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CNN Saturday Morning News

Devastating Fires Continue in Colorado; Power Outages Along East Coast as Temperatures Climb Above 100 Degrees; Mean Girls Aren't Cool

Aired June 30, 2012 - 9:00   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, and good morning once again. I'm Randi Kaye. It is 9:00 on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. out west. Thanks for waking up with us.

Now to the devastating fires in Colorado. President Obama toured the area around Colorado Springs yesterday getting a firsthand look at the destruction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The devastation is enormous. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families who have been affected. One of the things that I tried to emphasize is that whether it's fires in Colorado or flooding in the northern parts of Florida, when natural disasters like this hit, America comes together. We all recognize that there but for the grace of god go I. We've got to have each other's backs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Some of the numbers on the Waldo Canyon Fire. Two people are dead, found in a burned out home, 346 homes destroyed, thousands more threatened. We'll have a live report next hour.

We said across America the country is baking and that if you can find a place where it's 90 degrees you're actually in a cool zone. Our Nick Valencia is in Atlanta this morning where people are trying to beat the heat. Nick, how hot is it? I understand the city is taking official action, right? Hoping not to replicate what has happened in Missouri where they are investigating three possible heat related deaths.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. If you can imagine, Randi, when we got here about 70 degrees just over an hour ago. Already 81 degrees if you can believe it. We talked to Georgia Power today and they said they had similar heat conditions in 2007. We had reached triple digit heat back then. But they don't expect a record all-time usage in terms of power here.

They said this time around they are more prepared. And they are planned, one of the plans that they did have was to open up cooling centers across Atlanta, we're in the southwest location here. And in the last few minutes, we had a dozen cars show up here, if you can believe it. So people already bracing for that record heat, Randi. KAYE: And what exactly is taking place? What can they get at the cooling stations? Are they picking up water and cooling off literally.

VALENCIA: Well, exactly. Some of the people we talked to, they actually have recreational activities inside. So there were some kids here. We haven't spoken just yet. It hasn't opened up just yet, so we don't know exactly what's planned here. But you can imagine a cooling center, just a place to cool down and come and just get away from the heat.

We did talked to Georgia Power as I mentioned earlier today and they said the economic factors, if you can believe it or not, are going to play into today, a lot of people not turning on their air conditioning because they can't afford it. So the city of Atlanta particularly encouraged residents to come out here and the public so they can get away from that. Randi.

KAYE: Yes, and the power grid can't afford it either.

Nick Valencia, thank you very much.

VALENCIA: That's right.

KAYE: And now to what some are calling "absolute craziness" on an American Eagle flight delayed for hours. Passengers took this video, the flight attendant losing his cool. And that is an understatement. He dared passengers who wanted to leave to just try it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want to hear anything. We will not hear anything. Once we close the door. If you have balls - is that what he said?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is your time. Otherwise you're going to have to fly with Jose.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Can you imagine being on that airplane? The flight was on the tarmac for five hours, delayed by thunderstorms, then returned to the gate to refuel and was eventually canceled. American Airlines has apologized for the crew's behavior.

Rodney King will be remembered today in a public funeral in California. Civil rights leaders, family, friends, and celebrities are expected to attend the service at Forest Lawn cemetery in Hollywood Hills. The King family has set up a bank fund to help pay for the funeral. Rodney King became the face of police misconduct after his videotape beating by L.A. Police in 1991. Two weeks ago he was found dead in his swimming pool. He was 47.

They're the often forgotten victims of the destructive fires sweeping across Colorado. I'm talking about our furry little friends, the dogs, the cats, and other adorable pets. The amazing rescue effort to help them, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Let's check some stories cross country for you now.

First to Wisconsin where a 100-year-old woman celebrated her birthday by throwing out the first pitch at a minor league baseball game. Her friends call her Tommie. She's legally blind. Since she was turning 100, she said, you know what, she knew she could do whatever she wanted. But first she asked her son's opinion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAILA "TOMMIE" WERELEY, 100 YEARS OLD: Why do you ask me what you should do, why don't you do what you want to do. I said, "OK, I'll throw out the first pitch." I didn't get to be 100 by myself. I've had a lot of help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Tommie grew up playing ball with her six brothers. 130 of her friends and family came out to support her.

And an Arizona police blame a naked carjacking suspect for multiple wrecks. They say the rampage started when he got in a crash yesterday. He jumped out of his car, started yelling before pulling off his clothes. He then climbed on the roof of the car, pulled out the driver, jumped in and fled, then crashed into four more cars before police were finally able to stop him. You see the picture there. One of those injured included a pregnant woman. Police say the suspect may have been on drugs.

Now to North Carolina where a seven-month-old puppy was trapped at the bottom of a well after he ran away. A rescue squad rushed to get him out. A rescuer tied the dog to a rope and was able to carry him up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He actually jumped right in my arms. Kind of hard to tie him off. He was real friendly. I love animals myself. I wouldn't want my pet down there in the hole.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: We're happy to tell you the pup is OK. The property owner now plans to cover up the well.

We have been focusing this morning on the firestorm in Colorado that's forced thousands from their homes. Many had to pick up and leave in a hurry but not before making sure their pets were safe. They have placed them in temporary shelter until they can return and get them.

Jan McHugh Smith is the president and CEO of the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region in Colorado. Jan, good morning. Thank you so much for joining us.

JAN MCHUGH SMITH, PRESIDENT & CEO, HUMAN SOCIETY OF PIKES PEAK REGION: Good morning.

KAYE: So first of all, where are you? Where is your facility in relation to the fires? I'm hoping that you and the animals are all safe.

MCHUGH-SMITH: Yes, thanks for asking. Our shelter is on the west side but we're down south. We also opened up a temporary shelter on the east side so we could take in more animals when Tuesday's firestorm happened.

KAYE: And tell me about the operation. I think what you've done is such a smart move. You actually opened shelters right when the fires began?

MCHUGH-SMITH: That's right. Exactly a week ago on Saturday, we saw the smoke. Our staff jumped into action and we put together a temporary shelter at our current facility along with our homeless animals and the stray animals. But that filled up in one day. So immediately we got on the phone and we were able to find donated space at an expo center on the east side of town. We went into action there. We were able to set up a shelter for emergencies and we were taking in 165 animals.

KAYE: And how many animals you've taken in already or you're still taking in more?

MCHUGH-SMITH: Well, we've taken in over 300 animals total. About 145 at our facility on the west side and another 165 on the east side. So we've had over 300 animals in our care. People have been so grateful we've been able to help them during this difficult time.

KAYE: What kind of animals are you getting? Is it just the dogs and cats?

MCHUGH-SMITH: It's a wide variety of animals. The majority are dogs and cats. But we've also taken in exotics, big birds, small birds. We even got in chickens last night.

KAYE: Wow. Do you have enough volunteers? I mean how is it going in terms of staffing and taking care of these animals?

MCHUGH-SMITH: Well, we've been on 24/7 since the fire started. And luckily we have dedicated volunteers who have been assisting our staff night and day to take care of these animals, to assist families that are in dire need of knowing how their animals are. Yesterday our animal law enforcement officers went up into these mandatory evacuation areas and they were able to pull out 76 animals that were left behind.

KAYE: That's what I wanted to ask you. Are most families dropping them off or are they leaving in such a rush that they are just abandoning their animals not for lack of love but just because they don't know what else to do?

MCHUGH-SMITH: It was such a rush, many people may not have even had a chance to get into their homes when the fire started. A lot of people brought them to us but we have been concentrating the last two days on having our officers go into these mandatory evacuated areas and pulling these animals out of their homes. Yesterday morning I had a couple come in. They were crying, they were just distraught over their three cats that they had to leave behind. Luckily we were able to get into their home and save those animals.

KAYE: And how are the animals doing in general?

MCHUGH-SMITH: In general everybody is doing great. Our staff and volunteers have been doing really well taking care of them. We've had local veterinarians coming in and doing health checks every single day. It's very stressful in the emergency shelter because of the noise level but we are working very hard to keep everybody comfortable and hopefully reunite everyone with their pets as soon as possible.

KAYE: And is that the plan? I mean you do expect that these people weren't dropping them off for good, right? You expect that they will be reclaimed?

MCHUGH-SMITH: Yes, the plan is to have everybody be reunited with their animals at some point. But obviously with 347 homes being lost and many more being badly damaged, there are some animals that will be remaining probably in foster homes for the long-term while families try to get situated and back on their feet.

KAYE: Yes, you know, as we're looking, talking about pictures of dogs and cats and animals you're now sheltering. I'm curious though, how long can it go on. Because the U.S. Forest Service says could be mid July before this fire is under control. Can you afford to do this?

MCHUGH-SMITH: Well, we're seeking donations to help with the cost of caring for these animals. Our community has jumped in and been supportive helping us with crates, blankets, food from our - food donations from Hill Science diet has been tremendous. So we have the basic necessities. At this point financial donations would help us with the long-term extended care we think we're going to have to provide for some of these animals.

KAYE: I don't know how you could look at these pictures and not want to help and reach out to your group. Jan, thank you very much. Appreciate what you're doing certainly to help save these animals.

MCHUGH-SMITH: Thank you very much.

KAYE: Next hour, our focus turns to what's fueling those fires. I'll talk with a professor of fire ecology.

New details from Penn State, e-mails paint a different picture of who knew what and when about concerns over Jerry Sandusky. But first here is Christine Romans with a look at what's ahead on "Your Bottom Line" coming up at 9:30. Christine.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi Randi. On a special edition of "Your Bottom Line" this independence weekend, we focus on the courageous men and women coming home from war. We'll show you the employment struggles and successes of our veterans from the job hunt to translating military skills from the battlefields to the office. We also look at the unique ways veterans are healing from the mental and physical wounds of war. We take you inside the stories of some of our nation's bravest. That's coming up at 9:30 a.m. Eastern. Randi.

KAYE: Thanks, Christine.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Mean girls aren't cool, it's true. And that's the name of a program and a Web site created by Kelsey Jackson, a college student who was bullied in high school. Her mission is to raise awareness about the problem and empower victims.

I was able to sit down with Kelsey as well as teacher Lori Thompson, and ask her about her work.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: How much of a difference is there between how girls bully or how girls are bullied versus the boys?

KELSEY JACKSON, FOUNDER, "MEAN GIRLS AREN'T COOL": Well, I think that girls are more psychological and emotionally bullied; while boys, you know, they can go outside or wherever, in the parking lot of school, get in a fight and be best friends the next five minutes. Girls, they could hold a grudge with somebody forever, and it just tears your self-confidence apart because it's, you know, more psychological rather than physical.

KAYE: Why do you think it's so important, Kelsey, to draw attention to those being bullied?

JACKSON: Because with girls, it's harder to recognize the bullying because they're secretive most of the time, and those victims, you know, are sometimes scared to reach out for help. And so, getting the education for people to acknowledge it and how to realize that somebody is being bullied is very important for schools.

KAYE: Kelsey, you were bullied when you were younger. Tell me about that and its impact on you.

JACKSON: It had a huge impact on me. I was bullied starting probably in the fourth grade. And you know, I never got to really eat at the same lunch table with the girls in my class, never got to go to spend- the-night parties. It was exclusion.

I had, you know, huge self-confidence before I was bullied, and because I was bullied, I just lost that completely. I turned shy, and it just really affected me. I would always go sit up in my room by myself, you know, and my parents always wondered what was going on because my grades dropped.

And you know, it took me a while to tell them because I was really scared. I was scared, you know, if I told somebody at the school or told my parents, I knew they would go to the school, and I figured you know, it would just get worse if I told somebody. KAYE: Did you tell someone at the school? And if so, how did they respond?

JACKSON: I did after a while, and at first, you know, they just kind of brushed it off and they thought, well, it can't be her, she's my best student, you know, because she was a popular girl, and they just kind of brushed it off. They didn't figure it was her because they never saw it. It was always in the bathroom or outside or at lunch, you know, when the teachers aren't right there in your face in a classroom.

KAYE: And you started your own anti-bullying program.

JACKSON: I did.

KAYE: As a result of what happened. What's that about? Tell me.

JACKSON: It's just really, I go -- I started in the ninth grade, and I go to schools and I talk about my story. And I let the girls know I've been through this, I'm ok. You're going to be ok. And I really talk about things that I didn't do that I should have done that really helped.

I educate them on, you know, what to do, how to get through it, and sometimes I'd talk to teachers, me and my mom, a presentation together when we talk to adults and teachers about how to handle it in schools and things like that.

KAYE: And the name of the program is?

JACKSON: Mean girls aren't cool.

Ka: I love that. That is just the greatest name.

So, Lori, your play about bullying, Bullycide, it's very moving.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a play about bullying.

KAYE: Tell me briefly what it's about.

LORI THOMPSON, THE BULLYCIDE PROJECT: The Bullycide project is based on a book "Bullycide in America", compiled by Brenda High and set for mothers who have lost their son or daughter to suicide due to excessive bullying. And when I read the book, I could certainly hear the voice of the mother, but I could also hear the voice of their son or daughter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lashing, the insults, and I didn't even know his name.

THOMPSON: And being a theater teacher, it became then for me, how can I go there to get there with my students? And that was then the premise for the Bullycide Project in taking these stories, bringing them back to life, so to speak, and educating young audiences who these people were. KAYE: Kelsey, I know, while you're in town here in Atlanta, you've shot this music video, and also related to bullying. Tell me about that and who is involved with that.

JACKSON: That was awesome. That was my first music video, so it was a lot fun. The CNN Building is actually in the background, so that's cool.

It was shot with a pop group "Remix" (ph). I grew up with them. They're from Mississippi as well. And we got a lot of people, kids, younger kids from Mississippi to come up. And the video is very powerful because it's called "Beautiful", and it's talking about you're beautiful no matter what people think, you know.

You don't have to look at the girls that are in the magazines and on TV to be them, you know. Just be yourself.

(MUSIC)

JACKSON: It was really powerful, and some of the kids that actually came up, they had been bullied before. So it was really great it was an awesome opportunity. I'm glad for it to come out.

KAYE: If there is a child who's watching this morning or a teenager or anybody who's being bullied right now at school and doesn't know what to do about it, or at camp this time of year, what's your advice to them?

JACKSON: My advice is something I didn't do for a long time, tell an adult. You have to. You can't go through this alone. Because you know, you're so scared.

And for friends, like, if you know anybody that is being bullied, stand up for them. They need your help. I know it's, you know, a very scary thing because you feel like, well, if I get involved, the bully might turn on me and bully me as well, but your friends really need you at this point. And so, just really tell an adult and take up for other people.

KAYE: Well, I think what both of you are doing is great, so thank you both.

JACKSON: Thank you.

THOMPSON: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: And Kelsey left me with one parting gift, these sunglasses here. On the side they say hater blockers. This is her way of getting kids to wear these and not listen to those mean bullies who might be bullying them.

If you'd like to sound off on stories about bullying, you can tweet me now or any time. Use the hashtag bullying stops here. You can find me on Twitter @randikayecnn. I always love to hear from you. Singer Adele is back in the headlines and not for the mega talent she now is but for what she is about to become.

And here's a quick look at what's coming up on "Sanjay Gupta M.D." today at 4:30.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta. We're devoting the whole half hour to answering your questions about what the Supreme Court's decision means for your health. A monumental week. We'll be answering your questions on "SGMD."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Checking some headlines now. Parts of the country are literally baking this weekend. We've seen record high temperatures from coast- to-coast. That means triple digit temperatures, and people scrambling to find ways to stay cool.

In Colorado, firefighters are hoping for a little help from mother nature today. The Waldo Canyon Fire has now destroyed nearly 350 homes and thousands more are threatened. Firefighters have been working around the clock to protect those homes. We'll have a live report for you next hour.

Newly released e-mails allegedly from Penn State officials said they knew they had a problem with Jerry Sandusky long before he was ever charged with a crime. Concerns date back to an incident in 2001. But officials say they wanted to handle it in a "humane manner." Sandusky was convicted on 45 charges related to sexual abuse of young boys.

Big news in the entertainment world, Adele is pregnant. The award winning singer says she and boyfriend Simon (INAUDIBLE) are expecting. It is her first child. Adele won critical acclaim for songs about her life in and out of relationships. So this event should make for even more gold records.

And have you heard, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are splitting up. Holmes filed for divorce on Thursday after about five and a half years of marriage. Cruise's attorney says Tom is very sad while Katie's camp says she's concentrating on her daughter's best interest. Daughter Suri was born in 2006 and she is the couple's only child and Katie wants primary custody.

This is just the beginning of the story, coming up next hour, we'll talk with famed Hollywood attorney Debra Opri about the split and the legal challenges that come next, like the prenup and the possible custody battle. I'll be back with more on that and more headlines at the top of the hour.

"YOUR BOTTOM LINE" starts right now.