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CNN Saturday Morning News

Last U.S. Combat Brigade Leaves Iraq; Ad Spinners Are Sign of the Times; Blog Features Soldiers' Reunions With Families; Sports Legend Roger Clemens Continues To Deny Steroid Use Despite Recent Perjury Charges Related To His Testimony Before Congress

Aired August 21, 2010 - 06:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Good Saturday morning.

Wyclef Jean will not be the next president of Haiti. The election commission ruled he does not qualify to run.

Also, another symbolic moment, as the last members of the last combat brigade in Iraq pack up to come home.

Also, the egg recall keeps growing. Now, more than half a billion eggs recalled because of a salmonella scare.

Hello there, everybody. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is your CNN SATURDAY MORNING for this August the 21st. Good morning to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.

Also coming your way over the next 90 minutes, here on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING, a crime-lab scandal could lead to a lot of new trials, including one for the man accused of killing basketball great Michael Jordan's father.

Also, the question used to be whether pitcher Roger Clemens will go to the Hall of Fame. Now, the question is, will he go to jail? He's facing perjury charges over his steroid denial to Congress.

Also, Dr. Laura's apology for using the N-word not good enough for the woman who called in asking for help. My interview with that caller is coming your way in the next 90 minutes.

But first, we watched the convoys leaving Iraq. It was the last U.S. combat brigade rolling out. The combat mission wrapping up at the end of the month. But again, we are seeing what is - you can call, as some people are calling, another symbolic, also historic moment in Iraq's long war.

CNN's Ben Wedeman was there for this latest ceremony. This was in northern Kuwait. It happened last night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the last ceremony for the 4th Striker Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division, which was the last U.S. combat unit to leave Iraq. This ceremony is called the casing of the colors. That's when the regimental flag will be furled and put away, essentially symbolizing the end of the mission of this division here in this theater. After this, they will be going home. They've already cleaned up all their equipment; it's all ready to be shipped out of here. And in the coming days, they will start boarding planes to go back home.

All right. So this is the end of the ceremony. The troops are breaking up.

It is, hopefully, the end of the combat phase in Iraq. But of course, let's not forget, on May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush also said that that was the end of active combat operations. And it wasn't. As of September 1, Operation Iraqi Freedom is scheduled to come to an end, and Operation New Dawn, a new phase, in which U.S. troops in Iraq won't have a combat role, will begin.

But there are 50,000 troops in Iraq, and there's no guarantee that that really will be the end of combat there.

I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Camp Virginia, in northern Kuwait.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, this is what hopefully a lot more soldiers have to look forward to, this joyful homecoming at Lewis McChord. This is in Washington state. This is the last stop for members of the 4th Striker Brigade. Again, it's called the last combat brigade to leave Iraq.

Now, by September 1, the administration says 50,000 troops will remain in Iraq. They'll serve in a non-combat role, advising and training the Iraqi army.

You have seen a lot of coverage this week about this last combat brigade. But what exactly does that mean now for the mission? Some will tell you it doesn't mean a whole lot; it just means that a few guys are coming home. But still, the mission hasn't changed that much.

But we're going to get into specifically, in our 9:00 Eastern half-hour, we're going to spend our special half-hour today talking about the winding down of the war in Iraq. Retired General Mark Kimmitt will join us live.

Also live with us will be several reporters who have covered the war extensively, including our own Arwa Damon and Chris Lawrence.

Well, not exactly a breakthrough in Mideast Peace. But it is the first positive sign we've seen since 2008. Israel and the Palestinian Authority have agreed to hold direct peace talks beginning September 7 in Washington. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the talks should take place without preconditions. The Palestinians' chief negotiator tells CNN that Israel must extend its moratorium on settlements in disputed areas. The moratorium due to expire late September.

Secretary Clinton says she's confident the talks will produce results.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: Since the beginning of this administration, we have worked with the Israelis and Palestinians and our international partners to advance the cause of comprehensive peace in the Middle East, including a two-state solution, which ensures security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians.

The president and I are encouraged by the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas and fully share their commitment to the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, these are the first such talks since 2008. But before 2008, the U.S. had been involved in several significant peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians. Back in 1993, the Oslo Agreement was signed at the White House, with then-PLO leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Then in 2000, President Bill Clinton brought both sides together again, this time at Camp David, but could not reach a final status agreement between Arafat and Israel's prime minister at that time, Ehud Barak.

Then in 2003, there was the so-called "roadmap to peace," drawn up by the U.S., Russia and the European Union as well as the United Nations. But it was never successfully implemented.

Well, it was a short-lived campaign for Wyclef Jean. The hip-hop star will not be on the ballot in Haiti's presidential election coming up at the end of the year. Haiti's board of elections disqualified him as a candidate on Friday. Jean said it was because they ruled he was not a resident. Jean says he disagrees with the committee's decision but respects it, even though he says it took him completely by surprised.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WYCLEF JEAN, MUSICIAN: There's - there's no specific reason. Our lawyers went today - we went over all the paperwork, and every paperwork, every piece of document cleared. Right now, I think it's past the paperwork and - and - and our constitution. I think, you know, the Haitian constitution, the laws that are on there, we - we - we've - we've - we've listened, and we've proved and we've shown every piece of paperwork.

So this has come to our party and - and to our group as a total shock.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, Wyclef certainly did ignite the campaign and injected some enthusiasm into the campaign, certainly from the youth there in Haiti. And also, a lot of people saying, even if he is not able to run, he certainly brought renewed attention to Haiti and its plight moving forward after that earthquake.

Now, some people, of course, did have reservations as well about Wyclef's decision to run, including actor Sean Penn, who has been working in Haiti for the past several months. He said right here on CNN he didn't think the entertainer was qualified, didn't really have the ability, didn't have the talent, the skills needed to run that country. Other people said he hadn't spent enough time there to lead them out of the current crisis.

Well, sometimes, certainly in a tough economy, you got to do what you got to do. Take a look here at some folks who are doing what they got to do, and they're getting a little creative with it, putting a new spin on surviving the rough economic times.

Also this morning, we're going to see probably a lot of hugging it out.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Unbelievable. I know.

HOLMES: Reynolds and I, back together.

WOLF: I feel like crying, man. It's amazing.

HOLMES: We hadn't worked together. He had been in the Gulf, doing some great work down there for the past several months, but haven't had you in the studio here in awhile.

Good to see you, buddy. Good morning.

WOLF: Back - back at you, man.

And - and, you know, like every other morning, we've got so much to talk about. The rain continues to come down; the temperatures are going up. We're going to talk about that.

Plus, the tropics really getting active. It's a bunch of stories we're going to wrap up like some kind of weird, crazy weather burrito. We're going to serve that up for you coming up in a few moments right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

See you in a little bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (MUSIC, JAY-Z, "HARD KNOCK LIFE")

HOLMES: Well, about 12 minutes past the hour here on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

Yes, it's a hard-knock life out there for a lot of folks. It is a tough, tough economy right now, and sometimes you just do what you got to do. And sometimes, you have to juggle jobs. And some people right now are getting really creative with it.

Take a look now as they put their own spin on things. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE PARKINSON, MGM ADVERTISING: I've applied for at least 20 jobs. Supermarkets, stores - really, everything around my house. And luckily, a friend of mine was a sign spinner. He got me this job.

I'm Mike. I am a sign spinner. I'm doing this full time right now because I'm actually the only person in my household with a job. I live with my mother and stepfather, both of whom are currently unemployed and looking for work. But there's just none out there.

I found something that pays decently and that, frankly, I enjoy doing.

So you've got your spinning, your basic throws. Then you can mix it up a little, add in a helicopter every now and then.

It's different from just people who stand on the side of the road with a sign in that I'm actually trying to entertain and get the attention of the people driving by.

Right now, I'm just trying to support myself through college.

REGINALD JACKSON, SIGN SPINNER: I feel like, the way the economy is now, there's a lot of jobs out there that need to be done that some people might not necessarily want to take.

My name is Reginald Jackson, and I am a human directional. And I just sign spin and try to draw attention to this property.

For everything to work out, I have to work three jobs, three part-time jobs. I have a little girl on the way; I have a wife I got to take care of. You know, I have to pay every medical bill out of pocket right now. You know, so I - that's not good, you know?

Anytime I hear about some work, I got to jump on it. No matter how hot it is, if it's rain, snow or sleet, I'm out here working. I'm just trying to make ends meet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And you know, we - we see them all the time...

WOLF: Yes.

HOLMES: ...when you're driving out there. And often times, you just assume it's some young kid they hired or whatnot. But you can see there, by that story, so telling of the times right now.

WOLF: Absolutely.

HOLMES: You just got to do what you got to do. They sound like they're...

WOLF: Yes.

HOLMES: ...doing it well. Taking - taking (INAUDIBLE).

WOLF: You got to respect that though.

HOLMES: Absolutely.

WOLF: I mean, that's just great work ethic. I mean, these are people who got to make ends meet; they got families to support. And, you know, look, you heard that one gentleman says, this is just one of - of several jobs he's - he's taking part.

I mean, you got to keep on supporting your family, so....

HOLMES: Well, good to see that there.

Reynolds, good morning. Like I said, good to see you back.

WOLF: Back (INAUDIBLE). Wonder (INAUDIBLE) powers activated.

HOLMES: (INAUDIBLE) and all that good stuff.

WOLF: Yes.

HOLMES: Do you even know how to use these maps anymore?

(CROSSTALK)

WOLF: It's going to be scary. So there may be some screams; there may be some words that shan't not be repeated by anyone.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: Well, it's been two years now since baseball great Roger Clemens appeared before a congressional committee. The seven-time Cy Young Award winner faces now a six-count federal indictment for allegedly lying to lawmakers.

Also, say good morning to Josh Levs now. Josh, hello there.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Hey there, T.J.

We've got this morning a new look at troops returning from duty.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: It's about family, sacrifice, the state of our country. We have the story behind "Welcome Home Blog," next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, of course, we have seen so many scenes from Iraq over the past several years. It's been seven and a half years since that war started. Can you believe it? And this week, you saw the news, you saw the words and you saw the hugs, the tears and the pictures of U.S. soldiers returning home from combat duty.

Now, once place has pulled so many of those images together and making a big splash online about it. Josh Levs has that for us this morning.

Hello there, Josh.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Hey there to you.

Yes, it's called "Welcome Home Blog." And you know what? In this case, the video says it all. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: We're going to - we're going to keep watching this. This is the brainchild of a man named Chase Holfelder. And what he did was, he started to see that all these people around the country have these beautiful videos of their reunions. So he got in touch with a lot of them, and they started sending their clips to him. And he has now compiled them into what is quickly becoming a very popular site online.

We'll watch this one and then we'll come back to the screen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: There you go. All sorts of reunions.

Now, the - the site is behind me on the screen right now. It's called welcomehomeblog.com. And they way he's organized it is, he pretty much updates it every single day. And you can see, people are sending more and more videos. And some of them are funny; some of them are ridiculous. Some of them are - are just plain beautiful.

And anytime you want to see these or share your own, he makes it really easy to get them, to welcomehomeblog.com.

Let's take a look at a few examples. What you just saw was where he actually recorded a song himself and layered it over while taking some clips.

But we have one here of just a straight-up reunion that was sent for the blog.

Take a look here. This is what most of these videos are like. They're not produced; they're not filled with the music. You're seeing snapshots of people's real lives, their families.

The next one here is going to show you a Marine meeting his baby son for the first time.

Oh OK. All right. It's a different one.

Let's take a look where the family tackles the guy as he's finally arriving home. Take a look at that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHEERING)

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: There you go. They can be fun; they can be ridiculous. And in all cases, what you're seeing are these beautiful moments of people reuniting.

One more to show you here, and then we'll come back to the screen. This is a soldier surprising Mother. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my God! Justin (ph)! Oh my God! What are you doing here?

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: All right. A lot of people just can't get enough of these. And I'll tell you, the traffic has been increasing. He's told me, he's already getting at least 3,000 unique hits a day. And in Web world, unique hits, when people haven't heard that much about your site yet, that's pretty tremendous, what's happening here.

And thus, more and more clips like this - families as they're reuniting.

Now, as we do this, I also want to take a moment to think about families with troops who are in other situations.

Let's come back to my screen for a second. First of all, there are so many troops who are still serving, families who would love to be reunited with their loved ones. I take a look at defense.gov, see some of the soldiers and - and Marines who are out there serving right now, in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

And, you know, at the height, we had more than 180,000 U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. So we're talking about huge numbers of families, a lot of families dealing with second and third deployments, some of them lasting more than a year. The sacrifice that these people have given is pretty tremendous.

And, of course, we do have to mention, not all soldiers do come home. Here at CNN.com/homeandaway, we talk to you about the casualties, those who have given their lives in war.

So for this morning, we get to focus on these more heart-warming scenes of families reuniting there, welcomehomeblog..com.

T.J., it certainly is a beautiful thing, and it's nice to see these families having that moment that they all spend those days and nights hoping to have, finally being reunited.

And with the troop drawdown now, tens of thousands more families will have moments like that.

HOLMES: Yes, and they're having that moments, and not a lot of them having to worry about another deployment to Iraq, at least, for the first time in quite some time, if things hold there.

Josh, we appreciate you.

LEVS: You got it.

HOLMES: We'll be talking to you again this morning.

And we also want you to stay here, or come back with us if you can this morning Nine o'clock Eastern. We, of course, always spend our 9:00 Eastern half-hour on a special topic that's been hot in the news during the week. And of course, we've talking a lot about Iraq and the drawdown and the last combat brigade that has now left.

Well, retired General Mark Kimmitt is going to be joining us live for this special half-hour. What does it really mean when we hear that the last combat brigade is out of Iraq?

Also going to be talking to our own Arwa Damon and Chris Lawrence, both of whom have covered this story from the war zone extensively.

And we're going to be joined by a soldier who served in Iraq - joining by him and his wife, the one who waited for him to get back home.

All of that coming up in our 9:00 Eastern half-hour.

Take a look now at some of the stories that are making headlines this morning.

The Haitian election officials have rejected Wyclef Jean's bid for the presidency. Wyclef, of course, the hip-hop star who really shook things up a short time ago when he said he was going to running in his native Haiti. But he says he respects the committee's final decision, but he was shocked by it. He was among 15 prospective who were rejected by election officials. Wyclef Jean had put out a statement that said he had been ruled because he did not meet the residency requirement for Haiti.

Also, before you have that breakfast, you need to hear this: Half a billion now - we're up to half a billion eggs that have been recalled because of a salmonella scare. The latest recalls are from the Hillandale farm in Iowa. A hundred and seventy million eggs were just recalled from there. They're sold in some 14 states. But again, overall, some half a billion eggs.

Now, they have specific dates and codes on them you need to know about. And instead of just putting it up on the screen, I've put a link for you on Twitter. So you can find that @tjholmescnn and also on Facebook, at tjholmescnn. Click on the link and you can find precisely the numbers and the codes you need to find out if you have any of these eggs in your refrigerator.

Also, Iran is celebrating the arrival of nuclear fuel at its first nuclear-energy plant. Russian and Iranian dignitaries observed the delivery this morning, although other Western nations are more likely - are most likely are keeping a close watch as well. Tehran says the fuel will be used to power electricity, but the West concerned it'll be used to secretly enrich uranium, which of course is an essential component for nuclear weapons.

Well, he is considered one of the best pitchers in baseball history. But a lot of people are questioning, did he have help along the way? He says no, and he said it under oath. And now, prosecutors think that's a problem.

It's 27 minutes past the hour. Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, welcome back, everybody, to this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. We are coming up on the bottom of the hour now. Thank you for being here with us.

Well, instead of the Hall of Fame, Roger Clemens has something else to worry about, possibly facing 30 years in prison. "The Rocket"

***30

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR, CNN SATURDAY MORNING: Welcome back to this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. We are coming up on the bottom of the hour now. Thank you for being here with us.

Instead of the Hall of Fame, Roger Clemens has something else to worry about, possibly facing 30 years in prison. The Rocket, as he's known in baseball circles, he has been charged now with lying to Congress for saying he never used steroids. Clemens says he now looks forward to his day in court. CNN's Ines Ferre with his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Indictment for alleged perjury, more than two years after pitching superstar Roger Clemens denied under oath using steroids, or HGH, human growth hormones.

ROGER CLEMENS, PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYER: I've been accused of something I'm not guilty of. How do you prove a negative? Let me be clear, I have never taken steroids or HGH.

FERRE: Clemens requested the chance to testify in 2008 after former Yankees trainer, Brian McNamee, told investigators he injected Clemens with steroids.

BRIAN MCNAMEE, FMR. YANKEE TRAINER: I told the truth about steroids and human growth hormone. I injected those drugs into the body of Roger Clemens at his direction.

FERRE: It was a he said/he said, leaving lawmakers frustrated.

REP. ELIJAH CUMMINGS, (D) MARYLAND: It's hard to believe you, sir. You're one of my heroes, but it's hard to believe you.

FERRE: Clemens also contradicted his own close friend and former teammate, Pitcher Andy Pettitte. In a statement, Pettitte told investigators Clemens confided in him he used HGH. Former big leaguer admitted steroid user Jose Conseco was one of the players subpoenaed earlier this year when a grand jury was investigating Clemens for perjury.

JOSE CONSECO, PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYER: It is like I said, and I'll stick to it, I never saw him use steroids in any way, shape, or form. I'm really in shock that they have enough evidence to even indict him.

FERRE: It's uncertain how much of an example the feds will seek to make of one of the best pitchers of all time. It's been three years since former outfield Barry Bonds was indicted for allegedly lying to a federal grand jury. He's due in court next spring.

Last year infielder Miguel Tejada was also charged with lying to Congress about steroid use in baseball. He pleaded guilty, received a year's probation, 100 hours of community service and paid a fine.

(On camera): In a Tweet this week Clemens insisted he never took HGH or steroids and he did not lie to Congress. He also said he's looking forward to challenging the government's accusations, and happy to finally have his day in court. Ines Ferre, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Where do we go from here for a man who is widely considered one of the best pitchers to ever play the game? We're going to ask our business and sports analyst Rick Horrow in our 8:00 hour. He's going to tackle the question like why wait two years to indict him? And can he still be a commodity? Roger Clemens, again, that is in our 8:00 o'clock Eastern, half hour. Right here on CNN. Well, we have some information now just in to us, in the whole WikiLeaks fiasco you have been seeing over the past several weeks play out. The founder of that whistle-blowing Web site, WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, is now wanted in Sweden on accusations of rape and molestation.

A spokesperson for the Swedish prosecutor's office has now told CNN that Julian Assange, you see him there. You have seen him over the past several weeks, and months because, in fact, his WikiLeaks site leaked video, first of all, that certainly was wide played earlier this year from a 2008 helicopter raid in Iraq, where a journalist was killed. It was a helicopter attack.

But then, not too long ago he released tens of thousands of military documents related to the war in Afghanistan. Of course, the Pentagon has been trying to find its best way to combat all of these leaks. Assange has also said he will release tens of thousands of more documents online in the coming weeks, or soon, is the way he put it. But now he appears to be facing not just issues and possibly even legal charges related to some of these leaks, which the Pentagon and others are trying to find out how to stop him from leaking this stuff.

But now, some more serious -- I shouldn't say more serious, but certainly serious charges on rape and molestation accusations he's facing in Sweden, according to Swedish prosecutors. We will waiting to get more information. We can confirm to you he is now wanted by Swedish officials on accusations of rape and molestation. Again, a WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange. We will have more on this. Atika Shubert will be live for us coming up in just a bit, with more information. We will follow that for you.

Let me turn now, at 34 minutes past the hour. Back to Reynolds Wolf who is standing by here with me.

It's always something on the weekend with the weather. We have something else you need to keep an eye on. I can guess where it is, right now by looking at the map. That looks serious.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, mainly south of the Great Lakes, it looks like we may be seeing some rough weather. We certainly had a share of it in parts of the Central Plains just yesterday. Things are looking pretty good though in parts of the country and we have a live image we are going to take for you in mere moments. It's going to pop up and when it does you are going to be just-I thought we had some kind of an image. I guess we don't.

HOLMES: You were promising it.

QUEST: These things do happen. Sometimes you can't fulfill the expectations. All we can do is the very best we can.

HOLMES: But you set the expectation.

WOLF: Yeah. And they are about to fall really fast.

HOLMES: I know you'll make up for it. QUEST: We're going to right to it. We do have a lot to talk about.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: Coming up, she was the one on the air, with Doctor Laura, the night talk show host, repeatedly used the N word.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NITA HANSON, CALLER ON DR. LAURA: It is more than just the N word. I mean, in that whole conversation she says I shouldn't marry outside my race. Doctor Laura acted as if I tried to set her up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: That is Nita Hanson, the caller. My conversation with her coming up. We talked about Doctor Laura's apology and does she actually accept it?

It's 37 minutes past the hour. Stay here with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: It is 40 minutes past the hour.

You're seeing video here of a trial that is really gripping Germany right now. A singer, a popular singer, you see her there, she is accused of not telling her sexual partners she was HIV positive. Her name is Nadja Benaissa. She allegedly infected one man with HIV, but had sex with two others who are not HIV positive now. They did not contract the disease from her.

She's 28 years old. She found out she was HIV positive back in 1999. The charges are causing grievous bodily harm and attempted bodily harm. Again, unprotected sex, prosecutors say, five times with three people between 2000 and 2004. She admits now to not telling them she was HIV positive, but says she wasn't trying to infect anyone. Attorneys say she believes there was little chance of passing on the virus.

But she is very popular in Europe. She was part of a group in Germany that's the biggest selling female group of all time in that country. They sold some 5 million albums. Ironically, the name of the group she was in was called, No Angels.

Well, moving on now. At her peak, talk show host Doctor Laura Schlesinger had more than 18 million listeners every single week. That, according to her, is going to come to the end when she leaves the radio show after more than 30 years. That was a decision that was triggered by the fallout of her use of the N word about two weeks ago.

Now, I spoke this week with Nita Hanson. That is the woman who called Doctor Laura for advice about her interracial marriage. She calls the talk show host's apology insincere. We'll have that for you but first, hear is what Doctor Laura told John Roberts this week. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA SCHLESINGER, TALK SHOW HOST: I was trying to make a point about the hypersensitivity of racial issues, and I made it the wrong way. I instantly realized I had blown it.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: But you seem to be, and correct me if I'm wrong, Doctor Schlesinger, saying that you've taken yourself off of your radio show because other people are not allowing your First Amendment rights, even though you were wrong to have said what you said.

SCHLESINGER: I said something wrong and I apologized. I didn't intend to hurt anybody. My decision was not based on this incident. My decision has been percolating for about a year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANSON: After speaking with Doctor Laura, I was so confused. I was hurt because I was calling her to get some advice about what I can do about this situation, how to talk to my husband. So the thought of -- I was just calling to get some help, and I did not expect to hear the things that she said to me. I didn't want to turn this into a racial thing. I just wanted some advice on my relationship.

HOLMES: You thought even after all this went down, and the way she reacted, that you went back and questioned yourself and thought maybe you had done something wrong.

HANSON: I did. I did. And that's why it was very important for me to listen to the tape because I thought I had honestly said something wrong. Did I do something wrong? Did I say something wrong? I just wanted to go back and hear the tapes just to make sure that what I said was OK, you know, it was -- it was just huge. There's no way to explain the feelings you get or how you can react when something like this happens.

HOLMES: Ms. Hanson, have you reached out to Doctor Laura, or has she reached out to you? Have you two spoke since?

HANSON: No, I haven't spoken to Doctor Laura, but she did on Wednesday when she apologized, she wanted me to call in, and she wanted to give me the advice she should have gave me the day that I called. But I have not talked to Doctor Laura at all.

HOLMES: It sounds like you didn't take her up on that offer to call in. Would you like to talk to her?

HANSON: No, sir. I -- at this -- at this point there's nothing she could do for me. You know, I called for help. There's nothing she could say to me at this point.

HOLMES: Apology it sounds like is not good enough at this point? HANSON: No, it's not. If she would apologize I think -- I think she apologized because she got caught, to be honest with you. The tape disappeared. And I had to try to find the tape. She's only apologizing because she got caught.

HOLMES: Let me put up now, for our viewers, if she hasn't talked to you directly or reached out, she at least gave us a statement. Let me put it up for our viewers. I'm quoting here, this might be the first time you're hearing this, Ms. Hanson.

She said, quote, "I'd like to tell Jade," I'm sorry, that's the name you used when you called. "I'd like to tell Jade, I'm sorry. She called me to ask for my advice and help. In giving my answer, I not only didn't help her, but I used words that offended her and others. And I would like to say again, I'm sorry."

How do those words ring to you this morning?

HANSON: It's more than just the N word. That whole conversation she says I shouldn't marry outside my race. Doctor Laura acted as if I tried to set her up. And that's not what happened. I called for advice. I didn't try to set this woman up. You know, at the end of the tape she said, nice try, Jade. I'm like, what is that supposed to mean. I don't think she's sincere in her apology. She hasn't apologized-she thinks it's OK to use the N word. It's not sincere.

HOLMES: In your opinion, is it over OK, no matter what context, of course, Doctor Laura didn't directly call you the N word, but she used it. Do you think it's OK, in any context for Doctor Laura or anybody else to use it no matter what context?

HANSON: It is never OK to use that word, or any other derogatory word that a whole race -- it's just a very hateful word. Doctor Laura-I have a problem with Doctor Laura because she's old enough to know better. She knows where that word came from. She knows why it was used. She knows the whole civil rights movement, and how, you know, black Americans had to fight to get to where we're at today. For her to use that word and continue --

HOLMES: Nobody accused her of being an unintelligent woman. So with her knowing and understanding it, why do you think she decided to use it, not once, not twice, but several times. Why do you think, if she's smart enough to know better, why would she do it?

HANSON: That's how she honestly feels. That's how she honestly feels.

HOLMES: What, ma'am oh we.

HANSON: She just got caught saying it.

HOLMES: Very last thing. Any chance you will forgive and would like to possibly meet up, or talk to, Doctor Laura again?

HANSON: Not any time soon. It's still very hurtful. You know, I was -- I listened to her all the time. But it's still very hurtful. In some ways you could say I kind of maybe trusted her or at least trusted her advice. It's very hurtful.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Doctor Laura says she will stay with her radio show until her contract is up at the end of the year.

We told you about information we're just getting in to CNN a short time ago. That is that Julian Assange, the founder of that WikiLeaks Web site, the Web site, of course, that has put out tens of thousands of classified documents from the military related to the war in Afghanistan. He has, in fact, now is wanted in Sweden on charges of rape and molestation. He is also responding this morning via Twitter. Our Atika Shubert is on the line for us now from Italy, who has been following this story.

Atika, what else can you tell us this morning?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Basically, it all started with this tabloid report by "Expression" (ph), in Sweden, saying that there were charges of rape and molestation against Julian Assange. We have now confirmed that with Swedish prosecutors' office. Those charges were issued last night. And they have not been able to make contact with Julian Assange.

In the meantime, I have not been able to contact Julian Assange, but what I do know is that from Twitter he has obviously put out a Twitter posting saying, quote, "The charges are without basis and their issue at this moment is deeply disturbing." He also in a previous Twitter posting said, "We were warned they expect, quote, 'dirty tricks'. Now we have the first one."

So this is a very surprising development in this case. We don't know where Julian Assange is right now. We do know he was in Sweden just a few days ago. Right now, he could be anywhere.

HOLMES: He could be anywhere. Again, reminding our viewers, the video you're seeing, that's a face and a name you have been seeing a lot over the past several weeks, because of the leak of so many classified military documents in relation to Afghanistan. That is Julian Assange, the man who does run that WikiLeaks website that put out so many of those documents.

Atika, we have been standing by, he has been telling us for the past several weeks that in fact, we could expect more documents, has there been any update there? Do we know the latest on when we might see more classified documents come out from this WikiLeaks site?

SHUBERT: Well, WikiLeaks and Julian Assange have been saying they were going to release another 15,000 documents, part of the Afghanistan war diary that was already released. These were documents that were held back because they were going to redact some names of Taliban informants from these documents. They had been asking for help from the Pentagon, and from others to try and go through these documents and pick out any of these names that might endanger people.

It has been an ongoing issue for weeks. But WikiLeaks has said they were going to go ahead with their release and they would do it within a month or so. So we're still waiting to see whether or not those documents will be released, eventually. This obviously really throws a wrench into the works, we'll have to see how this is going to affect WikiLeaks' plans.

HOLMES: And one more thing to you, here, Atika, you said he was in Sweden just days ago. But oftentimes we don't know where he is. Where does he spend much of his time, and how much time does he spend in Sweden these days?

SHUBERT: Well, he does spend quite a bit of time in Sweden simply because some of WikiLeaks' servers are based in Sweden. He is also, Sweden, as you may know some of the world's strongest media protection and whistle blower laws. And so he has been trying to set up basically an operation for WikiLeaks to come under Swedish law and protection, by trying to get a publishing license, for example, in Sweden.

However, he really travels all over the world. He is Australian, he has been in Australia, he was in London, up until recently, he was in Belgium attending a conference. Really he pops up around the world. He doesn't have a fixed place called home. He may still be in Sweden. He may not. We simply don't know.

HOLMES: All right. Atika Shubert, appreciate you hopping on the line for us. We know you are following this story. Hopefully we will get to talk to you again.

Again, to our viewers, maybe just joining us here at eight minutes to the top of the hour. Just getting confirmation that in fact, Julian Assange, the man behind the WikiLeaks Web site that has put out so many of those documents, classified U.S. military documents related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has now been charged. They are looking for him in Sweden. Prosecutors there telling us, in fact, they are looking for him on charges of rape and molestation.

Right now, as you heard from Atika Shubert, we do not know where he is. He does bounce around an awful lot, not a real home as Atika just put it. So we don't know where he is. But he is responding via Twitter this morning that these are baseless. And again saying that he expected some dirty tricks as he thought some people would come after him because of the information he has and putting it out there, in the leaks, if you will. Julian Assange right now, a story we are following this morning.

At eight minutes to the top of the hour here on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. A quick break and we're right back.

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HOLMES: All right, just a few minutes to the top of the hour. Give you a look at some of the stories that are making headlines this morning.

Haitian election officials say Wyclef Jean will not be on the ballot. The rejected his bid for the presidency. He says he accepts the committee's final decision. But he was shocked by the news. He is among 15 prospective candidates rejected by election officials. Wyclef Jean says in a statement that he had been ruled out because he could not meet the residency requirement for candidates.

Also, before you whip out those eggs this morning, you need to hear this. The recall continues. It's growing. We are now up to half a billion eggs that have been recalled because of a salmonella scare. The latest recalls are from a Hillandale Farm, that is in Iowa where 170 million eggs have just been recalled from there. They sell those eggs in about 14 states. They have specific, all these half a billion eggs now have specific dates and codes on them.

I put a link for you on Twitter at TJHolmescnn and also on Facebook at TJHolmescnn. I put those up there so you can go to it directly and see it and check to see if you have any of these recalled eggs in your refrigerator.

Also, Iran celebrating the arrival of nuclear fuel at its first nuclear energy plant. Russian and Iranian dignitaries observed a delivery this morning. Although other Western nations most likely keeping watch, Tehran says the fuel will be used to power electricity. But the West concerned it will be used secretly to enrich uranium, an essential component of nuclear weapons.

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