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More Bodies Recovered from South Korean Ferry; More Drone Strikes in Yemen; One Year After the Boston Bombing

Aired April 20, 2014 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again, everyone. I'm Fredericka Whitfield.

We're following three big stories this hour. The ferry tragedy in South Korea, another deadly drone strike in Yemen and the search for flight 370.

We begin in South Korea. The death toll rises to 59 in that ferry that sank off the coast of South Korea and we're getting new details about what happened when the ship was in danger. From a radio transcript released a short time ago.

It reveals a dramatic conversation that took place as the ferry sank Wednesday with 475 people on board. We learned that an unidentified crew member talked to two different radio towers that morning. The crew member said passengers aboard the doomed ferry could not board lifeboats because the ship tilted too much too fast and in another part of the transcript, one tower told the crew member that the captain should make the final decision on the passengers' escape.

Most of the people on board were students and teachers on a class trip. I want to bring in CNN's Kyung Lah in Jindo, South Korea. So Kyung, search crews brought back dozens of bodies, it is exceptionally painful for the parents to watch and that really includes even the first responders.

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Everyone is affected and it's impossible not to be when you see these bodies coming back one by one. You hear hundreds of parents, their cries punctuating the air. It has been an extraordinarily difficult process that promises to repeat many times over.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAH (voice-over): The first police boat returns from the search site. Parents waiting. Bracing. They return one by one in identical, plain white bags. Behind the screen, initial inspection. A blanket to cover. And then a short march back to land. Parents rush to the white tents to identify their children.

He must have said, "Daddy, save me," weeps this father. No one is immune to the sound of losing a child. As the families leave the tents, so, too, do the stretchers emptied. Returning to the gurneys that await the next boat. Another group of someone's children. Another march back to the tents.

Thirteen return in this group but more than 200 are still missing. Gurneys on the left side of the dock, divers board ships to the right to continue the search. To bring the rest home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAH: It bears reminding that the death toll stands at 59. There are 200-plus missing. Most of those missing, Fredricka, are high school sophomores. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh, that's devastating. So now what more is being gleaned from the transcripts?

LAH: It really reveals how confusing it was, how confused the ship's crew appeared to be, the rescue mission, first of all. They radioed the wrong port. The traffic center at the wrong port. So they lost about 11 minutes. Then they transferred to the correct traffic service at the correct port.

And then they responded. And you even heard that correct traffic center saying, "it is the captain's decision about evacuation." But by then it appeared to be too late. The ship had already listed too far to one side and it shows us how confusing it was and it shows that there was a delay and it certainly appears to be a lack of control aboard the ship. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So many lives lost as a result. All right. Kyung Lah, thanks so much, in Jindo.

The Red Cross is helping the families waiting for news of their missing loved ones. To contribute to that effort, log on to CNN.com/impact.

For the second day in a row, a deadly air strike hits terror suspects in Yemen. Today, a Yemeni government official says a suspected drone strike killed at least a dozen people including a member of Al Qaeda militants. It happened in southwestern Yemen, right next to the sight of yesterday's drone strike that killed 10 suspected Al Qaeda members.

A source says Saturday's strike was targeting three well-known operatives linked to a terror training camp.

Sunlen Serfaty is following the story for us from Washington today. So Sunlen, what more do we know about the strike?

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, the Yemeni government and official confirms to CNN's Mohamed Jamjoom that four nationals were among the targeted and that it was a joint U.S./Yemeni operation. Now, the strike today took place in the southern province.

Now as you can see here, this just wasn't that far from Saturday's attack. That attack of confirmed drone strike killed at least 10 Al Qaeda militants and three civilians. Now these back to back strikes follows the release of an Al Qaeda training video last week showing a large gathering of Al Qaeda in Yemen. Now so far there's no indication that these strikes had anything to do with that video.

But Fred, sources say this is the general area where the U.S. believes that meeting was held.

WHITFIELD: And then why is this Al Qaeda group of such interest to the United States in particular?

SERFATY: Well, this affiliate of Al Qaeda in Yemen is widely considered to be one of the greatest threats of the United States, often known as the most aggressive. Here's what House Homeland Security committee chairman McCall said today on ABC's "This Week."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MICHAEL MCCALL (R), TEXAS: They're the ones who were involved with bomb-making devices to go undetected on airplanes. They're the ones who create inspire magazine to inspire the Boston bombers. The fact that the administration is going aggressively against these terrorists I think is a very positive sign given the prior narrative that Al Qaeda's on the run and this is all over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: And the U.S. does blame this Al Qaeda affiliate for trying to carry out several attacks on the U.S. Homeland. Fred, the U.S. is the only known country to have conducted drone strikes in Yemen. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Sunlen Serfaty, thanks so much in Washington.

So there has been no official word from the White House on these strikes.

I'm joined now by CNN military analyst Major General "Spider," James "Spider" Marks. All right. So general, while the U.S. is not necessarily acknowledging its involvement, the Yemeni government says it was a joint operation. In your view, is it a given that the U.S. would be involved?

MAJ. GEN. JAMES MARKS, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, it absolutely is. In fact, Yemen is announcing that it is the right step.

WHITFIELD: Why?

MARKS: They're our host. We're in Yemen because they want us to be there. If they wanted the United States gone, the United States would have a discussion and we would be gone. So clearly, in order for the United States to do anything - we have the capability to make these strikes. And in order for us to do that and to launch those either from some other location but to launch them in Yemeni air space and the targets in Yemen, we have to get their permission. So this clearly is a coalition operation.

WHITFIELD: And what does this say to you or does it say to you improved intelligence as it pertains to, you know, watching with this group Al Qaeda in Yemen is or isn't doing? MARKS: Yes, I think it's wonderful that the intelligence community has the ability to do this. We shouldn't be surprised. What we have seen over the course of years is what's known and we are very familiar with it is local radicalization in that Al Qaeda really is more like a theology than a religion. It doesn't need a command and control structure in order to be mobilized and to get things done.

But the problem with that is if when you're locally radicalized, you're off the map. How do you maintain motivation? How do you get others to join your ranks? How do you recruit? How do you stay focused on a target? So in order to do that, you have to come visible periodically. You need to come visible like this training video that we saw just law week. You're suddenly vulnerable. You can penetrate, you get some intelligence. And then you can conduct strikes like we have seen over the course of the last 48 hours.

WHITFIELD: And often these drone strikes are in the fashion of multiple strikes. Do you expect two at this point and more to come?

MARKS: Well, you'd think that would be the case. Clearly, the rule is the - the rule of threes. If you got some good intelligence and it hasn't been compromised, then you would think that there would be some actionable intelligence that we could use again. But the United States will only use these through very restrictive rules of engagement. This is not a (INAUDIBLE). This is very precise, has to go through some very tight wickets, it has to get approvals all the way to the very top.

So it's good intelligence. Only if it's valuable intelligence and it is not fleeting and disappearing. So the United States obviously had some good intelligence to bound it, got the Yemeni government to approve and get on board and we were able to conduct the strikes.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much. General Spider Marks, appreciate your time.

MARKS: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Coming up, how families are coping as the search goes on for Malaysia air Flight 370.

And the Pope calls for peace in his second Easter Sunday message. That story from Rome after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Christians around the world are celebrating Easter Sunday, the day they believe Jesus Christ rose from the dead. In his second Easter message since becoming head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis prayed for an end to conflicts around the world.

CNN's Delia Gallagher has been covering Holy Week for us and has more now from outside the Vatican.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Over 100,000 people joined Pope Francis this morning in St. Peter's Square for Easter mass. Now this is the culmination of a week of activities leading up to today. And the people received a special blessing and message from the Pope called the Urbi at Orbi, to the city and to the world. Which the Pope gives from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, looking out over the square and his message today was go out and be with the needy.

He said leave yourselves behind and go with people who are crushed by life's difficulties. This is something we have seen the Pope himself do. On Thursday he went to a home where there are disabled people and he washed and kissed their feet. On Friday, while he was at the Colloseum for the stations of the cross, he instructed one of his priest to go hand out money to the homeless at the train stations around Rome.

So this is the Pope's message for Easter. In addition, of course, he prayed for peace in countries of conflict around the world. In particular, he mentioned Syria, the Ukraine, he mentioned Venezuela. He mentioned countries in Africa which are suffering from disease and poverty and a special prayer for peaceful negotiations between Israel and Palestine.

Today marks the end of Easter celebrations but the celebrations will continue next week on Sunday at the Vatican for the canonizations of John Paul II and John XXIII.

Delia Gallagher, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: The Pope's Easter message is to help the needy and this week's CNN hero has been doing that for years. He's a chef who fills not only bellies but hearts as well. Anderson Cooper has his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please join me in honoring CNN Bruno Sorato.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Bruno Sorato was honored as a CNN hero in 2011, he was serving pasta to nearly 200 low- income children a day in Anaheim, California.

BRUNO SORATO, CHEF: The pasta is ready.

COOPER: Since being awarded, Bruno's program has grown significantly.

SORATO: Hi, kids! Who likes my pasta?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Me!

SORATO: Now, we are 1,000 kids a day. Every single day. Monday through Friday.

COOPER: Reaching kids in three more cities in Orange County. SORATO: Each time I prepare a meal, each time I serve a kid I know I give security to a little kid when he had a full stomach before going to bed. You like my pasta?

COOPER: But Bruno does more than just filling their stomachs.

SORATO: I requested one item, to share the table together. Learning emotionally as a family of kids together eating pasta together.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Delicious.

SORATO: (INAUDIBLE).

COOPER: Bruno's group has also gone beyond food. He has helped moved 55 homeless families out of motels and into their own apartments.

SORATO: What do you think?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love it.

SORATO: You see the light completely change their life completely.

COOPER: With no plans to slow down, Bruno's meal program will be in its fifth city this summer.

SORATO: My goal is to be all over the nation. How can I stop when children are starving? The day the children are not starving I will stop.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pasta!

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. It's been a little more than a year since the Boston Marathon bombings. Well, this year's race is tomorrow with bigger crowds than ever before and more security. We're going live to Boston for a look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Just over a year ago the city of Boston was in a state of shock after the bombings that ripped through the finish line at the marathon. Three people died and hundreds more were injured but tomorrow the race is back stronger than ever and more runners and probably the biggest crowds ever.

CNN's Brooke Baldwin is in Boston. Brooke, give us an idea what kind of security precautions are being taken this year.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know that police presence will be doubled all along the race route, Fred. Absolutely, no bags, no backpacks, no rough sack. So security will be incredibly intense and for good reason.

But let's set the scene for you. We have a live picture. I'm standing in Boston Common and I just to show you it's absolutely a gorgeous Sunday here. These are live pictures from the Boston Public Garden. A lot of people out today walking around. We have some pictures we shot just a little while ago on Boylston Street, at the finish line. Because it is really celebratory. The mood here, people down there walking around.

You can see some of the orange jackets and some of the turquoise and blue jackets. Really these jackets, these Boston marathon, they're a badge of pride, a badge of honor and especially for those folks who ran last year and many of whom either were injured or couldn't finish and so there will be 36,000 strong runners tomorrow.

And for people like David Fortier who ran this race last year who crossed the finish line, who was injured, who was there looked to his left and saw that first blast, he has lost some hearing. He lost part of his foot. But he is back this year for Boston marathon number two. He is born and raised in the Boston area and he is just talking about why he's here on behalf of his friend who's battling leukemia, on behalf of the Dana Favrer Cancer Institute, in behalf of the 415 Strong Running Group and this is why he's back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID FORTIER, BOSTON MARATHON RUNNER: I feel like I've got this incredible energy behind me, pushing me this year. And I know the crowd's are going to be crazy. So I'm actually really excited about this marathon as opposed to last year where I was pretty scared to be taking on something like this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: I just wanted to show you one more picture because, of course, on this Easter Sunday, many of the runners, as per tradition, are blessed on Boylston Street. There's a church right around where those explosions went off last year and you can see the crowds waiting in line, the marathon runners to be blessed here.

This is old Celt church and again, Fred, we will be here of course tomorrow from the beginning. The race starts around 10:00 in the morning in (INAUDIBLE) Massachusetts and then continues all the way. Those 26.2 miles here, of course, to Boston and will be here through the whole thing so make sure you tune in tomorrow live.

WHITFIELD: All right. A particularly courageous run tomorrow. Brooke Baldwin, thanks so much. And of course, you got to wonder what it's going to be like for so many of these runners to cross that finish line again especially one year later.

All right. Boston's recovery from last year's marathon bombing is a story of overcoming obstacles and moving past tragedy. Straight ahead, the inspiring story of a man with cerebral palsy who is doing the race for the 32nd time with big help coming from dad.

But first, this summer, the CNN Fit Nation triathlon challenge culminates in the big race in Malibu, California. And CNN chief medal correspondent Sanjay Gupta is busy training to get ready. But he still found time to chat with "Biggest Loser" trainer Bob Harper who has a new book out "Skinny Meals, Everything You Need to Lose Weight Fast."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): You know, there's something about you that a lot of people don't know, I think. You grew up on a cattle farm in Nashville.

BOB HARPER, "BIGGEST LOSER" TRAINER: That's right.

GUPTA: But still I know you're on board with this next, this rule which we both say maybe go meatless at least one day a week. Meatless Mondays, for example, is something that has become popular because habits are easier to change and stick to earlier in the week. How much of an impact do you think that makes for people?

HARPER: I say - I preface this by saying I'm a meat eater and I get my - most of my protein from lean animal protein. I like people to go meatless, especially people that aren't used to eating a lot of vegetables, not familiar with a lot of vegetables, how to prepare them.

So it's like if I have you going meatless one day, it causes you explore a set of foods that you probably aren't used to. And that's why in my book "The Skinny Meals" I have so many vegetable options so you're not just having steamed broccoli because who wants the eat that all the time? I think it's important to get people to get more familiar with eating vegetables and know that vegetables just aren't French fries and corn.

GUPTA: Right. Which does seem to be the norm in a lot of places around the country.

HARPER: Unfortunately.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back to the "Newsroom." I'm Fredricka Whitfield. New details about the sinking of that ferry off the coast of South Korea. According to a radio transcript, a crew member says passengers aboard the ferry could not board lifeboats because the vessel had tilted too much too fast.

Our Paula Hancocks has more.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, officials have released more transcript of the radio communication between the sunken ferry and two radio towers. Now, according to these transcripts the initial distress signal went out at 8:55 a.m. on Wednesday. And just one minute later, at 8:56 an unidentified crew member of the "Sewol" said "the ship rolled over a lot right now. Cannot move."

The communication last until 9:38 a.m., so 43 minutes after the initial distress signal and that is when communication was lost. But, from these transcripts, we can see that the crew members said on a number of occasions: The ship is listing too much. We cannot move.

Now, this appears to show just how quickly the ship listed and how quickly it sunk. And there have been many questions as to why more passengers had not been put on to the life rafts and the rescue boats that were on this ship. Also, the questions are still being asked as to why the initial order given to passengers was to stay put on this sinking ship.

Meanwhile, there were bodies retrieved, more than a dozen bodies retrieved from the ship this Sunday. They were brought to shore here at Jindo Harbor and laid out in tents, where the desperate families had to walk through and see if they could identify their child or their loved ones, a very heartbreaking scene.

And given the number of missing passengers still, it is a scene that is likely to be played out in coming days as well. Now, there are still hopes of finding survivors, search and rescue officials saying they're working under the assumption there will be survivors, but clearly hope is fading -- back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Paula Hancocks, thanks so much.

The underwater robot searching for Flight 370 has now started its eighth mission. The Bluefin-21 has been scanning the seafloor of the Southern Indian Ocean for signs of the plane, but it's found nothing to far. As many as 11 aircraft and 12 ships are also part of today's search.

And as the search for Flight 370 drags on, so does the frustration for families of the plane's passengers. They submitted a list of 26 questions they want Malaysian authorities to answer, but, as Sumnima Udas reports, a briefing that followed left them even more frustrated.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They have been waiting for weeks, hoping, praying for good news. Families of passengers and crew members on board MH370 arrive for a closed-door briefing with Malaysia Airlines and government officials, some anxious, others visibly distraught, escorted by caretakers.

Two Chinese women can barely hold themselves. But, after the briefing, even more frustration.

(on camera): The briefing with families of MH370 ended just a little while ago. We have seen them walk out, many unsatisfied. They say they asked numerous questions, but most remain unanswered.

(voice-over): Questions on why the flight path is still unclear, how authorities can say the plane ended in the Indian Ocean when there's no evidence. HAMZAH ZAINUDIN, MALAYSIAN DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: I can completely understand their need to find answers. However, as I see it, in the briefing just now, we are looking for answers ourselves.

UDAS: Hamid Ramlan took this photo of his newlywed daughter and son-in-law just before they boarded MH370. They were on their way to Beijing for their honeymoon. It was their first trip outside of Malaysia.

HAMID RAMLAN, FATHER OF MISSING PASSENGER: I am belief that the government didn't decide something or hide any information from us. They're telling you the truth. But then mostly the members, the families do not want to believe.

UDAS: His wife is one of them.

RAMLAN: My wife cannot accept it. She still believe that they have been hijacked, and she believe that my daughter is still alive.

UDAS: It's a common sentiment here. The families have been asked by Malaysian authorities to provide details on what kind of financial assistance they may require and what can be done to help them move on.

But for those who believe their loved ones are still alive, this is not what they came to hear.

Sumnima Udas, CNN, Kuala Lumpur.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So, what else can and should be done for these families? Our panel weighs in next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Families of Flight 370 passengers want answers, but they say they aren't getting them.

I want to bring in our panel to talk more about this.

Joining me is CNN law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes. CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo is a former inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Rob McCallum is an ocean search specialist and a vice president at Williamson and Associates.

All right. Good to see all of you.

Mary, to you first. Should investigators be releasing some of the information being demanded from these family members, things like logbooks and maintenance records, to appease them?

MARY SCHIAVO, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Yes, they should.

And it is not just to appease them. As long as it isn't directly in conflict with the criminal investigation -- remember, Malaysia says they have a criminal investigation, as well as a civil investigation -- they should be regularly releasing information to the families and briefing them. That is in accordance with ICAO standards, which is what our own National Transportation Safety Board follows.

They do keep the families apprised and briefed of all non- criminal sensitive information that they can.

WHITFIELD: And, Tom, do you agree with that, that there is some information that usually is usually specific to an investigation, but in this case family members should be privy to it?

TOM FUENTES, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: No. I agree with Mary on that.

The problem, though, is that Malaysia has their own thoughts about what's allowed to be released or what, you know, they choose to hold. I mean, it is much stricter of an environment than what we would have in the United States or other countries in terms of releasing information to the public or to the families specifically.

So, I think that's the difference here, is, it is their interpretation of what they think needs to be withheld, and everybody's frustrated by that.

WHITFIELD: So, Rob, do you think it would offer more clarity or confusion?

ROB MCCALLUM, CNN ANALYST: It could do either.

You know, it could certainly aid confusion if the information is just disseminated as is. What's key to this is that it's explained to the families what the information means, because a lot of it is very, very technical in nature.

And if people go off sort of with half the information, it is going to not get them to a better place. But information is key. Without the information, this frustration is just going to continue and fester away.

WHITFIELD: And then, Mary, you have to wonder, is it OK to talk about financial assistance or compensation at this point, especially when there is no recovery of wreckage, and these family members are still, many of whom are holding out hope that their family members are alive somewhere?

SCHIAVO: Well, and I think the problem is also that they just weren't given a no-strings-attached sufficient assistance.

In the United States, it's pretty typical -- and other places, too. It's pretty typical where someone has been lost on an aircraft flight that you just make a flat-out initial payment of $25,000 to help them through the rough times and that's supposed to be no strings attached.

Now, ordinarily, they do subtract it from later recovery, but then that gets through the initial period, where they don't have to talk about money. But here, since it's been a smaller amount, $5,000, and now the airline has issued I think just yesterday death certificates, I think Malaysia has issued for the passengers, that does open the door to discussions of financial settlement for those who choose to. So the timing is, sadly, appropriate to do that.

WHITFIELD: And, Tom, as these death certificates are handed out, doesn't that send a message to these family members or does it a message to these family members that the search is near its end?

FUENTES: Well, it does in a way.

But I don't think necessarily the search, but it does indicate finality, that the Malaysian authorities believe the plane is lost and the passengers are no longer alive. But they said that weeks ago. It is after they said it initially that they made other conflicting statements that kind of kept hope alive, if you will, for many of the families.

And that's created much of the problem and frustration is the mixed messages that, one minute, you know, we are certain that they're gone and then the next minute, well, maybe there's hope.

WHITFIELD: All right. Tom, Rob, Mary, thanks to all of you. Appreciate it.

FUENTES: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM, we're going to shift gears pretty drastically. Our own Anthony Bourdain living large in Vegas, but is he winning? And our winning interview with Mr. Las Vegas himself, there he is, Mr. Wayne Newton. He's joining us next live to tell us about his Vegas.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Luck be a lady on the Las Vegas Strip. It is where high rollers and those with high hopes try to strike it rich or richer.

It's also home to some of the most spectacular restaurants in the country.

And Anthony Bourdain is living large in Las Vegas. Tonight at 9:00 Eastern on "PARTS UNKNOWN," Bourdain takes a bite out of some of the hidden luxuries on the Strip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, "PARTS UNKNOWN": The Habien (ph) villa at Caesars Palace, a little pad they give you if your credit line runs into eight figures. How did I get it? I told the casino that Wolf Blitzer was coming, that he was expected any minute. I suggested that Wolf might be hungry. Fortunately, he doesn't watch a lot of television. I plan to live large until they figure out that Wolf isn't coming. I will deal with the fallout later, but for now, we live. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gentlemen, this dish, everything is in layers. You're going to find a caviar vinaigrette, and topped with French green beans with caviar, finishing the dish.

BOURDAIN: Beautiful. Look at that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is rare that I say it is too beautiful to eat.

BOURDAIN: I was just thinking that. Speaking of fantastically luxurious.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a specialty.

BOURDAIN: Man, that's truffle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is a combination of if he is and the, duck, cabbage. Please enjoy it.

BOURDAIN: Look at this. That is beautiful. Feel guilty eating this well?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do.

BOURDAIN: I'm feeling guilty now, but it will pass.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: I don't blame you.

All right. Well, no one knows Sin City better than Mr. Las Vegas himself, Wayne Newton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wow, the one and only.

And here he is live.

You're bopping to your own beat there. How is that, seeing that video of you as a wee one?

WAYNE NEWTON, SINGER: Well, it's interesting to look at. I keep wondering who that kid is.

And thank God we had the same color hair still today.

WHITFIELD: Oh, what -- you are incredible. And happy birthday, because, what, you turn 72 this month?

NEWTON: Now, Fredricka, I must tell you that I actually turned 50, because a man is only as old as the woman he feels.

WHITFIELD: Oh, well, hey, I'm with you on that one. I like it.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: Well, you know what? You know Vegas like no one else. You have been there since, is that right, 1959. You were just a junior when you were recruited to start performing there? You were just 15.

NEWTON: That's a fact. That's a fact. We did six shows a night six night a week for five years.

WHITFIELD: Oh, wow. Oh, my gosh. And how did they get around those labor laws? That doesn't seem like that was really permitted.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

NEWTON: Well, they had to get a special permit. They had to get a special permit from the state that said that I could appear in the casino that I was working in.

WHITFIELD: Oh.

NEWTON: But I could not be in the casino that I was working in.

WHITFIELD: Oh. So, how did you get around that?

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: Was there a little sneaking in the back door type of thing?

NEWTON: Actually, between shows -- we would do 40 minutes on, 20 minutes off, so I would have to go to the dressing room or the restaurant or out on the street and see what's going on.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Well, you know, what an incredible career you have had and continue to have, 165 albums. You are a real fixture in Las Vegas.

But if I were to make plans to come to Las Vegas, of course, I would be looking you up. But how does Wayne Newton enjoy Las Vegas? We see how Anthony Bourdain is doing it. But how does Mr. Las Vegas himself do Vegas?

NEWTON: I think, Fredricka, that it is very interesting to note that 80 percent of the people who come to Las Vegas come to do other things than gamble.

They come to see shows. They come to restaurants. They come for shopping. And we truly have Lake Mead in one direction 20 minutes, which is the largest manmade lake in the Western Hemisphere. Then we have Mt. Charleston 20 minutes the other direction. You can snow ski in the winter.

So there's just a plethora of things to do other than, you know, the accepted version.

WHITFIELD: Oh, wow -- than the usual strip and spending or making money.

So, Lake Mead, that apparently is one of your favorite spots that you were talking about. Do you get the boat out? Do people recognize you? Do you go in disguise so people don't recognize you?

NEWTON: Well, I go in the back doors, and I have security to meet me, and they take me in the back doors of the restaurant if we're having a dinner.

But generally speaking, I go to the lake, and I raise Arabian horses and I do helicopter flights.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh. Of course you do.

NEWTON: And a lot of other things that people really don't know about.

WHITFIELD: Yes, of course you do. You probably have a pad, a helicopter pad that you're allowed to descend on every now and then on top of some of those great buildings on the Strip.

So, I understand, as you talk about food, sushi is among your favorites. And we see an Anthony Bourdain, he's got to have these personal chefs right there at the Caesars Palace for him. Do you have a favorite sushi place that you're able to share there in Vegas or...

(CROSSTALK)

NEWTON: As a matter of fact, I do.

It's a place called Osaka. And it's on the outside of the Strip about maybe 10 minutes, 15 minutes. But we go there quite often. And then there are a few other places that we frequent also. But, by and large, that's about it. We eat a lot at home.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Well, you are going to have to watch Anthony Bourdain this evening to see if he is introducing you to any parts of Vegas or the Vegas experience that you don't already know about.

NEWTON: That would be wonderful, and I would welcome it.

WHITFIELD: Oh, fantastic.

Well, Wayne Newton, what a pleasure talking to with you, Mr. Las Vegas himself. Thanks so much. And I'm sorry. I'm going to look you up when next in Vegas.

NEWTON: I'm going to hold you to it. And happy Easter to you. OK?

WHITFIELD: Happy Easter to you, too. Thanks so much.

NEWTON: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And, of course, just a reminder, 9:00 tonight, you want to find out just how Anthony Bourdain enjoys Vegas in "PARTS UNKNOWN" 9:00 Eastern time.

All right, and Boston strong. One year later, thousands are inspired to run the marathon again, but, next, a particularly inspiring story, a man with cerebral palsy taking on the race for the 32nd time with dad.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Runners are gearing up for tomorrow's Boston Marathon, one year after a tragedy hit that city. And one of them faces a very special traffic.

Rick Hoyt has cerebral palsy,and he plans to complete the race once again, with his father's help.

Here's CNN's Jason Carroll.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DICK HOYT, FATHER OF RICK HOYT: I feel like I'm out there loaning him my arms and his leg so he can compete just like everybody else.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Step by step, for more than three decades, Dick Hoyt and his son Rick have been on a journey of sorts.

D. HOYT: There isn't anything you can't do as long as you make up your mind to do it, and there's no such word as no in the Hoyt vocabulary.

CARROLL: Shortly after Rick Hoyt was born, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Unable to control his body or speak, doctors recommended he be institutionalized, but his father knew better. All he had to do was look in Rick's eyes.

D. HOYT: Mentally, he is so bright. I wished I was as smart as him. He inspires me. He always has, because the easiest thing for him in the world is to give up.

CARROLL: The Hoyts got Rick a special computer to help him communicate and enrolled him in school. While in middle school, he decided he wanted to enter a charity race to support a paralyzed athlete, and he wanted his father to do it with him.

D. HOYT: Well, at the time, I was 40 years old. I was not a runner, and it's -- all we had was a Mulholland wheelchair similar to the one he's sitting in now.

CARROLL: But that didn't stop either of them, this picture snapped just as they crossed the finish line in 1977.

D. HOYT: Rick, and he had the biggest smile you ever saw in your life. And when we get home that night, he wrote on his computer, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like my disability disappears."

CARROLL: Since then, Rick went on to graduate from Boston University, and their journey has taken them on more than 1,000 races, including 257 triathlons. Through it all, their favorite race is and has always been the Boston Marathon.

Last year's race is one they will never forget.

D. HOYT: We didn't know anything was going on. We got to the 23-mile marker, and I noticed a lot more police activity than usually on the course. So, I stopped the police officer. Who would ever thought that somebody would do something like this?

CARROLL: Their dedication to the marathon inspiring a city and a country.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In the words of Dick Hoyt, who's pushed his disabled son, Rick, in 31 Boston Marathons, we can't let something like this stop us.

(APPLAUSE)

CARROLL: Yes, the Hoyts have run the marathon 31 times, but 32 on Monday will be their last together. Hoyt is now 73 years old, and while his heart is in the race, his back just can't take it.

D. HOYT: Well, it's going to be -- you know, it's going to be a sad day.

CARROLL (on camera): How are you feeling now, Rick, now that you will not be running in the Boston Marathon after this year?

RICK HOYT, RUNNING IN BOSTON MARATHON (through computer voice): I feel a little sad that dad and I are not continuing together in the Boston Marathon.

CARROLL (voice-over): They will keep running smaller races and doing something else they enjoy, sharing their story with others.

D. HOYT: We have been able to break down a lot of barriers along the way.

R. HOYT (through computer voice): After hearing my speech, my hope is that it will change their attitudes towards people who have a disability.

CARROLL: Their story has touched so many, Boston Marathon officials dedicated a statue in their honor.

D. HOYT: You know, 52 years ago, when Rick was born, they said, put him away. Put him in an institution. It's unbelievable. You know, who ever would have thought? I really think it's helped us to -- to bond ourselves together. We are not heroes. A lot of people say, you are heroes, but we're not heroes. Heroes are people that go out and risk their life to save someone's life.

CARROLL: Both of you are heroes. You changed a lot of lives.

D. HOYT: Thank you.

CARROLL: We'll keep watching you every step of the way.

For "UNGUARDED," Jason Carroll, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: So many of us learned about the Hoyts' story and their journey, for those of us outside of Boston in the ironman in Hawaii and they have kept going strong all this time. We'll be rooting for them tomorrow, as well, in the Boston marathon.

This does it for me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The next hour in the CNN NEWSROOM begins now with Jim Sciutto in New York.