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Americans Detained in Iraq Murder; Bodies Found Near Air France Crash Site; 38 Children Killed in Daycare Fire; 65th Anniversary of D- Day
Aired June 06, 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: Tonight, searching the seas. First, they feared nothing would turn up, now something has. And it could help investigators solve the mysterious crash of Flight 447.
Daycare horror. Dozens of young children burned alive in Mexico. Live reports tonight on the desperate and futile attempts to save them as helpless parents watched it all.
And bringing meth home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can do anything you want to me for 50 bucks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But what about her?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: New TV ads bring meth addiction right to your living room. But some say they'll make the problem worse.
And D-day. We honor the American heroes who helped put an end to war. All of that right now in the news.
Hello, everyone, I'm Don Lemon. (OFF-MIKE) Breaking news really tonight out of Iraq. Five suspects, all of them American, have been detained in connection with a shocking murder of an American contractor inside the green zone, the normally secure zone.
Now that's the section of Baghdad that's home to Iraqi government offices, the U.S. embassy and other important headquarters.
CNN's Phil Black is in Baghdad for us tonight with more.
Phil, what do you know?
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Don. James Kidman was found stabbed and bound, murdered within a car within Baghdad's heavily fortified green zone, as you say, or International Zone, as it is officially known here. Now, five private American security contractors have been detained in an early morning raid here in connection with that death. We do not know who they are or which company they work for here. But we are told they all new Mr. Kidman. A 60-year-old man from Houston, Texas, who owned and operated a construction company. The men are being held by Iraqi forces within the green zone while this investigation continues.
Don?
LEMON: And Phil, what is the significance here. I'm wondering why this case is so important. Probably because it was in that international zone that is supposed to be safe. One reason.
BLACK: Indeed. There is a heavily secured zone here within Baghdad. Everyone who comes and goes is checked on the way in and special access is allowed only. Security contractors generally do have access, but there is a system of passes and clearances that must be required. Having said that, if these men are prosecuted, well, they will be the first to be tried under the Iraqi legal system. Private security operators, that is.
Because before this year, all security contractors here were immune to Iraqi law under the security agreement that kicked in with the American government on January 1st. Private security companies here are now also fall under Iraqi legal jurisdiction.
Don?
LEMON: All right. CNN's Phil Black. Thank you very much. Reporting tonight from Baghdad.
We're also following breaking news tonight on the mysterious disappearance of Air France flight 447. New video into CNN to show you. It shows you that bodies have been recovered and it shows some of the debris in the water there.
We want to tell you that bodies have been recovered in the Atlantic Ocean, way off the Brazilian Coast. As near the site, we believe the plane went down nearly a week ago. The remains are now making a lengthy journey back to land. Flight 447 was heading to Paris from Rio de Janeiro with 228 people onboard.
And now for the latest on this crash, we want to go now to our international correspondent Karl Penhaul. He joins us tonight live from Rio.
Karl?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN VIDEO CORRESPONDENT: Don, we've been talking to the Brazilian Air Force and Navy authority, and they've really been describing the mammoth task this is to try and recover bodies and try and recover debris. From a point today, which is about 670 miles off the Brazilian mainland. That's right in the Atlantic Ocean.
The depths of the water there is about 17,000 or 18,000 feet. That's about the height of Everest underwater. But today they said that they found two bodies floating -- two male bodies. And Navy vessel has recovered those bodies. It also recovered a blue seat. And now they are trying to check serial numbers on that seat with details that Air France has to confirm the seat does in fact come from that doomed flight 447.
In addition to that, they found at least two pieces of luggage. A leather briefcase. In that briefcase, an Air France flight ticket. The name on that ticket does, we are told, correspondent to one of the passengers on that passenger list. And the other item was a backpack, and we're told that that has a laptop computer in it.
Now, this rescue operation is going on around the clock 24 hours, because they have special surveillance planes that can fly over the area, where today's debris and whether bodies were found and continue scanning, and then alert ships on the ground if necessary.
Now we're told there are 12 aircraft involved in the search currently. Nine Brazilian aircraft, two French, one American aircraft. There are five ships, and this is all covering an area of 200,000 square kilometers of sea. That's an area the size of the state of Nebraska.
Don?
LEMON: Karl Penhaul, thank you for your reporting.
Children burned in a horrible daycare fire in northwestern Mexico.
(VIDEO CLIP)
Disturbing to hear and to see. And it's really heartbreaking. Dozens of young lives are lost.
CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is in Hermosillo, Mexico now. She joins us by phone.
Thelma, you got there earlier this evening. You had some time to do some digging and checking around. What have you found out?
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, I can tell you, we are standing outside of a hospital here in Hermosillo where some of the children were brought. Now other with more severe burns were actually medevac to a hospital in Guadalajara that had a pediatric burn center. Another child was actually flown to the Shriners Hospital in Sacramento, California.
And neighbors described an absolutely horrific scene. They talk about parents who arrived at the ABC Daycare Center, their children inside the burning building with no way to get them out. And officials say there were 142 children inside. There was only one door open. The other had a padlock on it. There were windows on the building. But they were small and they were near the ceiling. Difficult for anybody to get out. Witnesses in the working-class neighborhood said that you could hear the cries of the children and the screams of the parents. Neighbors ran to pull the children out, but the smallest, only a year- old were actually trapped in the back room where they were napping and unable to open any of those doors of the daycare.
One man who is so desperate jumped into his pickup truck and rammed into the building three times.
LEMON: Thelma Gutierrez -- Thelma, reporting tonight from Mexico. Thelma, we appreciate your reporting. Thank you very much. Again, a tragedy in Mexico.
A man who allegedly threatened to kill President Barack Obama is in a Nevada jail tonight. The secret service says Daniel Murray was arrested last night in Laughlin in the parking lot of a hotel casino. He allegedly told tellers at a Utah bank last month while cleaning out his savings account that he and others were on a mission to kill the president. The 36-year-old man withdrew about $85,000. He might appear in court on Monday.
The moments were poignant. The commander-in-chief paying tribute to those who stormed Normandy 65 years ago today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can do anything you want to me for 50 bucks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But what about her?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: An anti-meth campaign targeting Latino teens, not everyone thinks it's working. We'll debate it live for you.
And I want to know what's on your mind tonight. Make sure you log on to Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or iReport.com. Tell me what you're thinking. I'll get your thoughts on the air.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: 65 years ago today on the shores of Normandy, allied troops stormed the beaches and began to turn the tide of World War II. President Barack Obama joined other heads of state at the American cemetery at Normandy today to remember the thousands who died there. CNN's Ed Henry was there as well.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A 21-gun salute over the sands of Normandy to mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Speaking at the massive American Cemetery here, President Obama said the fate of the 20th century was determined by the men who stormed Omaha Beach.
BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In an hour of maximum danger, amid the bleakest of circumstances, men who thought themselves ordinary found within themselves the ability to do something extraordinary.
HENRY: Extraordinary men like Hyram Smith Shumway, who landed here on D-Day and talks of stopping Adolph Hitler as if it were an ordinary act.
HYRAM SMITH SHUMWAY, D-DAY VETERAN: I looked forward to being over here and to help defeat Hitler and it was just a wonderful day being part of that great engagement.
HENRY: But this was no mere day at the beach. Nearly 2500 Americans died in 24 hours under horrific weather conditions and Nazi bombardment.
OBAMA: When the ships landed here at Omaha, an unimaginable hell rained down on the men inside.
HENRY: A drama captured so powerfully by the movie "Saving Private Ryan", starring Tom Hanks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fire in the hole!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fire in the hole!
(END MOVE CLIP)
HENRY: Hanks was among the many luminaries on hand to honor the veterans of the climatic battle of World War II, where Allied forces finally stopped the Nazi aggression.
OBAMA: We live in a world of competing beliefs and claims about what is true. It's a world of varied religions and cultures and forms of government. In such a world it is all too rare for a struggle to emerge that speaks to something universal about humanity. The Second World War did that.
HENRY: The crowd also included Hyrum Shumway. He was blinded a few days after D-Day when he stepped on a land mine. Yet, at the age of 87, he shows no hint of bitterness.
SHUMWAY: It was just one of the most exciting days of my life.
HENRY (On camera): What do you remember most about it?
SHUMWAY: Well, I remember that anybody that fights in combat is not going to -- is going to try to keep from going to war.
HENRY (voice over): Row upon row of reminders of that lesson. The tombstones of men like Staff Sergeant Theodor Kacera (ph), of New Jersey, who died here shortly after D-Day. Today his grave has a fresh bouquets of flowers with a simple handwritten card.
"From your brother, Pete. I remember you." Then there are those veterans whose names we don't know, but need to remember, too.
Ed Henry, CNN, the American Cemetery in Normandy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: You know, Ed is traveling with the president. He is also twittering. And he sent me an e-mail today, saying, what an experience it was to be there and witness it.
He grabbed a few -- a twitpics for you, and I want to show it to you. Tons of account on Tweeter. These are for the days that you didn't see. The special jet flyover with missing man formation to honor those we lost. Again, that picture is from Ed Henry.
Another one is a favorite d-day pic from earlier. We got kids were mobbing vets for autographs. And vets were beaming about that. And I'm going to slow here, because I think these guys really need to be honored. And let's take a look at these pictures because they're very new and it's a special day.
The final pic we got is an American cemetery in Normandy. And then we're going to go to a rainy and foggy sky, you can see there on Omaha beach. Look at that. Making it easy to imagine the weather 65 years ago.
Thank you, Ed. And we honor all of those who fought.
Another kind of battle is brewing on Capitol Hill. The fight for the president's health care plan is on. We've got details that will probably affect you.
And more than 20,000 showed up to see Sarah Palin take New York. There we go. She loves a parade.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: After nearly a week overseas President Barack Obama will return home to concentrate on domestic issues. Mr. Obama wants a health care reform bill drafted by fall. And CNN has obtained a copy of a bill drafted by Senator Ted Kennedy.
CNN's Kate Bolduan has the details from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Winding down a trip focused on foreign policy, President Obama returns to make the big push on his number one domestic priority, health care reform.
OBAMA: The status quo is broken. We cannot continue this way. If we do nothing, everyone's health care will be put in jeopardy.
BOLDUAN: President Obama wants health care legislation on his desk by October. The White House and Democrats aimed to ensure all Americans are covered. A draft bill by Senator Ted Kennedy obtained by CNN establishes a new government-run insurance option, something Republicans strongly oppose saying it threatens to drive private insurers from the market.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), MINORITY LEADER: The American people want health care decisions left up to families and doctors, not bureaucrats in Washington. They don't want a government takeover that denies or delays the care they need. And they don't want politicians telling them how much or what kind they can have.
BOLDUAN: Also, under the draft bill, many individuals and employers would face penalties for going without insurance. And it proposes the government subsidize premiums for people with incomes up to 500 percent of the poverty level. But the draft does not include specifics on how to pay for the health care overhaul.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you so much for coming.
BOLDUAN: This weekend the Democratic Party of Advocacy Arm organizing for America kicked off a campaign-style lobbying effort, hosting meetings across the country to build public support for the health care push. Republicans fighting for a seat at the bargaining table say efforts like this are not helping.
REP. ROY BLUNT (R), MISSOURI: Activating the grassroots effort from the campaign is one way to keep your campaign effort alive is not a particularly effective way to create a bipartisan solution to an important problem.
BOLDUAN (on camera): Senator Kennedy's office insists the draft bill is just that, a draft. Meaning it's not final and could change dramatically as the big health care debate begins in Congress.
Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right. Thank you, Kate.
Governor Sarah Palin still got it. She can definitely draw a crowd, too. More than 20,000 people lined the streets to see the former Republican vice president candidate lead a parade through downtown Auburn, New York. Palin signed a proclamation honoring William Owsley, an Auburn native. Owsley was a 19th century secretary of state who negotiated the $7.2 million deal with Russia to buy Alaska.
Later on, Palin spoke to several hundred people at a private fund raiser, where she reportedly criticized the Obama administration's policies on national security and the economy.
A restaurant struggles to outlast the recession after surviving a hurricane. We'll head to New Orleans for our "Money & Main Street" report for you.
And the streets of Miami are looking more like the canals of Venice. Can the coastal city handle anymore rain?
Jacqui?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey. Well, they got more in the forecast. So I sure hope so, Don. Yes, we've got that. We've got storms in the plains and snow in June? Find out where with your weekend forecast. That's coming right up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Too much rain in Miami and much more sadly on the way.
I want you to just take a look at this video, because you can see the cars there and a lot of other things that's practically floating down the street, if not blowing with all of that wind.
Severe storms are dumping heavy rain and sparking flash floods in Miami, Miami Beach area. You can see that there were some fires there, could become transformers, could become lightning. A lot of people said they wish they just didn't go out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's crazy. Everybody is completely flooded. If you have a low car don't come here. Stay at home. It's dangerous.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The water was like this level. So my car is totally wet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: There are people who were scrambling into the shelter because there was so much lightning as we said. Lightning could have sparked some of these fires or could have been a transformer or just the electricity touching the water there.
Here's what the national weather service reported. One hundred lightning strikes over just a five-minute period between Miami and Miami Beach. And the news is grim because there could be more.
Jacqui Jeras on the way. And it's still happening. It's still raining there, is it?
(WEATHER REPORT)
LEMON: Hey, listen, I want to say I've got someone from a viewer in Miami who says, "Not just Miami that is flooding. Florida is a big state with more communities and just Miami that are equally newsworthy."
Thank you. That's from Barkway (ph).
So, we shouldn't just be reporting on Miami. There's a whole area down there that's getting a lot of rain.
JERAS: Oh, yes. Much of south Florida, especially.
LEMON: Thank you, Jacqui. We appreciate it. And we appreciate -- what is it -- Barkway (ph).
JERAS: We appreciate your comments. We do.
LEMON: And what's your Facebook page, JacquiJerasCNN?
JERAS: Yes. Just Jacqui Jeras. Find me there.
LEMON: OK. Thank you.
And talking about fighting a recession, our special series "Money & Main Street" spotlights a New Orleans restaurant owner who is battling the competition after surviving a natural disaster.
CNN's Sean Caleb has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If there's one thing New Orleans can do, it's amazing cuisine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do I need to order more crabmeat?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we need to order more crabmeat.
CALLEBS: Stephen Schwarz is the owner of Mat & Naddie's in New Orleans uptown. Tourists and locals have a wealth of restaurants to choose from, and the economic downturn is making competition that much more fierce.
STEPHEN SCHWARZ, MAT & NADDIE'S RESTAURANT OWNER: It's a matter of how much stamina we can have and how long we can last before things turn around.
CALLEBS: Consider this: Before Katrina, there were about 800 restaurants in New Orleans. Now it's close to 1,000.
SCHWARZ: I think eventually there are going to be places that are going to go out of business. They're going to have to.
CALLEBS: Schwarz has no plans on becoming a statistic. Now in his early 50s, Schwarz came to New Orleans on a visit about 30 years ago and never left.
To keep the restaurant going, his catering business is branching out and now counts for about 40 percent of Schwarz' income.
KRYSTAN HOSKING, MICHAEL'S CATERING: Hi. Would you like some pulled pork?
CALLEBS: He employs about 28 people part and full time. Without catering, Schwarz would have gone under. And without glowing reviews, his business would wither on the vine. HOSKING: Word of mouth is very important, because if you get one bad review, there's tons of restaurants that will -- you know, people are just waiting to try.
CALLEBS: Meeting payroll and paying suppliers is a monthly challenge. Schwarz benefited from a $10,000 grant and a $40,000 low- interest loan he received from the state.
It's part of Louisiana's effort to help small businesses recover from Katrina's devastating effects. But in this case, it's money getting him through the lean months of this recession.
SCHWARZ: How much capital do you have or how much can you generate to maintain a slow loss over a long period of time and still be able to meet your obligations?
CALLEBS: New Orleans will always have great atmosphere and great food. He says it may take creative financing, but Schwarz plans on being part of the city's culinary landscape for years to come.
Sean Callebs, CNN, New Orleans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: OK. Why just Latinos? That is the cry from some who don't like anti-meth ads aimed at Latino teenagers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can do anything you want to me for 50 bucks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But what about her?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The debate right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Your comments are coming in fast and furious. A lot of you are weighing in on this. That's our panel right there. We're going to discuss this issue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, the Meth Project is very specific about its target. Latino teens who are falling victim to the drug. And I have to tell you the ads are pretty graphic even for a Saturday night. I want to warn you.
My colleague Kara Finnstrom is in Boise, Idaho, where the project is gaining ground and it's also stirring some controversy.
Kara?
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, the Meth Project, which first aired its graphic ads in Montana has been spreading from state to state, researching and then targeting specific teen populations at risk. In Boise, Idaho, we found their messages are being broadcast in a new way.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FINNSTROM (voice-over): Brutal attacks.
(VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can do anything you want to me for 50 bucks.
FINNSTROM: Teenage prostitution.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But what about her?
FINNSTROM: The Meth Project has made a name for itself, which wrap the gas. Their aim, wake up kids to the dangers of meth, which the drug enforcement agency calls the most dangerous drug in small- town America.
Now the non-profit meth project is targeting a new audience.
(VIDEO CLIP)
FINNSTROM: The western United States growing population of Spanish-speaking teens.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I think it affected my brain. I have bad thoughts and I only want to do bad things.
FINNSTROM: In Idaho, radio ads in Spanish feature young addicts like Aucensio Flores sharing real life meth nightmares.
AUCENSIO FLORES, RECOVERING METH USER: When I was using that, I felt like kind of unstoppable.
FINNSTROM: Flores says meth deadened his conscience, sucking him in to a life of gangs and crimes.
FLORES: I shot -- make 17 shots into the house. And then I walked around the block and back into the car and then just left.
FINNSTROM: This is where he landed. Flores is locked up in a juvenile detention center serving time for grand theft, possession of a weapon by a minor and drug possession. Shortly before he was convicted, Flores became a new father.
(on camera): Do you have a picture of your son up here?
FLORES: Yes. That's him.
FINNSTROM (voice-over): But he hasn't met his son because the mother doesn't trust Flores. He recognizes the toll of his addiction.
FLORES: I miss out like on everything, Thanksgiving pictures, Christmas pictures. Everybody has seen him except me.
FINNSTROM: Flores recorded a Spanish radio ad hoping to reach other young Latinos.
FLORES: There's a lot of people that manufactured meth, and I know that they are trying to get younger kids to do it. And a lot of them don't know English.
MIGUEL MOUW, METH PROJECT VOLUNTEER: In the Hispanic community, there's just lack of education. There's lack of treatment resources. There's lack of support.
FINNSTROM: Miguel Mouw is an Idaho Meth Project volunteer and recovering meth addict. He is speaking in classrooms and at community events. Cindy Rodriguez has been listening.
CINDY RODRIGUEZ, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: We didn't know a lot of what the drugs are and, you know, what they do. So what my parents do like when they were listening to the radio, they were like, oh, you should listen to this.
FINNSTROM: Rodriguez said she was prepared when peers offered her meth.
RODRIGUEZ: Oh, you should do this so that way you can be a little bit cooler, or you are not with us so you need to do this. I'm like, no.
FINNSTROM: Government leaders in Montana where the Meth Project launched in 2005 credit the effort with great declines in meth use. But not everyone is convinced of the program's effectiveness. Researcher and critics of the Meth Project, David Erceg-Hurn, tells CNN, "Some teenagers react negatively to graphic advertising. These people don't like being told how to behave by the ads and may rebel."
Flores isn't sure how effective the ads are.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Try it once, but not too much.
FINNSTROM: But he wants young Latinos to hear what meth addiction cost him.
FLORES: It always reminds of being away from my family.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FINNSTROM: Drug officials say part of the reason meth has been such a huge problem in western states is because it's made by mixing over-the-counter drugs with some common ingredients. Drug traffickers have found that rural remote western states are a good place to do their business.
Don?
LEMON: Kara, thank you very much for that.
And joining me tonight is Colleen Foster, a drug rehabilitation specialist with the Idaho Juvenile Detention Center. She also counsels Aucensio Flores, who you saw in Kara Finnstrom's report there.
COLLEEN FOSTER, DRUG REHABILITATION SPECIALIST: Yes.
LEMON: So she counsels him, and we're going to talk to her about that. And then Darcy Jensen is the director of the Prairie View Prevention Services in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. And then there's Nitsa Zuppas, the executive director of the Siebel Foundation, and works closely with Meth Project founder Tom Siebel.
Thank you so much.
Nitsa, I want to ask you. Since you have been putting those ads on and you have been doing your work, have you seen any progress? Are the numbers going down?
NITSA ZUPPAS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SIEBEL FOUNDATION: Yes. The program has been actually adopted now by seven states in the country. And we've seen significant results. So for instance, in Montana, where the program first launched in 2005, after two years in the program, we saw a 75 percent decrease in teen meth use according to the CDC, a 62 percent decrease in meth-related crime according to the attorney general and the board of crime control. And a 70 percent decrease in adult meth use based on workplace drug testing. Now that was the largest drop in the nation.
And Montana went from number five in the nation for meth abuse to number 39 in two years. And if you look at the neighboring states over that same period, their workplace drug testing data shows that their use increased slightly.
LEMON: Yes. It's very interesting when you look at this, because you think, it's not just the western problem, but I mean, the states out west, it is a bigger problem in most places for the reasons that Kara pointed out, because in rural areas, you can get those substances easier.
I want to go now to Darcy.
Darcy, you're not so sure even though you work with meth patients and you work with the young men in the piece, you're not sure that this is working.
DARCY JENSEN, DIRECTOR, MAPP-SD: No. I think it's a very good grab attention campaign. But I really think that there's oftentimes when a young person looks at that ad who may have tried meth or knows someone who has, and the graphic details often are not what they first see when they are using. And so I think oftentimes adolescents dismiss those kinds of ads because that is not reality to them. I think when we focus more on immediate consequences, I think that has more of an impact.
LEMON: All right. Hang on, hang on. I'm going to let you guys go talk. But I want to get to -- and I misspoke, it is actually Darcy who works with the young men in the piece, is that correct? Or is it Colleen?
Colleen works with the young men.
FOSTER: No. It's me.
LEMON: Yes, Colleen.
FOSTER: Yes.
LEMON: Colleen, how are you doing? I want to say also, too, that you are a recovering addict, but not from meth, it's from drugs -- from alcohol.
FOSTER: From alcohol. Yes.
LEMON: So you know what addicts go through.
FOSTER: Yes.
LEMON: And you know addiction.
FOSTER: Yes, I do.
LEMON: And some of it similar usually in cases obviously because you're addicted.
But meth is different because it works on certain areas of the brain that alcohol doesn't necessarily work on. This is -- we are talking about dopamine here which is very serious.
FOSTER: It goes to the pleasure sensory part of the brain. And actually almost all drugs will go to that section of the brain. It triggers that part of the brain just as you might get a feeling of pleasure from having a piece of chocolate cake. The use of meth, alcohol, marijuana, also affects that part of the brain. The thing about meth is it sends a large amount into the brain -- the dopamine into the brain, and that is what causes the euphoria that they feel.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: And before I go back to Nitsa, before I go back to Nitsa, I want to ask you, some people say that, you know, these ads won't work because most teens will say, you know what, I don't look like any of those people, the people with, you know, whose teeth are rotted out, or whose faces are sunken in, or have bad skin and their hair is falling out. I don't look like that. I'll never get to that point.
You say?
FOSTER: You know, most kids will say that won't be me, but the truth is if you do it once that could be you. And the cases that one time using meth can get you hooked to the point where you look like that.
LEMON: Why is it --
FOSTER: So the kids are starting to recognize that.
LEMON: Why do you see it happening in Latino population out west so much more so now?
FOSTER: I think the ability to get to it is readily available for them. When I talk to like even Aucensio, Aucensio says, I had friends who were making it. My uncles are making it. I was, you know, he has the ability to manufacture it. Kids can find out how to make it on the Internet.
LEMON: OK.
FOSTER: It's just so readily available, and it doesn't cost that much. Most chemicals can been found in your own household.
LEMON: OK, you know what --
FOSTER: And so if --
LEMON: OK. I'm really up against the clock here, guys, because we have three of you and there is a delay because someone is joining us by Web cam here. But I'll give you five seconds to tell me what you think should be done. What is your solution? And I'll start -- I'll start with you, Colleen.
FOSTER: I think that the ads are a great start to be able to get people to see don't try this. Because the problems of solving this problem once they get hooked on meth is so expensive and is so detrimental to the families. We need to get that word out there. Don't try this drug. It will damage you.
LEMON: Darcy?
JENSEN: I think the effective ads for methamphetamine needs to be more of education and a call to action. We need to explain to people what meth is and how it hurts you or can damage your body. But also a call to action on what parents need to look for and what people need to be concerned about rather than just the graphic details of someone who is highly addicted.
LEMON: Nitsa?
ZUPPAS: Yes. And I agree with both Darcy and Colleen. I mean, we need to educate kids about the facts of methamphetamine. And if you take a look at the ads that on our Web site both radio ads that feature real teens talking about their experiences with meth and the TV ads, they present the facts about meth. We don't rule out the highway patrolman, tell them not to shake their finger and tell them not to do meth. What we do is present them with the facts so that like Cindy in your segment, when they are presented with the opportunity to try it, they make the right decision.
LEMON: Nitsa, we have to go. Thanks to all of you. Colleen, Darcy and Nitsa, we really appreciate them.
ZUPPAS: Thank you.
JENSEN: Thank you.
LEMON: And we hope these teens are watching tonight and the parents as well. And that they learned something. We appreciate it.
Are too many minority police officers dying at the hands of their white comrades? Well, top New York politicians -- well, they want some answers. We'll ask one of them some tough questions.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Tonight in our "What Matters" segment. We are going to talk about the friendly fire shooting in New York. General services for Omar Edwards took place this week. He is a New York City policeman killed by a fellow officer last week at Harlem.
Edward, who is black, was shot while off duty in plain clothes. The officer who shot him is white. The NYPD says it will provide assistance to a special state task force that will be convened to study shooting within police ranks in New York State.
I sat down with the NAACP President Ben Jealous. He says his New York offices are also looking into the shootings. He also talked about what he calls a long history of the stereotypical perceptions of black men.
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BENJAMIN JEALOUS, PRESIDENT, NAACP: When I was born, the primary justification to racism against black people by whites was perceived inferiority, (INAUDIBLE), inferior, not good enough to be the coach, not good enough to be the quarterback. That's out the window, right? We had in Super Bowl two black men as coaches. We have Obama, we have Oprah, we have Tiger Woods. If you peel off that layer of the onion, what are you left with -- presumed criminality, as the first, as the primary justification to racism against black people. And is especially true to racism against black men.
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LEMON: Ben Jealous, president of NAACP. I also spoke with New York Congressman Charlie Rangel tonight. He said the shooting of Officer Omar Edwards needs to be investigated, because this is an issue that goes way beyond New York.
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REP. CHARLIE RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: This is not a New York City thing. The president is from Chicago. And he knows well that blacks are more inclined to be considered suspects than whites are. And that's the only issue. Every white cop that shot down a black cop, I would believe it was a mistake and not because of racism. But it takes special training for them to know.
LEMON: The New York City police department released some statistics about officers killed in friendly fire. And they released -- and here's what they say, and I'm not sure if you agree with what they found. Since 1930, they found that it's been five white police officers that were killed by friendly fire, four black and one Hispanic. The last white officer they say that was shot was back in 1972.
RANGEL: My point is that in all of those cases where there was a black officer off duty or out of uniform or in uniform that got killed, it was by a white cop. You don't have any instance in those statistics, where a white officer was mistakenly considered a criminal and shot by a black police officer.
And that picture means race is in there. Does it mean racism? Does it mean we need additional training? And why can't we talk about this thing honestly? I made a mistake in saying that the president while he came here on a date with his lovely wife should stay out of east Harlem. But the truth of the matter is, he is from south, he is from south Chicago. And he knows that in propensity of a white cop thinking that a black guy running at night is a criminal. And there has to be some investigation, too.
Then the police officer thinks his life was in danger. Why was the police officer black or white shot dead? And whether it would be more important to let the perpetrator get away than to shoot down a human being who happened to be black in a black community? These are issues that should be look at so that this type of tragedies are prevented or at least alleviated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Representative Charlie Rangel, CNN, in partnership with "Essence" magazine. We'll continue to dig deeper into issues that matter.
And we're also interested in what matters to you.
65 years have passed since that longest day on the beaches of Normandy, and still the memories can bring tears from the strongest.
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LEMON: President Obama today praised the troops who stormed the beaches at Normandy in World War II 65 years ago today. Mr. Obama told the aging veterans who traveled to the coast of France that they changed the course of history. It was a memorable day.
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OBAMA: Friends and veterans, we cannot forget. What we must not forget is that D-day was a time and a place where the bravery and selflessness of a few was able to change the course of an entire century. An hour of maximum danger amid the bleakest of circumstances, men who thought themselves ordinary found within themselves the ability to do something extraordinary.
(APPLAUSE)
They fought for their moms and sweethearts back home, for the fellow warriors they came to know as brothers. And they fought out of a simple sense of duty, a duty sustained by the same ideals for which their countrymen had once fought and bled for over two centuries. The nations that joined together to defeat Hitler's Reich were not perfect. They made their share of mistakes, did not always agree with one another on every issue.
But whatever God we pray to, whatever our differences, we knew that the evil we faced had to be stopped. Citizens of all faiths and of no faith came to believe that we could not remain as bystanders to the savage perpetration of death and destruction. And so we joined and sent our sons to fight and often die so that men and women they never met might know what it is to be free.
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LEMON: Well, she says when she looks into the eyes of abused young girls she sees herself. And you're going to see tonight why she is a hero. She is doing something about it.
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LEMON: Rescuing Zimbabwe's young girls from rape. One woman has made it her mission. She has gone from victim to hero. Here she is in her own words.
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UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Heroes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He shoved me to the ground and covered my mouth with his hand. When the rape ordeal was over, he (INAUDIBLE) some leaves and wiped me.
BETTY MAKONI, CNN HERO: In Zimbabwe, young girls are raped because of the myth that virgins cure HIV and AIDS.
Ten girls a day, they are raped. They need an advocate to help them break silence.
My name is Betty Makoni. I formed this organization that rescues girls from abuse. I was sexually abused at six years and also lost my mother (INAUDIBLE). After my mother died from domestic violence, I told myself that no girl or woman would suffer the same again.
I started religious group provide a safe place for girls there from abuse. When a girl gets to the villages, she's provided with emergency medication, reinstated in the school, as well as counseling. This gives them the confidence to transform from victims to leader.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: To child abuse, say no. To child abuse...
UNIDENTIFIED CHILDREN: Say no!
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: To child abuse...
UNIDENTIFIED CHILDREN: Say no!
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Say no... UNIDENTIFIED CHILDREN: ...to child abuse!
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Say no...
UNIDENTIFIED CHILDREN: ...to child abuse!
MAKONI: (INAUDIBLE) for I have always I wanted to do. This gives me fulfillment in myself every day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: If you know someone who deserves to be a CNN hero, just log on to cnn.com/heroes.
From business news to the family business. Our Susan Lisovicz relieves a D-Day memory with her very own Uncle Leonard.
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LEMON: Legacies of the war are very much alive today in people's hearts, minds and in their loved ones. Just ask our Susan Lisovicz, whose 91-year-old uncle, Leonard, was part of the D-Day invasion. Usually, Susan covers business news for CNN, but tonight her business is sharing Uncle Leonard story.
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LT. LEONARD LISOVICZ, U.S. ARMY (RET.): They had to pinpoint. It was just like shooting ducks on a pond. Your comrade's artillery busted, a hand flying here, a leg there, guts laying out on the ground, just asking for help. And you couldn't help. You had to move. You just had to push them aside.
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LEMON: Leonard Lisovicz was awarded the Silver Star for his service to the country. 220 men stormed the beach with him. Only 22 returned home alive.
I'm Don Lemon. I'll see you back here tomorrow night at 6:00. Make sure you stay tuned now, Campbell Brown.
