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Betty Ford: A Legacy of Help; Goals of the Final NASA Shuttle Crew; Will and Kate in California; Casey Anthony Acquitted; Strauss- Kahn Case Not Dropped; Turning Tragedy Into Hope; The Birth of a Nation
Aired July 09, 2011 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And top of the news this hour, one new nation in the world, two big celebrations marking Independence Day. This is the flag of the now independent nation of South Sudan, rising for the first time over the capital city of Juba. The country is officially separate today after five decades of on and off civil war with the mostly Muslim North.
The same flag rising today in Washington, D.C. over the new embassy of South Sudan.
The man who won this year's "Dancing with the Stars," well, he may have waltzed himself right into trouble with a DUI ticket in Atlanta earlier today. Hines Ward, who is a star receiver for the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers, posted a $1,000 bond.
His mug shot taken of him at the DeKalb County Jail.
Royal couple Will and Kate are in California. They're being greeted by celebrities and local politicians. California's first couple gave the couple an iPad 2 loaded with California themed songs and movies.
Prince William is set to play polo this afternoon in Santa Barbara.
And in Washington, D.C., a call for peace from the Dalai Lama. The Tibetan spiritual leader spoke at an event called A Talk for World Peace, held on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. His message, change in society begins when we create a calm and peaceful mind within ourselves and our families.
Condolences are pouring in for the former First Lady Betty Ford from famous people who sought help at the addiction treatment center that bears her name. Big Hollywood names past and present like Elizabeth Taylor and Lindsay Lohan, are - have all checked in there at the Betty Ford Center.
Thelma Gutierrez is at that center in Rancho Mirage, California. The center is a large part of a legacy, Thelma.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Absolutely, without doubt, Fredricka. The Betty Ford Center was one of her greatest legacies. It was founded in 1982 after her very public bout and her battle with prescription drugs and addiction to prescription drugs, also an addiction to alcohol. Since then, since that time, in all those years, 90,000 people from all over the world, Fredricka, have come to the Betty Ford Center, many of them celebrities, very well known. They've come with their families to get help here.
And, you know, we talked to some of the residents. They say that they're celebrating her life and legacy at the same time. Since the Fords were such an integral part of this community, they were saddened by the news of her death.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEE LEACH, 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, and she is too. And it's shocking. She was just a fabulous lady. Fabulous. We're all going to miss her.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUTIERREZ: Funeral details are pending, but we do understand that she will be buried alongside her husband of 58 years in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at the site of the Gerald Ford Presidential Library.
We also are told that thousands of people have come to the library today despite the fact that it is closed. The lobby is open, and they've signed condolences - condolence books to make sure to let the Ford family know how much she was appreciated - Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Thelma Gutierrez, thanks so much.
In other news, a brazen escape in Houston caught on surveillance camera. Our affiliate KHOU reports the two men knew the jailers would open a door to a secure area to break up a fight, which was allegedly staged late last month.
One inmate escaped, but was caught three days later. The other inmate didn't make it out of the jail.
A flight heading to Frankfurt, Germany made an unexpected stop in Cleveland. United Airlines Flight 944 was diverted yesterday after a passenger found hiding in the bathroom turned violent.
Several passengers wrestled the man to the man to the floor. He was arrested by police after he taken off the plane, and flight attendants say he acted, quote, "suspicious."
The crew of Atlantis is busy today. The orbiter is on the final mission of NASA's Shuttle Program. The four astronauts are inspecting the shuttle's heat shield for damage and they're getting ready to dock with the International Space Station tomorrow.
Our John Zarrella is at the Kennedy Space Center with more - John.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fredricka.
Yes, the Atlantis crew and - and the shuttle Atlantis are speeding towards their docking tomorrow with the International Space Station. And today they did spend some time examining the shuttle's leading edges of the wings for any impacts that might have been caused by debris during the ascent to orbit. So far it looks like pretty good news in - on that inspection.
And, you know, about a month ago, Fredricka, I had an opportunity to sit down and spend some time with each of the four crew members.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Thanks for coming out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Beautiful shuttle. Beautiful day.
ZARRELLA: You guys are going to be the last Shuttle flight. What's going through your mind? Are you going, "Oh, man," you know, "why me?" or is it like this -
REX WALHEIM, SHUTTLE MISSION SPECIALIST: It's kind of like being at Disney Land late at night and thinking, "OK, am I going to get to the front of the line before the ride closes, or am I going get to actually get to - get cut off there at the very end?" So, when we finally got assigned the flight, it's like, wow, you know? We kind of squeaked by.
And then to realize that this is, you know, probably will be the last Space Shuttle mission ever was - it really felt like an honor to be part of it.
CAPT. CHRIS FERGUSON, SHUTTLE COMMANDER: We want to make sure we get the job done, and when the job is done, we can look back and reflect and think about where the place in history lie for this final Shuttle flight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The crew, getting their last looks at the Space Station Complex.
SANDRA MAGNUS, SHUTTLE MISSION SPECIALIST: We've got more transfer and logistic supplies to - to send the station than we ever had on any other mission. We're very, very busy in training. It's very - it's a very challenging mission.
ZARRELLA: You represent thousands of workers for 30 years who have poured their, you know, heart and soul into these vehicles.
DOUG HURLEY, SHUTTLE PILOT: That's exactly right.
ZARRELLA: And - and you guys are representing them on the final flight. HURLEY: It is, and I think that's where I feel the most pressure, to be able to represent them the way they deserved to be represented and finish out the program on a high note, with a successful mission, and then be able to thank - thanks them all afterwards, ideally.
ZARRELLA: Would you say the Shuttle Program then has been a success?
HURLEY: I think at times it is the - I hate to use the cliche - but it - it sometimes has been the Rodney Dangerfield of the - of the Space Program over the years. And - but it's just the amount of payload it can take to orbit, the amount of payload it can bring back, seven people on top of that, you know? You know, where else have we seen that in the Space Program?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to wrap it up. We can head back to the airlock.
FERGUSON: It was a defining moment. It was a successful program. We essentially have command of low Earth orbit. We know how to get there and back very easily, so much so that we set the ground for these commercial providers that will come. And I'd like to think the stage is set to go beyond low Earth orbit, which is where NASA belongs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Houston, Atlantis, we have wheels stop (ph).
ZARRELLA: What do you think is going to be going through your head there when you - when you call "wheels stop"?
FERGUSON: Yes.
ZARRELLA: I mean - I mean, that's it. It's over.
FERGUSON: Yes. You know, you're calling "wheels stop," not just for you, the orbiter, your crew, but I - I think that that moment will really - it will be a - it will be a defining moment for a lot of people. It will be at that moment when it's finally over that you'll be able to exhale, take a breath, understand the significance of - of the moment.
And it will probably take a little while to get me out of the Shuttle, but I'm bound and determined to be the last one out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: I asked Ferguson what his final words are going to be, both when they close the hatch and they leave the International Space Station, and when he calls "wheels stop". He said he hadn't decided yet, and even if he had, he wasn't going to tell me, that's for sure. So, Fredricka, we're going to have to (INAUDIBLE).
But those are going to be a couple of tearjerker moments, that's for sure - Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Yes. He'll - he'll just simply be moved by the moment.
All right, John Zarrella, thanks so much. ZARRELLA: Yes.
WHITFIELD: So of course there are lots of questions like what's next for NASA? We will talk in depth about the future of the Space Program with a former shuttle commander, Eileen Collins, the first female commander of a Shuttle mission, joins us at 3:40 P.M. Eastern time with her take on what's ahead.
U.S. troops in Afghanistan are getting a surprise visitor. Brand-new Defense Secretary Leon Panetta showed up and discussed his plans for al Qaeda.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, new pictures of this handsome couple. They're arriving at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racket Club, just moments ago. We're getting this to you as soon as possible.
They landed via helicopter and now they're walking, that beautiful red carpet there, a lot of folks, photographers and just thrill seekers all there to see the Prince and Duchess of Cambridge there, Will and Kate.
And so Prince William is actually going to be in that polo match a little bit later on today. He'll change his outfit there and he's going to get on the horse and he's going to play some polo, one of his favorite past times.
And this is a fundraiser, by the way, even though you see all those big marquee names there that are helping to sponsor this event. It's a big fundraiser in large part for wildlife conservation, for animals in Africa. That's something that Prince William feels very strongly about.
CNN's Casey Wian is there, keeping close tabs on them. So they just walked the carpet, and did people say anything or were they polite?
CASEY WIAN CNN CORRESPONDENT: They were - people were very, very polite. We all tried to ask respectful questions, Fredricka.
But the Prince said thank you, hello, nothing of substance, but we are expecting to hear him address this gathering of folks who paid between $400 and $4,000 apiece to see this charity polo match. We're expecting the Prince to give some remarks in a little while. It's going to be the first time we'll have heard anything extensive from him during their visit to Southern California.
Of course, as you mentioned, this is all for a charity, the charity that has been established by Prince William and his brother, Prince Harry. They're going to be raising money for military families across the world, they'll be raising money for at risk youths and - at risk youth and, as you mentioned, for the environment.
Now, the winner of this polo match, the trophy that was specially designed for this event by Tiffany, it's going to be presented by the Duchess of Cambridge herself. And the players that we have spoken with so far all say that that does not mean that this match - this match is in any way rigged or fixed, that the Duchess is going to present the trophy to whoever wins and they're all going to be giving it their all out there on the polo field in a couple of hours, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Wow, that's incredible. And so they have a very busy schedule. I mean, after polo, I mean, you imagine both will be exhausted. But, no, they're going to have a night on the town with the Hollywood royalty.
WIAN: Well, it's a little bit - it's a little bit easier to get around Southern California in a helicopter -
WHITFIELD: That's true.
WIAN: -- than the way most of us have to get around Southern California. So that's going to help them keep to their busy schedule.
But it is a very, very busy schedule. They don't have a lot of free time between yesterday afternoon, when they arrived at LAX, and between tomorrow afternoon when they depart to go back home to the United Kingdom.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. Well, hey, they'll just sleep on the flight. It's going to be a long one.
All right, thanks so much, Casey Wian. Appreciate that.
All right, let's also get you caught up on the international headlines right now. New U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta plans to meet with troops in Afghanistan today. It is Panetta's first trip to the country since taking over his new job a week ago.
Panetta told reporters the U.S. is in reach of strategically defeating al Qaeda.
And the final edition of the "News of the World" is due out in just a few hours from now. Rupert Murdoch, who owns the British tabloid, is expected to arrive in London shortly to deal with the hacking scandal that has brought that paper down. Journalists are accused of illegally tapping into the voicemails of celebrities, politicians and crime victims.
And that's the sound of a lot of excitement. The United Nations has officially recognized South Sudan. The new African nation, celebrated its independence from Sudan today after a long and bloody 50-year on and off civil war.
All right, turning to legal news now here in the States, Casey Anthony has been acquitted of murder. That you know by now.
Well, she'll also be out of jail soon, but are her legal problems over? Our legal guys weigh in next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Casey Anthony has only about a week left in jail. She's expected to be released a week from tomorrow.
Well, then what? A lot of people are wondering about that now that she has been acquitted of murdering her little girl Caylee. Earlier, I asked our legal guys, civil rights attorney Avery Friedman and criminal defense attorney Richard Herman, about the other legal cases that Anthony could face.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: The amazing thing about that, Fredricka, is everybody was assuming, including us, that there was going - going to be a conviction. So when Zenaida Gonzalez, "Zanny the Nanny", brought her defamation action, it struck me as principled but futile. Now, Casey Anthony is going to be making a lot of money and, indeed, she has already been noticed for a deposition by the lawyer of Gonzalez, and so that case actually has merit because Casey published a falsity, said that Gonzalez engaged in a felony, you know, criminal kidnapping.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
FRIEDMAN: So it's going to be one of a number of things that we're going to be looking at.
WHITFIELD: But does it matter?
FRIEDMAN: Casey Anthony is far from out of the woods.
RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Fred -
WHITFIELD: But wasn't it - does it matter whether they knew each other or not, that apparently, Richard -
HERMAN: That's the whole point.
WHITFIELD: -- if there's no relationship, they didn't know each other, they were strangers, there really is no case? It was just an arbitrary name?
HERMAN: There is no case.
FRIEDMAN: Right.
HERMAN: This case is - this case is going to be dismissed.
FRIEDMAN: What?
HERMAN: Casey - Casey couldn't talk while the criminal case was pending for fear of waiving her Fifth Amendment rights. Now she's going to give an affidavit and say, I don't know this woman. This is not the woman I was referring to. I never had any intent to defame her because I never knew her, I never met her, and, you know what? The case is going to be dismissed. Absolutely.
FRIEDMAN: Oh, my goodness.
WHITFIELD: OK. Richard, you see differently. Real quick, you think there is a case -
HERMAN: Yes. I mean -
WHITFIELD: Avery?
HERMAN: There is no case. She doesn't know the woman. This is not -
(CROSSTALK)
FRIEDMAN: Of course there's a case.
HERMAN: -- imaginary. (INAUDIBLE) her.
FRIEDMAN: Oh, my goodness, not at all.
WHITFIELD: But it's such an unusual name to just imagine, too.
FRIEDMAN: She knew exactly what she was doing.
WHITFIELD: Yes?
FRIEDMAN: Well, I mean, this is all going to come out in discovery, many other things, including some of the things that didn't come out in the criminal trial. It wouldn't matter because she's not going to be charged again, Fredricka, but there are going to be a multitude of issues - I mean, she couldn't have made the name up. It's ridiculous.
Of course it's going to come out, and I - and I believe there is a case there. Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: OK.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, you can catch our legal guys every Saturday beginning noon Eastern time.
Let's check in with our own resident meteorologist Jacqui Jeras, here, on this lovely weekend.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: No, I know very well. But, you know what? It's not just the heat that people are dealing with.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: No.
WHITFIELD: You see a lot of thunderstorms.
JERAS: Yes. I mean -
WHITFIELD: There are strange summer storms.
JERAS: This just -
WHITFIELD: Dangerous ones. JERAS: Well, just in the last hour things have really popped up. So we've got a lot of scattered activity out there.
We're starting out in the southeast where people are trying to enjoy a nice beach weekend, right? Unfortunately we've got a lot of showers and thundershowers, not to mention the threat of rip currents along the East Coast, the Atlantic Coast here, the Florida Peninsula. And we've got some delays at the Atlanta Airport over the range of about 15 to 30 minutes because of those thunderstorms that have been rumbling through right there across the south side of town. So keep that in mind if you're trying to head out of town or into town.
The Midwest is probably where we have the greatest potential for seeing some severe thunderstorms here. Right now it's pretty quiet, but we do expect things to kick in a little bit later on today, and we're also seeing things pop up around the four corners, Denver getting in on some wet weather. You know, it's been a couple of days with some rather rough weather in the Denver area.
My magic wand wasn't wanting to work there for a second here.
Check out this iReport that we got from Denver, Colorado. This was on Thursday night, from Toby Wang. He said that he was at the Denver Zoo, having a great day, and, yes, the rain kind of ruined his parade there.
WHITFIELD: And then suddenly not having a great day.
JERAS: I know. But, you know, flash flooding, this is very typical of what happens. He said it was only about -
WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness.
JERAS: -- two hours when this rain, you know, flooded the streets. People were driving through it, which you shouldn't ever do, by the way.
WHITFIELD: Does that have something to do with any kind of the snow melt? Because it wasn't that long ago we were still talking - we were talking about July skiing in some parts.
JERAS: I know. Can you believe it? No.
WHITFIELD: No?
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: This isn't snow melt. This is pop-up thunderstorms, a lot of -
WHITFIELD: All right. Just checking.
JERAS: -- a lot of flooding. So be aware of that throughout the weekend. We've got a lot of it popping up across a lot of the U.S.
WHITFIELD: Wow. Crazy stuff. All right, thanks so much, Jacqui.
OK, so it's been nearly seven years since a massive tsunami devastated Southeast Asia. One woman has turned that tragedy into an opportunity for children in need, and that's why she is a CNN Hero.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSANNE JANSON, CNN HERO: My father called me and told me that something bad had happened in Thailand. My daughters Eleonor and Josefin went to Thailand for a 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's a home for children and families in need. We want to provide these children with their chance to make some changes in their lives.
Love is the first thing they need. Second, food, and then need school and 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 of 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 it, and if I could help my new children to love their lives, at least one good thing came out of it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Susanne Janson has provided daily care and education to nearly 100 children to date.
Remember, all of this year's CNN Heroes were chosen from you, the people in your neighborhood who you want recognized. If you want to nominate someone else as a hero, just go to CNNHeroes.com.
July 9th, Independence Day. They're singing free at last in the newest nation in the world. Talking about South Sudan. A full report next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories now.
Former First Lady Betty Ford has died at the age of 93. Her late husband, Gerald Ford, became president when Richard Nixon resigned back in 1974.
President Obama called Mrs. Ford a powerful advocate for women's health and women's rights, who also helped to reduce the social stigma surrounding addiction.
And the man who won this year's "Dancing with the Stars," well, he may have waltzed himself into some trouble with a DUI ticket in Atlanta earlier today. Hines Ward, who was a star receiver for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, posted a $1,000 bond. And, of course, with the charge also came a mug shot, this taken of him at the DeKalb County Jail.
A small fire broke out at a Rihanna concert in Dallas last night. The concert had to be cut short. CNN affiliate KTVT is reporting the fire apparently started from pyrotechnics that were part of the show. No one was hurt.
And Derek Jeter not only knows how to hit, he knows how to hit a milestone. He reached 3,000 today with a solo homer in the third inning of the New York Yankees match up against the Tampa Bay Rays. He is the first player in the Yankees history to reach that magic number.
New U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is in Afghanistan. It is Panetta's first trip to the country since taking over his new job a week ago.
Panetta told reporters the U.S. is in reach of strategically defeating al Qaeda. He says the U.S. has identified 10 to 20 key al Qaeda leaders who he says are in Pakistan, Yemen and in other areas.
And one new nation in the world, two big celebrations marking Independence Day. This is the flag of the now independent nation of South Sudan, rising for the first time over the capital city of Juba. The country is officially separate today after five decades of on and off civil war with the mostly Muslim North. The same flag rising today in Washington, D.C. over the new embassy of South Sudan.
So let's talk about that moment some more, that scene of the flag rising above the new embassy of South Sudan in Washington. Elise Labott is CNN's senior State Department producer.
Elise, that scene almost as important as the celebration in South Sudan, lots of symbolism that comes here, and a real commitment too between the U.S. and South Sudan.
ELISE LABOTT, CNN SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Well, that's right, Fred.
The U.S. really for decades has been working to help South Sudan for this moment. The U.S. really under the Bush administration started pushing this agreement, this comprehensive peace agreement between South and North Sudan to get them to this day, and really over the last few months really intense diplomacy, getting the Sudanese to this referendum in July where the South Sudanese voted for independence.
And now not only today here in Washington was the Sudanese -- South Sudanese embassy raising a flag, but in Juba today, the U.S. consulate became an official U.S. embassy. And that, really, I think we can look for real intensive U.S. engagement in helping to nation-build, to really help this fledgling nation stand up and work towards being a full member of the international community -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: Well, part of that engagement also includes security, and how the U.S. will be watching or helping to, you know, secure as best it can a South Sudan.
LABOTT: Well, this agreement -- this comprehensive peace agreement, today's declaration of independence of South Sudan is really one step in this. There is a lot left to go. There is still fighting between the north and south in the southern state of South Kurdufan.
And also there are issues about demilitarization of the north in terms of the area of South Sudan. There is concern that many of the people, the South Sudanese that currently live in the north that would be stateless.
There is also issues about oil-sharing, things that northern President Bashir in Khartoum really has to help address before this -- these two nations are really at peace. I think you're going to see the United States really working intensively between the north and south to see them working out these issues so that they could be at peace because that's really going to be seen as key in terms of helping stand-up South Sudan.
WHITFIELD: Tell me about this so-called terror list and how it relates to Khartoum.
LABOTT: Well, Sudan has been on a state sponsors of terrorism list for many years. There was talk with the Sudanese government in Khartoum over the last several months that there is a road map that they had to follow in terms to get off the terrorism list.
A lot of it has to do with these things that I mentioned. Demilitarization, making sure that the border is demarked, oil- sharing, these type of things that President Bashir cooperated with this referendum, cooperated with the declaration of independence, and he was there in Juba. And the U.S. is saying that's a very good step.
But some of these other issues, until he helps with the fighting between north and south and pulls back his troops, he's not really fully implementing this agreement. And until that agreement is fully implemented, Sudan is not going to get off the state sponsors of terrorism list.
And relations between the U.S.-Sudan that have been very difficult, let's face it, over the last several years, not only about this north/south issue, but about the Darfur issue, until he resolves some of these issues, Sudan is not getting off the terrorism list so fast -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: Juba, the capital of the new country of South Sudan, Khartoum in the north. Thanks so much, appreciate that, Elise Labott in Washington.
So it is also independence day for tens of thousands of people who fled Sudan for their lives. In this exclusive interview with CNN, I spoke to two Sudan-born people who watch history being made in their homeland, a great distance away.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: This must be a very exciting time, especially to hear that Southern Sudan becomes the United Nations' 193rd member and Africa's 54th country. Ayak, what does it mean to hear that?
AYAK REEC, BORN IN SUDAN: Very, very exciting. Half of me is empty. Half of me is excited. The emptiness is the people that I have lost, you know, for this war. I have lost a lot of relatives. Lost a lot of friends. And so the emptiness is there.
But the excitement to be able to see that we are free and to be able to see that our people work so hard, you know, to get our generation this freedom, it is very good.
WHITFIELD: So, Ngor, it seems like it is very difficult to look forward without looking back: 2 million people killed over 50-year span of civil wars. You and I spoke a few months ago how meaningful it was to be able to cast that vote.
NGOR KUR MAYOL, BORN IN SUDAN: That is the outcome we were fighting for for 21 years. And we love life and we paid a lot of challenges. We will not stop our moment until we recover.
So when we went for referendum, the same spirit we took to referendum is the same spirit we are going to take tonight to show the whole world that what our brothers and sisters have offered (ph) themselves has come to an end.
WHITFIELD: So, Ayak, I wonder then, Southern Sudan, rich in natural resources, rich in oil, rich in farmland, do you worry that this separation is two nations of Sudan, Northern, Southern Sudan, will create new reasons for more war, or does it promote new peace?
REEC: I feel it is a blessing that because infrastructure is so great, if you look at our country right now, there is hardly anything. And so this oil should be able to help us, you know, to build whatever we don't have. We need to catch up with civilization. We need to catch up with the rest of the world.
WHITFIELD: Will either one of you find yourself going to your new country anytime soon?
MAYOL: Of course. I've been planning to go next year.
WHITFIELD: Ayak? REEC: Oh, Fredricka, I would -- I'm going this year. I am planning to go this year. And also I'm planning to move in -- to move to my new country for good. Because I know America has given me a lot. I mean, education, job, I was able to support my family because by being here. And I know even though I am in the health care system here, they need me more back home.
WHITFIELD: Ayak Reec and Ngor Kur Mayol, thanks so much to both of you. And all the best. And safe travels when you make it back to Sudan.
REEC: Thank you. Thank you so much, we appreciate that.
MAYOL: Thank you for having us here, we appreciate it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And they'll keep us posted on their travels.
Meantime, the Shuttle Atlantis is preparing for the next leg of its final mission. But what happens when the mission ends? We'll talk to former shuttle Astronaut Eileen Collins next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: So if the turnout for Atlantis's launch was any indicator, interest is high in the final mission of NASA's shuttle program. Today Atlantis astronauts inspected the shuttle's heat shield for damage. Tomorrow they will dock with the International Space Station.
So what is it like to witness this transition in space exploration, especially if you're among those amazing astronauts who have been on any one of these shuttles? Former Astronaut Eileen Collins joins us by phone from San Antonio, Texas, to talk about what you remember and what this moment was like for you.
You're first female commander of a space shuttle. You helped command the Columbia and then you've also been on Atlantis. So what was this moment like to watch this historic moment?
EILEEN COLLINS, FIRST FEMALE COMMANDER OF SHUTTLE MISSION: Well, good afternoon. It is great to be with you today. And what was it like? Well, I'll admit it is a little bit sad to see the shuttle go away.
But I will say that I'm glad, for many years we thought that there may be an accident and that would be our last shuttle flight. But I'm happy to see that the shuttle is going out on a very safe and successful schedule.
We built the space station, it is doing hundreds of experiments. Our country can really be proud of what we have done with the shuttle and with the space station.
WHITFIELD: Is there a real distinction since -- you've been on Atlantis, you've been on Discovery, you know, you have been on Columbia, is there a distinction between these shuttles? COLLINS: Well, essentially, they're pretty much the same. They were built at different times so we got a little bit smarter as the years went by. The shuttles got lighter in weight which allowed for more payload to orbit. And they were upgraded later with, I would say -- you know, people say the shuttle is 30 years old, well, actually the insides were younger because we constantly upgraded the engines, the avionics, different things within the shuttle.
So really not that much difference between them. They're all pretty much the same.
WHITFIELD: OK. You and I spoke many moons ago before your '99 historic launch. I remember you reminiscing about your dreams, your childhood dreams of space, of flying. So what do you suppose should be or could be in the dreams of the next generation of those space nuts? What should they be looking forward to as it pertains to space exploration and NASA?
COLLINS: Well, I would say young people, in fact, all of us can look forward to a great future in space exploration if we make the commitment and if we stick to it. Now, the shuttle went to low Earth orbit, about 250 miles up, we built the space station, my generation flew on the shuttle.
But there is another side of human space flight. We need to get farther than low Earth orbit. We need to visit Mars. We need to -- I would like to see Americans be the first people to walk on Mars or visit the asteroids or go back to the Moon, build research stations on the Moon. Those are the things that young people can aspire to do.
You can become a geologist, an engineer, a pilot, a doctor, do something technical, do something that will support our space program and you can apply to be an astronaut some day.
I see, you know, 10, 15 years in the future, if our country stays with the plan that we have now, and build a rocket to get us there, this could definitely happen. And I hope the United States takes the lead.
WHITFIELD: So you're underscoring that, you know, space exploration is not over, it is just that this type of space exploration has come to an end and a new chapter begins. And that, in your view, is worth being very excited about.
COLLINS: Yes. A new chapter is beginning. I think we should look back at the shuttle with -- it has been a very successful program. Look back at all the lessons we have learned from the shuttle. We can be so proud of what our country has done with other countries and the number of people that have flown on the shuttle.
And then take those lessons learned and move forward and go farther, go faster, continue to explore. That's what we're all about.
WHITFIELD: Eileen Collins, commander of Columbia back in '99 and beyond. Thanks so much for your time. Appreciate it.
COLLINS: Thank you. WHITFIELD: After a staggering 168 years in circulation, scandal stops the presses at the News of the World.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: OK, so a newspaper in business for more than 160 years is now going away. Get a good look at these copies of the News of the World rolling off the presses because after tomorrow, no mas.
The paper is one of Great Britain's oldest publications and definitely has the largest circulation, but it could not survive a hacking scandal that charged some employees with committing high tech crimes with thousands of potential victims. Ralitsa Vassileva is here with CNN INTERNATIONAL.
You know, it's really something. A paper folds because it doesn't have the circulation, it's not popular anymore. It has lost its luster. That's not the case here.
RALITSA VASSILEVA, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: No, this is the biggest selling, the most popular paper, more than 2 million copies every Sunday, it sells. People love its scoops. They have been reading it, despite previous allegations that it had been hacking into royals and celebrity voicemails.
But this time it went too far. It had hacked into the voicemail of a kidnap and murder victim, a girl. And the fact that they were not only listening to the voice messages as they were searching for this girl, but they were deleting her voicemails to make room for new ones so they could listen in to the new ones, giving her parents false hope she was still alive; and potentially interfering with the police investigation as they looked for her.
WHITFIELD: So Rupert Murdoch, the owner of this empire, of this newspaper, makes a decision and says, you know what, we just really cannot overcome this and so it is time to fold.
VASSILEVA: That's exactly what happened. The outcry of the people, the fact that even advertisers pulled out their ads, the first one being Ford in Britain, pulled its advertising and support and others were about to follow suit, and we're hearing from the chief executive of the paper that there are even more damaging allegations to come out.
WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness.
VASSILEVA: And even some more allegations after the hacking of that girl's telephone came out, that they were also hacking into the accounts of soldiers, the families of soldiers who had died in Iraq and Afghanistan; and the terror victims of the 2005 subway bombings in London, they had hacked into the relatives of those people who died.
WHITFIELD: Wow. And all these revelations, and very quickly arrests have come, three arrests thus far.
VASSILEVA: Three arrests, they have been all released on bail. But the most significant arrest is Andy Coulson, who is the former media chief for the prime minister of Britain, David Cameron. And this, people say...
WHITFIELD: That's embarrassing for Cameron.
VASSILEVA: ... is embarrassing. He has been forced to explain his judgment in hiring him because he hired him after the allegations surfaced. He denied any wrongdoing. And David Cameron is saying -- this is Andy Coulson, by the way. And the prime minister saying, I decided to give him a second chance, I believed that he was not involved. And he still denies that he is not involved.
But he was questioned for nine hours on Friday, released on bail, has to appear again in October.
WHITFIELD: And so now Rupert Murdoch on his way to London. It is unclear whether he's actually going to meet with some of these staffers who are now -- what, 200 to 300 now out of a job?
VASSILEVA: Without a job. Without a job.
WHITFIELD: Or if it is just to try and grab some semblance of the empire -- of the U.K. end of his empire.
VASSILEVA: Well, the cynics and the critics say that he's shutting down this newspaper to protect a huge acquisition that he's trying to make. And this is the biggest satellite broadcaster, BSkyB, that he's now...
WHITFIELD: He wants to save that.
VASSILEVA: He wants to save that.
WHITFIELD: Potential acquisition.
VASSILEVA: Potential acquisition, which is under review right now, whether to allow him to take it over. And one of the things that they're looking at is whether his company is fit, ethically fit to take over his company.
WHITFIELD: It's extraordinary. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
VASSILEVA: This is just the tip of the iceberg, yes.
WHITFIELD: Ralitsa Vassileva, thank you so much, of CNN INTERNATIONAL, appreciate that -- for that update.
On a much lighter note right now, a kitten finds itself in a very tight spot. Stuck actually in a hamster wheel. How in the world does that happen? The "Viral Video Rewind," straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. This music is the cue, gets you thinking, you know something funny is going to happen. (CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: It either involves kids or animals. Do you like cats? Are you a cat person?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEROLOGIST: No.
WHITFIELD: Oh come on.
JERAS: I like dogs. I'm a dog person. But this video makes me want to like cats.
WHITFIELD: OK. Good, I'm all about all the animals. Let's have a little fun with this little kitty who got itself in a little tight spot, literally.
JERAS: All right. It really is adorable.
WHITFIELD: First of all, how in the world did this kitten find its way into the hamster ball.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Yes. And then he kind of starts amusing herself. He's like, this isn't such a bad...
JERAS: Playing with his tail, look at him.
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: He has got a comfy little spot.
WHITFIELD: Aw, he is having a little fun. That's what I like about a cat. They just find in the smallest of ways. So he gets stuck, and it does make its way out, somehow. And then...
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: There he is.
JERAS: Curious cat. Can't stay away.
WHITFIELD: How cute. And apparently a 1.5 million viewers couldn't stay away, either, from...
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: Yes, 1.5 million people.
WHITFIELD: ... this little YouTube sensation.
JERAS: And now we've just like upped that number.
WHITFIELD: I know.
JERAS: Hopefully you're all getting on YouTube. WHITFIELD: And there he goes, one more time. Oh it's just fun to be a little kitty.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Pardon?
JERAS: Are they cave animals like dogs are cave animals?
WHITFIELD: Trivia question.
JERAS: I wonder.
WHITFIELD: You can tweet...
JERAS: They might like that ball...
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Tweet Jacqui if you've got an answer on that one. Tweet or Facebook.
JERAS: All right.
WHITFIELD: That's cute. All right. Jacqui, see you.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Something to think about the next time you get on a plane. According to U.S. security officials, terrorists are considering a new tactic to take out commercial airliners: human bombs. And those officials think they know who hatched the idea, here's Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. 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 ADMINISTRATOR: 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's no specific or imminent threat. One U.S. official says a man suspected in involvement in this effort is Ibrahim al-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 question have exhausted the capabilities of the technology available to us, because there's no way we can take the next step because of 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 and 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, WASHINGTON HOSPITAL CENTER: Well, I think, again, the fundamental question is going to be how well do you want to do it? If you want to do it to 20 people and have 19 of them die and one success that you can send on your mission, that would be easier, you could 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 clinic setting.
TODD (voice-over): Explosives, he says, could be placed in the abdomen or elsewhere.
(on camera): Dr. Sava says an explosive could be implanted in a prosthetic devoid 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 complication sets 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 it 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)
