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CNN Saturday Morning News
Suicide Bombers Attack Afghan Hospital; Don't Leave Home without It; GOP Hopefuls Busy Today; Predicting the Apocalypse; Lance Armstrong Accusations; River Cresting in Mississippi; Active Hurricane Season Up Ahead
Aired May 21, 2011 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TJ HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR, SATURDAY MORNING: Good morning, everybody. We are following several developing stories today, including one about the man you're seeing on your screen, him. That right there is one of the most powerful and most wanted drug runners in Mexico, responsible for bringing a lot of drugs to this country. Well, this morning he is under arrest and would you believe he was picked up at his own birthday party? Also, from Rikers Island to a luxury Manhattan apartment, Dominique Strauss-Kahn left jail late yesterday. So what exactly is ahead for the former head of IMF?
Also today is it folks, our last day. Today is doomsday. You might have heard about it. So far so good, but we're told the apocalypse should be starting today, at least that's according to the family radio network which has spent millions of dollars to warn you that the end is here. We're just at the beginning of this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It might be our last, so I'll try my best to make it a good one. It's Saturday, May 21st. I'm TJ Holmes. But up front this hour, let's start with a breaking story we're getting out of Kabul, Afghanistan. At least one, possibly more suicide bombers have attacked an Afghan military hospital there. Afghanistan's minister of defense said that at least six people have been hurt, excuse me, six people have been killed, another 26 are hurt.
The Taliban is claiming responsibility along with a far higher death toll than Afghanistan authorities are confirming. We will take you back live to Kabul in just a few moments with the very latest on this still developing story. Also this morning's bomb attack there in Kabul coincides with a warning memo from U.S. Army General David Petraeus. In it he says allied forces should expect an uptick in high profile attacks in Afghanistan this summer, attacks that put civilians at greater risk, also presumably payback for the recent killing of al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden. Petraeus currently commands the international security assistance force. His warning memo is now on the ISAF website. Last month President Obama nominated him though to be the next director of the CIA.
Also another breaking story to share with you this morning. This one is a massive manhunt that's under way around Oklahoma City. This is going on right now. Police looking for two suspects in the shooting of an off-duty sheriff's deputy. That deputy is a 25-year veteran of the force. He is now listed in critical condition. Police say he was getting extra work as a security guard and that he was carrying a bank deposit around midnight when he was attacked. All of this apparently was caught on security cameras. More on this still developing story throughout the morning.
Meanwhile, Dominique Strauss-Kahn now out of jail this morning and he's actually in a Manhattan apartment right now. He's in a home right now that's temporary. He's expecting to be moving to a new place in a few days. The accommodations much better than the cell, of course that he's been in in Rikers Island at the jail complex there. Meanwhile, he's got some life -- some company in his apartment. His wife Ann St. Clair (ph) is with him there. She put up the bail to get him out. It cost a million dollars in cash, also $5 million in insurance bond. Part of the condition is that he's got to stay put. He can leave for medical reasons, but when he gets to his new digs, he can leave, but he'll have to give authorities at least six hours notice before he tries to leave. Strauss-Kahn is accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid last week, led to a series of charges. He has pleaded not guilty. As for his position as head of the IMF, he did resign. They're expected to have a new chief in place by the end of next month. The organization however says that Strauss-Lahn got a $250,000 separation payment and will withdraw a modest pension.
You do want to tune in tonight for CNN newsroom special, sex, lies and arrogance that comes your way 10:00 Eastern time right here on CNN.
Also, the name maybe you've never heard of: Umberto Baragon Valderaz (ph). You may not know him, but authorities know him and know him well. He is a big deal for the Mexican drug cartel, but now he is under arrest. He is the one you're seeing there in the red shirt on the right. He was captured in Rinoso (ph), Mexico, just across the border from McAllen (ph), Texas. He is a suspect - is one of the suspected members of a powerful Gulf cartel. That's what they're calling it, the Gulf cartel. They are responsible for bringing a major amount of drugs into the U.S. In fact the U.S. State Department had a $5 million reward out for information leading to his arrest. Mexican police picked him up at his own birthday party.
Well, famed pro wrestler macho man Randy Savage has died. His Jeep slammed into a tree in Seminole, Florida. His wife was in the vehicle. She was injured but has since been released from the hospital. Police say Savage suffered a medical event before that wreck, his brother telling TMZ that it was, in fact, a heart attack. Police are conducting an autopsy. He was 58 years old.
Well, who do you believe today? If you believe some, today is it, folks. This is your last, this is my last CNN SATURDAY MORNING because today we're told it's the beginning of the end of days, the apocalypse, doomsday, the rapture. It's all over today. So what are you going to do?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I definitely do not think the world ends tomorrow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I say just chill. Let the days go by. I don' think anything is going to happen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not worried. I got to go to work. I'm going to enjoy my weekend.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is going to happen, Jesus is going to come back, but not tomorrow. He could come back tomorrow, he could come back any day, but the bible does not predict an exact date and when somebody does predict an exact date, they're usually wrong because the bible warns us not to try to predict a date, but instead, just to be ready.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now the family radio worldwide network, they're the ones behind all of this and they have spent a lot of time, energy and resources and yes, money, millions of dollars, trying to get their message out that the world ends today. At least the first part of the apocalypse is supposed to happen today. The leader of the family radio worldwide, Harry Camping (ph), says the time line is in fact in the bible. He has a complicated massive math equation that he's come up with to come up with the date of today. Now believers have spread out across the country. You can see some of them here spreading the message. Yes, they spent a lot of money in billboards all across the country as well. The end was supposed to start with earthquakes in New Zealand at 6:00 p.m. their time. That time has come and gone. New Zealand, as far as we can tell, is still there. Now we wanted to take a moment and show you the group's web site, familyradioworldwide. It's actually down right now, so getting a lot of traffic on this day. We can show you what it looked like earlier this morning. There was a countdown they had on there. The countdown is down to zero. Judgment day is here, no days left, this is it. And kind of a guarantee that this was supposed to be it. They have a program guide on there. I'm not sure they have a program guide on there anymore. The world is ending so we don't know exactly what's happening. Maybe it's under construction right now. Howard Camping says we're near the end. He's not getting a lot of support though from other pulpits. Coming up in 35 minutes, you can hear what the pastor of one of the largest Baptist churches in the south says about the end of the world prediction.
We wanted to know and we appreciated some of the responses you've been sending in, but his has been kind of a fun thing for some of you this morning. Want to know what you thought. Not whether it was coming, but what you would do if it really was coming. If you really knew today was your last day, what would you do with your last hours on earth? Check out some of the responses at cnn.com/tj. That's our show blog. Read what some other people are writing. You can write in as well. You also know where to find me. Some of the fun responses are on Twitter. You can find me there at TJ Holmes also Facebook and at tjholmes/cnn. So again, you'll have fun reading some of the other peoples' responses, but please, we'd like to have yours as well. We'll be sharing some of those a little later in the broadcast.
Some weather now, some nasty stuff that is hitting the lower Mississippi River valley right now. That could be a problem for all those levee-protected areas. Residents watching the river and the rain gauges. The Mississippi has crested, crested earlier than anticipated in some places, but continues to flood south central Louisiana. Some of the flooding is intentional, you remember. The Army Corps of Engineers last week began opening several gates in the Morganza spillway in Louisiana, taking pressure off levees in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, but again, that water has to go somewhere and it was diverted to some other communities. Anywhere from three to five inches of rain, meanwhile, could hit the lower Mississippi River valley today. River started the crest earlier than anticipated in some of those locations in the region. Our Jeanne Meserve is in riverfront city of Natchez, Mississippi. The river reached its crest Thursday, remains there. It was raining on you a little earlier there Jeanne. It looks like at least that stopped for now. That's something.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For the time being it has, TJ. This river higher than it's ever been in recorded history here in Natchez, 61.8 feet. For a while they were worried it could get even higher. You'll see on the pavement up here they put down a marker for 65 feet. It's far short of that, thank goodness, but they made preparations for it here in this under the hill part of Natchez. They built some temporary levees here. You can see those. I'm told there were even more of them and they were even higher, but they were so heavy that the road here started to sink, so they disassembled them to some degree. You'll see behind there, there is a riverboat casino. That has been shut for a while as they cope with the very high water here.
Most of Natchez up on a bluff protected from these floodwaters, just this historic area here, a few businesses and a few homes really impacted by the high waters. That's of course not the case elsewhere in the Mississippi. The U.S. Coast Guard took our cameraman Dave Russ (ph) up on an over flight yesterday. He got a chance to see from the air what the situation looks like and what he saw was a lot of submerged land, a lot of that muddy brown Mississippi water over spilling its banks. The real issue here today as you mentioned, TJ, is the weather forecast. We had torrential rains earlier. We watched the water just pouring onto this river here and it's expected that there will be more of that today up and down the Mississippi River basin. Clearly very bad news when they're monitoring this water so very carefully. Back to you, TJ.
HOLMES: Jeanne Meserve for us out there. We appreciate having you with us this weekend. We'll check in with Jeanne again, thanks so much. Let's turn now, check in with Karen Maginnis. We're talking about more rain in the flooded areas. I saw that. We were talking about doomsday today and that's the nastiest thing we have today maybe.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: Karen Maginnis for us. It's always good to have with us on the weekends. Thanks so much, Karen. We'll check in with her throughout the morning.
Also I want to get back to a developing situation right now in Oklahoma. We've told you about a manhunt underway today, a massive manhunt looking for two people in connection with a shooting of an off-duty sheriff's deputy. The 25-year veteran was picking up extra work as a security guard when he was attacked. I want to join now on on the line Oklahoma City Sheriff John Whetsel. Sir we appreciate, I know it's a busy time for you guys, but can you please tell us, first of all, just an update about the condition of your deputy?
JOHN WHETSEL, SHERIFF, OKLAHOMA CITY (BY TELEPHONE): The deputy is still listed in critical condition but also stable at this point. He is about an hour away from actually going into surgery so they can repair around his eye socket and also in the area of the jaw. He still has a bullet lodged in his skull, but he is stable and we're hoping the very best as he goes into surgery.
HOLMES: And Sheriff Whetsel, I think the reporting is that apparently this was outside. He was doing some work, some off-duty work, but there was security cameras or surveillance cameras around. Did you capture, you were able to capture this whole incident on video?
WHETSEL: Some of the event itself has been captured on video and we believe we have at least enough to make a good identification of one of the suspects, or at least one of the suspects. But we have men and women on the ground as we speak who are trying to make sure that we apprehend both of the suspects who were involved in this brutal shooting. It was a cowardly act. They never gave the major any opportunity.
HOLMES: I guess sir some more details there. I guess I should ask you as well, you said you could at least ID one of those suspects. Will you be releasing maybe a still shot and try to get help or do you have any ideas right now who these two suspects are?
WHETSEL: All I can tell you is that we're working with the Oklahoma City police department. We're working with our intelligence information also to try to get a good identification and make the arrest of these two individuals. At this point in time, we're not releasing any further information than that.
HOLMES: And sir, you said they never gave him a chance. What do you mean by that?
WHETSEL: It would appear that they approached him from the rear and when he apparently turned around -- he heard them, when he apparently turned around, he was immediately shot before he ever had an opportunity to go for his weapon.
HOLMES: And robbery the motive here. I understand he was making some kind of delivery?
WHETSEL: This would have been -- like I said, we're still in the beginning stages of the investigation, but this would be about the time that he would normally make a run from -- or walk from the restaurant that he was working for to the bank, which was about a half a block away.
HOLMES: And last thing here, sir, what can you tell us about your deputy? I understand he's a 25-year vet. I assume everybody on your force knows him and knows him well. WHETSEL: He's a very integral part of the agency. He's a major in charge of our administrative services bureau, very highly regarded and well known within the agency and within law enforcement within the county. So it's -- our family is pulling together with his family as we pray for him and as we're with him.
HOLMES: All right. Sheriff Whetsel, I appreciate you taking the time out here. If there's any information you'd like us to get out, by all means, let us know anything we can help out with. But sir, we appreciate your time and what's been a tough night for you all as that manhunt goes on. Thank you so much sheriff.
WHETSEL: Obviously, if anybody has any information, we would love to know it.
HOLMES: Sure thing, sheriff. We'll make sure we keep this on top of the minds of our viewers here and put it out where we need to. Thank you so much sheriff. But again, to our viewers, on the manhunt right now for two people who, according to the sheriff, didn't even give their deputy a chance, just walking up and shooting him. He didn't even get a chance to pull his weapon. He is right now in critical condition but stable. That's something. He's going into surgery according to the sheriff there in the next hour to try to repair some of the damage, says he still has a bullet lodged in his brain right now. We'll continue to follow that story through the morning.
Also, another story, over in Kabul, we'll head there coming up next, monitoring overnight reports that at least one suicide bomber got inside a hospital there. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Seventeen minutes past the hour now. Welcome back, everybody. A breaking story we've been following out of Afghanistan this morning as well. A suicide bomber targeting a military hospital there. Let's head now to CNN's Mohammad Jamjoom who is live for us at the Afghan capital. What can you tell us, Mohammed?
MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: TJ, latest casualty figures we have are six killed, 23 people injured. That's according to the ministry of defense here. President Karzai of Afghanistan has condemned this attack. He calls it a terrorist attack and we're hearing from officials that a suicide bomber got into this hospital, this military hospital in Kabul today just a few hours ago, blew himself up in the eating hall, the cafeteria in that hospital. We did get a claim of responsibility from the spokesperson for the Taliban here. He told us that the Taliban sent in two suicide bombers, that one of them detonated himself, but the other one was shot by security forces.
According to the Taliban, 51 people were killed in this operation, but that's nowhere near, that's much higher than the number we're getting from officials. Still some confusion as to exactly what went on, how many people were in there. Some intelligence officials here are suggesting there might be another suicide bomber still in that hospital on the loose trying to get away from security officials. We're trying to sort out all those details. This comes at a time when fear of what the Taliban might do is at a high. The Taliban has launched this spring offensive in the past few weeks. They've said they're going to go after very high- profile security targets. They've been doing so and the fact they've done so today just going to raise questions about how prepared Afghan security officials are here to really take overlooking out for the security of this country. TJ?
HOLMES: All right Mohammed. One other thing, can you give us an understanding of who might have been, what this place is, this military hospital, who might have been in there? And what I mean by that specifically, would Americans have been in this place?
JAMJOOM: At this point we're told that they don't believe any Americans were in that hospital. If Americans would have been in there, we're told it might have been just for a training capacity. But as far as the patients, the doctors in there, we're told that we should expect that they were Afghans. These would be people either people with the military, people that were wounded because of operations here, security forces that might have been wounded because of the war on terror here, but predominantly Afghan. So right now, not a very high level of concern that Americans were involved. We've not heard from any American officials here that they're worried that any Americans were in the hospital. Still, quite a bit of concern about the Afghan security officials, about the fact that this was a very secured target, something that was being protected and if the Taliban could get in there and carry this out, where else could they go in this country and carry out this type of attack?
HOLMES: Mohammed Jamjoom for us, Mohammed appreciate you as always. Thanks so much. Let's turn now to neighboring Pakistan where an attack targeting oil transports this morning killed at least 16 people. Suspected remote control bombs blew up a tanker about five miles inside Pakistan by the tribal region bordering Afghanistan. A Pakistani government official says a separate attack targeting another fuel convoy set nine other tankers on fire. The fuel was destined for NATO forces fighting militants there. No claims of responsibility for either attack.
Listen to this. She has been waiting more than 30 years, waited for a child support check from her ex-husband. And she got nothing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God! Thank you so much! You have no idea!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, the wait is over. Yes, we'll explain just how much that check was worth.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Twenty two minutes past the hour now. People often say better late than never. I'm not a big believer in it, but hey, in this case maybe it worked out. That's what happened to a 59-year-old woman in Phoenix. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLARENCE CARTER, DES DIRECTOR: I'm down today so that we could present you a check in the amount of $93,639 as a repayment for child support.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, you can understand why she's crying here in a second. Because Kathy Smith there, it took her more than 30 years, Kathy Smith Peterson, to get that check. She has been waiting since 1976. Now, she has been scrapping for years and years so her kids could have the little things like prom dresses, school trips. Well, Arizona's department of economic security found out her ex-husband had actually stashed about $200,000 in an out-of-state account. Money, much of it, was due to her. The money comes at a very good time for this woman. She has actually been out of work for some 18 months.
Take a look now at some other stories making news across the country. Comedian Lisa Lampanelli has turned the tables on the Westboro (ph) Baptist church. Members of that controversial church had threatened to picket her concert last night in Topeka, Kansas because of her outspoken position on gay rights. Lampanelli said that for every church member who showed up to picket, she would donate $1,000 to gay men's health crisis, the oldest AIDS organization in the country. But yes, they showed up. So yes, this is how we know how much she is going to be donating because she tweeted of course and it says, can't read all of it to you, but part of it says, thanks to these blanks, $44,000 will be donated to the GMAC. So 44 protestors apparently showed up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, God, love it. Oh, honey. Honey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Let me explain what's happening here. She didn't just find any cat. This was a woman whose home was pretty much tore through by a tornado in Tuscaloosa, Alabama three weeks ago. Two of her cats survived but one hasn't been seen since the storm, but that changed Thursday. The lost cat came out of nowhere and, of course, was welcomed to what's left of the home.
Look at these cadets at the Air Force Academy in Colorado, high-tech warriors of the future took part in a pretty low-tech battle of dodge ball. Four thousand of these cadets out there took part in this huge dodge ball fight. They're hoping to set a Guinness world record. Academy officials say a couple of cadets came up with the idea as a way to blow off some steam. And they did need some 1,000 dodge balls to have the game.
A lot of people right now planning trips. It's that time, coming up onto summer. So you planning a road trip, maybe taking the kids? There is an app for just about everything you want to do out there. Our tech guru standing by with a gadget and whatnot. Mario is coming up after the break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We're coming up on the bottom of the hour now and we're also coming up on the summer travel season. It's time to roll, it's time to get out of here. Need a vacation? A lot of people kind of dread sometimes that long family road trip, something is inevitably going to go wrong. But we got some help for you. We got smart phones now these days and they can help any vacation be a lot easier, maybe even stress free, maybe even more affordable. Our digital lifestyle expert and friend of our show here Mario Armstrong joins me now. Mario, good to see you, buddy. How are you doing?
MARIO ARMSTRONG, DIGITAL LIFESTYLE EXPERT: Good morning TJ. I'm doing great man. Good to see you as well.
HOLMES: All right man. A lot of people deciding whether they're going to fly or they're going to drive, some of those things they're dealing with. But one of the most dreaded things no matter what you're doing probably when you travel is what if I lose my phone? You can actually help me track my phone?
ARMSTRONG: Absolutely.
HOLMES: How?
ARMSTRONG: And because you want to track your phone, not because some company is tracking for you. This is almost as bad, TJ, as losing your wallet these days. So much information is in our phones. We have video, photos and other data that's in these phones, not to mention just the phone numbers and things of that nature.
Two apps; one is called Wave Secure. Now, this is a more expensive app. It's made by the same people that do anti-virus software, McAfee. But it's $19 for the year. It's called Wave Secure. It can run on Android, Blackberry and Windows phones. And that will help you locate your phone if it's lost.
On the iPhone the same type of situation but that app is called Find My iPhone. And that one is free, Find My iPhone. Now both of them will help you --
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: Ok, how did -- how does it work though? How does it work? It's on your phone and then you have to go through a computer to find your phone? Is that how it works?
ARMSTRONG: That's right. So you have to install the application on the phone and make sure it's turned on and activated. And then you would then go to a computer to then locate that phone. And it would show you on a map physically where that phone is located.
HOLMES: Ok what if the phone is off, does it not work, all bets are off?
ARMSTRONG: Well, it would give you at least the last location of where that phone was last turned on. Plus you can do other things like send text messages or display alerts on the phone. So if you want to say, hey, if you found my phone, $150 reward, you can put that up on the phone or even erase the data on that phone if you really think it's just lost for good.
HOLMES: All right. Let's get to the next few rather quick -
ARMSTRONG: Ok.
HOLMES: But always important for the weather.
ARMSTRONG: Yes Weather Channel versus Weather bugs.
One of my favorites is Weather Channel because it gives you extended forecasts, it's free, it's available on all the different devices and it just makes sense to have a weather app with you when you're traveling for those different conditions or severe weather alerts.
HOLMES: All right, the other -- gas? That's a big deal on gas.
ARMSTRONG: Yes a big one because a lot of people are going to be driving for Memorial Day weekend. So you can save using Gas Buddy's App. Most gas prices can vary between 20 cents to 30 cents a gallon. In my neighborhood alone, I saw gas at $3.89 and just about a mile and a half away there was gas for $3.39 a gallon.
So Gas Buddy is a free app.
HOLMES: Ok I want to skip down to this last one, a helpful gadget here. Now, help me understand this, a tablet mount? Now what do we need this for?
ARMSTRONG: Yes a tablet mount --
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: What do we need this for?
ARMSTRONG: So you need this for the kids in the backseat, are you kidding me? So -- so here's the thing. Many people are used to having headrests that you have to pay custom install for. So forget all of that. If you already have a tablet computer, then you can buy one of these inexpensive headrests. These headrests range from $50 to $100. They can go in any car, so they're portable, you can keep them with you and it can keep a child or your love ones you know busy watching movies or playing educational games.
HOLMES: Ah you know what; parents will appreciate that one, because things, those headrests are expensive. Those ones that are actually mounted -- that's a pretty good one right there.
ARMSTRONG: It's a good one right? I tried -- I tried to get out of the box on that one. HOLMES: That was a really good one. It's very useful. Good to see you, I'm going to post these.
ARMSTRONG: Ok.
HOLMES: We want to send these out to everybody to make sure they can find these Web sites or what not if they didn't catch them all or weren't writing them down. But Mario, good to see you, as always. You enjoy your last day on earth, all right?
ARMSTRONG: I -- I'm going to do everything I can to have a great one, T.J. You too man. You've got to make it big while we have it.
HOLMES: All right. We'll see you later buddy. Ok, actually I won't see you later, but take it easy and keep it real.
ARMSTRONG: Yes, ok.
HOLMES: All right we'll have a teaser. That's why I said you're supposed to join us every Saturday at this time for our digital lifestyle expert, Mario Armstrong, but apparently that was the last time we're going to see him.
Well, 32 minutes past the hour now. We're going to have some updates for you on what's happening to our friends in the south, in particular all along the Mississippi River.
Also a little later, if you had a chance to interview legends, like maybe Morgan Freeman, Carlos Santana, Ernie Banks, what would you ask them?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Whether it's in the profession you're doing or something maybe outside of the profession, what would be the highlight in your career for you?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes, you might not believe some of their answers. We'll have that for you a little later this morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, taking a look at some of the stories making headlines. A breaking story out of Oklahoma this morning, where an off-duty sheriff's deputy is in critical condition right now after being shot overnight; a manhunt is currently underway for two suspects, one in connection with that shooting.
It happened around midnight local time. The deputy is identified as a 25-year veteran of the force. We'll bring you any updates as we get them.
Also, in New York City, he's out of jail, not out of trouble. Former IMF managing director, Dominique Strauss-Kahn he's free after he put up $1 million cash and a $5 million bond. He's been indicted on seven charges related to the alleged rape of a hotel maid last weekend. The 62-year-old suspect maintains he is innocent of the charges.
Also some 200 plus miles above earth an early morning walk and check up on the belly of the space shuttle "Endeavour." But that was after what you're seeing here which was a phone call from Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope talked to mission commander Mark Kelly and topics included the recovery of his wife Gabrielle Giffords. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE BENEDICT XVI: I know that Mark Kelly's wife was a victim of a serious attack and I hope her health continues to improve.
MARK KELLY, "ENDEAVOUR": Well, thank you for the kind words, your Holiness, and thank you for mentioning my wife Gabby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: All right, let's turn to weather now.
A nasty weather hitting the lower Mississippi River Valley, right now it could be a problem for all those levee-protected areas. Residents are watching the river, watching the rain gauges as well. Three to five inches of rain expected in the region. The Mississippi has crested earlier than anticipated in some places but continues to flood south central Louisiana.
The flooding -- some of it intentional. You'll remember the Army Corps of Engineers last week began opening several gates on the Morganza spillway in Louisiana, taking pressure off levees in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. But of course, all that water has to go somewhere and it did head for some other areas which are being flooded as we speak.
Well to find out how you can impact your world and help the victims of the Southern flooding. Also of the tornadoes in the south, go to CNN.com/impact. You will find there a link to the Red Cross and other charitable organizations.
Well today, as you probably know, right now is the end of days. The world hasn't ended yet. Give it a chance, though. It's still early.
As you know, a California pastor is pushing the idea that the world ends today. So what do we know about the man who claims to have figured this all out? We'll find out more about him. Again, it's supposed to start 6:00 Eastern Time tonight.
Plus, coming up next, potential candidates for the Republican nomination for president are all over the place this weekend. We'll tell you who is in, who's on the fence as we head live to New York, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. It's a big day for the GOP specifically, the run- up to the 2012 presidential campaign; a lot of comings and goings to tell you about, including one contender officially, joining the race today.
CNN deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser, in New York for us; Paul, always good to see you. At first, people were complaining, everybody is waiting on, when everybody is going to get officially in the race. Now, I can't keep who's jumping in. They're jumping in pretty quickly now.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: They sure are, and as you mentioned, one today, T.J. In fact, just across the street from you in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park. And we're talking about Herman Cain, not well known nationally but really beloved among many Tea Party activist and other fiscal conservatives.
He is the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza. He's got a pretty impressive business resume; also, a radio talk show host. Polling pretty low right now in the single digits nationally, but again pretty popular. I saw him also down there in Greenville, South Carolina at the first presidential debate earlier last month, and I thought he performed pretty well. Other pundits saying the same thing about Herman Cain -- T.J.
HOLMES: He's not the only one, though. Who else is getting in?
STEINHAUSER: Yes Monday, Monday we're talking about Tim Pawlenty. No surprise here, the former governor of Minnesota, he's already formed a presidential exploratory committee. He makes it official Monday, saying those famous words "I'm running for president."
And he will do it in neighboring Iowa, no surprise there, Iowa of course, the state that kicks off the presidential primary and caucus calendar. And of course, Iowa is also important for Pawlenty if hopes to win. He needs to do well there if he hopes to win his party's nomination -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Mitt Romney, we know he's not making a secret about what he's doing. He's getting in this race. So what is he up to today? You can always tell a little something when you hear about where these guys are traveling.
STEINHAUSER: Yes, South Carolina that's where he is today. Of course, that state is the first southern state in the primary and caucus calendar. It's his first visit to South Carolina this cycle. He also is taking that big and important first step in setting up a presidential exploratory committee.
And then, T.J., later this -- coming up in a few days, he is in Iowa. Of course, that state's caucuses kick off the presidential primary and caucus season. So yes the states often the tip off of what these people are up to -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right, what are you doing in New York?
STEINHAUSER: Oh, you know, I get around, you cannot pin me down. You can't keep me in D.C. I've to get out of the Beltway T.J. HOLMES: I know how you feel there, my man. All right, good to see you as always, but we'll talk to you again buddy. Thanks so much.
STEINHAUSER: Thanks.
HOLMES: Well coming up next, the religious community has some pretty harsh words for the man, the one man behind the doomsday prediction. You'll need to hear from him; my interview with Pastor Robert Jeffress. That is coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: About a quarter of the top of the hour now.
If you believe Christian fundamentalist Harold Camping, don't worry about that diet anymore, don't worry about taking out the trash, cleaning the room, even paying the mortgage. Because according to Camping, today is it; Saturday May 21st, the beginning of the end of the world.
We're going to show you Camping's family radio Web site. It's actually down right now. We can show you what it looked like earlier. But here it is, they had the countdown on there. It's down to zero, today being judgment day. 89-year-old Camping predicts worldwide earthquakes followed by the rapture, featuring 200 million Christians joining Jesus Christ in the skies.
Camping says for the next five months there will be, quote, "a world of horror and chaos beyond description and God will destroy the earth on October 21st. Now, the preacher also predicted the end of time in 1994. We're still waiting for that one.
A pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas says he's not worried about a thing. Senior Pastor Robert Jeffress says talk of the rapture actually harms Christianity. I spoke with him yesterday. He says Camping was wrong before and, guess what, he's wrong today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: We're talking rapture and the end of days, supposed to start tomorrow, Saturday. So do you have plans for Sunday that you're keeping?
REV. ROBERT JEFFRESS, SENIOR PASTOR, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF DALLAS: I went ahead and prepared my sermon for Sunday, because I think we're going to be here Sunday. But, you know, T.J., I think it's important for viewers to know Jesus said no man knows the hour or that day when he's coming back, not even the Son of God knows, only God the Father knows.
And I tell people if God hasn't even told his own son when the Second Coming is going to occur, I doubt God has told Harold Camping. How does Harold Camping know?
HOLMES: Well, you're talking about Harold Camping. He's the pastor out in California that has been pushing this idea. He's been wrong before, I should say. He was wrong back in 1994 -- I believe I have that right. But tell me, how did he come up with May 21st in the first place?
JEFFRESS: Well, first of all, T.J., it's nowhere in the Bible. And one reason I wrote this article on cnn.com about why this harms Christianity is it causes unbelievers to discredit the Bible.
There are people running around saying the Bible says the earth is 6,000 years old. No, the Bible doesn't say that and the Bible doesn't predict the date of Christ's return.
HOLMES: So where did he get it?
JEFFRESS: So T.J. I think it's -- well, he just made it up. He completely made it up through his own mathematical calculation which was wrong before, and I suspect will be wrong again. But T.J. --
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: Ok, now, what's supposed to happen?
This is a mainstream -- I should say a mainstream idea. People do believe that Jesus will return. People believe in the rapture. What is that supposed to look like?
JEFFRESS: Well, the Bible does say the next event on God's prophetic event is going to be a rapture -- a catching away Christians followed by a tribulation and a return of Christ.
And here's what I'm saying T.J. Even though we can't know the hour or the day, God does know the hour and the day. It's on his calendar and it's going to happen. And instead of trying to predict the date, we just need to make sure we're ready whenever it is.
HOLMES: Do we have any idea, any indications? Is there any kind of consensus out there about folks, scholars like yourself who look at the Bible, who can come together and say maybe it's here, maybe it's there, even though they don't have an exact date?
JEFFRESS: T.J., people ask me all the time, do you believe Jesus is coming back in our lifetime? What I tell people is I'm 55 years old right now. I know that in the next 30 years, either he's coming or I'm going, but I'm going to meet him very, very soon, so I better be ready.
HOLMES: Are there issues here? And you kind of hit on it because we've seen some places where atheists actually plan to party on Sunday because most people don't believe the world is about to end, but that furthers some people's argument about, quite frankly, the Bible and them thinking it's a fairy tale.
You know, as much attention as this man has been getting about pushing May 21st, to hit on how harmful it is, but does that hurt -- is that really going to hurt you come Sunday?
JEFFRESS: Well, I think it's going to hurt unbelievers from being prepared. You know, we've had over 1,700 responses to that cnn.com article I penned and the people who are writing in are not just scoffing at Harold Camping, they're scoffing at people like me who preach that Jesus is coming back again.
And ironically the Bibles says that in the last days, mockers will come with their scoffing saying, where is the promise of Christ's return? So I would tell unbelievers who are planning to party Saturday night and so forth, you may make it through Saturday night, but you better make sure that you're ready when the real rapture does occur.
HOLMES: Now, do you believe --
(CROSSTALK)
JEFFRESS: The Bible says it's going to be like --
HOLMES: Go ahead. It's going to be like what?
JEFFRESS: I was going to -- the Bible says the end times will come like a thief in the night. And you know, T.J., I don't know any thief that calls ahead to announce when he's coming. He comes unexpectedly, and so it will be with the return of Jesus Christ.
HOLMES: Back to Mr. Camping for a second. Again, the pastor has been pushing this. He was wrong back in 1994. But do you think he actually believes what he's saying or he has an ulterior motive?
JEFFRESS: You know, the Bible tells us not to try to judge people's motives, so I really don't want to go there T.J. I think he can be sincere, but you know what; you can be sincere and be sincerely wrong, as well. What he's doing so violates basic scripture that says do not set a date, only God knows the date.
HOLMES: All right. So you're telling me I should come to work on Sunday.
JEFFRESS: Well, you know what; I'm going ahead and preparing my sermon ahead of time. I'm preparing to preach on Sunday, but if the rapture comes, I say praise God.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: It sounds like I need to come to work tomorrow. But this is the Web site we were telling you about. It had been down. This is Camping's Web site. It is back up, and as you see there, "Judgment Day, May 21, 2011. It is here blow the trumpet. Warn the people, the countdown is over."
Now, officially it's supposed to be heading our way with massive earthquakes and whatnot around 6:00 Eastern Time today, so we've got a few hours to get in here. We want to know though what you thought not necessarily about whether Doomsday is here, but what if it really was? What would you do with your last hours on earth?
Please check out our blog, cnn.com/tj. We're getting some good responses in. Let us know what you think. Again, that's cnn.com/tj. Of course, you know where to find me on Twitter. You guys are cracking me up this morning on Twitter. Of course I'm @TJHolmes.
Some of the responses -- I'll give you a hint -- somebody said they've actually faxed a picture of their middle finger to their loan officer from school, stuff like that. But some of it has been good. A lot of people are talking about they would be praying, all kinds of things.
Also find me on Facebook at TJHolmescnn. We will be sharing some of those a little later. But they have been amusing this morning.
Well, Lance Armstrong, just how many more accusations can this man take? Up next, yet another claim that the bicycle legend regularly used banned substances, but you need to hear who is accusing him this time.
Also, a lot of people getting ready for that summer vacation. I need to let you know, that you better book it now. I'll explain why, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. Let me bring in HLN Sports anchor Joe Carter. This has been a fascinating story. Good to see you back with us on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
But Lance Armstrong, once again, somebody else coming out and saying this guy cheated.
JOE CARTER, HLN SPORTS ANCHOR: When it rains it pours in this instance. Yes. Here we have one day after Tyler Hamilton, a former teammate, claimed that Lance Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs during his career.
Now "60 Minutes" is reporting that George Hincapie testified in front of a federal grand jury saying that not only did he exchange performance-enhancing drugs, Lance Armstrong, but also saw Lance Armstrong take performance-enhancing drugs before some of the events that he won.
HOLMES: Wow.
CARTER: Now, what's damaging about this T.J. is that George Hincapie is one of those people that has been in Lance Armstrong's inner circle for years. He rode alongside him during his seven Tour de France wins. He does not have credibility or character issues much like Floyd Landiss and Tyler Hamilton, the other two that have claimed that Lance Armstrong has used performance-enhancing drugs.
HOLMES: But why are they talking now. What's the motivation here now?
CARTER: Well, there is an investigation going on in Los Angeles into the whole doping thing in cycling. And these guys are talking to a federal grand jury. And according to "60 Minutes" these sources are saying this is what George Hincapie told the federal grand jury during his testimony. Now late Friday, Hincapie released a statement saying that he never spoke with "60 Minutes" and has no idea where they got their information. And because of the federal investigation, he cannot comment on any specifics.
And of course, Armstrong all along has strongly denied all these steroid and cheating allegations, saying that he's taken over 500 drug tests and all of those 500-plus tests have come back clean.
HOLMES: You know, this is one of those things I heard them debating about on ESPN. I believe it's Michael Wilbond (ph). He said people just don't want to believe that Lance Armstrong -- no matter what, he's done so much good through his victories and the platform he has to raise hundreds of millions dollars for cancer research. So there's that side of it. But it seems like there seems to be all this information that continue to trickle out that goes their way, but he's always denied it.
CARTER: You know, I think those that are holding onto the pure fact that there are legendary riders and cyclists that never used, they're holding on with two fingers right. They're barely holding on because as more people come forward, now a friend according to "60 Minutes". And that report, by the way comes out this Sunday.
So hopefully the world won't end so we can watch that report. But it's going to be involving Tyler Hamilton and I think somewhere along the line we'll see George Hincapie records.
HOLMES: Let's turn it quickly here. One other story, sad note here but we have an update. We talked about this story, NHL player we was found dead. We're getting some kind of indication of what may have been the cause?
CARTER: Yes, the Minnesota medical examiner ruled that the death of New York Ranger, Derek Boogaard was an accident. Here you have another case of a person who was taken out of a professional sport because of a concussion was prescribed a pain medication. Now this test indicated that Boogaard was a victim of a deadly mix of both alcohol and painkillers.
His family released a statement through the players' association basically saying that he has struggled with pain and addiction in the past. Here you go, once again, an athlete or an actor playing doctor.
How many times do we have to have this story where it's like someone has been prescribed a drug and they abuse the drug and mix it with alcohol and then that's the result.
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: 28 years old?
CARTER: 28 years old. Died last week, found in his Minneapolis apartment.
HOLMES: All right. Joe Carter, we appreciate you. Good to have you back with us here, man. CARTER: If the end of the world is going to arrive --
HOLMES: It's been good one, man. It might be like the last for us here. But in case -- come to work tomorrow just in case. All right.
CARTER: I'll be here.
HOLMES: All right. We're going to go to the top of the hour.
A lot of people worried about tornadoes and flooding, but you know what? Hurricane season around the corner. We're taking a look at what forecasters are saying is going to be another busy hurricane season. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Now, we are just crossing the top of the hour on the CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Hello to you all. Welcome back. I'm T.J. Holmes. A breaking story out of Afghanistan this morning where a suicide bomber, possibly two, target a military hospital with deadly results, at least six people killed. The Taliban claiming responsibility and saying there is a whole lot more dead than that.
CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom is live for us in the Afghan capital this morning. Mohammed, what is the update from there?
MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, T.J., there is still quite a bit of contradictory information on the ground here. We know from defense ministry officials that at least one suicide bomber entered the military hospital in town here around lunchtime today, went in to the cafeteria area of the hospital, detonated his explosives. At least six killed, at least 26 injured. They expect those casualty figures will rise.
But we've heard from the Taliban. They claim responsibility. They said they sent in two men, that one of them detonated his explosives and the other was shot by security officials. And here's where it gets even more confusing. Some other intelligence officials here are saying that there might be another suicide bomber still alive running around in the hospital trying to elude security forces.
So we're not even sure at this point that this operation is over, even though the Taliban is saying that it is. As you mentioned, the Taliban claiming that at least 51 people were killed as a result of this operation in targeting this security hospital. We're trying to get down to the bottom of this, trying to figure out exactly how many people have been killed, and if this operation is still under way, we hope to have more in the next few hours. T.J..
HOLMES: All right. Mohammed Jamjoom for us this morning, in Kabul. We appreciate you as always. Thanks so much.
I did want to take a turn now back to this country and the severe weather we've been watching for a while now. Certainly the one thing people in flooded areas do not need right now, don't want to see right now - rain. They may be getting up to five inches of it today. Our Jeanne Meserve is standing by for us in Mississippi. Jeanne, it was raining on you a little earlier. What does it look like now?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, the sun has come out right now. It's just lovely, but we are bracing there could be more rain on the way, which is, of course, the last thing people in the Mississippi River Valley need. The river behind me cresting here in Natchez. It's now at about 61.8 feet higher than it's ever been before. If you want to have your morning cup of coffee on the bench here, you have to wear your hip waders to do it.
This part of Natchez is low lying. It's called under the hill. They've made a lot of preparations here. You can see they've built some temporary levees here to try and protect some of the historic buildings. I'm told they were much taller and much more extensive. They had to knock them down because the weight of the levees was sinking the road, and fortunately, it doesn't look like the road is going to get that high right here.
But if you follow this road around the curve, as which we'd like to do but can't because of water, the road there is under about 11 feet of water, according to locals, and that riverboat casino that you see down there is closed. However, I'm told there's been one regular visitor there. Nonetheless, a six-foot alligator has parked himself on the deck over there the last few days. He's not there this morning, so apparently he didn't want to play blackjack today.
I will tell you that part of Natchez that is affected is the coast guard station. Yesterday, the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, Admiral Robert Papp, came down to survey what was happening in Mississippi, and the Coast Guardsmen who worked in that station had to wade through water that come up to their waist to come over just to say hello to the commandant. He was down here in part because they were trying to get a sense of what it's going to take to restore commerce along the Mississippi.
This is a super highway right here. Tons of chemicals and grain and other commodities are moved up and down this river everyday with towboats and barges. That traffic is very much slowed down. We haven't seen one set of barges goes through here yet this morning. That's one of the key things they want to get moving as quickly as they can, but the big worry is the weather. More rain forecasts. So in addition to keeping an eye on the water, today they're keeping an eye on the heavens to see what's in store.
T.J., back to you.
HOLMES: I'm worried about the weather. I am worried about you and that six-foot alligator that might be in the neighborhood still, Jean. So you hang tight there, OK? We'll check in with you, hopefully with you again here soon. Go ahead.
MESERVE: A lot of snakes up here, too.
HOLMES: That's right.
MESERVE: They tell us right where we're working last night there was a big, big, fat snake. So we've got our eyes open.
HOLMES: OK. All right. Jeanne Meserve, on alert for us there in Mississippi. Thanks so much, Jeanne.
Let's turn over to much safer areas in the studio with Karen Maginnis. Karen, they were actually warning people down there about snakes in a lot of that floodwaters. That was a serious situation.
KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: There was a snake advisory, which I don't think I've ever heard of before. Well, we are looking at heavy rainfall across this region, and it looks like this is going to be an aggravated hurricane season as well. The National Hurricane Center has issued their outlook. Now this is an outlook - they take a number of parameters into consideration, one of them being the water temperature. It's been just a tic higher than they would typically see.
So that's one of the anomalies they look at. The other is the La Nina. It is waning, meaning there its cooler waters and across the Pacific basin and as that suppresses a little bit, there's not going to be as much sheer, meaning the tornado can't get torn apart.
All right. In a typical year, we might see about two major hurricanes, meaning category three or above. Katrina, just before it made landfall in New Orleans, it was a category three. Well, the Colorado state analysis as well as NOAA's analysis says we might see aggressively a little bit more than that going into the 2011 hurricane season.
Colorado state says five, NOAA, National Hurricane Center says three to six. Well, what did we see last year? It was a very busy season, but you're wondering we didn't see that many hurricanes across the United States, no. It wasn't necessarily here but a lot of hurricanes that made landfall in the Yucatan, across the Caribbean islands, also to Central America and Mexico, and we're looking at last year 12, and they're saying eight to 14 named hurricanes could occur over the 2011 season. T.J.?
HOLMES: We appreciate that update. The reminder, people need to know that is coming. It's right around the corner as well. Karen, we appreciate you as always. Thanks so much.
A lot of people getting ready to travel. Memorial day weekend is coming up as well. Maybe you could still get that deal. Well, it's not just about when you're going, it's about where you're going. There are actually some cheap places to go. We're giving you the most bang for your travel buck after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Vegas, not a bad place to be on doomsday, right? It's that time of year. School is almost out, days are longer, time to get your summer getaway, get that plan together. Are you trying to save some money? I know you are, so how do you do that? Well, you bring in Laura Michonski. She is deputy digital editor of "Budget Travel" magazine. She's joining me this morning from New York. Ma'am, good to see you. And if people want a deal, they need to hurry up and get on it. Why do they need to travel quickly but they need to travel by June 5th in particular. Why?
LAURA MICHONSKI, "BUDGET TRAVEL" MAGAZINE: That's right. According to Bing's Price Predictor algorithm, they've looked at historical data to figure this out, the cheapest time to travel is actually coming right up. It's going to be over Memorial Day weekend, May 30th through June 5th. On the other hand, the most expensive time to travel is going to be the heart of the summer, it's going to be late June, early July.
HOLMES: You said Price Prediction algorithm. I didn't even know that existed. Is there anything - what's the logic behind that? Why June 5? Is that just an arbitrary date or like on June 6, you might see prices go up?
MICHONSKI: Well, believe it or not, Bing has amazing technology. They use an algorithm that draws on historical data as well as current data to determine what kind of prices you're going to see when. So they have put a lot of thought into this. I couldn't explain to you how it works but I do trust their numbers.
HOLMES: That's all right. Now, it's also not just only when you travel, where you travel can make a difference, and you can get the best deals. We have a list of cities. We got five right here where you can actually get good deals. Let's start with Orlando. Why Orlando?
MICHONSKI: Well, Orlando is a great destination. There is something for everyone there. You've got all the major parks. You've got Disney, Harry Potter, Seaworld, and not to mention great dining, night life plus not all kids out of school yet, so you're not going to see the same kind of crowds you see later on in the summer.
HOLMES: OK. That makes perfect sense now. My favorite, Vegas, is next. Why Vegas? Vegas always a good place to go, right?
MICHONSKI: Vegas is always a good place to go and believe it or not, this is the time of year when many places across the U.S. are starting to go kick off beach season, peak season, where in Las Vegas, Memorial Day marks the end of comfortable temperatures in the desert. Resorts and casinos know this, they want to get you out there. So they're rolling out the specials, pool parties for the holidays, the whole nine yards.
HOLMES: You don't have to twist my arm. All right. D.C., why D.C.?
MICHONSKI: Well, D.C. is always a great destination for families. It's especially timely for Memorial Day. I mean, where better to celebrate our veterans than in our nations' capitol? Plenty of pomp and circumstance. You've got the National Day parade, you've got the wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery as well as concerts happening across the city.
HOLMES: All right. And our last two, San Diego and Cancun? MICHONSKI: That's right. Two beach destinations. San Diego is incredibly affordable right now. Hotels are averaging just $100. That's in the city and near the beach.
HOLMES: Wow.
MICHONSKI: If you want to save a little bit more, you can stay in nearby Mission Valley for just $69 a night. Cancun, if you want to go international, is also looking good right now. Airfare is averaging around $450 and you can get a three-star hotel on the beach for just $145.
HOLMES: OK. Quickly here for me, people always debate. Of course, you would have to fly to Cancun, but people try to figure out - should I fly or should I drive? What should you debate about? What should help you decide whether or not one is better than the other?
MICHONSKI: Well, the answer to that question depends on a number of different factors, including how fuel efficient is your car? How many people are traveling with you? How far are you traveling? And finally whether or not there is a low-cost airline that flies to your destination. So what I tell people is, the things that you want to do to answer that question for yourself. First you want to figure out, what kind of gas mileage does your vehicle get? Most people have a pretty good sense of that already. If you don't, the government has a great web site, fueleconomy.gov. They'll break it all down for you.
The second thing you want to do is to check current gas prices, plan out your route, figure out what makes sense for you. And finally you want to check airfares and do a little price comparison.
HOLMES: Well, you know, it's a matter of simple math there, figure out which one works better for you. Laura, again, we appreciate you being here, from "Budget Travel" magazine. Thank you so much. This will help some folks out and they need to hurry up if they want to travel. Thanks for being here. You enjoy your last day here on this doomsday, all right? Thanks for being here with us.
(LAUGHTER)
MICHONSKI: Thanks for having me. For more tips go to budgettravel.com.
HOLMES: Budgettravel.com. All right.
Well, 17 minutes past the hour. You heard the name by now, Harold Camping. A little history on the man, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. 20 minutes past the hour now. A lot of people wondering about the man who made this whole doomsday prediction that has captured the attention of so many followers, so many people around the world really. Harold Camping is his name. He's an 89-year-old evangelical Christian. He's a retired engineer and founder of Family Radio Worldwide. They do reach millions of people around the world. This is a picture of their web site here. It was down for a little while this morning and is back up. This California-based religious network broadcasts to more than 150 radio stations across the U.S.. In 1970, Camping published the "Biblical Calendar of History" in which he said the date of creation and the date of Noah's flood. He also argues that it's impossible to find a calendar in the text of the bible that can be used to determine the day of judgment.
Well, for weeks Camping's followers have been criss-crossing the country warning of the end of time. They left loved ones and every thing else behind to spread the news.
CNN contributor Pete Dominick caught up with some of Camping's disciples and some of the people they're working to warn in New York.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think it's (INAUDIBLE) prophet if it comes to pass or doesn't come to pass, that's the only way to tell if a prophet is a false prophet.
PETE DOMINICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): And if it doesn't happen?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will.
DOMINICK: Then you're belief is false.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will happen.
DOMINICK: But if it doesn't -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will happen. Guaranteed.
DOMINICK: If it doesn't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll bet you $20 right now it doesn't happen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's silly because there's going to be no banks. There's not going to be (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good point.
DOMINICK: Would you shave the beard before you die?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I probably would have taken the train somewhere else.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I guess I got to go out and have some fun today, huh?
DOMINICK: Yes, what are you going to do?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me see. DOMINICK: Let it all hang out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let it all hang out? I can't tell you because my wife might watch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: You see, some people having a good time with this, and some of you are all, too. We asked you this morning not just about whether or not you think it would happen today, but specifically what if it was the last day? What would you do with your last hours on earth? Here are some of your responses.
One saying "I would spend the day with my kids." A lot of people saying they would spend their final hours with their family. This guy has a different take. He said he would rob a bank. Probably not the best idea there, Jarvaris. Shellysells says "We would have maxed out my credit cards and flown our daughters to meet us for a first class trip to Vegas, baby." Sign me up. Well, Adam had a simple plan. "Eat a steak, run naked through town, then jump in the river." Let me know which town so I can avoid it.
Also here's another from our Facebook page. Conrad says "Gather my family together, fry some fish and pray." And one more here from Michelle saying, she would spend it all with my kiddo and let him do whatever he wanted, like draw on the walls, eat a crapload of candy and ice cream."
Thanks for those responses. A lot of them coming in. We do appreciate it. We'll continue to share.
This is not the first time, Harold Camping has predicted the end of the world. Coming up at 10:00 Eastern, we'll hear what he told Larry King back in '94. Also, if you had a chance to interview legends like Morgan Freeman, Carlos Santana, Ernie Banks, what would you ask them?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES (on camera): Whether it's in the profession you're doing or something maybe outside of the profession, what would be the highlight in your career for you?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Their answers might surprise you. You'll hear from them next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: They are legendary men with legendary careers and they say they are not done yet. Three icons of our age, Morgan Freeman, Carlos Santana, Ernie Banks in town to be honored for their great careers, ask them about their career highlights. What really made them feel like they really reached the top? Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) HOLMES: You guys, whether it's in the profession you're doing or something maybe outside of your profession, what would be the highlight in your career for you?
MORGAN FREEMAN, ACTOR: I'm going to have to say one of my main career highlights was having the opportunity and the ability to channel Nelson Mandela.
HOLMES: Wow.
FREEMAN: That was something. Great man, and I didn't embarrass him.
CARLOS SANTANA, GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING MUSICIAN: That's a good question. I probably would say going to Cuba and invite Mr. Desmond Tutu, Mr. Mandela, the Dalai Lama and bringing down this side of the wall, you know, do what we did with Woodstock, with Cuba. So my highlight is still up ahead.
HOLMES: What about you, Mr. Banks?
ERNIE BANKS, HALL OF FAMER: Still ahead.
HOLMES: Still ahead.
BANKS: I haven't found it yet. I'm still searching for that.
HOLMES: Everything you've been through in life, everything you've accomplished as a Hall of Famer, you're telling me you're still looking for that thing in life you want to do?
BANKS: That's correct. My goal was, my long-range goal was to win a Nobel Peace Prize and still is.
FREEMAN: What's stopping you?
BANKS: Huh?
FREEMAN: What's stopping you?
BANKS: I don't know. Is 80 too young or too old?
FREEMAN: No. You're never too old. Never too old. Get on the bus, Gus.
BANKS: But I always wanted to do that. I wanted to be an international lawyer when I first started out and didn't make it there.
FREEMAN: He's just too good at baseball.
BANKS: And then got into baseball. That was it. Through Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron and you know, all the guys who played before me. I mean, they really helped me, inspired me, and you know, I just followed them, and that was it.
(END VIDEOTAPE) HOLMES: 82-year-old Hall of Famer says he's still not done. We're getting close to the bottom of the hour. College graduation parties are being held this weekend all over the country, but will grads still be in a good mood when it's time to find a job. "Your Bottom Line" after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: I'll be back at the top of the hour with more live news.
In the meantime, though, college graduation, commencement days coming. I don't want to rain on the parade, but "YOUR BOTTOM LINE" is asking, is college really worth it?
Here now, Christine Romans.
