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Iran's Show of Force; Justice For JonBenet?; Jesse Jackson Under Fire; Freed FARC Hostages Speak
Aired July 10, 2008 - 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: Justice for JonBenet Ramsey? Now that DNA has cleared the young girl's family, will it someday finger her killer? We will talk forensics with a former FBI specialist.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: We're also on the case of the severed feet. Investigators in Canada make a vital connection, but still no arrests or conclusions.
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live here at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
PHILLIPS: And I'm Kyra Phillips live in New York.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: If Iran wanted to get the world's attention, it certainly has. But with a series of apparent missile tests and scorching commentary from Iranian leaders, it has also set off alarm bells, questions, warnings, and some degree of skepticism from the outside world.
Iranian media say the country's Revolutionary Guards have carried out two straight days of test launches, including a Shahab-3 supposedly able to carry a 1-ton payload more than 1,200 miles. Some experts don't buy it. And we have no way of verifying the Iranian claims or images. The U.S. State Department says the big picture matters more than the details.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN MCCORMACK, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: But I will emphasize, it does matter what it is that they're launching and the fact that yesterday, they were working on launchings of ballistic missiles with medium to long range, that's quite significant in terms of the region, its stability, and as well as the possible implications outside the Middle East as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Now let's talk about those outside implications.
They cover anything and everything that depend on the oil that flows through the Strait of Hormuz. There you see it right there. A large percentage of the world's daily output passes through that narrow channel right here to my left which Iran has threatened to close if enemies attack. Let's go straight now to the Pentagon and CNN's Barbara Starr with the very latest on this. You saw that very narrow channel that it has to go through. And if that closes off, that could be problems.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, it really could, Don.
And that's one of the things that the U.S. watches constantly. And it is a very fundamental concern. Look, Iran is test-firing missiles. Everybody worries about that. Israel worries about that. It's not good news for regional or world stability.
But the question of what happens on the waters of the Persian Gulf hits everyone really in the pocketbook, of course, because of oil markets. If Iran was to shut down that narrow channel of water, one can only imagine what would happen to the world's oil markets.
They would spike probably beyond reason. And that's the fundamental reason the U.S. military and the U.S. government has the policy and absolute intention of never letting Iran shut down that strait. The U.S. Navy patrols those waters constantly, has for years. And they intend to take every measure, officials say, to keep that strait open.
They actually are pretty skeptical that Iran, despite its rhetoric, would ever move to shut down the strait, because of the reaction from its own neighbors in that region.
But let's say it did. What could the U.S. military do about it? One should expect to see warships escorting oil tankers, aircraft flying overhead, keeping airspace open, all the typical sorts of things. But yesterday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates basically said, everybody needs to pause and take a deep breath.
Listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GATES, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The reality is that there is a lot of signaling going on. But I think everybody recognizes what the consequences of any kind of a conflict would be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: And the signaling that the secretary's talking about is that very thing. Iran is conducting exercises. Israel conducted some exercises recently, and even the U.S. currently is conducting exercises in the region.
The problem is all of those exercises, if they go smoothly, that's just fine. But these are tight waters, as you point out, tight airspace, and nobody wants to see any miscalculation because if something was to be misinterpreted or go wrong, there could be a lot of problems very quickly -- Don.
LEMON: CNN's Barbara Starr -- Barbara, thank you very much -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: A packed courthouse in Atlanta today, jury selection under way in the murder trial of Brian Nichols. He's accused of killing four people in a deadly shooting spree more than three years ago. Nichols is pleading not guilty by reason of insanity.
Nichols' attorney have conceded that he killed a judge, court reporter and two members of law enforcement. But before Nichols surrendered to police in 2005, he took a Georgia woman hostage, Ashley Smith. And it happened in an suburban Atlanta apartment overnight.
Two years ago, I spoke exclusively to Smith about her harrowing ordeal. Here's a portion that have interview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS (voice-over): For the first time, Ashley Smith returns to her apartment since moving out one year ago.
Is it strange being back?
ASHLEY SMITH, HOSTAGE SURVIVOR: Yes, it's very strange being here.
PHILLIPS: What were you thinking when you pulled up?
SMITH: How nervous I was going to be going in here and just how kind of weird it feels.
PHILLIPS: How do you feel right now?
SMITH: OK. I'm a little short of breath.
PHILLIPS: So take me through that day.
SMITH: When I turned around and saw him right there, the door was already opened and he just followed me in and shut and locked the door.
PHILLIPS: He had the gun right on your head?
SMITH: Yes. Yes. Right at my face.
PHILLIPS: So what happened at that point?
SMITH: Well, he came in and closed the door and locked the door. I can just remember right here, just saying please don't hurt me. I have a little girl who doesn't have a dad.
PHILLIPS: It's been two weeks since Ashley last saw her daughter, but she planned to see her later that morning.
SMITH: He just had the gun pointed right at me and I began to scream immediately with a gun pointed at my face.
PHILLIPS: Thinking she may never see her daughter again, she tries to reason with Nichols.
SMITH: And I said, you don't understand, I haven't seen her in two weeks. Her daddy's dead. Imagine what she's going to feel like when I don't show up? She's going to think that I didn't want to see her.
PHILLIPS: Brian Nichols asked for something to help him relax.
SMITH: He asked me if I had any marijuana. And I was like, what? No. But immediately I said, I had some ice and I thought, oh, my gosh, you know, what did I just do? I can't do that. But it was too late, I had already offered it to him.
PHILLIPS: Why did you have it?
SMITH: Because I was addicted at that time to it.
PHILLIPS: Did you feel a need to do it with him?
SMITH: No way. I knew that that was my last chance. I had been more of a prisoner to that drug for the past few years than I was to Brian Nichols that night in this apartment, really. And it took control of my life. It even made me give custody away of my daughter, the person that I loved most in the world.
PHILLIPS: For the first time in her life, Ashley Smith says she has the strength to refuse crystal meth.
SMITH: I just felt the presence, like a presence of God, come into the house and like everything was going to be OK. And that's when I went and grabbed my "Purpose Driven Life" and asked him if I could read. I went and grabbed it and went and sat on the bed.
PHILLIPS: "Purpose Driven Life" is Rick Warren's best-selling devotional book. Ashley reads a paragraph out loud.
SMITH: What you are is God's gift to you. What you do with yourself is your gift to God. God deserves your best. He shaped you for a purpose. And he expects you to make the most of what you have been given. He doesn't want you to worry about or covet abilities you don't have.
PHILLIPS: Nichols asks her to read it again. It seems to register and he begins to open up.
SMITH: He said he felt like there was a demon inside him and that there was a spiritual warfare going on inside of him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Brian Nichols' trial is expected to last for several months. Up to 600 witnesses could be called into that case.
LEMON: All right, now we have a follow-up to a story we first broke yesterday in the CNN NEWSROOM. The Reverend Jesse Jackson is apologizing for remarks he made about Barack Obama after an interview with another network. Jackson says he didn't realize the microphone was still on. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REVEREND JESSE JACKSON, FOUNDER, RAINBOW/PUSH COALITION: See, Barack been talking down to black people on this faith based -- I want cut his (EXPLETIVE DELETED) off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Just a short time ago, Jesse Jackson joined us here in the CNN NEWSROOM to talk about his comments and his apology.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: We endorsed Barack before he announced and without solicitation and without setting forth any in the high Senate, because I knew he had the stuff. We never knew he could make all these hurdles and get it where he is now, because it was the right idea, the right man, the right time, the right message, enough money.
And some people, the more people know them, the less they like them. In his case, the more people know him, the more they like him. And so he just kind of grew on people and now he stands now as a world-transforming, redemptive figure. And that's good news for all of us.
LEMON: So, Reverend Jesse Jackson, I have got to ask you this. And we have to go, so, then, but why do you want to do what you said then, if you believe that?
JACKSON: Trash talk, nothing but garbage. And that's why I want us to be careful about trash talk, because what's private sometimes becomes public.
And, statement, we use words we shouldn't use and language we shouldn't. And then when it becomes public, it becomes embarrassing. We should never be so arrogant as to be embarrass-proof. So, when we're embarrassed, we're contrite. We seek forgiveness, redemption, grace, mercy, and then we move on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: In a statement, Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton says the Illinois senator -- quote -- "of course accepts the Reverend Jackson's apology."
And we have a reminder for you. We want to hear from you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Tell us what you think about Jackson's comments. Log on to our Web site, CNN.com, and send us your I-Reports and you will see them right here on our air today.
PHILLIPS: Well, parts of California are a battleground this hour, as firefighters throw everything they have at hundreds of wildfires, more than 300 actually. Thousands of people are out of their homes, including the monks who were holed up at their monastery near Big Sur.
To the south, firefighters are holding ground that they gained outside the city of Goleta -- 55 percent of the so-called Gap fire is contained. The state's priority is the fire in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Firefighters are making a second stand to save the city of Paradise.
Our own Reynolds Wolf is right there in the thick of things, and he's with them -- Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's right. We're currently up on Highway 70 in the Sierra Nevada mountain. Over my shoulder, you can see four units, four different fire trucks, one of over -- actually, they're four out of 300 that have been battling this particular blaze.
And then if you were to take this highway, if you were follow along this direction, you would be going down this road towards trouble, because there are some fires. You can see that command vehicle heading down there. There have been some blazes there on the side of the canyon. You look at that street sign where it says Deadwood Road, you take that fork in the road, you have got trouble there, too.
Take a look at this video. We shot this about an hour or so ago. There have been over 50 homes that have been burned in this area. You see evidence of one of them right here. When you have temperatures that exceed 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit, and it hits a structure, chances are there's not going to be much left when the flames begin to die down. And the flames are still roaring as we speak.
There is some good news, Kyra. Let's give you some numbers, some percentages -- 49 percent of this blaze is contained. But the problem is, there is a chance that with these windy conditions, the low humidity and the high temperatures we could see these flames spread a bit more.
In fact, right now firefighters are trying top prevent the fire to cross over the Feather River. And if that occurs, there is a chance the town of Paradise, which much of it has been evacuated, there's the chance you could see that fire spread across the river and affect thousands of more people.
Right now, I'm speaking of thousands. There are about 3,000 firefighters that are battling as we speak. Some of them are taking a break right behind me, a well-deserved one at that. They have been on the line for some 12 to 24 hours. They have don't stop either. Forget about darkness. They work all the way through from sunup and sundown.
They have been battling the fire, the smoke, the heat, the wind. It has been just a dreadful, dreadful time for them. And you can see off in the distance the smoke is still there. This typically under any other day would be a fairly sunny day, this valley, this ridge, and down below just choked with the thick smoke.
Firefighters are hoping to get a good handle on it as we get into the weekend. But still if the weather doesn't cooperate, it's still kind of a tossup as to what's going to happen. But they're going to stay dedicated. They're going to work very hard as long as it possibly takes to battle this inferno.
Let's send it back to you in the nice air-conditioned and smoke- free studio.
PHILLIPS: Oh, now you're really making me feel guilty. But, Reynolds, you're doing an amazing job out there, as always. Appreciate it. Thanks so much.
(WEATHER UPDATE)
LEMON: Their lives were turned upside down when their daughter was killed. Then their reputations were tattered by the investigation that followed. Now vindication for the parents of JonBenet Ramsey. But it is bittersweet, and the killer is still on the loose.
And coming up later this hour, Headline News anchor Robin Meade talks with the three former American hostages rescued from Colombia last week. You don't want to miss this exclusive interview.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Don lemon.
Sick of high electric bills? Well, meet some folks who have figured out how to make the power company pay them.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: An umbrella of suspicion finally lifted for the family of JonBenet Ramsey. A DNA test using a new type of technology has cleared the Ramseys of any involvement in her murder.
An attorney for John Ramsey told CNN the family has no plans to sue prosecutors or law enforcement. Meanwhile, a Colorado prosecutor apologized to the family for being under suspicion for her death for so many years. Police say the DNA belongs to an unidentified male.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN RAMSEY, FATHER OF JONBENET RAMSEY: One of the strategies employed by the police was to make us look guilty, so we would have intense media pressure on us. And so, there was information leaked anonymously that wasn't true that implicated us and caused people to suspect us. And that was a defined strategy that certainly added fuel to the fire.
LIN WOOD, ATTORNEY FOR JOHN RAMSEY: They have undergone an incredible ordeal for almost 12 years on trial in the court of public opinion for a crime they did not commit. I think that they have lived through those years with their faith and with their knowledge of their innocence and their hope that one day the killer of their daughter will be brought to justice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, we wanted to explore what this new DNA evidence could mean for the search for JonBenet's killer.
Don Clark, an expert on hunting criminals, is a former FBI special agent in charge. He's in Houston, Texas.
Don, great to see you.
DON CLARK, FORMER FBI INVESTIGATOR: Good to see you, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, tell me about this touch DNA. What's new about this process?
CLARK: Well, what they tried to do with this process and I think what they have done is really increase the chances of being able to get positive reads and positive identifications.
And more importantly, what they wanted to do was to be able to identify a single template molecule to make that visible. And that gets down to a real small portion of what they need from that crime scene. And that keeps growing.
And I think that's part of what has been able for them to identify, that's been able for them to rule out the people that they did, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So this type of system that zooms in on this molecule, this didn't exist years ago when this case was ongoing?
CLARK: Not to the extent and to the correctness that it is today, with a degree of accuracy. We have been -- law enforcement has been in DNA now for probably a decade-and-a-half. But it's continually trying to improve upon it. And now I think they have gotten to a point where they can use the most minute parts to really be able to come to a conclusion. So, I think that's a good thing for those who are guilty.
PHILLIPS: All right, so, let's talk about those who are guilty here.
They have identified that it's definitely coming from a male. It's not a family member. It's not John or Patsy Ramsey. But there is no match in the DNA database. So, does this killer have to kill again?
CLARK: Well, maybe not have to kill again.
And certainly let's hope that he doesn't or she doesn't have to kill again. But what has to happen is that this person has to get involved in some type of criminal activity, you know, things like child abuse or things like attempted murder or things that would require law enforcement to get DNA, to take DNA samples from them, because now, Kyra, the systems at the local level, the state level and the federal level are connected.
They are connected both scientifically, as well as technologically. And they will be able to compare even back at the laboratory at FBI headquarters to try to determine if this is their person.
PHILLIPS: Well, hopefully, they will find a match. Don Clark, thanks.
CLARK: Thank you, Kyra.
LEMON: Well, take a look at this white tissue. It looks innocuous enough, but could it hold hope for millions of people needing a life-saving transplant? We will explain straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BUSINESS REPORT)
LEMON: Just imagine, transplant patients who don't have to worry about their bodies rejecting new organs, because they're grown with their own DNA.
Reynolds Wolf explains in today's "Next Big Thing" segment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF (voice-over): Professor Doris Taylor and her team at the University of Minnesota are working on what could be the next big thing in organ regeneration, growing a functioning heart in a laboratory.
DORIS TAYLOR, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: We could take a pig's heart, remove all the cells, and then, if you needed a heart, take stem cells from your body, grow those in a dish, and transplant them into that pig heart and make a heart that matches your body.
WOLF: It may sound like science fiction, but Taylor is trying it on a smaller scale, using a rat heart and stem cells.
TAYLOR: You can see kind of the movement here of the heart.
WOLF: They begin by taking one rat heart and removing all of its existing cellular structure, leaving behind a ghost heart or a shell of a heart. Then they attached it to an artificial body, repopulated it with another rat's heart cells, and found that something remarkable happened.
TAYLOR: If we gave it a blood pressure, if we gave it a pace maker, if we gave it blood supply, it started to act like a heart, and it actually started to beat.
WOLF: Taylor hopes that this will someday lead to scientists growing many organs that are suitable for human transplant.
TAYLOR: It works for any organ that gets a blood supply, kidney, liver, lungs, pancreas.
WOLF: Now, growing a fully functioning human heart in a lab is still years away, but Taylor is optimistic.
TAYLOR: It's getting better every time we do it.
WOLF: Reynolds Wolf, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Straight ahead: Controversial comments are nothing new to Jesse Jackson.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Hi, everyone.
I'm Kyra Phillips live at the CNN World Headquarters in New York.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon in Atlanta.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
All right. World Headquarters is actually in Atlanta.
Here are some of the stories we're working on for you today in THE CNN NEWSROOM. Just thought you should know.
The Pentagon is downplaying reports of another missile test today in Iran. A source tells CNN that today's tests involved just one missile -- a missile that failed to launch yesterday.
A not guilty by reason of insanity plea as jury selection finally begins in the Atlanta courthouse shootings trial. Brian Nichols is charged with killing a judge and three other people during a 2005 rampage.
And the Senate is expected to vote today on a bill designed to help homeowners facing foreclosure. It would allow them to replace their current mortgages with more affordable fix rate mortgages backed by the government.
PHILLIPS: Well, a change of command. General David Petraeus will soon take over at U.S. Central Command. The Senate confirmed his nomination 95-2 this afternoon, putting him in charge of forces in the Middle East and Afghanistan. Now lawmakers also gave Lieutenant General Ray Odierno the thumbs up. He'll take over for Petraeus as the top commander in Iraq and get a fourth star in the process.
Now, when Iraqi troops stand up, U.S. troops will stand down. That's the cornerstone of the Bush administration's policy in Iraq. And now there's a prediction of when that could happen -- next year. The U.S. general in charge of training Iraqi troops tells Congress there's been significant progress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LT. GEN. JAMES DUBIK, COMMANDER, SECURITY TRANSITION COMMAND: We have made significant progress on the security front in the past 15 months. It's empirically verifiable and it's a feeling that you get when you travel around, a feeling from fellow Iraqis.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: General James Dubik says that he was reluctant to put an X on the calendar. But when pressed to offer a time frame, he predicted that Iraqi troops will be able to handle security without U.S. assistance at some point between April and August of next year.
LEMON: Well, the Reverend Jesse Jackson is apologizing for comments he made about Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama after an interview on another news network. Jackson was overheard on a live microphone saying Obama had been talking down to black people. The civil rights leader made what he acknowledged later were crude and hurtful comments. Jackson says he thought the microphone was off and his comments were private.
Our viewers are really weighing in on this. And we want to check in now with CNN's Josh Levs.
Not only our viewers, Josh, but we've been hearing from the blogosphere. We have been hearing from the radio, everything here.
JOSHUA LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Oh, it's incredible. And I'm following the I-Reports right here next to me. I feel like I'm at one of those machines that keeps lobbing tennis balls at you. They keep coming and coming and coming. I'm going to swing as many as I can your way right now.
The reason that they keep coming -- let's close in on the screen here for a second. There's this page in ireport.com which you can't miss because this is our main page at CNN.com right now and there's a link right there. Just go to CNN.com and you're going to see it.
It takes you to the page on ireport.com where we are asking you this question -- is Jesse Jackson relevant?
Your chance to weigh in on that.
Let's go now to the first quote that I've pulled up. And this is it here, from a blogger who's going by the name FiredUp: "It is clear to me that Reverend Jackson is envious of Senator Obama's success. However, for him to make statements like those are just uncalled for."
Let's go on to the next one now. This is from a blogger, 1968WhoWasI: "Why anyone would be shocked over anything Reverend Jackson has said is beyond me. I'm sick and tired of seeing him any media. Reverend Jackson does not speak for me."
Now to one in support of Jesse Jackson: "Do Jackson's comments reflect on him personally? No, I don't think so. This was clearly a man making a joke based on some actual feelings and concerns he has." And this person goes on to say: "The journalistic sleaziness of picking up an off-colored joke not intended for a public audience, however, is not."
That's from AmyMarie.
Obviously, people are debating all parts of this issue. You can do so yourself. Send us your photos, your videos or just your opinions about this, ireport.com.
And, Don, we'll keep popping in. We're going to share as many as we can with you.
LEMON: All right. Very interesting.
LEVS: Yes.
LEMON: Thank you very much for that, Josh Levs.
Jesse Jackson has a long history in the political arena. It all started decades ago during the height of the civil rights movement.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JACKSON: The laws of convenience need to collapse.
LEMON (voice-over): Whatever you think of the Reverend Jesse Jackson, there's no denying he's been there.
JACKSON: And when parents and teachers join hands together...
LEMON: In the company of King.
JACKSON: Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Martin King.
LEMON: Even on the balcony when America's most famous king was assassinated.
Now, nearly 40 years later, surrounded by family and some most influential friends, Jesse Jackson turns 65.
JACKSON: I didn't think I would make it to be 65 because this has been a -- a difficult ride.
LEMON: And a dangerous one.
JACKSON: Can I be admitted?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, siree, you cannot be admitted.
JACKSON: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am not going to serve you.
JACKSON: Because of my race?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not going to serve you.
LEMON: How far soon we forget could be theme of Jesse Jackson's last decade or so. After all, it was him marching or sitting with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in all those civil rights photographs.
But lately, he's been called everything from an opportunist to a philander to an agitator.
(on camera): So when people say Jesse Jackson plays the race card too much, your answer to them is?
JACKSON: Well, it is not true. It is true that blacks have higher infant mortality rates (INAUDIBLE). That's because of structural conditions that must change.
LEMON: When people say Jesse Jackson inserts himself into every big news story, that he's enamored with the media and publicity, you say?
JACKSON: The media is the outlet for ideas. No African-American leader or journalist has a primetime show to get our ideas out. And so if I go to Syria or Iraq or Cuba or you Yugoslavia to bring Americans back home, I didn't have chase the ambulance. The ambulance chased me.
LEMON: People would say, well, what is -- what is his job? Does Jesse Jackson have a job? Has he gotten a job yet?
And then your answer is?
JACKSON: It's an attempt to demean our work. The Rainbow/Push Coalition is a -- is a human rights organization. People who speak that way are speaking in pejorative, demeaning terms. You have to dismiss it as a news source (ph).
LEMON: Jesse Jackson is a reverend, yet he had an affair and he's got a kid.
JACKSON: We are all failing and falling short of the glory of God. But if we are honest and open, God will forgive and redeem and allow us to move on and get back up again.
LEMON (voice-over): Even one of the largest black-owned publications, "Ebony" magazine, recently asked the question, "Does the Reverend Jesse Jackson still matter?"
(on camera): Does Jesse Jackson still matter?
JACKSON: You see that they asked that question.
LEMON: Absolutely. That's a question.
JACKSON: I mean people asked it.
LEMON (voice-over): Answered -- and many came to his defense.
CAMILLE COSBY, BILL COSBY'S WIFE: Oh, of course, he still matters. He has always mattered. You cannot eradicate all the wonderful work that he has done throughout his career.
MICHELLE OBAMA, BARACK OBAMA'S WIFE: That's obvious. I mean he's teaching us in everything he does and says. He can take -- still take the kind of risks to say things that a lot of us can't. He's in a position to use his leverage and he does it every single time. I mean we wouldn't be here if it weren't for Jesse Jackson. That's just a no- brainer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's true.
LEMON: Even Michelle Obama's husband, Barack Obama, agrees.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE: Reverend Jackson continues to be one of the most powerful voices on behalf of the disaffected, the dispossessed. You know, wherever he goes, he makes news.
LEMON: Before there was a Barack, addressing a Democratic convention and hinting at a presidential run, there was a Jesse. Run, Jesse, run -- remember 1984 and then again in '88?
JACKSON: You hold on and hold out. We must never surrender. America will get better and better. Keep hope alive. Keep hope alive. Keep hope alive.
Keep hope alive. Keep hope alive. Let me hear you scream.
(APPLAUSE)
LEMON: Times have certainly changed since Jesse Jackson first uttered those famous words. His children are grown and accomplished. Jesse, Jr. is a U.S. Congressman.
JACKSON: I am delighted to have lived long enough to see now two generations direct beneficiaries of our work continue to grow. So when I look at these fruits of our struggle, the beneficiaries of our work, it's a good feeling.
LEMON: No regrets, he insists, but admits he's a bit battered, but not broken, by his journey and today still dogged about his message of hope.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: That was two years ago -- two years ago, for his 65th birthday in Chicago, we did that story -- just to add a little context. And you can hear a lot more about the controversy over Jesse Jackson's comments on Barack Obama on CNN's "A.C. 360". That's tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
PHILLIPS: A mystery at sea -- several feet washed ashore. We're going to have new details about who they may belong to.
Also, "HEADLINE NEWS" anchor Robin Meade sits down with the three former American hostages rescued from Colombia last week. You won't want to miss this exclusive interview.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Solving a mystery one foot at a time.
Remember the bizarre story about the feet that washed up on Canada's West Coast?
Well, officials in British Columbia have learned a few things. One of the feet was a hoax. Of the other five, two came from the same man. One of them at least came from the same woman. Their identities remain a mystery.
Also unanswered -- what happened?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CST. ANNIE LINTEAU, MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICER: There's been lots of speculation and public discussion surrounding this discovery. Much of these discussions involve the feet being severed. We want to make it clear there is no evidence that these feet have been severed. There were no tool markings and no visible signs of trauma. It appears that these feet have naturally disarticulated from the body through a natural process.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, police continue to comb missing persons files, hoping to make some type of connection.
LEMON: Well, if you're thinking about making salsa, you may want to digest this information first. Three more ingredients common to most salsa recipes are being considered as the cause of the latest salmonella outbreak. Federal health officials have added raw jalapeno peppers, Serrano peppers and fresh cilantro to their list. They've focused on voters tomatoes the past seven weeks. But the number of salmonella cases keeps rising -- more than 1,000 so far. Seventy-six or more had been reported in the states that you're looking at in red.
Cheers, hugs and a standing 'O' for Senator Edward Kennedy. The Massachusetts lawmaker was back on Capitol Hill yesterday for the first time since he was diagnosed with brain cancer. Kennedy returned to cast his vote in support of a Medicare bill that eliminates a 10 percent pay cut for doctors. Advisers to President Bush will suggest he veto it. But both the House and Senate passed the bill with plenty of votes to override.
PHILLIPS: Three Americans held hostage for years deep in the South American jungle talked exclusively with our Robin Meade about what it took to get out of there alive.
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PHILLIPS: Well, it's a story that has grabbed the world's attention and refuses to let go -- the agonizing accounts of the hostages freed last week from the grip of Colombian rebels. Three of the former hostages are Americans -- Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell. They were working as U.S. defense contractors when they captured -- they were captured, rather, in 2003 after their plane crashed in the jungle. Now free, they're talking exclusively with CNN's Robin Meade. And for the full interview, tune in to "Morning Express" with Robin Meade from 6:00 a.m. To 10:00 a.m. On our sister network, HEADLINE NEWS.
In the meantime, here's some of what they had to say about the emotional reuniting with loved ones.
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KEITH STANSELL, FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE: I have two little boys, 5-year-old twins.
ROBIN MEADE, HOST: And you've never met them?
STANSELL: I'm sorry. No, it's a happy. This is happy. This is a good thing for me.
THOMAS HOWES, FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE: The camp boss told us about the fact that they just thought he had one -- one little boy.
MARC GONSALVES, FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE: They thought one had died.
HOWES: He didn't even think about getting the photo.
GONSALVES: Yes.
HOWES: He said he saw the photo and they looked good.
STANSELL: He brought me a picture. I've got two boys I've never seen.
GONSALVES: Yes.
STANSELL: You know, these two guys helped me through it. I knew the mother of my children was pregnant with twins. And then he said, well I just saw, you just have one baby. You know, this sort of thing, we're in a cage. But this is a -- just a deep breath of happiness, I'll tell you here.
I hear these two little guys on the radio sending me messages, you know, on the AM radio station on Sunday nights. And we'd get to know it. And, you know, Mark and I are chained together, literally, like you listen to your families and you're, you know, you are a family.
And I walked in here and the first time, it was limited. It was just about 40 minutes. I walked in here with the general. Here you've got, you know, the big general, an ex-Special Forces guy. He was more nervous than I was because he was just worried how this is going to go with the kids.
I opened the door. Now imagine, you got these two children -- to me, which is -- and they just, I hear, "Papa, Papa, Papa." And it just hit me. It was like I had never been gone. And that's for credit for their mother. It's -- there's an intensity level to it. When they first tell us, like we were talking, hey, you're only going to see your family for 40 minutes. There was a reason for it.
GONSALVES: It's overload.
STANSELL: Forty minutes is overload. And so I did the 40 minutes, they took me out. A few hours later, you come back. These people here know how to manage this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Now, to get more of that emotional story, you can watch Headline News tomorrow morning for the exclusive interview with Robin Meade. That's on "Morning Express" tomorrow from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. Eastern on CNN HEADLINE NEWS.
LEMON: Could the answer to America's energy needs be blowing in the breeze?
What the wind could do for you and your utility bills.
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PHILLIPS: It's not just gas prices that are driving people crazy these days. All forms of energy are getting more expensive. But there are some ways to get around that -- and we do mean get around.
Pete Mangione of CNN affiliate WPRI has a report now for us from New Bedford, Mass.
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PETE MANGIONE, WPRI CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As these blades hum in the wind, it's energy saved and money not spent.
CAM VENTURA, WIND TURBINE OWNER: Right now, we're very happy, especially on these windy days.
MANGIONE: Cam Ventura and her family put up these two wind turbines last month after being worn down by the strain of outrageous energy bills on their farm. Although they did have to ante up $40,000 up front, the payback should be practically priceless.
VENTURA: Our plan over the course of a year is to at least have these two turbines produce 80 percent of our electrical needs for the residence and the Ventura Farm.
MANGIONE: With National Grid requesting an energy rate hike, Ventura estimates they'll break even after five years. After that, most of their electrical tab will be picked up by Mother Nature.
VENTURA: Possibly there will be months when it's free.
MANGIONE: And the family will even be credited for energy produced that they don't use. And for those worried about angry calls from neighbors on windy night, installer Don Moser says not to worry.
DON MOSER, SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND WIND POWER: These things are very, very quiet. They're about 45 decibels at 40 feet, which is about the -- about the conversation we're having right now.
MANGIONE: And while not everyone is sold on turbines, it's a topic that will continue to blow in the wind.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And that was Pete Mangione of CNN affiliate WPRI. The Venturas aren't alone in their advocacy of wind power. Legendary Texas oil man T. Boone Pickens has produced a wind turbine corridor stretching from the Canadian border to West Texas.
The closing bell about to ring on Wall Street.
LEMON: Absolutely.
But before that, we want to get to CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
He's going to tell us what's coming up in "THE SITUATION ROOM."
Hey, Wolf.
BLITZER: Hi, guys. Thanks very much.
John McCain's economic adviser makes a major misstep in talking about the economy, saying -- and I'm quoting now -- "We've become a nation of whiners." Now the candidate is doing damage control as he talks about the economy.
An exclusive interview with the three Americans held hostage in Colombia. They talk about their ordeal and what they're hoping for now that they're free.
And the new DNA technology that cleared the Ramsey family -- we're going inside the lab to show you how it works and how it's helping to catch criminals in a much different way.
All that, guys, and a lot more coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM."
LEMON: All right, Wolf.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Wolf.
LEMON: Thank you.
We'll be watching.
The closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street.
PHILLIPS: That's right. Susan Lisovicz is standing by with a final look at the trading day.
Hey, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, guys. You know, I just wanted to tell you about another famous building. Yesterday, were talking about Don's favorite building in the world. It was the Chrysler Building in New York.
LEMON: Yes.
LISOVICZ: Well, for many people, it's the Eiffel Tower in Paris. And the landmark in the City of Light is about to get a makeover. Directors unveiling a $267 million, 10 year makeover to move tourists quicker through the tower.
LEMON: Susan...
LISOVICZ: I think many of us endured a two hour delay or more.
LEMON: Didn't it just get a makeover, what was it, in the '90s it got a make-over?
I remember it was -- it had scaffolding around it for a while.
LISOVICZ: That's true. But this is designed to move tourists through. That may have been, you know, the exterior.
LEMON: Got it.
LISOVICZ: And this is to get more tourists up. And, of course, they get more revenue. And, you know, when it was originally designed, it was for 500,000 visitors a year. Now it's seven million. So, big difference.
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LISOVICZ: Back to you, guys.
LEMON: Thanks, Susan. Have a great day, OK?
LISOVICZ: You too.
PHILLIPS: All right. Let's take it now to "THE SITUATION ROOM" and Wolf Blitzer.
