Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Still No 9/11 Memorial in Pennsylvania; Obama Makes Burger Run; Mother Fights Police on Son's Taser Death; County Wants to Regulate Home Religious Gathering; Bush Post-Presidency; Threat of Cyberattacks Growing; GM Models Big Hit in China; North Korea Fires 6th Missile
Aired May 29, 2009 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live here at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. Kyra is off today. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
It is president's day in Toronto. And in about 2-1/2 hours, former President Clinton and the second President Bush will share a stage before an audience of thousands. Each of whom paid hundreds for a ticket. They'll talk about the state of the world just hours after Bush 43 delivered his first major post-presidential speech in America.
He spoke to the Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan at Lake Michigan College. Video cameras weren't allowed in, but I can tell you he covered a lot more than economics, and he refused to criticize his successor on the subject of torture. Here's what Mr. Bush said.
He said, "The first thing you do is ask what's legal? What do the lawyers say is possible here? I made the decision within the law to get information so I can say to myself I've done what it takes to do my duty to protect the American people. I can tell you the information we got saved lives."
Well, President Bush also reflected on his legacy, which remains a work in progress and may be for generations. I want to bring in now our senior political correspondent Ms. Candy Crowley.
Hi, Candy.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: How are you, Don?
LEMON: I have to ask you this. You know, he covered a lot of ground here last night. But what may be even more important is what he didn't talk about, and that is the former vice president -- correct? But you're not surprised by that?
CROWLEY: I'm not surprised by that. These are two very different men. Yes, they served in the same administration. President Bush obviously picked Vice President Cheney. They do have what people around them describe as a cordial relationship. But the idea that he would not bring up Vice President Cheney and sort of allude to people who are criticizing the current administration, which obviously includes the former vice president, doesn't surprise me because when President Bush left office he said three things. I need to put more money in the personal coffers, so he's doing paid speeches. I want to ride off into the sunset. I want to get off the stage. And largely that's what he's done in conjunction with raising money. And I will never criticize President Obama, because I know what it means when you're being criticized by members of the former administration. So I think he held true to those two things.
And these are two separate men, and not just because they obviously are, but because they have two different personalities. And when we heard the vice president, former vice president last week, he said I come here to you as a citizen. I am not in office. I'm not running for office.
And here's what I want to talk about. And so, there are two different personalities. They're both defending, by the way, their own administration. The difference is that Vice President Cheney is also on offense and going after the Obama administration.
LEMON: OK, yes. And you're exactly right. I was just looking at the quote here saying, "You know, I'm not going to criticize my successor." And that was a quote from him.
So can we expect these niceties to continue today?
CROWLEY: I do. Because I think that there is -- first of all, there is at least between this very exclusive club of former presidents, a real commonality of experience. So, obviously, former President Clinton and former President Bush who are appearing today at the same forum are going to come at problems from a different way. One is a Democrat. One is a Republican.
But remember that former President Clinton and the father of President Bush, George H.W. Bush, were appointed by the former president -- lots of former presidents here -- to go and deal with raising money for the tsunami, seeing what the U.S. could do. Same held true for Katrina. So there was a warmth of a relationship there between these two men that happened.
Now, obviously, last year when President Clinton was helping his wife run for president, he slipped off that and did criticize President Bush. But by in large, former presidents are fairly nice to each other. They're calling this the clash for cash. I think it will probably be more cash than clash.
LEMON: Yes. And it is very interesting to see a vice president or whatever or even a president criticize the one before. As you said, it's really an unspoken truce that they have that they don't do that.
Our Candy Crowley, our senior political correspondent. We really appreciate it. Thank you, Candy.
CROWLEY: Thanks, Don.
LEMON: Well, one of America's top military commanders -- well, he wants to keep an ugly chapter from the past administration who wants to keep that in the past. CENTCOM leader David Petraeus is asking a federal court to block the release of photos supposedly showing mistreatment of terror suspects and detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan. Petraeus is following the lead of President Obama who fears that those photos could put U.S. troops in danger. But Petraeus fears the specific impact in Pakistan whose government is battling Taliban militants there. Now the White House now wants the Supreme Court to step in on this.
And just moments ago, President Obama talked terror to cyber terror. It could shut down your electricity, your cell phone, your Internet, even your bank account.
Plus, imagine this. Take a look.
All those planes you see on our flight tracker in the skies over America. Imagine those planes with suddenly no communications and no place to land. The fear is real. The numbers are staggering. Cyberattacks on government and private networks in the U.S. jumped from 4095 in 2005 to 72,065 just last year. Numbers like that prompt the president to announce a new cyber czar position today. And not even Mr. Obama is immune. Noting that hackers broke into his campaign computers during the general election.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hackers gained access to e-mails and a range of campaign files from policy position papers to travel plans. And we work closely with the CIA -- with the FBI and the secret service and hired security consultants to restore the security of our systems.
It was a powerful reminder in this information age, one of your greatest strengths, in our case, our ability to communicate to a wide range of supporters through the Internet, could also be one of your greatest vulnerabilities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, from the president to the military to the power grid to business networks, to you. All -- your phone, everything. It's all possible to be cyber attack. And a scathing government report released earlier this month says one of the most vulnerable targets is also a repeat target.
CNN's Lisa Sylvester has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In 2006, a cyber-viral attack spread from the Internet to the Federal Aviation Administration's air traffic control system forcing the FAA to shut down part of its operations in Alaska.
In 2008, hackers took control of the FAA's critical network servers and had the power to shut them down. They also obtained tens of thousands of FAA employee user IDs and passwords.
And three months ago, cyber attackers gained unauthorized access to personal information of 48,000 current and former FAA employees. These are among the findings of a troubling new report by the inspector general of the Transportation Department.
One IT security expert says the hackers are getting smarter.
TOM KELLERMAN, CORE SECURITY TECHNOLOGIES: There is a very robust and highly sophisticated hacker community out there in the world that is targeting these types of critical infrastructures for various nefarious gains.
SYLVESTER: The inspector general's office and its auditor, APMG, identified 763 high risk vulnerabilities. The report states, quote, "In our opinion unless effective action is taken quickly, it is likely to be a matter of when, not if air traffic control systems and counterattacks that do serious harm to ATC operations."
The FAA in response says, quote, "There were some vulnerabilities in the administrative network that were pointed out. We put patches in, and we're continuing to work on them."
While the FAA's operation system has been affected an FAA spokeswoman insists it is separate from the administrative system and has never been directly hacked. But congressional members are worried because a modernized FAA system is coming online in a few years and the two systems would be linked.
REP. TOM PETRI (R), WISCONSIN: We have all kinds of guards to try to guard against passengers and goods as they're moved through the system. But we need to do a better job of guarding the system itself.
SYLVESTER (on camera): Here's another problem - the inspector general report found that the FAA is not well positioned to even detect breeches. There are 11 out of 374 air traffic facilities that have sensors to monitor intrusions.
Lisa Sylvester, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, Lisa. So we have outlined the dangers. Now, how do you tackle them? How do we tackle them?
Pushing forward, we'll talk to a guy who is engaged to cyber threat head-on. A former cyber czar in his own right. His name is Rod Beckstrom. He will join us live next hour.
You know these next couple of days will probably mark the end of General Motors as we know it. It's looking like the company will file bankruptcy on Monday. Now, that was the deadline to restructure or either file for bankruptcy.
CNN has learned GM's board will meet tonight and tomorrow to talk about chapter 11 plans. The deal reached yesterday with bond holders is unlikely to stop bankruptcy. And get this, GM stock dipped below a dollar per share today. It hasn't traded that low since the Great Depression. Investors reacting to the inevitable. So how are GM workers and retirees reacting to all of this?
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD SOUIRES, GM RETIREE: I think it scares everybody, the word bankruptcy. You know, who isn't? Nobody wanted -- I never thought General Motors would get to that point. A year ago, if you said General Motors was going into bankruptcy, I would have said you are full of it.
DARRELL ROPER, GM EMPLOYEE: I don't think the Obama administration -- and I got an Obama shirt on now. So I'm a big supporter of Obama. I don't think the Obama administration did all it could for General Motors. I think they should have done more.
JIMMIE PICKENS, GM RETIREE: Of course, if it been up to me they would've bankrupt before. I advised Obama wouldn't give them a dime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, the company also announced plans to build a small car at an idle plant, but it's not clear which plant will get the work. The facility would be able crank out 160,000 cars per year. China apparently likes GM's models just the way they are. GM is doing big business there. But what happens to that love affair once bankruptcy kicks in?
Here's CNN's Andrew Stevens.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDREW STEVENS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a position the major global car makers would give their I-teeth for. GM's grip on China. It's the third biggest passenger carmaker in what's now the world's number one market. With state of the art production lines, strong joint venture partners and loyal and fast growing consumer base and profits. Good profits.
MICHAEL DUNNE, J.D. POWER AND ASSOCIATES: The numbers are kept in a black box. I'm not aware of the actual numbers but from antidotal information, they make nice money during the market as do most automakers investing here.
STEVENS: So what happens to GM's Asian jewel if the U.S. parent files for chapter 11 bankruptcy? Ask GM, and the answer is not much.
KEVIN WALE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, GM CHINA: This is to try run a separate joint ventures here in China in partnership with (INAUDIBLE). So we're profitable. We fund our own investments and we would be largely independent of any actions that took place in the U.S.
STEVENS: It's a view shared by industry experts. DUNNE: It seems as though they have enough going on here that they will remain insulated from the fallout from a bankruptcy back home.
STEVENS: GM's footprint in Asia, though, goes well beyond China across another ten countries in the region.
And ranging from key research and development tie ups with Korea's Daewoo Motor inked back in 2001, to building Australia's iconic family car, the Holden. A relationship that goes back to the 1920s.
DUNNE: The evidence so far is that the operations in Asia Pacific are largely independent. Therefore, I see GM weathering the storm in Asia, holding very fast to what they've accomplished here, and being able to ride it out.
STEVENS: GM may be facing tough times at home, but it's looking like a smoother ride across Asia.
Andrew Stevens, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Here's a little advice from a CNN iReporter from Canada. He basically says it's time to face reality.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY DEOL, CNN IREPORTER: Folks, let GM go. The auditors don't think. The numbers add up. The GM capacity is 11.5 million vehicles, demand car dealer estimated 9.5. That means what? Over capacity of 2 million vehicles. And more job cuts, more restructured.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Advice from an iReporter.
Tonight on CNN, Ali Velshi and Christine Romans, they explore the past, the present and the future of U.S. carmakers. "HOW THE WHEELS CAME OFF? THE RISE AND FALL OF THE AMERICAN AUTO INDUSTRY." It airs tonight, 8:00 p.m. Eastern only here on CNN.
Two highly emotional issues collide in controversy honoring the 9/11 heroes of flight 93 and seizing people's land to do it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: North Korea firing another missile and more threats. A short range missile launched today is the sixth this week. The North calls the U.N. Security Council hypocrites for condemning its nuclear test earlier in the week saying the council's member nations have carried out almost all the nuclear tests ever conducted.
Well, the North also threatens stronger self defense actions if provoked. Two Defense Department officials tell CNN that U.S. satellite imagery has turned up vehicle activity at a North Korean ballistic missile site. It is the same kind of activity that preceded a long-range missile launch earlier this year. Still, Defense Secretary Robert Gates says there are no plans to send more troops to the area.
So what does this mean for the rest of the world? On this week's "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS," former secretary of state Henry Kissinger analyzes North Korea's recent actions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAREED ZAKARIA, HOST, "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS": How big a deal are these tests?
HENRY KISSINGER, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, in terms of obstruct weapons, not a huge deal. In terms of its impact on the situation in Northeast Asia and in the world, Iran, Pakistan, they're very significant.
ZAKARIA: Why?
KISSINGER: If they emerge out of this with a nuclear stockpile of whatever they have now, and enhance their activity with the United States, what they have shown is that the way to achieve enhancement of their position is to go into the nuclear field. And to disregard all the agreements that they had made previously and benefit from it so that then to imagine that Iran could be negotiated out of a nuclear participation or that Israel would be impressed by American assurances, what may have to occur if Pakistan becomes a failed state with respect to Pakistan. All of this would become extraordinarily unmanageable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: "FAREED ZAKARIA'S GPS" there, Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. And you can also catch it online at Cnn.com.
You want to see what tension and mistrust looks like? All it takes is one visit to the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas. An invisible line with a very tangible barrier.
CNN's Zain Verjee visited in 2006.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): North Korean soldiers guarding their side of the DMZ and each other. The story goes, if one makes a run for freedom to the South, the others' job: shoot him. A third soldier faces his nation squarely, and forms a triangle to warn potential defectors.
A major with the U.N. Command says there's no way to know their orders. But he says things did change in 1984 after a Soviet visitor to the North made a dash for it. Since then the guards on the frontline keep a watchful eye on each other and their visitors.
MAJ. DEE ROSSER, U.N. COMMAND: They'll post security on their side when they have guests that come down.
VERJEE: The South Koreans have their rituals, too. They've to be tall, at least six foot, dark shades for effect, some boast black belts, and all pose head on in the Korean martial arts stance of Tae Kwon Do.
We follow orders here, too.
ROSSER: There's a certain dress code and there's certain regulations.
VERJEE: No jeans, no shorts, no sandals, no skin, and no pointing or gesturing. It could give the other side a propaganda photo-op.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: That was CNN's Zain Verjee reporting. That story first aired back in 2006. Zain Verjee reporting there.
Police call it non-lethal force. This teen's mother calls it murder. 50,000 volts fired at an unarmed kid who ran when he should have stopped.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Three days and counting until the new Atlantic hurricane season. Mr. Chad Myers, forecasters, which you're one of them, I would think, right? They're already tracking a tropical depression off the East Coast right on cue.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LEMON: Thank you, sir. We appreciate it. We'll check back with you.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: OK. So imagine walking into work and hearing this -- you're being laid off.
OK, now imagine what it would be like hearing those words twice in the same year.
It happened to shipping manager Robert Durham of Round Rock, Texas. And there he is. And that's why he's today's "30-Second Pitch."
So, Robert, what did you think when you got laid off for the second time?
ROBERT DURHAM, JOB SEEKER: Well, I didn't like it very much. I can tell you that. It's not a good thing to hear.
LEMON: That's all you thought, like, this is terrible. I would imagine, no one would say, oh, this was really good. DURHAM: That was more, like, all right, here we go again.
LEMON: So, really, how are you doing, though?
DURHAM: We're doing OK.
LEMON: You're doing OK?
DURHAM: Yes.
LEMON: How's the job search been so far?
DURHAM: We've sent out a lot of applications over the Internet. I haven't heard a lot back. But last week, I had three interviews so things are looking up. I figure the more we get out there, the more interviews I'll get.
LEMON: And you're married?
DURHAM: Yes, I am.
LEMON: Kids?
DURHAM: Two kids. One is in New York and one is in Ft. Bragg.
LEMON: All right. So you're not still taking care of them so it's just probably you and your wife now.
DURHAM: It's just me and my wife, yes.
LEMON: Are you nervous?
DURHAM: A little bit.
LEMON: It's a lot of pressure, right? I'm talking to you so -- I'm trying to talk because I want you to do well. This is my first time doing this "30-Second Pitch" thing.
I really want you to do well, so just be calm and, you know, like we're sitting in your living room talking.
How is the weather there?
DURHAM: It's nice today. Actually, not real bad out there.
LEMON: Yes.
All right. So, you know what, there are lots of people who are in the same position that you are.
DURHAM: Yes.
LEMON: This is a spot to put people in. But, so far, I think you're a nice guy, Robert.
Are you ready? DURHAM: I'm ready.
LEMON: OK. So here's Robert's 30-second pitch. Let's start the clock.
Robert, go.
DURHAM: What I have to offer is a career-minded person with a great attitude about work. I have good communication skills that allow me to develop working relations with both clients and internal staff. My 11-plus years of experience in the shipping industry and knowledge of overall shipping processes allows me the ability to effectively train your employees. I also bring to the table my dedication, hard work, my ability to find solutions to difficult problems and my ability to work well under pressure.
LEMON: Wow. You finished in 28 seconds. And I was going to be nice and say, hey, you know, give you a little bit more. But most of all, you're eager, right?
DURHAM: Yes.
LEMON: I mean, you're not a 21-year-old. Let's be real.
DURHAM: No. And I'm looking...
LEMON: When you've had a little bit of experience, you're a little bit more eager and you know what to do.
DURHAM: Right. And I'm looking for a long-term job. I'm not looking for something that's going to last for a year or two. I'm looking for something that will take me through retirement.
LEMON: OK. Hey, you're a nice guy. Just even meeting on television. So best of luck to you, Robert, OK?
DURHAM: OK.
LEMON: All right. And tell your wife I said hello as well.
DURHAM: All right.
LEMON: So, listen, I'm going to give you Robert's e-mail address for employers out there. If you have a job for Robert or even an interview, e-mail him at durhamrobert@yahoo.com -- durhamrobert@yahoo.com.
Best of luck, Robert. Talk to you soon.
DURHAM: Thank you.
LEMON: Meantime, a pastor told, you know, he needs a permit to host bible studies in his home. Now he's got lawyers and the county has got an explanation -- the county at least has an explanation and we got a live interview.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Everyone involved agrees there should be a permanent memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, for the passengers and crew of Flight 93 who fought back against their hijackers on September 11. but with a self-imposed deadline looming and some land still not locked up, the government is stepping in.
And CNN's Kate Bolduan has more on this controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These are the first pictures we have in. This is from Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Almost eight years later...
TIM LAMBERT, PENNSYLVANIA LANDOWNER: We would find red and blue wire all over the place.
BOLDUAN: ...Tim Lambert is still finding debris from United Flight 93. The crash site is part of 160 acres he owns here in rural Pennsylvania.
LAMBERT: Our property line was -- those trees bore the brunt of a lot of the explosion.
BOLDUAN: He and other landowners are now in an emotional fight over what some call sacred ground. It all comes down to something called eminent domain. While the government has to pay, it has the power to take private property for public use without an owner's consent.
LINDA MUSSER, PENNSYLVANIA LANDOWNER: We're country folks. We're all neighbors that don't care if the other neighbor's on their property. But I'm afraid the Park Service won't be that nice.
BOLDUAN: The land is needed to build a memorial to the 40 passengers and crew who died that fateful September day.
LAMBERT: Eminent domain was sort of dropped on us in the last second here. And it feels like we never had a chance to talk about some of the issues we needed to address during negotiations.
BOLDUAN: The plan is to replace this temporary site with a permanent memorial to Flight 93. Those plans also call for an area covering 2,200 acres. To put that in perspective, that's some 1,700 football fields. Randy and Linda Musser say they fear even three-quarters of a mile away, their 62 acres of land are at risk, sitting in the buffer zone surrounding the proposed design.
RANDY MUSSER, PENNSYLVANIA LANDOWNER: The concern for everybody in the park boundary is that now the government has the ability to say, "Here's what you can and can't do on your property, and if you don't agree with that, we're just going to take it." BOLDUAN: With a ten-year anniversary deadline looming, the national park service says this is a last resort because property owners resisted the government's offers.
STEVE WHITESELL, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: We held off using it until we get here at the very last stage of this where we have no other choice.
BOLDUAN: Flight 93 family members like Patrick White who lost his cousin, Joey Nackey (ph), defend the government's move.
PATRICK WHITE, FAMILY MEMBER OF FLIGHT 93 VICTIM: No one questioned that there's a public purpose to this land. Their purpose became public the minute those private citizens' lives and remains became part of those lands.
BOLDUAN: None of the landowners dispute that. They are struggling with how to put a price tag on heritage. Tim Lambert's land has been in the family since the Depression.
LAMBERT: People lost their lives here. This is their final resting place. That's one thing I always keep in mind when I come here and I'm walking through these woods.
BOLDUAN: That's one point the government, the families, and the landowners all agree on.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Kate Bolduan joins us now from Washington D.C.
It's a tricky subject. It's a touchy issue, Kate. What is the expected time line for the eminent domain filings and really, I guess, why the rush?
BOLDUAN: Government lawyers are expected to file in Pittsburgh in U.S. district court. That will be sometime next week is the guidance that we've been given. Why the big push? The National Park Service and the government says they have been actually trying to negotiate these lands, these properties, these parcels since 2003.
They've been successful in many instances. They say they've acquired over 900 acres, but it's these critical, these key parcels they have not been able to reach an agreement on.
But if you talk to landowners like Tim Lambert, he says he's never received a concrete offer from the government. So, there's a little back and forth. All the while, Don, you have this ten-year anniversary coming up, and the government says they have just run out of time and they want to get construction started and finished by the ten-year anniversary, and they say they just have to move now.
LEMON: Kate, we really appreciate it. Thank you very much. Keep us updated on this subject.
BOLDUAN: Of course. LEMON: We have been getting a lot of feedback here from this. A lot of comments from viewers especially on Twitter. Check out some of it. Here is what Scott M. Selke says. He says, "There should be some sort of memorial for Flight 93, but we do we need to take people's land to do it? How would they feel if the land was theirs?"
And Ohio Circuit Rider few-word summary says, "Slippery slope."
We appreciate your feedback.
Britain's Prince Harry is paying his respects to those lost on 9/11 on his first official visit to the U.S. He is meeting with victims, relatives, talking with New York firefighters and laying a wreath at ground zero. There you see him there. He pinned a wreath and a note. "In respectful memory of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and in admiration of the courage shown by the people in a great city on that day." That's what he wrote.
Well, police call it nonlethal force. This teen's mother calls it murder. Fifty thousand volts fired at an unarmed kid who ran when he just should have stopped.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. Just getting information in here to CNN, and as you can see, it concerns swine flu. We told you about a group of students that were really being held quarantined in their hotel room as they were visiting China. And the children are from Silver Spring, Maryland.
It says here -- this is according to officials -- that a group of 21 students and three teachers from a Silver Spring private school have been released from quarantine after being held by Chinese government over fears of swine flu. They were held in their hotel room there for five days. And the fear came because on their flight there was someone suffering, someone who had a high fever, so Chinese officials feared they may be sick as well. And they were kept in their rooms for all those days.
According to the mom of one of the students, who was on CNN this morning, they've all been released. Twenty-one students and three teachers in Silver Spring, Maryland, a private school there.
When we come back, something very interesting happening today in Washington that concerns the president and food. We'll tell you about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK, so you remember the president -- well, president- elect then, and the mayor of Washington, Adrian Fenty, they went to Ben's Chili Bowl and then Ben's Chili Bowl became a sensation. The president's doing something similar today. You know he announced (INAUDIBLE) this morning that he's going to do that.
Later on, he's going to go to the FEMA headquarters. And so, he's just out for lunch today. And check out where he went -- Five Guys.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on in. Right down here, guys.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hey, guys. All right. Reggie, you got your order? You got your order? Where's Reggie? You got your order? What you got? I need...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. The president ordering there. We cut off his order. Anyway, Five Guys. I love it. It's the reason for this right here. They have great burgers.
Anyway, the president out -- just thought it was a human moment. We wanted to show you what the president did today. We're going to be back with more news, including political news, some that involves the president as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We're just getting started today in the CNN NEWSROOM. One cop is dead. Another facing a lifetime of regret. Friendly fire in the ranks of the NYPD. How did that happen, and will it happen again? We're pushing forward.
Plus, a growing menace that could shut down your whole life. Cyberterror is on the rise, and not even the president is immune.
Robert Mitchell's only crime was not letting police arrest him after he ran from a routine traffic stop. Robert was 16, unarmed with no criminal record when police in Warren, Michigan, Tased him, and he died. CNN's special investigations unit is following this story. Here's what our Abbie Boudreau has uncovered.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN INVESTIGATIVE UNIT CORRESPONDENT: So, this is where it happened.
(voice-over): What happened inside this house has changed Renea Mitchell's life forever.
RENEA MITCHELL, MOTHER: I'm actually still in shock. (INAUDIBLE), just to know he's not coming home. They do what they done. They killed him. They (INAUDIBLE) a Taser?
BOUDREAU: This is where Robert Mitchell spent the final moments of his short life. The 16-year-old died after police in this Detroit suburb shot him once with a Taser gun, giving him a 50,000-volt shock of electricity. Mitchell was chased here as he ran from several policemen after a traffic stop. Renea Mitchell is Robert's mother.
MITCHELL: Why would you want to shoot anybody's kid? Those things should not be used on people's kids.
BOUDREAU: Last month, Robert Mitchell was riding in a car here on Detroit's 8 Mile Road, immortalized by rapper Eminem.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
BOUDREAU: The car Mitchell was riding in was driven by his cousin, Chris Davis. But the car they were in had an expired license plate. Police came up behind them, turned on their flashing lights and began to pull them over.
Before the car even stopped, Mitchell jumped out and ran.
CHRIS DAVIS, ROBERT'S COUSIN: He jumped out and started running. I told him not to, but he was real scared. He was petrified. He hopped out of the car and started running.
BOUDREAU: Mitchell wasn't wanted for any crime and had no criminal record, but he did have a learning disability. And his mother believes he ran because he was afraid of police.
Officers ran after Mitchell for nearly two blocks, ending up on this street where Mitchell ran into this abandoned house. Police say there, inside, Mitchell resisted arrest.
WILLIAM DWYER, COMMISSIONER, WARREN, MICHIGAN, POLICE DEPARTMENT: Once he entered into the vacant home, then they had to finally make a decision because of resisting arrest. They used their Taser.
BOUDREAU (on camera): The police officers would not have used the Taser if he wasn't resisting arrest?
DWYER: Absolutely. I mean, if he would have -- you know, they ordered him several times, you know, that he was, you know, not to resist. And he continued to resist.
BOUDREAU: But this kid was, you know, a smaller kid, 5-2, 110, 115 pounds. Why couldn't they just overpower him? He was a small teenage boy. No weapon on him.
DWYER: Well, you know, the public sometimes doesn't understand that, you know, officers make split-second decisions. They don't have time to group up and say, "Well, here's the strategy we're going to use in this particular case."
BOUDREAU (voice-over): Police consider Tasers a nonlethal use of force, though Amnesty International recently reported that more than 350 people have been killed by Tasers since 2001 in the U.S.
That now includes Robert Mitchell. His mother is still trying to make sense out of her son's death.
MITCHELL: Shooting a kid with a Taser is not an accident because Tasers don't have their own brain. The trigger cannot move unless somebody pulls it.
BOUDREAU (on camera): So, what would you call this?
MITCHELL: Murder. It's murder. Why did they use a Taser on a kid that hadn't did anything? Why?
BOUDREAU (voice-over): Robert Mitchell was buried a week after his death. The Mitchell family is now suing the Warren police force and also the City of Warren. An investigation by the police internal affairs department determined the use of the Taser was justified. And the officers involved are now back at work.
MITCHELL: My son is in heaven. I'm mad now. Ain't no time to be crying and (INAUDIBLE). I'm mad. Something needs to be done, and somebody needs to take care of them. They shouldn't be working right now. They done killed somebody's kid. And not anybody's kid. They killed my kid.
BOUDREAU: Abbie Boudreau, CNN, Warren, Michigan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Wow.
The mayor of Warren is looking in to Mitchell's death and questioning how and when Tasers should be used. And the police commissioner emphasizes that this death is a tragedy and tells us he feels bad about the whole situation.
Robert Mitchell is the third U.S. teen in the past several months to die after being Tasered or stunned by police. And we're still waiting on the medical examiner's report to find out Mitchell's official cause of death. We will keep you posted.
A pastor told he needs a permit to host Bible studies in his home. Now he's got a lawyer, and the county's got an explanation, and we've got a live interview with him.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. So, they're trying to stop prayer in my house. A San Diego-area pastor says his rights are being violated by the county, which has ordered him to get a permit for Bible studies at his home.
For five years, he's hosted the weekly get-together. And a dozen or so people, well, they come over, they have dinner and they talk about the Bible. Well, last month a neighbor called the county to complain about all the cars. Next thing you know, a code enforcement officer drops by and starts asking a bunch of questions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PASTOR DAVID JONES, CITED BY SAN DIEGO COUNTY: She said, did you say "amen"? And my wife said, well, yes. And she said, do you say "praise the Lord"? And she says, well, yes, but what does that have to do with it? And that was the issue. CHANDRA WALLER, SAN DIEGO COUNTY LAND USE: Obviously, I wasn't there, so I can't tell you exactly what was said. However, what our officer was trying to do is establish what the use is so that we know what regulations to actually utilize.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. So, that's what the county has to say. You heard what the county had to say. The county says that, you know, they can still do it, and they're not against -- they said they're not against Bible study. That's about road access and safety issues for emergency vehicles. That's what they're saying.
Well, we want to hear, you know, the man who had all the questions asked and was told he should not be doing it. Pastor David Jones, he joins us now. He's on the line from San Diego. Thank you very much for joining us.
JONES (via telephone): You're welcome, Don, glad to be here.
LEMON: Yes. You doing OK?
JONES: Doing great.
LEMON: OK. So, I'm sure, you know, when your neighbor came over and started asking all these questions, you had no idea it would escalate to all this, did you?
JONES: When my neighbor, you said?
LEMON: Yes, when the person came over and asked you the questions about the cars and the access, did you have any idea that it was going to escalate?
JONES: Well, if you're asking me about the county official or the neighbor, because the neighbor didn't ask me that.
LEMON: So, whoever came -- who came over and asked you the questions about the car?
JONES: The county official.
LEMON: Did you have any idea that it was going to get to the point where it would -- all this hoopla would blow up?
JONES: Well, I didn't think it would come to this size of an issue because we just thought they were mistaken and that they didn't understand it was just a simple prayer meeting and Bible study.
LEMON: How long you been doing this again?
JONES: Well, five years.
LEMON: Five years. How many cars out there at your house?
JONES: Well, the other night I counted since this, you know, since we had the enforcement, and they're saying this. It was six cars, but understand, the last 268 feet of roadway is a private driveway to my house and two others. So, 268 feet is almost the length of a football field.
LEMON: Hmm.
JONES: And so, five cars. And sometimes they are parked in -- on the -- on our driveway, that ingress/egress that we have. But most the time, we can just park on my lot. Now, I own two acres of property, so I tell you, we have plenty of property -- you know, property to park six, 10 cars on.
LEMON: So, what's this thing, then, we're hearing about road access?
JONES: Well, they're not being honest. This has changed. Chandra has made the statement, and I've read it on the news this morning and that, and just heard what she said.
That is not true. Even if she was identifying what we're doing, the citation reads that we're to cease and desist religious assembly. Well told them, well, this is just a Bible study, and they said, no, and they define it as a church and that we had to cease and desist.
We tried to appeal to them in several phone calls and just state to them, listen, you know, it's not this big thing. We have a church three miles away. We have 25,000 square feet...
LEMON: Yes.
JONES: ... of building. We have eight acres. We have a parking lot. That's where we meet church.
LEMON: So, is this a personal thing? Because, you know, when I asked you about the neighbor coming over, the neighbor called. This is what I'm told, that the neighbor called the county to complain, and then the county came out. So, is there...
JONES: Well, that is not completely true either. Chandra needs to get her story right, because it wasn't a neighbor. The two neighbors we have, we've asked anyone who wants to interview them, they were there last night to be interviewed. And I said, ask them questions right now.
They asked, is it a parking issue? My neighbors have said no. So, they've both been questioned by news media, and the answer is no. Chandra needs to get it was not a neighbor who called. It was somebody who drove down the road and parked there and visited a neighbor, and he had a problem.
LEMON: Hey, Pastor, I've got to move on. Real quick, you can still have it at your house, right? Can you can still have them until this is revolved?
JONES: Yes.
LEMON: OK. And what's your next step here?
DEAN BROYLES, JONES'S ATTORNEY (via telephone): Well, the next step -- this is Dean Broyles, his attorney. The next step is to wait until the county responds to our demand letter.
LEMON: OK.
BROYLES: And if they don't respond and back off from violating my client's First Amendment rights to religious freedom, we'll be having to file a federal lawsuit.
LEMON: All right. Mr. Broyles and Pastor Jones, we appreciate it. Will you keep us updated on this?
JONES: Yes.
BROYLES: Absolutely.
LEMON: All right. Thank you very much.