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CNN Saturday Morning News
Remembering First Lady Betty Ford; The New Country of South Sudan; 'News of the World' Shuts Down; What's Next For Harry Potter Fans?
Aired July 09, 2011 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUSAN HENDRICKS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, Saturday morning, I'm Susan Hendricks in today for T.J. Holmes.
Betty Ford has died -- we start with this. She is being remembered for speaking out about her own problems and for changing the role of first lady.
Also, Britain's largest circulation newspaper is about to shut down. We will look back at the colorful history of this 168-year-old favorite.
Our top story, former first lady Betty Ford has died. She was 93 years old. She was surrounded by family when she passed away last night.
She became first lady when her husband Gerald Ford took over as president in 1974, following the resignation of Richard Nixon. Betty Ford made headlines when she revealed her battle with breast cancer. She is also known for founding the famous Betty Ford Center to helping people dealing with addictions. The idea came from her own alcohol addiction. Here is how she describes her problems to our very own Larry King back in 2003.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, FORMER CNN HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Addiction in general but your addiction to begin with. It was first to alcohol, right?
BETTY FORD, FMR. FIRST LADY: My addiction was a combination of alcohol and the prescription drugs that I -
KING: Which was first?
FORD: They both were a part of my life, but they did not become a problem until they overrode my common sense.
KING: It began subtly.
FORD: Very subtly. Yes. And it was easy for me to realize that when I had had the medications, which were many, much too much.
KING: For pain you originally were given? FORD: Yes. And tranquilizers and sleeping pills and then when I took a drink at 5:00, 6:00, I realized the interaction, I didn't know what was happening, I just knew that I felt great and the pain was gone. And -
KING: Which makes it encouraging to take it the next day.
FORD: Yes, I looked for it every day. And it became a daily habit and it finally overpowered me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENDRICKS: She was so candid about that. After her recovery Betty Ford became an advocate for addicts and dedicated her energy to helping so many people get the help they desperately needed.
CNN's Thelma Gutierrez joins me now from the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California.
Thelma, Betty Ford has helped countless and countless, so many people, it's really just unthinkable the amount of people who have been helped by her and how candid she was and how outspoken about addiction.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Susan, absolutely. When you talk to people here in Rancho Mirage where the Fords retired after public life from the people who are driving cabs to people who work in the hotels, they'll tell you that they're very sad. This was a person who everybody here looked up to and as soon as the word got out yesterday of her death here in Rancho Mirage, there has been an outpouring of loving tributes.
President Obama released a statement saying, "Today we take comfort in the knowledge that Betty Ford and her husband former President Gerald Ford, are together once more. Michelle and I send out our thoughts and prayers to their children, Michael, John, Steven, and Susan."
Former first lady Nancy Reagan said, "I was deeply saddened this afternoon when I heard of Betty Ford's death. She has been an inspiration to so many through her efforts to educate women about breast cancer and her wonderful work at the Betty Ford Center."
And Susan, without doubt, that is one of her greatest legacies. Since 1982, when the center was founded, 90,000 people, including many celebrities and their families, have been treated here for substance abuse. Of course, she went very public a year after her husband left office with her own struggles with her addictions to alcohol and prescription pain medications.
The Fords retired here after public life. They spent many years here. Residents say they are very saddened at her death.
HENDRICKS: She literally paved the way for so many people. Certainly an inspiration.
Thelma Gutierrez from Rancho Mirage, California. Thanks so much.
We have this just in to CNN. New Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has landed in Kabul, Afghanistan. Speaking on the flight over, Panetta said the purpose of his trip is to get out and talk to troops on the front lines.
Panetta was just sworn in last week to replace Robert Gates as you may recall, as defense secretary. He was head of CIA before that. Panetta says it is important to keep the pressure on the Taliban in order to influence a settlement in the future. He also says he is hopeful of building a better relationship with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
A moment of silence in Arlington, Texas, last night for a baseball fan who suffered fatal injuries after falling from the stands.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We ask that each of you join the Athletics, the Texas Rangers and all of major league baseball, as we observe a silent moment of reflection and respect for Brownwood, Texas, firefighter Shannon Stone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENDRICKS: Shannon Stone died earlier this week. He was trying to catch a ball for his six-year-old son that was thrown into the stands by one of the Texas Rangers' players. The Rangers have set up a memorial fund for his family. So heartbreaking.
In Orlando, Florida, a spokesman for the Orange County jail says Casey Anthony refused her mother's request to visit last night. Tuesday, the 25-year-old was acquitted of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee. Casey Anthony is due to be released from jail a week from tomorrow.
The world's newest country is raising their flag for the first time. It is independence day for South Sudan. It happened earlier today. People there voted overwhelmingly in January to form their own country. It is roughly the size of Texas.
Dignitaries from around the world are attending celebrations in the new capital of Juba. Last hour, President Obama released this statement, saying "After so much struggle by people of South Sudan, the United States of America welcomes the birth of a new nation."
In Syria, more protests in those anti-government demonstrations are becoming a greater diplomatic issue between the U.S. and Damascus. The Syrian government is accusing U.S. ambassador Robert Ford of inciting protests like this one yesterday in the flashpoint city of Hama. The U.S. State Department calls that claim, "absolute rubbish."
More arrests in the "News of the World" scandal in Britain. British prime minister David Cameron's former press secretary turned himself in. He was released later though. He was editor of the paper at the time of the scandal before being hired by Cameron. He quit his government job earlier this year. Now employees of the tabloid newspaper hacked into the voicemail account of a murdered girl and erased messages. This week owner Rupert Murdoch shut down the paper (INAUDIBLE). The paper's former royals correspondent was also arrested yesterday.
The newest British royal couple are spending their first full day in California. Prince William and his bride Kate arrived yesterday. There he is speaking to David Beckham there. They spent time at a couple of events promoting British business interests. British soccer star David Beckham among the guests. Today they will mix business with pleasure at a charity polo match in Santa Barbara, California. And a star-studded British film and television event in L.A. tonight.
Shuttle Atlantis in orbit right now on NASA's last shuttle mission. The final one. We will take you through the final few seconds of the countdown when NASA made the decision to launch. That's coming up after the break.
And there have been five different shuttle orbiters. Can you name them all? That is the question. I'll have the answer after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HENDRICKS: Before the break I asked if you could name the five shuttle orbiters that flew missions for NASA. Did you get them all? Well, here they are, they are Atlantis, Challenger, Columbia, Discovery and Endeavour.
Atlantis meanwhile is making its way to the International Space Station as we speak. The shuttle blasted into a cloudy sky yesterday on the final mission of America's 30-year space shuttle program.
CNN's John Zarrella tells us about the historic launch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The launch of the shuttle Atlantis was very much a microcosm of so many of the other launches that have gone before it. There was the high drama of not knowing whether it would get off the ground because of the weather conditions and then there was at 31 seconds before launch, the clock stopped as NASA worked through an issue that they had.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: T minus 35. 33.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold it. T minus 31 seconds due to a failure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we have had a failure.
ZARRELLA: But at the end of the day, they managed to get the vehicle "Atlantis" off the ground and right now it is on its way, chasing down the International Space Station on its way to a rendezvous there on Sunday morning. And then the beginning of a 12- day mission. Now, after the liftoff, the flight team held a news conference and during that, the launch director finally was able to exhale and made a little bit of a joke about how the decision was made.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We met in my office before the MMT meeting and we flipped a coin. That's how we really make decisions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think a dart board.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now the program's over, now we can divulge some of our secrets.
ZARRELLA: I talked to (INAUDIBLE) several months ago and I asked Mike, what are you going to do when the shuttle stops flying? He said You know what I'm a launch director. There are no more shuttles to fly, so I don't know.
And that's kind of the situation that many places around the country, certainly here at the Kennedy Space Center where a lot of people with the shuttle program ending are losing their jobs and are saying that same thing, what are they going to do in the future? They just don't know.
This is John Zarrella at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENDRICKS: All right. John Zarrella, thanks.
And I often wondered why weather would affect the launch or not or delay it at all. I was asking Reynolds earlier. So you would think with maybe a drizzle or rain it wouldn't affect it considering how powerful it is.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. I think the number one reason why is because of lightning. Tremendous concern. Another thing is just for on the ground you have great observation, the craft as it takes off.
HENDRICKS: Good point.
WOLF: Watch every single bit of it. If there is a situation where they have to abort, somehow ground observers will see some kind of a problem, you know, you have to have good visibility. But again, what an amazing thing to see. I lived in Orlando for three years and I'm embarrassed to admit this, but it's one of those things when you live there and you see those, you begin to take them for granted.
HENDRICKS: Exactly.
WOLF: You don't realize each and every one of those is a technological miracle. It's an amazing thing. You've got a crew of amazing people, so amazing engineers, great pilots, great scientists, that put all this together. It's a team effort and to see that thing rocket into the sky is just something to behold as spectacular as the daytime ones are, the night ones are absolutely magical. A beautiful thing to see.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HENDRICKS: The British tabloid "News of the World" has covered scandals for over 150 years. That long. Now it is over. A scandal of its own has brought it down. That story coming up after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HENDRICKS: More arrests in a tabloid phone hacking scandal in Britain. A former aide to Prime Minister David Cameron turned himself in, he was released later though. Andy Coulson was editor of "News of the World" at the time of the scandal. The paper's former royal correspondent was arrested last night. Employees of the tabloid are accused of hacking into people's voicemail accounts and bribing police for information, for scoops, stories.
This week, owner Rupert Murdoch announced the paper is shutting down. It will print its final issue tomorrow.
Over the years, the "News of the World" built its reputation on exposing the wrongdoing of others. Now it's accused of wrongdoing itself including breaking into the voicemails of a murdered girl's family and people who died in London's terror bombings.
CNN's Richard Quest looks back at the newspaper's checkered past.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was in 1843 that the first "News of the World" rolled off the presses. Price (INAUDIBLE) It was the cheapest paper of its time and aimed directly at the working classes. Before long, the British paper had established itself as the most widely read Sunday paper. Eventually reaching sales of around 2.5 million copies each week.
Fast forward to 1969, and the paper changes hands. Rupert Murdoch becomes the new owner, and the "News of the World" is Murdoch's first Fleet Street foray. For the years that followed, the newspaper built a reputation on hard-hitting exclusives, usually exposing the embarrassment of celebrities and politicians. Prince Harry, age 16, was one of the many to be exposed. Then there was David Beckham. He was exposed as an adulterer when they uncovered the secret affair he was having with his personal assistant.
In 2005, the paper published a seemingly mundane story about Prince William injuring his knee. It was another exclusive for the "News of the World" that made its reputation getting scoops. Royal officials realized, that the story could only have been sought by the illegal interception of Prince William's mobile phone voicemail. Right there began the chain of events, allegations and scandals, that enveloped members of the royal family, celebrities, politicians, and now, murder and bomb victims.
Richard Quest, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENDRICKS: Again, it will print its final issue tomorrow.
The final film in the Harry Potter series "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" premiered in London this week. That doesn't mean fans will have to go without a Hogwarts fix though. We'll show you some options out there.
And filmmakers have released some fun facts. What do you think the largest animal ever brought on the Harry Potter set was? I'll have the answer after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HENDRICKS: The final "Harry Potter" film, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" premiered in London this week. Before the break we asked you this, what was the largest animal ever brought on the film set. Did you guess? Here is the answer. Maybe you knew. According to Warner Brothers, it is a hippo on the set.
With the release of the eighth and final film the "Harry Potter" saga is coming to an end. But the "Harry Potter" brand is gaining ground as we hear from CNN's Jim Boulden, the boy wizard may want to think about going to business school.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The tag line for this, the final of the eight "Harry Potter" films, it all ends here. That may be the case after seven novels, but Harry will live on in the form of a new Web site coming soon, pottermore.com.
J.K. ROWLING, AUTHOR: Back in 1998, I knew I was generating a lot more material than would ever appear in the books. It was simply ridiculous for anyone. To me at the time I thought, who will ever want to know the significance of all these different (INAUDIBLE)? This was all in my head.
BOULDEN: Now, author J.K. Rowling has joined up with Sony to create a home for the background Potter material, Potter discussions and games. Potter fans once signed up will answer questions which will place them in one of the four Hogwarts houses. And there will be room for users to have their own Potter web pages. Everything will be free, Rowling says it's her way of giving back to fans.
ROWLING: You don't have to pay to get the extra material. You don't have to buy a single thing to go on to Pottermore and have the whole experience you've just seen. And that was really important to me.
BOULDEN: Though the site will be the only place to buy potter e- books. Rowling has kept the digital rights to her material. She never before allowed e-books. Though these e-books will not be tied to a certain kind of electronic reader.
TAREK NSEIR, CEO TH NK: People are asking for these e-books and audio books as a big demand for them. I think what's incredible is this digital experience that's been created, you know, it really allows you to accompany the reading in a really sort of interactive and innovative way.
BOULDEN: And, of course, there is the official Potter theme park, in Orlando, Florida. And from spring next year, at the Harry Potter experience tour, at least in studios outside London where Potter was shot. It is being built now by CNN's sister company, Warner Brothers, and then there are all of those unofficial tours in London. Clearly - Potter mania will not disappear amongst the deathly hollows.
Jim Boulden, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENDRICKS: It is certainly still growing out there.
While the nation's unemployment figures rose in June, there is one bright spot to report. Ford says it is hiring 1800 workers at its Ford escape SUV assembly plant in Louisville, Kentucky. The carmaker says a lottery system will be used to select job candidates.
Claiming its place among nations celebrations break out in Juba as South Sudan achieves its dream of independence finally. That and much more coming up in our top stories.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HENDRICKS: Checking top stories for you.
Former first lady Betty Ford has died. She was 93 years old. Betty Ford died last night surrounded by family. She became first lady when her husband Gerald Ford became president in 1974 following the resignation of Richard Nixon. She was also a co-founder of the Betty Ford Center, a world renowned addiction treatment facility in California. Here is how neighbors in Rancho Mirage, California, remember her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was really hard to hear because I had seen her so much. She came by where I worked a lot and it was really hard because she had such class, she was absolutely one of the most elegant first ladies ever.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know icon is an overused term these days, but she truly is one. Her vision and her mission for the Betty Ford Center is unsurpassable.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a cancer survivor, as she is too, and it's shocking. She was just a fabulous lady. Fabulous. We're all going to miss her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENDRICKS: An icon she is.
Also, the world just added a new nation. South Sudan is celebrating its independence this weekend. Its capital is Juba. President Obama announced earlier that the United States formally recognized the newly created Republic of South Sudan. The new country is roughly the size of Texas.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge continuing their North America trip this weekend in Los Angeles. William and Catherine arrived yesterday. They spent time at a couple of events promoting British business interests. They have several other activities planned for today, including a charity polo match in Santa Barbara.
Well, for some getting along with your boss is not always easy but is necessary. Christine Romans takes a look at how to cope with a boss you don't like. "Your Bottom Line" starts right now.
