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Betty Ford Dies; Britain's Royal Couple Visits U.S.; South Sudan Celebrates Independence Day; June Jobs Numbers Disappointing; NASA Ends Space Shuttle Program; Terrorists May Hide Bombs in Bombers' Bodies

Aired July 09, 2011 - 10:00   ET

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

SUSAN HENDRICKS, CNN ANCHOR: It is Saturday, July 9th. Thanks so much for being with us. After six years of struggle, southern Sudan is celebrating its independence day today. What is ahead for the new nation?

And the wait is over for royal watchers. The duke and duchess of Cambridge mix business and pleasure on a three-day trip to California.

A live picture now from the west lawn of the U.S. capitol where the Dalai Lama will give a speech on world peace within minutes. We'll bring you there.

From the CNN center in Atlanta, this is CNN Saturday morning. I'm Susan Hendricks sitting in today for T.J. Holmes.

We begin now with the death of former first lady, Betty Ford. She was 93 years old. Ford was surrounded by family when she passed away last night. She became first lady in 1974 when her husband, Gerald Ford, took over following the resignation of Richard Nixon. But her greatest legacy may be the contribution she made to the battle against addiction.

CNN's Thelma Gutierrez joins me live now from the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California. You are standing outside, Thelma, the place that has helped so many people because of Betty Ford.

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and as you mentioned, Susan, it's definitely her greatest legacy. The residents here in Rancho Mirage will definitely tell you that.

Now, she died here at the Eisenhower Medical Center, which is in front of the Betty Ford Center last night, yesterday evening. We're told by a relative that she was surrounded by family at the time.

And Betty Ford is remembered as a first lady who spoke openly about subjects that were considered taboo back in the 70s, subjects like gay rights, equal rights for women, even breast cancer. Shortly after her husband Gerald Ford took office, Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a radical mastectomy, also chemotherapy. She talked about that very openly.

And then a year after her husband left office, she actually went in to treatment for an addiction to pain medications, also alcohol. And then in 1982 she cofounded the Betty Ford Center. President Obama said that she helped reduce the stigma surrounding addiction, and former president George W. Bush also said that because of her leadership many lives were saved. And as I mentioned, that's exactly what the residents say here, that it will be her greatest legacy, and that is how she will be remembered.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEE LEACH, RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA RESIDENT: It was really hard to hear, because I had seen her so much. She came by where I worked a lot. And it was really hard, because she had such class. She was absolutely one of the most elegant first ladies ever.

TOM WENTZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COLLEGE RECOVERY COMMUNITY: I know "icon" is an overused term these days, but she truly is one. Her vision and her mission for the Betty Ford Center is unsurpassable.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a cancer survivor, as she is too. And it's shocking. She was just a fabulous lady, fabulous. We're all going to miss her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTIERREZ: There's been an outpouring of loving tributes throughout the country. We're told that in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the Gerald Ford presidential library is located, thousands of people have already showed up to sign condolence books there. Susan?

HENDRICKS: All right, Thelma, thanks so much. She certainly is an icon, will be missed, literally paving the way for so many people who got helped there. Thelma, thank you.

The world's newest country raises its flag for the first time. It is independence day for South Sudan. People there voted overwhelming in January to form their own country, and they dead. The African nation is about the size of Texas. Dignitaries from around the world are attending celebration in the new capital of Juba.

President Obama speaking out on this. He released this statement this morning, quote, "After so much struggle by the people of South Sudan, the United States of America welcomes the birth of a new nation," unquote.

New defense secretary Leon Panetta landed in Kabul, Afghanistan, this morning. Speaking on the flight over, Panetta said the purpose of this trip is to get out and talk to troops on the front lines. Panetta head of the CIA before replacing Robert Gates as defense secretary. He says it's important to keep pressure on the Taliban.

A spokesman for the Orange County, Florida, jail says Casey Anthony denied her mother's request to visit last night. Tuesday the 25-year-old was acquitted of murdering her two-year-old daughter, Caylee. Her mother testified for both the prosecution and the defense. Casey Anthony is due to be released from jail a week from tomorrow. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- two, one, zero, and liftoff. The final liftoff of Atlantis on the shoulders of the space shuttle. America will continue the dream.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENDRICKS: History in the making, there it is. This goes Atlantis. The final shuttle mission lifted off yesterday morning. There are four astronauts on board. They call themselves, fittingly, the "final four." This morning, they are using sensors on the shuttle's boom arm to check out the heat shield to see if there was any damage during the launch. The shuttle is expected to dock with the International Space Station tomorrow morning. Certainly a sight to see there.

(WEATHER BREAK)

HENDRICKS: Prince William and his new wife, Kate, are spending their first full day in southern California. Tonight they will attend a black tie event honoring up and coming British performers. First, though, William will indulge in one of his passions. That is polo. CNN's Max Foster is in Los Angeles. Max, we want to hear all the scoop, but first tell us about the polo match.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. The polo match is in aid of his foundation. Him and his brother have got this very successful foundation, and what they're doing is launching an American arm to that. They're trying to raise money. So polo's in the family blood. They're going to be playing up at the Santa Barbara polo club. Expect to see a few VIPs turning out there. There's always a few VIPs at these events.

It's all about raising money for charity, this event. And he's a very good player and he's going to be playing against another team headed by the U.S. captain, a bit of competition there. It's a bit of a rougher sport, the U.S. version from the U.K. version. The American captain says, you know, he hopes William's ready for that.

But a key moment will be when they present the trophy, because Catherine, the duchess, will present the trophy, and that's going to remind a lot of people of the former generation when Diana used to present Charles with a trophy. So a symbolic, colorful affair here this morning in L.A.

HENDRICKS: Max, as you're speaking, we're looking at pictures of David Beckham chatting up with William. Where were they? And what were they talking about, if you know?

FOSTER: Well, this is where they're staying whilst in L.A. It's the Consul Generals mansion up in Hancock Park. David Beckham, of course, a friend. He's linked with Prince William through the football association in the U.K. They became friends and David was at the wedding, of course. So everyone was waiting for this moment when the two would meet. And we interviewed David Beckham just a couple of weeks ago and he wasn't letting anything go, saying I'm sure he's too busy to meet me. But here they are on the first night hanging out with each other. You can see the photographers were loving it.

HENDRICKS: He was being modest, he's too busy to meet him. And the photographers were with loving it. We are too. What else is going on today? What's on the royal's agenda?

FOSTER: This is a glamorous day, I think you can say. You've got the polo, and this evening there's a big red carpet event organized by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. And that's about promoting young British talent in Hollywood to the studio execs.

But also expecting some very big a-list names. We're not being given any of those names yet, but everyone's going to show -- lots of A-listers have requested to go there. So I'm sure a lot of those requests have been accepted. I know our own Piers Morgan is going look. So it's definitely a-list.

HENDRICKS: Oh, Piers is in. Can't wait to get the scoop. Max Foster, thanks so much, appreciate it.

And the royal couple's charm offensive is underway in Tinseltown. Talk about paparazzi. Coming up in about a half-hour, we will talk to "Us Weekly" Melanie Bromley to see how that is working, if it is.

And a plan to make traveling into space as routine as, I don't know, boarding an airplane, not just for astronauts, but for everyday people. Coming up, the next level for space exploration. It's fascinating.

Also, the nation's suffering economy, we'll look at the latest job numbers and what they mean for candidates on the presidential campaign trail.

But first, a look at those states with the highest unemployment rate in the last month. Nevada has the highest rate at 12.1 percent. Not far behind is next door neighbor California, 11.7. After the break, the top five states with the lowest unemployment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: Welcome back. Before the break we showed you the states with the highest unemployment. Now here's a look at the states with the lowest jobless numbers. The five states on your screen all have unemployment rates of less than five percent. There they are. North Dakota has the lowest at 3.2 percent.

The jobs situation is one of the top issues facing the president, and the presidential candidates. The new unemployment report has the rate at 9.2 percent right now.

Here's how the numbers break down by gender -- pretty interesting here. Men are right about at the average, while unemployment for women is at about eight percent. And here's now the unemployment rate breaks down by race. The rate for whites went up to 8.1 percent. African-American unemployment is the highest, but it did not change last month.

CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser joins me now from Washington. And Paul, jobs seem to be really the top issue with Americans, because if they don't work, they don't have the money to support their families.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Oh, no doubt. It is the top economic issue in this country. But, yes, it's also the top political issue, the top campaign issue on the minds of Americans. The economy has been the number one issue with Americans basically since the end of 2007. And when you look at just economic issues, what's the top economic issue? Jobs.

Let's take a little trip down memory lane. I put this graphic together. And when President Obama took over in the White House back in January of 2009, the economy was in a free fall. The unemployment level had already jumped to 7.8 percent. It topped out at 10.1 in October of 2009. Slowly, slowly, very slowly getting down to 8.8 percent this March, and now back at 9.2 percent, Susan.

HENDRICKS: And Paul, do Americans blame the president for the bad economy? It seems that no matter who's in office that they do tend to blame the president?

STEINHAUSER: Yes, the buck stops there. That's what they always say. The buck stops here at the White House.

I want to show you two poll numbers here. How Americans think the president is doing handling jobs -- this is a Bloomberg poll, the most recent one. You can see right there, not so well -- 38 percent approve of how he's handling creating jobs, 57 percent disapprove. That's lower than his overall approval rating, which is in the mid to upper 40s.

But go to the next number, this is also interesting, who gets the blame for the bad economy right now? We're two and a half years into the Obama presidency, but look at this. A CBS/"New York Times" polls indicates that about a quarter of Americans still blame the Bush administration for getting us in this economic mess, 25 percent say Wall Street, Congress, you can see 11 percent, Obama administration only at eight percent right now, Susan.

HENDRICKS: A lot of finger pointing. I would assume that jobs will impact the next election too, right?

STEINHAUSER: Oh, yes. And we saw all the presidential candidates on the Republican side yesterday out with statements moments after the report came out, blaming the president and his policies.

Check this out as well, though. This is interesting. It's not just a national story, it's a state story. You were talking about some of those states. These are battleground states, of course, crucial states that could decide the next election. Look at where their unemployment levels are right. Nevada, 12.1 percent, Florida 10.6, Michigan 10.3, North Carolina 9.7, all higher than the national average. All these states, of course, very important next year in the presidential contest, Susan.

HENDRICKS: Yes, that is huge. Paul Steinhauser, thanks so much. Appreciate it. Good to talk to you.

How about this, a cheating scandal rocks the Atlanta school system -- 178 teachers and principal accused of fixing test scores. You won't believe it, the steps school board members must take to store the district's credibility. That's next.

But first, cheating scandals like this are not new. After the break, we'll take a look at other states where educators have been accused or caught cheating on standardized testing. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: Before the break, we mentioned other states have been cheating on standardized testing, has been suspected there, at least, according to an article in "BusinessWeek" magazine. These suspicions go back as far as 2004. That year, teachers, principals, and administrators from schools in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Washington were accused of test rigging.

We're talking about teachers here, folks. And more recently, the "San Francisco Chronicle" reported that 123 public schools in California had been caught cheating on tests in the last three years.

Georgia prosecutors are considering criminal charges now in a major cheating scandal that rocked Atlanta's public schools. The scandal centers on standardized testing. The criterion referenced competency tests, or CRCT, otherwise known as, investigators found cheating in 44 out of 56 elementary schools. At the hands of 178 teachers and principals, 82 have reportedly confessed.

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal says students paid the price when with teachers fixed their answers, as you would imagine. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. NATHAN DEAL, GEORGIA: Nothing is more important to the future of our state than ensuring that today's students receive a first-class education and integrity in testing is a necessary piece of that education. When test results are falsified and students who have not mastered the necessary material are promoted, our students are harmed, parents lose sight of their children's true progress, and taxpayers are cheated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENDRICKS: CNN's student news anchor, Carl Azuz has details on how Atlanta school officials plan to recover from this scandal. Carl, I know you attended a meeting at Atlanta public schools. First of all, why is this happening? The teachers must be feeling some sort of pressure here. There's no excuse for the cheating, but you wonder why it's happening at this magnitude.

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: I think you're exactly right. I think like when you have programs like Race to the Top and programs like No Child Left Behind, you have benefits offered to schools. But the thing is these benefits, which can come from the federal government or the threat of school closures, as in the case of No Child Left Behind, there are sort of strings attached, where schools have to prove progress in order to stay open. So some say that could have led to this sort of culture of cheating.

What we saw this week in the meeting of Atlanta public schools is the new superintendent, the interim superintendent, Erroll Davis, has put forth this plan to help Atlanta public schools to start recovering from these scandals.

And we have some graphics here to illustrate this for you. The tenets of his plan include the following measures. What we have, ethics complaints -- they're going to go right to the top now. If some teachers belief something fishy is going on, they're going to forward those complaints. They will go right to the Atlanta board of education. So those will be very closely monitored.

Also, CRCT scores, what's at the heart of this scandal, there are going to be trigger mechanisms that if those actually increase very quickly at certain schools, there's going to be a verification process to show that those increased by honest means.

Also, employees are going to be surveyed, a blind, anonymous survey to investigate and eliminate the intimidation. It was that culture of intimidation that the superintendent says led to the cheating scandal.

And also, students, we're talking about thousands of kids who didn't get remedial help when teachers and principals sort of fudged their test scores. Those students are going to be given that remedial education they needed.

HENDRICKS: Did the superintendent, Carl, say anything about the punishment? What is it, 178 teachers and principals involved?

AZUZ: Yes, huge number.

HENDRICKS: Yes.

AZUZ: What he said in the past, he has said they wouldn't be in front of kids again. But there was something he said at this meeting on Friday that seemed to imply that they wouldn't be employees of Atlanta public schools again. Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERROLL DAVIS, ATLANTA SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT: Those who have cheated our children or those who have permitted our children to be cheated, either knowingly or unknowingly, will have forfeited their right to remain in our system.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Now, one other thing he did add, though, is that people who contest whether they were involved in that cheating, they wouldn't be eliminated without due process. So we don't expect to see a mass firing, at least in the immediate days ahead.

HENDRICKS: You mentioned the No Child Left Behind act. Some people are blaming that and saying the pressure is too much on the kids or the teachers.

AZUZ: On the Race to the Top, government funds are linked to school improvement. Under No Child Left Behind, some schools are threatened with closure if they don't show progress. And again, that progress is often measured in test scores.

So some people say, on the plus side, schools, it's about accountability here, that schools are then held accountable, they're given the responsibility. The burden of proof is on them to show that students are continually getting a better education shown by those increasing test scores.

The downside, critics say, is because these pressures are on these schools, you've got to show improvement if you want to stay open. They're saying that kind of pressure could leave to an environment of cheating, and some people blame that environment to leading to the scandal at Atlanta public schools.

HENDRICKS: Carl Azuz, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

AZUZ: Thank you, Susan.

HENDRICKS: I know you've been investigating that. Thanks.

AZUZ: We'll stay on it.

HENDRICKS: We're talking about Hollywood royalty now. Over the weekend the world watched as Prince William married his new bride in Bride in April. Now many American royal watchers will get a closer look at the duke and duchess of Cambridge. We are live from Los Angeles with the details of their visit. Don't miss it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: Want to take you live to Washington right now. You're looking at the Dalai Lama's festival for world peace. There's Whoopi Goldberg there, getting ready. The Dalai Lama is expected to talk about his personal experiences and questions from the crowd. She the shaky camera -- live pictures.

He is in Washington for a 10-day visit. You hear the applause. The Dalai Lama met with leaders earlier in the week, including House leaders, John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi as well. Right now there are no public plans for a meeting with President Obama. It has been nearly seven years, believe it or not, since a massive tsunami devastated Southeast Asia. One woman has turned that tragedy into an opportunity for children in need. That is why she is a CNN Hero.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUSANNE JANSON, CNN HERO: My father called me and told me that something bad had happened in Thailand. My daughters, Eleanor and Josephine went to Thailand for vacation with my ex-husband. As it was hard to get good information in Sweden, we decided to go to Thailand ourselves and look for them.

When I realized I wouldn't bring them back home alive, I wanted to die. But the Thai people that had suffered so much more, I felt a connection to them, and I wanted to give something back.

My name is Susanne Janson. I moved to Thailand because I wanted to help poor Thai children to make the most out of their lives.

We are not an orphanage. It is a home for children and families in need. We want to provide these children with a chance to make some changes in their lives. Love is the first thing they need. Second, food, but then it's school, education.

We want to be as close to a normal family as possible. Of course, we are a very big family. When something is good, we are happy together. If something bad happens, we cry together. That's the most important if you work with children. Not so much head, but a lot of heart.

My daughters loved their life. And I wanted to show them that I would survive this. And if I could help my new children to love their life, at least one good thing came out of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENDRICKS: Wow, Susanne Janson has helped so many. Provide daily care and education she has to nearly 100 children to date. Remember, all of this year's CNN heroes were chosen from people you told us about. If you would like to nominate your hero, just go to CNNheroes.com.

The country's space shuttle program is coming to an end, but not the future of space travel. Private companies planning to take space travel to the next level. It could mean trips to outer space for ordinary people, like you and me. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: Just about 10:30. Welcome back. I'm Susan Hendricks in for T.J. Holmes this morning. Thanks so much for starting your day with us.

Checking top stories, former first lady, Betty Ford, the widow of late president, Gerald Ford, died last night. Beyond her public battle with breast cancer Mrs. Ford's lasting legacy may be the substance abuse treatment center that bears her name, helping millions. Betty Ford died at the age of 93.

In Africa, the continent's largest country is now split in two. The republic of South Sudan is hoisting the flag of the new nation. People there voted overwhelmingly to separate from Sudan's Muslim dominated government in Khartoum.

And in Los Angeles, it is day two of the duke and duchess of Cambridge touring Tinseltown. Plenty of handshaking and sightseeing for the recently married royal couple. Today the prince is set to play in a charity polo match. Tomorrow William and Kate visit skid row.

I want to take you live now to Washington, where the Dalai Lama has taken the stage. You're looking at it as it is happening. He is there to promote world peace.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- two, one, zero, and liftoff. The final liftoff of Atlantis on the shoulders of the space shuttle. America will continue the dream.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENDRICKS: What a sight to see. That was yesterday as the shuttle Atlantis races towards the international space station one last time. We can't help but wonder, what is next? Everyday citizens maybe going into space? Our John Zarrella says it's not all that farfetched.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA: Elon Musk runs Space X. Richard Branson heads Virginia Galactic. Both are using their considerable wealth to back bold attempts to make space travel as routine as boarding an airplane.

RICHARD BRANSON, VIRGIN GALACTIC: People used to say to me, look, it would be impossible to build your own spaceship and your own spaceship company and be able to take people into space. And that's the kind of challenge that I love to sort of prove them wrong.

ELON MUSK, SPACE X: We want see a future where we are exploring the stars, where we're going to other planets, where we're going the great things that we read about in science fiction and in the movies.

ZARRELLA: There are several companies, some big, some small, who see, as NASA moves on to distant planets, that weightless region just above the atmosphere, just out of reach right now, becoming quite possibly a good investment.

GEORGE MUSSER, "SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN" MAGAZINE: NASA's still in thereby, still going to develop a heavy lift rocket. But we've also got this hopefully flowering of private space flight. And that's what's going to get us the Hiltons and the Hertz Rent-a-Cars and whatever in orbit.

ZARRELLA: Space X and Virgin Galactic are on the verge of not only opening, but stepping through that door to the future.

ELON MUSK, SPACE X: We want to make space accessible to everyone. I mean, that's a revolutionary change, but it's incredibly exciting. And it brings space -- the possibility of space travel to all Americans, which is fantastic.

ZARRELLA: Next year, Musk hopes to begin carrying cargo to the International Space Station, eventually astronauts, a commercial company replacing the space shuttle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Confirmed. Docking is complete.

MUSK: We believe firmly we can sent astronauts to the space station within three years of receiving a NASA contract to do so.

ZARRELLA: But unless it's safe, NASA's administrator says no U.S. astronaut will be on board.

CHARLIE BOLDEN, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: I cannot allow them to put us in jeopardy by not focusing on crew safety and the like. That's my job.

ZARRELLA: The stakes are high. There is no turning back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please welcome the future space shuttle.

ZARRELLA: With shuttles retired and astronauts left to riding Russian spaceships, NASA is counting on commercial companies to get it right, make it work. And the more who make it work, the more affordable it will become.

BRANSON: That's the end of a particular era. And it's up to individuals like myself, if you're in a position to be able to, you know, achieve wonderful things, not to waste that position.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENDRICKS: So you may be wondering what is next for NASA now that the space shuttle program is ending. We'll get a glimpse of NASA's future. It's pretty amazing. That's coming up in 20 minutes.

(WEATHER BREAK)

HENDRICKS: Take a look at this. A man blasts out of a cannon and completes a homerun. Also, there he goes -- look at him.

The British royals are dazzling Beverly Hills. Those stories and much more, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: HLN Sports anchor Ray D'Alessio is joining me this morning for a look at what's making news in sports. And Ray, the benches are cleared enough to bring Reynolds Wolf over.

RAY D'ALESSIO, HLN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, Reynolds and I, you know, we were discussing this earlier. We both have a problem with fights in baseball. Nobody ever does anything. There's always these movements and actions.

WOLF: They never land a punch.

D'ALESSIO: Case in point, let's take a look at this. This was during the Orioles-Red Sox game last night. Pitcher David Gregg, David Ortiz, they start jawing with each other. Look at Gregg, he's like, come on. Here we go. No punches thrown -- punches thrown, nothing landed. They need to go back and look at some rocky video.

WOLF: He fights like Napoleon Dynamite.

(LAUGHTER)

D'ALESSIO: And you never put your head down like that.

WOLF: Wow.

HENDRICKS: But you can't be the last man standing in the dugout.

D'ALESSIO: You have to come out of the dugout. You have to support your teammates. But in a case like this, there's a lot of pushing, shoving, some man hugging, you know. And fortunately nobody was hurt and both players were, at least Kevin Gregg, he was ejected from the game.

WOLF: How will they settle this, Ray? Will they hug it out now?

HENDRICKS: I think they're hugging it out now, look.

D'ALESSIO: A little man hug, and of course Major League Baseball will say, yes, that's not enough. There'll be some fines and probably even suspensions.

WOLF: Maybe even cuddle time, a little male bonding there.

HENDRICKS: Can't we just all get along? I think the coaches say, you can go out there, just don't punch.

D'ALESSIO: Hey, there's some fight in the makeup room a lot of times between Reynolds and I, going for the hair spray.

(LAUGHTER)

HENDRICKS: We'll bring you live pictures from the makeup room tomorrow.

All right, you have a story of a different kind of homerun, don't you?

D'ALESSIO: Cannonball Smith, human homerun -- I love this guy. He's 69 years old. He is no spring chicken. This was during a recent minor league game. Look at this, shooting himself over the outfield wall into a safety net. This was the second time that he has performed this stunt and succeeded. Now --

HENDRICKS: Why are you laughing?

D'ALESSIO: Reynolds brings up a very, very good point here. Your question was?

WOLF: If you are a baseball aficionado, obviously, if it doesn't go over the fence, it's not a homerun. So if cannonball were to go at a lower trajectory and hit say the outfield and bounce over, would that be a ground rule double?

(LAUGHTER)

WOLF: You have to wonder. I mean, surely, that is in the realm of comprehension because he is, after all, wearing a crash helmet.

D'ALESSIO: Absolutely.

WOLF: So he's thought about this.

D'ALESSIO: And I'm sure, you know, we joke about that, and I'm sure even Cannonball would joke about that as well.

WOLF: Absolutely.

D'ALESSIO: If you're going to shoot yourself out of a cannon over an outfield wall, you're going to take a lot of ribbing.

HENDRICKS: Be prepared to be analyzed.

D'ALESSIO: But a good point he brings up.

HENDRICKS: Did you hear about this? Yao Ming's retiring, but we'll get back to it. All right?

D'ALESSIO: Wow.

HENDRICKS: We're getting old.

(LAUGHTER)

WOLF: I can't even take it anymore. Sorry, guys.

HENDRICKS: More than two billion people tuned in, maybe you did, to watch them get married. Now Britain's newest royal couple have arrived in L.A. We'll get the latest on their North American tour and why they picked L.A. as the place to be.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HENDRICKS: Basketball just lost another big man. According to report, 7'6" Yao Ming is calling it quits, calling it a career -- retiring, not really quitting. Yao is originally from China and has played nine seasons with the Rockets. He apparently decided against trying to make another comeback after injuries limited his playing to five games in the past two seasons. Fellow big man Shaquille O'Neal, you may remember, also retired recently.

The royal welcome in Hollywood, the duke and duchess of Cambridge, William and Catherine, arriving in L.A. in style on Friday. There they are coming out of the plane. They spent some time at a couple of events promoting British interests and mixing business with pleasure.

West coast bureau chief of "Us Weekly" joins us now. Melanie Bromley is in Los Angeles. She's joining us live for a quick chat. Melanie, fill us in. What's going on? Do we have any ideas of who will be rubbing shoulders with Kate and William?

MELANIE BROMLEY, WEST COAST BUREAU CHIEF, "US WEEKLY": Well, actually, today's going to be quite exciting, because I'll be able to get that kind of taste of a-list and true Hollywood glamour. And so tonight at the BAFTA event we're expecting Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban. So they will tonight have the opportunity to meet some celebrities from the world of Hollywood.

HENDRICKS: I can just see it now, or maybe hear it now, those in the paparazzi are really kind of loving this, wanting to get there. Are there any precautions in place to stop the madness, so to speak?

BROMLEY: Absolutely. And you know, basically, they're staying at the British consulate, which is in Hancock Park, and the police have been around all the neighbors and kind of said to everybody, you know, if any paparazzi are found on your property, they will be trespassing. Can you sign this no trespass order? So I think they're going to be quite safe.

But, actually, they are -- their schedule is jam-packed. So they're going from events to events to events. So I don't even think there's that kind of paparazzi opportunity of getting Kate in a bikini in the back garden kind of moment that's going to be happening this weekend.

HENDRICKS: You never know what they'll do. I see them in trees, I would assume in L.A., right? We've been seeing William and David Beckham kind of chatting up at events there, but there's always a spotlight, Melanie, on what Kate will wear. As we know, the dress that she wore in her engagement picture sold out, always looking like she has the best of style. What can you tell us? Do you have any inside scoop on what she'll wear?

BROMLEY: Well, tonight's kind of the big red carpet moment. It's a moment where we'll see her in her most glamorous gown. And I do predict that she'll be wearing an American designer. That would be the courtesy thing to do, seeing as she's on American soil. So we'll have to wait and see what that is.

But that will be her kind of, that Hollywood moment where they'll dress like Hollywood superstars. And they look like Hollywood celebrities, if you think about it. Kate has that gorgeous hair and they've got their straight teeth and lovely white smiles. So I think they'll be fitting in with the a-list quite nicely this evening.

HENDRICKS: What other inside info do you have on this trip?

BROMLEY: Well, what I think is so interesting about coming here is Americans are so obsessed with this wedding, and obviously we've put them on the cover of "Us Weekly" multiple times, which is the first time we've had royals really on the cover in recent memory. And they're here. They've come to Hollywood, they're obviously aware of their celebrity connections and their celebrity star power, and they're using this as a way to raise some money for their charities.

So they really are kind of like the perfect marriage between royalty and celebrity. So it's a fun story for us to all cover and for us to watch.

HENDRICKS: It really is. Melanie Bromley from "Us Weekly," thanks so much for the inside scoop. Appreciate it. Can't wait to see what she wears. Thanks.

Robots in space -- that is just one of the things NASA is planning for the post-shuttle era of space travel. If you can believe it, take a look. We'll have more on the future next.

Also ahead, CNN learns about a chilling tactic terrorists may try next to take out commercial planes.

And next hour at 11:00, have you checked your cell phone plan lately? You may want to. Verizon is joining AT&T and T-Mobile in canceling unlimited data plans. That could mean higher phone bills.

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HENDRICKS: U.S. security officials tell CNN terrorists may have explosives surgically implanted inside of their bodies to conduct suicide attacks. As CNN's Brian Todd reports, new intelligence points to the possibility of human bombs, but nothing appears imminent.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Security officials tell CNN of a chilling tactic terrorists might try next -- Targeting commercial aircraft by surgically implanting explosives or bomb components inside the bodies of attackers.

JOHN PISTOLE, TSA ADMINISTRATION: We see this as the latest iteration or the evolution of what terrorist groups are trying to do to circumvent our security layers and to perhaps defeat our societal norms.

TODD: Officials say there is fresh intelligence showing terrorists have a renewed interest in planting bombs in bodies but there is no specific or imminent let.

One U.S. official says man suspected in involvement in this effort is Ibrahim Asiri, bomb-making mastermind for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Asiri is believed to have planned the 2009 plot to kill Saudi Arabia's interior minister by placing a bomb in the rectal cavity or underwear of his own brother. Asiri's brother was killed, but the minister escaped.

I asked Rafi Ron, Israel's former top aviation security official, about surgically implanted bombs.

(on camera) What does this tell you about where the terrorists are versus where security officials are right now?

RAFI RON, NEW AGE SECURITY SOLUTIONS: Well, it tells me that we have exhausted the capabilities of the technology available to us because there's no way we can take the next step after the body scanners to figure out when a person carries a device inside his body.

TODD (voice-over): Ron and other experts say those full body scanners, which we once tested out, can see through clothing, can find prosthesis, breast implants, contours, but cannot detect bombs inside the body. I spoke with Dr. Jack Sava, chief trauma surgeon at Washington Hospital Center, about how terrorists might try to pull this off.

(on camera) Do you need a hospital to do this, or can you do it in some kind of a terrorist field camp? What kind of training do you need?

DR. JACK SAVA, CHIEF TRAUMA SURGEON, WASHINGTON HOSPITAL CENTER: I think, again, the fundamental question is how well do you want to do it? If you want to do it to have 20 people 19 and have 19 die and one success you can send on their mission, that would be easier. You can do that sloppy.

But if you wanted to do it well and expect them all to remain sterile, not cause infection, I think then you're largely going to be talking about a hospital or at least a clinic sections.

TODD (voice-over): Explosives, he says, could be placed in the abdomen or elsewhere.

(on camera) Dr. Sava says an explosive could be planted in a prosthetic device like a fake hip, a breast implant. He says a non- sophisticated implanted bomb might last three to four days inside the body before complications set in. But if it's a sophisticated surgery and implant, it could last weeks, months, or even longer.

(voice-over) Experts disagree on whether a bomb inside a body would need an external detonator to ignite or if it could be set off with a timer. It's also not clear if the body itself could blunt the impact of an explosion.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENDRICKS: Our thanks to Brian Todd. Appreciate that. Coming up, NASA has big plans for the future, including new vehicles, robots, and a mission to Mars. We'll take a closer look at those post-shuttle plans, next.

Here's something to think about, how many shuttle missions have taken place in the last 30 years. I'll have the answer right after this.

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HENDRICKS: Welcome back. Before the break win asked you how many shuttle missions have taken place over the last 30 years. Here's the answer. There have been 134 missions covering a half billion miles of flight. The current and last mission is the 135th.

So, as you know, the final mission is underway, ending 30 years of shuttle flight. So what is next for NASA? Josh Levs is here to show us the future. So when you hear, Josh, the last exploration into space, you think that NASA is shutting down, but not so.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: A lot of people are thinking that, and NASA is trying to get the word out. They are saying it has big plans. Do not think this is the end of U.S. even sending people into space.

For starters, take a look at these pictures that NASA sent out. NASA is calling this the flagship of its next generation space fleet. And what we're talking about here is a crew vehicle that fits four people inside, that should be able to take off on these 21-day missions. There you go. We got one and another shot of that.

And it has nothing planned for it yet, but the idea is that ultimately that will be able to take four astronauts up into space. And they're also working on new technologies to get people to Mars. NASA says it's absolutely committed to staying in the lead on all this. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOBBY BRAUN, NASA CHIEF TECHNOLOGIST: What we're doing is we're investing in a broad portfolio of technologies. Some of those technologies are risky. Some of them will pan out, others will not. But in the end we'll have the technological capabilities to go to places and to explore along with robots and humans that we can't do today.

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LEVS: You just heard him say, robots and humans. And that's one more thing I'm going to show you here. Take a look at this video. A robo-naut that was created with General Motors, it's currently just a torso, but they're going to add legs and wheels. Right now there's actually one on the International Space Station. That's the next video here.

But they're going to add legs and wheels, and ultimately they're hoping they can have some of these robots even go as far as mars and actually do some of the exploring. There's a lot more about this that I've posted up for you on my Facebook page and my Twitter page at JoshlevsCNN. Take a look at that.

But Susan, I will also tell you, while NASA puts out this message, hey, we've got all these big plans, a lot of people are concerned that NASA might not be able to do a lot of this with the end of the U.S. shuttle missions. With budgets being slashed, a lot of people thinking the U.S. could easily lose dominance in space.

HENDRICKS: Yes. A lot of people, though, after seeing that must be fascinated that the robo-naut has got muscles there.

(LAUGHTER)

HENDRICKS: Josh, thanks.

LEVS: Thanks.