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CNN Saturday Morning News
Help for 9/11 Victims; Obama and Romney's War of Words; Out of Work Over a Year; Gunfights Erupt in Syrian Capital; Firefighter on Trial for Murder; No More Racing for "I'll Have Another"
Aired June 09, 2012 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): From CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
DOUG O'NEILL, TRAINER, "I'LL HAVE ANOTHER": It is very disappointing.
KAYE: A Triple Crown shocker before any horse even reaches the Belmont starting gate. "I'll Have Another" is out and will never run again. We'll tell you why.
Also -- there's a federal investigation underway and it's targeting the highest levels of government. The FBI and Department of Justice now looking into three cases of state secrets possibly leaked to the public. We have new details.
Plus --
RICHARD DIENER, UNEMPLOYED SINCE 2010: It's been frustrating. It's been frustrating because I've never had a problem finding work before.
KAYE: Five million. That's the number of Americans out of work more than six months. We've got long-term unemployment in focus this morning. For millions, jobless benefits are running out. We have some tips on how you can get back to work.
And in entertainment -- little people irate over "Snow White", get ready to pony up more dough for that window seat, and a war of words against two popular entertainer exes.
Comedian Bill Santiago joins us.
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(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. It is 7:00 on the East Coast. Thanks for waking us with us.
But we start now with a guarantee from Attorney General Eric Holder that his new lead investigators will get to the bottom of the leaked secret scandal.
President Obama says his White House has zero tolerance for leaks and promises that anyone guilty will suffer consequences. He also had pointed remarks for anyone who thinks the White House is behind the leaks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The notion that my White House would purposely release classified national security information is offensive. It's wrong, and, you know, people, I think, need have a better sense of how I approach this office and how the people around me here approach this office.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Republican Senator John McCain has called on the president to appoint a special counsel to investigate. Attorney General Holder appointed two U.S. attorneys to work with the FBI. In a pair of ongoing investigations, leaked information has included classified details of a cyber attack in Iran and classified information on the U.S. drone program.
We are watching Spain this morning where a request could come for at least $46 billion to help bail out the country's banks. Finance ministers from the eurozone countries are trying to figure how to structure any bank bailout.
The expected action in Spain pushed the stock markets to their biggest gains of the year. The Dow, NASDAQ and the S&P 500 all jumped.
To New York City now, and possible financial help on wait for people sickened by the toxic smoke and fumes from the demolished World Trade Center on 9/11. A new ruling says some cancers may now be added to list of sicknesses.
Nick Valencia has been working on this for us this morning and joins us now.
Good morning to you.
NICK VALENCIA, CNN ASSIGNMENT EDITOR: Good morning, Randi.
KAYE: So, what kind of cancer are we talking about here?
VALENCIA: Well, it's 50 different types that are on this list. Among them: lung cancer and lymphoma. The bigger thing to the story is that this represents an about-face and federal health officials allowing people that got cancer after 9/11 that were exposed to this toxic ash and fumes from the smoldering rubble of the 9/11 towers. Before now scientific evidence had shown little connection linked tweed between cancer and that poor air quality surrounding the towers.
KAYE: Yes, it's been an ongoing fight for a lot of people who say they were affected by that. But it's not just for first responders, right? This would cover other people?
VALENCIA: No, this could represent hundreds if not thousands more people. Passersby, even residents in the area, first responders, volunteers, firefighters, anyone that had exposure to that poor air quality.
KAYE: So, how soon might they know if this actually does go through and they can increase some of the coverage for these folks?
VALENCIA: There are still substantial questions about the program, Randi. How long it will take to implement, if it will be implemented at all. This ruling is not a decision just yet. There's a long road ahead. If not -- weeks if not months this could with public debate and more research actually.
KAYE: Yes. And as you said, hundreds, maybe even as many as a couple of thousand people could then take advantage of this if it does go through, much-need funding.
VALENCIA: That $4.3 billion set aside for compensation of people that were exposed or might have gotten cancer because of their exposure to this poor air quality. If you add more people to that pie, of course, the pie gets a lot thinner.
KAYE: Yes. Certainly does. Nick Valencia, thank you very much.
VALENCIA: Thank you.
KAYE: Federal marshals now offering $5,000 for information on a fugitive murder suspect wanted in Alabama. Deandra Marquis Lee is considered armed and dangerous. He's wanted in connection with the shooting deaths of 9-year-old twins and their 73-year-old baby-sitter.
It is a moment President Obama probably wishes that he could take back. The commander-in-chief talking about the U.S. economy, declaring that one specific sector is on the mend. Then that prompted the man who wants to replace him, Mitt Romney, to pounce.
CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser has more on the fallout.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Good morning, Randi.
Call it a war of words over the state of the economy. It started with President Barack Obama's comments at the White House yesterday morning.
OBAMA: The truth of the matter is that -- as I said, we've created 4.3 million jobs over the last 27 months, over 800,000 just this year alone. The private sector is doing fine. Where we're seeing weaknesses in our economy had to do with state and local government.
STEINHAUSER: Mitt Romney quickly responded to the president's description of the private sector as "doing fine." The Republican challenger firing away at a campaign event in Iowa.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: For the president of the United States to stand up and sap the private sector is doing fine is going to go down in history. It's an extraordinary miscalculation and misunderstanding by a president who's out of touch. STEINHAUSER: A few hours later, a clarification from the president.
OBAMA: It is absolutely clear that the economy is not doing fine.
STEINHAUSER: Why does any of this matter? Here's why -- polls, including ours, indicate that Americans continue to say, by far, that the economy is the most important problem facing the country. And nearly seven in 10 in our CNN/ORC survey rate the economic conditions right now as poor.
And they are split on which candidate will better jump-start the economy. Thirty-one percent say things will get better if Romney wins in November, 28 percent say the economy will improve if the president is re-elected.
We've got five more months until Election Day, which means five more months of battling over the economy -- Randi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Thank you, Paul Steinhauser.
To a different kind of horse race now. We won't have a Triple Crown winner again this year, now that "I'll Have Another" has dropped out of today's Belmont Stakes. A track veterinarian noticed the beginnings of tendinitis so the horse will retire and not run again. We'll talk to a vet later this hour about the dangers if the horse had run today.
A California man exonerated for rape is getting a second look from the NFL.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN BANKS, TRYING OUT FOR THE NFL: I feel confident that at this point I can impress any NFL teams invited to a minicamp and then progress on the talents that I have so far.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Brian Banks excelled in a tryout with the Seattle Seahawks. So, the team is bringing him back this week for a minicamp. You'll remember that Banks conviction was overturned last month after his accuser admitted that she lied, but not before he had spent five years in prison and another five on parole.
Banks was s a former high school football star where he was recruited by the USC coach Pete Carroll, who's now the Seahawks head coach.
Here's a rundown of some stories that we're working on this morning:
In focus, Americans who are long-term unemployed. Hear one man story of his two-year search for a job.
And then he warned his neighbors about an approaching wildfire. And now, this Colorado boy is being called a hero. Plus, stand your ground, the law is causing controversy not just in Florida but in Texas. Why one man is hoping it will help him escape time in prison.
And it's a box office smash. But some actors think Hollywood got it wrong when it comes to casting. The drama surrounding "Snow White and the Huntsman."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Good morning, and welcome back, everyone.
For many, unemployment benefits aren't just a safety net. They are the only way to put food on the table. But for tens of thousands, the benefits are running out.
We're focusing this morning on long term unemployment. CNN's Lizzie O'Leary joining me now from Washington.
Lizzie, good morning to you. So, who exactly are the long-term unemployed?
LIZZIE O'LEARY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is a term that's really important for people to understand, Randi, and kind of what it means.
So, overall, about 12.7 million Americans are people who count at unemployed. That means they don't have work but they are looking for work. But when you go kind of inside that number, 5.4 million Americans have been unemployed for six months or longer. That's 42 percent of the unemployed. We've never seen a number like that, not in any previous recession.
This number is just sort of a big intractable blob when you look at all the graphs, it's still that 5.4 million. And when you look at it over the months, right? So, this is the past five months, the beginning of the year, 5.5. It dipped down a little bit, but you still have more or less a straight line if you continue with the trend.
And that shows you that despite some gains that we make in hiring, you see some people get hired, it's generally around the edges. So, people who have been unemployed for a little while find it easier to get back into the labor force, they find it easier to get a job, they still have their contacts.
But folks who have been out for six months or longer, it's much harder and we start to see psychological things -- depression, health problems. All of these things start to come together when people have lost a job and have lost a lot of their contact with the working world.
KAYE: And it can only get worse, right, because benefits are running out now, right? Why is that?
O'LEARY: So this is one of these things where Congress has passed a number of different extensions, right? Every stage has unemployment benefits but there are some mandated by the federal government. And what's happening was they're running out state by state. So on Monday, 70,000 more people will lose their extended benefits, and this has been happening back in February. Congress said, all right, as you're unemployment rate in the state gets better, then we'll start to cut those benefits down.
And it's sort of a double edged sword. You talk to people and say, unemployment fell a little bit and that means that we can take some people off those benefits. At the same time, they're worried if those benefits go away, some people right on the edge could slip back into a much more precarious situation.
KAYE: Lizzie O'Leary, thank you for making sense of that with us this morning. Appreciate that.
So, those are the numbers, as Lizzie just showed you. But for every number, there is a personal story attached to it.
Richard Diener has one of those stories. He's been out of work for around two years now.
Richard, good morning.
What was your last job?
RICHARD DIENER, UNEMPLOYED SINCE 2010: I was a contract engineer at a defense contractor, doing FPGA design work.
KAYE: And you've been looking for work for a couple of years. What have you done and how has that search been working?
DIENER: It's been difficult. Before I had gotten that contracting job, I had three offers. So I didn't anticipate having this much problem finding something. This was a year before I contracted at the defense contractor.
Then, I had one offer in May shortly after I was -- my contract ended, and it was at a 20 percent salary cut and based on my experience from before, I thought I wouldn't have any problem finding anything -- but I've been proved wrong in that.
KAYE: And what kind of work are you specifically looking for? I mean, you were an electrical engineer. What do you want to do?
DIENER: Well, that's a good question. I've kind of re-examined what exactly I want to do. I've done some -- done a number of different things. I've done software. It's been a number of years. And current employers are looking for something with current experience.
The last 10 years or so, I've done FPGA, which is field programmable gate array. I've done stuff as customer sales support as well, where you support products that utilize FPGAs and supporting engineers using -- or using their software and their hardware.
KAYE: But now your wife does have a job, right? Does that help a little bit? DIENER: It helps tremendously. I mean, we've had to cut back, but, you know, with health insurance and things like that, without her job, I would be in dire straits.
KAYE: Well, Richard Diener, we wish you a lot of luck finding work. Maybe somebody watching our program this morning, you never know. They might come calling. So thank you very much and, again, best of luck to you.
DIENER: Thank you very much. Thanks for having me.
KAYE: A middle schooler hops on his ATV and rides through flames to warn his neighbors about a fast-moving wildfire. You'll hear from his very proud father.
And then say love makes you do some pretty crazy things. But how about curling up in a suitcase to visit your boyfriend? It landed this woman in hot water. Tell you why she did it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Here's a check of what's making news cross country.
In Colorado, an eighth grade boy rode his all-terrain vehicle through flames to warn his elderly neighbors about wildfires. The boy, J.D. Tennapel suffered second-degree burns but his dad says with flames over 100 feet high, the move was heroic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES TENNAPEL, TEEN'S FATHER: We knew it was going to be bad. I told my son get on your ATV and head up the road and tell the neighbors north of the fire, it was so fast that, you know, you just didn't know who was in distress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: We'll talk with J.D. from his hospital bed where he's recovering next hour.
Minute plenty of relationships have baggage, but not like this. In Oregon, a woman was arrested for trespassing because her boyfriend was sneaking her into his apartment in a big pink rolling suitcase. Hmm. Kola McGrath banned from the building after getting into trouble last year but says she doesn't want the arrest to stand in her way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KOLA MCGRATH, ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING: I'll do it all over again, or would, but they're already on to me now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: And another sticky situation -- "sticky" the key word. This one in Kentucky. That's where a truck loaded with pancake syrup got into an accident. Gallons of sticky stuff blocked up the highway. And get this -- it happened near the Buttermilk Pike exit.
No. We did not make this up. This is for real. Really.
The European debt crisis is hitting home for Americans. What you can do to protect your investments and retirement savings, right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: A four-day win streak helps lift U.S. stocks to their best weekly performance of the year. Here's the check of the numbers. The Dow rallying 3.6 percent, while tech-heavy NASDAQ surged nearly 4 percent and the S&P gained 3.5 percent.
So, what inspired the markets to move higher? In a word: Spain. Investors encouraged by reports that the country could formally request a bailout for its troubled banking sector this weekend.
If you've been watching your 401(k) disappear -- well, you can thank Europe. Here's why -- just like we do at times, Europe spent way more than it should have. We all know that when you spend more than you make, you'll go broke and need someone to bail you out.
Well, for years, Greece and Spain have spent more than they can afford and are now looking for a handout. The eurozone was set up so strong economies can bankroll the weaker ones. But those strong countries, like France and Germany aren't eager to pick up the stab. So, Greece and Spain, on the brink of bankruptcy, might be dropped from the euro.
So, why is that affecting your bottom line?
Well, Hank McLarty is here to answer all of those questions for us and also tell us what maybe we can do about it.
Good morning.
HANK MCLARTY, FINANCIAL ANALYST: Good morning. Good to see you again.
KAYE: Good to see you.
So, in simple terms, how are the eurozone and the U.S. -- how are those two economies connected?
MCLARTY: Well, you know, last week, I talked about the cause of the European debt crisis. So, I thought this week, I would bring a chart to maybe illustrate the impact on the U.S. markets.
KAYE: We love charts. What do you got?
MCLARTY: Well, looking for the chart that we -- yes. So the chart we have here is the action of the U.S. stock market over the last three years, and it starts on the far left in 2009.
The main thing to notice as you go through, you see there's three major down points starting in May of 2010. And each one of those three down points came from negative headlines out of Europe. The first one in May of 2010 was when we first heard of the PIIGS -- Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain. The first headlines that their economies were going to be in trouble.
The second one was last summer when there was talk of a global banking crisis.
And then the third was just last month in May when we started hearing about Greece leaving the European Union and possibly having a domino effect on the whole European Union with other countries leaving as well.
I think there's two major takeaways from that chart, though. One of them is, is that in each of those instances, the market bounced back, and the second would be to expect to see that pattern for a while, because they've been -- the European Union has come out and said we think we have a plan to fix this situation and each one of those instances and that's why the market rebounded.
But today, they've done nothing to fix it. They are still in the same situation, maybe even worse than they were two years ago. So, that pattern you saw on the chart is going to be something that I think goes on for not months but at least a couple years.
KAYE: So, clearly, it's affecting the stock market. It's also affecting rate interest, right? I mean, they're plummeting.
MCLARTY: Yes. Interest rates at an all-time, never-been-here-before low, and I actually brought another chart along for that, too.
KAYE: OK. Let's see it.
MCLARTY: OK. This is a chart. If you just follow the red line there, this is from 2008 to now and you can see it goes straight down. That is the yield of the 10-year treasury, which is an index we use to, as a benchmark for what interest rates are doing. So, what that's doing to investors is, a two-year C.D. right now is less than 1 percent. The money markets are out almost zero.
So, in savers and investors looking for income or earning, earning almost nothing. It's a very difficult environment. The reason this happened is the Federal Reserve has continued to lower interest rates to try to stimulate the economy, and now, we are at a place we've never been before, they're so low.
KAYE: So, the interest rates are so low in terms of getting loans. Is it easy?
MCLARTY: That depends. I just read a report actually this morning that says businesses are really capitalizing on these extremely low rates. They're refinancing debt and so forth. But for the average consumer, it's very difficult to get approved for a loan, because many of them, the homes are worth less than what their original mortgage was, so they can't refi.
Or now, the new underwriting standards that have been put in place by the government make it very difficult for people that have plenty of money to get approved. They just can't get it to fit in the box that the government has set up now for refinancing.
KAYE: All right. So, very, very quickly, though -- one quick safe place to put your money? Is there one?
MCLARTY: Yes. Actually, since we're talking about income, I have a couple of ideas. Master limited partnerships. OK. Those often known at MLPs, they are oil and gas pipelines. You can get a 5.5 percent to 6 percent yield on those. An example would be Brookfield Infrastructure, or Kinder Morgan.
And then every week I say it, but strong dividend stocks that are paying high quality dividends, can you get 4.5 percent, 5 percent yield on a portfolio like that, and 10-year treasury at 1.5, that's a great place to be.
KAYE: Yes, that's looking pretty good. All right. Hank McLarty, nice to see you.
MCLARTY: Good to see you, too.
KAYE: Thank you.
He wowed the judges on "America's Got Talent" with singing and story about a grenade attack, but this veteran now got some explaining to do about what really happened on the battlefield.
And scientists across the country are swapping out telescopes and planetary gadgets for cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies and (INAUDIBLE)? Yes, you heard me. We'll explain in just three minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: It is about half past the hour. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. Thanks for starting your morning with us.
The rebel uprising in Syria now approaching the government's front door. Gunfights erupts and demonstration erupting in the capital city of Damascus, long considered to be a stronghold for the President Bashar al-Assad. Activist say this fiery protests is less than 200 yards from his home.
CNN's Arwa Damon is on the phone with us from Beirut, Lebanon.
Arwa, looking at these pictures coming into us this morning from Damascus, this is new video. Does the Assad regime sense trouble?
ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, they certainly are going to be sensing it, feeling it, and seeing it and hearing it for themselves at this stage. Now, this is not the first time that we've seen demonstrations in this particular part of the capital, but it is the first time that we've seen them in these numbers. And it's also the first time that received such a widespread simultaneous clashes taking place. And one of the central Damascus neighborhoods, the neighborhood of (INAUDIBLE), people were actually able to go out and demonstrate in the thousands. This was unheard of in the past because I think to be able to rally around 100 people, demonstrate maybe for around five minutes before security forces arrived.
But now, we've been hearing in this and other neighborhoods in the heart of the capital itself were being protected by elements of the Free Syrian Army. And that they certainly see at this stage that the Assad government is relaunching an effort to try to regain control over these particular areas, because, remember, it cannot afford to lose Damascus or Aleppo. It cannot afford to lose the capital
If the capital falls, the argument is, so will the regime. So, you can most certainly believe that the government is going to do all that it can, in the clashes that we're seeing, evidence of that to try to regain control, Randi.
KAYE: Arwa Damon, appreciate your reporting for us this morning. Thank you very much.
The alleged leak of top secret information now has now Attorney General Eric Holder stepping. Holder has assigned two top federal prosecutors to lead an investigation. Holder says the attorneys will direct separate investigations by the FBI currently underway right now.
Earlier, President Obama rejected suggestions that his White House was behind the leak and says his administration has, quote, "zero tolerance" for leaks.
A manhunt underway right now for an Alabama man suspected of killing 9-year-old twins and their baby-sitter. Take a good look at this picture. Twenty-two-year-old Deandra Marquis Lee is considered armed and dangerous. Federal marshals now offering a $5,000 reward for information that will lead to his arrest.
The body of the twins and their elderly baby-sitter were found on a dirt road in Hayneville, Alabama. Investigators have not released a motive.
Federal health experts are scrambling right now to trace the source of a mysterious E. coli outbreak. Fourteen people in six states have now been sickened by the same deadly strain of E. coli in just the past couple of months. At least one child has died in Louisiana, while several others have been hospitalized.
The CDC is looking at both food and non-food as a possible source, but Louisiana health officials say they suspect food is to blame.
Prince Philip was released from a British hospital today after being hospitalized on Monday, and just in time to spend his 91st birthday which is tomorrow, at home. Prince Philip was forced to miss part of the queen's diamond jubilee after getting a bladder infection.
Bake sales aren't just for kids and school fundraisers. In fact, group of scientists are doling out cupcakes and cookies today for NASA. The bake sales are part of a series of demonstrations against President Obama's 2013 budget proposal which cuts NASA's funding by $300 million.
Well, if you watch "America's Got Talent," you might have seen this guy. Soldier Timothy Poe wowed the judges on the NBC program after stuttering when he spoke, but singing without a hitch. He said the stutter was caused by a grenade attack.
But the Minnesota National Army Guard has no record of this. Quote, "Sergeant Poe's official military records do not indicate that he was injured by a grenade in combat while serving in Afghanistan in 2009 as he reports. The Minnesota National Guard can also confirm that he was not awarded the Purple Heart Medal for wounds sustained in combat."
He is apologizing now for all this but says he didn't lie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIMOTHY POE: I didn't ever admit to hurt anyone. I really don't know right now what's reality and what's not reality.
REPORTER: Do you feel like you've lied about something?
POE: No. I don't -- I don't feel like I've lied. That's what's driving me crazy, it's because I -- I truly thought this happened to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: As Florida stand your ground law faces scrutiny following Trayvon Martin's death, a similar law in Texas is also raising questions. A retired firefighter says he was just standing his ground against his neighbor over a very loud party. What his own recording shows. The video, in just 90 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back.
The Trayvon Martin case has raised a lot of questions about Florida's stand your ground law. But there's also a case out of Texas that is doing the same.
Raul Rodriguez, a retired firefighter, is on trial for murdering his neighbor. Rodriguez claims that he was just defending himself under the Texas version of the stand your ground law. Rodriguez showed up at his neighbors to complain about a loud party, armed with a gun, a flashlight, a video camera and a cell phone, with 911 operators on the other end of the line. He records the confrontation.
Rodriguez is the only one armed, but what he says is now key to his defense.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RAUL RODRIGUEZ: It's about to get out of hand, sir. Please, help me. Please help me, sir, my life is in danger now. He's about to, he says he's going to go in the house, he's going to come out, he's going to be more than equal with me. Now I'm standing my ground here. Now these people are going to try to kill me.
Look, I'm not looking at these people anymore. I'm just going to tell them to stay back. They're drunk. They're swearing.
(LAUGHTER)
(GUNSHOT)
RODRIGUEZ: God dang it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: You heard the buzz records there, right? Stand your ground. Three are shot, two survive, except Rodriguez's neighbor, Kelly Danaher was a young father and elementary school teacher who was the host of that party next door.
Texas' castle doctrine is similar to Florida stand your ground law because it says that he person no longer has a duty to retreat if he or she feels that his life is threatened.
We've been asking you to tweet. Your thoughts about this case.
Carlos wrote, "I believe the stand your ground law is being abused. People are using it to relieve their trigger happy phases. He's guilty."
And Whitney tweeted, "That was premeditated murder and as obvious as could be. Legalized murder is what stand your ground is."
And Stephen tweeted this, "Rather than stand his ground, he should have returned home and waited for the police to arrive and address his noise concerns."
Looks like just about everyone who's tweeting me says he's guilty. I want to know what you think. Was Raul Rodriguez just acting in self- defense or was this murder? We're getting so many responses. So, please keep them coming. You could send your thoughts to @RandiKayeCNN and we'll continue to share some of your thoughts on the air throughout the morning.
"I'll Have Another" will spend today in the stable, not on the race track, after tendinitis forced him to give up his bid for the Triple Crown. Up next, we'll speak to a veterinarian whose horses with the same kind of injury.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: The Triple Crown, a rare and elusive achievement in horseracing. But on this day in 1973, Secretariat claimed the title after winning the Belmont Stakes. Dubbed the horse of the century, Secretariat raced six more times before retiring later that year.
And in 1999, ESPN ranked Secretariat at number 35 on its list of the top athletes of the 20th century -- the only non-human to make that list.
Dreams of Triple Crown glory dashed for "I'll Have Another". He's out of the Belmont Stakes, forced to scratch because of a tendon injury. Our Erin Burnett was with the owner when the news broke.
And here's what was said about the heartbreaking decision to pull "I'll Have Another" from the race.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL REDDAM, OWNER, "I'LL HAVE ANOTHER": Horse racing is a very tough game. And that horses are very delicate creatures and things can happen to them and unfortunately they decided today was the day for "I'll Have Another" to end his career. So --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Catherine Callaway is live in Canton, Georgia, this morning for us, with a veterinarian who has seen this before.
Good morning, Catherine.
So, how severe is this injury for a horse? It's certainly seem like a big one for "I'll Have Another".
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Joining me now is Megan Kraski. She's a veterinarian.
Come over here, Megan.
We're going to talk about that injury. Believe it or not, this thoroughbred racing horse has the same issue, has tendinitis. But actually, more of a severe case, Randi, than what "I'll Have Another" has.
And, Megan, you have to wonder with such a mild case of "I'll Have Another," why did they pull him from the race?
MEGAN KRASKI, EQUINE VETERINARIAN: Well, the type of injury that "I'll Have Another" has is mild. He's not lame. Potentially, he could race on it.
But for a horse at the top of his game, he's just won the derby, he's just won the Preakness. It is more advantageous for them to retire him as a champion and let him go stud than to risk potentially worsening his injury or worse case scenario, actually having it catastrophic.
CALLAWAY: Let's take a look now at this racing horse that has tendinitis. I don't know if it's visible on camera, but this is a normal tendon and this is a bowed tendon which could have happened if "I'll Have Another" had pulled it. And, Megan, let's talk a little about what that trainer said. He called it a freakish injury. But, really, when he said he means it's just unexpected. Not something you can foresee happening but certainly something you see a lot in performance horses and racing horses. Tendon issues, right?
KRASKI: Sure. Sure. All types of soft tissue injuries are common in any sort of equine athlete. We're asking them to perform at really high levels and they get injured fairly frequently, but we take really good care of them. Their owners are very conscientious to pull this horse at this point. So, we don't have sort of long-term effect.
CALLAWAY: And the really sad news about this, is because his case is so mild, in a few months, he could have been back on the track and running without a problem at all, right? Still has time to heal?
KRASKI: Correct. Yes. If the race wasn't today, I think he would probably go for it, if the race were in a few months.
CALLAWAY: All right. Megan, thank you so much.
Randi, a beautiful farm here, beautiful horses, a lot of disappointed people. And actually (INAUDIBLE) farm, the owner of this farm, he's at Belmont for that race. So, he's not even here today, but I spoke to him yesterday and he said, you know, so many disappointed racing fans they want to see that Triple Crown winner. And you know, it's been 30 years.
Hopefully next year, 2013, may be the year, for the next round of 3- year-olds.
KAYE: We'll see. Our thanks to Catherine and thank you to the folks there's at the farm as well, and that beautiful horse. Wow. Gorgeous.
Well, the little people are America are downright irate with "Snow White and the Huntsman." They're demanding to know why average sized adults were cast to play the seven dwarfs.
You know, comedian Bill Santiago has a whole lot to say about this one. Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Seems like every time you get on an airplane, you're slapped with a new fee, right? Fees for your bags, fees for a blanket, maybe fees to sit by the exit door.
Well ,the latest fees for a premium seat, and I'm not talking business or first class seat here. These are your regular window and aisle seats.
So, let me bring in someone who flies quite often. Comedian, "Huffington Post" blogger, Bill Santiago.
Bill, good morning to you. BILL SANTIAGO, COMEDIAN: Good morning.
KAYE: Good morning.
I know you're joining us from Syracuse this morning. I don't know if you flew there. But I know you travel around the country for your comedy tours quite a bit.
So, tell me what you think about paying extra for an aisle seat and being hit with these new fees?
SANTIAGO: It's unbelievable that they think they can get away with this. Why pay more for an aisle seat? Because you don't have to climb over somebody else to get to the bathroom? And when you get to the bathroom, you have to pay a flush fee in order to actually use the facilities.
And they want to charge more for the windows now because of the view, apparently. But if you actually want to look out the window, that's an extra charge.
But what kills me is they're charging now for extra leg room. I don't need extra leg room. I only need room for my legs. I'm not wearing leg extensions. Why should I have to pay more to have my knees on my face?
When is this going to stop? Soon, it's going to be cheaper to actually make your own plane than fly an airline.
KAYE: That's a good point.
All right. Let me talk to you about this, because this is getting a lot of attention. This Los Angeles dwarf theater group is irate that "Snow White and the Huntsman" casts average size adults to play the seven dwarfs. They're comparing it to hiring a white actor and then digitally making them black for another type of movie. So, do they have a point? What do you think?
SANTIAGO: Well, I mean, it's Hollywood, you know? It's very cutthroat. First of all, any midget role that comes up, Tom Cruise is still the first one to get picked on that role. You know, it's -- you have to be at least this tall to make that kind of a complaint.
Nobody is paying attention to roles as ewoks, as hobbits, as munchkins every once in a while. I can understand where they're coming from. At least they don't have to pay for extra leg room when they fly. There's some compensation of that.
KAYE: You're going in an out. So, I hope we don't lose you. I'm going to ask you about this last one.
Another person who is angry besides this Los Angeles dwarf theater group is John Myer. He said the Taylor Swift song "Dear John" has humiliated him and that he didn't deserve it.
So, let's listen to just a bit of the song and then talk about it. (BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
TAYLOR SWIFT: And you'll add your name to a long list of traitors who don't understand, and I'll look back in regret how I ignored when they said, 'Run as you can.' Dear John --
(END AUDIO CLIP)
KAYE: So, Bill, what do you think? I mean, does he have a right to be angry there?
SANTIAGO: Well, it's amazing how sensitive a jerk can be. I don't think he should be angry. He got off easy.
I mean, he had been dating Alanis Morissette, it would have been much more vicious. Have you heard her breakup songs?
KAYE: Oh, yes.
SANTIAGO: I hope every time I'm scratching someone else's back, you feel it. I mean, aw, that would have hurt. Besides, Taylor, she's known for writing a song about everyone she breaks up with. That's the only reason she's still going, so she can break up and have a song. I would date her just to hear what kind of a song she would write about me, you know? You thought you were such a pill, but I didn't think it was funny, when I (INAUDIBLE) --
KAYE: Oh my goodness.
SANTIAGO: I would find it very flattering.
KAYE: Yes, I think you should stick to comedy. Maybe not the singing career. Maybe hold of a little bit on that, OK?
SANTIAGO: It's not my forte, you're right.
KAYE: Do us all the favor and please don't give Taylor any more material, OK?
SANTIAGO: OK.
KAYE: All right. Bill Santiago, always fun to see you. Thank you.
SANTIAGO: It's a pleasure, we'll do it again next time. Hopefully not on Skype.
KAYE: Yes, hopefully not on Skype. You got it.
All right. So stuck in a jug, a dog puts his nose where it probably should not have been, we'll tell you about a Facebook posting led to this guy's rescue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back, if you know me, you know that I love animal stories, happy animal stories, that is. So, of course, I wanted to share this one from our Jeanne Moos.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We've seen a squirrel driven squirrelly by a cup stuck on his head and a skunk that would have preferred skipping the jar of peanut butter but when this photo went out over Facebook, animal lovers in Memphis knew they had to act.
BETH GRESHAM, DOG RESCUER: We just -- we have to get her. She doesn't have a whole lot of time with that over her head.
MOOS: Beth Gresham took the photo after a friend spotted the pit bull mix in a wooded area off Interstate 41. The frightened dog ran back into the woods and Beth put out the alert on Facebook. Plastic container stuck over this baby's head, cannot eat or drink. Ten to 20 people at a time went out searching. By late the next day --
CHESTER BURNS, FOUND DOG: I'd seen him coming down the pathway with the jug on his head.
MOOS: Chester Burns said he had to corner the dog against a fence with his jeep. They used wire cutters to cut off the jar.
(on camera): Now obviously any dog that is getting her 15 minutes of fame is going to need a name.
(voice-over): People suggested Pickle, Jughead, Astro after the Jettison's dog and her head wear did resemble the first dog the Soviets sent into space. Not to mention the movie "Space Dogs" --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good-bye world.
MOOS: -- but rather than a floating astronaut, her temporary owner says --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is an angel.
MOOS: They named her Miracle. Jesse Sidle, an animal hospital vet tech, says she ate ravenously from the moment they got the jar off --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sweet girl.
MOOS: -- dog food, cat food, a rotisserie chicken.
JESSE SIDLE, DOG'S FOSTER OWNER: She was starving. She was 27.7 pounds and she should be around 45 pounds.
MOOS: X-rays showed a broken pelvis and fractured jaw. She may have been hit by a car.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Somebody shot her with a BB gun down here.
MOOS: But already, she has gained five pounds and is up for adoption. She may no longer be stuck in a jar. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Remember that.
MOOS: But she got stuck doing her first Skype interview.
(on camera): Miracle, here, Miracle. Does she answer to her name?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not yet.
MOOS: The pickle she was in raised eyebrows or in Miracle's case, eyebrow.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Oh, that's a great one.
Thank you for starting your morning with us. We've got much more ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING which starts right now.
