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Apartment Inferno; Fireworks Suspected in Blaze; Hostage Drama: Three Americans Now Back in U.S.; Health & HIV: Concerns Among African-Americans; Political Hot Topics; Pizza for Patriots
Aired July 05, 2008 - 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, you in the CNN NEWSROOM. It is Saturday, July 5th. Yesterday was the fourth. Hope you had a good one.
Good morning to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Veronica De La Cruz. Good morning. Betty is on assignment this morning. But we are bringing you the world, so pay close attention.
We're going to be telling you about this story -- pizza for patriots, a holiday 4th feast. We're going to be talking to the organizers who figured out how to get 3,000 pizzas delivered to the troops.
HOLMES: Yes. They deliver even in Iraq and Afghanistan. We'll show you that in a little while.
Also, a lot of people play the lottery. You think your chances are not that good of winning? They're not. Well, in some cases and some places, you don't have any chance of winning when you buy that ticket.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes.
HOLMES: We'll explain what this is about and why it has some players upset.
DE LA CRUZ: And normally people play to win, and in this case, you couldn't win it all.
HOLMES: You don't have a chance.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes.
HOLMES: Don't have a chance at all. OK, you've got to hear this one, and be careful before you by that next lottery ticket, maybe.
But we need to move on to a story we're just getting word of this morning, a fire that has destroyed almost a dozen buildings in a Toledo apartment complex. More than 100 people are out of their homes right now.
DE LA CRUZ: And officials suspect fireworks started this massive blaze. Melissa Andrews of our affiliate WTVG joins us now with more. Good morning, Melissa.
MELISSA ANDREWS, REPORTER, WTVG: Good morning, Veronica, T.J.
Well, this story has a lot of factors. We're talking about crime, heroes and devastation. If you take a look over my shoulder today, you can see that firefighters are still at work putting out this fire. It started around 1:30 this morning. So they're about eight and a half hours into it.
We're talking about 11 buildings, 120 apartments destroyed here at this apartment complex. Firefighters now are saying it all started with a July 4th celebration, people setting off fireworks.
And in fact, we have eyewitness reports of people setting off fireworks in the hallways of some of these apartments. Some of those fireworks also landing on the roofs of these apartments.
Also some stories coming out this morning of how people were alerted that this was going on. This was at 1:30 this morning, Fourth of July. And a lot of people were sleeping.
So firefighters, police officers, actually predicted where this fire was going to go in these attached buildings. Went in, kicked down some doors and brought people to safety.
We're talking about 100 people rescued this morning. A lot of them have sought refuge with the Red Cross. Some have gone to stay with family and friends. And I guess the bright light in any of this, if there is a bright light, is that we're only reporting one minor injury so far. That person was treated and released.
But as you can imagine, $5 million of damage here. Such destruction. People without their homes. The investigation is going to just start right now as to who caused all of this, who set off those fireworks and created such damage.
DE LA CRUZ: And Melissa, if you don't mind, if you can maybe give us a lay of the land, because you mentioned 11 buildings. Is this strictly a residential area?
ANDREWS: Yes, this is a residential area in south Toledo. What I'm likening it to is kind of a college campus, if you can imagine that. Kind of clusters of different apartment buildings.
So what you have behind me is a section of about 11 apartment buildings all connected in kind of a horseshoe shape. So you can quickly understand how that fire just spread from one to the next to the next.
DE LA CRUZ: And an entire neighborhood up in flames. You know, you hear stories like this year in and year out on the Fourth of July. It truly is sad.
Melissa Andrews with WTVG. Thanks so much for your report, Melissa.
HOLMES: Three American contractors who were kidnapped in Colombia more than five years ago now back in the U.S. Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell are at Fort Sam Houston Army Base in San Antonio. They are there to undergo medical evaluations and are being debriefed about their long, long ordeal.
CNN's Susan Roesgen is at the base. Susan, five years is a long time. They have missed a lot. How in the world do they even begin to try to catch up?
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boy, I don't know, T.J. I really don't know. I mean, it has been an incredibly long time.
To think about this and put it into perspective for you, the American hostages in Tehran, in Iran, were captive for about a year and a half. Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, he was captive for about five and a half years, five years, seven months, in Vietnam.
Terry Anderson, the journalist who was kidnapped in Beirut, he was captive for more than six years. These guys were in that Colombian jungle for five years, four months. And all that they've missed, everything that they've missed politically, socially, economically in this country, we talked about it earlier.
In February of 2003, when their plane went down, gas cost $1.49. Nobody really heard of Barack Obama outside of Illinois. He was simply a state senator, an obscure state senator.
So, so much has changed in all this time. And these men have basically been in a time warp, trapped in a time warp in the Colombian jungle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN (voice over): As their small plane lost power over the Colombian jungle, American Keith Stansell made the mayday call for help.
KEITH STANSELL, AMERICAN CONTRACTOR: Mutt-zero-one is declaring mayday. We have lost engine.
ROESGEN: Those were Stansell's last words as a free man. His captors made his video, released a few months later.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard gun shots and the FARC were on the ground. They were shooting into the air.
ROESGEN: This is exclusive CNN video obtained from the Colombian recovery team. Near the plane wreckage, a Colombian intelligence officer and the American pilot, Tom Janus (ph), were found shot to death. Keith Stansell and two other Americans, Thomas Howes and Marc Gonsalves, civilian workers for a defense contractor on a U.S. surveillance mission, were taken hostage. The rebels are leftist guerilla fighters who have been trying for 40 years to overthrow Colombia's government. They are believed to have over 700 hostages right now hidden away in makeshift camps like this one. Hostages who have escaped describe being chained at the neck, kept in the most primitive and cruel conditions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): These chains were placed under lock and key. They put them on at 6:00 p.m. We had to sleep in them. There were months when we had to wear them for 24 hours.
ROESGEN: Although the world knew what was happening, the tough U.S. policy of not negotiating with terrorists meant the three Americans seemed to have little chance of ever getting out. And only rarely were they able to record messages for their families back home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you two, and I want you to know that I am being strong.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What I need is my family more than anything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I feel like sometimes not going on, I think in my mind of my 11-year-old son.
ROESGEN: Imagine that you're a son or daughter, wife or parent, and these images are all you've seen. The hostages had even less to keep them going.
After an amazing rescue by the Colombian government, the Americans are home. What we can tell them about what they've missed these last five years and what they can tell us about what they've endured should be an incredible story.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN: And T.J., as the hostages get re-acclimated now again to normal life, life of freedom, they have asked that the media refrain from trying to reach out to their families. We don't expect to see them on video or to hear anything from them until perhaps what the general here at the Army base is calling a yellow ribbon ceremony to welcome them back publicly in a few days.
HOLMES: And that's certainly understandable. And I like how you put in perspective, some things that have happened over the past several years. Like you said, Barack Obama, they've never heard of him, for the most part.
Susan Roesgen, thank you so much for that. And we'll be checking in with you again.
DE LA CRUZ: In the meantime, free Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt undergoes a medical checkup today after receiving a hero's welcome in France. Betancourt holds dual Colombian and French citizenship. During her emotional homecoming, she thanked the French people for their support during her long ordeal as a hostage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) INGRID BETANCOURT, FMR. HOSTAGE (through translator): I have been dreaming for seven years for this moment. I'm so happy that I'm here today, and that is why I'm in fact here today, to say thank you, to say how much I love you, to say how much you are part of my life, to say how much I owe you. I cried a lot during all this time of pain when I was a hostage and all the things that were done to me. These are tears of joy.
In the jungle, I was accompanied with other people who were suffering just as much as me, probably more, because I was lucky enough to have you. They, however, felt that nobody cared about them, and it is all of France that is moved by the way that you have returned your inner strength, your dignity, your smile.
You made a little space, a little time, to work for me, to work for my release, to include me in your daily lives, to make me a part of your families, to have suffered along with me, to have carried on hoping with me, to have accompanied me in all these terrible moments of anxiety.
Oh, my God. I cannot tell you how much I love you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DE LA CRUZ: And tonight, a CNN special presentation. An HBO documentary looks at Ingrid Betancourt's kidnapping and her family's six-year struggle to free her. HBO's "The Kidnapping of Ingrid Betancourt," you can find it here and only here, tonight on CNN at 8:00 Eastern.
HOLMES: Police in Germany say a man has bee arrested for ripping the head off of Adolf Hitler, a wax statue of Adolf Hitler. This happened, again, this morning in Berlin. Video here of the figure before the head came off. It shows Hitler sitting at a desk in his Berlin bunker during his last days.
Today was the opening of the famous Madame Tussauds wax museum in Berlin. The man says he wanted to protest the decision to include the figure of Hitler.
DE LA CRUZ: A symbol of hate replaced by an act of kindness. Within a month of moving into their new home in New Orleans, an African-American family was hit twice by racist vandals. After the second attack, the family left the racist "KKK" symbol etched in the grass. That led neighbors to spring into action.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was literally sick to my stomach. I was down for a week just, you know, traumatized.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Fourth of July is a day that celebrates independence and freedom, and this act was just so contrary to that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DE LA CRUZ: Neighbors spent part of their Fourth of July holiday putting in a new lawn for the family.
HOLMES: Well, it is more than just music. This weekend's Essence Music Festival in New Orleans is also focusing on education, the economy, also health, and in particular, HIV/AIDS in the black community.
DE LA CRUZ: And our Fredricka Whitfield is covering the festival. She joins us now with a guest.
Hey, Fred.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again.
That's right, with 200,000 people descending upon New Orleans specifically for this music festival, the Essence Music Festival, yes, there are other things. Let's broaden it out. It's not just music, it's innovation, ideas as well.
These ladies are setting up their booth here. They sell jewelry, they make their jewelry here in the convention center. But at the same time, Deon and Catherine Haywood and Lawanda (ph) is here as well with the family business.
They've got some pretty strong opinions about things that need to be corrected, addressed in this country. And let's talk with Catherine and Deon right now.
And you have some really strong opinions about health care, particularly in the black community. It needs a big -- big shot in the arm help.
DEON HAYWOOD, WOMEN WITH A VISION, INC.: Yes. I just think that, you know, we have so many people who are considered the working poor. The economy is bad. And one of the issues I think we have is, you know, people try to make decisions. People may work and they may make ends meet, but most people can't afford health care in this country.
WHITFIELD: And that's one of the barriers as to why so many -- why there's a huge disparity between black Americans and the rest of America in terms of health care.
HAYWOOD: Right. Right.
WHITFIELD: Affordability and access.
HAYWOOD: Right. And we see here, you know, post-Katrina in New Orleans, like I said earlier, there are a lot of positive things that are taking place in the community. But there are also some issues that people are dealing with from homelessness, you know, the systemic issues that people have in the country, in America.
And as African-Americans, I think there's so many issues that we deal with, issues of addiction. So, you know, if you have an addition, if you have insurance, which our agency, Women With a Vision, Inc., we deal with a lot of people that struggle with addictions and other HIV, you know, substance abuse issues. How can you -- you can't just take your insurance and sign up for six months for treatment.
So it's very hard. People end up going to prison and coming out. So then we have...
WHITFIELD: And you don't go to prison and get comprehensive care.
HAYWOOD: No, especially for people who are HIV positive. You know.
WHITFIELD: And speaking of which, you all have an organization, Women With a Vision, Inc. HIV positive is an issue, is a virus, a disease that you all deal with.
And Catherine, this is your organization that I'm talking about in particular. Why is it so important for you, Katherine, to make sure that women in particular, which is the fastest-growing -- black American women, fastest-growing victims of HIV/AIDS.
How do you try to address this through your group?
CATHERINE HAYWOOD, WOMEN WITH A VISION, INC.: We actually are a grassroots organization, so we do street. We take the information where the people are.
You can't sit back and wait for people to come to you for information. You have to go out on the street and educate. So we just do street outreach, we do education, and we work with HIV, but we also do breast cancer, cervical cancer.
It's just women's health issues. But the thing about us is that we take it to the street. It's not that, OK, I'm going to sit here in my office and wait for somebody to come in.
WHITFIELD: See, because that's one of the big barriers. You can't -- you can't count on patients to be seeking out and looking for assistance. You've got to reach them to help educate and build awareness.
C. HAYWOOD: Let me say this right quick. For the women that we work with, when they go into clinics or whatever, they're kind of shunned. You know, they might not smell right, they might not look right, so then they're not helped in a quick manner, let's say. They're kind of just sitting there all day. That's not -- I'm getting upset right now because it bothers me.
WHITFIELD: Because it is an upsetting issue, right. Catherine Hayward, thank you so much. And Deon Haywood as well.
We're out of time, but this is, you know, what we're talking about. These are issues that really are deep-seeded and they're thought-provoking, and it's painful to discuss. Just as you heard from Catherine. At the same time, you know, T.J. and Veronica, people are hoping when they come to this event, during this election season as well, they're hoping that these are issues that will be addressed because they haven't been addressed adequately. That's why it is so painful for so many people to talk about -- T.J. and Veronica.
HOLMES: Yes. It's a good time, big-name stars, big fun, but still a lot of serious issues being tackled at that music festival. And you are tackling it all for us.
Fredricka Whitfield, who will be there throughout the weekend. Thank you so much again, Fredricka.
Well, we need to turn to this now. Thousands of people, these pictures we're seeing this morning, being forced from their homes during this Fourth of July, this holiday weekend.
DE LA CRUZ: Firefighters facing an uphill battle in California, trying desperately to save homes, businesses and a piece of history.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DE LA CRUZ: Well, hundreds of homes are in danger from a growing wildfire in southern California right now. High winds are making things tough for firefighters in Santa Barbara County. That's near Goleta.
The winds there hit 40 miles per hour, really whipping up the flames. And so far, the fire has charred 10 square miles. But fire officials say that it is moving quickly. Evacuations have been ordered.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBIE KRABACHER, GOLETA RESIDENT: Our pets are ready to go. You know, we got -- we know where they all are. And so we'll put those in the one car. The other car is already packed up. So in the car we have our photo albums, a box of pictures, more pictures, our computer, part of our computer, important papers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DE LA CRUZ: Part of the challenge for firefighters is the rocky terrain. The fire is less than 15 percent contained.
(WEATHER REPORT)
DE LA CRUZ: Well, if you'd like to submit an iReport this July 4th holiday, here's your chance.
HOLMES: Yes. Our Josh Levs here to explain the theme of these iReports.
Good morning to you, Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And while you guys are off at the beach, I'll be here going through hundreds of iReports and pick the best ones to show you guys tomorrow.
All right. So here's the big question right now: What does patriotism mean to you? We've got a chance coming up for people of all ages to answer that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DE LA CRUZ: Presidential politics this holiday weekend.
John McCain enjoying some private time with his family in Arizona. Barack Obama speaking by satellite to the National Education Association this hour. We are monitoring this for you. If it makes any news, we'll go ahead and bring it to you live.
Obama is in Butte, Montana, where he attended a July 4th parade and picnic. He also celebrated his oldest daughter's 10th birthday yesterday. So happy birthday to her.
HOLMES: All right.
DE LA CRUZ: This being the July 4th weekend...
HOLMES: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: It is, right?
HOLMES: It is.
DE LA CRUZ: And we are receiving so many iReports that I'm going to have to cancel by beach weekend.
HOLMES: OK. Well, Josh is over there smiling. We'll bring him in. He's been -- it's actually his job to look into it, so don't you worry about your vacation -- Josh.
LEVS: Maybe I'll -- hey, if you're going to be here going through iReports for me, that's great. No, it is an honor.
DE LA CRUZ: It's a window seat, just in case you're wondering.
LEVS: Is it? First class? Of course it is. Why even ask. It's Veronica De La Cruz.
All right, people. Let's take a look at our iReports right now. This is actually pretty cool. You know, throughout the year you send us your iReports. Well, once in a while, we bring the iReport experience to you.
Let's take a look at this video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, boys. (INAUDIBLE) anything about the U.S. what would it be?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our show (INAUDIBLE). UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would definitely start here in D.C., showing them the million attractions the museums have to offer here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: All right. So here's what you're seeing there. That was set up at the National Mall yesterday.
We have an iReport kiosk, and we came along and we asked people to talk about what is patriotism, what does it mean to you. We're seeing different definitions.
I'm going to show you now a series of answers that we got at the National Mall.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the (INAUDIBLE) from Pennsylvania. And patriotism is just a -- just really simply a love of our country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just hope that we do more around the world to better our image and hopefully change the way people think about us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I could show one non-American the great things about America, is that everyone here is very friendly. We are very patriotic. And we are helpful. And as you can see in Washington, D.C., this is a major area for tourism.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're (INAUDIBLE), and patriotism to us is...
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Our freedom.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: See, there you go. I would like to think we're a helpful people.
Obviously, we loved all of the iReports you're sending in right now. We're going to be sharing more throughout the weekend. You're seeing one right here from a military family.
Just go to ireport.com, send in your photos, your videos, you stories, and we will in turn bring them to you right here. There you go. Veronica, T.J., how was that?
DE LA CRUZ: Good stuff, Josh...
LEVS: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: ... as always.
LEVS: Yes. They're pulling through for us.
Thanks, guys. HOLMES: All right. Thanks, Josh.
Well, back to this story now -- held hostage by Colombian rebels.
DE LA CRUZ: This morning, new video of the dramatic rescue mission.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
HOLMES: We do want to turn to an event that's happening live right now. You see Senator Barack Obama there on your screen. He's actually in Butte, Montana, but he's actually talking to an audience that's in Washington, D.C., addressing the National Education Association, the group of educators.
Let's listen in for a moment.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In a world where good jobs can be located anywhere there's an Internet connection, where a child in Chicago competes with children in Beijing or Bangalore, the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge. In this kind of economy, countries who out-educate us today will out- compete us tomorrow.
By 12th grade, our children score lower on math and science tests than most other children in the world. And we have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialized nation. But we don't have to accept this future for America.
We don't have to accept an America where we do nothing about six million students who are reading below grade level or where only 20 percent of our students are prepared to take college-level classes in English, math and science. This kind of America is morally unacceptable to our children, it's economically untenable for our future, and it's not who we are as a nation.
And I am running for president of the United States to guarantee that every child has the best possible chance in life. I'm tired of hearing teachers blamed for our problems. I want to lead a new era.
HOLMES: And again, what you're hearing here, he's actually doing a Q&A with them right now. So we're not actually being able to -- able to hear the question that he is being asked, but we're hearing his answers right now. We'll check out this answer as well.
OBAMA: ... one where we all come together, parents and educators -- the NEA and leaders in Washington, citizens all across America United for the sake of our children's success. Bringing about that future begins with fixing the broken promises of No Child Left Behind.
(APPLAUSE) HOLMES: We're listening to Senator Barack Obama there. He is there with a group in Butte, Montana, where he's been campaigning. And he's actually addressing another group, though, that is in Washington, D.C., the National Education Association, a group of thousands of teachers, millions, really, of educators in this country, addressing -- talking about issues of education there.
We'll keep an eye on that and monitor. And if any news pops out of there, we'll certainly bring it to you.
DE LA CRUZ: In the meantime, some changes at the top for the McCain campaign.
CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser joins us now from Washington.
So, Paul, tell us about the shake-up in the McCain camp and what he hopes to accomplish with this.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, they've got a new sheriff at the McCain camp. His name is Steve Schmidt.
He had been with the McCain campaign for a while, but now he's going to be running day-to-day things. He's going to be the boss.
This is a guy who was with Bush/Cheney, reelect in '04. They did quite well. And he was the guy who kind of steered Schwarzenegger in '06. And I think what you're going to see with John McCain this week, with the new team in place, is a hard-hitting, more aggressive John McCain.
We already know that Monday, Tuesday, this week coming up, he's going to be talking about his Jobs First program. He's going to be pushing that. It's his plan to create new jobs. Obviously we know how the tough times here are in the United States, and he wants to help create new jobs.
He'll be touting that plan, Veronica, in some pretty crucial battleground states like Colorado and Ohio.
DE LA CRUZ: All right. And before I let you go, I understand that you've got some pretty interesting poll numbers to share with us, some poll numbers on how Americans feel about these presidential candidates wearing these lapel pins.
STEINHAUSER: Yes. Boy, we've heard a lot about this campaign, haven't we, the flag pin, Obama wearing one, not wearing one, criticism from Republicans?
Take a look at these new numbers from CNN and the Opinion Research Corporation. We polled about this.
We asked Americans: Should a presidential candidate wear a flag pin on the lapel? There, look at that, 41 percent, always. Forty-one percent, almost half of Americans, say always. Thirteen, frequently. Only 19 percent say only occasionally. It has become a part of this campaign, for better or for worse. And here's what Americans think about it.
Barack Obama nowadays is wearing that flag pin. He didn't for quite some time. Said he didn't need to wear one to prove his patriotism. But now both candidates wearing the flag pin -- Veronica.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, we saw moments ago, Paul, and he had it on.
STEINHAUSER: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: He had it on. But what about the flag tie? Is that like extra points or...
STEINHAUSER: Yes, Bill Schneider was wearing one on TV yesterday. I don't know if anybody is going to elect him president though. I don't think so.
DE LA CRUZ: I gave him extra points, though.
STEINHAUSER: Good. Good deal.
DE LA CRUZ: Paul Steinhauser, thanks.
HOLMES: Well, long-time senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina has died. And he was a controversial figure in American politics. He was revered by fellow Republicans and reviled by many Democrats. For 30 years, he helped shape the direction of the Republican Party and U.S. foreign policy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB DOLE (R), FMR. SENATOR: Jesse was a man of strong convictions. As I said earlier, if there were a liberal meeting going on and somebody announced that Jesse Helms is coming, the place would have cleared out in 20 seconds.
You know, but he was a good, decent human being. I didn't agree with him on some of his civil rights position, but the little things that Jesse did, if you were to ask the pages who do they like best of all of the Republican senators, who was the nicest to them, it would be Jesse Helms every year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: President Bush called him a great patriot. Meanwhile, civil rights advocate Reverend Al Sharpton issued this statement. Of course you will remember Jesse Helms opposed that Civil Rights Act of 1964.
But this statement from Al Sharpton says, "The bad news is that he represented an old South that was unfair and unequal. The good news is that he lived to see the changing of the South, which still has yet a long way to go, but has come a long way from where it was."
It goes on to read that, "Despite his resistance, it's changed and continues to change. Despite our different views and vision, my prayers are with his family at this hour of sorrow."
Helms did leave the Senate in 2003. Later, his Jesse Helms Center helped raise money and awareness for the fight against AIDS in Africa, an issue that he originally fought against in the Senate.
Again, Jesse Helms was 86-years-old.
DE LA CRUZ: Well, it may be the Fourth of July weekend, but there were fireworks of another sort in Florida.
Wait a second here. Keep your eye on that white van. Yes. Kaboom.
Police say the driver carrying gas tanks and welding equipment. Then they think that he lit a cigarette. Incredibly, he was only slightly injured. There were no other injuries reported.
And snap, crackle, sizzle, pop. That's the sound. You know you love it, fireworks across the nation.
The display over New York City was the biggest. The fireworks exploding to the beat of the music by the New York Pops.
And in St. Louis, crowds packed the streets to watch fireworks over the famous arch. And in the nation's capital, a festival of lights over the National Mall.
And I always watch that one every year on television.
HOLMES: It's a nice show.
DE LA CRUZ: You know, because I've got to get up early the next day. So...
HOLMES: Might as well. But that was good to see.
Something else, really welcomed. A welcomed sight. Good to see for a lot of U.S. troops. Chicago deep dish pizza delivered the troops in Iraq. How is that possible?
DE LA CRUZ: Well, we're going to see coming up next. It was a special Fourth of July treat, but how much do you tip the delivery guy?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DE LA CRUZ: All right. Pride, patriotism, pizza.
HOLMES: Yes. In Illinois, a retired -- throw pizza in there. It goes with patriotism. A retired Air Force sergeant sent a special Fourth of July salute to the U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that precious cargo was, in fact, thousands of pizzas and a taste of home.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What a project. A very big project. I think this is a top one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go to your left.
KENT EVANS, PIZZA FOR PATRIOTS: I think they'll be pretty happy that they got something from home that's good that they could eat for the Fourth of July.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pizza. Mmm. Put this one out the back.
MARK EVANS, PIZZA FOR PATRIOTS: We were eating Lou Malnati's pizza at our dinner table, and we heard the Iraq war going on a TV in the other room, and he says, "Dad, do they have pizza there?" I said, "Yeah, they have pizza, but not like Chicago-style pizza." You know, you can't copy this. This is the best pizza in the world.
K. EVANS: They'll be happy to receive the pizza when they get it, and all the time and effort will pay off towards that.
M. EVANS: It's tough out there, too. They need good food. And so I called Lou Malnati's and they said, "We'll back you 100 percent, whatever you want," which is amazing. They've been awesome.
Those guys are under a lot of stress there. Lots of pressure. Can't imagine what they're seeing.
And, you know, a lot of times you just sit there and you think back at home and you're just like, you know, I hope they're thinking about me. You know? And so it's about them 100 percent. They need -- they need a slice of home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DE LA CRUZ: And Sergeant Mark Evans and his son Kent join us now from Chicago.
Good morning to both of you.
M. EVANS: Good morning.
DE LA CRUZ: And thanks so much for being with us.
M. EVANS: Thank you.
DE LA CRUZ: You know, we're watching that piece right now. I mean, what is it like this morning knowing -- knowing that you sent all of those pizzas to the troops, knowing that they're probably smiling taking that first bite? What does it feel like?
M. EVANS: We are overwhelmed. We are just -- words can't express how we feel -- Kent.
K. EVANS: It feels good that it's finally almost over for the year.
DE LA CRUZ: And Kent, was this your idea? I mean, why pizza? How did you guys come up with this? K. EVANS: Well, me and my dad were eating Lou Malnati's pizza, and it was a Friday night. The war was on TV. We just flipped to it because we were watching the news.
And I remembered that we sent pizzas to Bosnia. So I asked him maybe if we can send some to Iraq. And he said yes, we could, but first we'd have to contact some people.
So I said we could contact General Petraeus, who is running the Iraqi war right now. And he e-mailed us back eight hours later after we e-mailed him.
M. EVANS: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: Wow.
OK. So you've done this, Sergeant Evans, one time before.
M. EVANS: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: You did this with the troops in Bosnia. Tell us about that.
M. EVANS: We sent sunglasses to the soldiers in Iraq and candy and other things. And during this process, seven days before the pizzas were sent, we contacted DHL Express, and they overwhelmingly helped us out. They -- they shipped them for free. They were on five airplanes and re-iced twice.
DE LA CRUZ: Wow.
M. EVANS: They sat waiting for a sandstorm to end. And when the plane went in, landed, there were soldiered all up and down the runway with trucks. And we're overwhelmed. It's miracle after miracle on this situation.
DE LA CRUZ: That's just wonderful to hear. And today is July 5th. Yesterday was the 4th. Have you heard what their reaction was? Have you heard from any of them?
M. EVANS: Oh, we've seen pictures and video of them eating. And a lady called us and her son called her and said, "I'm eating the pizza right now, mom." It's incredible. Lou Malnati's is the best pizza in the world.
My company -- another overwhelming thing -- AT&T called me and said, "Sergeant Evans, we'll give you 3,000 calling cards for the kids, for the soldiers." So they've helped out.
And this is -- it's so overwhelming. We'd really like to try to do this every year or do -- you know, dreams like this. It's a dream come true.
DE LA CRUZ: Well, it definitely sounds like you have the support for it, from what I understand. You started with maybe like wanting to send 50 pizzas, suddenly it turned into 300, and then suddenly it was 2,000.
M. EVANS: Yes.
DE LA CRUZ: So Master Sergeant Mark Evans, Kent Evans, kudos to both of you, especially doing something like this on the July 4th holiday.
M. EVANS: Thank you.
DE LA CRUZ: It truly is tremendous.
M. EVANS: We have a Web site, www.pizzas4patriots.com. If you go on that Web site, you can see pictures and video. And we're trying to provide everybody with as much information as possible.
K. EVANS: And next year we're still taking donations.
M. EVANS: We're taking donations as much as we can because we really want to help the soldiers out.
K. EVANS: Yes, we're going to need more money for next year because (INAUDIBLE) Lou Malnati's and DHL Express, because they're going to charge us a little bit for next year. So we're going to need a lot more money.
DE LA CRUZ: All right. So wonderful.
This year it was 2,000. Next year it will be 20,000.
M. EVANS: To the soldiers. It's all about the soldiers. And please, pray for them every day. And even if you didn't give money, just pray for them. Please help us out on this. They really need it.
DE LA CRUZ: All right. We will. And kudos to you once again. Master Sergeant Mark Evans and Kent Evans. Thanks so much for your time. It is wonderful to see you. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
M. EVANS: Thank you very much. You have a great day. God bless America.
HOLMES: It makes you feel patriotic and want some pizza at the same time.
Well, gambling on the impossible. Lotteries offer a chance at easy money, but sometimes they aren't quite what they seem.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. We all -- yes, all of us...
DE LA CRUZ: All of us.
HOLMES: ... dream big of winning big in the big lottery jackpot. So, folks, you know, maybe on that graveyard shift, you don't have to show up to o-dark-hundred anymore to your job.
DE LA CRUZ: O-dark-hundred?
HOLMES: Yes. That's pretty much middle of the night. Any time middle of the night. Like us.
DE LA CRUZ: Oh, that's the time that we wake up, oh-dark- hundred.
HOLMES: And get here about 4:00 a.m., yes.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, that's right.
As CNN's Jason Carroll reports, in some states, getting that big prize has become a no-win situation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chances are you've seen the slogans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Add millions to your jackpot.
CARROLL: In New Jersey, for every dream there's a jackpot. The problem is the pot may not be quite as big as advertised. That's because some states are selling scratch-off lottery tickets for top prizes even after those prizes have already been won.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, really? I wasn't aware of that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that's terrible. That's not right.
CARROLL: Scott Hoover thinks it's wrong too.
SCOTT HOOVER, SUING VIRGINIA LOTTERY: I got duped into buying these things.
CARROLL: Last August, the business professor brought a $5 scratch-off ticket for a Virginia game called "Beginner's Luck." The grand prize, $75,000. He lost.
Curious, he researched the odds of winning. Public records show someone had already won the top prize, one month before he played.
HOOVER: We discovered that what the lottery was doing was leaving stale tickets on the shelves after the last grand prize winners had been claimed.
CARROLL: So he's suing the Virginia State Lottery.
JOHN FISHWICK, HOOVER'S ATTORNEY: You know, it's one thing to say it's a long shot to win the $75,000. But it's another thing to say that you have no shot to win it.
CARROLL: Virginia Lottery executive director Paula Otto says their games are fair.
PAULA OTTO, VIRGINIA STATE LOTTERY: We absolutely have always been very open and honest with our players about the way that our scratch tickets are distributed. And so, yes, there were times when there was a scratch game out there that might have said "zero" in terms of the number of top prizes, but our players knew that.
CARROLL: "USA Today" estimates about half of the 42 states that have lotteries keep selling tickets after top prizes are claimed. Lotto officials for some states say the practice is fair because lesser prizes are still available, and they say tickets and lotto Web sites make that clear.
But it wasn't clear to some New Jersey lottery players who paid $20 a ticket, trying to win the $1 million Explosion Game. That top prize is gone. The most they can win, $10,000.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Almost like false advertisement. People are expecting to win one thing, and in reality, they're going to be presented, if they win, with something else.
CARROLL: A spokesman for the New Jersey Lotto told CNN the information on winning tickets is readily available on their Web site, but they're looking at how to improve their procedures.
(on camera): As for Virginia, that state's executive lottery director told CNN it is no longer possible to "buy a ticket in Virginia where the top prize is already gone." She also said that the state stands by its practices.
Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
