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GM to File Bankruptcy; Controversial Doctor Gunned Down; Susan Boyle in Hospital; A Fighting Pioneer

Aired May 31, 2009 - 22:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: As we go on the air tonight, the White House at this very moment releasing all the details on how it will lead GM to a hopeful recovery. If you think you're not affected, you're wrong.

Church murder. The victim, a controversial figure in the abortion debate. The timing might just impact the president's pick for the Supreme Court. The Best Political Team on Television explains.

Too much, too soon. Moments ago, we just learned that breakout British singing sensation Susan Boyle is in the hospital tonight. We're in London with a live report.

It all starts right now.

Good evening, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. I'm holding the details just released from the White House on how it will handle GM's massive restructuring after the automaker files for bankruptcy the first thing in the morning. Let's go straight now to CNN's chief business correspondent Ali Velshi, who ran in to put this story in plain English for us tonight.

Ali, it was once the world's biggest company. Once America's largest employer. Tonight, General Motors is just a shell of its former self. So explain this to us. What's in this? What's in the White House's plan?

ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, that context that you just established is going to be so important, Don, because this was really so key to the establishment of the middle-class in the United States. The Treasury Department, the White House, they are going to put in money to continue to help GM.

We've already put in more than $19 billion, that's the U.S. tax payer. Under this deal, another $30 billion is going to go in. So, the government is going to be in for $50 billion. They will be owners of it. The United Auto Workers will be owners of it. The Canadian government, the bondholders of General Motors. So, everybody will be a part owner of the new GM, but the company will have to go into bankruptcy to determine what parts of the company stay afloat, what parts shut down.

Some of them will be shutting down. We already know Saturn will shut down. Pontiac will shut down. Hummer will likely shut down unless somebody decides to buy it. So this company is going into bankruptcy protection. It tried everything it could to avoid it. Negotiations with the people it owed money to. Negotiations with the auto workers, trying to get rid of dealers, but in the end it didn't work. And General Motors will be filing for bankruptcy protection tomorrow morning. At 8:00 a.m., the president will then be speaking just before noon, and then we'll hear from GM CEO to get some sense of exactly how it's going to unfold. But those details are in that package you are holding.

LEMON: And, Ali, you mentioned the UAW. What sort of concessions are they making?

VELSHI: Well, you know, late last week, when it looked they weren't going to be able to avoid bankruptcy, GM went back to discussions with the United Auto Workers and asked for them to give more up. And they did. Some health care benefits, some of it will be pay benefits.

The general -- the United Auto Workers voted two-thirds -- three quarters in favor of giving more concessions to GM in the hopes that they would stay afloat. Because what happens now is even though the United Auto Workers have made the concessions they have made, the fact is tomorrow we will probably get details that indicate more people being laid off at General Motors. More dealers being closed. Factories being closed. More than a dozen plants being closed. So it's not good news for them, and they did give up more to try and keep General Motors from going into bankruptcy.

LEMON: All right. Looking at the details that we're talking about right here -- and again, this is just 10:00 p.m. that this was released here. How involved will the government be now with this?

VELSHI: Well, look, the government is the majority owner in GM or will be, but they have said they do not want to have a lot of intricate day-to-day involvement. One thing that the government has said and the UAW has said is they want to get rid of their ownership stakes as soon as possible.

Now the reality is this stock will be de-listed, will be worth nothing. So they will have shares ownership in the new company. That stock may not be publicly traded for over a year. Might be close to two years. So nobody can get rid of their stake in GM. Everybody who is an owner now is an owner for the long haul.

The government will keep an eye on it. They'll keep a tight eye. But they say they do not want to be involved in the day-to-day running of General Motors. That's not -- that wasn't their intention. They want to create value in this company. Get money back for the taxpayers. And it's still in doubt as to whether that will actually happen - Don.

LEMON: And Ali Velshi, we really appreciate it. Ali is on vacation in his hometown of Toronto, and he ran in, because it's such a big story. Ali, we really appreciate you coming in and explaining this to our viewers tonight. Thank you very much.

VELSHI: Sure. LEMON: And for an assessment on how GM's bankruptcy will affect Detroit, the rest of the country and you, we go live now to a longtime automobile journalist. His name is Frank Washington. He is from AboutThatCar.com, and CNN's own Sean Callebs also joins us tonight from Spring Hill, Tennessee where 3,000 workers at a Saturn plant wonder what their futures will be.

Sean, we'll start with you. A lot of folks are predicting huge layoffs. What are the GM workers where you are saying tonight?

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first, a little background on this plant. You remember that back in 1985, the Saturn plant was going to be -- it was going to be the car, the business plant that revolutionized the industry that made American cars competitive with the more fuel-efficient Japanese car.

So, a lot of states competed to get that first GM Saturn plant. Well, it came here in Spring Hill, Tennessee, but it really never materialized the way it was supposed to. They actually stopped making the Saturn vehicle here two years ago and now when the line is working, they do turn out Chevys.

But there are 3,000 very anxious families here in this community. Spring Hill, basically, sprung up because of the GM plant. It's now called GM Spring Hill Manufacturing. No longer called the Saturn plant. So a lot of people are going to be watching very anxiously tomorrow morning when GM begins to spell out how they plan to move forward in the bankruptcy for protection.

A lot of folks here are worried. We talked to a number of people, a lot off camera, some on camera, who have a lot at stake. Some of these workers moved down from Michigan 19, 20 years ago, came in from Van Nuys, California, GM plants there.

They built their lives here. They got married here, had kids here, have mortgages. They say if they lose their job, it's not going to be good for this area. I mean, that goes without saying. There could be more foreclosures in this area. And, really, Don, a lot of people are just going to be watching. They have no idea what's going to happen. The plant could be sold off, it could be shut down or it could be phased out.

LEMON: Yes. And you want to bet, there will be new details by the time that you're up tomorrow morning for AMERICAN MORNING at 6:00 a.m. Eastern. Sean Callebs reporting our story there from Spring Hill. We appreciate it.

Now we want to go to Frank. Frank, you're in Detroit. What does this mean for your city and the automakers there? You've covered it for so many years. How are they reacting tonight?

FRANK WASHINGTON, ABOUTTHATCAR.COM: I think they're reacting with some anxiety and anticipation. In other words, is this going to be as bad as they thought it would be? Basically, you have almost 1,500 dealers have announced that they will be close, or GM is announcing they will close 1,500 dealers. The bulk of those dealers are concentrated here in Detroit and in Michigan. So each one of those dealers is like a little enterprise, if you will, employing 100 people, maybe more, subcontractors and the like. So that's going to spread out.

The other thing that I'm beginning to hear just today is how is this going to affect suppliers, because we never talk about that. What GM says it's going to close Saturn, close Pontiac, sell Hummer and get rid of Saab. It takes a lot of parts to build those cars. And a lot of those parts come from area suppliers. A lot of small suppliers, a lot of minority suppliers, who hire people from the various communities. So they're going to go.

GM has also announced that it's going to lay off 19,000 more people. So that's more jobs lost. So now you have a question of people who are laid off. I've heard talk now in terms of tax bases eroding. That may inspire or ignite, if you will, more layoffs across the economic sector. So this -- the question becomes how bad is this going to be?

LEMON: All right. Frank Washington, very knowledgeable here. We appreciate it. His Web site is called AboutThatCar.com.

Frank and Sean Callebs, thank you very much for that, including our Ali Velshi as well.

Late tomorrow morning, the president will hold a news conference on GM's bankruptcy filing and what it will mean to the company and the country and also to you the taxpayer. Make sure you tune in tomorrow morning, 11:55 Eastern right here on CNN. That's right after GM files for bankruptcy, we're told, at 8:00 tomorrow morning.

Our other breaking story tonight, they are mourning in Wichita. We'll take you to the vigil being held in the memory of the controversial abortion provider who was gunned down in church.

And will the shocking murder affect the confirmation of the president's Supreme Court nominee? We'll explore that topic as well.

Plus, did Britain's unlikely singing sensation collapse under pressure? Susan Boyle is in the hospital tonight. We'll go to London for a live report.

Also, tell us what's on your mind? Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or iReport.com is how you become part of our show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: There are new details coming in tonight in the fatal shooting of the controversial abortion provider George Tiller. He was gunned down this morning while attending church in Wichita, Kansas. Investigators say he was shot in the church lobby while serving as an usher. His wife was in the choir. Tiller had lived with threats to his safety for years. He was one of the few abortion doctors, or doctors in the country, who performed late-term abortions. Police tracked down the suspects on a Kansas interstate. That is a car that you see right there at the center of your screen. The suspect was picked up several hours after the shooting, more than 100 miles from the church.

The suspect has not been identified by name, but he's been described as a 51-year-old from Johnson County, Kansas. Charges are expected to be filed tomorrow. And supporters gather tonight in Wichita and held a vigil in Tiller's memory. Several hundred people attending that gathering tonight.

And in the state, here's what President Barack Obama said earlier this evening. He said, "I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church services this morning. However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence."

It is hard to imagine sitting in church and being witness to a fatal shooting. But that's what happened to the worshippers at Wichita's Reformation Lutheran Church. We're told George Tiller was an usher and his wife was in the choir at the time of the shooting. The rest of the church members were in the pew.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICKEY COHLMIA, REFORMATION LUTHERAN CHURCH MEMBER: It's heart- wrenching that something in our community could happen as evil as this in his church. You know? I mean, how does all that scar everybody in his church, plus our church, plus everybody in this community. You know, I don't -- somebody's got -- I just hope they catch him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Joining me now from the Cedric County jail in Wichita, Kansas, is Dana Hertneky. She's with our affiliate KSNW in Wichita.

Dana, thank you very much. I want to talk to you about the suspect. But real quickly here, I want our viewers to know that he may have been possibly targeted because he was controversial. One of the only doctors in the country that performed late-term abortions.

DANA HERTNEKY, KSNW-TV CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that is correct. That he is one of the few doctors here in Wichita that does perform late-term abortions. Now as far as the suspect goes, we know that he is on his way here to Wichita and will be booked here into the Cedric County jail sometime before midnight tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DET. TOM STOLTZ, WICHITA, KANSAS POLICE DEPARTMENT: We investigate this suspect to the nth degree. His history, his family, his associates and we're just in the beginning stages of that. We never say that we're completely finished with that. So, that will go into tonight. An ancillary thing that we'll be doing is -- there's a lot of information flowing on the Internet right now between pro-life and pro-choice groups, and unfortunately, we don't have the luxury as law enforcement to focus only on this case. We have to focus on a bigger picture. So, we all have a whole another facet going while we're investigation anything that can come from that.

We're just asking people to let us run our course on this. We think we have the right person arrested. He's going to be charged, and hopefully handle this case in a professional manner.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HERTNEKY: And we know a little bit more, like we said, about that suspect tonight including the fact that he is not new to being in the news and not new to being in trouble with the law. As a matter of fact, back in 1996, he was arrested for having bomb making material in the back of his car. And at that time, the FBI said he was a member of the Freeman, which you'll remember was a Minnesota radical anti- government group.

Still in 1997, the Kansas Supreme Court overturned that conviction saying the officers who searched his car violated the suspect's fourth amendment rights and he was let go. Again, he is residing tonight in Merriam Kansas, where he was residing until he was arrested earlier today - Don.

LEMON: Those details from our affiliate KNSW and the reporter there, Dana Hertneky.

Thank you very much.

Dr. Tiller's murder begs the question, will it affect the Supreme Court confirmation hearings? We'll explore that question in our panel discussion moments away.

And New York police investigating friendly fire in their own ranks. We'll tell you why some believe race may have been a factor here.

Plus, British news reports say singing phenom Susan Boyle is in the hospital tonight. Is this the price of fame?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We're going to get back to our breaking news out of Kansas today. The shooting death of controversial abortion provider George Tiller could have far-reaching implications, specifically the nation's high court. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is set to meet with Senate Judiciary Committee members on Tuesday with the topic of abortion and the landmark Roe v. Wade case being front and center here.

But some suggest today's killing in Wichita could create a pro- choice backlash. Some say anti-abortion activist Randall Terry, a former member and founder of the Operation Rescue who once picketed at Tiller's clinic, calls Tiller a mass murderer. He also says this: "I'm more concerned that the Obama administration will use Tiller's killing to intimidate pro-lifers into surrendering our most effective rhetoric and actions. Abortion is still murder, and we must still call abortion by its proper name."

We want to bring in CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider. He's joining us tonight from Los Angeles, and Lynn Sweet, Washington Bureau Chief of the "Chicago Sun-Times," and also a columnist for PoliticsDaily.com. She's joining us from Washington.

Thanks to both of you.

Lynn, when you hear that from Randall Terry, you know that once this process gets under way, it's going to make it even more stickier.

LYNN SWEET, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Well, Randall Terry is known sometimes for his incendiary rhetoric. What this murder today will do, I think, will further politicize and polarize the process.

Abortion is always one of the most contentious issues in the Supreme Court debate. It's already been debate as to what Judge Sotomayor's positions are. And whether or not Obama talked to her about those positions. We were told he has not, and this -- this murder however though has a way of uniting, this one quick point, the mainstream pro-life and the mainstream pro-choice groups have, or ready strong statements to point the murder and saying we have our differences but murder is not the answer of this doctor.

LEMON: And Bill Schneider, it is evident that everyone is paying attention to this -- Republicans, Democrats, especially the administration, even the attorney general. I want to read this to you, Bill.

The attorney general, Eric Holder, saying, "The murder of Dr. George Tiller is an abhorrent act of violence. And his family is in our thoughts and prayers at this tragic moment. Federal law enforcement is coordinating with local law enforcement officials in Kansas on the investigation of this crime. And I have directed the United States Marshal Service to offer protection to other appropriate people and facilities around the nation." Then he goes on to talk about what he thinks would be appropriate.

The attorney general just overhauled the Department of Justice, or at least beefed up the part that handles hate crimes in this situation. So it's obvious that this administration is taking this very important, very seriously and it will play a part once Sonia Sotomayor is -- once her talks get under way.

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it certainly is a hate crime. There's no question about that. And Lynne is quite right that the country is united against the abhorrent violence that was shown in this incident.

I think it does put some of the more extreme anti-abortion forces on the defensive. They've had to come out and make these statements. They do condemn the violence. But I think what it will be -- the net was all for this, will be to say to the country and to the senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee, let's cool this down. We don't want to polarize this situation further.

There are intense passions involved in this issue. Sonia Sotomayor may be questioned about abortion, but I don't think she's going to answer those questions. I think she has no record particularly on the abortion issue. A lot of people believe they know what she thinks, but I don't think she's going to spell it out in her hearings. Most nominees to the Supreme Court have not done that. And I think it's going to cool a lot of passion in these hearings over that issue.

LEMON: Hey, Bill, real quickly, I want to give you these numbers. This is the latest CNN Opinion Research Poll. This was taken back in April. And it says, we asked how do you describe your views on abortion? Forty-nine percent say they are pro-choice, pro- life 45 percent. And then here's the interesting question.

Should the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade? Thirty percent say yes. Sixty-eight percent say no, Bill. So that shows you where the country is on this issue.

SCHNEIDER: That's right. A lot of Americans, a lot of senators, believe this is settled law. And that it would upset the status quo clearly if Roe V. Wade were overturned because that's the decision that gave constitutional protection to abortion rights.

So, even some members of the court who are critical of abortion rights say it is now settled law. They don't want to vote to overturn it. In fact, the court voted to keep it back in 1992. And there's no indication that Judge Sotomayor is going to be inclined to say anything that would indicate she's for the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

Hey, Lynn, real quickly, in the short time we have left, I want to give you the last word here, as you're an expert at covering Washington. Where do you see this going once you start to meet with those members on Tuesday and then beyond that? Most people are saying that they think that she will be confirmed regardless of this.

SWEET: Well, to jump ahead to the end of the story -- yes, I think she'll be confirmed. I think that the Senate comes back this week from their recess. I bet we will hear a lot of statements condemning this. Bill said condemning the murder, but the outside groups sometimes have a life of their own. And both sides will -- just means abortion will be talked about even more than it has been already in the confirmation process.

LEMON: Lynn Sweet, Bill Schneider, thank you very much.

SWEET: Thank you.

LEMON: Well, the hot talking points of the week with GM about to file for bankruptcy. What will happen to the thousands of workers at its Pontiac, Saturn and Hummer plants?

Plus, was race a factor in the shooting death of a New York police officer by a comrade? We'll explore it.

And is the fight over for opponents of Proposition 8 now that California Supreme Court has upheld it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A lot of you are weighing in tonight. Here's what Bugsacs says, "Fighting for the life of children should not include killing a doctor. This kind of logic is crazy thinking."

DanJsimons says, "It seems some believe a person's right to life only exists in the womb."

Julia1970 says, "I think this is just awful. I don't understand why people think it's OK to kill grown-ups but not babies. I just don't get it."

And DougWagner said, "Sad about any murder. Let justice be done and hope the judge rules by letter of law and not empathy."

Tmgesq says, "I think the shooting of an abortion doctor, particularly at church, is outrageous. Pro-lifers need to find a way to disagree."

Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or iReport.com. We really appreciate your thoughts on these subjects. That's the buzz online.

Let's talk to our radio host now. Warren Ballentine, host of "The Warren Ballentine Show." He's in Washington tonight. And conservative commentator Chris Plante joins us now both from New York.

Let's talk about -- first up the story, our breaking news story tonight. We're talking about the abortion doctor being killed in church.

You know, we have heard that Warren, that this is going to give pro-life, or pro-choice supporters more, I guess, leverage in keeping the law the way it is. Do you agree with that?

WARREN BALLENTINE, RADIO HOST, "WARREN BALLENTINE SHOW": You know, Don, I would like to start on by saying anybody dying, especially an adult, is wrong. And I don't think this is going to change the playing field on either side. I think that anybody who's pro-life is going to have an argument here. Pro-choice is going to have an argument. But I think that this death shouldn't be used just to leverage one side or the other. I think what we have to do is do what the president did. We have to find common ground on this issue. This is a tough issue. We all need to find the common ground on this issue.

LEMON: And Chris Plante, it's certainly is interesting, the timing and all of this. And some say that the timing may have something to do with Sonia Sotomayor's nomination or appointment?

CHRIS PLANTE, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: Well, it's pure conjecture as far as I can tell. I mean, what we're talking about is someone that committed a murder. Murder is a terrible crime

Warren just said, you know, murdering anybody is wrong especially an adult. I'm sure he didn't mean to say it quite that way. You know, it's better to kill a child or it's better to kill a baby.

Look, this is a difficult issue. Abortion is, obviously -- as a political issue, as a moral issue, as an ethical and religious issue. What we saw today was a murder. Murder is a terrible thing. I'm sure that the murder believed that he was killing a killer. It's an irrational response. He's been captured. Justice will be done.

LEMON: I think everyone is saying who has prevailed here. And that it's wrong, no matter which side you stand on.

PLANTE: Sure.

LEMON: We had a bunch of topics to cover, guys. If we can keep it shorter, I would really appreciate it. Let's talk about GM, because GM filing for bankruptcy tomorrow. And the president just released at 10:00 p.m. tonight -- the president releasing what he is going to do to try to keep GM viable, even in restructuring.

Chris, do you think we have paid out enough money to GM already?

PLANTE: Well, clearly, we have -- and GM should just be allowed to go bankrupt in peace. And if they're going to go under, they should go under. You know, of the big three automakers, Ford is the most healthy. And now they're being put into a competitive disadvantage because of government subsidies of GM and Chrysler? And Ford, the healthiest of the three may die first as a result of government intervention.

LEMON: Yes. But, Warren -- go ahead.

BALLENTINE: You know, Don, with this GM bankruptcy is one thing that we must pay close attention to. What is the effect on the overseas GM market? Because if they are still being able to prosper, and they are still being able to put out automobiles and not have the affect of this Chapter 11, we need to be calling in the question, what is the government doing? Especially when we are now as taxpayers the owner of GM.

LEMON: OK. Listen...

PLANTE: And GM, you know, loses money for every car that they make. So, the more cars they sell, the more money they lose.

LEMON: All right, let's move on now. Let's move on now to New York, Warren. And talked about what's happening in New York with the police officer who was killed by friendly fire.

Some are calling for an independent investigation. The Reverend Al Sharpton and others. There was a big protest yesterday, and there are some movement on the story today.

What do you make of it? Because the people who are protesting are saying that it's only either black or Hispanic officers who are being shot in this manner. And there's not a case of white on white officer shooting in that way?

BALLENTINE: You know, Don, any time officer's life is lost, it's a tragedy. But I support Reverend Sharpton on this, and I'll tell you why. If you look through the history within the last 15 to 20 years everybody who's been brutally shot by a cop has either been a black person or Hispanic person, when it's dealing with a routine traffic stop or a routine situation.

This situation didn't have to happen. They need to focus on not only the investigation part, but they need to focus on the training of these officers across the country to stop these kinds of senseless deaths.

LEMON: Chris, let's -- get in here, Warren.

PLANTE: Obviously, it's a tragic accident for the Reverend Al Sharpton to come out and call this a race issue. It's outrageous.

BALLENTINE: Come on now. Come on now, Chris.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: I understand what you're saying -- hang on, hang on, hang on. Let me make my point. I understand what you're saying. There's no need to call people out of their name, though, but go on. Make your point.

PLANTE: And to suggest that only a minority people are shot by police officers is also not true. They are the only ones that make national news, that's probably true. But, look, a lot of...

BALLENTINE: Tell me at one time where a white person has been pulled over and get shot by a cop?

PLANTE: I didn't come with a list.

BALLENTINE: Because you can't name them.

LEMON: OK. This debate should go on, but there is a point when you look at the numbers, the averages and the statistics. Something is going on. Not exactly sure what it is. If it's training, if it's racism or what it is, who knows. But there is something.

And there's a trend going on here that even people inside the police department say that needs to be investigated. I want to talk Prop 8 here, Warren. Because I know you wanted to talk about it as an attorney, about what happened. So real quickly, go ahead and tell me what's on your mind about Proposition 8.

BALLENTINE: Well, I think the interesting thing here with the Proposition 8 decision is how they defined the decision. They didn't attack -- none of the big issues. They didn't go after the equal protection. They talked about marriage and the definition of the word marriage. I think Proposition 8 along with gay marriage is going to be a bullet for the Supreme Court in the next session. I think the Supreme Court is going to be hearing this by the end of this year. Because I think this is not going to die based off a definition of the word marriage.

LEMON: Less than five seconds. Chris, I'll give you the last word.

PLANTE: I'm for traditional marriage. Five seconds? I'm for traditional marriage. I'm with the people of California. I'm with President Obama on this.

LEMON: OK.

BALLENTINE: Good for you.

LEMON: I know that. I told you five seconds, and you take ten. So, that's why I said that.

Thank you both very much for joining us tonight.

BALLENTINE: Thank you, Don.

What do you do when your employer goes bankrupt? Well, it is a question thousands of GM employees are trying to answer. We'll ask the experts.

Plus, British songster Susan Boyle is taken to the hospital. Was it too much stardom? Too soon?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Recapping our breaking story tonight. Tomorrow morning, GM will file for bankruptcy. That is according to a source with direct knowledge of the proceedings. And as the nation's largest automaker fights for its survival, it plans to slash 20,000 jobs, close about a dozen plants and about 40 percent of its dealerships. Also dropping the Hummer, Saab, Saturn and Pontiac brands. And the U.S. government will end up owning about 60 percent of GM.

And right now, we want to hear from the people who are directly impacted by GM's decision. CNN's national correspondent Susan Candiotti traveled to Warren, Michigan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They represent generations of GM.

(on camera): Raise your hand if you have a parent or a grandparent who's worked for GM. Practically everybody in the room.

(voice-over): Under bankruptcy, they'll have a new boss -- Uncle Sam and U.S. taxpayers. The new majority owners of General Motors. CHRIS ANDELEAN, GM WORKER: A lot of people are unhappy that they're helping us out, but they fail to realize how many people are losing their jobs and how much the trickle down effect is for everybody, because if we don't work, a lot of other people don't work.

CANDIOTTI: That trickle-down effect hurting small businesses who count on GM workers to survive. Ongoing layoffs also contributing to Michigan's high foreclosure rate.

NANCY KELLY, GM WORKER: Stress is definitely at an all-time high.

CANDIOTTI: Nancy Kelly counts almost 30 years repairing GM boilers, now she counsels co-workers battling alcoholism and depression.

KELLY: I think we're all worried. I think we are in a time right now where we're all pretty concern about what tomorrow is going to bring.

CANDIOTTI: It may bring as many as 20,000 job cuts, about a dozen plant shutdowns and about 40 percent of its dealerships gone. These lifers insist a quality product will be there if the company's new owners will buy it.

BOB BRINKER, GM WORKER: Just that the American people is going to have to sit there and start, hey, buy American. I mean, that's what -- you know, that's what you have to do. Support the people that are here.

CANDIOTTI: Will that support come? Maybe, if GM's next generation of cars is successful.

(on camera): How many of you think the best days are yet to come for GM?

(voice-over): It's not unanimous, but these GM-ers will settle for a majority.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Warren, Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Well, she wowed them in jolly old England, but singing sensation Susan Boyle has been hospitalized tonight. We'll have the very latest on that.

Plus, she served in the first battalion of African-American women during World War II. Alice Dixon is an "African-American First."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: OK, we want to tell you about this story we found out just before our newscast tonight, that Susan Boyle, the "Britain's Got Talent" singing sensation, has reportedly been taken to a London clinic, that is according to the British media. She became an international phenom, we know that, but ended up placing second in the talent contest. It just happen yesterday. And if you see it, you can see the anxiety there. And at one point she was even mumbling to herself when it got close to announcing the winner.

I want to go now to our Atika Shubert who recently spent time with Boyle in London.

Atika joins us by phone.

Atika, a lot of people say they saw this coming, like Susan Boyle was slowly unraveling, and that she had outbursts and they had seen it. What do you know about this?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, there were definitely reports of outbursts leading up to the final of "Britain's Got Talent." She reportedly had something of a temper tantrum at her hotel, that's according to British tabloid reports. And, yesterday, actually, the show released a statement saying that she would be taking time off because she was exhausted, and just emotionally exhausted from the show.

Now, when we interviewed her about a month ago, she insisted that she was going to be very much the same person. That she had her feet solidly on the ground. But I have to say, you know, every day, there were dozens of people just banging on her door to get her autograph, calling her up for interviews and it was just nonstop attention. And it would have been difficult for anybody to try and keep normal under that kind of pressure. So it's certainly not a surprise that she was under such strain. But the fact that now we're hearing from British media that she's been taken to a clinic for mental health reasons is surprising.

LEMON: And Atika, you know what, there are lots of things out there. Because we also heard at one report that it was a breakdown, possibly. And that a -- a breakdown for sure, and that she'd gone over the edge. But what we're told as well is that she went voluntarily to the hospital.

Have you heard that?

SHUBERT: Yes, that's right. Police are saying that they won't confirm whether or not it's Susan Boyle. But they are saying that they did take a woman to a mental health clinic voluntarily, that there was no indication of anything criminal happening or any arrests. That they simply voluntarily escorted a woman to this mental health clinic.

So, again, we'll have to find out more tomorrow, but it does appear that she was cracking under the strain of all of this media attention. But also coming in second after having all this pressure expected to come in first.

LEMON: Yes, right, Atika. And as I said, if you look at the video yesterday when the were about to announce the winner, it looked to me that she was almost about to collapse. I mean, she started mumbling and she had her head down, and that's a lot of pressure to be under, to have the whole world watching.

Atika, we really appreciate your reporting. Thank you so much tonight.

Susan Boyle, talent sensation from Britain taken to the hospital. We'll continue to update that. Make sure you tune in to "AMERICAN MORNING," 6:00 a.m. for the latest on that story as well.

She got no parade or accolades of any sort. But Alice Dixon served in the first battalion of African-American women during World War II. Her inspiring story.

Plus, the priest who fell in love and got engaged has found a new faith and a new flock. The latest from Father Cutie and his fiance.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: At 101 years old, Alice Dixon has many, many stories to tell. She was part of the first and really the only African-American female battalion to serve in World War II. And she is the oldest living survivor of that unit. Dixon and others from the 688th, the Central Post Battalion, were honored for their service in February.

Look at her. She's a cutie. Long overdue, since they received no parade or welcome when they returned from war. You know, I sat down with Alice Dixon. It's part of our special series called "Up From the Past: African-American First".

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON (voice-over): September 11th being your birthday.

ALICE DIXON, AFRICAN-AMERICAN FIRST: Yes.

LEMON: And then being part of the armed forces.

DIXON: Yes.

LEMON: And then seeing that happen to the country, what did that mean for you?

DIXON: Oh, my goodness. I just thank God they let me stay here to see it, but it's terrible because I like peace. And New York was one of my favorite cities. I lived there 19 years. So, I was so horrified when I saw that plane going in to crash that building.

LEMON: All right. Let's talk about you. So, people used to think you were white?

DIXON: I thought I was Jewish. All my friends were Jewish. I had Jewish -- when I lived in that neighborhood, and I went to synagogue and everything. I mean, we didn't talk about color or anything then. So, I didn't know.

LEMON: When did it -- did somebody tell you something? Did it suddenly dawn on you?

DIXON: When I came to Washington. I discovered that I was different. And when they told me that I couldn't go downtown to the store and eat at the restaurants, and then I realized what the prejudice had been, and how awful it was. And then I really got mad. But I tried to calm myself, and I said, I'm going to school and learn something and try to do something.

I was among the first women that joined in 1943, and we were called WAACs then -- WAAC. The Army took us in in 1944, and we came to work. And so now that we're a part of the army and a part of the whole world, then let's go forward and do what we can do. And don't stand back. Don't let anybody tell you you can't do it, because you can.

LEMON: You joined because you said you wanted some good advice for doctors. I see that...

(CROSSTALK)

DIXON: I had vitiligo, that's brown and white spots. Colored folks turn white and white folks turn brown. And I had it on my neck. And I said, the army doctors know everything. That was my idea. I said, let me find out if they know what to do. Then I said now all the men are going. Why can't we go and do something, too? So I said, I've got a double reason for going. I want to follow the men and take care of the vitiligo. So I joined.

LEMON: And then people started to think you were white?

DIXON: Yes.

LEMON: What was that like? I mean, if someone to change colors...

DIXON: Well, haven't you seen it? Don't you see Negroes with it?

LEMON: Of course I've seen vitiligo, but I mean to live it?

DIXON: Isn't that wonderful? I'm almost white all over. If I did a striptease, you'd see.

Isn't that terrible?

LEMON: It's who you are. But did you ever think, like, why couldn't I just be brown like everybody else or did you want...

(CROSSTALK)

DIXON: Yes.

LEMON: Did you wish -- did you want to be one way or the other?

DIXON: Well, I wanted to be brown, but I said this is what God planned. I had nothing to do with it. LEMON: A lot of people didn't want blacks in the Army.

DIXON: I know.

LEMON: What were the conditions like overseas? The warehouses and the mail, what was that like?

DIXON: We went into a building that was built for that post office, it's 688. There were 90 billion pieces of mail stacked up this here. And there were 980 of us in there -- Negroes, just taking care of that mail. And the general said, oh, all that mail, it will take them six months to do it. We finished it in three months. We all worked eight hours a day and got that mail out. And a lot of the mail was sent to us, some parents wrote: (INAUDIBLE) U.S. Army, junior U.S. Army. We had to find them.

We knew that they were a soldier and they had a number. So we had to do some searching. We found all of them. And the wives and the sweethearts used to write every day. And we had stacks like that we'd have to send back with deceased on it. And that was the saddest thing. And the folks from down south sent chicken, fried chicken to you -- biscuits, cookies, cakes, all that. We had to fight the rats, the mice at first, too, because it was full of them. And you know how the girls out there jumping on chairs and boxes. But we fought all of that, and made out and finished it.

LEMON: Writing -- I would imagine writing "deceased" on a letter.

DIXON: Oh, that was so sad. And it was piled up like that. We used to sit up and cry about it.

LEMON: A lot of people who came home from overseas, from war, they got parades, ticker tapes and big welcomes.

DIXON: We got nothing. When we came home, we didn't have a thing. There was a lady there who was with us, that's the first thing she said. We came home. We didn't have balloons, a parade or anything. They just gave us a piece of paper and sent us home.

LEMON: Did you feel cast aside?

DIXON: It didn't matter. I guess I wasn't smart enough to realize it was terrible. It didn't bother me. I was glad to be home.

LEMON: Not insulted?

DIXON: They can't insult me. I don't appreciate -- I don't know what they say or do. I don't pay attention to them because I think they don't know any better.

LEMON: Would you do it all over again?

DIXON: Now that I know better I'd do it a little differently, but I would.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Our weekly series, "Up From the Past: African-American Firsts" continues. Next week, I'll introduce you to Kathy Hughes. She runs the largest African-American owned radio broadcasting company in the country.

And this July, CNN's award-winning documentary returns. CNN presents "Black in America 2," hosted by our Soledad O'Brien. That's on July 22nd and 23rd, only here on CNN.

First he found love then he got engaged. We'll take you to the Reverend Cutie's first mass with his new faith and flock.

Plus, potential travel delays for the week ahead. What is your workweek shaping up to for travel? Jacqui Jeras has the latest for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: This is definitely not a usual sermon for Father Alberto Cutie, who now has a fiancee, and he's joined a new church. Cutie formerly a priest in the Roman Catholic Church, and his new fiancee were received into an Episcopalian Church, an Episcopal Church in the Miami area this morning, where Cutie gave his first sermon.

The popular priest grabbed national headlines this months when pictures surfaced of him cavorting on the beach with his now fiancee. He said in his sermon that church is about forgiveness.

Hanging on for dear life. This rafter got stuck under a bridge in Spokane, Washington today because of debris. And her raft, well it flipped over. But she clung to it until the firefighter -- they could reach her and rescue her. They pulled both of them to safety using a harness but it wasn't easy. Rescue crews had to cut a hole in the bridge, which is already under construction. The local sheriff's office said signs were up warning boaters not to be in the part of the water because of the debris.

We have some potential travel delays in the week ahead.

Jacqui Jeras, tells us what's going on?

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: Jacqui, thank you.

All right. Well, you've got a lot to say tonight, I should say, and a lot to tweet about. We're going to hear them right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right, lots on your mind tonight. Let's look at some of the things that are being posted here. Here is Twitter. Someone said -- who's this one?

Danine or DanineSpencer says, "Don, please post a link 'Up From the Past' video from tonight."

Downtownbedrock says, "Don, great interview. That is a great segment. The children need this and so do we."

Hey, we appreciate it. We try to get you interesting people who will teach you and teach the country. So thank you very much for that.

There are also some other ones that are -- we found interesting.

Acurra19 says, "Susan Boyle had enough for now. What the media does. What does the media want from her?"

And Tashiba says, "OMG, or Oh My God, I don't think the cop shooting was race-related. He had a gun in his hand. Who wouldn't be on guard? Sad, but a mistake.

The last one says, "Alice Dixon is an icon for African-American women. Wow. You always find the best of the best. Thanks for her story."

And then Lofompo says, "This is a tragedy, but also opens up the need for dialogue as we as Americans need to bury this abortion divide."

Thank you for joining us. Make sure you have a good rest of the weekend and a good week. I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. See you back here next weekend.