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CNN Saturday Morning News
Sen. Ted Kennedy To Be Laid to Rest; Shuttle Discovery Blasts Off to Space Station; DJ AM Found Dead in New York Apartment; Coroner Rules Jackson's Death a Homicide; 4th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
Aired August 29, 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: Hello there, everybody. From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING for August the 29th. A lot going on today.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Oh my goodness.
HOLMES: Michael Jackson's birthday. We have the birthday services for Ted Kennedy.
NGUYEN: Ted Kennedy.
HOLMES: A lot happening. You're not going to miss a thing this morning on SATURDAY MORNING.
But hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Yes, good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. It is 6 a.m. here on the East Coast. Thanks for starting your day with us.
As T.J. said, we have a whole lot of news to cover.
First and foremost, the funeral, the burial for Senator Ted Kennedy, that is going to be taking place today. Now, there was a viewing last night at the...
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: ...Kennedy library. And the lines, they were long. Some 25,000 people came out to pay their last respects.
HOLMES: Also this morning, it was four years ago, folks -- four years ago today, Hurricane Katrina. We'll be going back there live, see where the city has come in the past four years. Also talking to a -- a familiar name and a familiar face during the time of Hurricane Katrina.
NGUYEN: The John Wayne dude.
HOLMES: That John Wayne dude, General Russel Honore will be joining us...
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: ...live at 8:00 this morning. But again, some of our top stories from overnight we do want to share with you. And this was a major one; this thing finally got going.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) start. 2, 1. Booster ignition and liftoff of Discovery, celebrating its 25th birthday by racking science and supplies to the space station.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: I guess you could say the fourth time is the lucky try because space Shuttle Discovery finally got off the ground just before midnight. Now, after -- what? -- three weeks of -- or three delays this week, I should say, Discovery and its seven astronauts are headed for the International Space Station to delivery supplies including a treadmill named after comedian Stephen Colbert who won an online contest earlier this year.
Now, T.J., we were talking about this a little bit earlier, he -- should have had a room in the space station named after him, because he...
HOLMES: Because that's (INAUDIBLE).
NGUYEN: But NASA said, 'No, I don't think that's going to happen. We'll give you a treadmill though.'
HOLMES: They had to make a compromise. They were a little embarrassed that he had actually pulled the thing off and won.
NGUYEN: Right.
HOLMES: And they didn't want to have to name -- but the give him a treadmill. That's something. It's very important up there. They say it's for the astronauts' health.
NGUYEN: That's true. How do you stay on the treadmill in space though?
HOLMES: Look, this is beyond -- this is beyond...
NGUYEN: Reynolds -- no.
HOLMES: Yes, we'll get Reynolds on that.
NGUYEN: We'll talk to him later.
HOLMES: Also, a story this morning, and -- really remarkable. This man you see here, you might not know the name or the face, but he is one of the most famous DJs on the planet. His name is DJ AM. He's dead now.
His real name is Adam Goldstein. He was found dead in his apartment in New York. Thirty-six years old; cause of death not known. And his name, even if you aren't familiar with his music and his DJing -- his name was in the news about a year ago, because he survived a plane crash along with former Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker.
Now, they were two that survived; four others were killed in that accident. He was working for MTV for a TV show he was doing about drug addiction, which he battled. But again, no word on exactly what it was that killed the DJ.
NGUYEN: And about 5:30 Eastern this morning -- well, about a half an hour ago...
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: ...senators boarded a bus headed to Andrews Air Force Base for a flight to Boston. And of course, they are all going -- this contingent going to pay their final respects to Ted Kennedy. His funeral is today.
And the Majority Leader Harry Reid is actually leading that delegation. They've got about -- what? -- 40 senators that are going to be at the funeral today. And as we mentioned, we're going to be bringing that to you live when it happens. Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a basilica where the funeral will be taking place.
And it's not just the senators that are going to be there.
HOLMES: No.
NGUYEN: Three former presidents, including Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, as well as the British prime minister and the Irish prime minister.
HOLMES: This is happening around 10:30 is when the actual funeral is going to take place. There was a memorial service last night, and of course, we saw during the day, his body was lying in repose there at the Kennedy library there in Boston, about 45,000 we're told...
NGUYEN: Total, yes.
HOLMES: ...actually filed past to pay their respects. And then another 25,000 were there at that memorial service last night.
Our -- our Dan Lothian -- or, excuse me, I should say, Tom Foreman, is going to take a look for us now at what we saw yesterday in that memorial service.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(SINGING)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At a presidential library on the edge of the ocean, the people came in waves. Ted Kennedy was bigger than life for many. But to family and friends alike, he preached the gospel of the little man. JOSEPH P. KENNEDY II, TED KENNEDY'S NEPHEW: People who struggled, struggled each and every day to just get by, he lived his whole life fighting for those people.
FOREMAN: All day, those people, regular Americans, lined up to pay their respects, to cry, to say goodbye.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's because of him and the work he did for us, for the immigrants, that we are here today.
(SINGING)
FOREMAN: To those who knew him best, gathered for a private memorial to a remarkable public life.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Ted Kennedy changed the course of history as few others have. Without him, there might still be a military draft; the war in Vietnam might have lasted longer; there might have been delays in granting the Voting Rights Act or in passing Medicare or Medicaid.
FOREMAN: The Democratic lion was famous for reaching out to his Republican foes.
SEN. CHRIS DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: It is to their, of course, credit, that they so often supported Teddy's efforts. And I say in some jest, it is to Teddy's great credit that he rarely supported theirs.
FOREMAN: That brought a laugh or two, but also praise.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: He was good company, excellent company. I think I'm going to miss him more than I can say.
SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R), UTAH: With him I've done battle for 33 years, and I've enjoyed every minute of it.
JOE BIDEN (D), VICE PRESIDENT: I never once saw your father with a defeatist attitude. I never saw him petty. I never saw him act in a small way.
FOREMAN: Finally, it was up to a niece, Caroline, the only surviving child of President John Kennedy, to bring it all home.
CAROLINE KENNEDY, TED KENNEDY'S NIECE: Now Teddy has become a part of history, and we have become the ones who have to do all the things he would have done, for us, for each other and for our country.
(APPLAUSE)
FOREMAN: Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And CNN's special coverage of "Ted Kennedy Remembered: A Celebration of Life," that continues throughout the day with special live coverage of the funeral, beginning at 10:00 Eastern this morning. That will include President Obama's eulogy. Then live coverage of the burial at Arlington National Cemetery, starts at 4:00. You can stay right here with CNN throughout the day.
NGUYEN: Want to turn to the case of a California woman abducted as an 11-year-old girl some 18 years ago. Well, a sheriff admits that his office missed a chance to find Jaycee Lee Dugard, who was living in concealed buildings in the backyard of a kidnapping suspect's house.
Now, three years ago, a neighbor made a report about people living in tents back there. But a deputy who went to the house never looked in the backyard.
Authorities say the suspect, Phillip Garrido, fathered two children with Dugard. Garrido was arrested earlier this week after a police officer saw the two girls with him during school hours and felt something just wasn't right.
Garrido and his wife face 29 charges in this case. And Garrido spoke to CNN affiliate KCRA from jail.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
VOICE OF PHILLIP GARRIDO, KIDNAPPING SUSPECT: Wait till you read that document. I -- my life has been straightened out. Wait till you hear the story of what's -- what took place at this -- at this house. And you're going to be absolutely impressed.
It's a disgusting thing that took place with me in the beginning, but I turned my life completely around when -- to be able to understand it, you have to start there. And you're going to find the most powerful story coming from the witness, from the victim.
You wait. You -- you just -- if you take this a step at a time, you're going to fall over backwards. And in the end, you're going to find the most powerful, heartwarming story.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Heartwarming. Very interesting there.
Well, Dugard, now 29, has been reunited with her family. She's said to be in good health but guilty about developing a bond with Garrido over the years.
Garrido, who has been a registered sex offender since 1977, is now under suspicion in the unsolved murders of several prostitutes in the 1990s. So this story is far from over, folks. And we'll continue to follow it for you.
HOLMES: Well, the Los Angeles Coroner's Office has finally released its findings in the death of Michael Jackson, whose birthday is today.
NGUYEN: Today, yes. As CNN's Kara Finnstrom tells us, the case has been ruled a homicide by overdose.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Los Angeles coroner has now official ruled that Michael Jackson's death was a homicide, and that it involved a combination of drugs. It's the coroner's job to determine whether Jackson's death on June 25 was accidental, suicide, due to natural causes or, as was determined in this case, the result of a homicide.
A press release from the coroner's office also states that Jackson died from acute propofol intoxication. Now, propofol is that powerful sedative that we've heard so much about these past several weeks ago. Jackson was taking it through an IV drip to combat his severe insomnia. So that was not a surprise.
But the corner also added that a benzodiazepine (ph) effect contributed Jackson's death. That's a reference to a class of drugs. And the coroner went on to list numerous other drugs that were found in Jackson's body.
So what we actually got was a more detailed picture of what the coroner believes killed Jackson. At this point, the big question is whether there will be charges against the doctor who administered those drugs to Jackson on the morning he died, Dr. Conrad Murray, who according to police documents, maintains he was trying to help Jackson sleep and to wean him off propofol, which Murray told police he feared Jackson was becoming addicted to.
Also, the big question, whether any other doctors who treated Jackson could face charges.
So right now, the criminal part of this investigation does remain in the hands of the Los Angeles Police Department and the district attorney. And at this point, neither is saying anything about those potential charges.
Kara Finnstrom for CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And a live picture here. This is where the body, you see there, of Senator Ted Kennedy is this morning. This is at the JFK library in Boston. This is, of course, where his body did lie in repose the past couple of days, and also where we watched that memorial service last summer, where some 25,000 were in attendance.
His body will be taken from here over to the church nearby in Boston, where his funeral service will take place. That's expected to happen around 10:30 this morning, where the actual funeral service takes place.
But we will continue to watch people -- a smaller gathering. His family members certainly will be gathering there with his body at JFK library. And then they will all head over there a little later for the funeral service. Again, you won't miss a minute of that, when the funeral service takes place.
Also, some new video we're getting this morning. This is at Capitol Hill, where -- you see those buses. This was about a half hour to 45 minutes ago, where several lawmakers, including a lot of his Senate colleagues gathered and were going to hop on those buses, head over to Andrews Air Force Base. Again, this is some raw video we're getting in, that's why it's kind of moving around. But some raw video we're just getting there.
And again, back to the live picture. But those lawmakers headed over to Andrews Air Force Base, and then they're going to hop on planes, head over to Boston for the funeral service today. Again, stay with CNN for that live coverage all day.
NGUYEN: All right. In the meantime though, can you believe it's been four years -- in fact, four years ago today that Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. Among the horrifying images were that of two men gunned down on a bridge by police.
And four years later -- well, the question remains: Was it self- defense? We're going to revisit that case.
HOLMES: Also, it's been a pretty hectic, quick start, I guess, to the hurricane season.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: A lot of names that have been out there, Ana and -- what? -- you had Bill out there.
NGUYEN: Bill. And now we got...
HOLMES: Danny.
NGUYEN: Danny.
HOLMES: What's going on with Danny? Not a hurricane. We'll check with Reynolds to see what's going on with Danny.
Reynolds, good morning to you, sir.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good morning, guys.
We have seen some major changes with this storm going from a -- a fairly strong tropical storm to right now a depression. Take a gander at this. You see it now moving its way right up along the Eastern Seaboard. It is beginning to weaken; winds only 35 miles an hour. But still, it could be a major player in your forecast this weekend.
I'll let you know what I'm talking about in terms of that major change in your forecast and how it may affect you, coming up in a few moments right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
See you in a few. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
HOLMES: Maybe. Wow, how are things this morning with you, Renny Ren?
WOLF: It's a family show.
HOLMES: It is a family show.
WOLF: It's -- it's a family a show.
HOLMES: But the families are on the run because of what you see over my shoulder here. Fires happening in California. This is just one we're showing you here.
WOLF: Yes.
HOLMES: This in particular is 5,000 acres. This is near the Angeles National Forest. This is one of the largest, 600 homes nearby, people evacuating. But this is only one of a number of fires.
WOLF: Yes, four major fires right now. We're talking about -- let's see -- Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, even into Santa Barbara County we got some fires that are going on.
What's even more pressing is the issue that we have red-flag warnings between very dry conditions, breezy conditions into the afternoon, which means this scene that we're watching right here on this video (INAUDIBLE) given to us by KCAL, means we could see this play out quite a few more times.
And some of these flames -- very hard to tell from this vantage point -- off in the distance, some of those could be up to 50, even 100 feet in height as these winds accelerate these flames right up the hillsides, burning it bright -- that dry chaparral and those (INAUDIBLE).
HOLMES: How long are these -- these red-flag warnings -- how long are we going to see these in place?
WOLF: We're going to see them in place until we see a little bit more of that humidity work its way back into the -- the -- say, the -- along the coast. And what's funny -- you know this, T.J. -- you lived out in the San Jose area.
HOLMES: Oh yes.
WOLF: You know, along the coast, it could be, say, 50, 60 degrees in terms of your high. But you go, say, 10 -- 10 miles inland...
HOLMES: Yes.
WOLF: ...over 100 degrees. HOLMES: Yes.
WOLF: And what that does, that dries out all this -- all the grasses, all the trees, and then you have this fire start. It's -- it's like a -- like a bellows. And -- and it -- it just accelerates the flames all over the place.
HOLMES: And we don't know if that's coming any time -- you said this could go on for a little while. So no relief just yet in sight over the next couple days, the next week.
WOLF: No help whatsoever...
HOLMES: Wow.
WOLF: ...from Mother Nature. So it's going to be a -- a pressing problem.
HOLMES: All right. And another pressing problem on the other side of the country.
WOLF: Always got something going on ...
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: Yes. You're right. We're talking about Danny. Right now in Atlanta though, there's no sign at all of -- of Danny, thankfully.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WOLF: And Danny was a tropical storm; it is now a tropical depression. And as it made its way right along parts of the Outer Banks, it's been absorbed by an upper-level low. And the storm is still going to provide some rainfall, and of course, rip currents along the coast. So anyone planning on going out and doing some surfing out on the Cape Hatteras, maybe near Kitty Hawk, you need to be careful; those rip currents can just pull you away very quickly.
Deep convection now forming in the top half of this storm system. That's going to be on coming shore, spinning around that low counterclockwise.
And then speaking of precipitation, we're seeing some heavier rainfall now forming just to the east of Washington, D.C. You see this thick band of storms that's beginning to fire up. A lot of this will be brushing its way back along the coast.
Later on today, places like Boston, maybe as far north as Portland, you may be seeing not only some scattered showers, but there will be the issue of some flash flooding possible from Portland, I'd say right to about the Jersey Shore. So that is certainly something to keep in mind.
Now although it's not a tropical storm anymore and a depression, we're still going to keep a sharp eye on it. We do anticipate it to continue its jog to the north and veer off to the northeast, possibly, possibly become a tropical storm once again as we get into Sunday, passing Cape Cod earlier, around 2 a.m., then moving onshore at Nova Scotia, still with winds around 45 miles an hour. And then by Monday, it'll be moving back towards the north. And so --- certainly out of harm's way.
So it's not done yet, we still have to watch it very carefully. But in terms of it being a threat of possibly becoming a hurricane, that's not going to be in the cards at all.
Let's send it back to you at the news desk.
NGUYEN: Well, that is some good news. All right.
WOLF: Absolutely.
NGUYEN: All right. Thank you very much.
HOLMES: All right. Thanks, Renny.
NGUYEN: Let's get back to Senator Ted Kennedy. He will be laid to -- to rest today. Forty of his colleagues, in fact, are on their way right now. We just saw some new video minutes ago of senators boarding buses that are going to head to the airport. Here's some more of that video.
Again, about 40 senators making this trip. And we are expecting arrivals in about 30 minutes. We're watching it very closely for you. There's a lot going on today. Around 10:30 Eastern is when the actual funeral service is expected to take place. And of course, we're going to bring you all of that live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, President Obama, recalling the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina that hit the Gulf Coast in New Orleans four years ago to this very day.
HOLMES: Yes, the president plans to visit the city before the end of this year. But in his weekly address this morning, President Obama talked about his administration's efforts to boost the recovery effort in New Orleans as well as the whole Gulf Coast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Government must be a partner, not an opponent, in getting things done. And that's why we've put in place innovative review-and-dispute resolution programs to expedite recovery efforts and have freed up hundreds of millions of dollars in federal assistance that had not been distributed.
This is also allowing us to move forward with stalled projects across the Gulf Coast, building and improving schools, investing in public health and safety and repairing broken roads, bridges and homes.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HOLMES: Now, the president also pointed out that thousands of Gulf Coast residents have been put to work by the recovery act passed by Congress.
Now, also, it was the storm that of course destroyed lives, nearly drowned the city. It made landfall four years ago today, as we mentioned.
You may remember a particular incident though. Police opened fire on a bridge; two people killed. One of them was a mentally disabled man.
NGUYEN: Yes. So the question is this: Was it self-defense?
Well, CNN correspondent Drew Griffin investigates.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Four years after the storm, a mystery remains about the shootings on the Danziger Bridge. But everyone does agree on one point: that first Sunday after the hurricane, police shot and killed a 40-year-old mentally handicapped man.
The question: Was it justified?
Rommel Madison says there is only one answer.
(on camera): You believe police -- New Orleans police, murdered your brother?
ROMMEL MADISON, BROTHER OF VICTIM: Yes, I do.
GRIFFIN: And then covered it up?
MADISON: Yes.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Now, four years later, armed with a search warrant, the FBI and other federal law-enforcement officials descended on the New Orleans Police Department, seizing records, investigative files, evidence Rommel Madison believes will prove a police cover-up.
It was in the chaos engulfing New Orleans that Lance Madison and his mentally handicapped brother Ronald, fleeing floodwaters, ran head on into what's become known as the Danziger Bridge killings.
LANCE MADISON, BROTHER OF VICTIM: I'd say he was shot about right over here.
Right here. And we kept running up the bridge here, trying to go zigzag so they wouldn't hit us.
GRIFFIN: Crossing the bridge, they suddenly found themselves being shot at by armed men dressed in T-shirts driving a postal truck. What they didn't know was the armed men were actually police who thought they were coming to the rescue. There had been a frantic radio call that Sunday morning. It was reporting police under fire, contractors being shot at on this bridge.
(on camera): It turns out it was all just one big mistake in the chaos after Katrina. Some would say it was based on lies. There were no contractors under fire on this bridge. Police never found anybody with a gun.
(voice-over): What they did find was a man running away from them, down this bridge. They chased him, shot him, and killed him.
Two people were killed that day. Ronald Madison was one of them. Another four were wounded.
The seven police officers involved have always said the shooting was justified. And the New Orleans Police Department, which investigated itself, agreed.
The civil-rights division of the Department of Justice is now trying to figure out precisely what happened on the bridge.
And as Tulane University criminology professor Peter Scharf points out, it is now the New Orleans police investigation itself that is being investigated.
PETER SCHARF, TULANE UNIVERSITY: The more critical question is not the seven guys on the bridge, but can this police department investigate itself?
GRIFFIN: Police say they fired in self-defense when Madison reached for his waist and turned on them. But over the past four years, CNN has been uncovering details that raise doubts: an autopsy revealing Madison was shot in the back; lack of any evidence Madison was ever armed; and finding a witness who says he saw officers line up and gun down a man running away.
KASIMIR GASTON, WITNESS TO SHOOTING: Would arm motion moving and -- and...
GRIFFIN (on camera): And then how did he fall?
GASTON: He just fell, like -- like -- like, he was collapsing, like, like he was collapsing. Like something had just, like, wiped him out.
GRIFFIN: You didn't see any gun on him?
GASTON: I didn't see any on him.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Seven police officers cheered as heroes by their colleagues were indicted for the murder and attempted murder of Ronald Madison. But the case was thrown out on a technicality. And six of the officers are now back on the street.
(on camera): You believe these officers did nothing wrong, that there was no crime or even misconduct on that bridge? MIKE GLASSER, POLICE ASSOCIATION OF NEW ORLEANS: None whatsoever. We're confident that these officers acted appropriately -- in fact, heroically. We're certain that this investigation will have the same conclusion as the last one. That they did, in fact, act appropriately and heroically.
GRIFFIN (voice-over): Rommel Madison says in the aftermath of Katrina, the police force did what it wanted.
(on camera): Of all the victims of -- of Hurricane Katrina, your brother among them, was justice and the rule of law also a victim in this town?
R. MADISON: Yes, they were just as -- they were just as badly wounded as my brother was because it just doesn't exist.
GRIFFIN: The federal Justice Department wouldn't comment for this story, wouldn't confirm that they're investigating the possibility of a cover-up by the New Orleans police.
What the Justice Department is promising is a thorough review of the facts and circumstances surrounding the shootings on the Danziger Bridge.
Drew Griffin, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, since Hurricane Katrina, CNN added a bureau in New Orleans. Reporter Sean Callebs, in fact, joins us live with a look at how those who lived in the Lower Ninth Ward are coping today. We'll talk to him a little bit later.
HOLMES: Also, CNN.com has a special section called "Katrina: After the Storm." It takes a look back at then and now, with special interactive features on everything Katrina. You can go to CNN.com/Katrina for that.
NGUYEN: A sheriff admits his department dropped the ball. We're going to tell you why Jaycee Lee Dugard could have been found nearly three years ago.
HOLMES: Also, a new development in the investigation into Michael Jackson's death. What the coroner is saying now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Hello, everybody, on this Saturday morning. Good morning to you and welcome back. It is 6:30 Eastern, 5:30 Central. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: Hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes. Glad you could start your Saturday morning right here with us.
NGUYEN: All right. Let's get to it right now. First and foremost, we're going to be talking about this, because it will happening very shortly. But at the moment, you're looking at live pictures of Senator Ted Kennedy's casket. The color guard has been watching it throughout the night. And today, as you well know, the funeral will be taking place around 10:30 Eastern today.
And in fact, a contingent of 40 senators are actually boarding buses right now to head to that funeral site. We've got three former presidents who will be in attendance as well as President Obama. So a lot to come on that, and we will be bringing it to you live.
HOLMES: Also some other top stories to share with you. Some activists on both sides of the health care debate are hitting the road to drive home their points. Big government opponents kick off a 33- city bus tour of the country yesterday in Sacramento. The Tea Party Express, what they're calling it; it will make 31 more stops through September 12th when it ends with a three-day march on Washington.
Then on the other side, hey, you've got a bus, they've got a bus. Organizing For America, they have a bus tour, kicked off Wednesday in Phoenix. Ten more stops to go on their bus tour. President Obama created the group to push his agenda, including health care reform.
Space Shuttle Discovery finally got off the ground before midnight. Why don't you take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Engine start, two, one, booster ignition and liftoff of Discovery, celebrating its 25th birthday by racking up science and supplies to the space station.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Always just an amazing sight. Discovery and its seven astronauts are headed for the International Space Station to deliver supplies, including a treadmill named after comedian Steven Colbert, who won an online contest earlier this year. He was supposed to have a room at the International Space Station named after him because he won that contest. But NASA said, how about we give you the naming rights to a treadmill instead? I guess they worked it out, T.J.
HOLMES: We'll turn to Afghanistan now. It's been another deadly month there for U.S. service members. Another was killed by a roadside bomb yesterday. That makes August the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since the war began. Forty-six service members have been killed this month. That is one more than last month's total of 45.
NGUYEN: I'm sure you've heard about this story. A lot of people talking about it today. Just shocking really. Authorities in California looking into a possible connection between a kidnapping suspect and other crimes.
HOLMES: The suspect we're talking about is Phillip Garrido and his wife, now facing 29 charges in the kidnapping of an 11-year-old girl back in 1991. Garrido also accused of fathering two children with that woman, Jaycee Lee Dugard, that's her name, now 29 years old. Garrido was arrested this week.
But as CNN's Dan Simon reports, he could have been picked up about three years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They are in custody without the chance for bail. But in what can only be described as an admission of failure, a local sheriff says they should have been caught sooner.
SHERRIF WARREN RUPF, CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIF.: On November the 30th 2006, we missed an opportunity to bring earlier closure to this situation.
SIMON: Sheriff Warren Rupf says a 911 call led his deputies to the Garrido's house. A neighbor had tipped them off that children had been living in backyard tents and things just didn't appear right. Damon Robinson says he and his girlfriend are the ones who tried to sound the alarm. He said he thought the Garridos were just odd.
DAMON ROBINSON, SUSPECTS'S NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR: She looked right in my face and ignored me, and just ducked off.
SIMON: The wife would never speak to them and the little girls never played with the other kids on the street. Robinson's girlfriend grew alarmed when she peered over their fence.
(On camera): When she looked over the fence, what did she see in the yard?
ROBINSON: The tents and people living back there.
SIMON (voice over): But the home and yard were never searched. The sheriff called it a missed opportunity, an organizational failure.
RUPF: This is not an acceptable outcome. Organizationally, we should have been more inquisitive, more curious, and turned over a rock or two.
SIMON: Garrido is a registered sex offender, a system designed to keep tabs on some of the worst of society. But along with the sheriff's department, Garrido's parole officer never discovered either what was allegedly happening in the backyard. Tim Allen knew Garrido for 10 years.
TIM ALLEN, KNEW SUSPECT: I just had no inkling that there was evil behind this guy.
SIMON: Allen has a window and glass business. He says Garrido made his business cards and stationery and did a good job. Though Allen says he saw no signs of criminal behavior, Garrido said and did some bizarre things.
(On camera): He told you, you he was starting a new religion?
ALLEN: Uh-huh.
SIMON: And had some revelation from God?
ALLEN: Uh-huh. Yep. And then he also had a box. When he first brought it in, he said this box you can hear voices from the other side.
SIMON: Allen describes it as a shoebox with headphones attached.
ALLEN: I didn't hear anything. Then he kind of started mouthing, he started very quietly mouthing things. I was looking at the box at first. Then when I looked up at him he was mouthing words. And he said can you hear it? I said, no. So he would mouth the words a little louder. He said, did you hear it? I said, I can hear you. He said, that's it! That's great! You're hearing it. It works.
SIMON: Phillip Garrido and his wife pleading not guilty; 33 months after law enforcement came so close.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well being Garrido's arrest is being credited to a University of California police officer. Garrido had shown up with his daughters to apply for permission to hold an event to speak on campus.
HOLMES: The officer said Garrido's behavior was just a little suspect, unstable, more importantly, she felt there was something about the girls just wasn't right. And that led to what we have now, an arrest in what has been a very strange story with details still coming up.
NGUYEN: A lot of details will be coming forth. Once they do, I imagine they're going to be just as shocking as something that we've already heard.
HOLMES: We are keeping an eye on, of course, what's happening in the Northeast, Boston in particular today. You're looking at the inside and outside of the JFK Library there in Boston where the body of Senator Ted Kennedy is still lying right now. It will go from there over to the church where his funeral service will take place around 10:30 this morning.
Again, people are just now starting to gather. Plans are in place. People starting to make their way to Boston for that service. You won't miss a minute of it, special coverage coming up just a little later here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: If you only knew. We are starting something today, got a lot going on this weekend being including a party for Michael Jackson for his birthday. WOLF: Michael Jackson, his birthday, he's 51. Well, I mean, he would be 51. They're celebrating Michael Jackson's birthday in Brooklyn, New York. It will be an incredible event. If you happen to means, go out there, enjoy, and eat some birthday cake.
HOLMES: What's the weather going to be like? Will it cooperate in New York?
WOLF: It will be OK. Some scattered showers later on in the day, certainly not as heavy as it could have been, had the storm been bigger, referring to Danny. But thankfully, things are going to be working OK for them.
If you are a music fan head over to Chicago, got some great things there. We've got the Chicago Latin Music Festival where they play Latin music, in Chicago, as far as we know. Also, if you are into horseracing, the 140th running of the Traverse Stakes, in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is the oldest major thoroughbred race in America.
And Hotter Than Hell 2009 Bike Festival in Wichita Falls. Some people they won't go out there and go cycling unless it's in the 70s. Not these people. No, no, no. No training wheels required for these folks. They go out there and they go out to be Hotter Than Hell.
NGUYEN: How hot is it going to be?
WOLF: It is celebrity hot. It is James Brown celebrity hot. Could be in the 90s, but with humidity feeling much warmer.
Last, but not least, the American Fishery Society Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Let me tell you. They know how to throw down. They get out the fishing nets, they eat fish sticks, they play go fish. Actually, they don't. But if I were there, that's what I would be doing. It should just be a good time that they're going to have.
NGUYEN: One wild and crazy guy, let me tell you.
WOLF: Yeah. It gets to be a crazy time there in Nashville when those folks are in town. They really know how to celebrate.
HOLMES: I thought you were serious about the fish sticks. I was really paying attention. I thought that was for real.
WOLF: Just checking on you. Little test.
NGUYEN: Keep us on our toes.
WOLF: Exactly. Also, the Dog Days up in Mystic, Connecticut, that was yesterday, and also today. I think tomorrow it's going to be for part of the day. Make sure you be ready for the rain. It is going to be heavy at times.
NGUYEN: All right.
WOLF: There you go. You're up to speed.
NGUYEN: Speaking of the weather, hopefully it will -the rain will stay off for a big event today in Boston.
HOLMES: You're seeing here just a heck of a shot. This is at the JFK Library in Boston. Just looking out, a really beautiful shot, really kind of telling the story just by this picture. That's the body of JFK's brother, Ted Kennedy, the last brother in that line of siblings who died, of course, on Tuesday at the age of 77. His funeral service will be today at the JFK Library served as the venue for his memorial service, which was yesterday. Some 45,000 people got to file past and just pay their respects, another 25,000 who attended the memorial service yesterday.
But today is the funeral service. President Obama will be delivering the eulogy today, expected to start around 10:30 today. But people starting to gather. You will not miss a moment of it. CNN will have continuing live coverage throughout the day of this memorial services for Senator Ted Kennedy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: They're coming from all walks of life, to Boston, this morning for the funeral of Senator Ted Kennedy, as we all know him. From diplomats to even the downtrodden, just people from all across the U.S.
HOLMES: It was neat to hear those stories over the past couple of days. Everyone seemed to have a personal story. He's been in service in 50 years in the Senate.
NGUYEN: Right.
HOLMES: He's touched a lot of lives. Here is this live picture we've been showing this morning. His body there at the JFK Library, they will take it from there, over to the church in a little bit for his funeral service. Which is expected to begin around 10:30 this morning.
We also saw at least 40 senators, this morning, hopped on to buses at the Capitol heading over to the airport, then they're going to fly over to Boston for the actual funeral service. Three former presidents will be attending and, of course, President Obama delivering the eulogy today. Prime ministers of Ireland, as well as Britain, also expected.
Also last night, the wake was held at the JFK Presidential Library. Again there in suburban Boston, the same spot where you see his body lying in this live picture. The senator will then be buried a little later this afternoon at Arlington National Cemetery. He'll be buried nearby his brothers, JFK, and also his brother, Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated in '68 in Los Angeles. That farewell to the senator at the start of this week's GOP address.
NGUYEN: The rest is all about health care reform. In fact, Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi is one of six negotiators on the Senate bill. And here he makes the idea of compromise seem pretty far off.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MIKE ENZI, (R) WYOMING: If Congress and the administration mess this up, each and every one of us will pay for the mistakes, as will generations to come. We need health care reform, but more importantly we need to get it right. We need reforms that will actually lower health care costs for working Americans. And we need to make sure we do not increase the deficit and add to the record debt we're already passing on to our children and grandchildren.
The bills introduced by congressional Democrats fail to meet these standards. According to the nonpartisan and independent Congressional Budget Office, the House and Senate bills will actually drive up health care costs. The Congressional Budget Office also says that the Democrats' bill will significantly increase our nation's deficit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: The Associated Press says Enzi told a town hall crowd this week that he is more interested in forcing concessions than getting a compromise.
HOLMES: Health care reform, Ted Kennedy, the kidnapped California girl, all of these major stories, Michael Jackson's birthday today, as well, with a big block party happening. All of these stories, tell us what you'd like to talk about this morning.
As always, Betty and I are logged in on Facebook and Twitter pages, right here, up on the set. By all means go to either one of those. Also CNN.com/betty orcnn.com/TJ to check out our blog as well. Quick break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Making new beginnings after Hurricane Katrina, progress rebuilding New Orleans' historic Ninth Ward has been pretty slow, to be honest. Especially for one man, who watched helplessly as floodwaters swept his mother away.
Sean Callebs tells us how four years after the storm, teams of volunteers, and a Hollywood superstar, are stepping up you to make things right for many who just lost everything.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's been four years since Robert Green and his mother were stranded on their roof in the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans. This is the Lower Ninth in the aftermath. Green's mother was swept off the roof by the floodwaters. He managed to survive and return.
I first spoke with Green a few months after the storm, after he found his mother's body, after he came to grips with the fact Katrina took his granddaughter as well. ROBERT GREEN, KATRINA VICTIM: Don't see my baby no more, don't see my mother no more, don't see my neighbors no more. All I can do is just be happy that she's going to be buried.
CALLEBS: Green spent most of the last four years living in this small FEMA trailer, sharing his story with anyone who came through the Lower Ninth. His story has finally taken a positive turn. Green recently abandoned the trailer for a new home built by Brad Pitt's charitable organization, Make It Right.
We have 14 families and we feel crowded, but we had 3,000 houses that are gone and we would love to see those houses come back.
CALLEBS: Pitt's group has built 15 homes and sells them for only about $75,000 to residents in the Lower Ninth. Volunteer work makes that deal possible. They're very green, energy efficient, recycled materials. But above all ...
TOM DARDEN, EXEC. DIR., MAKE IT RIGHT: The safety is a primary concern for us so we want to make sure if there is another flood the houses we're building are going to be safe from that flood. So they're all elevated at least above Katrina-level flooding.
CALLEBS: Volunteers here are leading the way, like Matt Peterson's group Global Green.
MATT PETERSEN, PRESIDENT, GLOBAL GREEN: There's still so much work to be done we can't wait, and can't rely on the federal government. This is I think an era where we realize that we, as citizens of this great country, need to take responsibility for our nation and starting right here.
CALLEBS: Secretary Shaun Donovan knows mistakes were made in efforts to get people back into their homes, be it another hurricane, a flood, fire or earthquake, people will need help rebuilding again.
SHAUN DONOVAN, HUD SECRETARY: We have to be more flexible. We have to be more responsive. And make sure that the programs don't just work in theory, but they work in reality for families.
CALLEBS: Making it easier for those who lost so much to start over.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Sean Callebs joins us now live from New Orleans.
Sean, let me ask you this. What sort of events are planned today as the city marks the anniversary there?
CALLEBS: In about three hours, the time that authorities estimate the levees gave way, they will be ringing a bell near a memorial on Canal Street near City Park. There will be a number of other ways people are marking as well.
Here in the Lower Ninth, Robert Green and his family are all getting together. They're going to line down the street, at some point. And they're also going to demolish an old police station, in another area, as they work to build another cop shop. They say that's a sign of progress. They're trying to get a handle on crime here.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. Sean Callebs joining us live. Thank you, Sean.
Live in the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING, a leader who took charge to help clean up after the hurricane. What it was like for General Honore.
HOLMES: Also, CNN.com has a special section called "Katrina: After The Storm". Takes a look at the devastation and recovery with special interactive features. Find it at CNN.com/Katrina.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Hello there, everybody. From the CNN Center on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING, on August 29th. I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. It's 7:00 a.m. here in Atlanta, Georgia; 6:00 a.m. Central -actually, you know, that's wrong.
HOLMES: What's that?
NGUYEN: No, that's right, 6 a.m. Central.
HOLMES: You OK? A little early for you, right?
NGUYEN: We're two minutes early. Thanks for starting your day with us. We have a lot of news to cover so let's just get right to it.
First and foremost, we'll be talking about the burial and funeral service today of Senator Ted Kennedy. Senators, in fact - actually we'll show you this live shot, right here. That is his body lying in repose right there. You see the honor guard surrounding it. A couple of people have already turned out.
But there is a contingency of about 40 senators who are boarding buses, or who have already, this is some video from earlier today. They are heading to Boston.
JFK Library is where we saw that shot of Senator Kennedy's casket. A little later today they'll be heading off to a church where the funeral service will take place. President Obama will be delivering the eulogy. Three former presidents will also be there with a host of other dignitaries. There is a lot going on. That funeral will take place at 10:30 Eastern today. We, of course, will bring it to you live.
HOLMES: There are still some other stories we want to share with you, some things you may have missed overnight. And you missed a heck of a beautiful sight last night. Look at it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have engine start. Two, one, booster ignition, and liftoff of Discovery, celebrating its 25th birthday by racking up science and supplies to the space station.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: A little late but it got going. These are great nighttime launches. Beautiful sight there. That's the Space Shuttle Discovery, took off for the International Space Station just before midnight last night.
Shuttle is carrying seven astronauts, delivering supplies up there, including one bit of the supplies, that's getting a lot of attention, a treadmill called the Colbert. It is named after the comedian Steven Colbert, who actually won an online contest to get naming rights for something aboard the shuttle.
NGUYEN: All he got was a treadmill. Better than nothing I guess.
I know that some of you have been talking about this story, a lot of people calling it simply shocking. A 29-year-old California woman is back with her family, that's the good news, after 18 years of being abducted. What she endured is just horrifying. Authorities say Jaycee Lee Dugard's kidnapper kept her had in a compound in his backed yard. He also fathered two children with her. Garrido, and his wife, face 29 charges relating to the kidnapping. Now he is being investigated for possible links to other crimes.
HOLMES: One of the biggest names in DJaying is dead. His name is DJ AM, real name Adam Goldstein. He was found dead in his New York apartment; 36 years old. The cause of death not known just yet. You will remember the name, possibly, from almost a year ago when Goldstein survived a plane crash along with Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker. They were the only two that survived the crash that killed four others. That was in South Carolina. Goldstein is well known for his relationships with reality TV star Nicole Ritchie and also with actress Mandy Moore.
NGUYEN: Yes, I remember that. We were actually on the air the day, the weekend, of that plane crash. And after that, we heard a lot from DJ AM saying that he was -- went into a bit of a depression wondering, you know, why did I survived when the others did not?
HOLMES: A lot of guilt.
NGUYEN: Yes. So, sad to hear about his death.
But we also have several correspondents on the story -- a big story of the day, that, of course, being the funeral and burial of Senator Ted Kennedy.
HOLMES: Our Kate Bolduan, one of our reporters, that's working on the story today. She's at the U.S. Capitol where a group of senators just left a short time ago. They're, of course, heading to Boston for the funeral. Also, our -- there she is, hello to her. Also, Elaine Quijano is at Arlington National Cemetery where the senator will be laid to rest a little later this afternoon.
NGUYEN: And Dan Lothian is at the church in Boston for this morning's funeral. As well as Deborah Feyerick, she's at the JFK Library in suburban Boston.
So, let's start with Kate, shall we? We got something, of course, on the scene. But, Kate, going to you first, Kate. I want you to describe the scene this morning as those senators got on the bus. We saw some video earlier today. And there's quite a few of them, about 40, correct?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Actually, we were told they're between 60 and 65 senators that left on this delegation this morning. They'll be heading to Andrews Air Force Base to fly to Boston to go to this private funeral service in Boston later this morning.
The mood really -- I'm told by congressional producer Ted Barrett -- this morning was reflective. It was early, but the senators did it take some time to speak with us and kind of give their reflections. Listen here to former Virginia Republican Senator John Warner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FMR. SEN. JOHN WARNER (R), VIRGINIA: Well, very much emotionally involved in this. I first met Ted 50 years ago when I was an advance man for Eisenhower/Nixon campaign, Nixon's presidential against Jack Kennedy. And he worked for Jack Kennedy. So, we, in a very friendly way, bumped along the campaign route.
And then years later when I was secretary of the navy, I met him again when I had to make a tough decision to close military bases in Boston. We had a big hearing up here in the caucus room and I remember that one well, three or four hours.
Then when it came to the Senate, we seemed to gravitate and be good friends. We both love the sea. We both love to sail. We played tennis. We both painted. We're oil painters.
And I had many memorable visits with him in the Hyannis region. He was a wonderful man. (INAUDIBLE) touched his life as he touched mine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: They left in, I'm told, four buses this morning and they're meeting up with many more senators and House members who are finding their own way to travel to Boston for the private funeral service this morning. We should say that these CODELs as they called them, these delegations, while quite a sight to see on a Saturday morning here in Washington, they are not unusual. These types of things do happen for funerals and events like this to pay respects to senators just like Senator Ted Kennedy.
Along with the senators, Betty and T.J., they had spouses with them as well as some of Kennedy's staff who will be traveling along to head to Boston this morning.
NGUYEN: All right. Well, Kate, we do appreciate that.
And we want to take you now to Elaine Quijano, who is live at Arlington National Cemetery, which is just across Potomac from Washington.
HOLMES: Details there, know they're coming early your way a little later this afternoon. But give us the details about this ceremony we're going to see a little later.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, T.J. and Betty, we are just outside the gates here at Arlington National Cemetery. Those gates behind me are set to open in about an hour or so. This is a place, first of all, that is quite familiar and was quite familiar to Senator Ted Kennedy. It's a sprawling place, 200 acres, and, of course, the place where his two brothers, Robert and John, are buried.
Now, yesterday our Barbara Starr got a chance to talk to the superintendent of Arlington Cemetery here, and he shared with her how Senator Kennedy would often come here to visit, sometimes unannounced and reflect near the graves of his brothers.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Senator Kennedy was here all the time. He came on the anniversaries of the deaths. He would come on the anniversaries of the births if he was available. He would just come. Sometimes, he would announce himself. Other times, we would just be up here doing maintenance and we'd find him up here.
If he came to funerals of one of the soldiers from his state, he would also -- before he left the cemetery -- always stop and have a prayer or a quiet visit here. Sometimes, he would spend five minutes. Other times, he would talk to the people until they quit talking to him. He'd spend a half hour, 45 minutes just talking to people and visiting with his brothers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, Senator Kennedy's burial site is actually on a hillside here near the graves of his two brothers. The actual service itself is going to be closed to the public. About 200 people, the superintendent says, are expected. These are invited guests, of course, and family members. And Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop -- the retired archbishop of Washington, is set to preside over the service later today -- T.J. and Betty?
NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Elaine Quijano joining us live -- thank you.
HOLMES: Well, our Dan Lothian is standing by for us as well. He is at the church where the funeral service will happen.
Dan, I guess, set the scene about what's going to happen here in the next couple of hours.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, obviously another day of tribute and remembering Senator Ted Kennedy. This is an invitation-only, what is called -- often refer to as the Missions Church.
And this is a church that meant a lot to Senator Ted Kennedy. We're told that the early 2000, when one of his daughters, Kara, was going through cancer, dealing with cancer, he would come here on a daily basis to pray for her. So, this is also known as the healing church and this is where he will be again remembered today, 1,550 people invited guests only will be arriving here.
You know, I wanted to get a little more sort of look back on the life of Senator Ted Kennedy. So, we've invited Scott Ferson, who -- you were a Kennedy aide and you've been sitting with his body over at the JFK Library. First of all, talk to me about what Senator Kennedy meant to you, first of all, as a boss then, I guess, as a friend.
SCOTT FERSON, FMR. KENNEDY STAFFER: Right. I think I would sort of speak universally for the -- I think -- more 1,000 people who worked for him over the years, that not only was he our favorite boss probably, but he continues to always be your boss. I mean, it was 15 years ago that I worked for him. And yet, every day, I'll meet people who say, I just saw your boss. And they don't mean anybody other than Ted Kennedy. He had that kind of presence I think in all of our lives.
LOTHIAN: And, you know, I've been reading so much about the loyalty that employees had to Senator Kennedy. I mean, was there -- was there anything that you wouldn't do for him? I mean, was that loyalty as real as we have heard about it in these last few days?
FERSON: Right. I think you hit it perfectly. There isn't anything we wouldn't do for him because there wasn't anything that he wouldn't do for us. Not only was he a great teacher and not only did the life skills for work that we all I think have and the things we've done since we learned at the foot of Ted Kennedy, but also how to be a better person, you know, how to approach life in an optimistic way are things are life lessons that he instilled upon us. And he was always so positive and frankly, so protective of his staff -- hard on us but always very good to us.
LOTHIAN: And what was it that drove the staff to be so involved in every aspect of everyone's life? In other words, you know, I had someone who, a couple weeks wanted to get something done and they were trying to get it done and no one would help out, and they said, "You know what? I think we're OK now because someone from Senator Kennedy's staff is going to help us out."
What was it? I mean, a lot of lawmakers do that, but not with the intensity and the focus that we've heard from Senator Kennedy's office. What was it that drove the people who worked for him to really take care of the constituents?
FERSON: Well, the office, of course, always reflects the person in it. And I think it was sort of this basic attitude that if you presented problems, great or small, if you start to say, how might I do this, or what about this, his answer was always, "Do it." And when the instruction is do it...
LOTHIAN: You do.
FERSON: ... from Ted Kennedy, you did it.
LOTHIAN: And one final question. You were sitting at the JFK Library with his body for an hour. Talk to me about the emotional impact. What was going through your mind when you were looking at that flag-draped coffin?
FERSON: Right. And I think to include former staff and present staff, to have an honor of sitting with him for an hour, and for me it was in the middle of the night, to do that in just complete silence and to think two things -- one, what an honor it was, but also, that we could be with him and he wasn't alone. I think was very -- an important personal connection for us.
LOTHIAN: I said last question. But what's your last memory -- as he will be laid to rest late today, what will be that lasting memory for you?
FERSON: I think it it's the totality. I mean, it's very hard to grasp the totality of his impact. And fortunately, we're going to have lifetimes to be able to do that.
LOTHIAN: Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
So, later this morning, of course, at the funeral service, the mass here, at what is known as the Mission Church, President Obama will be delivering the eulogy. We're told that that eulogy will last about 15 minutes or so. It will be a very personal message talking about the impact that senator Kennedy had not only on the president but also on a lot of Americans.
And, of course, last night, as we were just talking about, Senator Ted Kennedy's body was at the JFK Library and Museum, and there were a lot of stories that we heard from family members, from friends, people who were talking about what he meant to them, a lot of music as well. There was a choir as you hear there singing some songs.
He really meant a lot to a lot of people, and there was some poignant moments especially when we heard from Caroline Kennedy, Senator Ted Kennedy's niece. She talked about someone who in a way was like a father to her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROLINE KENNEDY, TED KENNEDY'S NIECE: I thought about all of the gifts that Teddy gave us and the incredible journey he took. I thought about how lucky I am to have traveled some of that journey with him and with all the wonderful people that he embraced, so many of whom are here tonight. I thought about how he touched so many hearts and did so many things that only he could have done. I thought, too, about all of the things he did that we all could do but we just figure Teddy would do them instead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LOTHIAN: And, of course, we'll hear more personal stories today at the funeral mass here, what is known as the Mission Church, hearing from former presidents with exceptions -- living presidents with the exception of Herbert Walker Bush, the vice president will be here as well, and, of course, President Obama delivering the eulogy.
Back to you.
HOLMES: All right. Dan Lothian for us outside the church where this is all happening -- Dan, we appreciate you bringing that to us this morning.
NGUYEN: We'll continue to have coverage of Ted Kennedy's funeral services today. People are paying their respects at the JFK Library. We're also going to take you live to Massachusetts. So, don't go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. So, are you considering a reverse mortgage? What exactly is it? And will it help you figure if it's the right thing that you should do? We have answers to all of those questions right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. So, if a banker walked up and offered to pay you to stay inside your home rather than you paying the bank, it would sound pretty doggone good, wouldn't it? Well, that's how a lot of companies are marketing a reverse mortgage. But in reality, it's just a special type of home loan.
So, let's get the goods on all of this, to sort it out. CNN SATURDAY MORNING, we are joining now, Clyde Anderson -- or you're joining us, I should say, to talk about this reverse mortgage.
We tried to explain it there. But give us the goods on what exactly it is.
CLYDE ANDERSON, HOUSING ADVISER: Well, what exactly, reverse mortgage is just pretty much what it says, it allows you to now get money from your home. Once you reach a certain age and you've put so much equity into the house by paying down on the mortgage...
NGUYEN: So, is it like a line of credit?
ANDERSON: No, not like a line of credit.
NGUYEN: OK.
ANDERSON: It's really just you allowing to pull money out. After you've spent all of these years paying into your mortgage, now it's going to pay you.
NGUYEN: Gotcha. But there are some stipulations. I mean, you have to fall within certain categories to get this money, right?
ANDERSON: Right.
NGUYEN: So, tell us about that.
ANDERSON: Well, a couple of different stipulations. One is that you have to be 62 years or older. What's one of the keys. You got to be 62 years old or older to get the money. And then the other piece is that you also have to own the house outright, OK? So, you have to own the house.
NGUYEN: Free and clear.
ANDERSON: Free and clear -- or have to have very little amount that you owe on the mortgage. That's key.
NGUYEN: Gotcha. OK.
ANDERSON: So, we want to make sure of that. And then the other thing is that you want to make sure that is your primary residence. It has to be a primary residence. It can't be a second home or vacation home or anything like that. It has to be your primary residence.
NGUYEN: All right. So, how much, if you do fall into these categories and this is really something that you could possibly do, how much can you borrow?
ANDERSON: Well, it's a couple of different ways you can do it. They'll allow you -- say you're 62. You start pulling money out of it. You can really go back and max out the mortgage for the most part.
NGUYEN: Really? So, say, my home is worth, you know, $200,000. I can get a loan for $200,000?
ANDERSON: Pretty much. But what they're going to do, they're going to pay you monthly. They're not going to give you the money all in one lump sum on the regular reverse mortgage. They're going to pay monthly. And so, you'll be able to draw money from that monthly, just like you're paying into the mortgage. Now it's paying out and giving you a check.
NGUYEN: OK. And when it's all said and done, how does the money have to go back into the bank? Is this something that you just don't have to pay until you sell the house?
ANDERSON: Until you sell the house.
NGUYEN: Really? So, you could have this for years on end without paying it back.
ANDERSON: Exactly. NGUYEN: Well, eventually somebody is going to pay.
ANDERSON: Somebody is going to have to pay it back, and have to be some stipulations. I mean, whether your heirs pay it back or you pay it back once you sell, and it does have to be paid back. But generally, like I said, when you're 62, this is an option that you can look at if you need money instead of going towards an equity line or something like that.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. It's almost like it's interest-free, though, right?
ANDERSON: Exactly.
NGUYEN: That's the key to it.
ANDERSON: You've paid the interest.
NGUYEN: Yes.
ANDERSON: I always tell people, a house is like a savings account that you just don't earn a lot of interest on.
NGUYEN: You just got to wait until you're 62 in order to get in...
ANDERSON: There you go.
NGUYEN: ... on the action.
ANDERSON: There you go.
NGUYEN: All right. There's got to be cons for this. So, tell us what we should watch out for?
ANDERSON: Well, a couple of things I think you should watch out for. When you're talking about cons, you've really got to look at pretty much knowing that you can qualify for one, you also have to know the loan value increases. So, you're going to be, you know, owing more money on the home.
NGUYEN: OK.
ANDERSON: You talked about that $200,000 home. It's going to go up. So, be prepared, that is going to be $250,000 later on. You also know that you must be -- it has to be paid back when the home is sold.
NGUYEN: OK.
ANDERSON: Also, that the equity declines, just what we're saying. That you're going to owe more now. So, all of the equity you built up into the home is going to be pulled back out. So, you'll owe more.
Also, there are going to be fees. So, you've got to be prepared for that. Fees can be several thousand dollars to do this. So, when they do the paperwork and everything, be prepared that you're going to have to pay some money.
NGUYEN: Gotcha. All right, nothing is for free, right?
ANDERSON: Nothing is free. We know that.
NGUYEN: OK. Clyde, thank you so much for that.
T.J., so, there's an option out there for a lot of people who may want, you know, a free -- not even a line of credit but a loan.
HOLMES: It's interesting. You have to pay it back -- I learned a lot there. The 62 thing kind of got me. I kind of tuned out after I heard that.
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: All right. Good to see you as always, Clyde.
We want to get back to the other story we're following today, of course, the funeral services and burial of Senator Ted Kennedy happening today in the northeast, mainly around the Boston area today. Funeral is taking place there in just a little bit around 10:30 this morning. But last night, the past couple of days -- this is a live picture at the JFK Library there just outside of Boston.
Our Deb Feyerick is there.
And, Deb, we know the body is still there, will make its way over to the church a little later. But, I guess, what is starting to happen there at the library this morning?
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, T.J., at about 8:30, we're expecting a number of senators and other lawmakers to come here and spend a final quiet moment with Teddy Kennedy. His casket has been watched over by an honorary military guard since it left its home in Hyannis Port on Thursday afternoon.
You know, I'll tell you, yesterday so many people came here also to spend a final quiet moment, some 50,000 people lining up on what was a very sunny day, unlike today, and they were with here because they really felt that the senator meant something personally to them.
So many had stories about how he and his office helped their family, how when they thought that there was nothing that could be done, somehow the senator was able to pick up the phone and get family members over from China, was able to get a family who was leaving Kenya here to the United States, really personal stories about how this one individual affected so many people.
Now, family members, the senator's widow, along with other nieces and nephews were all out here greeting people, shaking hands, saying hello. What was so fascinating, T.J., was this -- it was almost as if they were saying, it's OK. We're so glad that you have come. Thank you for making the effort -- when, in fact, the people who were here were here to say thank you for being such a prominent part of this American history. Now, really, when we saw Vicki Reggie, the senator's widow, working the line and greeting people, there was a sense of dignity and selflessness and kindness to her, just almost like a mama bear, making folks feel OK.
One man said that he's from San Antonio. He wanted to come to Boston. He would have been in Boston regardless, figuring out a way to get here. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT DENNIS, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS RESIDENT: Well, he's been one of the beacons in my life. I mean, I've followed him for years and years. When I lived here, I supported him and -- because he supported all of the little people I would say. And so, I really couldn't miss this. If I was in San Antonio, I would have to try to get here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: Once the congressional delegation leaves, then the senator's casket will be brought over to the basilica. The pallbearers will be his nieces, his nephews -- and again, that too expected to be a celebration as it was yesterday, people laughing and reminiscing and reflecting on what Kennedy means -- T.J.?
HOLMES: All right. Deb Feyerick, we will be watching. We'll be talking to you a little later. Thank you so much.
In the special coverage of "Ted Kennedy Remembered: A Celebration of Life" continues throughout the day right here on CNN. Our special live coverage of the funeral services starts around 10:00 this morning, including, of course, the president's eulogy, then live coverage of the burial at Arlington National Cemetery starts at 4:00 o'clock.
Stay right here with us throughout the day.
NGUYEN: All right. We want you to envision this scenario, OK? The bank would not give him a loan to start a restaurant. So, they opened up a gas station and then started serving food.
HOLMES: Yes, the Texas startup turn hit in the feature -- in this feature of this week's "How We Got Started."
Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. So many people have grabbed a candy bar or a lottery ticket at a gas station, right?
HOLMES: Of course.
NGUYEN: But what about a station in Texas that is serving up lobster? Yes. In this week's "How We Got Started."
HOLMES: I would stop and get gas there. Aisha Tesfar (ph) has this morning's "How We Got Started."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AISHA TESFAR (ph), CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This Texas restaurant is located in an unlikely place.
PAULA NWAEZE, CHEF POINT CAFE: The banks would willingly give us a loan for a convenience store but they wouldn't us give a loan for a restaurant.
TESFAR: So, in 2001, Paula and Franson Nwaeze bought a gas station and put a kitchen in the back. Chef Point Cafe started out with only four tables, but with more customers came more seating. It can serve about 70 people now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is probably going to be about 20 minutes, OK?
P. NWAEZE: If there's problems in the economy, I don't know about it, because our business is going through the roof.
TESFAR: The husband and wife duo found success working as a team. Paula deals with money and marketing while Franson cooks.
FRANSON NWAEZE, CHEF POINT CAFE: We do scallops. We do ducks. We do lobster. We do things by request. Oh, I don't want to drive to Dallas, I can get a lobster in a gas station.
P. NWAEZE: What he does is his passion and I do what's my passion. So, it's easy to work 17-hour days.
TESFAR: Once a week, they eat out to see what the competition is doing.
P. NWAEZE: And we go home and watch food shows.
F. NWAEZE: Watch food shows.
P. NWAEZE: How many hours are left in the day to sleep?
F. NWAEZE: I sleep four hours a day. We're back to work.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And we'll have more top stories at the top of the hour when CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues.
NGUYEN: Yes. But right now, "HOUSE CALL" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta begins right after this break.
