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Fierce Storms Rip Across Nine States; Heat Wave Broils 100 Million People; Raging Colorado Fire Now 30 Percent Contained; Storm Knocks Out Power; Eight Military C-130s Battle Wildfires; World Powers Agree On Steps For Syria; Historic Day In Egypt; Shrines In Timbuktu Destroyed; Flight Attendant Loses Cool; Swimmer Heads From Cuba To Florida; Rodney King Memorial Later Today

Aired June 30, 2012 - 15:00   ET

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

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Raging fires in the west, a blistering heat wave in the east and violent storms across a huge portion of this country.

Extreme weather is impacting tens of millions of Americans right now, folks, your neighbors and your friends. We begin with those fierce thunderstorms. Nearly 4 million homes from Indiana to Maryland are without power right now.

CNN's Athena Jones is live in Rockville, Maryland. Athena, let's talk about how extensive the damage is right now and what folks are telling you on the ground there.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, one thing that we should let you know about is that so far the death toll here has risen since this morning.

In Virginia, there are six confirmed deaths in that state and that's coming from Governor Bob McDonald. At least two of those people died from falling trees. That governor has declared a state of emergency in the state of Virginia.

There are a million people without power. More deaths in other areas as well, in Washington, D.C., a man was electrocuted when he stepped out of his house after a tree and wires fell on him last night around 11 p.m.

And here in Rockville, a 71-year-old woman was killed by a fallen tree and Poppy, we just learned about two other deaths, the deaths of two small children in the state of New Jersey who were out camping with their families in a state park.

That family huddled together, they were cousins, they huddled together in a tent for protection from the storm and they were killed. The two children were killed when a tree fell on that tent so a lot of bad news coming around the storm in addition to the power problem -- Poppy.

HARLOW: That's awful, Athena, especially those children. What are you hearing from officials there that people can do right now especially with this heat wave that will be prolonged if you don't have power, you don't have airconditioning. You know, you've got all these people in a very dangerous situation.

JONES: Absolutely, very dangerous. I mean, the temperatures are still climbing today. We haven't even reached over the 100-degree mark that we were supposed to hit.

Just like yesterday this heat wave in this area is expected to continue and of course, across a large swathe of the country, of this area of the country.

And we know that in this community about two and three people are still without power. Officials are working hard and they've given a recent update saying full restoration of power will take about a week.

That's not very specific and not the kind of thing residents want to hear. We talked to one woman though about what her plans are.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to the mall, Montgomery Mall over here have air-conditioning and that's where we're off to now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They said that there was a cooling station around too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: So that's what they're going to have to do. They're going to have to seek out places that have generators or places where the power has been turned back on to try and stay cool, Poppy.

HARLOW: Thank you so much, Athena. Appreciate it.

And you just heard, folks, that family mentioning a cooling station. Let's go on live to Nick Valencia there for us. You've got, you know, about 100 million Americans suffering from this miserable heat.

I know, you'll have a live interview with Representative John Lewis. Take it away, Nick.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These are just miserable conditions for those fortunate -- not fortunate enough to get a splash of water or be in an airconditioned place.

We are here in a cooling center, one of the five cooling centers across Atlanta with one of the quintessential figures of the Civil Rights Movement as well as a congressman here in the state of Georgia.

Representative John Lewis, you just out there. It just hit over 100 degrees here in Atlanta. It's pretty hot out there. I'm sure you're happy to be in here.

REPRESENTATIVE JOHN LEWIS (D) GEORGIA: It is very, very hot out there and I tell you. It's feeling better here, and my advice to people, just stay in. Get in an airconditioned building and stay, drink a lot of water and don't get out there running. You can exercise another day. This is very dangerous weather.

VALENCIA: Now you've been in the state of Georgia for a very long time here. Have you ever seen conditions this hot? Has it gotten this hot before here?

LEWIS: Well, I've been living in this state for almost 50 years here in the city of Atlanta, I have never, ever seen it this hot before and this is really, really hot. This is worse than Washington, D.C., and I just left there only yesterday.

VALENCIA: We hope you stay cool. Thank you so much for joining us and taking the time to speak with us.

As the representative mentioned, it is really hot out there so stay hydrated. The Georgia Department of Emergency Management telling residents stay cool, stay hydrated and stay inside -- Poppy.

HARLOW: Nick, thank you. It's really important that people think it's conventional wisdom, but the points he made, don't exercise, stay hydrated, all of it very important for people right now to heed. Thank you, Nick. Appreciate it.

And let's go now to Colorado Springs, Colorado. The raging wildfire continues there. Two people killed, nearly 350 homes destroyed so far and the flames keep on spreading.

CNN's Sandra Endo is live in Colorado Springs. There is a silver lining, one first bright spot to this today and that could be summed up in the word containment.

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right or the word progress, Poppy, because authorities have announced this morning that right now the Waldo Canyon fire is 30 contained.

That's double the progress they've made just overnight and we're really close to the Helibase, the area where authorities are launching the helicopters they're using for the aerial attack to combat this wildfire.

Now take a look at this vantage point from where we're standing. You can so the ridge line of the mountain and you can see some of the hot spots where the smoke is smoldering and, you know, it's quite a different scene from yesterday.

Because we were here at the same position and we can see smoke, plumes of smoke billowing from that same mountain ridge so clearly, some progress has been made. You can see it just from this vantage point.

But again, authorities and firefighters still have a lot of work to do and as you mentioned the destruction and the toll this wildfire has taken already.

So many people displaced and thousands still waiting to get back home, nearly 350 homes destroyed and dozens more also ruined. So 4,000 residents actually will get a chance tomorrow and Monday to take a bus tour to go through these neighborhoods and see what the flames did to their homes.

Unfortunately, authorities say they won't be able to get off the bus to go to their property, but they will get a tour and get a sense of what's left behind.

The good news, Poppy, in terms of progress, a lot of these evacuated zones, those restrictions have been lifted so residents have been going back to their neighborhoods.

But clearly, there's still a lot more that needs to be done and of course, the investigation is still under way.

HARLOW: Sandra, thank you very much. Folks, you know, the video we just showed you, dramatic amateur video shot by people going through this evacuating.

Sandra mentioned the 4,000 people displaced are going to get to go on the bus tour to see their homes and what happened. You're looking at the video of one young woman as she drove away from her home and watched it burned down.

These fires have destroyed so much. I want you to listen. Let's take a moment and pause, listen to this tape and listen to the raw emotion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are the flames, my God. My God, my God, my God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Now that woman also told us a fascinating story and a police officer stopped her a little bit ahead and helped her calm down, pulled her to the side of the road so that she could drive on. She was so hysterical.

Sandra, I know you've been watching all of this. I do want to bring in someone also, Sandra, who is there right near you on the phone.

We have Byron Largent. Byron and his family, they're among the ones that are going to go on that bus tour tomorrow to see the destruction of their home. Byron, are you with us?

BYRON LARGENT, LEFT HOUSE IN COLORADO SPRINGS WILDFIRE (via telephone): Yes.

HARLOW: Byron, first of all, thank you for joining us. And I heard that you and your wife, Rebecca and your 1-year-old daughter, Emma were all evacuated.

Yesterday was Emma's first birthday and that you didn't believe that you were going to really be evacuated and this was just precautionary, but we've been told that you've lost your home. Is that the case? What has happened?

LARGENT: We were evacuated on Saturday so a week ago. And Emma's first birthday was Tuesday night, the same night that our house bushed down.

HARLOW: Tell me about that moment when you were evacuated. I know you said you grabbed Emma's stuffed animals, some outfits and some family photos, but you didn't really believe that you wouldn't be back in your home again.

LARGENT: Correct. You know, the fire was it was a ways off in our eyes. We thought, you know, they won't get out of here. So the firemen, the firefighters and the police officers and everyone can get in, do preparation work they need to do.

And if something does go wrong or out of the way, smoke and that kind of thing. We just -- you know, we thought we'll go stay with the grandparents and be back in a few days.

HARLOW: We're looking, Byron, of pictures of you and Emma, she's beautiful, a beautiful girl right now. Happy birthday to her. Do I understand that right you're having a birthday party for her today?

LARGENT: Yes.

HARLOW: I can't imagine what you're going through. I can't imagine that and being with your family and being with your daughter. Tell me about what you see ahead, where are you going to go? Where you're staying? Obviously, you guys weren't prepared for this. What are your plans now?

LARGENT: We had great support from family and friends in the community. They're really taken us in and provided us with necessities for now.

We'll look in to find a new house to rent and build our life back up again. It's been hard, but our faith has been strengthened by this -- this disaster.

HARLOW: You know, it's interesting. You're on the ground and you have the perspective that I certainly don't. I know there are many brave men and women fighting this fire on the front lines.

What can you tell us and share with our viewers about the first responders down there, fighting now for a week, fighting this fire that is so difficult to contain and put out.

LARGENT: They are amazing men and women. We went from zero percent containment to 5 percent to 10 percent and now we're up to 30 and, you know, there one Tuesday night when we lost a lot of structures.

But they have fought back and they have saved so many more structures. I'm so thankful for the other families that haven't lost their homes. They can feel really safe. These firefighters are amazing.

HARLOW: Byron, I am so sorry for what you lost and what your community is going through. I am so happy for your family that you're OK, that you're with friends and family and that you have the faith to bring you through this. Thank you for joining us. Keep us posted.

LARGENT: Thank you.

HARLOW: As much of the country swelters under extreme heat there's this, the storm knocked out power to more than 3 million homes across nine states at a time when temperatures are reaching well into and above 100 degrees, many records being broken.

Let's bring in Bonnie Schneider right now. Go through all of this for us because the heat is only exacerbating the problems across the country right now.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is. You mentioned records broken. Well, this just in, Poppy. We have brand new records just moments ago that have already been shattered.

Lexington, Louisville and Kentucky are now past the triple digits. Lexington already hit 101, which already broke the record then Louisville hit 100. Islip on Long Island in New York at 93.

Now it's important to note for all three of these places, the temperatures are still on the way up. The day isn't over yet. So we broke the record. I want you to let you know that, but it's still going to get a lot hotter.

And really this is, you know, one of many, many record-breaking days that we've been talking about. We're expecting records to be shattered tomorrow, as well.

Currently, look at this, 105 in Nashville. Just in the past hour, the temperature has gone up there. Yesterday, it hit an all-time record high of 109 and take a look at the forecast, you can see some cities will get out of the triple digits.

Like Louisville will drop down to a 99, not by much and it will stay pretty hot into the upper 90s for Monday and Tuesday and even Washington, D.C., stays in the mid-90s.

So Poppy, we're talking about excessive heat prolonged for days. If you can get to a cooling center, I highly advise it because really anyone, it doesn't matter your age or your physical condition, this heat is dangerous.

HARLOW: All right, Bonnie, thank you. Appreciate you keeping an eye on it for everyone out there.

The battle to fight fires in Colorado got some big guns today. Eight military C130s, eight of them are in the skies over the Rockies right now as we speak.

This is significant because this is the first time since 2008 that all eight of these aircrafts have been called into action at one time and we have a very rare look at these military tankers on the job.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It doesn't get much better than that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Real good. Real good, and nice line.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Pretty amazing work they do and they're doing now as we speak. Each of those tankers can carry 3,000 gallons of fire retardant. They can drop all of it in less than 5 seconds.

Another big story today, can anything, anything, diplomacy stop the killing in Syria? Look at the destruction in Homs. The opposition said more people died in shelling today.

And a long delayed take off was too much for one flight attendant. This is amazing video, guys. We're going to show it to you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Now to Syria where world powers have reached an agreement for a Syrian-led transition to try to end the violence and bring peace.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KOFI ANNAN, JOINT SPECIAL ENVOY: It is for the people of Syria to come to a political agreement, the time is running out. We need rapid steps to reach agreement. The conflict must be resolved through peaceful dialogue and negotiation alone. Conditions conducive to a political settlement must now be put in place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Kofi Annan, special envoy to the U.N., speaking after that meeting in Geneva today. The plan calls for a few things. First of all, an end to the current violence and a recommitment to a ceasefire in Syria that has been nearly impossible to come by.

The implementation of a U.N. and Arab-league-backed six-point plan and also a transitional government decided on by Syrians and this, I think, is very important.

That new government would actually include members of the current regime. Opposition activists say at least 100 people were killed today alone, as we've been reporting throughout the day, that number keeps going up.

Egypt made history today. You're seeing Mohammed Morsi taking the oath of office as Egypt's first democratically elected president. The results of that uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year reign.

Security, of course, was tight at that swearing in. In his first speech as president, Morsi says he wants both complete freedom and, quote, "a true democracy for Egypt."

Meantime, witnesses in Timbuktu Mali say militants, Islamic militants have destroyed sacred Muslim tombs. Islamist fighters set fire to the tombs saying saints shouldn't be worshipped. The United Nations recently designated the shrines an endangered world heritage site. The shrines were built in the 15th Century.

Joining me on the phone is journalist, Katarina Hoije. Obviously, you're not in Timbuktu because of the security concerns there or the threats. Give me a sense of what you're hearing and what you can report on this because this is Timbuktu. This is a famous, famous destination.

Everyone in the world knows about this. History is being literally destroyed here. What can you tell us, Katarina?

KATARINA HOIJE, JOURNALIST (via telephone): Yes, we have Timbuktu, once a cradle of Islamic learning. Today a world heritage site and the historic mosques have mausoleums that are according to the UNESCO world heritage site.

And today the shrines were destroyed by a hard line, religious group. As I understand, they're still continuing to demolish them and the 15th Century mausoleums was the names of the saints.

And the population come here to pray especially on Fridays when the destruction started and when the Islamists surrounded the sites and they stopped people from coming to the tombs to worship.

HARLOW: Katarina, can you give us an idea of why this is happening? I mean, obviously, they're saying saints shouldn't be worshipped, but do we have any idea about why this?

So they're destroying these tombs simply because of the symbolism of them and how important they are that we all know the name and where they are, do we know what is generating this and why now?

HOIJE: Well, this is against the hard line in Islam that they stand for that God is unique and all of this is forbidden in Islam. In May, they destroyed three of the tombs and now they have threatened to destroy the remaining 13.

There was the UNESCO declaration this week that they put them up as endangered, but I spoke to the spokesperson today and apparently, they had nothing to do with it only because it was against their form of Islam.

HARLOW: The question is who is on the ground combating this destruction? Is there anyone, any government forces and any civilians that have come together combating this or is this all-out recklessness and chaos destroying history?

HOIJE: Well, at the moment, the population can just stand and watch, the Islamists are armed and none of the people in Timbuktu have guns. In the past weeks, the situation is really tense.

And at the moment there's no one that stands up to them and as far as I notice, there's been no reaction from the government. The 8:00 news has still not been on air and we might hear something by then, but at the moment, the population is on their own. HARLOW: At the moment, the population is on their own. Have we seen anything like this from this group in this region in the past few years or is this monumental in terms of the scale of the destruction.

And really of what they're going after about how sacred the tombs are part of a world heritage site in Timbuktu? Is this unprecedented at least in recent history?

HOIJE: I would say so. I have never seen anything like this, and what they're saying now is they don't care about UNESCO. UNESCO means nothing to them and it is without the world heritage.

HARLOW: Completely, completely defiant, it sounds like. Thank you so much. It's a fascinating, devastating story. Please keep on top of it. Thank you, Katarina. I appreciate it.

HOIJE: Thank you.

HARLOW: Next, a look at your retirement. Who needs to see the grandkids all of the time? A lot of retirees headed away from home for their golden years.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Well, more and more retirees are leaving their kids and their grandkids behind and moving out of the country, getting out of dodge.

Some may have dreamed about it for a long time and others might to stretch their dollar right now. There are pros and cons to this kind of big move.

Of course, we've got a great guest, personal finance expert, Daria Dolan and is joining us from West Palm Beach, Florida where it's cooler than 100 degrees than it is here in Atlanta.

Daria, thank you for being with us. I appreciate it. All right, so this trend is happening right now. More than we've seen before. Tell us about it and some of the pros. Why are people doing this?

DARIA DOLAN, PERSONAL FINANCE EXPERT: Well, you know, this is a great time to talk about it, Poppy, with an election coming up because every year there are some people who threaten to leave the country if they don't get who they want in office.

So here you go, folks, here are your guidelines. First off, it's a great opportunity to meet new people and experience different cultures, as a matter of fact, I'm a dual citizen with Italy and Kevin and I spend a lot of time in Italy.

Not one of the cheaper places to try this out, which leaves to the second point. It's a lower cost of living in some destinations. Most of Europe, not so much, but certainly if you look at places like -- if you're looking for lower real estate prices, maybe in rent or to buy, food prices, transportation, even health care costs.

For example, in Ecuador, $50,000 would get you a beach-front condo or a two-bedroom penthouse in town. So I mean, when you look at our prices, it's something to take a look at.

There are also, in certain cases, a very narrow set of circumstances, possible tax breaks for foreign-earned income. As a U.S. citizen, no matter where you live, they're going to tax you on your worldwide income.

But if you're working overseas, you may get some foreign-earned income credits and you may get a foreign housing exclusion, but you need to talk to an accountant.

HARLOW: Right. I think you can hold on about $95,000 overseas without that being taxed here in the United States. I do want to talk about some of the cons especially if you have people retiring abroad and buying homes or buying second investment properties.

We had the massive housing bubble in this country and that can happen anywhere else as well. What do you think, rent when you're over there first? Test it out and you never know the political situation depending on where they're going?

DOLAN: Absolutely. You have to rent first because if you're new to the country, you may not even like it once you get there. So try it out for a while and it's not cheap to move.

Because for example, I talked to a worldwide moving company who moved a family from a 2,000 square foot house in West Palm Beach to the London area. It cost $10,000 to move 7,000 pounds of furniture and belongings including the packing.

So it's not a cheap endeavor, you may want to try a furnished place first, just pack your bags, bring your clothes and go from there. Also, one of the other things --

HARLOW: Go ahead.

DOLAN: I just wanted to say that the cost of health care varies widely. So you want to be sure that you understand the country that you're going to and what's available.

Because Medicare, most of the time does not cover you outside of the 50 states and certain territories that we have, unless, for example, you're touring in America and you get sick and the closest hospital is across the border in Canada or down in Mexico.

That's a special situation, but you're going to have to pay so you want to make sure that the country you're moving to has affordable healthcare. For example, if you go to Venezuela, not that I'm recommending Venezuela or Mexico at the moment, but it's about $30 or $40 for a doctor's visit.

In Ecuador, it could be as much as little as $25 to see a doctor. So that's something that you need to investigate and of course, you brought it up at the top, the political situation, Poppy. What seems absolutely wonderful today could change in a heartbeat.

HARLOW: Absolutely. Daria, thank you so much. Appreciate it. Appreciate you joining us.

Folks, you can get helpful, personal, financial advice and you can also sign up for the Dolan's free newsletter and do it online, dolansonyourmoney.com.

It's high anxiety onboard a passenger jet. Get this, when a frustrated flight attendant goes on a bizarre rant over the intercom. It is all, of course, as everything these days, caught on video.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: OK, all of us have spent time sitting on a plane, on the tarmac waiting and waiting for it to take off. It can get claustrophobic, it can get hot and it can get frustrating.

But when thunderstorms held up an American Eagle jet it was the flight attendant who lost his cool. Take a look at this. Mary Snow reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On a flight that was delayed for several hours and never got off the ground, an American Eagle flight attendant loses his cool taking it out on passengers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want to hear anything. We will not get anything once we close the door. No. If you have -- this is your time. Otherwise you will have to fly with Jose.

SNOW: What's not on the tape, passengers describe the flight attendant also saying something about this being his last flight. David Abels who was with his 9-year-old daughter.

DAVID ABELS, AMERICAN EAGLE PASSENGER: People were shocked and then, you know, bravely, some people got up and walked out and I wish that I -- and I had to get my daughter home to her mother. She was frightened, kids were crying.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have multiple people.

SNOW: This is what it looked like when the flight attendant confronted passengers after he made his announcement. By then, American Eagle Flight 4607 had been delayed for about five hours. It was supposed to go from New York to Raleigh, North Carolina.

Rain prevented passengers from even boarding until several hours after the flight was scheduled to leave. Once on the runway, there were more delays and the plane had to turn back to refuel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unfortunately, our hands are tied and we cannot leave until it is obtained.

SNOW: Passengers declined and by the time they got back on, things came to a boiling point, police were called. But passenger, Jon Wurster, who was sitting in first class says it wasn't just the flight attendant to blame. He faults passengers as well.

JON WURSTER, AMERICAN EAGLE PASSENGER: I did feel some of the passengers overreacted.

SNOW: How so?

WURSTER: I didn't feel any kind of threat coming from him. I felt when he went to the back of the plane, you know, you have to remember this is one guy against, you know, a hundred or so. And he by no means chose his words properly, and so he's definitely at fault and I think some of the passengers are also.

SNOW: Not something David Abels agrees with.

ABELS: For any passenger who was on that plane to say it was the passenger's fault, that's the flight attendant, the captain. They're supposed to reassure everybody and calm everybody. You think he did that?

SNOW: As for American Airlines, it apologized saying we do not believe that the passengers' frustrations were met with the level of service that we expect from our people and for that we are truly sorry.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: Police made no arrests and the flight wound up being canceled. We did try to reach out to the flight attendant through the airline.

The airline says the incident is under review and it doesn't discuss personnel matters and the FAA says it, too, is investigating. Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

HARLOW: Wow! The next -- coming up next, the coolest video games that are out right now. I know nothing about video games so we'll bring in our tech expert to tell us what they are. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: All right, so do you remember before the break when I told you that I knew absolutely nothing about video games and that these games were great and the best ones and they just came out?

Well, I was wrong because I know nothing about video games. These are the games of the future and to talk about all of them, we're going to bring in our tech expert, Marc Saltzman joining us via Skype.

All right, so I was wrong off the top. These are not out yet, but I want to talk, Marc, about the top award for best of show. The number one video game at the E3 Video Game Awards this year, what was it?

MARC SALTSMAN, SYNDICATED TECHNOLOGY WRITER: Sure, Poppy. You got that right. So these are the awards given or announced this week by the Game Critics Awards, which is an organization that votes on the best games that are coming out in the future, that were recently unveiled at the E3 Expo in L.A.

The number one game of the show is called "The Last of Us" from Sony. It's a Playstation 3 game probably coming out early next year. It won four or five other awards as well, but Game of Show is the jewel in the crown there.

This is a post-pandemic world that takes place in the near future where, you know, a plague has decimated most of the world's population. You play, as this character, Joel, a middle-aged guy who has to escort a young, naive girl named Ellie across the U.S.

And it's an amazing game with lots of adventure, puzzle solving and combat. A beautiful, open world and this is something that gamers are absolutely going to love.

HARLOW: You know, it's interesting too because this is such a massive, massive industry moneywise and billions and billions of dollars poured in from people that are obsessed with these games. What won best action game?

SALTZMAN: -- took best action game from the Game Critics Awards group and that is one of those multi -- multimillion dollar franchises. Halo, of course, is a cybernetically enhanced super soldier, if you will.

And in this next game, which signals the beginning of a new chapter of the series, you land on this mysterious planet and you have your artificial or A.I. companion.

And you're facing off against a new threat and it is still a sci-fi, first-person shooter and of course, along with the lengthy single- player campaign, gamers will love all the multi-player modes that they can play over Xbox Live. That's going to be coming in November for Xbox 360, Halo 4.

HARLOW: All right, so you just mentioned the Xbox 360, hardware has a lot to do with this and it seems like just like smartphones, they're releasing new Wiis, Xbos and Nintendos and all that all the time. What about best hardware award? Where did that go to?

SALTZMAN: Sure, the Nintendo Wii U took home Best Hardware Award from Game Critics Awards at E3. This is the next generation video game console coming out this fall around the holiday season from Nintendo.

It has a very interesting game pad or controller that is much like a tablet so you can use your fingertip on the touch screen as well as press the buttons and move it around. It's got a motion sensor as well so that combined with games that take advantage of that second screen make for a very interesting combination.

You could even in some games, if mom and dad come home they want to watch TV, but the kids want to play games or the other way around then you can play games on the screen itself, on the little controller you've got on your lap while someone watches TV. So it's interesting, coming this fall from Nintendo, the Wii U.

HARLOW: This does not help parents discipline their kids and tell them to stop playing the game because mom and dad need to watch the news. This does not help. Technology is advancing for the children and for you because I know you're passionate about this stuff.

SALTZMAN: That's it.

HARLOW: All right, I appreciate it. Thanks so much for joining us and of course, folks, if you want more high-tech ideas and reviews, you can go to cnn.com/tech.

Thanks a lot, Marc. You can follow Marc on Facebook, on Twitter, LinkedIn, he's all over the place. Thanks for being with us.

A long-distance swimmer is out to break her own world record. An amazing story, she began her swim in Havana, Cuba, and hopes to make it through shark-infested water all of the way through Florida.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: If she makes it, this will be an historic feat. Australian marathon swimmer Penny Palfrey is on her way right now from Havana, Cuba to Florida.

She is swimming 103 miles and would break her own record for an unassisted open water swim, but that open water is infested with sharks and she is doing it without a shark cage to protect her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PENNY PALFREY, ENDURANCE SWIMMER: I had a really good time, and I've never done this one before. I expect it to be very challenging, but I'm very excited about it. So I'm looking forward to it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: What a brave woman. As if the swim itself isn't impressive enough Palfrey is a 49-year-old grandmother.

This week's "CNN Hero" has been a diver for 40 years. When Ken Nedimyer saw the fragile ecosystem of the Florida Keys being threatened, he created the Coral Restoration Foundation. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEN NEDIMYER, DEFENDING THE PLANET: I grew up diving in the Florida Keys. It was the most magical place. The coral reefs were so pretty and I decided that's what I wanted to do for a living is dive on coral reefs.

In an area where there's live coral. There's always more fish. The reefs provide protection for our coastal areas and recreational opportunities for millions of people. I was diving for 40 years over time I saw those coral reefs start to die. Coral reefs worldwide are in decline.

If coral reefs die completely, coastal communities would be bankrupt. Tourism would be virtually gone. The billion people in the world will be impacted.

I started thinking, you know, how can we fix this problem? My name is Ken Nedimyer and I grow, protect and restore coral reefs. We developed a system that's simple and something we can train others to do.

We start with a piece of coral this big and we hang it on a tree. After about a year or two it becomes this big. Then we cut the branches off and we do it again.

BILL GAUSEY, REEF MANAGER: Ken's coral nursery is one of the largest in the water Caribbean. It's 10 times larger than the others that are in existence.

NEDIMYER: In 2003, we plant the six corals here. Now there are over 3,000 growing in this area alone. Before I felt helpless watching it die, now I think there's hope. It's not too late. Everybody can help. I see all those corals and fish. It's like this whole reef is coming back to life. Making a difference is exciting.

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HARLOW: What a cool job he's doing down there. Remember, folks, all of our heroes come from your nominations. So if you have someone you'd like to tell us about do so on our web site, go to cnnheroes.com.

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HARLOW: All right, well, after years of producing animated shows like "Family Guy" and "American Dad" Seth McFarland, we all know that name, is switching gears.

He makes his feature film directing debut this weekend with the comedy "Ted," you know, the one you've seen in the trailers with the teddy bear. It looks kind of weird, kind of funny.

Also if you're looking to stay in this weekend and want to rent a DVD, Academy Award winner "The Artist" best picture is out on DVD.

Let's go through it all with Grae Drake from Fandango and movies.com. First of all, totally digging your pink hair, rock on. Looks great.

GRAE DRAKE, FILM CRITIC, FANDANGO AND MOVIES.COM: Thank you.

HARLOW: OK, let's talk about "Ted" because I keep seeing the trailer. What do you make of it?

DRAKE: Yes. This one is hard to figure out. Imagine that your stuffed animal that you loved as a child came to life, grew old alongside of you and developed a love of hookers and marijuana. OK, there is a lot going on in this movie.

HARLOW: Who writes these things? My goodness.

DRAKE: OK. Precisely the gentleman you mentioned who is also the voice of "Ted" and he brings an incredibly inappropriate humor to the movie that was spectacular. But definitely not for kids in any way, shape, or form.

HARLOW: OK, I want to roll a clip for our viewers quickly.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Laurie, you're home early.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This place is a wreck. Who are these girls?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're hookers so it's fine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What the hell is this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are my manners? This is Angelic, Heavenly, Maureen, I love you girls. Somewhere out there are four terrible --

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HARLOW: OK, so given that, look. It's different. You got to be different these days to stand out. What grade do you give this one?

DRAKE: "Ted" gets an enthusiastic "A" from me.

HARLOW: Wow.

DRAKE: Because I am not a huge fan of "The Family Guy" series because I think it is very mean spirited but, "Ted" has a heart just as soft and squishy as Ted and along the way is wildly inappropriate slightly racist and to me that's what an r rated comedy should be when from a bear. So we're done here an "A."

HARLOW: All right, not for the kids, but an A from Grae. All right, let's move on to "The Artist." I actually haven't seen this yet, but I am excited that it's coming out on DVD.

You know, I think a lot of folks are excited to see this, see the dog in it and of course, the dog the star of this one. What should we look for in the DVD release? Any special features or anything we didn't get in the theatres?

DRAKE: Yes, this DVD is packed with extras. Actually a lot of America didn't see this film even though it was unstoppable during award season.

So when you get the DVD, you can actually see a blooper reel. They do a feature about the locations used in the film. They do Q & As with the artist and then they have tons of other stuff, almost too much to list.

It looks spectacular. This movie was back -- it harkens back to a time when films were classy and they were not about talking bears that use slurs.

HARLOW: I love that we got both of those in. Talking bears that use slurs and classy movies that harkens back to the good days. That's a movie review.

DRAKE: Right, absolutely. You are welcome for that.

HARLOW: Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Just want to let folks know at home that they can get all of your movie grades at fandango and movies.com. Grae, thanks so much. We appreciate it.

All right, we're keeping an eye on the triple digit temperatures across the country and the raging wildfire in Colorado. We'll bring you a live report on both coming up at the top of the hour.

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HARLOW: All right, will the TSA enforce its zero tolerance policy firing eight air marshals for drinking alcohol? Another agent saw them drinking at lunch during training in New York in February and turned them in.

None of them were scheduled to fly that day. A supervisor is among those fired. The TSA is also disciplining six others for failing to report the incident.

Later today in Los Angeles, a public memorial will be held for Rodney King. You'll remember very well the civil rights leader, his family, his friends, and celebrities are expected to attend today.

Just two weeks ago, King was found dead in his swimming pool at the age of 47. A shock. Rodney King became the face of police misconduct after his videotaped beating by L.A. police in 1991.

A New Jersey woman is suing a Little League player after she got hit in the face with a ball. I talked with our legal guys about the case.

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RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: He was 11 years old and to think that he could form the requisite mental intent to throw and intentionally hurt someone and yet hit someone in the face at the distance he was, I mean, the Yankees would have signed this kid up already.

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HARLOW: As always a lively conversation. You can hear the rest of that in our next hour.