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Meghan McCain Warns GOP of Brewing Trouble; Vigil is Scheduled for Columbine Victims; Author Says Reward Employees to Increase Profits; Compassionate Art Helps Charities; Earl Lloyd, an African- American First, Broke the Color Barrier in the NBA.
Aired April 19, 2009 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: There you go.
Andrews Air Base -- you see, the president, Barack Obama, he landed there just moments ago. The president is wrapping up a south of the border summit where he made news, and sparked some controversy with this unexpected photo-op. And he gets a gift. That's flying off the shelves tonight, it wasn't flying off before.
But what is the real sentiment behind that gift -- also making news.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEGHAN MCCAIN, SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN'S DAUGHTER: Tonight, I am proud to join you in challenging the mold and the notions of what being a Republican means.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That is John McCain's daughter, with harsh words for her dad's party. What would dad say? We'll tell you exactly what's going on with that.
The news starts right now.
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live here at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
President Barack Obama has just arrived at Andrews Air Base in Maryland, back from his first trip as president to Latin America. He is back from the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, where he met with leaders from across the western hemisphere. Today, he declared the trip very productive.
Mr. Obama acknowledged that leaders at the 34-nation summit certainly didn't see eye-to-eye on every issue, but they proved, he said, that leaders in this hemisphere can disagree respectfully. Well, one reason for the president's optimism, signs of a thought and relations with fierce U.S. critics like Cuba and Venezuela. Cuba's president now says he is open to talks on human rights and other issues, and Venezuela's leader says, well, he is planning to send his ambassador back to Washington.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES: Over the past few days, we've seen potential positive signs in the nature of the relationship between the United States, Cuba, and Venezuela. But as I've said before, the test for all of us is not simply words, but also deeds. I do believe that the signals sent so far provide at least an opportunity for frank dialogue on a range of issues, including critical areas of democracy and human rights throughout the hemisphere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, there is still work to be done when it comes to regional relations. So, Nicaraguan president, Daniel Ortega, says Mr. Obama is, quote, "President of an empire with rules he cannot change." But Ortega also says he wants to believe the American president has the will to make change.
President Barack Obama met with reporters today as he prepared to leave Trinidad and Tobago, and our Dan Lothian was there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OBAMA: I do believe that the signals sent so far provide at least an opportunity for frank dialogue on a range of issues, including critical areas of democracy and human rights.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At a 45- minute press conference, Mr. Obama also seemed unconcern about his friendly interaction at the summit with America's chief antagonist, Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez.
OBAMA: It's unlikely that as a consequence of me shaking hands or having a polite conversation with Mr. Chavez, that we are endangering the strategic interests of the United States.
LOTHIAN: But one Republican critic on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" had a different take.
SEN. JOHN ENSIGN, (R) NEVADA: I think it was irresponsible for the president to be seen kind of laughing and joking with Hugo Chavez.
LOTHIAN: Again, Mr. Obama brushed off the criticism.
OBAMA: If the question, Dan, is, how does this play politically, I don't know. I don't worry about the politics. I try to figure out what's right in terms of American interests, and on this one, I think I'm right.
LOTHIAN: Leaders from across Latin America and the western hemisphere are seeking a new relationship with the U.S., and on the global economic crisis, they welcome investments, too. But Mr. Obama said what they think will help the most, it's for his domestic economic recovery plan to work.
OBAMA: People are rooting for America's success. LOTHIAN (on camera): This is President Obama's second overseas trip. He works to build a better relationship with many of these world leaders. He says it should now be based on a partnership, not on America's military might.
Dan Lothian, CNN, Port of Spain, Trinidad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, Dan.
On a related note, Venezuela's President Chavez gave President Obama a book, which not surprisingly, we're told, takes a very negative view of past U.S. policies in Latin America. It's called "Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent." And it's gone from obscurity to best seller. And it happened overnight. It's number two. Number two on Amazon.com's best seller list tonight. Friday, it was ranked number 60,280 to number two. That is a very fast rise.
President Chavez is, of course, a close ally of Cuba -- another fierce U.S. critic that appears to be shifting its stance toward America. Cuban President Raul Castro says he is ready to talk to the U.S. and talk about everything. He says from political prisoners to human rights.
Here's what President Obama had to say about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I think that, as a starting point, it's important for us not to think that completely ignoring Cuba is somehow going to change policy. And the fact that you had Raul Castro say he is willing to have his government discuss with ours, not just issues of lifting the embargo but issues of human rights, political prisoners, that's a sign of progress. And so we're going to explore and see if we can make some further steps.
There are some things the Cuban government could do. They could release political prisoners. They could reduce charges on remittances to match up with the policies that we have put in place to allow Cuban-American families to send remittances. It turns out that Cuba charges an awful lot. They take a lot off the top.
That would be an example of cooperation where both governments are working to help Cuban families.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, the president won't have any down time to recover from his trip. Tomorrow, President Obama holds his first full cabinet meeting. He'll ask department heads for ideas on where to trim their budgets.
Across town, Congress come back to work after a two-week long spring break. There will be hearings on energy and global warming. To other news now, we're going to take you to the Denver area, where there is some potentially dangerous flooding. Heavy rain and melting snow are pushing rivers and creeks way over their banks.
And here, you see a man being rescued after falling into a rain- swollen creek. Look at that rescue video there. Luckily, to tell you, he is expected to be OK. We're happy to say that.
City officials are warning people, though, to stay away from waterways.
We want to get now to our Bonnie Schneider.
Bonnie, tell us about that severe weather happening in Denver and then remember, we were talking about that family last night in the Houston area. A very sad story as well, because of the weather.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. Flooding is causing a lot of projects and a lot of tragedy across the country. We're also tracking, Don, fires happening right now in southwest Miami-Dade County. In fact, we're getting reports of some of smaller brush fires in and around this region here, from Krome Avenue -- I pull it up on Google Earth -- just southwest 174th Street.
So, we're getting some pictures for you now. This is happening courtesy of our affiliate, WSVN, keeping track of the situation. Very dry conditions in this region. So, we're watching out for that.
We're also watching out for a lot of very dry/low humidity across the area. So, that's why we still have the red flag warnings in effect. Not so much so for Miami-Dade, where the temperature is 79 degrees and the winds are a little bit lighter. But once you head northward, across Florida, you are seeing red flag warnings until 7:00 p.m. as we go through the evening hours across this entire region highlighted in red. Temperatures are soaring into the 70s and into the 80s.
Our other big story right now is the threat for tornadoes. This tornado watch right here in the center of the mid-south region, including Alabama where we had some tornado warnings earlier, this region we're watching for the possibility of tornadoes to break out as we go through the evening hours. This tornado watch runs until 9:00 p.m. tonight.
We had a tornado touchdown in Oklahoma yesterday in Langston, Oklahoma. Reports of an EF-1 tornado -- you can see the damage now. The surveyors were on the scene and they took a look and determined that yes, indeed, according to witness accounts as well, that this was a tornado.
The threat for severe weather continues in Memphis, Tennessee, tonight. We're also tracking severe thunderstorm watches across this entire region. The reason we're getting so much bad weather in this entire area is we have a front rolling through.
So, we're seeing severe storms across this region right here in the mid-south. And we're also watching for the potential for this front as it moves through, to tap into the moisture in the Gulf of Mexico. And all that moisture coming through really will enhance the thunderstorms right along the coastal areas, as well as areas to the north.
We also have a lot of cooler air coming in on the back side of this area of low pressure. That, combined together with this upper level disturbance right here, that's going to bring about that threat for severe weather. So, it's something we're watching very closely as well. So we're tracking that for you.
Now just to let you know, we also have some other big stories out there for tonight. We're tracking as well not only the strong thunderstorms, but as well as a lot of rain working its way across Chicago. That's causing airport delays that have been lengthy throughout the day. We're watching for those, hopefully, to improve as we go through the evening hours. But as you can seem, there's a lot of delays out there. Chicago O'Hare Airport reporting delays an hour and 30 minutes. We also have delays in Las Vegas, New York and Houston.
Don, that's a tough goal to balance (ph) on a Sunday night.
LEMON: Yes. You know, I like your new touch screen, but I like the big cresty (ph) wall. What happened to the cresty wall?
SCHNEIDER: It's right over there.
LEMON: Yes, let's use that.
SCHNEIDER: Well, you know, we got to try out the new technology.
LEMON: Yes, I know. Everybody has a touch screen. Now, we'll let John King stick with the -- there we go.
SCHNEIDER: It's still there.
LEMON: We got that huge big giant weather center that we just built with that big expensive wall and we should use it. I like it.
SCHNEIDER: We'll use it, Don.
LEMON: Thank you. That's just me. Thank you, Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
LEMON: Appreciate it.
The White House weighs in on the conviction of a U.S. journalist in Iran. Her family grows more worried by the day and they're pushing to get her out of jail. We're digging deeper on this.
Plus ...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EARL LLOYD, FIRST BLACK NBA PLAYER: The ball knows no prejudice. They don't know what a kind of hand it's in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Wise words from the man who broke the color barrier in the NBA. He's an African-American first. We want you to meet him.
Also, tell us what's on your mind tonight -- Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or iReport.com. We'll get them on on this Sunday afternoon or evening, depending on where you are.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: President Barack Obama says he is concerned for the safety and well being of the U.S. journalist jailed in Iran on spy charges. Thirty-one-year-old Roxana Saberi was sentenced to eight years in prison after a one-day trial that was closed to the public. She is an Iranian-American from North Dakota who is writing a book about Iranian culture. Now, Saberi denies the charges and her family plans to appeal.
Her father is worried about her in Tehran and he talked to CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REZA SABERI, FATHER OF JAILED JOURNALIST: We are -- you know, very worried and anxious about our daughter. And we are not politicians. We are not statesmen. We are not in politics.
All we want is our daughter's freedom. And because we find that our daughter's health is waning and it's very dangerous for her to stay in prison. We see that she is very frail and she cannot stand with that kind of physique.
I wrote a letter that will be published, I believe, in one of the newspapers tomorrow addressing the supreme leader of Iran to this problem, that we are asking him to pay attention to this problem. So that, you know, this is not a global issue and Iran should not be pictured like this in the world just for this case. The honor of Iran's itself is at stake when they deal with someone like this who is Iranian and also American. After all, she is a human being and she should be the treated properly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Kate Bolduan is at the White House.
Kate, what are you hearing tonight?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know that Roxana Saberi is in the fight of her life, Don, and it's getting the attention of the White House and the president himself.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN (voice-over): Wrapping up a trip centered on the U.S. and its regional neighbors, President Obama turned his focus a world away, saying he's gravely concerned for Roxana Saberi's safety and wellbeing.
OBAMA: I have complete confidence that she was not engaging in any sort of espionage. She is an Iranian-American who was interested in the country which her family came from.
BOLDUAN: The 31-year-old journalist's father says he's visited her in prison, says she's very frail and is begging for his daughter's freedom.
SABERI: She is completely innocent and she should be freed. If there has been any suspicion, if there had been any misunderstanding, we will forgive them.
BOLDUAN: Iranian officials initially said Saberi was detain in January for buying a bottle of wine, and later held for reporting without proper press credentials. Then Saturday, Saberi was convicted of espionage. The charge announced on state-run TV.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): She collected classified information through some connections she had with the personnel of some of these centers and submitted to the American intelligence agencies.
BOLDUAN: This case is unfolding at a critical time for U.S.-Iranian relations. The Obama administration is working to repair ties with the country's leaders, even signaling the possibility of direct diplomatic engagement. It is unclear what political fallout might result from Saberi's case. At least right now, the president and his administration are staying focused first on securing her release.
OBAMA: We are going to be in contact through our Swiss intermediaries with the Iranian government and want to make sure that we end up seeing a proper disposition of this case.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: Saberi's family is appealing the conviction. Now, Iran's state-run news agency reports that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a letter to the prosecutor in this case today, saying Saberi should be able to fully and freely defend herself in this appeal. We'll see -- Don?
LEMON: All right. Thank you very much. Hey, Kate, and it's Saberi, because I've been saying Soberi (ph) and that's wrong -- Saberi.
BOLDUAN: I'm so sorry, Saberi.
LEMON: Yes. No, you're right. I've been saying it wrong.
BOLDUAN: It's hard.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Yes, thank you very much for that. We appreciate it. Thank you, Kate. A cute and cuddly robot creature designed to help Japan's aging population seen in Tokyo. CNN Tokyo's correspondent, Kyung Lah, has more about this adorable therapeutic toy on tonight's Age of Discovery.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN TOKYO CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You can't help but giggle. He is, after all, cute. But this robot baby seal named Paro is so much more, says inventor Takanori Shibata. With more than 100 sensors, Paro responds to light, specific voices and even language. All this artificial intelligence planned with a purpose.
Sometime, these nursing home residents can be withdrawn, distant and lonely. But when Paro shows up, the visible change is immediate. Eighty-five-year-old Masako Asaga suffers from the effects of an aneurism. The nursing home claims Paro helped bring back her ability to speak.
"She's my friend," says Asaga. "I come here to play with her."
The inventor believes Paro has a potential to help those who are even more ill, like this Alzheimer's patient in Italy. Paro appears to help him communicate with the therapist. While there are no formal, long-term medical studies on Paro's impact, Denmark is producing a thousand of the robots for its elderly.
Testing is underway in 20 American nursing homes and hospitals. Shibata hopes cute little Paro -- part animal therapy, part robot -- could help comfort the rapidly aging population and unlock some of the mysteries of the mind.
Kyung Lah, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Very cute.
All right. This is something cute you're going to enjoy, because it's Elaine Quijano. And she's going to tell us how getting around in the future may be a little bit like getting around in the past. Our Elaine Quijano is -- she's going to tell us what the transportation of choice might look like.
Hey. Is there a motor on that thing, Elaine?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, you're just going to have to wait and see, Don. You know, this might look like a regular bike. It feels like a regular bike. But this is not a regular bike. I will, in fact, demonstrate when we come right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. So, Earth Day is coming this week and CNN's Elaine Quijano -- I think my mouth is fixed (ph) today -- at the National Mall in Washington where festivities are underway. She's standing by with a bunch of bicycles.
And, Elaine, instead of electric cars, you got something a little different to show us. You're going real green. You're becoming crunchy, green crunchy granola.
(LAUGHTER)
QUIJANO: OK. Sure, yes. So, anyway -- so, these are electric bikes, Don. You know, they seem like the regular old bikes. But you got it during our live tease there. These are electric bikes. They're made by a company based in northern Virginia called Electric Motion Systems. Tim Folk is actually with the company.
And, Tim, show me what we've got on this bike, this electric bike here.
TIM FOLK, ELECTRIC MOTION SYSTEMS: What make this bike a little bit different is in the front hub is contained a battery. And in the rear hub is contained a 1,000 watt brushless motor. This allows the bike to go approximately 20 mile on a single charge and a top speed of 20 to 30 miles per hour.
QUIJANO: How? Let me try this thing out here.
FOLK: Absolutely.
QUIJANO: This is something that you told me has really caught on in Europe. It's a big deal in Europe.
FOLK: Absolutely.
QUIJANO: Electric bikes.
FOLK: Yes.
QUIJANO: But it's starting to catch on here in the United States. Tell me about the business that brought here.
FOLK: It is. We've noticed since the gas prices have ridden, there a lot of people that are replacing their cars and commuting to work on electric bicycles.
QUIJANO: OK, all right. So, Don, I'm going to give this a whirl. And I'm not even going to use the pedal to start off. This will be really tricky. But here we go.
LEMON: You've got training wheels, Elaine?
QUIJANO: Electric bike.
(LAUGHTER)
QUIJANO: I don't need no stinking training wheel. Here we go.
All right. Whoa!
LEMON: Oh, nice.
QUIJANO: Look out! Look out! All right.
LEMON: Don't run into the ...
QUIJANO: The light post? It's supposed to be my turning point.
(CROSSTALK)
QUIJANO: Yes, you know, these guys weren't here before. Hi, how are you doing?
OK. So, basically what we have here, Don, is an opportunity for people who live a little bit outside the city, say.
LEMON: Right.
QUIJANO: And they don't necessarily want to get a car. They get one of these things. One of these things will run you about $3,500. Is that right, Tim?
FOLK: That's right.
QUIJANO: And we're told that they can -- it's pricey. It is pricey. But Tim's case, the case he's making here, is that, look, if you're looking at buying a car or perhaps maybe being a little bit greener. This is a good alternative for you.
There's also, we should tell you, Don, the ability to retrofit bikes. So, for about 2,700 bucks or so, you'd be able to buy a kit. Let's say there is a frame that you're really attached to, that you really like, and you don't want to part with it. Well, you can get a retrofit kit for your bike so that you can still have this motorized function and basically, you'd come into work, plug this thing in. At the end of the day, ride home.
He says that he's had clients who travel in from Dulles, Virginia, which is a good 34 miles, into the district on these things and then ride home. And you know what? They probably save some time in traffic, too, as he was pointing out. I'm sure you've hear about the horrible traffic here in the district.
So, this is just one of the examples, Don, of the exhibits that we've been seeing here on the Mall for Earth Day. This is something that this company, Electric Motion Systems, really sees as the future -- Don?
LEMON: Yes, it's a really cool bike. $3,500, that's expensive. But I imagine, as time go by, it's going to go down just like, you know, big screen TVs and what have you. Can you ride that thing in the rain?
QUIJANO: In the rain? You know, that's a good question. Tim, how is this in the rain?
FOLK: Waterproof. QUIJANO: It's waterproof.
FOLK: It is.
QUIJANO: Wow, it's waterproof. So it's basically, there you go. All weather. You can still ride it in the rain. I'm not sure I'd still be good at that.
LEMON: Well, you can get one of those for a couple hundred bucks. But it's just, you know, self-powered. You can still pedal it, right?
QUIJANO: That's right.
LEMON: You can still pedal that one. You don't have to use ...
QUIJANO: You can.
LEMON: All right. Good.
QUIJANO: I should have done that, but yes.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: It's a good way to get exercise.
All right. Thank you, Elaine Quijano. I like that bike.
QUIJANO: Sure.
LEMON: Yes, thank you. Elaine Quijano ...
QUIJANO: It's very nice.
LEMON: ... very green. And she's riding -- that's what you call a reporter who gets involved.
Do you guys remember this? I asked the crew in the control room to pull this up. Well, these are new ones. I'm talking about the old tiny ones. Do you remember -- do you guys earth shoes -- the old original earth shoes? Tom Taus (ph) remembers earth shoes. I'm sure.
Are you old enough to remember those? Yes? You did not own any? I actually own a pair of earth shoes. But these are the new fangled ones. Earth shoes started on Earth Day years ago, years ago when I was a kid, back in 2001. I'm kidding. This was in the '80s.
All right. Well, you can find all you want about -- we'll try to find an original picture. You can find out all you want about Earth Day. That's Meghan McCain, and we'll tell you about that in a second. But you can go to our Web site planet -- about Earth Day to help the planet, CNN.com/impact. Logon and you can impact your world.
Now, let's show these pictures of Meghan McCain. Is there a war between ranks of the Republican Party? Senator John McCain's daughter seems to think so. We'll tell you what she told a group of gay Republicans. Plus, have you seen this man? Police believe he is using Craigslist to find unsuspecting victims. Details for you -- straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DON LEMON, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: The daughter of John McCain warns of brewing trouble for the GOP. Meghan McCain is chiding her father's party saying old school Republicans are scared of the future.
Here's part of what she said yesterday to the Log Cabin Republicans which represents guy and lesbian party member.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEGHAN MCCAIN, DAUGHTER OF SEN. JOHN MCCAIN: I feel too many Republicans want to cling to the past successes. There are those who think we can win back the White House and Congress back by being more conservative. Worse, there are those who think we can win by changing nothing at all about what our party has become. I think we're just seeing a war between -- I think we're seeing a war brewing in the Republican Party right now. But it is not between us and the Democrats. It is not between us and liberals. It is between the future and the past. I believe most people are ready to move on to that future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Meghan McCain, not holding back.
How was her speech received? Could it be considered a bit of a slap in the face to her dad? We'll talk to a spokesman for the Log Cabin Republicans next hour.
Here's what some of you are saying about the stories we have on the air. We'll get to that in a little bit.
We'll move on because we want to take a break here. But we'll get to what you guys are saying in just a minute.
Police believe he picks his victims on the Internet. A man wanted for attacking three women who advertised on craigslist. We'll have the latest on the two-state manhunt. Plus, your responses as well, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Houston police plan to file charges after a car accident that killed five young children yesterday. The car plunged into this flooded waterway. Four of the children's bodies have been found. One is still missing but presumed dead. Police plan to file manslaughter charges against the driver. 32-year-old Tanthan (ph) Jenkins, suspected of being intoxicated. He is reportedly the father of some of the dead children who range in age from 1 year old to 11. Jenkins managed to escape the car, along with a 10-year-old daughter and an adult passenger. Police in New England are searching for a man they believe used a popular website to find his murder and robbery victims. They are looking for this man. Take a good look. Surveillance cameras captured him in the lobby of a Marriott Hotel in Boston where a woman was killed. She was offering full-body massages on craigslist. The Rhode Island police made the connection between the murder and two armed robberies after a woman was bound and held at gunpoint there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN MCCARTNEY, CHIEF OF POLICE, WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND POLICE: The female population here that makes a decision to engage themselves in these kinds of commercial transactions, OK, because they appear to be legal in the state of Rhode Island, we clearly have a situation where they're putting themselves at risk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: 26-year-old Jaleesa Brisman (ph) was found unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds in that Boston Marriott Hotel on Tuesday night. She died from her injuries at the hospital.
Hundreds have gathered in Oklahoma City to mark a grim anniversary. The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah building happened 14 years ago today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived, and those changed forever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The name of the 168 people killed in the blast were read at the memorial where the building once stood. Investigators say Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nicholls detonated a 4,000-pound fertilizer bomb. Both men were convicted. McVeigh was executed in 2001. Nicholls is serving multiple life sentences.
This is also the eve of another tragic anniversary. A candlelight vigil is scheduled this evening for the victim of Columbine. Remember that massacre? 13 people were killed 10 years ago tomorrow when two students began a shooting rampage at the suburban Denver school. A memorial now overlooks the scene of the tragedy. And parents of the victims shared their memories of Adel Akawa (ph), and the CNN affiliate KUSA takes a look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAWN ANNA, LAUREN TOWNSEND'S MOTHER: I mean, the emotions have been all over the place. But always mourn there. Always. I know that people will probably say, it's been ten years. How can you still be thinking of her every day? Or why are you not over it? What? You still cry? But you know, yeah. You still think of her every day. She's my daughter. I love her. Why would you ask me not to love her every day? Or think of her every day? But I likened it to if I had lost an arm. If I would get up every day and tray to go about my day without the use of an arm. Even if I had a prosthetic to strap on, I would still be having to function in a new normal. And I think that's what all of us have learn to do. And that's what all of us go about our lives doing, always, always thinking of the one that we lost.
CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That's the common thread among the family. When you of Columbine, don't think of the ugly images. Think of those who died with sadness but peace.
PHYLLIS VELASQUEZ, KYLE VELASQUEZ'S MOTHER: I want them to think of the names, but not just because they were names of victims. They were so much more than that. They were our loved ones. They were beautiful children and a wonderful father and teacher. They had so much to offer. And their lives were cut short way too soon.
I think that when we reflect back on that, we need to reflect on their lives and what they accomplished to that date, and the gift that they left us here. Not just their families, but I think they touch the entire world.
CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Columbine memorial stands as a symbol of those lives lost. It also stands as a reminder of what is important in life.
AL VELASQUEZ, KYLE VELASQUEZ'S FATHER: I think what I would really like is people to take this day and show the love for their kids on this day. It was such a tragedy to have your child go to school one day and not come back anymore. But if it would be a day where they could spend time with them, set aside their busy day, whatever. But just spend time with their kids and know how lucky you are that you still have your kids.
BRUCE BECK, LAUREN TOWNSEND'S FATHER: We lost 12 wonderful, growing expanding souls that were going to make a difference in so many lives. That's the most disappointing thing.
DAWN ANNA: But I will never forget to too coming back down the street after we have seen Lauren for the first time. It took us five days to be able to see her. We came down the street and the flag was at half mast. And I grew up in the military. The flag at half mast to me meant the president had passed away. When I was growing up, that's what a flag meant, flying at half mast.
This is such a personal tragedy and it was such a personal loss. I saw that flag at half mast and I turned to him and said, oh, my gosh, something horrible has happened. And we had been so wrapped up in our own lives that, we hadn't read papers. I turned to him and said what's happened? And he said, Dawn, that's Columbine. I was shocked that it impacted the nation. To me, it was our community. It was our house. It was our family. It was our community. To see the flag that way, to realize it had struck not only our home but the nation and the world, I couldn't speak.
CNN CORRESPONDENT: They will never forget and they hope you won't either.
PHYLLIS VELASQUEZ: It's still a very beautiful world. It is still wondrous and a nice journey. And I think that if we can continue that with joy and hope, that we will come to the end of our days and look back and say, yes, it was peaceful. It was joyous and we have hope.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We have some developing weather news into CNN.
Bonnie Schneider, what do you have?
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Don, we're tracking tornadoes. We have tornado warning for parts of three counties in southwest Alabama, Choctaw (ph), Clarke and Washington Counties, under the gun right now for a very serious storm. You can see the tornado warnings hear and notice how dark the color is on our Doppler radar. This indicates we're getting some rotation within these thunderstorms for this part of southwest Alabama. Notice the tornado watch extends all the way northward on the edge of Birmingham, down through Tuscaloosa and as far south as Mobile, Alabama, and then back into Mississippi, including the area of Biloxi. This tornado watch will continue until 9:00 tonight.
Once again, we are tracking tornado warnings across Alabama. And it looks like this threat will persist as long as we have this strong front coming through, Don. We'll keep bringing you up to date as we get any more warnings in throughout the evening.
LEMON: Thank you for that, Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
LEMON: A happy employee is an appreciative one. Thank you goes a long way, but a few perks and incentives here and there can make a real difference.
Chester Elton is a business consultant and co-author of "The Carrot Principle."
Bottom line, Chester, reward your employees and you will increase profits and productivity. Do you really believe that?
CHESTER ELTON, BUSINESS CONSULTANT & AUTHOR: I don't just believe it, I know it. We've done the research. We've connected the dots. We've look at different companies. Organizations that look at excellence, value their employees and recognize them with what we call the power of the carrot definitely outperform those companies that don't. It is not theory. It is a fact.
Lemon: Around the office, it is like family and kids. Everyone likes to be singled out and say, hey, you did a great job, and you like to be appreciated. Working for so long in companies, I said you guys don't appreciate me. They said, that thing you get at the end of every week that you can pay your mortgage with, that's our appreciation to you. There is some truth to that.
ELTON: It is important. I do love those who say you get your appreciation every two weeks in your paycheck, don't you? Professional pride. Isn't that enough for you? The fact is that the paycheck gets people in the door. The recognition and being valued, those little things that make such common sense that are so uncommon in practice.
LEMON: Little things like what?
ELTON: Like verbal praise is specific. We always say general praise that has no impact like, hey, Don, like great job, great job. That doesn't mean anything.
LEMON: Say that again? I've heard that. I have a boss who sounds like that.
ELTON: You know what? Those kinds of thing get old very quickly. If it is specific, like I really appreciate that job you did, the specificity around that. Rewarded behavior gets repeated. If I praise you for getting that greatest ghost at a moment's notice, those are the kinds of things that get repeated. And that's what employees are looking for.
LEMON: Yeah. But maybe I'm different. I don't always like to do -- you know when you've done a good job pretty much. People aren't silly by the time you're in a professional environment. I appreciate constructive criticism even if it is not positive more so than a pat on the back all the time.
ELTON: That's what we found out. We found out that leaders that were high recognizers had high levels of trust. That's what you're talking about. A great manager doesn't just give you the positive. They also give you the negative. However, if you know there's positive there and you have that trust, then that criticism becomes more valued. You know you're getting it to become better not because the manager can beat the crap out of you just because he can.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: So what go further? A good compliment or whatever, that goes a long way. An incentive like, I don't know, bonuses? What is better? A verbal or someone who writes something good about you or money? The bonus?
ELTON: It's a combination of al those things. If you're just getting verbal praise and there are no goals to strive towards, you won't have the complete picture. We talk about building a culture on different building blocks. You need to have goal to strive towards. You need to celebrate when you have success.
One of the things I do love though is kind of old school. But I'm surprised at the impact. The power of a handwritten thank-you note. Something personal. You know? Put a stamp on it, send it home. Those are thing people really do feel are personal, directed to specifically to them, and that they do value. LEMON: We have to run. I want to tell you that I liked is that you said, if you're going to do something or say something nice about something frequent, specific and timely about praise, encourage effort and reward the results. And engagement is the number -- recognition. Recognition, you say is the number one, number one driver, number one carrot here.
ELTON: Right. Recognition drives engagement. If we're going to get through tough times, you need what we call the power of the carrot. I even brought a crop for you.
LEMON: Nice job, Chester Elton. We appreciate it. You did a very good job.
ELTON: Thank you. I appreciate the praise.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: It is called "The Carrot Principle." Chester Elton, thank you very much.
Let's see if we get any praise here in your feedback.
Here is what acurra19 says -- I would appreciate if you guys gave me easier names. How about that? -- "I think Republicans are trying to please all groups in a desperate way."
wlperry says, "It's wonderful that Meghan McCain is trying to knock some sense into those darn Republicans."
Nardo58 says, "I am not sure what Meghan has to say has any relevance in our political system. Why does she get any airtime?"
Her father ran for president and she is talking about something specific about the Republican Party. That's why.
DomoRoboto says, "If the GOP were serious about gay rights, why didn't they say so at CPAC or at the tea parties? Smells like hypocrisy."
I think what Meghan McCain is saying, she is speaking outside of the -- as an insider, but speaking -- I don't know, giving her opinion. Not necessarily -- it doesn't stand for what the Republican Party means. She says the party needs to change.
DomoRoboto says, "I'm willing to bet that more people are willing to participate in Earth Day than the tea parties."
We'll see. Thank you for your comments. Appreciate your criticism and your feedback. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, iReport.com, that's how you get your voice heard here on the show.
Compassion Art. Do you know what that means? Well, it began as a movement to help irradiate poverty. In an unprecedented move, some of the world's most gifted songwriters cleared their schedules for a week-long songwriting retreat in Scotland. They say 100 percent of the song royalties form their project goes to helping the poorest of the four around the world. That's why they call it Compassion Art.
Singer, songwriter and musician, Israel Houghton, was among the artists that answered the call. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(SINGING)
LEMON (voice-over): Israel is a two-time Grammy Award-winning Christian worship leader and singer, known for his cross-cultural style of music. He joined the Compassion Art Project that began as an a-ha moment for creator and founder, Martin Smith, who is also a musician.
Many of the people he was reaching out to with his Christian music were living in slums. The revelation started the ground work for Compassion Art.
ISRAEL HOUGHTON, MUSICIAN: It has not been done at this level before were every record company, there were five or six different record companies that had to say yes to it. There were several different publishers that had to say yes to it. And every writer said no problem.
LEMON: Smith began creating the infrastructure for a global charity that challenged the artist to put their art where their compassion is.
HOUGHTON: The thing that was very intriguing to me was this is not, hey, do this and write a check. This is, do this and designate your future earnings and future earnings and residual income that comes out of publishing to this. It was a no brainer for me.
LEMON: The retreat was set in a landscape that seems ripe for inspiration.
(SINGING)
HOUGHTON: The hope is that you write a song that makes millions and millions. That was sort of joke throughout the week is, like, we are really writing for money now.
LEMON: the artists agreed half of the proceeds from the project will benefit their charities. The other half will fund collective charities selected by the group, charities that support the poorest countries in the world.
HOUGHTON: When I travel worldwide, I'll catch CNN International or BBC, and I am like, wait, they did not tell me that on my -- back home. I know we have poverty here, but we have not known poverty like it's known in Zimbabwe right now, or in many, many nations of the world.
LEMON: The word's to Israel's song "Power of One" are of his personal call to service.
(SINGING) LEMON: "Power of One" is also a nudge for those who think that their contributions don't mean much.
HOUGHTON: A lot of people say to me, listen, I don't have a passport. I am assuming you have to cross the ocean into India or Africa to really, really change the world. And I am saying, no, just cross the room. Maybe you are the one to start a revolution.
(SINGING)
LEMON: A revolution of one spreading and giving voice to many.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Israel Houghton, Compassion Art.
Well, you may not know his name, but you have seen the results of his accomplishments. I'll introduce you Earl Lloyd, the man responsible for opening the door to African-Americans in the NBA. "African- American Firsts, Up from the Past," straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right, think about this. You watch an NBA game every once in a while, some more often than others. What do you think about an all-white NBA? When was the last time you saw that? Probably never. I'm going to introduce you to the man who broke the color barrier in the NBA. His name is Earl Lloyd. It's our continuing series, "African-American Firsts, Up from the Past."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At 6'5" Earl Lloyd has a good idea about your first thought about him.
EARL LLOYD, FIRST BLACK NBA PLAYER: They don't know who you are. You are a tall black guy, even though you are older, and somehow they think you have been associated with basketball.
CNN CORRESPONDENT: Though he is not a household name nor face, the faces of today's NBA credit him to paving the way. Lloyd was the first African-American to play in the league.
LLOYD: In the situation where there is none, and sooner or later, there will be one. I feel good that I was someplace early. Now all of these guys really enjoy the career they enjoy.
CNN CORRESPONDENT: An all-white NBC is hard to imagine today. About 75 percent of the players are African-American. But in the Early '50s, black players like Earl Lloyd were tearing up the college basketball court. From 1947 though 1948, Earl led his team, West Virginia State, to a phenomenal season as the only undefeated team in the nation. Envious at baseball's boom, sparked by diversity, putting more butts in the seats, the NBA and the Washington Capitals drafted Lloyd in 1950. He credits his success and ease to Jackie Robinson. LLOYD: Jackie Robinson was a renaissance man. I come, three years later, and all of the barriers that I might have experienced, if he had not been there, they were gone.
CNN CORRESPONDENT: The college forward was a ninth-round NBA pick in 1950, played for two seasons, but left to serve his country. After the Army, the Syracuse Nationals picked him up where he played for six seasons, and then on to two seasons with the Detroit Pistons, retiring in 1960.
Back then, this first had no way of knowing that 50 years later, he would witness another historic first, a black president.
LLOYD: For years and years and years, we were always told our kids they could be anything that they wanted to be. We were not lying to them, but it was kind of sugar coated. But now, that's one less concern that we have.
CNN CORRESPONDENT: Today, Lloyd is a man of few words, enjoying every moment with his wife of more than 40 years. Wisdom is his gift to the young.
LLOYD: The ball knows no prejudice. It doesn't know what kind of hand it's in.
CNN CORRESPONDENT: Earl Lloyd, an African-American First and an inspiration far beyond basketball.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
