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Inside the Denver Supermax Prison; Grade School Girls Create Violent Cartoon of Fellow Classmate; Weekend of Remembrance for People All Across the Nation; Obama's Pressures About Choosing the Next Supreme Court Justice; The Economy's Effect on Credit Card Payments
Aired May 23, 2009 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Six ways to kill Piper: It is not a new TV show. This is Piper and her classmates found some creative ways to kill her. Wait until you see their video.
It's home to some of the most notorious criminals in the U.S. We'll take you inside Supermax. Can this prison handle Gitmo detainees?
And in Iran, they're calling her their Michelle Obama. For the first time, a woman is on the campaign trail.
The news starts now.
Hello. I'm Randi Kaye, in for Don Lemon.
We start with a story you have to see to believe. A group of grade school girls create a cartoon of themselves killing a classmate -- in a half dozen ways.
Elisa Hahn of our Seattle affiliate KING has the disturbing story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELISA HANH, KING REPORTER (voice-over): The cartoon is called "Top six ways to kill Piper." It includes depictions of five girls shooting her, making her commit suicide, even pushing her off a cliff.
BETH SMITH, MOTHER: I was horrified about it. I hoped to find kids making jokes and it wasn't. It was death.
HANH: Beth Smith says the cartoon targeting her daughter was posted on YouTube to a Hannah Montana song called "True Friend." Piper is a sixth grader at Elk Plain School of Choice. The girls who made the video attend the same school.
PIPER SMITH, STUDENT: It would be (INAUDIBLE). I mean, it really, really hurt my feelings. I mean, if somebody could hate me that much, to make a video about me like that, it makes me feel like really bad.
HANH: Piper's mother contacted the parents of the girls who made the video. Some were shocked; others were dismissive.
B. SMITH: One guy blew it off and said he was making dinner. Yes, he's busy making dinner right now; he'd get back to us.
HANH: The school district says because of privacy rules it can't say how the girls were disciplined.
KRISTA CARLSON, BETHEL SCHOOL SYSTEM: Since then these students have expressed remorse about this incident, and we do believe that Elk Plain has been and will continue to be a safe place for students to learn.
HANH: Not knowing what happened leaves Smith frustrated because she wants to know her daughter is safe.
B. SMITH: My heart aches. I fear for her safety.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Officer Lynn Mock is with the Gig Harbor, Washington Police. She's also a cyber-bullying expert and she joins us now by phone.
Good evening, Officer. Let's talk about these girls. They seem so young to be putting together a video like this, and to have such hate towards another young classmate. Are you seeing an increase in this with younger kids as they become more computer savvy?
OFC. LYNN MOCK, CYBER-BULLYING EXPERT (via telephone): Oh, definitely. Cyber-bullying is starting at a younger age now with the use of technology, and the different social networking sites that they are able to get on to.
KAYE: And we know, of course, that bullying isn't new. Girls have also been teasing other girls forever. But the computer makes it so much easier. So, parents obviously aren't going to take the computer away. So, what is the answer?
MOCK: Parent supervision and involvement is probably the number one key for victims of bullies, and also those that bully. Knowing what your kids are doing online, who they're talking to and the type of activities that they're involved in is probably the number one key to prevention on both sides.
KAYE: We see a lot of bullying with this age group, the 10 to 12-year-olds. Do they understand, do you think, the severity of their actions, I mean, and the consequences?
MOCK: I think a lot of them don't understand the consequences in -- for the victim and how possibly bullying someone could really hurt their feelings and I don't believe they understand some of the laws associated with that, and harassment and threats. However, it's important for schools and school districts to educate the children, whether they're bringing in someone from outside the school district or the teachers themselves talk to the kids about cyber bullying. Seventy percent of it does happen at home, 25 percent happens at a friend's house, and about 5 percent happens at school.
So, it is important for everybody in the community to be involved.
KAYE: And in this case, we're talking about school girls. How do they compare -- girls versus boys -- when it comes to bullying?
MOCK: Girls are really great at being sweet-sweet and bullying indirectly with technology, where boys, although they do bully a few via the Internet, mostly they're more direct when they bully. So, usually, it's been girls that are doing the bullying over the Internet.
KAYE: OK. Officer Lynn Mock, thank you so much. We appreciate your time on this very important subject.
MOCK: Yes, thank you.
KAYE: Why did an 11-year-old Georgia boy kill himself? His family says it was because he was repeatedly bullied at school. But a retired judge who led an inquiry into Jaheem Herrera's death denies that. Jaheem's family says he hanged himself last month because classmates at Dunaire Elementary School, outside Atlanta, called him gay. But the school district says students called Jaheem's pink book bag gay and were confused about the word's meaning.
The retired judge says Jaheem suffered the same amount of teasing as most of his peers. She says he was hit hard by the recent death of his grandmother and that he and another boy were suspended for fighting during the school's holiday party. But plenty of other people reject her conclusions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THELMA MOORE, RETIRED JUDGE: When Jaheem entered the bathroom, he entered swinging. The other boy put him in a wrestling chokehold.
DERRICK BOZEMAN, FORMER ATLANTA CITY COUNCILMAN: The evidence that the report is not true is laying in a St. Croix graveyard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Jaheem's family quickly denounced the findings of the school district and they plan to sue.
It is a weekend of remembrance for people all across the nation, a time to reflect on the price of freedom and the sacrifice of America's Armed Forces. U.S. troops have been fighting in Afghanistan for almost eight years now. They've been in Iraq for more than six years. Sacrifice is a part of daily life for the troops.
And today, at the U.S. Military Academy's graduation, the secretary of defense praised their dedicated service.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GATES, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: As the class of 2009, you made your decision to serve knowing not only that America was at war, as did every man or woman who joined the military after September 11th, but that this war would be bloody and difficult, of indefinite length and uncertain outcome. In doing so, you showed courage, commitment, and patriotism of the highest order.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: President Obama and members of Congress agree that America owes a debt to its fighting men and women, but that debt is getting harder to pay, because of the struggling economy, and some veterans groups are worried.
Elaine Quijano has more from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Four months after becoming commander-in-chief, President Obama, in his weekly, address vowed to stand by America's service members and their families.
PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES: We have a responsibility to serve all of them as well as they have served us.
QUIJANO: For Ryan Galluci, an Iraq war veteran and now spokesman for the veteran's group AMVETS, it's an incomplete picture -- especially on the president's planned multibillion-dollar budget increase for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
RYAN GALLUCI, ARMY VETERAN: Since this budget proposal has come out, we haven't really seen line-by-line where this money is going to be spent.
QUIJANO: Galluci, who served for a year as a civilian affairs specialist in Iraq notes another problem: sky-rocketing unemployment that recently hit 11.2 percent for Iraq and Afghanistan war vets, higher than the national average.
GALLUCI: In the early stages, we haven't seen too much out of the administration in particular to help veterans find jobs.
QUIJANO: Republican Congressman Brian Bilbray says while he understands the president's needs to revive the broader economy now, he hopes veterans don't get short-changed in the long-term.
REP. BRIAN BILBRAY, (R) CALIFORNIA: We just got to remember that this is not a luxury to provide the services to the veterans. It is an obligation, a responsibility. No matter what the condition of the economy, we have an obligation to do what we have promised for these men and women. This is a contract we can't walk away from -- even in bad times.
QUIJANO (on camera): Veterans groups do give the president high marks for announcing he wants to streamline the transfer of service members' health records -- from the Defense Department, for an active duty member, to the Veterans Affairs Department, once that person leaves the service.
Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: President Obama wants his Supreme Court nominee to be someone with intellectual fire power and a little bit of a common touch. Those are his quotes. CNN has learned the president could name his choice just a few days from now. Mr. Obama says he doesn't want the confirmation process to take too long.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, C-SPAN)
OBAMA: It's safe to say that we're going to have an announcement soon. And my hope is, is that we can have hearings in July so that we end up before Congress breaks for the summer -- have somebody in place. One of the things I would prefer not to see happen is that these confirmation hearings drag on and somebody has to hit the ground running and then take their seat in October without having the time to wrap their mind around the fact that they're going to be a Supreme Court justice. I'd like to give them a little bit of lead time so that they can get prepared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: President Obama says he doesn't feel weighed down by pressure to choose a woman or a minority for the High Court. He says he will choose someone who will look after the interests of the American people.
A new justice is only one of the big issues President Obama is facing. There's also the question of how to manage two wars and a broken economy. Tonight at 8:00 Eastern, Anderson Cooper looks at how the Obama administration plans to tackle such extreme challenges. It is an "AC360" special. You can watch it right here on CNN.
A former South Korean president jumps off a cliff. We'll have the latest on the death of Roh Moo-Hyun.
And the future of Gitmo -- if it it's closed, where should the detainees be held? Is the U.S. Supermax Prison secure enough? We'll take you inside.
Also, Don is off. But, of course, I still want to hear what's on your mind tonight. You can tell me by logging on to Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or iReport.com -- and be sure to tell me what you are thinking.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: South Koreans are in shock and mourning tonight because of the apparent suicide of former President Roh Moo-Hyun. He had been at the center of a bribery and corruption investigation that tarnished his reputation as an honest politician. Roh left a suicide note on his computer this morning and then went for a hike with an aide. He jumped off a cliff near his home. Roh was president of South Korea from 2003 until 2008. The government of Sri Lanka says it has won a 25-year-old civil war with the Tamil Tiger rebels. But even if the fighting has ended, the crisis there is far from over. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the region today and was appalled by what he saw.
CNN's Sara Sidner sat down with him afterward and she joins us now live from Sri Lanka.
Sarah, what did he have to say?
SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Randi, the trip was brief -- an hour on the ground at the camps and about an hour flying over the war devastation in Sri Lanka's north. But apparently, it was enough to stir strong reaction from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BAN KI-MOON, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: I was so sad, and I was so humbled by what I have seen. I have traveled all around the world and been to similar places, but this is, by far, most appalling scenes I have seen.
SIDNER: The military says that they can assure us that very few civilians died. Do you buy that?
KI-MOON: I have made -- repeated on many cases that there were so many civilian population who lost their lives. It was unacceptable situation, and even though they might not recognize and admit this one, we have many such cases.
SIDNER: Did it look like there was heavy bombing?
KI-MOON: As I flew over today, there were many destructions which may suggest that there were very severe fightings.
SIDNER: And heavy weapons are used?
KI-MOON: That's what I guess but I do not have any clear evidence.
SIDNER: But from what you saw it looked like it?
KI-MOON: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Now, the government had said that it had stopped using heavy weapons and so much of this has been a basically propaganda war also between the two sides. The government is blaming the LTZE and the LTTE -- the Tamil Tiger rebels as they're known -- blaming the government for all of this.
We should mention though that Ban Ki-moon was very, very strong in saying that he hopes that the government really turns its attention to this people who are in the camps. We went to the camps along with him and I can tell you that the situation does look dire in some cases and other cases the government has made what they call model villages which are a couple of steps up from an actual relief camp, where people have water and this sort of thing. But certainly, people are lacking in these camps, Randi.
KAYE: And, Sara, how did the president of Sri Lanka respond to Ban Ki-moon's closed-door meeting?
SIDNER: Well, the two met for some time this afternoon, and Ban Ki-moon said he was encouraged because the president did say that he is turning all of his attention towards the humanitarian effort here.
Ban Ki-moon telling him that the U.N. and other aid agencies need free access to these camps -- which had been restricted because the government says there were some security concerns during the war. But since the war is over, Ban Ki-moon was very clear in saying the war is over, now let us in to do our jobs.
The president is saying he will look into it and Ban Ki-moon hoping that that will result in free access to helping 250,000-plus people in these camps, Randi.
KAYE: Wow. All right, Sara Sidner for us tonight.
We want to share some of the tweets that you've been sending in. Precioust writes, "God bless all those who served or are serving to protect us. Thank you." Steve_Boyd says, "I have to think in many cases, bullying starts in the home. Kids either taught it's OK or bullied at home themselves." Newz_junkie says, "'Six ways to kill Piper' is very disturbing. All involved need to be interviewed by a child psychologist."
And Mirikon writes, "Why is this news? Kids always bullied each other and always will. Tough it up or move. Not like real world's any easier." JRenee225 says, "This is the main reason why parents need to know what their kids are doing on the Internet. I blame them."
Lots of very interesting tweets coming in on all of our topics.
Join us our show if you would. Logon to Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, iReport.com -- which ever you choose -- and tell me what you are thinking, please.
A predatory disease increasingly targeting black women. Their death rate from HIV/AIDS skyrocketing. We'll seek solutions with one of the most renown women's advocates in the world.
Also, this might sound familiar a charismatic man is running for president, but it's his wife who's whipping up the crowds. We'll introduce you to Iran's Michelle Obama.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Women account for more than a quarter of all new HIV/AIDS cases, and black women are suffering the most. The latest data from the CDC shows the rate of AIDS diagnosis for black women is approximately 23 times the rate for white women.
My guest tonight on this topic: Gloria Steinem, writer, lecturer, editor, activist; and Nancy Mahon, executive director of the MAC AIDS Fund.
Good evening to both of you.
Gloria, let's start with you. You're known so well for your focus on women's issues. What drew you to this cause?
GLORIA STEINEM, MS. FOUNDATION: That is a women's issue and that women were not being properly diagnosed or attended to because it was stereotypically viewed as a gay man's issue, or an injection drug user issue, when, in fact, more than 80 percent of the women who get AIDS got it from heterosexual contact. So, you know, there's just no question that it's a crucial, crucial women's issue.
KAYE: And, Nancy, the numbers that we've been looking at are staggering and surprising. Let me just share a few. In 2004, the most recent year that we had the data for, HIV infection was the leading cause of death for black women age 25 to 34, the leading cause. And then the fourth leading cause of death for Hispanic women, age 35 to 44. Why is it that these two groups are getting hit so hard?
NANCY MAHON, MAC AIDS FUND: Well, one of the problems we've had, I think, is that we put people's behavior into certain boxes and really only felt that injection drug users and men who have sex with men are at risk. In reality, what we're seeing is women who partner with the men are also at risk, particularly black and Hispanic women. And these are important times in terms of policy changes -- as you know, President Obama is seeking health care reform by June.
And the reason that we're partnering with Gloria and the Ms. Foundation is that the MACA AIDS Fund, what we'd like to do is really include the voices of women living with HIV and women of color in that health care debate.
KAYE: And why is education so key, do you think? I mean, it seems to make sense, but why do you think it's so key, Gloria?
STEINEM: Well, it's key to prevention. I mean, one of our grantees said a very interesting thing. She said, "I can tell you the incidence of AIDS by postal zone," because it's so clearly had to do with poverty. And in the beginning, there was not an understanding, for instance, that women's reproductive cancers were also indicative of having HIV and AIDS. They weren't counted at all.
You know, so, we're still on the cusp of what really must be done. And we must change CDC policies so that women are as likely to be tested as they are to be subject to AIDS.
KAYE: Nancy, we've been talking about AIDS and HIV for so long. Why isn't the message, do you think, getting out there?
MAHON: Well, HIV is tough because we need sustained behavior change. Basically, it's a very unforgiving virus and it really doesn't discriminate. In the case of women, just to build on what Gloria is saying, is that it's very important that we get out to women and get the messages.
The more educated you are, the more likely you are to ask for an HIV test from your primary care provider. If you know your HIV status, the more likely you are to practice prevention. And if you're HIV positive and you're seeking treatment, the likelihood that you will pass HIV on to your partner is greatly decreased.
So, it really is all about education.
We also want to applaud President Obama for putting out the first public education campaign on HIV in 25 years. And we would like to encourage him to have a campaign focused solely on women.
KAYE: All right. Nancy Mahon and Gloria Steinem, thank you both so much to talk about this important topic. We really appreciate your time tonight.
MAHON: Thank you.
STEINEM: Thank you.
KAYE: President Obama and former Vice President Cheney talking about terrorism, securing the U.S., and the future of Guantanamo. But guess what? They don't quite see eye-to-eye. Two remarkable speeches, two dueling views -- we are breaking them down and taking a closer look at what they said and just how they said it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: And welcome back. Good to have so many of you tweeting with us tonight.
LindaSmith247 writes, "Early teaching for those affected." She's talking about the AIDS conversation we just had.
ShomariHines writes, "It's only 23 times that of white women because these studies are done by percentage. If it wasn't, white women would outnumber black women in terms of HIV and AIDS."
DioVonKarma say, "Remember when Cuba sent us those criminals?" Talking about Gitmo here. "We should just do the same and release everyone in Gitmo on Cuba."
All right. Well, be sure to join our show. Log on to Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or iReport.com. Tell me what you're thinking. You can tweet with me at RandiKayCNN and also through Don Lemon's Twitter address.
We are still getting fallout from the battle of the titans -- this week's back-to-back national security speeches by President Obama and former Vice President Dick Cheney. One of the key points of contention: Is water boarding terror suspects necessary to protect America? (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I know some have argued that brutal methods like water boarding were necessary to keep us safe. I could not disagree more.
They undermine the rule of law. They alienate us in the world. They serve as a recruitment tool for terrorists and increase the will of our enemies to fight us while decreasing the will of others to work with America.
They risk the lives of our troops by making it less likely that others will surrender to them in battle, and more likely that Americans will be mistreated if they are captured. In short, they did not advance our war and counterterrorism efforts -- they undermined them, and that is why I ended them once and for all.
RICHARD CHENEY, (R) FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: I would advise the administration to think very carefully about the course ahead. All the zeal that has been directed at interrogations is utterly misplaced, and staying on that path will only lead our government further away from its duty to protect the American people.
But in the fight against terrorism, there is no middle ground, and half-measures keep you half-exposed. You cannot keep just some nuclear-armed terrorists out of the United States; you must keep every nuclear armed-terrorist out of the United States.
Triangulation is a political strategy, not a national security strategy. When just a single clue that goes unlearned or one lead that goes unpursued can bring on catastrophe, it's no time for splitting differences. There is never a good time to compromise when the lives and safety of the American people hang in the balance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: If you'd like, you can watch both speeches in full on our website, just go to cnn.com.
Well now let's take a closer look at the questions that were raised in those speeches. Chris Plante is a conservative commentator and on the other side David Sirota is a syndicated columnist.
Let's start with former Vice President Cheney's remarks. He says that he is speaking out because he wants to protect national security.
But Chris, is he or is this about defending his own legacy?
CHRIS PLANTE, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: Well certainly it's a little bit of both. I mean, obviously the Bush administration has been pillared by the Obama administration, by the democrats and he's got every right to come out and straighten out the record as he sees it and to make his case. I don't think anybody would argue that is not the case and Dick Cheney is clearly interested in securing the United States from attack.
So I don't understand the difficulty with Vice President Cheney coming out and making his case that so many liberals seem to have.
KAYE: David, where do you weigh in here?
DAVID SIROTA, SYNDICATED COLUMNNIST: Well, he's got every right to make the case that he made. What he doesn't have a right to do is make the case on grounds that aren't factually based. The director of National Intelligence has said that these torturings, that these interrogation tactics did not produce any actionable intelligence to stop eminent attacks. That's from the CIA. The CIA inspector general basically said the exact same thing.
So Cheney has every right to make his case. He doesn't have every right to make a case that's about as honest as the case that he and the Bush administration made for the Iraq war.
KAYE: We also heard Senator Harry Reid saying there may be room to negotiate with President Obama over the detainees at Gitmo. How tough of a sell is it for the president, to Congress and the American people?
PLANTE: Well, first I've got to say that the case being made here that what Vice President Cheney said was not founded and in fact is a false argument. Secondly, when Dennis Blair, the director of National intelligence -
(CROSSTALK)
SIROTA: I know, Cheney's speech contained omissions and misstatement
PLANTE: Well if you want to filibuster, you got to -
SIROTA: That's the newspaper. That is the newspaper.
PLANTE: Oh, the newspaper.
SIROTA: Therefore it's right there.
PLANTE: Dennis Blair -
SIROTA: Cheney's speech contained omissions and misstatements. That's the story.
PLANTE: There you go. I'll find another paper to read that says the opposite. That's wonderful.
KAYE: All right.
PLATE: Hang on a second. Dennis Blair who you cited had his remarks revised and redacted by the White House after he said precisely the opposite of what you just cited there. Leon Panetta, who is Barack Obama's pick to head the CIA also supported Vice President Cheney's point of view and the Obama administration is refusing to release in the name of transparency apparently, the reductions that they put out in the public, having to do with what Vice President was talking about, and that is the results from those interrogations.
SIROTA: I agree with you. We need to get as much information out as possible.
PLANTE: Good.
SIROTA: I think Dick Cheney is right that as much information about this needs to come out as possible.
PLANTE: Good.
SIROTA: And I think Nancy Pelosi when she has come, and we need answers about Nancy Pelosi.
PLANTE: Good, I agree.
SIROTA: We need to answer about what John Yu knew, and what happened inside the Bush administration. So you and I can agree that we need an investigation.
KAYE: Gentlemen, please. Standby for one second. I want to play fro you a sound bite from former Homeland Security director Tom Ridge, a republican, spoke to our John King about the two speeches. Listen to what he had to say and we'll get your reaction right after.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You had the intelligence. You served in a sensitive position in those days after 9/11. Do you believe we are less safe today because of steps taken by President Obama?
TOM RIDGE, FMR. HOMELAND SECURITY DIRECTOR: I do not.
KING: You disagree with Dick Cheney then?
RIDGE: I disagree with Dick Cheney but I also disagree with the approach both men are taking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: David, quickly weigh in here.
SIROTA: Well, I think Tom Ridge is right. I mean the idea that Barack Obama is endangering us by fixing this situation, I think is preposterous. I think Obama has a strong case to be made that us respecting the rule of law makes our country more safe.
KAYE: Chris?
PLANTE: Listen the rule of law was followed. There were legal opinions from a carload of different governmental departments and the legal staffs there. It was briefed to Congress ahead of time as you just pointed out with Nancy Pelosi. Look it seems not so long ago that we had the September 11th Commission to find out what went wrong and who failed, and why the attack was allowed to happen. Now the democrats want to have a commission to find out what went right, why we haven't been attacked and they want to hold responsible the people that have kept the country safe for the last seven and a half years.
SIROTA: Well, I think there's a question about what happened. I think there's a question about what happened and I think we should find out what actually happened. And what's incredible to me is that there are people in the Bush administration or former Bush administration who don't want to find out, who don't want a legal proceeding.
PLANTE: Well, Dick Cheney - no, no. They don't want a witch hunt and a politically-driven - listen we got two camps of people in this country. One camp of people wants to take down Americans who have kept this country safe and protect Al Qaeda. The other camp, Dick Cheney's camp wants to take down Al Qaeda and protect Americans. You choose -
(CROSSTALK)
SIROTA: -- trying to have an investigation looking into what happened and wanting to protect Al Qaeda? We got past that in the 2008 election.
KAYE: All right. You guys -
SIROTA: Looking for the truth is not siding with Al Qaeda.
KAYE: We're going to take a quick break here and continue this discussion. David and Chris, please stick around. So if the prison at Guantanamo is shut down, where should the detainees be held, in your backyard? Are facilities on the mainland secure enough? Many folks asking that question. We'll take you inside Colorado's Supermax prison.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: It is home to some of the most notorious criminals in the U.S., the federal Supermax prison in Colorado and if President Obama gets his way it could be the next stop for some of the Guantanamo detainees, once that detention camp shuts down.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE (voice-over): They call it the Alcatraz of the Rockies. Its setting may be picturesque. Its reality is not. This is Supermax, the maximum security federal prison in Florence, Colorado. Oklahoma City conspirator Terry Nichols, Olympic park bomber Eric Rudolph, shoe bomber Richard Reid, Unabomber Ted Kaczynski and original World Trade Center terrorist Omar Abdel Rahman and Ramzi Yousef. They are all here.
So is Zacarias Moussaoui, one of 33 international terrorists behind the wires and walls of Supermax. But they are not permitted to mix. Inmates spend almost 23 hours a day locked behind solid steel doors in soundproof cells. The bed, desk, stool, made of concrete. The cell windows are four inches wide, and don't offer a view of the Rockies. Nothing is left to chance. There are soft, flexible pens to write with. President Obama is confident that Supermax can hold Guantanamo detainees.
PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES: Nobody has ever escaped from one of our federal Supermax prisons, which hold hundreds of convicted terrorists.
KAYE: Opponents say bringing Guantanamo detainees to the U.S. is asking for trouble.
SEN. JAMES INHOFE (R), OKLAHOMA: They have some 17 places in the United States where they would put these detainees. Now the problem with that is, that becomes magnets to terrorism.
KAYE: And there's another problem, Supermax is full. Last week, it just had one vacant cell. The union representing prison officers says it needs more staff and facilities. But in nearby Florence, they're not losing any sleep over the prospect of transfers from Gitmo.
The mayor told "The Denver Post" this week, "most of us own guns."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: All right. So let's get some reaction from our guests, Chris Plante and David Sirota. I'm sure you guys are still fired up from our last segment there.
Let's talk about the critics of this move. They are arguing that moving Gitmo prisoners here to the U.S. would make the U.S. more vulnerable, will turn Colorado, Florence, Colorado, into a bull's eye, a target for terrorists. Is there anything the president can say to calm those fears, Chris?
PLANTE: I want to know what the difference is. You know, we've got Supermax at Guantanamo bay, which is reserved just for terrorists. Why - you know, if it isn't broke, don't fix it. It's a solution in search of a problem. You know, go around the world and find a place to put these guys. Guantanamo is a pretty good solution, it has worked very well. This whole thing is just sort of a silly circle fest.
KAYE: David, what do you think?
SIROTA: Well, I don't think it's that. I mean, I think that what has happened at Guantanamo has been, there have been questions about whether it's been within the purview of U.S. code, of U.S. law. Is there any way for Obama to quell the fears? I mean, I live near, relatively near, I live in Denver, near the Supermax prison.
I have every confidence, and I think most Coloradoans have every confidence that people who come there are not going to escape. And remember, I also used to live in Montana. The folks up in Hardin, Montana, the city council up there with the big prison up there, they've actually said we want these prisoners if they're coming to the U.S. to be here. So this whole controversy about how it's frightening I think President Obama's exactly right, nobody has ever escaped. We shouldn't be frightened about that prospect.
PLANTE: Nobody's ever escaped from Guantanamo and it's reserved for terrorists who have a special place in the world right now. They're not criminals. Now let's keep this in mind. They're waging war. They're jihadis.
KAYE: These are accused terrorists.
PLANTE: You know what, German P.O.W.s weren't accused German soldiers. They were captured on the battlefield and they've taken out of the battle. They've been sidelined and all of this water boarding fluff is much the same. I've got to tell you, three guys were subjected to frightening treatment, and according to Vice President Cheney, thousands of American lives were saved.
On the other hand, President Obama ordered Navy S.E.A.L.S. to put bullets through three heads of three Somali pirates to save one life. And nobody has been (inaudible) over that. I don't understand the moral murkiness of all of this. I really don't.
KAYE: Is there any convincing Congress to get the funds to close Gitmo? I mean what does the president have to say. They say they want details.
SIROTA: I certainly think that there is going to be a case to maybe close Guantanamo. The idea again, we're going back to this idea that we should trust Dick Cheney who says -- Dick Cheney, the guy who led us into the Iraq war on false premises. We should trust what was done to those folks down in Guantanamo got us to save thousands of lives is absolutely absurd.
PLANTE: I tell you -
SIROTA: It's made up by radio talk show hosts on the right, like you. It is not substantiated by anything.
PLANTE: We're going to get personal about it now?
All right. Listen, sport, Vice President Cheney took his advice, his intelligence from the head of the CIA, George Tenet, who was appointed at the CIA.
SIROTA: The CIA right now says there was not actionable intelligence to save thousands of people.
(CROSSTALK)
PLANTE: Am I talking? Who was appointed to that -
SIROTA: It was a made up talking point by right wing talk show hosts like you. And you can make and huff and puff and sigh all you want. And you can keep making up the lies - PLANTE: Making up the lies?
SIROTA: But the inspector general of the CIA have continue to say there's not been actionable intelligence.
PLANTE: Excuse me, do I get to talk here, Randi? Or am I going to be filibustered?
KAYE: Quickly. Last word before we stop.
PLANTE: First.
SIROTA: Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Bumbling.
KAYE: Come on, David. Let him have the last word over here.
PLANTE: President Obama redacted the truth, David. All right. You want the truth? Release the documents.
SIROTA: The inspector general -
PLANTE: Let's put Nancy Pelosi under oath. Are you going to talk over me the whole time? Keep repeating that. Nancy Pelosi needs to go under oath. We need to release the unradicated (ph) version of the documents.
SIROTA: Absolutely.
PLANTE: As Vice President Cheney has said.
SIROTA: Absolutely.
PLANTE: And then we'll get the truth that the democrats on Capitol Hill are afraid of, not by Vice President Cheney.
SIROTA: And the Bush administration is afraid of, too. I agree with you. We need as much information out here as possible. Absolutely.
PLANTE: Very enlightened.
KAYE: All right. Gentlemen, we want to thank you both for being such good sports. We really appreciate it. Chris Plante and David Sirota, quite a fiery debate. Thank you.
Iran's president shuts down Facebook. Apparently no one's friending him. What's deal with that?
Also this might sound familiar. A charismatic man running for president but it's his wife who is whipping up the crowds. We'll introduce you to Iran's Michelle Obama.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Well NASA is hoping the third time is a charm for shuttle "Atlantis." Its landing was scrubbed for a second day in a row because of bad weather at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The next window of opportunity 10:11 a.m. Eastern time on Sunday. "Atlantis" is returning from the final repair mission to the Hubble space telescope and weather permitting, you can watch the landing live right here on CNN.
So lots of folks not real thrilled with the weather in their area. Bonnie Schneider is in the weather center. And Bonnie, I guess Florida is getting hit pretty badly, huh?
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely, Randi. And not too far north of the space center, we have Daytona Beach where we've seen incredible amounts of rain. If you're wondering how much, well, since May 17th, we go back to the map for just a second, since May 17th, straight until yesterday we had almost record rain really. It was almost the record because it's almost the wettest month of May ever for Daytona Beach.
So as you can see we definitely saw some rough weather. But we found these pictures to show what it really looks like on twitter. Check out these twit picks that we found of the Daytona Motor Speed Way. Yes, that says Daytona. You can see how high the water is just behind it. So overall, definitely some very wet conditions even as of today. These pictures were taken today. We found them on twitter, and it's a great way to find information if you log on there.
All right. Let's show you what's going on as we take a look at what the wet weather is doing not just in Daytona Beach, but we have heavy rain across Orlando at this hour and we're tracking some very heavy rainfall working its way across not just Florida but Louisiana, on into Alabama. These thunderstorms are all associated with the same area of low pressure that's creating the threat for flooding across much of the southeast. That will stay this way straight until the weekend.
Unfortunately, tomorrow, this area of low pressure sits right here and it has really brought more, I'd say slowdowns in terms of driving rather than flying. Because when we take a look at the air travel, don't let all the planes scare you away. We have over 3100 in the sky right now. Believe it or not, Randi, on this Saturday evening, no delays.
KAYE: That is amazing.
SCHNEIDER: Not yet anyway.
KAYE: Amazing and very good news. All right. Thanks, Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
KAYE: Facebook is off limits in Iran. Here's why. The government blocked access without any explanation, but it's believed to be related to the country's upcoming presidential election. An opposition candidate who is considered a strong threat to the current president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, quickly gathered thousands of supporters when his campaign created a Facebook page. Well, soon after, Facebook suddenly was blocked. Amazing. The opposition candidate is a former prime minister and reformer named Mir Hossein Mousavi. But as CNN's Reza Sayah reports it's his wife who may prove to be an even more powerful political force.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dancing in public is not allowed in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not at all.
SAYAH: No dancing?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
SAYAH: But thousands could hardly contain themselves at a raucous campaign rally in Tehran. On this day, the deafening cheers were not for presidential hopeful Mir Hossein Mousavi. In a rare break from tradition, the cheers welcomed Mousavi's wife, Zahra Rahnavard, a woman some call Iran's Michelle Obama.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We look at her and we see that we can be like her in future.
SAYAH: Never in the history of Iranian presidential elections has a candidate put his wife in the forefront of his campaign. But where the centrist candidate goes, his wife is usually nearby.
FARHAD MAMOUDI, MOUSAVI SUPPOTER: This is the first time after revolution we see a lady in front - behind the president. This is why we are so happy.
SAYAH: At this rally, the writer and art professor did the speaking for her husband, who was campaigning elsewhere. Wearing a traditional black chador and not so traditional floral head scarf, Rahnavard called for freedoms she says were lost during President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's term.
ZAHRA RAHNAVARD, WIFE OF MOUSAVI (through translator): I hope freedom of speech, freedom of the pen and freedom of thought will not be forgotten.
SAYAH (on camera): An estimated 12,000 people packed into this arena for what was a very loud rally. The women sat on one side, the men sat on the other. The overwhelming majority of people here are young voters, 20-somethings were calling for change. And many say they're here because of Mousavi's wife.
SHAKIBA SHAKERHOUSSEIE, MOUSAVI SUPPORTER: The most important reason that I'm working for Mr. Mousavi is his wife.
SAYAH: How much are you supporting Mr. Mousavi because of his wife?
SAGHAR KOUHESTANI, MOUSAVI SUPPORTER: Really much, because I really, really angry about the position - here Iran as a woman. PROF. MOHAMMAD MARANDI, TEHRAN UNIVERSITY: I think Iranian elections are always intriguing.
SAYAH: Political science professor Mohammad Marandi says Rahnavard's role is to win over reformists and women voters but Marandi down plays her impact. What will win the election, he says is a solution to a floundering economy and strong debates.
MARANDI: If Ahmadinejad does well in the debates, I don't see anyone being able to defeat him.
SAYAH (voice-over): Don't tell that to Ahmadinejad's energized supporters, who say if her husband becomes president, she will have a lot to do with it. Reza Sayah, CNN, Tehran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Deep in debt but not alone. One woman cuts down her credit card debt. And you can, too.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: The recession is causing more of you to become delinquent on your credit card payments. We talked with one woman who is paying down her debt with a little help, and it's something you can do, too.
Here's CNN's John Zarrella.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Last summer, Maria Calderon was overwhelmed with credit card debt.
(on camera): So you had, what, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine different credit cards?
MARIA CALDERON, PAYING OFF HER DEBT: Yes.
ZARRELLA: And you had - when you went to them, you owed $21,000.
CALDERON: Mmm-hmm.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): She was laughing about it when we talked to her in February. But last August, she was so worried about her debt, she couldn't sleep.
CALDERON: Nights crying, thinking. I'd say, god, help me. And now I can say, thank you.
ZARRELLA: Thank you because she found help. Maria called Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Palm Beach County.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you talked to the creditors?
ZARRELLA: CCCS is a non-profit agency that counsels people in financial trouble. Maria's counselor negotiated lower interest rates with her creditors and put her on a repayment plan.
JESSICA CECERE, CCCS AT PALM BEACH COUNTY: This plan helps her get control of her debt so that she can repay her debt within 36 to 48 months, three to four years.
ZARRELLA: Credit advisers say choose your counseling program carefully.
STEVE BUCCI, AUTHOR "CREDIT REPAIR KIT FOR DUMMIES": First, it should be a nonprofit agency. Second, it should be absolutely free to get your counseling and to get your advice. And third, you want to make sure that the agency is accredited and the counselors are certified by independent third party.
ZARRELLA (on camera): With her repayment plan, Maria sends about $300 less each month to her credit card companies. How does it work? Lower interest payments mean more of Maria's money goes to paying off her balance.
That's under 10 percent now, right?
CALDERON: Yes.
ZARRELLA: And what were they charging you before you went to the Consumer Credit counselor?
CALDERON: This is a specific one, I believe, it was 23.
ZARRELLA: 23 percent?
CALDERON: Yes.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): In February, Maria told us she wanted to buy a home when she paid off her debts and she hoped this experience would teach her children to make smart financial decisions in their lives.
(on camera): Just to be clear, Maria did pay a monthly fee to participate in the debt repayment program. Since we first spoke with Maria, we've learned she's run into some financial troubles. The Consumer Credit Counseling Service tells us that due to circumstances beyond Maria's control, her income has been reduced and she's no longer able to make her payments.
John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: A boy with a deadly form of cancer that could probably be cured. So why is he on the run with his mother? And is it a crime to refuse treatment? We'll take a closer look at the case and at the possible medical care he could receive if mom and her son reach Mexico. That's at 10:00 p.m. Eastern right here in the NEWSROOM.
I'm Randi Kaye, at the CNN Center in Atlanta.
"Extreme challenges," an "AC360" special begins right now.
