Ashleigh Banfield Moves to Newsroom, Kyra Philips to HLN

TVNewser posted CNN's memos announcing staffing changes at both networks:


Memo from Scot Safon, EVP of CNN Worldwide and director of HLN:

I am very excited to officially welcome Kyra Phillips to the HLN family. The HLN team has long been fans of Kyra’s work, and many of us have also had the tremendous pleasure of working directly with Kyra on projects at CNN and recently at HLN.

Kyra will join HLN to lead a new daytime program that will kick off late this summer. Her new program will highlight her strengths as a journalist as well as her insights and observations on the news and the people at the center of the stories. The show will be built around Kyra’s personality and passions, which include looking at the state of parenting and the modern family, civil rights and discrimination, children with disabilities and military families. The HLN audience will get the chance to see many aspects of Kyra’s talents and interests, and her show will help HLN expand its viewer promise during the day.

Among the many things Kyra brings to the HLN line-up is her acclaimed track record in reporting on major news events. Her award-winning work includes extensive reporting on Iraq, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and CNN’s Election coverage. She became the first female journalist to fly in an F-14 air-to-air combat training mission over the Persian Gulf, and has extensive police, SWAT and weapons training.

Kyra’s compassionate style, incisive questions and intrepid search for answers, coupled with her passion for telling the human side of news, are perfect for the HLN audience. We are so excited to add her talents and voice to our line-up.

CNN EVP Ken Jautz wrote:

I wanted to share with you some changes we are making to our morning programming. John Berman has started at CNN and beginning next month he will co-anchor Early Start with Zoraida Sambolin as well as contribute to other CNN programs and to CNN.com. Also this summer, Ashleigh Banfield will move to CNN Newsroom to anchor her own program from 11 am- noon.

Kyra Phillips will move to HLN to lead a new daytime program later this summer. I’d like to take a moment to thank Kyra for her years of anchoring on CNN. We are delighted that her next step will be on HLN.

John, Zoraida and Ashleigh are all accomplished journalists and I know they will enhance our commitment to quality journalism and to reporting a broad range of stories without picking sides.

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Kyra Phillips and John Roberts Welcome Twins

People.com reports:

CNN Newsroom anchor Kyra Phillips, 42, and her fiancée, Fox News Senior National Correspondent John Roberts, 54, welcomed fraternal twins just after midnight on Tuesday, March 15, they tell PEOPLE exclusively.

Daughter Sage Ann arrived first at 12:03 a.m., weighing in at 5 lbs., 15 oz and 18½ inches long. Son Kellan Clay followed shortly thereafter at 12:05 a.m., also weighing in at 5 lbs., 15 oz and 18½ inches long.

“It was amazing to welcome them to the world. It was a long road to get here, but they are absolutely beautiful little people,” the couple said in a statement. “It’s incredible to be able to hold them in our arms and love them in person.”

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Permanent Anchors Named for Newsroom

Suzanne Malveaux has been named anchor of CNN Newsroom, it was announced today by Ken Jautz, executive vice president of CNN/U.S. Malveaux will relocate to Atlanta and will anchor CNN Newsroom live from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. She joins CNN’s Kyra Phillips, Ali Velshi and Brooke Baldwin, who will continue to anchor CNN Newsroom from 9-11 a.m., 1-3 p.m. and 3-5 p.m. respectively. (All times Eastern Standard Time.) Malveaux begins her CNN Newsroom anchor duties on January 31.
Malveaux, who has worked in CNN’s White House unit for nearly a decade, has played a key role as a member of the network’s Best Political Team on Television and as the primary substitute anchor for The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. During her career, Malveaux has covered three presidents, presidential campaigns, and key stories including the War in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina and the economic crisis.
Since joining the network in 2002, Malveaux has interviewed President Obama and the First Lady; former presidents George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton; and former first ladies Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush among numerous other newsmakers. During the 2008 election, Malveaux reported and hosted an in-depth documentary on then presidential-nominee Barack Obama.
“Suzanne is a welcome addition to the CNN Newsroom lineup, adding a depth of experience as well as fresh perspective to our daytime coverage,” said Jautz. “We are very pleased to expand Suzanne’s role so that we can showcase her political expertise as well as her broader strengths as a journalist.”
“I’m looking forward to this new chapter, bringing news and stories that impact viewers in and outside the Beltway,” said Malveaux.
CNN Newsroom is the destination for breaking news and international reporting from its state-of-the-art interactive studio. Kyra Phillips has anchored the program since 1999. Ali Velshi and Brooke Baldwin joined CNN Newsroom in 2010.




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Another One Bites the Dust?

We didn't think this was worth its own post but apparently others do because our inbox is filling up with tips so here ya go:

From today's Page Six of the New York Post

CNN anchor Kyra Phillips' pregnancy with John Roberts could bring big changes at "American Morning," insiders say. Roberts, who broadcasts from New York, is likely to move to Atlanta to be with his fiancée, who's expecting twins. Since CNN ex-president Jon Klein recently rebuilt the prime-time lineup, insiders say his replacement, Ken Jautz, will focus on daytime, and his first step will be to dismantle "American Morning," the lowest-rated cable morning show. We hear the staff is frustrated with co-anchors Roberts and Kiran Chetry. "John is a tyrant, freaking out over stories and guests, and Kiran is dumb as a rock," a staffer said. "He has a chip on his shoulder because he was considered the heir apparent to Dan Rather at CBS." During an interview with David Axelrod last month, Roberts snapped at Chetry on-air for typing too loud. Chetry could be the first go. A CNN rep said, "There are no plans in place to change 'American Morning' at this time."

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CNN Twosome Expecting

People Magazine is reporting that Kyra Phillips and John Roberts are about to become parents. The anchors are pleased to announce that they’re expecting twins next Spring.

CNN Newsroom‘s Phillips, 42, and Roberts, 53, a co-anchor on American Morning, were engaged in April.

Congratulations to the lucky couple!

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Kyra Phillips Reports Live From the Gulf

After weather forced them off the deck Kyra continued her report via phone with Drew Griffin.




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Some Serious, Some Silly

I have to offer apologies for my tardiness with the material in this post but time seems to get away from me lately. When I first got an alert that John Roberts would be doing an interview with John Avalon at The Strand in NYC on March 15th I knew it would be interesting. I was encouraged to know that it would be posted on C-Span2 Book TV and planned on grabbing it to post here at ATC. Unfortunately C-Span2 thwarted my efforts with a video that isn't able to be copied, lifted or embedded. So I will post the link to C-Span2 site where the video is posted and strongly encourage you to watch the 54 minute talk that is packed with good information and also highlights John Roberts strong skills as an inteviewer.And while we are on the subject of John Roberts, he pulled a steller April Fool's (I told you I'm behind, didn't I?) joke on American Morning April 1st. He told Kiran Chetry, Christine Roamans and others on the AM set that he had been asked to be the ambassador to Canada. Here's a bit of the CNN transcript:

CHETRY: You know, I feel so much better than I did about 10 minutes ago, because our Christine Romans is here "Minding Your Business", and she fell for the same April Fools' joke which is John telling us that he's been called up to be the ambassador to Canada.

ROMANS: I really believed it.

CHETRY: And you and I both fell for it. No one else did.

ROMANS: John! Really? John!

CHETRY: Well, wait. My reaction was, oh my gosh, you know, it's such a big career move. Christine goes, am I going to have a connection then to these good parties?

ROMANS: That's true. I did say that. All right, well --

ROBERTS: And in your condition, too, (INAUDIBLE).

ROMANS: So, as you can see, I'm really -- I'm looking -- taking the long view. I'm looking around -- over the corner.

Look, we're talking about the -- the free credit reports as well.

ROBERTS: But wait, the (ph) ambassadorship to Canada is available.

ROMANS: You know -- and please tell us, is that -- that was a beautiful April Fools' joke. It was very well done, well executed. You get the -- you get the award for the best April Fools' of the year.

ROBERTS: It's the first one I've pulled in a decade, at least.

Later in the morning there was a great exchange about Robert's April Fool's prank between John, Kiran and Kyra when AM tossed to Newsroom.

Thanks to BA and Cyn for help with the material in this post. ~Phebe

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JR, Kyra and Slash

CNN anchors, and real-life couple, Kyra Phillips and John Roberts made the trip north to Toronto to interview Canadian Music Week keynote guest – rock guitar god Slash, of Guns N' Roses.
Roberts, a Toronto native has a long history of interviewing rock stars as he formally worked in music television in Canada during the eighties.
During the interview, Phillips shared memories with Slash of neighborhood restaurants they would frequent as she and Slash grew up in the same LA neighborhood.

I would like to thank Richard Budman of Shot7.com for permission to post and also for the shot of Kyra's killer stilettos.

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Kyra Phillips, John Zarrella and Steve Wonder Team Up

John Zarrella did a piece this week on a Haitian violinist who was severely injured in the earthquake. The piece struck a chord (forgive the terrible pun) with Kyra Phillips when it aired on her Newsroom program and with the help of Stevie Wonder Phillips was able to provide the victim with a happy outcome to his story.

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Educating the Future

Cal Perry had a piece on this morning about a mentoring program for young girls who have been displaced due to the fighting in the Swat Valley region of Pakistan. A group of college-age women of Pakistani descent have spent the summer in a makeshift school for some of these girls:

Also this morning, Atia Abawi gave the latest update on the results from the Afghan election:

Here's something to make your blood boil... an update on the PR firm that recommends to the Pentagon whether reporters should get an embed with American troops based on how many "good news" stories they have produced in the past. Jeeze, I thought that mindset went out the door with the previous administration. Kyra Phillips made it her "What the...?" report:

Matthew Chance reported Tuesday on the serious alcoholism problem in Russia. Really startling stuff, even if you think you already knew about it:

Finally, Richard Quest from the Brooklyn promenade. He senses a scintilla of hope returning to our economic mindset:

That's it for me this week. Next week I will be coming to you from sunny Los Angeles, moving back 'home' after a four-year absence! Must get back to packing boxes -- the movers will be here in the morning!!

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Democracy and Diplomacy versus Drugs and Hate

Thursday a major report on Afghanistan was released, and SecDef Robert Gates addressed the issues as well. Wolf Blitzer covered that and then Atia Abawi reported on the latest fight in the drug war there. Apparently less drug money is going to the Taliban than we all think:

Meanwhile, Ivan Watson reported Thursday on the campaigning going on in Kabul as Afghans prepare to vote this week. President Karzai did appear on a televised debate over the weekend, and still enjoys a huge lead in the polls:

Cal Perry (who is still in Islamabad) had an exclusive interview with AfPak Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke:

In Iraq, Arwa Damon reported today on the continuing persecution of gays:

And Sunday night, Don Lemon replayed Michael Ware's report about the Mexican drug cartels branching out into new businesses, including human trafficking. Michael then did a Q&A with Don:

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Today on NewsRoom, Kyra Phillips had Michael Holmes on for a replay/follow-up on his BackStory piece about Hamdi, the Iraqi man who was such an important part of the Baghdad bureau's security team but who has now moved with his family to Atlanta:

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Miles O'Brien tweeted last week as he filmed a role in an upcoming movie... sounds like a lot of fun! (I'm sure you know this, but ... read bottom to top.)

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Where in the World...?

MONDAY: Michael Ware and Suzanne Malveaux were still in Guadalajara, covering the summit of North American leaders; Ali Velshi was in Atlanta for the start of a CNN Express tour; Peter Bergen is in Kabul; Tom Foreman was in Baltimore. Kathy Griffin was in for Larry King; John Roberts was in for Anderson Cooper.

TUESDAY: Jessica Yellin was at a Town Hall meeting in Lebanon, Pennsylvania; Ali was in Manchester, Tennessee. Wolf Blitzer was in for Larry; John Roberts was in for Anderson.

WEDNESDAY: Michael was in New York; Candy Crowley was at a Town Hall in Winterset, Iowa; Ali was in Paducah, Kentucky and Wentzville, Missouri. Wolf was in for Larry.

THURSDAY: Candy was in West Des Moines City, Iowa in the morning but back in Washington in the afternoon; Ali was in Sedalia, Missouri; John King was in Sioux City. Rick Sanchez was in for Heidi Collins; John Roberts was in for Campbell Brown. Christiane Amanpour's Generation: Islam aired from 9-11pm; AC360 was on at 11pm.

FRIDAY: Ed Henry was with the president in Big Sky, Montana; Ivan Watson reported from Kabul. Betty Nguyen was in for Heidi; John Roberts was in for Campbell; Anderson was in for Larry.

SATURDAY: Ed was in Grand Junction, Colorado; Ali was in Des Moines, Iowa. Melissa Long was in for Fredricka Whitfield.

SUNDAY: Melissa was in for Fredricka.

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Out of the Box: July 24

Soledad O'Brien to host live radio roundtable on July 21

Roland Martin to give keynote address on July 28

Jeffrey Toobin speaking events from March 31 – April 2, 2010

Tickets to hear Ali Velshi speak on 5/4/10 in California

Better Late Than Never

Fareed Zakaria guest speaker at Kaplan University on July 15

Kyra Phillips hosted the annual Press Club of New Orleans awards ceremony on July 18

All photos courtesy of CNN

President of Morehouse School of Medicine Dr. John Maupin, Recipient of the Soledad O’Brien Freedom’s Voice Award and Humanitarian Malaak Compton-Rock, President and Founder of The Children’s Defense Fund Marian Wright Edelman, CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien and Ambassador Andrew Young in Atlanta

Recipient of the Soledad O’Brien Freedom’s Voice Award Malaak Compton-Rock and CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien at the Freedom’s Voice Award gala in Atlanta.

Dr. Lovell Jones, director of the Center for Research on Minority Health; Jeff Reid, executive producer of Black in America 2; Cindy George, legal reporter for Houston Chronicle; CNN anchor T.J. Holmes and Judson Robinson, president and CEO of the Houston Area Urban League, at the Angelika Theater in Houston for an advanced screening of Black in America 2 on Thursday, June 18, 2009.

Rev. Dr. William Lawson of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church and CNN anchor T.J. Holmes at the Angelika Theater in Houston during a preview of Black in America 2.

CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence moderates a panel discussion at the Detroit screening of Black in America 2 on June 23, 2009. Panelists are (from l-to-r): Detroit Free Press writer Naomi Patton, President of the Detroit chapter of the NAACP The Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony; Detroit Urban League President and CEO Charles Anderson; University of Michigan oncologist featured in the documentary Dr. Lisa Newman; CNN senior producer Michelle Rozsa and CNN assistant general counsel and Diversity Council chair Johnita Due.

Panelists engage in discussion after the Black in America 2 screening at the Charles H. Wright African-American museum in Detroit

Thanks to Julie for the great finds. See you all next week ~ Sapphire

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Out of the Box July 1

Empowerment seminars with Donna Brazile, Roland Martin, Soledad O’Brien & others

Kyra Phillips to host awards banquet July 18

Paul Begala to be keynote speaker July 24

David Gergen to speak at leadership summit August 6-7

Better Late Then Never

Alina Cho attends Gigi Levangie Grazer Book Party


Christiane Amanpour and Candy Crowley honored at Women in Media awards June 17

John King speaks at Cleveland Jewish News Event June 18

Tweet from Don Lemon today (6/25) " Flying to chicago. Hosting black in america 2 event.

"Tweet from Soledad O'Brien (6/24) " Just landed in puerto rico for the natl assn of hispanic journalists conference. Technically, I'm working."

That's it for this week. Much thanks to Julie. Happy Canada Day to all our Canadian readers. See you next week ~ Sapphire

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Saturday's Scoop

Reza Aslan has a new article in Time. Click here for the article.

Forbes has published a list of personalities that are "poised 'to become a breakout star' in the world of entertainment". Among them, Campbell Brown, who said: 'I am immensely flattered but, sadly, I fear my talents are limited to good old fashioned journalism.' Click here for the link from mediabistro.com

Best of luck to Alessio Vinci who we learned through Twitter will be leaving CNN.

The video above was posted on Twitter by one of Kyra Phillip's producers. You can follow Kyra through @KyraCNN.

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Remembering Tiananmen

While the eyes of the world were on Cairo today, CNN has also been looking back at a watershed event that occurred 20 years ago: a pro-democracy demonstration by hundreds of thousands of students in Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing. It was a protest that grew slowly and impossibly over the span of a few weeks, until a brutal and bloody crackdown wiped it out. The iconic image above was taken on June 5th, as the tanks rolled in and one solitary man stared them down. It was an image that many of us will never forget, and that many in China have never been allowed to see.

Today Kyra Phillips spoke with Alec Miran, a CNN producer who was there in the weeks leading up to that showdown. Old footage shows his fight to keep CNN on the air as Chinese officials tried to shut them down on May 20th, as the protests were still building:

On International's BackStory yesterday, Michael Holmes introduced coverage of the anniversary and a report by Emily Chang, who attempted to film a conversation with Beijing Bureau Chief Jaime Florcruz in the Square about what happened in 1989. They were stopped, but with smiles and offers of help rather than tanks and bullets. Twenty years has brought progress; perhaps the next twenty will bring more:

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Cal Perry had one of the earliest reactions to the President's speech from the American University in Beirut:

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On Tuesday, Dan Rivers filed an incredible report from Peshawar on the Taliban's intimidation of all Western-influenced businesses in the region. It is a look at a society crumbling in the face of brutality, and it promises to get much worse:

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Terrorists and Pirates

The news this week was dominated by the high-seas hostage drama as an American captain was held by heavily armed Somali pirates on a small lifeboat in the Indian ocean. Navy SEALS ended the standoff yesterday, and the captain is on his way home now, but some of the background pieces on the pirates reveal important insights on the on-going trend.

Thursday, American Morning aired a piece from Nic Robertson about the possible links between the pirates and al Qaeda. Just who is funding these attacks and benefitting from the enormous ransoms being paid?

Saturday gave us a NewsRoom report from Stan Grant, who is in Mombasa, Kenya (where the ship was originally heading and is now currently docked.) Local fishermen and tourists react to the acts of piracy:

And here's a perspective that most of us have not studied since junior high: what is the affect of piracy on world trade? Ali Velshi and Christine Romans spoke with Richard Quest on the weekend edition of Your $$$$$ about the bottom line:

Meanwhile, Nic covers a second news story on Thursday, a different (dare I say "more normal"?) type of terrorism -- a cell gets rolled up in Manchester, England. The raids had to be started earlier than planned after an all-too-human blunder: Top Secret documents were photographed being carried into 10 Downing Street, with the names/addresses of the targets plainly visible:

A second report aired on The Situation Room a few hours later, with some local reaction to the arrests:

Finally, a word about a different kind of terrorism: Jeanne Meserve explains the concerns that cyber-terrorists could attack US power grids. Kyra Phillips talks to former CIA operative Robert Baer about the newest aggressions:

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Planet In Peril Reviews & Promotion and Interview with the First Lady

CNN’s second installment of Planet in Peril, “Planet in Peril: Battlelines” aired on Thursday night. Tonight I want to share some articles that review the program.
Thanks to an anonymous reader who sent us the first article.

CNN's 'Planet in Peril' plays off environmental Concerns

By Ted Cox Daily Herald Columnist

With the presidential election over, how are the major cable networks going to generate the sort of hysteria that builds Nielsen ratings?Everybody, it seems, is going green.Yes, the apocalyptic environmental special - the end of the world is near, and all that - has never been hotter, not even back in the days when Walter Cronkite was looking ahead to "The 21st Century," a show that provided a generation of Baby Boom science classes with film diversions.CNN's occasional and appropriately titled series "Planet in Peril" is no exception as it returns with its second installment at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, but then again let's be sure to place it in context. After all, it's a lot more responsible to be crying wolf over the environment in our age of global warming than it is, say, for a cable news outlet to generate mass hysteria over some missing white girl in an Amber Alert.The latest "Planet in Peril" gets off to a sensationalistic-enough start with Anderson Cooper and CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta looking for the potential outbreak of the next AIDS epidemic with "virus hunter" Dr. Nathan Wolfe. They trace the rising consumption of "bush meat" in central Africa, where a virulent disease could easily jump species, with global implications. In fact, it already has, in the form of AIDS and monkey pox.It's no accident that the most dreadful segment comes first. Yet the special soon settles into a fairly routine if nonetheless fascinating groove looking at environmental concerns around the world under the topic of "Battle Lines," at the competition - human and animal - for dwindling natural resources.In the end, this is a diverting, enlightening special that, again like Cronkite's "21st Century," wouldn't be out of place in a middle-school science class.Taken as a whole, the special dovetails, then doubles back on itself. Lisa Ling, the former "Oprah" reporter now working for CNN, does a fine piece on the diminishing worldwide shark population as the labor-intensive shark-fin soup goes from a delicacy reserved for the rich to a widespread dish delivered to the masses. That leads directly into "Shark Tourism," a look at how countries like South Africa are bringing in tourists to see great white sharks in person - through the use of chumming and diving cages. Yet that might actually be training sharks to associate contact with humans with a source of food.Unfortunately, even though Florida and Hawaii have banned chumming for sharks in our own United States, Cooper has to include an interview with a shark researcher showing that the practice hasn't noticeably altered shark feeding habits. Oops, so much for that note of hysteria.So he heads right off to return to central Africa to look at the vastly different conditions the endangered mountain gorilla faces in Rwanda and the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo. In Rwanda, despite the vicious 1990s genocide, both the government and the gorilla population have revived by actually encouraging gorilla tourism. In the Congo, where the gorillas are still routinely hunted, they of course haven't fared as well, and not coincidentally neither has the country.It's an interesting story precisely because it's counterintuitive and yet reasonable. Who would have thought that human contact would actually be good for an endangered species? That turns out to be the case, however.Yet what's best about those last two segments, on shark and gorilla tourism, is Cooper himself. For years, I've thought myself immune to the cult of Cooper, CNN's new franchise star, but "Planet in Peril" shows he truly has something: a way of rendering his emotional, not intellectual, response to a story with honesty and clarity. "It's quite an experience," he says of swimming quite literally with sharks, outside the diving cage, and goes on to describe their grace and beauty. Similarly, confronted with a group of mountain gorillas, he admits, "They are intimidating animals."That's the sort of emotional response even Cronkite typically denied himself, and CNN and "Planet in Peril" are better for it. It replaces the tone of hysteria with an air of wonder, and I for one find that much more captivating than being scared into watching.

There have been a lot of reviews of Planet in Peril and I will give the links to just a few

The New York Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2008/12/11/2008-12-11_cnns_anderson_cooper_at_work_in_risky_en.html as well as http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2008/12/11/2008-12-11_concern_real_in_cnns_planet_in_peril_if_.html

Cindy Adams’ column in The New York Post
http://www.nypost.com/seven/12112008/gossip/cindy/its_a_zoo_out_there__news_stars_in_peril_143569.htm?page=0

Anderson was interviewed by Stephanie Miller
http://www.stephaniemiller.com/files/mp3/2008_1208_cooper.mp3

In the last few days Anderson made appearances on Jay Leno and Regis and Kelly to promote Planet in Peril. To see Anderson appearances on both programs, you can check out our sister site All Things Anderson.

Anderson even wrote a brief piece for Popular Science
http://www.popsci.com/node/30212?page=

CNN’s Betty Nguyen had the opportunity to interview First Lady Laura Bush on the anniversary of the universal declaration of human rights.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A dire warning from the United Nations human rights chief. The world's poorest could face even worse abuses as the global financial crisis unfolds. That warning comes on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In an exclusive interview this morning, our Betty Nguyen spoke with First Lady Laura Bush about this important day. She is with us now.
I'll tell you what, you interview the first lady and you're here like within minutes, and you're already giving a part of the interview.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: I'll tell you what -- tell me about the conversation.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well especially on this day. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights -- as we know, Kyra, there are several places around the world where people are just denied those basic human rights, including two countries where the first lady has really made it a priority to help res to re those rights. That being Afghanistan and Myanmar , which is also called Burma .
Well today, she did not back down, calling on the international community to do more in Myanmar, where she continues to closely watch what she calls a sad situation for the people of that country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: You also watched it play out during Cyclone Nargis. In fact, I was just in the country back in July, and what I wanted to do was really see if aid was getting to those still in need, some two months after the s to rm had hit. And what I witnessed were dead bodies still rotting along the delta, many villages still with little to no aid.
Will the people of that country lose a powerful ally once you leave the White House?
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: No. I really think that the next administration will also pay attention to Burma . It's a country that -- the Lan to s Act, for instance, the S to p Jade Now Act, that was just passed recently that the president signed in to law, passed unanimously.
So it's an issue that I think all -- every member, both parties, are very interested in. So I expect that the next administration will also do what they can to try to have this peaceful transition to democracy for the people of Burma .
NGUYEN: There is still a lot of outrage concerning the reaction to the cyclone on the part of the junta government there. Looking back, where do you draw the line when it comes to human rights? The U.S. sent ships full of aid that were denied by the junta government.
Should the U.S. have been more forceful in getting that aid to the people in need?
BUSH: Well that was the real question at the time. We did have those Navy ships right off the coast -- right at the delta, right by where the cyclone had hit. Those had desalinization machines on them.
They could have gotten fresh water to the people right way, medical supplies and the military junta would never let them land.
We did, at the same time, though -- they did accept cargo planes and the U.S. was able to fly in at least 100 cargo plane flights of supplies for the people of Burma . But that's the question. I mean, that's always the question when you talk about human rights. When we at -- when the rest of the world looks at these countries where tyranny reigns and where the people are denied any sort of basic human rights, then that's what we have to ask ourselves, is, what do we do?
And we did, in Afghanistan, go in to Afghanistan, and liberated the people. And we're still there, obviously, working hard to make sure the people of Afghanistan can rebuild their country, which was totally decimated after 30 years of war with nothing. They're building a country from nothing now. And that still requires a big commitment on the part of the people of the U.S. and the government of the U.S.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well we know that Myanmar , what was happening there, meant a lot to the first lady.
And you were very humble. You didn't mention this. She saw your coverage and wanted to reach out and talk to you today.
But now she mentions Afghanistan . What's her mission there because I haven't heard a lot about that?
NGUYEN: Well she wants to continue helping women and girls get an education. She said this, Kyra, "When women are educated, everything across the board improves for their families." But she also says that, "... the world has to act in order to help make that happen."
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: And I think it's really important for the international community to support the people of Afghanistan so they can stand up for themselves.
They are having some success. They're building the national police force. When I was in Afghanistan , the last time, I met women who are police officers.
But, on the other hand, their society is so strict for women that some of these women police officers have not to ld their families that they were studying to be police.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And the first lady does plan to continue working on human rights at the Freedom Institute that will built at her husband's presidential library in Dallas . So she, like I said, is not backing down.
PHILLIPS: Well what are we going to talk about next hour?
NGUYEN: Next hour is going to be pretty interesting, to o, because it's about life after the White House. Something that she calls the "afterlife." Her new normal, if you will. So we'll find out what she's up to .
PHILLIPS: It will probably be a lot easier and more spiritual and heavenly than living in the White House.
NGUYEN: And a smaller home.
PHILLIPS: Yes, exactly.
All right. Thanks, Betty.
NGUYEN: Sure.

That is it for me this week. Have a great week and let’s all try to find a way to help our planet in peril ~ Sapphire

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Transitions

Friday, we got a preview of the interview Fareed Zakaria did with Al Gore for this week's GPS, and you know it's going to be a good one:

Wednesday, Christiane Amanpour did a "Memo to the President" about how to handle Iran:

Also on Wednesday, Peter Bergen appeared on AC360 to discuss the latest tape recording from al-Qaeda:

And on Friday, Miles O'Brien gave us a preview of the upcoming week of specials on UFOs that he's been putting together:

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On Thursday, John Roberts decided to go tie-less on American Morning. At first I thought he'd spilled coffee on it or something, and kept waiting for someone to bring him a replacement! But eventually it became obvious that this was no accident... I can only guess that upper management left early for the holidays because, come on: Ali Velshi had to shave his goatee but the host can decide to go casual all of a sudden?

Well, on Friday they discussed the new look and how people were reacting to it, and Lola Ogunnaike even quizzed some fashion-HE-stas about it:

Later in the day, Kyra Phillips spoke with John by phone for some fashion tips for TJ Holmes:

I'm sure you noticed how enthusiastic TJ's EP was about it... but he did indeed appear sans tie. But I'm just not seeing Wolf embracing the new trend! So we'll see what Monday brings. But I did want to clear up one thing: when it comes to not wearing a tie on CNN, we all know who the real trendsetter is. I'm just sayin'...

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Where in the World...?

SATURDAY: Suzanne Malveaux and Ed Henry were still in Chicago covering the Obama transition team.

SUNDAY: Dana Bash and Ed Henry were in Washington.

MONDAY: Michael Ware was in Washington; Ali Velshi was in Detroit; Kitty Pilgrim hosted Lou Dobbs Tonight, as she would all week.

TUESDAY: Jessica Yellin was in Chicago; John King was in Washington; Ali Velshi was back in New York; Sanjay Gupta was in New York for the Fit Nation Summit.

WEDNESDAY: Sean Callebs was in Lincoln, Nebraska, to cover the debate over the state's Safe Haven Law; Peter Bergen was in Washington (via phone for American Morning, in the bureau for AC360).

THURSDAY: Jamie McIntyre was at the Port of Baltimore for a report on the Navy's efforts to battle pirates; Gary Tuchman was in Moraine, Ohio, where a GM plant is shutting down.

FRIDAY: Miles O'Brien was in New York, previewing his reports next week on UFOs; TJ Holmes (above) was in for Rick Sanchez' hour of NewsRoom; John King hosted Larry King Live.

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things CNN and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.