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British Prime Minister to Step Down in June; Abortion and the Republican Party; President Bush Meets With Defense Secretary, Joint Chiefs Regarding Iraq.
Aired May 10, 2007 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Don Lemon.
Underwater in Big Lake, Missouri, residents try to save what's left of the town. The big question, will the remaining levees hold?
Thousands of car seats recalled, but not because they're unsafe in cars. Before you buckle up your baby, check in with the CNN NEWSROOM.
It is 3:00 Eastern time -- the commander in chief in session today with top brass at the Pentagon. House Democrats, meanwhile, are pushing a war bill with funding only through July. Mr. Bush says that's unacceptable and says warring parties in Congress should not compromise now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Time's running out, because, the longer we wait, the more strain we are going to put on the military.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: CNN's Brianna Keilar is watching the war on funding from our D.C. bureau. And she joins us now with more -- Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Don.
House Democrats, what they want to do is take $96 billion to fund the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan through September, and split it in two. They would give the president $43 billion of that money up front. But, come July, the measure would force President Bush to come back to them and report on where Iraq stands on certain benchmarks to get the rest of the money, about 53 billion more dollars.
Well, this vote on the bill isn't expected until late tonight, but we did get an early taste of the debate that we will be hearing a short time ago on the House floor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JEB HENSARLING (R), TEXAS: Now what we see is, yet again, the Democrats bringing a bill to the floor that our secretary of defense says is even worse than the last one they brought to the floor, as far as tying the hands of our troops as they attempt to protect our freedom. Once again, we have a slow-bleed strategy for our troops in Iraq.
REP. LLOYD DOGGETT (D), TEXAS: It is not the enemy that has us pinned down in Iraq today. It is this administration's unwillingness to admit its mistakes and its lies. The intervention in Iraq was this country's largest foreign policy blunder.
Now it's time for Congress to intervene. With this war in its fifth year, for Congress not to act now is for Congress to become an enabler and an accomplice to the administration's errors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: (AUDIO GAP) vote tonight on this two-part funding bill. Democrats are allowing a largely symbolic vote to satisfy members who are very much opposed to funding the war.
It proposes a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq after 180 days -- Don.
LEMON: And the obvious question, Brianna, is it expected to pass?
KEILAR: Well, looking at these two bills, this troop withdrawal, no. I mean, even the supporters of that bill admit it won't.
But, when it comes to the two-part spending bill, Democratic leadership in the House expect that it will. However, President Bush has promised that he would veto it. And, also, keep in mind, the Senate is working towards a compromise with the White House, something very different from what the House is working on.
So, really, you probably would not expect to see something like we're seeing in the House ever make it to the president's desk.
LEMON: Brianna Keilar, thank you.
PHILLIPS: President Bush is about to lose one of his closest allies. British Prime Minister Tony Blair ended months of speculation today, announcing he will step down June 27.
CNN's European political editor, Robin Oakley, has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: Britain's prime minister, Tony Blair, has finally given the long-expected timetable for his departure as prime minister. There will be just 48 more days of Tony Blair as Britain's prime minister.
The likely successor, the finance minister, chancellor of the exchequer, Gordon Brown, who will have to face up to a leadership election within Blair's Labor Party. And whoever wins that leadership election, almost certainly Gordon Brown, will then become the prime minister.
In the meantime, Tony Blair carries on with the job. He will be visiting Washington soon to see President George W. Bush. He will be attending the G8 summit of industrialized nations. He will be going to a European summit in Brussels and pushing on with policies.
The big question, whether his successor is going to change the policy in Iraq -- that seems unlikely, because Mr. Brown, as chancellor of the exchequer, has provided the money for Britain's efforts in Iraq, and he has given no indication that he might pull troops back early.
But there will certainly be a rather cooler relationship with President George W. Bush in the White House than has existed under Tony Blair.
Robin Oakley, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Fires on the East Coast and L.A., swollen rivers in the heartland, flooding in parts of Missouri may last several days longer and reach areas not yet affected. We will have a full report in just a moment.
But, first, we talk about the fires in L.A.'s Griffith Park. It's now 75 percent contained, but it's already burned close to 1,000 acres, including parts of Mount Hollywood.
Huge problems again in extreme southern Georgia, as well, and across the state of Florida -- hundreds of wildfires are raging, and a choking haze is spreading far and wide. These folks certainly could use some rain.
So, can we expect good news for firefighters in Florida?
Reporter Ryan Duffy of CNN affiliate WTLV has the very latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN DUFFY, WTLV REPORTER: It's a little bit smaller now, down to 15,600 acres, and a little bit more contained, around 35 percent.
That is mainly due to the weather here, higher humidity, lighter winds. It's all helped. Some of the 1,000 people here that have been evacuated are returning back to their homes today. That's primarily in the northern part of Bradford County.
And, today, fire crews are focusing in on mopping up and strengthening their containment lines. They're looking at hot spots all along Highway 100 here in the county. That's where the fire crossed over that highway earlier in the week. And, now, at least for the moment, it is mostly out there.
Today is also giving firefighters a chance to take a little bit of a rest. They have been going nonstop, around the clock, since Monday. But they know, as quickly as conditions improved here, they could also get a lot worse just as fast. They're watching fires burning underground here, below the surface. They're having cases of trees, trees that looked fine, simply collapsing, because all their roots were burned out underground beneath them.
But it is still the case here -- and they consider this a major accomplishment here -- not one house was destroyed in this fire, and, so far, no injuries at all.
I'm reporting live in Bradford County -- back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, Florida, Georgia, California, Reynolds Wolf has been following all the severe weather in the center, just 15 feet behind us.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know what's weird about this whole thing...
PHILLIPS: What's weird?
WOLF: ... in terms of the fires?
I mean, Southern California, I mean, come on. Let's think about the climate. There, it's supposed to be dry. It's supposed to be somewhat dry in parts of the Southeast. But this is ridiculous. I mean, at least, in this kind of climate, you get some scattered showers and storms.
What makes it even more weird, more frustrating, is, you have this tropical system, which is drying. We're talking about Subtropical Depression Andrea. This, by tomorrow, may be nothing. It's weakening that quickly.
But this storm system being so close to just parched areas of south Georgia and Florida, you would think that we would at least catch a break. And that's not going to be the situation. In fact, we're not even getting any rain. We're getting wind from this, which is really, no pun meant or intended, fuelling the fires, going to help spread those flames.
And they're been dealing with smoke as far south as -- as, say, all the way into Miami, even into the Keys, so certainly a mess there.
They could use some rain. They're not going to get it. We are seeing some rain, though, in other spots, say, in Upstate New York. Some of these storms have been severe, reaching just near Burlington, Vermont, as well as some right into Rutland.
You see this big yellow box. That big yellow box indicates a severe thunderstorm watch that will be in effect until 8:00 Eastern time, also, some strong storms just to the southwest of Burlington as we speak, a lot of lightning with these. Saratoga Springs, no rainfall for you just yet, but this entire band is going to sweep right through your neighborhoods -- same story for Albany.
And Pittsfield, get ready. The rain is coming. Keep the umbrellas handy. Southward, into places like Williamsport, you're getting some scattered showers.
In Wilkes-Barre, as well as Scranton, no rain for you -- 20 minutes, 30 minutes or so, you are going to hear it on the roof.
All right. That's the latest we have for you around the nation.
Let's send it back to you at the news desk.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Reynolds.
WOLF: Any time.
PHILLIPS: Well, tonight on CNN: floods, fire and wind. CNN's Larry King takes a closer look at recent weather and attempts to explain it. That's "LARRY KING LIVE," 9:00 p.m., and only on CNN.
LEMON: Let's get you to the NEWSROOM first.
And I think Fredricka is going to take us to New Jersey for a developing story -- Fred.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Don.
This time, in a high school in Winslow Township, which is in New Jersey, near Atco, New Jersey, apparently, that high school is on lockdown, because police are now investigating some sort of suspicious incident.
We're unable to get any more details about that, but the school is on lockdown. All the students are inside. And we understand that some parents have heard about it. This has been on lockdown for about three-and-a-half-hours now. So, some parents have driven up to the school, but they are unable to get inside to retrieve any of their kids, because police say they want to secure the situation, find out what exactly is at issue, before anyone is allowed to come or go at Winslow Township High School there in Atco, New Jersey.
When we get any more information about it, Don, we will be able to bring it to you.
LEMON: And we will check back. Thank you so much, Fredricka.
Can a pro-choice presidential candidate win the Republican nomination?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDOLPH GIULIANI (R), FORMER MAYOR OF NEW YORK: I guess we're going to find out, right? Well, instead of telling the Republicans what they should believe, maybe we should find out, and let the Republicans decide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Here's a question for you: Is it a savvy campaign strategy or political suicide?
Stay in the CNN NEWSROOM for more on Rudy Giuliani's intriguing move.
PHILLIPS: Nature is about to make things tough for people with asthma. We're going to tell you why and what can be done to prevent the problems.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Some call it the pizza loophole, a potential security risk that came to light on word of an alleged plot to attack Fort Dix in New Jersey.
Prosecutors say one of the six men accused had used his pizza delivery job to scout potential targets. Delivery people come and go all the time and are not watched or followed once they pass through the gates.
That said, a base spokesman points out that delivery drivers have to register in advance and pass a criminal background check to get an entry pass that is good for only 30 days. She says the policy should be reviewed in the future.
PHILLIPS: An Atlanta couple has received an automatic life sentence in the starvation death of their 6-week-old son. Crown Thomas weighed 3.5 pounds when he died in an apartment across the street from a hospital.
Jade Sanders and Lamont Thomas say they're vegans who tried to raise Crown on a diet of soy milk and apple juice. Prosecutors call it intentional neglect and say the parents are using veganism as a smokescreen.
Crown was born in a bathtub, they say, and had never even been seen by a doctor. When he died, he was so emaciated that doctors could count his bones.
LEMON: More than 20 million Americans have asthma. Almost half of those are children. In fact, asthma is the most common chronic illness children get. But how much do you know about it?
Well, here's CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEATRICE AIST, ASTHMA PATIENT: I would cough. I -- every other word cough, or trying to get enough air to be able to speak more than three words, a phrase. DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Beatrice Aist was diagnosed with asthma, and in that moment she joined more than 20 million other Americans suffering from the chronic lung disease that causes coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and wheezing.
DR. DAVID GROSS, PULMONOLOGIST: The airways get inflamed. And, when they're inflamed, they tend to react and constrict.
GUPTA: It can happen at any age, although it's more common in children.
Now, there are a number of triggers that can bring on an attack, allergens like pollen, and animal dander, or environmental irritants, like cigarette smoke and air pollution, even exercise.
A recent study found living in certain cities like Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee presents bigger challenges for asthma sufferers, in part due to those triggers, plus restaurants, bars, and workplaces that still allow smoking.
Doctors say even mild asthma can be life-threatening. In fact, every day there are 5,000 asthma-related emergency room visits and 11 deaths, every day. There's no cure, so getting the proper treatment is crucial.
GROSS: With care, we think most of those asthma attacks are preventable. But, unfortunately, not all of them are. Some can be incredibly acute.
GUPTA: The standard care is medication, mainly in the form of inhaled steroids.
GROSS: Well, it's really our main line of attack against asthma. And they're very successful and very safe when they're used. And the side effects are very low as well.
GUPTA: Beatrice says, after just six months of medication, her symptoms improved significantly.
AIST: Less coughing and a better quality of life. I feel like I'm living.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: So, you want to be a war correspondent, pack nerves of steel, along with your laptop? Ahead in the NEWSROOM, CNN's Michael Holmes gives us a taste of what he saw in Iraq.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange.
When NEWSROOM returns, I will tell you about a recall involving a popular baby carrier. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: A huge fine for the maker of the powerful painkiller OxyContin for misleading and potentially harmful marketing.
Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange, what do you think? How much will the company have to pay up?
LISOVICZ: It's a lot of money, and it's obviously terrible publicity for the company, Kyra.
Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, and three of its current and former executives are pleading guilty to misleading the public about the drug's risk of addiction. The company and the three executives have agreed to pay a combined $634 million in fines.
Purdue says the misleading marketing occurred before 2001. Since then, it has made changes to its training and increased warnings about the dangers of the drug. OxyContin was introduced in 1996, quickly became a top seller for Purdue, bringing in more than $1 billion a year for the company by 2001 -- the fine, one of the largest against the drug industry for a misleading marketing campaign -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So, hear's another important consumer safety story, especially if you're a parent of an infant, hundreds of thousands of car seats being recalled. We have been talking about it all morning.
LISOVICZ: Yes. I mean, this is terrible news, because, obviously, you want to -- it's a very vulnerable time, especially when you buckle up your kids in the car.
EvenFlo is recalling about 450,000 EvenFlo Embrace infant car seat carriers. The company says that, when the seat is used in carrier mode, its handle can unexpectedly release. That could cause the seat to move forward, and the infant to fall out.
The seats were sold nationwide through department and baby stores from December '04 through September of '06. EvenFlo says there were 160 injuries reported, including a skull fracture, two concussions, and some scrapes and bruises.
If you're a registered owner of one of these seats, EvenFlo will be sending you a notice in the mail and a free repair kit. So, stay on the lookout for that.
Turning to the markets, here's something we haven't seen in a while, a broad-based sell-off. Just yesterday, the Dow hit another all-time closing high, but a different story today. The big concern is about the economy, following a series of disappointing retail sales reports, some question as to whether those higher gas prices crimped consumer spending or whether it was just a lousy month that was an aberration.
We will know with the months to come -- the Dow industrial right now down 114 points. The Nasdaq is down 34 points, or 1.33 percent.
I will be back in a little more than 30 minutes with a complete wrap-up of the trading day -- in the meantime, Kyra, back to you.
PHILLIPS: All right. We will see you in a little bit, Susan.
Well, a turning point for Tammy Faye Messner. The former televangelist says that her doctors have halted her cancer treatment. In an online letter to her fans, Messner says her weight is down to 65 pounds -- quoting now -- "The doctors have stopped trying to treat the cancer. And so now it's up to God and my faith. And that's enough. But please continue to pray for the pain and sick stomach."
Messner was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1996. In 2004, she announced it was back, this time in her lungs.
LEMON: The face of grace in the shadow of death -- Miles Levin, a 16-year-old terminal cancer patient, is touching the world through his blog with humor, honesty, and the kind of courage that makes him an inspiration to all of us.
CNN's Carol Costello reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GRAPHIC: I will try to explain why this is the best thing that could ever happen to me. There is only one path to greatness, and it runs through hell.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Miles Levin blogs away nearly everyday.
MILES LEVIN, CANCER PATIENT: Frankly, I'm not convinced beyond convincing that there is a God. It would make a lot of sense that there wouldn't be.
COSTELLO: He doesn't have much time: two years at the most.
M. LEVIN: What has happened to me is no more than a random DNA transcription error.
COSTELLO: But it's not. Cancer is killing him. He has so little time to make life matter.
M. LEVIN: I am 16. I have cancer. But there's been some sort of cosmic mixup here. You have got the wrong guy.
COSTELLO: Instead of letting cancer get him down, he began to write. His candor, his gentle humor have become a touchstone for thousands around the world who visit him online.
M. LEVIN: Before cancer, I wasn't really outstanding in any way. A nice guy perhaps, but I didn't have my act together at all, and perhaps never would.
COSTELLO: Of course, when he began his blog, he had no idea he would hear from people in Asia and Brazil.
(on camera): I like how he says, sorry about my English.
But it's perfect.
M. LEVIN: Yes, it's perfect, yes.
COSTELLO (voice-over): Sam wrote to him: "Hey, buddy, you're in my thoughts and in my prayers. You're not a marshmallow guy like me. Talk to you soon."
Miles' blunt descriptions of what it's like to have cancer, his poetry in space landed on TV and on the radio.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What really scared you was not the dying, but to have no impact. My friend, you have had a major impact. Every morning, when I start my show, I say make each and every day count. Each day is a gift. And, certainly, nobody knows that better than you, Miles Levin.
COSTELLO: Recently, Miles made a trip to his school, Cranbrook. He had been absent for months, fighting his cancer. But, with his blog, it was as if he were always there. His classmates raised money and began wearing T-shirts with his slogan: "Keep fighting. Stop struggling."
ALEX PAVLOFF, MILES LEVIN'S CLASSMATE: I value every moment of my life because of what I have read on there.
COSTELLO: For Miles' family, especially his mother, his wisdom brings peace and wonder.
NANCY LEVIN, MILES' MOTHER: Some days, I still think I'm going to be able to get up. And there's some days that I find a sense of peace and perfection.
COSTELLO: A perfect child, a perfect life.
(on camera): So, would you say that you have lived a full life, then?
M. LEVIN: Yes. I'm in a place now that a lot of 78-year-old men find themselves, and that is looking at their life retrospectively. And it's a different view from here.
COSTELLO (voice-over): His voice has become weak from cancer. But what he has to say is clear and loud and being heard around the world.
M. LEVIN: I have come to believe God put me on Earth to get stage four alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Why? So that I could show the world how to have stage four alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, or, rather, how to handle what is close to the worst thing that could possibly happen to me with as much strength and grace as I could manage. I promise to continue to be the best model I can.
COSTELLO: For as long as he can.
Carol Costello, CNN, Detroit.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: So, you want to be a war correspondent, pack nerves of steel, along with your laptop? Ahead in the NEWSROOM, CNN's Michael Holmes gives us a taste of what he saw in Iraq.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM: Kyra Phillips and Don Lemon.
LEMON: The commander in chief in session today with top brass at the Pentagon. House Democrats, meantime, are pushing a war bill with funding only through July. Mr. Bush says that's unacceptable, and says warring parties in Congress should compromise now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: Time's running out, because, the longer we wait, the more strain we are going to put on the military.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Straight to the Pentagon now and senior correspondent Jamie McIntyre -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, this -- the U.S. strategy in Iraq is aimed at buying more time for the Iraqi government.
And President Bush emerged today from his closed-door session with the defense secretary, Robert Gates, and the Joints Chiefs of Staff, saying he needs the same thing -- more time for this strategy to work.
He urged the Congress to, in his words, stop playing politics and not put U.S. troops in the middle of the political debate. And again, he said, let's give this policy a chance to work.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We need to give General Petraeus' plan tame to work. There's a debate raging in Washington here about how long we're going to be there. We haven't even got all of our troops there.
I still find it interesting that General Petraeus was given a unanimous confirmation vote by the United States Senate after he made clear his plan, and before the plan has been fully implemented, some in Washington are saying, you need to leave. My attitude is, General Petraeus' plan ought to be given a chance to work, and we need to give the troops under his command the resources they need to prevail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCINTYRE: Now, President Bush implored the Congress to send him a funding bill with no strings attached. As you heard him say earlier, he said time is running out before the lack of funds is going to begin to affect troops in the field.
In return, though, Don, he did pledge to work with both Republicans and Democrats to come up with some bipartisan benchmarks for measuring success in Iraq over the crucial months ahead -- Don.
LEMON: And Jamie, the president talked about General Petraeus there when he was speaking. We had General Richard Cody on earlier this morning. And he had to say -- we wanted to know what he had to say about the state of U.S. forces and the war effort in Iraq.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. RICHARD CODY, VICE CHAIR OF STAFF, U.S. ARMY: We started this war with an Army that was too small, a Marine Corps that was too small. And the successive deployments are taking a toll on our families and on our soldiers.
The remarkable thing, though, through all of this, is we still have great young men and women signing up to basically tell America, in your time of need, send me, I'll defend you. And our retention rates right now are holding pretty -- pretty well. But this plus-up bears watching.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, Jamie, we've been hearing from the administration we're going to stay there, we have to stay. But is this an acknowledgement from the military that the forces are actually stretched too thin?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, two interesting things in what General Cody said there. One is, just a few years ago, you would not have heard from a senior Army leader an admission that they went to war with an Army that was too small and that the military was too small. Of course, now the Army is in the process of getting bigger, along with the Marine Corps.
And the other candid acknowledgement there is, although retention, recruitment rates are going pretty well right now, considering we're in the middle of a pretty deadly, dangerous war, he said the plus-up, which is the military's term for the troop buildup in Iraq, bears watching because the strain is not something that U.S. troops and their families can bear indefinitely. And they're very much seeing the stress of war.
One of the indications of that was just this recent survey that the military did on the mental health of returning troops. Over a third reporting some type of psychological problem, and the biggest factor for that was the time spent on the front lines of combat -- Don.
LEMON: CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre.
Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Four years and then some since war erupted in Iraq. And Baghdad remains one of the deadliest places on earth, not just for those fighting the battles, but for children trying to go to school, their families trying to feed them, and for journalists charged with showing the world's what happening. Journalists such as our own CNN's Michael Holmes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You don't know what to expect when you go back in, but, at the same time, you do. And this time going back, snipers all of a sudden become a really big issue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't forget my rooftops.
HOLMES: Instead of maybe looking there, a lot of people are looking up now, looking at windows and rooftops and things like that.
The other thing that had changed appreciably was the size and the sophistication of the roadside bombs, the use of these explosives- formed projectiles, which are savage, brutal, deadly roadside bombs. These are not like normal bombs. They're what they call shape charges, and they fire out a ball of molten copper, which will cut through an Abraham's tank's armor, let alone a Humvee.
Most people, soldiers and a lot of reporters, too, we put our names -- I've got my name and blood type in Arabic and English on my helmet. And I have it also on a piece of tape.
The soldiers still do dog tags, and the interesting thing with soldiers, a lot of them will wear one dog tag around their neck, and you'll see one in the laces of their boots. And the reason for that is because of the bombs. You can have your head blown off or you could have your leg blown off, and, well, you've got a tag at either end.
One of the other problems -- when I first started going to Baghdad, which was right, you know, during the end of the war, we would walk around the streets and talk to people and interview people and go to restaurants and stuff. But now you can't. That's just the way Baghdad is now. And so, really, the only way we can get contact with local people is to use our own Iraqi staff -- and they're fantastic and risk their lives for us every day -- or you embed with the military.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, Michael chronicles his month of mayhem in a new report from CNN's Special Investigations Unit. It airs Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
LEMON: Very interesting stuff there. Can't wait to see that one.
In the meantime, we're going to get back to the NEWSROOM. Fredricka Whitfield standing by with the details of a developing story -- Fred.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, a high school in Atco, New Jersey, remains on lockdown as police investigate a situation there. It's been three and a half hours now, and we're about an hour outside of when school is supposed to end. But that school remains on lockdown.
It's called Winslow Township. They're in Atco, New Jersey. The high school on lockdown as police continue to surround the building and they investigate inside as they look for -- flushing out this suspicious situation, which we are still unclear of what the situation is.
They're taking this especially serious because this high school has had its brush with scare before. A year ago, April of 2006, four teenagers were accused of plotting to kill about 25 people in a lunch period massacre. That was the plan before administrators got wind of this alleged plot, and it led to the arrests of those four teenagers.
So now, fast forward, here we are in May of 2007. We've got a situation that has alarmed authorities there, and that's why Winslow Township High School is on lockdown. All of the students remain in the school.
You're looking at new video that has been accessed by us, thanks to our affiliates there on the ground, WPVI. In this video shot, it does appear that you're seeing some students on the exterior of the school. I don't know exactly at what hour this video was shot. But we are being told by authorities that none of the students are allowed to exit that school until they have this situation flushed out -- Don.
LEMON: And it could be staff members as well just sort of milling about there.
But again, Fred bringing us new video from that school lockdown in Atco, New Jersey.
Thank you. We'll check back. If you get more details, bring them to us, OK?
WHITFIELD: I will, indeed.
LEMON: Thanks.
PHILLIPS: Can a pro-choice presidential candidate win the Republican nomination?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY GIULIANI (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I guess we're going to find out, right? Instead of telling the Republicans what they should believe, maybe we should find out and let the Republicans decide. (END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Savvy campaign strategy or political suicide?
Stay in the CNN NEWSROOM for more on Giuliani's intriguing move.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Blunt talk about abortion from a Republican candidate for president. After several months of soft-pedaling his support for abortion rights, Rudy Giuliani is making it crystal clear even in anti-abortion strongholds.
Here's what he said in Alabama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GIULIANI: I personally oppose it. I support a right of choice.
Some people say that that's inconsistent. I really disagree with that. That would say that something like 60 or 70 percent of the American people are inconsistent, because that represents largely the view of the American people. It's very consistent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Advisers tell CNN Giuliani will give a full outline of his views on abortion before next week's debate in South Carolina. They deny reports that the campaign may write off states where anti- abortion sentiment is strong.
PHILLIPS: Can you stand up for abortion rights and still win the Republican nomination for president? Earlier today we discussed Rudy Giuliani's position on abortion with Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway and Democratic strategist Donna Brazile.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: He's in the mainstream of America. He may not get a lot of conservative support for his beliefs, but at least he's being honest.
PHILLIPS: Kellyanne, what do you think? Is he being honest? Why is he doing this?
KELLYANNE CONWAY, REPUBLICAN POLLSTER: I don't know what took so long, because he's always been pro-choice, and a full-throated pro- abortion rights. He actually favors federal funding for abortions, which some of the -- many Democrats, including some running for president do not support. So he's been a longtime patron.
One has to wonder why he sort of nuanced that in last week's debate when he was asked the question whether or not it would be a good day if Roe versus Wade was overturned. If you look at the tape, he actually shrugged his shoulders. That's the kind of thing that irritates people, primary voters and otherwise. There are two types of people who are going to have a difficult challenge winning the Republican nomination. Number one, an abortionist. Number two, a contortionist. And I think right now Mayor Giuliani has proved to be both.
PHILLIPS: OK. How is it going to affect the vote? He was asked that. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GIULIANI: Instead of telling the Republicans what they should believe, maybe we should find out and let the Republicans decide. They have to decide several things. Is that an acceptable position for them? There will be some who say it isn't. And I'm at peace with that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Kellyanne, is he at peace with that?
CONWAY: No. I don't think he's at peace with that in the following sense. Had he been at peace with that, he would have had this -- this big agenda about abortion where he stands on it months ago.
This man has been running for president for six months now. So there was a little bit of backtracking, trying to have it both ways.
And here is the question I would ask him. I would say, "Mayor Giuliani, your views should be respected. That's fine. You've given to Planned Parenthood six times. Have you ever given to a crisis pregnancy center? Have you done anything in terms of adoption policy?"
So you can be pro-choice, but have you done something to actually try to reduce the number of abortions in this country, which is something Hillary Clinton said is a noble cause.
PHILLIPS: Interesting.
Donna, is that the next step? Is that what he needs to do to just take this one step farther?
BRAZILE: Well, first of all, he should -- he should tell the American people and Mrs. Romney should do the same, that planned parenthood provides a range of reproductive health services, including adoption. They do a great deal to prevent abortions. And perhaps he should just go out there and again tell the truth.
Again, he may alienate some conservatives, but there are many moderate Republican pro-choice Americans, including Independents, that might be turned on by an individual who tells the truth, as well as someone who is considered strong on national security and other matters that he is hoping to present to the American people.
(END VIDEOTAPE) PHILLIPS: Republican Kellyanne Conway and Democrat Donna Brazile talking about Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani and his support for abortion rights.
For the record, Giuliani's position is unique among the Republican presidential contenders. He's the only GOP candidate to support abortion rights.
On the other side are Senator Sam Brownback; former governors Jim Gilmore and Mike Huckabee; representatives Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo; former senator Fred Thompson; former governor Tommy Thompson; and Representative Ron Paul.
Did you get all that?
Senator John McCain and former governor Mitt Romney also oppose abortion rights, except when a mother's life is in jeopardy or in cases of rape or incest.
LEMON: A fire in south Georgia is the biggest in 50 years of state record keeping. It's laid waste to more than 160 square miles of forest and swampland. At the moment, it's believed to pose a threat to some 300 homes. State forestry officials have arrested two juveniles suspected of setting two much smaller fires that have since been contained.
And when we come back, a mother who knows first hand how to turn personal loss into an outlet for others.
PHILLIPS: And more on that developing story in New Jersey. A school on lockdown.
Fredricka has the new details when we come back.
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LEMON: It is certainly a very busy day at the breaking news desk. I'm sure Fredricka Whitfield can attest to that. But she has details on another developing story.
What do you have?
WHITFIELD: Well, Don, the entire student body at the Winslow Township High School in New Jersey, well, they're all staying after school by about an hour, and counting now. And that's because the entire school is on lockdown because of a suspicious threat.
School was supposed to be out about an hour ago, at 2:30 Eastern Time. But here it is now just 10 minutes before 4:00 Eastern Time, and all of the students are still in the school. And around the perimeter of the school, pretty significant police force.
You're looking at new images that we're starting to get in. And in some of the images, you can see a lot of the kids kind of pressed up against the windows looking outside, because in some cases a lot of the kids' parents have come to the school, but they're not able to collect their kids because no one is allowed to leave the school until police thoroughly assess this threat that we're being told they're now investigating.
We don't know the circumstances of the threat, however. Just that the school remains on lockdown. It's been that way since about 11:30 Eastern Time there at Winslow Township High School in New Jersey -- Don.
LEMON: All right, Fred. If within the next 10 minutes you get more info, we'll check back.
Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, the last two years have shown a troubling spike in violent crime in a number of American cities. One of them is Miami. You're about to meet a woman there who knows first hand what it's like to lose a child to gun violence.
What makes her unique is what she decided to do about.
Queen Brown is today's CNN Hero.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
QUEEN BROWN, LOST SON TO GUN VIOLENCE: My name is Queen Brown. I'm a mother of four. I lost my youngest son, Eviton, to gun violence.
Eviton's shooting was a random act. He was basically in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I moved my kids here from the inner city to provide a safer community for them. They all graduated from high school and all college-educated.
It was a devastating blow to me to lose my son. I felt so helpless, and I wanted to do something. I wanted to get people involved.
Good afternoon, South Florida. Thank you so much once again for tuning in to "What's Going On," the violence intervention program.
We can stop the violence in the community. There is something you can do about it.
You could teach your kid what to do, but as you and I both know, your kid can be a victim to someone else.
My children and I, we all chip in and we pay for the radio air time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have a caller on line number one.
BROWN: You're on the air.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have three sons, and one of my everyday fears is that I will go through what you've gone through.
BROWN: It's very therapeutic. I always feel like I've helped someone.
We're going to give you that information regarding how you can get your sons involved in this program.
The community has been very supportive. They want the show to stay on the air.
I want the students, I want the parents, I want the community leaders. I think collectively we have to deal with the core of what's causing the violence.
My son's death was a call to service. You know, I saw so many areas where I was needed, and I felt that I had just what it took to get in there and do it.
It's because of Eviton that I'm doing this. His life is going to save other lives.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, there's a lot more about Queen Brown on our Web site, where you can also nominate your hero for special recognition later this year. Just go to CNN.com/heroes.
LEMON: The closing bell and a wrap of all the action on Wall Street, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Fredricka Whitfield has some details for us on two developing stories.
What do you have, Fred?
WHITFIELD: Two developing stories that involve two different high schools across the country. One in New Jersey at the Winslow Township High School.
That school remains on lockdown now an hour and a half after school was supposed to let out. And you're looking at pictures now of the students who are still inside as they wait for the all-clear from police, as they continue to look into a suspicious incident there.
Meantime, in Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, at a high school there, they are now carrying out the third comprehensive search of the Boulder High School there after a kitchen employee said that she saw two youngsters in the school before class was to begin at about 6:00 a.m. Mountain Time, two young people who were wearing camouflage, one even had a ski mask. And now police, along with administrators, are conducted a third thorough search of the school.
School never went into session today. It remained closed while this search was being conducted. And hopefully, if things clear up today, then school will be back in session there at Boulder High School -- Don.
LEMON: Well, good. We hope everything is back to normal. And kids don't like to stay in school one minute past the time that they have to.
WHITFIELD: No, they don't. But police are going to conduct an update here out of Boulder High School. And so we'll be able to bring that to you live, hopefully, within the next hour or so.
LEMON: All right, Fredricka. Thank you so much for that.
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