Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Egypt Holds Historic Presidential Election; Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Dies Suddenly; President's Immigration Policy Sparks Controversy; Study Links Long Term Health with Adequate Sleep; Interview with Billie Jean King; Machu Picchu Becoming Popular Tourist Attraction

Aired June 16, 2012 - 14:00   ET

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


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, you're in the CNN NEWSROOM where the news unfolds this Saturday. I'm Fredericka Whitfield.

Our top story, we begin in Egypt where polls in the critical presidential runoff election are set to close in about an hour for today. They will reopen tomorrow. Millions of Egyptians have been casting their ballots all day in a country that is an important, even crucial ally to the U.S. the difference between the candidates couldn't be more extreme. Egyptians are choosing between with a conservative Islamist or a former member of Hosni Mubarak's ousted regime.

CNN's Ivan Watson is following today's vote in the Egyptian capital of Cairo. So Ivan what has it been like there. Have people been coming out in large numbers to cast their ballots?

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's a steady stream of people here in this women's polling station, Fredericka. And, as you mentioned, the choice is pretty dramatic and it's between a former air force general and it was a member of Hosni Mubarak's government, the hand-picked prime minister, Ahmed Shafik, and the candidate from the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Morsi.

And this is taking place at a time of significant political turmoil because just a few days ago a Supreme Court here ordered that the recently elected parliament had to be disbanded. And that is a parliament that was dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, and that's thrown the whole political system into disarray. Nobody knows who is going to be in charge.

The Muslim Brotherhood has just told us that they reject that decision. They want to take the decision to dissolve the parliament to a national referendum because they say this would disenfranchise some 30 million voters. So some significant political tension as people here cast their ballots for the next president.

WHITFIELD: Ivan Watson, thanks so much in Cairo. No, that's not your television set at home. There are some audio problems with the transmission.

So it's a make or break day for Greece tomorrow. Voters go back to the polls to elect a new government, something they failed to do six weeks ago. The country's been in turmoil since then. Some fear if the chaos continues, Greece's economic problems could get even worse. Global markets are also keeping a wary eye on what happens in Greece amid concern Athens could exit from the euro currency zone.

Saudi Arabia is reporting the death of Nayef bin Abdul Aziz. The aging prince was the heir to the Saudi throne. Saudi officials say Nayef had health problems and died while seeking medical care in Switzerland. CNN's Nic Robertson reports the prince was known as a hardline conservative who led several crackdowns on Al Qaeda militants.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: After 9/11 and in the mid-2000s, 2003 and 2004 he was leading the Saudis' charge against Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda at that time were turning against the crown and were seen as a very serious threat, blowing up apartment complexes where foreign workers were living, taking control of oil facilities. And the threat -- dealing with that threat was taken on by Prince Nayef at that time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: The body of the crown prince will be flown to Saudi Arabia and buried tomorrow. The death raises questions of succession now. Saudi King Abdullah is 88 years old.

Now to the U.S. and the intensifying debate over the new U.S. immigration policy. The president announced yesterday the U.S. will stop deporting young, law-abiding illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and lived here for at least five years. He says it's the right thing to do, and he explained why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I believe that it's the right thing to do because I've been with groups of young people who work so hard and speak with so much heart about what's best in America even though I knew some of them must have lived under the fear of deportation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Mitt Romney opposes the changes. He spoke while campaigning in New Hampshire.

MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe the status of young people who come here through no fault of their own is an important to be considered and should be solved on a long-term basis so they know what their future should be in this country. I think the action the president took today makes it more difficult to reach a long-term solution because an executive order can be reversed by subsequent presidents.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: As many as 800,000 people could be affected by the new immigration policy. CNN's Nick Valencia talked to one woman who until yesterday was facing deportation to a country she feels is not her real home.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA DE LIMA, UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT: I'm fighting for my case and that's the reason why I'm here.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Standing outside the Atlanta immigration court, the fight for Paula De Lima to stay in the United States began in April. She got into a minor car accident outside of Atlanta and was arrested for driving without a license. Brought to the U.S. at four-years-old, De Lima only home she knows is the U.S. Going back to Uruguay isn't an option.

DE LIMA: It is a really bad feeling. I have gone there since I was four-years-old. I don't remember anything I don't know anything, but I have been here my whole life. I've been here 14 of my life. I've given everything to this country that I have.

OBAMA: Good afternoon, everybody. This morning's Secretary Napolitano announced new actions my administration will take to mend our nation's immigration policy.

VALENCIA: But a change in immigration policy announced on Friday by the Obama administration could give people like De Lima a renewed hope to not be deported.

DE LIMA: If I could do cartwheels I would do cartwheels.

VALENCIA: De Lima's lawyer Vanessa Kosky says it's not a certainty the new immigration initiative would benefit her client, who is asking for a stay on her deportation order. But she says she believes the latest announcement believes it opens doors many others have been knocking on.

VANESSA KOSKY, DE LIMA'S IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY: This is unbelievable if are so many young people, people under 30 years of age who were brought here to the United States by their parents and who have done the right thing and have gone to school and want to do the r right thing is unbelievable.

VALENCIA: If allowed to stay, De Lima says she wants to join the Navy and one day become a school teacher.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Nick Valencia is joining me right now. This new immigration policy does not apply to people who have committed a felony. You mentioned, she has found herself in trouble, but does that remove her from eligibility?

VALENCIA: We mentioned she's still facing deportation. She's already been given an order to be removed by the country. The reason we caught up with her there she was outside the Atlanta office asking for a stay of her removal, and that's not guaranteed. WHITFIELD: That's separate from that if you are undocumented you still need to go through some paperwork and need to go through the motions to even get this deferment of two years. How does that work?

VALENCIA: This doesn't mean all of a sudden you are legal or resident or you have a visa. You have to go to the immigration office and put in this application for work deferment which is renewable every two years. And that makes you eligible for a job, to get a job, actually, and you can avoid deportation by having that paperwork.

Having said that, there are no guarantees at all. These sessions could take weeks if not months, and there are no guarantees and each now with this initiative, in fact an opportunity being offered by the Obama administration.

WHITFIELD: They feel that this gives them some hope.

VALENCIA: It is a symbolic gesture on behalf of the Obama administration. Having said that, there's animosity and adversity from the president from the Latino community. There are still some that are upset that there hasn't been enough done. You heard guests earlier today saying it's a Band-Aid and not a permanent solution.

WHITFIELD: It's a big advocate of the DREAM act which would create a path to citizenship that hasn't happened and this is not a replacement for that either.

VALENCIA: Correct.

WHITFIELD: Nick Valencia. Thanks so much, appreciate it.

This election year, policy change isn't sitting well with everyone. Representative Elton Gallegly is a Republican from California and a chairman for immigration policy and enforcement. He's joining us from Washington. Good to see you. So what is your greatest concern about the president's executive order yesterday?

REP. ELTON GALLEGLY, (R) CALIFORNIA: First of all, Fredericka, thank you for having me on.

I have many problems. The president still gives a tremendous speech, and it was filled with anecdotal examples, heart-wrenching anecdotal example. But our country is full of heart-wrenching anecdotal examples of citizens of people here legally that families are without jobs and many are denied access to our universities and colleges because of overcrowding.

But at the same time last year the president put a stay on 300,000 people that had already been ordered deported from the country. These aren't just heart-wrenching examples. These are people that have gone through the whole process with the court system and the appeals system and were ordered out of the country and the president put a stay on 300,000 and now he has 800,000 more.

These are not just children that came to this country at two or three or four years old. The example that you had at the lead is a heart wrenching story and those should be dealt with individually, but that is not representative of the 800,000 the president is referring to.

WHITFIELD: So is your biggest gripe that there is this deferment that is being extended, or is it the fact that you're saying that you don't believe that some of the people who would be extended this new opportunity, this deferment, are deserving of this opportunity? Help me better understand what your position is on this.

GALLEGLY: I think to start with, we need to look at the president's authority to make this decision. We have laws in the country, and to be selectively enforcing those laws, and that's really where the administration is on this issue, I think is wrong. We elected a president, not a king.

WHITFIELD: But the president also has the right to executive order. And you heard from Napolitano who said that no laws have been broken. This is an extension of his authority and his power to have his executive order, and this is an exercise that he took. You're saying there should be no executive order, or this is not an issue that should fall under his executive order privileges?

GALLEGLY: I certainly do not deny the right of the executive orders. I think in this case and particularly in the case last year where he overrode the federal court system I think has truly been pushing the envelope.

WHITFIELD: Let's stick to this issue, the DREAM act. This is something by way of Congress that has been introduced several times. Collectively it has been denied and not has been able to go through. Where are you on the DREAM act, which are similar to this order except that it does create a path to citizenship that this new immigration policy does not do. Where are you on the DREAM act? Do you think that it has a place in this country?

GALLEGLY: I am a strong, firm believer of the rule of law. We have immigration laws in this country. We are a country of immigrants. And my office, 80 percent of the cases that we have in my office are immigrant related, and we go to bat for every one of them that have a legal right to access.

However, we're also a nation of laws, and if we need to change those laws, let's do it through the legislative process and not with a sign of a pen on a highly volatile issue like this. Individual examples, we have the ability to have special cases where they bring them before Congress and get waivers like perhaps the case of the young lady from Uruguay.

This is not the right way to approach it. I think the president's making a mistake and you talked about the Latinos. This is not limited to Latinos -- 40 percent of the immigrants coming to this country and staying illegally never entered through the southern border. Most of them are visa overstays, at least 40 percent of those that are illegally in the country.

WHITFIELD: What can you or other opponents on Capitol Hill do to reverse this order or in any way challenge this executive order, this immigration policy? GALLEGLY: I'll be meeting with members of my committee tomorrow and with the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Lamar Smith and discussing what our options are. We need to look at the legal aspect of it, but I do think it needs to be vetted publicly. I guarantee we'll have hearings very soon.

WHITFIELD: Representative, thank you very much for your time. Appreciate it from Washington.

GALLEGLY: Thank you, Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: So how will this immigration policy impact the Latino vote? We'll hear from one prominent Hispanic independent leader.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: President Obama already had a pretty healthy lead with Latino voters in most polls ahead of November's election. Could yesterday's announcement on immigration lock that lead down for him? Reverend Samuel Rodriguez is the president of the Hispanic leadership conference and has yet to endorse a presidential candidate. Reverend Rodriguez, good to see you.

REV. SAMUEL RODRIGUEZ, HISPANIC EVANGELICAL LEADER: Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: What does this new immigration policy mean? How is it impacting the Latino community as it considers Election Day five days away. I mean, five months away, sorry.

RODRIGUEZ: Sure. No, putting politics aside even for a moment on its own merit is morally just, fair, practical, in my opinion, very Christian and compassionate. So I commend and applaud the president for taking a decision that really brings hope to so many young people within our corresponding communities.

Now on the political issue, we can't deny the fact -- and I'm not here to judge the president's political calculation, nevertheless, we can't ignore the fact that the Hispanics will play a significant role, particularly in Colorado, Nevada, and Florida. These are critical swing states that the president does need to retake the White House and stand reelected in 2012.

WHITFIELD: Do you think all of that was in jeopardy prior to yesterday's announcement?

RODRIGUEZ: Well, there's a bit of angst and consternation in the Hispanic community regarding President Obama. First of all, for the first two years the president did have a majority Democratic House and Senate, and immigration reform was not a priority agenda item. And Hispanics asked what happened to immigration reform and the promises?

Second, there are some value policy initiatives that run calendar to the Hispanic-American faith, so there's a bit of consternation. It's yet to be determined whether or not yesterday's decision will help. What we do know is that senator McCain obtained 31 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2008. Governor Romney needs to acquire 35 percent to 36 percent if he is to defeat president Obama in November.

WHITFIELD: Reverend Rodriguez, immigrant reform is interpreted differently. To some that means strengthening the boarders and that means not allowing people to come into the country illegally. And then others say immigration reform means there needs to be a greater path of acceptance for those who are in country who have gotten here illegally and a greater path toward their citizenship. So immigration reform means what to you?

RODRIGUEZ: Immigration reform means, number one, deport the bad guys. Let's get rid of those who have come to this country for nefarious activity, the gangbangers and narco-traffickers. Let's get rid of the bad guys.

And let's protect our borders and look at the 99 percent that come here to give their kids a better life. It's a broken immigration service, backlog of visas that exceed 10, 12, in many cases 15 years and we basically welcome them with open arms in a de facto manner so this wonderful demographic out there that is a god-fearing, family- loving community.

WHITFIELD: When you hear Representative Gallegly, who I spoke with moments before talking to you, who says compassion is one thing and extending compassion also means laying a greater burden on an economy, on a nation that is already having a difficult time with unemployment and other financial upsets that this only exacerbates the problem by not allowing people to stay or giving them a deferment for work permits, et cetera when already there are great burdens on this country. How do you respond to him?

RODRIGUEZ: A couple of things -- one, how just and how reflective is it of our American values if we deport a 14-year-old and 16-year-old who came, but their parents brought them over on their backs when they were two years of age, and they want to study and contribute to our society where English is their first language, how fair and just is that? It's not fair and just at all.

Number two, let's be practical. A lot of these undocumented individuals already contribute to our economy and contribute to our corresponding communities and they're working out there already and many of them can't require back their pension plans or investment or acquire Social Security. So many of them are already contributing. The reality is they're not going to go back. Deportation is not practical. We need to fight a practical, fair way of integrating them in a way that reconciles the rule of law with a compassionate value system.

WHITFIELD: Reverend Rodriguez, thanks so much for your time.

RODRIGUEZ: Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: Let's talk health straight ahead. Want to stay healthy? You need to get some sleep, and I mean get eight hours every night. I'll tell you why it could help prevent a heart attack. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In today's "Health for Her," The impact sleep or lack thereof can have on your health specifically your risks of heart attack and stroke. There's a recent study from the University of Alabama Birmingham which spells out between how much sleep you get, you don't get and what it does to your health.

Dr. Sujatha Reddy is with us now and she's a physician at the Premiere Care for Women in Atlanta. What kind of correlation are we talking about here? If you don't get enough sleep then your heart is working harder and leaving yourself more susceptible for strokes in your waking hours?

DR. SUJATHA REDDY, PREMIERE CARE FOR WOMEN: You're exactly right. Sleep is vital to our health. While we're asleep our body heals cell damage and releases chemicals that help our immune system. We've seen studies that don't get enough sleep or shift workers who try to sleep during the day and not at night we know there's a problem with memory and we can see a weakened immune system and diabetes and heart attack.

So there's a big, big impact and over what period of time, are we talking like, you do this over a period of years or perhaps even a period of months where you're not getting the kind of sleep you want and there are risks that come with it?

REDDY: You're right. We're talking about sustained sleep deficit. When you have a job for a while and have a new baby and aren't sleeping properly, you're probably fine. We're talking for many years over our life time. It makes perfect sense. There are a lot of things that happen to our body during the day and you need to let your body focus on healing and repair to wake up refreshed the next day.

WHITFIELD: Where does the weight gain come in?

REDDY: The insulin and sugar acts almost like a diabetic and so they have problems with insulin and metabolizing sugar and you crave unhealthy foods.

WHITFIELD: So you're reaching for things to keep you awake when people start reaching for sugary things and a quick surge and that kind of thing?

REDDY: Possibly, exactly.

WHITFIELD: What's the best recommendation because a lot of people will tell you, I just don't have more hours in which to sleep. So does it matter if you're going to try to sneak in a nap here and there? Can you make up for lost sleep?

REDDY: Naps are a good thing. But you want to try to get at least six hours of sleep. They had a four-fold increase in their risk of stroke and ideally aim for seven to eight. And there's something risk hygiene, you want to avoid exercise right before you go to bed and those endorphins, and don't eat too heavy of a meal and alcohol, nicotine, and turn off your electronics before you go to bed. And like we were talking about, we're both pretty busy, but we make it a priority, try to get your sleep. You need to be as regular as possible and set a goal of when you'll go to bed every night and when you'll set the alarm clock.

REDDY: If you try to get up and go to sleep at about the same time you'll do much better.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much. I like that. I like the argument for more sleep all of the time.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, good to see you.

REDDY: Take care.

WHITFIELD: A massive wildfire has been burning in northern Colorado for a week now. Now some help may actually be on the way in a bigger way.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The future of pivotal U.S. ally Egypt is at stake this weekend. Millions of Egyptians are voting to pick a new president. Polls close in about a half an hour today and reopen tomorrow. Voters have to choose between an Islamist candidate and ousted leader Hosni Mubarak's former right hand man. Meanwhile, tensions are high after Egypt's highest court ordered the parliament dissolved.

The heir to the Saudi throne has died. Saudi state TV says Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz died in Geneva Switzerland. He was there for medical tests. Nayef was known as a hard line Saudi conservative who led several crackdowns in Al Qaeda. His unexpected death reopens the question of succession in Saudi Arabia. King Abdullah is 88 years old and has outlived two successors.

Back in this country, firefighters in Larimer County, Colorado, are hoping for rain so they can get a handle on the high park wildfire. It has burned more than 54,000 acres and forced thousands of people from their homes. Right now the fire is only 20 percent contained, and officials say the newest danger in the area, scared and hungry bears. So firefighters are trying to keep their distance.

And more debris from Japan's deadly tsunami may be surfacing half way around the world. A fishing boat with two other objects have washed ashore in Washington state. Authorities are trying to determine if the wreckage is from last year's powerful earth wake and killer wave.

And now to this story of an amazing rescue. A woman was trapped inside her burning car after she lost control and it flipped. But a stranger smashed open a window with a fire extinguisher and pulled her to safety just moments before the car was consume by flames, and then he disappeared. That was two weeks ago. His name is Mitchell Corbin and he's a sergeant in the Texas Air National Guard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MITCHELL CORBIN, TEXAS AIR NATIONAL GUARD: I saw a lady frantically screaming, "She's still in there, she's still in there." And I figured out there was a big problem going on and took the steps to fix it. I was just happy that everything turned out all right and everyone was safe.

NANCY DECKER, RESCUED FROM BURNING CAR: He's my guardian angel. He really is. I have a hero and god put him there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Corbin actually teaches emergency response in the guard and says this was his first time he's actually had to rescue someone. Thank goodness he did.

All right, 40 years after Title 9 became law, are female athletes truly finding equal ground? Tennis great Billie Jean King speaks out about gender equality in sports.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: And 40 years ago this month president Richard Nixon signed Title 9 into law. The landmark legislation made it illegal to exclude girls from any educational program that receives federal funding including school sports.

Well, 20-time Wimbledon winner Billie Jean King became a champion of the law, and for her tireless work she became the first female athlete to receive the presidential Medal of Freedom. I spoke with Billie Jean King about the milestones of title 9.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILLIE JEAN KING, FORMER TENNIS CHAMPION: Well, in 1972 when title 9 was passed there was one out of every 27 girls in sports were playing. That was two out of five which is a huge improvement and the one thing that people don't realize, I think is Title 9 really was about education and not just about sports. The reason they think it's about women's sports is because we're so visible, and therefore in some ways we carry the torch to talk about it in totality. Our job is to keep women in the game, that they have the same opportunities, as there 1.3 million less opportunities at the high school level still for girls and we have to make sure they're in it and it's very important because we've got the obesity and we want to keep girls in the game because it's just so important just for our overall health.

WHITFIELD: Let's go back to 1973 and you're talking about battle of the sexes and it did symbolize more than the game of tennis. It, seemingly, was -- not to dwarf your 39 grand slam singles, doubles, mixed doubles, but it seemed to really epitomize all that you represent, a good part of what you represent in terms of empowering women, empowering people, not just on the court, but beyond. That was your intention? Did you know that was going to happen?

KING: Fredericka, I knew it was about social change and not about a tennis match. And Bobby Riggs, who was a former number one player, would follow me around for two or three years asking me to play and I kept turning him down because we had just started women's professional tennis. And finally Margaret Court played him and lost badly like 6-2, 6-1 so I knew when Margaret lost I had to play him.

But the important thing is I really wanted to start to change the hearts and minds of people to match the legislation of title 9 and since I've been 12-years-old I had this epiphany that I would spend the rest of my life dedicated to equal rights and opportunities for boys and girls. And the reason I tried to help women so much is because we've been underserved.

I've had men come up to me with tears in their eyes today. They saw that match when they were very young. In fact, President Obama saw it when he was 12 years old, and they tell me how it changed their life. They tell me that they now have a daughter, and because they watched that match it changed how they raised their daughter today. And they insist on equal opportunities for their boys and their girls.

WHITFIELD: What does that make you feel like when you hear that?

KING: It makes me feel good. It makes me feel good that I affected both and the men that were so young were the first generation of the women's movement. Those men are the first generation of men of the women's movement. I think it's a riot.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Billie Jean King, a champ on and off the court. So many tennis legends have stepped away from today's game, but Billie Jean King is still very much involved. I spoke with her about her favorite players on the circuit right now and who she is constantly texting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Billie Jean King, I just love saying her name. She's left a significant mark on professional tennis and many current players see her as an inspiration and mentor. How does King size up today's players? More on my conversation with the tennis great and her views on tennis today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KING: I love where it is. I love where men's tennis is, women's tennis. We're a global sport and taking the message of empowerment to young boys and girls. In the major championships we get the same prize money, the men and women together. It sends a very strong message about equality. It sends a strong message that you can be anything you want to be and to empower each person.

But the women are unbelievable. Most of them are over six feet now. Sharapova is 6'2", Lindsay Davenport is 6'3" and Venus is 6'2" and Serena is a shorty, she's only 5'10". Serena Williams could have been the best player ever if she had really concentrated just on tennis.

WHITFIELD: Do you think it's over for her?

KING: She's got time.

WHITFIELD: Maria Sharapova won the French Open and now the number one ranked player, and she says her dream is to emulate Billie Jean King.

KING: That's amazing. I met Maria when she was 13 years old. I met her in England, and I'll never forget it, in a tournament. I said what do you want for your life? What's your dream? She said I want to be a star. I want to be the best. Maria Sharapova says I want to be the best. I want to be a great tennis player. So what people don't understand is women want to be acknowledged for our accomplishments more than our looks. I don't think people really realize to what degree, particularly if you're a woman athlete. Maria Sharapova wants to be a great tennis player. She can model and make $30 million in her endorsements.

WHITFIELD: How would you assess her growth?

KING: She had a shoulder operation -- I don't know, about five or six years ago. Everybody had given up on her. She persevered and she would double fault over and over and she didn't do well. She persevered and stayed in the now and embraced the moment and she kept working harder and harder on her movement. She ends up wing the French and being number one in the world again.

She was so happy because I don't think people probably have a grasp of how hard and how diligently she's been working towards that goal. and I would just sit back and watch her. I we text message and I text quite a few players, Venus and Serena, and I text Andy Roddick -- come on, guys, what's happening? I see it's admirable to see Maria Sharapova hung in there and never gave up and never gave up and always would fight. And I appreciate that human character, that factor more than even winning these tournaments. I just love the way, what a great example of always fighting and never giving up.

WHITFIELD: Fantastic. Billie Jean King, such a pleasure to talk with you.

KING: Thanks a lot, Fredericka. I love you, you're great.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much.

KING: We need more people like you in this world.

WHITFIELD: You're so nice. Next time let's meet up on the tennis court. I'm not saying I can take you on.

(LAUGHTER)

KING: I like to hit the ball for exercise. I don't like to compete anymore.

WHITFIELD: We can hang. Thank you, appreciate it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: It is summer, that you know, right? It also means a vacation time for a lot of families. So if you're looking for a new, exotic destination to visit, why not go to that extraordinary place? Peru. I'll tell you about the latest attraction there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It is one of those bucket list destinations hidden away in the matters of Peru. Machu Picchu is considered a wonder of the world, but if you're interested in seeing that, you'll find you can get there easier than ever. Rob Marciano is "On the Go."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Machu Picchu is called the lost city of the Incas. Hidden high in the Andes mountains of Peru, it remained out of reach of Spanish explorers. Even in modern times, a grueling five-day hike up the Inca trail used to be the only way to get there.

RICHARD BANGS, SOUTH AMERICA: QUEST FOR WONDER: There are other ways, and there are simpler and more accessible and available to anybody. It doesn't matter your age or physical fitness. And the best is probably the train. There are trains departing all the time, all day long down to Machu Picchu.

MARCIANO: The gateway to Machu Picchu is the city of Cuzco, and there are now more flights than ever.

BANGS: A lot of airlines used to service directly from the U.S. to Lima, and then you connect up to Cuzco. It's made it a much more attractive destination.

MARCIANO: Only 2,500 visitors a day are allowed into Macho Picchu, so buy your entrance ticket in advance from a travel agent or tour company.

BANGS: So Machu Picchu has experienced explosive growth over the last decade, as it has made almost everybody's bucket list. And it's worthwhile. It's transcendentally beautiful.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: I have more details about some of the things to do and places to go. Alex Pasquariello of Jetsetter.com joining me now from New York. You recently visited Peru so you have the inside scoop. We will talk with Cuzco. You get there and where do you want to stay? What's your favorite?

ALEX PASQUARIELLO, JETSETTER.COM: Cuzco is a city filled with history and the hotels are no different. We like Hotel Monastery and it's an old Jesuit monastery built in 1895. It's been updated and beautiful and luxurious, filled with antiques, art and there's even a 300-year- old tree growing in the courtyard. Rates at this hotel are 275 a night and well worth it.

WHITFIELD: And then you like Inca Terra La Casona. PASQUARIELLO: Yes. It's filled with history and it's only 11 suites and in a conquistador. And it's a place that can help you see the sites of Cuzco.

WHITFIELD: That's like the boutique hotel and now you've seen Cuzco and seen the hotels there and now you want to make your way to Machu Picchu and we know there is a train on which you can do that, but then you can also walk, right?

PASQUARIELLO: Sure. The ancient Inca trail is one of the amazing treks of the world. It's 26 miles from Cuzco to Peru. This isn't exactly roughing it. The Peruvian government monitors the use of the trails so you need a guide with permits and what happens is the porters carry your gear and go ahead of you and set up camp and at the end of the day you hike into camp and everything is ready for you. The prices here start at 500 per person.

WHITFIELD: Do you recommend doing a big tour group?

PASQUARIELLO: Well, Peru can be seen independently and Machu Picchu can be experienced independently and there are great books and a great local guide is always worth it. We have a planning service that will hook you up with the great guides. I highly recommend a local guide.

WHITFIELD: When you look at the images of Machu Picchu, it's, like, where would you stay, so what are the accommodations that you would like to recommend?

PASQUARIELLO: Well, at Machu Picchu, it's about location, location, location, and there is no better location than the sanctuary lodge. It's the only hotel on the top of the mountain at basically the entry point to Machu Picchu. It's a quite lovely hotel, but the real luxury is being able to roll out of bed and have access to the ruins before the rest of the tourists and the rest of the tourists in Aguas Calientes have to take a bus ride up. You'll have a half hour of solitude at the site before the rest of the people get there.

WHITFIELD: Seeing the images earlier, is that a crowd or what?

PASQUARIELLO: Yes. The sanctuary lodge is the type of place that the park doesn't have restroom or water facilities so when you're staying at the lodge you can come in and out of the park and rates there start at 975 a night. Wow!

WHITFIELD: So you definitely need deep pockets ahead. You need to plan ahead because it's difficult to get there and it's difficult to traverse.

PASQUARIELLO: Peru has done a wonderful job maintaining the site and they monitor the use of it carefully.

WHITFIELD: Alex, thanks so much. Good to see you and thanks for taking us to Peru, by way of you.

PASQUARIELLO: Thanks for having me.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: I appreciate it.

You can find a lot more about the travel tips and about this amazing bucket list of a destination and others at jetsetter.com/CNN.

And a daredevil attempting to make history walking across the Niagara Falls -- extraordinary images and very frightening, too.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A manhunt is underway in Canada for a security guard that police say robbed an armored guard at the University of Alberta. Police believe 21-year-old Travis Baumgartner killed three of his fellow armored guards and left a fourth critically injured. In a statement released, Baumgartner's mother begged her son to turn himself in.

And Japan is reactivating two of its Nuclear reactors on the plant on the western coast. The Ojai plant is the first to go back online after the government temporarily shut down following the crisis at the Fukushima plant last year. But the decision to restart operations has residents divided about the safety of the plant. Last year's accident contaminated food with radiation.

At 121 feet in the air, walking 1,800 feet across a tightrope, in the dark, by the way, history is made as Nik Wallenda crosses over Niagara Falls. People anxiously watched him walk on that tightrope with mists and wind blowing all around him and it took him 45 minutes to finish that.