Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
As Oil Spills, BP CEO Attends Yacht Race; CNN.com Offers Interactives for Avid World Cup Fans; Interview With T.I.
Aired June 20, 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: Hey there, everybody. Good morning. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING for this June 20.
Happy Father's Day out there, everybody. And especially happy Father's Day to you dads who are listening right now on satellite radio, and also to the military dads around the world who are tuned in watching us from the Armed Forces Network this hour.
Good morning to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes. Thank you for starting your day right here with us.
Want to take you to a live picture right now. This is a live shot of the Wall in Washington, D.C. - the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where, in a short time, they will start a ceremony this morning. The sons and daughters of the men killed - men and women killed in - in that war will go there and to celebrate and commemorate their fathers on this day.
They're actually going to wash the wall. They are going to - themselves, the sons and daughters, wash that wall this morning, then participate in a ceremony in a little later. We're going to be talking to one of the men who organized the event today. We're going to hear from him in a little while. But keeping an eye on the Wall today, as many of them remember their fathers.
Also, to BP now. We know we have a catastrophe down there going on in the Gulf. But the PR catastrophe continues. Mr. Hayward - he is back in the news. Tony Hayward - many call him the most-hated man in America. Well, he is now giving people another reason to hate him.
He was seen out at a posh yachting race off the coast of England. A lot of people saying it looks like he got his life back.
We'll talk about the backlash and exactly what he was doing in just a bit. Also, you'll hear BP's defense of him as well.
But let me give you a look at some of the stories making headlines.
First, a plane is missing right now in Africa. This plane was carrying nine people when it disappeared. This happened in western Africa. Now, most of the people onboard were with an Australian mining company, and among the missing is a mining millionaire.
Now, the search is under way right now. The flight took off from Cameroon on its way to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Also this morning, sad news for a - a lot of NBA fans. He was a fan favorite. That's Manute Bol, former NBA player. He has died.
Of course, the NBA a sport of tall people. And he even stood out among that group. Seven feet, seven inches tall. Shaq is 7'1", just as a point of reference there. Manute Bol though one of the tallest players to ever play in the league. He died at University of Virginia medical center with some - certainly some - he had had some health problems.
Now, he was 47 years old. Played in the NBA for 10 years. He was a shot-blocking and rebounding machine. Not much of a scorer. But he was also known for his humanitarian work. He's a native of Sudan who spent much of his time, much of his efforts and much of his money on charity efforts there.
Also, learning more about Elena Kagan, the latest Supreme Court nominee. New Defense Department documents being released - learning a little more about Elena Kagan. It's -- these documents that were released focus on her time as dean of Harvard Law School. Now, at that time, she opposed military recruiters being on campus. She opposed it because of the military's "don't ask, don't tell "policy.
The records show she never actually barred the recruiters from being on campus. Actually allowed them on because of a threat of losing millions of dollars in federal grant money if she didn't allow them on campus.
Now, Elena Kagan - the confirmation hearings for her get under way in just a few days - June the 28th.
Well, here we are as well - the oil disaster, we are now on Day 62. We've got some new problems to tell you about there, and those problems actually reduce the amount of oil that was being collected. Now, of course, the number dropping there, frustration rising otherwise.
Meanwhile, nothing seems to work right now in trying to get that leak to stop. Well, how about prayer? Today has been designated a statewide day of prayer across Louisiana. The state Senate passed a resolution to sponsor this day of prayer. Now, according to that resolution, it says, "Thus far, efforts made by mortals to try to solve the crisis have come to no avail. It is clearly time for a miracle for us."
Meanwhile, we have more problems we need to be praying about. Equipment problems forced BP to suspend oil collection for about 10 hours overnight at its drilling ship. BP collected about 24,000 barrels of oil yesterday. That's about a million gallons. And that number represents a drop though from how much was collected the day before.
Also, Billy Nungesser - you remember that name, and you know his face a little bit. He's been pretty much outspoken about the response from BP and the government. But he's the president of Plaquemines Parish. Now, he went down with a compressed-air vacuum system -- went down there himself and collected 55 gallons of oil in 15 minutes. Nungesser now saying he's ordering more of those $400 vacuums with his own credit card.
Now, with all of this going on right now, BP's CEO has now had another major PR blunder. Tony Hayward - you know the name, you know the face by now. He actually attended a yachting race with his friends in England. And he watched his 700-plus-thousand-dollar yacht in a regatta.
Now, critics say things like this have helped him earn the reputation as the most hated man in America. BP, meanwhile, issued a statement defending their chief a bit, saying, "He's spending time with his family this weekend off the Isle of Wight in England. Hayward attended a yachting event today."
Now, those words and the sight of Hayward yachting brought a swift reaction from the White House, in particular the chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. On ABC's "This Week," he reminded us of another Hayward gaffe, the infamous wanting-his-life-back comment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAHM EMANUEL, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: To quote Tony Hayward, he's got his life back, as he would say. I think we can all conclude that Tony Hayward is not going to have a second career in PR consulting. This has just been part of a long line of PR gaffes and mistakes.
But beyond that photo there's really a substance here that matters. That's clearly a PR mistake, but he's made a number of those mistakes. What's important is, are we capping the well? Are we capturing the oil?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, let's look a little deeper into this controversy.
A crisis-prevention and management expert says BP needs to be aware of the consequences from such steps.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID MARGULIES, CRISIS-MANAGEMENT EXPERT: What you're seeing are - are two things that are very common in crisis situations.
One, you lack a devil's advocate. We always tell our clients, and sometimes we play that role, you want somebody who is going to take the most negative possible view of everything you do, and you want that person in on the decision-making to politely and respectfully say, 'Sir, is that really a good idea?' You know, what are they going to say if you're on a yacht when the oil spill is still not cleaned up and the oil well is not controlled?
Most corporations don't have that. You can be safer doing it when I do it because I'm not an independent consultant. And, you know, every once in awhile, the CEO will look at me and say, 'You're fired. I don't want to take your advice.' Usually they're fired right - not too long after that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, Margulies there, he is, of course, a PR expert. He also says BP was right to let Tony Hayward take the lead in the beginning of the crisis. But now, the company needs credible spokespeople to take over.
Well, a lot of you have been watching this disaster from afar looking for a way to help. Now, we have a chance for you to help.
You can join us tomorrow night for an all-star relief effort to help the people of the Gulf Coast. A two-hour "LARRY KING LIVE" special event, 8:00 Eastern tomorrow night, right here on CNN.
Well, a wild week across the Midwest weatherwise. We've had deadly tornadoes, strong storms as well that caused major damage and power outages. Our Reynolds Wolf will tell us exactly what we can expect on this Father's Day.
It's eight minutes past the hour. Stay with us on this SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Welcome back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
You know, looking at the watch here and it's - well, not only is it a little bit past 6 Eastern Time, it's weather time.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: And you just mentioned something we want to show our viewers now.
Let's take the live picture of the Wall, in Washington, D.C. What you are seeing is literally a labor of love. You have the sons and daughters of those killed in the Vietnam War, who are right now, themselves, washing the wall today, on this Father's Day, and getting ready for a ceremony that will take place in a few hours.
Now, before that ceremony, we're expecting to see hundreds, maybe even thousands of those sons and daughters show up and place roses at the wall today, and also each one of them comes with a note to those fathers. That is the event happening today.
Then a little later, they'll be a ceremony, 10:00 Eastern Time, which will include the secretary of Army. But this is happening right now, essentially just washing that wall, a labor of love, and getting ready for the event today on this Father's Day.
We will be going back there live, talking to one of the organizers of today's event who lost his father on Father's Day during the Vietnam War.
It's 12 minutes past the hour. Stay here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SGT. 1st CLASS BRIAN HAMILTON, U.S. ARMY: Hi. Army Sergeant Brian Hamilton stationed in Baghdad, Iraq. I'd like to say happy Father's Day to myself, and also, I'd like to thank my kids, Andy (ph), Randy (ph), Jacob (ph) and Justin (ph) for giving me all this gray hair.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STAFF SGT. JENNIFER MOLINA, U.S. AIR FORCE: Hi. I'm Staff Sergeant Jennifer Molina, stationed at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. I just want to wish a happy Father's Day to my dad. I love you will all my heart, Dad. I hope you have a great Father's Day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. World Cup kicking up again today. We've just got about an hour and 15 minutes away from the first match of the day. You see it, Slovakia, Paraguay kicking off. Then New Zealand, Italy.
And a lot of interest in the Brazil-Ivory Coast game. Of course, Ivory Coast a great African team a lot of people pulling for, with the great Didier Drogba, great striker who's broken his arm. Don't know if he's even playing. But Brazil a powerhouse in themselves, going to be playing. A lot of interest there.
Josh Levs, so many games to keep over this World Cup. So how in the world can you?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, I got a new interactive way for you. I just learned about this from our producer.
HOLMES: This even looks...
LEVS: It's pretty cool.
HOLMES: ...confusing.
LEVS: It does look confusing.
HOLMES: Yes.
LEVS: But when you dig into it...
HOLMES: All right.
LEVS: ...it actually makes a lot of sense.
HOLMES: All right. All right.
LEVS: It's from a website called marca.com.
HOLMES: OK.
LEVS: That's actually in Spanish.
And what it has here is a calendar that lists every single day. Let's zoom in so you can see any of the days.
So you would click on today, and it shows you everything that's going on throughout the day, all the games that are going on there. You can search that way by clicking on any date, or you can search by team. So you go over here, click on "United States" - "Estados Unidos" - and what you have here is the schedule for the U.S. games. It's all at marca.com.
This is just one of the many interactives I'm going to show you. This is pretty amazing.
This is something that CNN has created. There's never been anything like it before. It's called Twitter Buzz, and it shows you what the world is buzzing about it. With all these millions of tweets out there, visually, whatever the biggest picture is, is what the most people are tweeting about right now.
So you click on it right there, and people are talking about Brazil. You get the latest tweets.
And you can add to it yourself just by signing in right here. You can also you click on players and see which players are getting the most chatter online.
Take a look at this: Any time you click on one, boom, that brings you to all of the latest tweets about that person. You - you can sign in right here.
And we have two more things for you: our people here who are tweeting their coverage of it, and we also have tweets from the official store there and the players themselves, all at CNN.com/twitterbuzz.
Let's bang through a couple more.
CNN.com/sports has the best pictures and play-by-play coverage. These are our partners at "Sports Illustrated." Anytime you want to see the shots from the previous day, just go to CNN.com/sports. And take a look at these images. They're amazing. And they tell you the highlights of the games through pictures.
And finally, CNN.com/worldcup has everything going on around the games. What's going on in South Africa, what people are up to.
And if you're a huge fan, you can get in here, the "Fan Zone." CNN.com/superfan. You send your videos, your photos, your stories and you exchange ideas and opinions with everybody else. I know it's a lot of stuff. It's all linked for you at the blog, CNN.com/josh. It's also up at Facebook and Twitter. Check it out. Let us know which interactives are working for you and which ones, you know, you want to see. Because we still got a few weeks to go.
So, T.J., hopefully, some of these will help people keep track of the many, many, many, many, many games we got going on.
HOLMES: Yes. It's a little confusing at times.
LEVS: Yes.
HOLMES: But yes, we can use all the help we can get.
Josh, we appreciate you...
LEVS: Thanks.
HOLMES: ...this morning.
Want to show you this live picture one more time, something we're keeping an eye on. Folks, this is just a - a really touching picture. You see young and old out here helping out with this wall. This is the Wall, the Vietnam War memorial in Washington, D.C. And what you are seeing are the sons and daughters and in some case, obviously, maybe the grandsons and granddaughters and other relatives of the men who died in that war.
And what they are doing this morning, they are literally using their hands, sponges, soap and water - you see the little girl in the middle there. But young and old, they can't even reach the top of the wall - out there helping out to clean and wash this wall, to get it ready for a ceremony that's taking place today to honor the fathers on this Father's Day, who died in the Vietnam War.
We will continue to keep an eye on this picture. The ceremony happens in a couple of hours. But we'll be going back live, talking to one of the organizers of today's event.
Stay with us here on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, 21 minutes past the hour now on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
One of the last interviews that rapper T.I. did before he went to prison was with me. Well, when he got out of prison not too long ago, came back to his home in Atlanta. He invited me out to his studio, invited to his home, to his office as well to see what life is like now.
He literally went from the jail cell to the studio, went right back to work.
But a guy who's now one of the hottest rappers out told me he can't wait for the day so we can call him an "ex-rapper."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC, T.I. FEATURING JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, "DEAD AND GONE")
HOLMES: Are you going to get to a point where the first question I might sit down and ask you one day: Are you still a rapper, because you got so many other things and so many other interests that, you know what, we kind of forget, 'Oh yes, he puts out an album every now and again.'
T.I., RAPPER: Yes. Yes. Yes. I probably will. I probably will at some point.
But I will still definitely have my hands in music. I still will - because I have a - a passion for music. So I still will produce music. I still will write music. I still will executive-produce music. I still will put artists out through my label and create opportunities and cultivate careers.
But I'm not going to be the 40-year-old rapper.
HOLMES: Jay-Z's pulling it off just fine.
T.I.: I - I will - I will not.
See, I know. But that Jay, you know what I'm saying? Jay - that's Jay. That's Jay. And I - and he - like you say, he's doing it very well.
HOLMES: Yes.
T.I.: Hats off. But I don't see me doing that. I just don't see that for me.
HOLMES: Everybody just retires and then they come back anyway.
T.I.: Yes. I mean - but you know what I'm saying, to be perfectly honest with you, man, if I had to - if I had the option of Jay-Z....
(MUSIC, JAY-Z, "SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT")
T.I.: ...Will Smith...
(MUSIC, WILL SMITH, "GETTIN JIGGY WIT IT")
T.I.: ...I got to go with Will.
HOLMES: Yes?
T.I..: I'm a Jay-Z fan. I have a lot of admiration and respect for Jay and his legacy. But I feel like Will, man, he get to spend more time with his family. You know, he get to be home more, you know? And - and actually raise his kids, and - you know what I'm saying, I feel like he has more of a home life, you know? So for that reason. And the money don't hurt. You know, $20 million a flick ain't bad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
T.I.: So the dispatcher would do anything to screw the job up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
T.I.: As an actor, I know that it takes time, it takes attention, but it's stable, you know? You're on set 12 hours, you go home. You're on - you're on 12 hours, you go home.
I mean, and - and music, it ain't got no hours. You know, you're at the studio all times of the morning. OK, well now you got to wake up early in the morning, catch a flight, travel here, go to the radio station, do a show, go back to the studio, morning, plane, bus, train, car, hotel - you know what I'm saying? It's - it's - it's a lot more rigorous.
HOLMES (voice-over): That rigor is playing itself out right now. Tip is getting set to release his seventh album, "King Uncaged, "in August.
(MUSIC, T.I. FEATURING KERI HILSON, "GOT YOUR BACK")
HOLMES (on camera): What is your expectation this time? Why did it - what do you feel like you need to live up to this time around?
T.I.: I got to make it better than the last time.
HOLMES: How good was the last time?
T.I.: It was pretty good, some people would say.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Am I hearing that right? That every album you've had outsold the previous one (ph).
So how many did the last one sell?
T.I.: Two million.
HOLMES: Two million.
T.I.: Two point three.
HOLMES: So you got to at least two point five (INAUDIBLE).
T.I.: Actually, two-point-three-and-a-half. But yes.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Two-point-three-and-a-half will be just fine.
Again, he has got all kinds of stuff going on. A lot of movies, quite frankly, he's got in his hand in. Also, his album, his seventh, coming out this summer.
It's 25 minutes past the hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CSM BYRON LOYD, U.S. ARMY: Hello. My name is Commander Sergeant Major Loyd, with the 3rd Infantry Division, Special Troops Battalion, Camp Speicher, Iraq.
I'd like to say happy Father's Day to my father, Clayton Loyd Jr. (ph) in Ocala, Florida. Happy Father's Day, Pop. Love you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SGT. JUSTIN SHEMANSKI, U.S. MARINE CORPS: Hi. I'm Sergeant Justin Shemanski.
LANCE CPL. JORDAN SHEMANSKI, U.S. MARINE CORPS.: And I'm his younger brother, Lance Cpl. Jordan Shemanski.
JUSTIN SHEMANSKI: And we're currently deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. We'd just like to give a shout out to our father, Joe (ph), in Spring Hill, Tennessee.
Happy Father's Day, Dad.
JORDAN SHEMANSKI: We love you and we'll see you soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Hey, bottom of the hour here now. Welcome back to this CNN SUNDAY MORNING on this Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to you all.
Got a live picture of a Father's Day-related story. A great sight today in Washington, D.C.
This is the Wall, Vietnam's Veterans Memorial. But these are the sons and daughters and, quite frankly, the grandsons, granddaughters and other family members of the men killed in that war who are taking the time this morning to wash that wall with soap and water and get ready for a ceremony that's going to take place in just a couple of hours.
They're also going to be leaving notes and roses there at the base of the wall today. We've been watching this scene for the past hour or so. We'll be going back there live to talk to one of the organizers of today's event. Well, there is still war going on actively on two fronts for the U.S. military, Afghanistan, of course, and Iraq. We have Iraq right now some breaking news out of there, about two car bombs that exploded there. Our Martin Savidge is in Baghdad live.
Martin, hello to you. Tell us the damage done and what do we believe were the targets of the car bombs?
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, T.J., from Baghdad. But here so far the death toll stands at 18 people killed and at least 42 people have been wounded. These were twin blasts that went off in quick succession and we could even hear them here at the CNN bureau. According to authorities they took place in western Baghdad, that is in the Almand Sur (ph) neighborhood.
And these were car bombs that were supposedly located in the parking lot of a bank but that bank is located right next door to a government building where national IDs are issued to Iraqis and this being the first day of the week in the Muslim world it would have been very busy around 10:30 this morning when those blasts went off. And that's exactly what happened. So the scene down there is still trying to be cleared out, as they still try to care for those who have been killed and those who have been wounded.
In the meantime, though, this has been really three days of violent activity. Last night there were a number of roadside bombs that were detonated, and then also reports of a rocket attack that killed five people. And then it was last Sunday, a week ago that you had the very brazen attack on the central bank of Iraq, that left 18 people dead, a series of blasts ripped through central Baghdad, then and a firefight ensued that lasted for hours. So it's been a violent week here in Baghdad and for much of Iraq, T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Martin Savidge for us, we appreciate the update. Again, 18 killed, at least 40 plus wounded, in twin car bombings. Thanks to our Martin Savidge.
We turn to Poland now and tell you about the special election going on. The polls have opened now. This is to choose a successor to Lech Kaczynski. You remember he was killed in a plane crash last April. There are 10 candidates now vying for the position. Recent polls show the acting president Bronislaw Komorowski with a narrow lead over Kaczynski's twin, Jaroslaw Kaczynski's.
Turn now to Colombia, where millions of voters expected to return to the polls today for the presidential runoff. Leader of the two leading candidates, former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos and Mayor Antanas Mockus got the 50 percent required to avoid the runoff. The vote today decides who succeeds President Uribe.
We are also paying special tribute to dads around the country this morning to celebrate Father's Day. Our Josh Levs has some interesting facts you may not know about fathers and some video that you don't want to miss.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Specialist Matthew McKinney, from Indianapolis, Indiana, stationed here in Camp Fuchs (ph), Kabul, Afghanistan. Just want to wish a Happy Father's Day to my father, Gordon. Dad, I love you. You're the reason I'm as good as I am today and will see you on the Fourth of July. Love ya.
Greetings from Joint Base Balad, Iraq. I'm Staff Sergeant Kimberly Bell and I'm wishing my father, Raymond Bell III, a Happy Father's Day. Daddy, I love you and miss you. Happy Father's Day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: How are you doing there, Reynolds Wolf?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Doing real well.
HOLMES: Doing real well. Good morning. Welcome back to you all. It's 35 minutes past the hour. There he is. The big guy. It's big anniversary for Father's Day, today's the celebration actually turns 100. Our Josh Levs here with us now.
And Josh, a dad, Reynolds, a dad, me, a dad as well, Joel left me out of this thing today but I'm not going to hold that against you. I'm not going to hold that against you
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There you go. This is news to me you wanted to get one. When you see one of these you'll be glad.
HOLMES: All right.
LEVS: You'll be glad because I don't think you'll want to be in one of these but it will be your opinion. If you do I'll make a phone call and we'll get one for you as well.
By the way, did you guys know this, 100 years?
HOLMES: Did not know that.
LEVS: The first celebration June 19th, 1910. So it's been 100 years of celebrating and by the way before we get to the fun. I'm just going to tell you a couple of numbers here I got from the Census; 68 million U.S. dads, and 26 million have kids under 18, approximately. So it means they still got the kids at home. Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there celebrating Father's Day at home today.
All right, so we're always looking for interactives and some fun stuff. I got a call from the fine folks at Jibjab.com. And they had an idea. And they wanted to go ahead and send a card, so look, everybody knows, and T.J. will agree with this, that Reynolds Wolf is probably the fly-est dad around, right? Crunk? What's the word? Here you go, this is the card for Reynolds Wolf from JibJab. Enjoy. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (RAP MUSIC): What up? It's dad, turn off those video games, listen to this. For there ain't no G in being D-A- D but don't nobody mow this lawn like me
WOLF: I like that.
LEVS: I want to hear. Let's play more.
Little tights, Training wheels on bikes, living thug life, if it's cool with my wife. I'm bowling, snatching up diapers by the cases and dropping mad chatter on my kid's new braces
LEVS: They did me one better, made one of me, too. Take a look at this next video.
WOLF: Wow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (RAP MUSIC): Boxes and soxes, buy you ice cream, Shorty, when you feeling down
LEVS: Apparently something inherently hilarious about seeing us do it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I'm a dad
LEVS: So, T.J., do you still feel left out?
HOLMES: No, I'm good.
(LAUGHTER)
WOLF: T.J., I think you escaped man. That was good stuff.
I take pride in making my girls laugh, not cry, which this may do. Gosh, almighty.
LEVS: Well, the good thing to know, if you haven't gotten your dad a card, you can do that for free right now at Jibjab.com. That is one of just six of them that you can just go ahead and have a lot of fun with it.
HOLMES: And, Reynolds-again, people don't know this about Reynolds, that is kind of your persona.
LEVS: Kind of natural.
WOLF: That is basically my persona.
HOLMES: It is kind of Reynolds.
WOLF: The veneer ripped away, dude, that is me.
HOLMES: Reynolds is kind of that guy.
WOLF: I'm down, that's right.
LEVS: People don't realize, before his live shots, he's kind of moving around like that.
WOLF: I do, during live shots, I'm running around the field.
HOLMES: Always.
WOLF: Yes. I'm not going to do too many moves right now.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: That is not too far off. I love it.
WOLF: Absolutely. Wow.
LEVS: Happy Father's Day.
HOLMES: JibJab.
LEVS: Thanks, guys. So happy right now.
WOLF: Should we do a little Father's Day forecast? So dads know what they can expect. If you're out there gyrating by the barbecue, you can expect temperatures up in the 90s in many locations. With the high humidity it will be a lot warmer.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LEVS: We can play the video again. Want to see it again?
WOLF: Throw out the rescue line.
HOLMES: No, no, really, it's good stuff. JibJab does great work. They are always creative.
WOLF: Yes, they do.
HOLMES: That was a cool one today but that kind of fits. I hope your girls got to see that. I'm sure they enjoyed it.
And on the Father's Day theme today, on the Father's Day theme, we have been keeping an eye today on Washington, D.C. We have been showing you these pictures this morning of The Wall. There is a tribute, special tribute going to take place for the next several hours, going to be leaving roses there and notes, the fathers and sons, excuse me, the sons and daughters of the men who were killed in the Vietnam war. We'll go there live to one of the creators of today's ceremony coming up. It's 20 minutes until the top of the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: It is 42 minutes past the hour on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
Taking a look at some of the stories making headlines: The leader of a Sunni militant group blamed for dozens of attacks in Iran has been executed. French TV reports that Abdulmalik Rigi was hanged after being convicted of committing 79 crimes, including armed robbery, planting bombs, and attacks against police and military forces. Rigi He was a leader of Jundullah, or Soldiers of God. Iran has accused the Sunni group of trying to destabilize the mostly Shiite country with the backing of the West.
Also things out at Los Angeles International Airport back to normal this morning after a man grabbed a passenger's luggage yesterday, ran inside and claimed he had a bomb. He was taken into custody and police shut down part of the terminal for half an hour, as they conducted a security sweep of the area. Airport officials say the closure caused some minor delays to outbound flights.
Also the FDA has issued a warning about an instant coffee that's marketed as a sexual enhancer. The FDA officials say you shouldn't use Magic Power Coffee, because it contains a chemical that causes dangerously low blood pressure when mixed with some prescription drugs. Magic Power Coffee is sold online, the Web site contains a disclaimer that warns people with medical conditions to consult a doctor before using it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Welcome back to this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
Going on, right now, at Vietnam Memorial Wall, a tribute to fallen fathers. We were showing you the pictures earlier of the sons and daughters, also grandsons, granddaughters, of the men killed in Vietnam, washing that wall. Also today laying they are going to be laying thousands of roses at The Wall and leaving notes and a ceremony will take place there a little later this morning.
Let me wring in Tony Cordero, he was just four years old when his father's jet was-disappeared over Vietnam, and then 20 years ago he helped form an organization dedicated to keeping fallen troops' memories alive. Mr. Cordero joins me this morning from The Wall.
Sir, thank you for being with us. And I want to ask you about the pictures we were seeing and our viewers were seeing a short time ago. Really the simplest thing can really be such a poignant thing but why, I guess the process this morning of that labor of love of having everyone come out, get their hands dirty, with some soap and water and wash that wall?
TONY CORDERO, CEO, SONS & DAUGHTERS IN TOUCH: I guess it would be easy to say it is cleansing. There is a cleansing effect to it and these folks wanted to do it so much that they got up at 5:00 o'clock this morning to be here, to wash the wall, and clean the panels where their dad's names are. So it really is, it is cathartic.
HOLMES: Why the organization in the first place, some 20 years ago the sons and daughters in touch, why was, I guess what's the specific goal? We always think that surely we have the memorial and the memories are alive. But did you think your group was necessary and serving some segment out there, if you will, that wasn't paying attention in some way? CORDERO: Well, certainly, you know the nation had Gold Star Mothers, has Gold Star Mothers and Gold Star Wives. But 20 years ago our country was much different than it is today and Vietnam was still very much in the consciousness. We all were growing up, the children of the men listed on The Wall were growing up wondering was there something for us? Did we miss that? Was there somebody else who lost their dad in the war? And that was the genesis for creating the organization.
HOLMES: Sir your own story, when did you-you were four years old when your dad's plane disappeared. But when-at what age did you start to really grasp I guess really what the Vietnam war was? And what that day was that your dad's plane disappeared?
CORDERO: Well, we had known throughout our lives, my siblings and I, that our dad was lost on Father's Day weekend, 1965. But it wasn't until I was about to outlive him, when I was going to turn 30. I was going to go into an area he hadn't been to, and so that was what set me on the journey and made me wonder what was this supposed to be about? Was it just supposed to be a memorial that would have the names on it, and nothing more? Or were there other children who wanted to meet each other and share their experience?
HOLMES: Sir, it's one thing to have your dad not to be here, and every Father's Day can be tough. But tell me what it's like to have, yes, your dad's not here, you have to deal with Father's Day but also the memory that your dad, in fact, disappeared on Father's Day. What are these days like for you every single year?
CORDERO: Well, I think it's ironic. And this is really a story about not just my father, but the other fathers that are listed on the memorial, and so it's poignant. You know, I think it's ironic that our dad was lost over Father's Day weekend. But more importantly for all of my friends, all of the sons and daughters from all over the country, who come here this weekend, it's a Father's Day we didn't get to celebrate as children. And so while our moms filled that role for us, there wasn't the father figure, and so as little kids Father's Day didn't have a whole lot of significance. And then you fast forward to today, and these folks have been able to change Father's Day's meaning a little bit for themselves and their families.
HOLMES: Last thing here, you are talking about "these folks". And I know you are going to have several gathered out there today. Tell our viewers what you're expecting there. A ceremony is in a few hours, but you're expecting people to be gathering in the coming hours?
CORDERO: We do. There will be several hundred people here on The Mall adjacent to the memorial for a ceremony at 10:00 o'clock this morning. And it's open to the public but the keynote speaker will be the Chief of Staff of the Army General George Casey, also lost his father in the war. And, then, from there we'll proceed to the memorial as you said and lay roses all around The Wall to commemorate our fathers who were lost, those who have not returned yet, the MIAs and to celebrate Father's Day in a unique way, here in the nation's capital, at the memorial that's become our family tree. HOLMES: Sir, we love what you're doing. We appreciate you sharing the story and sharing the pictures with us this morning as well. Good luck to you today with the ceremony, but also happy Father's Day to you and your family today. Thanks so much, Mr. Cordero.
CORDERO: Thanks, happy Father's Day to everybody out there, too. Thank you.
HOLMES: All right. Here we are about eight minutes to the top of the hour here on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. We are going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Today is the one-year anniversary of the death of Neda; she is the young woman who became a symbol of Iran's opposition movement when shot to death by militiamen, after the contested presidential election. CNN's Reza Sayah recalls the violent clashes between the government and mostly peaceful protestors that lead to Neda's death.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REZA SAYAH, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The dying moments of Neda Agha Soltan captured on a cell phone camera, made much of the world stop and pay attention to Iran. The video was graphic, raw, the 26-year-old apparently shot in the chest. Bystanders raced to help "don't be scared" someone screamed, but it was too late.
Sultan became an instant icon for Iran's opposition movement, protesting the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, even world leaders took notice.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We've seen courageous women stand up to the brutality and threats, and we've experienced the searing image of a woman bleeding to death on the streets.
SAYAH: Eight days before Soltan's death, Ahmadinejad's landslide victory had unleashed massive demonstrations.
"The vote was rigged," was the cry from hundreds of thousands of green clad protesters. Iran's leaders called the uprising a foreign- led plot to overthrow the regime. The government's response was a ruthless crackdown, swarms of riot police attacked and jailed protesters, activists, journalists, many of them women.
Human rights groups say the government denied permission to hold memorial services for the more than 70 protesters who were killed. When Soltan's mother grieved at her daughter's gravesite witnesses say security forces stood nearby. Images of the bloody crackdown seemed to fuel worldwide outrage. Soltan's pictures now seen in demonstrations outside of Iran.
ABBAS MILANI, IRAN HISTORIAN: The image of this brutality and of the role, truly significant role that women have played in fighting this regime, I think the women are the unsung heroes of the last few years. They are the ones who began chipping away at the authority and the absolute dictatorship of the mullahs.
SAYAH: One year after Soltan's death the regime's crackdown seems to have driven protesters off the streets, but there's evidence the movement is not weakening. Some analysts say instead it's changing into an online underground civil rights movement.
KARIM SADJADPOUR, IRAN EXPERT: I think they're going to continue to move forward, whether in the form of a green movement, or another type of movement. It's just basically this march of history.
SAYAH: A march fuelled, in part, by the memory of a young woman who is now a symbol of their struggle.
(On camera): Iranian authorities still deny security forces were responsible for killing Soltan. Instead they have offered at least three separate explanations. They blame the CIA terrorists and the opposition movement itself. One year after Soltan's death Iranian authorities have yet to announce a single arrest in connection with her killing. Reza Sayah, CNN, Islamabad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Top of the hour here now on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Coming to you from the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, on this June 20. Happy Father's Day to everyone watching also those listening on satellite radio, glad you could be with us. I'm T.J. Holmes.
Several sons and daughters who lost their dads in the Vietnam war are out this morning, they have washed the Vietnam Wall and they are preserving that Wall and spending time with their fathers, the best way they know how this morning. We'll be taking you there and telling you about a ceremony taking place, a very special one today at the Vietnam Memorial.
Also, BP, they just can't get it right. Or should I say he just can't get it right. Talking about Tony Hayward here, this is the BP's CEO, who famously said he wanted his life back. In a lot of ways it looks like he's getting it back. He is getting criticized now for another major PR mistake. This time, his $700,000-plus boat, out in a yachting race and he was, in fact, in attendance. We'll tell you about that backlash this morning.
But first let me give you a look at some of the stories that are making headlines.
There's a plane missing right now in western Africa. It's carrying nine people when it disappeared. Mostly, the folks on this plane were worked from an Australian mining company. And among those on the plane is a mining millionaire. His name is Ken Talbot.
Now, the search is underway right now. The charter flight was headed to the Democratic Republic of Congo from Cameroon. Also, sad news today for fans of the NBA. A fan favorite, you see him there, Manute Bol, dead at the age of 47. He was 7'7" tall. Certainly, that's what made him stand out in a business where there are a lot of tall people. He died at University of Virginia Medical Center. No exact cause of death was given, but he had some health problems.
He played 10 years in the NBA, mostly known for shot blocking and rebounding. He was a native of Sudan and donated so much of his time, energy, efforts and money to his country.
Also, new Defense Department documents being released regarding the Supreme Court nominee, Elena Kagan. These focused on her time as dean at Harvard Law School. During that time, according to these documents, she, of course, opposed military recruiters being on campus due to the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
She ended up, certainly, allowing those recruiters on, in part because it would interfere possibly with millions of dollars in grant money from the federal government if she denied those recruiters to come on campus.
According to these documents, she was "deeply distressed" by the military policy that barred openly gay soldiers from serving. Her confirmation hearings are set to begin on June the 28th.
Sixty-two -- day 62 of the oil disaster and still counting. We're told it might not be until August when those relief wells are ready. Relief wells are being drilled as we speak.
CNN's David Mattingly joins us from Okaloosa Island in Florida with some reaction from one of the workers who is helping put the wells in place.
David, good morning to you. And we are all standing by, waiting and hoping -- these relief wells, we're told, are the only sure way to stop this leak.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are the only sure way and right now, it's been a real up and down weekend when it comes to getting control of that oil. First, we were hearing from the unified command that they had reached the point where they were -- BP was collecting about 25,000 barrels a day of that leaking oil that's roughly half of the estimated amount that's coming out.
And then, yesterday, we find out that there was a 10-hour period because of a mechanical problem they had to shut down part of that operation. So, 10 hours went by where they weren't collecting that full amount of oil that they had been doing in the past. So, again, an up and down weekend.
In the meantime, unified command took a camera in to show us what's going on out there -- some incredible close-up pictures of the operations out there where you see some of the burning going on of the product that's being brought up. We also see all of the devices that they have out there in play. It's been described as a small city -- a very active, small city -- of devices and of vehicles out there, all involved in the collection of the oil processes that are going on there.
And one of that -- part of that is that all-important relief well that is now we're told a little bit ahead of schedule. That relief well is going to drill down and intersect the well that is leaking, they plan to fill it up with cement and that's how they're going to end this leaking well. But that's not going to happen until August.
They did talk to some of the workers out there and one of them we hear from says that the work he's doing out there is personal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WENDELL GUIDRY, HORIZON WORKER: I'm glad to be part of the operation to try to stop this well from flowing, because it's not only affected me but my family, probably my kids later on down the line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: For now, we're looking at here in the panhandle of Florida, wave after wave of tar balls coming ashore. So far, they have not been really pervasive. They've been coming ashore. They've been cleaned up pretty quickly.
But here in the panhandle, this is the big beginning of the big tourist season. So, they're trying very hard to keep these beaches clean, to get there and get those tar balls up as quickly as possible. So far, they're not seeing any of those ribbons of emulsified oil coming ashore in the panhandle. But those tar balls are enough in certain places to send a chill through some of the tourism activities.
Again, this is a very big time, people out with their boats enjoying the water, people out on the beach enjoying the surf and the sun. And communities here are doing everything they can to brace themselves for the worst.
But again, this is something that they're attacking as quickly as these tar balls come ashore. They're trying to get out there and get them cleaned up just as quickly as they possibly can. They want to make sure that this is something that they can -- this tourist season is something they'll be able to salvage -- T.J.
HOLMES: And like you said, bracing for the worst, hoping for the best -- again, on another beautiful morning there in Florida. David Mattingly for us this morning -- thank you so much.
And a lot of you out there have been watching, here we are on day 62 now of this disaster. If you want to find a way to help, we have a way for you to do. You can join us tomorrow night for an all-star relief effort to help the people of the Gulf Coast. A special two- hour "LARRY KING LIVE" event begins at 8:00 Eastern Monday night, right here on CNN.
We've been watching some nasty weather over the past two days hit the Midwest. What's this Father's Day look like now? Our Reynolds Wolf is keeping an eye on all things weather- related. He'll have the forecast for you.
Five minutes past the hour. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. Seven minutes past the hour here now.
We use that severe weather graphic. Is it that severe? Isn't it tapering off a little bit?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know want? Today -- it's a great thing you bring it up -- today is going to be one of the days we can actually exhale a little bit.
HOLMES: OK.
WOLF: We can take a little bit of a break.
Now, that being said, for dads going out there and cranking up the brand new hibachi, there are going to be places where you can have some rain pop up, some showers and storms in the middle of barbecuing, you know, you might have a little bit of a respite due to the rain.
HOLMES: OK.
WOLF: But we are going to see some very warm weather in places, especially where people are going to be working on the Gulf Coast trying to clean up this huge mess -- one of the places are going to be near Okaloosa Island, where we have the live image this morning. Isn't that beautiful?
HOLMES: That's gorgeous.
WOLF: You got to love that. What you don't like though is what's right in the middle of the picture -- you see a little bit of a line across the water. That line is some of that protective boom that's expected or at least the idea is to keep a lot of those tar balls off of the beach. It's been effective in some places, other spots not so much.
So, hopefully, we're going to get a handle on that sometimes soon. Not specifically, but hopefully, the oil will stop and we get that thing plugged and then we can start the big-time cleanup efforts. Right now, they're just cleaning up as they go and certainly doing the best they can.
What's not going to help is going to be the warm weather along the coast. What's certainly not going to help fathers up in places like Omaha, or perhaps in Kansas City for grilling out today, is going to be all this rain. You can see more of that pop up.
And the reason why we're going to see that pretty similar elements than what we had yesterday, we got this area right here in parts of the northern and central plains where we might see some strong storms develop later on today -- at least a slight risk for severe weather, the biggest thing we could be seeing, some heavy rain, possibly some large hail in some locations, some deadly lightning, flash flooding and maybe -- maybe -- a few isolated tornadoes mostly in parts of the north, central plains, perhaps even into the northern Rockies as well.
Now, something else we can expect is what T.J. and I were talking about -- the heat. Yes, it's going to be back in full force today. It's going to feel like, kind of like summer, so to speak -- surprisingly enough in places like New Orleans, 91 degrees, high humidity is going to make you feel in the triple digits. Houston and Dallas who used to this weather today, it's going to be more of the same. Eighty-nine degrees in Denver, 82 in Minneapolis, Twin Cities up by Target Field; in Boston near Fenway, 85 by late afternoon; Raleigh with 95 degrees; 90 in Miami.
However, along Alligator Alley, don't be surprised if you're making that drive over to the Gulf. If you see some clouds develop, and with that, may be a shower too in the afternoon.
That is a quick look at your forecast. You know, we have -- as always -- so much more to talk about.
But, T.J., for now, I'm going to kick it back over to you.
HOLMES: All right. Thank you kind, sir.
WOLF: You bet.
HOLMES: We'll see you again here shortly.
Well, coming up, a fascinating story of two men, they got the same names, same ages, and the same town, growing up under very similar circumstances. But they ended up at opposite ends of society's spectrum. What happened?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CSM RICK STIDLEY, U.S. ARMY: I am Command Sergeant, Major Rick Stidley, serving here in Bagram, Afghanistan, with Task Force Falcon from 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade. I like to wish everyone back in Savannah a happy Father's Day, especially my wife Jeannine and three daughters, Sarah, Rachel and Hannah (ph). I love you all. I can't wait to see you.
SR. AIRMAN RAENATTA GAMMONS, U.S. AIR FORCE: Hi. This is Senior Airman Raenatta Gammons, say happy Father's Day to my dad, Ruthie Gammons, Sr. Happy Father's Day, Daddy. I'll be home soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Eleven minutes past the hour now.
A story now about two of African-American men -- they got the same name, same age, grew up in the same tough neighborhood, and in two completely different circumstances they end up in. One man is now serving a life sentence for killing a cop. The other became the first African-American Rhodes scholar at Johns Hopkins University. His best-selling book "The Other Wes Moore" could help figure out who what drove them in such different directions.
And one of those Wes Moores joins me this morning from New York.
Wes, good morning to you. This is absolutely fascinating to so many of us because we do -- we share a name with somebody out there, and you just don't know what their story is. So, why did you decide to frankly look this guy up and tell his story, this other Wes Moore?
WES MOORE, AUTHOR, "THE OTHER WES MOORE": Well, as I first learned about the other Wes Moore, I was actually in South Africa on a study abroad program, where my mother and I were on the phone, and she said, "You know, I've got something crazy to tell you," there are wanted posters in your neighborhood and police are looking for a man in connection with the tragic death of a police sergeant and they're looking for a guy named Wes Moore.
HOLMES: Wow.
MOORE: And as I came back to the United States, the story always haunted me because I wondered: how did this happen? How did two people who have similar backgrounds end up in two completely different places?
And so, I ended up actually writing a note to Wes, not even sure if I'd hear back from him. But to my surprise, a month later, I received a note from Jackson Correctional Institution from Wes Moore and that was how the journey began.
HOLMES: And, Wes, when you said similar backgrounds, you all -- I mean, your upbringing, your background and the neighborhoods and everything else -- it was stark, the similarities between you two.
MOORE: It was. I mean, the first thing that caught my attention was just the name. But as I came back and I started to learn more about the tragic death of that police sergeant and I started learning more about Wes, I started to realize that we have so much more in common than just our name. In fact, that we both were living in the same neighborhood, the fact that we both grew up with single mothers, the fact that we both had academic and disciplinary troubles growing up.
And so, that's really what fascinated me, was to understand not just the differences, but in many ways, the similarities and how exactly do these disparities take place in our society.
HOLMES: All right. And what did you find, in two guys who were so similar coming up, but ended up in -- I mean, you can't come up with a more opposite circumstances you guys ended up in, one in prison for life for killing a police officer, the other with the success that you've had as a Rhodes scholar, an author and on and on and on you could go. So, where did you find that the two of you ended up going in different directions?
MOORE: Well, one thing I realized was that there was no one difference that really ended up being the deciding factor. But there are a lot of things that made a huge difference. One was the importance of education I think played a huge role. I think the second was the importance of family. You know, my mother and, you know, the burden that she took on in terms of helping to -- you know, helping me through this process of adulthood, also the role of mentors and role models and also the importance of expectations.
There's actually a part in the book where Wes and I are talking. And we're talking about the old neighborhood and I asked him, I said, "Do you think we're products of environment?" And he said, "No, actually, I think we're product of our expectations." And I thought that was a very important point and a point of distinction because in many ways, we both ended up fulfilling what many of the expectations were of us.
HOLMES: Well, Wes, one last question here. And this, on this Father's Day, answer this one for me, because your social circumstances were so similar, including the fact that both of you did not have a father in the house. So, where did you get the mentoring and guidance, even though you did have a father in the house, you still got some of that guidance that is necessary that he wasn't able to get.
MOORE: Well, Wes and I actually talk about that where he says to me your father wasn't there because he couldn't be and my father wasn't there because he chose not to be, and therefore, we're going to mourn their absence in different ways. You know, my father pass away when I was 3 1/2-years-old. I watched him passed away and he's a hero to me.
But one thing I know is that the hole, that void that exists for young kids regardless of the reason that their father not being there is real and it has to be filled by something, and by someone. And so, the importance of not just my mother and grandparents and aunts and uncles who were there and cousins, but also just community leaders and role models who said, we're going to help this young person make this transition into adulthood.
And in many ways, that made all the difference, because as I say in the book, the chilling truth is that his story could have been mine and the tragedy is that my story could have been his, and it is those other people who filled in that void to really take us -- you know, to take me on and help me make that journey, really was what I think, you know, helped seal the difference between our different fates.
HOLMES: Well, Wes, it is a fascinating study and just how all of us, just one thing, one little thing can make the difference in a life that ends up like yours and a life that ended up like his. We are all lucky in some way, form or fashion. And, Wes, it's a great study. It's called "The Other Wes Moore," is the name of the book. Wes, thank you so much. It's good to have you on this morning. Enjoy the rest of this Father's Day and hope to catch you with again soon somewhere down the road, all right?
MOORE: Thank you so much and Happy Father's Day. Thank you so much, everybody. Thank you.
MOORE: Thanks so much, buddy.
Well, we're going to continue to talk about Father's Day and some alarming statistics out there. We have an expert who calls it the worst social crisis in the country: fathers not being in the home as children grow up. We're talking to this expert, Roland Warren of the National Fatherhood Initiative. He's coming up in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Twenty minutes past the hour now.
And on this Father's Day, we're talking about what some call really a crisis in the country, growing up without a father or without the influence of a father figure. It's at an all-time high.
2009 U.S. Census statistic found one out of three kids growing up without a father in the home. It's twice as bad in the African- American community. National Fatherhood Initiative calls it the worst social crisis in the country.
And Roland Warren is president of the organization -- joining me live from Washington.
Roland, thank you for being here with us. Which direction are we trending? We see how -- we hear the number and it sounds -- certainly, it is a bad number that you want to improve. But is that number stable or is that number continuing to get worse, or have we made some headway, is it possibly getting better?
ROLAND WARREN, NATIONAL FATHERHOOD INITIATIVE: Well, actually, we did make some headway between 2004 and 2008. We actually saw a 5 percent decline in the number of kids who are growing up in father- absent homes, but the statistic is still a very, very high statistic. It's about 24 million kids who are growing up in homes absent their fathers.
And as you mentioned, in certain communities, like the African- American community, it's exceptionally high. And so, we fond of saying, you know, we don't have a fatherless kid to spare so there's still a lot of work to do.
HOLMES: Now, Roland, that 5 percent, that headway, that little headway you talk about, is there -- was that an anomaly or was there something we can attribute to that improvement?
WARREN: Well, you know, a lot of folks have been working on this issue. We've been working on it since 1994 and if you go to our Web site which is Fatherhood.org, you can find out a lot of stuff that we've been doing, research that's done around this, public awareness campaigns which we started with the Ad Council back in 1996, and even the president has been very vocal about this as well and did a PSA last Father's Day.
So, there are a lot of people who are starting to come together and really connecting the dots between some of the most intractable social ills effect in our kids, like low academic performance, crime, poverty, and all of the things in the presence or an absence of an involved, responsible and committed father.
HOLMES: Well, how do you go about -- you talk about PSA, you talk about the president getting involved and being active -- but how have you found is the best way to attack the problem?
WARREN: Well, public awareness is important. I mean, this is an issue that for many years just was under the radar screen. I mean, as the nation was starting to see more and more fathers absent from the home, no one was really talking about it until the early '90s. And so, starting with the public awareness that was important.
But I think the other thing is really important is that at the end of the day, it's about guys making decision to be involved, responsible and committed fathers -- and what our research has shown is that a lot of guys don't have the skills, don't know what to do. And that's one of the reasons why we do a lot of the work around skill-building.
One of our studies actually found that when we surveyed fathers, nearly half the fathers that we surveyed said they didn't have the skills and then over half the fathers said they were replaceable. So, we have a lot of work to do and our Web site Fatherhood.org, it's kind of what we do. We try to help guys developing the skills to be good dads and we're focused very much on this issue.
HOLMES: And the tough question here possibly -- and I don't know if one's more important than the other. But one I'm kind of asking you here is, I guess, which part of the problem should we be focusing on the most? And I know you all do a little bit of it all. But there's one problem here and that the kids who are in the one-parent homes need the guidance, they need some kind of a mentor or they need some kind of a role model. So, that's one thing you need to attack.
But at the other time -- on the other hand, you need to go after, would you say, just keeping people from having kids out of wedlock in the first place. So, I guess, is there a way to judge which one of those problems you should go after more aggressively? I know you have to do them both. But still --
WARREN: Right.
HOLMES: -- is there one we should be focused on more so than the other?
WARREN: Well, you know, it's one of those things. You got to be able to go to your right and your left.
HOLMES: Yes.
WARREN: -- like Kobe. I mean, we have to do both. And I think the other thing which is really important is, you know, we have to make sure that our kids are seeing certain examples because it's difficult to be what you don't see. And so, if we don't really model for young boys what it means to be a good father, if we don't model for young girls what it means to have a good father and a good husband involved in your life when you're making that decision about having children, then we'll just continue to kind of pour water through a sieve.
And so, we try to focus on both sides. We're encouraging dads who are there to be involved, responsible and committed, having the skills that they need -- but also encouraging folks not to become fathers if they're not ready and if they're not married to mom in particular, because the research shows overwhelming that those dads tend to be more involved and more engaged with their kids over the long haul.
So, it's a lot of stuff we have to do together and honestly, it's just one by one is a way that you really get at this problem and this issue.
HOLMES: One by one, like you said.
WARREN: Absolutely.
HOLMES: Roland Warren, again, the head of the National Fatherhood Initiative -- we appreciate you coming in on this Father's Day. Some important information, important statistics and again, something you need to always be out there and reminding people of what's happening.
WARREN: Absolutely.
HOLMES: Roland, thank you so much. Good to see you this morning. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
WARREN: Likewise. Happy Father's Day.
HOLMES: Thank you so much.
It's 24 minutes past the hour now. Quick break and we'll be right back on this Sunday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA DAWN JOHNSON, MOTIVATIONAL MINUTE: Good morning and welcome to another beautiful edition of morning motivation. I am Melissa Dawn Johnson, your global branding and personal transformation strategist.
Well, today is Father's Day. Let me first say happy Father's Day and happy birthday to my father, Dr. Lonnell Johnson. For all of us, we celebrate the men in our lives who are doing magnificent and wonderful things, whether they are fathers, stepfathers, uncles, big brothers or any male figure in our lives, we take this time to say we appreciate you, and we are grateful for your life and your contribution, not only to our family, our communities, as well as our world.
So, I'd love to hear how you're celebrating Father's Day. Join me at brandmelive.com and share your story. Until next week, you know what to do. Make every single day brandtastic.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. We want to end now -- we've been talking about Father's Day during the past hour and a half of the show -- so happy Father's Day to you all out there who watch the show. But also, we want to send the message out to the fathers of some of the people who work on this show right now.
(MUSIC)
