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Pawlenty Drops Out of Race; Indiana Stage Collapse Kills 5; SAT Put to the Test; Landmark Wedding in Cuba; Being Your Own Boss; Iowa Straw Poll's Impact; Best Deals at the Ballpark; Michael Jackson's Manslaughter Trial
Aired August 14, 2011 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
Our top story this hour, tragedy at the Indiana state fair. A massive burst of wind swept through a grand stand where hundreds of people were attending a concert. At least five people were killed. Dozens others were hurt. This dramatic video from one of our i-reporters on the scene. Now another view of those terrifying moments.
Before the collapse, concertgoers had about a four-minute warning from officials there to seek shelter because severe weather was on the way. Much more on this tragedy, straight ahead.
And another major story we're covering today. The changing face of the Republican presidential field. Today, Tim Pawlenty announced that he's abandoning his bid for the Republican nomination after finishing a distant third in Iowa's Ames straw poll.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIM PAWLENTY (R), FORMER MINNESOTA GOVERNOR: We need to get some lift to continue on and to have a pathway forward. That didn't happen. So I'm announcing this morning on your show that I'm going to be ending my campaign for president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The winner of the Iowa straw poll says the contest isn't just about GOP candidates. Michele Bachmann says her victory was a message to President Obama that voters want a big change in leadership. The Minnesota Republican beat Ron Paul in the Ames poll by a few hundred votes. Tonight Bachmann speaks at the Republican Lincoln day dinner in her hometown of Waterloo, Iowa.
Taking the stage right before Bachmann, newly declared GOP candidate Rick Perry. The Lincoln Day Dinner marks the Texas governor's debut in a state that holds the first caucus of the nation. Perry started today campaigning in another key state, New Hampshire, which holds the first primary. A live report on the race for the White House just minutes away.
And now, back to the deadly stage collapse in Indianapolis. Concertgoers at the state fair had just minutes to take cover before powerful wind gusts collapsed the stage. At least five people were killed and dozens more hurt. Jenna Gioe was at the concert. She described the scene earlier in the "CNN Newsroom."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNA GIOE, STAGE COLLAPSE WITNESS: Today it kind of set in. It was pretty shocking and mourning. But overall, feeling OK. Just feeling very sad for our city and the people there.
WHITFIELD (on camera): An incredible sequence of events that took place. Kind of take me back to last night. A, you know, begin with the weather and what let up to that huge gust of wind. Did you feel that this weather was that ominous and potentially dangerous?
GIOE: No, not at all. We had a very beautiful day. There was a slight chance of storms. After (INAUDIBLE) finished opening that for Sugarland, the stage was cleared and they finished changing the set. And as we were facing the stage. The clouds and sky all of a sudden turned really dark and pitch black. It was coming straight at us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: One of our i-reporters captured the moments leading up to the collapse and the terror that spread through the crowd as the stage fell. I talked with Jessica Silas earlier by phone about what she saw.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD (on camera): Jessica, as we're watching these images, and moments before that collapse, there were people who were screaming in the background. So was there a sense that something very terrible was about to happen moments before the stage collapsed?
JESSICA SILAS, CNN IREPORTER (ON THE PHONE): I don't think anyone actually expected for the stage to collapse. But when you hear the people screaming, it was because of the wind and the dust. In the beginning images of the video, you can see that the dust starts coming in. That's why I actually started recording in the first place is because I saw the people standing up and screaming and I saw the dust start coming. No one -- I can't imagine anyone expected that the stage would actually fall down.
WHITFIELD: And apparently some representatives of a radio station got on stage, told people that they've got about a four-minute warning before they may want to seek shelter. That's what one of the other i- witnesses we talked to at the beginning of the hour said. Do you remember that kind of instruction? If so, what were you and the people you were with planning to do?
SILAS: I remember that the person got on stage and said that there was severe weather in the area. And that they were going to try and continue with the concert. If the weather got bad, they were going to evacuate everybody and try to resume it afterwards. But I don't really remember him telling us that we were supposed to start evacuating. He said we were going to keep going with the concert and see how the weather ended up. And then five minutes later is when the stage fell.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Super frightening moments. That gust of wind at the Indiana State Fair came quite suddenly. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras with us now. This was incredible. Because people said, you know, while it looked like there was going to be some bad weather, maybe a thunderstorm, no one knew something like this could potentially happen.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, you know, it's kind of a fine line in terms of warnings that came in from the National Weather Service, warnings that did or did not come in from the people that were in charge at the fairgrounds. Also you have to take a little bit of personal accountability. You see dark skies and there's lightning in the distance, you know, maybe you need to pull that trigger yourself and say, "Hey, this looks like a dangerous situation. I might want to get out of here."
All right. Let's start with the time line and start there. Concertgoers, you know, they knew what was going on. They knew that there was a severe weather threat. So this whole thing started 5:30. The fair staff contacted the National Weather Service and said, "Hey, you know, what's going on? Do we need to be concerned?" Then you know, a few minutes later, the National Weather Service issues the watch. So a watch means conditions are favorable for severe weather to occur. It doesn't mean it's happening right now. Usually you'll get a watch over about a six-hour time span. They'll say anywhere between this time and this time severe weather could occur.
So three minutes later the fair staff contacts the weather service again. And say "Hey, how are things looking?" Seven o'clock they contact them a third time to see what kind of an update is happening. At 7:04 an automatic dial message was sent to the fair staff. So I assume that means sort of like a reverse 911, right? So you get a call on your phone that says severe weather is coming. 8:00, the fair staff calls again. "How are things going? Do we need to evacuate? Should we be concerned?" 8:09 a second auto dialer message was sent to the fair staff. 8:30, extra police were sent to the grand stand to help prepare for a possible evacuation. 8:39 the warning was issued for Marion County. 8:45 they make an announcement on the stage. 8:49 the stage collapses.
So there was about a six-minute window from the time that they issued the warning and the stage collapse. I think where the real problem occurred here, even if the weather service saw that storm wasn't going to come until 9:15 which is what the initial warning said, at that 45 mark when they made that announcement, that would have given them a half an hour. You have to realize how many people are in an event like this. You don't want to cause a stampede. You don't want to cause panic. But at that point they would have maybe had enough of a window to start calmly getting people out of harm's way.
WHITFIELD: Yes, because even within whether it be four minutes or six minutes, there's no way, seeing the size of the crowd, people would have been able to relocate in a safe manner. It was a tough call that a lot of people had to make.
JERAS: It was a tough call. But when I hear stories about our i- reporter Jessica who say, "Hey, you know, I saw dark skies, I looked on my iPhone." She knew there was a warning. Maybe you got to say to yourself, there's nowhere to take shelter here. I need to get out of here now.
WHITFIELD: All right. Jacqui Jeras, thank you so much. We'll check back with you a little bit later on some other weather conditions out there.
All right. Now, to the race for 2012. And the big news coming out of Iowa, the impact of yesterday's Republican presidential straw poll. Let's turn to CNN political reporter Peter Hamby who's live in Waterloo now. Peter, let's first talk about the candidate who dropped out of the race today because of his performance in the poll. Tim Pawlenty coming in third. He wanted to best that, do much better than that in order to stay in the race.
PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes, absolutely did. Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor had staked his campaign on doing well in the Iowa caucuses next year. But more important in the short term at the straw poll in Ames yesterday. A real test of how -- how much traction a campaign is getting in the state. He finished third. A distant third behind Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul. That was disappointing for him. So he had a conference call with supporters this morning and told them, you know, the writing is on the wall. We needed a stronger finish in Ames to kind of reassure voters, donors that his campaign was viable.
So he went on a Sunday show this morning after that and formally quit the race. This has been the most pivotal weekend of the Republican presidential race so far. Because Pawlenty has dropped out of the race and we're starting to see Rick Perry move in. He's coming right here where I am to Iowa later tonight to talk to local Republican activists and try to make an early impression on them, Fred.
WHITFIELD: OK. So he's going to be competing a little bit on stage with Michele Bachmann who's also going to be there in Waterloo. At the dinner this evening. She is feeling, you know, quite the momentum coming from that straw poll win.
HAMBY: She absolutely is. But Rick Perry and his team made a tactical decision to join the race right after the straw poll to kind of step on any momentum that Michele Bachmann will get. Because they are on some level competing for a lot of the same voters -- evangelical Christians, Tea Party activists, real staunch grass root conservative activists. They're kind of playing in that same lane in the Republican primary.
So it's no accident that Perry's coming out here to Michele Bachmann's hometown. So Bachmann and her team decided, "Hey, you know what? We're not going to let you step on us. We're going to come out to where you are, where the TV cameras are and we're going to share the spotlight with you." So Perry and Bachmann are going to really do battle in Iowa over the next five months. It's going to be really fun to watch, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Peter Hamby, thanks so much in Waterloo, Iowa. Appreciate that.
HAMBY: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Meantime, President Barack Obama leaves the White House and Washington behind tomorrow and sets off on a bus tour of the midwest. With the 2012 campaign looming, CNN's Athena Jones reports the president is traveling to states he won in 2008. States now seeing Republican gains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While Republican hopefuls battle for a chance to take on President Obama in 2012, the president has spent much of the summer stuck in Washington. As Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill dueled over the debt limit. Now Congress is on vacation and the president is heading to the heartland to talk directly to the American people.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's been a lot of talk in Washington right now that I should call Congress back early. The last thing we need is Congress spending more time arguing in D.C.. They need to spend more time out here listening to you. So I'll be traveling to a lot of communities like this one over the next week.
JONES: The three-day bus tour will cut a 360 mile swath through Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. He won all three in 2008. But Iowa and Minnesota could be up for grabs this time around.
STUART ROTHENBERG, "THE ROTHENBERG POLITICAL REPORT": I think that's an attempt to simply get as much attention as he can in an important part of the country.
JONES: With an unemployment rate above nine percent, jobs top the agenda. Seven out of 10 poll respondents say there are few jobs in their community. Only 29 percent believe more jobs will be available a year from now.
KEATING HOLLAND, CNN POLLING DIRECTOR: Americans seem to be really worried about things and it looked like optimism was getting a little bit better month by month, you know, over the last couple of years. Now it's basically dropped off the cliff.
JONES: President Obama wants Congress to extend the payroll tax cut among other measures to help spur hiring.
OBAMA: I'll put forward more proposals to help our businesses hire and create jobs.
JONES: One thing political analysts agree on, kick starting job growth will be key to the president's re-election hopes.
ROTHENBERG: The biggest problem for the president and the White House is creating a sense among most Americans that the economy is about ready to improve. The problem is there's nothing that he can do immediately to change that. There's no -- there's no magic wand that he has.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: Now, the president will be hosting town halls in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, in (INAUDIBLE), Iowa in two towns in Illinois, (INAUDIBLE) and also hosts what the White House is calling a rural economic forum in Piazza (ph), Iowa. Fred?
WHITFIELD: All right. Athena Jones at the White House, thanks so much. Appreciate that.
Overseas, the man accused of shooting 77 people to death in Norway last month returned to the scene of the crime while police led him out of jail and what he's doing to help the investigators, now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: The man charged with killing 77 people in Norway last month went back to the place where most of the deaths occurred this weekend. Anders Breivik is in the red sweater right there in the still image. He is accused of setting off a bomb in Oslo, then traveling to an island youth camp and then opening fire there.
Well, today police took a tightly restrained Breivik back to that island. That's where he reportedly re-enacted the crime there, demonstrating how and where he allegedly picked off people as they tried to escape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FREDRIK HJORT KRABY, POLICE PROSECUTOR (through translator): We cannot reveal all the details. But this is what I can say about the session. It started immediately upon the suspect's arrival on (INAUDIBLE) on the shore side of the lake. The questioning continued during the boat trip out to the island. Then we walked him through all the sites he had visited on the island. The whole thing lasted for eight hours, only interrupted by small breaks. The whole thing was quite intense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Eight people died in the explosion in Oslo and then 69 more people died on the island, most of them teenagers.
Turning to Syria now where opposition sources say the government crackdown took at least 21 more lives today. They claim three children were among the dead. CNN Arwa Damon reports. Syria's military is shelling a port city from gunboats.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The siege of the crystal city of Latakia began on Saturday. And by Sunday morning it had significantly intensified. Activists say that the shelling was happening both by sea and simultaneously tanks. Military troops entering certain neighborhoods. Naval forces, they said, were bombarding the city. The focus, it would seem, mostly on one neighborhood, (INAUDIBLE), that was the epicenter for anti-government demonstrations in Latakia.
Activists residents reporting that they quite simply had to stay indoors, terrified because, they said, anything that moved was being shot at. According to the Syrian observatory for human rights, some residents were trying to protect their homes. But they were quite simply helpless in the face of such military might. Latakia just one more in a series of cities now besieged. Part of a growing military campaign that began with the start of the holy month of Ramadan.
In Hama, in the west, stretching to (INAUDIBLE) in the east (INAUDIBLE) and also (INAUDIBLE) along the Syria-Turkey border. Analysts say that this most recent military crackdown is as a result of growing internal and external pressure on the Syrian regime. A last ditch effort on its part to silence the growing voices of dissent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The assumption, I think, among many analysts and observers of Syria and when you talk to people in Syria as well and diplomats around the region, the assumption is that the Syrians feel they have a couple of weeks now before the Turks and others are going to really clamp down. And that perhaps they're trying to do one big drive to intimidate people and try to stop this uprising. Of course, it's not going to work. It's going to fail.
DAMON: Analysts say that by largely choosing the use of force pretty much since the onset of this uprising, the government has laid out the framework for its own demise. The use of violence has not only hardened the demonstrators against it, but it has also resulted in a growing chorus of international and regional condemnation. Analysts say that in its desperate bid to stay in power, and by using force to try to accomplish that, the government is, in effect, creating the path, the way, for its own destruction.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: High school to college. But first the SAT but SAT scores no longer hold the weight they once did. "Perry's Principles" and his critical look at the college entry exam, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Every year millions of high schoolers take the SAT, the standardized college entry exam. But fewer students are actually taking the test since more colleges are dropping it as a requirement to actually get in. CNN's education contributor Steve Perry is a school principal and in "Perry's Principles" this week he's discussing whether the SAT favors some students over others and whether there is a good alternative.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR (on camera): Is the SAT biased?
MONTY NEILL, FAIRTEST: In some technical sense it's probably not a biased test. The problems become in how it gets used in the admissions process.
PERRY (voice-over): Fair test is dedicated to ensuring fairness in standardized testing.
NEILL: The purpose of the SAT, why it got constructed was to predict college grades. So what happened is kids of color are very often left out. They're going to be predicted to not do well when in fact they could do well.
PERRY (on camera): What's your alternative?
NEILL: We have a list of colleges for whom the test is optional and what's been found out is that those colleges, they get a more diverse student body. The grade point average stays the same. They graduate at the same rate.
PERRY: Laurence Bunin from The College Board, the owners of the SAT disagrees.
LAURENCE BUNIN, THE COLLEGE BOARD: Fair test is mistaken on this point. That the SAT is absolutely predictive of how well students will do in college. Every single question on the SAT is tested with real students from all races and all walks of life to ensure that every question on the SAT is fair.
PERRY: So there is no group that generally outperforms all other groups?
BUNIN: There is an achievement gap in this country. Not just on any one test.
PERRY: So the country's bad and the test isn't?
BUNIN: Well, the test is a fair test that helps mirror what's going on in the country. Students and parents should understand that colleges look at a variety of factors. Not just a test.
PERRY: So why do we need the SAT?
BUNIN: I would think that parents would be glad to know that there is a fair national test of Math and English so that college admissions are not so subjective.
PERRY: Yes, that may be one thing you and I leave disagreeing on.
(on camera): Steve Perry, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: From education to the workplace now. Every week we focus on ways to get a jump start in the work force. And in today's "Reclaim your Career," it's more than laid off people who are actually looking for jobs these days. Business owners who can't stay afloat are as well. As, too, are stay-at-home moms. All getting back into the career game. Valorie Burton is the author of "Where Will You Go From Here?" She is here with strategies for getting back into the career game. Lots of different reasons why folks are saying "You know what? I'm going to have to shift gears and try to find new work."
But it can be very discouraging when you look at the unemployment rate, when you look at the -- the work availabilities and lack thereof.
VALORIE BURTON, AUTHOR "WHERE WILL YOU GO FROM HERE?": And it's that very thing that's causing more people to want to go back in the workforce. So if you're a stay-at-home mom, you didn't plan to go back this early, or you're a business owner and you're saying "Business isn't good, I need benefits, I've got to look for a job" and then there's all the people who have been laid off that you're competing with in that situation.
WHITFIELD: So you say you've got to start off with kind of an attitude makeover.
BURTON: Yes, absolutely. You have to drop the negative emotion. Let it go. This is very difficult. You know, particularly when you think about people that are in a setback. When I wrote my most recent book, "where will you go from here?" I get these five commitments. And the first one is I will not feel sorry for myself. And so you know what? Mourn your losses. I know this isn't the way you planned it. This isn't what you really want to be right now -
WHITFIELD: You've got to be able to move forward.
BURTON: That's right. You've got to be able to move forward. You need that energy to look for a job. You don't have room for that negative energy.
WHITFIELD: You need that energy because when you look at the crowded job marketplace, meaning there are a whole lot of people vying for that, you know, one or two or just a handful of jobs, you got to be in it, I guess, and try not to get discouraged by that crowd.
BURTON: So you can't look, you can't be deterred by the crowded job market. If you are needing a job right now, you can't focus on what you don't have. Focus on what you do have. That's just an attitude shift. It does not help you to focus on, "Oh, my goodness, I'm not going to get a job." At some point you are going to get a job and just make that determination now.
WHITFIELD: So you may have to kind of sell yourself a little differently. You have all these experience, perhaps. Now you've got to figure out a new way to reframe it, to kind of sell yourself. How do you do that?
BURTON: Yes, so you must reframe the experience particularly for business owners. Because, you know, it's not about that you ran the company and you started it from scratch. You've got to say, "You know what? I've got a lot of great management skills. Perhaps it's budgeting skills." You also need to be clear about how you let them know how your experience translates for that employer and begin to paint the picture for them so they can actually envision you being their employee.
WHITFIELD: And you say tap on your personal network, meaning let everybody know.
BURTON: Yes.
WHITFIELD: I'm looking for work.
BURTON: That's right. You know what? It's better to ask people for advice then to ask them for a job. So you know, tap into that network. Let them know what it is you're trying to do. But then ask for their advice. Because if people don't know of jobs they kind of get a little bit, I think anxious when people are asking them, do you have a job, is there a job for me. Instead ask their advice.
WHITFIELD: Ask for their advice and sometimes you may need to ask them to give you some constructive criticism as well. Sometimes you don't want to hear that kind of stuff, negative stuff, but you've got to welcome it, too.
BURTON: You need that feedback because you must maximize every interview, every opportunity. Particularly if you haven't been in the job market in a while you need to have those answers to those tough interview questions prepared in advance. Are you just looking for a job until things get better, until your husband gets his job back, until you can grow your business again? You need to be able to answer those questions. Get constructive feedback about how you're doing with those answers.
WHITFIELD: Maybe even have someone do like a mock interview to know how to handle certain questions so that it does come off just kind of trickling off the top.
BURTON: Yes, that's absolutely essential. You can do this. But you've got to believe that you can do it. And when you believe you can do it other people begin to believe in you as well. And so that's critical for that interview. You've got to have a positive attitude even if deep down sometimes you don't feel so positive.
WHITFIELD: I think you may have transformed a lot of attitudes already.
Valorie Burton, thanks so much.
BURTON: Thanks, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. On to Cuba. Soon, same-sex marriage, it's not legal, but the marriage of a gay man to a transsexual woman is blurring the lines between what's allowed, not allowed in that communist country. We'll have a report after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories.
The death toll in last night's stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair has climbed to five. More than 40 other people were hurt. The stage crumbled during a powerful wind burst.
Hundreds of people were in the grandstand when it collapsed. They were getting ready for a concert by Sugarland. The fair is closed until tomorrow.
A tweet allegedly by the rapper known as "The Game" clogged a sheriff's department phone line in L.A. Police say the rapper posted the number for the Compton Sheriff's Station. "The Game's" followers were instructed to call that number for a chance at being a music intern. He has 580,000 followers.
The calls interfered with legitimate 911 calls.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. MIKE PARKER, LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: Legitimately calling through with important calls would include two robberies, a spousal assault, missing person, hit-and-run.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The rapper says his account was hacked.
Police in Norway got a firsthand visualization of last month's deadly terror attack. The man that you will see in red right there is Anders Breivik, accused of setting off a -- a bomb in Oslo July 22nd and then shooting dozens of people to death at an island youth camp.
Well, you see him in this video now, pointing and gesturing in an apparent re-enactment of what took place at that island where the camp took place. We're told that he is retracing his steps, demonstrating how and where he actually opened fire on that camp.
Police say Breivik did not express any remorse on his return to the shooting site.
And this is the house in Lahore, Pakistan where American Warren Weinstein was abducted at gunpoint yesterday. No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping or issued demands for Weinstein's release.
Warren Winestein is an international development expert who works for a consulting firm headquartered in Virginia.
In Northern Louisiana, a memorial in honor of slain Navy SEAL Robert Reeves. Hundreds turned out in Reeves' hometown of Shreveport. Reeves was among the 30 Americans killed last weekend when an insurgent attack brought down their helicopter in Afghanistan.
And the president of Venezuela is said to be home again following a -- a second round of chemotherapy in Cuba. These pictures are from President Hugo Chavez's last public appearance earlier this month. Chavez acknowledges that he has cancer, he just hasn't specified which kind.
And it's a landmark event in Cuba. A gay rights activist and a transsexual were married yesterday in Havana. It just happened to be Fidel Castro's birthday. Activists say conditions for gays and lesbians in Cuba have improved, but still have a long way to go.
Here's CNN's Shasta Darlington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The vintage American car and the rented gown. It could be just another fairytale wedding in Havana.
WENDY IRIEPA, BRIDE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
DARLINGTON: "It's the happiest day of my life," says the bride. But Wendy Iriepa is a transsexual. Her groom, Ignacio Estrada, is a gay rights activist. They're calling this the first homosexual wedding in communist Cuba.
IGNACIO ESTRADA, GROOM: (SPEAKING ON FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
DARLINGTON: "It's another step forward," he says, before heading into the official marriage palace surrounded by the foreign media. The couple says the wedding, held on Fidel Castro's 85th birthday, is a way to raise awareness.
I visited their tiny one-room home a few days before.
"We want August 13th to be more than our wedding date," he said. "It could mark a new beginning for the gay community."
At the start of Fidel Castro's revolution, gays and transsexuals were locked up or sent to labor camps. Now, it's Fidel's niece, Mariela Castro, who's leading the battle against homophobia, but always working from within the system. With her help, Cuba has been offering free sex changes since 2007.
Wendy Iriepa was one of the first to benefit, which is why technically their wedding is legal. Homosexual unions are still forbidden.
(On camera): Like so many things in Cuba, this wedding has blurred the line between what's allowed and what's not allowed. This reception is actually being held at a state-owned facility. But if you look around, most of the people here are dissidents or homosexuals, marginalized in one way or another.
(voice-over): In fact, Iriepa once worked for Mariela Castro at the National Sexual Education Center, but they became estranged after she fell in love with Estrada, an outspoken dissident. He says gays should be allowed to marry, but also hold their own marches and meetings without having to get state approval. For a few days, at least, they plan to put politics behind them and enjoy their honeymoon in private.
Shasta Darlington, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Perhaps you're ready to start a new business. Here's a question for you. What percentage of small businesses flop within the first year?
Stay tuned and we'll have an answer after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: So before the break we asked you what percentage of small businesses flop within the first two years. Thirty percent, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Seven out of 10 last at least two years.
So today in our weekly "Financial Fix," tips for becoming your own boss. Yesterday I talked to Carrie Wilkerson. The author of "The Barefoot Executive" says a budding entrepreneur must chase their dream, not someone else's, and they can't be afraid to start on a shoestring budget.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARRIE WILKERSON, AUTHOR, BAREFOOT EXECUTIVE: You can start on a shoestring most of the time. After all, I was very in debt. I didn't have, you know, a lot of money to spend on a business.
I believe chasing somebody else's dream is a huge mistake. Just because somebody else is doing well or making money in a certain arena, or seems happy or content with what they're doing doesn't mean it's a good fit for you or your skill set or, you know, even your -- what you want to be doing.
Mary Kay Ash said you can't chase two rabbits at the same time and catch either one, and that's the truth. And it's a great visual. But so many people get excited about being their own boss and about making money, they say I'm going to try a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and I'm going to start this company or -- or this product line, and then also do this on the side, and they dabble.
And, you know, just like working for two networks might be an extreme challenge for you if you wanted to move up the ladder, it's an extreme challenge for most people to try to grow two things simultaneously if they're not in a position of profit already.
WHITFIELD: And -- and when you say, you know, you don't want to chase dollars, well, you know, in large part that may be kind of an incentive to start your own business. Perhaps you're one of the many millions of people who can't find a job, you want to start your own business, you need to make money in order to get food on the table. So what do you mean don't chase the dollars? WILKERSON: Well, I think another common mistake and the reason people don't succeed in their own business is they're chasing only the money. Now, don't get me wrong. I think you absolutely should aim for profit.
But, what I mean is, most of us, we're inspired by the, oh, they're making money doing that. You know, for instance, I could look at Donald Trump and say, he does phenomenally in real estate or commercial real estate. I'm going to go do that. I'm going to chase that bright, shiny object, when the truth is I don't have any skills there. I don't have any experience there.
Or I might say, oh, this is the hot new opportunity. How many times have you heard, oh, we're sitting on a gold mine, or, oh, that's the market to be in right now. We have this -- we have this opportunistic paranoia, like we're going to miss something if we don't chase that thing right now.
I think you stick with your skill set. You stick with what you're educated in or what you've been paid to do in the past, and that will pay of for you more immediately than chasing the dollars that somebody else appears to be making.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. Some good advice there. And you can catch "Financial Fix" every Saturday at 2:00 Eastern time, and then again on Sundays, right here, 4:00 Eastern time on CNN.
All right, Iowa's straw poll makes a lasting mark on the race for the White House. We'll tell you how after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: The winner of the pivotal Iowa straw poll appeared on all the Sunday morning talk shows today, and the candidate who finished third made a major announcement. Here's a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Governor, a disappointing finish for you. What -- what went wrong?
TIM PAWLENTY, FORMER REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE: I'm announcing this morning on your show that I'm going to be ending my campaign for president.
I wish it would have been different, but, obviously, the pathway forward for me doesn't really exist.
REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: God bless you, everyone!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does Pawlenty leaving the race and Rick Perry coming into the race change your strategy at all?
BACHMANN: Our main strategy is to win. Obama is my strategy.
People knew that I was leading on not increasing the debt ceiling. They wanted -- they wanted someone to stand up and say, enough is enough on spending, and they appreciated the fact that I stood up and was kind of a long voice.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Where -- where have you compromised in your legislative career?
BACHMANN: Well, I -- I stand on a core set of principles, but you want to continue to move in a positive direction. Sometimes you have to take steps, interval steps, to get to where you want to go, and certainly you do that. And I've done that throughout my legislative career.
CROWLEY: Is there a particular piece of legislation you could point to?
BACHMANN: Well, I'm trying to think of one right now. What would be a compromise? There's -- there's been -- on big -- on big issues, I don't compromise.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is the president in trouble?
REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D), FLORIDA: Not at all. The president is in actually remarkably good shape given that he is still struggling to help pull our economy out of the Republican -- the Republican recession that he inherited. He's still -- his numbers are still strong. He still has widespread support.
If anyone is in trouble, it's the Republican Party.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And now you're about to see some tips on how to stretch your family dollar at a baseball game.
But, before that, take a swing at this. The all sports website Bleacher Report ranked the Major League Baseball stadiums, all 30 of them, based on comfort, value, food, atmosphere and just plain old fun. Well, here's their top 10.
Some new parks are included as well as some perennial favorites. The top three may surprise you. Talk it over a little bit. We'll reveal the top three ballparks in the big leagues, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: So a minute ago I promised to reveal the top three ballparks in the Major Leagues, and this is according to the Bleacher Report. So let's now finish the list.
Wrigley Field, home to the Cubbies for 95 years. The brand-new Target Field in Minnesota is a big hit with fans. But the oldest ballpark in America also ranks among the best. You guessed it, Fenway Park in Boston. All right, taking the family to a ball game is a special occasion, but it doesn't have to break the bank. For "On the Go" today, here's a couple of tips to save some cash at the ballpark.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARLOS DIAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If you're headed out to the ballpark this summer, there are ways to make the most of the national pastime. When you go can make a big difference.
JASON SHEETS, TRAVELZOO: There's days of the week that are better than others for finding a great day. Family value days actually happen often on Sundays. Tuesday night seem to be days of the week that need the most help, with tickets being upwards of 50 to 60 percent off.
DIAZ: Be sure to check your tickets because some include coupons for concessions.
And, if you have the appetite for it, paying for the all you can eat section could be the way to go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ice cold drinks.
SHEETS: By having two hotdogs and a drink and having a ticket, you've already covered the cost of what you normally would be paying.
DIAS: Also consider the minors. It's more of an intimate experience. And, get this, ticket prices start as low as $5.
And check out your team's website where you can find deals and unique promotions that can make the experience all the more special. Like this Bark in the Park event with the Gwinnette Braves. What better way to spend the dog days of summer?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: OK, so every now and then we show you one of those one in a million shots at a professional game, like basketball or hockey. Well, get ready. You're about to see one on ice.
Take a look at this shot. It is right on the money. The person that you don't really see completely is just 11 years old -- Nate Smith of Minnesota.
To everyone's surprise, Nate actually shot a three-inch puck and put it through a 3 and a half inch slot during a halftime charity event in Faribault, Minnesota. Well, guess what? Nate especially shocked his twin brother, Nick, who actually paid the $10 to take the shot, but he was nowhere to be found when the time came. So his twin brother, Nate, kind of stepped up and took this shot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATE SMITH, MADE IMPOSSIBLE HOCKEY SHOT: I, like, know how to shoot and stuff, so I lined it up, and -- yes. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So your brother just made the shot?
NICK SMITH, NATE'S TWIN BROTHER: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And what did you think, right away?
NICK SMITH: I was like, no, he didn't, and he's like, go look over on the bench, and I was just like shocked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. So no word yet on how these twins will divvy up the prize. The one in a million shot paid $50,000.
Seems fair enough, $25,000 each, right?
All right, the lawyers representing the doctor accused of administering a fatal dose of anesthetic to Michael Jackson has offered up a bombshell witness. Details after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Those prayers for rain in Texas were answered, at least for a day. Scattered showers across North Texas kept temperatures from hitting triple digit temperatures yesterday. Close to an inch fell near the Dallas Fort Worth area. They certainly needed that.
Jacqui Jeras in the Weather Center, and they're not the only ones who needed some rain to relieve everybody from this incredible heat streak.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Right. We all want a break.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
JERAS: Unfortunately, we got a little too much rain in some parts of the country today, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Oh, boy.
JERAS: Check out these rainfall totals out of New York. Lido Beach had more than 10 inches this morning.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness.
JERAS: New York City, JFK had over seven inches. Both LaGuardia and Central Park also hit records today, Newark over 4 inches, pushing towards Islip; and Bridgeport, Connecticut had just over two inched of rain, which was a record as well.
It's just been raining here all day. Thankfully, that stuff hasn't been severe outside of the flooding, and there have been problems with roads closed, a couple of basements getting flooded, and even some stalled cars and rescues having to take place. We've had the same system that produced the damaging winds and the severe weather in Indiana yesterday. This is where it is today, and it's just been training (ph), you know, storm after storm, wet weather after wet weather, just moving into that region.
Severe weather at this hour across parts of the Carolinas and Virginias. Damaging winds and large hail can be expected with those thunderstorms and that's going to last through a good part of the evening for today. And if you're trying to travel, oh, it's really ugly out there. Just warning you. Call ahead, OK? Houston, all the New York and northeast airports, Philadelphia as well.
Also watching the tropics, Fredricka, last but not least, nothing to worry about in the next couple of days, but just letting you know, Gert's out there and a couple of waves that we're watching. (INAUDIBLE).
WHITFIELD: OK. Watch those waves.
JERAS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Jacqui.
All right, the man accused of administering a fatal dose of anesthetic to Michael Jackson will soon get his day in court. Jury selection for Dr. Conrad Murray's manslaughter trial is set to begin September 8th, and the defense has revealed a potential bombshell witness who claims that another doctor also supplied drugs to Jackson during the last months of his life.
Yesterday I talked to our legal guys, Avery Friedman and Richard Herman, about the new twist in the upcoming trial.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Basically, the prosecution is going to say, listen, using propofol at home, that is gross negligence and that is manslaughter. The defense is going to say, no, he's used it for years at home and on the road. He's never had a problem. It's administered carefully, and that in and of itself is not (ph).
The defense is also going to say that Conrad Murray did not know about all these side doctors who were feeding medication to Michael, and that's what caused his death. And, therefore, Conrad Murray should be found not guilty.
It's a viable defense, Fred. It really is.
WHITFIELD: Is it? Well, Avery, this is getting confusing, is it not? Because, if that's the case, then why isn't Dr. Arnold Klein on trial, just like Dr. Conrad Murray would be? Or is?
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: There you go. I mean, the confusion is exactly what the defense team is trying to create here.
This is a sideshow. What's going on here is that you -
WHITFIELD: So, in other words, I fell for it, huh?
FRIEDMAN: I -- I don't think the judge is going to, though, because I don't think Pfeiffer's ever even going to get close to that witness stand, and here's why.
WHITFIELD: OK.
FRIEDMAN: You need expert testimony connecting this medical evidence. This is off the wall. I mean, the fact that -- that Dr. Klein has been his dermatologist and is providing medication and -- and controlled substances -
HERMAN: Painkillers.
FRIEDMAN: -- over the years is interesting, but they have to connect it. And that's something I don't think the defense can do. There's no expert testimony in that. I don't think Pfeiffer's even going to take the stand.
HERMAN: The cause of death was not just propofol overdose. That's a major point for the defense here.
FRIEDMAN: We'll see.
HERMAN: I'm telling you people -
WHITFIELD: You're going to see these other people (ph).
HERMAN: -- this is a viable defense for him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. You can catch our legal guys every Saturday, noon Eastern, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
