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CNN Saturday Morning News

Weiner Contacted Teen Girl; Fire Conditions Worsen in Arizona; Tracy Morgan Under Fire For Anti-Gay Comments; Syrians Running For Their Lives; Boxes of Palin E-Mails Released

Aired June 11, 2011 - 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 morning.

Congressman Anthony Weiner sexting investigation has been dominating headlines this week. You know what we're learning now? That actually a teenage girl also got messages from him. Also, you won't believe who's coming to Congressman Weiner's defense.

Also, you see that picture there -- you know what's in those boxes? Something that the media has been after for years and years and finally got them -- Sarah Palin's e-mails. So, what's exactly in them? Maybe not what you think.

Also, as we know a lot of people out there are looking for jobs right now and one company is hiring 1,300 people. We'll tell you where you need to apply.

From the CNN Center, this is your CNN SATURDAY MORNING for this June 11th. Hello to you all. Glad you can be here. I'm T.J. Holmes.

Let's start with this teenage girl now who has apparently received messages from Congressman Anthony Weiner. Multiple reports say this girl is 17 years old. Now, Representative Weiner admitted sending pictures of his bare chest and other bare parts to women he met online, but his representative has said this girl in particular, this teenage girl, did not get those kinds of messages.

Here is the statement from one of the spokespeople for the representative saying, "According to Congressman Weiner, his communications with this person were neither explicit nor indecent."

Well, Delaware police say detectives have interviewed this teenage girl, but she didn't say anything about inappropriate contact by the congressman. Meanwhile, the congressman says he would welcome a House ethics investigation into the scandal. He might get one. He has apologized, as we know, but says he will not resign.

The investigation -- the ethics investigation -- would presumably look into whether he used government property, computers and phones to send many of those explicit messages. Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel who, of course, was censured after a House investigation last year, he is now coming to Congressman Weiner's defense. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: I know one thing -- he wasn't going with prostitutes. He wasn't going out with little boys. He wasn't going into men's room with broad stances.

I mean, all of those things I understand, I'm 80 years old. But high-tech stuff like this, I can't respond. But certainly I know immoral sex when I hear it from other members, and no one has screamed for their resignation. So, I don't know why they are selecting Anthony.

REPORTER: You think he can be an effective congressman?

RANGEL: What?

REPORTER: Do you think he can be an effective congressman?

RANGEL: Only if the press gets off his back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Amazing what the standards are these days, right?

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has asked for an ethics investigation. She did that this week, but the ethics committee has yet to make a decision on that.

We will turn now to the southwest part of this country, growing concerns this hour over conditions that could spread to one of the largest wildfires in Arizona's history. Firefighting crews face higher winds and low humidity today in this rugged region. These conditions could spread the fire that already has burned about 410,000 acres.

To you give some perspective on that, that's an area larger than all of Los Angeles. The fire which is hardly contained, has destroyed 29 homes, more than 5,200 more are threatened.

Also being threatened electric transmission lines that supply hundreds of thousands of homes. Now, closing those lines could lead to rolling blackouts in southeast New Mexico as well as El Paso.

Now despite today's forecast for worsening conditions, CNN's Jim Spellman is there. He tells us that fire fighters have made some progress and also tells us how fire crews are battling the flames from the ground and from the air.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM SPELLMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: T.J., finally a bit of good news here from the massive "wallow fire." The 3,000 or so firefighters that are on scene fighting this fire have taken advantage of two days of lower winds, better weather here for them to fight and they've managed to get a small amount of containment on this fire. They still are protecting the evacuated cities of Springerville and Eagar. Unfortunately, the day before yesterday, 22 homes were lost in nearby Greer. They hope to do what they can here with this brief break in the high winds. By Saturday afternoon, those high winds will be back and those will ground likely some of their aircraft that are up in the air. They're using super tanker DC-10 to drop retardant and water on the fire while simultaneously using what they call aerial ignitions, helicopters that drop ping-pong ball size plastic balls full of chemicals that start fires.

They start these intentional fires to try to create a barrier between the inhabited towns and the front of the fire, so when the active head of the fire get to the line, there's no more fuel for it to get into town and hurt people.

No word yet on when these evacuated people will be able to come back to home. Likely not before at least some time next week.

T.J., back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. Thanks to our Jim Spellman.

I want to turn to our Reynolds Wolf joining me this morning.

Good morning to you, kind, sir.

They had a small window of time were the winds were down. OK. When does the window close?

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: The window, I would say, is closing right now and then later on today, we're going to see the wind begin to pick back up. You take a look at this video here. In a few places, you've seen these images. You see the ground that looks flat, few plateaus here and there, but much of the area where they're fighting the battles with these wildfires happened to be in a big mountainous area, a lot of ravines and whatnot.

And, T.J., with winds that are forecast today to be around 30, 40 miles per hour, it's basically the fact of just pushing those flames outward. When you have a process when it comes to fires, it's called crowning.

And what happens is you have the tops of trees that are on fire. When the wind comes along, kicks it. It pushes some of the embers and the sparks and the flames from treetop to treetop and treetop, and as it goes at the hillsides, that air tends to dry out, the foliage even more. So, it just continues to feed on itself.

Right now, the winds are not very strong, only in the single digits. A few places, we get some exceptions of that in northeast Arizona. Later on today, we expect things to get worse, low humidity and stronger winds.

What we need in this part of the world is some heavy rainfall, but unfortunately, that is not going to be in the cards today. Heavy rain possible through parts of Pennsylvania, back into the Ohio Valley, even into the Great Lakes, including Michigan. But it's going to be later this afternoon where we're going to see it really begin to pile up across parts of the central and northern plains.

We have a chance of not only a few thunderstorms, maybe a few isolated tornadoes, small hail, damaging winds and maybe even flash flooding in spots where you have poor drainage.

Another big story we've been dealing with -- the heat. It's still going to remain in place for much of Southeast and Southern Plains. In fact, in a few spots, you can expect the temperatures to remain in the 90s, but with the high humidity it's going to feel warmer. One example, Atlanta with 93 degrees. Mud Island out towards Memphis, your high temperature is 95 degrees, 72 in New York, 62 in Boston, 64 in Chicago, 91 in Albuquerque, 99 in El Paso.

When you get that warm, let's go ahead and call it 100, OK? You're not going to feel much different. You're not going to step outside and go, oh, 99, and you can say it's scorching up there. And that's going to be the difference.

Sixty-two in San Francisco, 66 in Seattle, 71 in Billings and again, some 70s across parts of the central Rockies.

OK, T.J., you're up to speed. Let's pitch it back to you, good sir.

HOLMES: Reynolds, appreciate you, kind sir.

We'll be checking in with Reynolds plenty throughout this morning.

We turn to what may become the largest mass firing in the TSA's history. They're working now to remove as many as 36 people at Honolulu's international airport -- talking about screeners and managers here.

This move comes after the TSA's investigation into claims that screeners routinely let unchecked bags get on to planes during a four- month period late last year. At least 12 other TSA workers are facing suspension.

Well, he was facing 35 years in prison on espionage charges. But now, it turns out he probably won't serve any jail time at all. The government has had a change of heart in the case against a former National Security Agency official by the name of Thomas Drake. You're seeing him there.

He accepted a plea deal that will likely keep him out of jail. He's only pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of exceeding authorized use of a computer. He was accused of passing classified information to a newspaper reporter supposedly documenting mismanagement at the NSA. The government dropped the charges saying they didn't want to present classified material in court.

Well, have you been keeping up over the past couple of days with Tracy Morgan and the controversy he sparked? Still under fire this morning, even after he apologized for an anti-gay rant during a comedy routine last week. We'll tell you why gay rights advocates say the apology is not enough and what they want him to do now. I'm back in 60 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Ten minutes past the hour now.

Comedian Tracy Morgan is apologizing for his performance last week in Nashville. A lot of people described part of his comedy show as a vile rant against gay people. At one point, Morgan joked that if he had a gay son, he'd pull out a knife and stab him.

CNN entertainment correspondent Kareen Wynter picks up the story with the apology.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From "Saturday Night Live" to NBC's hit comedy "30 Rock," actor and comedian Tracy Morgan knows how to deliver a punch line.

TRACY MORGAN, ACTOR: If you've learned anything from me it's how to do a bad job.

WYNTER: But a recent stand-up comedy show in Nashville is drawing more jeers than cheers. Morgan's homophobic rant during an onstage performance last week stunned some audience members like Kevin Rogers, who says he cringed at the hateful comments.

KEVIN ROGERS, MORGAN SHOW AUDIENCE MEMBER: I was absolutely shocked and amazed at what I was hearing.

WYNTER: Rogers says Morgan lashed out at lesbians and gays, saying gay was something kids learned from the media, that victims of anti-gay bullying should stop whining. Rogers says the comic even took a shot at Lady Gaga.

Bashing her chart smashing gay-themed sock "Born This Way."

ROGERS: I knew that I was going to see a comedian that does push the envelope and was expecting to hear all sorts of different probably inappropriate humor, but I didn't expect to hear an attack on the gay community.

WYNTER: Rogers says Morgan also joked about stabbing his own son to death if he were gay.

ROGERS: The entire thing really did hurt me, the violent aspect of that comment. It seemed to go from a joking demeanor to this is a point in my show to where I'm very serious about what I'm saying.

WYNTER: And while we don't know for sure how serious Morgan's remarks were, he just released a statement to CNN saying, "I want to apologize to my fans and the gay and lesbian community for my choice of words at my recent stand-up act in Nashville. I'm not a hateful person and don't condone any kind of violence against others. While I am an equal opportunity jokester and my friends know what is in my heart, even in a comedy club, this clearly went too far and was not funny in any context."

But GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, says the apology doesn't go far enough and that Morgan should meet with youth and families who have been affected by anti-gay violence and that, quote, "jokes that make light of violence directed at gay and lesbian youth aren't only offensive, they put our kids in harm's way. Tracy Morgan must not only apologize, but assure this won't happen again and send a clear message to Americans that anti-gay violence is no joke."

Kareen Wynter, CNN, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: More reaction now from the head of NBC Entertainment who says, quote, "Tracy's comments reflect negatively on both '30 Rock' and NBC, two very all-inclusive and diverse organizations and we have made it clear to him that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated."

Well, still to come this morning, a lot of people as we know looking for a job. One major company out there needs 1,300 folks.

I'm back in 90 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. Quarter past the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

The earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan devastating their auto industry there, but Japan's struggles are creating an opening for American automakers. Our financial correspondents have your business news this weekend. We start with Alison Kosik. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Toyota says the earthquake in Japan is hitting its bottom line. The world's biggest automaker expects profit to drop 31 percent this year. In real dollars, that's $1.6 billion less than last year.

This could give room for American automakers to move up. G.M. could reclaim the title of world's biggest automaker.

Meantime, Ford is ramping up production in an effort to grow. Ford is hoping to sell 8 million vehicles a year by the middle of the decade. That's an aggressive plan since Ford currently sells about 5 million a year -- Felicia.

FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Alison.

There were new signs this past week that the job market is likely to remain under pressure for a while. HIS Global Insight is expecting state and local governments to cut a record high 110,000 jobs in the third quarter. The study says teachers are likely to bear the brunt of the job cuts, and worse, this could be just the tip of the iceberg. Many states are still dealing with budget problems because tax receipts are still below prerecession levels.

Poppy Harlow has a look at what's coming up in business news -- Poppy.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Thanks so much, Felicia.

Well, President Obama is heading to North Carolina next week and the job market will be the main topic. He's scheduled to meet bit with the Jobs and Competiveness Council. It's a group the president created to give him nonpartisan advice on how to strengthen the U.S. economy.

Also ahead, the IMF is scheduled to release a short list of the candidate's looking to become its next managing director. That job opened up after Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former chief, resigned after he was charged with sexually assaulting a New York housekeeper in a New York hotel. He has pleaded not guilty.

And on the economic calendar, we'll get reports on retail sales, inflation and housing -- a lot ahead. We'll follow it all on CNN Money.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, the merger of United and Continental Airlines creating 1,300 new jobs in Chicago by the end of next year. Mayor Rahm Emanuel made that announcement on Friday. United's corporate headquarters is located in downtown Chicago. These new jobs will support the airline's global operations.

Well, four years ago, an NFL football player made a promise to a group of eighth graders. Well, they upheld their end of the bargain. They did well in school. Now, it's time for him to uphold his end of the bargain, which is give them $1 million for scholarships. That story right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, at 21 minutes past the hour now.

They are literally running from their government. Syrian citizens being forced to abandon anti-government protests, instead fleeing their country to save their own lives.

CNN's Ivan Watson has more on the danger they face.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: More than 3,800 Syrians have fled across the border here to Turkey, running for their lives. And they are fleeing because of scenes like this.

(voice-over): This is what happens when Syrians try to protest peacefully against their government. On June 3rd, thousands of demonstrators walk up a road in the northern town of Jabal al Zawya.

All of a sudden, gunfire.

(GUNFIRE)

WATSON: Unarmed men scramble for cover. Bullets crack and whistle overhead.

And then -- the wounded.

CNN can't verify the exact location and date of the video, but the images of brutality were filmed by this activist on his cell phone.

(on camera): You must have been terrified when this was happening?

(voice-over): Yusuf Mohamed Ali Hassan smuggled himself across the border to Turkey to talk to journalists banned from working in Syria.

":I want the world to know we want human rights and democracy," Ali Hassan says. "This is not a government that governs people. It's a militia that kills and destroys."

This 23-year-old Syrian says he was shot in the leg and arm by Syrian security forces at another protest. Now, one of more than 30 Syrian gunshot victims being treated at a hospital in Turkey.

"We're repressed and we want our freedom," he says. "We want this president to be overthrown."

He can't show his face because he's terrified of his own government -- so are these people: Syrian refugees emerging from the orchards, heading towards the Turkish border. More than 2,700 have fled. More are probably on the way.

The first wave staying in tents at this abandoned tobacco factory.

The Turkish government is already building two more camps. If the killing in Syria doesn't stop, Turkey stands poised to become the next home for a generation of terrified Syrian refugees.

(on camera): The brave activist who smuggled himself across the border to give us the video that we aired at the beginning of this report, went back into Syria on Friday. This is Yusuf Mohamed Ali Hassan. He said he wanted to participate in another round of anti- government protests after Friday prayers.

We talked to him by cell phone a few hours later. He said he had been shot in the right thigh after security forces operating both on the ground and from helicopters, began spraying machine gunfire at thousands of demonstrators in the northern Syrian town of Ma'arat al- Nu'man.

We've gotten the names of at least four demonstrators who were killed in what appears to have been yet another Syrian government massacre. This activist was speaking to us from a house, too afraid to go to a hospital because he's afraid he could be arrested there.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Haribiye, Turkey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, 24 minutes past the hour now. I just got a message from one of you, the viewers, saying that I look tired this morning. Let me show you why. I've got mail to go through, a lot of mail. E-mail in particular -- thousands upon thousands of pages of Sarah Palin's e-mails that have kept CNN staff and crew up all night reading these things.

We'll tell you what we found. I'm right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, we're coming up on the bottom of the hour here on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Welcome back, everybody. I'm T.J. Holmes. Glad you could spend part of your weekend here with us.

And part of the weekend being spent by a lot of folks -- at least a lot of folks in the media -- reading over Sarah Palin's e-mails. Thousands upon thousands of them now released from the time when she was Alaska's governor.

CNN's Special Investigation Unit correspondent Drew Griffin is in Alaska poring over literally some 24,000 pages to see what's there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT: T.J., this is what we're going through, just -- this is one box of six boxes we got yesterday of just e-mail. Look at that. From, to, the governor of Alaska, between December of 2006 and September of 2008.

And what -- first I want to show you how goofy this was yesterday when we got these. Take a look at this video. This is a third floor office building here in Juneau where all the press had to come to this one office, in a crowded hallway, if we wanted to pick up these e- mails.

They weren't going to be distributed electronically on a simple little disk or electronically in Web site we could just go to. Instead, we had to come here, all the way to Juneau, Alaska, grab our six boxes and then leave, literally take these things out, wheel them down the street, and get into this hotel suite where we could begin looking at them.

So far, we've looked at maybe a third of them, 24,000 of them, and if you are looking for anything salacious or scandalous, we really haven't found it. She does attack some of her political enemies -- at one point trying to link a scandal to former Governor Frank Murkowski. Of course, the Murkowskis and the Palins have a long-running feud to this day.

But, really, the e-mails we found were all about government, about governing, about trying to make schedules between herself, her family and all the various commissions and businesses she had to attend to for her role. She also is very interested in being there for the people of Alaska. At one point complaining in this e-mail she was not told about a funeral for five soldiers and that in the future, she needs to be told about that.

One interesting thing we just did find, was about the time, in fact, the day she found out she was going to be running as vice presidential nominee for John McCain. I want to show you this, because on the day before, she gets an invite to CNN's "LARRY KING" who would like to know if you're interested in talking about McCain's V.P. choice tomorrow at 5:00. And one of her staff members saying, I can link you up from the state fair. She writes back, that should work. We'll firm up tomorrow a.m. I need to juggle some things around.

T.J., we know at that moment, she already knew, but her staff apparently didn't, that she was going to be the nominee. And from the next day Friday, August 29th, 2008, at 10:43 a.m. here in Alaska she says, "Can you believe it, he told me yesterday, it moved pretty fast. Pray. I love you." That's from Governor Sarah Palin.

Again, not a lot of salacious stuff. We're not all the way through it yet. It's taking a long, long time but so far, it looks like Governor Palin was right, we're seeing a lot of intimate details on how she ran the government, but not a whole lot of embarrassing stuff, T.J.?

HOLMES: Out there in Alaska, thanks to our Drew Griffin.

Take a look at some of the stories making headlines this morning. Those firefighters in Arizona watching the wind and humidity. The winds are expected to pick up threatening to spread a wildfire that has burned nearly 410,000 acres. The fire only 5 percent contained right now. It has destroyed 29 homes, threatened some 5200 others. Electric transmission lines, that supply power to hundreds of thousands, may also be threatened.

Listen to this. If it wasn't already bad enough, given that tornado in Joplin that we just saw not long ago, health officials in Missouri saying eight people who were injured in last month's tornado have contracted a rare type of fungus. Three of them have died. One of those deaths is directly attributed to the infection which can occur when dirt becomes lodged under the skin. Doctors say people with weakened immune systems may be more susceptible and anyone hurt while in the tornado zone should get prompt medical attention.

CIA director and Defense secretary nominee Leon Panetta is in Pakistan right now. His first visit there since the successful U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden and strained ties between both countries. Panetta is expected to reaffirm a U.S. commitment to cooperation with Pakistan against Al Qaeda. "Time" magazine reports Panetta also plans on confronting Pakistan of evidence of suspected conclusion between Islamabad and Taliban militants.

Right now I want to take you and show you a live picture. Let's put up that picture of Cleveland this morning, Cleveland, Ohio. There it is. Good morning to you all. A lot of people when you ask them, who might be the most hated man in Cleveland? Probably the answer you'll get 100 percent of the time is LeBron James. But there's another that claims he is the second most hated man in Cleveland, and that is Braylon Edwards.

If you don't know the name, let me explain why he thinks he's the second most hated man. He plays for the New York Jets now, but he was drafted and then traded by Cleveland. Left there unceremoniously, it wasn't a pretty parting. But now he has done something that maybe will get him off that hated list. He is giving away a million dollars in scholarships.

Edwards, you see, came from a home where his mother really emphasized education, made that a top priority. He said when he was a kid he saw some of his classmates struggle because they didn't have the same motivation. He wanted to do something about that.

In 2008, Edwards made a bold promise to 100 eighth graders in Cleveland. Again, that's the city that drafted him. He said he would help pay for their college tuition if they achieved the following -

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRAYLON EDWARDS, NEW YORK JETS WIDE RECEIVER: A 2.5 was a GPA requirement. Felt like that was very fair; 15 hours of community service within each month, as well as workshops that we had slated for them twice a month. And, basically, with the workshops it was different things, not all of it was school or educationally based. Some was etiquette classes, teach them how to tie a tie, teach them how to shake hands, how to sit at the dinner table, how to conduct a speech, talk to people, and keep people's interest. We did a lot with these kids.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now a part of it was you heard him mention there, workshops. And those workshops even taught kids how to tie a tie, how to shake hands. The students completed all of that, plus had no unexcused absences, Edwards would give them $10,000 in four years to pay for school.

The type of encouragement Edwards says the students needed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EDWARDS: A lot of the kids that you saw in these programs, they didn't have support at all. They didn't have the parents, they didn't have the grandmothers, the guardians, or what have you. They had a lot of talent, lot of ability, lot of smarts, but no guidance. They weren't making the right decisions and they ended up on the lower end of the totem pole.

I saw that growing up. I always wanted to help if I could. With this program it showed that somebody actually cared for them, somebody supported them, and they could actually do the things that teachers talk about in the classroom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Edwards is also going to be spending some of his own money kind of pay for things the students need, calculators, textbooks, laptops, things like that.

The spokesperson for the charity tells CNN they think 80 of the 100 students enrolled in the Advanced 100 Program will meet all of the scholarship the requirements. So, next semester Braylon Edwards will make good on the promise he made years ago, he'll help pay for some of their education. In return Edwards wants the teens to find a way to pay their blessings forward. Edwards also says he plans to keep up with the students throughout college.

We're at 35 minutes past the hour now on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. A lot of people out there, a lot of people out there, drink coffee day in and day out. But you need to know something about it. It could have you hearing things, including Christmas music. I'll explain after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right, 38 minutes past the hour.

Look at this. This is a mound of snow. I didn't believe this when I saw it earlier this week. Yes, here we are in June, in Massachusetts, where they -- what's the temperature been up there, summer like?

WOLF: It's been in the 70s and 80s. Absolutely. They've had a few days close to 90 degrees.

HOLMES: OK, but they have this huge snow bank left over from winter, 16 feet long, 8 feet wide, 3 feet tall. It's actually insulated by all the dirt on top, so this thing could actually be around until next month. But fascinating to see. Big mound of snow still sticking around in a place where Reynolds said they've had 90 degree temperatures.

The melting snow pack and wet spring are why people who live along the Missouri river are doing this, having to do some sandbagging. North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri all under flood watch. Many who are watching the river rise compare current conditions to the historic floods of 1993.

And Reynolds Wolf here with me now and you all -- I appreciate the perspective you kept it in. We talk about the Mississippi River so much but the Missouri River, that's the little brother, I guess you could say.

QUEST: Absolutely. Mississippi the biggest, Missouri the second largest river on the continent. What's funny, our producer, one of my favorite people in the whole world, put those two stories together, the one in Boston and the one with the snowfall and the one in Missouri. And basically the same rule applies to both, flooding you are seeing now in parts of Missouri along the Missouri River is due to the heavy snowpack you have, just like in say parts of Boston.

All that is beginning to melt and as it melts we'll see the rivers continue to rise and the last thing we need in that part of the world would be more rainfall. Look at this. Lo and behold a chance of strong storms again today. Not only for the Central Plains but North Central Plains including the Dakotas and parts of Nebraska.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WOLF: T.J., that's the latest in the forecast. Pitch it back over to you.

HOLMES: Reynolds you a coffee drinker?

WOLF: Yes that is basically my blood type, yes.

HOLMES: Do you think sometimes you hear things?

WOLF: Kind of a loaded question. I hear things all the time. Even without this IFB in my ear.

HOLMES: All right, folks. Well, that morning cup of coffee, you use it as your pick me up, right? Do you know it could do a number on your ears?

BING CROSBY, SINGING: I'm dreaming of a White Christmas

WOLF: What?

HOLMES: I know what you're thinking, why, T.J., are you putting us through this morning? Why is Bing Crosby here?

WOLF: Wrong tape.

HOLMES: No, this is the right tape. Researchers, listen to this, in Australia say after a couple of cups of regular coffee, drinkers raise the risk of literally hearing things that are not there. Highly caffeinated people were three times more likely than a controlled group to hear Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" in white noise. Essentially what they did, they drank the coffee, put the head phones on and asked them do you hear white noise or Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" people who heard the noise said they were hearing the song.

WOLF: Yes, I always have one in purple. And I could probably golf this afternoon -- I'm hearing things you didn't say. See, it works. You're absolutely right. HOLMES: So, be warned, if you think you're hearing things, you actually might be. They call these auditory hallucinations. So, coffee, the caffeine could have you hallucinating.

WOLF: I would love to have your car, thank you.

HOLMES: All right. Reynolds, thank you.

WOLF: Gosh, take it easy.

HOLMES: We'll check in with you again. Thanks, Rennie.

We're at 43 minutes past the hour now.

The scandal that just will not go away. Congressman Anthony Weiner now being investigated for alleged contact with a teenage girl. Delaware police have interviewed that girl. She says there was nothing inappropriate. Weiner's spokesman confirms that he contacted the teenager, but also says there was nothing indecent about it.

Now with any ambitions Congressman Weiner had to run for mayor of New York now in question over this unfolding scandal. Actor Alec Baldwin has announced he may jump into the race for mayor. And if the "30 Rock" actor were to win he would be joining a nice long list of celebrities turned mayors. You can probably come up with a few off the top of your head right now, but here are a couple to give you a reminder.

Before serving two terms as mayor of Fresno, he was Captain Bubba Skinner on the TV series "In The Heat of The Night." You see him there, Alan Autry.

Before he crossed over to politics he was crossing folks over on the court, three-time NBA All-Star and current mayor of Sacramento, Kevin Johnson. Also another one for you here, you know him, as the Minnesota Governor, Jesse Ventura. He was a wrestler first, but did you know he was also a mayor, mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. We've got three more I'm going to share with you after the break. There's a good chance you can come up with one or two off the top of your head. I'm right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. About a quarter of the top of the hour now.

As you know Congressman Anthony Weiner had his heart set on running for mayor of New York in 2013. That might not be possible given the latest scandal he is just going through, but now actor Alec Baldwin says he may jump into that race. He, though, would not be the first celebrity to run for mayor.

In the case, let's continue now of the celebrities turned mayors. Cincinnati mayor turned talk show host this time, yes, Jerry Springer, it was a prostitution scandal that forced him out of office and he became the king man of tabloid TV. Also, Hollywood icon, actor and director Clint Eastwood left his "Dirty Harry" days behind when he became mayor of the beautiful seaside town of Caramel By The Sea, in California.

Also on the list, this mayor won over hearts as one half of Sonny and Cher and then won over votes to become the mayor of Palm Springs, California, and became a congressman, Sonny Bono.

Well, let's turn to politics where it has been a tough week for Newt Gingrich. The Republican presidential candidate lost key staffers and lost some of them to somebody else, but as CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser reports, Gingrich isn't letting this get in his way.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Hey, good morning, T.J.

Newt Gingrich says he'll be in California tomorrow night for a big speech to a Republican group and he says he'll be here the following day for our Republican presidential debate.

NEWT GINGRICH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'll be back in New Hampshire on Monday.

STEINHAUSER: Of the seven people on the stage at the CNN/WMUR and New Hampshire "Union Leader" debate Monday night, Newt Gingrich probably has the most on the line. The former House speaker remains defiant one day after many of his top presidential campaign officials and advisers quit. In an e-mail to supporters Gingrich says, "I full well know the rigors of campaigning for a public office and I will endure them."

But a Republican strategist who used to work for Gingrich has doubts.

RICH GALEN, FMR. GINGRICH PRESS SECRETARY: The kind of skill set you need to do the things he did to bring Republicans into majority in the Congress, are completely different set of skills than what you need when you're running for president. And I think that's been glaringly obvious.

STEINHAUSER: While Gingrich tries to resurrect his campaign, you know, what, it is getting busy right here in New Hampshire. We have a bunch of candidates who will be campaigning here this weekend. All that in advance of our debate Monday night, T.J.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Thanks to our Paul Steinhauser, checking in with him live in New Hampshire later this morning.

Those Gingrich staffers used to work for Texas Governor Rick Perry. Perry has only said that he would consider, he would think about a run for president, but a staff switch could change things. Those guys worked on Perry's last campaign when he won re-election in Texas. He succeeded George W. Bush as Texas governor in 2000, when Bush was elected president. Perry was lieutenant governor at the time. He's the longest serving governor in Texas history.

Syria's first lady born and raised in London. She is also believed to be her husband's closest confident. Some hoped her Western background would help soften his stance on anti-government demonstrators. That story next in our "Morning Passport".

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HOLMES: Eight minutes to the top of the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

We turn to the situation in Syria where 15 people were killed Friday as demonstrations against the government of President Al Assad continues to spread. The U.N. reporting more than 1,000 people dead in less than three months. Thousands of Syrians are streaming across the board into Turkey and there are allegations that children have been tortured.

Yesterday's crackdown came after the government announced it would punish the town of Jizer Al Juga (ph) claiming armed groups killed at least 120 security forces there.

Let me bring in our Nadia Bilchik for the "Morning's Passport".

You have so many diplomats, so many governments, heads of state trying to find a solution to get President Al Assad to stop what's happening there, but it turns out maybe one of the most important people in this whole thing could be the woman he's married to.

NADIA BILCHIK, CNN PRODUCER: Yes, Asma Al Assad. There was so much hope, T.J.

He married her in 2000 when he actually had met her when he was in London studying ophthalmology and then, of course, his father around 1996 brought him back to Syria once he brother Bassal had died because Bashar was now going to be his predecessor. His father was his predecessor. He was going to take over.

This woman is a remarkable woman. She's an economist. She's highly educated. And as you say, she is supposed to have had some influence on him, but what we're seeing, obviously, is she really doesn't have much influence. So it's very disappointing.

HOLMES: What is her connection? I guess how is she perceived among the people? Is she someone they really embrace? Like you said, she is a woman who did a lot of growing up in England. I mean is she really accepted by the masses there?

BILCHIK: She's seen somewhat as a fashion icon, believe it or not. "Vogue" magazine did an entire spread on her. And there was huge outcry on the spread. They're going isn't it wonderful that yes, Mrs. Assad, is very chic, people went, but what about the fact that her husband is murdering his own people? So she has a very complicated perception. She's viewed in a very complex way. In around the early 2000s she went to meetings, she actually went to meeting. She met with economists with Bashar al Assad. But what we're seeing is that the Allawi government has much more power over Bashar al Assad than his own wife. And this is a woman-can you imagine she marries him around 2000. I bet this is not what she signed up for. Think about it.

Now there are rumors she's gone to London with her three children although she hasn't been seen there. It will be interesting to know if she decides, look, I am not going to be associated with what my husband is doing. Is she allowed to go to London? What would happen? Think about the position she's in. The famous saying you marry for better or worse. Seems what's happening right now is worse. She is in a precarious position.

She's a woman herself who said yes, I am the first lady, but being the first lady is what I do, it is not who I am. So highly educated woman. Clearly does not agree in any way with what her husband is doing. But what say does she really have because she is associated by marriage.

HOLMES: But again, we haven't heard from her and like we said, we don't really know for sure where she is since all of this started a few months ago.

BILCHIK: No. Again, the Syrian government is saying she's still in Syria. People said she had gone to London. We don't know. Could she go back to her parents with her three children? Is she allowed to do that? Think about a woman in 2000 marries this young man.

HOLMES: With all this hope.

BILCHIK: Exactly. At the time she meets him she doesn't know he's going to become the president of Syria. He becomes the president of Syria and this is what transpires. This is a woman in a complicated situation and "Vogue" magazine has been heavily criticized for featuring this woman. So my favorite quote was, "Yes, skinny pants and a violet scarf are tre chic but married to a dictator killing his own people and barring foreign journalists is not."

HOLMES: Wow. Nadia Bilchik with this "Morning's Passport" introducing us to one more player, who could be important but who knows what kind of role she is playing right now.

Nadia, we appreciate you. We'll check in with you later this morning.

We turn to the nervous residents along the swollen Missouri River, doing more than just waiting and watching now. Some are getting out of town. But they're taking their homes with them. You got to see this.

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