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Victims from Air France Flight 447 Discovered; A Man's Mission to Kill the Commander-in-Chief; Politicians Say Too Many Minority Officers Killed by Fellow Cops
Aired June 06, 2009 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: This hour on CNN -- searching the seas: at first, they feared they'd find nothing, tonight, finally, a victim from Flight 447 is discovered.
Threat against the president: Bizarre new details about a man who claims he was on a mission to kill the commander-in-chief.
And not just New York: Top politicians say too many minority officers are killed by fellow cops. Do the numbers add up? We'll ask Charlie Rangel.
And -- daddy's home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where's my daughter? Come here, baby. Come here.
(CRYING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: An American hero's surprise visit; a promise kept to his little girl.
The news starts right now.
Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live here at the CNN world headquarters.
We are following a breaking news story that is coming out of Iraq. Five American security contractors, they had been detained in the killing of another American contractor. It happened last month inside Baghdad's International Zone, or Green Zone, as it's commonly called. And that's the word from sources with knowledge of this investigation.
The names of the five and their employer have not been released. And as of now, they have not been charged.
Sixty-year-old Texan James Kitterman was found blindfolded, bound, and stabbed in a car inside the Green Zone on May 22nd. He owned the construction company that operated in Iraq. And a source inside the Green Zone tells CNN that the five suspects knew Kitterman.
There are so many questions here. Make sure you join us here tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. We're going to have much, much more on this story, including going live to Baghdad to try to get new information for you.
We have more breaking news to tell you about tonight. The mysterious disappearance of Air France Flight 447; the bodies of two men have been recovered from the Atlantic Ocean near where the plane is believed to have crashed six days ago. Well, tonight, one of them has been confirmed as a passenger aboard that doomed flight.
A search plane discovered the two bodies and several items 220 miles off the northeast coast of Brazil. Meantime, Brazilian air force officials are still trying to find out what caused the flight to vanish over the Atlantic Ocean.
Air France Flight 447 dropped off the radar while en route to Rio de Janeiro to Paris, with 228 passengers and crew aboard. Brazilian air force officials now know they have a challenging task of unraveling what happened.
Our international correspondent Karl Penhaul -- he joins us now by phone. He is in Brazil with the very latest.
Karl, what are you hearing about this?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, an evening press conference with the Brazilian navy and the Brazilian air force has just concluded, Don, and in that, we were getting more details of a find made by a Brazilian navy vessel this morning.
And they're telling us that two male bodies, both of which were on that doomed Air France 447 flight, were pulled from the water and they are now in route aboard a navy vessel to the island of Fernando de Noronha out in the Atlantic. And then possibly, sometime tomorrow or the day after, those bodies will arrive here in the northeastern city of Recife for a full identification.
Now, in addition to those two bodies, Don -- as the authorities say -- that they have also recovered at least one seat, a blue seat that they believe is from that Air France flight. The serial numbers are now being compared with serial numbers held by Air France just to confirm this seat was from that Airbus 330.
In addition to that, a briefcase -- a leather briefcase was found inside that, a passenger ticket, an Air France passenger ticket, the name on that ticket does crosschecked with a name on the passenger list, and there was also a laptop computer found in a backpack as well, Don.
LEMON: It sounds like they have something to start with, two bodies and more details coming out at every moment. Thank you, Karl Penhaul -- who's on the ground covering this investigation for us.
We have more now on the investigation of Air France Flight 447, including live reports and inputs from our experts coming up tonight at 10 o'clock. You heard Karl say there were new details coming out of a press conference, and we'll update you on that as soon as we get them.
(MUSIC)
LEMON: We're going to take you to France now. On the shores of Normandy, where 65 years ago today, Allied troops stormed the beaches and began to turn the tide of World War II. President Barack Obama joins ore other heads of states at the American Cemetery at Normandy today to remember the thousands who died there.
Here's CNN's Ed Henry with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: 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.
PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES: At 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 Hyrum Smith Shumway who landed here on D-Day and talks of stopping Adolf Hitler as if it were an ordinary act.
HYRUM SMITH SHUMWAY, D-DAY VETERAN: We 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 2,500 Americans died in 24 hours, under horrific weather conditions and Nazi bombardment.
OBAMA: So, 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, FROM DREAMWORKS PICTURES)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fire in the hole! Fire in the hole!
(EXPLOSION)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Hanks was among the men luminaries on hand to honor the veterans of the climactic 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. And such a world 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 landmine. 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: 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: Row upon row of reminders of that lesson, the tombstones of men like Staff Sergeant Theodore Casera (ph) of New Jersey who died here shortly after D-Day. Today, his grave has a fresh bouquet 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: Well, 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.
It could be the president's next big project. We have the first draft of his health care plan. You'll want to know what is in it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where's my daughter? Come here, baby. Come here.
(CRYING)
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Her face really tells a story here. What a surprise for this young fourth grader, a heart-warming mission, you don't want to miss this one.
Also, log on to Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or iReport.com, we appreciate your comments around here and they get on the air.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Boy, this is a terrible story -- children burned in a horrible day care fire in northwestern Mexico.
The cries are just disturbing, the images are heartbreaking, the children obviously terrified there, many of them were hurt. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is on the ground now in Hermosillo, and she has just gotten there a little bit ago.
As we said, this is a terrible story, Thelma. What are you seeing or what are you hearing about what may have caused this?
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Don, I can tell you that I just landed at the airport here in Hermosillo, and all of the people who are here, you talk to them about this -- and this is a very, very terrible tragedy. In fact, the governor has said that this is absolutely the worst disaster to hit the state of Sonora. Thirty-five children dead, 47 injured.
Right now, the big job is triaging the victims, making sure that those who need the most care are able to actually make the journey to one of two places. Either they're being taken to Guadalajara, where there is a pediatric burn center, or they're being flown to the Shriners Hospital in Sacramento, California.
You know, I was told a short time ago, Don, by officials here at the airport, that six children were actually airlifted in a medi-jet -- one child per jet accompanied by a parent or an adult and also, a paramedic to make that long journey. Two children, we're told, are in grave condition; that most of the children died from smoke inhalation, not burns -- but all but one has been ID'ed.
LEMON: Hey, Thelma ...
GUTIERREZ: To find out the cause (ph) is under investigation.
LEMON: Yes. That's what I wanted to ask you. Did they say anything about what -- leading up to this fire, what may have triggered it? What may -- what are the circumstances surrounding it?
GUTIERREZ: Right now, Don, I talked to some of the airport officials and they told me that there is a one-block area around the ABC day care that has been cordoned off so. Right now, focus is on this investigation.
There's been a lot of speculation that the fire did not actually start at the day care center, but at the nearby factory of some sort or shop. They believe it could have been a shop where mechanics were doing some work.
LEMON: Yes, and then spread. Thelma, thank you. As soon as you get information, please bring it to us.
Of course, Thelma will join us in this broadcast if she gets more information, and tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN -- the details on this really terrible story that's coming out of Mexico.
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 the fall. And CNN has obtained the copy of a bill drafted by Senator Ted Kennedy.
CNN's Kate Bolduan has the details from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Winding down a trip focused on foreign policies, 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 aim 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, SENATE REPUBLICAN 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's advocacy arm, Organizing for America, kicked off a campaign-style lobbying effort, posting 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 aren't helping.
REP. ROY BLUNT, (R) MISSOURI: Activating the grassroots efforts from the campaign is one way to keep your campaign effort alive; it's 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, Kate.
Governor Sarah Palin is -- she's still got it. She can definitely draw a crowd. Today is Founders Day for the state of Alaska. More than 20,000 people line the streets to see the former Republican vice presidential candidate lead a parade through downtown Auburn. Palin signed a proclamation honoring William Seward, an Auburn native. Seward is 19th century secretary of state who negotiated the $7.2 million deal with Russia for Alaska.
Later on, Palin spoke to several hundred people at a private fund-raiser where she reportedly criticized the Obama administration for its policies on national security and its handling of the economic crisis.
Broadway gets ready for its biggest night of the year. We'll take you live to the Tony Awards stage.
Plus this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Streams (ph) are back up, up to -- whoa, past my ankle, I think. It's a nightmare.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Nightmare, absolutely is, because nearly a foot of rain in just a few hours.
Since cars are floating down the street in Miami, Jacqui Jeras, a nightmare for many people.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh, yes. And that was just the rain that fell yesterday, not to mention what we had today, Don. Find out when that faucet turns off, and at least some severe storms in the plains -- that's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Miami is a mess, and I guess -- you know, that is an understatement, because if you look at this video and you take a look at the cars, they are practically floating down the street. That motorcycle there just couldn't make it through.
Severe storms are dumping heavy rain and sparking flash floods into the Miami and the Miami Beach areas. A lot of people say -- you know what, they just should not have gone 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 weather was like this, at this level of -- so my car is totally wet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: People had to scramble for shelter last night because of the lightning. The National Weather Service recorded 100 lightning strikes over just a five-minute period between Miami and Miami Beach. And it doesn't look like this rain is going to go away soon.
And when you look at the lightning, that may have been caused by a lightning strike, that little fire you saw there -- because it does it all the time, Jacqui. And that's a lot of lightning strikes.
JERAS: Yes, it can, or a transformer blowing maybe possibly because of that water getting in there as well. You know, lightning the number one killer weather-related in Florida, by the way.
LEMON: Yes.
JERAS: So, certainly, a big problem and we're getting more wet weather in that area, as we speak. Another inch and a quarter of that in the Miami-Dade area.
And check out these thunderstorms moving to the Fort Lauderdale area, northern Broward County and also Palm Beach County are under a severe thunderstorm warning right now, winds in excess of 60 miles per hour and some hail up to the size of nickels potentially, with those storms as they roll on through.
Let's take a look at Miami, as we speak at this hour, kind of an ominous view with those storms clouds. Our best chance of getting the heavy, wet weather is going to be tonight and throughout the day tomorrow. Once we head into Monday and the workweek, we're still going to have storms in the forecast, but we don't expect the torrential downpours that we've been seeing over the last couple of days. But, you know, this is a rainy season, we're expecting more active weather.
Speaking of active weather, take a look -- we've got a couple of thunderstorm boxes here down into parts of Texas and Oklahoma and up into Nebraska. Severe weather in the form of winds and hail will be the primary concern, especially with these bad guys moving up towards the Red River Valley area, as we speak. And we'll be watching that throughout the night. But you can't rule out an isolated tornado or two.
Our storm front kind of parked here across the upper Midwest, so expecting more severe weather into parts of the plains states for tomorrow. It will be more confined to the northern tier and you can really see the temperature gradient, 63 in Minneapolis for tomorrow. Check out Kansas City, 88. So you know see something's going to be popping and giving right into that area.
The rest of the country overall is pretty tranquil, Don -- just kind of a typical hot kind of weekend.
LEMON: Hot, it's a great weekend here, huh?
JERAS: It's cool today.
LEMON: We have summer-fest here, right? Right in my neighborhood, boy, I really didn't want to come to work. I almost -- I had trouble getting here because I couldn't get off my street.
JERAS: So, you're telling people.
LEMON: I'm telling them where I live on that.
OK, thank you, Jacqui.
(LAUGHTER)
JERAS: They're going to find you tomorrow.
LEMON: Thank you, Jacqui.
You know, it is a big weekend on Broadway. The 63rd Annual Tony Awards go out tomorrow night at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
CNN's A.J. Hammer reports that winning a Tony can be very special, even if you're already -- you've already won awards for movies or even TV.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
A.J. HAMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Tony Awards on Sunday night seek to honor the best of Broadway, and this year, a few of the nominees that have already earned the respect from Oscar or Emmy are enjoying the attention from Tony.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The nominees for best performance in a play are Jane Fonda, "33 Variations."
JANE FONDA, BEST ACTRESS NOMINEE, PLAY: I can't say it was a dream come true because I never dreamed it. It never occurred to me that this would happen.
HAMMER: And one Jane's former co-stars feels the same way.
DOLLY PARTON, BEST ORIGINAL SCORE NOMINEE: This is Broadway. This is New York. Every now and then, that hits me up side of the head and I say, "Oh, my God, here I am nominated for a Tony."
HAMMER: Dolly Parton's production of "9 to 5" stars best- leading actress in a musical nominee, Allison Janney, and the Emmy winner said that a Tony nomination is a reward for the demands of eight shows a week.
ALLISON JANNEY, BEST ACTRESS NOMINEE, MUSICAL: I don't recommend it for the lazy or weary or fearful because it's a -- it requires more energy than I have ever had in my life.
HAMMER: And every week takes its toll, says "best actor in a play" nominee, Jeff Daniels.
JEFF DANIELS, BEST ACTOR NOMINEE, PLAY: You can't phone it in. You can't fake it. You can't not really feel like doing it today and just kind of sort of -- you've got to be there because it's so fast and it's so intense. By the end of the week, you need that day off because you're like, you know, you're like Mike Tyson at the end of his career. It was just -- you know, you're beat up.
HAMMER: But for some actors, there's no place they'd rather be.
FONDA: You know, I think of my dad who always loved live theater. But I never got it until now, and I wish he was alive so he could see me enjoying this the way he used to enjoy it, and I love doing this. If all I did for the rest of my life was theater, I would be really happy.
HAMMER: A.J. Hammer, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: And another story from New York, but this one is not positive. The shooting death of a black police officer by a white comrade has New York politicians asking some very tough questions. Officer Omar Edwards was laid to rest this week, but New York's governor and now a congressman are not letting the issue rest. They want answers.
Representative Charles Rangel joins us live next to answer some very tough questions.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK. I want you to pay attention to this next story because it has drawn some big headlines, some controversy, and some outrage among some folks in New York and around the country.
Funeral services for Omar Edwards took place this week. He is a New York City policeman killed by a fellow officer last week in Harlem. Edwards who's black was shot while off-duty and in plain clothes. The officer who shot him is white.
And the NYPD says it will provide assistance to a special state task force. It will be convened to study shooting within police ranks in New York State.
Now, I sat down with NAACP president, Ben Jealous. He says that his New York offices are also looking into that shooting and he also talked about what he calls a long history of the stereotypical perception of black men. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN JEALOUS, NAACP PRESIDENT: When I was born, the primary justification of racism against black people by whites was perceived inferiority, (INAUDIBLE), don't know how to speak (ph), inferior. Not good enough to be the coach, not good enough to be the quarterback.
That's out the window, right? We had a Super Bowl, two black men as coaches. We have Obama. We have Oprah. We have Tiger Woods.
So, you come up (INAUDIBLE), what are you left with? Presumed criminality, it is the first -- it is the primary justification for racism against black people, and it's especially true with racism against black men.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Part of a much longer interview I did with Ben Jealous there, from the NAACP.
Joining me now live -- you see him there on your screen -- Congressman Charles Rangel from New York.
And I understand that you have requested, Mr. Rangel, the Department of Justice to look into the shooting of Officer Edwards and to similar cases across the U.S. And not just the Department of Justice, you said you have spoken to the attorney general himself.
REP. CHARLIE RANGEL, (D) NEW YORK: Well, no, I haven't. But I am satisfied that Police Commissioner Kelly, even though people want not to be able to say the embarrassing thing that race was a factor is showing videos and going sensitivity training as to how you identify yourself when you're a black officer. The governor of the state of New York has just, this week, appointed a task force.
LEMON: Yes. We're going to talk about that task force but you have not reached out - everything that I've read, you have not reached out to the Department of Justice trying to get them to look into these incidents?
RANGEL: Yes, and I asked the attorney general that this is not a New York City thing, the president is from Chicago. He knows well that blacks are more inclined to be considered suspects than whites are. That's the only issue every white cop that shot down a white cop, I would believe it was a mistake and not because of racism.
LEMON: OK so after --
RANGER: 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 this. 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 case 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 that race has been 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's from south Chicago and he knows that the propensity of a white cop thinking that a black guy running at night is a criminal. And there has to be some investigation too. Did the police officer think his life was in danger? Why was the police officer black or white shot dead and would it be more important than to let the perpetrator get away that to shoot down a human being who happened to be black in the black community. These issues that should be looked at so that these type of tragedies are prevented or at least alleviated.
LEMON: And we are Representative Rangel, I want to get this statement that I have right here that is from Governor Paterson. He said "we are handling this incident sensitively. There may be other issues that involved race. We are not discussing the institution or direct racism. These are problems that may be caused by perception." And he goes on to say, but we do have to look within the framework to see why there's such a high percentage of African-American and Hispanic officers who are shot. He says even he is saying that may be a matter of perception, it may not be race.
RANGEL: Sure, it's perception. When you find black kids are stopped and (inaudible) is perception when you find both black shot by police officers, some of them innocent is perception. Even when black officers are shot, it's a perception that they're criminal rather than give them the benefit of the doubt. So perception doesn't mean that race is not an issue. It's just a polite way of handling it.
LEMON: I want to ask you this because the "Daily News" columnist or writer in the "Daily News" asked this question. He said, you never read this headline, black cop shoots white cop, and he goes on to day, talk about racial stereotypes, talking about even the case earlier in the week where a woman in Florida said that, you know, a black man had kidnapped her, two black men had kidnapped her and taken her in a Cadillac. Many talked about Susan Smith but then he also goes on to day something I think which is very interesting where he talks about personal responsibility.
He talks about the onslaught of the popular culture, gangster rap, the garbage that bolsters, it's biased that people may perceive African-Americans or black men in a different way. He said that we may be paying a heavy price, black people, I'm saying, because of this perception in popular culture so that we need to take responsibility ourselves as well for this.
RANGEL: Well, I very seldom disagree with Earl Lewis, when we talk about getting shot. I think that the culture or the way people dress should not be the issue. The police officers should be the one to know that what is (inaudible) how people dress on that beat and be very, very careful that he doesn't confuse some kid who's got his shirt out and his cap on backwards with some sneakers with someone that may be an undercover cop. And I'm just saying if we really were to have the facts and investigate it, the question would be, if a white kid was running in a community in the same type of (INAUDIBLE), sneakers and the cap on backwards, and a black kid was running, who would believe would be the suspect? And this is always saying is that mistakes do happen. This is a tragic mistake. But when you put up the word color as a factor, which we know it is true I don't think people should get upset as some of the reporters did.
What they should do is take a look at it as the governor said, as the police commissions are looking at it and as I hope the attorney general looked at it and say no matter what they're wearing, no matter what they look like, no matter what, what the police officer should have done, can we do it better in terms of communicating among cops, which one is a cop and which one is the perpetrator?
LEMON: And Representative Ranger, we have to go, but I imagine you're going to update us on this. When do you see - have you spoken to them? Where do you see this going?
RANGEL: There's no question in my mind that the attorney general has an obligation to look at this, not so much to find out who's guilty, but how we can avoid this in other major cities.
LEMON: Thank you, Representative Rangel. We appreciate your time.
RANGEL: Thank you, Don.
LEMON: Here's what some of you folks are saying tonight. Wagathegreat says obviously if many cops are racist against a lot of civilian victims of color, why not their own colleagues. Amgitsbrandy says no, I highly doubt that race is a factor. I don't think they would do that. But maybe where you live it is different or where you live is different. Mysskay says race is never not a factor. That's not the question. The question is what would it benefit the other cops to stop? Kitibo says is water wet? Of course it is a factor, always has and always will be. And princess says race is a factor.
Twitter, Facebook, Myspace or ireport.com is how you too can be part of this show.
From business news to family news, our Susan Lisovicz, relives a D-Day memory with her very own Uncle Lenny.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where's my daughter? Baby, come here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And a soldier returns home from Iraq for a surprise family reunion. Plus this. It was down to the wire. Did a jockey win the triple crown at Belmont this year? We'll answer that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: You know, some of the veterans of D-day and World War II spent this anniversary in Washington sharing stories and remembering those who never came home. CNN's Elaine Quijano has more from the National Mall.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES: You, the veterans of the Atlantic, are why we still remember what happened on D-day. You're why we keep coming back.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 65 years after hitting the beaches of Normandy, Richard Straub and a handful of other D-day veterans finally visited a place built in their honor, the World War II memorial on the National Mall.
RICHARD STRAUB, D-DAY VETERAN: It's a magnificent looking place. I can't say how much I'm enjoying looking at it. I'd be glad to walk around and look at it.
QUIJANO: In 1944 at age 21, Straub worked as a teletype operator relaying messages to the front lines. He vividly remembers landing at Utah Beach on day two of the invasion.
STRAUB: It was a moment that I remember anybody ever saying a word, the complete silence was walked in.
QUIJANO: Al Tomaassetti also visited the World War II Memorial for the first time on Saturday.
AL TOMAASSETTI, D-DAY VETEREAN: I'm overwhelmed by the attention.
QUIJANO: He was a young combat engineer when he landed at Normandy.
TOMAASSETTI: There's a lot of wonderful guys on that beach. We went into the second day, they were picking them up and stock them like cord wood. I never lost that picture in my mind. It's not trivial. We did the job we had to do, that's all.
QUIJANO (on camera): The veteran's trip was made possible by the Honor Flight Network, a charity that works to bring World War II veterans here to Washington and the memorial free of charge.
EARL MORSE, CO-FOUNDER, HONOR FLIGHT NETWORK: These people are my heroes,. They collectively and literally saved the world. 60 years they waited to have a memorial. Now they finally have one. Getting them out here is the least we can do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was overseas fighting the Germans.
QUIJANO (voice-over): A chance for old soldiers to tell their stories and reluctantly receive recognition. Elaine Quijano, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Well, the legacies of the war are very much alive today, in people's hearts, their minds and really in their loved ones as well. Just ask our very own Susan Lisovicz whose 91-year-old Uncle Leonard was part of the D-Day invasion. And the sights, the smells of that beach in Normandy, France are still vivid in his mind today. Susan, she usually covers business for us -
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
LEMON: But her business is sharing her Uncle Lenny's story and I can just see you beaming with pride as, you know, I talk about it.
LISOVICZ: It's very special, Don. And it's very poignant for my whole family who's been in tears for the last couple of days. We knew that my Uncle Lenny Lisovicz stormed Omaha Beach on D-Day, we knew that his medals include the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. But we did not know much beyond that until my trip to Houston earlier this week.
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LISOVICZ (voice-over): All my life, I have known that my Uncle Lenny is a war hero, but he never wanted to talk about it.
LT. LEONARD LISOVICZ (RET.) D-DAY SURVIVOR: I don't want to say - I try to rub that out of my mind. But it won't go away.
LISOVICZ: What won't go away is the chaotic scene 65 years ago on a sliver of sand thousands of miles away. He was a 26-year-old lieutenant when he stormed Omaha Beach. The first word came from his captain.
LT. LEONARD LISOVICZ: He said this is the real thing. Let's see what you can do. That was it. Hit the beach.
LISOVICZ: But the Germans hit back.
LT. LEONARD LISOVICZ: They had to pinpoint. It was just like shooting ducks on a pond. Your comrades gets artillery busted, a hand flying here, a leg there. Guts laying out on the ground, just asking for help and you couldn't help them. You had to move. You just had to push them aside.
LISOVICZ (on camera): You lost so many men, were you ever scared?
LT. LEONARD LISOVICZ: Nobody can tell me that you don't fear going up against a man you never seen in your life and look him in the eye knowing that you're going to kill him.
LISOVICZ (voice-over): But the Nazis held a superior position. Then Uncle Lenny said, help came from above.
LT. LEONARD LISOVICZ: At times, there were so many planes in the sky you couldn't see the sky. You could see them forming, from all directions coming in to one pattern. And that's how we got off the beach, darling. We found the paratroopers but they were all dead. They massacred them in the field.
LISOVICZ: From that beach, my uncle fought all the way to Germany. He started with 220 men, but says only 22 made it back home alive. My uncle returned with many medals for his service including the prestigious Silver Star for his valor in the battlefield.
(on camera): What does this mean to you now when you look at it?
LT. LEONARD LISOVICZ: I don't care for it. I did the walk, baby. I did the walk.
LISOVICZ: You don't need to do the talk?
LT. LEONARD LISOVICZ: That's right.
LISOVICZ: But I finally convinced Lieutenant Leonard Lisovicz, my Uncle Lenny, at 91, to do the talk. After 65 years, it was time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LISOVICZ: And, Don, that was my uncle's uniform. I didn't know he had it. It was his idea to put it on and emblazoned on one of the shoulders is the big red one. I know a lot of people out there know what that stands for, the Army First Infantry Division. My uncle says the Germans called it the bloody red one.
LEMON: Susan, it's an amazing story, and emotional. For me as well he's not even related to me but listening to him saying you know I walked the walk, I don't need to talk the talk. He's 91 years old. I'm just wondering, growing up did you hear lots of these stories or did he not share them or did you not know as a kid just how important it was?
LISOVICZ: We generally did not bring it up. My uncle would bring it up from time to time. We know that it's something that's always with him, which is something he said again, he still has nightmares. The person in particular who comes to mind is his radio man, Sergeant Sulfino. If there's anyone out there in Philadelphia who's related, they were very close and he was with him in his final moments and he thinks of Sergeant Sulfino all the time. That god for some reason took his radio man and not him. But my uncle also mourns the Germans, all those young men that were, you know, probably using a gun for the first time. It was a tremendous loss of life. He says he would do it again, but it came at a great cost, Don.
LEMON:: I think you said he went with over 200 men and 22, you said came home alive. Susan Lisovicz, emotional story. We really appreciate it. Thank you so much for sharing it with us and to the world.
LISOVICZ: Thanks, Don.
LEMON: Hurricane or not. New Orleans is known for its great food. Before Katrina, there were about 800 restaurants in the Crescent City. Well, now believe it or not it is up to 1,000. So survival means coming up with a tasty new plan.
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LEMON: Fighting the recession, our special series, "Money and Main Street" spotlights a New Orleans restaurant owner who is battling the competition after surviving a natural disaster. And CNN's Sean Callebs has the story.
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SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If there is one thing New Orleans can do it's amazing cuisine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do I need to order more crab?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we need to order more crabs -
CALLEBS: Stephen Schwarz is the owner of this "Mat and Naddie's" in New Orleans uptown. Tourists and locals have a wealth of restaurants to choose from. But the economic downturn is making competition that much more fierce.
STEPHEN SCHWARZ, MAT AND 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 are 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 accounts for about 40 percent of Schwarz's income.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you like (inaudible)?
CALLEBS: He employs about 28 people, part and full-time. Without catering, Schwarz would have gone under and without glowing reviews, his business would withered on the vine.
KRYSTAN HOSKING, MICHAEL'S CATERING: Word of mouth is very important because if you get one bad review, there is 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 capital 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: A father is gone during most of his daughter's fourth grade year. But he's there for the one day that made a difference.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where's my daughter? Baby. Come here.
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LEMON: OK. A horse name "Bird" won today's third leg of the triple crown. But it is not the "Bird" you already heard about. "Summer Bird" is the winner of the Belmont stakes, taking an upset victory over Kentucky derby winner "Mine that Bird." "Summer Bird's" win came in at the expense of Jockey Calvin Borel who was trying to become the first jockey ever to win a personal triple crown.
Borel rode "Mine that Bird" in the derby. And then he won the Preakness for "Rachel Alexandra." Today he was back atop "Mine that Bird" but he could only watch as "Summer Bird" stormed past him at the finish. It was an amazing finish. For a while there it looked like he was going to win. The other bird came from behind and took it.
A priceless memory that's probably the best way to sum up a surprise reunion between a Texas soldier returning from Iraq and his 10-year-old daughter. Tiffany Wong brings us her story from San Antonio on a little girl's last day of school.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It really is. He's not on the computer.
TIFFANY WONG, REPORTER (voice-over): He has been in Iraq for the past 350 days. Master Sergeant Joseph Myers was anxious to make it home to his daughter Addison.
MASTER SGT. JOSEPH MYERS, U.S. AIR FORCE: I missed my daughter's first steps, I missed her first words.
WONG: That wasn't the only daughter he missed. Hannah thought today was going to be a regular school day.
MYERS: Where's my daughter? Baby, come here.
WONG: It was anything but.
MYERS: Come here. I love you. I missed you so much. Oh, I missed you. Surprise.
WONG: It was a surprise Hannah wasn't ready for.
HANNAH MYERS, REUNITED WITH DAD: I was just so excited. I couldn't believe it. And I don't really remember what happened because I was so happy.
MYERS: Hi, Hannah's class, how are you? Sorry I missed fourth grade.
WONG: Master Sergeant Myers says his biggest hero is his oldest daughter.
MYERS: The things that she's done, you wouldn't think a normal 10-year-old would do. Stepping up to the plate, changing diapers, getting up in the middle of the night when mom is sick and baby is sick to help mom out.
H. MYERS: I love you, Daddy.
WONG: For Hannah, it's all about having daddy home.
H. MYERS: I want to go to Texas with him. That's the thing we always used to do together.
WONG: The Myers family is just grateful they can see each other again.
J. MYERS: Every one of us in uniform and out of uniform think about you every day. And we know the sacrifices that you've had to take on and I'm sorry.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Wow. A lot of tears on this show today, man. So we want to read some of your comments here. Here's what patriot said - this one is on twitter. Some on Facebook as well. Patriot2008 to Mr. Lenny, this is Susan Lisovicz's story, as you cannot wipe the memories from your mind, we cannot ever wipe the World War II vets from our hearts. And my friend Ashley also sending things saying, Susan's piece was phenomenal. I have tears in my eyes. What a cool uncle. I'm Don Lemon. I'll see you back here tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern with new information and all the stories that we're covering. See you then.
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