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CNN Saturday Morning News
Capture Of Gadhafi's Son; Deficit Reduction Deal; GOP Candidates Debates; Joe Paterno Diagnosed With Cancer; Sex Abuse Charges Against Syracuse Coach; Hooking Children on High-Tech; Police Reopen Natalie Wood Case; Urging Zulus to Wear Fake Fur; Camping Out for a Great Deal; Wilson Ramos Returns to Washington
Aired November 19, 2011 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello to you call from the CNN center in Atlanta, Georgia. This is your CNN SATURDAY MORNING, 8:00 a.m. here in Atlanta on this November 19th. It's 7:00 a.m. in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Wherever you are, we're glad you're right here.
And we do have some breaking news out of Libya this morning where Moammar Gadhafi's son has been on the run for months but it appears now he has been caught. We'll take you live to Tripoli.
Also, before this man allegedly tried to kill President Obama, he sent a tape to Oprah Winfrey. You'll hear what he had to say. Also, you remember the story of the baseball player kidnapped in Venezuela. He is now safe and back with his team. We'll show you more of the emotional reunion with his teammates.
But let's start right now with that break being story out of Libya where Saif Gadhafi has been captured, captured apparently trying to flee. He was caught near the Algerian Libyan border. He is wanted by the international criminal court.
Jomana Karadsheh is live for us in Tripoli, and what do we know?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN PRODUCER: T.J., we're joined here actually by a guest who can give us more information on this significant capture. I am joined here by Abdelrahman Busin. He is a National Transitional Council military liaison and Abdelrahman, if you could tell us what happened. How was Saif captured?
ABDELRAHMAN BUSIN, NTC MILITARY LIAISON: The full details of the actual capture is not clear at the moment. We released the information. He was caught somewhere in the (INAUDIBLE) near the (INAUDIBLE) border. He is currently en route to (INAUDIBLE) from what I've last heard. The exact details are being kept from us at the moment for his own personal safety and security.
KARADSHEH: What state was he in? We've heard conflicting reports about whether he was wounded or not?
BUSIN: I think he may have sustained some injuries during the capture. His condition is unclear but he is relatively well from what we have been informed (ph).
KARADSHEH: So our understanding is there were clashes. So there was resistance to the capture, correct?
BUSIN: Maybe. The details still coming in. But we do know that he has been injured. How extensive his injuries are at the moment has been unclear. But he is being treated. He will be taken care of. His well being is vital to us.
KARADSHEH: Because there have been a lot of concerns about human rights allegations and human rights abuses that have taken place by revolutionary fighters. Are you saying at this time this is a guarantee thing, that he will be treated as a detainee?
BUSIN: There are no guarantees but that is the objective. We've already given orders this that they should take good care of him and no harm should be let come to him. Of course en route, the procedure from one location to another location isn't very long. That's why there's a lot of secrecy behind it. They're scared that we could be inspected (ph) by other forces who may have personal grudges or things like that. But so far so good.
KARADSHEH: What is next? What is going to happen to Saif? He's wanted by the international criminal court and he's supposed to stand trial in the Hague. What is going to happen? What does Libya want?
BUSIN: We'll wait on the NTC to give a final verdict on that. But the people in general do want him to be tried here. He holds a lot of vital information that will greatly benefit the country and the people. So we expect him to be held here and kept here.
KARADSHEH: Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Abdelrahman Busin, the National Transitional Council's military liaison joining us here in Tripoli. T.J.
HOLMES: All right, Jomana Karadsheh, thank you so much, the update there. Saif Gadhafi, the son of Moammar Gadhafi has been captured. We'll have more on exactly who Saif Gadhafi is, significance of his capture. We'll be joined by our senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance, at the top of the hour.
Let me turn now to some presidential politics or just some politics I could say in Washington, DC. That elusive deficit reduction deal, the deadline is officially Wednesday, but is it already too late?
Our Joe Johns live for us on Capitol Hill.
Joe, good to have you and we keep hearing, we got at least until Wednesday, but in reality we don't have that long.
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: No. You're right. The deadline is Wednesday. That's when they're supposed to adopt this big budget deal that's been talked about since August. It probably isn't going to happen. But we'll get to that in a minute.
The important thing what you're talking about T.J. is the real sort of practical deadline is Monday because by law, number one, they have to release any plan that they're planning to adopt 48 hours before they actually vote on it. The other half of it is, there's something called the Congressional Budget Office. These are the guys who have to estimate how much any plan that affects Federal money is going to cost, what it's going to do, what they say it's going to do and it takes time for them to do that work too. They're going to be able to speed up a little bit.
But the bottom line is, this super committee if it comes up with the deal, is really going to have to have it done over this weekend or at least by the end of business Monday to have any chance of sort of finishing business before Thanksgiving, T.J.
HOLMES: What time? Do we know what time, where they're supposed to be getting together today?
JOHNS: There's tons of meetings that are supposed to be going on and remember, I mean, the United States Congress pretty much is out of here for Thanksgiving. But we have the 12 members of the super committee, very powerful members of Congress who are sticking around in hopes of having meetings or whatever to try to get some kind of a budget deal over the next several days.
But no, this is sort of a moving target. It's been a moving target for a long time because it's very difficult to do. A lot of pessimism that is going to happen and right now, no other timetables than Monday and then Wednesday being the biggest deadline of all.
HOLMES: Joe Johns, good to have you with us on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING: We will check in again.
We're about six minutes past the hour.
President Obama, he's heading home this morning after wrapping up a week-long trip to Asia. The trip focused on job creation and cooperation. The president wrapped things up in Indonesia just a couple of hours ago after meeting with Thailand's new prime minister. Before that, the president met with China's premiere. That meeting added last minute. President Obama is expected back in Washington early tomorrow morning.
Also a big day for the Republican presidential candidates today. Most of them are in Iowa. They're attending a conference being put on by a leading family values group. Mitt Romney will not be there. He's campaigning in New Hampshire instead.
Also Herman Cain, he now has Secret Service protection. A source inside the government tells CNN that the Cain campaign asked for protection rather after the candidate got some unspecified threats. This is how Cain responded to questions about adding the Secret Service protection.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HERMAN CAIN (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The thing about Secret Service is that things are secret. So we don't discuss any details about it because that would not be appropriate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Later in the day, Cain admitted that there were things they encountered in New Hampshire that made the campaign quote, "a little uncomfortable."
A reminder to you, coming up on Tuesday night, Republicans running for president will gather just steps away from the White House where a presidential debate on the national security and the economy co- sponsored by the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute. The CNN Republican national security debate begins 8:00 Eastern. That is Tuesday.
Turn back to Penn State and listen to this news now about former Penn State coach Joe Paterno. He's now been diagnosed with cancer.
HLN's Mike Galanos is live for us in university park.
Mike, this is just another development in what has just been a story that has different developments every day. Nobody necessarily saw this one coming. What's the reaction there?
MIKE GALANOS, HLN SPORTS: Stunned. Stunned. This is already a town and a campus that is so weary, T.J., after what has gone on and then imagine that.
What we're finding out, Joe Paterno received the diagnosis last weekend. So imagine what was going on at the Paterno household. He's not coaching as a head coach at Penn State for the first time since 1966 and he finds out he has a treatable form of lung cancer.
We do have a statement from his son Scott. Let me read it, saying, "Last weekend my father was diagnosed with a treatable form of lung cancer during a follow-up visit for a bronchial illness. He's currently undergoing treatment and his doctors are optimistic that he will make a full recovery. As everyone can appreciate, this is a deeply personal matter for my parents and we simply ask that his privacy be respected as he proceeds with treatment."
They're saying it's a treatable form of lung cancer. Obviously, we all wish the best for Joe Paterno.
Remember, they're still playing football. It's got to weigh heavy on the minds of Penn State. Their football players, that football program what's going on with Joe Paterno and also the NCAA launched an investigation, sent Penn State a three-page letter.
And, T.J., among the highlights, it talks about the coach having to monitor his assistant coaches and administrators in and around the program. That hits at Joe Paterno. There's another highlight in there at least to me and it talks about you have to do more than avoid improper or questionable conduct. You have to rise up. At the end it talks about young people being lifted up and not made victims.
Again, four questions at the end of this letter that Penn State has to answer. Basically dealing with how did you handle this and what are you going to put in place to make sure this doesn't happen again. A statement from Penn State, they are with the NCAA and they are going to cooperate because obviously, they do not want anything like this happening again as well.
HOLMES: Mike, one other thing, quickly. News about the Second Mile charity that Sandusky founded. What do we know about it?
GALANOS: Well, there was some talk yesterday maybe the organization is folding. That is on the table. The Second Mile, again this charity founded by Jerry Sandusky in 1977. It's helped a lot of kids, T.J. Here are the three options they have.
One, they may scale down, operate at a reduced level. They're working with donors and supporters. Number two, they may basically disband and basically farm out their operations to other charities. Or number three, and that means they will fold and they're done.
I had a chance to see some kids at a Second Mile event just a couple of nights ago. Just these kids, it was a nice activity, working with some of the Penn State students. A lot of kids have been helped. They say 100,000 per year. So we'll see what happens with that.
HOLMES: Michael Galanos there for us. Mike, thank you once again.
Joe Paterno's son is speaking out about this child sex abuse scandal. The son, Jay is still an assistant coach at Penn State. He was talking to ESPN about how their lives have just been turned upside down the past couple of weeks and says his father though want to keep the focus on the victims.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY PATERNO, SON OF JOE PATERNO, PENN STATE ASST. COACH: Pretty surreal. Like the book of Job. I'm not a bible scholar by any stretch of the imagination. But Job went from having everything to having nothing. It's not quite like that. But I think to keep things in perspective, one of the things that Joe has said to me throughout all this, we got to make sure we keep focus on the victims of this whole tragedy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Paterno family says the family -- Paterno says the family learned yesterday that he had that treatable form of lung cancer, as you heard from Mike Galanos just alluding to. So still a lot happening there at Penn State.
One other thing the school has to deal with is trying to get the reputation back. We'll be talking to someone here who will be my guest about how Penn State can go about trying to rescue its reputation.
Also, we'll turn to Syracuse and a university basketball coach there. Says the allegations that he molested two boys is patently false. Bernie Fine is now on administrative leave, a former ball boy who is now 39 years old says Fine molested him hundreds of times over 20 years. He says he told Syracuse police about it six years ago. The university actually investigated the 2005 claim but found no evidence to back it up. Fine says he's confident that his reputation will be restored. Meanwhile, a former Syracuse quarterback talked about the allegations and the investigation with our Erin Burnett.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON MCPHERSON, FMR. SYRACUSE QUARTERBACK: You take these kinds of accusations very, very seriously. I think that's what the university has done by putting him on leave and going through what is another investigation. I think the troublesome part of this is that it comes on the heels of a very explosive case at Penn State that involved a grand jury investigation.
In this case, we don't have that proof. We have a story that did -- was revealed several years ago, investigated and found to be nothing and now we have this second kind of claim that --
ERIN BURNETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A relative of the first person.
MCPHERSON: A relative of the first person. Where this concerns me most is that it clouds the issue of child sexual abuse as something that happens in these big time sports environments and not something that happens on an everyday basis. I think stories like this tend to cloud the issue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Bernie Fine has been an assistant coach at the Syracuse school with the basketball team for the past 35 years. We're at 13 minutes past the hour.
I want you maybe to you turn up the volume just a bit on your television and pay close attention to what we're about to roll for you. This is a doll, a doll that's on store shelves right now. It's a popular toy but the controversy is about what the doll, a talking doll actually says. I want you to listen to it and you come to your own conclusion. Let's listen together.
We're going to play it for you again, kind of hard to catch there. But a lot of people think it's clear what the doll is saying and if the doll is saying what they think the doll is saying, then why in the world would anybody buy this thing for their child. We'll have this whole controversy coming up.
Also the man allegedly tried to shoot the president. So why did he send a tape of himself to Oprah Winfrey? We'll be taking a look at his message.
But, right now let's say good morning to Reynolds Wolf. Hey there, kind sir.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I got to follow those two stories?
HOLMES: Yes. You better bring it man. WOLF: Oh my gosh, I better. I'll tell you what. Today we're going to be seeing some incredible weather in parts of the country like say Miami or even Tampa where. highs are going to be in the 80s. It's going to feel like a beautiful fall day. But in other parts of the country, it is a winter wallop, especially in portions the central plains, northern plains and the upper Midwest. All of that's coming up ahead. What was that doll saying? He was saying he didn't want snow, just guessing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Quarter past the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Give you a look at some of the stories making news cross-country. We begin with a chain reaction crash in Oceanside, California.
Take a look at this scene. An SUV embedded in a vacant building. Police say it rear ended two other cars triggering the accident. The SUV then jumped a curb, hit a 59-year old man before careening into the building. The pedestrian was airlifted to a local hospital. Local reports say he was seriously injured. The SUV's driver, taken to the Camp Pendleton naval hospital and two Marines, passengers in one of the vehicles, wound up with minor injuries.
In Georgetown, South Carolina, a sinkhole swallowed up a foundation of this building in a shopping mall causing it to partially collapse. You can see what's left of the roof and walls. No injuries, but cleanup work will be happening all weekend. Firefighters had started to inspect other buildings after spotting several new smaller sinkholes.
This may be going a bit too far. We all know that the day after Thanksgiving is known as black Friday. That's when the stores have all those really good deals. But can you believe people are already camping out for Friday's deals? This is what it looks like outside one Best Buy store in St. Petersburg, Florida. One family pitched their tent on Monday. They're not moving until they get a good deal on a TV.
Well, should a videotape sent to Oprah Winfrey have raised any red flags about a potential presidential assassin? A man named Oscar Ortega allegedly took a shot at the Obama's window with an assault rifle. The Obamas weren't home at the time. Ortega was in court Thursday to face charges of attempted assassin but now the Secret Service is taking a look, a closer look at a tape. It's a tape Ortega sent to Oprah Winfrey. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see, Oprah, there is still so much more that God needs me to express to the world. It's not just a coincidence that I look like Jesus. I am the modern day Jesus Christ that you all have been waiting for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Ortega, apparently wanted to be a guest on Oprah's show. He's now in Federal custody awaiting his next court appearance in Washington.
Coming up next, Minnesota bracing for its first snowfall of the season. Reynolds Wolf will give us the very latest as we take a live look at Minneapolis. Good morning to you all there. We'll be checking in with Reynolds in here in just a moment.
But at 18 past the hour and something a little later where we talked about here, but you all have been talking about throughout the morning with me. Been chiming in and talking about this high school coach in Kansas City who is on administrative leave but some want him fired for a comment he made to a student caught and it was caught on camera.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEREK HOWARD, COACH, WINNETONKA HIGH SCHOOL: Future welfare recipient. Who?
MARCUS WILLIAMS JR, SENIOR, WINNETONKA HIGH SCHOOL: Who?
HOWARD: Who? Students who don't get good grades.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The student who caught that on camera says the coach has harassed him over the years and this might have been the last straw, saying the student was going to end up on welfare if you don't get your grades up. But is apology enough in this story? We'll have that for you and your comments later. Stay with us on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We're at 20 minutes past the hour. We're about to check in with Reynolds Wolf here in just a second because he's going to be talking about this massive wildfire that's still going out in western Nevada and weather has been playing a role in this thing.
As many as 10,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes. Also know that at least 25 homes sustained some kind of damage from the fire. Reno fire officials said they may have prevented as many as 4,000 homes from being burned in this wind fueled wildfire. The areas had wind gusts as high 85 miles an hour.
Reynolds, you were saying this to me earlier. You don't think about it. Wind gusts, we're talking about hurricane strength winds whipping up a fire.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: That's all? I usually come with something a little more. Just T.J.?
WOLF: I feel bad now. Is it kind much anti-climactic.
HOLMES: A little bit.
WOLF: I'm just going to let you take it.
HOLMES: Have another opportunity throughout the morning.
WOLF: I'm sure I will.
HOLMES: All right, 23 past the hour now. Coming up after a break, making sure kids grow up tech savvy. Look at some unique apps designed to get young people hooked on programming. Also, little later, we still have almost a week until black Friday. What deal is worth camping out for a week in front of a Best Buy? I'll tell you. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We're coming up on the bottom of the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. If you want a job these days, more likely you are going to need some computer and tech skills. According to the Computer Science Teachers Association, just 31 percent of its members teach in schools where students are required to take introductory computer science classes. If that few are required, how do you really get young people interested in learning more?
Digital life expert Mario Armstrong joins me now, got some hands-on apps that can get kids hooked, is the word hooked on the possibilities of technology.
What do you mean by that?
MARIO ARMSTRONG, CNN DIGITAL LIFESTYLE EXPERT: Yes, that is the word of the day. Thanks for showing that statistic, T.J. Very good homework and research on your part to pull that out there. That's important. We are trying to hook these kids to get them interested into these 21st century jobs. The bottom line is if you can't know how to program or understand what it means to program, it's going to be tough for kids to really compete in the 21st century and be able to get the job that they really want. That's what (ph) parents and care- givers want for our kids.
HOLMES: OK, let's turn to this first app. It's important to note here because we think of this generation anyway as being so tech savvy if you will. They have all got the devices and they got the computers, all this stuff. But that's not exactly what we're talking about here . We're talking about getting young people into programming and explain what that is and what this first app and how it helps.
ARMSTRONG: This first app is made by Carnegie Mellon University researchers. It's called Alice. The website is alice.org, a-l-i-c-e. Essentially T.J., what it teaches young kids from middle school and high school is a nice little interface where they can click and drag on the screen and create characters, create animation.
But when they click and drag, just by using their mouse, they also get to see the programming language that's associated with those movements. Thereby they start to really understand really quickly how the program and what the coding would happen, what the coding would need in order to make those events happen.
HOLMES: OK.
ARMSTRONG: It's courseware for teachers and it's all free and you can download it at home or use it in the classroom.
HOLMES: That's cool. It's one thing to just do it, but you can see what's going on behind the scenes that made that happen. Another one here, kids will be into this, creating animated stories and sharing them on the web.
ARMSTRONG: This one is made by Scratch. It's what's called scratch. It's made by MIT researchers, scratch.mit.edu, kind of same thing but a little bit different. You can create your own interactive stories. So not only can you create characters and animations, but you can also give a storyline to that, a whole plot to that and then you can share it so that other kids can remix your work. You see a lot of collaboration, a lot of mathematical concepts being done. It's just a really good way to get kids excited about something they want to do, but then learn these mathematical computations behind the scenes.
HOLMES: Another thing here, MIT, this is cool, offering free online courses?
ARMSTRONG: This is big, man. For you, me or even down to the kids, MIT has something called open courseware. They have a really smart section for kids in high school that want -- these are MIT courses that are available online. You cannot get a degree doing this. But you can take all of these courses on the Web free of charge.
It's amazing that MIT has made this resource available. And not enough people know that it exist. And if you want to prepare your kids from high school for what college level work it's going to be like. It's a great source for that or even for home-schooling.
HOLMES: I am going to get on that just so I can say I'm taking courses at MIT.
ARMSTRONG: Right, right.
HOLMES: I'm signing up.
ARMSTRONG: Just take a communications course, right.
HOLMES: That sounds good.
Mario we're going to have to leave it there but folks you know where to find us. You know where to find Mario right here every Saturday at this time; our digital lifestyle guide, Mario Armstrong, with the latest on technology.
ARMSTRONG: Thanks T.J.
HOLMES: Mario good to see you always all right. ARMSTRONG: You too, my friend.
HOLMES: Well, we're right at the bottom of the hour now and we are on the road in Iowa and the majority -- the majority of the Republican presidential field will be there today for a pretty big event. But somebody will not be there. We'll tell you who. We'll tell you why.
Plus, this morning, the death of a Hollywood star ruled an accident 30 years ago; now police have reopened the case. We will have the very latest on the Natalie Wood death investigation.
Stay with us on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well about 34 minutes past the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Thank you so much for spending some time here with us. Let me get you caught up on some of the stories we're keeping a close an eye on.
Libya's "Most Wanted" now in custody, in military custody. The son of former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has now been captured. Libyan military officials say Saif al Islam, the second eldest son of the former strong man, was captured near the country's border with Algeria. We haven't been able to independently authenticate the photo you are seeing there.
Also President Obama due home tomorrow after his tour of Asia. But an Australian reporter claims to have found a pretty embarrassing security slip-up. The reporter says he discovered the President's itinerary and security detail in the gutter outside Australia's Parliament building shortly after the President's visit there. No word from the Secret Service or the White House on this.
Also "Breaking Dawn", the latest installment of the Twilight vampire romance saga hit big screens across the country yesterday. Thursday night showing reportedly raked in more than $30 million.
Now, an important event today with Republican presidential hopefuls; our Paul Steinhauser tells us why most of the candidates are in Iowa and why one in particular is not.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Hey, good morning T.J. With just over six weeks to go until the Iowa caucuses, the campaign spotlight is back on the stage that kicks off presidential primary and caucus calendar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. RICK PERRY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm always reminded when I show up in Iowa you know the pundits always think they're the ones that pick the presidents. No, it's people of Iowa who pick the presidents.
(END VIDEO CLIP) STEINHAUSER: Texas Governor Rick Perry along with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, businessman Herman Cain, Congressman Ron Paul, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and former Senator Rick Santorum; they all speak today at a forum hosted by an influential Family Values Group.
You know social conservative voters will have a big say in determining which Republican presidential candidate wins Iowa's January 3rd caucuses.
While most of the GOP White House hopefuls will be in the Hawkeye State today, Mitt Romney will not. The Former Massachusetts Governor is making a second bid for the Republican nomination. He'll be campaigning in New Hampshire which votes second in the race for the White House -- T.J.
HOLMES: And a reminder to you, Tuesday night on CNN, the Republicans running for president will gather in Washington, D.C. for a presidential debate on national security and the economy. CNN is putting this on and we're getting some help; co-sponsored by the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute. That's Tuesday, 8:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
Turning to California now, where 30 years after actress Natalie Wood drowned off Catalina Island, police are reopening the case.
Our Kareen Wynter is in Los Angeles.
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: T.J., the Los Angeles County sheriff's department says Wood's husband at the time Robert Wagner, who was on the yacht the night she died, they say he is not a suspect. But still, this hasn't stopped investigators from taking a second look at this mysterious case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WYNTER (voice-over): Natalie Wood was one of the most popular, sought after actresses in Hollywood which made her death in 1981 at just 43 years old all the more shocking and for some, inexplicable. Sheriff's officials were vague Friday about what led to the reopening of the investigation after 30 years.
LT. JOHN CORINA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Recently, we have received information which we felt was substantial enough to make us take another look at this case.
WYNTER: It was Thanksgiving weekend 1981 when Wood and her actor husband Robert Wagner went sailing on their yacht the "Splendor". They were joined by actor and friend Christopher Walken. That Saturday night Wagner and Walken apparently got into a heated argument. A short time later, Wagner notified the fourth person on the yacht, Captain Dennis Davern, that Wood was not on board. On Friday, Davern told CNN he thought she might have tried to take the yacht's dingy to shore.
DENNIS DAVERN, FORMER CAPTAIN, "THE SPLENDOR": And I said to Robert Wagner, and I said well you know let's -- let's turn on the searchlight to see if we can see her. And he said no, we don't want to do that right now.
WYNTER: Natalie Wood was discovered hours later dressed in a nightgown and socks floating a mile from the yacht. The autopsy revealed dozens of bruises on her body. Still the coroner sought to quashed rumors Wood was killed or committed suicide, insisting "The Splendor in the Grass" star died of accidental drowning.
Was alcohol to blame? An autopsy showed Wood had an alcohol blood level of .14. Even more perplexing, Wood once told an interviewer her greatest fear was dark sea water. And her sister Lana, later claimed Natalie didn't even know how to swim. 30 years later, the question remains. How did Natalie Wood end up floating in the Pacific?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WYNTER: As for Dennis Davern the captain of that yacht, well investigators say they want to talk to him and hear what he has to say T.J., this time around.
HOLMES: All right. Thanks as always for our Kareen Wynter and Natalie's sister Lana Wood spoke exclusively with our Piers Morgan last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LANA WOOD, NATALIE WOOD'S SISTER: I would prefer to always believe that R.J. would never do anything to hurt Natalie and that he loved her dearly, which he did. And I don't believe that whatever went on was deliberate. I've always cared about him. I always will care about him.
And I would prefer to continue living the -- the prior explanations, but I don't think that's going to happen. And it's, as I said, very painful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well the R.J. there she is referring to is Robert Wagner. Now, her sister, Wood and Wagner married in 1957, divorced five years later and then remarried in 1972.
Now meanwhile, for Wagner a spokesman for him had this to say after the public announcement. Quote, "Although no one in the Wagner family has heard from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department about this matter, they fully support the efforts of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department."
Well we're at 49 minutes or 40 minutes I should say past the hour now. Your "Morning Passport" is coming up. And when you think Zulu, what do you think? Images of warriors wearing intimidating leopard skins maybe but would you look at them any differently if they were wearing fake fur. That is coming up.
Also, Black Friday is coming up. You know you're going to be out there. But what about these folks out there this early? What could be worst camping out for a week in front of a Best Buy? We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well it's 42 minutes pas the hour now. Let's say good morning to our Nadia Bilchik this morning for our "Morning Passport". And we're talking about fake furs here. We're not talking about the way people might think we're about to talk about. We're talking about the Zulus of South Africa.
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Well we're actually talking about a wildcat conservation group called Panthera.
HOLMES: OK.
BILCHIK: And they are focusing on the Shembe church which is actually a combination of Zulu culture and Christianity.
And the Shembe as you can see wear the leopard skin in ceremonies and the concern by this very proactive conservation group is "we are concerned about the long-term survival of the African leopard". So as you can see, they wear these exquisite leopard skins.
HOLMES: It's all genuine this is the real deal.
BILCHIK: It's all genuine. And the Panthera has got together and said what can we do? Well, we can come up with an unbelievable product; a product that looks as close to leopard skin as leopard. And you know those dark dots on the leopard skin, they're known as (INAUDIBLE) very beautiful in the way their actually situated.
So this group and -- particularly a young man called Tristan Dickerson who is a conservation biologist and the leopard program coordinator and I spoke to him literally four minutes ago.
And he's so excited. Because what you're seeing there is real leopard skin and he said that right now within a week, they will come up with what is synthetic but looks -- he said from the where you and I are sitting you will not be able to see the difference.
HOLMES: So they -- they are still in the process of putting this together?
BILCHIK: Well literally he said in two weeks the product will be out there.
HOLMES: Two weeks.
BILCHIK: But now the question is how do you convince the Shembe church and remember the mixture of Zulu culture and Christianity and they're around five million in Africa.
HOLMES: Oh wow.
BILCHIK: It's not only South Africa, it's in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. How do you convince them that the fake fur will have the power of the leopard skin? So think about a leopard pound for pound, has the most power of any other wildcat. They're very stealthy. They take their prey often double their weight up a tree so the leopard is a symbol of wisdom. So do you get the same effect wearing fake as you do real?
HOLMES: See that have we gotten any reaction from that side, from the Zulus, because like you say this is not just aesthetic for them. They're not just wearing it because they think it looks beautiful. There's a lot behind it.
BILCHIK: Well, Tristan said both. He said actually a lot of them do wear it because it's so exquisite. So one would think it's because of the wisdom. But he said having done numerous interviews part of it is that it is so incredibly magnificent when you look at the leopard skin and the sheen.
So he really believes that if they come up with this product, that he will convince the leaders. Now, think about the price. A real leopard skin is around $500. You can have the fake for just 60.
HOLMES: Oh OK.
BILCHIK: Now there's a saying. I'll say it to you.
HOLMES: All right.
BILCHIK: And may the power of the leopard be with you.
HOLMES: All right, then. We got a couple of weeks. We can get a follow-up on this one in a couple of weeks, then.
BILCHIK: Absolutely. I'll get you your own leopard skin something.
HOLMES: How do you know I don't have a closet full of leopard skin? Just kidding.
Nadia, thank you so much with our "Morning Passport". We'll talk to you again this morning.
We're a quarter of the top of the hour.
Now, Black Friday just around the corner, actually it's about a week away. You see this every year. But why? Why do you camp out for a week to get a deal on what, a big screen TV? We'll show you what this couple is up to and what they're after.
Stay with us on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. We're about a quarter of the top of the hour.
Tough economy these days, holidays are coming up. You do what you got to do to save a buck. But would you pitch a tent on a sidewalk days before, actually about a week before, the big Black Friday sale? Well, a couple in St. Petersburg, Florida did that. Brad Davis of our affiliate, WFTS with their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRAD DAVIS, REPORTER, WFTS: No. This is not an Occupy Best Buy tent. Just some bargain hunters wanting to occupy the first place in line for the Black Friday door busters.
TITO HERNANDEZ, WAITING FOR BLACK FRIDAY: We got our master window here.
CHRISTINE ORTA, WAITING FOR BLACK FRIDAY: Side view.
HERNANDEZ: Then we got the side view.
DAVIS: Meet Tito Hernandez and Christine Orta, they're camping out in front of the Tyrone Square Best Buy store in St. Pete.
HERNANDEZ: Well, we got here on Monday, Monday night. We set up tents and our game plan is to stay here until about Thursday, Thursday afternoon.
JADE ESPARZA, BEST BUY GENERAL MANAGER: It's great. We think it's fantastic and we welcome everyone to come out.
DAVIS: Spending extended periods of time in a tent surrounded by concrete can be challenging.
HERNANDEZ: It's not easy. It is hot.
DAVIS: As the time passes and people come and go, the tent becomes shaded. But that doesn't keep customers from turning up the heat with opinions.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's crazy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I could not believe that somebody would wait out here for three, four, five days just for the Black Friday event.
ORTA: It's not the hottest thing I've done but it's pretty crazy. It's different.
DAVIS: Now, what's really going to make the campers happy is if they're the first ones in line to be able to come through the door and get their hands-on a flat screen TV.
ORTA: Interested in the 42 and 55, but mostly the 55 -- similar to the one right above here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: What if they don't get it? What if you wait all that time and you don't get the TV? We'll follow-up with them next weekend.
We're about 12 minutes of the top of the hour now. And up next, Wilson Ramos is back with his teammates after being kidnapped at gunpoint in his native Venezuela. We'll tell you what doctors are saying after they gave him a physical.
Stay with us on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: About nine minutes now of the top of the hour. Let's say good morning to our Joe Carter joining us from HLN Sports. Good to have you as always
JOE CARTER, HLN SPORTS: Good to be here.
HOLMES: Much different story we're talking about with Wilson Ramos than we were a couple of weeks ago.
CARTER: I mean what a story, right? It's kind of like straight out of a Hollywood script. Wilson Ramos safe and sound, home in Washington; he actually met with team doctors yesterday. They gave him a physical, clean bill of health. There he is in the locker room, hugging teammates.
And it's just last week that he was kidnapped at gun point, held captive for two days in the Venezuelan mountains. Police commandos had to swoop in, and rescue him. They traded shots with the kidnappers. I mean right out of a Hollywood script.
He said that he feels like he is reborn after being rescued and getting a second chance at life. It's an incredible story. He looks great when you consider what he's been through. Actually, looks like he might have put on a few pounds when we first saw him when he was first rescued.
HOLMES: But did he check out with his doctor? You said he had a physical, right.
CARTER: Yes. They said -- the doctors say he's in great shape was their quote and they said that he's in great spirits.
HOLMES: All right.
Let's turn now to something we saw last night. All eyes were kind of on this Oklahoma State game. Number two team in the country, football team. But they're playing right after the tragedy of the head women's basketball coach and another coach in a plane crash.
CARTER: Yes and an assistant coach. Thursday the plane went down just outside of Little Rock, Arkansas. And last night the team took the football field obviously with heavy hearts. They played in Ames, Iowa. They came into this game ranked second in the country unbeaten and then you're playing against unranked -- some look to this as a trap game -- unranked Iowa State, they upset them in double overtime, 37-31.
So now we're looking at this as who is going to play in the national championship game. It really shakes things up because you really only have one undefeated team that's going to be in it. They remain undefeated and that's LSU. You have all the one loss teams now that are eyeing the prize. It's a beauty contest to see who's going to get in the national championship game.
And I know Arkansas is one of those teams on the list. You've got Oklahoma. You have several, Oklahoma State, having one loss. Alabama is on that list as well. LSU-Alabama rematch, you like that?
HOLMES: That will not happen. LSU will not finish the season undefeated. They're losing to the Razorbacks next weekend.
CARTER: I'm asking the wrong guy.
HOLMES: You're asking the wrong guy. This is one time a journalist will not be objective, all right.
Reynolds, it's game day, come on in here.
WOLF: Yes, it is, T.J.
HOLMES: There's a couple of big ones; there are always a few big games over the weekend. I'll always ask this first. Weather going to be a problem with any of these games?
WOLF: You know, I'll tell you it's going to be very cold in Austin Stadium where the Ducks are going to be playing tonight.
Take a look at this. Let's get the forecast started. That's going to be one of the interesting contests. I mean USC has been kind of on the precipice. This should be an interesting game, it always is very competitive. Kickoff is at 8:00 p.m.
The wind I think is going to get a little bit stronger by halftime with temperatures at 37 degrees. So very, very cool there.
Oklahoma and Baylor, Oklahoma completely out of it, they still have to play Oklahoma State. But since Oklahoma State lost last night, this is kind of interesting. Kickoff is at 8:00 p.m. Temperatures, 72; winds are going to be stronger later on in the game.
Mississippi State and Arkansas, playing in Little Rock; not in Fayetteville, Little Rock for this one.
HOLMES: We do a couple of games down there to give more people in the state a chance to get there.
WOLF: What do you prefer between those --
HOLMES: Fayetteville.
WOLF: Yes, I would think so. Reynolds Stadium kind of with the big boys.
Conditions there on the screen, should be kind of interesting there too. But those are a couple of the matchups we have tonight.
HOLMES: Should be interesting. All right. Gentlemen, thank you both.
Did you all -- I didn't see all you there; the Soul -- through BET -- Soul Train Music Awards. You going there this week.
WOLF: Did not get the invitation.
HOLMES: No, no. Sorry.
But would you all believe -- you all will believe the Soul Train Awards, who steals the show once again? Look. Wolf Blitzer at the BET Soul Train Awards; but why is Wolf Blitzer the star of the show? We will explain here in a moment
Also a little later, I've been reading your comments this morning and lot of you have some opinions about this when a high school coach in Kansas is now on administrative leave and a racial harassment complaint filed against him after he tells a student that the student is going to end up as a future welfare recipient.
We'll explain the story. Have some your comments.
Stay with us on this Saturday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. As we get closer to the top of the hour, we're going to reset, give you a look at your top stories.
But first a little fun here and Reynolds we missed you. We missed you Thursday night. At one place I knew you were going to be, I was going to see you at the Soul Train Music Awards.
WOLF: I would have been there in a heartbeat. Just to know --
HOLMES: Look, we had a blast.
WOLF: I know that guy. I know that lady.
HOLMES: Yes. I found a hot date, didn't I?
Malcolm Jamaal Warner there; he's the star of a new BET show. You see Common standing next to him. That's Shaquille O'Neal's ex-wife there. She was on the red carpet. There's -- that (INAUDIBLE) -- he put on the show. That's Morris Day. He performed.
Melissa was there as well. Morris Day any time probably the best show of the evening was that performance.
WOLF: Really. That says a whole lot.
HOLMES: It says a lot. It does. They were impressive. But the other star of the show -- look at this folks -- the Wolf Pack. All right. You see this. That's Wolf over there. You see Malcolm Jamaal Warner. But you see our Fredricka Whitfield, you see Brooke Baldwin there as well. But Wolf walked in with those three, OK, called them his Wolf Pack.
WOLF: It works. It works for me. I'll buy it, sure.
HOLMES: There he is. Yes.
They love Wolf at this awards show. Last year he did the Dougie a dance up on stage. This year he got a little rap, a little beat box.
There's Wolf.
He did a drum solo, beat boxing and rapping. Yes, the whole --
WOLF: Do you have any video of that?
HOLMES: Well, the show hasn't aired yet.
WOLF: I see.
HOLMES: So we don't have the video of it but we'll get it for you.
WOLF: I think it will probably air a few times.
HOLMES: It certainly will.
WOLF: Wall to wall.
HOLMES: We'll do it during the Republican debate next week.
WOLF: Whatever it takes, man.
HOLMES: Reynolds, thank you. We're crossing the top of the hour. We'll check in with Reynolds here again in a second. Let me reset this thing for you on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Give you a look at some of the things we're keeping a close eye on.
