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Congress Investigates Tillman Death; Rupert Murdoch Buys 'The Wall Street Journal'
Aired August 01, 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: Well, there are known knowns and known unknowns. Then there's Donald Rumsfeld trying to explain why Pat Tillman's family didn't know what the military soon after he was killed.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Did the Pentagon cover up the friendly- fire death of a football star turned Army Ranger? Rumsfeld says no, but errors were made.
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
And I'm Kyra Phillips. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: Pat Tillman gunned down by friendly fire in Afghanistan. Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld under the gun about Tillman's death. Why didn't Tillman's family and the rest of us know the truth until weeks after? A House panel is asking that question today.
And here is what Rumsfeld had to say about a possible cover-up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I know that no one in the White House suggested such a thing to me. I know that the gentlemen sitting next to me are men of enormous integrity and would not participate in something like that. So, of course, there's a difference between error and cover-up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Straight to Washington now and CNN's Brianna Keilar.
Hi, Brianna Keilar.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Don.
Well, what you take away from today's hearing was that suspicions, they are going to continue to linger about why the military handled the death of Pat Tillman the way it did.
Now, those suspicions coming from Tillman's family, who attended the hearing today, and also from Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, of course, as you mentioned, but also all of the former top military commanders who testified today said they don't believe there was a cover-up at the Pentagon or the White House.
But New York Democrat Carolyn Maloney got into it with General Richard Myers, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when Tillman was killed. She wanted to know why he did not make it known that there was at least a possibility that Tillman died from friendly fire when he became aware of that fact.
Here is their exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. CAROLYN MALONEY (D), NEW YORK: You sat on your hands and you didn't say anything about it. And I find that hard to understand.
GEN. RICHARD MYERS (RET.), FORMER JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF CHAIRMAN: Well, as you understand, I think, from the material that's been presented to the committee so far and all the testimony, this is the responsibility of the United States Army, not of the Office of the Chairman.
So, I regret that the Army did not do their duty here and follow their own policy, which they have talked about. But they did not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Last week, the secretary of the Army censured Lieutenant General Philip Kensinger for his handling of the military's investigation. But Kensinger did not testify today. He was subpoenaed to appear, but Henry Waxman, chairman of this committee, said Kensinger could not be located, and thus, Don, he was not served the subpoena.
LEMON: CNN's Brianna Keilar -- thank you for that report, Brianna.
PHILLIPS: Let's get straight to the newsroom, Fredricka Whitfield working details on a developing story.
What do you have, Fred?
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, police are still trying to piece together what appears to be a triple homicide just outside of Atlanta in Powder Springs, Georgia.
Police got a call this morning that three victims, three bodies, would be located in this place of residence. Friends got suspicious when trying to locate one of their friends at this residence, and then they called police. They were able to discover the bodies of a woman and her two daughters, one of whom is an adult. And they also found at that residence two young boys unconscious. One of those boys happens to be the son of the woman who was among those found dead.
The two young boys were taken to nearby hospitals -- their conditions unknown at this point, but police say no evidence of this being a case of a home invasion. However, they're still trying to find out exactly how these three people died and how it is that the two other young people at this home were also found unconscious.
The investigation still in the early stages, all of this taking place earlier this morning. Police still have cordoned off the residence there in Power Springs, Georgia -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Fred, we will follow it. Thanks.
And a tough new stance on the war on terror from Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. He says, if he's elected, he will redeploy U.S. troops to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is time to turn the page.
When I am president, we will wage the war that has to be won with a comprehensive strategy with five elements, getting out of Iraq and on the right battlefield in Afghanistan and Pakistan, developing the capabilities and partnerships we need to take out the terrorists and the world's most deadly weapons, engaging the world to dry up support for terror and extremism, restoring our values, and securing a more resilient homeland.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Now, Obama's speech comes just days after Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton called Obama naive for saying that he would be willing to meet with the leaders of Cuba, North Korea, and Iran.
A NBC News/"Wall Street" -- or NBC and "Wall Street Journal" poll shows Clinton increasing her lead in the race for the Democratic nomination. It shows Clinton leading 43 percent to 22, a 21-point margin. Last month, her lead over the Illinois senator was 39 percent to 25.
LEMON: So much for covered parking. This underground deck in Scottsdale, Arizona, under water after most recent monsoon rains. More than two inches fell in three hours last night at this luxury condominium complex. And we can only hope the cars there were insured.
(WEATHER UPDATE)
PHILLIPS: Generally, homeowners are thrilled to find out that their houses have soared in value. But, this year in New Orleans, property assessments are taxing the nerves of many homeowners.
Reporter Katie Moore of CNN affiliate WWL has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATIE MOORE, WWL REPORTER (voice-over): For 14 years, Barbara Roberts has called this uptown house home. Reflecting on those 14 years, Roberts knows she's been lucky when it comes to her tax assessment. But, when she got the 2008 assessment in the mail:
BARBARA ROBERTS, RESIDENT OF NEW ORLEANS: I thought, oh, my gosh. I have been trying to stay here and I don't know if I can now.
MOORE: The assessed value of her home tripled from $130,000 to about $330,000.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some people are seeing drastic increases because they haven't been reassessed in a long time.
MOORE: Assessor Nancy Marshall (ph) says the average increase in her uptown district is 68 percent.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If this had been done all the way along, if there had been increases with each four-year period, then there wouldn't be such a big shock for them.
MOORE: It's why voters approved an assessor consolidation last fall, to make assessments more equitable. Many people who owned their homes for decades were paying taxes based on amounts close to what they paid, not current market value.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's been a horrible problem with our city. It's been a source of at least perceived corruption. It's certainly been a source of unfairness.
MOORE: But both officials say residents like Roberts can't necessarily expect their property tax bill to triple. The tax rate or millage hasn't been determined yet. It will be set in November.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I will certainly fight to have every one of the millages rolled back, and I feel very confident that the vast majority will be rolled back pretty dramatically, based on the assessment that I have heard and I have seen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I will tell you, the people who have not been complaining to me is the people who have bought houses in the last two years.
MOORE: Newer homebuyers are mostly like paying full value, but, no matter how you slice it, many longtime property owners will face higher tax bills. And, combined with insurance and utility hikes, it may force people like Roberts to make some tough decisions.
ROBERTS: I really know that I can't afford to do what I do and live here, and I have invested a lot in my life as an artist, and I love what I do, and I love New Orleans.
MOORE: Katie Moore, Channel 4, Eyewitness News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: A family's secret and a decades-old mystery -- one man's search for answers. PHILLIPS: Out of a coma and into her favorite fast-food joint on a daily basis. Did I mention she was 93? We have got her inspirational story straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
LEMON: And if you thought the original video for Michael Jackson's "Thriller" was scary, wait until you see this video.
Jailhouse rock takes on a whole new dimension, as inmates get their groove on -- I said it -- straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Did they go -- you know how he does that scream?
(LAUGHTER)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Thirteen past the hour -- three of the stories we're working for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Investigators are examining a grisly crime scene outside of Atlanta. Three people have been found dead in a home, a woman and her two daughters. Her son and another boy were found unconscious -- no word on suspects.
In Connecticut, three people suspected in the year-long disappearance of a teen girl have appeared in court on new charges, including kidnapping. One of them, 41-year-old Adam Gault, also faces charges of sexual assault. The girl is back with her family after being found locked in a storage room in the home of the three suspects.
No cover-up, so says former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld about the friendly-fire death of Army Ranger Pat Tillman in Afghanistan. Rumsfeld testified today before a House panel. Tillman's family did not know his fellow Rangers accidentally killed him until weeks after his death in 2004.
PHILLIPS: Well, for generations, children with special needs not only did not get special care; their families often tried to forget that they existed.
Elizabeth Cohen has the story of one such family and one family member who fought to bring his sister out of the shadows.
I understand this project, you have been working on it for months.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, for many months.
We have been following this family where the sister was sent away. And her brother -- his name is Jeff Daly -- he loved her and cared about her so much, that he fought to find her, even while his family fought to keep her hidden.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) COHEN (voice-over): All his life, Jeff Daly knew that, when he was a little boy, he had had a sister named Molly. He had hazy memories of playing with her, laughing with her, loving her.
JEFF DALY, BROTHER: I didn't really go out and play with other people. I spent all of my time with her.
COHEN: But, then, one day, when Jeff was 6 and Molly was 3, someone took Molly away.
DALY: I kept just saying: Where's Molly? Where's Molly? Where's Molly?
COHEN: And he got this answer.
MOORE: Stop talking about Molly. Go to your room.
COHEN: The mystery of why Molly Jo (ph) Daly disappeared would eventually send Jeff searching through his family's darkest secrets and through a shameful chapter of American history.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: OK. I want to see more.
(LAUGHTER)
COHEN: And you can later tonight, yes.
PHILLIPS: That was just a little tease.
OK. So, what happened to her?
COHEN: Molly was institutionalized. She was sent to a state institution for children with certain kinds of disabilities.
And this happened to tens of thousands of children like the ones that you see here from this old film to children in the '40s, '50s, '60s, and '70s. These children were restrained. They were put in leather cuffs sometimes. Sometimes, they were sterilized.
And it's very hard for us now in this era to understand how that could happen. But one thing that the historians say to keep in mind is that this is what parents did. Doctors would say to them, your child's disabled. You can't take care of them. There were no programs to take care of them in the community. Your child is best off at an institution. And a lot of parents said, OK, here's my child.
PHILLIPS: And we have come such a long way.
COHEN: So far. So far.
PHILLIPS: I mean, the mainstreaming and working with children, and it's amazing what they can do, despite their disabilities.
COHEN: Oh, absolutely.
PHILLIPS: So, did he find her?
COHEN: Well, if you go to CNN.com right now, you can see what happened when Jeff Daly went out to find his little sister, Molly. It is just an amazing story. It's already -- already, half-a-million people just in the past four hours or so have hit on this story. So, it's really pretty incredible.
And then on "PAULA ZAHN" tonight as well...
PHILLIPS: OK.
COHEN: ... you can learn more of what happened to Molly.
PHILLIPS: I know it's going to be a tear-jerker.
COHEN: Oh, yes.
PHILLIPS: OK. Thanks Elizabeth.
And, as Elizabeth said, you can see what happens with this amazing story. You just tune into "PAULA ZAHN" tonight at 8:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
LEMON: Horrific abuse case., an adoptive mother accused of starving the children she was supposed to be caring for. The motive, police say was money -- details straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, we already know about tiny toxic particles in smog, cigarette smoke, and car exhaust, but your laser printer? I wouldn't throw it out just yet, but a new study points out a possible health threat.
An Australian research team found some laser printers emit ultra- fine particles of toner into the air. And, if you breathe that in, it could make you sick. A lot more research needs to be done, but, as a precaution, you may not want to sit near a laser printer.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Well, for years, he coveted it. For months, he finagled for it. And today, Rupert Murdoch owns "The Wall Street Journal."
CNN's Maggie Lake goes behind the deal that expanded his business empire.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAGGIE LAKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a soap opera that riveted the global business community for months, a saga pitting one family-controlled firm against another.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi. Where have you been?
LAKE: On one side, Australian-born Rupert Murdoch, the 76-year- old patriarch of News Corp., one of the world's largest media conglomerates.
From his corporate offices high above Manhattan, Murdoch oversees dozens of newspapers, magazine titles and other media outlets. But, for years, one premiere title eluded Murdoch.
PAUL LA MONICA, CNNMONEY.COM: I think that business news is an area that he doesn't really have that much of a foothold in. You know, he doesn't really own any other major financial publications. And now that he does have plans to launch a business channel later this year, I think he's hoping that "The Wall Street Journal" brand name will help legitimize that cable channel that he's going to be launching.
LAKE: The crown jewel in the Dow Jones media empire.
Murdoch made no secret of coveting "The Journal" over the years. Standing in his way, the far-flung Bancroft family, who have controlled the paper for over 100 years. The Bancrofts initially rejected Murdoch's bid, fearing that he would destroy the paper's editorial independence.
But, in late May, family members switched positions, and said they would negotiate, paving the way for this final OK. Tough times in the newspaper industry, coupled with News Corp.'s generous $5 billion offer, ultimately forced the Bancrofts' hand.
The Bancroft family and its 35 voting members stand to take home some $1.2 billion, sizably more than Dow Jones was worth before Murdoch stepped in. Many staffers fear Murdoch will hurt Dow Jones properties and use them simply to advance his business interests. Others say Murdoch will help breathe new life into the firm.
PORTER BIBB, MEDIATECH CAPITAL PARTNERS: He's already outlined a number of plans, very aggressive plans, for injecting new capital and new momentum into Dow Jones' various properties. He's going to take "The Wall Street Journal" into Europe, where it has been a failed operation. The Dow Jones management has been retrenching over the last couple of years. And "The Financial Times" is ascendant.
LAKE: In addition to European expansion, Bibb says, instead of cutting staff, Murdoch might do just the opposite, hire more journalists and supporting staff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you going to give full independence to "The Wall Street Journal"?
RUPERT MURDOCH, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, NEWS CORP: I'm not saying any more than what I have just told you.
LAKE: Maggie Lake, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE) LEMON: All right, this is a great story. I love this next story.
Forget the pearly gates. This 93-year-old has golden arches on the brain. A few months ago, she was clinically dead. Her family started making funeral plans. Well, today, you can see she's awake and walking four blocks round trip to McD's every day for coffee and an apple pie.
Next week, the employees there will help her celebrate her 94th birthday with a party.
Happy early birthday, huh?
PHILLIPS: She even got a good manicure.
LEMON: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Check her out. She duties but there -- gussies up for McDonald's every day.
LEMON: Can you imagine, 94 in a coma, and now she's just walking...
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: I think it's brilliant. And what she wants is McDonald's.
LEMON: Yes.
PHILLIPS: She gets a free coffee, by the way, I heard.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Well, it may seem like a routine robbery, but this is no common criminal. He has a heart and a message. We will have details straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone.
I'm Kyra Phillips live in the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Don Lemon.
For love or for money -- a Florida woman accused of living the high life, mooching off the government.
PHILLIPS: And all that time, police say her adopted children lived in a real house of horrors.
You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: A police captain in Florida says it's one of the most horrendous child abuse cases he's ever seen. Investigators say this woman, Judith Leekin, fraudulently adopted 11 children with handicaps and held them prisoner in her home. They say she sometimes handcuffed them and starved them.
Earlier, I spoke with Associated Press reporter Brian Skoloff about what he has uncovered on this story.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
BRIAN SKOLOFF, ASSOCIATED PRESS: The children's stories, if they're true, are pretty horrendous, speaking of being handcuffed and tethered together at night, not allowed to use the bathroom, never having gone to a dentist or a doctor, never having gone to school. These kids range in age from 15 to 27 and none of them have an education more than a fourth grade level. That's what police are saying.
LEMON: Yes. And you were showing those ties and said that she -- she is accused of also handcuffing them with -- you see handcuffs there and you also see these sort of restraints, plastic restraints, as well, and keeping them inside the home.
What did neighbors say to you, Brian?
SKOLOFF: Sure. Some of the same stories. There are a lot of conflicting stories about how many kids were seen there at any one given time. Her immediate neighbor right next to her says he only saw one child there with her throughout the years, who was outside working on the yard. But all of them described her as a real nice lady, anybody's grandmother, who would come over and greet new people who moved into the neighborhood. And they had no idea anything like this was going on inside the house, if, indeed, it was.
LEMON: It says she got about $2 million in subsidies. Tell us about this neighborhood.
Is it a fairly affluent neighborhood in Florida?
SKOLOFF: It's a nice neighborhood. Homes there range in the mid, maybe the $500,000 range. She had a 3,000-square foot, five bedroom home with a nice pool, a large backyard, a real well kept yard, as well. So, yes, it was a very nice neighborhood.
She, also, apparently, owned another home up in Sanford, Florida, near Orlando, as well. Police say she owned several cars, too, and that they found no record of her being employed anywhere.
LEMON: And today another charge.
What's new with this?
SKOLOFF: Today they actually formally charged her with the 10 counts, including child abuse, aggravated elder abuse. And those charges are the ones prosecutors are saying if convicted on all those charges could bring up to 160 years in prison. They're also saying, though, that more charges are likely to be filed. (END VIDEO TAPE)
LEMON: Authorities accuse Leekin of using aliases to adopt the children from four different New York City agencies.
PHILLIPS: Now that shock is beginning to wear off, the outrage is mounting over last month's horrific deadly home invasion in Connecticut. Despite having a long rap sheet, one of the suspects was released after serving less than 60 percent of his sentence.
CNN's Randi Kaye reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In 2002, when Joshua Komisarjevsky was convicted of burglary, he was sentenced to nine years in prison. He'd been arrested 20 times. Judge James Bentivegna called him "a cold, calculating predator."
Keeping them honest, we wanted to know why, four years shy of completing his nine year sentence, was this guy on the street -- the so-called predator paroled.
MIKE LAWLOR, CONNECTICUT STATE HOUSE: In my 25 years, there's never been a case worse than this one.
KAYE: Connecticut lawmaker Mike Lawlor sees a complete break down. Komisarjevsky hasn't entered a plea, but is now facing capital murder charges for allegedly killing Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters.
Police say Komisarjevsky and fellow suspect, Steven Hayes, tied the family up and strangled Mrs. Petit. They say Komisarjevsky sexually assaulted 11-year-old Michaela, then both men set the house on fire, leaving the girls to die. Mr. Petit escaped.
It turns out Steven Hayes has 27 arrests on his rap sheet and had also been paroled, just two months before the murders.
(on camera): The Connecticut governor's office says the committee deciding whether or not to parole Komisarjevsky didn't have all the facts. Missing, even though state law requires they be part of the file, were pre-sentencing reports, which would have included Komisarjevsky's criminal background and psychological evaluations.
We're told parole board members didn't have the sentencing transcripts, either, which would have included the judge's cold, calculating predator comment.
(voice-over): If only parole officials knew what police and prosecutors knew, that Komisarjevsky had been burglarizing homes since age 14, stalking victims, using night vision goggles.
LAWLOR: If they had seen that stuff, they would have seen a few warning signals. It was discussed in court about his mental illness, his history of sexual abuse. And I think the uniqueness of it would have set him apart and I think they would have paid a different level of attention to this case when it came before the parole board.
KAYE: Lawlor suggests it was laziness, maybe even turf battles, that left Komisarjevsky's parole file incomplete.
LAWLOR: When the parole board has asked for copies of police reports and asked for copies of sentencing transcripts, prosecutors and court clerks have refused to give it to them, complaining about the cost of postage or about the effort involved in making photocopies. And that's totally unacceptable.
KAYE: To prevent another mess, Connecticut officials are taking action. The chief state's attorney is mandating all police reports be provided to the parole board at sentencing. The board will be able to access pre-sentence reports electronically. Plus, the governor says state's attorneys will provide parole officials with all sentencing transcripts.
If only this system was in place back in April, when Joshua Komisarjevsky walked free.
Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
PHILLIPS: And political backlash from that home invasion. Connecticut's governor has ordered parole officers to make random visits to ex-convicts with histories of breaking into occupied homes. She also says she'll ask the Connecticut legislature to reclassify home invasions as a violent crime.
Well, the man accused of hiding a missing teenager in a room under his stairs heads to court this afternoon to face new charge -- kidnapping, sexual assault, risk of injury to a minor have all been filed against 41-year-old Adam Gault. That's on top of a bunch of other counts he's already pleaded not guilty to.
Police say that Gault allowed a runaway 14-year-old girl to live with him for a year and took advantage of her. Officers searching his home in June found the teen in the hidden room.
Two women who lived with Gault also face several charges. They're set to appear in court today, also.
LEMON: Well, call him the conscientious crook -- a not so common criminal in Hialeah, Florida. He's mild-mannered, polite, but a robber nonetheless. He's already held up two stores, but at least he was nice about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY WSVN)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry about this.
DET. CARL DOGBY, HIALEAH, FLORIDA POLICE: Yes, he is sorry. It's interesting because he does commit his crimes by intimidation, but then he expresses himself as he's sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: No one has seen a gun yet, but police still consider the man dangerous. They say just because he hasn't used a weapon yet doesn't mean he won't.
PHILLIPS: Campaigning with Senator Hillary Clinton -- daughter Chelsea keeps quiet to so far.
Will that be changing soon?
We'll tell you straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Describing it as a time to seize opportunities, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is holding separate meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
The goal?
Push forward the dialogue ahead of President Bush's proposed Middle East peace conference.
Today, Saudi Arabia said it would seriously consider attending the summit. That would be a big deal, as the Saudis have never formally recognized the Jewish state. Right now Rice is in Jerusalem talking with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Tomorrow she heads to the West Bank to see Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas.
LEMON: Now the latest on 21 South Koreans still being held by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. The Taliban's latest deadline has passed, but a purported Taliban spokesman says all of the remaining hostages are still alive. Two of them were killed earlier, one of them this week.
CNN's Sohn Jie-Ae reports that family members back in South Korea are asking for U.S. help.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
SOHN JIE-AE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A memorial for the second South Korean hostage killed by Taliban militants in Afghanistan -- a place of sorrow for the grieving father of
Shim Sung-Min.
"Go to a better place," he says, as he caresses a picture of his dead son.
The militants killed their first hostage last week, after the Afghan government did not release rebel prisoners, as the Taliban demanded. Now the families of the remaining 21 hostages want a more aggressive effort to get their loved ones out alive. They delivered a plea for U.S. help to the American embassy in Seoul.
"Please convince the world to resolve this issue through humanitarian and peaceful means," says this mother as she reads from a copy of the letter they delivered.
Holding signs saying: Please Return Our Children," the family members said they appreciated the efforts of South Korea, Afghanistan and the U.S.
"But we are afraid," says Cha Sung-Min, whose sister is a hostage. "We are afraid we will never get to see them again."
Inside the U.S. Embassy, there were small protests calling for more action from Washington.
"I cannot help thinking that the U.S. would not be so passive if it were Americans that were being held hostage," says that office worker.
But family members asked the U.S. government not to attempt to free the hostages by force, worried that this would endanger the lives of their loved ones, a sentiment echoed by the Korean government.
(on camera): South Korea says it understands Washington's position of not negotiating with terrorists, but right now many here feel there is no other way to free its citizens, which is why they continue to urge flexibility.
Sohn Jie-Ae, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
PHILLIPS: Recovering in fair condition. It took two hours to remove Robert Daniels' left lung, infected with tuberculosis. It will be after the weekend, though, before he returns to a medical center in Denver, Colorado for further treatment.
Daniels has been in virtual isolation for about a year. Most of that time, he was locked up in Arizona because he refused to wear a protective mask in public.
Doctors say Daniels will have to take antibiotics for a couple of years, but should be able to enjoy a full life.
LEMON: A leak in the cabin of Space Shuttle Endeavor could postpone its upcoming launch. The air leak was detected over the weekend and NASA thought that it was fixed. But Monday night it appeared again.
Endeavor is scheduled to launch August 7th.
PHILLIPS: 3:43 Eastern time right now. Here are some of the stories we're working in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Investigators are examining a grisly crime scene outside Atlanta. Three people have been found dead in a home, a woman and her two daughters. Her son and another boy were found unconscious. No word on the suspects.
And in Connecticut, three people suspected in the year long disappearance of a teenaged girl have appeared in court on new charges, including kidnapping. One of them, 41-year-old Adam Gault, also faces charges of sexual assault. The girl is back with her family after being found locked in a storage room in the home of the three suspects.
"No cover-up." So says former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld about the friendly fire death of Army Ranger Pat Tillman in Afghanistan. Rumsfeld testified today before a House panel. Tillman's family didn't know his fellow Rangers accidentally killed him until weeks after his death in 2004.
LEMON: It's not easy being green -- green beans, that is. Second graders mount a cafeteria protest over the hated vegetable.
Were they able to ban the beans?
We're going to tell you coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: It is summer, but you have to admit the heat we're dealing with is extreme, and also the drought. Not good news -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it is summer.
LEMON: Yes.
MYERS: I mean there is that and things like this are supposed to happen once in a while.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LEMON: Well, they don't want haute cuisine, they just want to ban the green beans. Some second graders in Las Vegas mounted a letter writing campaign was mounted to the school to the lunch ladies. And they said, politely, they expressed their distaste for reheated frozen green beans.
Well, what do you know?
The school -- well, the district took it seriously and they brought over a bunch of different veggies to see what the kids preferred.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY KLAS)
QUESTION: What was your favorite?
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: The corn.
QUESTION: What was the worst?
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Green beans frozen.
QUESTION: What was your favorite?
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Green beans frozen.
QUESTION: You like the green beans frozen?
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Yes.
QUESTION: But you didn't?
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: No.
QUESTION: What was wrong with it?
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: It didn't have that much taste and it was kind of mushy to me.
QUESTION: So what was good about it?
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: It was the same as my mom makes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Ouch. Sorry, mom. Still, it was a good lesson in democracy for the young ones, who were inspired by a book they read about cafeteria boycotts.
PHILLIPS: Well, talk about good friends -- classmates of two brothers facing deportation at Columbia are pushing for legislation that would let the teens stay. Juan and Alex Gomez came to the United States as toddlers and their parents overstayed their visas.
The brothers friends say that it's not fair to send the boys back to a country they don't know just because of their parents' mistakes.
Now, this week's visit to the Capitol has shown them a bigger picture, as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT ELFENBEIN, SAVE JUAN & ALEX CAMPAIGN: It's kind of remarkable because originally we only planned on creating this small Facebook group to let our friends that were in college know that our best friend got picked up. And it's kind of evolved and exploded into this -- this major news story, which kind of is a testament to how desperately we need immigration reform and how unavoidable changes in that policy are, because people have taken up this cause, Juan and Alex's cause, as well as, you know, a future for immigration reform, especially for minors. And that's really what's -- what's been important. And it's not just about Juan and Alex anymore. And we're proud to say that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Now, Florida Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart has filed a bill on the Gomez's behalf, but he admits it is a long shot.
LEMON: Well, former President Clinton is making appearances for the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign.
Is daughter Chelsea far behind?
Here's CNN's Mary Snow, part of the best political team on television.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Senator Hillary Clinton has called her daughter a great adviser and one of her biggest supporters. But so far Chelsea Clinton has been seen, but not heard, in her mother's presidential campaign.
Even in this "Sopranos"-spoofing campaign video, she remains in the background.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM CAMPAIGN VIDEO)
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Where's Chelsea?
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Parallel parking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: But Chelsea Clinton is so well known that curiosity about her potential role in her mother's presidential campaign made front page news in "The New York Times" without her even uttering a word.
Now 27, she lives in New York and works for a hedge fund -- a long way from the days when she was introduced to America at the 1992 Democratic Convention.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, 1992)
CHELSEA CLINTON, DAUGHTER OF BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON: Sometimes my dad, to make me laugh, makes like funny faces.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: In the 2004 presidential election, saying the stakes were too high not to speak, she campaigned for Democrats John Kerry and John Edwards.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, 2004)
C. CLINTON: I'm not accustomed to public speaking, and this is my first political speech.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
C. CLINTON: Thankfully, I have a couple of experts in the family.
(LAUGHTER)
C. CLINTON: And I hope to do them proud.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: The Clinton campaign isn't saying if Chelsea Clinton will have an official role and the Clintons have been guarded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")
B. CLINTON: She cares a lot about the politics and she wants her mom to win. But she's got a life to live. We don't want to interrupt that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: Chelsea Clinton did interrupt her life as a college student to campaign for her mother in the final months of her 2000 Senate race.
MICHAEL TOMASKY, AUTHOR, "HILLARY'S TURN": It added a little something, and I think the Clinton campaign knew that, that -- that Chelsea's presence would add a little bit of -- a little twist toward the end.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNOW: In 2000, reporters say they hardly remember Chelsea Clinton speaking to them and they left her alone. But some say should she take on a more active role in 2008 and start speaking on the trail, the rules of engagement would change.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
PHILLIPS: So, a drive-through liquor store?
Not really. But someone drove into the locked front doors of a liquor store in suburban Milwaukee after it closed for the night. Surveillance cameras showed them loading up with whiskey before driving away. They're still looking for them.
LEMON: Well, the closing bell and a wrap of all of the action on Wall Street straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(VIDEO CLIP OF PRISONERS DANCING TO "THRILLER")
LEMON: All right, that is just weird. It's not quite the "Thrilla In Manila." Call it "The Thrilla in Sabu."
You're looking at thousands of convicts performing Michael Jackson's "Thriller" dance in the rec yard of a jail in Sabu in the Philippines.
This video has been a smash online. It was posted by the prison supervisor, who introduced dance routines into the daily schedule. He says the men might as well have fun while they're being rehabilitated.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Who knew that's the zombie -- look at that -- the zombie dance would live on in the movie and in the prison.
Check this out. Twenty-four years after the original music video, that is, what, 13 going on 30...
PHILLIPS: Yes.
LEMON: ...that that happened.
Do you remember that?
Let me -- how do you do it?
PHILLIPS: You mean the "Thriller" video?
LEMON: The little band (ph).
PHILLIPS: I think I was like 15-years-old. I remember watching it on MTV. I remember my best friend Missy (ph) singing it to me over the phone.
LEMON: Really?
PHILLIPS: Oh, yes. It was frightening.
LEMON: They had MTV back then?
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Oh. Oh.
LEMON: I'm just messing with you.
PHILLIPS: It was the new and hottest thing.
You know, Wolf Blitzer was an MTV watcher.
LEMON: And Wolf...
PHILLIPS: As a matter of, he's known to do a little "Thriller" dance now and then.
LEMON: He's done the "Thriller"...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: I've seen him do it.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": I got my start on MTV.
(LAUGHTER).
BLITZER: That was the big break that brought me here to "THE SITUATION ROOM," guys.
LEMON: You were a V.J.?
BLITZER: Oh, no.
PHILLIPS: Come on, give us a little move.
BLITZER: But I would have liked that.
PHILLIPS: Give us a little Michael Jackson.
BLITZER: I love that, those prisoners. They have terrific...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Let's see your moves.
BLITZER: Look at those guys.
LEMON: Come on, let's see your moves.
BLITZER: That's really good.
LEMON: Come on, Wolf.
BLITZER: You guys are going to see my moves, but those are good moves these guys have.
LEMON: He's like stop it, Don. You're not going to see my moves at all.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: All right, let me tell you what's coming up at the top of the hour.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: We've got some very serious stuff going on.
A new price tag on the war on Iraq -- $1 trillion. That's a trillion with a T. And the government estimates that's already double what's been spent already.
And the first Muslim Congressman is just back from Iraq. Find out what Keith Ellison saying is really happening on the ground.
Also, Fidel Castro is speaking out. We're going to tell you what he's saying now and what it may mean about a possible return to power.
There's a race also going on right now and it involves the North Pole -- a race for black gold, oil. And the Russians are in the lead.
All of that, guys, coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM," and a lot more on those prisoners, as well.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: All right, thank you, Wolf.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Wolf.
The closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street.
LEMON: Susan Lisovicz is standing by with a final look at the trading day -- hello, Susan.
Let's see your moves.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ha-ha.
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