Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Pentagon Warning About U.S. Troop Deployment in Iraq, Afghanistan; Useful Garbage
Aired May 04, 2007 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I am Susan Roesgen, filling in just one more day for Kyra Phillips. She'll be back on Monday.
A reception fit for the queen. CNN's Richard Quest joins hundreds of Virginians greeting Her Majesty for the 400th anniversary of the founding of the first British settlement in America.
We'll have live coverage in this hour.
LEMON: And severe weather threatening Louisiana and the Plains. CNN's Reynolds Wolf has all the latest warnings for you and shows us where the storms are headed now.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
It is a stormy start to the weekend for some parts of our country. Where are they focused now?
Reynolds Wolf checking it all out for us.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROESGEN: And now the definition of diplomacy, really. How many words make a meeting a meeting? How many minutes makes a meeting a meeting?
Whatever the definition, U.S. diplomats say their encounters today with Iranian diplomats in Egypt doesn't really qualify as a meeting. It happened in a hallway outside a conference designed to draw Iraq's neighbors into the peace process. Secretary of State Rice met there yesterday with her counterpart from Syria, but American contacts with Iran were much more limited.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN CROCKER, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: In the context of the discussions over the last few days, there were a couple brief encounters between U.S. officials and Iranian officials, as well as with officials of virtually all of the other delegations. As I said, these were brief, they touched on the agenda items before -- before the conferees, and I wouldn't read too much into them.
What this represents is our desire to do everything we can to support Iraq, and to use all of our influence to see that Iraq's neighbors support Iraq, instead of the opposite. So, the issue isn't a new step in a bilateral relationship between us, say, and Syria. That's not what this is about. It's about focused discussions on what can be done to help Iraq instead of hurt it, and that was very clearly expressed by the secretary in her meetings with the -- in her meeting with the Syrian foreign minister.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: And yet there were other factions at play. The conference drew support from most Shiite Arabs, but a Sunni group denounced it, calling that conference one last bid by operation forces to prop up the Iraqi government.
And five more U.S. troop deaths in Iraq. One soldier was killed by a roadside bomb today while he was on patrol south of Baghdad, and yesterday bombs killed two soldiers in Baghdad. Two other GIs died in combat in Anbar province.
The U.S. military death toll in Iraq now stands at 3,360.
U.S. troops are facing longer and more frequent deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a Pentagon report says they're paying a huge price psychologically.
Our Barbara Starr joins us from the Pentagon.
Barbara, what did they find in this study? And what should be done about all of this?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Don, this is the fourth study that the military has conducted of the mental health -- of the troops on the frontline. Some really tough times facing some of these young people in combat. This latest study from the Pentagon found that for the soldiers and Marines who have been in heavy combat, who have had these repeated deployments, up to one third of them are reporting anxiety, depression and acute stress.
What to do about it? Well, this panel of military medical experts said the troops need more time at home, 18 to 36 months, up to three years between their deployments to the battlefield, but in reality that is exactly what is not happening, of course. They are now spending more time, 15-month tours on the frontline, and home, maybe, maybe if they're lucky, 12 months before they have to go back -- Don.
LEMON: And let's talk about, Barbara, the serious findings of the ethics and morality in all of this.
STARR: Don, in this report, this survey that they did, for the first time they asked the troops on the frontline a number of questions about their morals and their ethics at war.
First, have a listen to what one of the top officials said about all of this today. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. GEN. GALE S. POLLOCK, ACTING ARMY SURGEON GENERAL: It has never been done. There is no research out there that has gone out and asked these questions to the soldiers and Marines that are really on the line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: And so, Don, what did they ask? What did they find out?
Look at some of these details.
They surveyed them, and they found that less than half of the soldiers and Marines surveyed said they would report a team member for unethical behavior. Over a third said torture should be allowed to save the life of a fellow soldier or Marine. Less than half of the soldiers and Marines said civilians, non-combatants should be treated with dignity and respect. Ten percent of the soldiers and Marines reported mistreating those non-combatants when it was not necessary.
All of this a matter of certainly concern to the Pentagon, of course. And what the commanders say is they are stepping up the training for the troops about the correct behavior on the battlefield, but there's a lot of stress that certainly is beginning to impact the troops -- Don.
LEMON: I can only imagine. Barbara Starr, thank you.
ROESGEN: And another black eye for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Associated Press is reporting that V.A. higher-ups got bonuses totaling almost $4 million last year, even when wounded veterans faced long delays in getting their benefits. Among those receiving the top bonus payment of $33,000 was the official who helps manage the backlogged disability claims system.
As you might imagine, many veterans are not happy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE DAVIS, VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS: The V.A., 235,000 employees there absolutely do miracles every single day of the week for America's veterans. But, you know, you have an agency right now that is beset by problem after problem after problem for the last two years of their own making, and this here is just a little more icing on the cake.
There should be deep concern, you know, across -- across America. You know, nobody joins the federal government to become rich. But then again, the federal government should not award bonuses for people who fail to do their jobs.
As you were saying, we're looking at a V.A. claims backlog. The backlog exceeds almost 840,000 claims that are in this backlog. You have a budget that was planned using pre-war data, but even though it was implemented. I mean, these are problem after problem. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: And there is so much outrage, in fact, that Democratic Congressman John Hall is introducing legislation that would hold up those bonuses under the V.A. winnows down the backlog of the unpaid claims by the veterans.
LEMON: Well, Susan, she dislikes spicy food, shellfish and big portions. We couldn't hang out, me and the queen.
So, what do you serve Queen Elizabeth II for lunch? Organic greens, of course, rockfish, and lemon cloud tart. That's what's on the menu at the luncheon hosted by the governor of Virginia in Colonial Williamsburg.
The queen was in Jamestown earlier today to mark the 400th anniversary of England's first permanent settlement in America. And she spoke about that just moments ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUEEN ELIZABETH II, UNITED KINGDOM: The Jamestown landing is not just a historical fact, but a symbol, a symbol of the convergence of civilizations, of the spread of the rule of law, of the growth of representative democracy. And also the symbol of friendship, the deep and enduring friendship between the United States and the United Kingdom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, the queen now heads to college -- the College of William and Mary to visit with students and faculty this afternoon. She's expected to ring the Wren bell, signaling the end of the school term.
David Hasselhoff gets called on the carpet after falling off the wagon. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM. The back-story on a disturbing videotape shot by the actor's own daughter.
Transforming trash. A landfill in Georgia generates power and money. It's a win-win situation, straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROESGEN: It's 17 past the hour. And here are three of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Dangerous storms are rolling through southern Louisiana right now, with heavy rain, hail and the potential for tornadoes. Reynolds Wolf is watching it all in the CNN weather center, and we'll get the latest in just a minute.
The government is not aware of any specific threats against presidential candidate Barack Obama, but the Secret Service is giving him protection anyway. A law enforcement source says Obama has received hate mail and calls. And Britain's Queen Elizabeth is wrapping up her visit to Virginia and heading west for tomorrow's Kentucky Derby. The queen has spent today touring Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg.
LEMON: And let's get back to that severe weather. We showed you New Orleans just a short time ago, pitch black.
Reynolds Wolf checking it all out for us.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LEMON: A sunny report on global warming, relatively speaking. A U.S.-sponsored conflict in Thailand concludes that the battle against climate change can be won, and it won't cost as much as some critics have warned. A report says sharp cuts in greenhouse gas emissions would reduce the world's economic growth, but only by about three percent over the next 25 years or so.
It recommends more energy-efficient buildings and vehicles, a shift away from fossil fuels, and improvements in both forestry and farming. The panel's chairman calls the study stunning in its brilliance, but the White House says the recommendations would cause a global recession.
ROESGEN: Well, some say greenhouse gases aren't all bad and keeping them out of the atmosphere doesn't have to hurt the economy.
CNN's Rob Marciano found a landfill in Georgia where yesterday's garbage is today's energy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): Mounds of garbage decomposing. Landfills produce huge amounts of methane. It's the second most abundant greenhouse gas, and a whopping 20 times more potent than CO2. But here, at this capped landfill, methane gas is taking on the sweeter smell of success.
(on camera): I look around, all I see are pipes being drilled into the ground. Tell me what process is happening underneath the dirt here.
DAVE GUSTASHAW, INTERFACE, INC.: You have an anaerobic digestion that's occurring in the ground that the microbes are basically eating the garbage, in very simple terms. And as a result of that, in the absence of oxygen, it's generating methane.
MARCIANO (voice-over): Methane David Gustashaw uses to run his carpet factory. And methane the local utility is happy to sell.
PATRICK BOWIE, CITY OF LAGRANGE, GEORGIA: We pull the landfill gas in, clean it up, condition it, compress it and pipe it about nine miles to the customers.
MARCIANO (on camera): So here we are nine miles away, and the methane is being pumped into your factory. GUSTASHAW: That's right. This line has two energy sources. It has both electricity and natural gas, or a gas requirement for processed heat to help us run the process. This is a direct -- what's called a direct gas use of landfill gas.
MARCIANO (voice-over): Which is not only good for the environment, it's good for the bottom line.
(on camera): You're saving 30 percent by using the methane from the landfill gases?
GUSTASHAW: That's correct.
MARCIANO (voice-over): And with the town owning the utility, the added revenue helps the community. So everybody wins.
GUSTASHAW: If a small business in a small rural town in Georgia can do this, I know others can do this as well.
MARCIANO (on camera): Setup costs for this operation should be repaid in another five to seven years. And this capped landfill will be pumping out methane for another two decades. So it's a moneymaker, just one of many solutions that policymakers and corporations should consider in order to limit greenhouse gases.
Rob Marciano, CNN, LaGrange, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, Rob.
Washington on edge, waiting for more names to drop in the alleged D.C. madam case. That is straight ahead, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. Here is how we're used to seeing David Hasselhoff, but a disturbing new video has turned up, and it shows the suave and hunky actor, well, drunk. It was shot three months ago by Hasselhoff's 16-year-old daughter, Taylor-Ann. It shows Hasselhoff strugglinging to eat a hamburger off the floor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAYLOR-ANN HASSELHOFF, DAUGHTER: Tell me you're going to stop.
DAVID HASSELHOFF, ACTOR: I am going to stop.
T. HASSELHOFF: Promise?
D. HASSELHOFF: Yes.
T. HASSELHOFF: Yes?
D. HASSELHOFF: This is a mess. (END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: As we said, it's very disturbing, especially if you've ever known anyone who has had an addiction. Hasselhoff says the tape was part of his family's intervention so he could see what a mess he was. He says he's doing better now and is back on his game.
Quoting now, he says, "I am a recovering alcoholic. Despite that, I have been going through a painful divorce and I have recently been separated from my children due to my work. I have been successfully dealing with my issue. Unfortunately, one evening I did have a brief relapse, but part of recovery is relapse."
And make sure you tune in tonight to "PAULA ZAHN NOW," surfing images, messages of gourmet meals. That is therapy. Paula takes a revealing look inside celebrity rehab. That's tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern only on CNN.
ROESGEN: It's no secret that CEOs make the big bucks, but one statistic says the big bosses earn up to 500 times what you and I would earn.
Felicia Taylor is at the New York Stock Exchange to tell us about the biggest payouts in corporate America.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
LEMON: A page out of American history prompts a royal visit to Jamestown, Virginia. And America welcomes Her Majesty with bouquets and howdy-dos -- howdy-dos.
We've got your front row seat just ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROESGEN: Hello, I'm Susan Roesgen, filling in for Kyra Phillips, just one more day, here at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon.
A reception fit for a queen. Americans greet the greet her majesty for the 400th anniversary of the oldest British settlement in America. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
ROESGEN: And let's check in right away with Reynolds Wolf at the map to see all that bad weather in Louisiana, especially in the New Orleans area.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LEMON: Lot's going on. Let's see, there was breakfast. And then she had a lunch with the governor, the vice president of the United States, Sandra Day O'Connor, a very busy day for the queen of England. No one knows better than our own Richard Quest. I hear you're actually inside the settlement? Now that's a pretty nice shot. The weather looks good, too. RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You, Don, are in the NEWSROOM. But I am in the original fort, some 400 years old, where of course the settlers came, and it was here that her majesty visited just a few short hours ago.
You see, when the queen came here 50 years ago, this was not discovered. They all thought it had been washed away into the James River. It's only in the last 14 years that they have managed to basically dig down all these layers, through civil war sites, through everything, right down to the bottom and discovered what is now the original fort settled by John Smith, and of course Winfield and those 108 settlers, 400 years ago. The queen came here, she really, really wanted to see this. She wanted to see these marks, for instance, where the original posts were. She looked down this hole where they are doing the most painstaking, can I borrow that tool, look, this is the sort of painstaking work that they're actually doing as they uncover the original fort. So it's no surprise that by the time she went to lunch, her majesty the queen was most impressed.
LEMON: Hey, Richard, you know what? I think you need some rest, buddy. You're stealing people's digging tools? What's going on there? How close did you get to the queen? Did you get very close?
QUEST: Well, I mean, the people -- this was one part of the area that they were very, very keen the queen should have as much private as anything, so there were only 300 people. Only 300 people, you know, you and a couple hundred of your closest friends, as they say, who were actually here with the queen. But she actually -- I was just asking about this. She did actually come down the steps. She stood here, you can probably see some picture of it at the same time, and she looked around. As I say, at lunch, she made it quite clear, unusually perhaps for the queen, just how much she had enjoyed it.
LEMON: Richard, just real quickly, because we're running out of time, is this a big deal back in the UK that the queen is visiting here? Are all eyes on America right now?
QUEST: Yes and no. I mean, I think -- if you want me to be absolutely honest --
LEMON: No. I want you to be honest, but the answer is no, right?
QUEST: Well, no, no, no. I think the people back home are probably as interested in how ga-ga the United States goes every time there's a visit. You asked, I told you.
ROESGEN: We don't have any of our own, really.
LEMON: Well, we don't have any royalty.
QUEST: I'm not going there, guys. I'm not going there. Listen --
LEMON: We've got plenty of queens, not a lot of royalty here.
QUEST: Yes, yes, yes.
LEMON: You know what?
You know what? We're getting firsthand accounts from our I- Reports, our viewers, about the queen's visit. Richard Watkins was up at dawn, and he waited for four hours to get this snapshot of Queen Elizabeth and Vice President Dick Cheney. That's a nice picture! He says thousands of people were waiting to see her majesty the queen and everyone was excited, especially the children who gave her flowers. To send us your I-Report, your pictures and video, log on to CNN.com. Very nice photos there.
ROESGEN: She's everyone's favorite granny, what can you say?
Washington is on edge, not because the queen will be dropping by, but because they're waiting more names to drop from that woman's phone list. The clients from the alleged D.C. madam case. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN: There's some generally high and mighty folks in Washington seem distracted today, it could be because this may be the day a TV network names names. The client names from the phone records of the alleged D.C. madam. CNN's Brian Todd has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): From K Street to Capitol Hill, nervousness abounds. Will this woman, her alleged clients or employees, or the news outlets covering her case expose a major scandal? Or at least embarrass Washinton's power elite?
DEBORAH JEANE PALFREY, ALLEGED D.C. MADAM: Mine is a very bizarre and rather unusual case.
TODD: Deborah Jeane Palfrey, accused by the government of running a high-end prostitution ring in Washington. She denies it, but some of her alleged clients are trying hard to keep their names out of this case. ABC News, scheduled to run a special based on phone records given to the network by Palfrey, says it's gotten a letter from the lawyer of one of Palfrey's alleged clients's. Saying he has reason to believe that his client might be revealed in the story. ABC says the lawyer didn't name his client, but demanded they not air the name. According to the network, the attorney claims his client is a government witness against Palfrey. And airing the name would violate a court order preventing Palfrey from intimidating witnesses. Legal analysts say it's a weak argument.
KEITH WATTERS, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Remember, Deborah Palfrey and the attorney gave ABC the reports prior to the order being issued. So they're not violating the order in any way. ABC is not part of this case.
TODD: The news media also facing tough questions over whether they're really serving the public. HOWARD KURTZ, CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES": This whole story makes me queasy. Because ordinarily, journalists don't publicize on a national basis, the names of clients of an escort service. And so then you get to the question of what is newsworthy about it? What if it had nothing to do with somebody's job, federal money or any official role?
TODD (on camera): An ABC spokesman tells us they are very mindful of that standard for newsworthiness and are proceeding very carefully. They point out one of those exposed what a former state department official whose job had been to promote policies against prostitution. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Saint Louis Cardinal's pitcher, Josh Hancock, was drunk and talking on his cell phone when he died in a freeway crash last weekend. Authorities released the results of their investigation, today. Showing Hancock's blood alcohol level was almost twice the legal limit. They also disclosed that marijuana was found in his SUV, along with a glass pipe. Hancock slammed into a tow truck early Sunday as it was tending to a stalled car.
ROESGEN: Hip-hop music. Hugely popular and sometimes hugely controversial.
What bothers you about this type of music?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's that they keep calling you names and it's offensive. As a child growing up, you want to hear music that's inspiring.
ROESGEN: And now it's the target of anti-obscenity marches. We'll tell you about the march against the bad lyrics and hip-hop music, coming up, in the NEWSROOM.
LEMON: And Paris Hilton is staring down a jail stint. Our Sibila Vargas is at the courthouse.
Sibila?
LEMON: That's right Don. The big question is, will Paris Hilton face jail time? That's what everyone wants to know. I'll give you an update when the NEWSROOM continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: And from glamour, sadly, to slammer, Paris Hilton could be spending some time behind bars if prosecutors get their way. Entertainment Correspondent Sibila Vargas is outside the L.A. Courthouse where a judge will decide her fate.
Sibila, not exactly an uplifting Hollywood story there.
SIBILA VARGAS, ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Certainly not, but oh my gosh, I mean, interesting nonetheless for sure. Everybody asking, will Paris Hilton get that jail time? Prosecutors want her to spend 45 days in jail, that's what they're asking for, because she violated probation.
Now, this all stems from an arrest back in September when the hotel heiress was convicted of alcohol-related reckless driving. Now, she pleaded context (ph) back then and it led to a sentence of 36 months probation, alcohol education, and $1,500 in fines.
Now she was pulled over sometime later, this was back in January 15th, and according to officers, she was informed that she was driving on a suspended license. Now, according to court papers, she signed a document acknowledging that she wasn't allowed to drive, but then get this -- cut to February 27th, just one month later, she's pulled over again, now this time for speeding and driving without her headlights. This is when she's charged with violating her probation. And that's why we're here today.
Prosecutors say they want her to spend 45 days in jail. Now, the judge, of course, is going to be hearing the case. He'll decide what penalty to impose, whether it will be the 45 days in jail, he might give her house arrest, we don't know, but the maximum is 90 days in jail though, Don.
LEMON: Wow -- and so she could spend 45 days in jail or be under house arrest. What an unusual turn for Paris Hilton, Sibila.
VARGAS: Absolutely, absolutely. It will definitely be interesting, certainly make news if she does go to jail. And I got to tell you, I mean, the news media is already out here, we're waiting to hear this story. And of course, you know, I was at the spector trial opening day, not nearly the attention that this case is expected to get, of course, because she is Paris Hilton, and everything about Paris Hilton is famous, including her being here in court today.
LEMON: Whatever the outcome, it'll certainly be interesting if she's -- house arrest or jail. Certainly interesting for Paris Hilton.
Let's move on now and talk about Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger. They were due in court today for a custody hearing. Do we know what came out of that?
VARGAS: Well, actually, there was a couple surprises. First of all, Alec Baldwin didn't show up in court today. Now, that could also be because today was only the attornies that were expected to talk and not the parents, so the parents weren't going to say anything.
Now, Kim Basinger did make it to court today. She was wearing mostly black. She had a gray outfit on, looked a little like she was in mourning, but understandably. This is a case that has gotten so much attention, especially recently after the voicemail tapes were leaked to the press and the media got hold of it and it's been out.
And in fact, today, the commissioner who is presiding over the hearing, decided that, you know, the media shouldn't even be inside. We were inside -- we were allowed inside the courts and then we were kicked out, because she said that, you know, with all of the over- sensationalism of this case, it has been detrimental to that child, Ireland, the 11-year-old girl who is at the center of this whole thing.
But June 8th, there's going to be another hearing, and that will be all about this leaked tape, so it will be interesting to see which parties do show up for that.
Don, back to you. But we'll have more though on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" at 11:00 p.m. Eastern. Don't forget to watch, OK, Don?
LEMON: We won't, I was just going to say, I hope you have some happier stories. I mean, I know it's Hollywood, but these two are very serious subjects that you're dealing with.
Sibila, we'll be watching, 11:00 p.m. Eastern on "Headline Prime," "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," one of the best entertainment shows on television. We'll see you then.
VARGAS: Thank you.
ROESGEN: Well, in New York, Al Sharpton and hundreds of other critics of the racist and sexist and violent lyrics in rap and hip-hop rallied yesterday.
CNN's Randi Kaye was there, and because she's reporting on offensive lyrics, you might find some of the language in her report offensive as well.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They say it's time for the record companies to face the music and listen to the chorus of protestors.
PROTESTERS: What do we want? Now!
KAYE: This march for decency in hip-hop and rap comes in the wake of the uproar over what Don Imus said on radio. His racial slurs against the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team.
Now, Imus's harshest critic, Reverend Al Sharpton, wants hip-hop to clean up its act. He led the group past three major record labels headquartered in New York City.
AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: We're not asking for censorship but there's a standard in this business. Where is the standards when it comes to --
KAYE: Imus's attempt on Sharpton's radio show to explain his racial slur brought music into the fray.
DON IMUS, FIRED TALK SHOW HOST: Why (ph) I listen to the same kind of outrage, let me ask you, in the black community, when rappers and other people in the black community, athletes in the black community, defame and demean black women? KAYE: Sharpton was listening, and now wants a code of conduct for artists.
(on camera): These people say they are not asking for censorship, just accountability. Why not go after the artists themselves? Because, Sharpton says, it's the record companies that set the standards and make the money.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This has to go to corporate America. This has to go to radio stations, expose (ph) people who's behind the scenes.
KAYE (voice-over): People who can stop the nasty lyrics about drugs, violence, sex and disrespecting women.
(on camera): What bothers you about this type of music?
DIONNA THOMAS, AGE 15: It's that they keep calling you names and it's offensive because as a child growing up, you want to hear music that's inspiring.
KAYE (voice-over): But to those who say hip-hop is not to blame --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hip-hop is nothing but prison culture. Too many of our young black men are incarcerated, that pain has created a culture in the form of music that is self destructive for us.
KAYE: Even old-time rappers like Kurtis Blow say it's time for change.
KURTIS BLOW, RAP ARTIST: I've recorded over 150 rap songs and I've never used profanity. There is a possibility that you can have a career in rap music and totally, totally have some integrity with your music.
KAYE: Integrity, maybe someone should write a song about that.
Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Heavy rains, tornadoes, and hail, stormy times for the start of the weekend. Who needs to seek cover?
Our Reynolds Wolf with an eye on the radar right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com
