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American Morning
Ed McMahon Dies; DC Train Tragedy; Gov. Sanford Leaves Office for Appalachian Trail
Aired June 23, 2009 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, good morning once again to you it's 8:00 here in New York on this Tuesday, June 23rd. I'm Kiran Chetry.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, I'm John Roberts. Here's what's on this morning's agenda. Stories that we're going to be breaking down for you in the next 15 minutes.
A search for answers in the deadly train crash in the nation's capital. One Metro train rear ending another during last night's rush hour. At least nine people are feared dead. Any minute now the NTSB and D.C. Metro will update us on the search and investigation. We'll bring that to you live.
CHETRY: Also ahead, the governor of South Carolina ditched a security detail more than five days ago. Left his mansion, not to be heard from since. He missed father's day, and even his wife said she had no idea where he was. Now there are a lot of questions about his absence that's left the entire state wondering what's going on. Why Governor Mark Sanford decided to take a hike.
ROBERTS: And Detroit closing in on its foreign counterparts when it comes to the quality of their vehicles. In a moment, we're going to break down whether this could be a turnaround for America's auto industry.
As we mentioned, we're standing by for a press conference in the nation's capital. We're expecting the latest details on that deadly metro train crash yesterday. Expecting the mayor, representative from the NTSB, Debbie Hersman and DC Fire and Emergency Dennis Rubin to be coming to that podium in just a couple of minute's time. We're keeping an eye on it. We'll bring it to you just as soon as it happens.
Wreckage still littering the tracks this morning at the scene of that crash; the deadliest in the history of Washington D.C.'s metro rail system. At least nine people feared dead, 75 others injured were injured. Some of them critically.
A speeding train rear ended another one that was stopped at the same track. The question now, what went wrong?
CNN's Jeanne Meserve is live in Washington for us.
Jeanne, I'm sure that we're going to get a few more answers at that press conference this morning. But already suggestions that lessons not learned from past accidents there in D.C.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's right, John. And the numbers seem to be very much influx. I talked to the D.C. fire chief just a few minutes ago, and he told me the number of people entombed is anybody's guess. The recovery efforts will continue today, and so will be an investigation into what might have caused this. I believe the press conference is about to go on.
John, back to you.
Mayor Adrian Fenty now behind the microphone. Let's listen to what he has to say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ADRIAN FENTY, MAYOR OF WASHINGTON, D.C.: Between the Ft. Totten metro station and the Tacoma D.C. metro station. We do want to continue to let the country know that our first thoughts and first efforts here in D.C. are with the families and friends of the victims.
As we discussed yesterday, 76 people were taken off of this train and taken to hospitals. Yesterday, we had a number of six confirmed dead. We are changing that number to seven confirmed dead as was discussed yesterday, by far the deadliest crash in the history of the Washington, D.C. metro transit system.
As of this morning, there are two critical patients still in the hospital, and, of course, we hope that both of them continue -- I've been informed by the fire chief that both conditions stay where it was, and they didn't get any worse. And the one was upgraded out of critical. So that is a piece of good news and otherwise harrowing story.
We are continuing to field calls from family members. We encourage everyone to continue to call 311 if you have questions about the whereabouts or condition of a family member. At this point, we are pretty much exhausted the list and we'll start to make next of kin notifications this morning. That has not occurred.
The one other thing we want to say is that although the fire department has worked throughout the night, the scene is still being processed as a rescue scene. That is because we had to bring in heavy equipment this morning to start to be able to pull apart the train that was compressed and also to cut through the train.
So as of right now, although we are -- we have the number at seven confirmed dead, we are going to let the investigation run its course through the rest of the day. And then we will give you a final number around 5:00 this afternoon. Hopefully, the seven confirmed dead will still be the number and there will not be anymore as of 5:00.
The Metro Transit System with John Catoe and Chairman Jim Brown have been working closely with NTSB. We're joined again by Debbie Hersman. We're also by both council members Harry Thomas from Ward 5, council member Bowser from Ward 4. Chief Cathy Lanier from the Metropolitan Police Department. She has been working with our department transportation and getting the traffic around the scene. And notifying all of the family members and running the crisis response.
What we like to do at this point is bring forward fire Chief Rubin. Again, he and his agency are the lead. They are literally moving pieces of train equipment, and then as we move a big piece of equipment, then searching to find any additional remains.
Chief Rubin?
DENNIS RUBIN, D.C. FIRE CHIEF: Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir.
At about 5:30 a.m. this morning, we were able to get a crane device in as the mayor described. That's allowing us to scale the cars down. In other words, in layers we're taking the huge components of steel and metal to disengage and check all of the areas where folks may be.
The firefighters have worked throughout the night. We expect sometime today, hopefully, by early afternoon to declare all clear, meaning that we've been able to thoroughly check every single space at about midnight last night along with our Metropolitan Police Department, our fire department had cadaver dogs as well as live dogs to be able to determine whether there was any folks on the sidings.
We did a thorough inspection of the wooded areas on both sides of the train in case someone had gotten off or wandered off or was thrown clear of the train. We've thoroughly investigated that area.
As we speak, the operation has stopped for just a few minutes, as we power off and it becomes way too dangerous for firefighters and police officers to be in that environment. Has several trains that must be moved or being moved into different locations and positions.
We'll go back very shortly to the full rescue and recovery operation until we get this task completed. The firefighters and police officers have been incredibly brave. We've had two minor firefighter injuries, both were transported to the hospital, both have been treated, both have been released and we'll update you as we go.
Thanks, mayor.
FENTY: Chief Lanier going on the traffic?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Next-of-kin update.
CATHY LANIER, DC POLICE CHIEF: As of right now, the Metropolitan Police Department is working with the chief medical examiner's office to get confirmation on identification of those fatalities that we have confirmed. As soon as that identification process is complete, the next-of-kin notifications will be made. Hopefully, we will have some updates for you this afternoon at the follow-up press conference.
We were able to open one lane of New Hampshire Avenue this morning. That will be closed after 9:00 this morning for continued operations. So New Hampshire Avenue will remain closed throughout the day. And if the operations allow, we will reopen one lane for afternoon rush hour on northbound side. So we'll get back to you and let you know.
But right now, the area is completely going to shut down again around 9:00 a.m. and will remain closed throughout the day for rescue operations.
Thank you, mayor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And first I'd like to give my condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives yesterday in this tragic accident. And that's on behalf of all of the metro employees as well as our board of directors.
As indicated, the fire department still in the process of rescue and recovery.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: All right. We're listening to a press conference this morning with the officials from Metropolitan, D.C. Adrian Fenty, as well as Cathy Lanier who is the police chief and the fire Department Chief Dennis Rubin.
Hoping to hear from the NTSB Debbie Hersman there, but I guess they've got a couple of more people to get through.
And she had some initial thoughts in the train that perhaps some of the lessons from past crashes have not fully been learned there in D.C. And I think that's probably where the NTSB will be focusing their investigation as they go on through this.
CHETRY: Right. Apparently, one of us -- the train was stopped at the time was waiting for a go ahead signal. Questions about whether there was, you know, a malfunction with the computer system, or whether that was overridden in some way. And also, just how much impact those cars can withstand. So a lot of questions about that. And we'll bring that back to you as soon as we get it.
Meantime, we're going to take a quick break.
When we come back, a big mystery. The front page of the state in South Carolina says, Sanford -- "Governor Sanford AWOL: Who's in Charge?"
A lot of questions after the governor of that state went missing for days on end. Not even his wife knew where he was. We're going to be talking to a reporter from the state about what exactly is going on in that state.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Well, singer Paul Simon beg, but that's not stopping Kodak from taking his Kodachrome away. After 74 years on the market, Eastman Kodak is retiring the first commercially success color film. The company says there has been less demand for it. Thanks to digital technology.
A Virginia Nestle plant has been temporarily shutdown because of an E. Coli outbreak. And 200 workers are expected to be laid off. The facility makes refrigerated cookie dough products that have been linked to the disease.
And Apple CEO Steve Jobs is expected to return to work next week. He's been on medical leave since January, reportedly had a liver transplant operation some two months ago. No word from Apple on the role Jobs will fill when he does return.
We also want to tell you this morning that we continue to follow the situation in Iran. So far, there's no word of protests out on the streets. The social networking Web sites have been quiet. But we do understand that a reporter from the "Washington Times" has been arrested. The reason, not given. So we'll keep on watching all of that for you this morning.
CHETRY: All right. Meantime, the mystery is unfolding surrounding the whereabouts of South Carolina's governor. And for several days, no one knew where Governor Mark Sanford was, not even his wife. Well, it turns out he was hiking. His unexplained absence has left the state confused. It certainly left some political rivals ready to pounce. And it comes just two weeks after I spoke to him right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: By the way, are you considering a 2012 run for president?
GOV. MARK SANFORD (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: No. I'm considering, you know, can I make it through this next week?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well, joining me now is John O'Connor. He's a political reporter for the state newspaper in South Carolina. And he joins me from Columbia this morning.
Your paper, the front page says, "Sanford AWOL: Who's in Charge?"
First of all, for people that are just learning of this story, give us a little background. What went on? And when did everybody realize that the governor was not reachable?
JOHN O'CONNOR, POLITICAL REPORTER, SOUTH CAROLINA: Apparently, some folks realized over the weekend. We started hearing about it yesterday. And it just swept through the state pretty quickly yesterday morning. From there, the details were kind of slow-coming to us. It wasn't clear until later in the day that the governor's office had been in contact with the governor, that they knew where he was, that he'd told them where he was going ahead of time, and then also told him that he would --
(CROSSTALK) CHETRY: Sorry, it might not have been strange if you guys inquired. It took them a while. But before that, his own wife said she didn't know where he was. That's sort of what raised eyebrows.
Jenny Sanford told the AP that he'd gone off to write something, that he missed Father's Day with his four sons, and she didn't really know where he was. So what was the response to that?
O'CONNOR: Well, they haven't responded to that. Basically, what they've said is that nobody in the governor's office nor his wife was concerned that they knew where he was and that they weren't concerned about his safety.
CHETRY: All right. So a little bit later that it came out that he was actually hiking. This is a statement from his office along the Appalachian trail. The statement went on to say, I apologize for taking so long to send this update. I was waiting to see if a more definite idea of what part of the trail he was on before we did so."
Now, meantime, this has sparked a lot of calls, including from the lieutenant governor to question, should the governor be unavailable or unreachable in case of an emergency.
So what's been the political fallout from this?
O'CONNOR: Well, we don't know that yet. I assume we're going to learn some of that in the next couple of days.
Obviously, Lieutenant Governor Bower was very concern yesterday. He was making it an issue. It's kind of unclear what happens in an emergency. The state constitution says the that the lieutenant governor has the authority to act and to take the governor's authority if there is an emergency, but it doesn't define what an emergency is. So we don't know what would've happened.
CHETRY: Right. But give us some of the texture, the backdrop with which this is going on.
I mean, there's rivals, people want his job, obviously. There were some calls from the state senators. One of them said, you know, that this is -- that he's been engaging in, quote, "erratic behavior for some time."
So what's happening in South Carolina?
O'CONNOR: The senator that uncovered this is a former law enforcement officer. He's got good ties with the community. He's also a long time critic of the governor. And during his last Senate run, the governor actually endorsed the candidate running against him. So there's some bad blood here.
The lieutenant governor is a political ally of this state senator, who is also considering making a run for governor. And so there may be some of that calculation going on here, as well. You know, we're trying to figure out the facts where the governor was yesterday. And, you know, this political stuff I'm sure is going to unravel itself here in the next couple of days as well..
CHETRY: Right. And, meanwhile, what's the word on the street? What are people in South Carolina saying about what they think happened?
There's been talk that this has happened before. That he's taken these state vehicles, right -- this security detail vehicle and not had security with him, sort of taken them at different times. So what are people saying?
O'CONNOR: Yes, we've learned that it's standard for him to get rid of the security detail. And he's mentioned in public before that heat would prefer not to have a detail if it were up to him.
As for what the public is saying, I mean, the reaction is across the board here. I mean, first, yesterday, folks were concerned about his safety. Yet a lot of folks who are just outraged that the governor could disappear. And then you have folks who, you know, are making a joke about it. And, you know -- that this is kind of a long line of things that have -- issues that have become news items with the governor.
CHETRY: All right. Well, I guess it's to be continued for now. We'll see what he says himself when he gets back from hiking on the Appalachian Trail.
John O'Connor from the state. Good to talk to you this morning.
O'CONNOR: Thanks for having me.
CHETRY: Seventeen minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
ROBERTS: And this breaking news coming to us via NBC. NBC News reported that Hollywood icon Ed McMahon has died. We are working ourselves to confirm this. Long time sidekick, almost co-host, if you will, of the "Tonight Show" for so many years with Johnny Carson. Leaves behind a huge legacies. Dead at the age of 86 according to NBC News.
Our Brooke Anderson has a look back now at Ed McMahon's story life.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's Johnny.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For 30 years, Ed McMahon was a fixture in American households as Johnny Carson's "tonight show" sidekick.
In that role, he played announcer and Carson's set-up man.
ED MCMACHON, HOST: I hold in my hand the last envelope.
ANDERSON: He was a loyal source of laughs. And always knew his place.
MCMAHON: You had to know how to do that. How to be the second banana. To be in when you needed to be, out when you weren't need.
ANDERSON: McMahon got his start in radio. And in the early 1950s, hosted a number of TV shows in Philadelphia. His long association with Carson began in the late 50s culminating with their final "Tonight Show" together in 1992.
JOHNNY CARSON, HOST: I want to thank the gentleman who shared this stage with me for 30 years, Mr. Ed McMahon.
ANDERSON: Even before Carson retired, McMahon had branched out with his own ventures, among them, hosting "Star Search."
He served as a pitch man for Publisher's "Clearing House" and co- hosted TV's bloopers and practical jokes with Dick Clark.
MCMAHON: We got a lot of things planned tonight.
ANDERSON: While always genial on air, McMahon's personal life was not as charmed. He went through two divorces. And in 2002, he sued after toxic mold was found in his house. In 2007, he broke his neck in a fall leading to more lawsuits. With all the money he had earned over a lucrative career, it came an stunning news in 2008 that a lender had started foreclosure proceedings on his house.
MCMAHON: If you spend more money than you make, you know what happens. And it can happen. You know, a couple of divorces flown in, a few things like that. And, you know, things happen.
ANDERSON: Notoriety from his mortgage problem did lead to some commercial opportunities, including a 2009 Super Bowl ad.
MCMAHON: Now is the time to send your unwanted gold for cash.
ANDERSON: McMahon will forever be remembered for his work in late night, which earned him a place in television history alongside Johnny Carson.
CARSON: Who did you take to the high school prom?
MCMAHON: Ellen Mason (ph).
CARSON: Madeline --
You remember?
MCMAHON: Got to her before you did.
All of a sudden you did 30 years and you kind of look back and you see this monument he created, and I helped put in some of those stones with him. It's wonderful.
ANDERSON: Brooke Anderson, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: What a career, and quite a lot of ups and downs, as well, after his stint on the "Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson.
CHETRY: Yes. Well, I'll always remember him from Johnny Carson, from Star Search, as well. But you're right, later on in life, he did have a series of mishaps, unfortunately.
By the way, CNN also now just confirming that yes, Ed McMahon has passed away. If you remember when he was on Larry King, it was almost exactly a year ago that he was on Larry King talking about his financial troubles.
ROBERTS: Yes.
CHETRY: I mean, here's somebody who is an icon in entertainment, whose home was facing foreclosure. Donald Trump said I want to help out an American icon. I'll buy, you know, the mortgage from Countrywide and lease it to McMahon. And then, of course, that fall where he broke his neck and he was in the middle of lawsuit proceedings that he recently just drop. I believe, it was a month ago they decided to drop the suits.
ROBERTS: Well, like you said, you know, bouts of trouble, a couple of divorces here and there can certainly change your financial situation around.
But Ed McMahon, again, confirming that he is dead at the age of 86 this morning. He will be missed.
It's 24 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: More on our developing story this morning, that metro rail accident in Washington, D.C. yesterday. A press conference underway a few minutes ago.
Our Jeanne Meserve is monitoring it. And she's learned some interesting details.
What have you got to share, Jeanne?
MESERVE: Well, John, it has to do with that train that ran into the train that was stopped. The train that did the striking was an older model train. And the NTSB said at the press conference this morning that they had raised concern and made recommendations in the past, both about the crash-worthiness of those cars and also about the fact that they should have recorders on those cars.
Apparently, the metro system did not respond to either one of those requests. There were no recorders on that train. And they have not been retrofitted and obviously have not been phased out.
They did find recorders on the train that was struck. But those recorders are not going to be as useful because speed is one of the things they're trying to gauge. That train is believed to have been at a standstill.
They are still doing recovery efforts here. They said they have brought in special cranes that will take the wreckage off layer by layer, and as they take off a layer, rescue workers will go in and do a check and see if they find any more victims of this crash.
The confirmed death toll right now is seven. There's a possibility that will rise. They tell us they will probably have a final tally by 5:00 this afternoon.
John?
ROBERTS: So confirmed death toll now, seven. That is down two from where it was believed to be at nine. But let me ask you again about those cars.
Should those have been taken out of service? Should they not have been in service? Or were they just looking at phasing them out over time.
MESERVE: Well, the NTSB said it made very specific recommendations to the Washington metro system that they either be retrofitted or so they could withstand a crash, or that they'll be phased out. They were not retrofitted and obviously they weren't phased out. So the NTSB said that was an unsatisfactory conclusion. But, again, they haven't determined what the cause is here. Still very much an ongoing investigation.
ROBERTS: But, again, those are only recommendations, right? Not a strict order.
MESERVE: That's correct. That's correct. Recommendations.
ROBERTS: All right. Jeanne Meserve for us at the scene of that train wreck in Washington.
Jeanne, thanks so much for the update.
CHETRY: Twenty-eight minutes past the hour now. We check our top stories.
And some sad news this morning. CNN confirming Hollywood icon Ed McMahon has died. He was 86 years old. His publicist saying that he died around midnight local time at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was, of course, best known as Johnny Carson's longtime sidekick on the "Tonight Show," but he went on to fame in his own right, hosting "Star Search" and many other things, as well.
As we said, came into some trouble in his later years, including suffering a fall where he broke his neck. And he said that the improper diagnosis led to a lot of problems for him. Also a little bit later in life, as well, he was facing foreclosure on his home. But again, Ed McMahon, 86 years old, passing away. What's described as passing away peacefully at UCLA Medical Center at midnight Pacific Time.
ROBERTS: Well, there was a hurricane warning in Mexico this morning. Tropical storm Andres is gaining strength right now. Forecasters expect it to become the first hurricane of the Pacific season later on today. It's targeting southwestern Mexico. It's already packing winds at 70 miles an hour.
And Hillary Clinton playing through the pain, making a White House meeting with the president. She's supported a cast there after surgery to repair a broken elbow. The injury keeping her from traveling to Italy and Greece this week. She was supposed to also meet with foreign leaders from eight nations to discuss Iran, Middle East peace and the war in Afghanistan. She broke her elbow when she suffered a fall in the parking lot of the State Department.
There are some new developments this morning in Iran, as well. The nation's Guardian Council claiming that it found no serious fraud in the election results that have sparked weeks of deadly protests. There have been no word, we'd like to have mention, by the way, of protests on the streets of Tehran this morning.
We also found the social networking sites a little bit quiet today. But we did get the news that a "Washington Times" journalist has been arrested according Reuters. So we're watching all the latest developments on that.
Meantime, the government has gone ahead and set a time frame for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's swearing in. This is according to state media. And CNN continues to monitor these developments as they unfold.
Here at home, though, President Obama is preparing to meet the Press Corp this afternoon. A short time ago on AMERICAN MORNING, we had a chance to speak to his White House press secretary about the criticism the president's taking for not being more forceful with Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It's not for us to get involved in this. This is a debate in Iran by Iranians about their next leadership. Many in Iran and many in the regime would like to remove any of the protestors and the reformers and put the United States government in their place. That's a battle that they've had and won for many years inside of Iran.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is live at the White House with that. The president is going to have this news conference in the Rose Garden at 12:30 Eastern. We're expecting him to be asked about the situation in Iran and exactly whether or not the stand the administration is taking is the best stance. SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Sure, I think it's one of the questions that the president is going to face but also the broader question is you have millions of votes here that are stuffed in the ballot boxes, you've got the Ayatollah coming out saying it's a legitimate election. But how does President Obama move forward in this tough diplomacy that he has talked about, engaging Iran if Iranian's people don't necessarily believe their own leader is legitimate? That is a real challenge here.
That is something that the administration is going to have to feel out. They're going to have to figure out. And whether or not they move forward on nuclear talks to make sure Iran doesn't pursue nuclear ambitions. One senior administration official saying those talks now are on ice. That they are simply waiting to see how all this plays out. So that is still going to be pretty important questions for the president.
The other thing, Kiran, of course, there is another threat.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): It seems the whole world now knows Neda and aches for her. And why not? It watched her die. On Facebook, a page dedicated to her memory, amid pictures of a woman who may be Neda in life. They were messages too, filled with outrage, like this one -- that was murder. And this, shame on the man who killed you.
AZAR NAFISI, AUTHOR "READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN": It is unbearable.
COSTELLO: Azar Nafisi who wrote "Reading Lolita in Tehran" says the way Neda died means there's no turning back for Iran.
NAFISI: Neda silent is now the voice of all of those other Iranian women and men who over the last 30 years have been fighting for their freedom.
COSTELLO: It's difficult to say right now, though, if this image of Neda will change everything. We know that pictures sometimes do. Many believe this shot taken at Penn State of a student gunned down after a Vietnam war protest helped end the war. Yet this video of a lone student standing up to Chinese tanks did not end communism in China.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This image, this video because it's so graphic, so powerful, and it really illustrates in a way that words can't and even still pictures can't, the pain and suffering and the willingness to sacrifice and put her life on the line.
COSTELLO: Because some say Neda defined who is protesting. According to her fiance, she was a philosophy and music student, 26 years old, standing near her music teacher and modestly dressed. She did not act aggressively, in fact, her fiance told us she did not vote. But friends told the "L.A. Times" she was upset at the election process.
Neda's death has further galvanized women in Iran, one young woman calling in to CNN from Iran shared this with us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This old woman said to the forces -- didn't you kill Neda. We are all Neda's today. We don't let that happen again.
COSTELLO: Fleeting image or tipping point?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: That's the question this morning. Another sign though that Neda's death is rocking Iran, we have unconfirmed reports that 10,000 showed up at Hafte Square because they heard there was a memorial service for Neda. Police sent them away. Neda's fiance told us that the military did tell Neda's family they could not have a memorial service. So she was buried in the cemetery, the only people attending, her parents, her brother, and her sister. There's a U.S. naval ship that is tracking the North Korean ship that is believed to have illegal weapons. That is a big test for this administration in terms of whether or not it's really going to enforce those U.N. security council sanctions that were passed just a couple of weeks ago.
So the kind of tension that you have between this administration and North Korea, this administration and Iran, very much signals that this president has some very big challenges ahead in the weeks to come, Kiran?
CHETRY: No doubt. All right. Suzanne Malveaux for us at the White House this morning. Thanks so much.
And a programming note, you don't want to miss, President Obama's Rose Garden news conference this afternoon, CNN's going to bring you the whole thing live. It starts at 12:30 Eastern time.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Big conference on national service going on in San Francisco. The first lady kicked it off last night along with rock star Jon Bon Jovi. He is heavily involved in volunteerism and national service. There he is performing before at least 4,500 people. No, I'm just kidding you. That's an old Bon Jovi concert. We're going to be talking with Jon Bon Jovi coming up next about his work and volunteerism. And in particular, his work at building houses for the homeless in and around the Philadelphia area. Stay tuned. It's 33 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ROBERTS: From sweeping the floors at the Power Station Studios to selling more than 120 million albums worldwide, sales of concerts from coast to coast at stadiums and doing an awful lot of good work, Jon Bon Jovi.
CHETRY: He is. He is wonderful. He's actually going through a big change when it comes to volunteerism. He said he was always interested in it but in the last five years he's really taken hold and made a lot of changes. And you had a chance to talk to him about it yesterday. And exactly why he feels so passionate about it.
ROBERTS: We did. He has in one of his songs who says you can't go home. He's actually helped a lot of people go home through his volunteer work. Building houses in and around the Philadelphia area. He's also an ambassador for the Entertainment Industry Foundation. It's Hollywood's leading charity.
Yesterday he made an appearance at this national service convention in San Francisco to kick off a multi-year campaign to help make service and volunteerism a big part of Americans' lives. I had an chance to speak exclusively with Jon Bon Jovi yesterday and here's some of that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JON BON JOVI, SINGER: Throughout my life, I've been involved in volunteerism and charity work, but to be involved as I am at the level that I am in philanthropy has come into focus in the last five years. And the beginning of our foundation, the Philadelphia Charitable Foundation which builds affordable housing, not only in Philadelphia, but many places, you know, as wide as Los Angeles to New Jersey.
ROBERTS: You know, people who don't know you really well might not know how involved you are in volunteer work and in philanthropy, you don't really draw a whole lot of attention to it, you don't draw a whole lot of attention to yourself when you're involved in it. Why is that?
BON JOVI: Well, I don't think the need for the media spotlight is why I do this. I do it because we're making a difference. I do it because it feels good. Our foundation has built 151 units in its first five years. I believe that, you know, this is something that doesn't need a scientist to cure its ills. It's just desire and money. And helping your neighbor is very important to me.
Often times there are those who want to donate their time, effort, and or money. Sometimes just don't know how or who. And so I say to find something that moves you personally.
ROBERTS: What's the project that's been most enjoyable to you? I know that you - think there was a time, I think it was 2005 or 2006 where you took the money that you would have put in to making the music video for "You Can't Go Home." And you used that instead to build houses and then you shot a music video inside one of those houses. That looked like it was a lot of fun. Was that the most enjoyable to you?
Who says you can't go home.
BON JOVI: No, why? Because I had to sing and play and work. You know. No, but I'll tell you, what that did was it sparked the idea. And we built three two-family houses and so six families had a roof over their heads because of that concept. Now look where we are. Or look at the example that I got such joy after Hurricane Katrina. And we were down in New Orleans. And within one year of that devastation, we had 28 families in houses.
ROBERTS: Back in 2005, when you opened up the national conference on volunteering and service, you said that volunteering - you declared volunteering is hip. Have enough young people gotten that message in the last four years?
BON JOVI: Well, I think that to some degree they have, John. Volunteerism is up right now. And the national average of volunteerism is on the rise. And I could say that it's because of the economy, people have more time on their hands, or I could also say it's because we all realize we're in this together. And it's time to make a difference.
ROBERTS: You just recently had your 46th birthday. Rock 'n' roll, there are some people who stay in it for a long time, it's a young person's business. Are you thinking of doing something else soon? You know, there are rumors that maybe you might want to run for politics. The next senator from the great state of New Jersey?
BON JOVI: It doesn't pay well enough. When someone once asked me I was with President Clinton, who had the better job? And I said, oh, can I answer that question, sir? He said, yes, go ahead. And I said I do, and he said why, and I said because I get to keep the house and the airplane.
ROBERTS: There you go. Well, Jon, it's great work you do. We thank you for taking the time this morning. Really appreciate it.
BON JOVI: Thank you too, John. All the best.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: You know, though, in the long run, the president's got two or three houses and access to any airplane he wants these days. Thanks to his charitable foundation.
CHETRY: That's true but you know, he is Bon Jovi.
ROBERTS: He's a great guy. You know, he doesn't ask for anything for doing this. He just does it out of the goodness of his heart. He's a really great guy.
CHETRY: He is a good guy.
ROBERTS: And the best part about it is, he's been married to his high school sweet heart all these years and he says he's more in love with her now than he was when they first met.
CHETRY: That's right. And for a rock star, no less. You know what I mean, a great lesson out there. He's a good guy. Absolutely.
ROBERTS: And for more of my interview with Jon Bon Jovi, check out our American morning blog where to find it at cnn.com/amfix.
CHETRY: And we're going to be talking about the story that we brought you before. A few people are complaining about their boss, you know, sort of kvetching with each other about their working conditions. And they ended up getting let go. Well, they went to court about it. So what happened? Alina Cho's going to join us with the verdict.
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ROBERTS: Good morning Hot-lanta. You'll be living up to your name today. Mostly cloudy, 76 degrees right now, later on tonight a lot of high cloud around, with a high of 92 degrees.
We continue to monitor the situation in Iran this morning. We should tell you. Don't have any reports of protests going on in the streets and the social networking sites have been fairly quiet this morning. The only thing that we understand has happened of any significance is Reuter's is reporting a journalist from the "Washington Times" has been arrested. We're watching all the latest developments coming out of Iran all morning long and you can make sure that we're going to have it all for you right here on CNN.
CHETRY: All right. Well, the city of ()Montana, meanwhile, is asking people if you're applying for a city job, you got to give us your password to your social networking sites. You know, we want to know what you're doing in Facebook. We want to know what you're saying on twitter. Well, after that story spread online, of course, then the city backed down.
But the question remains, how much privacy can you really expect online especially in these chat rooms and these social networking sites? Well, our Alina Cho has an update on a story that she first told us about a few months ago and it involves two workers who got fired, they say, for what they said on MySpace. They were kind of complaining about their job.
ALINA CHO, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Yes, as I said before when I did the story a couple of months back, people said, did this really happen? And the truth is, it did happen, guys. Good morning. Good morning, everybody.
Now, you may remember about two months ago we you told you about these two restaurant workers in New Jersey. We interviewed one of them. Her name is Dorian Marino. She and another worker were fired for comments they made not on a company e-mail account, but at home on MySpace on their own time. It was a private discussion group invitation only, password required, a place they thought was private where they could vent their frustrations about work and in some cases say some pretty mean things about they bosses.
Well, one of the managers gave access to the site, didn't like what he read and he fired them. So Marina and her co-worker who both worked at a Houston restaurant sued in federal court. And the jury ruled in their favor recently saying the Hill Stone Group, the parent company of Houston violated federal and state surveillance laws.
Now, the jury awarded the two workers a total of $3,400 in back pay and $13,600 in punitive damages. The jury even said that management acted maliciously. Now, we caught up with Doreen Marino to get her reaction to the verdict. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOREEN MARINO, FIRED FOR COMMENTS ON MYSPACE: It tells employers that there's limits, there are limitations to how far that they can go into our private lives. There have to be laws. This is a major way of communicating with MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, there are no laws governing our privacy or our rights. So it's got to start somewhere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: The Hill Stone Restaurant Group told CNN they have mixed feelings about the verdict. But so far no plans to appeal. Now, one thing that is still unclear is whether this constitutes an invasion of privacy. The jury seemed to put out a confusing verdict on this. So the central question really wasn't resolved. Can companies do this?
Now, remember, this jury found that the Houston's manager violated surveillance laws but there was no clear cut ruling on privacy. As I was saying earlier, Nick Thompson from "Wired Magazine says, you know, the technology is moving so fast that the laws can't keep up. And just when you think they have caught up, well, then technology changes again. So the laws really can't keep pace with this. It's really a problem and companies don't quite know how to deal with it.
CHETRY: Yes. And the other thing is people don't know how to quite deal with it, as well. I mean, the bottom line is you post a picture up there, it doesn't matter if you think it's all secure, there's a chance that that picture, what you said is going to come back to haunt you.
CHO: Absolutely, there's always the chance. And as Nick Thompson said you want it to be private, write it in a diary, lock it up, and don't make copies of the key.
CHETRY: See, when I was little, my mom said if you want it to be private, don't even write it down.
CHO: That's right. Well my mom read my diary.
ROBERTS: Certainly don't put it on the internet.
CHO: That's for sure.
ROBERTS: See you then. Well, over the course of the history, there have been some iconic photos of protests, uprising and the shootings in Kent State, there is the man in Tiananmen square, the students who stood in front of those tanks, of course, the march on the bridge. There appears to be another iconic image that is coming out of Iran now. Neda Sultan, that young woman who was shot dead the other day.
Just how much power does Neda have in death? Our Carol Costello is going to take a look at that, coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING. It's 48 and a half minutes after the hour.
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ROBERTS: Nine minutes now to the top of the hour. We're watching for all of the latest developments out of Iran all morning long. So far no word of significant protests in the streets of Tehran this morning. Though reformists are reportedly trying to organize some sort of national strike. We continue to monitor the social networking sites, things are pretty quiet there today.
Meantime, one powerful image has become a rallying cry for the opposition in Iran. By now you've probably seen the very graphic and breathtaking video of a young Iranian woman named Neda who apparently died after being shot by a sniper. Bit by bit, we're learning more about who she was. But the question remains, can one person or one image really help to bring change to an entire nation? Carol Costello is live in our Washington bureau this morning helping to answer that question. Good morning, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO: Good question, John. You know the chances of that are better this morning as we get to know who Neda was. The more the world knows her, the more powerful her story. We've talked with Neda's fiance, he told us Neda was not political. She was on her way to a protest with her music teacher. They had car trouble. Both got out of the care and while they were standing on a street a single shot rang out killing Neda. Her death caught on a cell phone camera and sent around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): It seems the whole world now knows Neda and aches for her. And why not? It watched her die. On Facebook, a page dedicated to her memory, amid pictures of a woman who may be Neda in life. They were messages too, filled with outrage, like this one -- that was murder. And this, shame on the man who killed you.
AZAR NAFISI, AUTHOR "READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN": It is unbearable.
COSTELLO: Azar Nafisi who wrote "Reading Lolita in Tehran" says the way Neda died means there's no turning back for Iran.
NAFISI: Neda being silence is now becoming the voice of all of those other Iranian women and men who over the past 30 years have been fighting for their freedom.
COSTELLO: It's difficult to say right now, though, if this image of Neda will change everything. We know that pictures sometimes do. Many believe this shot taken at Penn State of a student gunned down after a Vietnam war protest helped end the war. Yet this video of a lone student standing up to Chinese tanks did not end communism in China.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This image, this video because it's so graphic, so powerful, and it really illustrates in a way that words can't and even still pictures can't, the pain and suffering and the willingness to sacrifice and put her life on the line.
COSTELLO: Because some say Neda defines who is protesting. According to her fiance, she was a philosophy and music student, 26 years old, standing near her music teacher and modestly dressed. She did not act aggressively, in fact, her fiance told us she did not vote. But friends told the "L.A. Times" she was upset at the election process. Neda's death has further galvanized women in Iran, one young woman calling in to CNN from Iran shared this with us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This old woman said to the forces -- didn't you kill Neda. We are all Neda's today. We don't let that happen again.
COSTELLO: Fleeting image or tipping point?
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COSTELLO: We'll have to see, you know another sign that Neda's death is rocking Iran, we have unconfirmed reports that 10,000 showed up at Hafte Square because they heard there was a memorial service for Neda. Police sent them away. And Neda's fiance told us that the military did tell Neda's family they could not have a public memorial service. So she was buried at a cemetery, and the only people attending, John, were her parents, her brother, and sister
ROBERTS: Is there anyone who gave so far what the effect of her death has been on the reform movement there and whether or not this is going to be a rallying point to galvanize that movement into something greater than we've seen so far.
COSTELLO: Well you said the streets were quiet this morning. But I don't what exactly that means it's so difficult to bring information out of Iran. We'll just have to wait to see if there is a general strike called in Iran but you know it's difficult for the opposition to get the message out because, of course, as you know the media is quite controlled in Iran and things are pretty much locked down.
ROBERTS: And we talked to some of our folks stateside, many of them are Iranian descent who really know the politics there suggesting that a national strike will put a lot more pressure on the regime than any of the demonstrations do far.
COSTELLO: Yes, that means all the shops and businesses will be closed. Of course, many shops and businesses were already closed because there were so many people on the streets protesting but I guess we'll see what happens on Thursday.
ROBERTS: Yes. We'll be looking at that very, very closely. Carol Costello for us this morning from Washington. Carol, thanks. You can read more about Neda's story and share your thoughts on Carol's report, just go to our show blog, the address is CNN.com/amfix.
CHETRY: And you know, for a time yesterday on twitter, every thing on twitter was a shade of green and people can actually pick an avatar that says Neda with a broken heart in green as well. So a lot of people changing what used to be their picture or various icon to the one with Nadal.
ROBERTS: Again we will see if she serves to be a rallying point or sometimes the fellow that stopped the tanks at Tienanmen Square, a really interesting image of defiance and protestations. It didn't really change anything but there are other pictures that's coming up like the one in Ken State which did start to change a lot of people's opinion.
CHETRY: Very powerful for sure. Meanwhile, we want to give you an update right now on what we're learning when it comes to this crash that happened in Washington, D.C., the metro that has taken the lives of seven people, others critically hurt. We have some new information today about that fleet. We're going to take a quick break and we're going to bring it to you when we come back.
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ANNOUNCER: Here's Johnny!
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ROBERTS: Some sad news to tell you about this morning, Ed McMahon, the legendary entertainer and side kick on the "Tonight Show" for 30 years has passed away. He was 86 years old. He died in his sleep surrounded by his family at the UCLA Medical Center. No cause of death has been given, but his spokesperson did say that he suffered from "a multitude of health problems, including bone cancer." So again, Ed McMahon dead this morning at the age of 86.
CHETRY: We're going to update you also on some other news this morning.
We're getting some new information about that the deadly D.C. metro accident yesterday where at least seven people have died, according to D.C.'s mayor. And there's also some news this morning about what may have caused that crash. One of the things that investigators are looking into right now is that apparently the subway train that plowed into the other one was part of an aging fleet that federal officials had been seeking to phase out due to safety concerns. That according to an investigator. So again, we're going to be following this story throughout the day, the latest developments in Iran, as well, and we'd love for you to continue the conversation on our blog. It is cnn.com/amfix.
ROBERTS: Right now here's CNN NEWSROOM" with Heidi Collins.
I can tell you that it is a scene of real devastation down there.
