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CNN Saturday Morning News
British Chopper Crashed In Basra, Iraq; Porter Goss Replacement Has Emerged; Major Beverage Companies Agree To Stop Selling Non-Diet Sodas In Schools; Coroners Reports Conflict On Boy's Boot Camp Death; Kennedy Clan Misfortunes Documented; Kentucky Derby Trainer Survives Plane Crash; Internet "Leetspeak" Explained
Aired May 06, 2006 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR: A disturbing scene in Basra this morning, a British tank on fire. Iraqi citizens -- you hear them cheering after a British chopper crashes in a residential neighborhood.
Good morning from the CNN Center in Atlanta. I'm Melissa Long in this morning for Betty Nguyen.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris. It's Saturday the 6th day of May. More on the disturbance in Iraq, and that was crazy in our hours earlier this morning in just a moment, but first, a quick look at some of the other stories making news right now.
We're getting new pictures of storm damage in Texas. This is the scene in Waco, several buildings damaged, trucks turned over, roofs blown off. Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is tracking the severe weather and we'll check in with him for the very latest.
A deadly crash in Afghanistan. The military says all 10 U.S. soldiers aboard a helicopter that crashed last night were killed. It happened during combat operations in southeastern Afghanistan. The helicopter was a CH-47 Chinook like the one in this file video. The military says the crash was not the result of enemy action.
LONG: "It's just one of those mysteries." That's what outgoing CIA director Porter Goss said today about his abrupt resignation yesterday. He quit Friday after what sources say was a power struggle. Air Force General Michael Hayden appears the likely choice to replace him. We have the details ahead, coming up in a live report.
A cruise ship that caught fire off the coast of Britain is being towed to port. Crews put out the fire in the engine room, and authorities say no one was injured. The ship, carrying mostly Dutch passengers, is headed to the Port of South Hampton. No word on what caused that fire.
HARRIS: Another day of waiting outside a gold mine in Australia. Rescue teams say they're within feet of reaching two trapped miners, but it may be tomorrow before they can get them out. The last of the digging has to be done by hand. The men have been trapped underground for the past 11 days. LONG: And here's what's coming up this hour. A boot camp death -- a Florida mom says the truth is finally out. What really happened to her 14-year-old son?
Also ahead, sugar-Laden soft drinks expelled from U.S. schools, all in the name of fighting childhood obesity. A registered dietitian will weigh in on this matter.
Plus, do you speak leet? Chances are your teen does. We will help you to decode this new teen slang known as "leetspeak" ...
HARRIS: "Leetspeak"?
LONG: ... and why you really need to know exactly what it is.
HARRIS: But first, our top story. Two wars, two military choppers down, coalition casualties. The military says a U.S. helicopter crashed last night in southeastern Afghanistan. All 10 U.S. soldiers aboard were killed. Officials say it happened during combat operations, but they say enemy fire was not involved.
And in Iraq, a British chopper crashed today in the southern city of Basra. There are casualties. Let's get the details from CNN's Ryan Chilcote in Baghdad -- Ryan.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Tony, we know that British military helicopter crashed into a vacant building in Basra. Some confusion and clarifications still needed on the exact number of casualties on the ground and the cause.
The British military saying that there were indeed casualties, but not saying how many. The Iraqi police we spoke with saying that the four crew members, the four British servicemen on board were killed in that crash.
As for the cause, the British aren't saying anything at this point. The Iraqi police say they believe it was downed by a missile, one policeman actually telling us that he saw the attack on the helicopter.
Now, what took place in the immediate aftermath, some amazing pictures there. Hundreds of Iraqis taking to the streets in Basra, many of them celebrating this apparent attack, and then some of them actually getting into clashes with British troops. You can see some of them there lighting an armored vehicle on fire.
Another group at one point apparently got into an exchange of gunfire with British troops. The British military now telling us that they had secured the wreckage site and that they are in control of that area but that unrest continues in the city -- Tony.
HARRIS: Ryan, I guess we would expect this if we were try talking about the Sunni Triangle up around where you are in Baghdad, but this is Basra, south of the country, near Kuwait, under British control and for the most part, something that has been pointed to as a positive situation in that country. CHILCOTE: That's correct, Tony. Basra is a comparatively quiet city, very little violence if you compare it to the violence that we've seen in other parts of Iraq, in particular, here in Baghdad. It is mostly a Shiite area, one of the reasons why it's so quiet.
The Shiites have generally, if not supported the occupation, supported the U.S. military and the British military's presence here. They have at least let it exist. There's been very little armed resistance to it.
That's unlike, of course, other parts of the country where the mostly Sunni insurgency is really raging. So this is very uncharacteristic for that city. It is obviously something that the British military is going to be concerned about, something that all coalition forces are going to be concerned about, because we haven't seen too much of this apparently Shiite-oriented violence.
HARRIS: CNN's Ryan Chilcote for us in Baghdad. Ryan, we appreciate it. Thank you.
LONG: The dust is still settling from the CIA shake-up and the likely replacement for the outgoing Director Porter Goss has emerged. We expect an announcement Monday on the president's choice to head the agency. Today Goss had little to say about his sudden departure on Friday.
White House correspondent Elaine Quijano joins us now live from Washington with more. Good morning, Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Melissa.
Let's take you, first of all, to Oklahoma, a live picture now. President Bush arriving there in Oklahoma where he's going to be delivering the commencement address next hour at Oklahoma State University. But, of course, as you mentioned, the story is still continuing to develop, the resignation of CIA director Porter Goss.
Now, interestingly, the White House this morning pushing back against reports that the president lost confidence in Porter Goss, White House spokesperson Dana Perino saying they're, quote, "categorically untrue." She said Goss, quote, "kept the focus on the war on terror."
Now, early this morning, CNN had the only camera outside Porter Goss' house. Here's what he told CNN producer Fran Lewine and a CNN photojournalist early this morning when pressed on the his reasons for wanting to leave the agency.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRAN LEWINE, CNN PRODUCER: Can you tell us why you're quitting?
PORTER GOSS, OUTGOING CIA DIRECTOR: I think that got played pretty well yesterday, thank you.
LEWINE: No, nobody knows why.
GOSS: Well, it's just one of those (INAUDIBLE).
LEWINE: (INAUDIBLE) continue it being your mystery, yes?
GOSS: No, I've got some things to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: So Porter Goss not giving any indication there, but a brief exchange. Interesting to note though, Goss did not dispute what's been reported that, in fact, what led to his resignation ultimately were some policy differences with his boss.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
QUIJANO (voice-over): President Bush's handpicked choice to run the CIA quit after just 20 months on the job.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Porter's tenure at the CIA was one of transition. He has helped this agency become integrated into the intelligence community and that was a tough job, and he's led ably.
GOSS: I would like to report back to you that I believe the agency is on a very even keel, sailing well.
QUIJANO: But by many accounts, turbulence marked Goss' time in charge of the spy agency. While neither Goss nor the president offered an explanation for the sudden resignation, ignoring questions from reporters, intelligence sources close to the discussions about the CIA's future say Goss' departure was anything but a surprise.
The reason? Sharp differences between Goss and the man he reported to, John Negroponte, the director of national intelligence, a job created after Goss was appointed CIA director. An intelligence source says Negroponte wanted changes, moving functions from the CIA to Negroponte's umbrella agency, the DNI. But Goss pushed back hard, arguing those changes would weaken the CIA.
In the end, Negroponte took his case to the White House for resolution, where top Bush aides sided with him. A senior administration official says Negroponte did raise with Goss the idea that he leave, and says the decision was ultimately based on a mutual understanding between Negroponte, Goss and President Bush.
John McLaughlin, the man who temporarily held the job before Goss, says the resignation is not a sign the CIA is in disarray but ...
JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The danger here is that we could go back into an era where we have revolving door directors.
With Porter Goss' departure, we'll have something like three directors in four years, and that's seldom a good thing. (END VIDEOTAPE)
QUIJANO: Now, in a statement released after the announcement, Porter Goss said that he'll be staying on over the next few weeks to help with the transition. Meantime, senior administration officials have told CNN that President Bush has settled on Air Force General Michael Hayden as his pick to succeed Porter Goss, his administration officials saying that an announcement is planned for Monday -- Melissa.
LONG: Elaine Quijano, live from the White House this morning, thank you.
HARRIS: An outed CIA officer is ready to tell her story and she'll get big bucks to do it. The Associated Press says former CIA operative Valerie Plame has agreed to a seven-figure book deal. Fallout from the leak of Plame's identity led to the indictment of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former top aide to the vice president. Her book is due out in the fall of 2007. It is tentatively titled "Fair Game."
Representative Patrick Kennedy is being treated at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Kennedy checked himself in yesterday. The Congressman says he needs treatments for his addiction to prescription drugs.
It comes after the Rhode Island Congressman was involved in a car crash yesterday near the Capitol, a crash Kennedy says he can't even remember. The Congressman admits he's suffered from depression and addiction to pain medication for years. He was at the same clinic over the Christmas holiday.
Bad luck seems to follow the Kennedy clan, much of it centered around drug and alcohol scandals. Are the Kennedys destined for trouble? The report just after the half hour, and that brings us to our e-mail question. What do you think of the Patrick Kennedy case, the accident that actually happened Wednesday night into Thursday morning? E-mail us at weekends@CNN.com and we'll read some of your responses later this hour. .
LONG: We shared some last hour and we enjoy getting those very opinionated responses.
HARRIS: We always do.
LONG: Thank you. Keep sending them in.
Some of your children may have a code all their own. Sure, they speak their own language, but now they have a code when surfing the net. Check out this message. What does that say? If you can't understand it, you may have a problem. Because, guess what? They know exactly what that says.
HARRIS: Sure. And just ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, the online lingo known "leetspeak" "leetspeak" decoded. Grab a pencil. You may want to take some notes. Plus take a look at these beverages. Do you know what you and your children are pouring inside your body? Grab a pen, paper. Nutritionist Julie Schwartz is breaking down the ingredients.
Reynolds, good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Once again, we want to show you these pictures thanks to our affiliate WFAA in Dallas, covering the scene for us of this devastation. Some serious damage in Waco, Texas, several buildings damaged. We understand trucks turned over, roofs blown off.
The storm actually ripped through Waco and the surrounding areas there about 1:00 a.m. this morning, and as you can see from this particular shot causing quite a bit of damage. There are no known injuries at this time, but a lot of damage to trees. That's pretty widespread.
Some major intersections are blocked because of all of this damage caused by -- look at this -- caused by the storm that rolled through about 1:00 a.m. Saturday into Waco, Texas. We'll keep an eye on that and we'll get an update on the situation from Reynolds Wolf in the Weather Center in just a couple of minutes -- Melissa.
LONG: Thank you, Tony. Schools are canning the sodas, saying so long to sugary drinks. Major beverage companies agreed this week to stop selling non-diet sodas in schools. This move is part of an initiative to fight childhood obesity. It is a cause championed by former President Bill Clinton. He says limits on serving sizes of drinks will also help kids take in fewer calories.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're now going have people maxing out 100 calories, who could have gotten drinks that had 250 to 400 calories in it. Now, let me tell you what that means for this obesity issue. If an 8-year-old child consumes 45 fewer calories a day every day for a decade, when the child graduates from high school, he or she will weigh 20 pounds less.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: In elementary and middle schools, companies will sell only water, unsweetened juice, low fat and non-fat milk. The milk can be flavored or unflavored. They'll be able to sell those items along with diet sodas and sports drinks in high schools.
Now, some call the soda ban a step in the right direction. Others say it simply doesn't go far enough. They point to all of the sugar that you can find in sports drinks.
And joining us to talk about kids, calories, beverage, Julie Schwartz. She's a registered dietitian. Thanks so much for joining us so early in the morning.
JULIE SCHWARTZ, REGISTERED DIETITIAN: Thank you.
LONG: She's with the Emory Bariatric Center here in Atlanta.
So we went shopping. I didn't go shopping. Thank you to our producer for going shopping, and we want to go step by step through all the drinks that many people find in their refrigerators and in so many of the vending machines.
So let's start with milk because there are different varieties of milk.
SCHWARTZ: Right. There's -- you go from whole milk to low-fat and skim milks. And with the milks, you want to aim to a low-fat milk to get optimal health. You are lowering the fat, so you're lowering the calories, but you're getting all the nutrition.
Many children really enjoy flavored milks and although that has a little bit more sugar, it's not a significant amount of sugar so it's still a very healthy choice and it may be a way to get your children to drink milk.
LONG: And what if you have a lactose-intolerant child at home? They're still getting their milk if they're taking that has the lactose -- the milk that has the lactose removed?
SCHWARTZ: Right, they can have either the lactose removed or switch to a fortified soymilk and they get the calcium and the magnesium that they're getting from the milk.
LONG: Then you have to turn them on to the taste of the soymilk, of course.
SCHWARTZ: Right.
LONG: Then you have the basic water. You have water without any flavoring, and then the water with flavoring. So what do you think about this type of water with the flavoring?
SCHWARTZ: Water with flavoring is a great way to get people to drink water, especially children. It's an alternate to maybe a juice drink, so you are getting a drink with flavor, but you're not getting the calories, you're not getting the extra sugar, and great alternative. Probably the best beverage choice out there.
LONG: You hear so many misnomers about how much water you're supposed to have a day. What do you say?
SCHWARTZ: I still say it's, in general, 64 ounces. There's calculations based on your body weight, but most people need at least 64 ounces of fluids every day.
LONG: OK, let's talk about the juices.
SCHWARTZ: OK. LONG: I always have my orange juice in the morning, can't start the day without it. I'm assuming that's good.
SCHWARTZ: That's fine.
LONG: OK.
SCHWARTZ: Some people love juice, some people hate juice because of the sugar. But it is a natural sugar, and if you're getting 100 percent fruit juice, you're getting a beverage that's packed with nutrients and it is a good start to the day. The biggest problem with juice is serving size. You want to have a serving that's not the whole container. It's about four to six ounces.
LONG: You mean this size container.
SCHWARTZ: Correct.
LONG: OK, let's talk about the flavored juices.
SCHWARTZ: Flavored juices are really just empty calories. There's really not a lot of nutritional value.
LONG: It tastes good.
SCHWARTZ: Tastes good, but empty calories. Doesn't have the carbonation of the colas and the soft drinks, but it's still a high- sugar drink. It's probably best to avoid that unless you've already achieved nutrition in another way and have room for the calories.
LONG: We are running out of time, and I want to talk about the last two, because this is what so many people consume. You have the sports drinks for the athletes and the sodas. How bad are they?
SCHWARTZ: For our kids, they really don't ever need to have these drinks. The sports drinks are designed for people that are exercising, even kids, over an hour. Beyond that, there's just a flavoring. Yes it may help some achieve their hydration, but not greatly. The sodas are empty calories, a lot of extra calories, no nutritional value whatsoever.
LONG: Saw a recent statistic -- the average American now consumes more than 50 gallons of soda a year?
SCHWARTZ: Amazing. And we wonder why our population and our children are obese. We need to start at home, really encouraging and enforcing the water, the milk and the juice, getting rid of the rest of this.
LONG: Julie Schwartz, great advice. Thank you.
SCHWARTZ: Thank you.
LONG: Remember everything she said when you go shopping next time.
Tony, were you taking notes?
HARRIS: Yes, absolutely. I have got to trim a lot out of -- and my kids' diet as well. Thank you. Melissa, that's great information. Thanks.
Still ahead, it is a life-changing situation. The rise in the price of gasoline is impacting more people than you might realize. Next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, a shocking new poll about the strain brought on by the pain at the pumps.
Plus, new information about what really caused the death of a teenager at a Florida juvenile boot camp. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Stormy, stormy weather in Texas. These are pictures just in to us from Waco, Texas. High winds blew the roof off of this warehouse and even toppled a truck.
Let's get to weather right now. What do you think?
LONG: Yes. Yes, Reynolds Wolf is keeping us posted on this wicked weather system moving on through, and where is it going?
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: OK, Reynolds. Appreciate it. Thank you.
LONG: Thank you.
HARRIS: A new survey puts the average price for a gallon of gas, you hear this? $2.92.
LONG: Ouch, that hurts, huh?
HARRIS: Yes.
LONG: Yes.
HARRIS: That is up 71 cents from this time last year. Gas prices hit us all where it hurts the most. Our wallets. Another new poll asks, in the next six months do you expect the price of gas to cause you or your family financial hardship? Seventy percent said yes.
And when asked what changes have you made because of higher energy prices, 66 percent of you have reduced driving and 66 percent are cutting back air-conditioning or heat. Thirty-nine percent have thought about getting a fuel-efficient car. That's where I'm living right now, and 49 percent are changing vacation plans. So there you go.
LONG: Have you made any changes?
HARRIS: Yes, I'm thinking about right now I have got to make a car decision here pretty soon. LONG: A hybrid.
HARRIS: And I'm looking at, you know, getting that hybrid car.
LONG: Mr. Harris in his hybrid.
HARRIS: Mr. -- in a hybrid. Yes, so that's -- you know, that's something that is impacting my life right now and I have got to make a decision for this family.
LONG: I found gas for $2.79 the other day.
HARRIS: Where?
LONG: Oh, I filled up.
HARRIS: GasBuddy.com, did you say?
LONG: No, just driving down the street, yes.
HARRIS: You need to put that on at GasBuddy and let folks know where they can find that price and -- because we do that at CNN.com.
LONG: Right. Gas gauge.
HARRIS: If you go to CNN.com you can also find Pipeline.
LONG: Pipeline -- CNN.com/pipeline.
HARRIS: Which we love talking about that. Yes, we love talking about that with you this morning, because you are really rocking Pipeline right now. So give folks a little bit of a primer of what Pipeline's about.
LONG: Well, we have a very dynamic team that's put together a totally innovative project called Pipeline. You're looking at it right now. Essentially, take every news event you can possibly want to know about, put it on your desktop and you have access.
Say you're sitting at work and you want to clue into something. You click on of the pipes. We have live what we call news feeds from all around the world keeping you up to date on breaking news.
HARRIS: How many pipes?
LONG: Four total pipes.
HARRIS: OK.
LONG: And you have a choice to click on one of the pipes at the bottom and put in the large screen, so you have an even better view of the live events and also, this is your access to CNN's vast archives. So Mr. Harris, say you did a report, we can type in your name. Your reports come up.
HARRIS: Really? LONG: It's like an encyclopedia.
HARRIS: Nice.
LONG: Yes, it's really neat.
HARRIS: So, OK, let me put this to the test. So let's say yesterday we had a press conference from Patrick Kennedy and then -- well, he didn't answer any questions so, so much for it being a press conference.
LONG: An address.
HARRIS: Yes, he made a statement. And then let's say we had something coming out of the White House, could we get both of those events that are going on simultaneously?
LONG: All of it.
HARRIS: You can get all?
LONG: All of it, and you know what? The other thing, we're getting a wrap in our ears. We don't get wraps on Pipeline because we don't have commercial breaks you have to go to. Continue it.
HARRIS: That was good. That was good. A little jab on the producers. That was good stuff.
Melissa, thanks, that's great.
Still ahead, really don't move a muscle. Some stories are coming up this hour that you don't want to miss, including Patrick Kennedy's brush with the law. It's just the latest in the family's long history of tragedy and scandal.
Also ahead, monitoring your child's online activities -- it means you'll need to learn a new language and I have a hard time saying that language. It's called "leetspeak" and we an expert in it to talk about it.
HARRIS: And post time just a few hours away. Will Selva is at Churchill Downs. Good to see you. Good morning, Will.
WILL SELVA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Coming up the story of a trainer who saw his life change in a dramatic way -- Tony.
HARRIS: OK. And live pictures now, let's take you to Stillwater Oklahoma, home of Oklahoma State University. The happy graduates right now waiting for their commencement speaker. President George W. Bush will be offering the commencement address in just a couple of moments. Stay with us. You're watching CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: Good morning. We have been following this next story since January when news of a 14-year-old dying at a Florida boot camp first surfaced. The boy's parents couldn't believe what had happened to their son and could not accept what an autopsy found out. Now a second autopsy shows the parents had every reason to doubt what they were told. CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti traces the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This time Martin Anderson's death is being blamed on guards at the boot camp forcing smelling salts up his nose. In a written statement, a second medical examiner appointed by the governor to investigate calls Anderson's death suffocation due to the actions of the guards. The teenager's family claimed vindication and accused the original medical examiner of wrongdoing.
GINA JONES, ANDERSON'S MOTHER: So the truth is out now. My baby was murdered in the boot camp and he tried to cover it up.
CANDIOTTI: The teen collapsed in January during an exercise drill on his first day at the Panama City boot camp. Anderson's family immediately raised questions. So did Florida lawmakers calling the guards' actions abuse. The boy's body was exhumed. The governor got involved and so did the Justice Department, investigating whether excessive force was used. Governor Bush said I am disturbed by the findings and consider the actions of the Bay County boot camp guards deplorable.
The second medical examiner asked NASA to enhance the video for his review. This is a less clear copy released after CNN and the "Miami Herald" sued the state of Florida to obtain it. Here Anderson's head appears to be pulled back, his mouth covered while guards put a ammonia capsules up the teenager's nostrils.
The second medical examiner says that cut off the 14-year-old's oxygen. A boot camp incident report obtained by CNN says the capsules were used five times. The same report calls the repeated blows control techniques to make recruits comply with orders. The latest autopsy agrees with the first that the pounding was not fatal.
The blows left several bruises, but he was not beaten to death. Both autopsies also agree that Anderson had sickle cell trait, but the original medical examiner continues to insist Anderson did not suffocate. Dr. Charles Siebert says there was no increase in carbon dioxide levels, a key basis for suffocation.
DR. CHARLES SIEBERT, BAY COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER: My findings are backed up by science and I'm comfortable with my findings and I'm going to stand by them.
CANDIOTTI: Dr. Siebert found the teenager died of natural causes when physical stress prompted his cells to change form and hemorrhage. Siebert denies any cover up. One of the guard's lawyers called the investigation a witch-hunt.
WAYLON GRAHAM, ATTY. FOR LT. CHARLES HELMS: It's pretty apparent to me that the governor is bending over backwards to please the local crowd that's fussing and I'm concerned on the governor putting pressure on all these individuals to reach the result that would please the victim's family.
CANDIOTTI: The same lawyer claims a nurse told the guards the boy was just faking his stress and told them to use smelling salts. A criminal investigation is still going on. Some guards predict they will be charged. If so, a trial could be a battle of the coroners. Susan Candiotti, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Most people were not surprised by Patrick Kennedy's recent brush with the law and now another stint in rehab. Truth is, misfortune seems to have drawn a bull's-eye on the Kennedy clan. It's even given a name, the Kennedy curse. Here's CNN's Randi Kaye.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As much as the Kennedy's are a part of United States history, so too are their drug and alcohol-related scandals.
GERALD STROBER, "THE KENNEDY PRESIDENCY": I think it's almost like we know the sun is going to come up in the east and eventually we're going to see on television breaking news that one of the Kennedy's has been involved in a problem, in a serious problem, whether it has to do with alcohol or drugs or sex. This just seems to be a given that kind of hangs over this family.
KAYE: Patrick Kennedy's father, Senator Ted Kennedy has long had a reputation as a heavy drinker. He may best be remembered for a tragedy. Chappaquiddick Island near Martha's Vineyard 1969. Kennedy drove his car off a bridge. His passenger and aide, Mary Jo Kopechne, died.
It was never proven, but long speculated that Kennedy was drunk. His ex-wife Joan Kennedy was in and out of rehabilitation for years and her family got her assigned a court-appointed guardian after she broke her shoulder in a drunken fall.
STROBER: I think there was also a pressure on Edward Kennedy and then on the children to live up to what was expected of a Kennedy, that John and Bobby had laid out certain markers in public life.
KAYE: Some Kennedy's have battled addiction in their adolescence. Patrick Kennedy has said he was treated for cocaine and alcohol dependency when he was in high school. His brother, Edward Kennedy, Jr. also went through rehab. In 1983 Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., pleaded guilty to possession of heroin and was sentenced to community service and drug treatment.
That next year, another of Robert Kennedy's sons, David, died of a cocaine and Demerol overdose in a Palm Beach, Florida, hotel. David was widely reported to have battled drug addiction since the age of 12, not long after his father was assassinated. After the assassination, David was treated at least twice for heroin dependency and had suffered from a heart infection associated with narcotics use.
And remember the babysitter scandal? David's brother Michael Kennedy checked into rehab after his wife caught him in bed with the babysitter. He blamed the relationship on an alcohol problem. Years later at age 39, Michael died in a skiing accident. With a family history like this, what will be of the Kennedy legacy?
STROBER: This kind of reduces Kennedys to a kind of common denominator. In other words, they are like many families, tragically in our country. Many families face the problem either with parents or children or grandchildren, with alcohol abuse, with drug abuse.
KAYE: The big difference, of course, not all family's problems play out so publicly. Randi Kaye, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: All morning long, we've been asking for your thoughts on our e-mail question and you have been giving us an earful. That's not a complaint. We love it. We love it, about Congressman Kennedy's latest problems. If you'd like to weigh in, fire us off an e-mail, weekends@CNN.com and we'll read a couple of those e-mails later this hour.
"Leetspeak."
LONG: What?
HARRIS: I don't know.
LONG: Do you have research on that?
HARRIS: I need it, got to get some. "Leetspeak" is the new slang on the Internet. It's an alphabet soup of acronyms that are shorthand for all kinds of expressions. As you can see, many are clearly inappropriate for children.
LONG: Up next, an expert on Internet safety joins us to explain exactly what's being said and how to keep your children safe from those who misuse the secret code.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: This next story this morning is really about the incredible things that people are capable of under extraordinary conditions and it just happens to have a link to the Kentucky Derby. CNN's Will Selva is live in Louisville this morning, home of the Derby and the backdrop for this incredible tale of survival and bravery. Good morning, Will.
SELVA: Good morning to you Melissa. As one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby, Barbaro faces enormous pressure to win today. His trainer Michael Matz knows all about pressure. Matz survived an experience so intense, it will never be matched.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SELVA (voice-over): Matz was a passenger on United Airlines Flight 232 on July 19, 1989. It was to be a doomed flight, crashing in an Iowa cornfield after mechanical problems and killing 112 of the people onboard. Matz survived, but 17 years later his life is still changed.
MIKE MATZ, TRAINER, BARBARO: Sometimes you think everything can always happen to somebody else, but it could happen to you and you just make you wonder, sort of cherish every moment.
SELVA: Matz found himself strapped to his seat hanging upside down when the plane came to a stop. After getting down, he took the time to lead three children sitting near him and flying without their parents out of the plane. He then returned to the wreckage to help save an 11-month old baby.
MATZ: Nobody knows in situations like that how anybody's going react. You know, I just did what I felt was right and hopefully if my children were in the same situation, somebody would do it for me.
SELVA: Matz doesn't like to talk about the crash, but he has stayed in touch with the three children he helped out and will each be in attendance at Churchill Downs Saturday. It will be an odd place and time for a reunion, but it will be a reunion that each will simply be happy can occur.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SELVA: Matz is a three-time Olympian in the sport of equestrian riding. Interestingly enough, he won a silver medal in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and had the distinct honor of carrying out the American flag at the closing ceremonies. Melissa, quite a story.
LONG: Amazing story. Well, I want to ask you something. Of course, the Derby all about tradition, and all about the beautiful hats. You don't have one on and all about the adult beverage. Have you had a chance to sample that traditional drink?
SELVA: I did, I did try the mint julep a couple of times and I have to say it went down not as smooth as I would have liked, you know?
And I had tried the $1,000 mint juleps which I was just told that they sold out of, the $1,000 mint juleps. The first 50 people that had that kind of money like say, Tony Harris, if he was here, he'd be able to afford to have it, so they've been all sold out now, so no $1,000 mint juleps. It all goes to charity too so that's the great part about it. So people get to enjoy the Derby and again, it goes to a great cause.
LONG: What a nice assignment, huh?
HARRIS: Some cash for my wage on the race today. Thank you Will.
SELVA: Tony, I know that we're friends, but I don't know if we're like that.
HARRIS: Have a great time at the Kentucky Derby today in Louisville. Good to see you.
SELVA: Thank you.
HARRIS: Time to learn something. Boy, I mean, text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail chat rooms, kids today are practically born wired and they've also developed their own online language dubbed "leetspeak." It looks like this. Obviously it's not meant to be understood by everyone. Look at this. This is what it says.
What may appear to be random symbols and numbers is really online lingo used by teens to hide messages from their parents. There it is. For most kids, "leetspeak" is just for fun. Typically it's nothing more elaborate than acronyms for common expressions. For example, nearly everyone knows that LOL means laugh out loud, but Internet safety experts say parents should understand that certain "leetspeak" acronyms are red flags that an online chat is moving into dangerous territory.
Del Harvey is with PervertedJustice.com, a Web site that polices chat rooms for sexual predators. She joins us from Los Angeles to explain some of the top "leetspeak" terms that savvy parents should be aware of and we should mention that Del is not her real name. Del, good to see you.
DEL HARVEY, PERVERTEDJUSTICE.COM: Hi.
HARRIS: Thanks for your time. I want to start with -- I've been having a struggle saying this all morning. "Leetspeak"? Is that an acronym for something? What does that mean, that term mean?
HARVEY: Leet actually is a shortening of the word elite. Originally elite speak was used by not so much hackers, as those called script kiddies, in other words, amateur hackers and leet was a way of saying your ranking so to speak.
HARRIS: So in your work, how often do you communicate through these acronyms?
HARVEY: Acronyms themselves are pretty much universal. You went into laugh out loud, rolling on floor laughing, WTF, OMG. There's a lot of acronyms that are pretty much universal and everyone's starting to understand what they mean.
HARRIS: OK.
HARVEY: And then there's those acronyms that we're talking about today that are a little more worrisome when they come up.
HARRIS: We've got a side panel up. Let's get to the real education piece of this. We've got some of the acronyms on a side panel here and let's start with this first one. It's POS. And it stands for parent over shoulder and that clearly is a message that your parent is nearby and we might want to change the direction of this conversation, is that basically it?
HARVEY: Yes.
HARRIS: And the next one is ASL, that's age, sex and location. And this is clearly a question request for information.
HARVEY: Correct.
HARRIS: F2F and that is face-to-face. Now what is that about?
HARVEY: That's basically a request for a face-to-face meeting. In other words, say you're having problem with a friend, you'd say let's talk F2F and that would mean let's talk face-to-face about it or if you're talking to someone you've never met, let's meet.
HARRIS: OK, SOG, straight or gay. LMIRL, let's meet in real life. And clearly, now, what we're setting up is for parents -- these are the acronyms that they need to be mindful of. They need to know this information and understand what these stand for to better protect their kids and that's the purpose of all of this, correct?
HARVEY: Correct.
HARRIS: KPC, keep parents clueless, TDTM, talk dirty to me. OK. Clearly, we're escalating here. IWSN, I want sex now. NIFOC, nude in front of computer, GYPO, get your pants off. Are there any signs to look for that your child may be engaging in this kind of conversation using these kinds of acronyms?
HARVEY: First of all, you can always check and see what's actually up on the windows that are on their computer, obviously. Secondly, things to watch out for, say that you walk into a room and all of a sudden they minimize the window they're looking at. Obviously, you might want to look and see what was on that window they just minimized? Learn how to check browser histories and see if they're going to the chat sites and the dating sites and the meeting sites.
HARRIS: Just generally speaking, give me a sense what the latest figures are about how many online predators are out there at any one time.
HARVEY: They're estimating about 50,000 predators are online at any moment.
HARRIS: OK. Del Harvey, we appreciate it. Del Harvey with PervertedJustice.com. More information for you, now, thank you Del.
We have been talking all morning -- actually, we want to direct you to our Web site. If you want a list of the 20 most commonly used acronyms you can go to CNN.com and scroll down to only on CNN. That will take you to our particular web page, CNN SATURDAY MORNING and you can find the 20 most used acronyms and hopefully it is helpful. We will ...
LONG: It's frightening that the kids have been in developing this "leetspeak."
HARRIS: Well, 20 of them are actively used and another 30 that are sort of commonly used.
LONG: And constantly changing I'm sure, too.
HARRIS: Constantly changing. We're going to take a break. More of CNN SATURDAY MORNING when we come back.
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LONG: Raindrops falling on the heads of some graduates today waiting for the president to address them.
HARRIS: This is Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. Reynolds Wolf, we just mentioned this a moment ago. We were asking the question, might the storms that did so much damage in Texas be moving to Oklahoma and you said yes.
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HARRIS: Still ahead, a surprising new weapon in the war against men who sexually harass women on the street.
LONG: Coming up, we will meet a new group of heroes called the cell phone vigilantes. That's next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
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