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CNN Saturday Morning News

NASA Unsure Where Satellite Plummeted to Earth; Republican Presidential Candidates Speak at CPAC in Florida; Government Facing Shutdown Over Disaster Relief Funding; Palestinian Authority Asks U.N. For Statehood Recognition; Political Analysts Assess President's Foreign Policy; Interview With 'All My Children' Star Michael E. Knight; Some NBA Stars Offered Deals Overseas

Aired September 24, 2011 - 10:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: We're at the top of the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Hello to you all.

And let me show you a picture of the Capitol. Capitol Hill today. Nobody is there, nobody is working. That's not unusual for a weekend. But nobody is working on the weekend just a week before the government is going to run out of money and possibly shut down. I'll explain why they are taking a moment to cool off.

Also, do you recognize this couple? Well, somebody sure did. And because they recognized that couple, the FBI just paid out $2.1 million to the people who recognized a fugitive couple that had been on the run for 16 years.

And do you recognize that guy? A lot of ladies certainly will, even if you don't, Reynolds. That is Tad Martin. He has been driving women crazy for the past 28 years on "All My Children." Michael E. Knight is the name. He will be here with me to talk about the end of an era. "All My Children's" last episode on the air was yesterday.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta Georgia, this is your CNN SATURDAY MORNING, 10:00 a.m. here in Atlanta, 7:00 a.m. in Los Angeles. Wherever you are, glad you are right here.

And if you are still here with us, that means you weren't hit upside the head by debris from that falling satellite. It came crashing back to Earth. And look at these dramatic pictures of it coming down. OK, not so dramatic, but still, NASA was getting us ready for this. It was supposed to break up into several pieces. This is out of San Antonio, one piece of video here.

People all over from Minnesota to Texas to Hawaii to the Philippines to the Netherlands, everybody claims they saw something in the skies last night. Reynolds, did they?

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, why don't you ask tad martin? Why don't you?

(LAUGHTER) WOLF: No. Everyone is going to -- the thing is, because this has been something that's captured the imagination of so many people, when you have something that's the size of a large vehicle like a bus coming out of the sky breaking up, it's going to break up, obviously people are going to be concerned about it.

But the problem is, anytime anyone sees something that's suspect in the sky, they're going to automatically think, could that be part of it? That's a good reason to wonder because it is a lot of stuff that's coming through. T.J., it is believed that 26 separate pieces that would make it all the way to the Earth's surface. Some could be as much as 130 pounds, some could be as light as a few ounces.

We had that video that you saw there. There was an iReport out of Minnesota that's interesting, too. This one is a little more dramatic. Do we know for sure that this, taken in Minnesota by Chris Rakowski.

Is it definitely? We have no idea. But if they are able to actually get some of the pieces of the stuff falling through the atmosphere, if NASA can get a hold of it, analyze it, perhaps, then we'll know. For much of this stuff, we will never, ever recover.

HOLMES: But we can at least tell people no need to continue to duck right now. They know it has come into the atmosphere, it has crashed someone, just don't know right now.

WOLF: So we can breathe easy.

HOLMES: We can breathe easy right now. Reynolds, thank you. We'll check in with Reynolds plenty throughout the hour.

Now let's turn to politics. And we're talking about another showdown over a possible shutdown. A week from today, your government, the federal government will run out of money.

So with critical government programs and disaster relief hanging in the balance, Congress has taken the weekend off. But they say they have good reason for it, need to cool off a bit.

CNN congressional correspondent Kate Bolduan tells us what's holding up a deal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With lawmakers heading for the exits and after a long week of heated debate --

REP. MIKE SIMPSON (R), IDAHO: That's the danger to this country is the $14 trillion deficit and the $1.6 trillion we add to it every damn year.

REP. ED MARKEY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Wake up. Wake up. You can't kill these programs. This is the solution you are killing.

BOLDUAN: -- Congress leaves Washington with no agreement on how to avoid another government shutdown.

Why the holdup as the September 30th deadline looms? Neither side is backing down. Top Republicans and Democrats continue pointing fingers at each other.

REP. ERIC CANTOR (R-VA), MAJORITY LEADER: Harry Reid is holding a bill up with full funding of what is needed right now for no reason, no reason but for politics. Again, this is why the people just don't have the respect for this institution and this town anymore.

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: I can't understand their logic. Do they want the government to shut down? Do they want FEMA to close and FEMA will close.

BOLDUAN: The House late Thursday night narrowly passed a short- term spending bill that would keep the government funded through mid- November. The measure also includes what both sides say they care about most, urgently needed money for Federal disaster relief in the wake of the recent floods, storms and wildfires.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), HOUSE SPEAKER: It is a reasonable, responsible approach.

BOLDUAN: But that plan was quickly rejected by the Senate. The Democratic majority strongly opposed to House GOP demands the disaster aid be paid for or offset by cutting money for clean energy programs including one linked the now bankrupt solar company Solyndra. Yet Democrats contend these programs are creating jobs.

REID: Is it really fair that to fund disaster relief, we take American jobs?

BOLDUAN: Senator Reid has countered with what Senate Democrats call a compromise, saying they'll go along with the House measure providing $3.6 billion in Federal disaster relief, less than Senate Democrats wanted, but they will not go along with the offsets in the House measure.

The stalemate now forcing at least the Senate to put off part of its scheduled recess next week. We'll see about the House.

Kate Bolduan, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And we just wrapped up the worst week we've seen in years on the stock market. The Dow dropped more than 700 points. S&P and the NASDAQ took big losses, as well. The drop can be blamed, at least in part, on Greece's financial problems and fears over a possible new global recession.

And the FBI has just paid out some $2.1 million in reward money for James "Whitey" Bulger's snitch, if you will. They told people, hey, if you recognize this guy, there's a reward for his arrest. Sure enough, they picked up the phone. Bulger was on the run for 16 years with his companion. That was $2 million out on his head and another $100,000 for any information leading to the capture of his companion.

So in all, it was $2.1 million. We do know at least two people got the reward money. The FBI is not identifying those people, of course. This alleged mob boss, Bulger, is accused in some 19 murders.

The United Nations Security Council could consider the Palestinians' plea for statehood as early as Monday. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas personally delivered the request in paper and in person with a speech before the U.N. general assembly. A pretty symbolic move here given that the United States has already said that it would veto the move. A short time after Abbas spoke, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he had has chance to fire back. Listen to a little bit of both men.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAHMOUD ABBAS, PRESIDENT, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (through translator): This is a moment of truth. Our people are waiting to hear the answer of the world. Will it allow Israel to continue the last occupation in the world?

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: The Palestinians should first make peace with Israel and then get their state.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Behind the scenes negotiators put together a rough timeline for further peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

A team of scientists on trial in Italy for failing to predict what some say is impossible to predict -- an Earthquake. We're back in 90 seconds. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: It's 10 minutes past the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING now. I brought Reynolds in on this story because it could have implications for you down the road.

WOLF: It is possible.

HOLMES: We're talking about a trial going on in Italy right now where they are putting scientists on trial because they did not accurately predict that an Earthquake was coming. In particular, we're talking about six scientists and a government official. They're loot at man slaughter charges in the death of more than 300 people. They're accused of not predicting accurately a deadly quake that hit Italy in 2009. It's said they actually downplayed the Earthquake as imminent. Journalists Nick Pisa explains.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK PISA, JOURNALIST: Aboard a committee made up of scientists and experts from the National Volcanology Institute gathered together and in essence told people there's nothing to be worried about and they shouldn't be worried at all about the tremors. It was just normal plate tectonic activity in that area. In fact there was a famous TV interview given by the scientists saying everyone should calm down, go home and have a glass of wine. And yet five days later this Earthquake struck.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: OK, now, they're concerned that if there are guilty counts on these guys, these scientists, that could have implications for people like you down the road, around the world, because can you really hold a meteorologist or scientist liable for predicting a disaster, where it's going to hit, how it's going to hit?

It's one thing that he said go out and have a glass of wine. That's one thing. But can you be held responsible?

WOLF: You nailed it. The worry is will this set a precedent for other things? It's a really frightening prospect to think about, especially when it comes to matters of geology, not meteorology, but geology. You have to know that if you live near the San Andreas fault, you'll be dealing with potential Earthquakes, same situation if you're in Japan, anywhere on the Pacific rim and also in parts of the Mediterranean, including parts of Italy.

HOLMES: Have you ever heard of anything like this before dealing with a meteorologist where someone held them responsible?

WOLF: To be honest, I think there was something that did occur at one point where there was a meteorologist that failed to forecast a flooding situation and mudslides. And it was pretty bad.

HOLMES: Make sure your forecast is right, here.

(WEATHER BREAK)

HOLMES: And to some of you folks maybe planning a vacation, maybe you're the adventurous type. Well, you need to listen to our Alison Kosik in this week's on the go.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm coming in hot, baby.

ALISON KOSIK, CNNMONEY.COM: If you are thinking about adding adventure to your next trip, you're not alone. Many people are taking their vacation to the edge. But you need to be prepared if something goes wrong.

STEPHANIE OSWALD, "TRAVELGIRL" MAGAZINE: People don't realize that their normal medical health insurance doesn't always cover when you're doing on an adventure.

KOSIK: Supplemental insurance can be purchased online up to an hour before you leave. If you want to bring your own gear, it can cost you. Airlines charge for equipment that's more than 50 pounds or longer than 62 inches, like a surf board or skis. OSWALD: When it comes to big gear, I generally recommend people rent on location.

KOSIK: When you get to your destination, you may need time to get to your defendant nation, especially in the mountains.

OSWALD: You want to make sure you have enough time for your bodies to get used to the next oxygen levels.

KOSIK: If you are diving, take a break before the flight home.

OSWALD: The general rule is 12 to 24 hours after your last dive that's when you're safe to fly.

KOSIK: Consider the extra time a chance to relax on the go.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: It's 16 minutes past the hour.

Stay with us because there's some high stakes going on in the state of Florida right now. The Republican presidential candidates are focusing in on that state this weekend and for good reason. Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: It's 18 minutes past the hour now. We turn to politics and catch you up on what the candidates are doing. CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, holding a major gathering in Orlando, Florida, this weekend and giving the Republican presidential candidates another chance to reach conservative voters. Here are some of the highlights.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We need a nominee who's not ashamed of the Tea Party, who's willing to stand up for our Tea Party and Tea Party values, who believe we are taxed enough already.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's time to recognize cheaters for what they are. On my first day in office, I will issue an executive order identifying China as a currency manipulator and allowing us to apply tariffs on their goods where they're cheating and killing American jobs.

GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If we want to get America working again, we need Washington to get out of the way! And with your help and people like you all across this great country, that is exactly what we will do. We will get America working again and take this country back to the great values and the principles that have made America wonderful.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HOLMES: CPAC just part of the political action in Florida this weekend. There's also -- it's call the ongoing Presidency Five conference in Orlando.

Our political reporter Peter Hamby is in Orlando for us.

Peter, there's so many conferences to keep up with, but what's the importance of what's happening in Orlando right now.

PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: There's three days of events down here. There was a debate on Thursday night, the conference yesterday. And today there's the Presidency Five straw poll, which is a test of grassroots support here organized by the Republican Party of there are.

So like you said earlier, this is a great chance for the presidential candidates to really come down here, drill down and meet some of the voters and the important Republican activists who are going to really have a say in this primary, which has been decisive in the past in picking the Republican president. It was for John McCain in 2008 over Mitt Romney, it cemented the nomination for McCain back then and it probably will this time, T.J., too. So it's an important weekend here.

HOLMES: Did they make any news necessarily in some of the speeches they made in Orlando? Can we expect that or are we going to hear a lot of the more of the same?

HAMBY: The debate Thursday night defined how the rest of this weekend has unfolded. Mitt Romney had a strong debate. Most people think Thursday night. And Rick Perry is on his heels and had a kind of uneven performance.

So he came out at the CPAC event yesterday and again this morning at a Republican breakfast that I went to here. Listen to what he had to say in painting Mitt Romney as a good talker and a slick candidate.

Take a listen, T.J.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PERRY: What Americans are looking for isn't the slickest candidate. They're looking for an authentic principled leader.

(APPLAUSE)

PERRY: Think about it. You've seen what happens when our country chooses leaders who emphasize words over deeds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMBY: There you hear Perry sort of knowing that he was bruised in that debate the other night, stepping up his attacks against Mitt Romney and trying to portray himself as the true conservative, the conservative who can win as opposed to somebody like Romney who has been perceived as inauthentic on the issues. So expect him to get more aggressive in the coming weeks, T.J.

HOLMES: And you're talking Romney-Perry. They're not spending the entire weekend in Florida, however.

HAMBY: No, they're not, actually. Perry just left Florida. He's flying out to Michigan where there's yet another GOP conference at Mackinac Island, which is a beautiful pastoral resort up in Michigan where a bunch of activists are covered. Romney and Perry are both speaking there tonight.

And there's another straw poll, so we get to see how these candidates are faring among the debate among these crucial Republican primary voters, T.J.

HOLMES: Peter Hamby for us in Orlando, thank you.

President Obama has an important night ahead of him. He has a speech to the Congressional Black Caucus. The caucus has been critical of the White House, the way the president has handled the issue of jobs. Unemployment among African-Americans was almost 17 percent last month.

We're down to 10 -- 10 heroes we're talking about. The CNN heroes top 10list is out. Did your favorite make the cut? You will find out, next.

Still to come this morning, it's the end of an era. After 41 years on the air, "All My Children" has said goodbye. Coming up, I'm talking to the guy that the ladies know so well, Michael E. Knight, or maybe better known to you as Tad Martin, here with me this morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: We are at the bottom of the hour on this CNN Saturday. Thank you all for spending a little time here with us. I'm T.J. Holmes.

And keep in mind, we are just a moment away. We're going to join Lenny and Maria, friends of our show here, for our political discussion.

But right now, let me give you a look at some of the stories making headlines. Just a little bit ago Pope Benedict held mass in Germany. It's the first time he's been there to his home country as Pope for several years. But before the mass a bit of a security scare. Two private security workers were shot at with an air rifle.

The Pope, we're told, was nowhere near that area where those shots were fired. And again, the security guards not hurt, but still, a bit of a scare.

Also, that satellite we've been telling you about and NASA has been telling us all about that was going to come crashing back to Earth, we're told it's here, but we don't know where it is. This is video out of San Antonio, Texas. What could or could not be parts of it come down. We had video from the likes of Hawaii, the Philippines, Netherlands. NASA confirming that it has come back to Earth, but not exactly sure of its location.

A government shutdown is looming. Yes, folks, you've heard this several times already this year, but here we go again. The government could possibly shut down because the government will run out of money in one week from today if Congress does not act. Right now it's held up because they are disaster relief aid should go into the budget. So they have taken the weekend off, but they plan to come back on Monday with cooler heads.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for the United Nations to grant his people statehood. President Obama has attempted to head off the Palestinian bid. But in an address to the U.N. general assembly, the president said real statehood cannot be achieved without one-on-one negotiations with Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am convinced that there is no shortcut to the end of a conflict that has endured for decades. Peace is hard work. Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the United Nations. If it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Earlier in the week, Republican challenger Rick Perry blasted the president for the way he's handled relations with Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PERRY: We would not be here today at this very precipice of such a dangerous move if the Obama policy in the Middle East wasn't naive and arrogant, misguided and dangerous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Let me bring in friends of our show here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, Democratic strategist Maria Cardona and Republican strategist Lenny McAllister. Always good to see you two. And let's start, as we always do, Maria. You give me your political highlight of the week.

MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: My political highlight of the week was with this, T.J. Are the audiences at the GOP debates crazy, and are the GOP candidates cowardly?

HOLMES: Lenny, what was your political highlight of the week?

LENNY MCALLISTER, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Simple headline -- the other shoe for Governor Perry begins to drop. The economic policies of President Obama continue to flop.

HOLMES: All right then, very good. I like them this week. I like both of those this week.

Maria, let me bring you back into this issue of the Palestinian statehood. What are the chances and I guess what is at stake if the president of the United States, the United States has to veto the move by the Palestinians to try to be recognized as a state at the U.N.? Just how ugly could that be?

CARDONA: Well, I think what president Obama and frankly Prime Minister Netanyahu are trying to make sure happens is that the Palestinians come to the table to negotiate. President Obama has been very clear, he couldn't have been more clear in the speech and in what you've just mentioned, T.J., that that is the only way to get to the two-state solution which frankly everybody is for. That's what the Palestinians want at the end of the day.

They need to come back to the table to negotiate. President Obama has been very clear that he will veto this because, again, it is the importance of the Israel-U.S. relationship and Netanyahu has said that it has been unprecedented in items of the strength of our relationship. So that is what it is at stake and president Obama is going about this in exactly the right way.

HOLMES: Lenny, a lot of people will tell thaw Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinians are going about it the right way, as well. He got thunderous applause several times in the hall when he was making his speech, but a lot of people will say they are tired of waiting. They didn't have a choice but to go this route now.

MCALLISTER: That's a tricky choice, T.J. That's where it really gets kind of rough for them. They're going to have to get to a point where they can continue the negotiations at a nice, tempered place where the Americans, led by President Obama, has an opportunity to do this where the Israelis don't feel too threatened, but at the same time, there's a sense of fairness and that the peace can be long lasting.

And I do think President Obama is trying to be tempered with this. I think some of the criticism coming from the right is too harsh because this is a tenuous situation where he has to show a sense of fairness towards the Palestinians and the Israelis where Israel is still safe in the Middle East.

And this is going to be a very delicate back and forth. We'll see how this plays out. I hope he doesn't have to get to a point in time of using that veto and we can do this through negotiations.

HOLMES: Lenny, you said some of that criticism from Republicans has been harsh. Is it simply because they see a political opening here and think they can chip away? Whatever Republican candidate might not win the Jewish vote, but still, they might be able to chip away at the president a little bit?

MCALLISTER: I think that's what they would like to see. Yes, let's be fair, over the course of his term he hasn't played this the best way all of the time. But on this one, he is playing it well. He's going to have to negotiate this.

I think they're trying to trump up the victory in New York a little too much. I don't think it means as much as people think it does. That was the Weiner district. They're going to try to make this mean more towards the relationship with American Israelis and jus. That's not going to be the case.

I think what they need to do is watch how he deals with this in the U.N., moving forward, can he be the power broker where Israel is still safe and the Palestinians feel like they're being treated fairly? If they do, this is not the political opportunity Republicans think it will be.

CARDONA: And to your point, T.J., Governor Perry, clearly that's who we're talking about here, with that kind of bluster, he has shown clearly that he does not know the situation that he nude to do it and he is absolutely not ready for primetime. He's not doing this negotiation any good whatsoever.

HOLMES: Let me switch now. Maria, I want you to answer this question, Maria, without blaming Republicans, OK? Can you promise me to do this?

MCALLISTER: You can't do that, T.J.

CARDONA: I'll try.

HOLMES: My question here is we're talking about another possible government shutdown in Washington, D.C. Doesn't this look bad for everybody? And what in the world -- if we can't handle something -- if I could explain to people just how small of a portion of the budget they are arguing over and threatening a shutdown right now, people would lose their minds.

CARDONA: There is no question about that, the T.J. It doesn't look good for anybody here which is why I think at the end of the day, they will come to a solution. I'm not going to blame Republicans because Republicans joined Democrats in the Senate to rebuke the House bill, which was way too extreme.

But you know what? I will blame the Tea Party, because once again, we are seeing the tyranny of the Tea Party. What they're trying to do is hold hostage FEMA funding, funding for disaster victims, funding for people that are in need of it for their own existence, which has never before happened, by the way. They are holding that hostage for additional cuts that they want that you know what it will do? It will cut 45,000 American jobs. Again, that is not leadership and that is not what we need.

MCALLISTER: Lenny, wrap it up for me quickly. And you were right, she found a way to get it in there, didn't she? But wrap this thing up for me.

(LAUGHTER)

MCALLISTER: Here is the thing. And Democrats have to be very careful about doing this because independents are sick of hearing this, as well. The Tea Party is not the Republican Party. They have influence. They're not the whole party. Yes, people want spending to be cut down, and this is part of a negotiating compromise process. We'll see if the grown-ups will be in the room next week within Congress to get the compromise and get this going. If not we're going to face another situation where everybody is going through his from the president all the way down.

HOLMES: Lenny, always good to see you. Thank you. Maria, always a pleasure.

CARDONA: Thank you, T.J.

HOLMES: And please don't get me in the middle of your Twitter wars anymore, OK?

CARDONA: I will do it every time that I have the chance, T.J.

HOLMES: I'll see you guys again.

MCALLISTER: You know Maria is going to.

(LAUGHTER)

HOLMES: Have a good weekend.

We're 38 minutes past the hour now. And listen to this -- if you could get a job by adopting a grandparent, would you do that? You're hearing me right. We're going to show you a work program that puts low income kids together with senior citizens and puts a dent in the teenage unemployment rate. Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: It's 41 minutes past the hour now. And the nation's job crunch is proving harder for some than others. For example, the unemployment rate for teenagers, more than 25 percent last month. But one program hopes to change that by linking senior citizens with low income youths. Our Athena Jones with the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is not your typical school.

TAYLOR CUNNINGHAM, FOSTER GRANDPARENT: Let me show you how to do that.

JONES: An 81-year-old Taylor Cunningham is not your typical instructor.

CUNNINGHAM: Good. You're doing it good, baby.

JONES: Here at Potomac Job Corps, low income youth ages 16 to 24 can study can get their high school diploma or GED, become computer literal, or learn a trade.

CUNNINGHAM: They call me Papa.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Papa.

CUNNINGHAM: Yes. JONES: A group of low income senior citizens like Cunningham, who used to be a cook, serve as foster grandparents, helping teachers train the youth.

CUNNINGHAM: You see how you're flipping that? He instructed me when he will assign them to do anything, he instructs me to see that they are doing it the right way.

JONES: The Southwest Washington Job Corps campus houses some 480 students, many of them considered at risk. Lonnie Taylor is a rarity among participants. He has a college degree, but he couldn't find a good paying job and wasn't making enough money to get by. Taylor is nearing the end of the program and he has a job at a local restaurant.

This Job Corps site is one of 124 nationwide funded by the department of labor at a cost of about $1.5 billion a year. The program places 90 percent of students who complete the typical two- year course in full time jobs, college, or the military. Cheryl Christmas, who runs the Washington foster grandparents program, says it helps the seniors who take part stay active.

CHERYL CHRISTMAS, FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM: Low income often comes with it a lot of health issues. The idea of volunteering, getting out, being connected, it reduces the isolation of the seniors, so they get that health benefit.

JONES: The seniors get a commuting allowance and a $2.65 per hour tax free stipend in return. It's money they can use.

CUNNINGHAM: And it's a big deal.

JONES: For the teenagers at this site, the program is a chance for a good life.

RONNIE TAYLOR, JOBS CORPS STUDENT: Me finding my passion in cooking again, it's made me more motivated to get out and become more successful. So yes, I think it's made me for the better.

JONES: Officials for the job core program says it's expensive, but worth it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not a feel-good program. This is a program that is an investment in these young people.

JONES: Athena Jones, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: So we're about a quarter of the top of the hour. And I want you to stick around. We have got a treat for a lot of you out there, especially you ladies. You know him as Tad Martin. That's Mr. Michael Knight, from "All My Children" joining mess this morning from Los Angeles to talk about the end of an era. Our conversation when I come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HOLMES: Good morning, Los Angeles. And we're having to say goodbye, at least to "All My Children." The last episode of the popular daytime television program hit the air yesterday.

So after 41 years of the drama, the cliffhangers, the explosions, the weddings, the divorces, "All My Children" has come to an end. Here is a clip of the final show that aired.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Years. He's done it again.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to go and see him in the hospital. Come with us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But you've come back to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: The first couple of names are going to come to your mind when you hear "All My Children," probably Susan Lucci as Erica Cain. But if you ask a lot of females out there what name comes to mind, they are going to see Michael E. Knight, who plays Tad Martin in the show. He joins me from Los Angeles.

Let me know, am I missing anything here? You were in a coma at one point, you've had amnesia, you've been shot. I think you came back to life. Did I miss anything?

MICHAEL E. KNIGHT, TAD MARTIN ON "ALL MY CHILDREN": No, I've pretty much done it all, T.J. after 30 years, I've hit all the bases, I think.

HOLMES: And I was talking to you on a commercial break and I was wondering if you shed a tear yesterday during the commercial break. But you said you shed your tears plenty a while ago.

KNIGHT: Yes. We had taped the last episode about a month ago. So I mean, it was a very emotional day in the studio for all of us. Some of us have known each other for, you know, decades. And I think yesterday, most of us were gratified because we've been working with this sword of Damocles over our head for a long time. And to know that it meant so much to so many people, to see goodbye was -- it was a good sendoff.

HOLMES: Were you really surprised by that? I guess you've been doing this so long with this show, since '82, I believe, so you're just involved and in it. But still, at the end, you were surprised that this show meant so much to so many people still?

KNIGHT: Well, yes. Doing something in the guilty pleasure zones of soaps, most people don't like to admit that they're fans, you know? It's one of those things that they say at a cocktail party, don't tell anybody. But I think the fan response after the statement was posted about the cancellation was so -- we were really, really amazed and we're gratified to know that Rich Frank and his partner, Jeff, are working very hard to carry this show over to the Internet to keep it going.

HOLMES: So what was it, do you think, or maybe people are not that familiar. Was it simply viewership went down, costs go up and did viewership go down because there are so many options on TV? What really killed "All My Children"?

KNIGHT: I think what it is, in an age when the Internet is redefining revolutionizing so many industries, like publishing and online marketing, television had to deal with a lot of things. And basically in terms of costs and as networks have to compete harder for the same market share, them don't have the same monopoly they did 20 years ago, networks had to cut costs.

And, you happen, it's a pretty big enough to carry a soap opera. I wouldn't say that the Internet or reality television killed the soaps. I think it would be interesting to see if -- because if we did find a new home on the Internet, hopefully, it would be interesting to see that it's the same thing that challenged us once that make life difficult was our savior in the end.

HOLMES: So do you think soaps can survive on the air at all anymore? I think there are just maybe a couple holding on. Do you think that eventually we're going to have to see soap opera going away and they're not on the air now and they can't survive?

KNIGHT: No. I think the audience, there's always going to be a place for an ongoing story. People are fascinated by it. It's a very simple genre. I think we're going to see soap operas change. I think we may see them go to a novella format, which is limited run so you keep your costs down.

I don't think we'll see it go away. I think there's so much reality television that people can take and they're going to want to see scripted TV. Soaps have been around for a long time. They were very, very powerful on television. I think they will be powerful online.

And I think that because so much entertainment is shifting to cable networks now, I think we're going to see with the proliferation of cable channels we're going to see new soaps develop on a smaller budget and on a smaller basis for other channels.

HOLMES: So wrap it up here, where are we going to see you again? Are you hoping we don't see you again for a while? You need some time off?

KNIGHT: I don't know. I'm going to take a sabbatical for a while. I'm just another American trying to redefine himself in an ever-changing world.

HOLMES: Sir, it's an absolute pleasure to get to talk to you again.

KNIGHT: And you. I'm a fan, T.J. I have to say, thank you for having me. HOLMES: I appreciate you saying that, but again, I'm not a huge soap guy myself, but there are some names and some people that I know, and you are certainly one of those names and one of those faces. So congratulations on a heck of a run on "All My Children." You enjoy your weekend out there, and good to talk to you.

KNIGHT: You, too, T.J.

HOLMES: All right, we're seven minutes to the top of the hour now. The NBA season is on hold, but Lakers star Kobe Bryant is not going to have a problem getting paid. Stay here.

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HOLMES: All right, I'm joined by Joe Carter, our friend from HLN Sports, now. NBA season is on hold, not a problem for Kobe Bryant.

JOE CARTER, HLN SPORTS ANCHOR: Definitely not a problem for Kobe and several other NBA players. But we're looking at lockout time at the NBA. We're at the 86th day. Preseason games have been axes. So far 43rd games are on the chopping block, more games become possibly. Training camps have been put on hold.

They need a deal by mid-October if they want the NBA season to start on time, which would be November 1st. The owners are saying, hey, we're losing hundreds of millions of dollars. The players are saying, we want a bigger slice of the pie. We're heard this before, billionaires arguing with millionaires, like the NFL.

But as far as Kobe Bryant goes, he has had a sweet offer right now from an Italian professional team saying. They're saying we'll pay you $6.7 million to come play for our club. You can play with us a month, a year, or game to game, and as soon as the NBA lockout is over, you can go back to the Lakers. We'll take you, after taxes, $600,000 a game, which breaks down to $200 a minute.

Pretty good game when you consider Kobe used to live in Italy as a child, speaks the language fluently. But you have guys like Darren Williams who have been offered to play in Turkey. So expect to see more big time players being offered to play overseas.

HOLMES: I don't know if they'll get those deals. Joe, thank you. Quick break here, folks. We'll be right back.

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