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Americans Detained in Iran; Authorities Following Two Motives in Florida Couple's Killing; Clunkers Program May Get Additional $2 Billion; Black Workers in Philadelphia Claim Discrimination; Six People Shot Outside Chicago; Doctor Fights for the Disenfranchised; Outdoor Concert Stage Collapse in Canada
Aired August 01, 2009 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.
Breaking news: This has all of the makings of an explosive international incident. Three American hikers arrested and detained inside Iran. And tonight, CNN has confirmed the name of one of those detainees, Joshua Fattal, in his mid-20s, from Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.
And just within the last few minutes, we heard from Fattal's mother. In a phone call, she says, quote, "My husband and I are only concerned with the welfare of Joshua."
The Americans reportedly strayed into Iranian territory while hiking on the Iran-Iraq border.
Live now to the Mideast and CNN's Arwa Damon for the latest details -- Arwa?
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Don.
And we have also confirmed that Shaun McFizzle (ph), according to his grandmother, he is a fourth American who's traveling with the other three, is in the embassy in Baghdad.
Now, this is what happened -- the time line as we do know it. The four Americans, four of them started out in the beginning, left from Syria and then traveled to Turkey, crossing into northern Iraq on July 28th. And then on July 31st, they ended up in Sulaimaniyah where three of them, including Josh Fattal, went to an area near the Iranian border called Ahmed Awa. Shaun McFizzle stayed behind because he wasn't feeling well.
Ahmed Awa is this beautiful tourist destination, but it's right up against the border with Iran. So, tourist police that ran into the three had actually warned them about the proximity that they were into Iran, told them to be careful saying, "Look, you're American. You're not Iraqi. And these are very tense times."
The last that Shaun McFizzle, who stayed behind, heard from his three friends came in the form of a phone call at 1:30 on Friday, where they said, "We are surrounded by Iranian military personnel." That is the last that anyone has ever heard from them.
Obviously, there have been ongoing diplomatic efforts to try to gain access to the three. The U.S. State Department saying that it has asked Swiss diplomats in Tehran to try to confirm Iranian's press TV reports that the three have, in fact been, detained by the Iranian border guards, and if so, to try to seek counselor access to them, Don.
LEMON: All right. CNN's Arwa Damon -- Arwa, we appreciate it.
More reaction tonight from the State Department -- senior State Department officials say that while they have not had access to the Americans, they have no reason to doubt the reports of their detention on Iranian state TV.
As if U.S. relations with Iran were not complicated before, the unknown fate of the three American hikers inside Iran now makes it even dicier.
With me now is Trita Parsi, president of the Iranian American Council and author of "Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran and the U.S."
Talk to me about this. At the beginning, we said this has all of the markings of an explosive international incident.
TRITA PARSI, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL IRANIAN AMERICAN COUNCIL: Well, as you said, I mean, just when you thought that things could not get more complicated, they just did. Now, I don't have any particular information about these three individuals, but one of the patterns that we've seen in the past is that the Iranian government has been much more keen on, for instance, arresting Iranian-Americans who also are U.S. passport-holders because it's a bit safer for them to do so. We have not seen any particular incidents in the recent years in which, for instance, they targeted American citizens who have no other type of connection to Iran.
And also, just a couple years ago, when the Iranians arrested British sailors that had strayed into Iranian waters, a lot of people concluded at the time that had there been American sailors, the Iranians probably would not have done it.
LEMON: All right. Also, Trita, in Iran now, more than 100 people are on trial for those protests following the disputed election there. Many of them high-profile politicians in Iran, and also a foreign journalist, a Canadian journalist as well. They could face some very stiff penalties if they are convicted in that court.
PARSI: Absolutely. And this is something, I think, has taken the entire country by shock, because these are not the opposition figures from outside in exile but rather, these are people who are just a couple of years ago were vice presidents, who were ministers for the government, who were heading the Iranian Parliament's foreign relations committee.
These are individuals who are well-known to the masses, and now, they are being put on trial in a prisoner's clothing and they are giving these confessions that sound quite astonishing and quite fabricated, to be frank.
LEMON: All right. Trita Parsi, we appreciate you helping us out through both of these stories happening tonight in Iran.
It has been a deadly day for U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan. Three American service members died when two roadside bombs struck a patrol in the southern Kandahar province. Meantime, the French government says one of its soldiers died in a battle with insurgents. Two French troops were wounded in that attack.
Did al Qaeda infiltrate the British Secret Service? One British lawmaker said it might have, and he is demanding an investigation. The lawmaker claims the country's elite MI5 intelligence agency mistakenly recruited up to six men who might have been involved with terrorist activity. The lawmaker who heads the parliamentary subcommittee on terrorism said the men got into the agency because of a rush to beef up intelligence following the 2005 suicide bombings in London.
And tonight, the British government is responding, telling CNN it's not aware of MI5 recruiting extremists of any kind.
A New York judge has ordered a psychiatric evaluation for a man who allegedly brought a suspicious backpack to LaGuardia Airport, a checkpoint there. The main terminal was evacuated. The bomb squad later determined the bag contained a phony device made of batteries connected by wires. Still, air travel was disrupted nationwide, and tonight, CNN has learned the suspect, 32-year-old Scott McGann, has been homeless for at least a year. He faces multiple charges and up to seven years in prison if convicted.
The House has adjourned for August break without taking any final action on health care reform. That means no vote until September. But they do have some health care homework from the president. He is urging lawmakers to keep up the momentum and courage by a last-minute thumb's up from a key committee.
In a statement, the president says, "This historic step by the House Energy and Commerce Committee moves us closer to health insurance reform than we have ever been reform. The bill that has passed will strengthen consumer protections and choice while lowering costs and improving care."
Meantime, the Senate still has a few days before leaving on summer break, and Republican leaders are standing firm against the president's plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN THUNE (R), SOUTH DAKOTA: In this difficult recession, Americans and our government are already overextended. The Democrats who control Congress have been spending money and racking up debt at an unprecedented pace. And their plan for government-run health care will only make things worse. Once implemented, the Democrat plan will spend more than $2 trillion and further increase our exploding deficit. Their plan would pile up higher costs, create new Washington bureaucracies, and burden every state through new requirements on Medicaid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, what is the best way for millions of uninsured Americans to get health care? Our conversation is just getting started tonight. Coming up in just a few minutes, I'll be joined by Dr. Peter Thomas who advocates for uninsured black men. And we want to hear from on this subject you as well.
Has the president's second 100 days been better than the first? It is your chance to weigh in. Starting tomorrow, you can vote at CNN.com, and be sure to tune in on Thursday night, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, to see the president's final grade. It's part of "CNN's National Report Card: The Second 100 Days."
New information to report this weekend about the motive or motives in the murder of a Florida couple.
Plus, gunfire sprays a crowd outside a Chicago church. Police are pointing to gang violence. Two Chicago activists join us live.
And new fuel to keep the federal "cash for clunkers" program alive, but for how long?
Plus, we want to know what's on your mind tonight. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or iReport.com is how you get on the air.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Robbery has been the presumed motive for last month's brutal home invasion near Pensacola, Florida. Byrd and Melanie Billings who had numerous adopted children with special needs were killed in the attack. As the investigation unfolded, police hinted at more than one motive.
I spoke earlier with CNN's Susan Candiotti.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Susan, what are you hearing about the possible motives, with an "S"?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, we're now hearing from a source familiar with the investigation that the state attorney there in Pensacola, Florida, now has a working theory. Under this working theory, both robbery and a contract hit are the motives involved here.
Now, what we're hearing that -- is that the suspected ringleader in this case, identified as Leonard Gonzales, Jr., who has been identified by other suspects as the sole gunman, may be the person behind the contract hit, and possibly others. And then those involved in the robbery would be those below him, other people that could be involved.
Now, for the first time at a news conference yesterday, the sheriff of Pensacola, Florida, Escambia County, acknowledged for the first time that he has had some uncorroborated information -- as he put it -- from the very start, that would lead -- as he put it -- a reasonable person to believe that this is something that the authorities should look at. But, he adds, "We're not excluding any other possibilities."
And the state attorney's office issued a statement, as well, to say on the record that robbery is still considered the prime motive but that the office is looking at all other motives, as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. That was CNN's Susan Candiotti.
And a developing story out of Chicago tonight. Six people shot outside a church on the city's west side. Chicago police say a man approached a, quote, "intended target" in a group of mourners and started shooting off grounds. One of the victims is listed in serious condition tonight. The rest are in good condition.
Police have no one in custody. They say the shooting is believed to be gang-related.
What is going on here? We're going to talk to Tio Hardiman. He is director of the gang mediation and community organizing for a group called Ceasefire, also, with Tio is Gary Slutkin, He's executive director there of Ceasefire. We're going to talk to them in just a little bit -- coming up here on CNN.
In the meantime, a story that has definitely caught the nation's attention, call it a government that is a victim of its own success. So many of you signed up for "cash for clunkers" rebates that, well, the pot is almost dry here. Yesterday, the House approved another $2 billion for it. But until the Senate approves it, some dealers are becoming wary.
Earlier, I asked the car expert. Her name is Lauren Fix. She's the author as well -- if people should turn in their clunkers this weekend or should they wait?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUREN FIX, CAR EXPERT: If you owe money on this vehicle, just so you know, you can't trade in that car unless it's a clean title. It can't have a loan against it. That's another thing that people aren't aware of. So, if you still have a loan on your car, you got some sort of UCC filing, you're not eligible.
The other thing is, to find out if the car is even eligible to begin with, go to the CARS.gov Web site. Be forewarned, hundreds of cars that were eligible when this program started are no longer eligible.
LEMON: Well, that's...
FIX: So, that's the other thing.
LEMON: Yes, that's the thing. That's next -- maybe -- Brother Grimace (ph) says, "Don, what is a description of a clunker? If my clunker's paid for, what's the incentive to get a meager down payment for a new car?" For a new car.
FIX: Right. That's -- you know, the other thing is, your car is worth more than $4,500. You're better off trading it in or selling it on your own. It would be absolutely silly to take $4,500 on a car that's worth $6,000. But if you can trade that in and get that $4,500 voucher before this weekend is out, it might be a good idea because the Senate still has to pass that $2 billion additional insertion of cash.
If they don't and policy ends and this program ends, then you'll have missed your opportunity. So, if you're in a position to do it, I would absolutely get online, look at the details and take advantage of it, because, you know, the problem is, though, if you need that car for somebody else, you might be better off giving it to them because that car will be in a salvage yard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. That was Lauren Fix here on CNN earlier. For more advice from Lauren, just go to our show's blog, CNN.com/Newsroom.
CNN's Jacqui Jeras, working on some very soggy weather across much of the south, and also a drought in southern south central Texas -- Jacqui?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, hey, Don. Yes, it's too much and too little really in terms of rainfall this weekend. Well, of course, that's been going on for months really across the Lone Star State. There you can see that across Texas, just south of Dallas.
We've been getting this rain right along the I-20 corridor. If we can just scooch a little further down to the south, that would make a lot more people happy. Unfortunately, the real heavy rain has been here across the ArkLaTex.
It's been really pushing across the Tennessee Valley and into the Deep South as well. Many of you got between one and three inches of rainfall, quite a bit of widespread flash flooding. Look out for the heavy rain for our drive, Don, going home into the Atlanta area and flash flood watches have been posted all the way into the Virginias.
Now, tomorrow, we're going to see more of the same unfortunately. There you can see pretty much everybody east of the Mississippi River has a chance of showers and thunderstorms, as some of these could be severe from the Delmarva extending down to the Carolinas here. A cooler-than-normal conditions across parts of the north and then into the west, we're going to continue to see some very warm conditions.
Let's go ahead and show you some of those temperatures. Look at this with that drought ongoing.
We're still looking at plenty of triple digits in south central parts of Texas. It's 94 degrees right now in San Antonio, 94 degrees in the Austin area. There you can see your high temperatures for tomorrow pushing the triple digits again. In Phoenix, you're under that excessive heat warning. You're cooler in the Pacific Northwest, but still way above average.
And then a quick peek at the tropics. We just want to let you know we're continuing to monitor that for you. We got tropical storms to the south and east of Hawaii. But right now, it's forecast to weaken and stay south of the island. But, hey, surf's up for all you, folks, for the weekend -- Don?
LEMON: All right. Jacqui, thank you very much for that.
It is a relationship that for too long has been strained, police officers and the black community. Tonight, a frank and honest conversation with your input.
Plus, it is not a story from the 1960s -- claims of separate restrooms for blacks and whites on the job.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. Earlier, we told you about a developing story happening in Chicago. Six people shot there today. Police believe it was gang-related. And then, earlier in the week, 15 people shot there.
Tio Hardiman is director of the gang mediation and community organizing for the group Ceasefire. Alongside him, Tio is Gary, his name is -- alongside Tio, I should say, is Gary Slutkin. He's the executive director of Ceasefire.
Tio, I'll start with you. What is going on with this uptick in gang violence in Chicago? More importantly, what is being done about it?
TIO HARDIMAN, CEASEFIRE: Well, first of all, there are two realities in Chicago. You have the subculture violence in Chicago and you have the working class culture. A lot of guys that, you know, participate in the violence in Chicago is learned behavior, passed down from generation to generation. Seventy percent of the young men in Chicago are on the defense.
And what Ceasefire does, we hire credible messengers who have access to that subculture I'm talking about who can go in and disrupt the transmission of violence that's spreading to somebody else. As a matter of fact, we have mediated over 220 conflicts this year already on the front end where somebody wanted to shoot somebody and we talked them down.
LEMON: How do you get to -- how do you get to someone? Because if someone is raised in that environment and raised on the streets and doing that in gang activity, it's very hard to get to them. Gary, how do you get to them? Your organization is called Ceasefire. How do you -- how do you get someone to know who has been raised in that environment that they shouldn't be there and make it stick?
GARY SLUTKIN, EXEC. DIR., CEASEFIRE: Well, Tio can explain that to you better than I can, because he's really working with the hard-core folks.
The main thing in Chicago right now is that the Ceasefire intervention -- which I know you know, Don, and I know you know Chicago -- which has been shown together 40 percent to 70 percent drop in shootings in the neighborhoods where it is, is really at a low coverage now.
And we've lost about 100 workers. Hopefully, we'll be able to put those back on the street in the next few weeks or a month or so. But that particular shooting is also in an area where Ceasefire ordinarily would be and has not been able to be recently.
LEMON: And not been able to be recently, gone. Explain again why not?
SLUTKIN: Well, I mean, for one thing, the coverage of Ceasefire in Chicago at its best is in the range of 20 percent to 25 percent. In other words, the amount of workers that we've had, that we had to cover between 16 and 17 parts of neighborhoods.
LEMON: Yes.
SLUTKIN: The amount of Chicago that requires the intervention is about four to five times that amount. So, where Ceasefire is, the shootings drop by 40 percent to 70 percent. In the areas where it isn't, these kinds of events continue to occur.
LEMON: Tio, I'll get back to you in a second but I want to ask Gary, what is the police department's involvement in all of this? How are they helping you out?
SLUTKIN: Well, I mean, the police department is doing all that it can, and I think the Chicago Police Department is doing an excellent job. I mean, they can provide an additional presence in areas in which things are extremely hot. However, they may not be able to always know what's going on when one person is mad at another because of someone having looked at someone else's girlfriend at a party, or because someone owes some money or something like that, and that's where the Ceasefire intervention comes into play, because the violence interrupters and outreach workers have a very good pulse on what's going on in the streets and then the workers can come in and cool people down.
And as Tio pointed out, there's been over 200 of these events that we were able to stop this year, but really over 1,800 events in the last 4 1/2 years that Ceasefire intervention has been able to cool down.
LEMON: Tio, Gary said you were better equipped to answer that question. So, how do you get it through someone as, you know, my parents say, "Thick skull," that they don't need to be involved in gang activities or shooting?
HARDIMAN: We have incredible messengers and violence interrupters and outreach workers who come from that same lifestyle and they just drive the message home to them that violence is not normal, is abnormal.
For example, just last week, on the west side of the Chicago, two of our violence interrupters were sitting on the front porch trying to mediate a conflict with some guys. Two guys walked up and they were about to throw a cocktail bomb in the house. And when they saw the violence interrupters, they knew the guys -- the guys, the violence interrupters engaged in the dialogue with the two guys that were going to throw the bomb in the house and talked them down. And then they invited the guys in the house and they resolved the conflict.
But it takes a whole lot of work, a lot of babysitting individuals and making a sense out of the madness, because a lot of violence in Chicago is really just senseless violence. Because you had six people shot at a funeral today. The guy shot his intended target and then he ended up shooting people in the crowd because people feel it's OK to be violent.
LEMON: Yes.
HARDIMAN: So, we talk them down all the time. We weigh out consequences. As a matter of fact, the outreach workers in Chicago and throughout the state of Illinois also work with over 900 high-risk individuals throughout the state.
LEMON: Well, I think -- and I think the important thing is, is that people are going to have to start, along with the police, taking back their communities and getting involved in their communities to -- and getting help from you guys as well to make this all stop.
HARDIMAN: Right.
LEMON: We appreciate you spending your Saturday night, at least part of it with us, OK?
HARDIMAN: Thank you, Don.
LEMON: Thank you, guys.
SLUTKIN: Thanks.
LEMON: The black community and our nation's police officer -- tonight, a frank and honest conversation about the tensions between the two.
Plus, how about this image of the past, a restroom for whites only. Not from the 1960s, but it's happening right now. That's the acquisition. Black city workers in Philadelphia claim segregation, harassment and humiliation on the job.
And after you pass the joint, make sure you pay your taxes. Will that be the new slogan in California? We'll talk about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. Try to wrap your mind around this one in 2009 -- a white's only bathroom in the City of Brotherly Love. How about a white's only water fountain? That's what two black workers claim it has been for more than a decade at a Philadelphia sanitation plant. They are filing complaint against the city, pointing the finger at their boss. They say John Gill, the superintendent at the Northwest Transfer Station kept a very close eye on who was using what bathroom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GIBSON TROWERY, SANITATION WORKER: There is a water cooler in his office that he uses. And the whites go in there any time they want to. But no, we can't go in his office when we want to.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Blacks can't go in there?
TROWERY: No. Just don't walk in his office.
LESLIE YOUNG, JR., FORMER SANITATION WORKER: Like he said, it's the difference of going one flight of stairs to the bathroom where all the white employees go to go five flights down where all the black employees go. That was very degrading.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The city solicitor's office, which is demanding -- defending the case, I should say, denies the allegations. Here's what they're saying to CNN tonight, "The city does not discuss active litigation but believes these claims are meritless and their lack of merit will become apparent as the litigation proceeds."
The workers claim they have been harassed, picked on and discriminated against since 1996. So, why did they wait until now to sue the city? Their lawyer talked to us earlier tonight, and he says the lawsuit was a last resort.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD TRUBMAN, ATTORNEY: The gentleman have raised other protests with city officials, but I would say that the real reason that they filed the suit now is they just had too much of it. It was just too much for too long. And for many years, they were frightened. And now, they found their own humanity and asserted their rights.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. We're continuing our discussion tonight on America's issues on race. One red-hot controversial issue in particular is the sometimes strained relationship between African Americans and the police.
Warren Ballentine is the host of "The Warren Ballentine Show," he's also a former prosecutor. He's joining us live. He's in Atlanta.
Thank you very much. You're usually by satellite. It's good to see you. We've been discussing, you know...
WARREN BALLENTINE, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Good to see you, Don.
LEMON: ... one of the comments I'm hearing from African- Americans, that African-Americans are too sensitive on racial matters. But it's not always matters of race, isn't it?
BALLENTINE: It's not. In fact, with this situation in Boston with Sergeant Crowley, I was one of the main people saying, "Look, this is not racial profiling that's taking place." I said it on my national show and said it on my local show in Chicago.
However, one of the things that's not being discussed here is what happened, and this is what is going on in a black America -- in black America. If you have 2 million people incarcerated in this country, 1 million are black. Well, when you look at Officer Crowley falsifying a police report, which if you and I had done that, we would have been arrested.
LEMON: Let me explain what you're saying. You're saying -- and many people have heard it on talk radio and the African-American community saying, "Hey, why aren't you guys bringing this up?" Because he's saying in the report that there was a call of two black men breaking into a house. And the woman says that she never mentioned race at all.
So, the police department has not responded to that.
BALLENTINE: Well, let me clarify it even more. What he says in the report is that he spoke to the woman, who called the 911 call at the scene and she told him at the scene that it was two black men with backpacks. She came out and said, "No, I never spoke with him. In fact, he told me just to stay there."
This is why she had to do the press conference. She was doing what every American person should want to do, being a good neighbor, calling the cops when something goes wrong, and she's crucified because this cop falsified a police report.
LEMON: OK. Beyond that, what's going -- what's happening, I know that people have been wanting to bring that out and sort of going back and just rehashing what happened in that, we want to know what -- how do you fix this?
And one person we had on earlier was a former police chief, who also sent us an iReport. I want to you look at it, Warren, and then we'll talk about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. RICHARD WEINBLATT, IREPORTER: I'm Dr. Richard Weinblatt, director of the Institute of Public Safety at Central Ohio Technical College and a former public police chief and full-time law enforcement officer.
I have gone to many calls as we have seen in the Professor Gates situation. And I don't think Professor Gates handled himself very well, but I'm not too sure about Sergeant Crowley, either. We get paid to deal with belligerent people. This is the United States, where you have the First Amendment.
He wasn't yelling fire in a crowded theater. He had already provided the I.D. The sergeant was satisfied.
Professor Gates should have acted that way, granted, but we get paid to deal with belligerent people. We're supposed to take the high road, whether black officer or white officer. And many officers have said to me across the country, black and white, that they hope that we learn from this, this becomes a national dialogue, because the police are a part of the community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That's probably what I hear most from people who write in to me about this story is: how can you be arrested in your own home? Since when is mouthing off a crime or disorderly conduct? And why didn't the officer, once he realized who it was, just let the situation go and move away?
WARREN BALLENTINE, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Well, I said this on your show...
(CROSSTALK)
BALLENTINE: I said this on your show last Sunday, this was contempt of cops. This cop arrested him because he was upset.
LEMON: OK. All right. So...
BALLENTINE: But this is how you fix this, Don.
LEMON: OK.
BALLENTINE: You want to find a solution. This is how you fix this. We need to go to the standard that we have when it comes to DUI arrests. With DUIs, they are recorded, they are videotaped. Cops should have to be videotaped or recorded when they do a stop.
LEMON: But I do have to say this, I mean, the police officer -- I was always taught that the police officer is the person who is in power and if they say, "Be quiet," then you shut the heck up.
BALLENTINE: That's the case.
(CROSSTALK)
BALLENTINE: But not in your home.
LEMON: But even if it's in your home, my parents would say, "Shut up and listen to the police officer," and whatever repercussions that will come after, you deal with it later.
BALLENTINE: But, Don, that goes back to what I was saying in the black community. The black community doesn't feel that way because when you have the cop in Boston sending a racist e-mail, this cop falsifying a report, there's no trust there. And the only way you can fix this is to put some parameters there where they're held responsible if they're doing something illegal.
LEMON: Yes.
BALLENTINE: This cop falsified a report. He got to the White House. Those kids in Philadelphia, they couldn't swim and they didn't get an invitation.
LEMON: You know, I feel one-sided here but police have really tough jobs.
BALLENTINE: Oh, yes.
LEMON: I mean, cut them some slack.
BALLENTINE: Oh, yes. Well, my family members are cops.
LEMON: Yes.
BALLENTINE: I'll tell -- I'll tell my listeners all the time, cops have one of the most -- worst -- they have the worst jobs in America, because you know what -- they are the first on the scene when anything goes wrong and even the routine traffic stop, they have no idea what they're walking into.
LEMON: Right. But I do think that one of the gentlemen brought it up earlier, is that, we all need to be more open about how we can change police departments as well as African-Americans.
BALLENTINE: Well, I think what we have to do is what he said, we have put the human element in there.
LEMON: Right.
BALLENTINE: We have to look at each other as human beings first and that's how we'll come to some solutions and also might cuffed (ph) the cops.
LEMON: Yes. I love the talk. I wish we could have had a couple beers here, too, as well.
BALLENTINE: We could do that after the show.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Warren Ballentine, we really appreciate it. Thank you very much.
BALLANTINE: All right, Don. Thank you.
LEMON: How about some medical advice with your haircut. You're about to meet a doctor who'll do anything to get black men to take care of their health.
Plus, a rematch in the dramatic race in the Olympics when Michael Phelps barely kept his quest for immortality alive by 0.01 of a second. You won't believe what's happened this time. We're going to tell you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: There is amazing work going on inside the Woodlawn Clinic in Chicago's South Side. They are saving lives one haircut at a time. The clinic is run by Dr. Peter Thomas, who is determined to use any tool, any place and any means he can to bring proper health care to the black men he serves.
But, first, Dr. Thomas has to get them through the door. My colleague Soledad O'Brien went along with him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Frank Wilson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
DR. PETER THOMAS, FOUNDER, PROJECT BROTHERHOOD: Hi. I'm Dr. Thomas. What's going on?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you doing?
THOMAS: All right. Good, good. Deep breath, in and out for me.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dr. Pete Thomas is a black pioneer.
THOMAS: And so, what sort of medical problems did you have before you got shot?
O'BRIEN: He's committed to the health and well-being of black men -- whose life expectancy is eight years less than the national average.
THOMAS: We're going to sort of try to really work with your diet.
OK, what's going on with your leg?
Stop smoking.
O'BRIEN: Dr. Thomas has found an innovative way to get health care to black men, and to get black men to the doctor. It's called Project Brotherhood.
THOMAS: You had the courage to come in and see the doctor. I appreciate you.
We know how to get men to the health centers, and it's not by advertising free colonoscopies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's free. You know what I'm saying. I'm trying to get everybody to come down there.
O'BRIEN: Project Brotherhood begins here in this and in many other Chicago barbershops.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a great thing to be able to share with people.
O'BRIEN (on camera): So, why barbershops? Why are they so critical to you?
THOMAS: Well, this is a staple in our community. So men feel comfortable coming into the shop and more importantly, they feel comfortable talking about whatever health issues that they may have.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Whether it's a fear of being exploited, going back to the Tuskegee experiment, the economics of it all, including a lack of health insurance or the fact that most doctors don't look like them, black men are notoriously reluctant to go to the doctor.
So, with clippers in one hand and an HIV testing kit in the other, the barber is Project Brotherhood's first line of defense against problems that plague the black community, like high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and HIV.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right. Joining me now live is Dr. Peter Thomas, founder of Project Brotherhood. And Craig Spivey, director of social service Project Brotherhood.
Thank you so much for joining us. I feel like I'm back home in Chicago. I have been doing all of these Chicago stories tonight.
CRAIG SPIVEY, PROJECT BROTHERHOOD: Hey, how are you doing?
Which barbershop was that? Do you guys even know? Do you recognize that barbershop?
THOMAS: That's League Styles Barbershop.
LEMON: OK. Yes. All right. There you go. Been there.
All right. So, listen, Dr. Thomas, since you -- since you started, since the "Black in America" piece aired...
THOMAS: Yes.
LEMON: ... what has happened? Has there been a big change with Project Brotherhood?
THOMAS: Well, yes. I mean, we've seen an influx of men attempting to access services. So, a lot of men are trying to come in and see the doc now. So, we appreciate that.
We've also seen a reduction in the funding, unfortunately because of the government and what's going on in the state of Illinois, our funding is also in jeopardy as well. So, that's sort of another issue that we have to deal with as well.
LEMON: As you talk about that, I read here Mr. Spivey, who serves as Project Brotherhood as director here. I see that you're with Danny Davis health task force, that you have committed a certain number of things. The Cook County ambulatory and community health care network and all of that.
You have been working with people who have been sort of disenfranchised by the medical community for a long, long time. What difference are you seeing now with these types of services, if any at all?
SPIVEY: Well, a lot of men come in and they are actually coming in for therapy services.
LEMON: Really?
SPIVEY: Yes. A wife coming in and asking, you know, to talk to the diagnose guys who really don't have access to psychological services or anything. They basically -- one woman called from Mississippi and said she wanted bring her -- come down and bring her husband to talk to me because he said he saw the show and that's the only thing he wanted to do is just come to Project Brotherhood.
LEMON: What is the biggest issue that you're seeing then when -- because you said that people come in and they want to have therapy, is it therapy, is it health issues, is it HIV, which is really hitting the African-American community hard?
SPIVEY: It's really all, but basically just men who have anger issues, men who just feel disenfranchised. I mean, the psycho social issues as far as like dealing with the police. That's a psycho social issue. The stress of that can raise your blood pressure, can raise the issues of, you know, your diabetes level and everything.
LEMON: And Dr. Thomas, I see you nodding your head. What did you want to say?
THOMAS: Well, I just wanted to say that, in many cases, what we found is just that men have a variety of issues that involve some mental, some physical -- and in many cases, the mental issues and social issues are ignored when they access services from the traditional medical care.
And so our approach to health care is more of a holistic approach and it includes a mental, social. We have a father's program. We have a manner development program.
LEMON: And, Doctor, is this only in Chicago?
THOMAS: Yes, it's only in Chicago right now.
LEMON: Are you going to go around?
THOMAS: Well, that's our intention. Our intention is to go coast to coast. And we hope to really try to get African-American men and all men for that matter, health care.
LEMON: That's what I was going to say, because all men -- men hate to go to the doctor. And I would imagine the numbers are even worse in the African-American community. But I think all men -- this needs to be at every barbershop in the country, to get men just to go to the doctor and get it checked out. And I'm sure the ladies out there, the wives, would agree with me.
THOMAS: Yes. I mean...
LEMON: Yes.
THOMAS: And the other issue is that these health disparities that exist, this gap in terms of the life expectancy of African- American men being 12 years, and in some cases more than that, less than Caucasian men, 3 1/2 times the rate of cancer, 2 1/2 times have...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: More urgent in that community.
Hey, thank you, guys. We're out of time here. Dr. Peter Thomas and then, also, Craig Spivey -- we appreciate it.
SPIVEY: Thank you.
THOMAS: Thank you.
LEMON: Thank you very much.
SPIVEY: All right.
THOMAS: All right.
LEMON: All right. You can call it reefer madness, I guess. California says if you got 'em, smoke 'em, but the state might want in on that deal.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK, toke 'em and then pay the tax man. It could happen in California.
Marijuana is the state's largest cash crop. And in the face of a big budget shortfall, lots of people are saying legalize it and take a piece of the profit. The state tax board says that could rake in almost $1.5 billion in revenues. So, state lawmaker Tom Ammiano is working to make all of that happen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM AMMIANO (D), CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY: There are a lot of very hard second looks now, particularly with the economy the way it is here in the state.
Well, I think, you know, you would have some kind of retail outlet, and it could be -- it could be a Walgreen's. I mean, it could be a hospital.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Can you imagine going into the Walgreen's?
All right. Well, right now, most lawmakers do not support broad legalization but pot advocates want to put an initiative on the 2010 ballot to let the voters decide on it.
Here are some of the responses tonight. Cypressweb (ph) say, "Let's not forget that police are killed while answering calls about a homeowner as well. Who owns the house doesn't matter." FWJ1950 says, "Hopefully, the hikers will be safe and released but U.S. citizens have to be very careful in these complex countries." MusicalQT says, "Thanks for dealing with the issue of race. Frankly, this is good stuff that needs to be discussed."
Theissue says, "Chicago does not sell guns. Guns are coming in from other places. Chicago does not have enough community activities for youth." AL_NYC says, "If they are selling marijuana legally, of course, they ought to tax it like cigarettes and alcohol."
Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or iReport.com -- we'll get your responses on.
One in seven Iraqi kids living with a disability. One American contractor could not believe those numbers, so he did something about it. Tonight, he is our hero, and you're going to meet him.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: When civilian contractor Brad Blauser went to Iraq, he found out that one in seven Iraqi children live with a disability. So, he decided to stick around even though U.S. troops are withdrawing, and he has a new mission.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is "CNN Heroes."
BRAD BLAUSER, CHAMPIONING CHILDREN: Disabled children, they're really the forgotten ones in this war. They're in the back rooms, often not seen in society.
I came to Iraq as a civilian contractor. There were a lot of children that either dragged themselves on the ground or they would have to be carried. There were so many kids out there with a need and so many people willing to reach out and touch the lives of these kids.
In 30 days, we had 31 pediatric wheelchairs that had hit ground.
My name is Brad Blauser. I bring pediatric wheelchairs to Iraqi children in need.
People donate on my Web site. The wheelchairs are brought over and I distribute them to the different military units and help fit these children into the wheelchairs.
The experience for me being first distribution was awesome, seeing the smile come over their face and look over at the mothers and fathers. They've definitely been changed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via translator): It's all about humanity. He wanted Iraqis to feel there's humanity in America. It makes us happy to see such a thing.
BLAUSER: There's no paycheck. It's not really safe here, but this is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, knowing that you've done something for someone that nobody else has done before. I made a difference in the life of these families. Definitely the sacrifice has been worth it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Just amazing, Brad Blauser. Amazing when people do stuff like that. Congratulations to you.
You can nominate a CNN Hero of your own on our Web site, CNN.com/Heroes. And remember, nominations for this year close tonight. So get them in. Get them in.
Creativity can be the key when it comes to surviving a recession. You know, a lot of people are losing their jobs. Some people are trying small businesses. Well, you're about to meet a small business owner that found a way to bounce all of the way to the bank. Check it out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We have a breaking story to tell you about of Canada tonight. Police say one person is dead and 15 are injured following a heavy thunderstorm at an outdoor concert near Edmonton, Alberta. Witnesses say high winds caused the main stage to collapse at the Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose. An unknown number of people were trapped when that stage collapsed.
Our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras has been taking a look at the conditions when the storm hit this area. She's standing by in the CNN severe weather center.
Jacqui, take it away.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Very extreme conditions, Don. The environment in Canada rules the government thunderstorm outlooks in this area and they did have what we call a severe thunderstorm watch throughout the area at the time. Here you can see Edmonton, Camrose is just to the south and east there. And there were some very strong thunderstorm that blew on through. So, this was likely very strong winds, maybe in excess of 60 miles per hour that pushed through the area. So, very brutal conditions.
We're trying to get some pictures and get those along to you. I have seen them on the Internet and it looks like what we will call straight line wind damage rather than a tornado.
And just to kind of put this in perspective for you, to let you know where this is at. This is Google Earth. There you see the United States and this is in Alberta. Camrose is dozens of miles outside of Edmonton -- Don?
LEMON: Yes, and some severe weather came through here. There were tornadoes also here in the U.S., right, today?
JERAS: Yes. We had a lot of severe weather. Not so much in the Pacific Northwest. We have all seen it across the south and throughout the east today.
LEMON: All right. Jacqui, keep an eye on it. And when we get those pictures, we'll bring them to you in this newscast. We appreciate it.
JERAS: Sure.
LEMON: It sounds like a winning business. A place where you can drop your kids off and let them have as much fun as they want. But in this recession, even a place like that is struggling. So, the owners got very creative and active. Reynolds Wolf takes us to bounce you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Scott and Julie Hamilton took their life savings, borrowed money from family and the bank to invest in their dream. These parents of three boys opened a kid- friendly franchise, Bounce U, in Charlotte, North Carolina, last year, an entrepreneurial strong city -- and then, the economy took a nose- dive.
JULIE HAMILTON, BOUNCE U OWNER: We knew we're going to have to get creative and proactive.
WOLF: That meant coming up with a marketing strategy to get customers in the door. They focused on children's birthdays and smaller, less expensive parties and even some weekend activity.
J. HAMILTON: We now have party packages that starts at $150, and there, we have from all different kinds of sizes, all different budgets, and that seems to really help a lot.
SCOTT HAMILTON, BOUNCE U OWNER: It's not just a weekend business, which was really what we bought into it for. Now, it's something that we have parties on the week nights, we have summer camp during the day. We'll have open bounce as well.
WOLF: They're seeing a payoff. The business has increased by 20 percent with zero layoffs. It's a common story in Charlotte.
According to the Chamber of Commerce, more than 7,300 jobs have been created by new business so far this year, mostly small business.
The Hamiltons say TV and direct mail ads, online marketing and fund-raising partnerships have all helped.
S. HAMILTON: We have called every school and every church and every youth group and every scouting group and we're talking to them about our different programs.
WOLF: All part of the plan to get people through their doors and keep them coming back.
S. HAMILTON: It's real easy to get on the inflatables and play with the kids and see them laugh. But at the end of the day, it's mom and dad that want to go home feeling like they have gotten a good value for what they've paid for.
WOLF: Building their business with every bounce.
Reynolds Wolf, CNN, Charlotte, North Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, Reynolds, thank you very much.
We have some breaking news here to CNN, our top story. Three American hikers arrested and detained inside Iran. We're going to hear from one of the detainee's mother -- moments away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We have an update now on the breaking news we told you about at the beginning of this newscast. We have been able to confirm the name of an American hiker who's been arrested and detained inside Iran. His name is Joshua Fattal. He is in his mid-20s. He's from Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. He is one of three Americans who reportedly strayed into Iranian territory while hiking in the Iran/Iraq border.
Within the last few minutes, Joshua's Fattal's mother spoke with CNN Radio. Listen.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
LAURA FATTAL, JOSHUA FATTAL'S MOTHER: My husband and I are eager for the best welfare and conditions for our son Josh and for the other two companions he's with. And that is our only concern -- his welfare and the best conditions for him.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LEMON: Make sure you tune into "CNN SUNDAY MORNING" for the very latest on that story.
I'm Don Lemon in Atlanta. I'll see you back here tomorrow night 6:00, 7:00, and 10:00 p.m. Eastern. Have a great evening, everyone.
