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CNN Saturday Morning News
Bankruptcy Looms for General Motors; Obama Tries To Soften Sotomayor's Remarks; Leno's Last 'Tonight Show' All About Family; Key Acronyms Ease Introduction to Twitter
Aired May 30, 2009 - 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: Good to have you back, Betty.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. It's good to be back.
HOLMES: It seems like it's been forever since we've worked together.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: It does seem like a little while, but we are back in action. The whole team together this weekend.
HOLMES: Everybody. We got Reynolds over there...
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: ...with us. Where is Reynolds? Can we get a shot of Reynolds while we're up here?
NGUYEN: He's working hard, apparently.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Reynolds is working hard.
But hello there. From the CNN Center on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING for this May 30, I am T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Yes, good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. It's 6:00 a.m. here in Atlanta; 5:00 a.m. in Houston, 3:00 a.m. in Las Vegas, very early. Thanks for starting your day with us. Let's get it right to it.
President Obama starting his day pushing for the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Now just moments ago, he lobbied for her in his radio address. And we're going to air the full address straight ahead.
HOLMES: Also, did you see this last night? I didn't say up to watch this.
NGUYEN: I was asleep, yes.
HOLMES: OK, you were asleep, where you should have been.
Jay Leno, it was his last night.
NGUYEN: I know.
HOLMES: Seventeen years, saying goodbye to "The Tonight Show."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Welcome to the exciting season finale of "The Tonight Show," ladies and gentlemen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Season finale, that's one way to put it.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: His final monologue last night, we will let you hear it this morning.
But first, a look at what we're following for you.
A source says General Motors' board of directors meeting today to talk over bankruptcy plans. GM's stock finished yesterday at only 75 cents a share. That's the lowest since the Great Depression. The company is expected to file for bankruptcy as soon as Monday. Don't know if there's breaking news about it that somebody's calling about back here on the phone.
Despite GM's troubles, a late-afternoon rally on Wall Street pushed the major indices to their biggest three-month run in two years. After prices fluctuated all day yesterday, stocks shot higher just before the closing bell. According to the early tallies, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 97 points. Both the S&P and 500 -- S&P 500 and the Nasdaq composites gained 12 points.
Also, Prince Harry on his first official trip to New York. Spent much of yesterday honoring victims of 9/11 with visits to Ground Zero and the British Memorial Garden at Hanover Square. This morning, he will visit Harlem's Children Zone, an organization focused on educating disadvantaged children. This afternoon, he will saddle up for a charity polo match.
NGUYEN: Well, more now on the financial crisis at General Motors. The United Auto Workers Union has ratified a revised contract with GM that is expected to save the company a little over a billion a year. And a Canadian firm has agreed to buy Opel from General Motors. Seventy-four percent of UAW members approved the new deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RON GETTELFINGER, UAW PRESIDENT: ...salvaging as much as we possibly could for our retirees. I'm regretful that we had to do anything, and I think it's a disgrace that we had to do anything. However, we tried to inflict the least amount of pain. (END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, CNN correspondent Diana Magnay joins us now from Berlin with details of this new deal with Opel.
And if you could start off for our viewers, Diana, explain to us what Opel is and -- and how that relates to GM.
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, here in Europe, GM Europe has three brands under its umbrella. Opel is one of them, based predominantly in Germany, where it has 25,000 staff employed here.
Vouxhall in the UK is another brand, and then Saab in Sweden.
And what happened last night, early this morning, is that the German government Opel and this Austrian-Canadian car-parts manufacturer, Magna, struck a deal whereby Magna, with Russian financial backing, will take over the whole of GM Europe's operations. So all -- all those brands, or specifically Vouxhall and Opel.
So what this means is that if even if GM does go bankrupt, as we expect it do on Monday, the European arm won't be sucked into that bankruptcy. And these brands over here will survive -- Betty.
NGUYEN: OK, so what does that mean for jobs across Europe, when it comes to Opel and -- and surviving throughout all of this?
MAGNAY: Well, that is obviously something that has been a huge concern for the 55,000 people that GM employs across Europe.
Basically, this means that their jobs are much safer than they thought they might be if the company were to go bankrupt, and if the European arm was to go bankrupt also. But there are still going to be major job cuts. Magna is saying probably around 10,000 job cuts across Europe, and possibly around 2,000 of those in German.
Germany's getting off quite lightly, really because it's the German government who's putting in the financing, the funding for this deal in terms of loan guarantees and emergency funding to keep the European arm of General Motors operating now, right now, when GM can't give it the cash it needs to keep operating -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right. Diana Magnay, joining us live.
And as you're seeing in those live pictures right now, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is speaking about this right now. Obviously, it is German, so as soon as we get some translation and news breaks out of that, of course we'll bring you the latest.
HOLMES: And i-Reporters weighing in as well.
One saying taxpayers shouldn't pour more money into GM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY DEOL, I-REPORTER: Let GM go. Mm-hmm. The (INAUDIBLE) don't think the numbers add up. The GM current capacity is 11.5 million vehicles; demand currently estimated at 9.5. That means -- what? -- overcapacity of 2 million vehicles. And more job cuts, more restructuring.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And of course, as always, you can send us your i-Reports at ireport.com. And for more on GM's new restructuring plan, you can check out cnnmoney.com.
Then tonight, on CNN, "The Rise & Fall of the American Auto Industry" and where it might go from here, that's tonight at 8:00 Eastern.
NGUYEN: Well, President Obama this morning is singing the praises of his Supreme Court nominee, federal-appeals court Judge Sonia Sotomayor. In his weekly Internet and radio address though -- he releases within just the hour, and the president is calling for swift Senate confirmation of Judge Sotomayor.
Here are the president's words in its entirety.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: This week, I nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the U.S. Court of Appeals to replace Justice David Souter, who's retiring after nearly two decades on the Supreme Court.
After reviewing many terrific candidates, I am certain that she's the right choice. In fact, there's not been in a nominee in several generations who's brought the depth of judicial experience to this job that she offers.
Judge Sotomayor's career began when she served as an assistant district attorney in New York, prosecuting violent crimes in America's largest city. After leaving the DA's office, she became a litigator, representing clients in complex international legal disputes.
She was appointed to the U.S. District Court, serving six years as a trial judge, where she presided over hundreds of cases. And most recently, she has spent 11 years on the U.S. Court of Appeals, our nation's second-highest court, grappling with some of the most difficult constitutional and legal issues we face as a nation.
She has more experience on the federal bench that any incoming Supreme Court justice in the past 100 years. Quite simply, Judge Sotomayor has a deep familiarity with our judicial system from almost every angle.
And her achievements are all the more impressive when you consider what she had to overcome in order to achieve them. Judge Sotomayor grew up in a housing project in the South Bronx. Her parents came to New York from Puerto Rico during the Second World War.
Her father was a factory worker with a third-grade education, and when she was just nine-years-old, he passed away. Her mother worked six days a week as a nurse to provide for her and her brother, buying the only set of encyclopedias in the neighborhood, and sending her children to Catholic school. That's what made it possible for Judge Sotomayor to attend two of America's leading universities, graduating at the top of her class at Princeton University, and studying at Yale Law School, where she won a prestigious post as an editor of the school's law journal.
These many years later, it was hard not to be moved by Judge Sotomayor's mother, sitting in the front row at the White House, her eyes welling with tears, as her daughter, who had come so far, for whom she had sacrificed so much, was nominated to the highest court in the land.
This is what makes Judge Sotomayor so extraordinary. Even as she has reached the heights of her profession, she's never forgotten where she began. She's faced down barriers, overcome difficult odds, and lived the American Dream.
As a justice of the Supreme Court, she will bring not only the experience acquired over the course of a brilliant legal career, but the wisdom accumulated over the course of an extraordinary journey, a journey defined by hard work, fierce intelligence, and that enduring faith that in America, all things as possible.
It's her experience in life and her achievements in the legal profession that have earned Judge Sotomayor respect across party lines and ideological divides. She was originally named to the U.S. District Court by the first President Bush, a Republican. She was appointed to the federal Court of Appeals by President Clinton, a Democrat.
She twice has been overwhelmingly confirmed by the U.S. Senate. And I am gratified by the support for this nomination voiced by members of the legal community who represent views from across the political spectrum.
There are, of course, some in Washington who are attempting to draw old battle lines and playing the usual political games, pulling a few comments out of context to paint a distorted picture of Judge Sotomayor's record. But I am confident that these efforts will fail, because Judge Sotomayor's 17-year record on the bench, hundreds of judicial decisions that every American can read for him or herself, speak far louder than any attack.
Her record makes clear that she is fair, unbiased and dedicated to the rule of law. As a fellow judge on her court, appointed by Ronald Reagan, said recently, "I don't think I'd go far as to classify her in one camp or another. I think she just deserves the classification of 'outstanding judge.'"
Congress returns this week, and I hope the confirmation process will begin without delay. No nominee should be seated without rigorous evaluation and hearing. I expect nothing less.
But what I hope is that we can avoid the political posturing and ideological brinksmanship that has bogged down this process, and Congress, in the past. Judge Sotomayor ought to be on the bench when the Supreme Court decides what cases to hear this year, and I'm calling on Democrats and Republicans to be thorough and timely in dealing with this nomination.
As president, there are few responsibilities more serious or consequential than the naming of a Supreme Court justice. The members of our highest court are granted life tenure. They're charged with applying principles put to paper more than two centuries ago to some of the most difficult questions of our time. And the impact of their decisions extend beyond an administration, but for generations to come.
This is a decision that I have not taken lightly, and it's one that I am proud to have made. I know that Justice Sotomayor will serve this nation with distinction. And when she ascends those marble steps to assume her seat on the Supreme Court, bringing a lifetime of experience on and off the bench, America will have taken another important step towards realizing the ideal that is chiseled above its entrance: "Equal justice under the law."
Thanks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, Republicans a bit divided on how best to deal with Judge Sotomayor's nomination, some conservatives calling her an "activist judge" who will bring "a leftist agenda" to the high court.
NGUYEN: Well, radio host Rush Limbaugh and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich are calling Sotomayor "a racist" because of comments made in 2001. Now, she once said her experience as a Latina woman might make her judgments more sound than those of a white man. Still, other opponents of her nomination recognize the political risk of attacking the first Hispanic to be nominated to the Supreme Court.
Well, the parents of a premature baby are staying true to their religious beliefs, and refusing to give their child a blood transfusion. We're going to talk more about this story a little bit later.
But it is a topic that we want to hear your comments on. In fact, we've already got a few of them. Find T.J. and me on both Twitter and Facebook, and sound off on this one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LENO: And I wondered, 'How many kids have been born to the 'The Tonight Show' in 17 years?' Here's the answer.
Take a look:
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
LENO: The answer!
NGUYEN (voice-over): Oh my goodness. HOLMES (voice-over): Look in the kid in the front taking advantage of the stage.
LENO: ... 68!
HOLMES: Yes, it's -- been some baby-making going on in the past 17 years. Those are not all...
NGUYEN: Something's in the water.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Those are not Jay's kids!
HOLMES: Let's get that clear. OK.
NGUYEN: Let's make that very clear.
HOLMES: That's clear.
Now take a look down in the front.
NGUYEN: I know.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: All right. Yes, just -- end of an era. Jay Leno's final monologue -- there's the little guy -- as host of "The Tonight Show." We'll show you more of his farewell episode last night.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LENO: Do you realize, when I started this show, my hair was black, and the president was white. Did you know that?
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LENO: Like people ask me, 'Oh, what are you going to do after the last show? Are you going to go on vacation? This kind of stuff. And I -- actually, I'm going to be going to a secluded where no one can find me: NBC primetime.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LENO: Now when you look back...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: A secluded spot where no one will find him.
He's going to be up against some stiff competition in primetime though. We're going to watch and see how he does. Boy, that -- that's a tough hour.
But you know, Jay Leno took over for Johnny Carson in 1992.
HOLMES: It's been a minute.
NGUYEN: It's been a little while.
HOLMES: And he's been on top for a long time.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: Everybody remembers the moment -- what's the guy's name?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Maybe Carson?
HOLMES: The actor, where...
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: What's his name?
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: Hugh Grant.
WOLF: Hugh Grant. Oh, the Hugh Grant moment.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: And he hasn't been No. 2 since that moment.
WOLF: It's hard to believe. I mean, this guy from Andover, Massachusetts -- I mean, he comes in, he takes this job, he replaces a legend, June (ph) -- you know, Johnny Carson. Who in the world would think that he himself would become a legend?
NGUYEN: That's true.
WOLF: He's done pretty well for himself, hasn't he?
NGUYEN: That's true.
HOLMES: He's done well.
NGUYEN: And one of his comic idols was Rodney Dangerfield.
WOLF: Mm-hmm.
NGUYEN: I can see a little bit of that in his humor, in his...
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: A little bit, yes. I mean, he's got that everyman kind of humor.
NGUYEN: Yes.
WOLF: I mean, very easygoing. I mean, obviously great writers, great team on that show.
NGUYEN: That's true. Going to miss him.
WOLF: Great guy.
NGUYEN: But Conan O'Brien is going to be taking over ...
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: ...on Monday. So it'll be interesting to see the hairstyles there, with Conan.
WOLF: Yes, they don't have the deficit on the whole hair thing...
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: No.
WOLF: ...at NBC. They seem to be doing pretty well.
One thing that's interesting though is -- I mean, he's going to be going back. He's going to have -- I believe he's going to be on five nights a week. He's going to be in the same studio, essentially the same crew. So there's not really a huge letup in what he's going to be doing.
Five nights a week, I think, at 9:00 Eastern time.
NGUYEN: Right.
WOLF: So go figure, he's a hardworking guy, and the work continues. So...
HOLMES: We going to promote that other network, or...
WOLF: I'm not going to do it. You know...
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: I like to promote our own network.
NGUYEN: You're a hardworking guy. The weather outside this weekend, how's it going to be?
WOLF: You know, it's going to be pretty interesting for the Ohio Valley, especially in spots like, say, Cincinnati. We're going to show you a live shot that we have from Cincinnati just at this moment, it's going to put up any time. And voila! The sun's coming up.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: That is beautiful.
WOLF: It looks pretty good. It does look good, doesn't it? WLWT.
You know what's interesting about Cincinnati and about their airport is, if you ever happen to go to their airport, their airport's in Kentucky. Doesn't that seem weird?
HOLMES: Is it really?
WOLF: It is. The Cincinnati...
HOLMES: I've flown in there and I (INAUDIBLE).
WOLF: I know. And it's across the river. Go figure.
But if you go to Cincinnati, you'll notice it's kind of a weird city that it's -- it's built up right on the Ohio River, and the sides are really steep. Kind of hard to land airplanes on a hillside. So flat areas, like over towards to Kentucky, make sense.
Great weather there for now, but later on today, the big story as we take a look at the weather maps very quickly, you're going to see a chance of strong storms later this afternoon and into the early evening. I'd say between the hours of 3 and 6, could have some thunderstorms. The bigger threat is going to heavy rain, some small hail, and maybe some damaging winds. Tornadoes, possibly, but not as likely.
So that's a quick snap at your forecast.
NGUYEN: All right, Reynolds. We will be talking with you just a little bit later. Sticking around, right?
WOLF: Yes, guys. It's party of my job.
NGUYEN: We need you.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: All right. Are you all sick of the Twittering this yet?
NGUYEN: It seems like a secondhand job. It does.
WOLF: Fair-to-partly cloudy. Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
WOLF: Exactly. NGUYEN: You do a lot of it, don't you?
WOLF: We do. I am a tweeter.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: I'm going to tweet myself back over to the weather office real soon.
HOLMES: Well, if you haven't, a lot -- a lot of you are hearing about it for sure.
If you don't exactly know what it is, we are going to have a bit of a tutorial this morning from our Josh Levs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So I know, I know. It seems like everybody's doing it, but it doesn't quite seem to make sense, right?
Well, we are going to end the mystery for you right here: How to Twitter, and what strange-sounding terms like R-O-F-L actually mean.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC, DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, "SO MUCH TO SAY")
HOLMES: So much to say.
NGUYEN: And that we do.
HOLMES: And we got so much to say this morning, in 140 characters or less, however.
We're talking about Twitter this morning. And here's a reason why you may not to tell the world all of your business: A family in Mesa, Arizona, says after they posted on Twitter that they were on vacation, somebody broke into their house...
NGUYEN: Jeez.
HOLMES: ...stole thousands in electronics.
NGUYEN: Yes, apparently, the family owns a podcasting company and had a pretty big Twitter following.
Now it's not clear whether the burglary was coincidence or if someone targeted them after reading the post. But the family says they will not be blogging about their vacation plans in the future.
You know, it does make sense, because, you're telling people what you're doing at that very moment. HOLMES: At that moment.
NGUYEN: So they know if you're home or not. Hmm.
HOLMES: You may be not at home.
NGUYEN: Think about it next time.
HOLMES: OK. That's something we need to be careful of, because CNN does have us on this Twitter quick, and they want us to keep...
NGUYEN: That's true.
HOLMES: ...updated. And it's a way we could outreach with viewers. But still, it can be a little...
NGUYEN: Just don't tell them where you are.
HOLMES: Yes. Home again!
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: I'm still at home!
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: All right. So if you're new to the Twitter scene, there is definitely some lingo that you not -- you might want to, you know, get in your vocabulary.
HOLMES: OK. I just learned this one; you all told me: the N-S-F- W.
NGUYEN: Not safe for work.
HOLMES: For work.
NGUYEN: I just learned that, too.
HOLMES: I didn't know that one earlier.
R-O-F-L.
NGUYEN: Rolling on the floor laughing.
HOLMES: OK. Know those two.
But our Josh Levs is going to decode some of this for -- stuff for you.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: I have a graphic for you. I want you to see some of the Twitter terms that you need to know if you're going to be able to operate in the Twitter universe, or what some people call the "Twitterverse."
There you go. They're right in front of you.
"Tweet" -- those are your posts on Twitter, when you tell people what you're up to. Those are your tweets.
"RT" is "retweet." If you like what someone sent you, you want to share it, that's what "RT" is.
Now, two more. "DM" -- you can send someone a direct message, which means that you don't have to have everyone who's on your Twitter page see what you wrote, just that one person.
And finally, "tweeps." Those are your Twitter friends. See? Not so hard.
Now, because you have to keep these messages so far, what you're going to find a lot of people do is use these abbreviations. And you might not be familiar with them. But there are four you should know.
Take a look right here. I think you're going to enjoy these.
Number one, "LOL." That means "laughing out loud." If someone said something funny, you can say "LOL." That's your whole message; it only takes three characters.
"ROFL" means it was even funnier. That means you're "rolling on the floor laughing," because that's how great it was.
Two more. "IMHO" -- "in my humble opinion."
And the last one -- this is important: "NSFW." That means, "not safe for work." If someone writes you that, you shouldn't be opening what it was at work. If someone sent you something that shouldn't be open at work, you might want to tell everybody else it's "NSFW."
See, in the end, the lexicon not that hard.
You can see a lot more of that at cnn.com. And while you're there, feel free to send us some tweets of your own. Maybe you'll even get some "twips" in return.
There you go. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: There's a few on there that we know about that we probably shouldn't say.
But yes. So there you -- you've got a crash course in some of these...
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: ...you know, acronyms that people use on their pages, Facebook, Twitter. Reach out to us this morning. We got some questions on there today that we want you to weigh in about dealing with -- one on Facebook, in fact, there's been a fight that occurred...
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: ...between an Atlanta Falcons player and his wife -- is that correct?
HOLMES: He was actually arrested for this...
NGUYEN: And charged.
HOLMES: ...because of -- and we all know people who this has happened to -- Facebook causes issues in a relationship, because...
NGUYEN: Who's your friend?
HOLMES: Who's your friend?
NGUYEN: Why are you friends with that person?
HOLMES: Oh, seeing all kinds of messes like this.
NGUYEN: What are ya'll talking about?
HOLMES: Yes, but apparently a Facebook friend got into a fight, and he was arrested for it. So...
NGUYEN: Oh goodness.
Well, so weigh in on that.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: We've got other questions on there as well. We want to hear from you this morning, and we'll read some of those posts on the air.
HOLMES: Well, meanwhile, President Obama focusing on the Middle East this coming week. What will it take to improve America's image in the Muslim world?
NGUYEN: Plus, one of our Facebook questions -- here's another one for you: "Does a parent have the right to refuse a certain medical treatment for a child because of religious beliefs?"
Again, find us on Facebook.com. Also, Twitter.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Hello, and welcome back, everybody, on this Saturday morning. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes. Glad you could be with us. Up first here, need to tell you more about swine flu being blamed for two more deaths in the United States this morning. Health officials in El Paso, Texas, confirm that a pregnant woman -- also, a man died earlier this month; both had swine flu.
Now, the woman was pregnant. She did deliver that baby; doctors delivered that baby. Delivered 31 weeks -- so it delivered a bit earlier. Is doing fine though, we are told.
Now that brings the number of victims in Texas -- swine-flu victims to five. That's more than any other states. Nationwide, there are 17 confirmed deaths attributed to swine flu.
All right. Out of New York, a tragic story here. A New York policeman is gunned down by a fellow police officer. And this was over a misunderstanding, some confusion in this case.
The officer's name is Omar Edwards. He was in plainclothes and chasing after someone who allegedly broke into his car on Thursday. Two uniformed officers responded. They showed up; they didn't know Edwards. Again, he was in plainclothes. They just saw a man with a gun; they told him to drop it. The officers say he turned at them, and he was fatally shot.
NGUYEN: Well, rewriting a nuclear-arms treaty. It is a debate that's been stalemated over the last 12 years. The United Nation Conference on Disarmament, a 65-nation group, agreed yesterday to begin negotiations on new nuclear arms treaty. President Obama cheered this move. And he says a new treaty is an essential to his vision of a world free of nuclear weapons.
Let's talk about this right now, North Korea's nuclear threat. Well, it has gotten the lion's share of international attention this past week. But next week the Obama administration will focus on the Middle East. The president leaves Tuesday for Saudi Arabia. And CNN's Radio's Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins is here with a preview. She will be breaking it down for us. She joins us now live.
OK, Lisa, which countries will the president visit and who will he meet?
LISA DESJARDINS, CNN RADIO CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. He's going to two countries on this stop, on this trip. First, Saudi Arabia President Obama will be meeting with the king of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah. That could be a critical meeting especially because of the world energy situation that's still very serious.
And there, actually, I believe you are seeing the king of Jordan, who is a very important United States ally. King Hussein, we don't think will be a part of this trip.
But King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia is someone the president will be meeting, flying into Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. After that the president goes to Egypt for a major speech to the Muslim world.
NGUYEN: So describe the current relation between these countries and the U.S. How does it fare?
DESJARDINS: Here's the deal, Betty. Obviously President Obama, one of his main goals is, to try to improve relations with the Muslim world. The United States has had -- politically, an alliance with these countries, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are our American allies. But when you ask people in those countries how they feel about the United States, just a year ago you had numbers 80 percent, 90 percent of them saying that the U.S. was a hostile nation toward their country and toward Islam in general.
So while these are allies of America, Betty, the people in those nations have viewed the United States with at best skepticism and certainly with distrust. So the president here is trying to bring in some element of trust for the populations of these Islamic regions.
NGUYEN: But hasn't he already done some things in order to mend those relationships?
DESJARDINS: He definitely has. Think about his inauguration speech where he specifically mentioned the Muslim world. Or his message to Iran about Naruse (ph), their holiday. And we see some indication that that might be working, Betty.
In fact, BBC's world service did a poll back in March. And they ask people in major countries, Turkey, Egypt, and we saw numbers, over 50 percent of the numbers they polled said they think that President Obama will make things better with the Muslim world. That's an indication that they have what President Obama talks about a lot, hope.
NGUYEN: And we'll be watching as he embarks upon this trip. CNN Radio's Congressional Correspondent Lisa Desjardins, thanks so much for your time today.
DESJARDINS: Thanks, Betty.
HOLMES: We have a developing story. Some breaking development to bring you out of Pakistan, where we understand the Pakistani military saying they have retaken a major city in the Swat Valley. This has been an area where the Pakistani military has launched an offensive against the Taliban. It's been going on for about a month now. This is also an area where many Pakistanis have had to flee. Up to 2 million people, we understand, were asked and had to flee this area because of that heavy fighting.
But the city we are talking about now. The new development: Mingora, it is the largest city in Pakistan's Swat Valley again this is in the northwest part of the country we are talking about, where the Taliban had a pretty good stronghold there. The fight between Pakistani military and these militants has been going on for about a month. This offensive continues, but a major development in that Pakistani military says they have been able to take back the largest city in the Swat Valley from the Taliban.
We are expecting to get our Dan Rivers live on the phone from the region coming up in just a bit. Breaking developments and a positive development, at least, according to the Pakistani military, that they have been able to take back one of the largest cities -- the largest city in Pakistan's Swat Valley. That area that's disputed and fought over for the past month at least. We will bring you more developments. Again, we are expecting our Dan Rivers out of the region coming up live this morning.
NGUYEN: That is indeed a major development there. We'll be watching that.
The family of the Minnesota teen who was court ordered to undergo chemotherapy, well, they say he's not doing well. Thirteen-year-old Daniel Houser restarted his treatments yesterday.
HOLMES: A family spokesman says he's been vomiting nonstop since then. He says his doctor has changed his medications because he's not responding well. And Houser is upset and depressed that he's being forced to do all this. Last week Houser and his mom ran off to Southern California right before the court ordered the chemotherapy. They voluntarily returned to Minnesota earlier this week. But still, this case -- a sad story all around. The family doesn't want to use the conventional treatments if you will. They believe in more holistic treatment.
NGUYEN: Right, holistic treatments. Exactly.
Well, the Houser family has said that their beliefs are part of the reason, as T.J. mentioned, why they originally stopped that chemotherapy for their son. That's also the reason why a family in Indiana is refusing a blood transfusion for their baby born with anemia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD DELINGER, ELDER, JEHOVAH'S WITNESS CHURCH: We're not about to take blood because the Bible says "abstain from blood." In Acts 15, verse 29, it says to "abstain from blood."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: That was one of the elders of their church. Doctors say this is a matter of life or death. Now, a judge has ordered that the transfusion happen. The family says they will appeal that decision.
HOLMES: We want to know what you think about this story and any other story that's out there. You can find Betty and I on Facebook or Twitter, or you can e-mail us at Weekends@cnn.com.
NGUYEN: You know they have been in show business for 45 years. Find out how the Osmonds have managed to find staying power in the face of adversity.
HOLMES: Also, Prince Harry, he is all grown up now and he's showing his humanitarian side. A side, many would say, he got from his mom, as he visits New York.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HOLMES: Well, that's usually how we start the show.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: You've got skills. I know this. I know this.
HOLMES: Well, of course, 5.7 million people have lost their jobs since the recession began in December. That has forced many to acquire new skills, like maybe something you just saw there. Even reinvent themselves in this changing economy.
NGUYEN: Yes, and this holds true for those in just about any profession. I recently sat down with a well-known brother and sister team, who have faced many challenges both on stage and off, yet the Osmonds have seem to find a way to stay on top.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN (On camera): Both of you have been at this for decades. I mean ...
DONNY OSMOND, PERFORMER: Rub it in, Betty. Rub it in.
MARIE OSMOND, PERFORMER: Thank you so much. Good-bye.
NGUYEN: But you are still going strong. What's the key to staying power?
D. OSMOND: Ah, vitamin? I don't know. Just tenacity, I guess. Just keep persevering and believing in yourself. Because there are a lot of people out there that will throw darts and say you can't, you can't, you can't, until you can. And they say, oh, we told you, you could.
(LAUGHTER)
I love that.
NGUYEN (voice over): It's been nearly 30 years since the Osmonds last performed in Vegas and now they're back on stage at the Flamingo.
D. OSMOND: I think it's refreshing for the audience to see how much energy we put out on stage as well.
NGUYEN (on camera): Speaking of energy, I hear there's a dance off in the show. What's that all about?
D. OSMOND: We play on the fact that Marie was on "Dancing With The Stars." And that she thinks she's a better dancer than I am. She's not.
NGUYEN: Are you sure?
D. OSMOND: Yeah, she's not.
NGUYEN: But Marie is in heels. OK, let's not forget that. M. OSMOND: OK, thank you.
D. OSMOND: Not ever!
M. OSMOND: OK. When a man can wear five-inch heels and kick his leg over his head and do 15 spins to a death drop, then we'll call it even.
D. OSMOND: You haven't seen me do that?
M. OSMOND: And splits.
D. OSMOND: I've done that.
NGUYEN (voice over): No doubt this brother and sister team has done a lot. But it hasn't always been easy growing up in show business.
(On camera): It is also documented that you struggled with bulimia. Is it true, though, that producers of the "Donnie & Marie" show kind of aided in that?
M. OSMOND: There isn't anybody in show business who doesn't struggle with image issues. And you know, at that particular time it was short lived. But yes, I was what, 15 or 16 and I was taken out into parking lots and told that -- I mean, I'm about 120 pounds now. I was 110 at the time. They said I was fat and embarrassment to my family and if I didn't drop 10 to 15 pounds the show would be canceled. I don't know if you knew all this.
D. OSMOND: Oh, did yeah.
M. OSMOND: That it was going on.
D. OSMOND: Not at the time.
M. OSMOND: Not at the time.
NGUYEN (voice over): The single mother of eight is also speaking out about another topic. Here's what she told "Entertainment Tonight" about her daughter Jessica.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. OSMOND: So what if she's gay. She's an amazing woman. She's a good kid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: She even addressed the issue of gay marriage with KOST Radio in Los Angeles.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
M. OSMOND (AUDIO) I think everybody should have the right to share homes and finances with some body that they care about. You know, on those types of things, I'm very supportive. When it comes to marriage, you know, I think that civil rights need to be for all.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
NGUYEN: But when I asked the question, this was her response.
(On camera): Give me a little clarification on this. When it comes to the latest reports about gay marriage and that you have come out in support of that, is that true?
M. OSMOND: You know, I've made my statements. My daughter is 21. And I don't answer for her. And so let's not make this tabloid. I've made my statement.
NGUYEN: That you support equal rights?
M. OSMOND: Yes, of civil rights.
NGUYEN (voice over): While the Osmonds would rather not jump into the debate, it's clear that after 45 years in the spotlight they have seen society change.
M. OSMOND: We grew up in a different era. Even though we were very young when we started, we worked with the Groucho Marxs, and the Lucille Balls, and the Frank Sinatra's and the Sammy Davis Jrs.
NGUYEN: So, have you felt you've had to, in a sense, reinvent yourselves in a way to keep people coming? To keep those seats filled?
D. OSMOND: Well, doesn't everybody in show business have to reinvent themselves sooner or later? Otherwise the public gets a little bored. The challenge that we have is you don't want to reinvent yourself too much because that's what people come to see.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Something I found interesting. Donny Osmond says he got a call saying that Farrah Fawcett, you know, who is battling cancer, was interested in seeing the first appearance that she had on the "Donnie & Marie Show" back in 1976. He says that it was a really humble moment for him to know that was a memorable part of her life and that she wanted to see it again.
HOLMES: Especially with all she's going through here, lately, as well. And you were out in Vegas. Vegas has been in the news a lot lately. You almost can't go out there and talk about the city without what it's going through with its housing market.
NGUYEN: Which was the real reason I was in Vegas, actually, to talk about that housing market. It is one of the worst in the nation. In fact, next week I'm going to take you on a foreclosure safari, where believe it or not, you can find a home for $25,000. So, stay tuned for that.
HOLMES: Vegas, sign of the times in a lot of cities. That one got hit real hard. NGUYEN: Oh, absolutely.
HOLMES: We want to turn back now to our breaking story we told you about just a few moments ago, happening in Pakistan right now. We understand the Pakistani military has made some major inroads in its battle with the Taliban in the northwest part of that country, specifically in the Swat Valley. Our Dan Rivers standing by for us in Islamabad.
Dan, how big of a deal is this? The Pakistani government saying they have retaken a major city in the Swat Valley.
DAN RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is a pretty significant step in this conflict. Just within the last hour the army have confirmed to us that they have retaken Mingora, which is at the mouth of the Swat Valley.
We're being told by General Abbas (ph), the army spokesman that this is a great accomplishment and that the area has been secured apart from small pockets of resistance on the periphery, on the edges, but basically the main center of the city, most of the city now, under army control. And that certainly is what they say is a great achievement. They think this is a significant step forward in their efforts to oust the Taliban from this area.
HOLMES: And, Dan, you say a significant step forward. What would be the next step now? Where does the military go from here? Do they continue until they believe they have rooted out as many -- or all of these Taliban fighters?
RIVERS: Well, this is going to be the difficult bit, the next bit. Because I mean, the Taliban by the sounds of things -- although we haven't been allowed up there, so I'm just going on what they're telling us. But by the sounds of things the Taliban have been putting up very stiff resistance in this city. Real, you know, close quarters fighting going on. That now appears to be over.
But of course, now what will happen, presumably, they are going to have to move up the valley and clear the valley and then try to keep it secure. That's going to be very difficult. It's mountainous terrain. Obviously the big threat is going to be a low-level ongoing guerrilla war there with Taliban hitting army supply trucks and hitting the road, and so on. So it's going to be difficult for them to keep a hold on this whole area, which is fairly expansive, completely.
But certainly, for the 3.5 million people that have fled this area now, this will be a significant step. The main city in this area is now under army control and they can try to get some sort of security reestablished. And then, the big job of trying to reestablish law and order and normal life and get these people back in there. That's going to be some time off yet, I think.
HOLMES: All right, Dan Rivers for us in Islamabad. Dan, we appreciate you. NGUYEN: President Obama said that he wants more of them across America. A look inside the Harlem Children's Zone and how it is helping kids in inner cities.
HOLMES: Also for these kids, $40,000 in prizes on the line. Every letter matters. We've got the spelling bee champ. We'll put her to the test.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Were you ever in a spelling bee?
HOLMES: I don't think so. I was trying to think. I don't think I ever did one.
NGUYEN: I was, in third grade.
HOLMES: How'd that go?
NGUYEN: I came in third place. Helicopter was the word I went out on.
HOLMES: How did you spell it?
NGUYEN: I totally choked. First word out of my mouth -- I. What? You know it is one of those moments where you go, why did I just say that?
HOLMES: Well, the H ...
NGUYEN: I should have just said I would like that in a sentence form.
HOLMES: You went out on helicopter? How did you spell the rest of it then, if you started with I?
NGUYEN: They rung the bell.
HOLMES: Immediately.
NGUYEN: Yes, I went I -- crap, that's not what I wanted to say.
HOLMES: All right. Well, 13-year-old Kavya Shivashankar did a lot better than Betty did back in the third grade. She won it all. This young lady from Kansas won the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee. This is some of the best television every single year. The competition started out with about 300 spellers aged between nine and 15-years-old. Went 15 rounds, came down to this final word.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAVYA SHIVASHANKAR, NATIONAL SPELLING BEE WINNER: Laodicean, L- A-O-D-I-C-E-A-N.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a champion.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Yes, you do. I love her technique. How she spells it out on her hand. Kavya, who is an eighth grader, and won $40,000 in cash and prizes for nailing that word. Laodicean, right?
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: Which means lukewarm or indifferent, particularly in matters of politics or religion. Boy we're going to see how the spelling bee champ is doing this morning. In fact, she is going to be joining us live at 10:40 a.m. Eastern. So you don't want to miss that.
HOLMES: Everybody has their technique.
NGUYEN: Right.
HOLMES: And it is so neat to watch. That's the highest drama.
NGUYEN: It's so pressure intense, though. I was watching it the other night and I was nervous for them.
HOLMES: The early rounds, all of the rounds. It's just reality television at its best.
NGUYEN: It is.
HOLMES: We can't wait to talk to her a little later this morning.
Meanwhile, Sonia Sotomayor, she is going to go through some pretty intense pressure here coming up. A vetting process before she can be seated with the other justices on the Supreme Court.
NGUYEN: Yes, and if confirmed she'll be the first Hispanic woman on the highest court in the land. Josh takes us on a look at the different ways that her confirmation could actually change the face of the court.
LEVS: Hey, guys, you know, there's been a lot of focus on ethnic diversity on the Supreme Court. Sonia Sotomayor would join the majority in another way, religion. The court's Catholic shift, it's historic. We have it coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRINCE HARRY, UNITED KINGDOM: It is a great privilege for me to be here today in this beautiful garden, right in the heart of New York City. My family is so proud to be so closely associated with the memory of the 67 British people who died here on September the 11th, 2001. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Britain's Prince Harry on his first official trip overseas. Yesterday, in New York, he honored the victims of the 9/11 tragedy with stops at ground zero and the British Memorial Garden in Hanover Square. He also talked briefly with some of the family members of those victims.
HOLMES: (INAUDIBLE) going to wrap up the day. He'll be face off this afternoon in a charity polo match. But before Prince Harry has fun at that match he's expected to visit Harlem's Children Zone.
NGUYEN: That's an organization focusing on educating disadvantaged children. And CNN's Soledad O'Brien has been researching it for our "Black In America" special that is scheduled to air this summer. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Betty. Hey, T.J.
Educators and social scientists, as you know, have been trying for years to close that racial achievement gap. And they've done it, really, not with a whole lot of success. But there's a program in Harlem, New York, where they are showing some signs of real progress. And it is really all because of a guy who refuses to give up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What number?
STUDENTS: Sixteen.
O'BRIEN (voice over): The children at this Harlem preschool are learning all of the skills they'll need to be successful in kindergarten reversing a trend so common in poor communities.
GEOFFREY CANADA, FOUNDER, HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE: Poor children gain language half the rate of middle class kids. By they're in the kindergarten they are already -it's thousands of words behind their peers.
O'BRIEN: Geoffrey Canada grew up one of those poor kids in the South Bronx. Now he's on a mission to level the academic playing field for children in Harlem.
CANADA: We think part of the problem in poor communities is we come up with a great program and it works for kids for two years. Guess what? That's not going to be sufficient.
O'BRIEN: So Canada created the Harlem Children Zone where kids are surrounded with a series of programs including baby classes, preschools, charter schools, afterschool programs and tutoring for college students.
CANADA: What are you learning about?
O'BRIEN: It was hands on learning when we visited the Promise Academy charter school in the Harlem Children's Zone.
(On camera): So, these are our fourth graders?
(Voice over): These fourth graders have been in the Zone's pipeline since birth.
CANADA: This particular class is the smartest class not only at Promise Academy but probably in all of New York State.
O'BRIEN: And he's got the numbers to prove it. Math and English scores that beat the city in state averages and a Harvard study that concludes these students have closed the black-white achievement gap.
OBAMA: When I'm president of the United States of America, the first part of my plan to combat urban poverty is to replicate the Harlem Children's Zone in 20 cities across the country.
O'BRIEN: Canada says creating just one program, on the same scale as the Harlem Children's Zone, will take at least $35 million, a tall order during a tough economy.
CANADA: We think if you look at what the cost is not to do well, these same communities, it is emergency room, it's special ed, it's jails and incarceration. It just doesn't make any sense.
O'BRIEN (On camera): You can front end it or back end it.
CANADA: That's exactly right. You'll pay one way or another. At least you end up with people who give you back more money than you have ever paid them.
O'BRIEN: Now President Obama has asked for $10 million in the 2010 budget for what he calls his Promise Neighborhoods, which would be roughly modeled after the Harlem Children's Zone. Canada says 60 percent of his funding comes from private sources, mostly Wall Street and because there have been big economic problems with Wall Street he has seen a drop in those funds. He says so far he hasn't had to cut any programs for the kids but has had to let go of some of his staff.
Betty, T.J.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: All right, Soledad. And you can catch Soledad O'Brien, "Black In America" premiers this July. This is the second installment in our series. You can catch it of course, right here, only on CNN.
Hello, everyone. From the CNN Center on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING, May the 30th, I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Yes, good morning, everybody. Thanks for joining us. I'm Betty Nguyen.
It is 7:00 a.m. here in Atlanta, 6:00 a.m. in Dallas, an early 4:00 a.m. in Phoenix. Thanks for starting your day with us. Let's get you breaking news out of Pakistan this morning. Pakistani military forces say they have taken back the City of Mingora, from the Taliban. Mingora is the largest city in Pakistan's Swat Valley where security forces have been fighting the Taliban for the past month. We'll continue to monitor the situation on the ground.
Also, we want to tell you about this. The General Motors board meets today to talk over bankruptcy plans, according to a source close to the situation. Now, G.M. stocks, they finished yesterday at only 75 cents a share, the lowest since the Great Depression. The company is expected to file for bankruptcy as soon as Monday.
And if G.M. does file for bankruptcy, a last-minute deal hammered out in Berlin yesterday will most likely shield the Opel brand from any creditors. Opel is at the core of G.M.'s business in Europe. A Canadian company, Magna International, agreed to take over the troubled brand after purchasing a majority stake in the company.
Well, Chrysler will learn whether its plan to stay afloat will get the go ahead on Monday. That's when "The Associated Press" says a bankruptcy judge will rule on whether a group led by Italian carmaker, Fiat, can buy most of the company. Chrysler did file for Chapter 11 a few months ago. Now, some dealerships, creditors and others are challenging that deal -- T.J.?
HOLMES: Betty, President Obama calling for swift Senate confirmation of his Supreme Court nominee, federal appeals court judge, Sonia Sotomayor. In his weekly Internet and radio address released this morning, the president pointed to Sotomayor's 17 years of experience as a federal judge as just one of the reasons why he picked her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: She was appointed to the U.S. district court serving six years as a trial judge where she presided over hundreds of cases. And most recently, she has spent 11 years on the U.S. Court of Appeals, our nation's second highest court, grappling with some of the most difficult constitutional and legal issues we face as a nation. She has more experience on the federal bench than any incoming Supreme Court justice in the past hundred years.
Quite simply, Judge Sotomayor has a deep familiarity with our judicial system from almost every angle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Early next week, the Supreme Court nominee starts knocking on doors on Capitol Hill greeting supporters and trying to win over some of her skeptics. CNN Radio's congressional correspondent, Lisa Desjardins, joins us with more on Sotomayor's efforts to become the newest Supreme Court justice.
Good morning. Tell us first of all, we're going to be seeing a lot of faces, a lot of familiar faces, maybe, and seeing a lot of familiar names in this whole confirmation battle. Who are some of those critical southerners?
DESJARDINS: Let's go over the power players, T.J. That's right. These are men that could control the fate of Ms. Sotomayor as she comes to Capitol Hill.
Let's go to a graphic here. First of all: Democrats. There you see Patrick Leahy. He is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Chuck Schumer.
Now, Chuck Schumer, they call him the "Sherpa." He is going to be the one guiding Sotomayor through this process and he is a power hitter, as you know. He knows how to play tough on Capitol Hill. He also knows how to hit the microphones, T.J. He gets plenty of air time.
Then you've got Republicans: John Cornyn and Jeff Sessions, both members of the judiciary committee. Both of them say, right now, that they are withholding judgment on Ms. Sotomayor. If she can win over both or either one of those men, it would be a very large achievement for her and for the president.
HOLMES: All right. And we understand, she's -- I believe next week -- going to start doing the handshaking, hey, how you doing -- some of these meetings, informal meetings. Can these make a difference? Can she essentially go in there and charm them in a way and make her confirmation hearings a lot easier?
DESJARDINS: Yes. It's a lot of hot air or does it matter? Well, when you ask that question, let me put a name out there -- Harriet Miers. Do you remember Harriet Miers?
HOLMES: Oh, yes.
DESJARDINS: The nominee from the President George W. Bush. Well, her nomination, in part, fell apart because of her meetings with senators. They said she just wasn't able to answer their questions. They didn't think that she would withstand public hearings. They didn't feel like she knew the law well enough. She had other problems as well -- but her time privately with senators really helped kind of her out the way -- out of the door.
HOLMES: All right. Well, I'm sure we're going to hear a lot more. But the campaign starts now, the campaign for her. We heard the president this morning talking in his address, campaigning for essentially. Also, plenty will be campaigning against her.
One thing that people are harpering on so far at least, the statement she made and we'll put it up on the screen here at the University of California at Berkeley. Let's show it here so you can read it. It said, "I would hope that a wise Latino woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."
Now, a lot of people point to this and say, if you just turn that around and if a white man had said, as a white man, his richness of experience would make him a wiser person than a Latino woman, then there is no way that person would get confirmed. How big of an issue is this going to be for her?
DESJARDINS: I think one sign that it is a big issue is that the White House is now commenting that she would have chosen other words and it wasn't really the wisest statement for her to make. They're saying it's taken out of context. But politically, what does it mean? Well, let's go to some words of Senator Orrin Hatch, another Republican on the judiciary committee.
Here's what he said about those words on "THE SITUATION ROOM" this week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Do you agree with Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, she's a racist?
SEN. ORRIN HATCH, (R) UTAH: No, I don't agree with that. And frankly, I think it's a little premature and early, because she hasn't had a chance to explain some of these comments that she's made.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DESJARDINS: In summary, T.J., Republicans on Capitol Hill, they're playing nice.
HOLMES: Playing nice. All right. We'll see how long that lasts.
DESJARDINS: So far. That's right.
HOLMES: So far. Yes. CNN Radio congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins, good to see you this morning. Thank you so much.
DESJARDINS: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Well, you know, there is another way in which Sonia Sotomayor would join a majority on the court. She is Catholic, just like five sitting high justices. Now, for more on that, we turn to our own Josh Levs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: Well, you know, amid all of this talk about diversity, it is interesting to look also at this religious angle. This is Judge Sonia Sotomayor. She could be the next Supreme Court justice.
Take a look at this headline here at CNN.com. Sotomayor will be part of the court's Catholic shift. And this is something big that's been happening at the Supreme Court in recent years.
Let's go straight to this graphic. I want to you see the religious breakdown in the United States. And you can see right there, this country is half Protestant, just over half, technically a majority of Protestant, 51 percent. It's about one quarter Catholic, and then 1.7 percent Jewish. Well, now, take a look at the makeup of the court if Sonia Sotomayor joins it. You'll have six Catholic judges on the Supreme Court, six Catholic justices, one Protestant and two who are Jewish. Very different from the U.S. makeup in general.
Now, there's also something else we have for you here. We have this graphic here that shows everyone's picture and how they identify religiously. You can take a look here. You can see the six that identify as Catholics. I'll emphasize, as we see this, the fact they identify as Catholics doesn't mean they're all the same religious beliefs. Certainly, they don't all share the same views on some major issues.
But this is how each of the justices identifies in terms of religion. And here are other three. You can see that two that identify as Jewish and the one, Stevens there, 89 years old, who would now be the one Protestant on the court in a country that is just over half Protestant. It is very interesting to take a look at that.
And we're going to continue to look at other angles about how the Supreme Court might change if Judge Sotomayor indeed becomes the next Supreme Court justice.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right. So, for more on the battle over Judge Sotomayor, check out our blog at CNN.com/Newsroom.
HOLMES: Well, laughter turning into tears last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, TV HOST: People have asked me, "Oh, what are you going to do after the last show? Are you going to go on vacation and that kind of stuff?" Actually, I'm going to be going to a secluded spot where no one can find me, NBC primetime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: Laughing now, but Jay Leno's farewell, we're going to show you a little bit of that. And he's not going very far as he mentioned.
HOLMES: Also this morning, scam artists who want to steal your home right from under you. The signs you need to know to stop that from happening.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. We're hearing some of your responses this morning. One of the questions that we have on our Facebook and Twitter sites is a news story that we've been talking about. A premature baby was born but the parents are refusing to give that child a blood transfusion because of their religious beliefs. And you're sounding off about that this morning.
Let's go to my Facebook page right now. And let's see.
John says, "Personally, I think it is insane to deny care with certainty of assistance that any child for any reason. Unfortunately, I also believe and respect for family religious beliefs. This is a tough one. But ultimately, it is up to the parents."
But -- let's see. Mike down here does not feel that way and he's pretty blunt about it. He says, "That's a simple answer. They are idiots and shouldn't have children. End of story."
Wow. That is a harsh comment there. But, obviously, it puts the parents in quite a predicament. That's their religious beliefs but at the same time, their child needs this blood transfusion to stay alive because doctors are saying it is indeed a life or death matter.
Sound off on this. We want to hear from you this morning. Send us your replies to our Facebook and Twitter sites. And we'll read some of them on the air.
HOLMES: Right now, the number of FBI agents investigating mortgage fraud has more than doubled in the past two years with so many people behind on their house notes, predators are lining up posing as legitimate companies trying to help out. Don't be fooled.
Housing and finance expert Clyde Anderson, also author of the book, "What Had Happened Was." He's is here to tell us how to identify these scams.
Now, just before we get into some details, this turns into big business. You know, there's a market for it right now.
CLYDE ANDERSON, FINANCE EXPERT: It is. It's a huge market. Any time someone sees an opportunity to make money, they're going to pounce on it. And that's what they're doing right now.
HOLMES: And a lot of people need help. They're looking for some of these letters and opening these things up, thinking they're legit, because a lot of people are looking for somebody to help them out.
ANDERSON: Exactly. I got one right here that somebody received. It's a letter and it looks really official.
HOLMES: Looks really legit.
ANDERSON: A lot of them say HUD. A lot of them say FHA. And they're lenders that are actually going out soliciting people to sign up to help them to either refinance or get out of the situation, but you got to be real careful.
HOLMES: All right. You're talking about this letter here. But what are some types of scams, at least, that are working out there that people need to be keeping an eye out for? ANDERSON: Well, we got a couple. We got the bait-and-switch scam, you know? On a bait-and-switch scam, a lot of times, they're going to offer you one thing and then they're going to turn around and switch it to something else. That's definitely not favorable.
Either it's a higher interest rate or they're going to switch some signing (ph) and really, you may even just lose ownership of your home and not even realize it.
HOLMES: So, let me stop you on that one. Can a legit -- don't some -- even legitimate so-called, if you will, technically speaking, legitimate companies do that to people. They do sell you on a low interest rate and then it goes up. Now, should we consider them scammers? Or --
ANDERSON: Not necessarily.
HOLMES: OK.
ANDERSON: Not if you're informed. The whole thing is that you've got to be in communication with your lender. Sometimes, things happen. Maybe it's a credit score or something that's driving the rate up. But otherwise, they should always inform you.
They shouldn't switch it out until you get to the closing table and it looks totally different. That's the key. You want to know before you get to that point.
HOLMES: Let's finish up on the roll-out of types of scams. It seemed like there was one more that was up there on the screen, at least. And the types of scams we're talking about. What's this "rent to buy" and "leave it all to me"?
ANDERSON: Yes, rent to buy. Rent to buy says that, OK, you're in trouble. You need to save your home because you're going down the road of foreclosure. What I'll do is come help you and save you. You give me the deed. Sign the house over to me, I'll let you rent the home.
HOLMES: Rent your own house.
ANDERSON: Rent your own house back. But I'm going to promise you this rent. But what happens is, and so you can buy it from me a year or so later, but they jack the price up. Price goes up. You can't afford it. Rent goes up. And now, you can't afford that. And you end up being evicted out of your own home.
HOLMES: And the last one, let it all to me. What's that?
ANDERSON: Leave it all to me. Let me take care of it. You know, you got people that will come and say, hey, this making home affordable program.
HOLMES: OK.
ANDERSON: All these things, I'll do it for you. Pay me some money. Don't call your lender. Don't call your servicer. I'll take care of it.
HOLMES: All right. We got a few more things we've got to get through here quickly. What are some of those automatic red flags that you know something is up?
ANDERSON: Automatic red flags: They tell you don't call your lender. Don't call your servicer. Let me take care of it. Or give me a cashier's certified check up front, large sums of money and I'll handle everything for you. Those are red flags.
You want to deal with real estate professionals. You want to deal with attorneys. You want to deal with people that are reputable. Call and find out, you know, do a research and don't be anxious. A lot of times you're in that situation where you don't want to lose the house, but you definitely want to do your due diligence and find out what's right and what's not.
HOLMES: All right. And we got a lot of more information about where people can get some legitimate help out there and where you can also report fraud. We're going to try to get that stuff up on our blog, at least, CNN.com/Newsroom, and get that information up and out there for you.
Clyde Anderson, good information as always.
ANDERSON: Thank you.
HOLMES: Appreciate you as always.
ANDERSON: A pleasure to be here.
HOLMES: All right. Betty?
NGUYEN: All right. Well, Reynolds Wolf is tracking some of the storms this weekend. He joins us now live.
What are you seeing, Reynolds?
WOLF: Well, right now, it looks like, Betty, we have a chance of getting some strong storms in parts of the Ohio Valley, especially in places like Cincinnati, Indianapolis, perhaps even Louisville before the day is out. We're going to talk about that coming up.
Plus, we're going to show you what you can expect temperature- wise. That's all moments away right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LENO: Welcome to the exciting season finale of "The Tonight Show."
(CHEERS)
LENO: It lasted 17 years. I want to thank ... UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go Leno!
LENO: Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. I want to thank all the people that made it possible. Michael Jackson, Monica Lewinsky, Bill Clinton, we couldn't have done this show ...
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And he failed to mention Hugh Grant, which you brought up a little bit earlier.
HOLMES: He didn't. Everybody remembers that.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: Hugh Grant was in a bit of a pickle.
NGUYEN: A bit of a bind.
HOLMES: And he kept his appearance. He could have canceled. He kept his commitment and the ratings -- he was number one from the moment on.
NGUYEN: Didn't he apologize there about the whole incident and everything? Yes, it was all sticky.
HOLMES: Yes, what was the incident? Sticky is one way to put it, Betty. What was it, Reynolds.
WOLF: I'm not going to mention the Hugh Grant incident whatsoever.
NGUYEN: OK.
WOLF: You know, sometimes it's always better just not to mention anything at all. Just smile and say, "Hey, good going there, Hugh." I mean, some people can actually say it would be a career enhancement for him. I mean, just saying.
NGUYEN: I don't know about that. Did you know this, though -- Jay Leno took over for Johnny Carson back in 1992?
WOLF: Wow. It seems so long ago.
NGUYEN: It's been a while. Yes.
WOLF: But seems like yesterday. It's a weird kind of thing.
NGUYEN: Sure.
WOLF: But, you know, when you think about it, though -- I mean, who really has bigger shoes to fill? Did he have bigger shoes to fill for Carson or is his replacement going to have bigger to fill? And his replacement is going to be -- Conan. NGUYEN: Conan O'Brien.
WOLF: Conan O'Brien.
HOLMES: He was on last night on "The Tonight Show" last night. And he takes over, he said, Monday. So, he's ...
NGUYEN: On Monday.
HOLMES: Not much of a lapse there in time.
NGUYEN: Not at all.
WOLF: Crazy times.
HOLMES: Our iReporters, of course, were watching last night. And they're chiming in now. Take a listen to a couple.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELISSA FAZLI, IREPORTER: I was really disappointed when I heard that Jay Leno was actually leaving NBC and Conan O'Brien was taking over because I feel like Jay Leno is more for men and women, where I think Conan O'Brien, only men get -- especially my husband, because I don't get his sense of humor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLAY DODSON, IREPORTER (singing): Jay Leno will always be the best. Let Conan take a rest. (INAUDIBLE). Oh, Jay.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Wow, these are our viewers?
HOLMES: Wow.
NGUYEN: These are iReporters?
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Apparently, our staff that usually screens the iReports got in a little late this morning. And that's what you got there some kind of ...
NGUYEN: I didn't know there was a gender gap between the Conan O'Briens and the Jay Lenos of the world. But ...
WOLF: Well, obviously, the singing mustache has, you know, great affection for Jay Leno.
(LAUGHTER) WOLF: That's pretty story putting on it. Hey, guys, do you want to see something really different?
NGUYEN: Sure. Bring it on.
WOLF: Do you know how many times the three of us have been sitting down and we've been wishing why can't there be a better use for snowplows? Why can't there be a snowplow rodeo?
NGUYEN: I think of that also. I really do.
WOLF: We do talk about it all the time.
HOLMES: Often, yes.
WOLF: Ladies and gentlemen, our prayers have been answered. Take a look at this. This is video out of Denver, Colorado -- a snowplow rodeo outside of the coliseum in the parking lot.
NGUYEN: Yes.
WOLF: It's amazing. They go around these cones, they do what they can. All kinds of kooky and crazy maneuvers. They back up. They knock things over. It's a beautiful thing to see.
HOLMES: What's the point?
WOLF: Still trying to figure that one out there, T.J.
(LAUGHTER)
WOLF: Not quite sure. But there will be a winner. When that winner is chosen at the end of this competition, he'll be known as Mr. Plow. And I'm sure get plenty of great work come wintertime.
All right. Well, that's a look at the snowplow video. Let's show you we're not going to be getting today -- snow is not going to be a big thing in parts of the Midwest. What we're going to be seeing is a chance of scattered showers and storms mostly go into the Ohio Valley. Some of these could be fairly severe as you make our way into the southeast splash-and-dash showers.
But check it out. We could see also a chance of snow in parts of the Rockies. Very light snow, enough to make Mr. Plow busy? Probably not but still something pretty to see. It seems as though ski season has never ended out toward the west.
What we're going to be seeing in places like Phoenix, you're going to be scooting along with temperatures going up to 100 degrees in valley of the sun, 94 in Las Vegas, 77 in Denver. Back we go to parts of the Northeast and Boston, New York mainly into the 70s, Atlanta and Nashville into the 80s; Miami, 83 degrees. Chance of showers late into the afternoon and, already, we're seeing those scattered showers pop near Chicago and as far south as St. Louis.
That's a look at your forecast. Let's send it back to you guys. NGUYEN: All right, Reynolds, full of good information for us today.
WOLF: Oh, yes. Completely useless.
NGUYEN: No, you're not.
WOLF: All right.
NGUYEN: Talk to you later.
WOLF: You bet.
HOLMES: Thanks, Reynolds.
Well, this week and every week, the president has been talking about jobs. The $787 billion stimulus package has now had about 100 days to work. The administration says it is working. They said it already saved or created 150,000 jobs. Yes, saved or created.
What exactly does that mean? How do you measure? Well, I asked the top economic adviser to the vice president what exactly does that mean. Here is what Jared Bernstein told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JARED BERNSTEIN, CHIEF ECONOMIC ADVISER TO VICE PRES. JOE BIDEN: As this plan ramps up, you're going to see many more jobs saved. We expected the second 100 days to save or create 600,000 more jobs.
HOLMES: OK. And help Americans understand this point. When you say ...
BERNSTEIN: Sure.
HOLMES: Let's talk about jobs saved or created. So, when you say 150,000 saved or created, how many of those are you all saying were saved and how many of those are new jobs created? Do you have that kind of a breakdown?
BERNSTEIN: I don't -- we don't have that kind of a breakdown. It's actually very tough to break it down that way. What we do have though is an explanation of what it is specifically we're talking about.
And to understand this, I think you have to get this notion of what we call a base line or a bench mark. That is -- we have an estimate of where we think job growth would have gone in the absence of this recovery plan, where unemployment would have been had we not implemented this plan. Unemployment would have been higher. Job loss would have been deeper.
And we know that gap between what we expect and what we got. And that's where we get our estimates of 150,000 jobs saved or created over the first 100 days, 600,000 over the second, and 3.5 million saved or created over the -- by the end of next year. (END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, there are a few other studies out there that show some different numbers and show some smaller numbers. You'll hear what Jared Bernstein has to say about that. That's coming up at 10 o'clock Eastern.
NGUYEN: But first, though, the American dream has been taking a hit lately, but one New Jersey businessman still believes that anything is possible.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER (voice-over): Sasha Vaynerchuk emigrated from Russia 30 years ago. He brought his family and hope for a better life.
SASHA VAYNERCHUK, WINE LIBRARY: I don't know if a lot of people appreciate what they got in this country. But if you have dreams and goals, the sky is the limit.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Sasha took a part-time job at a New Jersey liquor store to make ends meet. He learned the business and English at the same time.
S. VAYNERCHUK: When you don't have a choice, you do whatever it takes. I have to survive. I have to feed my family.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Sasha not only survived, he thrived. In 1983, he opened his own store. Wine Library has grown in size and sale ever since and is now a multimillion dollar business, thanks in part to his Sasha's son, Gary, who took the company online 11 years ago.
GARY VAYNERCHUK, WINE LIBRARY: It was a tremendous collaboration. Hey, Dad, I want to launch a Web site and it's going to cost us $15,000. And the collaboration was that my dad believed in me enough to let me do it.
S. VAYNERCHUK: (INAUDIBLE). I was always ambitious myself.
G. VAYNERCHUK: From 1998 to 2005, we went from 4 million to 35 million in sales.
UNIDENTIFEID REPORTER: Sasha gave his family a better life but he has one regret.
S. VAYNERCHUK: I didn't see my kids growing up.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: But he hopes to make that up.
S. VAYNERCHUK: With my grandchildren.
(END VIDEOTAPE) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. We are getting comments from you this morning about a story that we talked about a little bit earlier. An Atlanta Falcons player had an argument, a fight per se, with his wife and it's alleged that -- basically, it started over Facebook.
HOLMES: Over Facebook. Apparently, this Falcons player, according to police, he spit at his wife and also there was roughing up. But he was arrested because she found a woman on his Facebook page that she didn't agree with and started a fight. And there you go.
NGUYEN: Yes. And so, we are getting lots of comments on this one this morning. Let me go to my Facebook page and there's no fighting here.
Jonathan says, "Me argue? Significant other and Facebook somehow don't belong in the same sentence."
HOLMES: He makes a good point there.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: Go to the right there, on my Facebook page. Tracy Lee chiming in and says, "T.J., this couple has issues that are deeper than his Facebook friend relationship. There are underlying issues with this couple that we are not aware of."
And we have a lot of people chiming in on this, because we all have, quite frankly, friends who we've seen get into some issues with Facebook and its secretive and what are you doing there and it just causes a lot of issues.
NGUYEN: And why are you friends with that person, you know? What are you saying? What is she saying? That kind of thing. So ...
HOLMES: Continue to chime for us in this morning on this ...
NGUYEN: Yes, weigh in this morning.
HOLMES: ... or any other topic. We'll continue to read some of your comments throughout the morning.
NGUYEN: But first, "HOUSE CALL" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta starts right now.
