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CNN Saturday Morning News
PSU Students Supporting Victims; Gingrich Gaining Ground; Big Winter Storm; Carrier Classic; Veteran Keeps Serving; Perry's Brain Freeze Moment; Herman Cain Damage Control; New Seven Wonders of the World; Exam Day Stops Nation Cold
Aired November 12, 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: Well, good SATURDAY MORNING to you all.
In hours, something that hasn't happened in 45 years. Penn State will play a football game without Joe Paterno as head coach. Security is stepped up as 100,000 are set to gather for the first game since the sex abuse scandal shocked the campus and the country.
Also, President Obama arrived in Hawaii a short time ago. But make no mistake, this is not a vacation.
Also, a new list of seven natural wonders of the world revealed? But what do you think is missing? That's just one of the seven. We'll share them all. But maybe you think something's missing from that list.
Welcome hello to you all from the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, on this November 12th. This is your CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It's 6:00 a.m. here in Atlanta, 5:00 a.m. in Fayetteville, Arkansas, 3:00 a.m. in Ventura, California. Wherever you may be, we are glad you are right here.
But let's start on the campus of Penn State University. Look at this. This happened last night. Students, thousands of them, came out for a candlelight vigil to support the victims of the sex abuse scandal. This is in the same place where students rioted in support of fired football coach Joe Paterno just two days ago.
We are hearing from Joe Paterno through his son who put out a statement and it says in part, quote, "My father is experiencing a range of powerful emotions. He is absolutely distraught over what happened to the children and their families. He also wants very much to speak publicly and answer questions. At this stage, however, he has no choice but to be patient and defer to the legal process. He cooperated fully with the grand jury and he will continue to cooperate with the investigation as we move forward." He also said the family will not be talking anymore.
Meanwhile, Penn State's new president says he'll appoint an ethics officer that will report directly to him. Rodney Erickson is now the interim president, replacing Graham Spanier. He was fired this week for how he handled this whole scandal.
Also, assistant football coach Mike McQueary is now on administrative leave. He is the one who reported the alleged sexual abuse incident to Paterno back in 2002. The school says McQueary has received multiple threats.
Back on campus now. The game -- yes, a game -- will be played and it will go on today. Penn State playing Nebraska. It's at noon today. So just hours from now. This is their final home game of the year. Students are being encouraged to stage what they're calling a blue out. Our Mike Galanos is there for us.
Mike, explain to our viewers what they're trying to do with this blue out today?
MIKE GALANOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, and, T.J., it dovetails with what you just showed there, the vigil. The blue out. Blue commemorating and acknowledging child abuse victims.
You know, and that was the mood last night. I was in the midst of that vigil. It was solemn as the students held those candles. I was also there when the riots began in that very same spot right after Joe Paterno, it was announced he had coached his last game. So a much different feel.
And that's what the student's want, to portray a different image, send a different message from State College. Let's listen to what a couple of students had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA GOLD, PENN STATE STUDENT: It's so important to put the victims first. I think they've gotten really lost in all of this. You know, all the media attention has been focused on Sandusky and the university and our reactions and it should be focused on helping these victims and stopping it from happening again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALANOS: All right, again, T.J., that was the sentiment. It's -- and that's even what interim president, Rodney Erickson, he laid it out there in his press conference yesterday, basically the world is watching. Let's show Penn State pride. Let's act with class and dignity as this game that's going to take place behind me. People beginning to file in to Beaver Stadium already here, hours before kickoff.
HOLMES: Yes, on that last -- on one of those last points made there, the world is watching. And everybody will have their eyes fixed on this game today. It was a big game anyway, but you add all of this scandal to it, a lot of people going to be tuning in to see just how the team reacts, how the stadium reacts. But, you know, security has been stepped up. So what's really the expectation of what we're going to see today?
GALANOS: You know, I talked to some fans and they don't know. I talked to one person who's been coming to games for years and they're like, it's going to be weird. We don't know how people are going to react. And, T.J., you know it, football's an emotional game. We don't know who the team is going to react after such a tumultuous week.
But again the perspective, Joe Paterno took over when Lyndon Johnson was in office. That's how long he's been coaching. That's the -- he is a revered, loved figure here. That's what these fans and the people in State College are dealing with.
HOLMES: All right, Mike Galanos there for us. Good to have you with us this morning. We'll talk to you again. Thanks so much.
GALANOS: Yes.
HOLMES: We're at five minutes past the hour now. Let's take a transition to politics, shall we, and what's becoming appears to be now a wide-open race for the Republican presidential nomination. As our Paul Steinhauser reports, there's no clear-cut leader now and the Iowa caucuses are just around the corner.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Hey, good morning, T.J.
You know with just over seven weeks to go until the first vote in the primary and caucus season, new polls indicate there's a crowd at the top of the field.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is a wide-open race.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: And, Newt Gingrich, you know, he has a point. Check out this new national survey from McClatchy-Marist. The former House speaker is just four points behind Mitt Romney in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. But when you take into account the survey sampling error, guess what, Gingrich and the former Massachusetts governor are basically all timed.
And a new CBS Poll indicates a three-way battle for the top spot between businessman Herman Cain, Gingrich and Romney.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's this funny thing about democracy, which is you have competition. It might be easier for me if I didn't, but I do have competition. And I will face other people who will do well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: Another takeaway from both polls, Republicans haven't made up their minds. Nearly one-fifth of them in each survey say they're still undecided when it comes to which candidate they're backing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GINGRICH: I think that the American people are looking, asking questions, thinking about it. And I think it will stay wide open, you know, until January.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: While Cain's right up there at the top, if you dig deeper, the polls indicate the sexual harassment allegations he's facing and denying may be starting to hurt, as his support among Republican women appears to be dropping.
Tonight, all the major candidates face off on a same stage in a debate in South Carolina that focuses on foreign policy and national security. The candidates will tangle again in a week and a half at a CNN debate right here in Washington -- T.J.
HOLMES: Thanks, as always, to our Paul Steinhauser. More on the jumbled GOP field coming up at the bottom of the hour, including the week that was for Rick Perry and Herman Cain.
Also across the country now, patience wearing thin for "Occupy" protesters in some communities. In Oakland, California, the city began handing out eviction notices for demonstrators after Thursday's fatal shooting near the "Occupy" encampment. Police and the protesters say the shooting was not related to the "Occupy" movement, but still city leaders are worried about safety at the camp.
Now the police union has issued a request to demonstrators and it reads in part, "the Occupy Oakland protest, now 30 days old, is take our police officers out of Oakland neighborhoods and away from protecting the citizens of Oakland. It is time for us to stop directing all of our efforts at policing the small enclave of Occupy Oakland and get back to our job of protecting the citizens of Oakland in the neighborhoods where our residents live."
It goes on to say, "please, we ask you, leave Frank Ogawa Plaza peacefully and immediately so Oakland Police can get back to work fighting the devastating crime that's occurring in our neighborhoods. You have sent the world a strong message. Now it's time to go home," it says.
Now a similar sentiment we can tell you about taking place in St. Louis, where remaining protesters are defying the mayor's Friday 3:00 p.m. deadline to leave the downtown park.
Also in New York, where the movement began back in September, small business owners and local residents are so fed up with the protesters that they are planning now a counter protest on Monday.
Eight minutes past the hour.
President Obama just landed in Hawaii. This was just a few hours ago. He's there for a world trade summit. APEC, it's called. He's hosting it. Also on the agenda though, he'll have one-on-one meetings with the Russian and Chinese presidents. More on the president's trip coming up.
Also before he went to Hawaii, you may have noticed he took a stop last night. Took in a basketball game, which is one of the coolest sporting events you have ever seen. It took place on an aircraft carrier. We'll have more about that in a moment as well.
And a Major League Baseball player that was kidnapped in Venezuela is apparently free and doing fine. That's according to Venezuelan state TV. Wilson Ramos, plays for the Washington Nationals, he was found by national security forces about 60 miles from where he was kidnapped. Armed men stormed his home, took him on Wednesday. The kidnappers never made ransom demands and have not been found.
Also on this Saturday, in just a few hours, the door will open once again in Philadelphia for people who want to pay their last respects to legendary boxer Joe Frazier. Thousands lined up yesterday. The 67- year-old Frazier died this week from cancer. The public memorial at Wells Fargo Arena will wrap up this afternoon. The funeral is on Monday.
Well, at 10 minutes past the hour now, let's say good morning to our Reynolds Wolf.
Reynolds, I saw your note this morning about the headlines weather- wise. And we're talking about a snowstorm.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Oh, my gosh. It is going to be just a -- basically the Rocky Mountains are going to be a nature's -- nature's punching bag. Bringing in anywhere from two to maybe three, some places the highest elevations, T.J., up to four feet of snow. If you happen to be a skier or say you're up in Breckenridge, maybe over in Steam Boat Springs, the Yampa Valley, you are going to be in absolute heaven. It's going to be just beautiful conditions for you.
Driving, kind of tough, especially along parts of I-70, where you're going to have not only the strong winds, which will be brutal, some gusts could be topping say 40, maybe even 50 miles an hour. So we're talking about the potential of white-out conditions.
More on that coming up and plus we're going to give you a sneak peak of what you can expect weather-wise for a lot of your college football games. It's all moments away, T.J.
HOLMES: And, Reynolds, did you get a look at the new proposed list of seven natural wonders of the world? Have you seen the list?
WOLF: I have not seen any of them. So I'm spellbound. I cannot wait to see what these things are.
HOLMES: Spellbound?
WOLF: Yes. Blown away, man. Bring it.
HOLMES: All right. How do you like that one so far? That's pretty good, right?
WOLF: The rainbow or the waterfall?
HOLMES: Whichever you think is a wonder.
WOLF: I like rainbow waterfalls. HOLMES: Rainbow waterfalls.
WOLF: Rainbow waterfalls.
HOLMES: All right, a lot of beautiful sports to tell you about. This is just one we are sharing. But we have a new list of proposed seven natural wonders of the world. We'll show you and Reynolds the other six in just a moment.
Stay with us on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
WOLF: Good tunes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Twelve minute past the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
And forgive me, you all. I -- Reynolds is in the corner of my eye.
WOLF: Want me to walk over? I can walk over. Come on.
HOLMES: And I was starting. He knew it was about to be weather time and he wasn't sure where to be. I saw you coming this way, or you stayed there or --
WOLF: The big story of my life. I never know where to be.
HOLMES: So where do you want to be?
WOLF: I'm going to come over here.
HOLMES: You want to come?
WOLF: A little bit. Yes. Or maybe I'm just -- my -- our director is saying something entirely different. I'm going to -- OK, she says, do what you've got to do.
HOLMES: You do what you got to do.
WOLF: How you doing this morning? What's going on, man?
HOLMES: I'm well this morning. It's a football Saturday. All eyes on Penn State for a number of reasons. Weather going to cooperate at least? They get 100,000 up there for football.
WOLF: That's the only thing that's going to cooperate today at Penn State. The weather's going to be OK there again. You're -- we're talking about 100 -- let's see, about 110,000 people there.
HOLMES: Yes, (INAUDIBLE).
WOLF: You've got Nebraska Cornhuskers going to be in town and then, of course, you've got everything else.
HOLMES: Everything else. It was going to be a big game no matter what.
WOLF: It really was.
HOLMES: A lot of eye were going to be on this one. But now this.
WOLF: It is a nightmare scenario in many ways, no question about it.
HOLMES: The weather's going to be all right there. But you're saying the Rockies?
WOLF: The Rocky Mountains really -- I mean that's going to be really the thing to watch for today.
HOLMES: Right.
WOLF: A very intense storm system that we're seeing, well, beginning to ramp up for the time being. Any of our friends tuning in from Idaho Falls this morning, perhaps even into Boise, you got some light rain drops. But if you look a little bit closer towards Idaho Falls southward, you see the blue popping up on the radar, which is definitely moisture. Mostly your little tiny rain drops. But then when you get to the white, well, all of that is, of course, some snowfall. And that snow is really going to ramp up. It could be very, very heavy in some time (ph). We're talking about three to four feet possibly by the time the weekend is out.
And here is the big weather maker. You've got, of course, high pressure that's sitting up in parts of the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern seaboard. Out to the west you've got this area of low pressure. You've got a strong flow of wind that's going to be coming up right through the Rocky Mountains.
As it interacts with some of that moisture high aloft, what it's going to do is it's going to give you some snowfall. And so, as I mentioned, some of it could be heavy. The winds, very strong at times. Could see some wind gusts topping 40, 50 miles per hour.
Now, at the same time, very dry conditions coupled with that wind could give us a fire threat for parts of Texas, into New Mexico. Maybe even just -- just a little sliver of Oklahoma before all is said and done.
But for the eastern seaboard, it's going to be just pure bliss. Just beautiful conditions due to the high pressure. High temperatures today along the eastern seaboard, mainly into the 50s for Boston, outside Fenway Park, 56 in New York, 66 in Atlanta, 70s for much of Florida, 75 in the big easy, New Orleans, 77 in Dallas, 62 in Denver.
What a metamorphosis you'll go through weather wise going through downtown Denver, across the front range (ph) and then back in the Rockies with all the snow. Unreal. It's 48 for Portland, 64 in San Francisco and 66 in Los Angeles.
T.J., your turn.
HOLMES: All right. And this is something, Reynolds, you want to see as well. You said you haven't seen these natural wonders of the world.
WOLF: Bring them on.
HOLMES: But a new list now. These -- this is a global poll here. This is put together, Swiss Foundation, called the New Seven Wonders. They announced these last night in Zurich, but this competition had been going on for a couple of years, actually, and people all over the world could vote. So they cut it down to 28 and then they let everybody vote.
So let's unveil now those that made the list. The Amazon. This is one -- weren't -- I think you were planning a trip at some point during --
WOLF: I was in the Amazon for about 10 days.
HOLMES: Yes, you did go.
WOLF: Amazing.
HOLMES: So the Amazon, one of the seven natural wonders. And this is one, I assume, you can speak to.
WOLF: No question about it. Truly an amazing place. Some people consider this really the birthplace of the world. I mean it's just absolutely incredible. So many species of fish, of birds, of you name it comes from these incredible mountains. And the mountains, of course, into the east, then you get into the west and then slowly it just goes into this huge basin, the Amazon basin, where you have just this plethora of life. Unbelievable.
HOLMES: All right. We'll turn to Vietnam. Halong Bay. You've been there before?
WOLF: I've heard about this (INAUDIBLE).
HOLMES: That's one of the (INAUDIBLE) pictures. OK. But gorgeous pictures as you see there.
Also another one. This one is Argentina and Brazil, Iguanu Falls. Now one side on Brazil, the other, Argentina. That is impressive.
We've got Jeju Island. It's in South Korea, is our next picture to show you here. It made the cut.
Komodo Island, Indonesia.
WOLF: Thank heavens. I was really concerned that Komodo Island or Jeju Island would not make the list.
HOLMES: OK.
WOLF: I've been -- lost sleep last night thinking about that.
HOLMES: Here's another. You'll be pleased. Puerto Princesa.
WOLF: Yes.
HOLMES: It's an underground river in the Philippines. It made the cut. And then finally, Capetown, South Africa, we go for table mountain. You're seeing it there. Now these, again, everyone in the world, literally it was opened up to everyone to vote. These were the ones that made the final cut.
Now they'll going to confirm the tally. This is a preliminary tally. So they do believe the list is going to change. But in case some numbers were added wrong or some of the votes were added wrong, maybe something could change. But for the most part, this is your list.
Now, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Dead Sea, Grand Canyon, Great Barrier Reef. Some are saying, wait a minute, how did these not make the cut? Well, they didn't because the folks didn't vote for them.
WOLF: And T.J.'s house on party night. I mean, seriously, the Holmes' resident on party night, the Holmes' kitchen is insane. Everyone just congregates in there and goes crazy.
HOLMES: See.
WOLF: It's enjoyable and not even mentioned.
HOLMES: You could have voted.
WOLF: Just absolute disrespect. That's horrible.
HOLMES: All right, Reynolds, thanks to you.
WOLF: (INAUDIBLE).
HOLMES: At 17 past the hour. Reynolds is going to be with us plenty throughout the morning.
And we want to hear from you on this thing. What do you think should have been on the list? If you could have picked, what would have made the cut? You can hit us up. You see where you can do so.
Also, I have my computer up and I'm already talking to plenty of you all on Twitter this morning. I'm @tjholmes. Send in your responses. We'll share some of those. Curious to hear what you think is a wonder of the world.
Also, last night, something that was pretty wonderful. A basketball game. A college basketball game. But it was one of the coolest things you'll ever see, because it took place on an aircraft carrier. Did you see this last night? Michigan State versus North Carolina. You're seeing some time-lapse video there of them building what is essentially a basketball stadium right there on the aircraft carrier. President Obama was in attendance last night. We'll tell you more about his evening and his weekend, coming up. Stay with us on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We're at 19 minutes past the hour. A picture you're seeing there of the USS Carl Vinson. This is out in San Diego. And what a mission this aircraft carrier had last night. To host a college basketball game. The first time ever we have seen a college basketball game take place on the deck of an aircraft carrier.
Now we told you earlier, the president arrived in his home state of Hawaii just a couple of hours ago. He's there for the APEC Summit. But before that, this is what he saw. Check out this time-lapse video. You're probably wondering, how in the world do you convert an aircraft carrier into a basketball arena. Well, here you go. This is how they built the thing.
And it went off without a hitch. A great spectacle last night. North Carolina, Michigan State in what they called the Carrier Classic. A lot of veterans, a lot of currently serving members of the military, as well as some veterans were invited to be a part of this on Veterans Day. The game was stopped at -- they stopped it at sundown to play taps, as they should. But that was a cool part of the evening as well.
And as our Brianna Keilar now reports, President Obama had courtside seats for the whole thing.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: T.J., it was an extraordinary setting for a basketball game. The first time that a college basketball game has been held on the deck of an aircraft carrier. This match-up between Michigan State and North Carolina. Carolina, of course, winning.
And this is also a historic carrier. The first ship that launched attacks on al Qaeda and the Taliban right after 9/11, but also the ship from which Osama bin Laden was buried at sea. The occasion, of course, Veterans Day. Acknowledging veterans and the sacrifices that they've given to their country.
But also the president took the opportunity to tout his jobs plan. And specifically one provision from it that would give tax credits to companies who hire veterans. This is a provision that passed the Senate on Thursday.
But the real news that was made was actually in a courtside interview the president did with ESPN. An interview where he was asked about the controversy that has enveloped Penn State.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, obviously, the whole situation is heartbreaking. And we think first and foremost of the victims of these alleged crimes.
But I think it's a good time for us to do some soul searching. Every institution, not just Penn State, about what our priorities are. And making sure that we understand that our first priority is protecting our kids.
And, you know, we all have a responsibility. We can't leave it to a system. We can't leave it to somebody else. Each of us have to take it upon ourselves to make sure that our kids have the love and support and protection that they deserve.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: There was a lot of fanfare. President Obama made remarks before the game. He and the first lady shook hands with a number of service men and women and they also met the most famous Michigan State alum, Magic Johnson, also an Obama supporter.
And this is an event that kicked off a nine-day trip for the president. He also travels to Hawaii, Australia and Bali. And in Honolulu, he'll be hosting the APEC Summit, joining with leaders from the Asia Pacific region to talk about economic issues. But facing really the challenge throughout this entire trip of remaining focused on his jobs message while being overseas -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right, thanks to our Brianna Keilar.
And APEC is the summit the president will be hosting in Hawaii. It's the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. It's the main economic forum for the region. It has 21 member nations, including the U.S., Australia, China, Japan, Russia and Mexico. It's the United States' turn this time around to host. The focus is trade and investment, as well as technical cooperation between member nations.
Well, we're at 23 minutes past the hour now.
And if you're in your 90s, people want to kickback. Shouldn't you be relaxing and enjoying your time off, your retirement? But one 95-year- old veteran from World War II just can't stop serving. And he's our "Veteran in Focus." He's next.'
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: And as we get close to the bottom of the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING, a 95-year-old veteran, he just can't stop serving. His new mission as a volunteer helping aging comrades and service members wounded in battle makes him our "Veteran in Focus" this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETER POULOS, WWII VETERAN/VOLUNTEER, HINES VA HOSPITAL: I feel like that I'm, you know, this is still my squad. My guys in the front line. They wait for me like, I don't know, like I'm their first sergeant. They depend on me. They can't move, so I have to move for them.
Here you go. Here comes the food. Oh, a surprise.
PAT MOSS, ASSOCIATE CHIEF NURSE, HINES VA HOSPITAL: I think everybody knows Pete. They've seen him around. It's over 24,000 hours that he's logged here in the 26 years that he's been a volunteer. He's a hero because of the time that he gives. And it, and again, at his age, at 95.
POULOS: Well, I was with the infantry. We did everything, you know. You know, out in the field sometimes you can help so much, and that's it. When a comrade would fall, you try to give him as much help as you could. But then sometimes you just have to carry on. You couldn't just leave them there. So here, at least I was here -- I was able to help them. I could do, you know help them along with what they need. And that's -- that day came by. Before you know it, 30 years went by and I'm still there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We take care of each other. But, Pete -- yes, Pete is one of a kind.
POULOS: Boy, you look beautiful there, fella.
Some American people here, they -- you know, they forgot about -- they don't really realize what their freedom is. How, you know, they got this freedom and they take it for granted that this here, they don't realize how they got it. You know, the price of freedom is -- it's in these patients. You know, that's who the freedom came from.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a jolly ole soul. Let's put it that way.
POULOS: You came home and you -- once you leave out of there, you say to yourself, boy, you feel -- like when you're the richest person in the world. You can walk out of there. And you look back and you see these -- you think of all these guys that are still there and they can't -- you know, can't go anyplace. I see them, I say, that -- that could have been me.
You going to go to your room now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, (INAUDIBLE).
POULOS: You want me take you there?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
POULOS: The war hasn't ended because they're not the same anymore like they were. And these guys need me here. It could help them out. That's what keeps me going. I could say that America, I gave my best to you. At least I tried the best I could do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And we want to remind you of a CNN special, "VETERANS IN FOCUS: A LIFETIME OF SERVICE, STRUGGLE AND SUCCESS." You can see that right here on CNN at 2:30 Eastern Time.
And as we come up to the bottom of the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING, up next a country where they literally stopped air traffic and traffic on the road. Why? Because they didn't want to disturb students who are taking a college entrance exam. Can we learn something from the way they're doing it and how seriously they take education? Our "Morning Passport" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We are just past the bottom of the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Welcome back, everyone. Thanks for spending part of your weekend here with us.
We are keeping an eye today on the campus of Penn State University. The football team playing its final home game of the year, coming up a few hours from now at noon Eastern. It's the first game in more than 60 years without legendary coach Joe Paterno. He actually joined as an assistant coach and became head coach back in 1966.
He, however, was fired this week. This was after the news broke about the child abuse scandal against former coach, Jerry Sandusky. And two days ago there were riots on the campus because of Paterno's firing, but a different scene last night. Students came out for a candlelight vigil to support the victims of the sex abuse scandal.
LaVar Arrington was an all-American linebacker at Penn State playing for Sandusky and Paterno. Listen to his comments from the vigil.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAVAR ARRINGTON, FMR. PSU PLAYER FOR PATERNO, SANDUSKY: This is a call. This is - it's our time and it's our duty. This serves as the ultimate wake-up call. If this isn't enough to wake us up and get motivated, and look at one another and be a protector of one another, if this isn't a good enough wake-up call, then I don't know what is.
Leave here tonight with a resolve and an understanding that you possess the power to change things. And I will be there with you. And we should all be here with one another because, you know what? We are -
CROWD: Penn State!
ARRINGTON: Love you guys, man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Students at today's game are being encouraged to wear blue, calling this is a blue out in support of all children who are victims of abuse.
We have a live report from Penn State coming up at the top of the hour.
Right now, we'll give you a look at some other stories making headlines. Arrangements are being made for Mexico's Interior Minister Jose Francisco Blake Mora. He died along with seven others in a helicopter crash south of Mexico City. Mora was the nation's point man in its war against drug cartels. It's not known what caused the crash.
And police in Washington, D.C. are investigating reports of shots fired a few blocks away from the White House last night. The gunfire was heard about nine hours ago. A Secret Service official said the AK-47 was recovered near an abandoned vehicle. The Secret Service, however, says it does not appear the White House was targeted in this incident. And the battle over e-mails intensifies between the White House and the Congressional Committee investigating a federal loan to a company that went bankrupt. The White House releasing some, but not all of the e-mails relating to the solar energy company, Solyndra. The House panel wants to know if a Solyndra investor and Obama fundraiser got preferential treatment in securing a $535 million loan.
And adults, it's not just us who need to get their cholesterol levels checked. New medical guidance suggests kids between the ages of 9 and 11 should get screened for high cholesterol, at least once, and again in early adulthood. The updated recommendations come from the National Institutes of Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Let's turn back to politics now, the race, of course, to be the Republican presidential nominee.
A tough week for Herman Cain and Rick Perry in a lot of ways. But Cain, it's been more about the sexual harassment stories. For Perry, it was just that embarrassing brain freeze during a debate.
So who is this all good for? Well, maybe Mitt Romney, but it also seems to be helping out Newt Gingrich. A new poll, McClatchy-Marist poll, Romney is on top, as you see there, but - looky, looky - the former House Speaker, Newt Gingrich, is not far behind. Still 17 percent are undecided. Anybody's game.
But Emory University Political Science Professor Andra Gillespie is helping me understand who has the upper hand now. Thank you for being here. Newt Gingrich, he - is it his debate performances or everybody else's poor debate performances and scandal that's helping him out?
ANDRA GILLESPIE, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, EMORY UNIVERSITY: It's a little bit of both. So Newt Gingrich is surging among Tea Party supporters even though Tea Party supporters are still supporting Herman Cain, and Ron Paul and to a lesser degree, Rick Perry at this particular point.
But in addition, the CBS Poll was also testing foreign policy readiness, and Newt Gingrich polls very well when you look at his foreign policy expertise and also his general experience.
HOLMES: And does he also look like sometimes the adult in the room?
GILLESPIE: Well, he sometimes does look like the adult of the room. He also has made hay of attacking the media at every one of his debates and that works very well with his base constituency and likely Republican voters. So that's working well to his advantage.
It probably wouldn't work well in a general election contest, because Newt Gingrich has 30 years of notoriety in the United States and some of that is negative.
HOLMES: Now, putting him up against, you know, comparing him to the moment that he just had, that Rick Perry just had, you know, versus Newt Gingrich, but how does Newt Gingrich kind of stack up against Mitt Romney? Does he excite the base a little more than Mitt Romney ever could?
GILLESPIE: Yes, he does excite the base more than Mitt Romney does. If you look at the McClatchy-Marist Poll in particular, when they looked at the top three vote getters, which would be Romney, Gingrich and Cain, they asked who would you strongly support versus those who have weak support and those who could shift. And the plurality of Newt Gingrich's supporters say they strongly support him.
HOLMES: All right.
GILLESPIE: And that wasn't true for Herman Cain or Mitt Romney.
HOLMES: All right. Well, Andra, don't go away. Because, yes, we are talking Newt Gingrich here, but this week it seems everybody was talking Cane and Perry for two very different reasons.
We'll get into that with Andra when this CNN SATURDAY MORNING continues. Stay here.
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HOLMES: Forty-one minutes past the hour.
It has happened to us all. It probably happened to you this week - that brain freeze. But when it happened to you, when it happened to me, we weren't on national television and we aren't trying to get the GOP nomination for president.
Here is the moment everybody was talking about and cringing about this week.
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GOV. RICK PERRY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I will tell you, it's three agencies of government when I get there that are gone. Commerce, Education, and the - what's the third one there? Let's see -
RON PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You need five.
PERRY: Oh, five. OK.
PAUL: Make it five.
PERRY: Commerce, Education and the - and the -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: EPA?
PERRY: EPA, there you go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seriously?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: He could not name the third agency. Let me bring in Political Science Professor once again, Andra Gillespie. Could that moment have happened to anybody else on stage and we would have moved on, but this seems to continue a narrative about Rick Perry. Was he just the wrong guy for this to happen to?
GILLESPIE: Yes. I feel really sorry for Rick Perry. It's happened to me before -
HOLMES: Yes.
GILLESPIE: -- and it's happened to everybody. But, unfortunately, the narrative about Rick Perry in this campaign is that he's not quite ready for prime time. And so being able to forget the - the agencies that he wants to eliminate actually reinforces this frame that he's not quite smart and not quite up to the job. And because it was one in a string of gaffs it's going to lead to his undoing, unfortunately.
HOLMES: OK. Did he do the right thing by trying to make fun of it? Doing a lot of interviews? Going on "Letterman"?
GILLESPIE: Absolutely. And I appreciate his self deprecating humor. Unfortunately, it's probably too much - it's probably a little too late for it.
HOLMES: All right. Last thing here on Herman Cain. Of course, the big press conference this week, we got one - a name and a face of one of these people accusing him of sexual harassment.
He had his press conference this week. He didn't really answer a lot of questions or specifics. And we are seeing new polls now that his support among women, possibly going down now. Is this scandal going to do him in?
GILLESPIE: I'm not 100 percent sure that this is going to be the last hurrah for Herman Cain for a number of reasons. While his support is dampening amongst Republican women, he still has strong support among Republican men. A majority - overwhelming majority of Republican voters think that he should not drop out of the race as a result of these allegations. And a plurality of the voters think that the claims are unfounded.
So one of the things that Herman Cain benefits from, as we have seen Newt Gingrich benefit from, as well, is this oppositional stance towards the mainstream media. So as long as this gets framed in Republican circles as a left-wing media conspiracy, Herman Cain is not going to be damaged enough by this to be able to - to force him out of the race.
In general, given his fund-raising surge at this point, he now has the money, if he invests it in the right organization in these primary states to keep on fighting. So this is not quite the end of Herman Cain, even though ultimately at the end of the day I don't think he's going to win the nomination.
HOLMES: Andra Gillespie, we appreciate you coming in this morning. Thanks so much. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. GILLESPIE: Thank you.
HOLMES: All right. We're a quarter off the top of the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. And we were telling you about this new list now, the new Seven Natural Wonders of the World. We wanted to know your pick and what you thought about this new list.
A lot of you are chiming in this morning. One giving us this response, saying, "Seriously? Where is the Grand Canyon on the list? Some of these I have heard of, but a couple I have not. America has been dissed."
More of your comments right after the break. Stay with me.
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HOLMES: All right. About 12 minutes of the top of the hour.
We were telling you about the New Seven Wonders of the World. We asked to you weigh in and tell us what you think about the list and what you think needs to be on the list, what was left off.
Here are a couple of your responses. "Bay of Fundy should've made the list. Highest tides in the word. Fifty feet and 115 billion gallons of water twice a day!" That's from the Fenderguy.
Another here from - what is that? Smokeeaire says, "The Great Barrier Reef. Table Mountain isn't all that wonder-ful."
How many more you got for me?
"Wisconsin Dells. Sequoia National Park. Detroit, Michigan." I have been to Detroit a number of times. There's some wonders in Detroit. Great people in Detroit.
WOLF: Nice people. I lived there for three years.
HOLMES: Good folks. Yes.
WOLF: And incredibly kind people in Detroit. Amazing city.
Yellowstone National Park is one of those that they should put on there, because you get geysers, you get all kinds of incredible things, you got the lakes. It's a giant, giant caldera. It's the most geologically unstable place in the planet. And sometimes instability can be an amazing thing or it can be.
Kilimanjaro - I'm saying (ph) directly into the camera. Kilimanjaro is an amazing place.
HOLMES: That's one I would - I would have voted for.
WOLF: Yes. It's one of the seven highest peaks on the planet. You can actually go up that peak. You can go up the top of Kilimanjaro without using any ropes. You can actually walk it up.
Different mountains that we have here in the United States -
HOLMES: Yes.
WOLF: -- could be seen so very, very different. The mountains with snow on top, we're talking about possibly three to four feet of snow before the week is over.
HOLMES: Wow.
WOLF: Now, that sounds great for skiers. Today is not going to be one of those days when you want to go out there skiing because, of course, you've got visibility that's going to be very poor.
At the same time, you got winds that will be very strong. How strong will it going to be? You could see some gusts approaching 50 miles an hour later in the day, some approaching 60. So we're talking about wind gust that are going to be equivalent of a tropical storm high in the Central Rockies.
Same story, if you follow the Rocky Mountains father up north, say, into parts of the Northern Rockies, into Idaho, same deal. Not snowing quite as heavy, but still some fairly strong winds. But the bull's eye is going to be what's going to happen right in parts in Central Rockies from Grant Junction and Denver, if you're making that drive right along I-70, you could have whiteout conditions, visibility in some places down to a tenth of a mile. So just keep it in mind.
The big weather maker, the reason why it's all happening is actually quite simple. We have is a boundary that's actually pushing right through parts of the Rocky Mountains. And with that rock - that boundary coming through, you can see the variance of temperatures from one side. Billings at 45; 62 in Denver; 72 in El Paso for your high; 66 in Memphis; your high in Washington, D.C. of 61; 66 in Atlanta; 70s in Miami and Tampa; 55 in Boston. Wrapping it up out west it's 46 in Seattle and 64 in San Francisco.
All right, T.J., back over to you.
HOLMES: All right, Reynolds. Do you remember the ACT - SAT? What did you take?
WOLF: I took the - let's see. I took the ACT.
HOLMES: I took - I did the ACT as well.
WOLF: Yes.
HOLMES: I guess in the south we do that. Other places they do the SAT.
Well, this country - how was that for you, by the way?
WOLF: I did really well. I did really, really well.
HOLMES: Was it pretty intense to you? Did you - were you stressed out about it? WOLF: I played - I lost a huge basketball game the night before, was distraught. Went there the next morning, heartbroken and did probably amazing score. (INAUDIBLE).
HOLMES: Oh, well. All right.
WOLF: So always be heartbroken before you take those tests, you will do much, much better.
HOLMES: OK.
WOLF: Yes.
HOLMES: Well, there's - there's one method you can try.
But the kids in South Korea, they really get hooked up. Because they stress out about this. Their parents stress out about it. But the country helps them out. This is how serious it is, folks. You're seeing that girl get a police escort to the test. They're doing everything they can to help these kids out. We'll explain.
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HOLMES: We're about seven minutes off the top of the hour. Say good morning to Nadia Bilchik for our "Morning Passport," and one that I just love.
A whole country shuts down so kids can take a college entrance exam.
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Yes, about 700,000 South Korean children took this test on Thursday. And as you said the whole country came to a complete standstill. People were told, please, not to honk their horns. The Stock Exchange even opened an hour later.
HOLMES: Wow.
BILCHIK: And even certain flights were stopped so that there wouldn't be a noise for these children. There you are seeing a police escort for a child who have been late. That's how much emphasis.
But it's really interesting. When you look at South Korean culture, it's rooted in Confucianism (ph), which means that the education is absolutely critical. Social status is about your education and your level of education.
And as you said earlier, parents are absolutely obsessed. They will go to temples with photographs of their children and pray. They'll even only serve their children certain foods. So, for example, you'll have something sticky, like sticky rice cakes -
HOLMES: Yes.
BILCHIK: -- or sticky buns so that the knowledge sticks -
HOLMES: Makes sense.
BILCHIK: -- and toffee, but you wouldn't have bananas or seaweed so that the knowledge is slippery.
HOLMES: Slippery.
BILCHIK: But looking at this, the amount of pressure that these children are under. And, yes, you can say 17-year-olds are not necessarily children. But in around 2009, about 200 children committed suicide.
HOLMES: Right.
BILCHIK: In 2010, it was about 150. They study for so many hours that the current administration has banned classes taking place after 10:00 P.M.
HOLMES: OK. That is something unimaginable in this country. Now, it's certainly unfortunate to hear about the suicides and the pressure that some of the kids are under, but they also get results. These kids take these tests, and what's the number that go to college?
BILCHIK: Well, 80 percent go to college.
HOLMES: Yes.
BILCHIK: But the idea is to get into the three main universities.
HOLMES: That's true.
BILCHIK: They call them SKY. Seoul National, Korean University and Yonsei. So the acronym is SKY.
The pressure to get into one of these three universities, your whole life depends on it.
HOLMES: Wow.
BILCHIK: Who you're going to marry. Your social status. Your paycheck. So for many on this particular Friday, which was yesterday, there was great relief, but the results only come out in around November 30th.
So how will they do? Can you imagine the standards and the pressure to achieve these results?
HOLMES: Your whole life depends on one test you take at the age of 17 years old. That's incredible, but that's -
BILCHIK: A great deal of pressure and discipline on behalf of these children, but there is some concern with the administration saying let's at least stop classes after 10:00 P.M. It's costing parents an enormous amount of money. Up to $2,500 a year for private tuition for these kids.
HOLMES: Wow.
BILCHIK: So expensive and a lot of pressure. HOLMES: All right. Nadia Bilchik with this morning's "Morning Passport." We're going to see Nadia again coming up in our 8:00 hour as well. Thank you as always.
As we get close to the top of the hour, a major league baseball player snatched from his home. We'll give you an update on this situation in just a few minutes. Stay with us.
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HOLMES: Well, as we come up on the top of the hour, checking some stories making news across the country.
Lakewood, New Jersey's Sarah Malvasio (ph), you see here there. A preschooler got an unexpected surprise as she was getting a lesson on Veterans Day. Dad showed up. He's been gone in a three-month deployment to Saudi Arabia. These never ever get old. I love this. This weekend, their big plan now that dad is back, he looks pretty good, going to go see her last soccer game of the season. That's awesome.
Also, something else, take a look at this.
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ROBERT THIBODAUX, ACCIDENTAL MILLIONAIRE: This is the million dollar ticket. Yes, yes, yes! I won a lot of money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes, sir. Louisiana's accidental millionaire. He's making good on a promise. His name is Robert Thibodaux. He won an extra $800,000 this week when a convenience store cashier, Jamie Thibodaux - no relation there, just happens to have the same last name - inadvertently gave him the Power Play option, which he didn't ask for. But because he won, instead of winning 200,000, he won a cool million.
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