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CNN Saturday Morning News

Violence Against Anti-Government Protestors in Syria Continues; Two Americans Killed in Afghanistan Amidst Rioting; Hollywood Prepares for Oscars; Fashion Designers Interviewed; CNN Hero Provides Medical Care to Those in Need; Political Analysts Look at GOP Presidential Race; Danica Patrick Survives Crash; New App Aids Visually Impaired in Using Smartphones

Aired February 25, 2012 - 10:00   ET

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

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning everybody. Breaking news out of Afghanistan. Two American officers killed and the Taliban is claiming responsibility. We'll get details in a live report from Kabul.

Former South African president Nelson Mandela hospitalized. We'll have the latest on the 93-year-old's condition.

And it's a scene that reminds many of black Friday, but these people aren't running for a bargain. Quite the contrary. I'll explain the frenzy in just a few minutes.

From the CNN center, this is CNN Saturday morning. I'm Deborah Feyerick.

Well, we begin with breaking news out of Afghanistan. Two U.S. officers have been killed, possibly in response to NATO troops burning Koran. It happened at the Afghan interior ministry in Kabul. Let's go straight to Nick Paton Walsh who is in Kabul. Nick, what are you learning?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There is a lot really that is unclear at the moment. What we do know is two Americans were shot dead in the interior ministry here in Kabul. That should be one of the safest places, frankly, for them in the country. We do also know the Taliban have claimed responsibility for this attack, naming the man they refer to as their holy warrior, as a man called Abdul Rachman (ph), saying he shot four American personnel. And obviously at times the Taliban tend to exaggerate their claims of their acts here.

And it's unclear at this point from an Afghan senior security source, exactly who was behind this. It's pretty clear from ISAF the individual was not a westerner, we can out internal dispute between NATO forces and pointing toward the possibility of some kind of Afghan being the gunman here. But this came up from the Taliban. We hear quite often sometimes they are right, sometimes they're wrong but they always try to get political capital from instances like this.

I should bring more breaking news we're hearing from the commander of ISAF forces here in Afghanistan, General John Allen, in a statement released a couple moments ago. He says "I condemn today's attack of the Afghan interior ministry that killed two of our partners, and my thoughts and prayers with the loved ones of the brave individuals lost today."

He goes on to the attacker a coward and says for obvious protection reasons of the soldiers in Afghanistan, he's taken the measure of withdrawing all ISAF working in personnel around Kabul. So this means advisors out there, advising Afghan forces, ministers, et cetera, will be taken away from these ministries while they work out what it was that happened here.

But this could be a very bad psychological blow for many Americans and NATO soldiers working here. They work hand-in hand with Afghans the whole time. We have periodic instances when weapons are turned on them, increasingly common, but this is really different in some ways. If it turns out to be linked to the Koran burning, it feeds in the sense of fury from the Afghans against this unintentional error the Americans say they made. If it's the Taliban, well, it bring as whole new sense of unease for many Americans working here as to where they are exactly safe. Deb?

FEYERICK: You know, Nick, the Taliban claimed responsibility but didn't necessarily give a reason. Is the Taliban using this unintentional Koran burning as almost a lightning rod to harness the anger that many ordinary Afghans may have experienced during -- while U.S. troops were there?

WALSH: Absolutely. The Taliban's statement is explicit. They said their mujahedeen killed this individual, these two Americans, because of the Koran burning. There were fears the Taliban would tap into this. They made a statement calling on all Afghans to rise up against foreigners because of this Koranic burning. We have also seen protests yesterday, and again today in the north where five people were killed and they apparently advanced on a U.N. building.

This instant on the interior ministry ground is quite different. It's a sign this is perhaps going potentially affect the relationship of trust that has to exist Americans, NATO, and Afghans if they are to hand over the country, so Americans can go home, Deb.

FEYERICK: And just finally, Nick, obviously, this happened in the interior ministry, Kabul is one of the safer places with the Taliban in citing all this, do you get concern there is concern amongst Hamid Karzei and his administration?

WALSH: I think there are concerns in the Karzai administration, they have to play two games, they have to stay with the Afghan people they are supposed to represent. On the other side they know they need the Americans, infrastructure support, American money, basically. A lot of time to keep them in power and alive I'm sure Afghan officials are concerned about the post-American future where they don't have NATO to fall back on. So I think Karzai will be concerned about what it will do to the relationship with Afghans and the NATO personnel they work with, but at the end of the day he has to seem to present the anger Afghans are feeling about this, although he has been calling for restraint.

FEYERICK: Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much.

To Syria now, and a key ally of the government changing sides. Hamas, the Syrian backed terrorist organization, now says they are backing the anti-government activists. Those activists are literally fighting for their lives in places like Homs. We have some incredible video from inside Syria showing the growing humanitarian crisis and the ongoing battle for freedom. It's something you'll see only here on CNN. Images were recorded by French journalist who was with anti- government fighters. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guerilla warfare like this is relentless and terrifying.

(GUNSHOTS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fighters appear fearless and take crazy risks. But they still find time to look out for Mani.

(GUNSHOTS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back at headquarters, the battle is raging. Syrian forces have detonated a bomb below the roof top position where government snipers are trapped. After more than 12 hours, the snipers are putting up a fight.

(GUNSHOTS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Casualties are mounting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: That is a look at what anti-government activists are facing. Today has been no different, with more shelling by the Syrian military. Joining me now is CNN's Michael Holmes who is live in Beirut. Michael, what are you hearing out of that region today?

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, been a lot more violence today, Deborah. In Homs itself more than a dozen deaths, that is not counting the injuries. We can't get a number on the injuries around the country, but 36 is the death toll, officially from the activist side of things, but our experience is that is likely to go way up before the end of the day. There has been violence in fact all around the country, not just in Homs, several deaths in another area, families killed according to activists. We have seen impacts of shells being uploaded to YouTube, activists telling us we were speaking to one activist earlier said the shelling in Homs had been almost constant and we could hear the shells impacting as he talked to us via Skype. So for the people inside these neighborhoods, this is very much a war underway. Deborah?

FEYERICK: And Michael, the Red Cross was hoping to get in. There are a lot of people injured, hoping to get them to safety but there's no cease fire, no detente. What is the Red Cross' position, what are they going to try to do?

HOLMES: That's a good question. I actually just got off the phone with a represent administration Damascus. They went in and came out with seven wounded Syrians and 20 others described as ill. They got them out. When you consider the death tolls we're seeing out of Homs every day and wounded as well, that is a drop in the ocean, just that one convoy brought in four ambulances.

It's now 5:00 p.m. here in the region of the world, they have been trying all day to get back in and get more people out, and the ICRC spokesman has said negotiations are continuing, they are difficult, he said we need the agreement of everybody on the ground involved in the fighting, we do not have those assurances. He did say, however, they still have high hopes to get in today and get more people out. Not happened so far, though, Deborah.

FEYERICK: All right, Michael Holmes, thank you so much. It appears that Syrian president is digging in his heels, doesn't care what everyone else around the rest of the world is saying. Michael Holmes, thank you so much for us there in Beirut.

Nelson Mandela was in the hospital for surgery today. According to his family, the 93-year-old former South African president had a hernia operation. It was planned, not an emergency. All went well with the surgery. Mr. Mandela is expected to be released from the hospital as early as Monday.

And the youngest son of Robert F. Kennedy has been charged with harassment and endangering the welfare of his newborn. Douglas Kennedy allegedly tried to take his two day old son out of a New York hospital despite a nurse's warnings. According to WNBC, nurses tried to stop Kennedy from taking the boy out of the maternity ward and out of the hospital. He allegedly kicked one of the nurses then fell down himself while holding the newborn in his arms. Kennedy and his wife say they did nothing wrong.

Crowds in several states are literally rioting, fighting for the chance to slip in a pair of these, the glow in the dark Nike Galaxy. Hundreds camped out and lined up outside malls. That was the scene at one mall in Indiana. Just look. They are going crazy. The frenzy forced some stores to cancel release out of safety.

We have more come your way this hour. Michigan, the latest battleground in the fight for the Republican presidential nomination, will Mitt Romney be able to pull off a win in his home state. And what does it mean if he doesn't?

HOLMES: And strong storms move across the south. We have your weekend forecast. That is coming up just ahead.

And two of Hollywood's heavyweights will be fighting it out for best actor honors tomorrow night. Which do you choose, George Clooney, Brad Pitt? Talk to us about their Oscar chances.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER BREAK)

FEYERICK: The battle for Oscar gold, it is an actor's greatest reward, being recognized by your peers. But this year the competition is getting personal. CNN entertainment correspondent Kareen Wynter has the low down.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: George Clooney and Brad Pitt are going toe to toe. Viola Davis and Meryl Streep are duking it out. And Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer are neck-in- neck. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" can tell you these Academy Award nominees and long-time pals make up the hottest Oscar showdowns this year.

Clooney and Pitt share one of Hollywood's most talked about bromances, first teaming up in "Oceans 11." Pitt shook up a lead actor nomination for "Moneyball." Clooney earned a nod in the same category for "The Descendants." And it sounds like the rivalry is heating up.

WYNTER: What is with this friendly competition going on between you and your best bud Brad Pitt?

GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: There is nothing friendly about it, I'll tell you that right now.

BRAD PITT, ACTOR: We're going to wrestle it out the end. We're just going to fight it out, and last man standing takes it all.

ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: My money is on Brad.

(LAUGHTER)

PITT: Not at all. He's my friend.

JOLIE: I mean in a fist fight.

WYNTER: And they are not the only big stars squaring off on the road to gold.

VIOLA DAVIS, BEST ACTRESS NOMINEE: I can whoop Meryl Streep's behind in a good, old fashioned street fight. As far as the Oscar's, I don't know about that.

(LAUGHTER)

WYNTER: "The Help's" Viola David may not know, but "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" can tell you she is currently the favorite in the lead actress category despite being nominated against two time Oscar winner Meryl Streep.

Octavia Spencer tells us she is honored to battle it out for the supporting actress Oscar. The big show down pits her against her pal Melissa McCarthy.

OCTAVIA SPENCER, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS NOMINEE: If it were people I didn't know, maybe there would be the competitive thing. I know what she has been through and she knows what I have been through. We're thrilled to be there side-by-side.

WYNTER: Side by side or head-to-head, these showdowns will be decided on the Oscar stage, no matter who ends up with the gold the contenders seem to be enjoying it.

CLOONEY: It's really nice, fun.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: That what is it's about, having fun.

Well, for the first time in more than a decade the academy awards won't be held in the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. Well, not exactly. It will be the same venue. It's just not being called the Kodak Theater anymore. As part of their bankruptcy filing a judge let Kodak out of the $75 million contract that put their name on the place. The theater's owners haven't quite found a replacement. So for now being called the Hollywood and Highland Center, just rolls right off the tongue.

Anyway, be sure to tune in tomorrow night as "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT'S" A.J. Hammer hosts our special live coverage of the Oscar.

A bitter battle is brewing in Michigan. With three days to go until the primary, it's no holds barred for Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. We have the latest on the race coming up on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are both in Michigan today. The pair battling it out ahead of Tuesday's primary there. Mitt Romney is from Michigan and his father was governor there. So why isn't he running away with the state? CNN's senior correspondent Joe Johns is in Detroit, Michigan, where both candidates are speaking today. And Joe, why does it seem like Mitt Romney is simply stuck is in neutral especially in a state that technically should or could be a slam dunk?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: You know, Deb, that is what everybody has been asking around this state over the last several days and I think you can say Mitt Romney had some trouble with conservatives, with evangelicals, and that in large part has been the margin, the big difference in the polls, evangelicals and conservatives going much more heavily, at least so far, for Rick Santorum.

Both of those guys appearing here in try to, Michigan, a big grass roots gathering of conservative activists, held by Americans for Prosperity, Rick Santorum appearing just a little while ago before this pretty healthy crowd, over 1,000 people in the room, hitting Mitt Romney very hard on a variety of issues, just listen to this, he talked a little bit about Romney's positions on emissions and global warming. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RICK SANTORUM, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't -- I don't go out and crow that I imposed the first carbon cap on power plants As governor Romney did when he was governor of Massachusetts, and talk about how we're responding to the severe threat of man-made global warming. I didn't buy it. I didn't buy climate science.

(LAUGHTER)

SANTORUM: I didn't buy it because I knew this climate science. It was political science.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Mitt Romney also expected here later this afternoon or right around noontime eastern. He is coming off his big speech last night at the Detroit Economic Club -- huge room, obviously, Ford field, which seats 65,000 people. Only 1,200 there for him. The club essentially had to change locations because they got so many people signed up but obviously, wouldn't have been able to fill the room up at all. He talked about a variety of things. We found it interesting that he also talked about the cars he and his wife drives, listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I love this country. I should love this state. This feels good being back in Michigan. You know the trees are the right height, the streets are just right.

(APPLAUSE)

ROMNEY: I like the fact that most of the cars I see are Detroit-made automobiles. I drive a mustang and Chevy pickup truck. Anne drives a couple Cadillacs, actually. And I used to have a dodge truck, so I had all three covered.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: So Deb, you listen to the sound bite it goes back to your question at the top, why isn't he able to seal the deal in his home state of Michigan? There is also that question of Mitt Romney being able to connect. Clearly he's trying to connect with Michigan voters there. We'll see. It's still a tight race here in the state of Michigan. Back to you, Deb.

FEYERICK: He's trying to connect and it's hard for folks there who were so close to losing their jobs to be told that his wife drives a couple of Cadillacs, kind of a niche market. Joe Johns in Michigan, thanks so much, we appreciate it.

Making house calls by boat. For one doctor it's the only way to get to his patients. Meet this week's CNN's hero coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Taking medicine to remote areas -- the lack of easy access isn't keeping this CNN hero from making his rounds. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. BENJAMIN LABROT, CNN HERO: I'm Dr. Benjamin Labrot, I don't have a private practice. I make no salary.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ben you want to take her, this is Ingrid.

LABROT: I started an organization called floating doctors to use a ship to bring health care to communities that have fallen through the cracks and denied access to health care. Floating doctors has a 76 foot, 100 ton ship we refurbished from a derelict hull.

Since we set sail two-and-a-half years ago our mission has been continuous, we were two months in Haiti, Honduras, working in panama the last eight months. In the last two years we've treated nearly 13,000 people in three countries. I'll find patients who have never seen a doctor before in their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was about as good a result we could possibly hope.

LABROT: Typical communicate with no electricity, no water, no sewage. We've built schools. We've done community projects, provided health education for thousands of patients. Floating doctors is an all- volunteer organization, nobody gets paid. All supplies are donated. I had postpone many aspects of my life. I don't have a home somewhere. I had to give up a lot, but I gained everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LABROT: And remember, all of our heroes come from you, from your nominations. So go to CNNheros.com and share the inspirational stories about people you know about.

The next big stop on the campaign trail is Michigan, so why is Mitt Romney having such a hard time in the state where he grew up? I'll ask the political experts right after this. You see them, there they are. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: It's 32 minutes past the hour. Welcome back, everyone I'm Deborah Feyerick. Thanks for starting your day with us.

Checking top stories, Nelson Mandela is recovering from a hernia operation this morning. The former South African president was admitted to the hospital for what officials was a planned visit. A family member tells CNN Mandela could be released as early as Monday. Last year Mandela was hospitalized for a respiratory infection. He made his last public appearance in 2010.

At least 21 people killed after a car bomb exploded near the Yemen presidential palace. It comes as Yemen swears in a new president today. And with the Michigan primary three days away, Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney are trying to shore up support throughout the state. Recent polls suggest the candidates are in a virtual tie.

With Santorum rising in the polls -- and with Santorum rising in the polls, that has made him a target at this week's CNN Republican presidential debate. Mitt Romney went after Santorum on his economic credentials.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: I'm looking at historic record which voting for raising the debt ceiling five times without voting for compensating cuts, voting to keep in place Davis-Bacon, which costs $100 billion over 10 years, a whole series of votes, voting to fund Planned Parenthood, to expand the Department of Education. During his term in the Senate spending grew by some 80 percent of the federal government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Santorum fired back on Romney's record as governor of Massachusetts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANTORUM: Yes Governor, you balanced the budget four years. You have a constitutional requirement to balance the budget in four years. No great shakes. I'd like to see it federally, but don't go around bragging about something you have to do. Michael Dukakis balanced it for 10 years. Does that make him qualified to be president of the United States? I don't think so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Joining me now, CNN political contributor and Democratic strategist Maria Cardona and Republican analyst Lenny McAllister. And let's start with Rick Santorum. Did he miss a big opportunity with this debate, or did he score points? Maria?

MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I think he missed the opportunity it didn't seem he was well prepared to receive the attacks to be the big target, going in this as the front-runner, nationally, he should have understood that he was going to be the one that was receiving all these attacks from all sides and should have been ready with more pivot, it seemed that Romney was able to get under his skin.

Having said all that, I do think that he still performed well in terms of showing that he is the consistent conservative, that he is still the candidate that can be the anybody-but-Romney. And what we've seen from Romney, especially this week in Michigan, is he still hasn't been able to seal the deal. So I think that Santorum still has a chance here, he's still neck-in-neck in Michigan and Arizona and looking forward to super Tuesday. So we'll see.

FEYERICK: Mitt Romney from Michigan, people have been talking about that, he tried to make the connection with the state that the trees are better, streets are better, he drives their cars. But he still hasn't sold himself to voters there. Why do you think?

LENNY MCALLISTER, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: He hasn't sold himself to voters because just like the other 49 states that he has campaigned in and sent ads into, he doesn't inspire voters. I even go back to the debate on Wednesday, you look at one word adjective had to say, he picks "resolute" Rick Santorum picked "courageous." Neither picked "presidential." If you don't see presidential going up against an incumbent president, if the economy is getting better and done fairly well overseas, he will be a hard guy to beat. Mitt Romney despite the structure and money and Republicans establishment getting behind him he has not done a good job inspiring people he's presidential, the one word he should have picked on Wednesday.

FEYERICK: Lenny, we just want to point out that you're the Republican analyst and you're the one who is saying that about these two men.

(LAUGHTER)

FEYERICK: What is so interesting to me is that you look at Mitt Romney, you look at Rick Santorum, and it's clear that neither of them has a lock and so what does that mean when either one potentially has to go up against President Obama? What do you think about that, Maria? It almost seems like they are fighting for something that -- I don't know what they are fighting for in some levels.

CARDONA: And I think that is the difficulty the Republican Party finds themselves in right now, Deb, which is the more Americans look at what these candidates stand for, in the debates, in the campaign rallies and all the events, the more these candidates are focused on a smaller and smaller section of the Republican Party, meaning that in all of their events and all their talking points they are alienating Latinos, women, independent voters.

And as President Obama continues to speak to the middle class and to working class voters about the problems that they care about, which is the economy, which is creating jobs, which is continuing on this path to economic growth, the Republican candidates are beating each other up --

FEYERICK: Lenny, Newt Gingrich is not in the picture. I guess he's feeling if they knock each other out, last one standing I guess, I don't know, wins.

MCALLISTER: Well, that is not necessarily going to happen but with super Tuesday coming up Newt Gingrich has the south coming in play, Rick Santorum has Michigan, if you look at the polls in Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania where one of the criticisms about Rick Santorum was, look how he got trounced in 2006. Mitt Romney can't say that anymore, because he can't pull the trigger on Michigan yet and Santorum is up in Pennsylvania. This is still far from over. It could still solicit a strong candidate moving forward coming up against president Obama. It's nowhere near done yet.

FEYERICK: All right, Lenny McAllister, Maria Cardona, thank you so much. And I find the strangest irony with gas price, my guess is there won't be talking about gas prices in Detroit. Thank you so much, both of you.

MCALLISTER: Thanks, Deb.

FEYERICK: Feeling good about where you work? Some companies are realizing that the look is a big part of the whole package. That is where big name designers come in -- nice dress. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Oscar night, it's a fashion designer showcase. But you don't have to go to the red carpet to see the latest creations. You can head to the golden arches instead. CNN's Alina Cho explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN FASHION CORRESPONDENT: What does this have to do with fashion? You'd be surprised. Designers aren't just creating clothes for the catwalk. They are also designing uniforms.

STAN HERMAN, DESIGNER: There was a time I walked around with a hamburger at McDonald, they wore my uniforms. My package delivered by federal express, thank you very much, everybody I touched seem to have a Stan Herman uniform on.

CHO: Stan Herman is multi award winning fashion designer who branched out in the world of the designer uniform.

HERMAN: TWA, that's cute. You would look good in that now.

CHO: That is great.

Herman designing uniforms more than 40 years. For companies like McDonald's, JetBlue, and for decades, FedEx, so popular his uniforms arguably cover more bodies than any other designer on the planet.

HERMAN: I was a hot designer on Seventh Avenue, someone approached me would you like to do uniforms, what is that? I discovered I loved doing it because it was like branding, branding corporations.

CHO: Pucci and Hallston designed uniforms for Braniff Airlines in the 60s and 70s. Dior and Nina Ricci did it for Air France. At Sephora, the inspiration is the employees.

PRABAL GURUNG, DESIGNER: They said we want to feel good, that is such a universal emotion.

CHO: Sophie is showing this on the runway, this at the Gramercy park hotel. Cocktail uniforms in spill-proof silk.

SOPHIE THEALLET, DESIGNER: For me it's not uniform at all, it's really one dress, more like a cocktail dress, really.

CHO: But how do you design a uniform that suits, well, everyone?

CINDI LEIVE, EDITOR IN CHIEF, GLAMOUR: It's almost like a reality competition how I can take constraints and make them look fantastic. HERMAN: The most important thing is likeability. When you put on your dress, if I don't like it by the end of the day I'm a grumpy guy. A corporation walks around in and I form they don't like, they become a grumpy corporation.

CHO: Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: And a quick reminder that "Fashion Backstage Pass" airing today at 2:30 p.m. Top names in the industry showcase their designs for fall, 2012. In New York, Alina Cho speaks to designers, exclusive look at runway shows, fashions, and trends.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: The flag drops on the Daytona 500 tomorrow but the big names in stock car racing are taking a back seat this week to a rookie, Danica Patrick. HLN Sport's Joe Carter joins me live from Daytona now. Joe, tell us about Danica's up and down week.

JOE CARTER, HLN SPORTS ANCHOR: You know, it was a wild 24 hours for Danica Patrick. She really went from heartbreak to record setting. On Thursday if you haven't seen the video of the crash, it's incredible. It was the final lap, she got clipped from the side, sent in the wall, there is a great camera angle from inside the car where you see her remove her hands from the steering wheel. She actually said that was a safety maneuver she learned in Indy car to protect her hands and wrists.

The next day on Friday she came out for the nationwide qualifying run and she was the fastest car on the track, 182 miles an hour, beat all the other cars, and made history in the process. So today in a couple hours around 1:00 eastern when they get set for the nationwide event, she will be the second female driver in the history of NASCAR to be the lead car when they start the race, Deb.

FEYERICK: That is remarkable. You can tell what a scheduled drive skilled driver. The fact that she would know to get her hands off the steering wheel, that is something I would never have thought of. How is she and the other drivers handling the spotlight on this rookie, does it change the dynamic of the race or are they all just out to win it?

CARTER: I think it changes the dynamic off the track. Once they get on the track, it's -- it all doesn't matter, she has gained a lot of attention, she is the topic of conversation because she is more famous for what she has done off the track than on the track. Indy car, won one race, NASCAR best finish fourth place, she makes more money than most drivers out here with endorsement deals. Of course with that kind of celebrity and popularity comes some jealousy. But at this point she seems unfazed by it.

FEYERICK: Interesting. But you have to think of the little girls watching this woman take the track at NASCAR, and that is a pretty impressive thing to be able to do. So probably the endorsement is well worth it, I imagine, certainly to the tween set.

CARTER: You know she is breaking as I heard some people say, the steel ceiling, female, use her driving ability and marketability to put her name out there.

FEYERICK: Joe Carter for us there at Daytona, we'll check in with you, exciting one to watch. Thanks so much.

Well, imagine being able to watch TV or talk to someone while secretly texting your friends. My next guest says his app could change texting as we know it. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Admit it, you have spent times with friends or family hunched over your smart phone busy texting and e-mailing, don't even know people are around you. I've seen people doing it on dates. It's probably not a good date. My next guest says his new app will put an end to that. Mario Romero is a researcher at Georgia Tech. Tell me about your app and how it works.

MARIO ROMERO, CO-INVENTOR, BRAILLE TOUCH: Thank you for having me here. The app is a software keyboard for smart phones, and you actually can type on it without having to look at it.

FEYERICK: OK. So who is this -- who would use something like this, for example?

ROMERO: We developed it and our primary target population is visually impaired. So the people that can transfer their skills directly, they don't have to learn it, are the people who know how to type Braille.

FEYERICK: You wouldn't think on some levels this opens up the whole world of smart phone and ability to folks who are visually impaired. How can you do this with no one knowing, though?

ROMERO: What do you mean by no one knowing?

FEYERICK: If you're able to -- this is really just for folks who need that sort of auditory feedback.

ROMERO: Yes. I want to make certain -- there is a data that you sat. Visually impaired people do use their iPhones and android devices. They get it out of it, but it's more difficult to get it in.

FEYERICK: We're holding one you designed. So explain it to me.

ROMERO: I'll explain it to you I'll start here, actually, this is a historical background if your camera people to zoom in, this is an electronic keyboard. And you type A-B-C, you can keep going, the idea is that you -- it has fewer buttons than fingers, they don't have to move like we do on a regular qwerty. So, what we have done is we have mapped the keyboard directly on the phone and I'm going to show you we just bent it so the palms are facing each other, and you type A-B-C.

FEYERICK: You showed me how to do this not like I magically figured it out. Is this like Braille? Is it easier, more difficult to use?

ROMERO: This is exactly Braille.

FEYERICK: Even on a smooth surface?

ROMERO: Its' really interesting, Braille input is different from Braille output. Reading Braille is much harder task than typing Braille.

FEYERICK: So if you wanted to send, if you were visually impaired how would you send a message? You would need to know where to put your fingers.

ROMERO: If you're a visual impaired user, you would use a screen reader what is on the screen, then it opens the two box. And when you tap on the tool box, what regularly happens is the keyboard pops up. So this Braille keyboard would pop up and you type on it and then do you a gesture to send it.

FEYERICK: Interesting. What is so fascinating is that this is the kind of thing that really will help so many more people have access to everything, basically.

ROMERO: It's a big bet.

FEYERICK: It's a big bet, but it's a good bet. Mario Romero, thank you so much. We appreciate you coming in. So much we could talk about, a wonderful device. Thank you.

ROMERO: Thank you.

FEYERICK: Right after this, we are going to go back to more serious news, the latest on the deadly attack that claimed the lives of two Americans in Afghanistan. Stay with us.

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