but some people didn't have a chance like the couple you're about to meet as our thelma gutierrez tells us, carmageddon just happened to fall on the happiest day of their lives. >> i'm chris. i'm the bride. i'm about to get married in santa monica. >> i'm russ and i hope to make it to the church on time. >> we're getting married july 16th. >> also known as carmageddon. >> you guys are asking your guests to come in to the city on the worst day ever. >> yes. >> to pull it off, everyone from the bride and groom in los angeles to the best man in fresno, guests in riverside, camryio and huntington beach, even the photographer in venice were prepared to navigate what was being billed as the worst traffic jam in l.a. history, two to, as the ong says, get to the church on time ♪ get me to the church get me to the church, for pete's sake get me to the church on time ♪ >> going, i'll say two miles per hour. >> we have two hours to get to the saint monica catholic church in santa monica which is smack in the middle of the freeway closure. they warn guests of the ten-mile long freeway closure on th

thanks so much, thelma gutierrez. >>> meantime, let's talk about some news overseas now. the united states has officially recognized south sudan as an independent nation. the new african nation celebrated its independence from sudan today after a long and bloody civil war spanning 50 years. president obama says it's a reminder that after the darkness of war, the light of a new dawn is possible. >>> and despite today's celebrations, the new nation will face some big challenges. we'll have a live report from south sudan at the half hour. >>> and brand new, u.s. defense secretary leon panetta jumped right into the fight for afghanistan today. he landed there hours ago promising to take the fight to al qaeda. he says since killing osama bin laden, quote, we have them on the run, end quote. panetta says by applying maximum pressure, we can cripple al qaeda as a threat to this country. >>> the dalai lama is in washington, d.c. today beginning a ten-day spiritual ritual. with thousands gathered on the west lawn of the u.s. capitol, the leader of the tibetan buddhism discussed th

thelma gutierrez is at the center in rancho mirage, california. the center is a large part of a legacy, thelma. >> reporter: absolutely, without doubt, fredricka. the betty ford center was one of her greatest legacies. it was founded in 1982 after her very public bout and her battle with prescription drugs and addiction to prescription drugs. also an addiction to alcohol. since then, since that time, in all those years, 90,000 people from all over the world, fredricka, have come to the betty ford center. many of them celebrities, very well known, they have come with their families to get help here. and, you know, we talked to some of the residents. they say they're celebrating her life and legacy at the same time, since the fords were such an integral part of the community. they were saddened by the news of her death. >> it was really hard to hear because i had seen her so much. she came by where i worked a lot. and it was really hard because she had such class, she was absolutely one of the most elegant first ladies ever. >> i know icon is an over

cnn's thelma gutierrez is in rancho mirage. what has been the reaction there, thelma? >> reporter: well, of course, fredricka, one of sadness. betty ford was part of this community for so many years. but people here are also celebrating her life and her legacy, the legacy she left behind with the betty ford center. she died yesterday afternoon. and her family, her children were here at her side. they have been mourning in private, but they released statements a short time ago saying that mother's love, candor, devotion and laughter enrichard our lives and the lives of the millions she touched throughout the great nation. to be in her presence was to know the warmen of a truly great lady. mother's passing leaves us with a deep void but it also fills us with immeasurable appreciation for the life we and dad shared with her. the fords were married for 58 years and her family was with her when she passed and they described that passing as very peaceful. >> so, thelma, you're outside the betty ford center, which is one of the nation's leading clinics for substance abuse. ha

thelma gutierrez, cnn, riverside, california. >>> so will he or won't he? just ahead, the invitation one female marine hopes justin timberlake will accept. [ male announcer ] this...is the network -- a network of possibilities. in here, the planned combination of at&t and t-mobile would deliver our next generation mobile broadband experience to 55 million more americans, many in small towns and rural communities, giving them a new choice. we'll deliver better service, with thousands of new cell sites... for greater access to all the things you want, whenever you want them. it's the at&t network... and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say. hey, dad, you think i could drive? i'll tell you what -- when we stop to fill it up. ♪ ♪ [ son ] you realize, it's gotta run out sometime. [ male announcer ] jetta tdi clean diesel. the turbo that gets 42 miles per gallon. ♪ [ slurp! ] [ female announcer ] hey, ladies, here's a little something [ chomp! ] you'll find irresistible, cinnamon toast crunch, with a delicious cinnamon and sugar taste that's amazin

thelma gutierrez, thanks so much. appreciate it. >>> i want to now an insider into the lives of the fords. gerald canon, former gerald ford aide is nice enough to join us now on the phone. mr. canon, thanks for joining us. take us inside the ford family. i was lucky enough to meet the fords back in the day. i worked in palm springs, which is right outside of rancho mirage. wow, what a family. they had such an impact in so many ways. >> they were a family. like her husband, like president ford himself, betty ford was honest and candid and forthright and she was a model of a political wife, in my opinion. she raised four fine children, and at the same time served as host for her husband and was by and large a credit to the nation. >> and mr. cannon, what some people may not realize, especially younger generations, that back if the day, even the word "cancer" wasn't mentioned. so for betty ford to come out and say, i'm suffering with breast cancer, not to mention that she had an addiction, and to open up the betty ford c

our cnn's thelma gutierrez is live in palm desert with a preview.a lot of people having a great deal of respect for the former first lady. who do we expect to see? >> reporter: suzanne, what we understand right now is that in a few hours, first lady michelle obama will be here as well as secretary of state hillary clinton, her husband, former president bill clinton, also former president george w. bush and former first lady, nancy reagan. all of this should begin in less than two hours. there will be a private visitation for the ford family and then at 2:00 local, 5:00 eastern, begins a national tribute. it will be a private funeral and you know, one of the things i found very interesting, suzanne, is that betty ford was very instrumental in selecting some of the details of her own funeral. this was years in the making. lots of plans for this. we're told that she selected the eulogists, including her very close friend, rosalind carter. >> the relationship that mrs. ford and mrs. carter had was one of the deepest and i think richest in mrs. ford's li

. >> thelma gutierrez, we appreciate it, thank you. >>> british tabloid owned by rupert murdoch comes a scandal. that report is next. >>> and we're going to take you live to l.a. for the latest on the british royal couple's visit to the u.s. >>> according to the u.s. census, more than 120 million americans are self-employed, some become business owners before graduating high school. steve perry introduces us to a couple in tonight's perry's principles. >> reporter: mia is not your typical 18-year-old, she's met the president, rang the bell at the new york stock exchange and started a business. >> you started a vegan cookie business in high school? >> yes, yes. the summer after tenth grade. my parents became vegan when my mom contracted breast cancer 11 years ago. >> what did you know about business? >> just what i learned in the month of nefty. it inspires students to stay in school, by tapping into their interest to create businesses. her bakery won the $10,000 grand prize. businessman turned teacher founded nefty in 1987. he was inspired after he was mugged by some kids in new york

cnn's thelma gutierrez joins me live now from the betty ford center in california. you are standing outside, thelma, the place that has helped so many people because of betty ford. >> reporter: yes, and as you mentioned, susan, it's definitely her greatest legacy. the residents here in rancho mirage will definitely tell you that. she died here at the eisenhower medical center, which is in front of the betty ford center last night, yesterday evening. we're told by a relative that she was surrounded by family at the time. and betty ford is remembered as a first lady who spoke openly about subjects that were considered taboo back in the '70s. subjects like gay rights, equal rights for women, even breast cancer. shortly after her husband, gerald ford took office, betty ford was diagnosed with breast cancer, and underwent a radical mastectomy, also chemotherapy. she talked about that very openly. and then a year after her husband left office, she actually went in to treatment for an addiction to pain medications, also alcohol. and then in 1982, she co-founded the betty fo

cnn's thelma gutierrez joins me from the betty ford center in rancho mirage, california. betfy ford has helped countless and countless, so many people, it's unthinkable the amount of people who have been helped by her and how candid she was and outspoken about addiction. >> susan, absolutely. when you talk to people here in rancho mirage where the fords retired after public life from the people who are driving cabs to people who work in the hotels, they'll tell you they're very sad. this was a person who everybody here looked up to and as soon as the word got out yesterday of her death here in rancho mirage, there has been an outpouring of loving tributes. president obama released a statement saying, today we take comfort in the knowledge that betty ford and her husband former president gerald ford, are together once more. michele and i send out our thoughts and prayers to their children, michael, john, steven, and susan. former first lady nancy reagan said, i was deeply saddened this afternoon when i heard of betty ford's death. she has been an inspiration to so many thr