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CNN Saturday Morning News

Firefighters Still Battling Oklahoma Fires; 'Atrocious' Puppy Mill in North Carolina; Truck Hits Concrete Ramp at Mall of America; The High Cost of Education: Parents Taking Out Loans for Kindergarten; Gridlock in Congress; DNA and the 4th Amendment; Ebola Outbreak Raises Fears; New Life for Maimed Children

Aired August 04, 2012 - 08:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): From CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

We might be number one here, but we're nowhere close here. All morning, we're putting education in focus. Why in the world is our system ranked lower than Ireland, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan?

And later, job numbers are up, but so is unemployment. As each candidate puts his spin on the new report, we'll give you facts and what it means for the economy.

Plus, a woman changing lives and saving lives, one child at a time, rescuing them from the war zone. I'll talk with her and the first boy she saved.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Good morning everyone. I'm Randi Kaye, it is 8:00 on the East Coast, 5:00 out West. Thanks for waking up with us this morning.

We start with medical news and a major spike in cases of West Nile virus. Health officials say it is the biggest rise since 2004. So far we've seen 241 cases across the country with four deaths. The CDC says most of the cases have been centered in Texas, Mississippi and Oklahoma. August is traditionally the peak month for West Nile. The virus is carried by mosquitoes. It can be especially harmful to people with compromised immune systems like young children or the elderly.

To Colorado now, where the University of Colorado has hired an independent investigator to probe the school's handling of Colorado theater shooting suspect James Holmes. Holmes was being seen by university psychiatrist, Lynn Fenton. That's her on the left there.

CNN affiliate KMGH reports that Fenton had concerns that Holmes might be a danger to others and told her colleagues but Holmes dropped out of school before any further evaluations were done.

In Oakland protesters caused some damage downtown. A brick was thrown through the window of an Obama campaign office. No one was hurt. More than 100 "Occupy Oakland" protesters were marching down the street at that time. Reports say several car windows were broken as well.

To Oklahoma now and the wildfire disaster there. There are at least four major fires burning in Oklahoma this morning. Hundreds of homes are being threatened by these fires.

Joining me now from Luther, Oklahoma is Katy Blakey of affiliate KOCO.

Katy, good morning. Where is the worst of this happening?

KATY BLAKEY, KOCO REPORTER: Well, good morning.

Right now we are standing where the worst of this fire has been burning now for almost 12 hours. We're in Luther, Oklahoma. That's about 20 miles northeast of Oklahoma City. I want to show you the command post that state and local officials are working out of right now.

I don't know if you can see it because of the glare of the sun, but this is a map and they are looking at the hardest hit areas that this fire has affected and you can see a list of all of the volunteer fire departments who are here. They have them out over the overnight hours and in these early morning hours battling hot spots.

We saw huge, intense flames yesterday. Most people when they think of wildfires, they think of grass fires affecting prairie lands. But we saw these move from farm fields into town in the small community of Luther, only about 700 people. But the flames were rolling over city blocks. This morning we have about 60 firefighters here at the scene at this command post. They're getting ready to go out for the day ahead. And the big problem here is the weather.

So much of the country dealing with such an extensive drought for such a long period of time. But here in Oklahoma, we're experiencing some unusual dry conditions and the wind. The winds were whipping around about 4:00, 5:00 this morning which is uncommon for this area and that's been the really big factor here fueling those flames.

I'm going to walk you over here to where you can see these firefighters are getting some rest this morning. Over there we see the ambulance. That's the rehab center. They have IVs hooked up over there so firefighters can stay hydrated because we are dealing with record breaking heat. We're talking about 110, 113 degrees is what we saw yesterday here in Oklahoma.

We broke a new record in Oklahoma City and these firefighters out there on the front lines for some 12 hours, some of them, dealing with the heat and those conditions, the heat from the flames and also the smoke. You know, we haven't been out here as long as these guys have been out here, but already my throat is sore from just the smoke, in your eyes. It just penetrates everything in this area.

KAYE: Let me just ask you about a possible cause here. You're talking about the weather, but we got some word earlier from officials that they were investigating a possible case of arson. Have you heard anything on that? Have you been able to confirm anything on that? BLAKEY: That is correct. Oklahoma County is the lead investigator on this fire. They believe this fire here in Luther may have been a case of arson. Initially they were looking for a man in a pickup truck because someone called in reported seeing that man throwing off wads of paper already lit out into pasture. So they are still working to determine who that man is, what those witnesses exactly saw.

That's so unsettling for so many people here in Oklahoma. We already knew the conditions were bad. The governor issued a state-wide burn ban and then you have something like that take place. So much of this could have been preventable and didn't even need to happen.

KAYE: Certainly not. Katy, thank you for the update from there, Katy Blakey with our affiliate KOCO. Thanks very much.

"Disgusting" and "atrocious" -- just some of the words officials are using to describe a suspected puppy mill in North Carolina. Animal rescue crews were shocked to find more than 100 dogs living in a trailer without even electricity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIM ALROUM, DIRECTOR, NORTH CAROLINA HUMANE SOCIETY: This is the worst puppy mill that I have seen in North Carolina. Those animals inside that house are suffering immensely. It is filthy, disgusting. There is garbage everywhere. There are newborn babies. It is filthy. Some rooms have dogs with cages stacked on top of each other. In other rooms they're free among garbage. There's a room full of birds. It is devastating.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's uncalled for. That's just uncalled for. If you can't take care of the dogs properly, you don't need to have one.

ALROUM: The only thing that could drive something that devastating would be greed. There are so many puppies in there and pregnant mothers, there could be nothing more than greed. This is atrocious.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Breaks your heart. The dogs' owners were arrested and are expected to face charges. Rescuers say it will be at least a week before any of the animals can be put up for adoption.

Twenty grand a year for school, seems about right for a good college. But that is also the price tag for some kindergartens these days. How can parents handle it? How can they afford it? We have some tips.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Checking stories now across country. We begin in Minnesota where a U-Haul truck struck a concrete beam inside this parking ramp at the Mall of America. The driver was killed and two others injured.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A crushing noise and I went over there and I went up the stairs and I seen one of the, I don't know what it was, collapsed on the truck. So I went around and I kind of pushed on the window. I went in there, started talking to him and ask if he is OK and he said yeah and he asked me to pull his seat back and I tell him I can't pull his seat back because if I pull your seat back, it's going to go crush your ribs more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Police say the driver likely misjudged the height of the truck and struck the concrete beam which then caused parts of the ramp to collapse onto the truck.

In Indiana members of a nudist camp are worried that a project to expand a major highway will, well, expose them to noise and traffic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA PERDUE, NUDIST: People come into that gate, they come in to relax. They don't want to hear tractor-trailers and cars and things flying up and down the highway.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The project would bring the interstate right along Fernhill's (ph) club which is a private nudist resort founded more than 60 years ago. The state rejected the camp's request to put a 20-foot concrete wall. Both sides are now considering putting up natural barriers like trees and some shrubs.

Now to Hawaii, where this fighter jet was forced to make an emergency landing in the northwest Hawaiian island. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service camera captured this amazing landing. The jet was one of four flying to Japan. Officials say they believe the jet was having some fuel problems.

We are focusing on education this morning, because summer is just about over. Yes, school starts this month for millions of kids across the country. With the new school year brings new beginnings, new excitement and new challenges as well, not just for the kids, but for the parents and the grandparents. One of those challenges is paying for school.

Here is a look at some of the average costs. A private university averages more than $28,000 a year for tuition and fees. A public university is just over $20,000 if you are an out of state student, around $9,000 for in state. Well, look at this. Private school runs around $22,000 a year and that starts as early as kindergarten. Yes, more and more parents are choosing private schools and are having to take out loans to pay for it, to pay for kindergarten even.

Educator advisor Kimbrell Teegarden joins me now this morning to talk about this.

This is amazing that the parents are taking out loans. Are you seeing this, more and more parents taking out these loans to send their kids to private school at such young ages? KIMBRELL TEEGARDEN, EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT: I see more and more loans being discussed. I think the stress I've certainly experienced with my clients. It's a tremendous amount of money when you think about $22,000 a year, an average tuition. That's close to $300,000 over a 13-year period. So it's a tremendous stress.

KAYE: Do a lot of the people that you're working with, are they worried about it? Because I guess, when you think about who might be the hardest hit by something like this, I would assume it's the middle class.

TEEGARDEN: Yeah, it is. I think in more affluent families, they're able to come up with those dollars and in lower-class families, they often will qualify for financial aid or for grants and the middle class often is hit the hardest. It's a struggle.

KAYE: They feel like they're sort of already behind the clock.

TEEGARDEN: Yeah.

KAYE: I want you to take a look at this clip. It's a documentary called "Nursery University" which really caught our staff's attention. take a look at this. I want to ask you about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the nursery school admissions process is a war zone. It's parent against parents. It's toddler versus toddler.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some schools run as high as $20,000 per semester.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are just too many children.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a friend who didn't get into any.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really? It's full?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And actually considered moving.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Parents are crazy competitive.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't mention money.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't go off on tangent.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't push.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: You can see how competitive it was. These parents are taking their kids in. They're doing anything they can to get them into school. Granted that's New York City. That's where that was done. It's not as competitive all over the country. But do you see this desire to get them in no matter what it takes and really, what does it say about our public schools if they're going to this effort to do that? TEEGARDEN: You know, I do see parents that are really concerned about giving their child the most competitive advantage to be accepted to a school. I see that a lot and I view my job to really defuse that anxiety. I feel like if you focus on fit and on match that kids are going to find a spot in the school whether it's public or private and they're going to thrive. Kids are really resilient that way.

I think there's a lot of mistrust right now towards our public schools. I think with all the reform that we've had in the last 10 years, whether it was no child left behind or a race to the top or just the focus on standardized testing, I think that we've seen a lot of skepticism and mistrust from parents. So they're turning to private schools feeling like there may be more accountability or there may be providing their child with a better chance at being successful in the long run.

KAYE: What do you think has more pressure for parents? We talked about some of these costs and even the competitiveness. Is it kindergarten or is it college at this point?

TEEGARDEN: You know, it's definitely had a trickle-down effect. We're so focused on college admissions in this country. It's on the front page of the newspaper every other day so that has a trickle-down effect. We became more stressed about high school and then middle school and then elementary school and now the stress can begin as early as preschool.

KAYE: What is the greatest concern that you hear from parents?

TEEGARDEN: I think all parents want the best for their child and they're not sure what that is. I think all parents are really trying to do right by their kid. So I try to just remind them to trust their instincts and remember that kids are really resilient.

KAYE: Great advice, Kimbrell Teegarden, it's nice to see you. Thank you.

TEEGARDEN: Thanks for having me.

KAYE: Coming up, jump starting education in America. In one study we rank behind Iran. We'll talk solutions and student in our 10:00 hour.

And while we're talking about finances and school, let me show you this map. Take a look at it with me. These are the states that have tax-free holidays in place for back-to-school shopping. These are 17 states that have the day set. Many of them are this weekend. It's a big help of course for parents or grandparents looking to get some back-to-school items for the kids.

Usain Bolt is known as the fastest man in the world. We go one on one with him as he answers questions as fast as he can, including the one thing he hates about being famous.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Good morning everyone and good morning Atlanta, home of the 1996 Olympics, shaping up to be a great day. It's 74 degrees in Atlanta. Welcome back everyone, CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Glad you're with us.

The Olympics kicking off their second week today and if the current medal count is any indication, the fight to see who can take home the most gold is going to be fierce. The U.S. sitting on top the standings with 21 gold medals. That's just one more than China. Overall the United States leads all nations with a total of 43 medals. One man who hopes to take his place on the podium is South Africa's Oscar Pistorius. Today he became the first par-Olympian in history to compete in the Olympics as well, placing second in his qualifying meet for the 400 meter race. Pistorius will now run in tomorrow's semifinals.

As the Olympic focus turns to track and field, all eyes are on Jamaican Usain Bolt. Four years ago he smashed the world record and took home the gold in the 100 meter dash, but will he make history again this weekend? In true sprinter fashion, 1992 Olympian (INAUDIBLE) asked Bolt some quick fire questions about his aspirations and the one thing that he hates most about being famous.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Another gold medal or world record?

USAIN BOLT, OLYMPIAN: Gold medal.

QUESTION: World record in 200 or the 100?

BOLT: 200.

QUESTION: No, 400?

BOLT: No. Hell no.

QUESTION: If you had to name your ultimate Jamaican four by one, past and present, who?

BOLT: That's a hard one. It's definitely going to be me, Blake (INAUDIBLE) .

QUESTION: And worst thing about being famous.

BOLT: All these interviews.

QUESTION: What music do you listen to on your iPad?

BOLT: Mostly reggae, rap.

QUESTION: West Indies (INAUDIBLE)

BOLT: Not just united (ph).

QUESTION: What are you looking forward to (INAUDIBLE)

BOLT: Argentina.

QUESTION: Are you superstitious? BOLT: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: What a modest guy.

This morning we've been asking who you think is the star of this year's Olympics and you've been tweeting us your responses. So thank you for that; keep them coming.

Derrick says, "Gabby Douglas has truly been the star of the Olympics. It was great to see history."

And yes, the night owl tweeted, (INAUDIBLE) the Olympic diva.

And Gretchen wrote, "Impossible to pick one Olympic star. So many get no coverage and each has inspirational story. All are stars."

Well put. Keep those tweets coming. You can tweet me @randikayecnn and I'll read some more of your response later on.

Members of Congress seem to have the Olympic spirit. They're running too, running for the exits, getting out of town for summer recess. But what are they leaving behind? A lot of unfinished business. We'll take a look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back, 23 minutes past the hour.

For millions of kids, the summer is just about over. It is time to go back to school. But for Congress, summer recess is just starting. And let's just say, they didn't finish all their assignments.

We get more from CNN's senior Congressional correspondent Dana Bash.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Behold a familiar ritual of the modern republic, the congressional bolt for the exits, five weeks home for summer sun and campaign craziness. Instead of boasting about accomplishments, bipartisan hand wringing.

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: I'm disappointed, perplexed and somewhat confused.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: There's so much unfinished business.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), HOUSE SPEAKER: The American people are probably more polarized now than any time since I've been here. And as a result, we see that polarization reflected here in the halls of Congress.

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (I), CONNECTICUT: This is a moment of disappointment that I really cannot conceal. BASH: Joe Lieberman was talking there about a classic example of Congressional gridlock, cyber security, legislation national security experts call critical to protecting America from espionage and cyber attacks, stuck in the Senate because of partisan differences.

But that's just one stalled bill on a countless list of others, from food stamps to drought relief to reform for the cash strapped post office. Legislation left on the table that really affects peoples' jobs and lives.

To be fair, Congress did get some important things done so far this year, like extending Federal aid for student loans and sanctioning Iran. But it's not just our imagination. It has been far less productive than in the past.

Take a look at this. So far this 112th Congress has enacted 151 laws. That's fewer than half the 385 laws enacted in the last Congress and a lot fewer than the 460 laws enacted before that. A key reason this Congress is less productive, divided government. More laws passed in the last decade when one party controlled all of Congress.

Of course, more laws don't necessarily mean better government. Even so by historical standards, this Congress is slow to move legislation, even issues both parties want to tackle. They can't find compromise.

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R), MAINE: There certainly is plenty blame to go around.

BASH: She was talking about cyber security. But it could also be said about most of Congress's large stack of unfinished business. One retiring Republican says he still has hope in a colorful if not alarming way.

REP. STEVEN LATOURETTE (R), OHIO: It's a little bit like an alcoholic in my mind. Like, I think the place has to hit bottom before they realize they got a problem and begin to fix it.

BASH: And members of Congress will have a lot to fix around here when they return in the fall, some of the biggest issues facing this country when it comes to the economy and people's wallets, not the least of which a critical decision about whether to extend Bush era tax cuts and if so, for whom.

Dana Bash, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: DNA and the fourth amendment. Should people who are arrested for violent crimes but not yet convicted be forced to give their DNA to police? It's already happening in many states. Now the Supreme Court is weighing in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. I'm Randi Kaye. Thanks for starting your day with us. The National Guard is going to be called on today to help with wildfires in Oklahoma. Dozens of structures have burned and hundreds more homes are threatened. But as of right now no new evacuations have been ordered, the ongoing drought is being blamed for playing a major part in these fires.

To medical news now and there is a new strain of swine flu to tell you about this morning. 16 people have been infected over the past few weeks most of them in Ohio though no one was hospitalized. All of the cases this year are linked to contact with pigs. Usually it happens at places like the county fair.

A fascinating legal battle is unfolding right now and it all centers on DNA, specifically whether or not a state can obtain DNA from a person who has been arrested for a violent felony but not yet convicted. About half the states do allow DNA testing of those arrested including Maryland.

But in April a divided State Court of Appeals struck down Maryland's law saying it violates a person's Fourth Amendment rights to privacy. Maryland officials want the Supreme Court to intervene and earlier this week the high court did just that allowing the state's controversial DNA law to remain in effect until the justices have more time to consider it.

Joining me now to talk about this is Chris Asplen, a DNA policy expert and executive director of the Global Alliance for Rapid DNA Testing. Thanks Chris for being here, nice to see you.

I want to read to -- a little part of the in-chambers opinion that Chief Justice John Roberts issued this week regarding the Maryland case. "Collecting DNA from individuals arrested for violent felonies provides a valuable tool for investigating unsolved crimes and thereby helping to remove violent offenders from the general population. That Maryland may not employ a duly-enacted statute to help prevent these injuries constitutes irreparable harm."

So Chris, let me ask you, do you agree that not collecting DNA from those arrested for violent crime constitutes irreparable harm?

CHRIS ASPLEN, DNA POLICY EXPERT: Well, I sure do. And if you look at the example that that -- that that case from Maryland sets forth, you can see it right there in the facts of that case.

Mr. King was arrested in 2009 for a violent felony. In the course of that arrest, they took his DNA and they ultimately linked him through their database to a 2003 rape case.

Now, this was a rape in which it was a home invasion. He was in a hat and a scarf and the woman he raped had a gun held to her head the entire time. So this is a home invasion, gun-point rape and that's what they matched to when they took his DNA at arrest for that 2009 case. That's the kind of harm that will occur; victims will be victimized like that if these kinds of cases aren't allowed to proceed. KAYE: Right, so in other words, if they had the DNA in that data bank already, they might have run it through and seen who it was before something like that happened.

ASPLEN: That's exactly right. That's exactly right. And -- and this is -- this was obviously in 2009. Mr. King's second offense that we know about; the likelihood, that somewhere in between that 2003 violent rape and the 2009 violent offense, that there may have been some other things in between there also that we could have identified.

KAYE: Right. Now let me ask you about this because in its April ruling, the Maryland Court of Appeals said that obtaining a person's DNA immediately after arrest isn't necessary in identifying him and that the process is more personally invasive than finger printing.

So first off does simple finger printing suffice in your opinion? And do you agree that DNA testing is more invasive than say fingerprinting?

ASPLEN: You know what I don't think it does suffice. Because, you know, we have newer, better technologies. And here's a couple of reasons why fingerprinting isn't good enough. Number one, believe it or not, in the United States the fingerprint database is not as connected as you would think it was. There are different fingerprinting systems out there. So we may not get an identification from a case we have in front of us to a case in another part of the country because some finger print databases don't really talk to each other.

Number two, it's not unusual for individuals involved in criminal activity to change their fingerprints, in other words to burn them off. That's particularly true when we -- when we use this kind of technology in the context of border control, when we have illegal immigration problems.

Talk to any border control officer and he'll tell you that they have a terrible time identifying people from finger prints. They'll just burn them off every single time that they're printed. So you have those two issues.

Now the other third issue is that the -- the DNA database is so much more extensive. Hey you can only get a fingerprint from one source, a finger. You can get DNA from any number of biological sources. So your likelihood of getting a DNA profile at a crime scene is much, much higher than it would be getting a fingerprint at a crime scene.

KAYE: Right. And let's talk about -- speaking scene of crime scenes, I mean now there's this new technology, rapid DNA testing, that -- that we may see everywhere, right? Even at some crime scenes where you can find out a whole lot of information right there on the spot.

ASPLEN: Well, you're right. It's coming. It's still in the beginning stages and it's going to change the way law enforcement leverages the power of DNA technology.

Where you're going to see it first though is really going to be in the police stations. And the utilization originally is going to be where they bring a suspect in and they take his DNA at that time for identification purposes.

So within 60 to 90 minutes, you know maybe after they've done the interview, they'll know, number one, whether or not he is who he says he is, and they'll also know whether or not his profile connects to other crime scenes.

Now, it will be a while before we get to the point where we're taking a device like this to a crime scene. And the reason is because DNA technology is really considered the gold standard for forensic DNA. The National Academy of Sciences did a study a number of years ago and they really set forth and said DNA technology is really the best most reliable forensic technology out there.

What we want to do is ensure that these new instruments and this new way of doing business with DNA is every bit as reliable as what we've always come to expect. So we're going to kind of move steadily forward with this new rapid technology. But we're going to do it in a way that really ensures that we -- that that we can rely on this technology both to solve crime and to exonerate innocent individuals --

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: Right.

ASPLEN: -- just as much as the previous technologies.

KAYE: It is amazing now to have it happen so quickly right there in the police station. Chris Asplen, thank you so much. I appreciate your time and your insight.

ASPLEN: Thank you.

KAYE: The Supreme Court by the way is expected to consider Maryland's appeal in October.

A deadly virus spread by human contact. Health officials are hoping it's contained. We're talking about Ebola, next.

But first, bears, moose and crystal clear waters. Alaska's national parks are rich with wild life and history. And that's where CNN photo journalist Ferre Dollar went for this weekend's "Travel Insider".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FERRE DOLLAR, CNN SENIOR PHOTOJOURNALIST (voice-over): It is twice the size of Texas, fewer than one million human residents and has only one area code. But Alaska has got great national parks and we visited two of them. Getting there -- planes, trains, no automobiles.

The Alaskan railroad will take you to the doorstep of Denali National Park. And it's not just another train ride it is a front row seat to Alaska's wild frontier. From the Denali depot a shuttle bus travels the lone 90 mile road to get you to the visitor's center, a handful of lodges and camp sites and various trail head so you can hit the back country.

A delightful ride with a group of national park and outdoor enthusiasts lets you sit back and enjoy the six million acres. It is hard to take a bad picture here. Denali is Alaska's third largest national park. But nearly three times larger than Yellowstone.

The center piece is Mount McKinley towering some 20,300 feet. It is the highest peak in the United States. Denali means "the great one" named by the natives of Alaska, an apt description for this majestic park.

Do you really want to feel like a professional wild life photographer? Katmai National Park encompassing nearly five million acres is unmatched. It is accessible only by chartered air taxi or boat.

Haler Bay Camp offers day and multi day trips with experience guides who provide safe access to areas like you've only seen in wild life documentaries. It's an eco-friendly camp reliant on solar and wind power, provides comfort and home cooked meals. Heavily populated by brown bears, fox, moose and a few scenic volcanoes, this park is a dream vacation destination for photographers and outdoor enthusiasts.

Ferre Dollar for Travel Insider.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: 67 years after his grandfather, President Harry Truman ordered the atomic bombing of Japan, Truman's grandson is visiting Hiroshima for the first time to mark the anniversary. Clifton Truman Daniel is calling for peace and nuclear disarmament. He decided to visit after meeting with a relative of an atomic bomb victim. Daniel plans to attend a memorial service in Nagasaki as well.

In Uganda the World Health Organization says the Ebola virus is, quote, "under control". The outbreak began in the district highlighted on this map here in western Uganda. But the deadly outbreak has taken a troubling turn. A prisoner showing symptoms of Ebola has escaped from the hospital at the center of the outbreak. He is one of 30 at this hospital with suspected cases of Ebola.

In a CNN exclusive, David McKenzie got access to the hospital and its staff scrambling to contain this outbreak.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the epicenter of an Ebola outbreak. We've been given exclusive access. And the first thing we find out is that our safety protection isn't enough.

(on camera): Now, the reason this isn't acceptable as a safety equipment is because it's this cotton-like material. And obviously fluids, which are the key risk in contracting Ebola can get sort of soaked into the material. Let's keep going. What we've got is pre- packed kits.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Within here there's various bits of kit.

MCKENZI: The virus is so deadly, you need extreme protection.

If you're inside the kind of restricted area, no matter what you're doing you have to wear something like this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You should be, yes.

MCKENZI: It's plastic overalls, aprons, hoods and a face mask. Not a single inch of skin can be exposed. Touching fluids, a patient or even an object can put you at risk.

We're inside Kagadi (ph) Hospital. When the first case was confirmed in late July the rest of the patients fled. And health workers were some of the first to die.

HENRY GREY, MSF EMERGENCY COORDINATOR: Early on in the epidemic, they're often in contact with patients and then unwittingly if they don't know it's Ebola they may catch it themselves and then transmit that to -- to the community. If you can't do that, you can rip it.

MCKENZI: Within 24 hours of the first case, Doctors without Borders was on the ground. There is no cure for Ebola and up to 90 percent of the people who catch it will die. So managing the fear factor is key.

GREY: We use a lot of chlorinated water.

MCKENZI: Olimpia De La Rosa is in charge of the response. She says it's important to stay calm when entering the high-risk zone.

This is the innermost exclusion zone. This is suspected cases of Ebola, two confirmed -- the sickest too dangerous for us to get close to film. There is no treatment. All the doctors can do is give care. All the patients can do is hope. Doctors wear protection for themselves and to contain the outbreak.

OLIMPIA DE LA ROSA, MSF EBOLA EMERGENCY COORDINATOR: The main objective when one of these outbreaks (inaudible), is to contain the spread because we cannot treat, give a treatment to the patient and we cannot give a vaccine or any prevention to probably (inaudible). So we must contain the spread of the disease.

MCKENZI: We're allowed only a few minutes inside and have to leave. It's the front line of the fight against the Ebola outbreak. So no risk is worth taking. The goal -- to stop the spread in Uganda and even beyond.

David McKenzie, CNN, Kagadi, Uganda.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Meanwhile officials in Kenya are taking extra precautions after at least two patients showed symptoms of Ebola. Those patients are being isolated at a local hospital.

To so many children around the world, she is a real-life hero. Some call her a saint. This morning we'll introduce you to a New York woman who has made it her mission to heal children wounded and maimed in war. Her incredible journey, straight ahead.

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KAYE: Good morning, New York City. Lovely shot there of Columbus Circle and the fountains going, 77 degrees in the Big Apple this morning. Welcome everyone to CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Glad you're with us.

For 15 years my next guest has been on a mission, a mission of making miracles happen. I want you to meet Elissa Montanti. Since 1997, she has rescued more than 150 children from around the world; children who were maimed or injured in war.

So how does one woman pull off such a feat? Not alone, through a network of volunteer doctors, nurses and hospitals, Montanti brings children back to the United States for treatment providing them free care and a place to stay. Her organization is called the Global Medical Relief Fund.

And just this week the group opened a brand new home for the children in New York called the Dare to Dream House. Montanti writes about her crusade to save these children in her new book "I'll Stand By You".

Elissa Montanti is joining me now, along with a very special guest. Good morning to both of you Elissa. Won't you first tell our audience who is beside you?

ELISSA MONTANTI, GLOBAL MEDICAL RELIEF FUND: Ken is who is my -- the reason I began the charity 15 years ago.

KAYE: So he sparked your whole mission?

MONTANTI: He certainly did. It was -- he's the culprit.

KAYE: Well, Ken, let me ask you. Good morning to you.

KENAN MALKIC, RECEIVED PROSTHETIC ARMS AND LEG: Good morning.

KAYE: What do you remember about first meeting Elsa back in 1997, I believe it was? How did that happen and tell me about your experience coming to America.

MALKIC: Well, to make the very long story short, I wrote a few letters out asking for help to prosthetics. I lost both my arms and a leg in the Bosnian War and one of those letters was answered by Elissa herself, which to me was a big surprise. And I was in disbelief that one woman from the United States, from New York could help me where no other organization could.

And about a month or so later I was here in New York receiving help. I met Elissa who was so full of energy and just positiveness that we became so close and she is like my adopted mom now.

KAYE: That is so sweet. Elissa explain to us the process of finding these children, first of all. How you managed to do that and then the process of getting them out of their own country and into America. I mean how long do they stay, where do they stay, what happens?

MONTANTI: Well, in the beginning, of course, I was very small. So since then, it's really the military in Iraq. Many of the requests, I would say 90 percent of the requests come from the military. And now everyone is finding us.

So the children are out there in this fragile world that we live in. Unfortunately there's so many. So we have the new children that become follow-up. So the follow-up children come back every year, depending how fast they grow.

And then of course, there's new children. There's earthquakes, there's war. So they're finding us, actually, at this point.

KAYE: And Kenan, you and your mom actually lived with Elissa for four months during your treatment. About 15 years ago. But you actually came back to live. Tell me why?

MALKIC: I became so close to Elissa and she saw the situation in Bosnia and she wanted to do everything she possibly could to give me a better life, to make sure that my future is set up for me. And she had gotten me into a college in the United States, which I graduated from.

I'm currently in the United States living here, working here, doing everything on my own. And it's all thanks to her. She made my life possible.

KAYE: And Elissa, I know you've been all over the world, helping children in places like Haiti, Afghanistan, Iraq, Liberia, Libya, just to name a few. I can't imagine how emotional it must be.

But talk about the personal experience of going to some of these places and tell us what it's like to see these children so desperate.

MONTANTI: You know, just seeing the kids in the situation they're in, it's so much bigger than yourself and you just know that you have to do whatever it is to do to help these children. And a lot of the times there is a lot of red tape bringing these children.

For example, a boy now, I was in Lebanon two months ago when I had seen a 15-year-old boy who was carrying the injured on his shoulder back and forth to safety across the border. And he became a victim by stepping on a land mine. So we're trying to get him because the American embassy denies it because he's a refugee. So now we're going to humanitarian parole (ph). It's always a situation.

The follow-up children easier, because they've been here before. But going to these countries like Haiti and Lebanon, Iraq, it hasn't been easy. But we have succeeded.

KAYE: Yes. You certainly have. You certainly persevered. But you do, I understand get a lot of criticism for not helping children here in the U.S. I want to talk to you about that right after this. We'll take a short break, we'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back.

I'm continuing my conversation now with Elissa Montanti and Kenan Malkic. Elissa, your organization is the Global Medical Relief Fund and the two of you first met back in 1997 when you saved Kenan. In your new book, "I'll Stand by You" you write all about your crusade to help children.

But we turn to a little e bit about the fact that you are facing some criticism as well, even though you're helping a lot of kids around the world. So how do you react to that? Because a lot of people say, well, maybe you should be helping children here in the U.S.

MONTANTI: Yes, constantly. Right up to date. You know, in the beginning I was hurt and I couldn't understand. And now I just need to turn it off. Because, you know, these are our children. They say, you know, help your own. Well, they are our own. And our worst situations in this country, you know, is their very best. And we don't have land mines here, thank God, earthquakes and they don't have the resources that we have.

And the Shriner's Children's Hospital which is the bulk of what the need is because of children -- loss of limb. They help children in this country. They provide all of this. So if we can help these children, there's got to be something not right.

KAYE: And Kenan just quickly, how do you feel seeing these other children come in. I would imagine you're a bit of a role model for them.

MALKIC: I try not to look at it that way. I show them what I've accomplished with everything that had happened to me and they seem to look at me and agree with that and I just try to show them how to live their life.

KAYE: Well, I think you have an amazing story, Kenan; so happy to hear of all your success. And Elissa you're doing some fabulous work. So thank you to both of you, Elissa Montanti and Kenan Malkic.

MALKIC: Thank you.

KAYE: Again, Elissa's book is called "I'll Stand by You" if you want to pick it up.

A former police officer on trial for the murder of his third wife while his fourth wife is still missing; Drew Peterson hasn't shied away from publicity. We'll take a look at what makes him tick.

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