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Iran's Supreme Leader Gives Ahmadinejad the Election Victory
Aired June 19, 2009 - 10:00 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 lays down the law. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, speaking publically for the first time about Iran's disputed presidential election. At Friday prayer services in Tehran, Khamenei described President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election as a "definitive victory." He rejected charges of vote rigging and did not issue a call for a revote. Now, the supreme leader also said those who caused violence during the protest would be held "accountable."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI, SUPREME LEADER OF IRAN: Extremism in the country and society, any extremist move will fan up another extremist move. If political elites want to ignore law and break the law and take wrong measures, which are harmful, they will be held accountable for all the violence and blood and rioting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Our reporter in Tehran Reza Sayah has been limited by the government to filing just one report a day. So, we can't bring you a live report from Tehran at this time, but we can call on the worldwide resources of CNN to keep you informed. Our coverage includes Ivan Watson from our Iran desk, our middle east expert Octavia Nasr analyzes the speech and Kara Finnstrom is reporting from an Iranian- American TV station in California. So with international TV coverage just restricted in Iran right now, Iranian citizens are using the internet to have their voices heard.
CNN's Ivan Watson has been following their comments from our Iran desk, and what are you hearing Ivan especially following the speech that you heard from the Supreme Leader there in Iran?
IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It depends, Betty. We have heard some people actually applauding Khamenei, the Ayatollah, the Supreme Leader, saying, you know, the opposition has to act more mature and then we've seen some comments that have been slamming him, really, ridiculing the supreme leader. And this is very important what he said today. It's very important warning because he is the most powerful man in Iran. And he did not just issue a warning to the opposition candidates and the opposition protesters in the streets, Betty. He also slammed the west, accused them, western governments, the U.S., Britain and the media, as well, of trying to divide Iran by criticizing the outcome of this election. Let's take a listen to the tone of his speech.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI, SUPREME LEADER OF IRAN (through translator): Enemies try through various media and some of those media belong to (inaudible), ill wishers. They try to make believe in those media that there is a fight between supporters of the Islamic establishment and the opposition know that's not true, they have no right to say that. That's not true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: So, you hear a bit of the tone of the speech. Very angry at the west and starting to suggest that the protesters may be in league with the west. Betty?
NGUYEN: All right. Ivan Watson monitoring our Iran desk today. Thank you for that, Ivan.
You know, the Obama administration not rushing to react to the speech by Iran supreme leader. White House officials tell our Suzanne Malveaux that they're taking time to translate the speech so they understand every single word. The administration is signaling that it doesn't want to be accused of meddling or becoming a distraction in Iranian internal affairs.
Well, White House officials may not be talking publicly about today's speech, but Iranian-Americans certainly are. CNN's Kara Finnstrom joins us now live from an Iranian-American TV station based outside of Los Angeles in Canoga Park. She joins us now. What are you hearing on your end there?
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's been very busy here this morning, Betty. This is Channel 1, it's an independent Persian TV station that broadcasts throughout the world and into Iran. We're in the control room. You can see some of the images that are going across the air right now. This is a TV station that is owned and operated by a ex-patriot of Iran who is very clear. He states that he is a supported of regime change. He is a supporter of democracy. He says he calls for the protest of the current regime on his air but he also says he allows all voices to be heard on his air and he tries to balance that.
Joining us live here is (inaudible) who has been bringing some of the images that have been going out, some of these images from just families, citizens on the ground there, tell us what you're seeing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are the most recent pictures that we've received so far. The next couple of pictures I'm going to show you guys are really moving and touching. The first one is about an Iranian woman who lost her son in the protest. She is holding up a sign saying tell my mom she doesn't have a son any more. The next one is an Iranian student who is holding up a sign saying god is with us. The last one is also held by an Iranian student saying green wave, white silence, red victory and national Iran.
FINNSTROM: Thank you very much. Also getting a lot of e-mails here. 1,500 a day and we want to show you real quickly. This is where they're coming in and they're taking a look at all these e-mails. Now, with all the information coming in, there are a lot of folks here in the community and Los Angeles, Los Angeles having the largest Iranian ex-patriot community in the U.S., very eager to get this information. Whatever they can learn. And overnight we went to an overnight, 24-hour cafe in the Los Angeles area where a group of Iranians were gathered to listen to the supreme leader address the people of Iran and we want to let you at least hear what one of the people had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I talk to our family constantly in Iran and they already report 39 deaths, just students alone and I think it's just going to be worse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FINNSTROM: Very large Iranian community, as we mentioned, here in Los Angeles. A lot of media outlets. We want to give you a live look at another one that is broadcasting right now here in the area. This is a radio station, KIRN and there's a talk show under way. All of these media outlets tell us that they've been extremely busy, focusing 24/7 right now on the events as they unfold in Iran.
And Betty, as I toss back to you, we just want to stress again that some of these images that we've been showing, the e-mails were even showing, clearly, we have not had time to vet them through CNN, they're just coming in.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. A lot coming in, in fact, on all ends. OK, Kara Finnstrom joining us live. Thank you for that.
And in just a few minutes, we're going to get reaction to the speech by Iran's supreme leader. I'm going to talk to a Middle East expert who has written widely about the middle east as well as the Muslim World. You don't want to miss that.
Also, President Obama, well he is mixing politics and religion at a breakfast this morning. The president is attending the National Hispanic Prayer breakfast and we brought you his remarks live just a short time ago. He spoke about the challenges facing all Americans and the need for comprehensive immigration reform.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES: 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're 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, 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, later today President Obama is scheduled to host an event where he is going to talk about father's day and the importance of mentoring.
Right now, though, we want to talk about the weather outside. There is a light show over Louisville, Kentucky. It happened overnight, in fact. Storms raced across the midwest and south, along with the heavy rain, there were fierce winds and reports of tornadoes. A whole lot of destruction though to show you and southeastern Minnesota. This is what the town of Austin looks like.
Rob Marciano has been tracking those storms. He is following it today, as well. Are they going to be pretty severe continuing throughout the day?
ROB MARCIANO, CNN, METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Similar area, Betty. A little bit farther to the south but the western Great Lakes under the gun at the moment. A couple of severe weather watches out. This larger one is in effect for a god chunk of the afternoon, until 3:00 p.m. local time and we've had some reports of winds gusting over 60 miles an hour through parts of northeastern Iowa.
So these storms mean business. As a matter of fact, there has been a tornado warning posted for this particular shell just to the northwest of Chicago. It's Caine and McHenry county here. It's moving easterly about 25 miles and hour That will miss Chicago proper but northwest of Chicago and those suburbs certainly will be under the gun. Dilbert, (inaudible), Oakland hills, so those are some of the communities that will be in the path of this thing.
And we got a radar indicated, showing no reports of it touching the ground, but it has the potential to do that. All right. West, parts of West Virginia, we're seeing some action here coming out of the Ohio, eastern parts of Ohio across the river and into the foothills there and eastern parts of New England seeing some rainfall and finally seeing some dry weather across parts of the New York metropolitan area.
Boy, they saw a record breaking rainfall yesterday. 2.3 at Central Park. Bridgeport getting over two inches. Central and eastern Long Island also seeing record setting rain. Have no fear, though, Sunday morning early, summer arrives officially 1:45 in the morning and for our west coast viewers that will be 10:45 at night on Saturday. Tropical depression here number one on the pacific side is going to make landfall across the west coast of Mexico later on today, might strengthen to a tropical storm. We'll see if that happens.
Certainly feels like summer across parts of the central part of the country. 96 Dallas. It will be 98 degrees in Memphis, 91 degrees expected in Kansas. We had a little shot of moisture getting into the northwest. By the way, Seattle, which I think broke the record for 30 days of consecutive dry weather for spring might see a little bit of rainfall today. So, I think that streak might come to an end and the streak of dry hours across New York which will be today will likely come to an end during the day tomorrow with another shot of rain heading into the already soggy northeast.
NGUYEN: I tell you what enjoy these last few days of spring because it already feels like summer in many places. All right. Rob, thank you.
MARCIANO: All right. See you later.
NGUYEN: You're talking about this, pointing fingers and denying allegations. Iran's supreme leader speaks publicly for the first time since post-election protests broke out. We're going to talk with an expert on Middle East affairs to get his take on what's going on in Iran and its impact across the world.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. Here's another story that we're following for you today. You know, more and more parents are getting behind when it comes to child support because of the recession, depending on where you fall on this issue, you probably have questions. Well, we have expert advice today, but, in order to get your questions answered, we need questions.
Go to my Facebook page or you can hit me up on twitter. But here's the thing I'm getting a lot of stories about what people are dealing with. What we need are your questions for our expert who's here to answer some of the problems that you might have. So send them in to us, we'll read them on the air and get you expert advice.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. We want to give you the time right now, 10:14 Eastern, also want to tell you more on the fallout from Iran's election. The supreme leader is speaking out saying there was no fraud. He accuses western countries of manipulating and undermining the process. Let's talk about this with a Afshin Molavi, a fellow with the New American Foundation, also the author of the "Soul of Iran" and we listen to the supreme leader a little bit earlier today and he really kind of put a rest between what the media was showing and what was really happening.
I got to ask you this, are these protests an effort to bring about change within the Islamic establishment? Because he says, really, there is no change.
AFSHIN MOLAVI, NEW AMERICAN FOUNDATION: Well, you know, Betty, I think the protests started out very simply. They started out because Iranians all across the country felt that there was massive voter fraud and they went on to the streets and simply they were asking, where is my vote? And these were the chants that began.
And I think gradually these protests morphed into a larger demand for greater political freedoms and greater social freedoms, better economic management. They simply reflected the generalized discontent with the order of things in the Islamic republic. But, you know, these protests were not revolutionary protests. It was simply people asking for their votes to be counted.
NGUYEN: Well, you know, the Supreme Leader defended the election result saying basically, and I'm quoting here, it is a definitive victory. So does that essentially rule out any possible revote?
MOLAVI: You know, it seems that way. I mean, this was a chilling speech, you know, on many levels. He laid down a marker saying that this is the vote, this is what it was, this was the definitive victory for Ahmadinejad but he also laid down a very chilling marker warning the protesters not to continue. He is, Ayatollah Khamenei as you said in your intro, is the most powerful man in Iran. He is the commander in chief of Iran's Armed Forces and security services. And when a man like that makes a speech like this, it seems to me we could be headed for some serious clashes in the coming weeks.
NGUYEN: Well, that's exactly what I was going to ask you. Now that he has spoken will it quell the protests or will it just ignite more of them?
MOLAVI: You know, we're in such unprecedented territory here, Batty. I've never seen protests like this in the Islamic republic of Ian. We've never seen protests like this in the 30 years of the Islamic republic. So, it's very difficult to predict on how people are going to react. I think in the past when there have been student protests and Ayatollah Khamenei made a speech like this once before, it did slow things down a bit but it also led to a more serious before but it also led to more serious clashes, as well. So it's really hard to have a prediction.
NGUYEN: OK. Let me look big picture now just for a minute. You have said that this has bee the most significant thing to happen in Iran in 30 years, my question to you on the heels of that, will it change anything?
MOLAVI: You know, you know, again, the situation is so fluid and so uncertain, however, I think it already has changed many things in Iran. And it could change for the better, but it also could change for the worse. In addition to what we are seeing, the popular protests of the people in some sense versus the regime we are also witnessing the regime versus regime. There are serious cleavages within the Islamic republic political elite that are playing themselves out. And ultimately, you have an old guard revolutionary elite composed of some pragmatic conservatives, some reformers battling with a new guard that is more hard core and the new guard seems to be ascendants right now and if they do end up winning this battle, I think Iran will actually be less free. And there will probably be less social freedoms and there will be more defiant to the outside world.
NGUYEN: Well that is a quite a statement there. Afshin Molavi with the New America Foundation. We do appreciate your insight today. Thank you.
MOLAVI: Thank you.
NGUYEN: CNN's Christiane Amanpour followed the Iranian election from campaigning through the vote and then the protests. Well, she shares her insight on a CNN special this weekend. It's called "Anatomy of an Election," it airs Saturday and Sunday nights at 7:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
Her sense of smell completely gone and she blames Zicam. You know, the cold remedy. And there are dozens of similar cases and now a warning from the FDA, plus, this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: You just think, god, in any other situation that this person had been given a chance what an extraordinary adult he would have been.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: An emotional Angelina Jolie puts the spotlight on refugees uprooted from their homes around the world. Hear more of what she has to say right here in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. Many Zicam users are ditching the nasal cold remedy after officials issued a disturbing warning this week. The FDA says the medicine could lead to a permanent loss of smell. That answers nagging questions for one Zicam user in Texas. Here with the story, Josh Hinkle from our affiliate KXAN.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSH HINKLE, REPORTER, KXAN: Two years ago Pam Rushing was taking Zicam nasal gel would clear her cold symptoms.
PAM RUSHING, LOST SENSE OF SMALL: Hi, kids.
HINKLE: Now, she says, she has trouble smelling her dogs.
RUSHING: My husband is like, we have to give them a bath, they stink. I can't smell them.
HINKLE: But the Cedar Park woman says her loss of smell is a danger. Like when she forgot to turn off the stove. Her husband discovered it when he came home from work hours later.
RUSHING: He found the gas on. This house stinks of gas, I can't believe you don't smell it.
HINKLE: She made the connection with her loss of smell and taste to Zicam only after the FDA announced more then 130 similar effects this week.
I don't think they'll be put topical zinc on the market for quite a while.
HINKLE: Dr. Ray Solana of People's Pharmacy in Austin believes the zinc-based product is toxic to nasal tissue in large, prolonged doses. While there is no known treatment for the loss of Solana believes replacing zinc with Vitamin C might be a way to counteract the effects.
DR. RAY SOLANA, PEOPLE'S PHARMACY: I would take it orally, but I would take it often and see over a period of time if it regenerates.
HINKLE: Still, he pulled every Zicam box from his shelf from this week. That move across pharmacies across the nation, the manufacture's own pulling of the project means a projected $10 billion loss. As a realtor, Rushing felt her first loss since first taking Zicam.
RUSHING: I have been in houses with people that would walk in, would walk out and says it's not going to work, it smells like smoke in here. But I can't smell it.
HINKLE: Now finally able to taste more than she could a few months ago, she wants to warn others.
RUSHING: I tell everybody if they're sick and they're going to take a product, don't buy it.
HINKLE: And she plans to seek legal advice, unsure her sense of smell will ever bounce back.
RUSHING: that's a precious sense and I've lost it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, the makers of Zicam insist "there is no known causal link between the use of Zicam cold remedy nasal gel and impairment of smell. No well-controlled scientific study has demonstrated a potential cause and effect relationship between the use of Zicam and diminished smell function. No court cases have revealed any reliable evidence of any causal relationship."
After days of protests, Iran's supreme leader is speaking out and we're going to take a look at what he's saying and how it's being interpreted.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well he is the most powerful man in Iran and normally when Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks, people listen. And during Friday prayers, Iran's supreme leader called the reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a definitive victory and he denied charges of vote rigging. He also criticized the massive protest that we've seen in the wake of that election. Khamenei is calling on those who don't believe the results to legally request a recount.
He also blamed western nations for trying to discredit the vote and that led to chance of death to America, death to Britain, death to Israel. Take a listen.
AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMEINI, SUPREME LEADER OF IRAN (through translator): Enemies try through various media and some of those media belong to (inaudible) ill wishers. They try to make believe in those media that there's a fight between supporters of the Islamic establishment and the opposition know that's not true, they have no right to say that. That's not true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: All right, we want to break this down with help from CNN senior editor for mideast affairs Octavia Nasr who joins me now live. All right. Octavia, Let's talk about different facets of this speech today. The direct message is this is a definitive victory.
OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SENIOR EDITOR FOR MIDEAST AFFAIRS: You know why this is important. This is the same man who was talking to the opposition members and saying maybe we will have a recount of the vote in contested areas. Now, he's saying this is final and he is saying something else very important. He says that him and President Ahmadinejad agree on most issues. He says his view of things is very close to that of President Ahmadinejad. A big blow for Mousavi, for his supporter supporters, for the opposition and also for the reformists.
NGUYEN: So, all the talk of this National Guard Council looking for the disputed ballots, that's done, that's over with?
NASR: It looks like it. You know we spent the whole week analyzing what's going on, looking at people protesting in the streets and saying it looks like what they're doing is working because Ayatollah Khamenei was meeting with the opposition. He was basically responding. There were calls to respect the protesters and treat them as equals that don't just treat those who are loyal to the government as supreme to the others.
Now, he went on and he spoke and in no uncertain terms he made it clear that he stands behind Ahmadinejad. He wants the protests to stop and he's not even discussing a recount. He saying if you want a recount, go through the legal system.
NGUYEN: Yes, go to the chain.
NASR: It's like as if he changed his mind about that, as well.
NGUYEN: That is the direct message, but let's get to that hidden message that we heard in there.
NASR: A very interesting hidden message basically saying it's over. Get over it. He made it clear in his language, but underneath all this, people were still waiting to listen to this man and see if he had a message of unity and the message he sent out underneath all this is that there is no unity. It's this way or there will be violence in the street or the government will take action against those people who will protest.
In other words, what he's saying, he's saying if people go and protest now they're going to be protesting his authority and that's a big one -- a very big one, Betty, because people have to decide now if they stand behind Mousavi and if they go down the street and protest, that means they're going against their spiritual leader. Yes, their supreme leader. When you know that inside Iran right now, even the clerics are divided, that definitely is sending shockwaves across Iran because people will have to decide.
And what today and tomorrow will bring will decide if Iran is going to go -- which direction it's going to go. Are they going to unite and say, okay, no more protests? Or, are they going to go for more protests which means the country is split effectively, not just in protests and online, that means the country is split.
NGUYEN: Will they accept it or just embolden them to continue to do more? All right, Octavia Nasr, thank you for breaking that down for us. We appreciate it.
NASR: Any time.
NGUYEN: CNN's Christiane Amanpour followed the Iranian election from campaigning through the vote and then also through the protests. She shares her insight on a CNN special this weekend. It's called "Anatomy of an Election". And, it airs Saturday and Sunday night at 7:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
Federal regulators they are, once again, cracking down on white collar crime. A pair of alleged fraud cases in today's headlines totals nearly $12 billion. Susan Lisovicz has details on that. All right, Susan, what's this all about?
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he kind of got lost in the headlines because, of course, we know about the Bernie Madoff case, but then there is the Allen Stanford case and, Betty, this is no petty case here either. This was a ponzi scheme with a $9.2 billion in estimated losses. The Texas financier was taken into custody overnight. He is expected to appear in a Virginia court this afternoon. The SEC is accusing him of the $9.2 billion scheme centering on sales of things that you wouldn't think are risky. They are certificates of deposits, but they were high yieding.
They attracted a lot of investors, including retirees. His headquarters was based in Antigua, other places like Panama. That would have been a clue. He's a colorful character like so many of the people that we cover, Betty. He once complained in an ABC interview about the difficulty of flying commercial. The quote there is they make you take off your shoes, it's terrible. The government has confiscated, by the way, his six private jets and the SEC, of course, is one of the problems with the -- all the reform that was announced by President Obama earlier this week.
The SEC promises to have more tape (ph) so it won't miss these in the future. I heard Mary -- in fact, Mary Shapiro, the new Commissioner talking last night. She said she is modernizing the Commission so this kind of crime will not be missed in the future. Betty?
NGUYEN: All right, I have to ask you about this. You also have an update of an older fraud case that has some pretty juicy details. LISOVICZ: This is another one, we covered him quite in depth and that is the former HealthSouth CEO, Richard Scrushy, who has been found libel for bribery -- for fraud, excuse me. He must pay out of his own pockets just under $3 billion for an accounting scandal that bankrupted HealthSouth. You may rember that particular case. This is in which five former CFOs testified against him. Very colorful character and now he has a big penalty to pay. Betty?
NGUYEN: All right, Susan Lisovicz, thank you for that.
You know, the recession has inflicted pain all across the country, but some cities are feeling it more than others. Detroit, a prime example. CNNmoney.com's Poppy Harlow has the break down from New York right now, and she joins us live. Hey, Poppy, how you doing?
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Hey there, Betty, I'm good. Happy Friday to you. Next week we're going to spend the week in Detroit looking at everything from the auto industry to the housing crisis, to unemployment. We want to break down the facts for you here because this city has an unemployment rate of 22.8 percent, needless to say, one of the highest across the country. The labor department there in Michigan says the city never really recovered from the recession of 2000 and 2001.
The auto industry started restructuring way back then and they lost about 100,000 jobs then. Of course, they lost many, many more since then. So, when this massive economic downturn happened, Detroit was already struggling. Also there what they tell us, there is a big lack of mass transit. Right? It makes it tough, Betty, for people to get inside the city to any job outside the city if they don't have a car.
NGUYEN: Well, besides the lack of jobs, what else is hurting the city?
HARLOW: Obviously, the housing crisis, massive foreclosures there. If you look at the median home price this is staggering. Median home price now, $6,000. Look back three years and it was $55,000. So, a huge drop in home values. Almost all the sales there are either foreclosures or just abandoned properties, and another big issue for Detroit is that the retailers there are shutting down left and right.
I mean, look at these facts. First of all, when you look at these companies, Chrysler. You can't buy a Chrysler in Detroit proper where it's headquartered because the last dealership selling them closed down last week. Starbucks. There's only four starbucks in Detroit. There's one on every corner practically here in New York City. When you look at Borders that is headquartered in Ann Harbor, Michigan 40 miles outside of Detroit, they closed down their last store in Detroit just recently, Betty.
NGUYEN: What's the bottom line for Detroit?
HARLOW: The population is shrinking there, it was 2 million people in the '50s, today about 900,000. The loss of people, the loss of companies means that tax revenue has fallen significantly. It's really hard to attract any business there and then, of course, the bankruptcy of Chrysler and General Motors making things worse, Betty. And, what we're hearing from the state of Michigan, the labor department there says we are yet to see the worst for this state after those auto bankruptcies, Betty.
NGUYEN: Oh, jeez. More to come. OK, Poppy Harlow joining us live. Thank you for that.
Many parents falling behind on child support payments in this bad economy, but there are ways to ease the burden. We're going to have answers for you coming up right.
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NGUYEN: Out of job, out of money and behind on child support payments. It's an unfortunate reality for many parents in this weak economy. In San Mateo, California, there are more than 400 contempt orders against parents who owe child support this year. That is more than double the year during the same time last year. CNN's Brooke Baldwin introduces us to a father here in Atlanta who is struggling to support his young son. In fact, we are having a little bit of a problem getting that story up for you. We'll get it to you shortly.
But, right now let's get you some expert advice. Joing us now from Philadelphia, Family Law Attorney, Jennifer Brandt and she's here to tell us what parents should do if they find themselves unable to write a check. Jennifer, first thing I want to ask you is, you look at San Mateo contempt orders against parents up 129 percent. So say a parent has lost his or her job, got to pay that child support, but you don't have the money to do it, what are your options?
JENNIFER BRANDT, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: The first step and the most crucial step is get yourself to the court. File a petition to modify your existing order because, if you don't, you can find yourself like those folks in California in contempt of court. You go to the court, you tell the court what happens to you. I lost my job, I don't have the money and the court will modify and adjust the child support order in accordance with what you're receiving now.
You'll have to look and see. If you're applying for jobs the court will want to know what efforts are you making to find another job. Are you collecting unemployment or is there any other source of income to pay the support? But the likely income will be that it will be reduced in accordance with what you're actually receiving now.
NGUYEN: So, there is some hope. You say the unlikely outcome. I want to read you a question from our newsroom blog. It is really important because it's talking about two parents here and they're really working together, but there's an issue. It's from Bobby and he says I've been out of work for a year, just started a new job three weeks ago. I'm about $400,000 behind in child support.
I have a court date next week. My ex-wife and I are on good terms and she called the court to see if she could push the date back. The court said, no, there is nothing that she could do. Now, I i am worried about going to jail. What can Bobby do? BRANDT: Bobby better show up to the court with a check -- any type of payment. Even if he gives $100, a good faith effort to pay down those arrears so that the judge won't throw him in jail and he will show the court that he is really acting in good faith and that he will make those payments, but he just needs some time. I mean, the court is not out to throw people in jail, that doesn't help anyone and that certainly doesn't children needing support if their parent is in jail and can't work.
So, judges are willing to work with people, but you have to show good faith. You have to show up there with money and say, hey, now I have a job and I'll be able to pay that down, just give me a little bit of time.
NGUYEN: Got you. Here's an example of the courts not wanting to throw people in jail, wanting to figure a solution out. In Arkansas the number of parents who got approval to modify their payment was up 47 percent over last year. So, that is an example of it, but how receptive are they to reducing those payments?
BRANDT: Absolutely. They will reduce the payments if you can show that your situation has changed. But, there is some proof issues there and if you got fired for cause, for example, if you did something to lose your job, the court would not be so receptive to that. Also, if you're self-employed and all of a sudden you're claiming that there is a loss of income -- judges, lawyers, they're going to look into that situation a little bit more and say, are you losing income just because you don't want to pay the child support, or is there really -- is the economy really affecting your business?
NGUYEN: For those who do have a good relationship with their ex, is this something they should try to work out ahead of time amongst themselves and then take it to the court?
HARLOW: Well, you should always should try to negotiate directly first. But in this situation, even if you come to an agreement, it is absolutely necessary that you then memorialize that agreement in a written document and file it with the court. Because otherwise, you might have an outstanding order out there at a higher amount of child support and you may find yourself in contempt if you're paying a lower amount, even if it's by agreement with your ex-spouse.
So, you have to make sure you take that next step and file and get a final order with the court reducing the payment and showing the agreement that you've made.
NGUYEN: All right, and I got a question coming to you from my Facebook page. This from Craig Allen who writes, I know child support is in my future and I plan on being a very involved parent. My question is, what do I need to take into consideration as we go through this process? Do I need to involve a lawyer? What are some of the things that I need to look out for?
HARLOW: Well, of course, being a lawyer, I always recommend that people have a lawyer dealing with these situations, especially if your spouse or ex-spouse or the other parent is represented by a lawyer, that is very important. The lawyers knows the ins and outs of the system, they'll know how to direct you in the appropriate way. But, the main thing you have to think about is, what is my income? What is the other party making? That's what courts use to determine the amount of child support. And so, those are the things you need to think about and get together your documentation to be able to prove that.
NGUYEN: All right, Jennifer Brandt, family law attorney with us today. Thanks so much for your insight.
BRANDT: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Well, a high school graduation unlike any other. It may sound like your ordinary graduation, but this ceremony at Simon Gratz Highschool in Germantown, Pennsylvania is a standout. You see, two of the graduates received honorary diplomas decades after they were due to graduate. 91-year-old Marion Klarman and 85-year-old Dorothy McAuley quit school during their junior years to help their families during the Depression.
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DOROTHY MCAULEY, 85-YEAR-OLD GRADUATE: It's something I always felt I should have and I was almost embarrassed by it, I would never would tell people that I didn't finish high school.
MARION KLARMAN, 91-YEAR-OLD GRADUATE: Our family needed the money and even though I was making only 35 cents an hour, we were all keeping the wolf from the door.
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NGUYEN: Never too late, obviously. Both women, they are great- grandmothers now. Their families say they couldn't be prouder of this accomplishment.
Gathering for a glance at a stinky junior. Yes, thousands of people visiting a rare plant, but they aren't necessarily there to see the big bloom.
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NGUYEN: It seems like we have been talking about severe weather for the last couple days and it is not over yet. Rob Marciano still following these storms. What do you have today, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Just off the printer, I don't have the satellite picture loaded in here, but the tropical storm warning has been issued for parts of the West Coast and Mexico. We showed you that earlier in the program. There's a tropical depression there, but that has yet to be upgreaded to a tropical storm, but that is the forecast here. Over the next 12 to 14 hours as it moves north -- northeast at about 10 miles an hour it will possibly make landfall as a tropical storm.
Either way on the West Coast of Mexico north of Acapulco certainly some waves and some rain on the way. Definitely some rain on the way. Check out this rain video out of Milwaukee or the suburbs of Milwaukee. Boy, this came in this morning. The predawn hours. Waist deep in water here. They had about over two inches of rainfall come down in less than six-hour period, and that will flood even the best of drainage systems there.
So, a wet start of the day for sure and flood warnings still in effect for one of the local rivers there that could very well crest above the 12-foot mark before the day is done. All right, here is some of the -- more storms. This one is heading towards Milwaukee, all of this in the severe weather watch box. It's in effect until mid-afternoon. We had a tornado warning out for a couple counties northwest of Chicago. That has been allowed to expire. So, that looks like that storm has weakened somewhat.
But, if you live north -- northern parts of Chicago, you have some thunder and lightning heading your way for sure. Finally, some rainfall heading out of the northeast, at least temporarily. They're off to a wet start of the US Open after seeing play suspended yesterday. If you're traveling, ground stop at Chicago O'Hare until 10:15, DC, Baltimore, Clevelan also seeing ground stops or some delays.
And, over two inches of rainfall in parts of New York City yesterday. That was a record breaker. And just to remin you, Betty, Sunday morning, bright and early, 1:45 a.m. is when summer officially arrives here on the east coast, and it will feel like summer across much of the south.
NGUYEN: It already feels like summer. Yes, folks in Texas, what is it 103 in Phoenix today? Oh, yes, summer has arrived. Thanks, Rob.
NASA is heading back to the moon right now after yesterday's successful liftoff.
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UNIDENTIFIED: Main engine ignition and liftoff of the Atlas 5 rocket.
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NGUYEN: That is the Atlas 5. The rocket launching from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It is carrying two probes that should reach the moons the orbit some time next week. This is NASA's first moon shot in a decade, one of the probes (ph) will eventually slam into the moon's surface and may actually be able to see that from here. They're trying to find evidence of water and a massive crater.
All right, this is an odd story for many reasons. A rare flower that smells like rotting meat. Oh, yes, drawing up thousands, in fact, of spectators in California, gluttons for punishment, apparently. They're flocking to San Marino just outside of Los Angeles to see the so-called Corpse flower. I won't try to pronounce its real name. The bloom though on its six-foot flower that only lasts a couple days. You have to hurry to catch a glimpse and a whiff, if you dare. Don't take my word for how bad it smells. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you had rotten, like, if you cooked it but it's overcooked or old?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's smells really disgusting, and I really want to leave right now because I hate it.
UNIDENTIFIED: It's pretty, but the smell, don't like it.
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NGUYEN: Don't think about sending those on Valentine's Day or maybe Father's Day. This is the first time they've had a bloom in seven years. In fact, this one came from a seed from the last bloomer, that's why they're calling it the stinky junior.
Stories that bring Angelina Jolie to tears.
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ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: You just think, God, in any other situation if this person had been given a chance, what an extraordinary adult he would have been.
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NGUYEN: The actress an UN goodwill ambassador talks to CNN about her passion and her mission. Hear her emotional interview.
And, one senator calls slavery an enduring national shame. Now, for the first time, the Senate apologizes.
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NGUYEN: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have donated $1 million to help refugees forced out of Pakistan. Jolie was in Washington for events leading up to the World Refugee Day tomorrow. And, she sat down with CNN's Anderson Cooper.
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ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Are there individuals that you keep thinking about, I mean people who you remember who stay with you?
JOLIE: There was a young boy I met who was about 15 who had been shot in the back and paralyzed and his whole family had been killed and he was completely on his own, and yet he had this really remarkable, unbreakable spirit, a spirit beyond anything I can imagine having. The things we complain about on a daily basis. He had lost everything. And was just so full of laughter and kindness and he passed away. A few months after I was there.
And so, I always wondered -- if those kind of young people that you meet and you just think, God, in any other situation if this person had been given a chance, what an extraordinary adult he would have been. How extraordinary for his country, for his family, if he ever had a chance to have one. But, instead, he had so many horrible things happen to his life. But he taught me a lot about just the strength -- the spirit.
I think of him and I can't complain about anything. I can't -- I can't do anything but be grateful for what I have because he was grateful and he had nothing and had suffered everything. So -- and there are millions like him. So, there are many, many stories.
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NGUYEN: Indeed, they are. Jolie has been a goodwill ambassador since 2001.
Well, the Senate says we're sorry. For the first time the Senate passed a resolution apologizing for slavery and racial segregation. CNN's Kate Bolduan has more.
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KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A silence that spoke volumes. The Senate formally and for the first time apologizing to African- Americans for slavely and segregation, institutions sanctioned by Congress.
SEN.TOM HARKIN, (D) IOWA: It's long past due. A national apology by the representative body of the people is a necessary, collective response to a past collective injustice.
SEN. SAM BROWNBACK, (R) KANSAS: We acknowledge that. We say it was wrong and we ask for forgiveness for that.
BOLDUAN: The resolution states the Senate apologizes to African- Americans on behalf of the people of the United States for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavely and Jim Crow laws. In a capital built by slaves, the moment especially poignant for the only African-American currently in the Senate, Roland Burris, the great, great-grandson of a slave.
SEN. ROLAND BURRIS, (D) ILLINOIS: This resolution cannot erase the terrible legacy, but it can help to heal the wounds of centuries gone by.
BOLDUAN: The vote fell on the eve of Juneteenth or June 19th, the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery. Just a short distance from the Capital, we asked African-Americans what this Senate vote meant to them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a long time coming, don't you think? But we've come a long way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It doesn't really do anything or address the problems that we're facing in this country still.
BOLDUAN: Some African-American activists say the Senate vote is a first step, but not enough. HARRY SHELTON, NAACP: Reparations has to be decided. That's something further down the line. There's nothing in this bill that refers to reparations one way or another.
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BOLDUAN: Congress has passed similar measures before apologizing to Japanese Americans for internment during World War II, and last year apologizing to Native Americans for past instances of violence and neglect. Lawmakers are planning a formal celebration to commemorate the slavery apology resolution early next month. Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.
NGUYEN: Well, that's going to do it for me, I'm Betty Nguyen. CNN NEWSROOM continues with my good friend here, Tony Harris.
TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'll see you tomorrow morning.
NGUYEN: Bright and early.
HARRIS: Bright and early. Thanks, Betty.
