weekend. i hope saturday has been good to you so far. i'm christie paul. >> i'm victor blackwell. 10:00 on the east coast, 7:00 ot out west. we're going to start this hour with live pictures of the private memorial service that's beginning now for poet, singer, dancer, maya angelou. >> family and friends and some of whom as you know are famous figures, first lady michele obama, oprah winfrey, gathering at wake forest university here in winston-salem, north carolina, so they can say their farewells to the legendary literary voice. we're going to continue to watch the proceedings here and have more for you in just a moment.

>> breaking news we've been following all morning. the comedian and actor tracy morgan is in a new jersey hospital this morning. >> he was critically injured in a multicar crash. this is an accident that happened really in the wee hours of the morning along the new jersey turnpike in robbinsville we've learned. morgan was riding inside that limo bus. state police say we do know at least one person was killed. they believe the limo bus was hit from behind by a tractor trailer. >> alexander field is outside that hospital in new jersey. nick valencia is gathering reactions from social media. let's start with alexandria, is there any update on his condition this morning? >> hey, victor. what we know is tracy morgan is still in critical condition along with two other patients who were involved in the crash. in total four people were taken to this hospital, robert wood johnson hospital in new jersey. it's about 20 minutes or a half hour from where the crash happened. seven people were rushed to hospitals, one person killed in the crash. police are telling us that tracy

morgan was on board a limo bus that overturned on the new jersey turnpike. the investigation has started preliminarily. police are saying it appears it was hit from behind by a tractor trailer. in total, six different vehicles involved in this crash, two tractor trailers, an suv, the limo bus and two other cars. we're learning from state police the person killed in the crash was a passenger on board morgan's limo bus, his name is james mcnear, 63-year-old man from new york. we don't know what his relationship to morgan was. just he was on board that bus. police are still trying to determine the circumstances that caused this accident, but again, seven people hurt, including tracy morgan who remains today in critical condition at this hospital. we have reached out to reps for morgan. we have not heard back from them at this time. christie and victor some. >> i wanted to ask you real quickly, those limo busses, people are not normally wearing seat belts, are they? do we know if there were any and if they were wearing any when

that bus flipped over? >> police again saying that they are still looking into first the cause of the crash, which again preliminary appears to be a rear ending by another car but looking at the circumstances, how these passengers were hurt where they were. we don't know how many people were in that limo bus. police are expecting to brief us later today. we hope to learn an answer to that. >> thank you. we appreciate it. >> let's bring in nick valencia now. obviously there's been outpouring when you have someone, especially on social media, he's got nearly 3 million followers. >> tons of fans. >> what are they saying? >> reaction from everywhere from fans to friends, we've just confirmed our alex dra fields confirmed the comedian was on board that limo bus and artie posted a photo of tracy morgan at the dover downs comedy club. this is just hours before, just right before the accident. they performed in front of a crowd of about 1500 people.

artie confirmed to be on the limo bus with tracy morgan last night about 1:00 a.m. when the accident happened. we don't know his condition right now, but, of course, we hope the safe recovery for all of those involved. also we're getting in tweets from some of tracy morgan's colleagues on "30 rock" from briz chapman, on "30 rock" from 2006 to 2013, pray for my brother, real tracy morgan. this one from maleak who played jonathan on "30 rock," please get better soon. we're all pulling for you. montel williams, shocked at the news waking up this morning. he tweeted wake up to find out tracy morgan is in critical condition. has a young kid. thoughts and prayers my friend. also musician ray quan weighing in saying hope my brother the real tracy morgan is well and makes a safe recovery. as you mention lots of fans, more than 3 million fans, funny guy, probably one of the

funniest on "saturday night live" a lot with say that, known for his impressions and really just kind of off the wall humor. he is something special. >> very talented. >> hope for his safe recovery. >> a lot of the humor comes from a difficult start. born in the bronx and talks about financially some tough times and he battled with alcoholism for a while and he talks about that. but, of course, this we learned from new jersey state police, they don't believe that alcohol was a factor in this crash. we hear from alexandria that likely it was a rear-ending. we'll stay on top it and we'll get to her when there's more as well. >> back to wake forest university in winston-salem, north carolina. friends and family are saying good-bye to the legend, i could say legendary poet, dancer, writer, singer, all of it, maya angelou. >> died last week at age 86 as you know. live pictures coming from that

memorial. president obama has praised her as, i'm quoting here, brilliant writer, fierce friend and phenomenal woman. the first lady is expected to speak today. let's go there. thanks for being with us. who are the other speakers going to be on hand today? >> hey, christie, victor, good morning. notably former president bill clinton. we all know he has a special bond with maya angelou. he asked she write a poem for his first innothing gration. as you see behind me the doors have been closed. a live shot inside just a few moments ago. inside wake chapel here at wake forest university, up to 2200 people, everyone here this morning, to pay tribute to the legacy of maya angelou. ♪ i'll see what the end is going to be ♪ >> reporter: throughout her life maya angelou played many roles,

singer, actor, writer, civil rights activist, and globally celebrated poet. >> lift up your eyes upon this day breaking for you, give birth again to the dream. >> reporter: angelou's writing tells a story of her varied struggles and many triumphs. today people from all walks of life descend on wake forest university where first lady michele obama, oprah, they're two key figures expected to speak at today's memorial. >> leaving behind terror and fear. >> reporter: her incredible life and career came to an end when she died at the age of 86. but her soul lives on in every word she left behind. >> and so naturally there i go rising. >> reporter: those words and poems still serving as a source

of inspiration for many. everybody inside the memorial right now handed a program. they open it up and you see a collage that really offers a glimpse, a window into maya angelou of her early years to the most recent pictures with her and her family and right in the middle there, a photograph of her with first lady michele obama. again one of several key speakers that are inside right now as the memorial begins. really perhaps the most significant bonds that she formed was here on wake forest university, this is when she met with so many students, she taught here for almost 30 years, and really what we're told, she even opened her private home to students. she held courses there, classes there, poetry, literature, you name it. talk to anybody on this campus and they will tell you a large piece of this campus is missing today. really the focus is not so much on what's missing but on a celebration of rising joy and that's the story that they want to share not only with the community in north carolina but with the world. guys? >> yeah. not difficult when you have

someone who touched so many lives to fill a private ceremony with 2200 people there. and you know, we know that in lieu of flowers they have been asked, the people there, contribute to the maya angelou center for health equity. you see the people here as the ceremony begins. we'll continue to follow this throughout the morning. thanks so much. we've got some stunning new details about what sergeant bowe bergdahl went through when he was held hostage by the taliban. >> we've learned he was locked in a cage, that he was physically abused. we're going to talk more about his condition and have a live report from his hometown, next. stay close. [ female announcer ] there's a gap out there. that's keeping you from the healthcare you deserve. at humana, we believe if healthcare changes, if it becomes simpler...

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bergdahl while the taliban held him captive. >> when that news broke that he had been freed they were overjoined, signs like this one went up all over town as the controversy over bergdahl's release deepens, hally has been caught in the middle at this point. >> ed lavandera is in hailey and joins us live now. what is the mood like there now? there was a homecoming celebration planned but that's been canceled. how is it like now? >> you know, last year they had done a big com mem rags on the fourth anniversary of bowe bergdahl's capture. several thousand people turned out for an event. here in a park where he used to play as a young boy with where his parents would bring him so many people around here are stunned as they've watched this saga unfold. this moment was supposed to be an emotional triumph for bowe

bergdahl's town of haley, idaho. it has spiraled into a nightmare. >> it's a feeling of extreme sadness we're not allowed or able to have this event for bowe to welcome him back to the community. this is something to honor him and we can't do that now, not at this time. >> reporter: o'neill and her family organized what was supposed to be called the bowe is back celebration in the park where bowe bergdahl played as a child. last year on the fourth anniversary of sergeant bergdahl's capture, o'neill organized the bring bowe back rally. bergdahl's parents were overwhelmed by the support. >> it's my privilege to know him. i think better than anyone else, as a father and as a man, i will defend his character until the day i die. >> reporter: o'neill says the town of hailey was flooded with 3,000 requests for protester permits for the celebration and nasty threats and e-mails. the event was canceled because of security concerns and bowe bergdahl's parents have remained out of sight. >> how are his parents?

>> i think they were upset. i mean, i think in a way it was shocking to them that we weren't able to do this for their son. again, he hasn't been able to talk, and so i think they're pretty saddened by it all. >> reporter: while the yellow ribbons and banners declaring "bowe is free at last" line the streets and storefronts inside city hall the angry e-mails and phone calls pour in. one woman wrote f your town can still welcome this traitor hope you're not part of the u.s. i know. an army veteran e-mailed to tell city leaders that ceremonies honoring bergdahl would be a grave insult as well as a stain upon the reputation of our community and an editorial in the town's newspaper lashed out at those critics. >> five years of captivity is enough, bring him home, let him heal. >> reporter: the idaho mountain express editor says the backlash against bowe bergdahl has surprised many. >> what kind of reaction have you gotten to that editorial? >> we had a lot of positive reaction locally, but certainly

outside of our immediate area, people who think that we're casting a blind eye on what they believe to be fact, where in our mind, the facts of his capture really haven't been established. >> reporter: bowe bergdahl's family friends say the homecoming celebration has only been canceled for now. they're not giving up on bowe yet. >> and kristie achri christy an overwhelming sense, until bowe bergdahl's side of the story is publicized and gets out there, they wish that many more people would kind of reserve judgment on the whole situation. but clearly a sense of sadness and shock by just how quickly this story turned so negative. christie and victor. >> ed, quickly, i know you said that the majority of people support him. are there people in that community, though, who, too, question what other communities

are questioning about bergdahl? do they feel like they need some answers as well or no? >> you know, i think just like in many other places around the country there are those people who have those very same questions and those very same reservations and they're worried about the details that have started to emerge so far. i think people around here have lived this story far differently. these are people who have known bowe bergdahl's parents personally for many decades here in this community, for them it's always going to be different. it's really just the story of a mother and a father who had to wait five years to get their son back and everything else in a lot of ways for many people is extra. >> just a good way to characterize it. people live it there differently and you get that. that's true. >> ed lavandera, in hailey, idaho, thank you so much. so it's -- this is a fictional character but linked to a real life story. police believe slender man was this inspiration behind a brutal

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the 12-year-old wisconsin girl who was stabbed 19 times, she's out of the hospital this morning. her family released a statement that called her a strong, brave girl. they also expressed gratitude for all the support the daughter has received at home and around the world. >> people cannot wrap their heads around this story. two other 12-year-old girls are accused of attacking her. a criminal complaint says it was all to impress a fictional on-line monster called slender man. now all right, let's dig deeper into this, shall we? >> because i'm sure a lot of

people have never heard of this slender man. let's invite in a.j. meadows, joins us live from st. louis. he produced an on-line independent film about slender man called "x." so he's appeared in fan art, short stories, video games, on-line, but who or what is this slender man, a.j.? >> right. so the slender man is a fictional character created as part of a photo shop contest in 2009 on a place called the something awful forums. i think people are just kind of attracted to its like simplistic but iconic figure and so other people started making their own artwork related to the slender man and then it eventually migrated over to a place called creepy pasta and other websites where people wrote short stories based on the slender man. essentially the story of the character is that he kidnaps children and he hides in the woods and generally very creepy. >> so part of this story is that

perhaps the 12-year-old girls didn't understand that he wasn't real. you know, i mean you've been involved with slender man in terms of everything that's going on on-line. do you think there's actually a community of people or that people believe slender man exists? >> well, if you asked me last week i would have said no. after this situation here, this tragedy, you know, i just really hope that with all the media coverage, that the story is getting, that anyone who might still believe that he might be real, gets educated about it. because i don't think i've seen anyone personally who believes that he's real. i just hope that that's not the case anymore. >> so investigators say that these girls likely stabbed this third 12-year-old because they wanted to impress slender man. are there any points in these stories, these videos that he urges other people, other children, to hurt someone else?

>> so sometimes in the stories themselves, the slender man will ask a character maybe to do something like that, but not really in the explicit sense. like the slender man will get into your head and kind of make you do strange and weird things. as for any type of fick shun specifically asking a reader or a viewer to go out and act upon what he wants you to do, i've never seen anything like that personally. >> now, i understand the girls' wisconsin school banned websites that are home to slender man stories, but i think as we sit here and look at this, parents are going, how concerned do i need to be about this slender man? is there a concern that parents should have for their kids who are on the internet on any level when it comes to slender man? >> i think that's just good parenting in general. i mean, any type of media i think it's smart for parents to be aware of what their kids are looking at, reading, watch.

for the school banning it i don't know if that's necessarily something that they needed to do. to me it sounds like it was a more complicated situation, that it was a combination of the girls' home lives, just kind of how susceptible they were to believing this sort of thing in general. >> yeah. we don't know any of that. do you know -- real quickly, do you know is it more popular with girls, boys, what age group? >> well, that's kind of the interesting thing about the slender man he's popular with boys and girls, teens, 20 somethings. i know a couple 30-year-olds into slender man stories. kind of depends. he's kind of transcended a lot of different demographics. >> wow. >> interesting. all right. a.j. meadows, thank you so much for taking some time for us. >> no problem, guys. thanks for having me. this morning, fans are sending up prayers and well wishes for actor and comedian tracy morgan. >> the "snl" alum was critically injured in an early morning crash just hours ago. we're going to have more for you on what's happened. stay close.

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28 minutes past the hour. i hope that saturday has been good to you thus far. i'm christi paul. >> i'm victor blackwell. >> this morning we're starting with the tragedy surrounding tracy morgan. actor, comedian, on a limo bus on the new jersey turnpike. it overturned and a serious car accident this morning in new jersey. at least one person died. morgan is in critical condition at a hospital in new brunswick. >> number two, right now, at wake forest university in north carolina, live pictures for you, as so many people have gathered 2200 to say good-bye to legendary poet, arthur, activist maya angelou. she died last week at age 86. president obama praised her as

a, quote, brilliant writer, a fierce friend and a truly phenomenal lady. we do know that first lady michele obama is expected to speak at that service that you're watching. >> number three the man accused of opening fire at seattle pacific university thursday had an obsession with school shootings. that's what a police source tells ours affiliate kiro. 26-year-old aaron ybarra was accused of killing one person, injuring two others. his attorney says he has significant and long-standing mental health issues. charges against him are spending. >> number four, candy tycoon petro poroshenko is president of ukraine, sworn in earlier today. he had a warning and an olive branch for neighboring russia, which remember annexed crimea. he said ukraine will defend its sovereignty against msco and pro-russian separatists but hopes talks with russia to defuse tensions can begin. >> loved ones of casey kasem are gathering by his side as family

representatives say that he won't be with us much longer. the ailing 82-year-old is in critical condition at a hospital in washington state. the family has been in this ongoing dispute over control of his health. yesterday a judge declared his daughter in charge of medical care and not her stepmother. >> back to breaking news, live to new brunswick in new jersey. cnn's alexandra field is in there where actor, comedian tracy morgan is in critical condition at a hospital. >> he was taken to robert wood johnson university where she is right now. alexandra, what have you learned this morning so far? >> good morning, christi, victor. we don't know about the extent of tracy morgan's injuries but we do know that he is in critical condition. he was taken here to robert wood johns with three other patients who were involved in this crash. two others are also here in critical condition in total. we know that seven people were rushed to hospitals, one person killed. that was a passenger aboard

tracy morgan's limo bus. his name james mcnair, a 63-year-old, a passenger on the bus, new jersey state police say that he was killed in the accident. it happened when this limo bus overturned on the new jersey turnpike. police are still investigating why, but preliminary they say it appears that the bus was rear-ended by a tractor trailer. six vehicles were involved in the overnight crash, two tractor trailers, an suv, the bus, and at least two other cars. police had to shut down that part of the roadway, the part of the roadway is back open, but, of course, all of the focus is on these seven people hurt in the crash. tracy morgan again, still hospitalized this morning in critical condition. >> all right. alexandra field, thank you so much for the update. we'll keep you updated as we get more information throughout the day. former secretary of state hillary clinton beams on the cover of "people" magazine but her detractors are anything but pleased. >> the former secretary of state being attacked over everything from her age to the way she does her hair. we'll talk about it all with our

political panel next. take a look at sicily tyson is speaking at the memorial service for maya angelou. >> i heard this booming voice who was challenging someone about something. it scared the daylights out of me. i'm on expert on softball. and tea parties. i'll have more awkward conversations than i'm equipped for, because i'm raising two girls on my own. i'll worry about the economy more than a few times before they're grown. but it's for them, so i've found a way. who matters most to you says the most about you. at massmutual we're owned by our policyowners, and they matter most to us. ready to plan for your future? we'll help you get there.

i think this was a very hard choice which is why i think my book is so aptly named. if you look at what the factors

were going into the decision, of course there are competing interests and values. one of our values is, we bring everybody home off the battlefield, the best we can. it doesn't matter how they ended up in a prisoner of war situation. >> it doesn't matter? >> it does not matter. >> that was former secretary of state hillary clinton touting some of the hard choices that she says that the president has to be aware of. she's promoting her new book out on tuesday, but if you want your dose of hillary clinton now, all you have to do is grab "people" magazine. >> she gave "people" the first interview around the release of her book and they gave her the cover. look at that. she opens up from everything from monica lewinsky, to 2016 and becoming a grandma. >> the final point her conservative critics want to focus on. after "people" released the cover, drudge report tweeted out clinton holding a walker. "the wall street journal journal" followed suit and said

it isn't a walker. just a patio chair. of course they knew that. joining us to talk about this and more, political analyst ron brown stein and commentator maria cardonea. maria i want to start with you, the walker comment was, you know, smug and it was a swipe, but as we head into 2016, if secretary clinton runs, will age be a serious topic? i mean will it be something she has to talk about? >> you know, it depends on how it's brought up. i think health will be a serious topic and should be a topic for anybody who's running for president, but the way that her opposition has brought up her age, i think is not only despicable, it's laughable, and it's frankly sad and i think it underscores just how afraid they are of her. victor, if this is what they have to go up against her if she does run in 2016, clearly

nothing substantive has stuck, the jacked up benghazi scandal hasn't stuck, they haven't found anything else to go after her on on a substantive point of view, this is all they have, i think it's sad and it's not going to work frankly for a party if they really want to vie credibly for the white house in 2016. >> go ahead and respond to that. i think a lot of people would say, i don't think they would be talking to a man necessarily about his age or maybe his health, but certainly not his hair, as she also was talking about in the "people" magazine article. >> well you're seeing some shifts on both sides. ronald reagan was this age when elected and republicans were certainly happy with that. on the other hand, hillary clinton being on the cover of "people" magazine shows she's more comfortable displaying a soft side than in 2008 when the big concern was showing she was tough enough as a woman to be president. i think this is an indication they feel they have crossed that threshold. i think the big issue is not going to be age, it's going to be relevance.

whether she can convince americans as she has solutions relevant to today's problems and in that sense, age is part of the back beat, but not really front and center. >> so maria, when asked about monica lewinsky in that have the "vanity fair" essay about her regretting possibly calling lewinsky a narcissistic loony tune, clinton responded this is a, quote, i'm not going to comment on what did or didn't happen. i think everybody needs to look to the future. she also said she didn't read the "vanity fair" article last month. is that going to be enough? >> i think it will be. and it doesn't mean that she won't -- it won't be asked and she won't get that question probably over and over, but i think that is absolutely enough of an answer and i think it's enough of an answer for the american people. i mean, we saw when this whole lewinsky thing was trying to get drudged up again by her opposition and frankly when monica lewinsky herself wrote the "vanity fair" article there were a lot of people out there

who were rolling their eyes saying, come on, can we just get on with it? to ron's point, i think what she is really wanting to talk about and what the american people would want to hear from her if she does choose to run is, what does she have to offer? what is she going to do to make sure that we continue to solve the real problems that we have as a country here at home, make sure that middle-class families are able to continue to have a chance at the american dream, and what we're doing from a foreign policy standpoint. that is what should be the real focus. clearly right now republicans and her opposition have nothing to go up against her on that. >> okay. let's talk about foreign policy to some degree here because i want to get both of your reactions regarding comments russian president vladimir putin made about hillary clinton this week in an interview. it says, it's better not to argue with women, but miss clinton has never been too grateful in her statements. when people push boundaries too

far it's not because they're strong but weak. maybe weakness is not the worst quality for a woman. a lot of things that will offend women any way you cut it, but he was responding specifically to a question about clinton's remarks in march likening his aggression in ukraine to the actions of hitler. maria, let's get your reaction first here? >> i think it underscores how secretary clinton reacted by essentially proving that he does have a thin skin and again, to point out her gender, says to me that he is not somebody who is used to having a woman ask questions about his credibility or about anything that he has done, and it also says to me that again, should she run in 2016 and if he is still the leader of russia, he's going to have to man up in a big way to go up against a woman like hillary clinton. >> ron? >> yeah. well first of all, i mean you compare people to hitler they get annoyed. in that sense, you know, what

putin said isn't terribly surprising and he's not, you know, the most sensitive to kind of gender politics that we've seen. russian politics don't follow american politics. it is an indication i think of some of the issues that may arise if she runs in 2016. we talk about the gender gap but the fact is barack obama lost white women by 14 points in 2012, the biggest deficit for any democrats since walter mondale in 1984 and he still won. that's the real challenge for republicans. it's hard to imagine that hillary clinton making this historic run if she does it, would not do better among white women than barack obama did which forces them to do better among some other portion of the electorate to close that gap. i think that, you know, the opportunity to kind of make a cultural as well as political statement is something that is important to democrats in 2016 because frankly, americans are not sure that the agenda of the last eight years if you look at the poll have made their daily lives better. so this is, you know, it's an indication of one place where

she would be very strong. the opportunity to improve on what was a deficit for obama that he was still able to win despite. >> all right. maria -- >> which again all of that really scares her opposition including all republicans. >> maria, thank you very much. ron brownstein. now we have to wait for the announcement. >> right. >> are you running? are you not running? >> we'll be talking up until then. >> we will be. >> thank you, both. >> thank you. all right. let's take you back to wake forest university right now for the memorial service of maya angelou. it is under way with some singing, something that she herself is known for. >> we heard from actress sis saly tyson, saw ambassador andrew young. we'll continue to dip into this private ceremony. 2200 people there on the campus of wake forest university. >> and we expect next to hear from bill clinton. stay close. ♪ is mine mine mine

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they were having -- andy was there. they were having a 50th anniversary of the signing of the civil rights act. and they had an all day conference. i gave my little talk and we went into this lunch and it was like a political version of the antiques road show. the old bill russell came up and hugged me and reminded me how short i was. and i looked over and there was maya. and i went over to her and i hugged her and i said, i cannot believe that you have gotten yourself here and she said, just because i am wheelchair bound,

doesn't mean i don't get around. [ applause ] >> the first thing i want to say, that girl got around. let me tell you how this all started. i first encountered maya as a young man when i read "i know why the caged bird sings." it was written in 1970 about the time i started law school and shortly after it came out, i read it and i was the one who was struck dumb. i thought first of all, arkansas, where it's set is about 25 miles from where i was born. i got a lot of relatives there. i knew the people she was talking about, the problems she

was documenting. but the thing that struck me about the book, even more than the horrible abuse she endured and the five years of silence that followed, was that this little kid, the whole time all this was going on, was paying attention. she never stopped talking but she never stopped looking. she was paying attention. and observing the people she saw, the patterns of life she experienced, and trying to make sense of it. she had enough experiences for five lifetimes. we could all just show up here and talk about a piece of her

life. think about that. she moved from being a mute child to being reunited with her mother to being in a school of dance and drama, to being the first african-american woman to be a street car director in san francisco, to having a baby, to having to be a short order cook and other stuff, to feed the baby and keep body and soul together and that was all when she was a teenager. she wasn't even 20 years old. all that happened to her. then her 20s she was singing and dancing and acting in the u.s. and europe. in her 30s she became a member of the harlem writers guild. by 32 she had moved to egypt to run a newspaper and by 33 she was living in ghana.

by then she mastered five languages, went through your horrible accident with you, and how you both would control the rest of your life, and i admire you and i'm grateful to you for the life you have lived. [ applause ] i thank you for that. [ applause ] and she meets malcolm x and comes back here to work for him and he gets killed. she goes to work for martin luther king and on her 40th birthday, he gets killed. we could all just be up here talking about how maya angelou represented a big piece of america's history. and triumphed over adversity and proved how dumb racism was.

but her great gift in her action-packed life was she was always paying attention. and by the time she started writing her books and her poe y poetry, what she was basically doing was calling our attention to the things she had been paying attention to. and she did it with a clarity and power that will wash over people as long as there is a written and spoken word. "the caged bird" was the first manifestation of her great gift. otherwise, somebody else would have written it and what

happened to her and how she couldn't talk and why she didn't talk. she just kept calling our attention to things. i often thought of her gigantic figure as like a little fire flies we used to catch in the summertime and put in jars. they just come on at unpredictable times and make you see something you otherwise would have missed. something right before your nose that you had been overlooking. something in your mind you had been burying. something in your heart you were afraid to face. she called our attention in thousands of ways to her belief that life is a gift manifest in each new day.

she called our attention to the fact that things that really matter, dignity, work, love and kindness, are things we can all share and don't cost anything. and they matter more than the differences of wealth and power. of strength and beauty, of intellect. all that's nice if you put it to the right use, but nothing is more powerful than giving honor to the things we share. she also taught us through all those decades of challenges that life is a constant choice. every day you have to get up and make a choice. will you choose light or darkness? choose to reach out or draw in?

choose to speak out or shut up? will you be paralyzed by your past and your failures or will you forgive yourself enough to be unchanged. history, despite its wrenching pain, need not be lived again. that's what she taught me and millions of others. here's what i think she died when she did. it was her voice. voice for five years and then developed the greatest voice on the planet. god loaned her his voice. she had the voice of god.

and he decided he wanted it back. [ applause ] >> really poignant words from former president bill clinton about maya angelou and the lessons and gifts she's left behind. >> so many people touched by her command of and craft of the english language but she was fluid in french and spanish and ara back and italian and the west african language. learning more about her remarkable life and we'll take a quick break and continue with cnn's "newsroom" right after this.

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the kay allied forces stormed the beaches of normandy. it marked the beginning of the end of world war ii. >> it was the first step in liberating a lot of victims. this week's cnn heros stumbled upon a forgotten generation still struggling with the war's effects. holocaust survivors living in squaller. jane buzzby took it upon herself to become their lifeline. >> as a child, i ran from the killing squads three times, even now i still dream that i am running. our entire little town was burned to nothing. my mother and father were killed in the mass graves. i sometimes think it would have been better if i died with them. i cry at night, your letters are for me like medicine. these are the last survivors of holocaust of eastern europe. they're out there today, elderly, alone, suffering. they don't have extended family. life is so hard in these places.

they don't have anything. i saw it with my own eyes and i knew that no one was helping them. so i wanted to reach out and help them. we provide them with financial aid for food, heat, medication and shelter. >> stay healthy. >> we've let them know they have not been forgeten. >> his wife is paralyzed, he himself is so not well. we get stacks of letters every week. mostly in russian, sent out to translators and we start answering them immediately and sending money. we're helping 2,000 people in eight countries. the money is life saving. but the connection, the letters, the communication, equally life saving. >> i'm going to come back and see you. >> we can really write a more hopeful final chapter to the holocaust, this time one of kindness and compassion and what they deserve at the end of their

lives. >> god bless zain buzzby there. learn more about cnn heros at cnnheros.com. and thank you for making us part of your morning. >> hand things over to our colleague fredricka whitfield. >> good morning, thanks so much. what a beautiful ceremony taking place at wake forest university for maya angelou. we will return to that in a moment. it is the 11:00 eastern hour of "newsroom" which begins right now. looks like two tractor trailers, a limo bus, suv, limo bus overturned. tracy morgan was in the limo bus but he is alive, in intensive care. >> comedian tracy morgan in critical condition at the hospital. we go there live for the latest on how he's doing and what led to this horrific crash. plus, a memorial service going on right now for poet maya

angelou. we're expecting to hear from oprah winfrey and first lady michele obama. former president bill clinton just speaking and nowlieing to music before the continuation of this speaker eulogizing her. we'll take that to you live. despite the political fallout surrounding the release of sergeant bowe bergdahl, president obama is not changing his position. what he's saying about it now. and the latest on bergdahl's reintegration process coming up. comedian and actor tracy morgan in critical condition this morning after a serious multivehicle crash involving his limo bus. you might recognize morgan from the hit show "30 rock" or "saturday night live." police say he was in this limo bus on the new jersey turnpike early this morning. state police say it flipped

over. one person was killed in the wreck and seven others hurt. alexandra field is live outside the hospital in new brunswick, new jersey. alexandra, what can you tell us about his condition and what happened? >> yeah. fredricka, just a really scary scene out there. look, right now, we don't know the extent of tracy morgan's injuries or what types of injuries he suffered but we do know he was in the limo bus brought to this hospital, robert wood johnson hospital where he is in critical condition. four spriktss of the crash were brought here, three including morgan are in critical condition, one in fair condition, in total seven people had to be rushed to hospitals in the middle of the night. this accident happening at around 1:00 in the morning. one person killed in the accident. he was a passenger on board morgan's limo bus. police have identified him as a 63-year-old man, james mcnair. new jersey state police have been investigating the crash. they tell us that six different vehicles were involved. two tractor trailers. the limo bus, an suv and two

other cars all of them somehow colliding. police still investigating this. what we though is that tracy morgan was just last night performing at dover downs hotel and casino in delaware. a fellow comedian ar te fuqua showing morgan and the crowd at the casino just hours before this crash, fredricka. >> wow. prayers are being said for him. we know that people are speaking and sending out their prayers and thoughts to him via social media. more on that coming up. alexandra field, thank you so much. so the family and friends of legendary poet and civil rights icon dr. maya angelou are celebrating her life right now at a memorial service in winston-salem, north carolina. live pictures right now of the service at wake forest university's wait chapel. former president bill clinton spoke moments ago. he is on the first row right next to the first lady michele obama and oprah winfrey.

all of them helping to organize this service. both women, michele obama and oprah winfrey, will be speaking shortly and, of course, we'll be taking you there live as that happens. pablo sandoval is there. give us an idea of all that's taking place there. certainly close friends who have filled that chapel for this beautiful sendoff. >> that's right, fredricka. took several hours to fill that chapel this morning as you can see, right now, that memorial continues at this hour. everybody inside nearly 2200 folks were given this program and it really does sum up the theme of today, a vel brags of rising -- celebration of rising joy. the folks inside open it up and see a collage of pictures with maya angelou and it really does offer a glimpse and a window to the life of this woman from her early years towards one of the latest pictures with her family here. it does demonstrate she's touched so many lives. you mentioned there, former

president bill clinton takings the pulpit a few moments ago, described his friend maya angelou as having a voice of god and wanted her back essentially. that's how he closed his remarks. some other moving moments we've seen from her grandson elliott matthew jones and actress cicely tyson, actually struggled as she emotionally as she recalled an encounter she had with dr. angelo. have a listen. >> i dropped everything i was doing, went upstairs, and at the head of the stairs, was maya. in a wheelchair. it's the best gift that she's left me with. she took the time, despite the pain that she was suffering, to ride on that bus, to come all the way to the theater. to see me.

and from what i understand, she loved every minute. this bond, it's a tie that never will be broken. i will love you always. >> so clearly a mix of emotions right now here at wake forest university. a lot of people here focusing on the memories. you know, so many notable figures here, the first lady, oprah winfrey, former president bill clinton. the other stories are from the regular students that encountered who they called dr. angelou on a daily basis. she was scheduled to return here in the fall to do more lectures. we also know that she often opened the doors to her home, allowing students into her home where she gave several courses and several lectures, poetry, history, literature, so anybody that you talk to here on this campus will tell you a large

portion is missing but really the main focus on the legacy of the civil rights leader, actor, musician, really whatever you choose to call her, there seems to be really a common description here. everybody calls her a phenomenal woman. >> she really did do it all. it's beautiful that this huge chapel on this university campus, a place she taught so many students as you underscore, is filled with people who had a real special relationship with her, from the students to the former president, to, you know, media icon such as oprah winfrey who momentarily will i understand be taking to the stage there and as she does take to the podium there to all eulogize and underscore the special relationship they had we'll take you there. polo sand dough val at wake forest. president obama standing by his decision to swap five high-level taliban leaders for bowe bergdahl. bergdahl spent five years as a

prisoner of war in afghanistan until his release last weekend. here's what the president told nbc's brian williams about his decision to trade those guantanamo bay prisoners for bergdahl. >> it was a unoon muss -- unanimous decision among my principals in my government and a view that was shared by my -- the members of the joint chiefs of staff and this is something that i would do again and i will continue to do wherever i have an opportunity if i have a member of our military in captivity. we're going to try to get them out. >> martin savidge joins us live from san antonio, texas where bergdahl will continue his reintegration process when he does come home to the u.s. do we know when sergeant bergdahl is expected to arrive there? >> no. unfortunately, fredricka, we don't. the transportation, the coming here, back to the united states home coming, reintegration, such a really kind of harsh word, but it's really about coming back home and being reunited with his

family. it's a critical part of his recovery after five years in cap it tifts. right now he's in landstuhl germany, undergoing medical and psychiatric treatment. until given the green light he will stay there and won't be coming here. we know the advance team from san antonio is in germany, ready to receive him, bring him here, but it hasn't happened yet. the biggest thing to happen here will be reuniting with his family. fredricka? >> do we know whether his family plans to go to texas to reunite with him or will it be another location? >> well, i mean, it had been the plan all along. i have to say now that things have changed only from the political perspective, not from the management of medical reasons how he would be handled. it has always been he would be reunited with his family here. that's not just something that special for sergeant bergdahl. for u.s. army south, which is headquartered here, their job is to reintegrate as you point out,

any p.o.w.s from any conflict. fortunately there haven't been many recently. that's their job. they know it well and they also realize that the reuniting with the family is probably the most emotionally difficult part of the whole transition. even though it's the moment that captive has been waiting so long for, it's really tough after five years of isolation in many cases. they take it very carefully. it's expected to happen here once he comes here, and the first meeting only going to be a few minutes because that's all they have found in the past a person can take. he'll be here for some time as he literally learns how to live once more. because everything in his life had been dictated by somebody else. now it's going to be personally taking on life once more for himself. >> right. even reportedly that his english is broken, that it has been difficult for him to communicate as he's been accustomed to all his life for the last five years. that, too, is part of that reintegration and makes it very tender and volatile. thanks so much, martin savidge,

appreciate that. we'll have much more straight ahead on the bergdahl controversy and, of course, we're going to take you also to north carolina, again, the service honoring poet maya angelou. and shortly we understand oprah winfrey, good friend, will be taking to the podium. we'll take that live next. >> then she told me about the remix. now. tell us about the amazing mortgage process here at quicken loans. some people have not done this before. some have and just haven't done it for years. -yes. whether it be a refinance or be a purchase, you're gonna need someone's help. i'm your guy. i'm their hand to hold, their shoulder to lean on, their person to call. clients are calling. they don't know what the mortgage process is all about. and they're putting all their trust in me. i'm your buddy. i'm your team mate. i'm your helper. i specialize in what i do, and i care about my clients. i really think about things like their goals? what do i need to do for them tomorrow, and i leave here with a list of that so i'm ready to go in the morning. i know i don't have all the answers. but i've got a ton of team members around me

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bill clinton earlier talking about the many messages he learned from maya angelou. most notably, that she helped impress upon him that life is about a constant change. let's list. in to alison williams. ♪ rainbow in the cloud ♪ in the cloud ♪ people could see his glory his love ♪ he did it for you an he did it for me ♪ ♪ oh, yes he did oh, he put the rainbow in the cloud ♪ >> a rainbow named dr. maya angelou. dr. maya angelou, you will always be here. our rainbow in the cloud.

our rainbow in the cloud. [ applause ] >> maya angelou being remembered here at wake forest university, a place in which she was a professor and taught many students here, particularly in dance, some find it hard to believe while they remember her for all of her beautiful writings, i know why the caged bird since, her career started in dance. her good friend oprah winfrey. >> to president clinton and first lady michele obama, to guy johnson, colin, stephanie, the

entire family, our thanksgiving family, those of us who consider ourselves family, i remember the first time i heard that phrase god put a rainbow in the clouds. i was in utter despair and distraught and had called maya, i remember being locked in the bathroom with the door closed, sitting on the toilet seat and i was crying so hard she could barely understand what i was saying. i had -- i was upset about something that i can't even remember now what it was, isn't that how life works?

and i had called for a long distance cry on her shoulder, but she wasn't having it. she said, as you all know she could, stop it. stop it now. i said what, what? what do you say? and she said stop your crying now. and i continued to sniffle and she said, did you hear me? and i said, yes, ma'am. only she could level me to my 7-year-old self in an instant. and she said -- i said why do you want me to stop crying? i'm trying to explain to you what happened. she said, i want you to stop and say thank you. because whatever it is, you have the faith to know that god has

put a rainbow in the clouds. [ applause ] and you're going to come out on the other side of whatever it is the better for it. she was in all ways, no matter the time of day or night or the situation, she was always there for me to be the rainbow. and i'm here today to say thank you, to acknowledge, to you all and to the world, how powerful one life can be. the life of maya angelou. the loss i feel i cannot

describe. it's like something i have never felt before. she was my spiritual queen mother and everything that word implies. she was the ultimate teacher. she taught me the poetry of courage and respect. many a day i would ask her for advice while trying to navigate the pitfalls of fame, of a public life, when somebody had written or said something hurtful and untrue and she would say, baby, you're not in it. you're not in it when they wrote it, when he sat down at the type writer -- that's how long we had been talking. she'd say, those people can't hold a candle to the light god

already has shining on your face. can't you see it? [ applause ] she'd say, look up, look up and see the light. when i was on trial in 1998 in texas for saying something bad about a burger, yes, for six weeks, i was on trial, sued by the texas cattlemen, mama angelo came to texas with a prayer posse. [ applause ] and we all know that maya was a force all by herself, but the force came with backup. they prayed all day and all night long and maya would sit in the courtroom while i testified. the prosecuting attorneys didn't know what hit them.

warrior mom had arrived in amarillo. and it was at the same time that i had met dr. phil who was coaching me on how to behave in the courtroom and he'd say, look in the jurors' eyes and maya said no, look above their heads. [ applause ] look above their heads. she'd say, look above their heads and stand still inside yourself and know who you are. you are god's child. she told me. and in god you move and breathe and have your being. of course we won that trial. [ applause ] and every other one i faced, she was always there holding me up, holding me up to know myself. to see the light that god already had shining on my face.

yes. i will -- i will miss her. stedman, gail and i recently came to visit and just sit and be with her and when i walked into the room, her eyes lit up and she greeted me as she always did in person or on the phone and she said, hello, you darling girl. she'd taken a liking to the ipad i gave her and i loved that all of her notes began with, o dearo and ended with love mom, maya angelou. when her mother vivienne baxter told her at age 17, you know, baby, you may be one of the greatest women i've ever known, she didn't know that she was proof fa sighing what we all know now to be true. maya angelou is the greatest woman i have ever known. [ applause ]

in all the ways that only she could define what it means to be in her words a real woman, and not just an aging female, but a proud to spell my name wom-o-m-n kind of woman, she had many daughters throughout the world, stephanie, rosa, fatima, her great gift to us, is that she made every one of us feel like we were the one. she made us feel heard and seen and loved and special and worthy. you alone are enough, she taught me. i am the woman i am today because she was. she not only existed as she proclaimed in her poem "tall

trees," she thrived to help other people do the same and, indeed, as she said, we can be better and do better because she existed. you know, i still marvel at god, i am just in awe, that i, a little colored negro girl, growing up in mississippi, having read "i know why the caged bird sings," and for the first time reading a story about someone who was like me, i marvelled that from the first page, what are you looking at me for, didn't come to stay, only came to say, happy easter day, i was that girl who had done easter pieces and christmas pieces, i was that girl who

loved to read, i was that girl who was raised by my southern grandmother, i was that girl who was raped at 9. so when i first met maya angelou in the late '70s in baltimore as a young news reporter and begged her to do an interview with me and i said, i promise, i promise, i promise if you just give me your time, i promise it would only be five minutes, and at the end of 4 minutes and 58 seconds, i told the cameraman done, and maya angelou looked at me and said, who are you girl? first we became friendly and then sister friends and the first time she told me i was her daughter, i knew i had found home. sitting at her kitchen table on valley road, she was reading paul lawrence dunbar. little brown baby with sparkling

eyes. that was my favorite place to be at the kitchen table or sitting at her feet, leaning over her lap, laughing out loud for real. soaking up all the knowledge, all the things that she had to teach, the grace, the love, all of it, my heart was full. rarely did we ever have a phone conversation where i wasn't taking notes. she was always teaching. when you learn, teach, get, give, i was a devoted student of maya angelou's. learning up to our very last conversation, the sunday before she died. it has been difficult for me to try to put into words what it means to lose, as ciceely said, a rock, she was my anchor.

so it's hard to describe to you what it means when your anchor shifts. but i realized this morning, i really don't have to put it into words. what i have to do is live it. because that's what she would want. she would want me, you, us, to live her legacy. i remember when i opened my school in south africa and i said to her, oh, maya, this is going to be my greatest legacy and she said, not so fast. your legacy, she said, is every woman who ever watched your show and decided to go back to school, your legacy is every man who decided to forgive his father, it's every gay person who decided to come out because

they saw a show of yours, your legacy is every person you ever touched, your legacy is how you lived and what you did and what you said, every day. so true, sister maya. i want to live your legacy. we want to live your legacy as you touched us all. each of us who knew her, those only touched by her words or those who were able to be less to sit at the kitchen table, we are next in line to be a maya angelou to someone else. it's a challenge that i embrace with my whole heart. i cannot fill her shoes, but i can walk in her footsteps. to carry and pass on to the next generation what she knew so well, what she tried to teach all of us. we are more alike than we are

different. when i see you, i'm really just looking at myself in a different costume. i am human and therefore nothing human is alien to me, she used to teach. so we must carry on and pass on, lifting humanity up, helping people to live lives of purpose and dignity, to pass on the poetry of courage and respect. that is what she would want. that is what we will do. and i know i will do it in a way that she most would want. my last conversation with her, i was telling her about going to film the movie "selma" and she said to me, as she always said when i was doing any kind of job, she said, baby, i want you to do it and i want you to take

it, take it all the way. >> bottom of the hour now. listening to oprah winfrey, talking about what she called the person she called the greatest woman i have ever known, maya angelou here at winston-salem, north carolina at wake forest university. we'll be right back. first lady michele obama up next with her parting words about a woman who has touched so many lives, maya angelou. omething on the back of your shoe, there. [alarm beeping] price tag. danger: price tag alert. oh, hey, guys. price tag alert. is this normal? well, progressive's a price tag free zone. we let you tell us what you want to pay, and we help you find options to fit your budget. where are they taking him? i don't know. this seems excessive! decontamination's in progress. i don't want to tell you guys your job, but... policies without the price tags. now, that's progressive.

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86. a little more than a week ago in her home. we understand first lady michele obama, soon to follow good friend oprah winfrey who just eulogized her calling her the greatest woman i've ever phone. the first lady will be taking to the podium momentarily and when she does we'll take that live. meantime another story we're following for you this weekend, you might think an american soldier held in captivity for five years, would receive a hero's welcome. but a planned celebration in sergeant bowe bergdahl's hometown is now on hold because of hate mail, threats, and fears of protests. ed lavandera is talking to the folks in hailey, idaho. >> reporter: this moment was supposed to be an emotional triumph for bowe bergdahl's hometown of hailey, idaho. it has spiralled into a nightmare and stephanie o'neill is heartbroken. >> it's a feeling of extreme sadness that we're not allowed or able to have this event for

bowe, to welcome him back to the community. this is something to honor him and we can't do that now, not at this time. >> reporter: o'neill and her family organized what was supposed to be called the bowe is back celebration in the park where bowe bergdahl played as a child. last year on the fourth anniversary of sergeant bergdahl's capture, o'neill organized the bring bowe back rally. bergdahl's parents were overwhelmed by the support. >> it's my privilege to know him, i think better than anyone else, as a father and as a man. i will defend his character until the day i die. >> reporter: o'neill says the town of hailey was flooded with more than 3,000 requests for protester permits for the celebration, as well as nasty threats and e-mails. the event was canceled because of security concerns and bowe bergdahl's parents have remained out of sight. >> how are his parents taking it? >> you know, i think they were upset. i think in a way it was shocking to them that we weren't able to do this for their son, un. again he hasn't been able to

talk and so i think they're saddened by it all. >> reporter: while the yellow ribbons and banners declaring "bowe is free at last" still line the streets and storefronts inside city hall the flood of angry e-mails and phone calls pour in. one woman wrote if your town can still welcome this traitor home you're not part of the u.s. that i know. and army veteran e-mailed to tell city leaders ceremonies honoring bergdahl would be a grave insult as well as a stain upon our community. an editorial in the newspaper lashed out at those critics. >> five years captivity is enough, bring him home and let him heal. >> reporter: the editor says the backlash against bowe bergdahl has surprised many. >> what kind of reaction have you gotten to that editorial? >> we had a lot of positive reaction locally, but certainly outside of our immediate area, there have been people who think that we're casting a blind eye on what they believe to be fact, where the our mind, d in our

mind the facts of his capture haven't been established. >> reporter: bowe bergdahl's family friend says the celebration has only been canceled for now. they're not giving up on bowe yet. >> ed lavandera joining us live right now. what more do we know about sergeant bergdahl's health and when he would conceivably find his way back home to idaho? >> things have slowed down considerably. initially we thought it might take a couple days or so for bowe bergdahl to make his way back from the treatment area where he's getting in germany and make his way to that army medical center in san antonio, but every indication we still have is that his parents are still here in idaho. we have been told that they have not spoken with him by the phone yet, but medical -- army medical officials in germany say that bowe bergdahl is starting to show signs of improvement. his health is starting to improve and that he's starting to engage with the doctors and the psychologists in the reintegration program.

but still, it's really slowed down considerably considering it's been a week since bowe bergdahl was rescued in afghanistan and still no sign yet or no exact timeline on when his parents will be reunited with their son. >> all right. ed lavandera, thank you so much from hailey, idaho. when we come back, saying good-bye to poet, dancer, civil rights leader, instructor there at wake forest university, host of people eulogizing the great maya angelou. we heard from former president bill clinton earlier. good friend oprah winfrey. up next, first lady michele obama. ♪ woman: everyone in the nicu -- all the nurses wanted to watch him when he was there 118 days.

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bb. oprah, why did you do that? just why? why did you put me after this? to the family, guy, to all of you, to the friends, president clinton, oprah, my mother, cicely tyson, ambassador young, let me just share something with you, my mother, marion robinson, never cares about anything i do. but when dr. maya angelou passed, she said, you're going, aren't you? i said, mom, i'm not really sure. i have to check with my schedule. she said, you are going, right? i said i'm going to get back to you, but i have to check with the people, figure it out.

i came back up to her room and i found out that i was scheduled to go and she said that's good. now i'm happy. it is such a profound honor, truly a profound honor, to be here today on behalf of myself and my husband, as we celebrate one of the greatest spirits our world has ever known. our dear friend dr. maya angelou. in the book of psalms it reads, "i praise you for i am fearfully and wonderfully made, wonderful are your works, my soul knows very well. my frame was not hidden from you when i was being made in secret. intricately woven in the depths of the earth." what a perfect description of maya angelou and the gift she

gave to her family and to all who loved her. she taught us that we are each wonderfully made, intricately woven and put on this earth for purpose far greater than we could ever imagine. and when i think about maya angelou, i think about the affirming power of her words. the first time i read phenomenal woman, i was struck by how she celebrated black women's beauty like no one had ever dared to before. [ applause ] our curves, our stride, our strength, our grace, her words were clever and sassy, they were powerful and sexual and boastful, and in that one

singular poem, maya angelou spoke to the essence of black women, but she also graced us with an anthem for all women, a call for all of us to embrace our god-given beauty, and oh, how desperately black girls needed that message. as a young woman, i needed that message. as a child my first doll was malibu barbie. that was the standard for perfection. that was what the world told me to aspire to. but then i discovered maya angelou and her words lifted me right out of my own little head, her message was very simple, she told us that our worth has nothing to do with what the world might say. instead, she said, each of us comes from the creator trails

wisps of glory. she reminded us that we must each find our own voice, decide our own value, and then announce it to the world with all the pride and joy that is our birth right as members of the human race. dr. angelou's words sustained me on every step of my journey, through lonely moments in ivy covered classrooms and colorless skyscrapers, through blissful moments, mothering two splendid baby girls, through long years on the campaign trail where at times, my very womanhood was dissected and questioned. for me that was the power of maya angelou's words. words so powerful that they carried a little black girl from the south side of chicago all the way to the white house. [ applause ]

and today, as first lady, whenever the term authentic is used to describe me, i take it as a tremendous compliment because i know that i am following in the footsteps of great women like maya angelou, but really, i am just a beginner. i am baby authentic. maya angelou, now she was the original. she was the master. for at a time when there were such stifling constraints on how black women could exist in the

world, she serenely disregarded all the rules with fiercely passionate, unp apologetic self. she was comfortable in every last inch of her glorious brown skin. but for dr. angelou, her own transition was never enough. you see, she didn't just want to be phenomenal herself. she wanted all of us to be phenomenal right alongside her. [ applause ] so, that's what she did throughout her lifetime. she gathered so many of us under her wing. i wish i was a daughter, but i was right under that wing, sharing her wisdom, her genius and boundless love. i first came into her presence in 2008 when she spoke at a

campaign at that point she was in a wheelchair, hooked up to an objection general tank to help her breathe. but let me tell you, she rolled up like she owned the place. [ laughter ] she took the stage as she always did, like she had been born there. i was so completely overwhelmed by her presence, i could barely concentrate on what she was saying to me. but while i don't remember her exact words, i do remember exactly how she made me feel. [ applause ] she made me feel like i owned the place, too. she made me feel like i had be born on that stage right next to her, and i remember thinking to

myself maya angelou knows who i am, and she's rooting for me! so now i'm good. i can do this. [ applause ] i can do this. and that's really true for us all because in so many ways maya angelou knew us. she knew our hope, our pain, our ambition, our fear, our anger, our shame. and she assured us that despite it all, in fact, because of it all, we were good. and in doing so, she paved the way for me and oprah and so many others just to be our good old black woman selves. she showed us that eventually if we stayed true to who we are, then the world would embrace us.

[ applause ] and she did this not just for black women but for all women, for all human beings. she taught us all that it is okay to be your regular old self, whatever that is. your poor self, your broken self, your brilliant, bold, phenomenal self, that was maya angelou's reach. she touched me, she touched all of you, she touched people all across the globe, including a young white woman from kansas who named her daughter after maya and raised her son to be the first black president of the united states. [ applause ]

so when i heard that dr. angelou had passed, i felt a deep sense of loss. i also felt a profound sense of peace because there is no question that maya angelou will always be with us because there was something truly divine about maya. i know that now as always she is right where she belongs. may her memory be a blessing to us all. thank you. god bless. [ applause ] >> first lady michelle obama talking about the inspiration in poet maya angelou and admitting that the first time she truly became inspired by maya angelou was from her 1995 book of poems,

phenomenal woman. you heard michelle obama saying quote, she wanted all of us to be phenomenal alongside her, and how much maya angelou's spirit inspired her and so many other women to simply rise to the occasion and be who they are and show who they are. this is a special tribute there in winston-salem north carolina at wake forest university. the place in which maya angelou was still teaching until her death may 28th, at the age of 86. we will have much more on this tribute to this poet, a dancer, instructor, an inspiration, maya angelou. we've got so much straight ahead in the newsroom. >> this is known to start with lime. he will with more, sugar, ice.

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one of those seriously injured. comedian tracy morgan, he is at the hospital now. we are live in new jersey with the latest on the victims and what led to this horrific multi car accident. plus, an emotional service for maya angelou is happening right now. first lady michelle obama, oprah winfrey, and bill clinton all speaking this morning. we have their touching words. and president obama is not changing his position on the release of sergeant bowe bergdahl, despite the political fallout. what the president is saying now and the latest on bergdahl's reintegration process, up next. comedy star tracy morgan is in critical condition after a serious multi vehicle crash involving his limo bus. you may recognize him from the hit show "30 rock," more from

"saturday night live." police say he was in a limo bus on the new jersey turnpike this morning, and state police say it flipped. one person in the vehicle was killed and seven others were hurt. alexandra field is live outside the hospital in new brunswick, new jersey. what do we know about how this happened and how tracy morgan is doing? >> reporter: fredricka, his representatives put out a statement this morning a short while ago confirming he was one of several passengers in the limo bus that overturned. they say his family is by his side right now at robert wood johnson hospital in new brunswick, new jersey. they say he is getting excellent care but they do not anticipate a change in his condition today. a horrific scene overnight on the new jersey turnpike, inside this mangled limo, former snl cast member and "30 rock" star, tracy morgan. >> he is in intensive care at robert wood johnson hospital in

new brunswick. two tractor-trailers, a limo bus, suv, a limo bus overturned. tracy morgan was in the limo bus but he is alive. >> reporter: the 45-year-old comedian just had a live performance at a casino in delaware when the multi vehicle accident happened around 1:00 a.m. these pictures were posted on his facebook page from the event, just before hitting the road back to new york city. new jersey state police say one person in the limo was killed, seven others hospitalized. morgan remains in intensive care. the accident also involved two cars, seven people including morgan, were taken to the hospital. >> no way of knowing whether or not alcohol was involved as of yet. i do not have that information right now. limited information that i have doesn't indicate that. >> reporter: the turnpike was closed several hours as investigators combed the area

for clues. it has since reopened, but the investigation continues, including trying to determine the cause of the fatal crash. morgan joined the cast of "saturday night live" in 1996, but after seven years left to start his own show that bore his name. ten years later, he came back to nbc and the show "30 rock," created by snl co-star tina fey. the outpouring of support from family and loved once on social media. morgan tweenld dover downs, im's coming with truckloads of funny. delaware stand up get those tickets while you can baby. >> reporter: three victims are in critical condition. they're investigating details of the crash. fredricka, they haven't been able to say if the passengers in that limo bus or other cars were wearing seat belts. >> alexandra field, thank you so much. everyone is saying their prayers. all right, going to shift

gears quite a bit. let's talk about jobs and the market, the overall look at the economy. apparently there are signs the economic recovery is gaining some traction. we learned that 217,000 jobs were added to payrolls last month which means we have regained all jobs lost during the recession. and then added more on top of that. our chief business correspondent christine romans has the numbers. >> fredricka, four months in a row of pretty strong job growth, and that's important. you look at the sectors with growing jobs, broad based with lots of different kinds of pay, that's important, because so much of the job creation the past few years has been low wage jobs, professional business services, 55,000 jobs, retail jobs, that's been a common thread, those tend to be lower paid jobs. health care jobs, you've seen wow, 50 some months of health care job creation, almost a million jobs created in health care over the past 50 months.

and manufacturing construction had job gains, all very important. wages, something else we watch. when you look at the wages, wages increased a little bit, $24.38 the average hourly wage in america, up 5 cents. that's an important number to watch as well. finally under employment, this is what some call the real unemployment rate. still too high, but again, it shows you the two speeds of the labor market. on the one hand, it is getting better. recovering all of the jobs lost now since the great recession. but still a lot more to go. you still have a lot of people who have been side lined by the recovery, want to get in. that's why when you look at polls, people don't feel like the recovery is real to them, at least not yet. fredricka? >> christine romans, thank you so much. reminding christine, we have more on economic impact of the jobs report on cnn money at 2:00 eastern here on cnn today. so let's look behind the numbers. if you're looking for work, what do you need? to which industries do you need

to go? joining me ronald parker, president and ceo of the executive leadership council, his group represents senior african-american executives at fortune 500 and equivalent companies. good to see you. >> good to be here. >> what are business leaders telling you about the criteria that they're looking for in potential employees, especially since we're seeing most job growth in the car manufacturing and construction industries. >> looking for innovation, ideas, that first mover advantage. they're looking for those individuals who can bring an enthusiastic set of ideas to transform things. so you're seeing growth in the health care sector, and growth in the automobile sector. we know the automobiles are becoming much more interactive with the human being, so technology, innovation, things that will be game changers is what they're looking for for attributes for people seeking employment. >> seems like the health care industry, you need to have a

background or some sort of expertise in health care in order to probably land some of those jobs, but in some of the other industries, you may have never been in the auto industry before or even in construction, but perhaps there's a potential, there's some potential if you have a certain skill set applicable in another industry, it is transferrable. how do you convey that when looking for a job? >> you want to impress upon an interviewer, person that has the jobs, the ability for you to learn, adapt, embrace new things being introduced in the marketplace. in health care, the tech sector is important. your ability to work and interact with technology. in the automobile sector, a lot of the technology is in place in automobiles, so you look for those individuals who have aptitude to learn, to adapt, to grow as those organizations grow. >> so what's missing in some of the perspective employees that many employers are seeing. >> what's missing is basically the track record.

in years gone by, usually you could go from one job to the next. what's missing for those still underemployed, unemployed, the fact that they're not able to see the bridge between what's the gap, what's been filling the gap between your previous job and where you are today, and those who are really being able to explain that very effectively are the ones getting the opportunity. we still see them, unemployment in the minority communities, way, way higher than the 6.3% unemployment. >> hispanics and african americans still seeing the highest unemployment rate. so as you talk to employers, some of your colleagues, what do they need to know? what's the message they need to hear as to why it's a good business plan, opportunity, to diversify their ranks of employees. of course, expertise is still important, but the makeup of your employee base is also

important for business. >> it is all about innovation, innovation leads to growth. every organization i am aware of, a for profit organization, is looking to grow. if you have a diverse work force, you get a diverse set of ideas, you get perspectives that are unique to the marketplace and you're tapping into an even growing number of consumers who look like the people who will hopefully fill these jobs, and those are the diverse communities which we serve. >> ron parker, thanks so much. >> pleasure to be here. >> thanks for hanging with us. we had quite the morning together, but i know you enjoyed the maya angelou tribute as well we have been seeing all morning long. we're going to take you back to wake forest university so you'll get a chance to see how so many turned out there in winston-salem to honor maya angelou next. you told us your number one olive garden dishes.

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welcome back, i am fredricka whitfield. president barack obama says he saw an opportunity and seized it, in the midst of a fire storm of criticism, the president is defending his decision to trade army sergeant bowe bergdahl in exchange for five taliban leaders held at guantanamo bay. erin mcpike now has details from the white house. >> reporter: president obama returns to washington from a whirlwind european tour, facing a growing storm over last week's dramatic release of sergeant bowe bergdahl. a key question in this nbc news interview, why didn't he tell congress beforehand? >> we saw an opportunity and we took it and i make no apologies for it. we had to act fast in a delicate situation that required no publicity. >> reporter: sources say the taliban didn't threaten to kill bergdahl as administration officials suggested to senators, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are skeptical,

including democrat dianne feinstein who chairs the senate intelligence committee. she told bloomberg news. >> i don't think there was a credible threat, but i don't know. i have no information that there was. >> reporter: what's more, lawmakers from both parties don't buy the administration's initial explanation, that bergdahl's health was urgently deteriorating. defense secretary chuck hagel is under pressure to release proof of life video of bergdahl from last december that the white house showed senators to make that case. despite the shifting stories and growing political back lash, former secretary of state hillary clinton defended the president, telling abc news. >> if you look at what the factors were going into the decision, of course there are competing interests and values. one of our values is we bring everybody home off the battle

field, doesn't matter how they end up in a prisoner of war situation. >> reporter: even general jim jones, one of his former national security advisers questioned the deal, telling cnn. >> i come down on the side you don't negotiate with terrorists. i think that's a rock solid principle, and i think once you show that there's weakness there, you open the door for possibly other bad things to happen. >> erin mcpike joining us live. erin, this issue clearly is not going away any time soon. what is next from the white house standpoint or even the lawmakers who have been so critical? >> reporter: fredricka, this fight now moves to the house, so on monday, five administration officials will brief house members led by deputy national security adviser tony blink, a couple of defense department officials, intelligence official and state department official, and then on wednesday, the house armed services committee will hold a hearing, and defense secretary chuck hagel will

testify at that hearing and has to answer for many of these questions again. >> erin mcpike, thanks so much from the white house. appreciate that. let's talk a little horse racing, shall we? 1978, that was the last time a horse won the triple crown. the horse, affirm. could history be made later today at the belmont stakes? california chrome won the kentucky derby and preakness stakes. how might the horse do? hank goldman is at the track. this is the longest track of three races, weather is clear, looks beautiful behind you, winds are low, but i understand this is a tricky track. how might california chrome need to tackle it? >> this horse never seems to have a bad day, whether working out, running. he had a terrific workout last

weekend. he galloped out every day, even in the slop, couple days ago took to it. he is well behaved. the only thing that can do him in is if they turn the temperature up 20 degrees and he cramps up like lebron james, and that isn't likely. >> make sure to drink lots of fluids. i understand this horse is in post number two. i heard that the horse's owner says that's very favorable. why is post number two so important? >> well, inside you could get him in a little trouble, although secretariat, and i am not comparing him, but there's some speed in the race that might break earlier than him by a fraction, but they're from seven post out, so nobody is going to break in his face. the horses around him are closers. so he is going to get customary,

if he breaks cleanly, he is going to get his customary position just off the early speed in the race, and he figures to run, oh, just off the early speed and make his customary run when he gets near the top of the stretch. and he should have the lead as he has -- if i took his last four races, he is so consistent, and i scramble them, ran them back for you, you couldn't tell the difference. he always runs the same way. the key is that there's a long run-down the belmont back stretch, it is such a big race track, and victor espinosa has been racing here all week, and he can't push him. he has to run i him back a little, so he has something left for the stretch run, yeah. so the closers don't catch him at the end. >> you mentioned secretary at.

there's a lot said about this nose strip thing on this horse, california chrome. does it make a difference, is it just something that has been, you know, an interesting notable thing to talk about? has it impacted the way this horse coming out of nowhere has been able to run? >> you know, that nose strip doesn't mean a thing. it helps people breathe a little easier, helps people who have sleep disorders sleep better at night. it won't effect him in the slightest, it was no big deal, believe me. >> okay. then this jockey, victor espinosa, doesn't necessarily have the best track record on this track, but your feeling is he has come to know the horse, he knows that this horse may want to go full out the whole way, but that he has to hold it back because this is that mile

and a half track? >> well, he has to let the horse do his normal thing, and it is a jockey's race because of the unusual long run as i said down the back stretch. espinosa has raced here all week. he came in early. he's had two winners so far this week, and his agent booked him in a mile and a half race earlier this afternoon, so he is going to have some experience. the one thing john velasquez, an experienced rider here, will be on a horse right on curling who was second in the preakness. i spoke with his people. they want to have him a little closer to the pace so he doesn't make such a late run this time. and they're very high on their chances. but he may run a bit closer up, like i said, and not let chrome get too far ahead of him. so we'll see if that works out

for them. i think we're going to see history this afternoon. >> oh, okay! all right. you're saying this will be a history making day. hank goldberg, thanks so much. i am sure the owners of california chrome are hoping that as well. thanks so much. good to see you. have fun out there. so california chrome is trying to win the triple crown, and there is of course plenty at stake in this race. the horse's owners would pocket roughly $800,000 for the win. not a bad payoff for a horse that cost a mere $8,000 for them. far less than the average $130,000 or so for a thoroughbred of this caliber. there are some reports the horse could be sold for breeding and all that good stuff, $10 million might be the price tag if this horse does win the triple crown. and it could earn more than 3 million in prizes for winning all three races in the end. we will have much more straight ahead. [ female announcer ] there's a gap out there.

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into civilian life is likely to be long and difficult. not only for bergdahl but also for his family. martin savidge is live in san antonio where bergdahl will eventually continue his recovery process after leaving germany. martin, why will bergdahl be going to san antonio?

why is that the place for part of his reintegration? >> reporter: hello, fredricka, premayoral because of the building behind me, the brook army medical center. it is that place that has been tasked by the u.s. army to receive all former pows, those held captive. anyone who was a pow in recent years would be brought through here, they have the expertise, training, teams that are standing by. they assist all former pows. bowe bergdahl is one of them. they have hundreds ready to help. the question is when and that we do not have an answer for. usually when you have a former pow, they would be in landstuhl for 48 hours. he may need more before he comes home. >> one of the things, he is having a difficult time speaking english i understand. do you know whether he had any contact with his family members

by way of phone or by any means while he has been in germany? >> reporter: we are told no, he has not. and again, that's sticking pretty much to what is determined medical doctrine when it comes to handling former pows. the knowledge that the medical teams have here extends back to world war ii. they know and have a pretty good idea of the difficulties that these former captives go through transitioning back to life. the reunion part is extremely emotional and want to handle it under carefully controlled circumstances, not a phone call or skype kind of thing, it is something that has to be done carefully and would be done at the hospital. >> martin savidge, keep us posted there, appreciate it. in north carolina, this is the place where close friends of maya angelou have been talking in such a personal way about what they remember about her,

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welcome back. the family and friends of legendary poet, civil rights icon maya angelou are celebrating her life right now at a memorial service in winston-salem, north carolina. the service at wake forest university wake chapel. it has been a very moving service so far. oprah winfrey gave an emotional speech, tearing up about her friend and mentor. and first lady michelle obama spoke after and she shared powerful words how maya angelou impacted her life. we want to play some of that for you right now. >> no matter the time of day or night or the situation, she was always there for me to be the rainbow, and i'm here today to

say thank you, to acknowledge to you all and to the world how powerful one life can be, the life of maya angelou. the loss i feel i cannot describe. it's like something i have never felt before. she was my spiritual queen mother and everything that that word implies. >> doctor angelou's words sustained me on every step of my journey, through lonely moments in ivy covered classrooms and colorless skyscrapers, through blissful moments, mothering two splendid baby girls, through

long years on the campaign trail where at times my very womanhood was dissected and questioned. for me, that was the power of my maya angelou's words, words so powerful that they carried a little black girl from the south side of chicago all the way to the white house. [ applause ] >> angelou's son also spoke. we'll have more from this service next hour. maya angelou is remembered as a profound author, prolific poet and civil rights icon. she also covered politics closely. she made an indelible impression at bill clinton's inauguration reading her poem on the pulse of the morning. she was a huge advocate of hillary clinton during the 2008 presidential campaign. when barack obama became the

nominee, i asked maya angelou if she could support him for president. >> absolutely. absolutely behind him. i was with hillary clinton with all i have because i believe in her, and i think -- i love the fact that she lasted until the very end. i want a president to be that strong. however, since we are a democracy, majority wants senator obama, and she has done the best she could, then i know she's going to put everything she has behind obama, and so am i. i am his. senator obama, i am yours. >> what did you like about hillary clinton? >> i'm sorry? she's a woman. i like the fact she's a woman. there's a world of difference between being a woman and being an old female. but to become a woman is no small matter.

it means you fall down and you get up. you fall down and get up. you are not bound sometimes and you get up and get up still living it, still trying to smile, still trying to be the best you can be. >> my conversation with maya angelou in 2008. cnn political commentator donna brazil is attending the funeral in north carolina, will join me next hour to share what her experience was there in north carolina today. and president obama says he did the right thing swapping five top taliban leaders for american pow bowe bergdahl. but did he break the law? i'll ask our legal guys next. [ female announcer ] there's a gap out there. that's keeping you from the healthcare you deserve. at humana, we believe if healthcare changes, if it becomes simpler... if frustration and paperwork decrease... if grandparents get to live at home instead of in a home...

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doctors say arm sergeant bowe bergdahl is getting better every day. he is recovering at a medical center in germany. a week after he was rushed onto a black hawk helicopter by u.s. special forces and flown to safety. there are a lot of legal questions surrounding president obama's decision to swap bergdahl for five top taliban leaders. let's bring in avery freedman, civil rights attorney, law professor in cleveland. good to see you. >> hi, fredricka. >> and richard herman, criminal

defense attorney joining us from las vegas. good to see you as well. >> hi, fred. >> gentlemen, a lot we don't know how he ended up in taliban custody in the first place. some troops that served with him in afghanistan say he is a deserter. we know in other ways he conveyed to family members he was disillusioned by the war. avery, if there is an investigation that leads to some legal charges or inquiry about whether any laws were broken on his behalf, what are we looking at? what has to be determined first as to whether he was indeed a deserter or somebody disillusioned and made a dumb mistake? >> well, i think first of all it is important to not mix-up the issue. under article 2 of the constitution, the president as commander in chief had an absolute right to do what was necessary to save one of our own in the armed forces, so that's

separate from the issue that we're basing assumptions on, under article 2 of the uniform code of military justice, there is a process, there's sort of like a grand jury. but that is far away now. i think the problem here is mixing up the two issues, the power of the president versus what would happen if some of the statement, anecdotal evidence is true, and that's what's so troubling here. >> all right. so let's back it up then. richard, if we are talking about lawmakers that say the president broke the law by not consulting with members of congress and allowing them 30 days to digest all of the information, and that the president went it alone as commander in chief, what has to be determined here as to whether the president broke the law or if he did something that is, you know, within his power to do? >> well, fred, the law is his law. it was enacted in 2014, this

obligation to provide 30 day notice with respect to prisoners at guantanamo and negotiating their release. technically speaking, on a technical basis, he did break the law. he did not provide 30 day notice. as avery said, and i agree with avery on this, the constitution provides certain executive authority to him as the commander in chief to make a determination on his own without going to congress, and that's what he did. whether he was right to do it or not to do it, we don't know yet. we don't know all the facts here. we don't know if bergdahl's life was in danger, don't know if he was in ailing physical condition as the allegations here are and proof of life video seems to indicate. we don't know these things. any commentators giving responses don't know yet, it is too early to determine. it may be a technical violation. he may have had the authority to do it constitutionally as president. >> there are an awful lot of

different directions, legal routes to be taken with regard to bergdahl and the president. as history has it, no p.o.w. has ever been prosecuted anyway. so if the issue continues to be a question as to whether he did desert and whether indeed the six army soldiers whose lives were taken in the search and rescue mission of him, could he potentially be facing any charges as relates to their deaths? >> well, you know, that's very troubling. "the new york times" actually dug into these issues, and while we are not going to challenge the statements of the six privates and sergeants and corporals, the fact is that the onslaught by taliban occurred two months before the search and rescue effort, so the idea that

somebody is blaming, and that is politicians in particular, blaming the president essentially for these deaths i think is absolutely outrageous. i think we need to respect the process, the uniform code of military justice will address those issues, and let me tell you something, fredricka, we are a long way from even starting that process. the assumptions i think are very unfair and frankly i think they're illegitimate. >> richard, you were nodding your head why? >> i think, fred, on bits and pieces on conjecture. i think when they bring him back, deem him suitably fit, i think they're going to bring court-martial charges against him. if he voluntarily deserted, it is warranted, and they'll do that, fred. what can happen to him, because we're not in a state of war, maximum five years incarceration, he has already been a prisoner of war.

they may give him dishonorable discharge, that may be how it ends up. >> he has to get out of germany, make it to the states. thanks. we have another case we want you to delve into, involving two 12-year-old girls charged with killing their friend, stabbing her multiple times. said they did it to impress this creepy internet character, slender man. ♪ ♪ abe! get in! punch it! let quicken loans help you save your money. with a mortgage that's engineered to amaze!

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this is a shocking story. two 12-year-old wisconsin girls accused of stabbing a friend and classmate 19 times. police say the girls told them they did it to impress slender man, a fictional internet character that often appears in horror stories, videos and images. our legal guys are back, avery freedman a richard herman. gentlemen, this is so disturbing and upsetting. we want to say the victim in this case has been treated and has been since released from the hospital after the 19 stab wounds. amazing. her family says she's getting better every day. so richard, the suspects, 12-year-olds, charged as adults with attempted first degree

intentional homicide. appropriate? should they be treated as adults? >> fred, wisconsin is a very tough state on minors, and they're compelled by law in wisconsin to charge them as adults. now, should that be done? we punish people based on their mental intent, fred. here, these two 12-year-olds planned over and over again, carefully calculated this attempted homicide on their friend. they seduced the friend to come, they knew what they were doing. >> apparently since february. >> they knew what they were doing here. they're being charged. the supreme court recently rules on cases where minors are involved, you cannot give the minor a death penalty and cannot give them life in prison. potentially on this charge being charged as adults, they could face 65 years in prison. is that akin to life in prison without parole? i don't know, these are legal issues down the road. in order to remove it from this court to a family court, they

will have to show by preponderance of evidence that if convicted, they will not receive the same treatment in the state court they're being tried in. that's the test. i think they're going to be tried as adults, fred. >> wow. avery, the argument is they're minors, brains aren't fully developed, aren't able to reason and discern between reality and fantasy, that might be the approach. might they make a convincing argument to that degree? >> well, i mean, there are 12-year-olds that clearly as a general rule are not developed enough to make the sort of judgments that adults make, and if they're being tried as adults, i would suppose if i were a criminal defense lawyer, that's the argument one would advance. but it seems to me, but it is especially complicated, we're not dealing with one, we're dealing with two young women that planned this, i think you mentioned since february. this thing happened last saturday. so there has been clearly a

concerted, deliberate intent to kill their friend. what strikes me is the impossibility, i use that word adviceably, of someone thinking straight. we need a lot of testing and information before this case will ever go to trial. >> yeah. it is disturbing. hard to imagine how this could happen, how it could be carried out, how in the world it goes forward in the prosecution of it. all right. this other situation, avery, i want your take on this particularly because you are good friends with the ailing iconic radio personality casey kasem and this whole fight over his disposition is just extraordinary. just recently his rep says kasem is in critical condition, and the reps word, won't be with us much longer, end quote. the 82-year-old has been in a washington state hospital since last sunday. so you know the family well, avery. are you surprised even though his children from his first

marriage are in a heated legal dispute with his second wife, his daughter has asked both sides be there at kasem's side, that they come together. >> well, this is really hard to talk about, fredricka. this is a very special man, as pure a person as i've ever known on earth. and it is true, the family claims the bedsores are into the body, into the organs, into the spine, and he doesn't have much longer to live, so i think the children have done the right thing in trying to get the entire family around to be with casey based on the likelihood that he is not going to be around much longer. >> i know this is hard for you, too. so many of us have admired and loved casey kasem for many years. i among them grew up listening to the countdown every sunday. we are trying to stay abreast of

all that's taking place and wishing the best for him and his loved ones, including you, avery. thanks so much. appreciate it. our legal guys are with us every weekend about this time giving their take on the most intriguing cases, and this one in particular really hitting a personal note. we will be right back. [ male announcer ] whether it takes 200,000 parts, ♪ 800,000 hours of supercomputing time, 3 million lines of code, 40,000 sets of eyes, or a million sleepless nights. whether it's building the world's most advanced satellite, the space station, or the next leap in unmanned systems. at boeing, one thing never changes. our passion to make it real. ♪ our passion to make it real. the was a truly amazing day. without angie's list, i don't know if we could have found all the services we needed for our riley. for over 18 years we've helped people take care of the things that matter most.

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pick a tie. take a break with mr. duck. practice up for the business trip. fly to florida. win an award. close a deal. hire an intern. and still have time to spare. check your speed. see how fast your internet can be. switch now and add voice and tv for $34.90. comcast business. built for business. no doubt, hillary clinton fans and enemies are looking forward to getting their hands on her much anticipated memoir. brianna keilar has details on the juicy stuff between the cords of "hard choices." brianna? >> reporter: fred, for hillary clinton, this is about driving the sale of books and keeping herself well positioned, should she decide to run for president. if she throws her hat into the ring, she needs to distant herself from some of president obama's decisions, and her book

may provide the road map to her message. in her much anticipated memoir, first obtained by cbs news, hillary clinton details her role in negotiations to secure army sergeant bowe bergdahl from taliban forces in afghanistan. >> that's not how war works. >> reporter: the controversy surrounding his release in exchange for five top taliban leaders likely does not surprise her. she writes i acknowledged as i had many times before that opening the door to negotiations the taliban would be hard to swallow for many americans after so many years of war. clinton's starkest difference of opinion with president obama is on syria's civil war. she pushed him to arm moderate rebels but he disagreed. no one likes to lose a debate, including me, she says, but this was the president's call and i respected his deliberations and decision. clinton offers her strongest yet for voting in 2002 to authorize use of force in iraq.

a vote that cost her liberal support in 2008. i wasn't alone in getting it wrong, but i still got it wrong, plain and simple, she writes. she spokes warmly of her relationship with obama, which grew out of a bitter primary battle. >> you're likeable enough. >> thank you so much. >> she describes their first meeting after she dropped out of the race. we stared at each other like two teenagers on an awkward first date she says, taking a few sips of shard on a. barack and i and our staffs had long lists of grievances. it was time to clear the air. but she didn't go to bat for obama right away. >> governor sarah palin. >> reporter: describing a request from his campaign to knock sarah palin when republican candidate john mccain picked her as his running mate. i was not going to attack palin just for being a woman, appealing for support from other women. i didn't think it made political sense and it didn't feel right, so i said no. perhaps an appeal to women voters who will be extremely

important to clinton should she run for president. on a lighter note, clinton reveals how she maintained her exhausting travel schedule that often left her jet lagged. i drank copious cups of coffee, sometimes dug the fingernails of one hand into the palm of the other. she gets personal about her daughter's 2010 wedding calling it one of the happiest and proudest moments of my life. so many thoughts went through my head, she writes. our family had been through a lot together, good times and hard times. now here we were celebrating the best of times. clinton's book officially releases tuesday, already sold a million copies, another million honored according to her publisher, fred. >> thanks so much, brianna keilar from washington. much more straight ahead in the newsroom which begins right now. hello again, i am fredricka

whitfield. here are the top stories we are following in the cnn newsroom. a terrible crash in new jersey killed one person and sent seven to the hospital, including a seriously injured comedian, tracy morgan. he is in the hospital right now, and we are live with the latest on the victims and what led to this horrific crash. plus an emotional memorial service for maya angelou. bill clinton, oprah winfrey, michelle obama all speaking. we have their touching words. and despite political fallout around the release of sergeant bowe bergdahl, president obama is sticking to his decision. what he is saying now, coming up. our top story, actor, comedy star tracy morgan is in critical condition after a serious crash in new jersey. you might recognize morgan from the hit show "30 rock" or from "saturday night live." police say he was in this limo bus on the new jersey turnpike early this morning. state police say it was in a

multi vehicle crash and flipped over. one person in the limo bus was killed. alexandra field is live for us outside the hospital in new brunswick, new jersey. alexandra, what more can you tell us? >> reporter: fredricka, he was in intensive care this morning, right now hospital officials are saying he remains in critical condition with at least two other victims that were hurt in the crash. representatives for tracy morgan also put out a statement that says in part, quote, his family is now with him and he is receiving excellent care. we don't anticipate much of a change in his condition today. this is a crash that left seven people hurt, sent to the hospital, another person killed that was a passenger in the limo bus with tracy. his name james mcnair, identified as a 63-year-old man. six cars were involved in the accident which happened overnight, about 1:00 in the morning on the new jersey turnpike about a half hour from here. police tell us they're still investigating the cause.

they believe a tractor-trailer rear ended the limo bus that tracy morgan was in. they have not identified why that happened. there were at least six vehicles involved, two tractor-trailers, the limo bus, suv, and two more cars. we know tracy had performed just last night. he was at a casino in dover, delaware. a fellow comedian that opened for him posted pictures on facebook and instagram which show tracy just hours before this accident. and again, fredricka, still in critical condition, but the hospital here in new brunswick, new jersey isn't giving details about the kind of injuries he suffered or the extent of injuries. >> and the cause of the crash still under investigation. alexandra field, thanks so much. keep us posted as you learn any more information. our prayers go out to him and the other victims in the crash. maya angelou, she touched so many people around the world, and a short time ago we heard just how and by how much. angelou's family and friends held what was an emotional

memorial service in winston-sal winston-salem, north carolina. oprah winfrey helped plan it. she was in the front row with bill clinton and michelle obama, each sharing stories how she impacted their lives. we're going to play some of that for you now. >> here is why i think she died when she did. it was her voice. she was without a voice for five years. then she developed the greatest voice on the planet. god loaned her his voice. she had the voice of god. and he decided he wanted it back for awhile. >> the loss i feel i cannot

describe. it's like something i have never felt before. she was my spiritual queen mother, and everything that that word implies. she was the ultimate teacher. she taught me the poetry of courage and respect. >> dr. angelou's words sustained me on every step of my journey, through lonely moments in ivy covered classrooms and colorless skyscrapers, through blissful moments, mothering two splendid baby girls. through long years on the campaign trail where at times my very womanhood was dissected and questioned. for me, that was the power of maya angelou's words. words so powerful that they carried a little black girl from

the south side of chicago all the way to the white house. [ applause ] >> maya angelou's son also spoke. he said, quote, there is no mourning, now we're ready to celebrate her life. among those in the crowd celebrating her life, cnn contributor donna brazil. she was there at the service there, and in a column on cnn.com, donna, you really shared the joy of knowing angelou, and the pain of losing her. you write this. quote, she was fixated on humanity, helping to bring love and kindness into this world. that's perhaps what i cherish about her the most. like every great artist, she emerged from deep and sorrowful struggle to reveal a beautiful, confident, calm, wise soul. she used that struggle to transform herself and made us believe that we, too, could transform ourselves as well.

end quote. your words are so beautiful. tell us about your relationship with maya angelou, how it came about, and perhaps how it flourished over the years? >> reporter: well, i was a very young activist, working for coretta scott king and so many others on the bill to make martin luther king birthday a national holiday. i got a chance to meet dr. angelou, and she was just an incredible force in the universe. later working with dorothy height. whenever you came to the state of north carolina, didn't matter, charlotte, fayetteville, she said stop by winston-salem and see me. she wanted to be sure you had something to eat, but she was just a gracious woman, a kind woman, and she was a joyful person. and what you saw today was a celebration of that joy, that rising joy she brought out in so

many of us and i think the whole world. because the world today paid tribute to a remarkable human being. >> it really was a beautiful ceremony. to hear the words from so many who talked about how she touched them, you talk about just stopping by her home. she would say that to those. oprah winfrey described being in her kitchen, how she felt maya angelou was like her spiritual mother, her spiritual queen mother is the way she put it. and it almost sounds as though for all those who were privileged enough to know her firsthand that it was effortless for maya angelou to be this kind of mother and sister figure. did you feel that way? >> reporter: i think she made everyone feel special. you know, her own family, guy, his sons, his wife, her grandchildren, her great grandchildren, they had a large piece of her heart. but whatever she had left she

shared with everybody in abundance, and she was so welcoming. i talked to someone who was a neighbor who often brought over fresh vegetables, fresh fruit and other things from the garden, and he said before i could leave, she said let's get in the kitchen and cook it together. that was maya angelou. she was somebody who wanted to share anything she had in life with other people so that they could not only receive her gifts but to share it with others. >> you had your relationship with her, but when you heard her eulogized, was there a story told, shared something about maya angelou, something you never know? >> reporter: no question, cicely tyson, who is a phenomenal woman herself, telling us a story she met maya angelou in 1960, but said maybe it was '59, that's when dr. angelou remembered, it was 1959.

she talked about they were in a play together, and she heard this woman with this booming voice, and all of a sudden she looked up and she said oh, my god, and they became lifelong friends. and she talked about when she was on broadway recently, and received a tony award for a trip to the bountiful, and called maya angelou every day, you got to come, you got to come. one day they said we need you upstairs. she said i don't want to go upstairs, i went upstairs, it was dr. angelou had come by bus to see her good friend of 50 plus years on broadway. you know, just learning, listening to the stories, mainly listening to her son guy talk about his mom, his mom. to all of us, she was someone special, but to hear from her own son and her grandchildren how special she was to them, it was a very special day. >> that sounds very unique, too. you think of maya angelou as

this sister, this mother of phenomenal women. borrow that from her 1995 book of poems, and how she really has been that consume at leader what it is to be a woman, and you forget until today that she had a son. you wonder how was she a mother to this son when she is so much, so many great things to so many women. >> reporter: well, you know, she became a mom at a very early age, and one of her last books, mom and me, she talked about her own mother, vivian baxter, all the lessons she learned from her mother. she was like mother earth herself, spreading the joy, spreading the goodness. if you read her books, when i was a young girl, i heard oprah say i thought maya angelou was talking about me, i heard michelle obama say i thought she was talking about me. when i wrote my column, i said i thought she was talking about

me. you read yourself, you read your childhood. we grew up in the south. oprah talked about growing up in mississippi, i grew up in louisiana, maya angelou, born in st. louis, growing up in arkansas, those stories, the stories of courage and maya angelou believed that courage was the most important virtue of all, because if you had courage, you could possess all of the other great virtues. again, i think for generations to come, they will be reading her memoirs, reciting her poetry. her life, her legacy, her words will continue to live on, and actions, especially the acts of goodness and kindness that will come from people who will understand what her life has meant to all of us, not just her family, her friends, her extended friends, but all of us, all of humanity. >> indeed, that continuing chorus of even in death, it lives on, that chorus that says she really helped me see myself, and we heard that from so many.

donna brazile, we read it from you as well. good to see you, appreciate it. >> thank you. straight ahead, the release of army sergeant bowe bergdahl is stirring up controversy in congress and beyond. why members of both sides of the aisle say the president was wrong to make the high stakes trade. ♪ norfolk southern what's your function? ♪ ♪ hooking up the country helping business run ♪ ♪ trains! they haul everything, safely and on time. ♪ tracks! they connect the factories built along the lines. and that means jobs, lots of people, making lots and lots of things. let's get your business rolling now, everybody sing. ♪ norfolk southern what's your function? ♪ ♪ helping this big country move ahead as one ♪ ♪ norfolk southern how's that function? ♪

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president obama is defending his decision to release five high level taliban leaders from guantanamo bay to free u.s. army sergeant bowe bergdahl. members of congress from both parties aren't buying his reasoning. erin mcpike is live at the white house. are they planning to take some action? >> reporter: fred, first what we know is that the house armed services committee called a

hearing wednesday. and defense secretary chuck hagel will be testifying. that could be testing enough. first, five administration officials will be briefing house members monday afternoon. that will be led by deputy national security adviser tony blingin. whether members of congress go any further and take actual action, that remains to be seen. there are things they could in the future that could embarrass the white house. >> the obama administration claimed it was bergdahl's deteriorating health that prompted the trade, meaning the timing of it all, and some lawmakers have seen the videotape of his condition, but what is it about their observations that they are disputing? >> reporter: essentially, fred, what we have here is there have been shifting stories, and it is a little unclear. at first it was his deteriorating health. then later in the week, we heard there was a threat on bowe

bergdahl's life, if news of the deal leaked, then he may be killed. now we have heard some different things from lawmakers who have been briefed so far in the white house, but that's what makes the story murky, that it changed somewhat over the course of the week, fred. >> and then the interpretation of the proof of life video, is that being further kind of examined? is the white house saying anything about or better defining what was seen or observed in that video to i guess counter respond to some of the skeptical lawmakers? >> not publicly yet. of course, senators that were briefed on it are familiar with the video. it may be that house members that get a briefing on monday get more details about that, too, but it is still under discussion and up for debate, whether they released that video publicly on a wider scale. >> erin mcpike, thank you so much from the white house, a

noisy white house. something tells me more activity at the gates more so than usual when people gather for protests or otherwise. coming up, candid comments from the president's national security adviser about bergdahl and beyond. susan rice talks with jim acosta, says critics need to step back. we will have that interview in about ten minutes from now. and two down, one to go. can california chrome pull off the belmont stakes and triple crown tonight? only 11 horses have ever done it. we will go live to the track next. ♪ [ girl ] my mom, she makes underwater fans that are powered by the moon. ♪ she can print amazing things, right from her computer. [ whirring ] [ train whistle blows ] she makes trains that are friends with trees. ♪ my mom works at ge.

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switch now and add voice and tv for $34.90. comcast business. built for business. we are waiting to see if history will be made later today at the belmont stakes. california chrome, of course, is trying to win the triple crown. but there's more at stake in this race than just pride. chrome's owners could pocket roughly $800,000 for a win today. not bad for a horse that cost just $8,000 for the owners to buy. and a lot less than the $130,000 it usually costs on average to buy a thoroughbred of this caliber. so there's some reports the horse could be sold for $10 million if he does pull off this win, that is in breeding and all of that, and potentially could

earn more than 3 million in prizes for winning all three races. lots at stake. but it has been 36 years, after all, since a horse has won all three races. will it happen today? cnn's richard ross joining me from the track at almont, new york. people are plunking down a lot to see if california chrome can pull it off. do people have a good feeling this is the day that history will be made. >> reporter: i have been here for seven other attempts that failed. you get that euphoria, whether it is mart y jones, people remember the names. in a few hours, california chrome will try to be the 12th triple crown winner ever. affirmed won the most prestigious prize, triple crown.

at the time, winning it seemed easy. secretariat one of three horses in five years to take the triple crown. however, it has been 36 years since a horse won the triple crown. that's the longest gap ever between crown winners. only 11 horses have done it since 1919. ♪ now it is 2014. california chrome could be the horse. a triple crown is made up of three elite races. he took the first leg on the first saturday in may. >> california chrome shines bright in the kentucky derby! >> reporter: triumph two weeks later in the second jewel in the crown. >> california chrome has won the preakness! >> reporter: the belmont stakes is the triple hurdle. >> i expect him to win saturday. i do. >> you have to have speed for derby and preekness, stamina for

the belmont. it is rare to have that packaged in one horse. >> reporter: the belmont is test of a champion because of the rare mile and a half distance to cover. here at the finish line at bell month, the frustration has grown every year. since 1997, seven different horses on the verge of winning the triple crown, but something went wrong. there's a bit of a rags to riches aura, since the mother of california chrome was purchased for a meager $8,000. >> we could win a triple crown would be a dream come true for me. >> reporter: the horse racing industry has been battered with issues. >> if california chrome wins, it will bring a new generation of fans to this great sport. >> reporter: it feels like generations of fans are already here. getting very crowded in the grand stand, clubhouse, with a lot of anticipation, women in their summer finest, everyone anticipating the big race.

california chrome was on the track hours ago, jogging around, practicing. we will find out. nothing is guaranteed. in horse racing, espinosa, his jockey lost in two races. depends on the quality of the horse he has under him. we will see. >> we heard from the former jockey in your piece, he says the horse needs speed and enduran endurance. it is the mile and a half track, very deceiving. up to the jockey to know how to hold back a horse. in the case of california chrome, is there a marriage between the jockey and california chrome where he can read that horse? >> reporter: right. once he got on the horse, the horse hasn't lost, but again with the belmont, it depends for the jockeys when they move and sometimes they moved too soon, and the owner of california chrome even called it and the trainer said this is the jockey's race, it is a rare distance. you have to have enough at the end.

>> oh, my gosh. well, that's a lot of pressure indeed. you have to wonder, horses are incredibly intelligent. emotional. does the horse feel the pressure like the jockey is feeling the pressure? >> reporter: i thought you were talking about correspondents for a moment. >> you know what i mean. >> reporter: the horse seems to be handling things well. he was brought before people and camera as a drill in the morning to prepare for the big scene in the paddock later today, so everyone seems to praise the horse for being composed and poised, loves the camera on him. the owners have been very busy, ringing the bell of the stock exchange, the jockey and one trainer throwing out first pitch at yankee stadium. the jockey on letterman. a lot of pressure. one of the owners complained they got me moving all around, but he is a more public one that seems to enjoy it, though he didn't like some licensing procedures to become a trainer

owner here at the track. he has been complaining since they won at the churchill downs kentucky derby. i asked him, you know, new yorkers are supposed to be cranky, you're about to win the triple crown, why aren't you happier. he said no, we are glad to be here, they're from out west, he is a small business owner, hard working guys. this is the american dream about to unfold here, especially if he wins. >> all right. well, you are the cool cucumber. if anyone is a good leader and instructor how to stay cool under pressure, it would be you, richard ross. thanks again, appreciate it. coming up, national security adviser susan rice talking to cnn about sergeant bowe bergdahl, why she says critics need to give him a break. the eyes may be the windows to the soul. but in the case of the lexus ls... ...which eyes? eyes that pivot with the road...

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in idaho. when he is ready to travel, he will be flown to san antonio. a member of the obama administration is staunchly defending sergeant bowe bergdahl, and in candid comments, national security adviser susan rice told our jim acosta those that are demonizing bergdahl need to step back and let him recover and give him a chance to tell his side of what happened. >> let me ask you about some comments you made last sunday on one of the sunday talk shows. you said that bowe bergdahl served with honor and distinction. it has come out since then some of his fellow soldiers say he was a deserter, may have wandered off the post in afghanistan. did you misspeak, did you get that wrong? jim, i realize there's a lot of discussion and controversy around this. what i was referring to is the fact that this was a young man that volunteered to serve his country in uniform at a time of

war. that is itself a very honorable thing. >> but honor and distinction. >> jim, really, i mean, this is a young man whose circumstances we are still learning about. he is as all americans innocent until proven guilty. he is now being tried in the court of public opinion after having gone through enormously traumatic five years of captivity. his parents the same. i think what we need to care most about is his health and well-being and recovery. there will be an opportunity. the military has committed to review the circumstances of his capture. if there is a consequence that results from that, that will be delivered, but in the meantime, let's remember, this is a young man who volunteered to serve his country. he was taken as a prisoner of war. he suffered in captivity. he is now trying to begin the process of recovery. let's let that happen and then let's know the facts, including his side of the story, and then

we can make a judgment. >> okay. do you know based on the latest information, was he a deserter? >> we don't have reason to come to that conclusion yet. obviously he needs to be debriefed, his side of the story matters, too. let the military work in the first instance to bring him back to health. we will have a full, comprehensive review of what happened and then we will be able to make that judgment. >> after benghazi you blamed that attack on an anti-muslim video, and of course you know you've become sort of a gop lightning rod, accused by republican critics of being fast and loose with the facts during some sunday talk show appearances. are you being up front with the american people or being guided by talking points too much when you go on the programs? >> jim, i am up front with the american people and always do my best on behalf of my country, and do my best with the facts as we know them. in the case of bowe bergdahl to condemn him without any opportunity for him to have the chance to tell his side of the

story, without any due process that we afford any american, that would be inherently unfair. similarly with benghazi, as has been recounted on many occasions, i provided the best information the u.s. government had at the time. parts of it turned out to be wrong. i regret the information i was provided was wrong and that i delivered to the american people. that doesn't make me a liar. that makes me a public servant trying to say what we knew at the time, and when i gave that information, i caveated it, and noted it was what we knew then and there, but it could well change. >> national security adviser susan rice talking to our white house correspondent jim acosta about the bergdahl release and again on the benghazi consulate attack. a senior taliban official reportedly told "time" magazine the bergdahl exchange will likely inspire the taliban to kidnap more americans. the taliban official says it is better to kidnap one person like bergdahl than kidnapping hundreds of useless people.

it has encouraged our people, now everybody will work hard to capture such an important. he said the scarf bergdahl wore during the release was a parting gift because they, quote, wanted him to return home with good memories, end quote. maya angelou was a close friend and mentor to oprah winfrey. today, we saw how much she touched her life. hear oprah's emotional words next.

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maya angelou is remembered as a poet, author, and singer, and for many other achievements throughout her career. but to oprah winfrey, she was the quote, ultimate teacher. oprah broke down in tears a short time ago at a memorial service for maya angelou. she told the world that angelou is the greatest woman she has ever known, and we learned why she says that through a few personal stories she shared. >> the loss i feel i cannot describe. it's like something i have never

felt before. she was my spiritual queen mother and everything that that word implies. she was the ultimate teacher. she taught me the poetry of courage and respect. many a day i'd ask her for advice while trying to navigate the pitfalls of fame, of a public life, when somebody had written or said something hurtful and untrue. and she'd say baby, you're not in it, you're not in it when he wrote it, sat down at the typewriter, that's how long we been talking. [ laughter ] she'd say those people can't hold a candle to the light god already has shining on your face.

can't you see it? [ applause ] she'd say look up, look up and see the light. when i was on trial in 1998 in texas for saying something bad about a burger, yes, for six weeks, i was on trial, sued by the texas cattlemen. momma angelou came to texas with a prayer posse. and we all know maya was a force all by herself, but the force came with backup! they prayed all day and all night long, and maya would sit in the courtroom while i testified. the prosecuting attorney didn't know what hit him. warrior mom had arrived in

amarillo, and it was at the same time i met dr. phil who was coaching me how to behave in the courtroom. he would say look in the jurors' eyes. and maya said no, look above their heads. look above their heads. she'd say look above their heads and stand still inside yourself and know who you are. you are god's child, she told me, and in god you move and breathe and have your being. of course we won that trial. [ applause ] and every other one i faced, she was always there, holding me up, holding me up to know myself, to see the light that god already had shining on my face. yes. i will miss her. stedman, gayle recently went to

visit and sit and be with her. when i walked into the room, her eyes lit up and she greeted me as she always did in person or on the phone and said hello, you darling girl. she had taken a liking to the ipad i gave her, and i love that all of her notes began with oh, deario, and ended with love, mom, maya angelou. when her mother, vivian baxter told her at age 17 you know, baby, you may be one of the greatest women i've ever known, she didn't know that she was prophesying what we know to be true. maya angelou is the greatest woman i have ever known. [ applause ]

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. all right. the economy hit a key milestone this week. we've now erased the number of recession era job losses, and added even more on top of that. we've learned on friday that 217,000 jobs were added last month, and the unemployment rate held steady at 6.3%. talk about the american dream now. is it money? is it happiness? however you define it, a new cnn poll finds most believe it's out of reach. here's cnn's report. >> reporter: from los angeles. >> my name is enry chapman. i am 20 years old. i am a full-time mom and part-time student. >> reporter: to phoenix. >> my name is kovy villery.

13 years old, i'm in eighth grade. >> reporter: to atlanta. >> i work for united parcel service. >> reporter: wherever you live, whoever you are it's what's meant to define us, however we define it. the american dream. >> the american dream? it means that we go towards a better life, and we'll be able to achieve more than other countries. >> i guess the american dream s is, if there's something that you really want, you're able to go get it. >> i successfully raised a family. no debt. so, yeah. i've reached the american dream. am irish no? but i have peace of mind. >> reporter: peace of mind that more americans today can't seem to find. >> violence, guns. >> job security, crime, becoming a statistic. >> reporter: some reasons the growing numbers say the dream is slipping away. a cnn money american dream poll finds about six out of ten americans believe it's out of reach. the numbers are more alarming

among millennials. they were badly battered by the economic down turn. more than half say the dream can't be attained. and if the next generation was always meant to be better than the last, 63% of those surveyed don't buy it. they now believe children were be worse off than their parents. >> it's not something most can achieve, i don't think if their life. it's too hard. it's crazy. >> i am most definitely afraid for this next generation, because money is already tight with the government at my age, for me, that the population is only growing. you know? >> reporter: uncertainty fueling fear that dream might not be reality. >> for right now, i believe that i could be able to achieve better than my parents, but then for the time being, we don't -- we don't know. >> in the future, i mean, with the circumstances that we're in currently, it doesn't look like that's even a thing remotely

achievable for most. 2:00 eastern time, cnn "your money" and christine romans with more on the pursuit of the american dream. [ male announcer ] whether it takes 200,000 parts, ♪ 800,000 hours of supercomputing time, 3 million lines of code, 40,000 sets of eyes, or a million sleepless nights. whether it's building the world's most advanced satellite, the space station, or the next leap in unmanned systems. at boeing, one thing never changes. our passion to make it real. ♪

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for 52-year-old connie severs, staying in shape wasn't a problem. >> we got married shortly after college, and then had three children, we were still, it wasn't a problem. >> reporter: until her 3-year-old daughter emily was diagnosed with leukemia and emily passed away three years later. throughout the ordeal, severs gained more than 70 pounds and its weight she was never able to get rid of. >> i knew i needed to make a change. >> reporter: she applied to our "fit nation" challenge and got in. connie joined the team in atlanta back in january. uncomfortable in the water. not having been on a bike in almost 20 years, and unable to run. now four months later, a new woman. with the help of her coaches and her sassy six teammates, she conquered four swims in the pacific ocean, rode 45 mimes on the bike and jogged seven miles this week alone. >> incredible, that we started from zero and now we can make it work. >> reporter: down 35 pounds

already, severs is looking forward now to race day, and also beyond. >> i'm really excited about when the cameras turn off to have the next finish line to try to cross and try to work for, it's my better time or a little longer distance. there's just always a next something. [ applause ] >> reporter: dr. sanjay gupta, cnn, san clemente, california. >> wow. an inspiration. fantastic. all right. so this might either excite or scare you. a japanese company says it has built the first robot to have human-like emotions. will ripley is in tokyo. >> reporter: say hello to pepper. the world's first robot that can actually read human emotion. he stands 120 centimeter, under 4 feet tall but a lot of technology packed into this little robot body. the latest facial recognition

technology, cameras and sensors all over his face. what they do, read my facial expression. he listens to my tone of voice and tried to figure out how i'm feeling and tailors a conversation with me, depending on what he's reading. it's amazing technology. the project leader actually shows us how it all works. >> we try to make people happy. he's also really recognizing your face. sensing fear or feelings. watching your eyes. >> reporter: he makes eye contact. >> eye exact. >> reporter: you see day when a robot will be as indispensable as your cell phone? >> ideally. >> reporter: wow. he's talking to me right now. i thoughtite get down closer to his level. pepper is programmed to speak 17 languages, and the developers are really hoping that this technology will evolve into a sort of household companion. imagine having a robot to take

care of a senior citizen when their children couldn't be around? someone who would interact with them, perhaps call for help, if there was an emergency. that's where this technology is heading. next year, you will go on sale to the domestic market. the price tag for a base model just under $2,000 u.s. dollars. this is the future. you're looking at it right now. will ripley, cnn, tokyo. >> okay. i don't know if i'm excited about that or not. all right. that's going to do it for me. i'm fredricka whitfield. back at the bottom of the hour. first, cnn "money" starts right now. we've now gained back all the jobs less in the recession, but most of you still think the american dream is out of reach. christine romans, and this is the new "cnn money." 217,000 jobs created last month, and a milestone moment. 8.7 million jobs were wiped out during the financial crisis. now, more than four years