money spent to rent this 600 square meters apartment downtown Manhattan. And all this going around with the Anne Sinclair, the restaurants, the (INAUDIBLE), the new life, and all this money which has been spent. These people are shocked.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Christian Malard is a senior foreign analyst for France 3 TV.
More NEWSROOM after this.
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WHITFIELD: NASCAR drivers Joey Logano and Jason Leffler are on top of the sport, dominating racetracks across the U.S. I asked them face- to-face to reveal their keys to greatness.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: If there were three things that you think are the keys to your greatness, what would they be? Or three things you know you need to have or things you continue to hold on to, those three keys to your greatness.
LEFFNER: Passion, number one. I think you have to have a passion for it. Opportunity. Whether that means, you know, the opportunity your parents provided for you, the opportunities you got down the road. The third one, you can't be fearful. You've got to be brave.
LOGANO: Yes, like I said, the will to win, you know, keeps you focused, with anything you ever do. Being focused. Being focused again, I think there is that much into that. I think just really, really wanting to do this. And you know -- and doing all that, you know, and finding a way to have fun, you know. Enjoy the moment that you're in, because not many people can sit in these shoes, can sit in this seat today that I am in. So find a way to have fun with it and enjoy it, because you never know when it's going to end.
WHITFIELD: Joey Logano, thanks so much. Good to see you.
LOGANO: Thank you. Appreciate it.
WHITFIELD: Jason Leffler, I thank you so much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And if you want to see more of my "Face to Face" interviews with NASCAR greats Joey Logano and Jason Leffler, just visit my Facebook page or just log on to CNN.com/fredricka. And if you have a question of course you can always tweet me @FWhitfield.
All right. When a recession hits, it's often more work and less pay. That is if you have a job at all. And that of course can lead to stress. Up next, the author of "Where Do We Go From Here" with tips on how to reduce that stress.
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WHITFIELD: OK. If you are in almost any workplace, you've probably heard about it. More work, less pay, smaller staff, smaller raises if any raises at all. Lots of complaints in a lot of work spaces.
All right. Valorie Burton, the author of "Where Will You Go From Here" says quit the complaining. I've got answers for you. I'm speaking on her behalf in today's "Reclaim Your Career."
Be glad in large part that you still have a job. Yes, a lot of companies are downsizing, which means we're not hiring anymore, but we are going to ask that you do more to work.
VALORIE BURTON, LIFE COACH: Yes.
WHITFIELD: So how does one manage that?
BURTON: It is stressful for a lot of people. And it's something that people ask me about a lot. That there's more on their plate because you know it's the other side of downsizing. There are fewer people so now I'm doing two or three jobs. And so how is it that I deal with the stress of that, because people are afraid really to complain.
WHITFIELD: Right. So I'm really oversimplifying it because you say look, you know, it is difficult on everyone. But one, you've got to embrace that this is kind of the new normal.
BURTON: It is the new normal. So, you know, resenting it, being angry, being frustrated is really not going to get you anywhere. So make a decision, I'm going to accept this new normal or I'm going to look for other options. And that's possible, but it's more difficult, of course, than it was a few years ago.
WHITFIELD: So for one, you need to make some adjustments.
BURTON: Yes.
WHITFIELD: In what way?
BURTON: Yes. So you want to ask yourself what is causing me the most stress? So people are feeling really stressed out. Whether that is, there is too much work. Perhaps you need to have that simple conversation about extending some deadlines. Maybe you need to delegate more. Some people are perfectionists.
And right now it's not the time to be a perfectionist. You need to let some of that work go and allow other people to chip in and help.
WHITFIELD: So time management sometimes.
BURTON: Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: It's a matter of trying to re-juggle things. OK, I've got a lot more to do, but now I've got to figure out how -- you know, how to fit these puzzle pieces together.
BURTON: And it's at home as well as at work. Sometimes you need to delegate at home, too.
WHITFIELD: OK. And of course you're working a lot more, which means you say you need to play harder, too.
BURTON: That's right, that's right.
WHITFIELD: But if you're working harder, that means you have less time. When can you play?
BURTON: You know what? You have to play hard. And we know that cliche, work hard, play hard. But there's actually research to back it up. So there's a researcher down at the University of North Carolina, Barbara Frederickson, who talks a lot about positive emotion.
And one of the thing that's known is that positive emotion expands your ability to deal with adversity and with stress. And it builds up over time almost like a cushion when you're having a lot of stress. So find those things you enjoy and make sure you make time for them.
WHITFIELD: OK. So you've got to set some boundaries.
BURTON: That's right.
WHITFIELD: As it pertains to work and play.
BURTON: Yes. So set boundaries. That means you're going to have some non-negotiables. It might be dinnertime. You know only 28 percent of Americans actually eat dinner together anymore.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
BURTON: Make that one of your non-negotiables. It might be working out. Things like that that you want to make sure that you set boundaries around. And if you're a high performer you, have you a lot more negotiating power to do that.
WHITFIELD: All right. I like it. Thanks so much. I always feel like I've gone to church with you.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: You know, a lot of inspiration here. Appreciate it. And everybody else feels the same way.
BURTON: Good. That's my job.
WHITFIELD: I know. You're doing it well. Valorie Burton, thank you so much. Author of "Where Will You Go From Here." She just told you this. This is where you go now.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: Thank you so much, Valorie.
BURTON: Thanks, Fred.
All right. T-minus five days and counting to the end of an era as NASA gets ready to end the space shuttle program. Was it a success or failure? We'll take an in-depth look.
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WHITFIELD: Space shuttle Atlantis is set to lift off Friday on NASA's last shuttle flight. NASA is pulling the plug on the shuttle program after 135 missions. Why now? And was the program considered successful?
Our John Zarrella asks the experts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the beginning it was a marvelous machine, releasing from its cargo bay deep space probes like Ulysses that went to Jupiter. Astronauts ventured out untethered.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The trip to solar maxis (ph) estimated to take 10 minutes.
ZARRELLA: To capture and retrieve failed satellites, dead in space, dangerous feats unheard of before shuttle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Houston, I think we got a satellite.
ZARRELLA: The great observatory Hubble dazzles with breathtaking images of the universe and its ability to see galaxies born nearly at the dawn of time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hubble has arrived on board Atlantis with the arm.
ZARRELLA: Hubble was launched, repaired and serviced from shuttle. Every major building block of the football field-long space station was carried up and assembled from shuttle.
Before becoming NASA's head man, Charlie Bolden was an astronaut. He flew four shuttle flights including the Hubble launch.
CHARLIE BOLDEN, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: I defy anybody, and I will argue with my Apollo comrades, the accomplishments, the achievements, the record of performance, the spinoffs, the capabilities that have been developed.
What we did in shuttle over 30 years dwarfed what was done in the Apollo era.
GENE CERNAN, APOLLO ASTRONAUT: We can build spacecraft. We can guild hardware. We can build boosters, but there's no goal, there's no mission. We are wandering in the desert in space today. Period.
ZARRELLA: So why now? Why call it quits now?
From the time of its inception 40 years ago until the shuttles are retired, the program will have cost the American taxpayers just shy of $115 billion. That's less than $4 billion a year. A drop, if that, in the federal budget. Still the problem is money.
NORM AUGUSTINE, PRESIDENTIAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: There's just not enough money in NASA to continue the existing programs and start a new program at the same time.
ZARRELLA (on camera): Was it time?
BOLDEN: Yes, it was time. It has been time for some time to phase out of shuttle and go back to exploration.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): Whether you hated it or hailed it, whether you felt it a waste or worth it, the shuttle was an iconic flying machine that symbolized America's inspiration and ingenuity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger roll.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: In advance of next week's final shuttle launch, CNN presents "BEYOND ATLANTIS: THE NEXT FRONTIER." It debuts tonight 8:00 Eastern Time. And an encore presentation airs Friday, July 8th at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
And remember, CNN is your place to watch the final shuttle launch. It is set for this Friday. Our coverage of that begins at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time.
All right. Straight ahead, much more of the NEWSROOM. Don Lemon is here to talk about what we can look for.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And we always keep our fingers crossed when we're watching as it launches, right?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
LEMON: And as it comes back to earth when it lands. I remember sadly covering in 2003, February, Columbia's explosion over Texas and parts of it went to Texas and Louisiana. There it is right there. And I remember just going to cover the landing, and then all of a sudden the news organization I was working with at the time, NBC News, said get there fast. You've got to get there fast because this had happened. And boy, oh boy, every time we see one, you know, it's been an amazing -- it's been amazing. There were lots of successes.
WHITFIELD: It's extraordinary to watch a launch, any time you get a chance to see that. And I think this is going to be probably the most watched because people aren't quite sure what the future holds for space exploration.
LEMON: Yes. Yes. I can't believe it's coming to an end. But we're going to talk about that. But also coming up this hour, listen to this.
You see his flag-draped coffin being carried by his fellow members of his troop. The story of Andrew Wilford. He was killed in Afghanistan, Fred. Here is video of his comrades honoring him. He was openly gay. His parents are now fighting for same-sex marriage in their home state of Minnesota.
And they're doing it in spite of a state senator who is proposing this new law that's going to come on the ballot. And the family -- of course they're very outspoken about it and the senator as well. We're going to speak to both of them. And you're going to hear from both sides coming up in just a few minutes here on CNN.
WHITFIELD: All right. We'll look forward to that, Don Lemon, more of you and the rest of what the NEWSROOM has to offer just minutes away. Thanks very much. Good to see you.
LEMON: Good to see you.
WHITFIELD: And Happy Fourth.
LEMON: Happy Fourth to you since I won't see you tomorrow.
WHITFIELD: That's right. I know.
LEMON: Rock on.
WHITFIELD: All right.
LEMON: Where's your red, white and blue? Come on, Fred.
WHITFIELD: I know.
LEMON: Your nails.
WHITFIELD: But you know I'm forever patriotic.
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