Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Myanmar's Misery; Violence Erupts in Lebanon; Interpol Searches For Pedophile

Aired May 08, 2008 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Beirut erupts, as Hezbollah vows to defend its secret weapon, not guns or bombs or personnel, but telecommunications. We're live in Lebanon with the fallout from the deadly firefight.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: And she can't run in from the numbers, but Hillary Clinton can still run. And she is. Barack Obama is, too. But, today, he took a stroll through "THE SITUATION ROOM."

Wolf Blitzer joins us with a preview of their conversation.

Hi there. I'm Brianna Keilar at CNN Center in Atlanta.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon here at the international disk. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Well, you saw it live right here on CNN, the firefight in Beirut, Lebanon. And, of course, I'm here at the international desk where we're monitoring the situation.

Right in the middle of that firefight, this man right here, our Cal Perry, about to do a live shot for us in just a bit. He was live on television as the firefight was going off on the telephone. And we have new video from him. We're going to show you that in just a little bit.

Let me give you the latest, though. This is the latest according to the Associated Press. They say security officials there say two civilians were killed in clashes between Shiite Hezbollah supporters and the government Sunni backers.

And here's what they're telling us about the people who died. Officials say it was a mother and her son, and they died when a rocket-propelled grenade hit their apartment in Beirut.

And that is a good transition, a good segue into what I'm about to show you now, this video into the CNN NEWSROOM a short time ago. It shows a little boy with his family there during the middle of this battle, this firefight. And you can see a man grabs him, adult grabs him. And then look -- watch this, all of the sudden, an explosion. And you see the woman behind, she is so frustrated, she doesn't know what to do.

That is the human element behind this. Imagine this happening in your neighborhood with your little boy. He doesn't know what's going on. He's smiling, running through. You have to grab him to get next to the wall to take cover. And then look at him. He is so frightened by this. And, of course, the parents or grandparents or whomever it is, are frightened as well.

And we have been telling you Cal Perry was in the middle of that firefight as well. We have new video in from Cal. We heard him on the phone, but take a look at this video. And we are going to listen to it as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(GUNFIRE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That video feeding into the CNN NEWSROOM just moments ago. And of course the new information out of all of this, according to the Associated Press, a mother and her son died when a rocket- propelled grenade hit their apartment building.

Brianna, it certainly sounds just awful, doesn't it?

KEILAR: It sure does. And as bad as it sounds and as close as Cal Perry was to all this, he's OK.

In fact, he's joining us live now from our Beirut bureau.

Cal, just tell us. These aren't Lebanese forces involved in this. It's basically a battle by proxy. Tell us exactly who is involved in this fighting.

CAL PERRY, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: What we're talking about here is an incredibly tense political situation that's now culminated into street battles. What we're talking about are forces aligned with Hezbollah, that is the anti-government forces, battling pro-government forces in certain sections of the city.

Now, the sections of the city where most of the fighting is taking place are the enclaves where both Sunni and Shia live. So far, the Christian neighborhoods have been quiet. Now, we're obviously working to confirm with security forces. We're trying the confirm about casualties. We obviously saw that very dramatic video just now by Don.

And that's what we're really worried about here on the ground, is that that kind of thing could spark even more violence. Here in Lebanon, there's a saying that it's quiet until it's not, things certainly not quiet now as this political crisis has now culminated on the streets of Beirut in a running gun battle -- Brianna.

KEILAR: How big of a concern is there that this may be another civil war?

PERRY: That's the major concern here.

People, of course, are very concerned. And they have memories fresh from that 15-year civil war. When you talk to people here in Beirut, everything here is very sectarian. And the main fear is that this could culminate into a sectarian crisis. People here don't want to see that.

I don't think the leaders here want to see that either because it's just an unimaginable amount of violence. And as I said, people cannot forget the civil war that lasted some 15 years. The concern is that will get worse, that the recent things we have heard from both the Hezbollah leader and leaders in the government will only fuel this fire and make things worse.

Certainly, the concern on the ground that this spirals into something worse is very real. At this moment, gunfire is still echoing behind me across the city. We have heard repeated very large explosions that we believe to be rocket-propelled grenades -- Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, Cal Perry for us in Beirut, Lebanon -- thanks, Cal.

LEMON: All right, well, from Lebanon, we want to talk about Myanmar. The situation there is devastating. And getting help to the people in Myanmar, boy, what a puzzle it is. The supplies are waiting. Doctors and aid workers are eager to get started, but you know what? They have to be invited by Myanmar's government.

And CNN's Fredricka Whitfield spoke with U.S. Secretary-General -- U.N. Secretary-General, I should say, Ban Ki-moon, who is, to say the least, losing patience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAN KI-MOON, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL: This is already the sixth day since May 2 when this cyclone hit Myanmar. We have lost several, very vital few days at the outbreak of this cyclone.

So, this is already very late for international community to take urgent first actions. Now, before it is too late, I would again urge and appeal to Myanmar's authorities to be flexible in dealing with these humanitarian issues with a strong sense of urgency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Fredricka Whitfield with an exclusive interview with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Let's talk now about CNN's Dan Rivers doing amazing work over there. He's managed to do what no other Western journalist has managed to do. He has gotten inside of Myanmar and seen for himself the devastation and the destruction that happened to that region.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're in the heart of the Irrawaddy delta. We have arrived here by boat because the roads are so difficult coming down through here.

We're getting terrible stories in the village behind me. This is sort of where many of the refugees from the destroyed villages have pitched up. There is absolutely no help here at all. We are the only outsiders they have seen, no government soldiers and no aid agencies.

Just talking to one 79-year-old man who has lost his granddaughter, his grandson, his daughter-in-law and his sister, so terrible tragedy. There's talk of entire villages having been wiped out, of numerous bodies still floating in the water. So, it's a pretty grim scene down here, very, very inaccessible.

And the damage further down the river is -- sounds horrific from what the villagers are saying here. They have got food in this village, but certainly not much. And it's very, very basic conditions. I'm not quite sure how long the refugees who arrived here can last before they will need help from the outside world.

Dan Rivers, CNN, southern Myanmar.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: The Myanmar government's resistance to outside help is no surprise to anybody who knows the country's history. Myanmar's leaders slammed the door to the outside world years ago and kept it that way.

Here's CNN's Andrew Stevens.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREW STEVENS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It doesn't take long for the criticism to begin.

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: The response to the cyclone is just the most recent example of the junta's failure to meet its people's basic needs.

STEVENS: U.S. first lady Laura Bush leading growing international concern about the response by Myanmar's rulers to one of the greatest catastrophes the country has ever faced.

First pictures from Myanmar showed robed monks helping victims, almost no sign of any military help. Three days later, an eyewitness in Yangon had this to say.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have not seen any aid from the government, the military government.

STEVENS: And four days after the storm, aid agencies still wait for visa to get boots on the ground as local relief teams try to deal with an overwhelming task.

But Myanmar's secretive military junta led by strongman Than Shwe is used to such condemnation and ignoring it. After the military seized power in a coup in 1962, it scorned international opinion, as it began cracking down on human rights. In 1988, the military brutally crushed a student uprising in the capital, then known as Rangoon. Thousands were reportedly killed. It ignored elections won by democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 1990, the first free elections in 30 years. She remains under house arrest. And last September, the military launched another brutal crackdown, this time against monks calling for democracy, more than 130 people, many of them monks, reportedly killed.

During all that time, this oil- and gas-rich country has fallen deeper into poverty. Millions eke out a subsistence lifestyle, while many in the ruling clash live lavishly. These pictures of the wedding of Than Shwe's daughter in 2006 revealed the opulence surrounding many of the leaders, the bride here draped in what appears to be expensive jewelry.

But this disaster could be a crucial test for the military. Already there is anger about the response so far.

ROGER YATES, ACTIONAID: If they help people and they help people well, that's good for the people. And if they don't, then clearly they're going to be under close scrutiny.

STEVENS: Every new day is critical for the survivors of this catastrophic storm, to get clean water, shelter and food. And every day, the world watches to see how their rulers are responding.

Andrew Stevens, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And, of course, that cyclone that just clobbered Myanmar was the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane. You have seen the pictures. We have shown you video, but we want you to take a look. Look at what the space pictures show. Cyclone Nargis hit the coast of Myanmar on a vulnerable spot, the Irrawaddy delta.

Look at the before there. It's on the left side of the your screen. And then the after on the right side of your screen. It almost doesn't look like the same regions. All of those low-lying areas, they're barrier islands and they're heavily populated on the outskirts of Yangon, and of course look at that. They're all gone.

Well, just moments ago, the defense secretary here in the U.S., Robert Gates, he held a press conference talking about Myanmar and the situation happening there. And basically what he says is, is that the resources are there from the U.S., but we can't do it without the government of Myanmar letting us in. And he doesn't understand why they haven't done it. Take a listen moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GATES, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: If you look at what our Navy was able to do both with the tsunami and the Pakistani earthquake, there is an opportunity here to save a lot of lives. And we are fully prepared to help and to help right away. And it would be a tragedy if these assets -- if people didn't take advantage of them.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: And that's what the secretary of defense said.

And this new information I just got, also, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs said during a press conference as well that the airdrop is a matter of Myanmar's national sovereignty. So, again, everyone saying that the U.S. and other agencies need permission in order to go in to help the people of Myanmar. Everyone is willing to do it. All they need is an OK from the government.

(WEATHER UPDATE)

LEMON: As we monitor those storms and the situations in Myanmar and also in Lebanon, we want to tell you about a police beating in Philadelphia. What do the police commissioner and the mayor, what are they saying about the situation? We will tell you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

KEILAR: Our Wolf Blitzer sat down with Barack Obama just a couple hours ago. The whole interview is coming up in "THE SITUATION ROOM," but Wolf joins us next with a preview.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: And leading our Political Ticker today, George McGovern's advice to Hillary Clinton. We want to tell you what the Democratic Party elder had to say. He's a former Hillary Clinton supporter as well. He tells CNN's Larry King why he now thinks Clinton should quit that race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")

GEORGE MCGOVERN, FORMER DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: This should be a Democratic presidential year. We have offered the country two great candidates in Hillary and Barack. Barack seems to have an insurmountable lead, so that is why I hope as soon as it's reasonably possibly, and as soon as Hillary feels the time has come, for us all to get behind our nominee and win that election next November.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That was George McGovern, of course. He was the Democratic Party's presidential nominee back in 1972. He is not -- not a superdelegate.

KEILAR: Mike Huckabee would beg to differ. The former Republican presidential candidate says Clinton should ignore the critics and campaign to the end. You may remember Huckabee, too, faced pressure to drop out, and eventually did.

LEMON: Rush Limbaugh switching sides? Well, the conservative radio talk show host has been calling on Republicans to vote for Clinton in the primaries to keep the Democrats fighting. Now he's urging Democratic superdelegates to vote for Barack Obama. He says Obama would be the weaker opponent for John McCain.

KEILAR: The pundits may have called the Democratic race for Obama, but what does Obama think? The Democratic front-runner actually sat down with CNN's Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

Wolf joining us now from Washington.

I know you can't tell us exactly everything he said. But just give us a sense, I guess, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, he seems very confident, very relaxed, sort of in marked contrast -- I have interviewed him several times in recent years. I moderated four Democratic presidential debates over the past year or so.

He was always, understandably so, a little uptight, wound up. But, today, he seemed very confident, very relaxed, at ease as he moves forward. Very comfortable, I guess that would be the word.

I showed him the cover of the new issue of "TIME" magazine, which has him declared effectively the winner. He didn't want to put a jinx on it.

We spent most of the time talking about the major differences that separate him not necessarily from Hillary Clinton, but from John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate. And he was more than happy to discuss the domestic, economic, the national security issues.

On one matter, a very important matter, of John McCain's criticism of Barack Obama as the candidate whom Hamas supports, he was strong in his response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is offensive.

And I think it's disappointing, because John McCain always says, well, I'm not going to run that kind of politics. And then to engage in that kind of smear, I think, is unfortunate, particularly since my policy towards Hamas has been no different than his.

I have said that they are a terrorist organization, that we should not negotiate with them unless they recognize Israel, renounce violence and unless they're willing to abide by previous accords between the Palestinians and the Israelis. And, so, for him to toss out comments like that, I think, is an example of him losing his bearings as he pursues this nomination.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: That was one example, Brianna, of the differences between these two candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, if, in fact, Barack Obama does wind up getting the Democratic presidential nomination. And he is the front-runner obviously right now. There will be other major differences as well.

And what I tried to do in this interview is go through some of them, so that viewers out there and voters out there might have a better appreciation where he's coming from. KEILAR: All right, looking forward to it, Wolf. Thanks.

BLITZER: Thank you.

KEILAR: And you can watch Wolf Blitzer's entire interview with Barack Obama at 4:00 p.m. Eastern in "THE SITUATION ROOM." This is something that you will only see right here on CNN.

LEMON: And as our folks who are at the international desk huddle for their meeting, we want to tell you about this story, a worldwide alert, a huge public response, now an arrest. We will tell you about a suspected pedophile busted.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS REPORT)

KEILAR: A clever designer has eliminated some felonious ergonomic violations for the squad car. What does that mean?

Well, Miles O'Brien shows us. It is "The Next Big Thing" for police cars.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CHIEF TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Take a look inside the average police car and you will see some felonious violations of the laws of ergonomics.

JOSE DESCHAMPS, PROVIDENCE POLICE DEPARTMENT: If I have to turn on my lights and keep one hand on the steering wheel and answer the radio at the same time, my hands -- I'm constantly doing something. I'm multitasking.

O'BRIEN: It's a clutter of radios, switches, knobs, ticket books, guns, doughnut, and, of course, a computer.

J.R. Songwe saw the mess and had an epiphany. A student at the Rhode Island school of design, J.R. redesigned a cop's office from the firewall up, and the finished product is pretty slick. The computer has a touch-screen with a keyboard stashed in the dash, siren and light switches on the steering wheel. There's a camera that can automatically read license place and a digital video recorder to catch the action.

PETER ROCCHIO, PROVIDENCE POLICE DEPARTMENT: It frees up a lot of space, so you don't have equipment in your way. And it's a little bit safer.

O'BRIEN: Cops are more likely to keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel. And the streamlined dash is less dangerous in Iraq. J.R. says those are good reasons to spend the extra $5,000 for his cool dashboard.

J.R. NEVILLE SONGWE, JONESO DESIGN: What they do today is not cost-effective, because it actually puts an officer's life in danger. And there's no price for an officer's life.

O'BRIEN: Word of this new design is spreading faster than an all-points bulletin. Cops all over may soon have a better, safer workspace, which came through the providence of one smart designer.

Miles O'Brien, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Well, on Tuesday, just for the second time ever, the global police agency, Interpol, well, they asked for the public's help in tracking down a pedophilia suspect. And within 48 hours -- 48 hours they got the help and the answers they need.

Let's go now to New York to Allan Chernoff, who's going to update us on the situation.

How did they get the help they needed -- Allan.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Don. They had searched for more than a year for this suspect and they then decided put the Internet to use. They put the man's picture online. And wouldn't you know it, as you said right, away they got three important leads that led to an arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF (voice-over): Around midnight last night, federal agents arrested suspected child sex offender Wayne Nelson Corliss at his home in Union City, New Jersey. Only two days earlier, the U.S. and Interpol, the international police organization, issued online pleas for help in locating Corliss. Agents believe he is the man in 100 pictures circulating on the Internet having sex with young boys ages six through 10 in Thailand. The photos were found on the computer of a convicted pedophile in Norway.

Within a day of the plea for help, one quarter of a million people checked the photo online and three crucial tips led Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to Corliss' home. Neighbors were shocked.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a shock that, you know, that it someone in the building, I mean, that everybody knew.

CHERNOFF: Last October, a similar online Interpol plea led to the arrest in Thailand of a suspected sex offender, Christopher Paul Neil, who is in a Thai jail facing child sex abuse charges, to which he has pled not guilty. Federal prosecutors are charging Corliss with coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography -- a crime for which he could face 20 years in prison.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CHERNOFF: Corliss may face other charges, as well. And the hearing has just concluded in Newark, New Jersey. Corliss did not enter a plea. There will be another hearing on Monday. He's being held without bail. He was assigned a lawyer. And the prosecutors also mentioned that Corliss is a comedy writer and a member of the Screen Actors Guild. But, of course, absolutely nothing funny about this case -- Don.

LEMON: Yes, absolutely nothing. OK, so we're looking at the pictures. You did say in your report that the photos are from Thailand.

How do they know that, that the photos are from Thailand?

CHERNOFF: The authorities looked very carefully at these photos that were online and they saw in the background suitcases and a luggage tag with the letters BKK. That's the code for the main airport in Bangkok. They checked out this man's travel logs and they found that, indeed, he had been in Bangkok a number of times -- another important clue in this case.

LEMON: All right.

CNN's senior correspondent, Allan Chernoff.

Allan, thank you -- Brianna.

KEILAR: A police sergeant and five officers are off the streets in Philadelphia in the intense aftermath of a beating that was called on tape. No doubt you have seen it.

CNN's Jason Carroll joining us live.

Jason, what is the latest on this story?

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, I know you've seen the tape. It is extremely embarrassing for the Philadelphia Police Department.

And what it does is it reinforces the opinions of some in the African-American community that police cannot be trusted.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL (voice-over): Philadelphia police continue to try to identify all the officers involved in the beating of three shooting suspects Monday night. A local TV helicopter camera rolled while more than a dozen officers kicked the three men for more than one minute. The mother of one of those men who was repeatedly kicked says the tape shows what happens in her community far too often when cameras are not around.

LEOMIA DYCHES, LIONEL DYCHES' MOTHER: Where I live at, it's constantly that they're beating these young men -- constantly.

CARROLL: Leomia Dyches lives in a predominantly African-American section of North Philadelphia. Here, it's not hard to find people, mostly men, like this man, who does not want his name used, who say they've been harassed by police.

(on-camera): So you've been stopped by the police before?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Quite a few times because my mother lives around here. And because I wear jeans and stuff when I'm off work and come over here and visit her, they assume that I'm up to no good and something like that. And I don't think that's right.

CARROLL: On average, there are about 30 serious physical complaints per year against Philadelphia police. That number has remained steady over the past five years. The city's police commissioner made it clear the behavior of those officers on the tape was wrong. But he has concerns the officers' actions add weight to longstanding feelings in the African-American community that police are abusive.

COMMISSIONER CHARLES RAMSEY, PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT: You're talking about a dozen or so officers out of a force of 6,700. And the vast majority of officers conduct themselves properly and work very well within the community.

CARROLL: Police say the officers on the tape were under stress due to the fatal shooting of one of their own this past weekend. Sergeant Steven Liczbinski was shot responding to a bank robbery. Some in the African-American community who, while outraged over the officers' behavior on the tape, say their anger is somewhat tempered because of what happened to Liczbinski.

WILLIE WILLIAMS, NORTH PHILADELPHIA RESIDENT: And Philadelphia feels bad for what happened to him -- all of Philadelphia. You know, it's not, well, it's only white folks. It's black folks that feel bad. It has nothing to do -- it's across lines.

CARROLL: Steven Collins, a popular radio host and Urban League board member, says the city's mayor and police commissioner, both in office less than six months, are handling the concerns of the community.

E. STEVEN COLLINS, PHILADELPHIA URBAN LEAGUE: You have a new police chief. You have a new mayor. They're trying as hard as they can to do the right thing. I have every confidence that they will discipline or suspend or fire those cops.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: As for those officers involved in the beating, six so far has been placed on administrative leave. More are expected to be placed on leave once the police department's internal investigation is completed -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Jason Carroll for us in Philadelphia.

Thanks.

The bursting of the housing bubble -- we'll see it through the eyes of the last families left in the neighborhood.

And don't you hate it when your mouth isn't as big as your appetite?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHEA, CHOKING VICTIM: I had a big piece about that big and I thought I could swallow it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Well, she was all choked up. And how someone in the school lunchroom put life-saving training into practice.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We've been telling you about the situation in Beirut. And, of course, CNN now all over it. And we can confirm now that two people have died in this fighting. The Associated Press is reporting that it is a mother and child when a rocket-propelled grenade hit their apartment building.

We've been showing you some video earlier that we got from our sister network, Al Arabiya there, with a little boy and some adults having to take cover. We want you to hear that entire -- and see that entire situation as it happens.

We've got the video now, as well as the sound, so you can see what took place.

Take a look.

LEMON: Just unbelievable. In that video, there was a little boy. You can see at first he thinks it's a game or they're playing around and he's smiling and he's running. And then the adults grab him and but then when that big explosion goes off, it sounds like a machine gun, he is frightened out of his wits, as well as the woman you can see in the beginning. She knows what's going on.

But listen to this.

And obviously he screams and then the adult holds his mouth. And you saw the other situation there, people running over barriers and what have you. That's what's happening in Lebanon. And we're on top of it. We're covering it today from our International Desk.

Back to you -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Well, Don, we have now seen how the housing bubble has burst, how it's ravaged inner city neighborhoods. And in parts of the country, the pain is actually spreading to upscale enclaves, as well.

Issue No. 1 takes us to Las Vegas with CNN's Thelma Gutierrez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice-over): Remember the housing frenzy just three years ago, when frantic buyers camped out in front of sales offices?

FAFIE MOORE, BROKER OWNER, REALTY EXECUTIVES: It was like getting rock star tickets. They would bring their sleeping bags, they'd spend the night so that when the next release came they could be in the lottery.

GUTIERREZ: A lottery to buy mega homes, sight unseen.

KATHLEEN BOYD JONES, HOMEOWNER: We stood in line to get this particular house. And my husband went out at until 7:30 the night before.

GUTIERREZ: For the Jones, it was their big chance to buy into this brand new, upscale, gated neighborhood in Las Vegas.

JONES: A dream house and then dream community, yes. Absolutely.

GUTIERREZ: So when Kathleen Boyd Jones and her husband Robert finally closed on their $800,000 custom home in the desert, it was like winning the lottery. Now it all seems like a distant memory.

(on-camera): Which homes are actually unoccupied?

JONES: Well, the one right here on our left and the one next to it. This is foreclosed on. Over here, nobody has ever moved into that house at all.

GUTIERREZ: And this home?

JONES: The house next to it was a renter and they got foreclosed on at the beginning of the year.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): The Jones' gated neighborhood is virtually a ghost town, with 75 percent of the homes vacant. It's now up to Jones and two other families who live here to maintain the community because the homeowners association is broke.

JONES: With the dues not being paid, we can't pay the landscaper. The landscaper doesn't want to work. There is three of us that are going around spraying for the weeds, cleaning the shrubbery up on the outside of our property, which is one square block.

GUTIERREZ (on camera): So you found yourself not just having to take care of your yard and your property, but you're also pretty much taking care of this entire community.

JONES: Yes. Someone has to do it. And I have too much invested here.

MOORE: This is a four-bedroom home with three and a half baths and it's over 4,000 square feet.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Fafie Moore is a Las Vegas real estate broker. She says even homes like this one are not immune to the mortgage meltdown.

MOORE: Well, in 2005 and even into some of 2006, we were like an out-of-control freight train here in Las Vegas. People were in a frenzy. They were buying. They were not thinking about what the values were. Now we're like we're in the emergency room and we're trying to stop the flow of blood and stabilize everybody.

GUTIERREZ: The Jones say they will weather the storm and protect their investment, even though it's worth $300,000 less than when they bought it.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Las Vegas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Today a Democratic housing aid plan is up for votes in the House. President Bush has threatened to veto this plan, which would offer fixed rate government-backed mortgages to qualified cash- strapped borrowers. He says basically it's just bailing out speculators.

And on that note, we asked Americans how they feel about special treatment for people threatened with losing their homes. So, as you can see, it's a close call here -- pretty much 50/50 among those for and against in this poll for CNN by Opinion Research Corporation.

And this slumping economy is affecting you in more ways than you even know. You can check out CNNMoney.com's special report, Issue Number One. From protecting your money to finding a job, it's right there for you. There's a ton of information that could save you money and some misery. Plus we've got some interactive tools and a whole lot more. Again, that's at CNNMoney.com.

LEMON: And, Brianna, we've been telling you about the violent weather -- especially the violent weather hitting Mississippi. Tupelo, Mississippi, new pictures now from our Chad Myers -- what do you have Chad?

(WEATHER REPORT)

KEILAR: Don't you hate it when your mouth isn't as big as your appetite?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHEA: I had a big piece about that big and I thought I could swallow it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: But she didn't. She was all choked up. We'll tell you about how someone in this school lunchroom put life-saving training into practice.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: A school cafeteria cashier is being called a hero after springing into action when a student started choking.

We get the story now from reporter TaRonda Thomas of CNN affiliate KUSA in Colorado.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: She's over there sitting with Amy (ph).

TARONDA THOMAS, KUSA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nine-year-old Shea has never been one to rave about the school lunch.

SHEA: It's OK.

THOMAS: Most days she brings her own. Today, it's strawberries and a peanut butter sandwich. But it's what Shea ate a week ago...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was hamburgers.

THOMAS: ...that's still got her friends talking.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: They've been talking about it.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Go ahead.

THOMAS: So has Karen Falconberg.

KAREN FALCONBERG, LUNCHROOM CASHIER: OK.

THOMAS: She knows Shea.

FALCONBERG: Oh, yes. I have known her since she started school here.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: OK, come on.

THOMAS: In fact, she knows every kid at Grand View Elementary.

FALCONBERG: Owen (ph), go ahead.

THOMAS: Because she spent five years as a lunchroom cashier.

FALCONBERG: That's one of my favorite parts is to be able to know each and every one of these kids.

THOMAS: Including one who was in danger last Wednesday.

FALCONBERG: And we had a child choking out here.

THOMAS: That child was Shea.

SHEA: I had a big piece about that big and I thought I could swallow it.

THOMAS: What happened after that everyone knows.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I heard that somebody was choking. UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: And then they started calling lots and lots of people to come over there with her.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Ms. Falconberg came over and did the Heimlich remover.

THOMAS: Maneuver.

FALCONBERG: Hi, Margaret (ph).

THOMAS: It's something Falconberg has to know. She's been licensed day care provider for 21 years.

FALCONBERG: I have to be trained and certified in first aid and CPR every year.

THOMAS: And she had just recertified two weeks before she performed the Heimlich on Shea.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Help me out and it came out.

THOMAS: Despite the praise --

FALCONBERG: Thank you guys.

THOMAS: Karen says it's just about being prepared. Meantime, Shea has a new opinion on school lunch.

SHEA: You have to take smaller bites.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: That was TaRonda Thomas of KUSA reporting.

What did that girl call it?

KING: The Heimlich remover.

KEILAR: The Heimlich remover.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Well, at least they knew, you know, what it was.

KEILAR: They were close.

LEMON: Kind of, yes.

KEILAR: Thank you.

LEMON: You know who's got a big interview coming up this afternoon that you don't want to miss?

KEILAR: I do know. Wolf Blitzer.

LEMON: Yes. Joining us from "THE SITUATION ROOM" to tell us what's coming up at the top of the hour -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Hey, guys, thanks very much.

Some people already are suggesting that Barack Obama is the Democratic presidential nominee. In fact, the new issue of "Time" magazine says precisely that. We're going to be talking with Barack Obama. We have a significant interview coming up. You're going to be seeing the whole thing right at the top of the hour.

Also, we're going to be getting reaction -- lots of reaction, including from John McCain's campaign. Mitt Romney, the former Republican candidate, now a strong supporter of McCain, he's going to be joining us live. We'll get his reaction to what we just heard. Also, Terry McAuliffe. He's the chairman of the Clinton campaign. We'll hear what he has to say about this interview.

All that and a lot more guys coming up right here at the top of the hour.

KEILAR: Looking forward to your exclusive interview.

Thanks.

LEMON: Absolutely.

The closing bell and a wrap of all of the action on Wall Street straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: It is just about time. The closing bell about to ring on Wall Street.

LEMON: Susan Lisovicz is standing by with a final look at the trading day.

And, Susan, you were talking about something about making dough?

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: See you guys tomorrow.

Don, I want to see you in those crocs (ph), by the way.

LEMON: I just -- I got so many e-mails saying -- I'll tell you later. I'll call you up and tell you, Susan. Have a great day. Thank you.

KEILAR: Thanks, Susan.

And let's head now to "THE SITUATION ROOM" and Wolf Blitzer.