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CNN Saturday Morning News
Help for 9/11 Victims; Spain Mulls Bank Bailout; Dozens Killed in Syria Today; No Triple Crown Today; Obama and Romney's War of Words; Bullied Florida Teen Attempts Suicide; Stand Your Ground?; From Homeless to Harvard; New Information About Day Lincoln Was Shot
Aired June 09, 2012 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN Center, this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is Saturday, June 9th, 2012. Good morning everyone I'm Randi Kaye.
Vindication a decade later, thousands of people sickened in the 9/11 attacks now could be eligible for aid. But making their case could prove challenging.
A teacher hosting a loud party is shot dead. The shooter says it was self-defense under the Stand Your Ground Law. You be the judge. We will show you the incident as it was all caught on tape.
And from homeless to Harvard, we'll bring you the inspiring story of a young woman who defied the odds to reach the Ivy Leagues.
Up first, thousands of people sickened in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks are hailing a federal recommendation that could make them eligible for compensation. The ruling could add 50 types of cancers to the list of sicknesses covered by a massive fund available to 9/11 victims.
Earlier I spokesman with CNN's Nick Valencia about the ruling's significance and who may qualify.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK VALENCIA, CNN ASSIGNMENT EDITOR: This represents a big about face in federal health officials. Previously they had ruled there was no direct link between cancer and the 9/11 attacks. You know victims that were exposed to that smoldering rubble and toxic ash surrounding the World Trade Center towers after the attacks.
Federal health officials ruling the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health which oversees the 9/11 program, that's a $4.3 billion fund that's eligible for those victims that did develop cancer in the months after 9/11.
This really represent a narrative of often forgotten victims in the narrative of 9/11.
KAYE: So who might now be covered then because there are so many who couldn't even take care of themselves? VALENCIA: That's right. And this doesn't just affect first responders or firefighters, this is people anywhere in that area that were subjected to that -- to that toxic ash.
KAYE: So even if you live nearby?
VALENCIA: Even if you lived nearby. The problem now Randi though, is trying to prove that, having probable cause for these victims that did develop cancer in the months after 9/11. This now makes it so that you have to prove. But how can you prove if even in the scientific community there's an extreme doubt and skepticism about links between the 9/11 attacks and cancer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The ruling also applies to first responders and other sickened near the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania disaster areas.
It was a wonderful sight in London hours ago when Britain's Prince Philip walked out of the hospital waving to well wishers. The Prince was hospitalized Monday with bladder infection which forced him to miss part of his wife Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. You can bet the royal family will make it up to him tomorrow with grand celebration to mark his 91st birthday.
All eyes are on Spain where we are awaiting word on whether the cash trap country will formally request a bailout. The IMF estimates Spanish banks need $46 billion to preserve its stability.
CNN's Nina Dos Santos joins us from Madrid to explain what this all mean to Spain, the Euro Zone and markets right here in the U.S. Good morning, Nina.
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Randi. Well, what we know so far is that the Spaniards haven't officially tabled any kind of requests. At least that's what we're hearing.
But what we are seeing is a series of high-level conference calls going on between the finance ministers of the 17 countries that use the Euro and basically what they're trying to do is push Spain to come out and make some kind of formal request for money to shore up its banking system.
We even saw some pressure yesterday coming from the U.S. President Barack Obama. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The decisions required are tough, but Europe has the capacity to make them and they have America's support. Their success is good for us and the sooner that they act and the more decisive and concrete their actions, the sooner people and markets will regain some confidence and the cheaper the costs of clean-up will be down the road.
(END VIDEO CLIP) DOS SANTOS: So Spain is in this kind of predicament because it hasn't forced its banks to try and bear the full brunt of a housing property bubble that went bust back in 2008 and the losses really have racked up. There's a lot of concerns about exactly what is on the balance sheets of some of these Spanish banks.
As you were just saying yourself Randi, the IMF has put the estimate to shortfall at about $46 billion. But many an economist who speak to here in Europe says well, that could be conservative at best.
KAYE: And -- and what does this mean, really, in the end for American investors?
DOS SANTOS: There's a real concern point here for the United States because, remember that Europe is the United State's largest trading partner and what we see right throughout the course of this crisis Randi is that the U.S. dollar has been getting stronger and stronger as the Euro has been weakening.
Well that does it -- that makes U.S. exports less competitive to countries like Europe whose economy's already starting to teeter into recession. So you can bet the U.S. is worried about it.
As I was just saying Barack Obama is talking about it. Everybody is trying to get Europe to shore up its house, of course, before a key election in Greece that could see perhaps Greece leaving the Euro Zone or deciding to on June the 17th. That's what people are worried about -- Randi.
KAYE: Yes certainly a lot to worry about. Nina Dos Santos, thank you very much.
Now to Syria, rebel forces and the Syrian military are battling it out in the city of Homs today. Explosions and gun fire could be heard throughout the morning. There are also reports of increased anti- government activity in the capital Damascus and that dozens have been killed around the country.
My colleague Anderson Cooper spoke with war photographer Robert King about the crisis in Syria.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT KING, WAR PHOTOGRAPHER: I can't believe it. The Syrian people don't want military intervention from NATO. They would like NATO to bomb the Syrian positions. But they don't want boots on the ground. They would like weapons to conduct a fair fight. The doctors would like to be able to honor their oath and they would like to have proper supplies to save lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: This is King's video of a makeshift rebel hospital. Some of those being treat are little children with horrific wounds. World leaders have condemned the killings. A Somalia-based terror group is offering a very strange reward. They say they will give camels in exchange for information on President Obama's whereabouts. The announcement comes after the U.S. offered million of dollars for information on seven key members of the terror group. The al Qaeda link al-Shabaab is behind bombings and attacks in the regions that controls much of southern Somalia and is responsible for killing thousands of civilians. The U.S. listed it as a terror group in 2008.
The alleged leak of top secret information now has Attorney General Eric Holder stepping in. Holder has assigned two top federal prosecutors to lead an investigation. He says the attorneys will direct separate investigations currently under way by the FBI.
Yesterday President Obama sharply rejected suggestions that the White House was behind the leaks and says his administration has zero tolerance for leaks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: The notion that my White House would purposely release classified national security information is offensive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: But top lawmakers are now demanding answers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE ROGERS (R), INTELLIGENCE CHAIRMAN: And maybe this isn't -- doesn't rise to the level of special council because we can do it. I just think we would be remiss if we don't ask the question, Wolf, that, hey, listen, is that the right way to do it? I'm not sure it is, but I will tell you this.
We know that over the course of time, some of the most damaging national security leaks have happened and it has no public interest, by the way. This isn't some whistle-blowing case that would give some credibility to the papers to say, well, we thought we were doing America favor. You did America no favor and whoever believed that they could leak this for whatever purpose committed a crime, a serious crime.
And I'm just asking the question how do we determine who it was to take care of that problem and then how do we move forward and that's what Senator Feinstein and I have been talking about.
And by the way, this isn't Mike Rogers Republican saying all this. This is Republicans and Democrats from both of the intelligence committee saying this is as huge a problem as we have seen. We'd better do something about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: And Rogers went on to say bipartisan efforts are needed to identify whoever is responsible for the leaks and that person needs go to jail.
Horse racing fans who were looking for history to be made today will have to wait. "I'll Have Another", the winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness will not be in the Belmont race. The horse was scratched after an injury during practice.
Richard Roth is live at the track in Almont, New York. And Richard, what's the mood there now that "I'll Have Another" is out today?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Cloudy skies, a drizzle, "I'll Have Another" on your racing program for the day but the only time he'll be seen is shortly before the Belmont when there will be a formal retirement ceremony. They're going the take the saddle off him. His trainer Doug O'Neill will do that and there will likely be a rousing ovation for the thousand that will still likely come here. But certainly the attendance will be down considering that the Triple Crown is not on the line.
I talked with Ken McPeek the trainer of two horses in this Belmont states and he -- he described what he thought of the decision by "I'll Have Another's" connections to scratch and also what's the impact on going forward on the industry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEN MCPEEK, TRAINER, "I'LL HAVE ANOTHER": No they're doing the right thing, but -- but in this case he had a very small profile. It would be the equivalent to someone maybe pulling their Achilles tendon, and the Achilles tendon when you -- when you get a -- what we call a core lesion in the tendon then you have to let that thing heal and it just takes a certain amount of time.
But it's really minor in the scheme of things, but when something like this happens, you've got to stop, you've got to take -- take the time that it -- that you need to make sure everything is ok.
ROTH: Describe the impact for the racing industry. Which we're always looking for a new star, it seems. What would the impact have been?
MCPEEK: Well, I think the Triple Crown would have been great but I just think the lead-up to it is as important as him actually having done it. But -- it's not supposed to be easy. It's a -- you know between the timing of the three races and the type of horse it takes to win the three, it will be done again one day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: And it has been a great run-up Randi to the race, press conferences, luncheons, New York City opened its arms. You know I was on the Empire State Building on the 86th floor with Mario Gutierrez, the jockey for "I'll Have Another".
Gutierrez will have three year races at least here on Belmont Stake State. But it's just a big downer. As the trainer of "I'll Have Another" put it, it's a big bummer.
KAYE: Yes certainly what about -- what about the possible winner today? Who are you putting your money on?
ROTH: Contenders include "Dullahan", "Union Rags", "Painter". But we've seen 7:1 shots including Sir Rahva (ph) who was trained by Ken McPeek who we just heard from. It's wide open. This race goes off some early 6:45 Eastern Time today.
KAYE: All right, Richard Roth, thank you very much.
A war of words between President Obama and Mitt Romney over the state of the economy we'll tell you why all the back and forth between the two of them matters to you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back.
It's 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. And 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.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The truth of the matter is that as I said, we've create 4.3 million jobs over the last months 27 months. Over 800,000 just this year alone. The private sector is doing fine. Where we're seeing weaknesses in our economy has 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 say the private sector is doing fine is going to go down in history as 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 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 "poor". And they're split on which candidate will better jumpstart the economy. 31 percent say things will get better if Romney wins in November. 28 percent say the economy will improve if the President's re-elected.
We've got five more months until election day, which means five more months of battling over the economy -- Randi.
KAYE: Paul, thank you very much.
A bullied teen in Florida tried to take his own life. I spoke with his mother about what role she thinks schools should play to stop bullying.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: A story out of Florida raises some very important questions about whose responsibility it is to prevent bullying in school. 17- year-old Zachary Gray tried to hang himself after being bullied in school. His mother found him and he survived. But he's suffered severe brain damage and he's now paralyzed.
I spoke with Zachary's mother, Lynn Gray and her attorney Robin Allweiss, earlier about what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LYNN GRAY, MOTHER OF ZACHARY GRAY: He was being called "fag", "gay", "queer", "man boobs", all kinds of hateful stuff like that every day in the hallways.
KAYE: And that teacher required by state law, Robin, should have been aware of this and then told the family, correct?
ROBIN ALLWEISS, ATTORNEY FOR ZACHARY GRAY'S FAMILY: Well, absolutely. The law states that once anyone in the school system has any realization that there's bullying, even if they witness it, that they're to report to the principal who therefore then reports to the parents.
And apparently there were teachers that were aware of this and what I have learned from the family, that they were aware of it actually a few days after Zachary was in the hospital. A few teachers approached the Gray family and said that they were aware that Zach told them he was being bullied. And by law it's mandated that they notify the parents.
If the parents had known, they could have intervened and done something about it.
KAYE: Lynn, I'm sure the last thing you want to do here is point fingers but I'm curious as to who you hold accountable here.
GRAY: I just want answers for my son. I want the school to stop doing this and take accountable and stop this stuff. It's ridiculous. They're not taking any blame for anything. And they knew about it. I want these kids protected. We couldn't protect ours, but maybe we can protect somebody else's child.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The school released a statement saying no report was made to school officials about that alleged bullying.
The quest to eat healthier, try going vegan. I'll explore the benefits with you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Stay away from meat and all those fatty products. That may seem hard to do but according to a new book, a vegan diet helps keep you fit and cures what ails you -- even diabetes.
Earlier I spoke with the book's author, Dr. Daniel Nadeau.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. DANIEL A. NADEAU, CO-AUTHOR, "THE COLOR CODE": Well, you know, worldwide both people young and old are developing diabetes at an alarming rate. And a vegan diet can help people turn their lives around.
I have seen in my own practice that a real change in diet makes real difference in terms of diabetes control, helping people control their weight and getting on to a healthy life.
KAYE: You have some very specific tips for a vegan lifestyle because a lot of people might not know exactly what it includes. But one of the things that you say is to include plenty of healthy plant-based protein to the diet from beans to nuts, seeds and that you should avoid red meat. And that plant proteins are best. Why are plant proteins actually better than meat?
NADEAU: Well, plants have within them phytonutrients that help to protect the body from that inflammation that people with diabetes suffer from. And so one way of including more plants in your diet is to follow a vegan diet.
One thing that people should not do is eat red meat. It's been shown that even three ounces of red meat per day can significantly increase the risk of developing and worsening of diabetes.
KAYE: And you also --
NADEAU: So it's a real issue.
KAYE: I'm sorry. Go ahead.
NADEAU: And also I think the idea of eating lots of fruits and vegetables, trying to get up to eight to ten servings of fruits and vegetables every day, try to eat a rainbow of colors every day. That would include -- you know, your mother always told you eat your greens but also eat your reds, your blues, your oranges, and your yellows every day. And a whole rainbow of colors.
KAYE: I know you're a big fan of -- you're a big fan of the berries. Why are berries so important? I know they're low in sugar. That's a good thing, right?
NADEAU: Well, it turns out that berries are the very potent anti- oxidants. In fact of all the fresh foods ever tested, wild blueberries are the highest in terms of their antioxidant benefits. And to start every day with, for example, a blueberry smoothie is just awesome. You can throw in other high anti-oxidant foods like everything from like (inaudible) to a little spinach in there -- sounds a little crazy but just combining different antioxidants.
It turns out that you get the most benefit if the food hasn't actually been cooked in general. If you're eating it fresh and you're getting those antioxidants into your body. It's a great way to just coat your body and protect yourself from the insults that you have through the day.
And people with diabetes, with their high blood sugars and the oxidative damage that's occurring, they benefit especially from having these brightly-colored fruits and vegetables throughout the day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
In Texas a man pulls a gun against a neighbor in what he calls an act of self-defense. Now he's on trial for murder. We'll show you the video that captured the whole thing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Checking top stories now. In Alabama, a $5,000 reward being offered for help in finding this man. Police say 22-year-old Deandra Lee shot and killed 9-year-old twins and their 72-year-old babysitter. Their bodies were found on a dirt road on Tuesday near Montgomery. Lee has a history of trouble with the law. Last year, he was acquitted of a 2008 murder and was out on bond for assaulting a police officer.
Actress Lindsay Lohan has been in another accident. Santa Monica police say her Porsche rear-ended a dump truck on Pacific Coast Highway on Friday. She and a male passenger were treated and released from the hospital with minor injuries, and then headed back to work. Lohan was -- has a history of driving violations dating back to 2007. She's been in and out of court at least 19 times. Police have not determined who is at fault in yesterday's accident.
If you want to have lunch with billionaire investor Warren Buffett, you need some really deep pockets. Say $3.5 million deep. That was the highest bid at Buffett's annual charity auction. That person and seven friends get to dine with Buffett at the Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse in New York City. The auction benefits the Glide Foundation, which helps the homeless in San Francisco.
Florida's stand your ground law is under intense scrutiny and stirring up a lot of controversy after George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin. The law is now a key part of Zimmerman's defense. Well, now the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is expected to examine whether similar laws across the country have a racial bias. That investigation may include Texas, where a retired firefighter is on trial for murdering an elementary school teacher. But as you're about to see, the firefighter's own words are telling and foreshadow his defense in court.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE (voice-over): When Raul Rodriguez showed up at his neighbor's house to complain about noise from a loud party, he was armed, not just with a gun, but with a flash light, a cell phone connected to 911 operators, and a video camera.
RAUL RODRIGUEZ: That's more than 85 decibels, and I'm 200 feet way.
KAYE: It was May 2010, and the retired firefighter had been calling Harris County Police all night, complaining about a rowdy party. Frustrated, he confronts his neighbor, Kelly Danaher, and some his buddies on the driveway.
RODRIGUEZ: Why don't you all turn that down, please?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who are you?
RODRIGUEZ: I live over here. Turn it down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, don't go hollering at me.
KAYE: The video lasts about 20 minutes. Over and over, you hear Rodriguez tell the men to stop or he'll shoot.
RODRIGUEZ: I ain't going nowhere.
STORM: Yeah, you're going to go somewhere.
RODRIGUEZ: You need to stop right there. Don't come any closer, please.
STORM: Don't tell us to stop coming close to you.
RODRIGUEZ: I'm saying stop. I'm telling you, stop right now, or I will shoot you. Stop! Get back! Get back! I'm in fear for my life. You all are drunk. Get away from me.
KAYE: The men at Daniher's house appear unarmed, but still Rodriguez, who has a license to carry a concealed weapon, repeatedly tells the 911 operator he fears for his life.
RODRIGUEZ: It's just me against everybody. I've got -- look. There's about 15 people here. Look, I'm in fear for my life now. I'm in very -- that's why I drew my weapon. I'm in fear for my life. Please help me now. They're going to kill me. Oh, Jesus, they're going to kill me. I smell liquor.
KAYE: The men shout at Rodriguez, and Rodriguez tells police the party goers want to, quote, "beat me down." RODRIGUEZ: So I'm running the video camera right now and I'm talking to you and I mean, I'm scared to death here.
KAYE: At some point, one of the men seems to hint at getting his own weapon.
STORM: When I go in that house and I come back, don't think I won't be equal to you, baby.
RODRIGUEZ: OK, they're going to escalate this. OK, now he's talking about going in the house and getting something else to shoot me with. I'm going have to defend myself. I'm going have to defend myself.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: While it may seem a bit odd to bring a gun to resolve a noise complaint, Rodriguez still may be able to defend himself using Texas' version of the stand your ground law known as the castle doctrine. It says a person can use force if that person feels as though his or her life is in danger.
So what happens in the next few moments on that video is key. Rodriguez uses very specific language, phrases like I'm standing my ground and my life is in danger. Listen closely.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
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 -- he says he's going to go in the house, he's going to come out, he's going to be more than equal than me. Now I'm standing my ground here. Now these people are going to try to kill me.
KAYE (voice-over): Then suddenly shots fired.
RODRIGUEZ: Look. I'm not losing with these people anymore. I am just going to just tell them to stay back. They're drunk, they're swearing.
KAYE: And that's where the video ends. But we know the shooting continued. Three of the party goers are shot. Two survive, but Kelly Danaher, the young father and elementary school teacher hosting the party, is dead.
Raul Rodriguez says he is not guilty of murder and he is hoping this grainy video will prove he acted in self-defense and never planned to kill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: We want to know what you think about this case. It's getting a lot of attention, a lot of response. Was Raul Rodriguez just acting in self-defense or was this murder? You can tweet me @randikaye@CNN.
Just ahead, she was left to fend for herself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DAWN LOGGINS: I never expected my parents to just like leave.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You were homeless.
LOGGINS: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: But that didn't stop her from achieving her dream of making it big.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: A straight-A student, member of the National Honors Society, 2110 on the SAT, and she did it all while being homeless. Martin Savidge has the inspiring story of 18-year-old Dawn Loggins.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: While other teens still sleep, Dawn Loggins is in the hallways, classrooms and bathrooms of Burns High School, where she's a senior and janitor. Each morning she cleans the rooms, where she'll later return to learn.
LOGGINS: Myself should be the root and father of many kings.
SAVIDGE: Then comes seven hours of advance placement classes and honors classes. Then two more hours of dumping trash and picking up after her classmates.
LOGGINS: I don't mind cleaning, because if you have to wade through trash to get to your desk, you're not going to have an environment that encourages learning.
SAVIDGE: Finally she tackles homework until 2:00 a.m.
Besides being dedicated, school officials knew something else about Dawn. Life at home wasn't exactly perfect. There were the eviction notices. The family moved. A lot. Burns High was Dawn's fourth school since eighth grade. When she asked about candles, her boss realized the teen was living in a house with no electricity.
JONIE BARRETT, BURNS HIGH SCHOOL CUSTODIAL SUPERVISOR: She came to me and said, I need something to be able to do my homework by. And I said, OK, we'll get you some candles. We'll take care of that.
SAVIDGE: There was also no water.
LOGGINS: We'd get water jugs and we'll fill them up at the park like using the spigots in the bathroom, and we'd use that to like flush the toilets and cook with and things like that.
SAVIDGE: It got worse. Last year, when Dawn tried calling home from summer school in Raleigh, the phone had been disconnected. Her mother and stepfather had moved again, this time leaving her behind.
LOGGINS: I never expected my parents to just like leave.
SAVIDGE: You were homeless.
LOGGINS: Yes.
SAVIDGE: Dawn would crash a few days at a couch here, or a night or two on the floor there, but still cleaning and still keeping up her grades.
LOGGINS: I think what motivates me is the fact that when I was younger, I was able to look at all the bad choices, at the neglect and the drug abuse, and I was not going to have to ask myself, am I going to buy food this month or am I going to pay rent.
SAVIDGE: What make this story so amazing isn't just Dawn Loggins. It's what this school, is what the community did. You see, the moment it was realized that Dawn was abandoned and homeless, she should have been turned over to the state, the Department of Social Services, but that didn't happen. That didn't happen on purpose.
ROBYN PUTNAM: We kind of took it upon ourselves to become her village.
SAVIDGE: So teachers and staffers made sure she was clothed and fed and had a place to live.
SHERYL KOLTON, BURNS MIDDLE SCHOOL BUS DRIVER: The people are nice, though. We have good people in Lawndale. Yes. It's a nice community.
SAVIDGE: It didn't end there. That same village was now out to get her to college, and not just any college. Harvard. History teacher Larry Gardner wrote the recommendation letter and simply told Dawn's story.
LARRY GARDNER, BURNS HIGH HISTORY TEACHER: This young lady, unlike most of us, had known hunger. She'd known abuse and neglect, she'd known homelessness and filth. Yet she's risen above it all to become such an outstanding young lady.
SAVIDGE: Months passed. Thick acceptance letters arrived from state schools, but nothing from Cambridge.
Then one day a thin envelope with a Harvard seal arrived.
GARDNER: It said, I am delighted to report that the admissions committee has asked me to inform you that you will be admitted to the Harvard College class of 2016.
LOGGINS: I didn't jump up and down and I didn't cry or anything like that, but it did get the largest reaction out of any of my acceptance letters. I sort of did this, like.
SAVIDGE: Not only was she accepted, but her tuition and housing would be paid for.
GARDNER: I kind of teared up because this is a young lady who -- when I first met her and had her brother in class, they were living in a home without electricity, without running water. They were showering at a local park.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's not let the circumstances hold her back. And that's going to -- she can be that symbol that you're able to achieve, meet your milestones, meet your goals no matter what.
SAVIDGE: And that's how Dawn Loggins went from homeless to Harvard.
Martin Savidge, CNN, Lawndale, North Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Dawn has some inspiring words for teens who are struggling to find their way. Words and deeds to live by.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Now is a great time to call your child into the room to hear more of Dawn Loggins' inspirational story. Dawn is a straight A student, member of the National Honor Society. She scored 2110 on her SAT and is headed to Harvard. And as you just saw before the break, she was homeless and cleaned toilets in high school. Earlier I talked with Dawn and asked her what it was like to graduate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LOGGINS: When I walked across the stage to get my diploma, and everyone stood up and started cheering, I had a hard time. It was very hard to keep from crying, because it was overwhelming.
KAYE: Where are you living these days? Are you still homeless?
LOGGINS: I'm living with Cheryl and Norm. Cheryl is a custodian at the middle school. And she's letting me stay there to continue my education and to continue working. And things like that.
KAYE: And what about between breaks at Harvard? Where will you live?
LOGGINS: It depends. I feel like I will come back and visit Cheryl and Norm, but I'll also see my other family members. I don't know where exactly I'll be because things in my family change so frequently. So I'll just have to see when the time comes.
KAYE: What is your advice to other teens?
LOGGINS: I have two pieces of advice to other students. The first one is your situations don't define you. You can take any classes you want to and you can succeed. If you try hard, you can do anything. And I encourage people in poor situations to talk to someone at school, to talk to a guidance counselor, to talk to an administrator, a teacher, because the school system can help. The school system has means to help out students in bad situations. And for other students, I encourage them to take advantage of all the opportunities that they're given. If you have the opportunity to participate, the opportunity to be in clubs, be in sports, take it.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KAYE: What an incredible young woman. And if you want to help Dawn, contributions can be sent to Burns High School, the Dawn Loggins Fund, that's 307 East Stagecoach Trail Lawndale, North Carolina. The zip code is 28090.
CNN NEWSROOM starts at the top of the hour. Fredricka is here to tell us what you have coming up. Isn't she incredible?
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: I'm so inspired by her. She's incredible.
KAYE: I know.
WHITFIELD: I know she's inspired many, many times over, and all the best to her.
We've got a lot coming up beginning with our noon eastern hour. Of course our legal guys are going to be with us, and we'll be exploring a case that really is one of turning the tables. A Florida man who pled guilty to DUI in an accident, a deadly accident, which led to the deaths of four people now turning the tables. He is in jail serving 12 years and he says, you know what? I'm now suing the estate of the deceased for pain and suffering. It is an extraordinary case. Not even clear yet whether this is unprecedented, but our legal guys are going to delve that that one. Then, are you a big coffee drinker?
KAYE: I'm a tea drinker.
WHITFIELD: Me, too. All right, well, now us tea drinks may be inspired to become coffee drinkers. Because there is a new study that links staving, preventing, Alzheimer's to coffee drinking. Dr. Sujatha Reddy is going to be with us to give us an idea just how many cups of coffee are we talking about a day, and at what age do you need to start this in order to prevent or perhaps even delay the onset of Alzheimer's.
And then, Tim McGraw, everyone knows him, this big country music singer and also movie star, and he's quite the philanthropist. He's juggling it all. We talked with him face-to-face about he does juggle it all, along with his big superstar wife, Faith Hill, there he is, the voice of "Monday night Football," and she is a big country music star.
KAYE: A power duo.
WHITFIELD: Yes, they are a power duo. How does he do it? He talked to us face-to-face. And then actress Mandy Moore. Hey, were you ever a Girl Scout, brownie, camp fire girl?
KAYE: Brownie. The brownie.
WHITFIELD: OK, me, too. I did all of that. Love it. She's going to be on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Of course there was a big rally involving the Girl Scouts. She is there to help promote and launch a Dove soaps campaign of young girls loving their image. Whatever their bodies are, love themselves and sail on.
KAYE: It's such a great campaign that they're doing.
WHITFIELD: It really is.
KAYE: It's so important for young girls.
WHITFIELD: Yes. We talked with her about why she is involved in the campaign and the message that she's trying to send, all that straight ahead. Beginning at noon eastern time.
KAYE: All right.
WHITFIELD: You stick with us all day long.
KAYE: Just about eight or nine minutes from now.
WHITFIELD: That's right.
KAYE: We'll be watching, Fred, thank you.
More than a century and a half after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, we're learning new information about that fateful day and the young doctor who tried to save him.
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KAYE: Here's a check of what's making news cross country. Plenty of relationships have baggage, but not like this one. In Oregon a woman was arrested for trespassing because her boyfriend was sneaking her into his apartment building in a big pink rolling suitcase. Kola McGrath was banned from the building after getting in some trouble, but she says she doesn't want the arrest to stand in her way.
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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: To Colorado now, where an eighth grade boy rode his all-terrain vehicle through flames to warn his elderly neighbors about a wildfire. He is my hero today. This boy suffered second-degree burns, but his dad says that with the flames over 100 feet high, the move was heroic but necessary.
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JAMES TENNAPEL, TEEN'S FATHER: We knew it was going to be bad. I told my son to get on his ATV and head up the road and tell the neighbors all north of the fire, because it was so fast that you just didn't know who was in distress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: And from coast to coast, you can get into national parks for free today. It is National Get Outdoors Day. So all 397 national parks are waiving their entrance fees. Some state parks are offering free admission as well.
Riveting new details from the first doctor on the scene when President Abraham Lincoln was shot, and it comes from his own long lost report. That doctor was just 23 years old, newly trained, and in 1865 thrust into a horrific scene. Here's Brian Todd.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He was 23 years old, embarking on a promising career, and attending a happening event in Washington. Sitting at Ford's Theater for a production of the play "Our American Cousin," Dr. Charles Leale also sat on the brink of history.
HELENA PAPAIOANNOU, PAPERS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN: Hadn't been out of medical school for very long at all, so I think this is very -- this is certainly thrown in at the deep end.
TODD: Helen Papaioannou, a researcher with the group Papers of Abraham Lincoln, has just made an astounding discovery -- a copy of Dr. Charles Leale's handwritten report on what he went through as the first doctor to get to President Lincoln in the moments after he was shot. She believes Leale may have written his report the very next day.
Dr. Leale was in an ideal position to try to help. He writes that at the time of the shooting, he was sitting in that balcony area where those tourists are right about there, only about 40 feet away from Lincoln's box.
The fatal shot was fired, Leale wrote, "a man of low stature with black hair and eyes was seen leaping to the stage beneath." Dr. Leale rushed toward the stricken president.
One of the most riveting parts of this report is what he encounters as soon as he gets into Lincoln's booth. When the door was opened and he saw Mary Lincoln, Leale wrote, she exclaimed several times, "oh, doctor, do what you can for him, do what you can." Leale wrote that he sent one man to get water, another to get brandy. He first thought Lincoln had been stabbed, because he had just seen John Wilkes Booth jump to the stage with a dagger in his hand. Then he found where the bullet had entered Lincoln's head.
Leale said Lincoln's condition was such he knew he would never make it to the White House. The only alternative, take him across the street to the Peterson House. Then they finally bring Lincoln into this room in the Peterson House across the street. And Helena, what happens then?
PAPAIOANNOU: They bring him in here, and the bed, which is not this bed, but they bring him in here, and the bed is too small for him. He's a very large guy, he was 6'4. And so to make him more comfortable, instead of having him hanging off the bed, they laid him diagonally across the bed, and Leale actually writes about that.
TODD: At that moment, an account that strikes Papaioannou's emotional core.
PAPAIOANNOU: He talks about how the president's legs, lower extremities from the knees down were cold, and they brought him hot water bottles and hot blankets. And I find that a very touching part.
TODD: Leale wrote clinically of the president's deterioration. Then, at 7:20 a.m., he breathed his last. It's in the very last line of his report that Dr. Leale seems to finally be absorbed into what just happened to his nation. He writes that immediately after Lincoln's death, quote, "we all bowed and the Reverend Dr. Gurley supplicated to God on behalf of the bereaved family and our afflicted country."
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
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KAYE: And CNN NEWSROOM continues with Fredricka Whitfield. This is an extraordinary piece.
WHITFIELD: Is it amazing. What a piece of history after all of these years.
KAYE: I know it. And to think we could learn something new.
WHITFIELD: It is amazing.
KAYE: I know. Well, get outside since it's National Get Outdoors Day.
WHITFIELD: I'm going to.
KAYE: I'm on my way. Have a great day.
WHITFIELD: All right, enjoy, thanks, Randi.
