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CNN Saturday Morning News

Planned Suicide Bomb Attack on U.S. Capitol Thwarted; Gingrich Campaigning in Georgia; New Hope Baptist Church Getting Ready For Houston's Funeral; Properly Setting Up Your Will For Your Family; Whitney Houston in Her Own Words

Aired February 18, 2012 - 07:00   ET

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

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. it's 7:00 am in Atlanta, 6:00 am in Houston, Texas; 4:00 am in San Francisco. Good morning, I'm Gary Tuchman.

It's a sad day for family and friends of Whitney Houston. The funeral for the pop-star will be held in Newark, New Jersey. We will take you there live and hear from her closest friends.

And Whitney Houston's death has many of us thinking about our own mortality. Our financial analyst Clyde Anderson has tips on setting up last wills and testaments.

Plus, a 29-year-old man is arrested for an alleged plot to blow up a U.S. Capitol building, and the FBI is watching every one of his moves. We'll take you live to D.C.

So, about that foiled plot to attack the U.S. Capitol building with a suicide bomb. A 29-year-old man from Morocco arrested and he was wearing a dummy suicide vest. He's charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.

CNN's Athena Jones is live in Washington.

Athena, good morning to you. How long was the FBI looking out for this guy?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Gary.

They were watching him for quite some time. He first came to their attention back in January, 2011 when an informant came and told the FBI that this man, Aminie El Khalifi took part in a meeting in a house in Arlington, Virginia, across the river from D.C. That meeting allegedly took place on January 11, 2011.

During the meeting, one individual produced what is alleged to look like an AK- 47, a revolver. There was a discussion that the war on terror was a war on Muslims. El Khalifi expressed agreement with this idea and said the group need to be ready for war. Another point, he's alleged to have said he would be happy killing 30 people.

So they were watching him for some time. It wasn't until December of last year that El Khalifi was introduced to an undercover agent who helped begin the next stages of the plot where he helped begin the next stages of the plot, whether synagogues, at one point he wanted to attack military installations and settled on the U.S. Capitol.

TUCHMAN: Is he stupid, the FBI smart or is it a combination of both?

JONES: They have been watching him for a long time. They thought he was talking to people connected to al Qaeda. He thought he had been given, you know, yesterday an operable suicide vest and an operable Mac-10. This is a weapon he wanted to have to shoot down resistance he might have faced at the capital yesterday had he ended up going there. So certainly, the FBI was able to take advantage of the confidential informants. I guess more details will emerge.

In many ways, what's frightening is this is a man who entered the U.S. legally back in 1999, overstayed his visa and fast forward to now and you have this man plotting to kill 30 or more people here in the nation's capital, Gary.

TUCHMAN: It is scary.

Athena Jones reporting from Washington, thank you very much.

JONES: Thanks.

TUCHMAN: Wages are going up by as much as 25 percent at a Chinese factory that makes Apple iPads and iPhones. It's called Foxconn. An independent labor relations group arrived at the factory to take a look at the factory. It included representatives from Apple. They come under fire following a rash of suicides and death reports by CNN. Workers will now make $400 a month, 100 bucks a week.

An hour ago, Pope Benedict XVI added 22 new cardinals to the Catholic culture. Among them, New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan from New York. The so-called princes of the church have the responsibility of picking a new pope.

Investigators are looking at the cause of this huge fire in an oil refinery in northwest Washington state. The BP refinery is the biggest in the region. It took several hours to get the blaze under control. Fortunately, nobody was hurt.

President Obama is expected to sign the payroll tax holiday extension on Saturday. The compromise bill passed by the House and Senate means you will get to keep $1,000 more of your paycheck this year. The other part of the law extends unemployment benefits, but changes the cap for long term benefits from 99 weeks. It will now be no more than 73 weeks.

Newt Gingrich has been taking a beating in recent Republican contests and in recent polls, but he's found a good place to possibly regroup, home. He's here in the state of Georgia today where he served in Congress. Georgia is his home state and it's a Super Tuesday state.

Political reporter Shawna has been following the Gingrich campaign. She joins me for a rare in-studio appearance. I say rare because she's in the field and works hard and knows politics. It's good to see you in Atlanta covering Newt Gingrich here in Atlanta.

SHAWNA SHEPHERD, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Thank you. It's nice to be here.

TUCHMAN: What is the mood now. It's topsy-turvy with Gingrich. I wonder if he knows the moment of truth is about to arrive.

SHEPHERD: The race is like a roller coaster. The ups and downs. Last night was his first rally in Georgia. He's energized. He gets a lot of energy and feeds off the crowds. He's glad to be back and, you know, he's hoping Georgia will be a success for him.

TUCHMAN: I don't anticipate he's going to do well in Michigan. It looks like a two-man race between Santorum and Mitt Romney. Is it essential to win here in Georgia on Super Tuesday?

SHEPHERD: I think so. He is going to Michigan next week. So, you know, he's not completely conceding the state to Santorum and Romney. As far as Georgia goes, it's going to be huge for him. It has the most delegates on Super Tuesday. He needs to make a push and promote as many delegates as he can. If he doesn't win his home state, it's clearly disappointing for him.

TUCHMAN: When I was with you for a couple Gingrich events, he always sounds very confident. Does he still?

SHEPHERD: He often says he's going to, you know, he tries to focus on the positive message and not talk about his candidates. Reporters are often asking him about them. You know, he -- he tends to hedge a little bit last night when asked about how well he would do in Georgia. So, you know, it seems like he's lowering -- maybe lowering expectations a little bit. He needs to get, if he can get more than 50 percent of the votes in Georgia, he can take home the 76 delegates.

TUCHMAN: It's nice seeing you in person.

SHEPHERD: You, too.

TUCHMAN: Good talking to you.

We are going to take a live look at Newark, New Jersey this morning. This is the church Whitney Houston attended as a little girl and where she'll be remembered today at her funeral service. The family is getting ready. We'll go live to Newark for the final preparations and listen to what her close friends have to say.

Dangerous storms across the south. Reynolds Wolf is keeping an eye on it.

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Weather conditions are the opposite in Newark. You saw the live shot where skies look almost crystal clear on the gulf coast, a different scenario. Storms developing. By the time the day is over, possibly tornadoes.

You are watching CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TUCHMAN: Great song.

New Hope Baptist Church, Newark, New Jersey is where friends and family will gather for Whitney Houston's final homecoming. With heartfelt gratitude. Fans across the country, even the world remembered Houston this week. Many people have yet to realize what impact losing such a talent will have.

Jason Carroll joins us from New Jersey.

What is the latest there?

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a number of police have started to gather in front of the New Hope Baptist Church in preparation of what is to come later today.

Yesterday, was an emotional moment. Not far from here, at a funeral home there was a private viewing for the Houston family. It was close family, close friends. We saw Cissy Houston show up, Bobbi Kristina, Whitney Houston's mentor was there as well. The roads were blocked to give the family privacy during this time.

Back at the New Hope Baptist Church, a number of people are showing up. Whitney Houston's fans coming out to honor her. This area has been blocked off. Later on, it will be invited guests only. Yesterday, was everyone's opportunity who loved Whitney Houston to come lay the final flowers, the balloons, give the final wishes.

Much is said about what who is coming out to honor Whitney Houston. Aretha Franklin will lend her voice, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder; also, a gospel singer named Kim Berrell. She's known Houston for 13 years. She's going to sing a song called "I Believe In You and Me." She told me why that song was chosen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIM BERRELL, GOSPEL SINGER: All her songs were special to her. I think the family chose that because that's the song that I dedicated to her as a tribute on a television show. But, the words are personalized. I recorded it and I'm going to sing it as if I were singing it to her like I did that night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Just last year, Gary, Kim Berrell and Whitney Houston sang together. Gospel music was near and dear to her heart. She sang in the choir. Gospel music was in her roots. I'm sure we'll hear gospel music later tonight as people lend their voices and thoughts to Whitney Houston.

TUCHMAN: Do authorities have an idea how many every day people are expected to gather outside the church or near the church as the memorial service takes place?

CARROLL: It's anyone's guess, Gary. So many people here in the community felt connected to Whitney Houston. She was the superstar that never forget her roots. A lot of people may not have known her personally, they at least knew of her. They are keeping the area blocked off. The closest anyone for the public might be able to get to where I'm standing now is two blocks away.

It's anyone's guess who will come out inside the church. It seats 1,500 people. The pastor expect as packed house -- Gary.

TUCHMAN: We are showing a live picture of the people gathering already and the service doesn't start for five hours. Lots of police in blue. Originally, there was talk the prudential stadium, 19,000 seats was going to be the place. That would have been a security nightmare I imagine.

CARROLL: Absolutely, without question. Beyond that, the family didn't want a spectacle. They wanted it to be a private, intimate send off for Whitney Houston for those who knew and loved her best. No disrespect to the fans. That's why they decided to allow one camera inside to share Whitney with the world.

TUCHMAN: Completely understood.

Jason Carroll, thank you very much.

Remember CNN will have special coverage that comes your way. Our coverage begins at 11:00 Eastern time.

Coming up next, Reynolds Wolf has the forecast. It could be a very wet weekend for some.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TUCHMAN: It's 16 minutes past the hour. Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is back with a check of the forecast. Reynolds?

WOLF: The situation on the gulf coast is easy to see. It's painted well. It's all over the heaviest thunderstorms over Texas back in Louisiana. Very, very tense rainfall. With the tense rain, the ground will be saturated then you have the runoff and flooding. We have the flood threat in parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, Florida and before the day is out, maybe Georgia. Two to four inches possible. It's not the only thing we may be dealing with. Into the afternoon, a chance of tornadoes along the gulf coast.

We'll keep an eye on the situation. We have that and more coming up straight ahead. You are watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TUCHMAN: The death of Whitney Houston serves as a reminder that life is so uncertain. It may serve as a reminder to families how important it is to plan for a loved one's death. Clyde Anderson is here.

Thank you for joining us.

CLYDE ANDERSON, CNN FINANCIAL ANALYST: Nice to be here.

TUCHMAN: It's never too early to plan for death. ANDERSON: You need to have a will set aside. A lot of people think you need to be millionaires to have a will. You don't. You have a home, assets.

TUCHMAN: How early should you draft a will? Wait until you are married with a partner or children?

ANDERSON: Once you get into the work force and buy a home. You want to make sure you -- when you accumulate assets, have it in place. Where is the house going to go? It may not be a wife or spouse or children, but a family member. Don't get that in probate and it's messy and they decide where your assets go.

TUCHMAN: How much should you pay for it and how do you do it? It's not like you can go on the internet and draft a will or can you?

ANDERSON: You can. That's the amazing thing about technology. You can. An attorney generally charges $500 to $1,000 to draft a will. Online, you can do it for $19.95.

TUCHMAN: How do you know if it's reputable?

ANDERSON: There's a lot of websites with a good track record, LegalZoom and nolo.com. They provide legal documents and a low cost. Consult an attorney if your situation is different. Maybe you have stepchildren or on your second marriage, homes out of state that you share. Maybe you have a business. They are not cookie cutter situations that fit into the box. Make sure your situation works.

TUCHMAN: To reiterate, there's no concern an online will won't hold up in court?

ANDERSON: Exactly. If you are looking, go to a reputable site. Some charge a service to have it reviewed to meet all the standards. They will make sure of that. Have somebody look over it as well. Know who the heirs are, an executor of the will. Make sure they are not in the will.

TUCHMAN: If you don't have a will, what is the downside if something bad happens?

ANDERSON: Generally, everything you own could go to probate and get held up for a long period of time. They make the decision of where your assets go instead of you having the power to make the decision. Take control over that. It's something we don't want to think about but it's crucial.

TUCHMAN: Do you have a will?

ANDERSON: Definitely. I have three daughters. They have to be protected.

TUCHMAN: Good talking to you.

Whitney Houston is known for the many sides of her personality. This is a live picture of the church where the ceremony, the memorial service is taking place. We have Whitney in her own words coming up after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TUCHMAN: As the world prepares to say a final good-bye to Whitney Houston, she's remembered as a voice, a diva. How did she see herself? Here is Whitney Houston in her own words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITNEY HOUSTON, ENTERTAINER: When we started, it was about what would fit with my voice, what song did. When Clive heard me sing "The Greatest Love," he grasped on and said that's where we're going to go. We have someone that can sing great ballots. The greatest love of al is easy to achieve

I'm proud to carry that torch. When you do it, you give it the best you've got. I worked really hard and gave it all I had. That's all you can expect. I feel blessed to have, you know, received all these accolade accolades. That's the way I feel.

I fell in love with a great man and I thought, I think I'll have his baby. I'm only kidding. No, I did fall in love with a great man and decided I would like to have some kids. I don't know, I thought it would be nice to have somebody carry me on.

It's not a comeback for me. I have been here. I've been here, I just took a break. Sometimes you have to. You have to know when the slow the train down and sit back and relax for a minute. I wanted time to be, for more daughter to look in my eyes and know I was mommy, not the lady on TV. You know what I'm saying? It's very important to me.

My mother used to always tell me, above all to thine self be true. That's what I want to teach Bobbi Kris. At night, when you go home, you have to be straight up with you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: Remember, CNN will have special coverage of Whitney Houston's funeral. This is a live look at the church she went to as a little girl and where she'll be remembered today. Coverage comes your way at 11:00 Eastern time.

We'll be back at the top of the hour with the day's top stories including a live report from Newark where Whitney Houston's funeral is held today.

Up next, the silent epidemic. The abuse of legal prescription drugs. Sanjay Gupta looks at a problem that leads to one death every 19 minutes in the United States. "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D." starts right now.