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President Obama's Remarks At Hispanic Prayer Breakfast Touches On The Path To Citizenship, Immigrants Who Serve In The Military; Iran's Supreme Leader Speaks

Aired June 19, 2009 - 09:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN, ANCHOR: Iran's supreme leader speaks. We have team coverage of his first public comments following post election protests.

Also lightning strikes, severe weather hits a wide stretch of the nation. Our Rob Marciano is tracking what cities will be under the gun today.

And she illegally shared 24 songs on the internet. Her fine, though, $80,000.

Hello, everybody, it is Friday, June 19th. I'm Betty Nguyen. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

We've got a lot coming up for you today. First up, the latest in Iran, disputed presidential vote. We're going to take you to the CNN desk -- Iranian desk, in fact, to talk to Ivan Watson about that.

Then we're going to go out to Los Angeles with Kara Finnstrom for the latest on an Iranian television station that is reporting on the situation there. And of course, Suzanne Malveaux at the White House for reaction, as well.

A lot coming up here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

All right. Let's start with what we know on today's speech. Iran's supreme leader addressed a large crowd at Tehran University during Friday prayers. He rejected charges of vote-rigging, calling President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election a definitive victory. He said those who question the results should use proper legal avenues.

Now he did not issue a call for a revote. The supreme leader criticized, though, the street protests and said those who caused violence would be held accountable.

President Ahmadinejad attended the prayer services and opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi, well, he did not.

Our reporter in Tehran, Reza Sayah, has been limited by the government to filing only report a day, so we can't bring you a live report from Tehran at this time, but we are getting reaction from ordinary Iranians to the speech on Twitter.

CNN's Ivan Watson is following that from our Iran desk.

So, Ivan, what are they saying?

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, let's start with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at this very important speech before tens of thousands of people at Tehran University where he called last Friday's contested election a political earthquake.

He stood by the results of that election and he denied accusations coming from three of the opposition candidates, actually, that the government would have manipulated the results of that vote, Betty. Let's take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI, IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER (Through Translator): Extremism in the country, in society. Any extremist move will fan another extremist move. If political elites want to ignore law and break the law and take wrong measures, which are harmful, willy-nilly, they will be held accountable for all the violence and blood and rioting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: And, Betty, so that's quite a warning to the opposition right now. Let's take a look at some of the reactions we're getting from Twitter because, of course, we're very limited in the reporting that we can do in Iran.

Let's take a look over here. Here's some posts that seem to be in support of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. One writer saying that, "The time for change is the next election, not now. The opposition needs to act more mature".

Now we've been following some Farsi language posts, as well. And this is very interesting. This writer says, "Hey, since the supreme leader has settled everything for everybody, I humbly declare my support for all and any widespread vote rigging."

So we are seeing how the society is polarized right now just from some of these posts. Betty?

NGUYEN: Absolutely. Thank you for that, Ivan. We do appreciate it.

You know, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader there, ultimate power in Iran, well, has the final say in all important matters of the country, such as Iran's nuclear aspirations.

The supreme leader, he appoints the Guardian Council. Now that's the country's election authority. He appoints key posts in the intelligence services and the armed forces. And he also confirms the president's election.

Khamenei is 70 years old, he was appointed supreme leader for life back in 1989.

You know, many Iranian Americans follow events from Iran on a TV station that broadcasts from outside Los Angeles. And CNN's Kara Finnstrom is there. She joins us now.

Kara, what are they saying today now that the supreme leader has spoken?

KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're getting a lot of e- mails, a lot of video sent in this morning in response to his comments overnight here. This is Channel 1, and this is a Persian TV station, an independent Persian TV station that broadcasts around the world, including into Iran.

You can see some of the images that are going out right now over their air. We've been talking all morning long about the fact that the amount of reporting that's been able to be done by journalists coming out of Iran is very limited. So a lot of the images that they are getting and sharing are actually coming to them from ordinary people there in Iran as well as some of their own staff on the ground.

And Arwaz (ph) has been bringing them in throughout the morning. You mentioned this morning there seems to be some very heavy filters in place. You're not getting a lot of images. But share what you did receive yesterday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, these are the latest pictures we've received from Thursday. Actually this is the protest that was happening in the square in the Toopkhaneh Square in Tehran. And as you can see, this is Moussavi and he's trying to be -- like he's trying to guide people and as you can go forward.

These are from Thursday. And as they say, about a million people showed up for this parade.

FINNSTROM: A lot of images that he has been continuing to go through. I want to give you a look at the rest of this station, very quickly, as well. Again we're in the control room now. They have an area out here where they had just been looking through all these that they've been getting from inside Iran as well as from around the country.

And if we step over here, Miriam (ph) has been looking at some of these this morning. Tell -- give me the gist of the one that you're looking at right now here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually, I was (INAUDIBLE) the e-mails from Shiraz, which is one of the biggest city in central Iran. And the people has a demonstration about 10,000 to 15,000 people. They were in the demonstration and they wear the black dress as they lost their young people and they carried the open coffin as a symbol that they lost the young people and they are in grief.

FINNSTROM: Thank you for sharing with us. Again, none of these images, none of these e-mails have been vetted or confirmed by CNN. They are coming in, you know, here throughout the morning and they're kind of looking at them hoping to get a better feel for what's going on.

Also I want to mention that the owner of the station is very clear about the fact that he is pro-democracy, he is pro-regime change. He says he has used his station here to call for protest of the current regime. But he also says he's open to hearing all points of view on his air.

Back to you.

NGUYEN: All right. Thank you for that. Kara Finnstrom joining us from Canoga Park, California.

You know CNN's Christiane Amanpour followed the Iranian election from campaign through the vote and the protest, and she shares her insight on a CNN special this week. And you don't want to miss it. It's called "Anatomy of an Election." It airs Saturday and Sunday night at 7:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

President Obama, well, he spoke earlier this week about the world being inspired by the opposition protests in Iran. And our Suzanne Malveaux has been checking on White House reaction for today's Khamenei speech and she joins us live.

Suzanne, are we hearing anything yet from the White House as a response to this?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Betty, I talked to White House officials this morning and they said they're not going to be rushed on this. This is a very sensitive issue here. They are translating his speech. They want to make sure they understand the meaning of every single word of his speech.

But this is very consistent to what the administration's position and its strategy has been all along and that is, this -- that the president has come out before. He has said that he has expressed concern about demonstrators who are on the streets. That he wants to make sure they're peaceful demonstrations.

We heard from Robert Gibbs, the press secretary, yesterday saying this is the debate that they respect, that it is taking place in Iran by the Iranians over the fate and the future of their leadership here. This is not something that the U.S. is going to get involved in.

It has already been accused of meddling in Iran's affairs and it doesn't want to be considered a target, if you will, a distraction or an excuse to see violence on the streets or to become part of the issue.

So that's what the administration is saying this morning. They're not going to be taking the bait, essentially, Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. Well, as we wait for that, you know, meanwhile, we're expecting to hear from the president in just a few moments, in fact, speaking at a prayer breakfast. And then later he's going to focus on fathers.

What are you have here today? Or what are you expecting to hear?

MALVEAUX: Well, this is the 8th Annual Prayer Breakfast. The Hispanic prayer breakfast. Obviously, he's going to be speaking to this group. Immigration, a very important topic for that particular group. It has not yet come to his desk but that's something that he is talking about reforming immigration.

There's a lot of support for this president so far in the selection of Judge Sotomayor for the Supreme Court nominations. So that is something where the first Hispanic, they feel pleased he is at least addressing some of their concerns, their issues, at least in representation.

And then later, Betty, this is something that is very personal to this president. The whole day of fatherhood. It's Father's Day weekend. He's going to have a lot of mentors, father figures here hold a town hall right here in the White House to talk about mentorship, the importance of taking personal responsibility.

President Obama was abandoned by his own father when he was just 2 years old. He talks about that from time to time saying that his own life example really inspired him to become a good dad and that that's the most important job for him, the most important goal for his life.

NGUYEN: And we are going to be speaking, in fact, with the father who has been invited to that, Tony Hawk, pro-skate boarder. He's going to be live on the show next hour. So looking forward to that.

Thank you, Suzanne. We'll be checking in with you.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

NGUYEN: In the meantime, protecting Hawaii from North Korea. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the missile defense is ready if North Korea gets too close.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Severe Weather Center. Severe weather yesterday and again today. And big doings happening this weekend. We detail it when the CNN NEWSROOM comes right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Our Rob Marciano is a busy man today. We've got some severe weather in the forecast. What's brewing, Rob?

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: That's the latest from here, Betty. Back over to you.

NGUYEN: So that's the calm between the storms then.

MARCIANO: Between. Exactly.

(LAUGHTER)

NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Rob.

MARCIANO: You got it. NGUYEN: You know an emergency bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for the next few months is on its way to the president. The Senate has given final congressional approval to the $106 billion measure.

It includes $80 billion for the war efforts, about $26 billion for other purposes, including foreign aid, the flu pandemic and the Cash for Clunkers program. The money brings the running tab for both wars to about $950 billion.

Well, the U.S. is ready to stop North Korean missiles. That's what Defense Secretary Robert Gates is saying right now. He is responding to reports that North Korea may be getting ready to test fire a long- range missile that could possibly reach Hawaii.

Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joins us live.

And, Barbara, you know when people at home hear that, it makes them worry.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: It does, indeed, you know, Betty. The secretary making clear that the U.S. is prepared if North Korea goes ahead with a long-range missile launch.

U.S. spy satellites have been watching for weeks now and they report seeing preparations at a number of North Korean missile sites, but it should be remembered the last two long-range missiles that North Korea fired went plunk, literally, into the ocean. They didn't really work.

Still, the U.S. taking precautions. All of this coming at a time when certainly tensions are on the rise. Because right now, as we speak, the U.S. Navy is shadowing a North Korean ship off the coast of China, a ship it believes may be carrying illicit weapons cargo.

Under a new U.N. Security Council resolution, the U.S. could ask for permission to board the ship you see here, the Kung Nam, a North Korean ship, but the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is making very clear. There'll be no boardings at the point of a gun.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADM. MIKE MULLEN, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: But the United Nations Security Council resolution does not include an option for an opposed boarding or a non-compliant boarding with respect to that, and if we get to that point with a vessel that we suspect has material, which is counter to unauthorized in accordance with the NSCR, that's a report that goes back to the United Nations, as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: So the Navy shadowing the ship likely to ask for permission to board it, absolutely expecting North Korea will say no. It all goes back into diplomatic channels to try and make one of these boardings happen.

But don't forget, Betty, the North Koreans say that any attempt to board one of their ships they're going to consider an act of war. So tensions not lessening.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. And we're watching this very closely.

All right, Barbara Starr, thank you so much for those reports.

You know, the security officer, remember this? The one killed at the Holocaust Museum? Well, he's being laid to rest. His fellow officers speak out about the bloody confrontation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN, the most trusted name in news. Now back to the CNN NEWSROOM.

NGUYEN: Texas billionaire Allen Stanford is due to appear in federal court this morning. Stanford is accused of running an $8 billion scheme to defraud investors in his Stanford Financial Group.

Now he has denied the charges. Stanford was arrested by federal agents yesterday outside of his girlfriend's house in Virginia.

The FBI, well, it says it's found child pornography on a computer belonging to James von Brunn. He is the 88-year-old white supremacist accused of shooting to death a security guard at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.

The FBI says the child porn turned up in a search of his Von Brunn's Maryland apartment. Officials say they also discovered dozens of round of ammunition in his car.

Well, the security guard Von Brunn is accused, as you know, of killing -- the security guard, in fact, that he's accused of killing is being laid to rest this morning. The viewing for 39-year-old Stephen Johns, you see him right there, is being held this hour in Maryland.

A funeral service is scheduled for later this morning. And so many mourners are expected to be there that family members had to move the service to a bigger church. Among those paying respects, two fellow security officers who shot and wounded Von Brunn during the terrifying day last week.

Here's CNN's Ed Henry with the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When shots rang out at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, security officers Harry Weeks and Jason McCuiston were stunned.

HARRY WEEKS, HOLOCAUST MUSEUM SECURITY GUARD: Both of us couldn't believe this was happening. I know myself, I just -- it just -- I heard pop, pop, and it was surreal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You knew, you felt that something terribly was going wrong. HENRY: But both men kept their composure, drawing their weapons and shooting at the suspect James von Brunn. While Weeks had fired his gun in the line of duty 25 years earlier as a D.C. police officer, nothing compared to this bloody confrontation.

WEEKS: This was terrible. This was worse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why?

WEEKS: We lost officer Johns.

HENRY: Officer Stephen Johns was allegedly shot in the chest by Von Brunn and died shortly thereafter. Leaving behind a young son.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was (INAUDIBLE). So many -- and he was also my hero.

HENRY: The emotions are especially raw for Officer McCuiston.

JASON MCCUISTON, HOLOCAUST MUSEUM SECURITY GUARD: The first thing I thought about, I have an 11-year-old.

HENRY: These two men probably saved many other lives since there were more than 2,000 people in the museum. But there's little comfort in that.

MCCUISTON: A lot of people are going to say what they've been saying. You're a hero, you're this, you're that. It's like we tell everybody. We chose this job, it's a job.

HENRY: The only solace they feel right now is thinking of Officer Johns in happier times.

MCCUISTON: Just a big teddy bear. Just an awesome guy. A grin from ear to ear. It was like you would never know that man probably ever had a bad day in his life.

WEEKS: I'm going to miss him, Jason, the Holocaust Museum, (INAUDIBLE), you know, it'll never be the same again. It's just our lives have changed and I hope they are OK. His son, his wife, his mother, his stepfather. They can go on knowing that he's a good man.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Johns was a six-year veteran of the Holocaust Museum security staff. His friends say he enjoyed the job and had just recently remarried.

Well, Iran's supreme leader speaks out about his country's disputed election. His view of the controversy and his advice to those who say Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not the real president.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: All right. Well, here's another story that we are working on right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. More and more parents, well, they're failing to pay child support, in fact, because of this recession.

So are you finding yourself in that situation? Maybe on either side of it. We want to hear from you. Send us your questions to my Facebook page, also you can hit u p me on Twitter, as well.

We want to get your questions because we actually have some legal advice for you today. So send them in and we'll read them on the air.

Also coming up, it's been a sluggish workweek on Wall Street. But early indications show that the markets are set to open a little bit higher today. We're going to get information on that right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Betty Nguyen.

NGUYEN: All right. As I just mentioned, you know, it's been a sluggish week on Wall Street. But there are early indications that show the markets are set to open higher today. Looking forward to that.

For a preview, let's go to Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange.

Hey there, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Betty. Final trading of the week. We're expecting a little positive momentum. We had some encouraging reports on the economy on Thursday. And we're going to see some follow through at the open on Friday.

Also rising, oil prices on evidence that the economy is stabilizing.

Next hour, we'll get a look at state by state unemployment numbers. This comes a day after the weekly report on jobless claims showed continuing claims fell by the biggest amount in seven years.

As the opening bell rings, some good news for a few dozen GM dealers. The automaker is giving 60 dealers a reprieve after initially telling them their franchise agreements would not be renewed this year.

Earlier this month, of course, GM alerted more than 1,300 dealers they had to wind down operations. Those that are being saved were able to show that financial and performance data used by GM was inaccurate.

Good for them.

In the tech sector, Research in Motion, ticker symbol RIM reported a 33 percent jump in first quarter profits. It had nearly 4 million new subscribers. But Wall Street is disappointed by the company's sales outlook. Why is that? Well, because Apple's new phone went on sale today. Customers here in New York lined up last night to be the first to get the 3GS iPhone. One analyst expects Apple will sell half million iPhones this weekend. Apple shares are higher. PALM shares are higher. RIM shares are lower. Overall, the three major averages are higher by at least 1/3 of a percent.

Betty did you check out who was ringing the opening bell?

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Actually we were working on a breaking news story. Who was it? I missed it.

LISOVICZ: Men's Warehouse in advance of Father's Day.

NGUYEN: Yes.

LISOVICZ: They're the ones that are say, "You're going to like the way you look, we guarantee it." Anyway --

NGUYEN: All right.

LISOVICZ: They expect to sell a lot of ties in the next couple of days.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. It is Father's Day, right? What else do you get? Maybe a coffee mug. I don't know.

Thank you, Susan.

LISOVICZ: See you later.

NGUYEN: Let me talk about this first and we'll get to that breaking news. We're awaiting remarks from President Obama this morning, because he is attending the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast in Washington. The event is hosted by Esperanza, which is the largest Hispanic faith-based evangelical group in the U.S.

As soon as President Obama gets ready to speak, we will take you back there live.

Actually, is he about to come up? Let me take a look at this picture. We've got the fire up right now. If we can get the picture back up, the president is about to speak there at Esperanza, this evangelical event. And he is the guest speaker. He's going to make a few comments for us. And we, of course, are going to take those live. I think this will be a short introduction.

And as mentioned earlier, though, we were working on that fire in Athens, Georgia. While they're doing that quick introduction, let's bring up those pictures so I can bring you the latest on that and we'll get right back to this, if we can.

We've got smoke coming out of right here, this building, which is a theater in Athens, Georgia. A fire has broken out there. Not a whole lot of information, but pretty compelling pictures. This is a theater that has been converted into a concert venue. It's hosted concerts by popular bands, such as REM, Widespread Panic, and others.

Don't really know exactly what caused this fire. But obviously, people are on the scene. Firefighters are on the scene to try to put that thing out as quickly as possible.

We'll get back to the president in a second. We've got other news to tell you about right now. Take a look.

Iran's supreme leader has spoken, but will all of the people take his message to heart? That's the question a lot of people are asking this morning. But let's take you back to President Obama. He is speaking right now. And we're going to take a listen.

(BEGIN LIVE FEED, IN PRORESS)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you so much. Thank you. Buenos dias. It is good to see everybody here. Just a few quick acknowledgment acknowledgments; our outstanding Secretary of Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano is here. Please give her a big round of applause. The great governor of the state of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell.

Two special members of my staff that I want you all to get to know. First of all, we have a White House Office of Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships. If you haven't already met him, Joshua DeBois is just a wonderful young man. Please give him a big round of applause. He helps to organize a lot of our faith outreach.

(APPLAUSE)

And our director of Intergovernmental Affairs, one of my favorite people, Cecilia Munoz, give her a big round of applause.

(APPLAUSE)

I want to thank Reverend Cortez for the wonderful introduction and the wonderful prayer for me and my family.

I want to thank Esperanza and all of you who worked to hard to put together the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast and Conference.

And I also want to join you in honoring the work Adolfo Carrion, Senior, on this Father's Day weekend. On this Father's Day weekend, I know that my director of urban affairs, Adolfo's son, is particularly proud of his dad.

And I also want to thank all of you for the work that you do each and every day. Through your service to your communities, you represent the very best in our country. I'm honored to join you in prayer this morning.

At a time when there's no shortage of challenges to occupy our time, it's even more important to step back, and to give thanks, and to seek guidance from each other, but most importantly from God. That's what we've come here to do. We can begin by giving thanks for the legacy that allows us to come together. For it was the genius of America's founders to protect the freedom of all religion and those who practice no religion at all; so as we join in prayer, we remember that this is a nation of Christian and Muslims and Jews and Hindus and non- believers. It is this freedom that allows faith to flourish within our borders. It is this freedom that makes our nation strong. For those of us who draw on faith as a guiding force in our lives, prayer has many purposes. For many, it's a source of support when times are hard. President Lincoln, who Reverend Cortez mentioned, once said, "I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go." And while the challenges that I faced pale in comparison to Lincoln's, I know that more than once I've been filled with the same conviction, over the last five months.

But prayer is more than a last resort. Prayer helps us search for meaning in our own lives and it helps us find the vision and the strength to see the world that we want to build. That's what I'd like to talk about for just a few minutes today.

As I look out at this audience, I'm reminded of the power of faith in America. Faith in God, and a faith in the promise of this great country. Each of us come from many different places. We trace our roots back to different nations and we represent a broad spectrum of personal and political beliefs, but all of us pray to God. All of us share a determination to build a better future for our children and for our grandchildren. That must be a starting point for common ground for the America we want to build.

Like some of you, I am the son of a parent who came to these shores in search for a better future. While I may be the first African-American president, there is nothing unique or unusual about the opportunities that this country gave to me. Instead, like generations of Americans, I could count on the basic promise that no matter what you look like, or where you come from, America will let you go as far as your dreams and your hard work will carry you. And that promise is at the heart of the American story.

The stories shared by many of you, by clergy and members of Congress, by business leaders and community organizers. It is the story of every young child who has the opportunity to go farther in life than their parents were able to go. The story of a young girl who could rise from a public housing project to be nominated for the highest court in the land.

(APPLAUSE)

And I am confident that it's a story that will some day be told by the first Hispanic president of the United States of America.

(APPLAUSE)

We know there is much more work to be done to extend the promise of a better life to all our children and grandchildren. In all that we do, we must be guided by that simple command that binds all great religions together: Love thy neighbor as thyself. In the 21st century we have learned that this truth is central not just to our own lives, but to our success as a nation. If our children cannot get the world-class education they need to succeed, then America will not be able to compete with other countries. If our families cannot afford healthcare, then the costs go up for all of us, individuals, businesses, and government. If folks down the street can't pay their mortgage, and folks across town can't find a job, then that pain is going to trickle into other parts of our economy.

And that's why we've come together on behalf of the future that we want to build. One where all of our children go to the best schools, all our people can go to work to make a living. All our families can afford healthcare. And prosperity is extended to everybody. Together we must build a future where the promise of America is kept for a new generation.

We also know that keeping this promise means upholding America's tradition as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. Those things aren't contradictory. They're complementary. That's why I'm committed to passing comprehensive immigration reform as president of the United States.

(APPLAUSE)

The American people -- the American people believe in immigration. But they also believe that we can't tolerate a situation where people come to the United States in violation of the law. Nor can we tolerate employers who exploit undocumented workers in order to drive down wages. That's why we are taking steps to strengthen border security. And we must build on those efforts.

We must also clarify the status of millions who are here illegally, many who have put down roots. For those who wish to become citizens, we should require them to pay a penalty, and pay taxes, learn English, go to the back of the line behind those who played by the rules. That is the fair, practical, and promising way forward. And that's what I'm committed to passing as president of the United States.

(APPLAUSE)

We must never forget that time and again the promise of America has been renewed by immigrants who make their story part of the American story. We see it in every state of our country. We see it in our families and in our neighborhoods. As president, I've been honored to see it demonstrated by the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States. Last month I had the honor of welcoming a group of our service members as citizens for the very first time. In that crowd, there were faces from every corner of the world. And one man from Nicaragua, Jonathan Zapata had waited his whole life to serve our country, even though he was not yet a citizen.

"By serving in the military," he said, "I can also give back to the United States." He's done so in Afghanistan and even helped man the 400,000th aircraft landing aboard the USS Kitty Hawk. Jonathan's story is not unique. He's part of a proud legacy of service. For generations Hispanic-Americans have served with great commitment and valor. There are now nearly 150,000 Hispanic-Americans serving under our flag. And today we are proud --

(APPLAUSE)

Today we are proud to welcome several of them who are wounded warriors, recovering at Walter Reed. Please join me in honoring their service and keeping them and all of our troops in our thoughts and prayers. Please.

(APPLAUSE)

These troops have dedicated their lives to serving their fellow Americans. And their example, like those of all of our men and women in uniform, should challenge us to ask what we can do to better serve our communities and our country, because the greatest responsibility that we have as citizens is to one another. That's the spirit we need to build, that's the America that we seek. And to do so, we must look past our divisions to serve the hopes and dreams that we hold in common. We must give life to that fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper, that I am my sister's keeper.

Scripture tells us, the word is very near to you. It is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. Today, let us pray for the strength to find the word in our hearts. And for the vision to see the America that we can build together, as one nation and as one people.

Thank you for your partnership, thank you for your prayers. May God bless all of you and may God bless the United States of America.

(END LIVE FEED)

NGUYEN: And there you have it. President Obama speaking today at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast on a number of different topics, including immigration. A little bit later today, he's going to be speaking on the issue of fatherhood and mentors. In fact, skateboarder Tony Hawk will be at the White House today hobnobbing with President Obama and some very lucky teenagers. We are going to talk with him in the NEWSROOM coming right up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: President Obama is devoting much of his day promoting the importance of being a good dad. This afternoon he will host an event to discuss fatherhood as well as mentoring, and he's invited young men from local schools to the White House to hang out with really famous people. The president also penned a father's day message, in "Parade" magazine, challenging dads, he says, quoting here, "We need fathers to step up, to realize that their job does not end at conception; that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child, but the courage to raise one."

You know, it's estimated 24 million children are growing up with absent fathers. A disproportionate number of them are African- American.

Let's get more now on one of those White House events. Tony Hawk is going to be at that. He's skate boarding legend and a father of four. He's one of the celebrities invited to hang out with young men at the White House today. And he joins us today.

Thanks for being with us, Tony. TONY HAWK, PROFESSIONAL SKATBOARDER: Thanks for inviting me.

NGUYEN: All right, so you know, the president is opening up this discussion on fatherhood and healthy families. What are some of the issues that you think need to be addressed during this discussion?

HAWK: Well, I think first and foremost is personal responsibility. I mean, you are a father, you have to take responsibility for that. That is one of the biggest jobs you can have in your life and really just to make time for your kids. You know, however you can, but to guide them and raise them, but also to be really involved in what they're doing.

NGUYEN: How big of an influence was your father? And how much of that shaped the kind of dad you are today?

HAWK: Really, I'm just living through his example. Because he supported me in doing something that was completely different. It wasn't considered acceptable, or a future, or a career. And he wholeheartedly dove into it and helped to form organizations sanctioning bodies for skate events. And knowing that he supported me in doing something that was completely different, I really want to pass that on to my kids and support them in whatever they chose to do.

NGUYEN: I want to ask you what you could possibly pass on to other fathers out there. What kind of message do you want to share with them?

HAWK: I think, just to be engaged in what your kids are doing, not it be there in body, but be there in spirit and actually ask questions, see what they're up to. They love feedback and they love sharing in the jokes, and things like that. So, even if it means watching their kid shows or whatever they're doing, they love the fact that you are actually participating.

NGUYEN: That you're just there spending time with them. It means so much.

HAWK: Yes.

NGUYEN: Today also highlights mentoring. I have to ask you about this, you've come so far. I mean, you are a bit of a living legend here. Did you have a mentor? Who did you look up to?

HAWK: Mostly my dad, but also in terms of skating, just the people I thought that were really innovative back then, and skating was just a collection of all different types of people. And I feel it taught me about diversity and understanding other cultures, as well. So, I took cues from all over the place, but really my dad and my older siblings all really helped me along the way.

NGUYEN: And you are also paying it forward with the Tony Hawk Foundation, creating these skate parks all around the United States. Tell us a little bit about that and the benefit of it.

HAWK: I love it. We are trying to help to promote public skate facilities in low-income areas. To date we have provided funding for almost 450 skate parks and we have given away over $3 million. And I want these kids that live in city where they don't have much outlet to have a place to go and to hone these type of skills, because skating is as popular as ever, and they deserve a place to do it.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. And before I let you go, I know you brought a skateboard to the White House today. Any chance you'll get the president on one?

HAWK: If he's game, yeah, I'm in, for sure. Hey, he's from Hawaii, right? He must have surfed at some point.

NGUYEN: That's true. He has got to know a board at some point, maybe not one with wheels, but I'm sure he could definitely get on today.

HAWK: He's seems pretty active, so, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt.

NGUYEN: I don't know if he'll have a half pipe in the backyard any time soon.

HAWK: Yeah, probably not. Haven't seen one yet.

NGUYEN: You could try. You could always try.

All right. Tony, thanks so much, it was great talking to you.

HAWK: All right, thank you.

NGUYEN: She illegally shared 24 songs on the Internet. Her fine, though, $80,000 a song. We have that story coming up.

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NGUYEN: Well, I guess you could say one score one for the recording industry in a music sharing case. A Minnesota woman is found guilty and gets hit with a huge fine. CNN's Stephanie Elam is in New York.

Stephanie, when you hear about the numbers in this case. That fine, wow! What is this case all about, though?

STEHPANIE ELAM, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: It's really, Betty, something that makes you think about it. Twenty-four songs are really at issue in this case; 24 songs that this woman in Minnesota downloaded, they're saying, illegally off the Internet without paying for them.

They're saying per song, $80,000 is what she has to pay up. So for a total of $1.92 million they expect this woman to pay. This is the first copyright infringement case to go to trial of this kind - to go to trial in the U.S. Obviously, it's turning a lot of heads because here's 24 songs she could have gotten for $24 and now they want her to pay about $1.9 million.

Obviously, she does plan to appeal or have some discussions with them about what to do. The Recording Industry Association of America, they're happy about this, and they say that they are willing to settle the case if and when she's ready to do that. The other thing to keep in mind, Betty, she had already gone through trial in 2007. She went through trail, she was fined a total of more than $200,000. But then because of an error in the instructions to the jury the judge threw out that ruling and sent her back. And now the number has really ballooned since then.

NGUYEN: What happens now? What happens next? She will appeal but then, you know, what will happen of it?

ELAM: Yes, this is something that will keep coming up here because other people are saying have settled between $3,000 and $5,000 before it even went to trial. It is noteworthy that a jury of her peers did find her guilty of this and did fined her with such a huge amount. At this point, she will probably work out something with the recording association and with these four labels that the songs came from. They're songs like from Sheryl Crow and Lincoln Park, and work out some sort of deal with them. And I'm sure at this point she would like to get it all behind her. But she's pretty clear that there is no way she will ever be able to pay $1.92 million.

The rules have changed, as of December, the rules have changed on how they can fine people. So, probably won't see another case like this. But just a massive number. You know, I love my music, love my iPod. Got to have it.

NGUYEN: You have to really love your music to pay -

ELAM: But $80,000 a song? Yeah.

NGUYEN: Yes, I don't like it that much, any song. Thank you, Stephanie.

ELAM: Sure.

NGUYEN: All right, the reality of the recession. You're out of a job, behind on your child support. What are you going to do? We're going to talk about your options coming up.

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