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Protests and Arrests at Notre Dame; Gingrich vs. Pelosi; Unpopular Plea Bargain
Aired May 16, 2009 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CENTER: And we begin this hour with a blistering attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. It comes from a man who knows the office well, former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich. At issue, the Bush administration's harsh interrogation techniques, including water boarding, which critics call torture? Pelosi claims she was misled by the CIA when she was briefed on the techniques and wasn't fully informed. Gingrich calls Pelosi's claims a lie. Here's what he told CNN earlier today.
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NEWT GINGRICH, FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER: I think that the fact that Leon Panetta, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, a former Democratic member of Congress and President Clinton's chief of staff, issued such a strong, clear statement yesterday puts enormous pressure on the house to open a formal investigation. It seems to me on her press conference on Thursday, that speaker Pelosi lied on two counts. She lied, first, about the specific meeting and then she defamed every person in the intelligence community by asserting that the CIA routinely misinformed Congress.
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WHITFIELD: That was Gingrich today. Here's what Pelosi said Thursday --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY PELOSI, (D) HOUSE SPEAKER: The CIA was misleading the Congress, and at the same time the administration was misleading the Congress on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, to which I said, the intelligence does not support the imminent threat, to which the press asked the same question you just did now, are you accusing them of lying? I said, I'm just stating a fact.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Lynn Sweet is the Washington Bureau Chief for "The Chicago Sun-Times." She joined me last hour for her take on this Gingrich/Pelosi battle.
LYNN SWEET, COLUMNIST, "CHICAGO SUN-TIMES:" Nancy Pelosi is one of the strongest pro opponents of having a truth commission. The idea there should be singling out just to have an inquiry just on what she knew or not seems to be not to be the question. The question is what -- what exactly happened during this chapter of U.S. history? I understand why the Bush administration wants us to look forward. This whole conversation is a distraction to them. Just as the ongoing discussion about what to do at the Guantanamo prisoners and perhaps President Obama will talk about that.
WHITFIELD: And perhaps this is a feather in the cap to Republicans or at least helps them with some footing to be cohesive on a particular agenda, on a particular item. And this might be that item.
SWEET: Absolutely. Because of this, it is a rallying cry for them to use this escalation that Speaker Pelosi has over what she knew, who told her and obviously, when you accuse the CIA of lying and misleading, that's a big deal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The White House has not weighed in on this war of words between the current and former house speakers.
One of America's best-known Catholic universities is at ground zero this weekend for the national debate on abortion and embryonic stem cell research. President Obama is scheduled to deliver the commencement address at Notre Dame University tomorrow. He is also supposed to receive an honorary degree. That has outraged critics who say the president's policies fly in the face of catholic teachings. CNN's national correspondent Susan Candiotti reports from the Notre Dame Campus in South Bend, Indiana.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): He said after he pronounced that law, we shall shed no man's blood.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Outside Notre Dame, anti-abortion groups have been staging almost daily peaceful protests that end in trespassing arrests, despite warnings from police.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): I will give you a chance to leave.
CANDIOTTI: Overhead, banners display bloody fetuses. On campus, few signs of the outside furor over whether President Obama should get an honorary law degree. But make no mistakes about it; a small group of seniors say they plan to boycott their own graduation, outraged that Notre Dame is extending a hand to a president whose abortion policies go against the Catholic religious view on when life begins and stem cell research. Michelle Savalla (ph) and Andrew Kronster (ph) are getting married this summer, will be no-shows at their own graduation.
Graduation day is such a big event in any student's life. How can you miss it?
MICHELLE SAVALLA (ph): The thing that consoles me in all of this is I'm taking a stand for those who are often forgotten.
CANDIOTTI: But history and peace studies major Michael Angullo says most students stand behind Notre Dame's invitation, even if they don't agree with all of his policies.
MICHAEL ANGULLO: Don't think less of the University of Notre Dame. Don't think our mission is being corrupted by a president who might have thought on this issue that's different than Catholic thought. Be willing to engage in that.
CANDIOTTI: But other protesters here today say they are going to the ceremony, as they put it, to bear witness.
CHRIS LABADIE, NOTRE DAME SENIOR: This is not just a day in my college career. It's the end. It's the celebration of the past four years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And Susan Candiotti, joining us lives right now from the Notre Dame Campus. And, so, Susan, the president still on schedule to speak. We don't know exactly what the content of his speech, however, is going to be. We only heard from some sources that he will talk about the controversy, but to what extent, do we know?
CANDIOTTI: We don't know. It was acknowledged during yesterday's White House press briefing by the press secretary, David Gibbs, that in fact the president is likely to make some reference to the controversy here. Everyone is well aware of what's going on. To what degree he will get into it is not clear. Not very many people here say the speech was ever meant to be about abortion policies. So we will be finding out for sure, of course, tomorrow afternoon.
WHITFIELD: All right, thank you so much, Susan Candiotti. Appreciate it.
Of course, we will be going in depth into this very issue and at the center, Notre Dame and the president's scheduled address there. That's next hour, 4:00 Eastern Time. We want you to join us and send us your e-mails, your comments and questions. Hopefully all of them will get answered in that hour.
Also ahead, same hour of THE NEWSROOM, live coverage of the first lady, Michelle Obama. She, too, is to be a commencement speaker, but this will be at the University of California-Merced. That's today in the 4:00 Eastern hour. We will bring that to you live as it happens.
All right. In New York, he has been at the forefront of the fight against swine flu. Now Dr. Thomas Frieden will take his high-profile fight for good health to Atlanta. CNN's Mary Snow looks at President Obama's pick to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): New York City Health commissioner, Dr. Tom Frieden, has led a public health crusade that has landed him at times in the crosshairs of controversy, from banning smoking in restaurants and bars, to helping to distribute millions of free condoms, to eliminating trans fats and listing calories on restaurant menus. At a press conference about swine flu was New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Frieden kept his comments to a minimum about his new job heading up the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN, NEW YORK CITY HEALTH COMMISSIONER: I'm deeply honored and I feel greatly privileged to be given the opportunity to lead the CDC.
SNOW: Could his new role mean the rest of America may be subject to the same policies? Frieden didn't stop for questioning.
(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): What are some of the things you would like to see done on the national level?
SNWO: While Frieden won't be setting policy himself, former CDC director, Dr. David Satcher, does see Frieden influencing it.
DR. DAVID SATCHER, CDC DIRECTOR: His ability to speak convincingly whether it's about tobacco or trans fats or about the electronic health record, I think it will be very important if this administration, especially during a time of health system reform.
SNOW: Frieden could prove key in electronic health records, something President Obama has advocated as a central part of health care reform. The system was introduced in New York City last year. And while public health expert Dr. Erwin Redwinner said, it's too early to know if it's successful, it is very important.
DR. ERWIN REDWINNER, PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERT: We use the electronic health record to prevent complications that end up being costly and difficult for people to manage.
SNOW: And the city has touted its surveillance system to track infectious diseases, a system now being used to track swine flu and to contain swine flu, Frieden has said that he advocates a Manhattan project-type effort to develop a vaccine.
Mary Snow, CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Pretty stormy weather in many parts, New York City. But Central Park always beautiful, even if there are clouds in the skies. Jacqui Jeras, keeping track of what's happening not just in New York and Central Park.
The half glass full. Central Park but other places as well.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEORLOGIST It is. But you will have to sit at a picnic table. The ground will be a little wet.
WHITFIELD: Bummer.
JERAS: Don't you hate it when you sit down and it's wet?
WHITFIELD: There are park benches and lots of big rocks, boulders and stuff in Central Park, too. You have options. No problem.
JERAS: You have to watch out for the thunderstorms, Fred. I will tell you. Look at the radar; it's lit up all over the place. Look at that. Not New York City yet but you will see that later. If you have plans to go to a show, out to dinner tonight maybe or go to the park for a nighttime stroll, certainly will be dealing with thunderstorms later on in the game. We are seeing it pop up all across parts of the south and also into south Texas, as some places that do need the rain.
Severe thunderstorms here across parts of upstate New York, down through much of Pennsylvania. Damaging winds and large hail will be the primary concern here. Can't rule out an isolated tornado. Hopefully, we will continue to see that a little more benign throughout the rest of the afternoon. There you can see all of the wet weather here. Tough for barbecues and any festivals that are going on and there you can see the rain down towards San Antonio. Really heavy in this area. Central and western parts of Texas are so very, very dry, so some of this could be running off pretty quickly. Be aware of that.
We also have some flood watches. There you can see them in effect here across northern Alabama, across much of Tennessee and northern Mississippi, where you know we have been really, really saturated.
Airport delays, if you're trying to get somewhere this weekend in travel, over an hour delay at Hutsfield-Jackson, JFK has delays of over an hour, Newark, San Francisco and also Houston now getting in on the delays. Only 30 minutes there. If you're looking for dry heat, Fredricka, take a look at the heat advisories in effect. Las Vegas could be reaching temperatures well into the triple digits today and San Francisco looking for heat advisories, 100.
WHITFIELD: Wow, already. In May, sizzling. Thanks so much, Jacqui. Appreciate it.
A murder mystery in Mexico. Very gruesome. Four Americans shot dead in Tijuana, caught in the crossfire or targets of drug gangs?
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WHITFIELD: An apparent U.S. missile fired by a drone hit a religious school in the northern part of the country. Local and Taliban sources say more than 20 people were killed. The report has not been independently confirmed. Meantime, other actions in Pakistan's military say artillery and air strikes killed more than 45 Taliban militants. That report also has not been confirmed.
In the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, two car bomb attacks targeted a school bus and other civilians. The bus was carrying handicapped children. It isn't clear if any students were killed. The other bomb destroyed an Internet cafe. At least nine people were killed in that blast, 33 wounded.
Help now and more later for Mexico's growing battle against drug lords. The United States has sent eight armored vehicles from Mexico's federal police to use in counter narcotics operations against the heavily armed cartels. The U.S. plans to send an additional $49 million worth of equipment plus training programs for Mexican officers. Meantime, Mexican police say drug cartels may be involved in the murders of four young Americans from the San Diego area. Their bodies were found across the borders in Tijuana. CNN's Brian Todd has the latest.
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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): An official with the attorney general's office in Tijuana tells CNN authorities there are investigating possible drug trafficking connections in the killings of four Americans. Their bodies were found inside a van on this street in Tijuana last Saturday. The attorney general's office tells us the four were beaten, strangled with traces of tape on their wrist and ankles. A CNN affiliate reports a pool of blood spilled from the van. The victims, identified as 19-year-old Brianna Hernandez and 20-year-old Carmon Ramos from Chula Vista, California, 23-year-old Oscar Garcia of California, and 21-year-old Luis Games. One reason authorities suspect a drug connection --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMMEL MORENO MANJARREZ, ATTORNEY GENERAL, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO: We went right to the conclusion one of the tests was positive for drugs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: An official in Tijuana tells us traces of cocaine were found in Brianna's Hernandez's body. But the official also says the investigating whether the killings could be connected with the possible relationship with one of the victims serving jail time in the U.S. on drug charges. The official did not say which victim that was. Asked about reports of a threatening note found with the bodies, a police official says that's also part of the investigation.
Tijuana is one of the hardest-hit cities in this northern region savaged by drug violence. But authorities say criminal activity has dropped in recent months after a spike last year and they're trying to reassure potential visitors.
MANJARREZ: It's safe. But sometimes it's difficult, if you're related with drugs, it's not safe.
TODD: Despite an active pursuit of this case, one official tells us a week after the bodies were discovered, they still have no suspects.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Who should decide a treatment for a child with cancer? A judge ruled that it's not the parents and it's not the child.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Next hour, we're going to focus the entire program on the protests surrounding President Obama's commencement address at Notre Dame. Our Josh Levs is taking your comments online. We know a lot of those comments are going to fuel the discussion to take place in, what, less than 40 minutes or so from now. What are we hearing so far?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, it's not a shocker, we're hearing from a lot of people, a lot of very passionate responses. We're also doing our best to keep it a discussion, not using the angriest stuff but we do want to let your passion come across and what you're feeling.
I will zoom in on the board. It's a major story.
This is where one of the people I will weigh in Fred, we will call it the Fred blog. It is at CNNNEWSROOM.CNN/newsroom. We are hearing from people on all sides.
Patricia, for example saying, "I don't think he should have been invited to speak." Jen is saying, "Maybe they should focus more on what they have in common and can agree on instead of the one thing they don't."
We also have a lot of e-mails coming in. They are on both sides. Let's look at our facebook pages. We got mine and Fred's, here is one that says, "The Catholic University should be expressing Catholic beliefs and doctrine." This one on the other side saying, "President Obama should speak for all graduates at the ceremony. That's exactly what the president will do."
Fred, my twitter page over here, everybody's firing this up, melody music, and it's a university, not a church. They can choose to not attend if that's important to them. We will also be presenting what you're reading to a couple of students and to people blogging about this. Getting different views, trying to make it a real strong discussion, which all view points can be heard.
WHITFIELD: That's right. We have students from Notre Dame as well as we have a representative from one of the professors at Notre dame will also be joining us. It should be a great discussion. We want it to be just that, a discussion. A lot of the e-mail questions that are coming in will be directly conveyed to our guests who will get a chance to get this chat going.
LEVS: Exactly.
WHITFIELD: Or keep it going.
LEVS: We will keep it going. I will be camped out in front of the screen now. We have our facebook pages, our twitter, the blog. Lots of ways to weigh in. We will share that here.
WHITFIELD: Lots of great discussion already. We still have 20 or so almost hours to go before the address actually takes place.
LEVS: But I'm not moving.
WHITFIELD: And that's going to be even -- I guess elicit even more responses coming from people once they hear what the president actually has to say.
LEVS: And we will look forward to hearing your responses to what he says.
WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Josh. Appreciate that prelude to our 4:00 Eastern hour.
Meantime, other news across America, La Necessaryia, Texas, a lightning strike on oil tanks set off a spectacular explosion. One of the metal containers went off like a rocket. In all, a dozen tanks were burned. One firefighter was actually injured.
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(UNIDENTIFED FEMALE): God bless them. There's nothing more we can do but to honor them in this way. It does. It gets to me. It really does.
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WHITFIELD: And in Arizona, the bodies of 58 unknown American solders who were killed in the mid-1800s are being reburied today with full military honors. Their graves were discovered during a construction project in Tucson two years ago. They're being reburied at a Veterans' ceremony in Sierra Vista. The soldiers fought in the Civil War and in Indian Wars as well.
Onto Seattle now. A sheriff's deputy may owe his life to a couple of local men. The deputy was on his way to a burglary when his cruiser swerved off a highway and down in the embankment. He was trapped in the car and was unconscious. Two men who heard the accident rushed to the scene, staying by the deputy's side until help arrived. The deputy is in serious but stable condition.
Now to a story about the right of parents when a child has a life- threatening disease. It has to do with a scared Minnesota boy. It's not the cancer he's suffering that actually frightens him most -- it's the treatment. And his parents want it to stop. Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen reports on what a judge has decided.
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ELIZABETH COHEN, SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: If it were up to Daniel Hauser's parents, the cancer spreading through his body would not be treated with chemotherapy or radiation. 13-year-old Daniel did get one round of chemo, which doctors say was working well against his Hodgkin's lymphoma, but his parents said they wanted no more. Colleen and Anthony Hauser want alternative treatments for their son, treatments recommended by this organization, a self-described native- American group advocating what they call national healing.
COLLEEN HAUSER, MOTHER: We're a simple, honest family. We're not out to harm anybody. This is just our way of life and why people want to infringe on it, I don't know.
COHEN: Friday, a Minnesota judge ordered Daniel Hauser to get care from an oncologist, saying that Daniel had been medically neglected. Oncologists typically have a 90 percent success rate against Daniel's type of cancer. In a statement, an attorney for Daniel's parents said they disagreed with the ruling. The Hauser's believe that the injection of chemotherapy into Danny Hauser amounts to assault upon his body and torture when it occurs over a long period of time.
The Hauser's said they prefer to treat their son with a national diet, sweat lodges and other alternative remedies. But prosecutors in Minnesota argue that without chemo and radiation, Daniel would almost certainly die.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): The compelling interest here is the protection and welfare of children.
COHEN: Medical ethicists say parents do usually have a legal right to make decisions for their children, but there's a limit.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): The presumption is parents do have a right to control the medical care of their children, but they don't have that right or it can be, if you will, curtailed if they're doing something that really puts the life of their child at risk.
COHEN: The family's attorney said Daniel Hauser is abiding by the court order.
Elizabeth Cohen, CNN reporting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: A lawyer says the family will comply for now but may appeal the judge's decision.
A fledgling university reaching for the big time. A look at how a school and its community, both hard hit by the recession, convinced the first lady, Michelle Obama, to give their commencement address.
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WHITFIELD: New information of the very grisly case that came to all of our attention back in 2008, in January. It involved two marines in North Carolina. Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach, her body was found. She was slain. She was pregnant, eight months pregnant. And then there was an all-out search for the prime suspect, who was also a marine. Corporal Cesar Laurean. He was eventually located in Mexico. Now a new twist if this very sorted investigation. Now, according to sources, DNA of the unborn child did not match that of Laurean, who is the prime suspect. Meantime, he is expected to enter a plea. The case is still ongoing some time next month.
Meantime, police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, have a mystery on their hands after a gruesome discovery at a public playground. The body of a small boy was found buried in a shallow grave in the sand. A woman found the body when she noticed a shoe sticking out of the ground yesterday. Forensic experts say the victim was between the ages of 3 and 5 and could not have been dead longer than 24 hours. Police are appealing to the public for help in finding out how the boy ended up in the grave and who that child is. Of course, solving these kinds of crimes is hard when witnesses are afraid to come forward. So for years, criminals in Baltimore have waged their own war on witnesses. Police and prosecutors are trying to fight back, but it's not easy. CNN's Joe Johns reports on what they're up against.
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JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Baltimore is known for witnesses wiped out before they can testify in court.
Carl Lackl's story shows why.
MARGE SHIPLEY, MOTHER OF MURDER VICTIM: He said, "Mom, you're never going to guess what I saw."
And I said, "What?"
He said, "There was a guy murdered. And I called the police."
And I said, "Oh, Carl, what did you do?" because I knew that was not a good thing. OK, being up in the city, I just knew. And he said, "Mom, I will be all right."
JOHNS: Lackl happened to walk into this alley when a gunman came running up from a murder scene. Later, police picked up a suspect who was identified by Lackl. More than a year later, when sitting outside his home with his baby girl and 11-year-old niece, a teenager in a car opened fire on Lackl in front of the kids.
SHIPLEY: I wanted to go back and hold him. God, I wanted to hold him so bad. And they told me it was a crime scene, and I would contaminate the crime scene.
And my (INAUDIBLE) daughter, child, when that horrible thing happened to him like that -- he died the worst death you can imagine.
JOHNS: Authorities said Lackl's murder was ordered from jail by the man he was going to testify against. Patrick Byers had ordered the hit using, believe it or not, a cell phone he had behind bars. He was recently convicted, and now faces four life sentences.
(on camera): Carl Lackl's death was gruesome. And just the threat of a similar fate has been enough to intimidate witnesses in Baltimore from testifying against alleged criminals. Gang members have been known to show up in court and stare down people testifying against them.
(voice-over): OK, staring is not illegal, but prosecutors viewed suspected intimidation so seriously that they put the families of 200 witnesses into a special program last year, some of whom were relocated to different parts of town.
And it's not just witnesses who are scared. It's juries, too. In this note from a trial last month, one jury foreman asked, "What steps we jurors need to take to ensure our safety." Why is witness intimidation so bad here? In a lot of big cities, people who talk to authorities say they are demonized as snitches, rats. Stop snitching is a big refrain on the streets, captured in this local film nearly five years ago.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To all you rats and snitches lucky enough to cop one of these DVDs, I hope you catch AIDS in your mouth, and your lip's the first thing to die.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: But the larger problem is that cities like Baltimore simply don't have the kind of money and personnel that the federal government gets for witness protection.
SHIPLEY: They should be passing laws and doing the right thing. My son did the right thing, but you can't count on too many of them to do the right thing.
JOHNS: Some say, that needs to change.
Joe Johns, CNN, Baltimore.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Paying tribute to a Supreme Court decision that dramatically changed education in the United States. Hundreds gathered at the White House this morning to mark the 55th anniversary of Brown versus Board of Education. The U.S. Supreme Court case overturned segregation in public schools across the country. Organizers of today's rally say the nation's public school system still does not provide a quality education for all students.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARNE DUNCAN, SECY OF EDUCATION: We are part of the problem, and we have to be part of the solution. We have to challenge each other, we have to challenge ourselves, we have to look in the mirror every day to say, what are we doing with a huge sense of urgency to make sure that every single child has a chance to go to a great school.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Organizers say education equality is the civil rights issue of our time.
First Lady Michelle Obama delivers the commencement address at a university in California today. It's not UCLA, Southern Cal or Stanford, but an upstart university in the Sierra foothills that is graduating its first full senior class.
CNN's Erica Hill has the story of how she got there and what the first lady's visit means to this economically depressed area.
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ERICA HILL, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hope for the future is easy to spot this weekend. On Saturday, 517 students at the University of California-Merced will suit up in cap and gown, file onto this field and listen to the first lady give their commencement address. She will be on this stage because of the perseverance of students, like Efferman Ezell.
EFFERMAN EZELL, SENIOR: People always asked us, you know, what was my backup plan and I tell them, we didn't have a backup plan.
JANE LAWERENCE, VICE CHANCELLOR, STUDENT AFFAIRS: My first reaction when I heard that the students were trying to -- were going to invite the first lady was, oh, my goodness, I don't want to see them disappointed.
HILL: the campaign to bring Mrs. Obama onboard began in January with a personal appeal on behalf of the students and this city of a quarter million, the self-described poster child for the recession.
SAM FONG, SENIOR: We did a lot of initial research as to why we are a compelling case.
We eventually decided that, you know, the focus really should be on the San Joaquin Valley of California because it is so underserved and has been struggling with a lot of problems in housing, economics and health care, long before the current financial crisis hit.
HILL: First, they laid out their case in a personal letter, signed by 12 graduating seniors. "Dear First Lady Michelle Obama," they write, "You may wonder why we specifically chose to ask you to be our speaker. Who better to relate to our efforts and inspire passion towards historic change?
We know that your message... will assure Valley residents and students that we are not alone...
Up next, this YouTube video, directed by a freshman.
GROUP: Michelle Obama.
HILL: And helping to seal the deal, 900 handwritten Valentines from students, the faculty and their families, which were reportedly the talk of the White House.
EZELL: We wanted to make sure that they understood it was a very personal campaign. It was a student-run campaign.
HILL: The first lady's office tells CNN she was very moved and is both honored and thrilled to accept the invitation. And she'll use this opportunity to share her own story of overcoming adversity and encouraging young people not to take no for an answer.
The city of Merced will also be listening intently to her message. With unemployment over 20 percent here, and one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation, the more than $1 million Mrs. Obama's presence is expected to bring to Merced is a much-needed windfall for local businesses.
MARSHALL BISHOP, RESTAURANT OWNER: For dinner service for Saturday night we have upwards of 150. A normal dinner for us, considering we are fine dining, is anywhere from 50 to 60 people at the most.
HILL: This city has also organized a weekend-long street fair, the Cap & Town festival, hotels are all booked and on campus, there is seating for 12,000 and an excitement that can't be ignored.
FONG: I've heard praise and thanks from everyone, because everyone, you know, really didn't think that this would happen.
HILL: Undoubtedly the first of many big accomplishments to come for the U.C. Merced class of 2009. Erica Hill, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Well, it's going to be an exciting time for the graduates there and their families and we're going to cover it live. It is to take place beginning in the next hour, in the 4:00 Eastern hour. We'll carry that live from the University of California-Merced. The first lady, Michelle Obama, delivering the commencement address.
All right, teachers take to the streets in protest as California comes to grips with harsh budget cuts.
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WHITFIELD: California teachers trade civics for civil disobedience over possible budget cuts. Education in the state could take a big hit if voters don't pass a handful of budget measures next week. Right now, passage seems pretty doubtful, so California's governor is outlying his Plan B. Our Casey Wian explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dozens of Los Angeles teachers were arrested Friday, while protesting the threat of tens of thousands of education layoffs because of the state's budget deficit.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, hey, reform in L.A.
WIAN: Parents also held a rally while the governor was receiving an honorary degree from USC.
GOV ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: Arnold Schwarzenegger, doctor of humane letters.
(LAUGHTER)
SCHWARZENEGGER: I love it. WIAN: He plans to cut at least $3 billion from public schools or 5.4 billion if voters reject a package of budget reform measures Tuesday. Other proposals include a seven and a half day reduction in the school year and larger class sizes.
CHRISTINA BYNUM, PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER: We just really feel that this is an injustice to the kids, to society, really.
WIAN: Also on the table withholding $2 billion from local governments and dramatic reductions in social services including cutting off nearly a quarter of a million children from state-funded health insurance and eliminating drug treatment programs.
SCHWARZENEGGER: I understand that these cuts are very painful, and they affect real lives. This is the harsh reality in the crisis that we face.
WIAN: But critics say some of the governor's plans are not based in reality such as selling off state assets, including the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Local officials say the state doesn't have the authority to sell the stadium and because it's a historic monument, the governor has exaggerated its monetary value.
ZEV YAROSLAVSKY, LA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: I think somebody up in Sacramento decided that the way to generate support for the ballot measures on next Tuesday's ballot was to scare the hell out of the voters. And instead of scaring the hell out of the voters, I think they're angering the voters.
WIAN: Tax increases also are part of the plan.
JON COUPAL, HOWARD JARVIS TAXPAYERS ASSN: If the polls are correct and these packages -- this package of reforms goes down in a big way, maybe that will be the two-by-four upside the head that will finally get these people to recognize voters are taxed to death, highest taxes in America, poor level of service, they've got to start taking care of the state's business.
WIAN: Schwarzenegger plans to ask the Obama administration for a waiver allowing deep spending cuts without jeopardizing federal stimulus money.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, finding strength in crisis. Bill Clinton made her desserts famous, but surviving the recession, not such a sweet sell.
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WHITFIELD: A new generation of police vehicles is promising to give law enforcement a leg up on the bad guys. a leg up on the bad guys. T.J. Holmes has more on these super-cruisers in today's "TechnoFile."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) T.J. HOLMES. CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Criminals beware -- Carbon Motors purpose-built E-7 police car could be an officer's dream come true.
WILLIAM SANTANA LI, CARBON MOTORS: What we developed is a homeland security platform of technologies. The amount of equipment and technology in this vehicle not only provides them the appropriate performance capabilities, but unparalleled safety.
HOLMES: The 15-inch touch screen computer console, which we compared to the biggest iPhone we've ever seen, controls many of the high-tech features.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this is the patrol screen.
HOLMES: There's a radar screen that monitors car in the front and rear, a forward and backseat facing camera, an infrared camera that detects heat signatures at night and a license plate recognition system that can read up to 1,500 license plate per minute as the officer drives, then cross-checks them against national and local databases.
LI: Let's go back 50 years, all right? You had a vehicle, maybe you had a radio in it and one little light that goes on top, here. That's no longer the case.
HOLMES: Georgia is the home state of Carbon Motors and among several in discussion to manufacture the vehicle, which is expected to produce 10,000 new jobs. Georgia's senator, Saxby Chambliss, hopes it could provide a much-needed economic boost to the state.
SEN SAXBY CHAMBLISS (R), GEORGIA: Georgia, like every other state, we're suffering from an economic standpoint right now. We've seen a huge loss of jobs in our state and in the manufacturing sector particularly. Any time you have a new company coming in that suggests that they may employ up to 10,000 people, that's huge.
HOLMES: The demonstration vehicle, touring various states, has brought attention from law enforcement, but some officers are taking a wait-and-see approach.
LT DAN WADE, ATLANTA POLICE: They're going to have to produce a few vehicles that they can take to a major police department and say, take these two cars and test them for 15 or 30 days, day in and day out, and give us a report back.
HOLMES: The E-7 looks like it should be featured in a summer blockbuster film, but Li says there's one major difference between it and Hollywood crime-fighting cars.
LI: We've heard this is the car of the future. We've heard it compared to "Robocop" and "James Bond" and "KIT" and all of those things, but you know, the fact of the matter is, this is the real deal.
HOLMES: The expected date of production is 2012. T.J. Holmes, CNN, Atlanta.
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WHITFIELD: All right, well, you've hearded phase, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Well, that's the motto of the Atlanta baker that made all of this. The story is part of our "Survival of the Fittest" series, where we focus on small businesses that have made creative changes to stay relevant in the recession. This week, Brooke Baldwin has the story of the Sweet Auburn Bread Company.
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BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You can't get better publicity than this. A president tasting a southern chef's sweet potato cheesecake.
(on camera): When you have the president in your shop, it puts you on the map.
SONYA JONES, OWNER, SWEET AUBURN BREAD CO: Exactly.
BALDWIN (voice-over): That was 12 years ago. Today, photos of that memorable moment are plastered all over Sonya Jones' quaint bakeshop. A shop located in one of the most historic streets in America, the Atlanta neighborhood where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lived and preached, Sweet Auburn.
JONES: They couldn't stop over in Atlanta and not come visit the King Center. That's a great feeling.
BALDWIN (on camera): And not have a piece of your. . .
JONES: And, yes, and, you know, since you're here.
BALDWIN: Sweet potato cheesecake.
(voice-over): That cheesecake quickly became her recipe for success from Rachael Ray to "Southern Living." Sonya and her 23- year-old son Bobby turn out hundreds of tasty treats every day, catering events and selling to whomever walks through their door.
JONES: Well, we have pie, sweet potato pies, Southern pecan pies, pound cakes, to buttermilk lemon chess pie, custards...
BALDWIN: But the Sweet Auburn Bread Company saw some not so sweet times last year.
(on camera): Fast forward to 2008. What happened?
JONES: Well, there was a little delay.
BALDWIN: A little thing called a tornado.
BALDWIN (voice-over): The rare twister that hit downtown Atlanta knocked down buildings in her neighborhood, the devastation just across the street. JONES: It was really bad when, of course, the street was shut down and I think business was down at least 30 percent.
BALDWIN: Then gas prices soared last summer.
JONES: We're a tourist destination. So, of course, there were a big decrease in tourism.
BALDWIN: And then the recession hit hard.
JONES: A lot of people did not have the holiday parties. And the question at times was, do I continue? I mean that was a question.
BALDWIN: But instead of folding, Sonya found strength in crisis.
JONES: Like they say, when it gets tough, the tough gets tougher. It was a time for me to look back at my business. To re- evaluate my businesses, evaluate my weaknesses, my strengths and really what were the customers really asking for.
BALDWIN: She is now making up for that drop in business. First, she upped her variety, but downsized her sweets.
JONES: During the tough times, people want their comfort food and their comfort desserts, you know? They may not want a whole pie, but they may go for the sweet potato tart.
BALDWIN: Second, she brings her products to the people, sending her son to local farmers' markets almost every day. And third, she's dabbling in online social networking.
JONES: FaceBook, YouTube. You know, crossing the Internet.
BALDWIN: Until the economy bounces back, this optimistic entrepreneur is hoping Atlantans will keep turning to her for sweet comfort.
JONES: You know, you need a slice of sweet potato pie to soothe you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: We need soothing right now. That's why Brooke Baldwin brought some lovely desserts from that Sweet Auburn bakery.
BALDWIN: Sweet Auburn Bread Company.
WHITFIELD: So, she really has the formula for success, because she found a way to kind of modify things and that really is the secret ingredient.
BALDWIN: Absolutely, the recipe for getting past the recession, perhaps, for her is you see this, sorry, it's kind of half eaten.
WHITFIELD: Thanks a lot, T.J.
BALDWIN: Sweet potato cheesecake tart. So, instead of people going in and buying the $45 cheesecake, people are going in, they're buying the muffins, they're buying her red velvet cupcakes, they're buying these little tarts. People still need their sweet fix. I know I do.
WHITFIELD: I do to.
BALDWIN: So, that's what they're doing.
WHITFIELD: But, I guess, really smart too, is that she said, you know what, if you can't come to me, I'm going to take it to you and farmer's market is huge.
BALDWIN: Farmers markets are happening on the weekends and happening daily. A lot of -- we've just been finding the overall message during our session, people are doing a little soul searching, it's a great time to figure out, find your passion and pursue it.
WHITFIELD: Wow. Well, she's got a good one, there. And a lot of happy customers.
BALDWIN: In the NEWSROOM. Everybody. Thanks, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Save me something.
BALDWIN: I will.
WHITFIELD: All right, Brooke Baldwin, appreciate it.
BALDWIN: Sure.
WHITFIELD: All right, well, finding a way to link family with more to families with less. A CNN "Hero" explains how she does it.
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WHITFIELD: The economy stumbles and more and more families struggle to get by. Some are left with nothing to eat at the end of the month. This week's CNN "Hero" is helping working families and redefining what it means to be a good neighbor.
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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Heroes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The things that we could do like go to the movie, we haven't done it in quite a while. We just go to church and come home. I work for the city. We're not poor, we're not broke, but it's a real struggle to survive, right now.
PAM KONER, FOUNDER, FAMILY-TO-FAMILY: Families who were able to make it and just get through the month are not able to make it quite the same way anymore, so food becomes the item that gets dropped at the end of the month.
My name is Pam Koner. I began an organization that makes families with more to families with less. After learning about this community in Illinois that women and children were not eating the last week of the month, something moved me to come up with something to change this.
I sent a letter out to all of the families in my child care businesses and I said, well, how about if we match families? Our original mission was to help poor rural communities. We began to expand to help families who were not in need of help before, but now were in trouble. Families purchase and send groceries or donate via PayPal. Most families are also exchanging letters, opening up to each other and sharing.
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Since 2002, Pam's organization has linked more than 600 families nationwide and has supplied nearly 800,000 meals to families in need.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was very happy to hear from you. I did get your e-mail, also your wonderful package that you sent for us. This will be a great help for the entire family.
KONER: No one really knows what's going to happen tomorrow. We're all part of a big family. We need to be there for each other.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, if you want to help Pam Koner help struggling families or if you know someone who's doing something so extraordinary that they too deserve to be a CNN "Hero," go to our Web site and tell us about them. And remember, all of our CNN "Heroes" are chosen from people you nominate at cnn.com/heroes.
All right, checking some of the top stories, right now. CNN has learned that the U.S. Marine accused of killing a pregnant Marine is not the father of the unborn child. The source says Corporal Caesar Laurean's DNA did not match that of the child.
Laurean was stationed at camp Lejeune with the victim, Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach. Her body was found last year. Laurean has been indicted on charges that include first-degree murder.
And Newt Gingrich says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is taking part in a despicable, dishonest effort to withhold what she knows about the CIA's harsh interrogation techniques. Gingrich says Pelosi lied to Congress about what she knows. Pelosi denies the allegation.
And astronauts working on the Hubble space telescope, hooked up an $88 million instruments designed to look at distant quasars.
