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CNN Sunday Morning
Biden to Join Marchers in Selma; McConnell Slams Liberal Group; Crews to Demolish Sinkhole House; Nuns' Hopes for Next Pope
Aired March 03, 2013 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. I'm Brianna Keilar, in this morning for Randi Kaye. It is 7:00 on the East Coast, 4:00 on the West. Thanks for starting your morning with us.
First, Vice President Joe Biden will be in Alabama today to commemorate the historic civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery. The 1965 march shined a light on the fight for voting rights for African-Americans. Fast forward to now, the issue is again front and center.
And Victor Blackwell is live in Selma for us.
Hi there, Victor. Just want to ask you because Vice President Biden is going to be there.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
KEILAR: He said Wednesday that he couldn't believe that he's reliving this civil rights battle and it is really being I think sort of put into light today because of the march. He is referring to this voting rights case that's now before the Supreme Court. Is he expected to address that today?
BLACKWELL: No doubt. He will talk about that today. The people who tried to cross that bridge behind me, the Edmund Pettus Bridge, this was the legislation they were fighting for in 1965. It's been reauthorized several times and now, there is a fight in the Supreme Court to negate one portion, Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which gives the federal government the right to negate local and state election laws in certain areas of the country, mostly in the South, if they believe it will disenfranchise minorities.
And the vice president has said, as you pointed out, he did not realize that these fights would have to be fought over and over.
Yesterday, I spoke with Debo Adegbile, he is one of the attorneys for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and he is arguing this case in front of the Supreme Court, alongside the Solicitor General Donald Verrilli. And I asked him one specific from Justice Scalia.
Justice Scalia said that this element of the Voting Rights Act amounts to racial entitlement. Here's his response to that claim.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DEBO ADEGBILE, SPECIAL COUNSEL, NAACP: From the perspective of a civil rights lawyer and an American it completely denies our history. The Voting Rights Act is a remedy, for more than a century of persistent discrimination. It's discrimination that stood in the face of the Constitution. It's an answer to promises that went unkept for over 100 years. And the Voting Rights Act captures what is best in America; the idea that we should all be able to participate in the democracy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: There were 98 senators in 2006 who voted to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act of 1965, including Joe Biden and every senator from the states that it covers. So, that is the argument that Justice Elena Kagan offered in response to what Justice Scalia said about it being a racial entitlement, Brianna.
KEILAR: What about critics who may argue that the provision is no longer needed because race relations have improved since the law was first passed?
BLACKWELL: Well, that's the argument that the attorney on behalf of Shelby County, Alabama, is making, saying that these provisions that are called for in Section 5 are burdensome and unwarranted. But the justices, Sotomayor and Kagan, said that this Voting Rights Act would come up with, or that the justices would approve, Alabama would meet that having no statewide African-American or minority leader elected across the state of Alabama.
So, that's the fight. And in Shelby County, they say that so far, things have improved to a point that this is no longer needed, Brianna.
KEILAR: This is really going to be a nail biter judging by those oral arguments, Victor, since you couldn't really tell where the justices stood and it seems that it is possible this changes. We'll be keeping an eye on that and we'll be coming back to you there in Selma, I should say.
Victor, thanks.
Senator Mitch McConnell accuses a liberal group using racial slurs to criticize his wife, former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao.
Progress Kentucky sent out a tweet that implies Chao's Asian background is linked with U.S. jobs moving to China. She was born in Taiwan. She moved to the U.S. when she was 8 and McConnell called the comments, quote, "the ultimate outrage." Many Democrats, including McConnell's possible challenger, Ashley Judd, said the tweets crossed the lined. Progress Kentucky has taken them off Twitter and apologized.
And McConnell will be a guest on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" coming up this morning at 9:00 Eastern.
Searchers outside of Tampa had given up on finding a man who disappeared when a sinkhole opened under his bed. Later this morning, demolition crews will start tearing down the house and authorities say the ground is so just unstable that it's too dangerous to look for Jeff Bush's body.
The hole is about 50 feet deep, about 30 feet wide, and soil testing showed it could swallow up even more houses in the neighborhood. At this point, at least two families had to pack up and leave.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONNIE RIVERA, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FIRE DEPT: We did some testing and we determined that the house right next to the house that is actually damaged, which is the green house, is also compromised by the sinkhole. We are allowing the families from this green house to go in safely with some of our crews to be able to get some of their immediate belongings.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: A county official says the ground is so dangerous that crews will have to tear down the house from a distance. They won't be allowed to walk fast the sidewalk.
Also in Florida, most of the people chased out of their homes by a fast, intense brush fire are back home this morning. Firefighters say -- I should say firefighters near Daytona Beach say they've got it 75 percent contained, but at one point, about 300 families had to leave. So far, there are no reports of injuries and only a barn and chicken coop have burned down.
The crew aboard the International Space Station is getting ready to lock down the Dragon cargo vehicle. This is something that they used the station's robotic arm to reach out to. They grabbed earlier this morning. You are watching some live pictures this morning from very far above the surface of the Earth.
They will be docking that Dragon capsule to the station around 9:40 a.m. Eastern Time. And you may recall there were some glitches when this launched on Friday. That delayed the arrival there at the space station by about a day. This capsule is carrying about 1,200 pounds of supplies for the crew and the experiment. So, they're quite happy to see that thing.
Some t-shirt controversial slogans have got a lot of people talking on Twitter. One slogan reads, "Keep calm and hit her." Another t-shirt apparently promoted rape. These appeared on Amazon's U.K. retail site. Solid Gold Bomb, the U.S.-based company that prints the shirts, is apologizing and has removed the listings. It said the slogans were computer generated.
The Roman Catholic Church is doing something it has not done in 600 years. It is searching for a new spiritual leader for its 1 billion faithful in the wake of last week's resignation of Benedict XVI. Cardinals from around the world are gathering at the Vatican.
And in New York, CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti talked with a few nuns about what they want to see in the next pope.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sister Mary Ellen Lacy spends her days helping the poor in New York's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, providing legal aid and promoting health care. She's a lawyer and a lobbyist.
(on camera): What kind of reaction do you get when people find out you're a lobbyist?
SISTER MARY ELLEN LACY, DAUGHTERS OF CHARITY: Very surprised. I think that you can't promote change. You can't ask for change unless you walk would the person who suffered that problem.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Like other Catholics, she has an eye on who will succeed Pope Benedict XVI.
(on camera): What characteristics would you like to see in the next pope?
LACY: I hope that the next pope reaches out to everybody. I hope that he sees his need to be a healer. And in healing comes understanding and open dialogue.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Because more than half of the cardinals selecting the next pope were chosen by Pope Benedict XVI, Sister Mary Ellen doubts opposition to ordaining women will change.
In Washington, D.C., Sister Simone Campbell isn't shy about speaking out. She helped organize last year's Nuns on the Bus Tour, opposing federal spending cuts and a proposed budget by GOP Congressman Paul Ryan.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, thank you for coming.
CANDIOTTI: In her view the church, unlike a cultural democracy, still struggles with expanding the roles of women.
SISTER SIMONE CAMPBELL, EXEC. DIR., NETWORK: We know women are equal and we know that all should be at the table contributing their insights. But the culture of our church, not the faith of our church, but the culture of our church has not caught up to a democratic culture.
CANDIOTTI: She hopes the next pope will drop an investigation of American nuns who the Vatican accuses of spending too much time fighting for social justice and not enough time opposing abortion and same-sex marriage.
CAMPBELL: We work too much for the poor, the needs of the poor, which I take as a badge of honor since that's our mission.
CANDIOTTI: For Sister Mary Ellen, the church's future is all about better communication.
LACY: I feel that we can only make a difference if we continue to maintain the dialogue.
CANDIOTTI: Which will be up to the next pope.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Susan Candiotti joins me now from outside St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.
Susan, I know it's early, but it is Sunday. So maybe some people are coming by as they do so often there to that beautiful cathedral in New York. Are any of them talking to you about what they want to see in the new pope?
CANDIOTTI: It's been pretty quiet. Good morning, so far, Brianna.
However, I can tell you that at least one of the parishioners here that we spoke with said that they're looking for more transparency in the church and also added this -- perhaps they said the next pope will start to appoint younger cardinals that would bring perhaps fresher ideas or bring about change in the years to come.
But, of course, change never comes quickly, normally, in the Roman Catholic Church. So, everyone is waiting to see when the date for the conclave will be set and who, of course, the next pope will be -- Brianna.
KEILAR: Susan Candiotti for us in New York -- thanks, Susan.
It's the French twist to eating and staying trim. We'll tell you all about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: There's a French twist when it comes to eating healthier. And my next guest even wrote a book about it.
Carol Cottrill believes there are 12 secrets to decadent dining that will help people manage their weight. She's joining me from New York this morning to share a few of those secrets.
Carol, first off, thanks for being here. I appreciate it.
CAROL COTTRILL, AUTHOR, "THE FRENCH TWISTE": Thank you, Brianna. Good to be here.
KEILAR: In your book, this idea -- I mean, people kind of say, "Let them eat cake." That's not such a bad thing in your book, is it?
COTTRILL: Not at all. Listen, Americans are at war with food. And they're losing. Forty-five million people are on a diet, and in this nation, obesity rates are higher than ever.
And then we have the French. They're having a love affair with food. And they're healthier, they live longer and they're slimmer.
KEILAR: So, what are some of the secrets that you've discovered?
COTTRILL: I think the biggest secret is that the pleasure center of the brain really has so much to do with the way that we metabolize food. So, there's a direct connection between what's happening in your brain and what's happening in your gut.
KEILAR: What does that mean exactly? So, when you're talking about these 12 secrets to decadent dining, give us -- give us a teaser on one, I would say.
COTTRILL: Well, OK, let's take, let's take the typical diet. And the typical diet we're asked to keep a food journal. We write down everything we eat and we monitor it.
But, really, what's happening has nothing to do with the food that we're eating, but what is driving that behavior? Why are we eating?
So, instead of journaling our food, what I ask my clients to do is journal their thoughts around food. Find out what is driving their behavior?
KEILAR: That's interesting. So, when you say your thoughts around food, maybe you talk about things such as, you know, were you upset about something at work and then you went and ate a cheese burger or having a great day and you ate a salad and did you feel content or did you feel like you had overeaten? That kind -- those kinds of thoughts?
COTTRILL: Absolutely. That's exactly what I'm talking about. And, you know, once you understand that behavior and you realize you're not a loser without willpower and that there is something driving that behavior, you're able to make a shift.
KEILAR: But if you understand that there is that behavior, then how do you manage it? So, I maybe I know I had a bad day at work. Maybe I wanted that gigantic chocolate shake. But how do I next time avoid that? The self-awareness of it will help me. Is that your theory?
COTTRILL: Well, that's the beginning of it. That's the first step and then there's many different things we go in to with the 12 steps. Like, for example, moralizing food. Naming food good or bad so that you feel like when you eat the food, you're good or bad, depending on what you eat.
So, that's one thing we try to turn around and understand that food is neutral. There are some foods that are healthier than others. And those are better choices, but you're not a good or bad person depending on what you eat.
KEILAR: Fascinating.
Carol Cottrill with us here today -- we really appreciate your time, thanks.
COTTRILL: Thank you.
KEILAR: The "Harlem Shake", it is not just a fun dance craze. Young activists in the Middle East are now using the meme to protest their leaders. I'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: Good morning, Washington, D.C., my lovely, yet dysfunctional home city. A nice, live look there of the sunrise shining down on the White House.
All eyes, of course, on Washington this week as four spending cuts get under way. You're looking at 42 degrees in Washington. Partly cloudy today.
Moscow is demanding more information about the death of a 3-year- old Russian boy who was adopted by a Texas couple. Max Shatto died on January 21st. A Texas coroner has declared his death accidental. A Texas district attorney said that bruises found on the little boy's body were self-inflicted.
Russian authorities say they're not satisfied. Russian has recently banned U.S. adoptions and in Moscow yesterday, demonstrators marched calling for a ban on all foreign adoptions.
The man who claimed responsibility for an attack in Nigeria that killed three Americans and dozens of other hostages is now dead. Chad's military has said they killed Mokhtar Belmokhtar. The one-eyed al Qaeda-linked reportedly died in clashes in Mali. One U.S. congressman cheered the report, calling Belmokhtar one of the deadliest terrorists in North Africa.
And Kenya will hold its presidential election tomorrow. The country is trying to prevent a repeat of 2008 when more than 1,000 people were killed in post-election violence. There is a system in place now for Kenyans to use social media, texts, as well as e-mail to report violence or hate speech. There are eight contenders in the election tomorrow. One frontrunner is the son of Kenya's first president Jomo Kenyatta.
By now, I'm sure you've seen some of these popular "Harlem Shake" videos from employees dancing in offices and teams like the NBA's Miami Heat breaking loose in their locker rooms, to reaching new heights in airplanes, my personal favorite. The new Internet sensation is doing more than sweeping the nation, though. Now, it's become a tool of protest in the Middle East. Seriously.
CNN's Jonathan Mann has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
JONATHAN MANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the meme of the moment and now the "Harlem Shake" has become the latest form of protest in the Middle East, from the Great Pyramids of Egypt to the streets outside of language in the capital of Tunisia. Millions around the world have watched different "Harlem Shake" videos online, the dance craze started last month with a group of Australian teenagers and quickly went viral, spreading to offices, airplanes, National Basketball Association locker rooms, even CNN.
This week, dance turned into dissent, though, as dozens of young Egyptians did the "Harlem Shake" in front of the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Cairo, to protest against the country's ruling party.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We thought we should protest in a fun manner. Instead of chanting and getting beaten, we'd have fun and laugh and then leave normally.
MANN: While the protest was peaceful, last week at least, four Egyptians were arrested while trying to record themselves doing the dance in their underwear in another Cairo neighborhood.
There have also been a few scuffles between protesters and police reported in Tunisia where more "Harlem Shake" videos are popping up online. The country's education minister has reportedly ordered an investigation into this video shot outside a school in Tunis where some dancers imitated Islamists by wearing fake beards and robes. While the videos look like fun, protesters say they want to be taken seriously.
UNIDENTIFEID MALE (through translator): We're sending a message in a different way and this message is very peaceful through doing the "Harlem Shake" dance.
MANN: Jonathan Mann, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: It could be a scene straight out of a sitcom, but this was no joke for some members of the "Modern Family" cast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get us out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get us out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get us out.
CROWD: Get us out!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: What happened when these stars found themselves stuck?
But, first, let's check in with Dr. Sanjay Gupta for a look at what's coming up on "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D." at 7:30 Eastern.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Big study out about the Mediterranean diet and how it could possibly reduce the risk of strokes by 30 percent. So, Kat Kinsman is going to join us. And I've always had this question about, if you're doing the Mediterranean diet, what do you have for breakfast? We'll talk about that and much more at the bottom of the hour.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KEILAR: Good morning, Atlanta. This is a live look at downtown and Centennial Olympic Park. Pretty chilly day considering it is March here, 45 degrees and partly cloudy.
So, what happens when you put three actors from "Modern Family" in an elevator? Well, apparently, they get stuck. Julie Bowen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet were on their way to a fundraiser in Kansas City on Friday when their elevator stopped between floors for an hour. They took to Twitter to vent with this video. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get us out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get us out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whole room.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get us out.
CROWD: Get us out!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: A dozen other people were stuck in the elevator with them. The Kansas City firemen eventually came to the rescue.
Sequester for spending cuts, whatever you want to call them, they were fair game for the crew at "Saturday Night Live" last night. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to show you some of the everyday men and women these cuts are going to affect. People like our air traffic controllers, and our border patrol agents. OK.
How will your department handle the budget cuts?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, before we can look at our radar screens, we have to watch a 20-second ad for Doritos and we no longer have full-body scanners at the security lines, so we are asking everyone to take a photo down the front of their pants and just text that to us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And border patrol?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to let every tenth Mexican just run across the border.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Que nada.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The cuts also affect our space program and astronauts like Major Lindsay Folten (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks to the budget cuts, our space helmets will no longer have glass. So, when we go outside to repair the ship, we'll just have to hold our breath.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, major.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll see you in space.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And some employees will be outright let go, including inner city public school teachers, like Ms. Bane (ph) here.
So, who worked in one of Philadelphia's worst school districts? This must be so hard for you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the greatest day of my entire life. So, good luck reading "Beowulf", you monsters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And, of course, these cuts will affect our military, our civil servants, federal construction projects and even grants to Native Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: I'll see you back here at the top of the hour.
But, first, Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores the high-stakes battle against bullying with our very own Anderson Cooper.
"SANJAY GUPTA, M.D." starts right now.
