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Mike Wallace Died Last Night at the Age of 93; Tom Schaar Landed a 1080 Turn in Skateboarding; A Nonprofit Group In Philadelphia Is Offering Inner City Kids A Chance To Play Polo

Aired April 08, 2012 - 17:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Here's a look at where the 2012 contenders will be this week. Rick Santorum is campaigning in Pennsylvania. Ron Paul will be in Texas holding town hall meetings and attending fund-raisers. And we're still waiting to hear for Romney and Gingrich's campaigns for their schedules.

Thanks so much for tuning in for this special hour of politics. Now, stay right here for the latest news right here in the NEWSROOM.

We begin this hour with the death of Mike Wallace. CBS called him a Pit bull reporter. And some people he interviewed probably had their own names for him. The television news pioneer died overnight at the age of 93. Mike Wallace's family said he died peacefully surrounded by people who love him. He was one of the original hosts of the CBS program "60 minutes" and hammered politicians, celebrities and newsmakers with his famously tough interviews.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE WALLACE, CBS REPORTER: Why was it so important to him at that moment? Why was it so important to his father that he wanted to sue this illegitimate and his employer ABC for $50 million?

I didn't expect you to be a candidate's wife tonight. Did you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I heard it over the television.

WALLACE: My old friend Nancy Reagan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And with Nancy Reagan, the feeling was mutual. The statement from the former first lady today saying, quote, "my heart is broken today over the death of my dear friend Mike Wallace," end quote. His longtime colleague, Dan Rather, says, quote, "Mike Wallace was from the beginning and for many years the heart and soul of "60 minutes."

And the chairman of CBS news speaks for his entire network when he says, quote, "we loved him, and we will miss him very much."

A short time ago I talked to Mike Wallace's colleague on "60 minutes," Lesley Stahl. She said those close to Wallace knew his health was on the decline.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LESLEY STAHL, 60 MINUTES' CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He looked good. He was physically fine. But he was fading. Today, though, is a day to remember the vibrant, thrilling, brilliant Mike Wallace, who created "60 minutes."

WHITFIELD: Tom Johnson described him formally of CNN, described him as a watchdog. CBS describes him as the pit bull reporter for CBS, for "60 minutes." Everyone remembers those dogged interviews, and how he was just relentless, how, you know, the four words of Mike Wallace's here would have anybody was leaving by the back door. Did he enjoy that part of his legacy throughout? Is that something that he, you know, felt pressured to kind of continue to uphold, or is that just quintessential Mike Wallace and his style as a reporter?

STAHL: Well, number one, I'm positive he enjoyed it. It was definitely Mike Wallace through and through. He was completely authentic in every conceivable way. He pursued, because he thought that's what serious journalists do. And as I said, he created "60 minutes." He's the first correspondent. The show is in his image. He wanted it to be serious. You know, this came -- this journalistic career came about after his son died. And he wanted to make a difference. He wanted to change his life. And do something that had depth and meaning. And wasn't surfacey. He wanted to make a mark. And he created this broadcast with Don Hewitt to do that.

It could have gone in any direction. They got an hour. It could have been anything. It could have been light and frothy. But because Mike was there, he wanted to have the kind of high journalistic standards and serious journalism which on television would mean these penetrating interviews.

And what's so wonderful is he stayed with the broadcast for so many years, that it became the imprint. It's what we all want to be like now and everybody who came after him. So it was his voice, and his attitude, his thinking, and his integrity that really brought us "60 minutes," and all the other magazine shows on television that followed, probably even your show.

WHITFIELD: Everyone tries to be like Mike Wallace in some capacity.

STAHL: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Every magazine show, as you say, exactly "60 minutes" is the standard and his style s indeed the standard. So, you look at some of the old interviews or you look at kind just this reel of interviews that he's done, everyone from Yasser Arafat, Shirley Mclean, Barbara Walters.

STAHL: Yes. But, look what's interesting. He goes to the heads of state, and the interview is spectacular, and then he turns around and he does a movie star. And those interviews were almost as wonderful. They were wonderful. They were as wonderful in their own way. Everything he did had high energy. And you know, you would watch, and you would say, oh, my God, what's he going to ask next, you know? There was that sort of little riskiness, or he was hanging off the edge. You didn't know where Mike Wallace was going to go. The person he was interviewing or the audience. He made it almost exciting to watch.

WHITFIELD: Absolutely. You talk about this whole mixed bag of interviews. But apparently his all-time favorite was the one of pianist, Vladimir Horowitz, that he so admired him, that this was the interview that justs kind of knocked him off his feet.

STAHL: Well, and if you ever saw that interview, you saw Mike -- you saw him being delighted. You watched him loving this man. It was terrific. And it was a side of Mike you didn't always see, you know? He just kind of succumbed to Vladimir Horowitz.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Beautiful memories shared by Lesley Stahl there about the great Mike Wallace. Mike Wallace also helped Lesley in a very personal matter and she says, he, Mike Wallace, saved the life of someone very close to her. She shares that with me later on in the newsroom.

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said campaign front- runner Mitt Romney has the nomination all but locked up, speaking on FOX News Sunday. Gingrich said Romney is, quote, "far and away the most likely Republican nominee."

Newt Gingrich vowed to support Romney if he is nominated but saying he's staying in the race to push his personal platforms.

Republican presidential candidate, Rick Santorum, won't head back to the campaign trail on Monday as previously planned. Santorum will stay with his daughter Bella, who is being hospitalized and has been since Friday. She suffers from a chromosomal disorder, and was also hospitalized back in January, if you recall.

Rick Santorum has been campaigning aggressively in his home state of Pennsylvania, head of the April 24th primary.

And at least 59 people killed today in Syria, according to opposition activists. Both sides of the conflict, the rebels and government troops agreed to stop shooting at each other on Tuesday. But the Syrian government is now hinting it may not remove its forces by the deadline. A foreign ministry spokesman says troops won't withdraw only to have quote, "armed terrorist groups commit attack."

North Korea is getting ready to make a long-range satellite launch. It could happen anywhere between this Thursday and next Monday. The U.S. and its allies have warned Pyongyang its actions could prompt more sanctions.

Meanwhile today, "The New York Times" is reporting that new satellite images show the north is preparing for another underground nuclear test.

And, disturbing new developments surfacing in just the last few hours concerning the shooting spree in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Two men are now under arrest for the shootings of five African-American men. Three of the victims died. Both suspects are white. And today Tulsa authorities are sorting through the suspects' face book pages where they're finding racial comments and a personal anniversary. On that page, 19-year-old Jake England posted a racial slur when commemorating the two-year anniversary of his father's shooting death.

A news briefing just finished a few moments ago in Tulsa. And police and the FBI were very careful about the question of racial motivation, but Tulsa city councilman Jack Henderson said to him, the answer is clear.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACK HENDERSON, CITY COUNCILMAN, TULSA, OKLAHOMA: I think that being an NAACP president for seven years, I think that somebody that committed these crimes was very upset with black people. That person happened to be a white person. The people that they happened to kill and shoot were black people. That fits the bill for me. That's a personal feeling. I'm not trying to speak for anybody else.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Councilman, this morning there had been arrests. Describe to me one word how you felt.

HENDERSON: Thank God. That's what I said. I got down on my knees, I prayed about it. I prayed last night before I even went to bed. And I think that God was in this, as far as helping this come to a resolution as fast as it did. I think that there could have been some problems with some people that felt that this was not going to be solved. People felt that this was not going to be solved fast enough. And I spent a lot of my time frying to calm the waters, trying to ask people, don't even think about trying to take matters into your own hands.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Would people want to do that do you think?

HENDERSON: Yes, I think there were.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: An arraignment is set for tomorrow. The suspects face three counts of murder and two counts of shooting with the intent to kill.

A group of about 40 people, mostly students, calling themselves dream defenders, are on a protest walk in Florida this weekend over the Trayvon Martin case. They began the march in Daytona Beach Friday and will end up in Sanford where the shooting took place.

The group plans on holding a rally in Sanford Monday night. And on its Web site, encourage other students to walk at a class or stage sit-ins. And a turning point in the case could come this week on Tuesday. A grand jury hearing is scheduled to begin. It could take days or even weeks before they decide whether to issue an indictment. Special prosecutor assigned to the case. They will also decide independently on charges.

All right. So the guys in Augusta say no to IBM's new CEO, because she's a woman. And the masters' golf tournament goes on as usual. No women allowed. I talked to a woman who says IBM is as much to blame as the men who run the masters. You're not seeing the men run the masters, instead you're seeing some of the players in the masters who have not necessarily made comments on this issue but will explain the woman we talk to, her point of view next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It is Easter Sunday, and the Obama family walked to church on a sunny Washington morning. The president, first lady, Sasha and Malia attended Easter services at St. John's Episcopal church just across from Lafayette park from the White House.

At about the same time, halfway around the world, Pope Benedict XVI delivered his annual Easter mass in Vatican City. The Pope prayed for renewed peace effort in the Middle East specifically an end to the violence in Syria.

And he's not drawing a Vatican mass numbers, but NFL quarterback Tim Tebow delivered an Easter message to a crowd near Austin, Texas. The New York jets quarterback is known as much for his religious devotion as his performance on the football field. A crowd turned out to hear Tebow speak at the outdoor Easter gathering.

We're in the final hours of the final day of the masters' golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia. And there's a lot of flip-flopping over who's on top of the leader board. You're looking at Phil Mickelson there. But in the last 20 minutes, leaders Peter Hansen and Phil Mickelson made a few mistakes. But South African Louis Westhisen posted a rare double eagle to move to the top of the leader board. Get used to the name.

All right. While the masters' tournament is winding down, the controversy stirred up this year may linger. The all-male Augusta golf club refuses to allow the membership to the leading sponsors of the masters, the CEO of the leading sponsor, IBM. The reason the new CEO is a woman.

This weekend I talked to Martha Burik. Ten years ago she held a protest outside the masters, demanding the club change its membership policy. And I asked the activist and author what she thinks of this latest controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTHA BURIK, AUTHOR, YOUR VOICE, YOUR VOTE: Strangely enough, we haven't heard from IBM.

WHITFIELD: Right.

BURIK: And by letting the club do this, IBM is sanctioning that policy. And I think it's undermining their new CEO, Virginia Rometty, who is a very capable woman. It's making it look like the company is OK with this discrimination. It's a very bad statement to make.

WHITFIELD: So do you think -- your feeling is, we should be hearing from her?

BURIK: No, I think we should be hearing from IBM's board of directors. And they should be stepping up to say, our CEO is now female. She is certainly equal to any male CEO we've had in the past. And if you, Augusta national, want our sponsorship dollars, we want respect for our new CEO. I don't think it needs to be put on her.

WHITFIELD: So she apparently golf's sparingly. But what if she doesn't want membership?

BURIK: That's beside the point in terms of the rightness, or in this case wrongness of the policy. Even if she doesn't want to be a member, it doesn't change the fact that she couldn't be a member if she did want to.

And that's really the crux of it. She is being treated differently with IBM's collusion, than the male CEOs have been treated in the past. That is the crux of the matter. They need to step up. The chair of their board, Samuel Palmisano, has been a member of the club for years. IBM's pouring a lot of dollars into this tournament. That ought to buy a little respect.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: That's Martha Burik, who protested the all-men's admission policy ten years ago there at Augusta.

All right. A skateboarder is an instant legend. And he's only 12 years old. He lands the first-ever 1080. What's a 1080 you ask? You will find out and we'll talk to him next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Just 12 years old, Tom Schaar has done something no other skateboarder in history, professional or otherwise has done, land a 1080. That's three full aerial revolutions. Check it out for yourself.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

WHITFIELD: A nice new skateboarding superstar. Tom Schaar joining us now from Los Angeles.

So, congrats to you on your 1080. How long have you been trying to make that stick?

TOM SCHAAR, SKATEBOARDING PHENOM: Well, I've been trying for about six months now. WHITFIELD: Really?

SCHAAR: Yes. I just recently got it, yes.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. So, I watched the tape, and before you actually -- we actually see the final result where you make those three revolutions, you tried it quite a few times. So while you're in the air there, can you -- do you feel the sensation and do you know how many revolutions you're doing? I mean, tell me what's going on in your mind?

SCHAAR: No. I don't really know where I'm at. I'm just guessing, and kind of at the last moment, I kind of can tell where I am. And that's kind of where I need to like, that's where I get aware of where I'm at.

WHITFIELD: OK. So, at what point did you know that you made those three revolutions, that you did a full 1080? Was it because people were cheering, since you just told me you can't really tell where you are?

SCHAAR: Well, when I first landed it, I wasn't sure if it was a 1080. It kind of felt like a normal 720, which is one less rotation. And I wasn't really sure so I kind a looked over and everyone was like -- was that a 1080? So I don't know.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. So you beat, you know, other legends, Tony Hawk, Sean White who have been trying to do that for a very long time. Sean White, of course we know as a kid. He was kind a started out skateboarding before he became, you know, this awesome snowboarder.

So, who has been your inspiration?

SCHAAR: I've always looked up to Sean White and Tony Hawk and Bucky Lassick and Bill Burrquist. I mean, -- because I've always kind of watched them skate when I was a kid. That's kind of what I wanted to do is skate.

WHITFIELD: So now you have bragging rights. What do you do with this giant achievement?

SCHAAR: Well, I tell my friends at school. And they're really happy for me. I don't know. I don't brag about it a lot.

WHITFIELD: That's cool. If you had a chance to talk a little smack with Sean White, what would you say?

SCHAAR: I don't really know. That would be kind of awkward. But, probably -- I don't know actually.

WHITFIELD: Well, maybe you'll get an opportunity to reach out to him, or hopefully he reaches out to you since you kind of bested him. You've done something that he hasn't been able to do yet.

SCHAAR: Yes. Well, I mean, I know he's been trying it he tried at the x games in 2007. And I was there, actually, watching. And I saw him trying it, and got really close. I don't know, I always picture that.

WHITFIELD: Fantastic! Tom, before I let you go, what's next for you? I mean, you know, how do you top that moment?

SCHAAR: Maybe stepping it up one more and try a 1260. I don't know. That would be in the future.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, good luck to you. I'm sure you will be able to do it, because the sky's the limit for you. Tom Schaar, thanks so much. We'll see much more of you. Congratulations.

SCHAAR: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right.

At risk kids in Philadelphia are winning accolades in a very unlikely sport. There is not snowboarding or skateboarding, you're going to be very impressed right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Time for a look at what's happening in the week ahead.

The Easter spirit continues tomorrow at the White House. It is the annual Easter egg roll. This year's theme is, let's go! Let's play! Let's move! More than 35,000 people are expected on the south lawn for all of the fun.

And to the Trayvon Martin case now, a grand jury is expected to convene Tuesday to discuss whether to pursue charges against George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman who shot the teen.

And on Wednesday, a parole hearing is set for notorious killer Charles Manson. Manson was convicted of first-degree murder for a 1969 killing spree in Los Angeles.

All right. A nonprofit group in Philadelphia is offering inner city kids a chance to play polo, with winning results.

Sarah Hoy has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARAH HOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's been a wild ride for a group of polo the teens, from Philadelphia's inner city. That's right, polo. The close-knit team to come the title for the national interscholastic polo championship earlier this month for the second year in a row.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you feeling, man?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It feels great. Two-peat. It feels good.

HOY: The team work to Work to Ride beat California based El Dorado, 20-19, in a nail-biting shootout in several overtime during the finals held at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

LEZLIE HINER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WORK TO RIDE: You couldn't have written a movie ending any better than what that was. It was so close.

HOY: The story of Work to Ride is indeed worthy of the silver screen. But it's less about polo and more about beating the odds. Founded in 1994, the non-profit provides at-risk youth from Phillies' toughest neighborhoods a chance to play polo in exchange for cleaning out stalls and brushing down horses.

HINER: We don't really have an arena to practice in. So, our kids really, only, get to practice when we schedule games. Sometimes that's once a week, sometimes that's twice a week, sometimes we may not have a game for a couple weeks. So really for them to be able to hone their skill, basically, you know done on an ad hoc basis.

HOY: Last March, Work to Ride made history for being the first all black high school team to win gold, competing in one of the most exclusive sports. This year the pressure was on again. But Brandon Rease who joined Work to Ride while in ministry, kept his school and nailed the game-winning shot.

BRANDON REASE, WORK TO RIDE: I guess it's great. I don't feel too much right now. It will hit me later on.

HOY: The current team isn't all black. The roster includes Julie Smith, one of only two girls to play in the tournament.

KIMO HUDDLESTON, COACH ELDORADO: Somebody's got to win and somebody's got to lose. It couldn't be any more proud of them, for sure. They fought their butts off and played hard.

HOY: For now it's time for Work to Ride to celebrate.

REASE: Going home, I feel awesome. I'm happy. Everyone's happy.

HOY: Work to ride is back in the heart of Philadelphia's Fairmont Park with their eye on the next prize.

Sarah Hoy, CNN, Charlottesville, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Fantastic from skateboarding to polo, some great kid athletes out there.

When we come right back, what some consider a trip of a lifetime. A cruise retracing the titanic's voyage.

And, remembering the life and legacy of newsman, Mike Wallace.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In Tulsa, Oklahoma, two men are under arrest in connection with a shooting spree that left three people dead and two in critical condition. All the victims were African-American men. The suspects were arrested early this morning. And we get more details about how it happened when Tulsa police and the FBI spoke a short time ago.

BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES FINCH, FBI: At about 0147 hours, this morning, we did in fact develop enough probable cause to affect an arrest with the assistance and support of our special operations team of the two individuals that we have in custody at this time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Tulsa authorities are sorting through the suspects' facebook pages where they are finding racist comments. The suspects will be arraigned tomorrow.

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said campaign front- runner Mitt Romney has the nomination all but locked up. Speaking on FOX News Sunday, Gingrich said Romney is, quote, "far and away the most likely Republican nominee." Gingrich vowed to support Romney if he is nominated. But says he's staying in the race to push his personal platforms.

The "titanic" memorial cruise is on the high seas. It set sail from Southampton, England, earlier today. The ship is carrying more than 1,300 passengers. Many are relatives of those who died when the "titanic" went down more than 100 years ago. The 12-night trip will include a stop at the point where the original ship sank after a hit of an iceberg.

Friends and colleagues of legendary newsman, Mike Wallace, remember him as a tough, tireless reporter whose impact on American journalism cannot be overstated. Mike Wallace passed away last night. He was 93 years old.

A little while ago, I spoke to Tom Johnson. He is a former president of this network, CNN, and a close personal friend of Mike Wallace's for more than 30 years.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM JOHNSON, FORMER PRESIDENT, CNN (via telephone): Yes, we knew that life was not doing well in recent years. But he had fought a very gallant battle for some time. Much as he had been an extraordinary force throughout his professional and personal career.

WHITFIELD: So many remember him for these kinds of dogged interviews. But at the same time they remember the kind of softness, the gentler side. We saw earlier this morning his good friend, Morley Safer gave a beautiful tribute to him on "Face the Nation" this morning, and he talked about how for Mike Wallace, one of his most favorite interviews actually was of a pianist, Vladimir Horowitz.

So what was it about kind of that softer side of Mike Wallace that most people didn't seem to be as accustomed to seeing? JOHNSON: There was a major, just decency about Mike. I got to know him in several ways, one of which is he and I battled depression during our lives. Along with others, including Bill Styron, that really had been something that he had battled, as I have. And he showed tremendous interest in those who were confronting that illness. But it didn't keep him from continuing with his career and doing uncommonly well.

WHITFIELD: Well, that is extraordinary, because even Morley Safer talked about it, did an interview with him many years ago and talked to him in a very candid matter about that depression, how he kept it inside for so long, and how Mike Wallace actually considered killing himself.

Did you all share kind of those parallels of experience together in a way that you felt perhaps other people wouldn't be able to understand or connect with you on?

JOHNSON: Well, we shared it usually each summer at Martha's Vineyard, where four of us, Art Buchwald, Mike Wallace, Bill Styron and I had the same experiences. Yes, it got so tough for Mike, as it did for all four of us, that at some deep, deep point, and in our battle we did think about it. Mike always reminded me that, really, it's one decision in life, that if you were to take it, you can't reconsider. And also that if you got the right medication, the right physicians that most of us who deal with it could come out with it. And all four of us did.

WHITFIELD: And through it all, you know, how does one try to kind of wrap their arms around the notion of, this is a man who had a seven- decades-long career. He did commercials, he was once a reporter for the "Chicago sun-times," and he came to epitomize this television magazine reporting. How did he make those turns in his career and become such a mainstay for "60 minutes" for so long?

JOHNSON: Well, first of all, he was very competitive. Second, he was very professional. Third, he surrounded himself with producers, and with talent at the very highest caliber. And then he really drove them toward excellence in everything. Mike had a very low tolerance for mediocrity. He expected the best of the show and everybody concern with it.

WHITFIELD: Do you feel like he was the leader of the pack in the "60 minutes" family?

JOHNSON: Oh, he was the leader of the pack. And yet he always realized that it was a team effort that he needed to be one of the most senior reporters on the show. And of course, I also dealt with him as a competitor during my years at CNN. So I saw up front and personal just what a tremendous guy he was in securing the interviews, and often breaking major news.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: That was former head of CNN, Tom Johnson remembering legendary Mike Wallace. More memories of Mike Wallace coming up in a couple of minutes. More from my conversation with Lesley Stahl, colleague from "60 minutes." She has a very strong personal connection to Mike Wallace. She said Mike Wallace saved her husband's life.

A newcomer to the neighborhood. What are we talking about? Chickens. My pet chickens. The trend is really taking off. I'll show you where folks are raising chickens and why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. These days, if you're hen pecked, it no longer means you're being nagged. Instead, it could mean you've been bitten by the farming bug, raising something eggstra at your home.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: This Easter, there are lots of eggs, marshmallow, chocolate, candy, but there's another extravaganza going on, people farming their own organic eggs in their own backyards from the city rooftop patios to the suburban variety, is it all it's cracked up to be or are they joking.

Not Atlanta City sleeker, Laura Saunders.

LAURA SAUNDERS, BACKYARDER: Come on back.

WHITFIELD: This is serious business back here.

SAUNDERS: We're not yoking. There's the baby.

WHITFIELD: In her backyard coop. And you have been doing this for how long?

SAUNDERS: I have had my flock for about two years. About two years now.

WHITFIELD: How did you start out, with just one hen, two?

SAUNDERS: No, six. Six came in a box. Six came in the box, and it kind a just grew from there.

WHITFIELD: She also runs a pet supply store, selling all things organic for you and your pets, from books to beaks.

What are you hearing from pine in general about their appetite for this?

SAUNDERS: I think that the little raising your own flock kind a frenzy has caught on because it's, I think, a fun way to show your kids how to take care of animals. I mean, I have a range of different clientele that come in and buy our feed from families to single persons to couples. You know, they just -- it's just fun.

WHITFIELD: In Saunders' case, she's created an organic oasis, bringing the countryside to her in town hide away, a real scramble of all that she loves.

SAUNDERS: And this is a Sussex. She's a British bird. She's a bird rough.

WHITFIELD: I mean, as varied as their feathers are, the color of the eggs are different, too.

SAUNDERS: Different as well.

WHITFIELD: And are the flavors different?

SAUNDERS: No.

WHITFIELD: She's driven more by her passion for pets than appetite for fresh eggs. Although she says once you taste farm fresh, you'll never want anything else.

SAUNDERS: To me, it tastes like there's a watered down egg that you get at the grocery store or really deep, rich, flavorful egg that you're, you know, backyard hens will lay for you.

And that's my rooster, little pecker.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: Funny foul language always welcome.

WHITFIELD: So, how did you get started? How does anyone get started with a coop?

SAUNDERS: Well, this is --

WHITFIELD: Yours is elaborate.

SAUNDERS: Yes. Come on in.

WHITFIELD: The other payoff, each chicken lays on average one egg per day.

You're not cooking all of the chickens. What do you do with them? Sorry.

SAUNDERS: No, I don't eat my birds.

WHITFIELD: Egg, but what are you doing with the surplus because you can't possibly consume that many eggs.

SAUNDERS: I give them away.

WHITFIELD: It is unclear how many backyard coops like this are hatching around the country, but specialists in these intimate egg farms believe popularity took flight when the recession landed five years ago.

So, this is really a beautiful coop you have here. And custom built, but for the typical person who says, you know what, I want to entertain this, I'm going to think about doing this. What do they need in order to get started?

SAUNDERS: You can either have a custom coop built or you can buy a prefab coop and just build it yourself or assemble it yourself.

WHITFIELD: But first, check if having backyard chickens in your city or county is legal.

In all, Saunders says it could cost about $1,000 to begin and about $25 in feed monthly after that. An investment, she believes, more households are willing to scratch into their budget.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. So if you're ready to take flight and create your own eggstravagant chicken coop, Traci Torres can help as she is the founder of My pet Chicken. I talked earlier about the extra special things.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRACI TORRES, FOUNDER, MY PET CHICKEN: Well, the first thing you have to do is educate yourself. There are tons of books and magazines on the market. We had a couple here today that you can take a look at. You can buy them on the Web site. You can them on Amazon. You can go to a local feed store.

WHITFIELD: How much space do you generally need?

TORRES: You know, indoors, you need about two square feet of space, two to four as a rule of thumb. Outdoor, you want to provide at least ten square feet of space per chicken. But really, the thing that we recommend is that you free range them because that's the healthiest possible thing for them.

WHITFIELD: And you can't do that though, if you have an indoor, you want to have your chickens inside? Of course, it depends on what kind of county or city rules, you know, would allow, but some people have their chickens in the house?

TORRES: They do. And actually, this is a chicken diaper. So, we actually sell these. They have little removable liner.

WHITFIELD: You're kidding me, really?

TORRES: And when they poop, you just dump it out, and clean it out, and replace it with a fresh one. We don't really recommend it because there are behaviors that chickens engage in outside that are optimal for their health like dust bathing to keep them free of lies and mice they are also foraging for bugs and little tiny rocks to help them digest their food. So, we don't recommend it.

WHITFIELD: That is fascinating. OK. So now, most people when they, you know, get into the whole idea of backyard farming or in their apartment farming, are they doing it because they want to save money? And ultimately save them on the grocery bill, or is there another lure, like Lauren, for her, they're her pets? TORRES: Right. And I think that's the majority of our customers. We are My Pet Chicken, so people come to us just for that and we offer specialty breeds. There are certainly people who keep them for money, but we don't really feel that you can save money unless you're a great carpenter, you can build your own coop, you can let your chicken's free rage so that your feed cost are really low. So, for the most part, it's not about that. It's about chickens themselves. They have wonderful personalities. And you learned.

WHITFIELD: Right. I did. And they were all named. I mean, the 11 chickens and a rooster that she had, they had names, they have distinctive personalities, and there were some quite elaborate breeds, which means you have different looking eggs.

TORRES: That's right. And we brought some of those. And the eggs are a big driving factor. I mean, I'm sort of obsessed with different egg colors. And as you can see, we have some dark browns and greens and blues. But they're also much healthier, and mother's news has done studies on this. Eggs from backyards chickens are lower in cholesterol. They are lower in saturated fat. They are higher in vitamin c, vitamin a, vitamin e, and double the omega fatty acids.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Traci Torres.

Your work week weather is right around the corner.

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WHITFIELD: Mike Wallace, the legendary pioneering television newsman died last night peacefully last night and surrounded by his family in Connecticut. He was 93 years old. Mike Wallace was one of the faces of the program's "60 minutes" for nearly 40 years.

I talked to his colleague Lesley Stahl a short time ago who said what he did away from work, had a huge impact on her life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STAHL: He was the first -- I think this is right. It's certainly right in my memory. He was the first famous person to admit he had depression.

WHITFIELD: Right.

STAHL: And he went forward and came out in a time when no one did. There was still a stigma to it. And that's the toughest man in America said, I have depression and allowed his name to be associated with the disease widely. At that point, he was so courageous, and helped so many people. It's another - it's yet another thing that he did that was spectacular.

WHITFIELD: He is spectacular. Being part of that "60 minutes" family, how close you worked, but were like ships passing in the night, did you ever detect he was dealing with this depression long before revealed it to everyone?

STAHL: I was not at "60 minutes" yet when he revealed it. I haven't got in there so, I really can't answer that question. But I can tell you that my own husband had depression and he was in a deeply personal way -- he basically saved my husband's life. I'm not kidding.

WHITFIELD: How did he do that?

STAHL: Because I told Mike that my husband had depression and wouldn't see a doctor. And Mike just forced him. He forced him. So, I mean, he was wonderful.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: "60 minutes" correspondent, Lesley Stahl, her memories of the great Mike Wallace who passed away last night at the great age of 93.

All right, much of the NEWSROOM straight ahead with my colleague, Don Lemon.

DON LEMON, CNN HOST, NEWSROOM: That's the old guard that sort of reporting is going the way of the rotary phone and I miss it. I love t.

WHITFIELD: Well, that so epitomizes all of the great things of television journalism and Mike Wallace was installed so many of them, inspired so many of us included to one to be in this business.

LEMON: Yes. And to be, you know, journalism with a capital J as they say and that's, you know, things are changing. Things are changing.

Hey, Fred. We have a lot. We are going to talk about in the next hour. This disturbing story that you have been reporting on out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, two people arrested for a series of random shootings of African-Americans. And I just wrapped-up an interview with the Tulsan mayor. He talks about how devastated the city is over this particular incident. And the racial element, he says, whatever the higher authorities decide in this case they will go with it and they support the authorities in that.

And then also, on this Eastern Sunday, we're going to mix up politics, and religion and comedy of all things. CNN contributor Will Cain and then political comedian Dean Obeidallah will join me. And that should be very interesting.

I have a little present for you in light of your story that you did with the Easter eggs. So, I am going to eat this one. This is for you.

WHITFIELD: That's from our --

LEMON: Yes. She left it for me.

WHITFIELD: And they are delicious, by the way. I have already eaten three of these boiled eggs that she brought. And you know I love chocolate. So, thank you so much. Happy Easter and pass over. Appreciate it. Yum-yum.

LEMON: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: I won't eat it all in one sitting. Like I gave my son - well, she said no. The Easter bunny gave our son a chocolate bunny and he ate it in one sitting. I'm like, so you are not going to like - but I am thinking as a kid, you break off an ear and the next day the next year? He ate it all at one time.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: You taught to him the Easter bunny. It was you and the Easter bunny talking about that.

WHITFIELD: That's right. We talk.

That's right. Thanks, Don. Appreciate it. I will saver.

All right. We will have your workweek weather coming up next. Peter Cotton tail is coming in with a really sunny forecast I understand.

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WHITFIELD: All right, parts of Texas still recovering from a bad string of weather just over a week ago.

Bonnie Schneider in the weather center right now, there could be a repeat for Texas and Oklahoma?

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Luckily not the tornado threat that we saw last week but we are seeing strong storms roll through that Texas there yet. Take a look at radar and you will see some of the heavier rain is just to the east of Dallas. It doesn't mean, we are out of the wood yet. We still have the threat for thunderstorms including nickel sized hail. So, be careful as you hear that word thunder, make sure to take shelter because you could have a severe thunderstorm in your path. That's where we are looking at today's forecast right along this cold front, the chance for severe weather but most of the country is looking OK. Windy conditions bringing fire threat though, to many locations just like yesterday, hot, dry and windy.

But taking a closer look at the severe weather threat for tomorrow for those of you may be heading back to work after a long holiday weekend. It is pretty much the same place. Oklahoma City, Dallas, Severe storms are possible and that is where we have the risk for isolated tornados.

As we go into Tuesday, the threat shifts a little bit to the west into the Lubbock area. Take a look at high temperatures for tomorrow. Very warm but things are changing. We are getting ready for some cooler numbers. It's been such mild spring. So, it is interesting to report this to you.

Look at this. Temperatures will be 10 degrees cooler than where they have been, below normal. As we go to the middle of the week, Wednesday. So, if you are planning ahead for this week, thinking t s going to be a hot one, in many locations it's going to be closer to normal which will relatively speaking feel a lot cooler. And then, on to the west, we are looking at a nice warm up for cities like Denver and to feelings where has been so cold. It explains plenty of snow as spring into areas of Montana.

But just to show you we do have a live picture of Dallas. I want to get to that before we leave to take a look at where the storms are right now. I mentioned that there was some heavy rain in the vicinity. But now, you see some break n the clouds so that's some good news. But keep an eye to the sky if you are in Texas. We are looking at that chance for severe weather today and tomorrow as move into the back to work forecast.

WHITFIELD: Yes. You know, the tricky thing about the weather these days, funny, I can't remember, I don't know what a normal spring is any more. I'm not sure if it's the 80 degree range or 70 or 60 degree rap range. Well, we are all confused.

All right, thanks so much Bonnie.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

WHITFIELD: Good to see you and have happy Eastern and Pass over.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield. That's going to do it for me. Have a great holiday with the rest of the week -- what's left of the weekend. The CNN NEWSROOM continues at the top of the hour with my colleague, Don Lemon.

LEMON: Bye Fred.

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