Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Sunday Morning

Poland Observes Moment of Silence for Crash Victims

Aired April 11, 2010 - 06:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, hello there, everybody. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Six a.m. where we sit here in Atlanta. I'm T.J. Holmes.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Brianna Keilar. Thanks for starting your day with us.

A moment of silence happening right now in Poland to honor Polish President Lech Kaczynski and all of those who died in a plane crash yesterday. We will be having the latest here in just a moment.

HOLMES: Also, we have been watching, for the past several hours, a little walk, taking a little stroll in space. This is from NASA TV. They're doing some - some work up there, some of the shuttle Discovery astronauts. We will let you know exactly what they're doing and we'll check in live with them, and we'll monitor their progress throughout the morning.

But we do want to tell you about some stories we were keeping an eye on overnight.

Seven people have been shot at a festival - a music festival in the French Quarter in New Orleans. This happened on Canal Street. Police say two gunmen are now out on the loose.

Police say seven people were shot, but one was the intended target, a 17-year-old who was shot in the chest, but we're told now is in stable condition.

KEILAR: Deadly anti-government protests are going on in Thailand. At least 20 people have been killed in weekend clashes between the protesters and government forces. More than 825 people have been injured.

The protests, known as Red Shirts, want parliament dissolved and new elections called.

HOLMES: And they are remembering the West Virginia miners. Yesterday, friends and family said goodbye to some of the 29 miners killed in Monday's explosion. And we saw two funerals yesterday and a number of more to come over the next week. Officials still not sure exactly what caused that mining accident.

Well, a ceremony honoring the late president of Poland is going on right now in Smolensk, Russia. President Lech Kaczynski - he was among the 97 people killed in a plane crash that happened in western Russia in the town of Smolensk.

KEILAR: The Polish people are pausing for two minutes of silence as well. Poland's first lady and several other government and military leaders died in that crash, and CNN's Nic Robertson is in Smolensk. He has more on the crash investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm about half a mile from the runway here. It's in this direction, through the trees here, and look down here. Debris twisted and torn apart; fuselage from the two-block (ph) 154.

And up here, across the road, take a look, is the direction the plane was coming in. Over this way, coming in across this road here. And this is where it begins to hit the tops of the trees again. And if you look down this bank here, you begin to see all these bits of broken wood from the trees, where the plane is beginning to hit as it's coming down.

Here's another bit of torn fuselage on the ground. And already, some flowers being laid here. And if you look over here, larger bits of aircraft lying around in the field. And already, people, reporters picking through it. You can see through the streets here, police as well trying to secure the site and the large tailfin of the aircraft.

But again, just follow me up here, and you can begin to see just the scale and the force with which the plane hit the trees. And of course, not only the Polish president on board this aircraft, but some of Poland's most influential figures were onboard the plane. The first lady, Mary Kaczynski, was traveling with her husband; the head of the Polish army chief of staff was onboard, as was the national-security office; the deputy foreign minister; and the deputy parliament speaker died in the crash as well, along with the president of the - of Poland's First National Bank.

Also on board were lawmakers, presidential aides and several historians.

But this is the size of some of the debris here, and this seems to be a part from the wing. You can see that the force of the crash has just broken it away, sheared away form these large mounds (ph). And you can see as well, the tree here, just large boughs of tree ripped apart. And looking up at the top, you can really see how the plane cut into them.

And what the investigators are going to focus on are the black- box recorders. They say they're still looking at the possibility of human error, the possibility of bad weather - of course, it's clear visibility now. But when the crash happened 24 hours ago, it was thick fog. And also saying there's the possibility that it could have been mechanical error. So they're not ruling any of those things right now.

The bodies have been removed from the site here, most of them already taken to Moscow for identification. Prime Minister - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said the priority is to find out what happened in the accident. But he is going to give full support and help to any of the Polish families who want to come here, who lost loved ones on this crash. Visas will be expedited.

But this is essentially the field of investigation right now. And as I look across it, I can see one or two soldiers, and I've seen one or two policemen securing the site, although obviously, pieces like this aren't secured. But there doesn't seem to be a lot of forensic examination, at least in this area, going on, which really gives you an indication, they're looking at the black box; they're looking and re-examining what the air-traffic controllers talked about, the warnings that they give the aircraft, that it was too low, moving too wide.

But clearly, at this point, we're standing out here where the plane came down, half a mile short of the runway, which is down through the trees there.

Nic Robertson, CNN, outside Smolensk Airfield, Russia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, every since word of the crash hit Poland, people have flocked to the presidential palace in Warsaw. They have left thousands of flowers and candles on the sidewalk there. Tomorrow begins a week of official state mourning for the crash victims. Many people in Poland say they were in absolute shock at yesterday's news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I can tell you what I'm feeling: Just shock.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I think that this is place that all Poles should be today, not just for the president, but his wife, and many other important people who have died.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I don't think there will be a better president than Mr. Kaczynski.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, there are some 10 million Americans of Polish descent, some of them expressing their grief as well.

KEILAR: CNN's Sandra Endo tells us the Polish Embassy in Washington has opened its doors for mourners to sign a book of condolences.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here outside the Polish Embassy, we've seen a steady stream of people come to pay their respects, leaving candles, notes, flowers, all in memory of their late president and the victims of that tragic crash.

The Embassy has also opened its doors to the public this week to make sure that people can come and pay their respects.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I came out because my family is from Poland. My grandfather fought in World War II, and during the war, they had to leave Poland. I've been to Poland, studying there. And I came out just because - to pay respects, just - it's a tragedy what happened.

ENDO: Here, inside the Embassy, a very somber mood. People are waiting in line, waiting to express their grief and sorrow by writing messages in a condolence book. And this is just the first day of a week of mourning.

Sandra Endo, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: And stay with us all morning. We'll keeping you - we'll be bringing you coverage of the deadly plane crash. And in about 15 minutes, Josh Levs will take a look at some of the emotional i-Reports that have been filed from people around the world, mourning those lost in this tragic crash.

HOLMES: And we know you're just getting your day started here on Sunday morning, some of you, maybe on the West Coast, just going to bed. Some of you thought, on the East Coast, just getting up, getting your day started.

A lot of people grab that coffee to get - to kind of kick-start it in the morning. A lot of people don't do anything before they have that coffee. You got to have it. Well, how much would you pay for it?

We'll tell you about one pricey trip to the coffee shop. Our Reynolds Wolf - I can't remember - Reynolds, you a coffee guy?

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh, are you kidding me?

HOLMES: OK.

WOLF: Absolutely. I mean, I've got Sanka running through my blood veins (INAUDIBLE).

HOLMES: How much do you pay for that stuff? How much are you willing to pay for it?

WOLF: You know, there's not - for a cup of coffee, there's just not enough money. I don't know, maybe firstborn child? That kind of thing? I don't know. On a morning like this, it sure seems that way.

(LAUGHTER)

WOLF: Hey guys, something that's going to wake you up today is going to be the strong wind that we're going to be having in California, possibly some heavy snowfall, too. Some places up to one to two feet in the high Sierra Nevada. We're going to talk about that, plus we're going to talk about the beautiful weather you can expect today in parts of Georgia, namely August for the National. And also, at the same time, it's going to be an interesting day in Dallas for an implosion. That picture-perfect weather coming up in just a few moments.

You're watching CNN SUNDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC, KATY PERRY, "WAKING UP IN VEGAS")

HOLMES: I've never seen people drinking coffee in Vegas. It's always Red Bull.

(LAUGHTER)

KEILAR: Yes.

HOLMES: Or something else.

KEILAR: Yes, a little something with the Red Bull maybe.

HOLMES: Yes.

You're a coffee gal. I didn't realize.

KEILAR: When I'm tired - I love the tea, but when I am tired, that coffee just makes me human.

HOLMES: So I guess you are halfway to being human...

KEILAR: Yes. Mm-hmm.

HOLMES: ...because you have a cup of coffee this morning. Even though I use a coffee mug, there's only water...

KEILAR: Yes.

HOLMES: ...in here. So I'm not a big drinker of this stuff.

KEILAR: That's kind of lame. That's kind of lame.

HOLMES: So it helps me understand what people go through with this coffee. And how much would you pay for it, exactly? How much would you, Brianna, pay for a cup of coffee?

KEILAR: I don't know the difference between good and bad coffee.

HOLMES: Good coffee (INAUDIBLE)

KEILAR: I just know it has caffeine in it. So I'm not going to pay that much.

HOLMES: Right.

KEILAR: But, you know, some coffee connoisseurs in Baltimore, they are shelling out $13 a cup, if you can believe that. A CNN.com article says pricing is all about the bean. That $13 cup of java - it's made from beans that are grown in El Salvador. The coffee is described as tasting fruity, juicy, full-bodied.

HOLMES: Fruity coffee?

KEILAR: These are connoisseurs. I mean, these are the people that know...

HOLMES: OK.

KEILAR: ...good coffee. The world's most expensive coffee. It comes from a bean that - it - it - stay with me here, OK?

HOLMES: OK, I sure will.

KEILAR: It is eaten and excreted by a rodent-like creature. A cup of that...

HOLMES: What?

KEILAR: ...fifty bucks. Yes.

HOLMES: What's rodent-like? Aren't you a rodent or not a rodent?

KEILAR: I don't even know. Or - I hope we find out. But if you're like, you still don't get it, you can go to CNN.com/living to find out how this pricey brew tastes to the discerning palette. You can also take a coffee quiz there.

WOLF: I'm trying to wrap my mind around this. You said, again, the most expensive cup of coffee comes from a coffee bean that is excreted from...

KEILAR: Yes.

WOLF: ...excreted from an animal?

KEILAR: Yes.

WOLF: OK, that - I guess that's recycling at its best.

(LAUGHTER)

WOLF: But I mean, come on. I mean, wouldn't you rather have coffee that's fresh and, you know, unused, so to speak? I mean, just throwing that out there.

HOLMES: You would think.

OK, we're going to find out this rodent here in a second, Reynolds.

WOLF: Please do so.

HOLMES: I know. (WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: Bring it back up. We - we found - we found the rodent.

KEILAR: We found it. It is right - oh wait, there it is.

HOLMES: We found this rodent that people ...

WOLF: That is a - oh.

KEILAR: It's like a cross between a sock puppet...

(LAUGHTER)

HOLMES: And a what?

KEILAR: And a raccoon?

HOLMES: But this is the thing that eats the fine coffee bean, and excretes the coffee bean. And people pay $50 a cup for this stuff that this thing poops out.

KEILAR: It's kind of cute.

WOLF: But what - what is it called again? What is it - what is this animal called?

HOLMES: It's called the palm civet.

KEILAR: A palm civet.

WOLF: Where I'm from in Alabama, we refer to that as dinner. That's exactly what that thing would be, especially if it had been munching on my coffee. But that's the story. Good times, guys.

HOLMES: All right. Reynolds, we appreciate you.

WOLF: You bet.

HOLMES: Let's show it again. There you go. You find coffee connoisseurs out there in the world.

We got a lot of stories we're keeping an eye on today. We'll talk more about coffee, I'm sure, a little later. We'll talk about the - the Masters happening today as well. Tiger has a chance to win it, but a - a lot of things people are keeping an eye on happening over in Poland right now. People around the world sending their condolences to the victims of that Polish plane crash.

KEILAR: Josh Levs is taking a look at some of the i-Reports that we have received so far.

And Josh, there's a lot of interest here.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: There is, yes. We're hearing from dozens of countries. Really, people all over the world, today, especially, are getting a sense of just what this loss means to the people of Poland and to people all over the world.

We are about to show you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Shock and grief for millions today as the nation of Poland and many others around the world grieve the loss of the president and others in a plane crash.

HOLMES: Yes, CNN i-Reporters at the scene of events around the world.

Josh Levs looking into those for us. Good morning to you, Josh.

LEVS: Good morning to you guys.

Yes, I'm going to start off with something that our i-Report team has put together. There is a woman who spoke with CNN who is an i- Reporter who is inside Poland who is talking about just what a difficult loss this is and why it's so significant.

So our team put her - her interview together with some of the really powerful photos we're getting from Poland, especially Warsaw.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALGOSIA MINTA, CNN IREPORTER: Oh my God, it's - it's the president. It's the first lady. It's - I don't know, the whole bosses of - of the Polish army. Some really good politicians. And it was just, you know - I couldn't believe it.

We all lit the candles. (INAUDIBLE) next to the - next to the palace, and on the pavement. There was a really huge spot of flags (ph) and - and then we were just strolling (ph) from the president's palace to the Pulizinski (ph) Square. People were just going, like - like - like a river. The people were going to the (INAUDIBLE). More and more people.

There were just people going, and then (ph) lighting the candles. And I think now there must be tens of thousands of those candles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEVS: And in fact, there are tens of thousands there, and there are tends of thousands more all over the world.

Let me quickly show you that i-Report and how you can send in your photos as well, and we'll look at some more of what we're getting around the world.

This is it right here, CNN i-Report. You can go to ireport.com; this is going to bring you there. And at any given time, you can click here to see some of the latest i-Reports that we're getting. And these are just some of the ones that have been coming in from different parts of the world. Here we're looking at - I believe this one is inside Berlin. This is set up in Berlin. And you're seeing some of the flowers that people are leaving here.

We are getting more and more photos, and some of them are ending up right here on the main page of CNN.com, as we follow the stories, the observances all over the world.

We certainly encourage you to send in your photos, your videos, your stories, or just your thoughts, your condolences to the people who are - are struggling right now in the wake of this disaster.

So Brianna and T.J., we will be keeping an eye on all these interactives throughout the morning for you. We'll bring you more next hour.

KEILAR: All right. Thank you, Josh.

HOLMES: Josh, we appreciate you.

And to our viewers, we just keeping an eye on - we're talking about the economy here. I was going to - Deidre (ph), actually show the Router 60 (ph). I'll talk about this economy story here in just a second.

But this live picture outside the palace and - the presidential palace Warsaw. We saw this - saw this all day, continued to grow and grow and grow. And you see on the ground there, really on the right of the screen, just - that's nothing but flowers and candles and messages people have been leaving. And people have been gathering outside the palace since we got word of this accident, almost about 24 hours now.

The flag, Poland, especially at the palace there, but all over Poland, actually flying at half staff to honor now the late president, whose body is now about to be flown back to Warsaw. The plane expected to take off from Smolensk, Russia, where the crash happened yesterday. But a ceremony just happened there - is just wrapping up there. His body going to be put on a plane and flown back to Warsaw here shortly and is going to land back in his home country here in the next several hours.

Be keeping an eye on this and all over developing stories this morning on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, check this out, this is a tradition, really, near James Madison University - a traditional party, but the party's not supposed to involve tear gas and whatnot and riot police, as you see there.

This is an annual party - this is near the campus of James Madison University in Virginia. Usually, about 2,000 people show up to this block party. Whatever reason this year, the crowd got up to about 8,000. Police tried to break this thing up, tried to break up fights. Some people at the party started throwing rocks and bottles. Police had to use tear gas at one point to try to disperse the crowds.

KEILAR: More on a story that we've been following all weekend. A Tennessee family that's been heavily criticized for returning a child they adopted from Russia - well, they tell CNN they were lied to. In a phone call to CNN, the child's adoptive grandmother says the Russian orphanage misled them about the boy's mental stability and other issues.

The case became an international incident after they sent the child back only seven months after adopting him, with just a backpack and a note.

HOLMES: And always amazing how we are able to get these live pictures out of space. What you're seeing here - and try to make it out - I believe that's an astronaut's hand you're seeing right there. And you can hear their voices communicating.

Well, this is a live spacewalk going on right now, with the astronauts from the space shuttle Discovery. They are actually - the - the technical part of the work they're doing. They're swapping out a couple of tanks, the storage tank at the International Space Station.

So this is - what? - the second spacewalk they've done. And they're - they've been out there since about 1:30 a.m. Eastern Time, and will be out there for a bit longer, until they get that work done.

On another note, as we're watching this big day with the space program, this also marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 13. Apollo 13, we all remember, took off, and I think two days after the launch, had its oxygen tank ruptured. And that led to that dramatic rescue that was made into a movie with Tom Hanks, "Apollo 13," if you'll remember.

But - but an anniversary today of that launch of Apollo 13.

We'll keep an eye on this spacewalk.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC, DONNA SUMMER, "SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY")

HOLMES: Yes, people are working hard out there. But still, some don't seem to be getting a whole lot of money.

We are talking about the economy all the time, it seems, and what some are saying is now an economic recovery. But a lot of people still looking for work.

KEILAR: And with all of those job opportunities being so scarce, you know, a lot of unemployed people are looking to themselves and to their hobbies for work.

As CNN's Tony Harris explains, the goal is to become their next boss.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These days, Meg Fisher spends a lot of time in her sewing room.

More than a year ago, she lost her job as a legal secretary making $59,000. Finding a new job to replace that level of income has been tough.

MEG FISHER, ELITETALLIT.COM: I have 22 years experience, so usually you would get a call at least. This time around, never even hear from them.

HARRIS: Meg says the initial rejection was hard to deal with, but now she's hoping she can turn her misfortune into a business opportunity that incorporates her passion.

In September, Meg started doing small clothing alterations for her friends, and then...

M. FISHER: One of them came over one day, and she goes to my synagogue, and she said, you know, I really think you should make a tallit.

HARRIS: That's a Jewish prayer shawl typically worn on special occasions like for Bat Mitzvahs and weddings. Meg made a couple, took them over to a local business, and they sold a few days later.

M. FISHER: We were like, wow, we're kind of on to something here.

HARRIS: And this really needs to work. Meg's husband suffers from a severe dyslexia that, according to the family, has significantly impaired his earning potential.

Scott makes just $20,000 a year. Eleven months after Meg lost her job, the Fishers filed for bankruptcy. They still risk losing their house; even their children are worried.

JADEN FISHER, MEG FISHER'S SON: Makes me just question what's going to happen. What are we going to do? How is - how are we going to get through this?

HARRIS: For now, Meg sits and sews. She started a Web site, elitetillit.com, and she attends trade shows. Meg says she's had 15 orders so far.

It's not nearly enough to turn a profit yet, but Meg is hoping she can eventually turn this into a lucrative career.

M. FISHER: When my unemployment runs out, if I'm still not able to do it, and I -- then obviously I'm going to have to -- I may have to work at McDonald's or, you know, do just anything.

But for now, I'm trying to find a real job, you know, that pays something like what I used to have or keep doing this.

Tony Harris, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: On one hand, he's helped the Republican Party win several key races. But on the other, he's been accused of mismanaging the Republican Committee's finances.

HOLMES: Yes, some within the party have called for Michael Steele to step down. Up next, Michael Steele gets to respond.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Hello again. Welcome back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm T.J. Holmes.

KEILAR: I'm Brianna Keilar.

HOLMES: Some of the stories for overnight. Police looking for two gunmen who opened fire after a weekend music festival in New Orleans' French Quarter. Seven people were wounded. Six of them, police say, were bystanders. Police say the intended target was a 17- year-old boy who was shot in the chest. He is now in stable condition at the hospital. Still no clear word on a motive.

KEILAR: Deadly protests are going on in Thailand. At least 20 people were killed in weekend clashes between protesters and government forces. More than 800 people have been injured. The protesters, known as Red Shirts, want parliament dissolved and new elections called.

HOLMES: Well, yesterday we saw two of many more funerals to come, unfortunately, in West Virginia. They are remembering the miners there who were killed in an accident, the explosion that happened on Monday. Friends, and family, a whole community really gathering to say goodbye to some of those miners yesterday; more funerals are scheduled for the coming week. Officials still not sure what caused the blast. So that investigation does continue.

The GOP Chairman Michael Steele says he knows he's not perfect, but he's willing to learn from his mistakes.

KEILAR: He's also cautioning the party from dwelling on the past and instead focusing on the goal at hand, which is taking back the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL STEELE, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: In life you realize very quickly thaw you can't please everyone. You can certainly make them all mad at you at the same time. That's a lesson well learned. It is an opportunity as well. Because folks have been mad at us in the past. We have learned from that past. We are now ready to move on and to a brighter future as leaders, as Republicans, as conservatives. And you are on the front line of this new surge to take back our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KEILAR: Steele spoke yesterday before the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans. This was his first public appearance since the disclosure of questionable spending resulted in top advisers cutting ties with him, and calls for his resignation.

HOLMES: Of course, we're still a couple years away from the presidential election. But Republicans already talking about who they would like to put up the there to challenge President Obama. This weekend's gathering of the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, they took a poll. A straw poll, they call it, but it was a vote. So, you see how it came out here. The former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, barely edged out Ron Paul, Congressman Ron Paul. Then Sarah Palin, by all accounts the star of the show down there. She spoke on Friday. She came in tied with the former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at 18 percent.

KEILAR: Tomorrow in Washington President Obama opens a two-day summit on nuclear weapons. The summit's main goal, to reduce the risk of terrorists getting a hold of nuclear weapons; 40 countries have been invited from various regions across the world. And all of them have differing levels of nuclear materials. Now the president is expected to urge the allies to continue pressing Iran and North Korea to abandon their nuclear programs. And he wants to seek tougher sanctions on Tehran. The summit comes as President Obama calls on lawmakers to ratify a new nuclear arms control treaty with Russia.

How many explosives does it take to bring down, let's say, ah, 4 million pounds of concrete, 2 million pounds of steel?

HOLMES: We're going to find out shortly. We are actually just minutes away still -- you recognize this building probably. But it's about to come down. An implosion for the ages. People already lining up just to see a building come down. We'll explain when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Some people always want to go out for their birthday. They don't want to stay at home and throw a party there. They want to go out somewhere.

KEILAR: Of course.

HOLMES: But if your home is the Playboy Mansion, why would you ever leave? Especially on your birthday? They had a special, special reason to celebrate there; 84 special reasons. Doesn't he look good?

KEILAR: That's right. He looks -- he does, right? Hugh Heffner turning 84. He was celebrating his big night in style, but surprisingly with a very small guest list. Friday's shindig at the mansion was an intimate affair, caviar, champagne, by candlelight. Then Heff and his entourage took the party to sin city last night for an '80s themed bash, at the Palms. That sounds pretty fun. That is cool. Now, Heff says that age is nothing, but a number, but the more numbers, the better.

HOLMES: That is kind of laid back for him. You know what's missing in these pictures? You are usually seeing about four or five women on his arm. You don't see that in these pictures. There's always a blonde or two in there.

And, Reynolds, you are seeing this picture, too.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh, yes.

HOLMES: But maybe we don't have the pictures.

KEILAR: I want to see the '80s theme bash. You know? That is what I want to see, the neon and the teased hair. That is cooler than this, to me.

Right, Reynolds?

WOLF: That's right. That's right.

KEILAR: That's how I party.

QUEST: I'm just enjoying these pictures. He looks pretty good. How old did you say he was? I'm sorry I didn't catch the whole thing.

KEILAR: 84.

WOLF: He looks phenomenal for 84, he looks fine. He's got a lot of things the there that make him young.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: I'll let you know about some of the things we're keeping an eye on from overnight.

We start in Virginia, where the partying got a little bit out of control near a campus of James Madison University. This is an annual gathering. It draws about 2,000 people every year. But for whatever reason this year they got about 8,000 people this time around. You saw some people being taken away in handcuffs. Police had to use tear gas to break up the crowds. There was some fighting going on. Some of the partygoers were throwing rocks and bottles. They finally got the party to break up.

KEILAR: Russia has halted all pending adoptions by parents in the U.S. The reason, an American family put this seven-year-old boy, you see here, on a Moscow bound flight and they returned him home to Russia, unannounced. He carried a letter from the Tennessee woman who had adopted him and it said that he was violent and threatened to kill family members. Authorities in Tennessee and the State Department are investigating.

HOLMES: Well, not to make them nervous, but a couple of NASA astronauts, right now, are doing their work on live national television. We are just giving you a shot from NASA TV here. The astronauts are doing their second space walk. These are astronauts from the Shuttle Discovery trying to swap out an old storage tank at the International Space Station. They've been doing this for the past five hours now. It will go for some time to come.

A side note today in NASA history. This is the 40th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 13. You'll recall that mission ended with one of the most dramatic rescues ever. And that was after an oxygen tank on that Apollo mission ruptured.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOLF: Is there something I don't know about?

(LAUGHTER)

HOLMES: Is one of us leaving?

KEILAR: It's been fun, Reynolds.

(LAUGHTER)

WOLF: No, we're talking about good-bye to a long time institution in Texas. Not talking about the Grand Prairie -- well, the chili cook off takes place today. We are talking about Texas Stadium. This is something that has been-itself, kind of like a character. If an object like that can be a character, it is. It is a mainstay in this sport, NFL Football. It is an amazing thing. It was established what, nearly 20 or 30 years ago. Much longer.

HOLMES: '71. Built in '71, yes.

WOLF: Why don't we take a look at that? When my dad was in his 20s he worked for a company called General Foods and went there bought a skybox on behalf of the company, get this, for $25,000 for the entire season. Can you believe that? Nowadays there's no way in the world you can do that thing.

KEILAR: You know, people are going to tailgate there for the implosion.

WOLF: I know, to watch this. Yeah.

KEILAR: That's so cool.

WOLF: As I mentioned, what is funny too, a lot of people who are emotionally invested in this. We were talking yesterday about Roger Staubach, you know, on of the long-time Cowboy greats. He actually got choked up when they asked him, what do you think about the station coming down, and all that kind of thing. He didn't have much to say.

What I bet he would say is, yum, yum, chili tastes good. Because that is what they are doing there, too. There is a big chili cook off. Got to like that. As we mentioned, yesterday, also prairie dogs not going to be used.

Another thing that they are going to be doing, it is the world championship of the pickled quail egg eating. They have these things. They're soaked in Jalapeno juice. You eat them up. You suffer later. And it is a fine time had by all. In New York City, they've got the annual blessing of the bicycles. It is held actually yesterday at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. It is the 12th year they've been doing it. All faiths or lack thereof are welcome. They sprinkles the bikes with holy water, training wheels, too, if needed. That's also a great time.

But then, of course, we round things back up where we started. Back at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. We are going to showing that live. Again, 39 years to be exact. The last game was in December of 2008. The they moved into the Cowboys' $1.2 billion stadium in Arlington last season.

HOLMES: People are already gathering. You were talking about the tailgating, you said, Brianna. And this is happening at 7:00 o'clock, their time, in Dallas. And people are out there hanging out, tailgating, being a part of this. I mean, the Cowboys of old, certainly with Emmet Smith, what, five championships, I believe, we won during the time that the team were in this particular stadium.

Look at this, it looks like they're showing up for a game. Even the flags on the cars.

WOLF: It is kind of a game. Boom. That's the game. The boom game.

KEILAR: You show up, you get to tailgate. Do you know-there's going to be some beer. There's going to be the sunrise. This is going to be an implosion.

WOLF: Dallas Cowboy football.

KEILAR: What else do you need?

HOLMES: And then you go to church, right?

KEILAR: Right. It's an 11-year-old who is pushing the button.

WOLF: Are you serious?

KEILAR: Yes, it is an 11-year-old who has done outstanding work with Dallas' homeless. He gives clothing and he gives goods to them. He won an essay contest talking about what he does. They said, all right, push the button.

HOLMES: Casey Rodgers (ph), we see here is his name. He gets to do the honors, a kid who wasn't even around when the thing was-when it opened up. We'll show the other picture this morning, too, of the new stadium. Put them side by side and let you pick which one you think you prefer. Texas stadium going bye-bye, a piece of history going away today, in right about an hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, as you know by now, there is going to be an opening at the Supreme Court soon, Justice John Paul Stevens stepping down. So, who might join the high court now?

KEILAR: Our Josh Levs has been looking into that, also how it might affect the make up of the court-Josh.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, guys.

We've been hearing from even more experts throughout the day yesterday. A few names keep coming to the top. Last time around the speculation pretty much got it right about who was on that short list. So, we know who is on the short list now. Let's take a look at a few of the possibilities. This is a name you are going to be hearing a lot about in the coming days in the coming weeks.

Elena Kagan, one thing that is interesting about her, she is solicitor general of the United States, and in that role she argues cases for the federal government. She was a Clinton administration policy aide, working various domestic policies. She is also the former dean of Harvard Law School where President Obama attended. One that is particularly interesting about her is no judicial experience. Bringing a kind of a different perspective to the court, if she were to come on there.

Let me show you, now, someone who has a lot of judicial experience. Another big name we're hearing a lot about. This is Judge Diane Wood. She is in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. She has been there since 1995, so we are looking at someone with 15 years on the bench there. She also served in both the Reagan and Clinton Justice Departments. And sometimes that can help in a confirmation hearing process, when you're finding someone worked under a Republican and a Democratic president. That they were respected within both administrations, can sometimes help in that process.

I want to show you one more, too. Another judge with also a lot of years on the bench. A third name that comes up a lot, Merrick Garland, again, you are going to be hearing this name a lot. Merrick Garland is also on the Court of Appeals, he's been there since 1997, so we are talking 13 years on the bench. One thing he did while he was working inside administrations, as a prosecutor, in the Justice Department. He managed the investigation of the Oklahoma City bombing. He got a lot of praise for that. That is something that will come up, if he ends up being someone who goes through a confirmation process.

So, there you go, there are three of the big names. Some people also say Janet Napolitano, which is possible. A lot or people think a little less likely. She is Homeland Security secretary right now. But it could be any of them right now. Mostly likely that is the short list the president is looking at, guys.

KEILAR: You know, one of the really interesting themes here is that Stevens retiring, this is going to probably shift the court religiously, right?

LEVS: It is fascinating, yes. America is dominantly Protestant country, 51 percent Protestant. Stevens is right now, the only Protestant on the high court. And if you look back at American history, Protestant background to America is seminal to what we are.

Then early in the days of the Supreme Court it was all Protestant white men. Now he's the only Protestant on the court. If he does leaves, and is not replaced by someone else who is Protestant, then there will be no Protestant on the Supreme Court. And that is really possible at this point.

KEILAR: So, interesting. I'm really sort of fascinated by that. OK, Josh, thank you.

LEVS: Thanks, guys.

HOLMES: Well, he compared members of the Tea Party Movement to members of the KKK. And he is a U.S. congressman from Tennessee. I asked him what prompted him to make the statement and if he regrets saying it now. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Hate mail, death threats, and all kinds of remarks you usually don't hear often from a second term congressman.

KELAR: It started when Representative Steve Cohen compared the Tea Party Movement to the KKK.

HOLMES: He did this as he was a guest on "The Young Turks" satellite radio show. Well, here's a clip of that.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

REP. STEVEN COHEN, (D) TENNESSEE: The Tea Party are kind of like, without robe and hoods, they have really shown a very hardcore angry side of America that's against any type of diversity."

(END AUDIO CLIP

HOLMES: So why make a remark like that? And why especially from a U.S. congressman? I asked him about that during our interview yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: Certainly they're not all racist, but there's an undercurrent when you're against health care and you're against government programs that have a de facto effect upon minorities more than they do others. Doctor Martin Luther King said one of the greatest inhumanities in our society was the unequal distribution of health care, and was for national health care. He was assassinated in my city. We remembered that event last weekend. To think that 42 years later we finally get health care, after 42 years, and people are against it. That makes them rally against their government and act out, to me it's inhumane.

No, they're not all racist. No question. But the fact is, they're against government spending. They're against programs and there are certain similarities in their tactics to who have historically been against civil rights and against progress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Tea Party activists are demanding an apology. So far they have not gotten one.

Good morning, everyone. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. 7 a.m., right here. I'm T.J. Holmes.

KEILAR: And thanks for starting your day with us. I'm Brianna Keilar.

Remembering the victims of a deadly airplane crash, mourning at the gates of the presidential palace in Poland. President Lech Kaczynski, and his wife, and so many others lost yesterday. The latest straight ahead.

HOLMES: Also we're watching, live, a space walk at the International Space Station. This is the second of three space walks being done by Discovery astronauts, they are up there swapping out ammonia tanks. They (AUDIO GAP) cooling system at the International Space Station. We have been monitoring their progress. We'll continue to do so, this morning, but we do want to tell you about some other stories making news overnight.