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Target: Al Qaeda in Iraq; Immigration Reform; Facing Foreclosure
Aired June 23, 2007 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody, from the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. It is Saturday June 23rd.
Thank you for being with us.
I'm T.J. Holmes.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
We want to thank you for being with us.
We are following a developing story in Iraq this morning. It's sniper versus sniper, and it is a slow and steady fight.
HOLMES: U.S. soldiers battling al Qaeda fighters, facing fierce resistance. A live report straight ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I work hard to stay here and try to make this house (ph) what it is. And they wouldn't even help me. They were throwing me on the street like I was an old shoe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: All right. Look at this. Evicted, every personal item tossed outside. A record number of Americans, well, they're losing their homes. And one family shares its heart-wrenching story with us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We never thought we'd be child laborers or have to work in someone's home. We never imagined that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Thousands of young girls forced into slavery. Now some are taking action to stop it.
Lisa Ling of "National Geographic Explorer" takes us on this dangerous mission. She joins us live here in the NEWSROOM.
But we're going to begin with U.S. troops keeping up the pressure on Al Qaeda in Iraq. It is day five now of Operation Arrowhead Ripper. And much of the focus is on Baquba, a city that's become a sanctuary for insurgents fleeing Baghdad. It's where U.S. troops are facing militants making their stand.
Our Hala Gorani is south of the action in the Iraqi capital.
Hello to you, Hala.
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello.
Yes, this is happening in Diyala Province, north and east of Baghdad. Arrowhead Ripper is the name of the operation in and around Baquba. And in that province an insurgent stronghold.
The question is, are they really putting pressure on al Qaeda? Some are saying that perhaps these insurgent al Qaeda firefighters anticipated this operation and then left. There are 10,000 troops involved in this offensive.
Now, the goal is to neutralize the insurgency, also to find these factories that manufacture car bombs and these IEDs that are responsible for up to 80 percent of U.S. troop death.
Now, Brigadier General Mick Bednarek who's in the Baquba area had this to say about the operation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIG. GEN. MICK BEDNAREK, U.S. ARMY: This is a tough fight. It is house-to-house, block-to-block, street-to-street, tunnel-to-tunnel, utility location, basements, rooftops. Any structure that is in these built-up areas will be cleared. And again, not only with the coalition forces, but the Iraqi security force partners, the Iraqi army, and the police side by side.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: So you can see what kind of danger is involved in an operation that puts American soldiers closer to the danger, closer to the action. So far today, seven U.S. soldiers were killed, not necessarily in Diyala Province, but in the wider troop surge offensive and strategy.
So these soldiers are really getting much closer to the action -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right.
Hala Gorani.
Certainly a dangerous mission there. We've been hearing more and more about U.S. troop deaths.
Hala Gorani reporting for us in the capital there.
Hala, thank you so much.
NGUYEN: Well, we are also following intense action in Afghanistan. The military says dozens of militants attacked U.S. and NATO-led forces overnight near the country's border with Pakistan. But coalition forces did fire back, killing some 60 insurgents.
It is just one of several violent clashes in Afghanistan just in the last 24 hours. One ended with coalition troops detaining about 20 suspected al Qaeda fighters in the eastern part of the country.
There's significant movement in the nuclear standoff with North Korea. Christopher Hill, the top U.S. envoy, said today that he expects North Korea to shut down its main nuclear reactor within three weeks. And he says the next round of six-party talks aimed at scrapping Pyongyang's nuclear program will likely take place in July. Hill made a rare visit to the reclusive country last week.
HOLMES: A fire investigation moving forward. Just about an hour ago investigators told the media they were done examining the scene of that tragic fire in Charleston, South Carolina. The warehouse's loading dock has been pinpointed as the area where the fire began. But the cause still not known.
Nine firefighters died in that fire. Six funerals are scheduled for today.
NGUYEN: Honoring the fallen. An outpouring of emotion in Charleston, South Carolina. Thousands of fellow firefighters came from across the country to pay tribute to those who died Monday night in a furniture warehouse fire. It was the worst single tragedy for firefighters since 9/11.
HOLMES: Well, take this opportunity to do something about the issues that matter to you. Log on to cnn.com/impact, and with a click you'll get the information you need to take action.
Be a part of the solution. Use the news on CNN to impact your world. Go to cnn.com/impact. And go now.
NGUYEN: Well, we do have some new developments in the case of that missing pregnant woman. Authorities say a newborn left on a doorstep in northeast Ohio is not Jessie Davis' child.
The 26-year-old woman has been missing for more than a week now. Wayne County officials say the newborn actually belongs to a woman who concealed her pregnancy from her family. Meanwhile, Davis' mother is still desperately hoping her daughter will be found.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATTY PORTER, MOTHER, OF JESSIE DAVIS: If you have seen my young daughter Sarah, they're tired, they're getting a little cranky. They're not sleeping. They're scared.
We're all very scared for my daughter, and we just -- we just want her home so bad. Or find her. Just please, we just want her. We want you to find her, somebody to find her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Volunteers do plan to search the area around Davis' home again today. So far nothing has been found in two days of searching.
HOLMES: A disturbing story to tell you about out of Pennsylvania now. Hundreds upon hundreds of molestation charges filed against a school crossing guard.
The suspect is Dale Hutchings (ph). He's charged with more than 1,000 counts of child molestation.
Hutchings (ph) was arrested Tuesday in Berwick, Pennsylvania. He is charged with molesting six children under the age of 13 between 1998 and 2007. The alleged molestations, according to police, took place at Hutchings' (ph) home, which was within sight of the school where Hutchings (ph) was a crossing guard.
Well, FEMA trailers finally on the move. About 2,000 of the big FEMA trailers will now be distributed to Native-American tribes across the country. Thousands of the unused trailers have been decaying in holding lots in Hope, Arkansas, and Texarkana, Texas.
They were intended for victims of Hurricane Katrina but never used. South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson is behind the efforts to put the trailers to good use.
NGUYEN: Well, they're cleaning up this morning in central Iowa. Take a look.
This is just part of the mess -- we're going to show it to you now -- that's left after heavy rains and a tornado hit two central Iowa towns. The tornado downed power lines, trees, damaged roofs and even destroyed at least one house. No major injuries were reported. Heavy rain is flooding many parts of Iowa this morning.
HOLMES: Well, we turn to weather now.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Well, a successful landing for the space shuttle Atlantis, though not exactly where they planned. Weather forced a California landing instead of the planned Florida return. The astronauts are expected to be on the move today, flying home to Houston.
Most of them were up there for at least two weeks, all except Suni Williams, who set a record for the longest time in space by a woman. All right, here's the number. More than 195 days.
HOLMES: Well, welcome home.
The fallout from foreclosure. A Georgia woman evicted from her home. And she's not the only one. We'll look at an unfortunate trend that's taking place all across the country.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Bush and supporters of comprehensive immigration reform are trying to sweeten the deal to get a bill pushed through Congress.
I'm Elaine Quijano, live at the White House. I'll explain coming up.
NGUYEN: And young girls are the victims of modern-day slavery. What is being done about it? Well, a new documentary goes in depth.
You don't want to miss it. It's coming up right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: A bad break for Senator Pat Roberts. The Kansas Republican suffered a fractured wrist in a two-car accident near his home in Alexandria, Virginia. But his spokeswoman says the senator will be back at work on Monday. No one else was injured in that accident and no tickets were issued.
Lady Bird Johnson is in stable condition this morning in an Austin, Texas, hospital. It is unknown what caused the 94-year-old former first lady to be admitted. But a hospital spokeswoman says Johnson could be released some time this weekend.
HOLMES: Well, the battle over immigration reform back on the agenda today. The big focus of President Bush's radio address just moments ago.
We want to head live now to the White House and our White House correspondent, Elaine Quijano.
Good morning, Elaine.
QUIJANO: Good morning to you, T.J.
Well, next week the Senate is set to take up debate on this issue of what President Bush calls a comprehensive immigration bill. Ahead of that, the president once more trying to essentially get lawmakers on his side on this issue.
Now, in his weekly radio address, the president made another pitch for what he calls comprehensive immigration reform, and that includes more border enforcement measures,. as well as a temporary worker program. But lawmakers and, in particular, members of the president's own party, have been skeptical that the government will, in fact, keep its word and crack down on illegal immigrants.
So to help sweeten the deal this time around, this latest version also includes some $4.4 billion for enforcement tools. Nevertheless, conservatives remain unconvinced and continue to say that this bill, in their opinion, amounts to amnesty for people who have broken the law.
Well, today in his weekly radio address, the president tried to push back against that criticism, saying once more this is not amnesty. He also said there will be penalties for people who, in his words, come out of the shadows. They're going to have to do, among other things, pass a background check, pay a fine, keep a clean criminal record, eventually learn English. For all those reasons, the president continues to insist that this is not going to be amnesty. But in a sign of just how difficult a fight the White House has on its hands in this issue, the Senate GOP leader, Senator Mitch McConnell, has said just recently that he's not sure whether or not he can throw his support behind this bill. He's going to have to wait and see how things play out next week.
But again, T.J., the Senate set to consider this legislation next week -- T.J.
HOLMES: OK. Elaine, we've been back and forth and around and around with this immigration reform. It was this big whoop-de-do when it first came out in the compromise, and then it died, and then it came back a little bit.
Well, where is the president now? How is his confidence on getting this done?
QUIJANO: Well, you know, they continue to say here at the White House that the president is confident that they can get something done. This is something that he has made this his top domestic priority. And, you know, you can tell when he talks about this that he has very deep personal convictions on this issue. He thinks this is something that needs to get done.
But you have the reality here of the political clock ticking, right? You've got all this other noise, for lack of a better word, coming from all of the candidates for '08. And this is a White House that recognizes that political clock is continuing to count down. It gets harder and harder the more time that passes by.
Nevertheless, they are pushing hard. That is why we heard President Bush take this issue up once again in his radio address, and it's why you're going to continue to see officials over the summer hit hard and try to get lawmakers to get something done -- T.J.
HOLMES: Well, all this other noise, a lot of people would agree with you, that it's noise, Elaine.
Elaine Quijano for us from the White House.
Thank you so much.
NGUYEN: Well, British Prime Minister Tony Blair bidding a farewell to the pope today. The Vatican says Blair met privately for about 25 minutes with Pope Benedict XVI, heightening speculation he may convert to Catholicism.
The Vatican's statement wished Blair well on his future plans, which it said included efforts to work for Middle East peace and inter-religious dialogue.
Blair leaves office on Wednesday.
HARRIS: Well, the American dream on the decline.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The mortgage industry has basically decided, we'll just make loans to anybody. We'll make loans whether they can pay or not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Facing foreclosure. Thousands of people are losing their homes every single day. Who is to blame?
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And T.J., you know what they say. They say speak now or forever hold your peace, right? Well, I'm going to show you how you can ask the presidential candidates a question in the next debate.
That's coming up next from the dot-com desk.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. So they're losing their homes. More and more people facing foreclosure.
And CNN's Deborah Feyerick takes a look at why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Quincy Alexander prayed for a miracle. Marshals came instead, evicting her from a home she had lived in for nearly 17 years.
QUINCY ALEXANDER, EVICTED FROM HOME: I worked hard to stay here and try to make this house what it is. And they wouldn't even help me. They throw me out on the street like an old shoe.
FEYERICK: Every memory, every detail of her life dragged outside for all to see.
(on camera): Do you feel a little lost, at loose ends?
ALEXANDER: Yes. Yes. I'm hurting like hell inside, but there's nothing I can do about it. I can't do nothing about it. I have to go on.
FEYERICK (voice over): The Atlanta home is the only one her daughter Robin (ph), a high school honors student, has ever known.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We didn't do nothing to nobody. So we really didn't deserve this.
FEYERICK: And yet across the country a record number of people like Alexander are losing their homes. Some 2.4 million foreclosures expected in the next few years.
(on camera): But not every eviction looks like this one, with belongings scattered across the lawn. A short walk from Quincy Alexander's on the very same road, houses like this one padlocked. Real estate agents say it's a sure sign of foreclosure, that whoever once lived here was evicted and the bank now owns the property.
(voice over): Georgia had 80,000 foreclosures last year, up 70 percent from the year before.
BILL BRENNAN, ATLANTA LEGAL AID: The subprime mortgage lending industry has basically decided, we'll just make loans to everybody. We'll make loans whether they can pay or not.
FEYERICK: Which in many respects is what happened to Quincy Alexander. She's an unemployed nurse's aide. And she says her income was zero when she refinanced to cash in on some of the equity in her home.
(on camera): Whoever appraised this property appraised it at $360,000 back in December of 2005.
What do you think about this?
DAVID SCHENCK, REAL ESTATE AGENT: I think they were dreaming. I don't think this is anywhere close to reality.
FEYERICK: The reality on this property right now, how much would you appraise it for?
SCHENCK: I have not seen the inside, but $110,000, $115,000.
FEYERICK: Tops?
SCHENCK: Tops.
FEYERICK: What does that suggest to you?
SCHENCK: It suggests there's some fraud at one or more levels of the transaction.
FEYERICK (voice over): Washington Mutual, the primary lender, tells CNN a third-party qualified Alexander for the loan based on specific criteria, including an income listed at $85,000 on the loan document. The company says it tracks fraud and takes legal action when necessary, though a spokesmen wouldn't say whether that would happen in this case.
But for Quincy Alexander and her daughter, it's already too late. They're staying with relatives, figuring out what to do next.
ALEXANDER: So I just have to start over now.
FEYERICK: Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Atlanta, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And the American political process is undergoing a revolutionary change, and it's happening even as we speak, as I speak right now.
Every day more and more of you are submitting questions on YouTube for the presidential candidates. And Veronica Dee La Cruz here to explain how the process works so everybody can be a part of these upcoming debates.
DE LA CRUZ: Everyone can, yes.
HOLMES: Everybody.
DE LA CRUZ: CNN really raising the bar this time on the next round of presidential debates by allowing anyone to ask the candidates questions. And so far about 200 video questions have been posted on YouTube.
Now, to participate, just log on to youtube.com/debates. You'll want to scroll down the page, and you can upload your video here by clicking on the "Submit Your Question" button. It's that big red button there at the bottom of the screen.
But you have to keep your questions short. No longer than 30 seconds. And you have to speak loud and clear.
Here are a couple of the submissions that we just received.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello. I'd like to keep my name and home town anonymous because I am in the military and I am gay.
The military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy puts unnecessary stress and worry on many of America's gay service members, myself included. If you become president, how will you help gay military members like myself who are currently burdened by the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: An armed society is a polite society. And indeed, Kennesaw, Georgia, got a whole lot more polite after passing a law that every household had to have a gun.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why didn't Hillary and John Edwards vote against holding an investigation into who was responsible for providing the false information used to go to war in Iraq? Why?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DE LA CRUZ: Now, I know you were asking why was he using a microphone, but a lot of these people are being extremely creative with the way they're posing the questions.
And do you guys remember the second girl? Do you remember her? Do you know who she is?
HOLMES: No.
DE LA CRUZ: OK. Anyway, I wanted to show you quickly how you can do this, because a lot of people...
NGUYEN: Well, who is she?
DE LA CRUZ: Well, can we run the video? Do you remember the girl with the microphone who said she loved Ron Paul?
NGUYEN: Right.
DE LA CRUZ: A couple of weeks back I showed you her video. She's becoming a YouTube star.
NGUYEN: That's her?
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, that was her.
NGUYEN: Oh.
DE LA CRUZ: I wanted to show you the clip.
But what I do want to show you up there is, a lot of people are saying, I can't do this, I don't have a video camera. If you have a cell phone or have a friend that has a cell phone, all you have to do is go ahead and use your cell phone. And you can shoot your question.
I've got T.J. on right now.
T.J., you're on, so go ahead and ask a question.
HOLMES: I would like to ask Barack Obama if he'd like to get together for a game of basketball. I hear he's a pretty good ballplayer.
NGUYEN: That's not a legitimate question.
DE LA CRUZ: All right. So that's all you have to do.
And then you can go ahead. E-mail yourself, send this -- you know, upload this, send it to YouTube, and then you can use the remixer that's available on YouTube to edit your video. It's that simple.
HOLMES: Wow.
NGUYEN: Oh, so it's available at our Web site, so you can edit it.
DE LA CRUZ: It's available -- well, it's available on YouTube.
NGUYEN: Oh, YouTube.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, but it's called the YouTube remixer, and you can actually edit your video right there. If somebody that you know has a cell phone camera, it is that simple. So be a part of the next debate.
NGUYEN: And if you can't find it, you can always go to CNN.com, because we'll get you there.
DE LA CRUZ: Right, exactly.
NGUYEN: Thank you, Veronica.
HOLMES: And I want to submit that question.
DE LA CRUZ: OK. I got it right here. I got it right here.
HOLMES: All right. Thank you, Veronica.
NGUYEN: Yes.
Hey, B. Why didn't you say that? Remember that from last week?
HOLMES: No.
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: Stick with us, folks. We're going to be right back, take a quick break. A lot more news coming up on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: More American families will be getting the worst possible news out of Iraq this weekend. Associated Press reports that roadside bombs killed seven U.S. service members today, including four in a single attack outside Baghdad. That is according to the U.S. military. North of the capital, a major offensive to fight the al Qaeda threat is now in its fifth day. And much of the focus is on Baquba. The U.S. military reports American and Iraqi troops are tightening their grip on the city. And it says they have killed dozens of al Qaeda fighters so far.
Well, significant movement in the nuclear standoff with North Korea. Christopher Hill, the top U.S. envoy, said today he expects North Korea to shut down its main nuclear reactor within three weeks. And he says the next round of six-party talks, aimed at scrapping Pyongyang's nuclear program, will likely take place in July. Hill made a rare visit to the reclusive country last week.
NGUYEN: Well, most new college graduates are looking for a job or having fun in the sun before starting that corporate gig. But one is running an orphanage in India, and she's inspiring classmates with her incredible energy and compassion.
CNN's Don Lemon has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just walk with Elizabeth Sholtys through one of the poor slums in Pune, India, and you will see why this 23-year-old is beloved here.
ELIZABETH SHOLTYS, ORPHAN OUTREACH WORKER: This is our outreach project. We do education for street girls.
LEMON: Outreach in her spare time, full time she runs a home for street children that she started here while still a freshman at Emory University in Atlanta.
SHOLTYS: I would sit here at night after tucking the kids into bed and I would do my homework, and then I would just send it by e- mail. Yes.
LEMON: Now, four years later, she's the guardian of nine Indian children.
JYOTI, ORPHAN: I have three sisters and five brothers.
LEMON: Not exactly the Brady Bunch. Elizabeth says most of the children had problems when she got them. From alcoholism to abuse issues. They didn't go to school. They didn't speak English.
SHOLTYS: Everybody have their notebooks out?
LEMON: But for two years they've been a growing family. She has enrolled them in private school and also tutors them herself.
(on camera): Did you guys sing the ABC song?
UNIDENTIFIED CHILDREN: Yes.
LEMON: Can you sing it for me?
(CHILDREN SINGING)
LEMON (voice-over): But it is more than just ABCs. It's discipline and teamwork. Even the meals here are a family affair. It's expensive. And she relies on personal grants and donations. She's hoping to get a bigger home so she can help six more children.
Eight thousand miles away where Elizabeth was to graduate this May, people were taking notice of her work.
ROBBIE BROWN, ELIZABETH'S CLASSMATE: I felt great, yes.
LEMON: Especially Robbie Brown, who was also about to graduate and had just been awarded $20,000 from Emory for his exceptional leadership.
BROWN: I tried to think of how I could make $20,000 go the farthest. And I immediately thought of the work that she was doing there.
LEMON: Robbie gave it all to Elizabeth.
SHOLTYS: And that's incredible. That is selflessness right there. BROWN: I'm inspired by her like most people are.
LEMON (on camera): That simple?
BROWN: Yes.
LEMON (voice-over): Elizabeth graduated in May. The expensive plane ticket from India, Robbie and his classmates convinced the school to pay for.
SHOLTYS: I can't believe that everything has actually fallen into place.
LEMON: A little help going a long way, bridging borders and oceans.
Don Lemon, CNN, Pune, India.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, they are young and vulnerable. Girls in India trapped in a world of slavery.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): ... and beaten every day, sometimes they would slap me, sometimes they would use a stick or a broom to beat me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Lisa Ling is a contributor to the National Geographic Channel and Oxygen. And she has heard the personal stories of these young victims. She has been out on the front lines with those trying to stop it. And it is all part of her new documentary, "Slave Girls of India." And she joins us now live to talk about this.
Thanks for being with us today.
LISA LING, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER & OXYGEN NETWORK: Thanks for having me, Betty.
NGUYEN: You know what I find so shocking is that in India, some 65 million adults are without a job, yet half of the female population, meaning young girls that is, have full time jobs. How is that possible?
LING: Well, the employers, they very often prey on the most vulnerable of people. And the most voiceless of those are little girls. They know that if they employed adults despite the fact that they are extremely poor adults, if they're mistreated, the adults can rebel or protest and escape.
But if you employ children, it's impossible to do so. And when you employ little girls -- I shouldn't even use the word employ. When you force little girls to work, the possibility of them escaping is very slim.
NGUYEN: You know, I think you're very right about that. Because many of them are being forced and some by their own family.
LING: Well, you know, it's a very interesting set of complex issues in India. A lot of people say, well, how can these parents sell their kids? What a lot of Americans don't realize is that we live in a highly advanced -- technologically advanced society. So the notion of not even having a cell phone for a day is incomprehensible.
But when you go into a lot of these villages, they don't have phones at all. They have absolutely no means of communication. So a lot of these middlemen will come into the villages and say, we want to give your kids an opportunity to get an education in exchange for a little bit of work.
So the parents, they want what's best for their kids. And they send them off under the auspices of thinking that they are going to be able to help their children get an education.
NGUYEN: And many times they're sent to brothels. I understand what, the average age of a prostitute in India is 14. And some have to sell their bodies for about a dollar?
LING: It's so disturbing. We spent time about one of the girls who was rescued at 17. She was sold into slavery at 11 and sometimes forced to sleep with as many as 20 men a night. It is so disturbing.
You know, we sent a crew of men into one of the brothels, and they were offered younger -- young women. And they said, well, can we get even younger? They said, how young do you want? And at one point they were offered an 8-year-old girl.
NGUYEN: That is just chilling. I want our viewers to take a listen to a young woman who, in fact, was sold into prostitution. And this is some of her experience.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I could not sleep for days. I would just weep. I would chant and cry like a madwoman. I would ask everyone for help. But nobody came. I used to think I would die there, that nothing would come of my life. What I've seen with my own eyes, it's a very tough life. You live it with a lot of difficulty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Tell us about this young lady. How she escaped captivity and what she's doing to help those who are still in those brothels?
LING: Well, her story is a particularly incredible story. She was rescued at 17 years old. And she -- like a lot of these young women who are rescued and have the opportunity to be rehabilitated, she becomes this stalwart on the frontlines. And she literally goes in under cover and she goes in and conducts these busts.
She leads the investigators in and tries to save these women. And that's what we found with so many of these girls. Once they're given the chance to have a better life, a different kind of life, they are the ones who become the biggest proponents of extracting these little girls out of these forced situations in trying to help them.
NGUYEN: So when these girls are rescued, Lisa, and they're given skills, they're given somewhat of an education, they're often sent back to their families. Now, is there a fear that their families are just going to turn right around and sell them back into this world again?
LING: Well, certainly that fear exists. But what the organizations really very strongly try to do is give them basic skills, teach them perhaps how to sew or put them through a course in beauty school.
And in one scene in the documentary, we actually gave a sewing machine to one of the girls who had been forced to work as a domestic servant and abused. And the sewing machine cost us about $50.
And her dream is to set up a shop in the middle of her village, because there is no sewing shop in the village and try and support her entire family. So it was little things like that that can make a tremendous amount of difference in the lives of not only one person, but an entire village.
NGUYEN: It is empowering. And the last thing I want to ask you is this. You know, when you go and speak to these young girls, really, that's what they are, little girls. And you talk to them about just the horrific things that they've undergone. What does that do to you as a female, as a journalist and just as a human?
LING: Well, certainly it puts life in perspective. Especially at a time when in America, you know, kids are highly entitled and we hear more about Paris Hilton than, you know, so many of the incredibly important stories that are happening in the world. And my hope is just that people will watch these stories and perhaps be compelled to act or help.
NGUYEN: Well, it is called "Slave Girls of India." And we appreciate your time today, your insight, and the great work that you're doing. Lisa Ling, thank you so much.
LING: Thanks, Betty.
HOLMES: Well, recognizing another real-life hero. Today we spotlight a man from Africa who is fighting to protect a rare mountain gorilla. That's up next in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: One man is taking a stand to save lives in Africa. The lives of rare mountain gorillas. And his work makes him a "CNN Hero." Here's his story in his own words. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EUGENE RUTAGARAMA, "DEFENDING THE PLANET": When you approach a group of gorillas, the first feeling that you are approaching a relative, a human being.
In this region, we have been able to bring conservationists from the three governments together to sign an agreement to protect these mountain gorillas.
Having rangers to cover the park with their patrol means that we keep the poaching at the lowest level. But the poaching is still there.
My name is Eugene Rutagamara. My work is to protect mountain gorillas in their habitats.
When I come back from Burundi, Rwanda was devastated by the genocide. You would see the bodies of dead people, of thousands of people. The whole country had to resume from scratch. My attention went to the national park.
If these parks were not protected, it means that we have lost the mountain gorillas, which is a hobby for many tourists. It brings foreign currency for this country, which helps to conserve this park.
Gorillas can't really do much if a human being has decided to decimate or to kill the gorillas. They need to be defended. They need to be protected by human beings.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And if you'd like to help protect the mountain gorillas, you can find all the information you need at cnn.com/heroes.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: All right. So what's hot on the Web? Well, this is just one of several videos spreading like wildfire on the Internet. What are they doing? Going to give you a closer look.
HOLMES: Yes. And also, he was a darling of Christian fundamentalists, but things changed when he stopped being so critical of gays.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything that I felt was secure became profoundly insecure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Hear his story tonight at 10:00 Eastern with Rick Sanchez right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Let me ask you a question. What are you doing right now?
HOLMES: I'm busy with the pleasure of working alongside you, Betty Nguyen.
NGUYEN: OK. But you, you are obviously watching CNN, right? I'll pay you later. But for countless people around the world that question is causing quite a stir on the Internet.
HOLMES: Yes. We're going to see what Veronica De La Cruz is doing right now. She's looking into this unlikely phenomenon on the Web.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I am, yes.
HOLMES: Twitter, do we have that right?
DE LA CRUZ: Twitter, yes. It's a pretty cool Web site, want to tell you all about it. Like you said, it's called twitter.com. It takes our digital connection to the nth degree. I mean, whether you are on your computer, your cell phone, maybe your BlackBerry, twitter.com lets you share every detail of your daily life in five- second snippets.
And there's even a name for it. People who belong to this online community are called "twitches," and the constant stream of Instant Messages is called "tweets." And it does it all by asking one simple question, what are you doing right now?
Now the tweets come from twitches all over the world, in every language. And the site is constantly updating. Here is a quick example of Twitter traffic in just the past few minutes. Some person saying, I'm awake, twitches. Another person saying, we made it, we slept (ph) in Seattle. Another person saying, I'm in South Park (ph) right now having breakfast. And another person saying, thinking about soup again. And on and on and on and on and on and on and on it goes.
I know, Betty is over here...
NGUYEN: I'm like, why do you care? I mean, why?
DE LA CRUZ: Well, it's a great way to communicate. It is a social networking site like MySpace.
NGUYEN: But you're not saying hardly anything. I'm thinking about soup. OK.
DE LA CRUZ: Well, you know what, honestly...
HOLMES: Betty, my goodness.
DE LA CRUZ: It's a good way to update the people that you might stay in constant contact with. Because I know that you guys have "CrackBerrys."
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: And I know that you're addicted. And I know that you're constantly texting. Now this is just another way to do it. You can even, you know, twitter your mom if you want.
NGUYEN: Twitter away.
DE LA CRUZ: Right, exactly. So let's get now to the viral video of the day. And we are doing this one, Betty, because I know that you love those Japanese game shows.
NGUYEN: I do. This one...
HOLMES: OK. This is the greatest here.
NGUYEN: You've got to show this. This game is fantastic.
DE LA CRUZ: All right. So this first one is from a Japanese TV show from break.com. The name of the game here is to get to the end of the treadmill without falling off. So here he goes. He runs, he runs, he runs. And then every time he gets to a post, he'll grab the cookie. And that speeds up the treadmill, down he goes and (INAUDIBLE) you go down right into a big pool of water.
But you think that's funny, check this out. This is also from Japan.
NGUYEN: This is the best one right here, the human Tetris.
DE LA CRUZ: This is the one that Betty loves.
HOLMES: Betty found this one.
NGUYEN: I did. A few weeks ago, mind you.
DE LA CRUZ: The object here is to wear a shiny silver suit and try to do the improbable which is try to clear these boards by molding yourself into a shape. That is an easy board right there.
NGUYEN: That was an easy one.
HOLMES: The big guy with the leg in the air.
NGUYEN: Yes, what is this? Watch.
DE LA CRUZ: This one isn't too bad. You know, the Japanese have a whole different take on what...
(CROSSTALK)
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, this one is good.
NGUYEN: We laughed so hard when we first saw this.
DE LA CRUZ: I think the funniest is when the three of them get together. I think this one right here is the best one coming up.
NGUYEN: It's a team sport.
HOLMES: We could watch this all day.
DE LA CRUZ: Now this is on YouTube, you guys. And I want everybody out there, if you have a great site that we need to know about or some funny video, just send it our way, please.
NGUYEN: Send us a twitch, right?
HOLMES: A tweet.
NGUYEN: Tweet, whatever.
DE LA CRUZ: You can do that, but also weekends@cnn.com, weekends@cnn.com is the place to send all your viral video.
NGUYEN: Love it. Thank you.
HOLMES: Thank you so much.
NGUYEN: All right. CNN, the most trusted name in news, you know that. And we have got a lot more coming up, including on a day when many homosexuals are celebrating their lifestyle with pride, we take a look at what studies are saying about how many Americans are actually gay.
HOLMES: And watch out. The fish are a-flying. A closer look at what is becoming an ecological nightmare, and a nightmare for that reporter. You are watching CNN, the most trusted name in news. Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. The Senate gets ready to try again on immigration reform. And "AMERICAN MORNING" is heading for the border. Kiran Chetry joins me now with a preview of what's happening and a look at the week that was.
So hello to you, ma'am.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Good to see you, T.J. Yes, we are heading to the border. At least Chris Lawrence is. We're going to a small town in Arizona where millions of our tax dollars are pouring in there to protect the border with Mexico. You would think that it would be a boon for the town, but not everybody is thrilled about it. We're going to show you why Monday on "AMERICAN MORNING" -- T.J.
HOLMES: And also the issue of refugees front and center this week on CNN. You were able to actually sit down with the first lady, talk about their impact on the United States.
CHETRY: It was a real treat. We were at the White House this week. And I had a chance to speak with first lady Laura Bush on Wednesday, which, as you know, was World Refugee Day. The first lady is getting a lot more outspoken about issues around the world. And here is part of our conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: One that we're highlighting today also is the situation in Iraq.
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: Sure.
CHETRY: Many people who were helping the Americans or even helping their own country, men and women, rebuild infrastructure, targeted. And they are also seeking refuge in other nations as well as the United States.
L. BUSH: In Lebanon and Syria, in Jordan and then here. And I think Americans would be proud to know that we welcome to our country more refugees than all the rest of the nations combined.
And obviously, we're especially concerned about the Iraqi refugees. People who were there, who were trying to build their government, trying to build a stable country, which is what our goal is as well, who have left because of terror, really, because of the chance of violence and the fear of violence, we will welcome many of those refugees both from Iraq and Afghanistan into the United States.
We also spend about $80 million a year working with refugees -- Iraqi refugees in the camps in Lebanon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: That was first lady Laura Bush. My first trip to the White House, by the way. And it was a real treat for sure, T.J. That was on "AMERICAN MORNING" this week.
HOLMES: Well, I hope you didn't break anything while you were there and you'll get invited back. What else do you got going next week?
CHETRY: We just took one paper napkin, which you're allowed to take as a souvenir. That's all. One Monday we're going to pick up our series of "political defining moments," as we're calling them, talking to the presidential candidates about turning points in their lives or in the campaigns. And Monday we're going to be speaking with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. So hope you can join us for that, T.J.
HOLMES: Well, of course we can. Good to see you, Kiran.
CHETRY: You too.
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