Girl Survived Off Pop Tarts, Gatorade; Freed Hikers Thank Supporters
PHILLIPS: Taking news cross country now. In Wisconsin, an effort to get Governor Scott Walker removed from office. Thousands of residents are upset about changes to collective bargaining rights and the state's new voter I.D. law. So they've started a petition to force a recall election, 500,000 signatures are needed. Pop-tarts and Gatorade, that's what kept a 9-year-old North Carolina girl alive for two days while she was pinned upside down in a car after an accident. Her father did not survive that crash, by the way. In Minnesota, three Americans once jailed in Iran on spy charges got a chance to personally thank the friends and strangers who supported them financially and emotionally during their prison time. The event was organized by a support group on Facebook. As you know, this morning, Jerry Sandusky in this interview that he gave to Bob Costas has made headlines. The former Penn State football coach admitted that he showered with young boys, but he insists that he's not a pedophile. He did the interview with ABC News and Bob Costas, adding to the shock in a community that is unaccustomed to scandal. Joining us by phone to discuss the local reaction, Neil Rudel. He's the managing editor of the "Altoona Mirror" newspaper. Neil, let's go ahead and start with some part of Sandusky's interview. Let's take a listen.</s>BOB COSTAS, ANCHOR, ABC NEWS: To your knowledge, did Joe Paterno have any information regarding objectionable activities on your part prior to that report in 2002?</s>JERRY SANDUSKY, CHARGED WITH SEXUALLY ABUSING CHILDREN (via telephone): My -- I can't totally answer that question. My answer would be no.</s>COSTAS: Did Joe Paterno at any time ever speak to you directly about your behavior?</s>SANDUSKY: No.</s>COSTAS: Never?</s>SANDUSKY: No.</s>PHILLIPS: Neil, what do you make of that?</s>NEIL RUDEL, MANAGING EDITOR, "THE ALTOONA MIRROR" (via telephone): Well, I think that this is -- you know, we've said that this is the end of the beginning may have taken place last week. And now we're going to be in another lengthy phase of who's going to say what and what is going to be believable and how many other people, particularly university officials, will be implicated in some sort of testimony. There was -- the district attorney in 1998, as we know, looked into an allegation against Jerry Sandusky from the mother of an alleged victim, and it was ultimately unfounded. It started with university police and then went to the district attorney. I can't believe that Joe wouldn't have known that or that university officials wouldn't have known that if a district attorney in a very small town is looking into your top assistant coach on that level of a charge. But as Jerry got on there last night and is presenting his perspective, I'm guessing Joe will have that same opportunity as these progresses.</s>PHILLIPS: Well, and you evidently, your web site, once this interview came out, you said has just been flooded with comments. What are people saying in the community?</s>RUDEL: Well, every story on this subject has been flooded with comments not only in our paper, but every paper. There are some people that say there's been a rush to judgment. Other people say everybody had to go the minute this story came. So there really is not a lot of middle ground of taking a wait and see. I think the court of public opinion ultimately convicted Paterno, Graham Spannier, and the board of trustees acted, and they have a national crisis on their hands. Whether they're guilty or not, they had to stop the bleeding, in their estimation.</s>PHILLIPS: So Neil, you've had a chance to talk with so many players within this story, and you've talked with friends of Jerry Sandusky. Does he have any supporters left? Does he still have friends there that are saying we're standing by him?</s>RUDEL: You know, that's a good question. His home has been vandalized. I can't imagine what it's like to be him right now. Listening to the interview last night -- and I've interviewed him for many years -- he clearly sounds totally shaken and even much older than the 67 that he is. I can't imagine. I think his circle is very small. I know that one former Letterman reached out to him and sent him some money and the one former Letterman encouraged other people to do it. I don't know that anybody else has done that. But I know some former teammates are all crushed because nobody -- none of his former teammates saw this coming.</s>PHILLIPS: Neil Rudel, managing editor of "The Altoona Mirror" newspaper. I know you'll be working this story day and night, Neil. We'll keep reading. Thanks for calling in.</s>RUDEL: Thank you.</s>PHILLIPS: You bet. Well, NBA players and owners apparently can't agree at the negotiating table. So it looks like they're going to face each other in court. So will there be an NBA season? It's not looking so good. More on that straight ahead.