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Police Combat Protestors in Iran

Aired June 22, 2009 - 14:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Ivan Watson, thanks so much. And you know, as we push forward, we have been talking about plenty of guts and courage. That pretty much sums of the hundreds of Iranians voicing their anger in the streets of Tehran and other cities today. Confronting them, a massive force of riot police and militia. Here's what we know. The riot police, some reportedly firing tear gas and live bullets in the air, attacking hundreds of demonstrators, we're told.

Then the shooting death of a young woman protester, now a rallying cry of the opposition. She's known as Neda. Her death was caught on a cell phone camera and seen by millions of people around the world. The government now acknowledges the number of ballots cast in 50 cities exceeded the number of eligible voters. But it says that doesn't affect the outcome of the election.

Let's go now to our Iran desk once again. Ivan Watson, following the latest pictures we're getting in from Iran and reaction from the streets. You just heard from the protesters there on the roof. We have been following that, what's been happening, but down on the streets, possibly in one of the most riveting interviews you've had was that very persistent protester, the 19-year-old young woman we had a chance to talk to last hour.

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. The 19-year-old who was clubbed in the streets on Saturday while taking photos of clashes between demonstrators, she is clearly on the opposition side in this power struggle, and she was out in the streets once again today. Let's see if we can take a listen to what she said to us earlier in the program.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON (voice-over): Why are you going out into the streets? Why are you trying to attend these demonstrations?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because I think it's my responsibility, because many of my friends are in this situation and when I stay home, I'm worried about my friends, other women, other boys that are hit and I think I should go. Maybe I can help them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: She told us she witnessed a boy being clubbed in the streets today when she tried to attend a demonstration in downtown Tehran. She witnessed an old woman also being clubbed by the security forces -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: You know, Ivan, you and I were talking a little last hour as well, what was it, five years ago you were there in Tehran witnessing women protesters, and now here you are covering this story, this remarkable historic moment in Tehran. What do you see as the biggest difference right now when it's come to the role of women and protesting?

WATSON: Well, there have been other protests in the past. In 1999, students rose up and they held demonstrations. They were crushed by the security forces using similar tactics to what we have been seeing over the last week and in 2003.

In this case, it's a larger angry protest coming from different sectors of society and also supported by some very important figures in Iran, some political leaders, the opposition candidates who lost, according to the official tally, who lost this election, this controversial election. And they have been supported by a number of important clerics and other officials. So this power struggle isn't just going on in the streets, it's going on within the ruling elite.

And of course the most vivid image that we have been seeing is these women going out, defiant, standing up to the security forces who are armed with weapons, with clubs that are equipped with electric shocks on them. Really remarkable, going up against men twice their size.

And there have been fatalities. This woman Neda, we have seen her gunned down, shot in the chest on Saturday, and she has become a bit of a symbol now for this protest movement.

PHILLIPS: Ivan Watson, appreciate all the coverage this afternoon.

And we have also seen them in the streets of Tehran, the guys on the motorcycles tearing through demonstrators, smashing bodies as they go. Just ahead, Ivan is going to tell you just who the Basiji militia are and who supports them.

She was young, brave and angry at her government. We were just talking about her. She ventured into the streets of Tehran, joining thousands of people protesting what they believed was a rigged election. A shot rang out.

Here's CNN's Octavia Nasr on the last seconds of this young woman's life. And we want to warn you the images are extremely graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SR. EDITOR, MIDEAST AFFAIRS (voice-over): Her name is Neda. The facts surrounding her life and death difficult to verify. She appears to have been a young student who joined thousands of her countrymen to voice her disapproval of Iran's election results. Eyewitnesses say a Basij militiaman hiding on a building rooftop shot Neda in her chest, silencing her forever. A man who appears to be her father desperately calling on her to open her eyes. A stranger begging her to stay awake. "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, Neda," the man says, but Neda doesn't respond. She dies right there on the streets, another protester capturing her last moments on a cell phone camera.

And just like that, Neda, who came to the square thinking she's one voice among thousands, turned into the voice of an entire opposition movement. Neda, which means "the calling," is now on millions of clips across the globe, on the Internet is especially designed avatars, a young life cut down in its prime.

One woman's gripping story speaking volumes, a grim reminder of the price Iranians could pay for freedom.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: So, Octavia, how is this playing out in the Muslim world on other -- I guess in other communities? We see how it's playing out here in the U.S., but what about overseas?

NASR: You know, across the globe, people are pausing, they're looking at this video, they're in shock, because you have to understand, you're looking at the last moments in a person's life. She's a woman, she's young, she's wearing western clothes under that black cloak, and she's out to demonstrate. She's not carrying any rocks, she's not carrying any arms.

She takes a hit straight in her chest and people are shocked. And everybody around the world who is commenting about Neda is talking about her as the symbol of that opposition in Iran. But also, in Iran, the government side is talking about not Neda...

PHILLIPS: Stay with me. We're going to continue talking about this. We want to get straight to the president of the United States, Octavia, about to step up to the mike. The new anti-smoking law that he has been supporting here starting with those colorful, glossy cigarettes in Tobacco ads you see in magazines, he's calling for restrictions on those.

There obviously are a number of free speech advocates that are out there, not to mention a number of lawyers that are pretty hot under the collar about what he wants to do. But he says a lot has to do with protecting our children and trying to prevent them from smoking.

Let's listen in.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am thrilled to be here for what is I think an extraordinary accomplishment by this Congress, a bill we're about to sign into law.

I want to acknowledge a few of our special guests.

First of all, we've got the crew from the Campaign for Tobacco- Free Kids: Eamon (ph), Christopher (ph), Sarah (ph) and Hoyna (ph). (APPLAUSE)

Hey. We have our FDA commissioner, Dr. Peggy Hamburg.

(APPLAUSE)

We have our CDC director, Tom Frieden.

(APPLAUSE)

And we have just some extraordinary members of Congress here on stage: Senator Dodd, Senator Durbin, Senator Enzi, Senator Harkin, Senator Lautenberg, Representative Waxman, Representative Dingell, Representative Christensen, Representative Pallone and Representative Platts, all of whom did extraordinary work in helping to move this legislation forward. Please give them a big round of applause.

(APPLAUSE)

I want to thank all of them. Now, there are three members of Congress that I have to especially thank -- Representative Waxman, Representative Dodd, and -- excuse me, Senator Dodd.

SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: Things are tough enough.

OBAMA: And most importantly, Senator Ted Kennedy, who can't be here today, but...

(APPLAUSE)

You know, the legislation I'm signing today represents change that's been decades in the making. Since at least the middle of the last century, we have known about the harmful and often deadly effects of tobacco products.

More than 400,000 Americans now die of tobacco-related illnesses each year, making it the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. More than eight million Americans suffer from at least one serious illness caused by smoking. And these health problems cost us all more than $100 billion a year.

What's even worse are the effects on our children. One out of every five children in our country are now current smokers by the time they reach high school.

Think about that statistic. One out of every five children in our country are now current smokers by the time they leave high school. Each day, 1,000 young people under the age of 18 become new regular daily smokers, and almost 90 percent of all smokers began at or before their 18th birthday.

I know. I was one of these teenagers. And so I know how difficult it can be to break this habit when it's been with you for a long time.

And I also know that kids today don't just start smoking for no reason. They're aggressively targeted as customers by the tobacco industry. They're exposed to a constant and insidious barrage of advertising where they live, where they learn and where they play.

Most insidiously, they are offered products with flavorings that mask the taste of tobacco and make it even more tempting. We have known about this for decades, but despite the best efforts and good progress made by so many leaders and advocates with us today, the tobacco industry and its special interest lobbying have generally won the day up on the Hill.

When Henry Waxman first brought tobacco CEOs before Congress in 1994, they famously denied that tobacco was deadly, nicotine was addictive, or that their companies marketed to children. And they spent millions upon millions in lobbying and advertising to fight back every attempt to expose these denials as lies. Fifteen years later, their campaign has finally failed.

Today, thanks to the work of Democrats and Republicans, health care and consumer advocates, the decades-long effort to protect our children from the harmful effects of tobacco has emerged victorious. Today, change has come to Washington.

This legislation will not ban all tobacco products, and it will allow adults to make their own choices, but it will also ban tobacco advertising within 1,000 feet of schools and playgrounds. It will curb the ability of tobacco companies to market products to our children by using appealing flavors. It will force these companies to more clearly and publicly acknowledge the harmful and deadly effects of the products they sell, and it will allow the scientists at the FDA to take other commonsense steps to reduce the harmful effects of smoking.

This legislation is a victory for bipartisanship and it was passed overwhelmingly in both houses of Congress. It's a victory for health care reform as it will reduce some of the billions we spend on tobacco-related health care costs in this country. It's a law that will reduce the number of American children who pick up a cigarette and become adult smokers. And most importantly, it is a law that will save American lives and make Americans healthier.

We know that even with the passage of this legislation, our work to protect our children and improve the public's health is not complete. Today, tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death not just in America but also in the world. If current trends continue, one billion people will die from tobacco-related illnesses this century.

And so the United States will continue to work with the World Health Organization and other nations to fight this epidemic on a global basis. But no matter how long or how hard this fight may be, what's happening today gives us hope.

When I ran for president, I did so because I believed that despite the power of the status quo and the influence of special interests, it was possible for us to bring change to Washington, and the progress we've made these past five months has only reinforced my faith in this belief.

Despite the influence of the credit card industry, we passed a law to protect consumers from unfair rate hikes and abusive fees. Despite the influence of banks and lenders, we passed a law to protect homeowners from mortgage fraud. Despite the influence of the defense industry, we passed a law to protect taxpayers from waste and abuse in defense contracting. And today, despite decades of lobbying and advertising by the tobacco industry, we passed a law to help protect the next generation of Americans from growing up with a deadly habit that so many of our generation have lived with.

When Henry Waxman opened that first hearing back in '94 on tobacco with the industry CEOs, he began by quoting an ancient proverb: "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." Our journey for change is far from over, but with the package -- passage of the kids tobacco legislation that I'm about to sign, we are taking another big and very important step, a step that will save lives and dollars.

So I want to thank not only the members of Congress who are up on stage, but also all the members of Congress in the audience and all the health advocates that fought for so long for this to happen.

We hope you feel good about the extraordinary service that you have rendered this country.

Thank you very much. Let's go sign the bill.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: There you go.

(APPLAUSE)

PHILLIPS: The president of the United States there signing into law that anti-smoking bill that will now give the Food & Drug Administration unprecedented authority to regulate tobacco. It's called the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, and he has signed it there in the Rose Garden.

The law will actually allow the FDA to reduce nicotine in tobacco products. It will also ban candy flavorings, also block labels such as "low tar" and "light." Tobacco companies also will be required to cover their cartons with large graphic warnings.

We are waiting to see if indeed the president takes any questions. If he does, we'll take that live. It doesn't look like he will.

But I will tell you that this anti-smoking law does mean big changes for big tobacco, and it starts right there with the advertising, as I mentioned. You know, those colorful, glossy cigarettes and tobacco ads you always see in the magazines, you see up on the billboards, it actually has some free speech advocates, not to mention a lot of lawyers, pretty hot under the collar.

Let's go ahead and bring in George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley.

Let me just get your immediate reaction, Jonathan, about -- why don't we start with cigarette marketing and how exactly it's going to change. I mean, it's pretty unprecedented what he's allowing the FDA to do.

JONATHAN TURLEY, LAW PROFESSOR, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: Well, it is. In fact, there's almost no true parallel to this bill.

They're not only restricting advertising in terms of its proximity to areas where children frequent, like school playgrounds, but they are also allowing the FDA to regulate the content not just of the product, but of the ads themselves. And that does raise concerns among free speech advocates, particularly what's called commercial speech advocates. And commercial speech is a relatively recent term.

The Supreme Court created this distinction between commercial speech and other speech, private speech, political speech, in 1942 in the Valentine case. And since then, the court has simply said that commercial speech gets less protection. But it's never been quite clear where that line would be drawn.

PHILLIPS: Well, and it's interesting. My producer, Holly (ph), found this great article actually out of "The Chicago Tribune." It's an op-ed piece, and let me just read to you in part. It said that "Cigarette makers are forbidden to use color in ads in any publication whose readership is less than 85 percent adult." Going on to write "They are barred from using music and audio ads, they're not allowed to use pictures in video ads, they may not put product names on race cars, lighters, caps or T-shirts."

Now, you know, as we were reading through the bill and trying to figure out, OK, is it really going to get that detailed and that precise, if indeed it does, I mean, do these guys have lawsuits here? I mean, that's pretty heavy on the free speech.

TURLEY: I think they do have a legitimate claim here. It's not that it will prevail, but I think that you have to agree that this is an unprecedented level of control by the government, like they have a shadow CEO, and particularly on advertising. And it does raise comparisons with other products.

You know, the interesting thing is that the FDA itself is in a weird position. This product has many of the characteristics of products that the FDA usually tries to ban. It's addictive, it can kill people. But instead, the FDA can tweak the ingredients of the product, can tweak the advertising of the product, but you have this strange anomaly.

You can have flavored schnapps in vodka but you can't have flavored cigarettes. And that type of disconnect for the tobacco industry is definitely going to lead to lawsuits.

PHILLIPS: And you know, it's interesting. At the same time, President Obama has spoken publicly about his own struggles to quit smoking. I guess you kind of wonder what the conversations are at the dinner table with his wife, Michelle -- OK, I'm getting ready to sign this, here I am struggling. OK, how do I morally figure this all out?

TURLEY: Well, you know what John Kennedy did when John Kennedy signed -- right before he signed the ban on Cuban products, he sent Pierre Salinger out to buy every Cuban cigar he could find in Washington, D.C. So, one wonders what's in the trunk of the presidential limo right now.

PHILLIPS: That's an interesting point.

Finally, I mean, when it comes down to it, bottom line, do you think this is all about trying to stop kids from smoking early on? I mean, everybody keeps -- a lot of people keep bringing it back to that. Do you think that is essentially what's going on here? Is it about the children?

TURLEY: It is. I don't think that the motivations are much in doubt.

I think the tobacco industry views people like Chairman Waxman as being antagonistic towards the industry, but I do believe that the chairman truly, as does the president, wants to try to reduce this problem of minors smoking.

The problem may ultimately be the Constitution. This is uncharted waters, this level of intrusion into commercial speech, and the Supreme Court has largely avoided this. They have separated commercial speech from other speech, but they have never been forced to draw very clear lines. This may be the case to do that.

PHILLIPS: Jonathan Turley, great to see you. Thanks so much.

TURLEY: Thanks. Great to see you.

PHILLIPS: Well, closing the gap on prescription drug costs, just a short while ago President Obama announced an historic agreement with the drug companies which is expected to lower drug bills for millions of seniors. It means that Medicare beneficiaries who have fallen into the so-called doughnut hole gap will now get a discount of at least 50 percent on the cost of their medications.

President Obama explains.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: The doughnut hole refers to a gap in prescription drug coverage that makes it harder for millions of Medicare beneficiaries to pay for the medication they need. The way the program is structured, Medicare covers up to $2,700 in yearly prescription costs, and then stops, and the coverage starts back up when the costs exceed $6,100, which means between $2,700 and $6,100, folks are out of luck. And this gap in coverage has been placing a crushing burden on many older Americans who live on fixed incomes and can't afford thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, the deal is expected to result in an $80 billion reduction in Medicare drug costs over 10 years.

Nazi Germany has its SS thugs. Haiti has its Tonton Macoute. Well, Iran has its Basiji, enforcers big on fear and violence, short on justice, fairness or mercy. As we have seen during the unrest now, the Basiji's busy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: When push comes to shove in Iran, it's a good bet that Basiji are doing the shoving. They are volunteer paramilitaries who act as enforcers for the Revolutionary Guard.

CNN's Ivan Watson has seen them in action, ,and over the weekend he shared his insights with our colleague from CNN International, Michael Holmes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: The Basiji, or the Basij, are kind of the shock troops of the Islamic regime. They are a pro-government militia and they were in the front lines getting blown up in minefields during the Iran/Iraq War in the 1980s. And they see themselves as the enforcers of morality in Iran.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And who are they? Are they, like, official, unofficial? Are they on the payroll?

WATSON: They're supported by the state, and they have stations like police stations around the country.

HOLMES: But they're really more militia than official? How would you describe them?

WATSON: They get some training and they see themselves as the law, the enforcers of the law. And they do it. They really do it.

HOLMES: In a shadowy sense, though. People seem to be really afraid of these guys.

WATSON: Absolutely, because they are prone to using violence. I mean, I've interviewed Iranians who maybe were walking with their sisters in the street, and they would get attacked by a couple of guys in plain clothes who would think it was boyfriend and girlfriend, even if it was brother and sister, and they wouldn't wait to hear the explanation.

HOLMES: So they're kind of semiofficial. Are they accountable or they can just pretty much do what they like?

WATSON: Well, I think they get sent in. And we have seen that in the past, when there were protests, university student protests in 1999 and 2003. The Basiji were the ones who were sent in on motorcycles. And I got accounts from eyewitnesses on past reporting trips to Iran, they would come in with chains whirling and just wallop those university students. Clubs as well.

HOLMES: So, to do the dirty work, if you like, the authorities didn't want the police to do? Is that how it works?

WATSON: These are true believers, yes. And they're not the same as police. They don't wear uniforms.

You may have mixes of security forces as well involved in some of the crackdowns. And their role has evolved because again, during the Iran/Iraq War, these were volunteers who were marching into the minefields, and they have since become this kind of moral police. And some people love them, some Iranians really hate and loathe them.

HOLMES: Yes. And what's interesting here is that you have had dealings with these guys. What happened?

WATSON: Well, in 2004, I was on a reporting trip in Iran and it was the 25th anniversary of the Basiji. And they were brought in to Tehran University where the speech from the supreme leader was today. And a hard-line cleric gave this speech saying you guys are the prize of Iran and if any government official does not take care of you, they will burn in hell.

HOLMES: That's pretty good backing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, here in the U.S., a massive outpouring of support for the demonstrators in Iran. Iranian-Americans all across the country taking to the streets in their cities here and sending a message to both Tehran and Washington.

Over the weekend, streets were jammed with demonstrators in L.A., Dallas, Chicago and right here in Atlanta, Georgia.

A CNN iReporter poses a great question about Iran. At what point does the world say enough?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At what point does Obama and the United States step in here or do more than say that what's happening is not just? I think we all agree that it's not just. I just saw this terrifying video on TV of the night invasions, the home invasions happening right now in Iran. Pretty scary stuff.

I mean, at what point do we step up to the plate and say if you want assistance, we'll provide it for you? I mean, it's one thing to invade a country without their permission, but it's another thing -- what if Moussavi were to ask for the United States' assistance or for the assistance of the international community? Would that change the picture here?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, it might not last for long, but there's some good news at the gas pump. What that could mean for your wallet if you're quick enough.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: A nation divided by politics, ideology, religion. A family divided by distance. We'll meet an Iranian-American woman who fears for the life of her father in Tehran.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Eleven p.m. in Tehran right now. The protest you see here is long over but minutes ago, live via cell phone, we heard the nightly shouts of God is great from protesters on the rooftops. Iran's revolutionary guard is warning supporters of opposition figure Mir Hossein Mousavi to stay off the streets or risk revolutionary confrontation. Mousavi says protesters have the right to speak out. Iran's Guardian Council says ballot boxes were, in fact, stuffed in 50 cities on election day, June 12th, but it claims that didn't change the outcome.

Everyone out there is someone's child, someone's spouse, someone's parent. That's one protester's perspective of the turmoil in Iran as reported by his daughter in America. She spoke with CNN's Thelma Gutierrez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is Neda. She came to the United States when she was just 9 years old, she came with her mother and she's just one of many Iranian-Americans who have been watching the events unfold all weekend long. You say this has been a very emotional weekend for you?

NEDA, IRANIAN-AMERICAN: Yes, it has been.

GUTIERREZ: Your father is still in Iran?

NEDA: My father is in Iran.

GUTIERREZ: He's going to protest?

NEDA: Yes, he is. I was on the phone with him two hours before he was going to the protest, and I kept saying -- I didn't want to hang up the phone, and I think I said I love you to him about ten times. I was like Dad, don't go. Then he was all like Neda, everyone out there is someone's child, is someone's spouse, is someone's parent.

GUTIERREZ: Your father is actually attending the protest in Iran and you have been attending the protest here in Los Angeles. That's where we met you.

NEDA: Yes. I am not a very political person. This is completely based on emotion. This is not a political issue. It's a human rights issue. People are dying.

GUTIERREZ: As you have been watching the coverage unfold, have there been sights and sounds that you have not been able to get out of your mind? NEDA: I saw a young woman on the floor bleeding. I was so emotional. I went to the protest and I kept yelling and my Mom came up to me and said Neda, don't yell so hard. I'm like mom, I'm angry. This girl died in front of my eyes on camera. She said bye and that was it. What do you mean, don't scream? At that time I had not gotten hold of my father and I kept calling him. I know he's passionate and he wants democracy in Iran. So I kept trying all the way here from the protest, but I know he's okay. I'm just emotional.

GUTIERREZ: You finally get through to your father, what did you find out?

NEDA: I've been trying to call him to wish him a Happy Father's Day. He couldn't talk. Basically, he said one of these riot police with his baton hit him on the shoulder and went right in his face. So like one of his eyes needs stitches and his lip needs stitches.

GUTIERREZ: You said the first time you asked your father not to go to the protest.

NEDA: Yes.

GUTIERREZ: What did you say this time, Neda?

NEDA: I didn't ask. I didn't ask.

GUTIERREZ: Are you going to continue to protest?

NEDA: Absolutely.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Wow. Thelma joining us now live from LA. First of all, how ironic, she shares the same name, Thelma, as the cell phone video we have been seeing of the young Neda that was killed in Tehran. Has she talked about that more with you, and has she talked more with her father since you were able to touch base with her and the fact she did get through to her Dad?

GUTIERREZ: Yes, absolutely, Kyra. She told me that when she heard Neda's story, that is exactly the reason that she was compelled to go out to the streets to protest herself, because of that young woman's -- shot of her dying on camera. But beyond that, I just spoke to Neda a few moments ago and she told me that her father, like many of the other demonstrators who were injured in the clashes with some of the riot police, are actually afraid to go to the hospital because they are government-run. They are afraid they will be arrested there.

So her father needed stitches on his face near his eye, near his mouth, afraid to go to the doctor. He had to wait for someone to come to his house, a volunteer, to stitch him up. He says that many other people feel the same way, they have the same fears, and that there are doctors in private practice who are doing it quietly, who are helping people very quietly from their own homes and taking care of some of the injured. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Pretty emotional. Thelma Gutierrez, appreciate your report.

There's other news in the world, but we're not taking our eyes off Iran, of course. We're constantly working our sources, or watching the video feeds, we're scanning social networking and we're gathering I-reports for you as well, all to keep you right there on the front lines with the latest developments.

A woman's body found in a casket at a funeral home ready for burial, but the problem is the body had been waiting for a decent burial for five years.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: The numbers are in on the launch of the third generation iPhone. Lines may not have been as long over the weekend for the privilege to buy the Apple 3G S iPhone, but the numbers tell a different story. Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. So, Susan, how many people actually bought the latest and greatest iPhone?

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One million, Kyra. One million between Friday and Sunday, and the last time I checked a smartphone of any kind was not a necessity, especially in a deep recession. The 3G S iPhone went on sale here in the US and seven other countries. It's the most successful debut for a smartphone yet. And yes, it was about double what Wall Street expected. It expected 500,000 phones to be sold at its launch.

And also of interest, the press release (inaudible) something that came out today about Apple about its sales, including a quote from Steve Jobs, the CEO saying, customers are voting and the iPhone is winning. That is the first quote from Steve Jobs since he went on on medical leave in January, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: That's right. He had a liver transplant.

LISOVICZ: Yes. We knew he was on medical leave, not much else information. You better believe the debate on corporate governance really escalating with this report from The Wall Street Journal not confirmed that Steve Jobs had that liver transplant two months ago in Tennessee. Why Tennessee, you might ask? Well, the list of patients waiting for transplants there is shorter than in other states. The Journal also says some board members got weekly updates from jobs' doctors.

The fact that there was a quote from Jobs in today's release from Apple would seem to reinforce the continued statements from the company that says he will return to the company by the end of this month. But he's not your ordinary CEO, Kyra, as you know. He's the co-founder of the company. He's been involved with every product launch since 1997. He is widely credited with turning that company around and we will continue to watch what happens with Apple. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: All right. Thanks, Susan.

Here's another one of those ipod saves a girl stories. 300,000 volts worth of lightning hit a 14-year-old British girl and that would be enough to kill anyone several times over, but she survived. How? Apparently the charge bypassed her vital organs and went out through the headphones dangling away from her body. Know what else helped? Her boyfriend. Talk about Mr. Right. He was holding her hand and absorbed some of the current. Yep. Before you go making fun of PDA, just rember it could save your life.

We'll we're pushing forward on all the day's news, but we're not taking or eyes off Iran. Of course, we are constantly working our sources, watching the video feeds, scanning social network sites also gathering I-reports for you. It's all to keep you on the front lines with all the latest developments.

The beauty of volunteerism on display in the big easy today. Some of the President's recovery chiefs help rebuild homes. We're keeping them honest. We'll look at how much things have and have not improved for the folks who survived Katrina.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: This is a story about respect or more precisely, the lack of it, for a human being. The woman's named was Ada T. Young. You don't know anything about her, but how her death was dealt with is appalling. She died in 2004, but her body was just found three days ago, in a storage shed. Why? We have the outrage story of the day. Reporter Chris Tadegy (ph) with CNN affiliate KENS has our otrage story of the day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS TADEGY, KENS AFFILIATE: A nearby resident stumbled upon the casket while looking through an abandoned storage shed behind the Forest Park funeral home. A body the business had been holding on to for years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That body was taken from funeral home to funeral home as they moved from location.

Reporter: On June 2nd, the property's landlord said WB Hardy, the business manager, up and left this location without warning. He says he had recently had trouble making rent and was hard to get ahold of.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never called me or anything. When I would call his cell phone, you know, wouldn't get anyone.

Reporter: As for the body, the elderly woman was dressed for a funeral and Hardy told us by phone he had kept it since 2004, because the family could not afford to pay for a funeral or cremation. But obviously, the handling of the situation wasn't right and charges could follow.

UNDENTIFIED MALE: We're trying to determine how the suspect came into contact with the body, and whether or not there was foul play involved. As far as him keeping the body or trying to hide the body.

(END VIDEOTAPE) PHILLIPS: Yes. Obviously, wasn't handled right. We're going to keep you updated on whether there are any criminal charges filed in this case. A different funeral home director in the same county where the woman's body was found says if the family cannot afford to bury Ms. Young, they can apply to the county for a proper burial.

Our guy, Ali Velshi filling in for Rick Sanchez all week. Oh, boy.

ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, talking about things not being handled right. There was a story of this mayor in Maryland, somebody sent him 32 pounds of weed, and --

PHILLIPS: Bet he was one happy mayor.

VELSHI: The law enforcement sort of caught on to this and they got involved -- sort of sting operation. They bust into his house.

PHILLIPS: Cooking brownies?

VELSHI: No, no. He had nothing to do with the marijuana. They handcuff his mother-in-law. Shoot his two dogs dead, And now he's trying -- he's been cleared.

PHILLIPS: He's the wrong guy.

VELSHI: He's the wrong guy. The police have released an investigation saying that they followed procedure poroperly. I will have a nice talk with Mike Brooks about whether this was right, and what this mayor is going to do about it. So, we think that is an interesting story. I was trying to figure out, with some of the producers here, how big 32 pounds of marijuana is.

PHILLIPS: Did you figure it out? I'm sure some producers would know better than others.

VELSHI: It's a lot of stuff -- there you go. I have no clue how big that is.

PHILLIPS: Of course, neither do I.

VELSHI: And of course, we're following the continuing developments out of Iran. It's night time there -- it's after dark. A lot of the activities have been taking place after dark. We have our entire team on this. I'm fascinated because we have been all working on this together, but to actually come into this newsroom today and see the team we've got translating, identifying pictures and seeing where things are, and what time of day and you know, determing accents to see who the people, what might be in what region of Iran I think is absolutely fascinating. We will as you have been doing stay fully on that story.

PHILLIPS: It's great to have you with us for a week.

VELSHI: It's a pleasure to be with you.

PHILLIPS: Ali Velshi in the house.

Well, something borrowed, something blue, something sterile? This happy couple near Chicago got an early start on the in sickness part of their vows. Bride and groom both have Swine flu. They found out about two days earlier. That explains the mask, even though they do match the bridal gown. You can't see it here, but they're both wearing latex gloves also. On the upside? It made the receiving line at the reception go a lot faster.

Hammers, saws and drills hard at work in New Orleans today. Sure signs of progress, right? Why one couple that survived Katrina would give you a big thumbs down on that notion. We're asking the tough questions and keeping them honest.

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PHILLIPS: Failed health inspections, a backlog of unprocessed claims, now another problem for the VA and the veterans that they serve. "The New York Times" reports a VA medical center in Philadelphia botched common prostate cancer treatments 92 out of 116 times and kept up the treatments for a year with broken equipment. The numbers cover a six-year period, by the way. Some vets got way too much radiation, others got too little. Four have since died. But, a center spokesperson says the deaths were unrelated to prostate cancer or the treatment. The center isn't doing the treatments anymore while a federal commission looks into the problem. You can bet we'll stay on top of that story.

Nearly four years after Hurricane Katrina and many homeowners in Louisiana's St. Bernard Parish are still looking for relief. President Obama's Gulf Coast recovery chief and the head of HUD are both in the area today. But is life really any better? Our Sean Callebs keeping them honest in New Orleans. Hey, Sean.

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra. It's a great point that you make, there are still thousands of people who basically have fallen through the cracks over the past four years, people who don't have adequate housing now, they have no money, no ability to rebuild their homes. Right here, this home belongs to the Wilks family. Really sad but uplifting story at the same time. Kenneth Wilks, 68 years old, his wife really began suffering Alzheimer's about the time Katrina hit.

You're looking at the finishing touches being put on a rebuilt home done by the St. Bernard Project in five weeks, took care of the family. It's great news. You kind of look out this way, sort of a party-like atmosphere over in the far corner. Joseph Gall, a Congressman. How many people can say they have a Congressman and cabinet member here working on their home?

Sean Donovan, HUD secretary joins us now. Mr. Donovan, thanks, I will take you away from doing a little gardening here. Couple serious questions. It's great we're seeing this come to fruition today for the Wilks family, but so many people fell through the cracks. What can you, as a cabinet member, tell people from the Carolinas to Florida, the Gulf coast, this isn't going to happen again, there will be housing in place and there will be some assistance to get them through the emergency on to the long-term housing?

SEAN DONOVAN, SECRETARY, DEPT. OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT: Well, first of all, what I would say is my very first trip that I took as HUD ecretary, I came down here to the Gulf with Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security Secretary who oversees FEMA. What we saw was that frankly, our agencies weren't communicating. We weren't working together as partners. We have already made significant progress to change that.

Literally, there were tens of thousands of families along the Gulf coast who were at that time, when I came down, at risk of homelessness. So what we have done is to extend assistance to them, we have worked with the state to get case management in place. We frankly put in place the kind of teamwork that's necessary for American people to know they're safe next time around.

CALLEBS: Were you surprised, nearly four years after the storm, how bad the damage still is down here?

DONOVAN: I was disturbed, frankly, the way I would describe it. But the other thing I felt when I came down was there was an incredible spirit of people across the country coming, taking time out of their busy days to volunteer and that's exactly why we're back today. We're kicking off a summer of service across the country. First Lady Obama in California building a playground at a school. More than a dozen cabinet secretaries in places around the country to help rebuild.

CALLEBS: And two young Donovans here. This is Milo and Lucas back there.

DONOVAN: And Lucas around the corner.

CALLEBS: How is this family dealing with 100 degree temperature out here? You like this?

DONOVAN: Well, I would say wilting is a fair term but you know what? They're inspired. They have never been to New Orleans before in their lives. We drove in from the airport, and there was silence in the car, which is an unusual thing with young boys.

CALLEBS: Don't forget us down here. We will stay on you guys and we're going to hold your feet to the fire and make sure there is some housing in place if a catastrophic storm hits.

DONOVAN: And you should.

CALLEBS: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. We appreciate it. We talked about it before, Kyra. St. Bernard Project. They can basically take a home nuts-to-soup in about, what, eight weeks or so. They have done more than 220 homes. Another little positive spin on the blight that still remains down here, but we're still down here. We're still reporting the conditions, and hopefully it will get better.

PHILLPS: You know, I don't know, maybe this is a question for the HUD secretary. Sean, you and I have talked about this. Great to see what's happening in St. Bernard Parish and other parts of the city, but still, the Ninth Ward, where the poorest of the poor lived, they literally just got wiped out. A lot of those folks really want to come back. I'm just curious. Is the Ninth Ward going to stay the way it is, will there be any attention put on the Ninth Ward?

CALLEBS: Good question. I think on all levels, state, parish, city, Feds, they have let people down in the Ninth Ward. Really have to kind of break it up. The upper Ninth and lower Ninth, it's split by that the industrial canal. We know the floodwall gave way and flooded the whole area, so now the lower Ninth became the metaphor for misery in the aftermath. That's where Brad Pitt and his Make It Right Foundation have built a dozen or so homes in that area. There are some homes growing up, but it's being done by volunteers, it isn't being done by the government. Kyra.

Sean Callebs live from New Orleans. We will stay on top of that story for sure. You can see Sean's full report on CNN's THE SITUATION ROOM, which starts an hour from now at 4:00 p.m. That does it for me. See you back here tomorrow. Ali Velshi here all week for Rick Sanchez. Ali, take it away.