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Deadly Bombings in Afghanistan; White House Tours on Hold; Winter Pounds New England, Rockies; Secret Process to Elect a Pope; Bon Jovi's New Album

Aired March 09, 2013 - 19:00   ET

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


DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Live and happening now:

Winter weather at its worst, once beautiful beachside homes falling into the ocean.

Gang warfare but this battle is not based in drugs or money. It's all about what's being said on social media.

Don't go into the water unless you have a way with sharks. We're going to talk to someone who does.

One of the most famous college dropouts plans to change how future generations go to college. An exclusive interview with Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

And --

(MUSIC)

LEMON: Bon Jovi provided a sound track for a generation. He's talking to us this hour.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.

All that ahead this hour. But, first, this -- newly appointed Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is getting a firsthand look at how dangerous Afghanistan remains 11 years into the war. And he also got a direct message from the Taliban.

Hagel is making his first visit to the country since being appointed last month and it began on a deadly note. A suicide bomber detonated a device outside the Afghan defense ministry in Kabul. Nine people were killed. About a half an hour later, nine others were killed when another suicide bomber attacked a check point south of Kabul.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHUCK HAGEL, DEFENSE SECRETARY: We're at war. War didn't stop. And we have a war here. And that's just the reality. We're going to continue to work with the Afghans and our coalition partners to fight that war and to assure that the Afghan people have every ability and right to develop their own country, their own way in a democracy. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So Taliban claims responsibility for the blast. In the meantime, eyewitnesses say the death toll could have been much worse. They credit a policeman who sacrificed his life by grabbing the bomber to dull the blast as it detonated.

Back in Washington, those forced budget cuts are just beginning to kick in. And the president and congressional Republicans haven't done much in the way of direct talks before or since the cuts took effect. The president often blamed the GOP for the failure to reach a deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: None of this is necessary. It's happening because a choice that Republicans in Congress have made.

And the policies that the Republicans are offering right now are the exact policies that got us into this mess.

If congressional Republicans refuse to pay America's bills on time, Social Security checks and veterans benefits will be delayed.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

LEMON: Well, that was then, but now it looks like hardball is out and playing nice is in. Here's a warm and fuzzy President Obama striking a new and different tone toward Republicans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: America is a nation of different believes and points of view. That's part of what makes us strong and frankly makes our Democratic debates sometimes messy and a lot of times pretty frustrating. But ultimately what makes us special is when we summon the ability to see past the differences and come together around the belief that what binds us together will always be more powerful than what drives us apart.

As Democrats and Republicans, we may disagree on the best way to achieve our goals, but I'm confident we can agree on what those goals should be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi tells CNN's Candy Crowley that the president's new approach is simple. He wants to get things done.

Disappointed families are changing vacation plans because they cannot tour the White House. Starting today, public tours are on hold. The move will help the Secret Service trim expenses in the wake of forced spending cuts.

CNN's Emily Schmidt is on the story in the nation's capital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EMILY SCHMIDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, the White House announced this week it would end all public tours beginning today to help save money and that left ticketholders on the outside unable to look in.

And that included Aaron Cooper. He turned 8 years old Friday. His mother had planned a great surprise. They came from Raleigh, North Carolina, to tour the White House. Instead budget cuts changed their plans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATALIE COOPER, HER PLANNED TOUR OF WHITE HOUSE CANCELLED: I was pretty upset about it. Just because of the fact that I know how difficult sometimes it is to get a tour of the White House and to have it lined up and just to kind of coincide with his birthday and for him to just turn eight and had his own bucket list. On that bucket list was D.C. and, you know, the White House. And so, it was a little upsetting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHMIDT: Another family came from Dallas, Texas, with the same tour plans. As they took a much more distant view, they said they are frustrated Washington lawmakers couldn't come up with a budget deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELOUISE WAFER: No, I just don't like it one bit. They need to get together and I'm praying that they will be in unity down here in Washington. Both sides, learn how to compromise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHMIDT: The administration decided to suspend the tours saying it would help save money for the agency in charge of protecting the president. The U.S. Secret Service told CNN the tours cost the agency $74,000 a week. That pays for 36 officers spending 40 hours a week at $50 an hour patrolling the tour route.

Many Republicans were quick to criticize the move, however, saying this was a case of the White House using the tours to make a political point about the severity of the points.

House Speaker John Boehner even issued a statement saying that U.S. Capitol tours remain open despite the fact that Capitol police in charge of security there also face budget cuts.

Outside the White House today, 8-year-old Aaron Cooper said he was sad he wouldn't get his birthday tour. His backup plan was going to a Smithsonian Museum.

The Smithsonian institution also faces $40 million fewer dollars in its budgets because of the new cuts -- Don. (END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Emily, thank you very much.

Now to the winter storm that's beating up the Boston area and Cape Cod and coastal Connecticut this evening. High tide on Plum Island, Massachusetts, smashed into beach houses and pushed two of them right off their foundations. Nobody was hurt. But these homes and more than a dozen others will have to be bulldozed now.

Here's a problem: people who live on Plum Island have been fighting beach erosion for years. And this is the second major storm to hit them in a month.

Look at the snow coming down in Denver right now. This storm dropped a foot of snow in the Colorado Mountains and those of you in Kansas and Nebraska, this storm is heading your way.

Back to the East Coast now, where a one-two winter storm punch is changing the face of the coast.

Adam Harding of our affiliate WHDH is there for us -- Adam.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADAM HARDING, WHDH: Hi, Don. Good evening to you.

The damage done here to Plum Island in Massachusetts is really remarkable. In fact, just take a look right behind me. There was a home that was standing there earlier today. It fell into the ocean. That is how powerful this storm was.

The home was taken down earlier today because there was just so much damage done to it. And this -- this isn't even the only home that fell into the ocean. In fact, yesterday dramatic video shows the home falling in yesterday.

And many people thought yesterday would be the end of the storm. And then we saw high tide again today and that wreaked havoc on a second home. And that home fell in.

So, two homes have fallen in. Two homes have been destroyed.

And the damage is just never ending here on Plum Island. In fact, this home right here will have to be taken down tomorrow. You can see there's not a whole lot of support. Officials are worried that it's just structurally not strong enough to stand on its own.

So, tomorrow, I'm told that it's going to have to be taken down. I'm also being told that 13 homes are uninhabitable as a result of this storm. They will have to meet code until homeowners can move back inside.

A lot of bad news. A lot of damage. This was a storm that almost nobody saw coming. They did not think it was going to be this bad. But we saw four high tides. We saw a storm that lasted two and a half days, and many are just stunned that the beach is changing right in front of their eyes.

The damages in the millions, at least $2 million in damages alone just to the two houses that fell into the ocean.

So, the cleanup work, the cleanup work is continuing. It is beginning. And people whose homes are standing, they are just thankful that they still have a home to return home to tonight.

Now the good news is also for these homes that fell in, a lot of the people in this area, they don't live here all yearlong. These are seasonal properties. So, in terms of injuries, none. Remarkable there, but the cleanup work, Don, really just continuing.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Adam Harding on Plum Island in Massachusetts for us this evening, thank you, Adam.

Venezuela's presidential election could take place in a matter of weeks. State television is now reporting the vote will be on April 14th. Until then, former vice president Nicolas Maduro will serve as the country's leader. Maduro was sworn in as interim president yesterday. Long-time leader Hugo Chavez died of cancer on Tuesday.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela is in the hospital again but officials say there's no cause for concern. The presidential office says the 94-year-old Mandela is being treated for an existing condition and stressed it is all part of a routine checkup. Mandela was recently treated for a lung infection and gallstone.

Nearly a thousand people gathered today for an emotional funeral honoring a small town mayoral candidate. Marco McMillian is believed to be the first openly-gay candidate to run for office in Mississippi. He was murdered late last month in the town of Clarksdale.

Civil rights icon, Congressman John Lewis, attended today's funeral. He says the good that McMillian accomplished in his community will live on.

Now to the rescue -- the rescue the U.S. Coast Guard did. Six people racing a sailboat in California's Channel Islands got in big, big trouble last night. One crew member died and the others had to be hoisted on to a rescue chopper and taken to safety. The sail boat broke apart in rough water.

Another asteroid whizzed past Earth today, and you could call this one a bit of a surprise. The asteroid passed by the planet, but it was more than 604,000 miles away. The thing is this asteroid was only discovered last weekend. Search telescopes can't find objects of this it size until they get close.

Coming up here on CNN, traffic on the longest highway in the U.S. comes to a screeching halt in Cleveland, Ohio, because of this major crash. The story behind the frightening accident.

Plus, fierce clashes in Egypt. We'll tell you what caused these protesters to take to the streets.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Twenty-one U.N. peace keepers who are detained by Syrian rebels have now been released. They were handed over to Jordanian authorities at the border today. Rebels had detained the Filipino peacekeepers in a Syrian village near the Golan Heights. A spokesman for the opposition said rebels took the peace keepers to protect them from fighting in the area. They are reportedly unharmed.

Meanwhile, fighting in the area resumed after the handover.

Hugo Chavez will become the latest in the line of world leaders to put on permanent display, at least that's according to interim Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro. The government says it has decided to embalm Chavez body and put it in a glass tomb. The fiery leader died of cancer on Tuesday. He joins other leaders such as Lenin and Stalin and Mao whose remains have been preserved and put on display.

It appears Kenya has a new president. The electoral commission announced today that Uhuru Kenyatta captured just over 50 percent of the vote. Kenyatta is the son of Kenya's founding leader and he's facing war crimes over election violence in 2007. His main rival, the country's prime minister, says he will challenge the results in court.

Controversial verdicts in Egypt may now be threatening a very fragile political situation. Protests broke out in Port Said after a court upheld the death penalties of 21 defendants.

There was also anger in Cairo but for a different reason.

Reza Sayah was in the port city just before the verdicts were read. He filed this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We are probably just moments away from the verdict that could trigger an explosion of anger here in Port Said, lots of suspense right now as we wait for the verdict that's just moments away.

The verdict has been delivered and we saw an incredible rollercoaster of emotions here.

First off, outrage. That's because 21 defendants who had earlier been sentenced to death, the judge in this trial confirmed those death sentences. That triggered howls and screams of grief and anguish and then a remarkable shift in emotions. That's because the remaining defendants, several were acquitted. Others received prison sentences. No death sentences and that sparked a mini celebration among some of the people watching.

Several hours have passed since the verdict and now what we're seeing are thousands of people who gathered here at the city's port continuing to protest the verdicts that they didn't like and continuing to protest against President Morsi and his government. They have been setting fire to tires here, but things still relatively calm here.

You get the sense that a lot of people here just don't know how to react. They like some of the verdicts. They don't like the other verdicts. Maybe that's why you see a lot of people just standing around and watching.

In the meantime in Cairo, more contrasting emotions. Remember all the victims of last year's football riot were fans of a top Cairo football club, they wanted justice. They wanted guilty verdicts for all the defendants.

They were pleased that there were 21 death sentences, but they didn't like the fact that only two police officials received prison sentences and two dozen defendants were acquitted. Their anger turned into violence where some of the football fans set fire to the local police club, as well as the offices of the football federation.

All of this is taking place against the backdrop of a deepening political crisis that's putting this country's young revolution in jeopardy. And many Egyptians here are losing hope for a better economy and a better way of life and pressure is mounting on President Morsi and his government to do something.

Reza Sayah, CNN, Port Said.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, Reza.

This is just in to CNN. Take a look at these pictures. We're just getting in, just getting this information. These pictures are from Woodinville, Washington, where a small plane has crashed into a house.

This is from our affiliate KIRO. They are flying over the scene right now. Two people have been injured. Both of them were on board that it plane. No one on the ground was hurt.

This is in Woodinville, Washington. That's about 12 miles or so northeast of downtown Seattle. Two people injured, both aboard the plane. As soon as we get more information, we'll update you here on CNN.

So, how does one of the most powerful college dropouts plan to change how future generations go to college? Our exclusive interview with Microsoft founder Bill Gates, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Big changes in how you use Facebook were announced this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK ZUCKERBERG, FACEBOOK CEO: This design reflects the evolving face of your newsfeed. It's designed for the way that we're all sharing today and the trends that we see going forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the new design is supposed to reduce clutter. You can choose what you want to view like everything your friends are sharing or just photos or even just the pages of people that you follow.

In Austin, Texas, it's a festival billed as one of the best in music, film and technology.

One of our bests, Laurie Segall is there at the South by Southwest event and Laurie got an exclusive interview with software giant Bill Gates.

Earlier, I asked her what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAURIE SEGALL, CNNMONEY TECH CORRESPONDENT: He was here to talk about education. And he really believes that technology can completely disrupt education. I sat down with him and asked him, you know, what are your ideas? And he had a lot of different ideas about different technology in the school system.

But specifically, Don, I asked him about college. And I said, you know, what does the future of college look like. Listen to what he had to say to me, Don.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL GATES, MICROSOFT FOUNDER: These large lecture classes that are being there physically doesn't really add much value, you know? So, I would guess that a decade out, there would be very few large lecture classes given and that certainly the public schools would focus more on how they take not their own lectures but the very best that are out there and create the labs and study groups around those.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEGALL: So, you know, essentially, he's saying maybe in the future colleges and four years being on campus with these big lectures, maybe it's some digital work from home, work experience, maybe that will cut the costs. He had a lot of thoughts like that, Don. LEMON: Laurie, we're always looking for the breakout technology from these festivals. So, what's the buzz about this year's at "South by Southwest" festival?

SEGALL: Sure. You know, this is the first year. A lot of times what's the hot new app on your phone?

But, really, this is the first year, Don, we're seeing technology expand beyond the smartphone. There's a whole makers movement. The idea that hardware and software is combining. You got people 3D printing and doing all sorts of these.

We actually visited a makers festival here in "South by Southwest" and there was a lot of that kind of technology on display. Take a look, Don.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEGALL: So tell me what we're doing over here.

CHRISTIAN PRAMUK, PRODUCT MANAGER UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, what we're doing is we're looking at our 123D creature iPad app. This lets you sketch out a creature, texture him, sculpt him, anything you want, we're providing the tools to create that 3D model that you eventually fabricate and make real.

SEGALL: So, these are things you create on that app and you were able to print out here?

PRAMUK: That's right. Yes.

SEGALL: This all came from an app.

PRAMUK: And it's very easy. You saw how easy it is to do.

AMANDA GHASSAEI, 3D PRINTED RECORD PRODUCER: This is a 3D printed record. And basically what I have done here is I wrote a program that lets you take any piece of digital music and you can just convert it straight into a 3D model of a record and play it on a turntable.

SEGALL: This plays actual music?

GHASSAEI: Yes. Do you want to hear it?

SEGALL: I definitely want to hear it. It's good, I like this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEGALL: Yes, 3D printed record that plays music, that was cool. There was all sorts of technologies like this. There was also a guitar that people built in a place called Tech Shop that have places all around the country where they open up shops and they have industrial -- they say you can come in, you can build whatever you want.

It's really part of this movement of making and empowering people to manufacture on their own. We're hearing a lot about that here at South By Southwest.

LEMON: OK. So, are you off to any fun parties?

SEGALL: There are always fun parties. You know, Twitter throws a party, Foursquare throws a party. All these wonderful tech companies, they come out here and they do call it spring break for nerds, Don.

LEMON: Just remember, you are working, Laurie.

SEGALL: I'm working hard, Don.

LEMON: Yes, thank you.

SEGALL: Thanks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Coming up on CNN, want to be a cop in this town? Fill out an application and take a lie detector test to prove you're not a racist. The police chief who initiated this policy joins me live right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Coming up on half past the hour. I want to get you caught up on your headlines right now.

Home toppled into a Massachusetts beach today. No one was inside. A neighbor called the homeowner in Florida and told him what happened. Harsh storms recently washed the foundation away. Several other homes have collapsed or are considered total losses.

Big news from baseball. New York Yankees Mariano Rivera says he's retiring when this season is over. For 18 years, he's been one of the most dominant relief pitchers in all of baseball. Rivera is 43 years old. He has more saves, 650, than any pitcher in baseball history.

You might be grumpy in the morning, lack of sleep. Daylight Saving Time starts at 2:00 a.m. I'm going to say this again, "saving", no "S". Don't say Daylight "Savings" Time. Daylight Saving starts at 2:00 a.m.

So, remember to set your clocks ahead one hour tonight. You'll sacrifice an hour of sleep tonight in exchange for a few months of extra daylight. I know people said that. I have been saying that, until you told me. It's "saving", no S.

OK. You're going to be really interested in this story. I promise you. So, stick around. Pay attention.

Small Tennessee town trying to clean up its act and its police force is doing the house cleaning. Several high profile incidents cast a negative spotlight on how officers in the small city of Coopertown had treated outsiders, especially minorities. New police chief, Shane Sullivan, took creative action to hire upstanding officers he says.

Chief Sullivan joins me on the phone now.

Chief, you were hired after one officer was caught using a racial slur and a few years before that, there was talk of speed traps and racial profiling. So your department turned to polygraph tests. What kind of questions do you ask job applicants?

SHANE SULLIVAN, POLICE CHIEF OF COOPERTOWN, KENTUCKY: Well, there's several questions. One is that they have they ever (INAUDIBLE) child pornography? If they committed a racial (INAUDIBLE) of any kind against an individual or a society. It has to do your criminal history or drug abuse or alcohol abuse or your work history as well.

LEMON: Do you outright ask them if they are racist?

SULLIVAN: No.

LEMON: You don't. You're not that direct. Why did you feel it was necessary - I read that you had an incident. Someone called someone a racial slur and then there were - believed speech traps that seemed to be racially motivated. But why did you feel the need to put in place a polygraph test?

SULLIVAN: Well, when I came in, I took one myself. And I saw from my examination that if I had any hidden agendas or bad thoughts or anything like that that it would have came out. So not being from that area originally, I felt that it was - it would help me to select people to be police officers. The town has had enough bad happen to them and I want to rebuild the department and to give them a professional law enforcement.

LEMON: By doing this, are you admitting that there is racism in this department?

SULLIVAN: No. Not to my knowledge. I mean there's none now. What happened prior to me, I don't really know.

LEMON: Has the test prevented anyone from joining the force? Has anyone failed it?

SULLIVAN: No one that has been given the test has failed it. I have had a few people come in and ask me about employment and once I tell them about the polygraph, I have had a couple people not come back or not show anymore interest.

LEMON: What has been the criticism? Have you gotten criticism from the officers or anyone in the community?

SULLIVAN: I have not. Everyone there has been great. The administration has been great. The public has been real supportive of me. And they understand there's a lot of changes that need to be made to do what they need in terms of law enforcement.

LEMON: So this is happening just in Coopertown. Would you recommend any other department or municipality to do polygraphs on potential officers?

SULLIVAN: I would. If it will save the department from hiring one bad person or one bad officer, it will save them a lot in the long run. As a police officer or even a police department, it's real easy to get a bad reputation. Once you do that, it's hard to overcome. And think that (INAUDIBLE) right here is one avenue to keep from something like that happening.

LEMON: Shane Sullivan is the new police chief in Cooperstown, Tennessee, they are installing a polygraph test to make sure his officers are not racist. Thank you for joining us.

SULLIVAN: Thank you.

LEMON: So exactly what happens when cardinals pick a new pope? We'll take you inside the Vatican for a look at how the voting will take place and what the cardinals do if there is no clear winner.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Did you know that cardinals cannot vote for themselves when they vote for a new pope? That's just one of the things we are learning about the top secret process to elect the next pope. The chimney is in place that will send up the white smoke signal when a new pope is selected. Or a black smoke if they haven't reach the decision yet. 115 participating cardinals will begin the secret election on Tuesday.

Our Jonathan Mann spells it out for all of us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN MANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the oldest electoral system in the world and many of its traditions have been unchanged for centuries. The conclave, which literally means locked with a key dates back to a time when cardinals were locked in until they chose a new pope. Now it's the world that's locked out, figuratively speaking as much of the conclave will take place behind closed doors.

The gathering begins with a morning mass in St. Peter's Basilica. In the afternoon, the 115 voting cardinals, those under 80 years old, enter the Sistine Chapel where each will take an oath of secrecy. The penalty, automatic ex-communication.

After the oath, preparations are made for the election taken by secret ballot. Lots are drawn to select three cardinals who will help collect ballots. Three more cardinals to count the votes and three others to review the results. Printed on the ballots, the words meaning (INAUDIBLE) "I elect as Supreme Pontiff." Each elector writes the name of one candidate on the lower half of the ballot and folds it in half.

Cardinals are not allowed to vote for themselves. Then in order of seniority. The cardinals take their ballots to the altar. Each places a folded ballot on a small disk and then the ballot is dropped into a chalice. Once all the votes are cast, the ballots are tallied and the results are read aloud. More than a two-thirds majority is needed to declare a winner, in this case 77 votes. If there is no winner, there's another vote. If there's still no winner, two more votes are scheduled for the afternoon. Voting continues up to four ballots each day until there is a winner.

The ballots are burned after each session in an incinerator inside the chapel sending off the most famous smoke signal in the world. If there's no winner, they are burned with a chemical that gives off black smoke telling the crowd waiting in St. Peter's Square that a new pope has not yet been selected. When there is a winner, the ballots are burned alone giving off white smoke. A sign from the cardinals that they have chosen a new pope to lead the church.

Jonathan Mann, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right. Jonathan, thank you very much.

It's gang warfare but this battle doesn't stem from drugs or money but it's all about what's being said on social media.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A new law in South Dakota if you work in a school you can carry a gun. That means teachers, school board employees and volunteers and even, get this, kindergarten classes. The law was signed by South Dakota's governor yesterday and goes into effect on July 1st.

In Miami there's growing concern about a spike in gang-related teen shootings. CNN's George Howell takes a look at how social media may be playing a role.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The story behind what happened to Marqueis Brunson is a story his mother says no parent should have to tell.

TANYA LARRIMORE, VICTIM'S MOTHER: I went to work around 1:30. Got a phone call my son was shot and he rushed to the hospital. That's when my life completely changed. From that day on to this day and for the rest of my life, my life has changed.

HOWELL: The 16-year-old shot in the back of the head by an AK-47. The young victim of a drive by shootings. At least seven shootings in a week's time in the Miami area. Tanya Larrimore says her son was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

LARRIMORE: Marquis is not the first or the second, third, fourth or fifth and he's not going to be the last. This is something that keeps happening over and over to our young kids.

HOWELL (on camera): This is ground zero of a four-block area where most of the crime occurred. And where I'm standing now, this is the dividing line. If you're a kid in this neighborhood, you're either recruited into the 12th court gang or the 13th Avenue gang over there. And unlike most gang warfare, it's not about drugs, it's not about money, it's about insults, perceived slights and social media.

So because of what somebody says on Facebook, they could end up shot on the streets right here?

MAJ. CRAIG MCQUEEN, MIAMI POLICE DEPT.: Yes, yes. It's sad. We all know Facebook has its value. It's a great thing, it's a great tool that kids can talk to each other from all over the world. It's not meant for someone to say something and someone should die for it.

HOWELL: Miami Police Major Craig McQueen says officers are keeping tabs on questionable behavior both online and on the streets. Their hope here is to prevent the ongoing problems in Miami from becoming as rampant as gun violence in cities like Chicago or Philadelphia. City Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones grew up in this neighborhood and sees how gangs here have changed.

MICHELLE SPENCE-JONES, MIAMI CITY COMMISSIONER: It's no longer an economic issue. It has evolved into more of a personal issue, which is very dangerous because how do you solve that issue. So you really have to dig down deep with these kids to find out what's going on with them. What's really getting to this point that they are not thinking before they are making decisions to take a person's life.

HOWELL: Miami Police are also relying on a teen curfew that they routinely enforce this time of year to get more teenagers off the streets at night. Tanya Larrimore says while it's a step in the right direction, she hopes that no other parent has to experience her pain.

LARRIMORE: No one plans to bury their kids at the age of 16. He was a junior in school. He didn't even make it to the 12th grade yet. It's like a whole part of my life is completely gone.

HOWELL: George Howell, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Coming up, rocker John Bon Jovi. A lot of people love him but the NRA apparently doesn't. Find out why he's on the gun group's enemy's list. That's just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

LEMON: That is Jon Bon Jovi's newest single, "Because We Can." The singer, actor and musician currently on the road promoting his upcoming album "What About Now." In a recent stop in Atlanta, he sat down with our Victor Blackwell and opened up his long career, his charity work, and on being named an enemy by the NRA.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Jon, 30 years of Bon Jovi, 125 million albums, and you got the 12th studio album coming out now in a few days. As you move on from the slippery when wet days and go into decade two and then three and now starting a fourth, do you feel a responsibility to write music that is more socially conscious?

JON BON JOVI, MUSICIAN: No. But I said when I was 25, I was never going to be 50, painting my fingernails black and writing bitch on my belly.

BLACKWELL: OK.

BON JOVI: But I said that, you know. I said it as a kid. And then I grew into that, which was good. And the truth was, when you are 25, you should write "You Give Love a Bad Name." Who wouldn't want to write that when you're 25. That was what life was about. If I was 50 trying to write that now, I would be deemed a dirty old man. It would be a little sick and twisted.

BLACKWELL: But there are some who are still doing it.

BON JOVI: Not me. You know. We have grown up in public. And that's sort of the cuteness is that you can go, OK, go on. Right here, insert the clip, bad name with my hair down to here.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

BON JOVI: That's cool. That's fine. But that's not who I am now. You know. It's a progression. And revolution.

BLACKWELL: What about now? Hence the name of the album. What's the message of that lead single.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

BON JOVI: I ain't a soldier but I'm here to take a stand because we can.

Because we can. Is it a nod? Yes, a little bit. But not directly to, you know -- the president kind of stuff. It's not that. It's, you know, why should we? Because we can. You know. Why should we get involved in making our neighborhood a better place. Because we have to. You know. And because we can just sang a little better.

BLACKWELL: Yes. So let's talk now about some of the things you do off stage. Let's talk about home. Grew up in New Jersey. We all know what happened there with Hurricane Sandy. What did you feel when you went back and saw what had happened to the shore and to the communities and the people there.

BON JOVI: I was devastated. These are my people. This was where I grew up. These were my memories. This is my family and my personal properties, my - everything. And you know, it makes you more aware next time you see tragedy on CNN that that is somebody's people. That is somebody's neighbors. And, you know, you can't think of it just in the context of television where you feel empathy. You have to, you know, take it to that next level and say, we can help that.

BLACKWELL: I want to get to the gun issue. The NRA put you on a list of enemies.

BON JOVI: Oh well.

BLACKWELL: Why would they do that? What are your thoughts on this proposed ban on some semi-automatic -

BON JOVI: I'm all for it. I'm all for it. You know, I think background checks should be mandatory. I don't believe that you need assault weapons in the woods to hunt. I believe that 50-round clips doesn't really make it fair game, does it? I think it just - it's a little extreme.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

BLACKWELL: What do you want to do that you haven't done. I mean, you have done so much. What do you want to do?

BON JOVI: I have a bucket list. But, you know, I'll leave it at that. And people should always have a bucket list. They should always have a list of things they haven't done they want to do. I think when you stop dreaming and stop reaching, then you start slowing down and then you get, you know, bored. I'm not bored.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Jon's 12th album releases this Tuesday.

And coming up, don't go in this water unless you really have a way with sharks. We're going to talk to someone who does.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Spring break includes migrating sharks. There are so many of them off the Florida coast, several beaches have been closed. This video amazes me. Look at all those sharks. There it is right there. So how dangerous are they to humans? I had a chance to talk to Andy Casagrande with the Discovery Channel's show, "Shark Week."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDY CASAGRANDE, DISCOVERY CHANNEL: It's really not that scary. This is an annual migration, that these black (INAUDIBLE) sharks are basically migrating south. It's very similar to the snow birds that come from New York and New England come to Florida to escape the harsh winters of the north. And chill out in Florida for the summer. Or sorry, for the winter. So these sharks are following these temperature gradients, and although it might look a bit scary, in reality, they're pretty harmless.

LEMON: Well, OK. I hear what you're saying. But then you see how many sharks are swimming just offshore when you're in the water. Look at that, thousands. So if you see thousands in a school like that, you know that there are thousands more out there and they're probably not far from where you're swimming.

CASAGRANDE: That's true. And what's really interesting is that these migrations have been happening long, long before we have ever actually paid any attention to it. The researchers of the shark lab at the Florida Atlantic University have been studying this closely for three years now. And in some of their aerial surveys, they have counted over 15,000 sharks in a single flight. So a lot of sharks but they're smaller species, they feed on smaller fish, they're not really targeting humans. I mean, it's amazing spectacle, but in reality, it's not quite -

LEMON: So we're overreacting.

CASAGRANDE: Well, I would say when you see great whites breaching out of the water ripping seals in half, I can understand why people get a bit concerned. But these are small spinner and black-tip sharks. Florida is home to many shark species and it's an amazing place to live. And I would definitely not try to discourage people from coming here. The sharks welcome you, they're very polite predators and they mean well.

LEMON: Yes, actually, it doesn't bother me. I know that sharks are out there and usually they don't really like humans and the rare chance - it does happen. We have seen, though, it appears that we have seen, Andy, more and more sharks recently. Is the shark population rising, or are we doing a better job of just documenting them? Can we see this video again from "Shark Week?" Your video is amazing.

CASAGRANDE: Thank you.

LEMON: Yes.

CASAGRANDE: I mean the reality is that, you know, people do want to believe that sharks are coming in closer and closer to shore and there are more sharks are attracted to humans but the truth is, they have been around for millions and millions of years. But like you said, now we're documenting it better. Everyone and their mom has a phone with a camera on it, the high-rises are getting higher so we can see deeper out into the water. The reality is the sharks have always been there. It's just now that they're much more interest to us through television entertainment, through documentaries, and they're just fascinating animals. So I grew up, you know, loving sharks and I still do. So I think it's a good way to inspire people to care about the ocean and it's an amazing spectacle to see.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Andy Casagrande, thank you, "Shark Week" on Discovery Channel.

A dump truck driver found himself in a precarious situation in Ohio today. His truck hit a pedestrian bridge and then rolled over with half of it dangling down to the road below. No serious injuries but the section of interstate 90 through Cleveland is closed through the rest of the weekend.

Tonight at 10:00 Eastern on CNN, the government controlling what you can eat and drink. The New York mayor is even looking now at how people listen to music. Some are asking, is this a nanny state at work and we're asking, do they think we're stupid?

And --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNEL PINEDA, JOURNEY LEAD SINGER: I got this message, interested in singing with the real band, Journey.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: From rags to rock star. How a legendary rock band found its new lead singer from the most unlikely of places. That and more at 10:00 Eastern tonight. I'm Don Lemon. I'll see you here then.