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CNN Saturday Morning News
Deadly Air Race Crash; American Hikers Held In Iran; Say Goodbye To Summer; Rugby World Cup Fever; Dr. Oz Defends Arsenic in Apple Juice Assertion; 10-Year-Old Workout Coach
Aired September 17, 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 Saturday morning, everybody.
We have to start with just a horrific scene in Nevada from yesterday. An air show plane crash that has left three people dead and at least 54 others injured. The plane literally was coming down directly at spectators. At the same time this morning, though, witnesses are calling the pilot a hero. We'll show you all the incredible video and explain.
Also this morning, a bank charging you money because you don't have enough money. What sense does that make? Citibank charging more in fees if you don't carry a balance of at least $1,500. We'll tell you about this growing trend in banking and how you can avoid the fees.
Also, TV's popular Dr. Oz caused quite a stir this week claiming that the apple juice you may be drinking, may be in your fridge this morning, it might not be safe to drink. I sat down with him this week and asked him about his findings of arsenic in apple juice and now there is a huge controversy over his claims.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is your CNN SATURDAY MORNING for this September 17th. 6:00 a.m. in Atlanta, where I sit. 3:00 a.m. in Reno. Wherever you may be, glad you are right here.
But we do need to start with that plane crash. This was at a high speed air race in Reno, Nevada. What we know is that at least three people are dead, including the pilot, two spectators among them, also 50 plus people have been injured and we know at least 12 of them are in critical condition.
Now, I'm going to walk you through some of the incredible video we have. At least three pieces of video to show you.
Here is the first one. This one's in slow motion for you. We highlighted the plane. You see it there. It looks like he was coming for -- just a straight nose dive and is going at spectators. Now, this is a P-51 Mustang, this plane. We'll explain more about that in just a second.
Now, I want you to look and listen to this next piece of video. It goes about 13 seconds. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God! Holy (EXPLETIVE DELETED)!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now this plane ended up slamming into the box seats. Now the box seats, not as crowded as the grandstand. Now, another piece of video to show you now. This one goes about 25 seconds. And this really gives you an idea of what the spectators were seeing and the impact of this plane. Look and listen to this next piece of video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please, stay where you are. Please, stay where you are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now you hear the announcer there in the background telling people, just stay where you are. And people are describing literally the carnage that was left after this. A lot of debris shot up, hit a lot of people. People bleeding. But they had to just set up a triage area there. And, again, 50 plus people were injured and at least three dead. But today there will be a memorial service for the pilot. It's being held at that same air field today. The pilot's name is Jimmy Leeward. He was a real estate developer from Florida. Also an air racer.
Now, some witnesses are calling him a hero. They say he actually managed, at the last second, to maneuver that plane and miss the crowded grandstand.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN CISSELL, CRASH WITNESS (voice-over): I think that that pilot, in the last two seconds, pulled up because he saw the bleachers and I would guess he probably saved 200 to 300 other people. And I don't mean any disrespect to the injured, but I would consider him to be a hero, because he was going for the bleachers and he pulled up and did what I think was his best job to hit the tarmac.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: As I mentioned, that plane, it was a P-51 Mustang. That was a major part of the American effort in World War II. It has top speed of more than 400 miles per hour.
Now, we're showing you that video. Now I want you to draw your attention to the screen and look at this still picture that someone captured. This was at the very last moment before impact of that plane. And this tells the story. Just the horror of this plane. And it looks like it's right on top of spectators.
Again, we're at about 50 plus injured, at least three dead. We will likely get some updates today about the number of injured and the condition they're in. But I want to talk to Gus McCrea. He was there for this show and is nice enough to joins us on the line from Reno this morning.
Sir, thank you for being here. I can't imagine what it was like. But would you agree with some people who are saying, it looks like this pilot may have managed to maneuver just enough to miss that crowded grand stand?
GUS MCCREA, EYEWITNESS (via telephone): I have no doubt that Jimmy did the best he could under the circumstances to get that aircraft away from the innocent bystanders. This is a man who was dedicated for decades to the level of aircraft preservation, to history to teach young people and help young people learn things and dedicated to flight safety. These are not reckless men. They understand risks. They understand safety.
These races are almost choreographed. They are not reckless events and they shouldn't be characterized like that. And Mr. Leeward -- I began to notice Mr. Leeward last year. I was invited to the races by the association. And I just noticed that he was not -- he was an older gentleman and he put on an amazing effort last year of physical stamina and courage, racing all day into the evening.
HOLMES: Mr. McCrae --
MCCREA: And he was -- and these people aren't casual.
HOLMES: Yes. And, Mr. McCrae, how far were you from where this plane made impact?
MCCREA: Well, I was a bit out in the desert. Mr. Leeward had just run past me. And I was thinking how beautiful the aircraft sounded. I watched him go down range. I looked. There was something uncharacteristic. His winged waggled and then he departed from the organized flight into the vertical. I knew something was wrong. I thought hopefully it was not too serious, but then it, obviously, became obvious that it was extremely serious. And people were crying out in the desert. There were women crying and -- this is just a tragic event all around today.
HOLMES: One other thing here, sir. Help us understand just how popular of an event this is and give us an idea of just how well attended this particular day was.
MCCREA: Well, the races are tremendously popular worldwide. I just know from my own website that people from Russia, from Japan, from places as far away as the Ukraine and Vladivostok, Russia, take an interest in the Reno air races. Mr. Leeward is a fixture in the races. People worldwide watch as it is genuinely a chariot race in the sky.
And, unfortunately, a chariot race has got inherent risks. We all take risks every day. We get on the freeway. We could drive our cars. And it's not quite as dramatic or romantic, but everybody here does their best to ensure safety. The pilots go to schools to debriefings, to make sure that it's safe. But nothing is entirely safe. So we -- we live in a world of risk. And we -- and young men and women in the Air Force, in the military, they take risks every day. And that is inherent in life. And these men brave these situations. And the most remarkable thing is that many of these people that race, these older --
HOLMES: Yes, sir.
MCCREA: I mean these aircraft are magnificently maintained by people who have the funds or the resources to maintain them, to keep history alive. And they're -- you know, it's an amazing group of people
HOLMES: Well, Mr. McCrae, we appreciate you taking the time for us this morning. Certainly a story that everyone's hearts go out to the victims of this and also Mr. Leeward. We'll be learning more. The NTSB certainly investigating at this point. We'll learn more. But right now, our hearts go out to the people right now who were affected. But thank you so much for your time this morning.
MCCREA: Well, thank you. Thank you, too, for paying attention.
HOLMES: Thank you so much, sir.
MCCREA: Thanks.
HOLMES: And, also, we are going to here, in just a few moments, and we'll send it out if I have to tweet it out to you @TJHolmes, but there's a phone number where people can call if they're concerned about their loved ones out there. We'll try to get that up for you because there were a lot of people out there.
People are concerned. Trying to get a hold of people who may have been at that air show. A lot of people going to the hospital, spread out, haven't been able to check in with friends and family. So there is a number you can call to try to link up with your loved ones. We'll get that to you this morning.
Need to turn to another big story we are following this morning. A man who's sitting on death row in Georgia. On death row and has his now his fourth execution date. It's coming up on Wednesday. But this time around, people don't think he has very many more chances of being granted clemency or having any more delays. So it could be it. We are talking about Troy Davis. He was convicted of killing an off duty Savannah police officer back in 1989. That officer's name is Mark MacPhail.
Now, since his 1991 conviction, seven of the nine witnesses against him have either recanted or contradicted their testimony. Davis supporters marched in downtown Atlanta yesterday. The Georgia Pardon and Parole Board is expected to consider an appeal on Monday. MacPhail's family and former prosecutors say Davis is guilty. Troy Davis' sister, his entire family has been standing by him the past 20 years and they say he did not do it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KIMBERLY DAVIS, TROY DAVIS' SISTER: We still have the seven of the nine witnesses that have recanted. We have the people that are coming out, speaking the truth and we know that the truth, you know, shall set him free.
SPENCER LAWTON, FORMER CHATHAM CO. DISTRICT ATTORNEY: I'm just disappointed that so many people have been led to believe that nobody has paid attention to these recantations. It is, as I explained earlier, simply not the case. It's just not the case. And on what ground are the recantations more believable than the testimony in court? None. None.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now the mother of that Savannah police officer, Mark MacPhail, that Troy Davis is convinced of killing, she's also convinced that Troy Davis is guilty. She will be here with us live this morning. That's in our 9:00 Eastern Hour.
Also at 11 minutes past the hour, another major story this morning we're keeping an eye on because we are literally standing by for word about two American hikers jailed in Iran. Their attorney is telling CNN this morning that he is, quote, "very hopeful" that they could be released today. So, literally, this could come at any moment. Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer have been held in Iran for the past two years. Our Mohammed Jamjoom joins me now from Oman.
Mohammed, help us understand what we are standing by for and why this morning and this weekend there is so much hope.
MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, T.J., there's been a lot of speculation that today could very well be the day that the two American hikers, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, could well be released from prison in Iran on bail. A lawyer for them in Tehran spoke to CNN earlier. He said that Iranian authorities are close to signing documents that could mean the pair are released on bail today.
The snag seems to be that one judge, as we're told, has signed the documents saying that he knows the bail has been paid. That's according to the lawyer. But another judge who needs to sign off on this has not yet done so. And because the Iranian judiciary is a complicated place and there's a lot of complicated procedures that need to happen before these two hikers are released, apparently everything needs to be completely done before it can happen.
A lot of speculation that they could be released today. The lawyer is hopeful. Other diplomats we've been speaking with are hopeful this could be today. But it's still not certain and it's the kind of thing that because it is a slow process and the judiciary is complicated in Iran, it might not be today. But everybody on standby right now are thinking that they could well be out of that prison today.
HOLMES: Yes, we've been down this road before, no doubt.
One last thing, quickly. Has that $1 million been paid?
JAMJOOM: We don't know yet if it's been paid and there's been a lot of speculation that the Omanis (ph) are involved in paying this bail, because last year we were told by an Obama administration official that the Omanis -- that an Omani source had paid the $500,000 in bail that was able to release Sarah Shourd from an Iranian prison. We're not sure if t he bail has been paid, who exactly has paid it, but there's a lot of speculation right now that the Omanis might be behind it. That there could be an Omani diplomat in Iran right now negotiating on behalf of these hikers and that they could possibly come to Oman.
But the Omani officials at this point are not commenting. They are not confirming this. And we are just in a holding pattern right now trying to see if they will be released and if they will indeed head here -- T.J.
HOLMES: Mohammed Jamjoom, thank you. I'm sure I'll talk to you again this morning.
At 14 minutes past the hour now, anti-Gadhafi forces launching a new offensive right now in their former leader's hometown of Sirte. Forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi had been holding their ground there. It's been the scene of some fierce back and forth this week.
Meanwhile, the government, in Niger, is refusing requests by Libya's new government to turn over Gadhafi family members who fled there last week.
Also, police in New York state are looking for a U.S. soldier, this man you're seeing, after he disappeared into the woods near Fort Drum. He's Private First Class Russell Marcum. He was in what they call unit custody after being accused of burglary, but he took off in his parents' car, leading police on a high speed chase. After crashing that car, Marcum took off into the woods. Police lost him there. He is considered armed and dangerous. He served three months in Afghanistan earlier this year.
And a Listeria outbreak in cantaloupes. Need to pay attention to this one. This outbreak has been traced to a Colorado farm. It's about 200 miles from Denver. Now, Listeria is a type of bacteria that causes food poisoning. Can be some nasty stuff. So far this outbreak has killed two, sickened more than 20 people in the seven states you're seeing there. The melons from Jensen Farms were actually shipped to 17 states. The company is recalling these cantaloupes.
Well, 15 minutes past the hour now. And a woman in California has an interesting insurance claim. How is she going to explain this one? She has a hole in part of her roof. The tricky part is explaining what caused the hole to be there in the first place. We will explain coming up. Stay with me on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, doesn't that make you feel good this morning? Good morning, New York City and all points around the country. But a gorgeous shot of the skyline and of Lady Liberty.
Seventeen minutes past the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
Always a pleasure to have Alexandra Steele, our meteorologist, here with us.
Summertime. We might need to get all the summertime in today, is that right?
ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Two words, pumpkin spice coffee. OK, that's three.
HOLMES: Pumpkin spice coffee.
STEELE: Right.
HOLMES: I don't -- what is that?
STEELE: You know what that means?
HOLMES: No, what is that?
STEELE: Are you a big coffee drinker?
HOLMES: I don't ever drink coffee.
STEELE: There you --
HOLMES: There it is.
STEELE: You know what I'm talking about out there, right? Of course you do. Pumpkin spice coffee. Now you can see it everywhere. Just FYI, T.J. --
HOLMES: Yes.
STEELE: That means the fall is here.
HOLMES: OK.
STEELE: Right. Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, wherever you are, Target, you can get it now. Pumpkin spice coffee. So you know it's fall, right? We're certainly seeing that and it's certainly feeling like that, right on queue. This is actually the last full weekend of summer and, boy, does it feel like it.
Look at this. We've got freeze threats, some patchy frost around this morning in northern New England. So chilly waking up. In the upper 40s for the most part. The coldest air yesterday, we're kind of beginning to moderate.
So, what we've got is this cold dome of high pressure from Canada bringing it in and this cold air coming in and thus these cold temperature this morning. But we're also going to see some cold temperatures here in the southeast. Cooler than we've been. But, again, we're just bottoming out now. And as we head toward the next few days, things will really warm up.
High pressure here. Hey, if it's the last full weekend and you're headed to the beaches around Norfolk or Hatteras, be mindful, there are some rip current threats and even some kind of beach erosion there because of this on-shore flow. Pretty persistent.
On the whole, a pretty quiet day around town, no question about it. One little pocket of storms in the central part of the country. But other than that, highs today 80 degrees in Atlanta. A little warmer than yesterday. Everyone kind of coming up a degree or two. Eighty-one in Memphis, 60s and 70s in the northeast. Temperatures about five to 10 degrees colder than average.
Pumpkin spice coffee and football. So you do know it's fall. A big game, college football, at Florida today. Florida State/Oklahoma. Kickoff, 8:00 tonight. Pretty comfortable temperatures. Eighty-one degrees. Dry skies. Partly cloudy conditions, T.J.
So, football is here. It's time for coffee and fall just really right around the corner. The leaves --
HOLMES: Pumpkin spice, OK.
STEELE: We need somebody to send us some beautiful pictures. The leaves are changing in the Catskills of New York state. The Green and White Mountains. It's just -- I'm from upstate New York, so I'm a leaf peeper.
HOLMES: OK. Oh, you're a leaf peeper. We'll try to get you some leaves this morning.
STEELE: Send us some leaf peeping.
HOLMES: OK.
STEELE: All right.
HOLMES: I need your help here.
STEELE: OK.
HOLMES: We were talking about this story earlier and I said, let's ask Alexandra. She does all things atmospheric is the way I put it.
STEELE: Oh, for sure.
HOLMES: OK. Look at this hole in this woman's roof. OK, it's a hole. No big deal. Whatever. But what's interesting is what actually came through it. A camera lens. Now, that doesn't sound like a big deal. If you're just walking down the street and you drop your camera lens, it's not going to put a whole in anything, necessarily. So, Alexandra, they're wondering where this thing came from. They're speculating it could have come from a plane. Now, a plane that dropped a camera lens from however many thousand feet above coming down at a home, how fast could it be going?
STEELE: Could kill someone.
HOLMES: Yes.
STEELE: It could kill someone. Well, the velocity of it, i.e. the speed, I mean if you dropped, T.J., a roll of pennies from let's say 1,000 feet up --
HOLMES: OK.
STEELE: It would have a velocity of 250 miles per hour. A roll of pennies.
HOLMES: Wow.
STEELE: So the velocity -- it's really based on size, how big something is, the speed, how fast it's going and its mass. So those are kind of the three defining factors. So, hey, no question about it. A bird? A plane? No, it's just a -- it was a Cannon. And it was actually two pounds, nine inch lens.
HOLMES: Wow. So she's lucky it did not hit her or anybody else.
STEELE: Oh, absolutely. Oh, absolutely. Unbelievable.
HOLMES: All right. All right, Alexandra Steele.
STEELE: All right, was I helpful?
HOLMES: That -- all things atmospheric, Alexandra, good to have you with us on the weekend, as always.
STEELE: OK. Sure.
HOLMES: Thanks so much.
Well, we're at 20 minutes past the hour right now and certainly no secret the economic condition this country has been in, the high unemployment rate, people are upset. But could they get so upset that it could lead the U.S. to having violent riots in the streets like we have seen in other countries? You might think it's far-fetched, but the mayor of New York City doesn't think so. I'll explain when I come right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Twenty-two minutes past the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
Not enough jobs out there. There's rising poverty and growing public frustration. And New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says those three factors could have some serious social consequences and even possibly lead to rioting here in the U.S.
On his weekly radio show yesterday, Bloomberg noted how the recent civil insurrections in Europe and the Middle East initially began with scores of disenfranchised and unemployed people, rising up against their respective governments. Bloomberg says it could happen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (I), NEW YORK CITY: The damage to a generation that can't find jobs will go on for many, many years. You have a lot of kids graduating college who can't find jobs. That's what happened in Cairo. That's what happened in Madrid. You don't want those kinds of riots here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, to some it might sound drastic, but he's basing it on some of these numbers. More than 46 million people now living in poverty in the United States. That's 2.5 million more people than last year. Also the poverty rate higher than 15 percent in 2010. That's the highest level we have seen since 1993. Also, the nation's unemployment rate stayed unchanged at 9.1 percent. And that was last month when no jobs were added.
Well, coming up here on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING, there are mind games you play sometimes to mess with your opponent's head before a completion. Well, we've got a war dance to show you that is a mind game like none you have ever seen before. That's next in our "Passport."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: You didn't go anywhere, did you? CNN SATURDAY MORNING is going to be back with you here in just 90 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, we're getting close to the bottom of the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING and say good morning to Nadia Bilchik, joining me with this morning's "Morning Passport."
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Talking rugby.
HOLMES: Talking rugby.
BILCHIK: Yes.
HOLMES: But everybody -- we can't relate to rugby, for the most part, in this part, but everybody can relate to trash talking and trying to get into your opponent's head. But they hadn't seen anything like this.
BILCHIK: Nothing like this because, you know, at the beginning of a game, so teams will play their national anthem to psych themselves in.
HOLMES: Yes.
BILCHIK: But this year the All Blacks in terms of rugby, because New Zealand is hosting the World Cup Rugby --
HOLMES: It's the mane of their team.
BILCHIK: Exactly, the All Blacks. What they do is a ritual dance and it's known as the Haka. And I have to show you this. But they haven't (ph) start the game. Now what this is, it's based on Maori, native New Zealanders war dance.
HOLMES: OK.
BILCHIK: And the idea is to intimidate the opponent. Take a look at the intensity that they do it with.
HOLMES: OK. Do they win the game after they do all this? Are they any good?
BILCHIK: Well, the New Zealanders are the best, but they didn't win last time's World Cup (INAUDIBLE) South Africa did, but they are the favorites. But notice the intensity. Now one Maori master (ph) described this as the whole body should talk. He said it's a composition played by many instruments, the hands, the feet, the legs, the body, the voice, and the tongue. And it's literally the Maori's, or the native New Zealanders, used to do this dance, ritual, before war. It's also used as a welcome dance.
But a New Zealand rugby player, who is coming into the team for the first time, will learn this dance. And it's part of camaraderie and the team and the way they do it together. And they roll their eyes back and their tongues. The translation is very interesting.
Now there's two types of Haka. There's the Haka Ka Mate and Haka Ka Tapi (ph). And one goes, I cause you to shine again, our dominance, our supremacy will triumph. But I like the one that goes, prepare yourself. I die. I die. I live. I live. This is the hairy man who fetched the sun.
HOLMES: Oh, my goodness. Can't the other team just turn their back? Do they have to sit and watch this thing?
BILCHIK: But have you noticed the expression on the faces of those who are the recipients of the Haka?
HOLMES: Yes, they're like, what in the heck is going on over there?
BILCHIK: Exactly.
HOLMES: Right.
BILCHIK: It's certainly a way of psyching themselves. And New Zealand beat Japan this week.
HOLMES: OK.
BILCHIK: So you'll certainly be able to see them again doing the Haka. HOLMES: The Haka, all right. Nadia Bilchik the Haka this morning. Thank you so much.
As we come up on the bottom of the hour now, your bank is getting ready to possibly penalize you because you don't have enough money. In particular we're talking about Citibank here but they're not the only ones, slapping on monthly fees for account holders who don't keep a certain balance. We'll see how this applies to you but there is a way also you can avoid it.
Stay with me on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We're just past the bottom of the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Thank you for being with us. I'm T.J. Holmes. Let's get you updated on some of the things we're keeping a close eye on.
This high-speed air race in Reno, Nevada. We keep getting developments in; probably going to get some updates about the number of people killed and injured. Right now, at least three people are dead, more than 50 injured, 12 of those injured, we're told, are in critical condition. The video is just remarkable. This was at an air race in Reno, Nevada, yesterday. A lot of spectators there, of course, with cameras; a lot of this was caught on video. Take a look and listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CRASH SOUNDS, CROWD SCREAMING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay where you are. Emergency crews are on their way it. Stay where you are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: You can hear the announcer at the end there trying to tell people to stay calm and stay where you are. But you see all the debris. So many people injured, hit by the flying debris. At least three people dead, the plane slammed into the box seats there, but it just barely missed the crowded grand stands. The pilot of that plane an experienced pilot, an experienced air racer by the name of Jimmy Leeward. The events at the air show and air race have been canceled for the weekend. There will be a memorial for that pilot at that air field today. Listen to one person who was there describe this scene.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROLAND SCHUMANN, CRASH WITNESS: As we were watching this, I think it was the final heat of the day, the planes are coming around and the announcer called out that one of the planes was pulling up. And so most people were watching the rest of the planes but I let my eyes follow the plane as it was taking up and going over almost vertically as it was pulling up over the grandstands. He was clearly trying to clear the grandstands. As we watched it, it was one of those events that you hear about people describing accidents like this, where everything seemed like it was in slow motion. The plane came to a stall. I realized he was not going to clear the grand stands. I shouted to my wife, "He's not going to make it, get down." We both hit the ground on the front row of the grandstands that you're seeing.
And heard the impact. I looked over, I saw the debris flying off from the impact zone. Both of us were down on the ground, could hear the shrapnel zinging off of the metal aluminum grandstands. And there was a hushed silence and a bunch of "Oh my God! What's going on?" And after we heard the last of the debris fall from the impact field, we both stood up, looked over at the impact area. And I could see where the box seats had been, were decimated. It was pretty horrific.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Federal investigators are there on the scene now. Again the weekend events have been canceled except for the memorial that will be held for the pilot today.
Also, we are told that thousands of people attend this air race and air show for this weekend, so a lot of people were there. But at this point, the chaotic scene, a lot of people around the country are concerned about their loved ones who may have been attending.
So we have a phone number for you they set up. And they have already gotten a number of calls for at least 150 people who are missing right now from this scene. Again maybe a lot of them haven't checked in, but still the number 775-337-5800, if f you would like to call and check on one of your loved ones who was there. Also, to maybe people watching who were at that air show and didn't call in to your folks, call them. Call your friends just to say you're OK. A lot of people concerned right now.
Well, 37 minutes past the hour. Give you a look at some of the other stories we are keeping an eye on.
And it is another hopeful day, but they have down this road before, those U.S. hikers who have been in jail in Iran for the past two years their attorney says he is, quote, "very hopeful" they could actually be released as early as today.
The hold up right now, waiting on a judge to sign off on paperwork. Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, those are the two men. They could be released on bail. Bail was set at $1 million for the two.
You remember their story. They were jailed in Iran some two years ago, arrested for allegedly crossing over the border from the Kurd region in Iraq into Iran. But again, we have been down this road before, thinking they might have been released. And it didn't happen. But still some hope that something could happen today.
Also, Citibank, some of you Citibank customers could be charged a little more for your low balances. The fee is going up to $10 now starting in December. A lot of banks are starting to use some new fees and creative ways of trying to make up for some lost revenue under the new government regulations. Now the fee dropped for combined balance of $1,500 in your checking and savings. If you don't have at least $1,500 in your checking and savings, you will be charged this $10.
Or another way to get around this, you have to make at least one direct deposit and pay at least one bill online a month. So you got to pay attention. There's a way to avoid it but still, $10 if you don't keep a certain balance.
Also coming up, another major story we'll be watching over the next several days after we've been watching it for the past 20 years. There was a rally last night, here in Atlanta, for a condemned man.
Again this story really has been going on the past 20 years. And through four execution dates for Troy Davis. He has another execution date set for Wednesday. Some people say they are out of options for trying to save his life.
It's 39 minutes past the hour. Stay with me on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: It's 41 minutes past the hour now.
HOLMES: A Georgia man is facing execution in four days. Troy Davis was convicted of killing Savannah Police Officer Mark MacPhail in 1989. But several witnesses at his 1991 trail have now changed their stories, claiming police coerced them into lying.
CNN's David Mattingly has more on the case that has attracted international attention.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): T.J., it's a death row case going on in the state of Georgia now for 20 years, and supporters of death row inmate Troy Davis are now finding some high- powered help.
(voice-over): Three times scheduled for execution, three times delayed, and now all legal appeals exhausted, supporters of convicted cop killer Troy Davis make a final push for clemency.
(on camera): What makes you think you still have a chance to stop this execution?
LAURA MOYE, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA: Can we be sure that this man is not innocent? Can we be sure that the conviction of Troy Davis, back in 1991, is still reliable, and the thing that's so difficult to understand is why the legal process has not asked that question.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Davis was sentenced to death for the 1989 murder of Savannah, Georgia, Police Officer Mark MacPhail. Seven of nine eyewitnesses have since recanted, changed their stories. Some say they were originally pressured by police.
DARRELL COLLINS, WITNESS: And I told them over and over, that this is-I didn't see this happen. They put what they wanted to put in that statement.
MATTINGLY: Others have come forward implicating another man. One juror who convicted Davis questions her decision.
BRENDA FORREST, DAVIS JUROR: If I knew then, what I know now, Troy Davis would not be on death row.
MATTINGLY: With only a week to his execution, critics against the case against Davis include 51 members of Congress, the Vatican, and former President Jimmy Carter.
JIMMY CARTER, FMR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We believe that in this particular case there's enough evidence to the contrary to prevent this execution taking place.
MATTINGLY: An online petition supporting clemency for Davis exceeded 200,000 signatures in five days. But state and federal courts have all upheld Davis' conviction. The former DA who prosecuted Davis says, "The courts got it right."
SPENCER LAWTON, FMR. CHATHAM DISTRICT ATTORNEY: I'm just disappointed that so many people have been led to believe that nobody has paid attention to the recantations. It is as I explained earlier, simply not the case. It is just not the case. And on what ground are the recantations more believable than the testimony in court? None. None.
MATTINGLY (on camera): Supporters of Troy Davis delivered a massive petition containing over 600,000 names gathered from all over the world to members of the Georgia state pardons and patrol board, members of that board will literally decide if Davis lives or dies.
That same board denied him clemency back in 2008, but now there are three new board members there that have not heard this case before. And supporters of Davis are hoping that their votes will be what it takes to prevent Davis' execution, T.J.
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HOLMES: Thanks to our David Mattingly.
And the mother of that Savannah police officer, Mark MacPhail, she is convinced the right man is on death row. I'm going to be talking to her live in our 9:00 Eastern hour to get her side of the story and what she has been going through for the past 20 years. Stay with me.
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HOLMES: All right, about a quarter to the top of the hour right now. A lot of you getting ready for breakfast, need to call your attention to the next story but don't want to scare you here. This is about possible poison in your apple juice. Now don't get too nervous, don't spit it out right now.
Here's the deal. On his daily television show, Doctor Oz, he raised the question about arsenic in apple juice. Look.
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DOCTOR MEHMET OZ, "THE DR. OZ SHOW": It should be one of the most wholesome drinks for you and your kids, apple juice. But we have discovered that apple juice can contain arsenic. Yes, arsenic. We launched an extensive investigation testing dozens of samples from three different cities across America. We sent them to an independent lab for sophisticated state-of-the-art testing. Now our results are in. Some of the best-known brands in America have arsenic in their apple juice.
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HOLMES: OK, that will scare the heck out of you. But is it true, necessarily? Short answer is yes, but don't put down the apple juice just yet because the short answer isn't the whole answer. The Food and Drug Administration explains in a statement responding to Doctor Oz's claims.
Let me tell you what they are saying: "Organic arsenic is essentially harmless. It passes through the body quickly. Inorganic arsenic is the type found in pesticides and consuming it at high levels or over a long period can cause concern."
Now the testing that Doctor Oz showed did was for total arsenic. The agency's own tests found lower total arsenic from one of the same juice batches the show's lab tested. Goes on, "There's no evidence of any public health risk from drinking these juices and the FDA has been testing them for years."
So take that, Doctor Oz. But he still defended his study. I had a chance to talk to Doctor Oz this week about his study and the FDA response. Take a listen to him and the controversy he has stirred up.
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OZ: I think folks have a right to know that there's arsenic in our apple juice. The amount that's appropriate we need to talk about. I've had open invitation, I'll say it again, FDA, apple industry, their trade groups, they are all welcome on my show. I'll have this conversation. But what I don't want to do is have the American public confused as we quibble about organic or inorganic arsenic.
HOLMES: Now, you tell me.
OZ: It's a simple question.
HOLMES: You are the Doc. You are the one who has doctor in front of your name. But organic, is there not a difference between organic and inorganic?
OZ: Of course.
HOLMES: But organic is not the stuff we should be worried about. Is that fair to say?
OZ: Organic arsenic our body copes with well. The inorganic stuff is the stuff we worry about. I'm absolutely on base with that. The question I need to found out-and I need to find out-and I asked for this information a couple weeks ago. And I was told to fill out a Freedom of Information Act to get it. It's not like we haven't been trying it. We reran, because we were told that the arsenic levels aren't overstating are. We had one of our affiliates, the Washington affiliate, saying that on their own-we weren't involved in it-30 more samples from that area. They found the exact same thing we found, 10 out 30 had elevated levels of arsenic in their sampling.
HOLMES: See, now the other part of the FDA, that is coming after you, and I actually posted some of those letters, that they have written to you guys. I did read through them. But they are saying part of the argument is that the stuff you're testing, and the arsenic level you come back with, we don't know which it is. So if it's an arsenic level that's high, well that could be organic arsenic. So which is it that your tests did check out?
OZ: We're looking at both.
HOLMES: OK.
OZ: And we have shared our methodology and the laboratory information. Again, it is all on our site. We have given it to the FDA. We have given it to the apple juice industry.
Please, I just want to have the conversation. What I don't want to have folks decide on their own, oh, it's too complicated for me to figure out, because it's not. American apples don't have arsenic on them. Please someone tell me why we banned arsenic on our apples, and we are still taking apples from other countries into this nation. Someone ought to at least be looking at the border, once in a while, to figure out if what we're getting is really what it's supposed to be, because they are different.
Some companies do not have arsenic in their apple juice, others do. So there has got to be some methodology to figure this out. I think when we entered this foray it was a morass. And we're going to get some clarity. I'm all about clarity. I need have folks to talk to me honestly about what's really going on.
HOLMES: Should people be worried about their apple juice they are drinking right now? As we wrap up, this might be scaring the heck out of folks right now?
OZ: It is scaring some folks. I think folks have a right to know. I think we have not identified any child getting sick acutely from arsenic poisoning. So, I'm OK on that.
HOLMES: We should say that, again.
OZ: But I do think it's very important for us to recognize if there are going to be issues it will happen over long periods of time.
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HOLMES: Over long periods of time.
There are some out there who have called him absolutely irresponsible for what he did this week, on his show, but again, important to note there has not been a single case of arsenic poisoning in a child, or anyone else based on apple juice.
Health experts do say that the effects of ingesting inorganic, the bad stuff inorganic arsenic take years to develop. One other thing Dr. Oz said was, that his daytime show is getting more viewers as an Oprah replacement and he wanted to do something big to get attention, mission accomplished.
As we get close to the top of the hour, I want you to go get your kids. If they're asleep, wake them up. They are just sitting around the house? Go get them in, get them in front of the TV. Because there is something and somebody I want them to see.
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C.J. SENTER, WORKOUT COACH: These are so good for you, guys. Keep going.
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HOLMES: Oh, yes, my man, C.J., the Workout Kid, is about to put me, you and your kids, more importantly, through a workout this morning. He joins me right after the break. Stay with me.
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HOLMES: As we get close to the top of the hour, got somebody special I want to introduce you to this morning. You hear about the fight against childhood obesity, you usually hear adults talk about it. Look who is talking about it this morning. A young man, C.J. Senter, he is known as the Workout Kid. He actually has series of successful workout tapes.
You're 10 years old. What made you want to do an actual workout tape? Kids want to go outside and play and all that, but you thought it was important to do a workout tape. Why?
C.J. SENTER, THE WORKOUT KID: The reason I thought it was important is because I want to stay fit and healthy. And I want other kids to stay fit and healthy so I want to make a Workout Kid DVD, so kids can get healthy.
HOLMES: Do you see a lot of friends, people in school, and growing up, do you see them sitting around the house a lot not getting outside and getting active, eating bad food and quite frankly, getting big?
SENTER: I see a lot of kids doing that. That's why I wanted to make a Workout Kid DVD, so they can get on their feet and have fun.
HOLMES: What happened to kids just going outside and playing? Kids don't do that anymore?
SENTER: No, they stay in the house all day, play video games and watch TV.
HOLMES: That's a shame. A little bit about your background. You are a pretty good athlete. You are a football player. But to take this route, in football, you go through workouts, you're running all the time. But how has this added another element to your workout or your conditioning for football?
SENTER: Well, I've tried to put time in that I have to do. I do my workouts, I go to football practice; it's kind of hard and easy at the same time.
HOLMES: How long have you been doing the workout tapes? How long have you been doing it?
SENTER: For like four or five months.
HOLMES: Four or five months.
This is new. This is your first workout tape. We have video of one of the workout tapes. I want people to see at least what we're talking about. There is one. You're putting kids through the workout. What age is this for? What age are the kids you making these for?
SENTER: For any age, five and 12 or, in the teens, or whatever, for a family.
HOLMES: OK, but is it for adults?
SENTER: Yes.
HOLMES: Adults can do it, too. Show me a couple of things. You got favorite moves you like to do. This is about to get serious here. Let's get serious, all right? All right, C.J. Don't embarrass me man. I'm a grown man. You're 10 years old. All right. So show me a little something, one of your favorite moves here. What can we do?
SENTER: OK, the first move is called The Fighter. You put your hands in front of your face like a boxer, and punch left and right.
HOLMES: OK, that's easy enough, right? That's easy enough, OK. Give me another.
SENTER: The second move is called the Power Jack. You put your hands and feet together, do a little jump, put some bend to your knees, and bend your elbows and fist toward your chest, jump back up, and put it together. HOLMES: OK. I'm with you. So far so good. What else you got? Give me something a little harder now. Not that hard, a little harder.
SENTER: Last move is The Shredder. The Shredder, this is three moves. Down, up, jump. Down, up, jump, then repeat.
HOLMES: Down, up, and then jump. All right I'm losing my microphone here. I'm working out so long hard. OK, I can handle that one.
All right. So for folks who are interested, the kids, what would be your message to them? Like I said, a lot of adults always talking about childhood obesity. But the message coming from a 10-year old, what is your message to them?
SENTER: Go outside, exercise, and get fit.
HOLMES: This is the Workout Kid, this is C.J., my man. Good to meet you.
With us on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Quick break, we'll be right back.
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