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CNN Saturday Morning News
Overhauling Immigration; Colorado Firefighters Need Rain; U.N. Suspends Syria Mission; Historic Vote in Egypt; Tsunami Debris Washes up in U.S.; Palin Rallies Tea Party Activists; A Doctor without Borders; Major Immigration Policy Change; Historic Day for China; Watergate Secrets
Aired June 16, 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 the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is Saturday, June 16th. Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. Glad you're with us.
A dream come true for more than a million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., but not everyone's happy about President Obama's dramatic shift in immigration policy.
Hundreds of firefighters are battling to stop a wall of fire spreading across Colorado. The Hyde Park fire has scorched 54,000 acres and yes it's still growing.
And a death-defying moment, a man with a famous name crosses Niagara Falls on a tight rope.
Around a million young immigrants who are in this country illegally are feeling more secure about their futures this morning after the Obama administration unveiled changes to its policy that it says are fairer and more efficient.
Athena Jones is in Washington talking about this with us. So Athena, how is this news being received on Capitol Hill?
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Randi.
Well, reaction from members of Congress was swift and we've seen a lot of it. Democrats are celebrating the announcement and Republicans are blasting the move and questioning the President's authority to make it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Senator, can we have your thoughts on immigration policy --
JONES (voice-over): Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to answer shouted questions about the Obama administration's new immigration policy, but the reaction from other congressional Republicans was strong.
Texas Congressman Lamar Smith, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, calls the move an amnesty that would encourage fraud and illegal activity.
REP. LAMAR SMITH (R), TEXAS: And I think the American people are getting tired of this President picking and choosing what laws to enforce. That's not the democratic way. Maybe you can do that in a dictatorship. Maybe you can do that in another country, but this is a president who has sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States.
JONES: Some members took to Twitter. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina tweeting "President Obama avoids the hard work of fixing an immigration system which is broken and fractured along numerous fronts."
Republicans say the President is bypassing Congress, which has repeatedly failed to pass Dream Act legislation that would give young, undocumented immigrants brought to America illegally by their parents a path to citizenship if they meet certain criteria.
Meanwhile, Democrats like Dream Act co-sponsor Senator Dick Durbin are applauding the administration's move.
SEN. DICK DURBIN (R), ILLINOIS: I believe that this is an important step forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: So we know that Republicans are angry about this, but what can they do? Well, Congressman Smith said that Congress could try to cut off the money to go to implement this program. They could introduce a resolution disagreeing with President Obama or they could even file a lawsuit and take the President to court for not upholding the law.
But Representative Smith also acknowledged that he thinks this will all ultimately play out in the court of public opinion -- Randi.
KAYE: So Athena, though, some have argued, of course, that this is a short-term measure and it's actually going to make it harder to pass a more permanent measure like the Dream Act or any comprehensive immigration legislation. Any truth to that?
JONES: Well, it's interesting. That's certainly what Senator Marco Rubio has argued and some others, and it's really unclear right now. It's an open question. It's all going to depend on what happens in November. Many people who watch Congress, people in Congress, members of Congress didn't expect anything to get done this year either on the Dream Act or on anything else.
And so, we'll really have to see how this all plays out, Randi.
KAYE: Athena Jones in Washington, thank you.
JONES: Thanks.
KAYE: And the man who wants to replace President Obama weighed in on a decision that he says may be influenced by the White House's political hopes. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I can also tell you that I think it's unfortunate that this sort of thing comes up four and a half months before the election. The President's been in office three and half years. He had both Houses of Congress and did nothing in his first two years with them.
And of course, this comes up at a time when it's a temporary measure. We really need something that's long term so people can understand what the future will be for them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: In the coming weeks, the Supreme Court is expected to rule on some pretty high-profile cases, including health care. Speaking at a legal conference yesterday, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the term has been more taxing than usual. She says some have even called it "The Term of the Century". Ginsburg said with such controversial cases pending, you can bet there will be lots of disagreement between her and bench mates as they wrap up before summer recess.
Firefighters battling that raging wildfire in Larimer County, Colorado are really hoping to get some rain today. If they don't get it, they'll face another grueling day on the fire lines. The Hyde Park fire has burned 54,000 acres and is still growing. Thousands have had to evacuate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK CHRISTIANSEN, LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO, SHERIFF DEPARTMENT: A very large number of homes here in northern Colorado in this fire. At this point, that count is at 113 homes that are destroyed in this fire. We are continuing to assess the conditions and that number will continue to grow.
And I don't mean we'll have more homes destroyed as a result of the ongoing fire. We're actually assessing that the damage that's occurred up until this time, it's just taking time to get in there and do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The fire is only 20 percent contained, but hundreds of firefighters have arrived from across the U.S. to help.
Saudi Arabia is mourning the loss of its crown prince. Saudi's state TV says Crown Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz has died in Geneva, Switzerland. Saudi officials say the Prince had health problems, but the cause of his death is unclear.
His body will be flown to Saudi Arabia and buried tomorrow. Nayef was heir to the throne. He was known as a hard line conservative who led several crackdowns on al Qaeda militants.
U.S. troops are taking on suspected terrorists in two hot zones in the Middle East and Africa. The White House is disclosing that information publicly for the very first time. In a letter to Congress, President Obama said the U.S. military has taken direct action against al Qaeda militants in Yemen and Somalia.
The Pentagon says the information was made public because the American people should know it will do whatever is necessary to defend this country against anyone who threatens it.
In Syria, the head of the U.N. monitoring mission says it is suspending all activities there due to escalating violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENERAL ROBERT MOOD, U.N. SUPERVISION MISSION IN SYRIA: In this high- risk situation, we are suspending its operations. U.N. observers will not be conducting patrols and will stay in their locations until further notice. Operations will resume when we see the situation fit for us to carry out our mandated activities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Meanwhile, CNN has learned the U.S. is tracking a Russian military cargo ship heading to Syria. The vessel is carrying weapons and ammunition and a small number of Russian troops. U.S. intelligence officials believe Russia is sending the ship to its naval base in Syria possibly to help fortify it.
The future of pivotal U.S. ally Egypt is at stake this weekend. Millions of Egyptians are picking a new president, but some say there's really no choice at all. On the ballot, an Islamic candidate and the former right-hand man of ousted lead Hosni Mubarak.
Our Ivan Watson is live in Cairo for us this morning. Ivan what is the mood of voters there and how's the turnout looking?
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well -- it's a hot summer day in Cairo, but people are coming in to this -- in this polling station in the posh Zamalic (ph) district of Cairo. And-- and there have been a number of voters and other polling centers have began to.
It's been a really confusing week, to put it politely, in Egyptian politics with the parliament resolved less than 48 hours ago by a court decision, but people still seem to be enjoying the novelty of a choice between two candidates: the former Air Force general, former Prime Minister of dictator Hosni Mubarak, Ahmed Shafiq; and the candidate from the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Morsi.
Some of the voters have told us earlier today about their selection.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Who did you vote for?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For Shafiq. Yes, I know that many people against him because he's from the previous government and they doubt his behaviors, but at least he has character to be a president, you know? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want the change.
WATSON: Who did you choose?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want Morsi because I don't allow any man like Hosni.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: And you can see there we were having just a few little technical glitches with Ivan Watson. We have lost his signal. We'll try to get him back as soon as we can. But certainly a historic day there in Egypt.
And voters go to the polls in Greece tomorrow to try again to elect a government. The country's been without a fully functional one since failed elections last month. Some fear continued political turmoil could result in Greece withdrawing from the Euro currency, which could further spread the debt crisis in Europe. Greece is already in danger of running out of the money for basic necessities and has to make big cuts by the end of June to keep a bailout from its European neighbors.
In case you missed last night's historic moment, well, Nik Wallenda pumped his fists in the air after he crossed over Niagara Falls on a tight rope. Look at this here. People anxiously watched him walk 1,800 feet in the dark with mist and wind blowing around him.
After 25 minutes, he sprinted to the end. And after all that, well, Canadian Border Patrol was there to ask him for his passport.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And what is the purpose of your trip, sir?
NIK WALLENDA, DAREDEVIL: To inspire people around the world.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How were you able to stay so calm during that walk?
WALLENDA: You know a lot of praying, that's for sure, and that helps a lot, but you know, it's all about the concentration, the focus and it all goes back to the training. You know, in the middle of the wire at one point I just started thinking about my great grandfather, paying tribute to him and all the walks that he did and he was successful on. That's what this is all about, paying tribute to my ancestors and my hero, Karl Wallenda.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Nik's great grandfather, Karl Wallenda from the Flying Wallenda's fame died while walking the tight rope between two buildings back in 1978.
And we'll talk with Nik Wallenda live today at 7:00 p.m. in the CNN NEWSROOM with Don Lemon.
A killer wave washed ashore Japan's coast more than one year ago. Now debris from the devastation is showing up halfway around the world.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: A U.S. Air Force space plane in orbit for more than a year will come back to earth today. The robotic X-37b is set to land at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Officials are keeping a close eye on the weather and they are hoping that it will cooperate.
Now, this is an artist's version of what the ship may look like. Only a few people really know, of course. As for the plane's mission, officials aren't saying much, but hopefully, we'll get some answers once it returns.
Nuclear reactors are operating in Japan for the first time since the meltdown at the Fukushima Plant last year. The government restarted two reactors today on the island of Honshu. All of Japan's 50 reactors were shut down after the Fukushima disaster, you may recall. Many Japanese are opposed to restarting any of the plants, saying they're just not earthquake-safe.
A year after that deadly tsunami devastated Japan, the debris is washing up on U.S. shores. A huge chunk of trash turned up on a beach in Washington State and caused quite a stir in the small coastal community.
Our affiliate KGW has that report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Scharfenberger (ph) family thought Cape Disappointment State Park in Ilwaco, Washington would give them a quiet Father's Day weekend. Then suddenly, they heard several helicopters hovering overhead.
EMILY SCHARFENBERGER, BEACH VISITOR: We came to investigate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
SCHARFENBERGER: The nerds in us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What the (inaudible) family discovered shocked them. Washed ashore near Benson Beach was a 20-foot fishing vessel and two other objects, one of which is marked with Japanese writing.
EMILY SCHARFENBERGER, BEACH VISITOR: I just keep thinking it's a piece of a story and there's got to be more to it, so that's what really sparked my interest to come out here and see what's going on with it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: State and local agencies are working with the Japanese consulate in Seattle, but it's believed the vessel and debris were swept into the Pacific after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March of last year.
HALEY MCTEE, BEACH VISITOR: It's haunting just knowing that, like, people over there had all this stuff, and like that happened to them, and now it's over here. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Haley McTee is visiting from Colorado. She's one of dozens who flocked to the beach to catch a glimpse of what could be history.
MCTEE: I'm not touching anything, but I've been taking pictures of it, because it's probably a once in a lifetime thing to see all this stuff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In decision to the boat and debris, life jackets with Japanese writing have also been spotted along the beach. Authorities are warning onlookers not to touch anything.
SHERIFF SCOTT JOHNSON, PACIFIC COUNTY: It's not unexpected. We've had over the years a number of things wash up on the beach. I think this is just the first of what we're going to start seeing, and hopefully, it doesn't come in one big shot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it does, there's sure to be more families like the Scharfenbergers heading to the beach to get a closer look.
SCHARFENBERGER: We'll be watching the news to see what happens.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, definitely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The presidential candidates are keeping busy this Father's Day weekend. Tomorrow, President Obama leaves for Mexico to attend the G- 20 financial summit. Today he and his family are back in their hometown of Chicago to attend the wedding of Laura Jarrett. She is the daughter of the President's advisor, Valerie Jarrett.
Mitt Romney is winding his way through the battleground state of Pennsylvania. His bus tour makes three stops there before heading to another toss-up state. That would be Ohio.
Sarah Palin is delivering a message to fellow Tea Party supporters -- don't go mainstream. She drove home that point at a conservative conference in Las Vegas. Here's CNN political reporter Shannon Travis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Sarah Palin came here to Las Vegas to rally about a thousand conservative bloggers and new media activists. The former Alaska governor encouraged these activists to use social media like Facebook and Twitter to rack up more political gains, but in terms of political gains, one name she didn't mention was Mitt Romney.
We know that Palin has yet to formally endorse Romney, but in her speech to activists, she didn't mention him at all. Instead, what Palin did do was encourage these activists to maintain their Tea Party street credit. Take a listen.
SARAH PALIN, FORMER GOVERNOR OF ALASKA: Whatever the outcome is in November, please do not get co-opted by the permanent political class. TRAVIS: What Palin did do was serve up a lot of red meat to these conservatives against the media and against President Obama. She accused the media once again of not fully vetting the President. And take a listen at how she used a current event to explain how the media, in her words, are not doing their jobs.
PALIN: But if they had done their job, perhaps we would not be shocked to know that our White House would politicize national security by leaking highly confidential information to prop up the polls.
TRAVIS: Of course, we know President Obama has said it's quote, "offensive" that anyone would accuse his administration of leaking national security intelligence. Meanwhile, Sarah Palin made a bit of a joke. She used a play on words with the word "polls". She said that the White House uses a lot of polls to determine what policies it will pursue, and then she said this about Vegas, quote, there are a lot of poles in Vegas.
Shannon Travis, CNN, Las Vegas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: President Obama makes a shift in policy, but what will it mean for the people affected? We're going to take a closer look at the new immigration policy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: This morning, we are taking a closer look at immigration and the potential impact of a new policy implemented by the Obama administration designed to stop the deportation of young, illegal immigrants.
My next guest has a unique perspective on the issue. He's a world- famous surgeon with a Harvard degree, but he traces his beginnings in this country back to a day in 1987, when he literally jumped the border fence between the United States and his native Mexico. He is Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, professor of neurosurgery and oncology at Johns Hopkins University and the author of "Becoming Dr. Q: My journey from migrant worker to brain surgeon".
I asked Dr. Q his reaction to this policy change.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ALFREDO QUININES-HINOJOSA, NEUROSURGEON, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: I think it's a testament of what a wonderful country this is, to give people a second chance, people who truly deserve it and who are willing to give it all they've got to make this place and this country a better place for us to live.
KAYE: And all those years ago, what made you want to come to the United States? And when was that exactly?
QUININES-HINOJOSA: This was in the late '80s, 1987, to be precise. All I wanted, Randi, I just wanted a better life for myself, for my family, my siblings, my parents. All I wanted was to just literally put food on the table of my siblings who were going through an incredible economic depression in Mexico, and I was just literally hungry. I'm not talking about hungry for success. My belly was hungry, literally.
KAYE: And do you remember that moment when you crossed the border? And what did that feel like? As we look at this picture of you when you were just about 4 years old.
QUININES-HINOJOSA: I was, you know, I was so incredibly afraid, Randi, and I would say that I was also excited about the possibilities of making a better life for myself. But yes, I was just a kid. I was 19 years old, and fear was just driving me.
And I came to this country, eventually went on to UC Berkeley to Harvard, and now here as a professor of neurosurgery. It's the same fear of failure; the same fears that I had back then continue to drive me every single day.
KAYE: Did you ever think that one day you would be this world-renowned surgeon? I mean let's talk about the work you were doing in the fields before this, right?
QUININES-HINOJOSA: Well, it's interesting, Randi. I actually work in the fields with these hands and I did farm labor. And now I work in the field of neurological surgery as a brain tumor surgeon/expert, and also as a scientist.
I continue to work with the same hands, Randi. Nothing has changed. My DNA is the same. Now I just have a better education. I went to Harvard. Now I'm a professor of neurosurgery here, but I am still the same kid who came to this country with the same dreams.
KAYE: So, how did you capture that dream? I mean, maybe there's some undocumented immigrants watching the program this morning. I mean where did you find the will to move forward and know that you would find success?
QUININES-HINOJOSA: I would say -- you know, I was thinking about it. I knew you were going to ask me this question. I'm just a very simple man. I get up every day in the morning and I work as hard as I can. I go to bed every day tired, exhausted, but I enjoy my life.
And I would say that I find that energy in the dreams that we all have in this country. The United States is the most beautiful country in the world. And I think that sometimes, you know, we lack role models, especially in the Hispanic community. So it is our responsibility, our duty to continue to be role models for our future generations.
KAYE: Such a pleasure to speak with you, Dr. Alfredo Quinones- Hinojosa. Dr. Q as we like to say. Thank you so much for waking up with us this morning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: What a great story he has. A debate is raging over President Obama's immigration policy change. We'll tell you what one critic is saying.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back.
More now on a major story that we're focusing on today. The Obama administration announced that it will stop deporting young, illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children but only if they meet certain requirements.
Earlier this morning, I asked Phil Kent, executive director of the American Immigration Control Foundation, what he thinks of this policy change.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL KENT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AMERICAN IMMIGRATION CONTROL FOUNDATION: I think it's a usurpation of the role of Congress. This is an area with regard to -- when we're talking about amnesty for illegal immigrants, where whether you agree with it or not this ought to be done by our legislative branch. Again, an overreach.
KAYE: So do you think this is violating the constitution?
KENT: I do think it's an unconstitutional usurpation. And yes, I think it's lawsuit time.
KAYE: Oh boy, lawsuit time. Just what we need, more of those in Washington, right?
KENT: Right.
KAYE: But do you agree, even if you don't agree with how it's done, do you agree that changes do need to be made?
KENT: I think everyone's in favor of comprehensive immigration reform. I think everyone from the right to left and the middle agrees that the immigration system has been broken and the federal government under various administrations have not secured the border. If we'd secured the border we wouldn't be talking about the problem.
KAYE: Let me share with you what Senator Dick Durbin said. He said this. "The decision to extend temporary legal status to Dream Act students is an historic humanitarian moment," he calls it. This action will give these young immigrants their chance to come out of the shadows and be part of the only country that they've ever called home."
So if this isn't the way to do it, what should be done with these illegal immigrants? I mean should they just be sent back to their country?
KENT: Well we have to demagnetize the magnets that bring illegal immigrants and their families here. We have to tighten up employer sanctions as the Obama administration's doing. We have to do e-verify, as many states and the national government is trying to do. We have to ban illegals from our colleges. We have to make sure that American workers are protected first.
This order by President Obama Friday is a stab in the back to the American worker, especially at a time of high unemployment. We've gotten more people now in the work force? We have to have something done for these young people, these students especially. We sympathize with them, but we cannot do this. This actually makes the problem worse, what the president did.
KAYE: Well, according to Janet Napolitano, though, they're not going to be getting any benefits or any help while they're here. They're just going to be allowed to stay. And they came here, you know, they didn't know that they were doing anything wrong when they came over here in many cases, but you still think they should just go back?
KENT: What we're going to have to do is have some sort of program. I think we do agree on this, where I think if they're students, and most of them are students, you have to give them a student visa, but then go back to their country of origin and reapply, along with those folks who played by the rules and who legally come to America and who want to be permanent residents.
We have just now willy-nilly given 800,000 to about a million people work permits, and we still have broken the rules here.
KAYE: So, you think it's going to make the immigration problem worse?
KENT: It is. Here's what's going to happen, and you know this. You cover this all the time. There's going to be more protests that these people don't have the rights of citizens or permanent residents. There's taxation without representation. They're going to be demanding citizenship. There will be more tensions and more protests now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And once again, that was Phil Kent, executive director of the American Immigration Control Foundation.
Next, China makes history on a rocket into space.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Checking top stories now. A historic day for China. For the first time ever, the country has sent a female astronaut into space. And if all goes well, her spacecraft will dock with China's orbiting space lab. Liu Yang is a veteran pilot and was deputy head of a flight unit in the Chinese Air Force. Next up, China hopes to build a space station and conduct a manned mission to the moon.
An historic and emotional day in Oslo, Norway. Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi delivered her Nobel speech 21 years after winning the Peace Prize. The democracy activist couldn't accept the prize in person in 1991 because she was under house arrest. In her speech, she said that Myanmar government is taking steps toward democracy, but she says more progress is needed.
In southern Mexico, Carlotta now a tropical depression, but before it weakened, it unleashed fierce winds and dumped intense rains. The storm destroyed a clay house, killing two children. According to preliminary reports, Carlotta ripped off roofs of homes, caused widespread power outages, and even some small landslides.
And an old computer worth its weight in gold and then some. One of the few original working Apple 1 computers has sold for more than $374,000. Sotheby's auction house says it was only expecting to get half that. If you had bought one of the computers when they went on sale in 1976, it would have cost you just $666.
Now a story that has a whole lot of people talking. It is a question of justice. What would you do to a man who tried to sexually assault your daughter, your 5-year-old daughter? The little girl's father took matters into his own hands. Tiffany Craig of CNN affiliate KHOU tells us what happened in the small town of Shiner, Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TIFFANY CRAIG, KHOU CORRESPONDENT: When you hear what happened in Shiner, this town will be known for more than just beer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody's been talking about the same thing. They would have did the same thing.
CRAIG: We don't know all the details in this case, but the people here say they know enough.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He got what he well deserved.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you can say that nationwide.
CRAIG: It was Saturday afternoon in a pasture along county road 302. A father told authorities that a 47-year-old man who helps with his horses tried to sexually assault his 4-year-old daughter.
SHERIFF MICAH HARMON, LAVACA COUNTY, TX: In the defense of her, trying to get her away from him, that he struck the individual in the head several times.
CRAIG: The sheriff of Lavaca County says the father ended up beating the man to death with his bare hands, and hasn't been arrested.
Do you think this father should be charged?
Sheriff Micah Harmon has children, too.
HARMON: Just don't ask that question.
CRAIG: The people of Shiner don't need a jury on this one.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think he should be arrested for it. I don't think any charges should be filed.
CRAIG: We couldn't find a single person who thinks the girl's father should be locked up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If somebody abused my grandchild like he did, I think he deserved everything he got.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Especially 4 years old. That's terrible.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: That was Tiffany Craig of KHOU reporting.
And here's something to think about if you're planning to travel by plane this summer. It seems those new rules designed to keep air traffic controllers from staying awake, well, they're being violated already. The Washington Post reports there have been about 4,000 violations since the beginning of the year. That's according to the FAA. And remember all those instances last year where controllers were caught sleeping on the job? Well, the new rule is that they need to get at least nine hours of rest between shifts. But it seems some controllers are breaking the rule because they'd rather squeeze their shifts together so they get a three-day weekend.
Now to this story of an amazing rescue. A woman was trapped inside her burning car after she lost control and flipped, but a stranger smashed open the window with a fire extinguisher, pulled her to safety moments before the car was engulfed in flames.
Look at that. Then he disappeared. Well, that was two weeks ago. Now our affiliate, KTRK, tracked him down. His name is Mitchell Corbin, and he's a sergeant in the Texas Air National Guard.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MITCHELL CORBIN, TEXAS AIR NATIONAL GUARD: I saw a lady frantically screaming that, you know, she's still in there, she's still in there! Figured out there was a big problem going on and took the steps to fix it. I was just happy that everything turned out all right and everyone was safe.
NANCY DECKER, RESCUED FROM BURNING CAR: He's my guardian angel. He really is. I have a hero. God put him there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Corbin actually teaches emergency response in the Guard, but says this was his first time that he's actually had to rescue someone.
A Democratic lawmaker is punished after she used the word "vagina" in a speech, all because some Republicans said it just wasn't mature.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAYE: A manhunt is under way in Canada in the deadly robbery of an armored vehicle. Three guards were killed and a fourth critically injured during a heist at the University of Alberta. Police suspect this man, 21-year-old Travis Baumgartner, is the killer, and now his mother is pleading for him to surrender. CTV has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This was the scene at the University of Alberta. Three people were shot to death, two men and one woman. A fourth, another man, was sent to hospital in critical condition. The victims were all guards for a security company, G-4s Canada, making a delivery, police say, and so is the person police call a suspect, another armored vehicle guard, 21-year-old Travis Baumgartner.
BOB HASSEL, EDMONTON POLICE INSPECTOR: We're in the process of filing warrants in the first degree for three counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder against Travis Brandon Baumgartner. With the approval of the crown, we now believe that we have reasonable and probable grounds that this is the person who's responsible for this horrific and terrible crime.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A Facebook profile of Baumgartner shows a man wearing a ski mask and glasses. Police say they were called to the hub building on campus shortly after midnight, a gathering place for students with shops and a bank of ATMs. On the upper floors is a student residence.
RAVEDH SEEBERATH, STUDENT: I heard what I thought at the time was firecrackers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A few minutes later, this student saw the commotion and heard screams.
SEEBERATH: And that's when about 30, maybe 40 tactical members were rushing towards me with their automatic weapons, shotguns and a dog.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police discovered this vehicle believed to be involved in the shooting near the office of G-4s. Police insist students are safe, but that's small comfort to those who were so close.
THEO KIM, STUDENT: I freaked out. I've never experienced anything like this in my life. Yes, obviously, I panicked.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The university did not issue an alert until after 6:00 in the morning, several hours after the shooting, but say they made the decision after consulting with Edmonton police.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Even after 40 years, the Watergate scandal continues to fascinate, and today there are still many conspiracy theories out there. Next, one person who believes he has found some answers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAYE: It has been 40 years since the infamous Watergate break-in that led to President Nixon's resignation. Now the FBI has released the personnel files of secret informant Mark Felt, also known as Deep Throat. Earlier, I spoke with author Lamar Waldron. His new book just out this week, "Watergate: The Hidden History," exposes the connection between the Mafia, the CIA and the Watergate scandal.
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LAMAR WALDRON, AUTHOR: Nixon knew that Mark Felt was providing information to the Washington Post, found that out just four months after the Watergate break-in arrest, but he really couldn't say anything about that. He couldn't reveal that, because he knew that Mark Felt knew, as the No. 2 and No. 3 guy in the FBI, a couple of very important secrets in Nixon's background, that it turns out, are the reason for the Watergate break-ins, and I say break-ins because there were four attempts, two successful.
KAYE: So, he thought he would share that if he gave him up?
WALDRON: He could, because almost no one else knew about these things. These things were kept secret so long. It all went back to 1960, when Richard Nixon was the vice president and had been for eight years, was in a very close election race against Senator John Kennedy. And to get an edge in the election, Richard Nixon pressured the CIA to work with the Mafia to assassinate the new leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro.
KAYE: Yes, I was going to ask you about that, because there has long been speculation that then Vice President Nixon was trying to lay the groundwork for that, so -- but you've uncovered some new information about this.
WALDRON: Right. In other words, it was Nixon who actually pressed for that. He was Eisenhower's action officer for Cuba. Eisenhower delegated Cuba to Nixon. Nixon pressed for that, thinking that if Fidel Castro died right before the election, the public would stick with the proven eight-year vice president over the relatively inexperienced young Senator Kennedy.
However, the Mafia was not able to assassinate Fidel. That same month, in September 1960, some of those same Mafia members also contributed to a half million dollar bribe to Richard Nixon on behalf of the campaign and to stall an indictment against Jimmy Hoffa. So that all happened back in 1960. You would think that would be ancient history.
KAYE: Right.
WALDRON: However, the FBI and the Justice Department, they had records about that CIA Mafia plot. And they had records about that half million dollar bribe that involved some of the same mobsters.
KAYE: So when you talk about this plot, this Mafia-CIA plot, it sounds pretty incredible, but there is also actually a name attached to this, the name Johnny Roselli?
WALDRON: Right. KAYE: Who was he in this plot?
WALDRON: Johnny Roselli was the key guy, the key mobster in the plot. Johnny Roselli was the Chicago Mafia's man in Hollywood and Las Vegas.
KAYE: So he was the assassin?
WALDRON: No, he was like a fixer, a deal maker. He would later on broker casino deals to Howard Hughes. He was the ultimate fixer in the Mafia. And so he turned to his boss, Sam Giancana, and the Florida godfather, Santo Trafficante, because they had the connections to get Fidel killed. Giancana and Trafficante also donated to that half million dollar Mafia bribe back in September 1960.
So Nixon had those two big secrets in his past. No one has ever yet until now been able to connect those two big secrets to Watergate. And that's why you have brand new documents, that I was the first person to get from the National Archives, back in April that finally connect the Mafia and Johnny Roselli to Watergate and show that that was the reason for the Watergate break-ins.
KAYE: What about Mark Felt? I mean, his personnel files were just released this week by the FBI. Why do you think he did what he did? Why do you think he helped those reporters?
WALDRON: Well, those files show very clearly that Mark Felt for almost 30 years had been a very by-the-book, upstanding FBI agent and then supervisor and then high FBI official. He fully expected that when J. Edgar Hoover died a few weeks before the first Watergate break-in that he would become FBI director. But Nixon knew that the FBI and Hoover had these secrets that he did not want exposed in 1972, which was an election year.
So instead of Mark Felt, who would be the logical successor, who had practically been groomed to be the next FBI director, Nixon chose a political guy that he could trust, L. Patrick Gray, instead. Mark Felt was very, very resentful. So he, in the summer, he starts leaking to Bob Woodward. And then the amazing thing is, four months after the Watergate break-ins, just two or three months after the active leaking as Deep Throat to Woodward, Nixon is told that Mark Felt, associate FBI director, is leaking to a reporter from the Washington Post.
KAYE: Could they have done it without Mark Felt? Could Woodward and Bernstein have done it? They said they had a lot of information. He was sort of the guy who just said, well, you're going in the wrong direction or confirming things.
WALDRON: You're exactly right. In other words, he was necessary. What was important at the time, most of the press was behind Nixon. Watergate was not a factor in the '72 election, because the post was one of the few media outlets that was willing to go out on a limb. And they might not have been willing to do that without Mark Felt.
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KAYE: And CNN NEWSROOM continues at the top of the hour. Hello to you, Fred.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We've got a lot straight ahead.
KAYE: What do you have?
WHITFIELD: Of course, our legal guys are going to be us with, because they always are, and Avery and Richard are just so dynamic.
So the KKK wants to adopt a portion of a Georgia highway. You know, adopt a highway projects all across the country?
KAYE: Sounds lovely.
WHITFIELD: Yes, but the state of Georgia says, no, not with your track record. And so the Klan says, wait a minute, this is a First Amendment right issue. The ACLU, the American Civil Liberties Union, actually agrees, and in the Klan's defense, will be representing them. That's right. In a lawsuit.
KAYE: Wow.
WHITFIELD: It is a big wow. OK, and then you talked about the 40 years since the Watergate break-in. It's been 40 years since Title IX was put into effect. I had the pleasure and honor of talking to tennis great Billie Jean King. You know, she was a huge advocate of Title IX back in 1972, and of course she is a giant Grand Slam winner, and there she is, Wimbledon and everything, every Grand Slam. But anyway, I talk with her about the milestones in that 40 years. And I also talk to her about what she thinks about today's tennis greats. She's got quite a few favorites. In fact, so much so that she actually is a regular texter to some of the players.
KAYE: Really?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
KAYE: I am very curious to hear who she is -- I'm a big fan of hers and I'm a big tennis fan.
WHITFIELD: I know. I am, too. She's incredible. OK, that's all in the 2:00 Eastern hour. So you have to tune in for that. And then 3:00, the road trip. I know it's very exciting, especially with the family, but it also can be kind of agonizing, because what do you do so that you don't hear the kids constantly saying are we there yet? Are we there yet?
KAYE: Oh, I know, I was one of those kids. I was that kid.
WHITFIELD: I know. (inaudible). So Marc Saltzman will be along with us to give us an idea of some great, on the road, family vacation gadgets.
KAYE: Plug them in. That's the answer.
WHITFIELD: That's right. Thank goodness for technology these days, right?
KAYE: You bet. You know better than I do.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
KAYE: All right.
WHITFIELD: That's all straight ahead beginning at noon Eastern time.
KAYE: OK. Thank you, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
KAYE: Well, he hasn't won a major title in four years, but Tiger Woods could be on the verge of breaking that losing streak.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Tiger Woods could be on the verge of a huge comeback. It's been four years since he won his last major title. But now he is tied for the lead at the U.S. Open in San Francisco. CNN's Patrick Snell is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK SNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After 36 holes, three-time U.S. Open champion Tiger Woods is in his share of the lead at one under par. This despite shooting a second round of 70 on Friday, which featured three consecutive bogeys. He does have company, though, in the shape of former major winners Jim Furyk and David Toms. Though you'd have to say at this point it's now Tiger's tournament to lose.
TIGER WOODS, GOLFER: Being, you know, patient is certainly something that, you know, you have to do in major championships, and I think I've done a pretty good job of that over the years. I won my fair share, and I understand how to do it.
SNELL: For a short while, the 112th U.S. Open featured a 17-year-old American amateur in the lead. High schooler Beau Hossler got to two under par at one point before falling back to three over, but not before his name was trending out of control worldwide.
BEAU HOSSLER, GOLFER: I was pretty excited about it. But then again, there's still what, I have another 40 holes at least to be playing in the tournament. You got a long way to go and you can't get too wrapped up on where you're at, but you have to keep focused.
SNELL: Another amateur player has had a tournament to remember, but sadly for 14-year-old Chinese Andy Jung, he's now out of the tournament after being cut. He's in good company, though. The defending champion, Rory McElroy at ten over par, is also leaving the tournament far earlier than he would have wanted.
Patrick Snell, CNN, San Francisco.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KAYE: Tiger tees off just after 6:00 p.m. Eastern time tonight.
I know you'll be watching that.
WHITFIELD: I know. I will, actually.
(CROSSTALK)
KAYE: I caught a little bit of it yesterday. It was pretty exciting.
WHITFIELD: Yes, yes, it's going to be very exciting. Good for him.
KAYE: Yes. That will do it for me, though. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Randi. Appreciate that.
