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Spain Cuts Deal For Bank Bailout; Europe's Economy And Your Bottom Line; Protests Rock Formula One Race; Children Experiencing Domestic Violence; Program Gives You Money To Start Business; Entrepreneur Assistance For The Unemployed; Beating Caught On Tape; Politician Balances Work, Being A Mom; Father's Day Gift Ideas; Interview with Country Singer Tim McGraw

Aired June 09, 2012 - 15:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, checking international stories now. Just in the last hour or so, Spain formally asked the European Union for help in bailing out its banking system.

A no set amount was given for the bailout, but a report from the International Monetary Fund said the country will need at least $50 billion to get back on its feet.

France will start withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan starting next month. The country's new president, Francois Hollande, made the announcement mourning the deaths of four French soldiers and an Afghan interpreter in a suicide bombing today. He says he plans to have all combat troops out by the end of the year.

And Britain's Prince Philip is back home. The Duke of Edinburgh was released from the hospital five days after seeking treatment for bladder infection that forced him to miss part of his wife's, Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Now he's out in time to celebrate his the 91st birthday.

All right, this week, President Obama warns that Europe's growing economic crisis would create problems for the U.S. In this week's fortune brainstorm, our Ali Velshi talks with economist, Joseph Stiglitz, about what it all means for the U.S. recovery.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALI VELSHI, HOST, CNN'S "YOUR MONEY": Should we be looking at Europe with real fear what it does for the U.S. economy?

STIGLITZ: Yes. You know, with globalization, we are one connected system. Europe is affecting Asia. Asia slow down and Europe slowdown will affect us. It affects us through two channels, one, less able to export.

A couple years ago, President Obama trying to see where we're going to recover said, we ought to do it through exports. But if everybody else is slowing down, it's going to be very difficult for us to export our way to growth. The second part of the problem is financial sector. Our financial sectors are very interlinked. We saw that in the Lehman brother crisis.

There's going to be a lot of financial turmoil, whether you fixed problems or not, there are -- I think no one thinks that it's going to be easy and there is going to be a lot of turmoil.

VELSHI: In fact, you note that the issue we should have fixed, one thing on everybody's mind is not having the situation where we have banks that were not prepared to let fail and fixing that. You're saying one thing for all we did, we didn't fix that?

STIGLITZ: We didn't fix that and other things we didn't fix, for instance, one of the causes of the freezing of the financial markets back in 2008 and '09, was a lack of transparency. The banks knew they didn't know their own financial position and they knew they couldn't know that above anybody else.

VELSHI: People stopped lending.

STIGLITZ: Hence everybody stopped lending.

VELSHI: People couldn't mortgages and they couldn't get student loans. They couldn't car loans.

STIGLITZ: And the whole system went down.

VELSHI: All right, Professor, good to talk to you. As always, thanks very much for joining us.

STIGLITZ: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, and remember, stay updated on all of the latest financial news by watching "YOUR MONEY" Saturdays 1:00 Eastern Time and then Sunday's at 3:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

All right, A Formula One event isn't just attracting race fans in Montreal. It also got protesters all fired up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The Formula One race circuit makes its stop in Montreal this weekend and it usually makes for a pretty big party. Well, it isn't supposed to look like this.

For weeks now students in Montreal have been protesting university tuition hikes. Jonathan Mann has been following all of this stateside. This is your hometown.

JONATHAN MANN, ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT, CNNI: This is my hometown. This is a fun place to go.

WHITFIELD: Usually like the whole Formula One excitement. What's happening here?

MANN: Every summer we have a festival of comedy. We have a movie festival. We have a jazz festival at Formula One and this summer, we're like having a festival of demonstrations.

You said this has been going on for weeks. These have been going on for months. We're talking about demonstrations every day, moving around this big city.

You go up for dinner and all of a sudden, there are 10,000 people in the middle of the road banging pots and pans or fighting with police. Mostly it hasn't been violent. It has been festive, if anything.

Everyone seems to be having a great time, but every once in a while someone takes on a cop, throw as Molotov cocktail and it really gets serious.

You know, Thursday night, they went out naked. Thursday night was nude protest night. We don't have pictures of that. They were naked because they wanted the government to be more transparent. Get it?

They're against the government raising tuition. They're saying, Formula One racing that costs money. They should be spending the money on education.

WHITFIELD: Formula One is bringing a lot of money.

MANN: Bringing tourism dollars, right. They're protesting against the situations in Bahrain because the Grand Prix was in Bahrain and that's a dictatorship that mistreats its people.

So they're protesting in Montreal about the situation in Bahrain because of the Grand Prix. If you connect the dots, it all comes back to students in the streets every day, day in, day out. This is a nice place to live, a great place to spend the summer.

WHITFIELD: I know you love it.

MANN: I'd be on the tourist board, but this is the picture tourists are bringing home today. No one really is getting hurt. Nothing seriously being disrupted except a couple of cops had really been hurt.

A lot of students have been arrested. Most of Montreal just regards this either as an exciting way to spend the summer or the just the world's most annoying teenager invasion.

WHITFIELD: So this is not putting the brakes on F1 though?

MANN: No, F1 is going on -- last night, I heard that a lot of the F1 party people were out on the street, you know, a great city for nightclub, ran into the protests and the cops literally kept the protesters away from the partygoers.

So it was a glimpse of the ugly side of think, but not really that ugly. Just a lot of students, thousands and thousands of students angry were about their tuition. By the way, how much is the tuition in Canada?

WHITFIELD: How much?

MANN: It's a bargain. It's $2,000 a year in Quebec. I think they're raising it to $300 a year. It will eventually get up to $4,000 a year.

If you got a kid in college and you can put them through school for $4,000? You're not complaining.

WHITFIELD: That's incredible except many of them were saying that's too high too.

MANN: They're saying public school is free. High school is free. College should be free. I'm for it. College should be free.

WHITFIELD: That's right. OK, meantime, Formula One, it goes on tomorrow, right?

MANN: It goes on. You know, stay tuned, maybe we'll have more new protest.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much. Jonathan Mann, as long as everyone stays safe.

MANN: And calm and Canadian.

WHITFIELD: That's right. OK, thank you. Jonathan Mann.

All right, millions of people still having a very hard time finding a job, and now the U.S. government is trying to help them become self- employed. We'll tell you how their new entrepreneurial program will put people back to work.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, Joe Torre, you know him. He's a huge success on and off the baseball field, but what many don't know is that as a child he grew up with an abusive father.

In this week's "Human Factor," chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to him about that part of his life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Joe Torre, he is one of the most successful baseball managers in the past 40 years.

JOSE TORRE, 4-TIME WORLD SERIES CHAMPION MANAGER: I can't tell you what the emotions are. They're just running all into each other, and I can't tell you how happy I am. I have never been this happy in my life.

GUPTA: Just as he was reaching the pinnacle of his career winning four World Series titles in five years, he began opening up about his childhood and growing up with an abusive father.

TORRE: My older sister, Rae came from the kitchen into the ding room, which she had a knife protecting my mom and my dad was going into the drawer in the dining room to get his revolver. And I did witness that, and I still remember vividly going over to my sister and grabbing the knife and putting it on the table.

GUPTA: For young Torre who grew up to be an all-star player and is expected to be inducted into the hall of fame, baseball became his sanctuary.

TORRE: I had low self-esteem, and I was lucky I played baseball. I had an opportunity to go some place to hide. So what time do you guys have to be in class?

GUPTA: Today, he is giving back by providing a real sanctuary for other abused children.

TORRE: The perpetrator, you know, we do them favors when we don't talk about things like this. Awareness is so important in this.

GUPTA: Torre and his wife, Ali, have started the Safe At Home Foundation, which funds dedicated spaces inside schools where kids can speak openly and get counseling about domestic violence.

ALI TORRE, JOE TORRE'S WIFE: It is very serious what's happening to kids and the abuse and the people that are abused, and they don't have advocates for them and we're trying to be those advocates.

GUPTA: Torre names each site Margaret's Place in honor of his mother who was physically abused by his father.

TORRE: Youngsters are strong. They bounce back a lot, but I don't think they realize that it hurts them. I get choked up when I talk about that.

GUPTA: Retired from managing teams, Torre is still in the game overseeing operations for Major League baseball and also giving his time to end violence. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And if you're having trouble finding a job, the government is trying to help you become self-employed. We'll tell you how a new entrepreneurial program will put you back to work.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: More than 12 million Americans are out of work. Now the government give as twist on how it gives unemployment benefits to tens of thousands of people.

It's called the self employment assistance program. It's giving you money to start your own business and become an entrepreneur.

Lizzie O'Leary is here to break this all down for us. So Lizzie, how does this work? Who would be eligible?

LIZZIE O'LEARY, AVIATION AND REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, so you have that number out there, Fred, 12.7 million Americans out of work and one of the most painful statistics is there are about three or four workers for every job opening.

So the Labor Department is trying to be a little different. It's giving money to Americans to go into business for themselves, and become entrepreneurs. Here's how this works.

Instead of getting regular unemployment insurance while looking to join an existing company, a person would bring their business plan to a state-based program and that would be evaluated and then they can get up to six months of benefits to try and use that to make the business work.

Now, the Labor Department is spending about $35 million to try this. It's already happened in a couple of other states, and the folks who support this say it's really a good way of looking at the new economy.

WHITFIELD: And how many states offer this?

O'LEARY: So about five states already have programs like this. Their success rates are a little bit mixed.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, predicated on what? I mean, why is it not hugely successful in all places? Why is it not consistent in every state?

O'LEARY: Well, one of the reasons is really the nature of a start-up itself, right? So start-ups can succeed and fail. If they succeed they can have a job creation rate of about two to three per person who is going into putting money into that start-up.

But the other thing that's going on here when you look at this program, one of the criticisms is, this may be more likely to benefit people who are a little better educated, have a slightly higher income, and the question is, is that really who is needed to benefit in this way?

When you have a lot of people who have, say, a high school education, don't have a college degree, who have lost a job in this recession? The flip side of that is, of course, it only takes two people to start a company like Google so --

WHITFIELD: Success.

O'LEARY: Exactly. Maybe taking a chance with a little seed money from the government, a little cushion to be an entrepreneur might play out and results in a lot of hiring.

WHITFIELD: All right, very good. Well, it's hopeful nonetheless. All right, Lizzie O'Leary, thanks so much in Washington.

So five states so far, the U.S. government is trying to get more states to adopt this entrepreneur program. So exactly how does the program work and what are the requirements? How do you get involved with it?

Financial expert, Karen Lee joining us right to help us understand it all. So who would be eligible? How do you find out whether you're one of those five states and then if you're eligible?

KAREN LEE, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER: Actually when I went on the government, Department of Labor web site, I saw only five states. But as I started researching it, I found more states than those five states.

So first thing is ask at the unemployment office, does my state participate? If it does though, you don't have to do anything. From the state I spent the most time looking at their program, Washington State.

You actually automatically go into a profiling system. It's interesting. This profiling system knows how to figure out who is likely to exhaust their benefits without finding a job.

WHITFIELD: Really?

LEE: Yes. They do it by looking at your age, your education, the industry, and the demographic factors where you live. They can accurately who is likely to find work and who isn't.

So if your profile is not likely to find work, you're going to get a letter that says you're welcome to be a member of our self employment assistance program.

WHITFIELD: And then how long would it take once you've said, OK, I'm interested?

LEE: Well, basically what they're doing -- you know, it sounded nice when Liz talked about it. You're just able to keep getting your unemployment and training.

Instead of where you normally every week show them activities of how you're trying to get work, now you're showing activities that I'm setting up a job. But the training is what's very valuable depending on your state.

WHITFIELD: What that training?

LEE: The government, our State Department will offer training, like entrepreneurial training, business consulting, technical assistance so through that process, you're earning your unemployment check, and learning. So I think it could be a fabulous program. Everybody that goes into being self-employed need some help typically.

WHITFIELD: Well, it sounds encouraging especially since so many people are out of work for long periods of time, two years, et cetera. The wheels start moving. Why don't I find way to work for myself? This seems like this is an avenue in which to do that?

LEE: It is. I totally agree with what you just said. I find more and more people. Even people who are working now just saying, you know, I want to get out of the workforce and work from home. It's never been easier, Fred, with the internet, and e-commerce.

So I want to talk briefly about the kind of financial costs you need to be thinking about if you're thinking, I want to be self-employed. This applies to whether you're currently working, planning your future or currently on unemployment.

So first thing is you've got to remember, start-up costs. Now where are you going to get that money? Again, good news, not as high as they used to be, if you're doing an internet-based business, but where do you get that money from?

WHITFIELD: Seed money.

LEE: Seed money. What are your ongoing home expenses, the bare bones budget? I want you to have six months minimum.

WHITFIELD: Pay for electricity, food, still goes on.

LEE: It would be great if you could have 12 months. But possibly the most important and most overlooked is health insurance benefits. Health disability life insurance, too many Americans are so dependants to take care of insurance needs. They find themselves unemployed --

WHITFIELD: Can you afford to still --

LEE: Exactly. Absolutely, those are the important considerations.

WHITFIELD: Lots of things to keep in mind. OK, but it is an interesting and intriguing kind of first step that really could get folks thinking.

LEE: I think entrepreneurialship is coming back in a big way and I think it's a future of America. If you're unemployed and this program exists, take advantage of it. Get the training and go for it.

WHITFIELD: All right, Karen Lee, thanks so much. Always good to see you. Have a good rest of the weekend.

WHITFIELD: All right, working moms trying to juggle it all. Can you relate to that one?

LEE: I can relate. I can.

WHITFIELD: Tell you about one mom who spends her day in Congress and her nights at home with her family.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, a shocking piece of video that really is sparking a lot of conversations. If you have kids in the room you may want them to leave about now.

A local politician in California is caught on tape apparently beating his stepson at baseball practice. Nick Valencia joins me now with the story. So the video is very disturbing so much so that it actually got a neighbor involved. NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The neighbor was so upset about what he was seeing, what he was witnessing in the backyard over a game of catch, Fred. You see the little boy, I believe we have the tape, the little boy drop the baseball, and that's when the water agency official walks over, take a look here.

So they're in the backyard, 10-year-old stepson misses -- a game of catch. We've spoken to the attorney. The attorney acknowledges this is a hard video to watch, though the charge levelled against the water agency director is a felony charge.

Felony child abuse and that's the stiffest child abuse penalty law enforcement can charge against somebody. It carries a maximum of six years in state prison.

WHITFIELD: So at issue here is the neighbor hears something going on, decides to grab this video camera once he realizes with this stepfather and the son, playing catch.

Apparently the kid is -- not doing something that the stepfather believes he should be doing. So he's disciplining him. I mean, if that's the word we use loosely, he's hitting him.

VALENCIA: The thing about this, Fred, local affiliates for CNN are telling us he's also a little league coach and a soccer coach . He served -- half way through his second term according to his attorney and his attorney calms him before this a model citizen. You know, any community -- carries the characteristics of anyone in a leadership position.

WHITFIELD: So this neighbor -- videotaped and --

VALENCIA: From inside the house.

WHITFIELD: From inside the house, his own home, and next thing you know, police arrive. A charge comes about. This felony that this man's stone saying is too severe. He did post bond because that was involved after his arrest, too.

VALENCIA: This incident happened earlier in the week on Wednesday. Police didn't arrive right way. It wasn't until his neighbor, Oscar Lopez posted of the video online. The police got wind of it and - the attorney heard that charges were going to be levelled against his client. He voluntarily turned himself in and that's really after he posted that $100,000 bail.

WHITFIELD: So now where's the child and where's the stepfather?

VALENCIA: Well, it's a great question because right now we haven't heard yet that he has been ordered to stay away from the child because the child now is in Alabama.

The attorney for Anthony Sanchez told me that the child had plans to go on summer vacation anyway. It's had nothing to do with the incident. So currently right now, he's outside of Birmingham, Alabama with the wife and another one of Anthony Sanchez' sons. WHITFIELD: So the mother, was she present at that?

VALENCIA: We don't know.

WHITFIELD: OK, but right now the child is with the mother, but out of state.

VALENCIA: Out of state.

WHITFIELD: All right, it's still unclear what's going to happen next.

VALENCIA: The district attorney still needs to review the case. So far Sanchez has not entered a plea. We're constantly in touch with the attorney and then when we get an update, we'll be back.

WHITFIELD: All right, very disturbing. All right, thanks so much for bringing that to us. Appreciate it.

All right, just hours ago, Alabama police arrested the man wanted in the deaths of 9-year-old twins and their 73-year-old baby-sitter. Deandra Marquis Lee is now in police custody. Federal marshals had offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. Police say they'll have more details on this arrest later on today.

And U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder appoints two new lead investigators to help the FBI get to the bottom of intelligence leaks to the media. Leaked information has included classified details of a cyber attack aimed at Iran and classified information on the U.S. drone program.

And today is the Girl Scouts of America's 100th birthday. And to celebrate, thousands of scouts are taking over the National Mall right now. What they hope will be the world's largest sing along, called "Girl Scouts Rock The Mall." The scouts will be there singing, dancing and listening to finalists from "American Idol" and "The Voice" and others.

And joining in today's celebration is actress and singer Mandy Moore who is also helping dove launch a program that celebrates real women as positive role models for girls.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANDY MOORE, SINGER/ACTRESS: I'm just psyched to be able to speak to 250,000 Girl Scouts who are on the mall today for the rock the mall event. And just sort of highlighting the importance of role models specifically in girls' lives and widening the definition and broadening the definition and maybe offering an alternative point of you view as to what actually a role model could and should be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And you can see my full conversation with Mandy Moore at 4:00 Eastern Time today.

All right, many parents have to joggle their work and home lives. One congresswoman has mastered the balancing act. By day, she is passing bills. By night, she's changing diapers and reading bedtime stories.

CNN's Lisa Sylvester found out how Kathy McMorris Rogers manages it all.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There are 435 members of the House of Representatives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have some work to do.

SYLVESTER: Seventy six of them are women, but only one woman in the House Republican leadership. Congresswoman Kathy McMorris Rogers who represents Eastern Washington State.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been the highlight so far.

SYLVESTER: To say that she has a busy job is an understatement. I go through all of it?

SYLVESTER: One foot on each coast, shuttling back and forth. Almost what you use buy covers? More than an elected official, she's also a mom.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Little feet, six weeks. This is the first time I brought him to the capital. He's just a little guy.

SYLVESTER: She holds the distinction of being the only member of Congress in history to give birth twice while in office.

REPRESENTATIVE CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS (R), WASHINGTON: I was first elected to Congress in 2004 and I was still single. Met Brian a year later, we got married and then soon after that, I was pregnant, Cole was born in 2007 and Grace born in 2010.

SYLVESTER: One year old Grace and five-year-old Cole. Cole, who loves rocking out to Bruce Springsteen, who is a budding athlete.

MCMORRIS RODGERS: That's his favorite.

SYLVESTER: And who was born with Down's syndrome.

MCMORRIS RODGERS: That's tough news to receive. It's not what you dream. It's not what you expect.

SYLVESTER: Life has been a series of adjustments.

MCMORRIS RODGERS: Just look at that.

SYLVESTER: A pressing of the reset button.

MCMORRIS RODGERS: Do you want the egg?

SYLVESTER: For Cathy McMorris Rodgers and her husband Brian, who retired from the military. BRIAN RODGERS, HUSBAND: I spent 26 years in the Navy, and so this is a lot like the Navy. You know? It's dynamic. It's very interesting. There's a lot of purpose to it. It's good. It's all good.

SYLVESTER: Your commanders are a little younger, though, right?

RODGERS: That's right. That's true. That's true.

SYLVESTER: The family moved to Washington, D.C., but it's still a challenge trying to make all the pieces fit.

MCMORRIS RODGERS: I love what I do, and I love being a mom, and ...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yeah.

MCMORRIS RODGERS: It's a constant juggling act and some days I feel like I'm handling it better than other days.

SYLVESTER: If becoming a parent has given her a new outlook, having a child ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oatmeal.

SYLVESTER: ... with a disability has given her a new objective.

MCMORRIS RODGERS: Do you want a bite?

RODGERS: Here you go.

SYLVESTER: She is the cofounder of the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus.

MCMORRIS RODGERS: And you want to be the best parent possible.

SYLVESTER: McMorris Rodgers wants a new law that would let the parents of children with disabilities set up tax-free accounts similar to a 401K retirement plan or a 529 college savings plan.

MCMORRIS RODGERS: And just help them, whether it is, maybe through furthering their education or housing or transportation needs that they might have. It just would give them some more resources to hopefully be as independent as possible.

And the Able Act will help them to achieve that.

Yes, you did.

SYLVESTER: It's an issue that unites, even political opposites.

MCMORRIS RODGERS: Good job!

I met the lobbyist for the Sierra Club. On most issues I'm not on board with the Sierra Club and yet, he has -- he has two sons with Down's Syndrome, and he said, you know what, I want to work with you on these issues.

And these are really tough numbers.

SYLVESTER: To the world, she is a rising star in the GOP.

MCMORRIS RODGERS: What are you doing here, bud?

SYLVESTER: But at home, she's mommy.

MCMORRIS RODGERS: What does this say up here?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Wow. Pretty extraordinary. So, Lisa Sylvester with us now. Also a working mom, juggling it all, trying to balance it all. This brings a really fascinating perspective. So this bill that she was talking about, McMorris Rodgers, that she's talking about, where does it stand? I mean, what is the likelihood that she'll be able to get more support and actually trying to get it through?

SYLVESTER: You know, this bill is -- it's called the Able Act. It's Achieving a Better Life Experience, and it is supported. It does have bipartisan support. You have members like Representative Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, and you also have obviously Cathy McMorris Rodgers supporting this bill. The biggest challenge is going to be the money. I mean, you know in this time, Fred, as you well know, it's tight fiscal times. So, will they be able to get this bill passed? Because there's a fiscal impact on the federal coffers if you do set up this tax-free accounts. So, we'll see. It's been introduced in committee. And, you know, fingers crossed. At least the Disability Committee I think would really like to see something like this passed. But, you know, we'll see what happens.

WHITFIELD: Yeah, and you mentioned she's a political rising star. To what degree is -- you know, a White House-type of job you know, something that people are seeing?

SYLVESTER: Possibly the vice president. At least, Romney, she -- her name has come up as a possible running mate for Mitt Romney. There are about a dozen or so names being kicked around, but when it comes to women, she's only a couple of -- there are only a couple of women whose names are featured very prominently. And she is one of them. One because she is a working mom. She was in fact just this past week named by the Romney campaign to be the House liaison for the campaign. So she is definitely on their radar. We'll see. I mean, she's not in the top five of picks, but she is certainly on a list of about a dozen names that frequently come up, Fred.

WHITFIELD: OK. All right, thank you so much, Lisa Sylvester for bringing that story and that point of view. I appreciate it.

Are you planning on giving your dad yet another tie for Father's Day? Don't do that. Before you hit the mall, we have some high-tech gift ideas for dads.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: OK, Father's Day is just around the corner. Our technology expert Marc Saltzman has some unique high-tech gift ideas for dad. All of the ideas that Marc gives us are high-tech. It's just, you know, in a whole other stratosphere. But anyway, he is joining us from Toronto right now. All right, let's get started with a rather quirky one, but one that you know dad might like.

MARC SALTZMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It's called the Swan MP3 DJ Doorbell. That's right. It's a doorbell that replaces that old ding dong that's so boring with a clip from your MP3 collection.

WHITFIELD: Aha!

SALTZMAN: So, you -- so, it's such a great idea. All you do, is you connect this base to your computer with the cable that it comes with. You drag and drop your songs over. You can make a clip. Like just the chorus of "Who can it be now?," for example, and then when you mount this or stick this outside, you press the button. It will play the song of your choice through that loudspeaker that's in your home. And you can fit hundreds of them on this device ...

WHITFIELD: That's cute.

SALTZMAN: ... or expand the memory even more. So, great idea. $50. The MP3 DJ doorbell.

WHITFIELD: OK, depending on -- where you live, you may not want that little piece to be lifted from the door. I'm just thinking. OK. All right next, you get a new gadget for dad's nightstand.

SALTZMAN: Sure. Well, this is one of those clock radio docks, from iPhone, but they are always for iPhone. And all the Android users out there are always, you know, left out of the fun. Well, now they finally have one for android. It's called the iC50 clock radio alarm dock. And that means you take your Android device and you snap it down. It's got a little MP3 connector, so not only can you wake up to your favorite song, but you can also when you go to sleep, you can listen to pod casts and audio books. It will charge up your device at the same time. So, as you can see, it's a speaker with an FM radio, but the idea is that you're going to listen to your music that stored on your Android phone or an app. And it's only $60. So I think it's a great gift for an Android owner.

WHITFIELD: All right, very good, and then speaking of Androids, any new smartphones that dad would like out there?

SALTZMAN: Yeah, this one here ...

WHITFIELD: I know you'd like (them all, but, you know.

(CROSSTALK)

SALTZMAN: -- the summer, yeah, this is from Samsung. It's coming out June 20th called the Galaxy S III, and it's available through all carriers beginning at $199. This is a huge 4.8 inch smartphone, so great for consuming media, like playing games and watching video. And it has some clever technology, because well, for example, there is a little camera on there that's used for video calling, well, now it knows when you're looking at the smartphone, so it'll make the screen nice and bright for you. But as you turn your eyes away, it dims the screen to make it more energy efficient. So better battery. Also, if I'm texting with you, Fred, and I wanted to call you ...

WHITFIELD: Yes.

SALTZMAN: All you have to do is hold the phone up to my ear, it will automatically dial your number, because I'm texting with you.

WHITFIELD: You're kidding.

SALTZMAN: So, very neat stuff. That's the Galaxy S III from Samsung coming out June 20th.

WHITFIELD: Oh, that's totally making life way too easy. But that's nice. All right, so, say dad has an iPad. You have an accessory for him. And he's going to love it.

SALTZMAN: Yeah, this is one of my favorites, because I travel a lot with my iPad and I'm a journalist. So I prefer a physical keyboard to type articles.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

SALTZMAN: So this is from a company called DGL and it's called the All-in-One Bluetooth WorkStation. It's really three products in one. It's a protective hard shelled case, so it protects your iPad.

WHITFIELD: Good.

SALTZMAN: It's a stand, as you can see, and you can also watch -- so you can have it stand vertically or horizontally.

WHITFIELD: Oh yeah.

SALTZMAN: It's on a little swivel. So, it's great for watching video, for example. And then, of course, as the name suggests, it's got a Bluetooth keyboard. So, it's a physical QWERTY keyboard that does all, you know, all your typing ...

WHITFIELD: Yes.

SALTZMAN: ... on your iPad without using your fingers. So, it wirelessly tethers to the iPad. It's $70. And the battery lasts 45 hours between charges. So it's really good.

WHITFIELD: Oh, yeah. You got to have that, if you're going to try and do a lot of work on that iPad, that's for sure. All right, thank so much. Marc Saltzman. We'll see you again before Father's Day. So I wish you a happy Father's Day then. For more high-tech ideas and reviews just go to cnn.com/tech or follow Marc Saltzman on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Wounded warriors get some help from man's best friend. Lots of heroes in this story. Meet all of them, including our CNN hero.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. For many U.S. troops returning home, the emotional aftermath of war may be just as devastating as their experiences on the frontlines. This week's "CNN Hero" is giving veterans who suffer from PTSD and traumatic brain injuries a way to move forward with the help of man's best friend.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I got back from Iraq, I stood away from large crowds, malls, movies.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wouldn't leave the house. Just didn't want to.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stayed inside, windows blacked out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was really numb. Didn't feel like I had a purpose anymore.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nightmares, constantly, flashbacks. Everything to me is still a combat zone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Veterans with invisible wounds we can't see a wheelchair, a prosthetic leg. They appear like you and I. But their suffering goes so deep, it touches the soul.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are you doing, buddy?

MARY CORTANI: I learned how to train dogs while I served in the Army. I knew that a dog can add a lot in your life, and I realized this is what I was supposed to do.

My name is Mary Cortani. I match veterans with service dogs, train them as a team, so that they can navigate life together.

When a veteran trains their own service dog, they have a mission and a purpose again.

Talk to them. Tell them they did good.

Dogs come from shelters, rescue groups. They are taught to create a spatial barrier and can alert them when they start to get anxious. Are you OK? Getting overwhelmed? Focus on Maggie.

The dog is capable of keeping them grounded.

You're focusing on him and he's focusing on everything around you.

You start to see them get their confidence back. Communicate differently. They venture out, they are beginning to participate in life again.

Being able to help them find that joy back in their life, it's priceless.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So Mary was nominated for "CNN Heroes" from a viewer like you. So, to nominate someone who's making a difference in your community, visit cnnheroes.com.

All right, when you go to the doctor, be your own best advocate. Medical mistakes happen in an alarming rate. We'll have one boy's story, and explain how you can protect yourself.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, we go to the doctor expecting to get better. But get this, medical mistakes kill more than 250,000 people every year. And what makes these mistakes even more shocking is that many of them could have been prevented. Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has been digging into this. She has a special report airing tonight, "25 Shocking Medical Mistakes." Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jesse Matlock has a wandering right eye. The 3-year-old needs surgery to have it fixed. He goes in for the operation, and the surgeon cuts into the left eye instead of the right.

TASHA GAUL, JESSE'S MOTHER: My husband and I were in awe. We're like, can you repeat that again? And she said, frankly, I lost sense of direction.

JESSE MATLOCK: They messed up and did this eye and then did this eye.

COHEN: Surgeons are supposed to initial or mark the correct side like they did with Jesse. But here's one way they can still get confused.

DR. G. BAKER HUBBARD, OPHTHALMOLOGIST: We place drapes over the entire area to keep it sterile. Mistakes can be made very rarely when you have draping that obscures the mark.

COHEN: In the U.S., seven patients every day suffer body part mix- ups. Just before surgery, make sure you confirm with the nurse and the surgeon the correct body part and side of your operation and don't be shy about doing it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, Elizabeth Cohen joining me now. So, Elizabeth, first off, how is little Jesse doing?

COHEN: You know, his vision definitely has been impaired in that eye that they goofed up on, but we're told that it is getting better.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. So a lesson for all of us then, when going into surgery. I mean, just don't be embarrassed. Don't be afraid to be frank with the doctor and nurses and say all right, clarification, before I'm knocked out, this is what we're doing, right? COHEN: This is what they are doing, this is the surgery, this is who I am and this is the side we're doing it on. And you may get some eye rolls, you may get some resistance. I know I have, when I've done this.

WHITFIELD: Me too.

COHEN: But you want to make sure that they get it right.

WHITFIELD: That's right. You're not there to be friends.

COHEN: Exactly.

WHITFIELD: Just get it done right.

COHEN: Get it right.

WHITFIELD: OK, so tonight, you know, "25 Shocking Medical Mistakes." Why did you decide to do this? What was going on out there?

COHEN: You know, the empowered patient, we started it five years ago, and we've really started a national conversation about medical mistakes, because we've become sort of this place where people go to talk about this. I mean, we get so many reports, it breaks my heart. I just got an e-mail, just before I walked onto the set about something terrible that happened to yet another person. And what breaks my heart is that so many of these are preventable. When you ride a bike, you wear a helmet. And when you go into the hospital, you should be armed with knowledge about how to prevent medical mistakes.

WHITFIELD: Ask questions.

COHEN: Ask questions.

WHITFIELD: And don't be intimidated by those in the medical profession, because I think a lot of people, patients feel like, they have all the answers, how dare I challenge with questions. They know best for me.

COHEN: Right.

WHITFIELD: Don't do that.

COHEN: No, don't do that. Be polite, but ask questions. You -- you know, you're armed with a lot of knowledge. You're a smart person.

WHITFIELD: Yeah.

COHEN: Ask the right questions, and what this special is going to show you is the things that go wrong a lot. And so learn how to prevent that from happening to you.

WHITFIELD: Wow!

COHEN: Because it is possible. WHITFIELD: Yeah, it really is possible. We see that, but we want to prevent, and that's what your program is all about. Really educating us and informing us. Thanks so much, Elizabeth. So, you don't want to miss, Elizabeth, primetime special, "The Empowered Patient, 25 Shocking Medical Mistakes" tonight, 8:00 Eastern time right here, on CNN.

Singer Tim McGraw is half of one of country music's most glamorous couples, but how does he juggle his family and his high profile career? I talk with him face-to-face about how he keeps it all together.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, you can't say the name Tim McGraw without also mentioning Faith Hill. The power couple is a real force in country music, community outreach and philanthropy. I caught up with Tim McGraw face-to-face in Tampa as he launched his summer concert series.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: He's a super country star with more than 30 number one hits.

TIM MCGRAW (singing): I want to go crazy.

WHITFIELD: Now touring 25 American cities with his good friend Kenny Chesney.

MCGRAW: It's a pretty cool deal.

WHITFIELD: But seldom far from his thoughts, family, including his superstar country singing wife Faith Hill and their three daughters. One is 10, two are in high school.

How do you keep the family together? You know, given -- given the anxiety, the pressures that come with a very high profile life for both of you?

MCGRAW: You know, I say, yes, ma'am a lot. That's how I keep it together.

WHITFIELD: Comes in handy, huh?

MCGRAW: I have to say my wife is the rock in our family. I do what I do, and we have three daughters that she keeps their schedule, my schedule, her schedule. Because she's a very busy woman as well.

WHITFIELD: Wife and mother Faith Hill is the latest voice of "Monday Night Football," overall selling more than 40 million albums in her own right. And together, in their 2006 Soul to Soul tour, Hill and McGraw struck a chord with the highest grossing country tour of all time.

MCGRAW: She is just very good at making sure that everybody's got what they need. And you know, and we really live our lives in our community. We live our lives through our kids. We work, but you know, work is only a little bit of what people see of us. We love our job, and we love going out and playing music, we love making records or making movies or whatever it is that we do, but there's nothing better than to come home and have that security and that foundation that you have. And I think that she really is the rock for that.

WHITFIELD: So you have these complementary careers on this parallel track, but at the same time, it can also be rather competitive too because one person is going on tour, maybe conflicts with the other's tour. So does it become like a family effort where you, your wife, three daughters all go on tour together?

MCGRAW: We do, we go out a lot. You know, now that I have two daughters in high school starting next year, and then a 10-year-old daughter, so they have got their own lives.

WHITFIELD: So they don't want to.

MCGRAW: The last thing they want -- I'm the most uncool guy they know, so they certainly don't want to be hanging around me out on tour. But they happen to be here, but they come out some, and you know, after 15 years of doing this, you know, Faith and I really had solid careers before we got married. So we sort of had an idea of what we were getting into. And after 15 years of doing this and our management companies and people that work for us and the rules that we sort of laid down of how we want to live our lives, we just sort of find a way to do that.

We have our kids' schedules, and then everything else finds its way after that. And knock on wood, we're lucky enough to do that. It's not that -- I don't want to sound like it's just an easy decision for us. We're very fortunate to be able to do that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And in addition to time with his own family, Tim McGraw is also reaching out to help veterans and their families while he's on tour. He's helping veterans get mortgage-free homes. So if you know a vet who would like to apply for the mortgage-free home giveaway, we posted the links to the nonprofit groups on my blog at cnn.com/fredricka.